Merry felt his palms sweating and he nervously ran his hand through his mop of curls.

There she was: Estella. The most beautiful creature upon the dance floor. She wore a blue dress that not only matched the brown cascades of curls down to her mid back, but also accentuated her lovely, full curves.

She was dancing at the moment with one of Merry’s older, Tookish cousins and he watched her twirl about, her smile as lovely as anything, and her curls bouncing wildly.

As the song finally ended Merry cleared his throat, straightened his weskit and stood up straight. He smoothly strode to Stella’s side and flashed her a casual grin. “If you aren’t spoken for already, I should certainly like to dance the next with you.”

Merry felt his heart beat in his ears as she returned his grin coyly, peering up shyly at him from under her long, russet eyelashes, her cheeks rosy from the dance.

“I would like that very much.” She smiled, tucking a curl nervously behind her ear, Merry grinned effortlessly and reached his hand out to grip hers, entwining their fingers together.

“I’m glad.” He murmured, turning to capture her gaze with his. Merry was proud: he was much better at pretending he wasn’t nervous than she was.

“Mer-rrry. This is stupid.” Pippin whined.

“Hush Pippin.” Merry turned to face his younger, most impatient cousin.

“I thought you liked birds.” Merry said quietly, turning around to continue tramping through the forested path.

“You have to be quiet if we are to see any, Pippin.” Merry finished his thought in annoyance.

“But Merry, I dinna like to seek out birds. I like ‘em singing outside my window in the morning. Merry.” He whined again, “Merry I’m hungry let’s go down the the Golden Perch. It’s lunchtime.”

Merry kept walking, ignoring Pippin’s whining protests. He was on a mission: his mother was making a special dye and she wanted him to find a cardinal’s feather for it. He wouldn’t let his Mum down, not even Pippin would stop him.

“Go on then Pip.” Merry waved his hand in annoyance as if brushing him away, when suddenly he heard the flutter of wings in the bushes next to him and he turned to see the flurry of red flying off.

Merry frowned, bitter tears in the corners of his eyes. “You scared it off Pip!”

Pippin looked up at Merry innocently, he was chewing on a handful of blueberries that he had picked from a nearby bush. “I dinna do anythin’ Merry.” He said, his mouth full.

Merry turned away from Pippin, he didn’t want to cry, not in front of his baby cousin. Just then, Merry noticed something resting on the forest floor, he edged closer, and there it was a red feather lying on top of the leaves. Merry picked it up, he grinned at Pippin and held it up triumphantly.

“Alright Pip. Let’s go get lunch. We don’t have to bird watch any more.” He tucked the feather into his breast pocket. Now his Mum would help him make a nice red scarf for Pippin’s birthday, Merry felt most pleased with himself.

“No. Pip. You’re doing it all wrong.” Diamond sighed with exasperation.

Pippin looked up at Diamond; he seemed to be covered completely in flour. “But Diamond… I dinna want to wait, so I thought that if I mixed everythin-”

Diamond shook her head with a small smile. Her husband was ever-impatient like a wee lad. “Oh Peregrin.” She wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned up to kiss away a bit of sugar that was stuck to his chin.

“Well I thought that since you were running off to the market to fetch the apples, that I would surprise you and make the pie crust.” He said in dismay, as if he only now realised the mess he had made.

“Diamond. I dinae mean to…” He began, but Diamond shook her head.

“Tis alright Pippin. You just have to be slower about it; it won’t be good unless you take your time with the ingredients.” She smiled and poured a bit more flour and water into the bowl. “Stir it, and I’ll cut the apples.” She pressed a spoon into his hands and cleared a spot on the counter for her cutting board. She began to peel the bright red apples that she had set upon the table, and she cut them into slices, tossing them into a separate bowl.

Finally Pippin sighed audibly. “Isn’t it done being stirred yet?” He asked in annoyance.

“Aye Pip.” Diamond laughed and tipped his bowl upside down, laying the ball of pie dough out upon the counter. She rolled it out and set to work placing it into her pan.

“Stir the sugar and cinnamon into the apples won’t you love?” She peered over at Pippin who had frozen mid-bite in one of the slices.

“Pip. You canna eat them until they’ve been baked.” She laughed, as he began to stir the filling and she rolled out the top of the pie. She heard a small munching sound and didn’t bother to chide Pippin for eating the cinnamon sugar apples: she had made more than she needed, knowing he would help himself to a few while he “helped” her bake.

“S’done I think.” Pippin said finally, placing the spoon down. Diamond whisked the bowl away from in front of him and laid the apple slices into the pan, when it was full she laid the crust over the top and pinched the crust together around the edges.

“Looks lovely. Can I not eat it now?” Pippin asked reaching out for the unbaked pie.

“Pippin!” Diamond laughed, “Tis hardly any good un-baked!” Before he could touch it she set the pie in the oven and then turned around to face Pippin with a cheeky grin on her face.

“You’ll just have to wait, love.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“Seems like forever to me.” Pippin groaned and Diamond just laughed.

The couple decided to take a short stroll about their garden, for Diamond insisted the pie would be done by then, when they stepped back inside their little home Pippin took a deep breath in and looked to Diamond, grinning broadly.

“Smells good.” He beamed, and practically dragged her into the kitchen. Diamond couldn’t remove the pie from the oven fast enough before Pippin was already cutting into it.

“Pip! It’s very hot!” She cried out in concern, but Pippin had already taken a scalding bite, but he did not care. He chewed the bite thoughtfully, then looked to Diamond with a grin. “You were right.” He said, and then swallowed, “Twas worth the wait.”

Diamond rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss her dear husband’s cheek.

Okay. :D Hmm, I’m going to write with characters I’ve never written with before: Pippin’s parents. :3

Eglantine Banks sat perched upon a low hanging branch, absent-mindedly plucking the petals off of one of the daises she held in her hands.

The sun was beginning to set, and she was nervous that he wouldn’t show, that he would leave her here waiting in the apple orchard. They had to meet in secret, for Eglantine’s parents were not fond of this certain Took and tried every way possible for them to not see each other. But they found their ways, as love often did.

Just as she was beginning to doubt him, doubt his love, and his desire to see her, there was a rustle of movement from her left and she turned her head to follow the sound.

Then he emerged from behind a neighbouring apple tree, a grin upon his face and a flower in his hand: Paladin Took, the object of her affections and the owner of her heart.

Eglantine made to jump off from her branch, but Paladin took a few steps forward and lifted her off the branch himself, swinging her around and listening to her giggle.

She had soft, golden hair and bright green eyes, and Paladin grew fonder of his lass with each passing day.

“Here.” He tilted his head and pressed the violet into her hand: they were small and simple flowers but Eglantine loved them, and Paladin made certain he always brought them to her.

“Paddin.” She smiled, and he grinned at the sound of the nickname she had coined for him.

“Yes, love?” He tenderly brushed a curl of her fair locks from her eye with a gentle hand.

Eglantine shook her head: she had simply wanted to hear the sound of his voice, she wanted for him to call her ‘love’ and to hear the pleasant Tookish lilt in his voice.

“Come on now, Eg.” He gripped her hand tightly within his own. “I wanted to watch the sunset before the fireworks.” Eglantine nodded, and the two strode off, arm in arm towards the hill on the southern end of the apple orchard.

Paladin helped Eglantine sit upon the grass, and once she was settled, he sat down next to her. She leaned against his shoulder and Paladin looked down at her face; the orange glow from the setting sun caught within her golden hair, causing it to seem as though it had diamonds caught within the strands.

He bent over to kiss the crown of her head, burying his face within her soft hair, and paid no more attention to the sunset.

“Look at our lads Diamond.” Estella breathed heavily into her friend’s ear.

Diamond was looking: it was one of the hottest days the Shire had seen this summer and they sat on the banks of the Brandywine, but Pippin and Merry had opted to go for a swim in its cool waters.

Their lads were dressed in naught but their skivvies, swimming around near the water’s edge. Diamond heard Pippin’s laughter and saw the smile upon his face as Merry splashed water at him.

They were quite the sight: fine lads they were and Diamond and Estella could do nothing but sit and watch.

After at least an hour of splashing and watching, Pippin and Merry emerged from the water. Diamond’s eyes took in her Peregrin: the way the sun reflected off the water on his strong chest, the diamond-like droplets that sailed from his hair as he shook the water out of his curls, and the smile upon his face as his green eyes came to rest upon her.

Merry was certainly handsome too, but Diamond had only eyes for Pippin: he jogged up the bank and sat down next to her running his fingers through his damp hair.

“Come in with me, won’t you?” He grinned at her and suddenly Diamond was looking at the ground, and not at Pippin.

“Diamond, what… Whatever is wrong?” He asked, concern in his voice.

“I can’t swim.” She replied sadly, for neither she nor Stella knew how.

“Well, than I’ll jus’ hafta teach you, then I suppose.” Pippin smiled broadly and took her hand in his, pulling her from her seat on the ground, put not before engulfing her in a damp hug. She squealed, but secretly loved it, for the water that soaked through her bodice was quite cooling indeed.

Okay, so… I’m not using the word. But I know it’s about a fictitious lung disease or something, yeah? So I’m taking this challenge, and the inspiration about lung disease, and writing hobbits. Because. I don’t even care what people think about me and my hobbit obsession anymore. xD

——

Took babes were notorious for being born early. Peregrin Took was no exception: he arrived two months early, so tiny and small, his mother Eglantine did not believe that he would make it past the first year. 

But he did, and little Pippin grew. But small he was: always much smaller than the other lads, he was slower too. For he often had trouble breathing. 

His lungs, were small as the rest of his body and he would have to stop running about to take a rest. He became sick, much easier than the other children too.

And this was one such time, for young Pippin had come down with a dreadful fever and chills, bad enough this time to call the healer down from Brandy Hall, for she was the best around, and enough for Eglantine to stay by his side for three full days of feverish dreams and shivers.

Though the worst was over now, still Pippin lay in bed, getting well.

Pippin stared out the window into the summer sunshine, tears in his eyes. He hated being sick.