Stranded

...

So, recently I've become obsessed with How to Train Your Dragon and the TV series that goes with it. I really loved the idea of Hiccup and Astrid as a couple, so I decided to write this short oneshot.

SUMMARY: Hiccup and Astrid end up stuck in a cave while out on an adventure. Will they be able to admit to each other how they feel? Oneshot. Hiccstrid fluff.

...

"Of course, you'd just have to get us trapped in here," Astrid said with an eye roll as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, uh...sorry about that." Shyly looking away, Hiccup placed his hand on Toothless' nose. "It's okay, buddy," he reassured. "We'll make it home somehow."

"Um, excuse me? We're stuck in a cave in the middle of nowhere with three feet of snow on the ground and a whole lot more coming down. I doubt we're gonna even be near home anytime soon." She stomped over to Stormfly, who was crouched beside Toothless. "Hiccup, I told you not to go exploring with a storm approaching."

"But you offered to come."

"Was I really supposed to let you get stuck out here alone? I would've been worried sick waiting back home."

"You would've been worried, Astrid?"

Suddenly realizing what she had just said, she turned away and stroked her dragon's side, hiding her reddening face. For the past year, since the time at which the dragons had arrived on Berk, she and Hiccup had taken a liking to one another. Although they were not officially together yet, as he was too shy to ask her to be his girlfriend and she was waiting for him to toughen up and throw her the question, they were definitely more than just friends. They were always hanging out together, sharing just about all their worries and secrets with one another, and had even exchanged a few kisses here and there.

Hiccup smiled to himself as his dragon nudged him with his nose and let out a soft, contented purr.

"You know, soon either it'll be dark or the snow will be too heavy for us to get any light in here," Astrid pointed out.

"We have the dragons," he reminded her. "It'll be fine."

"Do we have food? Water? Blankets? It's freezing here, and we're bound to get hungry or thirsty at some point."

"Any water we need is right there." He pointed toward the growing snowbank at the cave's entrance, then opened Toothless' saddle bag.

"You're expecting me to drink something that touched Thor knows what?"

"It's survival. We gotta get used to these things. I mean, we never know -"

"We never know when you will get us trapped in a cave?" She sighed.

"On the bright side, I have two blankets in here and some dried fish." He tossed her one of the blankets before wrapping up in the other himself.

"Do you realize that your father is probably worried sick right now? My parents must be, too."

"Maybe you should've stayed behind. Then you all could've been worried sick together."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she walked over to Hiccup and punched his arm. "That's for taking me on this stupid journey." She smacked him again. "And that's for getting me stuck in here."

"Ouch!" He leaned against Toothless to prevent himself from falling over. Although Astrid was the most delicate-looking girl in his group of friends, she was definitely the toughest and the most stubborn.

She laughed.

"Usually, this isn't how it goes," he groaned, finding his balance again. Under normal circumstances, her first punch was followed by either a kiss or a tight hug.

"If you think you're getting anything sweet from me now, you're way wrong, you dumbhead."

...

Night fell. As the dragons softly breathed fire for light, Hiccup and Astrid sat against the icy stone wall, both of them exhausted, but not having a decent place to sleep.

"Here, you take my blanket and make yourself a bed," Hiccup finally offered, curling into a ball in an attempt to stop his shivers as he handed his covering to Astrid.

"Okay." She moved to a corner and spread out one blanket over the floor. After lying down on top of it, she pulled the other over her. "Hiccup?"

"Yeah?" He responded through chattering teeth.

"There's still room here. I mean, if you'd like to keep warm. It's actually not bad."

Blushing slightly, he wandered over and crawled beneath the covers. Soon, however, he found himself being forced to bear the chilly atmosphere once more as Astrid tugged the blanket more towards her.

"This is not fair."

"I'm a bad sleeper. I'm always moving around and all that," she explained. "Deal with it."

After a while of wrestling around for blanket space, the two friends both sighed and laid still, listening to the howling wind outside.

"That's for trying to take my covers," Astrid said eventually, punching his arm.

"But you took mine. I -"

"Shut up." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He smiled. "Let me guess, that's for everything else?"

"You got it." She nestled against his side and rested her head on his chest.

"What...are you doing?"

"It's called cuddling. I lay like this and then we're supposed to hug."

"Like how?" He looked over at the dragons to see Toothless staring at him, amusement written on his face.

Astrid groaned. "Just put your arms around my waist. I'll put mine around yours. It's not that difficult."

"Give me a break. I'm not used to this uh...this...whatever it's called."

"Cuddling?"

"Yeah, that." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, then locked his arms about her.

"Alright, dragons, lights out," she ordered as she reciprocated the gesture, one of her legs tangling with his.

Toothless and Stormfly obeyed, then settled down to sleep themselves.

"Isn't it warmer this way?" she prompted, snuggling further into his chest, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her.

"It is," he admitted. "But if my dad comes looking for us and happens to find us here while we're like this, we're huddling for warmth. Not doing your cuddling thing."

She rolled her eyes and broke free from his grasp. Turning her back on him, she bit her lip.

"What's wrong, Astrid?"

"You're that embarrassed about me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You make a sorry excuse every time someone asks why we kissed - which, by the way, I always initiate - you don't even ask me to be your girlfriend while I've got Snotlout bugging the hell out of me about dating him and my mother nagging me about finding someone before she chooses a guy for me herself, and now, you tell me we have to hide the fact we're cuddling in a deserted cave, where we need to keep warm? Can't you just say, 'Astrid, I like you. Will you please be my girlfriend?'"

"I'm sorry." He shifted over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you know how I am. I'm awkward, shy, and stupid."

She kicked his shin.

"Ouch!"

"You don't get it. I've been waiting for you, Hiccup. I always thought you liked me back. But maybe not. In which case if you don't, why have you been letting me be all affectionate with you? You could've just said, 'I don't like you,' or maybe, 'I'm not interested?' Or at the very least, 'Get out of my damn life?'"

"I...I do like you," he stuttered. "I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Seriously?" She rolled around to face him. "You didn't know how to say that?"

"I always mess things up. You know that."

"Really? Because to me, you've been perfect. Up until now, anyway."

He paused for a moment, speechless. Him? Perfect? No one had ever told him that before. "I -"

"Stop. You know, if you ask me to be your girlfriend right now, there's still a chance I could accept."

Hiccup froze. Was she serious? Did he really have the chance to claim her as his? It was impossible. It had to be. Not even Snotlout had a girlfriend yet.

"Go on," she prompted.

Taking a deep breath, he finally said, "Astrid, will you please be my girlfriend?"

Astrid punched him. "That's for making me wait this long to call you mine. Babe." She smirked as she leaned in to connect her lips to his. However, this kiss wasn't like the others they had shared. Instead, it was longer and more intense, with their tongues tangling together and a few quiet moans escaping from their mouths.

"And that," she began when they finally broke away, "Is for everything else."