Pippin curled up in Merry's lap, listening as the grown-ups talked. Merry was part of the conversation, and would put his opinion forward every now and again. Merry was not a grown-up, of course, but he was older than Pippin and also very clever, so the proper grown-ups let him sit with them.
Pippin wasn't really supposed to be there, he should have his mid-day nap, but he couldn't sleep and Merry had said he could sit in his lap for a while. Not that Merry was the one who decided on those things, but Pippin's mother had agreed that he could so here he was, curled up in Merry's lap and listening to the grown-ups talking about crops, and the weather, and lots of other things that Pippin did not understand.
Merry was very brave. Just a few hours ago, he had killed a wasp. The wasp had been very scary. Pippin didn't like wasps. Merry didn't like wasps either, but he had still killed it and thrown it out the window. And he had given Pippin a big hug, because Pippin had been very scared so he needed one.
Merry was very good at hugging. Pippin loved when Merry hugged him, because Merry did not hug too tight (like uncle Bilbo sometimes did), and he did not smell (like numerous of the older relations did). And he never, ever told Pippin that he had grown. Pippin hated when people did that, and most people did. Even Frodo did sometimes, which was why Frodo was not Pippin's favourite cousin.
Merry always let Pippin play games with him. He never told Pippin that he was too young, or too boring, or too stupid or anything else that other hobbit boys Merry's age often said to Pippin. Merry would let Pippin climb trees with him. And he wouldn't complain when Pippin climbed so high that he could not get down again and Merry had to climb up to get him. He would let Pippin race him, and Pippin always won (although he suspected Merry never did try his best). He would take Pippin swimming, even though Pippin could not swim and spent the entire time clinging onto Merry's arm. He would take Pippin out on pic-nics, even when Pippin ate more than half the food, spilt out his drink (by mistake!) over the sheet so they had to sit on the grass and jumped into a big puddle on the way home so that Merry got into trouble for not minding his little cousin well enough (which wasn't true anyway, but sometimes grown-ups didn't understand that.) Merry never cared that Pippin followed him everywhere.
Pippin stirred out of his thoughts as Merry shook him. "Do you want to go to sleep now, little one?"
Pippin looked up at him with his big green eyes, and shook his head whilst trying unsuccessfully to hide a yawn.
Merry chuckled softly, a pleasant chuckle that was not teasing. "Oh, I think you do. Come on, I'll put you to bed. You can sleep in my bed if you want?"
Pippin considered this, Merry's bed was very big and soft and much nicer than the ones in the guestrooms at Brandy Hall, and he liked it when Merry tucked him into bed. So he nodded and let Merry put him on his feet, clasping Merry's hand tightly as they made their way to Merry's room.
Once they had reached the small, comfortable room, he let Merry lift him into the bed and tuck him in. Pippin smiled up at Merry.
"You're my favourite cousin, Merry." Pippin said sleepily.
Merry smiled back at him. "And you're mine, Pip. Now, be a good little hobbit and go to sleep."
Then Merry sang him a lullaby, the one Pippin liked best, his gentle voice slowly rocking his favourite little cousin to sleep. And Pippin contently dreamt about climbing tress with Merry and then having a very satisfying picnic in the bright and warm August sunshine.
THE END
Pippin wasn't really supposed to be there, he should have his mid-day nap, but he couldn't sleep and Merry had said he could sit in his lap for a while. Not that Merry was the one who decided on those things, but Pippin's mother had agreed that he could so here he was, curled up in Merry's lap and listening to the grown-ups talking about crops, and the weather, and lots of other things that Pippin did not understand.
Merry was very brave. Just a few hours ago, he had killed a wasp. The wasp had been very scary. Pippin didn't like wasps. Merry didn't like wasps either, but he had still killed it and thrown it out the window. And he had given Pippin a big hug, because Pippin had been very scared so he needed one.
Merry was very good at hugging. Pippin loved when Merry hugged him, because Merry did not hug too tight (like uncle Bilbo sometimes did), and he did not smell (like numerous of the older relations did). And he never, ever told Pippin that he had grown. Pippin hated when people did that, and most people did. Even Frodo did sometimes, which was why Frodo was not Pippin's favourite cousin.
Merry always let Pippin play games with him. He never told Pippin that he was too young, or too boring, or too stupid or anything else that other hobbit boys Merry's age often said to Pippin. Merry would let Pippin climb trees with him. And he wouldn't complain when Pippin climbed so high that he could not get down again and Merry had to climb up to get him. He would let Pippin race him, and Pippin always won (although he suspected Merry never did try his best). He would take Pippin swimming, even though Pippin could not swim and spent the entire time clinging onto Merry's arm. He would take Pippin out on pic-nics, even when Pippin ate more than half the food, spilt out his drink (by mistake!) over the sheet so they had to sit on the grass and jumped into a big puddle on the way home so that Merry got into trouble for not minding his little cousin well enough (which wasn't true anyway, but sometimes grown-ups didn't understand that.) Merry never cared that Pippin followed him everywhere.
Pippin stirred out of his thoughts as Merry shook him. "Do you want to go to sleep now, little one?"
Pippin looked up at him with his big green eyes, and shook his head whilst trying unsuccessfully to hide a yawn.
Merry chuckled softly, a pleasant chuckle that was not teasing. "Oh, I think you do. Come on, I'll put you to bed. You can sleep in my bed if you want?"
Pippin considered this, Merry's bed was very big and soft and much nicer than the ones in the guestrooms at Brandy Hall, and he liked it when Merry tucked him into bed. So he nodded and let Merry put him on his feet, clasping Merry's hand tightly as they made their way to Merry's room.
Once they had reached the small, comfortable room, he let Merry lift him into the bed and tuck him in. Pippin smiled up at Merry.
"You're my favourite cousin, Merry." Pippin said sleepily.
Merry smiled back at him. "And you're mine, Pip. Now, be a good little hobbit and go to sleep."
Then Merry sang him a lullaby, the one Pippin liked best, his gentle voice slowly rocking his favourite little cousin to sleep. And Pippin contently dreamt about climbing tress with Merry and then having a very satisfying picnic in the bright and warm August sunshine.
THE END