Blazing Hearts

OTP idea #335; Person A is a firefighter and Person B's cat happens to always be getting stuck somewhere, and Person A always has to get their cat out.

Astrid heard the sound of sirens coming up the driveway and winced. This was the fourth time this week she had had to call the fire brigade, and each time it was the same fire crew, and the same guy climbing the tree to get her cat down.

Astrid loved Stormfly, but climbing 60-foot tall evergreen trees was not part of the deal.

She stood at the bottom of the tree, arms crossed and fired daggers at the blue and yellow cat meowing at the top. The fire truck had pulled up at the side of the tree after trundling down to the bottom of her garden with only one guy disembarking this time. No point everyone else getting out.

"Stuck at the top again huh?" He said. Slightly nasally, like he'd almost grown out of that voice. Astrid finally turned around and looked at him.

Tall, lithe and a smattering of freckles to go with his forest green eyes. She blushed. Firemen weren't supposed to be this hot. Heck, they might need to extinguish her in a minute if her face went any redder.

"Uh yeah. I'm really sorry to call you out, again. I'm going to put a fence around the tree this weekend…"

The guy looked up and Astrid took a glance at his name tag again, like she did every time he showed up. 'Hiccup'. Not exactly your run of the mill name.

"Well we learned last time that a 50-foot ladder with an extra one balanced on top isn't going to be enough and almost killed me, so this time I think I'll just have to climb up." Hiccup said, looking back down and back at Astrid. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare axe would you?"

Wait, what? Spare axe? "Yeah I do, can I ask why though?" Her axe was beloved, and weren't firefighters supposed to have axes anyway?"

"I'm not going to bring the tree down before you think that, unfortunately someone," he glances back to the cabin, "broke my own axe on the way here. I'll have to climb it from the bottom. I'll likely have to cut some branches on the way up though so it'll have to be an axe."

Astrid blinked, before her brain caught up with the request and she gave a quick nod.

"Right I'll saddle up, it'll be a couple of minutes before I can get climbing."

Astrid dashed inside to get the axe off her wall above the fireplace. It was a gift to her from her uncle who'd had it forged specially. It was gifted on condition that she actually use it, and not keep it just hanging on a wall somewhere. As of yet, it was as sharp as the day it was made.

She ran her finger over a signature at the base of the handle, burned in. It was simple, three H's followed by the number 3.

Upon leaving the backdoor to the (admittedly large) house into the (even larger) garden, it seemed 'Hiccup' had managed to get the rest of the crew out of his truck. Four other people; a pair of blond twins attempting to strangle each other with the fire hose - though Astrid could never tell if they were male or female - , a dark haired man who was cheering the aforementioned twins on and finally a very large boy who was helping Hiccup into a harness.

She approached the pair standing by the tree and handed a waiting Hiccup the axe, who instantly examined the axe all over, before settling on the base of the handle and giving a chuckle. Astrid was - understandably - confused.

"Is something funny?" She questioned, maybe a little harshly. Crossing her arms over her chest as it was said.

"I remember every tool I've ever forged. I made this one…about eight years ago now?" He said with a grin, twirling it in his hands at the same time.

"My uncle said he had that forged specially for me." Astrid retorted, not quite sure whether to believe him or not.

"On my condition that it actually be used. I don't make tools for show. I'll be honest, this one's never been used, there's still a thin film of wax over the blade." Then he pointed to the hilt, at his signature; "HHH3, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Me."

Astrid looked at Hiccup, then to the axe, and then back to Hiccup. His questionable name about hiccups and fish was forgotten. He certainly didn't seem to have the type of build she imagined a metalsmith would have, then again, Astrid didn't know much about metal making at all.

He slung the tool in his belt and donned a helmet; "Right then Fish, shall we?"

Fishlegs stepped forwards and looked up to the top of the tree. He had to crane his neck to do so, his body not designed for such a task.

"I don't imagine it to have changed from yesterday Hiccup, should be able to push any branches out of your way the wood is so springy."

Hiccup looks at Astrid; "Well looks like we might be able to save your axe's first time for another day." Followed by him bending over and fiddling with his…foot?

There was a mechanical sound and when Hiccup finally stood up tall again, Astrid blinked twice at where his feet..foot, was and looked Hiccup in the eye. For a brief second, she could see a fire behind his eyes, which was quickly replaced with his usual forest green eyes.

Hiccup shrugged; "Funnily enough it's easiest to climb trees with the ice attachment on."

Astrid knew exactly what was going through his head. Or almost exactly what.

He was embarrassed. Or ashamed. Or even both.

"You know Finn was an amputee, right? Most of my family are."

It wasn't every day she brought that up, but it was a gut feeling.

"Bomb disposal, kinda comes with the job." Astrid nods down to his leg; "I'm not going to presume I know everything when it comes to losing parts of yourself, but I learned from everyone else to keep your head held high regardless. Don't trip over something that's not there. Now show me what you're made of, or are you more scaredy-cat than Stormfly up there?"

That startled him, Hiccup raised an eyebrow, a quizzical look on his face, looking her up and down.

'Analysing her', Astrid thought.

Eventually, a lopsided grin flashed across his face, before he turned to the tree; "c'mon Fish, we don't get paid to think, we get paid to do."

And with that, he just went up into the thick branches of the Evergreen. Within seconds he was gone.

Which left Fish to just stand about. He was muttering something under his breath, Astrid thus choosing not to disturb him.

Hiccup was soon back down. He had this 'way with the beasts' (Astrid was convinced Stormfly was a dragon in another life, the amount she was scratched and hissed at by the feline). The cat in question was purring in Hiccup's arms in a way she never did in her own.

Astrid put it down to her being scratched below the jaw over any natural ability of the fireman.

No jealousy whatsoever.

"One-eighty-eight point seven-three seconds Hiccup. Was faster yesterday using two ladders." Fishlegs spoke. He was counting the seconds under his breath Astrid realised.

"Seriously fish?" Hiccup turned to look at his colleague. "I nearly fell off yesterday and you're still counting that?"

Fishlegs raised an eyebrow, "Well there it would be slightly more efficient to use that method again, rather than having to go up through all those branches…"

"You know what Fishlegs? I think we should disqualify any methods I use which almost end up killing me."

Astrid just gazes onto the conversation with a blank face. How did Fishlegs manage to count to specifically 188.73 seconds in his head?

"Well best we'd be off in case any other cats need rescuing from their greatest foe: The tree." Hiccup chuckled, "We are the Berk's premier cat rescuers after all with all the experience we have. Here's your still unused axe back too."

He unslung the axe from his belt and handed it back to Astrid, who just held it by the bottom of the handle.

Fishlegs had already embarked the truck and had slid over to the drivers seat. Hiccup himself was close behind and reached a hand out to the door to haul himself up.

"Would you like a hand building that fence?" Hiccup asked her, half way into his truck's cabin, pausing before entering completely and looking her way.

Astrid blushed.

Astrid Hofferson never blushed.

It was the heat. Definitely the heat.

"Uh, yeah ok. I was going to get a start on it tomorrow?" Astrid replied, feeling the evening sun prickle the back of her neck. She could only imagine how she looked to him at the minute, and only Hiccup knew what she was doing to him in that minute.

Hiccup's face opened into a lopsided grin and opened his mouth to reply, when from inside the truck could be heard;

"Whoah Hiccup's got a date! Didn't know you had it in you cuz!"

Hiccup himself laughed, while Astrid blushed again (again!)

"I'll see you tomorrow then, maybe your axe will finally see some use!" Hiccup laughed before finally getting into the cabin and shutting the door behind him.

Astrid watched the fire engine slowly retreat back up the path, where it gave a short blast on its siren as it reached the top.

Astrid just stood there, axe in hand and Stormfly forgotten at her feet, pawing at her and yowling loudly.

She allowed herself a small smile, and let the warmth flood her in a way the blazing evening sun could not.

Year long writers block defeated, hope you enjoyed ;)