Hiccup and Astrid

memories part 9

Darkness had descended on the island bringing with it a cold deep enough to sting bones. Snotlout's husky build didn't provide nearly enough insulation to protect against the biting chill. The dragons had already retreated back into the warmth of the island. He had walked up to the hole the Vikings had burst open earlier and peered inside, but except for the softest reddish glow, no light permeated, though he was certain he heard an inquisitive growl from the Nightmare. It was strange, but he already seemed to miss him and hoped he would come out in the morning and return to Berk with them.
Rubbing his hands on his arms he walked over to the blazing bonfire. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were seated back to back, heads propped against each other with their helmets skewed to the side and snoring loudly. Fishlegs was lying on his side in the thick black sand, knees pulled up tight to his chest and muttering something unintelligible in his sleep, no doubt recounting some obscure fact only important to him.
Then there was Astrid. She was on her knees with her back to him. Hiccup was lying motionless next to her and from where Snotlout stood he could see the firelight shift and reflect on the kid's pale cheeks, making his freckles even more pronounced, thin lips partially open to expose those crooked teeth. Astrid's hands never stopped moving. She adjusted the cloak that covered him, or touched his face gently, or picked up a hand that had fallen limply to the side.
The anger Snotlout had felt earlier was still there, but quieter. It was true she had never given him any indication that she welcomed his advances, but he had simply taken that for a challenge to try harder. Isn't that what Vikings were supposed to do? But it had been his assumption – probably the whole village's as well – that they would wind up together. They were the alpha male and female of their generation after all. Their children would be the finest warriors, the strongest and fastest, and certainly the best looking. He could accept that she didn't love him; that was incidental. What was important was that he would have had the best and so would she.
But here she was, fawning over Hiccup, who was as far from the best as they were from Asgard. He could still remember the way her face had lit up that morning when she was gathering them all up to help and while she watched Hiccup show them how to befriend and ride the dragons – the way she had smiled. Astrid Hofferson simply didn't smile. Ever.
Hiccup made her smile.
Snotlout flicked his eyes to the side. There was one more presence around the bonfire: the Night Fury who sat near them. His gold-green eyes reflected the light back a hundredfold while the rest of him was lost in the shadow. Occasionally Astrid turned her head to him and murmured something soft and comforting, boldly stroking his nose with her hand. Comforting a dragon, comforting Hiccup. This wasn't the Astrid that he knew even yesterday. Then again, he looked all around him at the aftermath of the greatest battle any of them had ever experienced – none of them were the same Vikings they were yesterday.
They were supposed to be watching Hiccup in shifts, but Snotlout already knew she wasn't going to give up her turn. She was going to stay awake all night fighting fatigue and hunger to be the one at this side. That was the kind of person she was; she wouldn't relinquish this responsibility to anyone else. Finally having enough of the cold, he entered the warm aura of the fire and hunkered down next to her, which he realized belatedly placed himself between the dragon and Hiccup. The Night Fury wasted no time in making his displeasure known with a growl and flash of sharp white teeth.
"It's okay, Toothless," Astrid said softly. "He's not going to hurt Hiccup. Are you?" she finished pointedly at Snotlout.
"I'm cool." He held his hands up and smiled at the dragon. "Uh, what kind of a name is Toothless anyway?"
"I don't know," she said offhandedly as her attention was drawn back to Hiccup, smoothing aside the hair from his eyes. "I'll ask him when he wakes up." She sighed. Astrid actually sighed.
Anger was rising in Snotlout again, but he tamped it down. "Um, Astrid, about earlier…"
"Yeah?"
"I'm, uh, I'm sorry. I know it was the wrong time to talk about stuff like this. But maybe later, when we get home?"
"No."
"No?" he said in what sounded suspiciously like a whine.
"I'm not doing this again with you, 'Lout. I'm sorry for what happened too, but there's just nothing to talk about anymore. Let it go."
"Aw, come on, Astrid! Can't you at least tell me why?"
"Why? Why what?"
"Why him over me?"
She huffed in exasperation. "It wasn't like it was a contest. You were never in the picture, 'Lout, I'm sorry. But why him?" She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "Because he took a stand – against everything he had ever known, risking everything in his whole world to do what he knew in his heart was right. Would you have been that brave? Would I? I don't know," she whispered and cast her eyes down. "All I know is he makes me want to be better, not just stronger or faster, but better."
Snotlout had to look away from the intensity of her gaze while her words settled on him. He saw the flickering of the torches from the adults who were diligently working to get a vessel ready to ship out on the morning. "Your kids are probably going to be scrawny buck-toothed weaklings," he finally said in concession.
That actually made her laugh. The first time in sixteen years he'd successfully gotten her to laugh. "Maybe. But they'll be good scrawny buck-toothed weaklings."
Snotlout groaned. "That is the most un-Viking thing you have ever said."
She shrugged, but she was also still smiling, and her hand was resting on Hiccup's chest – in possession? protection? – he didn't know, only that she was touching his cousin in such a familiar way she would never touch him with.
Clearing his throat, Snotlout asked, "Have you checked the dressing yet?"
The smile fell off her face. "No. I haven't…couldn't…"
"Well you need to. Here, I'll help."
She moved aside and let him have access to Hiccup. Toothless sniffed and cried out at him pointedly, no doubt reminding him that the dragon was a fireball away if he did anything to harm the boy. Snotlout pulled the cloak off and felt his stomach flip as he saw the bloodied stump for the first time. Next to him, Astrid gasped and placed her hand on her mouth, eyes suddenly reflecting the fire in newly-formed tears. The bandages were red and seeping and Snotlout's hand trembled as he reached for the leather cinch on his cousin's thigh to tighten it.
He coughed to hide the sudden tremor in his voice. "We need to change them now. Can you go grab some new ones?"
She nodded eagerly and jumped up to scour the campsite, possibly turning over every rock on the island if necessary. With her gone, Snotlout looked down at Hiccup. He'd never understood how he and Hiccup could be so different; their fathers were brothers after all. Maybe he had been some great joke of the gods or set down on Berk to punish them for something. Snotlout had always assumed Hiccup would just end up getting himself killed in some strange way or another. Never in his life would he have imagined all of this.
"I guess I should apologize," he said quietly. "Though it still really kind of pisses me off. She's absolutely nuts about you. You! Not cool, man. Aside from that – the whole dragon thing? I was never really that interested in killing them, anyway. So I guess, props to you on that. I think flying over here was the greatest time of my life. And what you and, uh, Toothless did earlier with that monster dragon? That was impressive, won't lie to you. Though I was on its head! Going pow pow on its eyes. Don't forget that. But, anyway, I do hope that you pull through. Except for your leg of course, which, you know, sucks, but now you'll have a really cool scar, so that's a plus. Maybe we can even start hanging out or something. If you're not too weird, that is."
There was no response from the prone figure, which relieved Snotlout immensely. He turned his head at the sound of crunching sand as Astrid ran towards them with an armload of cloth. He wondered if she accosted every Viking on the island to cough up some garment for the cause. "Here," she said out of breath as she dropped down beside him.
Steeling himself, Snotlout unbound the bandages Gobber had placed earlier and tossed them into the fire. They sizzled and popped as the flames consumed them. Then he took a wide swatch from the pile and folded it a couple of times before pressing it against the wet, open wound. He desperately tried not to notice the exposed chunk of bone sticking out. "Hold this, will you?" he said to Astrid.
She hesitated only a second before leaning forward and placing her hands around the leg to hold the pad firmly against it. Taking a couple of larger pieces, he ripped them into thinner strips and began winding them around the stump and across it, building up the thickness and holding the whole thing in place. When he had deemed it enough, he tied off two ends and replaced the cloak over Hiccup's chest. He took a few gasps of the cool air to stave off the nausea that threatened him. The last thing he needed was to toss his lunch in front of Astrid after everything that had happened.

"Thank you," she said warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Eh, no problem," he said, trying for nonchalant. "We'll probably have to do that a few more times tonight. You up for it?"
She nodded firmly, even as her cheeks blanched whiter than usual.
"Okay, then," he said, moving aside so she could take up her post next to Hiccup again. "I guess we just wait the night out."
Across the fire, Tuffnut snorted loudly and Fishlegs chattered endlessly. Snotlout sat watching as Astrid picked up Hiccup's hand and simply held it.
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To be continued...