A/N: This was written for Legoline as part of the holiday ficlets I'm writing for my LJ friends.

Unquenchable

When Merry arrived with the breakfast tray he was surprised to find Pippin awake, considering how nightmares and difficulty breathing had plagued his sleep the night before. But Pippin was awake - awake and glaring right at him.

"I'm not going to be good company today," he said by way of greeting

"And why is that?" Merry asked calmly, knowing his cousin's attitude was not really meant for him. "Are you in pain?"

"No. Well, not much more than usual," Pippin replied shortly. He yawned enormously, and rubbed at his eyes with his good hand.

Despite his cousin's grumpy behavior, Merry's heart melted. He climbed up beside Pippin and wrapped his arm gently around his tense shoulders. "Still feeling tired, then?"

"I'm always tired lately. You know that," Pippin replied, less sharply than before. Slowly his shoulders relaxed, and he willingly leaned against Merry. "It's exhausting to be cheerful all the time, you know," he added. "And I have tried to be cheerful every day since I woke up."

"I know," Merry replied. "And we love you for it, Pippin. But you don't have to force yourself to be cheerful when you're not. Especially when you are not feeling well."

"I think everyone rather expects it of me," Pippin said with an aggrieved sigh.

"Maybe we do," Merry confessed. "That doesn't mean you have to pretend. You're entitled to a gloomy day every now and then."

"Most days I don't mind being cheerful. I even like it," Pippin admitted, his mouth turning up slightly at the corners. "But today I felt like I had nothing to smile about, which I know is silly. We're all here, aren't we?"

"Yes," Merry replied. He could not help but hug Pippin tighter. "We are."

"Well," Pippin said, grinning. "That's worth a smile, at least."