Chapter 6: You, Me, the Future and the Past *Edited*

                                    

                                          
"What about the future?" Astrid asked.
                          
She snaked her arms around Hiccups neck and gently grabbed a fist full of his hair. What he wanted to talk about was already known, the blonde Viking just wanted to hear him out and say it. The man grinned, looking down at his foot and prosthetic. Astrid snickered lightly and pulled his head back up to face her, meeting him with a raised brow.
                          
"You know..." he trailed on, drawing his eyes downwards.
                          
Astrid giggled as she leaned her head down to look into Hiccup's eyes. "I know what?"
                          
Hiccup closed his eyes and shook his head playfully, was she skating around the subject or just playing with him? "You're going to make me say it?" he asked, looking back at the woman.
                          
She nodded. The grin plastered on her face was evidence of the mischief she was causing. Astrid knew exactly what Hiccup was talking about, what else could it be? Now that he was chief, no longer able to explore like they were able to...it laid a path for Hiccup and Astrid to settle down. 
                          
"Us. Our future together. Marriage. Children..." he whispered the last part.
                          
She smiled and grabbed his hands that had made their way down to her waist. He followed along as Astrid pulled him over to the edge of the rocky island, never taking her eyes off him, and sat down with her feet dangling over the edge.
                          
Hiccup looked down into the sea below. The waves crashed violently against the rocks, washing the area with sea spray and the air with many thuds and whooshes. Astrid laced their hands together, leaned against his shoulder and peered out to the horizon, where the sun had finally made an appearance.
                          
"I have thought about those things already, Hiccup." Astrid said after a period of making him wonder.
                          
"And?" he asked as he faced her.
                          
"I don't know if I want it now, but I want it all." She turned to him. "I want you. I want you to be mine and I want to wake up to you every morning, knowing that you will always be there when I wake. I want to be a Haddock."
                          
And that she did. Astrid knew for a few years now that she wanted to be with Hiccup for the rest of her life. She wanted to marry him. She wanted to have children with him. She wanted to raise children with him. She wanted to grow old with him. 
                          
Before, while Stoick was still chief and Hiccup was Hel bent on exploring still, it was never forefront in their minds. They just weren't ready to settle down yet. Now, Hiccup has been forced to settle down. Astrid, even though she is not fore to settle down like Hiccup is as chief, she still was. Never would Astrid dream of adventuring without her other half. The events of the past few days made Astrid realize that now, after years of dreaming and thinking, she was getting closer and closer to her future wants and needs with her relationship with Hiccup.
                          
"What about have kids?" he asked hesitantly. "Do you want kids?"
                          
She nodded with a smile. "Of course we will have kids, you have to, you're the chief and Berk needs an heir."
                          
Hiccup shook his head and looked away. "That doesn't answer if you want kids or not. Do you want them because I have to have kids or do you really want kids?"
                          
Astrid grabbed his chin and pulled it to face her. She traced his eyes with hers and found a little hint of sorrow...he was worried she didn't want kids, which wasn't the case.
                          
"Yes, Hiccup, I want kids. Not because you have too, but because I want to. I want little Hiccups running around the house, their feet pattering and high-pitched squeals echoing through the halls. I want to not only wake up by your side but by a little one who is ready to start the day as dawn breaks."