Epic of Hiccstrid

[QaletaqaThorson]

Hiccup groaned, sliding into a chair as his exhaustion finally set in. "How in Thor's name did dad handle this job? I swear, Loki must have invaded the minds of everyone on this island!" He grunted, barely lifting his hand before something cold, damp and rectangular was placed in it. "Thanks Blizza, I need this," he said, swapping the lump of ice to his other hand and petting the now purring Snow Wraith.

Placing the ice block behind his neck and shifting to get comfortable, Hiccup sighed in pleasure as he felt his headache begin to ease. Soon, a soft musical sound filled the room. "Thank you, Garff," Hiccup said, "but please, try to avoid luring more dragons here!" he chuckled, knowing that Garff could fully control his song now.

Soon, he felt Toothless approach, and slid from his chair. Placing the ice block in the cold storage, Hiccup lay against his brother and was quickly surrounded by the other dragons. A pleased sound left his lips before he drifted off to Vor's realm, dreaming of Astrid.

He awoke the sound of his door opening and of soft foot falls filling the room. "Hiccup," Astrid called, voice pitched down to avoid aggravating any headache he had, "You here?"

"Over here M'lady!" he called from underneath the pile of dragons, "Though, you may need to dig me out, for a dragolanche appears to have fallen on me," he joked, managing to free an arm from the drake pile.

With great effort, Hiccup was extracted from the drake pile and stretched, causing his shirt to ride up and reveal black markings. Astrid's eyes snapped to them immediately, "Hey, Hiccup, What's that?" she asked intensely.

"Huh?" Hiccup blinked, "What's what?" he asked. Rolling her eyes, Astrid grabbed his shirt and yanked it up, revealing a series of purple lines that resembled some trees. Locking eyes with Hiccup, Astrid merely waited for him to speak. "Oh. That."

"Yes. That," Astrid growled, "Where? When? Why?"

Hiccup let a great sigh out, "Well, you remember when I took that lightning bolt for Toothless? When Thor was angry at the iron?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid winced at the reminder, remembering the Thor awful smell of charred skin and the heart stopping terror she'd felt when he fell. "Every time I have a nightmare, but go on," she grunted.

Shrugging helplessly, Hiccup began "well, I didn't like the burn mark it left on my, so I asked dad If I could at least cover it," he said, rubbing the back of his head while pulling his shirt down.

"So you got it tattooed?" Astrid said, fixing Hiccup with a stare.

Hiccup nodded, "so I got it tattooed," before adding quietly, while looking away, "along with a few other things."

Astrid froze, and her face swiftly morphed into an intense look. "Show me," she said.

"Uh," seeing the intense look on her face, Hiccup stripped his tunic off completely, revealing the full extent of the tattoos on his body. Across his chest and right arm, from his bicep down were the dark purple lines that Astrid could now see resembled lightning. On his left arm, was the dark shape of Toothless, mid flight.

Astrid licked her lips as her gaze travelled to his left pectoral and found a stylized depiction of Toothless mid pounce. A low contented sound left her lips as she continued to trace the tattoos with her eyes. "Astrid? Hello? Still with me?" Hiccup asked, waving a hand in front of her face. Astrid blinked as she came out of her focus.

Moving quickly, Astrid grabbed his hands and placed them on her wrists, Hiccup gripping her reflexivity as she allowed her weight to drop. And when she spoke, Hiccup felt an eye twitch. "Oh no!" Astrid called, "what can this helpless maid do before the fearsome Dragon Master!" Astrid wailed out, grinning at Hiccup's tired look. "Someone, please save this maiden from the horrors he's going to unleash!" her grin widened as she switched to a different style of speech, "Valiantly, the maiden fair struggled against her binding, futilely hoping to escape before the dreaded Dragon Master-"

"Oh, c'mere you!" Hiccup groaned, wrapping an arm around his betrothed slender waist and dragging her into a kiss, "If it's not violence with you, it's the damn theatrics!" he grunted, leaning his forehead against hers. "Why, oh why did I pick you again?"

Leaping up and ensnaring his hips with her long legs, Astrid purred out, "because you love every inch of this," swiftly, her hands had found his hair and dragged him into a searing kiss. "Using her fairness, the maiden was quick to bamboozle the Dragon Master, now, if she has the courage and valor, she might be able to-"

"Oh give it a rest already," Hiccup laughed, "This isn't an epic and you're no damsel in distress, like anyone could ever believe Astrid Hofferson, the Stormaxe, could be a damsel in distress."

"Boo, ruin my fun," Astrid pouted, "I even had a whole thing written out and everything," she said, producing a book from one of her pouches. "To make it up to me, you're going to read it," she declared, hurling the book into the waiting claws of Bumble, who placed it on Hiccup's main desk. "Thank you Bumble!"

A knock came from the door, and Bucket's voice called into the room. "Urh, Chief Hiccup?"

Closing his eyes in frustration, Hiccup answered, "Yes Bucket?" To Astrid's amusement.

"Er, well, I, I need help?"

"What's up Bucket?"

"Well, I, ur, I can't find my bucket!"

Hiccup groaned as Astrid buried her face in his chest to muffle her giggle. "Have you tried feeling on top of your head?"

"Of course I have-Oh…"

"Go home Bucket, you're fine. Oh and keep a hand on your bucket, ok?"

"Yes, Chief Hiccup! Thank you, Chief Hiccup!" leaning back in his chair, Hiccup groaned again, and groaned louder when Astrid couldn't contain herself.

"Quiet you! Cease this senseless laughter before I forget that I love you!" Hiccup mock shouted as his hands glid up her sides.

"Oh please," Astrid scoffed, "As if you could ever forget about me." She smirked up at him, grinning when he grumbled. "That's right, you'd be up a creek without a paddle without me - and you know you love it!" she paused before adding, "You also love me because I'm the only thing that's keeping you from murdering half the village," she grinned, causing Hiccup to groan at the reminder of the tribe.

Groaning, Hiccup moved to his comfy chair, with leg groves for Astrid and sat down, "I get it, I really do, and I'm not asking them to change," another great sigh left his lips, "but would a little intelligence really go amis?" leaning his head back, Hiccup groaned as he slumped.

"In some cases, I think you might be asking a bit too much," Astrid giggled, raising her hands into the air, and gasping as Blizza let a gentle burst of frost onto them. "Still, they're trying - we can't all be born with the meat that should have been our muscles in her brain after all," she said, sliding her hands around his neck and up the back of his hand, the chill from Blizza's breath helping Hiccup to relax.

"I know, it's just frustrating is all," he groaned, closing his eyes in relief as Astrid continued to massage his scalp, "heh, who'd have thought Berk's greatest warrior could be so gentle?" he teased, as he leaned into her touch.

"Have to be, my dragonboy's a string bean that breaks so very easily," she countered, adjusting herself on his lap, "and I do so enjoy his body and don't want to break it," she giggled as he opened an eye and shot her a dirty look.

"Really feeling the love M'lady, really feeling it," Hiccup mumbled but lifted a hand from Astrid's hips and gestured. Sharpshot and Sneaky quickly flew out and returned with a bottle of sweetened mead and two goblets that were deposited in his hand, "thanks boys," he said, bringing the bottles closer.

"Oh, yes please," Astrid said, unsealing the bottle and pouring herself a generous serving of the mead. Draining a mouthful, she moaned, "Oh I do love your mead, babe."

"Glad you do M'lady, cause this is one of my last bottles," taking his own drink, Hiccup settled into his chair, placing the bottle down on a small table so he could drape his arm around Astrid.

Hearing Astrid hum between drinks, Hiccup soon fell asleep again, content in the knowledge that Astrid was there. "Sleep well, babe, we Berkians still need our dragon master."