A trail was being left in the snow as Ruffnut dragged her feet while her mother led her to every merchant on Berk. Sure, she enjoyed a good shopping spree but this was not that, her mother had insisted on making new clothes for the upcoming Snoggletog celebrations so they were shopping for fabrics and jewelry and of course, Tuffnut was able to get out of it with the excuse that he was going to help their father gather firewood. Currently, they were stopped at Hadvard's stall browsing through his collection of jewels.

"A lovely day to you Mrs. Thorston, have you and your husband given any more thought to my proposal?" At that, Ruffnut perked up her eyebrows furrowed in question. What had he offered to her parents and why did he keep glancing over at her?

"Oh yes, we have decided that if she hasn't found a boyfriend by the age of twenty then you may marry her." Ruffnut's mouth fell agape, she couldn't believe her own parents were planning on marrying her off to someone ten years older than her, not to mention he gave her the creeps. Knowing there was no point arguing with her mother, especially in public, Ruffnut snuck away and once she was far enough she ran towards her soggy place. Just as she was about to turn out of the village she quite literally bumped into Snotlout, who looked pretty pissed.

"Yeah, yeah I should look where I'm going but you know what I'm really not in the mood for your brattiness," Ruffnut said, picking herself up from the ground.

"I'm in the same boat as you" Snotlout replied, trying his hardest not to take his anger out on one of his best friends. Ruffnut, though very much interested, decided it was best not to pester him because for as long as she knew him this kind of mood meant that his father had said something to upset him.

"Normally I wouldn't be offering this, but do you want to hide out with me," Ruffnut asked.

Snotlout raised an eyebrow, considering her proposition. "Fine, but no talking about feelings or anything.

As the two sat in the damp cave, Ruffnut couldn't help but wonder how her life had taken such a turn, from forced shopping sprees to seeking refuge in a cave with Snotlout. She decided to break the silence, teasingly remarking, "So Snotty, your parents controlling your love life too?" When Snotlout didn't answer and threw the small rock he had been fiddling with, Ruffnut knew she had accidentally hit a nerve.

Snotlout sighed, looking somewhat defeated. "Yeah, they're trying to set me up with Astrid's cousin. Can you believe that? No offense to Astrid, but her family is a bit much."
Ruffnut smirked, realizing they shared a common struggle. "Parents just love to meddle, don't they? But seriously, your parents need to chill. And Astrid's cousin? No way!"
Snotlout chuckled, appreciating the distraction. "Tell me about it. At least we've got this cave as our secret fortress away from all the matchmaking madness. Who are your partners wanting you to marry?"

Ruffnut pulled on one of her braids messing with the hairs at the end. She didn't want to say anything out of fear of how her friend would react. She finally cracked when he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "They want to marry me off to Hadvard."

Snotlout's eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and disbelief on his face. "Hadvard? Seriously? That guy's like, ancient!"
Ruffnut nodded, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, and creepy too. I'd rather spend Snoggletog with a yak than marry that guy."
Snotlout burst into laughter, the tension momentarily lifted. "Well, I'm here to save you from that fate, Ruff. No way we're letting our parents decide this for us."

"So Snotty, who do you want to marry," Ruffnut teased, shoving the other Viking.

Snotlout tensed up, his face going red. No way he could tell her the truth. He wanted to marry her but he knew she didn't like him that way.

Snotlout stammered, trying to play it cool. "Oh, you know, haven't found the right person yet." He avoided eye contact, hoping Ruffnut wouldn't catch on to his true feelings. She stared at him with a blank expression for a minute before leaning back against the mossy rock and sighing.

"Well I for one, want to marry someone who actually cares about me and my interests, you know. Hadvard just wants to be with me for the status," Ruffnut said, smiling at Snotlout, something unreadable dancing in her eyes.

Snotlout couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope at Ruffnut's words. He decided to take a chance, looking directly at her and saying, "Well, I care about you, Ruff. Not for any status, just because you're you."

Ruffnut's expression softened, and for a moment, they forgot about the meddling parents and the forced arrangements. Leaning in, the two closed their eyes as their lips met each other. It was a small kiss, only a couple seconds, but it spoke a million words. As they pulled away Ruffnut smirked, her arms wrapping around Snotlout's neck. "Well I guess my parents can suck it, cus I got myself a boyfriend."

"Ha! The Snotmaster just got himself a girlfriend," Snotlout said, pulling Ruffnut closer to himself.

Unbeknownst to the couple Tuffnut, who had been sent to find his sister, stood behind a wall of rock smiling to himself. He would definitely have to talk to Snotlout about treating Ruffnut right but it was really just for the fun of it, he had no doubt that his sister and best friend would make each other happy.