A/N - This is shit and I'm sorry. I just really wanted an excuse for Astrid to describe herself as a 'grubby girl with greasy hair and an axe'. Plus, I kind of wanted to study Astrid's deepest innermost feelings concerning Hiccup because I love them so much - as individual characters and a couple
But, like I said, this is fucking dreadful
Whenever I kissed him, I could see it in their faces. In the corner of my eye, behind me; behind him, as I closed the space between our mouths, I'd see the glances and the whispers. The quick motion of mouths accompanied by the sneaky stares as they observed what they presumed to be a stereotypical teen romance.
My hands would grip his face softly, grasping his jaw and leaning my face forward. He would gently, subconsciously, lean towards me too. His eyes would magically brighten from the dull boredom, caused by having to deal with Berk everyday, to an anxious buzz. He wanted out: to explore; to discover; to be free, but he was stuck here with us other Viking kids who knew no better and didn't particularly want any better. I was happy here and so were they. But he wasn't. He was bored. He didn't fit. He wasn't one of us and he never would be. Not really.
He was too good for us. Really.
The bright eyes would dart left, right, down, left, straight ahead, left, straight ahead again. Just because generally he was bored didn't mean he didn't get excited about me brushing our lips together.
Although, he would never initiate it.
The gold specks that dotted his eyes, like the thousands of freckles on his skin, would glitter as nerves took control. It looked like his pupils were vibrating very delicately whilst being tucked securely into his irises. His hands would freeze mid air, inches from my waist, and I would smirk, receiving that adorably crooked, toothy grin in return.
Then he would observe me under his heavily lidded lashes, nose twitching only slightly. I'd close the distance quite forcefully as his dark eyelashes fluttered closed like a Deadly Nadder's wings, when they graced the wind with their marvellous flight. However, his eyelashes were more delicate. They were soft and dark. More often than not I'd find a stray one clinging to my shirt whilst another snuggled into his tinted skin.
The kiss would only last a few seconds, not that I'm counting. In fact, the entire moment wouldn't last much more than a few seconds but I liked to drink in every detail. The sweetly scented puffs of breath, hitching slightly when I draw closer; the smooth skin on which I trace meaningless patterns onto with my fingertips; the low rumble which vibrates from his throat, as my swirls tickle his chin and cheeks, to try and halt that giggle escaping from his parted lips, and the breathy sigh. That does manage to make a break for it, being the result of my unusually gentle touch. It was only gentle for him. No one else. I absorbed him in and became tender because I was lucky. So incredibly lucky because he was too good for me. Although, everyone thought differently. They thought he was lucky to have me. Hah.
They were wrong.
Me? I am a grubby girl with greasy hair and an axe. Aggressive and short tempered with an undeniable love to argue. I hate being wrong. Actually, scratch that: I'm near enough never wrong. I am stubborn making me a typical Viking. Nothing more, nothing less. I am a Viking and that's all I ever will be. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm proud of my heritage but I'm just aware that I won't ever be anything more than Astrid Hofferson the axe wielding Viking. I'm nothing particularly special and more of an old-fashioned take-it-down-with-an-axe-and-then-lop-its-head-off kind of girl. Just an average Viking.
Hiccup on the other hand? Oh he is so much more. So much more. He is the Dragon Conquerer; the Dragon Master. The first Viking to never kill a dragon in three hundred years, riding it and bringing peace amongst Vikings and dragons alike. For once in his life, not alighting destruction to Berk and washing the fire out instead. He is also stubborn, typically a Viking trait but he's stubborn in all the right ways, with the ability to admit when he's wrong, but he will stand by what he believes in no matter what. He believed in Toothless and other dragons alike, thus stopping the war. He wasn't afraid to admit that we were wrong - him included - in mercilessly murdering thousands of the beasts. He shows compassion and kindness to everyone, even when they don't deserve it. Like us Hooligans. We didn't deserve his forgiveness. But we got it anyway. All we had to do was trust him.
It still affects him, though. The paranoia that this is all a big joke. One day we're going to jump out on him and scream surprise in the Berkian, boisterous fashion that only happens to a hiccup. Not that he's told anyone about these insecurities. Except me. Only I'm allowed that privilege. The disgusting girl he craved. And probably Toothless, but that dragon loves him unconditionally.
So, everyone see's Hiccup as the lucky one in this relationship since he managed to 'get the girl' in this typical teen romance, but they couldn't be anymore wrong. He changed me for the better. He changed all of us. All we had to do was listen.
Hiccup isn't the lucky one in this relationship. I am.
