Thank for Rubyredvi for the request!!!

"It had to be horseback riding." Hiccup murmured to himself as he walked down the trail to the stables.

He had begged his father to let him take horseback riding lessons. His father was very well concerned why he'd want to take horseback since he pretty much fell off anything that moved, but when Hiccup finally told him it was because of Astrid well his father didn't bat an eye.

Astrid was the girl Hiccup liked. She had long blonde hair that she always kept in a braid and light blue eyes. She also loved horseback riding. Everyday she would be at the stables. So Hiccup thought it would be brilliant if he learned how to ride and them they would have something in common.

When he got to the stables he saw a girl there brushing her horse. She was wearing her helmet and riding gear. She had red flaming curly hair that was put into a messy braid. She smiled warmly at him.

"Hello. You must be Hiccup. I'm your trainer Merida." She said in her Scottish accent.

"Oh I thought....."

"You thought.....what?" She asked.

"Well I thought you were going to be a guy trainer that's all. The flier said the lessons were given by a Mr.Khal (GoT reference anyone? lol sorry)

"Oh yes he gives lessons but he's completely full so you have to settle with me." She said.

"Aren't you young to be a trainer?" He asked.

"You ask a lot of questions don't ya boy?"

"Yeah kind of a habit. Sorry,"

"I don't mind..,. Well let's get started! Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Nope."

"Alright well let's start with the basics. Teaching you how to put on a saddle." She said grabbing a big brown leather saddle.

"Here take this." She said giving him the saddle.

The saddle was heavier than Hiccup thought.

"Alright now let's set you up with Toothless."

"Toothless?" He asked.

"Yes he's going to be your horse. He's new just like you."

"Why is his name Toothless?"

"Well when he eats he never shows his teeth. It's kind of odd looks like he chews with his lips." She said.

They went towards the black horse. He was a little smaller than Merida's horse. But he was a beauty. The horse looked at Hiccup with big eyes.

"Give him this." Merida insisted handing him a carrot.

"Why?"

"Because you have to earn his trust and the best way to do that is feed him."

Hiccup put down the saddle and took the carrot from Merida's hand.

He slowly stretched his arm out making the carrot go near the horse's mouth. Toothless took part of the carrot and hid his teeth while he chewed.

"Huh!? Cool." Hiccup said.

"Let's start your lesson!" Merida said.

........

"I am never doing horseback again." Hiccup said flopping on his bed.

He was tired and sore. He hasn't realized how much work horse back riding was. Weren't the horses suppose to do most of the work?

It took him about fifteen minutes just to get on the horse. When he did Merida started off easy by teaching him how to command the horse to go and how to hold the reins. They ran down the track and he even made a small jump. But the pain in his legs and lower back were almost not worth it.

But he had to continue. His dad had already paid for at least a month's worth of lessons, and he still had to impress Astrid.

So he kept going and each time he got a little better and a little less sore. He also got to know Merida better. They played a little game to keep themselves entertained.

"Ice cream or cake?" He asked

"Ice cream of course!" She said.

"Comedies or Action?" She asked him.

"Hmmm tough one but I'm more of a Science fiction movie kind of person."

"Oh really like what?" She asked

" Stuff like Alien, The Matrix, and Star Wars." He replied "what about you?"

"Action movies of course." Merida said

"Do you like James Bond then?"

Merida smiled "Yes of course!"

"Who is your favorite James Bond?"

"Sean Connery duh!" She announced.

"Excellent choice though I have to say I prefer Pierce Brosnan."

"Oh really? Well obviously you've forgotten Dr. No." She said.

"Obviously you've forgotten Tomorrow Never Dies." He replied.

"Well I guess we'll have to rewatch them to see who is right." She said.

"I guess you're right." He said.

"So your house or mine?" She asked while putting the horses back into their stables.

"Uh how about mine? Around 2 tomorrow?"

"Sounds great whats your address."

"I live on 2010 Berk avenue."

She put the address in her phone.

"Great see you then." She smiled.

"See you then." He said.

He couldn't believe it he had a girl coming over to his house! Why couldn't he be this way around Astrid? Although Merida was the one to ask to come over. Things were just so much easier with her but not in a bad way. Like he could talk to her but not agree with her but still want to talk to her. He didn't even know if he was making sense.

Why was he over thinking this! It's just two friends watching two movies!

Saturday

'Ok it's 1:55 pm she'll be here soon. One way to tell if it's a date if she dresses nice right? He had only seen her in her riding clothes so this would be the test if this was a date or not.'

He scrambled for the popcorn unsure if she liked buttered or kettle corn. He put the DVD's by the tv and made sure he had the remote. Then he realized he was still in a t shirt and boxers.

He looked at the clock and it was 2 o' clock.

"Oh shit!!" Hiccup said and ran to his room.

He searched through the piles of clothes till he found his favorite green t shirt. He smelled it to make sure it was clean.

"Yep still good." He said and put it on. He started putting on his jeans when he heard the doorbell ring.

"Ah coming hold on one sec." He said with one pant leg on,

"I got it Hiccup." His dad yelled.

"Aw crap no no no!" Hiccup said trying to scramble to his door while still trying to get the other leg in a pant leg.

"Hello, I'm Merida." Merida said as a huge man greeted her at the door "uhhhh do I have the wrong house? I'm looking for Hiccup Haddock,"

"No mam you're at the right house! I'm Stoick Haddock Hiccup's dad." He said

"Oh well it's nice to meet you Mr. Haddock." She said sticking her hand out for a handshake,

"Ah assertive. I like this one Hiccup," he said giving her a handshake.

"I am so sorry you had to uh hear that." Hiccup said awkwardly smiling with his hair in all sorts of places from the struggle.

Hiccup looked at her outfit. He couldn't tell! She wasn't dressed like fancy or anything but she wasn't in sweatpants either. She wore a red fitted sweater and dark jeans with converse. She looked nice by he still wasn't sure if it was date nice or friend nice,

"It's fine. You're dad seems nice and your hair looks almost as crazy as mine." She laughed patting his hair down.

"I like your hair." He said. 'Crap why'd I say that!' Hiccup said mentally.

"Well thank you. So which one are we watching first? Dr. No or Tomorrow Never Dies."

"Ladies choice." Hiccup said.

"Well then you know the answer. Dr. No. Do you have any popcorn?"

"Yeah we have buttered and kettle corn." He said.

"Which one do you want." She called from the kitchen.

"I don't care whatever you want is fine." He yelled back putting the DVD in the DVD player."

Stoick went into the living room. "Don't you think you should be making the food she is your guest." He said.

"Sorry she just went into the kitchen and asked what popcorn do we have." Hiccup whispered.

"Well go on and help her then. Come on son I can't help you through every date!" He whispered back.

"I don't even know if it's a date!" Hiccup whispered

"Well I don't think you want to wait here and find out now do ya? Now go help her." He said.

"Fine!" Hiccup said.

He walked into the kitchen and asked Merida "so what popcorn did you choose."

"You have to close your eyes it's a surprise." She commanded.

"Well how can I help you went my eyes are closed."

"I don't need help it's just popcorn." She said.

"I know but you are my guest. And I should at least help."

"Too bad you have to turn around mister."

"Fine." He said turning around.

The timer went off and Merida took out the popcorn and put another one in.

"How much popcorn are you making?" Hiccup asked.

"That's secret information." She replied.

"I knew it."

"Knew what?" She asked confused.

"You only wanted to hangout with me to get to all my popcorn," he said

She laughed "Yes that was my plan all along! I made sure you had me as your horse trainer just so I could get close to you to get to your popcorn."

"That sounds like a very elaborate plan just for popcorn." He said.

"Imagine if I wanted world domination."

"Then I'd hide all my popcorn in a cellar." He joked.

She laughed again. "Okay it's ready," she said pouring it into a big bowl.

"Can I turn around now?" He asked.

"Yes."

He turned to see a big bowl of popcorn.

He was about to take a piece when she swatted his hand away.

"Nah ah ah you have to guess. Buttered or Kettlecorn?" She smiled.

"Hmmm Kettle corn." He guessed

"You're half right I mixed both in." She said heading towards the couch.

"Interesting choice." Hiccup said as he sat next to her.

About two movies and awkward teenage conversations later.........

The credits began to roll from Tomorrow Never Dies.

"Okay I admit Tomorrow Never Dies was pretty good." Merida said.

"See..."

"But Dr.No is still better." She smiled.

"Fine agree to disagree." He said.

There were a few minutes of silence. Hiccup and Merida both thought it was odd they just looked at each other. Not sure what to say or what to do. Finally Merida broke the silence.

"Well uh this was fun but I have to get home before dinner." She said.

"Oh uh yeah we should do it again sometime." Hiccup said. "I'll walk you to the door."

"Because it's so far away you know." She smiled.

"Yes but I'm willing to walk four feet to escort you." He said.

"Good to know. Well here we are at the door. I'll uh see you at practice?"

"Yeah. See you then." He said opening the door.

She turned around "hey Hiccup!"

"Yes?" He asked.

She ran back up to his porch and gave him a hug. "Thanks for today bye." She said and ran off.

Two days later....

Hiccup was confused. They had such a great time last Friday and she had even given him a hug and everything. He had finally found a girl he really liked and could talk to. Instead of Astrid who he never even said three words to, he had gotten the time to know Merida. He knew her favorite color was blue and that she mixed her popcorn, she liked bond movies, and her favorite thing besides horseback riding was archery. Yet he came into the stables to see her talking to some tall guy about their age maybe a year older. Talking and laughing. Maybe he was just a friend.

He decided to ask her.

"So who's the new guy is he a trainer?" Hiccup asked her.

"Oh no that's just Ian he went to my old school."

"You two seem like good friends." Hiccup replied.

"Well yes we have some history."

"What kind of history?" Hiccup asked "sorry I shouldn't be prying-"

"No it's okay if you really must know we used to date."

"Really? Wow that's great how friendly you are with your ex."

"Well he asked me out on a date actually...."

Hiccup face faltered "oh great well I have to go." He said and galloped back to the stables at full speed on Toothless.

"Hiccup! Wait!" Merida yelled after him. "Dammit! Go Angus."

Hiccup was putting away his saddle and gear as quickly as he could.

"Hiccup Haddock stop running away from me!" Merida commanded.

"No Mer it's fine I mean I shouldn't feel this way because your ex asked you out. I mean sure I really liked you. Sure I kept doing horse back riding so I could keep hanging out with you. But we aren't dating and I just- I just I just got my hopes up and I didn't ask you in time....."

Merida grabbed his collar and kissed him forcefully as his eyes widen in surprise. She released him and said "If you would shut up for ten minutes! I could explain to you that I told him no because I had already met someone else that I really like even if he is a complete dingus!"

"A dingus? What in the world is a dingus?"

"Really I just kissed you and told you I liked you and all you care about is that I called you a dingus?"

"Sorry Uh rewind so you like me."

"No I just said it a million times because I think it's fun to say! Yes I like you."

"Could you just say it one more time."

"Hiccup!!"

He leaned down and kissed her nose. "There now you know how I felt."

"Oh whatever are you going to ask me out or not." She smiled.

"Merida, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked.

"Yes....only if you can make that last jump." She said.

"Ugh it had to be horseback riding," he said.

He did indeed made the jump for the first time.

Authors note: nice and long update for you!!! The prom one will be up by tomorrow!!!!! So for now comment and vote!!!!.