Always

Morning

"Well, that could've gone better," Eret joked, lips curling into a hesitant grin. Hiccup was having none of it; he was already taking big steps toward his hut.

"Come on, Chief," Eret's smile fell and he started after Hiccup--his companions waving goodbye, saying they had important wedding plans to deal with as friends of the groom--down the dirt road into Berk's plaza. The court was bustling,  every villager with a different duty for the preparation of the biggest wedding since his parents' own. Hiccup was taking long strides ahead of them, not stopping despite Eret's calls of comfort. "Those guys have no idea what they're talking about, Hiccup. They're just having their fun and trying to spook you."

The slim man spun on his feet, heaving in a breath to snap back at his taller, dark-haired friend. "Well they've sure done a great job of doing it!" Hiccup threw his hands in the hair. He froze and peered around, seeming to realize just then he was in one of the most public places in the entirety of the village. Luckily, to his relief, everyone was too busy to notice their Chief's sudden outburst.

Instead he took a step closer to Eret and said between a whisper and a growl, "Spitelout was ranting about how Snotlout's mom always punches him in her sleep. Gobber told me he was to escape from his first love, otherwise he would have been trapped for the rest of his life with her. Mulch was saying the best day of his life was when he 'accidentally' gave his old girlfriend a bouquet of flowers she was allergic to, so when he broke up with her she couldn't talk back because her face was swollen like a Gronckle's tail!"

"Come on, Chief," said Eret, "you don't really believe all that yak dung, do you?"

Hiccup opened his mouth, but swiftly shut it again when a pair of women passed by, congratulating Hiccup once again. The Chief only replied with a nod and a close-lipped smile. When they were gone he pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "I just don't want to ruin anything. She's--She's ... Astrid. If something ever happened between us ... I'm not sure I could come back from that."

Eret rested a hand rested a hand on Hiccup's arm. "Exactly. It's Astrid. Nothing is going to happen."

~ ~ ~

"Whereisitwhereisitwhereisit?" Fishlegs rummaged through his house, horribly failing to find the one object he was supposed to care for.

Snotlout leaned against the threshold of his hut, a dull expression plastered on his face as he watched Tuffnut remove Fishlegs' hammer from its place resting above the hearth. He spun the weapon in his hand, proudly grinning at his skills. "Hey, S!" The male twin called to his best friend to brag about his talent, until the hammer larger than his face smacked into his head and Tuffnut crumpled o the floor. "Maybe I need more practice," he pointed the the sky with a finger, before that too became too strenuous a task. His arm fell limply against him.

"Fishface, Fishface, Fishface," soothed Snotlout, wrapping an arm around the bigger man's shoulder. "Relax! We've got nothing to worry about!" He paused, then added, "What are you looking for, exactly?"

Rolling his eyes, Fishlegs shrugged Snotlout away and began to scatter the already disorganized papers on his desk. "I can't find the ring, Snotlout!"

Both men--Tuffnut now sitting up from his previously prone state--simultaneously asked, "The what?"

"The ring! Don't either of you know what the Best Viking does?" Fishlegs paused to see their reaction, but he just scoffed at their blank stares and slightly open mouths. "When the wedding takes place, the Best Viking takes the groom's ancestral sword and puts the wedding ring on the hilt for him to give to the bride!

"Without a wedding ring, there will be no wedding! And without a wedding, Astrid and Hiccup can't get married! And if Astrid and Hiccup can't get married, I'll probably be--" A minuscule shriek escaped from Fishlegs and he slapped his hands over his lips.

"Spit it out, Fishface!"

Hiccup's Best Viking managed to whisper in a horrific gasp, "Banished," before he slumped to the ground.

There was no empathy towards Fishlegs, only muttered complaints as Snotlout heaved him into a chair and slapped his slumped form. "Wake up, Fishface. This is not the time to be fainting like a baby yak in the heat of summer!"

Slowly, Fishlegs opened his eyes to find Snotlout mere inches away from his face. With a high-pitched screech that could make dogs come running, he shot up from his seat, tossing Snotlout back into Tuffnut so they both fumbled to the floor. Fishlegs apologized meekly. Snotlout only grumbled some more.

Suddenly Fishlegs' features glowed like a Fireworm Queen as he darted upstairs and shouted with glee. "I found it! I found it!" Fishlegs shot back down the steps and hugged his friends in a bone-crushing embrace. He released his grip and skipped into the road. In his up-stretched hand was the wedding ring.

Crossing his arms, Snotlout asked, "Where did you find it?"

"Um... under my pillow."

"WHAT?!"

"I may have put it there last night. So I wouldn't forget it."

"You put the--under your--so you wouldn't--" Shoving a fist over his mouth, Snotlout bit on his tongue in an attempt not to shout.

Fishlegs only grinned sheepishly, ring still raised in his hand. "But now I have it! I was so worried I'd lost it--"

It was a green blur against the blazing sun, so fast no one realized what had happened until it was too late. Fishlegs' smile fell from his face.

Racing down the steps, Snotlout and Tuffnut raced out in front of Fishleg's hut so as not to lose sight of the Terrible Terror flapping onto the rooftop, the ring in its jaws. Astrid's wedding ring.

Fishlegs cooed, "Hey there, little guy. How about you just give back that ring and we can all--"

The three Vikings could only watch as the dragonet swallowed the ornate ring whole.

~ ~ ~

I was going to keep on writing since its only 1000 words, but it felt just right to stop this chapter here. Hopefully I did the characters well. Do you think this would be how Hiccup would react? I made it specifically so the problem isn't about Hiccup having second thoughts on committing, but rather about Hiccup thinking that everything would go to Hel once they tied the knot. 

I hope you liked this! My next update will be eventually :)

- TGD