Still holding votes for which Valcup is next. Presently it's the altered HTTYD1 story, but there's an unrelated!Valcup modern AU you can vote for too.
This takes place when Leo Magni Haddock is about seven months old, if you were confused by a time jump.
Also possibly late but quite (maybe very) long chapter!
-HTTYD-
Cold weather was a bitch. His stump pretty much always hurt when it was cold, and it was very cold. It made getting out of bed seem insurmountable, especially when Hiccup had a toasty-warm bedmate that ensured he spent the night without a chill; despite the fact she didn't really let him sleep in clothes. He got away with pyjama bottoms sometimes, but Valka tended to baulk at him putting on a t-shirt for bed.
He liked feeling her bare skin on his own, their scars pressing together, too much to argue. Leo started to gurgle angrily, and Hiccup knew when he got up he'd find the boy gnawing on his fist. According to Nadia, that and the excessive drooling added up to one thing - he was teething. Cutting the first tooth was a very stressful time for babies. Especially babies in perpetual bad moods about their boots-and-bar brace.
Hiccup rolled over to reach for his leg, feeling Valka's arm tighten on his waist as she grumbled sleepily. He smiled at the behaviour, but nudged her arm away all the same.
"Magni is awake."
"Ah."
Bracing himself, Hiccup slowly ventured out into the cool morning air beyond blankets. According to the display on his phone, it was a balmy minus three degrees Celsius outside. His sleep-warmed skin protested the icy air inside, where his house was several degrees warmer. He had a jumper by the side of his bed ready to put on, which he tossed between the sheets to warm up after standing up.
"Hey little warrior, what's wrong?"
He'd only woken them two hours ago for a nappy change an hour and a half ago, and when Hiccup checked he was still dry. His gums looked red and sore though, and he was drooling all over his little pudgy fist.
"You and Toothless match. C'mon, lets get you settled."
Hiccup hugged the boy to his chest, hissing at the cold bar pressing into his stomach but knowing it was worth it for Magni to relax feeling skin under his hands. Valka was sat up, shuffled over to reach for him and Hiccup handed their son over. Hiccup about leapt out of his skin when his phone started ringing, grabbing his jumper and leaving the room so Astrid wouldn't hear Valka and Leo in his room.
"Hello?"
His voice was still raspy with sleep, but Astrid had no such concern.
"Happy Christmas!"
"Odin Astrid, volume! I've been awake a whole three and a half minutes."
Tugging his jumper on with the phone on loudspeaker, Hiccup cuddled himself in the warmed fabric.
"Sorry. But this is the first time we've not been together since Christmas eve. Ever."
They had discussed it, but since Astrid, Heather and Dagur all got rather drunk the previous night, they agreed that wasn't good for the baby.
"I know. How long have you been up?"
"About an hour. How's your leg?"
"Bit stiff. I assume you guys will be over soon?"
He could hear Heather and Dagur in the background, groaning about hangovers which Astrid was seemingly immune to.
"Unless you need longer to settle mini Magni?"
Hiccup hummed as he thought about it.
"Maybe. Say... eleven? Gives me time to make sure those two are alright and start cooking before Dagur gets here and starts trying to steal it."
"Sounds great. See you soon bro."
"Yeah, see you soon."
The brace and boots on little Magni's feet only came off for ten minutes every couple of days to bathe him, and otherwise they had to stay on all the time. Still, he had no problem crawling - Hiccup's floor had the scratches in to prove it. They had been advised by the paediatric orthopaedic guy how to pad the brace now, and Magni happily dragged it around behind him when crawling.
"C'mon, I have a terribly festive outfit for you to hate. Hofferson tradition for babies first Christmas. I was a Christmas pudding. Astrid was an angel."
Valka laughed at the photos Hiccup showed her while he wrangled Leo into the elf-themed babygro for the traditional photo.
"I was going to get him the hat but his hair is quite thick and I worried it would make him itch."
Magni was very perturbed by his outfit, tugging at the sticky out bits until Hiccup lifted him into his arms.
"I'll put your comfies back on in a minute, just calm down for one minute little man."
Pictures successfully taken, Hiccup changed his sons outfit back to his favourite onesie, which Hiccup had already had to add new fabric to the knees of. He was wearing them out before he outgrew them - not a problem Hiccup had ever heard a parent complain of, but then Leo didn't grow much. He was gaining weight and growing some, but they had been told to expect him to be of smaller stature.
"There we go. Better? Thought so. C'mon, I have mashed bananas and a teething ring waiting for you in the kitchen."
Navigating high chairs with that brace wasn't easy either; they had eventually found some where the baby-tray swung out so they could lower him in. Leo liked the kitchen, so once he had food to mush into his hair and occasionally his mouth - he resisted all attempts of them trying to feed him - and his teething ring to gnaw on, the grizzly creature was quite settled.
Hiccup made porridge for breakfast since it was warming and filling - the time for decadent food would come later. Then he cleaned the banana out of the infants messy locks, kissed Leo's head and started on the slog of Christmas dinner for four and Dagur. He hadn't been totally present last Christmas, still twisting from Valka's departure. This year he was celebrating with his son, which felt much better.
"When are the others joining us?"
"I said eleven, so probably ten thirty."
Of course, in the back of his mind Hiccup was thinking about how this might be the only Christmas they celebrated as both parents with their son. Curling on the sofa with Magni laying on his chest and Valka holding his hand, Hiccup tried to focus on enjoying the moment. Not panicking about the future.
The decorations, while not as muted and slightly-haphazard as last year, were still minimal. Leo was at 'grab everything' stage, and so trails of lights or tinsel were just asking for trouble. There was a tree - with baby-proof fencing around it - to put gifts under, that had some of the decorations on but the Hofferson family had always celebrated the family aspect of the holidays. Well, that and food.
Heather and Dagur's parents had appreciated that too many people would upset the baby, and so Astrid and Heather were spending Christmas Day at Hofferson Central, then Boxing Day with Mr and Mrs B.
Hiccup had other company joining them for Boxing Day.
"It's Christmas!"
"Dagur, quieten down or I will gag you with your jumper."
Their noise announced them as the door opened, but thankfully Dagur adjusted his volume when they got inside and didn't set the baby off crying. Magni recognised by voice better than sight, continuing Hiccups concerns he'd need glasses but that wasn't the end of the world, he told himself. Naturally, he adored Astrid.
"Hello little cutie. Oh, look at your new boots! He grew them?"
After dumping the gifts they brought along under the tree, Astrid liberated the boy from Hiccup's arms, ignoring the brace bar that dug into her a little as she kissed Leo's soft face. She completely ignored his drool too.
"Enough that they gave him new ones. He's been super grumpy about it ever since, they're made of leather and have to sorta wear in."
"Can't he have better shoes?"
"When he's older and doesn't need them twenty-four seven. It sucks for him, I know, but it's the easiest way to ensure they don't come back."
Hiccup took Leo back so he could get the boy sat with his teething ring, which was the magic cure for a grizzly teething babe.
"Why does the kitchen smell like banana?"
"Because someone " Hiccup eyed a certain baby pointedly "decorated it with their breakfast."
"Ah."
As everyone settled in, Hiccup noted Dagur's Christmas jumper. He tried to outdo himself each year. This year was a massive green dragon draped in red bows, surrounded by... rocks? It probably made sense to Dagur.
"Did mini Magni here take part in the Hofferson tradition?"
"Of course. But he didn't like the outfit."
Astrid giggled, tickling the babe and watching him squeal with laughter and try to defend himself. He couldn't kick out with the bar brace, but he could lug it around frighteningly well and Astrid was nursing a bruise on her arm a few minutes later. Valka apologised, but Astrid waved her off.
"I forgive him. He's too cute to stay mad at."
Any lingering animosity Astrid had toward Valka was put aside for Christmas Day. Heather helped Hiccup not freak out about cooking dinner, and a certain little viking threw so much mashed potato to the ground Hiccup was amazed he ate any of it.
"I'm guessing he's gonna be real fun to wean."
"Oh, I'm sure he'll come around when his gums aren't quite so sore. Come on little one."
Hiccup kept his eyes resolutely on his plate, separating leftover vegetables into piles rather than look up at Valka feeding Leo at the table. Nobody batted an eye at her doing it - everyone was eating, and she'd never covered it up before. Even Dagur only did one double-take.
"How long do you do that for? Only I was a little young to remember myself and when Heather was born I was too busy throwing jealous tantrums."
Thankfully, Valka didn't mind answering blunt questions from a tactless ginger.
"Six months is just on milk, whether formula or nursed. Then it's a case of slowly weaning their diet up until they are about two. Sometimes three, depending on their needs."
"Oh. Cool."
With that, Dagur resumed trying to set a record for eating potatoes. Astrid was his main competition. Hiccup, having made some progress with his low appetite, was still quite stuffed and pushed his plate away. Dagur took up his leftovers with only a quick 'you done?' gesture. Well, it saved clearing the plate himself.
"So, presents then dessert?"
Astrid looked to Hiccup for confirmation, and the whole 'decision maker' thing was slightly disconcerting.
"Sounds good. I think we should wait til Leo goes down for his nap though, all the ripping and excitement will probably upset him and he usually gets sleepy after eating."
Everyone agreed, so they sat with drinks until green eyes began to droop in response to his mothers humming. Hiccup brought the baby monitor out after putting him in his room - Leo had never slept upstairs in his short life, but the lie had to be maintained - and joined the others around the tree.
They'd even gotten Valka and Leo gifts - simple stuff like fruit tea and books, toys and tiny clothes with the boot brace in mind, but it was inclusion all the same. Most of Leo's outfits had poppers on the legs. Hiccup wasn't always great at gift giving, but he reckoned the gift card for Dagu's favourite protein supplement store went down well.
Astrid was enthralled by the new walking boots Hiccup got her - matching sets for her and Heather. Hiccup had even detailed 'hers and hers' in elegant blue and silver along the sides, used a special sealant to hold the design on.
"These are great! If this comes off you're so redoing it."
"No problem. Just warn me cus I need special paint for that."
"Well duh."
Hiccup was thoroughly unsurprised and yet ecstatic about his many art-themed gifts. Astrid had gotten him a new drawing tablet to give him a new medium, and Heather and Dagur (and their parents, according to the card) got him a new, high quality printer/scanner since they knew his 'job' was commissioned drawings - the scanner would allow upload them to his computer in a crystal clear replication.
They exchanged other gifts too; Heather and Astrid's joint gift (household gifts were a trend their parents had taught them) got him a new set of cooking implements. Dagur got him some new hoodies with various dragon or dog pictures on. Under the stacks of smaller gifts like sweet treats and bath sets (Astrid was addicted to bath bombs), Hiccup found one wrapped in nondescript paper, the tag saying it was from Valka.
"What is it?"
"What am I, X-Ray man? I don't know."
It was flat, rectangular and by the feel of the sides, encased in some form of wooden frame. Hiccup glanced at Valka to ensure it was suitable to open in front of them. She nodded, sipping from her tea and watching as the others leant around him to be nosy.
"Oh, that's amazing! Did you draw this?"
Valka nodded, watching for Hiccup's reaction as he stared down at the framed picture. It was a drawing, one of Hiccup holding Magni to his chest. There were no scars on his chest, but then perhaps it was better not to display how well she knew them. Instead, both Hiccup and the babe had dragon wings protruding from their backs. Hiccup's were large, black and undoubtedly based on his favourite dragon to doodle.
Magni had little green wings, extended as though he could look bigger and more fierce. The detail, accuracy and realism was incredible, more so when it seemed she'd only used coloured pencils.
It was the sort of image he would treasure forever.
"Wow. Now we know where the drawing came from. This is such a cool idea too, like you're some kind of dragon mom and that's why they are all dragon-y."
Dagur almost bowled Hiccup over to get a closer look, only stopped by Astrid tugging him away a bit.
"Yeah. It's amazing... when did you even do this?"
They were together almost constantly. It was lucky they had yet to tire of each other at all. Leo probably helped there.
"Mostly when you were at therapy, or physio. I finished it while you were at the most recent meeting of your adoption support group, and Nadia took it to be framed for me."
"Thank you. It's... I don't have the words to do it justice."
Hiccup immediately went to put it up in his room, hanging it in place of a picture he had won a prize for when he was thirteen that his parents had framed. That one went out in the hallway, where he'd been trying to decide what to hang on an empty picture hook anyway.
"Wow. You two are like hive mind."
Valka had made it to the gift Hiccup had drawn her; he hadn't gotten it framed, but he had drawn her dragon, Cloudjumper, surrounded by various animals and other dragons. Magni's dragon rested upon Cloudjumper's head, the reddish-grey Scuttleclaw beaming happily.
"Well the greatest gift an artist knows how to give is their art. Plus I know she likes my draconic doodles."
"It's cool. I wish I could draw but I just seem to tear up the paper."
"That's because you aren't the most delicate-handed."
Dagur looked at his hands, scarred and calloused from work and fights.
"True."
A hearty round of Christmas pudding Heather made and the strawberry cheesecake Hiccup made later, everyone was groaning around full bellies. Even Dagur.
"I'm guessing you don't want to go walk Toothless?"
Astrid eyed him, petting the suddenly interested dog.
"I'd rather not, no. My leg will scream at me for the cold outside."
"Figured. I'm in need of a stretch though, so I'll take him. You two coming?"
Heather and Dagur nodded, all standing slowly and heading out as a trio to kindly walk Toothless for him. The chatter seemed to stir Leo, who began wailing at the lack of attention he was receiving the instant he was awake. Hiccup went to get him, needing to stretch his stiff leg while Valka got comfy waiting for them to return.
"Hey, look what your mama drew for us. You're a baby dragon!"
Leo stopped crying but continued glaring and trying to gnaw his fist, only settling when Valka cradled him to her bare chest. Her free arm clearly invited Hiccup to the cuddle, an invitation he naturally took. She kissed him sweetly, tasting of strawberry dessert and peach tea. Leo grizzled when they kissed, probably wanting their attention firmly on him.
"Merry Christmas Magni."
Too young to really understand, he still seemed excited about the new toys when they were close enough for him to grab at. Hiccup regretfully left the sweet cuddle when he heard the front door opening, tore his eyes from scarred skin he'd mapped with hands and mouth many times over.
"He's awake! That means movie time."
"Nothing too action-packed, he can't see the tv and he doesn't love loud noises."
Astrid hummed as she perused his DVD collection, eventually selecting one and everyone settled in for the duration. The night began to wear on, and the visiting trio made their goodbyes.
"I'll see you soon bro, today's been good."
"Yeah. Call me when you're done with the Berserk celebrations so I know you survived?"
Laughing, Astrid promised before giving him a solid hug and skipping off to the car. How she could do that on such a full stomach... Hiccup had no idea.
Leo was most reluctant to go down for the night, only relenting after a baby massage and some of the teething gel that helped numb his irritated mouth enough for him to sleep. They made it to Valka's bedroom... most of the time now, and tonight they managed it again.
"Gods Hiccup..."
He loved to make her gasp those words, the reminder he could make Valka feel the desire that left her breathless. They unwrapped each other like gifts, slid beneath the covers to keep out the chill. Hiccup couldn't help but kiss her scars, felt Valka caress his in turn as they pressed together, as she bit his lip and arched her hips in invitation.
"Fuck Valka, you're hot tonight."
She whimpered, bucked until Hiccup was flush to her, dizzy with the heat that welcomed him.
"Need you baby."
Oh, that word did things to Hiccup that he was deeply ashamed of in the cold light of day, but shame couldn't permeate the tiny bubble of paradise they existed in when entwined. He thrust, drank down her moans as Valka kissed him again, clutched her adult son tighter to her. He nuzzled his mouth over a soft breast, mapped a jutting collarbone that matched his own.
Hiccup's knees ached against the mattress but he ignored it, focused on nails scraping over his scalp, down the back of his neck. He burned for Valka and the fire was so enticing, every slide of his cock within her slick embrace threatening to make him cross-eyed with pleasure. Her eyes fought to stay open, to watch him but eventually Valka couldn't help it, long eyelashes brushing her cheeks as her lids fluttered shut.
She gripped the bedframe, the sheets, Hiccup. Valka was so passionately responsive for him, never shy to show her pleasure and Hiccup thrilled in it. She moaned, gasped, whimpered, muting them slightly against his shoulder or by biting her kiss-swollen lip. Valka was divine in the throes of climax, sex one of those times he saw the wild woman she truly was when she growled, bit him. Primal was the word that came to mind.
Hiccup was often the one to be losing his mind to the threatening bliss, but he'd gotten better at not going off too early, ensuring Valka came before him and oh did she come. Slender limbs trembled, hands curling tight where they landed to leave crescent moons in his skin with her nails while her muscles spasmed and squeezed at his needy cock.
Body shaky and spent, Hiccup reminded himself to stay awake as they cuddled, kissed, stroked each other. Valka was physically affectionate anyway, but especially tactile after sex. They cleaned up quickly and retired downstairs to bed together, soft baby breaths filling the air as Leo slumbered on in his crib.
The morning brought new anxiety for Hiccup, despite the warmth of limbs tangled with his own, the smell of Valka's hair on every breath. They got up, tidying the residual Christmas mess away and he noted Valka was wearing one of the new tunic-style shirts he had gotten her in a soft hue of sunrise orange and blue.
"Is this really a good idea?"
She quizzed as she fiddled with her breakfast fruit, Leo completely set with his mushy breakfast too.
"Probably not. But then technically, neither is having a child with your child. Didn't stop us."
He didn't remember the exact conversation, having been almost out of his mind with anxiety when Stefan approached him and outright said he knew Hiccup had 'given in' to temptation. Because he had too, and apparently it meant he could see it in others. Stefan and his sister were... dating was the wrong word, but just sex didn't cover it. In a relationship, he supposed would have to do.
Somewhere along the lines, Hiccup (after checking with Valka) had agreed to spend boxing day with Stefan and his sister Monique. Nowhere else could they be truly assured of people who understood what had happened to them, Hiccup knew. Still, he was very much wracked with nerves.
The knock at the door set his heart rate up, knees a bit shaky even though he had agreed to this. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup opened his front door. Stefan and his sister stood there, tall and willowy with some familial resemblance in their features.
"Hey. Uh, come in. Don't mind Toothless, he's all bark no bite."
"Toothless?"
Hiccup nodded.
"He's my therapy dog. And a rescue dog, his previous owner didn't like his ongoing dental problems, by the time I got him most of his teeth were gone but he was trained as a therapy dog. The perfect match."
He was babbling, leading the two in where they eyed Valka and Leo sat together.
"Is he... is he yours?"
Stefan quizzed, seeing baby paraphernalia around the living room.
"Yes, he's our son."
"Huh. Cool."
The initial awkwardness took its time to thaw as they sipped drinks and Leo babbled, eventually getting bored and fussing to go down on the floor to crawl. Hiccup pulled out his play pen, plopped the boy down with a few toys to wriggle and crawl to his hearts content.
"What's with the foot thing?"
"It's a brace, he was born with club foot. That stops it coming back."
"Oh."
Stefan took that as all the answer he needed, but Monique clearly had more questions burning as she put down her mug.
"Is that because you two are related?"
Hiccup and Valka looked at each other, then their son.
"Doctor isn't sure, but he's had some genetic tests done and she couldn't find anything to pin point it on. Club foot does have a higher occurrence rate with... you know."
Hiccup had read books on talipes cover to cover, wanting to be as prepared as possible. He'd also done a little research on incest and it's effects on offspring... he tended to go all in on art projects, apparently that applied to research too.
"Sounds like you know about this stuff."
Stefan quizzed as they were in the kitchen, preparing fresh hot drinks.
"When I found out Leo was on the way, I made myself learn. Plus Valka has a friend who specialises in babies, she's been a big help too."
Stirring his coffee, Stefan tapped the spoon and placed it in the sink.
"Monique wants kids. I just don't know if it's fair of me to put that on them, you know? All the risks."
Hiccup nodded, steeping Valka's fruity tea bag water turned the right colour.
"I know. I wouldn't change having him for anything, but it's not easy. You guys need to be sure you can do the whole thing."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if you guys are together you have to hide it from certain people forever. You can't ever slip up and say you met as siblings to strangers. You can't even put your name on your kids birth certificate, or get married because someone will and her have the same biological father. You might have to move somewhere nobody knows you and start your lives over."
Some of what Hiccup said was definitely his own anxieties about Valka. Though the part about moving and starting over didn't apply. Why would he need to when she wanted to leave alone?
"Yeah, I get what you're saying. It's just hard to think straight with her."
"Believe me, I know."
They picked up their mugs and carried them through, finding Monique being pestered for attention by Toothless. Hiccup shooed away his dog, handed Valka her tea and picked up his son. Little Magni patted his face, gurgled happily.
"Hey little guy."
There was something unique about not feeling fear when he was being Leo's dad in front of them. Nadia knew, but she didn't understand the way the siblings sat nearby did.
"He looks like you."
"Yeah, but since we both look like our mother, I can get away with that."
There was a brief flicker of surprise at his words, then the two realised they weren't in any real place to judge. If he had thought they would, Hiccup would never have invited them into his home, his sanctuary.
They ate lunch together, not as heavy as Christmas dinner had been and Hiccup wondered if the appropriate term for the day would have been 'double date'. Mother and son, half-brother and half-sister. Anyone else would be disgusted, he knew.
"Thanks for having us over Hiccup" Stefan kindly restrained his sister from hugging a still-easily-startled man "it's been uh, good to be around someone else who knows, yanno?"
Hiccup nodded, smiled tightly. Leo started crying in the next room, so he made his goodbyes to the two.
"You have my number if you wanna talk, but he's teething so I better go get his gummy thing out the fridge."
"Right. See ya."
The siblings left hand-in-hand, and Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief to be alone again. His social energy was all used up. Retrieving the teething toy, Hiccup traded it for the one Magni was bored of and rinsed it, then put that back in the fridge to chill.
"You met him at the adoptees group, yes?"
Hiccup nodded, stroking his sons hair as he drooled on his t-shirt.
"Yeah. He spoke up about experiencing GSA at the one Astrid went to with me, but he said he and his sister had to stop seeing each other. Then he ran up to me outside and said he could tell I knew what he meant. We've been e-mailing and texting about it since, I guess."
"That was brave of him."
"Yeah. Quite a few people said it happened to them one-sided, their biological parents or siblings wanting them but not the other way around. I expect one or two were lying, but not everyone can admit to it. I certainly couldn't, with Astrid there."
After Magni went down for his nap, Hiccup tidied up the evidence of more guests and sorted out leftover Christmas food, deciding what was worth keeping or reusing and what was beyond rescue. He blended up Magni's vegetable puree dinner, tried not to think about much else besides the task he was currently on.
"Hiccup?"
He heard Valka call out, looking for him.
"In the kitchen."
She entered the room, holding her barely-used mobile to her shoulder so the person on it couldn't hear them.
"I have a favour to ask. You can say no."
"Ok?"
"I called my mother for Christmas, and she wants to meet little Leo."
Hiccup had never met her mother.
"Oh. Uh. Here? Or does she want us to take him to her?"
Valka seemed slightly disappointed he hadn't said no. Maybe she didn't want to explain the fatherless child to her mother.
"She's amenable to either. However, if we go to her it makes it much easier to esca- I mean, leave."
Nodding to show he understood, Hiccup pondered on it.
"What about Toothless?"
"You could bring him if you like. She has a garden."
"Alright. When?"
Valka relayed the information back to her mother, who chattered away rapidly in return.
"In short, as soon as possible."
"Well, I've got no therapy or physio until after New Years, so I guess I'm quite free."
And that was how, a few days later, Hiccup found himself driving four hours out to meet the grandmother of both himself and his son. That also made her Leo's great-grandmother... family was complicated when you got your mother pregnant, Hiccup noted. Magni napped the majority of the journey, and Toothless didn't complain once about having to sleep in his carrier rather than on the seat.
Astrid had been surprised by the whole event, but encouraged him to go nonetheless.
"I'm proud of you. A year ago you woulda told her to come to you and just hid while they talked."
She was probably right. But Hiccup might well have done that anyway if Valka hadn't insisted on them going to her as it would be easier to shake her off.
"Thanks."
Hiccup wasn't sure what to expect; Valka only had one photo of her mother, having travelled light around the world for so long. He tugged his hoody self consciously, felt his knee protest the long drive as he hobbled around to retrieve Leo from his car seat while Valka waylaid the woman watching out of her window.
To his relief, the woman lived in a bungalow. No navigating stairs with his already upset leg. Fussy as he was lifted, Magni peered up at his father, wriggling his legs against their brace impatiently.
"I know little guy, but it's for your own good I promise. I hated physio too."
"Oh, look at this! Both your sons, one all grown!"
One look at Valka's mother Rama told Hiccup that the family resemblance was bigger than he thought. Though only pushing five foot seven and her hair greying, Rama had the same cheekbones, doe eyes and narrow jaw. The grey still had a hint of it's original reddish colour too.
"Mother, this is Hiccup. And that's Leo. Be careful with them."
Hiccup happily handed the baby to Valka, circling around to retrieve his much-needed therapy dog. Toothless sprung from the car, eager to stretch his legs and nuzzle Hiccup's ankle.
"This must be the dog you warned me about."
Confused, Hiccup looked between the women fussing over the baby.
"Warned?"
"That he was very cute!"
"Oh."
They were staying the night, since it was a long drive. Hiccup and Valka both only had backpacks for their own things, but a baby meant bringing spare everything, a pushchair and a foldaway travel cot. Then he had to bring dog food and toys for Toothless. All in all, packing had been rather straining for him.
Settled in, Hiccup discovered Valka's lack of kitchen prowess was from her fathers side - Rama could cook just fine. Magni wasn't too sure about the new person who kept pinching his cheek, and he got very unhappy when she touched his bootie brace.
"Be careful with that, it has to be left the way it is."
Rama withdrew her hand and Leo calmed, yawning rather cutely.
"Sorry. I guess he doesn't like it?"
"Hates it with a passion. But it's necessary and not forever. I'm jealous in that regard."
Raising a silvery eyebrow, Rama looked Hiccup up and down. He realised he'd said too much, used to his home where everyone knew.
"How so?"
"Oh. I-I uh-"
Valka noticed his stammer, took over for him.
"Hiccup lost his leg in an accident. He wears a prosthetic. One he designed himself, no less."
He tried not to squirm beneath her scrutiny; hopefully Rama mistook Valka's tone for motherly pride, rather than anything more untoward for mother and son to share.
"Ah. Well I was married to an RAF pilot, I met my share of folk missing bits. Don't worry lad."
Nodding awkwardly, Hiccup stroked Toothless and tried not to let the anxiety prickling down his spine get too strong.
"Now, there's only the one spare room since I don't get alotta company. You want to bunk in with me Val?"
"I can share with Hiccup. He minds being woken by the baby less than you."
"You sure?"
Hiccup's heart rate spiked as he thought Rama looked mildly suspicious, but then she shrugged it off.
"Mother, you snore. Leo would never get a wink, and he's in with me wherever I sleep."
"I do not! But fine, if it's best for the little one."
He knew the two women didn't see much of each other, but they were less awkward with each other than Hiccup with... just about anyone.
It wasn't his room, but the bed was sufficient and the room warm enough for them not to worry for Magni. Toothless slept next to the crib, snoring lightly but it didn't seem to be bothering the sleeping baby any. Valka didn't hesitate to embrace Hiccup as he did, unsure whether they were worried to be found the next morning entangled.
"I do love you Hiccup."
Frowning lightly, Hiccup felt her lips on his jaw.
"I love you too... where's this come from?"
They didn't express it often, so that they didn't have to admit that it was in such a deviant way. They focused sentiment on their son instead.
"I suppose I fear I don't show it well."
"I'm not insecure about you loving me."
He was almost being truthful. As Hiccup turned on his side to sleep, he faced his sons crib and ignored the tears stinging the corner of his eyes. Valka spooned him gently from behind, fingers slipping beneath his t-shirt to stroke his scarred hip beneath the covers.
Hiccup loved her. But that made it harder. It made his anger toward her talk of leaving fade whenever he remembered words his mom told him once.
If you love someone, sometimes you have to let them go.
-HTTYD-
I won't lie, next chapter might be pretty rough.