In Another Lifetime

Chapter 29 - Eternity and Beyond

A/N Play song now... the whole plotline is based on this song so the whole thing will make more sense and hopefully make you dissolve into tears and feels... Happy days!!

"I've," Hiccup stuttered, "I've realised you're the one I need. Forever. And, I, I know it sounds mental and I don't even know if it can happen when we're, you know, guardians and all that, but hopefully it doesn't matter, I mean, I hope it doesn't matter -"

"You're mumbling again Hic," Merida smiled.

"I - I am?" Hiccup stuttered. "I mean - where I was I?"

"You hope that something can happen even if we're guardians."

"Oh, right," Hiccup looked away. Her eyes drove him insane. They were so bright, so ridiculously gorgeous, he couldn't stay away from her. Not for longer than ten seconds anyway. She was like a drug; he'd messed around and got addicted.

"I - I wanted to ask, if, er," He pulled out a small band of gold from his pocket and kneeled before her.

It was twisted into two entwining threads of metal with a deep green jewel in the centre surrounded by lighter green stones. It was breathtaking. Hiccup had worked on it for months in his past life. "If, you'd, if you'd marry me?"

Merida, for the first time in both her lives, was lost for words. She simply stared with her mouth open and genuinely couldn't reply. Hiccup's face fell and he put the ring back in his pocket. He felt a tear welling up in his eye and he started to turn away.

"Hiccup," Merida held his arm to prevent him from leaving, "no. I haven't even answered you yet."

"Well," Hiccup didn't look at her so she wouldn't see the tears, "you seemed to have to take a long time to think over it."

"That's not it!" Merida cried. "I didn't know how to answer! I wasn't expecting this at all! I just never thought someone would love me like this!"

"What d'you mean?"

"I never thought I'd be lucky enough for someone like you. I never thought I'd actually fall in love to begin with. You changed it all. I love you Hiccup. I love you so much it makes me crazy."

"So -?" Hiccup hung on her every word, a smile growing on his lips.

"Yes you dork! Of course I will!"

Hiccup didn't let her speak anymore. He cut her off with a kiss, an ecstatic one. Merida ran her fingers through his hair and smiled into it. Hiccup almost thought he heard a small giggle. It didn't matter. He was the happiest he'd ever been in both his lives combined, and somehow he knew he wouldn't ever be happier.

"YOOHOO LOVEBIRDS!"

"Jack! Leave them alone!"

"Oh - sorry Hic - forgot about the whole proposal thing..."

"Jack!"

"Wait," Merida snapped round and turned to face a grinning Jack. "You knew about this?"

"Well -" Jack smiled lopsidedly, "I needed an excuse for this."

He, too, pulled a ring from his pocket. A simple gold band with an amethyst embedded in the centre. It was surrounded by swirls of tiny pink gems. Jack knelt in front of Rapunzel whose eyes grew wide.

"Rapunzel - " he began, "I don't even know where to begin to explain how you make me feel. Every little thing you do makes me want to kiss you so hard it hurts me. I can't compare anything to your beauty because nothing is that beautiful. Will you - will you marry me?"

Rapunzel didn't speak for a moment before her eyes widened even further and a huge smile broke out on her face.

"Yes!"

She pulled Jack towards her by his hoodie and smashed her lips on his. Well, not smashed. More, enthusiastically kissed. Jack swept her off of her feet and into his arms, never breaking their bond. It was that amazing juxtaposition again, of heat meeting ice, metal meeting fabric as the sun met the moon and everything was perfect and golden.

Merida smiled as she saw them. Hiccup entwined her fingers with his, but now there was a difference. There was a small ring of gold in there too. But it wasn't in the way. It was warming in the heat of their hands and connecting them together. Forever.

They'd all found each other, in another lifetime.