Reminiscing.
The three Hobbits made their way home. Saying goodbye to had been harder on them than they thought it would. It seemed to have ripped their tongues clean out none speaking till they reached the shire, Sam heading back to Hobbiton and his wife rosy and Pippin and Merry headed back to the house they shared.
The journey that Merry and Pippin shared had made them close to the point of being almost inseparable. When they were apart they both would remain anxious to see each other again. The effect of being separated by Gandalf took it's toll on both. Pippin never forgot the moment in the bloody battlefield outside the gate of Minas Tirith when he saw merry's body underneath a pile of dead Orcs. He felt his heart in his throat as he frantically dragged merry out from under the corpses. Tears were welling up " please don't be dead, I need you" he whispered " I don't just need you I love you" He felt a tear roll down his cheek Merry's eyes stirred and Pippin who had been holding his breath remembered to breath letting out a huge gasp causing Merry to fling his eyes wide. " Pippin?"
"Good!" thought Pippin " He didn't hear me earlier". "Yes Merry I'm going to look after you where does it hurt?"
"My arm Pip, I struck the Nazgoul it hurts, I can't move it"
" I'll get help" Pippin quickly said standing up and rushing off to find Arragorn, Gandalf...anyone.
"Pip?, Pippin?, Peregrin took! What are you doing?!" demanded Merry voice laced with anxiousness.
"reminiscing my dear Mearidoc, Just reminiscing"
Relief crossed Merry's face. Colour seemed to return to Pippins face, Merry had only seen it look like this once before, just after Pippin had stared into the palantir he had stopped breathing just starring until Gandalf did something and he regained the use of his lungs. Merry was a clever Hobbit and he knew what this meant, Pip had seen the eye and the eye had seen him, meaning Sauron's forces would come to seek him out believing that he had the ring. Pippin had to leave Rohan and merry knew it, even as much as he disliked th idea merry knew it was necessary.
Pippin left that evening sitting in front of Gandalf as they rode towards Minas tirith, Leaving Merry behind, alone. Merry felt his absence with every being of his soul. Each night felt empty without Pippin, the fool..no, Pippin, Merry's fool. When the day finally came that the becan was lit it seemed to light a new spark o hope for Merry, he would see Pippin soon. They rode for many days until they came upon a horrid sight, Minas Tirith within and enslaught of orcs, Merry felt a pang "PIPPIN!" his entire sense screamed at him. he was now more determined than ever to kill o
Orcs. Theoden sounded his horn and they charged , it was a blur after this but there was one moment that stuck in his memory, The nazgoul had eowyin in his grasp, when Merry took his small sword and drove it into the nazgoul who instantly dropped eowyin and just as quick as this Merry felt a searing pain shoot up his arm like fire and he blacked out here he remained until as if calling him out of the darkness he heard Pippin calling for him "I love you." It rang loudly in Merry's ears looking back on that now Merry thought it must have been a dream Pippin can't feel the same as I...
"remember Those mushrooms Merry?" Pippin had been blathering on about something or other whilst Merry was thinking about the past.
"Yes Pip?"
"We ate some just before..just before our journey"
"I remember, What about them?"
"I was just thinking what if we hadn't been stealing from Farmer Maggots that day, none of this would have happened"
Merry's head shot up "Why? Do you wish it hadn't happened?!"
"No! it's just I was thinking..you know?"
"I know Pip but you know lots would be dead if we hadn't have gone, we could even be dead and then we couldn't be..."
"Be what Merry?"
Merry chickening out of this confession..sighed "best-friends pip"
"what if I want to be more then best-friends?" Pippin didn't know where this sudden burst of courage came from.
Merry's eyes widened. "You mean you...me?!"
Pippin couldn't back down now" Yes, I, I, I love you!" he stammered
Merry's face was a picture of shock
Pippin's the new-found courage deserting him.. "I am so sorry I didn't mean too say that"
Merry got up and walked over to the sniveling hobbit "I really didn't mean too..." Quickly drew him into a warm embrace "fool of a took, couldn't you see that I love you too!" he whispered and he pressed his lips gently to Pippin's.