To Your Grave: An RotBTFD Fanfiction

Chapter 29: An Apology

(Some Mericcup fluff. Also I realized that my writing is getting worse and worse every chapter. I think I'll come back and fix it in a while when I'm better...six months from never...musical reference....lolololololololololololol)

 Music mixed with the smell of something delicious fills the air as the five agents enter the room.

"What's that smell?"Anna asks, "It's not one of Rapunzel's recipes."

"Jack?"Kristoff calls out, hopeful.

The sound of plates rustling and silver cutlery clanging reaches their ears.

"That does not smell or sound like a Jack recipe."Anna whisperes to Rapunzel.

"I'm so sorry."comes the familiar accent. Out of the kitchen walks Merida, in her signature green sweater, black pants, and her apron on. Her curly hair was tied in a low ponytail and some curls hang in front of her eyes. She looks down, not wanting to face the scowls. She fiddles with her hands and feels sweat and tears building up on her face,"I know you don't want to see me, but I just wanted to say sorry. Also, Walt has a room for me across the agency so you don't have to worry about seeing me ever again."

She expects shouts for her to leave but hears nothing but a sob and feels nothing a strong embrace from Elsa. She looks up and sadly smiles, tears down her cheeks.

"You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not!"Anna smiles, joining in on the hug.

"We heard everything and we are thankful for everything you've done."Kristoff tells her as he, Rapunzel, and Eugene join in on the hug. Tears glistened in everyone's eyes as they gathered and shared a precious moment together. This is a precious and rare moment of peace and happiness, one where they do not have to worry about tomorrow.

Merida sniffs and wipes her tears but senses an incompleteness and looks up to see Hiccup standing a foot away from them.

"Hicc—"

He shakes his head and smiles. Merida eyebrows scrunch in worry as he walks up the stairs and into his room. The others take notice of this and Rapunzel pats her on the back, "Go talk to him."

"What about dinner?"Merida asks pointing to the dinner table and their eyes widen, except for Rapunzel.

"Did you make that?"Elsa asks as she slowly walks towards the table that, in her eyes, seems to have a gigantic halo all over the delicious looking food. Though the table wasn't set yet, plates were still wet and they assume that they interrupted Merida when she was cleaning the plates.

"Damn!"Eugene exclaims.

"Don't worry."Rapunzel tells Merida, "we'll set the table."

"I should set the table!"she protests.

"No, hun."Anna walks over to the sink, "You've already cooked for us. All we ask for you to do is to get Hiccup so we can have a complete family dinner."

"Well, not really."Elsa mutters as she joins Anna in the sink. Anna looks at her sister in melancholy and hugs her shoulders, giving her a comforting smile.

"But I have to explain!"Merida's eyes widen in the most adorable way that Rapunzel has to lay off squealing.

"There's plenty of time for that! Now, go!"

Merida looks at them all, unsure until Eugene and Rapunzel have to guide her to the stairs.

"Just talk to him."

The air was cold in the autumn night. Hiccup leans against the balcony and stares up at the stars that seems to remind him of the freckles of the girl he once loved. He hears footsteps and decides to pay no heed and continue look up at the sky, where everything seems possible.

"Hiccup?"he hears Merida walk into the balcony and from the corner of his eye, he sees her pale hand land on the balcony railing.

Merida hears no reply and contemplates whether she should leave or stay. She decides the latter and leans on the railing. She looks at Hiccup's face and sees him staring up and her eyes trace up to the night sky. She shivers at a sudden gust of wind and a yellow leaf lands on her hair.

This catches Hiccup's attention and he turns to her and is unable to hold in his laughter. He grabs the leaf off her head and looks at it for a moment before throwing it away, watching it blow away with the wind. Throught the entire ordeal, Merida froze, due to anxiety and shock and the cold weather.

Hiccup turns to look at her and sees her slightly shake and smiles for the first time in a long while, "You cold?"

"No. I'm okay."she smiles at him and his cheeks turn red because like the autumn leaves, he is falling for her all over again.

"You know what my biggest fears are?"Hiccup asks her.

Merida raises an eyebrow and looks at him, shaking her head, "I do not."

"I have about three."He chuckles, "Losing loves ones, Abyss, and not kowing why things happen. So humour me, Mer. Why did you bring me to your home? Why did you try to hide me from Amblin—if that was what you were actually doing? And why did you bring me back to the agency?"

Merida is taken aback for a while but then rememebers that this should be expcted, especially from someone as blunt as Hiccup. She looks down at the dimly lit street and sighs, "I thought Amblin wouldn't be able to find my parent's home. That was what I had in my mind for a while until he told me that he found out where you were hiding out. He was angry that I constantly lied to him, telling him that He said that either I would leave you all forever or kill you. He knew both would hurt me, especially since I already saw Anna get mentally tortured in that little prison. I had no choice. I brought you to the agency and faked my death. I joined Amblin and I made sure that the gps tracker I had on was still there. I knew that you were all probably mad at me, but I figured that it was worth a shot. He found out and he gave me these again."Merida rolled the hem of her pants up and showed him scars on her legs.

Hiccup, straing into her eyes, places a hand on top of hers and unfolds her pant leg and brings her hand up onto the railing. He clutches onto her hand so tightly as if she would disappear again.

"Everything is over now."

"I—"she begins, not knowing what else to say, "Do you—?"

"Yes. I forgive you and I'm sure the others do too."he tells her as he brings his hand to her cheek and he slightly crouches down, "I missed you."

"I'm not going anywhere."She whispers, her hot breath against his lips as she tiptoes for their noses to meet. "Unless you want me to."

"I don't want you anywhere but here."

After a filling dinner and an explanation, the two friends sat in Hiccup's room watching shitty movies and laughing at the overall amateur of the actors and actresses and the cheesy edits and cliche plot lines. 

"Hey, Hicc?"Merida asks as she looks up at him from where she rested on his shoulder. His eyes that were previously fixiated on his laptop turned to face her and he smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Where's Jack?"

He frowns and shakes his head. He reaches over to pause the movie on his laptop. In concern, Merida sits up and tilts her head in confusion.

Hiccup's eyes are glued to the bed sheet as he pauses for a while until he finally speaks up, "He's gone."

"What?!"Merida's eyes widen and feels her nose tingle and her lips quiver as she sees Hiccup tear up as well.

He looks her in the eyes and sighs, "The fire and rescue team couldn't find his body. They assume that his bones burned since no other bodies were found as well."

Merida held a hand against her mouth in shock as tears, again, clouded her bright blue eyes. Hiccup rubbed his eyelids under his glasses and felt a pressure around his neck as Merida's arms wrapped around his neck in a comforting hug. Though she knew that all the hugs in the world could never heal the heart of someone who has lost almost everything, she tried. And at this moment, she thinks about the others.