Pressed up against the windowpane, breathing softly, Diamond watched as Pippin approached her door. Three times he stepped forth, three times he raised his hand to knock, and three times he lost his nerve, stepping back. She bit her bottom lip.
Oh, Mother…What would you tell me to do in a time like this?
She walked into the foyer, then to the door, pressing a pointed ear against it. She could hear every movement he made, every muttered curse or phrase, his breathing---all the little sounds she had been accustomed to so many years ago, but had forgotten since then. She heard him sigh heavily, then stoop and place the leaves on the threshold. Silence followed and she heard something brush against the door. His hand perhaps? On a flash of impulse from heaven knows where, Diamond found herself abruptly opening up the door.
Upon opening it, she found herself presented with Pippin's profile, and a nice view of his ear, which caused her to conclude that he, too, had been pressed up against the door. All of this took place in the matter of one second, seeing as how the next second, Pippin lost his balance, toppled forward, and soon the two of them were sprawled across the foyer floor. He quickly scrambled to his feet, muttering thousands of embarrassed apologies, blushing up to the points of his ears. Diamond did not bother getting up. She sat up, tucked her legs underneath her, and looked up at Pippin. Her mouth open and closed a few times and she desperately wracked her brain, searching for something, anything, to say. It was then, looking up at him, that she lost herself. She began to weep, shamelessly, endlessly, pouring out every drop of emotion contained within her. Burying her face in her hands, she leaned forward and continued to sob. It just felt so good, so painful; it was like opening an old wound, letting it bleed so it could be cleansed.
All Pippin could do was stare at her as she sat on the floor, weeping, clearly not caring whether he saw or not. It was an unnatural thing for her to do. From his experiences, Pippin always knew that Diamond never wanted to let him see her cry; she always wanted to remain strong in his eyes. Now that was all disregarded, and he stood there, not sure what to do or what not to do. After what seemed like ages, he finally crouched down and ever so gently wrapped his arms around her. He mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that she wouldn't explode at him. On the contrary, she stayed where she was, crying softly and shivering slightly. He moved closer to her and did the first thing that came to his mind. He began to sing, softly at first, an old song often sung by the older hobbits.
I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen,
Of meadow-flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
That I have never seen:
In every wood in every spring,
There is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago,
And people who will see a world
That I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door.
In the lingering silence afterwards, Diamond fell quiet, resting in his arms, taking it all in. Pippin didn't know whether what he had done was right or wrong, but he pushed that aside in his mind. And suddenly, he heard a soft noise, coming from Diamond. He strained to hear. She was sobbing again, and Pippin knew that he had made things worse.
Wait…no…
She was laughing at him! Busting her guts, practically rolling on the floor if he hadn't had a grip on her.
"Months away from home and your singing skills still haven't improved, Pippin," she said teasingly through bursts of laughter. Before Pippin could react with indignation, she looked up at him and said,
"Well, it may be a little late, but do tell me of your adventures."
And with that, he sat down beside her, took a deep breath and began.
"Well, it all started when Frodo, Sam, and I ran into a rather foreboding horseman on the road to Crickhollow one day…"
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K, guys! Hope you enjoyed it! I've got all sorts of ideas cooked up in my head for the next chapter, I'll keep you posted!
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