Chapter 23: Every Rose Has it's Thorn (Part 1)

                                    

                                          
Hiccup woke to a certain dragon nudging his arm. The young chief rolled from his left side onto his back, swatting effortlessly at the dragon. Toothless was not having it though. He placed his front paws on the edge of the large bed and captured the furs in his mouth, pulling them off his rider with a quick yank. Hiccup jolted, then balled up to protect his his body, which was only clothed in woolen pants, from the cold. He shivered as he involuntarily wrapped his arms around himself and tucking his knees in as far as possible.
                          
Toothless nudged him again, grumbling at the sleeping chief. When Hiccup did not respond, the dragon leaned farther into the bed and, with his nose, rolled Hiccup off the bed. He grunted as he hit the wood floor.
                          
"You like knocking me down, don't you bud?" He groaned.
                          
Toothless huffed in response before leaping onto the bed and crawling over to the other side so that he could nose his rider once again.
                          
"Fine, fine!" Hiccup said, pushing the dragon away with a chuckle. "I'm getting up."
                          
Hiccup rolled upright and stood immediately. When going to take a step, he fell forward, face planting the wood, since his prosthetic was not attached. Toothless jumped off the bed and grabbed it for him. His rider gladly took it from him when he wandered around to the other side.
                          
Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows. The prosthetic was wet...and sticky.
                          
"This is never going to come out." He said lightly.
                          
The man snapped it on, stood, and walked over to the hatch in the roof. He pulled the lock and pushed the door open, latching it open. Yet again, a new layer of snow coated the ground, but the sky was covered in clouds and the white fluff was still falling. Hiccup knew that he was going to have dig people out of the snow today because of it. The cold winter breeze swirled into the room as it did every morning for Hiccup. He would do the same thing every morning during the winter months, opening the hatch and letting the breeze heighten his sense since he had a hard time waking up during the cold times. But this morning he didn't seem to need it as much. As soon as he stood, he had already felt his eyes open wide and the readiness to start the day. This feeling was because of Astrid, he still couldn't believe that they were engaged.
                          
Hiccup huffed happily and turned to walk to his dresser.
                          
"What do you think dad would say?" He asked Toothless.
                          
The dragon crooned. Hiccup pulled open the top drawer, but stopped, turned around and stuck a finger in the air with a jutted lip.
                          
"About time me boy. I've been wait'n years for this. Now where are my grandchildren?" Hiccup mimicked his father and chuckled lightly.
                          
Toothless cocked his head to the side, earning a pat from his rider before he turned back to the dresser to pull out a clean shirt.
                          
"Ah, I know he's proud. He said so." Hiccup grasped the shirt, but still held it in the drawer. He had stopped, thinking about his father. "I just wish I could see his face, his reaction to all this." He shook his head, pulled out the shirt and shut the drawer. "I wish he were here to officiate the wedding, like I always knew he would."
                          
Hiccup tossed the shirt onto the bed, then grabbed his flight suit, tossing it onto the bed as well, and finally grabbed a new pair of pants from the bottom drawer.
                          
"Another thing," Hiccup said as he stripped to his underwear. "I don't know what to do about living arrangements." He said, pulling on his clean pants. "My father would be moving out to make room for my family, but I don't want to do that to mom." He started lacing up the hem. "And I don't want to disturb his room. I wouldn't feel right making it mine and Astrid's or our children's."