Chapter 14
“Frodo…” Aragorn pulled the hobbit up, feeling the warm blood against him. Frodo -was- bleeding in the most painful of areas. “No…no….”
“Its alright…” Frodo murmured. “I’m not hurt…” he was a little groggy…but the experience of what had just happened was making him giddy and lightheaded. He had suffered so much the last couple of days that he hadn’t noticed the bleeding. The pain was searing through him…but his body had taken so much that it had simply meshed with everything else and Frodo hadn’t been all that aware of it. All he wanted right now was Aragorn. He knew that he’d taken the man over the edge and he gazed up at him. “Forget about that…” he whimpered.
“Elbereth…Frodo, I can’t…you’re hurt…and it’ll get infected. It probably already is. Why did you do that? We could have waited…” he picked up the hobbit and rose, slipping a little bit in the mud, but managing to keep his balance. His legs were still a little unsteady as Frodo -had- driven him to complete distraction.
“I didn’t want to wait…” Frodo pouted, putting his lower lip out as he sagged his head against the ranger’s chest. “So tired of hurting…wanted to feel good…” he nuzzled against the Ranger’s nipple, “You make me feel good…” he was delirious…and his head was spinning.
Aragorn was sure that Frodo was in pain…he just was in so much pain that it didn’t matter! He lay the hobbit by the bank of the river and began to clean them both off as quickly as possible. Amazingly…as Boromir had suggested the hives had begun to calm down with the application of the mud and athelas. As well as the ivy. Once he had thoroughly cleaned the hobbit he laid him down, propped up on the ranger’s clothing to make sure that Frodo’s head was not lying full on the ground. Frodo shivered…it was cold.
The ranger took a blanket that he had had ready and threw it over the hobbit, drying him off as best he could. Frodo giggled when his hands touched in sensitive areas. The Ringbearer couldn’t think. His mind was clouded with what seemed like a cotton ball.
Once the hobbit was clean and warm he looked at Frodo seriously, “Frodo I need you to open your legs, I have to take a look…”
Frodo smiled provocatively, he was feeling as though he was drifting in a dream. He’d gotten to the point where it didn’t matter any more…everything hurt.
He did as the Ranger asked and licked his lips. Aragorn firmly looked away from Frodo’s face, for he knew what the hobbit wanted right now…unfortunately. He pushed the skin away and studied the problem. Frodo shivered…but not from cold…from Aragorn’s fingers so close to him. Close but not doing anything more than a clinical preview of the situation. “Its infected…” he said with a sigh. “You must have done that when you…” It was Aragorn’s turn to blush. “I’m going to have to…cut at the wound in order to clean it properly so that it .” He stopped, realizing that Frodo wasn’t listening to him. He had closed his eyes and seemed to be ignoring what Aragorn was doing the best he could. “Frodo how do feel…? Does anything itch?”
Frodo shook his head, “N-No…just…burns a little…and achy. I…hurts…” he opened his eyes and tears welled in them. He looked up at Aragorn miserably. “What now…?”
Aragorn’s heart nearly broke looking into Frodo’s eyes. He reached over and stroked Frodo’s hair gently and closed his legs, pulling the hobbit into his arms. “I’ll try to make it as quick as I can…” he said gently. “Did you hear what I said before?”
“Yes…” Frodo’s lips trembled, “I was hoping I heard wrong.” His voice was small and wavered in a most threatening way as though Frodo was about to burst into tears. “I just want…Aragorn…You…you want me don’t you? I…wasn’t dreaming it or imagining it?”
Aragorn smiled and leaned forward, taking Frodo’s lips with a sweet tenderness, playing lightly with his tongue before pulling away. “My dear Frodo… I want you…more than I can say. What you did just now…what you did…only one other person has been able to do to me. I forgot everything…where I was…what was happening…just that it was you….your touch…your caress. “
Frodo smiled and nestled against the ranger, “Arwen is the other person.” he said softly.
“Yes.” Aragorn nodded with a smile in return as he kissed the top of Frodo’s head, “She is very dear to me as are you. One day we will see her again, and if I have not taken good care of you, she will certainly be unhappy with me.”
“Really?” Frodo blinked a little curiously.
“Really Really.” he nodded, “Now…will you let me take care of that now? It won’t take but a moment…” Aragorn touched Frodo’s chin gently. “And then…we can rest…you aren’t itching anymore…are you sure?”
Frodo shook his head, “No…” and he wasn’t. “I’m comfortable like this…” he said after a few moments passed. “Can we just rest like this for a while?” He reached over and played with Aragorn’s nipple, smiling a little. Aragorn caught his breath and Frodo’s hand bringing the Ringbearer’s fingers up to his lips for a sweet kiss.
“That’s not resting, Frodo.”
“I know…” Frodo’s words were spoken in the most innocent of tones as he curled against the hard body of the man he loved and gazed up at him.
Aragorn had difficulty keeping himself under control. Frodo was really the most intriguing person he’d ever met. He’d enjoy finding out more about the hobbit as Frodo began to get better. He seemed interested in many things…and his lips had been so sweet…intoxicating… “Not now, Frodo.” he chided the hobbit who made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat that sounded curiously like a whine. Aragorn didn’t dare do anything more with the hobbit until he cleaned the wound caused by the broken hive.
* * *