By: Dana
Summary: Late spring, SR 1429.
Characters: Estella, Pippin, Merry, Diamond
Pairings: Merry/Pippin/Diamond/Estella
Rating: G, PG
Warnings: Cheerful nonmonogamy, contains slash, femslash, and het elements
Author's Notes: For the Twenty Rings challenge community: Set #1, Theme #1, Under the sky.
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.

They had gone out riding, Diamond with ribbons in her hair near as colourful as Spring, and grousing good-naturedly that, wouldn't it be nice if this over-large pony wasn't such a terribly hard ride. Now, while Merry and Pippin busy themselves with luncheon, raiding the whicker picnic basket while the ponies are tethered near by, eating their own meal, Estella finds herself fussing over the honey-bright mess of Diamond's curls, trying to work those ribbons free.

"I – ow," Diamond gasps, and laughs, as Estella's fingers fumble in the length of bright cloth, trying their best to work the silk-soft fabric free, but finding herself unable. "Stop pulling on me, or I'll – ow, you pulled on me again."

"Well, that's not my intent, Diamond, but the ribbons are wound so – tight," and she tugs, and Diamond flinches, Pippin then stretching out to sit with his knees pressed through cloth along Diamond's legs.

"Here, let me," he says, Diamond flinching and gasping, "she makes it so my hair is in tangles", and Estella can't help but laugh as Pippin grins and works free the ribbons, his fingers long and moving deftly, and then Diamond's hair is tumbling free.

"There now, all better," he says, and Estella's joy leaks from her mouth in a short soft burst of laughter, that she sets upon his cheek. Grinning, he turns himself to Diamond, and whispers against her ear, "here, I do think that this is for you", and he kisses the fine line of Diamond's cheekbone, and Estella is near enough that she can see the tremble of Diamond's frame.

And, Estella thinks, aren't they lucky, the lot of them, from Diamond and her quick laugh to Pippin and his bold grin and Merry, watching, smiling as he shakes his head, as aren't they all too old for such play? But he should know, no, no they're not, and Estella will see that they take what joy they can from each passing day. It has been too dark and they have all seen it, and they have felt it, too, and while Estella knows, she also knows that the nightmares have been fewer and fewer still with them all sharing an over-large bed.

The sky is clear and bright and blue, though, and they end up laying beneath it, luncheon content upon their stomachs and with spring warmth lulling their bodies into a sated repose.