Dragons: The New Chief

Chapter 51: Pampering

"Happy birthday, milady." Hiccup greeted the waking woman.

Astrid smiled and looked down at the man, wiggling her toes on the foot that he was digging his thumbs into. She sighed, throwing her head back on her pillow.

"Thanks, babe." She said and giggled. "Nothing better to wake up to on my birthday than to a kicking baby and a handsome husband, who so happened to be rubbing my aching and swollen feet."

Hiccup chuckled and grabbed his pillow, placing it under the woman's feet as he continued to rub. "Remember, Gothi said to keep your feet elevated to prevent that."

The blonde laughed. She raised her left leg and waved it in front of the man's face. "Then hold them up for me."

Hiccup left her other foot and grabbed the one in the air. "Like this?" He teased, waving it up in the air.

Astrid nodded, laughing silently. Hiccup smiled and stretched his legs out, lying his wife's feet in his lap so that he could continue to rub them. As promised, he had been spending a little time in both the mornings and the afternoons to rub her feet. Gothi even said it should help with her swelling that she noticed accumulating over the past few weeks since first feeling the baby move and kick. Astrid didn't want to take advantage, even though she won the bet, but Hiccup insisted. He didn't mind, she was having to go through everything to carry and birth their child, the least he could do was take fifteen minutes out of his day to give his wife some ease from the painful swelling.

"You did take today off, right?" She asked.

Hiccup nodded, not taking his eyes off the woman's feet.

"And you didn't plan anything?"
Hiccup shook his head. "Nope, no parties, no surprises. Except for my gift to you, of course. But, you specifically asked me to not plan a party, so I didn't."

"You got me something?!" Astrid exclaimed.

Hiccup patted the woman's knee. "Only because you told me you didn't want a party."

"But I didn't get you anything..." She mumbled, drawing her lips into a pout.

Hiccup chuckled. "Yes you did."

Astrid wrinkled her brows. "What?"

The man ran his hand along the length of his wife's smooth legs. "You love and the child you carry, that's enough for me. As long as the two of you are strong and healthy, I don't want anything for any of my birthdays or Snoggletog...." Hiccup snickered, meeting the woman's eyes. "Except maybe more kids when your ready."

Astrid sighed, rubbing her middle. "Thanks babe, for saying that and understanding why I don't want a party. I just...I don't want to do anything. I don't even really want to get out of bed...except maybe to pee again."

She groaned and rolled upright. After standing and straightening out the tunic she was wearing so that the parts of her body meant only for Hiccup's eyes were covered, she padded out of the stifling room to the bathroom. Hiccup sat at the end of the bed, waiting patiently for Astrid to return. Toothless, however, was growing a little impatient from not being outside yet on the gorgeous, sunny and warm day. The dragon slinked around the room, sniffing variously up at the open hatch and window every now and then, pawing at them as well.

The night fury made another round and hopped up at the hatch. He looked out over the green land, watching the children play about with their dragons, mostly terrible terrors, and the rest of the gang and dragons mill about. His ears perked up, making him wag his tail. The dragon wound his head around and looked at his rider. He silently begged to the man to go outside.

Hiccup sighed, motioning for the dragon to come over.

"Astrid doesn't want to leave the house today, bud." He said as he grabbed the latch on the dragons saddle. "But that doesn't mean you can't. Go out, have some fun."