Fic: A Change in Circumstances (Frodo/Hamson Gamgee; PG-13) for aprilkat
Title: A Change in Circumstances
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Characters/Pairings: Frodo/Hamson Gamgee
Genre: Fluff
Rating: PG - some light slashyness
Word Count: 1,278
Author’s Note: Happiest of Holidays to aprilkat! I hope this is to your liking; I was a little unfamiliar with Hamson’s character so I really hope I did an okay job with him!
Summary: Frodo discovers that his closest friend is being sent away and the two hobbits must say goodbye.
Frodo was never the daftest of hobbits, but Hamson Gamgee’s departure took him entirely by surprise. Up until three weeks earlier, he had seen Hamson everyday of his life for as long as he could remember. It had never been a problem; it had never occurred to him that it could be a problem.
Suddenly, Hamson stopped coming to Bag End first thing every morning to see Frodo. They didn't run around the Shire and nap under trees when they got tired, they didn't prank each other and laugh at the messes they got into, and they didn't spend the evenings in the Green Dragon drinking and inventing songs together. Frodo didn't know what happened. It all just stopped.
He perhaps didn't realize until Hamson was not around to do those things just how important they had been to him. He knew that Hamson was his best friend, but until he tried spending his time with other hobbits, he didn't realize why. Hamson was not like most of the hobbits in the Shire, he was more like Frodo. He was more adventurous, wittier. Maybe it was only because they had been spending so much time together their entire lives but they just worked better together than Frodo did with anyone else. He missed his friend every moment and those three weeks when Hamson refused to see him were the worst of his life up until then.
Frodo was sure it would be better if he at least knew what he had done, but the last day he had spent with his friend had been, to his memory, just the same as all the others. Perhaps better. They'd stayed out all day, they'd had too much at the pub, and when they were saying good night, Hamson's hand grazed Frodo's in a way that had excited him...he didn't quite understand why. So when Hamson suddenly decided not to show up at Bag End the next day, Frodo had thought little of it. He'd tried visiting Hamson but Hamfast told him his son was sick. Frodo left without a suspicion.
After three weeks of dodgy excuses, Frodo wasn't stupid enough to pretend nothing was going on. Hamson's work ethic (which had, up until that point, not really existed) was suddenly unstoppable, he was always busy-busy with things Frodo was sure Hamson didn't really care one bit about. Frodo gave up after two weeks and resigned himself to life without his best friend.
Which is why it caught him entirely by surprise to find Hamson sitting at the table in Bag End after three weeks of no contact. Frodo was so happy to see his friend that he didn't even give thought to the fact that Bilbo had not been home for days and that this meant that Hamson had definitely broken into the house. It made his heart pick up a little bit that his friend had been up to his usual mischief.
"Hullo, Frodo," Hamson said casually, offering Frodo a plate of his own eggs as soon as he walked through the door.
"Oh, you remember my name, do you?" Frodo replied, attempting to sound casual and not as annoyed as he was.
Hamson's face fell and Frodo immediately felt guilty.
"I, uhh, need to talk to you."
Frodo could tell from his friend's expression that something was wrong; something more serious than Hamson just getting bored with Frodo like Frodo had been worrying for three weeks.
"What happened to you? What did I do?"
"You didn't-it wasn't you, Frodo. I...it was me. But anyway, that's not important. I didn't come here to explain. I came to say goodbye."
"You didn't seem to need to say goodbye for the last three weeks."
"I'm really leaving now, though. Father's sending me to learn how to make rope with my uncle. I'm probably never going to come back here."
Frodo's face went pale.
"What do you mean? Why? You weren't supposed to have to leave until you came of age. We still have ten years!"
"The plans have changed. Father doesn't think being here is good for me."
"But this is your home. What could possibly be bad for you in Hobbiton?"
Hamson coughed awkwardly and looked away from Frodo.
"Being around you," he finally replied softly. "You don't actually think I haven't wanted to see you every day, do you? I haven't been allowed. You and I shouldn't be friends, you never really noticed that, but I always have."
"Just because I'm Bilbo's heir? You know Bilbo doesn't care about things like that, and I certainly don't, either!"
"Well, anyway, that's not really the problem anymore. I think I'd be allowed to stay until I was supposed to if it was just that, the old man always figured we'd get tired of each other or that you would wake up one day and realize I wasn't a fit companion for you. But not anymore. He thinks we're inappropriate now. He thinks...well, he saw us that last night we were together and he didn't like what he saw."
"That's ridiculous! We're not inappropriate!"
"Well, you may not be, but I am."
At first Frodo didn't understand what his friend meant. As soon as Hamson lifted his eyes and he could see the dark expression that he suddenly realized he'd seen before and never understood, however, everything clicked for Frodo.
"Oh" was all he could manage, but his mind was running away with him, connecting events and feelings that suddenly made much more sense to him.
"So that's all, I just wanted to say goodbye and let you know that I'm going to miss you. And that I haven't been avoiding you these weeks for no reason."
With that, Hamson rose from the table and tried to flee from the room. Frodo caught his hand and pulled him back just moments before it was too late.
"Hamson, I think I may be inappropriate, too."
Hamson's expression changed immediately from shame to something soft that Frodo wanted to remember forever. He'd never been in love, but he could recognize the feeling despite that.
Overwhelmed with tenderness for his friend, Frodo held on to Hamson's hand and let his other hand wander up, threading his fingers in the other boy's hair. Neither hobbit had ever kissed anyone before; the approach was slow, tentative-it could have been awkward, but neither hobbit knew how to feel uncomfortable with the other after a lifetime of easy friendship.
Their lips met, at first hardly grazing, and shyly the kiss deepened. It felt like the beginning of something wonderful and Frodo couldn't really believe that it was the end instead. When they finally pulled apart, however, Hamson's expression had finality about it.
"I have to go before someone notices I'm missing," he said apologetically. "You won't forget me?"
Frodo shook his head, unable to speak in his attept to restrain his tears.
"You'll take care of the other little Gamgees won't you?"
Frodo nodded-he was already friends with Hamson's brothers and sisters and had never imagined cutting the family out of his life, even if he was losing his favorite Gamgee for what felt like no reason.
Hamson smiled and pressed another quick kiss against Frodo's lips. He looked more resigned than he had when he first told Frodo he was leaving, but infinitely less upset. He looked as if he was at peace with his father's decision.
"We're going to get on fine apart," Hamson promised Frodo. "But I'll always remember you fondly."
Frodo knew his friend was right and even though they both moved on, he always remembered Hamson as his first love.
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Characters/Pairings: Frodo/Hamson Gamgee
Genre: Fluff
Rating: PG - some light slashyness
Word Count: 1,278
Author’s Note: Happiest of Holidays to aprilkat! I hope this is to your liking; I was a little unfamiliar with Hamson’s character so I really hope I did an okay job with him!
Summary: Frodo discovers that his closest friend is being sent away and the two hobbits must say goodbye.
Frodo was never the daftest of hobbits, but Hamson Gamgee’s departure took him entirely by surprise. Up until three weeks earlier, he had seen Hamson everyday of his life for as long as he could remember. It had never been a problem; it had never occurred to him that it could be a problem.
Suddenly, Hamson stopped coming to Bag End first thing every morning to see Frodo. They didn't run around the Shire and nap under trees when they got tired, they didn't prank each other and laugh at the messes they got into, and they didn't spend the evenings in the Green Dragon drinking and inventing songs together. Frodo didn't know what happened. It all just stopped.
He perhaps didn't realize until Hamson was not around to do those things just how important they had been to him. He knew that Hamson was his best friend, but until he tried spending his time with other hobbits, he didn't realize why. Hamson was not like most of the hobbits in the Shire, he was more like Frodo. He was more adventurous, wittier. Maybe it was only because they had been spending so much time together their entire lives but they just worked better together than Frodo did with anyone else. He missed his friend every moment and those three weeks when Hamson refused to see him were the worst of his life up until then.
Frodo was sure it would be better if he at least knew what he had done, but the last day he had spent with his friend had been, to his memory, just the same as all the others. Perhaps better. They'd stayed out all day, they'd had too much at the pub, and when they were saying good night, Hamson's hand grazed Frodo's in a way that had excited him...he didn't quite understand why. So when Hamson suddenly decided not to show up at Bag End the next day, Frodo had thought little of it. He'd tried visiting Hamson but Hamfast told him his son was sick. Frodo left without a suspicion.
After three weeks of dodgy excuses, Frodo wasn't stupid enough to pretend nothing was going on. Hamson's work ethic (which had, up until that point, not really existed) was suddenly unstoppable, he was always busy-busy with things Frodo was sure Hamson didn't really care one bit about. Frodo gave up after two weeks and resigned himself to life without his best friend.
Which is why it caught him entirely by surprise to find Hamson sitting at the table in Bag End after three weeks of no contact. Frodo was so happy to see his friend that he didn't even give thought to the fact that Bilbo had not been home for days and that this meant that Hamson had definitely broken into the house. It made his heart pick up a little bit that his friend had been up to his usual mischief.
"Hullo, Frodo," Hamson said casually, offering Frodo a plate of his own eggs as soon as he walked through the door.
"Oh, you remember my name, do you?" Frodo replied, attempting to sound casual and not as annoyed as he was.
Hamson's face fell and Frodo immediately felt guilty.
"I, uhh, need to talk to you."
Frodo could tell from his friend's expression that something was wrong; something more serious than Hamson just getting bored with Frodo like Frodo had been worrying for three weeks.
"What happened to you? What did I do?"
"You didn't-it wasn't you, Frodo. I...it was me. But anyway, that's not important. I didn't come here to explain. I came to say goodbye."
"You didn't seem to need to say goodbye for the last three weeks."
"I'm really leaving now, though. Father's sending me to learn how to make rope with my uncle. I'm probably never going to come back here."
Frodo's face went pale.
"What do you mean? Why? You weren't supposed to have to leave until you came of age. We still have ten years!"
"The plans have changed. Father doesn't think being here is good for me."
"But this is your home. What could possibly be bad for you in Hobbiton?"
Hamson coughed awkwardly and looked away from Frodo.
"Being around you," he finally replied softly. "You don't actually think I haven't wanted to see you every day, do you? I haven't been allowed. You and I shouldn't be friends, you never really noticed that, but I always have."
"Just because I'm Bilbo's heir? You know Bilbo doesn't care about things like that, and I certainly don't, either!"
"Well, anyway, that's not really the problem anymore. I think I'd be allowed to stay until I was supposed to if it was just that, the old man always figured we'd get tired of each other or that you would wake up one day and realize I wasn't a fit companion for you. But not anymore. He thinks we're inappropriate now. He thinks...well, he saw us that last night we were together and he didn't like what he saw."
"That's ridiculous! We're not inappropriate!"
"Well, you may not be, but I am."
At first Frodo didn't understand what his friend meant. As soon as Hamson lifted his eyes and he could see the dark expression that he suddenly realized he'd seen before and never understood, however, everything clicked for Frodo.
"Oh" was all he could manage, but his mind was running away with him, connecting events and feelings that suddenly made much more sense to him.
"So that's all, I just wanted to say goodbye and let you know that I'm going to miss you. And that I haven't been avoiding you these weeks for no reason."
With that, Hamson rose from the table and tried to flee from the room. Frodo caught his hand and pulled him back just moments before it was too late.
"Hamson, I think I may be inappropriate, too."
Hamson's expression changed immediately from shame to something soft that Frodo wanted to remember forever. He'd never been in love, but he could recognize the feeling despite that.
Overwhelmed with tenderness for his friend, Frodo held on to Hamson's hand and let his other hand wander up, threading his fingers in the other boy's hair. Neither hobbit had ever kissed anyone before; the approach was slow, tentative-it could have been awkward, but neither hobbit knew how to feel uncomfortable with the other after a lifetime of easy friendship.
Their lips met, at first hardly grazing, and shyly the kiss deepened. It felt like the beginning of something wonderful and Frodo couldn't really believe that it was the end instead. When they finally pulled apart, however, Hamson's expression had finality about it.
"I have to go before someone notices I'm missing," he said apologetically. "You won't forget me?"
Frodo shook his head, unable to speak in his attept to restrain his tears.
"You'll take care of the other little Gamgees won't you?"
Frodo nodded-he was already friends with Hamson's brothers and sisters and had never imagined cutting the family out of his life, even if he was losing his favorite Gamgee for what felt like no reason.
Hamson smiled and pressed another quick kiss against Frodo's lips. He looked more resigned than he had when he first told Frodo he was leaving, but infinitely less upset. He looked as if he was at peace with his father's decision.
"We're going to get on fine apart," Hamson promised Frodo. "But I'll always remember you fondly."
Frodo knew his friend was right and even though they both moved on, he always remembered Hamson as his first love.