A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and feedback and everything, I really do appreciate it! If you like what you read, let me know! If you have suggestions or thoughts, let me know; I read it all and do take your thoughts into consideration. Doesn't mean I'll always do what you want me to, but I always think about it!
Hiccup knew she would try to come by tonight. Astrid was always the persistent type of person, and for the first time he was bothered by it.
He had returned home, stomping through the door with a dark look on his face. His mother asked what was wrong. He didn't answer.
And the first thing he'd done as soon as Astrid had flown Toothless back was apologise profusely to his friend. He made sure to be explicitly clear it wasn't him he was running from earlier. He pointedly ignored the other person there. Her words went right past him as if they were the white noise of a petulant child, and she had decided to take the message. But she would be back. He knew how she did things. Unfortunately for her, he wasn't in the mood. Not right now at any rate. He would sleep somewhere else tonight, and return to Berk before tomorrow morning even started.
He wished he could run away off the edge of the map like he used to, but now he was the chief; and though he normally loved being in a position to lead and help people, the mantle weighed a little heavy on him right now.
And so he would run away, but just for a few hours. Just enough time to get away from her.
He wordlessly strapped on his riding leathers and donned his mask. He packed no bag. Mounting up astride Toothless on the soft grass behind his home, he made no request. Toothless already knew. The dragon crouched, spread his wings, and then shot up into the sky.
Hiccup remained low on Toothless' back, allowing Toothless to slip seamlessly through the air. He refused to think about anything and simply held on tight.
It didn't take long for them to reach the cloud level. There wasn't much on a night like this. Only a few thin wisps were scattered throughout the sky, visible from the reflected moonlight.
There was the moon and all the stars above, strewn above the two friends on a canvas of unfathomable depth. They had tried to go higher once, tried to just get the barest touch, but Hiccup soon had trouble breathing and Toothless' wings found less and less purchase on the air currents until they both came tumbling back down to earth. The heavens remained so close, but just out of reach.
It then occurred to Hiccup how easy it would be to run away. He knew he was never going to do it, but just understanding he had the ability…it was strangely liberating. It meant that if he stayed on Berk, it was his choice. If he went back and remained the chief, it was because he chose to. No one could make him. And if he went back to face Astrid, to face all those coiled-up feelings, it would be because it was up to him.