Astrid woke up more exhausted than she felt when she went to bed. She never had problems with waking up early and going for a fly with her Nadder before heading to the training arena, but today a joy ride on the beloved dragon simply seemed impossible. In fact, she was already late from training...

She couldn't really understand herself. It was all fine up until the point she and Hiccup left the shore and headed back to the village. But when she saw the silhouettes of the houses somehow she started to feel ashamed. And vulnerable. She hastily barked a goodbye to the lanky boy standing next to her and ran back home.

She tried to open their door very quietly because it was late at night and her mom was a bit nosy these days, asking all sorts of questions about where she had been, what she had done... As if she was a trouble maker. But she wasn't, she always did the right thing. Her great strength came with great responsibility. She didn't do anything wrong this time either, so how come then, that she was having this guilt trip?

She couldn't understand why her face was burning with shame.

Oh, Gods, what if it's visible? What if her mom and everyone else would see that she was kissed? Did she look different? She touched her lips. They seemed fine. She licked them. They didn't taste like him anymore. Pff, it was so strange to know that he actually did have a taste... What a disgusting thought, though. Okay, it's not that he had a disgusting taste, it was quite alright or... ah, how should she know? He was the first to be tasted by her.

And just why was she still thinking about him? She shouldn't be. They made a stupid bet, she lost, she'll pay it off and then... then it's going to be over. Everything will go back to normal. It's not like she had real romantic feelings for him. Well, of course, they were friends and he changed a lot in these past few years, but she felt that most of the time she still saw the gawky young boy in him. Although, it was true that sometimes he was clumsy to the point when she actually found it quite cute and she felt like giving a peck somewhere on his face, but that was all. She found him cute but not that cute. Right?

And... She cannot have any serious feelings for him. She cannot have any serious feelings for anyone. Feelings just mess up everything and she didn't need that sort of trouble in her life. On the other hand, it was a nice thing in the physical sense; it gave her the butterflies and the world seemed to turn upside down when their lips touched... She considered it to be normal, they were teenagers, they were eager to know things and...

"Where have you been?" Came the disapproving question from the dark. Oh, why hasn't her mom gone to bed already? Is it always going to be like that now? She couldn't get used to having a hound sniffing after her all the time...

"Out," she answered angrily, then ran up to her bedroom, trying to cover her face with damp hands as she was only half-sure that there were no visible signs of disgrace on her cheeks... Up in her room she quickly undressed and went to bed. She felt pretty tired, but sleep didn't come easy; her mind was filled with a huge turmoil of emotions. She had second thoughts about this whole kissing non-sense and she wished she could just avoid a certain tall, dark and sometimes surprisingly handsome rider for a couple of days, until her head clears up.

§§§

Hiccup on the other hand had one of the best sleeps of his life. He woke up early and went on a ride with Toothless; they greeted the sunrise from up above the clouds and the world somehow seemed even more colorful than usual. Everything felt so energetic and light now, and the dark thoughts he previously had about the unexpected attack in the forge crawled away to a well-hidden place in his mind, silently hiding under the surface.

When he went back home after the flight, he started to make breakfast for himself and his dad. It seemed like a good idea. Upon noticing his son's early morning efforts in their kitchen, Stoick raised a brow. Probably it was the first time he saw his son willingly do something that involved preparing food. He was even humming a silly little tune while getting busy with the eggs and the bread.

"Somebody's in a good mood... Everything alright, son?" Asked the giant dad curiously, interrupting the soft humming.

"Yeah... why?"

"Because ye hardly ever have time to eat breakfast, let alone to cook it. It's not that I mind it, I mean, ye still eat like a bird compared to a real Viking man, but..."

"Oh, I just had a good night sleep and a nice ride and I don't know... This morning feels different and I guess I woke up hungry."

"So, where were ye last night before this nice sleep of yers?"

"Erm... last night?" What a strange question... Why did his dad even care? He was out most nights in the past 5 years.

"Yes. Ye know, while I was shipping that idi... never mind. So, where were ye?"

"Oh, I was just at the shore with Astrid. She cooked me dinner."

"Astrid? The Astrid I know?" The mighty chief didn't even try to hide his sheer surprise.

"Ye-es..."

"What is this cooking craze? Is this what kids do nowadays?"

"It's... it's just a coincidence, I guess," said Hiccup munching on a crust, not feeling hungry anymore.

"Son... can I ask ye a question?"

"Sure."

"What do you think of Astrid?"

"What do I think of...? What kind of a question is that? I mean she is alright. She is my friend and..." Hiccup started to talk so quickly that his father found it hard to understand. But he always gabbled when he felt embarrassed...

"Is there something I should know about?" He had noticed a long time ago that his son had feelings for the comely young lass and when they were kids, it seemed so safe, innocent and chaste, but they were definitely growing up now and Stoick, being a father, had his concerns.

Hiccup paused for a moment before answering. "Nah… No. I don't think so. Aaand... I'm sorry but I have to leave now. You know, training and all..."

If skipping breakfast meant that he could avoid the awkward questions, he was ready to go.

"Yeah. Training. Go train. Nice chat, son." He decided on showing mercy on his blushing son for the time being and released him.

"Yeah, right. Oh, I won't come home early tonight; I have to be at the forge."

"Okay. Mhm. Okay. Have a good day."

"You too."

"Oh, one more thing."

Hiccup turned back from the door, sounding just a tiny bit annoyed. "Yes, dad?"

"Could ye do me a favor? If you will ever think of her in a different way, just I don't know... could ye let me know?"

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow. "Sure... But I don't think it's going to happen. I mean not in the near future."

"Son, you know you're getting..."

"Yes, dad, I know the story about me getting older and the chief stuff. I just... I don't think I'm ready. And if you'll excuse me, I..."

Stoick shook his head when his son left in a hurry. Ever since he was born he constantly worried about him. He was half as big as a normal baby should be (quarter size of a standard Viking baby) and then he was growing so slowly...

Yes, he finally became a well-respected member of the community but now he should consider establishing a family of his own and protecting their bloodline, but it seemed that nothing mattered to him anymore but the dragons.

For Thor's sake, how could he make him understand that these things are important in a man's life? Especially if the certain young man was the would-be chief of a tribe.

§§§

Hiccup arrived to the training arena somewhat agitated. The blessed morning mood soon shifted away after the son-dad talk. Why does it always have to be so awkward between them? He jumped off of his dragon said some vague hellos to the others and headed to his office. He was in desperate need of a little silence.

For two wonderful hours he found peace in his newly established haven. A couple of weeks ago he turned one of the old pens into an office, because he needed a place where he could store the growing number of books, pamphlets, charts and diagrams he and Fishlegs created about the dragons. But what was even more important, he needed a place where things were calm enough and he could think, draw and administer by himself.

It's not like he didn't like the other riders, it's just sometimes they were a bit too much...

Someone always ended up whining or complaining about mostly ridiculous stuff and Hiccup couldn't help but feel that he was running a kindergarten full of children with serious behavioral issues.

And then came the knock on the door, as usual. He rolled his eyes. Most of the time it was Fishlegs who disturbed his blissful solitude first, complaining about Snotlout or the twins. It took him a couple of seconds to collect himself and answer the door and the constant knocking wasn't helping with his starting head ache.

"Coming, coming," he said, trying to calm down the impatient knocker. In front of his door a slim and agitated young Viking girl was tapping with her feet.

"What can I do for you today, Ruffnut?" He asked, trying to sound polite instead of annoyed.

"Inside, Hiccs, I need to talk to you, like now." Ruffnut pushed him away from the door, entering his safe place with determined steps.

Hiccup closed the door behind her; for reasons unknown, he felt that it was better if the others didn't hear them.

"Look, if it's about your brother, I don't even know what more I could say..."

"Nah, it's not about him. Although I still think you should kick him out. Or just kick him."

"I think we have already covered that issue," said Hiccup trying to end the conversation as soon as possible. "I'm not going to kick him."

"Eh, because you're lame. Anyways, it's not about him."

"Okay, then who's it about?"

"It's Astrid."

Astrid? Why does everyone want to talk to him about Astrid? He doesn't want to talk about her; he prefers talking to her. And it just came to his mind that he didn't even say a proper 'hello' to her this morning; he was too upset because of his dad and... He remembered seeing her from the corner of his eyes standing unusually still. And it has just occurred to him that after last night it was probably a bit rude not to greet her nicely... At least he should have winked at her or something. Gods, how do you say 'hello' to a girl who let you put your lips on hers? Were there any rules?

"Are you with me, klutz?" Ruffnut's harsh voice interrupted his brooding.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just... so it's Astrid. What about Astrid?"

"Dunno, she is just acting weird today. Haven't you noticed it?"

Hiccup went back to the door, opened it half-way and glanced out. Astrid was throwing axes at the barrels, with pure passion, but it was her thing...

"Well, that's what she normally does, doesn't she?" Asked Hiccup sounding clueless.

"Yeah. That's really Astrid-y. But she has been doing it for the past 2 hours and I think her fingers are bleeding. Or the handle of her axe, it's hard to tell. I mean, I tried to put her off, but she just mumbled something about minding my own damn business."

"But what could I do? If I tried to stop her, she would cut me in half."

"Nah, I don't want you to stop her, it's kind of entertaining. I just was wondering whether you knew what had happened to her, because not two days ago she was quite okay."

"And why should I know anything about her problems? I mean we're buddies, but you're her best friend." Hiccup tried to avert the conversation. He feared Ruffnut. She wasn't particularly smart, on the contrary, but she had this strange ability, an unexplained instinct to see the motivations behind people's acts.

"I also went looking for her last night and she wasn't at home. And she wasn't riding her dragon, because I saw Stormfly..." She looked at him as if she was accusing him of something and he felt that an unpleasant feeling was forming in his guts.

"Actually, she was with me. She erm... cooked dinner for me."

"What? She never cooks. Gods, I have to call a witch doctor now, she must be possessed."

"No, it was... I think she felt sorry because of... what happened to me at the forge."

"She felt sorry for you not being able to protect yourself instead of despising you?"

Hiccup found it hard to admit, but she had a point. Astrid never ridiculed the weaker, but she certainly didn't fancy the faint-of-heart.

"Now that you mention it, it does sound a bit weird," admitted Hiccup, scratching his head. "You know what? I'll just cancel training. That will hopefully stop her."

"Okay... That sounds about right. And Hiccup..."

"Yes?"

"You should pay more attention to her."

"I will," he promised quietly while grabbing Ruffnut's elbow, seeking her out.

His headache fully kicked in.

§§§

After training was cancelled Astrid went home and tried to have a rest. Her fingers hurt pretty much, they seemed swollen and bruised, but she didn't really care. Pain was always a welcomed feeling for the warrior kind. But her mom once again was after her all afternoon, giving her the stupidest chores one can imagine, so instead of some well-deserved midday slumber she was running back and forth in the village bringing and taking things all over the place. She did all the tasks her mother had burdened her with, grinding her teeth but without a word of complaint, in hopes of having a peaceful, undisturbed night.

It was already dark when she got home from the last errand and put down the two huge buckets of water her mom had asked for earlier. She flopped down on a chair at their dining table massaging one hand with the other.

Her fingers were throbbing again, it wasn't the wisest decision to carry those buckets, but it was never a good idea to go against her mother. As she was sitting there and finally had nothing to do, her thoughts drifted back to Hiccup.

Apart from catching a glimpse of him in the morning she had absolutely no contact with him. Should she be looking for him? She hasn't even paid half of her debt... She wondered whether he waited for her to show up at his door or something... Nah, he'd never expect it. Probably he doesn't even care about the whole ordeal at all. It's not like he paid special attention to her this morning, truth be told, he didn't pay any attention at all...

She felt too tired to figure this out. She will excuse herself if missing 'kiss No2' comes up anytime at all, but she was pretty sure that it won't. Not with Hiccup. She sighed with relief; she didn't feel like kissing at all.

"Oh, you're back!" Her mom's words woke her up from her belated daydream. "I need you to do one last thing today."

"Mom, I'm tired and..."

"Astrid, I don't really care. If you didn't go out at night, you wouldn't be tired." Her mother was a lot stricter than she used to be, but she didn't want to argue about it. Not now. Not when a heavy fatigue was digesting her soul.

"Okay, what can I do for you?" She asked after a deep sigh in a tone that almost sounded pathetic. Her mother put three rusty swords on the table.

"I need you to go to the forge and have them cleaned up and sharpened."

"Mom... but what if there's no one at the forge? It's pretty late."

"Non-sense. I've talked to Hiccup, he's expecting them." 'Oh, Gods, Hiccup is expecting her? What a splendid turn of events,' she thought bitterly, feeling way too tired to deal with him or her own insecurities.

"Okay, let me just... change into fresh clothes," she said moving like a rag doll (actually, she felt like one), but her mom once again didn't show any sympathy. Dear Gods, it was the everyday family life that made the Hofferson girls tough for centuries...

§§§

Once his headache was gone, Hiccup started to enjoy that he was alone in the forge, even though Gobber left him with a long list of things to do and it was almost unbearably hot in the smithy.

He had no company and no one disturbed him for hours except for Mrs. Hofferson who dropped by and asked him to mend a couple of her swords. Hiccup agreed to it, although he was planning on sewing a new saddle for Toothless later on the old one being a little bit worn by now. But it could wait. Mrs. Hofferson seemed so desperate about her swords mumbling about weapons having souls or something.

He didn't really have the strength to pay attention to her because of his severe headache. Now he wondered whether she'd bring in the swords or her daughter... Astrid... He hasn't thought about her for the past hours with the headache and all, but now he was kind of excited about possibly meeting her, although he knew it was just for the sake of business.

Should he remind her about the debt? Nah, she was very well aware of it and if she never even mentions it, it can only mean that... well, that he sucked at kissing. Wouldn't be a big surprise, though, he was not the player-type. And he really shouldn't be wasting this much time thinking about such an unimportant aspect of life...

He shook his head trying to clear his mind and went out to cool down a bit. It was already getting dark and the streets were strangely empty. Then it came into his head that there's going to be a huge summer feast at the Meade Hall the next night and his village mates were probably tried to get some rest before an evening full of mead and drunken Viking fights.

It's not that he didn't fancy these gatherings, it was just very bad timing.

He stretched out his arms and took a huge breath before going back to the forge. That incinerator. He immediately took off his tunic and threw it on the bed Gobber had put in the forge a couple weeks ago. Hiccup never asked why he needed it in the smithy, but Gobber was often out these days and he talked quite a few times about a certain widow, Mrs. Jernson... Still, the bed remained a mystery; Gobber lived next to the forge and as far as Hiccup knew it, he had a perfectly well functioning bedroom. But it was better not to ask.

He decided on continuing his work and looked for his hammer. He wiped his forehead with a cloth; he was already sweating and he hasn't even started to hammer. Soon, a small knock on the door made him turn back. He opened it and peeked his head out not wanting to expose his naked upper body to just anyone. Behind the door stood Astrid with a bunch of swords in her hands, and even though the lights were dim, Hiccup immediately noticed how tired she seemed with the dark circles around her eyes.

"May I come in?" She asked with a small, suppressed yawn.

"Sure, Astrid, sure," he answered, opening the door and to his own surprise he didn't head straight for his tunic. He had no problem Astrid seeing him in a semi-undressed state. It's only normal to feel comfortable around your friends, right? .Besides, it was still really hot in the forge.
"So, your mom...?"

"Yeah, she forced me to come here," she answered, putting the swords on the table. Hiccup stepped closer to examine them. They were just a little bit rusty and dull. It won't take more than an hour to mend them.

"You look tired," he said thoughtfully, still looking at the swords.

"I am, I... had a rough night."

"Sorry about that. You are more than welcome to use Gobber's bed," he gestured towards the corner of the room. She really looked tired.

"Gods, thanks, Hiccup." Astrid hurried to the bed, grabbing and throwing away Hiccup's tunic from the top of the bed. "You're right, it's burning here," she added and with a quick move she got rid of her own tunic and tossed it to the ground, next to his. Hiccup looked at her while she kicked her boots off and lay down on the top of the several pelts that covered the bed. It was nice to know that she was comfortable around him as well.

"I'll try to be as silent as possible," he said softly a minute later, but surprisingly enough she was fast asleep by then.

§§§

Roughly an hour later the swords were as good as new or even better. Hiccup liked the idea that he had company and found Astrid entertaining even when she was sleeping. Yeah, she was snoring a little bit, which made him grin the whole time.

At first he regularly looked at her checking if she was alright then she turned to her side and yeah... her breast bindings revealed some flesh and Hiccup felt that it was not really an honorable thing to stare at a sleeping lady's cleavage, although the sight was pleasure to his eyes.

He grabbed the swords and put a piece of leather around them carefully tying them with a string. He left the package on the table and went to the bed.

He looked at peacefully sleeping beauty. With her eyes closed, her eyelashes seemed incredibly long. His eyes shifted to her cleavage again then feeling it a bit awkward, he looked further down to her flat belly. He discovered a small trail of sweat running down from her navel towards the hem of her leggings. It was really hard not to swipe it away, but then again, it would be weird to wake someone up by touching their stomach, so instead he just gently shook her shoulder. It was remarkably easy to wake her up.

"Are you done?" She asked, stretching out her arms, eyes still being closed.

"Yup," he answered stepping back a little to let her sit up.

"Good." She entertained him with tired little smile.

"You can go home and have a decent sleep."

"Oh, I will," she said while putting her boots back on, feeling a bit cockier after the much needed sleep. "But we still have some business to do..." It was a mystery even for her how she managed to hint at the delicate topic that easily, but the words were out and she started to feel a little bit of excitement, the good kind. Hiccup gave her a puzzled look.

She stood up and confidently stepped closer to him. Amazing what a good sleep can do to your shattered self-respect...

He looked deep into her eyes slowly understanding what she was up to. Oh, those eyes, bluer than the deepest seas; he felt he could drown in them.

"You know, we don't have to..." he started, but there was no turning back for Astrid.

"I know, but we're over this. I'm willing to do it. I want to do it," she claimed, lightly putting her arms on his bare shoulders. He didn't say anything, just took a deep breath still looking in those eyes.

Astrid stood on tiptoes and with her hands laced behind the back of his neck, she started to pull him closer. This time she never hesitated, just went for it. He tilted his head and put his hands on her waist just above the hem of her leggings. Her lips reached his.

They opened their mouths and their tongues started their slow waltz. It was only their second time, but they were immediately in sync. Astrid slowly pressed her body to his. Their sweaty skins melted together, giving a burning sensation to both of them. Hiccup slowly raised his hands and lightly started to caress her bare back, leaving a growing number of goose bumps on her skin. It was so...

A loud kick on the door made them depart suddenly. "Hiccup, get yer ass out 'ere and 'elp me!" shouted a well-known voice from outside the door. Without words, Astrid quickly grabbed the tunic from the floor and headed for the small back window.

The kicking became louder. "Swear to Thor, if ye fell asleep working, ye are going to regret it!" continued the annoyed voice.

Hiccup looked back at Astrid worryingly. She was already half in and half out of the window.

"Coming," he shouted back finally.

"Ye better be!" Came the angry answer.

On the way to the door he passed by the table.

Astrid's swords were lying there, neatly packed.

The headache came back.