Pippin lay on Merry's bare chest, the air cold around them. The room was dark, and he was succumbing to the warmth of the bedsheets, Merry toying with his hair.
"Aragorn called me a 'molly'," Merry slurred. Pippin put a hand to his shoulder, digging his fingers into his soft skin. "He says that all the time, in whispers."
"What are you banging on about, Merry?" Pippin whispered, the nape of his neck clammy as he felt it.
"Aragorn is cursing us."
"Let him," he grunted, though it was muffled. "Curse us, then, lord! It is our business to keep, to ourselves. It is our own."
"Not as if it's bad, necessarily," Merry said, tone easing, "not bad at all."
The night slipped by them, without a second thought, the stars rolling past in a cosmic blur. Merry had glitter in his eyes, shining explicitly, Pippin wet and body moist. They abandoned their clothing on the floor, covered only by each other and the duvet, and the cloak of nothing.
As it waned into morning, and both were asleep, a quiet but distinct patter of feet could be heard in the halls.
Pippin raised his head slightly, still lethargic and his eyelids hastily covering over his sight again, but out of curiosity he willed himself to keep them open.
And there stood Frodo, but it couldn't be, because Frodo was away with Sam, trying to destroy the Ring. "Frodo?" Pippin mumbled, sitting himself up, careful not to disturb Merry.
He looked at both of them, and smiled. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, and his mouth didn't move in the Common way, more so Elvish.
Pippin wasn't strong in the language, he'd learnt some, certainly, but he wasn't fluent. Frodo repeated himself.
"Cordof," he mouthed.
"Cordof?" Pippin creased his brow. "My name?"
Frodo smiled again.
"Frodo?" Pippin reached out a hand, for him to take. Frodo gazed at it. "Frodo!" Pippin groped the air. "Take it! Take it, Frodo, please."
But he didn't. Instead he wandered to the window, where the sun burned upon him, igniting him into what seemed like a ball of fire, but his eyes, they pierced through the flames, blue and startling.
"Frodo!"
Pippin woke with a jolt and choked on his own breath. Merry was getting dressed, fighting his pant leg. He looked up at Pippin with concern.
"What is it, Pip?" Merry asked.
Pippin hung his head and wept.
