Chapter 34: Dating Competition

Eira entered her hut the following afternoon and found Ruffnut waiting for her with a mischievous grin on her face. She closed the door and cautiously approached the twin. "Ruff, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to help you get ready for your date with Dagur!" Ruffnut declared. "And make sure you won't run away."

Eira widened her eyes in alarm. "You heard about that?"

Ruff smirked. "Everyone's heard about it. They just won't tell you."

"And why do you want to help?"

"Because I can't miss an epic competition between Dagur and Snotlout! Heather and Astrid are alreadt helping them, and I want in. Besides, I'm the only one who's unbiased. I will give you my pure, unfiltered opinion." Ruff grinned in satisfaction.

Eira did not know if she should be grateful or scared. "Well, thank you." She probably could use the help. "But I'm not going to run, and I'm already ready."

Ruff looked her up and down. "You're decent, but if you want Dagur to like you..."

Eira frowned. "Dagur already likes me." That was what got her into this mess in the first place. "Besides, it doesn't matter if he likes me. The point of this is to figure out if I like him."

Ruff placed her hands on her hips. "And if you do like him, you'll be glad you put in the effort. Perhaps you could do something with your hair... Maybe change up the bandanna?"

Eira touched the bandanna around her head. "I wear this to hide my scar." She pulled the fabric off to show her friend.

"Dagur likes scars. You should keep it visible."

Eira hesitated. Her initial reason for hiding it had been to avoid having to explain why she defended an enemy. But now that Dagur was on their side, it was only an excuse. She positioned the bandanna so it was further up on her head, leaving her forehead bare.

Ruff nodded in approval. "Very nice."

There was a knock on the door. Eira froze.

Ruff walked right past her and opened the door. "Hello, Dagur and Heather!"

"Ruffnut?" Heather said. "What are you doing here?"

"II could ask you the same thing."

"I'm helping Dagur."

"I'm helping Eira."

"It's better not to ask," Eira said when she finally made it to the door.

Dagur brightened when he saw her. "Hi, Eira! You look great."

Eira smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Eira exited the hut while Heather entered. She looked back at the two girls and wondered if they intended to stay.

"Good luck!" Ruff said.

"And have fun," added Heather.

"Thank you!" Dagur called back. He looked down at Eira with a grin. "We need to get out dragons. We're going to another island."

"Really?" Eira said.

"I know this great place, and no one will be able to eavesdrop."

"Is that really necessary?"

Dagur stopped walking. He bent down and picked up a rock. Then he threw the rock at a tree. They heard an 'ow' that sounded an awful lot like Snotlout. Dagur looked at Eira expectantly.

Eira blinked. "Okay, let's get our dragons."

Dagur took Eira to a small island he found while searching for his father. He made sure to show off on Shattermaster along the way. Soon, they were both having fun displaying their moves. Once they arrived, they slowed down so they could explore the island and take in the scenery. Eira's nervousness faded as she enjoyed the moment.

"This is our last stop," Dagur said, urging his dragon down. He flew through the trees and then landed.

Eira gasped at the scene before her. A beautiful waterfall flowed into a pond that sparkled in the sunlight. "It's beautiful," Eira said. She dismounted Swiftwings and walked closer.

"I know." Dagur stood beside her, and a comfortable silence passed over them. Surprisingly, it was Eira who broke it:

"You really have learned how to slow down and relax." Not that he still didn't have abundant energy, but she did not know if she would like him if he lost that.

Dagur smiled. "You were right about how peaceful it can be. But it wasn't like that at first. When I was alone, I realized I was always on the go because it distracted me from thinking about my real problems."

Eira felt surprised that he shared this with her, though it did make her happy. "Different people have different techniques for avoiding their problems, but it's better to face them."

Dagur nodded. "I figured that out. Once I knew my problems, I could conquer them!"

"And what did you learn... if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all! I realized I was lost when my father disappeared forcing me to become chief. I did things my way because I had no one else to rely on. I did start off wanting to be a good chief for my people, but then it became easier to focus on anger in revenge..."

"You wanted recognition. You were lonely." Eira looked down at his hand so close to hers and felt an odd urge to grab it. Since this was supposed to be a date, she allowed herself to do just that. Dagur tightened his hand around hers and smiled.

"Yes, I was very lonely. But then I met you. And Heather. And now I have what I really want. So... thank you."

Eira felt herself blush. "You're welcome."

"I mean it, Eira." He looked at her earnestly. "No matter what happens... even if you don't choose me... you were there for me when I needed you, and I will always be grateful to you for that." His eyes flickered to the scar on her forehead. "You saved my life. In more ways than one."

Eira relaxed as she gazed into his eyes, and warmth spread through her. She felt the need to say something in return, but the perfect words evaded her. "Dagur, I - I don't know how to explain everything, but I am glad to have you as a friend. You make my life better."

Dagur smiled, though there was a tinge of sadness to it. "I don't want to be friends. I want to be much more than that because I-" He hesitated as if afraid she might run again. He relaxed when she did not move. "I love you, Eira." He lifted his free hand and brushed it across her cheek. Then he immediately started to take it away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Eira caught his hand and brought it back to her cheek. "That feels good." Her pulse raced when he smiled at her. "I don't know exactly how I feel, but... this might help me figure it out." She did know she liked feeling his touch. She liked being this close to him. And it thrilled her to hear him say he loved her. Did that mean she liked him? And exactly how much?

Dagur grinned. "Let me help you out some more." He leaned in until she could feel his breath on her face. He paused before his lips touched hers and looked to her eyes as if asking for permission. Eira's heart pounded with nervousness, but she did not stop him. A part of her did want to know what it felt like...

Eira felt a jolt when Dagur finally closed the gap. She had not known what to expect, but this felt good. He pulled back before she could give it any more thought, and titled his head to the side as he examined her reaction. Eira swallowed to wet her dry throat. "I, uh, need more if I want to know..." She trailed off, feeling extremely awkward asking.

Dagur, however, appeared to have no such reservations. "I'll kiss you all day if it helps you choose me." Before she could respond, his lips were on hers again, and this time he kept them there.

Eira felt a stir of happiness. She decided to go with it for now and analyze later. Instinct seemed to take over as she kissed him back. Her hands moved to his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, and she found she did not mind.

It still felt too soon when he pulled away. She impulsively wanted to protest, but she caught herself just in time. Dagur appeared triumphant as he looked at her. "That was amazing. But next time, I'm going to wait until you kiss me."

Eira blushed. "You might be waiting a while." He still held her close to him, and she made no move to get away.

"You're worth the wait."

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine. She almost wanted to kiss him right then, but she held back. Dagur finally released her, and she took a step back. She focused on breathing deeply to calm her racing heart. Then she looked out at the water and noticed it danced with colors of pink and orange from the setting sun. "That's amazing too."

"It sure is! I've really come to appreciate sunsets. Maybe next time we can watch one together."

Eira smiled at him. "I'd like that."

Dagur grinned. "But right now, it's time to catch dinner!"

Eira lifted her eyebrows. "Catch?"

"Just watch me. I've done this hundreds of times!" Dagur confidently strode towards the pond. He stared intently into the water. Then he swiped his hand. "Ha!" He showed her an empty hand, dripping with water.

Eira could not help but laugh. "Is it invisible?"

Dagur glanced at his hand and frowned. "That usually works."

Eira heard a splash and glanced back at the water. Swiftwings had dunked her head in the water, and when she pulled it back, her mouth was full of fish. She set them down at Dagur's feet.

"Show off," Dagur muttered.

Eira laughed again. "Show me how to cook these."

Dagur brightened at the suggestion. He led the way in building a fire, and then he showed her how to cook the fish. Soon, they sat next each other by the fire, enjoying a nice meal.

"So, tell me how I'm doing," Dagur said. "Is this a good date?"

Eira smiled. "It's the best date I've ever been on. I've had a lot of fun."

"Great! There's plenty of more where this came from."

"We'll see." Eira did not want to think about any big decisions right now. She wanted to enjoy the time she had now so she would always remember it. Upon finishing her fish, she leaned against Dagur. He responded by putting his arm around her. She gazed at the fire and allowed peacefulness to settle over her.

Dagur dropped Eira off at her hut. For a minute, they stood there gazing at each other. Eira wondered how they were supposed to end this. Following her instincts, she leaned in and hugged him. "Thank you for a nice time," she whispered.

"No, thank you," Dagur said. When she pulled back, he leaned his face near hers and kissed her cheek. "Good night, Eira."

Eira felt her face heat up. "Good night, Dagur." She was still smiling when she entered her hut. It promptly evaporated when she saw a smirking Ruffnut. "You weren't here the whole time, were you?" Then again, a twin might not know much about personal space.

"Of course I was!" Ruff said. "Heather got bored after the first hour and went home. Lame! How was your date?"

Eira decided the best thing to do here was to go with it. "It was good... very good."

"That's it? You can do better than that! I want details!"

Eira thought back to the time she shared with Dagur. "We had fun flying. Then he showed me a beautiful waterfall. And we... talked."

Ruff smirked. "You only talked?"

Eira blushed. "No."

"How was it?"

"Good. Don't look at me like that! I don't know how else to describe it. I just felt... happy."

Ruff nodded as if that explained everything. "That's a good sign."

"Do you mind if we continue this tomorrow? I need to get some sleep."

"Good idea. You need to be well rested for Snotlout's round!"

The reminder created a knot in Eira's stomach. Maybe she would not sleep so well after all.

Eira avoided everyone until it was time for her next date. Ruffnut visited her to help her 'get ready' as before. Not wanting to make Snotlout feel uncomfortable, Eira returned her bandanna to its previous position. And then he arrived.

"Hi," Snotlout said while standing in the doorway.

"Hi," Eira replied.

"Don't keep her out too late, young man!" Ruff said with a smirk.

Snotlout gave her a quizzical look. "Why do you care?"

Ruff shrugged. "I needed something to do."

"Where's Tuffnut?"

"He wanted alone time to bond with Chicken."

Snotlout made a face. "I didn't need that mental image. Let's go, Eira."

"I'll talk to you later," Eira said to Ruff, knowing she couldn't avoid it if she tried. She walked alongside Snotlout, who looked anywhere but here. She could tell he was nervous about this, and she was as well. But they had hung out plenty of times in the past. This should be easy, right?

Snotlout led her to the beach. "Astrid said we needed an activity, so I thought we could swim," he said. "If you want to, that is."

Eira smiled. "A swim sounds nice."

Snotlout seemed to relax when she said that. They shed their weapons and stepped into the ocean. The water felt cold, but it became more pleasant once Eira adapted. Plus, the warm sun felt good on her skin.

They both forgot their nervousness as they splashed around in the water. When they grew tired, they relaxed on the shore. Getting an idea, Eira started to gather a bunch of sand in one place.

"What are you doing?" Snotlout said curiously.

"You'll see." Eira spent a few more minutes working on her masterpiece. Then she stepped aside to show Snotlout her creation. "It's a sand dragon."

"Not bad. But watch what I can do." He began building something as well. When he was finished, he triumphantly showcased his lopsided sand Viking. "It's yours truly!"

Eira walked around the sculpture, examining it. "I can see the resemblance... but you need to stand like you're falling over." Just then, a large wave crashed onto the shore, causing the statue to tumble into the water. "Never mind."

"Hey!" Snotlout exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

Eira shrugged. "That's nature for you." She brushed the sand off her body. Then she walked further back on the beach and sat down. A moment later, Snotlout joined her. An awkward silence followed. Eira wracked her brain for a conversation topic. "So, what else did Astrid tell you to do?"

Snotlout stared at the sand. "She said I should talk about... my feelings..." He looked at her anxiously. "But you don't want to hear that, do you?"

Eira shifted uncomfortably. "Well..." True, she did not want to, but it might be necessary. "I think I need to hear it. I need to know where we stand." She gathered up the courage to look right at him. "Since when do you like me, Snotlout?"

"I - I don't know. I didn't realize it until Astrid pointed it out." He gave her an earnest look. "I've been taking you for granted, Eira, and I'm sorry. I do appreciate you. You've always been there, and I feel dumb for not noticing. No one else believes in me like you do. I don't want that to end."

Eira felt touched by his honest confession. She placed her hand over his on the sand. "That's not going to happen. Life isn't always going to be the way it is now, but that doesn't mean I'll stop caring about you."

"I know, but it's still better if you stay with me. I don't know as much about romantic relationships, and I let on, but I want to try."

Eira looked out at the ocean. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If it was just you, maybe we could try, but-"

"-but there's Dagur, right?" Snotlout said bitterly.

"That goes the other way too." She hated this. She did not want to choose because someone would get hurt. "I need to figure out what I want." She glanced back at him to see him looking at her with an unreadable expression.

Snotlout moved his hand from under hers and held it. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

Eira remembered her date with Dagur, and curiosity overtook her. "Well, if you don't mind..." She leaned in and lightly kissed him on the lips. She felt his surprise, but then he responded. She pulled back and looked at him thoughtfully.

Snotlout appeared to be in a daze. "That was nice."

Eira smiled. "Yes." She did find it enjoyable, though she had no strong urge to continue. For now, this was enough. She lay down in the sand and stared up at the sky. "Life has become too complicated recently."

"You've said it."

Eira heard Snotlout lay down beside her and felt his arm brush against hers. This felt peaceful and relaxing. It was comfortable and easy. She could get used to this. As she watched the clouds make shapes, she let her mind drift off and imagine what their life could be like together.

A/N: How do you think the dates went?