Chapter 19-Of Skating and Kisses
How does a hobbit ice-skate? Probably a visitor to the Bywater Frozen-over Millpond would answer: badly. Their large feet aren't usually very graceful, and they haven't really got a sense of balance to speak of. Diamond had succeeded in landing on her bustle for what felt like the twentieth time running. Curse these new ice skates! No, wait, curse ALL ice-skates, and the pain they brought. What she needed was someone to teach her...
And here was her victim, er, teacher: Pip. She was surprised to find him and Merry skating towards her in a perfectly straight line, considerately stopping in perfect time to avoid slicing her toes off. 'How come you can skate so well?' she asked him from her icy position on the pond surface. They each took a hand and helped her to her feet, where she promptly fell over again. 'Me and Merri have bin skatin' here evri time it's been frozin since were were in oor teens,' the Took replied, patiently assisting her to her feet again. 'How come you can't even stand up?' said Merry, sniggering slightly. 'How come nobody thought to yank your scarf off yet?' said Diamond annoyedly, trying to step towards him to do so.
She slipped once more and this time fell into Pippin's arms. 'Ahem', she wriggled out of them, watching the grin on his face. Being there felt. nice. Merry grinned cheekily, and said that he would ' leave the two lovebirds to their own devices'. He skated quickly off to join the few other Hobbits who were variously skating, sliding and breaking their necks on the ice.
'What ever that means,' muttered Diamond. It had begun to snow again, little flakes that quickly melted. 'Why aire ye so scared to admit it?' said Pippin, looking anywhere else but at her eyes. 'Admit what, exactly?' replied Diamond. By now they were making slow progress along a length of pond, supporting each other so she didn't fall over. 'That ye. like me', said Pip, shyly. ' I am not scared!' she retorted. 'Much. Pippin, I do like you. Really.' Pippin seemed to only half-hear. He looked at the brilliant white landscape around him, and the falling snow. Childishly, he poked his tongue out to catch a snowflake.
Diamond looked down at her feet, then straight at Pippin. 'Pippin, what. what does it taste like?' That moment would have been their First Kiss, beautiful as the snowy day around them. Had not two feet of height difference shown itself at that point. There was a moment's sheer embarrassment as Diamond tried to stand on tiptoe to kiss him, then she gave up. 'Oh, how utterly embarrassing!' She said 'I'm sor. ' Pip laid a finger on her lips and, holding her delicately about her tiny waist, lifted her off the ground so their lips met. She seemed to weigh almost nothing, she was so small. Diamond put her arms about his neck, and the taste of the snow was forgotten about. She could only taste Pippin instead. She wasn't sure how long he held her there, but it seemed like hours.
At last they paused for breath. Probably the Sisters saw. They didn't care. Probably the other Skaters frowned on them. They didn't care. And quite probably Merry would tease them about it later. They didn't care. Pippin put her down, where she wrapped her arms about his chest and hugged him. And when they broke apart, there was a moment's silence.
'Pip, you're not going to say that you love me, are you?' 'Quite possibli. Ah do aiftr a'' 'Right. Then I'll just have to say that I love you too' 'Ah ken' Merry, thinking they had perhaps been eaten by wild badgers, had skated over to find them, and seen them. He hovered uncertainly nearby. They went over to him silently, and together they left the ice.
How does a hobbit ice-skate? Probably a visitor to the Bywater Frozen-over Millpond would answer: badly. Their large feet aren't usually very graceful, and they haven't really got a sense of balance to speak of. Diamond had succeeded in landing on her bustle for what felt like the twentieth time running. Curse these new ice skates! No, wait, curse ALL ice-skates, and the pain they brought. What she needed was someone to teach her...
And here was her victim, er, teacher: Pip. She was surprised to find him and Merry skating towards her in a perfectly straight line, considerately stopping in perfect time to avoid slicing her toes off. 'How come you can skate so well?' she asked him from her icy position on the pond surface. They each took a hand and helped her to her feet, where she promptly fell over again. 'Me and Merri have bin skatin' here evri time it's been frozin since were were in oor teens,' the Took replied, patiently assisting her to her feet again. 'How come you can't even stand up?' said Merry, sniggering slightly. 'How come nobody thought to yank your scarf off yet?' said Diamond annoyedly, trying to step towards him to do so.
She slipped once more and this time fell into Pippin's arms. 'Ahem', she wriggled out of them, watching the grin on his face. Being there felt. nice. Merry grinned cheekily, and said that he would ' leave the two lovebirds to their own devices'. He skated quickly off to join the few other Hobbits who were variously skating, sliding and breaking their necks on the ice.
'What ever that means,' muttered Diamond. It had begun to snow again, little flakes that quickly melted. 'Why aire ye so scared to admit it?' said Pippin, looking anywhere else but at her eyes. 'Admit what, exactly?' replied Diamond. By now they were making slow progress along a length of pond, supporting each other so she didn't fall over. 'That ye. like me', said Pip, shyly. ' I am not scared!' she retorted. 'Much. Pippin, I do like you. Really.' Pippin seemed to only half-hear. He looked at the brilliant white landscape around him, and the falling snow. Childishly, he poked his tongue out to catch a snowflake.
Diamond looked down at her feet, then straight at Pippin. 'Pippin, what. what does it taste like?' That moment would have been their First Kiss, beautiful as the snowy day around them. Had not two feet of height difference shown itself at that point. There was a moment's sheer embarrassment as Diamond tried to stand on tiptoe to kiss him, then she gave up. 'Oh, how utterly embarrassing!' She said 'I'm sor. ' Pip laid a finger on her lips and, holding her delicately about her tiny waist, lifted her off the ground so their lips met. She seemed to weigh almost nothing, she was so small. Diamond put her arms about his neck, and the taste of the snow was forgotten about. She could only taste Pippin instead. She wasn't sure how long he held her there, but it seemed like hours.
At last they paused for breath. Probably the Sisters saw. They didn't care. Probably the other Skaters frowned on them. They didn't care. And quite probably Merry would tease them about it later. They didn't care. Pippin put her down, where she wrapped her arms about his chest and hugged him. And when they broke apart, there was a moment's silence.
'Pip, you're not going to say that you love me, are you?' 'Quite possibli. Ah do aiftr a'' 'Right. Then I'll just have to say that I love you too' 'Ah ken' Merry, thinking they had perhaps been eaten by wild badgers, had skated over to find them, and seen them. He hovered uncertainly nearby. They went over to him silently, and together they left the ice.