Where's The Punch?

She didn't punch me!...I mean why didn't she punch me? Here I was expecting a hard punch to the shoulder, because that's what Astrid does, then maybe a kiss on the cheek; again that's what Astrid does. But she didn't punch me….Let me start from the beginning, it might make more sense then.

I'd gone off on an errand for my dad, he didn't trust me to do those often so it was a big deal. I was scouting some of the closer islands to see which would be the best for expanding Berk onto. A huge storm blew in and I was separated from Toothless. He managed to get back to Berk by swimming, but I drifted off to some uncharted place. It took me a couple months but I built a boat and figured out how to get back to Berk.

Toothless spotted me from high up in the cliffs and sounded the call that I had come home. My dad and the tribe raced to shore to greet me. Toothless of course knocked me over and licked me till I was soaked in dragon spit. My father lifted me up in a big hug and cracked my back so loudly I think Odin must have heard. The only person I didn't see was Astrid, and that kind of made me sad.

Astrid and I had been….well I guess you could say together but we didn't act like a normal couple. I mean I thought about doing all those courting things, but the very idea frightened me; mainly because I'm pretty sure she'd beat me up. There was an understanding that we would one day marry, but that wasn't like a set in stone thing.

Astrid didn't like the idea of being bound to someone, she was the kind of girl…no woman, who didn't want to "Belong" to anyone. Granted I didn't want her to belong to me, I'm a little different from other Vikings. I want to be with Astrid, as partners. I mean she's more of a fighter than me, and she's certainly stronger; well she was.

A couple days after my return, and a little fattening up to get my health back, I was walking through the forest looking for her. She still hadn't come to see me and I was getting worried about our relationship. I wandered around for a couple of hours, not seeing even a whips of hair. I really wanted to talk to her, well and maybe get a kiss on the cheek…..what I am a guy here.

Anyway so I was walking around in the woods and it was getting dark. I was just about to call it a quits when an axe went sailing past my ear. I turned and gave a startled smiled to a surprised Astrid.

"Astris Hi, Hi Astris!" I said awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck nervously. She was just looking at me, her eyes were unreadable. She looked past me at her axe and moved forward grabbing it and turning her back to me.

"Don't act like no time has passed Hiccup its been weeks, I've been so worried. We've all been worried, I mean Toothless and I looked and looked for you. And you just show up again and act like nothing happened?" She said turning to face me with an angry scowl.

I didn't respond, I wasn't really sure what to say or what was going on, this was Astrid after all. She never seemed anything but mad, but it was different this time because she had said she was worried….about me of all people.

"Astrid I didn't…I mean I tried….." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "No you don't get to just dismiss this. I don't like how I felt Hiccup, I don't like feeling out of control. You make it hard for me to stay focused and you make me worry and I don't like that." She said looking at me like I had betrayed.

I had a hard time of not laughing at her look; I mean how many times would Astrid Hofferson look at me like I had kicked her dragon. But I kept it in check knowing that it would only tick her off more if I started laughing now. Plus the fact that I knew she was being serious right now, and that meant this was big.

"Astrid I don't understand what you mean. I get that you were worried about me like everyone else, but what about the rest of that? Can you make it a little less Viking and a little more…this?" I asked gesturing to all of me.

She glared at me and then moved forward, her arm raised to punch me. I winced getting ready for the pain I knew was about to come, but then it never did. She didn't punch me at all, in fact to grabbed me by my vest and pulled me to kiss her. I didn't fight it, in fact I moved to take control and pulled her closer to me. She didn't fight it, she moved into it bringing her arms around my neck.

This wasn't like all our other kisses, which Astrid had been in control of, it was different because there was feeling in it that I hadn't noticed before. When we pulled apart, again I expected a punch, but it never came. Instead her head ended up tucked under my chin on my chest. I guess I grew quite a lot because I wasn't tall enough for that before.

For a few minutes I just kept thinking about that fact that before I noticed she was shaking a little. I pulled my head back and looked at her and was surprised to see tears were trickling down her tightly closed eyes. She was trying to hide them. Trying to desperately to not cry but tears were still slowly leaking out. I pulled her tight to me, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her as close as possible.

Her arms tightened around me and she buried her nose in my shirt. I laid my head on top of hers and took in a deep breath of her wonderful smell. Well I guess it isn't wonderful pursay, it's a combination of sweat leather and fresh bread. Surprisingly while Astrid can't cook she is an excellent baker. Held her and waited, not much else I could do. I wanted to ask her so many things but she needed to gain control.

"Hiccup I can't." She said finally sniffing and pulling away enough to look me in the face. "I don't understand what I'm feeling!? I mean your Hiccup and yes I've kissed you, and yes I like you but why do you effect me this way." She said pulling completely away from me and looking at me again like I had betrayed her.

"Why is it my heart races when you get near me or my skin tingles were ever you touch it. Why is it that Ruffnut and Tuffnut can go missing for weeks on end and it doesn't bother me but you going missing for a day makes my heart stop. I can't understand why I'm so mad at you when it wasn't even your fault. I'm angry you went missing but I know it wasn't your fault. I want to yell and scream at you for making me worry but I know it's not your fault." She was looking at me with tears in her eyes and she was throwing her ax at different trees and retrieving it only to throw it again.

I watched standing there feeling helpless at first, she seemed really mad. But the more she said the more I understood. Astrid was a Viking and she thought like a Viking, whereas me I was different. It took me a little bit but after her last couple comments I understood suddenly what was happening; and I was afraid. Astrid was throwing her ax angrily now seeming to ignore my presence.

I'd grown up a lot more in the past couple years, and I'd grown a lot more confident; even with astrid Hofferson. She still scared the pants off me but I could figure out when I needed to be a man. I slowly walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at me angrily and opened her mouth to speak but I didn't give her the chance.

I pulled her to me by her waist and kissed her. At first she didn't respond, she tried to pull away but I wouldn't let her and after a second she melted into the kiss. I waited till she was willingly kissing me before going any further. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her tight against my body, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in closer; pushing her lips so tight to mine I knew we'd both be bruised.

I was nervous now, I knew where to go from here, how to take it further but I wasn't positive how she was respond….one way to find out. I slowly let my tongue slip out to touch her lips, she stiffened for a second before opening herself up to me. She tasted just as wonderful as she looked, and pretty soon she was returning the kiss with passion.

She was trying to pull me closer but we were already flushed against one another, her hands were tangled in my hair and my hand had wandered down to grasp her just where her thighs connected with her torso. My thumb grazed over her hip where her shirt had lifted up slightly touching the barest of skin and she moaned into my mouth, clutching me closer to her.

I did it again and she moaned once more, I was about to lower my hand to her butt when my brain suddenly reminded me of how this would look if anyone saw us. I pulled away and looked down at her, her lips were kiss swollen and she was breathing heavily; but she had this peaceful look on her face. She opened her eyes and looked at me with desire. I almost started kissing her again, but I needed to say something; and I didn't want my dad to walk out looking for us and catch us doing this.

"I love you too Astrid." I said bringing my hand up and softly touching her cheek. She looked at me shocked and opened her mouth to retort I'm sure but then understanding hit her. She looked at me for a second then down at the ground. "Are you saying all those feelings were because I love you?" She asked seriously. I don't know if she was serious but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Well that what you know it sounds like to me. I knew you couldn't resist all this raw Vinkingness." I said moving away a little ways away and flexinf my rather impressive muscles. Okay so I wasn't really muscular but I wasn't a walking fishbone anymore either! She looked at me and then laughed and little before walking right up to me and kissing me again with the same passion as before.

When we pulled apart again she was wrapped around me and my hands were once more settled right on her hips. "I love you Hiccup. But we're not getting married next year." She said and settled her arms so they rested in my shoulders. I was a little confused, she was saying no to getting married right now but she wasn't moving away.

"Alright….then we should get back to the village before…." She shook her head and smiled at me coyly. "Oh no Mr. Haddock I meant we're getting married sooner. I can't resist all this Vinkingness." She said reaching down and grabbing my butt. I jumped a little and she looked at me impishly. I swallowed nervously and tried to move away but her hand was very firmly planted on my…..well my saddle sitting area.

"Aaaastrid I think you should move your hand now." I said nervously seeing a mischievous glint in her eyes. She batted her eye lashes and grabbed my glutes with both hands rather tightly and pulled me closer. "No I think they should stay right there and you should…" She moved one hand and grabbed mine and placed them on her butt. Now I know I was blushing all over because I was touching Astrid Hofferson's butt!

"Asasastrid this is this this this is…" I swallowed and jumped as she squeezed my butt and pulled me close again. I tried to move my hands but she shot me a glance that could whither a dragon. "Hiccup Horendeus Haddock you'd better start kissing me right now! Because I swear you'll regret it in a week on our wedding night." I looked at her surprised and then nodded.

"Who said we were getting married in a week?" I asked throwing caution to the wind and pulling her closer to me. She smirked up at me and lifted her hands from my bottom and wove them over of shoulders and around my neck. "I did, the woman you supposedly love said so. It's to make up for you having been missing for so long." She said giving me a peck on the lips. I gave her a playful tap on her bottom and she looked at me shocked but I just pulled her into a deep kiss.

When I pulled away again she was smiling happily, and she had her arms relaxed and hanging over my shoulders. She looked me in the face and frowned for a second before smiling sadly. "I missed you Hiccup, you had me so worried." She whispered bringing one hand to my cheek and stroking it. She raised eye brows as she realized I had a light splattering of stubble.

"I missed you too, I was scared I wouldn't get to see you again. I even drew your face in my notebook so if I couldn't get off the island I would never forget." I said and kissed her lips lightly. She smiled and leaned into the kiss, pressing her body more firmly into mine. "Come on Hiccup." She said lowering hands and taking on of mine and pulling me after her.

"Astrid where are we going?" I asked entwining our fingers tightly. "Why we're going to see our fathers to plan a wedding for a week from today. And I swear Hiccup Horendous Haddock nothing had better happen to mess things up." She said as we got into Berk. People smiled and clapped as we walked past them cheering on the fact that we were together.

"What could possibly happen! It's not like they're some enemy waiting to take over right this second." I said in her ear making her shiver. She glared but them laughed and kissed my cheek as we entered her fathers house.

Little did I know that my world would be turned upside down before two days had passed….

(insert second movie here ;)