Fic: Stranger and Drifter
Author: Iorhael
Title: Stranger and Drifter
Challenge: Nursery Rhyme
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Sam/Frodo
Summary: Exhausted by his journey from the north, Samwise Gamgee found himself following a gentlehobbit home from a bar.
Warnings: AU
Author’s Notes: My greatest thanks to mews1945 for the beta. Prompt:
Curly locks, Curly locks
Wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes
Nor yet feed the swine,
But sit on a cushion
And sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries
Sugar and cream.
Samwise Gamgee fastened the button of his cloak, made sure his flask was filled, and pulled up his hood before he started to exit the bar. It was late and he had been walking for a day and a night without a rest, save for eating some dried sandwiches he got from a small tavern in the last town where he had stopped. Now all he wanted was a warm bedroom and a soft mattress. He hoped there was an inn nearby.
He was reaching for the bar’s doorknob when it turned and the door was pulled open. Sam could only stare as the new patron shrugged off his cloak, revealing the most striking face he had ever seen. Sam felt as if air had completely been knocked out of his chest. The stranger had a sharp jaw, a straight nose, and the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. His dark curls looked so soft Sam wanted to run his fingers through them. His voice was merry when he greeted Sam.
“Hullo, good sir! Beautiful night tonight, is it not?”
“Yes, you are beautiful,” Sam said, and instantly felt like smacking himself for blurting it out like that. “I - I mean, it is a beautiful night.”
The lovely stranger’s brow furrowed a little before the frown smoothened and a childlike grin replaced it.
“Yes. Yes, it is. Do you know that this bar has the best beer in Buckland?” the stranger asked. "Would you care to join me?"
Sam opened his mouth to decline, but changed his mind. He'd had his drink and dinner but he would not miss a chance of spending some time with the stranger for - what? A night alone in an inn’s chilly room? He did not think so. He began to take his cloak back off.
“The best beer, eh? No, I didn't know that.” He smiled. “You have to show me proof.” He hung the cloak in the storeroom and followed the stranger to one of the booths.
“Two pints of beer are coming,” the stranger said.
Sam planted himself on the long bench across the table from him. “They come in pints?” He did not truly care about pints or beer or anything else. He was all that mattered, the man sitting in front of him. The man Sam realized whose name he didn't know.
“My name is Samwise Gamgee. And you are?”
The blue eyes got even bluer when he stared right into Sam’s eyes and replied, “Frodo Baggins at your service, sir.”
Sam’s mouth went dry at the word service.
“B-Baggins?” he squeaked.
“I am, Mister Gamgee.”
“Please call me Sam.”
“And Frodo. I reckon you are not from around here?”
“That is right. North Farthing, on my way to Bree.”
“I gather you need a bed for the night, and breakfast, too, for tomorrow. Have you a room somewhere?”
He would have, if he had not been bewitched by this stunning Frodo Baggins, who immediately picked up on his delayed answer.
“You have not? You are welcome to share my little quarters. I live in a pavilion at the Brandybuck estate. It is not far from here.”
Sam was about to answer when the barmaid came with their beer. Frodo took his and lifted it up.
“Cheers,” he said. “To a good looking green-eyed drifter.”
Sam felt something stir in his groin. “Do you usually take home a drifter like me?”
Frodo’s mouth pursed as he pondered. “That depends,” he said then. “If you say yes, then yes, I will take home a drifter like you.”
“And you give them bed and breakfast?”
“I will.”
“How about your family? What do they say about that?”
Frodo smiled and Sam found he could not look away from his lips.
“My family. Should we talk about my family?”
“Not if you don’t want, no. That is none of my business. I only care if…” I only want to know if you live with someone else, a wife or, or a husband.
“You aren't drinking your beer. It is not too good when it gets warm.” Frodo licked the beer foam on his upper lip. Sam followed the way his tongue moved, groaning inwardly. “Sam? I’m sorry I interrupted you. What did you want to say?”
Sam finished his beer in several big gulps. “Do you live alone?” he blurted out, and was totally taken aback when Frodo's smile vanished. His voice was choked when he spoke.
“Do I live alone, you said? I think I do. I live with the Brandybucks, but their house is big and their family is big and I would only fool myself if I thought I truly live with them.”
Uneasiness filled Sam’s mind. He wanted to stop Frodo from talking, to say again that it was none of his business. He regretted having asked when all he really wanted was Frodo.
“Listen, Frodo.” He raised a hand to stop Frodo’s confession of how he had been adopted as a Brandybuck but he could never be one because he was one of them queer Bagginses, and that would never change. He had tried to fit in but was still not able to and finally folks let him be and left him alone.
“Why do you not leave?” Sam asked, when the rain of words had stopped.
“I beg your pardon?” Frodo wiped his eyes.
“Why do you stay with the Brandybucks if you are not happy? You can go and have your own house, work your own land.”
“I want to be with my cousin Bilbo Baggins,” he muttered under his breath. Sam strained toward him.
“What did you say?”
Frodo looked down, drawing imaginary circles on the tavern’s table. “I want to go to Hobbiton where Bilbo my cousin lives. I know he will accept me as I am.”
“But there would not be drifters like me to see.” Sam grinned.
“I never said I saw those drifters,” Frodo said, looking away, and totally flustered. Sam frowned.
“But I thought you said…”
“I said if you said yes then-”
“Oh my dear.” Sam clamped a hand over his mouth. He knew he was blushing. “I am so sorry. You must be thinking I am such an awful person to think of you like that.” He felt so terrible he did not realize Frodo was staring at him in amusement.
“Sam,” Frodo called, touching Sam’s hand gently. “No harm done.”
“You promise?” Sam looked up slowly.
“Cross my heart.” Frodo leaned closer.
Sam could not hold back anymore. He leaned forward, too, and in a second joined their lips together, and dared himself to lick those lips. Nothing had ever tasted sweeter. Sam swallowed his moan as he flinched back, dreading Frodo’s reaction.
To his surprise, though, Frodo was not moving away. Instead he smiled and took Sam’s hand.
“I want you to be the first and only drifter I have ever brought home. Do you mind?”
As if spellbound, Sam could only hold on tightly and follow Frodo’s lead.
~~~
Title: Stranger and Drifter
Challenge: Nursery Rhyme
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Sam/Frodo
Summary: Exhausted by his journey from the north, Samwise Gamgee found himself following a gentlehobbit home from a bar.
Warnings: AU
Author’s Notes: My greatest thanks to mews1945 for the beta. Prompt:
Curly locks, Curly locks
Wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes
Nor yet feed the swine,
But sit on a cushion
And sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries
Sugar and cream.
Samwise Gamgee fastened the button of his cloak, made sure his flask was filled, and pulled up his hood before he started to exit the bar. It was late and he had been walking for a day and a night without a rest, save for eating some dried sandwiches he got from a small tavern in the last town where he had stopped. Now all he wanted was a warm bedroom and a soft mattress. He hoped there was an inn nearby.
He was reaching for the bar’s doorknob when it turned and the door was pulled open. Sam could only stare as the new patron shrugged off his cloak, revealing the most striking face he had ever seen. Sam felt as if air had completely been knocked out of his chest. The stranger had a sharp jaw, a straight nose, and the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. His dark curls looked so soft Sam wanted to run his fingers through them. His voice was merry when he greeted Sam.
“Hullo, good sir! Beautiful night tonight, is it not?”
“Yes, you are beautiful,” Sam said, and instantly felt like smacking himself for blurting it out like that. “I - I mean, it is a beautiful night.”
The lovely stranger’s brow furrowed a little before the frown smoothened and a childlike grin replaced it.
“Yes. Yes, it is. Do you know that this bar has the best beer in Buckland?” the stranger asked. "Would you care to join me?"
Sam opened his mouth to decline, but changed his mind. He'd had his drink and dinner but he would not miss a chance of spending some time with the stranger for - what? A night alone in an inn’s chilly room? He did not think so. He began to take his cloak back off.
“The best beer, eh? No, I didn't know that.” He smiled. “You have to show me proof.” He hung the cloak in the storeroom and followed the stranger to one of the booths.
“Two pints of beer are coming,” the stranger said.
Sam planted himself on the long bench across the table from him. “They come in pints?” He did not truly care about pints or beer or anything else. He was all that mattered, the man sitting in front of him. The man Sam realized whose name he didn't know.
“My name is Samwise Gamgee. And you are?”
The blue eyes got even bluer when he stared right into Sam’s eyes and replied, “Frodo Baggins at your service, sir.”
Sam’s mouth went dry at the word service.
“B-Baggins?” he squeaked.
“I am, Mister Gamgee.”
“Please call me Sam.”
“And Frodo. I reckon you are not from around here?”
“That is right. North Farthing, on my way to Bree.”
“I gather you need a bed for the night, and breakfast, too, for tomorrow. Have you a room somewhere?”
He would have, if he had not been bewitched by this stunning Frodo Baggins, who immediately picked up on his delayed answer.
“You have not? You are welcome to share my little quarters. I live in a pavilion at the Brandybuck estate. It is not far from here.”
Sam was about to answer when the barmaid came with their beer. Frodo took his and lifted it up.
“Cheers,” he said. “To a good looking green-eyed drifter.”
Sam felt something stir in his groin. “Do you usually take home a drifter like me?”
Frodo’s mouth pursed as he pondered. “That depends,” he said then. “If you say yes, then yes, I will take home a drifter like you.”
“And you give them bed and breakfast?”
“I will.”
“How about your family? What do they say about that?”
Frodo smiled and Sam found he could not look away from his lips.
“My family. Should we talk about my family?”
“Not if you don’t want, no. That is none of my business. I only care if…” I only want to know if you live with someone else, a wife or, or a husband.
“You aren't drinking your beer. It is not too good when it gets warm.” Frodo licked the beer foam on his upper lip. Sam followed the way his tongue moved, groaning inwardly. “Sam? I’m sorry I interrupted you. What did you want to say?”
Sam finished his beer in several big gulps. “Do you live alone?” he blurted out, and was totally taken aback when Frodo's smile vanished. His voice was choked when he spoke.
“Do I live alone, you said? I think I do. I live with the Brandybucks, but their house is big and their family is big and I would only fool myself if I thought I truly live with them.”
Uneasiness filled Sam’s mind. He wanted to stop Frodo from talking, to say again that it was none of his business. He regretted having asked when all he really wanted was Frodo.
“Listen, Frodo.” He raised a hand to stop Frodo’s confession of how he had been adopted as a Brandybuck but he could never be one because he was one of them queer Bagginses, and that would never change. He had tried to fit in but was still not able to and finally folks let him be and left him alone.
“Why do you not leave?” Sam asked, when the rain of words had stopped.
“I beg your pardon?” Frodo wiped his eyes.
“Why do you stay with the Brandybucks if you are not happy? You can go and have your own house, work your own land.”
“I want to be with my cousin Bilbo Baggins,” he muttered under his breath. Sam strained toward him.
“What did you say?”
Frodo looked down, drawing imaginary circles on the tavern’s table. “I want to go to Hobbiton where Bilbo my cousin lives. I know he will accept me as I am.”
“But there would not be drifters like me to see.” Sam grinned.
“I never said I saw those drifters,” Frodo said, looking away, and totally flustered. Sam frowned.
“But I thought you said…”
“I said if you said yes then-”
“Oh my dear.” Sam clamped a hand over his mouth. He knew he was blushing. “I am so sorry. You must be thinking I am such an awful person to think of you like that.” He felt so terrible he did not realize Frodo was staring at him in amusement.
“Sam,” Frodo called, touching Sam’s hand gently. “No harm done.”
“You promise?” Sam looked up slowly.
“Cross my heart.” Frodo leaned closer.
Sam could not hold back anymore. He leaned forward, too, and in a second joined their lips together, and dared himself to lick those lips. Nothing had ever tasted sweeter. Sam swallowed his moan as he flinched back, dreading Frodo’s reaction.
To his surprise, though, Frodo was not moving away. Instead he smiled and took Sam’s hand.
“I want you to be the first and only drifter I have ever brought home. Do you mind?”
As if spellbound, Sam could only hold on tightly and follow Frodo’s lead.
~~~