Hiccups

by KatieMarie999

Growing Up Haddock Story 8: Life has many ups and downs. What we would like to call hiccups. Hiccups are annoying, complicated. You can't always make them go away. Sometimes it takes time and patience. They can even be painful. But as the Haddocks find out, hiccups are a natural occurrence in life. It's how you deal with them that is the key.

37. Frostbite

Hi friends!

It's been a month to the very day since I moved out and got my apartment. How insane is that? It's going very well and it's been a blast so far. Next week I'll be going with my family to get my brother and sister from their respective colleges so you probably won't hear from me for a bit.

This chapter is another whopper: you're welcome! It would have been a little bigger but I agreed with Katie that the other scene I had in mind for this chapter is more fitting for the next. Therefore, the update is coming tonight instead of the weekend!

Let us know what you think in the reviews! I look forward to reading them, as always. Thank you all for your endless support and feel free to join Discord GUH Server where we discuss the stories! Hope you all are having a fantastic day :) Enjoy!

~Em

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Chapter 37: Frostbite

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Cliff always wanted to be a prince.

Not the suit in shining armor kind of prince who saves the princess from the tower guarded by a dragon (duh, why didn't she just fly away on the dragon?), but the chiefly kind that had the house on the top of the hill and whose parents were literally gods who blessed him with proud smiles. He was not worthy to kiss the dirt beneath their feet!

Or something. He didn't know for sure but he liked to imagine that's what Finn thought. Or he should think that anyway. Honestly the view from the Haddock house to the village was spectacular with wild forestry at his back, the open skies above, and wide blue ocean ahead. The Mr and Mrs. Haddock were kind and thoughtful as always so he assumed Finn had to literally bless the very ground his parents walked on on a regular basis.

Astrid nearly choked on her toast when he voiced these thoughts aloud.

Hiccup himself was hiding a grin while he tinkered with his prosthetic. "I think the only ground Finn worships is the place he's standing on."

"Well this must be rectified post haste. The ungrateful little imp." Cliff replied, cutting the crust off his own toast before cramming a piece of bacon in his mouth. Mhm, the Haddocks ate like kings, because that's what they were. Kings and queens. Gods, the very fact he had the opportunity, no, the blessing to live in their presence, under their very roof-

"Hiccup, he's going starry-eyed again."

"I just," Cliff mimicked a sniff and waved at his eyes, pretending to be weepy. "I can't help but feel so blessed to be in this moment with you guys." He reached over and took Astrid's hand. She promptly slapped his wrist with her toast, spattering him with melted butter, jelly and crumbs. "Ah!"

Hiccup chuckled and strapped his prosthetic back on, pacing the room to get the feel of it. Cliff didn't much understand the engineering behind the fake leg but if the Chief's pinched brow was any indication, something didn't seem right.

"Is it off-balance?" Astrid asked.

"No," Hiccup said, pushing his weight onto his left side and twisting. He wobbled momentarily and grabbed the nearest chair. "I think some of the gears and screws are worn down so no amount of tightening is going to fix it. I'll have to make new parts."

"Well luckily you were already planning-"

"Shh!" Hiccup waved his hands and she instantly closed her mouth.

Cliff's interest piqued. "What were you planning?"

The Chief tapped his nose with a knowing smile and hobbled to the door. "I'll be in the barn if anyone needs me."

"Right-o Chief-o," Cliff chirped, furiously brushing crumbs off his shirt. "Fear not, Mama Astrid, I shall sweep!"

"Good, thank you," Astrid said, standing to clear the table.

"Ah ah!" It was Cliff's turn to slap her wrist down before he snatched her plate and placed it on top of his. "I've got kitchen duty, off you get to do whatever it is you do at this hour."

Astrid shook her head in amusement as he charged into the kitchen to clean up. He'd done his very best to clean up after himself while living at the Haddocks. Eventually he'd have to figure out where he'd be living next, especially once Finn came home. While he truly looked forward to it (how awesome would it be to literally live with his other bestest bruh?!), he didn't plan to stay here forever. But while he was here, he certainly didn't plan to be a slob.

Not that they were neat freaks. The Brands, now they were neat freaks. Taryn's mom dusted when there was no dust. At least let it collect with all its friends before breaking up the party! The Haddocks had many random things in many random places; slightly cluttered, lived in. Weapons, notebooks, mementos from their travels and things the twins made when they were little. Even a few pieces of pottery, which he'd discovered upon his first night here that Benen had made and gifted the Haddocks for Snoggletog.

He was pretty sure Hiccup and Astrid had been a touch nervous for him to come stay with them. They only had their two kids after all; Finn and Adrianna hadn't had many sleepovers with friends growing up. It made sense for them to be a little nervous at this little arrangement. And despite popular opinion (aka Erick's popular opinion), he could in fact control himself.

For example, he did not barge into anyone's bedrooms at any particular given moment because he had no self-control. He most certainly did not plan to do such a thing to the Chief and his wife.

Erick was just bitter that Cliff had unceremoniously barged in once without knocking. Sure it had been awkward but it wasn't Cliff's fault that he hadn't been home minutes prior to know that Erick had just returned from the washroom. Thank the gods Erick still had a towel around his waist at the time so it could have been a much more embarrassing situation, but his bestest bruh could be just as demure as Taryn sometimes. It was like the sky was suddenly crashing in. It had been an honest accident, in no way intentional. Of course Erick didn't believe him. Thus, he'd never let Cliff live it down.

Cleaning up the kitchen and putting up the dishes to dry had taken little time, Astrid having slipped out by the time he finished. He hopped up the steps to Adrianna's old room, which he'd been staying in to fetch his coat and gloves. He had perhaps another twenty minutes before he was to meet Taryn at the hatchery.

Shoving his gray wool hat over his bush of curls, he briefly wondered how everything was going on Hjart. When Hiccup had returned to Berk a few days ago, he'd regaled them with all the tales of training the Hjartans. Gods, the Hjartans sounded awesome; he couldn't wait to meet them, especially this Genevieve Hiccup had spoken of so fondly. He couldn't put his finger on it but the way Hiccup talked about her with a slightly mischievous look in his eye made Cliff wonder what ideas he was concocting.

Cliff knew to stay away from the Chief when he was concocting ideas.

The Shockjaw though. When he'd told them about the Shockjaw and how it had almost impaled Finn, Astrid had promptly punched her husband on the shoulder so hard Cliff had heard the impact of bone on bone, demanding to know why she hadn't been told. Of course it was due to the simple fact that Finn wasn't that hurt and he didn't like being smothered and Hiccup didn't want to embarrass him.

Cliff had never known Astrid to be the smothering type but it was true. He could see in her eyes and in her silence that she missed her son. Cliff tried to keep away the quiet by being chatty and active but he'd learned quickly that Cliff noise was not the same as Finn noise. It only made her miss him more.

Two more weeks and he'd be back for Snoggletog. Two more weeks without Finn. It was definitely strange not having him, Helga and Thorein around, each of whom were the life of the party, the popular cool kids, the daredevils of the group.

But at least Erick was back, he reminded himself as he donned his boots and coat, shoving his fingers into fur-lined gloves. Adrianna was naturally getting frustrated being cooped up inside the house at all hours of the day so Cliff made a point to pop in and say hi a few times a day. She appreciated it, especially when he brought her sticky buns.

He thought about her pregnancy as he walked back down the stairs and left the Haddock house, briefly waving to the Haddocks as he hopped atop Edna Louise Sacramento the Third, his Gronckle and they took off to the hatchery to meet Taryn. The last few times he'd seen Adrianna he'd noticed something different about her, like she was pregnant and didn't feel "fat or ugly or uncomfortable" (all her terms, not his).

She'd been glowing, he realized with a smile as the hatchery came into view. Perhaps the sickness had finally been wearing off and she felt good and happy and excited to be pregnant. It was almost Snoggletog after all and she was due in late February. Gods, she'd be having a baby in two months! No wonder he'd sometimes catch Erick staring off into space with a momentarily stunned and terrified expression before it would disappear with a blink.

They could do this. People had done this since the beginning of time. They'd have help and day by day, little by little, they'd make it just fine.

The force of Edna's wings blew a torrent of snowflakes around the street as they landed and he slid down, patting his dragon on the side. "Thanks Edna, I'll be back in a little bit."

A certain auburn-haired girl wrapped in a thick red scarf trotted toward him from the hatchery door and he beamed. "Hey!"

"Good morning, beaut-" Cliff's comment was cut off when she reached him, pulling him down by the collar to kiss him. His mind instantly turned to jelly but he recovered quickly, pressing a hand to her lower back. How terribly convenient that it was so cold and windy that he had the opportunity to pull her in and keep her warm? She pulled away and he almost frowned. A bit breathlessly, he said, "Kissing in the cold is a great way to get chapped lips."

Taryn laughed and pushed him away, walking toward the door but throwing a cheeky grin over her shoulder. "No one wants chapped lips."

"If it happens as a result of you kissing me, I'll gladly endure it."

"So naughty all of a sudden," Taryn teased, taking his hand and pulling him inside. The scent of dragons and hay hit him like a wall and it took a few moments of breathing through his mouth to recover.

They'd been told that a new brood of baby dragons had hatched yesterday and being the adventurous couple they were, Taryn insisted they visit.. Baby dragons were just as wild and crazy as their fully-grown counterparts, just untrained. They didn't listen to anyone.

He'd risk the teeth and claws and burns he'd probably acquire if it meant spending the day with Taryn. Indeed, he'd never been bold with girls and he certainly had never kissed a girl as much as he had Taryn. That is to say they'd only kissed a handful of times but he didn't care. Each one was a victory in his arsenal of successes and Clyde hadn't burned him to the stake yet.

It had been such a joy to watch her blossom the last few months. Cliff had to take initiative for a while, leading her into trying new things. Now she came up with the random fun things, sometimes many ideas at one time to the point of him trying to compete with her for ideas. They were wild and crazy (just last week he'd actually gotten her to eat one of Gobber's pickled pig hooves, he was still shocked that she'd actually done it) and he loved her for it more and more by the day.

Cliff pecked the back of her hand chastely. "What can I say? You have a terrible impression on me."

"You dare insinuate that it's my fault?"

"Well you did kiss me first, love." Cliff smirked.

Taryn grinned, leading the way into one of the pens that housed a purple monstrous nightmare. She whuffed at them in greeting and refocused her attention on her four new young, who chirped and flapped and spat fire at each other in the middle of the room. They turned when Taryn opened the gate and stepped inside.

"Aww hello there, babies!" Taryn cooed, stooping to pick one up when it scrambled to her feet. "Who's a pwecious baby dwagon?"

Cliff grinned, leaning against the door as he watched. She was so unbelievably cute and dorky and she had no idea. Besides seeing her hold anything small, baby dragon or human baby didn't matter. She'd make a great mom one day.

Blinking out of that particular train of thought, Cliff stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her middle and stared into the baby Monstrous Nightmare's googly eyes. "Hi there! Ouch!"

Taryn cackled when he lurched away, grabbing his nose. "That's what happens when you stick your big nose into someone's face!"

"Owww," Cliff whined, cupping his face. "Am I bleeding?"

"No," Taryn opened her arms and the dragon clumsily flapped toward it's mother. She pulled him down by the collar again and in a flash of excitement, he wondered if she was going to kiss him again. He was only slightly disappointed to remember that he was the tall to her small, so she couldn't properly inspect his nose from his normal height. Still… "Nope, looks okay. Just a little red."

"Mkay," Cliff straightened but stayed looking at her. It had been a throwaway line, but he'd made a comment at the wedding that the event had been fun and Finn had replied, "Well, you're the closest one to being married next, Cliffie!" He'd forgotten about it for a while but suddenly it came to his mind. Seeing Erick and Adrianna moving into their future, Cliff wondered-

Taryn's brows were lifted. "Helloooo, earth to Cliff?"

He jolted. "What? Sorry, what did you say?"

She gave him a longsuffering smile. "Are you alright?"

"Me? Fine, yeah I'm fine. Why?"

"Because you're not talking animatedly and when you do talk you're stumbling."

Cliff sniffed, gently prodding his still smarting nose. "Nah I'm good, just thinkin." He gently brushed past her to sit on the floor in front of the baby dragons. He was quickly accosted by a blue and green one, who blew smoke rings into his face. Taryn took a seat across from him and picked up a red one, scratching its back and making it coo happily. "Okay so… hypothetically," Cliff asked suddenly. "In a dating situation, how long would you want to date before you got married?"

Taryn's hand froze and her eyes shot to his. "Define hypothetically."

He shrugged, waving away the smoke clogging his nose. "I don't know, I guess some people have things like that already decided before they date. Some people like Erick and Adrianna had to be a bit more spontaneous out of necessity. Me, I always figured I'd cross that bridge when I come to it. Soooo what do you think?"

She took a deep breath. "Well… my parents being so traditional, they've mostly been the ones steering the ship most of my life."

"They've let go of the rudder though," Cliff replied. "So what are your thoughts? Or do you not know yet? If not it's fine, you can always bring it up again later. I'm just wondering."

Taryn pet the red dragon curled up in her lap, purring softly as it dozed. Her brown eyes were fixed on the floor as she thought, Cliff's heart thumping as he waited. The blue and green Monstrous Nightmare crawled up his chest and gazed at the door, its claws digging into his shoulder.

"I'll get back to you on that I think," Taryn said finally. "Because obviously this would be referring to us, not a hypothetical. Right?" She smiled teasingly.

Cliff exhaled a small laugh, suddenly finding the floor more interesting. "Yeah."

"I'll think about it and let you know," she said. Carefully, she asked, "How long do you want to date before you get married?"

He pursed his lips. "I don't know. Maybe a year? Maybe a little longer? There's no reason to rush but… I figure if it gets to a point of knowing that that's the person I want to spend my life with, and they reciprocate that, why wait?"

Taryn nodded. "I agree."

Something stirred in his chest at that. Hope, perhaps. He didn't press the topic though and neither did Taryn. He'd let her think about it and get back to him in her own time.

Not that he was necessarily thinking about marrying her anytime soon. That was a huge commitment, so large and scary and life-altering. He was spontaneous about most things but that was certainly not one of them.

Still… he couldn't help but wonder about the future. Where they might be in a year? In two years? Three. Five.

Ten.

Cliff gulped. There was too many serious thoughts going through his brain right now. Baby dragons were cute but they needed something more random, more spontaneous, more daring.

What would Finn do? Pft, if Finn were here he'd probably bribe them into training somehow or learning forgework, which sounded both painful and monotonous. Or maybe he'd convince them to strap themselves onto Edna's back and learn how to dive into the icy-cold ocean like him and Zap.

Wait.

Cliff blinked, an idea forming in his mind. He felt a smile pulling at his face as he considered the possibility. Oh if her parents found out, heck if his parents (both Smedley and Haddocks) found out they'd be most upset, but that was half the fun right?

"Oh no, what are you planning?"

Cliff scrambled off the floor without preamble, the baby dragon diving off his shoulder with a squeak. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, quickly dragging her back down the hallway.

"Cliff, where are we going? Baby dragons!"

"There are always baby dragons, Taryn. But springtime looms!"

"What?"

"Precisely."

"What are you talking about?" Her long-suffering sigh was laced with amusement.

He paused at the door and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Taryn, I have a job for you. It's very important because I have a spontaneous idea. Are you ready to embark-"

"Would you just spit it out?" Taryn demanded.

"Go home, put your swimsuit on, and meet me at the docks."

Taryn stared. "What?"

"Go home-"

"I got that part."

"Put your swimsuit on and yes, the other raiment overtop of that so you don't freeze, and meet me at the docks."

"Why?"

"If I told you you wouldn't do it."

"Oh well that's comforting."

"Come now, Miss Brand," Cliff crossed his arms. "Be a little spontaneous!"

"You want me to put on my bathing suit in the dead of winter-"

"Yup! See you in ten minutes!" With that, he shoved out the door and ran headlong into the snowy street, calling for Edna. Taryn's confused laugh disappeared into the tundra but he knew that the longer they stood and debated what he was planning, heck he'd even bow out gracefully while he still had the dignity.

Luckily both the Haddocks were out of the house when he arrived. It took some digging in his dresser to find his trunks and some warmer layers. He quickly changed and bundled back up, wondering just what he was getting them into with this new idea. He was excited though. Just the idea of telling Taryn in ten minutes what they were about to do was enough to make him cackle madly as he pulled his boots back on.

He grabbed two bags and stuffed as many towels and blankets into them as he could before charging back out the door. He was hot underneath all the layers as he sprinted through the village and finally arrived at the docks, his breath like daggers in his throat.

Taryn arrived a few minutes later wearing her normal winter gear but he knew by the distrusting look in her eyes that she wore her swimsuit beneath them.

"Okay I'm here. Now what, Oh Spontaneous One?"

Cliff held out a hand and led her to the edge of the docks that dropped off into the sand. He led her to the oasis, their teeth chattering with the wind that howled off the ocean. With the lack of buildings and cover out here, he began to consider the wisdom in doing this. But he wasn't going to back down now, they had to see it through.

Taryn stared up at the black rock when they arrived. "What are we doing here, Cliff?"

"Come on," Cliff scrambled up and held out a hand. She stared at his hand for a heartbeat longer than she usually did but finally took it, climbing up beside him. They slipped into the oasis with a sigh, the curving lip of the rock thankfully blocking some of the wind that now whistled over their heads.

"Okay," Cliff said, rubbing his hands together quickly. His heart began to pound in his chest in anticipation of what he was about to tell her. What he was about to do. "So here's what I'm thinking."

Taryn merely lifted a brow, unamused thus far.

"I had a great uncle Fritz-"

"Oh gods, not another crazy story about great uncle Fritz!"

"I haven't even told you that many stories about him!"

"He was the nutjob that thought the earth was round, Cliff! He disappeared what, thirty years ago? Your dad even said he fell off the edge of the world! You never even met the man!"

"Finn never met his uncle Fearless Finn and yet that's what they named him! Anyway, that's besides the point," Cliff said, interrupting her before she could continue her annoyed tirade. The sooner they did this the better. "Uncle Fritz supposedly had a best friend who would do this thing each winter that was tradition and he'd make Fritz do it with him. It was a tradition among best mates or something."

"I'm not your mate," Taryn said. "I'm your girlfriend."

"Yes, I know that, but listen," Cliff wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her in close. "We've still got a while to go before it's spring and I just think we should take advantage of the time to go polar bear diving before we lose the chance. If we don't do it now, we'll have to wait until next- uhh, where are you- Taryn?"

Cliff blinked in shock as Taryn shoved out of his arms and scrambled up the incline, panting. "There is no way in HEL, Cliff Smedley, if you think I'm going swimming in ICE COLD WATER!"

"It's not swimming!" Cliff grabbed her around the waist without much effort and pulled her away. She squealed indignantly and he held on tight, laughing at her struggles. "You dive in and you get back out! No harm done."

"No harm done!" Taryn demanded. "Put me down!"

"Alright, alright," Cliff set her down gently and she whipped around.

"We'll catch our death!"

"Actually studies show that people don't get sick from being cold, they get sick from bugs. Have you ever seen the way flies rub their little hands together when they scheming and plotting the death of all human existence-"

"CLIFF!"

"Oh come on, it'll be over in a minute!" Cliff begged. "Sure it will be cold but we'll hop out and throw our warm clothes back on and run home for a hot bath! We're not going to get sick."

"You do realize that if my parents find out about this they'd be furious?"

"You said the same thing when I climbed the house to kiss you goodnight for your birthday and I survived that."

"If Alton hadn't distracted them, they would have found out! I thought you broke your back when you fell!"

"Taryn," Cliff said calmly, crossing his arms. "You're overreacting."

Taryn huffed and clutched her arms to herself, staring at the pool of water. Cliff realized quickly that they'd have to wade a little deeper to be able to immerse themselves (they had to do it right, okay) but the longer they stood out here debating, the less of a chance they had of doing it.

"I don't like cold water," Taryn whined.

"It will be good for the soul. Consider it a cleansing."

"How about I shove you in and leave you to freeze?"

Cliff gasped, throwing a mocking hand to his chest. "You'd leave me alone? What if I needed rescuing?"

"Why don't we go back to the Great Hall?" Taryn begged. "I'll ask Astrid to make yaknog, I'll do whatever spontaneous thing you want, but don't make me do this!"

Those were the wrong words to say and she knew it, too. Now they were definitely doing it. Victory was imminent!

Cliff smirked and began pulling off his coat and gloves. Taryn watched with gradually widening eyes as he removed his warm clothing to reveal his swimming trunks and a long sleeved shirt, the latter of which he'd remove when the time to go in the water came. But standing in summer clothes without socks or shoes on in this frigid weather, his teeth were quickly chattering.

Taryn simpered. "Cliff-"

"N-nop-p-pe, it's happ-pp-en-agh. Happening! Ugh." He shivered. He could do this. He could do this.

"Why? There are so many-"

"Taryn, the longer you argue the longer I have to stand here in this improper raiment waiting for you to stop being a chicken! Let's go!"

"But I don't-" Taryn stared at the water with a grimace but there, that small smile pulling at the edge of her mouth. Oh she wanted to, deep down she knew she did.

"Think of the children, Taryn!" Cliff stated, her brown eyes shooting back to his. "Think of all the crazy stories we'll tell the children someday!"

Even in the cold, her cheeks warmed in an endearing blush and she laughed, looking down at her boots. She bit her lip, glancing back at the water with a final look of despair. Then she closed her eyes and huffed before toeing off her boots. "I hate you."

Cliff laughed and jumped up and down to get the blood moving and ward off the cold. Another minute and they'd be doing it. They could do this. This was his idea, he could do this-

He looked away to offer Taryn some privacy while she quickly and clumsily derobed. He knew her swimsuit to be more demure than many of the other girls, which he didn't mind so much. Soon she stood beside him, teeth chattering and goosebumps speckling her arms. Cliff turned and pulled the towels and blankets out of the bags, setting them down at a close distance.

Finally, he pulled off his long-sleeved shirt and shook off a shiver. "Oh gods."

"We could always-"

"Nope," Cliff whipped around and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the edge of the water. They stopped mere inches from where the edge of the water rested. There were no animals or creatures to be seen in the pool from what he could see. Hopefully they could make this as quick and painless as possible. "We've already come this far. Might as well get it done and over with."

"I still have half a mind to shove you in and leave you here," Taryn said, shaking.

Cliff wrapped an arm around her back and rubbed it quickly. "Okay. Let's do this. We can do this."

He gripped Taryn's hand and they paused. Cliff kept counting down to the three in his head but everytime he got to three, he froze. After nearly a minute, it was the sound of Taryn's whimper that made him surge forward.

"THREE!"

Taryn screamed as he dragged her forward, but she surprisingly kept pace with him as they leaped forward and plunged into the icy depths. The sensation of stabbing knives prickled his calves, his thighs, his stomach. Cliff panted through his teeth, keeping a tight hold on Taryn's hand until they stopped. Her pants were high-pitch and tense.

"O-k-kay! Now we g-go under!" Cliff panted.

"What!?" Taryn squeaked.

Cliff held his breath and plunged downward the stabbing and prickling sensation taking over his bones, stealing away his very breath. The cold was so bitter and fierce, he inhaled on instinct, swallowing a mouthful of water. He surged upward hacking, quickly dislodging the water from his throat, which now burned. Sputtering and trembling, he shook the water from his eyes. It was then that he realized he was alone.

"T-Tar-ryn?"

She was already scrambling for the shore, gasping with the cold. He struggled after her, barely able to pull himself back onto shore. His limbs were heavy and frigid. He'd never known that such a cold was fathomable and his hands shook so badly he could barely grab a towel.

Taryn bundled inside a fur blanket and bit out, "I c-can't b-believe you went under!"

Cliff coughed, toweling himself off as fast as possible and yanking his shirts back on. "We've gotta bundle and get back to our houses."

Taryn shook her head. "If I go home like this they'll know."

He finished pulling on the last of his clothes and lunged for her. "T-Taryn, put your stuff back on and let's go. It was fun and we did it, but now it's time to go, okay?" He tried for a grin but his teeth were chattering.

Taryn nodded and complied. He helped her into her coat once her other items were back on and they struggled tying their boots off for a minute. Cliff put his hat on her head even though his hair was wet. She frowned and he insisted, not willing to risk her getting sick.

Yeah, perhaps this hadn't been one of his wiser ideas.

They scrambled back up the incline and hurtled for the shore, so cold it hurt to move. Cliff felt his skin freeze beneath his clothes, especially with the wet shorts beneath his trousers. His hair began to ice over and he coughed continually from the salt water burning his lungs.

"Are you alright?" Taryn asked.

Cliff nodded. "Swallowed water. I'll be alright."

They made it back to the docks, the running helping to warm them up a little. They re-entered the village and paused in the middle of the street, Taryn chewing her lip nervously.

"I'll be lucky if my parents aren't home."

"Keep my hat," Cliff said, warding off another shiver. "You don't even look wet, just a little blue. Tell them we took a long walk, which isn't a lie."

Taryn gave him a worried look. "Cliff, that was really stupid, you don't look good."

"Yeah I know, so kiss me goodbye so I can go take a hot bath."

She grinned briefly and complied. Despite what he expected, her lips were cold and chapped, but it still warmed his soul.

"I do love a good derpy smile on you," Taryn whispered. "Go home quickly now, don't dilly-dally."

Cliff nodded. "You too, Taryn. Love you."

She grinned and ran down the street toward her house. As long as her parents didn't look too closely and as long as her clothing didn't drip any puddles where she stood, they shouldn't notice. She'd be okay.

Him, on the other hand…

The coughing up a lung didn't stop as he stumbled back to the Haddocks' house. Why hadn't he brought Edna along? He never thought logically when he got excited about things, now he was paying the price. He briefly considered crashing at his parents' house but he had no clothing to change into. He'd have to wait until his clothes dried and that simply wouldn't do. Plus he'd likely have to explain to his parents what had happened and he really didn't want that.

It took some time but he was relieved when he opened the Haddocks' door. A blast of hot air from the fireplace hit him square in the face and he moaned, nearly sticking his hands into the fire.

"Cold out, isn't it?" Hiccup's voice asked from somewhere to his right. He was so cold and stiff he almost couldn't think straight. Cliff barely managed to look at the dining table to see the Chief sitting there with some notebooks and papers strewn about. "That's why I'm home today. My leg can't take the cold front that's coming in right now."

Cliff wanted to say "hmm" but all that came out was a dry rasp that sent him straight into a sharp coughing fit.

"Whoa, are you alright?" Hiccup asked, standing up with a look of concern.

"I'm ok-" Cliff rasped and tried clearing his throat, which was parched and scratchy. It sounded worse than it was. It didn't hurt, per se, but his voice was definitely going out. "I'm gonna…" He pointed to the washroom with a tired smile and Hiccup merely nodded

If he'd been thinking clearly, he would have just gone straight to the washroom to begin with. That's what Finn would have done.

As it was, when he disappeared in the washroom, Cliff did not notice the Chief's lingering stare at the large puddle of water that had formed right where he'd been standing.

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The Hjartan Town Hall buzzed with mirth. A comfortable warmth spread from the fires, warming the people from the blustery winds outside. With the smell of lamb roasting on a spit and freshly baked rolls and potatoes, the Hjartans cackled and sang bawdy tunes, painfully off key. Genevieve found herself smiling at of a group of old men singing merrily from across the room, a few of their dragons bobbing their heads with the off-kilter beat. Who knew that dragons loved music?

Tuesdays were always her favorite. It had always been a day for music in the Hall, people volunteering to sing or play their instruments. Soloists, choral groups and dancing were the most popular. Once in a while, art of a different form would be displayed, like paintings, carvings, and pottery. The Hjartans took pride in their talents. Not to show off but to share a common bond.

She wouldn't be singing tonight however. It was just as well; she wasn't in the mood for performing. Thuggory and Hannah and a few of their friends would likely bring out their instruments in a little while, if her brother's endless prattling that morning was any indicator.

Genevieve's heart simply wasn't in the music. Since going on that flight with Finn three days ago, she'd found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything. Errands, cleaning, lessons, even singing at the Elders' home, she kept finding herself staring off into space, her head in the clouds. She'd half been tempted to volunteer to help Thuggory muck out the horse stalls just to put her feet back on the ground.

Thoughts and questions kept swirling in her mind about flying and dragons, but she refrained from seeking Finn out. Perhaps he had a point, even if he'd just been teasing her. She didn't need to be on his heels constantly asking questions.

It didn't help that they'd had barely spoken two words since the flight.

To be fair, she hadn't seen much of him. He'd spent the better part of the last few days at the arena, leaving at the crack of dawn and arriving late into the night. Honestly she wondered how anyone could have so much energy and not collapse.

He seemed to be wide awake now though, even after another long day of training. He was talking animatedly with a few teenagers. She couldn't hear their conversation from the column she leaned against, nursing her mug of strong tea and lemon. She debated joining them when Brenna, the cute brunette beside him rested her hand on his arm and he gave her a brief crooked smile.

Heart shuttering, Genevieve looked away, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy. Maybe he really was like every other boy. Maybe that flight hadn't meant much to him, other than to give her the opportunity to choose something new for herself. She, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about it. The things they'd shared and done together that day. Maybe she had been too nosy after all. Had he not spoken to her the last few days because she had been too much to handle?

The cave and flight aside, he'd been fun and witty and even a little flirty throughout the day. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but… hopefully he didn't flirt with every girl like that. She didn't like to be jerked around. But no… the way he'd looked at her in the caves once she'd finished singing, the daring smirk on his face when challenging her to make a decision right before that flight… He couldn't really dislike her presence. Right?

Regardless, he had to know she was standing here. Disinterested in the music and tired of picking at her food, she'd taken up her vigil at the column nearly fifteen minutes ago. She wasn't staring at him or waiting for him necessarily. No, she was simply torn between having self-control and wanting to shove the starry-eyed Brenna off her perch and claim her seat. After all, she hadn't trained in the ring with him, had she? She hadn't spent an entire day with him. She hadn't gone on an hours-long flight on his dragon, just the two of them, no one else around to witness her first dose of freedom. She hadn't pressed her body so close to his that she could smell the scent of leather and cedar on his skin. No, none of those things had happened with Brenna.

Yet Genevieve was the one standing across the room, watching Brenna's attempts at flattery. As if she saw passed the title and the riding leathers and instead saw the boy he really was. Did she even know anything about him? Genevieve certainly knew more than she did, she was positive.

Realizing her fingers were clamped on the mug, Genevieve exhaled through her nose slowly and forced her hands to relax. Brenna did have bravery on her side, she'd give her that. While Genevieve might have no qualms asking questions, she certainly wasn't the type of girl to just start touching a boy she found attractive. No, she was too demure for that. And besides, how would Finn react? If he truly didn't see her as more than a new friend, the retired Chief's youngest daughter, what kind of uncomfortable position would that put him in if she was suddenly coming onto him?

The tea in her stomach turned to lead at the thought.

"You keep scowling into that mug of tea and it might explode."

Genevieve blinked in surprise when Helga appeared at her side, slurping her own mug of ale. She forced her expression into neutrality and nodded to the girl's wrapped arm. "What happened there?"

"Eh, Monstrous Nightmare next door got a little testy," Helga rotated her wrist and hid a wince. "Nothing I can't handle."

"I can imagine." Genevieve replied, perhaps a bit drily.

Helga looked her up and down, surveying her body language, her barely restrained frown. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing."

Helga snorted. "Please. I know a face mooning over Fearless Finn when I see one."

Genevieve whipped her gaze to the other blonde. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, I just know Finn well enough to know which girls suit his fancy and vice versa."

Deflating, Genevieve sighed and sipped her tea. "Well, clearly he's occupied with Brenna."

Helga tried to hide her knowing smile by sipping her ale but Genevieve knew better.

She should resist. She shouldn't ask but that infernal smirk and that stupid boy still hadn't looked at her. "Alright, what?" Genevieve demanded.

Helga smirked victoriously. "Finn doesn't like brunettes."

"But he'll flirt with them."

"He's not flirting with her."

"No?"

Helga withheld a sigh, blue eyes glittering. "Observe his body language. Come now, I know you've been watching him already, don't back down on me now."

Genevieve fought a blush and complied. Though Brenna had slid imperceptibly closer on the bench, Finn's focus was on the boy across from him, his arms loosely crossed against the table. Brenna ran a finger up his bicep and he didn't even blink.

"See how he literally doesn't care?" Helga murmured and snorted. "Trust me, honey. He's not interested."

"Then why doesn't he tell her to stop?"

"Because it's more effort to hurt her feelings than it's worth. Plus he's got the biggest head under the sun so he'll tolerate it just to nurse his ego."

Genevieve shook her head, fighting a laugh. "That's ridiculous."

"And she looks ridiculous for not seeing the signs of his disinterest," Helga raised a brow.

"Touche." Genevieve sipped her tea, pondering. "You seem to know an awful lot about him."

"We grew up together."

"This seems a touch more personal though," Genevieve pressed. "Are you and Finn…?"

Helga crowed a laugh. "Gods, no. I mean, we dated a few years ago but it didn't work out. All for the best though, we've both moved on."

Genevieve had wondered from the start what exactly their relationship had entailed. It was clear to her that they were closer in friendship than just mere acquaintances, but she hadn't realized they'd actually gone out together. "What happened?"

Some of Helga's mirth dropped away. "He was different back then. He had a lot of growing up to do, some… things from his past to deal with. When it became clear that I couldn't help him with that, we ended things. And it hurt for a while but eventually he came back to Berk and made amends, and things got better."

"Came back to Berk?" Genevieve asked, intrigued.

Helga winced, as if regretting her words. "Don't ask him about that."

"Why did he-"

"Gen," Helga turned to her fully. She paused, weighing her words. "Finn is a man of secrets. He's been through a lot, he's had a lot of ups and downs. You're a sweet girl and I know you ask a lot of questions because you're curious, and that's not bad. But… Finn doesn't trust many people with his past. He's told very few people the whole story and most of those details he keeps to himself."

"Like where Benen came from?"

Helga blinked. "He's talked to you about Benen?"

Genevieve nodded in confusion. "A few times. He hasn't said much but he spoke of him fondly."

Something like sadness and… pride shone in Helga's eyes. "He never talks about Benen to anyone." She said quietly. It was strange, seeing the cocky expression disappear from Helga's face and smooth away into something softer. She shook herself and smiled. "This is exactly my point. It takes a long time for Finn to trust someone enough to share his secrets with. He hasn't told most people things, not even Erick."

"But he's his brother-in-law."

"Exactly."

If Helga wanted to put a damper on Genevieve's curiosity, she wasn't doing a very good job.

"If you want to learn more about the enigma that is Fearless Finn, I'll give you some advice," Helga said. "Be patient. Don't push him. Clearly he's… drawn to you enough that he trusts you somewhat. Enough to have told you at least a little about Benen in the short time we've been here. Who knows? Maybe someday he'll share some of those things with you. But know this," Genevieve stilled at Helga's suddenly serious tone. "When and if he decides to trust you, don't break it. You might just find it difficult to get it back again."

Genevieve nodded. She'd continue to be herself, of course, but she'd have to tread carefully with the questions she asked. If there were things in his past that Helga didn't know about, even Erick didn't know about… she certainly didn't want to push him.

"I'm sure you'll be fine though," Helga said, smirk returning. "Don't stress."

Genevieve breathed a laugh. "Don't stress. Got it." She certainly had much to think about now and consider how she would proceed. She knew she couldn't just march up and ask him to tell her his life's story, but gods she wanted to. She might die of curiosity. But Helga told her to be patient. She could be patient.

Exhaling heavily, she faced Helga again. "Here's a question for you, one that's been bugging me since Saturday."

"Shoot."

Genevieve opened her mouth and paused, unsure how to actually voice the thoughts that had been swirling in her brain since it happened. "Has Finn ever… had any accidents in a cave?"

Helga's brows narrowed and she straightened off the column. "What kind of accident?"

"I don't know. I was showing him some of our mining caves and he suddenly… seized up, started breathing really fast. It only lasted a few seconds but… he seemed really embarrassed about it actually."

Helga pursed her lips. "Sounds like a flashback. Adrianna used to get them really bad." She shook her head. "But a cave? No, nothing that I'm aware of."

"Maybe something happened when he was away from Berk," Genevieve mused, lost in thought. Where had he gone? How old had he been? She blinked and gave Helga a sheepish smile. "You know, in that… long ago adventure he had that I'm not supposed to ask about."

Helga grinned and shrugged. "Like I said. Man of secrets. If anything happened, he never told me about it."

"Is that why you broke up? He didn't trust you?"

Frowning, Helga swirled the remnants of her ale. "In a nutshell."

Genevieve mentally kicked herself. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Helga shrugged. "Like I said, we've both moved on."

Indeed, Helga didn't seem to look at Finn with longing. Maybe just a touch of sadness that he hadn't ever trusted her but she didn't seem to be tearing herself up about it. Perhaps she really had come to terms with it. "When and if Finn trusted her," Helga had said. Maybe that's what Helga had been telling herself for years now. Until Finn trusted her, she needed to be patient and kind.

Apparently he never had.

Something like pity wormed its way into Genevieve's chest but she clamped down on it, refusing to let it show. She knew Helga would not appreciate it. Instead she said, "For what it matters, he does seem to trust you now. Or else he wouldn't have asked you to come, right?"

Helga grinned. "Right. But that doesn't make me want to watch little Miss Brenna drooling on his arm, so I'm going to get a slice of that glorious Hjartan cheesecake they just brought out. Care to join me?"

"That's alright," Genevieve said, dropping her mug on a waitress's tray as she walked by. "I'm going to take a walk."

"Good talk then!" The blonde gave a salute with her own mug and strode away. Genevieve observed the pants and flying leathers she wore, the connecting loops swinging from the belt hanging low on her hips, a dagger strapped to her thigh.

For a moment, Genevieve wondered what it must be like to swagger through a room full of people wearing just as many weapons and leathers as the boys and not have a care in the world.

Just like that, thoughts of jealousy filled her head. With an annoyed exhale at herself, Genevieve grabbed her cloak from a nearby chair and pulled it on. The guards opened the doors and she muttered a quick "thank you" as she left, pulling the hood tight against her face in a meager attempt to hide from the icy wind.

Gravel crunched beneath her boots as she walked. Not many pedestrians were out at this hour, the majority of the village in the Town Hall. There was no one around to hear her muttered frustrations except the wind, which snatched away her words.

With every step, her frustration built. Pants, dragon training, the mundane day-to-day tasks she had to participate in, Finn, her never-ending plethora of questions she was fighting to keep inside, all of it swirled through her head like the snowflakes beginning to flurry from the skies. She didn't know why she was even frustrated when she thought about it. Perhaps too many things were building at once. Perhaps she was just overthinking everything.

"Don't be so selfish," is probably what her mother would say. "Be thankful and content."

Yes, she had a lot to be thankful for. But it wasn't selfish to want to get out of her comfort zone, to do something different, whether that was wearing pants (which were much more practical for cold weather) or riding a dragon. Now she had a secret to hide. What would her parents say once they found out what she'd done?

And then there was Finn, who hadn't uttered two words to her in the days since the flight. He couldn't spare her five minutes? She'd made sure he had breakfast on the kitchen table every morning, which he dutifully took, but did it never occur to him to at least leave a thank you note? She didn't need a thank you to feel appreciated. No, she just wanted him to acknowledge her presence without her having to initiate it!

She tried to envision what might have happened if it had been her sitting beside him in the Town Hall instead of Brenna. If she'd been brave enough to touch his arm or slide closer, would he say or do anything back? Or would he simply dismiss her just like any other uninteresting girl vying for the Heir of Berk's attention?

With a high pitch screech, she turned and kicked a nearby barrel, which thankfully wasn't full of fish. It crashed to the ground and rolled down the side street with a heavy thoomp-thoomp-thoomp sound that echoed down the corridor.

Huffing and trying to get a hold of herself, she charged after it. She groaned at it's awkward weight as she dragged it back to its place and replaced the lid, the icy corners digging into her palms. She made to continue down the street to her house when she saw it looming in the darkness across the village: the arena.

Torches burned in the sconces at the gate but she saw no guards on patrol. They were likely fetching their dinner at the Hall like everyone else. It was completely empty.

Save for one.

Her heart leaped into a gallop. She could go check on the Shockjaw, see how he was faring. It was cold out after all and she thought she'd heard Finn say earlier that he hadn't gotten him to eat since she had fed him on Friday. Well, that was just ridiculous. She could get him to eat, she knew she could. Just because her parents didn't want her training a dragon and Finn had to be all noble did not mean the poor beast had to starve.

So, because she was frustrated and feeling a bit rebellious, Genevieve threw all caution to the wind and stomped to the arena.

Mercifully, there were indeed no guards. The portcullis was down however and she peered at the pulley mechanism with a grimace. She likely wasn't strong enough to lift it fully. After a few tugs, the cold metal groaning noisily and making her clench her teeth for fear of attracting passersby, she managed to raise it just enough to squeeze underneath the metal points.

The frigid temperature seeped into her bones, snow covering the back of her cloak. She shivered and clenched her cold hands as she looked at the small space she'd crawled under. If anything happened while she was in here alone... She doubted even Finn would be able to wedge his way beneath it, though he could probably turn the lever without breaking a sweat. She'd felt the strength in his body during that flight with the flexing of his stomach and chest and shoulders. Even with her legs strapped in and bracketing his, she'd felt the solid strength that was his body.

She tried not to think too hard about those particular details of the flight.

Blowing into her hands, Genevieve gazed around the empty arena. Dark and wide and cold, snowflakes still falling, she briefly lost her nerve. What if the guards came back and found her in here? What would her parents say? She'd never been rebellious or callous.

Huffing, she pushed those thoughts aside. She could do this. The Shockjaw needed to eat something to keep up his strength. She wasn't going to back down now.

Walking across the arena alone with no one else around was both terrifying and liberating. All the while, she kept glancing around, expecting someone to shout her name and call her back. But she made it to the darkened end of the arena without interruption and slowly, carefully lifted the flap on the large metal door.

She could barely see the outline of the Shockjaw in the darkness, but she sensed rather than saw him lift his head. Heard him sniff the air.

"Hey big boy," Genevieve whispered. "Are you hungry?"

Claws clacking on stone, the rustling of wings and then a tint of blue shifted in the small shaft of light before his dark blue eyes appeared in front of hers, wide and surprised. He rumbled softly, warm air tickling her face.

"You want to come out for a bit?" Genevieve asked. "Do you promise to be nice to me if I let you out?"

To her surprise, the Shockjaw nodded and hopped back in what appeared to be excitement.

"Okay, hold on!"

She carefully let down the flap and scurried to the pulley mechanism. Rubbing her hands quickly, she grabbed the handle and winced at the cold metal. She gritted her teeth and heaved it up and around, trying to be as quiet as possible. The metal door slowly opened inch by inch. It took a few minutes and the Shockjaw was patient, but finally the door was open wide enough for him to squeeze through.

He trotted into the middle of the arena and shook his hide, sniffing up at the air and gazing at the snow-filled sky. Terror suddenly seized her, even as she tucked her hands into her armpits. What if he flew off and disappeared? Oh, then she'd really be in trouble. She didn't have the guts to lie or hide that sort of thing. She'd confess to it if it happened. Her parents would be furious and Finn… She briefly wondered if he would be upset or disappointed.

Mercifully, the dragon didn't fly away. His wings didn't even shift as he huffed, his breath a plume of hot air. He looked back a her and sat down, waiting. Waiting for-

"Oh!" Genevieve trotted to a nearby barrel and heaved off the lid. "Ick." Grimacing, she grabbed an icy cod from the top of the pile. It reeked to high Asgard but she didn't allow herself to put it down. Turning back to the middle, she found him already sniffing. Thinking back to the first time she'd fed him, she relaxed her posture and held up the fish with both hands. Waiting with the span of a few breaths, his blue eyes searching her posture and expression before he snatched the fish out of her hands and gobbled it down. He smacked his lips and crooned expectantly.

Genevieve huffed a laugh. "You're a maximum pain, you know that?" She heaved the barrel closer to the center of the arena with a groan. "You could just… let Finn… urgh, feed you, you know."

The Shockjaw grumbled, tail swishing against the ground, pushing snow into long angular piles.

"He knows what he's doing," Genevieve said, grabbing another fish. She lobbed it into the air, amazed when he snatched it up. She'd half-expected him to let it drop, like he had for Finn the other day. "He's trying."

Smacking his lips again, the Shockjaw rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you like him? Do you not like men?" Genevieve asked, throwing another fish. She didn't care if she fed him the whole barrel, she'd feed him until he was full and worry about the empty barrel later.

He snorted and peered up at the sky.

Genevieve wasn't sure what to say to that pointed lack of response and threw another fish at his feet. "You shouldn't be so cranky. No one has hurt you here, and no one will. You should trust us." She paused. "Trust me."

The Shockjaw peered down at her, exhaling a long, fishy breath that sent another plume of smoky air into her face. She waved it away with a frown.

"Don't get huffy. Such antics are beneath such a beautiful beast like you."

He seemed to smirk, blue eyes glittering. She didn't know how but he seemed to… teasing her with the look.

"Oh you big-" Bending over and stuffing handfuls of snow together before lobbing a snowball at his face. It exploded in a puff of white powder and he blinked, shaking his head in surprise. Genevieve brandished a finger up at him. "Stop being cranky! I mean it, now!"

He rumbled, blue eyes narrowing. He stood and turned his back to her, and right as she opened her mouth to tell him off for ignoring her, he began heaving piles of snow at her with his paws. With a yelp, Genevieve shielded her face from the clouds of snow pelting her in waves. She twisted away from the onslaught and laughed, even as the snow continued to converge on her.

He's playing with me! She thought with a thrill of excitement.

A particularly large lump of snow smacked her back with enough force to make her stumble. She hit the deck on all fours, cowering beneath her hood as the snow continued to rain down in fierce torrents.

"Okay okay OKAY STOP!" Genevieve shouted, cackling. In moments the clouds dissipated, the center of the arena nearly clear of snow and piles of snow gathering at her ankles. She hadn't worn her warmest boots today and her toes were beginning to freeze. Not to mention she almost couldn't feel her hands anymore.

Standing and shaking off her cloak, she turned to the Shockjaw, who gave her a breathy chortle at the snow hanging from her hair in clumps. "Apparently Zap isn't the only one who gets sassy."

He chortled again and shifted his wings, gazing at her quizzically. She couldn't determine what he was thinking, but she blinked in surprise when he slowly approached. Genevieve held her ground as he loomed over her, his chin nearly a foot over her head.

His deep-blue and green scales glittered in the torchlight, dry in patches. She wondered if that was due to the fact he'd been in captivity for weeks, or the other fact that he'd been eating very little. She figured both were a contributing factor. For all his beastliness and attitude problems for the past weeks, she almost didn't recognize him as he stood there, staring down at her. Maybe he really had just been afraid all this time. Maybe he just needed someone soft and small and quiet to put his fears at ease. A kind of human he'd never seen or experienced before.

"You're really sweet under all that bravado, aren't you?" She murmured, staring into his eyes.

A deep purr sounded in his chest at that and his tail swished, kicking up snow. His breath was another plume of hot air, warming the space between them. Genevieve took a slow, careful step closer, expecting him to growl or back away. Instead, he held his ground, cocking his head to the side ever so slightly.

Genevieve wondered what would happen if she dared to try. She'd tried to touch him last week after she'd fed him and he hadn't been pleased then. But he was different today and the arena was quiet, no one else around to witness. If something went wrong though, there was no one here to help her. She felt the silence like a heavyweight in the background as reality crashed in, but she kept her posture relaxed, unwilling to let him see her sudden nerves. Maybe, just maybe…

Removing her hand from her cloak, she slowly lifted it toward him, far enough away that she could stretch out her arm. He stiffened but didn't move, watching her hand. She knew that this would be the test: he'd have to come to her. He wasn't a dog that allowed himself to be pet whenever a human wished. No, he was an intelligent, powerful creature that was a law unto himself. He did not allow just anyone to touch him. She understood now.

But she could offer herself to him, placatingly, calmly, and give him the chance to decide.

Her fingers began to prickle from the cold. She should probably return to the village soon before she got frostbite but she waited as he continued to stare at her hand. He sniffed gently and she watched in fascination as his eyes widened, the muscles of his face softening.

Then he pressed his nose into her palm.

---

Crouching in the darkness of the balustrade, Finn watched as the Shockjaw pressed his nose into her palm and Genevieve stared in amazement. He smiled and shook his head. That little rebel. He would have whooped to the skies if he hadn't known that would be a very stupid thing to do.

He hardly dared to breathe, glad he'd told Zap to fly off before they were noticed. Thankfully she'd obeyed without so much as a whuff. She seemed to feel the weight of the situation below.

He'd known that Genevieve was watching him all evening, felt her dark-eyed stare across the room like a brand. She was simply bursting with questions and while he hadn't had a chance to talk to her the last few days, he wasn't sure if he was more impressed with her amount of self-control or terrified at the questions she clearly wanted to ask.

Still, he hadn't worked up the nerve to approach her. Especially not when that other girl (Brandy? Breanna?) was practically sitting in his lap. It had not escaped his notice however when Genevieve had suddenly donned her cloak and left the Hall.

He'd assumed she'd gone back to the house. Exhausted from another long day's work, he'd left the Town Hall not long after just to find the house dark and empty. Genevieve almost always had a few candles burning at night and sometimes (when he was lucky) he could hear her humming absentmindedly from the room directly below his.

But it hadn't taken long for him to realize that she might have gone to the arena. There was no patrol and the dragon was by himself. She wasn't a rebellious girl but in light of certain events, it was exactly what he would have done in her shoes.

Thus, he'd arrived just in time to hear her cackles echoing across the stone walls. He'd watched in shock as the Shockjaw showered her with plumes of snow, biting his knuckle to restrain his own chuckles. That sneaky, overgrown lizard was just like Zap deep down. Try to fool him with all of his brooding and growling, did he? But one sound to give away his location and… well, he didn't want to consider the repercussions. The dragon didn't trust him yet but he apparently trusted Genevieve if his nuzzling her hands was any indication.

Something warm bloomed in his chest as she smiled, resting her forehead against the Shockjaw's and whispering something Finn couldn't pick up from this distance. The Shockjaw's pleased crooning was a welcome sound in comparison to his usual growls and sneers. Maybe she'd been right all along. Maybe he was afraid of men. Maybe he'd just needed a woman's touch.

He weighed this new development against his instructions, especially Molly's. Genevieve wasn't to get involved and he wasn't to get any more ideas. Taking her on that flight probably hadn't been one of his wiser ideas. Or had it? For all of Genevieve's intelligence and graciousness in helping the village, she wanted more out of life. Who was he to deny that of her? His entire world was made of up of breaking the fourth wall, of thinking outside the box. His parents had reconstructed their entire world from a theory and it had succeeded all these years. Who was he to not share that with someone who had so much hidden passion inside?

Finn withheld a sigh. Things were about to get more complicated.

It was a few more minutes before Genevieve finally sighed and dropped her hands. "I have to go now before I freeze." Finn realized with a horrified wince that her hands were bare. She could get frostbite, what was she thinking. "I hate to make you go back in there but if you don't go in, they'll know someone let you out."

With a sad moan, the Shockjaw bumped her shoulder with his nose and returned to the cage, tail dragging in the snow. When the rumbling of the closing door filled up the silence as she began turning the pulley mechanism, Finn moved. By the time the doors were down and she whispered a goodbye to the Shockjaw, Finn was already across the arena and climbing down the balustrade.

He had just enough time to lean against the cold stone wall beside the portcullis before she wriggled beneath the sharp spokes with a groan. She didn't notice him standing there as she slowly got her feet, teeth chattering.

"You know-" Genevieve squeaked and whipped around, eyes wider than he'd ever seen them. "I can't tell if I'm more impressed by your ability to withstand the cold, your dragon training skills, or your rebelliousness."

She slapped a hand to her chest with a sigh of mixed relief and terror, a small laugh escaping her. "Finn."

He smirked. "Gen."

Her smile faltered and he couldn't deny that the guilty look on her face was a touch adorable. "I can explain."

"Please do," Finn gazed through the bars of the portcullis toward the now-closed dragon pen. "How exactly did you win his trust? Because it's driving me a little crazy just how easily you were able to do that."

Genevieve blinked and he waited for her response as he began lowering the portcullis. "You're not… upset?"

"Upset? What do I have to be upset about?" Finn asked, facing her once the portcullis thudded shut. "Actually no, I take that back. Like I said, I can't tell if I'm more impressed or irritated."

"I just did what you've been training my people to do." Genevieve said, rubbing her pink hands together.

Finn frowned at her hands but met her gaze. "Yes, your people. Not you. You've had one lesson, Gen, one. What do you think would happen if he'd decided to hurt you? And you were in there alone, completely unguarded without backup, and no one knew where you were." He wasn't sure where the irritation was coming from, but it was emerging faster than he could control. "Say he tore your arm off and you managed to get outside the arena before he finished you off, you'd bleed to death before you got halfway to the healer's, and because it's especially cold tonight your brother gave the guards the night off. Suppose we found your body in the street tomorrow-"

"Okay, alright!" Genevieve cried, raising her hands. "I know, I'm sorry. I just…" She huffed.

Finn took a deep breath himself and rubbed his eyes. "Look, I'm not… I'm not really that mad at you, it's just… I'd really hate to see you get hurt." She gave him a nervous look, even as she tried rubbing her hands again.

Ah, screw it. With pursed lips, he stepped closer and took her hands, ignoring her surprised blink. They felt like blocks of ice and she hissed at the contact.

"Gods Gen," Finn pulled her hands up to his mouth and blew on them, cupping the warm air beneath their palms. Her thin fingers, perfect for plucking strings and sewing, were stiff and bright red in the torchlight. She groaned at the mixture of cold and heat, perhaps not caring about propriety in that moment. "We need to get you home before you lose a few fingers, or you won't be playing harp again anytime soon."

"Yeah."

Finn led her down the street at a brisk pace, wishing he had some gloves. Unfortunately he'd left them back in the loft before dinner.

Genevieve stuffed her hands into her armpits as they walked. If all the snow covering her from head to toe was any indication, it probably wasn't doing her much good. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have gone in there."

He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I understand why you did, and I don't blame you." They passed two more houses before he worked up the nerve to ask, "Why don't you talk to your parents about it? Dragon training?"

"I told you the other day that they won't hear it."

"Okay, so you go in there without their permission and risk your life instead?"

Genevieve screeched to a halt in the middle of the street, her hands bunched at her sides. "You were the one who told me to take chances."

"Not at the expense of your life!" Finn exclaimed, then pointed at her hands. "Hide your hands or I'm taking off my smelly socks to use as gloves."

She grimaced and grudgingly tucked her hands away.

"Now I'm all for training you," Finn said. "What I'm not up for is losing you in the ring."

"Yes, we established that."

He huffed. "What I'm trying to say is the only way this can proceed is if you talk to your parents, convince them why you should train a dragon."

"I don't want to train a dragon, I want to train Max."

Confusion extinguished all thought and Finn stared for a moment. "What?"

Genevieve drew herself up to her full height. "His name is Max. Short for Maximus."

Finn blinked. "Why?"

"Because he's a maximum pain, making us all think he's an untamable beast all this time."

He stared, all thoughts vanished from his head before he couldn't help it. He laughed, the sound echoing down the street.

Genevieve clicked her tongue and stomped away, hands shoved deep in her cloak.

"No no wait!" Finn trotted after her, grabbing her elbow. "I'm not making fun of you."

"Oh of course you're not," Genevieve yanked her elbow out of his grip and glared. Finn's mirth died instantly. Oh, she was angry at him. He couldn't decide if it was frightening or hot. "And I suppose you're not ignoring me either?"

Finn stared in confusion. Ignoring her? Since when had he been ignoring her?

She huffed and stalked away again.

"Agh women," Finn muttered before running to catch up. He skidded around her and raised his palms to stop her. "Gen, talk to me. What did I do?"

"Do?" Genevieve demanded. "You didn't do anything, that's the problem! No, scratch that. You come into my quiet, sheltered little life and blow the door off the hinges as it were. Everything was fine until you guys showed up with your dragon riding and now I'm having a bit of an existential crisis because I've never been so confused and disassociated with my entire life before, and it's all your fault!"

Finn pursed his lips. "Technically it's your dad and brother's fault, I was hired in."

Genevieve was not to be swayed apparently because she continued, "And then you take me on that flight after getting me to spill all my secret hopes and dreams, and if you seriously wanted to follow instructions and not get me invested in dragon training, then why did you take me ON that flight?"

"Well-" Finn started.

"And furthermore," Genevieve interrupted, brandishing a finger in his face. Finn bit his cheek to hide the smile threatening to take over. "Not only do you show me a whole new world that I never knew existed, not only do you provide an obvious means to an end for my desires for a different life, you don't talk to me, or even LOOK at me, for DAYS AFTER!"

She was panting by now and the tone of her voice was steadily rising in pitch, which only signaled tears. At least that's how it always worked for his sister. Finn raised his hands. "Gen, deep breath."

Surprisingly, she listened, pressing her still-red hands into her eyes and exhaling heavily.

They were silent for a minute, Finn wracking his brain, trying to think of the best thing to say. Gods, he never wanted to be Erick more in his entire life. His bruh had a way with words and he… well, he was just too blunt sometimes. He didn't want to make it worse. Apparently she was pretty upset with him; it made sense really. All this conflict and confusion had been bottled up and building inside her for days, weeks. It was bound to come out eventually.

And yeah, he hadn't made it any better by keeping his distance.

"I wasn't trying to ignore you, Gen," He said at last.

"I know you've been busy," Genevieve said quietly, rubbing her face and tucking her hands under her cloak again. "But you could have at least said something. Or at least looked at me. Or… were you that unaware of my presence in the Hall?"

"No, I knew you were there," Finn said quietly. Shame warmed his cheeks. He'd known she wanted his attention and because he was so stubborn, because he was confused with his own feelings, he couldn't be bothered to consider her feelings too. He couldn't even spare her one glance? One smile? No wonder she was upset.

Sighing heavily, he met her gaze. "I'm sorry. I know I can be a little… aloof and callous sometimes."

"You're not though," Genevieve said. "You're not callous at all."

"No, but I'm a lot more afraid and selfish than people realize," Finn admitted. "Sometimes… I'm so wrapped up in what I'm thinking and feeling that others' thoughts and feelings don't… It's not that they don't matter, it just doesn't occur to me. I'm too wrapped up in myself sometimes."

Genevieve gave him a wan smile. "There's a lot of that going around it seems. I could have sought you out. I thought about it but… well."

He couldn't resist the smirk. "You didn't want to prove me right when I called you nosy, right?"

Genevieve rolled her eyes but it was a relief to see her smile. "Yes."

Finn nodded. She'd been honest with him. He could lower his pride and do the same for her. "Do you want to know why I was so stubborn about not seeking you out?"

Nervousness filled her eyes but she nodded. She wanted the truth.

He could do this. Even as his heart hammered in his chest, he could do this. "I had a blast on Saturday. I really did. But there are two thoughts that have been plaguing me ever since. One, it's been a long time since I've had that much fun with a girl and-" Say it. Say it, you coward, he chided himself mentally, even as his gaze dropped to the ground. "And not felt guilty about it." He plowed on, terrified to gauge her expression. "And two, I knew you'd have a lot of questions about everything that happened that day and because I was afraid of which ones you might ask, I guess I used my busy schedule as an excuse to brush the opportunities to talk to the wayside."

All was silent in the cold street and he finally dared to look up at her. She was staring at him, that little pinch in her left cheek a sign of her deep thinking. "Why would you feel guilty about spending time with a girl?" She finally asked.

He winced. "That… is one of those questions that I was terrified to hear."

Genevieve huffed a laugh. "How unfortunate." She didn't press the topic, which he was grateful for. "What sort of things can I ask about then? Because I know I'm a fast thinker and questions shoot out my mouth before I consider the propriety of it."

Finn laughed. "Oh you will never get a lecture from me when it comes to propriety, for I myself have none." She smiled but raised her brows to answer the question. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "I don't want to put a bunch of restrictions on you like that, I don't think that's fair."

"But if there are things you don't want to talk about then you shouldn't have to." Her eyes lit up. "Ooh we'll use a code word!"

He blinked, grinning in amusement. "A code word?"

"Precisely. For example, when I ask a question that's too close to any particular topic that you don't want to discuss, you say the code word and I'll know that's a taboo discussion."

"Well taboo sounds a bit harsh," Finn shook his head. "And what kind of code word would we use for this hypothetical situation?"

"No no, this is happening, I insist," Genevieve stated with a sweet smile that had him snickering. "Let's see… red."

"Pft, 'red'? Like my hair?"

"Yes!"

"No. How about 'curly'?"

"After this bushy mane? Absolutely not."

"It would be easy to remember."

"Stop flirting and focus."

"The code word can be 'flirting'. It will remind us of these good ole times in the cold." Finn gasped, "Or the code word can literally be 'code word' and no one will be the wiser."

"Well that is the purpose of a code word, dearie." Genevieve waved a red hand.

Finn's smile slipped off his face as he noticed the white tinge on her fingers. Stomach dropping, he said, "Frostbite."

Genevieve blinked and suddenly nodded. "Frostbite. I really like that one-"

"No Genevieve," Finn grabbed her arm and inspected her hand in the low light. He muttered a curse and quickly stripped off his coat.

"What are you doing?" Genevieve asked in horror, then gasped when he shoved her hands into the warm leather. He wrapped her hands crudely and ignored her squeal of surprise when he picked her up and sprinted down the street. "You're getting frostbite, keep those wrapped and hold on."

He ran as fast as he could as she huddled her hands inside his coat. The wind bit through his wool shirt but he didn't care so long as she didn't lose her hands to the elements. How could he have forgotten and been so stupid?

Her teeth were chattering as if his urgency made her realize just how cold she was. This was exactly why women should wear proper clothing in the winter months. He kept her bundled to his chest as a fierce wind hit them but he pushed forward, her house looming in the distance, candlelight flickering in the windows. The cold felt like sharp knives in his throat as he finally darted up the stairs and shoved the front door open.

In the living room Kiev and Thuggory's hands dropped to their weapons on instinct but they instantly relaxed upon recognizing them. Then their eyes widened.

Finn was already heading to the dining room table. "Frostbite. I need lukewarm water and cloths."

Kiev was at his side instantly as he set Genevieve down and Thuggory surged for the items. Genevieve's lips were chapped and turning blue; she shuddered in the sudden warmth. She made to remove her hands and Finn clutched them inside the jacket.

"No no, leave them until we have water," Finn said, pressing them to his chest for extra warmth.

"What happened?" Kiev demanded.

"I w-went for a w-walk," Genevieve said. "Lost t-track of time." She shook herself to ward off the shivers. "I'm alright."

Kiev's forehead wrinkled. "In this weather? Genevieve that was foolish, if Finn hadn't found you-"

"I was with her the whole time, sir, I'm as much to blame." Finn replied. He was grateful when Thuggory returned with a large bowl of water and some clean cloths. Kiev tested it to make sure it was the right temperature. "Alright Gen, we're going to take this nice and slow but it's probably going to hurt, alright?"

She nodded and Finn began removing the jacket. He hissed at the sight of her bright red hands and the white spots on her fingertips. Genevieve's breath hitched and his gaze briefly darted to her frightened expression.

"Gently now," Kiev instructed calmly, helping to lead her trembling hands over the bowl. Thuggory hissed at Finn's other side. "Alright."

With her hands submerged, Genevieve recoiled with a cry. Finn wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from shoving away while Kiev and Thuggory kept her hands in the water.

"Deep breaths, love, give it a minute," Kiev said soothingly.

Genevieve groaned and dropped her forehead onto Finn's shoulder. "Oh gods, I'll never go outside in the cold again!"

"We caught it in time, you'll be just fine," Kiev said, even as Finn gently patted her back. "Thuggory, fetch the healer just in case."

"Right," Thuggory nodded and quickly left, but not before donning his own hat and gloves.

"What on earth is going on down here?" Molly's voice wafted from down the stairs. Though Finn couldn't see her, he knew the exact moment she realized something was wrong because her small feet suddenly pounded down the stairs.

"What's wrong? What is it?" She appeared at Kiev's other side and gasped shrilly. "Genevieve!"

"It was an accident!" She wailed from Finn's shirt, the material getting wet from pained tears.

"You know better than to-"

"Molly," Kiev replied in a sharp tone that Finn had yet to hear. "Now is not the time."

Molly drew herself up taller. A fighting stance. Genevieve did the same thing, he realized. He averted his eyes, waiting for the thunder in the wake of Kiev's lightning.

Instead, Molly surprised him by stalking to the kitchen. "We'll need more than one bowl of water, gradually warmer. Did I hear Thuggory is fetching the healer?"

"Yes, dear."

"Very good."

Finn felt distinctly awkward but he focused on Genevieve. Her parents were no fools; they'd surely noticed her soaked-through cloak and damp clothes. Even her hair was wet. He forced his expression into neutrality. He'd vouch for her if they prodded her for more information but at the same time, he believed that she needed to come clean and talk to her parents about the dragon.

Max. She'd named him Max, due to being a maximum pain in the butt. This was all his fault, stupid dragon.

He grinned, which wasn't lost on the Sullivans. Kiev frowned in confusion as Molly brought a new bowl. "What's so funny?"

Finn thought quickly. "We always tell my dad to stop fooling around in the winter months because he's got five less toes to lose than everyone else."

Molly tsked her tongue, though she appeared to be fighting an amused smile. Kiev huffed a laugh as he gently transitioned Genevieve's hands to the new bowl. She hissed at the warmer water and sat up, face flushed from her tears and the heat of the room.

"It would be quite disastrous if he had to have two peg legs," she said thickly.

Finn snorted, shaking his head. "Then he'd have to walk like those birds that live on the beach with little stick legs and they walk super fast. No knees, they just zoom along-"

Genevieve snorted and tried to smother a laugh when Finn used his fingers to mimic the action, and the mental picture of his dad having to live his life with two peg legs was so tragic and hilarious that soon their laughs were echoing through the room.

What Kiev and Molly thought at the sight of their daughter cackling to near tears with him, perhaps he'd never know. But their shared concerned glance only worsened the laughing fit and soon Genevieve's face was covered in more tears, but this time with mirth.

"Alright you two," Kiev said. "I don't know what you were up to on this walk of yours-"

"There was no alcohol involved if that's what you're insinuating," Finn smirked, removing his hand from Genevieve's waist at last. At their surprised blinks, he added, "Sir."

Molly lifted a brow. "Is the snark a Finn thing or a Haddock thing, I wonder?"

"Most definitely a Haddock thing," Finn nodded with pursed lips. "One cannot possibly be this snarky without some of it being hereditary. Alas, I respectfully and humbly submit to you that it's a disease and it's definitely malignant."

"What ever shall we do with this parasite under our roof?" Genevieve sighed, wiping her face as best she could with a shoulder.

"Wow," Finn gaped, even as Kiev huffed a laugh. "Malignant disease sure but I never said anything about being a parasite. I truly appreciate the fact that you love having me around, Miss Sullivan."

"You'll suck us dry of all good sense and good liquor. Helga told me you like to drink."

"Gen-" Molly frowned.

"Helga exaggerates; I do not have a drinking problem in any sense. I do find however that I cannot say no to Hjartan ale; it's got a citrus-y flavor that I've never had before."

"Oh that's Ferdinand Sullivan's recipe," Kiev joined the conversation with gusto, removing Genevieve's hands from the water and putting them into a third bowl Molly had brought over. "He was my great-great-great-"

Genevieve leaned closer to Finn, so close he could almost count her lashes. "Brace yourself, we might be here a while."

"I've got nothing but time," Finn crooned.

Genevieve hid a smile and nodded at her father, who was still counting back through the great's in his ancestry and paused somewhere around the fifth or sixth, asking Molly which number it was.

"How should I know your ancestry, Sullivan? I married you!"

Finn snickered as the door opened and Thuggory returned with the healer, both stomping their feet and removing their coats.

"Alright then, let's see, dearie," The old woman bustled forward, waving Finn away with a wrist. She instantly tsked and felt Genevieve's forehead. "You boys fetch this girl some water for a hot bath straightaway."

"Yes ma'am," Thuggory nodded and Finn grabbed his discarded coat off the floor before following him outside.

He groaned against the bitter cold, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he followed Thuggory to the barn. A small pile of buckets lay just inside the door. The horses nickered from their stalls as they briefly appeared.

"I swear, one of these days mom is going to kill her," Thuggory muttered. "What were you guys doing out anyway? It's freezing."

Finn followed him to the well down the street, buckets in hand. "We were just talking and lost track of time."

"Yet she's mysteriously soaked to the bone and you're not."

"She has terrible aim in a snowball fight whereas I do not."

"Ha!" Thuggory cackled as he tied off the first bucket and plunged it into the well. "You're learning but you don't know my sister that well yet. You'll find she has impeccable aim actually."

Interest piqued, Finn asked, "Really?"

"Yup, being the youngest of the brood and with me as her closest buddy, she had learn all the things to not be left behind or picked on. So naturally I taught her everything I know."

"What a bro."

"Didn't you do the same for your sister?" Thuggory asked, dropping his second bucket down.

Finn winced. "Actually no. Adrianna and I didn't really get along when we were little."

"No? But you're twins, that practically makes you honorary best friends. I think it would be awesome to have a twin."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes it is. It's gotten better as we've gotten older. When we were little though, Adrianna just annoyed me."

"Well yeah, sisters do that, what with their flowers and ribbons and crying at the drop of a hat."

Finn blinked. "Exactly!" Finally someone who understood! He dropped his first bucket down the well. "And Adrianna's been through a lot so she had a rough childhood. She couldn't really be a normal kid and I think that always made me look at her as if she was weak. But as I've gotten older, I think she's one of the strongest women I know." He tied the second bucket to the rope and watched as it disappeared into the darkness. "I haven't taught her everything I know but I do love her with every fiber of my being. I'd do anything for her."

Thuggory nodded and slapped his shoulder. "What a bro."

Finn laughed and followed him back to the house, their footsteps choppy as they tried to walk without spilling. "How many trips is this going to take do you think?"

"Ah… three if we're lucky?"

He swallowed his sigh. It was for Genevieve. He would not complain. "Great."

"Don't sound too chirpy, Mr. Sarcastic."

"I'm trying to have a good attitude, okay?" Finn said as they marched up the steps. "Loser has to clean up all the spilled water." With that he toed the door open and took the stairs two at a time, ignoring Molly's chirps about spilling.

"Loser cleans up mom, it's fine and it's cold outside, we got this!" Thuggory shouted from his heels. "Also, you have the disadvantage of not knowing where Gen's bedroom is!"

"It's directly below the loft, dingus!" Finn darted down the hall, careful not to spill any water in her room as he entered. He briefly noted the smell of her perfume and the neatly made bed, bureau, and a barely-started tapestry strewn across a desk.

"How did you know that?" Thuggory set down one bucket to pull a large silver tub with feet out of her closet. He dragged it overtop a small fireplace of hot coals and they quickly yet carefully poured the buckets of water inside.

"Sometimes I can hear her singing," Finn replied quietly, hoping she and her parents couldn't hear him from below.

"How dreamy," Thuggory smirked.

Finn shoved him onto Genevieve's bed and darted out the bedroom, buckets in hand. Thuggory was on his heels in moments and they charged back down the stairs. The first one to the well would obviously be the winner, since the other would have to wait their turn to gather water. Finn slid down the bannister, cackling as Thuggory tried to shove him off.

They tore out the front door and leaped down the stairs, trying to outrun each other to the well. They probably looked ridiculous fighting over a rope and trying to tie their buckets. They spent more time shoving and wrestling in the snow than collecting water, and it took Molly's shouting out the front door to get them to finally gather more water.

They reappeared flushed and covered in snow, but after two more trips Genevieve's tub was filled. Molly dubbed both of them losers and insisted they clean up the trail of water, handing each of them a towel. Finn left Thuggory at the front door to start in Genevieve's room, knowing that the sooner she got in the hot water the better, so she shouldn't have to wait for them to clean her floor last. He'd simply work backwards and meet Thuggory halfway.

He winced at the sight of wet footprints and puddles on the floor around the tub and quickly got to work. With all the competition, they'd made more of a mess than was necessary. Perhaps with all her siblings she was used to that though. What an interesting concept to have such a large family, to be the youngest of nine kids?

He'd met most of her family by now. Genevieve had three sisters and five brothers. The sisters were as prim and proper as Molly; sweet and kind, except for the one who'd promptly called him a barbarian and stalked away. Molly had quickly advised not to mind her as she was wound a bit too tight most days. The brothers though: wow. Having only Adrianna as a sister, Finn had always dreamed of what it might be like to have a brother. He couldn't imagine having five. They were all good-natured and muscled, hardcore Viking men through and through. Of these siblings, each was married and most of them had children. Finn had quickly lost track of names and faces; he only knew they were all related by those same dark brown eyes and curly hair, both brown and blonde.

As he sopped up the water from the floor, he took a chance to look around her room. The bedframe, bureau and desk were made of a deep cherrywood. On the walls were various things she'd made: needle art and sketches and paintings of nature and animals… even dragons. A collection of shells and colored rocks and a pile of what suspiciously looked like dragon scales lay scattered on her wide windowsill. Shelves had been nailed into the walls for books and art supplies. A lyre and some sort of pipe instrument lay on a small bench in front of the mirrored vanity.

The room was colorful and open and artsy, a testament to all the things she observed and tried to capture in some way. It was an inside look into the girl who longed to learn and experience new things.

"Now who's nosy?"

Finn smirked and twisted on his heels to see Genevieve lounging in the doorway, hands wrapped in damp hand towels. "So I was a little curious. After all your questions, cut me a little slack."

Genevieve smiled and entered the room. "Fine, but just this once."

"How are your hands?"

"Healer said they'll be just fine," Genevieve said. "Thank you for helping me. I didn't realize it was that bad."

"We should have come straight here honestly and not stopped to talk but… I'm glad we did," Finn said, and he meant it. Things felt less awkward now, somehow. Like the air had officially cleared and they knew where they stood.

"Me too." Genevieve smiled. "Now we can stop dancing around each other like a couple of newborn deer."

Laughing, Finn gathered the sopping towels and exited her room, stopping over the threshold. "So, a few things and I'll leave you alone for the night."

Genevieve leaned against the doorway with eyebrows raised.

It was too easy, flirting with her. Finn stepped imperceptibly closer, forcing her to look up to meet his gaze. He lowered his voice, partially due to the topic. "One, I really wasn't making fun of you. Max is a good name." Genevieve's amusement slipped away momentarily and she smiled gratefully. "Two, talk to your parents, Gen. When you're ready, I'll be there, but promise me you won't go back in that ring until you do."

Genevieve winced. "But…"

Finn stared at her unblinkingly. She was smart. He didn't need to say the words out loud: if she kept going without their permission and risking her life, he'd have to rat her out. And he really didn't want to do that.

"If you got hurt and they found out that I knew you'd been sneaking in there…" Finn paused. "That would be really bad."

Genevieve finally conceded. "Alright. I promise. I have until Friday anyway when… our little deadline happens."

Right, his promise to let the dragon go if he didn't train him by Friday. He really hoped she would scrounge up the courage to talk to her parents. That they'd give her a chance to train the male Shockjaw. Max. Now that she'd named him, that they were bonded even in that… it would crush them both to let the dragon go. Heck, he didn't even like the dragon all that much and he'd be crushed.

With a heavy sigh, Genevieve gave him a small smile. "What's the third?"

Finn smirked. "Frostbite makes for a good code name, don't you think?"

Genevieve surrendered a smile. "Yes. I believe it does. So I'll have free reign to ask all the questions but if it's a touchy topic, then we'll have some frostbite on our hands."

"Pft, that was cheesy, even for you."

She shrugged, and gods if that smile didn't kill him. She made to speak when Thuggory's voice suddenly echoed from the downstairs.

"Boy, I wish I had a helper for all these wet stairs!"

Finn rolled his eyes and sighed. "Wow, if only I knew what it was like to have an annoying brother."

Kiev and Molly cackled from downstairs and clapped. He could imagine Thuggory's frown even from this distance Genevieve poked his chest with her wrapped hand, which didn't feel very threatening.

"Always so sassy."

"That's my middle name."

"No, that would be Finn," Genevieve smirked. "What kind of first name is Fearless, anyway?"

Finn shook his head. "No, Fearless Finn was my mom's uncle. I was named after him."

"Really?" Genevieve asked. "That's interesting."

"Yeah, except I never met him so don't ask. That's not frostbite material, I just have literally no information on the man."

"So you're named after him but you don't know anything about him?"

He shrugged. "One day when you meet my mom you can ask."

Genevieve nodded resolutely. "I will do just that." She sighed and leaned her head against the frame, staring up at him. With him still standing close, he could see the individual strands of her curly hair that cascaded across her left eye. She looked exhausted and Finn took that as his cue to leave.

But not before he brushed her hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear with a gentleness he didn't know he possessed. She stared up at him with a surprised, open gaze, those dark eyes searching, devouring him in the dim light.

Her lips parted as if she'd speak but he gave her a crooked smile. "Goodnight, Gen."

Before she could say another word and snuffing out any chances of him doing anything supremely stupid and rash, he turned and marched down the hall and disappeared down the stairs, heart thudding with every step of his boots.

He tromped down the stairs in time to hear Thuggory's griping from the floor. "About time you stopped flirting with my sister and got to work. I'm getting blisters and my back hurts."

"Are you always this whiny?" Finn demanded, stepping up behind him while twirling a wet rag in his hand. He grinned in amusement at the sight of Kiev's eyebrows shooting up into his hairline as he added, "You'll have worse things to complain about than a sore back."

"What-"

Finn flicked out the towel toward Thuggory's butt and with a loud, wet SLAP, he collapsed to the floor with yelp.

"OH MY GODS I'LL KILL YOU HADDOCK!"

Finn charged back up the stairs, taking them four at a time as Thuggory dragged himself off the floor and took off after him. He heard Genevieve laughing in her room as he barreled past, taking the stairs to the loft as fast as he could. He slammed the door shut and waited patiently with the towel ready.

Thuggory burst through the door and his eyes widened, going too fast to stop himself as he realized his error.

The resounding slap of the towel hitting a decidedly more sensitive area was echoed by a scream so loud, Finn was pretty sure he lost a third of his hearing that night. It had been an accident but Finn was still rolling on the floor laughing by the time Thuggory recovered. He tried to smother Finn with a pillow after that and it was game on.

It was another quarter of an hour before Molly marched up the stairs to the loft with a scowl and told them off for keeping the neighborhood awake at such an ungodly hour. She sent Thuggory away and bid Finn goodnight, closing the door behind them as they left.

It was a while before Finn was able to wind down from all the activity. But eventually, before he drifted off, he wondered if he would have ever goofed off like that with Darin, his little brother whom he'd never known, if he'd survived? He smiled at the thought. Yes, he suspected their relationship would have been just like that.

Well, he supposed Thuggory could be an honorary brother.

---

Not much to say other than I echo Em's statement about joining the GUH Discord!

Looking forward to the reviews, we'd love to know what you thought!

~Katie