Pippin turned over again, staring up and into the dark.  Light from outside came through the window, though dimmed by a curtain.  Merry was lying next to him, sleeping heavily, a light sheet pulled up to his waist.  Pippin watched him, a little bit, before sighing softly, and turning onto his side, trying to fall asleep.

            “Can’t sleep?” Merry mumbled, yawning and turning over to face Pippin.

            “Not really,” Pippin admitted, reaching out to grasp Merry’s hand.  “Don’t worry about it.  Go back to sleep.”  He shifted uneasily, and bit his lip.  He didn’t really expect to actually fall asleep that night, but Merry didn’t need to join him.

            But Merry’s eyes opened anyway, and he was pulling Pippin closer, even as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes.  “Shush, silly Took.  Worried about school?”

            Pippin took a deep breath, and promised himself he wouldn’t cling to Merry.  “Yeah,” he said softly.  “A...well, a lot.  Temple isn’t KKF.”

            Merry kissed his forehead.  “No.  But you’ll be fine, lovey, you really will.  C’mere.”  And Pippin wiggled even closer, letting Merry pull him into his arms, leaning his head against Merry’s chest.  He could hear Merry’s heartbeat, and the slow thumping made Pippin smile.  “What’s scaring you?”

            “Everything,” Pippin admitted with a half-laugh.  “Where the buildings are.  That I’ll be late for classes.  That I won’t understand a single thing.”  He bit back tears, as Merry started rubbing his back lightly.  “I mean, I’ve taken college courses before but.  I dunno.”  Another non-laugh.  “This doesn’t feel the same.”

            Merry continued to rock them gently, and the rhythm of his heart relaxed Pippin, enough to realize he’d been clutching at Merry’s arms, and he loosened his grip.  He felt Merry plant a little kiss in his hair, and smiled wider as he snuggled closer, despite the heat of the late August night.

            “Sweetest heart, you will be fine,” Merry said firmly.  “You will.  Intro classes won’t be any harder than anything you took at Community.  You practically memorized that map of Temple’s campus, and anyway, there’re signs everywhere.  You’re hella smarter than you think, and I am so very, very proud of you.”

            Pippin couldn’t stop a tear or two from falling at that, feeling a little shivery at Merry’s words, and, as intended, much more hopeful.  “Thank you,” he said softly, nuzzling a little.”

            “Love you,” Merry murmured, and Pippin fell asleep to the ruffle of Merry’s breath through his hair, and Merry’s hands gently stroking his back.

            That Friday, Pippin came home to an empty apartment.  The fears of earlier in the week had completely vanished, and he was settling into the workload, and classes, far more easily than he’d expected.  Only going part-time, it looked like he’d be able to balance bartending with going to school, and still have time to breathe--something both he and Merry were careful about making sure of, both of them still remembering Merry’s collapse nearly a year ago.  But, even just a week in, Pippin was surprised at how deeply content he was, in class.  Enough to begin thinking about switching over to full-time, anyway, and just living off of savings for as long as possible.

            Pippin was a little surprised when his hello didn’t receive an answer, but a note from Merry explained he’d run out to pick a few things up, as he’d be making dinner, and to curl up and relax.  And he’d explain about the hedgehog when he got back.

            That last bit made Pippin blink a few times before wandering into the kitchen to be confronted by a large aquarium sitting on their kitchen table.  Inside the aquarium was a small, spiky hedgehog that was now regarding Pippin curiously.

            Pippin looked at the hedgehog.  The hedgehog looked back.

            “Hello?” Pippin ventured.

            The hedgehog looked back.

            Deciding that this bit of surrealism could wait, Pippin fixed a nice, stiff gin and tonic and stretched out in the living room, turning on some Ramones and feeling very extravagant.  He regarded the flung-down backpack meditatively, and decided figuring out his first week back at school could wait until the tang of quinine had faded from his mouth, and Joey Ramone wasn’t wailing away quite so perfectly.

            It wasn’t long before Merry got home, hauling along a full bag of groceries.  “Hey love!” he called over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen, and reappeared almost immediately, curling up at Pippin’s feet and putting his head on Pippin’s knees, grinning up cheerily.

            “Hey Mer,” Pippin grinned and leaned down for an enthusiastic kiss.  “What did you do?” he asked, a little breathlessly, when the kiss was over.

            “What d’you mean?”  Merry made a little pout, and Pippin had to laugh, and lean over to kiss it a little. 

            “I mean, you’re making dinner, and being all cute and bouncy and you never do that unless I’m going to get mad about something.”

            Merry pouted again, and Pippin swore he purposely widened his eyes.  “I like that.  Maybe it was something you did, and maybe I wanted to celebrate and make it all special for you, Pippin.”

            “Oh.  Merry,” Pippin whispered and slid off of the chair and into Merry’s arms.  He hugged Merry fiercely, reveling in the feeling of warm arms, holding him tight, and the soft rumble of Merry’s laughter, felt more than heard.  “Merry, Merry, I don’t deserve this.  You spoil me too much,” he murmured, and nuzzled a little when he felt Merry sprinkle kisses everywhere he could reach.

            “Maybe.  Probably,” Merry said, and Pippin giggled a little, still cuddled close.  “Don’t care.  Love you.”

            Pippin tilted his head up to kiss Merry, drawing it out.  “Love you too,” he whispered, not entirely trusting his voice. 

            Merry ran a hand through Pippin’s hair, smiling when the curls stood straight up.  “So.  Yes.  For you.  And because you might get mad at me.”

            Pippin, who was now very contentedly cuddled in Merry’s arms, buried his face in the sweet curve where Merry’s neck joined his shoulders.  “Mrrr.  Couldn’t get mad at my Merry.  Not now.”

            Merry giggled at that.  “Not the way you taste like gin, anyway, and that half-empty glass.  But.  Um.  You’ve met Levi-Strauss?”

            Pippin paused and looked up.  “The anthropologist?”

            Merry laughed.  “No, the hedgehog.  Who used to belong to an anthropologist.  Well, an anthro student.”

            “Used to?”  Pippin’s voice rose a little.

            “Um.  Well, she’s going to Africa for six months to do fieldwork, and can’t find anyone else to take him on, and really doesn’t have the time to handle a pet anyway.  She just came in today, all in a panic!  So, I said yes, and I’m sorry, I really, really should’ve asked you first, but he’s so cute, and well.  Um.”

            Merry quirked one eyebrow, and looked so hopeful and adorable that Pippin couldn’t help collapsing into giggles, even as he kissed him.

            “Oh, Mer.  He is cute.  We’ve talked about getting a pet before…but, uh, I was expecting a kitten or something.”

            Merry smiled in victory, shifting them a little to be more comfortable, Pippin shifting with him, almost an automatic response.  “I know.  But, well, this was kind of last minute.  And I should’ve asked you, or called you, but--“

            Pippin cut him off with another kiss.  “Merry!  It’s okay!”  He laughed a little, wrapping his arms around Merry’s shoulders.  “Sweetheart, I promise I’m not angry.  Not even annoyed.  Don’t rile yourself up!”

            Merry blushed, and giggled as Pippin kissed him again.  “Fine, fine.  I’ll hush up, and be a good boyfriend and cook you dinner, and we’ll celebrate and play with Levi-Strauss.”

            Pippin snorted.  “Oh, I love that name.  And he’s adorable.  And I love you.”

            Merry leaned in for another kiss, sweet and long.  “Love you,” he murmured, as they pulled apart.  “And just wait out here while I get dinner ready.”

            Pippin smiled, and dropping a teasy little kiss on Merry’s nose before curling up again with a magazine, feeling deliciously relaxed.  Dinner was ready soon enough, although eaten while perched on the futon, as Levi-Strauss was still living on the kitchen table.

            “Where are we going to put him?”  Pippin asked after swallowing a mouthful of fish. 

            “Well, there’s room in our bedroom,” Merry mused, but Pippin shook his head vigorously.

            “Oh, hell no.  He can live in here.  I don’t want him in there, with us, when we…well, you know.  When we have sex.”  Pippin blushed a little, half-smiling.

            Merry laughed out loud, though.  “Honey, I don’t think he cares, or even notices.  And what?” he leaned over to give Pippin a soft kiss, “We never make love in here?”

            Pippin blushed deeper.  “Well, yeah, but…Merry!  There’s room for him in here, and he’s living in here, and that’s it.  I will not have our hedgehog peering at us as we sleep.”

            Merry snorted water up his nose at that remark, causing Pippin to nearly fall off the futon with his giggles. 

            “Oh, fine, Mr. Took.  Levi will live in here, so you don’t have to worry about him gawking at your precious bum,”  Merry retorted, and Pippin stuck his tongue out, but was otherwise silent.  They finished dinner lazily, talking of simple, silly things, and Pippin made wild plans for their pet, causing Merry to scold him a little, reminding him that Levi was hardly their child.

            “Is too,” Pippin smirked.  Just you wait.  And I will too get my friend Dawn to knit him a…well, a sleeve, I guess.  Can you make a sweater for a hedgehog?”

            Merry very carefully set his plate down, and the glass on top of it before lying down and laughing until tears ran down his face, and his sides ached.  When he’d calmed down a bit, he opened his eyes to find Pippin looming over him, grinning madly.

            “Geek,” Merry announced, and pulled him down for a kiss.  Pippin returned it with enthusiasm, and they spent several very happy minutes at that endeavor, before Pippin pulled away, though he remained cuddled in Merry’s arms.

            “Thank you for dinner, love.  It was very yummy,” he said, looking up with a little grin.

            “You’re welcome,” Merry said softly.  “Glad I got it right.”

            Pippin looked at him curiously for a moment, but said nothing, instead laying his head on Merry’s chest, and reaching to catch a strand of his ponytail, twirling it around his fingers.  “I’ll clean up, real quick, and then we can play with Levi.  It’s late enough that he should be awake.”

            Merry nodded, and hugged Pippin once more, before he left, stacking plates and glasses as he went into the kitchen.  Merry remained sprawled on the couch, reveling in the warmth of the late summer weather, and the memory of the feel of Pippin against him.

            Pippin returned soon after, lugging the huge aquarium with him.  “I’ll just shove him in the corner for now,” he called over the top to Merry.  “We can move him later.”

            Merry slid down to sit on the floor, still leaning against the futon, and Pippin came over to join him, carefully carrying the spiky little creature.

            “Aww, his tummy’s all soft,” Pippin giggled.  “And he likes me!  He’s not all curled up!”

            Merry grinned at the delighted expression on Pippin’s face.  “Aw, sweetie.  ‘Course he likes you.  I told him he might need to charm you thoroughly.”

            Pippin giggled, and lifted his hands to he could be nose-to-nose with Levi.  “Well, I’m charmed, dear, although Merry is being silly.”

            Merry blushed.  “Well.  I didn’t want a repeat of Christmas.”

            Pippin looked over and smiled at him.  “You dork.  Levi’s a little bit different than you making plans and ignoring me.”  He leaned over for a little kiss.  “Sweeting, that was months ago.  Don’t tell me it’s been bothering you?”

            Merry laughed a little.  “Not on a day to day basis, exactly.  Just…just something I want to avoid.”

            Pippin carefully set Levi-Strauss down, and leaned forward to touch Merry’s face.  “Silly Merry.  We’re not going to stop having little fights, you know.”

            Merry half-smiled, and nodded, leaning a bit into Pippin’s touch.

            “And that’s all they are.  Silly little fights, that we get over, with lots of kissing and cuddling and goodness.”  Pippin leaned over for one more kiss.  “Although I appreciate that you haven’t done that again, sweetie.”

            Merry gave another half-smile, and Pippin sighed inside.  Something was going on with Merry, but he really, really just didn’t want to pry for it just then.  Merry would talk if he wanted to;  if he didn’t, then Pippin was fine with that for the moment.

            Pippin was the first to break eye contact, looking over at Levi-Strauss attempting to climb into his sneakers.  “Hey!” he yelped, giggling, and went over to rescue the little hedgehog.  Pippin held him out for Merry to carefully take, still giggling at the little snuffling sounds it was making.

            Once in Merry’s hands, Levi-Strauss immediately curled up into a small ball, causing Merry to yelp a little at the spines, and quickly set him down.  Where he proceeded to uncurl, and start exploring the space between where the two of them sat.

            “Oh, I see how it is,” Merry mock-grumbled.  “I rescue the little traitor, and now he doesn’t even like me!”

            Pippin snickered, reaching out to gingerly pet the little creature.  “Aw, honey.  He probably just got scared for a moment.  His spines aren’t even all that sharp!”  Pippin very gently ran his hand against the spines, smiling a little at the tickly feeling.  “He’ll get used to you.  Go get…I don’t know.  Some books or something, that he can crawl over.”

            Merry gave a long-suffering sigh, but got up and came back quickly enough with an armful of books that they stacked around the living room, giving Levi plenty of places to climb.

            “I hope this is fun for him,” Pippin said, looking doubtful.  “I have no idea what to do for a hedgehog.”

            Merry grinned a little.  “I know how to feed him, and that he’s nocturnal.  Other than that, no clue.”

            Pippin lay down on his stomach to watch Levi climb up a step-stair of books Merry had made.  “He’s utterly adorable,” Pippin announced, giving him a little shove when he started to fall backwards. 

            Merry grinned down at the both of them.  “He is really cute.  Nice to have a little addition to our family.”

            Pippin stretched his neck around to smile up at Merry.  “Very much so.  Now, we just have to get him actually liking you…”

            Merry yelped at that, as Pippin giggled and sat up again.  He rescued the confused little hedgehog from the top of the stack of books, and half-cuddled him to his chest.  “Hey Levi,” he murmured.  “You be good, okay?”

            The hedgehog only snuffled at Pippin, making him giggle and lie down so Levi could crawl all over his chest and stomach.

            “Eee!  He tickles!”  Pippin giggled, and scooped him up.  “Lie down Merry, it’s fun.”

            Merry raised an eyebrow and lay down beside Pippin.  Once placed on his stomach, Levi snuffled twice, and then curled up into a ball again.  Merry gingerly scooped him up, as Pippin was busy laughing hysterically, and peered into the armored little ball.

            “Why do you hate me?” he pouted, and Pippin swallowed the last of his giggles, as Merry’s expression took on an edge of truly being hurt. 

            “C’mere, give him to me,” Pippin ordered, and of course, Levi uncurled the moment he was in Pippin’s hands.  Pippin maneuvered, though, to sit with his back up against Merry’s chest, snuggling back when Merry wrapped his arms around Pippin’s stomach.  “Now, love, we’ll hold him together, so he can get used to you.”  Pippin giggled, as Merry’s hands cupped his, and Levi made himself comfortable, turning around a few times and snuffling.  “See?  You just did too good a job, telling him to charm me.”

            Merry smiled a little, leaning his head on Pippin’s shoulder.  “He’ll get used to me.  To both of us,” he decided, and was rewarded with a little kiss on the cheek.

            “Mmm-hmm,” Pippin nodded, and settled back against Merry, very deeply happy.  “He’ll be a good addition, love.”

            “He will,” Merry said softly, as they watched Levi attempt to crawl up their arms, all three curled up together.

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