Argh. Today's been hectic. Anyway, here's chapter 21.

Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter Twenty-One

What on Earth had possessed him to promise Astrid that he would tell her about Toothless?

He must have been temporarily insane. Love did weird things to your brain, Hiccup thought unhappily. So now he had to tell Toothless that he had promised to give him away to a ferocious dragon-killing Viking because, well, she was his wife and he had been captivated by her eyes when he opened his big mouth.

He vowed to never look Astrid in the eye again.

Though that would be really hard. She had really beautiful eyes.

Argh. He certainly shouldn't be thinking about that now.

Before breaking this piece of news to Toothless, Hiccup stuffed the dragon with fresh fish. Hey, news like this warranted a hearty bribe. Then maybe Toothless wouldn't blast his hair off, or throw him into the sea the next time they went flying.

After the meal of fish and a thorough scratching, Toothless sprawled on the ground in a boneless heap in total dragon bliss. Hiccup sat down with his back against him and rubbed his hands together. Time to break the news.

'Remember when I told you I got married, bud?' he said, resting his head against Toothless as he stared up into the afternoon sky. It was peaceful in the cove. Now that he was a huge success in the ring, he could barely walk through the village without being swamped by his new fans. It was very alarming. Lying here with Toothless, where the only noises were the birds and insects and his own voice, now this was the life.

Well, it would be if he didn't have to worry about Toothless and Astrid killing each other.

Toothless grunted, turning his head around to look at Hiccup, and his incredulous expression said very clearly; you mean that actually happened?

'Ha. Ha. Very funny. Listen, I just want your opinion on this. Astrid –that's my wife- hates dragons. But I sort of promised her that I would… you know, tell her about you,' Somehow, Hiccup had gotten into the habit of talking to his dragon. Toothless seemed to understand every word, and even responded; so he no longer felt stupid doing it.

Toothless was responding now; by narrowing his eyes and giving a faint growl.

He really should have thought about bringing extra fish.

'I know. I know. I don't even know why I promised her that. I never really could deny her anything,' Hiccup sighed mournfully.

Toothless sniggered, and Hiccup could almost hear it; you're so whipped.

'It's just… she's important to me. And you're important to me too. The two of you are like separate parts of my life, and I'd really, really like it if I don't have to keep either of you hidden from each other anymore,'

Perhaps it was the seriousness of his tone; Toothless stopped his mocking and just stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

'You'd like her too, if you have the chance to get to know her. She's really dedicated, and focused, in everything she does; she's very kind too, but you need to dig under all the outward aggression to reach that part of her. And I think… I hope, if she could drop her prejudice against dragons and get to know you, she'd like you too,'

It had been just a little over two weeks since he had found Toothless, but it seemed as though he had known the dragon forever. Toothless was his best friend. He couldn't imagine life without him now. But he couldn't imagine life without Astrid either; even before their marriage, she had always been there, a light in his life, motivating him to push himself to be better.

'I won't bring her here unless I'm sure she's not going to hurt you,' Hiccup said solemnly. Toothless snorted, insulted. 'Yeah, yeah. I know you can take care of yourself, bud. I was just saying,' Man, Night Furies and their pride. Hiccup reached out and put his hand on the dragon's nose. 'So what do you say, Toothless? Think you can trust me enough?'

For a moment they looked at each other, and it was like that first day again, a boy and a dragon getting to know each other. Then Toothless drew back, rolled his eyes back into his head, and threw up half a fish in Hiccup's lap.

Hiccup laughed in relief and gave the dragon's head a fierce rub. 'Thanks, bud,'

Toothless looked at him meaningfully, then at the fish, then at him again. He stuck out his tongue at Hiccup, and the meaning was clear. You're not getting away so easily. Eat the fish.

'What? Oh, come on!' Hiccup wailed.

He glared at Toothless; Toothless glared back. They had a staring contest, a silent battle of wills.

Then Toothless made a move to regurgitate more fish, and Hiccup threw up his arms in defeat. 'Oh alright!' he said sulkily, picking up the regurgitated fish in his lap. 'I'll be sneaking an eel into your meal one of these days,' he told Toothless, and Toothless cuffed him on the head with his tail and gave him a pointed look. You got off easy, so quit complaining.

Hiccup bit into the fish. And Toothless sniggered gleefully.

Astrid couldn't stop thinking about Hiccup and the Terrible Terror. Dragons were horrible, thieving, fire-breathing monsters. She had been bought up knowing that. Dragons were to be killed on sight.

But she had watched a little dragon saving Hiccup from being beaten into a pulp. And all Hiccup had done was to release it from some chains. The dragon had recognized friend from foe, and when Hiccup was in trouble, it had come back to help. That was not the behavior of a mindless killing machine.

Astrid didn't know what to think, and confusion did not sit well with her. She had to talk to Hiccup.

She found Hiccup in the evening, at the forge. He was in the little workshop that was his personal corner, head on a table and rolling a piece of charcoal around.

She crossed her arms and blocked the door; she didn't think Hiccup would run this time, but it didn't hurt to make sure. 'Don't tell me you're still avoiding me. I thought we're past that,'

Hiccup sprang up. 'Astrid! Hi Astrid! Hi! Erm… what are… you doing… here…?' Out of the corner of her eye she saw him hastily pushing some sketches out of sight. Did it have something to do with his big secret?

Did his secret have anything to do with that strange, over-protective Terror?

'What are you doing here?' she countered, folding her arms.

'I'm… nothing! Just… thinking,' he stammered.

Couldn't do your thinking at home, huh?' Astrid said, spotting a book filled with sketches and reaching for it.

'It's not like that… um… Astrid,' Hiccup made a move to grab for the sketchbook.

'What? Is something highly confidential in here?' Astrid asked with a smirk. It was great being able to make Hiccup panic like this. It made her feel powerful, a different sort of powerful.

'Well, no,' Hiccup said cautiously, 'but you have to promise me you won't hit me, or anything,'

Now her curiosity was piqued. 'I don't make promises I can't keep,' she told him smugly, and opened the sketchbook.

She saw herself, sleeping, snuggled under the furs on their big bed.

Hiccup made a strangled sound in his throat and spread his arms, closing his eyes. 'Argh. Come on then. Make it fast,'

'You've been watching me sleep?' she said, narrowing her eyes.

'Not exactly,' Hiccup said nervously. 'You're usually asleep when I got back so it'd be the first thing I see when I enter the room. It's not like I stare on purpose… I'm not… stalker-ish,'

'Hmm,' reserving judgment, she turned the page, and was a little disappointed it wasn't her. It was the Thorston twins, locked in one of their battles with each other. She sat down on the stool Hiccup had vacated, and shifted a little so he could sit down on the table, his legs dangling beside her. Without thinking, she leaned back against his thigh, only realizing what she had done when he jumped.

Because she liked how nervous she was making him, she stayed where she was.

'You know, you're really good at this,' she turned the pages. Fishlegs, pouring over a book; Snotlout with his dad; Stoick with Gobber; Astrid with her brothers.

'Thank you,' he said quietly.

They sat like that, in strangely companionable silence, while Astrid flipped slowly through the entire book. She couldn't help thinking how nice it felt, to just sit here with him, in the soft yellow light from the two candles he had lit. It gave her a feeling of happiness she couldn't explain.

She had gone sappy; she should be horrified, but it seemed like too much effort.

'I don't think this is the only sketchbook you have,' she said softly, unwilling to destroy the quiet, serene atmosphere. 'Show me more,'

'Um,' Hiccup said intelligently. He hesitated, and she waited. With Hiccup, she would have to be patient, but it didn't bother her anymore. In fact, she liked the waiting, because the result was worth it. The result was just… Hiccup.

He handed her another sketchbook in silence. His whole life was in those sketches, and Astrid felt like she was rediscovering him as she thumbed through the pages. There were pages on his various inventions, with notes and calculations that Astrid didn't really understand. But she was more interested in the people he had drawn. Crowds in the Great Hall, people during the festivals. There were several pages depicting their little gang; but not one of them had him in it.

He had never been part of a crowd. He had always been on the sidelines, watching, waiting; maybe wishing.

The sketches radiated loneliness, making guilt and pain well in her chest.

'You should draw yourself in here,' she murmured, closing the book and handing it to him. 'Start by drawing a picture of you and me together, we'll hang it over the bed, or something,'

Hiccup stared at her in surprise, and she realized what she had just said. As the blush traveled up her neck, Hiccup smiled hopefully. 'Really?'

Everything in her seemed to melt. 'Sure. Why not?' So what if she was getting soft? It was Hiccup. She didn't need to be all tough and Viking-like with Hiccup.

He looked at her as though he was seeing her in a whole new light.

'Astrid. Can I ask you something?' he said slowly.

'Sure,'

'What do you think of this?' he said, and handed her another sketch. It was of a dragon, but one Astrid had never seen before. She had never seen wings that were so bat-like and long. And Hiccup had colored it black. She looked up at him, frowning. 'What is it?'

'That's a Night Fury,' he said softly, and gently drew the sketch away. 'Astrid, is there any way you can change your mind about hating dragons?'

She stared at him. The old Astrid inside her wanted to demand what do you mean? Dragons are supposed to be hated, killed on sight. It is the Viking way. How can you ask me to change my mind about hating them?

But she remembered the Terrible Terror. And as she stared into his serious green eyes, she remembered his steady hand on her back when she vomited into a bucket; remembered his gentle patience as he dabbed at her forehead with a cloth. And she remembered the resignation in his voice when he had told her he loved her, as though he already knew the feeling was not reciprocated.

The rebuke died on her lips.

And then suddenly it dawned on her, why her father had said Hiccup reminded him of himself. They were both un-Viking-like, her father forced by circumstances, Hiccup forged by nature. They were both on the sidelines, watching, never a part of things. And so they saw better.

What had Hiccup seen? He had lost his mother because of dragons, so he must have hated dragons like she did. So what had he seen that had changed his mind?

She thought of the Terror, snarling, growling. And leaping to Hiccup's rescue.

She took a deep breath. 'Convince me,'

Hiccup touched her shoulder. He looked serious, and in his hands he held the sketches he had tried to hide from her. 'Why don't we go back home? I... I have something to tell you,'

Finally.

'Sure, let's go home,'