Chapter 10
“Do you think…” Frodo said after a moment, curling into Aragorn’s arms, “Do you think the others heard me?” He reached up to grasp the ranger’s hair, letting it flow through his fingers. “I…was … loud…” his voice wavered. He had no idea how to approach this. He knew that his cheeks were still red…embarrassed with how easily he had let the ranger work.
Aragorn took the “I don’t think so.” he smiled gently and drew the blanket around the hobbit, frowning when he saw how much the hives had spread across his back.
“Aragorn…?” Frodo’s voice caught in a whisper as he looked up at him with wide blue eyes. “Why did you do that?” his voice trembled slightly almost as though he was afraid of the answer.
Aragorn smiled, “Did it please you?”
“Very much…but….you knew it would…” he paused breathessly. “I feel…elated…and…and…but everything still hurts…only…I can’t focus on that. I just…I’m a little confused.”
“Accept it, little one. Take what pleasure you can while you can for this journey will bring great trials. And fear not what we do.” he adjusted Frodo slightly, “For it is only what you deserve.”
Frodo sighed gently and wished it were more, he supposed that it would be wonderful if Aragorn truly loved him…but he didn’t want to think about that. Small pleasures here and there…if that was what was being offered…he’d take it. It didn’t matter….”I do…” he said in a small voice. “I want it…”
There was a rustling behind the curtain, “Aragorn…” It was Gandalf.
“Enter.” The ranger smiled and as the wizard came through, Sam was not far behind, looking for any problems and peering cautiously at his master…who seemed…oddly contented…Sam frowned and had a suspicion that something had occurred. He may not look like he was paying attention all the time, but that sort of thing was difficult to miss.
“Aragorn…we have a solution that is rather unorthodox, but Boromir assures me it worked on his brother Faramir once when they children. Apparently…it helps to stop the itching enough so that the hives can go down and Legolas said that he could prepare a mixture that would help Frodo sleep.” Gandalf looked between the two with bland expression. Frodo was clinging rather more tightly to Aragorn than usual.
“Tell me.”
“Well, Boromir said that he remembers his mother giving his brother a bath in a mixture of mud and athelas leaves. The mud apparently cooled the skin down….and…the athelas ”
“Mud?” Frodo wrinkled his nose…the idea of it making his stomach squirm. He looked up at Aragorn blinking in confusion.
The man frowned a little at the idea, “I’ve never cared for the healing methods of Boromir’s people, but I’ve heard tell that they tend to work better than most.” He stroked Frodo’s cheek gently. “It doesn’t sound too bad.
“But…” Frodo’s face fell…The idea of being covered in mud was not something he wanted right now. Not at all…and who would….He swallowed. What really worried him … and he trembled at the thought…is who would do this. Who he could bear to see him like that….Then his face scrunched a bit in pain as his lower left leg was tingling…he reached down to scratch at it managing to slip underneath Aragorn‘s grip. “Do you…Do you think it will work Gandalf?” As Frodo’s big blue eyes stared up at the wizard the old man ruffled laid a comforting hand on his mop of damp curls. He did not have a particular good feeling about this particular remedy, but he supposed that about now they needed any ideas if they were to be able to hurry on their way. “I think that if you wish it, it will be done. But the alternative…is to lie here until the ivy runs its course and that could take a week.”
“A week!” Frodo’s eyes shot up…and his lips trembled…”N-no…No I don’t want to hold everyone back for that long…Please…” He sighed… “Do what must be done…I….I’ll handle it.” he sighs and closes his eyes, leaning in the crook of the ranger’s arm.
Sam went up and put a couple of clean cloths down. He wrung one out and peered at the way Frodo was cuddled so securely to the man, it didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t entirely sure of the ranger’s intentions and there was no way that Sam was going to allow Frodo to be hurt. “I can take him now, Strider.” Sam said calmly reaching over to lay his hands on his master’s shoulders.
Aragorn and Sam stared at each other. Frodo didn’t open his eyes, too miserable at the moment to fight or argue or want to deal with anything but the comfort of where he was. “He would doubtless be more comfortable with you.” Aragorn nodded slowly…and very carefully. The hard glare the gardener was giving him bore a number of problems that he would soon have to face. “I will prepare the bath…”
“But…” Frodo opened his eyes suddenly…he was comfortable…and he didn’t want to move…He glanced at Sam but Sam was not looking at him…he was staring directly at Aragorn. “Who?…” he looked between the hobbit and the man, not entirely sure what was going on…he looked over at Gandalf who merely shrugged and smiled at him. The Ringbearer however, did not release his grip on the ranger.
Aragorn looked down at the Hobbit and smiled gently, reassuringly. “Let your Sam care for you for a moment. I will not be gone too long while I work with Boromir to prepare the bath, we’ll try to make it in a secluded area so you will not be disturbed, little one.”
"No...I want you!..." Frodo then blushed as to how his words sounded, he struggled to breathe for a moment and his cheeks flamed. "I mean....I want you to do it Aragorn...Sam is it alright?" he glanced at the gardener shyly, begging his friend to understand.
Sam scowled, clearly not wanting this. He looked over to Gandalf for advice but the wizard was looking elsewhere, finding a particular caterpillar crawling on the windowsill extremely interesting at that moment. He ran his fingers through his hair, and then looked back at Frodo again. His Master’s eyes were so earnest…so hopeful. This was what he wanted…no…what he needed. Aragorn’s face was impassive as he regarded Frodo’s long time servant and protector. He could tell that Sam did not trust him to not hurt Frodo.
“Please, Sam…” Frodo said very softly.
Sam finally nodded and grunted an affirmative agreement to the idea. Then Frodo allowed the ranger to get up, letting Sam take his place thankfully.
Aragorn smiled briefly and then leaned down to kiss a very surprised hobbit on the lips…in front of Gandalf -and- Sam. He took them without shame…even as Sam’s mouth fell open and his eyes went as wide as saucers. The kiss lasted it seemed…for eternity as Frodo played with the hair on the back of the ranger’s neck, softly whimpering at the taste of the hard tongue that pressed and tormented his. “I’ll be back soon.” Then he stood up and let the very red-faced Ringbearer transfer himself into the arms of his good friend.
Gandalf watched as Aragorn left and cleared his throat, “Well now, Frodo. It would seem to me that your Uncle Bilbo was right and here I thought you didn’t like that sort of thing at all. You’re full of surprises, my friend. I hope that you know what you are doing.” “I do…” Frodo whispered, laying his head against the familiar safe shoulder of his very best friend. “Even if it is only for a very short time.”
Sam was not really sure what to say, he merely began to treat Frodo’s body with the cool cloths, rubbing him down as gently as he could while he held him. Then the gardener cleared his throat…and in order to change the subject…began to sing one of his songs so that Frodo would rest at least for an hour or two before being subjected to the indignity of a mud bath.
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