Chapter Twenty-Nine
Snotlout basked in the admiration of fans as he walked through the village. Some girls were even following him around, giggling and whispering. Hey, slaying the Red Death definitely had its perks. Of course he had been part of a team, and Hiccup had done most of the killing. But no one needed the details, right?
Still, a foreign, uncomfortable feeling wormed its way into his chest whenever he thought about his cousin, lying on a bed without his foot. Snotlout couldn't name that feeling, but it always made him feel kind of sad. Hiccup should just wake up quickly so that Snotlout could bask in his new status of village hero without being bothered by strange feelings.
Feelings. Odin, he was turning into a girl.
Word had traveled, had circulated for days, that his cousin would be alright. They even had a feast days ago to celebrate. But Snotlout hadn't really believed that –hey, healers had been known to be wrong sometimes, like the time when they had said Astrid's father wouldn't live; and the time they had announced that Bucket's head would be right as rain after his skull had been fractured in a raid.
Then he saw Astrid pulling Toothless out of the Haddock house for a walk.
There was no way Astrid would leave Hiccup even for a minute unless he really was getting better. Snotlout brightened. Hey, maybe now those weird feelings would go away.
'Hey, Astrid,' he waved to get her attention. 'How's Hiccup doing?' Strangely, he no longer felt jealous when he thought of Astrid with Hiccup. When had that happened?
She looked surprised that, for once in years, Snotlout was talking to her and he wasn't flirting.
'He's okay. He's still… sleeping. I'm taking Toothless here for a walk. He's been cooped up inside far too long,' she grimaced, 'And he needs a proper meal,'
'He hasn't eaten?' Snotlout looked at the dragon in surprise. His own Nightmare would sulk unless he was given two whole buckets of fish a day. Snotlout now had a new kind of respect for the Night Fury.
'Yes he had. A little. Not much, not a proper meal… not since the… battle,' Astrid said with a gulp, and looked a little sad. 'Anyway, I've got to go. It took me forever to convince Toothless to come out of the house, I don't want him to change his mind,'
'Okay… I'm just going to go… see… Hiccup,' Snotlout said. Huh. He actually hadn't been thinking about going to see Hiccup, but since he had said it, it didn't seem like a bad idea. Astrid shot him a suspicious glance. He held up both hands defensively. 'I'm not going to do anything. He's… um...'
He was his cousin, and a great hero; and Snotlout was actually sorry he had made his life miserable for the last seven years. Not that he was ever going to tell Hiccup about the 'sorry' part. He had a reputation to uphold.
'It's okay,' Astrid said with a half-smile, 'I'm sorry, I'm just tired. Go ahead,' She led Toothless away.
Snotlout met Stoick halfway up the hill. The chief had color back in his cheeks again, and was discussing something with Gobber with all his old enthusiasm and interest. 'Snotlout,' the chief boomed when he caught sight of him, and actually smiled, 'Do you need anything, son?'
'No, I'm fine. I'm… I'm just on my way to see Hiccup,' Snotlout found himself saying.
The chief beamed. It was evident even with the beard covering half his face. It was also strangely disturbing. He was Stoick. He had no business grinning like that.
'Go right along, son! Healers came by this morning, said Hiccup should wake up anytime now!' Stoick said happily. Ah. That would explain why the chief was so happy.
And so Snotlout found himself in the Haddock house, the very house that he had once dreamed of living in; facing the very person he had wanted to replace as chief.
His cousin did look better. There was color in his cheeks, his breathing was soft and even. Under the furs, the shape of his left foot was smaller, and strangely distorted. Gobber had fixed him a metal leg. Snotlout knew that Gobber was working on a new tailfin for Toothless too, according to the measurements and function detailed in Hiccup's notes.
His cousin's brain was really out of this world, but it no longer bothered Snotlout.
'You'd better get well soon,' he said, 'or I'm getting your girl and your dragon. I… I just want you to know that you didn't win the girl. I let you have her. There are other fish out there in the sea, after all. Hey, a couple of girls checked me out today. They're eighteen, you know? I should totally go for an older woman,'
He felt stupid. Why was he even telling Hiccup all this? And his cousin was asleep. Odin, Hiccup could make him feel stupid even when he was asleep.
'You'd better get up,' he said quietly. 'I changed my mind. I don't want to be chief after all. You're not getting out of it and sticking me with the stinking job. I'll be more than fine with being second-in-command,'
For he had seen and realized the true meaning of being chief. It wasn't just to order people around and have his own way. Being chief meant sharing his successes, and being solely responsible for the failures. It meant being first to charge the enemy, and retreating last in a losing battle. It meant protecting your people at all costs.
Somehow, he was sure Hiccup would make a fine chief. So what if his cousin couldn't throw a knife to save his life? He had Toothless now. And he had a brain that was out of this world. That was a formidable weapon indeed. He was also the bravest, most resourceful person Snotlout knew.
'You did good, cousin,' Snotlout told him, and for the first time in seven years, he laid his hand on Hiccup's shoulder without the intention of inflicting pain. 'We're all really proud. You should wake up soon and milk that for all it's worth,'
Then he left hurriedly, hoping no one saw his sappiness. By Thor, Hiccup should just wake up so everyone could go back to normal! He set off to find Tuffnut. A good fight would get rid of the sappiness and reassert his manliness.
His pep talk must have done wonders. That afternoon Hiccup woke up. The happy shouts of 'Look! It's Hiccup!' reached the skies, literally, for he was flying on Hookfang – his Nightmare- and heard.
'Hey guys!' Tuffnut shouted from one of the Zippleback's heads. 'Hiccup's up. Let's go,'
They circled back down and landed halfway up the hill. Snotlout sat back on his dragon and watched the scene. They were just close enough to hear every word being said. His cousin was limping out of the house, supported by Toothless on the left, Astrid on the right. He looked confused by all the attention, and stared in disbelief at the dragons that wandered around the village. He openly gaped at the sight of some of the grownups riding dragons.
As Old Man Hofferson hovered over him, grinning and waving wildly, 'Look son! I'm on a dragon! Beats having movable legs anytime,', Hiccup said dazedly, 'I knew it, I'm dead,'
Stoick snorted. 'No, but you gave it your best shot,'
People were crowding around, leaving their work aside, swarming up the hill. The Elder, the warriors, the kids; and a gaggle of twittering fangirls. The clapping and cheering must reach the skies; it was so loud. Everyone seemed to want talk to Hiccup, everyone wanted to pat him on the shoulder. There were beaming smiles, shouts of laughter, congratulatory speeches coming from everywhere. Hel, Stoick was beaming again. Mrs. Hofferson grabbed Hiccup into a hug, and he only just managed to stay on his feet because Astrid was still supporting him. The pink Terrible Terror that belonged to Gobber wanted to climb all over him.
Snotlout was glad his cousin was up, really glad; but right at that moment he was more interested in the fangirls. By Thor, Hiccup had fangirls. And he was married. Some of those girls had been trailing after Snotlout just that morning! This was so unfair.
Fishlegs fidgeted on the Gronkle. 'Should we go over there?'
'Nah. Looks like a really sappy scene, feels safer here,' said Tuffnut, sounding bored, but the huge grin on his face gave him away. He was evidently as happy as Snotlout that Hiccup had woken up.
Well, a reputation was a reputation. He had to maintain his image as the tough, heartless Viking he was.
'Yeah, I don't do sappy,' Snotlout said firmly. 'Let's just stay here. The view's good enough,'
'Afraid you'll bawl like a baby once you get too close?' Ruffnut smirked.
'Of course not!' both Snotlout and Tuffnut snapped at her.
'Turns out all we needed was little more of… this,' Stoick was telling his son.
'You just gestured to all of me,' Hiccup looked even more dazzled.
Astrid, who was still supporting him while glaring daggers at the chirping fangirls, now unwrapped Hiccup's arm from around her shoulders. 'Are you steady on your feet now?' she asked, distracting him from a talk with Gobber about his metal leg. Hiccup nodded. 'Good,' said Astrid, and punched him on the shoulder.
He yelped like a girl. Odin. Some things just didn't change. Snotlout snorted from his perch on Hookfang's neck.
'That's for scaring me,' Astrid told Hiccup sternly.
'Oh what… wait. Is it always going to be this way? Cause…' the rest of his words was drowned when Astrid grabbed him by the shirtfront and kissed him right on the mouth, in front of everyone. And Snotlout didn't even feel bad about it. Instead he joined in the laughing and clapping.
Hiccup had the most stupid, slack-jawed look on his face when Astrid released him. 'I could get used to it,' he said dazedly.
The fangirls pouted in anger and disappointment. Astrid flung them a victorious look.
'Odin, all the girls are fighting over Hiccup. We're losers, man,' Tuffnut pulled his Zippleback head closer and punched his shoulder, 'we really have to get ourselves a girlfriend. You too, Legs,'
To Snotlout's surprise, both Fishlegs and Ruffnut went red.
'I've no idea what you're talking about,' Fishlegs mumbled, not looking anyone in the eye.
On the hill, Gobber was presenting Hiccup with the newly manufactured tailfin, causing Toothless to jump around in excitement, knocking a few Vikings off their feet in the process. But Snotlout didn't care about that. His brain, not used to the exercise, was turning rustily.
Fishlegs went red at the mention of getting a girlfriend. Okay, that was fairly normal. It was Fishlegs.
But Ruffnut going red at the same time? Now that was strange. Ruffnut never blushed. And at the same time? That was just weird.
Unless…
Finally, his brain clicked. 'Hey, there's nothing going on between you two, right?' Snotlout said.
'No!' Ruffnut blushed scarlet.
'What… she said,' Fishlegs went from pink to crimson.
Tuffnut narrowed his eyes. 'Am I missing something here?'
'No, you're not missing anything, at all,' Ruffnut said in a low, dangerous voice. The look she threw Snotlout promised retribution.
'I've got to go. I have to feed Meatlug,' Fishlegs hurried away with his Gronkle.
'Oh no you don't! come back here!' Tuffnut urged his dragon head to go after Fishlegs, but Ruffnut urged hers to stay put. At stalemate, the twins turned to each other and lunged.
Snotlout sat back on Hookfang's neck and prepared himself to be highly entertained. The fighting twins attracted some attention, and Hiccup looked over in their direction. Snotlout waved cheerfully.
Hey, Hiccup was up, everything was normal again. No more strange, girly feelings. And he had found that maybe using his brain –sparingly, and only when the result would be entertaining - wasn't such a bad idea after all.
