#variccup

Quirin always had a hard time deciding on whether or not to hire music tutors, because he's afraid if Varian becomes involved in music people will come from all over to hear him, and he'll for sure find his soulmate. He doesn't want to lose his only child so soon.

Annie hears Varian sing sometimes, when the breeze is cool and the sun is high and the ship is cutting across the sea. It reminds her of the love stories her tutors told her when she was a child -she's a bit relieved when she doesn't feel the need to sing back a song which lyrics she doesn't know, because she loves Varian but not like this-

Bìhn calls him 'Mìngquìn' at times, songbird. He keeps an eye on the people who pay his Captain too close an eye when they hear his voice. It wouldn't do for him to end up with someone that won't appreciate him as they ought to.

Hans wonders what it means when he settles with Hiccup. Maybe Varian made peace with never finding his song if it meant he could stay here, and as long as it makes him happy, he'll support it.

Varían himself never gave it much thought. Sure, he knew of the concept as a child, was interested even, but then his whole life went to hell.

It's hard to find your soulmate while traversing a blizzard with the thought of your father as your only fuel, while planning a full frontal attack on Corona, or when crammed in the dungeons.

Once he escapes and becomes the captain of his ship, he gives it a thought every now and then. He usually arrives to the conclusion that maybe it's better that he never finds his soulmate. They would only be one more thing to worry about, and he doesn't want the drag.

When they get to Berk and they're left out of prison, he hopes desperately that Hiccup isn't his soulmate, because he can't stand the thought of him being soulbound to someone like Varian.

He even hopes against hope that the concept doesn't exist among the Vikings, or that they don't give it the same importance, but that hope dies pretty quickly.

The Hooligans have a bonfire every other night after supper, with song and dance and games to bond with each other. Many of them find their soulmates early because of this, and have plenty of time to decide how they want to approach that bond.

One night during the bonfire Gobber brings out a fiddle. One of the twins has a flute, and Snotty gets her tiny, sticky hands on a tambourine. The rhythm begins to build, cheerful songs the pirates don't know but that bring a smile to their faces anyways.

"Come on Hiccup! Sing it!" Snoutloud cackles, hitting his cousin on the back.

"You just want to ridicule me," Hiccup rolls his eyes, face flushing.

"Well of course! It's the one thing I'm better at!"

Valka smiles, sitting next to her son. "I like it when you sing it. It reminds me of your father"

Hiccup groans, but it's pretty clear to everyone that he's given up. Stoick is Valka's triumphcard, and she plays it shamelessly.

"Ugh... Ok. I won't be made responsible for any destroyed eardrums," Hiccup says, and clears his throat.

Annie looks on, interested. She's never heard the Chief-

"I'll sWIm and sAil on SAVage sEAS, with NEER A fEAr of DROWning! And GLADly RIDe the wAveS oF LIFE, if YoU woULD MArry ME," comes the first discordant line, in a mockery of the tone set by the instruments. People begin roaring in good natured laughter, and Hiccup smiles as he 'sings', clearly embarrassed but willing to give his people a good time. "No SChorcHING SUN nor FReezINg cOLD will STOP ME ON MY JOOOURNEY" Hiccup elbows a laughing Gobber at this part.

Annie chuckles, and she turns to the side to tease Varian about his intended's voice, only to find him frozen in place, eyes almost glazed over. She frowns, worried, and reaches for him.

"If YOU wILL prOMISe me your HAND-" Hiccup meanwhile, continues destroying the song.

He bats her hand away softly, almost as an afterthought, and opens his mouth.

When Varian's crystalline clear voice breaks out from his parted lips, it cuts right through every other sound, and everything stops; the instruments, the laughter, and Hiccup mangling the same sentence in what he passes as singing.