"Hiccup, can you please rerun that?"

Merida groaned. Hiccup was an incredible actor, but there was one problem. He couldn't do accents and his character had to have one. A Liverpudlian accent to be precise. He had trouble every week. Every week he'd struggle through the script in a half Scottish, half Yorkshire accent that really didn't fit. Three weeks went by and eventually the teacher put her foot down.

"I'm sorry Hiccup. We're going to have to change your role. There's no way you can be Mickey with that accent."

Hiccup hung his head, determined to avoid Merida's gaze.

"Will that affect my overall mark?" he mumbled and the teacher shook her head.

"Not if you do well in the new role. I'm swapping you with Jack. He'll be Mickey, you'll be Edward; the other brother."

Hiccup nodded, life returning to his eyes. Merida blushed furiously as she remembered that Edward and Linda ended up together in the end. She flicked through the script and found the respective scene.

Hiccup would have to sing about her. He'd have to confess he'd always truly loved her and... Oh God. This scene would kill her.

Practices were awkward. They didn't have to do the kissing part until the dress rehearsals or actual nights though, to make it less embarrassing. The weeks skipped by and too soon it was the dress rehearsal. The first half went swiftly but when the scene drew closer and closer Hiccup started pacing in the wings. Merida knew him well now and could tell he was scared. She approached him and whispered as the scene continued onstage:

"Hey, it's okay. It's just Drama. It, it doesn't mean anything, does it?" Her hand was resting on his arm. He looked at it and nodded with a weak smile.

"Nah," he shook his head quickly, "no, I'm being stupid. Don't worry."

Merida withdrew to her side of the stage with a fleeting glimpse behind her. He was still watching her leave.

Hiccup's scene with Mickey began and all too soon Merida had to go onstage as Jack left.

"Linda. Hello Linda."

"Hello Eddie."

"Why haven't you called to see me?"

"I heard you had friends. I didn't like butting in."

"You'd never be butting in, and you know it! Well - it wouldn't matter if I never saw any of those friends again if I could be with you."

"Eddie."

Jack and Snotlout, who had been cast as Sammy, continued the split stage as they talked about a potential murder that Mickey was needed for. Hiccup spoke again.

"You might as well know, if, I'm not going to see you again." He took a deep breath, stared at Merida for a second and then looked at his shoes. They'd practised this scene before, of course, but none of them were quite like this. The set, the props, the lights, the music, every little detail made everything just a little bit more lifelike. Like this was a genuine confession.

"I've always - loved you."

He rushed forward and grasped her hand.

"You must have known that."

They froze as the split scene continued with Jack and Snotlout. They stood, frozen in the dark, Hiccup's hand gripping hers tightly until he spoke again.

"I'm sorry." He drew away, his hand still warm from where he'd held hers. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Merida finally said, turning to face him. "I suppose I always loved you, in a way."

There was a small, content silence as Hiccup whispered his next line.

"Then, marry me."

"Didn't Mickey tell you?" Merida replied. "We got married two weeks before you got home! We're, we're expecting a baby."

The split scene again. Their eyes stared at each other in the dim stage lights. Merida wanted to reach out and grab his hand, to kiss him as her character demanded she shouldn't do. She wanted to kiss him, after three weeks of being at this new school. How stupid and pathetic was that?

"Lyons!"

"Come on Eddie, you're supposed to be helping us with the booze!"

The clutter onstage dissolved and Merida was left standing there, staring into his eyes again.

"I'll see you Eddie. Happy New Year."

The rest of the act passed quickly until Mickey (Jack) started becoming abusive. He took part in a shooting and was jailed for seven years. He progressed during the play to become depressed. When Linda visited him, he told her to leave him alone. That he didn't need the antidepressants. He behaved well though and was released early.

During that time, Linda had been talking to Eddie. She'd sorted a house, even a job for him. But Eddie was becoming more and more distant. More aggressive. So she called Eddie again.

The scene began and Hiccup's heart raced. He had to stand there, waiting, in the shadows as the narrator spoke over them. They didn't speak for the whole scene. They didn't have to. They weren't required to. Every time they did this scene Hiccup was thankful for that.

She approached him and they smiled and laughed together. Suddenly his hand was in her hair and, as the script required them to, they kissed.

It was like the world had restarted. Then the sudden realisation hit Merida. This was just one performance. After this, there'd be nothing. After the production, it was over. This make-believe romance they'd invented. Gone. Just like that.

The scene was over before they wanted it to be. Hiccup's eyes reflected the dim lights of the stage, like little stars were shining there. Like the entire spectrum could fit inside his gorgeous green pupils.

As the performance ended with the death of Mickey and Edward at the same moment, the audience clapped and sobbed at the same time. As the cast took a synchronized bow Hiccup grasped Merida's hand tightly. The chords of 'Tell Me It's Not True' played them out and they exited into the wings as the curtain fell. Merida's hand was still entwined with Hiccup's.

The house lights came up but it was still dark backstage. Merida turned to him, her eyes the colour of the sea.

"Hiccup -"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Uh -" she mumbled. The words wouldn't come out. "Meet me here after we get changed?"

Hiccup nodded and let her hand go, his arm flopping limply to his side as he ran a hand through his fringe. They turned away from each other quickly and headed into their separate changing rooms, neither daring to look at the other.

Merida tore off her costume, threw on her jeans and hoodie. She laced her boots, grabbed her bags and ran out the door. The girl she now knew as Astrid had become a better friend to her now and grinned at her.

"Good luck," she called to her. Merida turned and gave her a weak smile as the door slammed behind her.

Merida made her way to the auditorium which was now clear. Everyone was waiting in the foyer for their children to come out, some of whom already had. She walked among the set, running her fingertips along it for the last time and she sighed.

Drama was fantastic in some ways, but heartbreaking in others. All shows had to come to an end, no matter how good they were. That was the only part she hated. Saying goodbye; accepting, acknowledging the fact that she'd never be this character, ever again. Sing those songs. Say those lines. Wear that costume. She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Wha' yeh cryin' fer?"

A perfect Liverpudlian accent penetrated the silence. Merida whipped round. Hiccup was standing there, smiling lopsidedly.

"You said you couldn't do that voice! You couldn't the accent for twelve weeks running, and now you're here, saying that?" Merida laughed and Hiccup grinned.

"To be fair, I had good reason."

"What?"

"I didn't exactly want to be Mickey."

"Why? He's the main character isn't he?"

"Yes..." Hiccup shuffled from foot to foot, blushing hard. "Look - I didn't want to be Mickey, because, look, Merida, I - um..."

"What?" Merida whispered softly, taking a small step towards him. She placed her bag on the polished stage floor.

"Okay, I'm just going to say the first thing that comes to my head -" Hiccup took a deep breath.

"How about a line?" Merida looked into his eyes, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "A line from the play? Would that be easier?"

"Okay -" Hiccup closed his eyes and opened them again with a snap, speaking faster than he ever had in his life. "MeridaforChrist'ssakewillyoujustgooutwithme?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes!"

Hiccup dropped his bag, his eyes as wide as Merida's smile.

"Well," Hiccup mumbled, reaching for her awkwardly, "I suppose I'd better, um -"

He held her stiffly in his arms as he kissed her again. All of a sudden the pair of them realised exactly what was going on and they kissed harder, faster and closer. Merida broke for air, panting.

"Bloody hell! It takes you a while to get going but when you do there's no stopping you!"

"Oh c'mere," Hiccup grinned as they kissed again.

It seemed like this performance would certainly last longer than they'd anticipated.