Home is behind, the world ahead.
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows, to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
All shall fade, all shall fade...
Some years earlier, Bilbo's Long Expected Party
It was late. Very late indeed for the two slightly drunken hobbits musing to each other under the large tree in the party field.
A few random Tooks and Bagginses were sleeping under tents here and there, and the candles on the many table were slowly burning down. Merry and Pippin were leaning against the tree trunk, their arms brushing, looking into the sky.
"You know Merry, I think this is the best time of night to look at the stars." Merry yawned. "Pip, I think you've just had too much ale."
"No, really! Look! It's like you can see every star!"
Pippin looked into the dark sky, his eyes roaming over every constellation. In his mind he went back to those childhood stories, trying to remember the names of all the constellations.
He sighed and looked over at Merry, who was watching him silently.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How tired I am from all that dancing." Merry answered.
Pippin rolled his eyes. "How can you be tired on a night like this?"
"Why don't you tell me how it is that you're so awake?!"
Merry asked pointedly, turning to see his cousin better.
"It's simply a matter of being." Pippin stated.
Despite his lack of humor at the moment, Merry smiled. He moved closer, resting his head on Pippin's warm shoulder, and closed his eyes. He was more content now than he had been all night.
Pippin looked down at Merry. His head laying on Pippin's shoulder, his eyes closed, a smudge of ash still on his cheek from the fireworks. Pippin moved his hand over and slowly reached, gently rubbing the ash away.
"What are you doing?" Merry asked, eyes still closed.
"You had a bit of ash on your cheek." Pippin said softly, his fingers now idly playing with Merry's hair.
He could feel the rising and falling of Merry's chest against his own. A reminder of what his life was, a reminder of what it always had been.
"Pippin?"
"Hmm...?"
"What are you thinking of?"
"You."
Merry felt Pippin's fingers disentangle themselves from his hair, and he lifted his head to look at his friend. His face, framed by light brown hair that always hung in his eyes, was tear streaked. But he smiled.
"Merry," he said, choking on the word. "I love you."
Merry swore he stopped breathing. Pippin. Beautiful, wonderful, uninhibited Pippin. He looked into his eyes. Those ever-familiar, fair, trusting, hazel eyes.
Yes, eyes really were the windows to your soul.
"Oh Pippin."
He took his hand and kissed him once, tenderly on the lips. And then again, longer, loving the feel of Pippin's lips against his own
"Oh Pip, it's okay. It's okay." Merry murmured, clasping Pippin's face in his hands. Kissing his cheeks, his eyelids, his forehead.
"Because I love you too."
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows, to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
All shall fade, all shall fade...
Some years earlier, Bilbo's Long Expected Party
It was late. Very late indeed for the two slightly drunken hobbits musing to each other under the large tree in the party field.
A few random Tooks and Bagginses were sleeping under tents here and there, and the candles on the many table were slowly burning down. Merry and Pippin were leaning against the tree trunk, their arms brushing, looking into the sky.
"You know Merry, I think this is the best time of night to look at the stars." Merry yawned. "Pip, I think you've just had too much ale."
"No, really! Look! It's like you can see every star!"
Pippin looked into the dark sky, his eyes roaming over every constellation. In his mind he went back to those childhood stories, trying to remember the names of all the constellations.
He sighed and looked over at Merry, who was watching him silently.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How tired I am from all that dancing." Merry answered.
Pippin rolled his eyes. "How can you be tired on a night like this?"
"Why don't you tell me how it is that you're so awake?!"
Merry asked pointedly, turning to see his cousin better.
"It's simply a matter of being." Pippin stated.
Despite his lack of humor at the moment, Merry smiled. He moved closer, resting his head on Pippin's warm shoulder, and closed his eyes. He was more content now than he had been all night.
Pippin looked down at Merry. His head laying on Pippin's shoulder, his eyes closed, a smudge of ash still on his cheek from the fireworks. Pippin moved his hand over and slowly reached, gently rubbing the ash away.
"What are you doing?" Merry asked, eyes still closed.
"You had a bit of ash on your cheek." Pippin said softly, his fingers now idly playing with Merry's hair.
He could feel the rising and falling of Merry's chest against his own. A reminder of what his life was, a reminder of what it always had been.
"Pippin?"
"Hmm...?"
"What are you thinking of?"
"You."
Merry felt Pippin's fingers disentangle themselves from his hair, and he lifted his head to look at his friend. His face, framed by light brown hair that always hung in his eyes, was tear streaked. But he smiled.
"Merry," he said, choking on the word. "I love you."
Merry swore he stopped breathing. Pippin. Beautiful, wonderful, uninhibited Pippin. He looked into his eyes. Those ever-familiar, fair, trusting, hazel eyes.
Yes, eyes really were the windows to your soul.
"Oh Pippin."
He took his hand and kissed him once, tenderly on the lips. And then again, longer, loving the feel of Pippin's lips against his own
"Oh Pip, it's okay. It's okay." Merry murmured, clasping Pippin's face in his hands. Kissing his cheeks, his eyelids, his forehead.
"Because I love you too."