At last! Taboo is finished. Now to tend to my neglected stories.
-HTTYD-
"Gods Hiccup, you make me feel so good."
Hiccup couldn't take his eyes or hands from her, glowing with the life inside her. She rode him harder, smirking down at him when his hands roved her swollen belly, hungry for her as she changed with pregnancy. He felt the tightness in his groin, thrusting up to drive them both to climax as her moans rang in his ears.
Hiccup woke as he came, feeling the wet mess coat him within his pyjama bottoms. The dream tingled on his skin but frustration was quick to dull the pleasant feeling. For the fifth time in two weeks.
This was getting out of hand. He was sleeping better, but waking up sticky and disgruntled. And it made for even more awkwardness over breakfast, when Valka looked all sleep soft and often in her nightdress while Hiccup couldn't look at her without cringing in embarrassment about his dreams.
He blamed her belly; Hiccup didn't know what it was about it but her bump was affecting his brain hugely. Maybe it was that it was evidence of that day, that Valka had moaned and bucked beneath his touch, that their bodies had come together intimately and she had wanted him. That was his running theory, but he had no confirmation. Just an itch to cup and caress the swollen stomach pressing against the soft earthy brown cotton of her nightie.
Hiccup offered her breakfast but Valka shook her head, opting for fruit instead while Hiccup chewed absently at his toast. There was something deeply cruel about her eating a banana where he could see, though she wasn't looking at Hiccup - she had a book in front of her, something old and worn and thumbed through repeatedly. Swallowing thickly, Hiccup had a go at starting conversation.
"What are you reading?"
Valka looked surprised, probably because she knew he wasn't so good at small talk.
"Interview With The Vampire. It's been my trusty companion for some years."
Hiccup couldn't deny his own surprise.
"You don't strike me as a vampire lover."
She laughed lightly, wiping fruit juice from the corner of her lip with her thumb and sucking it clean. Hiccups gut tightened. Why was Valka so effortlessly seductive?
"There were very few books in English in the volunteers quarters and I hadn't yet learned the native tongue. Downtime can be scarce and I must have read this ten or fifteen times that year. They kindly let me keep it when we moved on."
"Aren't you bored of it?"
"Well, are you bored of dragons?"
"Touché."
She smiled, then went back to the apple she sliced up to eat delicately. There was still apple juice on her lip, making Hiccup want to kiss the sweet mess away. He didn't do it, distracted from his longing stares by his phone ringing.
"Morning Astrid."
"Morning brother dearest. What are you doing today?"
"I have a physio appointment."
"You're going back to physiotherapy? Oh that's great!"
Hiccup couldn't help smiling when Astrid sounded so enthused. She was always coming across so proud of him for doing minor things. He needed it more than he could ever admit to.
"Yeah. Called my old physio a couple of days ago and he was so happy to hear from me he gave me the next available slot."
"When is it?"
"Eleven. I've just had breakfast, I'm gonna finish the drawing I was on and then drive over there."
"So... dinner? Only Heather and Dagur are complaining we haven't hung out as a group since Valka came back. She can join us, obviously."
"Uh, hang on and I'll ask her first."
Valka seemed to realise she was being discussed, looking up at Hiccup.
"Something wrong?"
"Astrid, Heather and Dagur will be over for dinner later. Do you want to join us?"
"Should I say no?"
"It's entirely up to you. You live here. I can't promise Dagur will behave himself."
She smiled.
"I think I can handle that. I've handled bears."
"Dagur is at least two bears. Maybe three. Astrid? She's on board. Let me know when everyone is ready later yeah?"
His sister probably nodded down the phone before realising he couldn't see her.
"Cool. You go do your thing, I'll call you later. Want us to bring anything?"
"Up to you. Neither me or Valka drink and Dagur never leaves leftovers, so if you want alcohol that's your call, and I'll make enough food."
"I'll figure something out. See you later."
"Love you."
"Love you too bro."
Hiccup found himself smiling as he hung up, brightened by Astrid.
"I don't have to be here if you would rather spend time with them yourself. I can make other plans."
Hiccup shook his head.
"You live here. Astrid wouldn't have included you if she didn't want to. It's more about if you're prepared to put up with Dagur. He's harmless but talks too much and has zero filter... he might ask about the baby."
Valka immediately dropped her hand to her belly, protective instincts showing as she cupped her bump.
"And they don't know it's yours. I see. I said I would keep your confidence Hiccup, I can handle questions. Nobody has to know."
Hiccup nodded, hands curling into fists beneath the counter as he fought to suppress the urge to touch her.
"Thanks."
He didn't know what else to say, still totally offset by how clinical and normal Valka sounded when she talked about the fact he got her pregnant. He got up to rinse his tea mug and plate, checked on fridge supplies for feeding of the four and Dagur, deciding he ought to pick up chicken and salad on his way back from physio. Maybe some store-bought cake or biscuits for afters.
Valka moved so silently and gracefully that even Hiccup's PTSD-hypervigilance didn't always pick it up. Which had led to more than one occasion of him jumping out of his skin when he turned to find a body blocking his way.
"Sorry, I forget that you're jumpy."
"I-its fine."
He slid under her raised arm and sucked in a deep breath, still shaking.
"I'm gonna go... draw. That was it."
Gods Valka probably thought he was bonkers. Hiccup escaped, his furry companion curling up at his feet when Hiccup immersed himself in his drawing. The alarm reminding him he had to go was pure evil, he was in the zone and starting to relax when it startled him out of the bubble world at his desk.
"I don't mean to impose but could you walk Toothless for me? I don't know how mobile I'll be after physio."
She smiled at the awkward idiot in the doorway - him.
"I would love to. I would probably have gone for a walk by myself anyway."
Right. She didn't like to laze around.
"Well. Thanks. I'll be back in a couple of hours, there's some stuff in the freezer to reheat if you want a cooked lunch."
"Thank you Hiccup. You should get going, wouldn't want you being late."
Nodding awkwardly, Hiccup leant down to ruffle Toothless' fur before heading out to drive himself to physio. Paul, his old physio, acted genuinely thrilled to see him and greeted Hiccup happily.
"Henry! Sorry, sorry. You still go by Hiccup?"
Nodding, Hiccup tried not to feel nauseous at the prospect of having his leg poked and prodded and looked at.
"Ok. Get into these shorts so I can see how your leg fits and moves, then give me a walk."
Gritting his teeth, Hiccup made himself look at his leg as he took off his jeans. It still didn't feel like him.
"Do you still have problems connecting with your prosthetic?"
Paul asked as Hiccup stood up, stumbling a little as he often did getting up and taking a few steps.
"Yeah."
"Have you thought about going for a different look? If skin tone and natural isn't working for you... I have a couple of clients who have patterns and pictures. Maybe you could get one with dragon scales on."
Looking at his leg, Hiccup tried to imagine something that wasn't masquerading as a normal limb.
"Huh. I was in such a rush to be walking again I didn't think of that."
Paul waited for him to sit back down, let Hiccup take off his leg by himself. He rolled off the prosthetic sock too, knowing it distorted the view of how healthy his stump was.
"Well. I can tell you you need a new one, your last one was obviously before your amputation finished shrinking. Although your scar tissue is remarkably well healed. You do scar massage?"
"My sister used to do it for me like every day. Knew I didn't like touching it but she could see I was in pain."
"And now?"
Hiccup averted his eyes slightly.
"I rub it when its sore."
"H, we've talked about this."
"I know. I'm trying. I'm here aren't I?"
"Alright. Well, if you want I'll get you the details of some people I know who do custom designs on prosthetics. Hel, you're an artistic guy. You could probably paint your own if you wanted to. For now I'm gonna measure you for a new one, up to you if you get a fancy looking one."
Paul was quick and methodic with his measuring tape, but Hiccup was still glad to leave a little later. As he had worried, he was over-correcting his gait. That was easily fixed with an insole to encourage him to walk more evenly - Paul was already working on that for him. Hiccup drove to the supermarket, mind whirling and leg aching.
Nobody really saw his prosthetic outside of his home, and even then he generally wore long trousers and jeans. He only owned two pairs of shorts, for when it was just too hot to wear heavy clothes. So maybe one that was meant to stand out would help... rather than Hiccup constantly picking at the flaws he saw in it. If it wasn't pretending to be realistic, he mightn't be upset that it wasn't.
Some asshole twice his size saw Hiccup get out of his car in the disabled parking, and Hiccup so hated when it happened. Especially without Astrid to be indignant on his behalf.
"I have a badge!"
"Ye don't look disabled!"
Hiccup took a deep breath, trying to calm the impending anxiety attack. Then he opted to channel Astrid.
"Will you be convinced if I take off my leg and hit you with it?"
It had the desired effect, ruddy face paling in seconds as Hiccup limped past to get a basket - he hated using trolleys, they often lurched and almost threw his weight over. Hiccup was not good with balance. By the time he was done shopping and back in his car, Hiccup's heart was pounding and sweat was trickling down his back.
Valka and Toothless were out the front of the house when he got back, and the dog knew Hiccup was distressed, dashing up to his owner as soon as Hiccup opened his car door. A lap full of drooling dog yipping and nuzzling and fussing was the key to Hiccups calming down somewhat, grounding him.
"Hey buddy" he scratched behind the dogs ears "I'm ok. Thanks for caring. I got you some soft treats for your gummy self."
Toothless didn't even react to the words, focused as he was on Hiccup needing him for the moment. When Hiccup began to calm down, Toothless hopped off his lap and pottered over to Valka to huff in her direction.
"Leave her alone Toothless, I'm ok."
"What's he doing?"
"He can tell when I'm in pain and he learnt to alert Astrid pretty quick when I was having anxiety attacks or fell over back when I was re-learning to walk. Since you're here, he's requesting your assistance instead."
"Do you need help?"
Hiccup shook his head.
"I'm ok. Toothless is just being overprotective. He learnt from Astrid... and me I guess."
Grabbing the two carrier bags from the passenger seat, Hiccup pushed himself upright with a groan. He locked up the car and limped slightly as he crossed the front space toward the open front door.
"Are you sure you're ok?"
Gritting his teeth as he put things away in the fridge and freezer, Hiccup waited for the wave of pain to pass before he answered.
"Yeah. Turns out my prosthetic isn't a perfect fit. I need a new one. Which explains why I limp a lot."
"I see. So your physiotherapy appointment was productive?"
"Yeah. My physio said I'm over-correcting, so I need an insole for my shoes... ah, shoe, and a new prosthetic fit. I could have my current one adjusted."
"Or? I'm sensing an or."
Hiccup used the kitchen side to lean on as he filled the kettle, craving a hot drink to relax before he made an early start on dinner.
"Paul recommended I think about getting a... you know, design one. Not a realistic piece. Thinks it'll help me connect to my leg better rather than thinking its just flawed."
Valka hummed as she thought; Hiccup continued on with making himself a hot chocolate.
"I saw people with... cruder technology than over here, shall we say. Much less sophisticated prosthetic advances."
Hiccup looked over at her, surprised.
"That's why my leg didn't bother you."
"It wouldn't have anyway, but yes, I've seen quite a few in my time. I've been to every continent, met people from all walks of life and of every imaginable shape, size and personality. I know you think you ought to be ashamed of all the ways you are different, like your PTSD and your scars and your leg but Hiccup... that's what makes you you. You've survived things many people couldn't, and you cope much better than you think you do."
He tried to forget how intense Valka was. She saw the world from a different view after living half-feral for the better part of eighteen years. His drink warmed him through, easing a little of his tension.
"Uh. Thanks. I had a good reason to keep going though."
Hiccup pointed to the picture of him and Astrid his sister had pinned to the kitchen noticeboard.
"And she is truly a credit to you."
"She's a credit to herself. I just fed her and drove her to school."
"You did a lot more than that" Hiccup almost dropped the chicken he was holding as he heard Astrid "and you know it."
Over the initial panic, Hiccup smiled at her.
"I would hug you but I just touched raw chicken."
"I'll let you put it on an IOU. My shift at work was cancelled so I came to bug you in advance."
"You came to ask how physio went."
Astrid grinned, seating herself at the kitchen island and pulling a drink bottle from the bag in her hand.
"You got me. How was it?"
Hiccup relayed the appointment again for Astrid's benefit, and she too encouraged the idea of Hiccup getting a 'jazzy' prosthetic.
"Design one like that dragon you always draw. The Night Fury one. It would look amazing, all black scales and green eyes."
"Maybe. I'll have a go at some doodles tonight."
Astrid gave him that proud look that kept him going, then slid from her stool and hugged him around the middle while avoiding his food-prepping hands.
"Need some help?"
"You can empty the dishwasher for me so I can toss everything I use in?"
"You got it."
She hopped to it happily, chattering away about her cat while Hiccup finished cutting up the chicken to throw into some marinade. It wouldn't take long to cook later but should taste better than if it were plain.
"I thought it was for five people."
Valka indicated the large amount of food Hiccup was making. He and Astrid shared a wry grin.
"Haha, you haven't seen Dagur eat. He's a personal trainer. And in his spare time he builds and fixes cars."
"Plus me and Heather eat more than our slim, svelte bods would suggest. And you're eating for two."
"And Astrid always tries to make me eat way too much."
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
She stuck out her tongue, then dropped spoons into their drawer with a flourish. By the time Dagur had picked up Heather and driven over - the girls were drinking with dinner so Heather couldn't drive - Astrid and Valka were talking in depth about Valka's travels. It was quite heartening to watch the two of them together, getting along. Hiccup knew Astrid was still upset with Valka for leaving.
"Hey babe."
Astrid greeted her girlfriend, which prompted Dagur to attack Hiccup with overbearing exuberance in the form of a hug.
"Brother!"
"Dagur put me down before you knock off my leg again."
To his credit, Dagur put him down carefully. Before he could get ideas, Astrid got in first to warn him off.
"And no, you are not allowed to grab the pregnant lady."
"I wouldn't do that!"
Heather and Astrid both eyed him.
"Mhmm."
Dagur pouted, looking around the kitchen with blatant hunger in his face.
"Snacks are in the living room. Waiting in your usual spot."
"Oh brother, you get me so well."
"And there are new cooking shows recorded on the set top. Now get out of my kitchen before the girls have to drag you."
Dagur bounced off, giggling loudly. Valka stared after him in mild shock.
"He's... energetic."
Heather chuckled. Astrid smiled fondly in her future brother-in-laws direction.
"He used to be terrible. In trouble with the police for fighting and stuff. Then he got into weight lifting and meditation and yoga and Thor only knows what he does with his chi."
"I see. I'm glad he found his way."
Heather looked at Valka oddly, which automatically set Hiccup's neck prickling. Valka felt the look, quirking an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh. No. It's just... you talk like a mom. I guess I wasn't expecting you to."
Valka actually smiled.
"Well I might not have raised Hiccup, but I suppose I mothered hundreds of orphaned baby animals. And reunited many with their mothers and fathers and packs and pods."
"And now you've got another on the way?"
Hiccup's heart fluttered against his will when Valka curled a hand over her belly.
"Yes. It shall be an interesting journey."
Silence fell for a minute or two, then everyone startled as the oven dinged.
"Heather, would you mind keeping us all alive by finishing that off so Astrid doesn't do it?"
Astrid swatted at him viciously with an oven glove.
"You're such an asshole!"
"It's in the interests of health and safety!"
"I'll give you health and safety you yakshit."
She was grinning as she said it, opting to go entertain Dagur so there was less chance of him causing chaos while Hiccup finished putting dinner together. Finally, everything was out on plates and trays ready for eating.
Hiccup stuck mostly to garlic bread and chips but he did sample some of his own chicken. It was perfectly seasoned, cooked just right. Astrid spied him enjoying it and shoved more on his plate, which Hiccup begrudgingly ate.
Even with forewarning, Hiccup suspected Valka wasn't truly prepared to witness Dagur and his incredible ability to ingest enough food to fell an ox. Either way, everything seemed to go down extraordinarily well. Hiccup liked cooking; his mom had taught him.
His mother had taught him other things altogether.
They retired to the living room afterward all together; Valka had never seen the bakery shows they watched before. Hiccup and Dagur were easily the most absorbed - it was their top hobby when they hung out together. Heather and Astrid were mildly tipsy and laughed heartily at any and all innuendos. Valka joined in the amusement too, and if Hiccup ignored the urge to watch her laugh, if he ignored the way he grew warm when she rubbed her belly...
He could almost pretend it was normal.
Until he went to bed. Until he laid down and closed his eyes. Until he dreamed of her again.
-HTTYD-
Ok! I am finally caught up on active stories. Now I can write a couple of two shots and dive in to Halloween Roulette!