trans_9 | Sticks and Stones [closed]

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Sticks and Stones [closed]

He couldn't find her in the great hall, and that meant that she had likely heard, too, heard the truth. He wasn't sure if he should look for her, wasn't sure if she'd want him to find her. It wasn't that he expected her to run off and cry, but Astrid, by her nature, was the type to deal with things like grief alone.

In fact, he remembered when they were younger, when her father had died, she'd just... withdrawn; disappeared to practice like the crazy person she was. He wondered sometimes if the Astrid of the present, who made everything look so effortless, had been built on those quiet afternoons in the Berk woods, as she worked out her grief with relentless practice.

He still found her anyway, trying to find somewhere to be alone himself. It was a room that wasn't really a room. It led to an open sky, a meadow surrounded by trees, somehow still inside the ship. They weren't trees like back home, but they were trees. What he didn't know was this was Stacy showing off the Sensoriums to anyone nearby. All he did know was that he heard screaming. Over and over. And thunking noises. Scream. Thunk. Scream. Thunk. Scream. Thunk. Grief and anger with its own percussion. As if just screaming or just thunking alone weren't enough.

He watched her, and for once she didn't see him coming, she was so lost in it. For a moment, he wondered idly if he should leave, since she hadn't noticed him coming in, but found that he just...didn't quite want to. Right now, as far as he knew, she was the only Viking left, the only person from Berk left alive with him. After a while of standing there, watching, listening, he started to shake, and then closed his eyes, his mouth setting in a firm line.

Then he pulled his knife out of its sheathe, and his eyes opened again, and there was his own scream, his own thunk, as he threw it into the same tree Astrid was using as her unfortunate practice dummy. It actually hit the tree for once, next to her axe. And it even stuck. A testament to what he was feeling maybe.

(Everyone always told him he needed to focus more.)

Then he stood there, shaking with pent up...something waiting to see if she'd yell at him to get out or not.

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There was no objection and he seems to like it. Good, then she is pleased as well.

With a brief side glance, she could tell he's bravely testing the boundaries, and she chose to look the other way-- literally pretending to turn a blind eye to gaze skyward, continuing the conversation, "If that is true... then..."

...And one of the hands that rested on her previously growling stomach would pretend to absently fall at her side, palm up.

"It sounds like what a world really needs are extraordinary minds to help shape it into something wonderful. Like..."

She swallowed quietly, the fist now between them gingerly uncurling fingers.

"...Like you."

Hopefully he got the gesture.

Signal received. Cautiously, daringly, his hand clasped her own. For a moment, he waited for the inevitable hitting, but that didn't happen and then she said things.

Nice things.

Deadpan. "Wow, Astrid, I don't think I've heard you say this many nice things about me at once without at least offsetting it by smacking me senseless."

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...Is he purposely trying to egg her on to get a rile out of her?

A light scoff, avoiding eye contact for the moment as it will just break another barrier.

"Then you're lucky my hand is occupied? Maybe you should hold it tighter to keep me from hitting you."

--But she won't. She rather likes where her hand is right now, thank you.

He's so right, though. She can't remember when she actually complimented him this much. And from his tone, she briefly started to wonder if she said too much. Inwardly conflicting to go with it or hit him so he won't feel weird about her.

Well, she couldn't do it with the one hand, because he held it tighter, and she might not want to hit him with the other because he showed his appreciation for the kindness by moving closer and nuzzling his cheek against hers, and leaving his head there, leaning on her shoulder slightly.

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Heeeh. That just means he is in biting distance if he riles her enough. ...On second thought, he might like that, too.

Hair unbound and splayed behind her and over guard-less shoulders, her other hand timidly played with the golden strands. His dried tears had slightly matted the locks. The subject took another detour suddenly.

"...You really cried a lot there," she softly murmurs. Not that she didn't shed a few of her own; he was there. And she wasn't picking on his feelings either.

It just brought on memories of what felt like a lifetime ago. Reminiscing when a certain squirt with wild red-hair sniffled and released the waterworks after finally pushed to the limit from all the teasing of his peers, but stubbornly insisted he wasn't crying for fear she'd tell his stern father.

Astrid smiled fondly, her cheek offering the same appreciation.

"Well, I don't know. 'Your whole world is gone and your village is gone, oh, and your dad and best friend and Gobber might be gone, and everything sucks, here have a war to fight--'"

His hand gripped hers even tighter.

"How am I supposed to react to that?" It's asked slightly defensively. He's always been the soft one.

"Is it wrong for us to mourn everyone, in case we can't fix it all?"

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She brushed the tresses of hair she held under her nose, peering off thoughtfully. "To be honest, I'd be really worried if you reacted differently."

No, there was nothing wrong with mourning. Even Stoick The Vast nearly broke down when he thought he lost his son. Herself included as she clearly remembers wiping away at wet eyes as she sat by his bedside. Hiccup was unconscious for the majority of it of course.

"It just means you haven't changed," keeping her tone sincere as possible. She wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Nope, still the same overly soft, sentimental, and utterly un-Viking-like idiot I always was."

He craned his neck to look sideways at her.

"Where are you going with this?" he asked, curious.

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What does this say about her for liking you, then?

"Hah, self-depreciating as usual, too."

Embarrassed to mention she had been thinking of their youth, she shrugged a little, "I...I don't know. Forget it." She settled with distracting him with a little finger play.

"No no, what were you thinking?" he asked, curious.

And hee, fingers. His fingers played across her hand, and he traced little circles on her hand with his thumb.

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Things sucked, yeah, but she was feeling a little better already.

"You wouldn't like it." She tried to sound indifferent, another useful Astrid tactic at slipping through interrogation.

More willful finger movement. Why wasn't this wooorking.

It is not a video game, Astrid (not that those have been invented for you yet). You do not go up up down down left right left right B A start with his hand to get him to ignore the question. He's not that easily distractible.

"But now I'm curious, what were you thinking? I bet it's not that bad."

Is it?

That's correct. Just not with his hand, that is. But she isn't that courageous yet.

"Fine, fine..., " she slightly pouted, cheek puffing some in defeat. "I simply remembered a little crybaby, is all..." Who knows if Hiccup can remember, though, or if he'd be surprised she even remembered.

Is it bad now, Hiccup?

"I was four!"

He was half-laughing as he said it, and he let go of her hand to prop himself up on his elbows to look her in the face.

"Besides, you guys--well, no, those guys, you--" he gestured to her "--you were usually okay--pretty much tortured me back then. Oh, constantly. As soon as the size difference started to become noticeable."

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Yep, the other kids were pretty cruel and Astrid knew a major reason. "You realize why they did, right?"

Now with the sheep out of the bag and him pitching in, she felt obliged to carry on.

"Yes, yes you were young. Oh I understand."

"There was that one time during a round of Bashyball. When you figured it'd be a GREAT idea to duck behind me to make yourself less of a target--and I ended up getting the volley of hits...!"

"Thor, was I angry." She strained a smile, but her eye visibly twitched, minor irritation transcending time.

"It was a good plan! ...Other than the part where you hit me afterward."

He grinned.

"Besides, I wasn't always, well...pathetic," he reminded her. "Remember all the times I made you the warrior queen when we were playing pretend and I came up with stories? And then I'd make a daisy crown for your hair."

Hiccup ducked his head into her neck and shoulder again, half to cuddle, half out of good-natured embarrassment. She could likely feel his cheeks go warm.

"I liked you even back then," he admitted. "That's when I first knew..."

He cut off, embarrassed.

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She ran a hand down her face, half-shielding her expression, peeking through parted fingers.

Now he was tossing out her share of embarrassing moments, wasn't he. Touché.

"Hey, hey... and I'd like to think I played that role perfectly," she added, rather haughty-like with nose upturned.

Her brow perked, making the appropriate room for him so they wouldn't knock heads roughly. ...Wait, what is he trying to say.

"Hm? Knew... uh, knew what?" tilting her head cutely, and blinking curiously.

"Nothing," he said, voice muffled by her neck. It probably tickled a little, his nosing in there and hiding.

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A-Ack, it did tickle and her shoulders stiffened some.

"No keeping secrets, you know!" Was he ticklish, perhaps?

Flexing fingers reached for him, "Or else." Let's find out now!

"N-no! Nononoaahahahastopitstop," he tried to wiggle away, but failed, and eventually fell back against her, wiggling and breathless, trying to escape, but not wanting to at the same time.

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She stopped and raised her hands innocently. He deserved that.

"Well, well. What an interesting discovery," she taunted and smirked. He probably shouldn't have gave in so easily.

"You really wanna know that badly?" he asked, flushing and breathless.

"Spill it before I lose interest. And it better be good."

Yep, she was still interested.

"Back then? That was when I figured out that I... that I liked you. Liked you, liked you, kind of like. And it was also when..."

He squirmed uncomfortably in the grass.

"It was also when I pretty much figured out I'd always like you. ...Like you."

He's been practically in love with you since he was, like, six, okay? Something he hadn't admitted yet.

"You may commence with the mocking now, at your leisure."

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"...You do know that was kinda obvious for the longest time, right?" Mocking commenced. Gently.

Hee, tell her something she doesn't know, Hiccup. Though hearing this information made her feel... warm inside. Her heart was doing some weird rhythm also.

"Well, I--"

She cut herself off abruptly and the grin slowly faded. Astrid fell silent, unmoving except for the rise and fall of her chest, her gaze fixed away from him.

It suddenly hit her.

"Who does he think he is?!", "He's so annoying!", "I hate him!"

...Yes, she remembered. All those times. She...

Now it was her turn to sit up.

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