A/N: I am so sorry, guys. I had lost the plans for this and had to re-write it all. About 45-50 chapters. It might not be that much anymore and I'm sorry for the long wait. But I have no intention of leaving this. I promise.


It was hard for him to lay there and listen to the fighting that went on downstairs. Hiccup and his father had been going at it for a good few minutes, but, it still felt longer than that. And it was strange that it did; years seemed to go by quicker than these measly minutes. Jack began to wonder why that was.

How could something so small be longer than something so large? It didn't make sense to him. Time always seemed to fly right by him to the point of where he couldn't remember the day. Then he began wondering what day it was. Maybe it was Thursday. It felt like a Thursday.

He stared at the ceiling in thought, trying his hardest to ignore the bickering downstairs. Many times he tried to count the number of times he had seen the moon and the number of fire pits the brunette and his dragon always made, always loosing count when he noticed a shadow on the ceiling. Jack would grip his crook each time he saw one, thinking that it was a friend of Pitch's. Of course, the shadow would disappear into darkness and would be nothing more than a memory. Sighing, he turned and stared at Rapunzel who slept soundly next to him.

Over the years, he had seen many people sleep yet, he had never seen someone sleep with a smile. It seemed very uncomfortable.

Light from Hiccup's sky light window shined in and tickled individual strands of hair that hung in her face. It surprised him that, for someone who had never been outside, she was really tan. He reached out and hovered his hand over her cheek, noticing the huge difference in skin shades. She shivered under the presence of his hand and turned over in her sleep, curling up to keep herself warm. The teen sighed and pulled his hand away.

"You're going to have to wake up soon." He mumbled as he sat up. "I'm sure Hiccup will show you around the village."

'Since I can't…'

It was getting bad. This need to talk to her, to know her better than he had before; it was eating him alive. He had to keep himself from shaking either Hiccup or Merida and scream at them to tell Rapunzel about him. Of course, he understood that they needed her trust. But it still didn't help ease the aches.

More light entered the room and soon served as a pleasant alarm clock to those sleeping around him. Jack jumped when he heard Hiccup yawn from his bed, not really hearing him when he walked up the steps in the first place. Looking over, he tried his best to share the same zombie like expression the other always held when he first wakes up.

Again, Hiccup yawned and stared at his feet for a moment before finally noticing the teen staring. "Good morning, Jack." He mumbled in a weak sort of way.

"Morning, Hic." He groaned back, giving his best fake yawn. "Did you sleep well?"

The brunet shook his head and looked around his room. Due to all the commotion, fighting, and swears he and his father exchanged, Merida ended up walking back to the cove and slept with Toothless. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Head hurts…"

Jack frowned at the comment. "Maybe it's because you're so used to sleeping like a baby, curled up next to Toothless that your body wasn't ready for that wooden Viking bed of yours."

"Maybe…" Hiccup played with the bits of hair that stuck up while he slept, trying his best to press them back down into their original shape. Being back in his own bed was both a blessing and a curse. It was comforting being home but very less comforting actually staying home. His gaze slowly moved from the floor, to Jack, and then to Rapunzel. "Let's wake her up and head to the cove."

Sleep was a great luxury in Berk. Most of the time, people just rested their eyes. Dragon attacks were so frequent that it wasn't uncommon to see bags under your neighbor's eyes. When any villager did get to sleep – and stay that way – it was best not to disturb them. Hiccup had learned that the hard way as a child, almost gaining himself a hammer to the face, thrown by his father. So, when it came time to wake up the blonde, he readied himself with a shield that always leaned against the end of his bed. There was no telling just how she would react to being woken up. Jack lightly chuckled at the sight of the so called Viking creeping closer to the foreign girl with fear in his eyes. He poked the side of the shield against her shoulder and quickly ducked, hiding completely behind the thick circle of wood. To his surprise, she yawned and stretched her arms up in the happiest manner possible. Hiccup's eyes went wide as he peeked over the shield.

Rapunzel turned with a smile, pushing loose strains of hair behind her ear. "Good morning, Hiccup. Did you sleep well?" The cheeriness in her voice was unearthly and all around never heard before in his life.

He sat there, not really knowing what to say or do. "Uhh, y-yeah." He cleared his throat as he stood, tossing the shield aside. "Yeah, I slept good. Um, how about you?"

She let out a small giggle. "I slept alright."

Jack stood up, swinging his crook slightly as his chuckle became an all out laugh. "You were so scared over a girl!" His laugh got even louder when the brunet's face turned about as red as the Scottish princess' hair.

"Let's head to the cove." He mumbled, rubbing his arm in humiliation. "Maybe I'll show you around after breakfast."

For some odd, but understandable reason, Jack felt a sharp tug be pulled on his chest. It was small and painful like an eyelash in one's eye. So, like any eyelash, he rubbed at it, his knuckles turning white as he did.

He silently watched as the two walked down the stairs; Rapunzel tip toeing as not to wake Stoick. Both boys found this amusing and Hiccup tried his hardest not to laugh. His father was an extremely heavy sleeper.

Most of the village was still asleep as well. A few birds flew around here and there, the cattle from a nearby farm could be heard waking up, the marketplace was just being woken as well. The blonde smiled at it all and examined almost every detail; how the air held the faintest stench of rotten fish and burnt pine being her favorite. She twisted her braids in her hands, trying to redo some of the smaller ones that had become slightly undone during the night.

The three were quiet as they walked, making it seem like the trek was painfully longer than it actually was. Hiccup constantly opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something to say or ask. Jack chuckled at his attempts, covering his own mouth as if anyone else could hear him. Rapunzel resorted to weaving dandelions into her braids to pass the time. Not many flowers seemed to grow on Berk – the island mainly consisting of trees, weeds, and bushes – but it was fine with her. A weed, after all, is just the ugly duckling of flowers.

Placing her final dandelion at the base of her main braid, she sighed contently and looked out over the cove. From the inside it was beautiful but from above…it was extraordinary.

"Here, let me help you." Hiccup said, climbing down the first set of boulders. He reached out his hand to the girl.

She stared at him for a moment before finally smiling and taking his in her own. Her hand felt weird against his. His hand was rougher than her own, each crease feeling deeper than it probably was while her own was much softer, remnants of wax still on her finger nails.

"Thank you." She muttered, tucking a small braid behind her ear.

Jack raised an eyebrow at this and watched closely as the other boy helped her down the awkward, natural staircase. He stared at their hands, their eyes, taking note of their every movement. It wasn't until they reached the bottom that he looked down at his own chapped hands.

Rapunzel muttered a 'thank you', brushed off the bottom of her dress, and slowly leaned down to lay in the grass. It smelt so sweet, so fresh, and it tickled her feet ever so slightly. Sure there were some dry patches that crunched under her, but she would take that feeling over a tiled floor any day.

Rolling his eyes, Hiccup looked across the small pond. Merida was still asleep, curled up against the supplies in a blanket. The sun's rays seemed to give her hair a yellow tinge, making it look like she was on fire. He swallowed hard and walked toward her. Perhaps, if Rapunzel reacted in such a nice way, this red haired princess might wake up with the same smile.

He reached out his hand as he got closer. "Merida, it's time to wa-"

Sadly, his assumption was wrong. She did not wake up with a smile and unnatural love for life like the blonde had. She had woken up with bow in hand, arrow pointed straight at his rounded nose. His mind screamed at him to run but he stayed still, staring into her crystal blue eyes with his hands up in the air.

Lowering her bow, she shook her head. "Sorree." She muttered, throwing her arrows and bow over her shoulder.

"Uh, it's, uh, it's fine. You know, completely used to it." Hiccup lowered his hands to his sides. "So, how did you and Toothless get along last night?"

Merida pulled an apple from one of the bags of supplies. "We didn't." She waved her free hand off toward the small cave of roots. "He slept ovar there."

By this time, Rapunzel had stood up, grass stains on her skin and dress. She looked into the strange cave and saw two large, fully green eyes blinking themselves open. A low purr echoed throughout the cove, alerting the others. Toothless' eyes blinked at her as they stared at each other, his ears perking up. The action reminded her of something. A type of animal. Oh, what was it called? Ah! That's right!

"He's like a cat." She smiled and walked over to the supplies. "Just a cute little thing."

"Cute?" Jack raised an eyebrow at her comment.

"Little?" Hiccup shook his head, gesturing toward his best friend. "A Terrible Terror is little and cute. Night Furies are…huge and ferocious!"

Merida looked unimpressed by the Viking's attempt, biting into an apple before she spoke. "Ferocious, huh?"

"Oh, Toothless is a big ol' sweet heart." Pulling out a fish – cod to be exact – Rapunzel turned to the large eyes that had focused on her since they had opened. "Come get your breakfast before we eat it." She said happily.

The dragon jumped at attention and quickly ran, nearly taking her hands off as he pulled the fish away. He threw it up into the air, catching it in his mouth and allowing it to slide down his throat. Merida raised an eyebrow as she stared with a disgusted look. The thing didn't even chew his food! And he ate it raw!

"Tha's weird." She muttered, turning back to the supplies for more apples.

Hiccup shrugged and scratched Toothless behind one of his ears. "It's how a dragon eats." Jack smirked and nodded, leaning against the brunet. "Yeah, maybe he thinks you eat weird."

The red head's nose wrinkled at the comment and angrily bit into another apple. That boy was getting on her last nerve, giving her half the mind to shoot him between the eyes. She looked down at her bow and began to wonder; would her arrows actually hurt the winter spirit or would they pass right through him? Her hand twitched as she ached to test it out.

Rapunzel took what they had of fish out and laid it on the ground for the overgrown reptile, smiling happily as she took a few bananas and strawberries out for herself. Hiccup sat next to her as he munched on a small half of bread. He glanced around and smiled slightly, watching as the two girls chatted and giggled. It had been a while since he had eaten with others instead of just eating in the same place or room as everyone else. And honestly, it felt strange yet welcoming.

Jack decided to keep his distance, leaning against Toothless as he watched the three eat together. He could feel the ground beneath him turn smooth and solid as he thought. Usually when he watched a group of people eat, they looked relatively alike. Same build, same style of clothes, same hair color most of the time. But watching the rest of the small group sit around each other, it was like having a seashell, a tree, and a burning coal sit next to one another. They just didn't seem to fit together yet fit perfectly at the same time.

He shook his head at the thought and looked over at Toothless who would be raising an eyebrow if he had any. "What are you looking at?" He whispered.

The Night Fury purred slightly, shaking his head as he turned back to his fish. He shifted to his other side and was amused when the frost spirit fell over even if he didn't show it. Slurping the tail of one of his last fish, he watched as Rapunzel laughed. It wasn't all that loud and it wasn't as hilarious as Merida's, but it was enough to get his attention. Apparently, his human had stumbled upon his words while giving her a compliment and tried to rephrase it without sounding harsh or mean. Hiccup did this much more than he'd like to admit.

By the time breakfast was finished, the sun was completely out and the cold morning air was now warm. Well, as warm as it was going to get. The walk back to the village didn't seem all that long. Mostly because the three of them chatted away about small things such as culture differences or how winter was coming soon. Jack continued to keep his distance, jumping from branch to branch as quietly as possible. Merida looked over her shoulder from time to time, staring up at him until Rapunzel grabbed her attention once more. Her stomach churned as she talked to the blonde and she began to honestly feel bad for the winter spirit. She had seen him around people a few times, seen the way they all ignored him, walked right through him. If that were her, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. And here she was; one of the only people in the world that could see him, ignoring him like everyone else. She frowned as she listened to the seventeen-year-old gush about how amazing the world was. If only she could tell her about him.

'We need her trust.' She thought, sighing and forcing a smile. 'If we just told her, it would seem as if we're making fun of her.'

The tour around the village was rather…hectic. Rapunzel continuously strayed from the small group and would linger over something until Merida or Hiccup pulled her away. The other, more muscular Vikings stared at them as they walked around. Most just watched until they were out of sight, shrugging it off, and going about their day. Some raised their eyebrows, staring at where they were for half a second before returning to their tasks, still wondering who those two girls were and why they were with a talking fishbone. Very few glared at the Scottish princess' red hair, mumbling swears under their breath – and beards.

"If you kill dragons, then why are their so many on the houses and boats?" Rapunzel asked, looking over at the youngest of the them.

Hiccup shrugged. "We thought that if they saw other dragons, bigger dragons, they'd go away. It didn't work out as well as we hoped."

She placed her hand on one of the many carvings, tracing her fingers over every bump. "They all look so new."

"Thaye bern down." Merida said, crossing her arms. "Everay raid, right?" She looked over at the brunet and leaned against a post, picking chunks of apple out of her teeth with her tongue.

The smallish Viking rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yup. Old village, lots and lots of new houses."

As the day went on, Rapunzel's curiosity slowly decreased. The more she learned, the calmer she seemed to get and the less looks they received. Her feet soon dragged across the cold ground, completely numb from all the walking and abuse. Jack would try to keep her awake as much as possible; pinching her nose and tickling her hands with frost. But, she still seemed to fall back into a trance, making it seem as if she was sleep walking. On their way to the cove, however, she woke up to the sound of Astrid's voice. It sounded so irritated and annoyed that it made her wonder what exactly had happened. When they first met, she was the nicest, kindest person. Then she saw the daggers she was sending toward Merida. And, of course, in turn, the red head shot them back.

It wasn't long until Hiccup broke up the staring battle and they continued on their way. Dinner consisted of fish – of course – dried meat, and fruits. Rapunzel waved off what was set in front of her and curled up against her large braid, falling asleep almost instantly. Jack took this chance to eat for the first time that day; grabbing Rapunzel's dried meat and half a fish. Toothless ate rather silently for a dragon, wrapping his tail around the rider. Other than the sounds of chewing and the crackling of the fire, everything was quiet. The sky was clear and the stars seemed brighter than normal.

Coughing down the last bit of fish, the oldest of the group stood up and jumped, allowing the wind to carry him up to a nearby tree branch. The two stared for a moment, watching as he tossed and turned, trying to find the perfect position. Which one would assume that there was no such thing as a perfect position when it came to trees. Somehow, Merida was surprised when Jack didn't move for a few minutes, his slight snoring breaking through the silence.

Toothless curled up around his best friend, purring as he slowly fell into sleep. Hiccup leaned back against him. He ignored the bitter autumn night air and only took in the warmth around him. Turning his head to the side, he closed his eyes and just listened to the crackling of the fire, the breaking of dry, burning twigs. A large crack caused him to flinch and open his eyes. The princess beside him continued to stare into the flames, poking it at the base with one of her arrows.

"Hey." Hiccup whispered, his voice just as cracked as the sticks in the fire from overuse. "Do you really hate your mom?"

Merida leaned back against the large boulder behind her, her gaze avoiding his. Her heart was racing as well as the blood in her veins, trying to warm her cheeks. She hadn't expected him to speak and it caught her off guard.

"Not…not realleh." In truth, she missed her mother. She missed being woken up in the morning by her orderly voice, the constant lessons, the list of many things a princess does not do. Rubbing her arm, she looked down at her feet, at the shoes her mother had specially made for that day.

"Not anehmore." Merida rested her chin on her knees, rubbing both arms now.

The brunet blinked tiredly as he stared at her. "What made you change your mind?"

She shrugged and finally met his gaze. "You."

Her voice was crisp and clear. Understandable. It caused silence. Not another sound reached his ears as he stared at her, watching the fire fight against the blue in her eyes. Finally he turned away and cleared his throat.

"Do you miss herr?"

A small nod. "Yeah.." He cleared his throat again, even coughing a little. "Yeah, I miss my mom, too."

She looked down at his feet, then Toothless' tail, then the ground. A cold breeze hit her back and caused her to shake feverishly.

"Hey." Hiccup whispered, scooting over a little and patting the spot he had just occupied. "Come on. It's warmer over here."

There was a long moment of hesitation before she gave in, allowing the Night Fury's tail to sit on her lap. Even though there were dry scales hitting her back, she didn't care. At least they warmed her up. She curled up against the dragon, letting her forehead lean on the Viking's boney shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"Goo'night, Hiccop." She mumbled.

Looking off to the side, he tried to ignore the fact that there was physical contact other than a punch or slap. "Goodnight, Merida."


A/N: Again, I am very sorry for the long wait. It won't happen again. I hope... - ADAM

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