All These Lights

take off

"Whoever invented morning flights needs to be, I don't know....banished or something." Heather yawned as she trudged out the door of her apartment building.

"Oh, come on Heather. It's not like its your flight." Astrid said, lugging a suitcase in one hand and a pet carrier in the other.

"And yet I'm the one awake at this ungodly hour." Heather rolled her eyes. "How many suitcases did you say you had?"

"Just the one." Astrid shoved her luggage in the trunk. "And also this carrier for Stormfly." She held up a small carrier with a sleeping kitten inside.

"One single suitcase for a five month tour?"

"Everything that I need is already at the airport. And also it's not like I won't have access to necessities, and you know, budgets."

"Mmm it's too early for budgets."

"Occupational hazard?"

"Right." Heather started the car. "And the cat is coming why?"

"Well, we all agreed to bring them so they're not lonely while we're gone for five months." Astrid  cooed.

"Right..." Heather drove out onto the street.

It was a cold, foggy morning. Astrid glanced at the clock on the dashboard as she pulled a jacket over her hoodie. It read, 2:13 AM.

"So...how do you feel?" Astrid asked.

"About what?"

"Fishlegs leaving?"

"Oh, that." Heather said quietly.

"Are you going to miss him?"

"Sure. The same way I'll miss you, or any of the guys for that matter."

Astrid rolled her eyes. It had only been two weeks but everyone knew something special was going on between them. "You have to come in with me. To say goodbye at least."

"It's really not a big deal, Astrid. It's not like there was anything to miss anyways."

"Well, even if you don't miss him, I know for a fact he's going to miss you. And he would really want to see you before we leave."

"You don't know that." Heather said, blushing slightly.

"Remind me who the Us Four expert is." Astrid sighed. "I know that all this must be overwhelming for you but, take it from the girl who's watched these kinds of relationships crumble time and time again: he is probably the nicest person in this Thor-forsaken industry. He'd never let anything happen to you... and neither would I."

"Fine." Heather gave in, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Good. Fishlegs'll be happy."

"So... are you planning to sit next to Hiccup on the flight?" Heather saw her cousin turn to look out the window out of the corner of her eye. Similar to how the others felt about her and Fishlegs, the group's consensus about Hiccup and Astrid was that they'd be perfect together. The only people left to convince was Hiccup and Astrid themselves. "You know the contents of my glove compartment are probably more interesting than the 405 freeway."

"Well," Astrid cleared her throat, "given the unholy length of my to-do list, I'll probably end up sitting alone at the back of the plane sending emails."

"Right, well, I'm sure you wouldn't mind some company."

"Heather..." Astrid's tone was some mixture annoyed, amused, and warning.

They didn't mention Hiccup or Fishlegs the rest of the drive.

As they neared the private check in gate, the sound of people shouting reached their ears.