The Strength of the Princess (HTTYD)

Chaos and Confusion

Chapter 35: Chaos and Confusion

Once again, Eira found Ruffnut waiting for her in her hut after her date. "We have to stop meeting like this," she said, closing the door behind her.

"How was it?" Ruff asked eagerly. "Did Snotlout mess up?"

Eira blinked. "No. It was good. We had a fun time. We went swimming, played in the sand, and then... talked."

Ruff smirked. "Did he kiss you? I bet he was too scared."

Eira looked around awkwardly. "No, he didn't, but I kissed him..."

"Oh, bold! I like it. How was it?"

Eira felt herself blush. Did they really have to talk about this. "It was... nice."

"Nice? That's it?"

"I don't know what else to say! We were both nervous and awkward. We're new at this. But I feel safe and comfortable around him. If we get through the awkward stage, I think something could flow very naturally."

Ruff nodded. "I see. And how is that compared to Dagur?"

Eira hesitated. "It's different with Dagur. He's unpredictable and makes everything exciting. He's more intense than I may be ready for. Snotlout is more on the same page as me."

"Which sounds boring to me. It sounds like your feelings could go much farther with Dagur!"

Eira frowned. "Maybe..." She thought about how much she liked being around Dagur and how she wanted to be closer to him and have him touch her and - "But how do I know it can't change with Snotlout? We've been friends for a long time. Transitioning takes time." And something about her feelings for Dagur scared her.

Ruff lifted her eyebrows. "You wanted to know who you like better. That's clearly Dagur."

"Fine, I know, but are feelings everything? I can't make a decision just yet. There's more I have to think about, like compatibility, lifestyles, admirable traits..." And their families...

"You've got a point. How successful they are matters too."

Eira gave her a look. "That's not what I meant. I have to think about this carefully. I need more information."

"And that is why I found this list of what you want in a man!" Ruff proudly held up a scroll.

Eira gasped. "Ruff! You looked through my stuff!"

"I got bored."

"But that's personal! I wrote it before coming here to get my parents off my back!" She was not even sure she still stood by everything she wrote.

Ruff ignored her and looked at the scroll. "Let's see... 'thoughtful, artistic, brings me flowers, loves my dragon, knows my favorite color is blue...'"

"Give that back!" Eira snatched the paper from her friend's hands. Really, this was going too far.

"I already memorized it anyway. This should hep me with the next step!" Ruff offered her a bright smile.

Eira looked at her uneasily. "Next step?"

"You still can't decide, right? I'm going to help you!"

"Uh, thanks..." Eira was unsure she liked where this was going. For once, she wished her family were there to give her advice. There had to be a way to make this easier. At the same time, she wondered if there was someone around here who was not involved in her love life.

***

Eira soon discovered that Ruffnut packed the week full of surprises. The first day, she heard a knock on her door early in the morning. She opened it and found Dagur standing there with his hand behind his back.