By: Dana
Summary: Bramble has been helping Pippin in the kitchen.
Characters: Merry, Pippin, and a Bramble-cat
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Warnings: Kitten-fic
Author's Notes: On occasion of this being both shirebound and belegcuthalion's birthday today, I finished this cattish bit of fluff. Happy birthday, my dears. ♥
fanfic100 claim:
Prompt: Outsides (#5). Words: 400
34/100.
Disclaimer: The author makes no claim to owning the rights of anything to do with J.R.R. Tolkien or New Line Cinema. Any and all characters and situations that have been borrowed are for the author's personal use only, and for the entertainment of others.

Merry comes up the lane, and finds Pippin sitting outside Crickhollow, with Bramble at his side. The front door is open, and the air smells faintly of smoke, and Bramble is currently butting her head against Pippin's hand, in want of Pippin's attention – Pippin, grinning, scratches his fingers back through tawny-gold fur, shaking his head, as if he's lost in thought. He doesn't look up at the sound of Merry's approach, either, though he doesn't look singed, and despite the acrid smell of smoke, the house is still standing.

Still, that doesn't keep Merry from saying, 'Don't tell me, Pip – you tried burning down the house, but didn't quite manage it as you'd hoped. And my, but Bramble here is affectionate today.'

Pippin looks up, then, grinning. 'Isn't she, though?' Bramble butts her head against Pippin's hand, once more. 'I think she's feeling rather guilty.' Pippin holds up his arm, shows off the singed cuff of his sleeve. 'I didn't burn the house down, but Bramble here thought to help me burn down myself! Didn't you, my stickered sweet?' Bramble doesn't purr, but she does half-recline across his lap, kneading his legs. Pippin flinches, but then laughs.

Merry kneels down, and, as Pippin pets Bramble, checks Pippin's right wrist. 'Well, luckily for us,' Merry says, letting Pippin go, 'you didn't do yourself any real harm. We'll need to do something about this shirt, though.'

'I like this shirt,' Pippin sighs. Bramble keeps kneading his leg, and Pippin bites his lip, then laughs and shakes his head. 'Definitely, our Bramble-lass is feeling very guilty. She's never this nice, unless Diamond is around.'

Merry chuckles, and goes on, saying, 'True, true. Now, Pip, did you catch anything else on fire – or would you rather I be surprised?' Pippin shakes his head and then picks Bramble up – Bramble protests, and wriggles out of his hold with a little kick, bounding down and then scrambling into the hedge. And then she's gone.

And Pippin goes on, saying, 'Just my shirt, and the bread. I almost burned the roast, but I managed to save that, despite our Bramble's help. If we don't end up with enough, well, I have a feeling your Mum will make certain we have more than enough to eat.' Pippin looks away, but then he shrugs. 'Here, let's go inside. I'll show you that the kitchen is still in one piece.'