HEEEELLLOOOO THEREEE BUDDIES

Here I am no I didn't leave, you won't get rid of me DAM!... I know sorry, I suck at staying away for long and never coming back. Don't have much skill on the last part XD

Ok so I took ANOTHER LONG WHILE I KNOW but that's because I'd been thinking (ouch...dangerous...) And got a different idea for this story, not that different but a big little.

So that's it! I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS ONE, IT HAS BASICALLY ASTRID'S THOUGHS BUT BELIEVE ME, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT ONLY DELAYS THE STORY BUT THERE ARE A FEW TOPICS HERE THAT WILL WORK OUT IN THE END XD

ENJOY AND PLEAAASEE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, BE HONEST, IT REALLY HELPS ME IMPROVE AND MOTIVATES. GIMME SOME IDEAS TOO!

READ ON!

Rtte

"And...And then I- HA! Wait wait, and then I turned at the yak an- and called him... GOBBER! BWAHAHAHHA!" Tuffnut exploded in laugh. "Get it? Because... Be- because GOBBER LOOKS LIKE A YAK!"

"Bro- you should really start working on new ones..." Ruffnut warned, since no one had actually laughed.

"And horror stories too..." Snotlout added, sounding bored as usual.

"What's wrong with yak-rats?" Tuffnut asked.

Snotlout swallowed an yelp. Why did he have to talk about those scar- stupid rats the size of yaks? Or were they... Yaks the size of rats...?

"They're probably getting old..." Fishlegs mumbled from the male twin's left side.

The gang was camping in for the night and a beautiful fireplace was lighten up in the middle of the circle of riders.

Tuffnut hadn't stoped telling jokes and ghost stories the whole night so, by the time being, the youths were already tired of it. He, however, seemed to be having a great time.

Fishlegs was reading a book as usual for him. Snotlout was leaning against Hookfang, arms behind his head in a relaxed pose.

Ruffnut seemed impatient.

Astrid, just like her other friends were with their own dragons, was leaning against Stormfly's head- who had fallen asleep just like all the other dragons.

Hiccup was right beside her since Toothless and Stormfly had fallen asleep almost head to head.

The blonde had taken a look at what he was drawing and by the looks of it, it was a Grey Remorse to upgrade the Book of Dragons with. Astrid shook her head and smiled. Always thinking about dragons.

Dragons.

Dragons...

Dragons?

Dragons!

She looked at the cavern now smaller because of the distance between their camp and the volcano that, even that far off, still looked giant, enOURMOUS, GIGANTICUS.

She swallowed, looking back at the fire. She was aware of a single pair of different coloured eyes watching them- Grumpy 2 didn't seem very restfull with the riders there but since Grumpy apparently deemed them clear of harm and Hiccup did that magical hand thing of his- it reassured her that the creature wasn't going to have a freak out and attack them any time soon.

She let her senses rest for the first time since they'd arrived at the new island. However, she still couldn't forget it. She couldn't forget what that kind of dragons had made them all go through. What they'd made Hiccup go through.

Astrid was by now, unaware of her friends' flowing chat and yet aware of them speaking somewhere around her. Blaim tiredness, or perhaps not enough effort to block those thoughs but the blonde found herself in a rain of recent memories.

Recent but not that pleasant.

It had to be those specific ones. It had to be that crucial, fatal -mind her- moment. The moment that started this all. She screaming his name so he didn't do It. And yet he did, he took what was supposed to be her faith. It had to be his face, his slack yet painfilled features. It had to be his green irises laying in her arms, fighting to stay open as usual until his last strenght. It had to be his groans, his heartstabbing screams.

Oh gods, she could hear them so well. So well it almost felt real. And she had to remind herself it wasn't but had been.

Like that helped at all. Geez, thanks a lot brain.

As if that helped her forget when she found him, Toothless in such fright. When she'd held him close, calling out to him. When he moaned her name, Toothless'. When he'd tried to fight it off. When suddenly her world collapsed, when the ground suddenly vanished into thin air right below her. Right below her feet.

When the Red Death came to haunt his thoughts as if his leg wasn't enough to haunt them all. When Fishlegs told them there was- even if small and not much of a thing- a cure. And for what? Viggo, who still needed to and was going to have what he deserved- Viggo to whom she would show no mercy- push the ground from below them all over again. That chain- and when she left him completly defenseless and hurting on that stupid, now gone island.

When she'd been deprived of him for a week, when the sharp and dark claws of death had made of the Edge a darkness ruled place.

When she realised how much he really meant to her- when, for the first time she assumed it.

When ASTRID FRIKING HOFFERSON THE FEARLESS- WHO HAD SWORN NEVER TO FALL FOR SOMETHING AS FUTILE, AS TRIFLING AS LOVE- FINNALY ACCEPTED HER FEELINGS.

Something she tried forgetting before was now so- even if slightly strange? and usettling?- good and comforting. Now she prefered to remind that feeling that fishbone gave her, because that was what she was also fighting for now.

But then again, hadn't she before?

And she would personally make sure something like the Grey Remorse incident never happened again.

Because just like the Red Death apparently still haunted Hiccup, that incident still haunted her and would ever so surely haunt her for the rest of-

"HAHAHAHA OKAY NOW THAT WAS GREAT I HAVE TO ADMIT IT MY GIRL LOOKING FRIEND!" Snotlout laughed and shouted literally tackling Tuffnut to the ground in his happiness.

"NOW WHO HAS TO RETHINK HIS JOKES HUM HUM?!" The male twin celebrated.

"WHO CARES?!" Ruffnut shouted, launching herself at her brother and Snotlout, managing to start a huge mess of limbs between the three, fighting/playing youths.

"OH THOR STOP IT YOU" Fishlegs blurt out, getting up from his place to help untangle his friends and stop the fight. That so didn't happen but it also made him get stuck between the three Vikings.

Astrid smiled mentally to herself. Her friends were happy and that-

"OUCH THAT WAS MY ARM! MEATLUG HELLPP! IT HURTS!"

"REALLY? DO IT TO ME TO COME ON!"

-yes, they were happy and that comforted her. Perhaps they were less worried than she was about Hiccup. Maybe they didn't carrie such a weight on their shoulders like she did although she knew all the Riders worried. Maybe they could finally relax (because she certainly couldn't, at least not that soon) after-

She was interrupted when Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs suddenly stopped still, each in a weirder position than the other. Their eyes were wide.

First Astrid wondered what was wrong but then she too realised. Hiccup's head had lolled to his side, landing on Astrid's shoulder after sliding from against Toothless.

"Hiccup?" She asked. Her eyes also widening as she looked to her side.

"Is something wrong?" Snotlout asked from somewhere under Tuffnut's...leg.

"Is H okay?" Ruffnut asked too, her grip on Fishleg's arm decreasing.

Or maybe they still worried just as much as her.

Hiccup's chest rose and fell in a constant rythm and he subconsciously snuggled even more against Astrid's shoulder...

...pads. Spiky, metal shoulder pads.

Ouch...

She gently pulled him close, so that his head rested somewhere in the crook of her neck. "Yeah. He's just sleeping." She smiled. Poor thing, was still exhausted and yet never stopped. She knew they should've stayed back on the Edge so that he could rest. The infection drained a lot of energy from his body and wanting or not Hiccup was still a... well, hiccup.

"Oh. Well, we should probably do the same." Fishlegs stated, yanking his leg from under Snotlout. Soon the play was over and the Riders cuddled with their dragons to rest for the night.

"We better go back to the Edge tomorrow. That guy's TOTALLY FREACKING ME OUT" Snotlout complained, menyioning Grumpy 2.

"Agreed. Night." Fishlegs mumbled, cuddling with Meatlug.

The others mumbled back and the twins could be heard knocking their heads together before finally, covering their eyes with their helmets and drifting off to sleep.

Astrid stared at the fire for a little longer, the silence of the night now filling her ears instead of her friends' lively chattering.

She gently laid Hiccup under Toothless' wing and the sleeping dragon instintively shielded the boy. Astrid then caressed the Haddock's cheek when she felt a pair of menacing eyes over them.

And of course that she looked back at Grumpy 2 with the same (if not even more) menacing eyes.

They wouldn't ever again touch her Hiccup. No one. And those two were no exception.

"You're warned Remorse." She mumbled, glaring daggers. Her glare softened when she placed a kiss on Hiccup's temple before looking back at the dragon. "You're both warned."

The blonde crawled back to lay against Stormfly and the dragon squaled when her rider covered herself with the Nadder's wing.

"You still awake girl?" Astrid asked to what Stormfly agreed, adjusting her position and purring against Astrid's touch.

And as the last of the riders fell asleep, the glowing pair of eyes inside the cavern shone even more. But besides mistrust it had a glow of confusion.

Why had that human touched the other with its lips? Why was it being so protective?

What was that feeling the female seemed to show?

And...why did it feel so familiar?

RTTE

THAT WAS IT. Going to work on the next one now but please understand that my schedule is rl busy with daaammm exams gah

HOPE YOU LIKED IT! DONT BE AFRAID TO REVIEW BUDIES, I WANNA KNOW YOUR THOUGHS, YOU MATTER A LOTTT BAIIII XD