A/N: Hi guys, extremely sorry for the three week hiatus! I got unexpectedly busy with college with a simultaneous case of writers block. I'm so glad for all the great reviews for the last chapter, and I promise I'll try my best to update more frequently! Now without further ado, enjoy the chapter :)

Chapter 18: Stormfly

The winter sun creeped up the sky to shine across an island buzzing with excitement and talk.

For the first time in eight months, a night fury had been spotted during the raid, by not one or two, but dozens of people.

Stoick the vast recalled his father and grandfather's tales, who often talked about how Night furies had once been common, or at least spotted occasionally every once in a while.

As he grew older and took up the mantle of Chief, sightings sharply declined for no apparent reason, until spotting a night fury became a once in a blue moon event.

Six months ago, it stopped completely altogether. No one knew why the feared dragon had stopped visiting Berk. Some even said how they must have gotten extinct all together, and figured it must be a good omen, a sign of better days to come.

And then early this morning, that optimistic notion had been well and truly squashed.

The high pitched woosh had been the only warning before it had whizzed overhead for the first time, its silhouette illuminated by the fires burning on the ground for the briefest of moments.

And then it had happened again. And again. One man on watch duty swore he saw it fly beside a dark red nightmare and made it suddenly change course away from the village.

It was hard to pin down exactly what was different about this time, but the dark shadow kept coming back again and again, leaving the villagers frightened yet puzzled.

A few even said that maybe the fury was helping the humans somehow, but then even that theory had turned out false.

The villagers had managed to capture a razorwhip using a large wooden trap, but before they could deal the killing blow on the struggling beast, that woosh had been heard again, this time to warn them moments before a blinding purple plasma blast had exploded right in front of them.

Knocked back and dazed, they saw the now free dragon shrug off burning debris before taking flight.

The blast had been precise, and in the exact spot to free the dragon without hurting it. That was something no one had ever witnessed before.

When the fires had extinguished and the dust settled, there had been no serious injury among the villagers, and not a single dragon had been captured or killed.

Most assumed the night fury was some sort of an 'alpha', controlling the dragon according to its own whims. Many were fearful that it might help the dragons coordinate and make them even deadlier.

A few people suggested that the lesser amount of destruction might have had something to do with it, but that idea was shut down quite promptly. Prejudice against dragons was second nature to nearly all Vikings.

As Astrid helped out with the last of fire duty, she heard all these murmured questions and theories permeating the crisp mid morning air. And it affected her in a strange way, due to the fact that there were only two souls on this island who knew the actual truth.

And she was one of them.

Astrid stood at the back door of their house restlessly, gazing at the unchanging edge of the woods.

She had tried to distract herself with chores but it hadn't been much help. She really wanted him to come back soon.

She'd lost track of him towards the tail end of the raid, and she had assumed he'd returned to raven's point, but assuming and knowing were two very different things.

The first time the jet black shape had whizzed overhead, she'd almost instinctively braced herself before reminding herself that this was Hiccup, and toothless.

The same dragon that begged her for cuddles and belly rubs every time it saw her, was the object of the collective fear of all her fellow villagers. As much as she wanted to wrinkle her nose at their reactions, she had to admit that they were rightly earned, at least from the sight they were seeing right now.

She realised that they weren't really afraid of that dragon, because they didn't know anything about it. The thing they were afraid of was all the unknowns.

Astrid knew something had to change, but they couldn't exactly introduce toothless to everyone, right?

Hiccup had told her the truth, and she'd believed him, then he'd shown it to her and taken her breath away. But she had gone along with him at the beginning, pressed down her instinct to attack, only due to his sincere and unflinching belief.

She wasn't sure if it had been some part buried deep down within her that didn't hate dragons, and had thought of them as magnificent creatures, or if she trusted Hiccup so completely that even a notion as absurd as befriending a dragon had seemed possible to her.

Perhaps, it was a bit of both.

A rustle of leaves made her snap out of her thoughts to see a tired but smiling Hiccup walking out of the woods, the bag with his flight suit in his hand. Noticing her waiting cross armed for him, he hesitated on a step, probably wondering if he was in for a chewing-out by his wife for being late and worrying her.

Truth be told, she'd been planning to do exactly that, but when she actually laid eyes on him safe and sound, she was way too relieved to care, at least right now.

Hiccup was getting closer faster and faster, and she realised he was standing there while she was running, down the slope and straight towards him. Understanding her intentions, he dropped the bag and opened his arms at the last possible moment, just in time to catch her.

The impact nearly knocked him off balance but he managed to hold on, and Astrid had her arms around him and her face buried in his neck and she didn't really care if they fell because at least he was here, he was here, he was safe and he was holding her tight and that was all that mattered.

He was here. He was home. He was her home.

Hiccup excitedly shared the details of his first 'vigilante' night out while Astrid made herself comfortable in his lap, spooning breakfast into his mouth that had gotten cold by now but he didn't even seem to notice.

"-then I flew by right down the main road, where toothless shot at a trap, and I was worried if his aim would be off in the dark, but turns out Night furies have excellent night vision, and-"

Astrid smiled fondly at him, glad beyond words that seeing all the destruction and battle hadn't dampened his spirits in the slightest. He was still Hiccup, her Hiccup.

He just seemed extremely grateful to her for giving him the idea, and even though she thought she had just a small role in this and it was all his work, he still seemed to be giving her all the credit.

"-so then I jumped off a cliff into the sea-"

Astrid blinked. "Huh?"

Hiccup grinned knowingly at her. "Just wanted to check if you were listening. And apparently, you were not"

Astrid blushed guiltily but his smile didn't waver. "I guess saving lives from hundreds of feet in the air while riding a dragon isn't exciting enough for Milady over here" he said, feigning hurt.

Astrid shook her head, making her bangs fall over her eyes. "Just because I didn't listen to your words, doesn't mean I don't hear you"

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at this, making her explain. "I just... love the sound of your voice" she admitted with a blush. "Doesn't matter what you're saying. As long as you're saying it with your smile"

Hiccup stared at her in awe for a long moment before blurting out, "I love your freckles", caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Astrid couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"I love your hair" she murmured, running her fingers through the auburn locks.

"Not as much as I love yours" came the reply, before he tugged her braid loose and ran his fingers through the silky waves.

"I love your hands" she said, kissing his knuckles gently.

"I love your arms" he whispered, taking her hands in his before softy kissing the inside of her wrists, then removing the wrappings she usually wore on her forearms, and kissing his way over the soft pale skin from the bottom of her palms down till her elbows.

Her head felt dizzy with overwhelming feelings, both of desire and of being desired. His last admission had been so pure that she could think of only one way to respond. And so she did, the words coming as naturally to her as swinging an axe felt. Effortless.

"And I love you"

And as they left her mouth, they felt just right, leaving behind a taste of euphoria that was only eclipsed by the joy at seeing the unabashed elation erupt on his face, in his eyes, in his smile.

She only had a few seconds to admire it though, before he pulled her closer for the first of many, many kisses and loving touches, and the half-eaten breakfast was promptly forgotten.

"Are you sure we won't get caught?" Astrid whispered as she crouched by the arena gate behind Hiccup.

"Don't worry milady" he said, turning to her with his signature troublemaker smile. "This isn't the first time I've sneaked around places I'm not supposed to"

Astrid rolled her eyes at him before ducking under the half lifted gate and following him inside.

Hiccup led her down the arena towards the cage belonging to the deadly Nadder, the same species which Astrid had encountered during that eventful raid. It had ended with her in the infirmary, but had led to a series of events ending in Hiccup confessing his love for her, so she couldn't bring herself to really regret anything that had happened that night.

Astrid peered inside through the small window to see the the distinct blue dragon, it's snout barely visible in the dim light.

Smelling their presence, the Nadder squawked quietly, making Astrid flinch back into Hiccup who was standing right behind her.

"Easy there sweetie, she won't hurt you" he said, putting his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.

"Okay" she said, nodding.

Hiccup stepped to the side and pulled the chain, lifting the gate with a clunk that felt much louder at this hour than it probably was.

Astrid backed up just as the Nadder stepped out and stretched its cobalt wings, before peering closely at the slightly nervous looking Viking girl in front of it.

Astrid had gotten so comfortable with toothless lately that being face to face with a "new" dragon, albeit one that she'd trained with for months, felt like a nerve wracking experience.

Hiccup had been right though, and as he'd told her, the dragon wasn't lunging and attacking her, not taking advantage of her unarmed state to avenge all the suffering it had endured at her hands.

Mixed in with all the relief and guilt was a strange feeling of excitement, of newness, the feeling of leaping into the darkness and not knowing what lay beyond, but doing it anyway. She had leapt, and she hadn't fallen. She had soared.

Her heart was beating at a staccato rhythm, but she was determined to stand her ground, partly because she knew her husband was watching her every action, and was ready to step in at a moment's notice if she needed it.

She wanted to show him she could do it, but more than that, she wanted herself to feel like she could. Believing she had changed her heart about dragons was one thing, but putting it to the test was another altogether.

Braving a glance at Hiccup, she saw him giving her a wide goofy grin and a double thumbs up, and the amusing sight made her let out a small laugh despite her nerves, which spurred a new wave of confidence in her.

The Nadder spared Hiccup a cursory glance before turning its attention back on her, squawking and stepping even closer.

"It's ok, it's ok" she cooed gently, hoping she was doing it right. When Hiccup did these things, he made them look downright easy. "I won't hurt you" she whispered. "Not anymore, I promise"

Holding out her hand like she'd done all those months ago with toothless, she closed her eyes and waited.

She didn't have to wait long at all, and even before she'd had time to feel apprehensive, the dragon was nuzzling its horned snout into her palm, and she let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

Turning in anticipation of seeing Hiccup's reaction, she gasped in surprise when he tackled her in an embrace, lifting her in his arms and spinning her around before putting her down and pressing a big kiss to her reddening cheek.

"I knew you could do it" he said, his voice filled with genuine pride, pride for her.

At a loss for words, she settled on simply smiling and nodding some more.

Taking her by the hand, he led her outside the open gate and even without looking back, she could hear the dragon following them.

As soon as it was out, it spread its wings and shot into the sky, quickly becoming a tiny dark shape, barely visible as it soared across a backdrop of stars.

Astrid was still riding that wave of adrenaline, but she managed to ask, "Are you sure she'll come back?"

Hiccup nodded firmly. "She will. And she won't ever forget that you-" he said, squeezing her hand- "set her free."

It was around an hour later, and she was sitting on the grass, Hiccup having fallen asleep with his head in her lap as she gently tousled his hair.

He looked so peaceful while sleeping that she couldn't stop smiling to herself at the sight.

Her reverie was broken by the distant sounds of flapping, and sure enough, the Nadder was returning from it's joyride.

Carefully setting Hiccup's head down on the grass and getting up, she brushed off her skirt before walking up to the arena entrance, where the Nadder had landed with a woosh. Seeing her walking up, the Nadder trilled happily at her, as if saying a 'thanks'.

As Hiccup had taught her, she used her palms to gently guide the dragon back into its cell, where it would have to stay for now to avoid suspicion.

She probably wouldn't have been able to do all this alone, but the mere knowledge that Hiccup was nearby if she needed him had given her the strength she needed.

"That's a good start to a lifelong bond" she heard, and turned to see Hiccup walk in, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

Hugging her from behind, he softly kissed the curve of her neck, making her blush furiously in his arms.

"I couldn't have done it without you babe" she told him sincerely.

Hiccup chuckled to himself before letting her go and offering his arm. "It's late, let's go home"

The first snow of the season painted the island white, and Hiccup was in a bind. Snoggletog was fast approaching, and he still had no idea what to gift his wife.

Since it was their first one together, it had to be extra special, right? He didn't want to disappoint her or give her a less than perfect gift.

He sort of knew from past experiences that she cared more about the thought he put in for her rather than the object itself, but irrational worries didn't seem to listen to reason by definition.

Maybe he could get her some winter clothes? They were certainly heading into a typical Berkian winter, and it was looking to be a cold one.

The problem was, he didn't know the first thing about women's clothing, and simply buying them for her seemed too dry and unthoughtful for his tastes.

He wanted to make something for her, something that she'd actually find value in beyond the gift. Something personal. Something Hiccup.

What does Astrid like? Think Hiccup, think!

He tried to think back to the last few weeks, and a bit embarrassingly, all he could remember her telling him what about she liked was-him.

He couldn't give himself to her now could he? He'd already given her all of him there was to give.

Well... all except one thing. But he'd already made his mind up about that on the night of their wedding itself.

That was one decision he was gonna completely leave in her hands. He was ready to be with her whenever she was, and had no qualms in waiting as long as she wanted.

Even without either of them making an explicit effort, they had gotten more and more comfortable with each other overtime, and didn't tip toe around each other while changing anymore, not even minding being seen in partial states of undress.

The more they got closer though, the more he seemed to long for her, and while Hiccup had never been the most perceptive when it came to emotions, he had a feeling that she felt the same for him too.

Going hand to hand with a wild boneknapper seemed a less frightening prospect to him than bringing up such matters with his wife, even after half a year of marriage. Still, he wasn't worried, as he trusted that things will happen at the right time, when both of them were ready.

Getting back his train of thought, he considered giving her a weapon. Astrid would like that wouldn't she? The problem was, she already had her axe and didn't have any need to replace it.

Out of all her weapons, she favored her axe the most, and it was something he'd made for her years ago, while working at the forge. He'd told her it was made by Gobber back then, as he'd been afraid she wouldn't accept a weapon made by the village weakling.

Astrid had given him a strange look as he'd handed it over, but he'd assumed she believed him. From then on, he'd watched her treat it as her prized possession, and had secretly been glad he had managed to gift her something, even if she wasn't aware of it.

At least, that's what he had thought. Recently one evening while training, he'd off handedly mentioned the truth, and to his surprise, she'd laughed, shaking her head before kissing him and saying, "I always knew that you made it Hiccup, it's kinda adorable you didn't know"

"What?" Hiccup exclaimed. "How... how did you know?"

He'd intentionally carved Gobber's initials on the bottom of the handle, so he was baffled as to how she had figured it out so easily.

"Those days, you almost never talked to me. And then suddenly there you were, nervously handing me the axe that 'Gobber' made, and you were so anxious about if it was well balanced and to my liking that it wasn't hard to put it together" she finished with a cheeky smile.

Hiccup hid his face with his hands, retroactively embarrassed for his younger self's actions.

He felt Astrid take his hands and move them away, stepping close enough to fill his vision. "Why do you think I was so possessive over it?" He stayed silent, and she continued; "It was because no one had ever done something so sweet for me before"

Hearing that, his sheepish smile turned into a real one, and Astrid grinned back before putting her arms around his neck and kissing him again. "That was my belated thank-you kiss, which I should have given you much sooner"

Hiccup suddenly had an image of his twelve year old self getting a kiss from his crush, and it made him chuckle. He probably would have fainted back then, as even now her kisses had that effect on him.

"Don't you think you should also give me a kiss for each time you had me sharpen your axe?" He pretended to count on his fingers, "I estimate around three to four dozen more are due"

"You are way too devious for your own good" she replied, rolling her eyes while stifling a smile.

But she hadn't said no had she? Hiccup was proud of himself of thinking that one up, and became even prouder when all the 'dues' were promptly settled by her within just a few blissful minutes.

Hiccup smiled fondly at the memory before continuing his brainstorming session.

Over the last few weeks, Astrid had frequently visited the blue Nadder from the arena, or 'stormfly', as she'd named it after witnessing it diving head first into a storm cloud. As Hiccup had hoped, it had formed a real bond with her.

Agile, fast, and fiercely loyal, the color of its deep blue scales matched the intensity in her eyes. If there was ever a dragon for her, he was sure it was stormfly.

Wait, that's it!

He nearly stumbled out of his chair in excitement, running downstairs and grabbing his cloak, kissing his wife and exchanging their customary 'I love you's' before heading to the forge for some late evening metalwork.

He finally knew what he was going to make for her.

Astrid's eyes blinked open on a snowy and bright morning, and she lifted her head from Hiccup's chest to see him still fast asleep. She was about to lie back down on him for a few more minutes of shut eye, but then she suddenly remembered what day it was.

Snoggletog!

"Hiccup wake up!" she said excitedly, shaking his shoulders not so gently.

Hiccup shifted about sleepily and mumbled, "five more minutes" and pulled the covers over his face.

"But it's Snoggletog!" Astrid exclaimed, climbing on top of him and giggling like a little girl. "There's snow outside! What are we waiting for?!"

Hiccup said something incoherent beneath the blanket, and Astrid decided to switch gears.

Leaning down close to his ear she whispered, "I hope you have a gift for me"

That got the expected reaction, as Hiccup snapped to attention and sat up, chanting "I do, I do!" making her laugh.

"Then hurry up and get dressed while I fix up some breakfast. Then we'll see if your offering impresses me or not"

His eyes widened at her playful tone, and she quickly pecked his cheek before climbing off his lap and going to dress herself.

"Close your eyes" Hiccup insisted.

"Hiccuppp" she whined, but to no avail. He was really putting on the whole show. She conceded, and then heard shuffling as Hiccup procured some object that made fabric and metallic sounds.

"Open 'em"

She did so, and there he was, grinning at her with a large... saddle? -in his hands. She could tell he was proud of his creation, but she didn't understand why she'd need a... ohhh.

All the pieces clicked into place with a snap, and her jaw dropped in tandem with the realisation.

"You can't be serious" she said disbelievingly, taking the finely crafted saddle in her hands and running her fingers over the seams. It was clearly broader than the one on toothless, as it had been fit for Stormfly's back. At the tip of the saddle was a single blue stone, same as the one on her bracelet.

"I'm completely serious" Hiccup replied confidently. "If anyone can do it, it's you"

"H-How can you be so sure? I'm not like you"

Hiccup shifted closer to her and gently put his hand over her heart. "Because I know you. You're not me, you're you"-he looked right at her then, his eyes swimming with love- "You're amazing"

Astrid willed back the emotional tears welling up then, deciding instead to wrap her arms around him and holding him close enough to feel his heart beating next to hers.

"Thank you" she whispered near his ear, her voice still a bit shaky. "For making me this gift, and for always being there for me. For being my husband"

Hiccup smiled against her cheek before pulling back and asking teasingly, "Now am I also gonna get something or not?"

Astrid blushed and averted her gaze. "My gift is nothing compared to yours"

Hiccup shook his head immediately. "That's not even possible" he said, grinning. "You could give me a rock and I'd cherish it for the rest of my life"

"Okay fine fine" Astrid smiled, handing him a small bunch of tubular socks that didn't have the bend.

"You know I'm not great at sewing... but making these was quite simple. I knew your leg hurts whenever you put too much strain on your prosthetic... wearing one of these will cushion you and also keep your leg nice and dry" Astrid finished with her eyes to the floor, almost embarrassed for such a measly simple thing she was passing off as a gift-

She felt two fingers tug her chin towards him, and she turned just in time to receive a firm and long kiss to her lips that made her momentarily forget how to think.

"Thank you my love, for being so kind and thoughtful. I can't express how much that means to me"

Astrid finally smiled, reassured by his genuine tone. Hiccup tried on the sock without wasting any time, quickly refastening the straps and then walking around the room and trying a few jumps.

"This feels great! All soft and cozy"

Astrid laughed at his childishness and said, "I'm glad you like it"

"Now that we have the gifts out of the way, let's head to the great hall to meet up with the others!" Hiccup said excitedly, tugging at her hand.

"Okay fine, but don't you dare start a snowball fight with me on the way" Astrid warned.

Her husband just gave her an enigmatic wink in reply. "No promises"

Hope the chapter was worth the wait! Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts :)