Apologies for not updating properly lately, I haven't really had any decent ideas. I've got on now for this one, but it's mostly a filler. I may or may not do another filler chapter after this too just so I don't do a big time-skip to the baby being born.
Astrid slammed in, startling Hiccup from dozing off entirely.
"Where's my axe?!" She demanded fiercely. Hiccup mumbled incoherently, still trying to wake up. Toothless cooed, bumbling over to see why she was so angry- very brave of him- but Astrid didn't respond to his affectionate nuzzles. "My axe, Hiccup, where is it?"
"What's the matter?" Hiccup asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Snotlout!" Astrid raged, as if that summed everything up. Hiccup groaned in annoyance. His wife started ransacking their home, searching for her axe.
"What did he do this time?" She opened up the basket they used for the dragons' food, scowling and knocking it aside when she found it empty.
"Oh, you know," She replied curtly, "just started a rumour that it's his baby, not yours." She scoffed. "As if I'd go near that thing!"
"And you need your axe because?"
"Why do you think?"
"But it's Saturday!" He got an annoyed glare for that. "I'll go talk to him." He got up, signalling to Toothless to follow. Astrid darted in front of him, blocking his way out.
"Hiccup. You are not leaving until you tell me where my axe is." Hiccup sighed.
"You gave it to me to sharpen, remember?" She turned and made to run out the door, but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist. She snatched her hand away, opening her mouth to protest. "No." Hiccup said firmly. "Calm down, OK? I'll deal with Snotlout; you go and de-stress somewhere."
"I'm perfectly capable of dealing with Snotlout myself!"
"I never said you weren't." She started to argue, but he cut across. "Mum said you shouldn't stress because it's not good for the baby."
"I'm not stressing!"
"You're very stressing."
"This is ridiculous!" She declared, irritably throwing her hands up.
"It's not ridiculous, it's healthy." Toothless rumbled in agreement, nudging Astrid gently. The dragon friendlily directed her to a nearby chair. "Make sure she stays there, bud." Hiccup instructed.
"Dammit, Hiccup!" Astrid cursed him profusely, but sat in the chair anyway. And then proceeded to sulk immensely, arms folded and glowering at the wall.
Hiccup found Snotlout easy enough. He was in the Great Hall, boasting about getting one up on the chief with his wife.
"Snotlout!" Hiccup called. The other dragon rider tensed and slowly turned round. Then he tried to regain his cool.
"Yes, Hiccup?" Hiccup sighed. What was it with some people using his name as a weapon?
Folding his arms, Hiccup met Snotlout's gaze, remaining monotonous and silent. Snotlout frowned at him and tried to stare him out, but only Astrid and Toothless had been known to do so. "It was just a joke." He mumbled, looking down at his feet.
"Yeah, a joke that nearly ended with an axe embedded in your forehead." Snotlout winced. "You're to tell everyone the truth and you're banned from flying for the rest of the month."
"What?! You can't do that!"
"Can and have." Snotlout fumed. "Still here?"
"What if it was mine?" He tried. Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and counting to ten. Being chief meant dealing with idiots like Snotlout more often. "It could be!"
"Astrid would rather walk off the edge of the world than go anywhere near you." Which was true- while ranting, she had said that many a time.
"Pfft!" Snotlout scoffed. "As if!"
"As yes. Now go away before I ban you from flying for another three months and have you work on the yak farms." Snotlout cursed him and stomped off, shoving his way through the crowd.
"So, he was lying then?" Somebody asked.
"Does he do anything else?"
"The baby's yours?" Hiccup inclined his head. "You should have let Astrid beat him up!"
"I know, but she's supposed to be taking it easy." Hiccup excused himself after that and made sure Snotlout was following through with his orders.
"Hey, chief!"
"Twins."
"Snotlout's not happy with you." Ruffnut smirked.
"Surprise."
"What did you do?" Tuffnut asked. "Was it about those rumours?" Hiccup nodded. "Did you beat him? Is he going to sail off the edge of the world? Do we get to throw him in a Fireworm Pit?"
"Yeah, Fireworm Pit!" Ruffnut agreed, punching her brother's arm.
"No, but he's been banned from flying."
"Ugh!" They complained. "That's boring!" Hiccup glanced round, an idea forming in his mind.
"Why don't you annoy him, just a teensy bit?" They beamed at him.
"We know exactly what to do, chief!" And they were off, hitting each other and bickering over what to do. Childish of him to get the twins to irritate Snotlout for him, but hey. A chief has to keep control of things.
"Hiccup!"
"Hi Dad."
"What's this about Snotlout and Astrid?"
"Absolute rubbish." Hiccup assured him. "Snotlout's just being an idiot again, don't worry about it." Stoick relaxed a fraction, nodding contentedly.
"Good. I want grandbabies."
"Yes, I know."
"Notice I said grandbabies and not grandbaby."
"You do know Astrid is going to kill me?"
"As long as I get grandkids, it's fine."
"Oy!" Stoick chortled happily and clapped his son on the shoulder. "I'll remember that." Hiccup muttered, pretending to be miffed. Stoick saw right through his ploy and insisted they went for a walk. "Dad?"
"Mm?"
"Everything will be OK, right?" Stoick looked at him imploringly. "Like, the baby and stuff."
"You'll be a good father. You've had a brilliant example!"
"Of course." Hiccup nodded. Stoick laughed again and ruffled his son's hair, as though he were still five.
Sorry it's not much. I might do the birth bit next… what'd you think? :P
