#justpeaxchy

[dragonmasterhiccup]

She made a disgusted facial expression, pretending to appear as if she'd tasted something bad. "I am so glad you came to me when you did, then…because someone might've ended up getting punched.." Trying to keep her laughter down, she covered her mouth to hide her smirk. "I would pay to see the twins do that!"

Freya copied his actions and nodded, pursing her lips while faking a serious appearance while holding her chin with her hand. "Mhm, yup, sure. I hear your point…" Pointing at him, she continued, "Well, look at you, future Chief! You know…you might just be convincing me a little here to let you do that.."

Shaking her head in amusement, his girlfriend smiled fondly by the sound of his laughter, snorting once more as she patted Hiccup's shoulder - while also testing out a new nickname: "Yeah, as much as I love you, hun, I think we shouldn't jump to violence right away..as our first option, at least.."

Too busy chuckling due to the mentioning of Gobber, she felt a sudden warmth cover her face when his next words came, utterly failing to try and hide her flustered grin. "There you go again..being all cheesy.."

That same warmth only increased as he continued to be 'cheesy.' In actuality, she completely enjoyed hearing him say things such as that. A faint blush dusted across her cheeks, raising one of her hands to try and hide it. "That's like…the third time of your…cheesiness.."

Freya used all of her strength not to giggle, but her attempts to do so seemed to be thrown out of the window as he pointed out his three limbs. She practically howled in laughter at first, snorting as she desperately struggled to calm herself down and remain quiet because of Ayla. Her head was lowered, hands tightly shielding her mouth to prevent anymore of her ruckus. Her eyes brimmed with tears while wheezing out a response: "Hiccup! I-I can't..believe..you s-said that!"

She playfully squinted and lifted her chin as he pointed at her, a waggish pout making itself visible on her lips. "That's no fun… I need you awake so you know I wasn't making the number up or something.."

For a moment, she couldn't find the right thing to speak, choosing instead to smile affectionately at him while softly caressing the back of his hand. "Just remember…I probably can't always say how grateful I am for you in words alone, so…I'll try every way possible to show that."

The weird, fluttery feeling swept over her as he brushed a small piece of hair out of her face, which was most likely skimmed in a light shade of red. Freya softly voiced her response, which was in sincere honesty, "…These talks make me feel…closer to you..in a way. You're helping me by letting me know I can say things like that.."

Her gaze landed on Hiccup as he paused, gently humming her silent confirmation to continue. Once he asked her about the cove, the young maiden had to force herself not to move so abruptly from her exhilaration as she worked on his braid. "That…that sounds very nice, yeah… Yeah, let's do it..!"

Lovingly rolling her eyes at him, she quickly placed a small kiss to the top of his head when he finished fixing his hair. "Dork."

Freya immediately perked up, his request coming as music to her ears. "Oh, I never thought you'd ask..!" Getting slightly flustered again, she cleared her throat, lifting her chin while tapping her arm. "I, uh…I mean, yeah! That's…fine.."

Being as fast as she could, while also remaining quiet, she went and grabbed a small bucket and filled it with water, handing it off to Hiccup before swiftly running to her room to retrieve a white cloth - one he had given her previously. "Alright, Ayla's still sleeping…surprisingly…"

Dipping the fabric in the water, she twisted it to make sure it wasn't overly wet, nodding in satisfaction when her desired result arrived. "Mkay, I'll get yours off first.." Reaching up her hand, which was holding the cloth, she stopped right in front of his cheek. "..I'm gonna miss that mini Toothless.." She reminded herself not to laugh so loudly, pressing her lips into a thin line to force more giggles down.

"Ayla did a good job, though…especially with the little time she had to do face painting.." Freya murmured, dabbing the black color off his cheek. "The other kids liked it too…and I'm sure she was very proud of herself. I know I am.." Her gaze was attentive, focused on wiping away the rest of the paint.

She dipped the cloth in the water once more, squeezing it before cleaning off the specific part on his face. She pondered everything that happened so far on Snoggletog Eve, making her smile. For one, she got to dance alongside the future Chief, and braid his hair, and solely be with him for most of the day. "..Hey. Thanks for…everything, really. I don't..know what I would be doing now if we weren't together.."

Almost done completing the task at hand, her eyes met his, her movements slowing as her smile never left. "And, I have the privilege of spending Snoggletog with you tomorrow…that in itself is a gift if you ask me."

Finally accomplishing getting all of the paint off, Freya shuffled back as if to examine what she did. "Mhm. It's gone." Instantaneously, she leaned forward and pecked the scar on his chin, putting the cloth in his hand while doing so. "You sure you're gonna do mine? I mean..I don't wanna keep you here for longer than I should…"

Chuckling lightly at the look on her face, he nodded and replied, "Whatever you need, Milady."

Grinning mischievously, he spread his hands out, "Am I? Or do you just secretly want me to?" His expression became playful, and he added, "In all fairness, I think I just might have to do it regardless of getting your permission or not. It's a matter of honor, you know. After all, you chose me, Arvid never stood a chance, the way I see it."

As she patted his shoulder, he made a show of hanging his head in disappointment, though it straightened up rather quickly at the new nickname. With a lopsided grin, he said, "That's interesting to hear from you, didn't you throw a dagger straight at him at least once?" Arching a brow, he suppressed a smile.

Eyeing her rosy cheeks, he pointed out, "That may be, but you like it!" Playfully, he nudged her with his arm. "You have only yourself to blame for this, you did say I could get away with it." Beaming at her, he gave an innocent smile to help his case.

He took absolute delight in seeing her struggle to contain her laughter, a laughter which was like music to his ears. The sheer joy on her face made him smile, and the little bits of laughter that escaped were contagious, making him laugh, too.

Holding back his own laughter now, he said, "Why not? It's true!"

Oh, he couldn't stand his ground when she pouted like that... "C'mon, you know I wouldn't think you're lying! Okay, how about this? We'll go to a cliff or, or a sea stack, and I'll lean back on Toothless or the grass or something and close my eyes. Not necessarily sleeping, just... relaxing. What about that, huh?" It seemed like a good compromise, at least to Hiccup.

Rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, he answered, "You don't have to. I can see it. Things are so different between us now, and you've let me see and learn so much more about you than anyone else would. I just...hope I can do the same for you."

"Yeah?" He smiled warmly at her. "Good. That makes two of us, then." It was helping him, too.

Hearing her say yes, a wide smile formed on his face. "Great! There's--there's something I want to give you, while we're there together..." Absentmindedly, his hand went to the satchel he wore. "Oh, but, I'm not sure when I can give Ayla her Snoggletog gift." He began to wonder aloud, "It's too late now, she's asleep... Maybe after we leave the cove? That could work..."

What would have been an insult to others, Hiccup knew Freya meant the term affectionately, and he smiled warmly at the word. "A dork I may be, so long as I am your dork."

He only smiled wider, then pressing his lips together to try not to laugh. "It's a good thing I asked then, yeah?"

Holding the bucket, he waited patiently, smiling to himself while she was gone.

Gods, I love her...

Upon her return, he held up a hand to greet her, turning his head so she could get the paint off of him.

His eyes looking over at her, he arched a brow, "Well, we could always have her paint one on paper...or, you know, you could play with the actual Night Fury..." Shrugging casually, he added, "You know, just, just a thought..." But, no matter how he tried, he couldn't stop the playful smirk from appearing on his face.

"You should be. Like you said, she did really well. Hmm... maybe she should do something like that more often. It's a lot safer than working in the forge, that's for sure..."

His eyes softened, and his gaze fell to the ground for a moment before looking back at her. "Honestly? I don't know what I'd be doing either... probably something stupid, but never mind that. Being with you...even before this became real...made me well, so much happier. I love you, Freya Leif, more than I can ever say."

Grinning happily, he nodded. "I feel the same way. I'm already looking forward to it, spending tomorrow with you."

Reaching up to touch his cheek, he could feel that she did indeed get all of the paint off. "Thanks!"

He was a bit taken by surprise by the kiss, but he recovered quickly, a small sound of joy escaping from his lips.

Taking the cloth and the bucket, he dipped a clean area of it into the water, removing any excess liquid. "I don't mind at all. Here, you uh, might want to close your eyes..."

He paused before bringing the cloth to her face, contemplating on if he should give her a kiss on her nose or something, but decided against it. For now.

Starting from one side of her face, he gently rubbed the cloth against her painted skin, the dampness of the fabric breaking down the paint.

Setting the bucket down, he placed the fingers of his free hand just under her chin, subtly guiding her to angle her face differently as he made his way to the other side.

Giving a satisfied nod, he concluded all of the paint had been effectively washed away, humming in approval. "You can open your eyes." His fingers lingered on her chin though.

Looking into her eyes, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he leaned in for a kiss.

Closing his eyes as his face drew closer to hers, he gave her a soft, sweet kiss on her lips, his hand moving to cup her cheek as he did so.

Pulling away, he kept his face inches from hers, smiling softly at his girlfriend. "With or without the paint, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Keeping his eyes on hers, he stepped back, and he only looked away once he began to rinse the cloth in the bucket, the water turning a murky mix of red and black.

Wringing the cloth, he set it on the edge of the bucket, brushing his hands together as he stood. "Well, I hate to say it, but I should be getting home...big day tomorrow, being Snoggletog and all..."

[dragonmasterhiccup]

(AHAHDG LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE HAVE DONE ITTTTT!!!"!" YAAAAAA)

Her eyes practically begged to release the tears that threatened to spill, her vision blurred while she couldn't look up at him. "I never meant to hear any of this...if you just..." There she was again, trying to shift the blame onto someone else, pushing away the acceptance of what she sincerely felt out of pure fear and doubt. "You wasted your time falling for someone like me."

Unrealistic, that's what it all seemed to be; a breath of a hope that she would desperately cling to. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to admit it, all because of her guilt and the assumption that he deserved better. Better than her. Therefore, she responded coldly: "Yeah, well, not everything is achievable, Hiccup."

-------------------

'It hurts seeing me upset..?' Freya wanted to outrightly tell him that none of this was his fault, that he did nothing wrong, but her words were choked back down her throat once again. She couldn't speak. Why couldn't she speak? Why didn't he hate her? He plainly had every right to, so why didn't he? "You'd be better off hating me, you should consider it sometime.." She muttered dryly, avoiding his gaze.

Her whole world felt as though it were balancing off a thread, staggering to catch her breath as she trembled at the realization that she had actually shared what was on her heart. All without planning it. Freya instinctively retracted her hands away from Hiccup's when he grabbed them, her body in a fight or flight mode as she stumbled back against the wall. 'I need to leave, I need to--'

Once he asked her to stay, she froze in place, the ringing in her ears slowly decreasing as she focused on getting the proper amount of air in her lungs. 'With me..? But I hurt you..!' She kept her sight on the stony ground, speaking in an unconfident manner: "How can you...want to go down that path with someone who's constantly given you nothing but more pain..? Look what I've caused, Hiccup..! I-I, I'm selfish, really, for saying such terrible things to you..even when we first came to this island.."

That's when her eyes snapped up to meet his. "No, stop that. Don't go there again. Please. We both know very well it isn't your fault in the slightest." She absentmindedly went to poke his shoulder as she spoke her final word, quickly recoiling when she registered that she probably wasn't allowed to do that anymore.

There was no possible way of escaping this now. Freya had finally revealed what she felt, leaving no room to turn away and take back what was said. Everything her mouth uttered was true. And it also terrified her. It terrified her to know that she genuinely did love another person in such a way, especially with the least expected one according to her terms: Hiccup.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third. Her old self would've shamed her entire existence for it...but she didn't care. She had to make things right, push through her regret and shame so he wouldn't have to carry the extra grief she threw on him. Hesitating to talk for a moment, she found the walls of the cave more easier to look at. "..I..I did disgustingly rude things to you, ever since we both came to this island..and I am so sorry. I know my apology can't fix it all, and it's probably as valuable as the wind at this point, but I can't go on allowing myself to love you after how I've treated you for.. basically my whole life...I shouldn't.."

Rambling once more, Freya now stared towards the ground, apprehension keeping her from making any form of eye contact. "You've been so considerate of how I feel while I just...left you in the dust..I did that to you even when we were younger, when I was angry with you for being the one to unite Berk with the dragons, a-and I'm pretty sure I shattered everything we've built up and I don't understand how or when I fell in love with you and--" Geez, she said it again.

"S-sorry I.." She lowered her head, not having the strength to lift it as she continued: "...You deserve much better than me." Slowly and tentatively, her eyes met his green ones, her heart twisting in a silent longing as she was brought into a faint daze. His eyes always seemed to do that to her.

Despite the guilt that plagued her mind, Freya acknowledged the small spark of determination reignited in her that proclaimed they could have this resolved. They could get through this – which led her to taking a step forward, gaze now unwavering from the future Chief's. "Do you still mean everything you said, Hiccup..?" She paused, the ongoing sound of the rain becoming less loud. Her heart pounded, but she finished with a slight tilt of her head, "...Then show it."

...

With that, the distance which was always ever present between them, finally closed. Freya Leif allowed her lips to meet his, her eyes fluttering shut as she brought herself closer to him - if that was even possible. She barely came to terms that she was crying, tears softly cascading down her cheeks as she earnestly hoped the kiss would speak on her behalf the words she couldn't physically say. It felt as if she was able to breath once again, the pit of despair lingering inside of her steadily beginning to disappear and get replaced by a blissful, ethereal, cloud that lifted her up above the previous emotions of dejection.

Also, she wasn't cold anymore. That, she definitely knew.

His own eyes brimming, he answered, "Because if we don't, we'd be lying to ourselves." He knew how she felt now, and if they just decided to give this up, they'd both be heartbroken. "I...I love you too much to let you put yourself through any more of this, this pain..."

"We barely knew each other, the first time we came here! You're not the only one at fault here either, I know I said some hurtful things to you...and for that, I am so sorry. But you?" He went to brush the stray hairs out of her face, drawing back before touching her as if she might crumble, "You've already apologized for the past, a few times. And I've told you, I hold none of that against you."

He tilted his head in confusion. It was his fault, wasn't it? He was the one who spoke of how he felt about her. Granted, he didn't know she could hear him, but still..."

Her words surprised him, but when she uttered the words 'allow myself to love you', his eyes widened, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards in a smile. The confession she spoke earlier hadn't fully hit him until now.

Freya loved him.

Freya Leif, was in love with him like how he was in love with her.

It happened so gradually to both of them.

Deserve someone better? Shaking his head vigorously, he quickly said in a breathless whisper, "No, no, Fey...there's no one else for me but you. Just...give me that chance, let's try this for real?"

He could see something changed in her eyes as he stared back into them. Was she going to do it? He hoped so, he really did. He loved her, he loved her with everything he had, and he couldn't keep it in any longer. Not after everything that unfolded today.

"Yes. Every word, Freya, I swear."

Show it?

His gaze became more determined as he reached up to cup her cheek. Closing the distance between them, he closed his eyes, kissing her.

His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, and he held her with no intention of letting go.

He poured himself into that kiss, all the love for her that he'd kept pent up all this time, finally free to express it.

The hand he had cupping her cheek moved to her waist, and he lifted her off the ground a couple inches, setting her back down gently.

Toothless's jaw dropped open in surprise. He knew Hiccup had feelings for Freya, but he didn't expect the future chief to act upon it so strongly.

The heartbreak that wrenched through him earlier felt as if it was mending itself as he pulled away, reaching back up to cup her cheeks once more and wipe her tears away with his thumbs.

A little breathless, he asked softly, "Did that show it enough for you?" His green eyes searched hers as he still held her close.

"Can...can we try that whole... confession of our feelings again? Because, I love you, Freya Leif. With everything that I am, I love you."

[dragonmasterhiccup]

(lol the poor guy needs a break 💀)

With an amusing idea coming to mind, she lifted her face a bit and started to repeatedly shrug her shoulders in an over exaggerating manner. "Cause then I'll start doing this!" She tried holding in her laughter, continuing the dramatic action with a small furrow of her brows, pretending to be serious.

Clearing her throat, Freya's eyes darted everywhere but on Hiccup. "Oh, y'know..uh...I just.." Fidgeting with her hands, she stared at her boots. "You...encouraged me is all...I guess...? I-I just...yeah..." Inwardly cringing at her feeble attempt to say her reasonings, she started to realize that her last word in any type of situation where she was stuttering, was always 'yeah.' She'd have to work on that.

---------------

"...Never did I imagine that Blaze would be walking around with a splinter on.." She muttered, moreso to herself than anything.

His claim of being 'fine' didn't settle right in her. She knew something still had to be on his mind but there was also the hesitance keeping her back from getting a real answer out of him. There was always a line, a boundary that she predicted everyone had, and she didn't want to risk crossing it without his permission.

Feeling even more bad over the whole situation, Freya solemnly locked her focus on her boots as she remained trudging to her home. 'It shouldn't have been something to expect, though..' Her thoughts were paused when Hiccup spoke again, glimpsing at him with an expression that silently voiced out her guilt. 'You're not completely fine, stop it..' She was going to say, forcing herself not to. "If I don't, then--" Her gaze landed on a nearby torch instead, not finishing her original statement of: 'If I don't worry for you, then who will?'

Sighing, Freya steadily looked at him, talking firmly, and yet, also in sincere concern: "You seriously better take care of yourself, Hiccup. I mean it."

Blaze, sensing the atmosphere that wasn't so happy, nudged his rider, large golden eyes peering up at her affectionately. She felt the corner of her lips lift by his action, thankful for the Sand Wraith's ability to perceive when things weren't the most gladdening for her. Wanting to get off that topic, for the sake of bringing their spirits up, she swung her arms once more as she walked. "Well, now that I remember it, what did you and my dad talk about this morning?"

------------------

After hearing what happened, all the while thinking to herself that there was something else not being said, she finally noticed her hut coming to view. Briefly frowning at the sight, she stopped at the foot of the steps, stalling their goodbyes. "...Sorry if he was, uh...harsh again..even in the morning.."

Taking a small step forward, she lightly poked his shoulder. "Don't forget what I told you. Don't ignore whatever might be bothering you.." She was one to talk. That's the first thing she'd always do herself.

Choosing to stare at the ground, Freya pondered on everything that transpired. "...Thank you..for all that you did today. You put up with a lot, I don't think you realize it enough.." Aiming to further brighten his mood, she muttered her next words sarcastically: "Looks like your stubbornness really does come in handy for the situations we went through.."

She was quiet for a moment, only to gently tug on the straps on his arm to bring him closer, allowing her forehead to rest on his shoulder in her own way of hugging him. Would she admit that there was still a side of her that was too shy to actually wrap her arms around him? Absolutely not. But that's what she was able to do for now. "Really, thank you... If it means anything, just know that..I see you. What you're capable of doing and..who you are as a person. I see it."

...'Did I say that right now?' Freya quickly lifted herself off Hiccup, face growing warm as she started to stumble back towards the steps that led to her hut. "S-so, yeah, uh...yeah--" 'Darn it, I did it again..' "I'll, uh, s-see you tomorrow? Okay, yeah, tomorrow...I should... really get inside, y'know, cause--" She nearly tripped over her feet, grateful for Blaze helping her stand properly. "Woops, uhm--"

Finally at the top of the stairs, she rigidly stood next to the entrance. "Goodnight, Hiccup!" She waved at him and Toothless, hastily opening and shutting the door for her and the Sand Wraith as they went inside.

She gathered her breath together, putting a hand over her chest to feel her heart pounding. What took over her to do and say such a thing, she had no clue...but at least he couldn't see her reddened face anymore.

Hiccup stared at her for a moment, before bursting into laughter, having to turn his face away for a minute. "What, is--is that supposed to be me? What--what's that thing you're doing with your shoulders? I don't move like that!" His point was void though, as he was doing exactly that while he spoke.

His eyes softened, and he felt a sudden warmth. He wasn't sure if it was when he took her hand, or the look they exchanged, but knowing he helped her meant more than he thought it would.

----------

"At least it's only for a day, right? Just wait until you see how happy he'll be when we help him take it off."

She didn't believe him, did she? Well, that makes both of them. He didn't really believe himself, either.

It was an interesting thing really, the way his mind worked. It was almost as if it compartmentalized things that happened to him, set aside to process at a later time. Usually because circumstances forced him to, moving from one thing to the next to stay alive.

This time...it was different. He could feel the heaviness, but it was almost as if there was a barrier between him and it. The thing that worried him though was how thin that barrier was. Because once it broke...it would all flood over him again.

One step at a time, that's all. He'll unpack this, one piece at a time, and work through it.

His brows furrowed, wondering what she was going to say, but didn't push for an answer, as she continued speaking again shortly.

Understanding the severity of her statement, he gave her a serious nod. "I will. I mean, I do, I just...I...I have some things I need to work on, for myself. I'll get there."

At her question, he paused, unsure of how to answer.

Ragnar had asked him not to tell her, but that was only to prevent her from stopping their talk. So...it should be okay to talk about it now, right?

"Uh...well, he--he just wanted to make sure I was good enough for you, that I wouldn't hurt you...keep you safe." He explained how Ragnar said she could take care of herself, but he still wanted Hiccup looking out for her.

He went on further to tell her of their discussion, right down to Ragnar's threats.

"...and that's why I should have expected him to react the way he did. He told me, this morning to keep you safe, and--and you weren't..."

Shrugging in response to her apology, he shook his head. "Isn't that just what dads do? I mean, I know my dad won't threaten you or anything, but, deep down? I know he just wants what's best for me."

Trying to suppress his growing grin, he replied, "I won't forget. And I won't ignore it. It might just take a little time to adjust, is all..."

Hiccup's eyes were on the ground, but quickly looked up at her when she spoke. Thinking back on their day, he wasn't sure what she meant. It wasn't just him that went through a lot, they both had. "Thank you, too...I was...well I'm not sure what I was, but...you brought me back to my senses. That's not easy, and you...you really helped me today."

Chuckling lightly, he nodded, "I suppose that's true then!"

As she tugged in the straps of his armour, he stepped closer, his green eyes watching her, wondering what she'll do next. He was pleasantly surprised to find she chose to rest her forehead on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her since she was so close now.

Her words made his eyes widen in surprise, then he could feel warmth creep up his neck, reaching his face, his ears burning a bit as well.

Once he could speak again, he managed to say, "You do? Freya, can I say something?" After a moment, he continued, "I'm really glad I crashed on that island, but I kind of wish it was sooner. I...I feel like I missed out on getting to know you all those years. You're pretty incredible, you know that?"

But then suddenly she was backing towards her door. Reaching a hand out to her, he let it drop, seeing that she was a bit flustered at the moment. "Yeah, I'd like to see you tomorrow..."

"Goodnight," he said, just before the door closed. He stayed there for a few minutes, a bit of a goofy look on his face.

Toothless leaned close to Hiccup, grunting loud enough to startle the future chief. "Hm? Oh, Toothless! Right, we should...we should get home..."

------------

The next day, he was able to return to the forge.

Just in time, too, because a lot of Vikings wanted to gift each other weapons for Snoggletog, and there was a long list of orders to fill.

Hiccup let himself get lost in his work, completely losing track of time as the day drew on.

Keeping his eyes on his work, his mind kept drifting to Freya, and all that happened the day before, his hammer falling a little harder as the intense moments flashed through his mind: Freya, free falling... Ragnar's anger... Finding his mother... The dagger, narrowly missing his head...

He hadn't slept well at all the night before, his mind racing too fast for him to rest. Hiccup ended up being awake half the night, designing a flight suit for Freya by candlelight.

Hiccup was so lost in his work and his thoughts, he didn't even hear anyone enter the forge.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

His words reassured her that Freya hadn't said anything bad, and yet, there was a part of her that hoped Stoick would get to reunite with Valka soon either way. She wanted both of Hiccup's parents in his life, not knowing exactly what he could've gone through for the last twenty years with only his father who, quite frankly, lived up to his name; he was stoic. She wanted to say more, to say that she understood what he'd experience, but the fact remained that she truly didn't.

She didn't know what it was like to only have one parent, although hers weren't perfect, she at least had the two of them growing up. So, the only thing she figured out she could do..was be there alongside him and give him the necessary support he probably didn't ask or expect for in most of his life, based on their earlier conversation.

There's the weird, fluttery feeling again. Freya managed to hear what he had said, and she fumbled over what to say in return, her face growing warm at the thought of Hiccup willingly wanting to spend more time with her. "Well, I, uh, y-you--" She cleared her throat, hoping the wind would take away her embarrassment. "..Thank you-- I mean, uhm, I--" Giving up, she heaved a sigh and plopped her forehead down on his back. "Forget I did that..."

Blaze lightly nudged him in the same manner he'd done to his rider, encouraged by all of their comfort. With his mood boosting, he grinned at Toothless as his tail excitedly flicked to and fro; they would get to see what this whole 'dragon sanctuary' was about, making his anticipation skyrocket.

------------

Freya noticed him fiddling with his pencil, her hands itching to grab his but she didn't, assuming her hold on them would be too stiff because of her restlessness.

"No, no, he won't -- okay, maybe he'll throw one or two daggers, but he won't actually try and harm you.." She nervously chuckled, trying to hide her apprehension that her father probably will aim for that. "And, no..he wouldn't do anything to me, which is why I'm moreso, uh...concerned for you.."

Seeing Hiccup appear more..resolute, it revitalized her and she felt like they could do this, they could go in there and tell Ragnar Leif the truth, making her nod firmly. Without resisting the urge anymore, she grabbed his hand in determination, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Yeah. Together. C'mon." A newfound strength sparking in her, Freya marched up the steps as Blaze looked on, staring at them with a flat expression as though he already knew it wasn't going to go so well.

Not another second wasted, she quickly opened the door, her chin slightly lifted as she stood at the entrance. She was met with silence at the sight of her entire family in there; Yrsa glanced at them from relaxing in her seat next to the fireplace, Ayla paused her movements of eating her mother's famous porridge as she sat beside her, and Ragnar turned to pointedly look at them from where he stood next to the dining table, a bowl in his hands.

...

Suddenly, Freya didn't feel so confident. Slowly lowering her head, her boldness began to deflate as her grip on the future Chief's hand loosened. "...Hey, guys.."

Immediately, Ragnar put his bowl down on the table, striding over to them with precise steps . "And where did you go to that made you come home so late?"

Letting go of Hiccup's hand, she started to tap her arm, subtly standing a bit in front of him. "Oh, uh, y'know...we..went to explore some islands we came across a while back..."

Now in front of them both, her father crossed his arms, his gaze piercing through the two expectantly. "And? It took you that long to 'explore'?"

Freya hesitated for a moment, opening her mouth to speak but nothing came out. After taking a deep breath in, she glimpsed over in her fake boyfriend's direction, nodding nervously. "Well, dad, a few things...uhm..happened, and it prevented us from coming home earlier..."

------------------

How did she end up in this situation?

All she said was that Blaze got shot down by a trap and she almost fell in the sea...

'Okay, maybe that's why..'

"Dad! Just wait! I promise you, I'm fine!" Freya kept both of her hands on Ragnar's chest, desperately trying to push him back to put some distance between him and Hiccup, whom Ayla was blithely standing in front of as a grin was evident on her face - for some reason.

"You almost died and you're telling me that you're fine!?" He shouted, one of his hands raised with a dagger in his grasp, pointing the blade at the Chief's son as he attempted to throw it at him.

Yrsa's panicking form didn't help either; she was fanning herself to prevent her from fainting, her amber eyes glossed in tears that hadn't yet fallen. "S-she almost...d-died..." Her voice trembled while repeating her husband's words, using the chair she was originally sitting on to keep her from collapsing.

Ayla gazed at Hiccup, beaming with a newborn elation. "So, you saved my sister? I told you! I knew you'd keep her safe! I didn't doubt you for one second!" She lifted her chin, hands on her hips while she nodded contently. The young girl ignored the fact that she did feel a little scared when she first heard what happened, but after understanding the entire predicament, she was put at ease.

Freya yelped, ducking down as Ragnar managed to fling one of his daggers just barely above Hiccup's head. "Dad! Quit it!" She pushed his bulkier body farther away, her own anger arising. "I'm still alive aren't I!?"

Not bothered at all by her father's weapon, Ayla continued to slightly rock back and forth on the heels of her feet, her back towards the chaotic scene behind her. "Toothless must be pretty fast, then...huh?"

Hiccup immediately turned red, grateful that she was sitting behind him and couldn't see his face. He hadn't meant for that to come out, but it did, and...she was just as flustered as he was, it seemed.

He held back a relieved chuckle as her forehead hit his back, and he turned slightly to reassure her. "Consider it forgotten." Feigning confusion, he asked, "What were we talking about again?" With a wide grin, he faced forward again, breathing in the sea air as they flew.

As Blaze nudged him, Hiccup let out a surprised laugh, "H-hey! Glad to see you in good spirits!"

----------

At the confirmation of daggers being thrown, Hiccup gulped, not even hearing the second part of Freya's sentence. "He...he has incredible accuracy, too..." He may not get out of this unscathed.

No, he couldn't appear afraid. A Chief doesn't show weakness, his father had told him. He couldn't show weakness now.

Looking down at their intertwined hands, his look of surprise softened, turning into that resolute look he wore previously. "Right, together."

He marched in with her, though Toothless was still stuck outside, behind Blaze. Stopping next to his pretend girlfriend, Hiccup looked in turn at each of Freya's family members, eventually raising his free hand in greeting, offering a nervous smile. "H-hi... how uh, how's it going?"

Freya's grip was loosening, and he looked over at her, brows furrowed in concern. She was losing her resolve... With a light squeeze of her hand, he tried to convey that he had no intention of letting go...but then she did let go, and he was so focused on her that he had no idea that Ragnar was right there.

Keeping his composure, he tried to help her explain, "We were planning on filling out the details in the map, things just didn't go as planned..."

Hiccup gave her an encouraging nod as she continued. They hadn't done anything wrong, surely this can't go that bad.

--------------

Oh, this was very bad!

Suddenly Freya was holding Ragnar back, Ayla was trying to shield him--- wait, Ayla?!

"Ayla, what are you doing?" His voice was quick, almost panicked, and a harsh whisper. "I don't think your dad would be too happy with you doing this...not, not that I don't appreciate it, I do, but, this--its a bit dangerous, don't you think?"

He had now backed himself up to the wall, his hands up to show he was unarmed.

"T-Toothless and I got to her in plenty of time! We pulled her out of the air and onto Toothless' back!" Would saying that even help at this point?!

Hiccup started crouching down a bit, his eyes not leaving the dagger in Ragnar's hand and the fear evident on his face. This is it, he thought to himself, I'm going to die, and that will be the end. 'Oh, that Hiccup,' they'll say, 'he had a good run, but he just couldn't keep the girl out of harm's way. What a shame...'

He ducked just in time to hear the dagger dig into the wood above him. Shaking, he looked up at it, visibly turning pale. That was too close...

His eyes darted around the room, looking for something, anything, that he could use as a shield. "Y-yeah, he's fast..."

Normally, he'd have Toothless, but Toothless was stuck outside.

He'd draw the Dragon Blade, but it may only make things worse.

So what was left?

"Uh, i-if I may," he croaked out, "it's true, neither of us saw the net in time, but Toothless and I made a beeline for her." As he spoke, he started to stand taller, even stepping forward as he held Ragnar's gaze, "Nothing was stopping me from getting to her. If it came to it, I would have jumped off of Toothless and taken the brunt of the fall, but it didn't. We got her, we got Blaze, and we just needed time to find a way to get him home with his injured wing. Which," he quickly added, "I will personally make sure he gets tended to with everything he needs until he recovers."

His gaze flicked over to Freya, his eyes showing that everything he'd said was true.

Taking a breath, he took the risk of turning around, releasing Ragnar's dagger from the wall and setting it down on the table, still not wanting to risk getting within arms reach of the angry man.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"Yes, but the wound was life threatening," Freya countered dryly, stopping herself from going any further on that comment. She shouldn't have said it in the first place.

"But you wouldn't have even gotten hurt if I had—" she cut herself off, using the excuse of Saphira startling them to end talking about that, too. He would keep saying it wasn't her fault, and she'd keep insisting it was. That would bring them nowhere.

Saphira flicked some sand at Toothless in response, crouching to prepare herself to jump at him.

The Chieftess subtly furrowed her brows once she noticed him approaching her. She crossed her arms, granting herself a sense of protection. 'Don't do it. Don't—'

He started talking about it.

She instinctively wanted to deny that she'd been avoiding him, but she knew that's exactly what she was doing. She hated that look in his eyes. Hated that she felt remorse tugging at her heart for her actions.

The struggle to contain herself intensified, and her hands gripped the side of her arms until the storm inside of her became too strong. The dam inside of her broke, and she was left with no control over it again.

Freya raised her chin, not knowing how she was still able to meet his gaze. "No, you don't get to do that. You don't get to do any of this," she gestured at him, not having the right words in that moment. "You," she pointed her finger right at him, letting it poke his chest. "Don't get to save my stupid life and make me think you were on the verge of dying, and then tell me...you—"

She threw her arms up, trying to grasp all the correct things to say, but her Bjornson formalities were overthrown by her magnified emotions. She ran a hand through her dark hair, making it a little disheveled. "For the love of Thor, Hiccup, you weren't supposed to be my friend. Not like this. We were just supposed to be two Chiefs looking out for our tribes. You weren't supposed to make me—"

She paused, staring at him and aimlessly kicking a bit of sand. "No, no, no. This," she gestured between the both of them. "Can't happen. It will not. And I won't say it. I won't!" She pointed at him again. "I won't say what it is because it can't happen."

She half glared at him, but it was severely weakened the longer she watched him. "I can't let myself feel anything like that. Don't you get it? I, I can't do that. Not when my dad," her voice cracked, and she quickly looked at the ground, willing herself not to cry. "My dad left me the tribe. I...can't...focus on anything else."

Freya's eyes locked on his again after a beat of silence, studying the shade of green they were as if she hadn't already memorized it. "This isn't fair, what you're doing. You could've just forgotten it ever happened and moved on," she whispered, knowing that was her way of handling it. "But you're not like that. Gods, you're so much better than I am!"

She brushed her hand through her hair again as a meager distraction. "You are...a lot of things, Hiccup Haddock. You're everything I should be. You're kind, stupidly funny, an idiot, but smart, and, and I shouldn't have—"

She gave up, lowering her head as she sighed. "I can't believe you had the nerve to make me feel like this."

Saphira roared happily as she pounced on Toothless, rolling in the sand without a care in the world.

Averting his gaze, he brought a hand to the back of his head. "Uh...true, yeah..."

When she finally began to speak, it was with such emotion that it caused him to go still. There was so much that she said without saying it, and it only caused his heart to sink lower.

"You act like you haven't saved my life too," she had, at least twice. "I know the pressures of having a legacy to live up to. I do! But you know what else I know? That our dads would want us to be able to find someone that makes us happy. I can't just, just forget what happened! And I don't understand how you could think doing that is a valid answer to what's happening here."

Everything...she should be?

His posture relaxed, his head tilting ever so slightly as he began to see her in a new light. Does she really not see how smart and capable she is? Had the nerve to make her feel...what? What is she not telling me?

"Freya," Slowly, he took a step forward. Then another. The hope that had disappeared minutes prior was returning, yet still hesitant. "Whatever it is that you're mad at me for making you feel, you have to know that I wouldn't want to, to get in the way of you looking after your tribe. You know that, right?"

Again, he stepped closer, holding her gaze. "Let me set one thing straight, Freya Leif. You are clearly refusing to see in yourself what I see in you."

They were standing closely now, and his green eyes were soft as he looked into hers. His tone dropped to just above a whisper, his brows helping to emphasize the words he began to speak. "You're smarter than you believe, stronger than I could ever be, and have such a love for your family and your people...yet you hide it beneath that invisible armor of yours."

He loved her, he'd known it for a while now. All he could really do was hope that she'd allow him to show it.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

(Not Toothless spraying him with water oh my goodness 😭🤣)

'Maybe he didn't hear us. Maybe—'

Toothless noticed them. Hiccup said her name.

She subtly gave Saphira a disappointed glare, to which the Sand Fury only huffed, happily trotting to where the other two were, blissfully ignorant of the tension.

Freya took a deep breath in, turned around, and paused when she witnessed Toothless spray Hiccup with water. She blinked, genuinely not knowing what to say for a moment. And that irritated her. 'Now Toothless is to blame, too.' She thought, but looking at the Night Fury, she couldn't harbor any resentment toward him. He didn't do anything wrong.

Which begged the question of who did.

Her eyes found Hiccup's, and she knew, deep down, that he didn't mean her any harm. But it didn't change the fact of what he said. She clenched and unclenched her hands, still standing next to the forest line. "I didn't know anybody else came here, my apologies," she said formally, retreating back to her normal, cold habits.

Saphira, meanwhile, was having the time of her life in the sand. She quickly dug a hole and dove inside, her tail barely peeking out from her burrow. After a couple of seconds, even that part of her scales became invisible.

Freya calculated what to do. Perhaps she could just make casual talk, avoid what he told her that day, and eventually leave without mentioning what happened. Yes, that should work. She cleared her throat. "How's your side? Healing well?"

Glancing at a nearby log on the sand, she slowly maundered over to it and sat down. "I found out you were allergic to Dragon Root. That...would've been nice to know beforehand."

'Not what you told me instead.'

Looking out at the water, at anything but him, really, she subtly began fidgeting with her hands. This was all wrong. None of this was supposed to happen. She had her tribe to think about, and she had the audacity to let her mind be consumed by these...feelings. Now she was more angry at herself. "I'm...sorry," she said quietly. "I should've made you stay here, on the island, and not go out on that patrol with me."

She looked down at her hands, the same ones that held her father as he died. The same ones that held Hiccup's wound as he bled. "You got hurt because of me," she murmured.

Saphira abruptly jumped out of the sand, aiming to scare Toothless by her unexpected appearance. 

Freya grew slightly more rigid. She was supposed to remain composed, calm, and unfazed. This wasn't going how she planned. She straightened her back. "From now on, I think it'd be best if the patrolling groups went out with their own tribe."

She stood, 'dusting' herself off. "I'll let the Bjornsons know immediately. Today, most likely. Andri could help spread the word."

'Don't bring it up,' she silently warned him. 'Don't you dare bring it up.'

Her cold tone was a shock, the Chief straightening up as his eyes widened in surprise. "You--you'll don't have to apologize..." He found himself grateful for the distraction of Saphira burying herself in the sand, so he could have somewhere else to focus.

Clearing his throat, he glanced at his side, "Yeah. Pretty well. Gothi says she'll remove the stitching in about a week, so..." Wincing, he told her, "Yeah, sorry. I, I guess I never thought it would come up. It's not life threatening, just, just a mild allergy."

He wanted to ask if Ayla related his message, but it seemed best to not. She said she would, so he trusted that she had. The fact that Freya would still act so cold towards him even now...gods, she must hate him.

Einar and Ylva were wrong.

...She was sorry?

"What? No, Freya, I got hurt because of those hunters. It was not your fault."

Toothless jumped, then growled as Saphira startled him. Even Hiccup jumped, quickly recovering and facing the Chieftess once again.

Her statement made his shoulders deflate, a look of utter confusion mixed with defeat on his face. Oh, so this is how it's going to be?

"...If that is what you think is best, then I won't fight it. I...I'll do the same, have Eret spread the word among Berk."

Einar and Ylva told him not to let Freya avoid the conversation too long, that she was skilled in deflecting and preventing them. He needed a straight answer, so he was about to do something he very possibly may regret.

Walking across the sand, he came up to the Chieftess, leaving about two feet of space between them. Looking into her amber eyes, his voice was filled with resolve. "I need to know. Forget about the arrow, forget about whatever is causing you to refuse to actually speak with me. Tell me if there's any possibility that you might feel a semblance of what I feel for you."

"If you don't, you don't. We can forget I ever said anything, go our separate ways and skirt around each other like you've been doing to me for over a week." His gaze changed, a longing in his eyes. "But if you do? Why hide it?"

"I'll be the first to admit that my timing could have been better. And for that, I'm sorry. But surely you can see that I genuinely, deeply care for you, Freya. If you just want to be friends, then that's what we'll be, but you need to talk to me. Don't just, just shut me out! Please."

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Ayla beamed in delight and went in for the hug, making sure her arms weren't wrapped too tightly around him. "You really, really scared me," she leaned back to look up at him with the best stern expression she could muster — which almost looked like a pout. "Don't do that again."

She tilited her head slightly, then nodded, a little nervous that he might've already realized her sister was there. "Yeah, sure! I can do that, of course!"

As she listened, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at his words and his expression. Questions invaded her mind while simultaneously taking in everything he said. 'What happened that day?' Her eyes flickered to the side, forcing herself not to fully turn to where her older sister certainly was.

Up on the stairs, Freya held her hand over her mouth, frozen, and suppressing the tears that had started to fill her vision. Why did she let this happen? Why? Maybe if she hadn't developed feelings for Hiccup in the first place, none of this would have hurt so bad. Maybe if she had just told him to stay on the island, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

Once again, it was her fault.

She willed herself to move, to go somewhere that would block out his words, but she couldn't move. Couldn't go away. Could barely breathe correctly and quietly. She felt utterly incapable of anything in that moment.

Ayla forgot to respond to him once he was finished, making her straighten her posture and hastily reply, "Yes, I can..." Confusion still partially clouded her thoughts, but she could tell that he meant what he said, and she was responsible for listening. For passing on a message Freya already heard.

"Yeah, okay," she murmured. Not able to quench her dejection from seeing him so downcast, she quickly called out to him. "Wait!" She bolted down the steps in front of her hut and engulfed him in another gentle hug. "I'll tell her, really, don't worry." She wasn't going to ask him what occurred, that probably wouldn't help, but she would reassure him to the best of her abilities.

Ayla let him go and returned to the inside of her home, leaning her back against the door. Everything was quiet for a long minute. Their mom was out in the village, enjoying her time being fully recovered from her previous sickness, leaving nothing to alleviate the heaviness in the atmosphere.

"Freya...?" She mumbled.

More silence. Then, after a couple of seconds, the Chieftess slowly made her way down the steps. Both sisters looked somberly at each other. "...You gonna tell me what happened now?" The younger Leif asked.

Freya directed her gaze to the door. "I...can't. Not, not right now.." She dragged her feet to her mother's room, something she did when in need of comfort, and shut the door behind her without another word.

-----

Everything seemed extra tedious for Freya. Everyone bothered her. Nothing delivered her from her constant overhanging gloom. Only a day later, and she was on the verge of snapping. She roughly pushed away a branch out of the path, hissing in pain when it instantly came right back down on her, hitting her on the nose. "Thor, you—" she punched it again, making it break in half. Saphira trilled in concern.

"It's nothing, girl," Freya began, stomping through the foliage. When the Sand Fury gave an unconvinced huff, she relented. "Oh, c'mon. It's all a stupid mess, isn't it?"

Saphira let out a sharp breath through her nose.

She groaned, furiously kicking away a rock. "It's his fault," she grumbled. "If he just left me alone and never bothered becoming my friend, I wouldn't have—" her voice got caught in her throat as they emerged from the woods and into the small beach where she assumed they would have some privacy. Apparently not. Apparently, Hiccup and Toothless thought it'd be a good spot for that, too.

'Of all things. Of all people!' She quietly turned back, gesturing for Saphira to do the same, but the dang dragon stepped on a twig. She glanced incredulously at her. 'Are you serious?!'

Guilt was etched in his features, though he didn't regret keeping the arrow from hitting Freya. Ayla would have certainly been much more scared if it had been her sister that was injured. "I'm sorry," he returned her hug, "I'll do my best to be more careful. Promise."

Hearing her call out to him, he stopped, turning with raised brows. A small smile formed at Ayla embracing him a second time. "I know you will," thanking her again, he did return her embrace before heading back towards Berk.

If he was right, Freya heard all that he said. If not, then he had no doubt Ayla would relay the message. He knew one thing for sure though: he wouldn't push it. If Freya was angry and wanted nothing to do with him, he'd give her the space she wanted.

But he really hoped that at the very least, she'd forgive him.

Why did I have to go and fall for her, he wondered as he walked, we're both chiefs of our tribe. Even if she miraculously felt the same way, how can we possibly be together?

----

The following day, Hiccup had arrived at the hatchery only to be shooed away by his mother. "You will want to pick up one of the babies and you can't risk tearing your stitches!"

Begrudgingly, he left. Gothi wouldn't allow him to work in the forge just yet, so after attempting to complete some paperwork, he found his thoughts were too occupied by a certain Chieftess to get anything done.

"Toothless, let's get out of here."

The beach they walked to was one he had found when they first arrived in New Berk. Actually, the Light Fury led Toothless to it, and Hiccup had followed. But for a day like today, it was the perfect place to think. Toothless ventured into the water, which Hiccup sat with his head in his hands.

It had only been a day, but why did he hope that Freya would seek him out? Even before his apology, it had been nearly a week since the arrow hit him, and he hadn't seen her since she dropped him at Gothi's.

Lifting his face, he watched the clouds drift by, shifting his focus though his thoughts continued to be on her. Ahead of him, Toothless stopped, tilting his head at something behind Hiccup before trilling invitingly.

Turning, Hiccup's eyes widened. "Freya?" His eyes lit up, only for his expression to fall. By the look on her face, it was clear that she didn't expect him to be here.

Clearing his throat, he stood, brushing the sand off himself. "Uh, Toothless and I were just leaving, right bud?"

A squirt of water hit the back of his head, and Hiccup shot a glare at the dragon. "... Apparently not."

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"I mean," Einar chortled, wiping his hand over his mouth to get rid of the smile beginning to peek through on his lips. "Even if she did ask you, it was probably a rhetorical question at best...I don't think...you were supposed to answer. At least not like that."

"Oh, leave him alone!" Ylva argued, throwing her hands up in the air. "He couldn't help it! I mean, he was bleeding out for Thor's sake! I'd probably do the same thing!"

Einar put his hands on his hips. "I think you need to stop fascinating about love stories."

"We're not talking about that right now!" She spat, defensively hiding her embarrassment.

"No, no, no, don't give up, Hiccup," Ylva said gently, her behavior suddenly switching to something more serious as she found a nearby chair and brought it next to the bed. "I don't think you should just let it all crumble because of what happened. It makes sense why you said that."

Sighing quietly, Einar nodded. "Yeah, she does have a point," he agreed as his friend plopped down in the chair. "At this point, it's better to just move forward with it instead of trying to push it away and...ignore it, I guess," he shrugged. "You're already this far, might as well finish it."

Ylva pointed at the redhead. "You're exactly right!" She turned to face Hiccup. "He's exactly right, my friend. You have to do this. If you don't talk about it to Freya, then neither will she, trust me, we know. She's an expert at avoiding tough conversations like these."

"Mhm."

"It'll be worse for you guys if you don't, uh...address this," she continued. "And, y'know, you're the Chief of Berk, so she can't necessarily ignore you forever. Even she knows that. So you're at an advantage there—"

"Ylva. Really?" Einar cut in.

"What?! It's the truth!"

He rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Hiccup, his gaze sincere and somber. "You can do this, Hiccup. The longer you wait this out...there won't be any more chances." His tone took on a faint, tense edge. He cared for Freya like a brother, and he didn't want to see her spiral again.

"Yeah," Ylva said, lightly nudging Hiccup's arm with her hand. "I'm sure she'll listen."

-------

Freya heard the sound of someone knocking before she even went down the stairs.

Ayla emerged from the kitchen, glancing up at her older sister with a questioning raised brow. "You want me to answer it?"

The Chieftess hesitated for a moment, dreading if it was the person whom she was trying to avoid the past couple of days. Then she sighed. "Go ahead. But—" she made Ayla stop right when she was going to open the door. "No matter who it is, say I'm not here. I'm not in the mood to handle a lot of people today." She did have a reasonable excuse, though. She busied herself with tasks and responsibilities she didn't need to do, all to keep her mind occupied.

It didn't work much.

"Okay..." Ayla said slowly, confused, and opened the front door. Her amber eyes immediately lit up once she saw who it was. "Hiccup!" She practically screamed, about to launch herself at him for a hug but stopped, unsure if he was recovered enough for one. "Are you, are you okay? I heard what happened! I was so worried! Oh my goodness, you had no idea!"

She took a deep breath in, calming herself down. She didn't want to bombard him with too many questions. Her own sister only revealed so much to her. "So," she smiled. "What brings you here—"

The wood creaked from where Freya took a step away, making her flinch and silently scold herself. She was just trying to go to her room!

Ayla quickly covered up for her. She coughed, patting her chest. "Uh, Fey isn't here by the way, she had...something to do. I think."

Hiccup looked between Einar and Ylva, taking in their encouragement and... whatever was going on between the two of them. "I don't want it to crumble, I just...if she doesn't want to see me, then there's really nothing I can do, is there?"

Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "No. No, I'm not using my status as Chief to talk to her. There won't be any advantage used. I'll come to her as...me, a friend who...who had the worst possible timing."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. Finally, he gave a determined nod. "As soon as Gothi clears me, I'm going to see her." He owed Freya an explanation at best, and an apology. Without a doubt he'd do his best to get that to her.

---

Gothi was tough on him, keeping him longer than he thought just to be sure there wouldn't be any infection. It was due to his allergy, she had said she wanted to keep a closer eye on it. He was healing rather well so at his insistence, she let him leave. The elder gave him specific care instructions, telling him to return in a week or so to remove the stitches.

After that, it didn't take long for Hiccup to walk to the Bjornson side of the island. Gothi still didn't allow him to fly, so Tuffnut was taking Toothless out to stretch his wings. The Chief was on his own.

He found himself pacing outside of Freya's hut, debating on what to say and how to say it, for some time before he took a deep breath and knocked.

The door opened, and he looked down at the younger Leif with a smile. "Ayla! Sorry to have worried you. I'm okay, just healing still." Knowing she had initially gone for a hug, he opened his arms, "Just be gentle, yeah?"

"Uh...I was wondering if Freya might be home? I, I was hoping to talk with her." His eyes lifted towards the source of the creaking sound. Freya?

Oh. So she was here... Why else would Ayla have acted the way she did just now?

Instead of confronting her about it, he chose to respect the Chieftess's wishes. "Yeah, the uh, the job of being Chieftess is never done. I'm sure she's quite busy... Would you mind giving her a message for me?"

"Tell her..." His expression saddened, the chief pausing a moment before continuing to speak. "Tell her that I never should have said what I did in those circumstances. I realize now how...how it was not just overwhelming, but also how it brought back a lot of bad memories for her. I wasn't thinking, and...and I hope she'll come to forgive me."

"I also wanted to thank her for getting me to Gothi so quickly. If it wasn't for her, I..." Well. Best to not go down that road right now. "If she ever wants to talk, she can find me anytime, okay? Will you tell her that for me?"

She was here, he could feel it. To have her just avoiding him...it hurt more than he'd like to admit. "I uh, I should get going. I have a lot to catch up on in Berk, so...you have a good night, Ayla. It was good to see you." With that, he gave a small parting nod before turning away and heading back to Berk.