Title: The Kiss
Author: Anso the Hobbit
Beta: Marigold
Pairing: Merry/Estella
Rating: PG
Note: Written for Marigold's Challenge 21.
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“Oooh…Did that hurt Merry?” Estella said, touching the brown scar on Merry’s brow with a feather light touch while seeing his features with new eyes now that he had declared his love to her. She loved his face, she loved all of him, but sadness mingled with the joy when she thought about his sunny face and the scar that was like a cloud on a cheerful blue sky.

“Not now. But the memory still does.”

“Would it help if I kissed it better?”

“It would,” Merry said, looking at her with so much love that Estella was sure she would burst if he lavished all of it on her at once.

She stood up on her toes and kissed it then, tenderly and lovingly. “All better?”

“Much better.” Merry smiled and reached down to cup Estella's face and kiss her. When they finally and reluctantly broke apart he asked, "Will you promise to always kiss it better?”

“I will," Estella agreed solemnly, touched by his confidence in a kiss.

They took their glasses then and looked each other in the eyes for a long time. “To a future where all our worries are small enough to be kissed better."