So, for those of you who didn't know, there was a deleted scene in the Hidden World. A flashback to when Hiccup was little and found a baby bird with a broken wing and Stoick was going to... put it out of its misery... but Hiccup insisted on saving it, so Stoick made a brace for its wing and told Hiccup he would have to look after it until it was better and could fly home. If you haven't seen the storyboard clip on youtube, I definitely recommend it before reading this follow on chapter.
The riders are all 7-8 years old.
Hiccup and Astrid are 7.
***
"Yeah! Let's go!" Young Tuffnut cheered as he raced across the plaza, shortly followed by his sister.
"Woohoo!" Ruffnut chanted.
"To the beach!" Snotlout called out.
"Fishlegs you coming?" Astrid halted in her tracks to turn and see the stocky blonde standing nervously. His favorite book clutched tightly against his chest.
"What about Hiccup?" He wondered. "Shouldn't we invite him?"
"Why?" Snotlout scoffed. "So, he can trip on a seashell or get bitten by a sand crab and get us all in trouble? No thanks."
"We shouldn't leave him out," Fishlegs advised. "It's not fair."
"Fine." Astrid sighed. "I'll get him. Go. We'll meet you there."
***
Knock Knock
A young timid Hiccup poked his head out of his front door to see Astrid standing with her axe in her hand, looking as intimidating as ever.
"Astrid? W-what are you doing here?" He stuttered nervously.
"We're going to the beach. Wanna come?" She huffed out.
"You want me to come?" He thought. It was no question that Hiccup wasn't Astrid's favorite person. Or anyone's for that matter.
"Fishlegs didn't wanna leave you out. Don't read into it. You coming or not?" She asked again.
"I-I can't." He faltered, tucking himself a little further behind the door. "I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Astrid wondered. Not that she cared too much, but one thing nobody could deny was that Astrid Hofferson was a curious young warrior.
"C-can you keep a secret?" Hiccup inquired. The blonde nodded enthusiastically, suddenly curious beyond comprehension. She loved secrets. Especially when she was the only one that knew what it was. Hiccup opened the door a little further and gestured for her to come inside before closing the door behind her. "Shh...We have to be quiet or we'll spook him." Hiccup warned as he began to ascend the stairs to his bedroom.
"Him?" Astrid wondered. "Hiccup, if this is another imaginary friend, I swear-"
"It's not. I promise." He held out his hand for her to take. "Just trust me." The young blonde took his hand, unclenching her fists, and the two trudged up to Hiccup's bedroom, where a young Hummingbird was wandering around his desk. "See. I told you. He's real."
"He's hurt." Astrid noticed.
"My dad says I have to take care of him until he's all better." Hiccup explained. "I have to feed him every day and make sure he doesn't get hurt again."
"And your dad said that was okay?" Astrid thought. "I figured he would just-"
"He was going to." Hiccup interrupted. Hiccup was usually a very polite child, but he couldn't bear the thought of his father harming such an innocent little creature. "I stopped him."
"He's so little." She smiled.
"Like me." Hiccup sighed.
"Hiccup the Hummingbird." Astrid giggled.
"You wanna hold him?" Hiccup offered. Astrid nodded apprehensively. Hiccup scooped up the baby bird and gently placed him in Astrid's cupped hands. The bird immediately curled up in her hands and drifted off to sleep. "I think he likes you." Hiccup chuckled.
"You're so lucky. I always wanted a pet." The blonde muttered.
"You could help me take care of him. If you want." He proposed.
"Really?" She bounced with excitement. He nodded shyly. "I'd love to." Just then the baby bird started to look a little distressed. "Do you think he's hungry?" She thought.
"I already fed him."
"Maybe he's thirsty," Astrid suggested. "Do you have a dish?" She asked. Hiccup nodded and raced out of the room, returning with a small dish, placing it on the desk. Astrid grabbed her tankard from her belt and handed it to him. He poured a thin layer of water into the dish as Astrid placed the bird on the very edge. The tiny bird soon began splashing around happily in the water. The two young children rested their arms on the edge of the desk and their chins on their arms and giggled at the adorable scene in front of them. "I should probably go. They're gonna wonder where I am." She sighed. "I'll come back. I promise."
"O-okay." Hiccup stuttered. Astrid reattached her tankard to her belt before grabbing Hiccup's tunic and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Take care of tiny Hiccup." She warned before running off.
Hiccup stood dumbfounded for a few minutes before finally snapping back to his senses.
"You saw that right?" He whispered to his little friend. He watched Astrid out of his window as she ran towards the beach. "I'm gonna marry her one day."
***
