By: Dana
Summary: Not all tears are an evil.
Characters: Pippin, Frodo, Merry
Pairings: Frodo/Merry/Pippin-ish
Rating: G
Warnings: Nothing really
Author's Notes: dreamflower02 said I should post this. (Even though I think that it is pretty vague.)
Prompt: Drink (#60). Words: 300
33/100.
Disclaimer: The author makes no claim to owning the rights of anything to do with J.R.R. Tolkien or New Line Cinema. Any and all characters and situations that have been borrowed are for the author's personal use only, and for the entertainment of others.

Frodo sits there in the sunlight, radiant as he smiles; but there is shadow in his gaze, and tell-tale lines at the corner of his eyes. Pippin offers him seconds on apple crumble, and Frodo accepts with a smile; supper had been spectacular, and each of them taking multiple helpings. Earlier, they sat together and spoke of things they had let sit idle too long, and Pippin had felt a great fool for weeping on Frodo as he had. But Frodo had told him that, for all there is sorrow in tears, there is great joy in them as well.

Merry first told Pippin that about tears, some ages ago in Minas Tirith, and them lying side by side in bed, with nothing better to do; but there had been days like that, for all there had been others, in the long months after the War and everything else, before going home; Then Merry had kissed Pippin, and his mouth had been wet with tears. Pippin had wondered at Merry's sorrow, though he hadn't questioned him as he might have. Pippin didn't know everything, wasn't even sure he wanted to – it seemed enough that Pippin knew there had been change.

But they are at Crickhollow, now, all three of them together, just as it is meant to be; and supper had been spectacular and afters a success as well. But he wonders, if things have changed between them, so much, that they'll never have what they had before. He's wondering that still as he kisses Frodo, Frodo's mouth wet with tears as well – it seems like too much for one hobbit to bear alone, for all it seems Frodo might choke on it, the joy and the sorrow. And so Pippin drinks of it, and takes on all he can.