"To the victor goes the spoils," Gobber chuckled.

"If by spoils, you mean a trip to Gothi's then yaaayy…" Hiccup drawled.

He and Snotlout were both in Gothi's hut, actually. Snotlout was reeling with a concussion, and was first in line for treatment, while Hiccup sat nearby, holding a rag to his nose while Gobber held another over his eyebrow.

"Why is Astrid retrieving a Deadly Nadder spine again?" Hiccup asked. "I think I was fading in and out of consciousness when you gave instructions."

"That's simple, lad. Nadder spines have venom in them that paralyzes their prey. But just a little bit rubbed on the skin has a numbing quality. And since you need a whole lot of stitches, it's better to be numbed. Makes you flinch less."

"Especially if it's my face," Hiccup supposed.

"I coulda won ya know," Snotlout drawled. "I let you win though, cause you needed it. I'm a good person like that."

"Yes Snotlout, you probably should have won. But you had no idea I was going to knock you out with that hit. Don't act like you threw the match."

"I almost prevented myself from being knocked out, but I didn't."

"You're full of shit."

"So's your mom."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Oh yeah, well so's your mom!"

"Hiccup lad, the boy has a concussion, he's even more dumb than on the average."

"I'll drink to that!" Snotlout cheered, holding up a roll of bandages like a cup.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, the action actually hurting. As Gothi tended to Snotlout, making him a tea to help with his brain swelling, Hiccup sat patiently and waited, trying not to let the throbbing in his face bother him.

"I'm back," Astrid announced, several Nadder spines in her arms.

"Wow lass! Ya pick the Nadder clean?"

Astrid chuckled, "I picked the impaled tree clean." She handed the spines off.

They watched as Gothi ran a knife down the sides of the spine, against the grain. A little gel beaded up on the surface, and she spread it on Hiccup's face like butter.

He winced at first, but soon the pain ebbed, and disappeared. Then all feeling, and he felt very droopy, and his mouth felt puffy.

Astrid took over Gobber's spot as bandage holder, while Gobber watched Snotlout.

Gothi worked diligently to make sure the bridge of Hiccup's nose was straight, and then she got to work stitching up the cuts on his forehead and cheek.

Cleaned of blood, Hiccup at least started to look more normal. The cut on his lip was still blood red, but didn't bleed. Almost every inch of his face was dotted with abrasions or bruised. His eyes were bloodshot, and surrounded by swollen purple bags.

Astrid stared at him, sadly, before kissing his cheek. "You're a mess."

"I feel like it," he said, a line of drool coming out of his mouth. "Whoops."

She dabbed his mouth with a handkerchief. "At least it's not blood. You spat a lot out. I worried you had bitten your tongue."

"I don't think so. I think it all came from my nose."

Gothi gave instructions in the dirt, while Gobber translated. "Keep the wounds clean. Get plenty of rest and drink water. He can have some of this tea if the pain comes back. The Nadder poison should last 24 hours."

That was fine with Hiccup. This awkward numbing feeling was preferable to the hot ache from the wounds.

Astrid took his hand and led him out of Gothi's house.

He blinked blearily as they walked. "I wanna see Toothless," he demanded.

Astrid actually barked a laugh. "Uh, no. No, you're going home, and you're going to rest. Your parents will make sure Toothless is fed and scratched. You've been awake since the crack of dawn and you're dealing with blood loss."

She expected him to protest a little. Maybe a whiny little childish tantrum. But no. He just said, "'Kay."

Smiling, Astrid steered him back to their shared home. Once inside, he tottered on his feet. "Okay yeah, maybe I'm…not so full of energy. Not for that walk."

She led him over to the table and had him sit. "My mom brought dinner over for us earlier. You weren't home, but I saved plenty for you."

The house smelled delicious, a scent of meat cooking over the fire, mixed with herbs and spices. His stomach rumbled, hungry and empty, long having digested that roll he had for breakfast.

Astrid served up the bowl and put it in front of him.

"I'll be right back," she took up the two large buckets used to fill the tub. "I'm going to draw you a bath."

Hiccup actually felt his eyes get a little misty. "You don't have to."

"I want to," she declared, before leaving the house.

He didn't have the energy to protest, and the food just smelled so good.

So he ate his dinner quietly, more food falling out of his numbed mouth than he wanted.

Then he was done and Astrid was escorting him to his bath, and helping him out of his clothes. He didn't even mind.

Did he also have a concussion?

Astrid winced, and he looked at her in concern. She was looking at him though, her face screwed up.

"What?"

"I thought your worst injuries were on your face, but your ribs are all bruised." She gently prodded his side. "Does that hurt?"

He winced. "Yeah."

"I was worried about that. Here, let's get you in the tub. I put some healing salts I use after tough training. It should help with sore muscles."

Carefully, he stepped in the steamy water, the heat and slight lavender scent making his still tense muscles start to uncoil. He laid back, the water coming up to his collarbone. He involuntarily moaned.

"Is that okay?"

"It's perfect."

Astrid sighed. "Good."

Hiccup leaned his head back and closed his eyes, too tired to do anything else. He worried slightly that he'd fall asleep in the tub, but at least Astrid was around.

Speaking of Astrid, he heard her scoot the little step stool closer and ring out a rag. A moment later, the cool rag was placed over his eyes, soothing the angry bruising and swelling there.

Then, Astrid took his hands, and began to clean his fingernails.

"What are you doing?" He murmured.

"I have to sleep next to you, and your nails are all full of dirt and Snotlout's blood. Completely gross."

"That's surprisingly…tender of you."

"Well, don't get used to it."

After she did his nails, she washed his hair, scrubbing the dust and gore away.

"This is really really nice, you know, you could open a spa."

Astrid delicately moved her arms down to his shoulders and started to massage. "Oh really?"

"Yeaaahhhh…" he moaned, completely in pleasure.

Astrid then dug her fingers into what meat there was in his boney shoulders and kneaded him like old dried dough.

"Agghhh!" Hiccup cried out.

"I'm a real masseuse, huh?"

"It was a joke!"

After she let go, he rolled his shoulders to get feeling back. "Hold on, do that again."

"What? Attempt to break you in half?"

"Yeah, but closer to my neck this time."

Concerned, but curious, she dug her thumbs into the slope of his neck, tenderizing him.

He let out several pained groans as she worked, but then sighed in relief when she was done.

"That did the trick," he breathed. "I feel like I can actually relax now, thank you."

"Huh," she shrugged. "You're welcome, I guess. I'll let you soak in privacy for a while. If you fall asleep and drown, I will kill you."

He snorted. "Noted."

Some time later, when the water became lukewarm and the siren song of the bed became too strong, he staggered to his feet and drained the tub. Astrid left his nightclothes in the bathroom, and he dressed before trudging up the stairs.

Astrid was already in bed, stretched out, only wearing a long tunic, and propped up with the pillows, reading a book.

"Feel better?" She asked, not looking up.

"You're on my side."

She laughed. "Okay! I thought you wouldn't want to crawl all the way over here."

"Oh, that's true. I don't." He flopped bonelessly down onto the downy surface, awkwardly shuffling to get his feet up.

Astrid couldn't stand the pathetic sight, and grabbed him by the waistband and yanked him up on the bed. "There you go."

"Thanks…I'm totally exhausted."

"I can tell."

"Thank you for getting me home and taking care of me," he murmured, slowly drifting towards sleep.

She blew out the bedside candle. "You're welcome."

"Are you proud of me?"

Astrid scooted up beside him and gathered him in her arms, spooning him. "I'm so proud of you."

He hummed as a smile broke through the numbness.

"Now that it's all over, can I confess something, and you not get mad?" She asked.

He furrowed his brow. What was all over? "Hmm?"

"I knew what was happening at Gothi's and purposefully didn't stop it."

Hiccup's eyes blew wide open, well, as much as they could with the swelling. He pulled away from her, and propped up on his arms, and leaned over her. "Pardon?"

She nervously giggled. "Uh…yeah. When she had us do our vows, and she had you say your name, I knew then that she thought we were eloping."

"And you didn't say anything?!"

"Nope. Because I saw my chance."

He sputtered in outrage. "Chance for what?! To humiliate Spitelout? To send me on some noble quest for public acceptance?! Or just to get out of marrying Snotlout?!" He knew he was being hysterical, but her confession made the gauntlet of 'what if's' run in his mind.

Astrid didn't look the least bit bothered. "I saw a chance for a lifetime of happiness with my best friend…and the man I love."

All the fight left him like a puff of smoke. "C-c-come again?"

She chucked. "You heard me right."

He leaned closer, staring at her deeply. "Please, look me in the eyes and say it again. I need to know this isn't just some dream that I'm having while still passed out on the arena floor."

She gently cupped his face with her hands, and he could just barely feel it. "I love you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock. With all that I am."

He trembled. "Wow…wow…I…Astrid…"

"Does that mean the feeling is mutual?"

"Y-yes! Yes of course!" He declared. "I've loved you my whole life! Since we were children! I-I-I've only fallen harder and harder for you since those days you started talking to me. I tried to let you go, but I couldn't. So many nights, Astrid, so many nights I thought about the hayloft. I knew I could never love another woman again. I…I love you."

Careful of the cut on his lip, Astrid pulled him down into a gentle kiss.

"I'll never get tired of that," he said, dreamily.

"So…you're not mad at me?"

"No. I would have been if you had said it was to stick it to the Jorgensons, but honestly, if I was in your shoes, and I noticed what Gothi was doing…I'd have a hard time stopping it too."

She pulled him down to snuggle with her, pressing his head to her chest. "I'm sorry you had to fight Snotlout. I didn't expect that to happen. But that's partly why I insisted on training you. I knew this was my fault. I owed it to you."

"No one has to know about this," Hiccup murmured, getting sleepy again. "It's still Gothi's fault…you just took advantage of the situation."

"Yeah. I think it all worked out rather well."

He giggled as he rested his head against her breast. "I'll say."

—

In the morning, Hiccup awoke slowly, coming in and out of wakefulness. Sleep felt like sand in his eyes as he blinked hard. Wiping his face resulted in a painful throb throughout his eyes and nose.

Oh, right. The fight. Well, if the pain was any indication, that meant yesterday wasn't a dream. He got his ass kicked, but he won in the end!

"Morning," Astrid said softly, above him.

He blinked again, trying to orient himself. The pillow he was using was Astrid's stomach, and he was curled around her, legs tangled with her. He realized he felt her playing with his hair too.

He unfurled, sitting up to look at her. Her eyes were still sleepy, hair undone and messy. She grimaced when he faced her.

"That bad, huh?"

"The bruising has developed a…floral hue."

"I'm purple, got it."

She pouted. "At least you won the fight."

"True, and got the girl. Hey, did you tell me that you love me last night?"

"I did!"

"Oh good, that wasn't a dream either." He laid back down, curling into her side. "Maybe another hour or so of sleep…"

"Or, we could go get breakfast up in the great hall. Should be plenty of drunk people ready to sing your praises."

Hiccup's stomach growled on cue, and he rested his hand on it. "I suppose…"

"Then you can come back and take a nap, or we can take a leisurely stroll to the cove and hang out with Toothless!"

He pushed to get up, now excited. "Now that sounds like a plan!"

—

The Great Hall was teeming with village life, as usual. It was still morning, and people often brought their breakfasts, plus food to spare, up to fellowship with their neighbors. Today it seemed a little more lively, however, which could be chalked up to the fight.

Vikings loved any and all reasons to party.

When Hiccup and Astrid walked through the doors, people turned to greet them, only to switch to a grimace as they got a load of Hiccup's face. It was a comedical "ayyyyeeuugghoooohhhhh" sound.

Hiccup hadn't looked in the mirror that morning. The Nadder poison still made his face numb, and it felt like it had swollen three times the normal size. He couldn't quite open his eyes either.

Astrid led them to their usual table, where the other teens, excluding Snotlout, were sitting.

"Oh Hiccup," Tuffnut cooed in jest, "purple suits you so well."

"Haha. Very funny."

"Is Snotlout still at Gothi's?" Astrid asked.

"No, he's mostly recovered," supplied Tuff. "Though, I did hear a rumor that he was training for some sort of 'rematch'."

"Nope," said Hiccup, slapping his hand on the table. "One fight was enough for me, thank you."

"Speaking of the fight!" Chirped Ruffnut. "You, my good sir, are owed some winnings!"

A hefty bag of coins landed on the table, mostly filled with copper and silver pieces.

"We did so good," Tuff chuckled. "The biggest payout was to all the people that bet on Snotlout declaring himself winner first. But, all of this came from the people that took the easy bet of Snotlout winning."

"I'm…still a little offended," Hiccup muttered, shifting the bag.

"Well, I know your dear F-I-L is rolling in the dough. He bet the most on you winning. He said something about recouping everything he lost to Spitelout."

"All that free wood towards Snotlout's house. It's Astrid's dowry."

"Well then, there you go. Now you're his favorite kid."

Maybe it was mean, but Hiccup looked at Astrid and said, "well, at least your dad won off of one of our fights."

"Hiccup!" She shrieked, before nailing him in the shoulder with an unrestrained punch.

"Yeah, I deserved that one," he wheezed.

"What are you going to use your winnings for?" Fishlegs asked, good naturedly.

"Well…what about chickens?"

The table collectively looked at him like he was speaking crazy talk.

"Chickens? You?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I like fresh eggs in the morning. And…" he leaned in to speak softer to Astrid. "The stray cat you've been feeding in the woods likes chicken, right?"

Astrid felt her heart flutter. He was talking about Stormfly. He remembered her dragon's favorite snack.

"O-oh, yeah. She does."

"Ohhh! What kind of cat?" Fishlegs asked eagerly.

"Lynx."

"Aren't those kind of dangerous?"

"She bites," Astrid smirked.

"I'm…no longer interested in this cat…" Fishlegs trailed off.

"About the chickens," Hiccup continued. "It's really up to you, Astrid. If I get busy in the forge, you might end up taking care of them. I don't want to force you into it."

"I'll think about it, but it sounds fun."

Good food, good friends, good atmosphere. Besides the dull ache in his face, Hiccup felt good. Maybe too good.

And that was weird.

As they ate, random townsfolk came up to congratulate Hiccup on his win. Animatedly, they recreated his fight, each retelling becoming more and more ridiculous.

"And you kicked 'im tween the legs, and he flew six feet off the ground! E'll never sire children!"

Hiccup chuckled, not really knowing how to respond to all this positivity.

Just a lot of shy 'thanks' were uttered.

—-

At the cove, Hiccup embraced Toothless, who gave him a long, loving lick. That felt really bizarre with the numbing sensation on his face.

"That was the first fight I've seen in fifteen years, and boy, was it ever a good one," said Valka. "You really rang Snotlout's bell! And Spitelout's! They'll think twice before messing with a Haddock!"

"I guess so. I haven't seen Snotlout since Gothi's hut. I don't know if he's still coherent. I heard a rumor he's training for a rematch."

Valka laughed, but Hiccup wasn't joking.

They spent hours with the dragons, flying around the backside of the island, racing, and playing tag. The girls kept nagging Hiccup about taking it easy with his injuries, but he didn't heed them much.

As they took a dinner break, Valka brought over a package for Hiccup. "I finally finished it! It's a belated wedding gift, or a congratulatory prize, whichever you prefer."

Unwrapping the paper, Hiccup was delighted to find the jacket she had been working on. Now, all done and ready to wear. It was black, treated with loose scales from Toothless.

"Oh, this is great!" He donned it, pleased to see the sleeves were buttoned up to fit perfectly. "It's comfy! And warm! Thank you, mom. I love it!"

"And I love you," she cooed, rubbing her nose on his cheek.

"Aw mom," Hiccup blushed, embarrassed. He still wasn't used to having a mom, much less her unfiltered behavior.

But the affection was nice.

One last gentle, night time flight, and Hiccup and Astrid called it a day.

As they made the trek back to the village, they walked in silence. The night was quiet, occasionally an owl or crickets cutting through the still ambience of wind in the leaves.

But for Hiccup, it wasn't quiet. Something made his hair stand up and goose flesh rise on his skin. He shivered.

"Cold?" Astrid asked.

"No," he lied. "Just…a chill down my spine."

She wrapped her arm around his waist. "You okay?"

"It's…hard to tell. I think everything is fine, but…something feels off. It feels wrong."

"What? The woods?"

"No," he sighed in frustration. "I don't know how to explain it. The world, the world feels weird."

Astrid raised an eyebrow at him. "Is it just because you're finally able to have your happy ending? Now that everything is peaceful and you're a pinnacle of the community, it's an unfamiliar sensation?"

He shook his head. "There's not peace. Toothless and Stormfly and my mom are still out in the cove. The alpha is out there." Another shiver ran down his spine as he realized what was wrong. "And we haven't had a raid in a while."

"Well, then we're due for one. Hopefully it'll wait until you're fully recovered, and then we can finally find this thing."

Hiccup started walking, his gut churning unpleasantly. "Knowing my luck, I don't think it'll wait."

—-

When it was still dark out, and Astrid was snoring softly, Hiccup heard the roar of a dragon. Then two.

"I knew it," he snapped, throwing the blankets off.

Astrid was startled awake by the action. "Huh? What? What's going on?"

"A raid. It's about to happen."

"You're sure?"

He pushed the window open further and looked outside. It was still way too dark, but he could definitely hear chirps and squawks.

"Any minute now, the horns will sound." He fumbled to change into proper pants and a shirt. He pulled on his brand new jacket as well, fastening it closed.

"I'll come with you," Astrid started to get up.

"No." He stopped her softly. "I'm just doing a scouting mission. I'm just going to follow the raiding dragons back to where they came. I need you to stay here and cover for me. It would be suspicious if we were both gone."

"I guess…" she frowned. "Are you sure you're recovered enough? Your stitches—"

He kissed her as a distraction. "No, I'm not fully recovered. But I need to go now. Who knows how many raids we'll have before winter?"

Astrid didn't look so certain. Her mouth pulled into a thin line. "I still don't like it, but I can't find anything else to argue with."

Just then, horns and bells started ringing, a warning for the raid.

"Here we go." Hiccup tied up his boots. "If anyone asks, I'm at the forge. If Gobber asks, tell him you don't know."

"Okay," she said, breathlessly.

That horrible sense of dread stirred within him again, stronger this time. It made him hesitate, and even a little afraid.

"Hiccup?" She asked, seeing him frozen.

He shook his head, trying to force himself to be brave. He kissed her once more, before fleeing down the stairs.

Something was different about this raid. He could feel it. Once he got outside, he could hear more anger in the dragons. As he watched them come into view, his heart sank as he saw they weren't going for food. They were blasting at houses, the guard towers, anything they saw.

Standing and gawking wasn't going to get anything done. So he booked it into the woods, running as fast as his little legs would allow. His face throbbed and his nose dripped. But he had to get to Toothless.

He skidded into the cove, the dragons perking up at his arrival.

"What's going on?" Valka asked. "Cloudjumper woke me. The dragons seem spooked."

"Yeah, there's a dragon raid. I think it's going to be a bad one." He ran to Toothless and scrambled onto the saddle.

"What makes you say that?" Valka asked, boarding Cloudjumper.

"The dragons aren't just going for food. It looks like they're attacking anything they can find."

Valka hummed in thought, seemingly disturbed. "The Alpha…might be on to us. If the dragons haven't been bringing back food for it…it might be lashing out."

"Then they'll need you," Hiccup declared.

"Me?"

"Anyway you can, you have to help Berk drive them off. You know how to do that better than them. I don't know if eels will cut it."

Valka seemed unsure, but ultimately agreed. "Just…don't engage the Alpha. Find its location, and come back. Your father and I will help create a plan to deal with it."

"I promise I'll be safe." Though, he wasn't sure that was true. That sense of unease continued to thrum through his small body, with a mantra of 'don't go, don't go, don't go'.

But he ignored it, and had Toothless take off towards Berk.