Title: Strength
Author: Ladyhawk (lhflu@yahoo.com)
Category: Romance 
Rating: R 
Pairing: Frodo/Sam 
Disclaimer: JRRT --the one, the man, the author. How could I
possibly live up to that? 
Summary: Frodo goes to Aragorn looking for strength. Sequel to
"The Power".



Strength
by Ladyhawk




 It burns, it burns my soul. This pleasure, this pain. I want
more, I must have more. 

 "FRODO!" My eyes snap open to see Aragorn above me, shaking my
shoulder. His other hand is around my wrist, as if holding it
back from something. 

 "St-Strider?" I can't shake the pleading in my voice. Tell me I
wasn't doing it again. Tell me I wasn't trying to put that
cursed thing on my finger. I can only do so much against the
Ring's seduction. 

 But I am to get no reprieve. "You were trying to put on the
Ring." 

 "It must have called to me in my dreams. Thank you." I turn my
head as tears of frustration leak down my cheeks. 

 The firelight is damning. Aragorn does not move away. Instead
he grabs my chin and turns my wet face toward his. "You must
keep your strength up, little one. You cannot do that with a
troubled heart." 

 I gaze into his shadowed visage, then look next to us at the
amber locks that shadow the face dearest to me. I want to wake
Sam. I want to ask him to distract me again from the voice in my
head that is trying to damn me. I still can remember vividly how
he did that four nights ago. I never felt as safe in the Shire
as I did under his touch and in his arms. 

 But as I reach for his shoulder, doubts assail me. He didn't
ask me to touch him that night. He didn't even say anything
about how he feels about me. What if he did it out of loyalty,
and not love? Maybe I'm not good enough for him, and he is only
doing it for the good of Middle Earth. 

 I pull back my hand, determined to not force him into anything.
I love him too much to use his loyalty against him. 

 So I turn back to Aragorn, whose eyes shine as if holding the
secret to saving us all. Without thinking, I let my head fall to
his chest. The man's strong arms wrap around me. "How can I
help, Frodo? How can I help you bear your burden?" 

 I sigh tiredly and wrap my small hand around his long fingers.
"I need warmth, reassurance. I know this is too much to ask of
you, as we are all weary. . ." 

 The Ranger's free hand caresses my cheek. "No, little one.
Without you, we will all fall. I would gladly die of the cold if
it meant you received my body's warmth." His eyes question me.
"But what of Sam? Did I not hear you both a few nights ago?" 

 I gaze again at my beloved's back, then resolutely turn away.
"His loyalty drove him to it. I don't want to trouble him
again." 

 "It most often takes more than loyalty to motivate actions such
as his." But as his eyes meet mine, I shake my head, determined
to let Sam sleep. "All right, little one. If you will not ask
him, I will give you what you need. Come with me." His hand
pulls me to my feet and we walk to an old oak on the outskirts
of our camp. 

 Aragorn rests his back against the large tree and motions me to
him. I sigh as I climb into his lap, finally finding enough heat
for my chilled bones. 

 As I snuggle into him, Aragorn reaches under my tunic and
mithril to span my chest with his hand. Agile fingers softly
caress my sensitive nipples. I lean into his touch, trying to
get more. 

 His mouth covers mine gently, pulling at my lips. I moan as my
body begins to tingle all over. 

 But suddenly he stops, and rests a warm hand on my back. I look
up at his face to find him gazing toward the campfire. 

 "Wipe your tears, Samwise Gamgee, and come here." Aragorn's
voice holds no anger, just a calm, soothing tone. 

 I gasp and turn toward the firelight to see amber curls shaking
from side to side. "Sam?" 

 My dear friend is shaking as he steps near. "I'm, I'm sorry,
Mr. Frodo. Don't mind old Samwise. I knew you wouldn't feel like
I do. You need better than me. I won't stop you if you want
Strider." 

 Looking at the pain in Sam's eyes, Aragorn's words about him
come back to me. "How do you feel about me, Sam?" 

 "I've, I've loved you since we were wee hobbits. I'm sorry, Mr.
Frodo. I didn't want to. . ." Sam turns to walk back to the
fire. 

 I gather my courage as Aragorn nudges me gently to my feet.
"Didn't want to what, Sam? Hurt me? What you did for me four
nights ago didn't hurt me at all. It has kept me strong. But you
asked for nothing that night or since. I thought I wasn't good
enough to please you. I didn't think you'd want my love." 

 With a sob, Sam hurls himself at my feet. "I'm the one not good
enough, Mr. Frodo. You bear the Ring, you keep going when I know
it hurts you so. I just wanted to make it easier for you, give
you something good to think about when the ring pulls at you." 

 I pull him up and into my arms. "You did, my Sam. But its voice
gets louder still. It made me doubt what I always knew. That you
love me. I'm sorry for doubting you, and for hiding what I feel.
I love you, Sam." 

 Sam continues sobbing against my shoulder, but the tone has
changed. I hear relief from pain in his tears, and I smile as I
hold him close. 

 Then I remember Strider. I look behind me to see him spreading
his cloak on the ground. He feels my gaze and meets it. "This
will give you both privacy, away from the others." 

 Although my Sam is a comfortable burden, I realize that he is
one I cannot bear alone, not this night. We are both in need of
more comfort than we can give, as our journey has been harsher
than anything we have ever known before. And I so want to give
my Sam all the comfort he needs. 

 So I ask. "Will you stay with us, Aragorn? Will you share your
warmth and strength with us? I would have Sam heal his spirit
before he tears it apart trying to comfort me. My love for him
shines brightly, but somewhat coldly, because I am as weary in
soul as he is." 

 As Aragorn nods his acceptance, I see tears glisten in his
eyes. "This is a great gift you give me, Frodo. I will do my
best to heal you both. If Sam accepts as well?" 

 Sam tightens his arms around me and nods into my shoulder.
Seeing Sam's response, Aragorn gently manuevers us to lie
together on the spread cloak. 

 I watch as Aragorn undresses my beloved carefully. He then
takes my hand and whispers it slowly over Sam's chest and lovely
rounded belly. Both Sam and I sigh at the contact. It is so good
that I continue tracing paths over Sam's chest as Aragorn's
hands move to discard my clothing. 

 When we are both naked, Sam reaches for me. His hands tremble
as he clutches my shoulders. I feel larger hands over his as
they show him how to ease the tension in my back, guiding him
and caressing both of us as Sam's hands becomes more confident. 

 In Sam's hands, I feel love. His touch reminds me of all the
times we spent together in the Shire and makes me hope for the
future. I return that love with every touch I give him. 

 Aragorn's touch, however, is like a soft summer breeze, warm,
soothing. It mends the wounds we inflicted on each other in our
ignorance and fills us with the strength we both so desperately
need. It is his touch that urges my lips to Sam's, to feed on
the sweetness there. It is his touch that folds our bodies into
each other, molding us together into one being. 

 As as our cocks meet between us, it is Aragorn's hands that
ease us into the rhythm we fumble to find. 

 Soon, I am grasping Sam to me desperately, trying to get
closer, trying to imprint his form on my skin as the pleasure
overwhelms me. 

 I gasp as the feeling crests and I feel twin spurts of warmth
on my belly. Sam's murmured "Frodo" could not be more musical to
me if it was sung by elves in Rivendell. 

 As we settle sleepily together, strong in love for each other,
I hear Aragorn whisper above us. 

 "Thank you both. By allowing me to see your love, you have
given me more strength than I could ever give to you. Stay true
to each other, for if you do, I can never doubt we will defeat
the evil before us. Sauron is no match for what I've just seen."

 In reply, I hold my Sam just a little tighter. 

 END