Home » Fiction

Warning

This story is rated «NC-17», and carries the warnings «m/m relationship».
Since you have switched on the adult content filter, this story is hidden. To read this story, you have to switch off the adult content filter. [what's this?]

Remember that whether you have the adult content filter switched on or off, this is always an adults only site.

The Road Ahead (NC-17) Print

Written by Valkyrie

18 December 2007 | 23561 words

[ all pages ]

Title: Jealousy
Series: THE ROAD AHEAD (Part 7/8)
Sequel to: THE RITUAL
Author: Valkyrie (email)
Pairings: Aragorn/Faramir, Aragorn/Arwen (implied), Faramir/Éowyn (implied)
Rating: NC-17
Archive: Yes, but let me know where
Warnings: m/m relationship
Summary: a bothersome guest from another realm wants to get more than friends with King Aragorn
Authors’ note: This is totally AU. If you like to read things canon, this is not a story for you.
Feedback: Kind words will be welcome as well as constructive criticism.
Disclaimer: The characters are property of J.R.R. Tolkien. I have not and will not receive any money for this story. It is free for all to read.

Very especial thanks to my beta reader Chris. All remaining mistakes are mine.


Part Seven – Jealousy

Although things definitely got better, Aragorn and Faramir found themselves with a long road ahead. Faramir agreed to stay in Gondor, not because of his health, but because he knew his future with Aragorn depended on it. It would not do to be apart during this critical period in their lives.

Faramir took on his duty as a steward, though Aragorn would have preferred he waited a while longer. Faramir would have none of it. Aragorn, of course, let it go for his own sake. An angry Faramir was something he would avoid to confront again, if he could help it.

A jealous Faramir though… was totally unpredictable.


One week ago…

“I think we should leave this for tomorrow; we are all tired. Let’s refresh before dinner is served,” said Aragorn. “And after dinner you can enjoy the happy songs of our good Theren. He has been busy of late composing fair ballads about these certainly more happy times.”

A delegation from one of the many villages that had suffered devastation at the hands of the dark forces was visiting Gondor to discuss means to rebuild. It was going to be hard work to restore what once was. But Aragorn was confident.

“It is a welcome idea. We are so caught up in duty these days that we tend to forget the beauty around us and enjoy that which we are fighting for,” said Bal, the leader of the delegation.

“Maybe the king can recommend us a good hunting spot. I heard game is good in these lands,” interjected Delan, the leader’s older son who was accompanying him on this travel; preparing himself for his future duty, no doubt.

“Certainly, Delan, I must admit I have been remiss with my guests. I will assign the best of my captains to take you and those who want on a good hunting trip.”

“Oh, but certainly the king will come with us? It would be most welcome, for your reputation precedes you, my lord.”

Faramir for his part was watching the whole thing in fuming and silent anger. This man had no shame! They had been here a week during which this Delan fellow had not missed a chance to try and engage Aragorn in an activity that would give him the opportunity to have the king for himself.

A walk. A word. ‘Private’ issues to discuss. Can you show me this or that? And now, ‘a good hunting spot’. Of course! No doubt he would do anything in his power to find himself alone in the woods with Aragorn as a companion.

But not if Faramir could help it.

“With the king leave, I can be of assistance. I know sometimes pressing duties do not let my king entertain his honourable guests as they deserve,” said Faramir with his most charming smile.

Aragorn was not deceived, though. This week had been nothing but a nightmare. On one hand, he had Delan and his uncanny gift to find excuses to get him alone. On the other hand, he had Faramir. What else was there to say?

“My dear steward is always putting my needs above anything else. This time, though, I will set all matters aside and tomorrow, I propose we have a good hunting party. It has been long since I had such entertainment.”

“As my king commands. I have much to prepare for tomorrow.” Faramir got up from his seat and bowed in courtesy, not giving the king time to react.

When finally everybody left the room he pondered about the absurd situation he was in. Up until now they had enjoyed months of bliss. Days were spent in the many duties required of their stations, and they always tried to find time to spend with each other.

They had somehow fallen again to the easy rhythm they had before the ritual. But even though they kissed and shared caresses, he did not dare to pursue a more intimate contact with Faramir, though the young man had certainly initiated some on his own. On those few occasions he had declined for he was certain Faramir was not ready for that step yet. He suspected the young man was acting on impulse, letting himself be carried away for the moment or even in fear Aragorn would tire of waiting for him to be ready. Furthermore, he was most certain that for as long as Faramir kept blocking the bond that would mean he was still not ready to share his body. He had to admit that there was a possibility of them not sharing the bond again. If that proved to be the case, he would make sure that Faramir was ready to take the final step and was not acting on the spurt of a moment.

Nevertheless, they felt comfortable with each other, and he was hopeful it was only a matter of time for them to cross that particular bridge. For Aragorn the physical act in itself was not important. It was the meaning of it that was everything for both of them.

For Aragorn it would mean that Faramir had healed completely, and he would feel confident of the young man’s trust in him again. For Faramir would mean he had finally got rid of his fears. He was sure now that the young man’s sense of inadequacy and low self-esteem was the main reason for the block. Yes, they were reaching little by little that certain threshold.

Until Delan appeared. Aragorn, of course, could not deny him hospitality and because of that he was bound to acquiesce to certain requests, like that of the hunting party.

But Faramir was seething with jealousy. He could see that. He could certainly ‘feel’ it as well. Yes, no more cuddling in the gardens, no more escapades to watch the sunset. No more kisses or stolen caresses. He was being punished for a crime he did not commit.

That was the reason why when Aragorn saw that charming smile –-which had not being directed at him in a week— he knew that trouble was coming his way. Yes, trouble with a devastating smile and stormy eyes. Aragorn thought that Faramir looked most disarming when enraged; he would wish everyone to vanish from the council room and have Faramir for his own to kiss those luscious lips.

The king squashed that thought. This was certainly not the moment to have such thoughts and risk embarrassing consequences. He decided that enough was enough and tomorrow would be the day to put an end to this nonsense.


“You’re moody tonight,” said Éowyn. “Well, to say truth, you have been grumpy of late. Is there something I should know about?”

“You well know what is wrong,” said Faramir, his appetite gone.

They had agreed to have dinner in private. It was Éowyn’s idea, for she knew how tired and edgy Faramir was after the meetings with the latest delegation.

“It is not like you, my dear. You should know better.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is not like you to be jealous over a stranger. You know Aragorn will never do anything improper, much less betray your trust and that of the queen for that matter. So, why get all grumpy about some villager’s flirting?”

“But… I am not… I mean…” Faramir was at a loss. Deep down he knew he was being irrational. But he could not help it. He wanted to run this Delan through with his sword. That would not do much for diplomatic relations though.

“Do you think that you will lose Aragorn because your relationship has not gotten physical?” Éowyn had a good insight of Faramir’s fears. She could see them every time they were walking in the gardens, and Faramir got that far away worried look when he saw a couple expressing their affections.

“I… I feel I am not adequate for Aragorn. He has a beautiful queen who loves him with all her heart and who someday will give him an heir for Gondor. And I… I cannot even provide him the comfort of a physical union. I do not even know if he wants that anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I wanted to go further once and he did not. He told me I was not ready, that we should wait…”

“Were you? Ready, I mean.”

“At that moment I thought so. I do not know anymore.”

“So then, you fear he will look somewhere else for what you are not giving him? Is that it?” Éowyn could be ruthless in her pursuit when she wanted to be.

Faramir’s silence was all the response she needed.

“Aragorn is an honourable man. Have you realised the implications of this fear and behaviour of yours? You think him capable of this deed; you think he would act on Delan’s flirtation. He does not love you for your body, Faramir. He loves you; he loves who you are. And I will tell you something, my dear. You have not been yourself lately.”

Faramir was more than mortified. He was ashamed of himself. He felt as though he had betrayed Aragorn. He had been brooding for a week, watching how this fellow all but physically hurled himself at his king. Faramir had kept Aragorn at a distance as though his king had committed a transgression when all the time the one at fault had been him. What a total mess.

Later that night Faramir decided to take a walk in the gardens. He needed to clear his mind. He needed to think how to apologise for such an unbecoming behaviour. His face felt hot and his heart was filled with mortification every time he remembered his conduct this past week.


There he was, hiding in the garden. Aragorn wondered what was it that Faramir was worried about besides the obvious. He always came to this particular spot when unease filled his heart, but right now Faramir radiated more than worry about the petty romantic advances from some foreigner. He noticed Faramir was not aware of his presence and this, Aragorn thought, did not bode well either, for Faramir never lowered his guard, not even within the White City. The king took advantage of this unusual occurrence to study his beloved.

>From his position Aragorn could only see Faramir’s back and a little of his profile, thick eyelashes caressing a fine cheekbone, Faramir’s gaze intent on the floor but attention directed inwards. Aragorn could tell Faramir was more than worried. The young man was distressed.

Faramir was startled from his reverie by footsteps behind him. A tiny smile graced his lips at the fact that Aragorn knew him so well to track him down to this place this late in the night. He took a moment to gather his wits before facing his beloved.

“What is the king of Gondor doing, roaming the gardens at such an hour?” said Faramir, his tone light-hearted.

“Looking for his wayward steward,” answered Aragorn playing along. It was the first good sign from Faramir since all this annoying business with Delan. “What are you doing here? It is very late and we have a council meeting not five hours from now. You should be resting.” Aragorn sat beside Faramir gathering one of the young man’s hands and placing a tiny kiss on them. He felt elated that Faramir was allowing this small comfort without rebuke. Oh, how he missed his sweet and pliant Faramir.

“I could say the same about you, you know?” said the young man, idly caressing Aragorn’s hand in return.

Aragorn waited for Faramir to offer some other comment, but he seemed content keeping the lazy contact. Aragorn looked intently to his beloved and reached for his mind with all the might of his heart and help of the ill-fated bond. He had a glimpse of melancholy and longing and …shame? The contact was gone along with the hand in his.

“I do not like it when you do that,” said Faramir in a quiet voice.

“How…? How can you tell when I do that?” asked Aragorn, his gaze wide with surprise. “I thought you had lost all sense of the bond. This means the bond can be renewed.”

“Would you like that? For the bond to be remade? Would it bother you if you never get it back?” Faramir’s voice betrayed his worry.

Aragorn was starting to understand the possible reason for the bond being suppressed on Faramir’s part. Maybe Faramir did not want the bond. He had heard from Faramir’s own lips how it had been with his father, how difficult it was to keep up with the old man’s expectations, how he always had to be careful of word and action. That must have been extremely tiring, to be always in fear of failure, always hiding the disappointment he felt towards an uncaring father. And the bond would leave him exposed. There was no room for pretence or hidden feelings.

“Hear me well, my love. Everything would be the same were you deaf and blind. If you could not hear my words of love or could not see how much I cherish you. I do not care if you never feel the bond again. I care only if you care. I worry if you worry . I care about you looking forlorn and distant and not knowing the cause of it. Do not think more about the bond. Do not worry yourself about what could have been. Let’s just enjoy our time as it is.” Aragorn hoped to take Faramir’s worries away; he hoped this was the root of his recent behaviour.

“I am sorry. I am so sorry,” said Faramir, surprising Aragorn with a sudden embrace. “So, so sorry,” he repeated over and over again.

Aragorn held him tight and tried to reassure him. “Everything is fine. You have nothing to be sorry for, my love.”

“Yes, I have! I have betrayed you. I have been a fool believing for a moment that Delan could get to you. My behaviour was unforgivable. I do nothing but cause you worries.”

“Well, I must admit that sometimes I have wanted to throw you over my knee and give you what you deserve for being such a thick head,” said Aragorn, mischief in his tone.

Faramir chuckled with delight, his arms still around Aragorn. “You are such a sprite, saying a thing like that at a moment like this. But you know how to take my worries away,” said Faramir, sealing the peace with a tender kiss.

They held each other in a lose embrace for a while, just sharing their closeness and feeling each other’s warm, before heading for their rooms.

“But if he as does as much as glance at you again, I will run him with my sword,” said Faramir.

“Oh, Valar!”

NB: Please do not distribute (by any means, including email) or repost this story (including translations) without the author's prior permission. [ more ]

Enjoyed this story? Then be sure to let the author know by posting a comment at https://www.faramirfiction.com/fiction/the-road-ahead. Positive feedback is what keeps authors writing more stories!


8 Comment(s)

oh, my! can’t wait for the next chapter.

— traveller    Wednesday 24 October 2007, 4:31    #

This is absolutely beyond words. Amazing! Thank you so much for writing this wonderful story and please continue as soon as you can…

— eve    Thursday 25 October 2007, 23:13    #

I remember that I read The Ritual long time ago and kept expecting to find The Road Ahead would appear, then finally gave up. So I’m so excited to be able to read it up to the conclusion. Thank you.

— Kittyrefuge    Tuesday 30 October 2007, 19:52    #

Thank you! For a week I knew exactly when you promised to add more chapters to this story, and: you did! Thank you for keeping your promise and for continuing this wonderful story. Cannot wait for the next chapter now! Warm regards, Eve

— eve    Sunday 4 November 2007, 0:54    #

Hi! Thank you, this story is wonderful. I have to admit that I keep on waiting for the next chapter! Kind regards, Eve

— eve    Wednesday 14 November 2007, 22:29    #

what a beautiful ending, thank you so much! (i had been waiting for this story since i read The Ritual)

— traveller    Tuesday 18 December 2007, 20:11    #

This is a heart achingly beautiful piece of work. Ever since I read the ritual I hoped to see a sequel, only to find that it was hiding under my nose. Thank you so much for sharing.

Byte    Tuesday 22 January 2008, 7:13    #

A fabulous story, thanks Valkyrie!
Perchance, do you envisage a sequel, this will be wondeful.
Amicalement.

— camille    Thursday 9 July 2009, 19:12    #

Subscribe to comments | Get comments by email | View all recent comments


Comment

  Textile help

All fields except 'Web' are required. The 'submit' button will become active after you've clicked 'preview'.
Your email address will NOT be displayed publicly. It will only be sent to the author so she (he) can reply to your comment in private. If you want to keep track of comments on this article, you can subscribe to its comments feed.

Filter

Hide | Show adult content

Adult content is shown. [what's this?]

Adult content is hidden.
NB: This site is still for adults only, even with the adult content filter on! [what's this?]

Translate

  • DE
  • ES
  • JP
  • FR
  • PT
  • KO
  • IT
  • RU
  • CN