Sorry this took so long. I had internet problems.
Again, I just want to thank everybody for giving feedback to this fanfic! Reviews really motivate me to make more chapters!
Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD or Brave.
Chapter 7
"What's wrong, lass?" The old man spoke with concern in his voice. It had always been heartbreaking to see a woman crying. With this one being like a daughter to his heart, it was even more painful to see.
He was surprised to see her come in hurriedly a few minutes ago. He thought some angry drunken man had entered his home, but the sight of her petite figure assured him safety, unknowing that there was equally spine tingling—If not more—problem. He saw the now auburn haired heiress tilt her head back until her head gently thumped on the wooden door before she slid down, her head craned down, her hands meeting her face. She sobbed.
Sam did his best to hurry to her side. He bent down carefully, cautious about his spine. He helped her up and brought her to the kitchen where they could talk. He also prepared chamomile tea to relax her. The young heiress was hiccupping at the moment.
Merida lifted the porcelain teacup to her trembling lips before sipping a small amount. There was another few minutes of silence before Sam asked her again, but he had a feeling he knew why... and he was right.
"...I just hate how I can't be entirely myself around 'im.." she managed to croak out. "I-I want 'im to know I'm a lass but at the same time, I'm afraid he might avoid me after knowing." He likes Astrid after all.. she thought grimly. The old man stayed silent, knowing there was more. "I hate how I can't help but hope he'll like me back.. After all, he thinks a'm a lad." Her eyes cast down at the steaming tea, "...I hate myself."
Samuel opened his mouth immediately after said she hated herself. "Now, lass. There's nothing to hate about you."
"There's a lot."
His eyebrows furrowed, "Your flaws are not something to be hated. If you think you shouldn't have them, they're something to be changed... not hated. Other people can only either accept you as you are, accept the idea of you or not accept you at all." Merida's eyes slowly went from her cup to the man's face. There seemed to be a hopeful sparkle in her orbs, but overshadowed by doubt, like how the silhouette of her cap is covering them from the light, shading their real beauty from the world.
Merida looked away, breaking eye contact. "...I hate how I seem to expect him to like me back even though I know that he thinks I'm a boy.." she wasn't whispering anymore, but her projection was low and quiet.
He raised his cup to his mustache covered lips "Do you want him to find out you're a girl?" He asked before taking a sip.
"N-no."
If he found out her real gender, he might suspect her as the heiress. It would foil all her hard work to gaining complete freedom.
"Do you want to live the rest of your days without knowing if you have a chance or not?"
Her heart squeezed, so did her grip on her cup.
"...No."
She did not want that either. She was really torn.
Samuel knew what was going on in her mind. Judging from the slight frown on her face, she was scaling which was more important. He tried not to make a noise so as not to disturb her from thinking. This was a big decision for her.
Wheels continued to turn in Merida's head. There were certainly more men out there, and with the lot of people she hasn't met yet, there was bound to be a person or two just like Hiccup-if he was even her preference for a man. She didn't know, but she did know that sobbing over a man who thinks she's a man was useless. Telling him would be pointless either since he already had his mind set on a woman. She should just keep her identity to herself and focus on getting out of there.
Her distant stare was finally over and she looked over to Sam who just finished his cup of tea. Just by the look on his face, she could tell he understood her. Merida lifted the teacup and chugged down the tea and let out a satisfied and ready sigh.
Meanwhile, Hiccup was making dinner while Astrid was busy preparing the table. Hiccup was too busy thinking about whether or not Mark really had forgiven him. The boy was his best friend, and the thought of them just going about their own lives without much communication and shared time together was making his stomach twist. A part of him wanted to believe he was forgiven and a part of him didn't.
Mark's not going to ignore me right? He did say he knew I like Astrid.
His mouth parted to let out a heavy sigh.
"So what did he say?" Astrid's voice rang in his ears. He stopped chopping the garlic. How was he going to word this out? Should he even drag her into this? It was wrong. It wasn't her problem. "He forgave me." that was it.
"And?"
He winced. She really wanted a long explanation. "Nothing more."
The blonde walked to his side and looked at him in the eye. "Your face says otherwise." Who could miss that grimace?
Hiccup let out another sigh. "I.. I just think that maybe he's still mad at me."
Astrid's furrowed brows relaxed a little, softening her expression. She inhaled and placed a hand on his shoulder. There was this reassuring feeling from her gesture. "You might be overthinking this, Hiccup." she said, trying to calm him down from his anxiety. "Mark's your best friend, isn't he? I'm sure he's really forgiven you."
Hiccup merely glanced her way and gave her a half-hearted smile. His gaze did not remain connected with hers for long, shifting his vision towards the cooking pot. Having his first 'misunderstanding' with his best friend was definitely something fresh. It was painful, like a stab to the heart and a jab to the stomach. His eyes were restless, shifting points to look at—boiling bubbles, half-cooked meat, steam, and broth. He couldn't convince himself to calm down no matter what he told himself, no matter how many times he forced himself to think that Mark had already forgiven him.
When Merida came home to their shack, she put up a normal expression. Seeing Astrid next to Hiccup felt like some beast bit on her chest and ripped her flesh and heart off her, but she kept a default face to mask how hurt she really was. It was either losing her freedom to this or gaining freedom for keeping her feelings to herself. First, she examined Astrid's figure. The blonde had really gotten close to Hiccup over the past few weeks. Merida took three months to get close to Hiccup, but this woman did it in a matter of weeks.
The mere thought dampened her spirit even more, but she remained strong. Her stare shifted to Hiccup. A second felt like eternity. Their gazes met for a fraction of a moment, then her heart began to pound. She disconnected eye contact and lifted her shoulder as she lowered her head, avoiding looking at the two—especially Hiccup.
Astrid noticed the silence between the two. Maybe Mark really is still upset with Hiccup, she thought. She stepped back a bit and extended an arm towards Mark, "Hey, you're home! We were waiting for you!" she said with a broad grin.
Mark shot her a puzzled look. His left eyebrow rose, "Whot for?" he asked, confused.
"Dinner, of course!" Astrid gave Mark a playful punch on the shoulder. He merely let out a soft huff on impact.
Whenever Astrid playfully punched Hiccup, he would wince or rub the area where she punched him. Sometimes, she would notice how he would restrain himself from looking hurt and from groaning lowly. It wasn't that she meant to hurt him, it was just her habit whenever she was excited or playful. Unlike Hiccup, Mark took it well, seemingly not as hurt as Hiccup. She noted to herself to avoid punching Hiccup again.
After all, it wasn't her decision to say whether she hurt him or not. Hiccup wasn't like the men she grew up with. Those men were bulky and rough. They could handle punches well. Hiccup, on the other hand, couldn't shove off a punch as easily as her childhood friends did. He definitely was different, not just physically.
Mark on the other hand was bit more like her childhood friends, due to the display of tolerance and calmness he showed when she punched his arm. Not to mention how the man snapped at her the other day. Tough and short-tempered. The thought put a smirk on her lips.
"Oh.." Mark craned his neck to the right, making crackling, popping sounds. "A'richt. Whot's fer dinner?"
Astrid eyes Hiccup and nudged him just when Mark took a seat. Hiccup gave her a confused look, and she gave him a knowing glare. The green-eyed man held his breath in fear and answered Mark's inquiry. "I-I made chicken and potato soup…" he said with embarrassment.
Mark briefly raised his shoulders to shrug. No words were said.
Astrid internally rolled her eyes and growled. "Right.. You boys take a seat. I'll get the soup." And before Hiccup could say otherwise, she held his shoulders and turned him to his seat, "You've been working all day, Hiccup. You need to rest." she insisted with a smile.
Hiccup could only oblige with a tint of red on his cheeks.
She noticed how Mark was restraining himself from rolling his eyes, but he did it anyway. She guessed that he only did that because he knew that Hiccup had a crush on her.
Yes, she knew about Hiccup's crush on her, but never said anything because she did not want to give false hope. Her heart was with her family. Hiccup was a good friend to her and she didn't want to ruin that by making him hope, although, he might've hoped when they ate at the restaurant. It was nothing romantic; she only did it to show her appreciation for what he had done for her.
Astrid turned and got a large bowl to fill it with Hiccup's chicken and potato soup. She then placed it in the middle of the table before sitting down across Mark.
The three took turns in scooping for their food and ate rather silently. Hiccup kept looking at Mark, looking for signs to see if he was still mad at him. Mark had a perpetual frown on his face, and this discouraged him. He somehow glanced at Astrid, who was staring at him, then quickly shifted her gaze to Mark as if to tell him to have a conversation with him.
Hiccup almost choked on his own chicken-and-potato flavored spit at her suggestion. Luckily, he was able to swallow it before he could cough or burst. Astrid was looking a bit impatient as she ate her share of the soup. Hiccup was nervous for both what to say and what Astrid would do next if he didn't converse with Mark.
"S-so, h-how'd I do, Mark?" He finally asked, pretending to be unbothered. He casually slurped his soup.
Mark tilted his head from its bow and stopped scooping the potato in his bowl. "Not bad." he said quietly, shrugging lightly. Hiccup had already released a small sigh, but his expression changed when Mark spoke again. "Though, it's definitely better than last time." the man said with a smirk.
This put an immediate grin on Hiccup's face. "I'm a fast learner." he returned the smirk.
Mark snorted against his spoon as he slurped his soup, "Sure. Three months is fast." he rolled his eyes playfully, teasing him. Astrid watched the two of them, hiding the smile by slurping from her bowl.
Hiccup pretended to be taken aback and hurt, "Mark, you're underestimating me. Now I feel bad. You should feel bad." he had his right hand clutched over his chest as he pretended to look betrayed.
Mark merely pouted and tilted his head to Hiccup's direction and gave him puppy dog eyes. "Aw, wee lamb."
"Lamb? Now that's really mean." Hiccup pouted back with his brows drawn together.
This made Astrid and Mark laugh. Hiccup would have laughed with them if he weren't too busy noticing how the two of the closest people to him were laughing. He never thought he would see them laughing together like this-like there were no bad feelings at all. This made him smile widely then broke into a laugh with them.
Merida woke up feeling light-hearted. Last night, Astrid made her realize that there was nothing to be mad about her. Astrid was a good person, and if Hiccup liked her, she should support the lad. Before sleeping, she felt bad about being unfriendly and snobby towards the bounty hunter. She had a realization, but it didn't mean she didn't feel hurt. She did, but she accepted it. At least knowing Astrid was a good person lessened her animosity.
If there was any animosity, it was for the fact that she (Merida) and Hiccup would never be. Life was cruel. It was either that, or life was reserving someone better than Hiccup. If there was anyone better than Hiccup, she didn't know. Hiccup was the best in her eyes. Hiccup was perfect in every way, even though he was just as imperfect as everyone else.
The now auburn haired Merida slung her towel over her shoulder and tucked neatly folded clothes under her arm. She went to the bathroom and closed the door.
Hiccup was visiting Sam and his wife. He was telling them his concerns about Mark and how he really liked Astrid. Of course, the couple acted as if they didn't know about Mark's secret. Hiccup was sitting on a stool next to Elizabeth's bed. He was looking troubled still about his uncertainty about his and Mark's friendship, and about his feelings for Astrid.
"Mark seemed okay last night, but…" His head lowered, eyebrows furrowing. "I don't know. I'm not sure if he's just acting to make me feel better or if it's real." He continued quietly.
Sam was on the opposite side of the bed. He was quietly peeling an orange while listening to Hiccup. "Son, Mark knows it wasn't your fault." he said with reassurance.
"How do you know?"
At first, Sam was unsure whether to tell him or not, but he decided to tell anyway, but twisted it a bit of course. "Mark came here yesterday and told us you apologized." Hiccup tilted his head up to look into the man's eyes. He was eagerly waiting for what the old man had to say next. "He said that he understood, and that you were best friends, like brothers, and your feelings for a girl shouldn't interfere with that." Sam said with a smile behind his mustache.
Elizabeth reached for Hiccup's hand and held it. "Dear, it's alright. Don't worry about it. Mark's fine, we assure you." she smiled softly.
Hiccup looked at the couple, searching for signs that it wasn't the case, but their faces only told sincerity and honesty. He finally gave a sigh of relief, a smile curving his lips. "That's a relief." He chuckled. "Now it's just.. my feelings for Astrid that's a rumble."
"What's the matter, dear?" Elizabeth asked, gently tightening her grip on the young man's hand.
"I'm still unsure about her feelings for me."
"You didn't ask?" Sam asked with his brows raised.
Hiccup shook his head, "That's the thing. I'm afraid to know, and yet I'm afraid to not know."
"Hiccup," Sam put down the orange on the bedside table. "You have to choose. Do you want to know or not?" this time, his voice was a bit more asserting and stern.
There was a long silence. The couple didn't interrupt because they knew this was a big step for Hiccup and Astrid's relationship.
"I-i don't want to know just yet.. I-i'll have to think about this more." Hiccup did not want to rush himself. He felt that if he did, he would do something wrong and he wasn't prepared for that.
The old couple exchanged looks before nodding curtly at him. They understood. Hiccup smiled sheepishly at them as he scratched the side of his neck, "This is new to me. I'm sorry if I'm causing you trouble." he sighed with a heavy heart. "I don't know who else to tell this to but you."
Elizabeth brushed her thumb on the back of Hiccup's hand "Oh, dear, you don't have to apologize. We're always here for you. You're family to us." Sam nodded in agreement, "That's right. If you need to vent out, we're just here, ready to listen to you." The couple once again managed to make him feel welcome to their home, and if anything, he felt like he was definitely a part of their family.
"Thank you." He smiled, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I should go back now. I haven't made breakfast yet. Mark might be awake and there's no food in the storage at all." He stood up, lifting his market bag. "Thanks again." He flashed a sunny grin, and then leaned down to kiss Elizabeth's cheek, then went around the bed and embrace Samuel. Hiccup waved at them as he went to the door.
On his way to his home, he pondered about what he should do. He was still torn between wanting to find out Astrid's feelings for him, and not going too fast. He entered the house and was greeted by Toothless who was sitting on the table. The feline jumped down and circled his ankle, rubbing its side on him. Hiccup chuckled and picked him up. "Hey, bud." he said with a grin. "Sorry I'm late. I had to visit Sam and Elizabeth." he explained as he walked over to the table and settled his groceries and Toothless on the surface. He turned away with his head held low and sighed as he made his way to the bathroom.
His troubles seemed to be more and more complicated, even after solving the first one. What do I do? He asked himself. He let out another sigh and opened the door. His head tilted up to see Mark topless, bandaging his chest. At first, he was confused as to why Mark was doing this, was he injured? But then, he realized that his apprentice wasn't doing this for an injury-it was to flatter his chest! Mark was a girl!? Hiccup's eyes widened, and a hand smack to his mouth when he opened them. It was Mark's hand!
Before Hiccup could say anything, "Mark" had yanked him into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it. Hiccup had his back against the wall and his right hand over his heart. He was palpitating. "Y-you're.. you're a girl!" he exclaimed as if it were a bad thing.
"Mark" had once again smacked his… her? hand on his mouth, "Shhh!"
"W-who are you!?" He said loudly against the woman's hand.
"Be quiet, lad! Ah'll tell ye if ya shut up!" the girl hissed, glaring at him.
Hiccup just stared wide-eyed at her. He was waiting for her to talk. When he was calm enough, the girl took her hand off his mouth. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. Her eyes seemed to show that she was hesitant to tell her name, and for a moment that felt like forever, Hiccup was anticipating for what she was about to say. The girl finally sighed in defeat. "Marceline is my name."
It didn't take any thinking for him to ask more questions. "W-why did you pretend to be a boy?"
"I couldn't get a job at anythin' ah like." She said with a frown. "Look, a-ah wan'tae tell ye more but this isn't the richt place t'do tha'."
She was right. They were in a bathroom and she was half naked, and they were only a few inches of space between them. The thought made Hiccup's face go red and the girl called Marceline didn't have to get him out because he hurried himself out.
Merida watched Hiccup scramble out of the bathroom and when the door was shut, she leaned her back against it and sighed in relief and in annoyance. She couldn't bring herself to tell him who she really was and instead lied for the second time. She told him her name was Marceline. Merida shook her head in disdain with herself. Her hand smacked itself on her forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she hissed between clenched teeth. Now she had to make another excuse! Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? She clicked her tongue in annoyance and finished bandaging her chest, then wore her shirt fixed her cap.
She went out and saw Hiccup leaning the wall. He looked very confused. Merida scratched the back of her neck and gestured for him to come with her, "Let's talk." she said, and went to their bedroom. She let Hiccup go in first so she could close the door. Hiccup slowly sat on his bed. He looked a bit dazed, like he was going to collapse any moment now. Merida leaned her back against the door and stared at him looking distantly at the wall. A long awkward silence lingered between them.
For a private conversation, nobody was talking, until a few minutes later did Hiccup break the stillness between them. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.
Merida blinked and looked away, "I wis… scared." her voice slightly faltered at the last word.
"Scared? Of me? Why would you be-"
"It wasn't you ah wis scared about. It was.. not being able to get this job." She could feel his gaze at her. Merida finally looked at him, but slowly. "Ya know how this world works. If yoo're nae a lad, nobody trusts ye to do 'manly' tasks."
It dawned on Hiccup why she was so passionate about tilting the world to be equal. If he felt anything, it wasn't remorse, but pity. But still, he felt confused and angry about being lied to, but he knew there was no use in throwing a tantrum. Besides, the girl was just trying to survive. She did this to survive. He would probably do equally absurd things just to survive. There was no ulterior motive either. It wasn't like she was a spy or an assassin, hiding to kill him. She was doing this for her own good and that wasn't so bad.
His hand slid down his face, "Who else knows?"
She inhaled and shook her head, "Nobody else."
He craned his neck and looked into her eyes. She looked pleadingly back at him. It was almost like he could hear her beg for him to not tell anybody. He wasn't going to tell anybody, not without her consent. She—no. Mark was his best friend… but what was the difference? It was just the idea of Mark that was different. The gender. Her opinions, her thoughts, it was all her. There was no Mark; It was all her. Hiccup sighed and stood up. Now he knew why 'Mark' hadn't grown even though he hit puberty. He saw Marceline look hopeless and afraid.
She must think I hate her now, and that I'm going to throw her out, he thought with a soft glare.
He raised his hand and somehow, she flinched. Is she really that afraid to think that I'm going to hit her? This made him feel worse and have the urge to embrace her-and he did. He wrapped his arms around her, with one hand rubbing her back, "You're still my best friend." he said softly. After a few seconds, he could feel her hug him back and press her face on his shoulder. She was crying. She must have been terrified all this time, and she didn't show it to anyone. The least he could do was offer his support.
The more Marceline cried, the tighter he hugged her, "Let it all out, Mar."
Right when he said her new nickname, she pulled away and looked at him, confused. His beamed at her, "I'll call you that from now on…" he said, but this made her even more confused. Hiccup realized why. His cheeks turned red and his gaze became shifty and his hold on her loosened, "N-not in public of course. J-just when nobody's around… or not. That was stupid. Never mind—"
"No." she returned his smile. "I like that. It's at least nearer to my name." she chuckled.
He blushed even more but smiled anyway, "W-well, that's good.." he rubbed the back of his neck. "So.. I'll call you Mar whenever we're alone then…?"
She nodded.
They released one another from each other's embrace. "We should get back to work." He held the doorknob.
Merida couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. She didn't reveal her true identity, but at least Hiccup knew she was a girl. She didn't need to pretend to him anymore. Marceline was the first name that came into her mind when she chose to hide her real name. Mar was the closest nickname to her real name too. She couldn't believe he hugged her and let her cry on him. She knew she had no chance with him, but still… being in his arms felt blissful, safe and comforting. It felt like she could stay there forever.
She and Hiccup went back to working in the smithy. Hiccup was doing all the hammering while she did all the turning of the metal. After several hours, they were able to finish making a few sets of knives for the butch in the next street. Merida was happy she was able to spend the entire day with him since Astrid was out looking for her in the eastern side of the city. The woman wasn't going to be back in a few days.
After blacksmithing, it was time to meet with a businessman who was planning to open a restaurant soon. Hiccup was the only one that was really needed but he insisted for her to go with him. The man discussed with the owner about his wire work and the design the owner wanted. There were blue prints here and there. Merida just sat in one side of the office and entertained herself by memorizing the designs of the decorations of the room. Once, she went out to get a drink and didn't want to come back, but she didn't want to leave Hiccup inside also. So, she bought coffee for him too. When she handed his cup over to him, he flashed her a thankful smile before returning his attention to his client. This made her replay the image of him smiling at her for the rest of the duration of her waiting.
When it was getting late, Hiccup insisted she go home and make their dinner. Merida happily stood and left. Despite her blissful replaying of his smiling face at her, she was more than glad to leave that boring office. Heck, as soon as she got out of the building, she sprinted home. When she got home, she returned to daydreaming. Her smile was so wide, even Toothless was wondering why she was looking so happy, and he wanted to know what was making her look like she was on cloud nine.
Merida would giggle to herself every once in a while while making an improvised version of fish and chips. She let Toothless taste one, "Whot dae ye think, Toothless?" she asked, her broad grin never faltering.
The feline poked his nose on the food before taking a large bite. He meowed contentedly as if to say it was delicious and he wanted more.
She giggled then turned back to the food she was making, "Later whin Hiccup gets back."
Right on cue, Hiccup opened the door and announced his return. Toothless jumped off the table and rubbed himself on Hiccup's leg as his way to say welcome back. Hiccup gladly picked him up and nuzzled him, "Thanks, bud! I missed you too!" He chuckled and caught a whiff of what Merida was cooking. "Ooh, what's that?" he asked as he loomed over her side.
Merida smirked proudly, "Improvised Fish an' Chips. Toothless likes it."
"How did you know?" He quirked a brow at her.
"I made him taste a bit of it an' he looked at me, begging for more." She tilted her chin up proudly.
He playfully rolled his eyes and gave Toothless a sideways glance, "Are you sure he wasn't just not trying to make you feel bad about your cooking skills?"
Merida's smirk disappeared and was replaced by a discontented scowl, "If there's anyone he's trying not to make 'em feel bad about their cookings skills, it's you."
"Hey!" He retorted, "Are you saying I'm a bad cook?"
"No. Whot a'm saying is yoo're nae a good cook." Her smirk returned.
Hiccup rolled his eyes sarcastically, "My non-existent feelings are hurt."
Merida snickered and nudged him, "Prepare the table, will ya?"
He chuckled and shook his head in amusement, "You should cook for us every day. If Toothless loves it, I'm going to love it too." he grabbed two plates and a bowl made of light metal to place them on the table, but with the bowl on a chair.
Merida grabbed another plate for her to put the Fish and Chips on, "A'm not really that good a cook. I guess ah juist got lucky with the improvisation." she shrugged as she neatly placed the food on the dish. She turned and settled it in the middle of the table. She made sure her presentation of the dish was good enough to make him want to eat it.
"This feels a lot like a restaurant serving." Hiccup laughed.
She laughed with him as she sat down, "Go on, dig in."
Hiccup didn't hesitate, "Don't mind if I do." he got several pieces and transferred them on his plate. He forked one and bit it. He munched slowly to savor the taste. His head bobbed slowly while his eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, "This is really good! I wouldn't mind having this dish more often!" he beamed at her. "You definitely should make this more, Mar!"
Merida laughed as she put a few pieces in Toothless' food bowl. "I'll try making the non-improvised one to see what you like better."
"You should make this when Astrid comes back! I'm sure she'll love this!" Hiccup took a larger bite from a piece.
She chuckled and nodded less enthusiastically, "Ya think?"
"Of course! She might also ask you to help her with cooking." He chuckled, "She's… not exactly the best cook."
"Why'd ya say that?" She curiously looked at him.
He released his hold from his spoon and scratched his nape, "Well… she made something, I don't remember what she called it, but all I remember is I could barely swallow it. I didn't want to spit it out either because she was looking at me, so I had no choice but to swallow it." A laugh left him, "I felt so sick after that, but it made her happy, so I guess it was worth it."
Her chest was hurting again. She was jealous but she didn't show it. "Whot did it taste like?"
"Like raw fish mixed with a few spices I can't exactly pin point."
"How'd ya know it wis raw fish? Have ya e'er eaten raw fish?" She asked because half of her was genuinely curious, but the other half was because she wanted to take the topic away from him and Astrid's bonding.
Hiccup's face turned as red as what used to be the color of her hair. She couldn't help but snicker at him. He began gesturing his hands and stuttering for words. "N-no! I-I.. You see- well-.. I-I may or may not have b-but I-I don't eat fish! I mean, r-raw fish!" he rambled. His face couldn't get any redder.
Merida chortled at his reaction. She held her stomach, shook her head and rocked back and forth as she giggled, laughed and snorted.
Hiccup stared wide-eyed at her. The more he thought about it, why hadn't he figured out she was disguising herself as a boy? Her laugh was high-pitched and somewhat feminine-just lacking the elegance. He stared at the girl and wondered how she wasn't like most of the women in the society. More over, he wondered why she did not want to fit in.
Maybe because of how she was brought up, he shrugged.
He watched Marceline calm herself and proceeded to eat. He did the same thing. Hiccup helped her clean up, and as they did so, they talked more about themselves. His apprentice seemed to be more open to him than before. He figured it was because she finally revealed herself to him. Although, he didn't know anything about where she lived, who her parents her and why she was disguising herself as a boy.
Marceline's sneeze took him out of his trance. He glanced at her and saw her wrinkle her nose, huff and sniff. His lips unknowingly formed a pleasant curve. "Bless you." He chuckled. The girl rubbed her nose on her rolled up sleeve, "Thanks." she wrinkled her nose once more. "So what happened during the meeting?" she asked as she returned the plate on the cupboard.
"We're going to set up the wires on the fortnight. They still have to look for more electric engineers that can help us." He passed her Toothless' food bowl.
She lifted the pail and poured water on the foamy bowl, "What are we going to do tomorrow then? Appointments?"
"Fixing the stable for the rangers and bringing the horseshoes to put it on their horses." He glanced at her, "Do you know how to put horseshoes on hooves?" he asked, leaning with his arms straight and stiff on the sink.
Marceline shook her hands, sprinkling water away. "No, not really."
He nodded silently, "Have you seen how they're done?"
She nodded also, leaning on the sink as well, "Enought t'know whot t'do." she smirked playfully.
He grinned at her readiness, "Great! We're leaving early tomorrow. We have more smithy work in the afternoon."
Marceline pushed herself off and rolled her shoulders, "Gotta get plenty of rest, then, Hic." she gave him a sideways glance, smiling lopsidedly.
"Yep." he popped the 'p'. Hiccup looked at their pet cat, "Come on, Toothless. Time to sleep." The cat purred and trotted ahead of him to their bedroom.
He and Marceline brushed their teeth before climbing onto their double decker. Hiccup tucked himself and looked at the edge of the mattress above him, waiting for the girl's face to peek at him. "Hey, Mar…?" Their bed shook a bit as Marceline shifted on her mattress. She peeked at the edge, "Yeah?" Even in the dark, her eyes seemed bright and full of life. He mindlessly stared at her for minute and studied what her eyes looked like in the dark. He took note of the roundness of them, and the length of her lashes. Hiccup blinked a few times and opened his mouth "...Let's… work our way up the society—together." He felt his lips twitch to a smile.
It took Marceline to reply, and he thought he was a weirdo for saying it. It caused him to blush furiously and avert his gaze from her, "I-I mean, if that's okay with you. Y-you don't have to—N-not that I-i don't want to, but—"
"Let's."
He stopped his rambling and looked back at her. His mouth was slightly open as he stared unblinkingly at her, processing if what he heard was correct. And as if she knew what he was thinking, she repeated what she said, "Let's work our way up together." Her eyes squinted in a happy way. This made it known to him that she was smiling. It made him smile also, "Great.." he said, relieved and happy. "Good night, Mar." he closed his eyes, his smile not disappearing.
"G'night, Hic." Marceline lied down on her back.
That day was the best day of her life so far.
End of Chapter
Marceline is the name I chose because it's the first one to pop in my mind when I asked myself what the female version of Mark is. My second thought was 'Marcelia' and the third was 'Marjory' but Marceline had a ring to it (I guess because of Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time).
Mericcup Month is in almost here! LESS THAN TWO WEEKS! I'm going to post more fanfics for some prompts. One-shots/Drabbles.
ALSO, I would love to inform everyone that I have made an ROTBTD website. Yep, you read it right. A website for The Big Four! So far, some followers of mine who are mericcup shippers have signed up. I'm hoping for more. I mean, really, every ship in the ROTBTD is there (Jackunzel, Jarida, Hiccunzel, Hijack and Meripunzel). The website is in my profile. Just scroll to the very bottom!
Replies time!
The Silent Fury: Hope this answers your question ;)
Rangerkeats: Thank you so much! Hope you read to the very end!
TPATFan16: I hope you're happy about the update haha! It's not exactly as long as the last chapter, but I hope it was able to suffice.
Dreaming-fantasy-girl: Why couldn't she just have had a normal life? Then again, she wouldn't have met him!
Dialga213: She's holding on. She has no choice. My poor heart is broken.
Norse King: This might be really fast for you (I think you were expecting him to know waaay further). I was planning on having more chapters for this. More... drama, really. I honestly have no idea how to make a Hiccstrid scene since I'm not really a fan of Hiccstrid, but I'm trying to come up for one, and yeah. Astrid isn't exactly interested in having a relationship. She's more interested in helping her family (I thought that since Astrid in the movies loves Berk so much that she's willing to lay her life for it, she would do it for her family too). Hahaha! Merida's hurt and mad because she couldn't do anything. She knows Hiccup knew her as a boy but, yeah, female feelings are really persistent. This kind of changes her game, but she'll still think that she has no shot with him because Hiccup likes Astrid.
P.S. I'm gonna do more of that Merida getting female attention. I really need more of it.
Twinkletoesxoxo: Thanks so much! Yeah.. I feel for her too. D: It broke my heart to type out what she felt.
Fiona: Same here! And thank you for your kind review!
M.A333: I'm very sorry about that. Glad I actually changed it. There'll be more Mericcup soon!
If you guys have questions, feel free to ask!
Don't forget to leave a comment!
