Part 3 of my Hiccstrid Week 2020 project.
T-rated, RTTE-canon-verse
This now is a very short one, but also one of my personal favourites. :)
. o O o .
Scar Worship
With a content sigh, Astrid stretched and lay down on the warm rock. The water of the natural pool on this island she and Hiccup had found only recently was cool – a little too cool for her taste, actually. But the dark stones around it heated up quickly in the sun, enough so that relaxing on them after a swim made the cool water bearable.
She yelped as icy drops hit her skin and pushed herself up to glare at the two figures still playing around in the pond. Toothless barely reacted, just threw her a gummy grin before he splashed more water on everyone within reach. It made Astrid shriek and even Stormfly, who'd made herself comfortable on another rock nearby, crowed indignantly. At least Hiccup had the decency to look sheepish as he called out a quick "I'm sorry!" before ushering his dragon to the other end of the pool.
Grumbling a little to herself over the interruption, Astrid lay back down again, enjoying the warm stone beneath her against her bare front and the sun on her back. It was a perfect lazy afternoon with only her, Hiccup, and their dragons. She hoped their huts would still be standing when they got back to the Edge, but right now, she was too tired to care.
For a while, she dozed in and out, but somehow she couldn't fully fall asleep and eventually gave up. Instead, she used her crossed arms as pillows and watched Hiccup and Toothless fool around. Their joy made her smile too, but she quickly got distracted by water glistening on pale skin. It wasn't the first time she saw Hiccup naked, not at all. But it never failed to affect her, pleasant heat of another kind pooling low in her belly as her eyes followed his every movement. Wiry muscles moving beneath freckled skin, so much stronger than they looked as she knew all too well. The carefree laughter and utter joy on his face as he burst back through the surface after Toothless had ducked him. Water running down his back, following the intricate lines of the scars being hit by lightning had left on him.
Not for the first time, Astrid scoffed at her younger self. By now, she knew that getting a scar was rarely fun. With an involuntary shudder, she remembered how Hiccup had gotten this particular scar, standing atop a ship and trying to prove Toothless's innocence. He'd nearly died that day. Again!
They both had scars, she far more while his were more severe. They came with their way of living and that was okay. But they also were a constant reminder of how quickly something could go wrong.
Almost despite herself, Astrid slid back into the cold water and swam over to where Hiccup was just taking a break from his and Toothless's game. When she reached him, she slid her arms around his waist and cuddled closely against his back. Even after splashing about in the cold water, his body was burning hot against her skin, as if some inner fire was burning inside him.
Just like a dragon.
Smiling at that thought, she pressed her mouth to his shoulder, lips and tongue tracing the twisted and garbled red lines the lightning had painted onto his body. Hiccup stilled, humming at the unexpected but not unwelcome touch, then placed his hands over hers on his chest.
"What was this for?" he asked once she'd reached the end of the pattern just below his shoulder blade. His neck was twisted in an awkward-looking attempt to look at her.
Astrid shrugged, smiling against his scarred back. "Just because," she mumbled, turning her head to rest against him more comfortably. "For still being here."
. o O o .
I hope you liked it. :)