THE TRANSLATOR, httyd.

the translator, sixteen.

stoick stared down elina, who looked at him with a challenge in her eyes. 

he cleared his throat again. "elina," he began sincerely, "i want to apologize for sending your parents out on that exploration trip. i was blinded by anger and i didn't think before —"

"it's... it's fine." elina muttered. she didn't want to hear a heartfelt speech coming from stoick, but deep down inside, she was still grateful that he decided the need for an apology. "you weren't the one who drowned them. it's... it's okay."

it was awkward.

then, stoick clapped her shoulder. "to celebrate your return, we shall host a celebration!"

elina didn't remember homecoming parties being that... celebratory. but she didn't protest so she wouldn't have to get into stoick's bad graces again.

"now go, elina. hiccup will bring you to your house. let me know if you find a suitable job."

elina quickly backed out of the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she escaped from hiccup's dad. although he did look like he was genuinely apologetic, she still didn't exactly forgive him.

hiccup was waiting for her outside and caught her as she tripped on her way out. 

"ow!" elina glared at the piece of wood that was sticking out. hiccup chuckled, holding onto elina's arm as he gently led her to her house. 

"so, what did dad say to you?"

"nothing really. he apologized, then said he would host some celebration or whatever." elina explained as they arrived to her old house. it was clean and organized, which made hiccup quickly explain with a small blush, "uhm, i cleaned it up a little."

"hey, look! we get to be next-door neighbors!" elina cheered as she saw hiccup's name-tag on the village door next to hers. hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "yep," he grinned sheepishly.

elina moved most her things into her room, but hiccup knew that she would just go to the dragon sanctuary instead. "so, how have you been doing?" elina asked hiccup, not wanting to give him the impression that she was a weirdo who listened to toothless talk about hiccup all day.

"uh, it's considerably better now you're back," hiccup told elina. "dad expects to fulfill my chiefly duties and the gang are training every day. now that i'm talking about it, there's lots of dragon hunters out there who's been trying to attack berk."

elina raised her eyebrows. "and i expect you've won the fights?" hiccup chuckled, and he put his hand over hers. there was a spark of electricity that went through them at the skin to skin contact.

"yeah," hiccup whispered. "i really missed you, you know."

elina closed her eyes, and entwined her fingers with this. "i missed you too, hiccup." they were so close to each other that she could see his eyes that were so green that even the forest would be jealous; and the way minor freckles spread on his cheeks. auburn hair parted to the side messily that elina just wanted to run her fingers through.

god, she was insane.

like they were in a trance, they leaned closer to each other, but then elina heard someone clear their throat. awkwardly, hiccup and elina sprung apart, and elina turned to see astrid looking at both of them with a smirk (but was that... jealousy in her eyes?)

"hey, lovebirds," astrid grinned at elina and hiccup, making elina roll her eyes, embarrassed, "stoick's calling a meeting in around 20 minutes. hey, lina, can i talk to you real quick?"

elina turned to look at hiccup, who had red cheeks from being caught so close to each other. "yeah, yeah, sure," elina stammered as astrid pulled her out from the room.

"have you picked a job yet?" astrid asked. elina smiled self-consciously.

"uh, no?" 

astrid rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. "yeah, because you were too distracted by hiccup," she patted elina on the shoulder. before elina could retort, astrid handed her a scroll with list of professions she could take.

"what the heck," elina muttered as she scanned through the long list. "dragon dung cleaner? what?" 

astrid snorted. "yeah, you don't have to pick that."

"oh, healer sounds nice. does that mean i'll have to work with gothi — assuming she's still the healer?"

"yeah, and you have to work with gobber as well. he's the, uhm, dragon dentist." elina grinned as she imagined gobber wrestling a dragon over its tooth. 

"well, at least my job won't be boring."

astrid's gaze suddenly turned serious. "elina?" she told her. elina looked as astrid in confusion.

"yeah?"

"do you like hiccup? romantically?"

elina laughed uncomfortably. "no, of course not." liar. "he's just a really good friend." then what was that kiss?

astrid looked unconvinced. elina felt her cheeks becoming warmer. "no, seriously, i don't like him. romantically. at all." but elina felt like she was convincing herself more than convincing astrid.

astrid nodded suspiciously. but then, her expression brightened as she heard a horn blow in the horizon. "hey, look, it's time!"

elina and astrid sat side by side on the table, hiccup on elina's other side. for some reason, astrid kept sending glances at hiccup that made elina felt a kind... protectiveness over hiccup. elina ignored it.

"and in true viking fashion, there will be a ball three days from now!" the crowd roared with approval as elina shifted in her seat. "better hurry up on asking your dates since shame on you if you don't go with anyone!"

elina heard the twins snigger. elina instinctively looked towards hiccup, who looked at anywhere but her.

elina sighed and sunk into her seat even more. she was supposed to get a date? when she went back to berk, this was not what she had in mind. and why was hiccup ignoring her? what did she do?

in annoyance, she turned to look at stoick, when she felt hiccup's presence being pushed away by snotlout. he asked, "won't you go with me, gorgeous?"