Astrid sat with her feet dangling off the edge of her bed, swinging them back and forth as she lost herself in thought. Her room was almost silent, the only noise emanating being the distant call of gulls she heard from outside. Such silence nearly made her ears ring. It was strange, everything being so calm. Maybe she would've enjoyed it a little more, if she could just get her wandering thoughts straight.
What exactly it was she was trying to focus on, she didn't know. Maybe it was the continuous threat that faced the place they called home. Maybe it was how their sworn enemy thought necessary to put a bounty on her best friend's head. Maybe it was how at any moment, they could be attacked, and what would be lost if their defenses failed.
Wow, she thought to herself, that took a dark turn rather quickly.
But who could blame her for such thoughts? As Viggo and the threat of his hunters grew closer by the day, the riders were running out of things to do other than worry. In the constant chaos, people's lives she cared for always in a state of jeopardy, it was rare that she found a moment to actually sit back and take a breath. And when she did, she hardly knew what to do with herself in the boredom.
Like right now.
She wished her nerves would let her enjoy the blissful monotony of the past few days. The fear that came with losing so much at once tends to stick even after the storm has passed. Was she being irrational? Perhaps.
But nothing struck terror into her heart like the fear of losing someone she cared about. Such a situation reminded her of when her parents' house was destroyed due to Dagur's fleet. Everything in her world seemed to shatter at the thought of the people who raised her being condemned to death by her enemy. The treacherous moments when she didn't know if they were still alive or not seemed to last an eternity.
Such weights seemed to drag her down no matter how strong she wanted to appear. But she simply couldn't help it. She was protective by nature, feeling an obligation to keep those she cared for safe. Those who always stood by her. Those who knew her, sometimes better than she knew herself. Those who would in turn lay their life down for her.
Oh Hiccup, why did he always get himself in such trouble?
Every time she turned around, he found himself in yet another death-defying situation. And every time, it scared the hell out of her. Her greatest fear, however, was that one of these days he'd find himself in a situation he wouldn't be able to get out of.
She would never forgive herself if something happened to him.
The bounty Viggo had set on his head just one week prior, an event that still held her on edge. Hiccup had been passed around like a ragdoll amongst people who wanted to turn him in, for what? A prize? As if the life of another person could be purchased, like weapons or fish at a village market. As terrified as she'd been when her chief was moments away from killing Savage, deep down she knew she'd do the same to someone who meant such harm to Hiccup.
But, she also knew he thought the same of her. She'd be lying if she said thoughts of his protective nature didn't give her butterflies. As tough as Astrid seemed, knowing that Hiccup would lay his life down for her made her feel safe.
It was something she'd think about often. When he pulled her out of the ocean after her first encounter with Ryker, how he cradled her in his arms when she was ailed by the Scourge of Odin. The gentle nature of his touch was something she'd think of in her more… shameful moments. She smiled, wondering how Hiccup would react if he knew she thought of him in her own erotic endeavors.
Yes, Heather was certainly correct in her accusations.
Astrid didn't know exactly when it started. Of course, she'd felt an attraction towards him ever since they'd made peace with the dragons. But that had been more of an innocent, childish crush. She remembered all the awkward moments they shared when they were with one another, being younger made all of it a little more simple.
But then, things started to change.
As they began to fully develop into adults, her feelings took on a more… scandalous nature. She found herself staring at the boy a lot more often, admiring his now-broad shoulders, his sharp jawline, his messy, wild hair she adored so much. New definitions of muscles that bulged through his shirt when he worked in the forge. How he'd grown taller than any of the other riders over what seemed to be overnight. It was as if she woke up one day, and found herself getting aroused every time he was within arms reach.
Not the type of arousal she'd felt when she was younger, when her developing organs gave her spews of sexual longing in fleeting moments. No, this was the type of arousal that would keep her awake at night. Furiously grinding the rough fabric of the pillow she'd stuffed between her thighs, feeling an itch deep within her that she knew would only ever be satisfied by his touch. Even though she'd never penetrated herself, her body ached to be filled and defiled by his manhood.
She had to admit, her knowledge of how such an act would take place was limited. Her only knowledge of sex being what she'd read in books and heard from the older women of Berk. Knowing the basics of reproduction helped as well. But pictures of naked men in tapestries and old books gave her quite the idea of what his genitals would look like. A vision that rarely failed to get her blood pumping and turn her cheeks a deep crimson. The orgasms that came from her private endeavors were quick and fleeting, always unsatisfactory, but her mind always on him.
She hoped it would happen someday. Her thoughts instantly portrayed a beautiful picture. The two of them, lying naked together. Their bodies, basking in the release they'd given one another. Connecting on a level far greater than just physical, one that teetered on spiritual. His love for her, warming her like a fire on the coldest night. Her love for him, an everlasting gift he'd cherish forever.
Her blissful thoughts were interrupted by the powerful wind knocking against the shingles of her roof, the sharp noise echoing it's way through her hut. She blinked a few times, as her fantasy finished dissolving into a reality she forgot she'd been in.
She gave a deep sigh, glancing out the window on the side of her room. The light gray of the sky she'd seen when putting Stormfly away had deepened to a darker, more menacing color. The storm would be here soon, she was sure of it.
The wood of her bed creaked as she slowly stood, stretching her arms and legs once she'd gotten to her feet. Before she could even take a step, she noticed something rather uncomfortable in her nether regions.
A slimy wetness seeping from her most intimate place into her panties, and it was quickly turning cold.
"Ugh," She said to herself. " Seriously? "
Her erotic thoughts certainly had an effect on her, without her even being the wiser. She hadn't even noticed the blood flowing rapidly to her womanhood, the tingles in her lower abdomen, or the way her body had physically and mentally prepared her for sex.
She looked around her bed, seeing a cloth draped across one of the bedposts. She reached for it stiffly, trying carefully to keep the wetness in her panties from spreading. Pulling down her leggings and underwear just below the bottom of her skirt, she saw just how much damage she'd done to the fabric. She took the cloth and used it to wipe most of the wetness from her underwear. Then, using the dry side, wiped any remaining juice that emanated along her slit. The act tickled her delicate parts uncomfortably, seeing as she wasn't used to feeling so aroused without properly taking care of it.
She just… didn't think anything of the sort was worth it at the moment. After all, her arousal originated from thinking of how much Hiccup meant to her emotionally. The shame she felt after committing such acts while thinking of him was also one she was familiar with.
She sighed. Feeling lonely in her room, now growing darker as the day came to an end. She wondered what Hiccup was up to at the moment. It was quite a lazy day, he was probably hard at work on one of his many projects she knew he was so passionate about...
Hiccup wasn't sure what woke him from his unplanned slumber. Whether it was the growing winds, knocking against the wood panels of his hut, or the deep snores of the dragon that lay curled around his desk. He didn't know. Slowly raising his head from the wooden surface, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Blinking a few times, his attention went to the door of the hut, looking to see how long he'd drifted off for. Light still bore through the cracks of the entrance, though it was dim. Hiccup looked back to the desk before him. Aside from the small light the door and cracks along the walls provided, the hut was nearly pitch black. Reaching blindly, he found the flint along the corner of the desk where he always kept it, he stood slightly from his seat, reaching just enough to strike it against the wik of the candle along the edge of the wood. After a few strikes, the desk, and anything within a considerable distance from it became illuminated.
On the surface lay a mess of maps and cartography tools. Each object started off with it's own place on the table, an organization that quickly manifested into the scattered mess it was now. Things had a habit of doing that when Hiccup's determination was involved. He sighed, sinking back into his seat. His eyes went to the piece of map he'd been resting his head on, the particular area being the coordinates and display of Viggo's island.
Hiccup shook his head. It had only been a week since the whole incident with Viggo's bounty. The utter chaos and bloodshed that almost ensued was enough to make his heartbeat quicken with rage. Not because the man wanted him captured, likely to be killed the moment he stepped foot on his island, Hiccup was used to people wanting him dead. It was the danger such a threat posed to his fellow riders, along with the entirety of Berk. The people who needed him to be a hero, to take care of the mess he'd gotten them all into. Berk had already gone through so much due to his actions, losing all their gold had been somewhat of the nail in the coffin.
And yet, it was in moments like this where he needed to stop and remember why he made the sacrifices he did. Toothless lay with his long tail curled around the boy's desk, slumbering peacefully, emitting deep snores with each long inhale. Hiccup smiled, looking at his best friend. The dragon had been very protective of him since the bounty fiasco. Well, more protective than usual, that is. He wouldn't seem to leave Hiccup's side, all of Toothless's natural independence faltering for the time being. Not that Hiccup wouldn't do the same. Hell, not that he hadn't done the same. It could be said for the dragon, as well as for the riders. Loyalty was their number one priority, and it was something Hiccup was proud of.
Deciding to see what the riders in question were up to, Hiccup stood slowly from his seat, careful not to wake his sleeping friend. He quietly made his way to the entrance of his hut, grabbing the metallic bar and sliding the door upwards. The first thing that greeted him was the gust of seaswept wind that blew his messy hair from his face. Letting go of the door and taking a few steps out onto the wood surface, he looked west towards the sunset. Though it was mostly hidden behind gray clouds, several beams of sunlight shone through the darkness and cascaded onto the vast ocean. It was truly a marvelous view, and one that made Hiccup ever so grateful that they'd found The Edge in the first place. However, this was just one of the many reasons. He smiled, and closed his eyes. Letting his senses soak in the cool, salty breeze.
But, as many peaceful moments go when living with Vikings, it was suddenly shattered by a thunderous yell coming from below.
"What the hell is all that for?! You muttonheads think this is a vacation?!"
Hiccup instinctively rolled his eyes, recognizing the piercing voice as his cousin's. Looking down towards Snotlout's hut, he saw the boy standing there, looking as angry as usual. Walking towards him were the twins, followed by Barf and Belch. The siblings were carrying what looked to be a heavy wooden trunk between the two of them.
"If you call a dangerous, death-defying, unexplored cavern a vacation," Tuffnut started, dropping his end of the wooden trunk, causing Ruffnut to nearly fall over from its weight. "And we most certainly do, then yes!"
Ruffnut shot a glare at her brother, before turning to Snotlout with a smile. "And besides, aren't we always the ones to come prepared?" She asked, tapping her helmet.
"Uh, no!" Snotlout began, exaggerating his movements. "You idiots never prepare for anything. What's in the trunk, anyways? A bunch of bricks and and a stuffed boar?"
"Whoa, how'd you guess?!" Tuffnut asked enthusiastically.
"Like we discussed, bro." Ruffnut started, crossing her arms. "That whole wizardly thing, runs in the family."
Tuffnut gasped, "You're right. If Hiccup's powers are hereditary, it would only make sense that Snotlout - Oh. My. Thor… This is incredible!" The male twin flailed his long arms in excitement. "Groundbreaking, historic!"
"Let's not forget," Ruffnut hinted. "Profitable." She said, rubbing her fingers together. "Can you imagine how much we could market this stuff for?" This caused Tuffnut to maniacally chuckle, a devilish smile crossing his face.
Snotlout stood silently, looking back and forth between the siblings, nothing but pure confusion lining his features. "What in the Gods are you morons even talking about?"
"Nothing to concern yourself with!" Tuffnut yelled hostilely.
Ruffnut nodded, "Yeah, and keep your wizardly mind reading tricks to yourself, pal! Top secret stuff going on over here!" She said, winking at her brother. Tuffnut tried to wink back, but awkwardly failed, repeatedly blinking both eyes in his attempt. The devilish smile still stretched across his face.
Hiccup's dumbfounded expression must have been evident.
"Don't pay them any mind, Hiccup. Your brain will decay by the second."
He looked to the left where the voice came from, and saw Astrid at the top of the ladder connecting the bridge from his hut to hers. Hiccup spoke as she climbed over the final step.
"In that case, I don't know how any of us are even capable of surviving at this point."
She laughed, stopping once she made it to his side. "You have a point there."
He looked back to the three below, "Where are they even going with all that junk?"
"They didn't tell you?" She asked, he looked to her with confusion. "Snotlout found a cave on the eastern side of the island, thinks it might be an extension to the Night Swarm's cavern. When he told the twins they insisted they come along to check it out."
"And they're going at night because…"
She huffed, "Something about the terrors acting more primal. How that would help them? You're asking the wrong person." She threw her hands in confusion.
Another shout pulled their attention to the Vikings below. Somehow, in the seconds they'd been looking away, the twins managed to pin a screaming Snotlout to the ground. Ruffnut had her hands on either side of his head, shouting something about extracting his powers. But just as fast as it had occurred, Snotlout threw the siblings off of him, reaching up to adjust his helmet.
"Really?! Are you two insane?!" Snotlout bellowed. A deep, laughing warble interrupted him, looking to the front of his hut, he saw Hookfang's head poking out the open door. The dragon looked far too amused at the dismay of his rider.
Hiccup sighed, ignoring the confrontation and turning back to Astrid. "When did Fishlegs say he was getting back from Berk?"
"Mmm, not till tomorrow I think." Her expression was thoughtful, then she gave him a smile. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight."
He smiled in return, then had a thought. "What about patrol?"
Almost on cue, the pair heard a roar of thunder from the distance. They looked upwards, staring at what was now a sky beginning to swirl with black. A storm was definitely underway.
"Well, we could take shifts." She then gave him a tempting look. "Or, I could run to the clubhouse and get us dinner to eat in your hut while we work on that map of yours."
He smirked at her, "You sure?"
"As official Storm Warden, I'm ordering you to a night in." She said, putting her hands on her hips in dominance.
"Alright then, you win." He replied, putting his hands up in defeat.
"Hate to break it to you, but I normally do."
He was about to respond, but was cut off by a giant dragon head snaking its way between the two Vikings.
"Well, hey there Bud." Hiccup started, rubbing the dragon's scaly head. "Have a nice nap?"
Toothless cooed at the pair, as if to say, 'You forgot me!'
Astrid laughed, "Don't worry, Toothless. I'll bring you back some fresh trout." She said, scratching the dragon beneath his chin, causing the creature to give a blissful, gummy smile as he leaned into her. She gave him one last pat on the head before walking in the direction of the clubhouse. "Be back soon."
"What about Stormfly?" Hiccup asked as she walked away.
"Put her in the stables for the night," She responded, looking over her shoulder. "You know how she gets when it storms."
As she finally made it out of earshot, Hiccup realized he'd been staring only after the sound of Hookfang, and Barf and Belch taking off snapped him to reality. The enthusiastic yelling of the twins boomed almost louder than the distant thunder, Barf and Belch carrying the large wood trunk as they flew. Snotlout and Hookfang were a few seconds behind them, the pair momentarily stopping in front of Hiccup's hut. The large, flapping wings of the dragon sent waves of cold wind over the boy and his dragon. He put an arm up to block it from his face, Toothless did the same with his wing.
"If I never come back," Snotlout said, giving Hiccup an irritated glare. "Blame those muttonheads!" He pointed towards the direction of the howling siblings, before taking off after them, destined for the east side of the island.
Hiccup shook his head, turning on his heel to walk back into his home, Toothless no more than a few paces behind his rider the whole time.
Astrid had arrived at his hut mere minutes before the light patter of rain turned into a complete downpour. With her, a basket of yak chops and a pail full of river trout. Over the course of a couple hours, they'd plotted coordinates, discussed battle strategies benefitting their conditions against Viggo, even mapped the distance to a new island Astrid discovered a few days prior. But alas, their official business spiraled into a humorous conversation, as it usually did when the two were alone.
He sat in the same seat he'd fallen asleep in earlier, while Astrid had claimed a stool along the side of the large desk. Both had what were now near-empty cups of ale. The completely relaxed atmosphere was something Hiccup had grown to cherish. Coincidently, these moments seemed to occur most often when he was with Astrid. At the moment, her head was tipped back in laughter, eyes closed and a huge smile across her face. The candlelight shimmering off her golden hair in a divine manner. In moments like these, Hiccup's sense of time seemed to completely halt, awestruck that the girl before him was someone he was so close to. Though, quite a huge part of him wished that someday they could be much closer.
She contained her laughter just long enough to finally speak.
"Wait wait wait, so let me get this straight-" She said breathily, wiping a small tear from her eye. "You're Dad walked in, and saw you-?"
"Reading a chapter on dragon mating rituals." Hiccup finished, dropping his head in his hands from embarrassment. Her cackling at him resumed. He gave her a stern, but playful look. "It wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't detailed drawings all over the page."
"Oh my gods, Hiccup." She said, trying to contain her laughter. "I didn't realize that's what you were into."
He rolled his eyes, cheeks turning a light shade of red at her comment. As embarrassing as it could be, he loved making her laugh. It was especially easy when she'd been drinking, so he'd learned. He remained quiet as she finished her laughing fit. She picked up her cup and finished off the remaining liquid inside.
"Well, it's late." Hiccup said as she set her now-empty tankard back on the table. "Wanna call it a night?"
She yawned, stretching out her arms. "Already?"
"Already? You look like you're about to pass out."
She smirked at him, before resting her elbow on the table, supporting her head with her fist. "I would think you'd be the tired one. How many weeks now have you been obsessing over locating Viggo?"
"Well, him putting a bounty on my head didn't help anything."
She was quiet for a bit, her playful demeanor faltering. Giving a half-hearted chuckle, she spoke, "You have no idea how much we were all worried about you." Her gaze directed at the tabletop. "How much I was worried about you."
He gave her a sad smile. Looking at her free hand that rested on the desk, he covered it with his own.
"Can't say I wouldn't be the same way if something happened to you."
They locked eyes, sharing an almost telepathic connection. Four years ago, Hiccup would've fallen over dead with fear if he was this close to Astrid Hofferson. If he had to admit, a part of him still felt nervous when he was with her like this. But it was a different kind of nervousness. It wasn't fear of her completely hating him, it was fear that she would never feel the same way about him that he does of her.
He tried pushing such thoughts aside as she smiled at him, removing her hand from under his in order to cross her arms on the tabletop to make a pillow. She rested her head, eyes still looking deep into his. He returned the smile as her eyes closed, his face being the last thing she saw before swiftly drifting off.
Hiccup chuckled to himself, she could fall asleep nearly anywhere if she'd been drinking. It only took a minute before he could tell she'd gone completely under. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there staring at her sleeping form. Probably too long to avoid being creepy , he thought. He pulled himself from her trance, then actually acknowledged their situation.
He couldn't possibly leave her to sleep there, could he? He turned to look at the thin door of his hut. It rattled against the strong wind, the sound of heavy rainfall battered his roof with reckless abandon. They were definitely in the brunt of the storm.
Looking back to the sleeping girl, he knew taking her back to her hut wasn't an option. He didn't want her sleeping on the hard wooden desk either, his neck still craned from doing so earlier in the day.
Seeing only one option left, he stood from his chair carefully, attempting to be as quiet as possible. It wasn't a hard task, the rainfall would likely soften any noise he made within the building. He walked to her side of the desk, trying to figure out the best way of going about his actions.
Gently, he grabbed her shoulders and leaned her upright, causing her slumbering form to go limp, her head drooping towards her chest. He snaked his right arm around her back, using the other to slide behind her knees. Carefully, he lifted her from her seat, grunting slightly at her dead weight. Though, once he was in motion she became quite easy to carry, her scrawny form sinking deep into his arms.
He made his way to the steps leading upstairs, passing his slumbering dragon on the way. Steadily climbing the stairs was tricky, he constantly had to shift the weight on his bad leg to keep the sleeping girl from any distress. Once he reached the top, he walked quickly but carefully through the darkness to his bed.
Using his left hand, he pulled the covers back from the bed's surface, then gently set her atop of it. Making sure her head was supported on the pillow, he spread the blanket over her sleeping form. She momentarily shifted, turning on her side and curling in on the warm covers.
A loving feeling spread through Hiccup's chest as he looked at her, he turned, wondering exactly what she'd be thinking when she wakes up. He quickly glanced around the floor, making sure there wasn't anything in her way if she were to wake up. He spotted the crossbow he'd been tinkering with on the ground beside the bed, thrown aside from this morning. He quietly picked up the weapon and set it on a table against the wall.
Taking one last look at her sleeping form, he smiled. Making it to the bottom of the steps, he looked to the candles illuminated on his desk, the only source of light in the hut. He decided to keep them lit, in case Astrid woke and was confused of her location.
Walking to his sleeping dragon, he shook the creature's wing abruptly, causing Toothless to groan and open a questioning eye to his rider.
"Make room, Bud."
The dragon groaned one more, sounding impatient this time, but ultimately rolled over on his side. Making space for Hiccup, who knelt down to lean back against his friend.
Hiccup settled himself against the dragon until he was comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you could be sleeping on the ground. Such positions reminded him of early explorations with the riders, this typically being how they slept with their dragons while on the move.
Within a few minutes, the heavy snores of the dragon sounded beneath him, and he was left with the peaceful sound of rainfall, knowing that Astrid slept soundly upstairs. Putting his mind at ease, allowing him to relax fully.
He took advantage of his final moments of consciousness, using them to think of how excited he'd be to greet her in the morning.
Hiccup shivered as he awoke, feeling a sudden rush of cold air and a sharp squeaking sound that pierced through his ears. He expected to open his eyes and see the faint rays of dawn peeking through the cracks of his door. He expected to hear the distant sounds of seagulls calling to one another, and feel the heavy, humid air that always made itself present after a fierce rainstorm like the night prior.
But upon actually opening his eyes, he realized the night was not yet over at all.
The candle he'd left lit had since burned out, leaving his hut in a state of pure darkness, and he could hear the rain as it continued to downpour outside. He sat upwards, off of Toothless, and rubbed his arms in an attempt to gain warmth. The temperature had dropped, surely. But he wondered where the sudden draft and sharp noise had come from.
Maybe it was the wind picking up due to the storm, squeezing it's way into the cocoon of his hut. It could've knocked over some of his smithing equipment outside, causing the noise.
Toothless continued to slumber beside him, whatever waking Hiccup clearly not affecting the dragon. Hiccup stood, stretching his back and arms as he got to his feet. For a moment he was silent, listening closely for any noises coming from the upper floor. Nothing.
A thought came to him then, realizing the squeak he'd heard sounded awfully similar to the one his door would make when opened. The cold air he'd felt, had it come from someone opening the door? From… Astrid opening the door?
Even with absolutely no evidence this had even happened, he began to shame himself. Why hadn't he just woken her after she fell asleep? Did she wake and realize she was in his bed? Did she really grit and bare the rainfall just to get back to her hut?
Was he overthinking it? Probably, but he had to know.
He navigated his way to the desk by memory alone, the darkness stealing any visual indicators of where he was. Putting his hands out as he haphazardly stepped, he eventually felt the cold wood on the edge of his fingertips. Feeling his way to the front of the desk, he reached into the corner where the flint was kept. Picking up the stone and igniter with one hand, he slid the candle to the front-center of the desk with his other. Being as careful as he could while aiming the tool, he struck the stone.
It illuminated the space around him for a mere second, before dying out. But, this gave him a better idea of where everything was. Striking again, he missed once more. He tried for a third time, getting as close to the wick as he could without burning himself. This time, the candle ignited.
His vision was finally restored. He saw, on the desk before him, the map he and Astrid had been working on just a few hours prior. He saw the remains of the dinner they'd eaten, portions strewn about across the wooden surface. He saw Toothless, out of the corner of his eye, the slumbering dragon splayed out on the floor, looking cozy and at home.
What he did not see, was the mountainous man standing directly behind him.