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Endgame

After some serious consideration, Hiccup decided to rebuild over the construction area surrounding his cabin; beginning with the early stages of designing employee accommodation. He'd been toying with the idea for a couple of years now anyway; and decided it would be prudent to purchase the land beyond the rhino paddock to plan more additions to the park. His father called again to confirm his plans; coming home for a longer visit to spend time with Hiccup, and his "I knew it!" girlfriend. Astrid wasn't fazed by the attention – after a phone conversation that left the two in stitches, they seemed to get along in bouts of sarcasm and cutting jibes. Hiccup had rolled his eyes and envisioned all kinds of hell breaking loose when the two finally met; two flames of fiery determination coming head to head in intelligent banter.

Hiccup had to admit, as he failed to pay attention to the latest sketch he'd been working on, he was looking forward to seeing Astrid later. She promised to bring over some of Ruff's cooking – odd how the taller girl was a domestic goddess in her own home – and it made Hiccup painfully aware of her presence in his cabin. They didn't spend too much time there – even after all these months, Hiccup preferred going over to hers to spend the night.

The two had repeated their first couch experience – to a second, a third, and countless other intimate moments that warmed his heart and other places. She made his blood thrum with anticipation regardless the activity, and although she had waited patiently for a couple months, they eventually tried to do away with Hiccup's virgin status.

It's not that Hiccup meant to fall off the bed. He'd been so nervous; so desperate to get things perfect for her, he'd insisted on being on top. A shaking hand slicked with lube and other juices later, he'd braced himself on her bedside table to ground himself for entering that final stage.

Of course he fell off the bed. Of course he hit his head and for a couple minutes, lay blissfully unconscious with a freaking out Astrid. When he came to he was so embarrassed he left. He'd refused to talk about it or try it again for a long while; creating the catalyst to their first big fight. They'd bashed it out for an hour or so before Astrid slammed her bedroom door and told him to leave. Although they'd apologised and he'd watched Game of Thrones with her as an apology, he still felt it twinge awkwardly in his chest. Your first major argument with your significant other was never fun. You always say the wrong thing, then get snappy, then exasperated, and upset. But the fact they could make up pointed to a beaming positive signal for Hiccup.

Hiccup was brought back to his current position in his office by the little bell ringing as someone walked through the door. His spanking new office was a reconstructed cabin near the Med Centre – it looked neat and professional for all those supposed meetings Hiccup was meant to have in the future.

Upon seeing Gothi, Hiccup nearly fell off his chair in surprise. It's not that Gothi was antisocial – she quite enjoyed company on her own terms. But she was an elderly lady – seeing her move spryly though the door and tap his desk with her walking stick was impressive.

"Gothi!" Hiccup hurried to yank over a nearby chair. He hadn't wanted many things cluttering up the space in here, but it had got to a point where he needed to be closer to the main office and still be able to work. Hence Astrid had muscled her way into doing up the former food store into a presentable office.

"What brings you here?" Hiccup beamed as he bustled himself with boiling the mini kettle on the nearby counter-top. "I got a call from dad the other day – he said he's coming home for an extended visit. He should be here in a couple months; he needs to wrap up his latest project."

Her face shifted minutely from blank to pleased as she took in the information. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she accepted the cup of tea Hiccup offered and sipped it straight away.

Seeing her drink practically scalding water made Hiccup feel like he was a younger teen; watching her order others about in her raspy voice before she lost it altogether. Even then she had drank boiling tea – he remembered bringing her countless of cups during her chemotherapy for her tongue cancer. She said it was the only sensation she felt in her mouth; the heat of the liquid soothing her phantom pains. After loosing her voice, Gothi remained at the park despite reservations from her family – they were moving further south, and wanted her with them in her old age. But that had been when Hiccup had just assumed role of the park manager; stumbling his way as best as he could through the endless loops of work. Gothi, however, had stayed, and had taken on far more than her fair share. He owed her a lot of respect. Since she had been a good family friend of his parents (more Vals than Stoick's) he felt like she'd partway raised him due to his copious summers spent under her gruff tutelage.

Gothi rapped her stick on the floor to gain his attention again. When she had it, she withdrew a plain envelope from the folds of her ruffled swathes of fabric she wore and placed it gently on the desk.

Hiccup gulped down a mouthful of his own tea as he sat down, frowning thoughtfully at the suspicious item. "Holiday request? You know Astrid deals with those; why come all the way here to give it?"

Gothi's only clue was to tap a gnarled finger on the desk with a muffled grunt.

Raising an eyebrow at her secrecy, he lifted the thin envelope and shook the single folded paper out from within; sliding it open with both hands to scan the printed letters.

The words regret and resignation jumped out like 3D images on the page; leaping past his eyes to imprint into his brain. Hiccup stared in numb disbelief for a little longer before daring to glance up at an impassive Gothi.

"You're leaving." He choked out.

She nodded slowly and let out a tired sigh. A gesture to her stature and then to her stick revealed an ageing woman past her prime; physically and apparently, mentally too. She then shook her head and sighed again, holding onto her stick with a bowed head.

Hiccup knew Gothi had to retire at some-point – hell, even Gobber was making plans about his future, and he was nowhere near retirement age. Gothi had gone above and beyond that to ensure Hiccup was alright – he owed it to her to not freak out. Even if his heart was stuttering painfully in his chest.

"We'll miss you." He swallowed the croaky rasp of his voice and returned with a much stronger tone. "I'll miss you. You've been a part of this for so long – it won't be the same without you."

Unexpectedly, the elderly woman twirled her stick and bopped Hiccup sharply on the head; like she used to when he got too invested in complaining. At his cry of pain she pointed the end threateningly in his face; a scowl marring her usual sombre features.

Tough up or shut up.

Her old phrase came to mind in the blink of an eye at her familiar expression. It twisted his gut to remember a voice that couldn't be heard anymore – her rasped sentence had usually been enough to shake him from his self imposed stupor and vow to not repeat his mistakes. Although there was no mistakes to repent, it had reminded him – painfully, he might add – of her no nonsense nature and how well it had served him over the years. He would miss her – but the park was becoming new; a fresher version of the one she joined years ago. It wouldn't be the same – but change isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Yeah, you're right." He rubbed the sore lump on his head with begrudging gratitude. "It'll be different, is all. You're family to me, Gothi. I will miss you, you know."

That got him a fond crinkling of skin around her eyes as she nodded in assent to his statement. Her gnarled hand came out and he grasped it willingly; feeling the frailness of her shaking hand as well as the thinness of her skin.

Her response didn't need to be said. She'd been given the grandson she'd been robbed off by having no children of her own; and had loved him and guided him selflessly through the years. I'll miss you too.

Hiccup ignored the burning behind his eyes.

"Gothi's leaving?" Astrid frowned as she looked up from the sketchbook she was flicking through. "That's a shame. I thought she'd want to see the latest preparations finished before going."

Hiccup fiddled with his latest prosthetic idea; attaching tools into the calf section for easier park maintenance. The two were ready for bed, with Astrid in a thin oversized t-shirt (Hiccup's) and the man himself wearing an old Jurassic Park bedtop and his blue pj bottoms.

"She is way past retiring age. She would have gone years ago, but she stayed to make sure I was alright." A loose bolt under the heel made Hiccup grimace and blow his fringe out of his eyes. Stupid bolt. "I guess I thought she'd always be around."

"I owe her lot too." Astrid mused from his desk. Hiccup concentrated on the tiny silver bulb and tried to tighten it with his fingers. He tuned her out briefly to nudge it the right way and missed her faltering sentence as she fell silent in his desk chair.

Hiccup twisted the bolt with a small screwdriver and pursed his lips in thought. If only this was easier to reach. Perhaps a broader heel would do the trick? But that would mean making a new mould...

Realising Astrid was no longer speaking, he glanced up to his desk. Her face was hidden, but he saw her holding up his former sketches of her that he drew, ages ago. An embarrassed rush of emotion flooded his senses.

"Good, huh?" His voice was flippant when he so desperately wanted to snatch them away. "You can keep em if you want; I know they're that good."

She spun to face him with one of his drawings in her hand. He winced. She had to pick out that one.

"You drew me like this?"

That sketch in particular was Hiccup's favourite – he'd drawn it the day after their first time together. Astrid above him with clenched eyes and a slack mouth; matching the length of her long neck as she threw it back in her rapture.

Clearly Astrid didn't agree.

"I should have asked, I know," Hiccup struggled to push himself off the floor to sit on his bed. His bare foot and prosthetic free knee pressed against his bedcovers like he was trying to subconsciously hide. "But you would have said no! I thought, why not have a memento of my amazing – completely gorgeous by the way – girlfriend?"

Said girlfriend was now advancing with the sketch held aloft like a torch. His compliments didn't seem to be hitting the right places. Changing his tone, he opened his arms wide and said hopefully, "Hug it out?"

He cocked his head and hunched his shoulders while sending her an awkward smile. He supposed he gave it his best shot. Gobber would just have to run the park without him, because going by Astrid's blank expression, he would soon depart this world. He sent Toothless a betrayed thought, irrationally upset his best friend was choosing to sleep in his enclosure rather than defend him.

Thanks for nothing, you useless panther.

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