(Written for the "Yet Hope Remains" comment-fic community, for belleferret's prompt, "Pre-Quest, Quest or Post-Quest, Frodo and Sam, the little things in life".)

Wakenings

Before...

Frodo wakened to sunshine and birdsong, and was briefly confused until he realised he was in his room at Bag End, and not in Brandy Hall. The excitement of his adoption party was over; friends and kin had left. This was his first day at Bag End as a resident and not a visitor. He grinned as he got out of bed, and went over to the washstand. The water on his face was cold, and took the last of sleep from his mind. He pushed aside the gauzy curtains, and thrust his window open to let in the late spring breezes.

He heard a cheery whistling below his window. The sandy head of the gardener's young son looked up with a smile like sunshine. "Hullo, Mr. Frodo!" he said shyly.

"Hullo, Sam," he replied. "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"The Gaffer give me this bed to tend for my very own," he said. He gestured at the bedding plants at his side: violas, pansies, marigolds. "I'm going to fill in between the bulbs with these," and he gestured at the daffodils and tulips already blooming beneath the window.

"Frodo! Breakfast" came Bilbo's voice through the door.

Frodo looked down at Sam. "I think I will enjoy seeing this every day beneath my window."

Sam blushed to the tips of his ears at the praise. "Thank 'ee, Mr. Frodo."

~~~~~~~~~

During...

Frodo woke to the chill of a late afternoon wind at his back. Sam had risen quietly, so as not to disturb him no doubt. But he'd not reckoned on the sudden lack of warmth being more disturbing than noise. Frodo turned very carefully over, so as not to waken Pippin and Merry who lay on his other side.

He saw Sam tending the fire. Gandalf sat next to it, silently puffing on his pipe. At the edge of the encampment he spotted the stocky form of Gimli on watch. The other Big Folk in the Company still slept on.

Sam felt his regard and turned to give him a smile and a nod, "Good morning, Mr. Frodo," he mouthed.

Frodo nodded at him. "Good morning, Sam," he returned silently.

He watched as Sam began the process of preparing "supper-breakfast" as Pippin had dubbed the evening meal before they began the night's tramp. Porridge. Sam had put the oats and water in a pot among the embers that morning before they went to sleep, and now he was doling out a portion of the dried fruits they carried, as well as some nuts the hobbits had foraged the evening before.

Frodo raised up on one elbow. "That smells delicious! We are very lucky to have you, Samwise Gamgee," he whispered.

Sam smiled back, blushing at Frodo's words. "Thank you, Mr. Frodo."

~~~~~~~~~~

After...

Sam woke to the sound of whimpering cries. The faint light of stars and moon illuminated the room with a cool blue light. He felt the warmth of Rosie at his back, sleeping the sleep of the truly exhausted. Elanor had been teething and driving her mother to distraction. He sat up carefully so as to not disturb her, and realised that the door to their room was cracked open, and the cries did not come from the baby's cradle at the foot of their bed.

He got up and slipped into his dressing gown. It was too fine for the likes of him, but it had been a Yule gift from Mr. Frodo. He did not bother to light a candle, but went out and down the passage to Mr. Frodo's room. Sure enough, his master sat on the edge of his bed, rocking Elanor and softly singing an old Shire lullaby:

“Evening has fallen, the Sun’s in the West.
The nightbirds are calling, the Shire is at rest.
Peaceful the night and gentle the breeze,
In cot and in smial, the folk take their ease.
High above the Stars are kindled,
Kith and kin within are nestled,
Safe from harm
In loving arms,
Find slumber deep,
Fall into sleep,
May joy find all your dreams,
May only joy find your dreams…”

Sam watched quietly from the doorway, but Frodo soon felt his regard, and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Sam! I had hoped you would sleep. I thought perhaps I could soothe her and get her back to her cradle without waking you."

Sam shook his head. "Nothing for you to be sorry for, Mr. Frodo. I'm only sorry as she woke you."

"I wasn't really sleeping," he said, but his eyes returned to the baby in his arms, and Sam saw the light of love in them as Frodo seemed to drink in the sight of her like a hungry thing.

Looking at his master, so gentle with this golden child, Sam felt his own heart twist with love for the both of them. "You're a very good 'uncle', Mr. Frodo," he said.

Frodo looked up at him with a smile that went all the way to his eyes, his cheeks turning red with pleasure. "Thank you, Sam."