The warmth of the late summer evening mixed in with the lulling droll
of the meadow crickets chrip set a strange spell over the Shire. The hills
and valleys were starting to turn in for the night. Bars were closing, and
the last calls were staggering their way home, singing and slurring all the
way. There was a quiet joy within the emerald fields. A peaceful settling
as the lights dimmed out into the twilight, leaving only the stars to burn
till morning.
Pippin let out a heavy yawn before falling backwards on his pillow. The smell of fresh linens filled the air as Pips curly brown head plopped down on his pillow. Letting out one last yawn, the little hobbit turned his sleepy eyes to Merry, who was putting out the last few candles in the room.
"Leave just one for me Merry?" Pippin asked softly from the bed.
"How can I forget, love?" Merry smiled, leaving one last red wick burning in the open window sill. "You've asked me to leave one candle for you ever before you could speak." Pippin laughed.
"Well, how'd I ask if I couldn't speak?" Merry sat himself down on the bed beside Pip, undoing his vest.
"Well, when you were no higher than my knee, you used to come down to my home in the summers to stay the night. The first over, I remember as I was blowing out all the lights you came running up to me with tears in your eyes and a hand full of dead candles. And you'd follow me around the house picking up each one I blew out until we finally came to my room and you lined them all up on the sill."
"Then?"
"Than you began to cry and pull at my shirt as I tried to put you to bed. Finally I gave up and lit the closet one in the sill. It worked quit well for the rest of the night you were no bother to me, so ever since U've always left one candle on the sill."
"I like that story," Pippin grinned, inching himself closer to Merry, "Oi, tell another?" Merry sat up from his spot, neatly folding his clothing on a chair, then in turn pulling a nightshirt over his head. Pippin watched, waiting for an answer.
"Pip," Merry finally said sitting back down on the bed, "do you remember when you used to ask me every night why I love you?" Pippin thought for a moment but the question was something he couldn't remember. Shaking his head no, Merry chuckled.
"Well, each night before you went to sleep you'd say 'Merry, why do you love me?' And I'd pick you up in my arms, " Merry demonstrated, wrapping his arms around Pip, "and I'd look you in the eyes, and you know what'd you'd do?"
"No Merry tell me!" Pippin asked excitedly.
"You'd close them." Pippin closed his eyes and waited.
"Then what Merry?"
"Then I'd kiss you eyes lids," Merry leaned over and placed two soft kisses on Pip's eyes, "and I'd say: Pippin, I love you because of the way you look. In the morning with the sunlight in your hair, in the afternoon with your eyes drowsy from a nap, and night after your bath when your fingers are all pruny and your soppy hair is in your eyes. That's why I love you."
"And then?" Pippin asked, loving this game more and more.
"And then I'd say Pippin, I love you because of the way you smell, "Merry kissed Pips nose, "when you come home from playing all day, and you have the sweet smell of the earth and Shire on your. Wildflowers and dappled sunlit fields."
"What next Mer?" Merry sighed as remembered what came next.
"Pippin, I love you because of the way you taste."
"Taste?"
"Yes, the way you always taste like your mother's pastries, sweet and fresh. Maybe cause you always stole a cookie or two when she made a fresh batch. Every time I kissed you it was such a sweet dessert, I always wanted more." Pippin leaned in and pressed a little kiss on Merry's lips.
"Hmmm, as good as I remember." Both hobbits laughed.
"And Pippin, I love the way you sound," Merry began a trail of kisses up Pip's jaw line to his ear, "you laugh always filled me with such joy. Always carefree, always loud and boisterous. The sound of you calling my name, out when we steal a bit or two from the farmer. I could never deny your call Pip." And with that Merry began to nibble at Pips ear, which made the younger hobbit giggle with delight.
"And last," Merry whispered, "I love the way you feel."
"Oh," Pippin sighed, "where will this lead us?"
"You're always so soft," Merry breathed, "so warm, so nice to touch."
"You know," Pippin said, feeling Merry's wandering hand about him, "I don't think I need this candle tonight."
Pippin let out a heavy yawn before falling backwards on his pillow. The smell of fresh linens filled the air as Pips curly brown head plopped down on his pillow. Letting out one last yawn, the little hobbit turned his sleepy eyes to Merry, who was putting out the last few candles in the room.
"Leave just one for me Merry?" Pippin asked softly from the bed.
"How can I forget, love?" Merry smiled, leaving one last red wick burning in the open window sill. "You've asked me to leave one candle for you ever before you could speak." Pippin laughed.
"Well, how'd I ask if I couldn't speak?" Merry sat himself down on the bed beside Pip, undoing his vest.
"Well, when you were no higher than my knee, you used to come down to my home in the summers to stay the night. The first over, I remember as I was blowing out all the lights you came running up to me with tears in your eyes and a hand full of dead candles. And you'd follow me around the house picking up each one I blew out until we finally came to my room and you lined them all up on the sill."
"Then?"
"Than you began to cry and pull at my shirt as I tried to put you to bed. Finally I gave up and lit the closet one in the sill. It worked quit well for the rest of the night you were no bother to me, so ever since U've always left one candle on the sill."
"I like that story," Pippin grinned, inching himself closer to Merry, "Oi, tell another?" Merry sat up from his spot, neatly folding his clothing on a chair, then in turn pulling a nightshirt over his head. Pippin watched, waiting for an answer.
"Pip," Merry finally said sitting back down on the bed, "do you remember when you used to ask me every night why I love you?" Pippin thought for a moment but the question was something he couldn't remember. Shaking his head no, Merry chuckled.
"Well, each night before you went to sleep you'd say 'Merry, why do you love me?' And I'd pick you up in my arms, " Merry demonstrated, wrapping his arms around Pip, "and I'd look you in the eyes, and you know what'd you'd do?"
"No Merry tell me!" Pippin asked excitedly.
"You'd close them." Pippin closed his eyes and waited.
"Then what Merry?"
"Then I'd kiss you eyes lids," Merry leaned over and placed two soft kisses on Pip's eyes, "and I'd say: Pippin, I love you because of the way you look. In the morning with the sunlight in your hair, in the afternoon with your eyes drowsy from a nap, and night after your bath when your fingers are all pruny and your soppy hair is in your eyes. That's why I love you."
"And then?" Pippin asked, loving this game more and more.
"And then I'd say Pippin, I love you because of the way you smell, "Merry kissed Pips nose, "when you come home from playing all day, and you have the sweet smell of the earth and Shire on your. Wildflowers and dappled sunlit fields."
"What next Mer?" Merry sighed as remembered what came next.
"Pippin, I love you because of the way you taste."
"Taste?"
"Yes, the way you always taste like your mother's pastries, sweet and fresh. Maybe cause you always stole a cookie or two when she made a fresh batch. Every time I kissed you it was such a sweet dessert, I always wanted more." Pippin leaned in and pressed a little kiss on Merry's lips.
"Hmmm, as good as I remember." Both hobbits laughed.
"And Pippin, I love the way you sound," Merry began a trail of kisses up Pip's jaw line to his ear, "you laugh always filled me with such joy. Always carefree, always loud and boisterous. The sound of you calling my name, out when we steal a bit or two from the farmer. I could never deny your call Pip." And with that Merry began to nibble at Pips ear, which made the younger hobbit giggle with delight.
"And last," Merry whispered, "I love the way you feel."
"Oh," Pippin sighed, "where will this lead us?"
"You're always so soft," Merry breathed, "so warm, so nice to touch."
"You know," Pippin said, feeling Merry's wandering hand about him, "I don't think I need this candle tonight."