9 Chapter 9: Bonding

The gang kept looking at the entrance of the forge as Hiccup stormed out. Finally Snotlout coughing got them out of their trance. The stocky Viking got up on his feet with his right hand on his throat. Snotlout coughed a few more times as his breathing got normal and the pain in his throat subdued. Astrid angrily looked at him and walked over to him and slapped him hard.

"What was that for!?" Snotlout yelled out as he clutched his hurting cheek.

"Do you even realise what you just said! How could you say all that stuff to Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed.

"She is right dude. That was low. Way too low for even you." Tuffnut said.

"What? I was just trying to insult him. We always used to do that back in Berk." Snotlout said.

"For Thor's sake Snotlout, you just insulted his mother! How would you feel if I called your mother a prostitute huh!" Astrid angrily told him.

Snotlout looked down at his feet as he finally understood his mistake.

"I am sorry. I wasn't thinking and I just…" Snotlout began but couldn't finish his sentence. He was lost for words.

"It's not me you should apologise to." Astrid told him and left the forge.

Hiccup's P.O.V

I was walking on a cliffside beside the sea. I was calmer than before. I knew Snotlout didn't like me but I never expected him to insult my mother. I didn't know much about her. She was taken away by Dragons when I was baby. Gobber and Gothie always told me how caring and kind a person she was.

I sat down near the cliff with my legs dangling over the sea. I brought my right knee up and rested my right arm on it as I stared at the horizon and collected my thoughts. The past five years have been a blast. I have had many adventures. Made friends, lost allies, fought enemies, rescued Dragons. Even lost people very close to me. These five years have changed my life.

"Hiccup?" I heard someone calling me.

I turned around and saw Astrid standing a couple meters away from me. She looked worried.

"Oh, thank Thor I found you. I have been worried about you." She said as she walked over to me.

"Can I sit here?" She gestured to the area beside me.

"Of-of course! I-I mean yeah you can." I stuttered a bit.

"Thanks." She said and sat beside me with her feet dangling over the sea.

I glance at her. She was beautiful before. But now, she looks like a Valkyrie from Asgard. Her beautiful blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, angelic smile…. She is just perfect. I quickly looked away when she looked at me.

Astrid's P.O.V

I looked at Hiccup. He has changed so much in the past five years. He was a cute goofball at first. But now, he is literally as hot as a Deadly Nadders flame. His messy auburn hair, forest green eyes, charming smile. He is just perfect.

I looked back at the sea. It was almost evening. The sun was soon gonna set. I kept staring at the horizon, seeing the sun slowly slowly disappear.

"It's beautiful." I said.

"Yeah it is. I come here whenever I am stressed." Hiccup said.

"So Hiccup… do you have a girlfriend?" I shyly asked him.

"Uhh no! I am still single." Hiccup said with an embarrassed face. He looks cute when he is like that.

"How about you? Is there anyone special in your life?" He asked back.

"No. Not yet. I never found the right person to be with." I admitted while looking at the setting sun.

"Uh huh. I thought your parents and half the village would have forced you to marry Snotlout by now." Hiccup jokes.

"What! No! I would rather get banished than marry that idiot." I exclaimed and we both laughed at that.

"Haha, you haven't changed Astrid." Hiccup said.

"Well you haven't changed that much either. Still the funny and sarcastic guy you were." I told him and we both chuckled.

"I….. I am sorry that I left that day." Hiccup said after a few moments of silence and looked down.

"Hiccup you don't have to apologise for it." I said and lifted his face with my right hand and made him look at me as I continued "The Hooligans would have never listened to you. It was your only choice. And look it worked out at the end. You became the Night rider. You rescue Dragons and what not."

Hiccup smiled at me as I finished and held my right hand which was still on his cheek. I looked into his eyes and fell into a kind of trance. We just sat there, looking into each other's eyes. I didn't know how long we were there. We only realised how late it was when the sun completely disappeared and darkness fell upon the world.

"Oh! It's pretty late. We should head home." Hiccup said and let go of my hand and got up on his feet.

I was kind of disappointed when he pulled away. I wish the moment was longer. He offered me a hand. I gladly took it and he helped me on my feet. He then led me towards his mansion. When we got to the dirt path leading to his mansion I noticed that the torches on either side of the road were alight now. I had noticed these torches in the morning, but they weren't alight then. I look at Hiccup with a questioning look.

He noticed my look and said,"Ah, you might be thinking who ignited these torches. Well it was the Dragons. A folk of Terrible terrors to be exact. It's there job to light up the torches after the sundown every day."

I nodded at the explanation and we walked the rest of the way silently. When we reached the mansion we saw light coming out of the ground floor of the mansion. Either those Terrors or the gang must have lighted up the torches and the fire pit. We saw Snotlout standing by the main door.

"Uhh, can I talk with you?…. In private." Snotlout asked as he noticed us and walked over to us.

Hiccup gave me a look and I left but hid behind the door.

"Look, I want to apologise for the way I talked to you during our encounter in the forge. I shouldn't have said all that." I heard Snotlout saying.

I couldn't believe that he could swallow his ego and apologize to someone.

"It's okay. I forgive you." I heard Hiccup saying.

He's always so forgiving. One of the many things I like about him. Then I heard them talking again.

"Wait, just like that? I thought you would do something horrible to me, like getting me maimed by Dragons."

"I am not like that Snotlout. I thought you would know that."

And then I heard some chuckling and footsteps approaching the door so I quickly left. I entered the living room. There I saw Fishlegs sitting on a couch near the fire pit, reading a book. He looked quite interested in whatever he was reading. The twins were fighting over something, as always. I sat on a couch. Just then Snotlout entered the room followed by Hiccup. Snotlout sat beside Ruffnut and Hiccup sat on a separate chair. I noticed how his left foot made more noise compared to his right foot while walking. The difference is very faint but one can notice it if they pay close attention. So I decided to ask about it.

"Hey Hiccup, I noticed whenever you walk your left foot makes a bit more noise compared to your right one. Would mind if I ask why?" I asked.

"Oh! It's because my left foot is prosthetic." He said and put of his left boot to reveal his prosthetic foot. We all gasped when we saw it. The prosthetic wasn't like anything I have seen before. It was made out of both metal and wood and I could tell it had some 'Hiccup flair' thrown into it by looking at it.

Normal P.O.V

The twins were looking at it in awe, While Snotlout and Fishlegs were gaping. Astrid was slightly concerned too.

"How did you got it?" Astrid asked.

"Oh, it is a fun story actually…" Hiccup said with a chuckle and told them about his fight against Red death, the queen of the nest in Hellhiems gate. The gang was in complete awe as they heard the story.

"And that's how I ended up with this." Hiccup finished his story.

"That.." Tuffnut began.

"Is.." Ruffnut said.

"AWESOME!" They both exclaimed and Hiccup chuckled at that.

"Makes sense why people fear you cuz." Snotlout said.

"Anyway, enough with the stories. You guys must be hungry." Hiccup said.

"Uh, Yeah. I could eat." Astrid said.

"Good. It's dinner time." Hiccup said and led them to the dinning room.

From there he entered the kitchen where he began preparing the dinner while the gang were seated on the chairs around the dinner table and we're talking among them selves. About half an hour later Toothless entered the dining room followed by another Dragon which looked like a Nightfury but had White scales instead of black. The sudden appearance of the two Dragons made the gang, excluding Astrid, panic.

"Toothless! Luna! Right on time for dinner." Hiccup said as he entered the dining room. He led both of the Dragons to the other side of the room near two rock slabs. He then went inside the kitchen and brought two satchels filled with fish and gave it to them.

"Sorry about that. Toothless and Luna normally eat with me in the dinning room." Hiccup told the gang.

"Luna?" Fishlegs asked.

"She's the white scaled Dragon and she is Toothless's mate. I rescued her from a Dragon hunter named Grimmel the grizzly. Wait a minute, the food is almost done." Hiccup said and went inside the kitchen.

After a few minutes Hiccup entered the dinning room, pushing a trolley carrying the dinner. There was fried steak, bread, Chicken soup and fish on the trolley. Hiccup put all the food on the table and joined the gang into eating. The food was amazing. They didn't know Hiccup was this good at cooking.

"So Hiccup, what happened to this Grimmel guy?" Snotlout asked while munching on a piece of chicken.

"Let's just say, he's six feet under the ground now." Hiccup replied while eating a fish.

"You really hate Dragon hunters, don't you?" Ruffnut asked.

"Ya bet I do." Hiccup said and took a bite from a piece of bread.

The rest of the dinner went silently. Once they were finished eating they all went to their rooms. Sleep quickly took over Astrid when she laid down on her bed. For the first time in many years, Astrid Hofferson had a good sleep.