"H-hi A-astrid," I stutter when she enters my workshop. Truth is that I don't stumble over my words as much as I used to, but there are certain situations that are prone to indicate awkward conversations, and in such times, my traitorous tongue simply fails me.

Like right now. She casually comes closer while I'm gawkily trying to conceal the piece of leather I have been working on. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong or shameful about the fine material, it is actually turning out to be quiet something, but Astrid…let's just say, she is not the most enthusiastic supporter of my growing collection of flight suits. Okay, who am I kidding? No one encourages me to keep up the hard work except for the twins, but I'm afraid, they just find my frequent airborne failures entertaining. At least, the way they cheer and clap every time I fall should underline my theory.

So yeah, she is here, in my workshop, all blonde hair and blue eyes, and I try not to stare at her, but a quick glance is never enough... She stops a few steps from me and places a hand on her waist, while I ungracefully bend over the hardwood top of my workbench.

"Hey, I'm not mad at you." She doesn't sound angry, so I sheepishly straighten myself and reveal the flight suit.

"I just came to check on you." Two long strides, and she is at the workbench, and I cannot not notice how her hips sway, because it's hypnotizing. She has become very feminine in the past two years; her moves smoothened and her voice softened. I don't think it is the result of a conscious decision, I doubt she ever wanted to be "girlier", so I guess, it was just a natural process, it was in her, it happened and… I really like it.

She catches my eyes more and more often, and I cherish every stolen moment when I can secretly linger on her captivating beauty. Awkward, I know, but I'm not in denial, she is very easy on my eyes. I have to shake my head to snap out of my dream world.

"Check on me? Wh-why?" There. My tongue trips again.

"Well, I haven't seen you all morning, and I felt kind of lonely."

Yeah, the Edge is empty save for us and our dragons. Fishlegs figured out the other night that he couldn't bare it any longer without her mom's mouthwatering mutton pie and pigeon soup. He made a lengthy speech, and described tastes and pleasures in such detail that the twins practically bit into each other.

Neither of us is much of a cook here, and we eat roasted fish and vegetables more often than we don't, but I guess, it's one of the disadvantages of the pioneer life. But I don't complain, I've never cared about food in general.

As for Astrid, she isn't a moaner either, but she has a sweet tooth. Please don't ask me how I happen to know about the stash of honey jars under her bed, but it's there. And the not-so-well-kept sugary secret is just another thing that I happen to like about her.

I also know that sometimes, when she is angry or frustrated, she hides in her hut, dips her fingers in the jar, and licks the thick liquid off them. I've only managed to accidentally witness her doing that one or two times, but it's certainly one of those images that are permanently burnt into my mind...

So, Fishlegs, yeah… He flew home early in the morning with the twins and Snotlout joined them, because he was afraid that I might ask him to do something. As if... I mean, I'm not a tyrant, but the sheds won't clean themselves and the dragons still can't manicure their claws.

Wow, I must have drifted off, because Astrid impatiently nudges my side.

"Oh, yeah… so I was just sewing some stuff here."

"Show me!"

I can feel my mouth turn into a huge grin. You know, I think the thing I like the most about her is that she actually cares. She is genuinely interested in whatever I do, even if she doesn't approve it. And unlike the others, she listens to me, and she has thoughts of her own. It's a relief to have someone like her around, when you are surrounded by hard-headed and sometimes painfully ignorant folks.

So I show her the thing I was working on. Basically it's a leather jacket, nothing fancy, but I've sewn two pieces of thin yak skin between each sleeves and the waistline, so when I raise my hands, it stretches out like a pair of wings.

She examines it thoroughly and understands the concept. She tilts her head and jokingly shakes it, but she is all smiles.

"You're going to look like a giant bat."

I shrug. I don't really care about my looks.

"A giant bat - saving the world. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?" She teases me and pokes my chest. Well, it's not really a poke, because it's too gentle, it feels like a very short stroke, but when I look down on her finger that lingers in my body, she quickly pulls it away, the crosses her hands in front of her.

"Well, Astrid, if it serves its purpose, I'm okay with it. I don't know about the saving the world part, I don't consider myself an overachiever." Oh, Gods, why am I doing it? I sound like a bragging, brainy idiot.

She wants to say something, but she bites down on her lip instead, so I'll never know whether it was meant to be a compliment or an insult.

We and our unsaid words…. I desperately want to ease the hardness of the situation. I want to smooth the rough edges and polish the stained surfaces, but it's not easy, it never is.

Oh, yeah, I finally have an idea!

"Hey, Astrid, I made something else." I crouch down and fish out the leather ball I sewed the other night. The dragons like to play with balls - almost as much as the Vikings do - but Meatlug accidentally swallowed the last one. Yes, Fishlegs, I do know it looked like a rock.

"It's an improved version, it floats on water," I brag when I hand it over to her.

"Awesome!" she says while she checks the ball. She rolls it in her hands and takes a close look at my neat needle work.

"Sooo, what do you say, shall we try it out on the beach?" I huge smirk grows on my face again, but luckily, there's no need to fight it. She smiles back and I'm glad we could leave all the awkwardness behind.

"Sure. Just let me change into something more comfortable."

I nod. "Sounds good."

She rushes out of the door and I search for the half pants I like to swim in.

§§§

She looks stunning. I involuntarily gape at her when I first see her. She is wearing the same type of half pants as I am, but hers are deep blue, mine are green. She has matching bindings on, it's nothing revealing, but her flat belly is uncovered, and I gulp hard when my gaze shifts down to her abs. Bleh, my throat tastes like sawdust...

She notices my admiration and she averts her gaze, but I notice that her cheeks are pinker. It's confusing... I mean, it has always been quite obvious that I think highly of her, but she either didn't care about it, or treated me with a painful "thank you".

Her being sensitive about my adulation is new – and probably not just for me.

I don't want her to be uncomfortable, so I throw the ball at her with full force, which surprises her, but thanks to her exceptional reflexes, she jumps back easily catches it.

"Revenge!" She shouts and runs towards me with the ball in hand, and I laugh and head for the water. She catches me easily, my prosthetic wasn't designed for sandy floors, and she pushes me and I fall, but then I splash water all over her, and her giggles are music to my ears.

The dragons join in and it's more fun than I thought it could be. We kick and throw and head and fall, and I laugh so much that my side hurts, and my mouth and nostrils are constantly filled with sea water, but who cares, really?

But suddenly, she falls down with a sharp "Ouch!", and I know it's not part of the game, so I rush to her as fast as I can.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

She sits up in the shallow water and she has a pout on her face. She lifts her right leg up and there's a deep cut on her sole and fat drops of crimson start to drip into the water.

"Bah, I stepped on a clam or something." She sounds disappointed, but I flash an encouraging smile at her, before I bend down and lift her up with a fake grunt. She is clearly surprised, but quickly laces her fingers around my neck.

"Hey, I could walk," she protests, but instead of pulling away, she nestles in my arms.

"I know," I breathe into her wet hair, "but the water would sting the cut."

There's a blanket on the shore, I put down earlier, and I gently place her on it, while the dragons curiously come out of the water to check on us.

"It's okay guys, nothing but a tiny boo-boo," she says while she turns her feet to examine it. It's still bleeding.

"Astrid, I'll go and get something to..."

"Just give me my tunic, please." She points to the tree where she left some of her clothing.

"Aaastrid, I think we should..." I try to talk some sense into her, because the wound doesn't look very good, but she pokes into the air with her index finger again. I meekly obey.

When I return, she is kicking sand over a red stain, and doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. I, on the other hand, would really like to put a bandage on her slender foot... Aaand it suddenly hits me that I've never had a good look at her feet before, but then again, I hardly see her without boots. I quickly grade them 10 out of 10, because they are small and elegant and her toes are long and slim, and I wish I could hold them in my hands. I wish I could stroke the arches of her feet and maybe even kiss them... Ugh, I shiver.

"Hiccup?"

"Oh, yeah, right, there you go." I'm clearly in a befuddled state, but she doesn't comment, just quickly takes the clothing and puts it on. My eyes grow big when I see her hand reach under the tunic, and I quirk an eyebrow when she pulls out her bindings.

"Oh!" I exclaim in surprise when she tightly wraps it around her foot and her ankle to keep it in place.

She giggles. "Oh, come on, it's an old trick of mine..."

She ties a knot just above her heel. "One of the perks of being a girl," she adds with a frisky smile, and I smile back while she stands up and takes a few wobbly steps.

"All good, we can go back to play," she turns around and limps towards the water. I go after her. I would follow her to the end of the world and back.

§§§

When the night falls, we take the dragons to their pens and after a quick rub, they both fall asleep - playing all day under the scorching sun sucked all energy from them. We go back to the beach and build a fire, and everything feels so right while we listen to the song of the sea and the soothing buzz of the cicadae.

But... I want to break the silence; so many forgotten words tickle the tip of my tongue, trying to escape my clumsy mouth.

"A-astrid?"

"Hmm?"

"I-I.." Okay, this isn't good, I'm stuttering again. It shouldn't be this hard to surprise her with a few well-chosen words of gratitude. She deserves them, she is my friend, my closest and most loyal companion, plus these words are way past their due date, I should have said thanks months ago. I clear my throat. I can do it.

"So. I never had the chance to tell how grateful I was when you chose me instead of the Guard. I mean, not me, but you know, all of this..." I gesture with my arms around us, but I think she gets the point. She looks at me. The light of the flames dance on her face, making her expression unreadable.

"Well, the Guard was just a Plan B," she admits seriously, "I was kind of hoping that you would come up with something... And you did."

I almost blush. "I guess, it was just a lucky coincidence. Aaand "lucky" probably isn't the best word to describe it, because of Dagur's escape and all..."

She shrugs. "But we are here, and it's exciting and we are together...I mean, the gang, and..."

She stops when I place my warm hand on hers that's resting above her knee. I don't know why I do it, but I need the contact, I want to feel her.

"Still, I really appreciate that you are here, all of you, of course, but I think I don't tell you it enough. I want you to know that it meant and still means a lot to me, but I guess, I'm not really good with words. And I apologize for that."

"S'okay, Hiccup, you don't have to tell it to me, I know it." She doesn't take her hand away. We never hold hands, but… probably we should?

"Astrid, I don't think it is okay. I'm terrible at expressing my feelings, I never tell you anything, I always get distracted and then I just procrastinate. I don't want to do that. There are words that are really meant to be said out loud." When I get to the end of my inept speech, I notice how confused she seems behind the shadows of the flickering light.

"But there's really no need for that," she protests and she takes back her hand. My palm lands on her bare knee, and suddenly it feels like touching hot ember, and I withdraw as quickly as possible.

"I need it then, I guess." I sound way calmer than I really am, but I think my determination empowers me. "Anyways, thank you for always being there for me."

She tilts her head and smiles. "But I am your friend, and that's what friends do."

"Yeah, about that..." I bite into my lip, I'm not sure if I should start this whole thing, but it has been on my mind and my heart for such a long time... She patiently waits for me. I find her adorable and strangely, it makes it harder to talk, maybe I should pull back a little? Yeah, it's easier like that.

"Erm… so one day I'm going to be chief. I'm not really looking forward to that day, but it's inevitable, I guess..."

This time her hands find my hands and grip them tightly, reassuringly. "You are going to be a great chief. You are caring, loyal and hardworking. Well, judging by the piles of paper in your hut, you are probably not the most well-organized person, but..."

I appreciate her pep talk, but I shake my head and it cuts her off. "Thanks, Astrid, these are important things, but this is not what I meant."

She raises an eyebrow. My hands are still in her hands... I have to continue. "Huh... So, I think that every good chief needs a strong and level-headed supporter and I thought you might..."

"Oh, my Gods! You want me to be your vice chief?"

"A-Astrid, I-I don't think it's a thing..."

"You could totally make it a thing!" Her enthusiasm makes me uncomfortable, and I take my hands away from hers. I'm sure I have a bewildered look on my face, because it has just occurred to me that I might have misjudged... well, probably everything…

I wait. I sigh and I wait and it's getting awkward. We look into each other's eyes.

"But it's not what you wanted to suggest, right?" Her voice is low and quiet, almost timid. I shake my head.

"No, not really... I just, huh..." I have to look away from her eyes before they numb and mute me. "I just wanted to tell you that many years from now, like, huh, as many as you need, I... it would be an honor to call you my wife."

There. I said it. When she understands my mumbling, she immediately turns away, dropping her head between her shoulders.

"Wife?" She repeats in disbelief. Oh, for Thor's sake, I have to apologize...

"Astrid, I..."

She slowly turns back. I'm not sure whether it really happens or it is just the light of the fire, but her lips seem to tremble with her terrified question. "Wife?"

"Look, I'm really sorry, I don't know what has gotten into me."

"I-I thought we were just friends..." She emphasizes both "just" and "friends" and I have to admit, it hurts. But it also makes me want to come clean, once and for all.

"Astrid. You are my very best friend, there's no question about that, and I hope it will stay this way until... until forever, but... I find you... very pretty and… God's this is embarrassing… and I wish I could kiss you… whenever, huh, I don't know... the time is right?"

I'm a complete mess. Congrats to you, lame mouth, you did a terrific job at frightening off the single most important person in your life…

She clears her throat, wearing a serious expression. "And... when is the time right?"

I wasn't prepared for this question and I start to stutter again. "I-I...huh, maybe now?"

We lock gazes. Nothing happens for a sluggish minute. Then she nods.

Wait a minute... did she nod? I'm not sure, my eyes could have deceived me, but then she does it again, and this time it is unmistakable.

Okay...

So now what? I feel both excited and nervous, because I really want to do it, but I also want to do it right. We lean closer to each other.

I can feel her warm breath, and I'm sure, she can feel mine too.

"Astrid?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind closing your eyes?"