Spring Fever

A/N: Originally written for the "Spring Fever" challenge at hobbit_ficathon on LJ.

It had been the worst winter in recent Buckland history, but for Merry the cold and snow and ice were a distant and half-forgotten memory in the midst of sunshine and flowers and fresh green grass beneath his feet.

Merry strolled along the Brandywine, his hands in his pockets and his face warmed by the sun. It was wonderful to be outdoors again, surrounded by nature, and he settled happily beneath a blossom-covered tree.

The very picture of relaxation, Merry shut his eyes and fell into a light sleep, waking a short time later with a strange itching sensation around his nose.

Merry sat up, blinking quickly in the strong sunlight and, wrinkled his nose. A blossom had landed on his chest and another on his neck, and he gathered both up, smiling briefly though his nose grew more and more itchy. He rubbed his nose with his hand, and was rewarded with a series of sneezes in quick succession that left him breathless and teary-eyed.

Sighing deeply, Merry attempted to stand, but sneezed again and again, each time more fiercely than the last, until his poor nose and chest were weak and exhausted. Crossly batting away another blossom, he tried to clear his now-constricted throat while twisting his shoulder into an uncomfortable position in an attempt to scratch away the sudden itchiness spreading across his neck.

A twig snapped behind him, and Merry peered around the tree trunk, his eyes tearing up so badly that he could barely make out Pippin’s blurry form settling beside him.

“I thought I would find you here,” Pippin said, shaking his head as he shot Merry an exasperated but fond gaze. “My dear Merry, will you ever learn?”

“I’m just so tired of being cooped up indoors,” Merry said, his voice groggy and thick. “I only wanted some fresh air.” He punctuated his words with a thundering cough, and followed that by sneezing eight more times in a row.

“My poor Merry-lad,” Pippin murmured, retrieving a wad of handkerchiefs from his pocket and tenderly wiping Merry’s red and watery eyes. He pressed another handkerchief to Merry’s nose and dutifully held it in place as his cousin blew his nose.

“Lovely,” Pippin said, tossing the handkerchief onto the grass and tugging Merry closer.

Pippin’s face felt blessedly cool against Merry’s own, and he sighed a little before a wracking cough shook his entire body.

“You’ve got a fever,” Pippin muttered. He pulled back Merry’s collar and inspected the red and itchy-looking bumps rising on his neck. “And a rash as well. What did you do, roll around in a flower bed?”

“Nrrgh,” Merry replied indignantly, and sneezed into Pippin’s hair.

“What am I going to do with you?” Pippin said, holding Merry tight for another moment before pulling him to his feet. “A bath first, and then some ointment for your neck and tonic for your nose and throat. We should have enough saved from the last time.”

Merry made a face that turned unintentionally frightful by his bright red eyes and nose. “It’s not fair,” he protested thickly.

“I know,” Pippin said, linking arms with his cousin as he led him back to their little house. “But at least you will get to have a nice long rest in bed – preferably until July.”