5: the walk home

(alternately titled: a walk to remember)

JACK AND MERIDA wouldn't have walked silently if it weren't for the fact Jack asked a lot of questions and tried loads of times to make a conversation.

"Uh, ever since my dad bought me my bow, I guess?" she said in response to his when did you start archery question. "When I was five, I think."

"That's cool," he replied, hands in his pockets. Upon seeing her nodding, he thought he was sounding like a burden for talking too much. "Uh, anything you wanna ask me?"

She looked at him and smirked (he smiled cheekily at that), all before asking the one question on her mind the entire time: "Why are you here?"

"Sounds kinda rude, Princess."

"You know what I mean" - she smiled tacitly - "we don't talk, your clique's . . . different from mine . . . what are you up to?"

"Some company," he replied. "You seem fun to talk to. Plus, our cliques aren't that different. You talk with Punz and I talk to Ariel, remember?"

"Ah, you're here for Ariel, aren't you? Well, sorry to tell you, lad, she's not gonna - "

"I'm not for Ariel, Gods!" he exclaimed, silencing her.

"Okay," she said, like she was telling him to calm down.

"Sorry, I just - " Jack scratched his nape. "I don't know, here I am, trying to make a nice conversation and you keep thinking . . . those things."

"I'm sorry, then," she replied, genuinely surprised by his outburst. "I couldn't help it, I guess. Don't worry, I'll try not to anymore."

He scoffed (sort of playfully, like a short chuckle). "Great." She smiled at him. "Hey, you can make it up to me by going to lunch."

She was mildly shocked. "Frost, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

Shit. Shit. Abort mission. Abo - "Lunch on our table, I mean. Y'know, with Rapunzel and Tooth and everyone else." - nice recovery.

"I'll think about it," she replied. "Oh look, we're here."

"That walk was shorter than I expected." He paused in front of the huge house (or small mansion, he couldn't tell) with brick walls and about three storeys with a huge field at the side in front of him as Merida fished her keys from her pocket. (All the while mentally chanting to himself 'she's not out of my league, she's not out of my league'.

"Well, they say that's what happens when you're having fun." She opened the gate and walked inside, Jack following right behind her. He smiled at her statement.

"Did you?" he asked, once she was in front of the main door.

"What?" she asked, turning the keys to open it.

"Have fun," he replied.

Merida opened the door and thought about it. She sighed before looking at Jack and saying, "Yes, I guess you can say that" before stepping inside and closing the door.

But that was all it took for Jack to give out a toothy grin when she wasn't looking anymore.

A/N: they're so unlike how i usually write them smh

(this is like the worst jarida fic but i wanna try my hand at my otp) don't forget to comment/review! and thanks for reading :-D