Disclaimer: I don't own How To Train Your Dragon or any of the associated characters or settings.

She was eighteen and he was eighteen. It was Astrid's birthday and she knew what she wanted. It wasn't going to be easy, not with Hiccup being Hiccup, but she was going to try. And she was going to succeed. She'd told him to meet her here, at their place on that cliff, overlooking the sunset that looked like dragonfire. She'd told him to come alone. He'd looked at her as though she were insane.

"What? You don't want Snotlout there?" he'd asked, eyebrow cocked.

She'd wanted to hit him, just a little. It was the nerves, of course. She hadn't hit him in a long time and whenever she tried, he was quick to catch her fist in his hand. He'd grown so much over the last couple of years. He was almost as tall as Stoick now. He was still thin, still lithe, still Hiccup. He was just a taller version with more definition in his jaw, even more determination in his eyes. His confidence was higher and that made people trust in him more; it made them follow his lead. She could see the man he was becoming and she liked it. She more than liked it. She'd fallen in love with him.

Or maybe she'd always been in love with him.

Astrid heard the quiet flutter of Toothless' wings behind her. She didn't turn, she couldn't. Her heart was pounding too much.

"Well, that was a flight to remember," Hiccup said, his voice cutting into the silence of the night.

"Oh yeah? What happened?" she asked. Her voice was flat with nerves.

Hiccup sat next to her and she was overwhelmed by the familiar scent of him – leather and metal and seabreeze. "There was a flock of Terrible Terrors that came out of nowhere. Toothless got some practice on his evasive manoeuvres with that, didn't ya, bud?"

Astrid didn't say anything. She swallowed so hard she was sure he could hear her. In fact, he must have because she could feel Hiccup watching her.

"Astrid?"

"Mmhmm," she replied without turning her head.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course," she said, smiling too widely and still not looking at him.

Hiccup was watching her still but she couldn't bring herself to look at him, not yet. He was too much, Hiccup. And her heart was so full.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Hiccup said, his voice taking on the overly enthusiastic tone that he reserved for those times when he was least sure of himself. Astrid was sorry she'd made him feel that way, but she still couldn't look at him because she couldn't even believe that she was going to do this. To ask for this.

"I brought you a present, "he said, pulling something out of one of the pockets of his body armour.

Whatever it was, the dying sun caught it and it shone brightly. Astrid turned to look at it, resting in his hands. It was a dagger, beautifully forged, a Deadly Nadder etched into its blade. Hiccup handed it to her and Astrid turned it over in her hands. The other side of the blade bore her name. She smiled at it, knowing that he'd done this. Hiccup had made this with his own hands. He'd designed it and built it himself. She couldn't help but look up into his face then.

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

Hiccup smiled lopsidedly. "You're beautiful." He kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday."

It was now or never. Astrid set the dagger down with all the reverence reserved for the gods. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She shifted so that she was facing him. Hiccup watched her with wary eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Hiccup, there's something I want to ask you," she said.

"Okay," he replied, drawing out the word as though it could protect him from whatever was coming next.

She drew in a breath and lost all her nerve. "As you know, I'm eighteen now."

"Yep. You definitely are."

Astrid glared at him and he held up his hands in placation.

"And we've known each other for a while now," she continued.

Hiccup frowned at her. "Our whole lives to be exact."

She scowled. "Be quiet! As I was saying, we've known each other for a while and we know each other much better now than we did …before."

Hiccup's face split into a grin and he threw himself backwards into the grass, hands interlocked behind his head. "What's this about, Astrid?"

She glared at him. She felt her temper slipping away, not slowly or controllably, but rapidly. She twisted around so that her knees were on either side of his hips, so that he could look upon her impressive glower and repent for his constant chatter. His expression fell and Astrid had only a second to realize that it wasn't in fear of her expression at all. She was acutely aware of where her body was touching his body. In the past, she would have rolled away, they would have pretended it hadn't happened. They both would have glowed red with embarrassment. But this time Astrid hesitated. She stayed where she was, all her anger having melted away.

"Hiccup," she said.

And he watched her face raptly, all his attention locked on her. She felt she didn't need to say it then. She just leaned over and kissed him. At first it was soft, but it grew more fevered and more frantic. Their bodies were touching and she could feel the heat of him through the leather. His hands were hot on her bare arms, his kisses as desperate as hers. She was tugging at straps and buckles, trying desperately to rid him of his clothing. He pushed her heavy fur hood away from her shoulders. Astrid was vaguely aware of the fact that they were sitting on the edge of a cliff. That maybe this was dangerous and ill-advised in so many ways. She found she didn't care.

It was Hiccup who broke their kiss, his breath ragged and fast, steaming against her skin. His lips hovered just above the skin of her collarbone.

"Astrid," he breathed, "We shouldn't-"

"Why shouldn't we?"

Hiccup pulled back to look at her face. "We're not married," he said, pushing the words out rapidly as though they left a bad taste in his mouth.

"So?"

"So?" he repeated incredulously, "Astrid-"

"I've been drinking Maiden's Tea."

"Maiden's Tea? Have you been planning this?" he tried to struggle out from beneath her, but there was no way she was letting that happen. She pinned him with her bodyweight and he stopped struggling.

"Maiden's Tea isn't exactly foolproof," he sighed.

"Good thing I'm not a fool."

He frowned at her, his brow low and his mouth set. She knew what that meant – he was thinking. If she let him think too much, he'd find a way to convince her that this was a bad idea. She didn't really care. Of course it was a bad idea. It was reckless and full of risks, but they were risks she was willing to take. Risks she wanted to take.

"Astrid."

"Tell me you don't want this," she said.

He hesitated. "Of course I want this."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Oh, I don't know. Pregnancy?" His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Astrid sighed. She looked into those big green eyes of his, eyes that were conflicted in so many ways and she decided to try a different tack.

"Do you trust me?" she asked so very softly.

"Of course I trust you," he answered without hesitation. She could see his confliction clearing.

"Then trust me on this."

She grabbed the collar of his jacket and yanked him upward to her, kissing him with everything she had. His arms came up around her waist and she knew she'd won.

The first time had been awkward and uncomfortable at times. Hiccup had apologized a hundred times. He'd been gentle with his touches, generous with his kisses. The second time had yielded less apologies and less gentleness. And that time Astrid's world had exploded into a million pieces all at once. She'd put her hand on his chest and murmured into his skin,

"You have the heart of a dragon."