As much as it stung, Nero knew it was all for the best. It had to have been for the best. If it wasn't, he wouldn't have been doing it. He wouldn't have been breaking promises and turning his back on Asteria, but she didn't need him. She needed someone like Hiccup who was capable of excitement and joy, not someone so beaten down in so few months that he struggled to even wake up some days. If she wanted to move forward from her grief, Hiccup was the man for the job. Nero would only weigh her down.

"He's your friend," Nero replied flatly, irritated that they kept trying to stop him. "And it doesn't seem like you are alone anymore." His eyes softened for a heartbeat before hardening once more. Good grief, didn't anyone know what was best for them anymore?! "No, you stop it. I bet you made him promise to be friends forever, too, didn't you? Well, it's his fault that my leg is fucked, so go be friends forever with him. Just don't try to fuckin' help him or he'll throw you out of a tree." Nero puffed up, glaring at the boy he felt no animosity towards whatsoever. It was a convenient way to explain why he wanted out, wasn't it? He hoped so. The albino stayed where he was, anchored in place, and shook his head. "I don't want your help getting home. I'll be fine." So for the love of God, couldn't they just leave him alone?

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Her heart squeezed painfully and in the span of a breath it felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the air. Faced with the possibility of losing her first friend, the very friend that had given her somewhere to stay, Asteria felt panicked. It rose, that familiar black sucking wave, and she gasped.

“Don’t go,” a final plea, but his words were like daggers. Asteria had no idea what he meant about trees and Hiccup and didn’t ask, she was far too focused on stopping Nero from leaving. “Why are you doing this to me?” Her words were shaky, heavy with emotion, and internally she cursed herself for caring so much. Grief had already clouded her once, when her momma had left her, and now Nero was going to leave her too.

The thought of being abandoned (@Hiccup had a home, after all) strengthened the panic and before she knew it she was hyperventilating. Asteria squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head as she struggled to regain control, her mind spinning with everything that had happened in just a few short minutes.

How had they ended up here?

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More and more hiccups bubbled from the boy’s chest as he grew more and more anxious — doubly so when Nero started behaving poorly to Astera. Then he cursed and said he’d thrown him from the tree, making his eyes widen. “That was an accident!” he yelled, his voice shrill and panicked as it squeezed through the hiccups. He had no idea why Nero was being so mean. … okay, a broken leg was a pretty good reason to be in a bad mood, but he didn’t need to be mean to Asteria too! It was his fault Nero was hurt, so why did he have to talk like she was in the wrong?

He stood there hiccuping, his tail nervously snapping back and forth behind him, before the gasp beside him stole his attention. His shimmering eyes — brimming with tiny, nervous tears — turned, along with his head, and he looked to the inky girl. “Asteria?” he squeaked, ears cupping forward to listen to her shaky words. He … recognized the way she hyperventilated — he knew what that was like, as he’d done so in the past. Was she upset because of them? Because they were fighting?

“I’m sorry— I didn't mean to— ” he hiccuped to his friend, reaching out to press his nose into her neck. “Sorry … ”

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Nero was stricken with horror as he witnessed her reaction, but it was too late to turn around now, wasn't it? There was no point. He hated being the reason she was suffering, but in the end, it's what he had wanted. There was a brief moment when the facade dropped and he wanted to reach out to comfort her, but Hiccup stepped up to offer it instead. Nero stared with wide eyes at the gentle, reassuring touch. It was similar to what he had done in the past to reassure her that everything would be okay, but.. it only served to confirm that she didn't need him anymore. His anger was replaced with tears that he struggled to hold back, but he knew he was doing it to himself.

Why was he doing this?

Nero wanted to explain, but he couldn't. Instead, he offered: "Because it's who I am, Asteria." A monster. Disgusting, demented, twisted. He was only something playing at being a lion, it felt. "Enjoy your camping trip," he said, tail slicing through the air with finality as he moved past them to break down somewhere in private. Somewhere neither of them would find him, not that either would want to.

And that had been his merciful plan all along.

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If she wasn’t such a complete wreck she would have followed him. Asteria would have chased him to the ends of the earth to prove that he WAS her friend. Wasn’t she allowed to have more than one friend?

The tears fell suddenly, hot and fast, as @Hiccup sought to reassure her but only reminded her of what she was losing. Her legs splayed on the ground and her breathing did not settle - if anything it kicked in to overdrive with @Nero ‘s parting words.

Her eyes squeezed even more tightly shut and her heart thudded painfully in her chest. “w-why.” A plaintive whisper with no clear direction. And then a sob wrenched from her throat and the dark coated cub all but dissolved and leaned heavily against the only friend she had left.

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Hiccup watched, alarmed, as everything continued to unravel. He had no idea what was happening or why. He’d only asked them to camp with him, that way none of them would’ve been alone. But now, Nero was mad and Asteria was crying. And Hiccup? He was confused.

He was angry too. Asteria had called Nero her friend — so why was he leaving when she was crying? Because that was “who he was”, he said, making Hiccup’s expression harden. Even while he hiccuped, the cherry-red boy scoffed, his ears swirling on his head. What kind of an excuse was that?! He bristled, teeth clenching as the urge to yell at him swelled inside his chest. Instead, he only hiccuped.

Unlike Nero, he wouldn’t abandon the dark girl. So, rather than chase him down to confront him, Hiccup turned his attention to Asteria, his own heart aching when he heard her sob. “It’s okay,” he murmured, not knowing what to say. He moved to settle down with her, sinking to the rocks beside his friend, his red body pressed to hers as an anchor. Hiccup may not have known the right words to say, but he knew what made him feel better when he was sad, so he gently licked Asteria’s cheek, trying to cheer her up …

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A heavy emptiness filled her heart even as she leaned in to her friend. Asteria turned her face in to Hiccup’s shoulder as the tears refused to stop, filled with a mixed up jumble of emotion. She kept her eyes closed as she fought to breath - trying to remember Faevyre’s advice as she tried to take slow and steady gulps of air.

@Hiccup is here. Hiccup is still here. You’re not alone.

The words ran like a mantra through her mind as she fought for control and tried so hard not to think of the feelings of abandonment that threatened to overwhelm her. Nero was gone, he had left her… Only days ago he had told her he loved her, that they would be friends forever, and now he was gone.

A heavy, shuddering sigh eventually broke the silence, but she did not move away from her anchor. “I don’ know what I did,” she eventually whispered, her voice half muffled by Hiccup’s fur.

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There was nothing he could do for her except press into her and try to provide her shelter against the storm that so clearly thundered inside her. Her tears dampened his fur, and between that realization and the sound of her crying, his own silver eyes misted over. He blinked as tears filled his vision, causing them to roll over his eyelashes and splash down onto his cheeks, soundlessly crying for his heartbroken friend with the occasional hiccup.

Eventually, Asteria sighed and the storm finally broke. A quiet whisper followed, one he nearly missed. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he sniffled, sounding stuffy. “I think he’s mad at me and just took it out on you.” And that made him a lousy friend. Hiccup didn’t say as much though. He didn’t want to upset Asteria, who clearly cared for Nero. She wouldn’t have been so upset otherwise.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized again. Had he not been here, they probably would’ve found one another and had a fun time. ... well, maybe not with Nero’s broken leg, but at least he wouldn’t have treated her so cruelly.

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Asteria didn't really understand jealousy. One day, perhaps, but for now it was a foreign concept and she could not imagine why Nero had been so upset. His words came back to her, now, in the aftermath - ”you’re not alone anymore…” and she winced. Did he think she had replaced him?

But there @Hiccup was apologizing and Asteria was quick to reassure him. “it’s not your fault,” the words accompanied with a shake of her head. It lifted from his shoulder and her bright eyes sought out his, horrified to see tears there, too. “Oh Hiccup,” a soft, comforting sound as she reached to nuzzle her nose against his cheek, “please don’t cry.”

Hiccup was too soft and good for this world, and though the words seemed silly considering her puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks Asteria meant them wholeheartedly. A surging need to protect him rose hot on the heals of her sorrow and she was, suddenly, angry at Nero. How dare he do this to them?

“I’m sorry, too.” Sorry that she had broken down, sorry that he had been yelled at, sorry for the whole right mess he had gotten pulled in to.

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The boy’s companion lifted her head and their teary eyes met, and her reaction to seeing him crying too had him laughing, the little noise sweet and embarrassed. “Sorry,” he said again with a sniff. “I can’t help it. I don’t like you being sad.” Her sadness was his sadness now.

They exchanged apologies, but Hiccup shook his head. “It’s okay,” he tried reassuring her. “We’re okay.” And even if Hiccup was mad at the teenager, he hoped Nero would be okay too. He was very obviously important to Asteria, and he’d prefer nothing else happen to him that might upset his friend.

Bringing his paw to his face, the growing child rubbed his wrist across it, drying his tears. “C’mon,” he encouraged her and pulled himself onto his paws. “I can get my grass and we’ll make a nest somewhere.” The evenings were turning cooler, so he thought it was a good idea to find a sheltered place to bed down before it turned too chilly.

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