What Blooms in Ithilien

Title: What Blooms in Ithilien 9/?
Author: Claudia
Pairing: Frodo/Faramir
Rating: PG13 up to NC-17 in later chapters
Summary: An ill Frodo is captured by Faramir. Love blooms.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and make no money from them.

Story Notes: There are some direct quotes from The Two Towers in this section.

What Blooms in Ithilien 9


Faramir slipped out of Frodo with deliberate calm. His eyes were not on Frodo; they were fixed on Anborn. He still clenched Frodo’s arms, and Frodo felt his hands trembling with rage. Frodo’s heart battered in his ears, blocking out all other sound. He clung to Faramir’s shirt, using him as a shield from Anborn’s piercing eyes.

“Hold on, Frodo,” Faramir whispered under his breath. He pulled out of Frodo’s grasp and climbed to his feet. He stood in front of Anborn.

Frodo scooted out of the way and pushed his back against the wall. He pulled his breeches over his bottom and clutched his knees. His stomach, not yet fully recovered from the water poisoning, churned ominously.

“Anborn.” Faramir’s voice was steady and commanding. “What brings you to my private quarters unannounced?”

Frodo admired his cool dignity. No trembling, no awkwardness. He tru truly a man trained for crisis. Frodo’s own throat seemed full of glue. If he tried to speak, he knew it would come out in a shameful squeak.

Anborn bowed with obvious disdain. Two more soldiers followed him into the room. They looked nervous, their eyes falling everywhere in the room but at their Captain. “We have come to take the halflings at once to Minas Tirith.”

Faramir’s lips thinned. His eyes darkened until they were two cold slivers of black ice. Frodo shudderedramiramir had turned a similar gaze on him not too long ago.

“Tell me, Anborn, as this is a matter that you have oft forgotten. Who is your Captain?”

For the first time, Anborn did not look as sure of himself. Frodo’s body felt numb. He did not dare release his withheld breath. Faramir had to win this. Frodo could not go back to Minas Tirith. Not among so many men. He would be searched, and the Ring would surely be taken from him.

Anborn recovered his dignity and a cold smile went over his lips. “You are. But when a man of higher rank, even if he is the Steward’s son, forgets his duty to his city and begins to think below his belt, then it is my duty as a loyal soldier of thite ite City to make certain that the Steward’s commands are followed. Your father has commanded that anyone found in this land not by his leave is to be slain. I respect your notion of not killing creatures who do not seem harmful. However, if you choose not to slayr prr prisoners, it is your duty to bring them to Minas Tirith for questioning, not to keep them as slaves to your…lust…” He turned a scornful gaze on Frodo. “Where they may escape and reveal our location.”

Frodo flushed under Anborn’s scorn but he did not dare respond. The outcome of this confrontation would determine the fate of all of Middle Earth. If Anborn and the two soldiers he had convinced to cooperate with him overcame Faramir and forced Frodo to Minas Tirith, the quest would fail. The men of Minas Tirith would share Boromir’s desire to use the weapon of the Enemy against Mordor. Even if he were allowed to keep the Ring, it would only be a matter of time before someone ripped it from him.

Faramir was silent for several minutes. He kept his hard gaze on Anborn. When he spoke again, his voice was low, but there was a hard edge to it. “I am glad to have heard you speak so frankly. Howevyou you know nothing about why these halflings are here on the border of Mordor. I will not send them to Minas Tirith. And if you are wise, you will remember who your liege lord is and who your Captain is, even if you disagree with his judgments.”

“Then you would disobey your father?”

Faramir pursed his lips together until they were white. His face twisted with pain before he smoothed it. He looked old; Frodo could suddenly see how the years of guarding the White City had wearied him.

Faramir clenched his fists and released them. “Anborn, you will leave my quarters at once. If you cease your treachery now, there is a chance, however small, that you will still be allowed to be a soldier of Gondor.”

Anborn bowed again as if on ton ton truly pained him. His smile was bitter. “Your father’s duty to the city will supercede any loyalty he may have for you.” He turned to Frodo again. “Whatever the Captain decides for you, Halfling, you can mark my words. If because of your presence our camp is exposed to the Enemy, I will find you. And I will personally rip you limb from limb.”

Faramir was in Anborn’s face with the speed of a striking snake. His sword was at Anborn’s throat. “One more word and it will be you who will be sent to Minas Tirith for trial before my father.”

Frodo’s blood chilled at the sight of such a fierce confrontation between two men.

Anborn left abruptly, not hiding his humiliation.

As soon as he was gone, Frodo jumped up and threw his arms around Faramir’s waist. Faramir knelt and squeezed Frodo to him.

“I’m sorry about that, so sorry. Frodo, you’ve gone through so much.” His gaze hardened. “I will do something about him. That you can count on. Such contention cannot be allowed in such dark times.”

“Thank you,” Frodo said, though he found he could still barely speak. “I could not go to Minas Tirith. It would be the death of all of Middle Earth.” Adrenaline shook through him until his s fes felt weak and useless. He collapsed into Faramir’s embrace, letting all his weight sag against the man.

Faramir lifted him and set him gently onto the bed. He knelt over him and kissed his brow. “We cannot finish what we started. You and Samwise will need to leave. You cannot stay here, not with such shameful contention in my company.” faceface looked pained again. “I do not know how far Anborn would go. We will need him for the heavy battles to come or I would send him away immediately.”

Frodo touched Faramir’s face tenderly. “It is no small matter to go against your father. I appreciate that you have done that for me.”

“Frodo,” Faramir squeezed him to his chest. He cradled Frodo’s head in his arms. Frodo felt safe, as if he were in a warm cocoon. “What do you intend to do with this most powerful of weapons? It pains me to see you travel through this dark land. It seems folly. I cannot bear the thought of you going to your death.”

Frodo closed his eyes. The mere thought of how much farther he had to travel, through so many more perils, made him weary. How he longed to stay in Faramir’s arms forever!

“I was going to find a way into Mordor,” Frodo said with a weak sigh. “I was going to Gorgoroth. I must find the mountain of fire and cast the thing into the gulf of Doom. Gandalf said so. I do not think I ever shall get there.” Tears of exhaustion and sprang to his eyes.

Faramir took Frodo’s cheeks in his hands and stared into his face. His gray eyes—always so expressive—now reflected shock and pity. He wiped Frodo’s tears away with his thumbs.

“Rest now, sweet Frodo,” Faramir said. “Sleep in safety while you can. When you wake, I will gear you and Samwise and you will continue on your way.” He stared beyond Frodo. His eyes looked more distant than Frodo had ever seen them. “I have met someone whom I could love, and now I must release him onto the most dangerous path. How cruel fate is sometimes. Would that I could take your place and you could lay down your burden.”

“Your duty is to Minas Tirith,” Frodo said.

“When you return…” Faramir said. He closed his eyes. “No, I must not think of it. There is too much darkness ahead for both of us. But especially for you.”

Faramir’s fingers ran over Frodo’s face. He winced as he came to the bruise he had caused on Frodo’s face. “Would that…I know you do not know me well. You have not seen me at my best. First I took you prisoner and forced you to march when you were deadly ill. Then I allowed that evil instrument you bear to poison my mind. I hurt you.”

“That wasn’t you,” Frodo said, brushing his lips against Faramir’s neck. “This is what I remember. You took pity on two ragged hobbits in your land. You nursed me to health. You were nothing but fair and kind. You disobeyed orders and did not slay us. You—“

Faramir’s mouth clamped on Frodo’s with rough intensity. His hand crept under Frodo’s shirt. “I want you so much. But there is no time.”

“You’re right,” o sao said. “There is no time. Please, Faramir. Let us finish what we started. This I promise you now. If I return alive, the world will have changed. You will no longer be at war. Faramir, if we both survive, we will have another chance to…” Frodo smiled. A nearly debilitating surge of affection for the man who held him weakened his limbs. “If you wish, I would stay with you.”

“Would you?” Faramir said, pulling down Frodo’s breeches. “I’ve never met anyone, man or woman, like you. Until you, I’d never met anyone I could give my heart to.”

Frodo’s breaths came in jagged gasps of joy at the combination of hearing Faramir’s words and the fact that his large hand was wrapped around Frodo’s stiff member. He pressed into Faramir’s hips. He pulled at Faramir’s leggings. Faramir ripped them down. In one swift movement, he was on top of Frodo. Frodo let out a gasp as all the air was knocked out of him.

“I’m sorry,” Faramir said, putting as much of his weight as possible on his elbows. Frodo pushed into Faramir again, overwhelmed by the tingling in his belly. He felt as if he had swallowed too much beer too quickly. Something had to be released. He frantically rubbed his member against Faramir’s. Faramir fell into him, pressing his lips over Frodo’s again. A huge hot tongue thrust inside Frodo’s mouth.

“Now!” Frodo gasped, grabbing Faramir’s warm thick shaft. He prepared for the initial agony of invasion, though he knew it shouldn’t hurt quite as much this time.

Faramir grunted as Frodo guided him into his small bottom. In he slid. Frodo let out a hiss of pain as Faramir entered him with his thick heat. When Faramir hesitated at the look of pain on Frodo’s face, Frodo pushed him in further. He clutched Faramir’s head and kissed him as Faramir finally hit that spot inside him that sent ripples of pleasure through his body. Frodo clamped his mouth together, holding in the screams of pleasure. After he destroyed the Ring, he and Faramir could make love whenever they desired. They could cry out as loud as they wished. Faramir bit his lip and grabbed Frodo’s arms with bruising force, also straining not to cry out. He bucked violently into Frodo, shuddering and gasping.

Then Frodo felt it—the final explosion that shattered his senses and left him limp and sweaty. Faramir slumped on top of him. His breaths came out in ragged sobs. Frodo could barely breathe under his full weight, but it felt good. For the time, he was safe and loved. After a few moments, Faramir rolled off of Frodo and wrapped his arms around the hobbit. He had tears in his eyes as he kissed Frodo several times on his sweaty brow.

“Frodo, I…this may seem premature to you, but I love you.” Faramir took Frodo’s hands in his and kissed them. Frodo’s chest swelled with gladness. “I don’t want you to go. I would do anything to convince you otherwise. I will take you to Minas Tirith. I will keep you safe. Nobody will harm or molest you. The Ring will be—“

“You know that cannot be.” Frodo shook his head. “What good will that do? Your people are strong, but they cannot hold off Sauron indefinitely. They will come for the Ring. I will bring danger and death to your city.”

“But I would not have you go to death or to torment,” Faramir said, squeezing Frodo to his chest. “This is what I cannot bear.”

Frodo felt tears come to his eyes. Leaving Faramir would be more painful than he had thought possible. Frodot a t a sudden shame. He had scarcely thought about Sam since Faramir had interrogated him. He hoped he was not terribly lonely and that Anborn had done nothing to harm or frighten him. He was probably worried sick. No. Sam was perceptive. He had certainly put it together what was going on between Captain Faramir and his Mr. Frodo.

“There’s no other way,” Frodo said.

“I must let you sleep,” Faramir said, burying his face in Frodo’s hair.

“Stay with me—at least until I fall asleep.”

“That I can grant you.” Faramir pressed against Frodo’s back, his arms firmly around Frodo’s waist. He kissed Frodo’s ear and neck. Frodo leaned against his chest, soothed by the beating of the man’s heart. A fierce determination swept through him that he should survive what was before him. Like Faramir, he had never before found anyone he could love. He would return to him.

TBC