Hiccstrid Shorts

Getting used to it-Part 2

"Wait, you guys have been together for that long?" Fishlegs asks, his eyes wide and shock in his voice.
"Since the Triple Stryke?" Ruffnut and Tuffnut question in unison, similar expressions on their faces as Fishlegs.
"And you didn't tell us?"
Hiccup and Astrid just stare at their friends, feeling as though this was some sort of interrogation.
"For three whole moon cycles, you mean to tell me it wasn't gambling, but you guys being all lovey-dovey behind our backs?" Snotlout exclaims, in an almost mocking tone. He glares at the couple in question before he reclines back against his chair, clearly exasperated. "This is a cover-up. It was definitely gambling. No one can convince me otherwise."
Hiccup and Astrid glance at each other for a few seconds through their peripheral vision, and then look back at their friends. "I still have literally no idea where this gambling thing came from," Hiccup says.
"I know a gambling problem when I see it," Snotlout responds with a simple shrug of his shoulders.
Astrid rolls her eyes. "Clearly."
The gang have just returned to the clubhouse after making a rather quick patrol around Dragon's Edge to make sure everything was safe and secure after the destruction of Project Shellfire. While dinner was being prepared, it seemed ample time for Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins to question "Hiccstrid" (as Snotlout referred to them as) on the information they had received near the volcano only a few minutes ago...
...Hiccup and Astrid...
...were dating?
And had been for the past three months, they came to find out. Hiccup and Astrid explained that it all happened soon after the two of them returned to the Edge from Berk, after Gothi healed Astrid's eyesight.
So, that has been happening without the gang knowing about it. Hiccup and Astrid didn't just forget to tell everyone about it or give any sort of indication that they were a couple. So, the gang had no idea that this was all going on behind the scenes.
Which meant this all was quite the surprise. Especially in the way that they found out.
Yeah, that was an image that was never going to be fully wiped from Snotlout's memory, no matter how hard he tried.
"I don't have a gambling problem," Hiccup tells Snotlout for the umpteenth time.
"Which means it's not gambling, and you're actually dying!" Tuffnut exclaims enthusiastically and completely proud of himself. He reaches down and picks up Chicken from under the table. Tuffnut stares at her for a few moments before Chicken chirps. "Yes - the Chicken approves!"
Hiccup sighs. "No one has a gambling problem, and none of us are dying from a deadly disease! We told you this already!"
"Up-up-up!" Tuffnut responds, clearly not letting this conversation go. "I never said it was a deadly disease! I just said someone was dying!"
"Uh, actually, you did, stupid," Ruffnut says, punching her brother's arm. "You told us that a few hours ago when we were totally talking about Hiccup and Astrid behind their backs."
Tuffnut stares blankly at Ruffnut. "Oh. I guess I did." He blinks, and then looks back at Hiccup and Astrid. "Well, I retract - if that is the right word - my statement because in reality, we're all dying a slow and agonizing death, and each second we live is one second closer to the Dragon's Edge in the sky for all of us!"
Everyone stares at him.
"Wow. Way to bring down the mood, Tuff," Fishlegs says, eventually breaking the silence.
"Hey, it's my specialty...as well as knowing when someone is dying of a deadly disease."
"I think you might want to rethink that, Tuff," Astrid mumbles to herself, not intending for anyone besides herself and Hiccup to hear.
Except, Tuffnut glares directly at Astrid. "Rethink? Hoff...Hoff, you're the one who's mistaken. I never even thinked in the first place," Tuffnut corrects, pointing a finger at his fellow Dragon Rider. "No 'rethunking' has ever been done in this ol' noggin." He slams his head on the table for extra emphasis.
"Can we switch back to our original topic, please?" Fishlegs questions, annoyance evident in his voice.
"Which one? The deadly disease, the fact that we're all dying, or the gambling?" Ruffnut asks, counting on her fingers.
"Neither!" Fishlegs says at the same time Snotlout shouts, "Gambling!"
"No! We're talking about Hiccup and Astrid. No gambling, no diseases, and no dying." Fishlegs shakes his head and turns back to Hiccup and Astrid, who are holding hands underneath the table. "So, it's been since the Triple Stryke? It's been that long?"
"Three months isn't that long," Astrid suggests.
"It is when there's some very important information being hidden from you!" Fishlegs retorts.
Hiccup looks over at Astrid. "It's not very important, is it?"
"To them, at least," Astrid replies.
"No!" Tuffnut responds. "To 'them' it is important!" Tuffnut shouts, pointing at the couple accusatorily.
Ruffnut stands up from her seat. "When there's a couple in the group, the group deserves to know!"
Astrid blinks. "You do now. Plus, it's not even your relationship."
"Says you!" Ruffnut responds.
"Odin, help me..." Hiccup whispers to the ceiling.
"Okay, great, whatever, but you didn't tell us!" Snotlout exclaims, slamming a fist on the table. He was clearly emotional, though he would never admit to it.
Astrid shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah," she answers simply.
"Were you just...not going to mention it...at all?" Snotlout asks.
"No," Hiccup answers, shaking his head. "Of course not."
Snotlout scowls at him. "I hate being left out of things," he mumbles, crossing his arms and slumping like a child who didn't get what they wanted for Snoggletog.
"We were going to tell you all eventually, of course," Astrid explains. "We would never have just not told you guys. But...we wanted to wait a bit. To keep it between us for a while." She grins smugly at Fishlegs. "I mean, you did that with your relationship with Heather."
Snotlout cackles loudly. "Ooh, somebody get Fishlegs some ice for that burn!" he exclaims, Fishlegs's cheeks turning pink at the mention of his girlfriend.
"Yeah, because that comeback was on fire, and you need ice to cool yourself down!" Ruffnut shouts, pointing at Fishlegs mockingly.
"Or a cold bath! Whatever you're most comfortable with!" Tuffnut adds. "I personally like warm baths, but in this case, a warm bath would definitely not cool down your burn!"
Snotlout frowns at Tuffnut. "Okay, now you're ruining it."
"That's what our mom tells us every time we do anything!" Ruffnut exclaims, high fiving her brother excitedly.
"We weren't dating yet," Fishlegs corrects Astrid, continuing the conversation as if they had not just been rudely interrupted.
Astrid smirks and she looks down at her nails. "Those letters make me think otherwise," she sings, referring to the T-Mails Fishlegs and Heather exchanged before she briefly joined the Dragon Riders.
Before Fishlegs could answer, Tuffnut interrupts yet again. "Wait, so when Ruff and I interrupted you guys that one time to ask you about our cool catchphrases, you weren't about to give each other mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"
"Oh, gods..." Hiccup mutters under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose to show his annoyance.
Yet again, Fishlegs continues the conversation as normal. "So...h-how did it happen? What's the story?"
"We just...talked about it," Hiccup answers, not necessarily wanting to go into the grave details about it. While yes, they were finally sharing this change in his and Astrid's lives, they wanted to keep certain details to themselves.
"Boring!" Snotlout sings, laying his head flat on the table, pretending to snore afterwards. "That's the lamest thing I've ever heard."
"No one asked you," Astrid responds, rolling her eyes.
"You're telling me. Therefore, I have the right to an opinion."
"You can keep it to yourself, though," Astrid reminds him.
"Well," Fishlegs says, smiling at Hiccup and Astrid, "congratulations, you two!"
"Thanks, 'legs," Hiccup grins. Astrid squeezes his hand, their fingers still intertwined underneath the table.
"In my defense," Snotlout says, looking directly at Hiccup, "Maces and Talons In-Real-Life against a crazy psychopath is definitely considered gambling."
Hiccup rolls his eyes, and he tries not to laugh at the fact that Snotlout is still convinced that someone in the group has a gambling problem. "Whatever you say."
Snotlout shrugs. "I mean, you've basically betted your life."
"Yes, Snotlout."
"And Viggo could've definitely killed you."
"I understand that, Snotlout," Hiccup says through gritted teeth.
"I'm honestly surprised he didn't-"
"Okay, that's enough!" Hiccup exclaims. He clears his throat afterwards, and he returns his attention to everyone in the group. "Okay, so, great, we all know now. It's out in the open. But, to make things clear: nothing has really changed with us as Dragon Riders just because of Astrid and I."
"But on the volcano, all of us said, 'this changes everything'. We all did. In a really dramatic way. It was almost like it was scripted." He blinks, and then shrugs. "In case you forgot. You might have a bad memory; I don't know."
"So...who's right here?" Ruffnut asks.
"Dear Thor..." Hiccup mumbles, covering his face with his free hand.
Astrid huffs. "Okay: things have changed with me and Hiccup. We can all agree on that."
"Is it that different from how things used to be?" Tuffnut asks, stroking his chin with his thumb.
"Honestly, I thought you guys have been dating since the Red Death," Ruffnut says simply.
"Yeah, when you kissed Hiccup in front of the entire village," Tuffnut reminds everyone.
"Or at Snoggletog when you kissed Hiccup in front of everyone there!"
"Or Thawfest-"
Astrid rolls her eyes. "Fine, yeah, sure, whatever. But we didn't officially start dating until three months ago."
"So...you were dating," Ruffnut says, smiling sinisterly.
"No, we weren't," Hiccup and Astrid respond at the same time, just about done with this conversation.
"But you said 'officially'," Tuffnut points out.
"Specifics," Astrid says with a roll of her eyes.
"But-"
"Let's just settle on this: Hiccup and I didn't start dating until three months ago. That's it. Okay? And now, all of you know about it."
"I still have questions!" Tuffnut interjects.
"So," Astrid continues, pretending she didn't hear him, "that might seem really different, but we're all still a team, we're still the Dragon Riders, and that hasn't changed." She smiles at Hiccup. "Hiccup and I are just...dating now. Other than that, everything's the same."
"Ooh," Fishlegs squeals, "I'm so happy for your two! Oh, this is so exciting!"
"Blah, blah, blah, this romance is making me sick!" Snotlout exclaims. He gets up from his seat without pushing his stool back under the table.
"Where are you going?" Hiccup asks as Snotlout stomps to the hearth.
"To get food. Duh."
Hiccup and Astrid laugh to themselves before they share a quick kiss, smiling to each other, happy that they don't have to hide their relationship anymore. While the secrecy of it all had been fun and exhilarating, it was nice to not keep it to themselves.
"See? Definitely could be mistaken for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Though you're supposed to do chest compressions first-"
"Tuffnut!"
"I'm done."