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“How did you know?” Astrid pulls her plate back, avoiding the splash from Ruffnut’s mead cup that she slammed to the table. Astrid had chosen to sit at a small table in the back of the Hall, forgetting the head table. With Hiccup stuck in the forge, she had no desire to be hassled by villagers while she ate.
Astrid sighs. “I need a little more context here Ruff.”
“That you wanted to get married?”
“Did Fish ask?” Astrid asks, forgetting her food, too excited now for her friend. “We need another wedding!”
“You just got married and you’re all” Ruffnut motions to the growing swell of Astrid's stomach “The village has plenty to celebrate.”
“It’s been almost nine moon cycles, plus this little one is going to need friends.” Astrid nudges Ruffnut with her elbow.
“Just gotta stop taking the herbs for that.” Ruffnut laughs, arching an eyebrow. “He didn’t ask, just talked about it after we fucked last.”
Astrid snorts. “That’ll do it.”
“So that’s it? Hiccup’s so good in bed you decided to marry him? Cause that I doubt.”
“This baby that’s finally let me eat says otherwise, Ruff.”
“Yeah, yeah, dragon boy knows how to please his wife. We’ve all, unfortunately, heard it. Then what made you want to marry him, cause just a few months before you were totally against it.”
“That day,” Astrid starts, a far-off look in her eyes. “When Hiccup was on the Light Furry and Grimmel attacked him. I had just landed with Stormfly and was standing right on the edge of the cliff when Hiccup let go of her.” Astrid stops, taking a bite of chicken.
“We’ve all seen him fall, with and without the flight suit. Toothless was always there to catch him when he needed it. I never worried about him hitting the ground until that day. I’ve never felt so helpless, watching him fall with nothing but the sea below him. But I knew Stormfly wasn’t fast enough to reach him so I had no other choice but to watch him die. That’s when I knew. He’s the other half of my soul, Ruff, I felt my heart break and my life end.” Ruffnut was watching Astrid with wide eyes, her soft words were normally reserved for Hiccup, the others rarely hearing them.
“He’s known since we were kids, it took a little longer for me to figure out. More extreme actions. But I knew I couldn’t go through thinking that I was going to lose him again, not without knowing that he was truly mine. You just gotta ask yourself if that’s how you feel about Fishlegs. If it is marry him, start that life.”
“And what life might that be?” Wooden bench legs scratch against the hard floor. Hiccup pulled out the seat across from them, kneeling with his bad leg on the bench.
“Oh, just a happy life.” Astrid smiles at him, standing and patting Ruffnut on the shoulder. “Your child finally let me eat, do you want to eat here or there’s food at home?”
Hiccup wraps an arm around Astrid's waist. “I just came to walk you home. See ya Ruff.” He calls over his shoulder.
The couple walks through the village, “So what was that about.”
“I suspect that you’ll have a marriage to bless here soon.”