New story, new job, new readers, new week, new year... I'm being inundated with new! I am so impressed with how many people read the first chapter in the last couple of days. Wow! Can I just say that your support has made me one very happy writer? You make me smile!
Just so you know, this chapter and the next aren't very dragon-heavy. This story will have quite a bit more dragon action than the previous two but the events need to be set in motion first. Now onto the chapter!
Chapter Two: A Boy's First Love
It is often said that a boy's first love is his mother. If anyone on Berk had ever doubted this phrase, one look at the Haddock family would quell their doubts in an instant. There was something in the way Astrid and Finn interacted that resonated with people. It was something that made them smile when they saw the two together. Identical pairs of blue eyes staring at each other, the roughhousing and tumbling in the dirt, and the hugs and kisses... everything about Astrid and Finn exuded love in its most innocent and beautiful form.
This wasn't to say that Astrid didn't adore her daughter or that Finn didn't love his father. Of course they did. But every love is different. It is impossible to love two people the same way. And the love between mother and son went beyond anything Astrid had ever hoped it could be. From the very first moment Finn was in her arms, he was hers. He was the baby who had, in a single moment, changed everything. The baby who taught her how to love again. And now he was the boy who showed her that no matter how much he drove her insane with his mischief and occasional tantrums, she couldn't possibly forget, even for a second, how much she adored him.
Sometimes, when you have someone in your life that you care for very much, you need to set aside days to be with that one person. There were two monthly holidays in the Haddock household. The second Saturday of each month was the day Hiccup spent with Finn and Astrid spent with Adrianna. The fourth Saturday of each month was the day Astrid spent with Finn and Hiccup spent with Adrianna. It was tradition ever since the twins were a year old. And as much as the kids loved the second Saturday, both eagerly anticipated the fourth. Parents aren't supposed to play favorites, and truth be told, neither Hiccup nor Astrid favored one child over the other, but no one could deny that spark between mother and son or father and daughter. There was something intrinsically special about it.
It was the fourth Saturday in April. Hiccup planned to stay at home with Adrianna while Astrid had painstakingly made some special tools for her day with Finn. The boy's birthday was one day short of two months away. He was big for his age, about two inches taller than his sister and quite a bit wider. His tufts of red hair were thick and tended to stick up when it wasn't combed. His face was dusted with freckles. He had thick eyebrows like his father but his wide, blue eyes were definitely a product of Astrid's genetics. Looking at him, you might have thought he was a few months into his fifth year. His voice was low, not even close to changing yet still distinctly masculine. Astrid had been thinking very hard about when to begin teaching her son how to defend himself with the most basic weapons and she decided that, as long as a few safety precautions were set forth, that particular Saturday was the perfect day to begin his training.
Finn rose with the sun and shook his mother awake. Hiccup mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, probably a groggy protest as his warm wife arose from the bed. Astrid yawned and stretched but soon felt quite alert. She and her son liked to wake up early in the morning. Hiccup and Adrianna detested any time of day when the sun hadn't risen above the forest. Astrid made a quick detour into her daughter's room to shake her awake so she could spend the rest of the morning snuggling with her daddy. The small girl looked like she was sleepwalking as she made her way into the master bedroom.
Shaking their heads at the family members who preferred the night hours, Astrid and Finn tiptoed downstairs as quietly as they could. After a hurried breakfast (both were eager to begin their day, after all), they bounded outside, hand-in-hand. The early risers in the village smiled fondly at the pair. They always knew when it was the fourth Saturday of the month.
It took a few moments of walking alongside his mother when Finn suddenly noticed the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. He furrowed his brows, thinking very hard. He knew that bag. She always carried that bag when she needed... needed... oh yeah!
"Mommy, are we going hunting?" the boy asked, staring up at Astrid with an inquisitive expression.
"Nope. I've got something even better planned. But we need to go a little ways into the woods so we won't be interrupted." Astrid explained to the child.
"So why do you have your hunting bag?" Finn was just about dying of curiosity at this point.
The young mother squeezed her son's hand."If I told you that, I'd be ruining the surprise!"
Astrid smiled at the very conflicting emotions flashing in her son's eyes. She could tell that he wanted to keep pressing... but he absolutely loved surprises. Almost as much as he loved berries and mud pits. And only a tiny bit less than he loved her. She made a mental note to tell Hiccup to throw their son a surprise birthday party one year. This would be difficult since Adrianna found surprises thoroughly overwhelming and might not react very well.
Finn could be a boy of very few words when he was concentrating on an objective. In this case, his objective was to figure out why his mother had her hunting bag with her and why they had to walk far away from the village to do... whatever they were going to do. Astrid didn't like filling silence with lots of talking (this was where she and Hiccup differed) and so mother and son were silent.
Finally, they reached a clearing a little ways from the village. They were unlikely to be interrupted in a place such as this. Finn looked at his mother inquisitively, carefully watching her take off her bag and place it on the ground. She opened it slowly, dragging out the suspense and enjoying the almost agonized look on Finn's face. Finally she pulled out a small axe made entirely of wood. With enough force, it could probably break through skin but Finn couldn't do much damage with it and that was the general idea. She had asked Gobber to make some child friendly versions of weapons. She would wait until her little boy was eight before she let him use anything sharp.
Finn's eyes lit up and in that instant, Astrid could tell that she was dealing with a boy who had inherited her love for heavy and dangerous weaponry. It was in his blood from both sides of the family so she figured it was high time he experimented with just how natural a talent he had for the skill.
"Do I... can I... mommy?" Finn didn't seem to know what to ask first. Astrid chuckled at the awed expression the wooden axe was receiving.
"Yes, little man. You're going to start learning how to throw one of these. It'll be really important in Thawfest." she told him, placing the handle in his pudgy little hand.
"I can throw an axe at Thawfest?" Finn was beginning to hop up and down with excitement.
Astrid ruffled his hair. "Not your first year, little guy. You've got to wait until you're eight to throw an axe at Thawfest."
"But that's in a long, long time!" Finn whined.
Astrid got down on her knees so she could look her son straight in the eye. "That's why we're practicing now. It'll be a long, long time before you can throw anything sharp but when you can, you'll be the best weapons guy on Berk. Maybe you'll be better than your daddy."
Finn shrugged. "Well that's not so hard."
"Don't tell daddy you said that." Astrid said, trying to choke down her laughter. Hiccup would not appreciate having his abilities questioned by his four-year-old son.
She placed the small wooden axe in his hands. He looked almost awed. This was the first weapon his mother had ever let him throw! He had thrown a few without her permission but he had gotten in big trouble for those times.
"All right, buddy, here's what you do. Stand up straight and tall." Astrid placed her hands on his sides and helped him get into position. "Feet slightly apart. Like that, exactly."
Finn was concentrating very hard on her instructions. It was rare that he was this focused on anything either of his parents said. He seemed to have selective hearing most of the time. This time, his ears were in tune with every syllable. He stared at his target, the thick tree directly in front of him.
"All right. Put the axe behind your head a bit. Good, like that!" Astrid was pleased to note that Finn seemed to have a natural talent already. "Now throw it!"
Finn threw the axe as hard as he could. It hit the tree squarely in the middle, handle first. But, for his first time, this was an excellent throw. Even Astrid wasn't as accurate her first time.
"That was great!" she patted him on the back. "Can you go get the axe so you can throw it again?"
Finn scampered forward and had the axe back to his mother in seconds. Astrid instructed him to step forward a bit so he was at a better angle. He threw it again, this time much harder than the first time.
SNAP!
The wooden axe had hit the tree at an odd angle and immediately broke in half. Finn's bright blue eyes widened in horror.
"I broke it." he whimpered, looking a combination of embarrassed and distraught.
"That's okay, bud-"
"It's broken!" the boy repeated, his eyes brimming with tears.
Astrid was thoroughly confused. Finn had broken many things around the house. He almost never had an emotional reaction like that. He raised both his hands to his face to hide his eyes but there was no stopping the tears once they had begun.
"Hey..." Astrid scooted over on her knees and put her arms around her son. "What's the matter?"
"I b-broke your axe." Finn repeated, keeping his eyes covered.
"Wood breaks, that's nothing to cry about." she rubbed his back, trying to soothe the tense muscles.
"But I d-did it wrong." Finn wailed.
"You threw that axe so hard, it broke. I think you did it right!" Astrid kissed him on the cheek. "You're not just crying because of the axe, are you buddy?" Finn sniffed loudly and shook his head. "I didn't think so. Why are you crying?"
"Because this is our d-day and I was looking f-forward to it and n-now it's ruined."
"Look at me." Astrid gently removed his hands from his eyes and waited until his son was looking directly into hers. "I'm not mad. Everyone makes mistakes. Your daddy and sister do silly things like that all the time. You know that."
"I know b-but I'm not supposed to."
This was a surprise. Astrid paused for a moment, trying to come up with the best response.
"You're not supposed to make mistakes? Who told you that?" she asked, brushing his bangs from in front of his eyes.
"Nobody b-but I'm gonna be chief and I h-have to be good at everything b-because everyone is gonna need me like they need Poppy." Finn's words didn't make much sense but Astrid was beginning to catch on.
"Oh Finn." Astrid put her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Everybody makes mistakes. I make mistakes. Daddy makes mistakes. Poppy makes mistakes. No one needs you to be perfect."
"But Anna n-needs me to take c-care of her 'cause she s-still gets scared." Finn continued, acting like he hadn't heard his mommy's words.
"Finn..." Astrid placed her hands on her son's shoulders and brought them out so she could look at his face. He looked down at the ground but she gently placed two fingers on his chin and brought it up so he was facing her. "You don't need to take care of Anna. Daddy and I take care of Anna. You need to worry about Finn." she pointed to his heart. "And daddy and I will worry about Anna."
"I don't have to protect her?" Finn asked, now staring down at his boots.
"Nope. Not for a long, long time. And you don't have to be perfect. You'll learn this. It takes practice. I know you can do it, buddy." Astrid lifted her pointer finger and touched the tip of his freckled nose. "Don't let anyone tell you that you have to be perfect. And if anyone does say that, tell them to come talk to me and I'll set them straight. My boy is wonderful just the way he is." she kissed him on the cheek. "Well... maybe there are a few things that need to be improved."
Finn wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Like what?"
"Well, a future chief shouldn't be so ticklish!" Astrid immediately tickled her little son, causing him to shriek with surprised laughter.
"Mommy!" he squealed between giggles.
"What? Am I tickling too hard? Give up?" Astrid knew her son too well to believe for an instant that he would ever surrender that easily.
Sure enough. "No way!" he exclaimed, now trying to tickle her back.
A few minutes later, both mother and son were lying on their backs, their faces red from laughing. Both were panting with exhaustion. Astrid looked over at Finn and smiled. There were still tear stains down his cheeks but at least some of them were from his giggling fits. He had been successful in causing her to shriek with laughter in such a way that would have been embarrassing had they been in public.
"Feeling better?" she asked him, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin on her palms.
"Yeah. I love you, mommy." Finn grinned, revealing a row of very white baby teeth.
"I love you too, buddy. And you know what?"
"What?"
Astrid reached into her bag. "I might have something here that will make you feel better?"
Finn's curiosity was piqued once more. He got on his knees so he could look over Astrid's shoulder just as she pulled out three wooden axes.
"Looks like we can still do some practice. And you know what else?"
Finn, looking delighted, shook his head.
"I want you to break them all! Because that means you're throwing them really hard!" Astrid smiled and brushed his bangs from his eyes again. "You think you can do that for me?"
Finn nodded and reached out to take one of the axes. Astrid smiled fondly as he threw it at the tree, hitting it with the blade this time. She could already tell that he was going to be a weapons prodigy. All he needed was a little confidence.
Astrid tromped down the stairs, not bothering to be quiet for her sleeping children. They were both just as exhausted as their parents from the day's activities. Nothing would awaken them from slumber until morning.
Hiccup leaned his head against the couch, twisting to watch Astrid walk around to sit beside him.
"Tired?"
"Always." Astrid flopped beside him, her head resting in his lap. He smoothed his thumb across her cheek lovingly as she added, "But it was a great day. Finn had fun with his little wooden axes just as I suspected. He was so surprised. You should have seen his adorable little face light up."
"Are you sure that teaching Finn how to use a weapon at nearly five is a good idea?"
"Notice I said little and wooden."
"Yeah, but what's to stop him from using one of yours?"
"I gave him strict instructions and warnings not to do so. Trust me, he won't."
"Okay, now my faith is restored." Astrid slapped his chest with the back of her hand, making him laugh a little.
"You have such little faith." She rolled her eyes. "You're so paranoid."
"Sorry." Hiccup rubbed an eye. "I can't help it."
"I know, but believe you me, when that boy is fifteen he is not going to be happy with all that paranoia." Astrid replied, holding his arm that rested on her stomach.
"Yeah probably." He smiled suddenly. "But thankfully that is not for a super long time. It's much easier to take care of them now I think."
"I don't know," Astrid breathed skeptically. "The teen years are pretty bad."
"Worse than the terrible twos?" Hiccup asked incredulously. "Impossible."
"But they were cute as two-year-olds! Who knows what scary things could happen with puberty?"
Hiccup laughed out loud. "Come on, we looked good as teens. I'm sure they won't have problems."
Astrid rolled her eyes. "You can't chalk everything down to genetics you know."
"No?" Hiccup asked, looking down at her with an amused gaze. "And what other factors are remaining?"
"Maybe they look exactly like us but they won't be completely like us when they're older. That make sense?"
"Eh… no."
Astrid sighed, raising her hands as if they'd help explain herself better. Hiccup studied her right arm in his face, his eyes trailing the skin he knew was soft. "Like Adrianna has my hair and your eyes, and she's clumsier than Gobber when he's drunk, just like you. But maybe…" she paused in surprise when Hiccup slid his fingers up the inside of her upper arm. She ignored him, continuing, "Maybe she won't always be like… like that, maybe she'll start… would you stop?"
Hiccup had started kissing her arm as she talked, his lips leaving gentle kisses up to her wrist. He wasn't even listening! What was the point of talking to him if he never listened? She considered getting up and going to bed.
"Mmm… no." Hiccup whispered, kissing the top of her hand chastely.
She pulled it away quickly, forcing him to stop with a glare. But the glare only intensified his desire for affection, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips and eyes narrowing. "What? You don't like that?"
Astrid sat up with a huff, putting her back to him. "I don't like it when I'm talking to you and you don't listen." she sharply inhaled when Hiccup slid his hand around her stomach. "Hiccup really…" she bit her lip when he moved her braid, exposing her neck and pressed his lips to her soft skin. She turned her neck to partially look at him. "I really don't have energy for this tonight…" she whispered.
Hiccup kissed just below her ear and whispered, "I never said we had to do anything exhausting." He kissed her neck again.
Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance, but almost habitually tilted her head up against his shoulder as he pulled her closer. "There are never particular lines drawn with this type of thing either."
"Nope…" Hiccup breathed, pressing his chest against her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder and felt the electricity bite through his system at the tempting curve of her neck just a few inches away. He reached up and rested his finger tips just below her chin, slowly trailing them down to the hollow of her throat. She shivered against his chest and turned her face toward his. Hiccup lifted his head an inch, looked down at her.
Astrid seemed torn between stubbornness and contemplation for a split second before she finally sat up and twisted around. "Oh what the heck." She landed her lips on his in an intensely passionate kiss that he was hoping for. His mouth opened against hers, catching her bottom lip between his teeth. She yelped when he bit her lip twice. "Stop it…" she whispered.
"No." He whispered back before pulling her on top of him. He pressed his mouth to her exposed collarbone, her hands pressing to the back of his neck, her sighs loud in his ear. He wrapped his fingers around her thigh, pulling her closer, making her squeal sharply.
"Remember that line…" she whispered teasingly.
He trailed his mouth up her neck and kissed her jawline. "Hmm what line?" He asked heatedly. "I don't recall any line."
"Shut up." Astrid pulled the hair at the back of his head, tilting his head against the back of the couch. He grinned for a second before she planted her mouth back on his, each warm puff of air between their lips sending shocks through her system. She bit his top lip, making him sigh in pleasure before sharply inhaling when her mouth left his to kiss his jaw.
Hiccup tried to focus on her mouth, their closeness, but could feel her hands at the top of his tunic, her fingers fumbling. By the time he realized what she was doing, she had four buttons undone and her lips pressed to his bare chest. He breathed a small laugh, his breath heavy. "So much for lines, huh?"
Astrid raised her head to give him an almost annoyed look. "Well someone was decidedly against that."
"Me? I don't know what you're talking about." Hiccup smirked before pushing his body away from the couch to put Astrid on her back. He loomed over her with a smile, satisfied with his victory tonight. Or she was really so tired she didn't want to fight. Or maybe she was playing hard to get and really had no intention to fight him at all. He wasn't sure which option sounded more appealing.
Astrid gently wrapped her right leg around his left so her shoe wouldn't whack the sensitive nerves in his leg. Hiccup pressed his lips to her neck below her jawline, his tongue darting out as he made his way to her mouth again. She moaned pitifully when he pulled her top lip into his mouth, allowing his tongue to pass her teeth and slowly move against hers. She tightened her hold on his leg, pressing her body up against his, her fingers twisting into his loose shirt. Hiccup moaned, deeply inhaling at the action, his hand wrapping around her back.
"Astrid…" he whispered, their lips a centimeter apart. He caught her lips again, his hand reaching up her shirt to feel her skin. The warmth of her body underneath him combined with the wetness of her mouth sent shocks through his system. They couldn't be close enough
"What?" She asked between kisses, a difficult feat with the intensity of which his mouth pressed to hers.
"I love you…" He whispered, pecking her lips. "I love you."
Astrid smiled, ruining a kiss. "I know. I love you too."
Hiccup bent his head to the base of her neck where he kissed her collarbone and left a trail down to the collar of her shirt just above her chest. He raised his head only for a moment to pull her shirt down, exposing more of her cleavage. He sighed heavily against her chest, her hands buried in his hair, biting her lip at the passion of his kiss. Astrid released his leg and slid her knees up to hug his hips, making him grin mid-kiss.
"Getting really into it aren't you?"
"How could I not?" Astrid asked. "It's your fault."
"No, it's just the effect you have on me."
"Excuses. You're the man. Take some responsibility around here." Astrid's smirk disappeared when his eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. She pursed her lips.
"Really? Do you really want that?" He narrowed his eyes, sliding up toward her to lean over her face. "You do realize one of the times I did that we ended up with twins?"
"That wasn't just you."
"Okay then, so when you say take responsibility around here," Hiccup cocked his head at her, the mischievous look unwavering. "What exactly are you referring to?"
Astrid's heart thumped against her ribs, which she feared he could hear. She mildly shook her head. "Nothing in particular."
"I don't believe you."
"That's because you do things better by doing them yourself," Astrid replied, thinking fast but unsure if the words she said were really logical and to her benefit. "You don't need instruction by word, you thrive on working…with your hands… and such… oh Thor."
Hiccup laughed, resting his forehead on her chest. Her body shook with his through his laughter. She had just dug herself into the biggest pit.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know! I know…" Hiccup wiped an eye, still chuckling. "Oh gods, your face. You should have seen your face! The wheels are not turning in your favor tonight."
Astrid sighed heavily, resting her hands on his waist. "Whatever. It could always be worse."
"No it couldn't." Hiccup shook his head. "That right there was probably the worst thing you've ever said when trying to save yourself."
"Probably…" she sighed, but remembered her bent legs. Giving him a seductive look she slightly squeezed her legs, the pressure on his hips slightly tightening. "But really, what's to save?"
Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not making much sense." he rested his forehead on hers, gently kissing her nose. "What do you want tonight?"
Astrid exhaled heavily, the temptation of continuing this pleasurable moment pressing down on her by every moment. It wasn't often they really did this and even less often that she gave him complete control. Not that he wasn't always gentle, but he usually let her guide him in these types of things because he wasn't one, even in marriage, to impugn on someone's emotions or feelings to satisfy his own desires. But every once in a while, she had to let him take the reigns. After a while he needed it like he needed to fly after being grounded too long. It was just necessary.
"In all honesty… I just want to go to bed. I'm very tired." she admitted. "Not that this hasn't been great, I just…"
"Astrid." Hiccup shook his head with a gentle smile. "You have things to do tomorrow. You don't need to be exhausted both physically and mentally. We can do this anytime on a night that doesn't come before an exhausting day."
Astrid smiled and nodded, kissing him firmly on the lips. "Okay, let's go then."
Hiccup sat up onto his knees, offering her a hand. He pulled her into a sitting position, waiting patiently as she arched her back in a heavy stretch (he had discovered early on that it resulted from lying on her too long). Hand in hand, the couple walked up the stairs to their master bedroom, changed into more comfortable clothes, and was soon snuggled up under the furs and sheets in pitch darkness. From the very long day's events, both were fast asleep within minutes.
I feel like this chapter is a bit disorganized but I really wanted to reveal the mother and son bond between Finn and Astrid. Not having been a little boy myself (obviously), I had to make some guesses. I don't have a close relationship with my mother so this chapter was extremely difficult to write.
Special thanks to EmmerzK for the Hiccstrid scene and to amyboomerang for curing my writer's block.
~KateMarie999
