Together

V | A friend like Astrid

"Today is about teamwork. Work together and you might survive."

"Might?" [Reader] questioned. "Pft, I have Hiccup on my team, we're gonna die." Snotlout groaned. [Reader] snapped back at him through the fog, "please, you'd be the reason we'd die, not Hiccup. You fuss and complain so much, I'm surprised you haven't gotten eaten yet."

Gobber continued, ignoring the teens fighting. "Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which."

Fishlegs mumbled to himself, "Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, crushing its victims in its..." Hiccup became tense and annoyed. "Will you please stop that?"

Snotlout sung to himself trying to calm his nerves. "If that dragon shows either of its faces, I'm
gonna-" Snotlout spots something in the fog. "There!" Both Snotlout and Tuffnut splash all their water at the figure.

"Hey!" Astrid yelled. [Reader] stepped away from her trying not to get wet. "It's us, idiots." Ruff looked gave them a dirty look.

Tuff laughed. "Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were dragons." Snotlout slid closer to Astrid trying to flirt with her. "Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure." Astrid elbows Snotlout in the face knocking him to the ground. Ruff punches her brother in the throat laying him next to Snotlout.

"Wait.." [reader] saw a sharp tail swipe and moved barely jumped spilling little water. On the other hand, Astrid and Ruff crashed on the floor spilling their bucket next to them. "Why didn't you warn us [reader]?!" Astrid yelled groaning in pain. "It all happened to fast! I almost fell with y'all!"

Tuff dramatically gasped for air. "Oh, I'm hurt. I'm very much hurt."

[Reader] felt something wrap around her ankle. She dropped her bucket trying to untie herself. In the blink of an eye [reader] disappeared into the fog being dragged by her feet. "[Reader]!" Astrid called, trying to grab her hand missing by only an inch.

Hiccup perked his head up hearing Astrid. "Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now..." Fishlegs voice sounded shaken. "We don't even know if [reader] is surviving right now." Tuff joined, still recovering from the punch earlier.

"Look out!" Fishlegs aims his water at the head, making it release gas. "Oh. Wrong head." The dragon releases gas around Fishlegs feet, he flees running away panicked. "Fishlegs!" Gobber called.

"Now, Hiccup!" The other head approaches Hiccup. Hiccup hurls the water at the dragon, not making it high enough for the dragon. "Oh, come on!" The dragon makes a small spark in its mouth threatening.

"Run, Hiccup!" Gobber covers his eyes not wanting to watch.

The fog mostly cleared, so everyone could see what was going on. [Reader] was hanging upside down, being held up by the dragons tail. [Reader] looked like she was about to pass out from the blood rush.

The dragon dropped [reader], she was fortunately caught by Astrid, who only stopped her from banging her hand against the ground. "Back! Back! Back! Now don't make me tell you again!" Hiccup took a eel out his brown jacket throwing it at the Zippleback. "Yes, that's right. Back into your cage." Hiccup slightly turned smirking at [reader]. The Zippleback entered its cave and Hiccup threw the eel at them. "Now think about what you've done."

Astrid stayed holding onto [reader] lowering her brows at Hiccup. [Reader] vision began to come back and she sat back up. "Are you okay [reader]?" Astrid asked trying to distract herself from Hiccup. "Yeah, just a little lightheaded."

[Reader] stood up, with Astrid quickly following her. [Reader] walked up to Hiccup trying not to misstep, raising her hand to give a high five. "Good job, Hiccup! That was good."

Astrid rolled her eyes leaving the rink. "Let's go." Hiccup whispered, holding [reader]s hand walking away from everyone.

"I'ma make a saddle for Toothless" [reader] nodded, still holding hands with Hiccup as they walked to the blacksmith. "So you're planning on actually riding him?."

Hiccup smiled. "Yeah. I'm hoping I can. Maybe you'll be able to ride that other dragon we found. She doesn't seem to like me."

[Reader] laughed, disconnecting their hands. They stared at each other for a few second. [Reader] leaned in kissing Hiccups cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

━━━━ ❤︎

[Reader] and Hiccup crossed paths waving at each other. Hiccup, headed back to blacksmith to collect his items. [Reader] went straight to the same cave from before. Astrid eyed them suspiciously, wondering why they didn't at least say hi to each other.

[Reader] entered the forest, trying to remember which way the cave was. She finally came across the same metal plate and stared walked faster to the cave. She peaked her head in the cave showing herself. "Hello?"

The familiar dragon stuck its head out the shadows, fully coming out when it realizes it's [reader]. It prances around happily accidentally smacking [reader] with its tail. [Reader] and the dragon heard a loud gasp behind them and the dragon growled wrapping its tail around [reader] protectively. "[R-reader], what is this?!" [Reader] panicked hearing Astrids voice.

"A-Astrid! Heyy Astrid!" [Reader] took a step closer to Astrid. Astrid backed up away from [reader]. "Look, I know this looks bad, but you can't tell anyone. Okay? We've been friends forever, you know I wouldn't wanna do anything to hurt or put you in any danger. You just have to trust me." [Reader] grabbed Astrids hands pulling her closer.

Astrid stayed quiet, staring at the dragon who was still softly growling at her. "I won't say anything. I promise."

[Reader] pulled Astrid in giving her a tight hug. "Thank you." Astrid relaxed into [reader], returning the hug. 

"How did you...? when...? I have so many questions." Astrid leaned back still holding onto [reader]. "Yeah, I assumed you did. I found her yesterday. I know you  and everyone else think dragons are these terrible creatures, but they really aren't."

Astrid nodded. Suddenly [reader] got lifted by the back of her shirt by the dragons mouth and thrown onto her back. "Woah!" [Reader] grunted as she fell harshly on the dragon.

The dragon started jumping around happily, [reader] struggled to stay still. The dragon finally calmed down and [reader] grabbed her heart feeling out of breath. [Reader] hopped off the dragon walking back up to Astrid. "Does anyone else know about this?"

[Reader] stretched popping her back. "Hiccup"

"Oh."

"We should start heading back." [Reader] waved at her dragon going back through forest.