HICCSTRID: How Life Goes

Chapter 26: Going Home

"I need to speak to you," he says with real urgency in his voice.

"But. I don't understand." A fresh gust of wind hits me straight in the face and snaps me back into reality. "Why did you- why did you lie to me?"

Hiccup looks down at the stones. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you the truth but I didn't want to ruin everything."

What?! Now my shock is giving way to anger. "Yes I guess telling me you already had a girlfriend would have that kind of effect."

Hiccup digs his hand into his jeans pockets. "I don't have a girlfriend. I didn't."

"Oh my god." I'm feeling really angry now. "Have you seriously come all this way just to carry on lying to me?"

"N- I-I'm not lying."

"Yes you are! I've seen and heard about it all. All the messages and articles and the-"

He interrupts me. "It's all crap."

"What?" I glare at him. How can he lie so brazenly to me? And how can he expect me to believe him? "What do you mean?"

Hiccup finally manages to look at me. "Heathers last album bombed. The record label were panicking. So when they signed me, the marketing people said they wanted to orchestrate some kind of phony romance between us. They said it would help both our album sales. I didn't want to go along with it but they said all it needed was a few staged photos and tweets. Although I couldn't bring myself to do that bit. It all felt so sketchy. I hated it. I even thought about turning the deal down but I couldn't. I'd signed a contract. So I figured, what the heck, it wasn't as if I was actually going out with anyone. And then you came along."

I stare at him, trying to compute everything he's just said.

"So you and Heather aren't-"

"No! We never have."

"So she hasn't been hurt by what's happened?"

Hiccup laughed. "No she was a bit pissed at first cause she said I made her look like an idiot, but then her record sales went through the roof because everyone felt so sorry for her, so she got over it pretty quick."

"But I can't believe a record company would make you do something like that."

Hiccup shrugs. "I know. But apparently it happens all the time."

I feel my anger beginning to fade. "So why didn't you just tell me?"

He sighs. "I wanted to. And my dad kept on begging me to but I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Losing you." He looks out to sea. "Who wants to go out with a guy with a pretend girlfriend? And it's so hard to find someone who doesn't just want their moment in the spotlight too."

We sit in silence for a moment but then he puts his hand over mine. It feels so warm and strong.

"Can we start again?"

"As friends?"

Hiccup shakes his head. "As inciting incidents."

I laugh. "Yes"

He grins at me. "Because you know, I don't say 'I like you so much I think it might be love' to all the girls I meet."

Hiccup shifts closer to me. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes please."

Hiccup takes my face in his hands.
We kiss but it feels shy, apprehensive.

"Shall we walk for a bit?" He says.

"Yes that would be nice." But as I start getting up  I lose my footing and slip and fall - right over the shingle. If I'd been doing a stunt in an action adventure movie it would probably look spectacular but in the context of a romantic make up it looks totally ridiculous.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup calls over to me.

I scramble up, my face red with embarrassment.

"That was an awesome body roll. I wanna try." Hiccup takes a step back before hurting himself over the shingle. He crashes into me and we land on the beach in a tangled heap.

And as we laugh our heads off the very last traces of tension between us disappear.

"I've missed you so much, inciting incident," he whispers.

And this time when we kiss it's not apprehensive at all. This time when we kiss it feels like coming home.

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The End.