"Why would she do that?" Merida muttered angrily as she left the canteen. She kicked a stray water bottle out of anger and stormed to her locker she shared with Rapunzel. Merida smashed the locker door open and flung her PE kit inside, then slammed the door shut. She locked it, turned around and found herself face to face with Hiccup.

"Merida, I -"

"What?"

"Um, I, er -"

"Spit it out. Now isn't the best time, okay?"

"I just, I just wanted to apologise. For earlier. And what I said. And -"

"Don't worry. It's Rapunzel I'm annoyed with, not you."

"Really? You, you don't hate me?"

"Hiccup, why would I hate you?"

"I don't know, it's just, you seem -"

"Unapproachable?"

"Well, " Hiccup smiled, "I suppose there is that."

Merida grinned and asked,

"Was it true then?"

"Was, was what true?" Hiccup scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"What you said in the canteen. About the dance."

"Um - well, I, er..." Hiccup stared at the ground, not meeting Merida's eye.

"Hiccup," Merida said calmly, "I won't get angry, whatever you say."

Hiccup looked into her eyes for a moment, looked away again, and nodded. For some reason that made Merida feel, elated, in some way.

"You mean -" Merida whispered. Hiccup met her gaze for a split second and nodded again.

"You're not angry with me?"

"No, why would I be?"

"You punched Macintosh when he confessed he had a crush on you."

"That was different. That was Macintosh. Hang on, you have a crush on me?"

Hiccup sighed and wrung his head in his hands.

"How much more obvious does it have to BE Merida?" When Merida still looked confused, he blurted out - "Ugh, fine! Yes, I have a crush on you."

"Wait, for real?"

"Yes for real! It's been for so long, and I was scared to say anything in case -"

"What?"

"In case I ruined our friendship. In case I made it awkward. In case I broke my own heart again."

He stared at the floor and Merida knew he was thinking of Astrid. He'd gone out with her for a month or so but she had started cheating on him with Tuffnut. He had caught them kissing behind the bike sheds after school one day, and Hiccup's self esteem had taken a real blow.

"I promise I'm not like she was," Merida said quietly. "I won't push you away. I promise."

Hiccup looked up into her eyes disbelievingly.

"Really?"

"Really."

There was a slightly awkward pause before Merida said -

"So - how were you planning to ask me to the dance then? If Rapunzel setting us up wasn't your best idea."

"I have no clue." Hiccup sighed and leant against the wall. "I don't know why I even thought I was good enough for you. What was I even thinking?"

"Hiccup - where is this coming from?" Merida asked, genuinely confused by why he was so adamant to admit his feelings. "We both know you're better than me, in every way possible. You should be finding someone that deserves you, don't stick with me. You'll only be making things worse for yourself."

"So," Hiccup said slowly, "you don't, don't -"

"Don't what?"

"Don't, like me back?" Hiccup looked up at her with wide eyes, full of endless questions he was scared to ask and even more scared to hear the answers.

"Hiccup -" Merida gasped slightly, "that's my problem. I - I don't know how I feel. About anyone or anything. My feelings just keep spinning round my head and -"

"It's OK," Hiccup hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and began to walk away, his face carved in sorrow, "I understand."

"No!" Merida grabbed his arm and swung him round, taking him completely by surprise. "You took that all wrong! Of course I like you!"

"Yeah, just as friends," Hiccup yanked his arm out of Merida's grip and walked out.

"Hiccup - no," Merida said quietly as he walked down the corridor. There was no one around, today was such a sunny day everyone was either outside or in the canteen. All the teachers were either on duty or at a meeting. So Merida sprinted down the corridor after him. Being one of the best runners in her PE group she easily caught up with him.

"Merida, what the -" Hiccup started, but he never finished his sentence. Merida had flung her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"What were you doing?" Merida whispered in his ear. "I was about to tell you -"

"What?" Hiccup asked, his voice hopeful now.

"That I - I like you back," Merida stuttered. Hiccup's face broke into a huge smile and he pulled her to him in a hug that took Merida's breath away, literally. She was pressed tight against his chest and his arms were clasped around her, his hands sealed to her back.

"Happiest boy in the world, the award goes to me," Hiccup laughed almost disbelievingly. "Nothing could come close to it."

"I still can't believe this," Merida said quietly.

"What?" Hiccup smiled.

"That I fell for my best friend."

"Fell for -?" Hiccup said slowly as he registered what she said. "You mean it?" Merida drew away from him and raised her eyebrows.

"Is this the face of someone who's lying to you Hic?"

"Let me see," Hiccup pretended to ponder and think. "When I was five and you convinced me that beetles were safe to eat..."

"That was a joke -"

"When I was ten and you said I looked great at the school disco when Jack had put mud stains all the way down the back of my shirt?"

"That was Jack's idea -"

"But in this circumstance," Hiccup grinned, "I think I can believe you." Merida chuckled softly and Hiccup took a breath, steadying himself. "Merida -"

"Yes?"

"D'you, d'you want to go to the dance with me?"

Merida stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek quickly.

"I can't think of anything better."

Hiccup's heart raced at a supersonic rate. Merida. Just. Kissed. Him. His brain was spinning and playing tricks on him, nothing was clear apart from the girl standing right in front of him.

"Merida -"

She shuffled her feet awkwardly, mumbling.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have, stupid -"

She was silenced by Hiccup pressing his finger to her lips. Her eyes went wide and she couldn't speak. Literally.

"You honestly think," Hiccup whispered, "that after all these years, I'd be upset when you finally kiss me?"

Merida moved his finger out of the way:

"Years? What about Astrid?"

"I figured you weren't getting into any relationships soon so I tried someone else," Hiccup sighed. "I convinced myself that I loved her. But when she, she cheated on me, I realised how stupid I'd been. I guess I needed a distraction from you."

"Distraction -?"

"Yeah. I couldn't stop myself thinking about you. You were constantly on my mind and I couldn't control it. I thought it was just a phase, but it wouldn't go away. And now -"

"Now it's OK. Just think about this one day at a time," Merida smiled. "Let's go back to canteen; we can show Rapunzel we didn't need setting up."

"I like that idea," Hiccup grinned. He offered his hand and Merida took it. Her slim, elegant fingers slipped between his with ease, and his hand was warm, not sweaty. They walked down the corridors to the canteen and they both entered with grinning faces and bursting hearts.