Work Text:
Again, the kink meme request was just for a “Five Times plus One” story.
“You’re the reason I became stronger, but still you are my weakness.” and “I fell in love with you because of the million things you didn’t know you were doing.” and “The heart has reasons that reason knows nothing of.” With that in mind...
X:One:X
During Dragon Training, but before Toothless, before the Red Death, before everything changed, Astrid Hofferson found herself looking at boys. She thought about them often. She tried to picture herself in love with one, tied to one in marriage, giving herself completely to another person. The thoughts usually buckled like the branches of a tree caught in a blizzard. Astrid Hofferson would never be owned.
Besides, the youths in her age group to pick from were slim.
There was Snotlout Jorgenson. She supposed she could admit that she liked the look of his body. His physique reflected what she thought she wanted in a man—someone strong and dependable, someone who could carry her in their arms, and might be able to beat her in a fair fight but only by a little bit. She liked the look of his dark hair and the curved horns of his helmet. The little bit of stubble he was beginning to grow put her off, though, along with his personality. The way he relentlessly chased after her as if she was a target was annoying. She found herself putting him down and dominating him on the frail hope that he would back off, but Snotlout knew no defeat.
Then, there was Fishlegs Ingerman. Astrid couldn’t quite get past how square and shapeless his body was. There was nothing attractive there except his strong arms and pale hair coupled with his green eyes. Now, those eyes were something Astrid could admit she liked. It snowed all the time in Berk, but Astrid loved spring. She loved the grass, the fresh leaves on trees, and the verdant parts of flowers. If not for the evergreens that grew off Raven Point, she thought she might go mad. Fishlegs wasn’t someone she could imagine being with though. He was weak and a coward compared to her. She didn’t want to be with someone she would have to save. She wanted someone strong.
The final person was Tuffnut Thorston. He was blonde and thin with blue eyes like her own. While appearances might have sworn she could beat him in a fair fight, she occasionally struggled. Tuffnut was a rock who felt no pain unless his twin was involved. No matter how much he pretended to hate Ruffnut outwardly, it was clear to Astrid that he did love her deep down. Astrid thought that was sweet and she kind of liked that about Tuffnut. He didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he did have feelings. Unfortunately, Tuffnut was stupid. He was devastatingly stupid. If someone put a leg of mutton into a dragon’s mouth, he would climb in after it and Astrid didn’t want to be worrying about him all the time.
Though Hiccup Horrendous Haddock existed, Astrid didn’t consider him worth anything at the time.
In hushed embarrassed conversations, Astrid and Ruffnut whispered about boys as well. Ruffnut confessed that she was feeling much the same about the choices they had and hers were even slimmer since she couldn’t consider her brother.
“I was thinking,” Ruffnut confessed in the Great Hall over sweet mead one night when Astrid’s shoulder ached from throwing her axe, “what about someone… older?”
Astrid glanced around the hall, rubbing her shoulder absently. Her eyes slid over Stoick the Vast, Gobber, her father, Silent Sven, and several other Vikings before circling back to Ruffnut’s flushed face. She shrugged and didn’t admit that she was repulsed by the sight of all their scraggly beards. She liked clean-shaken faces, but that was a rarity in a Viking. Astrid would just have to get used to liking stubble. Maybe she would grow into it.
“Well?” Ruffnut asked.
Astrid wet her lips and finally admitted, “I’m not really into the beards.”
“Me either,” Ruffnut agreed with a breath of relief. “I just imagine how scratchy that must be if he’s doing something… uh, you know, down there.”
Astrid flushed and punched Ruffnut across the table, but the blow was weak. “I did not need to picture that,” Astrid hissed.
Ruffnut chuckled and took another drink. Her eyes wandered across the hall and then her lips quirked into a frown.
Astrid knew without looking that Hiccup had just walked in. “Ugh,” she said without turning to face the embarrassment of Berk. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”
Ruffnut nodded, but as they left the table, she whispered in a voice so quiet that Astrid almost missed it, “What about Hiccup? Do you ever think about him?”
“No,” Astrid said sternly. “Why would I?”
Ruffnut shrugged and said absently, “He doesn’t have a beard.”
Astrid elbowed the other girl firmly. “It’s not all about beards,” she hissed. “Hiccup is useless.”
Then, everything changed.
It was the very next week that Hiccup began to show such promise in the arena and Astrid found herself following him, wanting to know how and why he had suddenly become so good. A full seven nights passed since her conversation with Ruffnut in the Great Hall when Astrid found herself kidnapped into the sky on the back of a dragon with no choice but to wrap her arms around Hiccup’s waist or risk falling to her death. She would never admit it to Ruffnut or anyone else, but that flight had been one of the greatest experiences of her entire life. If she could do it over and choose anyone in Berk to take it with, she would have chosen Hiccup all over again.
There was just something about Hiccup then—a sort of perfect understanding that she didn’t think anyone else could feel, a strong confidence, a soft heartbeat beneath her hands. She started looking at him differently. Even though his body was weaker than hers, his mind was sharper and his heart was bigger. He had befriended a dragon, healed it, ridden it. Astrid didn’t think anyone but Hiccup would have dared. Then, he faced down the Red Death and defeated it in a blaze of glory, even if those moments following the smoke and fire were the worst in Astrid’s young life. Though crippled and with his status suddenly lifted from Useless to Amazing, Hiccup didn’t change.
Astrid imagined how it would have been if Snotlout had defeated the Red Death. He would probably have demanded songs and livestock in his honor, but Hiccup had humbled Snotlout. Despite his involvement in taking down the Red Death, Snotlout didn’t ask for anything save a stable to house his new dragon. Fishlegs never would have been brave enough to face that monstrous dragon, but Hiccup had somehow given him courage enough to try. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had worked together in a way Astrid had never seen before, riding together on the two-headed dragon to protect their village, and Hiccup did that too.
She thought of herself. In the past, she never would have put her neck out for a dragon or even for one of her fellow teens, but Hiccup had encouraged her. When she found herself and the Deadly Nadder being pulled into that beast’s ravenous maw, Hiccup had saved her. He had plucked her from the sky and set her gently on the ground before diving straight into danger without ever looking back. Hiccup was more courageous and stronger than anyone she knew.
When she kissed him afterwards, it had been spur of the moment. She was just happy he was alive and standing. She was happy there was still light in his eyes and sarcasm in his voice. When she pulled him to her and kissed his soft lips, there was a moment where everything inside her mind went white.
When the whiteness cleared, sharp regret pulled through her. What was she doing? What was she thinking? Hiccup was useless.
Then she felt the gentle pressure of his kiss returning and smelled the scent of his skin all around her. Warmth tightened in her chest and lower belly. The thorny Viking part of her mind fell silent. Hiccup wasn’t useless. Hiccup was… Hiccup.
And she really liked him.
A few weeks passed in slow monotony as everyone struggled to get used to dragons living among them. Hiccup was the mortar that held Berk together though he was never too high on his throne to ask for help. As much work as he did himself, he asked Astrid and the others to help too. The logical part of Astrid thought that was because his missing limb still hurt him, but a small girlish part of her insisted that he wanted them to spend time together.
One night, everyone was in the Great Hall when Astrid caught herself watching Hiccup again. Noise filled the hall. It was crowded with people and dragons, children running hither and thither, and the rich smells of cooking meat and chilled ale. Hiccup was so small and slender that Astrid had to actively search to keep her eyes on him and a little blush crept up her neck when she caught herself.
Hiccup was still trying to get used to his new prosthetic and his steps were uneven. Toothless was right behind him, his nose occasionally nudging Hiccup’s back and sides to keep him steady. Vikings paused in their eating and merry-making to talk to him, to pat his shoulder, to ask how he was. Even from this distance, Astrid could see the little flush and sparkle in Hiccup’s expression. It was such a large change to go from being ignored as the Bane of Berk to its hero and Dragon Master almost overnight.
“Hiccup!” she called when he was near enough to hear her over the noise.
Toothless swiveled his head in Astrid’s direction, bright green eyes focusing on her. Then, he nudged Hiccup’s side and crooned softly.
Hiccup stumbled, unprepared for the eager prodding, and Astrid’s heart jumped into her throat. She shouldn’t have worried though. In a flash, Toothless’s mangled tail coiled against the other side of Hiccup’s waist and held him steady. Hiccup let out a small breath of relief and then slipped onto the bench beside Astrid gratefully. Toothless lay down beside him and Hiccup rested his hand on the dragon’s head without appearing to notice he was doing so.
“Did you eat?” Astrid asked Hiccup and caught herself watching the flare of his thin freckled throat as he breathed.
“Nah,” he said cheerfully. “I’m not really hungry.”
“You should eat,” she said before she could stop herself.
Hiccup grinned at her and his smile was stunning if not a little toothy. “Are you worried about me?”
“So what if I am?” she asked evenly and turned her attention to her mug of sweet mead.
Hiccup didn’t quite visibly blush, but he turned his attention to Toothless to hide any reaction he might have had.
Astrid glanced at him through the fringe of her blond hair, emotion welling in her throat. She studied the curve of Hiccup’s jaw, the light dusting of freckles visible across his cheeks and nose, the thin scar on his chin, the shadows of his chestnut hair falling across his pale face. For a moment, she thought about leaning over and kissing him. For a moment, she thought about sliding her thigh against his and reaching to take his hand. For a moment, she thought that she wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life with him.
Then, the Thorston twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs pounced on the bench across from them. Jolted out of her thoughts, Astrid dipped her head to hide her blush. Out of all the men and boys in the Great Hall, she was attracted to Hiccup and she couldn’t understand why.
X:Two:X
Hiccup and Toothless cut through the clear blue sky as easily as a ship gliding through still water. Toothless’s wide black wings blotted out the sun for just an instant, like a passing eclipse. Though she was too far to see properly, she could have sworn Hiccup had his arms spread wide. She imagined that she could hear his joyful voice shouting out to the heavens. As she watched he performed a new feat of daring acrobatics that made her stomach drop out. Fifteen wasn’t exactly an age known for being careful.
Whenever she saw them flying, she always remembered that fateful night when Hiccup stole her from the ground to prevent her from screaming his secret to Stoick the Vast. Astrid hadn’t been flying on Toothless since then, but Hiccup went flying with his closest friend every single day while Astrid watched surreptitiously from the ground.
Though she went flying with Stormfly almost as frequently, it didn’t feel the same. Astrid was loath to admit it, but she wanted to feel Hiccup’s body pressed against hers again. He had smelled wonderful and clean. Though thin, he was impossibly warm and she had been able to feel his heart beating steadily against her chest and hands. She remembered the feeling of his muscles beneath her fingertips and wondered if the fine planes she had felt on his chest had become more defined since then.
“Astrid? Astrid!”
With a jolt, she realized someone was calling her name and quickly put aside the axe she had been holding. “What?” she demanded harshly.
The ground vibrated as something heavy settled beside her and she felt a rush of cool wind as Toothless’s wings swept downwards. Hiccup was still seated in the saddle and looked at her curiously as he rubbed his injured leg absently. There was a cold front moving in and the weather was probably bothering him. “So, do you want to?” he repeated.
“What?” she asked, caught off-guard by the question.
Hiccup grinned, cheeky and happy. “I asked if you wanted to come flying with Toothless and me?”
“Sure,” Astrid said.
Hiccup’s face broke into a smile that was like sunlight and warm fires.
Astrid approached him assuredly. Hiccup continued to smile until she gripped him by the front of his riding harness and used it as leverage to pull herself onto Toothless’s back. The dragon chuffed irritably as he took the added weight, but Astrid reached around Hiccup to scratch behind his ears and he settled down. She felt tenseness in Hiccup’s shoulders and put her arms around his waist boldly.
“Well?” she asked.
With a jerk, Hiccup pressed down on the stirrup and opened Toothless’s prosthetic tail. The great dragon lunged into the sky like a bolt being fired from a crossbow. A little shriek of delight escaped her lips and she buried her face against Hiccup’s back. Toothless was definitely faster than Stormfly.
As Toothless’s flight pattern leveled out, Astrid loosened her grip and leaned back slightly. She breathed in deeply, pretending to absorb the sea breeze when she was really enjoying the scent of Hiccup’s skin and hair. She ran her fingers softly against his waist and sides, feeling the ridges of muscle and bone.
Hiccup giggled and then grabbed her hand, holding it tightly to stop it from moving.
“Are you ticklish?” Astrid asked.
Hiccup snorted, but didn’t admit or deny it. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, then he seemed to catch himself, and released her hand.
She smoothed it along his hip and held him tightly.
“You know,” Hiccup said after a moment, “when I asked if you wanted to fly with me, I meant with Stormfly.”
A flush that Astrid was happy he couldn’t see colored her cheeks. For a moment, she thought about lying or punching him to change the subject, but she didn’t do either of those things. Holding his waist, feeling his heartbeat, breathing the scent of him, she didn’t see any reason to lie. Up here in the sky with Toothless, they were safe. Instead, she confessed very quietly, “I wanted to go flying with you again.”
Hiccup nodded silently, just enough to let her know that he heard. He didn’t say anything.
Wordlessly, Astrid tightened her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his back. He was warm and the material of his tunic smelled clean. There was a small tear at the shoulder, but he had patched it himself. Astrid ran her fingertip along it and pried a little shiver from him.
“Hiccup,” she began and then stopped.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and she craned her neck to place a kiss at the corner of his lips. An adorable blush spread up his neck and cheeks, tangling in his eyes like stars that had fallen from heaven. Astrid wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. He looked too happy and she just wanted to kiss him again so she did. She cradled his chin with her fingers and deepened the kiss as much as she could. He didn’t taste of anything in particular and his lips were soft beneath hers. After a moment, he broke the kiss gently and shifted the position of Toothless’s tail before they drew too close to a cliff.
They flew together for a long time.
Hiccup chatted softly about the forge and his father and Toothless. His words were a stream, tumbling and tripping over themselves after going so long with only Toothless to talk to, but Astrid listened patiently. She liked the tenor of his voice, soft and sweet, and she realized that she had never thought about such a thing before. Vikings weren’t particularly known for their lovely voices, but she found herself wanting to hear Hiccup sing.
As the sun sank below the horizon, she pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth and wished she could pull his voice into her soul. Daring, she let her tongue flit along the seam of his lips and his mouth opened slightly. She darted inside, tasting the sweet cavern, and Hiccup came to meet her. Her teeth scraped along his tongue and he made a soft sound. She slipped her hand along his jaw and into his hair, tugging him just a little bit closer.
A loud catcall rocked through the twilight.
Astrid snapped away from Hiccup so quickly that she almost tumbled off Toothless. Only Hiccup’s grasp on her hand kept her from plummeting to her death. She tried not to let herself think about how strong his grip was, but she couldn’t help noticing.
The Thorston twins pulled alongside them, each grinning maniacally.
“Ooooh,” Ruffnut mocked. “Getting kinky on dragonback, huh?”
“Shut up, Ruff!” Astrid snapped. “What are you doing?”
“Looking for you, duh,” Tuffnut told them.
“Your mom is looking for you, Astrid,” Ruffnut said.
Astrid nodded. “Alright,” she said. “Tell her that I’ll be right there.”
Ruffnut slid Astrid a meaningful look and Astrid rolled her eyes. She supposed it was probably time she told Ruffnut about her feelings for Hiccup anyway. Ruffnut wasn’t very smart, but maybe she would be able to help Astrid figure out why she was suddenly all over the Hero of Berk and why she had been drawn to him even before he became that.
The twins slid away on their green Zippleback, gliding low so the beast could pluck fish from the sea.
With a sigh, Astrid leaned her forehead against Hiccup’s back. He still had his hand wrapped around her wrist and she shifted her palm so that it pressed against his. Holding his hand lightly, she ran her thumb over a collection of calluses on his hand. She found herself wishing to run her lips along them, to feel those hands touching her skin and tangling in her hair.
“Hiccup,” she began again.
“Yeah?”
They were already gliding over Berk and Toothless landed softly on a grassy knoll. They were still cloaked in the shadows, but that wouldn’t last long. Fishlegs was puttering about, lighting the torches with Meatlug, and Astrid’s mother was looking for her. Without time to dally, Astrid slid down from the saddle and Hiccup looked at her expectantly, but she shook her head.
“Thanks for the ride,” she told him and then took off down the hill.
When she reached the bottom, she leaned against the warm wall of Gobber’s forge and turned her eyes to the darkening sky. As she had expected, Toothless and Hiccup were flying again. Astrid imagined that this must be what Gods looked like. Hiccup and Toothless were beautiful together, blotting out the moon and stars, while all the valkyries flew alongside them. Even though she had just left them, she wanted nothing more than to be on that dragon with Hiccup again.
X:Three:X
It was warm in Gobber’s forge, far warmer than it was outside in the dark sleeting night. Astrid ducked in through the front door and immediately breathed out a sigh of relief as the warmth soaked into her body. She could already feel her damp clothes beginning to steam in the volcanic heat of the forge. She flipped back her fur-lined hood, picked some ice from the end of her braid, and smoothed her hand self-consciously down the new plait. She had started braiding her hair differently and wouldn’t admit the reason to anyone, not even Ruffnut. She let everyone believe it had something to do with turning sixteen.
“Hiccup?” she called. “Hiccup, are you here?”
Firelight reflected warmly off the countless metal axes, swords, and maces that lined the walls. Gobber’s more peaceful tools of the trade lay out on his workbench since they saw more use than the weapons of the old days. Toothless’s prosthetic stirrup was in pieces on Hiccup’s tidier workbench, along with his open notebook and a plate of food. It looked like he was revising the mechanics for Toothless’s tail and pretending to eat.
“Hiccup?” Astrid called again.
From the back of the shop where Gobber kept scrap metal and coal, there was a great crash. Usually, Astrid would have lunged for her axe and called for Stormfly, but Berk had been peaceful for months thanks to Hiccup and his father. Besides, she knew better. There were only two people who banged around in Gobber’s shop and it was genetic. Since Stoick was up at the Great Hall drinking with Gobber, Astrid knew who it was. Sure enough, a moment later, Hiccup stumbled out of the shadows.
“Astrid,” he said and his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. “Hi, Astrid, hi… What, um, what brings you here?”
Astrid perched on the edge of Hiccup’s workbench and smiled at him. “I’m looking for you,” she said evenly.
Hiccup pushed a hand through his chestnut hair and said, “Well, you found me.” He stepped completely into the shop so that he could close the rear door behind him and lock the cold draft out. The amber firelight washed over him and Astrid’s breath caught in her throat.
Shirtless in the heat of the forge, his pale skin gleamed. He had filled in since the incident with the Red Death. His shoulders were finally beginning to broaden, his biceps had a noticeable peak, and there was a faint line of auburn hair below his navel. Though his body was developing, he remained her Hiccup. Freckles dusted most of his bare skin and he was virtually hairless in all the right places. She loved to run her lips along his collarbones and throat, press kisses to his chest, and trail her fingers along his pelvis.
His hair was getting long, curling against his neck and over his ears, and she itched to run her fingers through it. His jaw was a little stronger, his smile a little brighter, and his nose fit his face just a little better. Those perfect green eyes of his sparkled in the firelight, fringed with long lashes and brilliant with excitement and mulled wine. Puberty was hitting Hiccup like an anvil and Astrid couldn’t deny that she liked the results. She fingered her braid again, nervously.
Hiccup wasn’t handsome in the traditional Viking way or even in a way that made sense. No matter how she tried, Astrid just couldn’t explain why she wanted him so badly.
“Do you need something?” Hiccup asked lightly. He folded his arms across his chest self-consciously and glanced around. His shirt was lying on a floor a few feet away. He could easily pick it up and put it back on, but a little part of him wished that Astrid would close the space between them and touch him.
Pulled from her thoughts, Astrid realized she had been staring at him. “No,” she said quickly. “I just noticed you weren’t at the banquet.”
Hiccup nodded. “I couldn’t handle it anymore,” he admitted.
“But it’s a meeting of the chiefs,” she said. “Your father wanted to show you off.”
Hiccup abruptly turned towards the forge and pumped some life into the coals as if to keep his hands busy. “Sure,” he muttered under his breath. “He does now.”
“Hey,” Astrid murmured and stepped close enough to wrap her arms around his bare torso. She rested her cheek the back of his shoulder, ghosting her lips along the galaxy of freckles there. “Don’t be like that. Stoick has always loved you, just… in his own way.”
Hiccup sighed and she felt some of the fight leave him. “I know,” he said softly, “but it feels stupid, you know. He’s been hiding me away for all those years while I was the ‘Bane of Berk’—”
Astrid flinched at the old nickname, right along with ‘Hiccup the Useless.’
“But now that I’m some kind of Dragon Master, he’s ready to tell the whole archipelago about me,” he muttered.
Astrid ran her hand absently down Hiccup’s chest, smoothing the soft hairless plane of his skin.
With a sigh, he turned in her arms and burrowed against her. Hiccup was a scant inch taller than she was, but he was still thinner and couldn’t heft an axe as easily. He pressed his chin into her shoulder and breathed the scent of her skin deep into his lungs. His breath was warm on her neck. Gingerly, he ran his fingers along her braid and tugged it gently.
“I like what you did with your hair,” he murmured softly.
Astrid couldn’t help the way her fingers flew to the new plait and combed over it nervously. She had braided it with colored ribbons today to celebrate the coming of all the different chiefs and tied the end with a small Night Fury crest that Hiccup had made for her. It was a tiny signal that she was his, but it was a secret hidden in plain sight. Hiccup didn’t speak about their relationship for fear that it would make Astrid reconsider why she kissed him and Astrid wasn’t ready to admit it. Yet, she wanted Hiccup to feel secure with her. She wanted him to know he could trust her and that she would have his back. When he made her the crest on a whim, she immediately began wearing it in plain sight. Everyone else assumed it was merely the symbol of the Dragon Academy and that Astrid was Hiccup’s second in command. Hiccup ran his fingers over the crest gingerly and turned his head to kiss her.
Astrid melted into him, clutching his bare sides.
Hiccup fit against her like something carved and shaped especially for her body. Gently, she pressed herself to him. The hard plate of her shoulder pads, the spikes of her skirt, and the dagger she wore at her waist dug into his bare torso. She felt his breath hitch, but he tugged her closer and didn’t let go.
“Hiccup,” she said and pressed her hands to the flat of his chest. She could feel his heartbeat as she said, “Let me go.”
“No,” he mumbled. “I don’t want to.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said and tickled his sides ferociously.
Hiccup was forced to release her or risk giggling. His beautiful green eyes caught the firelight and gleamed.
“The armor must hurt you,” Astrid said.
Then, without giving herself time to think about what she was doing, she unbuckled her shoulder guards and slipped the armored plates over her head. She put them aside quietly and then worked the belt of her spiked skirt free, discarding the dagger as well. She dropped both and stood before him in her leggings, boots, woven shirt, and fur-lined hood. Without her usual armory, Hiccup drank in the lines of her body. His eyes touched her like a physical caress. Astrid stepped closer, rested her fingertips against his bare chest, and tilted her head just enough to peer through her lashes at him. His warm breath tickled her lips.
“Touch me,” Astrid whispered.
Hiccup immediately coiled his arms around her and captured her lips. Astrid tilted her chin and flicked her tongue against his lower lip, delving into his mouth the moment he opened it. His hands roamed down her back greedily, feeling all the muscles and hard lines of her frame. She wriggled against him, hitching her shirt up and her leggings down just enough to bare an inch of her skin. Then, he hesitated just above her waist and she felt his fingertips tremble on her flesh.
“Go ahead,” Astrid said into his lips. “Touch me, Hiccup.”
“But—” he protested weakly.
“Everyone’s at the Great Hall,” Astrid told him. “No one’s going to come down here.”
Hiccup’s breath rushed between them.
Before he could protest again, Astrid slipped her hands down his shoulders, over his back, and firmly cupped his butt. Hiccup jolted, then tucked his hands over the swell of her bottom, and squeezed gently in return. She moaned quietly against his lips and cuddled closer to his bare chest. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she slipped her fingers into the waistband of his pants and tugged the fabric lightly. Hiccup gasped and shivered slightly, but didn’t tell her to stop.
He inched his fingers beneath her shirt and ran his hands up her bare back. His fingers traced the lines of her ribs, the scars on her back, and then ghosted over the column of her spine. She trembled and pressed herself fully against him to hide it. The strip of her bare belly touched his and it was like a spark of lightning between them. Without quite meaning to, she moaned. Hiccup dipped his head and kissed her fiercely, tangling his tongue beyond her teeth.
Then, he fit his hands beneath the tight band of her leggings and cupped her bare bottom. He spread her cheeks gently and ran his fingers down the shallow cleft. When his callused fingertip just brushed her opening, Astrid gasped and then a little flush of embarrassment crept up her neck. She was so wet for him, her leggings were sodden at the core, and she knew he could feel it. He slid his fingers through the moisture and sought out the source.
“Astrid,” he whispered. “Is this alright?”
She couldn’t find her voice to tell him that she had wanted this for weeks. She lay in bed at night imagining what his hands would feel like, how he would touch her, if he could make her come undone. In a secret corner of her mind, she thought about what other women said about the pain and force that first night, but she didn’t think about it long. Hiccup wasn’t like other Vikings. He was Hiccup.
“Y-yes,” she said breathlessly.
Hiccup tugged her leggings down slightly, trying to give his fingers a little more room, but Astrid’s hands joined his. She pulled down her leggings, kicked off her boots, and tossed everything aside. Wearing only her shirt and hood, she pressed flush against him. The warm air of the forge felt cool on her heated center, but the roughness of his pants and the hardness jutting out from him more than made up for it. She caught herself beginning to grind against him and lifted her chin to meet his eyes.
Hiccup stared down at her revealed skin with longing and pleasure. His stunning green eyes were hooded and Astrid felt a new rush of heat and wetness pool between her legs. He reached for her again and she didn’t shy away. She lifted her leg slightly, just enough to give him the space he needed to touch her without seeming too eager. She tucked her leg around his, pressing her swollen pearl against the rough fastens of his trousers.
Hiccup pressed his fingers to her experimentally. She could feel the caution in his touch as he learned her. He stroked her wet folds, rasped his nail over her bundle of nerves, pressed at her soft opening, and cupped her wholly. She moaned and clutched his shoulders. Her breath came fast and uneven, her heart hammered against her ribs, and her skin burned with heat. Then, Hiccup slipped a finger inside her and she almost died of embarrassment when her soaked juices splattered on the forge floor.
Hiccup didn’t give her time to worry about it though. He began to move his fingers, thrusting and rubbing, stroking and rolling. Astrid could only cling to him and pant. Her thighs trembled, her knees were weak, and she couldn’t draw in a deep enough breath. She had never felt like this even in her wildest late-night fantasies, even when she touched herself, even when she fit the slender handle of a knife into that hungry little place.
Nothing had ever made her feel like this. She had never thought Hiccup could make her feel like this.
“Ah, H-Hiccup,” she gasped.
Her thighs trembled as they had when she and Ruffnut once drank an entire keg of sweet mead. She clung to Hiccup’s bare shoulders, her nails leaving small crescents in his skin. Hiccup’s fingers delved a little harder against her, pressing a place that made her entire body want to fold in on itself. When his tongue flicked against hers in time with his fingers inside, she almost collapsed. Panting, heat filled her belly and tightened there like the coil of a catapult.
His mouth was hot against her own and his tongue slid along hers perfectly. Hiccup wrapped his arm around her back and lifted her slightly. Astrid hadn’t even realized she was sliding down in an attempt to feel his fingers even deeper in her hungry body. She didn’t think she could ever have enough of him inside her. There was too much empty space between them, so many places she wanted him to touch, so many places she wanted to feel his fingerprints.
“The workbench,” Hiccup said softly into her lips.
Confused, she broke the kiss to look at him.
Hiccup cupped her butt and lifted slightly without removing his fingers from within her. Astrid understood immediately and lifted herself onto the workbench. Hiccup quickly swept tools and parchments aside with a clatter. Astrid tried to wrap her arms and legs around him, but he put his hand to her chest and applied just a little pressure. She felt like a dragon suddenly, being guided by those merciful fingers, but she trusted him completely. Hiccup was Hiccup. Whatever was coming, she wanted it.
The muscles in her belly trembled with exertion as she leaned back slightly and then more and more. Hiccup’s fingers curled against her walls as she finally lay back completely on the workbench. Hiccup stood between her thighs, his thumb pressed over her pearl, his fingers danced magic inside her. She had never felt so exposed, knowing he could see everything of her in the dim firelight. Then, he thrust his fingers against something deep inside and her mind went white.
Her lips parted in a gasp and her eyes fell shut.
Then, Hiccup shifted and her knees clutched the empty air for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw his dark head between her thighs. A new wave of heat and desire ran through her body. She had heard whispers about this in the village. Apparently, it was rare for a Viking man to get on his knees for his woman, even if he loved when she did the same, but it was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. Astrid hadn’t even asked Hiccup for this and he was already—
His tongue was hot and surprisingly silky against her wet folds, testing her and tasting her. She cried out and gripped the edges of her workbench to steady herself.
Hiccup drew back slightly, concerned. “Astrid, I’m sorry. Did I—?”
She shook her head quickly. A flush of blood spread from her cheeks down her neck and over her clothed breasts. “No,” she admitted breathlessly. “It’s wonderful. Please, do it again.”
A little smile of pride touched Hiccup’s face before Astrid’s eyes closed again at his touch.
He licked her slowly, experimenting as he learned what could make her whimper and moan. She was impossibly wet, dripping from his touch, and her thighs quivered. Though he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in the wonderful heat of her body, he forced himself to breathe in the scent of her arousal. She was so beautiful, spread beneath him, trusting him completely. She writhed, moaning, as he found a place inside that was softer than the rest of her core.
His fingers twisted within her as his mouth closed over her pearl. His tongue rasped against her, prying shivers of bliss from her body. He thrust his fingers deep and then curled within her. She felt his calluses on her inner walls, rubbing against a sensitive place she hadn’t known existed. Her belly felt tight and hot, her thighs were shamefully wet, and she still wanted more. Then, he suckled her pearl with the slightest scrape of teeth. Her entire body seized up and her toes curled against his shoulders. Her muscles throbbed with a wave of hot weakness.
Astrid gasped something intelligible that might have once been his name.
Hiccup blew warm air on her core as she rode out the beautiful waves of her orgasm. Breathing hard, she slowly returned from the high that was greater than flying. It took her a long while to realize he was still stroking her wet folds gently and she flushed. She straightened up as best she could and reeled at the sensations in her body. Her nipples ached, her skin was hyperaware of the space Hiccup took up, and she felt oddly satisfied. Parts of her were exhausted. She suddenly wanted only to hold Hiccup close and listen to his heartbeat.
Then, Astrid noticed the bulge in his pants and cupped it gingerly. Hiccup hissed as if in pain, but his green eyes glittered. She wondered if he had heard the same rumors she did about things like this.
Wetting her lips slowly, she unfastened his pants and slipped her hand inside the constricting fabric. He groaned, his eyes nearly black with desire. She freed his member and took in the size and length. It was a little more than she had expected, longer and thicker than the handle of her knife, and probably easier to maneuver. She stroked the soft head of him, feeling the velvet hardness, and sighed. When he began to tremble, she stopped her teasing strokes and pushed him back slightly.
A little jolt went through his expression, as if he thought she was denying him, as if he thought she would leave. Hiccup closed his hands over her shoulder and wet his lips to speak, but Astrid slid to her knees at his feet. She shivered as the cool air kissed her wet thighs. She gripped him at the base and then looked up at him earnestly. Hiccup’s throat flashed as he swallowed.
Astrid breathed out and saw him twitch at the sensation. She opened her mouth and engulfed him, taking him as deep as she could in one motion. Overcome by the heat and wetness, Hiccup groaned sweetly and tangled his fingers against her braid. Astrid thought about batting his hands away so he wouldn’t mess up her plait, but Hiccup was warm and hard in her mouth. She rasped her tongue over what she could reach of him and then drew back to taste more.
He moaned when she flicked her tongue against the slit and then a pulsing vein at the underside. Encouraged, Astrid began to bob her head at the same pace he had set with him fingers inside her before. She licked him whenever she could. She felt his fingers tremble on her head and doubled her efforts. Hiccup whimpered. She sucked the tip of him, her teeth just barely scraping the mushroomed head, and then slid down to swallow as much as she could before repeating it.
“Astrid, wait,” Hiccup began.
She stroked him in time with her mouth.
Sharply, something hot and terribly salty filled her mouth. Though logic told Astrid she had made him come, she recoiled at the taste, but was uncertain of what to do with it. Did she swallow? Hiccup dropped to his knees with her, breathing hard as more fluid leaked from his tip. He looked around for a moment, but didn’t seem to find what he wanted. He put his hand beneath Astrid’s chin and said breathlessly, “Spit it out.”
Confused, she just stared at him, lips parted and unsure.
“It can’t possibly taste good, right?”
Astrid shook her head.
“Spit it out,” he said.
Abruptly, she shook her head and swallowed the bitter fluid. For a moment, Hiccup looked shocked and then a small flush spread across his freckled cheeks. If he could taste her, she could do the same.
Then, Astrid leaned forward and tucked her chin into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and just cradled her to his bare chest, sheltering her naked lower body with his still-clothed thighs. Astrid had never felt so deliciously warm and adored, even if the floorboards were rough against her knees and her back ached. Hiccup stroked her braid absently.
She didn’t know how long they sat together on the floor of Gobber’s forge. She never wanted this moment to end. She wanted to feel Hiccup’s arms around her forever.
Then, there was a loud noise at the door and Toothless squeezed through the doorway. He looked over at the two humans and chortled, sniffing them curiously and then sitting back on his haunches. He regarded them with bright green eyes and then crooned.
“If Toothless is here,” Astrid murmured and ran her fingers along Hiccup’s bare chest, “the party must be wrapping up.”
Reluctantly, Hiccup uncoiled his arms from her. He rose shakily to his feet, tucked himself back into his pants, and found a clean cloth. Astrid wiped wetness from her lower body, chin, and hands. Hiccup handed her leggings back to her and she tugged them on gingerly. Her entire body felt oversensitive and tingly and warm. She was acutely aware of the space Hiccup took up, of his breath, of his hands and lips, of everything about him.
“Astrid, I…” he whispered and turned to look at her. In the light of the forge, his green eyes glowed.
She suspected what he was trying to say and kissed him instead. She wasn’t sure she was ready to hear those words when she wasn’t certain she could return them. She needed to know why…
When she pulled away, she quickly asked him about what he was working on and he began to explain that he was making a new stirrup for Toothless’s prosthetic tail. Astrid watched him talk, watched his hands move as he spoke, watched his eyes dance. Then, he turned towards her and just smiled.
She thought then that she could easily spend the rest of her life with him, but why? Why Hiccup?
X:Four:X
While most of the village bathed frequently, Gobber usually had to be forced into a tub, hosed down, and scrubbed vigorously at least once a week. Stoick the Vast assisted by Hiccup, Snotlout, and Phlegma the Fierce had just finished such a venture. Gobber trudged through the village, cursing and grumbling but polished to a shine like a recently-forged mace. He always chose the hard way, which Astrid didn’t understand since Berk had a convenient hot spring not far from the village.
Feigning interest in her cracked shield, she watched as Hiccup plucked at his wet tunic. The green material was plastered to his skin and there was soap in his hair, but she liked the way he looked. His green eyes sparkled as he and his father laughed about something. Then, he moved away from the muddy area where they had hosed down Gobber. His steps were sure and steady, even though the metal tip of his prosthetic sank into the soft earth.
Toothless had chosen to watch the spectacle from a rooftop, but clambered down to inspect Hiccup as the boy neared. Laughing, Hiccup pushed the dragon’s nose away and Toothless batted at him with his tail. Hiccup avoided it with an effortless grace borne of being knocked over one too many times. He was also strong enough to push aside the dragon’s great head. When had that happened?
Though his body was still slim and small, he had grown a few inches and begun to fill in. Astrid had overheard him talking to Gobber about adjusting his prosthetic and also designing something so it wouldn’t slip on ice so easily. His tunic rode up over his wrists and was a little shorter at the waist. It hugged the bones of his hips, the span of his ribs, the line of his stomach and pectorals. As if sensing her gaze, Hiccup looked over at her and smiled.
A hot blush crept up Astrid’s neck, but she quickly waved at him before turning her attention back to her shield.
Stormfly bounded over to Astrid and nudged her, chortling.
“Alright, alright,” Astrid relented. “We can go flying.” She tossed her shield into Gobber’s shop for Hiccup to help her repair later, climbed onto Stormfly’s back, and made herself comfortable in the saddle. She patted Stormfly on the neck and said, “Okay, girl. Let’s go!”
Together, they exploded into the sky in a rush of wind and freedom. Stormfly whirled in a quick lap around the village before Astrid guided her to swoop low over where Hiccup was drawing water from the well to get a drink. Holding tight with her thighs, Astrid leaned out of the saddle and ruffled his hair as they passed overhead. He looked up, surprised, and grinned at her. Astrid tipped her head back and laughed.
A moment later, a dark gust of wind dove past her. With a shriek, she pushed her bangs out of her face and turned to look at Hiccup. He and Toothless hung above them, ridiculously upside-down, looking pleased with themselves.
“Oh, it is so on,” Astrid shouted over the beat of dragon wings.
“Say the usual?” Hiccup called to her.
“Three laps around the village, ending at the courtyard,” Astrid agreed. “Loser cleans out the Academy for a week.”
“You’re on!”
With practiced ease, their dragons leveled alongside each other, hovering in place as best either of them could.
“Three, two, one…” Astrid and Hiccup counted down in unison. “Go!”
As if shot from twin canons, the pair of Dragon Riders took off. Astrid didn’t think anything could compare to the feeling of flying. Nothing made her feel more beautiful, even if the wind whipped her hair out of her braid and lashed it in her eyes. Hiccup flew beside her, his face pushed into the wind as if he could feel a phantom touch.
“You’re going down, Haddock,” Astrid taunted him.
Hiccup grinned, but didn’t return a taunt. He had always been wonderful competition, ever since they were kids. He was also a graceful loser, being beaten by Snotlout all the time when they were young, but now he had grown up in all sense of the word. Hiccup didn’t lose all the time anymore. In fact, he and Toothless were practically unbeatable. Confidence looked stunning on him.
Astrid fought back the desire to kiss him. She spurred Stormfly on a little faster, lifting out of the saddle and leaning into the wind. They pulled into a sharp turn and whirled to begin the second lap. Hiccup’s turn was tighter and he pulled ahead of her. She stared at his back, strong and slender, and his perfect tight buttocks. The stiff ocean wind did little to cool her hot face.
Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at her and she caught sight of his smirk. Quickly, she gripped Stormfly’s spines and guided her dragon into a fast roll that allowed them to pull ahead of Hiccup. It was only after she had taken his place in the lead that she realized she had given him the perfect view in exchange. Her spiked skirt flapped around her thighs as if to prove to her just how silly she was.
Flushing, Astrid whirled into another quick maneuver through the dense forest off Raven Point. She felt more than heard the powerful down stroke of Toothless’s wings as he surged after her. Hiccup whooped and she heard the branches of a nearby tree rustle. She saw her shadow flash across the ground. Then, with a jolt, she realized it wasn’t her shadow. It was Hiccup, flying perfectly underneath her. He looked up at her and waved cheekily.
Astrid pulled Stormfly into a sideways roll that left Hiccup eating pine needles. They whipped through the forest, executing perfect turns and corkscrews. Then, Astrid heard Hiccup’s warning cry and a cackle of familiar laughter. There was a mild explosion and a tree branch came out of nowhere. Stormfly dove around it, but it smacked Astrid’s solidly in the stomach and swiped her from her saddle. Hiccup was close, closer than she had given him credit for, and he stretched out his hand.
Astrid reached for him. His fingers just grazed hers before she landed hard in a puddle of mud with a squelch. Toothless hovered over her, his wings blowing leaves and pine needles against her muddy skin. Astrid made a disgusted sound and looked up angrily to face the Thorston twins.
“Ruff, Tuff, you guys are so dead!” she shouted.
“That was perfect!” Ruffnut cackled and slapped her brother a high five.
“We have to get Hiccup next time!” Tuffnut exclaimed.
“Totally,” Ruffnut agreed.
Astrid struggled to her feet in the dense sucking mud. “I’ll kill both of you!” she threatened.
Stormfly puffed a great ball of fire in the twins’ direction and they took off like roaches scurrying from the light. Then, Stormfly landed just beyond the vast puddle of mud and began to preen herself as if to mock Astrid. Grumbling, Astrid tried to wade out of the mire, but it sucked at her boots something terrible.
“Here,” Hiccup said kindly and leaned out of his saddle dangerously far so he could offer his hand.
Though the draft from Toothless’s wings blew Astrid’s hair everywhere, she accepted his hand gratefully. Hiccup held her firmly as Toothless lifted her from the mud and set her down safely on the grass beside Stormfly. The blue Nadder chortled at Astrid, but didn’t help her rider clean up.
Astrid looked down at herself in disgust. “Don’t they have better things to do with their day?” she grumbled and tried in vain to scrape mud from her arms and legs.
Hiccup landed softly beside her and began to rummage through his saddlebags. “Apparently not,” he said and produced a canteen and scrap of cloth. Wetting it, he said to Astrid, “Come here.”
Growling under her breath, she stood patiently in front of him as he wiped the mud from her cheeks. His touch was gentle and soft. Astrid barely flinched even when he rubbed the tender skin at the corner of her eye. Finally, with a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and let Hiccup gingerly wipe her entire face.
With her eyes closed, she was hyperaware of the space he occupied. She felt every line of his fingerprints, every work-worn callus, every fiber of the cloth and drop of water. When his fingers slid along her jaw and tilted her chin ever so slightly, Astrid couldn’t help the small curving of her lips. Hiccup kissed her softly, as light as a butterfly touching down on a flower. She soaked in the kiss without pulling him closer, tasting him tenderly when his tongue slid against hers.
Heat swelled in her belly, warm and comfortable. Hiccup drew away slightly and pressed another soft kiss to her lips before he tucked her braid back over her shoulder and stepped away. He wiped his hands on the cloth and smiled at her. For a moment, Astrid completely forgot that she was covered in mud. Hiccup gazed at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Then, she heard the puttering of fast-moving wings and Fishlegs appeared through the trees. “There you are,” he panted. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“What’s up, Legs?” Hiccup asked and handed Astrid the cloth so she could wipe off what she could of the mud.
“Just total anarchy,” Fishlegs said and listed off an array of problems with both hands.
Hiccup sighed heavily when Fishlegs reached the problems caused by the twins.
“I’ll take care of those two,” Astrid said angrily. “You just handle the rest.”
Hiccup nodded and watched her clamber onto Stormfly. The dragon squawked unhappily as mud smeared against her scales, but Astrid spurred her into the sky without a care. It was only mud after all. It would wash off.
Fishlegs leaned towards Hiccup and asked nervously, “So… what’s all that about?”
“You don’t want to know.”
…
Night fell over Berk like a blanket, deep yet bright with the vast moon and stars. Astrid groaned as she stretched her arms over her head and watched her long shadow do the same. Dried mud flecked off her in rivulets and she brushed at her clothes helplessly. She had been trying to clean herself up for most of the day, but things just kept getting in the way. It was a hectic day, even by Berk standards, even with the Thorston twins locked up so they couldn’t cause any more trouble.
At dusk an hour earlier, Astrid had parted ways with Hiccup and told him she was going to take a nice long bath and head to bed. Hiccup had the good sense not to laugh at her condition, but he did smile thinly as she scraped dried mud from her skin. Unfortunately, Astrid had gotten involved rounding up stray yaks and still had yet to make it to the hot springs.
With a sigh, Astrid pushed open the door to her house and called, “I’m home.”
No one answered. There was a hasty note explaining that her parents had gone out with the anglers on an overnight fishing trip. They would be back in the morning, hopefully with a nice flounder which was Astrid’s favorite. Her stomach grumbled at the thought, but she didn’t allow herself a snack right now. First and foremost, she was filthy.
She grabbed some clean clothes, the small bucket that contained her soaps, shampoos, and washcloths, and a worn towel. Mud flaked off her braid. Hefting it all under her arm, she shrugged out of her armored shoulder guards and headed off for the hot springs. She hummed to herself as she walked, already fantasizing about the warm water.
Not a moment too soon, she reached the hot springs and dumped all her stuff at the edge. She unbound her hair and did her best to untangle it, but it was fairly hopeless. She stripped out of her clothes, her nipples pebbled in the crisp night air, and then she dove into the spring headfirst. The hot water burned her chilled skin, but it was worth it. She sank deep into the water with a sigh. It was perfect. All the stress and tension of the day melted off her as easily as the mud.
After a few minutes, she submerged to scrub her hair and skin. The water around her grew cloudy, but the bubbling current swept it away slowly. Astrid surfaced, took a deep breath, and dove under again. She loved the feeling of being underwater. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and breathing. Nothing was quite so peaceful. Her hair plumed around her like golden smoke. Astrid remained beneath the surface until her lungs felt as if they would explode. Then, with a great gasp, she broke the surface of the water. A crest of hot water streamed from her flying hair and she breathed in loudly.
“Sweet Thor—!”
Astrid’s eyes snapped open sharply and she found herself staring at Hiccup. He was seated on the edge of the spring, apparently right in the middle of taking off his prosthetic so he could bathe. He just stared at her, stricken, and Astrid hurriedly sank into the water to hide her bare breasts.
“Hiccup!” she hissed and looked around to see if anyone else had appeared while she was underwater. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get cleaned up,” he explained hastily. “I always come at this time. I thought— You said you were going to bathe an hour ago.”
“I got caught up,” Astrid grumbled and sank into the water up to her lips, blowing bubbles as she spoke. “I just got here.”
Hiccup tore his eyes from her full lips, from the shape of her body beneath the water. “I can go—”
“No,” Astrid interrupted. “This is stupid. It’s not like it’s anything you haven’t already—” She cut herself off and blushed. Maybe the steam would hide it, she thought. It was foolish to still be embarrassed in front of Hiccup after all the times they had touched each other, but they still hadn’t made that final step. She didn’t deny that the wanted to as her eyes hungrily roved his body beneath his too-small tunic.
Hiccup flushed beneath his freckles. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I can go and come back later.”
Astrid shook her head, looked down at the murky water, and uncovered her breasts in order to smooth back her wild hair. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s fine.” Then, she turned her back to him and grabbed the bar of soap from the bucket. She worked it to a rich lather in her hands and then busily scrubbed her body until she heard Hiccup sigh in pleasure as he slid into the water. Only then did she turn slightly to face him so they could talk companionably.
Something floated by her and her eyes widened as she realized it was a bucket that maintained itself perfectly level and held all of Hiccup’s bathing supplies. She thought about how much she hated to lean out of the warm water to grab her shampoo or comb. Hiccup smirked at her as if reading her mind.
“You’ll make me one too, right?” Astrid asked him.
“Consider it done,” he said with a smile.
Hiccup hooked the base of the float with his remaining toes and pulled it closer. He took his own bar of soap from it and scrubbed himself down. Hiccup had the skills to make scented soaps and Astrid breathed in the delicious scents of hickory and honeysuckle. (He had crafted her a bar scented with lilac and pine, some of her favorite smells, but she didn’t think anything compared to the smell of his soap and skin.)
Astrid focused on her own grooming, humming absently. She worked all the mud out of her hair, combed it until all the tangles and twigs were gone, and braided it loosely over her shoulder. She found a rock in the shallower part of the spring and perched on it, watching as Hiccup shaved his face with some difficulty. She had never quite realized that he did so and always just enjoyed his smooth skin. She ran her hand along her legs and wondered if she should shave too.
“Astrid,” he said softly.
She looked over at him and he timidly made a little ‘come here’ gesture with his hand. Smiling, she swam over to him and settled on the natural bench he had discovered. She snuggled against his side, draped her legs over his, and rested her hand over his heartbeat. Hiccup tensed for a moment and then relaxed. He stroked her shoulders, toyed with the end of her braid, and leaned over just once to kiss her cheek sweetly. Astrid sighed gratefully and relaxed completely.
Something she loved about Hiccup was how being with him never felt pressuring. They could sit naked together in the hot springs and Hiccup would expect nothing from her. Even as the soapy water began to clear up and their nudity was revealed, Astrid didn’t feel as if he would reach for her like a ruffian. Hiccup shifted beside her, wrapping his arm a little tighter around her ribs to press her flush against him.
Lazily, Astrid opened her eyes and looked down at their intertwined legs. Astrid had always hated her legs for being too thick and strong compared to Ruffnut’s, but for some reason, looking at Hiccup’s legs made her forget that. She traced the pattern of freckles on his thigh lightly and he shivered at her touch. His position shifted again, turning a little more to face her, and she could see where his leg was missing below the knee.
For a moment, Astrid didn’t know what she was looking at. It was horribly disfigured, scarred almost to the knee, and twisted unevenly. Through the blurred waters of the hot springs, it looked even worse. She had never realized how badly he had been crippled. He always made out like he was just fine and she didn’t know of anyone besides Gobber and Stoick who had actually seen Hiccup’s injury. Now that she thought about it, she knew Hiccup went out of his way to bathe late at night when the spring was empty. Until this moment, she hadn’t even seen him completely naked until now and she had certainly never seen him without his prosthetic. His leg wasn’t exactly something he could go without.
Awed and slightly stricken, Astrid stretched out her hand to touch all that remained.
Hiccup had been frozen, tense, until the moment she moved. Now, he pulled away from her sharply and turned his back. All at once, he curled his shoulders in on himself and suddenly returned to the tattered fourteen-year-old Astrid had first kissed. “Don’t,” he said pleadingly. “Don’t.”
Astrid’s heart stuttered in her chest and she drew her hand back. “Hiccup?” she breathed.
“It’s… ugly, isn’t it?” he muttered and rubbed his leg self-consciously, splashing water. “It’s hideous.”
Her breath caught. Astrid had plenty of scars on her body, but none of them quite told the story that Hiccup’s did. Her scars were reminders of moments she had slipped up. His was the mark of a hero, of someone who sacrificed everything for the people he loved. There was no reason for him to ever be ashamed of what he had done, what he had lost, what he had gained.
Astrid grasped his shoulder and pulled him to face her. She cupped his face with both hands and forced him to look at her. She had always seen the self-deprecation in Hiccup’s green eyes, ever since they were children, but for so long it had seemed like nothing would ever change that. She had always done her best not to make fun of him like everyone else, but she never spoke up from him either. Back then, Hiccup had always been a failure, a pariah, someone to watch and protect lest he hurt himself. Hiccup was nothing like that now. Maybe he never had been.
Astrid ran her thumb over the faint scar on his chin. “You know what I think?” she said lightheartedly.
Hiccup’s eyes gleamed wetly.
“Scars are sexy,” she said plainly. “Yours are no exception.”
A fragile smile pulled at Hiccup’s lips and he enfolded her in his embrace. For a moment, Astrid was shocked to find that he could do so and then burrowed down in his arms. His bare skin was warm and soft against her own, setting off little fireworks of awareness wherever they touched. She forced aside the arousal that gripped her belly and wrapped her arms around him in return. She could hear his heartbeat in her ear. He breathed shakily into her hair and hugged her a little tighter.
Astrid tilted her chin up to kiss him.
Hiccup melted into her like a drowning man clinging to a lifeboat. She had never realized just how deep his insecurities ran, but she supposed that was to be expected. For as long as she could remember, Hiccup was the Bane of Berk and no one had looked at him twice. She always heard him reprimand himself in that sarcastic voice of his, but she had never thought about how deeply he must have been cut by everything the village thought of him. Maybe he had come to think those awful things about himself too.
“Hiccup,” she whispered into his lips. She wanted to tell him how wonderful he was, how no one else would have dared touch a dragon none the less ride one, how he had opened the sky for her, how he made her feel like the most important person in the world, how he was everything to her. Yet the words wouldn’t come. Her throat closed over the expression on his face, so earnest and hopeful and completely innocent. She lost her voice and then whispered, “I…”
Hiccup tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, breaking their eye contact to trace his fingertip along her collarbone. In the moment that he looked away, the words slipped out.
“I love you,” Astrid murmured.
Hiccup froze in the act of touching her loose braid and then looked up slowly, disbelievingly. “What?” he breathed out.
It was easier to say the second time. “I love you,” she repeated.
Without a word, Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest. She curled against him, swathed in his strong embrace, and felt warm in a way that she never had before. Hiccup’s breath was soft on her lips before he kissed her tenderly. It was nice to feel protected, to feel completely loved and even trusted. No one else had seen Hiccup without his prosthetic leg, seen his scars, seen him naked.
“I love you,” she said again.
Hiccup kissed her again, swallowing the words into himself hungrily.
Astrid crawled into his lap, wrapped her legs around his waist, and she could feel his sex against her own. He was soft, but as she pressed herself down on him experimentally, his member twitched with interest. She twisted her fingers in his hair and deepened the kiss. She had often thought about what it would be like to be with Hiccup wholly and her belly constricted hotly with the thought of him now. She ground down on his shaft.
Hiccup broke the kiss with a soft gasp. “Astrid,” he breathed, “do you know what you’re doing to me?”
She tilted her head and grinned. “Of course,” she said and then lost her confidence. She flushed as she admitted, “I’ve been thinking about it.”
Hiccup’s throat flashed as he swallowed. “Do you… do you want to…? With me?”
Astrid pulled his chin to face her and fixed him with a stern look. “Only with you,” she said.
Hiccup smiled and wrapped his hands around her hips. She reached between their bodies and gripped him, stroking in that way she knew he liked. His head tilted back and a groan escaped his lips. She kissed his upturned mouth and felt his hand slide between her thighs. He knew exactly how she liked to be touched as well and wasted no time bringing her right to the edge. Hiccup was so much better at teasing her than she was him. She clutched his shoulder and panted hard, trying to match him touch for touch.
When Hiccup rasped the hard callus on his thumb over her pearl, she had to press her mouth into his neck to keep from crying out. Hiccup chuckled warmly as she stroked him unsteadily.
“No fair,” Astrid moaned.
Hiccup kissed her.
Astrid shifted against him. Still holding his member in her hand, she guided him to the apex of her thighs where she was warm and wet and ready.
“Astrid, wait,” he said breathily as he felt the first brush of her wet heat against the part of him that wanted it so badly. “S-shouldn’t the first time be… you know, special?”
Astrid paused and looked up at him through her lashes. “This isn’t special?”
Hiccup flushed and ran his fingers nervously down her braid. “No, I mean, yes! It is,” he said. “Of course it is.”
Astrid kissed him gently at the corner of the lips. “Hiccup,” she said softly.
He met her eyes. The shade of his green orbs nearly took her breath away.
“You’re the sweetest Viking in the history of Berk,” she said finally, “but if we’re together, no matter what, that’s special, right?”
He nodded slowly, a smile pulling at his mouth.
His sensitive head bumped between her folds. She guided him to her hungriest place and lowered herself onto him slowly. Astrid couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips as he filled her to the brim. She immediately felt warm and little overfull, as if she had to pee, but it passed soon after. There was no pain, but even if there had been, she wouldn’t have minded. Hiccup’s face was elated, bright and flushed with pleasure. She kissed his cheeks, chin, forehead, as she adjusted to the feeling. He buried his face into her throat and kissed her racing pulse.
“Hiccup,” she whispered.
“Astrid, you feel… amazing,” he breathed out against her neck.
Astrid tangled her fingers in his hair and pleaded, “Move, please, move.”
Hiccup immediately began to thrust. His hips echoed the earlier motion of his fingers easily. Though Astrid thought it couldn’t possibly have felt any better, it somehow did. Where it had before been a few curls of hot pleasure, it was a raging inferno now. Astrid whimpered and moaned helplessly as he rocked into her. She could only cling to his shoulders, embrace him close, grip his hair, and kiss him. Warm water sloshed between them.
Hiccup kissed her reverently but also with more passion than she thought such a small form could contain. His thrusts quickened, building more flames inside her. She could feel her climax building again and gasped. Inside her body, Hiccup felt the walls of her core clench hard and she flooded with even more hot wetness. It took everything he had to pull out of her and grip his shaft in his hand. With a few quick strokes, he finished himself. Astrid hooked her fingers beneath Hiccup’s chin and pulled him close for a kiss. He hugged her tightly to him, his tongue sliding against hers perfectly.
Finally, they parted and just breathed, foreheads touching.
“Was it… good for you?” Hiccup whispered. “If it wasn’t, I’m sorry—”
Astrid silenced him with a kiss. “It was good,” she promised him. “Better than anything I imagined.”
Hiccup flushed, but his little smile was proud.
She snuggled down in his lap, reclined against his chest, and looked up at the twinkling stars. She lost track of how long she spent cuddled against Hiccup. He held her gently, tracing a light caress along her hips and stomach. He found a scar on her ribcage and tenderly stroked it. Astrid nestled closer. She had never felt so loved and safe and yet…
She had told Hiccup that she loved him.
She still didn’t know why that was or why she had given herself to him utterly. Part of her that heard stories from other women worried that he would leave any minute, having used her for what he wanted. Yet Hiccup seemed as if he never wanted to separate from her. He pointed a few constellations out to her in a soft voice and pressed kisses behind her ear. In that moment, she knew without a doubt that her words had been the truth.
X:Five:X
It was too early and there was a horrific commotion in the village square. Astrid actually pried herself away from throttling Snotlout for waking her up with a false alarm to check it out. Since there was no screaming or leaping flames and she could see Toothless’s tail flicking lazily over the rooftops, Astrid didn’t think she needed her axe, but she was still surprised by the sight that awaited her.
Hiccup was in a mess, plain and simple, but it was different than usual.
Several children hung off him, screaming, while a cluster of Terrible Terrors flew overhead, warbling. Gustav stood off to one side, his arms folded irritably over his little puffed out chest. A single Terror was perched on his helmet. Astrid caught Hiccup’s eye, but he gestured that he was alright. Puzzled, she leaned against a wall and watched. How would he get out of this one?
Much to her surprise, Hiccup managed to tame the children even before the dragons. “Now, now,” he said in his most chiefly yet soft voice. “You can’t all be Dragon Riders.” He extracted a young girl from his back and set her down in front of him. “At least, not yet.”
“Why not?” one boy whined.
The little girl nagged, “Gustav gets to be one!”
Hiccup didn’t play the age card. Instead, he slipped directly into reason. “I need Gustav to keep an eye on things when I’m not here. And he’s the only one who trained his Terror to carry messages like mine does.”
The children all whined in chorus, arguing and complaining amongst themselves.
Hiccup held up his hand for silence and they actually did so. “Now, who wants to help me quiet that racket?” he asked and pointed to the crown of Terrible Terrors overhead.
The children all raised their hands.
“Good,” he said. “You’re on the road to becoming Dragon Riders already. Now, grab a nice fish and lay it on the ground at your feet.” For his part, Hiccup took a cod and held it over his head. After a few seconds, Hiccup’s bright green Terror swooped down and landed on Hiccup’s head. Hiccup gave it the cod, grasped the tiny dragon, and set it down at his feet. “Who can do that?”
“I can,” Gustav put in and pointed proudly to the Terror already perched on his helmet.
“Good job, Gustav,” Hiccup said earnestly.
The young boy beamed.
The other children fell silent with focus and looked from the fish at their feet to the Terrors overhead.
Finally, one little girl stretched out her hand and called to the dragons, “Here. Please, come here.”
With a squawk, a purple Terror landed at her feet and began to eat noisily. She giggled, crouched down, and petted the dragon nicely on the head.
“Good job, Hilde,” Hiccup said with just as much pride as a parent.
Soon, all the children had managed to rein in the Terrors and Hiccup praised each of them. Astrid watched at the children gathered up the small dragons and dispersed. Gustav approached Hiccup and the two talked for a moment before Gustav walked away with his dragon riding on his head. Silence descended peacefully on the square.
“Wow,” Astrid said when Hiccup came over to her. “I thought you were a goner for sure.”
“I know, right?” Hiccup laughed. “Children are almost as frightening as the Red Death.”
There was a horrendous clatter in the blacksmith’s shop. “Hiccup!” Gobber shouted from the threshold of his shop, something stuck over his false foot comically. “Is this your mess?”
Hiccup looked sheepish, pressed a quick kiss to Astrid’s cheek, and bustled off.
Astrid watched him go, her heart light as she thought about the seed he had spilled inside her the night before when she had her arms locked around him too tightly and he couldn’t pull out in time. She had been worried about it all night and day, but now… She thought it might not be such a horrible thing.
In Berk, raising children had always been the responsibility of women (Hiccup’s father notwithstanding). While marriage wasn’t something Astrid had ever been keen on, she feared one thing most of all—children. She had always dreaded the time when she would be saddled with babies, unable to fight and confined to the house like a concubine.
Now, she realized that Hiccup wouldn’t leave her with the children alone. He would be with her and help her with his soft voice and hands. He would be the sort of husband who brought her fried fish when she craved them, who stroked her belly lovingly, who held her hand through labor. She could already imagine him crafting something to take a baby flying with him and heard herself scold him for it. She flushed with those thoughts.
X:Six:X
It was a rare night when Stoick had to leave to meet with the other chiefs of Shivering Shores. Hiccup had convinced his father that he was old enough not to do anything stupid in his absence. Astrid promptly told her parents that she was spending the night at Ruffnut’s and asked Ruffnut to cover for her if she was asked. She was going to spend the entire night with Hiccup and the thought made her entire body go warm and tingly.
The night was calm and deep. With Toothless nestled in the corner and Hiccup curled protectively around her, she had never slept so well. When the alarm bells rang loudly, Astrid jolted up so quickly that she practically gave herself whiplash. Hiccup was half a step behind her. She vaulted out of bed and jerked on her clothes while Hiccup took a longer moment to pull on his prosthetic leg. She saddled Toothless, whistled for Stormfly, and then they were all out the window.
Landing in the soft grass below, Hiccup stumbled unevenly on his prosthetic and Astrid jerked him up by his vest. She went to whirl away from in and into battle, but Hiccup caught her hand and tugged her back to him. She opened her mouth to protest, but Hiccup didn’t say anything. For the briefest moment, he kissed her and then climbed into Toothless’s saddle and disappeared into the smoke.
Stunned, it wasn’t until Stormfly nudged her that she spurred into motion again. Astrid grabbed her axe, swung onto Stormfly’s back, and rode into battle with the taste of his lips still on hers.
Hiccup didn’t have time to watch Astrid throughout the small invasion. He was busy sinking ships, saving his fellow Vikings, and organizing his Riders. Whenever Astrid appeared in the sky beside him, relief filled his lungs for a just moment. Then, despite that he wanted to ask her to stay where it was safe, he knew she couldn’t. To even ask would disrespect all that she was. She was a valkyrie, his valkyrie. Instead, he asked her to take out the flagship while he demolished the canons. She nodded curtly and dove into battle headfirst.
Toothless’s chest puffed as he breathed and fired off a single shot that destroyed one of the ships. Hiccup patted his dragon’s neck and scanned the area. Fishlegs pulled Silent Sven from the ocean and deposited him back on shore. The twins were burning all that remained of the boats. Snotlout on the shores, unleashing walls of to repel advancing soldiers that dared come close . Astrid was flying towards him, her face lit with a fiery smile—
The canon exploded with a horrific noise and Hiccup heard Stormfly shriek.
His head whipped around. He saw Astrid slip from the saddle and disappear into the ocean. His heart stopped. Toothless was already moving. Together, they surged forward. A single shot from Toothless was all it took to take out the single remaining canon. As they glided over the ocean where Astrid had fallen, Stormfly hovering nearby and squawking urgently, Hiccup barely had the sense to lock Toothless’s tail in place before he leaped from the saddle and into the icy water.
For long heart-stopping moments, Hiccup couldn’t find Astrid in the deep black water. Then, he saw a flash of pale hair and dove towards her. The weight of his prosthetic pulled him down, but he barely felt it. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like fire. He gripped Astrid’s fur-lined hood and pulled her to the surface. She breathed in wetly, but blood bubbled from her lips. He pressed his hand helplessly to the slash bisecting her chest.
“Toothless!” he called over the din.
The black dragon swooped down and grabbed Hiccup by the back of his tunic. Stormfly pounded after them. Smelling Astrid’s blood, Toothless flew directly to Gobber’s forge and set the two humans down as gently as possible. He warbled with concern as Hiccup dragged Astrid inside and ripped open her shirt. Thankfully, the water made the injury look worse than it was. She hadn’t been struck by the cannonball, only grazed by some flying debris. Though her chest was scraped badly and her shoulder was seared, her life wasn’t in danger.
Hiccup nearly collapsed with relief.
“What is it?” Gobber asked and looked over Hiccup’s shoulder at Astrid’s bared flesh. “Odin’s Dirty Diaper!”
“Don’t look at her,” Hiccup snapped. “Just give me some bandages.”
Fishlegs appeared at the threshold, but Gobber blocked the sight of Astrid’s nudity with his body.
“What’s happening, Legs?” Hiccup asked without taking his eyes from Astrid.
“They’re retreating,” Fishlegs said. “The twins are chasing everyone out to sea.”
“Who were they?” Hiccup asked.
“We don’t know yet, but we’ll find out,” Fishlegs promised.
“Good,” Hiccup said. “Tell all that to my father as soon as he gets back. I already sent my Terror.”
“Is Astrid alright?” Snotlout asked loudly, pushing his way against Fishlegs but was still prevented by Gobber. “I saw her fall.”
“She’s okay,” Hiccup told their friends. “She’s just hurt. I’ll take care of her.”
“Avert your eyes! Out!” Gobber shouted and ushered both young men out of his forge. For a moment, he stared awkwardly at the back of Hiccup’s head. “You know,” he muttered, “I’m not sure you should see her like this either.”
Pressing gauze to her wound to stop the bleeding, Hiccup just smiled at Gobber.
“Don’t tell me!” Gobber shouted and waved his arms. “I don’t want to know!”
…
Astrid woke in her own bed, which was surprising considering the last thing she remembered was falling and then the icy grip of the ocean. Maybe Valhalla was just like Berk, though she had always imagined it differently from the songs and stories. She shifted slightly and winced as her torso pulled unpleasantly. Against her back, someone groaned softly and she froze. Lowering her hand, she ran her fingers along the strong arm wrapped around her waist. Ah, she recognized those hands.
“Hiccup?” she whispered and turned painfully to face him.
His eyes flickered open and there were dark circles beneath them. “Astrid,” he murmured sleepily and nuzzled her cheek. “You’re awake.”
She nodded slowly and reached to brush his hair from his eyes. Her arm was bruised and scraped, but the worst of her cuts had been bandaged. “Did you save me?” she asked.
He nodded and ran his fingertip along her collarbone tenderly. “Although you’ll have to save me from your mother later since I treated your wounds and saw you immodestly,” he explained.
Astrid kissed his lips gently. “Of course,” she agreed.
Hiccup buried his face into her neck and held her tightly. She felt a little tremor go through his body and realized that she had terrified him. The sight of her falling into the ocean must have ripped his heart from his chest. While she had always watched him from a far, Hiccup had always adored her. He cared for her as deeply as he did Toothless and his father. His words of love ran even deeper than hers.
“Hiccup,” she began.
He hushed her.
“But…” she whispered, “I scared you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s who you are, Astrid,” he murmured into her skin. “I could never change who you are and I wouldn’t want to.”
Her heart stopped.
She had always thought that Hiccup would someday ask her not to put herself in danger or fly at his shoulder in battle. She dreaded and hated thinking that she would be reduced to someone like that, but Hiccup had just said as plain as day that he would never ask her to do that. He respected and loved her for exactly who she was.
Hiccup treated her as his fellow warrior, his equal, his partner. He didn’t try to push her behind him or make her cower behind a shield. He let her be who she was, even though he must nearly die with worry every time he saw her take a hit. She didn’t think there was anyone else in the archipelago who could do that.
As if reading her mind, Hiccup hooked his fingers gently beneath her chin and kissed her softly. Astrid slipped her tongue into his mouth, tasting the sweet mead he must have drunk to get through the long night. With a soft sigh, he broke away and snuggled into her pillow with exhaustion. Mindful of her injuries, Hiccup drew her close against him and cradled her to his chest. As she leaned her head against his shoulder, she could feel his breath through her bandages and feel his heartbeat beneath her hand.
She didn’t have to wonder why she loved him.
X:End:X
The whole time I was writing this I was listening to [redacted, song recommendation] and that should really be Hiccup and Astrid’s theme song. It suits him really well. Check it out if you have the time. (I would listen to the unedited version, personally.)
Questions, comments, concerns?