(no subject)
Title: For Old Time’s Sake
Rating: PG
Paring: Merry/Pippin
Summary: A letter and an adventure.
Notes: Blame it on Dana. Slight schmoop warning. These are not mine, nor do I make money off them. Based on a passage in Appendix B of Return of the King. It's late...er.. early, so I apologize for the quality of these notes.
“Master Merry! Master! I’ve a message; it’s important, open UP!”
In his chair before the hearth, Meriadoc Brandybuck stirred. He had been in the middle of his midday nap when the young messenger began pounding on his door. Slowly he climbed out the comfortable chair, old bones protesting at such sudden movement.
The knocking and shouting continued.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” The Master of Buckland walked the short hallway to the door, wishing that he hadn’t sent the young girl who came to tidy up home early. Young Rosamund could always be counted on to turn away pesky callers while Merry took a nap.
Too late for that now, he thought, sighing as he opened the door.
“Master Merry!”
“Yes, Tom-lad, it’s me. What is it?” Merry looked expectantly at the boy, son of one of the local shirriffs.
“Sir, a messenger brought this to my Da today- but it’s addressed to you. I brought it as soon as I was done helping Da with the first of my chores.”
“Thank you, Tom-lad,” Merry said as he took the letter. Looking up after peering curiously at it, he noticed Tom still standing expectantly at the door. “Ah…Give my regards to your father, will you, Tom-lad?” He said casually, hoping that the lad would take the hint.
Recognizing the dismissal, Tom took his leave and left down the hall. Merry was certain that the lad would take his time on his return trip home, as his mother was surely waiting for him to help with the remaining chores.
Merry stood at the door to his study for a moment before following Tom out, though he went out to the garden instead of following down the path. He would be able to read the letter in open-aired silence if he sat out under the tree at the garden's center. And he did, sitting down on the bench that Pippin had sent for his hundredth birthday, he began to read:
My dearest Master Holdwine,
I have grown old, dear friend…
Several long minutes later, Merry put down the letter; surprised to find tears in his eyes.
For a few moments he sat in thought, and looking at the letter once again, he made a decision.
*****************************
In what seemed like no time at all, Merry had readied himself for the journey, actually traveled, and arrived on the doorstep of one Peregrin Took, the Great Smials. It took a great deal longer to make the distance than he remembered, but then, he was getting on in years. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.
He had been welcomed in and left to find Pippin's parlour on his own, he knew the Great Smials as much as he knew his own Brandy Hall. When he did find Pippin's room, he knocked. Pippin opened the door of his home and stopped short at the sight of his old friend. Merry grinned and immediately threw himself at Pippin, hugging him and laughing delightedly.
“Are you surprised, Pip? Glad to see me? Well, don’t just stand there, say something,” He said as he released Pippin from his arms.
“Merry?”
“Well, that’s something alright. But surely you can do better than that!”
“Merry!” Suddenly Pippin seemed to recover from his shock and threw his arms about his cousin, covering his face in joyous kisses.
“Ah! That’s better, isn’t it?” Merry held Pippin at arms length to get a better look at the hobbit. The years had worn on him, true. But weren’t they all a little softer around the edges?
“Oh, Pip, it’s good to see you. So very, very good.”
In answer, Pippin merely grinned and dragged Merry to the comfy sitting room, sitting first his cousin, then himself down in the nearest chairs before speaking.
“Well, then, Merry, what brings you here? I thought that you weren’t to visit until summer, not that I mind, of course.” Pippin’s eyes sparked with their usual mischief as he waited for an answer.
“Actually, it’s not such a grand occasion that brings me here. It’s… well, it’s this.” Merry thrust the letter he received, already creased with many re-readings, into Pippin’s startled hands. He sat in silence as Pippin read the letter, not at all surprised when he saw Pippin’s tear-filled eyes.
“He’s dying, isn’t he, Merry?” The small tremble in Pippin’s voice nearly undid all of Merry’s carefully constructed composure.
“Aye, I’m afraid he is. I…” Merry cut off quickly to hold down a tremendous sob that was trying to escape and threatened to betray him. But Pippin knew Merry as well as he knew his own skin, and immediately rose to wrap his arms around his dearest friend.
And that was all it took.
Merry clutched at Pippin’s shirt as sobs forced their way out of his body. Standing there, holding him, Pippin thought his heart would break with Merry’s pain. Slowly Merry calmed down, drawing in ragged, unstable breaths.
“Well now, do you feel better?” Pippin spoke quietly and his hands rubbed small, soothing circles on Merry’s back like he had done for his children when they needed comfort. “I think you may have needed that, dear Merry.”
Merry managed a small chuckle. “You know me too well, Pip.” As he recovered, Pippin looked down at him, reaching down and grasping his chin, tilting his head until their eyes met.
“It’s only because I love you so.” Pippin lowered his head and pressed his lips to Merry’s, briefly and softly. Merry kissed him back, enjoying the sensation that had been familiar- once, long ago, lifetimes ago. For a moment he allowed himself to be lost.
Pippin ended the kiss as tenderly as he began it, pulling away and smiling. “We don’t have quite the same fire we used to, do we? We’ve gotten old, Mer.”
Merry began to protest but then closed his mouth with a sigh. “You’re right, Pip. How did that happen?” Chuckling, they settled in together, each truly glad of the other’s presence. They sat that way for a few moments, occasionally catching the other’s gaze and sharing silly grins. Suddenly, Pippin broke the silence.
“I wish that you lived nearer to me or me to you, one or the other. I know you miss me too, but somehow I don’t think that’s why you’re here. What’s on your mind, cousin?”
Merry rose from his seat to stand at the hearth and stare at the flames. “Aye, Pip, there is something more. We’ve had good long lives, have we not?” At this, Pippin nodded, encouraging Merry to continue. “And we were both married to wonderful lasses, but aren’t both of them gone now?” Another nod from Pippin. “And our lads are full grown now, with lives of their own; homes, families. They’re good lads, too, much better than we were at that age.” This time a grin accompanied Pippin’s nod.
“I agree, of course, Merry. But where are you going with this? Just up and say it, we’ve spent too much of our lives together and we’re too old to play around like this.” He had risen to stand next to Merry, and the smile slipped a little as he put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”
“It’s just that I’m thinking maybe the lads are old enough to take on their responsibilities, our responsibilities. I think it’s high time we handed over our jobs to them.”
“And do what? Spend all out time around our houses? Merry, we’d be crazy inside of a week with nothing to do all day - you know that as well as I.”
“Well, I’m not talking about doing nothing, now am I? If you’d let me finish, cousin mine, I was going to say… well, to say…”
“Yes?”
“What would you say to one more adventure, Pippin? For old time’s sake?” Merry turned to Pippin and grabbed his hand. “We could see everything once more, Gondor, Rohan, King Eomer. Everything. Think of how lovely it would be!”
Pippin stared silently at Merry during his outburst. Emotions passed over his face; surprise, then amazement, then hope and finally, slowly, resignation...
“It would be wonderful, Merry. But we are old. We’re hardly suited hardly suited to anything but staying home. Oh, don’t look at me like that,” he said when he Merry frowned at his response. “We are old. No matter how you try to deny it.”
Merry’s brow furrowed at the comments, wishing to deny them, but knowing he could not, all the same. “I know, Pip, but…” He sighed. “Imagine it for a moment. We could see everyone again- see Eomer. I just- I need to see him, one last time. Please, Pip.”
Pippin studied Merry carefully, his heart torn in two. On one hand he was tired and not entirely sure he could make such a journey. But on the other, the promise of adventure pulled strongly- had he really settled into complacency?
Merry seemed to guess the workings of his cousin’s mind and spoke up. “Pip, I’ve decided that I am going, with or without you. But I’d much prefer with.” The kind words and the promise of wonderful things in Merry’s eyes were all it took to pull Pippin over the edge and convince him of what was right.
“Alright, Merry, if you’re that set on going, we shall. I couldn’t leave you to go on your own. You’d surely be lost before you were out of the Shire.” Pippin wrapped his arms around Merry and held tight.
“Lost, is it? Well, we’ll see about that, Mr. Can’t Even Find the Kitchen.” Merry smiled and moved out of reach when Pippin tried to hit him in mock outrage.
“I can always find the kitchens, Mer- no matter where we are!”
“Oh, aye! Well, I’ll give you a chance to prove it. Lead the way, Thain Peregrin, it’s dinner time!” Chuckling, the two hobbits made their way through the house to do what hobbits really do best: eat dinner and share time with dear friends.
Meriadoc was then old (102) but still hale.
He took counsel with his friend the Thain, and soon
after they handed over their goods and offices to
their sons and rode away over Sarn Ford, and they
were not seen again in the Shire.
-J.R.R. Tolkien,
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG
Paring: Merry/Pippin
Summary: A letter and an adventure.
Notes: Blame it on Dana. Slight schmoop warning. These are not mine, nor do I make money off them. Based on a passage in Appendix B of Return of the King. It's late...er.. early, so I apologize for the quality of these notes.
“Master Merry! Master! I’ve a message; it’s important, open UP!”
In his chair before the hearth, Meriadoc Brandybuck stirred. He had been in the middle of his midday nap when the young messenger began pounding on his door. Slowly he climbed out the comfortable chair, old bones protesting at such sudden movement.
The knocking and shouting continued.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” The Master of Buckland walked the short hallway to the door, wishing that he hadn’t sent the young girl who came to tidy up home early. Young Rosamund could always be counted on to turn away pesky callers while Merry took a nap.
Too late for that now, he thought, sighing as he opened the door.
“Master Merry!”
“Yes, Tom-lad, it’s me. What is it?” Merry looked expectantly at the boy, son of one of the local shirriffs.
“Sir, a messenger brought this to my Da today- but it’s addressed to you. I brought it as soon as I was done helping Da with the first of my chores.”
“Thank you, Tom-lad,” Merry said as he took the letter. Looking up after peering curiously at it, he noticed Tom still standing expectantly at the door. “Ah…Give my regards to your father, will you, Tom-lad?” He said casually, hoping that the lad would take the hint.
Recognizing the dismissal, Tom took his leave and left down the hall. Merry was certain that the lad would take his time on his return trip home, as his mother was surely waiting for him to help with the remaining chores.
Merry stood at the door to his study for a moment before following Tom out, though he went out to the garden instead of following down the path. He would be able to read the letter in open-aired silence if he sat out under the tree at the garden's center. And he did, sitting down on the bench that Pippin had sent for his hundredth birthday, he began to read:
My dearest Master Holdwine,
I have grown old, dear friend…
Several long minutes later, Merry put down the letter; surprised to find tears in his eyes.
For a few moments he sat in thought, and looking at the letter once again, he made a decision.
*****************************
In what seemed like no time at all, Merry had readied himself for the journey, actually traveled, and arrived on the doorstep of one Peregrin Took, the Great Smials. It took a great deal longer to make the distance than he remembered, but then, he was getting on in years. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.
He had been welcomed in and left to find Pippin's parlour on his own, he knew the Great Smials as much as he knew his own Brandy Hall. When he did find Pippin's room, he knocked. Pippin opened the door of his home and stopped short at the sight of his old friend. Merry grinned and immediately threw himself at Pippin, hugging him and laughing delightedly.
“Are you surprised, Pip? Glad to see me? Well, don’t just stand there, say something,” He said as he released Pippin from his arms.
“Merry?”
“Well, that’s something alright. But surely you can do better than that!”
“Merry!” Suddenly Pippin seemed to recover from his shock and threw his arms about his cousin, covering his face in joyous kisses.
“Ah! That’s better, isn’t it?” Merry held Pippin at arms length to get a better look at the hobbit. The years had worn on him, true. But weren’t they all a little softer around the edges?
“Oh, Pip, it’s good to see you. So very, very good.”
In answer, Pippin merely grinned and dragged Merry to the comfy sitting room, sitting first his cousin, then himself down in the nearest chairs before speaking.
“Well, then, Merry, what brings you here? I thought that you weren’t to visit until summer, not that I mind, of course.” Pippin’s eyes sparked with their usual mischief as he waited for an answer.
“Actually, it’s not such a grand occasion that brings me here. It’s… well, it’s this.” Merry thrust the letter he received, already creased with many re-readings, into Pippin’s startled hands. He sat in silence as Pippin read the letter, not at all surprised when he saw Pippin’s tear-filled eyes.
“He’s dying, isn’t he, Merry?” The small tremble in Pippin’s voice nearly undid all of Merry’s carefully constructed composure.
“Aye, I’m afraid he is. I…” Merry cut off quickly to hold down a tremendous sob that was trying to escape and threatened to betray him. But Pippin knew Merry as well as he knew his own skin, and immediately rose to wrap his arms around his dearest friend.
And that was all it took.
Merry clutched at Pippin’s shirt as sobs forced their way out of his body. Standing there, holding him, Pippin thought his heart would break with Merry’s pain. Slowly Merry calmed down, drawing in ragged, unstable breaths.
“Well now, do you feel better?” Pippin spoke quietly and his hands rubbed small, soothing circles on Merry’s back like he had done for his children when they needed comfort. “I think you may have needed that, dear Merry.”
Merry managed a small chuckle. “You know me too well, Pip.” As he recovered, Pippin looked down at him, reaching down and grasping his chin, tilting his head until their eyes met.
“It’s only because I love you so.” Pippin lowered his head and pressed his lips to Merry’s, briefly and softly. Merry kissed him back, enjoying the sensation that had been familiar- once, long ago, lifetimes ago. For a moment he allowed himself to be lost.
Pippin ended the kiss as tenderly as he began it, pulling away and smiling. “We don’t have quite the same fire we used to, do we? We’ve gotten old, Mer.”
Merry began to protest but then closed his mouth with a sigh. “You’re right, Pip. How did that happen?” Chuckling, they settled in together, each truly glad of the other’s presence. They sat that way for a few moments, occasionally catching the other’s gaze and sharing silly grins. Suddenly, Pippin broke the silence.
“I wish that you lived nearer to me or me to you, one or the other. I know you miss me too, but somehow I don’t think that’s why you’re here. What’s on your mind, cousin?”
Merry rose from his seat to stand at the hearth and stare at the flames. “Aye, Pip, there is something more. We’ve had good long lives, have we not?” At this, Pippin nodded, encouraging Merry to continue. “And we were both married to wonderful lasses, but aren’t both of them gone now?” Another nod from Pippin. “And our lads are full grown now, with lives of their own; homes, families. They’re good lads, too, much better than we were at that age.” This time a grin accompanied Pippin’s nod.
“I agree, of course, Merry. But where are you going with this? Just up and say it, we’ve spent too much of our lives together and we’re too old to play around like this.” He had risen to stand next to Merry, and the smile slipped a little as he put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”
“It’s just that I’m thinking maybe the lads are old enough to take on their responsibilities, our responsibilities. I think it’s high time we handed over our jobs to them.”
“And do what? Spend all out time around our houses? Merry, we’d be crazy inside of a week with nothing to do all day - you know that as well as I.”
“Well, I’m not talking about doing nothing, now am I? If you’d let me finish, cousin mine, I was going to say… well, to say…”
“Yes?”
“What would you say to one more adventure, Pippin? For old time’s sake?” Merry turned to Pippin and grabbed his hand. “We could see everything once more, Gondor, Rohan, King Eomer. Everything. Think of how lovely it would be!”
Pippin stared silently at Merry during his outburst. Emotions passed over his face; surprise, then amazement, then hope and finally, slowly, resignation...
“It would be wonderful, Merry. But we are old. We’re hardly suited hardly suited to anything but staying home. Oh, don’t look at me like that,” he said when he Merry frowned at his response. “We are old. No matter how you try to deny it.”
Merry’s brow furrowed at the comments, wishing to deny them, but knowing he could not, all the same. “I know, Pip, but…” He sighed. “Imagine it for a moment. We could see everyone again- see Eomer. I just- I need to see him, one last time. Please, Pip.”
Pippin studied Merry carefully, his heart torn in two. On one hand he was tired and not entirely sure he could make such a journey. But on the other, the promise of adventure pulled strongly- had he really settled into complacency?
Merry seemed to guess the workings of his cousin’s mind and spoke up. “Pip, I’ve decided that I am going, with or without you. But I’d much prefer with.” The kind words and the promise of wonderful things in Merry’s eyes were all it took to pull Pippin over the edge and convince him of what was right.
“Alright, Merry, if you’re that set on going, we shall. I couldn’t leave you to go on your own. You’d surely be lost before you were out of the Shire.” Pippin wrapped his arms around Merry and held tight.
“Lost, is it? Well, we’ll see about that, Mr. Can’t Even Find the Kitchen.” Merry smiled and moved out of reach when Pippin tried to hit him in mock outrage.
“I can always find the kitchens, Mer- no matter where we are!”
“Oh, aye! Well, I’ll give you a chance to prove it. Lead the way, Thain Peregrin, it’s dinner time!” Chuckling, the two hobbits made their way through the house to do what hobbits really do best: eat dinner and share time with dear friends.
Meriadoc was then old (102) but still hale.
He took counsel with his friend the Thain, and soon
after they handed over their goods and offices to
their sons and rode away over Sarn Ford, and they
were not seen again in the Shire.
-J.R.R. Tolkien,
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings