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theknightofivanhoe · 2 months

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Strange Sight - A Hiccelsa Story pt 1. - A Helping Hand

Some Hiccelsa goodness for anyone who wants. Title inspired by the song by KT Tunstall. Hiccup and Elsa belong to Dreamworks and Disney respectively.

Provence, south of France, was the perfect region to spend the summer. Trees and vegetation were as lush as any northern part of Europe could get, but complemented by the golden tan of rocky formations upon which villages and holiday homes were situated. Adding to the sights and smells were rows of lavender, as purple as amethyst bobbing in the gentle breeze.

The tall, brown-haired, freckle-faced young man, Harrison ‘Hiccup’ Haddock, had dressed for the weather in a green T-shirt, tan shorts and moccasins. ‘Hiccup.’ as he had eventually grown accustomed to being nicknamed, headed through the front door of his newly-rented holiday cottage to unload the last of some maintenance equipment from his black Land Rover. Even on vacation, it took a lot to separate Hiccup from his very own motorcycle machinery that he would tinker with in search of a new innovation that he could soon introduce to the gear-heads that made his target audience. Toothless, his well-built black labrador lay splayed across the cooling stone floor, so Hiccup had to take big steps over those legs and floppy ears of his. He trudged to the Rover and pulled open the boot, before hoisting the case of equipment up in both hands. He had been saving his strength for the heavier stuff, but he still staggered from the weight. Not even the flexible black rods of his prosthetic left leg helped much. “Woah…” the brunette went, clinging onto the heavy case and spreading his feet, his living one and his metal one, to try and balance himself. He had trained himself to cope with a prosthetic, even ride a bike with one, but it still surprised him just what types of situations an artificial limb could bring about. “Aw, no, don't do this - no!” Hiccup yelled, the case tipping out of his hands, landing onto the pebble-strewn ground. What didn’t help was the tools and engine components spilling out, the lid half-open from the impact at which it had fallen.

“Are you okay?” A female voice from behind caught Hiccup by slight surprise. “Wha - uh, sorry?” Frustrated by his situation, he turned to find the source of the voice; a blond young woman in an ankle-length royal blue gown standing behind him.

“I’m sorry, I’m - I’m sorry, can I help, ma’am?” Hiccup awkwardly asked, feeling as though this somewhat wraith-like girl must have materialised out of practically nowhere. All the girl did was stand where she was with her long wispy hands respectably folded in front of her the way someone would when attending a formal occasion. “Oh, don’t worry, I was just wondering if ‘you’ needed help.” she answered kindly, not moving from where she stood.

Despite his aggravating business with that case, Hiccup had to take a moment to notice how easily he could call this lovely-looking girl a queen. Curiosity twinkled in her ice blue eyes and her snowy blond hair was neatly tied in an immaculate Dutch-braided bun. Her thin, delicate nose and rouge lips wonderfully accentuated the light, mild-mannered expression on her heart-shaped face. Her blue summer gown flowed in the cooling air while highlighting the hour-glass hips and showing off slim arms as pale as her impressively pretty face, but not pale to the point of looking unhealthy. What completed this look was the set of flat-soled silvery-blue pumps.

Awakening from his stare, Hiccup lightly shook his head. “I’m sorry, don’t worry. I got this, I think -” And he quickly turned to pick up the case. “Would you like a hand with that” the woman asked. There was not a hint of insistence in her soft-spoken voice. If Hiccup asked, she would probably leave. Good-looking as she was, the brunette had felt more prepared for some alone time with his labrador, seeing as how he wasn’t the biggest people’s person. He wrestled to push the clips back in place, sealing the spilt equipment back into the case. “I - I don’t know, this thing’s ‘very’ heavy.” he grunted, yanking one of its handles. The thing barely even budged, crunching along the pebbles. “I could take one end.” The young woman’s voice left Hiccup simply torn between politely refusing her assistance, or getting this stupidly heavy case indoors with an extra pair of hands. “You sure?” he asked, hoping he didn’t come across as attempting to drive the girl away. “It’s got a lot of tools for, like, engineering.” he explained to the woman, though she seemed to be actually listening, not turning away in boredom like he had expected. “Wow, ‘that’ heavy.” she commented humorously. “Well, I’ve had to get ‘my’ stuff in myself too. One more can’t hurt.” She was standing in front of that bigger house facing the cottage Hiccup had rented. And behind her was a sleek, gleaming convertible as silver and spotless as a freshly forged sword blade.

Something then made Hiccup look behind and notice, to even greater annoyance, Toothless was standing outside the cottage in front of the girl.

The girl was a little surprised to find the pitch black labrador staring up at her with wide hazel eyes and swishing his tail side-to-side. Next she smiled in adoration. “Oh...hello there.” she greeted and Toothless sat himself down with his mouth stretched into what seemed like a smile of his own. “Is this your dog?” the girl asked Hiccup. “Mine, and outside the house where he belongs. Sorry about this.” Hiccup bluntly replied, getting up. “Alright, Toothless, nothing to - er - see here. Go on, boy! Back you go. Ah - don’t give me that look!” Toothless was indeed giving him a look that appeared to suggest an immature pout. “Back!” Hiccup ordered, thrusting a finger to the cottage doorway. “Back you go, you useless hound!” “Don’t worry. He’s not doing any harm.” the girl assured, raising a hand. “Could I stroke him?” she then requested, and Toothless opened his mouth wide with his tail wagging even faster at this prospect. “Well…” Before Hiccup could continue, Toothless started to show his gums to the girl in that bizarre smile that gave him his name. The girl’s eyes went round in bemusement at how well the dog hid his canines, just goofily staring up at her and beating his tail against the ground. “You sure you want to?” Hiccup asked the girl, as he rather wished Toothless hadn’t brought this about. “Well…sure.” the blond answered, reaching out a fair-skinned hand for the dog’s head. When her fingers caressed Toothless’ fur, he simply reared his head back in sheer happiness. Hiccup rolled his eyes, but the girl gave his pet such a charming smile, he felt he was in no position to send him back in the house. “He’s so sweet…” the girl complemented, trailing her hand along Toothless’ head and making him pant in joy. “Oh, don’t let his good looks and charm fool you.” Hiccup mock-warned, folding his arms. “When he gets an admirer, he’s got you wrapped round his - well - paw.” “So, Toothless is it?” the stranger inquired, the smile not even leaving her ever-pretty face as the labrador flicked his head between her and Hiccup. “That’s him.” Hiccup responded, smirking at his rascal of a dog and ruffling the fur of his head.

“So, shall I help you with this case?” the girl eventually asked when she remembered the help she had offered Hiccup in the first place. Hiccup considered for a moment, then breathed out. “Okay, sure thing. I’ll take the front end, yeah?” “Yeah, got it.” the blond agreed, striding gracefully round to the other side of the case. She closed her fingers around the handle, then pulled. What made Hiccup’s jaw drop a little and Toothless quirk his head sideways was how this porcelain doll of a girl got her end of the case a couple of inches off the ground! She did grit her pearly teeth a little from the effort, but she was still managing even with such thin arms. Instantly snapping out of his surprise, he snatched up the handle on his side. Aided by the girl’s unexpected strength, he managed to get the case level, hovering above the ground despite the sheer heaviness of its equipment. With Toothless waddling behind with his tail wagging, the two slowly walked it towards the cottage, into the doorway and lowered it onto the floor.

Hiccup and the blond panted a little from the exertion, but looked at one another faintly smiling. Toothless glanced down at the box, then up at his owner and the girl as he panted excitedly, his tongue hanging all the way out of his grinning mouth. “Wow, team effort.” Hiccup commented gladly. “You led the way. I just took some of the weight.” the girl replied benevolently, rubbing Toothless’ head. “I’m sure that doesn’t make you any less deserving of a little something…” Hiccup started, holding up a finger. Now truly enjoying this unknown girl’s company, he bent down and opened the small fridge. “White or red?” “Oh, I don’t know…” The blond looked away, clearly trying not to smile. “White?” “White it is.” His nervousness a distant memory, Hiccup straightened with a wine bottle in hand and a slightly goofy smile on his strong-chinned face, opening the overhead cupboard behind him. “Ow!” The cupboard door bonked the back of his head! “Ooh! Are you alright?” the girl asked with a pained expression. Toothless gave his master a look that said he was always doing this. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Hiccup grunted, rubbing the soreness away and getting two wine glasses. “They don’t call me Hiccup for nothing.” “I’m sorry?” the girl asked, a little befuddled. “Oh, that?” the young man replied and remembered. “My name’s Hiccup -” “Your actual name?” the blond inquired. “Ah, no, not my *name* name - it’s my nickname.” the brunette corrected her, pouring some wine. “If you want my full name, it's Harrison Hickory Haddock...the third. I run that motorcycle service down in Berk.” He offered a glass, the amber-coloured drink sloshing in the crystal clear glass. “Berk...I haven't been there but apparently it's quite nice there.” the girl commented with a light smile, accepting her drink and stroking Toothless some more. Hiccup still couldn’t fathom how such hands as delicate as hers could get a half-tonne case off the ground. “If you can get through nine months of snow and three months of hail that constitute a year there…” Hiccup replied, leaning up against the kitchen counter as he and the girl sipped their drinks, a happy Toothless sitting between them. “Oh, then I’ll make sure to check it out in the snowy months. I happen to like snow.” the girl smiled, her lip rouge succeeding in drawing Hiccup’s eye. Now it was her turn to be absorbed in just how handsome he looked.

She found herself enjoying the way his chocolate-brown hair flowed around his head with tufts at his ears and neck, how his nose was rounded at the end, but how well-defined and lightly stubbled his chin was. “But enough about me, I didn’t get ‘your’ name.” Hiccup told her. “My name’s Elsa.” the girl replied politely. “Elsa...cool name…” Hiccup murmured, taking another sip. Elsa grinned gently at his praise. “Thank you.” Then something about that name rang a bell in Hiccup. “Wait - aren't you Elsa from Arendelle? You run that big architecture firm?” Elsa took another sip of her wine. “The very same.” she chirped. “So what brings you out here to Provence, mon cherie?” Hiccup grinned as he asked this, exaggerating the French accent, which made Elsa smirk in amusement. “Oh, you know, an architecture company’s a huge responsibility. My family’s owned it for years.” she explained, pausing for a drink. “I’m lucky to ever go and get some time off.” “Guess you came to the right place.” Hiccup agreed. “You want to sit down?”

While Toothless lay half-asleep on his side like a sardine, Hiccup and Elsa sat at the small wooden table beside the cottage’s kitchen area, chatting and drinking. “ - Her name’s Anna. You’d love her. She’s dating this guy Kristoff; he’s employed at my firm. You’d get along with him too.” Elsa was telling Hiccup. “You do live in good company.” he said, already liking the idea of meeting the rich girl’s sister and the collection of colourful characters she had befriended. “But what about your friends?” Elsa asked with that same curiosity from when she had volunteered to help lift that case. “My friends? Well there’s Gobber, missing a right hand and left leg, helps me out at the motorcycle repairs. It’s thanks to him that I can even put in all those nuts and bolts.” Hiccup explained. “Fishlegs, that’s his nickname, he’s an old schoolmate, great at computers, helped me get set up with my tablet here.” He held up his iPad to demonstrate. “Snotlout, ah…” He bobbed his hand side-to-side. “Drives a monster truck and gets a bit egotistical when it comes to racing. Bit of a muttonhead, but means well.” Elsa just nodded. “Ruffnut and Tuffnut, they’re twins, can be a bit of a handful. Navy-trained like me, love their death metal. And their motorcycles. But you’d definitely love my mum.” “If she’s mother to someone as sweet as you, I think I would.” Elsa smiled over the rim of her glass. This complement sent butterflies fluttering in Hiccup’s stomach and his cheeks grew warmer than the French summer air could possibly be, even in the cooling shade of the rented cottage. He wanted the wine he drank to extinguish his blushing, his lips seeming to stick to the glass. “Hiccup, you okay?” Elsa was looking at him with those winter-blue eyes in which the brunette saw many things, such as fondness in finding companionship, but unusually, a bit of loneliness. “I’m fine, thanks, Elsa…” He had only just met this girl, himself a moody, gawky mechanic and a beautiful businesswoman, but rather than dwell on it, Hiccup went on drinking, Elsa doing the same.

“Well, thank you for - uh, thank you, Hiccup.” Elsa eventually said, getting up once her glass was finished. Toothless bolted to his feet and wagged his tail in the hopes of some more affection before she left. “Oh, don’t mention it. Thank ‘you’ for shifting that stupid case.” Hiccup replied, lightly kicking said case with a clunk. “Oh, it was nothing - ” “Seriously, you got some real push - ” They paused when noticing they were talking over one another and suddenly went silent, glancing away from one another sheepishly. Toothless darted his head between them waiting for whatever was going to happen next. “Well, I think I should be getting back…” Elsa suggested. Toothless’ eyes grew round at the very thought. “Sure, I’ve got to get Toothless and my supper on the go too…” Hiccup awkwardly agreed. “Same here.” Elsa remarked. “I know, Toothless…” she continued, getting to one knee and stroking the labrador who panted in his desire for her to keep going. “Hope you’re liking that place you rented. Sure looks fancy.” Hiccup smirked. “Well I’m starting to like yours really.” Elsa replied, appreciating the cottage’s more humble, rustic design. “It just looks so…cosy.” Now Hiccup was beginning to wonder if they were drawing out their goodbyes, but nonetheless he glanced around and murmured, “Sure does.” Giving him that mild, possibly bashful smile, Elsa finished stroking Toothless and moved for the door. She paused and turned back slightly. “Hiccup?”

Hiccup froze. Elsa’s tone sounded as though she was about to invite him for something. Toothless pricked his ears up. Elsa still had her back to Hiccup, but was glancing at him from the corner of those half-closed eyes. She seemed to be getting suspiciously coy. “Yeah?” Hiccup quietly responded. “The house I’m staying at has a pool.” Elsa told him. “If you want, you can use it too.” Hiccup’s heart rate accelerated a little. They had only just met, but now Elsa was permitting him to use a pool that belonged to the place she had rented! “But, Elsa - I don’t - what if you…you - wouldn’t you want to - ?” Facing him, Elsa lightly beamed. “Hiccup, you can swim any time you like. I won’t mind us sharing.” Even Toothless looked up and Hiccup and jerked his head in Elsa’s direction. He was obviously hinting for his owner to agree. “Well, thanks.” the young man replied, wondering where this whole invitation of Elsa’s was leading up to. Sometimes he hated how much of a stubborn animal Toothless could be. “Night, Elsa.” “Goodnight, Hiccup.” Elsa half-whispered with that faint grin. “See you soon…”

Stay tuned, Hiccelsa lovers...

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