Based post HTTYD2
Reminiscing and Recreating
"She's so beautiful." Valka crooned. "How did you…"
"Errr she was the first to find out about Toothless." Hiccup said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as Astrid giggled at Valka's attention. "And we err, took her on a flight… Kind of just went from there."
"Excuse me?" Astrid scoffed
"What?"
"I think you'll find it went bit differently to that!" She laughed. "I think you'll find I found out about Toothless, and then when I ran you kidnapped me and hung me from a tree and wouldn't let me out until I agreed to 'listen' to you."
"Which if I recall, you refused to do." Hiccup retorted.
"So instead you tried to compromise by saying you wouldn't speak but you wanted to show me."
"And I did. End of story"
"Try again. You then took me on the most hellishly terrifying 'flight' of my life!"
"That was Toothless! Not me!" He protested. Valka just stared between them. "And besides, he stopped and then we flew nicely."
"I have to admit, it was a beautiful flight. Seeing the village from on high, touching the sky, the clouds…"
"Flying among the lights and stars…"
"It really was amazing."
"Then we faced the Red Death for the first time…"
"And when we returned to the cove I kissed his cheek."
"After hitting me for kidnapping you!"
"You had it coming!"
"If I remember right, the first time you kissed me, you hit me for scaring you!" Valka just laughed as they recalled the early foundations of their now firm relationship.
What started as a debate about the forging of their relationship, soon became a practiced recital. As they met more people, particularly as Hiccup was a chief, it became a well-rehearsed recital they reeled off without thinking.
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"Hey, join me for a flight?" He asked one evening walking in looking tired out.
"Sure… Is everything ok?" She asked him setting down her axe.
"Yeah, just wanted some human company tonight. Toothless is in the cove."
"You wanna take Stormfly?"
"No. Just the three of us." She raised a blonde eyebrow wondering what was going on. They wandered the familiar route towards the cove, retracing the steps of a thousand walks together.
"You know, this is where I first found Toothless?" Hiccup commented looking around them.
"Really? I thought you found him in the cove."
"No, that's where he got trapped after I freed him." They continued down into the cove where Toothless greeted them excitedly, knocking them off their feet in the process. "You remember when you first saw him?"
"Hiccup, I'll never forget that! It was terrifying and shocking!"
"Easy bud, come on." He climbed into the saddle, his foot clicking into place, man and dragon becoming one. Hiccup was breathing deeply, as if trying to steady himself. It had Astrid worried.
"Babe… is everything ok? You look tense…"
"I'm fine, really I just…"
"Hiccup…" She took his hand as she approached Toothless "… We're a team. Just talk to me."
"I don't know if I can speak… But I can show you." That confused her more. Had something happened?
"Ok…" He pulled her up and she wrapped her arms around him as Toothless took to the air, soaring up through the clouds and into the lights that danced across the skies.
"Wow… I never can get over how beautiful it is up here." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Just like being fifteen again huh babe? You, me and Toothless up here in the skies." He didn't say anything, but he was still tense; she could feel it. They flew on a little longer, circling over the village. It looked like Berk again now, if a little different.
Maybe a lot different.
"I forget how much has changed… Look at everything you've created Hiccup. You built the stables, you constructed the feeding stations, the dragon baths, the fire prevention systems… Look how you've shaped Berk." He still didn't say anything. "That down there, that's YOUR village, YOUR people. Safe and happy. Because of you. That's got to be a good feeling." He sighed heavily and her breath caught, was he going to break some terrible news to her?
"Yeah… I guess…" He sighed again. "I repaired the village, and yeah I created those things… But that's not exactly my greatest success."
"I don't see why it couldn't be. But then again, training the dragons, discovering those new species and lands, finding your mom, defeating the Red Death and Dagur and Drago… those must be pretty high up."
"Yeah, training the dragons is probably my greatest achievement. But there's something I've yet to do that might become my greatest success to date."
"What is it babe? Can I help you?" She asked as they continued dancing among the stars.
"Just… I really need you to say yes."
"That's all you need me to do? You're not about to try some crazy new invention are you?"
"No I…" Toothless gave a grumble. "Eh, you're right bud. Just do it."
"Hiccup do what?"
"Marry me?" Her breathing hitched and she just stared at the back of his head.
"Are you…"
"I thought about how I wanted to do this, and in the end… I knew this was the way. Up here, just us… like at the beginning… So I just… I tried to work up the nerve, to find a moment, a chance to…"
"Yes."
"Wait, what?" He turned his head to look at her.
"Yes. I will marry you."
"Seriously?" Toothless swooped back down to the cove and Hiccup dismounted, staring at her with wide eyes as she did the same. "Are you serious? You'll… you'll marry me?"
Astrid rolled her eyes and hit his arm.
"That's for thinking I'd say no and for taking so long to ask!"
"What?! So it really is always…" She grabbed him and kissed him
"And that's for finally doing it."
