Writer's note: Thank you to everyone who had read this fic! The comments are very much appreciated :)
Chapter 19: In which an alliance is formed in the sky
"You want me to get on that…thing?" Distaste dripped off Astrid's tongue. She scrunched her nose at the annoyed snort that blew from the dragon's nostrils aimed toward her. Apparently, he didn't appreciate her attitude.
Hiccup splayed his hands out. "That's sorta the point of how I'd show you how cool Toothless is."
Astrid eyed him doubtfully. "And you've been riding this dragon for how long?"
"About two and a half weeks." A thoughtful expression crossed Hiccup's face. "I was clinging to his tail the first time, so I don't necessarily count that ride."
Astrid huffed. She couldn't believe she was actually considering this. "Hiccup, I swear to Thor, if this thing throws me off, you better pray to Odin I don't survive, because you will experience my axe handle being shoved up in places the sun doesn't shine. And then I'll divorce you."
Hiccup drew in a deep breath. "Fair enough."
Astrid cringed as she climbed atop the dragon's back to sit behind Hiccup. She'd glared at him as she shooed away his offered hand. Her skin crawled at the feel of the dragon's warm scales through the material of her tights. She didn't know where to rest her hands and held arms out at her sides as if she'd be poisoned instantly if her skin came in contact with the dragon's hide.
Hiccup leaned close to the dragon's head. "Toothless, be gentle."
The dragon sunk low to the ground, wiggling its tail and Astrid assumed it was preparing to launch.
"You might want to hold on," Hiccup suggested the split second before the dragon shot into the air.
It was official. She'd gone mad, and it was all her scrawny husband's fault.
Astrid had been through many terrifying situations. A Monstrous Nightmare had torched her roof and crawled into her home when she was a little girl. She'd stood her ground with her little axe clinched in her fists, ready to defend her home from the flaming demon.
But fighting dragons and flying on the backs of them were two completely different circumstances and facing down the fiery Nightmare as a child seemed like a picnic on the shoreline compared to the weightless feeling of shooting to the sky with no guarantee of plummeting to your death.
A bloodcurdling scream reverberated through her as she grabbed for anything to hold on to. Her legs wrapped around Hiccup's waist as one hand found his shoulder guard, and another latched onto to his hair. She yanked herself upright, Hiccup's small frame barely keeping both of them in the saddle.
The dragon leveled out at an alarming height over the sea. Astrid pressed her torso up against Hiccup's back and gripped both arms around his chest.
"He's not usually like this," Hiccup laughed nervously, glancing back at her. "Oh no—" he managed to slip out before the dragon plummeted at a speed only the gods were capable of.
"I'm sorry!" Astrid blurted out, pressing her forehead into Hiccup's back so hard she could have pushed right through him. The dragon had seemed okay with her until she'd insulted him. She didn't realize dragons could get insulted. But in this moment, that was the explanation that popped in her head and she had to make it right, or else she'd die of fright and that would be the most embarrassing death imaginable. "I'm sorry for calling him a thing, all right?!"
There was sudden jerk upwards, as if strings had been yanked, and the dragon leveled out.
Astrid clung to her husband's small frame, eyes screwed shut and breath ragged from her lungs. The wind blew across her bare arms in a nice, steady stream as the dragon glided straightforward.
"You can open your eyes, milady," Hiccup's gentle voice encouraged. She was suddenly aware of his hand covering her and his thumb grazing over her knuckles in a soothing manner.
The ends of Hiccup's hair tickled her face as she dislodged from his back. Astrid squinted as the wind blew in her eyes. White air surrounded them, and she realized they were soaring through the clouds.
The comfort of Hiccup's touch faded as he withdrew his hand to hang on to the saddle. Astrid swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Fear was replaced by curiosity as she grasped Hiccup's shoulder with one hand and reached out to touch the clouds with the other.
A laugh of relief escaped her as she watched a cloud ribbon through her fingers. She completely forgot that she was a mountain high off the ground, and that height was achieved by riding a dragon. She looked out, unafraid. A city of clouds was all around them. Her heart quickened, but this time it was from the amazing sight she was currently beholding.
Hiccup glanced over her shoulder, beaming at her. His delight gave her the encouragement to let go of his shoulder and throw both arms into the air. The damp coolness of the clouds caused a shiver to ripple along her skin.
The dragon glided lower, exiting the cover of the clouds. Astrid gasped at the horizon as the sun was beginning to set. Rich and glowing orange painted the sky. The sea raced by in a magnificent blur of white caps and dark streaks. She'd never seen anything this extraordinary.
They circled away from the sunset, the dark of evening now shrouding the sky.
Through a patch of clouds, they emerged onto the brilliant sight of the village of Berk. They passed the great stone statues of the past kings, their wide mouths glowing with eternal flames. Astrid was awestruck. Never had she seen Berk from such an amazing viewpoint. The torches were like little yellow dots scattered all over the shelves of the isle. Her mouth formed a silent 'wow' at the lights glittering in her eyes.
Astrid rested her chin on Hiccup's shoulder, snaking her arms around his middle and hugging against him. A warmth had seeped into her belly and little sparks tingled her limbs.
"What do you think of the ride?" Hiccup asked, breaking the spell that had mesmerized her.
"I have to admit, it's pretty cool," which was completely an understatement compared to the thrill teeming inside her. She rolled her chin on his shoulder to get a better view of the side of his face. "Hiccup, why didn't you tell me about him?"
She noticed in the moonlight Hiccup's knuckles tightening on the saddle. After a tentative moment, he asked far too softly as if afraid of the answer she'd provide, "What would you have done if I did?"
Astrid waited a several seconds to answer. For the first time ever, she didn't like what she was about to say concerning a dragon. "I probably would have told your father and he'd have killed him," she swallowed hard, "or I would have tried to kill him myself."
She felt the deep breath in Hiccup's back. "And in both of those cases, I would have lost the two most important individuals in my life."
Hiccup's brokenness in those words stabbed deep into Astrid's stomach. She slid her forehead to rest against his shoulder blade and screwed her eyes shut tightly. An ache like none she'd ever experienced burdened her heart. She couldn't imagine losing Hiccup. Not now.
They'd only been married a few months. They hadn't made confessions of love for one another, or even consummated their marriage. But Astrid knew right then that if she lost him from death or other circumstances, she wouldn't recover. Her lips left barely a kiss on the back of his throat, the need to be close to him stronger than ever.
Even after the lying and the secrets and befriending the enemy, everything in Astrid's being was being pulled to stick with Hiccup. It went against everything she stood for her entire life, but by his side was more important now than traditional thinking that had been ingrained in her since birth.
By the time they'd landed, Astrid had convinced herself to call the dragon by name. It would take getting used to, being tolerate toward a dragon, but she was willing.
Astrid hopped off Toothless first. "Thanks for the ride," she said to him, feeling awkward speaking directly to a dragon. Toothless seemed to understand and warbled cheerfully back at her.
Hiccup joined her on the ground, his head hung low. He sucked in his bottom lip, seeming to prepare himself for what was to come. "Will you keep Toothless a secret?" He met her gaze suddenly with a look of determination and resolve, along with a twinge of pain in his voice. "Because if you're not, me and him will be gone before morning. Just give us a head start is all I ask."
Astrid scrunched her cheeks, his plan throwing her for a loop. She reared her elbow back, landing a punch to his forearm. "You're not going anywhere. I'll keep your secret."
Hiccup grabbed his arm, throwing her an incredulous look. "Okay, but you didn't have to hit me to give me the answer."
Astrid leaned on her left hip, folding arms over her chest. "Oh, that was actually for kidnapping me and making me think I was about to be eaten by a dragon."
"Well, just trying to sweep my girl off her feet." How nonchalant.
The corny remark sent a little wave of giddiness through her. How did he have such an effect on her! She hauled him in by the leather strap across his chest and let him know how she really felt about being swept off her feet. She didn't give him time to react before breaking the kiss. A goofy little grin formed on his face causing heat to rise in her cheeks.
Toothless chose that moment to rejoin them, his thirst after the flight satisfied by the crystal clear lake. He nudged Hiccup's arm, and Hiccup smiled at Toothless, patting his head. The dragon seemed gentle and friendly, nothing like Astrid had ever seen before. How could a dragon be this way?
"Thank you, Astrid, for keeping Toothless a secret," Hiccup acknowledged with a stroke of gratitude. A ripple of fervor made its way through Astrid seeing how much this meant to him. If there was one thing she'd learned about Hiccup since their nuptials, it was how passionate he could be for what was important to him.
"Don't make me regret it," she added, because she trusted Hiccup but her trust in Toothless was still on trial.
Hiccup cracked that gaped-tooth smile of his. "We won't." He scrubbed his knuckle between Toothless' ears. "Right, bud?"
Toothless pointed his nose in the air, warbling.
The moon hung high and the evening's chill had set in. "We better get home. It's getting late."
Hiccup nodded, solemnly. He scratched under Toothless' chin. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Toothless gave a rumble in response, flicking his tongue out to lick Hiccup's cheek. Astrid turned away before she reacted out of instinct. The shock of a dragon not consuming her husband whole was too much to handle for the time being.
She held out her hand for Hiccup to take. He glanced down at the offer unsure, as if not believing she wanted him to hold her hand. Why did he doubt her physical affection still?
Hiccup finally accepted it, and she squeezed his hand reassuring him that everything was okay. She didn't know how long their secret would stay concealed or what would happen if it were ever discovered. For now, she would do everything within her power to keep the dragon safe, for Hiccup's sake.