Title: Stargazing
Theme: Set #1, Theme #1, Under the Sky
Genre: Fluff
Pairing: None, but the story includes Pippin and Frodo
Rating: G
Notes: Thank you, Dana, for checking this over!
Summary: Frodo teaches Pippin the fine art of stargazing.
"Truly, Frodo, they're only stars," Pippin said, his back against cool hillside grass and his hands crossed behind his head. "And I still don't see a bear."
I sighed. Tweenagers. "And you'll never see a bear if you keep looking like that."
"Like what?" Pippin propped himself up on his elbow, exasperated at the fact that he might be missing something. "Frodo, like what?"
"Lay back down." I said. Pippin's back hit the ground with an audible thump. "Now," I paused. "Don't look at the stars."
"I won't be able to see anything with my eyes closed."
Pippin couldn't see my smile in the dark, thankfully. "Don't look at the stars individually," I added, "Look at the sky the whole sky."
"This isn't working!" Pippin exclaimed in frustration only moments later.
"You'll need to look for longer than that." I replied, matter-of-factly, my gaze fixed upwards. My sight blurred slightly after a time and I could pick out several more shapes. The bear, yes, and an oak tree, and a carthorse.
"I see it!" He announced soon after, "No, wait." A pause. "Frodo, that isn't a bear."
"What is it, then, pray tell?" I said in mild irony, knowing that Pippin would no doubt tell me what he saw, whether I asked or not.
"A dog." He proclaimed. "A big, fluffy dog with a grand tail to wag."
"Is that so?"
"Yes! And there's one of the elves' horses, remember, Frodo? The ones Bilbo told about! Oh, and I see the Party Tree!" Pippin went on, elated with his new pastime. The stargazing kept him enthralled for some time and I watched proudly as Pippin pointed out dragons and oliphaunts and elves with an extended arm from Bilbo's epic tales, I assumed.
Pippin and I had both fallen asleep on the grassy knoll when thick clouds rolled in to cover the tiny pinpricks of light in the sky. Above us, the stars waited and bided their time.