"Come on!"

"Merida - you're insane. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"You did. Just now. Come on! You train dragons but you won't climb a little bit of rock?"

"A little bit of rock that if I fall from I will plummet to my inevitable death?"

"A minor detail. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back with common sense and rational thought I suppose."

"Oh shut up and get climbing."

A torrent of red curls swept past him as she lept to start dancing herself to the top of the Fire Falls with him being unable to stop himself following her. She was a drug, he swore, to which he was hopelessly addicted to. He was the ash and she was the spark, direct opposites yet always constantly connected in one form or another. Carefully he began to climb, being wary of his prosthetic and the damage he could cause it if he fell, but he managed to keep going with the idea that he'd reach her when he hit firmer ground.

"Not bad," he remarked when the view sunk into his eyes. Not bad was a total understatement; he knew it as he said it. The sun had just begun to set, igniting the mountains and casting a golden glow over everything the dying light managed to grasp. Merida was positively bathed in it, glorified beyond anything possible. Her hair was on fire and her eyes were blazing, colour etched into every fiber of her being. He was nothing compared to her. For some weird reason, as long as he had her, he was okay with that.

But he didn't.

Hiccup pushed that thought down and away so he'd forget about it as soon as he could.

When she turned round, a breeze had rippled through her hair and the sky set her hair alight. She spread her arms in delight, twirling round in the last light of the sun and when she smiled at him he wasn't sure what the warmth in his chest was. Grabbing his hands, she spun him around too so their hair ran awry and he couldn't help but laugh at how happy she was but when they spun too close to the edge and she wasn't aware panic shot through his core and he pulled her back from the precipice, scared for her. She was crushed against his chest, pressed tight against him.

"What -?" Merida began. Eyes, bright blue, wide and confused were looking up at him and he stuttered.

"The - the edge, you were too close, you, you were going to fall..."

Merida smiled and he couldn't figure why.

"I'd have been fine you know..." She was safe now, perfectly safe, but she wasn't moving back from him. His hand was resting on the small of her back and his mouth was slightly open, his head lowered to meet her gaze.

"Merida -"

Her name was a whisper and he couldn't seem to think of anything else to say damn it because she was there and alive and breathing in his arms, beautiful fire that warmed him through and made his stomach perform flips he could only dream of achieving.

"What?"

"I ..."

He stepped back, dropping his hands and wringing them.

"I'm sorry."

"S'okay," Merida mumbled, turning away. "I guess, I mean, I should have realised that you didn't want to -"

"No, Merida - no I did, I mean, I did want to!" Hiccup grabbed her hand and his heart started beating furiously. He was almost glad of it because he needed this air desperately because his chest hurt and he had to supply his body with oxygen, damn it, it hurt to see her eyes burning so blue; "I - I just thought -"

"I didn't think you -"

"Like me too?"

Merida nodded slowly, a shy smile spreading across her face and Hiccup bit his lip to stop him grinning. Eventually though he just flung his arms round her and she clung onto his chest, her head in his shoulder. He smelled of sharp, clean air, freshly tanned leather and wood smoke from the blacksmiths and when he drew away his eyes held the same green reserved for leaves in the summer. She traced his jaw very slowly with her index finger, calloused from years of shooting and dear Gods her face close to his now...

"Would you mind terribly if I - ?"

Why the hell did she think she needed to ask permission for this?

"Please," he said in barely a whisper because he'd been thirsty for this moment for too long and he needed her to see how much he craved her touch and just her, her presence and light laughs and the warm glow that surrounded her wherever she walked. She seemed to understand and he saw her swallow before leaning closer, eyes fluttering half closed before he couldn't take it and brought his hands to run through her hair and crush his lips against hers.

Oh my Thor.

If he wasn't in love before, he was now. He was completely and totally intoxicated on her, the way she pressed against him and hummed involuntarily against his lips; it drove him to near madness. She let out a low groan into his mouth which sent a shot of adrenaline down to his lower stomach and he remembered that he had to have control, damn it, but wouldn't it be easier to give in to this, to her?

It was hard for them both to pull away.

When they finally did the sun had finally set and her eyes were closed, freckles scattered and cheeks deliciously flushed. Her chest was rising and falling erratically and her hands clung to his, desperate. Hiccup sucked in a great lungful of air and held her against him, so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"I love you," he breathed.

There was a moment of silence between them before she finally replied.

"I know."

A/N I know, crap star wars reference at the end but what can you do? I've got a ton of new fandoms which I'm completely intoxicated with at the moment so that's why I've had no updates. This is actually the first fanfiction I've written on my computer for about three months now, so I can finally get back on track with updates. I felt like writing some fluff so here you are, whatever readers are left. I'm just writing this book for myself really.