Pippin was greeted by the sight of Merry curled up on the wide windowsill of their shared bedroom, head leaning against the windowpane, watching raindrops beat down outside. He stopped a moment, taking in the sight of Merry framed against green grass, yellow forsythia and a grey spring sky. Smiling gently, falling in love for the thousandth time, he moved across the room to sit on the other side of the window, tangling his legs with Merry, who looked up briefly before returning to staring outside.

Pippin raised an eyebrow at that, but tried conversation first. “All this rain early in the spring will be good for the crops, perhaps we’ll avoid a drought this year.” Merry just grunted, causing Pippin to lean forward, and tug at blond hair just beginning to streak with gray. “What ails the Master of Buckland, hmmm? The sun shall return again, Merry dear, though it feels otherwise now.”

Merry did look up at that, and smile a little, but his face lowered almost immediately. “Ah, Pip, it’s not that. Well, mostly not that, although it would be nice to venture out without being soaked.”

Pippin moved to stand beside him, soothingly finger-combing his hair now. “Then what is it, Merry-dear?” I asked him once, who heals the healer, Pippin thought, looking down at him. I suppose it is the one healed most by him.

Merry leaned into the soothing touch, but with face still grim, and sad. “It’s spring, Pippin. It’s almost March. Pip, I don’t want to face it again.” His face tightened, and he bit his lip, trying not to cry.

Pippin’s heart melted, he’d been dreading the upcoming anniversary as well. He had told Merry only once, after they’d both gotten very, very drunk, that he had been afraid Merry would leave too, like Frodo did. Merry only snorted at that, and kissed him, and said he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. That had been at Yule, though, wrapped together in front of a warm fire with a bottle of fine wine. Pippin still carried a little of that fear with him, especially as spring drew near.

“Ah, love, my sweet one.” He moved to wrap his arms around Merry’s shoulders, holding on tightly as strong arms clutched back at him.

“Little one, I’m so scared of facing…of being sick, again.” He dropped into the old nickname of their childhood, though Pippin hardly resembled the endearment anymore. Now he just held Merry, and rocked them a little, and kissed Merry’s head.

“Oh sweeting, I know you’re scared. But we’ll face it together, and I’ll stay by your side, and you’ll win again. I know you will.”

Merry finally smiled a little at this, turning his head to catch Pippin in a kiss. “Peregrin Took. You could stop an army with your will, you could.”

“How about a troll?” He smiled a little, and Merry smiled bittersweetly back. Pippin still limped, a little, on cold mornings. His reminder of the battles they had faced.

Pippin decided they’d had entirely enough brooding that day, the both of them, as he pulled Merry to his feet.

“Now, dear, that’s enough being serious. Surely the Thain and the Master may lay down their troubles occasionally?” He pulled Merry to their big feather bed, and pulled him down gently next to him. Merry went eagerly into his arms and kissed him urgently, needing this warm body next to his. Pippin’s mouth opened to him, and their tongues tangled, Pippin’s pulsing around and over his, in a promise of what was to come. Merry moved to remove his shirt, and gave a little yelp when his hands were pushed away.

“Oh no, my dear. That, I do for you.” And Pippin sat up with a kiss, moving to stand at the foot of the bed. Merry’s jaw dropped, as his lover very, very slowly began to slide his braces down and off of his shoulders. When they were loosened, he began to unbutton his shirt, stroking his fingernails across his chest. Looking down, Pippin smiled voraciously, wanting so badly to excite his lover, and make it last and last. The shirt undone, ties at the wrists loosened (Pippin used his teeth for those), he turned to shrug the shirt off, making sure Merry’s first glance of his bare skin was only of his back. Turning back around, he caught Merry’s eyes, and licked his lips as Merry bit back a moan.

He smiled a bit as he saw from the effects of his tease on Merry. Pippin unbuttoned his breeches last, stroking his hands over thighs as they fell, and then crawled back onto the bed, catlike, and let Merry pull him down for a kiss. He sighed happily as Merry’s hands explored his body, making chilled skin fever-hot with that touch. Pippin worked one hand free, and reached down to brush the front of Merry’s breeches lightly, ah so very lightly. He pulled back a little, grinning down at grey eyes that flashed to blue, as Merry moaned.

“Yes, dear heart. Yes, I like that.” He purred, rewarding his lover by rubbing harder. Merry had already begun to undo his shirt, and Pippin made quick work of the breeches, both gone much, much more quickly than Pippin’s garments had.

Pippin pushed one leg between Merry’s, rocking a little and making Merry dig his fingers into Pippin’s back. There would be bruises later, that Merry would kiss better and apologize, and Pippin would kiss him back, saying they hadn’t hurt, he’d rather enjoyed them, actually. But for now, Pippin arched his back, rubbing his hardness against Merry, and cried out his lover’s name. Merry brought his head down with a growl and kissed him savagely, deeply, using his tongue to first stroke Pippin’s lips, and then leave his lover gasping. He rolled over, bringing himself to lie atop Pippin.

“Ah, Pip, ah my beautiful one.” And Pippin thought his heart would stop right then, and he’d melt away from the look in Merry’s eyes. He pushed up then with a cry that could have been “Merry” and could have been “Love” and could have been neither. Merry grinned, and lowered himself, kissing the pulse point on Pippin’s neck, feeling the rhythm beneath the fair skin. He trailed kisses down, and across, brushing his lips lightly, so lightly over old scars, blessing each of them with love. He licked each nipple, paying them both careful attention before venturing lower, using his hands to span his lover’s body, to measure arms and hands and chest and waist, and finally hips. Pippin’s head was thrown back by then, lost in love and passion and yearning, as he thrust his hips upward against Merry. The Brandybuck had to lift himself from Pippin to get the oil, making his lover whimper with need, but he was back soon enough, slicking his hand with the oil, and pressing some into Pippin.

Pippin’s groan came from deep within him, with the entrance of the first finger, and he wriggled closer, lifting his head to look into Merry’s eyes. Merry glided the second and third fingers in quickly, nearly breathless with the sudden need to be inside his dear one. Pippin locked his long legs around Merry’s back, lifting his rump, ready, as Merry withdrew his fingers.

“Please….” He whispered, “Please, I need you inside me. I need to make you come, and come with you, and make you know how loved you are.”

Merry smiled down, eyes alight, and bent to kiss the beautiful lad beneath him. “You love me so well, I could never doubt, my Pippin.” He made himself ready quickly then, slipping his cock into Pippin, gently at first, and then thrusting his hips in time to his dear ones’. Pippin wondered briefly how he could stand this, the heat, and the love, and the perfectness of his lover, his beloved, his Merry who was always there and always would be there, over him and around him and crying his name out and filling him. And then he lost himself in the two of them, and they were gone.

Merry came first, with a cry, and Pippin followed moments later, falling back on the bed, panting. Merry slowly sat upright and withdrew gently, both of them wincing a little at the broken contact, before he settled back down again, laying his head on Pippin’s chest.

Pippin just kept still, for a little while, remembering how to breathe and holding onto Merry, feeling the sweat cool on his skin, and the stickiness between them. He rubbed his hands up and down Merry’s back, memorizing again the weight and warmth and heartbeat of his soul’s twin. Merry crawled up to lie beside him, still snuggled in his arms. Pippin kissed him a little, and pulled up the quilt that lay at the foot of the bed, when he saw Merry begin to shiver in the cool air. Raindrops still beat at the window, their soft patter soothing the lovers.

“My love, I do believe we’ve found the absolute best way to spend a rainy day.” Pippin observed, his eyes lighting with merriment.

Merry grinned back, wrapping his arms around him a little more tightly. “Thank you, little one. I’d forgotten I’d always have you at my side, to chase away the dark, and bring me light. I love you.” He finished in a whisper, leaning over to kiss Pippin gently, tenderly.

When Pippin got his voice back, he whispered softly “I will always remind you, Merry-mine. And I will always be here, and you will too.” He lifted the mallorn-wood pendant he'd made for Merry, so long ago in Lorien, and kissed it, reminding them both of when he'd gifted it, and the promises it renewed.

They lay together, holding each other and not needing words just then to tell what had always been true.

“Hoy, we need a bath.” Merry observed, biting back a yawn.

Pippin didn’t even try, and was already dropping off into a nap, snuggled into Merry’s arms. “Mmmph. Later,” was his only reply as he dropped off to sleep.

Merry gazed down at damp brown curls, and a dear face that, in sleep, seemed nearly as young as it had been when they’d first become lovers. Brushing his lips against Pippin’s forehead, he murmured “I could never bear to leave you, my love. No Witch-King, no pain, nothing could part me from you. Don’t ever think otherwise, sweet one, for I could as easily be without you, as you could be without me.” Pippin smiled a little in his sleep, and Merry held him closer, and joined him in sleep, to dream of yellow flowers, and sunshine, and summer.

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