Work Text:
Astrid huffed, sliding open the door to her hut, the chill of the night at her back. She sighed, slumping her straight posture as she approached her bed. She lifted her pillow, breathing in a deep breath, and hid her axe beneath it.
Stormfly squawked at her from the door, and Astrid turned to her with a sigh. “Oh, girl. What is it?” Astrid asked, brightening a bit as Stormfly’s nose twitched. Astrid approached her dragon, hand gently stroking her dragon’s white jaw.
Stormfly squawked again, and shook her head, taking a step back before flaring her winds. Her nose pointed towards the hut just adjacent to Astrid’s, the blonde pursing her lips and widening her eyes.
“What is it, girl?” Astrid asked, following Stormfly’s gaze to Hiccup’s hut. Astrid crossed her arms and glowered, cocking her head while trying to figure out what was going on. She turned to Stormfly, softening her expression, then asked, “What is he up to this time-”
A muffled crashing cut Astrid off, her eyes snapping to Hiccup’s hut. Her eyes shot wide, before a hardened glare crossed her round features. She hoisted herself onto Stormfly’s saddle and directed her dragon to fly up to Hiccup’s front door.
When Stormfly landed, Astrid climbed off of her back and stormed to the front door. She frowned, pausing to wait for another sound. She heard Toothless whine and Hiccup shushing him, muttering something that was incoherent.
Astrid lifted open Hiccup’s front door, and placed her hands on her hips as she spotted him sneaking towards the stairs of his hut through the dark.
He looked up at her with eyes about as wide as she’d expect, and shrugged his shoulders as he gave his same awkward smile that defined his smile lines. “Hey, Astrid! Hey Astrid! Hey, Astrid! Astrid-”
“What happened?” Astrid asked, rolling her eyes as she stepped inside, and saw Toothless glaring at Hiccup from atop the staircase that led up to his bed. The Night Fury’s tail flicked, his eyes narrowed towards his rider, the dragon’s left eye twitching.
“Nothing, nothing!” Hiccup laughed awkwardly, taking a step back from her, a spare prosthetic attached to his leg. “I can explain-”
“No you can’t.” Astrid crossed her arms, holding back the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.
“Yes, I can.” Hiccup held out his right hand, shaking his finger the way he always did.
Wait, right hand?
Astrid’s eyes narrowed as she noticed Hiccup’s left shoulder was free of its pauldron and wrist guards, causing to march forwards and grab his left hand.
“Ow.” Hiccup griped, dropping all of his awkwardness and hardening his face. “Astrid… it’s not as bad as you think it is.”
“Really?” Astrid asked, rolling up his sleeve to expose his wrist and forearm. Her jaw dropped and she sent him a glare, her nose scrunching up as she saw his wrist was wrapped in purple and blue colors. “What did you do?!” She shouted, rolling his sleeve up a bit higher to see if the injury extended.
Hiccup paused and went quiet, forest green eyes flickering to the floor. “We might have had a… small accident with a pair of Gronckles and a misunderstanding as to who took their rocks.”
Astrid’s head snapped to Toothless, who nodded and snorted as confirmation. She looked back down at Hiccup’s wrist, and commanded, “Stormfly, torch!”
Stormfly lit up a lantern in the corner of the room, and then picked it up with her beak tip and thumped over towards them. She held it up, eyes scanning the darkness of the room.
Astrid groaned and cried, “Hiccup, that looks like it’s broken!”
“It probably is.” Hiccup shrugged admittedly. He swallowed hard, and shook his head, “I was going to get it fixed up in the morning, I just-”
“Didn’t want anyone else to know about it?” Astrid scolded, brows furrowing as she released his hand and turned back to Stormfly. “Stormfly, get the med-kit from Fishlegs. We’ll at least splint it for now.”
Stormfly handed the lantern to Hiccup’s good hand, and then rushed out the door. She stamped her feet, and then took off into the dark night sky.
“And you-” Astrid grabbed Hiccup’s shoulders and pushed him towards the staircase. “-up to bed. Now.”
“Yes ma’am.” Hiccup replied, trudging up the stairs with her in tow. He sighed and sat down on his bed, looking over his left wrist with a frown. As Toothless crooned, Hiccup looked up towards him and gave a weak smile as he approached, the Night Fury tickling Hiccup’s hand with a soft sniff.
Hiccup turned to Astrid, who was standing in the corner with her arms crossed, face contorted into a frown.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to bother anyone this time of night.” Hiccup nodded.
“That could have been a lot worse by morning, Hiccup.” Astrid grumbled, but then approached the bed and sat down beside him. She pursed her lips and hunched her shoulders, and demanded, “I just wish you would tell someone sometimes.”
“I would have. In the morning, after I’d splinted it myself and gotten a good night’s rest.” Hiccup replied, grabbing her shoulder with his good hand. “I mean it, Astrid.”
“Hiccup?! Astrid?!” Fishlegs shouted, his voice carrying across the room.
“Up here!” Hiccup shouted, watching as Fishlegs climbed up the staircase.
“What’s going on?” Fishlegs asked, watching as Astrid stood up and snatched the medical kit from him and returned to Hiccup’s bedside, brooding.
“Someone-” Astrid shook her head, clenching her jaw. “-got hurt and decided to wait till morning to tell us.”
Fishlegs sent Hiccup a small glare, Hiccup sighing heavily. “I-I… I can’t defend myself-OW!”
Astrid grabbed Hiccup’s arm and held it out towards her, and commanded him to keep it steady as she held out the bandage that she intended to wrap around it. “I’ll wrap it and then we can apply some ice to it. Get the swelling to go down. Fishlegs-”
“On it.” Fishlegs saluted, grinning. He waddled back down the staircase and out of Hiccup’s hut, leaving Astrid to bandage Hiccup’s arm.
Hiccup watched as Astrid aggressively wrapped the bandage around his arm, wincing once.
She stopped and softened her gaze, eyes flickering down to her own hands. She then started to cradle his hand gently, her hands nimble as she finished setting his wrist. She let out a sigh, and glanced at him, and said, “You’re going to have to take it easy on that one for a while.”
“I know.” Hiccup replied, voice steady. He opened his mouth to speak, and said, “After we were tackled by a Gronckle, we landed a bit… rough. I landed on this arm while trying to brace my fall. It wasn’t super high up, but these things happen.”
Astrid looked towards him and gave a halfhearted smile, and grabbed his free hand and nodded. “Thank you. I just panicked a bit.”
“I noticed.” Hiccup shrugged, smiling back. He pursed his lips together, sitting forwards, leaning on his good elbow, and asked, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” Astrid straightened.
“Why-why did you panic?” Hiccup asked, cocking his head.
Toothless peered over his shoulder, eyes wide and curious. He cooed, and gave a gummy grin, snorting in Astrid’s direction.
Astrid paused, her stomach fluttering, cheeks flushing with warmth. “I um… I just care.” She admitted. “A lot.”
Hiccup smiled, and relaxed, nodding his head as if that was a sufficient answer. He squeezed her hand back, and replied, “I care too. A lot. About you, I mean.”
Astrid smiled, eyes brightening as he added,
“Thanks. For caring a lot.”