Luna's Perspective
The soft crackle of the hearth filled the cabin with its comforting music, the warm glow dancing lazily across the wooden walls.
The night air outside had a sharp chill to it, but inside our small sanctuary, everything was calm.
Freya and I sat cross-legged on the floor, exactly where Hiccup had instructed us to wait after calling to us from the forge.
My little hatchling's tail flicked lazily behind her, brushing small patterns into the dirt near the hearth with a stick she had picked up earlier. She looked up at me with eager curiosity, her green eyes sparkling in the firelight.
"What do you think Papa's been working on?" she asked, her voice light with excitement.
I leaned back against the cushions on the couch, arms folded loosely across my chest, a soft smile playing on my lips.
"You know your father, little one. Once he's focused on something, not even the gods themselves could pull him away."
I chuckled lowly. "He said it was a project. So I suppose… we'll find out soon enough."
Freya tilted her head, thoughtful. "He's been working since morning… and he didn't even come out to eat lunch. It must be really important."
I smirked, reaching out to lightly ruffle her hair.
"It must be," I agreed. "And knowing your Papa, it's something he's poured his heart into."
She giggled and tried to fix her hair back into some sort of order, her tail curling and uncurling restlessly.
The room fell into a companionable silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire.
Then, the front door creaked open.
Both of us immediately turned our heads.
Hiccup stepped inside, his hair damp with sweat, soot streaking his cheeks and arms. His black tunic was dusted with ash and steel shavings, but none of that dulled the calm pride burning in his green eyes.
There was a confidence in the way he moved—a quiet satisfaction that made something warm stir in my chest.
"Finally!" Freya chirped, leaping to her feet and bouncing toward him. "Papa, what have you been doing all day?!"
Hiccup grinned—his sharp, slightly crooked smile lighting up his whole face. His tail swished behind him, playful and relaxed.
"I told you," he said, voice full of teasing patience, "I was working on a little project."
In his hands, he carried a small bundle wrapped carefully in cloth.
He crossed the room and set it gently on the table, unwrapping it slowly, purposefully.
Freya stood on tiptoe, straining to see.
As the cloth peeled away, her breath caught audibly.
Resting there on the table were a pair of claws—small, dark, and sleek.
Etched into the steel were tiny constellations, glinting faintly in the firelight like stars trapped in metal.
"They're… for me?" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"Of course," Hiccup said, crouching down to her level.
He gently lifted the claws and placed them into her small hands.
"I promised you yesterday I'd make you your first real set of claws," he said, his voice warm and full of pride.
"I figured you might have forgotten after everything that's happened. But I didn't."
Freya's fingers curled reverently around the weapons, her green eyes wide and shimmering.
"They're beautiful," she breathed, her voice thick with wonder. "I… I can't believe you made these for me."
Hiccup smiled, his hand resting lightly on her head.
"I didn't just make them for you, little one. They're part of you now—like your wings and tail. They're a promise. A reminder that you're never alone. Not in human form. Not in dragon form. Not ever."
Freya's lip quivered, and before either of us could react, she launched herself into his arms, hugging him so tightly it knocked him back onto one knee.
"Thank you, Papa," she whispered fiercely.
He hugged her back without hesitation, laughing softly, his tail wrapping protectively around her small frame.
"You're welcome, my little dragon."
As they embraced, I noticed something hidden in the loose curl of Hiccup's tail—a second bundle, slightly larger.
I narrowed my eyes, suspicion blooming in my chest.
Sure enough, once Freya finally let go, Hiccup straightened and turned toward me.
From the coils of his tail, he drew out another cloth-wrapped package and approached, holding it with both hands like it was something sacred.
"And," he said, his voice quieter now, almost reverent, "I have something for you too, Luna."
I stood, every instinct in me alert. I accepted the bundle carefully, feeling the solid weight beneath the cloth.
As I unwrapped it, the breath caught in my throat.
There, resting in my hands, were the most beautiful set of claws I had ever seen.
Sleek and wickedly curved, they shimmered under the firelight with an iridescent sheen—silver, blue, and hints of deep black woven like living threads through the steel.
Tiny, intricate etchings of dragons in flight and swirling winds adorned their surface, so delicate it almost hurt to look at them.
My hands trembled.
"I know how much you hate being trapped in human form," Hiccup said, his voice raw and full of emotion. "These… these are for when you have to stay in it. So you never forget who you really are. Powerful. Graceful. Untamed."
He hesitated, searching my face.
"I wanted you to feel like yourself," he added softly. "No matter what shape you wear."
I stared at him, unable to speak as emotion surged through me—too much to contain.
No one had ever thought of me like this.
No one had ever understood me so deeply.
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, hot and unwelcome.
"Do you like them?" Hiccup asked, his voice small, almost nervous.
I smiled through the tears, clutching the claws tightly to my chest.
"I love them," I whispered hoarsely.
"Thank you, Hiccup."
Freya beamed, holding her own claws proudly. Our eyes met across the room, and in that instant, without a word spoken, we both moved.
Before Hiccup could react, we tackled him to the floor.
He grunted in surprise, laughter bursting out of him as we pinned him beneath us.
"Hey!" he cried, laughing helplessly. "What's this for?"
"For being the best Papa," Freya said, hugging him around the neck.
"For thinking of us," I added, pressing my forehead lightly against his.
He wrapped his arms tightly around both of us, his heart pounding against mine through the thin layer of his tunic.
"You two," he murmured with a breathless laugh, "are going to be the death of me."
"Better us than anyone else," I teased.
⸻
Hiccup's Perspective
Later that night, the three of us curled up together on the single bed.
Freya lay nestled between us, her tiny claws resting atop the covers, her small wings twitching occasionally in her sleep.
Luna lay on the other side, her new claws placed reverently on the bedside table, catching the faint light of the rising moon.
I watched them both, my heart too full to contain.
"You two mean everything to me," I whispered into the darkness.
Freya stirred, half-asleep, and mumbled, "We love you too, Papa."
Luna reached across Freya and found my hand, lacing our fingers together.
"Always," she murmured.
I squeezed her hand gently.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges.
Tomorrow we would return to Berk—and the world would see the family we had become.
But for tonight, in the silence of our home, surrounded by the warmth of my mate and my hatchling…
Everything was perfect.