The first night of spring is not cold at all, but his wife feels shivery, so he takes off his coat and places it on her trembling shoulders. He snakes an arm under the thick fur, around her slender waist, and he pulls her closer as they slowly walk home under the star-sprinkled dark sky of Berk.
She drops her head on his shoulder with a tired sigh and all she can think of is their warm bed and the comforting feeling of her husband's nearness and his strong, sheltering arms.
They only need to walk another 200 yards and Hiccup finds the fatigue-induced laggard steps of his wife adorable - she is always so lively and energetic and it's nice to see her in this rare, fragile state when she has to lean on him for support...
ยงยงยง
He secretly watches her as she undresses in the feeble light of a single candle flickering on the nightstand, and he could swear that she is glowing in the darkness of their bedroom.
He can't help it, but sometimes he feels that she is out of this world and he dreads the day when the gods will descend to claim her back... But the teenage boy inside him isn't bothered by these enigmatic notions, he just innocently marvels at the sheer beauty that's unfolding before his very eyes and he blushes when he notices that even the shadow-covered sight of her naked body has an instant effect on him...
They are married for almost two years now, but apart from the few times when some uncontrollable demonic lust takes over him and he fucks her, much to her pleasure, wherever they are, every time they make love feels like the first.
Of course it's not awkward anymore and he doesn't worry about his performance or his love-making skills, but it still feels like getting the greatest gift from her, even after the umpteenth time.
He tries to hide his erection while he changes into his night clothes, but she's far too tired to check out her husband anyways, so she just quietly slips under the furs, lying on her side, waiting him to cover her with his warmth. He sits on the bed and he takes off his leg and he crawls under the pelts and now they're face to face with each other.
She completely closes her half-lid eyes and he leans closer to place a good night kiss on the tip of her nose among the field of tiny freckles. She is still awake and the tenderness of her husband puts a lazy smile on her face and she nestles closer to him.
"Oh-uh," she whispers weakly when she suddenly feels the hardness between his legs, "I'm sorry, babe... I think I'm too tired to help you with that..." Her voice is apologetic and she really feels sorry for not being able to please her man.
She knows it's not her duty and he doesn't expect her to fulfill his needs each and every time, but sex with Hiccup is really the best thing this life can offer.
He puts his hand on her waist and starts to stroke her. "Mmm, it's okay... it's just a reaction to... you know, having an undressed girl in my bed."
She is too exhausted to lift her fist and punch his arm, so she just pinches him under the covers. "Hey, I'm your wife and last time I checked, this was our bed."
"Okay, okay," he surrenders with a giggle, "it's an unintentional reaction to my beautiful, undressed wife in our comfy bed."
He ducks his head down to kiss her lips lightly and he lingers there for a couple of seconds, because her mouth is warm and soft and maddeningly sensual.
"Plus," he adds after scooting away a little, "we had sex every day ever since the Einarsson wedding..." His cheekiness earns him another pinch and he hisses between his teeth, because this time it is meant to be painful.
"Are you complaining about having too much sex?" She sounds offended, but she really isn't, it's just too much fun to intimidate her dorky husband.
"Ah, ah, ah, there's no such thing as too much sex with you, but..."
He stops in the middle of his sentence and it's almost audible when something clicks in his mind.
"What now?" She asks impatiently after a minute of disturbing silence, she is too tired to play games.
"The Einarsson wedding..." He mumbles under his nose and she opens her eyes to get a clearer picture of what's been going on, but the frightened look on her husband's face alarms her.
"Oh, gods..." he groans, "ohgodsohgodsohgods." That's all he repeats now and he sounds more and more excited after uttering the next syllable and he suddenly sits up and looks down at the unsuspecting Astrid with emerald eyes wide open.
"By Odin's beard..." He says finally before stopping again.
"Hiccup. I'm going to hurt you, seriously," she warns her with an angry frown on her sleepy face and when he leans close to her with a swift move and pulls her to his chest, she really doesn't know what to think anymore...
It seems that her husband just simply and abruptly lost his mind in the middle of the night.
He pulls back a little to be able to cup her face and he starts to draw gentle circles on her cheeks with his thumbs. His eyes seem bleary when he finally says what he has figured out.
"Astrid... I think I put a baby in you."
It takes a little while until she comprehends his words, but then it's her time to look frightened and sit up with a fast move.
"A what in where?!"
He straightens himself before looking back in her eyes. "The Einarsson wedding... it was almost two months ago."
"And?!" There's an accusing tone in her voice but it's only there to cover up her growing fear. She hopes that it is just some stupid joke and she swears she's going to beat the crap out of him, because this time he is going too far...
He clears his throat and her feisty reaction worries him a little. For granted, they didn't plan on it, but it's not the end of the world, it's the beginning...
"I... it was almost 2 months ago and... you never turned down my advances... I mean..."
There's no need to finish this sentence, she understands him all too well now.
She never rejected him, because the monthly reason why she rejects him never happened.
Not this month, not the previous one.
Her tiredness is all gone now and she jumps out of the bed and rushes downstairs. It takes a while for him to catch up with her, because he needs to put his leg back on and when he finds her, she is standing at the table, silently looking at an empty box in front of her.
He knows that box, it's the one she keeps her herbal contraceptives... He stands behind her and starts to stroke her naked arms with feathery fingers.
"I ran out of it..." she whispers, mostly to herself, "I ran out of it and forgot to refill..."
He grabs her arm now and turns her around to face him. She buries her face in his chest.
She isn't crying, but she's about to...
"Hey," he says gently into her hair while putting two strong arms around her, "there's nothing wrong with it..."
"There isn't?" She asks weakly, almost sobbing, while lifting her head up to be able to look into his eyes. The broad smile she sees on his face comforts her a little.
"Not at all," he says and hugs her again.
"Well, there is still a chance that I'm not..." she mumbles into her chest, but he cuts her off.
"No. Nope. It's happening. I know it. I need it. I want it."
His stubbornness about their would be baby finally breaks the ice and puts a little smile on the corner of her mouth. The next moment, when he glues his lips on hers, she feels that after the initial strike of fear, all is going to be right with the world, because the centre of her world is this man, her husband, the bravest of them all...
"How about we go back to bed?" He suggests after letting go of her lips and he laces his fingers around hers and starts to lead her back upstairs.
"Ah... I don't think I'll be able to sleep after all of this," she complains.
"I can think of a few things to kill the time with..."
A hard punch lands on his shoulder but her angry face suddenly softens.
"Okay, hotshot, it's not like you can make me more pregnant."
A huge, proud smirk appears on his face then he lifts her up playfully and heads for their bedroom with his sweet burden. She hits his shoulders with her fists as a protest against the gentle violence, but she also giggles a lot and when half an hour and some sweet little nonsense later she finally falls asleep, there's a loving smile on her face...
