Just saw How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular, and was inspired deeply. :) Just fluff, nothing more than a one shot. I'll be getting more updates up on some other stories, now that I'm writing again. Enjoy!
Hiccup's head snapped up, his eyes useless but his ears privy to what he couldn't see. He had heard a shout, a scream that sounded almost familiar.
He looked out the window to where the dragons were relaxing. They enjoyed the heat that the forge provided, and they congregated there whenever Hiccup was working. He didn't have the heart to tell them off, unlike Gobber. But they were no longer calm, they were on the alert. Heads snapped up, he saw Toothless' ears twitch as he scanned the surrounding area. Stormfly seemed especially antsy, having gotten up completely and poking her head into the forge to look at Hiccup, trying to convey something to him.
There. He heard it again. He dropped his tools and in the next instant had his riding vest in one hand and discarding his apron with the other.
"Toothless! Come on!" he called. He cursed as his panicky voice upset the dragons. He calmed them before there was a dragon riot on his hands. Toothless had his riding tack already on and Hiccup was on his back in a well practised move.
"Come on, bud. Astrid's in some sort of trouble."
Toothless nodded in understanding before launching into the air. Once high enough, they did a quick search of the island, looking for the blonde girl. Hiccup wished that is was something simple like a spider crawling on her or tripping down a hill, but something in his gut told him that it was much more serious than that. Astrid didn't scream, ever, that's why the sound was so difficult to place.
A noise from Toothless brought him out of his troubled thought, turning his focus to where the dragon had been indicating. He could see a group of people on the beach, in a loose circle with supplies scattered on the beach. The Vikings no longer used that shore for docking since the destruction of the docks in the last dragon raid. Hiccup looked to the horizon in confusion, wondering where these people had come from. He immediately had his answer with the presence of a grand ship, sails drawn and anchored down. Squinting, Hiccup could just manage to make out a red flag.
Pirates.
"Let's get a closer look. " Toothless complied, gliding silently towards the criminals. As the figures became clearer, Hiccup's eyes widened. They were standing in a loose circle around a lady—more specifically Astrid.
Hiccup quickly analysed the situation, noting that Astrid didn't have her dragon or her ax on hand. It wasn't uncommon for her to be without Stormfly, she enjoyed a solitary walk through the woods, but this put her at a major disadvantage against the pirates.
"Help!" Astrid screeched, even though she stood still and confident in the circle of leering men. Hiccup knew she wasn't actually afraid, just calling for backup. As he tried to think of the plan, he found that the pirates wouldn't have seen the village from where they anchored, ignorant of the type of people living here. That would also mean they had no idea the kind of pets they had housed here either.
He grinned at the thought.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Hiccup asked Toothless, knowing that the dragon was just as tactful as he. He received a gummy smile in response.
"Take out the mast first, and then go for Astrid. Remember buddy, stealth." He didn't know how much stealth they could possibly have at dusk, but they had to play the element of surprise.
Toothless' wings flapped hard, gaining altitude while minimizing the distance between them and the pirate ship. Once they were close enough, Toothless started the freefall. If it weren't a rescue mission, Hiccup would have unclipped and joined his best friend in the rush, but he maintained his focus.
At the last possible second, Toothless' wings snapped open, catching the air while a fire ball charged in his throat. They were gone before the fire hit the mast, closing in on the beach. Hiccup only listened for the screams of the sailors to confirm they were successful.
Astrid was already searching the skies when she heard the tell tale screech of her boy friend's dragon. Expecting the explosion to be around her, she braced herself for impact, but was surprised when she heard shouts from the ship. She watched in amusement as the main mast fell in slow motion to the water, snapping the rigging and sending a few men over board to escape the immense sail.
Her attention was diverted when the circle of pirates simultaneously closed on her.
"We're going to be here for a while," one pirate stated, grinning to his eye-patched friend beside him.
"If that's the case, we're gonna need some entertainment." Astrid spun around to glare at the slimy sailor behind her.
"There will be serious repercussions if you even think to lay a hand on me." She warned, trying to watch her own back as the pirates got closer. They chuckled and sneered but didn't slow down as they got close. She tried not to panic, keeping in mind that Hiccup was a heartbeat away, just waiting for the opportune moment. But that didn't stop her hands from trembling.
"Hiccup!" She yelled, impatience finally taking over when she felt a hand touch her braid.
"Right here."
Spinning around, she watched as he stood up from his crouch, Toothless nowhere in sight.
"You okay?" he asked, his green gaze locked with hers. His eyes were calm with a plan, but his brows showed his concern.
She nodded, relaxing in his presence.
"Well, what do we have here?" Hiccup asked at the expense of the weary pirates. They hadn't caught a good look from where he came from, the black mass disappearing as soon as he hit the ground, so they were a bit uneasy. Hiccup continued when they didn't respond.
"A bunch of selfish scallywags." he smiled at his own joke, while Astrid rolled her eyes. Though Hiccup had grown a bit, he was still the dorky kid she fell for long ago.
The leader, whether he'd be a first mate or a captain, Hiccup couldn't tell, walked up into his personal space, trying to be imposing. But Hiccup had finally grown to look like a man. He was taller than the pirate in front of him, his chest and shoulders broad with the power of his Viking ancestors, his arms full and strong with his work in the forge. He was fit from the constant acrobatics with his dragon, his waist slim and legs powerful, especially his left.
After a short standoff, neither of them backing down, Hiccup stated his claim.
"We'll be taking the lady with us."
"There ain't more than one of ya." The pirate pointed out, earning laughs from the rest of the crew. Smirking, Hiccup raised an eyebrow. The laughing stopped uneasily, not knowing what the hell was going to happen next.
Toothless dropped out of the sky in the next instant, jumping from each pirates shoulder's to another. The men were weak from their time at sea, dropping as soon as Toothless pushed off from them. The dragon was a bit disappointed. The Vikings he was used to were much more resilient to his playful manner. But he enjoyed himself, taking them all out with whimpers of excitement. When he was done, he sat in front of Hiccup proudly, grinning at his success.
"Just one of us, huh?" Hiccup smirked at the downed pirate captain. Toothless turned to growl at the man, before lumbering over to Astrid, rubbing his fat head against her, relived that she was alright. She laughed before returning the affection with a scratch under his chin.
The shell shocked captain watched the exchange with wide eyes, but put his shaking hands up in surrender. Hiccup smirked some more, before laughing at loud when he turned his attention to his very un-furious Night Fury. Astrid's eyes met his, her eyes bright. He inclined his head to the downed men around them.
"Help me tie them up?"
They sped off to the ship to make use of some of the rigging. They weren't too worried about the men on shore, the majority of them completely out of it, and the ones that would manage to stagger away would be quickly reminded why Toothless was called the Night Fury. Once they got them together and restrained, they relaxed again with a smile.
"I guess we should go tell Stoick." Astrid murmured, looking to Hiccup for his input. To her surprise, he was already gazing at her, a smile teasing the corner of his mouth.
"I think we have a minute or two."
She knew her eyes gleamed with mischief as she threw out her fist to hit him in the arm.
"What was that for?" he asked in a bored tone. He was used to the fact that before affection, there would always be abuse.
"Making me a damsel in distress." Hiccup only raised his eyebrows in disbelief, not wanting the huge argument that was guaranteed if he opened his mouth. Just as he was trying to find a way to get to the affection without being beaten, she launched herself at him.
He caught her in a tight embrace, her legs wrapped around his waist as she fought for the upper hand in the sudden kiss. All Hiccup could accomplish was not collapse under all the sensations that coursed through him at her sudden nearness.
The grip on her thigh tightened slightly as he readjusted the arm under her butt that was supporting her weight. His other arm was holding her hips tightly to his abdomen, pressing every curve against him. Her bangs tickled his face as they kissed, her arms tight around her shoulder, the other leading to his hair where her hand gripped it gently.
Finally they broke apart, him starring up at her with a stupid grin on his face. It was asking her the usual question that preceded a kiss like that.
She smirked, the hand in his hair moving to his face to gently brush his bangs from his eyes.
"Think of it as a token of appreciation." His grin widened before she bent down and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. She loosened he hold that her legs had around his waist, slowing sliding down the length of his body.
The fact that Hiccup was finally taller than her made her feel incredibly feminine, though she wouldn't admit that to anyone. He treated her no different, always seeing her as the one that wore the figurative pants in the relationship, which was perfectly okay with her. But he was always there exactly when she needed him, today's incident just adding to the endless proof of this.
"Only for you, milady." She had allowed him the one pet name, but secretly squealed inside whenever he used it. On the outside, she only smiled before reaching up to touch her lips to his once again. She left her hands trapped against his chest, enjoying the way she could feel his heart beat start to race. He was always a gentleman though, never asking for more than what she gave, which she found extremely endearing.
They broke apart abruptly when one of the pirates whistled. Hiccup glared at the pirate before looking to his dragon who gladly whooped him on the head with his wing. After, Toothless looked to Hiccup impatiently, moving around restlessly. Hiccup grinned at him, reassuring the dragon before looking to the girl in his arms.
"Let's get out of here."
Toothless bounded towards them, stopping right beside them and holding still as Hiccup glided on with Astrid right behind him.
"Ready?" he called to her, bracing himself for takeoff. The extra tension on his waist from where her arms sat was the only response he got before they were in the air.
Astrid enjoyed the short flight back to the village, but before they landed she placed a kiss on Hiccup's neck, breathing a thank you into his ear. He pulled one of her hands from his waist, bringing it to his mouth where he kissed it softly. She smiled before resting her head on his shoulder.
She might not be a damsel in distress, but Hiccup made for one heck of a knight in shining armour.
R&R? Hope you enjoyed it.
I dedicate this one to my bestie Claudia, who had to endure the worse form of torture for me: Watch the Bourne Legacy. I love you. Just saying. I hope you like it as well :D
Love, Ella