Authors note; prepare for some Merricup cuteness!
Chapter 11 Merida's POV
Hiccup had been gone since the battle last night. Rapunzel told us where he'd gone, and I hadn't slept a wink. I was way too worried. What if that dragon barbequed him? At about one a.m., I went for a walk to calm my nerves and give myself something to do, all the pacing was driving me mad. It was on that walk, staring at the moon, that I realized why I was so much more worried than anybody else. I loved him. I was in love with Hiccup.
But I couldn't be. No matter how unhappy I was about it, I had to marry into royal blood for my kingdoms sake. Though every fiber in my being writhed against my bethrothal, I needed to think of my people. They need a king. As far as I knew, Hiccup was just a Viking villager. Fates damn these stupid politics.
Then, Hiccup came running into the village at top speed and nearly collided with me. He ran straight into town, into one of the un-burned buildings. Weapons hung on the walls and metal working tools coated a work bench. "Hiccup." I shouted. "Hey Mer." He replied rather distractedly.
"What happened out there?"
He met my eyes, and they were full of a fresh hopeful craze. His chestnut mop of hair was slightly damp and plastered to his skull. "Everything we know about them is wrong." He started running around the workshop, gathering tools and heating the forge.
"Everything you know about who?"
"The dragons." He danced around the forge and gathered everything he needed with ease. I could tell he was in his element. "I found the dragon and- oh Merida it's all my fault. I cut off his tail last night with my machine. So I'm building him a new one." all the words spilled out of his mouth faster thatn I could comprehend.
I did my best to keep the sarcasm out of my voice when I asked, "You're building it a new tail?"
"Well, only half of a tail, and he's not an it. Toothless is a boy."
"You named it, sorry, him Toothless? Do you want the other dragons to beat him up?" I joked.
"Well, I thought he didn't have any teeth, and it's not as bad as Hiccup." He reminded me.
I would have argued with him, telling him his name isn't that bad, (I know a few worse ones, like Dingwall) but North yelled "Time to go!" I wanted to ignore him and stay here with Hiccup more than anything in the world.
"Come on Merida, Hiccup. Let's go." He said, this time standing in the doorway.
"North, I can't leave Toothless, he needs me. Once he's better, maybe I can fly him back to the workshop."
North stepped forward and placed a huge hand on his shoulder. An understanding passed between them. "Alright my boy. Be safe." He took a snow globe out of his pocket and handed it to Hiccup. "It's a portal. Throw it in the air when you're ready to come back. I'll see you soon my boy." And with that he left; simple as that.
I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around Hiccup. I didn't want to leave him. Not now and not ever. But I knew North and the others would need me to figure out what Pitch was planning. Besides, I was going to say good-bye to my family tomorrow.
At first he was shocked, but when he realized what was happening, Hiccup wrapped his arms around me. They were muscular in a subtle way. You wouldn't be able to tell just looking at him, but I felt them through his shirt. "I'll see you soon." I mumbled into his shoulder.
"I'll see you soon." he whispered back, stroking my wild hair.
When we pulled apart I looked into those deep green eyes and my instincts took over. I grabbed the hem of his vest and brought my lips to his. He tasted like the apple cider my mum used to make when autumn came. It was quick, much quicker than I would have liked, but it would have to suffice. When I pulled away he looked stunned, an idiotic grin spreading slowly across his face.
North called again and I ran to the sleigh. Everyone was seated and pretending to minding their own business. I knew they had been watching us like hawks. I climbed in next to Rapunzel and she hummed a little tune softly to herself, observing the clouds. "Oh, hey." She said, pretending to just realize I got in. When I looked back, Hiccup hadn't moved an inch. I laughed a little and waved to him. He raised his hand in salute.
The reindeer took off and when I looked back one last time, I saw Hiccup fall onto the floor. I winced a little and did my best to suppress the giggles. I still had the taste of him on my lips and savored it as long as I could. No-one said a word the entire flight back. With the help of a portal, the awkward silence only lasted about ten minutes. But I didn't mind. I felt on top of the world. Being the Guardian of Courage had it's advantages.