Since the last chapter went up I got two new messages from new unrelated!Valcup shippers! Welcome aboard the ship. We have cupcakes. And super adorable Hiccup/Valka.

-HTTYD-

"I'm nervous. What if they hate me?"

Valka rolled her eyes as Hiccup shifted nervously. He was usually the one to steady her when she got wound up, but now those roles were being reversed as Hiccup prepared to meet her parents. He'd asked if he should dresss up smartly, which Valka had laughed outright at.

"Hiccup, they won't. I won't deny they find our age gap odd. But... I love you. Ty adores you. They just want to meet you."

Telling her dad had been nerve-wracking, but Valka didn't want to tell Hiccup that. So instead she kissed him, which certainly seemed to distract him from his anxieties, fingers curling around her back as Hiccup deepened it and pulled Valka tighter to him. A minute scrap of rationality surged up and made Valka pull away before they got too carried away, heart skipping as Hiccup huffed in protest.

"Spoilsport."

"Hey! Mom is not a spoilsport!"

Hiccup's face transformed into a warm smile, turning to look down at Tyr happily.

"You are quite right, I'm sorry. Promise to tell your grandparents I'm awesome?"

"Well duh! You are!"

They hugged, utterly adorable and Valka was fairly sure one look at how good Hiccup was with Ty would at least convince her parents to give their relationship a proper chance. The knock at the door made Hiccup frown, the rarity of her parents being the ones to drive down to her already a little off-setting, but Valka didn't really believe anything bad was going to happen.

"Grandma! Grandpa!"

"Tyranno!"

Valka glanced over and saw a soft smile of amusement on Hiccup's face, fondness for the nickname Ty had from his grandfather there in his face. Tyr greeted them before they'd even got in, Hiccup awkwardly hovering in her kitchen waiting. She'd wait until later to tell him he was so cute when he was awkward.

"Mom, dad. This is Hiccup."

"Nice to meet you both."

They looked him over, tense silence stretching out a little too long.

"What sort of a name is Hiccup?"

"A nickname. I was short and scrawny as a kid, like the book character. It stuck. Nobody really calls me anything else."

Before there was even a proper introduction under their belt, Rama surged forwards and yanked a very surprised Hiccup into a hug. He blinked before returning it hesitantly, side-glancing her mother as though worried she might bite.

"I hear plenty about you from little Tyr. And my daughter says you're a good man."

"Oh. Thank you."

Wanting to ensure they liked Hiccup it seemed, Tyr tugged at his grandfathers arm.

"Come see what Hiccup drew mom for Christmas."

Hiccup actually blushed as they went to admire the portrait, and looked infinitely relieved that Valka came up and slid her arms around him, reassuring.

"It's going to be fine."

"I just want them to like me."

Shaking her head fondly, Valka kissed his cheek and squeezed his middle.

"Relax."

It took a little time for conversation to not feel awkward, but once Hiccup got into his usual comfort zone he was his usual funny, oddly charming self. And then once Rama brought out embarrassing childhood stories about Valka, he was enthralled despite the fact Valka was mortified. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not when he kissed her and said she looked cute while blushing.

"I'd love to watch your parents embarrass you more, but I better go sort dinner."

"Can I help?"

"Sure. Go wash your hands little dragon."

They left the living room, so Valka's parents turned to her.

"He cooks?"

"Exceedingly well. And Ty loves helping."

Her father sat quietly reflecting for a minute, then looked up at her with those keen eyes of his.

"Are you happy love?"

"I am. I wasn't looking for... anything, really, especially in someone so young. But Hiccup is wonderful, and he enriches mine and Ty's lives."

Smiling at each other, her parents seemed to nod.

"Then that's all we need. You're a grown woman Val, you don't need our approval. But you have it anyway."

Before Valka could answer, a little voice came from the crack of the doorway between living room and kitchen.

"See, they like you!"

"Well now they know you were listening in Tyr."

"Oops!"

The door suddenly closed, laughter ringing in the air in his wake as they shared amusement over Tyr getting caught out. Before the laughter abated, Hiccup poked his head through the door again, still smiling.

"I'm just going to check on Toothless, could you keep a very distant, not-touching eye on the food?"

"You are terrible!"

Hiccup winked.

"Thanks."

Even as he left, Valka felt that warm fuzzy feeling in her chest again. He was unfairly sweet and lovely, and she knew she'd never really stood a chance of not falling for him from the minute her terrible little crush developed. Still, now they were actually just quite settled, a couple, with grown up things like overnight stays and dinners and he was good with her son. And they'd met each others parents and, so far, survived that.

All that was left to deal with now...

"So is Sven still going ahead with this nonsense?"

Ty had gone with Hiccup to see Toothless, so they could talk freely for a moment of the custody challenge.

"Unfortunately. I'm waiting to recieve another home check. Then I think it's a matter of waiting for a date."

"Has Ty been going as previously agreed?"

"No, but he's very upset with his father and said himself he doesn't want to go right now. He still misses him. And I don't doubt Sven will use it as ammunition, but what am I going to do? Force Ty to go when I know the sort of thing Sven might say to him?"

Rama rubbed her back, hugging her and Valka felt that familiar strength come through; no matter how old she got, her mother was a rock.

"It will all come good. There is not a shred of reason why anybody would say you were an unfit mother. And ten minutes with your young boyfriend ought to set anybody straight about the influence he has on your son."

Nodding to herself, Valka hugged her mother back a little tighter.

"I know that really, but... gods, Hiccup outright said he'd break up with me before he let anybody seperate me and Ty. How do I possibly articulate..."

Quietly observing and listening until then, her father joined in.

"Well, if the custody challenge includes him, you could get some legal ammunition for yourself. Get a lawyer, get them to obtain character references for your boyfriend. Prove he has no criminal record, no history of being anything other than a good person. He's financially stable, holds down a skilled job."

Valka absorbed his words, the conversation ceasing when the front door opened to admit both her son and her boyfriend, Hiccup holding a box that he placed on the side. They took turns hugging her in greeting, then Hiccup resumed tending to the food on the oven, charging duty of laying the table to Tyr. Valka mused that her son seemed quieter than earlier, but sometimes he was like that. Less so since Hiccup, but he was still a quiet type, and Valka was fine with that.

"I forgot to ask, are you guys allergic to anything?"

Her parents both answered in the negative, and Valka noticed that despite not saying anything, Hiccup had made a meal packed with vegetables and healthy things - following her fathers new diet to protect his heart health. Honestly, he wasn't allowed to be so perfect.

"Oh wow, Val wasn't lying. This is amazing!"

Hiccup smiled, ducked his head bashfully.

"Thank you. I enjoy cooking and baking. Valka is always telling me off for making too many cakes because she can't resist."

Valka mock-glared, to which Hiccup grinned with not a trace of repentance. Finally more comfortable, he reached and squeezed her hand, leant over and pecked a kiss on her cheek. She couldn't keep the smile from her face then, cheeks warming. Tyr giggled nearby, perking up now Hiccup's cooking was within reach. Dinner was comfortable, delicious and went over very well. Dessert - which Hiccup had made low sugar and low fat but still rich and tasty - went over equally well, leaving everybody full and relaxed afterwards, and Valka felt quite sure the cooking alone had won over her father.

Letting Tyr climb up onto his lap so he could snuggle up with them, Hiccup smiled over at Valka, eyes warm and soft and full of all those dizzying feelings that probably would have terrified her six months ago. Hiccup had been so steady for her, letting her choose their pace, dictate who knew about them. And then sticking with her through the upheaval of her ex husband threatening to tear her son from her. That same son who was utterly content to curl up against Hiccup's chest, stretching his legs over Valka's lap to ensure she was included too, Hiccup's arm wrapped loosely around Tyr. Not much a fan of physical contact unless he really knew the person, the fact Tyr was so tactile with Hiccup spoke volumes. She could see that her parents recognised that too, fond smiles aimed at where Tyr was slowly growing more sleepy.

"You want to go to bed yet Tyr?"

"Not tired!"

Biting back a giggle, Valka shook her head as Tyr wriggled closer and looked set on not moving at all, flashing his mother a cheeky smile. Hiccup laughed at them both, looking equally content with the moment. He knew Tyr wasn't very physical too, and respected the boys boundaries, but he also visibly delighted in the fact he was one of Ty's chosen few. When Ty obviously had fallen asleep, Hiccup scooped him up and said he'd carry him up. Valka fretted letting him - Hiccup's prosthetic wasn't designed for extra weight, and he didn't like doing stairs on it, but he'd done it before and would only shush her if Valka tried to stop him, then point out Tyr was not exactly that heavy.

"I got his glasses and slippers off, but he was out before his head hit the pillow and I put his slippers in their place, then his glasses in the case on his bedside."

Hiccup probably couldn't put all Ty's shoes away in their perfect order, but he was picking things up along the way and doing his best to work with Tyr's little quirks. Introducing him to her parents seemed to be making Valka emotional, all the things she simply loved about him suddenly popping up and reminding her of them over and over. Hiccup gave her a toothy, lopsided grin, then glanced at the time.

"I should get going, you can spend time with your parents before bed then. And Toothless is probably lonely."

Reluctant to let him go when she was so full of feelings, Valka nodded and followed him to the door. He kissed her sweetly, soundly, hands resting loosely on her waist.

"I love you. And your parents are... I see where you got it all from."

Valka felt her face crease in faint confusion, even as she warmed from his words of love.

"Got what from?"

Hiccup gestured to all of her, beaming.

"You."

-HTTYD-

Short but... chapter moods vary between this and next one, so I wanted to keep this happy fluffy thing all by itself! Aren't they precious?