I stood in the shadows of the garden, my heart racing, the cool night air biting at my skin. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows over the stone walls, but it was him I was waiting for—Pippin. Every nerve in my body trembled at the thought of seeing him again.

When he finally appeared, stepping out from the darkness, it felt as though the world stood still. His eyes, always filled with that same spark of mischief, found mine immediately, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

"You’re late," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the soft rustle of the trees.

"I had to be sure no one saw me," Pippin replied, his voice low but teasing, as if the risk didn’t matter. "Wouldn’t want to get us both caught, now would I?"

I let out a breath, trying to calm the wild storm of emotions crashing inside me. "I told you we shouldn’t meet like this. It’s too dangerous."

Pippin stepped closer, his presence enveloping me in a way that both terrified and thrilled me. "Danger makes things exciting," he said with a smirk, but there was an intensity in his eyes that betrayed the playful tone of his words.

"Is that what you think?" I asked, my voice shaking. "That this... this danger is worth it?"

He reached out, cupping my face in his hands. "It’s worth it because it’s you," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. "There is no life without you, not for me."