It was late, and the Great Hall was deserted. It'd been a good night, with laughter and stories. After weeks of rebuilding, and of Hiccup getting used to his new role as Chief, life on Berk had finally settled into a new normal. For the first time since Stoick had died, the atmosphere had been loud and joyful again.

Even as more and more people had left for their beds, Hiccup and Astrid had stayed on. Until suddenly it was only the two of them.

Astrid eyed the candles that burned dangerously low on the table in front of them. "We should get some sleep."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Is that an invitation, Ms. Hofferson?"

She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "No, it's a fact. We've got work to do tomorrow, and you're grumpy when you're tired."

Hiccup chuckled. "Fair point." He ran a finger along the rim of his empty stein, suddenly pensive.

"Come on, out with it."

"Huh?"

"What's on your mind?"

Hiccup pursed his lips. "Gobber."

"Gobber?"

"Well, not Gobber exactly but… what he said earlier. About us…getting married."

The words took her a little by surprise, and she tried not to flinch. "Oh."

"Do you think he's right?"

It took every ounce of willpower Astrid possessed to school her expression into nonchalance. "I hardly think Gobber's the best person to take relationship advice from. He's been single for like thirty years."

"I guess..."

"Well I know." Astrid saw the flash of hurt in Hiccup's eyes, and it pained her to pretend that she hadn't. "It's not the right time."

Astrid's heart was thundering in her chest; she prayed to the gods that Hiccup couldn't hear it. She picked up his stein and stood, making sure to avoid touching his hand lest he feel her racing pulse. "Come on, Chief. You. Bed. Now."

His smile thankfully reappeared then, and he'd obediently wandered back to his house after kissing her goodnight.

But long after she knew Hiccup would have drifted off to sleep, Astrid lay wide awake in her own bed, her stomach turning itself in knots. This was the first major secret she'd kept from Hiccup: she was ready to marry him, wholeheartedly. She just knew that he wasn't ready to marry her, even if he thought he was. It was kinder to let Hiccup think she needed more time than to tell him it was the other way around. To let him think he was helping her by waiting, rather than feel like he was letting her down.

She'd have to tell him the truth though, and soon, or it'd eat her alive. Resolve slowed her hammering heartbeat, and stilled her churning insides. Change. When Hiccup showed her that he could cope with change that was outside of his control, that's when she'd tell him.

All the same, Astrid slept poorly that night.