Mind Games by Nickey ( R )

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

Fandom: LOTR
Pairing: Merry/Pippin
Author on LJ: nickeyb
Author Website: http://nickeyb.livejournal.com/profile
Why this must be read:

Within the space of a single moment, a single flash of Galadriel's eyes, Merry sees all he could have had, and done, and lost, if he'd chosen to stay in the Shire with Pippin at his side. That dry summary doesn't do the breathtaking impact of this story justice. It's one of my favorite evocations of a canon moment in the fandom; it's a story I was considering writing myself, until Nickey wrote it better, and I say that in order to convey how highly I think of this story.

He moans and mutely reaches for remembered (remembered?) warmth but instead his elbow plunges into toffees, scattering them across the hillside. And Pippin sits up, a darkling shadow, the sun showing gold and bronze and copper in his hair as it frames his face, incandescent aureole, until he grins and pokes him in the ribs.

“Silly Merry...”

And he takes a toffee and pops it into Merry’s mouth, leaning down to brush his lips with his own as he does so, and there is tenderness melting on his tongue, heavy, rich and sweet, and Merry feels like crying but he doesn’t quite know why…


Mind Games