Camping trip continued...
They had arrived.
The campsite was under the shade of several large trees, next to the crystal clear waters of a cold, mountain stream. The remains of an old fire still existed in the centre, with large logs and rocks laid out for seating. The rope tied to a large tree branch overhanging the stream showed this was a popular spot.
The stream was flowing, but slowly enough that it wasn't a danger to most swimmers. The area under the rope was deep enough for jumping, but further out there were some large rocks protruding from the water. Just perfect for laying out and soaking up some sunshine.
"Yeah!" yelled Snotlout. "Last one in is a loser!" He raced towards the river, stripping off his backpack and his clothing as he ran, items strewn along the ground.
"Eww! Gross!" said Fishlegs, disgusted. "Can you at least put your boardies on?" he asked, as Snotlout stripped to his jocks.
"Nope!" cheered Snot, cannonballing into the river, water splashing all over Ruff who hadn't been quick enough to get out of the way. Toothless was in the river only seconds behind Snot, and Ruff jumped backwards to avoid a second soaking.
"Oh, come on! Gimme a break!" she said to no one in particular. Snotlout surfaced and shook the water from his hair, but Ruff had moved by then.
Tuff was next, taking a bit longer to strip off and pile his clothes on a log. He already had his boardies on under his jeans, which Fish was grateful for.
"Yeah baby!" he grabbed the rope and swung out over Snotlout before releasing it. "Coming in hot!" he shouted before being swallowed up by the frigid water. He quickly resurfaced, "Wow! That's c..c..cold!" he yelped.
Astrid and Hiccup laughed at him. They had placed their bags further away from the creek, well away from any splashing water, and were happy just to watch the show for the moment. The familiar ease they had with each other had returned, and they were enjoying each other's company.
Toothless paddled over to Tuff. "Come on Toothless!" he called, "Come save me!" But Toothless just kept floating past him. "Huh, where's the love?"
Ruff had her bikini on under her clothes, and had stopped to pull on a pair of shorts. She laid her clothes next to her brother's, before heading for the edge of the stream. She started to walk in slowly so she could take her time and get used to the cold, but Snotlout had other ideas. He floated on his back and gave a big splashy kick with his feet towards her.
"Ooh! That's freezing! You are so dead meat, Snottie," she threatened as the cold water caused goose bumps to spring up all over her skin.
"Only if you can catch me," Snotlout taunted, turning to swim out towards Tuff.
Ruff dived in under the water. Because the water was so clear she could be easily seen, but Snot was facing the other way and hadn't noticed her. She swam behind him and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him under. He went down with a loud yelp and a splash. Ruff quickly separated herself from him, and came up for air further away, laughing. "That'll teach you!" she called out to a spluttering Snotlout.
"Oh, it's on! Say your prayers, 'cause I'm comin' for you," shouted Snot. He started swimming for Ruff, who shrieked and swam towards the shoreline. Luckily she was the faster swimmer and clambered out before Snotlout could reach her, racing through the trees. Snot tried to follow, but soon got winded and gave up, bent over double from the effort. Ruff's laughter could be heard further away as she danced around in front of him, just out of reach.
When he got some breath back Snotlout called out to Tuff, "Control your sister, man!" Tuff was just happy to float along the surface. "Nup! She's outa control."
Snotlout soon jumped back into the river to continue his swim.
Fishlegs, in the meantime, had pulled a small pop-up change tent from his bag, and had gone inside to change into his boardies and swim shirt. He was a big man, and not comfortable stripping in front of everyone else. He reached the water's edge at the same time as Snotlout dived in, receiving a splashing for his trouble. He complained, but Snot only laughed and splashed him some more.
Ruff didn't stay out for long. When she thought it was safe enough, she grabbed the rope and swung out towards her brother, yelling as she went.
Hiccup and Astrid had moved closer to the river, where Hiccup was throwing sticks into the water for Toothless to chase. He was having a great time swimming through the water, his long black fur floating out in waves beside him. Every time he caught a stick and scrambled up to shore with it, Hiccup would throw another one and the wolf would jump straight back in to chase it.
Hiccup turned to Astrid, "You going in?" he asked. "Soon," she replied. But in that moment of distraction, Toothless had arrived with the last stick. Because there was no more sticks to chase, he decided to shake the cold water from his shaggy coat….all over Hiccup and Astrid!
"Ahh! You useless canine!" Hiccup yelled, water dripping from his hair and his clothes. Astrid was soaked too, but she just laughed. "Nice shot, Toothless!"
Toothless just cocked his head to one side as if to say, 'Well come on! Where's my stick?'
"Well," said Astrid with a grin. "I guess we're going in now!"
Hiccup smiled his lop-sided grin straight at her, and Astrid's heart skipped a beat. She wondered if she'd ever noticed how attractive that smile was before, especially now with his hair all damp and shaggy.
Hiccup caught her staring at him, and lifted one eyebrow at her. "Something on my face?" he queried.
She gave herself a mental shake, and teased, "Only half the river! Time to get properly wet, Haddock!" as she stripped off to her bikini, and pulled a pair of shorts out of her bag.
He sat down on the log behind her to remove his shirt and jeans and watched as Astrid stripped, admiring her curves. She was really beautiful, and his heart swelled a little with the love he had for her. He didn't realise that he had paused in his work until she asked, "Need help there?"
He chuckled, "Nah! I'm good!" He was wearing boardies under his jeans like Tuff, and had to sit down to remove his prosthetic. A lump of metal on the end of your leg was not the best floatation device, and he could still swim well enough without it.
Astrid had waited by the river bank for him, but Tuff and Snotlout had other plans for Hiccup. They climbed out of the creek, water cascading down their bodies as they headed towards Hiccup. He glanced up in time to see the glint in their eyes, "Guys?"
They grabbed one end each and carried him towards the river while he complained loudly, before tossing him unceremoniously into the water. He landed with a tremendous splash, totally soaking Astrid and Fishlegs, who were standing in the shallows.
He came up spitting and spluttering, his hair plastered to his head, while Astrid shrieked, "Cold!" and Fishlegs complained, walking further down the bank. The two boys wasted no time and dived into the water again, Tuff by way of the swing rope. So when Hiccup rose to the top, there was only one person left in his sights. Astrid.
He wickedly narrowed his eyes at her, and she watched him cautiously. He waved his hand at her, "Time to get in here, Astrid."
"It's cold," she complained.
"Jump in quick. Otherwise I'll send Tuff and Snotlout to throw you in, too."
"You wouldn't dare!" she protested.
"Try me!" he challenged, tweaking one eyebrow up, his voice low.
Astrid grumbled but didn't want to miss out on the fun, and really did not want to be thrown in, so she dived in headfirst. She swam under the water, surfacing in front of Hiccup. She had to wipe the hair out of her eyes so hadn't realised how close she was to Hiccup. She gasped at the sudden chill. He smirked at her, "Glad you could join me. How's the water?"
She splashed him with her hands and turned to swim away, but he was quicker. He grabbed her legs and pulled her closer to him. She struggled and kicked, so he shifted his grip and held her firmly by her waist instead. Astrid found herself with her back to his chest, skin on skin, his warmth radiating down her cold body. She gasped and shivered, but it had nothing to do with the water. Being so close to him had sent bolts of electricity shooting down her spine, and she was taken by surprise.
Hiccup had pulled her up against him by instinct, but it felt so right to have her in his arms. He felt her shiver, which triggered off a reaction of his own. He knew it wasn't from the cold. Her response to his touch made him feel elated. She wasn't insensitive to him. He wanted to pull her in tighter till she melted into his arms, but instead he let her go.
She turned to face him, silent and wide eyed as she paddled to keep herself upright. He just lowered himself in the water till his lips were being teased by the cool ripples and gave her a dark predatory gaze. She understood that he had felt the reaction between them too, and he welcomed it. Astrid felt a little confused. Why would she feel like that? All she really knew was that it felt good and she wanted more. Which just confused her further.
He gave a low, throaty chuckle at her discomfit and that snapped her into action. She gave him a wicked half smile and splashed him full in the face. "Hey!" he spluttered. Astrid laughed and splashed him again before swimming away. This time he wasn't quick enough to grab her. He struck out after her, determined to catch up, but he was interrupted by Toothless swimming past, and he had to pull up. He splashed the wolf instead, who chomped at the droplets and swam around him. Hiccup laughed at his friend enjoying himself.
Astrid climbed out and joined Ruff on the bank where they had ganged up on Fishlegs, trying to convince him to swing on the rope. They were threatening to push him in if he didn't jump. Snot and Tuff were laughing at their efforts, as Fish was a big man and the two girls combined would still not be enough to move him. But when the two men offered to help, Fish gave in and went for the rope.
He grabbed the rope but hesitated. With all the gang egging him on, he drew on his resolve and pulled back before lifting his feet and allowing it to carry him over the water. He gave a girly shriek as the others called out, "Let go of the rope!" He swung backwards and forwards a couple of times before finally releasing it. He belly flopped right next to Snotlout and Tuff who were immediately submerged under a tidal wave.
They came up for air, laughing like lunatics with the girls on the bank cheering Fishlegs on. Ruff decided it was her turn, so she grabbed the rope and pulled back. She launched across the water and tucked herself into a perfect cannonball, hitting the water beside Snot who went under again. When she surfaced, he was ready for her and he dunked her back under. She came up yelling, and Snot couldn't get away quick enough!
Astrid was next, having waited for her turn. Hiccup had already floated towards the middle of the stream and climbed up on one of the rocks to warm up in the sun. He leaned back on his elbows and watched through lidded eyes as the sun glistened off the water droplets on Astrid's skin, her blonde braid plastered down her back. He noticed with an appreciative eye her athletic body and the ease with which she moved.
Astrid yelled, "Coming through!" before launching herself into the stream and splashing Fishlegs.
"Astrid!" the big man complained, shivering. "Sorry Fish!" she laughed back, not really sorry at all.
Turning in the other direction, she noticed Hiccup relaxing on the rock and swam over to him, pulling herself up onto the warm surface beside him.
"Nice dive," he commended, squinting up at her.
"Thanks, can't say the same for you though," she teased, as she squeezed the water out of her hair all over him.
"Hey! I was just getting warm!" he protested, jolting into an upright position and hastily wiping the cold water off his torso.
She just laughed before flopping down next to him, resting her arms on her knees. The cool breeze drifted over her wet skin and she shivered a little. Hiccup smiled at her, "Little cold there, are you?"
She glanced over at him with a wry grin, "How could you tell? Was it the goose bumps on my goose bumps which gave it away?"
"Nah! The blue lips and the shivering did it for me," he teased. He edged behind her a little, his arms outstretched behind him to hold him up, to block off the breeze. He was close enough that Astrid could feel the warmth radiating from him. A blush moved up her neck, as her own body heated up in response.
"Better?" he asked in a low husky voice, surprisingly close to her ear.
Astrid didn't trust her own voice, so she nodded curtly. She felt like her skin had become suddenly charged with electricity as her body tensed, and she became hyper aware of his body so close to hers.
She wondered at this new development. She had always enjoyed being close to him, he made her feel safe. But this was different, her body seemed to be screaming out for his touch, demanding an intimacy they'd never shared before. It shocked her to realise that it was taking all her willpower not to lean back into his chest, and pull his arm around her.
They had been best friends for years, and always enjoyed each other's company. But things were changing. She found herself thinking about him more often, distracted by him. She had started to notice how handsome he was, and how attentive he was to her, always considerate. When others teasingly suggested a romantic connection between them, she had always dismissed the notion, but the idea continued to linger in her mind. She wondered if he felt the same.
Astrid thought back to earlier on when they were in the water. They had physically connected and both had a reaction to it. And both of them knew it. So he was feeling something too. Was he falling in love with her? He certainly wasn't pulling away from her. She felt a thrill go through her. What would it be like to be loved by Hiccup? The idea was exciting and she couldn't suppress a shiver. He noticed and drew a little closer to her, thinking she was still cold. Astrid leaned back slightly, unable to resist any longer. They were barely touching, she could feel the hairs on his forearm brushing against the super-sensitive skin on her back. Her tummy did multiple flip flops at the barest of touches. She didn't know how long she could handle the electricity passing between them. She was surprised that blue sparks weren't coming off them right now.
Hiccup had noticed how quiet Astrid was, and how deep in thought she was. She seemed almost rigid beside him but she wasn't pulling away. He wondered what she was thinking. She shivered and he leaned closer to warm her up. He noticed she seemed to lean back into him a little more at that. Maybe she was affected by him as he was by her? He decided to test her. He moved to sit forward, and as he did, he brushed his hand very lightly along her back. He was just as surprised as Astrid when she violently shivered at his touch. Yup! That was a positive!
Her next reaction was almost immediate. She shoved him sideways. Hard. "Hey!" He rolled himself back into a sitting position and grinned at her. "Still a bit cold there, huh?" he teased.
She refused to look at him, blushing furiously. "Something like that," she mumbled. They sat up next to each other on the rock, side by side. She resolutely kept her face turned away from him, and he was grinning like the cat that caught the mouse. A splash and some yelling distracted them, and they looked up to see Snotlout dive bombing Fishlegs. They laughed at their friends antics, finally breaking the spell that was over both of them.
Astrid peeked up at Hiccup and smiled shyly at him. He returned her grin. They didn't want to sully whatever it was that had happened between them with words, but they knew they had both liked it.
They started chatting quietly to each other, sitting closer together, watching their friends splash around them in the water. Toothless had long ago given up swimming and was snoozing on the bank, his head resting on his front paws. The afternoon was moving on, and it was almost time to set up camp for the night.
Hiccup had a sudden thought, and he turned towards Astrid. "Astrid, why don't you learn to fly a plane with me?" he asked. She paused and regarded him thoughtfully. "At least come up and have a couple of lessons with me first. And then decide if you want to keep learning or not," he begged. She smiled softly at him. He was almost childlike in his desire to have her share in his passion. How could she refuse him? She wasn't totally sure she was committed to the idea, but it was never going to hurt to have a few lessons first, right?
"Sure, why not?" she smiled brightly at him. He clenched his fist and pumped his elbow back towards himself, "Yesss!" he celebrated. Astrid laughed, glad to be the reason for his happiness. "You won't regret it, I promise!"
Astrid stood up on the rock, and growled down at him, "I hope not, or you'll never hear the end of it!"
He was too excited to do anything but laugh, "I have no doubt about that!"
"Come on, Hiccup! Time to get ready for some food." She dived into the water and splashed him with the cold water.
"Hey!" he protested. She popped up out of the water, pushing her hair out of her face. "Oh stop complaining you big baby!" she teased. "You have to get back in here anyway."
He pretended to pout, then leaned back on his elbows. "I might wanna stay here for the night. Nice and warm and dry."
Astrid splashed him again, soaking him with freezing water. "Woah! That's it! You've done it now!"
She just laughed and swam towards the bank. Hiccup stood up and balanced on his one good leg, before diving in after her, but he could not catch her before she reached the bank on the other side.
Pulling herself out of the water, she waited for him so she could offer him her shoulder to get back to his dry clothes and his prosthetic. He grinned, happy to take advantage of the moment. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, making sure to pull her in closer than usual, while she wrapped her arm around his waist. She smiled shyly back up at him, knowing what he was doing, but not wanting to complain.
She helped him over to the log where his clothes were and went to grab his backpack for him as he sat down. He pulled out his towel and dried off first, before putting his leg back on. She left him to it, while she took out some clean clothes and a towel from her own bag. She went to use Fishleg's pop up change room to strip off her wet togs and into some dry clothes. When she emerged, she found Hiccup sitting on a log close by, waiting for his turn to change. "All yours."
He smiled that crooked smile that sent her heart fluttering, and hopped up to take her place. "Thanks!"
They had been the first to come out of the river, apart from Toothless, and the others now followed their lead. All except Tuff who was determined to stay in. Ruff was yelling at him, "Tuff! Your lips are turning blue! Get out before you freeze!"
He yelled back, floating in the river, "Cool! Just call me Smurf man!"
Fishlegs joined in, "You'll turn into a block of ice, Tuff. Please come out!"
Snot called to the other two, "Leave him! There'll be more food for us if he stays in there. Maybe he'll float downstream?"
That did it. Tuff didn't want to miss out on his food, and he didn't want to wash away either. He headed back to the bank, muttering and complaining about people taking his food. He made sure he shook the water from his hair all over Snot, who was in the process of towelling himself dry.
Hiccup and Astrid kept out of the road of all the yelling and flying cold water. It took a little bit of co-ordination, but they soon had Tuff focussed on one of his favourite activities, lighting a camp fire. It was too big for a camp fire, but the temperature had dropped quite a bit as soon as the sun went down so no one was going to complain.
The group settled around the blazing fire, eating camp food and telling stories, laughing at each other, having a wonderful time. Astrid and Hiccup sat next to each other, closer than usual. Fishlegs noticed and gave Hiccup a small thumbs up. Hiccup just grinned at him, before glancing back at Astrid as she laughed at something Tuff had said. He watched as the firelight danced off the shadows on her face in a tantalising way. Her blue eyes turned back in his direction and he felt a lump rise in his throat as he gave her a small smile. 'She's beautiful', he thought to himself, as he held her gaze in wonderment.
Ruff noticed them staring at each other, and elbowed her brother before motioning towards the pair. He sniggered and opened his mouth to say something but Fish frowned at him and shook his head. 'Leave them alone' he plainly indicated.
The moment was interrupted by Snotlout, who had been oblivious as usual, to all the subtle signals.
"Hey Astrid, you can lay out your swag by mine tonight. I'll protect you with these," he pumped up his biceps and kissed them. Astrid just gagged while Hiccup glowered at him. Fishlegs frowned at Snotlout's insensitivity while Ruff yelled at him, "You dunce! Astrid doesn't need you to protect her!"
Toothless took that moment to rise up from his position in front of the pair, and growled at Snotlout.
"Okay! Okay! I see Toothless is on the job," he put his hands up in surrender, "but you know Astrid, if you need help, Snotlout's your man." His vanity and ignorance was beyond belief. Astrid giggled at him, "Thanks Snotlout, but I'm good." She snuck a quick glance towards the man sitting beside her. She was already well protected and she couldn't be happier.
She could see Hiccup was still fuming at Snotlout. She gave him a quick nudge to distract him. "Don't worry about it," she whispered to him. He gave her a quick half grin and dropped his head, turning his attention to his shaggy friend sitting in front of him. He reached out to give Toothless a pat, as a thank you for protecting Astrid. The wolf licked him back.
Astrid picked up her rubbish and Hiccup's and threw it into the fire. It wasn't wise to leave any rubbish lying around, and Tuff's fire was large enough to consume any scraps they had.
A cool breeze blew across the group and Astrid gave a small shiver. The night was cooling rapidly and they were all grateful for the warmth of the fire. Hiccup got up and walked over to his bag. He pulled out his jacket and brought it back to drop it over Astrid's shoulders. He sat back down beside her. "Warm enough, now?" he asked. "You didn't have to do that," she told him quietly, smiling gently at his thoughtfulness. "But yes, thank you. That's nice."
She could smell his pleasantly musky scent on the jacket, and breathed it in. She loved it, and curled the jacket around her shoulders. It was almost like wrapping Hiccup himself around her.
The group had settled into a comfortable silence, listening to the crackling of the fire as Tuff fed it more dry wood. Fishlegs broke the quiet, "This is nice, you know? Being together up here? I'm glad we came."
Everyone went back to their thoughts. Growing up meant gaining responsibilities, and this prevented them from getting together as often as they used to. They hoped they had a few more years together first before they were forever pulled apart by whatever life had in store for them.
Ruff's voice broke out, "Let's make a pact. No matter where we go, we will always come back here at least once a year. You know, to remember times like this."
It was a very sobering thought that they might have to separate. But they all nodded their agreement. A pact, no matter what, to always return here.
Tuff gave a huge noisy yawn, his jaw almost unhinging. Hiccup laughed, "I guess that means it's time to hit the swags! Come on, Tuff. Time for bed. Tomorrow is another day."
There were no complaints from anyone about that. It had been a long energetic day and they were tired. They rolled into their swags, calling out 'Night!' to each other. Hiccup made sure that Astrid's swag was close enough to the fire for heat, but far enough away to be safe, the way he always did. She smiled to herself. She loved how he always looked out for her, despite the fact she was quite capable of looking after herself.
She snuggled into her swag, facing towards Hiccup. She stared wonderingly at him before her heavy eyelids refused to stay open any longer and they fell slowly over her blue eyes, a hint of a smile still on her face, under the protective gaze of his deep green orbs.
"Goodnight, Astrid. Sweet dreams," he whispered.
Ah! The magic of the orbs...Had to put that in there. Sounded silly otherwise! Watcha think? Like the camping trip?