I want to thank my lovely Beta reader SapphiresAndPineapples, who helped make this story so much better!

I own nothing.

000

Actions and Consequences

Hiccup opened his eyes to find Astrid, in his bed, limbs strewn over his body, important clothes still intact. The important clothes being anything that, had it been missing, would have put them in the uncompromising point of no return.

This was the third night she'd spent in his bed since they started their relationship. It all seemed so perfect. Hiccup's boyish mind thought about this for so long, wanted it, burned for it, and now they slept side by side, moving closer to things conceived in his teenage imagination.

However, reality had drawbacks. First, a month had passed and he only succeeded in removing her armor, skirt, and boots. The leggings and shirt stayed on and his hands banned from traveling beneath their boundaries. Second, he realized he needed more bed, because sharing this little one gave him arm cramps, neck cramps, leg cramps, and even his missing left leg felt uncomfortable.

He looked down at her sleeping face, which laid against his bare chest, as he ran his hand over her clothed back. Astrid made a little grunting noise, her faintly sweaty cheek sticking to him, as she lifted it to meet his emerald eyes.

"Good morning, m'lady," he whispered, stroking loose strands of hair from her face.

She smiled as he moved down to kiss her, sliding finger up her back and around her head. As their kissing intensified, he pushed himself into her, forcing her to her back and sliding over her.

"Werf roing tof all off ruh bed," she mumbled into his mouth.

He pulled his mouth back, while staying on top, "What? Does anything you say make any sense?"

"I said, 'we're going to fall off the bed.'"

"Probably," he smiled down at her. "Move your bed over here."

"To your place?"

"Here is my place."

"What's the point of me having a 'my place' if all my things are at 'your place'?" She sat up, combing her fingers through her loose golden hair.

"I didn't say all your things, just your bed."

"Move your bed to my place." She said.

"Toothless can't sleep at your place. He likes it here."

The black dragon, who had been sleeping on the other side of the room lifted his head and smiled at them with the mention of his name. Hiccup waved a hand at him, signaling the dragon should return to sleep. Finding nothing interesting about their conversation, he nestled his head under his wing.

"You know that's another thing- does he have to be here all the time? I love him too and all, but Stormfly and the other dragons sleep in the stables."

The conversation started to head nowhere good, so Hiccup resumed kissing her mouth, slowly moving his lips down to her neck.

"You could make this bed bigger," she suggested.

"Fine," he mumbled, then lifted his head for air. "But, only if you start taking off more clothes."

"More clothes," she said flirtatiously. "What do you have planned for this larger bed, Hiccup Haddock?"

"Oh, let me tell you-"

A loud thunk on his deck, like the landing of a gigantic dragon, interrupted his thought.

Astrid jerked her head towards the door. "What's that? Do you think the twins-"

"No," he looked worried, "Far worse. Put on your skirt and armor."

There were more thuds outside.

"Oh gods, where's my shirt?" Hiccup asked while putting on his leg.

"HICCCCUUUPPP!" A voice bellowed outside the door before pounding on it.

"Your dad?" Astrid mouthed.

"Hide!" he mouthed back as she ducked behind the bed.

"Dad!" He yelled. "I'm just getting up and dressed."

"It's almost noon!" Stoick burst through the door.

Hiccup almost fell down the ladder from his loft as he scrambled to put his boot on and get downstairs at the same time.

"Where's your Tunic?" Stoick asked.

"I-I have to do laundry."

Stoick shook his head as he looked around the room. "Son, you're not doing a great job of taking care of yourself – no clean clothes? And this place is a mess." Stoick walked to one of Hiccup's work benches.

Hiccup's heart stopped as his father picked up Astrid's shoulder armor. The night before they started making out on that table and knocked everything over. And that wasn't the only place they bumped into things. The place looked like a herd of Terrible Terrors came through.

"This doesn't look like your armor. It's very feminine."

"Oh yeah, well, Astrid, got a dent. I was trying to bang it out for her?" Hiccup smiled at his own inappropriate pun.

"Why did that sound like a question?"

"Did it?"

"Son, I know you've been keeping things from me." Stoick's face became, you got it – Stoic.

Hiccup ran his hand through his hair, he was on the verge of hyperventilating. "Oh gods, well, dad-"

"I know Hiccup, about a certain blonde - who is interested in you."

"You know?" Hiccup breathed a little easier.

"I came as soon as I got the letter."

"Letter?"

Stoick handed hiccup a piece of paper, he read it, rubbing the back of his neck to calm his nerves. Could he have a heart attack at his age if he kept reaching this level of stress? He sat down.

"So?"

Hiccup needed to buy time to think, "Meet me at the club house. I need a moment to find a clean tunic. Then we can talk. Also, you must be hungry. There's probably food."

Stoick left and Hiccup started a vigorous search for his missing shirt. Astrid crept behind him, snaking her arms around his chest. He took her hands, wrapping them in his own and giving them little kisses.

"I have to go."

"What's wrong?" she relaxed her face against his warm back.

"My dad had a letter from Mala."

"Queen of the Defenders of the Wing?"

"A proposal letter."

She peeled away from him.

He sighed, "She was told she would meet her future husband in battle and I helped her people, showing bravery and intelligence. She wants Stoick to arrange a marriage – between her and I."

"Isn't she getting sort of desperate? Snotlout and now you? Not to mention, you didn't do those trials."

"Her letter explained that she has a duty to produce an heir, she's getting older, and my recent heroic acts - defeating Vigo saving her dragons - are enough to get me out of the trials."

Astrid started putting on her missing clothes.

He turned around, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Astrid, I'm with you. I'm going to let me dad know about us today and I'll fix this."

"You'd better. I don't want to have to cut you in half with my ax."

"Neither do I," He laughed.

000

"This is exciting Hiccup, your first proposal." Stoick in his parental excitement voice.

"First, how many should I be getting?" Hiccup sat opposite his dad at the table.

"This food is terrible," Stoick made a face as he took a bite of the mystery meat he found on a plate - probably something Ruffnut prepared, before running out to cause trouble.

"Yeah, none of us can cook. But, dad, I can't accept this proposal-"

"Proposal?!" Snotlout barged in, also looking for lunch.

"Snotlout!" Stoick opened his arms to greet his nephew "Hiccup received a proposal from Queen Mala."

Hiccup slapped his forehead, "Um, dad can we talk about this more, before you tell everyone-"

"Mala?!" Snotlout threw his arms up. "I know you want to be like me, Hiccup, but chasing after the women I let go. Just sad."

"Women? What are you talking about?" Stoick demanded.

"Oh, you know, Mala was engaged to me. Till I broke it off."

Hiccup started to correct him, "That's not entirely how it hap-"

"Not to mention, Astrid, who everyone knows has been into me, for like, ever, has spent the last month sleeping at his place."

Un-phased by and unaware of the situation he created, Snotlout plopped down on a seat, "I feel bad for you being the runner up, Hiccup – Thawfest, the ladies, dragon racing…but, I suppose it's nice to see the girls moving on. Say do they know about each other?"

Hiccup could see his father's fist tighten and could almost hear his teeth grind as his cheeks turned a few shades redder.

"Snotlout, I think you should go." Hiccup warned.

"But I haven't had lun-"

"Leave now." Stoick said it a voice way too quiet and controlled to mean anything good.

Snotlout looked at Hiccup's terrified face, finally reading the situation, "Oh, your dad didn't know about Astrid. Wow, this is soooo awkward, and you're going to be in soooo much trouble. Also, probably with Mala when she finds out. Wow, losing anther fiancé, that's so bad for her. Or maybe you could marry her and date Astrid, I mean they do live on two different-"

"Snotlout!" Stoick pointed at the door and Snotlout finally took the hint.

Hiccup watched him go, knowing he and the twins would camp outside to listen to the chief lose it.

He took a deep breath, "OK, dad. Go ahead. Let it go."

000

Snotlout stopped Tuffnut before he could enter the club house, "Don't go in there. Stoick just found Astrid's been sleeping at Hiccup's, and by his reaction, he had no idea."

"OH!" Tuffnut started to leap around like Loki himself, "He's going to be in soooo much trouble. Do you think he'll get the talk? Oh gods, I hope he gets the talk. Oh, this is going to be so uncomfortable for him."

"Shhhhh- it's starting." Snotlout moved his ear to a crack in the wall.

Tuffnut mentioned, "You know for Vikings, we don't do a very good job of insulating our buildings. What with the cold and all, you'd think we'd perfect that, but no-"

His ramblings were interrupted by Stoick's booming voice, "Of all the irresponsible, poorly conceived actions! I didn't let you come out here to fool around like - like this!"

Hiccup responded calmly and too quietly for them to hear. They figured he knew of their eavesdropping and wouldn't give them the show they wanted.

More yelling seeped out the cracks, they caught phrases like "babies out of wedlock", "shame to the Hofferson family", and "fights because of an illegitimate heir".

Hiccups calm answers made Stoick more irate, but less audible.

"Are you guys having fun without me?" Ruffnut walked up. "Wait, I saw Skullcrusher, I think I hear Stoick yelling, and Hiccup is not here – Did Stoick find out?"

"I might have let it slip." Snotlout Gloated.

"Hmmm, kind of evil. I like that."

"Do you now? Because currently I'm on the market," Snotlout winked.

"Ugh, maybe not." She pushed him over, putting her ear to the wall.

There was a loud boom as Stoick pounded the table.

Hiccup's voice raised, "It's not like that! I was going to tell you before Snotlout opened his big mouth, and it hasn't been a month. It's been maybe twice. She fell asleep there after we were just talking."

"It starts with 'just talking'." Stoick yelled.

Hiccup lowered his voice again, making the conversation less interesting.

Astrid and Fishlegs approached the group.

"You guys have better things to do," Astrid chided. "Besides you know what he's going to say."

"Oh, yeah – what's he going to say?" Ruffnut mocked.

Astrid rolled her eyes as "because I'm your father and I know these things" seeped out from the cracks and into the calm air of the Edge.

"That. He's going to say that. Then tell Hiccup to be responsible. And we need to sleep in our own beds. Then Hiccup will say," She changed her voice to mimic Hiccup's, "OK, Dad. But I'm old enough to live on my own and make my own decisions. Thanks for the input."

Everyone started to laugh.

"I can hear you out there, Astrid!" Stoicks's voice boomed louder.

Everyone scattered, including Astrid.

000

An hour later Astrid and the group returned to find the club house empty.

"Do you think Stoick killed him?" Tuffnut asked.

"Don't be so dramatic," Astrid replied.

"Oh, alas poor Hiccup, I will remember thee fondly. We shall all mourn your loss." Tuffnut put a hand over his heart.

Astrid rolled her eyes as Tuffnut whispered to everyone, "She's in denial. We should give her space."

Astrid stomped off to Hiccup's hut. There she found a note:

With dad. Back in a few days.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read. Please leave a review and follow or fav to let me know what you think. I'm always happy to get some sort of feedback.

For anyone who is reading my other story, this is sort of a prequal, but both stories stand on their own. You can always get more information my writing if you go to my bio.

Please note – this is a Hiccstrid story. I ship nothing else. The Mala thing is just there as a catalyst for other story lines.