I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.

"I'm here to pick something up."

Deeply entrenched in his work, the unexpected voice behind him made Hiccup jump. Knowing who it came from, made his heart skip a beat. Astrid, Astrid, Astrid—

"Hi," he croaked, cleared his throat, and started again, "Hi, Astrid."

"Hey." She regarded him with cool indifference, brushing the hair from her eyes. "Here for a pick up."

"Huh? Oh!" Great! Had he been staring? And for how long? Hiccup was almost relieved that she seemed to be looking though him as usual. "Right," he said, heading to the shelf. "New axe, huh?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed in greedy elation. She smiled down at the axe—her very own, very new, very first axe—turning it, testing the weight, taking great joy in every tiny detail. She paused with realization.

"Did you make this?"

Hiccup gave a nervous nod. He'd practically had to sell his soul to get Gobber to agree, and the man would probably never stop teasing him over it. He hoped it met her approval.

"It's good. Very good." Her praise was genuine and filled him with confidence.

"Happy birthday," he beamed.

"Thanks!" Her gaze didn't leave the axe, but she did smile again, so that was something.

"Thirteen, huh?"

"Uh huh," she replied absently, stretching the axe out in front of her. It really was a nice axe.

"Astrid…" It was going to happen! They were going to have a conversation! "Do you ever think about the future?"

"What?" Astrid's face scrunched in confusion. What the Hel was he blathering about now?

"The future," Hiccup repeated. "Like, what you want to be… You know, when you grow up?"

"Honestly, Hiccup…" She shook her head and traced a light finger over the impossibly sharp blade. What a stupid question. Of course she would be a shieldmaiden, she would kill dragons. She would be the best dragon killer Berk had ever known. Was there even another possibility?

"'Cause I was thinking it might be cool to be a bread making Viking and—" The smile melted from his face as she finally pulled her eyes from the weapon to look at him like he was a complete moron.

"Bread making? Do you even get it?" The axe passed perilously close to his face as she flung her hands in irritation. "You know what? You do that. You go make bread. I'll kill dragons and keep us safe." She stomped away, still muttering irascibly as she left. Astrid honestly didn't know why he didn't continue his pursuits at the forge. She spun the axe again. He was good at it and wasting his talent on bread would be foolish.

In his little workroom in back, Hiccup sighed and kicked a bench. He wasn't even allowed out during the raids. How was he ever going to be able to kill a dragon?