Chapter Text
Pippin and Y/N had been friends since childhood, but lately he had noticed her presence made him abnormally nervous. He had always been the loud, outgoing type, but found himself tripping over his words around her. If she had noticed, she never brought it up..unlike Merry. Whenever Pippin tried to speak to Y/N, Merry seemed to appear out of thin air, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at him. It made him furious. He was already struggling to deal with this strange situation he found himself in, and his cousin’s mockery was not helping.
After several weeks of awkward exchanges, Merry invited Pippin out for a drink at the Green Dragon. Unbeknownst to Pippin, Y/N had recently taken a job there, working as a barmaid. As she poured drinks for customers and bustled about, Pippin couldn’t help but stare. Even her work “uniform” suited her, which caused the young Hobbit to blush profusely. She seemed to notice this out of the corner of her eye, and sent a subtle wink his way, smiling mischievously. Unfortunately, Pippin had just taken a sip of ale. He turned beet red and choked on his drink. Coughing hard and protesting as Merry hit him hard on the back, Y/N suddenly looked very alarmed and hurried over to their table.
“Are you alright, Pip? What happened?” concern crept into her voice as her e/c eyes widened.
“Y/N!” he cried, horrified that she’d left her “post” to check on him. “I-I’m fine! You’re fine! I mean – you’re pretty! Er, I mean, it’s pretty kind to come check on me,” he rambled, silently berating himself for this awkward slip-up.
Y/N blinked, a slight blush lighting up her face. “As long as you’re okay, I suppose I’ll get back to work..” she muttered, awkwardly pulling her hair to one side and stepping away.
Merry had been trying to hold back his laughter since she’d winked at Pippin, but now that Y/N was out of earshot, he burst out laughing. “Well done, Pip! You’re clearly very good with the ladies!” he roared.
Pippin glared at him and cleared his throat. “What do you suggest I do, then? I didn’t even know I liked –” he stopped himself as Merry made that infuriating face again. He rolled his eyes and looked away. Merry knew this look well; worry and embarrassment was making his cousin spiral. He sighed and took one last sip of his ale before setting it down and pulling Pippin to the garden in the back of the building.
“You like her; I understand completely. It’s natural to be awkward! Here’s what you do: impress her! Show her you like her in one grand gesture!” Pippin looked horrified at this: his love for her was making him shy. “Okay, maybe not. Why don’t you sing something? Or play an instrument? Ladies love a talented musician. It’s foolproof! Even for you,” he teased.
Pippin opened his mouth to protest, but noticed one of the older, more drunk customers harassing Y/N, shouting angrily and gesturing wildly. Y/N was standing very still, seemingly frozen. She seemed to be calmly speaking to the man and holding her ground, but he recognized her expression. He had only seen it a few times, but he never wanted to see it again: she was about to cry. The skin above her eyebrows, hairline, and tips of her ears were rapidly becoming flushed; a tell-tale sign she was about to lose her composure. Merry was still talking, but Pippin could no longer hear him; he was laser-focused on Y/N and the man, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Without thinking, he sprinted towards the man, weaving through the throng of customers and crowded tables. He rushed behind the bar to where she was standing. The man ignored him, seemingly set on berating his beloved Y/N. Pippin gently moved her out of the way, smiling gently at her. She was blinking rapidly; the final warning before her eyes flooded with tears.
“What can I do to help, sir? I’m the keeper of this inn. How can I be of service?” he asked, winking at Y/N. She smiled and suppressed a weak giggle, blushing lightly.
The man scoffed. “It’s about time I get proper service around here! This..wench of yours–” he glared at Y/N, looking her up and down, “–refused to give me another ale, even though I have the pay! I demand another! Give me another!” he was becoming more and more furious; his face was bright red and his words were slurred. He was clearly struggling to stand and was on the verge of blacking out, if he hadn’t already.
Pippin’s rage had been building up for a while now, but he knew causing even more of a scene would only upset her more. He took a deep breath. Y/N was clearly right to deprive him of more ale, but he knew the man wouldn’t let up until he got another. He glanced over at her and noticed she was trembling. He sighed again and looked back at him.
“I’m so sorry, sir. You’re right. Y/N, please get this man another ale, on the house.” Y/N looked almost hurt as she turned to pour another glass.
The man scoffed. “Idiotic tramp. They don’t make them like they used to, eh? Worthless. A mule could do her job easily, not to mention more effectively–”
As Y/N stifled a sob, Pippin snapped. He punched the man square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground instantly. “Don’t ever talk about Y/N that way. Ever.”
Y/N whirled around and covered her mouth with her hands in shock. It was so unlike Pippin to hurt anyone. Rubbing his hand and wincing, he chuckled awkwardly. “That hurt more than I thought it would. Are you okay?”
She blushed. “I – yes, thank you. That was very brave of you.” she looked away, her face rapidly becoming more red, causing Pippin to blush in turn. “Oh! Is your hand okay?” she asked, grabbing his hand to inspect it. His knuckles were already beginning to bruise and turn red. His heart pounded as he realized she was not only worried about him, but holding his hand. He gaped at her. She’s so beautiful.
Y/N looked up, still holding onto his hand, and blushed deeply. She stared back at him, his stunning green eyes wide. He certainly was handsome, in a mischievous sort of way. She barely noticed the subtle movement, but they were both leaning closer..
The man interrupted their exchange with a loud snore; he had passed out from the impact of Pippin’s punch and from too much ale. Merry started cheering, along with the other customers. He clapped loudly. That’s one way to impress a girl. You go, Pip.