A/N: Another week, another chapter! Had to get this one down quite quickly as I spent a lot of time doing detailed planning for the remaining chapters this weekend, so this chapter isn't my best work; but I can now confidently say that it's as good as done and that I am all set and ready to start working towards the climax of the fic. Which I'm very much looking forward to as I've had it in my head for a long time.
Chapter title refers to the end of Hiccup's speech at Stoick's funeral in HTTYD2.
Edit: For those of you who are here looking for chapter 30; I have made the decision to move to updating once every two weeks for the coming period, as I am currently working on my bachelor thesis and writing every week next to that is taking its toll to the extent that I don't have the energy for it. So the next update will be up on May 16 instead! Thank you for your patience ^^
RotcehM: Thank you!
CajunBear73: Jup, definitely a mismatch between what the two POV characters think Hiccstrid are doing! But it's indeed not a strange conclusion for Stoick to draw. And oooh, Hiccup implying that he actually made Astrid his wife would make him even angrier indeed! But you're right, Stoick has other matters to attend to for sure.
Josh Spicer: Yeah there are a lot of ways for Hiccup to be more productive than he is right now.
Guest (Apr 25): Hiccup doesn't really say what he means; whether 'things Astrid can't do' are sexual things, or if it's something else. There's nothing in the story that explicitly denies Hiccup liking guys as well, so it could be a taunt as well as the truth. & Thanks for the spelling correction! I'll make a note for it for when I edit.
DeathBerryHime: Well, well, well Berry, here we are again. You with another review. Me with a reply that could never match said review. But I shall try.
:D Their baby talk was so CUTE. They will do everything to prevent it - except abstaining from sex :'D Horndogs. (Although, how adorable would a mini-Hiccstrid be!? Just imagining the toddler running around the volcano and them constantly having to babysit - it's not exactly a safe place after all - makes me go 'd'awwwwwwwwwww')
Yes. Le fondue. Good Swiss Cheese fondue. And yes, that was very much the dynamic I was going for! Hiccup being both rough and dominant but at the same time respectful… He put whatever Astrid wanted first. But yes, hot damn that character change :D Phantom shining through right there.
Can't really say much about Stoick as it's the topic of this chapter :'D But yeah, Hiccup basically bragging about taking Astrid… That's faaaaarrr, boy. Little shit needs a stern talking to.
No Account: I have been waiting for this moment a long time as well! Thank you!
MilaAvecillas: I love you too 3
comicblader12: Thank you for the compliments 3
Bloody Rogue dragon deity king: Thank you so much for calling it 'epic'!
Vivi-ntvg: Yes Hiccup how dare you :O
Midsully: I'm glad to hear you like the smut! As for Stoick… we'll see ^^
Ugggghh: More plot again from this point forward ^^ But I write smut when I want to and when I feel it has a place in the story
Guest (May 1): I don't know what 'awest' means but thanks!
Eris: Glad to hear you thought it was exciting! How they will react? We shall see…
Entr'Acte – I Guess You Can Only Try
The Great Hall was unusually noisy. Not that Vikings were ever very quiet to begin with; one of the upsides of having a voice that carries well was the fact that Stoick the Vast was one of the few people who could instantly shush the crowd. But he wasn't quite ready to do so yet. Instead, he was looking at the people gathered around him, taking in their expressions.
Gobber was the only one who had a sense of what he was going to say. But even the blacksmith was looking concerned. Reasonably so; neither of them had any idea of how Berk was going to react to his decision. It was probably the first time in any of these people's lives, or in Berk's existence, that someone was going to suggest the things he did.
A chief, that was. He couldn't help but think back to what Val had always said. She too, had long yearned to stop the fighting, fearing it would only make things worse. He had never listened to her. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if maybe, he should have. He had never tried things differently. His father would've laughed at him for the suggestion while he was still alive. And his village for trying to change things up after the former chief had only just passed.
But he'd also never properly considered it after he'd grown into his role as leader. Perhaps if he had, Valka would still be with him. And Hiccup as well. Even though the Phantom's appearance didn't have to do anything with either of them, he couldn't think back to his late wife's words. Because indeed, since the Phantom's coming, everything had only gotten worse. And now he was looking at the possibility of losing all of Berk. Slowly and painfully. Or in whatever way the Phantom desired. Because he couldn't shake the feeling that Astrid has just been the beginning.
The Hoffersons were looking at him, their faces pale. He'd taken them aside not long before, watched their faces break as he told them what he was about to share with the village. He'd apologized for only telling them so shortly before he told the others, but they had been as understanding as two parents in that position could be. After all, there was no right time to bring news like that. Which didn't make him feel any less guilty. Especially because he hadn't told them the full truth. That he'd suspected, known what the Phantom was doing to her all along.
Not far away from them, Ruffnut Thorston was nestled into Snotlout's lap, her twin brother shooting the two of them agitated looks at their open affection. The trio wasn't what concerned him however. It was Spitelout, sitting next to his son, holding his gaze. It was unusual for Stoick to call meetings without informing his second-in-command and the council first. He could see he was suspicious. But he didn't have the time to fight this fight with everyone individually. Or the energy, rather. Hoping the crowd would work in his favour rather than against him.
He swallowed, moving around in his seat. It was time to get this going. After all, if there were any people he shouldn't fear, it were his own.
"Alright!" he shouted. His voice echoed through the hall, causing his people to stop talking and look up at him, one by one. He waited for the last of them to finish whatever conversation they were having before he continued.
"Most of you are probably wondering why I called the whole village here. I know it's the day after a raid, and that most of you are still tired, but I simply did not want to wait with getting this news out to you." He caught Spitelout's gaze. "To all of you."
Taking a deep breath, he nodded at the Hoffersons. "You all know Astrid Hofferson has been missing for almost four months. And despite our best efforts, both on Berk and outside of it, she still hasn't been found. We have always suspected that the Phantom captured her, or killed her." He paused, placing his hands on the table in front of him, gathering the courage to continue. "This morning, I received confirmation that it is the former. From the Phantom himself."
A few gasps echoed through the hall, accompanied by some low muttering while most Berkians patiently waited for their Chief to continue.
"He wrote me a note. Left it on the floor of my house while I was asleep. The content of the note told me that Astrid was fine. But that he wouldn't leave it at that. And that he would take someone else as well. He mentioned no one in particular, but he wrote he'd do it soon."
The noise in the hall increased, but he held up one of his hands, shushing the crowd once more. "And I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking the same. We don't know if he actually has her or not. Maybe he killed her. But he is doing his best to make it seem like he is indeed keeping her captive. Because leaving me that note wasn't the only thing he did last night."
He held out one of his hands towards Gothi, the old woman nodding to indicate her agreement. "Gothi was stolen from last night. A combination of herbs that is only ever used to…" He closed his eyes for a moment as he saw Astrid's father move his hand to his mouth, struggling to hear the news once more. "To prevent pregnancy."
There were a few curses from the crowd as the meaning of that sank in. "And yes, we know for sure that it's the Phantom who stole them. Because he left a note to Gothi as well. Thanking us for letting him borrow our supplies. And saying that he'd make good use of them."
"I don't think I need to spell out what that means he might be doing to her." Even on the faces of the Thorston twins, the shock was visible as they seemed to consider that the Phantom could be abusing their friend. Likely was. "And I don't know how we could save her." He looked at the Hoffersons, giving them a regretting nod as he tried to steel himself once more. "I wish I did. I really do."
The hall stayed silent as he recollected himself. "But like I said, the Phantom threatened to take someone else too. And I don't know if he'd stop after that. And in addition to his threats, he also gave me a choice. Saying that he wouldn't kidnap anyone else and that he might even stop destroying our property every raid. If we obey to one of his two demands. Either we stop killing dragons." He could already hear some ruckus in the back of the hall. "Or we abandon Berk altogether."
Chaos erupted then, several Vikings getting up and slamming their fists on the table at the sheer audacity of the suggestion. Some started talking to each other, angrily waving their weapons around while others just shouted into whatever empty space they could find in front of them. A few of the quieter Berkians – a rare breed to begin with – just eyed the commotion around them before their gaze finally landed on their Chief, looking for some form of reassurance.
"Settle down!" he shouted, trying to calm the crowd by moving both of his hands. "I know it's outrageous, and –"
"He's a terrorist, Chief! And then he has the audacity to send threats on top of it!?" someone shouted.
Other Vikings chimed in. "Berk is our home!"
"I'd rather die than abandon everything we've worked for all these years!"
"I know," he nodded, raising his voice to make sure he was heard. "And I will never consider leaving Berk. We have been here for seven generations and we will not abandon this island because of one overly-arrogant lunatic!"
That got him a lot of agreeing shouts from his people and he let them rejoice for a while before speaking up again. "But I don't want anyone else to end up like Astrid. Preferably, I'd set up a trap, capture the Phantom so he can answer for his crimes, before he's executed. But we've got nothing on him. I have no idea how we could stop him. So unless someone else does…" He left room for suggestions, but no one spoke up. "… we could consider his other proposal."
"To stop killing dragons?" Snotlout shouted, almost knocking Ruffnut off his lap as he got up, slamming his fist on the table in front of him. "Chief, that's absurd!"
"How would we protect ourselves!?" another voice shouted. "Is he going to stop the dragon raids too!?"
"What about our homes!?"
"We don't have to kill them to protect ourselves from them!" he bellowed in response, too many voices bouncing off the Hall's walls. "We scare dragons away often enough. We just have to do that with all of them. And if the Phantom would leave us alone, that job would become a lot easier."
"Aye," Gobber nodded. "I'm with the Chief. We don't know if it will, but if it does convince the Phantom to stop sabotaging every weapon we own, it'd also give me the opportunity to get our weapon stocks back up. It's worth a shot at least."
"That's it indeed, the least we could do is try. We'll find out soon enough if he will keep his end of the deal and then we –" he started.
"And what if he doesn't?" one of the men shouted. "What if he just runs wild, knowing we aren't properly trying to defend ourselves!?"
"What if he commands his dragons to just destroy everything while they can!?"
"The dragons aren't his, they –" someone tried.
"Who will protect our children, what if the dragons get too close, could we save them in time, could we –"
"Who will protect my child!?" a voice echoed through the room, louder than all the others. All other discussions grinded to a halt as everyone stopped to look at Mrs. Hofferson, who was standing up, her fists balled and her eyes blazing with the same energy as her daughter's could. "She is out there. Still. There is no one there to look after her. I know she's an adult, but to me, she will always remain my little girl and we, not just us as her parents, but this whole village failed to protect her."
The mother trembled before she spoke up again. "We have no idea where she is. And we will go and try to find her again. But I ask you to think now, whether you'd let that happen to your own children. We can protect them from dragons, we have done so for many generations and we're good at it. Kill or no kill. We get it done."
A few people nodded as she continued, looking at Stoick himself first before she let her gaze wander around the crowd. "What we cannot protect ourselves from is this fiend, this maniac, this Phantom. No one has ever seen him. Heard him. Anything. We have never been close to catching him in the slightest. I know Astrid tried. And she got kidnapped in the forest, far away from all of us, trying to get justice for her village and paying the price for it. And who says this Phantom is not capable of doing more? Lifting our children, our boys and girls from their bed at night and taking them with him to do whatever he pleases?"
She lifted one of her balled fists into the air and even from a distance, Stoick could see the tears of anger and loss in the corners of her eyes. He knew that mixture of emotions all too well. "Yes, we're proud. Yes, we don't bow down to the demands of a terrorist. But how much will that pride be worth if we lose our children? Don't we owe it to them to at least try? Or are you all just going to stand idly by? To refuse to change, until it's finally too late? And Astrid's sacrifice will have been for nothing. Because we didn't listen. Because we refused to act. Because we couldn't put enough of our pride aside to try something different for once."
Astrid's mother gave the Vikings around her one more stern look before she nodded and sat back down, seemingly content with the silence she left in her wake. Her eyes landed on Stoick again, indicating to him that she had said what she needed to say. It was his turn again. And he was about to speak up before he got interrupted by someone else.
"Let's do it." He'd recognize the source of the voice even if he wasn't looking at the man, who had been oddly quiet all meeting long. "We might as well try," Spitelout continued. "The Phantom's shown us no sense of honour so far. Let's see if he'll prove us wrong."
That declaration of support set the rest of the room in motion. There were some shouts, at first, Vikings wildly discussing both the Hoffersons' and Spitelout's votes in favour of the plan. Some looks were shared around and across the circle between many of them, confirming that they were on the same page. Stoick let it happen, sensing the atmosphere in the room and waiting for it to quiet down on its own. They needed this, they deserved that time. He was asking a lot from them, after all. For stubborn-headed Vikings to change the way they always did it.
But eventually, the Great Hall of Berk quieted down. That's when he took the opportunity to speak up again. "So we're in agreement then that we will give it a shot during the next raid?"
There were some hushed sputters of protest to be heard, but those were shushed by other Berkians quite quickly. Most people just nodded, looking at their Chief with expecting eyes.
"Thank you," he told his people, from the bottom of his heart. "We will start as soon as possible; during the next raid. Which means no traps, no kills, and as little wounding as possible. Weapons are only allowed to be used to scare the beasts away. Don't give the Phantom the impression you're trying anything else. Because we never know where he is. But he could be watching. Always."
He sighed deeply before looking at his village in earnestness. "But like I said before, we have no idea if he will keep his word. So please be careful. Stay together. Don't be alone for too long, especially at night. Keep each other close. Look out for each other. While I will do everything I can to make sure that one day, soon, the Phantom's reign of terror will end."
After that final message, they broke apart. He could see not everyone was reassured, and his decision would probably be the hottest topic in the time to come. But he could live with whatever shallow majority he might have. Because he owed this to Astrid. To her parents. And to everyone Berk might have to lose in the future. To at least try.
He stuck around to handle some questions, a few of which were prompted by the meeting, but overall nothing too troublesome. After he'd put most of his people at ease to the extent that he could, he followed Gobber back down towards his shop. The blacksmith had been preparing supplies for the Phantom again, but this time around, Stoick had something to add to it. A note, with a phrase on it as simple as the Phantom's usually were.
We will stop killing dragons
It took the Phantom a few days to respond. But eventually, Stoick woke up to find something he'd never found on the floor of his living room before. A large yellow-and-black striped eel. With a note tied around its neck, wearing it as a collar.
Interesting.
Use this. Scares the shit out of them.
A feeling you're familiar with, I'd say.
After that first time they'd been with each other – truly, deeply so – neither of them could get enough of it. They basically fucked like their lives depended on it; whenever, wherever, however. But Astrid wouldn't have it any other way. Because nothing could transcend that feeling of Hiccup being with her, the two of them promising themselves to each other over and over again. They went from being rough to incredibly sweet, their lovemaking ranging from soft and passionate to wild and feral. And she loved all of it. Because Hiccup was all of that. And even though she still struggled to get the words across her lips – after all, when do you say something like that for the first time? – she was starting to get the feeling that maybe, she did indeed love him.
Who else did she love, after all? She loved her parents. She loved Berk. Immensely. It had been and still was the reason she had gone with Hiccup in the first place. At least, that's what she believed. But she couldn't ever recall having feelings for someone the way she had those for Hiccup. This insatiable hunger, this need to know his every emotion, his every feeling and reaction. To see how he responded to her touch, how she could make him smile and how she could just listen to him talk for hours. She never grew tired of him. And she couldn't imagine she ever would.
All in all, it was quite unfortunate that they had other matters to attend to as well. Hiccup teased her for her dedication, but she wouldn't let him make the both of them stray from their course too much. Hiccup still went away for the raids as he always did, and she continued to train their dragon army. Because with summer coming in and the weather improving, there were a lot more hours to their days. And she made sure to use those as well as she could.
Overall, the drills were going well. Repetition seemed to be the key as a lot of moves and formations seemed to become a habit for the dragons. At least thirty others would join her, Snotlout, Fishlegs and Ruff & Tuff every day, with numbers easily going up to fifty on a good day – especially if Hiccup was there, because he still carried a gravitas that she simply couldn't live up to. Reasonably so; he had been the one to save and provide most of them with a safe home, after all. She was just running it.
The most consoling part about that was that she didn't just feel at home, but to know that, to this day, Hiccup put his trust in her when it came to his dragons. She had been training them for over three months now, but he had never tried to take the operation back in his own hands. Nor had he told her to do things differently. He had given her suggestions – a lot of which were on point – but apart from that, he'd listened to her and helped her whenever he could. He had given her control. And knowing where they'd come from – two people, at odds, without a single sliver of trust invested in the other, that just meant a lot to her.
Everything that had come after had been amazing, but this, their army, his trust in her to take care of that; from him, who seemingly didn't trust any other human in the world and hadn't for a long time, had been the foundation of their relationship. So she couldn't help but nurture and cherish that responsibility. Especially knowing that once she'd succeeded, once they'd succeeded, Berk would be free of the dragon raids. Hiccup would be free of his burden as the Phantom. All of them would have a chance for a brighter, calmer life. And she wanted that.
Currently, Hiccup was watching her as she soared through the sky, showing him some new flight patterns they'd been working on while he had been gone. He was sitting on the edge of a sea stack, Toothless lazing around in the sun on the other side of it. His sketchbook was in his lap, his gaze focused as he scribbled things down. It looked kind of adorable from up where she was, but she didn't want to let that distract her. He was distracting her often enough already.
When they were finished, she set Stormfly down on the sea stack, jumping off and caressing her beloved dragon's scales.
"So, how was that?" she asked, her voice triumphant. "It went pretty well if you ask me, the –"
She frowned, noticing how Hiccup was still looking at his sketchbook rather than at her. "Hiccup, are you listening?"
His head snapped up, the sun making the copper streaks in his hair light up as he looked at her. "Yes, of course."
She squinted her eyes. "I don't believe you." She walked up to him, peering over his shoulder to find that he wasn't making notes at all. "What are you drawing?"
Hiccup looked up at her, leaning his head against her legs as he grabbed one of her hands, softly pulling her down. "Have a guess."
She sat down next to him, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the sea stack as she leant into him, looking down at the fine lines of his sketch. He repositioned the book so she could see it better, allowing her to softly trace the shapes he'd created with her fingers. He'd drawn her in flight, on Stormfly's back, her hood only concealing part of her face as the rest of her hair was being swept back.
It looked beautiful. As always.
"I love it," she told him, too intrigued to look up at him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as she continued to study the drawing, her eyes taking a long time to wander down to the bottom of the page. Where he'd scribbled something down. A phrase.
"You alone can make my soul take flight," she read out loud.
"It's true," Hiccup softly said as he pressed a kiss against her ear, burying his nose in her hair.
"It's really sappy," she laughed, turning her head to look at him. "You should've become a poet rather than a Phantom."
He smiled back at her, leaning his forehead against hers as his green eyes took her in. "I guess I could have. But then I never would've met you. Met you again, I mean." He put one of his scarred fingers on the page, pointing at the words. "And this wouldn't have been true. So I wouldn't have had anything to write about."
"Stop it, you," she retorted, a blush rising to her cheeks as he caught her lips in a soft and tender kiss, her hands still frozen on the sketchbook in her lap.
"I won't," he told her resolutely, moving one of his hands to trace the line of hickeys he'd left on her neck, some of them having faded during his time away. She could still spot a few of her own on his skin as well. Proof they were each other's. "Because it's what you mean to me."
He kissed her again, a mere peck before he pulled away. "I have been flying for over five years," he started, brushing her bangs away and tucking some strands that'd come loose from her braid behind her ear. "It's still exciting, and I love it, with everything I am. But you, you are the one who makes me feel like I'm truly off the ground. And that phrase –" He paused, tapping the words on the paper. You alone can make my soul take flight. "Captures that feeling perfectly. Because only you could do it."
She smiled as he cupped her cheek, her gaze wandering from the words on paper back to him. Looking at him then, his face lit up by the sun and his radiant smile, she had to admit that the phrase did make sense. "You do the same to me," she whispered, her voice soft. "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm soaring."
"See?" he laughed, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and throwing her a cheeky smile. "Not that cheesy after all."
"Oh, it still is," she reassured him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But it's also kind of sweet."
"I'll take it," he smiled, picking up the sketchbook from her lap and tossing it to the side. Before she could question it, he pulled her onto his lap, kissing her longingly. She hummed against his lips, eagerly searching for his tongue as she put one hand on his chest and buried the other in his hair, pulling him even closer.
She could feel him grow hard as their kisses continued to deepen, one of Hiccup's hands creeping up her leg and caressing the thigh. Knowing all too well what he was trying to achieve, she leant back, giving him a scolding look. "Hiccup."
"Hm?" was all he replied with as he traced the line of her jaw with his nose, making her shiver as he nestled his face into the crook of her neck. He knew her too well.
"We really have to get back in the air." He caught her lips again, making her sound out of breath when she continued. "Before the other dragons fly off again." That was always the biggest hassle, waiting for everyone to get assembled.
Hiccup gave her a crooked grin, the lines of his scars being reshaped with it. "I thought you just said that I can make you fly?"
She rolled her eyes, punching his shoulder. "You're impossible."
"And I love the way you look when I'm annoying you." He sealed her lips with a long kiss, getting up and pulling her along by his hands. She could see a little twinkle in his eyes when he released her mouth. "But if flying is what you want, then I might have an idea."
She let him drag her backwards, one arm around her waist while he kissed her. Slowly, he led her towards Toothless, who was still lazing around on the edge of the sea stack, one of Hiccup's hands blindly searching for the dragon. She giggled as she realized what he was trying to do, her own hands fumbling with one of the many buckles on Hiccup's armour. Flying in every sense of the word did seem like an interesting thing to try.
From the corner of her eye, through her half-closed eyelids, she caught Hiccup's hand grabbing a hold of one of Toothless' ears. The dragon shot the two of them a look with his green eyes, a low growl escaping his throat as he seemed to realize what the two humans were doing.
Everything happened quickly after that. Toothless moved and the next thing she registered was how Hiccup was torn away from her, a loud "What the –!?" escaping from his throat. His first exclamation was followed up by a loud yelp as she watched how Toothless had latched onto the back of Hiccup's armour and confidently flung his rider over the edge of the sea stack.
"TOOTHLESS!?" was all she heard until Hiccup's exasperated shout was silenced by the sound of a large splash.
Both concerned and struggling to contain her giggling – the sea stack wasn't very high so there was no way Hiccup could've gotten hurt – she looked over the edge of it. But she couldn't help but burst out in laughter as she caught sight of Hiccup, wading around in the ocean below, his hair completely drenched and sticking to his face, the look on it thoroughly unamused.
He gave Toothless a scowl as the dragon peered over the edge as well, after which the Night Fury proceeded to sit upright, a look of pride on his face, clearly content with how he'd accomplished his mission. It made her laugh even harder.
"I don't think Toothless quite agrees with your idea, babe!" she shouted, the smile on her face only widening when Hiccup glared at her in response.
"Ha-ha, very funny," he pouted.
"Seems like he thought you needed help to cool down!" she howled.
"You're terrible at making jokes, did you know that?" her boyfriend shouted back.
She held her stomach as she doubled over, still laughing. "He gave you a cold shower!"
"Astrid." The look on Hiccup's face was absolutely priceless.
"Looks like Toothless alone can make you take flight!" she shouted, the dragon looking at her weirdly at the mention of his name.
"Astrid."
"What is it, honey?"
"Please come get me back up."
She shook her head with a playful smile. "No thank you, I think I'll enjoy the view from up here for a while longer."
"I hate you."
After she'd fished Hiccup out of the ocean, they had continued with their drills after all. Although not before Hiccup had sort-of-argued with Toothless, stating that the dragon was supposed to be on his side and that their mutual wingmanship was over. Not that that dynamic had been very two-sided in the first place; Hiccup had once shared with her that they had never actually seen a female Night Fury. Or another Night Fury to begin with. Luckily, Toothless didn't seemed to mind, often doting over the other dragons' hatchlings and gladly serving as their Uncle and babysitter. Which often seemed to extend to babysitting Hiccup as well.
She finished her part of the drills before dinner, and Hiccup would continue with some of the more nocturnal dragons during the night. They'd felt it was good for him to take some time to practice without her there as well and it gave them a way to use their desynchronized sleeping schedules to their advantage.
"So, General, are you happy with today's progress?" Hiccup asked her, giving her a teasing smile as he handed her a smoked Icelandic cod on a stick, the two of them sitting next to each other at the fire.
"We had some obnoxious and overly-eager diversions along the way," she answered, speaking overly formal before sticking out her tongue at him. "But yeah, I think overall we're doing well." She took a bite off her fish, munching on it before she continued to think out loud. "There's just a certain limit to what we can do here. Given that we only have stationary targets to practice on, we won't know how they will react fighting the actual Red Death. I have no idea how they will deal with that. I don't even know how I will." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Or you."
"Don't worry about me," he replied, his voice soft as he looked down at his feet. "I will manage, one way or another. It has to be done one day after all. Can't let these haunt me forever." He softly patted the scars on his face before he gazed at her, his green eyes mellow. "And if you're there as well, then I will probably be too busy worrying about you to spend time wallowing in self-pity."
She laughed softly. "I guess that works. But, regarding us –"
She could feel Hiccup freeze as the words left her mouth, his single eyebrow creasing as he watched her, his expression guarded. Realizing how he'd interpreted the phrase, she quickly shook her head. "Oh no, no, that's not what I meant at all! I just wanted to say that it'd probably be useful to keep our skills up as well."
Seeing how he hadn't completely relaxed yet, she added: "I know you practice with Inferno a lot, which got me thinking that maybe I haven't done enough myself lately and that we could start sparring."
"You could have just said 'We could start sparring', you know," Hiccup pointed out, his face relaxing into a smile. "But sure, if you want to lose to me again, we can do that."
She squinted her eyes at him. "I didn't lose."
"Oh yes, you did," Hiccup argued.
"I do remember me pressing your dagger to your throat," she pointed out, poking his chest.
"After I beat you and disarmed you," Hiccup retorted, stealing her cod away from her.
"Seems like we have different definitions of winning," she laughed, trying to get her food back while Hiccup leant back, stretching out his arm and abusing his height advantage.
Hiccup slid back when she started to climb on top of him. "Sounds like we should spar indeed, just so I can prove I won again."
"Deal." She pushed him down onto his back, finally snatching the fish back from him and contently taking a bite off it, staying seated on top of him.
Hiccup gazed up at her, letting his head fall into the sand as he redirected his eyes to the sky above them, in which the first stars of that night could be seen. After a while, his expression changed, surprise striking it. "I have an idea."
She cocked her head at him. "An idea for what?"
"For practicing on a big, moving target." He bit his lower lip, seemingly thinking as he spoke. "It's quite far away from here though, so you have to be really sure they're ready and it won't be a waste of time."
"Where is it? And what is it, even?"
Hiccup gave her a half-smile. "That's a secret."
She frowned at him. "Hiccup…"
"Hey," he called, putting his hands on her biceps and dragging her down to him. "Can't a guy just take the girl he loves somewhere as a surprise? I assure you, it's quite a nice island. Relatively safe too."
"To train an army? That's hardly a romantic trip away," she teased.
"It's something," Hiccup retorted. "We'll just have a lot of luggage to pack."
"Alright, fine," she conceded, rolling her eyes. "We'll go."
Smiling softly, he put his hand on her cheek. "Just tell me when you think they're ready, then. And I'll look for a few days during which I can be sure there won't be a new raid too soon."
She nodded, and he pulled her further down for a kiss. "I smell like fish," she tried.
"Still don't care."
A/N: Can we get a standing ovation for mama Hofferson?
The phrase You alone can make my song take flight is used quite often in the musical The Phantom of the Opera. I just had to use this spin on it, because it felt too fitting not to ^^
Massive kudos to rannvadraws for giving me inspiration for the scene in which Toothless yeets Hiccup off the sea stack! 3 The comic that inspired it can be found as reblog to my Tumblr post of the chapter!
