AN: First, I'd like to point everyone interested toward 'FTLOAP: Bonus and Background stories'. So far, it only contains one story, but it's supposed to become a collection of stories that are connected to the main story, but aren't essential for it.

And, woah, what a week! Between HTTYD 3 and RL, I've been a total mess, and am honestly amazed that there actually is a chapter to post this week. And such a long one, too. But most importantly: This is the last chapter of Part 2! (I'm strangely pleased that Part 1 ended on chapter 11, and now Part 2 ends on chapter 33.) So, yeah, this is the last chapter of this part. It contains scenes I had in my head for ages, and as it is with those, I'm not quite sure they came out as I always imagined them. But I'm happy enough with them by now, and hope you'll enjoy them too.

More importantly though: I'll go on another scheduled hiatus now. I'm sorry that there was no prior warning, but... Well, I need a little time to properly outline the events and content of Part 3, especially since athingofvikings and I are discussing what to include from HTTYD 3, expanding out details in plotting from my original outline. For my own sanity, I also want to write out a full draft and build up a buffer for the summer. Posting will resume April 5th, 2019. For everyone interested: Feel free to contact me on Tumblr ( Shipmistress9) or on athingofviking's Discord server.

This chapter's title comes from the song 'Invincible' by Ruelle. It feels oddly fitting, both for this chapter on its own and for the upcoming Part 3. ;)

**Shoutouts**

To Berry: I still say 'nahhhh'... ;P And as for the moment's you're waiting for... two out of those three aren't so far away ;P

To alejandrathemexican: *insert evil laughter*

To goldentiger98: Well, that's the question now, isn't it? ;)

To BrawlerGamer: Yes, being noble or royal isn't just fun and sunshine... And I'm glad you liked drunk Hiccup. I like him too, and am happy he came across as I intended him to. And, well... have I mentioned that I like playing with POV switches? ;P As for the flashback of Eret and Dagur finding Hiccup: That might come, as part of the Background Stories.

To Sirajknight: Glad you like it :)

To Spectrer: Hehe, well, then welcome on board ;)

. o O o .

Chapter 33: Bring On The Fire And Bring On The Storm

When she heard the voices of her 'brothers', Astrid was up and awake in an instant.

Shit!

What were they doing here?

Hastily, she sat up, perking up her ears. Could she've been wrong? There was nothing now, only the silence of the night. Had it just been her fears that had made her imagine those voices? Maybe it had just been a dream altogether? But no, there it was again. She knew Eret's voice and Dagur's cackling laughter too well to be wrong.

And judging by their volume, they already were close.

Within only a second, she was on her feet, frantically looking around for a place to hide, but came up empty-handed. The back of Hiccup's sleeping stall was packed with straw bales, but they were stacked too tightly to hide between them, and it was too late to leave the stall and look somewhere else.

With her heart beating in her throat, Astrid wrapped herself into Hiccup's blanket - even as something like a desperate hysterical laugh bubbled up inside her. Yeah, right. Hiding the fact that she'd been lying in Hiccup's bed, half-naked, would totally help if they found her here.

Praying to all the Gods she knew, she pressed herself into a corner of the stall, the last one that would be visible should someone look in here. Maybe they wouldn't even come in at all? Maybe they'd just drop Hiccup off and leave?

The sound of the door opening was audible, and Astrid reflexively held her breath as definitely more than one pair of feet entered the stables. Oh, please!, she prayed. Please don't let them find me!

"All right," came Hiccup's voice. "You've accomplished your goal and got me here without an accident. Thanks, guys. Really. But now, I'll be okay. Shoo. Off with you." He sounded… strange somehow, but Astrid didn't have the nerves to further think about that. Not now!

"Are you sure?" Eret sounded worried, and Astrid pressed herself closer against the wooden wall to her back. Why couldn't he simply leave?

"Yes, I'm sure," came Hiccup's dry reply. "You don't need to tuck me into bed." He sounded closer now, almost at the entrance to the stall, and apparently, Eret had followed him there.

He'd come closer too, stood only a few feet away from her now. If he opened the stall door, there was no way… "Hic, don't underestimate this stuff… It's–"

"Seriously, I'm fine!" Hiccup interrupted him. "And I can take care of myself. See you guys tomorrow."

Astrid didn't even dare to breathe. She could even see Hiccup now, standing in the open door with Eret apparently directly in front of him. If Eret only so much as made one more step…

"Come on, he's fine," came Dagur's voice, and Astrid almost sobbed in relief. "Leave the boy to his pleasant dreams. We have another one to get into bed, after all."

It felt like an eternity before Eret answered, Astrid shaking like a leaf, but eventually, he gave in. "You're right, both of you. All right, see you tomorrow, Hiccup."

"Sleep well," sounded Dagur's cheerful voice toward them, followed by an unintelligible grunt that sounded awfully like Daniel. Still not daring to move a single muscle, she listened anxiously to Eret's receding footsteps, to him and Dagur exchanging a few words that were too quiet for her to understand. A minute later, the door to the stables finally closed, leaving her and Hiccup in relative silence, except for the snort of a sleeping horse. Astrid was still too tense and anxious to relax and approach Hiccup, when his sudden laughter caught her off guard. It started quietly, just a low chuckling really, but quickly grew into a full body guffaw.

"Oh, Gods," he gasped in-between. "I was sure that they would spot you!" He turned toward her, apparently knowing exactly where she was hiding, and pulled her into a tight hug, blanket and everything.

Still stunned, Astrid was hardly able to react in any way, not even when he kissed her, giggling against her lips. "Tha-that was awfully close," she eventually gasped, still shaking. Countless 'What if…'s were whirling around in her head, and she still felt as if she couldn't breathe freely.

"I know!" Hiccup was still chuckling, leaning heavily against her. "That would have been…" He broke off into another laughing fit. "Gods, can you imagine? That would have been hilarious!"

Hilarious? Well, that wasn't the word Astrid would have used! Alarming, maybe. Or terrifying. But then, Hiccup's behaviour was odd, not really like him, but more–

"Hiccup, are you drunk?" she blurted out, a little incredulously, smelling the beer on his breath. The question wasn't necessary, not really. In fact, now that she thought about it, it was fairly obvious. But the words were out before she could think about them.

"Mmm," Hiccup hummed into her hair. "Maybe a little? Apparently, Dagur thought our beers needed improvement, so..." he chuckled again, shaking his head against her neck.

Gulping, Astrid nodded. "I see," she mumbled. That explained why Eret had been so concerned; Astrid had heard enough stories about Dagur's brews to be a little worried now too.

But then, Hiccup seemed to be all right. More than all right, actually. He wasn't sick or delirious, nor unstable in any way she could detect – and having been around drunk nobles since she was a little girl, she'd seen a lot of men and women who acted poorly under the influence of drinks. No, all that was different from his normal self was his obvious giddiness and how unrestrained he was. His hands were roaming over her body, never holding still; up and down her back, her shoulders, caressing her neck, her sides, pushing the blanket aside to brush along the edges of her bare breasts. The feeling very efficiently distracted her from all worrisome thoughts.

It felt a bit odd, the rough fabric of his heavy cloak and the cold leather of his vest beneath against her bare skin, but she couldn't say that it was unpleasant. On the contrary, his almost playful touches and giddy laughter every now and then finally made her relax too. Eret had been awfully close to discovering her, but what mattered was that he hadn't. So she made an effort to deeply breathe in and out, let the tension flow out of her, and leaned more comfortably into Hiccup's embrace. Being close to him, kissing and feeling him, always made her feel better.

"You're in quite a cheerful mood," she eventually pointed out, gasping as he nibbled his way down her neck. And he really was, with the continuous giggling and grinning. She was happy to be with him too, but this still felt like something else. "Did you have a good night out?"

Again, he began to chuckle. "Yeah, we had. I..." he paused, almost choked on another laugh, then added, "I told them about you."

Astrid froze, and her gut seemed to drop down into her feet. "You– What?" He couldn't be serious now, could he? No, surely not. Surely, he hadn't–

"Don't worry," he interrupted her approaching panic attack, still grinning and giving little giggles but somewhat steadier now. "I just told them that I am in love with the most wonderful woman on Midgard, how beautiful and smart and brave she is, and that she loves me too." He paused to place a lingering kiss just below her ear. "I didn't mention your name, they don't know I was talking about you, but… Gods, Daniel, he–" Hiccup broke off, his arms around her tightening. "He said he's happy for me. Encouraged me to marry her– you as soon as possible. That he would support me if needed..."

Astrid felt a kind of pressure around her chest, as if a corset was being closed by Ruff in one of her moods. "But Hiccup," she interrupted him. "I don't doubt that he said that, but… but he didn't know you were talking about me, that he is the one who–"

"I know," Hiccup sighed. He retreated slightly until his eyes met hers. There was a strange expression in them; an odd mixture of hope and despair, all covered by a light haze that probably came from the alcohol. "I know that he doesn't know that I was talking about you and I know that that fact would certainly change his opinion. But…" he broke off, and swallowed before a small almost shy smile played around his lips. "But it gave me hope, you know? The hope that he'll come around? Last night, I thought that hope was lost for good, so… Yeah, it was good to hear that he doesn't think I'm a complete failure."

Astrid features softened, and she reached up to brush a few fringes out of his face. "You're not a failure," she whispered. "Where is that idea suddenly coming from?" She remembered how Eret the Elder, the old goat, had spoken about Hiccup in that way, and how Hiccup had reacted when she'd repeated those words. But that was ages ago. It had never come up again since then, so why did he mention it now?

But he just shrugged, and averted his eyes. "Doesn't matter," he muttered, then pulled her closer again until his face was thoroughly buried between her hair and her neck. "All that matters is that you're here. Freya, Astrid, I– I love you. So much!"

Chuckling weakly, Astrid turned her head until her lips touched his skin. "I love you too."

She couldn't really say how they ended up rolling around on the straw-covered ground a few minutes later. All she knew was that there was something unrestrained and wild, almost feral even, about Hiccup's actions. The way his hands roamed over her skin, searching and exploring, intense, his kisses hot and almost demanding. It left her dizzy and wanting, especially when he focused all his attention on her breasts. She'd never known how sensitive that part of her body was, but, Freya, every time his work-roughened hands palmed her, fingers brushing over or pinching her nipples, she couldn't help but moan and writhe beneath him. And when she felt the damp heat of his mouth, his wet tongue stroking, the suction, his teeth nibbling and biting, all she could do was scream.

"Quiet, you'll scare the horses," he mumbled against her skin as she floated down from one of those intense explosions. A part of her wanted to chide him for the clearly audible smirk in his voice, but the by far bigger part didn't care.

"Y-your fault," she panted, chest heaving. "Freya, how are you doing this? How… what…" she broke off when her words kept incoherently tumbling out of her mouth. She needed better words!

Hiccup, the intensity of his touches not dwindling in the slightest, chuckled. "It… has many names. But the most common would be an 'orgasm'. Or a climax. Or I've even heard 'little death' for the really good ones that just knock you flat. And as for how… I'm amazed myself how… responsive you are." He lowered his head, and drew another loud moan out of her by ardently playing her nipple with his tongue. "Seriously, I could do this all day and never get bored."

"Uhh uh…" Astrid made, already feeling the tingles of another orgasm, as Hiccup had called it, pooling in her belly when his hand wandered down her body and beneath her skirts. Clutching at his shoulders in a desperate attempt to anchor herself was all she could do when his hand between her thighs stroked that fire within her once more. It took only a few minutes until a second orgasm wrecked her body, leaving her stunned and trembling, unable to comprehend much beside Hiccup placing soft kisses all over her skin.

"Gods, you're so beautiful like this," he whispered, his voice low and rough. "As if you were glowing…"

His breath tickled, making her giggle giddily, and she reached out with weak arms to pull him up and into a kiss. He complied easily and eagerly, his unusual intensity still not dulling in the slightest. Astrid wouldn't complain, she loved how tactile he was, how his hands – his whole body, really – wouldn't stop moving, exploring. It made her want to do the same, to feel him.

Barely ever stopping kissing him, she managed to get Hiccup out of his tunic, with his cloak, vest, and shoes having already been shed. It didn't take much for her to get over her initial hesitation, to explore him with the same eagerness he showed, hands running over muscles and scars, gripping and stroking. Their kisses grew more heated and distracted, and everything around them seemed to fade away. There was nothing else anymore, nothing but him. And she wanted all of him.

Humming against his lips, she led her hand glide down his front, over his stomach, until she felt rough fabric. There was a last spark of shyness, but she quickly brushed it aside. This was Hiccup, and there was no reason to ever be shy or hesitant with him. She wanted to move on, to feel him, this last part of him she didn't really know at all. She wasn't even sure what she'd planned, whether she wanted to feel him through the fabric of his trousers, more aware of the sensation than when they were making out, or whether she wanted to let her hand slide beneath the fabric, to feel hot skin and more, things she barely knew anything about.

But before she could do either, his hand was around her wrist. With an almost pained groan and a shake of his head, he pulled her hand away, his fingers entangled with hers as he resumed kissing her with renewed vigour. The way he moved, grinding against her, and his groans and grunts quickly distracted her from wondering again. It all simply felt too good to bother, to think, and all she wanted was to follow where he led her. Especially when it made her body throb so wonderfully, made tension coil tight before it burst and washed through her in thrilling waves. It felt as if she could never get enough.

"Oh, f– A-astrid!"

She barely registered Hiccup's muffled groan against her shoulder or how his body coiled tightly only to shudder and shake a second later. In fact, she didn't register anything, basking in an incredible rush that left her dizzy, until Hiccup slumped down onto the straw next to her. Right now, she could completely understand that 'little death' nickname for this feeling. He was panting, his eyes on her still dazed as he reached out to brush her sweaty fringes out of her face.

"I still have no idea what I ever did to deserve this – to deserve you," he mumbled, voice slurring heavily.

Astrid wanted to reply that it was the same the other way around, but when she finally managed to make her eyes focus on him, he seemed to be half-asleep already. Well, the last couple of days had been busy, it was late, and he wasn't exactly sober anyway.

For a few minutes, she just watched him with a lazy smile on her lips. He looked beautiful, so peaceful and relaxed, the corners of his mouth tugged up in the slightest of smiled. And yet…

And yet, there had been something earlier, something that bothered her more the more she thought about it. Slowly, her smile faded into a frown. Why had he done that, not just tonight but last night, too? Everything else had been wonderful, perfect even, but this…

For some while, she went through one possible explanation after the other in her mind, not really liking any of them. And it was futile anyway. She should simply ask Hiccup what that had been about, hoping that the explanation wouldn't be–

No, none of that anymore, she chided herself. She needed to ask Hiccup, everything else wouldn't get her anywhere. But gazing at his sleeping face, she had to acknowledge that now clearly was not the right time to do so.

With a sigh and a slight grimace, she pushed all these confusing thoughts aside in favour of getting at least a little sleep tonight, reached for the blanket behind Hiccup to cover them both, and then snuggled against his warm chest. Tomorrow, she thought to herself. Tomorrow, I will ask him. Whenever I get the chance...

. o O o .

Fighting to keep a pained groan inside, Hiccup reached up to rub his temples and simultaneously cover his eyes from the ray of sunlight which was breaking through the clouds occasionally. Being here as part of the farewell-party for the Crown Prince was an honour, even with the official explanation simply being that he was bringing Trample, and he didn't intend to embarrass himself by letting his hangover show too much. He knew that Daniel wasn't feeling any better, but the Prince somehow managed to appear composed, so Hiccup could do the same.

And appearing composed was important in more than one regard anyway. After their fun night out last night, Hiccup was confident again that it was more than just this official reason that allowed him to be here. But it was still an official occasion – and the last one where Daniel could notice anything, no less – so Hiccup made an effort not to even look at Astrid. But he still couldn't help but listen.

"Promise me to be careful, okay?" Astrid's voice as she tightly hugged her brother easily reached Hiccup's ears where he stood next to Eret, even with how low and muffled it was.

"I'm always careful," Daniel replied, smiling encouragingly at his sister as he retreated. "You'll see, I'll be back before you even noticed I was gone." Something in Daniel's voice sounded off as he said that, but Hiccup had no time to pin down what exactly it was. It might just be him being tired anyway.

"I certainly hope so," Dagur chimed in, his trademark grin plain across his face. Nothing seemed to be able to dull his bright mood, not even one of his friends heading off into a war zone. "Because it's all getting real now, you know? And I can't wait to be a part of it all this summer. Thor, it feels like forever until then!"

Daniel grimaced slightly, but didn't comment further. He accepted Dagur's goodbye hug with something of a forced smile, then turned to Eret. As they hugged too, Hiccup heard murmured words he wasn't sure he was supposed to hear.

"Promise me to keep an eye on her for me."

"I always will," Eret replied, voice equally low. "Don't worry. As long as we stay here, nothing will happen to her."

Again, Hiccup noticed a grimace crossing Daniel's face, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. He just nodded, lips tight, then turned toward Hiccup. Giving him a hug too seemed inappropriate, and with him holding Trample it wasn't practical anyway, so Hiccup simply reached out to shake Daniel's hand. He was relieved when Daniel returned both the gesture and his honest smile. Apparently, all his worries from the night of the grand blot had been for nothing after all – at least in regards to their friendship. "Have a good journey," he said. "And good luck with Redpeak. I hope it all works as planned."

Hiccup wasn't sure how, but that seemed to have been the wrong thing to say. Daniel winced, confusing Hiccup with a strange look and a slight shaking of his head, but it was too late to take his words back.

"Redpeak?" Eret inquired, clearly surprised. "That again? I thought you couldn't go to Redpeak this winter."

Hiccup threw Eret a confused look. He and Daniel had talked about little else lately, including planning the last details last night in the tavern. Where else was Daniel supposed to go? "Why shouldn't he?" he asked, clearly puzzled, then turned back to Daniel. "I thought it was your plan to get it usable for this summer? Wasn't that why you asked to pin down which alterations would be manageable in the short time?"

Now it was on Eret to look confused, and even Dagur leaned in. "But… weren't you lamenting about how you won't be able to work on Redpeak only one week ago?" Dagur asked. "I clearly remember it. It was my accolade, and…"

"And you said you can't change the plans anymore," Eret added, nodding. "Something about logistics, and basic material already being on its way?"

Dagur nodded, too. "And that Uncle Spite would skin you alive if you postponed the repairs to his outposts. I mean, I remember how desperately you wanted to change your plans, but I didn't think you'd be willing to risk that."

Eret grunted in agreement, and all three of them gave Daniel confused looks.

"Erm…" the Prince made, biting his lip. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable, but then nodded. "You're right, all of you," he sighed, shoulders slumping a bit. "It's just… something else came up, something… important. I don't have as much time as originally planned after all, so going to Redpeak instead became more sensible, as it's much closer to the city of Westhill than Loki's Teeth."

"Something so important that you can risk aggravating Uncle Spite?" Eret asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's got to be quite something. Is it something you can tell us?"

Daniel looked definitely pained now as he shook his head. "No, I can't tell you. Not yet. But you'll learn about it soon enough, don't worry." He sighed again. "All I can tell you is… well, let's just say I highly expect to see you all again long before summer, before you all return home even."

"So, you'll be here for Swanja's birthday?" Eret asked, clearly surprised. "That's new."

It was a reasonable question, Hiccup supposed. He already knew that Astrid's birthday at the end of the winter usually marked the day House Jag'r's herd returned to Eastervale. It was a day he dreaded, knowing it would be the last before they had to part. But he also knew that the Princess's birthday wasn't an important enough occasion for Daniel to interrupt his campaign preparations. Or, usually not, at least.

But against his expectations, Daniel shook his head. "No, I won't be back by then. But I'll be back not long afterwards. There's–" He glanced to the side, and abruptly interrupted whatever he'd meant to say. "Uh, where is Swanja?"

Upon his question, they all turned as well to where Astrid stood behind Dagur. Or at least where she had stood until a minute ago. Now, the space was blatantly empty, and Hiccup wondered how he'd missed her leaving. Sure, he was tired and hungover and had actively tried to not overly pay attention to her. But apparently, that had worked better than he'd expected.

"Uh, I don't know. She'd been here just now, hadn't she?" Dagur looked utterly confused, and Hiccup had to bite back laughter at the sight. Astrid's disappearance could be alarming, but he actually wasn't worried. Not really.

And as if he'd been able to read his thoughts, Eret snorted in amusement. Or maybe it was just that he, too, knew Astrid well enough. "Well, if she managed to slip away, there's only one place where she'd go. We'll pick her up once you're gone and make sure she's all right. Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on her." The last words were clearly directed at Daniel who nodded gratefully.

"Thanks, Eret. I know I can count on you."

. o O o .

Hiccup couldn't really complain about the company, he mused as Eret and Dagur accompanied him back toward the stables. It was only logical that Astrid would go there when she got the chance. According to Eret that was what she always did, and Hiccup supposed he was right. It had been what had let to their first meeting, after all.

Besides, spending time with these two was always fun, and even with knowing where Daniel was heading, their mood wasn't down in any way. The area around Westhill and the Western Mountain Range was undeniably a war zone, but Daniel had the best protection imaginable, and winter wasn't exactly the time where the Malarians – used to their warmer climate in the West – were most active anyway.

So it wasn't really surprising that they were in a high spirit, possibly even more light-hearted than they had been during the past days. Because now, there was nobody around anymore from who they had to hide. It was a bit strange though, he mused as he walked ahead of the other two and tried not to be too obtrusive. They had to hide their relationship just like he and Astrid did, but for other reasons and with very different perspectives for their future. Right now, he felt a little jealous at how freely they bantered, their comments much more telling then they had been with the prince around. It stung that, even with Daniel gone, it wouldn't be possible for him and Astrid to do the same. But on the other hand, he also couldn't really begrudge them their time, limited as it was. At least he knew that his fate, ordained by the gods, was far better than what theirs would be. So Hiccup kept himself entertained with thoughts of their future, by remembering the images he'd seen of Astrid standing in the doorway to their home and with their son in her arms. Someday, he reminded himself. Someday, that image will become the truth. The thought brought a smile to his lips. A smile that vanished when he entered the stables.

Astrid was nowhere to be seen, but he knew by now that didn't have to mean she wasn't here. His eyes directly flickered to the end of the corridor, and, just like last night, he noticed that the door to his stall stood slightly ajar – despite him knowing that he'd closed it properly. His heart skipped a beat before it began to pound hard in his chest. Last night, Eret and Dagur had only been here to make sure he got here. Eret had been worried, but it also had been relatively easy to persuade him to leave. Now, however? Now, they were here to search for Astrid. If she'd just been here, for Markor or to wait for them, that wouldn't have been a problem. But if she was in his stall, that meant it was on Hiccup to make sure they wouldn't find her.

"Milady Astrid?" he called, loud. "Are you here? We're all looking for you." He could only hope that would be enough of a warning, enough for her to not come out of his stall and make Eret and Dagur wonder why she'd been in there in the first place. And to his relief, everything stayed quiet.

"Huh, that's strange," Eret muttered, looking around the hall. "I would have vouched for her to be here." He made a few more steps forward, before he called, "Swanja? Where are you?" But again, there was no answer.

Hiccup almost hoped Eret would leave it at that and go look someplace else, when instead he went on toward the stalls. For a moment, his blood ran cold, but he quickly caught himself again. He had to do something, or Eret would surely find her.

"Maybe she's in the tack room?" he suggested, words directed at Dagur who nodded.

"I'll take a look," he said, and left for the door to the attached room.

Hiccup quickly hurried forward to where Eret was peering into Markor's stall right now.

"Well, she's not in here either," Eret stated needlessly, a clear frown on his face now. "I really could have sworn…"

"Maybe in one of the other stalls," Hiccup suggested, making a snap decision at that moment. It was bold, but certainly better than to have Eret look everywhere on his own. He stepped toward the next stall on this side of the stables, Cassie's, even as he was still turned toward Eret. "Let's have a look; I'll take this side and you the other one?" He indicated to the other row of stalls, where Hunter, Crusher, and Chomp were housed. Yes, bold indeed. What if Eret instead stayed on this side, to search Squish's stall and the empty stalls in-between? Hiccup would be too far away to intervene, to maybe stand in the way so Eret wouldn't spot her or to insist upon searching his sleeping stall at the end of the row himself. What if–

"All right." Eret nodded, turned to hurry over to the other side, and Hiccup bit his lip, painfully, to keep a relieved gasp from escaping him. He was keenly aware that the danger of them practically catching her in his bed wasn't fully averted yet, but at least it wasn't as immediate anymore either.

They went on in silence until Dagur returned from the tack room. "I've searched the entire thing, even looked behind shelves and everywhere. Swanja isn't in there."

"And she's not here either," Eret replied tensely as he closed the door to the last stall in his row. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup could see part of Astrid's dress peeking out from behind the straw bale where she was hiding. "No, nothing," he called back, firmly closed the door to his stall, and, after giving himself a second to compose his face, turned toward the other two.

Dagur gave him an amused look. "Did you expect Swanja to be in there?" he asked, nodding at his stall behind him. It was obviously meant to tease him, and luckily, Hiccup didn't need to pretend anything to react appropriately flustered.

"Well, I don't know," he said, blushing. "I mean, maybe she was tired and didn't want to go back to the castle to do whatever is on her plan for today? There is a bed in there after all, and…" he trailed off, swallowing whatever other nonsense he could blurt out. "Anyway, it looks like she's not here after all." He was a bad liar, and he knew that. People had told him so on several occasions. All he could do was hope that this time would be different. That they would believe him.

Eret frowned, but then nodded. "All right. Maybe she knew we would look for her here first. I mean, I don't know why she felt the need to run off, but it's obvious that she doesn't want to be found easily." He sighed, then grimaced. "But we have to find her. I promised Daniel to keep an eye on her. I mean, I know she can take care of herself, but..." He trailed off, and rubbed his tattooed chin in thought.

"I know what you mean," Dagur sighed. "She hasn't really been herself lately."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to appear unperturbed. He felt bad for lying to them, and even worse for leaving them worried; they meant well, after all. But even if he told them where she was, there was no way he could explain why he'd lied in the first place. Besides, Astrid hadn't wanted them to find her, and he respected that. So he stayed silent.

"Okay, let's see if we can find her anywhere else," Eret eventually resigned. "Maybe she went for a walk in the forest, or sits at the swan lake. Or she might be visiting Fishlegs and Heather."

"I hope not," Dagur muttered. "I could go without the icy glares Heather gives me lately."

Nodding, Eret laid his hand on Dagur's upper arm in a comforting gesture. "I'm sure she'll come around. But maybe we don't need to even go there." He turned toward the exit, but then paused to look at Hiccup. "Are you coming too?"

Hesitantly, Hiccup shook his head. "No. You know better where she might be, and I could only follow you anyway; I'd just get lost if I were to search the castle and its grounds on my own. I'll stay here in case she shows up after all. Tend to the horses…" He shrugged. Again he hoped that the lie wasn't too noticeable on his face.

Apparently, it wasn't. Eret nodded in agreement, and after they'd left the stables and the door closed behind them, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. Gods, he couldn't wait until they wouldn't have to hide anymore…

He wasn't surprised at all when, upon turning away from the stable's entry, he found that Astrid had already left his stall. He had to be more smashed than he'd thought, as he hadn't even heard the door. What surprised him, however, was that she stood a few steps away from him. His first instinct was to go to her and take her into his arms, but there was something in her expression that kept him from doing so. It also explained why she'd come and hidden here in the first place. It seemed as if she had more on her mind than simply already missing him.

"Hey," he began, unsure what else to say. His mind still felt sluggish. "That was… pretty risky."

Astrid, however, didn't say anything and just nodded. She bit her lip, obviously chewing something over in her mind, so Hiccup decided to just keep on talking until she'd made up her mind about what was bothering her.

"I mean, what if Eret had seen you? Sure, Daniel isn't here anymore, but I didn't get the impression that telling Eret or Dagur was what you wanted either. And surely you knew they'd come here first. I mean, not that I'm complaining. I love to have you here, and–"

"Do you?"

Hiccup broke off, and gave her an incredulous look. Where was that coming from? Scouring his mind for what he might have done to make her doubt him and coming up empty-handed, he couldn't help but make a hesitant step toward her. "What? Of course I do!" Gods, his mind was too slow, he shouldn't have drunk anything last night.

Astrid looked at him for a moment longer. Then she moved toward him, oddly hesitant, and stretched to brush her lips over his. Hiccup still had no idea what to make of her behaviour, so he just went along, returned her kiss and pulled her closer when she pressed for more contact. It felt wonderful, right and perfect, just like always – except that Astrid still seemed strangely tense. Or maybe he was just imagining things? His mind really wasn't as quick as it usually was. Eventually, he gave up pondering, and pushed all distracting thoughts aside. Astrid wasn't afraid to speak her mind, so if something bothered her, she surely would say so.

With a low moan, he gave in completely, letting her take the lead to wherever she wanted to go, returned her kisses and let his hands roam over her body when hers did the same. Gods, he loved the feeling of her small but sure hands on his skin, the light scraping of her fingernails over his abdomen, tickling, teasing, wandering further and further down until–

Grunting, Hiccup's hand shot down to catch hers as she was about to loosen the cords on his trousers. Freya, just the light brush of her hand over his bulge had already felt amazing! But this… this was the one line he wouldn't… couldn't cross, the one rule he couldn't break.

Caught between wanting to let her continue and reasoning why he couldn't, it took Hiccup a moment to realise that Astrid had pulled back from him. But when he did, he spotted a pained expression on her face, just before she turned away from him, arms defensively crossed in front of her.

"I-I think I should go," she mumbled, making a hesitant step away from him. "Eret and Dagur might be back any moment or… or…" she trailed off, and Hiccup could imagine all too well how she would bite her lip right now, even as he couldn't see it.

"Astrid, wait," he said, not really knowing what else to say. What had just happened? "What..." He reached out for her, but dropped his hand again before he could touch her. Somehow, she seemed to need space right now, even though he honestly couldn't say why. "Why are you so upset? Did… did I do something wrong?"

For a minute, Hiccup thought she wouldn't answer. She just stood there, back toward him and arms so tightly wrapped around herself that it looked as if she was actively trying to hold herself together. When she eventually began to speak though, her words didn't make much sense to him at first.

"No, you didn't," she whispered. "It's just… I love it when you touch me. It's… indescribable. I want to feel you, everywhere and all the time. I can't get enough."

Despite the weird tension between them, a smile was tugging at Hiccup's lips. He'd hoped that she would enjoy their physical contact and was thriving on it when she reacted like last night, but actually hearing her say it was a welcome reassurance. However, her words certainly didn't explain her behaviour. "And… that's bad?" he asked carefully.

Astrid shook her head, still not looking at him. "No, it's not. It's just… I-I want to… to make you feel the same," she eventually burst out. She sounded strange, vulnerable. "I mean, I know I have no experience. This… it's all so new and confusing, and I don't know how any of this works. All I know is that you make me feel so amazing, and I just want to return that feeling. Unless… unless you don't want me to. If you don't want me, then…" she broke off as her voice grew more brittle with every word.

At first, Hiccup could do little else but dumbfoundedly gape at her. She thought he wouldn't want her? That was… ridiculous! "Whether I…" he began, bewildered. "What gave you that idea? That's completely–"

"Then why won't you let me touch you?" she interrupted him, sounding even more vulnerable than before. "I know that I'm not any good, but I'm willing to learn. I just…" She shrugged awkwardly with her arms still wrapped around herself.

"You think..." he whispered, unsure whether she could even hear him. Was she serious? She thought that he didn't want her to touch him? Feverishly, he tried to come up with a way to explain, to make her understand, but he could only come up with one sensible solution. It was still a stupid one, one he shouldn't pick. Because he wanted her too much. But Astrid was hurting over this misunderstanding, and if that was the only way to explain himself…

With two quick steps, Hiccup approached her and took her into a tight embrace. So far, he'd always tried to be as careful as possible with what exactly he let her feel of his body, both because he hadn't wanted to spook her and because he already wanted her more than was good for him, even without her body pressing and rubbing against his cock with every other movement.

But this time was different. This time, he deliberately pressed his crotch against her back, letting her feel just how much he wanted her. The unexpected contact made him twitch in eager anticipation, something Astrid apparently felt too, judging by her hiccupy intake of breath.

However, he didn't want to upset her further, in any way. "Silly woman," he murmured softly against her neck. "Of course I want you. Gods, Astrid, you have no idea just how... appealing you are to me." He paused, trying to think of how to explain himself. "I… don't know what exactly the Temple taught you, but–"

With a harsh snort, she bit out, "Assume that they taught me nothing!"

Hiccup blinked at her tone; he'd heard her annoyed, even angry, but that sounded like ages of frustration finding a target. However, as she settled back against him, she felt less tense, so that was good. It meant she wasn't angry – or at least not angry at him!

Swallowing against the heat coursing through his body, Hiccup nodded against her hair. "Do you feel this?" he asked in a rough voice as he pressed himself a little closer, the friction making him twitch again. Astrid nodded. "When they're aroused, men get… hard. And that's what you can feel right now, me being aroused beyond being able to make sensible decisions." He chuckled shakily. "And it's all because of you. You ask whether I even want you to touch me? Freya, yes, I want that. More than you can imagine." Oh, yes, this hadn't been a wise idea, Hiccup thought as a shudder ran through his body. Gods, he wanted her so much… And Astrid shifting in his arms and further rubbing against him didn't exactly help either.

"Then… why won't you let me?" she asked again in a small voice, at complete odds with her tone a moment before.

Gasping out another desperate laugh, Hiccup let his forehead drop until it rested on her shoulder. "Because I don't trust myself," he mumbled, the embarrassing truth of those words making him glad that she wasn't looking at him right now. "We both know that we can't have sex just yet, but I fear that… that if we get to close, neither of us will be able or willing to stop. So it is my responsibility to make sure. And this is the rule I gave myself; that I would always keep my trousers on around you. If I don't take them off, nothing can happen."

In his arms, Astrid noticeably relaxed, further leaning into his embrace. "I wish you'd told me about that," she breathed, laughing nervously. "That would have saved me quite a few hours of distress. Or the whole charade of sneaking away and hiding here, for that matter."

"I'm sorry," Hiccup murmured, gulping. "I know it's my task to explain everything to you, but I'm not really doing a good job, am I? I… I'm just trying to go slowly, to not overwhelm you. There are many things we haven't talked about yet, but I thought we would do so when they come up. But be assured, me holding back has nothing to do with not wanting you. Gods, Astrid, the things I want to do…" Hiccup trailed off, his whole body trembling with just thinking about the options. Those would be two horribly long years…

"What would you want to do?"

Distracted as he was by the images in his head, Astrid's question caught him a little off guard. "Excuse me?"

She hesitated, then wiggled in his arms until she'd turned around to face him. There was a mix of curiosity, excitement, and anticipation gleaming in her eyes, and Hiccup already knew that it would be tough to turn down whatever she wanted. "If we could do whatever we want to… what would you do? Right now, I mean. Can you tell me? Or show me?"

"Astrid…" he began, pained, but she didn't even let him really start his complaint.

"I get that restriction, that rule you put up, and I respect it," she said, smiling up at him so prettily that Hiccup felt like he could fall in love with her all over again. "But I'm so curious, want to know how it all works." She shrugged. "So I thought, maybe at least talking about it is okay?"

Hiccup bit back something like a desperate groan. Simply talking could already be enough to make him combust and soil yet another pair of trousers. But she had a point, and not talking would only cause more confusion. "You're right," he said in a low voice, nodding. He took a minute to think, but then decided he just as well could stop minding having to wash his clothes more regularly. This was all they could do for now, so they better made the best of it as long as they had the time.

More content now with their situation, Hiccup somewhat regained his confidence. "You want to know what I'd like to do if we could?" he asked in a rough voice.

Astrid, who apparently had noticed the change in him, just nodded mutely, eyes shining brightly.

He moved, gently guiding Astrid backwards until she hit a pile of neatly stacked straw bales. Fighting down a last flicker of nerves, he lifted her so that she sat on those bales, at just the right height. "If we could," he murmured, his hands sliding down her legs to hoist up her skirts. "Then I'd like to take you like this." His eyes never left hers as he stepped between her parted legs, always looking for a hint of uneasiness or discomfort. But there was nothing the like, only joyful anticipation. He made another step so that their bodies touched, his bulge against her crotch. Even through their clothes, he could feel her heat, could tell by the slide that she was wet, aroused. It made the heat inside himself burn even hotter; having blood in his head to help him think was not a priority anymore.

"If you'd let me, if it were possible," he went on, hands gliding around to settle on her hips. "Then I'd push into you now, slow and deep, savouring." He pressed himself closer against her which drew a beautiful little gasp from her. The sound made him buck forward, making her yelp in return and left them both gazing at each other through dazed eyes. He bucked again, deliberate now, and Astrid's moan was almost enough to undo him on the spot.

"I would want you to feel me," he muttered in-between panted breaths as he kept moving back and forth. "And to feel you in return, your tight heat. I want to hear you, want to taste you." He leaned in to dip his tongue into her mouth, even as they were both too distracted to kiss properly. Astrid's hands were on his shoulders now, clutching, pulling him closer.

Hiccup let his head drop to her shoulder as he increased the pace of his movements. One arm was around her waist, the other around her back, holding her tight as he kept grinding their bodies together, her sweet moans in his ear. "I want to mark you," he mumbled against the bare skin of her shoulder. "And to be marked by you. I want to be one with you in every possible way. Gods, I love you, Astrid. And the day you become my wife will be the happiest day of my life."

Astrid's response was little more than a string of whimpers, gasps, and moans. He could tell that she was moving with him by instinct, intensifying the friction even more, and he knew that, if someone were to come in now, he couldn't have cared less in that moment. All that mattered was Astrid, how she clutched him tightly, rutting against him until the most sinful of moans left her. Her orgasms were always beautiful, thrilling, the way she shook as pleasure consumed her. And just like last night, it was more than enough to let him tip over the edge as well. Muffling his desperate howl against her skin, he came, shuddering, pressed against Astrid as tightly as possible.

His mind had barely begun to work again, when her trembling laughter reached his ears. "Mmmh, yeah," she hummed. "I can't wait for when we can do this for real either."

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh, free and liberated, and it only took a second or three until Astrid chimed in as well. Gods, how was it possible that he was allowed to be with her?

. o O o .

Feeling much lighter than she had this morning, Astrid left the stables a few hours after she'd hidden herself there. When she reached the top of the small hill, she couldn't help but turn to look back one last time. But just as they'd agreed upon, the doors were already closed, Hiccup not standing there to gaze after her.

It was a miracle that nobody had barged in on them, all things considered; they couldn't risk blowing their cover now just by prolonging their farewell. It wasn't for long anyway; she'd be back in a few hours. The thought made her smile, despite the prospect of being found by Eret or Dagur at any moment, and of getting scolded by a whole lot of people for sneaking away.

But it had been worth it. After last night, when even in his drunk eagerness Hiccup hadn't let her touch him, she'd felt so confused, conflicted. It wasn't that she'd really doubted Hiccup's feelings for her… But she had wondered, had feared what his reluctance could mean. She'd wanted to give him everything, but hadn't been sure whether that would be enough.

Now though? Now, she was appeased. Hiccup's explanation had been logical and practical, enough to make her see reason too while at the same time letting every single one of her troubled thoughts evaporate. But it was even more than just that. She'd learned another lesson today; the lesson that she could ask Hiccup everything. And she would. They only had a few weeks left, but she intended to get as much out of those as possible, to spend every moment she could with him and to learn whatever she could.

"Thank Odin, there you are!" called suddenly a voice from behind her, and Astrid turned to give Eret a sheepish smile. "We've been looking for you forever. Where have you been?"

Astrid shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I've been just walking around in the woods," she said matter-of-factly. She'd already planned ahead what she would tell him after all, had even taken a large detour on her way back to the castle to hide where she'd actually been. "The moment I return to the castle, my governess regains control over my life again, and I wanted to avoid that as long as possible."

"Yeah, I thought so," Eret sighed, and she could tell by the grimace on his face that he didn't really blame her for sneaking away. "And I understand. But I'd still prefer if someone knows where you are if you need to hide. You know I'd even cover for you, right?"

"Thanks, Eret." The smile she gave him, though be it an honest one, still felt like a lie. She believed him; he would cover for her, had already done so in previous years. He was trustworthy, more so than almost everybody else she knew. And yet, she couldn't let him know the truth. She wasn't even sure whether he would actually betray her trust when it came to her relationship with Hiccup. But if she told him her secret, she would effectively force him to lie to Daniel when they met come summer, and that was a burden she didn't want to place on her friend. So she just wound her arm through his in a familiar gesture as they walked back toward the castle. "I appreciate the offer, and maybe I'll even take you up on it. But for today, I think my time is up."

The walk back to the castle was filled with companionable silence, a last reprieve before life came crashing down on her again. But even having her governess scold her for her sudden absence wasn't able to make her regret or feel bad in any way. Everything was worth it when it meant she could spend time with Hiccup.

The rest of the day went just as she'd expected. After the scolding came lessons, but in what Astrid couldn't remember, her governess's words not even registering in her mind. Eating dinner felt… different though. It wasn't quiet or boring with the Grand Dukes, Eret and Dagur keeping her and her father company. But Daniel's absence seemed to hover over her like a dark cloud. It wasn't that she was worried for him, not really. But with him gone...

At the end of the day, she let herself fall into the soft cushions of her bed, sighing deeply. It sounded theatrically, even to herself, even though it was only halfway exaggerated. Turning her head, she glanced at the wooden horse standing on her bedside table. Ruff had seen how it had been a part of her gifts and probably assumed it came from Eret – and Astrid hadn't corrected her. It meant that Astrid had felt free to place the figurine into her bedchamber, that she now had a physical reminder of Hiccup right there next to her bed. Which was good.

Now that Daniel had left, her life would return to its usual routine of lessons in embroidery and etiquette, painting and socialising. Maybe she would be allowed a free afternoon with Eret and Dagur every now and then, but that would be it. It was a depressing prospect, and if it weren't for the nights with Hiccup, she might have screamed.

But at least she had those nights – for now at least.

~ The End Of Part 2 ~

. o O o .

So, yeah... Again the reminder that I'm on hiatus now until April 5th. If you have questions or want to talk to me or other readers, feel free to join us on athingofviking's Discord server (Invite link can be found on his Tumblr.)