SR 1412
(Pimpernel is 33, Tully is 31.)

I. Pimpernel Took and Tuleric Tunnelly

She had grown so used to Tully, it surprised her when she found she loved him, and as more than just a friend. Pimpernel wasn't one on holding to propriety, most especially when it came to saving time.

It was her thirty-third, and mother had planned the party (for Pearl, at her own coming of age, had defeated their mother and all her careful planning): well, it was a splendid party, and the music was loud, and the food was delicious, though her mother had insisted on there being more new presents than there were old.

'Just enough of both,' she'd said. 'That way, no one will think it too much.'

Somehow, Pimpernel escaped her mother, went laughing into the crowd, danced with three cousins, took kisses from two others, and made certain they were all enjoying themselves, for that was her place, as hostess. There were still some joyous hours left to them, but only left to joy: the main course was behind them, and her birthday speech, too.

And when she was finished with all that, with laughing and dancing, she smoothed down the front of her pimpernel-coloured bodice, and went looking for Tully.

He wasn't one for grand parties, and stood instead at the corner of the dancing circle, clinging to his little cup, where the light wasn't so bright, where the music wasn't so loud. She saw him, and she smiled, and the night seemed brighter, somehow, even with him secluded as he was.

Then she went to him, and he smiled: then Pimpernel asked if they might dance.

Tully accepted: through three sets, and they were laughing, winded, afterwards. They went again to the side of the dancing circle, starlight bright overhead.

There, Pimpernel gave Tully his own present. There, they had their first kiss.

SR 1415
(Tolby is 30, Everard is 35.)

II. Tolbric Tunnelly and Everard Took

Everard was hoping he wouldn't make a fool of himself. Ferdi had made more than just a fool of himself, and for the whole of their family (and all their guests).

He groaned, and leaned against the other hobbit – not so tall as he, and slighter, though his arm about Everard felt sturdy enough. But likely, that was only for the shifting of his vision.

Everard couldn't recall it, if he'd told this lad the way to his room, but they made it there, and Everard wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed. The lad protested, said they really should get his jacket off first, but Everard's head hurt and he had a feeling that he'd done something foolish, though whatever it was, he couldn't tell. The lad tried to keep him upright, but Everard would not have any of that.

The bed looked comforting. He took the lad with him.

He fell immediately into sleep.

And then, some long time after that, he woke.

An even longer time after that, he found out his lad's name: Tolbric Tunnelly, from south of Whitwell, with dark russet curls and darker grey-green eyes, and Everard found himself tripping over himself, thinking himself an even bigger fool.

He couldn't remember the night before with any clarity. He hoped he hadn't been ill.

Later on, when they met again, when Everard had dressed and freshened himself, had drunk mint tea to soothe his breath, he spoke with Tolby at length.

He tripped over himself, apologizing, and Tolby grinned, sweet and cheerful with laughing eyes, and Everard felt better for his cheer. 'Don't you mind, Ev Took. I was glad to have met you.'

Still, Everard said, 'Well, let me thank you, please.'

Tolby nodded, still grinning.

So Everard did, with a kiss.

SR 1418
(Topaz is 33, Ferdibrand is 35.)

III. Topaz Tunnelly and Ferdibrand Took

Merry, being the older, wiser cousin, shook his head, arms folded over his chest. 'You wouldn't do it.'

Pippin, though, said, 'I think he would.'

'He wouldn't do something so foolish. So reckless.' He looked down the broad curve of stairs, greater than even the Great Steps – the set of stairs that led down into the Ball Room of Great Smials, banisters at each side.

'It isn't all that reckless,' Pippin countered.

'It's reckless enough. Ferdi, you – Ferdi!'

Ferdi, who'd grown tired of being talked over, swung up onto the banister, held on, and let himself slide. He felt the rush warm and somewhat stilted air, as he went sliding: though, it came to him, suddenly, that he hadn't yet considered his ending – only the unspoken dare (he'd been a tween the last he'd done this, and rather lighter, at the time). He hit the carved-wooden finial at the end, but didn't stop, hit the ground and went rolling. He came to a stop, dazed and winded, bruised more than overly hurt.

Then, seeing stars, once he rolled to his side, he found himself looking at a pair of pretty feet, yellow ribbons in russet-dark curls.

The lass they belonged to, half-bemused and half-concerned, asked after him, then offered him her hand. He took it, struck dumb, and drew himself to his feet.

Merry and Pippin came down, Pippin wondering out loud if they might need to call for the healer. 'No,' Ferdibrand said. 'No, I'm fine.'

And the lass (whom he'd know soon enough, as Topaz Tunnelly, who'd gone looking for her Aunt, and found him instead), smiled so wide that he felt his heart give a silly little leap. 'Nothing a kiss won't mend, at any length.'

The lass gave a little laughing snort, then kissed his cheek.

SR 1423
(Jed is 34, Opal is 35.)

IV. Jedric Tunnelly and Opal Bolger

It wasn't just a wedding for a cousin, but one for a good friend: Jed remembered Newbury in the spring of 1421, when he had been in need of doing something, something for someone else. It seemed that Sancho had been in that same need, as well, and for much the same reason – they spoke lightly of it, if they spoke of it at all, that dark time they had both spent in the Lockholes, in the dark of 1419.

But this was years after, and it was a mid-summer, Sancho dressed in his best, and Pearl with white and yellow flowers in her hair. Jed was happy for the both of them, for they were both in need of such joy – Jed felt old enough, now, made wise by things he ought not have faced, but possessing of a simple amount of hobbity good-sense, as well: that after all that darkness, what's needed was joy, and light.

So, husband and wife kissed, and then kissed again. Sancho's face was shining, and Pearl's was as well. Then she turned, laughing still, and she flung her wedding flowers far. And Jed, acting without thinking, caught the flower, and Pearl smiled so wide it seemed her face might surely split.

Some long time after that, when the celebration was in full, a Bolger cousin of Sancho's, Opal was her name, came to him, looked at him and his flowers, and smiled as she did.

'Do you know of Bolger tradition?'

He shook his said, said he did not.

She discussed it at some length, and then, for Pearl was unable to, and it would be bad luck to let it go as it was, she asked if she might kiss him in Pearl's stead.

He nodded, and he smiled, and she did.

SR 1430
(Aster is 32-almost-33, Taligar is 35.)

V. Aster Tunnelly and Taligar Bolger

It's was cousin Opal's birthday, and Applegrove was fair splendid – the farmyard had been cleared, and a dancing circle had been widened, and they had strung out long ribbons, in blue and yellow and green, with hanging lanterns. Night came, and supper went before them – even the cake had been had, once Opal had finished with her rather resplendent speech, and her guests had laughed and cheered (though they hadn't demanded more).

Hobbits, both young and old, joined to dance through several reels, under fairy-light and a dusting of stars. She ended up partnering with an old connexion of some cousin: an old hobbit, with white in his curls, and bright eyes, and a merry smile.

And after a turn of events better left untold, Aster ended up tripping over his foot, and so turned her ankle, and so she ended up sitting out the rest of the dancing, for her ankle had began to swell. And he seemed distraught, though Aster told him not to worry, and to dance well for the both of him – and he went off, and Aster sat alone, sipping the ale that had been brought, and wishing herself back out to the dancing circle.

Opal's brother Taligar came to sit with her, but only after he'd looked after her ankle, and when she told him she didn't wish to cause a fuss, he had her turn and sit across the bench, and he allowed her to raise her foot on his lap – to keep down the swelling, he said.

Touched, she kissed his cheek and thanked him, though some time after that, when the party was winding down, and there was more sun in the air than there was star: when she felt that she could stand, when she knew that she could walk.