Was today really going to be the day we crossed that line? We both wanted it, Thor knows if we were not wearing clothing last night on the plateau, we might have there. And as I lay here, her soft breaths gliding across my chest, a small part of me fears the day to come. Looking down at this sleeping beauty as she rests comfortably in my arms, the last thing I wanted to do was disturb her. Feeling her warm body against mine was worth staying still and savoring those few extra minutes.
Some things are not meant to go on forever though and lying in bed is unfortunately one of them. Shifting slightly so that I can softly wiggle my way out of the bed, I hear Astrid murmur softly. She looked so peaceful and comfortable. Kissing her gently on the forehead, her eyes flutter briefly.
"Not… yet…" she mutters, and I smile. It was not even dawn yet, and first light had just barely begun filtering in.
"Just wait here." I whisper and finish climbing out of bed. Looking to Toothless who lifts his head and coos softly, I walk over and pat him softly. "Stay here bud, I'll be back soon." He nods and lowers his head back on his heat rock.
Getting dressed and heading outside, the cloudless night had vanished and there was a darker overcast that warned of a light snowfall soon. We may well see Aurvandil's Fire this year as well. I head to the Dragon Stables where I am sure my mother has already started morning feeding for the dragons. Walking the caves of the stables, I am continuously amazed at the ingenuity and adaptability of the people of Berk. These used to be Whispering Death tunnels, with a few of the larger tunnels belonging to the Screaming Death. Now turned into dragon stables of numerous sizes with countless sleeping dragons.
Sure enough, I can hear the soft hum of my mom as she walks further ahead of me with firelight and a large sack of fish. She is humming the song my dad sung to her, the same tune Astrid and I used as a base for ours. I slow my pace briefly, not having thought about what to say but unfortunately, my mother is too aware for my own good.
"Good morning, Hiccup." Her voice carries almost making me jump.
"Uh, good morning, mom."
"You're up early. Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I-uh, yeah. I'm usually up this time anyways" I stammer. Why is it harder to talk to her about some things?
"Were you looking for me or?" She pauses and turns back to me and I nod.
"Yeah, mom. I, um. I have a favor to ask." I begin, shifting slightly. She nods at me to continue and I take a breath. "Well, since being Chief, it's been hard to find time for just, ya know, Astrid and me. In the daylight. I was hoping that you would be willing to cover for me for the day." I ask with a degree of trepidation. She only chuckles and nods.
"Of course, son. Say no more." She answers and I let out a deep breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding.
"Whew, okay. Thank you. Uh, some things that might need attention today. Sven said he had something about the sheep and Mulch mentioned the Yaks yesterday. It's getting near winter, so they at least need to be okay, but we're still plenty of time away to rebuild our reserves." I pause, not noticing at first her approaching me as I stammer through my thoughts. "Uh, Spitelout and Gustav have a couple ideas that need to be turned down for the Auxiliary Riders." I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder and my mother standing in front of me.
"Hiccup, this isn't my first time helping the Chief, you know. I'll be fine. Go and enjoy your day together. I can always send a Terror Mail if things get drastic." She pauses and wraps her arm over my shoulder. "You know, there is a beautiful small and secluded spring on the island where your father brought me after our betrothal."
"Woah, mom. Way, way, way too much." I say, jumping back and waving my hands and she just laughs.
"Oh, you babes, so insecure. All I'm saying is, I'm sure it'd be a nice relaxing spot. My bones say we are expecting a light snow, maybe even Aurvandil's Fire will make an appearance tonight. Take the time, sweetie. You've both earned it. I can hold down the fort." She finishes and describes the location and I inwardly smile. That's the same spot where Toothless and I bonded after I shot him down, what irony. Giving her a hug, I rush back to my hut and see Astrid still laying in the bed. Smiling, I quietly pack up a couple bags of food, drink, and a blanket. Some towels as well, it is a Spring after all. We would be able to have a proper picnic alone this time.
Moving back up the stairs, I see her eyes flutter again as she shifts, and I climb in the bed on top of her and kiss her gently on the cheek. She shifts and mutters.
"Mmm, Hiccup?" She says softly and slowly opens her eyes and I nod, kissing her again softly on the lips this time. "I could get used to this." She says just beneath her breath.
"If you still want; I can steal you away for the day. Just us." I whisper, brushing her nose to mine and she smiles, still partially asleep but awake enough to understand.
"I do want. Do we fly?" She asks softly and I shake my head. The Spring was an easy hour plus comfortable walk on a good day, but it was secluded and safe. Plus, both Toothless and Stormfly knew its exact location should we need them, and we still had our dragon calls.
"If you're up for it, I'd like to walk. Just us. I packed a couple bags for us." I whisper and she nods.
"I'd love that." She says softly and leans her head up and kisses me. I savor the moment, just enjoying her presence, but after a moment she giggles and adds. "Hiccup, I need to be able to move before the rest of the village wakes up."
"Ah, details." I tease, before sitting back and giving her room to get up. I watch her get dressed and set up her satchel, and as she finishes dressing, I close from behind her and slowly snake my arms around her. "I'm glad we're finally getting a day." I whisper, kissing her on the cheek
"Me too. Let's go?" She motions towards the stairs and I nod, releasing her and opening a satchel of fish for Toothless.
"Hey bud, hold the fort for me. Plenty of fish for you. I'll call if I need you." I say, patting the dragon on his side as he coos in acknowledgement and nudges me away. He knew we were taking the day for ourselves.
The sun was barely cresting the horizon as the village slowly started to rouse, but by the time any degree of foot traffic starts to happen, Astrid and I were well into the inlands of Berk. No care in the world for either of us beyond each other. Would we cross that line today? Time would tell, but by how closely we walked together as the snow fell lightly on the ground, even if we didn't, we'd still be with each other.
I can hardly remember the last time Hiccup and I had a day just to ourselves. It's been too long, the closest we got to a real day of relaxation as a couple was the sabotaged picnic by the twins when they were going for the silly record. Sure, we still explored far out places, but that usually led to more trouble like our run in with Drago and the Trappers. While Eret had changed his ways, a good number of his old associates only changed their colors.
But not like this, this was certainly a first. Just us, not even our dragons. The first time since our betrothal that we can be with just us. No twins, no Snotlout or Fishlegs. No Dragon Hunters or Flyers. No Drago or Trappers. No distractions: for Thor's sake, no one except Valka even knows where we are and the way Hiccup made it sound, she wouldn't tell a soul.
This Spring may well be known by most after the Speed Stingers, but no one ever comes out this far, ever. There was just enough foliage that made it secluded from aerial riders. With a light coating of snow, a comfortable wool blanket and fire going near the water, and his arms wrapped around me. There is literally nothing else in the world I could want more right now.
"So, what did your mom say?" I ask, gazing into the firelight as I nestle my back into his chest.
"To take our time. She even seemed to think Aurvandil's Fire would make an appearance tonight, and since the Flightmare is a thing of the past… It'd be nice to enjoy it with you." He responds. I feel his lips trace the back of my neck and I smile, closing my eyes.
For the first time in Hofferson History, I could enjoy Aurvandil's Fire without being haunted by the past. Maybe we could even have some new memories made under its glow to replace the bad. The thought made me blush a little as my hands found Hiccups and pulled them tighter around me.
So far, we'd enjoyed a peaceful morning to late morning, the snow droplets still falling. It was weird, to just be able to spend hours together and not need to worry about anything. It was also relaxing and let us talk about nothing. Just to hear each other's voices and breathes. Hiccup was rambling on about some crazy idea Spitelout and Gustav had come to him with yesterday for the Auxiliary Riders, letting me just listen and smile.
The snowfall didn't take away his thought of a dip in the spring water, which this one was usually rather warm even in the winter. Covering our blanket and satchels up, and tossing a few more large pieces of wood to keep the fire going, we shredded most of our cloths and leapt into the spring together.
Thank Thor, as it has been before, it was now still warm and soothing. When I finally resurfaced after letting the water fully engulf me, I saw Hiccup gazing at me from a few feet away.
"What?" I say lightly, hiding a smile and light laugh. He moves closer in the water and I can see specs of snowfall on his wet hair that quickly melts from the water.
"Just, you." He says as he closes the distance. It's barely mid-day and he's already starting with these cheesy, corny, super sweet lines. I groan, but my smile is apparent to him as I feel his arms snake around my waist under the water, bringing us closer together.
"I thought I warned you last night about that?" I tease, wrapping my arms over his shoulders so our bodies can press together.
"Oh, I don't know" He shrugs, looking back at me. "Maybe, remind me…" He says softly "what happens when I tell you that you're beautiful. And that seeing you rise out of the water like that was mesmerizing." He adds, pecking me on the lips.
"I'm half tempted to shove you under the water" I answer
"But" He lightly challenges me, and I give in.
"But I'd rather..." I do not finish as I press my lips to his. This right here, this is what it has been about. Just us, being together, feeling each other. We can talk to each other for hours; we can listen or just sit in silence. We could steal each other's breath through our words or our actions. Right now, it was through our actions.
The cold, though still air on our shoulders covered by the heat of the spring as the secluded and rocked off area was devoid of most wind currents. Our heads barely above the water as we float in the shallow spring. I can feel his Gronkle-iron foot as my feet trace his. Our tongues already dancing as our lips remain locked. If there was one bad thing about being in the spring, it was that we could not really do much else without slipping underwater.
Maybe it was the steam from the spring with the cold, or the water. But when we finally broke our lips apart this time for air, there was a certain gaze he had for me. Something I think I had for him too, a longing. I can't begin to imagine what my eyes were telling him, and I can only guess what his were telling me. But when he pressed his lips to mine again, we both knew.
It's weird to admit, even to myself, how much I've longed for his touch, or his lips. Maybe he feels the same because the passion between us sparks as our tongues dance again. Like we became intoxicated with each other's presence, but not crazed. He broke our kiss, and I almost felt my heart drop until I felt him kissing down my neck as his hands ran up my back, his finger nails gently tracing my spine in the water giving me shivers.
It was unintentional, I didn't control it, but I heard the moan slip out from my throat as he lightly traces my collar bone with his lips. Rolling my head back, my breathe becomes heavier as my grip over his shoulders tightens and I lock one of my legs around his, pressing my full body to his.
I feel it, a pressure pressing against me from under the water. I know what it is, he does, we're not naïve little kids anymore. We may barely be twenty, but I knew. I knew what I felt and it made me bite my lip as I smiled, closing my eyes as his lips starting to trace their way back up my neck until they found my lips again.
"Astrid." He breathes heavily, brushing our lips softly together. I open my eyes and gaze into his and can't stop myself from biting my lower lip.
"Hiccup." I say softly, looking him in the eyes as I feel his arms continue to trace my back.
"I think" I begin pausing and searching his eyes for some answer I already knew. "I think, I want to break that tradition with you." I finish just under my breath. Not for a lack of confidence, but just because it's Hiccup and I, though his soft smile sealed any doubt I might've had.
"I want that too." He says softly, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to mine. "I want you." he adds in a teasing whisper.
"You have me. You can have all of me." I answer softly before pressing my lips to his, sealing any other words or thoughts of doubt away. We would be crossing that line today. We both knew it, we both accepted it. We both wanted it. I think, deep down, we both needed it. We needed to explore each other, to know every inch of each other in ways no one else in the world would know.