"My flawed heart and my love. Will you accept it? Me?"
- It's Okay, That's Love

To Astrid, she thought it all too much—even in herself, she knew she wasn't being herself and every moment of it fleeting vividly, she loathed. She took off the necklace and placed it on the desk, staring at it with a disgruntled face but it was not because she didn't love it—oh, she did and the man who gave it to her, but the feeling was that it was not worth for someone like her. It was the thought that lingered in her head for quite some time and with each passing day, he had been more romantic and she had been trying to topple her churning heart with sass and her cold attitude but ended up rather failing awfully.

To him though, she was the most perfect girl he had ever seen. Yes, he noticed a few flaws here and there but undoubtedly, she was his strength and he knew she doesn't realize that idea wholly. He noticed her attitude the last few months and very notably when he gave her the betrothal gift. He had already attempted to ease her, comforting her with loving words that she was the only one for him but he still felt the self-doubt she had. He agreed whole-heartedly—Astrid wasn't herself, and it was unlikely and weird at the same time. In her head lingered the cruelty of her attitude, somewhat heartless and wild like a lone ranger and that caused her, and sometimes her friends, to fall on ends—that was what Hiccup knew.

Without wasting time, after nightfall, Astrid left in a hurry to her hut and Hiccup had followed her—earning the weird look from their friends' eyes but Fishlegs was so kind enough to explain what was going on since he had noticed it also. Fishlegs was beside Astrid all throughout those times and she trusted him enough to tell him her feelings, in hopes of getting great advice, but much to her disappointment (that is, if she discovers) that Fishlegs told it to Hiccup who furrowed his brows and ran outside the clubhouse.

Hiccup walked towards her hut and was greeted by Stormfly who looked like she was gonna sleep outside the hut for a change but the door opened and Astrid sprung out and immediately hurried for Stormfly. But as she saw Hiccup, she stopped and stood awkwardly beside the dragon.

"You're gonna take a flight?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah" Astrid replied.

"Can I come too?" Hiccup asked again.

"If you want"

Then Hiccup noticed something off on Astrid's appearance and shifted his eyes, studying his betrothed intently and rose a brow, "You're not wearing my gift" he remarked.

"Oh… well, I'm gonna take a rather fun, dodgy ride with Stormfly and I thought that it might fall off so I left it in my desk" Astrid murmured.

Hiccup took a silent sigh and nodded, "Well, I guess that is reasonable" he said, "I'll just go get Toothless and let's be on our way"

As Hiccup was out of sight, Astrid quickly mounted Stormfly and they took off to Thor-knows-where. She didn't dare to look back and watch as Dragon's Edge faintly disappears and focused her sights to escape the fog they entangled themselves into. Stormfly flew straight, as commanded by her rider until they were able to escape the fog but they heard the familiar high pitched screech whooshing piercing the winds as it were flying towards them at a fast rate.

Astrid groaned in frustration and asked Stormfly to fly up into the clouds but the high pitched screech followed without delay and it was when they heard a voice calling from the screeching, calling out to her name but Astrid ignored it and went up to the clouds, trying to take cover from the black dragon and its rider they had grown so familiar with. She had Stormfly back away slowly, but to her disadvantage, the dragon roared, using his echolocation skills to track the Nadder and her rider.

Stormfly flew away from the hoard of clouds, giving away their position as they attempted flying farther away. Astrid steered the dragon down to another hoard of clouds and kept flying straight, in an attempt to lose Hiccup and Toothless, which was a big difficulty, considering it was night and the damn dragon has a skill for echolocation.

"Astrid! Where are you going?" Hiccup yelled, "Are you trying to run away?"

She didn't bother to answer and went on their way. But as the fog cleared, the dragon and her rider was taken aback by the hoard of Changewings who were in the path and unfortunately crashed into one, causing them to fall rapidly into the deep ocean. Meanwhile, as Hiccup was able to escape the clouds, he saw the Changewings flying past them and one attempted to shoot at them but Toothless was able to dodge and flew past the hoard.

"It's the Changewing migration" Hiccup mumbled, taking note to remind the team to prepare their outpost for the migration.

Toothless growled and attempted to dive down, startling Hiccup. The dragon growled and tried pointing towards the ocean, gaining his friend's attention, "What are you doing Toothless?" he asked frantically, trying to calm his ballistic dragon. But the dragon did not relented and kept on attempting to dive down, agitating Hiccup, "What is it?" he asked again.

As his eyes shifted down below, he saw a faint image of Astrid and Stormfly falling towards the ocean. His heart begun to beat rapidly in panic and without wasting any time, he ordered the dragon to dive down as fast as they could. Toothless dived with all his speed and in seconds, they were close to catching Astrid and Stormfly but Hiccup noticed the ocean only a few hundred meters below them and in a mere matter of seconds, they both could dive in and drown and who knows what dangers were below those waters.

"Toothless, you're almost there!" Hiccup remarked, "Just a little bit more… please! You can do it, bud"

The dragon managed to fly past them and Hiccup was able to catch Astrid from below and quickly flew towards Stormfly whom Toothless caught with his talons. It wasn't an easy ride and Toothless was barely able to hold two humans and a dragon slightly heavier than himself towards a nearby island to rest. Hiccup patted his dragon as they all collapsed on shore. The black dragon closed his eyes and rested, recovering his strength from that strenuous flight. Hiccup however, had some unfinished business with his girlfriend he'd like to disclose the moment she wakes up and to his luck, she woke up moments later.

Astrid groaned and struggled to sit up. She looked around the area, taking note of where she was and bobbed her head around, in search frantically of her dragon, "Stormfly?" she yelled hoarsely.

"She's here and she's fine… don't worry"

The familiar voice had her fearing for the worst and reluctantly turned to the source of the voice. She pulled her knees and wrapped her arms around them, shaking uncontrollably from fear that was all so new to her. She was fearless. She has faced every perilous danger that one normal human can see enough for a lifetime and she faced them with great bravery and was ready to sacrifice her life on the line but this was different, this was new—it was Hiccup's grim look on his face and the anger was solely to her, not to anyone else but only her and this had a different churn inside her.

"I know what you're gonna say—"

"Astrid… leaving the necklace was reasonable but with a note saying you aren't worth it was different" Hiccup replied, "Then, you suddenly taking off like that. What in Valhalla were you thinking?"

"Like what was in the note" Astrid replied, "I was leaving just for a few days to Berk to try and settle my thoughts but you went ahead and tried to stop me"

"You crashed into a Changewing" Hiccup remarked, "Good thing you and Stormfly weren't scorched by acid"

"Should I also write in a thank you note?" Astrid retorted.

"No. But these just take things differently" Hiccup answered, "You almost got yourself and your dragon killed! If me and Toothless weren't there to catch you before you both fell into the ocean, I don't know how to live with it!"

Astrid furrowed her brows in anger and bowed her head into her knees. She covered her ears with her hands, attempting to block out Hiccup's hysterical voice trying to scold her and let the matter get over with and have her go to Berk for a while to clear her head without Hiccup bothering her. Hiccup noticed the gesture and huffed out frustrated sighs and distortedly spoilt his head, indicating his anger towards the girl in front of her.

"You were reckless, imprudent, stubborn and out of all, you aren't yourself!" Hiccup argued, "What has gotten into you that made you this way? Why do you think I don't deserve you?"

"You just said it yourself" Astrid answered, standing up, "I'm reckless, imprudent, stubborn and I'm also heartless and violent. Things that are opposite of you—even you yourself said it, I was like your father, someone that you get tired of listening to, someone who's so different from you and the way we do things"

"I didn't mean that at all"

"It implies" Astrid shrugged.

"So, wait, are you saying that just because we are polar opposites, we can't be together?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know, but this is between us" Astrid replied, "I think we should really have a bit of space to think about all this—I mean, we're still young and yes, I love you but I just think I'm too different and you need someone somewhat similar to the way you think and move"

Hiccup pondered for a moment, noting every word that Astrid had just said. He thought of it too, that she was incredibly different from him but that personality of hers is what kept Hiccup going and that it was what made them a great duo. She was the face of battle and action opposed to his pacifistic nature and that kept their relationship strong and uniquely matched—it sounded weird, but to him she can do the things he can't and he can do things she can't and with that principle, they complete each other. He didn't want to think too deeply into this matter and shifted his eyes towards Astrid who was taking a seat beside her resting dragon.

He walked towards them and sat beside Astrid, watching the night sky as a few star glimmered and the ocean breeze engulfed them. The waves crashed on the sand, making a faint noise that made the moment less silent but nonetheless, peaceful. Hiccup bobbed his head up and let out a small chuckle, "In all honestly, I was the one who thought I don't deserve you" he said, "Ever since we were young, I had an insane crush on you but you were a warrior and I was just a blacksmith's apprentice and the village screw up. How would I even have the chance to get you to notice me?"

Astrid turned her head towards Hiccup and listened intently to his story, "Then the whole dragon killing things and you were so angry at me winning—I was on the dead end of a stick. But that changed, you kissed me, apparently a few more times after that until we and the gang left Berk and here we are. I still am wondering why did I got you to get stuck with me"

"So I guess we carried on with a relationship with us questioning why we deserve one another" Astrid laughed.

"You kissed me.. more than once and I thought you have never questioned about our relationship—that I was the only who questioned why" Hiccup said, "Can I ask why you questioned now?"

"I don't know, but I kissed you because I want to" Astrid answered, "I was beginning to like you then but seeing you now and how far we've gotten, I just began thinking why a great guy like you has a flawed girl like me for a girlfriend"

"You're not flawed… just human" Hiccup answered.

"No, I am" Astrid answered, "And I feel bad every time I couldn't repay you for—well, this, us"

"I already told you—you are the greatest gift I have received and that I couldn't replace you with anything or anyone else"

Astrid rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder and the gesture was reciprocated with an arm securing her, holding her tightly close towards him. Astrid really couldn't believe how romantic this man was to her and how she fell for the dork was a blessing. She could see a different side to him that was never there before and was she glad to have witness it and it made her love the man more until she was hopelessly caught in his charm and personality.

"Look, I am very sure of my feelings for you" Hiccup said, "It's been there since we were still little and it has just gotten stronger everyday and having you feel the same meant a lot to me—you mean a lot to me and I just hope that we'd be okay no matter what is between us"

Astrid sighed but she flashed a reminiscent smile, "I have a flawed personality, you know them anyway" she started, "And are you really willing to put up with me and my ways?"

"Hmm… actually, the real question here is that are you willing to put up with MY ways?" Hiccup laughed, "I mean, everyday has us always falling into trouble and dangers and war and it can get strenuous and I'm gonna be hard to handle also, the on and on onslaughts of the hunters that could get us separated or captured—"

"Thor, could you stop?" Astrid huffed, "I've managed it for more than a year, and certainly I could do it for a lifetime"

Hiccup widened his eyes in amusement. Her words had taken him aback and he stuttered, unable to comprehend what she just said or to at least get a word out to reply to her, "Lifetime?" he asked in bewilderment and Astrid pulled away from him, noting his questioning face.

"I mean, w-we are betrothed right?"

Hiccup took a few good seconds before he understood what his girlfriend had said and the thought relinquished inside his brain until he abruptly couldn't stop smiling for joy. The word echoed inside his thoughts, whirling him into a pit of endless love struck and his mind danced and shouted for joy vividly. If he wasn't so tired, he would be shouting like a maniac in all of the world and he wouldn't care if someone judged him for it—he was in love with his partner in battle and best friend (other than Toothless) and was he awestruck from the outside.

"Betrothed, huh?" Hiccup chuckled, "I guess you're stuck with me forever"

It's a little out of character but hey, we needed a little angst from these guys.

Ciao!