I know, I know, my lovelies; it's been too long! I'm sorry for taking so long but tbh it's a bit hard for me to continue this... I've got almost no inspiration lately, I don't know how to keep this going. Tell you what, though, whomever wishes for me to continue this story, please leave '#NGHBA' in you review and if I see 20 or more hashtags then I shall keep the story going! also, if you have an idea for me to use/guideline from for the next chapter, PM me and I'll message back. Cheer my dears!

~cM


Things calmed down 2 months after Astrid's close call and everything seemed to be somewhat normal again… Key word here being seemed.

During that first month, Hiccup and Astrid had been near-inseparable. The Auburn-haired viking would actively seek out his fiancée and greet her with a passionate make-out that rivalled Stormfly's fire in heat. It would normally take Stoick or Gobber to separate them… But they would normally start right back up when they next thought they were alone. It had become difficult for nearly everyone in Berk to be within a 10-foot radius of the two.

But, as of the second month, Hiccup had become rather docile again from having not too many opportunities to show off his affections due to his father finally putting his boot down and forcing his son to focus on other things such as Chiefing lessons, and Astrid had also somewhat reverted back into her before-Hiccup's-first-assault self.

The usual gang consisting of Snotlout, Ruffnut & Tuffnut, and Fishlegs were not surprised but were relieved with Hiccup's hiatus in affection for Astrid. Don't get them wrong, they are very happy for the couple… But that didn't mean they didn't like a break from their public displays of affection every now and then.

And, as such, they were 'reaping the rewards' of the physically-separated couple by hanging out with Astrid whilst Hiccup continued his lessons with his father. Like today.

Astrid and the gang were sitting at a table in the Great Hall, eating and laughing, as they recounted Snotlout's most recent disagreement with Hookfang.

"-I didn't understand why he was so aggravated with me when all I did was tighten his saddle! I mean, if it was too tight then all he had to do was let me know! But what does he do instead?! The over-sized furnace decides to set me on fire, again, for the fifth time that week and then slapped me so hard with his tail that I went flying into the nearest wall before falling into the trough of water below me!" Snotlout exclaimed, waving his arms around dramatically.

Fishlegs giggled, the twins chortled, and Astrid slammed her open-palm on the table in a hoot of laughter.

Across the hall, Chief Stoick and Hiccup were sitting down with a visiting Chieftain – Chief Thror Osmund of the Thundering Tearaways over in Grimmsbane – and his heir – whom had been bestowed the great name of Svend – to discuss any small changes in their treaty; suffice to say that when Hiccup heard Astrid's joyful laughter from the other side of the Great Hall, he immediately wished for the meeting to be over in hopes that he could spend some time with his beloved and then proceeded to keep watch on her in his peripheral vision as to not upset his father again for giving Astrid all of his attention when he'd had 'more important' things to do…

Although, in Hiccup's decision to watch her from afar, it turned out to be the right choice.

For one of Chief Thror's accompanying guardsmen – whom went by the name Sigurd – got distracted as well and decided that, as there were 7 more guardsmen to watch over his Chief and Heir, he wasn't needed at that present time and thought it would be a good idea to try and woo her affections for whilst he was to be at Berk.

Ah, how ignorance can be momentarily blissful until the cold harsh reality sets in…

And thus Sigurd made his way over to the unsuspecting blonde and her friends; unaware that he'd also pulled in Hiccup's attention as well, for the Heir of Berk then also kept a close, narrow-eyed, watch on the guard.

"Wow, Snotlout! There are some days where I just can't believe how Hookfang puts up with you!" Astrid sniggered.

Snotlout pouted comically, drawing another round of cheerful banter and laughter from the group, and was about to defend himself when he stopped and noticed Sigurd and regarded him cautiously.

"Excuse me, I apologize for my sudden presence," Sigurd began, his voice nasally and tone a hint condescending, "but I could hear a certain contagious laughter from across the Hall and just had to meet the lovely owner of it. What is your name, girl?" He asked, ignoring the gang and speaking to only Astrid.

Astrid, scoffing and rolling her eyes at Sigurd, shifted uncomfortably as she noticed he was standing a tad too close for her liking…

"My name, Guardsman, is Astrid. There, you've met me, so please go back and do your jo–" Astrid began, but was cut off when Sigurd took a deliberate step closer.

"Astrid! I must say, indeed, you are one divine beauty!" He grinned, dense to Astrid's reaction upon finally smelling his putrid breath. "What do you say that we go off and have some f–"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, for a spoon came flying from seemingly nowhere and hit him square in the back of the head before the lonely cutlery landed on the table.

Astrid, Sigurd and the gang looked at the offending eating utensil with wide eyes; unaware that Hiccup had just received baffled looks from his table and a nudge from his father with questioning eyes.

"I guess someone in here missed their target…" Sigurd muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He then turned back to Astrid with a 'charming' albeit gruesome smile. "Anyway, as I was saying–" He began again, this time going to put a hand down on the table to lean against it, when he was once more hit…

… This time, by an empty but obviously used bowl. And in the side of his face.

Suffice to say, Sigurd yelped like a young child and clutched his face.

The gang started to chuckle and giggle at what was, seemingly innocently, happening whilst Astrid furrowed her brows and bit her lip in an attempt to not laugh and figure out who kept missing their–wait.

Slightly narrowing her eyes, she glanced over at Hiccup's table in the corner of her eye just in time to see him getting hit upside the head from his father whilst the visiting Chief and his Heir both were bemused at her fiancé. The guardsmen seemed to be trying to hold in their laughter.

"Whoever is missing their opponent, please stop!" Sigurd the ground out, doing a quick sweep of every confused table besides the treaty table. Clearing his throat, he tried to fix himself up again.

"Listen, maybe those were signs to perhaps back off?" Astrid suggested, subtly letting the others on her table know exactly who threw the objects. Fishlegs caught on immediately and chortled, the twins took a moment before they also started to laugh, and Snotlout just followed Astrid's line of sight to look at Hiccup and back at her before more-or-less gaping and clapping like a mute sea-lion in mirth.

"Or perhaps they be signs of testing my determination?" Sigurd then replied, not understanding what Astrid was trying to hint at, at all, and grinned cockily. "I promise I'll make it worth your while, Babe." The naïve and foolish guard said, reaching out a hand to touch Astrid…

But didn't get close because out of nowhere, again, a rather large and sharp Hunting Knife was thrown between Astrid and Sigurd and embedded itself into the table almost half-way up the blade.

This time, the entire Great Hall was stunned and pale for a moment – Sigurd actually felt fear crawl up his spine at the sheer size and force of the now-wooden-sheathed weapon.

The guardsmen actually gulped in fear for their brother-in-arms, Chief Thror and Svend were both surprised and amused by this point, Stoick had to bite his own tongue so that he wouldn't burst out laughing at his son's actions, Hiccup himself bore a face of righteous fury as he glared at the dim-witted guardsmen who just couldn't take a hint, and Astrid and her table were hurting themselves under the table so that they wouldn't start howling their amusement and tears began to tingle their eyes in their efforts to remain silent.

"Whomever is fighting, take it outside, because you almost just took off my hand!" Sigurd laughed nervously as he just stared at the hunting knife, before clearing his throat.

At this point, the entire Great Hall was astounded how Sigurd still hadn't figured out that they were all aimed at him on purpose.

"Now, where were we… Ah, yes, I was convincing you to have a date with me." The guardsman said, nodding, and went to touch Astrid again. "It's perfectly alright, I don't bite, my Pet."

It was now, after so many warnings had been thrown Sigurd's way that were still not heeded, that Hiccup decided it was best for a more direct approach…

So, before anyone could blink, he crossed the room and slammed his prosthetic foot onto the table – with his serrated blade out instead of his 'foot' – next to Astrid & the knife and crossed his arms as he gave Sigurd a death glare that sent shivers down everyone's spines, including Stoick's.

"You may not bite, Sigurd, but I assure you that I do." Hiccup growled, his voice deeper and rougher than anyone could recall – almost taking on an animalistic undertone that probably came about from spending too much time with Toothless.

"M-M-Master Hiccup! What a surprise! Weren't you discussing the treaty?!' Sigurd gulped, paling until he was white as snow.

"I was, yes, until I noticed that you couldn't keep your hands off of Astrid." Hiccup then narrowed his eyes. "I tried to get you to back off by using, albeit childish, means… Yet you just couldn't take a hint, could you?"

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry?!" Sigurd questioned, blinking in momentary confusion.

To everyone's surprise, Hiccup then let his upper lip curl back in disgust and saw his pupils sharpen slightly as he let out a scoff of annoyance before dramatically taking in a breath and standing taller so that he basically towered over Sigurd.

"Please, let me spell it out for you, you dim-witted, unsophisticated, vacuous, inane dumbass," Hiccup snarled, sending fear straight through everyone's hearts, "I am the Heir of Berk and I am commanding you as my father's guest to please, kindly, BACK. OFF. OF. MY. FIANCÉE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW?!" He outright roared in Sigurd's face.

Sigurd then let out a very petrified, and feminine, shriek as he nodded so fast it was a miracle his head didn't fly right off his shoulders before sprinting for the Great Hall's doors and escaped out of them like a frightened dog with its tail between its legs.

"Honestly, how brainless can one be to not know when to back off after having a hunting knife thrown at you?!" Hiccup just stared at the doors in disbelief, before switching his leg for his foot and getting his leg off the table.

Before Astrid could say a word to her lover, Hiccup turned on his heel and grabbed Astrid by the back of her head with one hand – the other blindly grabbing his knife to put it back in it's proper sheath – and forced her forward and met her lips with his.

The kiss was by no means innocent or apologetic – in fact, it was the opposite.

It was commanding, possessive, passionate and about as hot as Stormfly's magnesium-based fire.

Hiccup had taken such control over the kiss that he may as well have dominated Astrid since she was basically frozen in her seat and didn't move an inch despite her fiancé's hot mouth on hers. Around them, the couple could vaguely hear cat-calls, wolf-whistles, and other embarrassing howls along with unbridled cheers and laughter although neither of them could bring themselves to care.

By the time Hiccup released his blonde lover, she was thoroughly debauched and he shamelessly left her in a daze – red-coated cheeks with libidinous eyes and a slight sway in her posture – as he then went and returned to the treaty table as if he hadn't just seduced his fiancée in front of the entire tribe and their guests.

"So, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Hiccup then asked, his voice back to normal and suddenly very interested in the meeting.

Not even Stoick could stop himself as he, Chief Thror, Svend, the guardsmen, and the rest of the hall guffawed at Hiccup's antics.

"Jealousy, my son, is hilarious coming from you!" Stoick clapped his son on the back, tears in his eyes.

"I'd rather think of it as… Publicly asserting my relationship with Ms Hofferson so that there are no misunderstandings on her availability." Hiccup then mused, causing another round of laughter.

"Whatever you say – but, next time, save the bedroom kisses for your honeymonth! Just look at what you've done to the poor girl!" His father lost it again.

"Nah, that's okay, let's just wrap this up… I'll be seeing her later to discuss our wedding further." The Auburn-haired Heir replied, unsuccessful in getting the Chieftains and Svend to focus, and let out a small chuckle of his own.

But really, he knew that is he looked at his beloved now then he would not want to concentrate and get scolded for it later.

Poor Astrid was left in her seat – dying just a tiny bit inside from embarrassment from such an affectionate kiss in front of their flustered but amused friends.