"No thanks Jack."

"Aw come on Hiccup, it'll be fun."

"You and I have a very different definition of fun."

"It's spring break. That means girls, girl in bikinis."

"…"

"Come on dude. You're break up with Astrid was like six months ago. You need to move on."

Hiccup stared up at the ceiling and sighed. He appreciated his friend's efforts to get him out of his slump…but was it so wrong to feel bad about a break up? Especially when you'd lost you first girlfriend.

"So, Lake House?" Hiccup asked in resignation.

"Yep."

"Whose coming?" he asked his white haired friend.

"Punz and her boyfriend, Anna and Kristoff, of course Elsa and I are going. And…Merida," Jack said saying the last name quietly.

Hiccup sat up and looked at him. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat the last person?"

Jack sighed. "Merida."

"Oh pass, huge pass, giant pass," Hiccup said spreading his arms for emphasis.

"Oh come on man, she isn't that bad," Jack said with a scoff.

"We hate each other. We can barely tolerate each other's presence," Hiccup said in rejection.

"But she's totally your type."

"Oh here we go. The 'Merida and you are made for each other' speech," Hiccup said with an eye roll.

"Oh you know it's true. She's hot athletic and can totally kick your ass. I swear you're like a closet masochist or something man," Jack said with a smirk.

Hiccup remained silent and scowled.

"Punz is inviting her. But she probably won't come anyway if she hears you're coming. So just join us," Jack proposed.

Hiccup thought it over. And with a sigh he relented. "Alright, why not?"

"Pass, huge pass, giant pass," Merida said with a frown. Her best friend Rapunzel had just invited her to spend spring break at her parents' lake house. She'd been all for it until she'd been told that Hiccup was going.

"Oh come on Merida. Hiccup isn't that bad," her blonde friend said.

"We hate each other," Merida said shortly. When she saw Rapunzel open her mouth to speak she raised a hand to silence her. "And don't give me that 'Ye two are perfect together' talk," she said with narrowed eyes.

"But Hiccup is a nice guy," Rapunzel said on his behalf.

"He's snarky, and nerdy, and weird," Merida shot back with disdain.

"He's witty, and smart, and a decent guy Merida," Rapunzel corrected with an eye roll. "Please come Merida. It won't be fun without you," Rapunzel pleaded with big eyes.

Merida looked into her friend's giant puppy dog eyes. And she lost. With a groan of defeat, "Ugh, fine. I'll go," she said with a nod. "Hiccup probably won't show up if he hears I'm going anyway."

I hate you Jack, Hiccup thought to himself as he drove in silence with his red headed passenger. After meeting up at Rapunzel's house, he almost immediately backed out of the trip when he saw Merida, packed and ready to join them.

But…damn Rapunzel and her puppy dog eyes. Though he wasn't too keen on her bestie, Hiccup did consider Rapunzel a good friend. So, he relented and agreed to join. But he was now sure the entire group was conspiring against them as they made him drive with Merida.

Now there was awkward silence as neither wanted to talk to the other. Glancing over, he saw her staring out the passenger window. She was dressed in a green tank top and some jeans shorts that showed a lot of leg. As he stared at her creamy white skin he had to admit it.

Merida was a bombshell.

If it weren't for the fact that she seemed to hate his guts, he'd be attempted to make a move on her. But things were what they were.

I hate you Punz, Merida thought to herself as she stared out the passenger window. She'd wanted to back out when she saw Hiccup arrive. But she could never say no to Rapunzel. And now she'd been forced to ride with Hiccup when they claimed their car was too full of luggage and food for their trip.

Sighing she turned to glance at Hiccup. He had his eyes firmly focused on the road as he ignored her. Like always.

She and Hiccup had gone to the same schools together all their lives. And their mothers were best friends. Even their fathers got along. But they couldn't stand each other. It probably stemmed back to kindergarten. Where Merida had developed a huge crush on Hiccup.

The kids had made fun of her hair so much that at one point she wanted to cut it all off. But Hiccup had walked in on her as she had a pair of scissors to it, and then, to her utter shock…he'd said her hair was pretty.

Since then she'd liked him. But he'd only ever had eyes for Astrid. Her jealousy turned to disdain over the oblivious boy and thus things between them had deteriorated into their current state of perpetual and mutual dislike.

She looked at him with regret. He'd filled out and grown into quite the looker over the years. Tall, lean but quite muscular, shaggy hair, freckles, beautiful green eyes.

If it weren't for the fact that he probably hated her, she'd want him to make a move on her.

With a sigh she turned to look out the window once more. Things were what they were.