A new chapter has been posted! This is when you'll start to realize just how bad I actually am at chapter stories, lol. A huge thank you to Duchess Delanie again [you're probably getting annoyed by all my thank you's, lol], as without her story, "The Art of Running and Hiding", I'd be lost. It's that story that helped me understand just how to write, not just Fishlegs and Ruffnut, but how they act around each other, lol.
The chapters seem to be getting shorter, but that's because it's more dialog than large paragraphs. Also, I'm trying to get a fair amount of POV's from both Ruff and Fish, but as it happens, we seem to be getting more of Fishlegs at the moment. But don't worry, Ruffnut will get her share, in due time!
Hopefully I'll get manage to give reply's to all my reviews/reviewers; I'm just really bad at that. Thanks again for reading! :D
Furious, Ruffnut slammed the door on Fishlegs, who was desperately trying to raise himself off the ground.
"So," Her mother asked, a smile in her voice. "Who was that?"
Again, too preoccupied with her cooking, her mom obviously hadn't heard who was at the door or what she had done to him. Why does she even bother making dinner, anyway? Half the time, the family just grabbed a snack at the Meade Hall.
"Fishlegs."
"Oh?" Now it sounded like she was giggling. Why was she giggling? "And what did he want?"
Suddenly, Ruffnut managed to piece everything together and her mouth dropped open. "You're the reason he was here just now, aren't you?"
Releasing an exasperated sigh, her mother turned around to face her. Her eyes went wide when she spotted Ruff's hair. "Rain?"
Her daughter nodded. There was a pause. Ruffnut raised an eyebrow at her mom.
"Right," She collected her thoughts. "I just think you should give him another chance."
"Okay, so let him take the chance," Ruff suggested. "Don't have him come over here, just 'cuz you told him to 'apologize' to me." I doubt he even knew what he was apologizing for.
"Fishlegs is a nice boy and-"
"Stupid is more like it." Stupid and cute. She shook her head. She didn't just think that.
"Ruffnut," Her mother began, wiping her hands on the apron currently around her waist. "Honey, it's been months since you and Snotlout broke up. I just want to see you happy again."
"No, you just want to see me standing at some alter!" Ruff crossed her arms across her chest.
They both went mute, letting the echo of the last outburst fade throughout the house.
"What happened to the days when we just talked about viking warriors, mom?" The girl twin asked, speaking softly. "Or when you told me stories about the exciting dragon wars that took place here so many years ago."
Her mother sighed. "That was before you started growing into a beautiful young lady." She tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her daughter's ear. Ruffnut was tempted to push her away. She always hated biased comments. Especially when they were directed towards her. "I just want what's best for you."
"Well, I think it'd be best for you to stay out of my social life," Ruff muttered.
"Alright, that's enough," Her mother said, ruffling her own hair. "End of discussion. Up to your room."
Ruffnut mocked her mother under her breath. "Fine," She said, her voice barely audible. "I was heading that way, anyway."
By the time she reached the staircase, she could clearly hear her mom let out another one of those exasperated sighs. Then, she turned her attention, and some of her rage, onto her brother.
"For Thor's Sake, Tuffnut," She heard her mother groan. "What are you doing on the floor!"
Snickering, the girl twin quickly headed to her room before she could get in trouble for that, too.
"And then," Fishlegs said, finishing up the story. "She punched me." Pause. "Again."
"What'd you do to her?" Hiccup asked, dipping a hot piece of metal into a cool bucket of water. Always hard at work.
"Nothing!" Fishlegs practically screeched. "That's just it. She just punches me for no reason whatsoever."
"Better you than me," The young blacksmith said, practically shivering while considering the days when Ruffnut had done the same to him.
Astrid, who was currently sitting on a chair at Hiccup's side [naturally], released a breath, causing her bangs to slightly fly off her forehead for a moment. "Guys are such idiots." She turned her attention to Hiccup, who was now banging away at said piece of metal. "Right, Hiccup?" She mused.
Barely registering the question, he merely nodded. "Huh? Oh, yeah."
"Did he just agree that he was stupid?" Fishlegs asked, confused.
The girl grinned. "Hiccup never listens very well when he's working."
"It's true," Her boyfriend agreed. Then his head shot up. "Why? What were we talking about?"
Astrid shook her head and stood up. "I know why Ruff's been acting out around you," She told Fish.
"Really?" He asked. "Why?"
"Mmm, can't tell."
The large teen frowned. "Why not?"
"Oh, did I say 'can't'?" She asked, rhetorically. "I meant, I don't wanna."
Hiccup seemed to be paying attention now. "Again, why?"
She shrugged. "Just having some fun."
"Just tell him why Ruffnut's been punching him to death."
"Why don't you tell him?"
"Because I don't know why!" He admitted.
Astrid sighed annoyingly and punched her boyfriend in the shoulder.
"Ow, what was that for?"
Rolling her eyes, she then gave Hiccup a quick peck on the lips, as if to answer his question.
He breathed out and and looked at his girlfriend through slightly hazy eyes. "Oh."
She raised an eyebrow and his eyes shot open wide. "Oh! Fish," He started, turning himself around. "I know why Ruff's been-" But Fishlegs was already gone.
Fishlegs sat on his favorite chair at his house, reading some dragon book he's read a hundred times before. He could practically recite the whole book, but reading was the only thing that relaxed him, and he could really use some relaxing right now.
Going to Hiccup for help didn't turn out as well as he was hoping, and just ended with him and Astrid making out. The boy sighed and slammed his book shut. Maybe if he thought hard enough he could figure this out.
But, before he had a chance to even start, his father walked through the door. Fishlegs mind went to work. "Hey, Dad!"
"Hey, Fishlegs," He returned, pulling off his vest.
"Uhm," The younger viking stood up and walked across the room. "Listen, I have a question." His father looked over, smiling; ready to help in any way that he could.
His dad wasn't the sharpest axe in the arena, as back when he was growing up, viking's cared more about brawn than brains. But being brainy didn't seem to get him anywhere with this problem, so he was willing to try anything.
"What does it mean when someone punches you?" Fishlegs asked, holding his stomach that seemed to ache whenever he thought about it.
"It probably means you ticked them off," His dad answered. "Why? What'd you do?" His father seemed a little too happy at the idea that his son might have deliberately done something to start a fight with somebody else.
"Nothing!" He exclaimed, repeating almost the same thing he had to Hiccup. "She just punched me for no reason. Twice." He wasn't sure why he found it necessary to add that he's been beat up by a girl more than once. It couldn't be doing much for his image. Not that he really had an image in the first place.
"Wait," His father stopped, holding his hands up in front of him. "You're saying a girl punched you?"
"Yeah, Ruffnut," Fish said. "Why?"
He patted his son's shoulder, smiling. "Congratulations, my son!"
"For what?" He asked, still confused.
"Well, it sounds like someone's got a crush on you."
Fishlegs collapsed.
Finally, when Fish seemed to have regained consciousness minutes later, he still only saw black in front of him. And everything he had discussed with his dad slowly came flooding back.
Ruffnut was punching because she liked him? That didn't make any sense. Of course, girls seldom did. If she had been a dragon, he was have seen this coming. But no one ever thought to write books on girls, the way they did dragons; and now most of those books were useless [though, still fun to read].
It's not like he'd actually ever had experience with girls, anyway. He didn't have a sister and his mom died when he was five. The only girls he'd ever actually talked to were Astrid and Ruff. Though, over the past couple of days, he'd been seeing more of Ruffnut than he had in practically his whole life.
Maybe he should have seen it coming. After all, she had come over his house, late at night...smiling. Fishlegs groaned, causing his head to ache. Astrid was right. Guys are idiots.
Suddenly, a pair of hands picked Fishlegs up from the ground. He opened his eyes to find his father looking back at him.
"So," His dad said, patting his back. "When are you gonna tell her?"
"Tell who what?"
"Tell that girl that you like her back," He laughed. "You gotta tell her. No punching. Only the girls are allowed to do that."
"Well," Fishlegs wracked his brain. He could feel his forehead sweating. "The thing is, I don't really like Ruff...that way."
"Oh." His father paused. Then, after a short moment, he patted his son's back again. "In that case, you're still gonna have to tell her."
Fish was afraid of that.
I was originally gonna end the chapter on Fishlegs passing out. But then it would have been too short, lol. Also, the story's far from over. So, don't go thinking Fish tells Ruffnut how he feels [or should I say doesn't feel?] and that's the end of it. Oh no, far from it, my friends! *Evil laugh* That is, if everything I have planned out for them goes well, lol. *Ahem* Comments are love.
