#blindcupping

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 27: On one of their Birthdays

A/N: Hello everyone, I'm back with another chapter. Only 3 more to go! I hope you like it!

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Astrid woke very slowly, a sunbeam from the skylight making her blink. It must be nearly midday then.

When Hiccup had suggested retirement from being chief, she had been against it. They had done it for nearly four decades, surely they were the most capable people on Berk to keep leading the town. But eventually, he had convinced her that Thora was more than ready to take over. She had been doing more and more chiefly duties already over the past few years, so in some ways her becoming full chief was just a formality.

Some days she still missed leading. It was exhilarating, having people listen to her commands and seeing them prosper under her leadership.

But on days like this, when she could just sleep for as long as she wanted with no boring ceremonies or meetings to attend, she was grateful Hiccup had retired. They had given it their all for so long, they deserved to relax in their old age.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Hiccup said as she groaned and stretched, making her squint against the bright light to see him already up and dressed. Next to him, on the wall of their bedroom, was an old painting of them right after they were married.

Although his hair had turned grey and he had to lean heavily on his walking stick, he still looked as handsome to her as he did forty years ago.

"You're up early. Normally you sleep well past noon," she said, getting up and smoothing out her nightshirt.

"Well, it's a special occasion. I had to make sure everything is ready!" he chuckled, walking over and kissing her with no hesitation, despite her morning breath.

"Wait, what occasion?" she asked, grabbing some clothes and a bar of soap for her morning bath.

"You forgot? It's your birthday! Happy sixtieth birthday, my love!" Hiccup said, squeezing her arm and nearly making her drop her clothes. Freya, sixty already?

"Oh. Oh, right. I, uhm… I forgot, yeah. Let me just take a quick bath first, okay? I'm all sweaty after last night," Astrid said, making him chuckle when he remembered their intense lovemaking. Despite his weaker leg, he was still as passionate as he had been when they were teenagers.

"Sure, take your time," Hiccup said as she walked past him and through the back door to the hot spring. With a happy sigh she dipped into the pool, allowing herself to relax for a minute before grabbing the soap.

Astrid had never really cared that much about her age. Numbers were more Hiccup's thing anyway, and the years blurred together after so long. And yet, sixty felt like a new milestone. She was Old now.

Of course, she had been Old for quite a while now, she thought as she washed hair that had turned white a decade ago. She had been a grandmother for decades now, and her oldest grandchild, Starla, might be having children of her own soon. Astrid wasn't sure whether she was in a relationship. After Lucy and Clay divorced amicably when little Starla was 15, Starla moved back to Meathead island with her mother, and news traveled slowly from there.

And even if they could communicate instantly, Astrid doubted an 18-year old would want to gush over her latest crush with her old granny.

Gods, she was old. That meant Hiccup was Old as well. He was a year older than her, and yet she couldn't really think of him as Old. Her mother was someone who was undoubtedly Old at 76, although she was still sharp of mind and traveled all over the archipelago.

Astrid felt dread as she dried off and put on clean clothes. Growing old meant death, and she hadn't really considered that before. That she and Hiccup could be nearing the end of their lives.

No, this was too morbid to think about. Hiccup had prepared all kinds of nice things for her birthday, and she was not going to ruin it. She and everyone she loved were perfectly healthy.

So she straightened her back and forced herself to take strong strides as she walked back inside, where a nice smell greeted her.

"What smells so good? Did you manage to bake a cake by your-"

"SURPRISE!" a chorus of voices shouted, nearly making her fall over. When she recovered she realized the living room was full of family and friends: The other riders, her children, her mother, Thora's kids, and of course Hiccup in the center, holding a huge cake she suspected he didn't actually bake.

"Oh gods, that's a surprise alright. I hope I didn't keep you waiting," Astrid managed to say before the wave of individual greetings, congratulations, and other conversations started.

After spending a bit of time playing with her youngest grandchild, 11-year old Kenneth, she finally managed to get a slice of cake and sit down.

"Are you okay? Sorry if it was too much. Thora insisted on organizing it, and you know how… enthusiastic she can get," Hiccup whispered as he sat down next to her. She smiled as she looked at Claybones talking to Kirsten about new stories coming from the far south about brave knights and how they differed from their Nordic ballads.

"It's alright. I would have liked something a little… quieter, but we'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow, I guess. Or even later today," she said, grabbing Hiccup's hand. Even after 45 years of doing that it still made her feel loved and connected to him.

The party lasted for a few hours longer, until the grandchildren grew bored and Hiccup clearly became tired. Kirsten was the first to notice his loss of concentration and began dropping hints for the guests to leave.

"Up too early preparing all this?" Astrid chuckled as the last guests left, and mentally prepared herself for the cleanup. So many mugs and plates to wash. But perhaps it could wait until tomorrow.

"No, it's fine-" Hiccup might have been more convincing if he hadn't had to yawn in the middle of his sentence, and he clearly realized it himself. "Let's just… prepare to rest. We'll go on a flight tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright, there's plenty of time. We deserve a break," she chuckled as Hiccup stood up and walked into his workshop.

"I didn't get the chance to give you this earlier, but… Happy birthday, Astrid," he said, grabbing something and presenting it to her.

It was a battleaxe, but not just any axe. The two steel blades were inlaid with detailed engravings, and the handle contained carved wood. Speechless, Astrid took the weapon and looked at them in more detail.

"It's all your victories over the years. Look, over here is when we captured Alvin. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's very accurate, I couldn't see what was going on, so I went on imagination. Here's Drago, laid low by your arrows and axe. And here, on the other side, your great charge in the Berserker War," he explained, making her chuckle.

"And what's this last one?" she asked, running her fingers over an engraving of… her in bed?

"That's… that's you giving birth. Your most painful battles where you fought the hardest. Even… Even the one you lost. I hope it's not too painful to remember, even over 30 years later," he slowly said, and Astrid's eyes became wet at the memory of that horrible stillbirth.

"It's… It's amazing, Hiccup. I'm glad you made this. Even this last engraving. I could never forget it anyway, but this way… it's easier," she whispered, now recognizing the little bundle the engraved woman was holding as a tiny baby.

"I'm still proud of you, you know? You fought so hard, you still fight so hard for us, for our family, even if we… can't win them all. I love you so much," he said, putting his arms around her. A tear rolled off her cheek and broke on the axe's blade.

"I love you too. There's no one I'd rather have spent all these decades with, no one I could have gone through all this with," she said, feeling more tears fall as she laid the axe in her lap and hugged Hiccup back.

"Happy birthday, Astrid. I hope we'll have many more together."

[honeybumzz]

Ssssoooooo do you mind if i ship this? saw nobody make this ship yet so i���m gonna call them blindcup *finger guns*

[httyd-fanfiction-daily]

Rated: K+ // English // Adventure/Hurt/Comfort // Astrid, Hiccup // Chapters: 10 // Words: 21,240 // In Progress

My note: This incredibly awesome fic is so whumpy, so intriguing, and so glorious. I just got dragged in. I’m so glad it just got updated! Go read it now, guys!! You’re not complete without it!!

Author’s tumblr: @katurdish

[goodcoffeeproject]

So excited to be tasting and learning about coffee for a cause. We will be there tomorrow night to support @thirstycoworg Tickets are still available via @specialtycoffeecurators •••••• #coffeecupping #deliciouslygoodcoffee #goodcoffeeproject #blindcupping #specialtycoffeeroaster #specialtycoffee #coffeeforacause #coffeecollaboration #sydneycoffee #coffeeforgood (at Specialty Coffee Curators) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnFbTxDDobn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1djvmaletudw0

[saieras]

F, K & O

F: Care to share a favorite hurt/comfort fic?

I’m not very well-read, so not many fics come to mind. However, @avannak has some really nice drabbles dealing with various hurt/comfort prompts, and her recently concluded fic Leið is one I’ve always wanted to read. It deals with D1′s romantic flight gone wrong, and Astrid must get her and an injured Hiccup back to Berk safely.

@wolfie-dragon-rider‘s Blindcup universe looks extremely promising from what little I’ve read (sorry! it’s definitely on my list!). It’s delivers exactly what it promises: Hiccup going blind, and having help from his friends and family to support him through the ordeal.

In the MCU fandom, I haven’t read it in its entirety, but A Right Hand Grip by @lafayette1777 is a standout, dealing with the aftermath of Avengers 4, after everyone comes back. Very angsty!

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

It’s not a terribly original idea, but it’s in the future for Once There Were Dragons. Keep an eye out for that :)

Also, this is getting a tad personal but I once wrote a chapter (for the Flipped fandom) which dealt with the concept of suicide. I wasn’t in the best place mentally back then, and the fic helped me work through my own feelings.

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

A premise! So probably a plot. For my original work which I’m slowly putting together, I always come up with the world first, which I try to make as interesting as possible, then come up with possible scene-worthy scenarios that would utilize aspects of that setting. The characters come last.

Ask me a question from the fanfic author asks!

[ao3feed-hiccstrid]

Touches in the Dark

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2zeTjBI

by Wolfie_Dragon

Explicit first time sex, part of my Blindcup universe, featuring a blind Hiccup. It can be read and enjoyed without having read my other stories, just remember Hiccup is blind and Astrid has pretty severe scars on her hands in this AU.

After a tumultuous wedding day, Hiccup and Astrid are eager to finally explore each other after years of holding back. Sweet fumbling realistic exploring and first time sex.

Words: 6372, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 3 of Blindcup Universe

Fandoms: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Astrid Hofferson

Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson

Additional Tags: Blind!Hiccup, Smut, Explicit Sex, First Time, Wedding Night, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Premature Ejaculation, Awkward but wholesome fumbling, Sweet Sex, NSFW

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2zeTjBI

[coneygoil]

What a great idea this is! Adding a couple of my faves :)

@wolfie-dragon-rider (I am obsessed with their Blindcup series!!! Best. Series. Ever.)

My pal @howtodrawyourdragon! (She is the best at writing from Toothless’ perspective!)

Happy Fanfic Writer’s Appreciation Day! 

Thought I would start a post where everyone can post some of their favorite fics and/or their favorite authors on here. Not only will it put a huge smile on their faces, but it also shares the amazing work that they worked so hard on! 

I’m gonna start this off with a couple of my faves and I know I’ll forget some (cause my memory sucks) so please reblog this and add more!  

Some awesome authors you should definitely check out if you haven’t already: 

@astridthevalkyrie

@rafxsulfuslovestory

@drchee5e

@oh–you–pretty–things

@coneygoil

@wilderwestqueen

@ashleybenlove

@crazy4dragons

@astrxd

FanWriter02

@evilwriter37

Some fics I am currently obsessed with and can’t stop reading over and over:

It’s Just a Spark and The Sky and The Ground by @whathappenedtomyweekend

Deceit by @jadeandsunsets

Something Precious/Something Wistful by @majothemexican

The Early Days by httydfan1991

Keep this going and add your faves! 

[calusacoffee]

Blind Cupping

[kaffecrawlers]

I'm falling in love with Colombia San Pasqual #coffeelover #baristalife #cupping #coffeeshots #whatbaristasdo #bestofcolombia #blindcupping

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 25: Gazing Into Each Other’s Eyes

A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update! Just days left. I can't believe it's almost over! Still, reviews are always appreciated, and they really help! Thanks for reading!

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Hiccup and Astrid are about 36 in this one. Thora and Claybones are 16 and 14 respectively.

"You know, Hiccup. I think Thora might have an eye on that DunBroch boy," Astrid told her husband. He dropped his fork, and it loudly clattered on his plate, making some of the council look up from their food and at them.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" he asked, awkwardly feeling for his fork. Unfortunately, the handle had fallen into the gravy, making him grimace when he felt the goop on his fingers.

"Oh, just that she has barely stopped looking at him. And she's laughing at every joke he makes," Astrid said, looking away from her husband licking the gravy from his fingers to look at the other high table, where their children sat with the emissaries from Scotland. Thora was positively glowing, eyes wide as she looked at the red-headed boy. Every time he turned in her direction she looked away, though Astrid could tell from the little smile on his lips that he wasn't completely blind.

She almost chuckled at the thought that unlike her husband, this cheeky boy wasn't oblivious to flirting.

"Oh. I see. I, uhm… I guess they'd be a good match. He's the brother of the queen of DunBroch, so that would come with a powerful alliance. And he's… not the oldest brother, I think? They're triplets, right? That complicates things. Well, either way, I'm sure that if something were to happen to Queen Merida one of his brothers would step forward to take the throne. So he could live here when Thora becomes chief without having to worry about ruling Scotland," Hiccup slowly said. Astrid knew that tone. It was his analytical mind taking over, repressing his emotions. He might be correct, but this wasn't everything he felt.

"Surely there's more to it than politics, Hiccup. Come on, tell me what you're really thinking," she said, putting her hand on his. It made him smile.

"I… I hadn't realized that she was already at that age. I'm not gonna be like… Snotlout and not realize that my daughter is gonna grow up and make choices for herself. She should, I won't stand in her way, I don't want to be overprotective. I just… forgot she's already 16," he whispered, turning away a little and playing with his fork.

"It all went so fast, didn't it," she said, before turning back to her food. She sensed Hiccup didn't want to talk about it in public, so she gave him some space. Every other bite she glanced at the other table, where the lovebirds were now talking. Astrid couldn't help but notice her daughter had barely touched her food, a sure sign she was excited and full of energy.

Thankfully Kirsten had talked to both Thora and her brother extensively about intimacy, so Astrid didn't expect any rash decisions or irreversible mistakes to happen quickly, but it was interesting to see the two teenagers bond so much just through looks.

Some part of her felt jealous. Although she and Hiccup were as close as they could be, being able to look into each other's eyes was something they had never been able to do, and would never be able to do in the future, barring an absolute miracle.

But she suppressed that jealousy. There was no point in dwelling on things that couldn't be.

Hiccup was distant throughout the rest of the banquet, and she could tell his mind was also dwelling on young love.

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Hiccup was tired when he walked through the door of their little house. Despite being the chief for over a decade now he hadn't moved into his father's house. It hadn't been designed with his disabilities in mind, so at the end of a long day like this, when his leg ached and his face itched, he was glad he didn't have to climb long stairs or stumble around bulky furniture.

Today the pain was deeper than his leg or face, however. Gods, he couldn't stop thinking about what Astrid had said about their daughter. He hadn't even been able to focus on the trade agreement with DunBroch, instead delaying the talks until tomorrow. Hopefully, a good night's sleep would clear his mind.

It wasn't even that he hated the thought of his little girl growing up. Of course, some part of him would always think of her as his little girl, but he knew and accepted she'd fall in love and marry and probably have babies herself.

What bothered him was that he hadn't been able to see any of it. Hiccup remembered a day almost 15 years ago when Thora was learning to walk. It was agony, knowing she was right there, inches away from his outstretched fingers, and he couldn't reach out to her. She had to make the move, she had to walk towards him on her own.

It was only through Astrid's gasps and words of encouragement that he could even know his baby was taking her first steps. Hiccup had briefly wondered if this was the gods toying with him again, giving him this wonderful child and yet making sure he couldn't see any of her achievements.

"Alright, I know that face. Something's bothering you. Out with it," Astrid said as he sat down with a heavy sigh. She walked around, lighting the fireplace and grabbing a mug to make tea.

"Just… thinking about how quickly our children grew up. I feel like I just… I missed everything. I couldn't see any of what they're doing, what they're making, building, accomplishing," he whispered, reaching his hand out to the papers pinned on the wall next to him. Drawings made by Thora and Claybones when they were younger. Thora had stopped drawing a while ago, but Claybones had found a purpose in art, drawing and painting for hours at a time. Opposite his chair, on the wall above the fireplace, hung one of his latest paintings. Berk from the sky, apparently. It could be blank and Hiccup wouldn't know.

"Oh, babe. You know you still did amazing. And they talk to you! That's more than Snotlout is managing with his kid apparently," Astrid said, putting the kettle on for tea.

"I don't know, it doesn't feel like that. It feels like Clay just hangs out with Kirsten all day, not with me. He really lost interest in inventing and engineering lately. And Thora… She talks more easily with you and with my mom. I can't relate to her athletic stuff," he slowly said, frowning as Astrid sat down next to him. She took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Sure, they might not be able to talk to you about their hobbies, but when it matters, when it's important things they're struggling with, you know who they go to? Not their grandmothers, not their friends. It's you, their father. Do you know how rare that is for teenagers? Maybe you not being able to see them makes it easier for them to open up, show you their secrets," Astrid whispered, before kissing his cheek.

"I guess you're right. I just… I wish I could see Clay's paintings. I wish I could watch Thora win all those Thawfest competitions. And… I wish I could see them fall in love," he eventually said. A moment later the door opened with a loud creak, and Hiccup recognized the squeaking of his son's wheelchair.

"Uuuuuugh, I wish I could unsee it. Believe me, Dad, it's not worth it. I had to watch her and Hamish make googly eyes at each other all day! This is worse than when she had her crush on Ingrid Lodbrok! Or how Leifnir and Rufflout kept looking at each other after sleeping together that after Gand's birthday party!" Claybones ranted as he wheeled himself into the house.

"What are you talking about? Ingrid? Thora liked Ingrid? And what is this about Leifnir and Rufflout sleeping together?!" Astrid said angrily, standing up, and Hiccup could hear his son's sharp inhale.

"Wait, that wasn't actually common knowledge? I thought it was obvious, given how they interact, you'd have to be blind not to- Uh, sorry Dad didn't mean it like that. I mean, how can you miss it? And all the other stuff that's going on around Berk. Like today, I can't even look away from Thora and her new Scottish love without seeing old man Sven still trying to woo Mrs. Anderson, and obviously the Hokkersdotters are going through a rough patch, Mr. Hokkersdotter was buying jewelry, always indicates marital problems. I'm pretty sure his wife is cheating, just not sure with who. Either Trader Hansen or that emissary from the Meatheads. Maybe both," Clay said, clearly letting out some frustration. Hiccup laughed nervously.

"Look son, it's… impressive that you can notice all of that, it's just that most people don't. So you shouldn't assume everyone knows all the secrets you figure out with a glance," he slowly said, head still spinning from all these revelations.

"I know that! I'm the only one who understands how people work, apparently! Gods, it's the worst! Nobody understands my pain! Least of all Thora, she didn't even notice Hamish quickly hiding his red handkerchief in his back pocket when he saw she was interested in him. My guess is it's a gift from another girl. But can I tell her that? Can I be a good brother and warn her that her new crush is a womanizer? Noooooo, because that's 'gossiping' and 'spreading rumors'," Clay ranted, wheeling himself through the living room to the back where his bedroom was.

"Just go to bed. I think you drank too much, you're a little too angry, Clay. And don't ruin this for your sister," Astrid said sharply, making Clay groan.

"Fiiiine. I'm going, I'm going. And I won't tell her. She'll figure it out by herself. Eventually. The hard way. And that's when I can warn her about everything the next boy is doing. Or girl. She swings both ways," he said, maneuvering his chair around so he could open the door to his bedroom.

"That's quite enough. We'll talk about this in the morning. I know you mean well, but you're not thinking clearly right now," Hiccup said, turning so he faced his son, even if he couldn't see him.

The only response was a slammed door.

"See? He's going through awful puberty but he's still completely honest with us," Astrid whispered, sitting down next to him again.

"A little too honest. Gods, I did not want to know about the Hokkersdotters. Or Snot's daughter and Leifnir. Do you think he's right about everything he said?" Hiccup said, covering his head with his hands.

"Probably. Drunk or not, Clay is good at reading people. Thor almighty, and to think I was bothered by Thora looking at other people. It's our son for whom the eyes are the window to the soul. I wonder if he figured out any of our secrets," Astrid chuckled. Hiccup tried not to think too much about that.

"Well, at least my face is hard to read, right?" he joked, grabbing Astrid's hand.

"Hah, you wish. You're an open book. You can't hide any emotions. If I can figure out what you think, so can he. And anyone else on Berk for that matter," Astrid laughed. He couldn't help but laugh with her.

They sat together for a while, hands intertwined, and Hiccup figured that even if they could actually look into each other's eyes, they wouldn't be any closer than they already were.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 21: Baking/Cooking

"Alright, that's the house all cleaned and the presents wrapped. Now all that's left is to bake the birthday cake!" Astrid said happily, putting a ribbon around the wrapped toy they bought for Thora's third birthday.

"And we still have the entire afternoon for that! Incredible how much more productive we become when we don't have to stop Thora from sneaking off every five minutes," Hiccup chuckled, making her laugh. It was very true. She loved Thora so much, but she was so exhausting to look after sometimes. Little Claybones was much calmer, and more importantly, more stationary. The baby was much less prone to crawling away than his sister was, and not just because of his fragile bones. The boy had stayed in the little carpeted play corner the entire morning, happily playing with wooden toys for hours on end.

Thora on the other hand wouldn't stay still for five minutes.

So it was nice that her parents offered to babysit her for most of the day as they prepared her birthday party. It wasn't much, just their family really, but it was the first time Thora could really comprehend what a birthday was, so they wanted to make it special.

And that includes a birthday cake! Astrid had fond memories of her mother making delicious sugary cakes for her birthdays, and she wanted her daughter to experience the same joy.

"Uhm, Astrid? You know how to bake a cake, right? I just learned to cook meals. Dad wasn't big on cakes. 'Real Vikings don't waste their valuable food on candy!' he'd always say," Hiccup said, imitating his father's booming voice.

"Sure I do! I watched my mother make dozens of cakes! How hard could it be?" she said, opening the larder and looking through their food supplies. Despite her outward confidence she suddenly felt doubtful. What had her mother used in those cakes?

"Let's see… milk, eggs, flour, sugar of course," she said, grabbing large amounts of those and putting them on the kitchen table. It felt like there were missing things, but as she looked through the larder Astrid wasn't sure what.

"So do we just mix this together and heat it up?" Hiccup asked, clearly having doubts about this, but Astrid wasn't about to give up so soon.

"Basically. It always looked easy when my mother did it, so I'm sure we can figure it out," she said, grabbing a bowl and pouring some milk in, before breaking an egg and mixing it with the milk.

"Large cup of flour, and then some sugar, that should do it, I think," Astrid said as she added the ingredients. The nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was forgetting something was getting stronger, but she ignored it.

Hiccup looked skeptical, but didn't get a chance to voice his doubts when Clay's tower of wooden blocks collapsed with a loud clatter, causing the baby to burst into a screaming wail.

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. We can rebuild it," he said, running over and grabbing his son, cradling him to his chest. "No broken bones, right?" he asked her as much as he asked the baby, and she quickly reassured him everything was fine. He still looked a little sick and nervous, but Clay was calming down quickly.

As Hiccup comforted the baby Astrid poured the cake mix into their new baking mold, a Snoggletog gift from her mother, and put it in their little fireplace.

"Alright, now we wait," she said as Clay went back to his toys with a happy giggle.

---------------------

"Uhm, I don't think it's supposed to have this texture," Hiccup said as he poked the 'cake' with his finger.

"It rose a lot more than I expected. Too much flour?" Astrid asked, scooping up the bits of dough that had fallen out of the mold. "Oh wow, it's bone dry as well."

"I guess more water, mostly? Maybe that'll stabilize the flour and yeast?" he said, grabbing a bucket and walking outside to the rain barrel. Astrid sighed deeply, before cleaning out the mold and starting over. Surely this was just a bit of bad luck. The next one would be much better.

---------------------

The next one was not, in fact, any better.

"I think the center has collapsed. It's just a hollow circle now. How did that happen, I felt like I mixed everything well? Maybe it needs some more solid ingredients," Astrid said, grabbing a small piece of cheese from the larder. That would add a bit of oomph. And maybe make it taste slightly better.

Hiccup seemed worried as he rocked an agitated Claybones in his arms. He kept turning to the door, and she knew he was worried about their time running out.

"Come on, we still have most of the afternoon!" she told him, making another mix.

---------------------

"Wow. That's an interesting flavor. I think the outside is burned while the inside is just… raw. Astrid, you should taste this. Raw cheese mixed with molten cheese is actually pretty good!" Hiccup said as he licked his fingers, and she resisted the urge to slap those fingers away. They were baking a cake, not making some cheese sauce!

"Alright, more flour, and maybe some fruit? Mother added apples occasionally," she said, trying not to reveal her frustration. Hiccup frowned, but didn't argue against it.

-------------------

"Are you sure we shouldn't ask for help? You know my mom- You know what, forget my mom, she can't bake either. How about we ask my dad? Or one of the other riders. I'm sure Fishlegs knows how to bake a cake!" Hiccup said, voice a little muffled from the hand keeping his nose shut. It seems he didn't appreciate the… fragrance that filled the room when she opened the oven this time. Note to self, baked strawberries are pretty gross.

Claybones started crying, throwing his blocks away and covering his face, and she was glad that at least Thora wasn't here to see (or smell) this.

"No, it's just a cake! I can do this!"

---------------------

"Astrid. You know I love you so much, more than I have words for. You are the light of my life. And that's exactly why I need to be honest with you. This is inedible and would poison our daughter if we serve her this," Hiccup said after a single bite of the new… product. It felt like with each try, with each new ingredient she added to compensate for a problem the cake just went closer to Jormundgandr's venom than a sweet dessert.

"I don't understand! I watched my mother make a hundred of these! And she never messed them up! They always came out perfect! I just want to give Thora that too!" she shouted, falling back in a chair and burying her head in her hands.

"Love, why don't we just ask your mom how she makes cake when she comes here with Thora? Let's be honest, we're not going to manage this on our own," he said, kneeling next to the chair and taking her hand gently in his.

"Because Mother will do that… thing she does where she laughs at how bad of a housewife I am!" she said, using her free hand to wipe at her tears.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean any harm. She just wants you to be the best you can be! I know you can do so much better than this, you just need a bit of guidance," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"One more try. I want one more attempt," she eventually said, standing up again.

---------------------

"We're back! And Thora can't wait for her presents!" Kirsten's voice entered the room right before rapid footsteps ran up to Astrid. A small figure hugged her legs, nearly knocking her over. Thankfully she didn't have a hot tray of cake in her hands!

"Hello sweetie! Did you have fun with Grandpa Tolfdir and Grandma Kirsten?" Hiccup said, kneeling next to her and ruffling his daughter's hair.

"Oh yes! Look, Grampa gave me a sword for my birthday!" Thora shouted happily, holding out something closer to a bread knife than a sword. Astrid quickly raised her eyebrow at her father, who shrugged. At least Kirsten looked somewhat apologetic about the way Hiccup, who couldn't see the knife, fell backwards at Thora's move. He very hesitantly reached out his hand to feel for the 'sword', sighing in relief when he noticed its small size.

"Oh Lord above, what is this?!" Kirsten cried out. Astrid turned around to see her mother fanning away clouds of black smoke coming from the oven she opened. Astrid's face burned, and she took a deep sigh.

"I tried to make a cake," she softly said, moving closer to her mother and leaving Hiccup to talk to Thora.

"This is cake? I… Oh my, I never taught you how to bake a cake, did I? Oh, why didn't you just ask?" Kirsten said, carefully taking out the mold filled with what looked like black rocks.

"I thought I could do it. I watched you make them so many times, and…" her daughter giggling made her turn her head to watch. Hiccup was playfighting with Thora. She had just 'stabbed' him, and he fell to the ground in an overly dramatic way.

"Oh no, I have been brought down by the great warrior! The pain is too much!"

"And when you have children it's not so easy to find the time to ask for advice," Kirsten finished her sentence, and Astrid slowly nodded.

"I want to give Thora the birthday joy you gave me. I always looked forward to my birthday cake!" she whispered, trying not to cry from the monstrosities in the cake mold.

"Then we'll make it together. Tolf! I think little Thora still has a bit too much energy left. Why don't you take her for a run before we eat!" Kirsten shouted, winking at her husband.

"Ooh, can I bring my sword? I want to defend myself if we find a troll!" Thora said, brandishing her weapon and brimming with excitement.

"Of course you can, little Valkyrie! Just be careful not to hurt yourself. Remember to keep your sword in its sheath when you're not using it," Tolfdir said as he escorted her outside.

"Alright, now let's see where you went wrong. What did you put in here? Strawberries? CHEESE? Where's the salt?" Kirsten asked, poking at the smoking remnants and looking at the ingredients on the table.

"I panicked! And salt? Seriously? It's supposed to be sweet!" Astrid shouted, and Hiccup laughed. She glared at him. Although he couldn't see it, it still made her feel a little better.

"Oh, you may be all grown up with children of your own, but you still have so much to learn from your old mom. Now, you first want to break these eggs and take out the yolk. We only want the whites. And then get two cups of milk, like so…" Kirsten quickly got to work as Astrid watched. Hiccup sat down next to her, gently rocking Claybones, and suddenly the shame didn't burn nearly as much anymore.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 20: Dancing

Sorry I’m so slow on these updates. I promise I will finish this series. 

This one takes place two months after the wedding. 

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"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning," Hiccup heard his father's booming voice drifting outside as he and Astrid walked closer. Ever since they got married and went to live in their own house Stoick and Valka had been living here on their own, so Hiccup wasn't too surprised they were getting closer again.

"Ooh, that's our song. Remember our wedding night?" Astrid said, skipping a step next to him. He suspected she did some dance move, but couldn't be sure.

"That part sucked. But the song did… salvage it," Hiccup chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they walked up to the front door. Stormfly chirped curiously, and Toothless answered with a warble.

"Yup! I'm glad your parents like it too!" she said, opening the door and walking in with no warning.

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, I only want your hand…" Valka's voice was clear and happy, interspersed with her feet hitting the floor at rhythmic intervals. She was clearly dancing, but then her voice quieted, along with her body. Had she noticed them come in?

"Oh, don't mind us! Keep going! It's great to watch!" Astrid shouted, pulling Hiccup along to a chair and making him sit down. He considered making a sarcastic joke about the fact that he couldn't watch it, but decided not to break the happy mood in the room. The dragons stayed outside. Stormfly wasn't comfortable in most houses.

"Well… alright then… I only want your hand to hold," Valka sung again, her feet joining in near the end.

"I only want you near me!" Stoick joined in, and then they were off in their own world again. Astrid clapped along to the singing, clearly enraptured by the performance, and Hiccup felt a little awkward. He always felt conflicted about music. It made his heart spin, but at the same time it distracted his mind and confused his limbs, leading to him stumbling and getting lost.

And don't even get him started on dancing, where his skills were somewhere between painful to watch and "dangerous for anyone on the same dance floor".

So Hiccup couldn't help but feel a tinge of pain at Astrid being so… happy at experiencing music and dancing. He couldn't give her that. Not like she deserved.

No no no, these were the bad thoughts they were trying to get him to stop thinking! Stop it, Hiccup! She loves you, even if you're blind and can't do everything other people can! You know that's true!

But no matter how hard he tried to remember that, it still stung.

The song was reaching its climax, his father's heavy footsteps that made the house shake lacing around his mother's light jumps, faster and faster and faster. Astrid kept clapping along, and he could feel her excitement radiate from her.

"If you would marry meeeeeeeeeee!" Stoick and Valka finished, drawing out the last note before suddenly smothering it in a wet sucking noise. Astrid's slight noise of disgust made him suspect the dancing was devolving into making out. He loudly scraped his throat, hoping to remind them of their audience.

It took a few scrapes, but eventually his parents separated, though he was sure they were still giving each other lovesick glances. For a second he felt a searing jealousy: Why could they look at each other like that when he could never look at Astrid? But he forced himself to stop thinking that. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts.

"For someone who lived away from Berk for 18 years you're an amazing dancer, Valka!" Astrid said, jumping up and buzzing with energy.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm starting to feel my age, though Stoick does make me feel young again. This was the song we danced to at our wedding. Remember that, love?" Valka said. Hiccup heard her clothes shift as she turned to his father.

"Like it was yesterday."

"Can you teach us that dance? I want to be able to dance like that with Hiccup 20 years from now!" Astrid said happily, and Hiccup nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"Uhhhhhh" was the smartest thing his brain could produce, and it clearly didn't convince his parents of his concerns. Stoick just grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet like he weighed nothing. Hiccup felt like he was 12 again, being pushed around by the adults while pining for Astrid, knowing deep down he could never do what she'd truly found impressive.

No, bad thoughts! Stop doubting yourself, Hiccup!

"It'll be fun, Hiccup! Come on!" Astrid said, grabbing his arms and putting them on her hips in a way that would have given 12-year old Hiccup a heart attack. Hell, it nearly gave current Hiccup a heart attack. Despite having been married to this woman for two months now, and having been her boyfriend for years longer, there were still moments where he couldn't quite believe Astrid Hofferson ('now Haddock!' he thought with a shiver running down his spine) wanted his hands on her.

"But… " he couldn't finish the sentence, not knowing what he was trying to say or what his objection was. His body slumped, and his cheeks burned with shame.

Astrid was silent and still for a few seconds, apparently assessing whether he was okay and not about to have a panic attack. "It's okay. We can stop whenever you want to," she whispered. Stoick huffed, but tried to hide it as a cough. It only made Hiccup want to sink through the floor more.

But Astrid was counting on him, asking him to dance with her. Her hands on his shoulders squeezed him gently, and he slowly nodded.

"Alright then… with the first lyric you'll want to circle around each other like this," Valka took Astrid's arms and guided her through some kind of step, and then did the same thing with Hiccup. He stumbled, but managed the awkward side-step on his second try. Astrid was quiet, but he could almost see her smile at him. It made up for his father's burning stare.

"So this circling keeps up through the whole song, with variations. You'll switch directions, grab each other, go faster or slower, but this is the basis. So during the entire first part where you're singing, Hiccup, you'll circle like this but not touch yet. Each line you switch directions. Go on, try it!" Valka said, stepping back. It took a second of awkward silence before Hiccup realized he was supposed to sing.

"Right… I, uhhh, I'll swim and sail on savage seas," he more recited than sang, trying not to fall as he went through the steps. Somewhere right in front of him Astrid mirrored his movements, but at the same time it was like she was a million miles away. Why did he have to start singing?

"With ne'er a fear- OW!" he suddenly bumped into Astrid, jerking away from her and falling backwards.

"Oh, that counted as a new line, so you were supposed to switch directions, Hiccup. With the sun instead of against the sun," Valka said as Stoick pulled him back to his feet with no apparent effort. For a second Hiccup considered calling it all off, but then he sensed Astrid bouncing back to her feet with so much excitement, and he couldn't let her down.

They went through the first line again, without bumping into each other this time. It continued like that for the first few slow lines, them circling without touching, until Astrid's first line.

"Alright, now you put your wrists together like this," Valka said, gently moving their hands until their arms brushed against each other. It felt weird and unnatural, and all Hiccup wanted to do was just grab her hand for real. But then she started singing and he had to dance with her.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me…"

It took a few tries before he got the switches right. He kept swatting her hand away accidentally. One time he nearly punched himself in the face when her arm wasn't where he expected it.

"Now your line, Hiccup. During it you're gonna face each other, hold hands, and put your legs forward and back like this, interlocking. Astrid's foot on that side goes forward, yours goes back at the same time, and vice versa," Valka explained as Stoick chuckled, and Hiccup didn't feel ready when Astrid grabbed his hands.

"Ready? We can take it slow," Astrid whispered, and he nodded.

"But I would bring you rings of gold," he said slowly, moving his feet and hoping Astrid would follow his lead. He wasn't completely sure she did, but at least he didn't stomp on her toes.

"Well done! Now, Hiccup, you're gonna go on one knee, and Astrid will dance around you…" Valka instructed.

Over the next hour they went through the entire song, and slowly Hiccup's confidence increased as his steps became surer. He wouldn't call himself a good dancer by any stretch, and he was sure Astrid's toes ached from how often he stepped on them, but it didn't turn into the disaster he expected.

"-If you would marry me!" they finished the song once again, Astrid pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you for this," she whispered in his ear. He nodded, squeezing her tightly.

"Thor's beard! Look outside!" Stoick shouted, opening the door. Vibrations and stomping that before had just been background noise suddenly became overwhelming. Hiccup had thought it was simply dragons walking around outside, maybe Toothless and Stormfly playing.

"They're… They're dancing! I think they're mimicking the dance!" Valka said. The entire family moved outside, Hiccup still not quite sure what was happening.

"Toothless and Stormfly are?" he asked, barely audible over their rapid stomps and growls. Now that he was paying attention, he could vaguely recognize the melody in it.

"Yeah… They're doing the circling, and pushing their wings together like we do with our arms," Astrid said, amazement clear in her voice.

"Wow. Sounds like we shouldn't let them do that indoors, though," Hiccup chuckled. Stormfly let out a loud screech and dug her talons deep in the earth as Toothless jumped around her.

"I think they need some more dancing lessons, though. And so do you kids!" Valka said, ruffling Hiccup's hair.

"Oh, alright. Can it wait until tomorrow though? My feet hurt. Even the missing one," he said, shifting his weight trying to find a more comfortable stance.

But then Astrid grabbed his hand, and it was all worth it.

"This is what you used to say about combat training, and look how far you've come with that," she whispered, squeezing his hand and drawing a little heart with her finger. His first instinct was to duck his head and hide, but he forced himself to remember the fun they just had.

Don't think the bad thoughts. Good thoughts instead. Astrid is happy and proud. He felt good.

And with the dragons still dancing away, and Astrid's hand squeezing his, those good thoughts were suddenly very easy to think.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 24: Making up Afterward

A/N: I’m (finally) back with another one-shot in my Blindcup series. Only 6 left! I promise I will finish them all! This one takes place immediately after the previous chapter.

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"Knock knock! Astrid, are you there? Hiccup?" Kirsten called out, frowning when no one came to open the door to her daughter's house. Maybe they were enjoying each other, making full use of the honeymoon they were only halfway through? It'd make sense. Kirsten remembered her own honeymoon fondly, even if they had really been too young for married life.

Still, she didn't trust the silence in the house. The window was open, so if the newlyweds were… occupied, surely she'd hear something. She walked over, looking into the living room and preparing to glance away if they happened to be busy on the kitchen table.

Huh. No sign of them. Some dishes were left on the table, with traces of breakfast, probably from this morning. So it wasn't like they were sleeping late. Wouldn't be like Astrid anyway, the girl was always up with the sun, and right now it was almost noon. Surely they hadn't broken the tradition and sneaked out? Hiccup did like to break traditions, but no, not possible. Toothless and Stormfly were still staying with her and Tolfdir.

Kirsten sighed, debating leaving the basket full of food on their doorstep or just coming back later, when a sound reached her, coming from behind the house.

She walked around the house, eyes widening when she saw the state of the treeline. All of the trunks had deep gashes, like a great monster had swept through and sharpened its claws on them. A few trees had been felled, but not cleanly like they had been chopped for firewood. No, their leafs and branches were left intact, sticking out among the bushes were they had fallen.

An axe flew into the forest, glistening in the bright sun. It struck a battered tree, sinking deep into the ancient wood. The bark groaned, and for a moment Kirsten feared it would fall as well.

A blonde girl stomped over, grabbing the axe handle and wrenching it out with a loud cry. She then marched back to a spot where the grass was stomped and yellowed, before throwing the axe again.

Kirsten waited until she was sure her daughter didn't have a deadly weapon in her hand before announcing her presence.

"Knock knock! Is this a bad time?" she asked, walking into the 'yard', the little cleared area near their back door between the hot spring and the forest. Astrid jumped, hand straying to her leg for a second, surely to grab a dagger. Oh, her daughter was so much like her father, always prepared for attacks.

"No, I… We aren't supposed to talk, I thought. Are you here to drop off the food?" Astrid said, clearly shaken by her sudden arrival.

"Well, I was, but it looks like something's going on here. Something that warrants me bending the rules a little. Why aren't you inside with your husband? Where is Hiccup, by the way?" Kirsten asked, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder and gently squeezing.

"He's locked himself in his workshop, I think. I don't know. Things are weird between us," Astrid slowly said with a deep sigh. Kirsten frowned, putting the basket of food down and leading her daughter to one of the fallen trees. A part near the base had no branches, so it provided a place for them to sit.

"Oh dear, what's going on? I hope you don't think that marrying was too hasty or something. You'd been stuck in the same stage for years, you two needed to move up a bit!" Kirsten said, sitting down. Astrid hesitated for a second before sitting next to her.

"I don't know! It's like… I love him, okay? I love him so much and ever since we… Ever since the wedding night it feels like that love is so much more complete. But at the same time I am just… annoyed at everything he does! We have these stupid fights about stupid nothings and yet they're not nothings and it doesn't make sense. Before this honeymoon we rarely fought, at least not over random stuff like… who should do the dishes or where to put whetstones! But now we… I don't know, we're avoiding each other? Except we're also not, we do… you-know, a lot, and then we talk, but it's not about anything, just how much we love each other. It's so confusing!" Astrid said, almost in one breath. Kirsten was sure she had been holding these things in for two weeks now, and she remembered why she hated that stupid rule about honeymoon isolation.

"Come here," she simply said, opening her arms wide. Astrid shook her head for a second, but then she all but jumped into her arms. Soft sniffs followed.

"There, there. It's okay to feel this way. I think I know what's going on, but before I explain let's just let everything out, okay? You've been cooped up for too long!" she whispered, patting Astrid's back gently as she let out all the frustrations.

"Is this what the old men mean when they complain about married life? I thought we'd just… I didn't think we'd fight so much! I'm so miserable and yet I don't want to leave him either, he makes me happy!" Astrid said, clearly trying not to cry.

"Oh, love, it's gonna be okay. It's normal. Your father and I went through this as well when we got married. You know we got married… hastily, and I was already pregnant, but still," Kirsten said, slowly pulling Astrid out of the embrace so they could look at each other.

"You see, moving in together is a really really big step. You're gonna see parts of each other that you hadn't seen before, notice habits that annoy you, have to compromise on things you did separately."

"You know how in stories, characters have good and bad qualities, perks and flaws? In reality, a quality can seem both good and bad depending on the situation. Your boyfriend might seem really spontaneous and generous, always surprising you with gifts, but then when you're married and have shared finances, that suddenly becomes an inability to handle money. Maybe you always liked how Hiccup is rebellious and doesn't limit himself with tradition, but over time that can also be a lack of structure or makes him unreliable. You like how he works hard on new inventions all day, until he starts leaving his sketches and tools all over your house that you just cleaned," Kirsten explained, and Astrid slowly nodded.

"I… I guess that makes sense. We keep fighting over things we didn't have to deal with before. Who cleans the house, where to put our shared things, when to go to sleep. And in those things we… clash. But how do I fix that? I don't want to fight like this all the time!" she said, looking away and fiddling with her skirt.

"You talk about it calmly. Tolfdir and I have a rule that we never go to bed angry with each other. We always talk things out. It doesn't have to be right when you have a fight, sometimes you just need a break to cool down and think things over, but you do have to talk before it starts to fester. And then together you figure out what caused the fight, what a solution is to whatever the fight was about, and how you stop this from causing more fights in the future. It's… not always easy, but married life isn't easy. It's hard work, especially when you're stubborn like you and Hiccup are!" Kirsten chuckled. Astrid was silent for a while, but eventually nodded.

"I… I'll try that. But what if Hiccup doesn't want to cooperate?" she asked, looking up at the house with a nervous expression.

"Oh girl, I think Hiccup wants nothing more than to make things right, but he just doesn't know how. Neither of you knew how to make the first step. That boy doesn't hold grudges, you know that. And he loves you to bits, he won't stay angry at you. I think he's just a bit scared and claustrophobic right now. He probably misses Toothless, gods know that dragon misses him, and he misses flying and smithing and all his other routine. When you're handicapped like Hiccup that routine is very important, you know. So he's a little lost now, and he probably doesn't know how to ask you for help since you are just as lost and he doesn't want to burden you."

Astrid chuckled. "How do you always know what is going on in people's heads?"

"A lot of practice at the Great Hall, dear. That's all there is to it. Practice. So now, go back in there and practice making up with your husband! Freya, your husband! I can't believe I finally get to say that. Now I need a new routine as well, can't just tell you to get married anymore! Maybe I should start asking for grandkids, but I feel like you don't need my pushing for that!" she laughed, before standing up. Astrid blushed brightly.

"Thanks, Mother," she simply said, standing up as well.

"No problem. Remember that you can always ask me for help, no matter how old you get. I'm still your mom," Kirsten said, before giving Astrid the basket of food.

"Now go in there, eat this food, and figure things out with Hiccup. And then when this is all over you'll look back on this and laugh at how stupid you were," she said, walking back to the village. Astrid didn't follow, instead grabbing her axe and going back inside the house. Kirsten chuckled to herself, knowing those kids would be just fine.

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Hiccup sat in his workshop, digging in one of the piles of designs for an old sketch for an irrigation system. For a second he considered asking Astrid for help, but then he remembered why he had shut himself in here in the first place.

Actually, he didn't really know why. It felt like none of it made sense. Just two weeks ago he had been happier than he had ever been. He was married to the most wonderful woman in the world.

And now it had all turned to crap. It was like all they could do was fight over stupid things. Just this morning they had fought over whether bread should be buttered on both sides. Astrid had expressed surprise that he smeared both sides with big sweeps. He had made a joke in reply, thinking she was kidding, but then it somehow devolved into an argument about wasting valuable food and how he didn't know how expensive butter is.

Hiccup wasn't proud of the way he handled it: by running away into his workshop and slamming the door. A few seconds later the back door slammed as well, Astrid probably going outside for axe throwing.

Maybe this wouldn't all be for nothing if he could just work. This invention would help all the farmers on Berk, it was more important than this one stupid argument. He just had to find the damn sketch among all the other plates of copper by feeling them one by one.

His fingers ran over drawings of mills and saddles, houses and ships, but then he suddenly found a sketch of a clawhammer. The moment he realized what it was he froze. The copper fell to the floor with a loud bang.

Hiccup's hands shook as he picked it back up. This was the first thing he and Astrid designed together. Just two weeks after he woke up without his leg. They developed their routine as they worked on this simple tool. His throat filled up, and he suddenly wished they could go back to that simpler time.

Where had it all gone wrong? Back then they didn't fight like this! They worked together as easy as breathing.

His free hand balled into a fist as he tried to stay strong. Why did he have to be so useless?! Normally when something was broken Astrid and him would work together to fix it, but this… This was something broken between them.

He wished he could ask somebody. Gobber, his dad, Toothless, Cami. But no, he was stuck inside this damn house for another two weeks, alone with his thoughts and the love of his life he could only make love or fight with.

Gods, his entire mind was messed up from it all. Their intimacy had only made things more complicated, making them closer than ever even as they had arguments over mundane things.

A soft sob escaped his throat despite his best efforts. More followed. Just as he tried to get it back under control there was a knock on the door. It was a gentle knock, not like Astrid's usual angry knocks.

"Hiccup? Can we talk?" Astrid's voice called through the door, soft and vulnerable. In his surprise he sniffed loudly, and he instantly knew Astrid could tell he was crying.

"Hic… I'm not angry. Not anymore, and I just… I hate this situation. I hate that we're fighting so much and I want to make it right. And I suspect you hate it just as much. So can I come in? Or do you want to come out?"

Another sob wrenched itself from his throat despite his best efforts. Oh gods, what a mess. What would Astrid think of him? But still… he trusted her. Despite the tension of the past few weeks he knew she would never laugh at him. So he stumbled to the door on unsteady legs, copper plate still in his hand. His fingers trembled as he unlocked the latch.

The door slowly swung open, the creaking the only sound apart from the soft sniffs he tried to suppress.

Hiccup didn't know what to say or do, waiting for Astrid to enter the dark room and give him clarity.

"We've both been complete idiots."

Out of all the things he imagined her saying, that was not something he had expected. His very eloquent response was "Uh-huh."

"Look, I've did a lot of thinking and… and I realized that neither of us were prepared for this change. Living together, having to figure out how to divide chores and share a house and be together literally all the time. But that doesn't mean we can't figure this out now. We're adults, we're married, we can talk about this, right? So… can we? Calmly, without getting angry?" she softly asked, voice so fragile it broke Hiccup's heart too.

"I… I want nothing more. But I don't know how," he managed to say, sitting down in his chair.

"Well, how a conversation works is that I say something, and then you say something, and then I say something again-" she deadpanned.

"Haha, very funny," he said, genuinely chuckling. Gods, it felt good to laugh with her again.

"Seriously though. Can we try, at least? How about this morning? Can we please just talk about what went wrong during that stupid fight?" Astrid slowly said, hopping on the workbench next to him.

"Okay. Alright. I'll try. I guess for me it just went so fast. At first I thought you were just joking, teasing. But then two sentences later we were shouting at each other and slamming doors and I don't understand how that happened so fast," he explained, turning away a bit.

"Thing is, I wasn't joking. And when you acted like I was it felt like you weren't taking me seriously. You know money is not an easy topic for me. I shouldn't have shouted, though. And I'm sorry I did. I should have just explained that," Astrid said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm… I suppose that makes sense. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have run away. I just… I feel like I'm suffocating lately. And that's not you, I love you so much and I want to be with you, but I miss blacksmithing and Toothless and going to the cove and flying and so much more. And it feels like all I can do this month is design things in this workshop without my blacksmithing tools, and talk to you about dumb stuff. And that leads to arguments about dumb stuff. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just frustrated and have taken that out on you. You didn't deserve that," he slowly said, awkwardly moving his hand to grab hers, squeezing softly.

"No, I didn't, and you didn't deserve my anger either. Maybe I was also scared, scared that we got married too quickly, that we aren't ready for this yet. But as long as we can just talk about it later, before it starts to fester, we should be alright."

Hiccup nodded, squeezing her hand again. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Oddly, it was like this was the most intimate thing they had done so far, despite all the lovemaking that had happened before.

"Was that the entire conversation? Is everything out now?" Astrid suddenly asked.

"You know, I think it was," he said, awed at how much lighter he felt. There were a few seconds of silence, and then he had to scream his thoughts: "That was so easy!"

"We are so stupid!" Astrid shouted, before doubling over with laughter. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh as well, before gently pulling her off the workbench and onto his lap so he could hug her.

"Oh, you're amazing. Let's never be this ridiculous again. Next time we talk calmly about things, okay?" he asked, sensing her nod.

"Yes, let's try that. But you know, Hiccup, there's something good that comes from dumb fights…" Astrid said, her tone teasing. He frowned, unsure of what she meant.

"We get to have make-up sex," she chuckled, grinding on his lap, and he moaned softly. Oh gods. Hiccup was sure that next time they fought things wouldn't spiral out of control anymore. He just had to survive Astrid's endless stamina.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 2: Cuddling

A/N: Here’s Day 2 of my nanowrimo project! As always, the entire Blindcup universe can be found HERE.

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Astrid had long since accepted that Dark Days would simply be a part of her relationship with Hiccup. Their frequency varied, but every now and then everything was just a little too much for him. She sometimes wondered if he needed other outlets, if these were signs that he couldn't express his emotions enough when they weren't alone. But there was little she could do about that, especially when they weren't married yet and he wasn't chief. People expected a strong leader.

So it was her secret job to make sure they never knew about Hiccup's dark days, that they could pretend he was always as cheerful and joking and energetic as he appeared in public.

It wasn't always easy. Hiccup's mood swings were unpredictable at best, and came with little warning. So often she scrambled to find a private place when she saw the signs.

Like today. They had been teaching some children about taking care of their dragons, when one of the nastier boys started questioning Hiccup's methods. "How can he know if the dragons are happy, he can't see!"

In retrospect it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Hiccup had quite a bad day already. Nightmares, Stoick being difficult about chiefing lessons, Toothless being moody about his morning flight being delayed. The dragon had avoided Hiccup for a while now, instead running into the woods with Stormfly.

Hiccup merely smiled at the arrogant boy and told him there were other ways he could tell the dragons' mood. Sounds, movement, even smell in certain cases. But she could tell the remarks weighed on him, especially when the boy remained unconvinced and rebellious for the rest of the lesson, constantly muttering under his breath about Hiccup's blindness and 'uselessness'.

When Astrid noticed Hiccup's hands were shaking slightly, and saw his back hunch, she knew what was coming. So she cut the lesson short at lunchtime and took Hiccup's hands to drag him to the storerooms in the back of the arena. One of the girls oohed at their interlocked hands, and some of the boys started joking about them going off to snog.

Astrid rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with them. It was easier to pretend they were making out, that it was just dumb hormonal young love driving them to find privacy.

The thought almost made her chuckle despite her worry for Hiccup. She wished it was that easy. It wasn't like they didn't sneak off all the time to make out, but it never felt enough. This was a different kind of physical closeness, she thought when Hiccup pulled her tight to him in the darkness at the back of a storeroom. Astrid let him, whispering words of love into his ear and rubbing his back gently.

"Don't go," he mumbled, and she shook her head.

"I'll never let you go. I promise," she replied, pulling them along a bit so they could sit on a nearby crate. Hiccup buried his face in her neck, shoulders shaking with his sobs. Astrid tried not to sigh audibly. It was so hard sometimes to see Hiccup like this. If only there was some way she could help. Some kind of medicine or treatment that would fix his dark mind. Maybe somewhere across the sea there existed something like that, but if it did, word of it never reached Berk.

It took a while, but eventually Hiccup calmed down. He didn't release her, however, content to sit next to her, his arms around her shoulders.

"Is this okay? If we sit like this for a while?" he softly asked with trembling voice. Astrid replied by pulling him a little closer to her. She had noticed that Hiccup was an incredibly tactile person, always trying to touch some part of her. Not even in an inappropriate way, though Astrid knew he had reactions to their closeness sometimes, but just to remind himself she was there, she was close, she wasn't gonna leave.

Sometimes she wondered if his desire to touch was because of his blindness, or just because that was the person he was. He also cuddled with Toothless, sleeping in the dragon's embrace or pushing himself against the warm belly while writing. The dragon seemed to like it too, warbling happily and licking Hiccup's hair.

Astrid didn't really think of herself as a cuddler, she didn't really actively crave Hiccup's arms around her all the time, but it was… nice. There were certainly worse places to be, and he was surprisingly soft and warm. It was strangely quiet and calm. Normally Hiccup was so active, always moving and talking and thinking and doing. But the moment they embraced each other he just slowed down and rested.

Yeah, that's the nicest thing about these cuddles, Astrid thought. Looking at his face, seeing all that stress and anxiety flow away for a bit. She could protect him for a while, make sure he didn't have to worry about anything. It made her feel strong, and it warmed her heart to know, to see with her own eyes that Hiccup thought she is strong too.

Hiccup's breath slowed and slowed, from the rapid breathing of his panic attack to a slumber. It took Astrid a minute to realize he had fallen asleep in her arms, his head on her shoulder. It was often hard to tell if he was asleep, since the blindfold covered his eyes, but she recognized that soft humming he always did when he slept. Sometimes he talked, mumbling nonsense words or ridiculous conversations. It always made her smile.

"You're the worst brother ever!" Ruffnut's shout broke their little bubble. Astrid jumped a bit, and Hiccup woke with a gasp. His head flew up, hitting her jaw, and they both groaned. Hiccup blushed when he realized their positions, but didn't quite let go of her.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you," he said awkwardly as they stood up together. His voice was barely audible over the twins' argument outside.

"It's okay. I think you needed that nap," Astrid teased, and they finally disentangled their arms. Hiccup looked ten times healthier than he had that morning, and Astrid was sure he could face another day.

And if he couldn't? Well, she'd just have to cuddle him until his strength returned.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 5: Kissing

Day 5 already! As always, the rest of the Blindcup verse can be found HERE.

"It's almost done!" Hiccup said as he took the blazing hot sword from the forge and ran his gloved hand over it. The shape seemed mostly right.

"It's not quite red-hot yet. Still orange. Needs a minute more," Astrid said beside him, and he nodded before putting it back in the forge.

"Alright then, let's heat it up a bit more," Hiccup said, feeling around for the bellow and pumping them to fuel the flames.

"I'm putting more coal in," Astrid said, not even asking for his permission anymore. They were becoming a better and better team in the forge. Although the loss of his eyesight meant Hiccup would never be able to smith on his own again, working with Astrid was a good replacement. It was, for lack of a better word, fun.

It allowed them to talk and interact while keeping busy, not having to worry about awkward silences. The strange orders and repairs coming in were always a good source of gossip, and Gobber was never lacking in jokes to tell.

Sure, Astrid had her own chores, chopping trees and herding cattle for the other villagers, but she always came to see him if she had time off, and was always eager to help him. Stormfly seemed to enjoy sleeping in the corner, the forge's glow reflecting beautifully off her scales.

"Maybe light the other forge as well, with a low flame. We'll need it to make those tin nails for Yakbrain," he said as she rummaged in the supply closet for coal.

"On it. Why does he want tin nails anyway? They're much weaker than iron," she asked as she gently nudged him aside to put in the coal, before moving to the other cold forge.

"Tin doesn't rust like iron does, which is pretty useful when you're making ships. It'd be better to use bronze in my opinion, it's way stronger, but Yakbrain is cheap. Plus he won't listen to me. You know how he is during council meetings," he chuckled, remembering how often the shipwright had blasted his ideas.

"You're still the expert. He should listen to you. Ah well, I guess it's more business for us when his ships sink and he needs more nails," Astrid said as the forge blazed to life, and Hiccup felt a blush rising at her mention of 'us'.

The forge was definitely his work. Stoick had made it clear he needed a job if he wanted all the invention supplies he used, like paper and copper. For Astrid this was just a distraction, a hobby, a way for her to spend time with him. She wasn't getting paid directly for it. But maybe in a way it was a joint thing. They did their inventing together, and she needed the supplies just as much as he did for that. Not to mention he could never say no to her when she asked for other stuff.

They didn't really talk about it, but they both knew Astrid's family had only a fraction of the Haddock's wealth. Her father didn't have a steady job, instead doing odd jobs like construction work, just like Astrid. Her mom did manage the Great Hall, but it didn't bring in that much money. So even though Astrid would never ask him for anything, if she mentioned her family needed something, like new kitchenware or blankets, Stoick would 'conveniently' find some 'spares' in their basement.

Astrid had been upset about it the first time it happened, but he had just told her she brought enough warmth into his life, giving her a new blanket was the least he could do. She had laughed, told him he was 'hopeless', but had never brought it up again.

Maybe her helping him in the forge was a way for her to pay him back? If so, he wouldn't complain about it. It would probably only lead to a stupid argument that would change neither of their minds.

"The sword is red-hot now," Astrid's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he quickly withdrew the weapon and put it on the anvil. Sparks and soot flew when he started shaping it, and he knew he'd have to clean his face later. These steel swords always created so much smoke.

Astrid worked on her own while he was busy, melting down tin and preparing the molds for nails. Although she had only been doing this work for a year, she was quickly becoming a master. And it was all for him, as far as he could tell. Okay, he wasn't going to be that arrogant, he knew she genuinely enjoyed smithing, but still. There were a lot of other things she could be doing with her time.

Smiling, he finished the sword before plunging it in the cooling vat. Astrid was just finishing up with the nails, pouring liquid tin into the molds. She was humming a little song he didn't recognize, and suddenly he couldn't resist. He walked up to her as she put down the tray of tin, took a deep breath, and grabbed her face gently with his gloved hand.

"Hiccup, wh-" she didn't get to finish her question when he carefully put his lips on hers. It wasn't easy, with his blindness he couldn't always be sure where her mouth was, but somehow he managed. Their tongues touched for a second, but it didn't devolve into hungry making out.

"You're amazing," he whispered as he pulled back after a minute, hands shaking slightly. He rarely initiated their kisses, though not for lack of desire. Astrid was always moving, always active, and he never dared to try and find her mouth. It wasn't worth the embarrassment he got when he kissed her ears or nose or eyes instead.

"What brought this on? Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little surprised," she asked, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing lightly.

"I don't know, I was just thinking that I'm happy you're here with me, and I wanted to show that," he said slowly, lowering his head. Now he was suddenly embarrassed? What was wrong with him?!

"Aww, that's sweet-" Astrid started saying, but then the door flew open with a loud bang and Gobber entered. They jumped apart, trying not to look too guilty. Astrid inspected the nails, while he checked the cooled sword.

"Ugh, would ya stop that fidgeting? I know you two were kissing in here, and it's okay as long as it doesn't interfere with work," Gobber shouted after a minute, and Hiccup was sure his face was bright red.

"How did you know?" Astrid asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Well, those smiles for one. But mostly it's the fact that both of your faces are covered in smudged soot. I'm guessing Hiccup's smithing rubbed off on you, Astrid," Gobber laughed. Hiccup wondered if he could invent a trapdoor that would allow him to sink through the floor in situations like this.

But then Astrid squeezed his hand again, drawing a little heart with her finger, and he knew it was still worth the jokes from the villagers.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

My Fanfiction Masterpost

I just got 100 followers That totally didn’t happen three weeks ago already, and I’m totally not at 108 right now because I was too surprised and didn’t have a 100 follower special ready so to celebrate and thank my readers I decided to make this. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately in the aforementioned three weeks and I realized that a lot of you followed me because of my first big story, Black as Night, and its sequel, Blind Spots. I’ve been neglecting Blind Spots for a while, but I decided to get it out of hiatus and finally finish it. But when I looked for it on tumblr I realized that organizing things solely by tag is messy and annoying. 

So I decided to make a masterpost with links to all my fanfics, and to my accounts on fanfiction.net and Archive Of Our Own. I will keep this post updated whenever I post new fics or chapters, and it will be easily accessible from my profile. 

Now, I’m sure many of you skipped all that to get to the important part, so let’s get to it:

Table of Contents:

-My accounts -My Voltron: Legendary Defender fics -My How to train your Dragon short fics -Blindcup Universe (Black as Night and Blind Spots) -------------------------

My accounts:

Fanfiction.net (Wolfie-Dragon) Archive of our Own (Wolfie_Dragon)

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For oneshots, the link will be in the title. For longer stories there is a link to each individual chapter below the summary. All stories are finished unless noted otherwise

My Voltron: Legendary Defender fics

The Imitation Game Summary: For as long as she could remember, Matt had been more than just a brother to Pidge. He was also her best friend and companion. She couldn’t imagine a world where he doesn’t exist. So when Pidge loses her brother, she can’t help but try to bring him back the only way she knows how. But she plays a dangerous game, one where the lines between imagination and reality blur.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

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Lion’s Call Summary: After nearly getting killed during battle, Lance is confined to a healing pod. However, he seems to disagree with the severity of the situation, especially when he senses a cry of pain. And it’s up to Keith to make sure he’s going to heal.

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My How to train your Dragon short fics:

Back to the Great Beyond Summary: Hiccup and Astrid always wanted to go back to Dragon’s Edge and have another adventure. But after Hiccup became chief there was never any time, and they never went back into the Great Beyond. Now it’s too late, but a gift from beyond the grave may show Astrid there are more ways to have an adventure than she thought.

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Pressure Summary: Hiccup was always sure he was going to be a pilot. It was all he ever wanted. But when an unexpected problem emerges during his first flight, he learns that sometimes even the smallest things can crush the greatest dreams. Modern AU.

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The Devil on the Mountaintop (on hold) Summary: Hiccup is part of a small mercenary company. He fights to survive, even though he hates killing. So he's eager when a letter brings them to the village of Berk to root out the monstrous demon on the nearby mountain. The monster jobs are easy, they're always just big animals. He's both right and wrong. This one is a big animal, but that doesn't make it easy. Medieval mercenaries AU.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

When I wrote this story, I had vague ideas on expanding it into a bigger AU. However, the plot bunnies died, and it never really went anywhere. However, if people are interested, I might write an alternative ending for chapter 1 to be more in line with the second chapter, and to have Toothless join the company.

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Coloring the World Summary: After a car crash takes his leg, Hiccup starts sinking into depression, and he pushes everybody away. The world looks much grayer when you're forced to walk on a metal leg, after all. But thankfully a certain friend with bright yellow hair is determined to bring the colors back into Hiccup's world. Modern AU.

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The Last Dragon Summary: Hiccup and Astrid are happily married, and Berk is at peace. But just when they think things couldn't be better, all the dragons start leaving, and Hiccup falls ill. Astrid starts losing hope when Hiccup says he'll die when the last dragon flies away, but perhaps there is a way to fight the inevitable. Post HTTYD 2, loosely based on O. Henry's short story 'The Last Leaf'.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

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Paper Tiger Summary: Normally Astrid likes the calm, silence, and order that came with her job at the library. But one day a boy comes in, bringing nothing but chaos. And yet, she can't bring herself to be angry at the green-eyed boy and his black cat who so blatantly disrespected her books. Modern AU.

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The Chief’s New Clothes Summary:  It's the first Snoggletog after Stoick's death, and Astrid is looking for a way to cheer Hiccup up. One problem: her mother keeps her busy with tailoring and other household lessons, citing their upcoming marriage. Astrid is not easily stopped when she is on a mission, however, especially when it involves new holiday traditions.

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How to Replace a Leg Summary: Hiccup was not the only one to lose a leg in in the battle against the Red Death. Astrid doesn't let a wooden leg slow her down, getting right back to training no matter what, while Hiccup struggles with his own pain. Thankfully, they have each other to lean on when their own legs fail.

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Kiss Cam Summary: Fluffy modern AU oneshot. Trying to bring back the spark in her love life, Astrid takes her boyfriend Eret to a soccer match. Their relationship is put to the test when the kiss cam falls on them during halftime. But when things get ugly, a certain mascot comes to the rescue.

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Blindcup Universe:

Black as Night (completed) and Blind Spots (ongoing):

Black as Night was my first big story. It is unfortunately not posted on tumblr, but you can find it on fanfiction.net HERE, or on AO3 HERE. 

Summary:  Both Hiccup and Astrid are eager to prove themselves as worthy dragon killers in a war-torn Berk. But their lives change dramatically when Hiccup is blinded in a terrible accident in Dragon Training. And things only get more complicated when Hiccup has to hide a dragon in the forest and Stoick is desperate to punish someone for crippling his son. An alternative retelling of How To Train Your Dragon 1, featuring a blind Hiccup.

Blind Spots is the sequel to Black as Night. It’s a loosely connected series of oneshots showing how Hiccup and Astrid adapt to a life where Hiccup is blind. You could read these as stand-alone fluff or angsty Hiccstrid, but I’d advice you to read Black as Night first.

Chapter 1, Memories Summary: Three months have passed since Hiccup woke up a hero. Physically, he has healed, but he finds that losing one's sight means more than just getting lost or bumping into things. It also means forgetting what the world looked like. But thankfully, Astrid has a great birthday gift for him to cheer him up.

Chapter 2, Stories and Scars Summary:  With the war over, the Vikings of Berk had to find new hobbies to keep themselves busy. The most important of these: Dragon Racing! However, Hiccup is having trouble catching sheep without sight or throwing them in baskets. Meanwhile, Astrid feels bothered by Hiccup's ugly scars, and her mother's advice doesn't seem very helpful.

Chapter 3, Black Rain Summary: This chapter takes place during Black as Night. After the Battle of the Red Death, Astrid takes the wounded Hiccup back to Berk. Stoick is left behind on Dragon Island, and is forced to wonder if Hiccup will be okay. Even more pressing matters concern him, however, as the Vikings need food and shelter, and people are skeptical of the possibility of peace.

Chapter 4, Fighting and Hiding Summary: Hiccup is very happy when gets a nice new tool to help him get around town by himself. However, Astrid can't help but feel hurt when Hiccup gushes about how awesome it is, noticing he never thanked her for helping him. The two butt heads, leading to their first big fight.

Chapter 5: Dark Days, Bright Nights Summary: Not all scars are physical, and not all pain comes from visible wounds. Hiccup has become more anxious and nervous since he lost his sight. After all, when you're blind, you have a lot more to be afraid of. Thankfully, Astrid learns how to care for Hiccup when the demons in his head are too much for him.

Chapter 6, Forgotten Sins, Forgotten Virtues Summary: Astrid's parents see their daughter grow closer and closer to the chief's son. While Kirsten is happy Astrid isn't so cold anymore, Tolfdir is nervous. He remembers the foolishness inherent in young love. They remember their own whirlwind romance, their perfect love shattered by a horrible event. But maybe, with Astrid finding love, they can find a way to heal as well.

Chapter 7, Stuck Summary: Ice sucks. It sucks even more when you can't see it. It's even more horrible if you have a metal foot with little grip. Add an overprotective father on top of that, and you understand Hiccup gets a bit antsy when he hurts his leg. Stuck inside, Hiccup might face his greatest challenge yet: Boredom!

Chapter 8, Losing your Shadow Summary: Snoggletog is a time you spend with the ones you love. And although he's very, very happy he has Astrid, Hiccup's best friend is still Toothless. But when Hiccup gives him a Snoggletog gift, the dragon flies away! Meanwhile, Astrid finds that teaching Hiccup how to fight isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Gift of the Night Fury, featuring Blind Hiccup.

Chapter 9: Regaining Honor Summary: The Flightmare is coming, the Flightmare is coming! When the dragon who kills his brother and stole his family's honor shows up, Tolfdir is determined to slay it. But his drastic plan clashes with Berk's new policy of peacefully approaching dragons, and he is shut down. Astrid, however, isn't so easily deterred by old men saying she can't do something. Especially after training 10 years for this battle.

Chapter 10: Legends Old and New Summary: Hiccup and Astrid have made their relation official, but they still have a private date planned. Before that, however, the Midsummer Feast takes place! A time of festivities, eating, dancing, and honoring the gods. This year, however, Astrid's mother has something extra planned. The storyteller has written a play about Hiccup the Blind and Astrid the Scarred. But are the lovebirds really happy about this?

Chapter 11: Out of Touch Summary: Hiccup and Astrid generally make a good team, but problems are inevitable. Especially when one half of the team can't see and is forced to write using lines in copper, and the other half can barely feel said lines. When Astrid has trouble understanding one of Hiccup's inventions, frustrations explode.

Chapter 12: Echoes of the Past Summary: Even though Hiccup is getting more used to the blindness, fitting in on Berk is hard when everyone is determined to treat you differently when you're handicapped. So when Toothless helps him discover a cool new trick, Hiccup starts spending more and more time away from the village. But an old rival of Toothless is coming for revenge, and Hiccup will need to be ready for him.

Chapter 13: Invisible Friends When an eel pox epidemic sweeps through Berk, it's up to the dragon riders to gather the ingredients for the cure. However, since Astrid is sick, Hiccup is stuck with Snotlout! Can the two boys put their differences aside when their mission gets more and more complicated?

Chapter 14: The Burglar Princess With the return of peace to Berk also comes the return of old allies. The Bog-Burglars were the oldest allies of these, and one Burglar in particular was very close to Hiccup before his life got turned around. At first it appears like they're still the same friends they had been when they were kids, but they both changed more than the other expected.