Steal My Heart
She stared at the screen. A few people she trusted had her email, which in turn spiraled down into a world-wide network of thieves. Starting with lower thieves, the harder targets required someone better, it would spiral up, until finally somebody accepted the job, which ranged from stealing a purse to valuable paiting from museums. A mere ten years after she entered the circle, she was at the top, the youngest so far, and the first women to do so, which honestly surprised her, women were so much better than men. She was tired of art though, you could put a paiting from a ten-year old next to a ten bilion dolar paiting, and most people wouldn't be able to tell the diference, but just because someone said so, everyone else agrees. Stealing an officer's undergarments when he had them on had been much more fun, even though she had to wash her hands later. Ten times.
Back to the screen, a simple photograph of the item, along with an adress and the payment, were looking at her. It was certainly an odd request. And in Norway, of all the places... Norway. It brought back some memories, kindergarden, stealing, Highschool, stealing, her mother, stealing, Hiccup... giving? She closed her eyes for a second, to stop the flooding images, it's been years, she shouldn't be so caught up in the past, especially not to him. Maybe it was due to her job, but she never could mantain a relationship for long, and he stuck.
Irritated that she had to refocus for the 3rd time in ten minutes, a look at the payment was all it took for her to reply her agreement to do the job. Though admittedly odd, it seemed easy and fun, as she had never stolen something like that before, the person reaction would be hilarious. She had stolen paints and undies, gold and jewels, banks and police stations, for the fun of it. Never before has she stolen a leg. Missing limbs was not such a strange sight because of the last war, but she never saw a leg looking like that, she wondered who it belonged to. Nevertheless, with such a good pay, she wondered why nobody lower had accepted. Scribbling down the adress, she closed the tab to open another one, where she booked the first flight available, in 1st class. She would have to fly to Norway itself, then a much smaller plane to get to the small island of Berk. When that was done, she searched for houses for rent.
She settled for the Thortson house. The Hofferson's sounded great, but she remembered the girl from the few times she went to berk and decided against it. They often fought, and she had an instinct for deception she wanted to stay away from in those days. She skipped the Jorgenson house, the small letters that said they rented to women only was enough to tell her Snoutlout hadn't changed. The Ingerman was smart, so she decided agaisnt it as well, lest he figures something out. As for the last house with a room for rent... she didn't even know if he was still in town, but she wouldn't. Even if it meant to endure a couple of pranks. Besides, she was sure she was very much capable of dealing with them, no one sneaks up on a Bog.
She took her always packed bag, and drove to the airport.
She was flying. She wondered how it would be to fly outside the plane, but alas, it was impossible. And so so felt her eyes becoming heavier...
"I can, really?"
"Of course, you're eight now, that means you can come with me to the annual Archipelago reunion."
"Thank you!" She answered, hugging her huge mother. She pulled away, ready to bolt, when she heard her mother's voice.
"Cami!" In a warning tone, outreaching her hand. With a sight, she placed the cellphone there. But her mother didn't move. With a little pout, she gave back her wallet as well. Her mother finally grinned, ruffling her hair, and she ran to the door with a smile on her face. She was almost out when she heard her mother's voice again: "And use that money wisely!" She grumbed, caught, but continued on her way, a few krones* richer...
She was happily strolling in the steets, entering a store here and there, picking up a few items without anybody being any wiser. She entered a medieval looking shop, called 'The Forge', though the products themselves were all very futuristic. She took something small, even though she had no idea what it was, but when she made her way to the door, a boy, no bigger than herself, was blocking her path. She used the same trick that always worked: she gave back the item, and then hugged him to apologize, hoping to snatch something. Apart from her mother, that was the first time she couldn't. She instantly liked him. Unfortunately, she had to head back without seeing him again.
She was nine, and she stopped by 'The Forge', ready for another round, one year more experienced. He wasn't there though. She searched for him, until she found him alone, sitting on the cliffs facing the sea. She sat next to him, saying nothing, losing track of time until he suddenly hugged her. She hugged him back, but as her nimble fingers began to stretch, she heard his voice in her ear, warning her, and she reluctantly just focused on hugging him back. A few seconds later they pulled apart, and they spoke, about everything. She told him about her woman ruled island, while she listened to him complain about his disappointed father, who was a police officer for years, rose to captain, and this year decided to apply to mayor. Hiccup, his name was, he wanted to be a private investigator, use his wits to catch the badguys without the restrictive police rules, which enerved his father to no end, though at least he wasn't a psychic**. They spoke until night came, where they parted with another hug, for the first time keeping her fingers to herself, there wouldn't be much point anyway.
She was smiling in her sleep without knowing, fond memories of the next years, where he came to meet her, and they always spent the day together, her favorite day of the year, but they didn't sit and talk, they ran, she stole, he watched and learned, they got into trouble and they got themselves out of it.
She was eighteen... And she woke with a gasp. She finished Highschool, and set out to the world, a little island wouldn't hold her. Besides, she needed to get away from him. After all, once they each started working, how could their friendship continue, or even turn into something more?
She hadn't thought this much about him in years. Maybe she shouldn't have accepted the job in Norway. But she had, and she would see it through.
She didn't recognize any buldings, but she had heard about the big earthquake that happened some years back that destoyed most of the town***.
She set eyes on her target. She would spend a few days just watching, studying the area well is very important, plus, she just arrived, and just doesn't want to draw attention to herself.
Only the Ingerman boy, now man, but still easily recognizable, entered and left the place. He definetely had both feet, and he didn't even stay there during the night, though she did notice he wasn't living with his parents anymore. After a few days of this, her pacience was wearing thin.
The twins, weren't making it easy for her, neither did her target. Nothing changed, only one chubby man visiting in random hours. It was the day of the reunion, and she could take advantage of the confusion. She waited for nightfall. She didn't want to make a move yet, but she needed more information, so she stealthly made her way to the mysterious place. Looking around, she saw a couple of piled boxes, leading directly to the window, and smirked, climbing to look inside. Her biggest mistake, was not realizing she was in fact the hunted, not the hunted, or she would have found the neatly packed boxes suspicious. As it was, she yelped mentally, struggling to stay silent as the window opened and something shove her in the back, throwing her directly into the house. The window closed automaticly again, but it was the lest of her concerns as a big, black wolf, with huge green eyes was snarling at her.
clink *thud* clink *thud* clink *thud*
She knew immediately her target was here, though in the dark, she still couldn't see him. But she also realized it had always been a fake target.
"Be glad I put the matress there, it would have been a nasty fall. I honestly thought it would be more of a challenge." Someone snickered, and she gasped as she recognized the voice, though if he sounded like that, she had rubbed off on him more thank she tought. Of all the people... Then something clicked inside her mind, as the two pieces information came together... Hiccup...leg...
She rose to throw herself at him, to check on him, regardless of everything around them.
"Hiccup!"
The wolf, obviously, didn't find it amusing, jumping into her, knocking her back into the matress, now with three gashes on her left arm and with teared clothes, from where his front paws landed.
"Cami!?" The parting was mutual, but he always hoped she would come back to him. Thor knows he wouldn't be able to track her down. Not even the beautiful Hofferson made him forget her. How could he even compare a decade of kindness, partnership and understanding to a couple of years of guilt? Or whatever it was that made her start talking to him. He shook himself out of his thoughts, he needed to do something. Turning on the lights, making them both blink several times to adjust, he saw the claw marks, and left in a hurry, coming back a minute later with a medical kit in his hands. Directing Tothless to calm down, he slowly and very gently took care of her wounds. Just like their first time, they sat side by side, in confortable silence, only interrupted by some small hisses from her.
As he finished, he was about to get up again to return the kit to its place, when she latched onto him. He took only a moment to return the embrace tightly, as if they never had been apart in the first place.
She rested her head on his shoulder, and he whispered:
"I always stopped you from stealing from me... but there was one thing you stole I was powerless to stop..."
With a triumphant smirk, she showed him her hand... and his foot.
"I am ze Great Camicazi after all!"
With a nudge from him, she continued, still a smile on her face:
"You know, maybe you should join me... you're pretty good at stealing things too..."
"This day is oficially my favorite day of the year."
She hummed in agreement against his shoulder. Neither had really said it, but neither had needed to for the other to understand. The time for the real confessions could came later, right then, they just stood next to each other, making up for lost time...
A/N *Norwegian currency
**Figured this part with the cop/PI came down looking something like the serie "Psych" (which i also dont own), and i couldn't help put the reference, ignore if you dont know the series.
*** Earthquakes are actually quite uncommon in Norway, but who cares :)
