Setting: post-HTTYD 3, before Hiccstrid wedding

Hiccup and Astrid struggle to get over with releasing their dragons into the Hidden World. Luckily, they still have each other to comfort, hold and love for all eternity. (Some OOC and low M rated, you have been warned!) This is a two-shot story, stay tuned for Part 2!

If You'd Stay With Me Forever

A month has passed since New Berk had released all the dragons to the Hidden World and almost everyone had readjusted back to a life before dragons, minus the hostility towards them. They've already built permanent structures and houses in the new settlement. The thought of having no Terrible Terrors singing on the rooftops, or Monstrous Nightmares accidentally burning up their riders homes, or Scuttleclaws fighting tooth and tail for food against the larger Nadders, broke everyone's hearts, especially the Dragon Riders. They continued to feel emotional about the whole fiasco, but none more so than Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

For 6 years, he and Toothless were an inseparable duo. They did everything together, from turning Berk into a dragon-Viking community to defeating the most cunning and powerful of foes: the Red Death, Viggo, Savage, Krogan, Drago, and Grimmel. For the first few days of the dragons leaving their tribe, the words of the latter foe circulated in the young chief's mind.

You are nothing without your dragon.

And for that time being, Grimmel might've had a point, but Hiccup shut that thought. Instead, the words of his fiancée made him realize that Toothless wasn't his whole world, just a mere part of it. Astrid Hofferson was just as impactful to Hiccup's life as Toothless, heck even more than he realizes.

But I was the first to believe in you, and I have watched you doubt whether you're worthy ever since.

It was only two weeks before Hiccup and Astrid's wedding, yet the latter had decided to move into the Haddock house to be with her chief of a fiancé. Their parents agreed that without his Night Fury to keep him safe and warm, Astrid was the best other option. Her father Aries was the first to agree, saying that 'it's about damn time she moves in with the chief.' However, her mother Florence was a tad hesitant in letting her daughter go, but nevertheless gave in to her husband's requests. In the Haddock house, the chief and his betrothed snuggled in the bed they would soon share as a married couple.

"Good morning future Mrs. Haddock." Hiccup smiled, as he brushed the stray blonde strands off his betrothed's face.

Astrid stirred a bit, before waking up to Hiccup's emerald gaze. "I love the sound of that name. Sleep well?"

"All the better when you're here."

The young chief pulled Astrid in for a morning kiss. With Toothless gone, he needed to pour out all the love that he could give to her, hence why ever since then, he started to initiate kisses. At the same time, Astrid, who was also coping with missing Stormfly, appreciated these little gestures that much. The flashback of Hiccup's words when they were still back on Dragon's Edge flurried back to her mind.

I love you, Astrid Hofferson. With everything I have, and I always will.

"Mmm." Astrid moaned, a faint pink blush forming on her cheeks. "I'm never ever gonna get tired of tasting them lips, babe."

"You know what, milady, it's not just your lips I wanna taste when we finally get married." Hiccup smirked. The blonde general quickly realized what he meant and gave him a playful hit on his shoulder.

"I love the way you think." she smirked back. "But we'll save that for our honeymoon."

Hiccup mock groaned at the reply; he knew she wanted to do it as bad as he did. "Wouldn't it be nice if I kissed your neck, your shoulders, your breasts?" he teased.

"Now you're just pushing it!"

"Hey, is it my fault that you also thought of doing it?"

Astrid shook her head. "Just two more weeks, babe. Then I can finally show you how much I love you."

"It's not like you're already showing it to me." Hiccup replied sarcastically. This earned him a sting on his shoulder as Astrid pinched him. "What was that for?!"

"That's for being sarcastic. It doesn't suit you, Hiccup." the blonde grinned. Moments later, it was her turn to return the morning kiss.

"And that - that's for being in love with me." she blushed.

When they finished eating their breakfast, Eret came in to inform Hiccup about his daily chiefing duties. Ever since their house was built, Hiccup installed locks on the front and rear doors to prevent anyone from just barging in, a bargain when he and Astrid finally get married. He learned from his experience back on Dragon's Edge where Snotlout or Tuffnut would break into his hut; one such incident was when he ans Astrid almost kissed when the Thorston twins broke into the latter's hut. Only the Son of Eret has a key to these locks and lately, Tuffnut's been itching him to forge a duplicate.

"Alright then, looks like it's another day of chiefing for me." Hiccup shrugged.

"Yes chief, Snotlout's been banging on about building cranes to drop our ships below." Eret replied. The chief shook his head in disbelief. Classic Snotlout, less doing, more talking.

He turned back to Astrid and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later, milady."

"Good luck babe!"

While Astrid is still Berk's general, she often had her duties filled in by Eret, Hiccup's right hand man. This was due to her wanting to spend more time improving her 'un-Astrid like' skills, to quote Ruffnut Thorston. One of these skills includes cooking. Despite her friends' rantings, especially the Thorston twins, about her being a terrible cook, Astrid's cooking had improved drastically, thanks to her future mother-in-law Valka. She taught the young woman how to do household chores properly (by that, without any violence involved) and cook in the way Hiccup loved.

She first started with cleaning their home, their future home with their children. As she swept their bedroom and underneath the bed, the broom picked up large spines that have a light blue tint to them. The blonde can already feel the tears welling up in her eyes at the sight of her Deadly Nadder's shed spines; when they preen, sometimes, their worn out spines also shed out along with their scales. Astrid picked those up and placed them in her skirt pockets. She thought to tell her fiance about this discover, for the sake of not being overtaken by her tears again.

Afterwards, Astrid went to the kitchen to cook something for dinner. She found one of Valka's notebooks containing Hiccup's favorite meals and its recipes. The chief's mother was out with Gobber, most likely forging something for the wedding festivities. Flipping through the pages, she found a dish that Valka claimed to be her son's comfort food and started to gather the required ingredients for it.

"I hope he likes this, Stormfly." Astrid muttered to herself nonchalantly.

When she realized what she had said, she was almost expecting the squawk of her dragon replying. Tears were once again forming in her eyes, whether it was because she misses Stormfly or due to her chopping onions, Astrid didn't care. She wanted to prove to Hiccup that there's more to her than just the Fearless Warrior Astrid Hofferson she's known to everybody.

When Hiccup returned home from his chiefing duties, he was as tired as a Hotburple. Astrid had returned an hour before him and was already waiting for him by their dining table. She had cooked yak-con strips (basically bacon but made from yak meat) and chicken stew. The auburn haired chief of New Berk plopped to his chair, facing in front of his fiancée.

"Let me guess, Mom didn't help you with this?" he theorized, the smell of the stew was indicative of his mother's handiwork. Astrid nodded.

"I wanted to try out how I'd do without her guidance, hope you like it." She watched nervously as Hiccup took a sip of her stew and a piece of yak-con; when she saw him lick his lips, that was the answer she needed.

"Oh my Thor, Astrid," Hiccup gasped, "This is amazing!"

Before he could even take another sip, Astrid crashed her lips against his, the latter dropping his spoon in shock. He loved everything about his milady but if he could choose one thing that makes him love her even more, it's her sudden kisses. When they pulled out, Hiccup noticed Astrid had been crying, in a good way.

"Hiccup…" she stuttered, "Y..you don't know how much that meant to me!" Overpowered by her happy tears, she snuggled against the young chief's chest, burying her face into his tunic, taking in his scent of wood and a faint hint of Night Fury saliva. The latter scent made her burst into tears even more, whimpering and trembling as Hiccup held her warmly.

"You know, I'm not marrying you for your cooking Astrid. That's just a bonus." he wiped the stray tears off Astrid's freckled cheek. She stayed silent, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Because I'm marrying you for us, our future children, our family." he finished.

Astrid returned to crying on his tunic, still feeling his protective arms wrapped around her back. Although she hated to cry in front of someone, she felt comfortable with releasing her floodgates with Hiccup. She often blamed him for revealing this secret soft spot of hers, but that didn't change the love she has for the chief. It made her more human now that she was able to release all her pent-up emotions from that moment a month ago. Gods, why do I easily cry when Hiccup says these stupid one liners?! she told herself.

"As long as you'd be staying with me forever?" she finally said, pulling out from his embrace.

"Always milady, always."