fic for pipspebble

[auntiemeesh]

Here you go, Pips. It's not exactly what you requested, but it's where the muse was determined to take me. I hope it will do. This follows up both 'Courage' and 'Troll Slayer'.

The Morning After

Cormallen, April 9th, 3019

Pippin sat propped up on a pile of pillows, head aching and stomach roiling uneasily. “Honestly, Merry,” he protested, “there’s nothing wrong. Aragorn is very busy and you shouldn’t bother him for a hangover.”

Merry fluttered about the tent, fixing Pippin’s blankets and offering him a cup of tea, the third one he’d prepared that morning. Pippin set it to one side, along with the others.

“I’m sorry Pippin, but you’ve only been up for a few days and if your headache is back, Aragorn should know about it. You might have over exerted yourself at the feast yesterday and I don’t want you to get sick again.”

Pippin resisted the almost overpowering urge to hurl something at his dear cousin’s head. Taking a deep breath and moving slowly, he slid out of bed and began the painful process of dressing. “Merry, if you don’t stop treating me like a child, I may just start acting like one. Now, if you are through playing nursemaid, help me with this buckle, please.” He had threaded his sword onto his belt but was having some difficulty threading the tongue through the buckle.

With a barely contained smirk, Merry slapped Pippin’s hands away and buckled the belt. “If I’m treating you like a child,” he continued the argument, “it’s because you are already behaving like one. Any sensible adult would stay in bed for at least half a day with the sort of hangover you have. And yet here you are, wobbling about the tent, determined to prove how grown up you are.”

Pippin laughed in spite of himself. “I notice you aren’t lazing in bed this morning, either,” he commented slyly. “Does this mean you’re a child as well?”

“It means,” Merry scowled fiercely, “that I must serve my lord Eomer in less than half an hour and so I must be up and dressed, regardless of the admittedly painful headache I have this morning.” He attempted to maintain his dignity while speaking, but doubted he pulled it off very well.

“Well, I have duty this morning as well,” Pippin rejoined. “Aragorn has requested that I serve as an honour guard for Frodo and Sam. I’ll be showing them around the camp and making sure they have everything they need.”

“In other words, you’ll be snoozing in the beech grove all morning,” Merry snickered. “You know how Frodo is when he’s got a hangover and that lad had more than his fair share of wine yesterday. He’ll be sleeping til well past noon.”

“Be that as it may, I’m ready should they need me.” Indeed, Pippin looked the part, tall and fierce in his Gondorian garb. Merry wasn’t really used to seeing him dressed thusly and it took him aback slightly.

“I suppose you are, at that.” With a dramatic sigh of defeat, Merry motioned Pippin to lead the way out of the tent. He noted that Pippin was limping a bit, but said nothing. It was an old wound causing that limp, and a pain that Pippin had learned to endure during the months of their Quest. It wasn’t likely to slow him now. With a nod, Merry bade him farewell and turned away from his cousin, heading toward the King of Rohan’s tent.

Several hours later, free of duties for the rest of the day, he made his way to the beech grove. Slipping through the light cloths that enclosed the grove, he found Sam sitting at a small table, quietly whittling at a piece of wood. When the gardener saw Merry, he put a finger to his lips and nodded toward the beds. Merry couldn’t help but smile at the sight that met his eyes. Frodo was stretched across one bed, snoring lightly. On the other bed was Pippin, stripped down to his breeches and undertunic, also snoring lightly.

“Come, Sam,” he said quietly. “Why don’t I show you the way to the kitchens. They’ll be hungry when they wake.”

“Aye,” said Sam, standing and slipping the wood into a pocket, “they will, at that.”

Comments

[shirebound]

Merry couldn’t help but smile at the sight that met his eyes. Frodo was stretched across one bed, snoring lightly. On the other bed was Pippin, stripped down to his breeches and undertunic, also snoring lightly.

Awwwww!

:D

[dcdiva.livejournal.com]

i'm curious about your icon...where is it from? and who is it supposed to be? I mean, I know WHAT they are, but is is supposed to be any specific characters?

It's very cute :-)

[pipspebble.livejournal.com]

I always thought it was teenaged Merry and wee Pippin.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Funny, I always thought it was Frodo and wee Pippin, but it is just adorable regardless.

[shirebound]

I don't really know! It's one of Rei's beautiful drawings (mucun). I just call it "sleeping hobbits", and it can probably be any two we wish.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

:D

[pipspebble.livejournal.com]

*siiiiiiiiiigh* Oh, this is simply wonderful! I am just delighted to log in this late at night, beat to the bone, and find *this* wonderful bit of sweetness! Thank you so much; I love it from the first word 'til the last. And this:

"Pippin resisted the almost overpowering urge to hurl something at his dear cousin’s head. "

in particular made me laugh out loud. Thanks so very, very much, sweets!

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it, hon. I was afraid I would get it up too late for you to see it last night.

*hugs*

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

Loved it! I enjoyed Pippin's complaint that Merry was treating him like a child even as he asked Merry to help him buckle his sword onto his uniform. I just love those two together! A sweet story!

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

*Pippin wrestles the keyboard away from auntiemeesh*

I dare you to get sat on by a troll and then find it easy to deal with stubborn belt buckles. I think I was doing quite well to get my chainmail on, but that pretty much did me in.

*auntiemeesh seizes control again*

Ignore the hobbit sulking in the corner, he's just pouting because Merry was teasing him again.

I'm glad you liked this. :)

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I am now extremely impressed with Pip's typing skills. He never fails to surprise me. Tell him that I completely understand about the buckle now and I apologize.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Pippin has informed me that he accepts your gracious apology and apologizes himself, for being sulky.

I think he's trying to get a job temping. He's been doing lots of typing practice and muttering about words per minute. It apparently hasn't occured to him yet that there aren't any typewriters in middle-earth.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

That will be a drawback for him and I hear that,

"Gondor has no typewriters! Gondor needs no typewriters."

So, he can hardly find work there either.

[dreamflower]

This is so sweet. I love the interaction between them, and the bit where Pippin in one breath tells Merry to stop treating him like a child and in the next asks him to buckle his armor was inspired! And wise Aragorn: putting Pippin on duty to watch Frodo assured he would get some rest.
Loved Sam and Merry at the end, too. *sigh* Lovely!

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Dreamflower, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was a fun one to write. :)

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this thoroughly. Pippin and Merry with hangovers are just too sweet and funny!
I'm impressed by the little details that run from one story to another - like Sam whittling away on one of his birthday gifts when Merry finds his way to the beech grove. I'm going to have to reread some of your hobbit fiction to find reference to the injury that left Pippin with a slight limp - I don't remember it, but feel sure it must have been mentioned somewhere.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I haven't written the actual injury fic yet (it's been on the backburner for a couple of months now) but I make reference to it in several places. I first mentioned it in chapter thirteen of 'Courage' and then started to flesh out the idea a bit more in the 'A Leap in the Dark' which is posted at talechallenge13.

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

Clever girl! Instead of just telling me, you pasted a link, which I had to follow! I loved "A Leap in the Dark". I like the dual perspectives, and the characteristic way in which both of them pass the time - Frodo in quiet reflection and identifying each of his companions by their sounds, and Pippin in making up a game to play with Merry (at the same time worrying that he isn't strong enough for what he has got into).

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks (again)! Now one of these days I just need to write the actual broken leg fic, although if I make enough references to it in other fics, maybe I won't need to write the real event. :D

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

I'm late in commenting, but it's lovely as usual. Liked Merry being grouchy after Pip accuses him of being a child as well, and "trying to maintain his dignity" through the hangover headache.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I always enjoy the drunk hobbit fics. And hangover hobbits are nearly as funny. :)