Hear No Evil || ×TatoTheDestroyer×

×THIRTY-FIVE×

The wind in your hair, the feeling of your stomach flipping around and the sheer adrenaline pumping through your body cleared your mind for what would be a short amount of time. The skies were your home. Life wouldn't be the same without the excitement and joy that this bursting freedom offered you. You had always relished every moment of it; treating it like your last. There were always some close encounters. Mishaps where you fell off Astra and almost collided with the ground from sheer falls, hitting the ocean with such force that it felt as hard as a rock, and the time you found yourself alone on Outcast Island, with no recollection of your past adventures and experiences. It was hard sometimes, to try and pretend that this was your life. It was always in the back of your mind, your old life. The one where you would go to school, procrastinate and watch shows online.

This life was different. It was enjoyable. There was so much mystery and wonder, and so much to learn. You sometimes laid awake at night, Hiccup's arms wound around your middle as you would stare at the ceiling, pondering how much time had passed for your old life. Was time at a standstill? Was it moving by fast or slow? There was no way to know, not without going back. You really didn't want to. No matter the situation you were stuck in now, you never wanted to return to your old life. Things were simpler now. Things were better, even with the few misfortunes that came your way. Your heart twisted as you thought of Stoick, and how he had saved Hiccup's life at the cost of his own. That was true love, even if they were just Father and Son. It was as clear as day that Stoick loved and cherished his son.

You wished your father loved you enough to not arrange a marriage for you. You wouldn't admit it anytime soon, but you wanted to only take Hiccup's hand in marriage. However, a couple of months didn't seem like enough of a time passage to be considered "normal" in your eyes. You loved him, truly with all your heart, but it felt things would be too soon if you were to be wed now. But your hopes of that was slowly diminishing, even though you were enjoying racing your beloved, looping around each other as you both laughed. Your thoughts were in a sort of limbo, and you weren't as fully submerged in the moment as you had hoped to have been. You thought he may have called out your name but dismissed it.

Hiccup looked at you with a soft gaze, his laughter faltering. You were caught up in your thoughts again, and he knew it all too well at this point. It's as if you were distancing yourself emotionally, so things wouldn't hurt as much. But he wasn't just about to give up, not yet. His fingers curled around the handle on Toothless' saddle, tightening until his knuckles turned white. His dragon crooned worriedly at him, but he soothed his dragon with a calming pat, releasing his grip on the saddle. "It's okay, bud, we just need to shake things up a little." Seemingly knowing what his rider meant, Toothless rammed into Astra's side, knocking you off her back. You screamed in protest, nearing the ground as you girls were ahead and winning the race despite your minor isolation.

You looked up to see a huge, mischievous grin plastered on Hiccup's face, and your face fell into an annoyed one. "Well don't just sit there!" You yelled, arms flailing about. Your dragon dove down, trying to save you from the perilous fall, but Toothless got to you sooner, surprisingly, and before you knew it you were held tightly in Hiccup's arms. "You know I'd never let you fall all the way, right, love?" You rolled your eyes at him, but couldn't force down the smile spreading across your face. "It's about bloody time you caught me, I'm sure no one wants a (name) pancake." He made a thinking face. "Hmm, I'm not sure, a (name) pancake sounds good right about now." You slapped his arm, and he teasingly poked his tongue out at you, making a silly face. You couldn't contain your amusement.

By the time you landed, neither of you cared that the race had turned into a flop. You were pleased that Hiccup had found a way to make you smile, and relished the moment. You followed him inside your childhood home and made your way to the dining room table. Your mother offered you a cup of water which you gratefully took. You were thankful to have someone who loved you, even at strenuous times like these. You looked to your left, smiling at Hiccup who took his seat beside you. With a reassuring squeeze on the leg, you knew you could make it through today; even if the outcome condemned you to Helheim and back.