Brace yourself, kids! Bumpy roads ahead.

~Em

Since Em didn't put it in her note, I feel like I should add that this chapter will have some suggestive content. It probably pushes past the T-rating but isn't smut.

~KateMarie999

Chapter Twenty-One: Consumed

Around two in the afternoon, Hiccup found himself in the square helping the fishermen load dozens and dozens of barrels onto carts. With winter coming in the next ten to twelve weeks, they only had so much time to stock up on food and other things. The morning air had been a tad chilly, making him think of his son. The vague little note made his heart rise into his throat, but at least he was alive. He hoped he'd be able to find decent shelter wherever he was. Thankfully the afternoons were decently warm though; his son wouldn't freeze to death out there. Yet.

"Aaaaaaalright," Hiccup groaned, shoving the last barrel into a car. He wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and pointed down the street. "Let's get these to the Hall. Set them in the freeze room in an organized manner. Snotlout and I will get the counts later."

"Yes sir."

Hiccup watched the men and few teenagers begin to push the carts down the street. He sighed heavily, looking down at his loose wool shirt hanging off his (mostly) thin frame. He wondered if it was strange for the younger kids to see him wearing something so… well, normal. It wasn't often he went through the day wearing no leather or armor, aside from a few chiefly items he knew he'd need. But the day was calm with warm, clear skies. Sometimes it was okay to be comfortable.

"Hey."

Hiccup turned at the sound of his wife's voice, but his eyes widened when he saw her. She wasn't dressed any different than usual—a fitted wool top, armored skirt with dark leggings, headband and boots. She looked the same as she always did. Maybe it was the fact that she wore the headband he'd made for her twentieth birthday or that her hair was draped across her shoulder in a golden braid. Whatever it was, it seemed to steal his breath away.

"Hiccup?" Astrid waved a hand in his face.

He shook himself, pulling out of his trance. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Hiccup crossed his arms, darting a look down to stare at his boots but glancing across her body instead. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine."

Astrid stared at him quizzically. "Are you sure? Because you're acting…"

"Weird? Stupid?"

His wife smiled mischievously. "Funny."

"Me, funny? Ha…" Hiccup half-turned, looking away. "I don't know what you're talking about, Astrid."

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Ask you?" Hiccup shook his head. "No, definitely not."

"No?"

"No." Hiccup fought the urge to smirk as he shook his head. Her blue eyes glittered with amusement, nearly making him choke on his tongue. "N-nothing at all. Nothing here from Hiccup. Nope, he's definitely just… being stupid, as per usual."

"Oh shut up." Astrid pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him firmly.

Hiccup's eyes fluttered shut and he deepened the kiss, resting his hands on her shoulders. She gave a soft sigh, but pulled away all too soon. Hiccup nearly pouted when she stood in front of him, ignoring Tuffnut's catcall nearby. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and sighed.

"I have to do laundry."

Hiccup frowned sympathetically. "And I have a harvest meeting in twenty minutes."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you tonight." Astrid pecked his lips a final time before walking to Stormfly, conversing with Toothless nearby.

Hiccup watched her go from the middle of the street, arms crossed. He chewed his cheek pensively, wishing he could go home and spend time with her. This was the first time in a long, long time that he was reallyfeeling anything. He knew she has been patient for most of the summer, probably longer, for him to come around but things got out of hand and he'd gotten carried away. But the way she teased him last night… he'd been thinking about it most of the morning. Even after all these years, she still drove him crazy.

And now he had to get stuck in another stupid meeting and sacrifice more time that he could… no should be spending with his wife. He was tired of meetings and deadlines and rowdy teenagers and stress and worry and-

Hiccup stopped in his tracks. He was the chief. He'd been working his tail off the entire summer without stopping, without taking a break, without taking time for himself and his wife was the one suffering for it. Theywere suffering for it. If he was never home and never made time for his family, things were bound to get haywire. Maybe that was another reason things have gotten so out of hand recently.

But he couldn't keep putting things off with Astrid. He had enough problems in his life. He didn't need to have marital issues on top of it. He wanted to be there for his wife; he wanted a break from the rest of the world, just for an afternoon. And he was the chief. He was allowed to make that call now and then.

Hiccup exhaled slowly, glancing around the half-full square. Nobody seemed to notice his inner musings as he stood in the middle of the street. He noticed a few councilmen who'd surely be in the Great Hall soon for the meeting. He dashed the thought of cancelling the meeting altogether. He didn't feel like explaining himself. For the first time in a long while, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was skipping out on an important meeting. And he wasn't going to tell a soul about it.

Even though he had to hide the grin, he felt a thrilling swoop in his stomach. He marched over to Toothless, who was sniffing a bread cart nearby. "Hey bud, I need you to do me a favor." He leaned down and whispered something in his ear platelet. Toothless cooed, nodded and promptly licked his face. "Yeah, yeah," Hiccup laughed. "Get out of here."

Toothless jumped onto a nearby roof and began running toward the Great Hall. From the rooftops, any councilmen could see the Night Fury heading that direction, and they would head over. But they didn't know that their chief was in fact heading in the other direction. It would take a while for them to realize that he wasn't there. It would take them even longer to realize he wasn't coming.

Astrid hauled a wide bin of dirty clothes to the wash tub. Resting the bin on the edge, she began throwing clothes into the warm, bubbly water. The bucket was almost empty when she heard the front door close.

"Adri, is that you? Can you bring me any dirty clothes from your bedroom?"

No response came other than muffled footsteps, which stopped at the doorway. Confused, she turned expectantly to look at her daughter, but instead saw her husband, leaning against the doorway with a warm smile.

"Oh." Astrid said in surprise. She shoved her hand into the water and violently shook it back and forth to create bubbles. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting."

"I do."

"Did you need something?"

Hiccup breathed a short laugh behind her. "You could say that."

Astrid quirked an eyebrow at him over her shoulder in confusion. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I feel fine," Hiccup hummed, watching her work. "Great, actually."

"Well, if you're so great then why don't you bring me that other load of laundry over there?"

Her husband grinned. "Can do, milady." Astrid watched him grab a basket of Adrianna's clothes and bring it over to her. She wasn't sure why, but little details began to stand out about him: the way he picked up the loaded basket with ease, his lean muscles tightening underneath his distinctly leather-less outfit; how his eyes glittered when he walked over and handed her the basket, staring down at her with a look she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

She pushed the distracting thoughts aside as she took the basket. "Thank you." Astrid began throwing clothing into the water, shoving them deeper when the pile didn't sink.

Then, she felt the brush of his fingertips at the nape of her neck. Surprised, Astrid stiffened. "What are you doing?"

Hiccup stepped closer, ducking his head to brush his mouth against the shell of her ear. Astrid fought the urge to shiver. "Nothing," he murmured.

Nothing. Yeah, the warmth of his breath on her neck was nothing. Or his hands slowly wrapping around her belly to pull her against his warm chest in that thin wool shirt he wore today. Or the fact that his lips were now on her neck below her ear, warm and inviting.

Astrid squirmed, biting her lip to withhold the squeal threatening to escape. It had been so long since they'd done anything like this, she felt her resolve crumbling quite rapidly. But she steeled herself. If he wanted to play this game, she needed to play hard to get. Just to watch him crumble.

Astrid turned out of his hold, his lips leaving her neck with a pop as she did so. She gave him a teasing smile as she stepped around the tub, plunging various items of clothing into the water as she went. She stood across from him, unable to hide the smirk as he stared at her with vibrant green eyes.

Hiccup leaned his hands against the wooden edge and murmured, "Let's not be cruel."

Had his voice just dropped lower? Her toes danced in her boots at the look he was giving her, but she hid her excitement. "Cruel?" Astrid asked in a lilting voice. "Who's being cruel?"

"You," He replied, stepping toward her around the edge.

"Me? How am I being cruel?" Astrid stepped in the opposite direction.

"Oh I don't know, lots of ways," Hiccup said, still trying to catch up to her. "For one, your beauty kills me every day."

"What, like this thick mop of hair?" Astrid teased, knowing how much he loved her hair.

Hiccup continued, "You're still as strong and smart as you were back then. You haven't changed much at all. The woman I fell in love with never left."

"You haven't changed much either," Astrid quickly stepped away from his hand.

Finally, Hiccup caught her arm and pulled her to him once more. "And the fact that you're teasing me right now is driving me in insane."

Astrid gave a mocking gasp. "Teasing? Me?" She watched as his eyes turned dark with desire and her heart rate accelerated.

"You know what I mean."

"No," Astrid pulled away, edging toward the doorway, keeping up the façade. She could see him growing restless by the second. "You're crazy."

Hiccup stepped around her, blocking the doorway. "It's quite simple really."

"Oh? Do explain."

Her husband swallowed. "I don't know if I can do that."

Astrid hooded her eyes and she stepped up to him. She could see his pulse pounding at his neck. "Then show me."

Hiccup pulled her to his body as close as he could, capturing her mouth with his. Astrid sighed, dragging her damp hands into his thick hair. Her husband kissed her passionately, pushing her into the wall until her form was straight between him and the wood. He tilted her neck up with his hands and kissed her with fast movements, barely taking time to breathe. She loved it when she could bend him to her will like that; tease him to the point that all he could do was be consumed by her.

Attacking his mouth just as passionately, Astrid swung a leg past his hips and pulled herself higher. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her other leg around his waist, suspending her in the air. Astrid groaned against his mouth when he pushed her farther into the wall. After so long, the feeling was indescribable. She couldn't remember the last time he'd pinned her against a wall like this or kissed her so fervently. He wasn't usually so passionate. But times had been rough and it had been a long, long time.

Astrid dragged her nails down his back inside his shirt, making him moan against her mouth. "Astrid…"

"Hmm?"

"W-where's Addie?"

Astrid tried to think through the fog in her brain. "B-babysitting," she panted. "S-she won't be home for a long time."

"Good." Hiccup breathed, staring deeply into her eyes.

She donned a serious expression for a moment. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" Astrid asked teasingly. "Harvest meeting?"

Hiccup's eyes trailed up from her chest to her face, nearly making her squirm in his arms. "Your point?"

Astrid shook her head, staring at his mouth in anticipation. "Bedroom. Now."

Astrid gave a light squeal in surprise when Hiccup pulled her away from the wall and carried her out the door. Even after so many years of marriage, his strength always did surprise her. Astrid held onto his shoulders, teasing him further by dropping sloppy kisses along his scruffy jaw and neck. Hiccup nearly tripped on the last step but finally, he kicked the bedroom door closed and collapsed on top of her in their bed.

In moments, she yanked his shirt off and threw it onto the floor. Hiccup pulled hers over her head before ducking down to lay hot kisses across her chest. He spread his hands along her torso, soaking in her skin and making her whimper.

"H-Hiccup…"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

Hiccup trailed his mouth up her neck and finally dragged his lips against hers. "I love you too. You're so amazing."

"So are you," Astrid gave him a wolfish smile before wrapping her leg around his thigh, pulling on his arm and flipping them in one solid movement.

"Aw but I liked being on t-mmph," Hiccup's partial whine was cut off when she silenced him with a kiss.

His hands wandered the plains of her back while she plundered his mouth. Hiccup went boneless under her except for his hands playing with the edge of her chest binding. In the back of her mind, she couldn't decide what she loved more: being pleasured or pleasuring him.

In the end, it didn't matter. Despite the hardship they'd gone through, it was just another day in their wild, crazy life. They'd learned long ago that love and trust in their spouse was the key to surviving hardships. There was a connection that went deeper than skin, a promise that surpassed words. As long as they had each other, they could move mountains, one stone at a time.

Finn stood outside the Tavern with a dull frown, waiting patiently for Raine to emerge. She'd asked him to meet her here once her work shift ended. The darkening sky looked bleak in the late evening. It was going to rain tonight; he could smell it in the air.

He still felt a knot of depression weighing him down. He felt purposeless, like a ship with a broken rudder. But the forge work during the day and talking things over with Raine as often as he could (not without a little amount of flirting as well), he felt like he could survive this. He still felt cast out and downtrodden, but at least he wasn't completely alone.

Raine. Gods, she was beautiful. He felt the same as he had when he first met her the other day. She was a natural beauty with an open heart and listening ear. She spoke wise words that he hadn't heard before and even when it hurt, she spoke the truth. He could admire all of these qualities. But the more time he spent with her, he couldn't help but feel very attracted to her.

He was just telling himself to get a grip when the door swung open and Raine stepped out. "Hey!"

"Hi," Finn smiled, pushing off the wall. "Where we going?"

"Oh, I just figured we could go for a walk before it rains. It's supposed to be stormy for the next few days."

"Days? I can understand tonight but days? How can you tell?" Finn asked.

"The fishermen were talking about it all day," Raine replied, leading him through the streets. "I guess they can tell these things."

"Ah. Okay."

Silence followed as they walked through the streets. Finn kept his eyes on the ground, occasionally glancing over at Raine's leather boots. He couldn't help but admire the shape of her legs under her leggings or the way her belt cinched at her waist just right. The more time he spent with her, the more he couldn't deny his attraction for her. But he kept his hands stuck deep in his pockets, unwilling to make a fool of himself. She probably didn't even see him like that.

"Finn?"

The Haddock boy looked up. "Hm?"

Raine stared at him in the evening light, her blue eyes shining. She came to a stop in the middle of the dark alley, watching him. Finally, she quietly asked, "Do you know how long you'll be on Brawn?"

Finn winced. "I don't know. I guess however long I need to, until I come up with a plan or… figure out what I want to do."

"I want to help you."

"Help me?" Finn echoed. "How could you possibly help me with this? You've already helped me a lot with advice or just listening. You can't fix my problems, Raine."

"I just want to see you happy," Raine said. "You're a great guy, and I hate seeing that glum look on your face. I want to make it go away."

Finn lightly scoffed, looking at his boots. "It would take a lot to make it go away."

Raine slowly stepped forward in the darkness, ducking a bit to catch his eye. Finn's heart froze at how close in proximity she suddenly was. Then, without warning, she kissed him.

Her lips were soft, smooth and warm, the first kiss testing his reaction. Then she stepped even closer, pressing her mouth fully against his, tilting her head to deepen the kiss further.

Finn's head spun. Raine definitely had experience kissing but this knowledge didn't deter him. In a moment of boldness, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth. Raine gasped and pushed him into the wall behind him, shoving her hands into his hair.

She wanted him. He could feel it under his hands by the way she hummed when he pulled her into his chest. He'd kissed a few different girls now, but they were nothing like Raine. Helga had been innocent, Dana was uncensored and rough… Raine was both confident and gentle, leading and demanding. Willing.

Finn threw all propriety out the window. Twisting so he pinned her against the wall, Finn kissed her passionately. He pressed a knee up between her legs, making her squeal and claw at the back of his shirt.

"F-Finn," she gasped into his shirt when he moved to her neck. Finn didn't reply. "Finn."

He pulled away from her neck with a panting sigh. "What?"

"What do you want?'

Finn stared into her eyes, his heart rate picking up even more than he thought possible. "I think you know."

Raine smiled knowingly and gave him a sloppy kiss. "Then follow me."

"W-where are we going?" Finn asked. He hated stopping while things were getting so heated up.

"My house."

Finn gulped. "Wouldn't your family be home?"

"I live with my sister Sophie but she's on vacation. Remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Finn felt a thrilling swoop in his stomach when he realized they'd be alone. No adults, no parents, no sisters to drop in and stop them. If he knew where her house was, he was positive he'd be dragging her across the town to get there.

Luckily, Raine seemed just as urgent. As they jogged through the dark streets, she kept giving him warm smiles over her shoulder that kept him moving forward. He wanted that smile to be the last thing he saw tonight.

Finally, she led them to a small house at the end of the village. As she opened the door, Finn vaguely thought there were less neighbors in the vicinity as well, so this boded well. He briefly wondered if he should be thinking of all these things, but soon after Raine yanked him inside.

The house was dark but Raine dragged him toward the back where a staircase led to the upstairs. She went up two stairs but Finn stopped. She looked down at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"Come here," Finn yanked her toward him. He wanted to carry her up the stairs. He needed to feel strong again. Raine complied, even going so far as to wrap her legs around his hips. He exhaled shakily, taking the stairs as quickly as he could. Raine opened the door and pushed it open. Finn walked in and when he saw her bed, all thoughts instantly disappeared from his head.

He dropped Raine onto her bed and clambered after her. Raine clutched at his shirt while he kissed her, fumbling at the edges of her shirt as he went. Once discarded, Finn ran his hands down the pale skin of her chest and belly. She was so much different than Helga and Dana in that they were muscular and fit, hardened by dragon riding and battle training. Raine was soft and smooth, unblemished by weapons or dragon scales. Her skin curved and glowed in the candlelight. Finn swallowed, drinking in the sight of her lying in front of him.

"Enjoying the view?" Raine asked in a sultry voice. Her eyes drank in the sight of his bare torso with a hungry glint.

I have to be strong. Finn growled lowly in his throat. "Take that off."

Raine gave him a heated smile, sitting up on her elbows to comply. Finn had never seen a bare woman before but his heart pounded in his chest in anticipation. When Raine threw her breast binding onto the floor, all he could do was stare, transfixed. He couldn't seem to move or think or breathe.

"Finn," Raine whispered, drawing closer. Her lips ghosted over his seductively, then pulled away. Finn's eyes fluttered shut, but at the last second he caught the victorious look in her eye.

"You're so cruel," He muttered haggardly before pressing her down onto the bed. He captured her mouth in his, aching to feel every curve of her body pressed against his. He felt her half-clothed body beneath him, every patch of soft, supple skin against his own. He could barely think about anything but one single thought.

I deserve this.

Raine didn't make it easier when she wrapped a leg around his waist and pulled him closer. He gasped and pulled away from her mouth, suddenly transfixed on a single point. Raine seemed to sense his thoughts and dragged her free leg up the back of his leg whilst giving him a smile.

"We're only halfway there, Haddock." She whispered into his ear. "What do you want?"

Finn lost it. The next minute was a blur of activity as all remaining clothing was shed between them. Finn felt himself losing control rapidly as he kissed her and felt her soft skin moving beneath him. He'd never felt euphoria like this before and his life had been such a living hell in the past almost three years, he could barely stand the thought of going back. All he wanted to do was to lose himself for a time, he didn't want to think about the pain and sadness anymore. He wanted to be happy, he wanted to be strong. Could he be both?

Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around Raine's waist and pulled her closer. Burying his face in her neck, he prepared himself when Raine's firm voice interrupted, "Wait. Wait." They both froze, panting for a few seconds when Finn suddenly realized something.

"Finn, are you crying?"

He was. He hadn't even realized it. But suddenly the emotion surged forward and a sob wracked his system. Raine untangled herself from his limbs and wrapped her arms around his head.

"What's wrong?"

Finn shook his head. He didn't even know anymore. Here he was, willing to give himself up to a girl he barely knew, on the very cusp of doing so, and he broke down.

"Finn?" Raine gently asked in his ear. "Listen to me, okay? I don't think we should do this."

The boy buried his face into her neck further and sniffled. "I'm such a waste."

"No! No, you're not, Finn."

"I'm so tired of being weak and alone. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Raine was silent for a few minutes while Finn tried to reign in his emotions. Finally, she spoke: "Finn, look at me." She waited patiently for him to raise his head and make eye contact. The look of pity in her eyes mixed with the sight of her messed up hair gave him a set of confusing emotions that he didn't know what to do with. "We shouldn't do this. It wouldn't make you feel better. In fact, I think it would make you feel worse."

"Raine, I need this. I need to do something."

"Honey, sex doesn't make things better." Raine said sympathetically. "I shouldn't have brought it upon you because right now, this is the last thing you need. When your heart is hurting and you're grieving, this isn't something you want to do to try to make yourself feel better. It will only leave you emptier."

"I can't possibly get emptier than this," Finn mumbled.

"I wanted to make you happy," Raine said quietly. "If I allow us to do this, you won't feel happy."

Finn sighed, rubbing his puffy eyes. He wanted to. He wanted it so badly. He could still do it too. She was still lying beneath him, skin on skin. But when he looked into her eyes, she saw genuine sympathy… and fear. He could see it there in the way her shoulders tensed slightly and her hand holding his tightly. At this point, it wasn't about what was wise for him anymore. She didn't want it. Even though he could easily overpower her and get what he dearly wanted, the thought sickened him.

He hadn't noticed his own emotional state and even better, he hadn't noticed her taking notice of his emotional state. He wanted it, felt like he deserved it even… but she didn't. He could see in her eyes that she was done. He wouldn't force himself on her, no matter how hard it would be to stop.

At long last, Finn sat up and sat on the edge of the bed, fumbling for his pants. He could hear Raine rustling in a drawer to probably clothe herself as well. He kept his eyes on the floor as he quickly dressed, unwilling to look at her body again. He didn't trust himself.

He began to pull on his shirt when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Finn… do you want to stay the night?"

Finn looked up at her, trying to ignore the lightweight shirt she wore with shorts. He shook his head. "What do you want me to do?"

"This isn't about me." Raine sat beside him and held his hand. "I won't throw you out if you don't want to go back to the chief's tonight. You can stay here."

The boy fought the emotion welling up in his throat. "I…" He wanted to stay. He didn't want to go back to another happy house to lie awake all night long.

Raine gently turned his cheek to face her. "Stay."

Finn choked back the tears but finally nodded.

"Come on," Raine nodded back toward the bed. Together they snuggled in, Finn wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his side. Raine blew out the candles, casting the room in darkness. Finn could still feel the warmth in the sheets from their earlier activities, but he forced those thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want to give her no choice but to throw him out if he couldn't control himself.

"Goodnight, Finn." Raine whispered.

Finn swallowed. "Night, Raine."

Nearly twenty minutes later, Raine's breathing evened out and she relaxed against his arm. Finn stared at the ceiling, wondering just what exactly he was doing anymore. He felt as if he'd lost everything he'd held dear: his family, his morals, his sanity. It would take a miracle to turn things around.

Except he wasn't turning around. He was heading farther and farther away from everything he'd ever known. Berk, his parents, his twin sister, his friends… Benen. He'd always relied on Benen's strength to make decisions. He prided himself on making decisions. But it seemed that since he'd left Berk, his very foundations had been rocked.

Fearless Finn didn't know who he was or what he wanted. He didn't know where he was going or what the next step in the plan was. For once in his life, he didn't have a plan. He didn't have an agenda. He didn't have anything to prove because he felt totally, truly worthless.

And nothing on the horizon said that he could change the course of his future.

Two chapters in the course of a day? You bet! We'll need a little break after this so don't panic if we don't update right away. Please thank the lovely Em for writing all of it. I've been tasked with the next chapter so hopefully it'll be up to snuff.

I realized that some people were having issues with our blog so here's the link (remove the spaces): emandkate . weebly . com

Don't forget to review!

~KateMarie999