Chapter 12 – Favorite Place to Go

Yay! This chapter! It's a bit of a fluffy break from all the crazy drama! A break that these two dorks definitely deserve!

We go back to a special location from Moira in this one. ;)

I based the title of this chapter on the song Favorite Place to Go by Layup. It's a really sweet song! Give it a listen if you'd like!

Thanks so my awesome co-author, Christine, who is just so freaking supportive. I love ya lots!

Hope y'all enjoy!

Hiccup scurried through the palace looking for Astrid.

He was exhilarated.

He was eager to show her what he'd been up to all morning.

He was pretty positive she was going to love it and that made his legs move even faster beneath him.

His windswept hair and cheeks flushed from the cold air - that had been hitting his face during his early morning ride on Toothless - grabbed the attention of every person he passed as he made his way throughout the rooms and hallways.

After bumping - literally - into Gobber, he finally found her in the main sitting room with a cup of tea in her hand and chatting with Fishlegs.

The two friends conversation ceased when they both noticed the young prince standing in the doorway with a silly expression plastered on his face. It was the same look that always went along with some new and crazy idea of his.

The two were suddenly way more interested in what he had planned up his sleeve rather than discussing the continued progress of the orphanage.

Astrid set her cup of tea down beside her and opened her mouth to ask where her crazed looking husband had been all morning, but he spoke before she could even get one word out.

"Happy Anniversary!"

Astrid turned to glance over at Fishlegs, a look riddled with confusion across her face before she turned her attention back to Hiccup - who was shutting the door behind him and giving them more privacy from the people of the palace.

"Uh...Hiccup, that was a month ago." Astrid reminded him.

"I know...I know," he waved his hands around him, "but we didn't get to really do what we wanted a month ago...now we can!"

As soon as Hiccup had been cleared by his doctor to return to normal activities, it made him feel like he had finally been released from a cage that he'd been locked up in for a month. As wonderful as taking it easy was, it was making Hiccup go a little stir crazy.

He was eating up every bit of freedom that he was finally granted.

He took Toothless out for so many rides that he lost count - he had to make up for lost time, of course.

He happily attended meeting after meeting with his father.

He finally planned the one-year anniversary date that had been stirring in his head for weeks now.

And Astrid should've been expecting this because he had promised he'd do something for their anniversary, but with everything else going on, she completely forgot about that conversation they had a month ago.

"Alright, so, what are we doing?" Astrid asked, standing up from her seat and pulling down her sweatshirt to slightly cover up the very tiny bump that really just looked like she'd ate way too much pizza and made her jeans a little harder to button.

"If I told you, that would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it?" Hiccup told her as he opened the door and followed her out.

Fishlegs, knowing what the surprise was after helping Hiccup finish up a few things, winked at him before he walked completely out the door. He was mostly just excited to see his friend looking less like the walking dead and more like his old self - the one with the dorky smile and never ending imagination.

The same one that he could still hear laughing down the hallway at the joke his wife just made about there never ever being a dull moment with him around.

Fishlegs chuckled and shook his head at just how accurate that statement truly was.

Astrid didn't know what to expect from the day her eager husband had planned for them.

But she sure didn't expect to be standing back in front of the lighthouse with the paint-chipped red door that sat on top of the cliff overlooking the ocean and surrounded by trees with leaves that were filled with all the colors of fall.

This place was filled with memories of that cold and rainy evening that they thought was going to be their last chance to be together in the way they both so badly wanted. Which made it so remarkable to think about just how far they've come since that one night of hiding from both the rain and the idea of not ever getting to be together in the way they are now.

"Are we breaking in again?" Astrid joked as she hopped off Stormfly and tied her to the post next to Toothless.

Hiccup dug in his jeans pocket, revealing a small silver key grasped in between his fingers. "There will be no need for any illegal activity this time."

Astrid wanted to laugh at how that made her feel just a tad bit disappointed. "How did you manage that?"

"My dad, of course, knew who owned it. Turns out the man who did, died a couple of years ago, which explains why it's in such bad shape." Hiccup explained, glancing up at the faded white paint that covered the outside walls. "His wife wasn't able to take care of it and said it was just too much trouble to try and sell, so I offered to look after it for her...in exchange for getting to use it as our little getaway." He added with a wink.

"Did you actually tell her that?"

Hiccup waved her off and laughed as he walked towards the door to unlock it, "Of course I didn't."

Astrid followed him in, immediately getting a whiff of the exact same musty smell it had a year ago, "Good because I don't want anyone getting the idea that we use this lighthouse only for the sole purpose of making this country more heirs."

Hiccup snorted, "Imagine that story on the front page."

"I'd rather not."

Hiccup smiled that heart-stopping gap-toothed grin as he gestured towards the spiral staircase, "After you, milady."

Astrid gave him the warmest smile and started up the stairs. With each step she took, she was a little more excited to reach the top to see the breathtaking view of the ocean and the mountains and the cliffs. The view from up there was like none other. It was a place that she remembered as being quiet and peaceful and calm.

She'd only been here once before, but she was certain it was her new favorite spot in Berk. Even more so than the cove. Even more so than the spot in the sand where she used to sit for hours with her mother.

And that's why she was eager to reach the top, which is why her steps started growing quicker and faster, but then she reached just above the halfway point and was so out of breath she had to stop and hold onto the cold metal handrail.

"What's wrong, Astrid?" Hiccup asked, his also slightly breathless voice full of worry at the sight of seeing her stop so fast and bend over with one hand on her knee with the other gripping the rail.

Astrid held up one finger, telling him to just give her a second to catch her breath. She felt Hiccup place a hand on the small of her back as he waited for her to finish breathing as if she'd just ran a marathon that was uphill only.

Once her breathing slowed, she turned her head to look back at Hiccup on the step below her, "Your child takes every ounce of energy I have in me."

Hiccup tried his best not to laugh at how it was suddenly only his child. "Think you can make it up the rest of them?"

Astrid scoffed, whipped back around, and kept making her way up to the very top. She most definitely wasn't going to let a few measly stairs beat her.

"I guess that's a yes," Hiccup muttered underneath his breath as he followed her up.

When she finally reached the top, she was expecting to find the same dusty scene they'd left it in but all of that was gone.

What she saw instead left her breathless in a way that wasn't only from all the stairs she'd just climbed up.

Now instead of an old chair and table in the middle of the small space, there was a red blanket and a basket that made her stomach growl because she just knew there was food inside.

The large windows - that gave her the best view possible - had been wiped clean of all grime and age and were now so clear she could see the bright blue ocean and the waves crashing against the cliffs below them even better than before.

The wooden floors beneath her feet had been smoothed and polished and no longer looked like they could cave in beneath you any second.

If the view hadn't been the same, she could've sworn it was a whole different lighthouse.

"You did all this?" She asked her husband who had finally joined her at the top.

Hiccup stood there with his hands on his hips while looking proud of not only what he'd done to the space, but also because Astrid's slightly parted lips that were turned up into a smile and the wide blue eyes looking back at him said that she definitely wasn't expecting any of it.

"Yeah, pretty much." Hiccup walked over to sit down on the blanket spread on the floor. He began pulling out the different items of food one-by-one. "You hungry?"

Astrid grabbed the sandwich from his hand and crossed her legs underneath her in the spot across from him, "Is that even a question?"

"Right. How stupid of me to ask." Hiccup laughed as he unwrapped his own sandwich filled with turkey, lettuce, and even a few potato chips - something Astrid made fun of him for until she tried it herself and now she, too, also had chips tucked underneath the bread.

Astrid's appetite had, thankfully, started to come back over the last week and she already found herself eating just a little more than she was used to. That's why she peeked in the basket after her sandwich had suddenly disappeared.

And a celebratory picnic with his wife wouldn't have been complete with just a sandwich. So, when he spotted her raised eyebrows and pursed lips as she looked into the basket, he handed her the brown bag resting beside him.

Astrid looked inside and when she saw her one favorite food in the world at the bottom, she glanced right back up at her husband who had a proud and mischievous smirk spread across his pretty cute face. "I love you." She stated.

"I know." He said as he watched her pull out the blueberry muffin that really was almost the size of her round head.

She devoured it too.

After they finished up lunch, the two found themselves pretty full, a little sleepy, and wrapped in each other's arms.

Hiccup's back was pressed against one of the walls with Astrid tucked in between his legs and her back resting against his chest.

His hand covered the one lying against her slightly protruded stomach; he smiled as he felt her gently and absentmindedly rub her thumb up and down against it.

Astrid hummed and snuggled even deeper into his chest. "Thank you for doing all of this, babe."

Hiccup squeezed her hand. "I wanted it to be a place where we can all come one day."

Astrid knew that by all he meant not only her but their child too. "It's perfect." She spoke quietly as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

She imagined their future son or daughter racing up the stairs and running around the small space around them.

She imagined their laughter...the sounds of their tiny feet against the creaking wood...their small hands pressed up against the glass as they stared curiously at the vast ocean and forest surrounding them...

Her daydream was interrupted by the feeling of Hiccup pushing her hair away from the spot on her neck that he gently pressed his lips to.

Astrid grasped her bottom lip between her teeth as chills ran up her spine from the wonderful sensation of his trail of kisses eventually making their way to the sensitive spot below her ear.

The same spot that always left her wanting more. The same spot that led her to turn her head so he could press his lips against her own next.

After some time, she found herself turned around with her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands tangled in his hair as he ran his own hands up her back while kissing her back like he was afraid she'd slip away from his grasp if he were to quit anytime soon.

But the two did quit eventually - after the sun began to set in the distance, casting a nice golden light within the small chilly room.

They found themselves back in the same position they started in - neither one making any move to get up and head back home before dark.

Both were enjoying the quiet and the company and the zero interruptions.

But there was something on the back of Astrid's mind that had slowly been making its way towards the front over the last couple of days.

"I think it's time we tell your father," Astrid spoke, breaking the peaceful silence.

They still hadn't told anyone else. The only people who knew were Valka and Ragnar - who was completely accidental.

It wasn't that they didn't want to tell anyone else, but the second the King found out, it wouldn't be long until all of Berk knew as well.

And the two just really wanted to keep it between them just for a little while longer...before all the attention that would come along with it.

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed, "I guess we can't keep it a secret forever."

Astrid snorted and gently patted his arm draped across her chest. "Definitely not."

"When do you want to tell him?"

Astrid thought for a moment before replying. "Tomorrow?"

"After the appointment?"

"Sure."

And then it was quiet again.

"It's been nice…" Hiccup spoke up, "having this be our little thing for a while."

Astrid nodded. "It has, but Hiccup, this is still going to be our little thing. The whole world knowing about it doesn't change anything. It's still our child."

"You're right." Hiccup smiled because not only was she right, but he also liked the way she said our child. That's what it was and what it would always be - no matter just how many people butt into their personal life.

She snickered, "I know."

And no matter how many times it's happened in the past, it still always amazed him how she always knew just what to say.

Hiccup couldn't stop smiling. He physically could not turn the corners of his lips downwards. It just wasn't possible after the morning he's had.

Even the nerves and the fear that clouded his body and mind at the fact that he was about to become a father to the baby he just saw on that very low-quality screen couldn't stop that bright grin from disappearing.

Him and Astrid not only got to see the baby - that now looked less like a dot with its very tiny but still definite little arms and legs - but they also got to hear its heartbeat echo loudly throughout the entire room.

It was a sound that hadn't left his mind since he'd heard it.

It was a sound that he noticed made tears glisten at the rim of his eyes and Astrid's as she squeezed his hand a little tighter.

It was a sound he never wanted to forget.

It was also a sound that made this whole situation a thousand times more real than it already was - if that was even possible.

And they both realized it was about to get even more real as they stood outside of the King's office.

Hiccup tapped his knuckles against the wooden door and turned the knob after hearing his father call out from the other side.

"You busy?" Hiccup asked as he shut the door behind them.

Stoick looked up from his papers, the bags underneath his eyes making his response all the truer. "I'm always busy, son." He tucked his pen in his shirt pocket. "But I could use a break...what can I do for you two?"

The King noticed the shared look between his son and daughter-in-law. It was quick, but Stoick could tell they had a secret.

"We have something we'd like to tell you," Astrid spoke, confirming his suspicions.

If it weren't for the bright smiles spread across their faces, Stoick would've been worried. He gestured at the two seats in front of his desk. "Take a seat."

The two did as they were told and sat down in the two chairs across from him.

Astrid glanced back over at her husband, "Do you want to tell him or should I?"

"I can do it." Hiccup fiddled with his wedding ring, suddenly a little nervous and unsure how to even begin telling him the news. "Well...Astrid and I…" He stuttered, still trying to find the right words. How did you tell someone they were going to be a grandfather...and then Hiccup looked back up at his curious father when he realized you said it just like that. "So, you're...you're going to be a grandfather."

The silence that hung over the room like a heavy cloud became so nerve-wracking that both Hiccup and Astrid jumped when Stoick quickly stood up from his seat, knocking over a few of the things sitting on top of his desk in the process.

"Well, this is wonderful news!" Stoick all but shouted as he walked around his large desk to stand behind and place his hands on their shoulders. "Congratulations, you two."

Both stood up to face him, "Thank you." They spoke simultaneously.

"I'm almost speechless." Stoick chuckled.

"Well, that's a first," Hiccup muttered under his breath, but Astrid still heard it and squeezed his hand she was holding onto tight enough until she heard him whine from the pain.

"I just was not expecting this to happen so soon."

"Neither were we," Astrid replied, honestly.

"But we're still excited," Hiccup added.

"As you should be!" Stoick said, the joy in his voice growing the longer it sank in. "So, when is it that I officially become a...grandfather?" A large and blinding smile broke out between the red of his beard as he said the word aloud.

"April," Astrid told him.

"Oh, I can't wait to make the big announcement!" He eagerly rubbed his hands together. "This will be anything and everything that everyone will be talking about for a while now."

And while Hiccup was standing there pretending to be completely thrilled about this big announcement that - according to Stoick - would bring them even more attention than their wedding, Astrid was just relieved by how much better this announcement went than the last one.

He was excited. She could tell that by the way his face lit up the more he talked and waved his hands in the air around him.

Astrid found comfort in knowing that even if things with her father didn't work out, as long as Stoick was in their lives, her child would have at least one loving grandfather.

SEE I TOLD YOU IT WAS FLUFFY! :D

It was so great being back at the lighthouse because that location is just one of my favorite things.

Hope y'all enjoyed! See y'all next chapter where we get into some more stuuuuuff. ;) My lips are sealed though!

Thanks to everyone has left such wonderful comments and shares their love for this story. It really means so much to me! Thanks y'all!