#merry brandybuck x reader

[wordbunch]

how you pamper them when they're stressed/overworked

a/n: requested by the sweet @almost-gabrielle, i hope you enjoy it, and everyone else too - it's going to be GIGANTIC! 😍 be nice, cause I included some characters I haven't written much before (exciting!!!) and if you reblog with a comment or a nice tag... i'll love you forever! 💖 that means a lot, and i'm very grateful for all of it 🥰

ARAGORN: he actually feels like that quite often, but he’s incredibly good at hiding it. Luckily, you’re an expert in reading him like an open book, but oftentimes you need to literally physically drag him away from whatever he is doing (and he might complain as you do so). Aragorn just enjoys sometimes being quiet with you, and it’s usually what he needs when his mind is racing, or his body is overexerted. Or both. You can just lie down together and run your fingers slowly through his hair, and that will help him forget his worries at least for a little while. Secretly he is an absolute sucker for sweet, romantic confessions of love and affection, and he will melt if you whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

LEGOLAS: something has to be extremely serious for him to feel that way, because his limits are very high; but in those moments he just wants to get away from everything as soon as possible and run to you, because with you the rest of the world just fades away. He enjoys an outing in nature, far away from real life, especially if the two of you find a nice lake or river to go for a swim in, and eventually act like a couple of children splashing and chasing each other. If that doesn’t help, he likes to sit in front of you and let you braid his hair as he talks about whatever is on his mind, and it also helps him physically relax to have you sitting behind and so close to him.

BOROMIR: this man will most likely push himself to his absolute limits, because he shoulders too much responsibility and feels pressured constantly to be on top of things. However, it’s easy to notice when he becomes a bit more irritable at one point, and then you know it’s time to talk him into taking at least a little break. That can be a slippery slope, because once he gets you alone for 5 minutes, it can very easily turn into 15 hours, and he would never finish anything. But on some days it’s just necessary - you sweet talk him into a cuddle session, during which he accidentally falls asleep with his head over your heart, or you make some tea with love as the special ingredient – and tell him that! He’s going to melt and finally, gratefully accept that his partner wants to look after him.

FARAMIR: much like his brother, he will probably suffer in silence, but you can’t miss his tired sighs every now and then, and the way he shuts his eyes and rubs his temples. If you hug him from behind, he will melt into your touch and lean onto you so much that you will almost topple over, but that will also make him admit to himself that he really needs a break. Run him a nice, hot bath complete with fragrant ingredients, and candles lit around it,  and he will be forever grateful. If you don’t join immediately, he will very sweetly ask you to come with him because 'oh the bath is so big and so lonely' without one more person in it. 

ÉOMER: this hardworking man is actually quite in touch with how he feels, both physically and emotionally, and he knows when things are becoming too much and he needs to step away for his own good. It is not unusual for him to go search for you and suggest that the two of you do something away from everyday life. Many times he doesn’t even suggest anything, he just follows behind you whatever you’re doing - taking a walk and admiring some trees in bloom? He’s right there holding your hand. Sitting on a balcony and reading? He will lay his head on your lap and ask you to read to him. And he is content just being present with you.

SAM: he gets both overworked and stressed quite often, poor thing. Make him something to eat and bring it outside while he’s working in the garden, and just have a spontaneous mini-picnic in the backyard. Although he’s very hardworking and persistent, over time he’s learned to accept your help and pampering, and he really really enjoys it too. If he is under mental stress, maybe you’ll need to push him a little bit to tell you what is on his mind, but once he does, he will gladly listen to your advice or any help you can give him. 

FRODO: baby boy is in his head a lot and oftentimes he will accidentally create things to worry about, and he will just zone out. if he has a faraway look in his eyes, while doing nothing in particular, you can accurately guess what is up. He likes to feel useful, and he will gratefully accept if you ask him to help you with whatever you’re doing - it gives him an excuse to be kind and helpful, but also spend time with his favorite person. Especially if you’re organizing/re-organizing something, he will enjoy doing it with you, or cooking - he might not be the best at it, but he delights in giving you a hand, and he likes to learn and improve new skills anyway. 

MERRY: he is actually much more of an overthinker than he seems to be on the outside, so stress sometimes just generates outta nowhere! Also he isn’t the biggest fan of physical labor out there, but he is a little bit of a show-off when it comes to you, and he will go above and beyond when helping you with something or doing something for you, until he can barely stand. Afterwards he will take pride in the fact that you had to force him to stop whatever he was doing, but he was simply being so very nice to his favorite person! Something he loves to do to unwind in those moments is just come up with random stories with you, the two of you taking turns making up characters and events. He is a little bit of a baby and he will just take your hand wordlessly and put it in his hair, because it feels nice when you run your fingers through it.

PIPPIN: he will either be stressing over very small, irrelevant things, or something absolutely terrible, no in-between. If it’s something small, he has no problem rambling about it to you, and that usually helps him sort things out; but if it’s something serious, he will grow quiet. The best thing you can do for him in those moments is distract him with a silly idea like “let’s go for a walk and find as many kinds of blue flowers as we can” or just straight up make him laugh - it’s the best medicine. He wouldn’t ask you directly to do it, but he’d love it if you could just hold him or cuddle him for a bit (he’s the little spoon of course).

BILBO: oh he will get worked up over a whole bunch of random things; and when he is working on something, he goes all in (and then has a random episode of doing absolutely nothing), so you need to be the one who grounds him in reality sometimes. Just don’t startle him when approaching him quietly. He is very responsive to your touch and he will just lean into you as soon as you’re near, almost forgetting about everything else. He adores it when you hold his face in your hands and he will look at you as if hypnotized while you comfortingly reassure him that everything will be alright and that he doesn’t have to do anything alone as long as you’re around.

FÍLI: he is very big on “strong protective independent dwarf” and sometimes he doesn’t fully allow himself to rest properly, or to process some things that are bothering him on the inside. However, at one point it will all have to culminate, and then his first instinct is to shut himself off. A guaranteed way to get through to him is to kiss him senselessly wherever you can reach and it makes him subconsciously relax almost immediately. He will kiss you back passionately which helps him eliminate some of the tension he’s feeling. Additionally, he will never ever say no to receiving a nice little massage from you. 

KÍLI: oh he is quite proud of himself if he ends up overworking himself for you, as if it gives him bonus partner points. You will gently scold him for pushing himself too far, and then he will pout, but you know he still doesn’t regret it. Then he himself will drag you away for a cuddle session - he chose that as his reward for being the very best partner in all of Middle-earth - but you don’t have to exclusively cuddle. He finds it very relaxing if you sing something quietly to him and he will look up at you with shining eyes.

✨ taglist my beloved ✨ @lotrnonsense​​​​​​ @starlady66​​​​​​ @queenmeriadoc​​ @entishramblings ​​​​​​ @thesolarangel ​​​​​​ @silversword7000 @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @averys-place

@valkyriepirate @emmaarenstarr @noldorinpainter @asianbutnotjapanese @adamgetawaydriver @fenharel-enaste @ironmandeficiency      @starryeyedrogue @dinofromspac3  @wisheduponastar @lady-of-imladris @frodo-cinnamonroll @unethicallypleistocene @deadlymistletoe @suncran @high-sea-husbands @asianbutnoteastasian @aidansloth @sweetpea-thoughts

#Lotr x reader #lord of the rings x reader #lord of the rings fanfiction #lord of the rings imagine #lotr imagine #lotr fanfiction #aragorn x reader #legolas x reader #fili x reader #kili x reader #boromir x reader #faramir x reader #frodo x reader #samwise gamgee x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #pippin took x reader #bilbo x reader #bilbo baggins x reader #aragorn imagine #legolas imagine #boromir imagine #from my pocketses

[mints-bizarre-posts]

Incorrect Quotes #109

Merry : Hey, random question, what are your favorite flowers?

Y/n : Peonies, why?

Merry :

Y/n : Were you going to get me flowers?

Merry :

Y/n :

Merry : ᶦᵗ’ˢ ᵃ ᵖᵒˢˢᶦᵇᶦˡᶦᵗʸ

#incorrect quotes #lotr #lotr x reader #lotr x y/n #lord of the rings x y/n #lord of the rings x reader #lord of the rings #tolkien #merry brandybuck #merry #merry x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #merry x y/n

[luckynumber-8]

♡ ~ HOBBIT TRAUMAS (AND HOW YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM) ~ ♡ (4 Hobbits X Reader Preference)

a/n: No one would escape an adventure like the Fellowship had unscathed, especially not if you were an innocent, good-hearted, fun-loving hobbit.

My take on the traumas the 4 hobbits would have after the adventure, and how you, reader, help them deal with that.

P.S. -This is my first-ever writing post in Tumblr... and also my first-ever posted fanfic-type-thing! It's just a bunch of headcanons right now - maybe I'll take one of the ideas and turn it into a drabble or something later. Feedback is the best thing ever, and I would love to get any that anybody has!

P.P.S. - Shoutout to @wordbunch, who's LOTR writings I absolutely adore, and whose post formatting I basically used as a cheat sheet, because I'm a totally clueless newbie. So thank you! I hope that wasn't out of line for me to borrow 😕

Frodo

Sometimes he can still feel the crushing weight of the ring pulling on his neck or weighing on his chest, and you catch him absentmindedly rubbing one of these spots

So you, you special person, find some excuse to give him a neck rub or a back rub

Because you absolutely cannot stand seeing him trying to hide his discomfort like this

You know openly calling him out on it will just remind him of all that happened to him, so you have become a Master of Subtlety and Distraction

Whenever you catch him staring into the distance, you know it is Time to Remove Frodo From His Own Head

So

Distractions ensue 

Namely:

Surprise hugs

Randomly launching into stories or rants that you know he won't be able to help listening to 

(Because the sound of your voice is not-so-secretly one of his favorite things and he will listen forever)

Offering to read to him (we all know this is Book Boy, so what better than having his favorite tales read aloud by you?? His favorite narrator??)

You make him cups of tea as he writes his book

When he sees you smiling in the doorway with a mug in one hand and the scent of his favorite leafy brew drifting out of it, it just makes his day because…well, you.

You just think of him too much and he can't handle it lol

Sam

Never

Ever 

Ever

Try to put this poor boy around spiders

Ever

(yes I love this HC, idk who came up with it and I can’t remember where I saw it but it’s basically canon in my bran now)

He cannot stand them, not even in the garden anymore. You can see how he stiffens and twitches every time one of those ugly eight-leggers scuttles across his path and instantly know how much restraint he's using not to kill it on the spot.

Spider in the house? It's all you, Y/N

You know he would try to face it down for you and you alone

But you can't stand seeing him go all cold and shaky at a little garden spider 

So you often remove them before he can even notice because peace in the house is a nice thing to have

He also has alarming levels of self-doubt sometimes because of how he thinks he's misjudged things in the past

But luckily for him, he has you

You are there to support him and are always advocating that he is strong and makes solidly good choices

And you know what? You are his world, so he believes your every word. 

He drinks those affirmations up like there is no tomorrow

And you are happy to continue on as his supplier till the end of days

Merry

Personal HC that when his arm is burned after stabbing the Witch-King, he gets phantom pains not dissimilar to Frodo's

It's almost like nerve damage - he'll be fine one minute and drop whatever he was holding the next, or his hand will start twitching in weird and sometimes disturbing (to him) ways

This is Mr. "Nothing-Bothers-Me-And-I'm-Fine", so naturally, it bothers him quite a bit that one of his appendages refuses to follow orders on a regular basis

It's something that he tries to hide from you - pretends it's not there, BARELY jokes about it.

If Merry Brandybuck ain't joking about it, you aren't either.

Sometimes you hear villagers mentioning it in hushed whispers, and you (badass) shut them up before a single one makes it back to Merry

Because you know that's what he'd do for you, so you absolutely do it for him.

And you know he secretly appreciates that you don't fuss over it, because he doesn't want to feel different or incapable. It helps, for him, that you treat him like just the same person he was before (because he is duh) and nothing has changed and he doesn't want or need to be coddled.

Not saying you do, but you might sometimes give this particular arm a little extra love and affection. Massaging his hand, tracing circles on his wrist, and just letting him know how dead cool you think his scar is.

Because, really…how many people have changed the fate of Middle Earth and have something to prove it?

Your Merry does, that's who. And you'll never let him forget how amazing and brave he is.

Pippin

Pippin is constantly awake in the dead of night

Because he's haunted by wild nightmares 

And you're the first and probably one of the only people he would turn to for comfort

So guess what? You're up too, holding him close to you in the dead of night while he tries to calm down

Sometimes he tells you what the night mare was, sometimes he keeps silent and just wants to lay next to you. You know he'll tell you in his own time if it's right to.

This little hobbit is such an empath, he really took to heart EVERYTHING that happened on his journey

And he thinks that way too many things were exclusively his fault 

Gandalf's death? His fault.

Merry getting hurt (because he got them separated and wasn't there)? His fault.

Boromir's death (because he didn't know how to fight)? His fault.

Again, you know better than to push, but you know the content of a lot of his nightmares revolves around his contributions being insignificant, his actions causing people's injury (or death), and how badly things could have played out because of him. It worries you, how much brainspace he gives to these things.

So you keep him close to you. I mean that both literally and figuratively. He's not shy about taking the physical comfort he needs (honestly I don't think he's aware of the concept of personal space), but he gets tripped up trying to talk about his own feelings

So you just give him his space, all the time he needs, and bottomless snuggles 

Because contrary to what he thinks, a lot of things went right because of him, and you can't tell him enough how much he means to everyone (and you. most importantly, definitely you.)

Thank you for reading, if you made it down this far! I hope to post some actual writing soon, if I can find the time to sit down and put my Writer's Cap on. I am considering opening requests! At this point I don't know who will see this r how it's going to do, so we'll see how things work out :)

#lotr x reader #lotr #frodo #frodo baggins #frodo x reader #frodobaggins x reader #saw #samwise #samwise gamgee #sam x reader #samwise x reader #merry #merry brandybuck #merry x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #pippin x reader #pippin took x reader #pippin took #lotr preference #frodo imagine #samwise imagine #merry brandybuck imagine #pippin took imagine

[river13245]

TLOTR

Navigation / Main Masterlist

Characters

Aragorn (none yet)

Frodo Baggins (none yet)

Pippin Took (none yet)

Samwise Gamgee (none yet)

Merry Brandybuck none yet)

#river13245 #fluff #masterlist #angst #male reader #gn reader #the lord of the rings masterlist #the lord of the rings #aragorn #aragorn x reader #frodo baggins #frodo baggins x reader #pippin took #pippin took x reader #samwise gamgee #samwise x reader #merry brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader

[autistook]

DAISIES - pt 11

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 7.3k

Summary: Time goes by, and every moment you and Merry get closer. You finally admit your feelings to yourself, yet still feel too scared to admit them to him.

Possible TW's: Major panic attack

AN: I formed this chapter a little differently, as I wanted to make the passage of time slightly clearer. I hope you enjoy this one! We are close to some major events.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

----

August 10th

You showed Merry the small ladybug that had landed on the palm of your hand. Its back was a deep red color, a few black spots were here and there, and it was walking around your hand, almost like a little explorer. 

You took the small creature on the pointer finger of your free hand, and softly placed it on Merry's hand. He smiled as your skin touched his, and the bug started traveling across his arm. He picked up the ladybug with his fingers, and placed it on the tip of your nose. You tried to look at it, crossed your eyes to focus on the bug, and Merry cracked up at the sight. He softly lifted the red creature off your nose, and it flew far away.

The wind had been getting chillier, a sign that fall was nearing Hobbiton. The grass was slightly yellow all over the place, as the heatwave at the beginning of the month dried it up. Everyone was waiting for some rain to make the air fresh again and to water their crops.

You had not visited your brother after moving to Buckland. The moment you saw the green door of Bag End in the distance, excitement ran through your body and you sprinted towards your previous home. Merry ran behind you, and the two of you burst inside the door; just like you used to do.

"I'm home!" you shouted cheerfully. 

"In the kitchen!" Frodo responded. You felt thrilled to see him again, so you walked to the kitchen with fast steps. The speed you were walking with was too much for Merry, and he could not keep up with your pace.

When you entered the kitchen, you were surprised to see Samwise there as well. The second you saw your brother, you wrapped your arms around him tightly, and he returned the favor, you two falling into a warm embrace.

"I have missed you," you said, your cheek pressed against your brother's chest.

"I have missed you too, sister dear!" Frodo responded, and Sam coughed in the background.

"I am happy to see you too, Sam," you smiled, making Sam blush, slightly embarrassed. 

Merry was leaning against the round door frame, arms crossed and warmly looking at you. This was the first time Frodo had seen you and Merry together in a while, and as you two had grown even closer, he couldn't help but notice the way Merry was looking at you.

Even more than weeks before, his eyes were glimmering with admiration, his smile revealing just how deeply he cared for you. Frodo thought about how relieved he felt; Merry would stay with you when he left with Sam, and so would Pippin. You would have enough sources of support in case he would not return. In his heart he had no doubts that his friend had fallen for you, and there was no doubt; he would be there to take care of you. 

"How have you been?" Frodo asked cheerfully, as all of you gathered to have afternoon tea around the kitchen table.

"I am getting better at my job every day," you responded. "It has been quite difficult to figure everything out; and I am sure there is still much to learn! But for now, work feels absolutely fantastic."

"That is good to hear," Frodo responded, and before asking you more, he glanced at Merry meaningfully. "And how is everything else, sister dearest?"

You blushed vividly. You still had not admitted it to yourself. Not even though you and Merry were seemingly more comfortable around each other again, and Merry's hands shook less around you. You were sometimes feeling too nervous to even hold his hand. But why care about such a thing; after all, you had no feelings for him. Right?

"Everything is fine," you said, twirling your hair between your fingers and tapping your foot against the floor. "How are the moving preparations going?"

"Quite well," said Frodo with a proud smile. "Merry and Sam have been a big help. Merry has found me a house in Buckland. Crickhollow to be exact."

"I have mentioned it to her in passing," Merry commented, stirring his tea, whilst pouring more honey in it.

"I see," Frodo said, the other corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Well, I am glad you are keeping her updated, Merry. Have you two spent a lot of time together, now that you live in the same settlement?"

"From what I have seen, both of them have been quite busy at work," said Sam. "But-"

"Work has been quite hectic," you said, not letting Sam finish his sentence in fear of him revealing to your brother just how much you spent time with Merry; you did not want to be a subject of teasing.

"Indeed," said Merry quietly, smiling as he sipped his tea.

"What have you been doing at Brandy Hall?" asked Frodo curiously. Sam blushed.

"Gardening, as requested by the Brandybucks," he responded, and Frodo inquired no more.

On the way back to Buckland, Merry showed you around places you had not yet seen.

"Do you see that small path?" he asked, pointing to your right. You took a step towards the direction, and Merry took your hand, stopping you in your tracks. "Take no step further. They say it's haunted. With ghosts and what not."

You turned your head, and on his face was a grin that he could not hide. You playfully nudged him, and he snorted. 

You and Merry continued walking, and your breath hitched as you noticed that neither of you took your hand off.

"What about that?" you asked, nodding towards the forest in the distance. 

"There have been rumors," he responded. 

"Rumors of what?" 

"That the trees walk sometimes, in the dark of the night. They can be heard talking," he said in a deep voice. "They say they come alive."

"Shut up," you laughed, squeezing his hand and keeping him moving.

"I'm being serious!" he cried, looking at you with the utmost offended face.

"Alright," you chuckled and leaned your forehead against his arm for a bit, and kept walking. As you rested against him, you felt the nervous, shy tremble that traveled through Merry. 

You arrived at Brandy Hall, and strolled through the yard before making your way in. You couldn't help but notice a few curious looks from fellow Hobbits, as they noticed you and Merry holding hands. 

'Don't mind them. You're just friends. There's no reason to care about their stares' you thought.

When you reached the front of Merry's room, he softly brushed his thumb on the back of your hand before letting go. A shiver made its way through your arm, to the back of your neck.

"Good night," he said, and entered his room. You stood there, looking at the door for a moment, anxiously. You desperately wanted to spend more time with him.

August 15th

Saradoc had already left the study, but you were still sitting there with a large pile of paperwork to do. He had left for Bree for some sort of a meeting, and left you in charge of many things that he normally would work on. 

"What does this even mean?" you mumbled to yourself, staring at the lengthy letter in front of you, the language of one you could not understand. You groaned in frustration, and tossed some of the papers on the floor. 

While your face was buried in your hands, Merry's mother had found her way to you. She knocked on the door softly, and immediately noticed the few tears on your face that you had shed out of stress.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked, sitting down next to you, looking at you with worry.

"I am alright," you said, cleared your throat and wiped your eyes, trying to suffocate the tears of stress that were forcing their way out. "I am just slightly tired."

"Did my husband leave too much work for you to do? It has been hours since your work day was supposed to end."

"It's alright," you lied, another warm tear falling on your cheek. Esmeralda tenderly caressed your face and wiped your tears away.

"You need to rest," she said, voice full of motherly care. "You have done wonderfully, dear. You can end your work for the day. Do not stress yourself too much."

You nodded, and with a small sniffle left the room, Merry's mother talking to you the whole way back.

"Do you know when your brother is moving to Crickhollow?" she asked you.

"Not sure, but I believe he had given it a thought about doing it around his birthday."

"I can't believe how gracefully he has aged. Frodo certainly is not yet old, but even still, it's lucky how youthful he still looks," Esmeralda said, and you thought about it for the first time. Your older brother still indeed looked like he was just coming of age, yet it was many years ago. You had a rising suspicion that Gandalf had something to do with it, but decided not to say anything. 

"It's hereditary in a way, I suppose," you said. For the first time you found yourself thinking about how 'well preserved' your Uncle Bilbo was before he left. But even though you felt a little suspicious, you said nothing of the sort. "I mean, Uncle Bilbo was very gracefully aged before he..."

"Indeed," said Esmeralda, furrowing her brows. You immediately regretted mentioning Bilbo. "His disappearance years ago was certainly odd, to say the least."

You quickly wanted to change the subject, but could think of nothing. In a panic, you came up with the worst solution possible.

"Did you like Estella?" you blurted out, immediately feeling your face get flushed bright red. Awkwardness filled your body, and you turned your face away from Merry's mother. Never had you felt so embarrassed; why would you ask such a thing?

And Esmeralda smiled knowingly.

"I think she is a wonderful girl. We still keep in touch. But if you must know, I have always thought she was not the greatest partner my son could have. Why do you ask?"

She knew the pressure her words would bring you, and she clearly knew how you felt about his son; and definitely noticed that you were still strongly in denial.

"I was just curious," you mumbled.

"Well, I believe there is someone out there for my son who will complete him in a way no other Hobbit ever could," she said with a spark in her eye, and walked into the kitchen. You went into your room, closed the door behind you and leaned against it, hiding your face in your hands from embarrassment.

You left your room hours later when the outside of Brandy Hall had already gone dark. To your surprise, Pippin & Merry were about to knock on your door. They put their hands down in unison.

"Now, where do you think you're sneaking off to?" whispered Pippin in the darkness of the hallway, trying not to wake anyone up. 

"Now, what are you doing up, sneaking around my room?" you responded with a smirk.

"We are here to drag you out," Merry said, and both of them locked one of their arms around yours. "It's time to explore the water a little more, before it gets too cold!"

"Nuh uh! Never in a million years!"

And there you were, ankle deep in the warm, calmly flowing water of the Brandywine. The water looked almost black in the night, and the moonlight made it look like melted silver was flowing through it. It was unbelievably beautiful that night, and it almost looked like the Elves had made it.

"I can't go any deeper!" you exclaimed, frozen in the spot.

"Yes, you can!" Merry said, a few feet deeper in the water. Pippin waded towards you, and lifted you up in his arms with ease.

"Pippin!" you cried, and in fear wrapped your arms around his neck. Your eyes were widening with every step Peregrin took, and soon you were a few feet further from the shore, in the arms of your friend. "Please, put me down!"

"Already? How wonderful!" Pippin said joyfully, and started lowering you down.

"Wait, no! Do not put me down!" you panicked. Merry was looking at you in Pippin's embrace, and despite his full trust in his best friend, he could not help the heat of jealousy rising to his cheeks. He made his way next to you, and put his palm gently on top of your hand.

"You can do it," he said, trying to reassure you with his gentle smile and touch. 

"I don't think she can," Pippin said, clearly driving the conversation in a less encouraging direction. "Is she even brave enough?"

Merry took the mischievous hint at once and smirked. He knew you would want to prove them wrong

"Ah, that is true," said Merry, patting your hand in a way that felt extremely condescending, and there was a teasing twinkle in his eye. "She must not be brave. Kind of reminds me of a chicken."

Your face immediately dropped into one of annoyance, and despite knowing their intentions, you could not help your competitive side from surfacing.

And so you hopped off your friends arms, and the water splashed loudly as your feet hit the surface. Your feet touched the floor of the river, and the water was now halfway to your calves.

"Aha! I am not a chicken! And you two are the absolute worst!” you yelled victoriously, and quite annoyed. Both of them looked at you proudly.

"And you are one step closer to beating your fear," Merry smiled. 

All three of you walked back to the shore, feet soaked and grass getting stuck on them. Pippin was once again a little ahead of you, clearly full of satisfaction from helping you with a new accomplishment. 

You looked down at Merry's hand. He was rubbing his thumb and pointer finger together, itching to hold your hand. And you looked back in front of you, wondering if you were courageous enough to hold his hand in front of Pippin. Slowly, inch by inch your pinkie made its way next to his. As the warmth of his hand radiated on yours, the two of you discreetly wrapped your pinkies around one another. Neither of you gave even a glance at each other, but both of your faces were bright with a smile. 

August 21st

You got a letter from Frodo, where he confirmed to you that he was indeed moving to Buckland right after his birthday. You were eager to see him once more before he went on an adventure with Sam. 

You were partly jealous of his desire to follow Bilbo, who you missed so dearly. Ever since he left, there was a small piece of your heart missing, and you could not help but worry if he was alright out there, somewhere in Middle-Earth. 

You did not respond to his letter, as you knew your brother would assume you had received it, and read it with eagerness and much joy.

You knocked on Merry's door, only to find it empty. Disappointed, you decided to go do a little extra work in the study. Saradoc had already quit work for the day, but you were itching to get your mind off a lingering doubt, a small corner in your brain telling you that something was wrong. 

To your surprise, Merry was inside the study, in full focus, studying maps. You quietly walked behind him, and over his shoulder you took a look at what he was so eagerly observing.

He was turning the maps frantically, his fingers softly gliding along the brown parchment. He seemed to be tracing a path, which ended close to the Misty Mountains.

"What are you doing?" you asked curiously. Merry jumped, and the paper crinkled in his fist as he was startled by your sudden appearance.

"You scared me!" he said, his hand on his chest. "My heart is racing!"

"My apologies," you said warmly, taking a step next to him and leaning over the desk. "How come you're studying these maps so intensely?"

"I just find maps fascinating," he said casually, still trying to steady his breath from the scare.

"What's this road?" you asked, tracing the same area of the map he was going through just a few moments ago.

"I'm just trying to remember what roads Bilbo took in his adventures," Merry said, though he paused for a moment before answering. "I always found his stories fascinating, and I was feeling curious." 

You began to study the map eagerly. Your sense of direction had always been quite bad, and looking at the map was tiring your brain; but you were also curious on what roads your Uncle had taken. 

"He actually left plenty of maps behind," you said as you looked at the mountains spreading across the middle of the map.

"He did?" said Merry.

And soon enough, you were taking one of the maps Bilbo had drawn himself out of your drawers, and studied it with Merry, intensely for hours, while reminiscing the memorable adventures your Uncle Bilbo had gone through; the trolls that turned into stone, and even the riddles in a cave located somewhere in the Misty Mountains; and the ring he had won from a creature called Gollum. 

"Do you want to go out with me?" you asked Merry, whose eyes widened as he looked at you.

"What?"

"Oh, no!" you cried, frantically shaking your head, blushing violently. "I meant outside - on a walk. Not out with me. Not that you would want to go out with me. Nor that I would want to go with you. Not that I wouldn't-"

Merry laughed loudly from the bottom of his stomach. He stood up from the chair and nodded towards the door.

"Let's go for that walk," he said with a teasing grin. You felt flustered. You let out an awkward chuckle, and followed Merry outside. 

"Do you know anything about stars?" you asked, legs hanging from the edge of the bridge, the gusts of wind cooling you down. Merry had his eyes fixed on the night sky, and his gaze traveled across the different constellations, making him wonder about the complexity of the world and life itself. He was deep in his thoughts, his back pressed against the cold wood of the bridge. You called him by his name again, which seemed to snap him out of his daze.

"What?" he asked, still looking at the sky.

"I asked if you know anything about stars," you repeated in a soft tone. 

"Not much, only some names and stories."

"Could you give me an example?" you said, and Merry patted the spot next to him, and you laid down on your back. The bridge felt cool against the back of your thin dress, and you found yourself hoping you had dressed differently.

"I am not entirely sure of all the names, nor what stars are of which constellations," Merry admitted humbly. "I know more things on the ground-level. Roads and such."

"Just tell me," you said impatiently, but in a playful tone. Merry smiled warmly, and pointed at the sky.

"That, I believe, is Anarríma."

"Which star?" you asked for specifics. 

"All of those there, it's a constellation," he said, drawing a shape in the air in front of him. "I've heard stories of it being made from the dewdrops of one of the Two Trees of Valinor."

"What about that?" you asked, pointing at another star. 

"Eärendil," Merry responded immediately.

"Really?" you asked with excitement.

"No idea," Merry snickered. You laughed a little, and soon admired the stars in Merry's eyes, instead of the beautiful night sky above you both. 

He was once again lost in thought, and as you looked at his eyes, you felt your heart grow from affection. The blue in his eyes was deep and bright even in the darkness, and the longer you gazed into them, the more it felt like there was a whole universe in them, the beauty of it pulling you in and not being able to stop. 

Your gaze traveled from the glimmering stars in his eyes to his nose, and from it to the tips of his ears. You noticed the small mole on his neck, next to it a few barely visible freckles. The little dimple on his chin seemed deeper as there was a shadow on it, and his lips seemed dry; you wondered if he still picked skin off his lips when he was stressed. 

Merry did not notice you staring at him for a long time. His mind was elsewhere, wondering how much time he could spend with you before the time came, and how hard it would all turn out to be. 

He looked at the moon and stars, and he thought of how they reminded him of the spark in your eyes, and how the beauty of them was lesser to him than the sound of your laughter. He looked at the constellations, and thought how it was impossible for him to describe in words how much more beautiful you were than any of the stars above. 

You looked at him and thought of how much fun you had had with Merry for all your life, and how just his smile was always enough to make your day. You thought about how well he knew you, and about how he was always there to dry your tears. You thought about how happy he made you, and how much he believed in you. 

He had always been there to help you with your self esteem, and he made sure you always felt safe and protected. He felt like home. Recently, seeing him had become the highlight of your days (not that it wasn't before), and in that moment you finally admitted that much to yourself. Some part of you was still trying to deny it all; the feelings you had that so desperately were trying to surface. 

Merry turned his head so he could look at you, and you locked eyes with him. He seemed surprised to catch you staring, but unlike you had often done in the last month or so, you did not turn away. Instead, you gazed into each other's eyes, your thoughts lingering on one another. 

Neither of you spoke, and the only sounds that could be heard were the quiet bubbling of the river, the blowing of the wind, and the hoot of an owl somewhere in the distance. It was a moment of peace. Without words or any movements, both of you showed how much you appreciated one another, and how important this moment was to the two of you.

September 3rd

It was the third of September by Shire-reckoning, and the leaves were slowly starting to turn orange and yellow, some crisp brown ones already falling on the ground. The wind was getting colder, and it rained more often.

"Absolutely not!" you cried, the noises of the rain almost drowning under the sound of your desperation.

"Why not?" yelled Pippin, clearly frustrated. He kept trying to hand over the furry spider in his hand. "Just pet it!"

"I don't want to!" you said, leaning back in your chair, staring at the eight legged creature in your friend's hand. You were not fond of spiders, and Pippin was determined to change that about you.

"Please? I will get you some pipe-weed if you do!" Pippin said, trying his hardest to negotiate.

"Getting over one fear is enough, and we are not even halfway there!" you told Pippin, your body tingling uncomfortably as you looked at the furry legs on the spider.

"Come on! Just one pet!" Pippin said as he stood up and walked closer to you. You immediately started pulling backwards with your chair, eyes widening with anxiety. 

"Merry, make him stop!" you begged, and Merry ran from the counter to you. 

"Alright, that's enough," he said, and gently took the spider off Pippin's hand. He carried the creature delicately, and as Pippin was looking away, he tilted his palm behind his neck, the spider crawling underneath the young Tooks coat. Merry whistled innocently as he walked back to the counter, and came back with three rather large pieces of carrot cake. 

As the three of you were sitting down, Pippin twitched every now and then, obviously itchy. You shoved your fork in the cake, eating a large bite with no remorse.

"Everything alright?" you asked with a smirk when Pippin started scratching his neck.

"I am just feeling itchy," he grunted, trying desperately to reach his back.

"I sure hope there's no spider crawling under your clothes," Merry said, staring into Pippin's eyes, face completely emotionless while taking a bite of his moist carrot cake. 

Pippin's eye twitched, and like a bunny he hopped up from his chair, and frantically started tearing his coat off, hands rapidly trying to reach the itchy spots of his skin where the spider was crawling. 

"Get it off me!" Pippin screamed, his tone resembling the cries of a small child. You and Merry both laughed loudly, and you thanked him with a nod for having your back; and for doing the pranking on your behalf. 

You were stumbling over your own legs in the mud, finding it hard to keep balance. Merry was taking long steps ahead of you, and the rain had completely soaked all of you. Pippin could barely keep his eyes open in the rain, and he was squinting as he waved the two of you goodbye before slowly making his way home.

The road back home was challenging and tiring. There were traces of mud up to your knees, and you kept sinking into the mud every ten minutes when the ground changed from uphill to downhill. It was pouring down so heavily that you could barely see in front of you, and instead of grass, there seemed to be slimy, dark, wet and thick dirt everywhere, making it almost impossible to take even one step.

Your foot hit a branch hidden by the mud and you fell face first to the ground. The whole front of your body sank, and you spat some dirt out of your mouth. There was mud under your nails, under your clothes, between your toes and on your lips. Merry bent over and lifted you up by your armpits. You felt miserable, and his expression was not one of happiness either.

You walked with him for an hour more, the walk taking almost twice as long as it normally did.

You were shivering, irritated and wet when you finally made it to your room. Merry  let you know he was going to get you some clean towels so you could bathe in peace, even though the thought of any more water made you almost physically ill; but you had to get all the mud off. 

Before heating the bathwater you cleaned your drenched, dirty clothes and hung them up to dry; though the lace hem of your dress seemed like a lost cause. 

The bathwater was warm, and as you sank in the tub, it felt like all your worries washed away. 

Despite your fear of water, you loved taking long baths; after all it was not the same thing, since you could get out whenever you wanted and drowning in your own bathtub was very unlikely. You closed your eyes and your fingertips played with the water as you laid there, trying to empty your mind.

You got out of the bath after almost an hour. You finally felt clean and relaxed, all of the irritation created by the weather having washed away. You put on a warm, pale blue bathrobe and excited the bathroom. You made your way back to your room, the pattering of your feet echoing quietly in the hallway. 

Merry was leaning against the wall to the left of your door, and his eyes were closed. To you he looked like he had fallen asleep, but his eyes flashed open when he heard you, and a wide smile came across his face.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" you asked quietly, walking to him.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," he said warmly, his eyes quickly shifting to look at your clothing. "You look cozy."

"I feel incredibly at peace right now," you chuckled in a whisper, and let your head collapse against his shoulder. "Thank you for not hating me. I was very agitated out there."

"In the bathroom?" joked Merry, and you let out a small snicker.

"Yes, in the bathroom," you replied sarcastically.

"It was no trouble," he said, resting his cheek on the top of your head, making your heart jump to your throat by the sudden response to your affection; despite it happening more and more frequently. You shuddered slightly, but said nothing about it.

"That weather was dreadful," you said quietly, shivering from just the thought of it. 

"Indeed," Merry said, and he lifted his head back up. "Hey," he said and gave you a nudge with his elbow. You lifted your head, looking him deep in his eyes. Your eyes were almost fluttering shut from how tired you felt, yet you could not stop looking at him. 

"What?" you said, your tired state obvious from your voice. 

"I mean it" he said, his tone full of affection, and his eyes glimmering with care and admiration as he looked at you. “It was no trouble. You know that, right?”

"I do," you responded with a soft smile. “I know I can count on you.”

It was almost like a habit at this point. The two of you looked at each other in silence, both getting lost in each other's eyes, minds endlessly racing with questions about what you really were feeling, wondering if it was mutual and how things would turn out; for the better or the worse. You both knew most of the answers already, though neither of you said it out loud to the other; it was too much of a risk to take. 

As you started to pull yourself back, you took a small glance at his lips, and when you were not looking, Merry glimpsed at yours. 

"Good night, Merry."

"Good night," he responded, and started walking to the direction of his room. 

You turned towards your door and were already halfway in, when Merry made his way back to you. Confused, you turned around and stood at your door. He did not even glance elsewhere, as his gaze was fixed on you.

The tension in the air was palpable, and the curiosity and anticipation in your heart grew. You looked at him, the pounding of your heart getting louder. Slowly he placed his hand on your cheek. His thumb brushed across the warmth of your blush, and you could not look him in his eyes as he caressed your face so gently. You swallowed nervously, avoiding his gaze and pressing your lips together. 

He lifted your face up with a tender motion, forcing you to look him in his eyes. He tilted his head as he smiled so fondly, and he admired you for a short moment before he leaned in. He pressed his lips softly on your forehead. You closed your eyes as a wave of affection pushed through you and filled your heart. His lips lingered between your brows before he softly pulled away. 

Shyly, you looked up at him, his hand still holding your face in a soft embrace. Never had you blushed this much before; you felt the heat all across your face, and it felt like your ears were about to burn off. His fingers caressed the curves of your pointy ear softly, before he let go of you.

"Good night," he said again.

"Good night," you said so quietly it was barely coherent. He put his hands in his pockets and walked away, once more smiling at you over his shoulder, before disappearing behind the corner.

You watched him walk away, and your hand was resting on your chest, right where your heart was pounding. You caressed the soft material of your bathrobe, and made your way in your room. You closed the door slowly, and walked to your bed in the darkness of the room. 

As you were laying there under your soft sheets, your face was still warm and the feeling of his lips was lingering on your skin. You could not stop thinking about his embrace and how disappointed you felt. When Merry turned back to you, hope in your heart had grown; you wished he would have kissed you. Not on the forehead, but you craved to know how it would feel to have his lips softly on yours.

And so, you finally admitted it to yourself: Merry's feelings were not one-sided. 

September 10th

You were avoiding Merry. Admitting your feelings to yourself was a big step for you, but the fear of rejection was creeping up your neck. What if he no longer had feelings for you, and that's why he had become more comfortable with physical touch again?

More than anything, you felt overwhelmed; how had you been so blind, almost all your life?

The paintbrush in your hand was shaking slightly, and the strokes of paint were uneven. You could not keep your focus on the painting no matter how hard you tried. All you could think about was Merry, and the fears that came with your emotions were smothering you. Insecurities were rising to the surface, and you could not stay still. 

You tossed the paintbrush on the canvas, frustrated by your own inability to gather up the courage to just confront Merry and ask him how he felt; if he still felt the same. The paint spread unevenly on the canvas, and a few drops of the blue splashed across your face. You let out a loud grunt of frustration, and shrank down on the floor. 

You lifted your knees up, and buried your face in them. Anxiety and a sense of failure was building up in your body, and your breathing became shallow. There was loud ringing in your ears that drowned away all the sounds around you. The beat of your heart was rapidly increasing, and cold sweat ran down your neck, and shivers went up your spine. You felt tears rising to your eyes, and as they started flowing down across your face, you lost the control of your own body.

The air felt tight around you; like it was trying to squeeze you between two hard walls, and you wanted to scream, but no air came out of your lungs. 

The fear of losing Merry had filled you again, the panic taking control over your brain and shaking your body. You were frozen to the spot, sobbing uncontrollably and the only thing you wanted to do was bury yourself in your best friend's arms.

There was a part of you hoping that everything would return back to normal; that none of it had happened. You were so overwhelmed with fear and anxiety, that you couldn't be around Merry. A part of you hoped it would have just stayed like it used to be; just two close friends, cuddling without anything else between them but platonic care; but deep down you knew now that it had never been like that. The feelings were always there; it just took you both years to realize it.

You could not take it anymore. The panic was burying every inch of you underneath it, so you mustered up the strength to get up, and run to Merry's room. You knocked on the door, your hands shaking and your thoughts unkempt. You felt like you were about to collapse from the dizziness when Merry opened his door.

His face turned into one of intense concern when he saw the tears in your eyes, and the uncontrollable shaking of your body. He saw the way you were swaying left and right, trying to keep yourself on your feet. He had helped you through many panic attacks in all the years you had been friends, and in a matter of seconds he had pulled you into his room and taken you into a warm, comforting embrace. 

Merry had been anxiously analyzing why you had been avoiding him, and finding you on his doorstep in such a state filled him with worry and fear.

"It's alright," he whispered softly, while stroking your hair with tender movements. Your face was buried in his chest, the tears covering the front of his shirt. He feared he had crossed a line and done something to upset you. "Did something happen?"

You shook your head, and your fists clung to the back of his shirt as you kept crying in his arms.

He gave you a glass of water, and the water kept spilling over the edge from the shakiness of your hands. Merry placed his hands gently over yours, steadying the glass. He helped you take a sip of it, looking at you, his eyes full of pity.

"Thank you," you said quietly, looking down at the glass and avoiding eye contact.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked in a tender, calming manner. 

"No."

"That's alright," he said, his thumbs softly caressing the backs of your hands. 

You sat there on the edge of his bed in silence, and Merry said nothing either. He comforted you for a long time, caressing your hands until you stopped shaking.

"Merry," you said, voice cracking again, the tears trying to resurface. You looked at him, swallowing and holding back tears. He was kneeling in front of you, still softly petting your hands. You had to tell him. It was killing you. You had to gather yourself.

"Yes?" Merry responded, still visibly worried.

"Can I stay here for the night?" you said, disappointed with yourself for not being able to tell him just how deeply you felt for him. 

Merry gave you a soft nod, and got up. He walked to a large closet in his room, and took a moment to find the most comfortable blanket he had. He pulled the duvet cover off the left side of the bed, and placed the blanket he had dug out for you on that side. 

You got up, and with unsteady steps you made your way to your resting place for the night. Merry put his palm softly on your back and helped you lay down. He pulled the blanket over your shaking body, and went to blow out the candles. He crawled under his blanket, and slightly to your side of the bed. You were laying on your side, your back facing him, when he wrapped his arm around you tightly, and gave a soft peck on the top of your hair. You trembled, and pressed your back tightly against his chest, squeezing his hand.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered, and held to your hand tightly. 

In no time you had calmed down, and drifted off to the most peaceful sleep you had had in a week. Merry did not sleep, but he held you through the whole night, hoping he could stay there forever. 

September 12th

You were sitting across Frodo, enjoying some freshly baked bread. The butter melted on your tongue, and you moaned your mouth full of bread from the taste.

"This is delicious!" you mumbled, taking another large bite. Frodo was looking at you, faintly smiling. 

You were eating there, blabbering about your new job, and thanking your brother endlessly for helping you get back to work. 

Some of the stuff in Bag End had already been sold or given to family members and friends, and the feeling of home was slightly being drained away. You were lucky enough to have Merry so close to you, so the feeling of being home was not going to disappear completely once Frodo moved out.

"Have you enjoyed helping Saradoc with his work?" Frodo asked, sipping his freshly squeezed orange juice. 

"Yes, but it's very draining from time to time," you responded. You took a moment to enjoy some full red wine Frodo had offered you, before you continued explaining the complexity of assignments working for the Master of Buckland brought.

Frodo was listening to you intensely, enjoying your company more than ever, as he knew he had to leave soon. Gandalf had warned him about the dangers of carrying the Ring, even to just Rivendell; and he was fearing he might never see you again. 

You were so enthusiastically telling the story of Merry and Pippin helping you go deeper in the Brandywine again, that you did not notice how much sorrow there was in your brother's eyes, or how guilty he was feeling.

When you finished telling the story of conquering yet another step of coming over your fears, Frodo fixed his composure and smiled at you, hiding his concerned heart.

"You seem happy," he said warmly.

You responded with a faint smile. Desperately you wanted to ask for his advice. You were itching to tell him about everything that had been going on with you and Merry, but the thought of opening up your heart to anyone was making you feel uneasy. But you decided to try it regardless.

"Can I ask you something?" you asked him, not noticing how forcefully your hands were fidgeting with the cutlery in your hands. Frodo took note of it, but decided to pretend he had noticed nothing.

"Of course," he said. "What's on your mind?"

You struggled to find the right words. There was an overwhelming need to tell him everything; how good it felt when Merry held you, and how deep your feelings for him were.

"Would you tell someone if you had realized you felt more for them? More than a friendship?" you asked, deciding to go through a different but direct route when it came to getting advice from your brother. He smiled knowingly.

"Do they feel the same way?" Frodo asked, trying to keep you as comfortable as he could. 

"I am not sure," you responded honestly, and dropped the fork you were fiddling with. It hit the floor with a loud cling, but you were too focused on asking for help to pick it up and clean it. You were trying to avoid giving away who you were talking about; even though Frodo knew.

"I think communicating about these things are important," he said. "If you feel like they feel the same way about you, you should talk to them about it. And even if they didn't; I believe it would be wise to tell."

"But what if I'm afraid?" 

"Fear is a part of life," Frodo said, shifting in his seat. "You just have to accept that there are many ways the conversation could go. It could end in happiness or heartbreak. You just have to take the leap, and accept the result; even if it feels unbearable as a thought right now."

You gave him a half-smile, and kept drinking your wine in silence. Deep in your thoughts, you finished your glass of red, and Frodo filled it to the top. 

His words were wise, and you knew it was the right decision to go to your brother for advice.

"Thank you," you said quietly.

"Can I ask you something in return?" Frodo asked. 

"Yes," you nodded. 

"Are you talking about Pervinca Took?" he said, smirking as he knew you used to have a crush on Pippin's sister. He was trying to make you laugh a little, as he was of course not oblivious to the fact that you were talking about Merry.

You looked down at your glass, swirling around the red wine. A faint, amused smile was on your face.

"You know I'm not talking about her," you said quietly.

"Indeed, I do."

You nodded, and took another rather large sip of the full bodied wine. 

NEXT CHAPTER

----

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mournthewicked

#daisies #merry x reader #lotr #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #tolkien #merry brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader #meriadoc brandybuck #lotr merry #lotr fic #lotr fanfic #lotr fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction

[fili-urzudel]

Fifty(-One) Follower Celebration

Oh my goodness, 50 followers?! Thank you so much! I never expected this blog to get too much attention and the fact that fifty of you out there like my writing enough to follow me really means a lot. I am currently working on answering my first request, but I'd love to have more! As a little celebration, here are fifty-one prompts I've come up with (and a few I borrowed with credit).

Guidelines:

Can be platonic or romantic--platonic scenarios can involve multiple characters

Will only be PG-13

Any character from LoTR or The Hobbit is fair game, but for romantic scenarios I prefer male characters

Don't be afraid to combine prompts!

Physical Affection

1. Hugs that last a little longer than they should

2. Palm kisses

3. Hair ruffling

4. Play wrestling

5. Hair washing

6. Cuddling in hot weather

7. Sleeping in a dog pile

8. Pinky holding

9. Forehead touches (please please request this one)

10. Piggyback rides

11. Kicking each other

12. Dancing

13. Sitting together/saving seats

14. Hand holding

15. Sharing a blanket (potentially violent)

Dialogue prompts

16. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep after that."

17. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

18. "You always end up looking like you're going to fall asleep when I play with your hair." / "Yeah, it's relaxing." (These first three were from a post by @thelonelyempath)

20. "Don't you know who I am?" or "I don't even know who you are."

19. "I can't sleep without you next to me." (I've seen ones like this before, but I think the concept with other characters would be quite interesting)

21. "What do you have behind your back?"

Activity Prompts

22. "Is it so hard to believe that I genuinely want to hear what you think?"

23. Friendly breaking and entering

24. Shopping together

25. Teasing over fears/phobias

26. Crafting together

27. Taming feral cats/other animals

28. Pajama party

29. Battle training

30. Tree climbing

31. Stargazing

32. Swimming (lessons?)

33. Fake proposal

34. Walking into the wrong tent/room

35. Board/card/road trip games

36. The iconic trapped in a snowstorm

37. Getting matching tattoos/jewelry

38. Cooking together

39. Playing instruments

40. Staring contest

Meet-cute Prompts

41. Considerably less friendly breaking and entering

42. Not having enough money to cover the bill

43. New horse rider is Bad at riding horses

44. In need of medical attention

45. Boots are falling apart (reader is a cobbler)

46. Weapons are dull (reader is a blacksmith)

47. Stealing food from a field

48. I work retail and begged Gandalf to let me come along on an adventure

49. Throwing rocks into a body of water and didn't notice until too late that there's a boat

50. Need a fake partner immediately

51. I'm an artist you hired to do a mural/mosaic/stained glass window

#lotr fanfic #the hobbit #lotr headcanons #the hobbit headcanons #kili x reader #bofur x reader #fili x reader #thorin oakenshield x reader #thorin x reader #dwalin x reader #bilbo baggins x reader #bilbo x reader #frodo x reader #samwise gamgee x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #pippin took x reader #elrond x reader #aragorn x reader #legolas x reader #thranduil x reader #gimli x reader #ori x reader #haldir x reader #lindir x reader #elendil x reader #isildur x reader #arondir x reader

[fizzyxcustard]

Okay okay okay I just thought of a really cute prompt for a LotR fic, since you said you were wanting to write for the og trilogy again. Feel free to get to this whenever works for you!

Merry and Reader are in the like early stages of a relationship, maybe they're officially courting, maybe not, but there's an understanding there. Anyway, they're at some party or other, and one is dancing while the other watches with a soft smile on their face. Their eyes meet from across the room and suddenly they both have goofy, lovestruck expressions on their faces.

Idk how much detail you want or if this is enough for a whole one shot but I thought it'd be cute and would love to see your take on it.

(This is such an adorable idea, and thank you for suggesting it!! I won't tag anyone in it because this might be a complete flop and everyone hates it. LOL! But I do indeed want to branch out and get back into Lord of the Rings fics.)

Fandom: Lord of the Rings

Pairing: Merry x Fem!Hobbit!Reader

Warnings: Lots of fluff.

Comments/Notes: If you wish to be added to my tag list, please let me know. This is my first Merry fic, and my first fic back in Lord of the Rings, so please be gentle with me. LOL.

The Green Dragon was heaving with patrons. It was Rosie and Sam's wedding day, and everyone in the Shire had been invited to the celebrations. Some hobbits were still congregated up in the main party field, devouring the wedding cake, while a large group of you had retreated back to the Green Dragon for drinks, a smoke and cosiness by the open fire.

A few of your friends had pulled you up to to dance in the centre of the main room. There was laughing and giggling the girl hobbits who were all around you. Your friend, Daisy, grabbed your hands and spun you around, while others sang.

Merry was on the opposite side of the room, sat at a table with Pippin and Frodo. He couldn't help but keep averting his eyes over toward you.

"Are you even listening?" Frodo chuckled, raising his tankard for a sip. Ever since Merry had first kissed you, he was constantly day dreaming and pre-occupied. No one but you seemed to be able to get his attention.

Pippin sighed, trying to hide the sadness of losing his best friend and partner in crime, despite being happy for him and you.

"What?" Merry asked, his head shifting turning to face Frodo.

Your head was spinning and you kept giggling, your cheeks glowing in happiness. And as you slowed down, the song coming to an end, you looked over toward Merry again. He had his gaze on you, and he smiled. Your heart fluttered and you felt the flush on your cheeks burn even hotter.

Daisy rolled her eyes playfully. "You are Merry are making me feel sick."

By the end of the night, as everyone filed out of the small tavern, Merry waited for you by the door. He held his arm out and you curled yours in his, giggling again. Whenever you were with him, or in close proximity, and the contentment washed over you. It rested in your heart.

Merry looked at you as he walked you home, studying your bright eyes as they took in your surroundings. Your curiosity was what he had fallen in love with first. Every little thing around you was special; flowers, animals, the sun, the moon and the stars. He watched the reflection of the stars in your eyes as you looked upwards at the heavens.

You could feel Merry watching you again and suddenly you stopped, grinning. Not able to hold back, you leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

#Lord of the Rings #Fanfiction #Merry x Fem!Reader #Merry x Reader #Merry x Hobbit!Reader #Merry Brandybuck x Reader #Merry Brandybuck x Fem!Reader #Merry Brandybuck x Hobbit!Reader #Meriadic Brandybuck #Hobbits #Dominic Monaghan

[spxllcxstxr]

• The Fellowship Headcanons •

Main Masterlist

Lord of the Rings Masterlist

Last Updated: July 23, 2022

How Each Member of the Fellowship Takes Care of Their S/O with a Chronic Illness

#lotr #lord of the rings #lotr x reader #lord of the rings x reader #lotr headcanons #lord of the rings Headcanons #Aragorn x reader #Boromir x reader #the fellowship x reader #Gimli x reader #Legolas x reader #Gandalf x reader #pippin took x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #frodo baggins x reader #Samwise Gamgee x reader

[danger-xylophones]

Tease (Meriadoc Brandybuck x reader)

Disclaimer, I wrote this in 2017. This is five years old and comes from my old quotev account but I'm moving it here cause I can

Warnings: she/her, reader is referred to as a woman, reader is wearing a dress

Masterlist

The shire was alive and well on this delightful evening. The night was filled with music, laughter, and joy all around as every hobbit in the shire was gathered together in one spot for a very special occasion. 

    It was Bilbo Baggins’s eleventy-first birthday. Quite the admirable age for a hobbit. The old fellow was strange indeed. He went gallivanting off with an entire company of dwarves at the ripe age of fifty and didn’t come back for thirteen months. He was thought dead so all of his possessions were auctioned off as he had no last will and testament. In the middle of the auction though, the fellow appeared, bothered and flustered and carrying several strange, foreign objects with him. Once he got settled back into his  hole at Bag-End, the old hobbit spoke of faraway lands filled with elves, dwarves, and men. He told the story of a great battle against herds of orcs and of the slaying of a great fire breathing beast, the slaying of Smaug the Terrible. He told these stories to the young hobbits as they grew, you being among those that listened intently, and they had stuck with you and just about every other hobbit to this day. 

    So now, whether or not you liked the old odd fellow would have been irrelevant as everyone still flocked to his hobbit hole at the prospect of free food and drink. You, for one, were there in the hopes of catching a dance with a certain young gentle-hobbit. 

    You had helped prepare for this party all day, running last minute errands, cooking, and stitching up Bilbo Baggins’s old wine red waist coat for him, while your brother had busily set to work on the grounds, ensuring they would be the envy of all. After working all day, it was good to enjoy your work for the night. Thus, you danced along to a light hearted jig with a random hobbit fellow close to your age, laughing and smiling at the joy all around you. The tempo and melody was infectious and your dress was so alluring that you had hardly been at a loss for company all night, however you only wanted the company of one hobbit in particular. As the last chords played and the band finished with a yell, you curtseyed to your random partner, who took your hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it,  and dismissed yourself from dancing. You were now, once agin I might add, looking for that certain fellow I keep mentioning. 

    Your (e/c) orbs turned in their sockets as you surveyed the large assembly of hobbits. But alas, this search yielded no news of your quarry. You huffed annoyedly. 

    “Where could that silly boy be?” You tapped your foot in frustration whilst crossing your arms like a stubborn child. Seeing no point in simply standing on the dance area, you located your brother in the throng of full and drunk hobbits. A mop of curly blonde hair was your indicator for where Samwise was, seated alone with his face in a mug of ale. You rolled your eyes before crossing towards the elder Gamgee child, being mindful of the other guests. 

    “This is one of the biggest parties we’ve ever been invited to and he chooses to spend it with his face in a mug of ale instead of going after Ms. Rosie Cotton. I’d like to not be the only parent this genera-hey!” While you were muttering to yourself, you were unaware of another hobbit sneaking up behind you until he had yanked you backwards. You were sent stumbling into the chest of whomever decided that move was a good idea. 

    “Excuse me, this is NOT how you ask a lady to dance, si-Frodo!” You shrieked out in shock as you looked up at your captor who was busily laughing as he yanked you into a new uplifting, dance. Frodo Baggins was your best friend (aside from Sam) and “wingman” in most cases. And, he was the only one who would dare to startle you like this.

    “I’m sorry, (Y/n), but it was too funny!” The young hobbit laughed more causing you to roll your eyes again as you danced with him. The blue eyed male twirled you around while the other hobbits clapped and yelled in joy and merriment. When you returned to him, he started up a conversation.

    “Tell me, (Y/n). I watched as you danced happily with just about every other eligible man here, willingly at that, then suddenly I turn to find you scowling and looking as though someone had destroyed your brother’s gardening tools. What happened?” You sighed but danced along with the young Baggins. An idea came to you suddenly.

    “I have been enjoying myself all evening, despite not being able to locate a certain someone,” out of the corner of your eye, you saw Frodo smirk mischievously with a knowing look. “But, my brother has not. Look!” You pointed as Samwise Gamgee stood, cast a longing glance at Miss Rosie Cotton dancing nearby, then took off in the direction of the ale. Frodo groaned as he watched the spectacle and you made a gesture as if to say ‘you see what I mean?’ .

    “Before you pulled me into another dance, I was heading over to speak to him and get him to go after Rosie. He’s done nothing but pine after her for months and it is maddening!” You joined hands with Frodo as you began partner dancing, in order to allow for easy conversation. Frodo nodded along.

    “You’ve done the same as him though.” You glared up at the taller hobbit, stating that you at least intended to do something about your attraction tonight. Frodo smirked wider with a hint of pride at that and went back to your brother. “But, his is a worse case. It’s so very evident Rosie returns his feelings, Sam is too shy to ask her to court him though. Perhaps, we could do something to help them out?” Frodo looked to you as the song ended. He bowed and you curtseyed to him out of sheer politeness. Frodo and yourself continued to talk though as the band struck up another song, concocting a plan to get Sam and Rosie in close quarters for the night. With a plan hatched, the two of you made your way to Samwise. Frodo sat down on Sam’s left, facing the party, while you took the spot on his right, clasping your hands together on the table. 

    While Frodo quickly chatted with Sam, you stole your brother’s mug and drained the ale as quickly as you could without being too obvious about it. You sat the mug down with a light ‘tink’, causing Sam to look down at it and Frodo to wink at you.

    “Ah think I’ll jus’ have ano’her ale.” Sam said whilst lightly glaring at you. All you did was scrunch up your nose and stick your tongue out in return. As the blonde hobbit went to stand and head off, you and Frodo caught his arms and spun him into the arms of Rosie Cotton who gladly started to dance with your older brother. You giggled behind your hand as Frodo laughed with you. You laughed out a ‘thank you’ and finally asked the ravenette where he had last seen Meriadoc Brandybuck. With a smirk and a teasing comment about being sure to invite him to the wedding, Frodo Baggins pointed you to your next search area. You bobbed and weaved between carts, tents, and pavilions as Gandalf sent off more firworks. At each one, you came up short.  You padded past Gandalf’s firework cart for the third time before finally deciding to just sit and wait for Merry, and most likely Pippin too, to show themselves. You took a seat at a small table somewhat off by itself, where you sipped at your own ale and laughed as you watched Sam and Rosie twirl around. Suddenly, you heard a loud bang and the sound of a firework scream as it was launched high into the air. You turned to the sound and watched as a red explosion occurred in the sky.

    Many of the gathered hobbits clapped at the display, you simply smiled, until the red lights morphed and took shape. It’s shape was that of a dragon. Your eyes widened in shock when the great display of pyrotechnics turned and came barreling towards yourself and the other party goers. You yelled in fright like many others and bolted out of your chair, immediately hitting the ground to avoid the burning display. As the great firework dragon swooped past, it seemed to light the air around it on fire as it continued forward. You looked up to watch its tail wisk past you and you caught a glimpse of Bilbo and Frodo mimicking your actions by hitting the ground. 

    But just as quick as it passed over head, the dragon soon swooped back into the sky where it then exploded several times and rained down red sparkles. You breathed a sigh of relief while sitting up as the other hobbits clapped and cheered once again. Now that the “danger” had passed, you burst out in a smile and began to laugh as you got to your feet, dusting the dirt off of your skirt. As your guffaws subsided, your lips were drawn into a smirk. You caught sight of Gandalf making for one of the spots where a tent had been previously near his cart and it all clicked with you. You allowed Gandalf a few minutes by capering towards where you had last seen Bilbo and Frodo. The latter was helping his uncle to his feet when you arrived and you quickly went to the other side of the elder hobbit to assist in stabilizing him.

    “Oh-thank you, my dear!” Bilbo patted your forearm in appreciation and it was at that same moment that Frodo and you made eye contact. The blue eyed hobbit took in your smug expression, mimicking it with one of his own before asking,

    “Merry and Pippin?” He questioned in reference to the firework dragon. You nodded, your smirk morphing into a bemused smile.

    “Merry and Pippin.” You stated while gesturing with your head in the direction Gandalf had disappeared. Frodo shook his head, causing his curls to swish around erratically, before waving you off with his free hand, the other was still clapped on Bilbo’s shoulder. You giggled mirthfully and made your way back to the tents and pavilions, grabbing an apple along the way. Oh, you were going to have fun with this! 

    You paused beside Gandalf’s cart, thinking for a moment on where he would’ve sent the two trouble makers. With a snap of your fingers and another bite from your apple, you took off towards the tent for the dishes. You peeked around the fabric to spot Merry and Pippin begrudgingly but diligently working on cleaning the plates, bowls, forks, saucers, and everything in between that had been used up till now. Gandalf sat nearby, smoking his pipe whilst monitoring the two cousins. The gray wizard shifted his gaze from them for a brief moment as he blew smoke out of the corners of his mouth. He locked eyes with you and you sent him a small wave in return. Gandalf dipped his head in greeting, a smile forming at the edges of his lips, before looking at Merry then back to you, the same knowing look in his eyes that Frodo had earlier. Eru’s sake! Did everyone know? Your own brother hadn’t even caught on! The only people you had told were Frodo and Bilbo. Actually, the only person you had told was Frodo, Bilbo had been eavesdropping. When the older hobbit heard, he came charging out of his study, placed a firm hand on your shoulder, and wished you the best of luck. It was an odd thing to say, but you supposed you would need all the luck in the world when it came to the troublemaking Brandybuck. 

    You took in the singed look on Meriadoc, having to hold in your giggles at the sight of his lovely golden yellow locks standing on end and the soot covering his face. The black powder was even all over his waistcoat! That was a shame, you had been rather fond of that one, it was lovely and fun. Something you felt complimented his personality well. But it still gave him a distinguished and neat look, which you thought reflected the other side of Merry. You drew your lips together in discontent at the state of the waistcoat but brushed it aside and subconsciously licked your lips as butterflies began to take flight in your stomach. You ducked back behind the cloth and whispered a little pep talk to yourself.

    “Breathe, (Y/n). You can do it. Just, be natural but fun and alluring and mysterious and playful and-this isn’t helping me.” You shook your head, and took another bite from your apple as you emerged from the other side of the tent and strolled into Pippin and Merry’s line of sight. 

    “Hello!” You chirped in a perky voice to catch their attention. Pippin responded with a dejected ‘hi’, continuing to scrub the plate he was working on. Merry paused in rinsing the dishes of soap to take in your appearance. His eyes trailed up from the bottom of the (f/c) dress you were wearing to your face before his lovely blue eyes locked with your own and his jaw went slack. The young Brandybuck was at a loss for words, you were stunning. Of course, he thought you looked stunning whenever he saw you, but there was something new about you tonight that really made it feel like the only word to describe you. 

    You stood poised for a greeting from the second hobbit but received none. You began to fidget as all Merry could do was stare. Under his gaze, you began to feel nervous. Pippin looked between your increasingly anxious form and the awe-struck Merry before elbowing his cousin in the side, causing him to huff as air was forced out of his lungs. Despite the jab in the side stealing even more of his breath away, it did the trick to get Merry to talk.

    “(Y-Y/n)! Hi, uh, hello! You, ahem,” he cleared his throat before trying to continue. “You look...gorgeous!” Beneath the soot and powder, the Brandybuck began to blush and was suddenly very self aware of the state he was in. He felt as though he looked like a beggar before a queen. Merry looked at your face to gauge your reaction and was pleasantly surprised (and more than a little delighted) to find that you had a bright red blush painted across your cheeks and a small bashful smile you were attempting to hide playing on your lips. Those bright red, beautiful, soft looking, kissable lips...He shook his head to clear the, less then appropriate, thoughts from it. A lovely rouge color now flooded his face. Merry glanced down at his attire once more, taking in the unruly look that now adorned him and cringing as the weight of his actions tonight hit him. He had wanted to ask you to dance, woo you and sweep you off your feet before showering you in attention. When he was sure you would have been completely enamored by him and his charms, he was going to offer you the little ring he had picked out to ask you to court him-then he would have gone and messed with the fireworks. But no, his nerves had gotten the better of him and he had followed Pippin’s prompting into getting involved in mischief to take his mind off the anxiousness he inevitably felt around you. Anxiety mixed with glee, delight, and affection though. Ah, but now, here you were. 

    “-rry? Meriadoc? Did you hear me?” The hobbit was shaken out of his stupor by your gentle voice attempting to get his attention and Pippin grabbing his arm rather forcefully. Meriadoc looked up at you to see your hand reached out as if to cup his cheek and that you had taken three steps closer to him, leaning on the edge of the barrel he was working from. Merry was tempted to act as though he was still lost in his thoughts if it meant he could feel your hand against his cheek. However, the Brandybuck didn’t feel that to be any form of “right” so he attempted to respond to your questioning.

    “Uh...yeah, I-well no. I didn’t hear you actually...” he cleared his throat nervously, glancing down at the slightly soapy water between you, “would you mind repeating it?” The normally confident Brandybuck was completely at your mercy as you raised your free hand to cover your mouth as you giggled. A sweet, melodic tune that sent the male hobbit’s head reeling. You stood up straight as Pippin handed you the apple you had tossed into his hands.

    “Miss (Y/n) was asking if we were the ones behind the ‘display’ and if that’s why we’re doing the dishes.” Pippin piped up. Merry glanced between you and his cousin, his face growing warmer as you looked at him expectantly. He swallowed comically before answering your question with one of his own.

    “Well, uh-that depends,” he began hesitantly. “Did you...like it?” The hobbit before you felt utterly foolish asking something like that but it was all he could think of. 

    “Welllll-“ you dragged out the ‘L’ until Pippin interrupted you.

    “Were you impressed by it?” Merry felt his face flush even more at his cousin’s more direct route. He glared at the younger lad, ready to leave him behind in Farmer Maggot’s field the next time they went. 

    “I was, actually. Until it came barreling towards all of us that is...” Merry cringed internally and only now noticed that your hair was slightly disheveled and dirt was trapped under your nails where it hadn’t been before. 

    “Still, I dare say the whole incident was rather spectacular.” Eru, was it possible to blush anymore? If there was, Merry was certainly close to figuring out how. Said hobbit looked up at you with a lopsided grin. Suddenly regaining his confidence, the golden haired hobbit leaned forward on the barrel, getting slightly closer to your face. He angled his head down to meet your eyes due to your small stature, taking pride in the blush that crept up your neck, face, and stretched towards your ears. For a brief second, he thought he saw the same level intensity of his affection flash through your (e/c) eyes.

    “Spectacular, huh? That’s what I-“Pippin cleared his throat in an annoyed fashion, prompting Merry to correct himself (but not without an eye roll and a laugh from you). “That’s what we were going for.”  

    Your eyebrow arched at that and your mouth twisted up in a smug yet playful smirk. Your words to Frodo earlier suddenly rang in your head. Unlike your brother, you were planning on putting your feelings out there, weren’t you? What better time to engage in a little flirting that pushes that agenda? You moved your hand from its resting place on your hip and gently messed with the ribbons on the bodice of your dress, it was both out of nerves and to feign non-chalance. You felt your heart pick up speed as your mind was set. You were doing this! No backing out! Your throat tried to close in on itself but you refused to let it, releasing a quiet sigh instead. you averted your eyes and attempted to ignore just how close Merry was.

    “Really? Is that what you were going for? I thought you just wanted to see me lying down.” You had no clue where that comment had come from, but it did its job. The confident look on Merry’s face disappeared in an instant and you could see his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed in embarrassment. However, he didn’t move further away from you and he, albeit unsteadily, met your gaze when you continued.

    “You know, Merry...” you trailed off slightly, lowering your hand to rest on the edge of the barrel again. Except, what your hand landed on, was not the barrel. You had accidentally placed your hand on top of Merry’s which was gripping the barrel with a vice grip. You flinched involuntary. Merry felt you pull your hand back slightly before hesitating, fingertips brushing ever so lightly against the back of his hand. It sent shivers up his arm and he considered grabbing your hand himself until you gently lowered your hand again and left it there. You resumed your sentence, a little more confident his time.

    “If you wanted to get my attention-“ you slowly moved closer to the blue eyed hobbit before you, who mimicked your actions as if in a trance. If you were honest, that’s what it felt like. The two of you were trapped under some sort of spell that clouded your mind, heightened your senses, and made you act purely through instinct. It felt wonderful, especially knowing just by looking at Merry that he was under the same spell as you.

    “You could’ve just asked me to dance.” Your noses bumped together slightly as your lips almost came together. Eru, you wanted to kiss him right now. You could do it too, he would not reject you. You knew that for a fact. It was so tempting...then you got a whiff of the soot and powder coating the hobbit and a wicked idea pushed itself to the forefront of your mind. It was tempting to kiss him, yes...but this would be funnier and was sure to keep him on his toes. Just before you put it into action, Merry spoke very softly, careful not to break the moment.

    “(Y/n), may I kiss you?” Had his lips not been a millimeter away from yours, you probably would have missed it. You hummed in a questioning manner.

    “Right now?” You asked, matching Merry’s tone.

    “Preferably.” You hummed again in slight amusement, sliding your hand up Merry’s supporting arm till it rested on his forearm. You waited for Merry to take that as a nonverbal ‘yes’, and as soon as you felt his head move even slightly closer, you went into action. You smiled wide and pulled his arm out from under him. The poor fellow nearly planted his face in the dish water within the barrel. Pippin roared with laughter at his friend’s misfortune while Gandalf sat chucking to himself. Goodness, you’d forgotten they were there. Merry caught himself, looking at you incredulously. You grabbed his chin with the same hand you had toppled him with and held him in place as you got closer to him, partially stooping down. You giggled uncontrollably as you explained your “reasoning” to him.

    “I’m sorry, Meriadoc Brandybuck, but until your face is clean; your lips shall not touch mine.” With that, you released his chin, took another bite of your apple (purposefully licking the juice off your lips as Merry watched) then you turned to leave the trio alone. You had only taken a few steps when Merry came to his wits, puffing and sputtering up a storm as he tried to go around Pippin and past the plates to catch you. 

    “Why you- I’ll get you for that, you tease!” Merry called after you when Gandalf stopped him from running to you. You cocked your head to the left, letting a coy smile grace your lips.

    “Oh, I’m sure you will, Merry!” You scampered towards the edge of the tent, turning around the corner before replying once more. You poked your head around the edge of the tent, and made eye contact with the darling blue eyed hobbit.

    “In fact, I’ll be looking forward to it!” You winked at him and ran off to rejoin the gathered hobbits of the night. As you ran off, Gandalf pointed Merry in the direction of the, by now, dry dishes. Merry sighed and went to move them, though not before pausing at the edge of the tent to spot you running over to your brother and Rosie Cotton who were enjoying a nice chat. You missed the wonderful, wide grin that stretched out over his face and you were not close enough to hear him laughing under his breath as he watched you slip away.

#meriadoc brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader #merry brandybuck #lotr #lotr x reader #hobbits #lord of the rings #shire folk

[tinfairies]

Can we get this but with Merry? 👀

I feel like he would definitely try to act like a brat but folds almost immediately </3

Merry tries to fight his lover so hard. He always tries to get out of punishments by bending the truth.

He will pout when it doesn't work, and he's laid over his lovers lap and spanked. His face is flushed and his eyes are red and teary. He's so mad about getting in trouble but he has no one to blame but himself.

Merry will beg and cry so much his voice goes hoarse, this just adds to how pitiful he is.

His cock aches and his stomach hurts from how much he's cum. Poor thing is dripping with sweat, babbling and asking for more.

When his lover would say to ask them nicely, he goes back to pouting. This remedied by pinching the tip of his cock. He'll whimper and break easily, using his manners and saying 'please' and 'thank you'

He can be trained to be a good boy, it just takes some time.

#lotr headcanons #lotr imagine #lotr x reader #lotr #lord of the rings #lord of the rings x reader #lord of the rings headcanons #Lord of the rings imagine #merry brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader #Smut #Headcanons

[iamthemain-character]

Merry x reader where they were friends before the while shebang and when Merry and the others come back to the shire Merry accidentally reveals his feelings and stuff

(also if the reader could be pretty ugly as well ty)

Hello, thanks for requesting!!! A little note, I genuinely don’t believe anyone is ugly, but I tried to hint that the reader wasn’t conventionally attractive. Remember, just because you don’t fit other people’s standards doesn’t mean that you’re not beautiful in your own way. <3

Coming Back For You

Merry Brandybuck x reader

gender neutral pronouns

TW: Reader is kinda sad in the beginning, mentions of assuming people are dead

LOTR Masterlist

16 months and 19 days.

Once the hobbits’ mysterious disappearances had reached 6 months, most people started to assume that they were dead. Memorials were held, condolences were given, but by the 12 month mark, life had returned to a sense of normalcy.

But for Y/n Y/l/n, life couldn’t be normal again. Merry Brandybuck, one of the missing hobbits, was their best friend. His absence left a large, unfilled hole in their life.

Merry and Y/n had been neighbors since childhood, running around and getting into scrapes and messes from the time they could talk. Merry was the one who stood up for Y/n when the other children would tease them about their looks. He would always wipe Y/n’s tears away, reassuring them that they were [beautiful/handsome] to him. Merry was the one who helped Y/n get their very first job waiting tables at the tavern, and he was their best customer, always making sure they got enough tips at the end of the night. With Merry, Y/n felt safe, like they could just be themself. Their heart had recently complicated things a bit; heart flutters and blushing became more and more frequent when Y/n and Merry would touch. Still, he was their best friend, and their life felt complete with him.

So when Merry went missing without a word, Y/n’s entire life felt like it had been uprooted. Their days were dreary and long, unable to see their friend’s cheery smile or hear his contagious laugh. Y/n’s heart was hurt and heavy, and it felt like they would never be able to smile again.

Y/n refused to believe Merry was dead; no matter what the other hobbits would say, Y/n remained in denial. In their heart, they knew he wasn’t dead, he couldn’t be dead. So every week, Y/n would go to Merry’s house to dust and clean in case he ever came back. It was also therapeutic for them, being able to be surrounded by his things and his essence. Sometimes Y/n would entertain the hope that they would be cleaning and Merry would walk right in through the door, sweeping them up into a hug and launching into his story about where he had been gone. But as weeks blended into months, and the months blended into a year, that hope became dimmer and dimmer.

Now it was almost 17 months since Merry had disappeared. It was fall, and the crunchy leaves underneath Y/n’s feet as they walked to his house. They stopped at the door, pausing a moment to close their eyes.

“One last time.” Y/n whispered under their breath.

As they pressed their hand against the door, but stepped back in shock when it gave, creaking as it swung on its hinges. Y/n took great care to close the door whenever they were finished, so, alarmed, they threw the door open.

And there in front of Y/n’s eyes was the hobbit they so dearly loved. Merry had lost a lot of weight, his hair was longer, and his skin was covered with visible scars. But when he turned around, Merry’s beautiful green eyes, though a bit sadder, lit up when he saw Y/n.

The pair rushed together, wrapping their arms around each other as if they would never let go again. Merry pressed Y/n impossibly closer to him, taking in the feeling of having them near again. Tears freely fell from both pairs of eyes, their hearts bursting with emotions.

“Meriadoc Brandybuck, where on middle earth have you been?” Y/n had meant to joke, but their voice failed them, coming out as a desperate whisper.

“I’m so sorry. There was this thing with Frodo and a ring, and then we had to save the entire world, I swear I never meant to leave you this long.”

Reluctantly pulling back, Y/n looked at Merry quizzically. “You saved the entire world???”

Merry laughed at that, shaking his head. “I’ll tell you about all that, I promise, but I need to tell you something else first.”

Merry took Y/n’s face in his hands, thumbs stroking over their cheeks as he drank in the sight of their face. His voice was hushed and reverent when he spoke. “These past months, I have seen and done things I never would have thought of two years ago. I have lost my way, and lost friends, and seen a whole world outside of The Shire.” Merry paused here, swallowing hard as tears glistened in his eyes. “But no matter what happened, all I could think about was you. How I missed you, how I wished I could have you with me, how I had to protect you. The thought of returning to you was the only thing that kept me going. You are the only thing that mattered to me Y/n.”

“Merry, what are you saying?

“I’m saying that I love you Y/n.”

Shock washed over Y/n as they heard those three words. Despite wanting to hear them for so long, they couldn’t believe it.

“But I’m not [pretty/handsome], I’m not clever, I’m not-“

Merry shook his head furiously, as if he wanted to shake the thoughts out of their head. “Y/n, you don’t see yourself as I see you. You are everything I could ever want, and I love you. I love you Y/n; could you possibly love me too?”

Tears threatened to spill over again as Y/n nodded their head. “Yes Merry, yes, I love you.”

Smiling, Merry leaned in and kissed Y/n. His arms wrapped around their waist, and their hands found their way to his hair. All the longing, all the hope, and all the passion was poured into that kiss, as if they were making up for lost time, but also making a promise for the future.

#merry brandybuck #merry brandybuck x reader #merry x reader #lotr #lord of the rings

[wordbunch]

You’re in the Fellowship and the Hobbits have a crush on you...

a/n: lol there’s no explanation for this, just a cutesy idea that came to me. yes I know I’m still not finished with my Legolas story 😅 no warnings here, just fluff and chaos 💛 (the reader here is human/elf/dwarf/anything but a hobbit for extra fascination 😆) lemme know how you liked it! 😘

+ tagging @starlady66 as requested

For starters let's just (re)establish one thing: being subtle and lowkey is not something any of them vibe with (except sometimes Frodo)

If you're an Elf, Sam would be infatuated with you beyond words. You would just be talking about something and he'd stare with the biggest heart eyes, and then blush furiously either when one of his friends point it out, or when you make eye contact with him - he'd be so red in the face

Oftentimes he would ask you lots of questions with genuine curiosity, and you would be more than happy to answer, whether it's about historical events, songs and stories, customs of your own race, your travels... Anything, and he wants to know it all

Whenever he cooks for the fellowship, you (after Frodo, of course) get the most delicious piece of whatever he made, you caught on it fairly quickly

Many times the Hobbits will talk about you (only the best, of course), but they would be unaware of how loud they're being, and you would hear so many adorable comments and try not to giggle

"Did you see how [y/n] fought off that orc?!"

Frodo would enjoy engaging with you in meaningful, deep conversations, and you think he's wonderful to talk to, yet the spark in his eyes gives him away. And sometimes he has a little smile on his face, no matter what you talk about, he just enjoys talking to you and having your full attention 🥺

wait hold up, Sam would give you random flowers he found along the way, or he would just show you and teach you about many different plants

Like I said, Frodo would be the most lowkey of all of them, but you picked up easily on his mannerisms and you can now read him like a book

You have a great knowledge of Middle-earth and he often wants to consult with you when trying to make a decision where to go next

You yourself are very protective of the four Hobbits and just have a soft spot for all of them, you like to ruffle their curly hair and sometimes tell them a legend or sing an ancient song as they go to sleep

They all love to stay close to you when you're walking over long distances, especially Frodo and Pippin

Firstly, they feel safe with you, secondly, they enjoy your company

You try to always reassure them in little ways

You always always always have a snack or a piece of candy in your pocket for any of them 🤫

You practice sword fighting with Frodo a lot, you're very concerned for his safety, of course

Sometimes that would make the other 3 just a tiny bit jealous, and then of course you'd have to do it with everyone

Gandalf had known you for a while and trusts you, therefore, all four Hobbits trust you completely

Merry is super loud and boisterous around you, shamelessly trying to get your attention, and then keep it for as long as possible

He likes to act all brave and tough when you get attacked by orcs, but more times than not you ended up saving him

Merry is definitely the boldest when it comes to openly complimenting you, and he's very dramatic about it also

In comparison to him, Sam can sometimes feel extra shy and inadequate, but you make sure to let him know you appreciate him and what he does and says

He's just as important!!!!

Sam would tell Frodo that he's crushing on you (not like it's hard to tell...) and when Frodo says he's having the same feelings, Sam immediately wants to back out but Frodo is like "you really think [y/n] would end up with either of us?"

Merry and Pippin enjoy telling you stories of their mischievous adventures so much, and they exaggerate stuff so much in order to make themselves seem cooler

You think they're unbelievably fun either way

So, Pippin is canonically the smallest and youngest and you have an EXTRA soft spot for him, and also he's the most painfully obvious about his crush

He's always sooo embarrassed when Gandalf is strict with him because you can also hear the wizard's reprimands of the young Hobbit

He blushes furiously and he gives you a sad baby look and you always reassure him that "accidents can happen to anyone" and "Gandalf can just be grumpy like that, it's not your fault"

More than once he instinctively hid behind you in a dangerous situation

Sometimes for safety he likes to hold the hem of your cloak and fiddle with it as you walk - helps him get his mind off of all the impending dangers

The other 3 Hobbits would relentlessly make fun of him for being so obvious but he doesn't care in the slightest

Many times when you were alone on the night watch, one of the Hobbits just happened to be unable to sleep and would keep you company instead

Once during the night watch Merry was hanging out with you and laughed so loudly at something you said that half of the fellowship woke up and wanted to strangle him

Especially in those late hours Frodo likes to confide in you and even talk about his dreams and visions that you try to interpret together

You teach Sam about the stars and constellations and phases of the moon

Almost every time Pippin joins you on the night watch, he ends up falling asleep like hugging you around your legs as you stand alert or something (i diagnose him with BABY)

He very much loves to give you cool rocks that he gathers on the way

If any of the Hobbits has an unpleasant dream that wakes them up, they come to you, you just have the calming protective energy (and candy in your pockets, when you think about that...)

If only one of them had a crush on you, it would be a lot to handle, let alone FOUR

But they're so cute that you just can't dismiss them or ignore them ever

And maybe all that lovely chaos is a good distraction from everything bad happening around you

#Lotr imagine #Lotr headcanons #Lotr x reader #Lotr #lord of the rings x reader #Lord of the rings imagine #frodo baggins x reader #samwise gamgee x reader #Sam gamgee x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #pippin took x reader #frodo x reader #samwise x reader #merry x reader #Pippin x reader #Frodo baggins #samwise gamgee #Pippin took #merry brandybuck #from my pocketses

[okay-j-hannah]

Top 10: 2021

Here includes the top ten posts from the year 2021 - yes, the year I started writing for Doctor Who. Obviously it’s changed my blog forever ✨ but I was also thrilled to see that Sherlock was still a popular fandom 😊

1. Your Hidden Strength: Sherlock seems indifferent to the hired housekeeper, but when she goes missing his life is thrown upside down

2. 1k Recommendations {3/3}

3. Simple Minded: You have convinced yourself that the Doctor would be quick to anger with you, but the reality is much more simple

4. You Really Like Hugs - Preference

5. Constant Variable: Sherlock is confused by what he feels around you - taking it a step further and conducting an experiment to pinpoint the cause

6. Prologue: The Dying Girl: You’re swept into an adventure with the Doctor as you try to discover your past

7. They Declare Their Love - Preference

8. Make A Move: He can never say no to her. Does she know why? Absolutely not - but the perks are nice

9. Favorite Kind Of Flirt: However, a nudge in the right direction could be the creation of a colossal failure of a flirt

10. Favorite Kind Of Tension: Sometimes a nudge in the right direction is exactly what companions need, and who better for the job then the charming best friend?

#sherlock x reader #sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock #sherlock holmes #BBC Doctor Who #doctor who #tenth doctor #tenth doctor x reader #eleventh doctor #eleventh doctor x reader #jack harkness #lord of the rings #eomer #eomer x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #merry brandybuck #bilbo baggins #bilbo baggins x reader #newt scamander #newt scamander x reader

[dreaminginpastels]

okay should I write for lotr? because I just watched the trilogy for the first time ever and I am majorly hyperfixating 😍🍃

(also I will get back to writing soon lovely people, just got a massive next couple of weeks and then i’ll be back writing heaps for you all, thank you for being so patient and loving 🤍)

#lotr x reader #pippin took x reader #merry brandybuck x reader #samwise gamgee x reader #legolas greenleaf x reader #frodo baggins x reader #requests open #oh boy do I want to live in this world

[master-muffinn]

Lord of the rings X druid!reader headcanons

Legolas x reader, Thranduil x reader, Gandalf x reader (platonic), Merry/Pippin x reader (platonic), Elanor x reader.

Legolas

🧚‍♀️ Legolas is very curious and excited! He wants to know EVERYTHING about you and what you can do!

🧚‍♀️ But he finds the fact that you can turn to different kinds of animals the most interesting, and asks you a lot of questions about every animal you can transform too.

“Y/n what is that for an odd creature?”

“It’s a seastar”

“A STAR!??” 🤩

🧚‍♀️ Asks you if he can touch you in your animal forms. He lights up with happiness when you say ‘yes’ and touches you with utmost care and curiosity.

🧚‍♀️ Loves carrying you around in your smaller forms. If you turn to a snake he’ll put you around his neck like a necklace, a bird on his head or any other animal that can be on his shoulders.

🧚‍♀️ When the fellowship was in the snowy mountains and while the others had to walk in the deep snow, you were a little mouse in Legolas warm pocket. Not needing to do anything and Legolas didn’t need to worry about your safety. Win-win.

Thranduil

“I thought the druids died out for 4000 years ago, guess i was wrong”

🍷 Like Legolas he is very much interested but in a more calmer and quieter way. He also likes the animal shapes more. 

🍷 He likes when you turn to a little bird and sit on his shoulder whenever he goes to different places.

🍷 LOVES when he sits on his throne and you turn to a smaller animal and sit on his large hand and put your tiny paws on his fingers- the king has heart eyes. 😍 (yes you are his pet now lol) And he totally would feed you grapes too.

🍷 Other than that he also likes your plant and flower abilities. He has left the garden's beauty to you and it is shining more beautifully than it ever has since you came into his life- or perhaps it is just (amazing) you who has grown beautiful and colorful flowers in his heart❤.

🍷 And of course he will try out some of your abilities in the bedroom 😉

Gandalf

🧙‍♂️ Sorry Frodo, Sorry Bilbo, y/n is his number one favorite friend now!

🧙‍♂️ He is very fascinated over your elemental abilities. Wind, water, fire, plants/trees? “What can you do?” 

🧙‍♂️ Gandalf would try (hard) to not sound too eager and excited when you show him. But he can’t help but smile and laugh when you make a phoenix appear out of the fire.

🧙‍♂️ Might show you his ‘magic’ if you ask nicely and you will inspire one another. 

🧙‍♂️ If you have any difficulties with your training and elemental controlling he will give you advice and guidance with what he knows.

🧙‍♂️ Gandalf wouldn't mind if you join him for a while on his journey. He greatly enjoys your company.

Merry/Pippin

🤡 Oh no! OH NOOO! Gandalf will pray to god ... .PLEASE DON’T LET THE WORLD END!!

🤡 When they learn what you are, they will storm you with questions. They will drag you with them for every little prank and misery they are planning.

“Y/n, can you turn to bird and poop on someone's hea-” (pippin)

“No!”

“Can you poop in someones drin-”

“No!”

“Can you-”

“ENOUGH WITH THESE POOP REQUESTS!!!!”

🤡 If you meet on the ring quest, they will ask you to turn to a larger and fluffy animal, like a bear so they can sleep with (on) you on cold nights (like the bear in jungle book? Yes!) Boromir will get jealous because you stole his children. 😢

Elanor Brandyfoot

🐌 The others don't trust you and don't want you around until you show them how quickly you can turn seeds to flowers.

🐌 Elanor will try to calm them down and talk to them so they don’t ‘use’ you for their ‘food greed’.

🐌 You two will have a contest of who is quickest to fill a bucket with berries, buuut of course Elanor wins. 

“Looks like ya powers weren't able to outmatch me!” 

🐌 She loves to see your abilities and is very happy that others like you too and have accepted you to the group, but she gets a little jealous when you get too much attention because she wants to be alone with you too! 

🐌 She loves the evenings when things have been calming down and laying under the stars with her head on your (larger) animal form. Petting you is very calming for her and she mostly falls asleep like that with you. 

Thank you for reading! I hope you like it! 💖

Post made by me, @master-muffinn

#the hobbit x reader #lotr x reader #the lord of the rings #legolas x reader #thranduil x reader #gandalf x reader #merry x reader #pippin x reader #merry and pippin #elanor x reader #legolas greenleaf #thranduil oropherion #gandalf the grey #merry brandybuck #pippin took #Elanor Brandyfoot #rings of power #lord of the rings x reader #lotr headcanons #x druid/reader #druid #elfs #hobbits #made by master-muffinn

[autistook]

DAISIES - pt 5

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 3.3k

Summary: Merry encourages you to try and face your fears. You two grow closer, but it seems like he is hiding something from you, along with your friends.

Content warnings: alcohol, small anxiety attack

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

---------

Something was missing. Maybe it was the sharp edges of the fox's tail that were bothering you?

You used your thumb to smudge the fur around a little, spreading the charcoal around the paper, making the tail puffier and more realistic looking. You looked at the paws of the fox, squinting your eyes at the small mistakes you had made. You were scared of ruining the whole picture, so instead you kept your attention mainly on the tail, your tongue slightly sticking out between your lips as you concentrated.

After making the finishing touches, you took a small step back to observe the finished product.

"That looks good," said Merry suddenly behind you, making your heart jump to your throat. 

"Merry!" you gasped, startled. "You scared me! Where did you come from?"

"I actually watched you make it for the last five minutes," he confessed, snickering. "You were quite focused, and I didn't want to bother you."

"I really did not hear you come in at all," you said, heart still beating fast from the sudden appearence of your friend. You took the pile of the faintly yellow papers you had tied onto a wooden board on your paint covered easel, and placed them on your desk.

"Whats this?" asked Merry, taking the third drawing from the pile. 

Merry was looking at the charcoal sketches. There were sparks in his eyes. He was visibly impressed. 

Two of the sketches he kept admiring more than the others. One of them was quite a detailed drawing of his hand. The other drawing was a sketch of his side profile, the curls framing his face and his gaze on the horizon. A faint smile you had drawn on his face, and the collar of his shirt was a little unkept, as it usually tended to be.

"I've been feeling very inspired today," you said, fiddling with the lace of your corset. Merry noticed your sign of anxiety, and a small smile appeared on his face. He knew you were very picky and self concious about your own art.

"Its very impressive," he said, adoring your art work, wondering how you managed to draw him with such accuracy. "Is my collar always that unkept?" he asked as he observed the picture, immediately fixing the collar on the shirt he was wearing.

"Most of the time," you snickered, to which Merry responded by trying to fix his shirt a little more. You shook your head, and stepped closer to him. "Let me fix that," you said, your hands on his cotton collar now. Merry inhaled deeply.

"Thank you," he said as you fixed his shirt.

"Its not always bad if you're a little unkept," you smiled, tapping on his now straightened up collars. "It makes you look less formal and serious. It makes you more, well, Merry."

Merry smiled at you softly and cleared his throat as he took one small step back to put a little bit of space between you two.

"You have some charcoal there," he smirked, tapping his cheek. You wiped your cheek softly with the back of your hand.

"Did I get it?" you asked, making Merry snort.

"Not exactly," he said and took a red handkerchief from his pocket. He cupped your left cheek with his hand, and with the other he slowly cleaned off the charcoal you had just spread accidentally. "There you go," he said, looking at you with a soft expression before letting go of your face.

"What are you doing here anyway?" you asked Merry, wiping your hands on your dress.

"I wanted to see you," he responded, his expression slightly nervous. "I was thinking… I know how you feel about being challenged, and I… Well, I have a challenge for you."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Merry took a deep breath. He didn't know what drove him to think his plan was a good one, but he was confident about it.

"I think we should go to the Bywater pool," he suggested carefully. "And maybe test out walking in the more shallow water."

Your heart started beating fast, and your breath hitched. 

"Merry," you said, immediately fidgeting with your fingers and shifting your weight from one foot to the other.

"I am not going to force you to do it," he said. "But I am going to challenge you to do it. And there's no need to be nervous. We can go just ankle deep, and I will be there every step of the way."

"I don't know, Merry. Why would I?" you said with a loud gulp and your body tensing up more. He took your hand and held it tightly, stroking your thumb with his in a calming manner.

"I know you can do it," he said, but then a mischevous smile took shape on his face. "Or maybe you can't. Maybe I overestimated you."

And with that, he stuck a nerve. He overestimated you? Absolutely not. 

"I can do it," you said in a serious manner, pulling your hand back to your side. You immediately started stomping out of your bedroom with determination. 

Merry smiled to himself, and followed your fast paced and confident walking all the way outside of Bag End, and towards Bywater.

The closer you got to the Bywater pool, the more nervous you got, your anxiety growing with every step you took. Your breathing was slightly shallow, but you kept trying to steady it. Your heart was beating fast and it felt uneven. Your thoughts were unkept and bouncing from one scary thought to another.

You stopped. Merry made his way next to you. You took a deep, shaky breath.

The water was reflecting the bright blue sky, and the pond stood absolutely still. On the more shallow end was a rock bottom, and in the middle of the pond, you knew there was mud underneath the surface. It scared you. You feared it might swallow you whole.

Merry squeezed your hand to support you, and gave you a soft nudge.

"You can do this," he reassured.

Your heart was beating faster and faster. You were hesitating, even though the urge to prove you could indeed go in the water was strong. You fiddled with your corset again, trying to gather up the courage to walk in there, and go at least ankle deep into the cold water. 

Merry took a deep breath after a while, and squeezed your hand more tightly.

"I'm sorry," he said. You immediately turned your face sharply in his direction. "I believe in you, and I'm sorry for what I am about to do."

And with that, Merry put his arms around your waist tightly and picked you up, your upper body resting on his shoulder.

"Merry!" you cried. "What are you doing?"

Merry rushed the both of you into the pond with a tight grip on your waist, as you kicked your feet in the air. 

"I know you can do this," he said, now ankle deep in the water. 

"No, I can't! Put me down!"

"That's the plan," he responded, lifting you so that you faced him. Your chests were pressed together and your nose almost touched his. "I am going to put you down now."

"No!" you said, shaking your head vigorously. Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest, and Merry could feel it against him. 

"Trust me," he said, looking you deep in your eyes. There was confidence in his eyes as he kept reassuring you, your faces just inches apart. "I'll put you down slowly. There's nothing to worry about. I'm right here. All you need to do is breathe." 

You took a deep breath. His reassuring and confident gaze made you slightly more relaxed. After all, he did know you better than anyone else. You gave him a small nod, your fingers trembling.

Slowly he began to lower you, and your arms immediately clung around his neck. You were shaking, but your breathing was getting more steady in his comforting embrace.

Inch by inch, he lowered your body towards the water, not breaking eye contact, giving you a reassuring look.

Your toes hit the cold water, making you shut your eyes tightly. 

"Its alright," he said calmly, lowering you until your feet hit the bottom. His arms slowly started to move off your waist. He decided to keep his palms softly on your middle, making sure you can stand steady. "See? You're doing it."

You opened your eyes and looked at your feet. There they were, under the water which was looking magical now that the sunlight made it sparkle so beautifully. It was probably shiny before, but you didn't notice it until now. You curled your toes, getting some rough sand and tiny rocks between them. Your heartbeat regulated, and your breath was balanced again.

"I did it," you whispered in shock. Your eyes widened and a radiant smile formed on your lips. "I did it!"

"Yes, you did." 

You jumped into his arms, your arms wrapping around his neck. A loud giggle left your mouth, and your ears softly fluttered from joy. The water splashed loudly as you hopped off Merry's embrace. You waded around a little, enjoying the feeling of the wet sand and cold bottom of the pond under your feet. The feeling of accomplishment overwhelmed you with joy.

"Thank you!" you giggled, enthusiastic about what felt like the most courageous act you had ever done.

"Next time we can go knee deep," Merry said.

"Hold your horses, Meriadoc!" you responded, pointing your finger at him. "This was already terrifying and a huge step. Lets just enjoy this for now."

Merry chuckled and put his hands in his pockets, kicking his feet around the water, splashing water around in small doses.

"I felt like it was time to try and beat at least a small fraction of your fears," he said warmly. "I strongly believe that you can eventually get over this fear."

"Maybe," you responded, your eyes fixated on the water and shiny with excitement.

You were amazed by how calming the water felt when you weren't completely buried in it. The cool splashes when you walked around felt ticklish but relaxing, and the waves that formed by the kicking of Merry's feet were captivating. The reflection of the sky felt like you walked into a dream, and the sparkle of the sunlight reminded you of the expensive glittering of jewelry.

The following day, you walked to the Green Dragon on your own. It was a rainy day, and you had been feeling a little blue. It was very quiet at home, as Gandalf was wandering outside with Frodo in the grey weather. The Green Dragon felt like a good chance to get some fresh air, with the hope of possibly meeting some friends there. 

You entered the Green Dragon, your curls dripping with water and your coat soaked from the downpour.

To your surprise, you saw almost all of your friends there, already sitting together.

By a small booth in a dark corner, were Samwise, Pippin, Merry and to your surprise, Fatty Bolger. It was a surprise indeed, as you were under the impression that Fatty was still holding a grudge against Merry for breaking the heart of Estella, his beloved little sister.

Pippin noticed you first, and gestured towards your direction. You smiled at them, and made your way to their table. 

"Hullo," Pippin said, smiling softly to you. Everyone else was quiet, and shifting in their seats.

"Am I interrupting something?" you asked after a moment of awkwardness. Their silence made you feel uncomfortable, yet curious.

"Not at all," answered Fredegar. His dark hair was unkept, and his vest old, a small hole on the front of it. "I was just about to leave."

"Alright," you said quietly, and Fredegar got up in one swift movement. He was suspiciously quick with his feet, and before he exited the Green Dragon, he gave a meaningful look to the rest of the group. "What was that about?" you asked.

"It was nothing," said Pippin, as he patted the spot next to him as a gesture for you to sit down.

"We were just discussing something private," Merry responded, to which Sam reacted by elbowing him softly. Merry looked at him, furrowing his brows. 

"Private matters that concern only Fatty, he means," said Samwise. 

You couldn't help but feel like your friend was lying straight to your face. You looked at Pippin and Merry. Both of them nodded in unison, confirming Sam's explanation to you. Yet, your gut was telling you it was not the whole truth.

"Is there something I should know?" you asked.

Merry shifted his gaze to Pippin, clearly looking for guidance on how to respond to your questioning. 

"It's like he said," Merry responded. "It was just something that Fatty wants to keep private."

"Is he no longer angry at you?" you asked Merry, making him shift in his chair again. "About Estella, I mean?"

"No, not at all."

You looked at all of them, one by one. You took note of little irregularities in their body languages. 

Sam was furrowing his brows more than normal, and his fingers were tapping the sides of his pint. Merry was shifting his position ever so slightly whenever you looked at him, whilst Pippin was looking at you with an overexaggerated grin. They were lying.

"Well, that's good!" you finally responded. You took a long sip of your drink. You could see everyone at the table relax a little, as they thought they had convinced you that nothing was out of the ordinary. 

You all sat there in silence for a few uncomfortable minutes, until Sam opened his mouth in a long sigh.

"Well, I should get going," he said, getting up slowly. "I have some more work to do in Bag End."

"I thought you finished your work early today?" you said, giving him a questioning look. Sam scratched his head.

"Well, yes. But mister Frodo asked me to plant a few tulips near the entrance."

You looked at Sam, not blinking. He stared at you, his face flushed.

"Sam? It’s pouring rain," you said, trying to pull the truth out of your friend.

"Well, I should be going now," he said with a gentle smile. "I'll see you later, miss."

Samwise made his way out of the Green Dragon, and as your attention was at Sam, Pippin was smirking at Merry. You turned around only when you heard Merry smack Pippin on his shoulder.

"Well, I also need to be somewhere," Pippin said, bouncing over Merry and getting out of the booth.

"You too?" you said, now even more suspicious.

"Yes, I have places to be," Pippin said, taking his damp coat off the empty chair next to you.

"Where? What places?" you asked firmly, but with the same soft tone you always used when you tried to reel the truth out of Peregrin.

"Places," Pippin said and looked at Merry and you. He smiled wide. "Have fun," he continued. He walked away and left you two alone. 

Merry glanced at you, and then shifted his gaze to his half finished drink. He was brushing his fingers around the small cracks on the handle of the wooden pint he was holding.

"Merry," you said in a low, quiet voice, trying to make eye contact with him. "What was all that really about?"

Merry huffed and looked up from his pint, still not directly at you.

"It's like they said," Merry responded, his eyes scanning around the room. "Just some personal stuff of Fatty's."

"I think you're lying," you said, firmly but gently. He still wouldn't look at you. "But if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I guess I'm just concerned that I have done something wrong.

Merry finally looked at you, bewildered.

"Why would you have done something wrong?" he inquired. You shrug your shoulders, and he smiled compassionately. "You haven't done anything wrong. It's just a private matter, that's all. Nothing for you to worry about. I promise."

You kept analyzing the changes in his posture, the way he worded things and even the way he looked at you. You were still sure that all of them were hiding something, but you decided to trust his word. 

"Are you in a rush to leave too?" you asked, immediately sneezing afterwards. You were uncomfortable and shivering from being so drenched from the downpour outside.

"You're shivering!" Merry said, concerned, moving closer to you in the booth. He took his dry coat off and wrapped it around you. 

"Thank you," you sniffled. Merry tried to warm you up by rubbing his hand on your back over the coat. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said warmly. "If you want to spend time with me, that is."

You smiled and leaned your head against his shoulder, making him shudder a little. You furrowed your brows a little as it was odd, but you deducted it must've been from the wet hair that hit his skin.

"Can I... I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a few weeks now," Merry suddenly said. Your head was still resting on his shoulder as you answered him.

"What's on your mind?" you asked softly.

A silence followed, as Merry was struggling to find a way to ask you something of delicate matter. Finally he cleared his throat.

"Have you ever felt different?" he asked.

"What?" you chuckled, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

Merry took a deep breath and huffed, trying to gather his composure and to find a better way to express his thoughts.

"Have you ever suddenly felt different about something?" he asked, his voice quiet. He took pauses between every sentence, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Have you ever started to notice new things about something? Like you were always used to it being a certain way, but now suddenly it's just different?”

You lifted your head off his shoulder and looked at him, confused.

"I still don't quite know what you mean."

Merry let out a sigh, leaning back a little for a more comfortable position.

"Have you ever looked at something differently, and thought to yourself: was this here all along and I just never noticed it?" he said. "And it felt natural. Almost like that thing was supposed to be that way all along, but it just took you some time to notice? That it took time to start seeing it differently?"

You thought about his words for a moment.

"I suppose," you finally said. Merry looked at you, analyzing your expression as you responded. You thought about his question a little more, and Merry's mood seemed to grow a little nervous. "My favorite book was that way. As a book it was alright, I thought. Then after reading it for a second time, I noticed how much I actually enjoyed reading it. Is that what you meant?"

Merry's lips pouted a little, his brows furrowed in what seemed like disappointment, and he sighed loudly. He finished his beer, again no longer looking your way.

"Almost, but no. That is not what I meant," he said quietly.

"Then what did you mean?" you asked, now even more confused. Merry shook his head, his expression anxious.

"It was nothing important. Just something stupid I've been thinking about. I'm going to get another ale."

Merry got up and took his empty pint with him. He walked to the counter, and his spirit seemed to have shrunk. As he got to the counter and sat down on one of the high chairs set in front of the bar, he glanced at you quickly over his shoulder, before turning away.

NEXT CHAPTER

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@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23

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