Disclamer I don't own the characters of how to train your dragon or any ocs other then firefang and sora
"Oh" there's a folded paper in one of Skullette's blazing yellow sport bag's pocket and she instantly knew what it is. She just wished there could've been a better moment than this to have discovered it upon searching for her phone.
"Skullette? Is something wrong?" she heard the oungest Haddock's inquiry, though she's fairly sure it was more of a little gasp that escaped Skullette's mouth just then.
She look back to the full expense of the Haddock's living room, where everybody was grouped — some sitted on the couches, some on the ground — eating Valka's casserole. The chatter she heard and the murmurs of this is soooo gooood becomes a distant reminder of happier times, happier people eating together in a giant hall. Skullette's heart constricts in her chest when the ache within her caused by FireFang's missing friend becomes almost palpable.
But fang's here and she's calling out to her and there's just no way Skullette was ignoring her ever again.
Skullette looked at her and she's looking right back at her, head tilted to one side as if personificating the curiosity skullette was sure she's feeling right now, with how it's practically rolling from her in waves.
No, I…" she hesitated, because you all agreed in taking it easy tonight so you could start putting your summer plan to motion early tomorrow morning, and skullette didn't know if comunal heartache constitutes taking it easy. Then, seemingly, skullette hesitated just a second too long and there are more than just the pair of brown eyes she adore so much observing her.
It starts with the twitch of her ears in skull's direction, the quickest you've ever seen in this short amount of time she'd been there, and then suddenly a black wolf like husky with silver eyes and a white cresent moon was suddenly meticulously inspecting her from head to toe with her wet nose, as if Moon shadow could find the smallest hint of what might be bothering the girl. Residual disappointment and exasperation resurface when she didn't find anything wrong.
Then she says, "what is it?" and her voice is so eager and tentative that skullette can't help but want to cave in, such is the magnitude of the influence Fang still had over her. Skullette immediately chase it away; it turns out this profound liberation of the mess of feelings inside her ends up manifesting itself as the sigh that leaves her lips.
Sorrowful, worried, very slowly skullette look at her cousin, who now was innocently talking to Hiccup and Boden. she's come such a long way… and though you knew exactly what she's been through during her 23 years, thankfully skullette could only imagine what it's like to lose a friend, even more so one that's been by your side every step of the way since saving her life. The pain is still so fresh, even 8 years later.
Yet again skullette seem to take too long and Boden elbows fang, his chin raising to point in her direction, fang's attention unwantedly being brought to her.
"skull?"
she bow her head. Now it looks like caution was out the window. skullette already feel sorry for her.
"I…" she try, the knot in her throat leaving it difficult to continue. Skullette try once more anyway. "I… Michelle once asked me to help her with something."
As she slowly cross the room with her head bowed all the time, she can't possibly see the others' reaction, but she heard her crystal clear.
"W-what? What's brought this on?" Her voice, clearly as uncertain as skullette feel treating this delicate soil.
skullette extend her hand, offering fang the piece of folded paper that was the catalyst of this whole thing to begin with.
she unfolded it oh so very carefully, mindful of the cranks much like one would of a little bird's broken wing.
As she takes in the title and the alignment, how the text is constructed, and probably the cursive handwriting as well, a heavy gasp can be heard all across the room, and skullette feel more than hear how much the sound resembles a pin right as it touches the ground, the sudden noise reverberating through an empty room. she wince.
Befores he can ask the question that is sure to follow, you give her a simple explanation. "She asked me to help her write this. Before the dance, specifically. It's… it's for you."
skullette summon the courage to look at him and sees her eyes glinting, never leaving her own.
It's too much — she squeezes his eyes shut and tears spill, cascading down her cheeks like the endless, eternal flow of a waterfall.
It's too much — you divert your eyes elsewhere, anywhere else aside from the pain written all over his much too young face. You're all too youngto be dealing with this.
Desperately you want to take his pain away, make it all better, if not for all of you, then for Michelle herself. skullette will probably, most certainly, regret this later, but she did it anyway. After all, she'd trade looking like a fool over seeing her cousin hurt again any day.
skullette take a deep breath and then —
"I'm not Una over there, but I can sing it to you if you want."
fang blinks his eyes open, huge pools of tears falling from her eyes, and looks at you, a pondering expression on her face. At this moment, her boyfriend Sora, appears by his side, giving him a much needed hug.
he murmurs something only for her, so she can't catch what it is, but thens he adopts a resolved, determined face and gives the unfolded paper back to her.
Do it." firefang orders more than tells her of his decision.
Gently, yshe enclose her wrist with yher right hand and push back, saying, "I don't need it. Besides, she would've prefered if you had it."
"Why is this with you anyway?" sHe asks, suspicious.
Skullette give her a small smile, one you've seen in Audin's face so many times before.
"She didn't want you to find it, so she asked me to keep it for her."
"Skullette, could you sing it for us?" Hiccup intervened.
skullette shudder, barely able to not feel the immense sorrow and sheer fear brought on by the thought of singing and butchering the song.
Out of the corner of her eye skullette saw Valka. She puts a supporting hand on her shoulders with a go on look, directed at her, in her eyes.
Stoick with his single clap and the enthusiastic energy exuding from him was the final push she needed.
How did that saying go anyway? 'Longing makes the heart grow fonder'" Boden said with a satisfied nod, both hand on either side of her arms.
"Actually, I believe it's 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', dunce." Una adds practically.
Well, now there was no turning back.
"Thanks, guys Well… since you're asking so nicely, I guess…"
fang's already looking at her when you turn to him. He seems surprised when you offer him your hand, and, as you open your mouth to let the first words come off, despite waiting for it, he looks shell shocked.
" I'm here for you when you're in need
You know you can count on me
It's all alright, no need to cr
But when you do, I'm here"
sHe seems to understand what the tug in her hands means; then, he folds the paper and puts it in her pocket. Standing, she stops in front of her cousin.
" I get, I get, I get, get a feeling "
It's been so long since then, so much has happened… how can they go back to being as happy as you all were then?
" I get, I get, I get, get a dream"
But… maybe … maybe you could make a new normal, and learn to be as happy as you can be now, all of you. And with that thought, you spin fang and just let go.
" And wish we'd stay like this"
" come my way
Let the night come and find you
Oh the stars, they will guide you "
firefang dips his head then, almost looking desolated. skullette take his chin with herr hand and raise it again, making her look deep in your eyes.
Somewhere to her left you hear some of them clapping their hands to the tempo of the song.
" I'll be with you, I'll be with you, my love
And I'll stay here beside you
So come my way "
Then you drop the note, hugging him just that little bit tighter to you.
" in this whole world there's only you
I know you feel it too
I knew it then when we first met
That you could be the one "
It's always been her.
skull and fang are still dancing, so when she raises your hung head from his chest, where it had come to rest, with a genuine smile on his face, you appreciate it enormously. It's almost as if life had been breathed into you again.
You're not alone.
And neither is fang. sHe never, never has been and never will be
" I get, I get, I get, get a feeling
I get, I get, I get, get a dream
And wish we'd stay like this "
The note drops again at the end and you prepare for the best part of the song,
" come my way
Close your eyes, I will guide you
Come close to me
In your dreams I will find you "
You look sheepish into fang's eyes, only hoping he doesn't feel too bad about this.
" I'll be with you, I'll be with you, my love
And I'll stay here beside you
So come my way "
And you smile to him, expecting to retribute the favor before your stomach turns to lead and you swallow the lump in your throat.
You spin him again and when you catch him, you hug him tight, wishing you could be able to minimize this blow as much as possible.
" Oh oh oh
Calling out,can you hear me
So come my way "
It doesn't matter how tight you're hugging her now, how much you wish to alleviate some of his sorrow, you still feel him tensing in your arms; you still feel the warm tears on your head.
"I get, I get, I get, get a feeling
I get I hget I get get a dream
And wish we'd stay like this"
Skullette drop the intensity of your voice, as well as the note, letting it become as serene as she could get it to be when you're getting emotional again.
"come my way
Let the light come and find you
Come close to me
In your dreams I will find you "
Before taking a breath to raise the notes and the intensity, you sustain the last word just a little bit more.
"I'll be with you, I'll be with you my love "
The next verse is very high and you've got to take in a breath first, again.
"and I'll sta here beside you"
And it's rushed, this next verse.
"so come my way"
You finish the song and fang encircles you with his arms. His hug is not so warm, as you can feel the erratic heartbeat on his chest and surely picture the great deal of ache each one was pumping to his bloodstream. In your ear, he whispers —
"Thank you, skullette", then she's tightening it even more and you don't know what to do. But he helps you. firefang takes a step back and then you can see his crushed expression, the tears free falling from his eyes. You make the motion as if to take one step in his direction again, but he doesn't let you.
"N-no, it's ok, don't worry. I'll just go —", she says without much of the animation he shows, pointing to the door that leads to the haddock's outside space. "— there", even when she sighs, skullette think it looks painful "for a bit. Yeah, I'll just do that. See you later, guys."
And with that clear dismissal, expressed desire to not be followed,s he's passing through the door while sora tries a fang before the door look around to gauge your friends reactions, but you see that none of them looks resentful, so you relax only a little bit. she apologize anyway.
"I'm sorry for this. I…", surprisingly, or maybe not so much, who replies to you is boden, whose calmness wash over you in tidal waves, bit by bit taking the guilt that rooted itself in your heart throughout this little stunt you pulled.
"Do not worry, skull"
You hear more than see the rustling her friends are making since you're covering your eyes with your hand, but the next thing you feel is a bunch of arms hugging you and you admittedly laugh a watery laugh.
"We all do", Hiccup says quietly beside you, his thin arms hugging you as tight as she can and you're reciprocating even before you know what you're doing.
So she don't. You don't deal with any of it and just let things be.
When you all lie in the living room ready to sleep, you stay awake thinking about everything. michelle the most.
You don't even notice when your breathing evens out. It's with half a mind you hear the whispered skull?, which you don't know who uttered, but refuses to reply either way. By now you just want to rest.
Are you awake? The same person,continues. Dream's realm is already claiming her and she think how much that melodious voice seems so much like Audin's and how skullette wished he would come closer so you could wrap her arms around him, never to let anything short of happiness get to her.
Skullette as stubborn as ever had one foot planted on the moment, if not for curiosity, then just for hope's sake, that this was real and it was Audin reaching out.
A muted sigh barely comes to her ear, but it doesn't escape her senses in this otherwise very soundless night. Then, someone, as noiseless as a leaf that extricates itself from a tree branch and spiral down its own way, starts —
" Come m way
Come close to me
Come my way "
skullettes conscience is slowly fading away, but she knew the next verse.
" come close to me"
Sleep gets to skullette and the next day she still can remember the feeling of him in her arms, the two of you dancing the night away instead of getting just one dance in dragon edge's hall.
And when you catch his eyes already watching her, skullette feel like, perhaps, her own dream may not be so far away from becoming reality.