I CAN EXPLAIN! Something wonky happened with my laptop last month and I lost all of my documents, including this chapter when it was almost done. I was SO frustrated and upset, but I pulled myself together and re-typed it. I tried my best to include what I remembered putting in it the first time (specific lines and other things) but I did add some things I didn't have and I think made it a bit better, and kept a few things out that I either couldn't remember or thought the chapter could do without.
Again, sorry for making u guys wait 2 months.
I hope u enjoy, this chapter has a bit more spice to it.
Snotlout returned from a quick patrol in time for dinner. With the storm coming in, the Night Terrors would watch over the island tonight. The little nocturnal dragons were a bit better in storms then their dragons. Even if they weren't, they doubted any of their enemies would try to sneak up on them tonight anyway. Not in this weather.
The Jorgenson lad didn't make any more spouts about the newlyweds across the table from him throughout the whole meal. Although he didn't partake it any of the toasts that the twins gave. And they gave several. Instead he just ate and drank his mead, quietly but with a grumpy pout. Maybe it was the looks from Ruffnut were what was keeping him quiet. Astrid was grateful for that. She didn't have it in her to scold Snotlout herself at the moment. All she could think about was what awaited her back on Berk after it knew of her accidental betrothal to it's heir. Would they be appalled? Would they rejoice and celebrate like the twins were forcing on them? And, if it was as real as they believe it is, can it be undone?
And then Astrid asked herself, after a quick glance to the auburn haired Viking beside her;
Do I want it undone?
Hiccup was much the same. He worried over them going back to Berk, where they may or may not find Tuffnut's union officiator's certificate, and the possible conversation that he and Astrid may or may not have with his father, Astrid's parents, Elvar, and Gothi. And now that he thought of it, if Gothi was going to be there, they would also need Gobber there to translate what she wrote in the dirt to speak.
Great, the heir thought. Out of everyone who will be there, Gobber will have the biggest field day after hearing this news. He might even start plans for that castle for them Tuff mentioned earlier, and then head the construction.
After dinner, Snotlout and Fishlegs cleared the table. Ruffnut had said they should do it, as well as all the dishes because she and Tuffnut had surprisingly volunteered to go out in the middle of the meal to feed all their dragons out in the stables. And she also insisted that Hiccup and Astrid shouldn't be doing any work on their wedding night.
Ruffnut stood on an end of the room, supervising Snotlout and Fishlegs as they carried all the dishes back into the kitchen. Chicken stood on top of a barrel next to her as her eyes shifted from the kitchen entry way to the other female Viking still sitting at the table holding her tankard.
Hiccup stood by the door, torn between leaving for the night and trying to talk to Astrid again. He really did want them to talk, but not in here. Ruffnut was still right there, he knew Snotlout and Fishlegs were going to be there for a bit longer to do the dishes. But Tuffnut wasn't back yet. About halfway through dinner, the twins volunteered to go out to the stables and feed the dragons. A few minutes later, Ruff came back by herself, telling the rest of them that Tuff was still in the stables, hanging out with Barf and Belch because he missed them all day. It was a weird excuse, but Tuff was a weird guy, so they all let it be and went back to the meal.
But Tuff still wasn't back yet. He had to come back sometime, because Chicken was still in there. He always tucks Chicken in.
Sighing, Hiccup decided to try Astrid later. Maybe tomorrow morning either before breakfast or before they left for Berk. Hiccup looked at Astrid, her back to him, still sitting at the table, her full focus on her nearly empty tankard in her hands on the table in front of her. She clearly didn't want to talk to him right now.
Hiccup turned, stepping out of the Club House, heading to his right instead of left (left being the direction of his hut), only to bump into Tuffnut just outside the door.
"Hiccup, where are you going?" the male twin asked his leader.
Still recovering from the shock of their run-in, Hiccup replied, "to the stables to get Toothless." Toothless always slept in Hiccup's hut with him. Although the Night Fury ate most meals in the stables with the other dragons, he pretty much did everything else with his beloved rider.
Hiccup moved to step aside of his dreadlocked friend to pass him, but Tuff stepped with him, blocking his path. "Actually you can't," he said rather quickly. Hiccup raised his brow in confusion and concern. "Because, Toothless just seemed happy to just hang with our dragons for a while, so I think you should just let him take his time," Tuff explained coolly as he draped an arm around Hiccup's shoulders, turning him around and walking him past the Club House, towards the bridge that lead to Snotlout's hut. Passed that, Hiccup's hut. "Just go back to your hut and wait up for him, but leave your door opened for him," he kindly suggested, standing with Hiccup at the edge of the platform to the bridge.
Hiccup thought what the male twin just told him was a bit strange, but accepted it. "Oh, okay," he said with a shrug. If Toothless wanted a little more time to be with the other dragons, he had no problem with it. They couldn't go for their usual night flight with the storm coming in anyway. He could leave his door opened for him and wait for him to come back, at least until the rain started. He wasn't planning on going to bed right away either. Too much on his mind. "Goodnight, Tuff," he said before walking down the bridge towards his hut.
"Night H," Tuffnut called to him with a friendly wave.
Back in the Club House, Ruffnut continued to watch Astrid, who was still at the table, staring down into her tankard with less than a swallow of mead left.
The young Hofferson women – make that Haddock women – was at a loss. She didn't know what she wanted to do other than just sit where she was. She didn't feel tired, nor did she think she could get to sleep even if she were. She would go for a night flight on Stormfly, but all of their dragons were grounded with the storm approaching. Flying always helped her relax and think when something was bothering her. Hiccup does the same. Another thing they had in common.
Maybe she was freaking out about nothing. Maybe the marriage wasn't even real like Ruff reminded her and Hiccup. And maybe that wasn't the only reason she didn't need to freak out.
She knew Hiccup. She liked Hiccup… a lot. Maybe this could be good. She was basically his second in command back at the Academy and here. They work really well with each other. That's what a Lady Chief was for the Chief, right? She was definitely attracted to him, and she could tell he was attracted to her. And like Ruff said, they care about each other.
Sure this may have happened too soon for them and was very sudden, but with enough time, she could spend that time with Hiccup and she could be happy. They could be happy.
"Are you gonna drink that, or just stare at it like it's gonna give you the answers to all your questions?" Astrid heard a rough voice from beside her. So lost in thought, she didn't even notice Ruffnut had sat right next to her.
Astrid looked to the other female Viking, giving her a look of newfound clarity. "I feel like I should go talk to him," she admitted.
"Then go," Ruff insisted. "You and I already had our little heart-to-heart on this, now you two have to clear the air with yourselves before you face your families with this."
Taking another sigh, Astrid finally lifted her tankard and drank the last of her mead before standing up with Ruffnut and leaving the Club House. Determined to talk it out with Hiccup and make how she feels clear.
Astrid walked the bridge passed Snotlout's hut and climbed the stairs up to the platform of Hiccups', Ruffnut trailing right behind her. The clouds had gathered by a lot more since they left Astrid's hut earlier. The sky was dark with it being after sunset, but they could tell the clouds were stormy and ready to unleash any minute. A rumble of thunder sounded from above their heads as Astrid and Ruff approached their leader's dwelling. The door was wide open, light pouring out and onto the dark porch.
"Are you gonna go in, because I think it's gonna start raining," Ruffnut said from behind her, rather loudly. Astrid really didn't want Hiccup to hear them and come out to see who was sneaking around outside his hut. She would not be caught sneaking. She wasn't sneaking, she was standing outside Hiccup's hut with the intention of going in to see him. But she was hesitating. And that was worse than him catching her sneaking.
It's just Hiccup, she said to herself. With a determined huff, Astrid stepped into Hiccup's doorway.
Inside, Hiccup had just started a fire in his little hearth in the middle of his front room floor. Usually Toothless started all his fires for him with a single blast, but the Night Fury was still in the stables, and with the storm coming for their island it's sure to be cold.
Astrid watched as Hiccup smacked his hands together, dusty them off from the wood he just threw onto the fire, his back to her. She wanted to say something, make her presence known because she was standing right in his doorway and he didn't know it. But again, she was drawing a blank. What was she supposed to say? 'Good Evening,' 'Can I come in?,' 'Hey Hiccup, wanna honeymoon on Fireworm Island?' Astrid groaned at herself for her hesitation again. But she didn't have to scold herself for long, because as soon as Hiccup's hands were clean, he turned around and his eyes were immediately drawn to the blonde young woman in his doorway.
"Astrid," Hiccup said, surprised to see her at his door. "Uh…g-good evening," he stuttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. He really didn't think she wanted to see him for the rest of the night, but evidently he was wrong. Unless she was here to kill him.
"Evening," she replied, trying to smile as kindly as she could muster. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him, but she was nervous. They were married now and she still wasn't completely sure how to express her feelings as she was meaning to. But she had to try. That's why she was here.
Hiccup allowed his eyes to wonder his hut for a moment, not sure of what to say. "Do you need something?" he decided to ask, although he did mean it. Wife or not, Hiccup would always care for Astrid.
"Yes, I need…" Astrid started to say but stopped, not liking her wording. "I mean, we need," she tried again but stopped herself. Hiccup stared at her the whole time, listening patiently, ready to hear what she had to say. After groaning to herself, Astrid took a breath and spoke clearly and confidently. "We need to talk."
Hiccup sighed through his nose, knowing she was right. "Yeah, we do."
Astrid stepped forward, but the moment she was completely inside, Hiccup's door dropped down, slamming shut behind her. "What the hell?!" she shrieked. Hiccup was startled too. He built the door himself, it didn't shut on it's own like that. The heir ran to the door, grabbed ahold of the bar at the bottom to left it, but it did not move. Astrid grabbed the bar too and tried to pull it up with him, but it was still stuck. "It won't budge," Astrid huffed, letting go of the door.
Hiccup let go too, a bit tiered from trying. As the two tried to catch their breaths, they could make out the sounds of laughing, skin smacking skin (like high-fives), metal banging metal (like helmets clanking), and hoots of triumphant and maniacal cheer.
Yup, definitely the twins.
"Ruff? Tuff? What is this?! What did you guys do?!" Hiccup yelled to the door.
"We may or may not have jammed the gears in your door so it only opens and closes from the outside," they heard Tuffnut's muffled voice say from the other side.
Hiccup was flabbergasted. "What?! Why would you do that?"
"So you guys can enjoy your wedding night without any interruptions," Ruffnut's muffled voice said from outside.
"And you thought locking us in Hiccup's hut was the best idea?" Astrid asked, also shocked the twins would do something this extreme. She had a hunch they would try something. Just not this.
"Well it is customary for the bride to move into the groom's home afterwards, so it made the most sense," Tuff told them through the door, trying to sound like he was an expert on Viking unions. The two Vikings inside the hut both rolled their eyes.
"And this way, neither of you can bail out," Ruff added.
Hiccup sighed, thinking about what to do, but his full attention quickly went to the female Viking still beside him. Astrid gave a growl and pounded on the door, then kicked it. She was frustrated. Both with herself for her own uncertainty and with the twins for locking her in with Hiccup, taking away her one 'escape route' if she found she really couldn't talk to him after all. "Astrid, its okay," Hiccup said, placing a hand on her arm, trying to calm her. Astrid looked at him, his calm and caring face, looking her over with his big, sweet emerald eyes. Her eyes followed him as he stepped away from the door. "Just let me get my tools and I can fix the…" Hiccup started to say as he approached a crate on the other side of his front room, where he kept his work and inventing tools, only to look in and see the crate empty. "What the… where are my…" Hiccup cut himself off, hearing the twins laughing again, along with what sounded like metal objects clanking inside a box.
"Hiccup, we may be muttonheads," Tuffnut said as Hiccup walked back to the door, the male twin holding a box in both hands filling with every tool and weapon Hiccup kept in his hut. "But we always plan our pranks and schemes thoroughly," he smirked as he gave the box another shake, making sure the two inside could hear the clanking.
All of them were quiet for a moment as Hiccup stepped back from the door to think to himself. Astrid did the same, but with her forehead against the thin metal of the door. But the moment ended when Ruffnut remembered something important for them to know. "And before you try to give a Night Fury call for help, you should know Toothless is a bit 'out of it' at the moment."
"Same for Stormfly," Tuffnut added.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Astrid said, dumbfounded and annoyed.
"We may have stuffed their fish with dragon nip this evening during dinner, then locked them in their pens with more dragon nip to keep them calm and asleep," Ruffnut said, proud and trying not to laugh too much. They could hear Tuffnut snickering mildly with amusement as his sister spoke.
So that was why they were so eager to give the dragons dinner this evening. So they could sedate their dragons, making them incapable to come to their aid and blast them out. And when Ruffnut came back to dinner by herself and said her brother was hanging out with Barf and Belch in the stables, Tuffnut actually came in here to sabotage his door and take all his tools so Hiccup couldn't get them out himself. Then the male twins told him to keep his door open for Toothless so he wouldn't try to close it from the inside and see there was something wrong with it before Astrid came to see him. And when she did, Ruff was there with her, and Tuff was most likely hiding around a corner of his hut, watching and waiting to jump in and help his sister close the door behind her, trapping the both of them in.
But then another thought struck the young heir. "Wait a minute, how did you guys know the mechanics of my door well enough to do this?"
"Fishlegs," they both answered simply.
Hiccup groaned, smacking his hand to his forehead. Of course. He designed and built every feature of his own hut, but Fishlegs helped him with some of his calculations and measurements with his design. If the twins cornered him, he highly doubted the larger Viking teen would last long before eventually telling them what they needed to know to pull this off.
Hiccup was once again snapped out of his thought process by Astrid giving an angry growl before banging on the door again. "Guys! This isn't funny, open the door!" she yelled to the two on the other side.
"As fun as this is for us, our intentions are completely serious," Ruffnut said, her tone sounding actually serious. Astrid cooled her temper for a minute to listen along with Hiccup. "You guys need to talk and sort out your feelings and it would be best if you were alone with as little distractions as possible. You need to know where you both stand in this before you tell your parents tomorrow," she said strongly. Both Vikings inside the hut were shocked. Normally their female twin friend wasn't this insightful or showed this much maturity. True, this plan was pretty crazy, but that was just who she and her brother were; sudden bout of maturity or no.
"Plus, it's your wedding night," Tuffnut butted in. "If you don't at least spend the night together, that could bring bad luck from Freya," he said, again, sounding like he was an expert, when really he didn't even know he could perform unions until just earlier that day.
"Don't worry about a thing. We'll come get you guys in the morning for breakfast and then we can all leave for Berk," Ruff reassured them. As she spoke, a rumble of thunder sounded above their heads and they could start to feel a faint spray of a drizzle on their faces. The storm was coming in fast, and if they didn't want to get soaked, they would have to leave for their own hut.
"You two have a nice evening," Tuffnut said kindly as he turned and started walking away, the box of Hiccup's tools he stole still in his grasp.
"And remember; 'embrace this for what it's worth,'" Ruffnut said, emphasizing the phrase she said earlier back in the Club House for them, hoping this plan was crazy enough to work. And with that, she walked away too, following her brother back towards their hut.
Back in Hiccup's hut, Hiccup held his ear against the door, listening as the rain started to pick up, hitting his platform porch and his roof, along with a few more rumbles of thunder. But there were no more voices or even the sound of breathing.
"Guys?" Hiccup asked through the door, but there was no response from outside. The twins must have left to get out of the weather before it got too bad. After taking a step back from the door, Hiccup glanced to his left, expecting to see Astrid still standing there, glaring at the door, but she wasn't. Hiccup turned around completely and saw as the blonde women he was trapped in his own hut with, walk up to his hearth and sit down in front of the warm fire. Hugging her legs up to her chest, her back to him. "Astrid?" he asked curiously, taking another step closer.
Releasing one of her arms from around her legs, Astrid turned where she sat, looking back at her leader, now husband. Her face stoic. "I came here to talk to you. That at least wasn't just a part of their plan. We're stuck in here until morning, so lets talk," she said calmly, but also with a sense of urgency. Another rumble of thunder vibrated off the roof, the wind picked up and blasted against the hut. Astrid hugged her legs with both arms again. "Besides, even if we could get the door opened, I'd rather not walk back to my hut in this weather," she said, still loud enough for him to hear.
Hiccup walked away from the door and sat in front of the hearth as well, to Astrid's right. Everything was quiet, save for the brisk whistling of the winds outside and the crackling of the fire. A minute later, Hiccup chanced a glance to the Viking women to his left. Astrid's eyes remained focused on the fire, the light reflecting into them, mixing in a beautiful blend of sapphire and orange glow. Her skin also a blaze with a golden glow, so breath-taking Hiccup never wanted to look away.
She was so beautiful.
It was a fact that Astrid was always beautiful. And smart, brave, strong, kind, and passionate. Everything he could ever hope for in someone he would want to spend the rest of his life with. In that moment, the words of his cousin from earlier that day rang through his brain; She was his wife now. He should be happy.
But how could he be happy if Astrid was not? By the light of the fire, her expression did not look happy. But she did look cold.
Hiccup was brought back to reality when he saw Astrid give a mighty shiver.
"Are you warm enough?" he asked with concern. Before he got an answer, the lad was already up off the floor and headed up the stairs to his loft. Up against his wall by his bed was a chest where he stored extra warm clothes and blankets for the colder times. Hiccup pulled one of the blankets out and went back down stairs.
When Hiccup made it off the last step, he lifted his head and watched Astrid, up on her feet, laying down a large bear skin pelt on the floor in front of him, on the right side of the hut, by the fire. The wind outside was too cold to sit on the side closest to the door.
Astrid smoothed out the pelt before sitting down on in, once again hugging her knees up to her chest, keeping her gaze on the fire in front of her. Hiccup forgot he kept that old pelt downstairs in another trunk.
Hiccup walked around the fire and sat down on the pelt to her right again, the door to his right. Astrid had still not looked at him since she last spoke. She kept her eyes on the fire. She wanted to say something. Say what she wanted and what Hiccup needed to understand, but she wasn't sure how to begin.
Her calm expression shifted to one of surprise when she felt a blanket being draped over her shoulders. Astrid turned her head to see Hiccup placing the warm blanket over her before quickly taking his hands away, then also turned his head and held his gaze with the fire.
Astrid smiled as she pulled the blanket snugger to herself. "Thanks," she said softy, keeping her head turned towards him.
Hiccup smiled too. "Anything for you milady," he said, happy she was in a relatively better mood.
"That wasn't on Ruff's list," Astrid said teasingly.
"Would you prefer Snookypie?" he teased back, turning most of his body back to her. He chuckled as Astrid chuckled with him.
"I like milady. I remember when you first started calling me that," she said fondly, remembering back to almost four years ago. But then her expression changed again. "It actually feels like a long time since you last called me that," she said less cheerful, turning her head down a bit in thought.
Hiccup looked at her fallen expression. He knew he had to say something, and there was no sense in beating around the bush.
"Astrid, I-I'm so sorry," he said desperately, rubbing a hand over his face. "I know this wasn't supposed to happen, and I know you understand that but…"
And Hiccup's rambling was silenced instantly by Astrid's lips on his.
Hiccup's eyes widened as Astrid lightly pressed her lips on his, her hand up on his right shoulder to hold him in place. She had leaned in just enough to kiss him, but still kept the blanket where Hiccup placed it over her.
Hiccup was shocked to say the least. He thought anything like this would be the last thing Astrid would ever do to him. He thought she would be furious and resent him for taking away her freedom. But she's kissing him.
Just as Hiccup started to accept this and kiss back, Astrid pulled away. But her hand stayed on his shoulder as she looked at him. And Hiccup looked back at her, her face genuine.
"I don't want you to apologize," she said softly.
Hiccup was confused. "But Astrid, I…now you have to-" he stuttered but Astrid stopped him again.
"Shhh," she hushed him, taking the hand on his shoulder off to place a finger to his lips. "I know this wasn't supposed to happen, but at the same time I think it was," she said, taking her hand away. Hiccup looked at her even more puzzled. "Every time I tried to picture myself a few years from now, you were always there beside me. I didn't think we would be married, but… I guess I wouldn't have minded if we…" she stopped herself, thinking her words better, but honest. "If we reached that."
Hiccup saw the honesty in her words threw her eyes. So who was he to not do the same? "Astrid, I've wanted nothing more than for you to be with me. But not because we had to be," he confessed, taking her hand that she had taken back. "I want to be with you Astrid," he said into her eyes. Astrid looked back, breathing in his every word. "Do you want to be with me?"
His question echoed in her ears for several seconds, but when they were up, she found the only reply she wanted to give him was through lifting herself up from where she sat, turning towards him, and kneeling right in front of him with his thighs in between her knees. Her mouth crashing to his.
The sudden move startled the young heir for only a second, but after he understood that this was indeed what Astrid wanted, he accepted he wanted it too, and he allowed himself to take it.
With pleasure.
Hiccup's eyes closed with bless as Astrid leaned further into him, kissing him deeper. One of her hands rested on his shoulder while the other gripped the back of his neck. Hiccup kissed her back with equal passion, bringing his hands up to caress her back.
Astrid pulled harder on Hiccup's neck, forcing the kiss deeper as she parted her lips, her tongue pocking out to be let in. When he felt this, Hiccup opened up for her and let her tongue explore his mouth. Drunk with the lustful high he was receiving, Hiccup's tongue responded in kind, wanting to taste her too. Astrid moaned at Hiccup's reply.
Hiccup was just thinking about falling to lie on his back for her, when he felt Astrid pull her hands from him and went down to the buckle of her own skirt.
Seeing this and knowing where she might be heading, Hiccup's senses flipped on the breaks. "Wh-what are you…" he stuttered after pulling away, trying to catch his breath.
Astrid merely chuckled, smiling down on him. "I always take this off at night. Gets uncomfortable in bed," she explained calmly. Hiccup relaxed a bit more, but his eyes were drawn down to her skirt as she undid it and tugged it off before heaving the spiky thing away from the pelt. "And these," she said as she started removing her shoulder pads. Hiccup watched her take them off too, trying really hard to not let his eyes wonder back down to where her skirt was. Her leggings that started at her waist and went all the way down her legs before disappearing into her boots. After getting rid of the big metal pads, the blonde women simply smiled down on Hiccup, placing her hands on his leather clad chest. "Don't you want to take all this off?" she said, swiping her hands over his torso.
"Are you gesturing to all of what I'm wearing or just my riding gear?" he said, smirking like a goof. Astrid laughed before giving him a solid punch to his shoulder.
"You're a dork, you know that?" she said, still chuckling.
"Yes, but I'm your dork," he said fondly, still looking at her.
The two simply stared at each other for a minute, lost in the after bless from their make out session, before Hiccup sat up a bit straighter then started unfastened the buckles of his suit.
"Let me help you," Astrid insisted, starting to undo a buckle as Hiccup worked on another.
Hiccup did sometimes take off his riding gear when he went to bed if the night was a little too hot or he assumed the night was going to be quiet, without the chance he would have to jump out of bed and into Toothless' saddle for any reason. He was able to sleep in them if he had to, but having them off was better. Besides, he welcomed having one less barrier between him and Astrid's amazing touch.
When his riding gear was gone, leaving only his red tunic on his torso, Astrid's hands went back to his chest, feeling the soft material there, down to his stomach, up to his shoulders and down his arms, then up again to his neck. One hand stayed at his neck while she stroked her other hand higher, caressing his check. Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned his face into her touch, soaking up the feeling.
Astrid leaned herself in again, kissing him slower than last time, but just as deep; if not, more so. Feeling bolder, Hiccup, his hands resuming in stroking her back as they kissed, let them tread a bit lower to feel the curve of her bottom. Astrid's reaction was what he hoped for. She seemed surprised by a little sound she made into his mouth, but it quickly turned into another moan as the touch he gave it became a squeeze.
Driven by his desire, Hiccup turned his body to his left and flipped them over. Their mouths separated for only a second as Astrid's back hit the pelt, but Hiccup captured it once again after a quick breath. Astrid was again surprised by Hiccup's actions. She didn't expect him to be this aggressive their first time being so bold. But as Hiccup hovered above her, stroking her hip with one hand and held himself up with the other, she didn't care about being wrong one bit.
Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck, carding Hiccup's soft auburn hair in between her fingers as he lips moved from her lips to her cheeks, giving them gentle kisses, then moved to her neck. Astrid gasped as his wet lips pressed to her pulse point. She even felt what she could only assume was his tongue darting out and tasting that same spot.
She knew what this might lead to if she jumped into Hiccup's lap and started kissing him. She came here with the intention of talking this out and maybe, if it felt right in the moment, she would physically show him how she saw him. And after seeing him, being alone in his hut with him, him being so sweet and understanding and goofy, it felt more right than anything else. Still, this could lead further, and she wasn't ready for that. Not tonight.
"H-Hiccup," Astrid gasped out his name, both from the pleasure of his lips lightly sucking on the skin of her neck and to get his attention. But Hiccup took it as only the first one and continued. "Hiccup," she forced herself to say more clearly. Hiccup understood this time and stopped.
"What?" he asked, half-dazed as he pulled his face away from her neck, looking down at the girl who he just accidently married earlier that day. The two breathed heavily, feeling the breath of the other on their own faces. After a few seconds of nothing but their breathing, Hiccup took it as a bad thing that Astrid told him to stop. "Did-did I do something? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have flipped…" he babbled, moving to get off of her, but Astrid kept her hands on his neck and pulled him back down to her.
"No, no Hiccup. I'm fine. This is fine. It's more than fine actually," she reassured him, smiling up at him, still stroking his hair. Hiccup smiled back, glad he was mistaken and listen as she continued talking. "But that's actually what I wanted to say. This is fine. But just this. I mean, I know it's our… wedding night, I just don't think we should…" she said somewhat awkwardly. Uncomfortable and scared to say the exact words. Hiccup's eyes widened comically as he realized what she meant.
It was their wedding night, and they were starting to get physical…
"Oh gods, Astrid of course. I would never…" Hiccup said, trailing his words off like her. Hiccup looked back at her, straight into her eyes. "It's just like Ruff said, Tuff might not have really married us so… we shouldn't…" he stuttered, also not comfortable using the exact words. "at least until we're sure if this is real," he added.
Astrid just stared up at the young man above her before pushing herself up a bit to lean back on her elbows. Hiccup pulled back a bit from her but remained fairly as close to her face as he was a second ago. "The marriage might not be real Hiccup, but…" she said but stopped her sentence on her own. Astrid pushed herself up a bit more, lifting one of her arms up to hold Hiccup's neck again and pulled him to her, giving him a tender kiss. She pulled away a few seconds later, but kept their lips barley an inch apart. "Feel that? That's real," she whispered.
Hiccup was consumed with desire again, but more touched then anything. Hiccup leaned in and caught her lips again. Astrid pushed his shoulders a bit and Hiccup let her turn them back to their original position; Hiccup sitting on the fluffy pelt and Astrid in his lap. But now that her spiked skirt was gone, she let herself full straddle his lap.
Curious on how Hiccup would react, Astrid went from kissing his lips to kissing up his jaw then along his neck. Hiccup moaned as her soft lips blessed the skin by his pulse.
Without a doubt, Astrid was a Valkyrie. His Valkyrie, here to take him to Valhalla with her kisses and amazing touch.
Married or not, she had to know how he felt. He wanted her too.
"Astrid," he gasped. Astrid's lips slowed down in kissing his pulse but kept her face where it was. "I-I… love you," he stuttered a bit. Astrid went ridged for a second before pulling her face away to look Hiccup in the eyes. "I love you," he repeated while he looked at her properly. "And if we really are married, I promise to honor you, protect you, and let you be free. I never want to take anything away from you that makes you happy," he vowed. Hiccup brought a hand up to cup her check as he stared into her eyes. "All I want is for you to be happy."
They were silent for a few moments as Astrid took everything Hiccup just said in. He loved her. And he wanted her to know. She did have strong feelings for him, and desired to be with him greatly in pretty much every sense of the phrase.
But could she say it back? Love was such a strong word. And she wanted to be sure, like Hiccup. Hiccup would never say something like that unless he really meant it. In that moment, she wished she was as sure of herself as Hiccup was.
Nevertheless, he deserved the same honesty from her.
Astrid smiled back at him, bringing her own hand up and covered his hand still on her cheek. "Hiccup, you already make me happy," she said, letting the two hands slide off her cheek. "You also make me confused, frustrated, and annoyed," she listed. "Like, really annoyed," she groaned a bit. Hiccup's head hung a bit, feeling a blow to his ego. Astrid put her hand to his chin, tilting his head back up to look her in the eyes again. "But, if I had to be in this situation with anyone, I'm glad it's you," she said with an honest smile. "I… I really like you, a lot," she stuttered, rethinking her words, but she wanted Hiccup to know how she felt honestly. He deserved to know.
Hiccup's face fell for a moment after not hearing her say the same as he did. But he decided that that was okay. He didn't completely expect for her to say it back. If she wasn't ready to say it, he didn't want to push her. Besides, he didn't want her to say it to him if she didn't truly mean it.
She really liked him, and she liked kissing him. And that was plenty enough for him at the moment. So he would leave it alone. At least until she was ready to say it back.
Hiccup smiled at her before kissing the corner of her mouth. "We'll take this slow and figure it out together," he said to her.
Astrid took a relaxed sigh and let herself smile back, relieved that he was not upset. "Deal," she agreed. Astrid leaned up and kissed his forehead tenderly before letting a yawn pass her throat.
"You tired?" Hiccup asked her. "You can take my bed tonight. I'll just sleep down here," he offered.
Astrid looked at him with a teasing smirk. "What? And hog that fire all to yourself?" she said, gesturing to the fire over her shoulder.
Without another word, Astrid crawled off Hiccup's lap, pushing him down to lie flat on his back on the pelt while she grabbed the blanket Hiccup got for her earlier. Astrid lied down, cuddling into Hiccup's side and pulled the blanket over the both of them.
Yeah, this was good enough for now. Perfect even. She didn't need to say she loved him. He was happy merely being with her. And she was happy too.
Hiccup curled his arm around her back, holding her close, her head resting on his firm chest.
If they were married, he knew they could live with this and make it work for them together. Now they just have to tell their families and perhaps the rest of Berk. But they can worry about that tomorrow. For now, they can let the storm blow outside and sleep in each other's warm embrace.
Hope to post the next chapter sooner then I have been adding them.
Happy New Year!