"Remind me again why I agreed to this?"

"Being my friend means you have to agree to certain non-negotiable practises, like playing hide and seek with my brothers."

"Yes, but I didn't want to play hide and seek with my suit of armour. My full set of armour. And my shield."

"I'm surprised they could carry all that leather."

"Can we just find them so I can wear a little more than just a tunic?"

Merida laughed and looked at the flushing Viking, dressed in nothing but his green tunic and brown trousers. He was padding around barefoot, his arms folded tightly over his chest.

"I knew you'd made your shoulders look bigger with that armour."

"Yes, I'm still as skimpy as a fish bone," he rolled his eyes, "now can we just hurry up? Your castle doesn't have any fires to heat it up. I'm suffering here."

"I could always get you a blanket and tuck you up in my bed."

Hiccup flushed a deep scarlet.

"I'd rather get my own armour back."

"Suit yourself." Merida smirked and skipped off ahead, leaving Hiccup to follow hopelessly behind. They soon found where the triplets had hidden the armour, folded surprisingly neatly into a pile stowed in the rafters of the tallest tower. Merida had to stand on Hiccup's shoulders to reach it and when she managed to take them down, she slipped and fell onto the floor, landing with a thump on the wooden floorboards.

"I'm so sorry!" Hiccup started, but Merida was laughing. Nevertheless she took the hand he offered to help her onto her feet, but the smile was wiped from her face when she saw what had been hidden along with Hiccup's armour that had also been dislodged.

"Mistletoe," Hiccup muttered when he noticed. Merida picked it up and twiddled the branch in between her long fingers delicately, plucking at the small leaves.

"I think my brothers were trying to tell us something," she said, carefully. He didn't say anything, just watched her, waited for her to look up at him. When she spoke it was slow and soft. "Is it weird that we've spent all this time together and haven't - well..."

"I didn't - I don't - know..." he murmured, taking a tentative step closer which she definitely, definitely noticed. "We could - I mean we might - if you..."

"Could what?" She was whispering and she didn't quite know why.

"I mean - you - I've, Gods - I've ... I don't know..."

His eyes were fluttering shut and his breath was warm on her cheek. Her breathing was deep, steady and long; she couldn't think straight. When their lips touched for the first time it felt strange but the kind of strange that you keep delving back into again and again, countless times because you have to know what it is, why it makes you feel so perfect.

The mistletoe had dropped from Merida's hand. Hiccup's eyes snapped open as he drew away and he mumbled countless apologies before picking up his boots, shoving them on and pulling his leather armour over his head as quick as he could. He kept saying how sorry he was, how he shouldn't have been so quick and Merida couldn't get a word in edgeways. Eventually she snapped.

"Hiccup!" He whipped around, eyes wide. "I liked it! Okay! I like you! I've liked you for ages! How you didn't realise that I have no idea it was so damn obvious, but I'm fine with it! I'm fine with what you did because I've been waiting for it for so long! I liked it! It was nice!"

"You - you ..." Hiccup stuttered, "you like me too?" Merida wrung her hands in exasperation.

"I like you even without your damn shoulder padding! I like you when you mumble through a sentence and blunder through everything with your stupid hand gestures, I like you when you ruffle your fringe up and when you smile all crookedly. I like you when you twiddle your thumbs and fiddle with your braids. I like you, Hiccup."

That was all Hiccup needed. He took Merida by the hand, pulled her close with a hand on the back of her neck so she got goosebumps and kissed her softly. She held onto his leather armour, tracing the scratches and pulling him closer.

They made a mental note to thank the triplets sometime.

A/N IT'S SO CRAP I KNOW UGH I'M SORRY I'M RUBBISH AT REQUESTS IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT WAS ASKED I'M SO SO SORRY