Happy Snoggletog

The Mead Hall sported a bright and merry atmosphere that Snoggletog evening. Vikings and dragons alike piled into the garnished building. The air was stuffy with heat and laughter but it felt warm—comforting even—against the outdoor nip.

Astrid stood by the thick, center post and admired her festive surroundings. After five years of fluctuation, the dragon population finally seemed to have settled. A little over a quarter of the Vikings now kept dragons, most of which were currently on Dragon Island for nesting season. The lack of dragons meant more food for the festivities. No storms threatened their decorations over the week. Winter sickness was at an all-time low…

“This has got to be the smoothest Snoggletog yet,” Astrid commented aloud to the young man beside her. Hiccup nodded—a motion she caught from the corner of her eye—and he took a step closer to her so they could better speak against the noise of the gathering.

“No missing dragons,” he said, thinking of their very first Snoggletog together.

Astrid poked him in the chest and added, “No missing boyfriends.”

Because their first Snoggletog with dragons wasn’t the last time Hiccup would disappear for some reason or another. It was one of his lesser-tolerated habits.

Hiccup grinned, unabashed, and grabbed the hand. He held it tight and leaned in closer.

“No missing toes.”

“Is that so?” Astrid squared her shoulders toward him and pointed upward with her free hand, her eyes never leaving his face.

Hiccup’s gaze shifted to follow her finger.

“Oh—come on.”

Dangling over their heads, tied to a buck antler, was a grey-skinned, yellow-nailed toe of some poor, unbalanced Viking. Judging by the blackened marks on the digit, Hiccup would have to guess it was frostbite that took it from its original foot.

His attention returned to the girl before him when Astrid’s hand connected with his face. It was a gentle touch, smooth against the rough of his cheek, but Hiccup winced out of reflex; she had long stopped hitting him, and never in the face, but it was that toe that taught him to be wary.

He relaxed when nothing more but her laughter touched his skin.

“Did you think I was going to hit you?” She sounded amused. Her eyes glittered in the torchlight and Hiccup momentarily lost his train of thought.

Eventually his crooked smile emerged. His cheeks warmed at his own reaction.

“Well, not in front of so many people,” he said. A quick glance around the hall proved that no one looked their way. They had privacy even in the midsts of so many Vikings.

Astrid’s palm cupped his face as she laughed again.

“Didn’t you hear, Honey?” she began with a broad smile, and Hiccup didn’t didn’t know if it was the mead or the the heat that flushed her cheeks so but he wished he could see such a color on her more often.

“Hear what, Hatchet?"

Astrid smiled wider at the name.

“We don’t hit people who walk under the Missing Toe anymore,” she said. Though, as she spoke she gave his cheek a few, light, teasing pats.

Hiccup reached up and covered her hand with his own. Her fingers still felt cold from a day spent working outside and he pressed them against his heated skin.

“Dare I ask what else we could possibly do under a severed, fly-swarmed, missing toe?”

Astrid answered by leaning forward and guiding his face down to hers. Hiccup followed the subtle draw, a grin tugging at his lips.

The severed, fly-swarmed, missing toe swaying gently over their heads was soon forgotten.



My gift for *inhonoredglory for Berk's Grapevine's Secret Odin.

_{The original submission is here but it lost the formatting.}

I wanted to combine last year's GotNF moment with the lastest five-years-later concept designs that have been floating around.

My favorite part of it? The pet names they use on each other.

Hiccup and Astrid © Dreamworks
Toe © Mulch?