I’m also going to hit you with an early MerMay suggestion, because why not? (We could all use more cute fish boy in our lives, right? 😂☺️)
Merman!Hiccup is washed up onto Berk’s shore during a particularly bad storm, tangled up in the resulting debris. On her morning walk, Astrid happens upon him and stops to help, finding herself fascinated by the cute boy from the sea 🧜🏻♂️
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Stranded
@grayghostgal
The storm came out of nowhere. Hiccup had gotten fairly good at seeing them coming, diving deep enough to avoid getting tossed around, but this time he'd fallen asleep while sunning himself. The sudden downpour woke him with a start, the merman clamoring to get back in the water as the waves began to swell.
The current grabbed him, tossing him around helplessly. Hiccup fought it, debris getting pulled from the sea floor and getting thrown by the relentless waves with him.
A loose net tangled around him, constructing his movements. The last thing Hiccup felt was a surge of panic as a wave crashed him into a rock before his body went limp, the storm continuing to rage through the night.
---
Astrid had slept right through the storm. She had woken up that morning surprised to see the wreckage from it.
Trees and tree limbs were down, leaves scattered everywhere. Her village had a little damage, but it wasn't the worst they'd had by far.
Her walk took her down by the beach, curious to see what might have washed up. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of a boy about her age tangled up in debris, seaweed and driftwood covering his lower half.
He looked disoriented, blinking in the sun wearily as he lifted his head.
She started to run over, watching as he struggled to turn to lay on his back. The side of his face was covered in sand, and he had no shirt to cover his pale, freckled skin from the sun.
"Hey! You okay?"
The voice made Hiccup's eyes widen in panic, his body going rigid as a human girl approached him. His tail flailed, only getting tangled more in the debris that weighed him down.
Astrid gasped in shock at the sight of his tail. At his waist, his skin melded into emerald green scales that shimmered in the sun. A lighter green dorsal fin matched his fluke. If she had only seen his tail, her first thought would have been That is the biggest fish I've ever seen.
She knelt in the sand in front of him, studying him closely. Slowly, he turned, his green eyes locking with hers. Like her, he was studying her, likely wondering if she'd attack based on the tension in his upper body.
Swallowing, he asked, "You're...you're not going to kill me, are you?"
Snorting, she shook her head. "No. I'm debating on if you'll let me close enough to give you a hand freeing yourself, as long as you don't drag me to the depths."
"I'm not going to lure you, if that's what you mean," Her eyes didn't leave his face as he averted his gaze, considering. "...Alright. My, my arm is pinned, can you help me free it? After that I should be able to get my tail."
Nodding, she took out her knife, sawing carefully at the rope. She could feel his gaze on her, and despite her trying to ignore it, a blush colored her cheeks.
Why did this merman have to be cute? Those green eyes of his were unlike any she'd ever seen. His upper half looked all too human, so she had to keep reminding herself that he was half fish.
But his freckled face and forest green eyes were hard to ignore. "My name is Astrid, in case you were wondering. What can I call you?"
"Hiccup." His arm now free, he began to remove the driftwood and seaweed from his tail. "Do you really think merfolk just drown humans?"
"That's what the stories say."
"It's not true."
Her eyes were calculating as they looked into his. "No?"
Pressing his lips together, he shook his head. "Nope. Between you and me? Myths like that were fabricated to keep us safe from the humans."
The corner of her mouth pulled upwards, "Really?" She didn't quite believe him.
"Mhmm," he didn't know why he was telling her this, but he just got the feeling that he could trust her. "But like I said, you can't tell anyone this."
"Or what?" She asked, now grinning, "You'll splash me?"
"Are you saying I can't? Because let me tell you, this tail is lethal!"
She burst into laughter, and Hiccup felt as though he was seeing the night sky for the first time. This human, this Astrid...she must have been putting him under a spell of some sort.
Her laugh was now his favorite sound.
"Okay, okay, I'll have to see that in action. Your secret is safe with me, I won't tell anyone." she said, cutting the last line of rope and freeing his tail. "Are you going to need help getting back in the water?"
Hiccup quickly looked down, not wanting her to see the way he was just looking at her in such awe. There was a lot of debris still scattered on the beach, and it was likely that he'd damage his scales or scrape his torso trying to drag himself back into the sea. "Uh...Y-yeah, actually. If, if you don't mind?"
"Can I throw you back in?"
"What--no! No, getting thrown around is what got me into this mess!"
Laughing, she shook her head, "I was only kidding! Hold still, I'm going to lift you."
Bringing one hand around his back, she slipped the other beneath his tail. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her neck, holding on as well as she lifted him from the ground.
"You're much lighter than I expected."
"Uh...thanks?"
She waded into the shallows, not caring that her clothes were getting wet. Once the water hit her thighs, Hiccup spoke up, "Here should be good, thanks."
The water felt good on his tail. He didn't know how long he'd been on shore, but the rain certainly helped to keep him from drying out. He submerged fully before popping his head back out of the water. Looking up at the blonde, he flashed a grin, "...Can I see you again sometime? I have so many questions about humans, but I haven't had the chance to meet one yet...until you."
Astrid felt her stomach flutter when he smiled at her like that. Her gaze softened, and she nodded. "Only if you answer my questions about merfolk. It's not every day that one washes up on the beach."
"It's a deal!"










