When I Come Back

What!?!

Astrid

"Can I just ask why though?" 

"Why would it be rude?" he ask, cocking an eyebrow. 

   I laugh, "No! Why give it to me?"

"Because I've got plenty more."

   I roll my eyes, "Alright, enough about the coins. You up for a flight?"

   A smirk quickly finds its way onto his lips, "Are you?"

   The heat in my cheeks is hidden by a playful smirk, "Is that a challenge?"

   Now, with both of us hyped and ready for a race, we turn to our dragons. The Deadly Nadder and Night Fury curled up and sound asleep.

   We share a laugh, lound, and genuine.

I can't remember the last time I laughed like that.

   We finish in fits of giggles, laughing at how hard the other laughed.

"I guess the race is a draw. Rematch for tomorrow?" He asks, cocking an eyebrow.

    A smile, wide, and challenging spreads across my face, "You're on!"

***

   We sit in front of the cackling fire as Hiccup unpacks a few crates.

   There's crates of endless draings, paintings, and inventions. One filled with training suits and another filled to the brim with fresh uniforms.

"What is this?" I ask, picking up a red tunic lined with black and a crest of a person holding their sword up.

"That is part of the uniforms." He says, not looking up from the paper in his hands.

"It has the academy crest and I wear the Haddock color." He adds.

   I hum, mostly to myself, as I fold it back up and lay it on top of all the other tunics just like it.

   Turning my attention back to Hiccup, I recognise the paper in his hands as a letter. Addressed to him from his father, the cheif.

   I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, "What is that?"

   He let's out a sigh, heavy, as if whatever is in his hands has been bothering him for a while, "Ever since I went to the Academy, my father has been trying to line up potential....erm, wives for me that would help me lead Berk in the future. He sent me letter after letter of different women of honor that were willing to marry me and lead Berk as a team, but I told him that I should be the one to chose. That what their birthright or what they could offer Berk wouldn't matter if they were cynical, disloyal, and....privledged."

   I stayed quiet, keeping my eyes on the letter. The mention of marriage has been rolling around in my head. It's a whole different concept for me. However, the more it was brought up, the more comfortable it became talking and thinking about it.

"I think that's very wise, Hiccup." There wasn't much else I could think of as an answer.

   He finally looks up from the letter and switches between my eyes, as if searching for an answer to his unspoken question.

"What it was, was a stall. It bought me time to even think about getting married." He lets out a sigh, "Now, my dad's taking me to Runstun island tomorrow to meet the heir's sister, Rosemal."

"What?!?" I blurt out.

   However, he doesn't seem very suprised by my reaction. "Yeah..."

   He obviously had more to say, but he was choosing his words carefully, so he just left it at that.

   I had already figured out that I didn't like the idea of Hiccup marrying someone he doesn't know earlier, but now that I knew he was going to meet with one out of a whole list, tomorrow; I really don't like it.

   I open my mouth to say something, when that a loud knock on the door, drawing both our attention.