The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings -oneshots II

Boat - Merry

Warnings: none, I think? A little scare but nothing big.
Word count: 1043
Other: My roommate gave me this idea while I was scrolling Pixabay and the picture above appeared on the screen.
Requested: nope

You always knew that your son and Merry heading off to fish together would cause you concern, but you had no idea how much.

You watched as Merry and Robin walked down the road towards the bank of the river, their fishing rods propped over their shoulders. Robin was struggling to hold the stick up as he walked but refused to let his father help him. He kept insisting that he was big enough to carry it on his own. There was always a looming sense of dread in your heart every time you saw them disappear behind that ridge, but it was stronger this time. You watched as your son skipped next to his father, talking his ear off as they went on their way.

You stared after them for a good moment even after they had already disappeared out of your sight. Shaking your head, you picked up your gloves and headed to the garden. The sun was high in the sky, a few wisps of cloud here and there. Birds continued to sing happily in the large lilac at the edge of your yard as you kneeled into the vegetable garden and started pulling carrots out. The dry soil flew around with every move you made, despite the fact that you had just watered the ground yesterday. You sneezed as the dust gathered into your nose, rubbing it with the back of your hand to get rid of the itch. You pulled a few turnips out of the ground as well, shaking your head and questioning the choice immediately after. You knew that it would take quite a lot of persuasion to get your son to even try them.

Most of your day was spent washing, peeling, and chopping vegetables, and you only stopped for a short while as you visited the butcher for some venison. You had just shoved the pan into the oven when the round door to your house burst open, a gust of warm summer air swirling through the apartment.
"Mama!" A small figure darted from the door to your feet, almost vibrating with excitement. You made a move to scoop him up, but froze before you could do so. His clothes were dripping wet and sticking to his skin. Merry wasn't much better, water trickling down his clothes and onto a puddle on the polished wooden floor.
"What on earth happened?" You cried out, capturing your son's face between your hands, inspecting him frantically for any injuries.
"Our boat tipped over!" He announced to you, eyes sparkling with excitement. Your breath caught into your throat with his words, your mouth running dry.
"I-It did?" You tried to not show him the amount of sheer dread you were feeling over what could have happened. He seemed unphased, and you didn't want to startle him.
"Yes! We were in the water, but it was okay because I know how to swim! The Bolgers were on the  lake as well, and they fished us out and helped us turn our boat over!" He spoke with such enthusiasm you worried if he remembered to breathe.

He seemed so delighted that despite the scare you had just had, you smiled, releasing a breath you didn't know you were holding.
"Well, that sounds like quite the adventure." You ruffled his hair, making it even messier than it already was.
"Why don't you go get changed and I'll see if I can whip up some warm cocoa for the two of you." He was out the room with a squeal of excitement before you could say 'cheese'.
"Do not leave your wet clothes into a heap on the floor, take them out to dry!" You yelled after him before turning to your husband, who looked sheepish. He was just as wet as your son, and you quirked a brow into his direction.
"I know, I know. You told me so." He admitted, and you smiled, shaking your head fondly.
"I did." You pressed a soft kiss to his lips, an involuntary shiver traveling up your spine as you felt how cold they were. You pulled away, scrunching your nose, making a shooing motion with your hand.
"Now, go get changed, I'll get the cocoa ready."

Your son darted from his room, clinging to your skirts as you stirred the mixture, waiting for it to bubble.
"Is it ready yet?" He tugged at your clothes, craning his neck to see what was happening inside the kettle.
"Not yet, it'll have to bubble, and then it is." His shoulders slumped and he tapped his foot to the ground, crossing his arms.
"I don't want to wait anymore." He moaned, and you gave him a sharp look.
"Your whining won't get it done any sooner." His expression didn't change, and his arms remained tightly crossed.
"Did you take your clothes out to dry?" You asked without turning to look at him, keeping a close eye on the mixture.
"Yeeeeees." This made you turn around. You didn't believe him for a second, and as he saw the skeptical look in his eye. You shook your head just as the first bubbled appeared to the surface, and you reached into the cabinet to pull out three mugs.

Just as Robin stormed back into the kitchen, Merry appeared from your shared bedroom, wearing new, dry clothes. You tried handing the first one to your son, but he shook his head.
"I want the red one!" Merry took the green mug off your hands, and you placed the red one on the table for your son, leaving you with the blue. You gently clicked your mug against Merry's as your son scampered to his seat. You blew into the mixture, the steam dancing on the surface.
"Careful, it's still hot, you'll burn your-"
"OW!"
"-mouth."

This was so cute to write and didn't take me long! I was supposed to be doing osteology for uni, but I didn't want to, so this is where I ended up.