He clutched the arms of the cushioned chair he'd taken refuge in and stiffened as the pain washed over him. When it receded, he sat back in the chair, panting, and resumed waiting for someone to find him. Aragorn was off doing something kingly -Frodo had stopped trying to keep track of what, exactly, the Man was up to- and Frodo had somehow managed to evade the two guards assigned to follow his every move to prevent something like this from happening. He was all alone in a remote corner of the library, in the alcove between where the histories ended and the poetry began, if you were being exact.

Frodo had no idea how long he remained there, gritting his teeth against the ever-increasing pain, feeling the babe's position shift and sink, needing a drink of water and someone to rub his back. Being an inner room, the library had no windows and was in perpetual evening, the flickering light of the wall sconces giving no clue to the time of day. Frodo could not seem to get comfortable in the chair, shifting restlessly until he decided to kneel and lean his forehead on the back of the chair for a while; that seemed to help a bit. He was just surfacing from another wave of pain when he heard footsteps approaching, and he slumped in relief when he heard Aragorn's voice. "Frodo?"

Aragorn took one long look at Frodo and knew what was going on. "How long has it been?"

"I don't know," Frodo replied breathlessly. "Too long. It has seemed an age." Aragorn was reaching around him, untying Frodo's loose trousers and undertrousers and letting them fall, then his hand was between Frodo's legs, hurriedly getting a sense of how far things had progressed.

Aragorn was shocked to find the head already crowning; he expected Frodo to have more difficulty with the birth, but he was not going to question their good fortune. "Frodo, you need to push next time. Our babe is nearly here."

"Really?" Frodo gasped, but the pain started and he put his effort into working with it. It was almost no time at all until he felt a weight slip from him, and Aragorn's announcement, "We have a son," was almost drowned out by the boy's lusty cry.

Frodo felt faint with giddy joy and weariness, then Aragorn's hand was on his back and he was urging him to lean against the chair and turn around to sit. With some maneuvering his trousers were gone from around his knees, the babe was nestled against his chest, and Aragorn was rubbing his deflated stomach and watching expectantly. A minor pain, Aragorn pulled on something and wrapped it in Frodo's trousers, then the Man stood.

"I must go get supplies, I will be back quickly," he said, pressing a kiss to Frodo's sweaty forehead and hurrying out of sight. His return was accompanied by much fuss, with a handful of Guards following him with the needed items. Soon enough the cord was cut, the babe washed and wrapped, Frodo wiped off, and the mess bundled up and handed off to one of the Guards. Aragorn helped Frodo into a robe, made sure the babe was content in Frodo's arms, then lifted them both for the trip back to the royal chambers.

Frodo drowsed against Aragorn's chest, one finger gently stroking the slumbering babe's soft cheek as he marveled that he was holding their son. He didn't notice where they were until Aragorn was leaning over their bed and carefully putting him down against the pillows. Shifting the babe's weight fully into the crook of one arm, Frodo wrapped the other 'round the back of Aragorn's neck and kept him from standing up again. He smiled, gazing lovingly at his King, then tugged him down for a slow and lingering kiss. Aragorn hummed in pleasure, leaning closer, one hand burying itself in the curls at the back of Frodo's head. Frodo finally broke it off when he yawned, and Aragorn chuckled.

"We shall have to choose a name," Frodo murmured.

"Not now," Aragorn said firmly. "Now you will rest and I will find the wet nurse for him. We have time enough for names later."

"Even though the kingdom will wish to know the name of the king's new heir?" Frodo teased, allowing Aragorn to tuck him into bed and take the babe from his arms.

"Hang the kingdom," Aragorn said vehemently. "You and he are my only concerns at this moment."

Frodo laughed tiredly. "Come here," he said. When Aragorn obeyed, he kissed him thoroughly again. "One day I shall show you my appreciation for that sentiment," Frodo promised.

Aragorn only grinned in anticipation. "I'll look forward to it. For now, I will return as soon as he is settled," he said, then left the bedroom with the infant who was growing more wakeful and beginning to express his need to be fed.

Frodo's fond gaze followed him out and remained on the doorway until his eyelids drooped in weariness. He sighed, and let himself drift toward sleep, but his mind did not fully surrender until he felt the bed dip behind him and Aragorn's arms slid around him. Frodo settled his hands on Aragorn's and slept, the pain gone and only the promise of a bright future ahead.