Happy April Fool's Day! You get two chapters today! Enjoy! :)

CHAPTER 10 – The Next Two Weeks

Seven days went by so fast. All the food, drinking, dancing, and games made people forget the time. Before anyone knew it, the reception was over, and everybody had to return home. It was a sad day… For most people.

"Thank Thor it's over!" Valka roared, once in the safety of her own home. Gobber agreed with a whole-hearted belch. "I'm not sure how much longer I could have dealt with those banquets every night, I feel like a stuffed turkey! It'll take me months to lose this fat!"

Gobber chuckled, patting his own chubby belly. "I don't think I'll ever lose it," he chortled. Valka shook her head vigorously, but smiled all the same. "Ah," Gobber sighed contentedly, stretching in the spindly kitchen chair, "Tha' was probably the best week ever." Valka rolled her eyes, and put her head on the table. Gobber twirled his mustache nonchalantly. "One more t' go," he announced. Valka glanced up. "Still got da 'oneymoon, yeh know," he explained. Valka groaned.

"Luckily, ya don't 'ave t' do anythin' fer tha'. Just gotta provide the mead, an' they're good t' go!" Gobber laughed. The groom's mother gave him a dark look, and rose to make some coffee. "So," Gobber stated, "Did yeh get t' say farewell t' da queen and princess? From tha' University?"

"I don't think I ever said hello, Gobber," Valka replied, leaning against the counter. "I was so busy this entire week." Gobber shrugged. He continued to finger his long blonde facial hair. "Don't suppose yeh got t' talk t' the newlyweds?"

Valka sighed. "Yes," she said, "I had time to speak to them, of course."

"How're they doin'?" Gobber inquired. Valka stared at him. "They're…fine. Why didn't you ask them yourself?" Gobber gazed at his lap sheepishly. "I've kinda…been avoidin' 'em."

"And why is that?" Valka demanded.

"I dunno. I just feel awkward." Gobber continued to study his knees. Valka exhaled softly. "I see," she said. The man across from her looked up sharply. "Wha'?" he challenged.

"This is exactly how you acted when Stoick and I got married. It took you a long time to get over it." Valka watched him.

Gobber sighed. "I just… don't wanna be shut ou'. I've known 'iccup since 'e was little, an' e's like a son t' me. I don't wanna lose 'im like I lost Stoick. Marriage consumes people."

"But you didn't lose him… You were still buddies after we married!" Valka argued, trying to be sympathetic.

Gobber gave her a hard look. "I' wasn't the same."

"Well, I'm sorry," Valka said sincerely, "but you can't change the past. Or the future, for that matter. Hiccup and Astrid are married, and that's that." Gobber nodded. "I know," he said.

Meanwhile…

Hiccup and Astrid were sitting high above the docks, watching the ships sail out of the harbor. Fluffy clouds dotting the bright blue horizon. As a gentle breeze brought a leaf spiraling past, Astrid sighed, leaning back on her palms. "I can't believe it's over," she murmured.

Hiccup shook his head in agreement. They observed Princess Rapunzel and Queen Primrose boarding the ship with a large sun painted on the front sail. Astrid made a strange high-pitched noise. Hiccup glanced at her inquisitively. She noticed the look, and returned it. She exhaled quietly. "She's nice," she muttered finally, "that princess, Rapunzel." Hiccup blinked. "Really?" he asked. Astrid nodded. Hiccup leaned back on his palms thoughtfully. "Well," he remarked, "at least I'll know you'll have one friend at this University."

Astrid rolled her eyes. They sat in silence.

"Don't get upset," Hiccup said, breaking the stillness, "but I'm going to miss you."

His wife reached out to hold his hand. "I miss you already," she said.

They went back to surveying the port.

The second week…

For the next seven days, Astrid and Hiccup celebrated their honeymoon. For everyone else, the party was over, so things were calm on Berk. The newlyweds got a chance to settle into their new home (well, Astrid did most of the settling, because Hiccup had lived in the same house since birth), and get into the swing of life. However, the looming factor of Astrid's impending departure dampened the mood a bit.

Everyone in the village basically left the two alone, which had its upsides and downsides. Sometimes it got a little isolated, but mostly it was nice for them to be alone. Every moment they spent together was precious. They had to make up for the time that would be lost over the next year.

Hiccup had taken to making grand romantic gestures. "To make up for a year's worth of them," he explained. Hiccup enjoyed surprising her with flowers and trinkets. In addition, every morning for seven days, Astrid woke up to breakfast in bed.

She also tolerated being kidnapped more than once via dragon-back to experience some new beautiful land Hiccup had discovered. It was starting to get so ridiculous; she was on edge almost all the time. But in a good way.

One time, Astrid was heading out of the woods, where she had gone off to practice with her axe. Hiccup figured it would be safer to stay at home. At least, that is what he said. Little did Astrid know he had made other plans. She was walking home, when all of a sudden, her feet were lifted off ground and she was propelled into the sky. "Hiccup!" she screamed. Toothless had her arm between his claws, and she could see her husband above her. The earth and her axe seemed so far away, and she could see the forest whizzing past way beneath her. "What are you doing?" she shouted up to her husband. He did not reply. Finally, Toothless released her. Screeching, she tumbled through the air. Desperately, her arms flailing, she tried to grab the branch of an oncoming tree.

She succeeded. Holding on with barely two hands, her hair whipping her face, Astrid looked up. Toothless landed on the top of tree, bending it slightly. "You okay?" Hiccup asked, grinning. She glared at him, pulling herself onto the branch, and quickly grabbing the familiar-looking tree trunk. "What do you think?" she replied, huffing. Hiccup laughed. "I would have caught you, don't worry," he assured her.

"Come on," he said, extending his hand. "Why?" She inquired suspiciously. "Let me show you," he said theatrically. Astrid rolled her eyes. "You're re-enacting our first ride on Toothless, aren't you."

Hiccup shrugged. "Maybe," he said. His wife shook her head, smirking.

"Fine," she said finally, "then let's do this right."

She straightened up, and tried to look furious. "Hiccup! Get me down from here!" she commanded fiercely. "You have to give me a chance to explain!" Hiccup replied happily, restating exactly what he said the first time this occurred. "I am not listening to anything you have to say!" Astrid declared, pushing her hair out of her eyes seductively. "Then," Hiccup chuckled, "I won't speak. Just let me show you. Please, Astrid." His wife grinned.

Hiccup extended his hand, and she slapped it away gently, clambering gingerly onto Toothless. "Now get me down," she said, kissing his cheek. "Toothless, down," her husband said, smiling, "gently." Toothless spread his wings and the wind slowly lifted them into the air. "See?" Hiccup continued, buckling down for the impact, "Nothing to be afraid of…" Astrid grabbed him around the waist in anticipation, and closed her eyes. Toothless launched himself into the sky at top speed.

Astrid screamed in excitement. "Oh, Great Odin's ghost!" she whooped, "Oh, this is it!" Hiccup gave a yell of joy as they shot towards the edges of Berk, toward the ocean. "Augh! Toothless! What is wrong with you? Bad dragon!" They plunged towards the waves below. Astrid held her breath, recalling this.

"A-ha, he's uh, he's not usually like this…Oh no..." Toothless rolled to the rise and dived straight down, plunging in and out of the waves. Astrid hooted as the salty spray coated them. "Toothless, what are you doing, we need her to like us!" Hiccup yelled gleefully, as the Nightfury soared up again and started doing aileron rolls. "And now, the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile!"

Astrid bust out in hysterics. "Okay," she hollered, doubled up, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just get me off of this thing!" Toothless looked back at the couple, clearly amused, and stretched out his wings to rise gently into the clouds. Astrid sighed.

"I love this part," she whispered, gazing up. Hiccup cleared his throat. "Not part of the script!" he muttered under his breath. Astrid snickered, but gave in. They flew in silence, admired the magnificent swirls and curls of the heavens. Hiccup leaned back into Astrid's lap, and she stroked his hair nonchalantly. He gazed up at her. He took her other hand, and held it to his heart. They smiled at each other.

"Alright, I admit it," Astrid murmured, "This is pretty cool." Hiccup watched her intently. She resumed, "It's amazing. He's amazing." Astrid reached out to pet Toothless' side with the hand that was not in Hiccup's grasp. Her husband beamed at her. "How did I get so lucky," he wondered aloud.

"That's not part of the script," Astrid said, smirking. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"I think we've finished that now," he said, sitting up, and turning himself around to face Astrid.

He hooked in his metal foot again.

"You're flying backwards," his wife pointed out.

"So?"

"That's dangerous."

"Being married to you is dangerous," Hiccup replied, leaning forward to kiss her. She shrugged in agreement, and accepted the kiss. He bent further towards her. Astrid pulled him nearer, smiling against his lips, and kissed him again. He slid his hands behind her back, and tried to bring them tighter together.

Astrid pushed back against his chest, chuckling. "We can't get any closer unless you want me to do a split," she said, "we're sitting on a dragon, remember." Hiccup laughed, running his fingers through his hair. "Okay," he said, "We'll save this for later."

After one last kiss, he maneuvered himself back around, and they soared home to Berk.