Dragons: The New Chief

Chapter 37: Tell Me Why

Over the next two weeks, preparations for Snotlout and Heather's wedding were taking place. Their parents took it as quite a shock, except for Spitelout who was ready to have his son marry and carry on the family name. Surprisingly, Heather agreed to allow the Jorgenson name be carried by Njord as well, rather than his true father's name. The woman's grieving was over and she was ready to be rid of the solemn memory.

During that same time, Astrid had finished her womanly session so that she and Hiccup could pick up once again and try to place a child in her womb. More than half of the week's night's, or lunches as well as anytime they could spend some time together alone in the house, were spent intimately with the couple, this meaning that Toothless stayed downstairs for the time being. He wasn't too happy with that. The couple would literally run up the stairs and shut the door before he could enter, leading to him letting out a big huff or snort and wandering back down the stairs. But he would have to admit, sleeping downstairs was much better than...watching.

On this particular night, the one before the Jorgenson wedding, there wasn't a difference. Well, it was more like evening since the sun had just went down beyond the sea and Valka wasn't home yet from her day of exploring with Cloudjumper. Toothless was curled up by the hearth, trying to sleep. When he was finally able to get his eyes shut and in the perfect position on the wooden floor, Valka entered the house silently.

"Toothless?" She asked, seeing the dragon on the floor. The woman shut the door quitely behind her as they dragon poked his head up. "Where's Hiccup? Aren't you usually with him at this time? You two usually go flying after he finishes..." She froze, hearing primal murmur emitting from an unknown location, and gazed back to the dragon as she reached for the door handle. "Want to go sleep in the stables with me and Cloudjumper?" She asked.

Once the door was just wide enough for the dragon to slip through, he bounded away.

"I'll take that as a yes." Valka said to herself, quickly following after the dragon.

Minutes later, Hiccup grunted and collapsed beside Astrid. They both panted heavily.

"Why...why are you so intent on having a child now?" Hiccup said breathlessly. "Don't you think it will happen when it happens?"

Astrid, lying on her back, pulled up the furs, wrapped half of them around her body, leaving only her head visible, and let the rest lay over Hiccup.

"Yes, I do think it will happen when it happens, but I want that to happen now." She said.

Hiccup rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his elbow.

"What's so great about now?" He asked, brushing through her blonde hair with his left hand.

Astrid turned her head to meet his, her eyes wet with plead. "It just is a good time. I'm still young..."

"Exactly, Astrid. Why not in a year or two? When we've really settled down."

Astrid faced the ceiling once again and folded her hands over her stomach. "Because, Hiccup."

Hiccup rolled onto his knees, placing his hands on either side of Astrid's face so that he hovered over her. She avoided eye contact as she trailed her eyes down his chest, marred with scars and sparse hairs that sprinkled his chest and down his middle, dawdling all the way to his navel, where all went dark under the cover of the furs.

"Tell me why." He pleaded, placing trails of fiery kisses down Astrid's neck, causing her to whimper.

"I've told you before." She gasped as he suckled on her jawbone, leaving love bites.

The woman moaned, her hands going to Hiccups hips as he continued to drag his lips across her sweaty body. He pulled away to gaze into her eye's with want.

"Your answer is never the same." He stated, lying himself on her so that she could feel every lump his body had, as he could feel hers.

"Stop trying to seduce me." Astrid demanded, bringing her head down so her nose was on his shoulder. Her stomach turned in knots as her breath quickened, brushing past the mans ear like a warm mist. Need filled her body; he was doing a damn good job. "You're not going to pull answers from me that way."

Hiccup brought his hands up and gripped either side of Astrid's head. "Then how can I get you to tell me?"

Astrid shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Why?"

She sighed, gripping his wrists. "It's stupid."

Hiccup pressed his lips to hers, letting their tongues swipe past each other as they pulled away. "Try me."

"I've got three large voids in my heart."

Hiccup turned away from her, towards the door. What did she mean? Her statement was too vague, but Hiccup knew it had a significance. What was there three off that was missing, lost or gone?

Hiccup snapped his head back to face her. Tears welled in her eyes as she fought to bust out crying and blubber to him all about it.

"Our parents." Hiccup breathed.

Astrid's lip quivered. She nodded excessively as woe flowed from her eyes.

Her head withered about. "I told you it was stupid. I...I thought that...." She wailed. "I thought that maybe a child would help fill the void." Hiccup attempted to slow her lamentation, but she continued. "I know that nothing will replace them...no one can, but those are three people taken away from us. Three people that we can no longer love physically. No more hugs, no more kisses on the cheek, no more talks and conversations...."

Her rant was cut off by Hiccup pressing his lips to hers again, as well as her flow of tears.

"It's not stupid." Said Hiccup, shaking his head and rubbing his nose on Astrid's in the process. "It's not stupid at all."

"I don't understand why, Hiccup." Astrid pleaded. "Why do I feel this sorrow for two people I never met? Why do I feel as much sorrow as I did almost three months ago when Stoick...." She choked back a sob. "We've been through this...both of us, went through our grievances. Hiccup, please explain this to me."

Hiccup pealed himself away from Astrid, just hovering over her. He placed his palm on the left side of the chest.

"It's all this, Astrid." He explained. "It's making you need something, something to fill those voids. Like you said. It's perfectly human to try to find something to put your mind to. But let me tell you something." Astrid gazed up into his eyes, pleading again as he lowered himself down again and pressed his face to hers. "It is not in spite. If these feelings were in spite, I would tell you no, but many people have kids or bring home animals to care for when a loved one has passed. It's the human way of finding that love again."

Astrid took a deep breath. "What does that mean?"

Hiccup chuckled. "That means I am going to give you what you want...what we both want to fill our voids."
~
Again, I am so busy this week, my only free day is Monday and that day is for school. Ugh. I have my last dentist appointment, two driving lessons and then my Theory and Hazard test for driving, which they say 70 percent of American's fail on the first try so...wish me luck. I may be able to post again tomorrow and that will be the whole of what I had planned to update this next week, if not it will probably me Friday or Saturday.