The sun was setting over Berk leaving the sky an ombré of warm colours. Hiccup Haddock sat on a cliff side with his legs dangling over the edge. Toothless, his loyal companion, lay comfortably next to him asleep. Though the atmosphere was peaceful and calm, Hiccup was far from feeling that way. It had been Five months since the Dragon Riders had left the edge permanently after defeating the dragon hunters. All seemed right. His Father was back to happily running the village, well as happily as Stoick could be, the dragons were safe and sound, his friends were readjusting to Berkian life, and he and Astrid were enjoying the serenity together. Well, Hiccup tried to.
Berk was his home. He knew that. He was born and raised there and knew everyone on the island. Also, sometime in the next few years he would become the chief and lead his people. But something just felt...off. After spending so much time on the edge and exploring other islands he felt sort of trapped being confined to Berk. Of course he could go off flying with Toothless and discover new places, but it still just wasn't the same as the freedom he had had on the edge. While they had been at war most of the time, living with his friends in a place where they could do almost anything was thrilling. Of course, all good things must come to an end and Berk was where Hiccup needed to be right now. He enjoyed his time on the edge, but that chapter of his life was over. Still he felt like something was missing, and he was really quite sure what it was.
"Enjoying your rest, Dragon rider?" Astrid said as she sat down next to him.
"Well hello Milady." He replied and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "How did you find me?"
"You have a thing for secluded cliff sides. Also, I'm always able to track you down no matter where you are."
He laughed. "A truly remarkable ability."
She rested her head against his shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong, I'm fine." He stammered out.
She rolled her eyes, then looked at him directly. "Listen, you know that you can't fool me. What is it?"
Hiccup sighed and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Yeah, I know. You know me too well. I just, well, feel kind of weird being back on Berk permanently. I mean, I know this is where we need to be right now, but just having the freedom of being on the edge gone, I just feel a bit..." He trailed off, not really sure what word to use.
"Stuck?" She supplied.
"Yeah, stuck. I feel like something is missing but I don't quite know what it is. I'm trying to find it but I have responsibilities I need to uphold here on Berk now, and I feel stuck in a position where I can't really do anything about it."
"Yeah, I get that." She said softly and intertwined her hand with his. "You're searching for something but you don't know what it is yet. Maybe you'll find it someday. Who knows? But for now, you've got Berk, your friends, your Dad, and me. And when you find what you're looking for, we'll have your back."
Hiccup smiled at Astrid affectionately and hugged her tightly. "Where would I be without you?"
She giggled. "Probably dead without having me to save you."
"Yeah, but even if I did survive, it would be a very lonely life."
"Well luckily for you, I'm not going anywhere. Whether as your friend or girlfriend, I'm staying with you."
Hiccup laughed. "I'm glad."
A rosy tint spread over her cheeks. "Oh and about what you said back on the edge, I love you too."
He smiled. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you Astrid Hofferson."
"Who else is going to put up with your craziness?"
He laughed then pulled her in for a long kiss. After all that had gone on with the war, it was nice for them to finally have some peaceful time together. Whenever Hiccup kissed her she practically melted into a puddle of goo. Despite being aggressive and tough, Astrid could be a real softie. Especially when she was with Hiccup. He could cause her to act in ways that she'd sworn to herself she never would. Spending the rest of her life with him? 6 years ago she would've laughed at the thought of herself settling down and having kids. Now? Well the idea was actually appealing.
Here now, in Hiccup's arms with his lips against hers, she couldn't ask for anything better. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
"What do you say about a moonlight flight Milady?"
"Sounds wonderful."
The two glided over the moonlit sky on Toothless and basked in each other's presence. Astrid had her arms around his waist and her head resting on his shoulders. Hiccup's life was far from perfect. He knew that there was bound to be problems and new threats in the future. But for now, soaring through the air with his two best friends, he was sure that if he had them, he'd be fine.