The response to this story keeps making me smile, so much cute love for Valkret!
-HTTYD-
"Alva, that's mine!"
Valka tried not to laugh as Eret chased the little dragon, who had claimed his best spoon as a toy and was running off to enjoy it. Tripfire watched on, amused, while Cloudjumper looked a little more resigned as his baby son claimed daddy's tail as something to gnaw on. They didn't have teeth yet, but Vali complained if Cloudjumper tried to stop him.
There were baby dragons all over the mountain, but as the only Stormcutters, and the only two permanent reptile residents of Valka and Eret's sleeping quarters, Tripfire and Cloudjumper's offspring spent the most time with them. They were adorable, sweet little critters, but they were definitely cheeky, energetic and mischievous on top of that. Valka adored watching them develop, personalities shining through already - if he wasn't getting food or affection from mama, Vali was usually attached to papa Cloudjumper. Unless he wanted a belly tickle, in which case he clambered all over Valka and Eret clumsily, chirping and wiggling.
They were still finding their feet, as proved by Alva tumbling over, dropping Eret's spoon in the process. She began to wail, more upset than hurt. Eret had retrieved his spoon, but one look at the saddened baby dragon had him melting. He picked her up, checking her for injuries before holding out the spoon.
"Hey, don't cry Alva. You can have it. Just be careful not to swallow it, or get a splinter."
Thrilled, Alva licked his face before snapping up the spoon and tottering over to her bed, gummy-gnawing away happily. Eret watched her with a fond smile, wiping his face.
"Like mother, like daughter."
His gaze turned to Valka, thoughtful and pensive.
"What is it?"
"Just thinking. All this" he gestured to where their Stormcutter family were "and my being here to see it... none of it would have happened without you. These two were born cus you gave me a chance. I just... thank you."
She supposed he was right - if Valka hadn't let him stay, Tripfire wouldn't have had the time to come around to Cloudjumper, for them to bond and mate and for her to lay and hatch the two babies. All because she'd had just enough Viking stubbornness left in her to try and show him the truth.
"Well, you are more than welcome."
Eret got up and crossed over to where she was sat, kissed her soundly. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he pecked a second kiss on her nose, grinning.
"I gotta go feed my chickens, won't be long."
He headed off, left Valka watching Alva and Vali, a little purple Scuttleclaw ambling in and immediately heading to Valka for a scratch under the chin. Vali seemed torn between staying with Cloudjumper and chasing off the competition for Valka's affections.
"Oh, don't worry my little love, you aren't forgotten."
She'd barely stood after the Scuttleclaw spotted their mother and scampered off before Eret's arms were around her waist, his face pressing into her hair as he held her, murmuring softly to her.
"What did you say?"
Valka turned, not sure she'd definitely heard what she thought she'd heard.
"I said... I love you. I've known it a while but just never said it, but I was thinking how much you changed my life, changed me, and I just had to tell you."
Blinking, reeling, Valka still found her answer easily enough as she took Eret's hands, drew him closer.
"I love you too, you impossible man."
They had been... this for months by then, and with Hiccup's birthday not too far away, that would also be around the time she and Eret had acknowledged there was more than friendship between them for a full year. But both had a complicated relationship with love in their past, and while Valka had known she loved him for a while, they'd never spoken it aloud until then.
"Well, I suppose I am one of a kind."
Tsking, Valka rolled her eyes but kissed him anyway. He was ridiculous, and she loved him all the more for it.
"Have you finished making a temporary saddle for Gustnudger?"
Until Alva and Vali were big enough to be left alone, it was accepted that at least one Stormcutter would need to stay behind if the humans had a raid or rescue to go on, and Eret and Valka agreed that Cloudjumper's many more years of experience on said rescues meant he was the more logical choice to take with. Which meant Eret needed a new dragon to fly in the interim, and Gustnudger had volunteered.
"Almost. Just need to tweak it so it's comfortable for him and take it on a test flight" there was a grumble nearby "Tripfire, it's not permanent! But you can't leave the kids and there are still dragons to rescue."
Tripfire continued to grizzle until Vali stumbled over to her, still working out how to walk with his wings and balance his large head. He nuzzled his mother dragon, letting out little chirps and coos until she nuzzled him in turn. It was such a sweet sight, and Valka enjoyed it all the more with the reassuring weight of Eret at her back, his arm around her as they watched their little family.
"We should go check on the nurseries, make sure the mothers all have enough food and water."
"Yeah. We won't be long guys."
Excitable baby dragons galore, there were pockets of them all over the mountain - some species flocked together and helped parent as a pack over multiple sets of hatchlings, while others kept their own babies to themselves but grouped in either species or similar dragon classes. Very few parented completely alone - Cloudjumper and Tripfire not included, as they were the only dragons to be a solo family of their species, and also two of the biggest dragons in the nest.
Eret carted barrels of fish around and told Valka she was welcome to swoon over his strength anytime, for which she threw water at him and pointed out she had managed just fine without him for several hatching seasons before.
"In my defence, when you first started all this I was only five."
Valka frowned. He was right.
"Oh. When you put it like that I feel like a real cradle robber."
"Hey" Eret put down the barrels and crossed over to her, pulled Valka to her feet "I told you, your age doesn't bother me. And I'm no child now. Besides, you were ten years younger than your husband, did anyone call him a cradle robber?"
Valka shook her head, let Eret hold her close. He was right about all of that too - he was certainly a grown man, and she had definitely been quite a bit younger than Stoick, not out of her teens when they wed.
"Come on, hungry dragons wait for nothing."
She chuckled, felt Eret squeeze her gently and kiss her temple.
"Very true."
With Alva and Vali constantly inhabiting their quarters now, Eret had to be a little more creative in his reassurances about how little Valka's age concerned him, and Valka would have been lying if she didn't confess at least to herself how it thrilled her when he securely supported her weight when he pressed her into a wall. She felt younger, giddy with the rush of it as they didn't bother undressing properly, just stripping Valka of her leggings as Eret untied his bottoms, fingers teasing her to wetness with little effort; her want for him awoke easily and often it took almost no time at all for Eret to arouse her. He was hard when her hand sought him, hips twitching to thrust in to her grip as they stroked each other.
Her legs tightened around his stocky hips, the fabric of his tunic clenched between her teeth as Valka sought to quiet herself so the dragons wouldn't overhear them, Eret panting and grunting into her neck with each thrust. Hot and hasty ruts in alcoves were surely things young women did, and Valka was no young woman but Eret made her feel like one, left her giggling into his shoulder when it was over, and still his hands did not falter in holding her.
"Didn't hurt your back on the wall, did you?"
Eret asked as he took a step away, letting her down gently in case her legs wouldn't hold her. She stumbled a little as her weak knees shook, but Eret was there to hold her steady.
"No no, I'm fine. That was... unexpected."
"Yeah, well, unless you want the kids to interrupt it was this or hope none of them walked in on us in the bath again."
She laughed again at the reminder, looking up from steaming water to find big yellow eyes on them all too familiar an occurrence - privacy was a luxury when they were the only humans in a nest of dragons.
"I never said it was unwelcome."
"True. We should get back before Tripfire decides to come looking for us. You know she would, little one in tow."
"Oh, definitely."
Valka located Gustnudger so Eret could finish adjusting his saddle before dinner, and then Eret sat carving himself a new spoon since he was unlikely to get his other one back, and even more unlikely to get it back in a useable state since Alva had decided it was a chew toy. Vali was napping in his little bed, but Alva was nested happily in the middle of the human bed, blankets pulled around her and Eret's spoon next to her.
"It's a good thing you're cute little miss. If we had blue blankets, we might not even be able to find her."
"Indeed, but she'll have excellent camouflage on a stormy night."
"Meanwhile Vali is gonna have to fly at dawn to blend in, but at least we knew as soon as he hatched that he wanted to be centre of attention."
Valka chuckled, nodding as she looked over Vali's colouring.
"I wonder where he gets that from."
Cloudjumper huffed happily as Valka scratched him lightly, rubbing his face against hers gently. Tripfire was nudging Eret more insistently, and dragged her own saddle over to him.
"Is that a hint?"
"Go ahead, she could do with stretching her wings. Cloudjumper and I will watch the babes."
"You sure? Alright then, you're done anyway Gustnudger, thanks" the Windgnasher grumbled happily, trotting off "dinner has half hour to cook yet anyway, so we can go for a little flight girl."
Eret bent down to kiss Valka before he hoisted the saddle up on Tripfire's back, buckled her in and waited for her to check on the baby dragons again before he hopped up and they headed out. Cloudjumper watched his mate leave with a small pout, but Valka reminded him Tripfire needed a little fresh air now and then, and he soon calmed down when Valka rubbed his scaled belly. Vali woke in time to see that, sleepily tumbling his way over to demand similar treatment. Valka smiled as she picked him up, watching his little wings flap happily as she tickled him.
"Oh you are so very sweet little one."
Vali opted to continue his nap on her lap, effectively trapping her with his cuteness. She was still like that when a brighter Tripfire and Eret returned, both looking amused at her 'predicament'. Eret checked dinner quickly, nodding to himself as he gave the stew a stir before he took off Tripfire's saddle and tossed her some jerky.
"Good flight?"
"Awesome. Thanks, we needed it."
"Of course. They'll be big enough for us to take on short flights as passengers soon, so nobody gets stir-crazy."
Eret lit up.
"Aw, that will be awesome!"
He put fish down for Tripfire and Cloudjumper, and an extra bowl of fish for Tripfire to feed the babies with - up out of hungry little ones reach - before he ladled stew into bowls and quickly warmed up the flatbreads, Tripfire retrieving a protesting, sleepy Vali from Valka's lap so she could get herself some dinner. She found herself watching Eret a lot, chewing his food with a smile on his face as he watched the dragons. Even if Valka weren't happier than she ever thought she could have been, his contentment with their strange little life was contagious, and she spooned stew into her mouth with a smile to match his.
"Oh, before I forget" Eret got up after he was finished, digging through one of the trunks nearby "I got you a... Snoggletog, did you call it? gift when I went to get more chicken feed."
Valka still wore the gloves he made her last year, comfortable and warm and practical.
"Oh?"
He headed over and presented her with a bundle of high quality parchment, eyes soft as Valka looked up at him. It was lovely, but she was a little confused as to why he'd gone for something Valka so rarely used, when they had a fair bit of normal writing stuff around anyway.
"I know it's almost your sons birthday, and that you write to him about your year. It's been a busy year, I thought you might have a lot to say."
Oh.
Valka swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat, emotions swelling in her chest.
"Thank you."
Her voice cracked a little, and she felt tears well up slightly. Confusion had faded to a much sharper feeling, amazed at just how thoughtful a gift it was. Eret dropped to his knees next to her, mindful not to crush the parchment as he let her hold him, leaning back to wipe her tears and kiss her forehead.
"I didn't mean to make you cry. Please don't be sad."
"I'm not sad. Just... a little overwhelmed. You never stop surprising me."
Eret smiled.
"And I hope I never will. That would be boring."
Despite her tears, Valka found herself laughing.
-HTTYD-
Couldn't have babycutters and not have a family fluff chapter, right?