Author's Note: ...Okay, wow, it seems like a lot of you guys like the last chapter. QwQ Five favorites, four follows, and 90 views? Sheeeeesh...OuO

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of Trapped! =) This chapter is super short, but don't worry, more chapters are yet to come, haha. ='D I'm still in the process of editing (which I really should have done last week...I blame procrastination. =')).

Anyway, I don't have anything else to say, so I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of "Trapped!"

Chapter Two

Stuck

In most cases, Hiccup's sarcasm at times like this would irk Astrid. But considering how stressed he had been lately (and the fact that this was supposed to be a relaxing trip), she found his reaction completely valid.

Granted, Hiccup often had the most uncanny responses regarding distressing scenarios. Astrid sometimes found his ability to stay so level-headed jarring. It was like Hiccup was never unfazed, but Astrid had an inkling that he hid just it well.

A spasm of pain erupted from Astrid's foot and she hissed, capturing Hicucp's attention. His eyes dropped to her exposed foot, which was covered in dirt and scratches from being dragged against the ground. The skin around her ankle was red and swelling.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "That doesn't look too good."

Astrid pushed herself against the wall, waving a hand dismissively. "Eh…I've dealt with worse. This is just a scratch."

"That's some scratch if it's rendered you unable to walk properly."

Astrid huffed her bangs out of her eyes, her expression dry.

Luckily, Hiccup and Astrid had carried medical supplies. Hiccup pulled out some gauze, ointment, and bandages from his satchel and laid them out. He gestured for Astrid to give him her foot.

Astrid flinched as she pulled her foot back "Uh…nuh-uh. I can treat myself."

"It'll be faster if I do it," Hiccup said. "I don't want you straining yourself."

"My ankle is sprained, not my arms."

Hiccup was adamant, and Astrid eventually gave in. Hiccup took her foot and got to work, washing off the dirt and grim on Astrid's foot with water from his canteen. After he was done, he wiped it dry with a small cloth. Astrid felt her cheeks warm. His touch was surprisingly gentle.

The young shieldmaiden watched as the young viking maneuvered his way with the first aid materials. Berkians often found themselves in injury-invoking situations, so it was a requirement that all the vikings on Berk be educated in at least the basics of first aid. But Hiccup seemed to be beyond the simple techniques that the teens were usually shown.

Astrid wasn't too surprised. Hiccup was a heavy bookworm, so he likely picked things up from what he had read. But on top of that, he was extremely observant. And with how many times he's been to Gothi's hut when he was young and frail, he probably picked up a thing or two from the elder.

Hiccup and Astrid's eyes met briefly as Hiccup was bandaging her foot. Astrid quickly averted her eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring.

The young viking finished bandaging Astrid's foot. He left enough space for her toes to peek out. Astrid wiggled them thoughtfully.

"Nice patch job," she complimented.

"Thanks," Hiccup said. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but Astrid could've sworn Hiccup was blushing.

Redirecting her fanciful thoughts, Astrid looked around the yawning cavern. It was wide, and there were only a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling. For a cave this big, Astrid thought it would be quite old.

Hiccup walked to the blocked entrance and placed a hand against the boulders. "There's no way we'll be able to move these on our own," he mused.

"You don't say," Astrid said dryly. Hiccup glanced at her, his cheeks reddening.

"I'm processing, okay?" Hiccup said. He turned back to the entrance. Astrid didn't need to see his expression to know he was thinking hard.

"Toothless and Stormfly will obviously notice we're gone, but we have no idea when they're going to wake up," Hiccup said. He pinched his chin between his fingers. "And even if they did find us, it would be too dangerous to navigate the area with the earthquake still going on. They could leave to get help, but Toothless would have to be left behind. He can handle himself…but I'd personally be a little less worried if he had some kind of company."

"That rules out three things," said Astrid. "So, what do you wanna do?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, we can't navigate much down here because of your foot—"

"I can make it," Astrid protested.

Hiccup met her gaze. "Still, we have no idea what's down here," he added. "And besides, so long as Stormfly and Toothless are still here, we could just wait out the quakes and have them find us."

It was the most rational option, but Astrid still wasn't keen on sitting around and doing nothing for a few hours.

If only I hadn't messed up my foot, she thought. We could be out of here sooner.

Hiccup noticed her quiet frustration and he sat down next to her. "Hey, it's not your fault. We just have to stay put for a while and we'll be fine."

Astrid huffed and crossed her arms. "Doesn't make it seem any better, but," her eyes locked with Hiccup's. "I trust you."

And though it was dark and cold within that cave, Hiccup felt as warm as the sun at Astrid's words.

Author's Note: Hiccstrid, Hiccstrid...gotta love the Hiccstrid~

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203