This one dedicated to the wonderful ShipMistress...thank you for all the inspiration my lovely! And for your amazing videos which are a joy and a massive help (Seriously readers, if you ship Hiccstrid and you haven't seen her work - go to YouTube and search ShipMistress. You can thank me later).

Astrid and Hiccup, Hiccup and Astrid. They're almost always together, except when someone is cursed. Or drowning. Or lost. Or kidnapped. Or dealing with Snotlout. You know, some massive dramatic occurrence requiring daring-do, last minute rescues, adventure or just boatloads of patience. But what if they were separated for longer and by something much more mundane? I wonder how waiting-it-out might affect this adrenaline-driven pair? Well, not now I don't. Because I've written it. I hope you like it.

Homecoming Queen (Part One)

All across Dragon's Edge the sound reverberated, loud and harsh and unfamiliar. It wasn't a sound The Edge was used to, not one that was heard there often. It was Hiccup. He stood in the clubhouse, freckles blazing, facing down his two lanky, blonde friends and yelling. Red in the face, wake the dead in Valhalla, call down the Valkyries kind of yelling.

"What I am saying guys, is that you two can't claim that you've finished cleaning the stable when the place isn't actually clean!" Tuff opened his mouth but quickly shut it again when Hiccup loudly continued, "And no, Tuffnut, I will not 'give you a break' because 'at least you moved the dirt around in an interesting way'. I said the stable needs cleaning so, the pair of you, CLEAN THE GODSDAMNED STABLE!"

"But it's boring!" moaned Ruffnut, "We've been doing it all day!"

Hiccup glared. In unison, Ruff and Tuff backed away a step. It was rare that Hiccup lost his temper, but when he did, they usually preferred to be further away. Preferably back on Berk.

"Yakshit! Doing it all day? I saw Barf and Belch land here not half an hour ago. Whatever you have been doing all day, it's not what I told you to do! For Thor's sake! You know what is boring, Ruff? Having to repeat myself endlessly every godsdamned time I give you muttonheads a job!" He always waved his hands while he talked but right now he was gesturing violently, "And don't even start me on your boar pit expansion plan, as if we don't have better things to do…" The roar was cut short by the appearance of Snotlout, loud and indignant as always.

"Hiccup! I can hear you even with the dome closed! What's with all the rage? Me and Hookfang are trying to chill! Even warriors like us need our downtime and all this noise is not good for our vibe."

"Downtime?" Hiccup rounded sharply on the shorter, stocky teen, much to Ruff and Tuff's relief. "Downtime? Did you even attempt to collect the wood we need today? And your hut is still a total shambles, when are you going to get the gronkle iron on it? And…"

"Whoa, whoa," Snotlout held up his hands, "if I wanted nagging, I would live at home and listen to my Dad! What's up with this guy?" he asked the twins, "I thought we'd seen the back of Princess Outpost?"

"Snotlout," Hiccup hissed through gritted teeth, "Thor help me, I knocked you down once, do not make me do it again."

Tuffnut stepped forward, grinning excitedly "No, do make him do it again Snotlout! It was excellent!"

"Yeah!" his sister gleefully echoed, "Especially the way your head bounced off the floor! I know - ask him if he's going full 'Red Death' on us because he's missing Astrid! That should do it!" Ruffnut high-fived her brother and the pair of them looked at Snotlout expectantly.

"Aggghhhh!" Hiccup flung his hands up in frustration and strode out of the clubhouse onto the front landing, glaring at the ocean as if it was responsible for the gaping hole in his life. The twins and Snot peered cautiously out of the door as he visibly struggled to regain his control.

"Psssshh, hit a nerve there Sis."

"Yeah, for sure. But violence would have been way cooler. Total let down. How long since Astrid went back to Berk anyway?"

"Five weeks." Snotlout contributed.

"When's she coming back?"

He shrugged. "I don't know Ruff, when her Mom's better I guess."

"I hope it's soon," Ruffnut drawled, "or Hiccup is going to flay us alive. And you do not want to know how Tuff would look without his skin. It's bad enough looking at him in it."

"I concur dear sister, though not about my beautiful skin. It's the mutton butter facial," he added in an aside to Snotlout, "I recommend it. But you're right, this atmosphere is most unproductive. I couldn't tell you when Chicken last laid an egg."

Snotlout frowned, "Isn't Chicken a cockerel?"

"What's your point?"

The waves of nonsense beat on Hiccup, tugging on his frayed nerves and he turned back to face his three nervous friends, breathing in deeply. They braced themselves for another onslaught but the arrival of an out-of-breath Fishlegs saved them all.

"Terror mail!" The husky boy panted as he handed out the various scrolls and notes from Berk. "One for you guys from Not-so-silent Sven, looks like a bill?"

"A bill?" Tuff laughed warily taking, but not opening, the message, "Whatever could that mean? We don't know anything about…oh, I don't know… for a guess...just a shot in the dark you understand… his missing wool. For example. Do we Sis?"

"Us? No, no, no no no. Not unless it's the wool we borrowed to cover Mildew's hut and make him think it was snowing? Kept him indoors for a week!"

"Sven couldn't be angry about that surely! Isn't having Mildew away for seven days payment enough?"

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "One parcel for you Snotlout. Addressed to 'Mommy's Little Warrior'. Aww, is little Snottykins missing his Mommy's cooking?"

"Shut it Fishface, if your Mom cooked as well as mine, you'd want food parcels too." His voice was quickly muffled by the happy sound of food being wolfed down, "Ummmm, yak butter parfait…."

"And one for you Hiccup. Looks like it's from..."

"Astrid."

Smiling finally, Hiccup snatched the scroll from Fishlegs and tore it open, eagerly scanning the runes. Abruptly, his face darkened as with coming thunder and he rammed the paper into a pocket.

"Shit. I'm going flying." He stormed past the others, turned and waved fiercely in the direction of the stables, "Get those finished!"

His wild gesture succeeded in knocking Snotlout's parfait out of his hands and down his tunic. "And get that cleaned up!" Then Hiccup was on Toothless and gone, heading into the clouds. Snotlout eyed the dripping yellow mess down his front and his lip trembled.

"I really, really wish Astrid would come back."

o0o

It was hours before Hiccup returned to the Edge and then only at Toothless' insistence. He himself would have been quite happy to stay up in the rapidly blackening sky, the light perfectly matching his mood, but Toothless was tired, hungry and, quite frankly, fed up of carrying round a ball of bad temper and hormones. They landed at Hiccup's door and the black dragon huffily headed to the stables in search of supper and more pleasant company. Hiccup watched him go, guiltily, but couldn't quite bring himself to call his friend back. There was really only one face he wanted to see that night, and it was miles and miles away. She was miles and miles away.

Heading through the door Hiccup's knees buckled with a sudden weakness and he cursed himself. What was wrong with him? Staying out and up that long had been a stupid thing to do and now his muscles were telling him so in a way he hadn't felt since being a real novice rider back at fifteen. Acting like a muttonhead wasn't going to bring Astrid home any quicker. Gasping and cursing all the way up the stairs, he dragged himself to his bed and flopped down, willing sleep to come and take away all the aches. One more night would be one night closer to the day he would have Astrid back. Not that he had any idea when that would be. Tossing and turning, he screwed his blanket up into a ball, flattened it out again, rolled it into a pillow, rolled it back out, lay on it, lay under it, threw the damn thing across the room.

"FUCK IT!" he fell back against the headboard. "Fuck it," he repeated, more softly this time, "I swear Astrid, if you don't come home soon, I will go mad."

Suddenly remembering, Hiccup scrabbled in his seemingly endless pockets, throwing out various pencil nubs, parchment scraps, nuts, bolts and dragon scales, finally finding Astrid's letter. Earlier he hadn't made it past the first few lines, but maybe now hearing from his absent girlfriend would help him sleep.

Babe, I miss you. Mom is a lot better, Gothi says she'll be fine, but she's still pretty weak (I miss you). So, I'm sorry, but I can't come home yet. I have to stay here a while more. Did I mention that I miss you?

He groaned. "Thor, I miss you too, Milady."

It's pretty dull here. Not much to report. How are things there?

"The twins are driving me crazy and Snotlout is an idiot. I hate not having you to talk to."

I expect Snot's being an idiot the twins are driving you crazy. I bet you wish you had me to talk to!

I'm going a little crazy too. Sickrooms and sitting still are not my thing. Thinking about you is getting me through. Can't believe it's been five weeks since I saw you. Too, too long.

I've been thinking about the night before I left. Up on the cliffs? Remember? I've been thinking about that - a lot.

Blood rushed to Hiccup's cheeks and he swallowed. Thor, he definitely did remember that night. Surely she wasn't…

The way you held me, your lips, your hands in my hair, our tongues sliding together. It was so warm, I hardly noticed when my shirt came off; I remember taking off yours. Gods, your naked skin, hot against mine. I love it.

Oh sweet Freyja singing, this was unfair! Not only did he miss his best friend and second in command, Hiccup was now firmly reminded that he was also missing his lover, something he had been trying, and failing, not to think about. His beautiful, irresistible lover. The thought made his face flush again and his throat tightened. What was he supposed to…he shifted uncomfortably inside his suddenly constricting clothing. Heat spread from his face and down his chest, memories of Astrid's glowing white skin under his work-roughened hands sending hot shivers through his body and chasing thoughts of sleep away entirely.

You ran your fingers down my neck, do you remember? And then kissed your way back up. You bit my ear, my neck, my shoulder, like you wanted to eat me. Your teeth! It made me crazy, it made me want you so badly. I bit you back I think. Did the mark last long?

It had lasted for days, a perfectly circular bruise, over his heart.

I hope it did. I marked you Hiccup Haddock, I claim you. You're mine.

Damn, he was too hot. Quickly, he unbuckled his belt and stripped down to his tunic. His leathers went the way of the blanket.

I was sitting in your lap, do you remember? You were crushing me against you so tightly, did you feel my nipples hard against your chest? I wanted you. I know you wanted me, I felt you. Rising hard under me. Your eyes were black with wanting me. I remember the groan you made when I ground my hips against you. Gods, that sound. I miss your noises. If you were here now… And then I felt your hand, sliding up my thigh, under my skirt, searching for me, finding how wet I was. For you. Do you remember Hiccup? Are you thinking about it now?

His head swam, his eyes blurred, he could read no more. An electric tremor ran over him and he crushed the letter in his fist. He was filled with images of her, her wild scent, softness over hard muscle, the hot taste of her skin, legs wrapping around him, pulling him down, pulling him in…it was too much! Eyes closing, breathing hard, he reached down. Reached for the leather ties holding closed his trousers.

A/N - Noooo, of course that isn't the end! The clue is in the title. Hush, can you hear the sound of wings in the air? Part Two as soon as I can, I promise.