Lost and Found - A Snotlout Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

12. Breaking the News...and Tuffnut

"You look great," Heather assured her as she fixed up a few things for Melanie.

Looking down at herself in satisfaction, Melanie nodded and approved, "I like this." She paused a moment to examine every bit of her appearance that she could, then added with a dreamy smile, "Snotlout will like this, too."

Heather nearly choked on the air. "What's any of this have to do with him?" She asked abruptly.

"I enjoy his company, and when he praises me," Melanie explained, her eyes seeming to go to another world for a moment.

However, Heather was speechless. Did her sister just admit to having a crush on Snotlout? It was obvious that if she did, she had no idea; to Melanie, such feelings were as simple and understandable as any. "What do you mean by that?" Heather questioned; perhaps she'd gotten the wrong idea.

"He has feelings for me," Melanie explained simply, making hand motions, "big feelings. Ones I'd never felt before. But I do now."

It wasn't the kind of news Heather wanted to hear, but she still couldn't help smiling. It was funny to see Melanie so infatuated by a man most women couldn't stand. And she could only imagine what Snotlout had to go through with Melanie. "I can't say I saw that one coming," Heather finally responded with a crooked grin, "isn't he a little..frustrating?"

Melanie shook her head immediately. "I don't think so," she began, "he's very nice to me."

Heather simply laughed, and the conversation was over. The two sisters left the hut soon after and went to find the others. After not too long of a search, Melanie spotted the twins. With a devious grin, she snuck up behind them, then threw an arm around either of their necks with a shout, "Ha!"

Both blondes jumped in start, almost falling over, before laughing with Melanie. Hiccup and the others, who weren't too far away, came to join. "Nice clothes," Astrid complimented, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, it's very Berserker," Fishlegs added with a smile of approval.

Snotlout, however, was staring. And unlike the many other time he found himself staring at the beautiful girl, everyone saw. "Gee, Snotlout, wanna paint a portrait? It'll last longer," Astrid teased the Viking.

Shooking her a glare, Snotlout huffed, "shut up, Astrid."

Melanie giggled lightly and walked over to Snotlout, giving him a firm punch in the shoulder as she triumphed, "I knew you'd like it."

With a crooked smile, Heather sighed, "I don't think I'll ever understand why you like him so much."

Melanie smiled wide, while everyone else stared at Heather in shock, and she quickly realized that no one else must've known. She frowned, eyes wide. "Oh..whoops," she laughed awkwardly.

Now, all eyes turned to Melanie and Snotlout. Snotlout laughed a bit nervously, his cheeks turning red. "What?" Hiccup finally asked, a small grin growing on his face, "when did this happen?"

"Snotlout took me to the waterfall on Berk and I ended up falling into the water, so then--" Melanie began to explain everything, but was stopped by Snotlout putting a hand over her mouth.

A flustered look on her face, Melanie opened her mouth and licked his hand. "Mel!" Snotlout shouted, pulling his hand away and wiping it on his pants, "why?"

Heather laughed and turned to Hiccup to tease, "looks like you finally found someone who can keep Snotlout under control."

Normally, the thought of being under someone's control would infuriate Snotlout. But he couldn't be happier to be wrapped around Melanie's finger. He smiled to his side where she stood.

"Ah!" Tuffnut's scream caused the group to turn their attention to him. His face was scrunched in confusion and horror as he began to ramble, "so if you guys get married, is Heather gonna be related to Snotlout?"

"Oh Thor," Heather rolled her eyes, then joked, "way to pick a keeper, sis."

Melanie sighed and looked into Snotlout's face dreamily, "he really is, isn't he." When Snotlout looked at her in surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

"Nuh uh, no, I don't like that at all," Tuffnut stated in panicky horror before running off, followed by his sister who was pretending to gag. But Snotlout didn't care, he grinned proudly. And of course Melanie didn't care, she was never interested in what others thought of her. Except for Snotlout, of course.

"Sisters," Dagur's voice came within earshot. He wore a wide grin and walked confidently. "The ceremony is about to begin."

• • •

"Long ago, my mother was banished," Dagur spoke to the giant crowd of villagers who'd gathered, "and when she left, she took something with her, something that has now returned; my long lost sister." Dagur held out an arm to welcome Melanie to stand with him and Heather. The Berserkers cheered and hollered in joy.

"Though she won't be staying, Melanie has returned to become a part of our family," Dagur went on, "and she will be welcome, always. Another Berserker born of our father, Oswald; Melanie, the Manic."

Melanie smiled wildly at the introduction of her new full name. A Berserker by blood. A dragon rider by heart. A Berkian by choice. This is who she was now.