Well, here I am again, with another chapter! I meant to post this chapter
earlier. . . but the site wasn't working for me. *sigh*
Thank you for all the reviews! *hugs everybody*
DiamondTook3: Uh oh spagettios indeed! :P *hides from Estella's wrath*
MlynnBloom: It is VERY funny to think that these two will get married! They are an amusing couple indeed. :0)
SunSong: Yay! New reviewer! *hugs* Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
KitKatz: Ah yes, I love the conversations between the two of them as well. :0) There's nothing better than comic banter between two characters with potential romance.
RosieLemondrop: Actually, *blushes* the snow is only for plot purposes. Weather-related symbolism was something unique to Rain Rain Go Away. I wasn't PLANNING on including any in this story, but now that I think about it, you could almost say that the snow represents Estella's coldness. :0)
Loveofthering: The squabbles between Merry and Estella are an incredible amount of fun to write. :0)
Polychrome: I really update "promptly" as you put it? Wow. And to think I thought I was lagging behind terribly. *hugs*
Herculeha: Oooh . . . I love snuggling hobbits. :0) And I am anxiously waiting for that chapter of my Sunshine on a Rainy Day! *twiddles thumbs impatiently* Hehe.
Black Jaguar12: Yes, that old trick is a classic, isn't it? I just couldn't let this story go by without including it! :0)
El Shark: Another new reviewer! *hugs* Oh, don't worry about pestering me to post. Sometimes I need it for motivation . . . so pester away! *wink* :0)
Telpedilwen of Mirkwood: Aw, don't throw an apple at your brother! You don't want to be like Estella, do you? :0)
bertiebottsgeorge: Romance is sure to blossom when two are locked in a cold room together. Hehe.
Komikitty: Is this soon enough for you? :P
Mint Sauce: Don't worry about not reviewing. I know you've been reading them anyway, since I've been shoving them in your face for you to read over before I post. :P
Concetta: :0) Hehe!
Okay! On with the story!
******************************************
The sack of bread and apples dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
"Merry, you dimwitted oaf!" Estella fumed, her fingers twitching in half- restrained efforts to curl into fists, "WHY did you MOVE?"
His back pressed against the wall, Merry responded as steadily as he could, "In case you hadn't noticed Estella, jumping out of the way rescued me from gaining a rather unsightly bruise I would otherwise be sporting at this very moment."
"And in case YOU have not noticed, we are now TRAPPED in here!" As if intent on making as much noise and chaos as possible, Estella stormed over to her bedside table. Picking up a small decorative glass cup, she threw it against the opposite wall. The cup shattered into a million fragments.
Merry flinched, "Well, at least you might be making enough noise to get somebody's attention . . ."
Whirling around, she walked right up to him until their eyes were inches apart. She whispered venomously, "You think you are so clever, don't you?"
Merry blinked slowly a couple of times before answering, "I think your freckles are cute."
SMACK!
Merry brought his hand up to his reddening cheek where Estella had struck him. After dealing the blow, she had turned away from him and was now sitting on her bed facing away towards the broken window, where thick tendrils of frigid air were creeping in. Rubbing his sore cheek, Merry said ruefully, "Well, it looks like I will be sporting an unsightly bruise regardless."
Estella's shoulders stiffened, and she muttered hoarsely, ignoring what he had said, "If you have any idea how we can get out of this mess, I would be glad to hear it."
Eyeing the door, Merry raised his eyebrows, "Aye, I just might."
Glancing back over her shoulder, Estella looked at him for the first time since striking him. "Oh?" She asked lightly, her gaze wary, "And just what are you planning to do?"
Merry threw her one of his insufferable (as she thought it) smirks, and said confidently, "Just wait and watch, my dear Estella."
He began to roll up his sleeves. But then considering the cold, and thinking better of it, he rolled them back down. Bracing himself, he broke out at a run and slammed into the door at full speed, his shoulder bearing the full brunt of the impact.
Estella watched with an amused glance as he slumped down against the door, which did not budge. "Make that two unsightly bruises," she teased.
"I don't get it," Merry mumbled, not bothering to get up from where he sat on the floor, "It worked on Pippin's door the time he got locked out of his room."
Walking over to him, Estella kneeled down beside him, "For your information, Meriadoc," she taunted, "the only way you could have opened that door running at it the way you were would be by splitting the wood. The door opens inwards."
Merry's mouth dropped open, "And you KNEW that the whole time?"
Estella nodded, "Of course! I just wanted to see you make a fool of yourself!" She grinned at his answering scowl, and reached down to help him up.
"Well, you did," said Merry glumly, taking her hand and hauling himself to his feet. He pushed on the door slightly with his hand, "So the door opens inwards? Hmm, that must have been why the pantry door would never open."
"What?"
"Never mind," Merry rested his forehead against the wall, and hugged his arms close to himself. He was shivering slightly.
"Cold?" Estella inquired bluntly.
"Let's just say that I wished I had my cloak with me," he sighed and closed his eyes, as if he could make it appear out of nowhere by just imagining it, "Now that would be my wool cloak, mind you. Not my lightweight one that my aunt gave me for her birthday . . ." Merry stopped suddenly, the words stolen from his mouth. He looked down and saw a thick blanket draped over his shoulders. He glanced up quickly at Estella, who was adjusting it so it would keep him adequately warm.
Estella shrugged, avoiding his eyes, "Well, I'm sorry it's not a cloak. It's not wool either."
"No, no," Merry reassured her as best he could, though he was puzzled himself, "It's . . . thank you." He paused, as he watched her with a bewildered gaze as she went back down to sit on the bed where she was before. "Estella?"
"Hmm?" She sounded distracted.
Merry fidgeted a bit before he answered. "I'm confused," he said finally, "How is it that one moment you're slapping me, and the next you're concerned that I might be cold?"
"Would you rather I let you freeze?"
"Well, no," Merry stammered, "It's just . . ." He broke off with a frustrated shake of the head. Estella was just too difficult to figure out. Why did he have to fall for her? Why couldn't he have fallen for a kind, simple lass that never did anything terribly unexpected?
Turning his mind away from his thoughts, he noticed that although Estella was doing a magnificent job of trying to mask it, but she couldn't hide the fact that her lips were trembling. Taking a deep breath, Merry walked over to her. Hesitating for only the briefest moment, he then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him.
She stiffened for a second, and then relaxed into his embrace. To Merry's utter and complete shock, she did not resist at all.
As if sensing his thoughts, Estella, mumbled under her breath, "All right, so I was cold as well. That fact is the only reason I am putting up with this." She paused, her head now resting on his shoulder, "Just don't get any ideas."
TBC
Thank you for all the reviews! *hugs everybody*
DiamondTook3: Uh oh spagettios indeed! :P *hides from Estella's wrath*
MlynnBloom: It is VERY funny to think that these two will get married! They are an amusing couple indeed. :0)
SunSong: Yay! New reviewer! *hugs* Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
KitKatz: Ah yes, I love the conversations between the two of them as well. :0) There's nothing better than comic banter between two characters with potential romance.
RosieLemondrop: Actually, *blushes* the snow is only for plot purposes. Weather-related symbolism was something unique to Rain Rain Go Away. I wasn't PLANNING on including any in this story, but now that I think about it, you could almost say that the snow represents Estella's coldness. :0)
Loveofthering: The squabbles between Merry and Estella are an incredible amount of fun to write. :0)
Polychrome: I really update "promptly" as you put it? Wow. And to think I thought I was lagging behind terribly. *hugs*
Herculeha: Oooh . . . I love snuggling hobbits. :0) And I am anxiously waiting for that chapter of my Sunshine on a Rainy Day! *twiddles thumbs impatiently* Hehe.
Black Jaguar12: Yes, that old trick is a classic, isn't it? I just couldn't let this story go by without including it! :0)
El Shark: Another new reviewer! *hugs* Oh, don't worry about pestering me to post. Sometimes I need it for motivation . . . so pester away! *wink* :0)
Telpedilwen of Mirkwood: Aw, don't throw an apple at your brother! You don't want to be like Estella, do you? :0)
bertiebottsgeorge: Romance is sure to blossom when two are locked in a cold room together. Hehe.
Komikitty: Is this soon enough for you? :P
Mint Sauce: Don't worry about not reviewing. I know you've been reading them anyway, since I've been shoving them in your face for you to read over before I post. :P
Concetta: :0) Hehe!
Okay! On with the story!
******************************************
The sack of bread and apples dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
"Merry, you dimwitted oaf!" Estella fumed, her fingers twitching in half- restrained efforts to curl into fists, "WHY did you MOVE?"
His back pressed against the wall, Merry responded as steadily as he could, "In case you hadn't noticed Estella, jumping out of the way rescued me from gaining a rather unsightly bruise I would otherwise be sporting at this very moment."
"And in case YOU have not noticed, we are now TRAPPED in here!" As if intent on making as much noise and chaos as possible, Estella stormed over to her bedside table. Picking up a small decorative glass cup, she threw it against the opposite wall. The cup shattered into a million fragments.
Merry flinched, "Well, at least you might be making enough noise to get somebody's attention . . ."
Whirling around, she walked right up to him until their eyes were inches apart. She whispered venomously, "You think you are so clever, don't you?"
Merry blinked slowly a couple of times before answering, "I think your freckles are cute."
SMACK!
Merry brought his hand up to his reddening cheek where Estella had struck him. After dealing the blow, she had turned away from him and was now sitting on her bed facing away towards the broken window, where thick tendrils of frigid air were creeping in. Rubbing his sore cheek, Merry said ruefully, "Well, it looks like I will be sporting an unsightly bruise regardless."
Estella's shoulders stiffened, and she muttered hoarsely, ignoring what he had said, "If you have any idea how we can get out of this mess, I would be glad to hear it."
Eyeing the door, Merry raised his eyebrows, "Aye, I just might."
Glancing back over her shoulder, Estella looked at him for the first time since striking him. "Oh?" She asked lightly, her gaze wary, "And just what are you planning to do?"
Merry threw her one of his insufferable (as she thought it) smirks, and said confidently, "Just wait and watch, my dear Estella."
He began to roll up his sleeves. But then considering the cold, and thinking better of it, he rolled them back down. Bracing himself, he broke out at a run and slammed into the door at full speed, his shoulder bearing the full brunt of the impact.
Estella watched with an amused glance as he slumped down against the door, which did not budge. "Make that two unsightly bruises," she teased.
"I don't get it," Merry mumbled, not bothering to get up from where he sat on the floor, "It worked on Pippin's door the time he got locked out of his room."
Walking over to him, Estella kneeled down beside him, "For your information, Meriadoc," she taunted, "the only way you could have opened that door running at it the way you were would be by splitting the wood. The door opens inwards."
Merry's mouth dropped open, "And you KNEW that the whole time?"
Estella nodded, "Of course! I just wanted to see you make a fool of yourself!" She grinned at his answering scowl, and reached down to help him up.
"Well, you did," said Merry glumly, taking her hand and hauling himself to his feet. He pushed on the door slightly with his hand, "So the door opens inwards? Hmm, that must have been why the pantry door would never open."
"What?"
"Never mind," Merry rested his forehead against the wall, and hugged his arms close to himself. He was shivering slightly.
"Cold?" Estella inquired bluntly.
"Let's just say that I wished I had my cloak with me," he sighed and closed his eyes, as if he could make it appear out of nowhere by just imagining it, "Now that would be my wool cloak, mind you. Not my lightweight one that my aunt gave me for her birthday . . ." Merry stopped suddenly, the words stolen from his mouth. He looked down and saw a thick blanket draped over his shoulders. He glanced up quickly at Estella, who was adjusting it so it would keep him adequately warm.
Estella shrugged, avoiding his eyes, "Well, I'm sorry it's not a cloak. It's not wool either."
"No, no," Merry reassured her as best he could, though he was puzzled himself, "It's . . . thank you." He paused, as he watched her with a bewildered gaze as she went back down to sit on the bed where she was before. "Estella?"
"Hmm?" She sounded distracted.
Merry fidgeted a bit before he answered. "I'm confused," he said finally, "How is it that one moment you're slapping me, and the next you're concerned that I might be cold?"
"Would you rather I let you freeze?"
"Well, no," Merry stammered, "It's just . . ." He broke off with a frustrated shake of the head. Estella was just too difficult to figure out. Why did he have to fall for her? Why couldn't he have fallen for a kind, simple lass that never did anything terribly unexpected?
Turning his mind away from his thoughts, he noticed that although Estella was doing a magnificent job of trying to mask it, but she couldn't hide the fact that her lips were trembling. Taking a deep breath, Merry walked over to her. Hesitating for only the briefest moment, he then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him.
She stiffened for a second, and then relaxed into his embrace. To Merry's utter and complete shock, she did not resist at all.
As if sensing his thoughts, Estella, mumbled under her breath, "All right, so I was cold as well. That fact is the only reason I am putting up with this." She paused, her head now resting on his shoulder, "Just don't get any ideas."
TBC