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A scream rips through the air, followed by Stoick's voice. The group sitting on the lawn next to the Chief's home couldn’t make out his words, only hearing the tone of concern for his son. Gothi had shown up at the home almost instantly as if she had known Hiccup had been injured. Astrid grimaced at the sound of knives rattling in the leather satchel at her side. Knowing that the healer would need to clean and dress the wound. Meaning she would probably have to cut off and shape the flesh to be fit for a prosthetic.
Astrid watched the sun dip lower and lower, disappearing into the ocean. “We should go eat,” Fishlegs says to no one in particular, his words met with a mummer of agreement.
She stands “I’m gonna stay.” Astrid says, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Really? What for?” Snotlout questions, while he had shown Hiccup a fleeting moment of respect when Hiccup placed his cousin's hand onto the Monstrous Nightmare. But that moment had passed.
“Just go Snot.” Astrid rolls her eyes, pretending not to notice the look on Ruffnut's face. Like she knew something that Astrid didn’t.
Before she could think about it too much the door to the hut opens, and Gothi steps out. The healer surveys the group of teens waiting, a bony hand motioning behind her as if to say visitors are okay. The majority of the group shrugs, shoulder rolling in on themselves and slumping away towards the Hall. Astrid takes a hesitant step, towards the door, climbing the steps and willing herself to knock.
What feels like an hour passes before she hears a rustling from inside. “Move you beast!” Stoick's voice from behind the door, directed at Toothless. The words don’t hold the same hate they had a mere day ago.
The large wooden door yanks open, the Chief taking up the whole frame. “Astrid” Stoick says, looking down at her. “What can I do for ya?”
“I, um, I was, well.” Stoick had never seen the girl stutter. She had never acted so unsure of herself. “I was wondering if it would be okay if I sat with him? With Hiccup that is?”
“I don’t see why not. Gothi gave him a willow bark mixture so I can’t say he’ll be much company.” Stoick moves to the side, letting Astrid step into his home. “Up the stairs, just shove the Night Fury out of the way.”
“How long?” Her question trails, taking in Hiccups home. She had known Hiccup since she was born but had never been in his home. All of her other friends had at least been in the main room of their houses.
Astrid’s eyes scan over the room, shields and different weapons hanging on the walls. A small fire flickers in the hearth, while light streams in through the windows in the back of the home.
“Gothi said he’ll be in and out for the first few days, but should be talking by then. He’s been mumbling though. But then about a month before he can put weight on it. ” Stoick rubs a thick hand across his brow. “Know he’ll appreciate you being here, Imma go grab a bite, just yell at anyone you see outside to come get me from the Hall if my boy needs anything.” Astrid nods, walking over to the steps. Pushing down the urge to take them two at a time just to get to see Hiccup faster.
“Hey, Toothless.” Astrid’s voice wavers, still a bit weary of the large black dragon curled on the floor near Hiccup's bed.
The dragon seemed to have none of her reservations. Toothless gave her that same silly gummy look, it almost looked like he was smiling. Though Astrid wasn’t used to any look outside of anger on a dragon’s face. Toothless gave a warbling sound from his throat before laying back down. Astrid took that to mean that she was free to approach Hiccup.
Hiccup lay still in his bed. His skin was still paler than normal, and the dried blood and ash washed from his face. Hair pushed from his forehead, the auburn strands not flopping across his face made him look older somehow. Astrid could tell his tunic had been removed as his bare arms rested against the fur that had been pulled up over his chest. The thick brown material covering his lower half, save his left leg. Gothi had left it uncovered, Hiccup's pant leg was cut revealing about half a foot of his calf before ending in a cloth-bandaged stump.
“Oh, Hiccup.” Astrid mummers, a slew of emotions racing through her. Sadness, anger, and remorse. All shadowed by the overwhelming urge to smooth his hair and comfort him.
She pushed the feelings down, not wanting or needing to deal with them now or ever really. Astrid on the stool near his bed, unsure of what to do with her hands she first knitted them together in her lap before settling to let them rest against the sheet of Hiccup's bed.
As Stoick had told her, Hiccup was restless. Incoherent mummers and changes to his breathing were the extent of their interactions for the first three days. Astrid had come back each day, having a similar conversation with the Chief. On the fourth day, he told her that Hiccup had woken up that morning long enough to drink some broth and eat a bit of fruit before the medicines drug him back under.
Astrid was in her now normal spot, perched on the stool, legs crossed. Today she had chosen to bring a small knife that needed sharpening with her. She had been doing just that when the sudden sound of Hiccup's voice sent the stone to the floor.
“Astrid?” His voice was hoarse, not matching the typical pitch she was used to. “Am I dead?”
Astrid does the only thing she can do, she laughs. Bent over gripping her sides, laughing. “Why do you think you’re dead?”
“I don’t know, couldn’t think of another reason why I’d wake up and you’d be at my bedside.” He gives the best shrug he can while lying down.
“You’re my friend,” Astrid says it like the words explain everything, instead of bringing more questions to swirl around Hiccup's thoughts. “You did a pretty good job at almost killing yourself and I was” She pauses, wishing she could take the word back. “We’ve been worried about you. Ya know your dad, the gang, the whole village really.”
“Oh yeah, so Snotlout and the twins have been sitting here watching me sleep too?” The sarcasm she had grown to know returned to Hiccup's voice.
Astrid silently shakes her head, not able to tell him it had only been her. “I’m going to go let your dad know you’re up.” She moves to stand, her motion halted by Hiccups fingers wrapping around hers.
“Thanks, Astrid.” He says, squeezing slightly.
With that shy, nervous, grin something new but somewhat familiar fluttered in Astrid’s stomach. The same feeling she had felt during her first flight on Toothless. Stomach-dropping fear followed by a soaring feeling in her heart as they touched the orange and pink clouds.
Astrid returns his hesitant gaze. “Yeah, whatever.” Turning her face from his and running down the stairs when she feels her cheeks burn.
She ran from the house, telling herself it was to find Stoick. Not to get away from Hiccup, from the way seeing him finally sit up in bed and grin at her had made her feel. Astrid was walking so quickly through the village that she hadn’t noticed the twins.
“Why the red face there Astrid?” Ruffnut yells from where she is perched sitting on a barrel blocking Tuffnut from view. Her twin most likely causing some sort of mischief.
“Our young dragon tamer finally awake?” Tuffnut asks, arching his brow at her. “You ending your bedside service?” Astrid didn’t like the way he said the last word.
“Can it Tuff,” Ruffnut says, shoving him into the wall and walking over to Astrid.
“Yeah he’s up, I was just going to find Stoick.” Astrid looks at her friends before continuing her walk to the Hall, Ruffnut falling into step beside her.
“You wanna,” Ruffnut starts.
“No.” Astrid cuts her off.
“Just know, all I’ll have to say is ‘I told you so’ whenever you get all this” Ruffnut motions between Astrid and Hiccup's house in the distance. “Figured out.”
“Nothing to figure out Ruff,” Astrid says, her voice clipped. The other girl only nodded in return.
Time went on, Astrid still visiting Hiccup, though things were different now that he was awake. She’d watch him draw, sketching ideas for different tailfins for toothless. Each made of different materials to serve a purpose. Hiccup would ask her about the village, Astrid keeping her answers intentionally vague. In the words of the twins, they were “Hiccup-fying” the village. It was obvious to Hiccup that things had changed, with Toothless sitting in his bedroom that much was obvious. But what he didn’t know was that his tentative friends were still riding their dragons and teaching the villagers to accept the large beasts as friends instead of foes.
Astrid had tried to visit in the days after Hiccup's prosthetic was first fit. But Stoick had turned her away at the door. Stating that his son was having a hard time. Astrid was confused, so what he was missing a leg, well part of a leg. There were plenty of Vikings around the village that were missing some sort of body part. The long weeks of not seeing him made Astrid feel something that she could only describe as ‘off’. She forgot basic chores, didn’t pay attention when her mother spoke to her, and for the first time since she was 12 missed the target completely when throwing her axe.
They were all surprised when the day finally came when the door to the Chief's home opened, and out walked not Stoick but Hiccup. “I don’t see why everyone’s so excited it’s just Hiccup.” Snotlout scoffs, jumping off Hookfang and watching the villagers swarm around his cousin.
“Oh shut up Snot,” Astrid says pushing through the crowd to find herself face-to-face with Hiccup.
Before she can think she punches him in the arm, she sees his lips move but can’t hear the words over the buzzing in her ears. Before she can second guess herself Astrid is pulling Hiccup by his tunic and pressing her lips to his. The jeers from the crowd around them accompanied by Toothless pushing his way through ending their kiss sooner than either of them would like.