Leaning her forearms on the table, Hiccup partly laid on it, sitting by it and locking her eyes on the splinter just in front of her. If she looked around she could've noticed the four wooden walls of her house, the windows which were letting in rays of the afternoon sun, but also shiny snow, and known by heart furniture.
Somewhere nearby, ignited was the fireplace, over which placed was a pot that was boiling, spreading the pleasing smell of food everywhere. Even so, Hiccup stayed still, taken over by her thoughts and worries about today's events.
I'm not that sure of it, maybe somethin' will get into ya, she recalled Larsen's words, feeling the guilt growing at the bottom of her stomach. While she doubted it, he was right, she thought and whimpered almost soundlessly, how could she lose control over herself, just like that?
Suddenly, her reflection was interrupted by laughter, audible from the other side of the wooden door, also known as the main house's entrance. Being sure about the person's identity she tensed her shoulders, hiding her mouth behind her laying arms.
Afterward, through the door came the giant alike man, whose ginger beard seemed to be half his face's volume. The smirk was curved at his mouth, his dark green eyes met hers, and the man sent her a comfortable smile. Keeping his arm on the door, he held them open, until the second figure entered inside.
His black hair was reaching his shoulders which were uptight from Hiccup's point of view. Standing before the larger man his eyes were narrowed, but the grin was visible on his face. Just as he gazed in the young woman's direction, his intense, toxic, green eyes flashed and the annoyed smile changed into a relaxed beam.
In response, Hiccup waved her hand, almost motionlessly, before the man moved toward her, grasped her shoulders, and leaned over her. "Hey, sunshine," he cajoled, kissing the top of her head.
"Hey, Toothless," she replied and leered up at him, smiling weakly. "How was yer day?"
"I should be the one asking," he implied and sat next to her, tilting his head at the sight of her face's side. "You look pale, is everything alright?"
"I'm fine-,"
"Have you eaten something today, or at least drank?" He questioned, but before she could've answered, he was raising himself. "I can pour a glass of water if you-,"
Afterward, he was interrupted by the older man, who laughed, hysterically. "Told ya," he reflected, gasping for the air.
"Told ya, what?" Hiccup asked, peeking from the older toward the younger man.
"That once we'll walk in, I'll jump around you like an overprotective puppy," Toothless answered, pitching the bridge of his nose. "Really hilarious, Stoic," he grumbled, and once Hiccup started giggling he glared at her, raising his brow at her. "You are supposed to be on my side, you know?"
"Since when?" She countered, pouting at him, teasingly. "I always have thought about ya as an overprotective reptile."
"And you'll be always a reckless human in my eyes," he commented, squirting his eyes at her, while she replied with the same, "or maybe a little hatchling?"
"Not this again!"
"Why not? We both know it's true," he chuckled and encircled his large arms around her middle, bringing her closer to himself. "My little girl," he whispered into her ear, before ticking her neck, with his nose, resulting in her unsuccessful attempts to push him away and her giggle.
"Ah," Stoic crooned, and once he did the both of them glanced in his direction, actually surprised by his presence. "Young love... Disgustin', where is the dinner?"
While Toothless scowled at him, Hiccup pointed with her head at the boiling pot, and shook it at him, grinning. Instantly, the man rushed toward the mentioned object, and just as Hiccup was about to stand up to help him with it, Toothless stopped her.
"Stay," he ordered, pushing her shoulders into a sitting position. "I'll bring it for you."
"Overprotective," she chanted and the corners of her mouth quirked up.
"Reckless," he murmured, messing her hair, before grasping the wooden plates that lay at the table's edge.
"How goin' for the food is reckless?" she inquired, sizing him up as he walked backward and shrugged. "Weirdo," she mumbled under her nose.
"I heard that," Toothless shouted, growling, and Hiccup raised her chin, before lifting herself just to prepare cutlery. "Hiccup, how is it that there are only two fish?" He queried, glancing into the pot, and giving Hiccup a once-over.
"Right," she muttered, correcting the wooden fork on Stoic's spot, not daring to gaze in Toothless's direction. "I won't be eatin'."
"There is no way," Toothless objected, applying the fish for Stoic, whose body focused on survival, and hence, food. "We'll share," he stated, moving to the table and taking the knife into his hold.
"Toothless, ya don't have to-,"
"Yes, I do," he vouched, gazing at Hiccup, with whom he won a staring battle. "You must be hungry too, why wouldn't you eat?"
"It's not like that," she replied, leaning the side of her head against his shoulder. "I just think that after the long day at work, ya deserve the whole meal, ya know?"
"You are sweetheart, but I don't mind sharing, really," he urged and kissed her temple, before cutting the fish's meat and furrowing. "Have you gone hunting for those fish?" He hissed, and glimpsing Hiccup's shy nodding, sighed. "Stoic, don't eat it."
The man, who was about to bite into the meal lifted a brow at him. "Why not?"
"Why not?" Hiccup fretted, while her eyebrows rose.
"Briefly, if we ate that, we'll end up sick, bedridden for maybe two weeks?" He answered, pulling away his and Stoic's plate.
However, before he could've taken the hold of Stoic's food, the man growled. "Don't overreact. I was eatin' my wife's food for years and was fine. This's nothin' comparate to that," he snickered, crossing his arms and simpering.
"Well, you may eat that, but there is rather a big chance that if you will Hiccup will become a new chief, shortly," Toothless pointed out and his mouth curved into a mocking grin while Stoic blanched. "It'd be better not to risk it, don't you think?"
"Right," Stoic agreed and grunted, leering in Hiccup's direction. "There is no spare?" He rumbled, while she shook her head, chewing on the bottom of her lip. "Okay, I'll go buy some. Stay put," he declared and quit the hut, leaving them two alone.
Just as he did, ashamed Hiccup stroked her arms and it wasn't the moment when Toothless appeared by her side, encircled his arm around her shoulders, while the second one held her hands. "Don't bother with it, sunshine," he began, rubbing his thumb against the skin of her hands.
"How can I not?" She agonized, hiding her face in his neck. "Preparin' the dinner is the only thin' I'm supposed to do, and I fucked up even this."
"And so what?" He snorted, leaning his chin against the top of her head. "Honestly, I am proud of you."
"Proud? How can ya be proud, when I actually haven't done a thin'?"
"You did a thing. You went hunting, for the first time, alone, and managed to catch two fish," he elaborated and smirking leaned over her ear. "Just remember, next time you do hunt, if fish don't move it's for a reason," he whispered and chuckled, observing how she blushed.
"What do ya tryin' to say? That I almost feed ya with corpses?"
"Basically, it wouldn't be that bad, if it wasn't for the fact these corpses laid in water for a long time, probably," he noted, causing both of them to giggle, before Hiccup gripped his collar, pulled him to herself, and kissed his cheek.
"Next time I'm takin' ya with myself."
"Sure, I'll teach you everything," he retorted, tightening his hold on her and rubbing his forehead against hers. "As always anyway," he coughed up, glancing to the side, while the corner of his mouth lifted.
As he did, Hiccup narrowed her eyes at him, hardening. "I regret that ya did notice it was a corpse, now," she mocked, raising her chin, while he rolled his eyes at her.
Suddenly, the entrance door opened widely, and inside came Stoic, with Gobber, following him nearby. "Look, who have I found," Stoic notified, smacking his friend's back.
"Oh, that's because Hiccup asked me today to brin' the fish, and I am the man of my word," Gobber admitted, sticking his chest out and patting the basket on his shoulder, from which came out the smell of fresh meat.
"Well, very well that she asked ya, that's how she should be behavin'," Stoic stated, sitting on his chair, nodding at her with approval. "Simply, effectively, and accordin' to the rules."
Subsequently, Hiccup faked a smile and glimpsing so, Toothless gripped the side of her neck gently and pulled her ear next to his mouth. "Just a little more, be patient," he whispered and they smiled at each other, understanding, but also hurt.
Eventually, seeing how Gobber placed the basket next to the fire, and hence the pot, Hiccup stepped forward to him. "Do ya need help, Gobber?" She proposed, opening the closed basket while the man cracked his back.
"No, it's okay, lad. Go sit, I'll take care of everythin'," Gobber guaranteed, and nodding Hiccup, with Toothless leading her, keeping his arm at her back, sat down at their previous spots.
Later on, awaiting the feast, Hiccup leaned her chin on the arm supported at the table and smiled at her father, gently. "Ya still didn't tell me how was yer day," she mentioned, brightening at the idea of the story.
"Why don't ya ask Toothless about it? I assure ya, he has much more interestin' experiences than me," Stoic sniggered, waggling his brows at Toothless, who covered his face with his palms and muttered.
"Not that again."
"Yer man almost killed somebody today," Stoic continued and Hiccup gasped, also widening her eyes, gaping with them at the mentioned young man, who groaned.
"I didn't kill anybody!" He pledged, furrowing at the older man and grounding his jaw, irritated.
"But, ya were close to that."
"May ya explain to me what happened?!" Hiccup demanded, ricocheting from Toothless to Stoic, on repeat. "Do I have to prepare the apologetic basket, or do I not have to?"
"Fortunately, no. Imagine, that this imbecile was helpin' me with wood gatherin'. Everythin' was goin' smoothly, until he decided to cut the tree himself, that nearly fell onto poor Sven."
Shaking her head, Hiccup stroked her temples. "Oh, buddy," she mumbled, giggling under her breath.
"Nothing happened and he's fine. I have no idea why are we still proceeding with that theme," Toothless snarled and glared at the amused Hiccup. "You'd better say what you were doing today, smartass."
"Me? Well," she started, sinking in her and fidgeting her fingers, "nothin', actually."
Earlier annoyed Toothless momentarily loosened, noticing how the sadness clouded Hiccup's features, and grasped her hand. "Nothing? Like, nothing, nothing?" He questioned, knitting his fingers with hers under the table.
"Nothin'," she answered, shrugging and pressing her lips together. "I just cleaned hut a little, went for that huntin', and stayed home. That's it," she sighed, tapping her finger into Toothless's thumbnail. "Nothin'," she repeated, forcing the smile.
"Since morning only that?" He fretted and just as Hiccup nodded he pulled her closer, so her forehead was against his shoulder before he leaned over her, smiling. "Hey, what will you say, if I take a day off tomorrow, and we would spent it together? We may go hunting, or just flying, whatever you would like," he suggested, and hope dawned on Hiccup's face until Stoic interrupted them.
"Ya know that I can't let ya on that?" He disputed, and Toothless glistened at him, drawing his brows together. "It's winter, heavy winter, and we need as many hands as possible for work. Another day."
"You said the same thing yesterday and the day before yesterday, and a day before a day before-,"
"This is my last word, son," Stoic ended and exhaled guilty, noticing both their dissatisfaction. "I'm sorry, but that's how the timin' and weather are, now," he apologized, before focusing on Gobber, who snarled at him, disgruntled.
Afterward, Toothless creased his forehead at the unaware Stoic, before bending over Hiccup, loosening. "Say one word and I'm staying," he whispered to her, gaping straight into her upset, dark, forest-like, green eyes.
"Go to work, boo," she replied, embracing his whole arm, encircling it with hers both. "As my dad says, it's winter, and it's more important."
"Not as important as you are. You know that I don't care about that work, but only about you."
"I know, and I love ya for that," she cajoled, leaning her chin on his shoulder, "but we'll have plenty of time for each other later, and the village needs help now," she explained and detecting Toothless's tense she placed her hand over his heart. "Theoretically, I'm a village too, so if not for them, do it for me."
Beaming weakly, Toothless gripped Hiccup's hand and pressed it harder into his chest. "For you, everything," he vowed, and they kissed momentarily, closing their eyes in pleasure. "Let that winter end fast, otherwise I'll go mad," he murmured, smiling against her lips.
"Just a little bit longer," she giggled, rubbing her nose against his, "a little more."
"Okay," he whimpered soundlessly, and glimpsing Stoic's grin reddened, grunting loudly and straightening. "Well, if not with me, maybe you may spend that time with Atrid?"
"Astrid doesn't have time since joinin' guard," she responded and giggled, at the way Toothless mentioned the girl.
"That's not actually a bad idea, maybe you could join the guard, too?"
"I doubt they'll accept me in, ya know, due to circumstance," she revealed, glancing at her chest and shrinking, embarrassed.
"Right," Toothless concurred, scratching his neck, awkwardly hissing. "Maybe-,"
"If Hiccup feels bored, she may just come to the forge. I would be happy to have her there," Gobber interrupted, sticking his chest out, and stirring the food in boiling water. "Also, I am certain, ya would use some company, don't ya?" He chuckled, and hence, Toothless knitted his brows, skimming at Hiccup.
"What that was supposed to mean?" He muttered to her, lifting an eyebrow at her.
This man will expose her in a moment, Hiccup thought, cursing Gobber, while smiling at Toothless nervously. "Nothin', don't worry," she whispered, attempting to change a theme.
Consequently, Toothless nodded at her, while his forehead puckered. "Gobber, what that was supposed to mean?" He exclaimed and Hiccup bored her eyes into him, betrayed. "I don't trust you on this subject," he rasped swiftly, and she crossed her arms, avoiding his sight, offended. "So?" He added, leering at Gobber.
"Well, I meant that Hiccup for sure needs conversation," Gobber went on, focusing his senses on the pot, not minding the surroundings completely.
In the meantime, Hiccup gazed at him, hoping that he could catch the glimpse of her, but after noticing Toothless's alert stare at her, gave up, grimacing, while the man droned. "Oh, really? Why so?"
"Well, after seein' how she attacked that one woman, I just know it."
Hearing Gobber's words Hiccup's eyes widened, while the color drained out of her face, and Toothless pursed his lips. "That's interesting," he fumed, scowling at Hiccup, who catching Gobber's sight finally, gritted her teeth.
"Thank ya, Gobber."
"What?" He raved, narrowing his eyes confused, but detecting Stoic's and Toothless's glares at her he understood, cackling anxiously. "Sorry, but at least I didn't say them about the docks-," he stopped suddenly, but unsuccessfully, because both men's eyes could broaden at her, already.
"Ya went to docks?!" Stoic roared and stood up, falling over the chair behind himself.
"Oh, freckle," Toothless mumbled, hiding his face in his hands, stroking his forehead with his fingers.
"Do ya have any idea, how many problems ya caused with that?!"
"Yes, I went to the docks, but that's because our supplies went out and," she began and creaked, feeling the lump growing inside her throat, "what else I was supposed to do?"
"What else ya could've done? Well, for example, the thin' I praised ya for, moments ago, such as ask Gobber to brin' ya them!" Stoic implied and rubbed his brows, sighing. "What a mess."
Biting on her lip hard, Hiccup fought her tears, and noticing so, Toothless fretted, before grasping her hand, stroking her skin in meantime. While Stoic strolled around the room two of them kept staring at each other, until Toothless's eyes squirmed, gazing over her shoulder.
"What's that?" He questioned, cupping her chin and turning her head to the side. "Are you bleeding?" He sympathized, running his finger through her temple.
Just then, the recognition dawned on her face, but before she could've made more Toothless stood up, moving to Stoic, showing him his finger, covered by the red stain. The older man bit his cheek thoughtfully, sniffed it, and without warning licked it, at which Toothless flinched from him, gagging.
"Tomato?" He remarked, surprised, but then witnessing his daughter's uncomfortableness, he streamed his hand through his face, rumbling. "Tomato," he repeated, quietly.
"Tomato? That vegetable?" Toothless inquired, peeking at Hiccup for answers. "Why do you have it smugged on your face?"
Tensing, Hiccup stood up and stepped closer to him before starting. "Somebody has thrown it into me," she confessed, stroking her forearm while Toothless's brows cocked, both perplexed and furious. "The movement was to shame me, harass me, I guess."
Listening, firstly, he clapped his hands on his nose, inhaling loudly, before he cupped her cheeks suddenly, inspecting each piece of her face, carefully. "Are you hurt? Is there any bruise? Any pain?" He solicited, tucking the strand of her hair behind her ear.
"I'm fine," she replied, getting a hold of his forearms and pulling them away. "Don't worry, okay?" She requested, beaming at him weekly, and observed how he nodded, walking off, suddenly. "Toothless, where are you goin'?"
"What do you mean, where?" He responded, grasping the metal axe from the ground and moving toward the main entrance, setting his jaw. "To kill somebody."
"Woah, slow down, protector," Stoic countered, standing in between Toothless and the door. "Ya won't kill anyone, boyo."
"Stoic, let me go," Toothless barked, tightening his hold on the weapon. "There must be some fucking consequences."
"Toothless, don't," Hiccup quaked, standing up and hugging herself. "There is no need, really, besides I don't even know who did that, and there were a lot of people."
"Then there will be a lot of deaths," Toothless concluded, glistering at the furious chief. "Let me go."
"Sit down," Stoic commanded, pointing at the nearby chair, not taking his eyes off the younger man.
"I don't care that these are your people, or whatever. Nobody will hurt in any way, mental or not, my Hiccup."
"The same way I don't care about yer laughable overprotectiveness," he snarled, between his teeth. "She went to the docks, so she faced consequences, now sit, on yer fuckin' ass, down!"
"I don't take orders, neither from you and neither from anyone!"
"Ya will take orders, because ya are in my house, and live accordin' to my rules, otherwise ya may get the fuck out of here!"
"Dad!" Hiccup yapped, while her eyes burned with anger.
"Sit down, now," Stoic commanded, and while the muscle in Toothless's jaw twitched he did so, stabbing the axe into a table, growling under his breath.
Immediately after, Hiccup moved to him, resisted her palm against his shoulder, but even so, her eyes focused on her father, furiously. "Don't ya ever talk to him like that!"
"Or what?" Stoic snorted, crossing his arms and sticking an eye on her. "Since some time both of ya have been causin' only problems! I am at fault for tryin' to remain some balance around?!"
"Ya know exactly why we behave like that! We are treated like shit, for an unknown reason, and my dad instead of supportin' us-,"
"Yer dad will have to clean the mess ya have created, probably with the council meetin'!"
"Aren't ya bein' paranoid?! What have I done, so ya must do so? I only have walked to the docks, what crime is that?!"
"Ya exactly know, ya were the one that helped us with the rules, and it's unbelievable ya are the last person not to stick to them!"
"Because I didn't know they'll apply to us!" She yelled, tightening her hold on Toothless's shoulder, who feeling so, held her hand. "I didn't know that they'll be so unfair a-and unjust, otherwise I would disagree, instantly!"
"Hiccup, two people almost died in that accident how you name it. Two people!" Stoic boomed, throwing his arms in the air. "I can't risk any more harm!"
"Neither me, neither Toothless would attack anyone! The only people hurt are us!"
"Hiccup, I believe ya, but villagers don't, also council, that's why I have to explain to them, that my daughter found herself on the docks on the mishap, got it?"
"Why do ya have to, all the time, behave like a Chief?! When ya will start behavin' like a father?!" Hiccup snapped, while her eyes shimmered. "My father promised me that I would decide about my future, but at the moment it seems I'm only more controlled!"
After Hiccup's outburst Stoic fell silent, and the woman exhaled, rubbing her eyelids, and hence, wiping some tears away. While so, she felt how Toothless's hand made its way on her back and his head leaned against her side, but even so that it was a comforting touch, she tensed only more.
"Why are ya so quiet?" Hiccup murmured and Toothless leered at her, troubled. "Don't ya have anythin' to say? At all? Ya aren't bothered about all of this?"
Looking to the side, Toothless straightened, tensing his arms, before inhaling. "Actually, I agree with your father, and also, I think you shouldn't leave the house. At least not alone," he gibbered and Hiccup moved away from him, squeezing her eyes.
"Great," she creaked, high-pitched. "Everybody is against me, even ya."
"Hiccup-,"
"Cage, Toothless!" She screamed, rapidly, pressing her fists to her temples. "This house is one, fuckin' cage, and ya want to close me in it!"
"I don't want to close you," Toothless croaked, standing up, frowning his brows in worry. "I just want you to be safe."
"Safe, from what?! Craze? Madness? Because ya are leadin' me into it!" Hiccup hollered and tensed her fingers. "I can't go to docks, to buy myself breakfast. I can't go to a village on my own, because of some startle around, and now I can't go out anywhere at all?!"
"It's only temporary, I swear," Toothless explained, stroking her cheek with his knuckles. "Please, sunshine-,"
"Of course, temporary," she snorted, before shoving him away, pushing his chest. "What a wise-ass ya are, but right, that would be better if I stayed, because that won't affect ya at all!"
"Hiccup, stop that," Toothless warned, gritting his teeth. "There is no need to-,"
"Truth hurts, huh? The truth is that while ya go to work, meet with people normally, and function with people on daily basis, every day, without any problem, I am here, counting the days until that temporary ends! Now, ya will lock me, call it overprotectiveness and do ya know what I will call it? Prisonin'!"
"Enough of that, Hiccup," Stoic interrupted, gazing at the young woman, raged. "For once, I agree with him. It's would be better if-,"
"Of course, ya do! Everybody agrees that Hiccup should be isolated because she won't handle reality! She won't handle anythin', at all! Ya think that, ya too!" Hiccup yelled, pointing at her dad and Gobber. "Even ya," she muttered, turning toward Toothless, on the edge. "Say me, darlin', honestly, ya think I'm weak, right? Ya think that-,"
"I don't think that, for fucking sake!" Toothless snapped, while the veins popped out of his face. "Yet, stubborn, annoyingly stubborn, and obstinate! Can you, for once, just listen to me, when I ask you about something, damn it?!" He roared, and seeing Hiccup's wronged face, regretted it momentarily after, dulling. "I-,"
Immediately, Hiccup passed him, racing upstairs and Toothless didn't even move, stunned. Afterward, everybody listened to the door slam, followed by the sound of the whistle of the air. Tensing his back, the young man hid his face in his hands, while Stoic clicked his tongue.
"She flew off?" He asked, and witnessing Toothless's nod hissed. "When ya will move out, don't forget yer spare boots. They're gross," Stoic gagged, patting Toothless's back, while the black-haired man glared at him, before starting at the door, fretted.