Swords and fire

Picture perfect afternoon

Merida squeezed Hiccup's hand, trying to summon the courage to ask him the question. It was no big deal, actually, but she felt like it was. They were walking around their favorite park, Eve Lake. It was a nice place for relaxing and enjoying nature. Their first date had been there, in that park, and after being together for a year and a half, it had become one of their favorite places. The redhead smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her black t-shirt for the fifth time, but Hiccup didn't notice something was clearly amiss. He himself had his own reason to worry.

The couple hadn't said much to each other that whole time, until Merida took a deep breath and squeezed Hiccup's hand just once more and gathered all her courage.

"Hiccup, do you want to take a picture with me?" she finally said, almost too fast, but Hiccup was a professional at making out whatever Merida said.

He was pulled out of his mental spiraling by that question, and, startled, he looked back at Merida. She was looking especially pretty that day. The two were never the kind to dress up a lot, so one could tell when they did, and apparently today was a special day for both of them, for Merida was wearing makeup for the first time in years. She was wearing her nice combat boots instead of her usual sneakers, and she paired them with jean shorts, fishnet stockings and a plaid shirt with a black undershirt. Her outfit was in no way elegant, but it was nice, and it looked like she put a lot of thought into it.

He himself was no different. Although his usual attires consisted of oil-stained blue jeans and various design t-shirts, that day he was wearing a pattern vest and khaki dressing pants, plus some frankly horrible brown boots that his mother, Valka, bought for him but he hadn't found the occasion to wear them. The reason he had gone so far as to put together such a nice outfit, and why he was so nervous to be on a date with his year-and-a-half girlfriend, was because he was planning to tell her that he loved her for the first time.

He'd known he loved her for months now. There was no such thing as a sudden revelation, a great moment in which sparks flew and he knew his heart was on the right place. No. He woke up one day, looked at Merida's good morning message popping up on his pone and thought "huh, I love my girlfriend so much". From then, he had been looking for a chance to tell her how much she meant to him, except the moment didn't come, so he was determined to create it.

"Hiccup?" she repeated, finally snapping out of his incessant overthinking.

"Huh? Sorry, I was a little distracted," he admitted, "What is it, bear?"

She didn't love his various pet names, but today she was willing to let anything slide. She knew Hiccup didn't like having his photo taken, but she really, really wanted one, and so, she was determined to be the best girlfriend she could.

"I want a picture with you," she repeated, making a face she knew Hiccup couldn't resist.

An embarrassing blush climbed up his neck and covered his entire face. He chuckled a little and clung to Merida's hand harder.

"What for?"

"You know my birthday was a week ago..." she begun.

"Yes, I'm familiar with your birthday, Mer"

"Cousin Aodhan gave me a picture frame," she spat out a little too fast, "And I realized I have no pictures with you. So, I thought maybe we should take a picture together, so I can print it and put it in the frame, and place it on my nightstand, like in the movies."

He smiled fondly at her and gave her a quick hug.

"Of course," he replied, then took his phone out, "Your phone or mine?"

Merida smiled back at him, but immediately started looking around nervously.

"Actually, I asked Rapunzel to bring her camera. She must be feeding the ducks, waiting for us" Merida said, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

Hiccup rose his eyebrows but then smiled yet again. "Let's go, then."

The couple walked closer to the lake, towards a bench where, sure enough, Rapunzel, their best friend, was seated, a camera on her lap and a bag of frozen peas on one hand. She used her other hand to throw the peas at the ducks, that so happily accepted the snack.

"Hey Zel" Merida greeted, standing beside the bench.

Rapunzel was a teenager with short, brown hair and bright green eyes. She had cute freckles adorning her round cheeks and was wearing a lavender sundress paired with brown faux leather sandals.
"Oh, hey guys! Are you ready?" She greeted, then rose her digital camera towards them, to explain what she meant with 'ready'.

"Um, I think so?" Hiccup said, rubbing the back of his neck to ease his nerves, "Thanks for doing this"

"No problem!" she said, beaming, "That's what best friends are for! Now, what pose would you like."

Merida smiled a toothy grin and looked around. She walked in circles for a while until she found what she thought to be the perfect spot. She waved at Hiccup to come along, and he did.

"Let's do those super cheesy kisses where one of us leans back while the other embraces them" she said.

Hiccup was rather surprised. Merida wasn't always a romantic person, but that day she seemed to be extra inspired. He nodded and started to put his hands on her waist, but she shook her head.

"No, you lean," she said, a slight spark of mischief in her eyes.

"But I'm taller, it'll be easier if you lean" he argued, much to Rapunzel's amusement.

Merida looked at him with puppy eyes. If he was going to take his picture taken, at least make it be one Merida would like, he thought. So, he complied. It was rather difficult for Merida to get a hold of him, because just as he had said, he was much taller, but in the end, they did it. Their lips clashed together, and Rapunzel took the picture. Then, just as she was done taking it, the couple lost their balance and both collapsed on the grass, laughing.

Rapunzel sat on the grass beside them, laughing as well.

"Here, is it alright?" she said, showing the picture to the couple.

Merida took the camera from Rapunzel's hands to look closer at the picture. They both looked incredibly awkward in the pose the redhead had chosen for them, and one of Hiccup's shoulders looked painfully crooked, but it made her laugh and she figured having said picture on her nightstand would certainly lift her mood.

"Yeah, I love it," the redhead concluded, smiling at her best friend, "Thanks Rapunzel."

Hiccup thanked her as well, then got up and helped the two girls get on their feet as well.

"Well, I have to meet Jack in about half an hour, so, see you Monday" Rapunzel said, picking up the bag of peas she'd left on the bench, "I'll e-mail you the file to print it, Meri"
Merida nodded.

"Can I get a copy, too?" Hiccup asked as Rapunzel started walking away.

"Yeah!" she yelled, then ran to the exit of the park.

"So, you liked the picture, after all?" Merida asked once Zel was out of sight.

"I loved it," Hiccup said, then turned to look Merida to her sky-blue eyes, "because I love you."

She blushed profusely and smiled, a few happy tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She locked her eyes in his, deep mossy green, they reminded her of the things she loved most, the forests, the camping trips she used to make with her family, and of course, they belonged to him. She loved him, and he loved her.

"You mean it?" she asked, knowing full well he did, then she threw herself to his arms, holding him in a deep embrace, "I love you too!"

When the picture had been printed and Merida finally placed it in her nightstand, she felt incredibly lucky. It wasn't only a picture of her and her boyfriend, but also taken a few seconds before he told her he loved her. That picture now meant the world to her, but nobody needed to know that.