(Written for Rubybnye at the request of Danachan.)

THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE

Sam shook his head in amusement.

The six friends had made rather merry the night before, at The Green Dragon, but since Sam was a working hobbit, he had left the five cousins around midnight. They were all still drinking and singing, and he was sure that at the very least, Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin would have been dancing on the tables in a short while. Maybe Mr. Folco too.

They had not come home until nearly daylight, and Sam, who was already up and having first breakfast at Number Three, had heard them singing up the lane.

It was right after elevenses when Mr. Folco had come out, and sitting on the ground by the ash tree in the lower garden, had taken out his flute. Mr. Freddy had come out a short time later, and sat next to him, but only a few minutes later, Folco had put away the flute and they had fallen asleep on each other’s shoulders.

Sam was eating a meat pasty his sister had made for his luncheon when Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin had come out, obviously looking for the other two. The gardener had gestured in that direction, and the Took and Brandybuck cousins had gone over there.

“You suppose we should wake them?” asked Pippin.

Merry pursed his lips. “We could I suppose. Or we could steal their braces while they sleep.”

Pippin grinned, but said, “I don’t know, it seems like an awful lot of work. And they do look very comfortable.”

“They do, don’t they?” replied Merry. “It actually looks very comfortable indeed.” He sat down next to Freddy, and leaned into his side, patting the ground next to him.

Pippin plopped down, and put his head in Merry’s lap, and soon the both of them had been lulled into sleep by the sun and the sound of bees.

About an hour later, Mr. Frodo finally made an appearance. He was still a bit tousled looking, Sam thought, as well as looking puzzled.

“Sam!” he said, “have you seen my guests? They all seem to have vanished.”

“They’re over there, Mr. Frodo. I think they might’ve found the garden more comfortable than their beds, so to speak.”

Frodo looked over and laughed, and then walked down there. “Lads!” he said softly.

Merry stirred and opened one eye. “ ‘mere,” he murmured, holding up the arm that was unencumbered.

Frodo shook his head, but sat down. He lifted Pippin’s feet carefully and place them in his lap, and leaned into Merry’s embrace.

Sam finished up trimming the lilac bushes near the kitchen, and went to put the hedge trimmer away. It was getting on to teatime, and there they still slept. They was likely to get stiff necks sleeping with their heads all lolled on one another like that. Maybe he should wake them up.

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Marigold went through the gate to Bag End, mightily annoyed. Sam was almost always home right after tea. Here it was coming up to suppertime. The Gaffer had sent her to check was he coming home.

Her knock at the door brought no answer, which was a puzzle, as she knew Mr. Frodo was there, and had a lot of company right now. She turned and went around to the side of the smial, and her eye was caught.

There was Sam, sitting with his back against Mr. Frodo’s side, and every last one of them snoring away.