Morning Gift

...

Here's another part to the wedding oneshot. Again, this contains mild adult themes because Hiccstrid are still new to everything. Again, it's not graphic. Also, would you guys want to see pregnant Astrid? Like pregnant with her first baby and Hiccup gets really protective?

...

Astrid awoke to a burning sensation between her legs. At first, she couldn't figure out why she was in pain. But after yawning and rubbing her eyes, she noticed that she was naked, and that Hiccup was lying beside her, equally naked. Blushing, she pulled the furs over her chest as she smiled at the thought of the day before. They were married. Nothing could tear their union apart until one of them was called into Valhalla. But at the same time, it felt weird to think of the fact that they'd had sex after the ceremony. She'd always been told not to give away her virginity, that sleeping with a man would ruin her purity - a virtue which shieldmaidens were expected to keep. For that reason, she felt a bit dirty for making love to Hiccup. At the same time, though, giving her virginity to him was the best decision she'd ever made.

Letting out a sigh, she smiled at her husband's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, innocent, and almost child-like. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb him, but she knew she needed to get up and ready for the morning gift ceremony. After gently brushing his hair off of his closed eyelids and kissing his forehead, she leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed his tunic from the night before. Slipping it over her head, she climbed off of the mattress, tiptoed to the door, and quietly exited the room.

After making her way down the stairs, Astrid walked into the washroom. She'd seen it before, but she still couldn't get over how elaborate it was. Growing up as part of a poor family, she'd typically had to bathe in a hidden stream. On the occasions she did get to have a bath inside, it was in an old, small wooden tub that was placed near the fire with a blanket hung in front of it for privacy. Despite that it was near a fire, the water had always been freezing, and she'd had to wash up while she shivered violently.

The Haddock's washroom seemed to be a much better place for bathing. A large tub sat in the middle of the open space. The tub looked large enough for both herself and Hiccup to use at the same time, and she quickly took note that they should take a bath together sometime. It was already filled with water. All she had to do was call Toothless in to warm it her. There were shelves on the wall that contained bottles of various oils and bubble baths, baskets of flower petals, and bars of soap. Small stacks of fluffy towels rested on the counter.

Astrid wandered over to the shelves and, grabbing a few bottles of oil, opened them one at a time to take in their scents. She eventually decided on one that smelled like peppermint. She then summoned Toothless, who had been sleeping in the living room. As he heated the water, she poured some incense into it, followed by bubble bath. She finished by scattering a handful of rose petals on the surface. Once the Night Fury had completed his task, she scratched him on the head to thank him. Letting out a purr, he nuzzled her hand before leaving her in peace. The blonde shut the door behind him before grabbing a towel and a bar of soap to keep by the edge of the tub. She then removed Hiccup's tunic and sank into the warm, refreshing water.

...

Knock, knock.

"Ast?" Hiccup's voice drifted through the door.

"Yeah, I'm here," Astrid called, snapping out of the state of relaxation she'd been in. After washing herself, she'd decided to take time to sit back, close her eyes, and enjoy some peace and quiet.

"Could I erm...could I come in?" he asked.

"Go ahead," came the blonde's response.

The young chief slowly opened the door and grinned at the sight of his wife nearly neck-deep in bubbles and rose petals. "Well, look at you. I see you found the bath stuff I got for you."

"You got all this for me?" Astrid's mouth fell open in shock.

"Most of it. There were a few oils here before I knew you'd be moving in, but the bubbles and petals and other oils I got because I thought you'd like using them."

"You...you didn't have to," she insisted.

Hiccup came over to sit beside the tub. "But I wanted to, milady." He kissed her cheek. "By the way, I didn't hurt you too much last night, did I?"

Astrid shook her head. "I'm fine, babe. Really."

"Will you do it with me again sometime?"

"Of course. I mean, we have a whole week to ourselves. What else would we use it for?" Hiccup had asked Gobber to take charge of the island for a week so he and Astrid could enjoy some uninterrupted alone time after their wedding.

"True." He grabbed the towel that was sitting on the floor. "Want me to warm this by the fire for you? It'll only take a few minutes."

"Now you're just spoiling me," the blonde insisted.

"I'll warm it for you," Hiccup decided. "I'll be back." Taking the towel, he left the room. When he returned, he handed the item to Astrid, who asked him with blushing cheeks to turn his head while she stepped out of the water. He assured her that she didn't have anything to be ashamed of, but still complied with her wishes.

"Thanks, babe," Astrid said, clutching her towel around her body as she walked out of the room.

...

Hiccup and Astrid were standing in the Great Hall. A crowd surrounded them, but it was significantly smaller than the crowd from the previous day. The newlyweds assumed that a lot of Vikings were feeling the after-effects of the mead they'd drunk at the wedding ceremony.

"And now," Tuffnut, who was behind Hiccup and Astrid, began. "Please direct your attention here while the wonderful bride and groom exchange their shiny gold rings." He held out his hand, on which there was a pair of rings.

The crowd cheered.

Astrid took one of the rings - a gold band with her and Hiccup's initials carved inside of it - and slipped it onto her husband's finger. Hiccup then grabbed the other ring, which looked like his aside from being a bit thinner and having a tiny diamond attached to it, and slid it onto Astrid's finger.

"And now, Hiccup will give Astrid the morning gift," Tuffnut announced. "So Hiccup, let's get gifting."

Letting out a chuckle, the young chief walked to the table in the center of the room and pulled a long, thin chest out from underneath it. "Here you go, milady," he said, handing the item to his wife.

Astrid took the chest and, placing it on top of the table, lifted the lid. Inside, there were two handfuls of gold coins, a new axe, and a piece of paper. Taking the paper, she began to read silently:

To my beautiful new wife,

Do you remember the cove, where I first took you for a ride on Toothless and you first kissed my cheek? Well, it's all yours now.

Your husband,

Hiccup

A huge smile spread across Astrid's face. "You didn't have to do this for me. Thanks, babe." She threw her arms around his middle.

Everyone clapped, and a few "awwws" could be heard.

"And that, my fine fellows, concludes the lovely marriage of Chief Hiccup. And Astrid. Yeah, her, too," Tuffnut said before throwing his hands up in the air.

The crowd cheered.

There was a breakfast feast following the ceremony, but the newlyweds didn't attend. Fishlegs, foreseeing that they'd want some alone time, had put together platters for them to take home, for which they were grateful. They were still tired from the day before, and didn't feel like being bombarded with questions and congratulations from the people of the village. They thought that going back to their house, eating their breakfast platters, taking a nap, and then going on a relaxing flight together was much more appealing.

...

"I'm so sleepy," Astrid yawned, kicking off her shoes. She and Hiccup had just finished eating, and were getting ready to have a nap.

The young chief let out a tired sigh and, sitting on the edge of the mattress, removed his boot and unfastened his metal leg. After taking off his tunic, he settled in beneath the covers and turned onto his side to see Astrid in just her underwear, her bare back facing him as she tossed aside her dress. Due to the messy braid she'd put in when they'd gotten home, he could see a series of scars on her pale skin - something he hadn't noticed while they were making love. He'd seen the one on her right shoulder, the one below her breasts, and the three on her left thigh, and even the faint birthmark by her belly button. But he hadn't noticed the marks on her back. Grinning, he reached over to finger one that was by her shoulder blade.

"What are you doing, babe?" Astrid asked, not turning around.

"These scars," murmured Hiccup. "I...I didn't notice them last night."

"They're just my battle scars," the blonde shrugged. "Nothing special."

"Hey, every mark on your body is special to me."

Astrid blushed. "I...I'm honored to hear that." She slipped her nightgown over her head before curling up under the furs and leaning in to kiss her husband's lips.

"Have a good nap, milady," Hiccup said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She yawned and snuggled into his side. "You too, babe."

The newlyweds quickly drifted off to sleep. When they awoke - well, when Astrid awoke - she was lying on her back. Hiccup was still happily snoozing, his face nuzzled in between her breasts. One of his hands gripped her right breast, and what remained of his left leg hugged her own.

"Hic," she said, gently shaking his bare shoulder.

The young chief's eyes cracked open. "Hey," he greeted in a sleepy voice.

"Hey. Your um...your hand..."

"Oh." He hurriedly pulled his hand away. "Sorry, milady."

"I never said that I didn't like it." Smirking, Astrid cupped his chin and fiercely kissed his lips.

"Are you...you sure you wanna try this again?" Hiccup asked eventually, panting as he broke away from the kiss. "You...you're not too sore?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

With that, the two fumbled to get each other's clothes off, engaging in foreplay as they went. This time around, they were slightly less timid than they'd previously been. They both felt more free to hungrily touch and kiss one another in places no one else was even allowed to see, and tough Astrid - who hated to show signs of weakness - gladly let out a loud moan as her husband, while stroking her down there, found a spot to finger that made her feel like she was in Valhalla. Hiccup, of course, was proud that he was able to make her moan, that he could make her lose control of herself, and that she felt comfortable losing control of herself in front of him.

"Oh, gods," the blonde gasped.

"You like this?" Hiccup asked, moving his fingers faster.

Astrid nodded. "Y-Yes. I...I..." She broke off as her body shook, a satisfying feeling spreading down her legs and into her toes, which curled with pleasure. It was a feeling she'd never felt before, yet she knew exactly what it was.

"You good?"

"Better than good."

The young chief laid down beside her and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I'm just...I'm sorry I finished before...before you know, you could..."

"Don't be sorry. I finished too soon last night. Besides, you're still sore. I doubt it would've been pleasant for you to have me inside of you when you're still recovering. And you deserve to be able to enjoy sex...even though we didn't get to the actual sex part this time."

"But you deserve to enjoy it, too."

Hiccup pulled up the covers and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Believe me, I am enjoying it. Maybe we aren't perfect at it yet, but I like learning with you."

"I like learning with you, too. And eventually, we will get it perfect." Smiling, Astrid cuddled against his chest and used her thumb to draw circles there.

"Mmm." He ran his fingers through her blonde locks, which had come loose from their braid at some point while they were being intimate.

For a while, all that could be heard was the couple's steady breathing. Neither of them were falling asleep; they weren't tired since they'd just taken a nap. Instead, they simply lay there, enjoying the feeling of bare skin on bare skin.

"I love you," Hiccup said eventually. This was the first time one of them had spoken those three words since the day they'd gotten engaged. It wasn't that they didn't love each other, it was that they were better at showing their feelings through actions rather than words. But now, the day after their wedding, a few hours after the celebration had come to an end with the giving of the morning gift, the young chief had decided that it was an appropriate time to tell his new wife that he loved her.

Astrid looked up into his green eyes. "I love you, too," she responded before pressing her lips to his. After they kissed, she snuggled back against him and let out a contented sigh as he rubbed her hip with his thumb.

He grinned. This was a side of her that he rarely saw, and had never seen this intensely until the present. She was usually tough, and enjoyed teasing him or punching him. Even the previous day, she'd seemed a little reluctant to let herself go completely soft. He assumed it was because they'd both been nervous about their first time. But now that they'd begun feeling more relaxed around each other, she was almost becoming a different person. And that was okay with him. He liked this after-sex Astrid. But he also still adored her adventurous, daring, and fiercely independent side, which he knew she'd show as soon as they went into battle or explored together - or even when they went on a flight.

Another spell of time passed, but the peace couldn't last forever. Toothless could be heard scratching at the bedroom door, begging for his rider to come out of bed and give him attention.

"I think someone wants you." Astrid let out a soft giggle and pressed her lips to her husband's forehead.

"Yeah, I hear him. We can go on our flight now, if you want."

"Sounds good. And I can make us dinner when we come back." The blonde rolled off of Hiccup and, pulling one of the sheets around her body, slipped off the edge of the mattress and walked over to the dresser to find her everyday clothes.

"I can help you with dinner." The young chief fastened his metal leg, slipped into his underwear, and joined his wife at the dresser.

Once the two were clothed, Hiccup saddled Toothless, while Astrid went outside to summon Stormfly.

"You ready?"

The blonde turned to see Hiccup behind her, already seated on Toothless' back. Nodding, she mounted her Deadly Nadder and urged her into the air. "Hope you can keep up!"

Grinning, Hiccup shook his head as he rose into the clouds. This was the Astrid he was familiar with, the one that everyone knew. And he liked that. But he also liked knowing that she would soften up again next time they were in bed.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" she shouted, looking over her shoulder at her husband.

"Toothless, faster!" Hiccup commanded. As the Night Fury obeyed his command, he soared past Stormfly and her rider. "Who's the slow one now?" he asked.

Astrid smiled as she realized that their relationship wasn't going to be much different now that they were married. They were still best friends, allies in battle, and adventure partners. The only changes were the fact that they had rings on their fingers, they lived together, and they were able to have sex. And in her mind, that seemed like a pretty good deal.