The water was warm, comforting, and the baby sitting in the washbasin gurgled and laughed merrily as he splashed his hands. Red-gold curls plastered themselves to skin that was as soft as a rose petal to the touch, obscuring green eyes that twinkled joyously up at the cousins bathing him.

“Careful, Merry,” Frodo whispered gently, placing a hand on his young cousin’s shoulder. “Make sure you don’t let his head go under.”

“I know, Frodo,” Merry answered, his attention on the tiny form chortling under his hands as he tenderly wiped the washcloth along chubby baby arms. “I’ve watched Aunt Egg do this lots of times.”

“Good lad,” Frodo smiled, reaching past Merry to tickle his youngest cousin under the arm that was currently being washed, eliciting a small giggle and a squirm that had water splashing up into all three of their faces.

For a moment, Pippin blinked up at his cousins in confusion, the water in his eyes making them appear slightly blurry. Then a soft hand stroked the hair from his face, and a warm, velvety cloth briefly touched his eyes, and the beloved faces were clear once more. He smiled his toothless grin up at Frodo, who could only laugh at the delight on the tiny face.

“I have never seen a baby smile so much,” Frodo murmured to himself, watching as Merry carefully dipped the cloth in the warm water and rinsed Pippin’s back and tummy.

“I think he’s been in long enough, Frodo, he’s starting to look like Great Aunt Delphinium’s hands,” Merry said, holding up one of Pippin’s tiny feet.

The elder hobbit could not suppress his chuckle, and smiled down at Merry. “All right then,” he laughed, picking up the thick towel from where it hung by the side of the basin. He handed it to Merry, who watched with a proprietary eye as Frodo gently lifted Pippin from the bathwater.

“Bbbvvv!” Pippin burbled, blowing tiny spit bubbles at his cousin. Frodo laughed down at him taking the towel Merry handed him and wrapping the precious bundle up in it.

“He loves baths,” Merry said wisely, tickling a slightly pruned foot. Pippin squealed and kicked, laughing.

“So do I, Merry –lad, so do I!” Frodo chuckled, tenderly patting down the warm, soft flesh. “Now, what say we get this young fellow dressed and see what your mother has for tea, shall we?”

It was hard to say who was more delighted just then, for all three cousins wore identical smiles.