All These Lights

coincidences

"Not if you keep your doors locked."

"That was a joke right?"

Eret's face stayed serious for a moment, then he burst into laughter. "Yes it was a joke."

Astrid laughed in relief.

Hiccup, who was sitting between Tuffnut and Snotlout who were deep in an argument about puff pastry, noticed Astrid across the room. She was laughing at something Eret said, and for some reason he didn't like that. He pushed his friends off of him and made for his managers.

"What are we laughing about?" Hiccup asked.

"You." Eret deadpanned.

Hiccup's face soured for a moment. "I didn't think I was that funny."

"You're not."

Astrid, caught in the middle of the icy gazes of her new client and assistant, pushed them apart and said, "Eret, I seem to have forgotten my iPad in your car, can you do me a favour and bring it? I have the contracts in there."

Eret smiled smugly. "Of course, I'll be right back." He left the room.

After a moment, Hiccup realized something. "Wait, the one and only Astrid Hofferson forgot something in her car?"

"I have my moments." She shrugged and proceeded to open her bag and produce her iPad. She glanced at her clients who had moved on from arguing about puff pastry to their new album. Astrid noticed that this argument felt real, not like the banter they previously shared about pastry recipes. "Hiccup?"

"Yes?" He responded absentmindedly. His brain was stuck on the fact that she just said his name for the first time ever, in normal conversation at least.

"Tell me about your friends."

"Well..." What could Hiccup say? That they argue more than a bitter married couple with no love left to give? That all of them have spoken about buying out their contract more than once? That they can no longer write songs together because they can't agree on anything? That the amicability seen in pictures and interviews is only for the camera? That everyone was too busy suffering in silence that they can't see the bigger picture: their brainchild (Us Four) was dying?

"Well?" Astrid egged him on.

"Well... we're like a family." Hiccup settled on that because it was true. Families get on each other's nerves right?

"That's it?"

"No, no um, we each... bring something to the band, an instrument, songwriting skills, personality, etcetera."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh take Snotlout for example. That one," he pointed to his cousin who looked just about ready to throw a punch at Tuffnut, "he's my cousin. He's interesting and it takes a bit to warm up to him but, once you get to know him... he's a really incredible guy." He then pointed to Tuffnut, who looked equally as agitated. "That's Tuffnut Thorston, or just Tuff. He's a bit of a nut, but he is genius in his own way. Sometimes it seems like he's the only one who can still be himself."

Astrid heard the hurt in Hiccup's voice, it was very subtle but she noticed it. She wrote the observation off as an occupational hazard, but made a note to ask about it later. "So I take it that he's Fishlegs." She motioned toward the final member of Us Four, who seemed to be trying to restore the peace.

"You would be correct. Fishlegs Ingerman. He's like our dad in a way. He somehow manages to keep us in check and those two out of jail." He pointed to Tuffnut and Snotlout who were now wrestling on the ground. "He's quite the romantic, you know. Got a lot of love to give, which makes him the best songwriter."