If you don't recognize the title, you're too young to be reading this.  ;)

It was probably entirely too late to be awake, Merry mused to himself, but he also didn’t particularly care all that much.  They were all crammed into Aragorn and Gandalf’s hotel room, sitting in a loose circle on the floor.  Glasses of wine had been passed out long ago, filled and refilled again, and Merry was quite content to spend as long as he cared to, sprawled on the floor, leaning against the foot of one the beds, with Pippin half in his lap.

            Pippin.  Merry grinned down at the slim teen splayed against him, his legs thrown across Merry’s lap.  He was a cutie, that was for sure, thoughtlessly affectionate and sweet, teasing Merry endlessly.  They had bonded quickly over late-night conversations in various hotel rooms, bars, and cars.

            He was also the most delectably lickable human being Merry had met to date, and as he’d already stood Frodo a drink for introducing them, he was more than ready to stand him another for nudging them towards sleeping together.  They’d kissed before, teasingly, as friends do, but so had all of them.  It would have been impossible to do otherwise; a roomful of (Merry had to admit) delectable men, well over half of them queer.  Aragorn alone was quite the slut.  Merry grinned to himself as the tall man held up an empty wine bottle, swaying only slightly.

            “Spin the bottle!  Now!  C’mon…c’mon guys, it’ll be fun!”  And Merry was just drunk enough that the old game did, in fact, sound fun, and he moved in to join the circle, pulling Pippin with him.  Sam had bowed out long ago, but Frodo took his other side, and Merry happily slumped against him, yelping only a little when Frodo gave him a teasing little pinch.  Legolas plunked down happily, wheedling Gimli into joining as well.

            “C’mon, lovie.  Every group needs a good bear, and Gandalf’s off being boring!”  Gandalf, in fact, had politely declined and was presently taking over the little stereo that traveled with them.  He did not dignify Legolas’ comment with a response, choosing instead to put on some old blues, earning Merry’s applause and a halfhearted “boo!” from Pippin and Frodo.  But Gimli did join them, and once everyone was settled and a bottle of something quite horrifically sweet and alcoholic was being passed around, Aragorn took first spin.

            It came up pointing at Pippin, who happily bounced forward to accept a little kiss on the cheek--not what he was expecting, as Aragorn got a pouty frown for his kiss.

            “Those’re the rules,” he explained.  “Nice, innocent kiss, then on the lips.  Then with tongue.  Then you get five minutes in the bathroom.” He grinned.  “Besides, you’re too damn young for me, kid.”

            Pippin stuck his tongue out, but smiled shyly.  “Thanks.  I’ve…um, never played before.”

            Merry felt an unexplained surge of protectiveness, and he threw an arm around Pippin’s shoulder.  “It’s cool,” he murmured.  “You got all the rules, pretty much.  Your spin, though.”

            Pippin had leaned up against him again, and shot Merry a smile before taking his turn at spinning. 

            “Legolas!” he crowed,  and stretched across a bemused Gimli to lay a smacky little kiss on The Fabulous One’s cheek.  Legolas gave him a little wink, and immediately took control of the bottle.  “My turn, darlings!  Now, just a sip for courage--“ and he swigged the bottle back, drinking deep before passing it on to Gimli.

            “Young blood again!” he crowed when the bottle pointed towards Pippin again, and swallowed a protest about not being so very young in a nice kiss.  Merry found himself watching carefully, and admitted he had nothing to get jealous about.  It was perfectly innocent and friendly.  It was.

            He just had to keep reminding himself, as it was Pippin’s turn to spin again.

            It was pointing at Merry, and Pippin turned to face him, slipping one hand around his cheek, sweetly kissing the other.

            Merry appeared to have hit a streak then, working his way up in an almost unbroken chain to where he was now, namely sitting in the bathroom with Aragorn.

            “You’re madly in crush with Pippin, aren’t you?” he had asked, very matter-of-factly, and Merry nodded dumbly.

            “It’s that obvious?” he asked in return, and Aragorn grinned. 

            “Merry, it’s blinding,” he explained.  “You stare at each other when you think the other isn’t watching, and you’re always sitting together, rooming together--doing everything together.”

            Merry nodded, slumping on the floor.  Aragorn was, as usual, utterly correct.  Merry was completely, absolutely, head-over-heels in lust for the delicious Mr. Took.

            “He’s just…well, you’ve seen him.”  Merry looked up for a moment, grinning.  “And--I think it’s more than that.  I like him, a lot.  He’s fun, and sweet, and…I don’t know.  I just want to spend all my time with him.”  Merry flashed a grin again.  “That I want to have immense amounts of sex with him is nice bonus.” 

            Aragorn laughed at that, agreeing that it was. 

            “And you say he stares back?  Hm.”  Merry mused over that for a bit, wondering precisely how Pippin felt about him.

            Aragorn simply nodded, and they both jumped when a knock came at the door.  Gimli’s rough voice ordered them out, and so they filed back to the circle, retaking their places.  Pippin curled against Merry again with a little smile, and his hand reached up to play with Merry’s hair, coiling the blond strands of his ponytail around his fingers.  Merry gave Pippin an impulsive little kiss on his wild curls, earning a grin.

            And Aragorn spun, and then Legolas, and then Pippin.

            And, eventually, Merry was in the bathroom with Pippin, shifting uneasily, but with a goofy smile nonetheless.  Bless Legolas for coming through with a bottle of whatever it was to pass around;  liquid courage indeed.

            Pippin raked his fingers through his hair, regarding Merry. 

            Merry watched him right back, all but feeling the seconds ticking away.  “Um,” he started, and then had to take a breath.

            Pippin smiled, and brushed a loose strand of hair from Merry’s face.  He let his hand linger--Merry was pretty sure, anyway. 

            “So you like that blues stuff?” Pippin asked, looking up at him and Merry tried to remember to breathe.  He was not some love-struck teenager.  He wasn’t. 

            Bloody hell.  He hadn’t felt like this since tenth grade when Eric Levine had snuck out back of school with him, and they kissed.  Eric had pushed him up against the wall, and Merry swore that he could feel the rough brick under his hands now, as he flexed them.

            “Yeah.  Not your thing?”

            “Nah.”  Pippin smiled a little.  “I like punk.  Y’know Dropkick Murpheys?”

            Merry shook his head, and reached out to touch Pippin’s face, just because.  Dammit, it did feel good under his hand.

            Pippin reached for Merry, and then they were tangled together, just a breath away.

            “I like you,” Pippin admitted, looking full into Merry’s eyes, and Merry wondered if he’d survive the remaining…well, however long they had.  “I like you a lot.  And more than that…”  He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

            “You’re gorgeous,” Merry stumbled out, and his eyes widened as he heard his own voice.  Pippin’s eyes sprang open as well, and then Merry couldn’t think because Pippin was kissing him, hard, and yes, that would be Pippin’s tongue in his mouth.  And Merry’s tongue, coiling and moving with it.

            Eric Levine hadn’t felt a thing like this.  Neither had Chris Liacouras after his first Phillies game, or Liza Cadwallader outside the Spectrum.  Or any of the nameless boys at Woody’s, or Roam, or any of the other dark rooms and early mornings.  A few came close, yeah, but--well, Merry hadn’t know one’s knees could actually melt.

            And maybe that was why they were lying on the floor, Pippin atop Merry, clinging to him and still kissing when the knock at the door came.

            “Fuck you!” Pippin growled at the door and returned to kiss his way down to Merry’s neck, first just touching, barely, with his tongue, then letting his teeth scrape along a little, then sucking, hard, and Merry couldn’t help but cry out a little, strangled and hot and it might have been Pippin’s name.

            They emerged well after their time limit, although Legolas saw them and smiled sweetly as they tried to make a discreet exit.  He held up a condom, silently, but Merry shook his head;  if it came to that tonight, he had plenty of everything in their room.  Frodo grinned widely when he’d noticed they had emerged, and promptly lunged for Aragorn when he began to say something loudly and drunkenly to them that he probably would not regret in the least the next morning.  Legolas blew them a kiss, and Pippin returned it, giggling, before he hauled Merry out and into the room they were sharing across the hall.

            “Oh, but I’m glad queen-sized beds cost less than two singles!” Pippin sighed, collapsing onto the ugly coverlet.  He smiled up at Merry and held out his arms, which Merry was more than happy to take advantage of.  They lay together for a little while, just kissing softly, not yet moving from each other’s lips very often, except for when Pippin caught site of the hickey he’d given Merry, and giggled, and kissed it a little.

            “So,” he said softly, when they’d satisfied themselves for a bit, “you really do like me back?”

            Merry, wide-eyed, nodded emphatically, and moved to kiss Pippin once more.  “And you like me, and like kissing me and…,” Merry asked, when they were done.

            Pippin cut him off.  “I do.  I have ever since…oh, Merry.”  He stopped, and smiled so wide and beautiful, tracing Merry’s lips with a forefinger.  “You’re incredibly handsome, you know.  I noticed that right off.  But…do you remember when we were driving through Tennessee, and I got so carsick?”

            Merry had smiled, blushing at little at the comment on his looks.  He nodded, remembering that extremely long day, driving under a pounding sun in a car with busted air conditioning.

            But Pippin smiled, pulling Merry in for a little kiss.  “You took care of me, Merry.  You hadn’t known me for very long, but you made me lie down in the backseat and let me use you as a pillow, and you got me ginger ale and crackers at every damn rest stop in the state, I think.”  Another gentle kiss, and Merry wasn’t sure if he could keep himself still much longer.  “You were so kind to me, Mer,” Pippin continued, wide green eyes looking him full in the face.  “You were kind, and sweet, and you took care of me, and no one does that for me, not since I was little.”  Pippin grinned suddenly, reaching his hands down to give Merry’s butt a little squeeze.  “Ugh, I made that sound like I was a little kid.  But…you know what I mean, right?  We bonded…well, I think we became friends amazingly fast on this trip, and--“  And whatever Pippin was going to say got swallowed in a long kiss, Merry having decided that more than enough reasons had been listed, and it was time to go back to feeling delicious again.  Pippin hardly seemed to mind, moaning softly into the kiss, his hands coming up to clutch at Merry’s shoulders.

            “I didn’t know, really know, until today,” Merry mumbled into Pippin’s neck, where he was busy licking and kissing his way down, dearly wanting to nuzzle at that sweet little curve where Pippin’s shoulder met his neck.

            Pippin, though, was busily pulling Merry’s shirt off, and could only gasp out “Good thing--I waited--then,” and Merry liked the feel of Pippin’s hands roaming across his chest so much that he quickly removed Pippin’s shirt, giving him the same courtesy.

            They drew together, holding each other close and just touching, learning the other’s curves and bumps and sweet, ticklish spots.  And kissing, always kissing, anywhere they could reach.

            Pippin was lying on his back, happily watching Merry lick a trail down to the waistband of his jeans, caught somewhere between giggles and moans.  His hands tangled in Merry’s hair, pulled out the elastic band holding it, and finger-combed the loose waves.  Merry paused for a moment, smiling and leaning into the touch, before kissing Pippin’s stomach one more time and wriggling back up.

            They lay together, arms and legs all tangled together, sharing a few more kisses, before Pippin gently touched the fly of Merry’s jeans.

            “Am I so very young?” Pippin asked, his voice clear and steady, and Merry smiled to feel that touch, there, and leaned in for a kiss before responding.

            “Yes and no.  Eighteen is quite young, even compared to twenty-two, but you don’t act it.”  Merry grinned.  “Or I don’t act my age.  Or we meet somewhere in the middle.”  Another kiss.  “And yes, I want to sleep with you.”

            Pippin grinned widely, and dove for Merry’s jeans, getting them off with remarkable speed.

            Merry found himself laughing and gathering Pippin into his arms, kissing him sweetly.  He was more than ready for this gorgeous creature, but wanted to make sure of a few things first.

            “You should know, Pippin,” he started with a little tap on the nose.  “I’ve had a lover who was positive.  That was…quite some time ago, though, and I tested negative.”

            Pippin nodded, and smiled, and gave Merry a little eskimo kiss.  “Frodo?” he guessed.

            Merry smiled.  “Yup.  As I said, though, it was awhile ago.”

            Pippin laughed a little.  “Sam would kill you, otherwise,” he teased, and lay his head on Merry’s shoulder.  “I’ve never been tested,” he confessed, and earned a little kiss from Merry.

            “We’ll go in together, next time,” he said, giving Pippin a little squeeze.  “You should, probably.”  Pippin nodded, and smiled, and reached for Merry again, laying on top of him.

            A longer kiss, first, and then another, and Merry was beginning to wonder if he’d ever tire of kissing Pippin, or become bored of the feel of those soft, sweet lips. 

            “Oof, Pippin, stop distracting me!”  Merry scolded with a smile, and wiggled his hands under Pippin’s jeans, squeezing a butt that was, in fact, as sweet and small and tight as it looked.  “Dearling, just so I know--have you done this before?”

            Pippin had squeaked adorably at that little rump-squeeze, but smiled and kissed Merry once more before replying.  “I have, Merry Brandybuck, and I know quite well what I’m asking.  My safe sex or yours?”  he asked practically, and Merry rewarded him with a little smooch on the nose.

            “Mine, Pippin-dear, so you let me get everything, and you just stop wearing too many clothes.”  He rolled Pippin off of him and went to hunt through his bags with another little smack to Pippin’s butt, returning to be greeted by Pippin stretched out, looking at Merry not-so-shyly. 

            They both cried out, softly, when their bodies met and Pippin laughed at that, skimming his hand down Merry’s stomach, and creeping it between them to grasp Merry’s erection quite firmly.

            He moaned into a kiss, starting to stroke gently, causing Merry to gasp and clutch at Pippin’s shoulders briefly.  “Very nice,” Pippin murmured somewhere around Merry’s left nipple.  “Very nice, Merry-dear.” 

            Merry sighed gently, relaxing into Pippin’s motions, and letting his hands roam, tracing and spanning the curves of Pippin’s body, finishing by grasping his cock, starting to pump slowly.

            “Why thank you, m’dear,” he murmured back, in between sucking on the pulse point of Pippin’s neck.  “And you’re very nice yourself, at that.”  And it felt so, so good to hear Pippin’s rumbly laugh, that Merry had to flip them over so that he was lying atop Pippin, looking down with a smile while his hair curtained around them.

            And then Merry was kissing Pippin, licking him everywhere, and discovering that flicking Pippin’s nipples with his tongue caused him to cry out, so high and sweet.  And Merry made his way down, down, until he was kissing the little valley where Pippin’s hips joined to his body, and then, just once, quickly, licked the tip of his cock, tasting the little bead of semen there.  Pippin arched his back, crying out, and Merry quickly flicked the bottle of lube open, spreading it across his fingers, making them slick.

            “Like this,” Pippin managed to gasp out, reaching out to touch Merry’s arm.  “Like this, so I can see you and kiss you and, and…,” and he trailed off as Merry nodded with a smile, leaning down for a kiss.  Pippin got a mouthful of hair instead, and giggled as he brushed it aside, arching up to complete the kiss.

            “Like this,” Merry agreed, and gasped a little as Pippin arched up again to suck first one, then the other nipple, playing his tongue over them and making Merry see stars.

            He slid one finger in, slowly, feeling Pippin stretch and widen beneath him.  “Good?” he asked in a murmur, and Pippin’s soft moan was his answer, as was the hand groping for his arm.

            A second finger followed the first, and Merry hooked his fingers, moving them quickly, making Pippin shriek and rear up, falling back panting and moaning only seconds later.  A third finger joined the other two, still hitting Pippin’s sweet spot.  Merry was going to bring him to the edge, and then--well, he was rather in need of some release himself.

            Pippin’s moaning was reaching a new tone and cadence, and he was clutching at the pillow behind him when Merry relented, releasing his fingers and quickly slipping on the condom.  He rubbed a little more of the lube into Pippin before gently guiding his legs up, poised to enter him.

            He leaned down, gently kissing Pippin as he slid in, growing more passionate the further in he got.  Pippin groaned, demanding entrance into Merry’s mouth with his tongue, which Merry granted with a long moan as Pippin tightened around him.

            They set to a rhythm, rocking and meeting each others’ thrusts.  Pippin clutched at Merry’s shoulders, digging his fingers in, and was quickly moaning with his head thrown back, and Merry wondered if he’d ever seen anything else so beautiful, and then Pippin was coming, crying out and clinging, and soon enough he was spent, stickiness on both of them.

            Merry drove into him a few times more, roaring as he came, and then collapsed on top of Pippin, kissing him everywhere.  He withdrew slowly, involuntarily crying out once more, and got rid of the condom before he gathered Pippin back into his arms.

            “Mmmmm,” the slender brunet sighed, wrapping his arms around Merry.  “We’re a mess.  Should shower, or…or sumpin’.  Don’ wanna move, though.” 

            Merry laughed a little, reaching for a tissue and cleaned them up as best he could manage.  “Then don’t move, sweetheart, and we’ll lie here and cuddle and fall asleep together.”  He yawned, and noticed that dawn was breaking.  “Sleep is good.  Even if we have to do it in the back of a car.”

            Pippin nuzzled him a little.  “Sleep.  With you.”  He hugged a little tighter, smiling up at Merry.  “You’re wonderful,” he announced with a grin, and leaned to kiss him sweetly.  “I want to do this again.”

            Merry laughed again, nuzzling Pippin in return, tickling the side of Pippin’s neck.  “You’re pretty wonderful yourself, “ he murmured.  “And I very much want to do this again,” Merry said, following it with a firm kiss.  “I like you very much, Pippin Took.”

            Pippin grinned.  “I like you too, Merry Brandybuck.”  He snuggled down in Merry’s arms, half-asleep, as Merry stroked his back, pulling the comforter up and over them.

            And so they slept, tangled in each other, until they were summoned later that morning, joining the others on their journey again. 

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