On a fallen tree trunk beside the River Brandywine, a short stroll from Brandy Hall, sat Meriadoc Brandybuck and his young cousin Peregrin Took. It was a sunny evening in late summer, almost suppertime, and the two hobbits had been playing in the fields of Buckland for most of the day.

It had been a tiring day. Both of the children were exhausted, relaxing beside the river, amidst a grove of oak trees. This small clearing had first been discovered by Frodo when he was a boy living in Buckland, and he had shown it to Merry when his second cousin was only a small child. From then on Merry visited there whenever he needed some time alone. This was his special place, and this was the first time Pippin had seen it.

The young Took was staying at Brandy Hall with his sisters whilst his parents were on a short visit to Michel Delving. This meant he got to spend some valuable time with his best friend. Living in Tuckborough meant that Pippin didn't see his older cousin as often as he would have liked.

Pippin, who was only ten years of age, was sitting with his head resting on his older cousin's arm. He yawned as Merry gently stroked his curly, golden-brown hair.

"Merry," he said quietly, "Can I ask you something?"

Merry smiled down kindly at his young cousin. "Of course, Pippin," he responded.

"Why do you like it out here so much?" Pippin looked around at the trees and the river, wondering why this place was so special to Merry.

Merry thought about this for a moment, though it didn't take him long to come up with an answer. "I suppose I feel relaxed when I'm down here," he told, "The sound of the river is quite soothing, and it's always quiet and peaceful. But that's not really the reason I like it so much. This place has always been important to me. Ever since our Frodo showed me this place, it's always just been… Mine."

Pippin was quite confused. He sat up and looked at Merry with his head tilted a little. "I don't understand."

"Ah, it doesn't matter," With a broad grin, Merry ruffled his cousin's hair, causing Pippin to giggle. The younger hobbit wrapped his arms around Merry tightly, and Merry placed his arm around Pippin affectionately.

"This has always just been my special place, but now it's ours," said Merry, "And nobody else's. Just ours."

"Just ours," Pippin repeated in a whisper, closing his eyes.

He fell asleep after a while, meaning Merry had to carefully pick him up and carry him back to Brandy Hall, where he tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight.

Merry Brandybuck, now twenty-five, was sat on the fallen tree in his special clearing beside the river. His pre-tweenage (and increasingly mischievous) cousin Pippin sat on the ground near him, making trails in the soil with a stick.

"We should get going soon, Pip," told Merry, stretching his legs. He wiggled his toes a little, preparing to depart for Brandy Hall.

Pippin groaned and folded his arms. "I don't want to go," he replied stubbornly, frowning at Merry.

The older hobbit rolled his eyes. "Pippin," he said softly, jumping off the tree trunk and kneeling down beside his cousin with a smile, "It's my Dad's birthday, and the party will be starting in a little while.

"I don't care," Pippin answered with a sigh, "I don't want to go, Merry."

Merry began tying Pippin's green scarf, which was hanging, undone, around the child's neck. "Pip, come on, he won't be impressed with me if we're late. Why don't you want to leave?"

"I like it out here," informed Pippin, "It's just us, nobody else. I don't want to go back to all those distant relatives and family friends. I just want it to be you and me."

Merry chuckled a little, smiling at his cousin's persistence and feeling touched by the fact Pippin wanted to stay alone with him so badly.

"I know you do, Pippin, but we really have to go. I don't want them to send a search party out or something. Can you imagine how humiliating that would be?"

Pippin laughed quietly and shook his head. "Well, yes, it would be pretty embarrassing if they all came out looking for us."

Merry took hold of Pippin's hand and pulled him up. He smiled at his young cousin as they began walking in the direction of Brandy Hall together.

It was the day after Bilbo's disappearance that Pippin found himself sat alone on the tree trunk with a miserable expression. The party last night had been incredible fun (apart from when he and Merry were caught setting off fireworks and had to clean dishes as punishment) until the old Baggins had vanished during his speech, leaving the crowd bemused and without words.

Pippin was confused and upset by Bilbo's sudden disappearance, and when Merry found him sat alone he instantly knew something was wrong.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere," the older hobbit exclaimed, taking a seat beside his cousin. He smiled and placed a comforting hand on Pippin's knee. "What's wrong, Pip?"

With a sigh, Pippin turned to face Merry and shrugged. "It's nothing," he replied.

Merry placed an arm around Pippin's shoulder and sighed. "It's about Bilbo, isn't it?" Pippin nodded in response to his cousin's question, "It's okay, Pippin, I understand. You're puzzled about what happened."

"Yes, and sad because of it," Pippin added quietly, "What if something's happened to him? What if he's gone forever?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Pip," Merry said, though he sounded uncertain.

The quest to destroy the One Ring had been successful, though many sacrifices had been made to ensure the safety of Middle-earth. The four hobbits had returned to the Shire changed, affected greatly by their journey.

Merry and Pippin sat together on their special tree trunk a few weeks after returning home. Pippin had his head resting on Merry's shoulder. They both sighed a little.

"It feels weird to be back," Merry stated eventually, "After all we've been through, now we're back in the Shire. It's like it never even happened."

"I can remember it like it was yesterday," Pippin muttered with a frown. There were certain memories of the quest that haunted him – being captured by Uruk-hai, witnessing death and worst of all looking into the Palantír. Pippin still had nightmares about the Dark Lord, even now the quest was over.

"I wish none of it had ever happened," Pippin continued, "But at the same time I wouldn't change it for anything, because I've met so many good people along the journey."

Merry smiled. "Those people should feel privileged to have met you," he told, "Peregrin Took, the kindest, loveliest, most-selfless person in the whole world."

Pippin sighed a little. "That's not true," he said, "I'm just me, Merry."

"Exactly, you're my Pippin," Merry smiled even more at his young cousin, and Pippin nuzzled against his shoulder.

"I love you, Merry," he said in a whisper.

"I love you too, Pippin."

Merry swallowed after saying the words. It hurt a little every time he told Pippin he loved him, because he knew Pippin didn't love him in the same way. Pippin loved Merry as a cousin and a friend, and Merry loved Pippin in that way too, but Merry was also in love with him.

The years passed and the four hobbits settled into life in the Shire once again. Samwise married Rosie Cotton, Merry and Pippin moved into a house in Crickhollow and after several years Frodo and Bilbo departed from the Grey Havens. At this time Sam and Rose had two children, Elanor and little Frodo. Everyone seemed to be getting on with their life, like they had done for most of their lives.

Merry was constantly distracted of thoughts of his younger cousin, and as time went by and they both got older his love for Pippin grew stronger than it ever had been.

One winter's evening they were sat in the clearing, huddled together to keep each other warm. Neither of them said anything, both enjoying the moment together.

Pippin shivered a little and Merry wrapped an arm around him. Then, without thinking, he planted a soft kiss on his cousin's forehead. Pippin beamed at his cousin with his signature gentle, innocent smile that melted Merry's heart and took the words from his mouth.

He couldn't stop himself from kissing the tip of Pippin's nose, almost in a playful manner that caused the younger to giggle and blush slightly. Merry then kissed Pippin on the lips, closing his eyes as he did so, and he pulled his younger cousin into a hug.

"I love you, Pippin," he said.

"I love you too, Merry," said Pippin, as they watched the stars shining in the clear indigo sky above them.

It wasn't long until the only sound in the clearing was their gentle breathing as they slept peacefully in each other's loving embrace.