Hiccup Haddock Imagines

The Sea Calls 5

Hiccup stands on a lone stretch of shore, watching the waves roll into the surf. He hasn't had that many chances to get out here recently- all of his new chieftain duties have kept him permanently roosted in the more mountainous areas up top. It's not as if the world has conspired to keep him from the sea, but it does feel like that sometimes.

Tilting his head back, Hiccup treasures the feeling of the salty air in his skin, the lift of his hair from the back of his neck. He doesn't just like walking near the ocean because of the change in scenery, of course. There's one reason he's really here, one reason that beats out all the others, and that's the woman standing further down the shoreline.

Looking at her, Hiccup can't help but wonder why none of them believed her to be a goddess at first. How is it that they could see someone like her and not immediately understand that she has never been a creature of this earth?

The closer he draws to her, the more he can sense it. There's this faint aura around her, hopelessly intoxicating him on the tang of saltwater. The very air around her shimmers slightly, as if she's not quite there but being viewed through a bright mist of sea spray.

Hiccup remembers that time a couple of years ago, when she had visited for the second time and brought her brother with her. It was funny- Hiccup could tell that he was supposed to idolize Thor, of course, and hang around him like every other villager to clamor for stories of the god's exploits. However, the only child of Odin he really cared about talking to was Y/N, and always had been.

It had taken that fight between the two gods for him to realize how little of a chance he stood with Y/N. Sure, he wasn't an idiot; small boys from rocky islands don't grow up to capture the hearts of goddesses, but he had rather wanted to try.

Watching her match Thor, the literal god of thunder, in every blow had brought reality crashing back for Hiccup. For a few moments, when the fight was at its worst, he could see her, really see her, not the calmer version she keeps around for him. Her eyes were glowing such a fervent blue that everything around her seemed duller in comparison, as if she was ripping the very light away to maintain her power. He could feel the earth shake with every blow. It was astounding.

She had left, after all, which did prove his point in a way. Looking back on it now, Hiccup hates her just as much as he did when she first had to say her goodbyes; which is to say, not at all. Neither of them can afford to fight the Allfather, even if it's tempting at times.

Still, Hiccup is rather glad that she came back. Y/N has been living on the island for a few years now, and he's never been happier. Her thatched roof cabin is surely nothing like the glimmering palaces beneath the sea, but he can sense that she's delighted about the whole endeavor. Even now, looking at her across the expanse of sand and surf, Hiccup can see a smile on her face, although perhaps that's because she just noticed him arriving.

Y/N turns to him at last, and he's done for, utterly done for. She's happier here, if Hiccup is brave enough to say that, and the upturn of her lips comes far more quickly then it did at the beginning, back when they were strangers and he was still trying to figure out just what to do with a goddess in his town. He's still not quite sure what to do, but he knows that he likes having her here, and that's enough.

Y/N stops walking long enough for Hiccup to catch up with her, and they stroll down the beach, occasionally looking up from each other long enough to glance over at the sea. A loud thump-thump-thump of powerful wings beating the air comes from above them, and moments later, Toothless touches down a few paces ahead on the beach. Impeccable timing, as if he can tell that Hiccup would really like to be alone with Y/N right now. Whatever, Hiccup can't really fault him for wanting to be included.