a/n: I just wanted to take a second to thank everyone who's sent me messages and reviews on CCiM. I've read them all and it means so much to me that y'all are still interested in my writing. Although CCiM is definitely a deadfic, I'm very pleased to say that I'm getting back into the swing of fanfic writing. This fic is the only HTTYD fic that I've written so far, but I have a LOT of stuff on my tumblr right now (I'll out a link to my blog in my profile) and I'm gonna be working on uploading some of it here. Again, thank you so much for your support and encouragement.
He loves how her hair looks like sunlight.
Hiccup resists telling her this -she doesn't much appreciate flattery, anyway- but he gently sweeps her bangs from her eyes, catches her braid in his hands and softly undoes it, redoes it. She hums in simple pleasure when he plays with it idly, leans as he brushes her scalp with his long fingers. He laughs a little when she almost purrs, something like a happy dragon.
"It's all dragons with you," she teases, but her voice is soft. That's one of the things she loves about him; how he's wholeheartedly devoted to assuming the intelligent reptiles into their culture. Astrid loves how determined he's become.
He finally stops, and she sighs a little, leans on his (ever broadening, she notes secretly) shoulder and watches the sun starting to set over the watery horizon.
"We should go back before it gets dark," she whispers.
"Hm. Hold on."
A hand slips over the curves and knuckles of hers, fingers tightening and holding tenderly. The dying light sets his face and hair ablaze with ruddiness and his green eyes are alight when he looks over to her. Her breath catches in her throat.
Gently, he presses his lips to hers, and she molds and curves them into his mouth. Another secret note of Astrid's; his kisses have improved from nervous pecks as a shy fifteen year old to these wonderful, slightly mind melting things.
He's supposed to be a man, of course, at eighteen. He pulls away and her head is still foggy and her lips are positively tingling, but true to himself he grins, huge and toothy.
"Now we can go home," he tells her, voice a touch husky, and the sun finally falls into the waves.