Thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciate them all! :D
Note: For now on, I'm going to try and update on Thursdays. However, next Thursday I will be up at my cabin. I'm leaving tomorrow and coming back next Saturday, so I will literally be gone for 7 whole days. But, when I do get back, I shall update right away for all you guys! Thanks again!
And the return:
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Hands on Sunshine
Chapter One
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"Astrid Finna Hofferson!" The middle name. "Haven't I taught you better stitches than this?"
"Yes, mother, for crying out loud…," Astrid made faces about her mother's talking while her back was turned, putting the sewing basket back in the closet.
"Don't you 'crying out loud' me, young lady!" Ingrid shouted, shaking the handkerchief with flowers and vines embroidering the hem with some minor imperfections. Astrid didn't mind sewing, but lately, since her mother was shoving all domestic duties possible down her throat to prep her to become a 'homely' wife, she was itching to get out the house.
"Yeah, mother, I know. But I have to go, I'm supposed to meet Ruff down at the docks," Astrid replied offhandedly, dusting imaginary debris off her dark purple tunic, looking around for something that she was only to pretending to find. Ingrid went on to ramble about something Astrid wasn't paying any attention to, and while she was in her rant, Astrid kissed her mother on the cheek. Ingrid paused, utterly confused, as Astrid went over to the front door to pull on her leather spring boots with only a thin layer of fur lining the inside and a trim around the upper rim.
She hopped on one foot as she pulled the last one on. "Bye, mom!" she said cheerily and she swung open the door and slammed it shut, effectively leaving her mother in confusion.
Astrid visibly relaxed, letting out a long sigh, her tense and square shoulders slackening. It was such a relief to be out of that house. At dawn that morning, Ingrid threw the covers off Astrid and pushed a broom and dustpan and rags into her hands to clean the house, not even out of bed yet and her hair still in a frazzled mess. Ingrid had her daughter clean every last imaginable nook and cranny, dust every surface there ever was, scrape out dirt from between the floorboards and sweep again, and again, and again. She complained until her fingers hurt, and Astrid never complained. Ingrid was a scary woman when business needed to be done, and Astrid had a demonstration of her wrath a few days ago after muttering under her breath, 'this is like boot camp.' Needless to say, Astrid was covered in hay and manure dust from her stupid dragon in the backyard, cackling at her. Astrid never made fun of house work again.
Now mid-afternoon, it was understandable that she was almost spinning in delight. The air was cool, but the sun warmed her skin a very pleasant way. Extraordinary chipper, Astrid said 'hi' to a few passing villagers that she knew, taking note of the greener grass and nearly cloudless sky. It was almost hilarious to see Astrid Hofferson smiling like everything was grand and perfect; the most notorious girl on Berk for exceptional black eyes.
Astrid tossed her long braid over her shoulder, now reaching her lower back and thick as ever, fingering the soft ends tied in the leather band. She mad her way to the docks, going down sloping wooden ramps stuck out of the side of the cliff, walking about the same general path that she took to see Hiccup watching the ships sail off so long ago. Quickly, she set that thought aside to not spoil her mood today, and to her luck, Ruffnut called to her.
"Hey, Astrid! Down here!" the lanky and often obnoxious blonde girl flailed her arms like she was on fire, effectively catching Astrid's attention. Astrid grinned and waved back, rushing down to greet her. Ruffnut had become a significant figure in Astrid's life since dragon training and the two girls bonded like any other on the island, passing gossip like old women, messing around with each other's hair, sleepovers—although all of it in secret, of course. But Ruff was always there for her and Astrid was too despite their cold Viking exteriors. Astrid let Ruffnut sniffle into her shoulder a few months prior when her baby brother died at three days old due to some breathing complications. Astrid found out that she gave very good hugs when Ruffnut muttered it into her shoulder, and she was pleasantly surprised.
But in any case, Ruffnut became Astrid's best friend in no time at all, and what best friends do best, Ruffnut beat Snotlout up whenever he went too far with a smile on her face.
Astrid joined Ruffnut down at the dock, Tuffnut and Snotlout coming around a crate arguing over a fishing pole while Fishlegs, behind them, was having his fun tying different types of fisherman's knots. Astrid didn't mention the boys hanging out with them, kinda, because that would imply Snotlout, and her parents didn't like him at all after their failed courtship.
Over the winter, Astrid was feeling incredibly lonely and let Snotlout swoon over her and they ended up 'hanging out' more than expected, which could be better described as 'make out sessions'. She learned to kiss well with him and by no means was he bad at it after a while, but Astrid always puked a bit inside whenever he was around. She ended their courtship-that-was-really-only-making-out-because-she-was-stupid-and-lonesome after her father, Arnheim, found them behind a shed and almost pummeled them both to the ground. An angry man, it was expected, but Snotlout ran faster than a frightened mouse after that.
Ruffnut sniggered when Snotlout whistled at Astrid, forgetting completely about the fishing pole for a second. Astrid's face paled a little, but she didn't let that stop her from sending him a very dangerous look. Stupid and thick-headed and not-getting-it, Snotlout winked as she sat down on the dock, letting her long legs hang over. Ruffnut almost pulled a muscle laughing.
Pulling off her boots, Astrid hung her feet in the water and Ruffnut did the same, their white thighs almost glowing in the sunlight. They laughed about it and went to their purpose sitting here at the docks: Hot men.
"Ooh, look. It's Helsplitter," Ruffnut pointed to a younger man farther across the bay, shirtless, picking up a crate from the spring raid in Sweden.
"Oh, by Odin, look at those scars. When did he get those?" Astrid said in a low voice so the guys a couple yards over wouldn't hear. She squinted her eyes to see better, moving left and right as he walked back onto the boat to haul off another crate of goods.
"Damn, he is so fine," Ruffnut said in her nasal-y voice, sighing dreamily and rested her elbow on her knee as she kicked her feet in the warming water. "If there was any idiot in Berk I'd be stupid enough to marry, it'd be Helsplitter. Imagine having little Helsplitter babies running around. I mean, with my looks and his perfect, sexy body, they'd be, like, Gods. He would have to fight with Odin to have them."
Astrid laughed at her friends' over-the-top wishful thinking, all just innate fantasies. "Helsplitter isn't anything compared to Bjørnstaud over there," Astrid pointed with her chin to a man about the same age as Helsplitter, unloading another boat, glimmering with sweat.
Ruffnut tossed a 'you've got to be flippin' kidding me' look, her brows intensely furrowed. "Are you insane? Bjørnstaud is nothing compared to Helsplitter. You're crazy, Astrid, I always knew it, but now it's been confirmed. I'm taking my green and gold tunic back, I hope you know," Ruffnut knew that was Astrid's favorite article of clothing of hers, and she's been borrowing it for months. Ruffnut always used the threat on Astrid, but she still took it all too seriously.
"Look at Helsplitter! He's a hairy brown mob of cat fur balls. And his scars aren't even cool. Bjørnstaud, now that is a fine piece of work," Astrid retorted strongly, crossing her arms.
"You just said Helsplitter's scars were hot," Ruffnut replied.
"I was just pointing them out," Astrid said snappishly, pointedly looking in the other direction. The two stubborn girls spying on the ridiculously hot men of Berk much too old for them often led to some disagreements. One time, Ruffnut even pushed Astrid into the barely-thawed water over another guy, which led to Tuffnut and the twins' father to fish them out—quite literally, with nets. Bad times.
Ruffnut rolled her eyes and sighed, smirking as a wonderful retort blossomed in her head. "Okay, whatever. Don't care. But we all know how you like those scrawny toothpicks,"
It was subtle, but it was like a bomb exploding right in the few inches of space between the two girls. Astrid felt all her hairs stand on end at Ruffnut's obvious comment referring to the chief's son not-currently-present. Her heart beat a little faster as she slowly turned to look at Ruffnut, joyfully laughing, making her helmet almost bounce off her head.
"Oh, no, you didn't," Astrid whispered quietly, but it could be compared to that of a lion about to pounce and maul their prey.
"Oh—I did. You bet I did. Hey, Tuff! Come look at Astrid's face! I just mentioned Hiccup, and—,"
"Well, we know that you like those big, burly guys with tree trunks for arms who know all too much about dragon stats," Astrid smirked when Ruffnut's expression fell and crinkled red with embarrassment and rage.
"Astrid! I swear to Odin—!" Ruffnut began but Astrid was already gone, laughing and running down the dock from Ruff. "Get back here, you baby!" Ruffnut jumped up and raced after her, running in between Tuffnut and Fishlegs, pushing her brother into the water as she pushed past.
Astrid wasn't by any means whatsoever the playful type, but just seeing Ruffnut's expression was priceless—and dangerous, she knew. Astrid leapt over coils of rope and unloaded boxes waiting to be sorted through with all the agility of a Viking warrior. Her feet guided her like some type of dance through the men doing their work, weaving swiftly through the groups. Ruffnut, with her famous long legs, was quickly catching up to her without much difficulty, her long ash-blonde braids trailing behind her as she ran.
Jumping over boxes and boxes, she was holding her helmet on, and up ahead she saw Astrid precariously run over wet dock, soaked with the rank smell of the water coming off from the fish. Taking the chance to speed up, Ruffnut took a few bounding leaps and reached Astrid, jumping on her back. Ruffnut's weight on the slim and slender body of Astrid knocked her down onto the dock, and the crazed female twin began poking Astrid's sides and wiggled her fingers under her armpits. Nobody in Berk knew but Ruffnut and Astrid's two older sisters about how ticklish Astrid Hofferson really was, but now it was on public display.
"Ruff—please! Stop—before I—before I kill—AH!" Astrid laughed against her will, writhing and twisting away from Ruffnut, but it was helpless as she sat on her back side and kept her down. "Odin—Gods—RUFF!"
"Say you want Hiccup and all his scrawniness! Say you want his babies!" Ruffnut cackled in fiendish delight, dodging Astrid's elbows attempting to hit home on her face.
"No! No! I won't! Stop! Uncle!"
"Nope! Uncle won't work on me! Say it! Saaay it!"
"Ruff—I'm gonna pee!—,"
"SAY it!"
"No! Ruff—,"
And then, a screech loud enough for Ruffnut to withdraw her hands from Astrid to cover her own ears sounded, and many shouts to 'get down!', 'take cover!' were the only things heard other than the deafening screech. The blast usually accompanied, however, never exploded.
Astrid's eyes shot wide open, as did Ruffnut's, and Astrid looked over her shoulder at her in realization. Quicker than any dragon, Astrid pushed Ruff off of her, accidentally elbowing Ruff in the brow, but Astrid didn't pay attention to it as she ran to the ramps leading up the cliff side. She ran faster than she ever had, her arms swinging and her braid flying, bare feet loudly thumping on the wood as it slightly gave to her weight. Astrid pushed some men aside, running with the lines of men heaving boxes up the ramps.
At the top, she ran farther into the village, looking for the signature black dragon that was previously feared. People were looking into sky, but laughed when realizing that old habits die hard and dragon attacks were no longer a threat, especially during daytime. Astrid ran down a lane, receiving some wide-eyed stares, but she could care less—she had to find the moron that she had been waiting to beat up for two years.
The chief's house in view above the upper village, Astrid saw a crowd congregating just down the path from it, and, somehow, she ran faster. She could see Toothless' tail and his earflaps above the tall Viking heads, but no sign of Hiccup as of yet. But soon… oh, so soon.
Astrid pushed through the crowd, grabbing hunky arms and throwing them aside, pulling on shirts, squeezing her way through the men and women excited to see the chief's son. Finally getting through the last ring, Astrid stumbled into the open space surrounding Hiccup, Toothless, Stoick, and a few others patting the boy on the back.
What Astrid saw next was not Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. What she saw could only be described, in her eyes, a whole other entity.
He was tall, so tall she had to look up at him, but only slightly. He was bigger, but still retained his slim shape, his chest broadened and strong, his arms well toned underneath his green tunic and leather riding gear. And his hair. Oh, Thor's beard, Astrid thought, it's horrible! To her, he looked like a wet cat; his hair long and almost to his shoulders, uncombed, dirty. And he had stubble? What is this? Along his jaw line was a light sprinkling of whiskers. No.
Astrid's heart nearly stopped when he stared back at her, mirroring much the same expression. He had never expected Astrid to look so much like Astrid. She looked much the same, except her hair was longer. She had filled out in all the very right places, and her features had grown more womanly as well, and she was even wearing the headband he sent her from the Shetlands. Oh, she looked so lovely to him. And she was wearing a deep purple tunic, a color exceptionally hard to make, but she looked perfect. And her bare legs… Hiccup clearly blushed, earning a few laughs among the silence.
Toothless was about to go and pounce Astrid, but whined and hid behind Hiccup when she took a step forward. Hiccup's eyes widened when he recognized the deathly, malicious glint in her eyes, taking note of her white-knuckled fists. Oh, crap. "H-hey, Astrid. Uh-uh, long time, no see…," Hiccup spoke with a deeper voice, his prominent Adam's apple sliding beneath his skin as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. No matter how old Hiccup would get, he would always somehow manage to squeak out his words.
"Yeah, damn right," Astrid muttered darkly, her eyes narrowing into slits that would only be cut with a knife. Hiccup was in much danger at this point, but the ring around them was excited to see the event as if Astrid was a gladiator about to spear a tiger. The crowd had wide eyes and mouths in 'O's, itching to see the upcoming action. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut managed to squeeze their way through to the front row. It was as if everyone was placing bets as they whispered; it set Hiccup on edge.
He took a careful step backward, Toothless following behind him and whimpering like a wounded dog. Astrid's imminent wrath was tangible like fire and Hiccup was burning. "Hey, now. Please… please don't—,"
WHAM!
Astrid's fist swung so hard and fast Hiccup didn't even have time to register she was moving before he was decked in the face. He didn't feel anything until he staggered back and the crowd erupted in cheers and claps and 'Ooh's!' His hand flew to his mouth were he felt a lot of blood pooling, and wiggling his tongue around, he dislodged a tooth. Spitting it out onto his hand in a slimy mixture of blood and saliva, was one of Hiccup's teeth.
"You punched my tooth out!" he almost shrieked in pure horror, his mouth throbbing wildly.
"Ohh, damn!" Snotlout jumped from a few feet away. "She got you good!"
"Hah, look at him! He looks like he's foaming blood at the mouth!" Tuffnut pointed out and he and his twin cackled in their strange humor that nobody understood.
Hiccup just stared at Astrid, slightly hunched over from her impact still, blinking in utter disbelief. She was so mad. Hiccup knew she would be, but to actually punch his tooth out? He greatly underestimated her. In fact, he usually did, but he honestly thought sending her little souvenirs would settle that a bit. He took his tooth in his other hand, holding it between his thumb and fore finger to flick the blood and spit mixture off his hand, and crouching he wiped his palm in the grass. Astrid was still huffing and puffing at him, feeling not quite done. He wasn't getting off with a simple missing tooth.
The crowd began dispersing, thinking the action was done, and Hiccup found it a good time to speak. "I'm sorry, Astrid! I really—,"
"Don't even! Don't even try!" she yelled ferociously and reeled an arm back to punch him square in the nose, but something surprising happened; something that nobody thought would ever happen.
Hiccup blocked her throw, her fist ending in his palm with a crisp thap. Her eyes widened, but just as quickly she brought back her other arm and attempted again, but Hiccup did the same. She withdrew one of her fists to punch him again, but he wheeled around her and she stumbled into the Toothless' head. With her signature battle cry, she recoiled and ran back at him. Hiccup was expecting another punch to the face, so he didn't see her leg swinging into his groin.
The male part of the crowd remaining winced as Hiccup buckled like a collapsing stall, biting his lip hard and squeezing his eyes shut as tears threatened to push past, hardly uttering a breath. One lonesome tear fell out of the side of his eye as Astrid stood over him triumphantly, crossing her arms.
Astrid picked up her dirty foot and pushed on his cheek with it, making sure to rub his skin around. "That's what you get, asshole. I told you that you wouldn't have children," she said in a low voice, poison lacing every word she spoke. Swiftly, Astrid moved her foot from his cheek and spun on her heel and stomped off, none too happy.
"Ohh, duuude," Tuffnut said first, coming over to crouch next to Hiccup. "I thought you were gonna die for a second,"
"Me… too," Hiccup sputtered out, unraveling himself from his groin-holding fetal position. Snotlout stuck a hand out and Hiccup took it, standing up to his full height. Now taller than Snotlout and Tuffnut by a few inches, he was still shorter than Fishlegs was now, and only one or two inches shorter than his monster of a father. Hiccup could now obviously be considered a 'true' Viking because of his obvious muscles, but that still didn't change his boyish looks. Big green eyes, freckles still scattered across his face, long hair, slender but toned body, and only eighteen years old.
"Where's your tooth?" asked Fishlegs, meshing his way into the group.
Hiccup opened his palm, displaying his tooth. Luckily, it wasn't going to be obvious that he was a tooth missing because it was about the third one over from the left of his mouth.
"Missing leg, now missing tooth," Stoick said with a hearty, rumbling chuckle, clapping his son on the back, and for once he didn't stagger or fly ten feet.
"I'm becoming more and more like Gobber," Hiccup said with a light laugh. Sure, even though Astrid was super pissed at him and he was now feeling his mouth swell like a balloon, he really was glad to be home. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and part of his sleeve, he didn't realize blood and drool were still dripping from his chin like he was a rabid dog. Cool.
Gobber, standing next to Stoick, laughed the loudest out of all of them. "Yeh cer'ainly arr, lad," he nodded proudly like and apprentices' master would. "Now, for Thor's sake, yeh could be more like me if ya get yerself to tha' forge. I've stacked up a whooole pile for ye an' its bin waitin' fer two years."
Hiccup groaned and his friends said bye to him, running off to do some more exciting things, but he was positive he would see them again later that night. "I'll be by later, Gobber. Just gotta unpack and stuff,"
"Ye', ye', but down't waste yer time," Gobber smiled jokingly and waved him off, walking down the path with his distinct Gobber-hobble. Stoick smiled widely at his son as they walked up to the front door of the biggest lodge on Berk, yet still modest. They had a lot of catching up to do.
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Hiccup was welcomed back to Berk after two years of travel with a wild party. Vikings always had an excuse for celebrating anything and everything. Hiccup was offered a pint of mead at the beginning but he drank it slowly so by the time he slipped outside unnoticed an hour or two later it was empty. It was the first party of the harvest season, the beginning of summer, and one of many celebrations to come.
Hiccup was unused to so much attention, especially by the people of Berk. People asked for him to tell stories of his adventures, but he didn't get very far before remembering a crucial detail or going off on another subject or sputtering out incoherent words. He still didn't like talking in front of large crowds because he hated his hands getting sweaty and he hated how his knees seemed to bounce and hit each other. Eventually people stopped listening to him and he was perfectly fine with that, but the endless offerings of mead or ale didn't cease. He had to turn down at least fifteen mugs.
Hiccup mostly sat and watched the villagers, feeling like he had almost three years before he ever found his love of dragons, feeling seen but unnoticed like a leaf in a tree among the hundreds like it. But Hiccup found content and solace in this instead of uneasiness; he was so happy to finally be home with all the people he knew and cared for more than any of them would ever know. He looked at them with kindness and knowing rather than disappointment and shame, feeling just right at home. This was his home, and he missed it more than he realized. He thought that seeing the world outside Berk would be a relief from his fetters and constant shame, but he found himself becoming awfully homesick.
He knew teaching other Viking tribes about dragons would be no easy task, and the second island he went to after the Meatheads' he was almost shot down and killed with a fire ball, and the others after that were much the same. After telling everyone he was the chief of Berk's son and setting up alliances was he finally able to get down to business. Hiccup was honestly surprised he and Toothless both made it home in one piece by the way some of the tribes reacted. After visiting about a dozen villages and saving countless dragons, Hiccup's teachings did spread as Astrid had predicted, and, as it turned out, he became incredibly well-respected and renowned. By the end of his little adventure people were gawking at him and gossiping about Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his trusty dragon Toothless. They were becoming Viking legends.
But, he didn't have a solid home for two years, and now he really wanted to flop down onto his bed and roll around in his covers until he was wound up like a cocoon and just stay there forever. Toothless was already home, stuffed like a turkey with fish and curled up on his favorite rug, probably already snoozing away. Though to Hiccup's dismay, things were not yet that simple for he had other matters to attend to.
Hiccup slipped out of the giant Hall once his mug was empty, and quickly tiptoed around the pillars and stealthily creeping around an enamored couple enjoying each others' mouths around a corner. He jumped down the stairs by two and jogged to the cliff overlooking the docks. She wasn't hard to spot for her luminous blonde hair was like a sun in the dark, ever-yellow in the moonlight.
Everyone on Berk knew to leave Astrid Hofferson alone when she was by herself at the docks, and Hiccup knew this full-well, but he had to speak with her. He had given her space for most of the day, letting her have plenty of time to cool off, but now he needed to explain himself.
He carefully walked down to the docks, now hardly showing a limp at all. He made sure he was audible when walking up to her so she wouldn't get frightened and round-house kick him in the face or something. But with this tactic, she heard him coming, and watching him walk closer, she adorned the scariest look Hiccup had ever seen on a girl. He twisted his hands together as he approached, and she stood up to greet him, her arms crossed and her boots still discarded, lying on the dock where she had forgotten about them earlier that day.
"Astrid…," Hiccup spoke quietly, stopping a good six feet away from her. He bit his lip and looked at the boards beneath his feet. He was surprised Astrid hadn't at least slapped him yet. "I… I'm not sure where to start,"
"Maybe at the part where you broke your promise to me?" Astrid spat out, her words inflicting needle-like stings in Hiccup's heart, making him feel all the more crummy. Astrid's sharp blue eyes were sending him swords, daggers, spears, all sorts of sharp weaponry at him when Hiccup looked at her.
"Right. Well... I wanted to say I'm so, so sorry. I… I know I broke my promise, and honestly, I feel like the worst human being imaginable—,"
"Good."
"—but I honestly had to clue how long it would take me. There are so many Viking tribes out there, Astrid; I don't even think I reached them all. But before I left to come back, the word was spreading, just like you said, so I can only hope that it gets everywhere," Hiccup looked at her so pleadingly he might as well have been on his knees and kissing her feet.
Astrid's eyes narrowed as she thought of some retort, and replaying his words in her head, she had it. "So you lied to me? About how you'd be 'back so soon'?"
"I had to go, Astrid. I seriously couldn't wait another second so I said anything to get you to let me go," Hiccup sputtered adamantly, his hands flying to his hair and making irrelevant hand motions, taking a step toward her.
Astrid's eyes widened. "So you were just playing a joke? To get me to leave?" She shrieked, making Hiccup step back.
"No! Gods, no!" he jumped to quickly mend the damage, but she tore it open again.
"I kissed you! Was that a joke too? You did anything to get me to go?" her voice was so shrill Hiccup was looking around for any straggling villagers. Every word hit him like a sword to the chest, and he was quickly breaking into pieces.
"No! Astrid, no! I kissed you back because I wanted to! Please, Astrid, just listen to me," his eyes were wide with horror, the act Astrid was accusing him of was so unthinkable and terrible he just wanted to forget everything and disappear.
"I did listen to you; I trusted you. And look what you did, you lying half-troll! You're so full of shit, Hiccup, every word!" Astrid quickly approached him and she was pounding his chest with her fists angrily. Hiccup tried grasping her wrists to still her but she yanked her arms loose and struck him again.
"Astrid! Please! Stop, will you? Let me explain!" Hiccup took each blow until he had to start stepping back with the ferocity she was hitting him with. She would have loved to sucker-punch him again but after what she did today, her hand really hurt and she had to wrap it up, and so what she was doing now wasn't doing her any good.
"No! I won't—listen—to you!" and with one more blow to his sternum, Astrid huffed and walked back to her spot to pick up her boots, proceeding to walk down the opposite end of the dock. Hiccup had to find his breath for a second for she pretty much knocked it out of him after her last one, and then he quickly ran after her.
"Astrid! I'm really sorry! I'm so, so, SOO sorry! I can't say it enough! Really, Astrid, I feel horrible about it!" Hiccup pulled on her wrist to stop her but she twisted out of his surprisingly tight grip.
"No! Leave me alone, Hiccup!" Astrid said with a cold and hard voice, still loud and ever painful, but Hiccup was relentless on trying to get a hold of her arm. He got a good grip on her upper arm and he wheeled her around, grasping onto her other arm, and he shoved his mouth to hers.
Astrid's eyes were wider than the moon, and through all her rage, she found his mouth amazing and almost relaxing, but before she could give in, she kicked his shin and he pulled back with a wet smack. Yanking her arm out of his hold, she whacked him over the head with her boots.
"Ow! Why would you do that?" Hiccup whined with his hands gripping his head and Astrid spun on her heel and continued stomping down the dock to the ramps leading up the cliff side. He quickly forgot about his pains and the lump forming underneath his messy mop of hair and he chased after her again.
"Astrid! Wait!" Wasn't that kiss supposed to work? Everything's working against me!, Hiccup thought when he watched Astrid get farther away as he started to give up. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he shouted after her, slowing.
"Shut up, Haddock! Leave me alone!" Astrid yelled over her shoulder, going higher and higher up the ramps, leaving Hiccup behind.
"I'm sorry…," he sad lamely, then kicked a crate. "Gods! I'm so dumb! Why did I do that? That was so stupid! Ugh!" Hiccup ran his hands through his hair, having enough with yelling, and went to drowning in his own thoughts in helpless self-pity. He mumbled how stupid he was and why he was still horrible at everything and his unmanageable impulses when it came to Astrid and to pretty much complaining about everything under the sun on his way back to his house.
Astrid, on the other hand, was fuming just as much, biting her lip and huffing like a raging bull. Her boots swung at her sides like pendulums as she stomped her way home. How could I ever have liked him? He's so stupid! Still! Useless! And his freckles? How could I have thought those were cute? He's so ugly! He's such a troll! I don't even want to say his name, much less even think about him!, Astrid thought as she came upon her house, remembering how she had snuck out her window to have him draw her in the sheep fields. And he sucks at drawing! I could draw better—and I can't draw!
She slammed her front door behind her so hard she made a plate jump off the wall and shatter, and even made her father sitting in his chair next to the fire snort and choke briefly before settling back into sleep. Her feet pounded dramatically on the stairs up to her room, and she slammed her door much the same, careless to the late hour. She threw her boots aside and jumped onto the bed, burying her face into her pillow and screamed. She screamed until her throat hurt, until her screams dwindled down into sobs.
Astrid hated crying. She felt dumb and weak and childish and she hated the way she looked afterwards; how her face got all blotchy and her eyes got red, she hated her runny nose. Everything about crying sucked, but she let herself loose for one single moment, letting it all pour out of her in the span of two minutes before she corked herself back up and sniffled her tears away. She rolled over onto her back and rubbed at her wet face until it stung to show no signs of tear marks even though nobody was around to judge her. I'm here.
She hated herself at how she felt about Hiccup. For two years, she hated every second he was out there, alive, for breaking her promise, and Astrid never forgot broken promises. She was surrounded by the graves of dead and broken promises from her father, the leech of the Hoffersons, broken promises from her sisters, her mother, her friends, and now by the only person she believed could never break a promise. It cut her so deeply Astrid willed the Gods to relieve her of her pain that she hated feeling; hated herself for feeling.
Feelings weren't allowed by Arnheim. Feelings were childish and weak and were to be ignored. Acting upon feelings got her scolded and slapped, and never before had she hated feelings. Feelings were for children. Vikings didn't act on feelings; Vikings acted on solely anger and power and nothing else. Feelings were a foreign concept to Astrid, and she hated Hiccup for making her feel them.
But she did feel for him somewhere. She really didn't want to, but she did. There was something about the fumbling idiot that made her smile, but for now she hated him. He would have to grovel and beg for her to even look at him, and after that he would have to do some more begging to get to speak. That was how Astrid decided it was going to be.
She rolled over onto her side and squeezed her down feather pillow, looking at her set of drawers that were illuminated from the moonlight showing through her open window. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, calming down exceptionally fast. Okay, maybe she didn't hate Hiccup as much as she thought a minute ago. He did have a reason to be gone so long, and he even sent her little things from the places he went and some letters too. The fillet (2) she was wearing had small gold coins sewn into the leather band that she actually really liked and wore all the time, and he even sent her a set of knives from the Mainland that were really good for throwing. In fact, some were still lodged in her wall. I should take those out before mother notices. And he also sent a cool blue dragon scale necklace from some foreign dragon she couldn't remember the name of for the life of her. It had small and round silver tablets along with the scales on a leather cord, and even though Astrid wasn't one for jewelry, she really liked it.
Hiccup was just being a dimwit when he got back today. She really liked her punch. She didn't think she could knock one of his teeth out, but she did knock out Snotlout's when they were twelve, so maybe it was bound to happen. And Hiccup's hair. He looked horrible with long hair, and even though he managed a bath in today before the party that she escaped from, he still looked like a drowned cat. But, damn, he was fuzzy on his jaw. Her knuckles burned after she punched him, beside the fact that she punched him really hard, but Astrid didn't mind the scruff. She liked it, truth be told, and she could stand him having stubble.
And his lips. Ooh. She had to smile at that even though she was physically acting like she didn't like it to show the darkness of her room, but mentally it still sent shivers up her spine. She missed those lips. She didn't really like Snotlout's, but Hiccup's were just perfect for hers. But he was still a jerk for forcing that kiss on her when she was angry, and he deserved her boots over his stupid, thick head.
All good Hiccup-related things aside, a broken promise was a broken promise and she still planned on Hiccup begging and pleading her to forgive him, which she probably will because she liked him. He was a complete dimwitted idiot, but she liked him even though she didn't want to.
But she still wanted to.
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(2) A fillet is another term for Astrid's headband.