because i've been trying way too long to be the perfect son

[smithwork]

[ Maybe we should slow things down, she had said, and at the time he had felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. He understands why that was, now. The overloading responsibilities of a chieftain; quite apart from rebuilding Berk, there were still normal, everyday issues to attend to and dragons to cater for, which added to a teetering pile of Do Not Want that he navigated as gracefully as he could. Astrid bore the brunt of a lot and his friends helped out, as did Valka, but that didn't stop every single villager from turning to him first and foremost when they had a problem. And he didn't have his dad to ask for advice, to sit beside at the end of a hard day, or to talk him down. It was so hard.

Yeah, Hiccup had agreed, the line of his shoulders easing as the frankly terrifying notion of getting married and having children was neatly brushed aside in one fell swoop. Yeah, okay.

He pretended later not to notice the way Astrid's smile had fallen, needing the breathing room.

Six months later, after a ship returned to the archipelago following five years away, he had taken no small amount of joy in having someone else to hang out with. Heather was more welcome than she knew. Admittedly, her last visit had captured Hiccup's interest in a way that wasn't entirely as innocent as he tried to convince himself, even if nothing had come of it, but he had still denied his attraction to her. Now, it was as if after a lifetime of wanting one girl his dick had decided to explore a completely different avenue of arousal that prominently featured his old friend and the only other gorgeous woman on the island. Heather was beautiful before (stunning really, Sure thing, Snotlout) but now her curves had a shockingly disabling effect on Hiccup's nerves, her hair was sleeker and longer, and her eyes reflected the exact shade of dragon-nip that drove him just as wild. In private, of course. It wasn't fair to dump all his tension and desires on her just because he quickly grew to enjoy their work in the smithy, or the way she was picky about which dragon he offered up for her to train. Even listening to her spout the same boring rhetoric about herbs that Gothi had taught her, taking Heather on as an apprentice, was somewhat interesting just for the way it lit her up.

Today, he finds himself staring again.

After a particularly long and tiresome afternoon, with the snowfall of Winter Nights already resurging around early evening to send people running into their homes and out of the freezing cold, he offers Heather a home-cooked meal "By the Chief himself, no less" and shows her every welcome that a good host should, including ale. Not too much, but enough that he doesn't protest when Toothless bounds upstairs to sleep on his slab and Hiccup has the opportunity to turn his glance sideways where he lies on the furs near the fire-pit, a mug balanced on the belly of his tunic and an arm curled under his head.

Heather curdles something in the pit of his stomach just by being there. Full of delicious stew, languid and relaxed as the building storm howls outside the sturdy wooden walls, he blinks at her and comes down from laughing about something-or-other to say something stupid but too honest to keep behind his lips. ]

You look really good for someone who was smeared in soot earlier, for the record. When did you even wash that off?

[ With a smile in place under an openly approving, freckled expression, he sends her a flirtatious look brimming with a playful tease. ]

Comments

[heiene]

[Her welcome back to Berk was warmer than she'd been expecting, considering everything that she'd done the first time she'd come to Berk. Granted, they now knew that she'd had no choice, and she was more than thankful. When she'd heard the call that Berk needed help, she'd said goodbye to her parents, knowing she couldn't leave her friends to rebuild Berk themselves.

She was well aware of her beauty. It had come in handy a few times before, not just here the first time. She knew the effect she had on men (and some women, no less), but she was trying to keep herself from using it. She was here as a guest (and maybe later she would decide to become a permanent resident), so she was on her best behavior. But when she'd caught wind of Hiccup and Astrid's separation, she couldn't help but find herself looking at Hiccup.

He'd grown handsome. Not that he hadn't been before but there was something about him that had changed. Confidence? No, he'd been plenty confident. It had just been in his own way. Heather found herself spending more and more time with him, trying to pinpoint it. She was well aware of Snotlout's intentions towards her, and had gently let him down, claiming that she needed to keep her purity if she was planning on following in Gothi's footsteps (a lie, but he seemed to buy it). Word got around, it seemed, because Tuffnut threw his hands up into the air and loudly proclaimed he'd have to go native on some other island if he wanted to get with a girl one evening when he'd had too much to drink.

Berk's cold weather is different from that of Peaceable Country. Just when things seemed to be warming up, it grew colder. She takes Hiccup's offer of a home cooked meal, finding herself missing her mother's cooking. She told herself that there wasn't anything else behind it, though she had taken special care to wash herself despite Lauderdagur being a few more days away. A few nice smelling, crushed flowers run over her body assured her that she smelled nice as well. Gothi had given her a knowing look when she left the cottage, though her mentor smiled slyly.

She lounges back after the stew was devoured hungrily, having not realized she'd worked herself into an appetite. Hiccup's comment makes her look up from her mug of ale sitting between her hands, smiling at the flirtatious invitation. Were they really doing this? She could only find out.]

Soot's easy to wash off, Hiccup. Besides, I figured I should look nice for the chief.

[smithwork]

[ Poor Tuffnut. It's going to be unsurprising if he starts trying out his come-ons with the dragons, soon. Getting shot down by them will hurt a lot more, literally, as Snotlout knows; maybe Hiccup should spend more time with them.

But not right now, chuckling as he lounges back on the furs. ]

It isn't in freezing water, which is what I usually get landed with. [ Because it's faster and he's impatient, despite how much he moans about the cold otherwise. He pulls a face and, taking the levity as a prompt, lets his gaze flicker over her, sliding up her body until he meets her gaze again with a cheeky grin. ] I suppose you look acceptable, after a fashion.

[heiene]

Gothi heated the water for me, which is a plus I guess. Peaceable's a lot more tropical than Berk.

[At the very least they don't have winter quite so frequent. Heather smiles as she notices Hiccup's roaming eyes, brushing some hair over her shoulder. She'd neglected to put it into its usual braid, not really wanting to give him any memories of Astrid right now. Heather raises an eyebrow before she laughs slightly.]

Praise the gods, I look acceptable to the chief. Everything in my life has led up to this moment.

[smithwork]

I really want to fly out there sometime and see what it's like to actually have a real summer.

[ He's going to miss the sun for the next few months, that much goes without saying. Still, being used to it has some benefits; appreciating change when it comes along, for one thing. Long dark hair free-falling like Nott's own tresses, for example.

He raises his drink in a salute, breaking into a laugh of his own even as he tries to nod solemnly. ]

I know you're overwhelmed but try and keep your head. It's an honour almost no one else achieves, getting my approval, only the most beautiful of the lot.

[heiene]

Well, you'd be more than welcome. My parents would want to house you for all you've done for us.

[And with a dragon, it wouldn't take a few weeks of sailing to get there. Heather hasn't quite figured out the kind she wants yet - the blind Hobblegrunt Valka had introduced her to was a sweetheart though - but she knows she wants one. She's wanted one since her last trip here. Gothi wouldn't mind if she went back home she was sure.

She raises her own drink in return, unable to stop her cheeks from colouring. She was used to men telling her she was beautiful but there was something about hearing it from Hiccup that made her heart soar.]

And he calls me beautiful too! What an honor this evening has been - dinner with the chief, praise and I'm beautiful.

[smithwork]

[ He'd have to take some kind of well-wishing gift to Heather's parents just so they could see him as someone other than the mad dragon-boy from five years ago, taking on the Outcasts like a lunatic in his own right astride a Night Fury. Having no idea how to please them, however, he focuses for the time being on their daughter.

Who makes him smile and flush a little in turn, giving a snort. ]

You already knew that, though. Even five years ago, Snotlout almost turned inside-out over you.

[ He sips his ale just for something to do (even if his gaze remains on her), a knee bending to sway and his pegleg curling under. ]

[heiene]

Are you sure it was just Snotlout? I mean, you were more focused on Toothless and Astrid, but surely I grabbed some of your attention, hm?

[She crosses one leg over her other, skirt riding up her thigh a little with the motion as she raises her mug to her lips, wrapping both hands around it as she eyed him over the tankard. She remembered the look on his face when she suggested changing the size of the connecting rod, raising an eyebrow.]

[smithwork]

[ She's right, of course she is. He squints at her and flattens his smile into a line, pointing to her with the fingers of the arm curled behind his head. ]

See, now you're just fishing for compliments when the answer's obvious.

[ Not that he can help the way his attention slides to that bare thigh. He sets his own mug down on the rug and reaches over to lightly curl his hand around Heather's ankle, a calloused thumb rubbing idly over the bone. ]

I was more focused on you than anything. You got what you wanted, didn't you?

[heiene]

I got what Alvin wanted.

[She makes a small noise in the back of her throat as his thumb rubs over her ankle bone, toes curling with the motion as she tilts her head, hair falling to the side. Heather sets her mug down as well, leaning back on her hands as she wriggled her toes, cleaned in her bath, looking at him with curious green eyes, wondering what he'd do.]

I'm not sure I got what I wanted at all.

[smithwork]

[ He leans on an arm, propped up at her side to lie face to face on the furs. ]

Hey, you got us. All of us. And we will never let anyone use you like that again, I promise. [ Hiccup's earnest words are followed up by a chagrined smile. ] ... Y'know, I knew after we flew around the island on Toothless. I knew you weren't into me. I still acted like a dope after that, so ... I'm sorry, belatedly.

[heiene]

[She leans down on her elbows, smile curling. She knew, she had them, all of them this time. Astrid was the best friend she'd never had, which made her feel a little guilty about what she was about to do. Heather tilts her head, pressing a soft kiss to Hiccup's mouth which she'd explain away as a Peaceable thing if it made him uncomfortable. The fire and the comfort is making her feel warm, she thinks to herself as she pulls her head back slightly, smiling.]

Apology accepted. But who said I wasn't into you? Your girlfriend was just a bit, mmm, intimidating.

[smithwork]

[ The kiss has him lowering his lashes as he watches her, surprised but pleasantly so as his insides twist in the pit of his stomach, butterflies fluttering. Shaking his head, he brushes his knuckles along Heather's jaw and traces back along the same path with his fingertips, glancing up from her mouth to those pretty eyes. Daring, but restrained and clearly hooked as he licks his tingling lips. ]

No girlfriend right now.

[ Giving her every chance to pull away, he leans back in to seal a firmer kiss, keeping it chaste. ]

[heiene]

[Heather tilts her head into the touch of his hand with a small sigh, her lashes fluttering, her own stomach filled with nerves when he didn't object. The firmer kiss has her back arching, toes of one foot sliding up along his leg invitingly as she returns it, tongue wiping out to lick at the corner of his mouth before she broke it with a soft murmur.]

I heard.

[smithwork]

[ His hand moves of its own accord to curve around the dip of her waist as Hiccup shifts closer on the furs, catching her lower lip with his teeth for a teasing nibble. Growing accustomed to her taste as tension continues to coil under his navel, he laps his way into Heather's mouth to suck on her retreating tongue, a low noise echoing in his chest with each alteration to the tentative kissing angle. ]

Mm. Word travels fast when all people have to talk about are dragons and sheep.

[heiene]

Snotlout sounded way too happy when he told me.

[She opens her mouth to let him take her clever tongue, reaching up to thread her fingers through his hair with a small moan. It wasn't like she'd never been touched before, but Hiccup made her feel like it had never happened. Heather licks her tongue along the seam of his lips eagerly when he's done sucking on it, pressing their mouths harder and insistently this time.]

[smithwork]

[ Snorting at the idea of Snotlout standing the remotest of chances with Astrid, he pushes his cousin and ex from his mind as he rolls Heather onto her back and looms over her all the better to palm up her side, kissing her harder in return. When he groans somewhere in his throat, Hiccup takes his lips down her jaw and neck, sucking wetly on the join of a shoulder. Make outs? Make outs. ]

Gods, you smell so good ...

[ His knee bends and he lets the weight of his thigh press up between her legs, constant and firm if she wants to move against him. ]

[heiene]

[She lets him roll her onto her back, spreading her legs around the knee pressing between them, lifting the lower half of her body to ride his leg, rubbing against it insistently as she tilted her head back, fingers in his hair clutching his head to her as he trailed his lips down her neck. Heather sighs softly, drawing her other hand up to run her fingers down the front of his shirt.]

Mnh...I made it myself. A flower and herb blend. Ah...

[smithwork]

I like it.

[ His tongue trails arabesques down her collar-bone as he unties the lacings on her tunic, sucking lower over the first soft rise of a breast. His blood pounds in his ears with the slow-burn temptation grinding up against him, and Hiccup parts her legs with his own to let her feel the lengthening shaft trapped beneath his leathers as he rubs up against her with only clothing acting as a barrier. A whine catches, and he starts to drag himself there with the burn of frottage like wildfire through his veins. ]

Ungh, Heather ... Is, uh. Is this okay?

[heiene]

[Her heart swells when he says he likes it, making a mental note to experiment with different blends.

Her chest rises and falls with her escalating breathing, head tilting back against the furs underneath her. Her leggings are soaking up her leaking sex, letting her fold easily over the...oh gods, was that his cock? Heather moans out a whine of her own, wrapping her legs around his waist encouragingly as he asks that question.]

Gods yes.

[smithwork]

Very okay.

[ With the majority of his blood going south, he ignores his own babbling in favour of moving with her as if there are no blockades to this at all, grasping at the curve of her ass as he hauls her in so they can't be parted as they pseudo-fuck on the floor. He kisses her hungrily as the line of his erection grows more defined, fully erect beneath buttersoft leather that molds against all seven inches and allows him to drive between her slick folds even with the leggings in the way. So good ...

Slipping two fingers down between their bodies to push under her waistband, he rubs at the height of her sex over the stiff little nub there, nuzzling his way to an ear to raggedly whisper secrets. ]

I want to make you come so many times tonight.

[heiene]

Definitely.

[She returns the kiss with equal hunger, groaning into his mouth as she feels that erection between her legs. The full erection and the leathers let her know how thick his girth is, and she almost trembles at the thought of taking all that in. He's bigger than what she thought that's for sure. Heather lifts her hips to grind her aching sex along the leathers before she lets out a squeak of an 'oh!' when she feels him touch her directly.

Her eyes roll back as he rubs her clit, chest heaving with breaths as her voice rises in octaves, inch by inch to match the rubbing of calloused fingers. The fingers that wove their way into his hair before drop to his shoulder, the ones on her other hand gripping at the furs underneath them.]

I'm...I'm going to hold you to that.

[smithwork]

[ He only lifts his hips away to allow his fingers easier access, sliding along the slick folds of her sex to tease and sensitise, his lips locked with her own in lewd, longing kisses. ]

Are you okay with my mouth going ... lower? [ His grin is wide, nipping at her lips. ] Let me taste you?

[ Trying to stay thoughtful, despite wanting to bury himself in her and see Heather well-fucked underneath him. He crooks his fingers, slipping inside her tightness with shallow thrusts as his thumb remains firmly rubbing around her clit. ]

[heiene]

[Heather's body arches against him and her toes curl, a sigh leaving her as she feels his fingers drag along her. Her leggings are embarrassingly wet, her folds swallowing his fingers eagerly. She hooks her legs however he moves to accommodate him, toes trailing along his thighs.]

You don't have to ask, Hiccup. [Her breathing is shallow, a murmur against his lips as she returns the nip, licking at the seam.] I'd love it if you ate me out.

[Although asking makes him more of a gentleman than others she's shared her bed with, which is what she likes about him. She lifts a hand to auburn hair, toying with it before she gasps at the sudden intrusion, knees curling inward.]