truth or dare

The guests were gone, the chaos remained. Mugs were standing in nearly every corner of the room, on tables, cupboards and windowsills. Dishes and plates with leftovers (of course not many leftovers) covered the tables. The air was thick and even a chair was broken.
Frodo overlooked the room and went with a sigh to the window to open it. It had been a great party, but now it was his turn to tidy up. Thank God Merry and Pippin had volunteered to help, and Sam, of course, too, and in return he had offered them the opportunity to sleep here in Bag End.
He went over to the kitchen where Merry and Pippin were sitting at the table with another ale in front of them, giggling and cuddling up together like they used to do. They could never keep their hands off of each other. They were a couple now for quite a long time, and of course Frodo was happy for them, but sometimes it hurt to see them so delighted together, while he was still alone. He had to admit that he felt a bit envious, but he always tried to hide this feeling. Sam already sorted some dishes in order to wash up.

"Well, Frodo," Merry said as Frodo entered, "This turned out to be a real slumber party. And my last one lies years behind. So what can we do?"

"Cleaning up?" Frodo said with feinged surprise.

"Oh, no, not yet," came the expected answer, "Let's first have some fun!"

"We could play "Truth or Dare" for that is what you do at a slumber party," said Pippin.

"Yeah!" Merry responded, "That's a good idea! I haven't played that in years. What do you think, Frodo?"

"I think this is a game for tween girls."

"No, it is not. I like it!"

"Well, that does not mean much," Frodo said with a grin. "But if you want to play some childish game in order to be reminded of your youth...why not..." He sat down at the table.

"Come on, Sam," Merry said, "Sit down."

"No, no," he answered fast, "I don't like that game. I can wash the dishes while you play."

" Hey, Sam, have a little fun," Frodo said, "You don't have to work while we play."

"But this game is no fun, thank you very much."

Merry grinned. "We want to know your secrets, Samwise Gamgee, so don't always be such a spoilsport. You always think of your duties, I guess you don't even know what fun is."

Sam was about to give in. "That's not true," he said with last resistance, before he sat down at the table.

"Frodo, you are the oldest, we allow you to start," Pippin said.

"Oh, thank you! Okay, I'll ask you first, Pip. So wait a minute...tell me, when did you first recognise that you found Merry awesomely attractive."

"Oh, that is easy to answer. Years have passed since that day, but I still remember it quite well. It was a summer day, I wandered through the Shire, thinking of nothing evil, as I suddenly passed a small lake - and Merry was taking a bath...naked. So I kneeled down behind a bush and watched him and then I..."

"Okay," Frodo interrupted, "That's enough, I think nobody here wants to know with detail what you did next."

Pippin grinned. "Okay, I'll ask Merry. Merry, did you ever dream of having sex with some one other than me? And whom?"

Merry sighed with an embarrassed look at Frodo. "Pippin, you know the answer to this question, so why do you ask? I have told you about that before-in detail. But if you want the others to know: it's Frodo."

"Oh, come on," Sam said, "This game is so foolish. I guess you have all gone crazy. I quit."

"No, you cannot quit. You cannot listen to our answers and then refuse to answer yourself. That's unfair," responded Merry.

Frodo interrupted Merry. "If he does not want to play, he does not have to play." But Merry ignored him.

"Well, Sam, what I would be really interested in is this: have you ever thought of kissing Frodo...on the mouth...with tongue?"

Sam immediately blushed like he was caught in the act.

"Hum...well...no...not really," he stammered.

Merry grinned self-satisfied, Pippin looked at the floor and Frodo said nothing but looked at Sam's face. Tears stood out in Sam's eyes. Then he could not stand the silence any longer. He stood up abruptly and left the kitchen.

Frodo found his voice again.

"Congratulations! Now you made him cry!" he said with a furious look at Merry. "That was nasty of you and you know it!" He stood up in order to follow Sam.

"Well, Frodo, no need to get shirty! I didn't know he would overreact that way. If he is so touchy what can I do?"

"You know Sam, don't you!? Not all people are so hardened like you. Some people have feelings."

"This is not fair, Frodo, you know I was just fooling around, I...," he answered but Frodo had already left the room.

Frodo opened the front door Sam had just slammed behind him and went out into the summer night. The air was still warm, even so a light breeze was blowing.

"Sam?" he said quietly into the darkness. There was no answer but Frodo heard a stifled sobbing from the left. Sam sat on the ground around the corner and as Frodo found him there he sat down next to him and laid his arm around his shoulder.

"It's okay, Sam. Don't cry. We did not want to hurt you." Sam's sobs got even stronger.

"Sam. Oh, Sam, look at me." Sam did not move.

"Please," Frodo tried it again, "don't make it so hard for me." Sam rose his head reluctantly.

"Sam, I know what you feel like. But there's no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed or whatever. It's okay, Sam."

Sam sniffed. "No, I don't think you know what I'm feeling like. All people like you. But I... you know, people always think I'm a good-natured but dumb person who you can easily make fun of."

"That's not true! You are anything but dumb in the least. You know Merry. He always tries to make fun of everybody."

Sam shook his head. Frodo touched his cheeks with his fingers, wiping off some tears. "I do know what you feel like," he said, "I have the feeling I always know it. But please stop crying because of that childish Merry. Forget about him for now."

He did not continue talking. Instead he leaned in to Sam's face and kissed him gently on the lips. At first the kiss was shy and cautious but as Frodo recognised that Sam opened his lips in order to let Frodo's tongue in, he got more courageous and more spirited. As his hands wandered further down and opened the buttons of Sam's shirt with trembling fingers, Sam suddenly interrupted the kiss.

"Frodo, don't," he said. Frodo bowed his head in disappointment and embarrassment.
"I mean," Sam continued, "if this is just a joke and Merry and Pippin have sent you here in order to fool me and make fun of dumb Samwise Gamgee, then don't do that. I could not stand it."

Frodo watched Sam's eyes. "Is that what you think of me? Do you really think I would do something like that?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm sorry, Frodo," he said while caressing Frodo's cheeks with his fingertips. "So sorry."

"I could never hurt you," Frodo murmured.

Now it was Sam who unbuttoned Frodo's shirt and slipped it over his shoulders. He began to kiss Frodo's chest, every little part of skin there. In contrast to Sam's browned skin it looked so pale in the moonlight, so absolutely clear. With little kisses he wandered further down. As he arrived at Frodo's waistband he paused, unsure what to do. But as he glanced at Frodo's face he recognised a hardly noticeable nodding which made him open his breeches. It was obvious that Frodo's body longed for his touch. Sam's hands felt the hot skin between Frodo's thighs and it seemed to him even softer than his chest. Sam felt a bit clumsy, but Frodo's hands took hold of Sam's head and directed Sam's lips to the right places and movements. Frodo's moans and his shivering body soon made him feel more self-assured for he was obviously doing the right things. Not much later Frodo's hands grabbed deeper into his hair, his breaths got harder, his body moved more convulsively until finally he exploded.
As Frodo calmed down a bit again, although still breathing hard, he kissed himself all the way up Frodo's chest again. Then he placed his head on his chest and watched Frodo's face. His eyes were closed and a smile played around his lips.
Suddenly Frodo opened his eyes and watched Sam while he removed some strands of hair of Sam's forehead. He pulled Sam's head nearer, and kissed him again on his mouth more emotionally than before, and turned him round so Sam lay on his back now. Then he touched his cheeks, his throat and his chest with his lips and let his tongue play with Sam's nipples. Sam gasped.

"Frodo," he said, "You don't have to do that. I mean I do not demand this."

Frodo smiled. "My crazy little Sam. Always tries to help others, but forgets about his own needs. If it sounds better in your ears: do me a favour and close your eyes."
Sam did what Frodo said. While Frodo caressed every part of his body, he forget about everything, about "Truth or Dare", about Merry and Pippin, about any duties and about doubts he had carried in his heart for such a long time. He just concentrated on the moment and Frodo's touch, his bare skin on his, his hands on his chest, his head between his thighs. His body longed for the end and lightening, but his heart wanted this to last forever. As he could not withhold it any longer, he opened his eyes and saw the stars shining bright in the sky above him and it made him feel so tiny in the world, yet he felt absolute secure. Later this feeling was what he remembered most about their first time and he could not watch the stars again without thinking of that night.

***

Cuddled up together they lay there afterwards, until Sam said: " Don't you think we have to look after the guests? They might be wondering where we are."
"Oh, I don't think they are bored. You know they can be quite busy with themselves."

"Yes, I know," Sam said with a grin, "But isn't this impolite?"

Frodo gave in and so they put on their clothes again and went in. But the kitchen was empty.

"Ah well," said Frodo, we might look first in one of the bedrooms."

"No, wait, they are here on the sofa." Merry and Pippin slept there snuggled up to each other.

"I'll fetch them a blanket. Go to bed, Frodo, I think work can or must wait till tomorrow."

Frodo watched Sam as if he was still waiting for something.

"I'll come in a minute," added Sam. That satisfied Frodo and he went to his bedroom.
Sam took a blanket out of a cupboard and pulled it over the two sleeping bodies, like a mother covers up her children. His anger had obviously blown over.

Merry woke up and recognised Sam. "Sam, I'm so sorry. I want to apologise. I did not want to hurt you. I think I was already a bit tipsy. Forgive me about that, would you? You know I'm your friend."

Sam shook his head. "No need to apologise, Merry. You didn't mean it," he said, smiling.

Merry looked at Sam with a knowing grin. "Good night, Sam," he said, his eyes already half closed.

"Good night, Merry."