I washed Pip's hair and he groaned with pleasure. Grinning, I massaged a little harder and listened to him sigh contentedly. My energy was beginning to fade so I tipped him back to rinse out the suds. His eyes were screwed up tight but his smile was just as broad as it had been in Legolas and Gimli's room.

Suddenly I saw the bruise that was slowly fading and I shivered at how close I'd come to losing him. Somehow he knew my thoughts because his voice piped up. "I'm fine, Merry. More than fine, I'm terrific."

I chuckled. "You are the finest hobbit in this great big palace."

Pip laughed at me and stood up in the tub, holding out his hand to help me up. "Well, I don't know about that but I do know that we're both tired and I want to cuddle you in our bed."

That wonderful statement gave me new energy and I hopped out of the tub to get some towels for us. But I was still recovering from my stabbing of the Lord of the Nazgul and it was all I could do to finish drying myself. Pippin seemed to understand and he matter of factly helped me dress enough to leave the lower levels. It took the last of my strength to reach his room and the soft bed looked like a vision of home.

We undressed hastily and crawled into bed, pulling up the warm blankets and sharing one pillow. I reached out to pull Pip closer, tangling our legs together and holding him so close that our breaths mingled between us. I kissed him again and savored his sweet taste. Then with a sigh of satisfaction, we fell fast asleep.

***********

I awoke, warm and tingling. Even before I opened my eyes, I knew that my favorite dream had come true. Finding Pip in Legolas and Gimli's bed, I'd been so sure that he'd fallen for one of them that my heart had almost stopped. But when the Elf admitted that he and Gimli were in love, I'd been a little confused. I'd just assumed that they'd been lovers for some time.

I'm not the smartest hobbit around but their caring was as plain as the nose on your face.

Opening my eyes, I watched Pip sleep. I liked doing that and had for years, ever since I'd realized that no one was more important than my little cousin. No one was dearer or funnier or sweeter than my own Pip. His hair curled all over and my fingers itched to brush it off his face. The bruise was darker than it had been earlier and I said a little prayer that he'd never be hurt again.

I'd been his protector for all his life and I would continue in that role for the rest of mine.

His lips were slightly pursed and I wanted to taste him again but . . . I sighed. He needed his rest. However, my hands had other ideas and began to move gently over his skin, feeling every bump and scar from our journey. There was a white line on his left arm where he'd fallen when he was six. I found him crying under an apple tree one summer morning and carried him home where Dr. Dooworthy set his broken arm and dressed his cut.

I'd spent hours entertaining him with puppets, stories and anything I could think of to keep him in bed while he healed. Maybe that was the start of my love for him? I watched him sleep, his dark lashes lying quietly on his lean cheeks. They should have been plump and rosy but food had been a luxury for the last moon or so. Smiling, I brushed a finger over his dimpled tummy. He wiggled a little when I touched his ticklish belly button.

That was always his weak spot when we played together. All I had to do was grip his sides and start moving my fingers toward his stomach and he'd dissolve into giggles. I loved the sweet chortle of his laughter and I tried to free it whenever I could.

"Merry?" His sleepy murmur stilled my fingers. "Don't stop."

"Are you properly awake or do you want to sleep some more?" I almost held my breath.

Those beautiful eyes opened and his dear lips curved upwards. "Awake, Merry, very, very awake."

I just couldn't help myself. I had to kiss him again. He tasted more strongly of his own sweetness and my tongue surged inside of his mouth. Pip tried to wiggle closer to me but we were all ready just about as close as we could get. I'd paid attention to some of the couplings on our journey and I knew just what I wanted to taste next.

Finally we had to breathe and we pulled apart only far enough to look at each other. Pip's lips were wet and slightly swollen. I groaned when he licked his lips and he blushed at the sound. Taking a quick look down, I saw his sex hard and leaking between us. That had me licking my lips while he blushed. But then, I slid down to his shaft and hesitantly licked away the clear drop of liquid.

"Oh, Merry." He panted, his hands going to my head. "Oh, Merry."

I liked hearing him say my name but I liked his groan even better when I took in his rosy crown and as much of his shaft as I could fit inside my mouth. I tried to protect his tender skin from my teeth and wondered how the others that I'd seen managed to do this without hurting their partner. Maybe I could ask Legolas later? Much, much later. Pip was moaning breathlessly now and more of that fluid was coming out and suddenly I wanted it all.

Greedy hobbit that I am, I wanted every single drop.

He cried out, his hips coming up and almost choking me with his shaft. But I held him down and sucked hard, coaxing out more and more of his bittersweet seed. Finally, he lay quivering on the bed, his hands combing through my hair while he panted to get in enough air.

"Oh, Merry." He sighed and I looked up to be sure he was all right. "I'm fine, cousin, better than fine."

"I know. You're terrific." I teased him while sliding back up to hold him again. I will never get enough of holding him, not if we live to 111.

"I am but so are you, Merry." He laid his hand on my cheek and leaned in to kiss me. "Oh, is that me?"

"That's you, Pip, and very tasty you are. Why, you taste better than Farmer Dell's radishes." I teased him and watched him blush.

"Then I think that I should see how you taste, Merry." He said sweetly and dove for my groin as if it were a plate of sautéed mushrooms.

I'd been on the verge of coming for long minutes and the first touch of that pink tongue almost made me spend myself. Looking down was a mistake. The sight of his pouting lips stretched around my crown was too much for me. Pippin swiped his tongue over me and I came in long thick spurts that leaked out of his mouth. I'd never felt so good in my whole life.

"Hm-m-m," he said with a slightly muffled voice. "You taste good, too."

It took the last of my strength to reach for him, my fingers tugging his hair to bring him up closer. "Love you, Peregrin Took."

"I love you too, Meriadoc Brandybuck." He kissed me and I tasted our combined seed for the first time.

"Oh, Pip." My heart overflowed into tears, which set him off too and we wept joyfully at having found each other at last.

****************

I awoke to the most wonderful smell possible - food, hot and steaming food. My eyes flew open and I stretched all over, finding Pip gone from my side. Sitting up, I saw him setting out plates and cutlery on the small table that someone in the City must have found for him. He'd pulled on his pants but that was all and I looked at him with greedy eyes. Nobody is as beautiful as he is.

"You're awake, Merry." He looked up and saw me. "Come and eat before it gets cold."

I needed no second invitation, pushing back the covers and sliding down to the floor without using the steps that we'd used earlier. But I didn't feel like dressing and the room was warm enough with the great fire that roared in the fireplace, so I simply walked over and sat down.

"Merry, aren't you going to get dressed?" Pip's eyes widened.

"Nope, too much trouble to get dressed to eat then have to get undressed again when I take you back to bed." I speared a potato and brought it to my plate, looking up in time to see him blush.

"We're going back to bed?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, we are, Pip. But not if you don't want to." I realized that I was taking for granted what he wanted to do.

"Oh, I want to," he smiled through his blush. "But I thought we should check on Frodo and Sam after breakfast."

"Goodness, I'd completely forgotten about them." I couldn't believe how insensitive I was. "Yes, of course, we must go see how they're doing. We could help nurse them if they're still hurt."

"Just for a little while, Merry. Then we'll come back here and make love again before dinner." He reached for his own potato and started putting butter on it.

The next few minutes were spent almost inhaling our breakfast. Potatoes, eggs, sausage and bread were all freshly made and I'd never tasted anything so good before. There was even a little honey for our bread and I finally felt like I'd eaten my fill for the first time in two moons.

Pip was making little noises of appreciation over the sausage he was eating and the sound sent a wake-up call to my groin. Watching the dark meat disappear between his pink lips had me hard and aching in less than a minute. He opened his eyes and blushed when he saw my face.

"Merry, why do you look at me so?"

"I see something else that I'd like for breakfast, Pip. You just stay right there, I can serve myself." I rounded the table and pulled his stool out a little so I could unbutton his pants. At the first touch of my hands, he started to grow and by the time I'd bared his groin, I had a nice length of hard cock to suck.

On my knees, I found I could get more of him inside my mouth. Flattening my tongue, I got another finger length into the back of my throat. I tucked that bit of knowledge aside and began to suck harder. I needed more of that sweet nectar to compliment my breakfast. He was making those breathy little groans again that turned me rock hard. His fingers had a death grip on my hair and I chuckled at the thought of him falling off the stool if he let go.

"Merry, Merry, Merry," he chanted my name over and over until I sucked extra hard and liberated his seed.

He would have fallen off if I hadn't hugged him close and held him up. Pip shook all over and when I let his shaft fall from my lips, he collapsed into my arms while his whole body shivered. I was content to hold him and let him rest. This was almost as good as licking him, just holding him safe from all harm.

"Oh, Merry, you're the most wonderful hobbit in the whole world." He dropped a kiss on my hair. "But you drank all of me and left me none."

"Well, if you wish, you can drink me." I tried for innocence but he laughed and pushed me back on the rug before the fire.

"How kind of you to have some ready for me." He leaned over me and cupped the small sac that hung between my legs. "Oh my, how very big you are, Merry. You must have the biggest cock in the whole Shire." Swiping his tongue across my crown, he teased me for a long moment then swallowed around me while I tried not to shout out loud.

It felt wonderful when he moved his tongue over the crown with a fluttering motion that drove me insane. I could feel a tingle start at my toes and move up my legs right to the shaft that was so hard it ached. Then he hummed a little and I exploded. The tingles were everywhere and I shivered again and again while I emptied myself into his eager mouth.

"You taste better and better, Merry." He licked his lips and grinned at me. "But you look kind of tired now. Do you need another nap?"

I chuckled and pulled him down to me for another kiss. We tasted good together. I would have enjoyed staying there all day but he was right, we needed to see how Frodo and Sam were. Once we finished our kiss, we got up and dressed for the cold halls of the palace.

We tapped on the door and Legolas opened it for us. Aragorn was leaning over the bed and a cool fresh breeze seemed to be blowing through the room. It was the same one that had brought me back from the shadow world where I'd gone after I stabbed the Nazgul. I shivered a little, remembering how close I'd come to being lost. Pip must have felt the same way because he suddenly hugged me as if to make sure that I was all right.

"Merry, Pip, I'm glad you're here." Gandalf's voice came from the other side of the bed. "Your friends will be fine eventually. How are the two of you?"

"We're fine, Gandalf. Is there something we can do to help?" I led Pip closer to the bed, trying to see our friends but they were too high up.

Gimli boosted me up and Legolas lifted Pip onto the soft blanket. I looked at their still figures in horror at what they must have gone through. They were so thin that they looked like skeletons. Bruises covered their arms and torsos but it was Frodo's poor hand that made me want to cry. His ring finger was missing. Sam looked bad but my cousin looked worse. How very hard their journey must have been.

"They look like they haven't eaten in weeks." Pip said quietly, sniffing a little.

"I don't expect they've had very good rations since they reached Mordor." Aragorn sighed and brushed a finger over Frodo's cheek. "We are very lucky that we found them when we did. I've sent them deeper into a healing sleep. Their task is over and they saved us all. It's our turn to take care of them."

Legolas handed Pip a handkerchief to dry his tears and I reached forward to touch Sam's hand. It was warm and that made me feel better. But when I moved over to Frodo, his arm was cool to the touch. I looked at Aragorn and saw him shake his head. It must have been that nasty ring that had sapped his vitality. I was glad, glad, glad that it had been destroyed.

I put an arm around Pip and he leaned into me with a sigh. We settled at the foot of the bed and watched our friends sleeping while the big folk spoke quietly at the side. I wanted to do something but there didn't seem to be anything that we could do to help them heal faster. Still, I thought maybe they would know we were nearby even though they were asleep.

So I found Sam's foot under the covers and stroked it while wishing him well. Pip held onto Frodo's leg and closed his eyes to concentrate. His heart is bigger than the Shire and I was so lucky that he loved me. I smiled to myself and held him closer, resting my head on the curls on top of his head.

When the others broke from their chat, Aragorn left with a quiet good-by. Legolas and Gimli came over to talk with us while Gandalf settled himself by the bedside and pulled out his pipe. He suggested that we come back after dinner to spend some time with our friends while he went to a meeting outside the City. We agreed and left with Legolas and Gimli to their room. They invited us in for a bite of lunch, which we didn't like to refuse. Besides, I had some questions.

We arranged the food around us like a picnic on the thick rug in front of the fire. Hot potatoes, roast rabbit and tart greens filled our stomachs while we eyed the fresh cherries and cream for desert. Our stomachs were soon full and Pip had lain down with his head in my lap for a little nap. Gimli lit his pipe and I breathed in the smoke with a smile. I needed to get a new pipe one of these days.

It didn't seem that important at the moment.

I combed through Pip's hair slowly petting him over and over. Looking up, I saw Legolas unbraiding Gimli's hair. They looked kind of the way I felt, filled with wonder and love. "Um, could I ask you two a couple of questions?"

"Of course, Merry, ask away." Legolas smiled at me and finally finished unbraiding the long dark hair beside him.

"I kind of wondered if ... um, I saw some of the riders while we were coming here and I watched them ... pleasure each other. But a couple of times, I think they were doing more than I could see." I was blushing but I really wanted to know.

Gimli's dark eyes smiled into mine while Legolas began to brush out his tresses. "Have you ever watched the Shires ponies when mating season begins?"

I nodded. "The stallion mounts the mare from behind."

"Well, that's one way that two males can mount each other. But a male only has one place where another male can plant his cock." Gimli said carefully. "Picture it in your mind."

Frowning, I pictured the ponies and the moment when the stallion reared up and began to stroke into the mare. But mares had ... Oh. I thought about Pip on all fours in front of me and the small hole that we usually kept private. Oh my. Would a cock fit ... through that tiny place?

"It fits ... inside?"

"With great care and large amounts of oil or other slippery fluid to help you slide inside." He turned his head just a little to smile at Legolas who returned it. "And stretching, Merry, your fingers need to slowly but surely stretch that entrance so there's no pain when you come inside. Once inside, there's a sweet spot that the cock stimulates."

"Really." I shook my head and thought about it for a little while. "And that feels good?"

"It feels wonderful, Merry. Especially when the person who's coming inside of you loves you." Gimli patted Legolas' knee.

The Elf dropped a kiss on his head. "And it feels absolutely wonderful from the other side, as well. Time, care and love are all needed."

"I see. We should take it slow." I asked to make sure I had it right.

"Yes, Merry. You have all the time in the world to explore each other. Love will grow more each day and you'll find what makes you feel good." Legolas began to rebraid the hair he'd just brushed.

"Yes," I brushed through Pip's hair with my fingers. "I want to love him forever."

"We are all very lucky to have found the other halves of our hearts." Gimli said gruffly, shooting a soft look at his companion.

"Dwarves will become known wide and far as poets." Legolas returned the look with a swift kiss to his cheek.

"Silly Elf." Gimli chuckled.

"Sweet Dwarf." Legolas batted his eyelashes at him and a tickle attack took place that woke Pip up from his nap.

It looked to me like loving was eminent and I had some ideas of my own to tell Pip about. "Thank you for lunch. We should be going. We'll see you both tomorrow."

Pip was still yawning when we left them playfully wrestling on the hearthrug. I could hardly wait to tell him about what I'd learned.

Or maybe I could just show him?

****************
The end for now