Eye of the Striker

A/N: Work's been a bit of a slog lately, so I've been struggling to find time to write. However, I will try to keep the chapters coming as quick as I Can. Hope you enjoy this one! :)

Chapter 29: Closer

The sun sat low over the waves, setting on an unusually balmy Saturday night. Hiccup kept his head high, even as Snotlout's words were bouncing round his skull like it was a pinball machine. A choice would be made, but not tonight. To his left, Astrid walked half a step behind, her steps a little short of their usual stride. This morning she had said she was up for the welcome back party the twins had planned, but nearing the beach, she fell further and further behind.

He turned back to her, offering his hand and as comforting of a smile he could muster. She braced herself, chest bursting out from one long breath. Reaching out, she tucked her fingers between his, squeezing softly. Keeping her close, Hiccup led the way up the sandy embankment, planting his feet deep in its peak as he helped her up. From there, it only took a moment's glance to find where they would be heading next.

A distance down the beach, a raging inferno huffed plumes of black smoke that danced in the wind. If there was fire, there were the twins, it was almost a certainty. Hiccup and Astrid removed their shoes and socks, before heading towards it. The only sound was the gentle crashing of the waves, and he kept the pace slow, stretching the last few minutes of peace. His soles were toasted with the last heat of the day's sun, the sand melting against his toes. That same warmth coursed from his palm as her hand tightened around his. Her shoulder pressed to his, four footsteps merging to three as their destination grew closer.

One thing the twins would never be called is conservative, but Hiccup was speechless as he stared at what they had managed to set up. Around the bonfire, a half-dozen hunking logs to sit on were arranged in a circle. Beyond that, a series of tall wooden posts had been hammered into the sand, forming a wider loop. What looked like Christmas lights were strewn between them, bringing a magical sparkle to everything beneath. A series of hampers and baskets littered the sand, and a colossal speaker system blasted away on the opposite side of the fire.

Already the party was buzzing. Dagur and Tuff were wrestling in the sand at one end, whilst Fishlegs and Heather were sat together at the other. Ruffnut was fiddling around with the speakers, cursing her brother's taste in music, and lastly, there was Cami. Sitting alone, her flowing bright blonde hair glistened as she leaned forward, her hands opened up towards the fire. With everyone in their own little bubble, Hiccup and Astrid were already beyond the outer lights before anyone noticed their arrival. With a squeal, Ruff pumped her hands in the air, almost knocking the speaker from its perch. She leapt over one of the logs in an ungainly salmon-like motion, before darting over.

Astrid smiled at her, although her eyes quickly flashed to her right hand side. This time, Hiccup squeezed her hand, before whispering a few last minute comforts in her ear. It was enough for her to steel herself, releasing the hold on him to wrap both her arms around Ruff. And the way the Thorston twin bear hugged back was hard to believe, after how badly she'd hurt her arm in the game. Well, Astrid knew better than most, a lot can change in only a few days. After skating around a few of Ruff's awkward probing questions, she finally managed to escape the strangle hold, only to have her arm tugged from its socket.

She looked pleadingly back to Hiccup, but he just shook his head, a wide grin plastered across his face. She shook her head back, crinkling her nose up as she shot him a disbelieving pout. As she was dragged away, he stared after her, an uneasy ache spiking him. Like a reluctant swimmer to a deep pool, the twins were always going to be a challenge, but sometimes being chucked in at the deep end was the only way forward. He hoped so anyway. Eyes narrowed, he traced her through the crackles of the fire as Heather and Fishlegs were getting up to welcome her. Once more, she turned back looking for him, and he gave her one definitive nod, a promise made. She knew what that meant.

With nothing further he could do, he climbed himself over one of the logs and shuffled himself across. Cami watched him all the way, perfectly still, as he sat himself beside her.

"She looks gorgeous," she stated flatly, her eyes slowly veering away from Hiccup until they landed on the other new arrival. He followed her gaze. Astrid's long brown braid rocked from side to side as Heather hugged her. Beneath the shining lights, she was lit up like a centrepiece, carrying herself with a forceful elegance that could never be hidden. Her white t-shirt was frayed at the edges, the golden sun painted in its centre faded to a meek orange after far too many washes. Her denim shorts had so many holes it was hard to distinguish which, if any, were by design. The whole outfit took Hiccup back in time, and he wasn't ignorant to the significance; it was what she had worn the last time they were on this beach together.

Snapping himself back to the present, he turned back to Cami. There couldn't have been a starker contrast. Her dress was nothing short of opulent, coloured a perfect strawberry red. It hugged her frame tightly down to her waist, where it burst into long, flowing sheets of silk that ran to her knees. Hiccup reached out, taking her hand. "And so do you. Really, you look incredible, Cami." The smallest of smirks snuck free from her stoic expression, the gentle pinkening of her cheeks subtle enough for the fire to take the blame. "Thank you for coming. It really means a lot to me. After what happened last time I saw you… I wasn't sure you would."

"Just forget it," she brushed off. "I definitely overreacted. I didn't mean to ruin your night."

He nudged her shoulder. "You ruined nothing. But… I do still owe you a song. I'm sure we'll find time tonight."

"Let's hope so," she said, smiling. She looked down to the floor, tapping her knee, before looking back to him, a wavering uncertainty etched across her face. "Hiccup," she started, now tapping her fingers on both her knees, "-I was just wondering. I know he's probably not invited after everything, but, by any chance, is, y'know, Snotlout… coming?"

"Snotlout?" Hiccup squeaked.

"Yeah," she replied, shaking her head. "I know what he did was awful, but I still feel… terrible, the way I cut ties like that. You won't agree, but I have to believe he's worth not giving up on at least."

"No, I do believe you," Hiccup admitted. "I think… maybe… he has a chance." Hiccup nudged her shoulder again. "And I think he really needs a friend like you. I'm sure he'd love to see you."

She scoffed. "You would think he'd answer my calls then. I haven't been able to get through to him."

Hiccup paused. "Oh, right. Yeah, he doesn't have a phone at the moment." She stared at him blankly. "Because he's sort of… how do I put it… in the Asylum."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "That's really not a funny joke, Hiccup."

"I'm not joking." He confided, opening his palms up. "He chose to go. And I've been there to see him. He really is trying to do better. He told me he was sorry, and genuinely, I believe him." He took a moment, before continuing. "You probably know him better than I do, but I know one thing for certain. He misses you. And I know he would really appreciate it if you went to visit."

She nodded to herself, taking it all in, but before she could respond, their time alone was quickly cut short. In a boom of motion and sound, Dagur charged towards them. Two hands wrapped around Hiccup's midriff, Dagur hoisted him from the floor, shaking him in a supposedly affectionate brotherly embrace. Behind Dagur, Tuffnut was quick to follow, though he quite expertly misjudged the height of the log, flying over the top before rolling forward in the sand. Landing just short of the fire, he puffed out his cheeks, wiping his brow in relief. Unfortunately, as he span himself around with his typical unfiltered confidence, his hair swung just a little too close. Like striking a match, the tip of one of his dreadlocks went up in flames.

No-one was particularly worried; this wasn't the first time it had happened. And hearing Tuff's high-pitched wails as he legged it towards the sea was one of the purest joys in life. Obviously Ruff was laughing loudest, even the volume of the speakers was no competition. After watching her brother extinguish himself, she came into the circle, slopping herself down onto the sand as she rummaged through one of the coolers. Pulling out an assortment of sausages, kebabs, and other skewerables, she quickly began dishing them out. The emergence of food had Tuff sprinting back, somehow faster than when he was a living candle. Thankfully this time he stopped himself just short of the logs, vaulting over, before he pounced towards the meaty offerings.

Hiccup walked over, kneeling down at Tuff's side. "I can't thank you enough, both of you," he said, nodding to Ruff who was a few feet away. "You've really made this special."

"We tried our best," Ruff replied. "You think Astrid will like it?"

"She'll love it."

Tuff juggled a pack of burgers between his hands. "I still think we need a little more… spectacle."

Hiccup laughed, grabbing Tuff's shoulder. "This is perfect, it's just what she needed."

Collecting as much as he carry, Hiccup climbed to his feet. Heading round the circle, he handed the food out, before returning to his seat next to Cami. By this time, everyone was seated, skewers brandished like broadswords into the fire. The smell of cooking meat soon consumed Hiccup's nostrils, angering his growling stomach more with each lingering moment. The heaven that first bite brought was something beyond description.

In the short break between stuffing mouthfuls of delicious heart-stopping goodness down their mouths, chatter and laughter raged, drowning out the music to the background. The smile stretching across Hiccup's lips never left, this was all he ever wanted. Here, right now, there was no place he would rather be.

He panned around the circle. To his left, Cami was floating, swaying along to the rhythm of the song. Beyond her, Dagur was demolishing an impossibly stacked kebab. Fishlegs and Heather were now sharing a log, and that wasn't all, judging by the stupid smile on Fishlegs' face. To Hiccup's other side, the twins were locked eye-to-eye in their seventh staring contest of the night. Tuff had won all the previous, only for Ruff to accuse him of cheating on every single one. Given his track record, she probably wasn't lying.

The only person left was Astrid, sat directly opposite Hiccup. Although a fire roared between them, the ebbs and flows of the flames gave him momentarily flashes of her as the night went on. A coy smile here. An adorable laugh there. A nervous brush of her hair behind her ear when she caught him staring just a little too long. He couldn't help it. The blaze made her skin glisten a golden hue. As the night went on, and the fire slowly but surely started to falter, more and more of her came into view. Each time he looked, it pained him more to look away.

Time passed by without a moment to appreciate it. It wasn't long before marshmallows were the only thing left swirling the flames. The speaker had been brought into the inner circle, and whatever song was playing, there were at least three people singing along. Every genre, every decade, every hit, and every miss, someone was straining their lungs to reach their maximum volume. Tuff's solo rendition of bohemian rhapsody was an entertaining spectacle to say the least. However, as track after track passed by, there was one voice missing. Astrid seemed content to sit in the background, nodding along, but nothing more. Hiccup's shoulders dropped as he watched her. She always used to love singing.

A dozen songs later, and still she seemed disconnected. But as the next one rolled around and those first few chords hit the air, her eyes immediately widened. She hoped nobody had noticed, but Hiccup was already way ahead of her. Standing up, he pointed towards her with both hands. He was nodding his head far quicker than she could shake hers, and a burgeoning smile was breaking from her sealed lips. On that ridiculous album they had made together when they were kids, this sat at number three. No way she was dodging this one.

As the first words of the song began, gradually he made his way around the circle. "Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you. I drank too much and that's an issue, but I'm OK." Each step took him closer to her. There was no-one else in sight. "Hey, you tell your friends it was nice to meet them. But I hope I never see them again."

Hiccup was completely in the zone. Somewhere behind him, Tuffnut was also singing along, but the sudden thwack by his sister had abruptly shut him up. Hiccup pressed forward. "I know it breaks your heart. Moved to the city in a broke-down car. And four years, no calls. Now you're looking pretty in a hotel bar. And I, I, I, I, I can't stop. No, I, I, I, I, I can't stop."

Biting her lip, she watched him surgically. His pace, his volume, increased. "So, baby, pull me closer. In the back seat of your Rover. That I know you can't afford. Bite that tattoo on your shoulder. Pull the sheets right off the corner. Of that mattress that you stole. From your roommate back in boulder. We ain't ever getting older."

"We ain't ever getting older." He took those last steps, until barely a grain of sand separated the tips of their toes. "We ain't ever getting older." Staring down at her, he reached out his arms. Some curse along the lines of 'I'm going to kill you,' rasped from her lips, but with a firm grip, she grabbed hold of his hands, pulling herself up.

Her voice was low, but it was smooth as caramel. "You, look as good as the day I met you. I forget just why I left you. I was insane. Stay, and play that Blink-182 song. That we beat to death in Tucson, OK."

She advanced forward, pressing both their hands to his chest. Her eyes were flooded with a fierce zeal, matched by her devilish grin. "I know it breaks your heart. Moved to the city in a broke-down car. And, two years, no call. Now I'm looking pretty in a hotel bar. And I, I, I, I, I can't stop. No, I, I, I, I, I can't stop."

Her smile, her laugh, it was fuel. Noses a nod of the head away from touching, her breath was hot against his skin. In a clumsy harmony they sung together, loud enough that, once again, the speaker didn't stand a chance. "So, baby, pull me closer. In the back seat of your Rover. That I know you can't afford. Bite that tattoo on your shoulder. Pull the sheets right off the corner. Of that mattress that you stole. From your roommate back in boulder. We ain't ever getting older."

The performance wasn't winning a talent show any time. Out of time; narrowly. Out of key; at that volume, obviously. Out of control; well Hiccup was definitely that. He was lost in the melodic trance. As chorus after chorus flew by, Astrid grew more and more into it. Until there she was. Unabashed, full throttle, heart on fire. There she was. Flawless.

"We ain't ever getting older. No, we ain't ever getting older." The final words came and all Hiccup wanted was to play the song on repeat for the rest of the night, to never leave this moment. Luckily Astrid was there to shock him back to his senses.

With a jarring right hook to his shoulder, reality quickly rushed back. She growled at him, "You twat. Making me do that."

There wasn't an ounce of anger in her eyes. He smirked. "Did you enjoy it though?"

That rewarded him another smack, thankfully in not the exact same place as the last. "Not. The. Point."

She crossed her arms across her chest, raising her chin high in indignation. He pressed on, nonetheless. "Come on. You missed this, didn't you?"

There was no masking this truth. She shook her head with a frustrated smile. Her words were barely above a whisper, but were spoke with such a deafening candour. "I did." There was nothing more to say. Frozen, he was more than happy to stand there in silence.

It didn't last long enough. "Hiccup, heads up!" Came a sudden call, finally forcing him to look away. He turned just in time, catching the football a few millimetres short of his face. He hadn't the time to lower it and find the culprit, when he was practically being carried off down towards the sea. Craning his neck around, Dagur was waving his other arm back to the group. "Tuff, Fishlegs, Come on. Think we can squeeze a game in before it gets fully dark."

"We haven't got a chance to do our song yet," Fishlegs replied timidly, quickly looking over at Heather, before returning to her brother.

"Your song can wait. Come on," he grunted.

Hiccup turned back to Astrid, opening his palms up to the sky. She just laughed to herself as she sat back down on the log. Once the rest of the men left the circle, Heather quickly sat beside her, bombarding her with a storm of hushed words hidden behind a covered mouth. Hiccup snapped back to his captor, but before he could vent his frustration, Dagur was already barking orders.

"You two, go find us some big rocks or something to use as goalposts?" Tuff and Fishlegs looked quizzically to each other. "Now!" Dagur ordered, hands clenched up into fists. Sighing, they wandered off aimlessly in opposite directions down the beach. That dealt with, Dagur returned his focus to Hiccup, grabbing him by the shoulders. It burned with the pressure, Dagur's thumb jammed right on one of the spots Astrid's jabs had landed. "What are you playing at?"

"What do you mean?" Hiccup spat, ripping himself free. Even on a wide open beach, somehow he still felt cornered.

Dagur stilled himself, taking a deep breath. "Are you purposely being a dick, or are you just that clueless?"

"Enough, Dagur. What the hell are you talking about?"

Dagur paused, scanning Hiccup up and down. "Hmm." He shut his eyes, tilting his head up to one side so far it's a miracle his neck didn't snap. He held there for a few seconds, before, with a loud sigh, he brought it straight again. "You really couldn't make it any more obvious, could you?" Hiccup had no response. "My God," Dagur exclaimed, scratching his beard, "You're an idiot. I mean, the closer I've ever got to, love, is that kebab I ate earlier, and even I can see it."

"I…"

"You're in a shitty spot. That's true. But, brother, you're not being fair." Dagur reached out his arm again, though this time his hold on Hiccup's shoulder was almost gentle. "Cami is here because you asked her to come. She's here for you. You can't expect her to sit there the whole night watching you pine over another woman."

"That's not how it is," Hiccup protested, but the words stuck like tar to his tongue.

"It's not?"

"No. I would never. I just wanted to… I was trying to…" Hiccup leaned over, clawing at clump of hair up in his hand. "Fuck."

"Got the rocks!" Came Tuff's distance yell. A half-dozen giant pebbles cradled on his stomach jiggled as he rushed over.

Hiccup ignored him, turning to Dagur. "I can fix this," he mumbled, as he started plodding back towards the fire.

"You better," Dagur replied, but he stepped to the side, blocking Hiccup's path. "But now you have to let it sit. You can't go back like this, you'll only make it worse."

"Like your advice has ever helped me before. You're the reason I'm in this bloody mess." Hiccup glowered at him. "Ask Cami out to prom, that's what you told me. And now here am I am, up shit's creek without a paddle. Thank you so much Dagur, what I ever do without you?"

Dagur's smile was sad. "You're not angry at me."

Hiccup slammed shallow punches onto the football in his grasp. "I just hate-" He looked up to Dagur, the wells of his eyes filling up. "-What I'll have to do."

Dagur just slapped the football from Hiccup's hand, pointing in the opposite direction to the girls. "It has to be done." Wrapping his arm around Hiccup's shoulder, he led him away. "But for now, we play."

And sure, Hiccup kicked the ball around a bit, got a goal or ten, but it meant nothing. Ruff joined at some point, he couldn't remember when. It was almost like a vision was playing out infront of him, a cinema screen where things happened but he, himself, was playing no part. He was trapped so far back, the main event in his head taking centre stage. It was only when Heather got involved as well that the full scale of the nightmare dawned on him. A quick glance back up towards was enough to see the final two members of the group now alone, and in close conversation. This couldn't be good.

Hiccup did everything possible to wrap the game up as quickly as possible, but by the time they all headed back up towards the fire, Astrid and Cami were already sat as far apart as the set-up physically allowed. He had to make things right. Cami looked particularly gloomy, hands stretched out to soak in the warmth of the quickly fading fire. Hiccup sat down beside her, reaching out for her hand.

"Having a good night?" He asked. She would have noticed him cringe, but frankly she wasn't paying him the slightest jot of attention.

"Of course.," she eventually replied. Her tone was warm, but there was a bitter sting to its abrupt end. Slowly she withdrew her hand away from him, once more holding it out towards the flames.

"Are you cold?" He slid his jacket down off one shoulder. "You can borrow this if you want?"

"No. I'm fine."

Sighing, he pulled his jacket back up, straightening it the length of his collarbones. His eyes flashed up, down, side to side; hers never left the fire. "I still can't believe all this. Who would have thought the twins had this in them? They've done an amazing job tonight, haven't they?" He asked cheerily, a meek attempt to lighten the mood. It was in vain.

"Yes, it is all rather nice." There was no inflection, no life in her words. Empty, soulless, hollow to the core. He motioned to draw her attention, but she sat statuesque, gazing into the burning embers as if the future itself would present itself in the flickers of red and orange. The silence was choking; the unease hung in the air like a putrid stench.

Reaching out, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Cami-"

She flinched away, closing her eyes, before crossing her arms across her chest. He pulled his hand back, and it dropped limply into his other palm. Cami shuffled herself about on the log, as if the perfect spot could give her the composure she needed. Sitting up straight, she twisted around until her knees met his at a point. "I've been thinking-"

"-That doesn't sound good."

"Please," she said, wagging her finger. "Just… let me finish." She ran a hand through her hair, resting it on the back of her neck. "After… Thursday, and that whole mess I made." Before he could say a word, her hand was already up, stopping him. "It took me a long time to realise why it got to me so much. Why I felt so… hurt."

She rest her hand down on top of his, rubbing softly as she continued. "When something changes and I've got no control over it, it always ends badly. Always. And back in that bar, it was like it was all repeating itself. Nothing had even happened and it felt like everything was falling apart. All I wanted was for everything to stay how it was. It's selfish, I know, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing anything else." She looked up to him, a grim smile pinned on locked lips. "I was stupid to think you weren't already lost."

"Cami, I-"

"-Don't," she said firmly. "Not tonight." She pulled her hands to her chest, interlocking them. "Just… leave me be. Please."

That stung. And as Hiccup reluctantly obeyed her request, leaving her alone on the log, the knife only seemed to twist further. He stared up at the sky, the vast emptiness a fitting reflection of the void that had just been left in his chest. Even the stars seemed to align to form a giant middle finger, solely for him. Cami had been there when he needed her, a beacon of hope when all else was swamped in black. Like the fire before him, the light from that beacon was dying before his eyes. His breaths jagged, he walked away.

With an untimely excitement, Tuff bounced into his path. "Come on, cheer up guys! You'd think this was a funeral." His laugh wasn't reciprocated by anyone else, though it didn't seem to faze him. He immediately shot finger guns in Hiccup's direction. "I've got just the thing. We'll have this party up and running again in no time." Grabbing an old, rusty box from the floor, he barrelled off down the beach.

Hiccup simply continued on his way, sitting beside Astrid in silence. Hands resting on his knees, he glared down at the floor. Scraping the sand through his toes, he dug aimless grooves into the beach, but no hole he could make would reach anywhere close to the one he'd dug himself into tonight. There was never going to be an easy answer, but this felt so far from right. The sickly feeling in his stomach was proof of that. He was ready to call it a night, to call it quits before things could get any worse. And then the fireworks started…

As soon as the first boom exploded above them, Astrid leapt to her feet. Her head jolted in every possible direction, eyes fizzing from one side to the other. Her hands reached up, covering her face, but they shook so violently that the only way to keep them in place was to dig her nails deep into her skin. She stood narrow and frail, tucked tight like a pencil. Like a contagion, the shaking spread downwards, until even standing straight proved a challenge too far. With the second blast, her balance failed her. Unable to catch herself, she collapsed to the side.

Hiccup was just close enough to stop her fall. Wrapping her into his chest, he held the back of her head as she twitched against him. Each bang, each blast, each cursed explosion in the sky sent her spasming, gripping his back with added levels of desperation. Her heart was racing, crashing against her ribs. All Hiccup could do was hold her, though the soothing strokes of his fingers through her hair provided minimal comfort. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. Her tears buried deep through his jacket, leaving his t-shirt slick with damp.

There seemed no end to the torture. Every pitiful whimper shattered him into a thousand more pieces. But stood there, with no power to do anything but hold her, Hiccup's heartache rapidly morphed to a scalding rage. Brave and bold, he'd seen the old Astrid tonight. His Astrid. Now she was but a crumbling husk. A ghost once again. There was only one person to blame. Looking up, the expressions of the rest of their friends were pretty universal, a macabre mix of horror and worry. They stepped closer in an attempt to help, but Hiccup's narrowed eyes were enough to send a clear message. Keep your distance.

It took a couple more minutes, but one earth-shaking blast finally marked the end of the ordeal. Seeing Tuffnut strutting proudly back towards them got Hiccup's blood frothing. Images of running over and pummelling the smirk off Tuff's lips vividly flashed through his mind, but Astrid was more important. He tucked his arm around her shoulder, ever so carefully leading her away. Though her steps were unsteady, it didn't take too long to make it off the beach.

"Where are we going?" She croaked.

He stepped infront of her, drying her eyes with a gentle brush of his thumb. "Home." His hand lingered, cupping her cheek. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, before wrapping her tightly in his arms. "I can't… I can't keep seeing you like this, without knowing how to help. Please, I need the truth. All of it."

She nodded against his chest. "Okay."