Author's note: Hey everyone! This is just a quick one-shot that's set after the second season of RTTE - which was amazing, by the way - and explores...Well, let's say human behaviour. Obviously, I don't own the HTTYD franchise - it belongs to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks Animation.
I hope you'll enjoy your reading. Please hit that review button to let me know, if you've got a little bit of time to spare. :-)

UNSAID, UNHEARD

Astrid loudly groaned to herself for the umpteenth time that night, and the increasingly tempting idea of banging her head against the walls of her hut made itself known once more. If the way she'd been tossing and turning in her bed for the Gods only knew how long was any indication to go by, sleep was not going to come anytime soon.

"Alright, that's it!" she exclaimed angrily, though talking to no one in particular. Throwing on her clothes, strapping her axe to her back and tying her braid in a quick, efficient and methodical manner that was second nature to her by now, she decided to forgo her shoulder pads and made a beeline for her main door, stomping her feet out of sheer frustration.

The night air that engulfed her as soon as she stepped outside actually made her breathe a small sigh of relief. In spite of being pretty cold, the light breeze that was blowing on the Edge felt exquisite on her skin and calmed her raging mind.

Astrid contemplated fetching Stormfly to enjoy a moonlit ride with her dragon but quickly decided against it. The last time she'd ventured off just on her own was still fresh in her mind - she'd spent much too long a time clutching onto that piece of wood to prevent herself from drowning into the merciless waters of the ocean. Whether it was from the memory of that particular experience or from the caress of the wind on her skin, she could not say, but an unpleasant shiver angrily coursed through her body.

Still, she needed to do something. Training was an available option, but her heart wasn't in it right now so she settled for walking around the Edge to make sure everything was fine.

Before she could make a first step, however, a peculiar yet familiar set of footsteps made itself heard. Sleep, it seemed, was a very eluding luxury these days.

"Astrid?"

She turned round, watching quietly as Hiccup made his way to the front of her hut. He looked tired – the defeat they'd endured after facing Viggo Grimborn had most definitely taken its toll on him.
He'd become quieter, more sullen, almost withdrawn and she didn't like it one bit.

Maybe she could talk him out of it.

"Hey, Hiccup."

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"You mean in front of my own hut?" She smiled teasingly. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

The boy smiled in return but it did not really reach his eyes. Astrid could not help but notice how tense his shoulders seemed to be and decided that needed to change because it did not suit him at all. Not under those particular circumstances.

"You know what I mean." He replied calmly with an almost imperceptible sigh.

"Well, same as you, I suppose. Couldn't get any shuteye, what with all the thoughts flying around in my head and crashing against the sides of my skull."

"Uh, that's – that's one way to put it."

"Please tell me you weren't staring at that Maces and Talons board again."

Stoick's son had the decency to blush and look down under the intensity of her icy stare.

"Hiccup!"

"I'm sorry! I can't help it, okay? I need to –

"Need to do what, exactly? Keep on withdrawing yourself from us, shutting us out? Shutting me out?"

"As I recall," he snapped, "you didn't have a problem shutting me out either, when you learnt the truth about Heather!"

An uncomfortable silence fell upon them as they both stared at each other. Hiccup knew it was a low blow, but the words had escaped his lips before he could stop them. Astrid, on the other hand, looked equally shocked and furious – a bad combination.

Oh, so that's how he wants to play it? Fine. At least he's talking now. Might as well strike the iron while it's hot.

"That's not true and you know it!" She seethed. "I hated lying to you and I already apologized for that! Several times! Now how about you tell me what good is going to come from you being scooped up on your own all day long?! You've been ignoring all of us, including Toothless!"

At that, Hiccup visibly deflated. She went on.

"Viggo outsmarted you, fine! So what? Do you really think you're going to figure out how to beat him by torturing yourself?"

"I –

"No!" Astrid interrupted instantly whilst jabbing her pointer finger into the boy's chest for emphasis, "You don't get to speak until I've said my piece! Haven't you at least considered the idea that it might be just what he wants? Mess with your mind – your brilliant mind – until you're convinced that he's unstoppable?"

The way Hiccup's green eyes widened in sudden understanding made a surge of pride flow through her entire being. Her demeanor softened instantly.

"Well, here's a piece of news for you, Hiccup: he's not. He just wants you to believe he is. And isn't that one of the two ways to be fooled – believing something that isn't true?"

"Well, yes, but if I had foreseen –

"What's the point of going through what might possibly have happened if you'd done this or that? What's done is done. Now you need to move forward and stop blaming yourself."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "That's easier said than done, Astrid."

"Maybe. It's still the truth, though, whether you like it or not."

He smiled at that – the first genuine smile he'd produced since he'd joined her in front of her hut.

"You won't let me believe otherwise anyway, will you?"

"Not a chance, dragon rider." She confirmed with a growing smile and sparkling blue eyes. "I have stubbornness issues, as you may well be aware of."

They both laughed heartily and she felt something flutter pleasantly in her stomach. It took them a moment to calm down. When they did, Hiccup surprised her by taking her in his arms. She stiffened for a second, then relaxed upon finding how well her head fitted in the crook of his neck. Her own arms snaked around his waist.

She was impressed by how fast his heart was beating against her ear. Then again, her own wasn't going any slower.

"Thanks, Astrid." He whispered. "For calling me out on my behavior."

"Anytime," she replied just as quietly. "Free of charge."

His chest rumbled with a small burst of laughter and she could not help but look up at his face. The tiredness he sported earlier was not as obvious now as it previously had been, and she grinned, feeling happy with herself.

Hiccup tilted his head curiously, seemed to contemplate something for a moment and then brought up a hand to brush a strand of hair behind the shell of her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, and this time Astrid knew it had nothing to do with the night air.

Time seemed to slow down and Hiccup could not decide on what his next move would be. Well, he knew what he wanted to do, but he wasn't quite sure about what the consequences of his actions would be. Sure, Astrid was smiling softly at him and she did not look like she was going to hit him anytime soon, but no one could ever exactly foresee her reactions.

"Well?" She asked him impatiently, frustration rearing its head inside her once again. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"

Never one to settle for anything less than hitting the bullseye.

Hiccup seemed to choke on his own saliva. She laughed again, at his expense, but he could not find it in himself to be mad at her. She did just ask him whether he wanted to kiss or not, and really, what was he still waiting for?

"I- uh – I mean – Can I?"

"I guess you'll have to try and find out, Haddock."

"Not helping my confidence, there, Astrid."

"What are you so afraid of, anyway?"

"Well, I – It's just – It's you! And you said –

"What did I say?" She interrupted, bringing her hands together behind his neck, pulling herself even closer to him.

"You said nobody would kiss you on the lips. Ever."

Her response was a quick, chaste peck on his own lips. He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. All of a sudden, his mind felt utterly and completely blank.

"Without my consent, Hiccup."

"Um – what?"

"I said nobody would ever kiss me on the lips without my consent."

"I'm pretty sure you didn't actually say that last part."

"I did. Silently. You just didn't hear it."

"Oh, come on! How is that fair? You can't blame me for –

"You want to know what I can blame you for?"

"What?"

"You're still talking when you could be kissing me."

"Oh. Now, that, I can agree with."

This time, Hiccup didn't hesitate as he pressed his lips to hers.
Sleep definitely wasn't going to come anytime soon.

Besides, sleep was overrated.