Work Text:
“So, uh, hey.” Tuffnut nearly pauses in his tracks, awkward as it gets, but he did say he’d talk to her about it, and Heather did say she’d be okay with talking. Years ago. Before she got her own dragon and tried to kill them. “Uh, you said we could talk…”
Heather pauses her trek, axe slung over her shoulder. “I did?”
He’s probably being stupid now. He really tried to make her like him before, but he messed everything up. And Hiccup had yelled at him. Which he deserved. “Uh, yes, you did. Years ago. Like, about a few years ago. When I was being silly, and you were being…” He wracks his brain. “Pretty?”
Heather laughs. It’s light and free, and it sounds nice. “Okay, I remember.”
“I know, I was really being silly,” Tuffnut fumbles, tripping over himself. He’s being dumb, and he knows it. He’s not gonna ever be able to offer anyone anything.
“You weren’t being silly, Tuff.” Heather’s hand is on his shoulder now. “They were real feelings, even if a bit childish. We were all so young back then.”
He deflates a bit. “Yeah. But I’m older now.” It’s a tentative, stupidly worded offer. Would she know that? His friends would. But Heather doesn’t know him nearly as well.
“Okay, Tuff,” she settles, sighing, “I… I’ve changed a lot. I’m not really the girl you remember anymore.”
“I don’t care,” Tuff tells her, off put. “You’re still, uh, you. And you’re smart, and nice, uh… sort of nice” he quickly amends, remembering Heather dropping Snotlout through the clubhouse’s floorboards. That was really scary even if it was awesome. She wouldn’t do that to him, would she? “And kind of feral in a really cool way,” he continues, “And maybe need a hug and some cheering kind of like Hiccup, but Ruff keeps making eyes at him and you’re basically Hiccup’s twin.”
“Okay.” Heather slowly lifts her hands. “Okay, that might be somewhat true, Tuffnut, but I think you’re going a little too fast.”
“I thought everyone tells me I’m too slow,” he complains, wounded. His sister always tells him he’s way too sensitive with everyone who isn’t her, but Tuff kinda can’t help that, either. He’s had very few friends in his life, and he’s sort of extra-clingy with the ones he does have.
And he does really like Heather. He wants her to be his friend, at least.
“Tuff…”
“I just wanna be your friend,” he protests.
“I’m not very good with people anymore,” she murmurs, turning away, arms wrapping around herself. She looks sad, and that hurts. But, honestly, Tuff’s usually the one to put that look on people. What is he supposed to do to make it better? “I – I don’t have anything to offer anyone. Not even a friend. That’s why I wanted you guys to just leave.”
And she knocked him out of a tree. That could’ve killed him, actually. But he’s not really mad, just sort of sad. “I have nothing to give, either,” Tuffnut points out. “Just nuts. And a lot of nut-y-ness. And a parasitic twin, who never leaves me alone. And I guess, a pretty awesome, cool dragon.”
“That’s okay,” Heather reassures almost immediately, “I wouldn’t want someone for what they could give me. I don’t want things from people.”
“I don’t, either,” Tuffnut replies with a shrug. “I just… well… want to have fun. And someone to respect that. ‘cuz there were very few people who did on Berk.”
“I understand that,” Heather reassures gently, “I had problems with that too, after coming home after the… meeting you. No one on my island understood dragons, either. Living that was… difficult sometimes. But then I got Windshear.”
And Heather’s been very unclear about what happened. But Hiccup found out, anyway.
“I’m sorry about your island,” Tuff offers tentatively. “That’s awful.”
“Thanks,” Heather murmurs, looking away.
Tuffnut finds himself suddenly, abruptly grateful for his sister in a way he never has been. Hiccup was right every single time he said they were lucky they had each other. Tuff really never believed him. he should’ve. He does now, staring in the face of Heather’s past, of having lived years and years out on some random island, all alone because she lost her home.
Having to steal to survive, no friends, no fun, no Barf and Belch to blow stuff up, no human company – just a dragon that she raised herself.
It’s kind of, actually, really, deeply sad, and Tuff’s chest actually hurts to think about it.
“Maybe you should stay here with Hiccy,” he offers, slowly patting her shoulder in return, “He’s got Dagur-drama, too. And he could use a cool, super feral older sis, too. I mean, you two really get each other. All the way down to being all… lonely and stuff. I think I’m saying this wrong. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do, Tuff,” she replies, “For as crazy as it is, yes, I know.”
Tuff brightens, if only a little. But at least it’s something she understands. “Good. So, uh…”
“I don’t want to promise anything,” she admits, “It’s nice having friends, being with people again. I’ve kind of forgotten the feeling.”
Tuff really wishes he knew how to tell the girl that he wishes she would never have to feel like that again. “We’re glad you came, too,” he offers. He knows Hiccup is. Everyone knows how desperate he is to have a sibling, or, you know, someone. Tuff’s personal opinion is still that Heather’s probably the secret sibling Stoick forgot to mention or something.
“And, one more thing, Tuff,” she adds, a little hesitant and maybe awkward. “You said… about the…”
“Marriage thing?” he offers. Oops, he’s sounding more and more like Snotlout.
Heather sort of makes a face at that. “That’s a little too far, but yes,” she confirms, “I’ve thought about what you said a lot. You know, Vikings don’t usually live long.”
“Yeah. Us Thorstons are lucky if we make it past nineteen,” Tuff offers.
“I guess, I think we could try,” she says, voice soft and with a definite layer of hesitation, but also a little determined. She’s, uh, actually serious. Which makes sense, because Heather never does anything halfway.
“Ohhh,” Tuff mumbles, wide-eyed and blinking at her. He’s a definite bit confused. Really didn’t see their conversation looping back to it. Also, heather thought about him? “I – uh, that’s very sweet. And very Hiccupy. Are you sure you guys aren’t twins?”
“I’m pretty sure,” Heather replies, “The brother I remember was older.”
“Whoa, you had a brother?!”
“I did. But I don’t even remember his name.”
“Oh.” That’s… kind of really sad. “Can I hug you?” he offers completely uselessly, because that’s normally what people do right now, even if he and Ruff never hug. He’d just as soon jump off a cliff.
“You know I would never say no to that.” Heather hugs him.
Tuffnut hugs her back, too, confused and a definite little overwhelmed. Nobody’s ever liked him before. It’s so weird.
Ruff sees him half crying about it later and makes a disgusted face, but pats his shoulder, anyway. Still can’t figure out if he should tell Hiccup when their friend finally resurfaces from his Berk trip or not…