Song "I Will Be Back" by Lord Huron

Chapter 6 - Hot, Wet, and Naked Together All Summer

The ancient laptop on Astrid's lap dimmed. It did that occasionally – but the screen stayed unfrozen, this time - so things could be worse. She finished typing the last few sentences of her college essay and hit save.

Her heavy sigh released some anxiety as she put the clunky computer away. At this point, even an act of the gods could not get her into the fall sessions, but with luck and the right folks looking at her stellar grades and test scores, someplace might accepter her for the spring semester. And escaping of her Hel hole town meant everything to her. She just hopped they didn't find out where she spent the past few months. Or the places where she really met Dagur.

Heather had abandoned her to return to the stables. After the haul from the parking lot to the cabin, Astrid could smell her own sweat and feel it gluing her shirt to her back. She needed a shower, so she stripped down, then wrapped herself in her old blue towel.

The counselor girl's showers were in a little brick building about a hundred feet behind the female lodge. She ventured outside down the dirt path, flip-flops quietly slapping against her feet. She felt a little expose walking through the woods alone without real clothes, but she figured if she ran into girls in this area, they'd probably be showering too. Besides, the cool air of the forest and the smell of the pines around her filled her with a comforting nostalgia. All around the ferns and wildflowers harmoniously filled the ground beneath the high trees, which reached out to each other over the time-worn path, their gaps allowing the sun to sparkle through like shattered crystals.

Everything here cleared Astrid's soul, making the stress of life outside fall away. Camp Berk was like a living storybook enveloping her into its peaceful comfort as it's melody of chirping birds and rustling leaves created a living harmony that eased the weary heart. She loved the way the forest felt like it hid thousands of secrets, maybe even a few of her own. It had that fairy tale enchantment, like trolls hid in every tiny hole and each umbrella shaped mushroom housed a pixie.

As she approached, she heard muffled voices and the hiss of running water, which was odd because she hadn't seen other girls arrive or seen their stuff set up.

She pushed the wooden door to the showers, steam and the echoes of the room hit her as soon as she entered, but even more shocking was what she saw.

Right in front of her stood a naked guy and two other guys, barely covered with tiny towels.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I thought this was the girls!" She covered her eyes.

"It's OK, you're in the right place." Hiccup walked over to her, his bottom half thankfully covered with a towel.

The other guys stared to laugh.

The dark-haired guy doubled over, "The look on her face! She already looks sunburned!"

Astrid tried to back out of the steamy room, but Hiccup's voice beckoned her to stay. "Astrid, the guys showers got damaged in the flood last fall. We have co-ed showers, just for this first week. Sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that."

"These things are important. You should tell me." She considered punching his arm again.

"Yeah sorry, there was going to be a meeting and an announcement, but tomorrow, when the rest of the counselors arrive."

"And you didn't say anything earlier because –"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he joked. "No, really – I forgot. And because I'm a mature guy and this is not a big deal."

"Surprises are flower and candy, not 'Hi, we're gonna be hot, wet, and naked together all summer'."

The dark hair guy laughed harder, "I love the way she put that – 'we're gonna be hot, wet, and naked together all summer' it's funny because that's the whole point of going to a co-ed camp…Also, it's funny because the water is hardly ever hot."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Astrid's annoyance made her forget to look away.

"Astrid, you remember me - Snotlout. You crushed on me four years ago. Come on, babe."

Hiccup and the naked boy in the corner shook their heads.

"Snotty? You look older. Sorry, I didn't recognize you."

Snotlout had filled out a bit, but he only grew a few inches taller. Astrid tried hard not to look at any of them topless and she really tried hard not to look at the naked blonde guy.

Hiccup handed a towel to the naked guy, who put it on and walked over to shake her hand, she took a few steps back, "Not sure if you recognize me either - Tuffnut. And I can be naked all the time if you want – just ask, Hiccup, we're roommates at college and I try to get away with being naked as much as I can. Right, H?"

"Ugh, yes," Hiccup sounded annoyed, "If I had known about your aversion to clothes, I would have never roomed with you."

"It's growing on you."

"Barely tolerating something because you know you can't stop it, is different than letting something 'grow' on you."

Tuffnut had dreadlocks now and had grown as tall as Hiccup. Four summers ago, he looked like a wicked little boy with long hair.

"I remember you," Astrid acknowledged, "and your sister. How –"

A hand popped up over one of the showers, "Hi Astrid, by the way we are sharing showers with the boys. Sorry I didn't stop by the cabin to tell you."

"Is there anyone else in this shower area I should know about?"

"Hi, Astrid," a thicker, masculine hand reached over the shower at the end, "It's me, Fishlegs, sorry you're scarred for life because of Tuffnut's nudity. We've all had to suffer with it and share your pain."

Hiccup put his hand on Astrid's shoulder, "Looks like the old gang's all here."

She turned to look at him, he appeared toned and sleek out of his riding clothes, still thin, but healthy and proportionally thin. His green eyes captured her's and she could almost feel her pulse racing under his hand, which felt warm and comforting. And somehow it flooded her with the memories of the past. Memories that made her heart feel like it had evaporated into the steam around them.

"Well great – I should shower then..." she heard her own voice sound dazed as she backed away from him and felt his hand slide down her bare arm, causing her nerves to wantonly remember the sensation.

She went into the little shower stall and yanked the curtain closed behind her. She could still feel the phantom touch on her skin. Four years. It had been nothing. They had been nothing – just kids. Kids having a fling in the heat of summer. No more. Right?

She thought that the moment she left almost four years ago, she left everything there – every relation, every crush, every friendship had become powdered ash. But somehow in just a few hours Hiccup Haddock managed to spark something – phoenixing a heated crush, like a magician snapping fingers.

She let shower droplets and strawberry shampoo suds wash away his touch - smothering that curious fire. She needed to stay focused this summer. She needed to sort her life out. Losing one budding relationship that could stabilize for a summer fling would not help.

A/N:

Possible spoiler alert: I'm going to address a few things before I get the hate reviews – there won't really be a love triangle, Astrid's relationship with Dagur is very casual, you'll see more explanation on that. There also won't be cheating, so please no hate reviews about that. Hiccup knows more about Astrid than she knows, not because he is deceitful, but because he knows she needs space and because he's a good friend. Also, as far as Astrid keeping her life private, keep in mind, she and Hiccup have been apart for 4 years, you don't just re-unite with someone and dump all the crap from the past on them (only crazy people do that and Astrid is very keen on keeping herself together and she is very guarded), if these little things bothers you, feel free to write your own stories- thanks.

To be clear I don't mind comments where people ask questions or want to civilly debate an issue, I actually like the opportunity to explain some decisions I've made in the story, but I don't have much time to write and I do it for free. Reading what I put out is a choice, not something I force people to do.

Sorry for the delay and any mistakes. Maybe 2018 will give me more time, which I will also try to use to proofread better.