Double Fury (Book Two)

Chapter 3: I'm Weird, Aren't I?

Hiccup walks next to me. He said he wanted to talk to me back at his house, which basically caused far more anxiety in me. Still, I'm forcing it down and keeping an open mind to all this.

Hiccup flops down on his bed, closing his eyes. I walk over and sit down next to him hesitantly. He opens one eye and smiles a little, reaching over and resting his hand over mine. I purse my lips. I know he's just trying to make affection more natural between us, but it's still so weird for me.

"I can tell you're nervous," he says.

"It's obvious," I mutter, voicing my words as a statement on purpose.

"Look...I don't want to force anything on you," he adds, a long breath leaving him as he rests his arms behind his head. "You don't have to-"

"I'm twenty-three, it's about time I settled down. Just drop any thoughts of me being anxious," I say. I turn my body towards him, absentmindedly adding little braids to his shaggy brown hair. "This is...so new to me, all of it. You understand that, right?"

He turns his head towards me slightly, his green eyes soft. "I think that you'll feel better after it finally sinks in. Beside, we don't have to get married in a week," he hypothesizes, shifting slightly. "But...they want it within a month."

I finish the braid and drop my hands. "Oh Odin..."

"You've been working really hard lately. I think this could be...something to take your mind off the dragons," Hiccup suggests.

"Why do you want to marry me anyways? I mean, I'm just some outcast who came into your life three years ago." I rest my head in my hands, letting out a long breath.

"The day I saw you on that dragon...Thora, you have no idea what that meant to me," he whispers. "Toothless and I had been searching for so long and we finally found someone like us, someone who understands-"

"What if I didn't have a Night Fury? Would you still have cared?" I ask, bringing my face up so I'm looking at him.

He smiles a tiny bit, closing his hand around the top of mine. "If I saw an unfamiliar dragon rider that day, I still would've called you to us. I...I like you for you, not Nightstar."

My cheeks turn pinker as I look away from him. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a piece of work," I groan.

He watches me for a second, pushing himself up so he's resting on his elbows. "You know what my mom said to me after my dad died?"

"No. What?"

"She said that, just maybe, you could help me have the life my dad wanted for me. And...that I should give you a reason to stay on Berk."

"Really?" I ask, tugging at my braid. "Valka must have some sort of...magic."

Hiccup laughs. "Hey, she's pretty good with dragons. That's a kind of magic in my eyes." I smile a tiny bit as my hand brushes my necklace. He pushes himself up and pats the spot in front of him. "Sit up in front of me."

I obey, although I do it questioningly. He rests his hands on my shoulders and starts to knead the muscles, causing a pleasant sort of pain to spread through my back. I sigh, sagging as I let him help me relax.

"Uh...Thora, I did want to ask about a few things," he brings up, still massaging.

I nod. "Mmh?"

"Once we're...married, where do you think we should live?"

I pout my lips, pondering. In truth, I never really thought about it. Of course, this entire idea is so new that there's a lot that I have yet to talk about with him.

"Well, there's more room here, but my house would be more...our own," I suggest, letting out a tiny gasp as he hits a knot in my shoulder blade with his thumb.

He rubs the place, slowly untangling the tense spot. "That sounds about right. I wouldn't mind moving out of my mom's house, you know," he teases.

I chuckle at that. He drops his hands from my back, moving his hand to my arm and tugging lightly. I turn with the movement, swivelling so that I'm facing him. He takes my hands, a small smile on his face.

"I think this will work, Thora," he says, the honesty in his voice stunning me.

I swallow. "You do?"

"I think you're the perfect girl for me. I just know it."

"I'm far from perfect, Hiccup."

"Yeah, but I like it that way."

He squeezes my hands a little as I feel heat rush to my face again. I smile a little, my bangs falling in my eyes as I slip my hands from his. I hear roaring outside and my attention instantly switches to the window. I get up off the bed and move to the space, seeing four Night Furies pacing impatiently in front of the house, making me laugh.

"Our dragons need to go home," I comment as Hiccup moves to my side. "I should be getting home anyways. Party tomorrow," I remind myself, an edge in my tone at the word "party".

"I wish you would stay," he sighs. "I like talking to you."

I glance sideways at him, brushing some of my loose auburn hair behind my ear. "Soon, I'll actually be yours. Then I'll never leave when nighttime comes," I utter.

He ponders the idea for a second as an almost blissful smile brushes across his face. "That's true."

I nudge his arm with my fist as I turn around, heading downstairs with Hiccup trailing behind. Nightstar greets me happily when I head out the door, her tail wagging.

"Hey girl," I say, scratching her neck and making her churr.

Toothless is the second to greet me, followed closely behind by the kids. I alternate petting between all three, feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed by all the Fury love. Hiccup walks out of his house behind me, leaning against the doorpost for a moment as I calm the dragons with a few careful touches.

"Well...I guess this is goodnight?" he calls, making me turn around. He pushes off the doorframe and walks closer to me. "I'll take Emerald tonight, okay?"

"Sure," I agree, giving him a smile.

He rubs the back of his neck, letting out a long breath. "So...goodnight, Thora."

"Goodnight," I return. "I'll see you tomorrow."

There's a moment of pause where we just stare at one another. He leans forwards and leaves the barest peck on my lips, just a quick second of contact. It's not the first time where he's kissed me, seeing as Snoggletoggs have brought on many a cheek kiss, but this one felt different. It was the first real one I've ever had.

He gives me a bashful look before he turns on his heel and heads back into his house, Toothless and Emerald shambling after him. Nightstar nudges me, helping me start walking towards my house with Dark Moon beside us.

I stop at my door, glancing back at his home. Valka's Stormcutter, Cloudjumper, sleeps on the roof, and the torchlight in the window gives the home a nice look. I reach my fingers to my lips, taking a soft breath.

Nightstar nudges me with her wing, breaking me from my trance. She snorts, making me roll my eyes.

"Oh please, it was my first," I argue. "I can lose myself in the moment once, okay?"

Dark Moon seems to laugh, pawing at his face in an attempt to scratch it. Nightstar just gives me a teasing look. I shove her in the same sort of teasing fashion before I open the door to my house and usher them inside for the night.