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shipmistress9 · 7 years ago

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What it means to be Chief - Chapter 2: Waiting

Chapter 1

Hiccup carefully stashed the three pieces of paper into Toothless' saddle bag and then turned to pet the dragon's head. As usual, the black lizard instantly nuzzled against him and Hiccup gave in to the insistent begging. With a melancholy smile, he scratched the scaly neck and big green orbs shut with a happy warble.

"Yeah, bud, I know." Hiccup murmured. "I missed this, too. Good thing it's over now, eh?" He turned his head around and gazed back over the sea to where Redthorn Island had disappeared behind the horizon a while ago. "Good thing indeed…" He added absentmindedly. The moment the island had disappeared from view, he'd called out for the Night Fury, eager to distract himself from the memories of this last month.

The peace negotiations had gone to plan, there was no reason to complain about that. Both Dagur's and his own reputation had been enough to make Chief Magnus of the Redthorn tribe and his son and heir Geir wary enough to not decline their offer. Yes, they were purchasing weapons and other equipment but they had no intention of raiding the barbaric archipelago or any of their neighboring tribes. Or so they had tried very hard to convince them… Hiccup wasn't so sure about their trustworthiness but they hadn't given them any solid reason to doubt them.

There were other concerns however and he had talked about it all a lot with Dagur and their other friend. The fact remained, the Redthorns were purchasing weapons. So, even if they didn't want to raid their fellow Viking tribes, they obviously intended to raid somebody. Eret had been right, though. Even he as Chief of the Hooligan tribe and great Dragon Master wasn't able to prevent every violence from happening. He had to be content with keeping the violence away from his tribe. And their dragons ensured that they would be safe...

There were other reasons that still made him wary though. The Redthorns weren't hunting dragons, that was something at least. Only when one happened to appear on their island to hunt their livestock then they defended themselves and, yes, usually killed said dragon. Hiccup didn't like that. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. They had a right to defend themselves after all. He was just glad they hadn't even noticed Toothless on their island.

This, too, had worked out perfectly. Just like the first time at Snoggletogg all those years ago, Toothless hadn't liked that automatic tailfin, had insisted upon flying with him and with him alone. But even the dragon hadn't been able to defy Astrid. With a small grin, Hiccup remembered how she'd angrily glared at the dragon, how she'd explained and even threatened him in a way and how, ultimately, Toothless had agreed to wear the tailfin. It really was amazing how much the Night Fury was able to comprehend. And he'd even seemed to like it in the end! He'd been flying and diving around their ship during the whole trip toward Redthorn Island and during the quiet hours of the night, when Hiccup had been lying awake in his cabin, he'd often heard the high whistling of a Night Fury soaring through the darkness in full speed high above him

No, there really was no reason to be dissatisfied with this journey. Except, he was! A peace treaty with men like these… To him, it felt awfully like he was approving of what they did! Like he approved of their plans to raid some villages far away. Like he approved of how they still despised dragons and refused to even consider to rethink their opinion. And like he approved of-

Involuntarily, his hands balled into fists. There had been no complaints. None of them had approached him with a request for help or anything the like. There had been no bruises or other visible signs of abuse. The women he'd seen during this month had been quiet and had stayed in the shadowy background whenever possible. But he'd noticed how they'd flinched or shied away from any sudden movement, how they'd averted their gazes, those sad and broken eyes, and never directly looked at any men lest they draw attention to themselves. He remembered the intimidated and scarcely dressed girls that had shown up in that guest house Chief Magnus had provided for them… They'd relocated back to their ship the next day, making clear this was not the kind of attention they wanted or would ask for during their stay. And he remembered their screams.

He had approached Chief Magnus about that but the beefy man had only laughed and had thrown an arm around his shoulders. "Nothing like making a woman scream, eh?" He'd said and waved off any further comments on that topic. It had made him blush for a moment, because, yes, there was nothing like making Astrid scream with pleasure and it had reminded him of how it had been far too long since he'd seen her. But that wasn't the point! The point was, that those hadn't been screams of pleasure but screams of pain! But again, he had no proof, nothing solid he was able to hold against them. He was just glad, that Astrid and the other women had agreed upon staying on Berk!

Toothless' insistent nudge tore him out of his gloomy thoughts and he fought, again, to banish these memories from his mind. He couldn't fight all evil in this world, he'd learned that lesson by now. But by Thor's hammer, he wanted to!

"It's alright, bud.." He mumbled when Toothless gave him an almost worried glance. It was alright, or it would be. Eventually... There was nothing he could do, he had no right to interfere with the rules of another tribe. He needed to accept that, even though the mere thought of what his new allies did made him nauseous. He leaned his head against Toothless' warm and scaly neck, seeking comfort for a moment. "Go, bud." He whispered. "Fly home and deliver those papers. And give her a kiss from me, will you?" A worried grumble vibrated through the lean body but Hiccup gave his friend an affectionate slap and nodded encouragingly and after one last glance, Toothless jumped off the ship's deck and into the sky.

"You could have flown with him," called a deep voice from behind him and Hiccup didn't need to turn around to know who was approaching him.

"No, I couldn't" He answered tersely as Eret stepped to his side. "That wouldn't be fair." But, Gods, he had thought about it! Simply climbing on Toothless' back, finally feeling the wind in his face again and reaching home, reaching her, within two days only rather than two weeks. It had been tempting… "We all want to go home as fast as possible and leave all this behind. Just because I'm the Chief doesn't mean I deserve any special treatment."

The ex-trapper looked at him for a moment, thoughtful. "Maybe not…" he finally said. "But then you are the Chief and carry an altogether different burden than the rest of us. Well, except Dagur, but he has his own way of dealing with responsibility, I guess. And you can't deny it, you'd rather spend the next two weeks with your soft and pretty wife than with a bunch of rough and dirty men." Eret winked at him and Hiccup closed his eyes and swallowed. Soft… Thor, how he missed her soft body beneath his hands. They were married just long enough that he'd gotten used to spending the nights with her, holding her while they slept. Being separated for these weeks now had been nothing but torture!

"The same goes for Legs and Tuff as well." He replied hoarsely, determined to not let the other man see his thoughts. "I'm sure they miss Heather and Lia just as much!"

Eret chuckled. "And you think Ruffnut isn't missed at all?" he asked teasingly and Hiccup blushed. He didn't mind his friends' arrangement as long as they were comfortable with it but he still didn't want to think about it too much.

"Dunno…" he mumbled almost incoherently. "I mean, you and Snot…" Nope… he definitely didn't want to think about it!

Eret burst out laughing and slapped his shoulder. "No need to go all red, Chief!" he teased. "Be assured, we still miss her! It's simply not the same without her… Ah, I miss going down on her until she's begging for mercy." The man stretched and stared out at the sea with an almost dreamy look.

Hiccup swallowed again. If these were the conversations they would have during the next two weeks then he really should have flown with Toothless! Although... "Begging for mercy?" He heard himself asking, his lips moving on their own volition. Gods, the idea of Astrid begging for anything was weird and yet… He felt dizzy as his blood was suddenly needed elsewhere, heated his cheeks and made his pants tight, throbbing uncomfortably. Could he make her beg?

Eret smirked at him, eyebrows raised. "Yeah, with your lady that's probably quite a challenge. All the more worth it though…" he trailed off, grinning impishly. "C'mon, Chief," he then prompted playfully. "I can see the question written all over your face. Ask it!"

Hiccup stared straight ahead to where Toothless had disappeared only minutes ago and bit his lips. It was no secret that Eret was far more experienced when it came to women. Well, and men, apparently… But did he dare to benefit from that? Begging for mercy…

His voice was low, barely more than a whisper when he asked, uttered only that one word.

"How?"

Astrid sat on Stormfly's back atop the cliff farthest to the east of the island of Berk and searched the horizon. She wasn't sure what she was looking for exactly, a few white spots on top of the water maybe, or some movement or commotion within the clouds. It was far too soon for them to return though, she knew that. If they were to return now than only because something went wrong and in that case, Hiccup would have sent Sharpshot ahead already.

Taking his Terror with them had been Hiccup's idea and she'd kissed him soundly for that, right there during the council meeting. In case of an emergency! he'd said. So that they could send for help and still have Toothless there to defend them if needed. Keeping the tame Terror hidden and fed on board of their ship wouldn't be too hard and it provided just the right amount of additional safety.

Deep down, Astrid knew that no news meant everything went according to plan and there was nothing to tell. No news was good! And yet she'd spend every spare minute here, waiting and searching, ever since their sail had disappeared behind the horizon. So that she could react immediately if necessary.

Not, that she had all that much free time these days. Summer was quickly drawing to an end, there were only two weeks of harvesting at the most and every hand was needed dearly to get everything done. The last harvest needed to be brought in and securely stored, preservable food needed to be preserved and then there were the preparations for the Winter Nights. Astrid knew she needed to help wherever she could, had no time to lazily watch the sea but she couldn't help it. Last year, the Winter Nights' celebration had also been their wedding. She couldn't bear the thought to spend these days without Hiccup this year.

Beneath her, Stormyfly scuttled agitatedly and Astrid laid a hand on her neck to calm her. "Shh, girl. It's alright. I know, it's late and you're hungry. Just… a little bit longer, alright? Then we'll fly home." Home… Their home was empty. Cold… It didn't feel as strange anymore to live in the Haddock house, not as strange as it had felt in the beginning. But without Hiccup and Toothless there, it didn't feel like home at all. Just an empty house with too many memories.

Stormfly spread her wings and croaked once and Astrid decided that her dragon probably was right. It was getting dark anyway, there was no point in searching the night. With a sigh, she pressed her calves into Stormfly's flanks, the sign for her to take off. There was no need to direct her further, hunger and weariness would stir her dragon toward her new stable so Astrid closed her eyes and tried not to be too worried. There was no reason to be worried!

It took her a few minutes of flying through the darkness without paying much attention before she realized they weren't on their way back to the village. On the contrary, Stormfly seemed to have flown out over the sea and only when she'd stopped and turned back around Astrid had noticed. The dragon cawed again, a loud and trilling noise that sounded through the night and Astrid was about to asked what was up when she heard the answer. A low and very familiar warbling that made her heart beat rapidly.

"Hiccup?" She called into the night but got no answer except another one of the Night Fury's warbly noises. Where was he? Damn that black dragon, entirely invisible in this darkness! "Where is he?" The question was directed at Stormfly this time. Her abilities as a tracker were good but the one thing she was best at finding, wherever he'd flown, was Toothless. Stormfly changed the angle she was flying in and a moment later, Astrid spotted Toothless flying directly above them within arm's reach.

"There you are!" Her heart made an almost painful leap at the sight and she craned her neck to look past the dragon toward his rider. It took her a moment to realize though. The dragon's back was empty!

Her mind went blank for a moment. What was Toothless doing here all on his own? Where was Hiccup? Why was he not with him? Astrid could feel the panic rising inside her but fought it down immediately. Panicking would do no-one any good! Her eyes searched Toothless' gear for any damage, any signs that there might have been a fight but found none. In fact, Toothless was wearing much less gear than usual, only the automatic tailfin and one saddlebag, attached to a single sturdy leather strap. And now that she thought about it, Toothless was far too calm. If anything had happened to Hiccup, Toothless would be frantic! But he wasn't. He was obviously tired and weary, from the long flight probably, but aside from that, he seemed to be okay so Astrid relaxed, too.

It took them only a few additional minutes to reach the village's center with the all-you-can-eat feeding station where both dragons landed and after a short but affectionate greeting, they both turned their attention toward their meal. Astrid all but leaped out of her saddle and was at Toothless' side in an instant, tearing at the oiled leather to open the bag. Surely, he was carrying it for a reason. In it, she found three pieces of paper, two of them big scrolls, rolled up and each bound by three straps of cloth.

"Ah, the lad made it" a loud voice boomed behind her and a moment later, Gobber took the scrolls she held out for him. The documents that would ensure the peace between the Redthorns, the Berserkers, and the Hooligans. Not, what she was interested in!

Beneath the scrolls, she found another piece of paper, folded and with her name written on the front. Astrid unfolded it quickly and read the short note within.

As you can see, the negotiations went to plan, the peace treaties are signed and sealed. Today, we left Redthorn Island and will likely reach Berk a few days before Gormandur's full moon, just in time for the Winter Nights. Looking very forward to it!

Astrid sighed in relief. He was safe and on his way back. They all were! Up until that moment, she hadn't even been aware of how anxious she really had been. But now was not the time to be anxious anymore! Tomorrow, she would have to return to her duties. Because now she had all the more reasons to prepare the feast for the Winter Nights! She glanced back down at the paper and at the remaining words.

PS: I sent Toothless instead of Sharpshot as it's far more difficult to keep him fed. There shouldn't be any dangers now anymore so I hope you'll forgive me. And I can't write here what I want to tell you. Just that I miss you.

I really do…

And sorry for the 'kiss'.

Astrid let her hand drop and frowned. Which ki-

In that moment, Toothless turned and jumped on her, knocked her down and dragged his tongue over her face, only once before he retreated, unmistakably snickering.

"Oh, you useless…" she cursed, trying and failing to wipe away some of the sticky and fishy dragon salivae. Toothless just kept snickering and a moment later nudged her with his head and looked at her with those wide green eyes of his. It was impossible to be angry at him when he looked like that so she just reached around his neck and scratched him thoroughly.

"Yeah, bud, I missed you too!" She cooed and then bit her lips. Gods, she missed Hiccup! But at least one of her boys was back and with all the work she would have to do now, the days until the other one came home as well would probably fly by in an instant.

She'd been wrong!

Being busy and occupied with preparations didn't help with her impatience, not at all! Maybe it would have if she had anything else to do. Hunting down boars for the feast surely would have been distracting. Or organizing and planning all the different tasks at hand. That would at least have occupied her mind enough to not be constantly thinking of Hiccup's soon return.

But she wasn't doing any of those tasks. Hunting boars was traditionally for the men and although Astrid probably would have been as good as any of them at this, she'd decided to not participate. Because she was the Chief's wife now. She gladly would have accepted Hiccup's oath of love and loyalty, would have given him her heart, would have given him everything and live a normal life as a married couple. Or as normal as life for them could have been.

But Hiccup was the Chief and with that came more duties than they both would have anticipated. With it came responsibility. She wasn't just his wife, his friend, and comrade, she also was his second-in-command, his advisor, and his general. She couldn't do whatever she wanted to do anymore, the people of Berk depended on her, on them. It sometimes was a frightening prospect but Astrid Hofferson, now Haddock, had never been one to shirk responsibility. So she hadn't gone hunting and spent her days in the Great Hall instead. But not like she would have thought she would.

Arranging a feast like that for the Winter Nights was far more demanding than she would have thought. It required skills in organizing and planning, things she wasn't all that good at. She'd tried but all too soon, Gobber and her mother, who was the head of the kitchen, after all, had all but taken over. They still had come to her with every decision but at the same time had given her solid advice on how to decide until she'd had enough and told them to just do as they thought fit.

So all that was left for her to do were things like cleaning crocks, decorating the hall and peeling tons of turnips, those dull tasks that needed to be done, took a lot of time and only occupied the hands while the mind was free to wander. Exactly what she'd tried to avoid. And the fact that she always had company wasn't all that helpful either.

Of course, she was glad to spend some time with Heather and talk to her for hours but things between them were different now. They both were still dragon riders and loved a good training session but they also were both married now and especially training was something that had become difficult for Heather. Her bump had grown visibly during the weeks she'd spent on Berk and understandably that was her number one priority these days. A topic she, to Astrid's honest surprise, shared with Ruffnut of all people.

Retrospectively, it wasn't all that surprising… Her marriage to Snotlout had been fairly hurried in the end, even though they'd been known as a couple for a while. And then, there was that weird arrangement of theirs…

They were often joined by Tuffnut's young wife, a girl named Thalia, or Lia as everyone called her, of the Berserker tribe, maybe two years their junior. She was pretty with that brown hair she always wore in a tight braid and her equally brown, large eyes. And the typical Berserker antics made her perfect for Tuffnut. She was a worthy replacement for Ruff as his partner in pranks and mischief.

But it meant that Astrid spent her days in ways that, only a few months ago, she never would have thought she ever would. She sat in the Great Hall, performed boring kitchen duties and was surrounded by chatting women who talked about their husbands, babies and, inescapably, the subject that led from one to the other.

In a way, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. It had been weird in the beginning, but then she trusted them with her life, Heather and Ruff at least. Talking about sex wasn't such a hard step to make. With Lia, it had been different but the girl - no, the young woman - wasn't shy and carried her heart on her tongue and including her in these conversations wasn't difficult. And Astrid had to admit those conversations were… interesting, to say the least even though she mostly listened.

"I still can't believe you married Snot!" Heather exclaimed one day. "He's so…" A shudder ran through her and Astrid could only agree. It was beyond her how anyone could fancy Snotlout. But then, maybe she was just biased. Snotlout really had outgrown most of his boasting and braggy behavior. Maybe it was just hard for her to see his value with all the memories of his immature behavior. And then, no one compared to Hiccup anyway…

The four women were seated around a gigantic pile of turnips that needed peeling and slicing and of course, the conversation had unavoidably turned to that one topic she so desperately tried to avoid lately. Their husbands.

Not that she didn't want to think of Hiccup. It was just that… She hardly did anything else these days! She barely made it through a few minutes without wondering what he was doing and whether he thought of her, too. When she found herself in a conversation or discussion she often thought about how dreary those were without his light teasing and sarcastic remarks. And whatever she was doing, every now and then her thoughts drifted off and conjured up memories of his bright emerald eyes and his lopsided grin. She remembered his hand, warm on hers, his arms around her, his lips on her skin, his skin on her skin, how his body would rub against hers, remembered the feeling of him hot and throbbing inside her…

With a huff, Astrid tore her thoughts away from those memories and, biting her lip a little harder, she tried to listen to the conversation around her. Whatever they were talking about, it would be better than those images in her head, right?

"Hey, stop picking on my husband!" Ruffnut exclaimed in fake exasperation. "Or do you want me to start picking on yours? You do know that I was married to Fishlegs once, too, right?" Heather didn't even reply to that, just rolled her eyes and Ruff chuckled. She rubbed her comparatively flat belly before she added: "But I'll openly admit, Lil' Babylout here rushed things up a bit. No point in denying that" She kept snickering even as her sister-in-law snorted in amusement.

"As long as Lil'Babylout isn't born with eye-catching chin tattoos…" At this, Heather chimed in on the laughter though Astrid failed to get the joke. Ruffnut, Snotlout, and Eret were old enough and if they were happy with their arrangement who was she to judge them. With a baby on the way, though? It wasn't so funny anymore…

"But, honestly, how can you be sure you married the right one? I mean…" Astrid trailed off, shaking her head. The mere idea of finding herself in a situation like Ruff's, not knowing who the father of her child was… It was a nightmare! But if she ever had found herself in that situation, she probably would not have chosen Snotlout…

Ruff eyed her for a moment, surprisingly earnest all of a sudden. "It doesn't matter," she finally said with a strange, warm smile on her face. "We agreed that it would be the wisest solution. Eret doesn't have a name or anything of worth yet while being a Jorgenson means something. Lil' Babylout will have a good future. Even if it is Lil' Babyret in here instead, he'll grow up as Snotlout's child… Snot doesn't mind whether it's his or Eret's and in the end, we three are going to raise him together anyway. Besides…" She made a pause, breaking the suddenly almost solemn atmosphere with a mischievous snort. "It's far more likely that it really is Lil' Babylout. Eret is more of a backdoor kind of guy if you know what I mean." She gave Astrid a wry smirk and turned back to her turnips.

Astrid noticed how Heather and Lia exchanged a glance and gritted her teeth. It was a repetitive pattern… Ruffnut would drop some suggestive comment about her sex life, not shy about it in the least, would gloat about the fact that she knew something Astrid didn't know and then would drop the topic, hoping Astrid would ask for more information. By now she almost regretted never having been a part of those gossiping groups of young women during the last years. Sure, she would never want to exchange their years on Dragon's Edge for a boring life of gossip on Berk. But maybe she could have joined those groups occasionally, before that or when they'd been on Berk for a few days, instead of spending every free minute with Stormfly, with Hiccup or in the forests with her ax. She then would know at least some of the things Ruffnut referred to.

It hadn't really bothered her so far. She was satisfied with their love life and even… limited as their options were so far, she was sure that experience and more adventurous options would come over time. It wasn't like either she or Hiccup were afraid of trying something new. And it wasn't like it would have been any different for Ruff and Snot either. Neither she nor obviously Ruffnut had been untouched at their wedding day anymore, but their upbringing on Berk had made sure they'd stick to the man they intended to spend their life with, or, in Ruff's case, men. The Berserker tribe wasn't as consistent about that so both, Lia and Heather especially, already had their share of experience before their betrothal. But for Ruff and Snot, it should have been all just as new as it had been for her and Hiccup. And it would have been, if not for Eret. Without a doubt, Eret was by far the most experienced of their group when it came to sex. As Ruff never got tired of reminding her.

The worst part though was that Ruff's comments made her curious. Every time those suggestive hints conjured up all kinds of ideas in her mind, images that made her blood boil, made her lower belly clench deliciously and got her undergarments soaked thoroughly. She'd tried to ask Heather about those when they were on their own but Heather wasn't in the mood to talk about sex these days. And she wasn't comfortable enough to ask Lia. Those ideas though… She wasn't sure which ones were even possible, let alone what Ruff actually meant. And then there was this one point, that one question that lingered in the back of her mind ever since she realized her friends were in a solid threesome relationship. So she bit down on the inside of her cheek for a moment before she swallowed her pride and forced herself to open her mouth again, her eyes glued to the turnip and knife in her hands.

"Actually, no… What do you mean? How does it work anyway, with the three of you I mean…" She trailed off again as she felt the blood rising into her cheeks. Dammit, she hated how awkward this made her feel. And how comfortable Ruff was with it! It really was a long while since the last time Ruff had had the edge over her…

A moment later, Astrid already regretted having asked. Ruff was snickering, her voice dripping with glee when she answered. "All-knowing Astrid, eh? Never thought I would need to explain something like this to you one day." Astrid clenched her hand more tightly around the small knife. Ruff didn't mean her words as snotty as they sounded, she knew that. For all their life, Astrid had been better than Ruffnut, in everything. It wasn't surprising really that the other woman enjoyed having the upper hand for once. And it wasn't some important knowledge anyway, not something life or death. Just them killing some time while they worked… Just about sex….

"Oh, forget it!" Astrid shrugged in an attempt to appear unperturbed. "let's talk about something else, I don't really need your explanations anyway." She tried but even to her own ears, her words sounded lame. Possibly due to the raging heat between her legs. But then it probably would be better to change the subject. It wasn't like she needed any more detailed pictures in her mind right now. Just thinking about how Hiccup would pin her to their bed and thrust into her…

But Ruffnut wouldn't let go anyway, not now that she finally had asked. "Oh, I think you do!" She stated, snickering and Astrid could all but feel Ruff's grinning gaze upon her. "You know that there's more than just one place Hiccup could put his dragon, right?"

Over the rush of blood in her ears, Astrid heard Lia's giggling and Heather's coughing to hide the same and her vision began to swim slightly. Dragon? Really? It wasn't like she and Hiccup hadn't used the term dragon rider in that context, too, but still… Had Ruff needed to state it that bluntly? Now, memories of Hiccup falling apart beneath her flooded her mind and of him spearing into her like a ravenous beast. She gasped and pressed her thighs together in a futile attempt to smother that fire that was burning inside her. Gods, she really hoped he would be back soon! It could be any day now, maybe even today…

Ruff seemed to realize that she wouldn't get any more answers from Astrid on that subject. "Too bad…" she mused. "So much fun you're missing out on."

Astrid had no intention of giving in to her insinuations and hoped their conversation would return to some calmer subjects again but Lia, who always enjoyed this topic far too much, had to dig deeper of course… "Mind telling me then?" She asked unabashedly. "I always like to learn about new options" Astrid groaned inwardly as her hopes were let down. It wasn't possible to bit her lip any harder or to press her thighs more tightly together.

"Huh…" Ruffnut huffed. "I guess I can as long as you don't tell me how it went with Tuff. That's something I don't want to know! And don't tell him you got it from me, either!"

Astrid didn't look up to see how Lia reacted but she must have nodded because Ruff dived into a lengthy and very detailed monologue. Astrid tried not to listen, tried to think about all the tasks that still needed to be done, to concentrate on the godsdamned turnips in front of her but nothing worked. Ruffnut's words oozed into her mind and left it dizzy and spinning. It was clear that Ruff had just waited for her chance to get all this off her chest. She didn't just explain what she meant by backdoor guy and how this worked with the three of them. (Things that, retrospectively, Astrid wasn't so sure she really wanted to know about.) She also described other things, positions that provided a better angle, how additional stimulation on different parts of the body provided phenomenal results and also what exactly she'd meant when she'd said there was more than just one place for-

Astrid moaned quietly and fought hard to get her eyes to focus again. It was one of those days for her, one where she thought about nothing but sex anyway. Ruffnut's explanations weren't helping, not at all. If anything they made it much worse, because they stuck! Her mind had already memorized everything Ruff had said, had filed away every single point and, Odin help her, she wanted to try them all! Hiccup would be in for a few surprises when he finally came home from this journey. She let her tongue glide over her by now bleeding lip. That one point made her curious in particular. She would try that soon. Very soon!

"Ouch-shit!" she howled as sudden pain shoot up her arm and she stared down at her bloodied hand, stunned for a moment. She'd cut herself… Astrid Hofferson had accidentally cut herself! Haddock! She reminded herself reflexively, took the piece of cloth Heather held out for her and pressed it onto the wound. She lifted her arm to slow the bleeding and took a careful look to inspect the mess she'd made. There was a clean and straight cut, not all that deep but as it crossed the inside of her wrist there was a lot of blood.

"Huh… you'd better let Gothi take a look at that." Ruffnut mumbled guiltily and Astrid sighed. This hadn't been Ruff's fault, not really. Cloth still pressed to her arm, she got up and left the Great Hall to look for Gothi. To let her take a look at the wound she'd inflicted upon herself with a kitchen knife…

It was funny in a way, but Astrid wasn't able to laugh about it when the thought occurred to her that she'd more changed than just her name.

When Astrid returned to the Great Hall an hour later, her wrist was treated with a nasty-smelling ointment and tightly dressed. She wasn't seriously injured, all sinews and important veins were unharmed, she just needed to keep it clean.

She found her friends where she'd left them, still gathered around that table in the Great Hall, still surrounded by turnips and still chatting. The topic had changed though, or she desperately hoped so, at least, because they weren't alone anymore.

In her former seat now sat Valka, a clean knife in one hand, a turnip in the other, and behind her, a basket full of turnip slices in her arms, stood her mother. Please, let them have changed the subject! Astrid thought as she approached the group.

It happened occasionally that they were joined by Valka. She, too, wanted to help but even after the twenty years she hadn't been on Berk, people still wouldn't let her go near the cooking places. So she, too, was stuck with this boring and tedious work. The first time that had happened, Astrid had been close to panicking. There was no way she could live through a conversation about sex techniques with Hiccup's mother sitting next to her. But luckily, her friends had been merciful and kept the conversations on less dangerous topics while Valka was around. Or tried to, at least. Not, that that was any more pleasant for her…

"Ah, Astrid!" Brenna Hofferson greeted her daughter and placed the basket in her arms on a nearby table. She hurried to inspect Astrid's arm and Astrid let that happen grudgingly.

"I'm alright, mom. It's just a cut. I had far worse already! No need to worry…" Her mother seemed to be satisfied but shook her head nonetheless.

"A mother always worries for her child!" She stated resolutely and Astrid cringed. Not that again… Time to change the subject!

"Hey, Valka!" Astrid greeted the tall woman, turning away from her mother and her accusatory glare. "I didn't expect to see you here today again. How are the Scuttleclaws, everything alright?"

Valka looked up and smiled at her daughter-in-law and her childhood friend behind her alike. "Yeah," she affirmed. "I needed a break. I love them all and the babies especially but keeping them entertained all the time is exhausting! This is a nice way to relax occasionally."

Astrid could hear her mother's low chuckle behind her and felt her warm hand lightly resting on her shoulder. It probably was meant as a loving gesture but instead, it stung… "Don't say that too loud, the young ladies here are going to experience that soon enough." Astrid groaned inwardly and braced herself for what her mother would say next. She knew what would come, it had been the only topic her mother seemed to have lately. "Or some of them, at least!" Astrid bit her lip at that snide blow and shuffled away from her mother to sit down again. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before her mother bid her farewell. Her friends didn't comment either, they were, after all, used to her mother's remarks by now.

Valka seemed to misinterpret the silence though and after Brenna had left for the kitchen again asked: "You're still not pregnant?" There was no doubt as to where that question was directed and Astrid sighed.

"No, I'm not." She simply answered, hoping the other woman would drop the topic again but, of course, she wasn't that lucky.

"Maybe you should go and see Gothi," Valka suggested hesitantly, not turning, not looking at her.

Astrid didn't want to talk about this. Why was everyone so eager for her to get pregnant? Why weren't she and Hiccup allowed to have some time just for themselves before they started a family? But Valka seemed to be waiting for an answer… "And why would I do that?" she asked grimacing and noticed Heather shifting uncomfortably on the other side of the table.

"Well, how long is it since your wedding? One year now?" As if Valka didn't know that perfectly well… To her, it felt like much less, a few short months only, but it really was a year already. "If you haven't caught yet… I know for a fact that Gothi can make you a potion to help there. To make it more likely…" She trailed off as Ruffnut began to snicker. Astrid threw her a dark glare but that didn't deter her.

"Or maybe you're just doing something wrong…" Ruff muttered, though loud enough that Valka surely couldn't miss it. Astrid felt the blood rising in her cheeks. So not a topic she wanted to talk about with her mother-in-law listening in!

"She's still drinking moon tea," Lia pitched in, maybe in an attempt to help Astrid out but it only served to make her grimace. This wasn't information she wanted everyone to know. Her mother suspected that already, but if she learned that it was actually true… she would never hear the end of it. And Valka seemed not too pleased either…

"You are?" She asked, now turning toward her after all and Astrid looked up at the tall woman with a defensive expression.

"Yes, I am!" She stated and tried to sound as poised as possible. She wanted to say more, explain, defend her decision. She wanted to enjoy her time with Hiccup just a little bit longer now that they finally could be together, openly, without hiding or sneaking in scouting trips to have some alone time like they'd done occasionally in the month before the wedding. But she couldn't say any of that out loud, not to Valka!

But it didn't seem to be necessary anyway. A knowing smile tugged at the older woman's lips before she turned her gaze back to her busy hands. It was quiet for a moment and Astrid began to hope this conversation would finally be over. But, of course, she'd been getting her hopes up too soon.

"You shouldn't," Valka finally said, simply and without any judgment in her voice. "It's not healthy in the long run and…" She paused again and Astrid thought she would leave it at that after all but then Valka added: "And you never know how much time you have left…"

Astrid stood atop the stairs that led up to the Great Hall and let her gaze wander over the village below her and the open ocean behind the sea stacks. If it had been anyone else…

She'd left Valka and her friends after that last comment, unable to quietly sit still anymore. Her arms were tightly wrapped around her torso while she desperately wished Hiccup was there and his arms were around her instead. If that statement had come from anyone but Valka…

Of course, the whole village was used to losing their loved ones. Or rather… they had been used to it. That had changed after Hiccup had defeated the Red Death and now losing the one you love… It wasn't a real threat anymore. Except it still could happen. It had happened to Valka…

Losing Hiccup…

Astrid desperately tried to push the thought away, didn't even want to think about it. He would be here in a few days at the latest, there was no need to be worried. Except she still was. She would always be worried for him!

She flinched when the door within the gigantic gateway behind her opened and she heard steps approaching her. Please, not mom! Was all she could think. Even talking some more to Valka would be more pleasant than that. Hel, even Ruffnut would be preferable!

"She's right, you know?" Astrid almost relaxed when she recognized Heather's voice, though her word soon prevented that. "You should stop drinking it."

Astrid exhaled audibly and closed her eyes. "Not you, too!" She exclaimed, annoyed. "I thought you of all people would spare me with this!" She turned to glare at her friend but the black-haired woman just patiently shook her head.

"I know I said I can understand you. But she has a point." Of course, she had! Astrid knew that… But- Heather stepped passed her to gaze over the sea as well and Astrid was grateful for not having to keep eye contact. "You think it's not real." Heather continued after a few minutes of silence and Astrid frowned. What did she mean by that? "He's Hiccup after all, right? He can do everything, accomplish everything, survive everything. He has done that so far, lived through more than almost everyone else. What could possibly happen to him? You think you have all the time in the world."

Astrid closed her eyes as those words hit home within her. Because they were too true. Hiccup had accomplished the impossible on so many occasions already, there was nothing that could stop him…

"And yet here you are…" Heather continued. "fearing for him more than anyone else is fearing for their loved ones. This journey of theirs isn't supposed to be very dangerous, never has been and yet you insisted upon him bringing Toothless. That alone made this whole enterprise so much more dangerous! What would have happened if the Redthorns had found Toothless on their land? They would have attacked him, maybe killed him. They would have arrested Hiccup, Dagur, and the others, put them on trial for going behind their backs, maybe sentenced them to death." Astrid gasped and dropped her gaze. She hadn't thought about it that way before but Heather was right.

"I didn't say anything because I agree. Having Toothless there with them, it gave me a better feeling as well, despite that paradox." Absentmindedly, Heather rubbed her bump. "But you have to make up your mind. Either you think you have all the time in the world or accept that there always will be threats. You can't have it both ways." She gave Astrid a few moments to think about it and, finally, the blonde nodded.

"You're right…" She whispered. She couldn't have it both ways. But which was the right one?

"You've been so anxious…" Heather went on. "But have you ever thought it through?" Astrid blinked in confusion and gave her friend a questioning look. "What would actually happen if he doesn't return? Have you ever thought about it, past the fear and the pain, I mean."

Astrid swallowed. Fear and Pain! Those were exactly the feeling that threatened to overcome her when she tried to think about it. "I… I can't-" she gasped and Heather nodded.

"You couldn't go on. That's how it would feel like anyway. There would be nothing left…" Astrid eyed her and remembered that Heather had been there before. Not because she'd lost her lover but because she'd lost everything! "But you can. You would go on, even though you wouldn't know how you're managing that. But that's not what I mean." Heather nodded down toward the houses and people of Berk, wandering about everywhere. "I mean them. What would it mean for them? They just lost their old Chief and his heir is a great replacement. But what would happen if they lost him, too? Who would succeed him? You? You'd be broken and hopeless. Maybe you could lead them someday but it would be hard. Who else? Snotlout? He became a decent guy, but he's no Chief!

"I know, all you want is to be with Hiccup. It's been all you've wanted for a very long time. But you are not just his wife. You are the Chief's wife! And no matter how many tasks you take, as his advisor, dragon trainer or general, as the Chief's wife you have one duty. You shouldn't neglect it!"

Astrid stared at her friend in shock for a moment before she pensively dropped her gaze. Neglecting her duty… She'd never neglected her duties! And as the Chief's wife, it was her duty to produce an heir… Dammit!

It wasn't like… like that wasn't an option. She knew they would become parents eventually, was even looking forward to it. Only not now already. She didn't feel like she was ready yet. She wasn't ready to discard her ax and join the club of chatting housewives.

But Heather was right and so was Valka. As much as she wanted to believe it, even Hiccup wasn't invincible. She'd like to pretend otherwise and keep acting like there was no rush but that was foolish. She had to be responsible…

And then… Astrid hadn't wanted to let these thoughts affect her conscious mind but they were there… They had been there for two months now, ever since Heather had arrived on Berk. Ever since Astrid knew Heather, she'd been able to see herself in the other girl. Looking back now, she was able to confess, though only to herself, that she'd envied Heather the first time they'd met. She'd envied her for how easily she'd been able to flirt and play her role even with her ulterior motives. And then she'd seen it. Heather was just like her, would do everything for those she held dear. And Heather was strong and Astrid had always admired her for that. Not that she considered herself weak, but still… How she'd always fought on her own, how she'd infiltrated the Dragon Hunters and later had coped with her brother and his antics… She'd always done what needed to be done. Astrid liked to think that she would have done the same but she'd probably never know. Because she'd never been in that situation. She'd always had friends around her and she'd always had Hiccup… She and Heather had always been alike, had always been warriors, fighters and she'd thought that would never change.

Seeing her friend again then two months ago, happily smiling, glowing with joy over her growing bump… It had confused her. She'd never thought of Heather as a loving wife and mother, not even when they'd all cared for Garf right after he'd hatched. But here now she was, smiling while absentmindedly caressing the bulge under her soft tunic and Astrid wondered. Could she be like that? They'd always been alike, could she be like that as well, radiating happiness while Hiccup's baby grew inside her?

Hiccup's baby… Their baby… Her throat tightened and involuntarily her hand fluttered to her stomach. Something inside her shifted, she could almost feel it. Suddenly, she could see it, could see herself with a baby version of Hiccup in her arms, could see this tiny bundle with his green eyes and auburn hair smiling up at her.

She gasped and felt a single tear running down her cheek as she realized. Gods, she wanted this! She'd never thought about it like that, hadn't let herself think like that. She'd only ever seen the crying children with their annoyed and tired mothers and the remaining reasonable part of her knew this was still true. But it wasn't all there was to it. Slowly, her free hand wandered upward to cover her trembling lips. She wanted this… Valka had been right, one never knew what the future would bring. And Heather was right as well, it was her duty to ensure that there would be an heir in case something happened to Hiccup. Both were valid points and very good reasons but not what changed her mind. She wanted this, wanted to hold this beautiful child in her arms, wanted it for her own sake and for Hiccup's as well. If he agreed…

Her lips twitched into a smile on their own volition. She would talk to him as soon as he was back. Or… Well, some time after he was back probably… Shaky laughter threatened to escape her as the intensity of the moment hit her but it never made it out. Suddenly, Heather's hand was on her arm, clutching her firmly. Astrid looked at her, worried something might be wrong but Heather's expression was exhilarated, her gaze directed into the distance. Toward the horizon.

Astrid's head whipped around just as Heather whispered: "They are back!" And really, there, so small it was almost invisible, was a white dot between the sky and the ocean. Sails that were growing bigger as they came closer with every second.

He was back!

Every comment is highly appreciated! ;)

next chapter

#What it means to be Chief #Chapter 2 #hiccstrid #hiccstrid fanfiction #shipmistress9 #hiccstrid smut

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howtowhumpyourhiccup · 4 years ago

Text

Comfortember Day 4: Aerophobia

Summary: Written for Comfortember Day 4. Set after Httyd 2. Hiccup never thought he would ever be afraid to fly. Today, that is a fear he has to conquer.

Rating: General

Characters: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut

Pairing: Hiccstrid

Words: 2 029

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Prompt: “Anxiety”

Whumpee: Hiccup

Author’s Notes: This was an interesting one to work on, mainly because you wouldn't expect Hiccup, of all people, to ever be afraid of flying.

Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Enjoy!

Ao3

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Hiccup has to take a deep, deep breath to calm his racing heart. The saddle creaking beneath him, the feeling of the handles in his hands, his dragon's powerful muscles moving, and the deep guttural sounds in his throat. He never thought any of these things would ever make him feel as nervous as they do now, but here he is.

"Are you okay, Hiccup? You know this can wait, right?" Hiccup looks towards Astrid as she sits on top of her own dragon when she talks to him. She and Stormfly are waiting for him and Toothless to take off.

Toothless gazes at his Rider from over his shoulder, crooning questioningly.

"I'm okay, I'm... I'm about as ready as I'll ever be." Hiccup tells the two of them and Stormfly, too, as her eye nearest to him focuses on him. She has quite bird-like behavior.

"Are you sure? Because you haven't flown in a long time. This is your first time since... Well..." Fishlegs asks as he worries. Not that Hiccup hasn't proven himself as the most veteran dragon rider, but it has been a while. And not only that, but it's what preceded the long period of no flying that plays a factor in Fishlegs' worrying, too.

Hiccup had a crash.

And while Hiccup isn't unfamiliar with crashing, that one had been particularly hard on him. A rogue dragon had ripped him and Toothless from the sky. A fall from that height should've killed him, but it hadn't. What it had was broken damn near every single bone in his body, his back included.

He still remembers waking up in the snow, his friends nowhere to be seen, Toothless nowhere to be seen. In pain and unable to move, he waited for hours in the cold until he was finally found.

By the time they did, night had fallen. And by the time they brought him home, there was some frostbite to treat due to the unbearably freezing temperatures. He hadn't been able to breathe properly either due to his ribs, which had gotten him sick on top of being terribly injured.

It had taken him a long, long time to recover from his injuries and still the hours of lying there, in pain and uncertain, haunt him. At some point early on, they even feared he would never walk again. His recovery has been nothing short of a miracle.

Today will be the first time he takes back to the sky and he's been both looking forward to it as well as dreading it.

Instead of answering Fishlegs' question about whether he's sure or not, Hiccup simply smiles his way. No, he isn't as sure as he would like to be, but what better time to fly than the present?

This past week or so, he's been nervous. Or rather, he's been anxiously awaiting this day to come.

He's been having bad dreams about falling again and again, his years of experience notwithstanding. And even when he's awake, whenever he thinks of the mere act of flying, there's a painful pounding inside his chest, it becomes hard to breathe, and he sweats heavily out of nowhere.

Usually, they come in waves of ten minutes to a full half an hour. Today, it's been present since morning.

Sitting on top of Toothless' back, Hiccup looks up at the sky he once called his home, too. Toothless is still patiently waiting on him to decide when they can take off, he won't do it unless Hiccup wants him, too. If Hiccup ends up deciding that taking back to the sky isn't for today, he will respect that as well.

He, himself, is itching to go, though. He's been grounded for as long as Hiccup has, barely using the automatic tailfin Hiccup told him to use while he recovered, stuck in bed for at least the first few weeks.

But he understands Hiccup's reluctance. If he were a human who survived a fall like that, he would be a little reluctant, too.

Hiccup takes his eyes off the sky and looks at Astrid and Stormfly who stand next to him and Toothless. Then he looks behind them, at the other Dragon Riders. They're all waiting, ready to take off alongside him and complete their group once more.

Having them all here with him just to help him feel safer, it makes him feel better about this.

So Hiccup turns his attention back to the cliff they're all standing on, one outside of the village.

There is no time like the present.

"Come on, Bud." His anxiety is still choking the life out of him, but he forces those words off his tongue. Toothless sinks to the ground, wings prepare for take-off, and his strong legs push him off towards the sky. The air catches his wings and they're off.

"Yeah, woo!" Snotlout can be heard behind him, his voice quickly cut off because of the wind in his ears.

Hiccup doesn't look behind him, instead focusing on keeping a tight grip on the handle and the quickly approaching clouds high above;

Toothless isn't planning on getting too high, just high enough that his Rider gets to feel that he's definitely back in the air again.

Once they reach the desired height, Toothless levels out and Hiccup allows himself to breathe. His heart is pounding in his throat, blood rushing to his ears, they're all things he hasn't felt since the first time he and Toothless flew together.

"Okay, we're up in the air." Hiccup wants to pet his Bud, but doesn't dare let go of the saddle.

"You doing okay?" Astrid asks as Stormfly levels off next to them. The other Dragon Riders are right behind them.

"Yeah! I mean, I definitely feel like my heart might actually give out on me, but yeah, I feel great!" Hiccup replies, his nervousness oozing out of every spoken word. Astrid smiles at him, seeing the stiff and not at all relaxed pose as he holds onto the handles of his saddle with a death grip.

"Just remember what you told us during our first lessons!" Barf and Belch come flying overhead, rolling through the sky. It's Tuffnut who talks to him.

"Just relax and let the dragon and the wind guide you!" Ruffnut reminds him, thoroughly enjoying the freezing winds of Berk for emphasis.

Hiccup chuckles breathily and watches them disappear from sight.

But she's right. He just needs to relax and then maybe this constricting sensation inside his chest will ease up on him. Maybe.

Toothless has a slightly more direct approach.

He roars and that's about the only warning Hiccup gets before he climbs higher with a plan in mind. That one warning is enough for his Rider, who's grip on the saddle grows with apprehension.

"Uh, what's Toothless doing?" Snotlout asks as the Night Fury leaves them all behind.

"Hopefully something that won't massively backfire," Astrid says with the beginnings of a scowl. She trusts Toothless, but the deal was that they would take this slow to avoid stressing Hiccup out as he transitions back from a life on the ground to one in the air.

His fear of experiencing another fall like the one that had grounded him for months was palpable to them all the past week.

Though he'd promised himself not to look down on his first flight, Hiccup looks back at his friends as they become smaller and smaller until they are mere dots in the distance.

"Are you sure about this, Bud? Toothless?" Hiccup has to shout in order to be heard and his dragon roars back affirmingly. To him, this is the best possible plan.

Hiccup can feel that his heart is ready to burst out of his chest and can't look at the height anymore, instead choosing to stare at his saddle, which he lies flat against to reduce the drag.

He closes his eyes, consciously breathing in and out to keep himself calm as he feels Toothless take him higher and higher. He can feel the rapid change in pressure.

And then he stops and Hiccup has felt the familiar feeling of passing through a cloud, his hair and face now coated in a thin layer of water droplets.

Toothless croons loudly and Hiccup opens his eyes, finding the two of them above the clouds stained with orange and yellow from the setting sun.

Hiccup holds his breath, but not because he's anxious. The breathtaking beauty of the sky has enraptured him once again and he realizes how much he has missed these views.

"And now down, Bud?" Hiccup asks with a tone that sounds a little more filled with hope than dread.

Upon hearing this, Toothless, filled with determination to correct a wrong, turns his nose down and dives. Wings folding, body straight, he dives as fast as he can and Hiccup is merely there for the ride.

Though his chest is ready to burst open from the pressure inside, Hiccup can't say it's from fear or the anxiety that's kept him hostage for the past week.

They break through the cloud barrier and the vast ocean comes closer and closer. Night Furies are fast and that means the grey body of water is coming even faster than with any other species of dragons.

Still, despite the speed and his fear, Hiccup lets go of the saddle with one hand and lets the wind guide him, exactly like Ruffnut told him to.

A rush is pumped through his veins, elevating him to a high nothing else can. Before long, a cautious grin presents itself on Hiccup's face in preparation for what's to come.

Once they get close enough to the ocean, Toothless begins to roll and roll, forcing Hiccup to flatten himself against the saddle or risk being thrown off by the sheer force of the wind.

Toothless unfolds his wings and brings them higher again, giving Hiccup a slight break before he makes a loop. The blood rushing to the human's head as he's thrown and dragged along. It's rough, it's wild, and it's soaring Hiccup's heart higher and higher into the sky.

Toothless isn't going easy on him and that he can hold on and predict every next move is a testament to Hiccup's skill as the most experienced of the Riders.

"WHOO, YEAH!" His voice rings out loud in the sky, reaching the Dragon Riders who they'd left behind as Toothless takes his human on a precarious mission to restore his love for the sky.

They watch and see Toothless' direct approach pay off, happy to hear those cheers of joy.

After taking his Rider on a wild ride, Toothless levels out again, panting from the exertion. Hiccup lets go of the handles to straighten in his seat, hands on his lap. He has to get the last of his rush out with laughter.

"Ah, that was great. I've missed this, Bud. I've missed us." Hiccup pets the Night Fury on the head, the affectionate gesture turning into a scratch behind his ear at the end.

Toothless rumbles happily, briefly shaking his body.

Hiccup smiles and gazes at their surroundings, at the ocean below, and the village in the distance. He can see people watching them from the edge.

"I guess we're not the only ones glad to see us back in the air again, hug, Bud?" He asks.

"No, you're definitely not," Astrid replies as Stormfly catches up. All the Dragon Riders do.

"That was quite a show, Haddock!" Ruffnut commends him.

"Yeah, really happy to have you back." Snotlout admits and Fishlegs and Tuffnut share this sentiment with him.

A grounded Hiccup just hasn't been the same as the Dragon Rider they all know and love. Now here he is again, the weight of his fear lifted by his love of the sky.

"You know, I don't think Berk expects me back for the next few hours. How about some tricks? A race?" Hiccup suggests and how can the Dragon Riders possibly refuse?

"Race!" The vote is unanimous and the decision has been made.

"A race it is!" Hiccup says and off they go.

#comfortember2020 #no.4 #anxiety #httyd #how to train your dragon #fanfics #hiccup haddock #hiccup whump #toothless #hictooth #dragon bros #astrid hofferson #snotlout jorgenson #fishlegs ingerman #ruffnut thorston #tuffnut thorston #my fanfics #aerophobia #comfortember

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howtowhumpyourhiccup · 5 years ago

Text

Broken For Her

Summary: Set post-THW (and yet diverges from THW). Some THW spoilers. Light (Fury) was never quite sure what to think of Hiccup, the Night Fury's rider. She got used to his antics, warmed up to his compassionate personality, found herself bewildered with the respect and awe he showed towards dragons, but after a year, there are still plenty of surprises still has left to discover.

Rating: Teen and up

Words: 1 678

Prompt: Broken Bone(s)

Author’s Notes: Written for the prompt "Broken Bone(s)" over on the Httyd whump Discord that I'm in. Had some difficulty ending this one.

Constructive criticism is highly appreciated!

Enjoy!

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The Light Fury sat by the fire Toothless made. Gathering and neatly piling a bunch of branches with skill that told of the many years the Night Fury has spend with the Vikings of Berk, he created something that the humans called a "campfire". He lit it up with a quick and small plasma blast to finish it off.

The light of the fire washed over all three of them. Her, Toothless, and the Night Fury's Rider, Hiccup.

"Thanks, Bud. That's a lot better." Hiccup told Toothless, who crooned and pressed their foreheads and then their cheeks together. A very draconic gesture of affection, Light noticed. The two of them did that a lot.

Hiccup was sitting at her side, a wing of hers shielding him from the freezing winds that the trees around them failed to keep out. While Toothless was out on his quest to make his human a fire, she was keeping him warm.

The campfire was lit now, Hiccup would no longer need to rely on a dragon's body heat to keep him safe from the cold. A good thing, but Light found herself unable to move away from him. Or rather, she was unwilling to.

They weren't in New Berk, they weren't even on their island. Instead, they were far away from home, camping out in the middle of a forest during a chilly Winter night after escaping from some lonesome Dragon Hunters. They had been desperately trying to revive the business empire that was once Viggo Grimborn's years ago, they were old foes.

It was hard to do so with the Dragon Riders' constant meddling. They thought it would help to catch the Chief of the Hooligans, the Dragon Rider, off guard, drag him back to their base and force him to cough up New Berk's location as well as the whereabouts of any and all dragon rescues.

Big mistake, of course. Not only was there no way Hiccup would simply tell them what they wanted to know, but they'd failed to properly restrain Toothless. The Night Fury had broken free before they'd brought him back to the camp and nearly gone on a rampage to break his mate and other significant other out.

Some miles away, the camp was still burning to the ground. There was a massive smoke plume visible in the moonlight. The three of them were waiting for the others to come bring them back home.

They'd been out together for Hiccup's day off, Toothless wasn't wearing his automatic tailfin and Hiccup could not steer their artificial fin the way he was now.

Light was staring at him. As Toothless settled near them, at Hiccup's other side, she was still staring.

Hiccup's face was bloody and bruised. An eye of his was swollen, his nose only just stopped bleeding and his lip was split. Though it looked painful, none of it could compare to the mess that were his hands.

Before the Night Fury had escaped, Light Fury had cloaked herself by heating her scales from the inside-out. That made it seem like she was no longer in her cage at all. The Hunters had blamed her mate's Rider for her mysterious disappearance, believing he'd somehow broken her out while they weren't looking. They clearly knew nothing of her species.

Light watched as they attempted to tear the answers out of him.

Hiccup could've simply told them the truth. That she was still in there, that her kind could cloak themselves like Changewings, but he hadn't. It was like he knew it made her feel safer and thus refused to tell them.

They'd beaten him. She could see the state of his face, but she'd heard ribs crack too.

As for his hands, they'd given him a choice.

"Give them the truth or have every bone in his hands broken."

For her sense of safety, he'd chosen the latter.

They were bloody and they were bruised. Placing first his right hand and then his left on a table, the Hunters had used a large hammer and it shattered bones and torn skin. Some of his fingers didn't quite bend the right way anymore either. He couldn't move any of them.

The human elderly healer, the one they named Gothi, she would have to take good care of them after the three of them returned home.

As a show of sympathy, Light gave Hiccup a soft nudge on his nearest forearm. His armbraces were absent. He was quieter than she was used to of him and she knew it was from the pain he must be feeling. She'd listened to him screaming with every hit on his hands. And while she couldn't look away, staring made her feel as if her own paws were hurting.

In the past year, the Light Fury warmed up to Toothless' Rider. She'd gotten used to his antics and stubbornness, to his recklessness. At the latter, she often showed her dismay. How Toothless let himself be wrapped up in their shenanigans time and again was beyond her. She never understood.

But Hiccup was a compassionate human with a respect and awe for dragons she'd never seen in his kind before. And after watching him take so much abuse and so much pain just so she would feel a little bit better until her mate would inevitably free the two of them, she finally saw what Toothless has been seeing for so many years. She finally saw Hiccup for who he truly was.

Unique, beautiful in his own way. She knew now what drove the dragons of Berk to hold him in such high regard, what drove them to love him. Hiccup was a human alpha, but his position amongst the dragons was second only to that of Toothless, the King of them all.

Light wondered if Hiccup even knew.

"I'm okay, Bud. I'm okay. Those Hunters did a number on me, but it was ten times more favourable than anything Viggo and Krogan have put us through." Hiccup attempted to ease his partner. Toothless was grumbling and fussing over his Rider's injuries, telling him to lie down and try to get some rest before the rescue party showed up. It wouldn't take them much longer now.

He was staring at Hiccup's hands. All three of them were.

They weren't words Hiccup could hear, but before he left on his little excursion, Toothless had told Light his Viking might be lucky if he could still properly use them after this. A notion that greatly sorrowed him, he loved the human Chief's hands and all they could do. Gothi could return some functionality to them, but extra care and loving treatment was necessary if they wanted Hiccup to invent, forge or draw ever again.

Light liked Hiccup's drawing. She never showed him how much she appreciated his skills. He taught Toothless everything he knew. It was interesting to watch him help out in the forge too.

She watched him help a drake with two bad hindlegs walk again.

His hands were important.

"Bud, I'm fine." Hiccup insisted when Toothless nudged his shoulder.

Deciding to help out, Light carefully pushed her snout into his collarbone with a croon. Hiccup gazed back at her in surprise and she crooned again. She gestured to the space between her and Toothless. He was already nestled in the middle, might as well lie down.

"Oh, uh, okay-okay." Too surprised to put up much of a fight, Hiccup listened. Both dragons needed to help him settle. It hurt for him to move. His ribs ached and it was hard to breathe freely without pain. He moaned once he was snug between them, eyes squeezed closed and face pulled into a grimace. His hands were cradled to his chest.

The upside to this, Hiccup admitted, was that this was the closest he'd ever been to the Light Fury so far. Cautious as she was, he counted himself lucky whenever she was willing to be in his near vicinity. To actually be nestled warmly in between her and Toothless, even while discomfortable with his injuries, to be cared for and protected by both of them, he would gladly savour this until the Dragon Riders would inevitably come for them.

After sighing deeply and successfully keeping his composure, Hiccup then looked up to both Furies as they gazed back down at him. He could feel Toothless' warm breath brushing through his hair, a familiar feeling.

Light was grateful for his sacrifice, Hiccup could tell by the look she wore and by the way she rumbled at him. He smiled up at her. If his hands weren't as beat up as they were, he would've tried to request the opportunity to scratch her chin like he would with Toothless.

"I'd do it again." Hiccup shrugged, his smile only growing despite the pain he was in. Light could see that there was an undeniable honesty in his gaze.

He really would do it again.

His hands were too hurt for the time being, so Light purred and affectionately rubbed her snout against his temple instead. A chuckle left Hiccup, quickly cut off when it proved to be too torturous for his aching ribs. It earned him a panicked yelp from Light, fussing over his well-being, a well-meaning nudge from her nose to his was met with a pained moan on Hiccup's part, who quickly turned his head.

"Toothless, a little help, please? She's not aware how meek and fragile we, humans, are."

Toothless watched them, wrapping his tail around Light and in a way Hiccup as well. What mattered to him was that they were both safe and that the Dragon Riders were coming, but watching his Rider and mate finally bond like this, it was a sight he'd been dying to see all year.

The Light Fury finally understood why Toothless loved Hiccup as much as he did, why he would go to the ends of the Midgard for him now and forever.

Because he knew, Hiccup would do the same for either one of them.

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shipmistress9 · 7 years ago

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What it means to be Chief - Chapter 3: Return

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Astrid stood at the quay and waited. Impatiently, her eyes searched the water between the sea stacks that surrounded the harbor. After Heather had spotted the ship on the horizon, everything had become a blur. Two hours. They'd only had two hours until the ship was to reach the harbor. Relaying the information to those working inside, confirming that the feast indeed could start today. Making her turn around the village to spread the news there as well, telling everybody that every hand was needed in the Great Hall now. And getting ready herself.

Only minutes ago, she'd left their home after having a wash and a change of clothes. She'd seen the ship from up there, it had seemed so close and she'd hurried down through the village lest she'd be too late. But down here, they were still out of sight, hidden behind rock formations and it made her skin crawl. She couldn't wait any longer, wanted his arms and his warmth around her.

She was surrounded by other people, Heather, Ruff, and Lia were there of course as well as Valka, Gobber, Gothi, and Spitelout, probably to represent the council. Toothless was nowhere to be seen but that was not uncommon these days. After a bit of pondering and persuasion, they'd decided to leave him with the automatic tailfin attached. Astrid was by now able to operate the pedal but she'd hardly had time to fly with Stormfly these days, let alone Toothless as well. So it was no surprise to not see him here as both dragons were probably flying somewhere around the island catching their lunch.

It was a rather small welcoming committee, considering it was their Chief's return after two months of absence. But the last preparations for the feast had to be attended to and then everybody on Berk knew Hiccup, knew that he didn't like to be fussed about. And she didn't intend to give him time to be greeted by others anyway.

Gods, it was crazy! She'd always been strong and independent and still thought of herself that way. And it wasn't like she hadn't accomplished anything during the last weeks… She might not have been in charge of the preparations for the Winter Nights but the storehouses and stables were well stocked and secured and that had been her accomplishment. Why then was she teetering at the edge of sanity now, buzzing with anticipation to finally see him again as if there was nothing else that mattered? Ah, but that wasn't so far off… If there was one thing she knew for sure after these two months then it was that she never wanted to be separated from him for that long ever again. It just wasn't right! They belonged together, were better when together in every way.

Finally, the ship came into view and her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. She wasn't yet able to make out individual people but it wasn't long now anymore. Astrid took a step forward, blue eyes searching. For her, it seemed like forever but in reality, it probably took Eret at the tiller only a few additional minutes to near the pier. She spotted Tuffnut and Fishlegs waving enthusiastically while Dagur and Snotlout picked up rolled up ropes. Hiccup was nowhere to be seen.

Her heart thudded painfully at his absence. Why was he not on deck with the rest of them? Was he still in the cabin below, maybe sick? Or injured? She shifted nervously and watched as Gobber and Spitelout got ready to receive the ropes and secure the ship.

While the men down below were still pulling the ship closer, two warm arms suddenly wound their way around her waist. Astrid gasped and turned around to look up into Hiccup's brightly shining green eyes, his face framed by wind-tousled auburn hair. For a moment, they just looked at each other but then he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. The whimper that escaped her against his lips should have been embarrassing, but she didn't care. He was back! She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her hands in his disheveled hair, holding him in place as they kissed. His arms were still around her waist, holding her just as close and it probably was a good thing that his oversized fur coat was big enough to cover them both from view. Otherwise, at least Gobber would have made some crude remark about how tight their hold was, how fierce their kiss, about how close their bodies were, touching all the way down to their knees and how surely not accidentally Hiccup pressed his groins against that damp heat between her legs. Maybe Gobber did so anyway, she wouldn't have noticed.

"Gods, I've missed you!" Hiccup gasped against her neck when their lips finally separated, breath hot on her skin. It made Astrid shiver, unable to form any coherent words, her knees weak already by the way he held her close, his body heat seeping into her. Panting lightly, his nose and lips wandered along her neck, tickled behind her ear and she tipped her head to the side to give him better access. "You smell so good…" he mumbled huskily and she felt him swallowing before he buried his face in her hair. His mouth was still on her neck but it wasn't just lips lightly skimming anymore. She felt his tongue on her skin, hidden where no one could see it and a moment later, she felt his teeth scraping over her sensitive skin.

Astrid all but moaned and tried to pull herself closer still, slowly rubbing against him. It wasn't fair. How was he able to reduce her to a whimpering mess within seconds only? She wanted him, needed him, needed to reconnect, be one with him. They'd been separated for too long, she needed the reassurance, that he was back, that he was here.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, too heavy and broad to be Hiccup's. She flinched and retreated just enough to look around, remembering just where they were and how many people were around them. Were looking at them!

"There he is again," Eret grinned and gave her shoulder another squeeze, an unreadable glint in his eyes. "Safe and sound, just as promised!" He winked and then turned back to kiss Ruffnut while Snotlout retreated his hands from her barely noticeable bump and glared at Astrid.

"Yeah," he grumbled. "There was no need to threaten us. As if we hadn't known ourselves that we had to watch over our fishbone of a Chief…" Beside her, Hiccup chuckled and squeezed her waist lightly.

They were really back, all of them. Behind Ruff, Snot, and Eret, Astrid saw Heather and Fishlegs gazing lovingly at each other and a bit to the side, Tuff had lifted Lia by her hips and was whirling her around in mad circles until they collapsed and landed in the water, laughing like the nutjobs they were. Gobber, Spitelout, and Valka had turned to Dagur to help him fix the ship and politely inquire after their journey while old Gothi stood to the side, watching the whole scenery with what looked like a fond smile. Relief washed through Astrid and only now did she realize just how worried she really had been, for all of them. As much as they all had been trying to convince themselves that this journey wouldn't hold any threats they all had known better. Entering the domain of a possibly hostile tribe without much armament to convince them of their good will had been risky!

Astrid leaned against Hiccup again though in a much calmer way now, her forehead resting against his chest. "I'm glad you're back!" She whispered, not entirely trusting her voice. She felt his rough hand on her cheek, covertly whipping away a single tear.

"Me too…" he whispered and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Believe me… me too! Gods, I…" he broke off but his grip on her waist tightened again.

For a minute, they were quiet, just basking in each other's closeness but the longer they stood there, apparently in desperate need of consolation, the clearer it became for Astrid what she'd thought ever since Hiccup had announced she couldn't come with him.

"I should have come with you!" She stated resolutely. Nothing was worth going through an ordeal like this ever again. She could hold herself back if necessary or could try to at least. But she would never let him leave her behind again.

"No!" His response was immediate and the closest to an order as he'd ever given her. "I never want you near this island, these people. Ever!" There was a strain in his voice, something other than worries or simple exhaustion after the journey. Astrid drew herself back, questioningly looking up at him and the expression on his face made her swallow whatever response she might have come up with.

He looked terrified.

. o O o .

In a way, this day stretched out longer than the entire two-months-journey before. The time on Redthorn Island had been hard. He hadn't allowed himself to think of Astrid, not while there had been all those loose women everywhere and not while there had been some form of sexual interaction, voluntarily or enforced (even though they'd denied it vigorously the few times he actually had tried to intervene), barely hidden behind one corner or other almost at every time. He hadn't wanted to taint any memories of her with those of that place. That hadn't been easy but after their departure, it became downright impossible.

After they'd finally left Redthorn Island behind, he'd allowed his thoughts to wander freely again where he'd been determined to rein them in before. Surrounded by nothing but the endless sea and his friends' enthusiastic banter, mostly about what they intended to do as soon as they were back home, he hadn't been able to keep his thoughts in check anymore. Not a single minute had gone by then without his daydreaming about her smile and her laughter, her sweet lips and her warm body, her soft moans and fierce screams, about how hot she felt around him and about how he wanted to have a go at all those things he overheard during that time.

Those had been two very long weeks indeed but this day still seemed to drag out even longer. Because she was there! All the time, she was there somewhere, sometimes directly at his side when he dutifully inspected the winter stocks, sometimes rummaging about in the background when he cleaned himself up and got ready for that night's celebration while Gobber or his mother filled him in on all the things he'd missed out on. She was always there, always reminding him of what he needed most and yet there never was a minute's time where they were alone just for themselves.

To be fair, it wasn't even a full day. Just those few hours between their arrival and the beginning of the festivities during which he needed to attend to all those chiefly duties while everything else had to wait. Being Chief had never felt as much like a noose around his neck as during those hours… And he even was prepared for all of it. He'd already thought about what to say during the expected speech for the Winter Nights and about their negotiations and he'd rested as best he could on board of their ship until shortly before their arrival, knowing he wouldn't get a calm minute until late into the night. And yet it seemed to drag out endlessly…

But now it was done. He had cleaned up and groomed himself after the long journey and wore the dreaded Chief-outfit that was expected of him for official occasions like this one. The heavy fur coat, the ornate waistcoat and exaggerated belt over, at least, simple trousers… He hated wearing all this, especially since he'd had to wear them all the time during their visit on Redthorn Island. He very much preferred to wear his riding leather with the flight suit instead but knew that wasn't possible tonight. At least he had been able to fly for a while again after Toothless had picked him up from the ship to make a turn around the island before they'd returned to the harbor just in time. Just in time to hold her in his arms for a few minutes before duties had caught up with him again.

With a sigh, he pickup up the helmet from its hook near the entrance, the last piece to complete this outfit and followed Gobber outside. The blacksmith was still filling him in on all the occurrences of the last months like which dispute had arisen and how he'd decided, which people had come to Berk to settle here and how the training of the youngest riders went. All important information he was bound to know although his mind felt cramped and crowded already. If he remembered only half of it in the morning he could call himself lucky. He just wasn't able to concentrate anymore.

"…and Spitelout decided to propose to Astrid in case you wouldn't return. You know, to provide an heir and all…" Gobber said cheerily and Hiccup stopped dead.

"What?" he asked, blinking in confusion. Despite his former plan, Spitelout had stayed on Berk, just like every other of the older men. They had a history with the Redthorns they'd said and their presence would only make any negotiations harder. But for the late general to make a move on Astrid?

Gobber laughed and his broad hand came crashing down on his back, driving the air out of his lungs. "Just kidding! You weren't listening to me anymore for at least ten minutes and I knew mentioning her would draw your attention again." His mentor winked conspiratorially and then nodded toward the doors of the Great Hall in front of him. "Now, let's go in there and have a feast that's worth all the trouble!"

Inside, he was greeted with loud cheers and raised mugs, many people congratulating him while he made his way to the Chief's table. This peace treaty had been Dagurs idea and plan but there was no doubt about who of the two of them had led the negotiations. Hiccup took his place between Dagur and Astrid, who was wearing a far more formal outfit than usual as well. It was weird to see her in a dress, so very different from the more practical and defensive clothes she normally wore but he had to admit he liked it. He loved her for the fierce warrior she was but this ornate dress with its floor long skirt… It made her look softer and more amiable and the stark contrast to who she really was was enticing. His eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he noticed her amused expression. They weren't alone, exactly… He accepted the mug of watered mead she held out for him and turned toward his waiting people.

By now, it was easy for him to slip into this role, to become the leader his people needed even though it still didn't feel natural. It was easy to be cheerful and confident because he was. He was glad, even happy to be here again, surrounded by Hooligans who were rough and rude but also honest and positive and he had missed that during the last two months. And he was confident because this treaty would keep them safe, for a little while longer at least. He just didn't feel like it had been the right thing to do…

Hiccup used this opportunity to inform the Berkians on what exactly it was they'd agreed upon with the Redthorn tribe. They'd agreed upon not attacking or assaulting each other except in retaliation. They'd agreed on surveying the possibilities of new trade routes. And they'd agreed upon trading visits annually. That last point had been Dagur's suggestion. To keep an eye on them as he'd said and Hiccup could only agree. He wasn't daft enough to believe a signed piece of paper would be enough to keep a violent tribe in check. So just like things had been between the Hooligans and the Berserkers up until a few years ago, the three Chiefs would visit each other every year again to renew the peace treaty.

This point, however reasonable it was, was one of those which made him anxious. He never wanted to return to this island, to that village but knew he would have to eventually. And he would have to leave Astrid behind, again, to keep her safe from these horrid men. Subconsciously, he reached for her hand and squeezed it while he kept talking. He'd gone over these words many times in his mind, they came fluidly although it didn't feel right to praise this treaty as an accomplishment.

But then his speech turned to a more cheerful topic. The end of summer brought the end of the hard harvesting season, the end of gathering whatever supplies they could find and they had been very successful this year. From now on, the days would become calmer. Yes, colder as well but that was one thing the Berkians were used to and their dragons had proven their capability of keeping the village from freezing over more than once. Now came the days of gathering, of meeting in the Great Hall, of telling stories, of mending broken tools and building new ones. The Winter Nights were a time to celebrate, to eat and to drink as much as possible, to get sick and start all over again.

At this, Hiccup raised his mug and under the hooting and yelling of his people took a big gulp of his mead, the first of this winter. At the tables below, the men and women followed his example and just like that the celebrations of the Winter Nights began.

And it was a long night. After the long months without Astrid, the long weeks of their journey back here, this long day with too many duties to be with her, this night seemed to stretch out endlessly. Hiccup wanted nothing more than to get out, to lead her away from the crowd, back home, into the shadows behind the statues outside or even just into a dark corner or behind a pillar in here. He wanted to kiss her until they both couldn't remember their names anymore, to let her warmth sooth away the icy cold inside him and let her heat smother every thought inside his mind like only she was able to.

But there was no chance in doing so, not now. It seemed like everyone wanted to have a talk with him, invited him to sit with them for a while and to share a drink or two. It was a good thing that he only drank mead that was watered down to the extreme least he would have been drunk and out after one hour at the lastest. Astrid was always at his side, taking over her duty to refill his drink when needed, smiling and chatting amiably with whoever was around them. She held his hand whenever possible, threw him teasing glances when the occasion called for it and cuddled close or kissed him when they had a moment's break but it was never enough. He saw the stress in her eyes and the impatience in her every movement. She too was yearning for this night to end.

It took what felt like hours before things began to calm down. Not everyone of his fellow Vikings had been content with watering down his mead and the number of those still celebrating in the Great Hall was slowly dwindling. Many had returned home already, most to or with the company of their wives or, more covertly, their intended while some seemed not to be sober enough to care anymore. He spotted more than one couple barely hidden in a shadowy corner, passionately making out. This was their way and it wasn't unlike how things at Redthorn Island had been and yet it was entirely different. He knew that those were more or less established couples and also knew they only behaved like this because of the celebration and the mead. Things like this didn't happen every day and surely not enforced in any way, not here. And then, he doubted anyone around him was still sober enough to even notice. In fact, he wasn't sure if anyone would notice him leaving to finally be alone with Astrid. To touch her like he wanted to… To draw those sweet noises out of her… Or doing the same right here as well for that matter…

He shook his head and gulped to chase away those thoughts. Surely, she would not approve. Not that he actually would do it…

It was then when he noticed that Astrid wasn't at his side anymore. When had she left? He could swear she'd been in his arm only moments ago. Hiccup took another look through the hall, head spinning more than he liked, and finally spotted her near the far wall close to the barrels of mead and water. Maybe she'd gotten up to refill their mugs once more but she wasn't moving. She just stood there, hands rested on the table in front of her, her head bowed. Hiccup watched her for a moment longer and then excused himself to Gobber, Mulch, and Spitelout who were still drinking and chatting, unperturbed by the incredible amount of alcohol they'd already downed.

. o O o .

To Astrid, it seemed like this night would never end. She'd been so relieved when Hiccup and Gobber had finally arrived, glad that all the preparations had been finished in time and also glad that this dreadful waiting was over. Hiccup's speech had been a good one, short but with the answers to those questions, they'd all been wondering about and also light and even funny to mark the start of the happier part of that evening. And she'd been glad to finally spend some lighter time with Hiccup, to feel his hand in hers or his arms around her shoulders, to kiss him lightly, to laugh and to talk. Of course, this wasn't enough, wasn't what she wanted and needed. She needed to have him all to herself, to kiss him for real, to feel, and to reconnect. But all that had to wait…

As the hours dragged on, his impatience became more obvious, to her at least and it would have been a lie if she'd said she didn't feel the same. The more they drank and the more the atmosphere loosened up, the more heated their occasional kisses became and his hand that had mostly been around her shoulder at the beginning of the feast found its way to her waist or the small of her back more frequently, even blatantly caressed and squeezed her behind a few times.

It was then when she realized that, apparently, they were more primed than she liked to be! Astrid had been careful to water down their mead as much as was tolerable. The average Viking had a fairly high tolerance for alcohol but she and Hiccup had not. They'd learned that the hard way after their return from Dragon's Edge. They'd been legal adults then and were allowed, even expected to take part in the regular nights at the Great Hall, to drink and to tell stories of their adventures. But neither she nor Hiccup were broadly built like the average Viking and while others of their age already were used to a fair amount of intoxication, their life on Outpost Island had demanded them to keep a clear head at any time. Well, except that one time at Snotlout's birthday party that was…

Astrid got up and took their empty mugs to fill them with pure water this time and maybe grab some bread on her way back. She sincerely hoped they weren't expected to stay until the last Viking had left. She still had plans for tonight… Oh yes, she had! Ruffnut's words from earlier that day had refused to leave her head and repeatedly echoed through her mind now, taunting her. It had sounded… gross at first. And Ruff had admitted it could be unpleasant, especially if he didn't know how to hold himself back. But, damn, it also was intriguing! To have him at her mercy in a way…

Astrid mischievously grinned to herself as she reached the table with the mead and water barrels. On its own accord, her tongue darted out to lick her lips and her vision began to swim as she imagined how it would be like, how he would taste like. Not exactly yummy, Ruff had said, but thrilling nonetheless. Oh, Gods, yes, she wanted to try! The idea alone made her gasp and she had to lean on the table as her knees threatened to give in.

She needed to get a grip on herself! She might be a little tipsy… or, well, drunk enough to let Hiccup grope her ass in public actually, but that was no excuse. She would go back to their table now, back to Hiccup and pull through the rest of tonight's feast without embarrassing herself. She would-

"Hey, are you okay?" Hiccup's warm hands were on her waist, startling a gasp out of her. "What are you- uh!" His sudden appearance behind her had surprised Astrid and instinctively, she'd straightened and stepped back from the table in front of her. Or had tried to… Of course, that motion made he bump into him, his warm chest covering her back, his breath suddenly hot on her neck and something was demandingly poking against her thigh. The unexpected contact made them both groan but neither of them made a move to retreat. It just felt too good... Without thinking twice about it, she further ground her behind against him, rubbing against his erection and drew another moan from both their throats. Gods, she wanted him! When would they finally be able to leave?

"Astrid…" Hiccup almost choked. "What-"

She leaned back, further against him, her head resting against his shoulder and almost reflexively, his arms wound their way around her, holding her close while his head dropped to nuzzle the crease between her neck and her shoulder. His lips and hot breath on her sensitive skin drew out another moan and that sound alone seemed to make his cock twitch interestedly.

Astrid ground back against him again, utterly helpless to it and it felt so good! The way he responded, gasping and panting, how his fingers dug into her waist as he uncontrollably rocked forward again and again in response to her teasing, it was overwhelming.

Then he caught himself and there was a shift in his behavior. He acted in earnest now and it became even better! He leaned forward, more closely against her and licked and nibbles at her neck. One hand, the right one, stayed at her waist, holding her in place as he slowly kept rocking against her. The left one wandered further down her skirt, fumbling and searching. It took Astrid's dizzy mind a moment to understand what he was looking for, just as long as it took Hiccup to find it. The gap in her skirt, hidden between the folds and layers of cloth to reach the pockets on the inside. He slipped his hand through it and suddenly his calloused hand was on the bare skin of her thigh.

"Is that what you want?" Hiccup asked, his voice a low murmur as his hand slowly wandered upward. But all Astrid could do in response was whimpering, needy and embarrassingly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm went on. Did she want this? No, there was something… She should push him away, should stop him… But she couldn't remember why anymore. All her hazy mind registered was how utterly wonderful his skin felt on hers and how much she'd missed him. And then his hand reached the damp heat between her legs and her mind went blank for a moment. She barely registered how Hiccup gasped and almost growled at her.

"You- You've got to be kidding me!" Hiccup's voice was caught somewhere between a snarl and a whimper while his fingers slowly explored her slick and completely uncovered center. He pressed his bulge more firmly against her ass while his hand on her front pushed her back against him, trapping her effectively between her objects of desire.

"Saves time… later…" Astrid gasped out, too distracted by his ministration for a more coherent explanation. Great Odin, it felt so good! He hadn't even really started to touch her in earnest, was still just exploring her superficially but she already could feel the tension coiling up inside her. The most embarrassing whimper escaped her as his finger lightly brushed over her clit and she trembled in his hold. His lips had wandered up her neck and were now peppering her jaw with sloppy kisses as he exhaled audibly in reaction to her noise of blatant lust.

Astrid smelled it then. She smelled the mead on his breath and it tore her out of her erotic daze in an instant. Because she suddenly remembered where they were! "Hiccup, stop!" She gasped, her hands fumbling through the layers of her skirt to restrain him. He growled but obeyed, his hand stilling though not retreating. "Not here," she added.

He seemed to realize it then, too, judging by the frustrated groan he tried to muffle against her skin. "I need you!" she heard him mumble and the twitching pressure against her behind seemed to agree.

With much effort, Astrid tore herself out of his embrace and turned to look at him. His eyes were glassy and darkened by unconcealed desire and probably by alcohol as well. "I know," she breathed and placed a hand on his cheek to let him know she felt the same. It took her a moment to regain enough control over her thoughts and her body again, and she saw in his eyes that he fought for this control as well. "But after all the effort to avoid the public consummation and the prank we played on Gobber, do really want to catch up on that now?"

Hiccup blinked but then a lopsided smile tucked at his lips at the memory of this part of their wedding night. "No," he agreed. "I don't…" He reached up to cup her face with his calloused hands and, swallowing hard, leaned his forehead against hers. "But I very much want to bent you over this table and take you right here!"

Astrid gasped and her heartbeat quickened noticeably at his words. Gods, when had he become so confident? Up until now, of the two of them, she had been the one who initiated most of their sexual interactions. It had taken her quite a lot of coaxing, teasing and frustration to occasionally get him to act more self-assured but even then talking dirty hadn't been part of it. It was hot! Gods, she wished he would do it…

She grabbed fistfuls of his tunic and bit down on her lip to keep herself from pulling him toward her again least they would perform the public consummation of their wedding after all. "How much longer do we need to stay?" She asked instead, longing clear in her voice. She wanted to go home and to, finally, have her husband all to herself.

Hiccup hesitated and then awkwardly lifted his shoulders. "I'm not sure, actually." He admitted. "My father… He always stayed the whole night but I don't know whether that was because it was expected of him or because there was no one waiting for him anyway. I…" He paused and then chuckled shakily. "Gods, this is silly… I'm the Chief, right? Shouldn't I be allowed to decide myself when I go home?"

A pained smile crossed Astrid's face, hidden from his view. As always, Hiccup thought far too much about what was expected of him and how to do things the right way. He was a great leader, he shouldn't bother himself with these thoughts. Doing something because that's how it has always been done, that was not Hiccup! Never had been…

"I think…" she began hesitantly and licked her lip. Sometimes he needed a small push into the right direction. "I think, I'll go home now. You know, to poke up the fire and look after Stormfly and Toothless…" She stretched to place a quick kiss on his lips, too short for him to react and rouse their passion once more. "And you stay as long as you think you need to. Ask Gobber if you need any advice, assuming he's still coherent enough to answer." She sneaked out of his embrace and made a challenging step backward. "Don't take too long!" She added, then turned without waiting for his reaction and all but ran out of the Great Hall.

The cool night air on her skin and in her lungs was cathartic and only now did she realize how stifling it had been in there. Astrid stood still for a minute, inhaling deeply before she covered the short distance to their home. She expected Hiccup wouldn't be too far behind her.

. o O o .

Hiccup took a long shuddering breath while his gaze followed her out of the Great Hall. It took almost all of is remaining self-control to not follow her right away and he raised his hand to bite down on his fist. The pain helped to clear his head, though not as much as he would have preferred.

I very much want to bent you over this table and take you right here! Had he really said that out loud? He'd definitely spent too much time with Eret lately if words like these rolled off his tongue that easily! But she hadn't seemed to have minded… In fact, she'd seemed to have liked it!

Hiccup groaned and bit down a little harder. He had to pull himself together! He'd been dangerously close to spilling into his clothes already from her rubbing against him and her moans alone. To think he actually had touched her, like that, here in the Great Hall, had almost brought them both off in public. Because she'd been close, too! If she hadn't stopped him… The thought was embarrassing and arousing alike. And if he thought logically, it hadn't even been that public…

True, they hadn't been alone. But the about two dozen Vikings left were too drunk or otherwise occupied to notice much. And then, his broad coat had efficiently hidden them from view anyway. They probably would have been heard, Astrid was anything but quiet but, damn, it would have been worth it!

He groaned again and shook his head in an attempt to get rid of this image. He couldn't function with the picture of her screaming in rapture in his mind, not now when he was so hopelessly aroused already. He shifted his erection into a less obvious position and slowly walked back toward the table where Gobber and the others still sat, drank and bawled, all the while trying to keep his thoughts in check. That was almost impossible though and Hiccup realized that partially the mead was to blame. Had he drunken that much? He hadn't even noticed until now. In that case, it probably was a good thing that she'd stopped him… They would have regretted it in the morning!

"What, you're still here?" Gobber exclaimed slurringly when he saw Hiccup. "Thought you'd finally left. You shouldn't leave a lady waiting and especially not yours. Odin knows she's been crabby for weeks! Lay her well, will ya? Or I fear she'll rip all our heads off in the morning..." With these words, the burly blacksmith turned back to his mug and left Hiccup stunned and flabbergasted. So, no one had expected him to stay this long after all? Dazed, he turned to leave and caught the suggestive smirk on Spitelout's face, who sat close enough to have heard Gobber's words. The late general raised his mug at him and the glint in his eyes told Hiccup more than he'd wanted to know. Dammit, he could have had her soft body in his arms for hours already!

The cold, almost freezing night air outside helped to partially clear his head, both from the alcohol and the arousal alike. He needed to cool down for a few minutes before he saw Astrid again, he had plans for tonight, after all. He was eager to try a few things he'd heard of during the last weeks and that one thing in particular. Although… Eret had said it might take a while. That drawing it out as long as possible actually was the point! He wasn't so sure whether that was an option today…

Well, he would see soon enough.

Swallowing once again, he stepped down the stairs and toward the Chief's house, his home. Toward his waiting wife.

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#hiccstrid #hiccstrid smut #hiccstrid fanfiction #What it means to be Chief #Chapter 3 #shipmistress9

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