Disclaimer: I do not own any of this and don't make money from it.

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I admit, I'm surprised. I didn't expect this to be longer than 10 chapters. But I thank you all for sticking with me and offering your support and constructive criticism.

Enjoy!

Beginnings

Astrid couldn't believe her own actions. Never before had she sounded so alluring; so full of anticipation she could burst. His lips were parted enough that she saw glimpses of his teeth; sending phantom sensations of those on her own tongue. A part of her – admittedly, a very new part – screamed that she should just start kissing him again. But the more sensible part reminded her that they had both just confirmed their feelings, and that they should really slow down the intimacy.

That notion was hard to consider, however. Astrid didn't want slow. She hadn't felt this fire in the longest time – her sexual experiences with Jake hadn't been this intense. She didn't remember feeling like she could melt under his gaze, or that her insides could spasm at the low rasp of his voice. But with Hiccup, it all changed. She wanted more of that delicious tension – just afterwards, she wanted him to stick around.

So she clambered off Hiccup with a sigh. His eyes followed her jerky movements. "My tea's getting cold." She offered with a smile. She followed it up with a nudge to his shoulder, nodding at his abandoned mug. "Drink yours."

Astrid paused at her own commanding tone. No guilt or bad feelings followed the order – instead, watching him relax in response and reach for the tea filled her with a muted sense of satisfaction. This was okay. He didn't mind her innate bossiness; rather, he liked it.

The memory of his reaction to her teeth spiked her blood pressure and left her breathing unsteadily into her mug. This was so new to her. This...need to be close to someone was alien.

"So. Did you and Heather...?" The question slipped out amidst her efforts to calm her heartbeat. Another second of silence, and then what she said came crashing down on her in multitudes of prickling fear and exasperation.

Just leave it!

Astrid drowned her tea. Toothless, forgotten in the background, came slinking over at her sudden movements to croon happily into her stomach. Hiccup chuckled at her red face, and reached over to join her stroking fingers on the panthers head.

"Never." His voice inched higher into that mocking region she now recognized as nervousness. "Other than your recent appreciation, I don't tend to get noticed. I'm not sure why." His other hand gestured at himself. "Who wouldn't want all...this?"

Astrid watched their hands brush as they both sent Toothless into a crooning mess under the dual attention. "Heather is just super friendly with you, is all."

"Yeah..." Hiccup's leg began to jitter up and down. "We got a little drunk a couple years ago and kissed on New Years Eve. Nothing came of it – but she's always been friendly since."

Tart.

"Oh." Astrid fought to keep her voice even. "I see."

She felt eyes land and burn into the side of her face. "What about you?"

Astrid dared to glance up at his forced casual tone. "Me?"

A shy smile crept onto his face and stayed there, despite his eyes glowing with a familiar teasing light. Astrid was struck, all at once, at how she once thought his eyes had been beautiful when filled with rage. But now, when lit with that soft, happy expression, she changed her mind. Those green orbs were downright breathtaking.

"I was just curious." That teasing light melted from his eyes to colour his voice. "How many of your exes I'll have to fight off with my prosthetic."

That surprised a giggle out of her. "Not any. I dated a guy in high school for a little while, but I outgrew him."

"He must have been really small."

Toothless picked up on their easy banter and pawed at Astrid's side, lifting large paws to place them on the couch next to her. Those haunches lifted the rest of his body to curl sloppily on the couch; tail flicking edgily at every sudden bark of laughter. She absently stroked Hiccup's arm and revelled in the sparks of sensation that flickered through her core at the focused look in his eyes. This was so easy. Like they'd done this lifetimes ago, in another world.

"I'm not usually this forward." She admitted with rising heat to her cheeks. The fabric under her fingers was warm and soft. "I don't tend to jump on people and kiss them."

"Oh, good. I was hoping to cure you of that habit."

Astrid caved and punched his arm. "Dumbass."

His snorting laugh brightened the room, somehow. She wanted to hold that laughter and keep it close; hear it again when she was sad to cheer herself up. It was infectious.

They ended up turning on the TV to watch a re-run of Friends; the three of them curled on the couch like peas in a pod. Halfway through, Hiccup's arm looped loosely round the top of her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest. His heartbeat was racing against her ear. Astrid smiled in response and curled into his chest, closing her eyes and breathing in the pleasant smell of his fabric conditioner mixed with Hiccup's smell.

She must have fell asleep. Even as she blinked into awareness, she was struck by how comfortable she was. Cushioned under her head was Hiccup's chest; one arm still curled protectively over her shoulders. The TV had been turned off. Toothless was lapping at a bowl of water somewhere behind them; water slapping noisily at the strike of his tongue. While a small lamp was lit in the corner, it was quite dark in the cabin. Her heart gave a pang at the domesticity of it all.

The man himself had his head crooked at an awkward angle on the back of the couch. His mouth was parted as he breathed quietly in his sleep. What fascinated her was the constant twitching of his limbs, extremities and even his eyelids. Every part of him was involved in some sort of movement; constantly thinking even in sleep. Turning her head, she squinted at the time displayed on the clock on the far wall. It was late; and she had work tomorrow.

Unlike last time, staying in his bed held all sorts of implications she couldn't push just now. Before, he took himself out of the equation. But after starting this rollercoaster of emotion and fire, she wasn't sure they could handle sleeping in close proximity with less clothes on. A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.

"Hiccup." She murmured. When all he did was twitch, she poked his side with a finger. "Psst. Hiccup."

"Wha-?" Hiccup jerked awake and twisted, confused, with his arm still around her neck. She was pulled forwards to his lap before he realised where he was, and an even longer moment for him to connect the dots.

"Astrid." He breathed. Astrid only smirked in return.

"I need to get home." She poked him again, if only to see his amusing recoil. "There'll be a bus shortly."

His eyes raised to the clock. A pinched expression twisted his expression to something along the lines of a pout. "Already?"

Astrid raised an eyebrow at his forcefulness. "One of us has to be responsible. Boss."

That hand came up again to scratch his hair. "Ha, yeah...that was sort of an accident."

She blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Hiccup gently pushed her aside to reach down and reattach his prosthetic; taking extra care when fastening the buckles through the metal. "My dad wanted to travel the world." His voice was slightly muffled as he talked through his arm. "He almost closed the park so I could go to university. I couldn't let him do that, so I took over so he could live out his dream."

"That..." Astrid thought of her own family legacy; abandoned as she walked away to make her own future like her mother. "That was noble."

"Pfft." Hiccup brushed her comment aside and stood, reaching down a hand. "Coming, milady?"

Astrid rolled her eyes and heaved herself off the couch, slapping away his hand with a sound of disgust. "Pfft." She parroted back. "I can do most things on my own."

Those green eyes sparkled. "I know."

Her pushy acquaintance with first his lap, then his lips, came roaring back. "Well," She stumbled over the words. "I should get going."

That knowing grin followed her hurried exit out of the door. Even as she rounded the side of the cabin, she heard Hiccup grump to Toothless as she disappeared from view.

"Well? What are you looking at?"

The panther only chirped knowingly.

"You pulled!"

Astrid hid behind her HR folder from Ruff's morning interrogation. "I did not."

Ruff tossed her braided hair behind her shoulder and began to tick off her fingers. "Not home till late, dazed eyes, stumbling over answers...you totally met someone. I don't know where, but I'll find him."

Astrid ignored Ruff as best as she could, but capable fingers snatched the folder she had her nose in and threw it carelessly aside. She considered her fingernails instead, deliberately not looking up. She had strolled into work at 9 with her head full of dreams; hazy visions of lazy touches and movements that had her waking drenched in sweat. They kept flashing in her brain when she was meant to be paying attention on other, more important things.

"Come on." Ruff moaned and plonked herself down onto the nearest chair. "You gotta tell me. Hey, maybe it's a girl."

"It's not a girl!" Astrid squeaked. Ruff shrieked in satisfaction.

"So there is someone!"

"No." Astrid glared at her boisterous flatmate. "There is not." She resumed her reading where she left off, calmly regarding the writing she wasn't paying attention to. There was a sort of frazzled silence emitting from Ruff, so much so that it made Astrid look up into her hungry eyes.

"I didn't expect this from you."

"No on expects the Ruff inquisition." Ruff huffed and pouted to herself. "You'll tell me tonight, yeah?"

Astrid considered it. "I might."

"Excellent." Ruff unfolded herself from the chair to stand, looking down with a lecherous grin etched onto her face. "Tonight. You can tell me everything."

"Like hell." Astrid muttered to her retreating back. Then she felt guilty. She was meant to be opening up, and letting herself be vulnerable enough to let someone else in was a part of that.

"I will." She called out in a surer voice. Ruff only sent a wink behind her as she left, but it still lifted Astrid's spirits all the same.

Things were looking up.

Thank you to all.