The walk from the Great Hall down to the dragon stables was quiet and awkward, at least for me. Having your mother tell you to follow them for a private chat was never comfortable because it usually ended in some sort of reprimand or lecture, they want to keep away from prying eyes and ears. My mother had proven to be different though, and generally extremely supportive of my endeavors though that could be due to her twenty-year absence and her trying to make up for it. In any case, she seemed sincere and genuine in her talks with me, and never demoralizing. I was fortunate she was who she was, and I wish she had been in my life as a child.
After making a round around the stables, feeing the dragons that were awake and letting rest the ones who slept, with me trailing behind her, she paused and turned to me with a soft, warm look.
"I can see the concern on your face, Hiccup." She starts and I shrug, nodding. I was not trying to hide it really.
"Can you blame me?" I ask rhetorically and she shakes her head.
"No, not really. Mother's are observant, and I've noticed the change between the two of you, Hiccup." She says slowly, with my heart rate increasing as she continues.
"You move closer together, almost always touching. The way you sit together, it's how I sat with Stoick after we were married. Before we married, there was a certain degree of awkwardness in our approach to affection, especially in public." She says, turning and walking slowly with me following. "But you two, you've grown bolder, more transparent. As though that stage of awkwardness is behind you which can only mean one thing to those who have walked those shoes before." She adds. She knows. How? Were we as obvious as she claimed? I knew she suspected but she sounds so sure.
"I won't ask you to confirm or deny anything, Hiccup, you are Chief, and ultimately what you choose to do with Astrid is your own choices. Just be aware of the consequences and repercussions should you get careless." She finishes and I nod softly.
"You know, it's interesting." I begin slowly, "Viggo, the Dragon Hunter, made a comment like that when I thought he had reformed from his ways. He mentioned how challenging it would be to go into battle with a lover by your side. How it could cloud your judgement. Then he tried to use Astrid against me by threatening her life." I say, recalling the events when Viggo fell inside the Volcano after I threw the Dragon's Eye. My mother had stopped walking and turned to look at me. She hadn't heard even a quarter of all our adventures on the Edge, just the highlights and even those didn't include everything. I smile softly as I remember the look on Astrid's face as I threw the Dragon's Eye.
"We'd only been together for a month or so when that happened, and it was kept discrete to avoid any appearance of favoritism. But in that moment, when it was just us and Viggo, we both knew." I continue, pausing as I think on it, shifting in my stance.
"Knew what?" She asks me and I nod to myself as I think.
"That we loved each other, that no matter what we faced, we'd face it together, and that we'd never put each other ahead of the greater good. In such situations, we needed to battle the evil and stop it from winning, not allow it to win to save each other." I answer. "He still ended up with the Dragon's Eye in the end, but it took them considerable resources to gain it which gave us time. Time we wouldn't have had, had I just given in to Viggo to try and protect Astrid." I add and she nods.
"You made the decisions of a Chief even then, Hiccup. And I'm proud of you. I know, and trust, that you and Astrid know what you're doing. I've seen how she supports you and how you act when she is with you. You have a strong connection, one that's been tested by time and hardships. You're a smart man, and she is a smart woman." She says, walking closer to me and placing her hand on my shoulder and nodding. There it was; her blessing to continue. She had to know what lines we had crossed, but she also knew we weren't irresponsible. I can only hope Astrid's talk with her parents was going even remotely as well. A part of me worried it wasn't and my mother must've seen my concern.
"Hiccup, whatever talk Astrid has to have, I know she won't dwindle in her love or support for you. The entire village knows she is our future Chieftess when the time comes, and that her parents would be hard pressed to even ask her to consider another suitor who could be your equal in her eyes. Be strong and wait for her." She finishes and wraps her arms around me in a mother's embrace and I nod.
After we part, I return to my house while she continues another lap around the stables. Astrid hadn't arrived yet, and Stormfly was gone. A creeping unease filled my thoughts, but it was quickly put to rest when I entered and saw her bags still where she had left them. She had cleaned up some of the house too, and it made me smile. She felt comfortable here, and I wanted her too.
I did feel bad for Toothless, we hadn't been on as many rides as usual in recent days, well, since my father passed to be fair. I've been too busy with Chiefing that riding has had to take a back seat as much as I hated that. And I couldn't leave now and have Astrid come back to an empty house, no I'd wait.
"Hey bud, I know you're probably ready to stretch your wings." I say, approaching the Night Fury as he perches on his slate rock. He grumbles and nods. "Let's wait for Astrid and maybe we can have time for a night ride tonight. Sound good?" I ask, patting him on the underside of his chin and he coos in acceptance. "Thanks for being my best bud." I say to him and he just purrs, resting his head back down. Taking the time, I unpack the bags we came back with and separate the cloths that need to be washed and such while waiting. It feels like I'm waiting for an eternity, but all my waiting is worth it as I hear my door open and Astrid's voice call out to me.
It was surprising how easily I lost them in the crowd of people leaving the Great Hall, but ultimately I knew where they would be going so instead of trying to track them down, I just headed home. Maybe they had left in a hurry to avoid this, but it wasn't something that should or could be avoided. They were my family, but so was Hiccup. I shouldn't need to hide from them, I shouldn't need to hide him from them or my feelings. I never had to before, I shouldn't have too now, even if it would be what they didn't want to hear.
Standing in front of my door, this was the first time I've ever felt any apprehension about opening it. I've never felt like I could ever be unwelcomed in my parents' home, that I would face a heavy degree of scrutiny from them over my choices. They've only ever been proud of me, even when I lost to Hiccup in Dragon Training when my goals were different, they didn't discredit me. When I first told them about my relationship with Hiccup, they supported me. If for no other reason than he was the future Chief of Berk and a savior to the people, personal character notwithstanding. It was his character that attracted me to him, the unassuming hero who never sought recognition or credit; the literal polar opposite of most Viking Males. His heir to the Chief of Berk or the actions he's taken since then to save and protect Berk did nothing to influence my feelings for him. I've loved him for longer than that, it might not have shown but I was always more afraid of him hurting himself when we were younger.
Letting loose a deep breath, I open the door and there they are, sitting at the table near the fire pit. They both look at me, then at each other, and I'm having a hard time deciphering what their looks mean.
"Hello, Mom, Dad. How- How are you doing?" I ask, my voice failing to hide my nervousness as I step inside.
"We're fine, Astrid. We weren't expecting you tonight." My mother answers slowly. "Did you leave something here that you need?" She asks, knowingly, assumingly and I grip my arm and shrug.
"Sort of. But I also just wanted to come back and spend a little time with my parents if that's.. okay." I say meekly and my mother glances at my father who shrugs.
"Since you're here, take a seat." My father says with a roll of his neck, taking a drink of his mug that is probably lined with mead from his own stores. I do as suggested and sit at the table with them. There is an awkward silence as I clasp my hands together.
"So, how have things been here?" I ask, just trying to fill the silence. This was a new kind of torture I wasn't used too.
"Things have been good. How are things with you? Had a busy few days?" My father says calmly, setting his cup down in a way that honestly made me shift uncomfortably. Like I was expecting him to explode with a barely controlled anger that's boiling and about to tip. My mother was no different, sitting in silence with a pair of needles, stitching together what seems to be a new pair of pants.
"Uh, yeah. We, uh, got some news. Dragon Trappers are on the move, we're likely going after them soon." I admit, unsure if that was information I should share but needed something to fill the tension. "Don't worry, we'll be careful." I add before either of them can ask. There is another few moments of silence that fill the house, pushing me to the brink of sanity. I usually have no issues sitting in silence but it's thick in the air, like something needs to be said.
"How are things with Hiccup?" My mother finally asks, and I feel my throat catch as I'm briefly unable to even swallow a gulp of air. "You've been spending a lot of time with him recently." She continues.
"Sleeping at his house, too." My father adds lowly and I feel my teeth clench as I try to smile. They knew or at least suspected something. They had too, they were parents, and they weren't blind. Admittedly, I was at a loss. I had no idea how to proceed, and deep down, I wish Hiccup was next to me.
"Y-yes." I stammer out slowly, admitting to that, and clenching my eyes shut as I wait for the incoming verbal assault. No sense in lying, even if the truth prompted yelling. There was a long silence that followed which forced me to open my eyes and look at them. When I did, they were both looking at me, their faces awash with concern. My father had set down his mug, my mother had set down her needles and their attention was focused on me. I wanted to scream, to rush out of the room and back to Hiccup's house, to avoid this judgement. But I couldn't, I needed to face this, whatever it was.
"So… what?" I finally manage to get out amid their stares, unwilling to sit there in an uncomfortable silence for so long. It was perhaps my own thoughts that led to this as I groan. "Yes. I've been spending a lot of time with Hiccup. Yes, I've been spending the nights at his house. Yes. I've had a busy few days as he trusts me with tasks or wants me with him as he travels the town." I say, my voice growing slightly stronger as my apprehension turns into annoyance. "It's no secret that we will marry; it's no secret that we have a relationship. I just wish you would stop with this silent routine and actually say what's on your mind!" I exclaim finally, my patience breaking under their steady stare. Though, immediately after, I gulp and cover my mouth with my hand as I realize I just yelled at my parents which is totally out of character for me. Slumping back, I close my eyes and wait. This would be bad.
I hear my father let out a long sigh as I hear him placing his large fist on the table. "Astrid. Look at me." He commands and I swallow hard and nod, slowly opening my eyes expecting to see a furious expression lining both my parents faces. I was more than a little surprised by the looks I saw instead.
"Astrid, Hon. We're not going to judge your decisions. You're an adult woman now, and betrothed to the Chief of Berk. We blessed this relationship years ago." My father starts, his voice soft but strong.
"We are also your parents, and we may choose to ignore certain things, some things we cannot." My mother adds, looking to my father. "You two have grown closer in these past few days. It's obvious to us; in ways it is obvious to a parent when their child has outgrown their care." She continues and I feel my heart drop. Great, they know too. What in Thor's name was different? I internally groan in annoyance as they continue, for my answer was forthcoming.
"There are ways people move and walk, how they stand and sit with each other when certain milestones are crossed in their relationships. You and Hiccup display a level of affection and comfort that is akin to a married couple who has spent their wedding night together." She continues and I sigh. They were sure beating around this bush carefully, but maybe I should take that as a blessing that they didn't want to throw me out or anything. I only nod as my father adds.
"I can see it in the boy's movements around you. We just-" he pauses and looks to my mother who continues for him.
"We just want what's best for you and want you to be careful. There are certain expectations and traditions in betrothal and marriage that even a chief can hardly ignore." She finishes and I nod.
"We are, I am careful. And he is what's best for me. I hope you can see that." I say softly and they nod.
"We can certainly see that, and there is no doubting the respect he has for you." My father adds and I smile weakly. "Just be careful. And tell him I want to talk to him, soon, when he has spare time." He adds and suddenly my heart sinks. Great, a heart to heart between my father and Hiccup. My father may be no Stoick, but he was no slouch either. I nod in understanding.
"Now, go grab your stuff that you need, hon. You're still welcome here, though I have a feeling there is somewhere else you want to be." My mother adds and I smile. Getting up, I move to hug both of them.
"Thank you." I say simply and they nod. Running up to my room, I grab the scales in the chest and rush back out, Stormfly carrying me to Hiccup's house in seconds.
The house is lit with a fire and I can hear him moving around. I open the door softly and see him picking up around the house, he had organized since returning and moved all my bags up to his room. It made me smile. "Hiccup!" I call out and hear him shift as he comes down the stairs, I throw myself into his arms and just stand there in the doorway, holding him tightly. I feel a tear slink down my cheek, though I'm not sure why for I wasn't sad… maybe it was happiness.
"We've some things to talk about" I whisper to him and he nods, I can feel his apprehension and I laugh lightly. "Nothing bad." I say, pulling back to look at him in the eyes before pressing my lips to his for a long, tender kiss. Parting with a smile I nod, "I promise." And he smiles, pressing in and kissing me again. There'd be time to talk later, but for now, this was enough for me.