Almost nobody seems to still be reading this story but I love Valkret so I'm gonna keep inflicting it upon the world.

-HTTYD-

"So, how old would he be now?"

"Twenty."

Eret nodded, running his fingers over her temple. Valka leant into him more, a quiet morning letting them stay in bed a little longer. Valka always knew when it was her sons birthday, and Eret knew when it was coming up by the way she fussed with the growing pile of letters she wrote him. The day itself had passed, and she'd written her letter to him, but she rarely liked to talk about it and so Eret didn't ask. But she'd brought him up herself that morning, and so Eret followed her lead.

They continued talking quietly for a little while, Valka tracing nonsense shapes mindlessly over his torso, occasionally brushing the bottom of his brand but she treated it like just more skin now, and he did his best not to tense up whenever he felt her fingers there.

"It's been over two years, you know."

She'd fallen silent, so her voice surprised him a little.

"What has?"

"This. Us."

"Oh. Yeah, guess it has. Is that a bad thing?"

Valka shook her head, pushing up enough that she could lean over and kiss him gently. Eret couldn't suppress a smile.

"No. Just an observation. We've had a few ups and downs, I suppose, but... I'm happy, here, right now."

There was a shadow of that wistfulness he knew was Valka missing her son, and he didn't expect that to change just because of his presence. But Eret could relate; he missed his own family, but circumstances seperated them and that didn't mean that Valka couldn't be a source of happiness independent of other things.

"Me too. Incoming."

Her brow creased in confusion, but she turned just in time to see Storm and Junior creeping up behind her and pouncing up onto their bed. They were definitely getting too big to do so, but that wasn't going to stop them.

"Guess we're not staying in bed much longer?"

Valka smiled, running her fingers over Storm's head, who rumbled happily and nuzzled her in turn. Meanwhile Eret had Junior snuffling his hair, which tickled and had him worried for accidental fire.

"I think they have other ideas, yes."

Shooing the younger dragons away, Eret and Valka reluctantly left their warm little blanket-nest, building a fire to chase away the chills now they weren't sharing body heat. Alva and Vali 'helped' (and by helped, Eret meant they both tried to flame the logs, and almost set fire to the rest of the room in the process). Storm and Junior were much happier once fed their sliced up fish (they didn't yet have the hang of chewing and it was alarming to watch them choke), and soon everyone had breakfast in their bellies and the sick bay had been tended to.

"Morning flight?"

Valka nodded.

"Something gentle though, so the babes can keep up."

"Good idea. Alva, Vali, make sure your little brothers don't fall out of the air, ok?"

Alva nodded very seriously. Vali's tongue lolled out, but Eret reckoned he'd heard. He saddled up and they headed out, letting the brisk morning flight brush away residual tiredness as they soared through the air, waving at passing nestmates, some of whom were teaching their youngest hatchlings to fly. The newest Stormcutters were getting it, slowly, and with the occasional rescue still needed, but it was sweet to watch and even sweeter to see the growing family - Cloudjumper had been alone, and then Tripfire came along, and since then two Stormcutters had become six.

When they returned, after a brief double check of their recoverees and the nursery, Valka gave Eret a rather inviting look as she said she was going for a bath, and he certainly didn't miss the opportunity. Picking up fresh bottoms and a towel, Eret saw Tripfire was enjoying the break as her youngest children napped, following his lover down to their bathing area.

Eret rather shamelessly watched Valka undress, but she did much the same as she waited for him to join her in the hot water. They basked for a little while, Valka's fingers tracing his chest and shoulders before running down his arms.

"You've gained an awful lot of scars in these last couple of years."

"Yeah, well, they were worth it. Even this one."

He dragged his finger over one Tripfire had given him when mimicking Cloudjumper tickling Valka, before taking in the rest that littered his arms and chest, a couple along his stomach that he knew from their haphazard shapes were the result of excitable baby dragons. Valka had him turn around, her exploration continuing as she traced the various scars on his back. Eventually her arms wound around his middle, her lips brushing his shoulder as her body pressed to his back.

"Not that I mind the cuddles, but it's gonna be awkward for you to wash like that."

Valka laughed lightly, loosening her arms enough for Eret to turn around and resuming hugging him when he did. He wasn't complaining, wrapping arms around her too and enjoying the way she felt against him. Eret didn't completely register when her hands first began roaming, so used to the way she just stroked him randomly, especially when they shared their baths so often and Valka was tactile, forever touching him even if it wasn't in a sexual manner.

He definitely noticed when her hand moved down his stomach, stroking and squeezing until Eret hardened in her grip. For all Valka had seemed shy and naive when they first started getting physical, she'd certainly moved right on along to playful and cheeky, eyes sparkling with mischief as Eret groaned and bucked into her hand.

Penetration under water was often uncomfortable for Valka, but they were creative enough to not let that slow them. She boosted up so her legs could clutch his hips, Eret's cock settling between her thighs so she could grind against him. Skin flushed from hot water turned a deeper shade of red, Valka making the sweetest sounds of pleasure as she rutted herself against Eret, one hand braced on the edge of the water pool they were in while the other clutched at his back. Her legs flexed against his waist, pulling him even closer so Valka could bite at his shoulder, whimpering beautifully against her neck each time Eret rolled his hips upward.

He gripped the ledge himself with one hand, the other running the length of Valka's spine and pulling her more firmly against him before it moved, nipple swelling at his touch despite the heat of the water. Valka was utterly divine like that, losing herself to pleasure, body pleading for more when her voice had failed her. She was right that it had been a couple of years now, but he still felt the thrill of excitement, the giddy rush that came with Valka's body wrapped around his, the deep heat in his belly as she moaned in his ear, nails scraping his back like claws.

The twitching of her muscles urged him on, both moving a little more frantically until they came to shuddering, shaking climaxes and sank against each other, panting and tingling and grinning. Valka stroked his face and kissed him lazily between heavy breaths, until they finally loosened their grip on each other enough to share dopey, satisfied smiles.

Eventually, they actually bathed, but Eret had been pretty sure Valka had ulterior motives when she first invited him along. Bath time was their time. Mostly. Occasionally it was disturbed by dragons, but it was one of only about four places in the whole mountain dragons didn't frequent often.

Affectionate and cuddly, Valka settled between his legs and leant against his chest by the fire back in their room for a little while, and she hummed and sang here and there with no real intention behind it, just a little indicator of her good mood. He loved those moments, and the only thing he'd happily let those moments end for were dragons. Which was lucky for Tripfire, really, since she was rather intent on getting his attention just then.

It wasn't going to be the first time, but that didn't make it any more pleasant for Valka to know Eret was watching her as she vomited again. He didn't just see, he held her hair back and kept the bucket under her face until the heaving stopped.

"Yeah, you're not coming on the rescue."

"Eret!"

She tried to chastise him, but her voice was strained and her throat stinging. Eret rolled his eyes, holding a cup of water to her so Valka could drink. She rinsed her mouth and spat in the bucket, gingerly leaning back against the wall.

"Look, yes I wish you were coming, but you're sick and you need to rest. I'd rather be here taking care of you than just about anything, but this is a big drop and we can't afford not to interfere. Not with Drago consolidating his forces lately. So you are staying, and resting."

The dragons weren't happy either; Cloudjumper wasn't going to go without her, which meant Tripfire had to go without him. And as much as she'd pretend otherwise, Tripfire adored Cloudjumper and would definitely miss her mate, especially in a firefight when they worked so beautifully in sync.

Her stomach still felt queasy, though Eret seemed fine and so Valka had to put it down to the food they ate on the market island the previous day, because that was the only time they hadn't eaten the same food, cooked at the same time in the same way in weeks. When she wasn't still sick, Valka considered going over and blowing up that stall.

Eret made up a pot of tea to help settle her stomach and left it steeping by the fire, and watered down the bone broth he'd just finished so it would be easier for her to keep down.

"Ok, I shouldn't be gone more than a day or two, so long as all of that gets heated up properly it should see you through til I come back. Cloudjumper, don't let her fly like this, ok? We don't want her falling."

Any other time, Eret giving such direct orders to her dragon would be met with far less acceptance, but the two were bonded in their efforts when it came to taking care of Valka.

It wasn't as though she didn't trust Eret; he was dedicated and capable, and determined to bring the dragons back safely. But he also had a knack for getting himself in to trouble, and she'd had to rescue him more than once over the years.

"I'll do the sick bay before I go, and the fish barrels are stocked so let the Bewilderbeast take them out for the flying meals, you can feed the ones that can't fly without risking falling out of the sky yourself."

"Yes, yes. I truly hate this."

"Me too" Eret knelt down, ignoring her bad breath as he pressed a chaste kiss to her lips "I wish you were coming with me, and I wish you weren't sick. But I can do this, and you need to rest. I'll come back, I swear."

He rested his forehead against hers, his skin warm against where hers was a little clammy. Eret wiped her face with a cool cloth, went and cleaned out the bucket for her before bringing it back, then filled a jug for the bedside with fresh water. It was heavy-bottomed like many of the things they made for the nest over the last couple of years, so they were less likely to be knocked over by passing dragons.

"You kids be good, alright? Valka needs to rest."

Eret bidding goodbye to the smallest Stormcutters in the nest was terribly sweet, followed by farewells for Alva and Vali. Tripfire rumbled and cooed at her offspring, then came over and offered Valka a 'get-well lick', as Eret called it, surreptitously giving her something to wipe her face with. She curled her fingers around his, looking up at Eret.

"Be safe."

"I will. I love you. Now rest, crazy dragon lady."

"I love you too, now go before I change my mind about letting you leave me here."

Eret chuckled, running fingers down her cheek softly before he turned and fixed his swords on to his armour, grabbing his helmet and heading off to do the injured and sick dragon check. She heard him go, the sound of a dozen dragons leaving with him to help.

Reluctantly, Valka stayed in bed and tried to sleep, hoping her stomach would settle. Cloudjumper wouldn't let her leave the nest as she was anyway, and if she fell off and hurt herself mid-flight, that was doing more harm than good.

Sleep helped a little, and when Valka got up and drank some of the tea Eret left for her, she felt steady enough to check the injured bay of dragons. She threw up in an empty pen, and regretfully went back to bed soon after.

Being away from Eret when they split up to chase seperate boat cargo was one thing, but him being gone from the nest felt eerily like those nights where she'd not known where he was, and it definitely made her anxious. Dutifully drinking lots of tea and water and forcing half a bowl of broth down when her stomach had stopped churning, Valka cursed her decision an hour later when she couldn't sleep in more than short bursts as she had to keep getting up to pee.

Tired and sick, Valka slept and rested as much as her usually-energetic body would allow, and with no real way to keep track of the time when she wasn't going outside, Valka only realised it had been a full two days when she heard the dragons leave to eat again. The actual sickness had abated, but she still felt quite drained. Hunting out some more substantial food than the broth, Valka offered a deal to Cloudjumper that they'd go looking for their respective mates if she kept it down. He probably wouldn't have agreed, but Cloudjumper was as keen to have Tripfire back as Valka was to have Eret back.

They weren't back by the late afternoon, and Valka had fitfully napped and kept down her food, so Cloudjumper reluctantly agreed they could go. Valka could hear carefully in his reticent rumbling responses as she pulled on her armour, bidding Alva and Vali to keep their younger siblings in the nest.

"I know you want to come, but your mother would be very angry if you got hurt."

Cloudjumper helped her to convince them, and they sulked but stayed as Valka clambered up on Cloudjumper's back, down on one knee rather than standing tall for the added stability as they headed out, a handful of dragons with her just in case there was a fight that had waylaid their missing few.

They flew, but Valka noticed Cloudjumper was distracted before they'd even cleared the ice plains - a spot the Bewilderbeast had chilled, designed to slow any ships from getting too close as the ice took so long to thaw.

"What is it?"

He warbled, looking around them before he began to gain altitude. Valka frowned, confused, but then she heard it. For a second, her heart leapt before her mind realised the voice she heard yelling was not Eret's. and there was little cause for Eret to be so frustrated if he were almost home.

Which meant...

Valka shook her staff, then straightnened up as Cloudjumper began to climb higher, aiming for the cloud barrier where they heard the voice coming from. Her staff broke the cloud first, followed by she and Cloudjumper, his four-wing beating dispersing the thinner clouds with ease.

Though she herself was shocked, Valka wondered which of the two looking up at them were more surprised.

The Night Fury, or his rider.

-HTTYD-

Finallyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, it's that time!