He was leaving her again, alone, with her son. The only thing is, she was running out of things and stuff to say and do. She didn't know the first thing to raising a child, but he did and he was leaving her to go off cheifing.
She was standing in the kitchen, he didn't leave as early as he used to do when they were first got married, though he made it perfectly clear he wanted to wake up and wish his family a good morning, and come home so he could tuck his boy in bed.
At the moment he was rushing around, grabbing stuff he'd need for the day, and packing a back for Stoick that would help Astrid throughout the day.
" Ive packed a few rice packs they're his favourite. His yak milk doesn't have to be drunk before lunch, he can have it afterwards" he shoved the items in the bag and then placed a quick chase kiss on her cheek.
" what do I do if he gets bored?"
He shrugged, " he likes most stuff, walking, shell collecting, usually when I was looking at maps or doing some work at my desk, I'd give him the book of dragons and he would just stare at the pictures, he loves it. Fishlegs has that at the school if you want it" he rubbed the sides of her forearms and kissed her temple.
She took the bag from the table, slinging it over her shoulder with a huge sigh. " you'll be fine."
She sighed again, throwing her head back, " I can't do this, you make it so easy, you know what he needs before he even thinks it, I don't know what to do with him, what to say? Sometimes I think he would rather be somewhere else than with me " she huffed again, he'd never seen her like this, she so badly wanted what he had, he hated she felt this way.
With a sigh of his own, he took her hands in his and gave them a little squeeze, " Astrid, do you really think I was a pro at the start of all this? You think I was no.1 dad?" He gave a little chuckle before her carried on. " I was a mess, I just lost half my tribe, my friends, my mom, you. My head was spinning and all of a sudden it just hit me that I had this crying, tiny, little human looking at me, wanting stuff from me. He cried all night long, and suddenly I found out that he wanted his mother," she looked into his eyes.
" So how did you stop him from crying?"
" Well, at first staying up all night, but then phlegma told me to take off my tunic and take of his baby grow, skin on skin. Basically I was trying to sooth him by making him think I was you." She missed that stage, the closeness shed have had with Stoick, breast feeding was supposed to be a bond between mother and child.
" who fed him?" It was the question she dreaded to ask, who shared that bond with her child, the bond only she was supposed to share.
" Phlegma, she's had children, all grown up now, it was only so he could be fed and then I'd spend the rest of the day with him." She gave a sad smile in response, she'd missed so much.
" You'll do fine Astrid, you're already one of his most favourite people in the entire world, he talks about you all the time, he missed you so much, and he absolutely loves spending time with you." He rubbed her forearms again. She nodded in agreement.
" Okay"
" now I really need to go, you think you'd be okay till lunch time?" He questioned pulling his farthers fur cloak over his shoulders and clipping it into place.
" Why what's happening at lunch" asking her husband as he took a few strides in her direction and placing a sweet kiss on her cheek.
" I'm joining my family for lunch in the great hall, see you around mid- day?" Took a few steps back towards the door before turning around to see her answer. She grinned and nodded her head, happy to have his lunch date all sorted he headed for the door. But before closing it he looked back once more, seeing his wife, bag shrugged over her shoulder, turning towards the sofa bench where Stoick sat playing with his toy dragon, and her pulling him into her arms and hugging his close.
The sight warmed him, he knew she was having a tough time, trying to reconnect with him. But she had no idea, he didn't always know how to look after his baby. In some words, he was a total wreck.
xx
He's crying again. He wasn't hungry, he didn't have wind, he'd only just woken up from his nap, that only left one thing. He lifted his two month baby in his arms, but he didn't need to lift him higher than he already had, the smell hit him straight away. Great.
" What the fuck is that smell?" The disgusted voice came from dagur as he walked into the chiefs home family room, along with his sister, Eret, tuffnut and gobber.
" Oh it's the fragrance I've just bought from your markets. What? You don't like it?" His sarcasm followed him as he went over to the changing table and placed Stoick on it.
" Eww eww eww, that gas's smell is coming from your small tiny human" tuffnut pointed a long accusing finger at the tiny babe.
" Of course it is, he's a baby" heather said elbowing his shoulder and shoving his arm down.
All the while hiccup stood there while Stoick cried and fussed, but he didn't know where to start. He had an eight week old baby and he didn't know how to change his own baby.
" Hiccup? You okay there laddie?" Gobber walked up next to his young apprentice, now young and looking very confused farther.
" Err well..." he didn't have to finish that sentence, his old mentor had got what he meant to say.
" You've been a farther for eight weeks, and you don't know how to change a diaper?"
He shrugged again.
" It's okay brother, I'm a proud farther of a four year old-" dagur came up behind him and patted him on his back, " and I've changed many, many diapers"
" mala make you do it" Erets voice came from the back.
" yeahhh" dagur replied with a sigh, still looking down at the fussing baby.
" So- brother wanna learn how to change one of the most disgusting things you will ever see in your entire life?" Dagur has always creeped him out but this was on a new level.
As dagur grinned at the new farther, hiccups only response was to shrug and reply " no?"
" Come onnn, it'll be fun"
xx
Hiccup, dagur, Eret and tuffnut sat on the bench next to each other, all looking into space, completely and utterly mortified.
" We never speak of this" Erets stern voice spoke out first, yet he still didn't look at the other three.
" Yep" dagur nodded.
" Agreed" Hiccup, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
" Uh-huh" and tuffnut couldn't even get the words out. They all just sat there, trying to forget the past few minutes.
Meanwhile gobber was with Stoick at the changing table and heather walked up to the traumatised four.
" You guys are pathetic-" they all looked at her, ready to come back with a defensive comment, " it took four guys and five diapers to change one tiny baby"
" that!" Tuffnut shouted pointing a long finger towards Stoicks direction, " that, is not a baby, for all I know that is the spawn of a scauldron, it spat liquid out of every direction" he put his hand on his forehead, resting it on his fingertips, still holding a mortifying look on his face.
" Don't you think you're overreact-" Eret started but tuffnut cut in before he continued.
" It went in my eye. Twice" Eret went silent while the others sniggered silently.
" Okie dokie, one clean 'nd fresh babe" gobber came walking over with Stoick all dressed up in his cream baby grow, and his handed the babe back to the chief, carefully placing him into his arms.
" Devils spawn" tuffnut thought out loud.
" My baby tuff, and your future chief" hiccup quietly reminded him while rocking Stoick in his arms, his eyes didn't leave him for one second.
" Sure now he's good" dagur started to complain getting up from his seat next to Hiccup.
He went to stand near heather who still look bewildered, " I still can't believe it took four grown men to try and change a baby. And you still couldn't do it" she flung her hands up flabbergasted, while the rest, excepted gobber, look ashamed.
" Hey, it's a lot harder than it looks" Eret said trying to hold on to whatever dignity he had left, didn't go very well.
" Unbelievable" was her reply as she shook her head at the four adults.
But before anymore could be said a very out of breath fishlegs came barging through the door, gasping for air and trying to get his words out.
" Hahh errr hah, cheifff, hooo, errrm chief?" Placing his large hands on his even larger knees fishlegs bent down a little gasping to what ever air was around him.
" Fish? What's up" hiccup got up carefully as Stoick still slept soundly even throughout fishlegs outburst. However he did not hold onto him long as he handed Stoick over to heather, while he dealt with what ever fishlegs was going to throw at him.
" It's errr, oh my, it's the trackers, they've just got back, and - and they sighted the ship that our friends and family our on. They've left berk, and they are on the move."
This had been the best news in two months. For weeks they had spent their time regaining strength and getting reinforcements, however they did not know whether dragos army had yet left berk, all they need was a ship sighting, and now they have out, they can make the first move to regaining strength and finding their loved ones. They could go home.
" that's amazing fishlegs, where abouts was the ship spotted?" He help his friend up to a proper stand up position, patting him on his back for the good news he brought.
" Near some abandoned islands east side of the archipelago, however I got our map and those islands are near a small island called mole island, it's called after it's town, mole town. They say it's the place where you can't get anything you want, scavengers is what they call the traders there." Fishlegs as usual looked up the island so he knew every inch and scrap of detail about it, it's why hiccup is lucky to have him on his council and as his friend. He never went somewhere blind, and with fishlegs he never had too.
" that's great, alright Eret?!" Eret shot up on demand. " Get a team of trackers ready, I want them to keep an eye of that ship, up make sure you make it clear I don't want no contact, no matter what, we don't have the numbers yet, or the mental strength. I just want to keep and eye on where is goes. Try not to lose it" he nodded, and saluted like a crew member on a ship, fo his chief in command.
" You got it chief!" He was out the door before hiccup could give out his next orders, but that's what made Eret such a good second in command, he was alert and on the ball, and he followed the orders of his chief, not cause he has to, but out of respect.
" Okay, fish, I want to to get the map and set a course to mole town, and easy safe route, we'll head there after our first stop" fishlegs what about to leave when the last words that the chief spoke lingered in his head.
" I'm sorry chief, first stop?" Hiccup could only look at his old time friend with a warm smile.
" Yes fishlegs, we're going home"
xx
Berk was a mighty island. Sure it was small, but it was one of the hardest to conquer. And yet even now, as the rest of Berk landed in their old home, with the burnt black houses, crumbling by the second as another blow of ocean wind hit them, and the ground covered in all kinds of crap, even now, Berk was still standing.
Yet it was still emotional, one by one as they got off their dragons, the villagers burst into tears, their homes have been destroyed, some that had memories of countless generations before them. And they were all destroyed.
Hiccup climbed off toothless carefully, he had been one of the last to land, however toothless was flying a lot slower than usual, but with a baby strapped to hiccups person, he thought it best to take it slow.
Looking around his village, his home, he felt a hint of guilt as he saw his island burnt and destroyed. How disappointed his farther would be. This was his home and he was the chief, nothing like this would have happened if his farther was still here. The memory of his dad brought tears in the corners of his eyes, looking to his baby boy, who hadn't even spent one night in berk, this was supposed to be a welcoming, bringing his little boy into the tribe and the world. How he let everyone down.
" Chief?" He turned to where Eret stood, he knew Eret saw the emotion in his face by the way Eret held a concerned look on his face.
" I've scouted around, most huts are destroyed, the main hall a mess, the academy too. But-" the Chiefs eyes shot up from his son to the ex pirate. " your house, yours and astrids, it's not been touched?"
It was more of a question really, as the confusion built up inside him, but hiccup already knew why.
" Thanks Eret, I'll head up there now" taking long slow strides towards his home, he left the others to grieve with the loss of there homes.
He got there faster than he thought, although his thoughts were else where at the moment, walking through the front door, seeing his kitchen and living area, everything where he left it, like nothing had happened. He turned to his boy, unstrapping him from his flight suit and holding him close.
" look buddy, it's our home." His bright blue eyes searched his farthers face then wondered off in another direction.
Taking a step into his home, looking around as if he'd just left this morning and was now coming back, he slowly headed towards the stairs, but hesitated at the bottom, scared at what he might find when he reached the top.
" Hiccup?" A female voice from behind spooked him, turning around to find not only heather by gobber in his door way, he didn't know how to approach them.
" Sorry to interrupt, I just thought you might want us to mind Stoick, so you can do this on your own." She gestured to the stairs, knowing what she meant, he nodded with a small smile of gratitude. He did was to go alone at first, he didn't know if he'd break down or lash out, either way he wanted to do it alone.
So he handed Stoick over to her and started to make his way up the stairs. So far so good, when he reached the top, the hall way was clean and untouched, and all doors were closed shut. He turned to his bedroom door that was a few steps from his room to the right, he chose that to be their bedroom cause it was the biggest, and he looked at the big wooden door.
He was afraid, to open that door was like understand what he had left his wife and mother to deal with. Landing his hand on the handle he left it there for a minute, before finally pushing the door forward.
It was like walking into another house as he entered his room, it didn't even look like his room anymore. The floor at first was covered in scraps of fur and bed sheets that looked to be ripped to shreds and thrown about on the floor. The bed was torn and slashed to pieces and the bed posted splintered in half, but yet he could still see the blood stains from where Astrid gave birth, of course it wasn't now a brown patch, but chunks were cut out of the bed.
He looked around, there was nothing worth saving in this room, everything would have to be thrown. And yet while trying to find something, anything that he could salvage he felt no overwhelming emotion.
But then, in the corner of his eye, just by the way the light hit it and reflected back in his eye that he saw it, on the floor amongst the scraps of sheets, lay his wife's rings, both perfect and fresh, lay there. And as he picked them up and held them in the palm of his hand, did he realises his vision was completely blurred as tears poured down his cheeks.
Landing on the floor resting his head against the bottom of his bed and still holding on to the rings. He never felt so weak and useless, he couldn't do anything but sit here so sad and pathetic, sobbing as he brought his knees up and resting his arms on them, burying his head in them and sobbing silently.
Looking at the rings in his hand, he never felt so hopeless, what kind of husband and farther was he, what kind of son was he.
He didn't notice his door open, heavy footsteps head his way and plonk down next to him.
" It's not yer wee fault laddie, yer can't blame yer self" he turned towards his mentor, a farther figure, his oldest friend.
" dad wouldn't have let this happen, he would have been a better chief" an arm came across his back, but only the plastic hand attached to gobbers arm could give out a cold touch as gobber tried his best to comfort the boy in front of him.
" Lad, I donna know what ya want me to say-" He shrugged his shoulders and continued " yer farther was not a perfect man, if he was, his wee wife wouldn't 'ave gone missin fer 20 years" the young cheifs eyes wandered up to meet much wiser ones, he always forgot about that, to him, his dad was the chief all men prayed to be, yet he couldn't hold his own family together, that was true.
Looking back on his wife's rings, he could help think if he was repeating history, what if Stoick never meets his mother till he's twenty, what if he never gets his wife back, or when he does what if she's not the same person. And his mother, he only just got her back, what if it took another twenty years still he saw her again.
All his life he wanted to be just like his dad, when he first became chief and he was killing himself night and day to be the best chief he could be, just like his dad, he remembered it was Astrid that showed him he was not his farther, that he was Hiccup and he would do things his way. But now all those traits his dad had, the ones that weren't perfect, looks like he had them too, looks like he got his wish, he was reliving his farthers failures.
" Hiccup? You are not your farther" the young man turned his head towards gobber, did he say that out loud.
" And we will fine yer wife, yer mother, ruff and snotty, we will find our people, all we 'ave to do is take our first lead" that was a reminder of what they set out to do when they left berserker island.
" Mole town?" He whispered.
" Ai Mole town"
xx
Stoick ran into gobbers work shop, running through people legs and tripping them under their own feet.
" oi!"
" Wee bugger"
Gobber watched as his future apprentice wreck the place and started chaos at the age of two, the little laddie reminded him of an apprentice he used to have.
Annnnddd, then came Astrid lugging that ridiculous bag over her shoulder, she still wasn't wearing proper armour just yet, she thought she'd be itching to get into her flight suit again, but when it came to it, she just could bring herself to wear it. Hiccup didn't push her though, left her to it, let her decide how much she wanted to take on in a day. And with these council sessions going on, she'd been making progress.
But even now as she ran into gobbers place throwing the bag on some near bench and grabbing Stoick hand, he could tell some things weren't as easy as others.
" Stoick! That is the third time you've ran off,"
" I sowry mommy" the little boy held the face of a new born dragon, all innocent and big eyes, he knew by just that look that he was going to get a free pass on this one.
" just- don't scare me again" huffing again she got up, already exhausted by the first half of her day.
" The laddie running you ragged eh?" Gobber finally spoke up walking towards Astrid and standing by near her.
" not kidding, the kid has no off button" the comment made the old man laugh, as the two watched as Stoick began to pick up speed again around the shop, running around the tables and past grump, who lazily ticked himself up in the farthest corner.
The boy continued to run around and around these tables, but someone entering the workshop, made him stop and beam delightfully. " daddy!"
Speeding past his mother and uncle Gob Gob, he ran straight into his farthers arms, who was already bent down to catch him. " hiya buddy, you are making it very hard for me to sneak up on mommy" that caught Astrid attention.
" Oh like you could sneak up on me?" She was not amused but still smirked as she looked at her husband.
" Can't blame a bloke for trying" shrugging he came up to her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.
" You two having a good day?" He asked the question but was mainly expecting an answer off his son.
" Yeah daddy, I say 'ello tooo the chicks, und yaks, und then the fishy's, und then 'title dwagons, und then big dwagons, und then the people. I say 'ello to all the ladies and men. Didn't I mommy" the boy spoke proudly of his day, including his mother to show what he had done.
" Yes you did" giving the boy a warm smile.
" Wowww, I'm sorry I missed that, that's a lot of people to say hello too, you sure you haven't missed anyone out" he questioned.
" Just uncle Gob Gob, Ello uncle Gob Gob" he gave a big wave over to the working man in the corner, who gladly waved back to him.
" So," Astrid spoke up, drawing attention to her," what gives us the pleasure to be greeted with your presence?" Asking her husband who she thought she would see till later on that night.
" Ahh well, I thought I'd have my lunch with you two if that's okay?" He knew he didn't need to ask that question, but he liked to involve Stoick in their conversations, get him interact with others as well.
" That okay daddy"
" ahhh good" pulling his wife with him, he headed to the exit, Stoick still wrapped up in his other arm. The three giggling together, it's nice, just the three of them, they had all missed this.
But happiness comes with a price, for the second they exited the workshop, spitlout, and his son was stood there waiting.
" Snotlout? Spitlout? What can I do for you? " his voice was stern and controlled, but he still cling onto his family as if his life depended on it.
" We've called an emergency meeting, now." Snotlout answered first, he too held a voice of control.
" It's important" spitlout added the last bit, that comment made hiccups arm slip from her waist, and once where it was warm, the cold air sent a chilling sensation there.
" Okay, I'll err I'll be there in just a sec" the two headed off and left their cheif to his family. They thought best to vacate the area, he was married to Astrid after all.
As he turned to his wife, looking her in the eye, words couldn't come out, he didn't know where to begin to apologise, but she saw it in his eyes, his gorgeous emerald green eyes, she saw how sorry he was.
" It's okay hiccup, I understand" she came up to him and lifted Stoick out of his arms into hers.
" I'm really sorry, I really wanted to have lunch with you, I promised-" he handed her Stoick, making sure she had him safely in her arms.
" It's okay-"
" why daddy goin?" The boy spoke up after watching his parents talk, it only made hiccup feel more guilty, he hadn't spent much time with Stoick since Astrid had came back, he had been giving them a lot of mummy and son time, but now was missing out on daddy and son time.
" I'm so sorry buddy, I promise I'll make it back so I can read you a story and tuck you in, I promise" the boy didn't answer back, he only held out his pinky finger, looking at his daddy and waiting for him to make the move.
Seeing the little finger with a smile hiccup took out his pinky and the took hook their pinky fingers together.
" I pinky promise" he said shaking it.
" You can't bweak pinky pwomises daddy, rwemember!" Nodding his head to his boy, placing a small kiss on his forehead.
" Yes I remember" he looked up to his wife for one last apology, her only reply was kissing his lips, and slowly whispering in his ear " you'll have to make it home in time to tuck me in bed too, pinky promise"
He left with a smirk on his face, an effect only Astrid could give him.
xx
She didn't feel it till Stoick yanked down on her braid, she had sat down in gobbers work shop ever since Hiccup had left, ten minutes ago. Resting her son on her lap, he yanked down on her braid to get her attention, he was bored, of course he was bored. She didn't feel like food any more, she just wanted to know what was going on with that meeting. It unnerved her.
" You Okay there lassie" goober inquired as he took off his works apron and came over to her and the little boy sat on her lap.
" Yeah just thinking." The older man didn't need to be told what was on her mind, she had been sat staring into space ever since her husband had to rush off.
" Why don't I take the laddie for some lunch, ya have other places to be" his head nodded in the direction that hiccup had left in.
" really?" She jumped up immediately, Stoick now clinging onto her side.
" Surree, I need some quality time with my nephew" as Astrid places Stoick on his feet, gobber instantly took his little hand.
" I just have this feeling that I should be there you know?"
" Yeah and since I'm not important enough to be invited to this meeting one of us should go, so come on laddie, lunch" taking slow steps towards the exit, letting Stoick lead the way.
" I'll see you after lunch Stoick, okay, bye" she waited to see if he would turn back, and just when she thought he wouldn't, he brought gobber to a halt and looked back at her.
" Okay! Bye bye mommy!" It was small. It was simple. But it was everything. And then she took off towards the small cabin on the far side of the village where the council had small meetings were held.
xx
The echoes of the roaring voice came through the wind as she took quiet steps towards the cabin. Something was going down, something to cause such a rioting, take even slower and small steps towards the cabin she found a spot just near the door where she could not be seen but still listen in.
" Eret! Are you sure?" It sounded like hiccup, his voice was a little shaken.
" Positive, scouts spotted them early this morning" Eret response to his chief was quick and firm, but there was a ping of guilt in his tone.
The room was then quiet, only a loud sigh from hiccup was heard, " Why now?" He spoke up, " they have been off our radar for weeks, why show up now?" He asked the question, but Astrid knew her husband she wasn't asking the others, he was asking himself.
" Getting their forces together? Getting another ship ready? Who knows, but they lost half their slaves that night, now they might want them back?" Spitlout responded to his cheif questions with the answers of a true warriors background.
" evil fuckers, I'm not going back" this voice was different, sounded like Snotlout, he was there too.
" You won't have too" again hiccup spoke up, " none of you will, over my dead body"
Listening to the grumbles of the other council men, Astrid edged closer.
" So how far are they from berks waters?" That nervous voice was definitely fishlegs, and the floor boards creaked under his weight, it only made Astrid more sure.
" scouts said it took them a two day journey on dragon back, so probably a few weeks away in boat, however what the scouts said was that they weren't heading Berk way." Reefs comment set the council into a questioning grumble yet again.
" Have we informed our allies yet? Hiccups voice spoke over the others.
" I did, as soon as Eret told me what was going on" fishlegs, still a nervous wreck.
" Eret? On this map, where abouts did the scouts see them?" He tapped on something, Astrid only assumed it was this map on the table she knew was in the middle of the room.
" There, heading to the southern markets they said" the southern markets, she knew that place, vile vicious place where men rapped women in the streets and sex slaves were sold out in the open. It was about four weeks in a boat.
" Okay, that gives us time then," hiccups mumbled under his breath.
" Time for what?" Eret spoke out.
" To prepare, gather as many people you can, anyone who can fight, or make weapons, make sure they are physically and mentally ready for this too" another round of grumbles in response, until hiccup spoke again.
"Snotlout?"
" I'm fine cheif, I guess I wasn't as mentally ruined by these people, you'll have to give ruffnut more time though, physical scars are healing, the metal ones are just taking a bit longer" he sighed at the end, ever since they'd got back, snot and ruff had been bunking up with each other, they were now officially engaged, they kinda had to be, just like errr and heather, since Hiccup knew about both of the couples late night activities, his only compromise for not banishing them was they become engaged. And due to the situation of war both couples agreed.
" Understood"
" what about Astrid cheif?" Tuff spoke up from the corner of the cabin, Astrids heart started to beat rapidly at the mention of her.
" No!" Hiccups voice went down another level, he only used that voice when I was being serious.
" She's your wife hic" Eret was next to pipe up.
" I know that. But she's not dealing with this well, she keeps saying she getting better, but she's in denial of her nightmares, she has them every night, once a night if we're lucky. I'm the one who has to comfort her, so I'm the one deciding to keep her in the dark, just till shes better" more grumbles around the room, agreeing with hiccup that this was not for a woman's ears, that she should just be a mother for now.
That pain inside was not disguised as disgust. How dare they! How dare he! She was not some fragile women, she was a shield maiden, a cheifs wife, she gave birth in the middle of a battle, and survived two years of torture. She was not some house wife that would stay in the dark.
So she stood her ground, took one step and stood in the door way blocking the incoming light and gaining the attention of some very surprised council men, can of course her husband.
The council men along with the chief decide the well being of Berk and it's people, they were well known, and highly respected. But as the young wife stood there staring at these high respected men, with disgust on her face and arms crossed, they all diverted their eyes downwards, not wanting to make eye contact with the blonde. Which only left hiccup, staring at her, a mixture of guilt and apologise in just one expression.
" Astrid? I -" he didn't get to finish, she was already walking away with a huge scowl on her face.
What was she gonna do? Yell? Scream? She wanted too, but she didn't have the energy, so she did the one thing she knew would get on hiccups nerves, she walked away.
But it didn't go as she thought it would, he ran after her, like they were teenagers again having a little spat.
" Astrid stop!" He yelled against the strong winds that howled around them, however his voice echoed and she stopped in her tracks, sending a viscous glare his way when she turned to look at him.
" Was that an order? Cheif!" Her eyes may be blue, but he could have sworn they were turning black with rage.
" If I say no will you storm away?" He edged closer but she held out her arm signaling him to not take another step.
" Hell Yeah" she snapped.
" And if I say yes?" His voice didn't sound as strong anymore.
" Then you'll be sleeping in the stables with toothless tonight, and it's a cold night" he rolled his eyes at her threat, though by the look in hers, she wasn't kidding.
" Oh come on Astrid, you've got to work with me here" again he edged closer and this time she nearly bites his head off.
" How dare you! How dare you speak of me like that! Like I'm nothing more than a stupid piece of paper, on your fucking council table!" She screamed against the winds, if it hadn't had been one of berks typical winters day, the whole island would have heard them two.
" Astrid it wasn't like that-" he tried to justify himself again, but she kept knocking him back.
" This is exactly what you said you wouldn't do, shut me out, keep me in the dark. We're supposed to be a married couple Hiccup, partners, best friends, each other's person, Astrid and hiccup? Does that mean nothing anymore?!" Her screams echoed through the wild winds, forcing the council men to come out of their cabin and observe over the two.
" Of course it does! It's means everything to me!" He edged closer and this time she didn't stop him.
" Then why does it feel like you're pushing me out?" She didn't yell this time, in fact she sounded quite hurt.
" It's not like that-" he moved closer, he was seconds from touching her, and yet felt like he was miles away.
" Then what?" She wanted his arms around her, and yet, wanted to punch him in the face at the same time.
" you don't think it's hard, watching you deal with everything every single day. You say you're fine, but I know your not. You have nightmares every night, sometimes twice." He took a pause, his breath shaking. He reached down and took her hands in his, when he looked up, his eyes were all watered up.
" I don't know how to make them stop. You're screaming my name, begging me to make them stop whatever they're doing, and I don't know how to make it stop." He squeezed her hands, keeping his face down to the ground, as tears dropped down his cheeks.
She knew what he was talking about, she remembered them dreams, nightmares, she remembered them all. She didn't know what else to do, didn't know what to say, the last thing she wanted was to admit that she wasn't dealing with all this well. But then one of Phlegma's phrases popped into her head.
' Mental scars are just like physical ones, for a deep scar like you have, you have to draw all the infection out, let it all out, and once its out, it can then begin to heal.' She'd been keeping all these memories locked in her own mind, it's like stitching up a wound while it's still infected, it'll just get worse and worse till it finally kills her.
" It was never just one man," she started, he pulled up and looked her dead in the eye, he was unreadable, but behind those adorable emerald green eyes, was pain.
" There was many," she sobbed before continuing, " I just wanted to feel safe again, and I felt safe whenever I was with you, so I'd cry out for you, hoping that one day you'd swoop in and rescue us." She didn't know she'd feel like this, but after she said it, after letting it out, it was like a weight lifting from her shoulders, as if she's was drowning and now she was finally finding her feet and walking in the deep end.
" I'm sorry" he pulled her into his arms, she felt the instant warmth off him as she drew her arms around him. " I'm sorry too baby, I was just scared I didn't know what to do" he kissed the side of her head as they both sobbed.
" there is nothing for you to be sorry about hic, you were right I was bottling up everything, you were right" he held her tightly, stroking the back of her head and letting her lean into the crook of his neck.
" shhhhhh"
Meanwhile the councilmen all stood there watching the two, watching as they fought and made up in the matter of minutes.
" How does he do that? I do that and ruff would shove a stick up my ass" Snotlout said in the middle of all this silence, Eret who stood next to him turned to the small man.
" Shut the fuck up snotlout"
xx
" and now this is the fun part" Gobber took the hot nail out of the burning fire pit, holding the red hot nail with long rod in one and and then holding the little hand that belonged to Stoick, over to a bucket of water.
As he placed the nail into the water a gust of steam submerged the air around them as condensation too place.
" Wowwww!" The boy stood in awe, as if he had just witnessed magic. " Gob Gob! It's clouds, white air, in ya shop" he giggled as he fooled the steam around them, the nail in the buck was still bubbling, however it was cooling down, and soon would be ready to take out.
By this time the entrance to gobbers workshop was blocked but Hiccup and Astrid, they stood there holding hands and watched from a far as gobber brought out the once burning nail from the bucket. Stoick stood there again in awe, it wasn't the first time he had witnessed something being made.
" And there ya go laddie, still a wee bit hot, however, ya first nail." He placed it into the little boys hand, and watched him gasp and he took hold of it with both tiny hands.
" Oh still warm, nice warm" he whispered to himself. While gobber stood up from crouching down and finally noticed the two blocking his door.
" Hiya chief! Wasn't expecting you back soon" at the mention on cheif stocks face lit up looking towards his parents, he shot over to them, tumbling over his own two feet.
" Look look! Look mommy!" He went straight to her, holding the nail up to her, " I made a nail mommy" she bent down to scoop him up in her arms, and resting him on her hip.
" Oh wow, you made that just now?" The boy nodded with the biggest grin as he held the nail close.
From behind the two, Hiccup appeared, pulling Astrid and Stoick into his embrace, " you making nails buddy?"
Before the boy answered gobber came up to the family of three, " ay, he did! Said he wanted to be like his daddy" the older man held a smirk on his face as he stared at his old apprentice.
" Aww buddy, you want to be like me?" When Stoick replied with a shy nod in his mother's neck, Hiccup felt a warm tingle in his stomach, the sense of pride lingering around.
" well the laddie didn't want lunch, said he wanted to wait for his mommy, so I took his back here, we did a bit of grafting."
" well we are heading for lunch now, you want some buddy?" Hiccup spoke, prodding his stomach.
" Mommy and daddy and me togever?" Astrid stroked the auburn hair behind his ear before nodding.
" yeah baby, all of us together"
