=Hiccup's POV=
As soon as I left my father's house, I jumped on Toothless's back and had him just go. I didn't care where or how far, I wanted to get away to think. How could my father think that I would break Tribal laws and traditions? I honestly felt like he thinks that because I'm different than the others, that I'm also irresponsible and a rebel. By the Gods, it severely ticked me off. I knew Astrid, and I couldn't have sex until we were married, though, that rule wholeheartedly sucked. If I weren't the Heir, it wouldn't matter when we did it. However, because I'm Stoick's only Heir to the throne of Berk, Astrid and I weren't allowed to engage in such an activity because there were laws and traditions regarding the Heir to the Tribe having to get married, have sex, give an Heir, so on and so forth. I didn't know all of them, of course, but I knew that the no sex one was big and had to be followed or risk getting thrown off the island. I wanted to marry Astrid, but there were traditions for that too. To find them out, I would have to talk to my father, and right now, I didn't want to be anywhere near him because of the conversation we just had.
Of all the things I expected for him to need to talk to me about; him asking me bluntly if Astrid and I were having sex was not one of them. Though, to be fair, my father had a point. The time in my life before meeting Toothless, girls were, and I was never a worry of his because none of them were interested in a talking fishbone. Well, that's what I referred to myself as sometimes because I'm so skinny, unlike the other Vikings who are big and have a lot of muscle. However, now that Astrid and I are a thing, he's starting to fear that in a lustrous moment between she and I, we'll end up just doing it. Astrid and I have been together for two years now, so I suppose I can't completely knock my father's suspicions about the matter. If I were a father, I'd be worried about my son or daughter is so in love or caught up in a moment that they would go too far. I got what my father was saying, and I knew what he was getting at because he was a teenage boy at one time too. Still, I wasn't so rebellious or different that I would break a law that could get Astrid and I exiled from Berk.
I sighed heavily while riding on Toothless; my dragon crooned at me as if to ask if I was okay. "I'm all right, bud," I rubbed the top of his head gently. "Was your father ever like that with you?" I asked him; knowing he heard what was said when I was in the house. Toothless gave me a groan and roll of his eyes. I laughed a little, "I guess I'm not the only one then," I stated. "Should I be upset with him?" my Night Fury gave a side to side shake of his head, telling me no. I loved the communication Toothless and I had. "Do you think he was just worried about me getting older and the fact Astrid and I spend a lot of alone time together?" Toothless gave another nod. "I guess we do, huh," I admitted to myself. Astrid and I did spend quite a bit of time together, we were in love and enjoyed doing things together. I guess I shouldn't have gotten upset with my dad; he was only looking out for me, and that was kind of a nice feeling considering two years ago, I would have given anything for my father to notice me.
My life growing up had never been easy; my mother was taken by a dragon when I was a baby, and so my dad had to raise me alone. I suppose it didn't help that I was born a hiccup; that's a thing for Vikings, naming the runt of the litter a hiccup. I guess it made sense to name me that then because I was born two months early and according to my father, I almost didn't survive. Aside from all that, as I said, I'm not like the others in my Tribe. I have auburn hair and green eyes, still skinny, and always have been. However, I do have some muscle; it just doesn't seem like it. I've worked in the forge with Gobber since I was probably seven-years-old. I'm seventeen now, that's ten years of work in that place. Gobber taught me everything I know about forging; it helped me build Toothless a new tail when I took his off the night I shot him down. In the village, I was known as Hiccup the Useless, because apparently, I couldn't do anything right. I was always being pushed around, picked on, teased, and bullied.
Of course, none of that bothered me. I think what irritated and hurt me the most was knowing my father never had time for or listened to me. It was like he was avoiding me and I think it's because I was different than him and took after my mother. I've heard a lot of stories about Valka Haddock; that she was a gentle and kind soul. My dad told me that she was always against the fighting with dragons too; that shocked me. From what I've heard, my mother used to stop the villagers from killing dragons, and she always believed that peace was possible. My father mentioned that she pleaded many times to stop the fighting and nobody listened to her either; that was all the confirmation I needed to know that I'm like my mom, not my dad. I guess the difference between my mother and me is that I didn't just stop the fighting, I ended the war by defeating Red Death; the source of our raids.
Red Death was an enormous Stoker Class dragon that lived in the corona of a volcano on an island West of Berk. Red Death could emit some signal to control the lesser dragons; it would order them to steal food for it, and if they didn't bring enough back, it would eat them instead. Astrid and I were the ones to discover it two years ago; it was right after she discovered where I had been sneaking off too after dragon training. Astrid's acceptance of the dragons didn't come easy, Toothless and I grabbed her, then dangled her from a tree. I pleaded that she does not tell anyone, to give me a chance to show her. Astrid was apprehensive, but she climbed on Toothless and took her flying. Toothless, of course, scared her and after she apologized, he relaxed, and we showed her what it's like to fly and see things from a dragon's point of view. Toothless took us high up to see the sunset, then above the clouds where it was dark. Astrid got to see the Northern Lights, and then I think that's when she fell in love with me because it was a romantic flight.
However, it was the same night that we found the nest because Toothless reacted to the Red Death's signal. Of course, we got away, and Astrid asked me what I was going to do because my final exam against the Monstrous Nightmare was the next day. I told Astrid I didn't know; she punched me, then kissed my cheek and ran off. I'll never forget the day of the test, I lost everything that day, and those were Astrid's words too when she tried to comfort me as I watched my father sail off with an armada of ships to find the nest; the worst part was that he had Toothless. The day in the kill ring, the whole village came out to watch me kill the Nightmare, which by the way, is Hookfang, my cousin Snotlout's dragon. Anyway, when I went against him, I lowered my weapons and threw my helmet off saying I wasn't one of them, meaning the Vikings. I had Hookfang under control; he was relaxed and calm. My father messed it up by slamming his hammer down, and then Hookfang attacked me.
Astrid came in, she tried to help, and then Toothless showed up knowing I was in trouble; that's when it went from bad to worse. Toothless kept Hookfang away, then protected me. A few members of the Tribe came down from the outside of the ring, held Toothless down so he couldn't move. My father and I argued after I said we didn't need to kill them because they only raid to protect themselves from the thing on their island. As soon as I said it, I regretted it. My father jumped down my throat about finding the nest. My big mouth told him that only a dragon could find it, that's when he got the brilliant idea to take Toothless and go looking once again. I told him he wouldn't win and tried to stop him. My father threw me down and said:
You throw your lot in with them. You're not a Viking; you're not my son.
It was probably the most painful thing I ever felt. After that, Astrid found me watching my dad sail away with Toothless and at first, I didn't think she was helping at all. Astrid mentioned I lost everything; my Tribe, my father, my best friend. I thanked her sarcastically for pointing that out. I asked myself why I couldn't I have just killed Toothless when I found him in the woods after shooting him down. Astrid said that everyone else would have done it, so why didn't I. I told her I didn't know, she said it wasn't an answer. I got frustrated and told her that I was a coward and weak, that I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon. Astrid pointed out that I said wouldn't instead of couldn't like the first time. I said I wouldn't, three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon, and then she said; first to ride one though. After that, I admitted I wouldn't kill Toothless because he looked as frightened as I was that day, and that when I looked at him, I saw myself.
Astrid said I bet he's really frightened now and asked what I was going to do about it. I said something stupid. Astrid smiled and said you've already done that. I got an idea and smiled at her while running to the ring and saying, then something crazy. Astrid followed me, and that's when she gathered the other teens; Snotlout, Adelaide, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. I showed them how to earn a dragon's trust, then ride one. I led them to the island and battled Red Death; then it ended up being Toothless and me versus Red Death. We destroyed it, and Toothless saved my life; he took my leg, but I'm alive because of him. I guessed when I was falling into the explosion, Toothless grabbed my left leg and bit it off, then wrapped me in his wings so I wouldn't get burned to death. I owe Toothless my life. I woke up a week or so later with a fake metal leg that Gobber made. Astrid kissed me, and I guess that's what started our relationship as girlfriend and boyfriend. My father allowed dragons on Berk; they are part of our lives now. I had everything I'd ever wanted; the love from my father, and acceptance from the Tribe.
"Let's go to the cove, Toothless," I told him. Toothless snorted in response to me as he turned and flew to the spot where we met. Upon landing, I climbed off of Toothless's back and sighed heavily while sitting down on a rock with my eyes closed.
{Two Hours Later}
Well, it was dark now, and I'd missed dinner. Truthfully, I didn't want to go home because I knew Dad and I would have to stand in the same room after everything that was said a few hours ago. I loved it out here in the woods; it was peaceful. Honestly, I wanted to build a small house out here for Astrid and me to live in, maybe have a couple of kids. I could be Chief from the cove, couldn't I? Toothless and I could patrol from the skies, get on the ground and help when needed. Perhaps Astrid and I would talk about it one day when the time came for us to marry. As far as I understand; parents handled the betrothal process. Typically, as an Heir, I was offered any woman of my age from any island in the Archipelago to choose as a bride. However, I believe the traditions were different if the Heir ended up falling in love and knew who they wanted to live out their days with.
A familiar squawk reached my ears as I glanced up and saw Stormfly coming down for landing, on her back was Astrid. "Hey, there you are," Astrid got down and walked over towards me, who was sitting in front of a small fire I'd built. "You missed dinner,"
"I'm sorry, Astrid. I just needed to get away for a while," I admitted.
"Oh no, a fight with your dad?" Astrid asked as she tucked her legs and sat down next to me.
"I wish it had been a fight, but no, it wasn't," I told her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Astrid asked. I sighed and looked over at her.
"My father asked me if you and I were having sex," I stated bluntly as I saw her eyes widen.
"Do you think someone might have-," Astrid started.
"I don't see how anyone could, babe. We're careful about not getting caught. Anyway, I told him we weren't, and he just went on and on about being a teenager once and knowing how it goes. I said that I knew the laws and traditions; that he didn't need to have the talk with me. It was the most awkward conversation we've ever had, and by the Gods, I hope we don't ever have to have it again," I said.
"It doesn't matter how careful we are, Hiccup. If your dad felt he needed to ask if we were, then he's gotta know something. And I bet he's gonna be keeping a close eye on us for a bit, so what do we do?" Astrid inquired. "Is it wrong that we do it? Should we stop until this blows over?"
"I don't think we're doing anything wrong personally, but you're right. My dad must feel like something is going on, and he'll be watching us for confirmation if he's right," I agreed. "I don't think we need to stop, Astrid. Maybe all we need to do is…let them believe it. The more we deny something is going on, the more they'll stay curious. So, why don't we give it to them, then hit 'em hard with something they wouldn't expect?" I suggested.
"What did you have in mind?" Astrid wondered.
"Maybe they see something and interpret it the wrong way when they inevitably go to my father; we throw them off with something they wouldn't have expected," I smiled some. "Here's the plan," I brought her closer and began to tell her what I came up with. After ten minutes, she blinked and smiled broadly.
"You, Hiccup Haddock the Third, are a genius. It's fool-proof! Let's do it!" Astrid agreed as she kissed me deeply, I returned it. I was proud of myself, and sure, we could get into a ton of trouble, but I didn't care. Astrid and I would be eighteen soon, what we did together was natural. It wasn't wrong, but everyone would think it was. Our only course of action is to trick everyone into believing they were right, then we'd hit them hard with something they didn't expect, and they would back off knowing they assumed wrong. It was a perfect plan.