browngirl

Happy Valentine's Day! I wrote this for the Kissathon over at

billydomotpfqf.

Title: After the Last Battle
Author:

rubynye
Length: 200 words
Pairing: Merry/Pippin (bookiverse)
Rating: PG-13, mostly for violence
Summary: The Battle of Bywater is won.
Disclaimer: A brief benign avocational fiction

One last sword-stroke, one last Man vanquished, and hobbits are crying "We won!" behind him. Pippin wipes his sword on a patch of clean grass, takes a deep breath, and turns around. His heartbeat pounds in his veins, and it almost aches to be still when he's been constantly moving and fighting, riding and leading since the day before.

But they've won. The hobbits wave their weapons overhead, embrace each other and cheer; the few surviving Men glare from within a ring of grimly smiling archers as their hands are bound securely.. Where is Merry?

Pippin looks over the battlefield, even as the hobbits around him, Tooks all, take up the cry of victory. He sees Frodo, dusty but unbloodied, and Sam supporting an injured, laughing lad; Pippin's Tooks shout, patting his back, but worry roars in his ears, nearly drowning them out. Where is Merry?

There he is, limping a little, his arms dark and sticky to the shoulders, his grin broad and weary. His eyes brighten when he spots Pippin, and Pippin's heart unclenches, his tongue looses, he cries, "Merry, we've won!"

"Yes, Pippin." Merry clasps his shoulders, hands alive and tight, and their mouths meet in a hard, joyful kiss.