Chapter Four: Heartbreak
A/N: Really bad plotbunny case!
Disclaimer: Nothing owned but the story.
"Merry, you have been in there for two hours! How long is it going to be?" Esmeralda asked her son through his bedroom door, her patience wearing thin as thread. Merry opened it and stepped out, donning his new dark green overcoat and light green vest with frills.
His mother motioned him to turn, and he did reluctantly. "It looks like I'm a cabbage!" Merry replied as he stopped.
"Oh nonsense. It looks fine. I might need to take in a few more inches from the sides, but you are free to go," Esmeralda stated as Merry breathed a sigh of relief.
He went back in his bedroom and changed into his usual yellow shirt and green frock coat. The floor of his room was cluttered with random articles of clothing, books, and blankets, and he stepped around them as he made his way out of his room. It had been three days since the party of the harvest and Merry was already missing Pippin's bright smile of mischief.
Esmeralda caught sight of the mess scattered throughout the floor and commented to Merry as he passed, "That is going to be cleaned eventually, right?"
Her son nodded. "Yes, eventually." He turned and headed for the main hall of the left front door.
Merry opened the front door, calling to no one in particular that he would be back soon. He strolled down the gravel path and headed for his desired location: Tookland.
Pippin stared blankly into the full-length mirror, reflecting on how worn out he looked. He hadn't done much the past three days, just sit in his room and try to read or something.
He turned and examined his face, noticing how pale and yet how red it looked. His light brown curls of hair hung limply around his face and the once bright blue eyes were now a dull faded color. He noticed he was becoming thinner, probably from the lack of food.
The whole day after Paladin had made his judgement, Pippin could barely touch a bite. He missed second breakfast, elvenses, and luncheon because he refused to leave his bedroom until his tears stopped and he looked a little decent. By early evening he had calmed down enough to come out and eat dinner, but even then it was hard to chew it. Yet somehow Pippin managed to eat most of what was on his plate with great concentration and excuse himself from the table early. And since that time the most that made it past his lips was four meals in two days.
A loud knock on his door made him turn his head slightly and say in a weak voice, "Yes?"
"It's Pervinca. Can I come in?" answered the familiar voice of his sister.
"Sure."
The door opened and Pervinca walked in, shutting the door behind her. "Pippin, I was going to go buy some things in Hobbiton and I was wondering if you wanted to come."
Pippin shook his head. "Can't, remember. I'm grounded."
"Still? You must have really done something bad. You don't look too good. If Mum were here instead of visiting the Bracegirdles, she would make sure you ate more. Do you want me to get you something?"
"No," Pippin replied as he dropped his stare to the ground. "I'm fine. Pervinca?"
"What?"
"Uh.. Nothing," he answered and clambered onto his bed. "Never mind."
Pervinca nodded and briskly walked out of his room, closing the door after herself, muttering about male hobbits and their "phases". Pippin sighed and lay down once more. A dull throbbing pulsed through his forehead, and he closed his burning eyes. Perhaps some sleep would help it fade.
A few hours later, Pippin awoke and found the throbbing headache gone, and in its place were fatigue and chest pains. He sat up drowsily, trying to gain a better sense of his surroundings. His elbow bumped something on the nightstand.
"Oh, my journal," Pippin mumbled as he picked the leather-bound book up and turned to one of the early pages, starting to read it. Usually it would have been out of sight where his sisters could not see it and tease him about it, but there it lay quietly on his bedside table.
Dear Journal,
Merry and I raided Farmer Maggot's tomatoes today. It's Merry's birthday tomorrow. I'm so excited! I found a pendant four days ago in the dirt while I was walking and I cleaned it up. I think I'm going to give it to Merry as soon as I find a chain for it. That might be a while, and Mum would kill me if I took one from her. I know Merry will love it.
Pippin smiled at that memory. Merry did love it. Anytime they were together he always wore it. The pendant was a silver rose with bronze leaves and it glittered with a beautiful light whenever the sun hit it just right.
He turned further pages and read more of his entries. Most were happy, but Pippin found one that made him frown.
Dear Journal,
Today was bad. Merry and I were carrying water to the kitchen. The water was boiling and it was hard to hold onto. It slipped and splashed Merry and burned him! Ms. Evangeline said he would be fine, but he had a lot of bandages around his hands and I tried to apologize, but he just told me to go home. I hope he is not mad at me.
Pippin put down his journal and put his head in his hands. A dizzy spell suddenly took him by surprise and he steadied himself and breathed deeply until it passed.
Once he knew he could walk, Pippin stood and sauntered towards the door, pausing when he heard voices down the hall.
He put his ear to the door and strained to listen, his eyebrows about disappearing underneath the bangs of his hair as he comprehended the words.
Merry reached Tookland and knocked on the front door. The door opened and revealed Paladin.
"Oh, Meriadoc. Just the one I wanted to see. Come in, come in.." Paladin greeted as Merry stepped into the main hall.
"Where is Pippin, Mister Took?" Merry asked, getting quickly to the point.
"Just what I wanted to talk about! You see, well, to get to the point, oh.. How can I say this?" Paladin muttered to himself, scratching his chin.
Merry smiled. "How about with words, sir?"
Paladin chuckled. "A fine wit you have there, Merry. But, well.. Um.. Pippin is.. not.. well."
"Not well?" Merry asked worriedly.
"Yes. Well.. sort of. You see, Meriadoc, Pippin needs a break from certain things," he tried to explain.
"What 'certain things'?" Merry inquired hesitantly.
Paladin sighed. "He needs.. time from things like.. well.. you, Meriadoc."
"What?" Merry inquired in disbelief.
"Pippin needs to stop seeing you as often. Maybe not at all for a while."
"But.. But.." Merry stammered. "Doesn't Pippin like me anymore?"
Paladin nodded. "Yes, he still likes you. But.. I feel it is getting a bit too much for Pippin, and he needs a long holiday, if you catch my meaning."
Merry looked up from the floor with a slight fury and bewilderment in his eyes. "From me? Hmm.. That could be."
'When I can fly,' Merry thought to himself bitterly. 'This does not make sense.. Why does Pippin need to be away from me? We haven't done anything wrong! Is Pippin mad at me?' After a few moments he spoke again. "This is Pippin's idea?"
"No, actually I have recommended it for him."
"Hmm.." Merry could not think of anything to say that would help his situation. Perhaps Pippin wanted this, Merry considered. Perhaps Pippin hated him now and didn't want to see him again. Meriadoc hoped it was not true, but doubt quickly began to tumble within his mind.
Pippin couldn't believe any of this was happening! His head was sticking out the slightly opened bedroom door, but his body was still mostly inside his bedroom. He stared in complete shock as his father told Merry that they should stop playing with each other.
He could see Merry's look of disbelief twisting the round carvings of his face and almost wanted to run out and jump into his arms. But something invisible held him in place, making a temporary paralysis throughout his small body. He wanted to see what happened next. Maybe Merry would go looking for him and ignore his father?
Merry turned his head to another angle and noticed Pippin at the end of the hall. His look of disbelief turned into something else- pain, confusion, and anger churned into one emotion. Something Pippin would have cringed at if not for the stiffness throughout his body. Merry took one last look at Pippin, turned, and without so much as a polite good-bye hurried out the door with his thoughts racing through his brain.
Pippin snapped back into his room and clenched one fist, trying to make his feet start running in the right direction. One hand covered his mouth to stop a loud sob from escaping. His mind was fighting a severe battle with two sides of his thoughts, and the logical and emotional one was losing.
"Run after him! He needs you!" that side screamed. Another side argued, "No, he doesn't want you anyway! He hates you!"
He slid down the wall until he was sitting upon the green carpet. His bottom lip trembled and he shook with silent sobs, his battling mind and the pain in his heart making him go numb.
A/N: Really bad plotbunny case!
Disclaimer: Nothing owned but the story.
"Merry, you have been in there for two hours! How long is it going to be?" Esmeralda asked her son through his bedroom door, her patience wearing thin as thread. Merry opened it and stepped out, donning his new dark green overcoat and light green vest with frills.
His mother motioned him to turn, and he did reluctantly. "It looks like I'm a cabbage!" Merry replied as he stopped.
"Oh nonsense. It looks fine. I might need to take in a few more inches from the sides, but you are free to go," Esmeralda stated as Merry breathed a sigh of relief.
He went back in his bedroom and changed into his usual yellow shirt and green frock coat. The floor of his room was cluttered with random articles of clothing, books, and blankets, and he stepped around them as he made his way out of his room. It had been three days since the party of the harvest and Merry was already missing Pippin's bright smile of mischief.
Esmeralda caught sight of the mess scattered throughout the floor and commented to Merry as he passed, "That is going to be cleaned eventually, right?"
Her son nodded. "Yes, eventually." He turned and headed for the main hall of the left front door.
Merry opened the front door, calling to no one in particular that he would be back soon. He strolled down the gravel path and headed for his desired location: Tookland.
Pippin stared blankly into the full-length mirror, reflecting on how worn out he looked. He hadn't done much the past three days, just sit in his room and try to read or something.
He turned and examined his face, noticing how pale and yet how red it looked. His light brown curls of hair hung limply around his face and the once bright blue eyes were now a dull faded color. He noticed he was becoming thinner, probably from the lack of food.
The whole day after Paladin had made his judgement, Pippin could barely touch a bite. He missed second breakfast, elvenses, and luncheon because he refused to leave his bedroom until his tears stopped and he looked a little decent. By early evening he had calmed down enough to come out and eat dinner, but even then it was hard to chew it. Yet somehow Pippin managed to eat most of what was on his plate with great concentration and excuse himself from the table early. And since that time the most that made it past his lips was four meals in two days.
A loud knock on his door made him turn his head slightly and say in a weak voice, "Yes?"
"It's Pervinca. Can I come in?" answered the familiar voice of his sister.
"Sure."
The door opened and Pervinca walked in, shutting the door behind her. "Pippin, I was going to go buy some things in Hobbiton and I was wondering if you wanted to come."
Pippin shook his head. "Can't, remember. I'm grounded."
"Still? You must have really done something bad. You don't look too good. If Mum were here instead of visiting the Bracegirdles, she would make sure you ate more. Do you want me to get you something?"
"No," Pippin replied as he dropped his stare to the ground. "I'm fine. Pervinca?"
"What?"
"Uh.. Nothing," he answered and clambered onto his bed. "Never mind."
Pervinca nodded and briskly walked out of his room, closing the door after herself, muttering about male hobbits and their "phases". Pippin sighed and lay down once more. A dull throbbing pulsed through his forehead, and he closed his burning eyes. Perhaps some sleep would help it fade.
A few hours later, Pippin awoke and found the throbbing headache gone, and in its place were fatigue and chest pains. He sat up drowsily, trying to gain a better sense of his surroundings. His elbow bumped something on the nightstand.
"Oh, my journal," Pippin mumbled as he picked the leather-bound book up and turned to one of the early pages, starting to read it. Usually it would have been out of sight where his sisters could not see it and tease him about it, but there it lay quietly on his bedside table.
Dear Journal,
Merry and I raided Farmer Maggot's tomatoes today. It's Merry's birthday tomorrow. I'm so excited! I found a pendant four days ago in the dirt while I was walking and I cleaned it up. I think I'm going to give it to Merry as soon as I find a chain for it. That might be a while, and Mum would kill me if I took one from her. I know Merry will love it.
Pippin smiled at that memory. Merry did love it. Anytime they were together he always wore it. The pendant was a silver rose with bronze leaves and it glittered with a beautiful light whenever the sun hit it just right.
He turned further pages and read more of his entries. Most were happy, but Pippin found one that made him frown.
Dear Journal,
Today was bad. Merry and I were carrying water to the kitchen. The water was boiling and it was hard to hold onto. It slipped and splashed Merry and burned him! Ms. Evangeline said he would be fine, but he had a lot of bandages around his hands and I tried to apologize, but he just told me to go home. I hope he is not mad at me.
Pippin put down his journal and put his head in his hands. A dizzy spell suddenly took him by surprise and he steadied himself and breathed deeply until it passed.
Once he knew he could walk, Pippin stood and sauntered towards the door, pausing when he heard voices down the hall.
He put his ear to the door and strained to listen, his eyebrows about disappearing underneath the bangs of his hair as he comprehended the words.
Merry reached Tookland and knocked on the front door. The door opened and revealed Paladin.
"Oh, Meriadoc. Just the one I wanted to see. Come in, come in.." Paladin greeted as Merry stepped into the main hall.
"Where is Pippin, Mister Took?" Merry asked, getting quickly to the point.
"Just what I wanted to talk about! You see, well, to get to the point, oh.. How can I say this?" Paladin muttered to himself, scratching his chin.
Merry smiled. "How about with words, sir?"
Paladin chuckled. "A fine wit you have there, Merry. But, well.. Um.. Pippin is.. not.. well."
"Not well?" Merry asked worriedly.
"Yes. Well.. sort of. You see, Meriadoc, Pippin needs a break from certain things," he tried to explain.
"What 'certain things'?" Merry inquired hesitantly.
Paladin sighed. "He needs.. time from things like.. well.. you, Meriadoc."
"What?" Merry inquired in disbelief.
"Pippin needs to stop seeing you as often. Maybe not at all for a while."
"But.. But.." Merry stammered. "Doesn't Pippin like me anymore?"
Paladin nodded. "Yes, he still likes you. But.. I feel it is getting a bit too much for Pippin, and he needs a long holiday, if you catch my meaning."
Merry looked up from the floor with a slight fury and bewilderment in his eyes. "From me? Hmm.. That could be."
'When I can fly,' Merry thought to himself bitterly. 'This does not make sense.. Why does Pippin need to be away from me? We haven't done anything wrong! Is Pippin mad at me?' After a few moments he spoke again. "This is Pippin's idea?"
"No, actually I have recommended it for him."
"Hmm.." Merry could not think of anything to say that would help his situation. Perhaps Pippin wanted this, Merry considered. Perhaps Pippin hated him now and didn't want to see him again. Meriadoc hoped it was not true, but doubt quickly began to tumble within his mind.
Pippin couldn't believe any of this was happening! His head was sticking out the slightly opened bedroom door, but his body was still mostly inside his bedroom. He stared in complete shock as his father told Merry that they should stop playing with each other.
He could see Merry's look of disbelief twisting the round carvings of his face and almost wanted to run out and jump into his arms. But something invisible held him in place, making a temporary paralysis throughout his small body. He wanted to see what happened next. Maybe Merry would go looking for him and ignore his father?
Merry turned his head to another angle and noticed Pippin at the end of the hall. His look of disbelief turned into something else- pain, confusion, and anger churned into one emotion. Something Pippin would have cringed at if not for the stiffness throughout his body. Merry took one last look at Pippin, turned, and without so much as a polite good-bye hurried out the door with his thoughts racing through his brain.
Pippin snapped back into his room and clenched one fist, trying to make his feet start running in the right direction. One hand covered his mouth to stop a loud sob from escaping. His mind was fighting a severe battle with two sides of his thoughts, and the logical and emotional one was losing.
"Run after him! He needs you!" that side screamed. Another side argued, "No, he doesn't want you anyway! He hates you!"
He slid down the wall until he was sitting upon the green carpet. His bottom lip trembled and he shook with silent sobs, his battling mind and the pain in his heart making him go numb.