By: Dana
Summary: "Morning will come, and then we will away."
Characters: Pippin, Merry, mention of Frodo and Fredegar
Pairings: Merry/Pippin
Rating: G
Warnings: Mild slash
Author's Notes: Written for my fanfic100 claim - I signed up for Pippin. This is just a ficlet, but I can't say if all the others won't be longer. Or shorter, in turn.
And slightlytookish, thank you for the once-over.
Also, _jamjar, thank you for being you. ♥
Prompt: Beginnings (#1). Words: 549.
1/100.
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.

It's late, and though they'll wake early come morning, no, even earlier than that, Pippin's quite certain that he won't be able to sleep. Fatty, though, had followed soon enough after Frodo, and now with the fire lying mostly dead on the hearth, Pippin and Merry are the ones left awake, and soon enough Pippin supposes that they shall at last follow after. It's hard knowing that this is their last night in the Shire for, oh, for a while now to come. And Pippin's not contemplated that he'd sleep the night through alone.

"What does he really think, do you suppose?" Pippin's wondered that since before Frodo had bid them all good-night and had headed off to bed. It seems time enough that he put that thought to words.

"Oh, that he'd leave us behind if he could manage, and he's not at all happy knowing that we are set on following after him, wherever it is that he is set to go." Merry shrugs, then gives Pippin a lopsided grin. "I meant it as I said it, and will do our best to help him against the Enemy." He shrugs off his jacket, then, and folds it over his arm. "Morning will come, and then we will away."

Pippin nods, and watches Merry for a moment, and then dull grey ash. There's no knowing how long they'll be off, though he does know there'd been time when Merry had been intent on not let him follow along. Well, the sooner they're off, the sooner they'll be back home, and the sooner they'll all have this behind them, whatever it is.

Frodo'd have left them behind, just as Merry would have left him. All for their best, Frodo would have thought, the same as Merry would have, but Pippin does know them both better than they think. "Did you see his face, Merry? Oh, when you mentioned the Ring."

"He had thought all his secrets still his own," and at that, Merry quietly laughs. "Well, he's the fool. You'd think, after all this time, he'd know us better, though that's not how it seems."

At that, Pippin can't help but grin. Merry sees that, and smiles in return. Then Pippin turns away, and he says, "Yes, yes. Merry, now that I think about it, I don't think I can sleep."

"Well, you needn't, but if you don't, I can't say that we won't just up and leave you behind. You'd not like that, I know. And I can't say you wouldn't just up and follow, and all on your own. You'd not be set to sit here with Fatty, playing at distraction." Pippin scowls at Merry, but then he laughs and shakes his head.

"We both know you would, if you could manage. You must not know me as well as you think - though, you might enough, as I'd not take Fatty's role in all this, not even if I was Fredegar myself."

"See then, I do," Merry says.

Pippin laughs, rising to his feet. "Very well, you do. Now, come along, Merry. The house is tidy, and the bags are all packed. All that's left is that we find out if I can sleep."

"I'm sure I can help," Merry says, grinning.