I let thoughts of the kiss and of the whispered words run through my dazed brain as I sat on my bed, clutching my phone in one hand and my school copy of Romeo and Juliet in the other. I couldn't believe after all this - and Merida's confession, she ran away. I'd tried ringing Merida several times today and she hadn't picked up, so I figured it was time for drastic measures.

"Dad?" I knocked on my father's study door and entered caustiously. "Is it OK if I go round, round to Jack's this evening for a bit? I promised him I'd help him, er, with his English homework..."

"Yes - you can go and see this girl," my dad said without even needing to look at me.

"Bu - how did you - I mean, girl? What girl?"

"Is it Astrid again?"

"No - someone else..."

He turned round and ruffled my hair, grinning. "Good. Astrid wasn't right for you son. I didn't like her. Too overpowering." I nodded as I stood there with my hands in my pockets. "Is it Merida by any chance?" I blushed as red as a tomato as he gave me 'the look'.

"Er - well, as a matter of fact -"

"I knew it! You two haven't been apart since birth! Me and Fergus were having bets on who'd be the one to go for the other first; you go get her son! Fergus owes me ten pounds!"

I rolled my eyes and left his study, yelling a "Thanks Dad!" as I left. I jumped on my bike and rode the short distance across town to Merida's house. I stood there apprehensively before knocking. I closed my eyes and tapped three times on the door, heart pumping madly. Merida's mother, Elinor, answered the door.

"Hiccup! What a lovely surprise!" She pulled me into a tight hug. "I haven't seen you in a long time! How's your father?"

"Fine, just fine," I smiled. "Um - is it possible if I could, talk, to - to Merida for a bit? I said I'd help her, English homework, the teacher said -"

Elinor smiled knowingly at me before pointing upstairs. "She's upstairs. Not in the best of moods. Something to do with Drama, but if you're doing English that should be fine."

"Thanks Mrs Dunbroch," I said as my heart lept. I took the stairs two at a time but stopped at her door. I knew this was crazy but I had to do this. Apologise for whatever I'd done wrong. Tell her what I really felt. I knocked twice, very softly. I heard a mumbled "Go away," from inside her room. I hung my head.

"Merida," I whispered, "it's me."

"Go away," she said, very, very firmly.

"I don't care if I have to stay here all evening," I murmured through the crack, "you're going to hear what I have to say."

"You'll be waiting a long time then," Merida replied.

I didn't care. I swung open the door to see Merida sitting cross-legged on her bed with a box of tissues by her side and an open copy of Romeo and Juliet in her hand. I looked at her despairingly.

"Please Merida," I implored as I looked into her eyes, "just listen to me. Just this once. Then you don't have to speak to me ever again. I promise."

She looked up at me and very suddenly, slammed the copy of Romeo and Juliet shut and threw it onto her desk. I started as she turned and advanced towards me.

"I told you," she whispered angrily but at the same time she was breaking down inside, "it meant nothing. It was just a play written by some poet who didn't know what real love felt like."

"It didn't mean nothing to me," I looked into her eyes, speaking through them, trying to convey what I could without words. "It was beatuiful."

"Welcome to Drama, Mr Haccock," Merida mock-curtsied incredibly sarcastically and threw herself against her wardrobe completely intentionally. From where the wardrobe had made contact with her head it had drawn blood and I saw she was ready to smash her face against it again. I lept up to hold her back before she could hurt herself any further.

"Stop!" I cried as my arms held her closer to me, preventing her from harming herself. "You'll kill yourself if you keep going!"

"GOOD!" Merida turned to face me, tears streaming out of her eyes. "I'm worthless. No one needs me. It's better for me to go now rather than make people endure me for any -"

She never finished her sentence. I didn't let her. I couldn't hear her say this shit about herself any longer, so I did all I knew to shut her up. I grabbed her shirt and pulled her close to me, against my chest. Our lips were milimetres apart but Merida was not going to close that distance in a hurry. It was the only way I could stop her. I felt her struggle and push me away but there was a certain element of wanting to stay locked there forever hanging in the air. She broke away and pushed me to the door.

"What the hell?" she cried as I stood, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. "What are you thinking? I said it meant nothing! It can't mean anything! I won't let it mean anything -"

"Merida - just listen to me," I walk towards her again, slowly. "You have to understand this from my point of view. I've just broken up with Astrid because I don't love her anymore. I've realised the girl I've really loved all along was right before my eyes, I was just blind. She admits she likes me and I try to kiss her. She runs away. Then Drama. It sounds like she means every word. She kisses me and I've never been happier. She then tells me none of it mattered, it was all a lie. She runs away again. How do you think that plays on my heart, huh?"

Merida was silent for a moment but then she spoke.

"I guess I never thought about it from that perspective."

"Do my ears decieve me or is this the first time you've ever admitted I was right?"

"I must have changed."

I sat down next to her on her bed. She refused to look me in the eye.

"Merida," I thought about reaching for her hand but I was too nervous. "I need you to tell me the truth about - how you feel. Everything. I need to know whether you're worth my time. I need to know if you're a lost case or not." (start music)

She took a deep breath and began to speak. I drank in every word.

She spoke of times when we were young and we'd played together and joked about getting married. She thought this was just a primary school crush, but she soon realised it was so much more. We got up to high school and I met Astrid and everything changed. We all changed and she realised she should have told me sooner. She saw me falling for Astrid and soon we were dating. Merida knew that she couldn't say anything now. She'd ruin it for me and Astrid and that was the least she wanted. Then, this happened. She couldn't continue.

"After all this time?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly as the truth finally sets in my head. She looked into my eyes, sea blue melting into forest green as she nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"The words were there," she whispered, "they just wouldn't come out the way they wanted." There was a moment's silence before she said stiffly, "It's late. You'd better get back. Your dad'll be worried."

"My dad expressly gave me permission to get you back," I replied.

"Get me back? What -?" Merida started, but we heard a shout from downstairs from Merida's father.

"It''s happened Elinor! Stoik's boy got there first, I have to cough up ten quid!"

I grinned, I saw Merida's expression of confusion to amusement as she figured what our fathers had been saying behind our backs.

"They bet on who was going to ask who?"

"Yep."

"This is ridiculous, it's completely stupid, mental -"

"Crazy," I whispered as I tilted her chin towards me. I heard her gasp very softly but she leant into my touch and in doing so, moved closer to me. Our lips were so close, I could feel her breath on my cheek, warming it but Merida wouldn't let me close the distance between us.

"I'm still not ready for that," Merida murmured.

"It's just a kiss," I replied quietly. She nodded. "Don't you like me?"

"I do. I just can't let myself."

"Will you let me do this instead?"

I pulled her into my chest and I felt her arms gripping me, holding on to me. I'd never felt so alive.

The blissful moment was interrupted by my phone buzzing loudly, indicating a message. I reached into my pocket and I saw a message from my dad:

Hiccup -

Thanks for the tenner! You need to get back soon - Toothless needs feeding and I don't know where the cat food is.

"I have to go," I apologised and pulled her to me again. Before she could say anything I held her hand and squeezed it gently and I heard her inhale sharply."I'll see you tomorrow. We can talk."

"Or maybe more," Merida smiled mischieviously. I grinned and walked out of her room, blowing a kiss to her as I left.

"Is she feeling any better?" Elinor asked me as I descended the stairs.

"Yes, we're - I mean - she's, she's fine," I stuttered slightly and Elinor smiled, giving me 'the look'.

"I'm glad. You have to get going?" she asked as she saw me move to the door.

"Yes; Toothless needs feeding and my dad's forgotten where he put the cat food."

"Oh Stoik," she grinned. "Give love from me and Fergus won't you?"

"'Course I can Mrs Dunbroch. Thank you!"

I stepped outside and let the cold night air embrace tightly as I punched the air in triumph. I jumped on my bicycle and sang to myself all the way home I was so happy.

"And if you don't know,

Just put your hand on my heart -

Just put your hand on my heart -

And I don't have to say it.

And I don't have to think it.

Just put your hand on my heart -

Just put your hand on my heart -

And you'd know..."