Nina sighed and slumped against the wall of her bunker. Herby peeked out at her then flew down to land on her knees. She looked up at him tearfully.
"I broke a rule between best friends, Herby," she said miserably. He tilted his head. "I yelled at Hiccup and broke my promise to him. I ruined our friendship.
"Nina?" she heard Hiccup call faintly. She and Herby stiffened. In one fluid motion, he darted into a nearby tunnel and whisked up high enough to be able to peer out of the bush.
Nina, meanwhile, bolted to the entrance and raced up the ladder, throwing the hatch off the entrance to her bunker. Hiccup was just coming into view.
"Hey," she said awkwardly. They both stared at each other before looking away. Nina tried to break the silence. "I-" She stopped. She knew Hiccup probably hated her, and she didn't blame him. She hated herself. She had broken a promise. He would never forgive her, she was certain of it.
"I'm sorry," he said to her surprise.
She blinked stupidly at him. "What?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you and pestered you. It's your life. You decide who to share it with. I shouldn't have questioned you," he said in a hurry. He seemed to be almost bursting with unspoken words.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I promised I wouldn't. And you're right. I should stop closing people off. I-" She paused. "I guess I'm just scared of letting people get too close to me, because I'm scared of losing them."
He beckoned her over and she hesitantly left the comfort of the bunker. They walked back to their glade and lay down beside each other, watching the clouds roll by. It was a surprisingly good day for Berk. Normally it was overcast and gloomy, or the weather sporadically took a turn for the worse and began mixing hail, rain, and snow in a smorgasbord of terrible weather. Those days were coming more frequently as the seasons changed from the relatively warmer months into the bitterness of Winter.
"I'm fine, y'know..." she said after they watched the clouds silently for a while.
"Hm?"
"I'm fine." There was a distinctive catch in her voice and she knew it. She swallowed hard, but that caused tears to flood her vision, turning it from clear and crisp to strange and distorted. "I'm fine," she repeated, her voice hoarse and quiet. Hiccup sat up and looked at her. She rolled into a sitting position and hugged her knees. He put his arms around her silently and held her, letting her cry.
"I miss them," she mumbled through her tears.
"I know," he said. "It's okay, just let it out. I've got you, Nina. I'll never let you go. I'll always be there for you." He began rubbing her back with one hand while the other arm continued to hold her close.