Disclaimer: Fine, fine, for the one hundredth time, I don't own How to Train Your Dragon and Brave. Ugh, happy now?

Chapter Five: Doubts

"Come on bud, we have to come back to Berk," Hiccup said as he coaxed Toothless to go.

Hiccup didn't know how he found himself in this situation. Looking warily at Toothless, who hid in a hole after he heard that they needed to come back home, he already felt a headache coming his way.

The Night Fury only moaned like a child and pushed himself deeper in the hole he was in. It was clear that he didn't want to come back yet.

Laughing, Merida patted him in the head. She can't deny that she was also sad to see the dragon and Hiccup go but they needed to. They were not kids anymore and they all had responsibilities they needed to take care off.

"Hey Toothless, don't worry we will see each other again," she promised the dragon as she smoothed down its scale on its head. Truthfully, she didn't know when but she was sure they were going to crossed paths again.

The Viking shook his head. He could clearly saw how much the dragon wanted to spend slmore time in DinBroch. Looking at his other best friend he could also saw her carefully veiled reluctance for them to go.

Sighing, he looked straight at the dragon's eye. "We will come back next month so stop whining and let's go."

Toothless ears perked up at the idea and he looked at Hiccup who was standing behind the princess. He then came out of the little hole that he pushed himself in.

The princess on the other hand whirled around to look at him with surprise and confusion.

"Really?" she asked after a few second.

Hiccup gave her one of his crooked grin and shrugged his shoulder. It's the only way he could think of to make the dragon cooperate with him.

Squealing, one of the things the fierce princess rarely did, she hugged the dragon in his head.

"Oh, Toothless! I couldn't wait! You're going back next month!" she said as she looked at the dragon. Her eyes full of mirth and excitement.

"Next time, we are going in one of the loch up in the North! The views there are breathe taking and I can't wait to see them up in the sky," she continued on as the dragon watched her as if he was hanging to every word that she was saying.

Laughing, Hiccup also watched as Merida continued to drown on about what they would do when they come back. It's rare to saw her with this childish vigor. Chuckling, he decided to keep his mouth shut as he remembered how much she complained when her mom did this to her. Smiling to himself, he thought that they were much alike than she would like to admit.

"Thank you, Hiccup!" she said as she hugged him like she did with Toothless.

Clearing his throat, he smiled to himself when Merida seemed to realized what she was doing. He was taken aback when a faint blush graced her cheeks. He suddenly realized that his best friend wad not a girl anymore but a lady and a beautiful one in that.

"I'm sorry for that, It's just I didn't expect you to come back here after a month with winter approaching," the princess said as she pushed her hair away from her face.

At the mention of winter, Hiccup winced internally. He forgot that winter was already a few weeks away. Smiling sheepishly he touched the back of his neck. "Well, we are. I mean all we have to do is stock at Berk a lot faster than we use to do. Winter is not really much of a problem since we have dragons. You know fire and all."

Biting her lip, Merida looked at Hiccup. She knew what he was trying to do and as much as she liked it she couldn't let him pushed himself harder to fulfill his promise.

"Hiccup, you know its fine with me if you didn't come back next month. I wouldn't really mind," the red head said seriously.

"I know what you're worried about but please don't be. It's always freezing up in Berk so I'm immune to it and remember we have dragons," he said as he smiled sincerely at her.

The red head sighed. "Okay, fine, you have dragons with fire breathe and all but I'm holding you for that," she said as she removed her horse's rein from the tree. She knew that arguing with her best friend was pointless. He was as hard headed as her and that was saying something.

She was about to climb at the back of her horse when she stopped and suddenly ran in front of Hiccup. Standing on her tip toes she hesitated for a second before she pressed a light kiss on his cheeks.

"Thanks for coming on my birthday and for the bow," she added with a shy smile. She wanted to hit herself in the head. Why was she blushing?

Getting back to her horse a little hurried than necessary, she gave Hiccup a small wave and a big grin.

"Okay, see you next month!" she shouted as she her horse darted to go back in the castle.

Hiccup watched her go until they disappeared in his line of sight. Touching his cheeks gingerly, he felt himself blushed. It's really fast but he remembered the way her lips pressed into his cheeks and the puff of her sweet breath on it.

Eyes turning suddenly wide in realization, he banged his head on his palm. How could he have those thought about his best friend? God, he already had a fiancée for Thor's sake. Convincing himself that he only had that thought because he was a hot blooded young man he pushed the ugly idea in the deepest part of his mind. He then turned back to look at the mopping dragon.

"Come on bud, let's go home."

As soon as they reached Berk, Toothless went straight to the dock to eat fish leaving Hiccup to go back at his home on his own.

Climbing all the way up, he was stopped a few times by some people asking his help and his advices. Putting aside his fatigue, he dealt with all of it with the experience he gained for the past three years.

He smiled, being chief was not that hard at all. After years of doing the same thing over and over again, he could finally help everyone even with his one eye closed. Sure, there were times he needed a hand to do some task, but he was confident that he improved a lot than how he was from the start.

Putting his hands on his knee, he wheezed a little as he looked at his house. The climbed up tired him. He was exhausted and hungry.

"Ugh, I'm beat." Hiccup said as he opened the door. All he really wanted to do now was to snuggle deeply in his favorite fur blanket and sleep for hours.

As he opened the door, he was greeted with an appetizing smell coming from the kitchen. Hearing his stomach grumbling he chuckled and head where the smell was coming from. He was stopped on his tracks when he heard his mother talking with Astrid.

"Astrid, why didn't you go to DunBroch with Hiccup?" Valka asked as she looked at the younger woman. Setting down the spoon that she used to taste the soup they were cooking.

Astrid smiled a little and shook her head. "They have four years to catch up. I don't want to intervene besides it maybe a little awkward," she said as she looked at the vegetable she was peeling.

"Awkward?" the older woman ask while raising one of her eyebrows.

Sighing, Astrid leaned in her seat and looked at the ceiling.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm a little jealous to the princess."

Seeing the confused expression on the other woman, Astrid continued. "You see how much Hiccup is attached to her. Seeing him smiling like an idiot because of her letters unnerves me a little. Imagine his face when they meet after four years."

Setting down the knife that she was holding, Astrid gave out a little sad smile."Truthfully, sometimes I get this feeling that Hiccup can love her more than he can love me if he was given a chance."

Valka gasped at what the younger Viking said and moved at her side.

Crouching at the side of the blonde she pushed her hair out of her face. "Don't be ridiculous, you know Hiccup loves you. They are just friends since they were a kid."

"I don't even want to be jealous. It's just a nagging feeling I always had in me. Aside, Merida is also a great friend of mine. I know she wouldn't do anything," Astrid explained as she looked at the blue eyes that belonged to Hiccup's mother.

Hearing the clanking of the pot, Valka got up and rushed to open the lid of the simmering soup. Turning again at the younger woman she gave her a reassuring smile.

"You and Hiccup lasted for this long, don't worry."

Astrid just gave her a small smile. Standing up, she was about to go back inside to grab something when she saw Hiccup.

"Oh Hiccup! You're already back!" the shield maiden said as she smiled brightly at him.

Hiccup decided to act like he didn't hear any of their conversation and gave her one of his grins. He would deal with it later. Right now all he wanted to do wadbfilled up his stomach and rest his eyes for a bit.

"Yeah, and I'm starving. So what's on the menu, ladies?" he asked as he hugged his mom and then chastely kissed Astrid on her lips.

"It's your favorite. Come on, help me to set the table and where going to eat,"his mother answered as he started to ladle out soup for them.

DunBroch

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Merida yelled in the forest as she and Angus moved back to the castle.

"I can't believe it Angus they are going back next month!" she said as she patted her horse. Laughing to herself, the red head closed her eyes and replayed what Hiccup told her. They were going back next month.

Smiling, she leaned down on Angus as she encouraged him to race back as fast as his four hoofs can. Feeling the late morning breeze in her hair she relished the memory of flying for the first time. She could hardly wait.

After reaching the stable and putting Angus back in the stall, she left the stable boy to tend the Clydesdale. She would do it personally but after catching a glimpse of her reflection in the pail of water she was about to gave to Angus, she remembered how much of an ungodly sight she was and she knew that her mother would not be pleased.

Running back inside the castle, she skillfully avoided everyone. She didn't need them asking her if she rolled down in a hill or berate her for her appearance. She already knew how bad she looked. The red head then frowned, no wonder why Hiccup was making fun of her this morning.

The princess was getting back inside the castle using one of the back doors when she bumped up with someone. Not bothering to look up she muttered a short excuse and continue on her tracks towards one of the back castle's back door.

The person that she bumped with called her but she didn't stop. She sighed, it was clear that he didn't knew she was the princess and actually mistaken her to be one of the servants. She was sure that he was one of her stupid suitors that decided to pay a visit to her birthday.

Picking up her pace, she felt him ran after her and pulled at her arm hard. She gasped as she felt her body twist.

"You will talk to me if I talk to you, get it?" the man that pulled her said in a deep gruff voice.

He was assessing her from head to toe while thinking of things he could do to her because of her disrespect but when he saw that she was wearing a necklace with the royal family crest, he let go of her hand and took a step back while carefully hiding his astonishment.

He was surprised. He didn't expect that she was the princess he was supposed to lure. Looking back at her again, he could said that she was not a princess material at all. Her hair was a big mess of bright curly red bush and her blue dress had odd stains in it. She was also carrying a bow and she smelt like morning breeze, forest and oddly, sour apples. The red head resembled more of a huntress than a princess if anyone would ask him.

Merida stood straighter and gave him an icy glare. She was restraining herself from punching him. Who did he thought he was? No one in her life had ever manhandled her like he did.

"I get to talk to whom I want. Now if you can excuse me," she said as she looked at him coldly. He was clearly not from here from the slight difference in his accent. He must be from the Lowlands.

"Please excuse my manners. I tend to act like that when ignored," the man said in suspiciously calm voice. He then shook his head. "I mean no harm," he added as he gave her a smile that she thought meant to be comforting.

The red head arched her eyebrow. Did it finally sink into his thick skull that she was the princess? She almost let out an unlady like laugh at his face. She always enjoyed it when they awkwardly and pathetically try to apologize to her.

"We just came in here and I'm just really tired. I never intended to be rude," he explained as he run his fingers through his messy bronze hair.

The red head scoffed. She didn't miss the way he was using his charms at her and she mentally gag. Sure, he was attractive but she didn't care much for appearance. If she did, she was already fussing about how bad she looked in front of someone as handsome as him.

"And I'm even forced by my father to be one of the suitors of your princess," he added in a dejected tone as his hazel eyes looked straight in to her's.

Merida only nodded her head and said a brief goodbye and walked away. So, he didn't know that she was the princess after all. But why the sudden change in tone and attitude?

Looking again at the man in the corner of her eyes, she saw him walking at the opposite direction. She needed to keep an eye with this one. There was something odd about him that didn't suit her right.

Author's Note:

Haha, hello guys is this good or bad? Please leave me a review and tell me what is in your mind.

Again, thank you very much to all of you who continue to read, follow, favorite and review this. Your support always made my day.

Okay to the guess reviewers!

Avatar Baru: Your English is not that bad. Haha, I understand it so I think it's good. I'm really flattered at what you said. I also hope that it will be amazing. Again, thanks for your wonderful review!

Noctus Fury: Hello man that finally solved the mystery! You're a guy after all but seriously you do sound like a girl. Haha, kidding. XP

About the Astrid thing I'm not sure. Maybe I'll do kill her or maybe I'll - (insert an evil laugh here). Haha, it's a big secret. I may tell you but I don't want to spoil the story to others. I would really spill the beans to you if you want but I didn't have any mean to contact you so too bad.

Thank you for pointing that out, I alter the summary a little so, yeah we are clear as crystal. My Hiccup has a reason why 'he stupidly not propose to Astrid' yet.

Again, thanks for the review.

Faith: Oh, I'm really sorry if I made you wait more than a week and almost a month in that. I'm really touched at what you said. Haha, you are not the only one who wished Astrid to die, so don't worry. The real Merriccup will need more time to happen but I promise the wait will worth it.

So, see you guys in the next update!

P.S. There is something that has been bugging me for almost two months. Is it only me or there is really something odd and fishy going on between Astrid and Eret on HTTYD 2? Please guys tell me I'm not seeing things! It's really disturbing me especially with the Stormfly thing and all.