Title: What He Doesn't Know
Pairing: Merry/Pippin (who else?)
Rating: PG
Summary: "When they're alone, he wonders if Merry thinks of him with the same intensity—if he is something that Merry wants to grab onto with both hands and never let go."
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Notes: Pre-Quest.
Merry loves apples. He's always pulling them off trees, or catching one that Pippin has just tossed. Some of his favorite desserts have baked apples, apple tarts, or apple something. Pippin's always known this.
He doesn't know if Merry means it when he says that Pippin's eyes are like twin stars, and he can see them even in the middle of the night. When he says that Pippin is his greatest joy, and kisses him, slow.
Pippin knows that Merry isn't afraid of anything. He'd fight dragons if he had to. He stood up for Pippin more than once when he was small, and being teased by older boys. He stood up for himself, even when it was deemed "talking back" and meant a night with no dessert, or early bedtime. Merry is brave, braver than anything, and never afraid.
What he doesn't know is if Merry dreams of him at night. Ever. He'd like to know. Because most of his dreams are Merry-related—either soft and romantic, or hot and lusty. And most of his waking thoughts, too.
Merry is friends with the world. He can walk into a room and everyone smiles. He's never met a person that he couldn't charm. He's such a joy to watch. Pippin can laugh with the best of them, but sometimes he's a bit shy around new people. Not Merry. Never Merry. He loves everyone he sees.
Pippin doesn't know if Merry loves him. At least, not in the best way. Not in the way that Pippin wants. At night, when they're wrapped in each other's arms, he thinks it might be true—when he says, "I love you, Merry," and gets a sleepy, "Love you, too, Pip."
Sometimes he watches Merry while he's reading. He's so very intense, brow furrowed, eyes narrowed, as if he'd like to swallow the book whole. He's so passionate about everything in his life—he grabs the world with both hands, as much as he can, great fistfuls of it.
When they're alone, he wonders if Merry thinks of him with the same intensity—if he is something that Merry wants to grab onto with both hands and never let go.
Pippin sometimes feels as if he's walking the narrow line between love and being in love. He's scared that if he stops to look around, he will falling over the edge.