The sun was already low in the sky, but the sound of metal clanking could still be heard coming from the forge. No doubt Hiccup was in there creating some new kind of weapon or enhancing one of his old inventions. once he got a new idea in his mind, he wouldn't rest until it was a reality. This made for many sleepless nights fueled by determination and excitement. It was cute though, Astrid loved the firey look in his eye when he showed her his blueprints or talked about his latest ideas with her. It always amazed her how dedicated he could be once he set his mind to something.
Toothless was sitting outside newar the entrance dozing. She patted his head as she walked by him, then made her way inside. She couldn't help but smile when she saw her boyfriend bent over, pounding on a piece of glowing hot metal. It was hot in the forge, of course, and there were beads of sweat glistening all over his forehead, and the back of his neck. His head jerked up as she walked into view and his lips spread out into a smile to match hers.
"evening, Milady. what brings you down here?" he asked as he set his project aside and wiped his sweat off with his apron.
"just swung by to see what you were up to" she said, flopping down into his desk chair. "I have'nt seen you all day".
"I know, sorry" he had his head lowered almost in shame. "I have some really great new ideas for the fire prevention system though, things that would make your job alot esier.
She had to admit that once the dragons and vikings had made their peace, there were alot more fires she had to worry about. not the huge kinds she had to deal with before when there were attacks, but small ones all across Berk. she was running across the whole island trying to help people put out fires in their homes that their undertrained dragons had started.
"Wow, that's awesome!" she sat up in the seat. She loved any idea that meant the oppritunity to spend more time with stormfly.
She sat and listened to him talk about the system he had worked out, and at first she was really interested, but as his words slipped into a technical complicated state, she found it hard to pay attention. Instead she kept herself occupied by watching the way the tiny scar on his chin moved when he moved his lips to make words.
"Astrid?" he was looking at her questioningly.
"Huh? sorry, I zoned out for a minute." she said, then quickly added "not because you were being boring though! I'm just kind of tired." she said sheepishly.
He laughed. "it's fine, I think we both need some rest. I'll just fill you in tomorrow at the academy."
"OK, I'll hold you to that" she smiled at him as he collected his things and they walked to the door.
Just as they were about to part ways, he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"bye, I love you-" his eyes got wide, he backed up a few steps. So did Astrid, her eyes were equally as big as his, if not bigger, in suprise. Those were three words he had never said to her before, and they caught her off guard (which was not an easy thing to do).
She would be lying if she said she had never thought about Hiccup in respects to love. She often lay awake at night wondering if what they had could qualify as the rare emotion. Her mother had told her that when it happened, she would know for sure. In fact, when they had first started dating her mother had pulled her aside and told her the story of how she fell in love with her father when they were around the same age in hopes of inspiring Astrid to take her relationship with Hiccup seriously.
Now that the words had made their way out into the cool night air, Hiccup wished desperatley that he could take them back. Not because he didn't mean them. No, there was not a doubt in his mind that he was in love with her, and he had been for a long, long time. It was the shocked look his girlfriend was giving him that made him wish he could retract what he had just said.
"I- Uh..." he mumbled, running his hands nervously through his hair. He was going to say something else, but was cut off by her lips on his and all of his thoughts were gone in an instant.
She had her hands cradling his face, and she kept them there after she pulled away from the kiss. "I love you too." she said, and she meant it. Her mother had been right, when it's love, you just know it.
They stood like that for a minute longer, her hands on his face and his around her waist untill toothless lifted his big black head and jumped between them with a goofy smile on his face.
"Alright, bud. You know We love you too." Hiccup told him as he scratched behind his ears. "We should get going, Astrid. See you tomorrow?"
She pulled him in for one last hug before turing to go to her own home. "Of course you will! I love you" she giggled as she said the last part, loving the way the words rolled off of her lips.
"I love you too, Milady" He whispered in her ears.
Later that night as she was laying in bed those words kept playing through her head like a lulliby, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.