Hiya, guys. This is my first HTTYD fanfiction, something I've been working on for the better part of the last 6 months or so. It was an idea that came to me and I just couldn't get it out without writing it down. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to post it.

Short backstory here: I love How to Train Your Dragon. I have since I first saw in theaters almost 10 years ago. It's probably my favorite trilogy of movies ever. After seeing The Hidden World last night, I was inspired, but I had mostly finished this story and had only an epilogue to write. Lo and behold, an epilogue spilled out of my head and onto the pages.

So, I've decided to post the first chapter of this little story I've written and see if it gets any traction. To expand on the summary, the premise of this story is essentially a rewrite of the first movie, but changing the hypothetical events prior to it by locking Astrid and Hiccup in a marriage contract. Their engagement alters their relationship and changes the events of the movies like so. Or at least it does to me.

So, we begin with Hiccup and Astrid (and the other teens) being 14 years old, roughly a year prior to the events of the first movie. I hope any of you readers enjoy, and do let me know what you think! Thanks for checking out this story!

1. Arranged

The sun was setting on another day on Berk, bringing a late autumn chill with it. Once the sun was beneath the horizon, the night would turn frigid, as it often was when the sky grew dark, especially now. Winter was nearly here, and with it would come a whole new batch of annual problems.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III trudged down the path toward his home. It had been another long day in the forge, full of weapon orders, backbreaking work, and sweltering heat. A dragon raid was expected tonight, and every Viking on the island needed their weapons in peak condition.

Dragons, noun. The huge, terrible, and scaly abominations that besieged Berk and their neighbors as often as they could, stealing food and destroying buildings and taking lives. The reptiles were unfortunately a staple of life on Berk. Hiccup almost snorted at the thought. While other places suffered attacks from mice or mosquitoes, the Isle of Berk commonly received visits from hordes of twenty-foot lizards that breathed fire.

Most people would leave. Not Vikings, though. Their entire culture was apparently centered on mind-boggling feats of strength and unmatched prowess on the battlefield. Not to mention that they tended to be pretty stubborn and hardheaded. Throw all those things together and you got a tribe of people who had stayed put on the same island for more than 300 years despite Mother Nature screaming at them to find somewhere more hospitable to live.

Hiccup had never exactly fit that mold for the ideal child. He'd been smaller than the other boys growing up, and he was still smaller now, sporting a skinny torso with even skinnier arms and legs, a penchant for the intellectual, and an infuriating, self-deprecating sense of humor that was all too often sarcastic. Those same traits had led him down a different path when it came to everyday life. While the other Vikings lived simple lives and handled tasks "the Viking way", Hiccup took to building machines and contraptions in the name of efficiency. Unfortunately, his creations were decidedly not efficient, often causing damage to the town and bringing constant ridicule down on himself. This didn't stop Hiccup, though. He kept trying, confident that one day he'd make his mark.

It had all led to his embarrassing title: Hiccup the Useless. Other Vikings had to reach adulthood before they earned their title, but not Hiccup, apparently. The rest of the village had wasted little time coming up with that gem of a nickname, and it had stuck like glue. His own father had come to accept it after several years of Hiccup's disappointing lack of growth and stuck him in the forge as an apprentice to the blacksmith, Gobber. Sometimes Hiccup felt that Gobber had been more of a father to him than his actual one had ever been. It had been that way ever since his mother died, at least, which had been so long ago that Hiccup couldn't even remember her face. Hence, it was sensible to suggest that his father had always been this way, scowling and disappointed and hard-hearted.

At least the forge had admittedly made him stronger. He still couldn't lift a hammer for much more than a few seconds, or swing an axe, or throw a bola, but there had been progress.

Eventually, the dirt path ended, and Hiccup was standing in front of his house. The sun was all but gone, casting a red glow in the rapidly darkening sky with the last of its influence. For the first time, Hiccup caught a whiff of just how bad he smelled. The long day at the forge had made him sweat through his own clothes, creating an undesirable smell that clung tightly to him. In addition, smudges of soot decorated his skin, earned from the close-up work in the coal-fired forge.

Hiccup sighed. There was no reason for him to stay out any longer, as much as he wanted to avoid his father, who was surely inside.

The door was thankfully silent as Hiccup pushed it open. The skinny lad peered inside, spotting a hulking shape bent over the fire. Creeping in with practiced precision, Hiccup closed the door, biting back a curse as it creaked when he went to close it. The shape at the hearth didn't react, relieving Hiccup as he stepped towards the stairs. In an effort to keep quiet, he dropped to all fours and started to climb up the steps, moving as swiftly as his hands and feet could carry him.

The sixth or seventh step squeaked noisily as Hiccup's foot pressed down on it, and the massive form visibly flinched, straightening its neck as realization surely flicked across its face.

"Hiccup," the voice said, and the shape started to turn.

"Ah, Dad. Hi, Dad. H-how was your day?" Hiccup stammered, reluctantly descending the steps back to the first floor. His interactions with his father always made him uncomfortable, and for obvious reasons. Stoick the Vast, the chief of the Tribe, was an entire chest, shoulders, and head taller than his son, and at least four times as wide as the scrawny boy.

Stoick did his best to answer the question. "It was… typical." The secret elephant in the room nudged at Stoick's brain. Today had been anything but typical. Today Stoick had done something he'd never done before in his time as chief, at least, not where it had concerned his son. "Hiccup, I… I need to speak with you."

"Oh, um… okay." Hiccup answered, nervous. What had he done wrong now, he wondered?

"Er, there's no real easy way to say this, but, er…" Stoick started, embarrassed as he struggled to just spit it out. Since when had speaking become difficult for him!? "I made a deal today. It's important. I… I felt it was the right time."

"Dad, just tell me what it is." Hiccup grumbled. He wasn't feeling patient tonight, and really wanted to just bathe and go to sleep and be done with this entire conversation. He and his dad never had an easy time speaking to each other.

"You're getting married. The contract was drafted today."

Hiccup's legs nearly gave out from underneath him. His mental fortitude shattered, and he stumbled back, processing the words over and over before he finally managed an answer, "M-married?"

"Not for a few more years. But your wife-to-be is set in stone." Stoick said.

Hiccup fought off the urge to hyperventilate. "Why?"

"You are nearly a man." Stoick said simply.

"I'm fourteen!"

"Yes, I said you were nearly a man." Stoick repeated.

Hiccup scoffed.

"Son, you are the heir. There are things expected of you that are unlike any other boy in the entire village." Stoick said.

"Yeah, and I've hardly lived up to those expectations." Hiccup grumbled.

"Maybe." Stoick said, not really helping Hiccup's already-low self-esteem. "But this was a move to secure your future. Soon enough, other fathers will begin looking for their sons' future wives. I merely jumped ahead of the herd."

Hiccup sighed, knowing that arguing was useless and that there was no way out of this. "So… who's the lucky girl?"

"The Hofferson girl." Stoick answered quickly.

"Astrid?" Hiccup half-shouted. Astrid Hofferson. He was engaged to Astrid Hofferson. Fearless, independent, beautiful Astrid Hofferson who was by far the best warrior of his generation. He'd pined for her since he was old enough to feel attraction. Just the sight of her blonde hair and bright blue eyes made his heart race. She was everything he could ever want.

She also hated him.

Hiccup's euphoria came to a screeching halt. "A-Astrid?" he repeated, "Dad, she hates me!"

"She doesn't hate you, son." Stoick said.

"Well, she certainly will now!" Hiccup snapped, "She won't want this! Did you even think about that when you signed this contract?"

Stoick fumed, "You should be grateful that I betrothed you to someone from Berk! I could've very well bound you to someone from another island that you've never met! You will be the chief one day, after all, and alliances are built on marriages! Would you prefer that, son!?"

Hiccup faltered, a retort catching in his throat, "…N…No. No, I wouldn't."

"There you have it, then. This is the best possible outcome, son. This may not be how you imagined it in that head of yours, but that is life. You will thank me for this, one day."

Hiccup sighed, "Yeah, Dad. I need a bath… and then I'm going to bed."

Stoick was silent as Hiccup walked towards the washroom, where a hot bath had already been drawn. Stoick made a ritual of heating water for bathing as soon as he returned home from a day of chiefing. Hiccup always went first at night and then generally disappeared into his room. Stoick usually respected his privacy, drawing another hot bath for himself and washing off the day's wear and tear.

Hiccup emerged from the washroom soon, clad in his sleeping clothes, and disappeared without so much as a look towards his father into the privacy of the small second floor, which was almost entirely his room. The room was dark, for a torch had not been lit this evening, and Hiccup decided to leave it that way, crawling under his ample amount of sleeping furs and shivering for a moment as he grew accustomed to the new warmth.

Stoick's words continued to echo in his head.

You will thank me for this, one day.

Hiccup snorted, muttering his response to himself, "Yeah, if I'm even alive to see that day."

Astrid briskly walked home, her trusty axe dangling in her grip. From her neutral expression, passersby would assume it had been another difficult day for the Hofferson girl. In actuality, it had been quite good. She was finally starting to perfect her technique on the one-arm axe throw, and she had countless splintered tree trunks to prove it. She'd decided a long time ago that she was going to be a shieldmaiden. She would never marry, never bear children, living only to serve her tribe in blood and battle.

A few Vikings rushed past her to their guard posts. A raid was expected tonight, and the watch was to begin as soon as the sun started to set. If the chief was right on his estimates—and he usually was—the beasts would attack late that night, waking most of the village from slumber. Everyone would have to be at their best, including Astrid.

If only her duties during a raid were more than putting out fires. She was already the best warrior of her generation, and an argument could be made that she was better than some of the adult warriors in the village. Oh, how she longed to be entered in dragon training, where she would surely win and start her journey to becoming the legendary dragon killer she was destined to be. Unfortunately, she still had another year to wait, since recruits had to be fifteen before they could train.

Astrid half-smiled as her home came into view, and she pushed open the door with a growing grin and hung her axe on one of the hooks jutting out of the wall by the front door, glancing at it proudly. She would need to get it serviced again soon.

When Astrid turned, her parents were seated at the table, their figures obviously tense.

"Hey. Is everything alright?" Astrid asked, certain that there was no need for the question.

"Astrid…" her father, Ingvar, started. His tone was uneasy, "Please come sit down."

Okay, maybe there was a need for the question. Astrid shuffled over, unsure what this could be about, and sat down in the same chair that she always sat in. Ingvar was to her right, while her mother, Edna, sat to her left.

Ingvar reached out to touch her hands. The man had always been brutally proud of his daughter and loved her so. "Astrid, we need to speak with you. Chief Stoick came by the house today."

"He did? What did he want?" Astrid asked, still oblivious.

"He… he wanted to inquire with us about a contract." Ingvar explained. "A marriage contract, to be exact."

Astrid was puzzled for exactly two seconds before she connected the dots.

No.

No.

Edna saw the burgeoning anger on Astrid's face and stepped in, placing her hand on Astrid's, "Astrid, you have to understand..."

"How much?" Astrid demanded. She snatched her hands away from her mother's.

"What?" Ingvar asked.

"How much? How much did you sell me for?" Astrid repeated, "What was the price to sell me to Hiccup?"

"Astrid, we didn't sell you…" Ingvar tried.

"Don't lie to me!" Astrid snapped, a hint of tears starting to form in her eye, "Both of you know I don't want this! I don't want to marry anyone, whether it's Snotlout or Tuffnut or Hiccup the U—"

"Don't." Edna snarled, cutting Astrid off. Astrid avoided gaping at her mother, settling for glaring at her. "Don't you ever call him that name."

Useless. That's what Edna meant. Astrid mentally scoffed. Why was she defending him all of a sudden? Astrid quickly decided that it didn't matter and turned to glare at her father, white-hot fury smoldering in her pristine blue eyes. This was primarily his fault.

"I won't marry him." Astrid said defiantly.

That set Ingvar off. The tall, normally cool-headed man fumed, suddenly pounding a clenched fist down on the wooden table. "That is not your decision! I am your father, and as long as I am responsible for you, you will do what I say!"

Astrid went to spit out a response, but her father held a certain sway over her. So instead, she stormed out of her seat and thundered out of the room, feeling every bit as ridiculous as she probably looked. One slammed bedroom door later, Astrid flung herself onto her bed, clenching her pillow in a death grip and absolutely refusing to shed the tears trying to spill from her eyes.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to be a shieldmaiden, just like she'd always said. But within the snap of someone else's fingers, that dream was dead.

Astrid wasn't sure how much time had passed when there was a knocking at her door. Without her explicit consent, the door slid open and Edna Hofferson poked her head into the room. Sadness flicked across Edna's face and she slipped inside, shutting the door tight behind her and briskly walking to Astrid's bedside. Edna sat on the edge of the bed and reached out for her daughter. Astrid tried to shuffle away from Edna's reach, but she failed miserably, and her mother's hand fell lovingly onto her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Astrid." Edna said.

"That changes nothing." Astrid seethed, focusing her glare away from her encroaching mother and instead at the blank, unassuming wall.

"You have to understand, Astrid. This… this was an offer that we simply couldn't refuse." Edna tried again.

"You signed my entire life away." Astrid choked out, "You couldn't have let me have a say? You've always known that I wanted to be a shieldmaiden. But that can never happen now."

"Astrid… I need you to look at this from the bright side." Edna suggested.

"What bright side?"

"Well, for one, the marriage won't happen for a few years. In many Viking villages, you would've already been married off by now. The chief did not want to force this marriage on the two of you immediately." Edna explained, "Secondly, you are engaged to Hiccup, the chief's son."

"I don't see the upside of the second point." Astrid interjected.

Edna didn't miss a beat, "You'll be the Lady of the Haddock house, second to only the Chief. And have you ever known Hiccup to be violent, or vengeful, or disrespectful? That poor boy gets belittled all day long, and he smiles through it."

"Why do you defend him?" Astrid asked, "He's damaged the village countless times with his stupid inventions."

"I was close with Valka, Hiccup's mother, before she died." Edna said. "She loved that boy with everything she was. When the boy was old enough to speak and learn and understand, I just knew that he would take after her. She was kind, and intelligent, qualities that are constantly apparent in Hiccup, and far too rare in the rest of the men of this island."

Astrid failed to notice that she'd calmed down as her mother went on.

"And yes, the boy does sabotage the village from time to time, but it's not his intention. He merely wants to be noticed. No one in this village shows him any respect, and that includes you, little lady."

"Then what would you have me do?" Astrid asked with a gulp.

"Talk to him. Really talk to him, Astrid. Be his friend. The poor boy is likely just finding out about all of this as we speak. Knowing him, he'll be worried about you. I've seen the way he looks at you." Edna said.

Astrid scowled. "That's the way that all the boys look at me," she growled with disgust.

"No. It's different. It's not like that Snotlout. Hiccup looks at you and all I can see in his eyes is admiration… marvel at the woman you're becoming. I think that he will surprise you, if only you give him a chance."

Astrid deliberately ignored this part of the conversation, "So… be his friend, then? Try to get to know him?" Edna nodded. "I… I can try."

"I know you can, love. And I am so sorry that you have to find out this way. But one day, I am confident that you will thank us for this." Edna said, "Now, I'm going to let you sleep. If there's a raid tonight, you'll need your rest."

Edna stood up off of the bed, walking towards the door. Standing in the open doorway, she glanced back at her daughter, watching Astrid breathe with her back to her mother.

Those words played over and over again in Astrid's mind. I am confident that you will thank us for this.

Astrid didn't feel like telling her mother not to hold her breath.

"He's boar-headed and stubborn!" Hiccup declared, "He never listens!"

"'E's your father, then, that's for sure." Gobber chortled. The old blacksmith's humor was not particularly appreciated by Hiccup, who put on a displeased scowl. "Y'know, in all my years, lad, I'd 'a never expected ye to be so disappointed that ye were marrying Astrid."

"I'm not disappointed that I'm marrying Astrid." Hiccup defended, "I know that she'll be disappointed—no, furious—that she's being forced into marriage at all, and to me of all people."

"Yer the chief's son!" Gobber insisted, "She has to be happy about that!"

"Astrid doesn't have to do anything. Sh-She wouldn't come near me if she were on fire and I had the last bucket of water in town." Hiccup fired back. He looked down at the sword he was sharpening, trying to put all of his focus on perfecting the blade.

"Laddie, you have ta understand that this is how life works around here." Gobber said, "And if Astrid has to marry anyone, don't ya think she'd be grateful that it's you? Could ya imagine her having to marry Snotlout?"

Hiccup nearly threw up in his own mouth before responding glumly, "I'm not sure who that would hurt more, me or her."

"Oh, definitely her." Gobber answered. He banged on a slab of metal with his hammer-hand, shaping the hot iron into a wicked battle axe.

"Thor, I'm dreading the moment when I have to speak to her. There's no way that she doesn't know by now." Hiccup lamented.

"Well, ye won't have much time to think about it! 'Ere she comes right now!" Gobber hooted.

"What?" Hiccup gasped, dropping the sword he'd been sharpening and looking out the open window to the forge. The metal clattered to the floor loudly, and Gobber threw a cross look at him, but Hiccup was too preoccupied looking frantically out the forge window. Sure enough, there she was, storming towards the smithy with her axe in hand. Hiccup briefly wondered if the axe blade would be tearing into him in the next few moments. "Oh, gods, I need to hide."

Gobber shook his head, "'Fraid not, lad. I need someone to run the smithy. I need to… clean the… tub." The blacksmith sauntered towards the back, grinning cheekily as he went off to complete his definitely fake errand, "Hold down the fort, 'Iccup!"

And then the back door slammed shut, suddenly leaving a cold chill in Gobber's absence. Hiccup only had a few seconds to stare at the door, trying to will Gobber to return, before there was a clank at the smithy's window. Hiccup half-jumped, turning to the window and going pale as he recognized Astrid. Her face was marred by some emotion that Hiccup couldn't place, and she was looking him dead in the eye.

"Astrid!" Hiccup blurted, immediately starting to ramble, "Hi, Astrid. Hi, Astrid. Hi, Astrid." Hiccup silently cursed himself. In all the years that he'd been so terribly head over heels for the blonde warrior woman, never had he been so horribly nervous. "Um, Gobber's not here, so—"

"I'm not looking for Gobber." Astrid quickly interjected.

Hiccup's mouth went dry. "Oh, um… you're not?"

"No." Astrid asserted, "We need to talk."

Gulp. "We… we do?" Hiccup stammered.

"I know."

There was only one thing that she could possibly be talking about. Playing dumb would only make her angrier, and that would not be good for his health. "Oh, Thor." Hiccup murmured, "Astrid, I'm so sorry, and I swear that I had nothing to do with it. I-I-I only found out last night, and—"

"Stop talking." Astrid demanded, slightly irritated by his rambling.

Hiccup flinched, subconsciously taking a step back. "If you're here to kill me, do you think you could make it fast? I'm really not a sucker for pain and suffering."

"I'm not going to kill you."

Hiccup paused, "You're not?"

Astrid shook her head, her eyes smoldering. "So… what are you here for?" Hiccup asked tentatively.

Astrid's eyes softened a little, and she dejectedly pointed her eyes at the ground. "I don't know," she admitted, "I had a talk with my mother last night, and… I guess I decided that I should get to know you. You know, as friends."

"Friends?" Hiccup repeated, not quite sure that what he was hearing was real.

"She talked about your mom for a bit." Astrid revealed.

"Oh…" Hiccup said sadly, "I… I don't really remember her. I was still a baby when she died."

"I never knew her… I mean, I knew she existed, obviously, but…" Astrid admitted. Her gaze flicked back up at him. For the first time, she really noticed the deep green color of his eyes. They were so different from the rest of the Viking eyes on Berk. She felt like she could stare into them for days. She felt the rest of her pent-up anger melt away, suddenly replaced by a feeling that she couldn't describe. "I-I'm sorry. This was stupid, I shouldn't have…"

"No, no." Hiccup quickly interrupted, his hands reaching out almost defensively. "This is just a little… out of the blue, I guess. I wasn't expecting this, I… I would be happy… if you wanted to be… friends."

"Friends who are sort of… engaged." Astrid said, looking down, "To be married."

"Yeah, there is that one… complication." Hiccup admitted. "Ah, is… is that all?"

She looked at him, puzzled for a moment, and then remembered her other reason for coming to the forge. "Oh! No. I… I need my axe worked on."

She quickly snatched her axe from its place on her back, shoving it across the small section of wood dividing the forge window from the outside. Hiccup took it meticulously, admiring the craftsmanship for what was not the first time. He'd made this very axe himself for the girl standing in front of him. He wasn't sure if she knew that. They'd been twelve at the time, and Hiccup had devised a plan to win the girl's affection with the perfect gift: a brand new, shiny, beautiful battle axe. Gobber had helped him make it, giving him tips and advice along the way, but the craftsmanship itself had been all Hiccup, his entire heart and soul poured into the weapon.

He hadn't mustered up the courage to tell her that he'd made it himself, or that it had been made so specifically with her in mind. She'd thought it was merely a Snoggletog gift from her parents. And life went on. He saw the axe again every few weeks to give it a good sharpening or perform simple maintenance such as rebalancing the weapon or repairing a broken edge.

Maybe he'd tell her the truth someday.

"What happened to it?" Hiccup asked, noticing that one of the blades had been suddenly worn down and damaged.

"Threw it at one too many trees." Astrid explained quickly, "I need it tuned up if I want it to stick in anything again."

"Oh. Nice job. Sounds like all that training's paying off." Hiccup remarked.

"Not as much as Dragon Training will. I can hardly wait to finally get to do it."

"That would be the end of next autumn, right? It'll be here before you know it."

"If you say so."

Hiccup hefted the axe on top of the grindstone, starting it up and getting to work. Astrid watched as the sparks flew off of the metal and then glanced around the forge, a sudden curiosity overcoming her.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Astrid asked.

"Huh?" Hiccup asked, not believing his own ears. Before he could actually answer, Astrid vaulted over the wall and into the smithy, looking around curiously.

"You know, as often as I come to the forge, I've never actually been inside it." Astrid remarked. She approached the forge's warm hearth, sticking her hands in the heat's direction. A purr that she would never admit to tickled its way out of her throat and she shuffled closer, appreciating the intense heat. It was still fairly early in the morning, and that meant that it was still rather cold outside. The hearth's warmth was a welcome change.

"Yeah, this place is like a second home. Sometimes I actually feel more at home here than I do in my own house." Hiccup admitted.

Astrid faltered, letting her arms drop to her sides as she pondered Hiccup's words. "That's… I'm sorry to hear that," she finally said. "Why do you feel like that?"

Ugh. Here she was, talking about feelings with Hiccup.

"Oh, you know. My dad stuck me in here years ago in an effort to keep me away from the rest of the village. We don't really get along all that much anymore. I'm not the perfect Viking son he always wanted, never have been." Hiccup explained, "And the village… Thor, they all just look at me with disgust, like I'm some runt that should've died off ages ago. I'm sure if I actually did die, most of them would cheer from the rooftops."

I wouldn't, Astrid realized.

"Here, Gobber treats me like an equal… most of the time, anyway. He doesn't care about all… this." Hiccup gestured to himself, drawing Astrid's eyes briefly to his scrawny build.

"I'm sorry." Astrid said, "But you have good qualities. You're… smart."

"Yeah, you make it sound so positive." Hiccup grumbled, lifting the axe off of the grindstone to briefly inspect its edges.

Astrid scowled and punched him on the arm, nearly causing him to drop the axe. "I'm serious." Astrid said.

A wry smile crept onto Hiccup's face and he looked at his feet, silently hoping that he wasn't blushing. He determinedly went back to work, touching up the final edges of the axe blade. Astrid walked around the forge awkwardly from there, not having the slightest clue of what to try and talk about.

Making friends was even harder than she thought.

"Okay. You're all done." Hiccup eventually said, bringing the axe off of the grindstone and twirling it in his surprisingly steady hand. He gazed almost lovingly at the blade as Astrid approached. The work was expert as always.

"Here, let me get some money…" Astrid started, reaching towards her pocket.

"No."

"What?" Astrid asked, looking up at Hiccup incredulously.

"You don't owe me anything. It's on the house." Hiccup insisted.

"You're serious?"

"Yep. Gobber won't mind. He likes you." Hiccup assured her. I like you.

Astrid reluctantly took the axe from Hiccup, forgoing any form of payment. Suddenly unsure of herself, she turned to leave the forge until Hiccup interrupted her by reaching out and brushing her arm. The young warrior woman whirled around, her natural battle instinct telling her to attack, but she instantly calmed at the sight of Hiccup's eyes.

"So, um… will I see you around?" he asked.

Astrid wasn't exactly sure what to say. She had never really given Hiccup the time of the day before, at least not since they were little.

All things considered, he'd made a decent first impression. She was enjoying talking to Hiccup. Maybe she'd continue to enjoy it.

"Of course. I said we were friends, didn't I?" Astrid asked with a leer.

"Y-yeah, you did. I-I just didn't know if that was like… serious, or not." Hiccup murmured.

Astrid snickered and punched him on the arm again, making the skinny boy wince. "Yeah, Hiccup. You'll see me around."

"Oh, o-okay. Great. That's great. So, um, goodbye? Yeah, goodbye." Hiccup stammered, finally forcing a smile. Astrid stared at him for a moment and then snorted, shaking her head and vaulting back out of the forge. She jogged her way out for a moment, slowing to a walk once she was halfway across the town square.

Hiccup quickly resolved to stop staring, turning back to the work that Gobber had left him with. That old jerk had better be back from cleaning the tub soon. He picked up a bent sword from the pile and strolled to the furnace to begin heating it up, that smile he'd forced staying on his face and becoming real.

His back was turned when she looked back at him, not quite sure exactly what she was feeling.

So, that's that.

I'm not super confident about how this will go, but I hope you guys liked it. If you'd be so kind, please consider reviewing. I have every chapter pretty much written, though there are definitely some edits that could stand to be done, and I want to get a read on the fandom's reception of something like this.

That's all from me. So, please fave, follow, review, all that, and hopefully we'll see this story continued. Thanks so much for reading!