Merry was lounging under the oak tree that was their favorite spot when it happened. Pippin came running down the road to him, grinning like a Chessy cat that had just caught the fattest, most juicy rat on the block. He stopped in front of Merry his chest heaving and his damp curls clinging to his forehead, but his eyes were sparkling with excitement and he was still grinning.

"What's gotten into you, Pip," Merry asked suspiciously. Had Pippin carried out some mischievous deed without him? He banished the thought. His cousin had always let him in on his devilish schemes. Pippin regained his breath and grinned wolfishly.

"I just caught Rosie Cotton and Samwise kissing in the grove," He whispered conspiratorially. Merry laughed.

"Was that it, Pippin?" Pippin looked hurt. "Remember, we caught them at that weeks ago. For a whole week we hounded him about it."

"Oh, right," he said. He glanced up at the sky. "It's going to rain." Merry glanced up too. He nodded sagely. He stood up and stretched. He gazed at Pippin's green eyes staring back at him.

"Race you home," he shouted and took off, Pippin following behind but catching up. The sky suddenly opened and rain lashed out at them, soaking them completely. Pippin laughed madly as he caught up with and surpassed Merry. He stopped so quickly at the now muddy, and very steep, hill that Merry, who was looking the other way, ran smack into him and knocked both of them down the almost vertical slope, getting completely covered with mud so that they resembled two Hobbit-sized mud balls as they rolled to a stop at the bottom. Merry wiped the mud from his eyes and looked at Pippin. Pippin looked at Merry and Merry started to laugh. Pippin frowned.

"I don't know what you're laughing at, you ugly git," he said vehemently. And, as if to prove a point, he picked up a huge glob of mud and dropped it onto Merry's already mud covered hair. Merry glared at him and scooped up two handfuls of mud, slinging them at Pippin and saying, "I'll show you 'ugly git', you fat pig of a Hobbit!" That started the biggest, messiest, and funniest wrestling venture the two had ever been on.

After ten minutes of wrestling, mud slinging, and a variety of name-calling, Pippin was straddling Merry around his middle with Merry's arms pinned over his head with one hand. Both Hobbits were trying to catch their breath, their chests heaving against one another. Pippin was so close to Merry that their breath mingled. That was when Merry realised that Pippin wasn't as young as he thought anymore. He was beginning to mature (as far as his body was concerned, Merry thought. His behaviour needed some adjustment.) and as Merry looked into Pippin's green eyes he realised how much he cared for his cousin. He looked from Pippin's mud-stained face, covered in a mixture of rainwater, sweat and mud, to his brown curls, wet and tangled, and he longed to run his fingers through that hair and kiss every inch of that beautiful face.

Merry felt confused. Pippin was his best friend, his cousin, how could he be having these thoughts about him. Not to mention that Pippin was a boy. Not a boy, he corrected, Pippin isn't a boy anymore, even if he's still in his tweens. His thoughts overwhelmed him and he shoved Pippin's weight off of him. Hurt flashed in Pippin's eyes and Merry silently swore.

"Geez, Pip, you trying to crush me with your stomach?" Merry asked and Pippin's eyes flashed angrily. "I'm only joking, Pippin, calm down. Are we going to your house for supper?" He had artfully changed the subject to Pippin's favourite: food. Pippin nodded, stood and stretched. Merry stared without realising it. His hungry eyes took in every muscle that showed beneath the shirt that Pippin was wearing. His eyes travelled down Pippin's torso to his breeches and the body parts they hid. He swallowed deeply and looked away. He scolded himself for thinking these things about Pippin. He loved Pippin, he knew that, but he'd never felt the need to touch him like he wanted to touch him at that moment. And when Pippin smiled lazily and his beautiful green eyes sparkled with their usual mischievous glint, Merry felt as if he'd fallen off of a cliff. He knew then the terrible and beautiful truth: he didn't just love his cousin; he was in love with him.

"Peregrin Took, where in the world have you been?" The voice of Pippin's mother was the first thing that Merry and Pippin heard upon entering Brandy Hall. "What in the world have..?" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the two muddy Hobbits. "Peregrin Took! Meriadoc Brandybuck! Explain yourselves!" Both Merry and Pippin winced. Merry decided to explain.

"We were walking back and it started raining and we fell down that muddy hill." Pippin's mother looked at them both reprovingly.

"Well," she said brusquely. "When the two of you have changed and bathed you can clean the hallway. Just look at the mess you made!" She proved her point by pointing at the doorway, where they'd just walked in and made a huge mess. "Then you can have your supper," she added. She shook her head and walked back toward the kitchen. The cousins waited until they were sure she was out of earshot and started laughing. Pippin smiled at his cousin.

"Let's go get cleaned up," he said. "I need a good soak." Merry nodded and they headed toward Pippin's room. Over the years Merry had stayed at Brandy Hall almost as much as he'd stayed at home so Pippin's room had two drawers of Merry's clothes as well as two of his own. They both got out some clean clothes and Pippin made the bath ready. He wasn't sure that he felt comfortable taking a bath with Merry. They'd taken baths together before, but earlier when Pippin had pinned Merry beneath him, he'd felt something he wasn't used to. He didn't know if being alone and naked with his older cousin was a good idea. What if he acted on those feelings and Merry didn't respond. Or worse, what if Merry got mad at him and refused to speak to him ever again? Pippin didn't think he could stand not having Merry by his side. Pippin shook his head. Another thought entered his mind: what if Merry felt the same way for him as he did for Merry? He turned when he heard Merry coming in and swore in his head when he saw Merry on with only a towel around his waist.

Pippin smiled shyly at Merry and turned his back. He walked into his room and took a deep breath. You can do this, he told himself as he got undressed. He pulled a towel around his waist and walked back into the room. Merry had his eyes closed and was leaning against the side of the tub. His wet curls were clinging to his forehead and Pippin felt a lurch in his stomach region as he watched a drop of water fall from a silky tendril and land on his chest, his mind tracing the drop's path down Merry's torso as it went down, finally dissolving into the rest of the warm water. Pippin shook his head to clear it, pulled off his towel and stepped into the bath.

"Hey Pip," Merry said softly. Pippin looked over at him. "We should do this more often, Pip." He sank down for a moment into the velvety water. Pippin sighed and leaned his head back against the tub, staring at the ceiling.

"Mmm," he murmured. "This is nice, Merry." Merry smiled and Pippin felt a warmth in the pit of his stomach. He impulsively reached out a hand and brushed a stray curl out of Merry's eyes. Merry moved his cheek into the touch and sighed contentedly. Pippin withdrew his hand and immediately missed the warmth. Merry looked at Pippin with a strange look in his eyes that made him shiver and lower his gaze.

Pippin began to wash himself with a damp cloth. He wasn't aware that Merry's eyes were following every dip and turn of the washcloth. Once he was finished he wet his hair again and began to wash that. This time he noticed Merry watching him with that same look in his eyes.

"Merry," he asked quietly. "Is something the matter? Do I have a huge clump of mud stuck in my ear or something?" Merry laughed at his naive cousin.

"No Pip," he said, his smile fading from his lips. "You're completely clean. I was just thinking." Merry's voice sounded sad and Pippin hated it when Merry was sad.

"I was thinking too," he said. Something flashed in Merry's eyes and Pippin continued, words spilling from his mouth. Words he meant to keep a secret. "I was thinking of how much I love you." Pippin's eyes went wide and he shut his eyes tight so he wouldn't have to see Merry's look of disgust. Tears spilled from his closed eyes. When Merry didn't say anything Pippin gave a strangled sob and tore out of the bath. He was struggling to put his clothes on when Merry came out of the bath and found his voice.

"Pippin," he pleaded softly. "Pippin, look at me." Pippin suppressed a sob and shook his head. He wrenched his arm out of Merry's grip when Merry tried to make him look at him. He ran out of the room and out of the house. He ran as far as he could and, finally, he collapsed against the very tree that Merry had been lounging under before it had rained. He curled into a ball and sobbed until his tears dried up and he fell asleep, his heart hurting terribly.

An hour later Merry came up the hill, searching for Pippin. He saw him curled up and noticed the tearstains on his cheeks and tears sprang to his own eyes, tears of anger. Why couldn't he have said it? Why couldn't he have told Pippin how much that he loved him? He cursed out loud at himself. If he'd just had Pippin's courage, he could've saved his love from so much heartache.

"Oh, Pippin," He breathed, the tears trickling down his face. "I'm so sorry Pip. I wish I had told you. But I don't have your courage, Pippin. I was scared. Please forgive me."

Pippin, who had woken up when he heard Merry's footsteps, opened his eyes to see Merry crying silently, his eyes squeezed shut. His anger dissolved and he touched his love's hand. Merry's eyes flew open and he fell over and landed on his rear beside Pippin. Pippin laughed at him and sat up.

"Oh, Merry," Pippin started but Merry interrupted him.

"No, Pippin." He took a deep breath and began. "I'm so sorry I ever hurt you and I understand if you hate me now and don't love me anymore but I love you and I'm sorry I never said it and please forgive me." Pippin laughed at Merry because Merry barely took a breath.

"Merry," he said smiling at the forlorn Brandybuck. "Merry I'd still love you if you turned out to be the biggest prat in the Shire." Merry's face lit up in a smile and he pulled the Took to him. He held Pippin to him for a minute before releasing him.

"I really do love you, Peregrin Took." Pippin smiled, all the love he was feeling reflected in Merry's eyes.

"And I love you Meriadoc Brandybuck." Merry leaned toward Pippin and their lips met for the first time. Merry smiled against Pippin's lips. It was a sweet kiss that lovers share only with each other. It soon became heated with passion however and Merry pulled away before it got too heated chuckling at Pippin's whimper of protest.

"Not here, love," he said huskily. "What if we were to get caught?" Pippin pouted and Merry leaned in for a quick kiss. He stood and helped Pippin up. He smiled at his newfound love and Pippin smiled back. "How about that supper we were promised?" Pippin's face lit up.

"I'll race you!"