I haven't really done any proof reading on this yet, but I will get around to it.

Peaceful, serene, beautiful, isolated. All words that could easily be used to describe the island; surrounded by miles and miles of ocean, contact with other lands was difficult and no matter how fast a terrible terror could fly, it could still take days for a message to send or receive from Berk. But this didn't deter the small group of friends who now resided on the island, dubbed 'Dragon's Edge' from thriving there. The sun that rose from beyond the edge of the world was just creeping over the horizon, signalling the start of the day for the island's occupants. The yellow rays of light weaved through small gaps between leaves of green. A large mountain overlooked the inhabitants' camp. Its icy peak glowing in the morning sunlight. A Terrible terror flew over the collection of huts, making small crowing noises.

Hiccup woke slowly, blinking as the sun seeped through a gap in the doorway into his eyes. He yawned and stretched before looking around. His Night Fury, Toothless was also just waking up, making growling noises as he refused to move, instead putting up a large black wing to block it out. Hiccup smiled in amusement.

"C'mon, Toothless! Don't you want breakfast?" Hiccup urged as he walked over. Almost immediately, A large black head with two piercing yellow eyes popped up over the shield of the dragon's wing with a short purring noise of sudden interest. If it were a human making the noise, it would sound more like a 'Huh?'. Before Hiccup could react, the dragon had leaped onto his clawed feet and was at his side.

"So now you're awake! I swear, Toothless you're like a cat!" he taunted. The dragon let out a strange noise that vaguely resembled a 'meow'. "Point proven." Hiccup stated as he rubbed his dragon's head. He smelled something cooking outside.

"Now come on, let's see what's for breakfast."

Since the group had settled on Dragon's Edge, they had all decided to share the responsibilities among them.. Well, more like Hiccup decided to. The rest protested, of course. Apart from Astrid, for some reason he took notice of her reaction more than the others, and she nodded reasonably. looking over the small wooden balcony, he could see the twins fighting (of course). Snotlout was standing near a fire with a roasting spit. He didn't look impressed at being stuck with cooking duty. Fishlegs was buried in a notebook, writing something down hastily. Astrid sat separate from the group. That's weird... She sat on a log next to Stormfly, patting her dragon on the head while she held her head in her other hand. She looked dejected. Toothless seemed to see it too, as he purred sympathetically.

"I know, bud. She doesn't look herself." It was no secret that Hiccup had a crush on Astrid - the others could see their bond all the way from Valhalla. Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless and the two flew down to see what was up. Landing a few feet away from the unhappy viking, Hiccup signalled to Toothless that he could eat from a nearby basket full of fish. He turned his attention to Astrid.

"Astrid? You okay?" He asked. She didn't look up, her face was hidden from him.

"Fine." She said, her tone flat. She poked at the ground with a stick half-heartedly. Of course Hiccup wasn't convinced. So he tried again.

"Astrid, you don't look fine. Come on, what's wrong?" She huffed and pushed passed him.

"I told you. I'm. Fine. Now leave me alone." She asserted, dismissively. Hiccup watched her walk away, over a slight hill and round a corner in dismay. Had he said something wrong? Gods, he hoped not.

"Hiccup? We've already tried to talk to her. But she won't respond with anything else." Fishlegs fretted as he waddled over to him, Meatlug close behind. Hiccup sighed.

"I'll go try again in a minute, see if she'll calm down a bit by then." He decided, still staring at where she disappeared.

"Wow, what'd you do this time?" Tuffnut asked.

"Nothing... At least I hope not."

Hiccup carried a wooden makeshift plate with a roasted fish on it and a mug of ale that his father had sent over to him as a gift for his 18th birthday. He wandered through the forest, following the general direction where Astrid had gone. He hadn't brought Toothless this time - he wanted to talk to her alone in hopes of her opening up a little to him. the only sound he could hear was the squeaking of his metal leg as it hit the ground over and over. But then he heard another sound. It sounded like a metal object hitting a tree, presumably an axe, judging by the shouts of a familiar Viking girl.

...And again...

...And again...

Scrambling over a bush, he saw the beautiful girl hurling her mother's axe with all her might at the poor tree that happened to be her target. Upon closer inspection, he was surprised to see evidence of tears on her cheeks and furious eyes. Unease creeped up on him at the thought of interrupting her like this. He shook his head and went ahead.

"A-Astrid?" He asked, tentatively. The girl in question froze mid-swing. The axe falling flat from its target. She turned her back on him, presumably in an effort to hide her sadness.

"I,-uh, brought you breakfast. The others said you hadn't eaten." He started.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." She said, wiping her face on her arm. He was about to give up and leave, but something told him to persist. He walked towards her.

"Astrid, seriously. What's gotten you so upset today?" He urged.

"Upset? I'm not upset." She insisted.

"You know you can tell me. I won't give it away to anyone, I swear." Nothing could have prepared him for her outburst.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?! I'M FINE! I'M NOT UPSET! NOW JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She gripped his shirt as she yelled. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears started to stream down her face. His normally organized and composed mind locked up. He had no idea what to do in this situation.

"I-I.."

She roughly dropped him and ran off once again, crying. If he went to her now, she'd only take it worse - she might even hurt him. Instead, he found a tree stump that was resting in a ray of sunlight and left her breakfast there, in the hope that she would eat it when she decided to return to them.

Hiccup stretched. He was exhausted after a long day of hunting down the flock of Night Terrors after they had fled from a Change-wing attack. Hiccup and his group had managed to drive them away from the island, for good if they were lucky. It was made especially difficult as a vital member of the team was distracted and not focusing on the task; Astrid. She kept putting herself in unnecessary danger, and instead of driving them away, she violently swung her axe at the Change-wings as if they had just eaten her friends. Hiccup was worried sick about her. But before he could say anything to her about it, she'd vanished into her hut. Toothless didn't hesitate to settle down into his bed of stone.

"I know, bud. Rough day today." As for him, he slipped into something easier to sleep in, leaving his padded clothing on a chest before lying in his bed. He immediately fell into the black void of sleep.

He didn't get the chance to slip into the dream world, however. As a knock on his door dragged in into wakefulness. Groaning and rubbing his eye, he got up, fastened his metal leg and approached the door. Who in Thor's name could that be at this time of night? Judging by the light levels in the room, it was very early in the morning. He opened the door slowly, to reveal Astrid. She wasn't wearing her usual armour, but instead wore a silk dressing gown. Her hair, instead of in a braid, was flowing down over her shoulder. Her arms were crossed to block out the cold. She looked tired.

Very tired.

"Astrid? What are you doing up? It's in the middle of the night - you must be freezing." He mumbled, waking up fully.

"I... Couldn't sleep." She admitted. "Can I come in for a bit?" She asked.

"U-uh, sure. Come in." Hiccup invited. He was a bit flushed at seeing her in such a rarely worn piece of clothing. He stood to the side, allowing the Viking girl to walk in. Upon closing the door after her and turning around, he couldn't help but notice that Astrid's dressing gown seemed to cling to her body tighter than her usual armour. This revealed the true beauty of her curves to the young man, and he felt his cheeks flush slightly red. He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind and invited her to sit on his bed; the only comfortable seat in his hut. She obliged and he sat next to her. To his surprise, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"So.. D-do you need anything?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." She stated. Again, surprise echoed in his mind.

"Sorry? For what?" He asked, confused. She sighed softly.

"This morning, when I snapped at you. I just... didn't want to get you involved." She explained, almost a whisper. Hiccup felt an arm wrap around his waist. He mentally berated himself for being so nervous. He reciprocated the action.

"Involved in what?" He pressed. The distressed girl didn't say anything, and instead handed him a rolled up piece of paper, which he took gently. Curious, he unravelled it to reveal a message.

Dear my wonderful daughter,

The illness that gripped your Auntie has left her with mere days left before she walks in another world. I'm so sorry for the loss we all face. I fear that by the time this message gets to you via the Terrible Terror, she may have passed. I love you and I know you were especially close to her. Please, don't go through this alone. Be near someone. Be close with someone as you mourn.

Write back soon and if you can. Come and visit us. We all need each other right now.

Love,

Dad.

Hiccup, shocked, slowly closed the letter again. This is what had her so down yesterday. He turned to her and sighed.

"Oh, Astrid..." He said while pulling her into a comforting hug. She nestled her head into his chest and clung to his waist, sobbing gently. He could feel tears seeping through his shirt, but he didn't care and ignored the wet patch building up on his chest. Gently stroking the back of her head, he pondered. He knew that Astrid hadn't seen her mother since she was a very little girl, and her Father had raised her alongside her Aunt. He remembered her telling him that her Aunt was like a mother to her, teaching her and helping her along as she grew up. Astrid then spoke up feebly.

"I-I didn't get to say goodbye to her." She choked, gripping onto Hiccup's shirt firmly. Not knowing what to say, Hiccup just got closer and hugged more tightly. He had never been close to Astrid's family; he rarely even saw them out. His pain came from Astrid's own grief.

"You should have told us. We would have all helped you, Astrid." He rubbed her back with his hand.

"No... It's not any of their comfort that I... That I need." She argued. Hiccup was half astonished, half honoured that he was the one she wanted to confide in. Her hand moved from his waist and searched for a hold in his own hand. He blushed a bit and held her tightly, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. They sat there for what felt like hours, hand in hand. Over time, Astrid's sobbing got quieter until the only sound in the room was Toothless' sleepy crooning.

Hiccup realised that Astrid had eventually fallen asleep in his arms. Her breathing was soft and steady and she had all of her weight on his chest. So he just sat there, unsure of what to do next. He could move her into a better position to sleep, but that could wake her up. She looked comfortable here and on further inspection, she seemed to have a small smile on her lips. He shifted slightly as he felt the patch that she had been crying in sticking to his chest. Gonna need to wash these tomorrow. Maybe she should have a day in. When she had arrived at his hut, she'd looked exhausted. For now, he decided she'd have to get in a better position. Since he'd built the hut, he had added a layer of sheep's wool imported from Berk to make his bed more comfortable and warmer, as hard wood wasn't too pleasant to sleep on. As much as he relished the position they were in, he very gently slid his hands underneath her knees - careful not to wake her. Guiltily, he marvelled at how soft her legs were as he slowly lowered her body under his bedcovers and laid her head on the pillow. She mumbled a bit in her sleep as she sank into the mattress. However, as he tried to pull away, Astrid's eyes opened slightly.

"Mh, Hiccup? Stay here with me, please?" She mumbled, grabbing his hand. This was a completely new side of Astrid that Hiccup had never seen before. He found himself unable to refuse her plea. Instead, he climbed into bed with her.

"Of course." He replied, kicking off his metal leg. The pillow was rather short, so they had to get close, to the point where Hiccup could feel Astrid's warm breath on his face. In response, Astrid draped her arm over his body, keeping him close. Hiccup found himself close enough to Astrid's face that if he just moved his head forward, their lips would make contact. His heart fluttered at the thought, but he forced himself to refrain; he wasn't about to take advantage of his friend like that. Whether it was intentional or not, Hiccup felt one of Astrid's legs entangle with his one leg. He placed his own arm over her midsection, feeling her body rise and fall steadily. It was a position that he'd never expected to be in before. He couldn't force himself to stay awake and ponder on it, as he was soon dragged into the comfort of sleep.

Hiccup stirred. His eyes still closed, he felt another presence, almost on top of him. Opening his eyes, he blinked in the harsh light. He then saw The silky hair of a beautiful Viking girl. Astrid. He panicked for a moment before remembering what happened the night before in a flash flood of sad feelings. She was now resting her still asleep head on his chest, her leg over his and her hand near his face. He slowly lifted his hand and gently caressed her head. He heard a soft coo from her mouth, shortly followed by a mumbling that somewhat resembled 'Hiccup'. He blushed as a smile formed on her mouth once more. In the corner of the room, Toothless stirred. After arching his back in a massive stretch, he looked towards Hiccup. He walked over and was about to nudge Hiccup out of bed to go flying when he noticed Astrid there as well. He tilted his head, an grumble of amusement and knowing coming from his throat. Instead of disturbing them, he trudged back to his spot and sat down, watching, waiting for him to get up.

"Mh.. H-Hiccup?" Astrid woke, rubbing her eyes. She froze. Upon realising the situation, she blushed.

"Morning, Astrid." He said, surprising himself with how calm he sounded. There were a few moments of silence before Astrid spoke up.

"Thanks, Hiccup. For everything." She pulled him into a short but meaningful kiss, which Hiccup gladly returned, if a bit surprised.

"Wow, no punch in the arm this time?" He teased.

"Don't push your luck." She replied, jokingly. Then her face turned serious. "Really though, that was nice of you last night." Hiccup realised that although they were both up, Astrid was still pinning him on the bed by lying on top of him.

"That's okay, I'm actually happy that you came to me - I was worried about you." He blurted that last part out. He expected a jolt of pain through his arm, but instead he felt her lips on his again. This time, it lasted a lot longer than their usual pecks. He gently raised his hand and caressed her cheek. Lightning seemed to pass through them as passion burst through their bodies like fire. Her lips were soft and warm, his heart furiously pounded in his chest as she pressed firmly onto him. He felt one of her hands on his own cheek. Unfortunately, he was a human and needed to breathe. And so did she, as the kiss broke with the sound of lips smacking. They parted, panting slightly and staring into each others' eyes. Hiccup was losing himself in her bright blue irises, finding himself unable to look away. It felt like a huge weight and tension that had been brimming between them had finally been lifted; like a wall had crumbled between them and they could see each other anew.

"Great Odin's ghost…" They both said in unison, almost a whisper. Before they could say anymore, a loud knocking came from the door, followed by Snotlout's voice.

"Hiccup! Ruffnut's refusing to do her cooking shift!" The bliss that flowed through hiccup was interrupted. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Hey! It's not my turn to do it! It's Tuffnut's!"

"But we're twins so if it's not your turn, it isn't mine either, dummy." Another voice stated. Hiccup face-palmed at the 'logic' that Tuffnut just used. Astrid also looked frustrated at the interruption; their moment was ruined.

"Ugh, just wait there, I'll be right out." He shouted.

"What, in your nightclothes?" Astrid pointed out, smirking as he hopped to the door, not having his metal leg on. He froze, realising that he still had just a cotton shirt on that had an ominous wet patch still there. He grinned before getting out his leather armour from the chest. He then realised that Astrid was watching him, her arms crossed and a smirk plastered on her face.

"You little perv!" He joked as he switched clothing.

"Hey, is someone else in there?" Snotlout queried. A look of horror took over Astrid's face as she realised she was only wearing nothing but a dressing gown. But she didn't have any time to hide as The door swung open to reveal everything to the others. Astrid squeaked a bit and Hiccup froze before losing his balance on his one leg. The others froze too.

Momentarily.

Snotlout burst into laughter, as did the others; apart from Fishlegs, who stood there quietly.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Hiccup!" He exclaimed. before his metal leg was launched across the room into Snotlout's face, knocking him to the ground.

He wouldn't be waking up for a while.

Author's note
Well that was the first chapter. I'm still not sure whether this will turn into anything particularly big, but there will be at least 2 chapters more currently.