Nicknames

Hiccup POV

Hiccup balanced unsteadily on Ash's shoulders. The advancement had happened when they were halfway up to the village, mostly dry from the warm sun and sweet breeze. She'd been leaning against him for support, slightly drained from the tickling, the water fight and the walk to the village. So he decided that she'd get another ride from her personal chaffeur. It was nice with Ash's hand lifted for her to hold the other supporting her good leg, rather than holding onto his head for support and risking the safety of his neck. His hand was warm and sweetly entwined with hers.

"Are you sure this is okay? Your arm must be getting sore."

She listened to the nice sound of him chuckling, "Hiccup, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?"

Ash sighed. "You worry too much."

"Well I'm sorry for being concerned for your wellbeing," she huffed, almost crossing her arms.

He grabbed back onto her hand hastily before she could topple of his back. She thanked him quietly, squeezing his hand for reassurance. Turning her head slightly to see their dragons chasing each other behind them.

She could feel him smiling.

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine, sweetheart."

Cheeks burning, she tensed. He'd just called her "sweetheart". She felt the need to have a heart attack again. Gods, Ash you're evil, her brain murmured.

"D-did you just call me 'sweetheart'?" Hiccup asked softly.

"Yep."

She gripped his hand slightly tighter when she wobbled on his shoulders. "Why?"

"Because I like you a lot more than just liking you."

If Hiccup had the balance she'd kiss him… and she told him that with a slight stutter.

"I expect that kiss later you know," he said teasingly.

"And you'll get it."

He chuckled, "Now do you like the nickname or do I need to think of another one? Because I've got a couple up my sleeve like: beautiful, gorgeous, love, bab-"

"No. I like sweetheart."

"Okay, but I can promise that I'll probably call you 'beautiful' at one point," Ash said.

She grinned. "I'm okay with that."

They (well Ash) started walking up the steps to the Great Hall, hand still holding hers. She worried that carrying her up the steps was too much, but he reassured her that he was fine adding a "sweetheart" to soften her anxieties. He started making dumb jokes and saying chessy pick-up to make her laugh, each one relaxing her more and more,every one of them more stupid than the last. She swore that she was going to get the hiccups (yes that beloved irony) if he kept making her laugh.

Be the time that he opened the giant door, she was still giggling her head off. The Great Hall was silent as they walked over to the table where their friends were, Ash setting her down carefully with a tiny smile, Toothless and Stormfly running over to the other dragons. Hiccup frowned and looked around as she sat down, everyone turning away when they saw her looking, returning to their conversations. She looked over to Ruffnut still with her brow creased.

"Why did everyone go silent?"

"Because you were sitting on his shoulders, grinning like idiots and holding hands," she said with a huge mischievous smile.

Hiccup's cheeks flushed and she started hurriedly eating the food that sat in front of her, not daring to look up. She heard them chuckling and Ash grabbed her hand under the table. Shoulders relaxing, she offered a thankful smile to him before going back to eating.

"OI! Don't leave us in the dark!" Snotlout grumbled, the other's nodding in agreement.

Cheeks reddening, she looked down at her food. "You say it."

"Okay. Hiccup and I are dating."

They were silent for a long moment and she found herself clutching Ash's hand tighter, his squeezing hers supportively. Wild grins broke out on their faces and they shouted. "IT'S ABOUT TIME!"
It must've been a codephrase or something, because the entire hall burst into cheers and she smiled happily, leaning into Ash's shoulder in relief as everyone celebrated.

"That could've gone badly," she murmured.

He pressed a quick kiss into her hair. "But it didn't."

When they looked back at the others they were handing money around. She rolled her eyes at them, Ash glaring furiously.

"You bet on us?"
"Yeah, we only made a new bet a few of days ago. Ruff won though… she said half a week," Snotlout said, glaring at the blonde girl.

She shrugged. "He was obviously going to make a move soon and if he didn't Hiccup was. Do you know how much she's blabbed about you? If I didn't support your relationship so much, I would've hit her."

Ash turned back to Hiccup with a smile. "Oh really?"

She pushed him away by his cheek. "Don't start."

"If it helps, he was just as bad."

Hiccup smiled at Fishlegs and turned back to her boyfriend. "Oh really?"

"You can shut up."

"Make me," she snapped.

He drew closer to her face teasingly, only to have her push him away shyly. Ash seemed to understand well enough and kissed her hand gently.

Then Ruffnut leapt forward with a little squeal and grabbed Hiccup's arms, yanking one of them out of Ash's grip. She winked at him and turned her attention back to the auburn haired girl, grinning like a maniac.

"So how did it happen?"

The other's leant forward, obviously curious too. "Well um… could you do it?"

He pouted. "Am I that embarrassing?"

"Yes."

The twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout laughed again as Ash reached over to tickle her.

She leapt further away and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "You've already tickled me enough today."

"So it started or ended with a tickle war?"

Ash grinned. "Started but it was pretty one sided."

Hiccup punched his shoulder breathing deeply before recounting what had happened and explaining it in as much detail as she dared, deliberately not delving into the kissing. They all listened intently, sending each other knowing looks while she talked, making sure not to interrupt. As she talked she felt Ash wrapping an arm around her waist and slowly pulling her into his side. He was radiating a sweet warmth that she couldn't resist curling lightly into his side. When Hiccup finished her story she felt her face burning, hiding her face in her boyfriend's side.

"You threw her in a lake?" Snotlout asked.

"Yes."

He grinned pervertedly. "Any reason for that? Maybe a nice bath if ya know what I- OW! Geez!"

Hiccup was smiling truimphiantly, proud of her little stunt, Ruff, Tuff, Fishlegs and Ash laughing.

"I swear to the gods if you say anything like that again, I'm going to kick you in that nice spot between your legs."

Snotlout nodded quickly, leaning down to rub his shin.

"You kick really hard," he muttered.

"That's the point."

Fishlegs was smiling once the stunt's thrill died down, lifting his fist to Ash. "Smooth moves."

He grinned and bumped his fist against the obese blonde's. Hiccup felt her lips tug up and found Tuffnut staring at her weirdly.

"Um… why are you staring at me,Tuff?"

"Because it's unfair that Ash got the prettiest girlfriend," he said.

She blushed and the blonde beside her nudged her lightly. "See? I told you that people think that you're pretty."

"I thought you were kidding."

Ruffnut and Fishlegs started freaking out about the relevation, the plump boy's calm demeanor melting into a freak out session. It was sort of funny to watch.

Hiccup smiled at the synchronised fangirling (Fish was squealing too much to be considered a fanboy), leaning up to whisper to Ash, "How long for them to get together?"

"Give it a month."

She nodded and watching them calm down, doing weird "breathe in, breathe out" things that she didn't recognise.

Her cousin turned to the new couple with a smile. Hiccup's heart ran cold at that smile.

"You have to deal with Stoic ya know?"

Her heart must've stopped for a moment. "Oh gods… I'm so sorry! I completely forgot! What if he tries to kill-"

"Calm down, I've already talked to your dad."

"When?!" she poked a slim finger into his chest, frowning at him.

He grinned. "Yesterday… before and after the piggyback thing…"

"What did he say?! Did he threaten you?"

"No, he was pretty supportive… and um… over-enthusiastic."

That look on his face worried her. "What did he say exactly?"

He didn't answer for a long moment taking steady breaths. Everyone at the table waited for him to answer, antisipation building.

Ash whispered into her ear, denying the others the chance to know, "He said that I should tell you my feelings and that… that he wanted grandchildren."

Her face heated up and she buried her face into his shirt, trying to hide her flushed face. The riders talked over her trying to ask what he'd said, Ash ignoring everyone and trying to comfort his embarrassed girlfriend.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash whispered into her ear, breath tickling her neck.

"Yeah… gods that's embarrassing though."

"Hey it's okay, it'll-"

The door was thrown open again and she turned to see the chief walk in with a large smile. She felt her mood darken, her eyes narrowing. Questions now dead everyone's attention was on Hiccup, fuming with annoyance. Embarrassment and fury coursed through her, making her body quiver as her blood pressure rose. Seconds after her father sat down, she stood from her seat, getting tugged back by Ash.

"Hiccup," he muttered warningly.

She yanked her arm out of his grip and stormed over to her father. Gods, he was a dead man. He honestly had to tell the guy that she liked (maybe even loved, before they were even together no less) that he wanted grandchildren?

When Hiccup got to his table where Gobber, Spitelout and his other close friends already drinking some meade.

"Hi Dad."

He smiled at her beneath his thick beard, eyes surrounded by smile crinkles. "Hello, Hiccup."

"Now can I ask why you decided to tell Ash that you wanted grandchildren the other day?"

Her voice was thick with poison and a harshness that made the table quieten.

"Well… ya see Hiccup… um… Gobber?"

The two limbed man shrugged, grinning. "Yer words, Stoic, not mine. Yer grave."

"Oh gods."

She slammed her hand down onto the table, the entire hall going silent.

Hand stinging she glared at her father, Hiccup ground out, "I swear if it wasn't for what had happened today I'd send Toothless at you; my own father or not."

Stoic frowned, turning to the rest of the table for answers.

Grinning like Toothless on dragon nip, Gobber proudly said, "I don't know the details, but yer daughter and Ash walked in together, with 'er sitting on 'is shoulders and holding 'er hand. It was heartwarming I tell ya. And then the other young 'uns yelled out: 'IT'S ABOUT TIME!' which as ya know were our codewords fer when it happened."

The ginger haired man was very quiet for a moment before he leapt out of his seat. "GOOD ON YA LADDIE!"

She looked over to Ash who was smiling slightly, sending her a charming grin that made her heart speed up for a moment.

Tree trunk arms wrapped around her waist squeezing her to death.

"D-dad! C-Ca-n't- bre-breathe!"

Stoic released her apologising, but grinned widely at her. "Go back to ya lad, Hiccup."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Oh and Hiccup?"

She turned back to him. "Ya will make a good chief with that temper, but you need to work at stayin' angry."

"I'm pretty sure you don't want me to stay angry."

Chuckling, Stoic shooed her away towards her table smiling widely.

She jogged back and sat next to Ash again, smiling to herself.

Tuff was grinning. "You're lucky; your girlfriend can scare the bejibbers out of the entire village."

"I know… I really wasn't expecting that…"

"That translates to; he thought it was really hot," Ruff said.

Hiccup blushed, but turned to him for confirmation. He nodded lightly with a tiny grin, her heart speeding up a bit, looking at her hands. She felt his hand grab hers, his thumb rubbing over the backof her hand softly.

Eating her food (which had been sitting there half finished), she ate one handed with her other hand in possession of Ash –who seemed a lot happier than he should've. The others were talking amongst each other, Ruff and Fishlegs discussing a shipname and Tuff and Snotlout were having a thumb war. She leant into him, smiling as his arms wrapped around her waist. He pressed a small kiss against her cheek and she grinned. This was nice, she decided, being able to lean into him peacefully, his arms wrapped around her waist.

And knowing that Ash Hofferson was her's? That was maybe even better.

His arms unwound from her waist and she felt his hands in her hair.

With a little frown, she tried to turn only to have her hair tugged. "Don't move."

"Why?"

Another quick cheek kiss. "Because I'm trying something."

She smiled. "Okay."

Hiccup felt his hands tugging gently on little locks of hair, the feeling soothing and sweet. Humming softly to a tune that she remembered her dad singing once while she waited, his fingers becoming slightly more tender. His hands were so nice in her hair that she felt herself leaning against him absently, before righting herself.

"In a minute you can do that, sweetheart."

"Okay," she mumured.

It was another twenty seconds or so before his hands left her hair and he whispered, "Done," into her ear. She felt her hair to feel two tiny plaits in the underlayers of her hair on the right side. They were tied with leather, but she wasn't overly concerned about where he'd gotten them from.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he slung his arm around her waist again, letting her lean into him.

When the others' conversation evaporated they turned the couple, smiling at them cuddling sweetly.

Snotlout stood up abruptedly and started walking out. "I'm sorry but the sweetness in the air is starting to choke me!"

With a little giggle, she waved to her cousin as he walked out the door, children and parents leaving as well. She saw Almere grinning over at her, waving frantically. Her hand waved back out of habit and the little girl asked her parents something before running over.

"Hello!" she grinned at everyone with her helmet getting lopsided again.

The riders couldn't help but all smile at the little girl.

Almere flung her arms around Hiccup. "It happened!"

"What happened?"

"You and Ash!"

She laughed softly and took off Almere's helmet, pressing a kiss to the little girl's forehead. "Yep."

"How'd it happen?"

Hiccup felt less reluctant to tell the little girl than the others, making sure to tell the story well enough to satisfy her wild imagination. She glared at Ash and Toothless a couple of times while she did to earn a giggle from Almere. The entire table was silent until she finished, the little blonde clapping happily and turning to Ash. Then the little viking girl threw herself at the man beside Hiccup, almost making him fall into the table. When he returned the hug with the gentlest of faces, the heir of Berk felt her heart melt slightly. She whispered something into his ear and he ruffled her hair with a nod, placed her helmet on her head and watched her run back over to her parents.

She turned to him with a tiny frown. "What'd she say to you?"

He grinned and pressed a little kiss against Hiccup's forehead. "She said that if I hurt you, she'd throw an axe at my face."

"I'd probably do the same."

"You can lift an axe?" she punched his shoulder.

Ash laughed and tried to amend it by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back into his side. She crossed her arms stubbornly, pouting. Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff laughed.

"Wow, a couple of hours in and you've already annoyed her," Tuff said.

Hiccup could hear the male twin being ceremoniously punched by his sister and a cry of pain. A light puff of air in the form of a sigh fell on her neck and she felt him pressing his nose where his breath was.

"I'm sorry; I was only teasing…"

Smiling, she spun around and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

With this look of pure shock on his face he stared at her as she giggled.

"You were faking it… fakers get tickled, sweetheart…"

She jumped out of his and arms and flew off the seat running away from the overly attractive young man. Zipping around tables and apologising profoundly to people, she was fast enough that he was a good six or so metres behind her. Everyone was watching the two of them, no one muttering a word. Then of course Ash jumped over a table nearly grabbing her around the waist, his fingers brushing against her sides for a moment before she bolted away with a little squeal. She skidded around a table, her prothestic almost giving way. With a curse, she tried to speed up, but she was tired and her leg ached, the stump of what should've been her upper shin throbbing lightly.

Arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a hard chest, giving her only a moment's notice before tickling the least sensitive part of her stomach. She frowned a bit, but laughed as his fingers jabbed at her abdomenal. When he stopped, she was still breathing heavily as they walked back to the table, Ash's arm slung around her waist.

"Why didn't you go for a really ticklish spot?" she whispered.

"Because nobody else but me needs to know your weakness."

Hiccup smiled and grabbed his hand swinging it.

When they sat down again the three other riders stared at them weirdly.

"What?"

"You're one bipolar couple; one moment you're mad at each other the next you guys are are back to being all lovey dovey," Fishlegs pointed out, "and that's just in a couple of hours of being official."

Hiccup smiled. "We're weird friends, we're bound to be a weird couple."

They considered this for a moment before nodding, excepting the answer while Tuff just looked confused. But than again he always looked confused, so it wasn't anything new.

Ruff jumped forward with this wildly curious look in her eyes. That look frightened the heck out of her and she leant into Ash out of instinct.

"You never told us if Ash is a good kisser! Or vice versa!"

Hiccup felt her face burst with colour and looked down into her lap.

"You're not giving us a break are you?" Ash asked quietly and she looked up to see his face a light shade of pink.

They were all leaning forward in antisipation with a curt nod of their heads.

"Yes."

"What?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes, Ash is a good kisser," she mumbled and buried her face in his chest.

Hiccup could tell that he was smiling and hit his arm lightly.

"What about Hiccup, aye?" Tuff snickered.

A soft kiss was pressed into her hair. "Better than good."

She felt her face heat up more, knowing that the others were accepting the answers with semi-satisfied faces and heard the chuckles.

Hearing a yawn, she looked up to find Ash blinking slightly drowsily.

She smiled, "How much have you done today?"

"A lot."

Shaking her head at him, Hiccup edged out of his arms as his protests. "You need to go home."

"Fine, do you want me to walk you?" he asked softly, standing up.

She shook her head, "I'm staying here for a bit longer, but thanks."

"That's okay."

The viking warrior leant down, resting a hand on her cheek and kissing the top of her head.

"Night, sweetheart."

She smiled and tilted her head up, pressing her lips to the edge of his jaw. "Night."

His lips tugged up sweetly and he walked towards the door, Stormfly bounding after him. She swore she was forgetting something… she leapt to her feet and ran after him as he was about his dragon. Ash was frowning at her, standing beside Stormfly.

"What are y-"

Hiccup grabbed him by his collar and tugged him down for a gentle kiss. The hall erupted in wolfwhistles and cheers. She pulled away with a little giggle, Ash's face a priceless one. He smiled at her, a goofy one that shouldn't have suited his face, but still did, because he was Ash Hofferson and he was stupidly attractive.

"What was that one for?" he asked her softly.

"I owed you one remember?"

He grinned and she turned away waving as she walked to the table.

"HEY HICCUP?"

"YEAH?"

"SEE YOU TOMORROW, SWEETHEART!" and he mounted his dragon with a killer grin and flew off before she could puff her cheeks out in embarrassment and yell at him.

With a mortified huff she went back to her table, everyone looking at her.

"I SWEAR IF YOU WON'T STOP LOOKING AT ME, I WON'T FIX ANYBODY'S WEAPONS FOR A MONTH!"

They turned back to their conversations hurriedly and Hiccup sighed.

"So… he calls you 'sweetheart', aye? That's cute."

She smiled at Ruff, eyes going back to the door where her boyfriend had just left through. When she turned back to her friend with a terential grin, she nodded.

"It is isn't it?"

YAY! Last chapter! The epilogue is being posted within the next ten minutes so get ready! This was an awesome chapter to write and I've been curious on how I'd write angry Hiccup or extremely embarrassed Hiccup, so this is the result! And then there's Ash being a bae (I'm ashamed for using that word, but it's the most accurate way to describe him in this chapter) and being a complete cutie; "better than good" ^ - ^

So enjoy and wait for the final chapter of this story! Yay!

-Blue