So, I know this is rather outdated but I guess.. I just really want to write this down. Basically Thorston twins fluff. Set in Berk, of course, when Ruff and Tuff were much younger and much.. well, a little less violent towards each other than they are now in their teenage years. In this story, the twins are eight. And not bein' the Big Bro bothers Tuffnut.
A drabble, in my perspective. As I have a tendency to max characters for just one chapter. (Tee-hee) This was conceived in my burning desire to write more fanfiction for these charming twins, despite their idiotic dynamic. Aaand also, I may have been rewatching HTTYD once more. What? It's a good film.
Also, I think I owe a lot of this sibling sweetness plot (particularly 'twin' sibling sweetness) to the sweetest twins I have ever seen in modern cartoon programming: Dipper and Mabel. Y'all know what I'm talkin' 'bout. Winky face.
Anyway, enough blathering. R&R, and Enjoy! :D
A Night at the Thorston's
Tonight, it was especially calm. The seas were high on the tide, burying half of the island's shoreline underwater. The houses and huts layered and sitting beside one and the other, silent and sleeping. In its place, high and majestic, the moon cast a brilliant white light upon Berk, seeping through the cracks and windows of the silent homes. The winds were chilly and it bit the warmth away from a particular young boy sitting up in his bed, eyes open and blinking towards the ceiling.
Tuffnut turned to his left lazily, hoping to chance a spot to fall asleep once more. But noticed his sister sitting quietly on the floorboards, looking out the window with a frown.
Her hair was soaked in the moonlight so that they looked like white strands of blonde locks, her tunic extended beyond her small feet and her arms were wrapped around her legs tucked into her chest, her chin resting on her kneecaps. Her eyes were hard and her lips were in a tight line. It seemed to him that she was deep in thought and not in a proper mood to disclose them.
"Hey, sis, why are you up?" Tuffnut asked anyway, sitting up in his bed and leaning his back to the wooden headboard.
Ruffnut's frown stayed as she replied without looking at him, "Back to bed, Tuff."
The pain in her voice reached him and the instances that had just transpired earlier that week came back to his mind like a mighty wave. The possible reason to this. He'd noticed it quicker than their parents did, than anybody in the village did; Ruffnut wasn't as rough as everyone thought she was. Especially when she lost a friend forever.
"Is this about Countis?" he asked tentatively, peeking at her face to gauge her reaction. He heard the grimace in her harsh reply.
"I said back to bed."
Silence.
Now he was certain. It was about Countis. Tuffnut quieted down, allowing the peace cast her thoughts afloat in the wind. She'd seen it all, after all. She was the closest when the dragon took her friend's life. Countis was standing over the edge, eyeing a dragon that had very nearly grabbed hold of Ruffnut and tossed her into the sea, a Changewing, as fast in the heavens as it is on land. With a halberd in one hand and a shield in another, she waited for the attack. But the dragon was long gone from the sky, and before she could react, the dragon reappeared from the cliff's edge, bringing with it a gush of wind from the ocean that threw Countis off her feet and into the ground. Ruffnut ran as fast as she could to her aid but Countis stopped her. The dragon swiped its tail and grabbed hold of Countis' ankle to toss her into the air as she shot smack-dab inside the beast's waiting mouth with a blood-curdling scream. And since then, Ruffnut hadn't gotten enough sleep. The nightmare played itself over and over again in her mind like a broken record of pain and torment. Tuffnut felt his heart tug at the pain in her sister's face. So when she wasn't looking, when she wasn't aware, he walked across the room and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head and rubbed her arms through her evening tunic, "It's alright."
She didn't move or try to push him away. She just blushed and pouted and let him do what he thought would help her out.
"You're such a sap," she spat, willing herself not to break down in tears.
"You should be nicer," he began, as Ruffnut felt the open and close of his jaw with every word in his young seven-year-old tangled tongue, "so you could follow Countis to Valhalla."
Ruffnut grinned a little, her pain somehow alleviating. She faced him with a wry smirk and remarked with confidence, "Is that a death threat?"
Tuffnut grinned back, eager for a challenge, "It will be if you don't stop moping."
"I'll smash your face in with a club," she replied simply, her grin spreading.
Tuffnut laughed and stood up beside her and bellowed, "Oh yeah? Try me. Bet you can't even go as far as three hits from the morning star to the helmet!"
Ruffnut smirked and looked over to their arsenal of a closet where the weapons beat their actual clothes in proportion. "Is that a challenge?"
"Sure is!" Tuffnut declared with glee, crossing his arms over his chest. Ruffnut could only laugh at the predictability of her brother. They had fought so many times and lost together that they had enough scars and wounds and bruises on their bodies than they know what to do with. And they haven't even been to advanced dragon training yet.
It wasn't noticeable at first glance, and bruises were a normal part of growing up in the Viking community. Tuffnut was looking smug and irritating, she thought, feeling like punching his face with her small fist when it suddenly amazed her just how much they looked alike in their young age. It was like looking into a mirror. Their hairs were both blonde, just an inch shy from their shoulders, their bodies were small yet slender, and, since she was just eight, they also had the same flat chest.
Tuffnut was an inch taller than her, that was for sure, and his eyes were the same icy blue of hers.
She watched as Tuffnut ran to his side of the room to take out a tiny version of Gobber's brand of the morning star. They had made weapons under his watchful eye for one of the Viking classes needed for their education. And his was an arguably good one.
"This is legal, right?" He asked as Ruffnut took a spot before him and crouched, reaching for her Viking helmet. She too made the helmet in one of Gobber's blacksmithing classes. A little bent and out of shape with one of the horns downturned at an awkward angle, but it was serviceable.
Ruffnut knocked on the metal of her helmet, "Course it is! How old are you?"
"Uhh, eight?" he muttered.
She snorted, crossing her arms, "You're not old enough, I'm not gonna fight you."
"What? We're the same age!" he protested, gripping tight around the weapon's smooth wooden handle and bringing it over his shoulder, ready to swing.
"I'm older by a millisecond!" She yelled, thumbing her chest.
Tuffnut pushed forward and slammed his forehead against her scowling, "I'm older by an inch!"
"I was born first!"
"And I—"
"RUFFNUT AND TUFFNUT THORSTON, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!" Their mother's voice bellowed from down the hall. The twins separated with a jump in opposite directions, startled. Ruffnut groaned and walked forward relentlessly once more, adjusting her helmet.
Tuffnut smiled suddenly and waved his hands in front of him to stop her. Ruffnut tilted her head curiously.
"Wait, this a good opportunity, Mom," he shouted back, "which of us came out of you first?"
The irritated woman growled, "TUFFNUT, I SWEAR TO THE GODS, IF YOU DON'T GET BACK TO BED, I WILL—"
"Yeah, mom, let him have it!" Ruffnut encouraged, punching a fist in the palm of her hand. Tuffnut slapped his hand on her mouth, putting a finger on his lips.
"Shh, quiet, maybe she's just having trouble remembering. She can do this. YOU CAN DO IT, MOM!"
Ruffnut nodded, understanding, and chimed in, "Yeah, you can do it!"
The woman sighed, "Ruffnut was the first born! Now could you please go back to bed? Both of you?"
Pleased, Ruffnut turned toward Tuffnut with crossed arms and a smug smile on her face, "Told yah, dufus."
Tuffnut visibly deflated and dropped the morning star on the floor with loud thud. The floor shook slightly as Tuffnut threw his arms up and groaned. But their mother's growl was louder from down the hall, and she sounded like she was going to eat them alive.
"Aww, man!" he whined, "And I wanted to do some big brother stuff for you!"
Ruffnut blinked, surprised, unsure about how to react to what he had said. Everyone in the village knew that she was the older twin. From the way they were addressed to the herd mentality her brother seemed to have around her, tailing her wherever she went and functioning as a personal stimulus to their innate sibling violence.
No one paid much heed to it. Their parents even thought it would make them great Vikings in the future, having learned at an early age what it meant to get hurt and give pain. Either way, however, the twins stuck together since no other kid in the village could take their rough and toughness. So they stayed together, fought and laughed and pranked the people of Berk together, inevitably bound together like the twins they were.
"Ugh! OKAY MOM, THANKS! Are we allowed to kill each other at our age?"
Tuffnut's voice brought Ruffnut out of her reverie as she looked to her brother with silent amusement. He was looking at the door, waiting for a response from their mother.
Eventually, the woman's growl turned into a more exhausted plea, "JUST MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN UP SOME BLOOD INSIDE THE HOUSE! Back to bed!"
Tuffnut pumped his fist and ran to a table to fetch his helmet, "Yes! We can take this out tonight, you up for it?"
He whipped his head excitedly at his sister and smiled with glee. Only to be met by a knowing smile. Confused, he raised a brow at her.
"What?" he asked.
"Big brother stuff?"
He paused momentarily, thinking back to the words he said earlier and, with visible hesitation, answered, "Yeah," while sitting on his bed.
"Like the things I see Countis' brother does for her. I wanna give you wildflowers and braid your hair too.." he continued shyly, scratching the back of his head. Ruffnut felt like laughing, if it weren't for the tiny swelling feeling of pride and.. affection she was harboring now for him as he talked.
She knew exactly what he was talking about. Countis had a big brother, two heads taller than Tuffnut, and when they went over to Countis' house on the higher cliffs, they would always see Countis and her brother doing things they didn't. They tended to the sheep together, fought and sharpened swords together, trained together and.. well, picked wildflowers together. They were everything the twins weren't.
And Countis had told Ruffnut countless times that it was okay what they had. It was the Thorston way. It didn't matter if they punched and shoved each other while walking or tripped one another to get back at something one of them did to piss each other off. At the end of the day, they were twins, and twins have always been bonded stronger than normal siblings were. It was what Countis could see in them. Countis was older than the twins by three years, having entered the basic dragon training classes and she always knew that the twins' bond would strengthen over time and was probably the only one who believed it.
Even now, it surprised her that Tuffnut had felt the way he did. He was obviously pegged to be the opposite of Countis' brother, if the harsh treatment they gave each other was any indication.
Ruffnut contemplated the benefits and costs of the notion and replied in a teasing voice, "My hair isn't even that long."
Tuffnut lifted his head with a grin and looked at the little smug smile his sister had on her lips, "You're smiling like an ugly dragon."
"You're uglier!" Ruffnut yelled and ran over to punch him hard on the shoulder.
"No, you are!" Tuffnut snapped, punching her right back. Until they were both punching each other playfully, laughing as they went.
It continued on for some time until a low hiss from down the hall outside made them separate. Tuffnut sat up immediately, their mother's fury now imminent, and rubbed his shoulders, "Thanks for the good-night punches, sis. I needed those."
"What can I say? I give the best punches," she boasted, flexing her wrists. She then walked over to her bed, lassitude overpowering adrenaline.
"Yeah, you do!" Tuffnut chimed in, lying down on his bed and pulling the sheets over his little tunic.
They giggled, lying on their sides to laugh at each other's faces. Until Tuffnut opened his arms and Ruffnut gave him a confused look. Tuffnut sat up and scooted so that there was space for her beside him. He patted the space and said, "Countis' brother also always gave her hugs, so i wanna hug you, too, sis."
She blinked again, the amused smile leaving her lips, replaced with something... more personal. She looked at her brother and felt.. fond of him and the gesture but masked it with a snigger, "Isn't that kind of lame?"
"At least i'll be an easier target," he offered with a cheesy grin.
Now presented with a better option, she stood up from her bed and strolled on her tiny feet towards Tuffnut's bed. They set their helmets aside on the floor in unison as Ruffnut climbed in beside him. Ruffnut giggled and crawled and hugged him as he helde her close. True enough, Ruffnut started playfully punching him again as sleep slowly crept into their systems.
"Bro?" she whispered.
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, sis," was his delighted reply, hugging her tighter and chuckling happily.
"I hope Countis is happy somewhere. I hope she gives me happiness too. I feel so sad."
"Don't worry, big sis," he yawned, stretching his arms up before bringing them around her again, "I'll be your happiness."
Ruffnut yawned and chuckled as well, snuggling close to him, "I'll take that duel outside the house tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay! I'll be"—yawn—"ready!"
"You better be!" she half screamed, half whispered, yawning one last time and finally succumbing to slumber.
Their mother found them bundled up together the next morning, sighing in resignation. Maybe she won't drag them by the ears today to punish them for constantly being the cause of her waking nights.
END
Tuffnut is such a sap.
Also, I kinda have a crush on his stupid ass.
To those who have just chanced on this story and read it, the only context I can give for Countis is that, I just wrote her down to push the story forward. You know, to help build my imagination around how the twins might have been before should a dreary situation present itself. I also wrote her in to kind of, bring to light Ruffnut's possible not-so-perfectly-morbid interpretation of 'friends' when she might have been younger, Tuffnut's rather affectionate side (I like to think he has one. He's always hugging Chicken) and the present and (always imminent, in this case) danger of living on Berk and being attacked by dragons.
Finally, thank you for supporting this story that I wrote. Even though it is rather outdated. You people are the real miracles!