A/N: Thanks a ton for 250 follows! :)

Chapter 14: A Beautiful World.

"At least tell me where we're going!" Astrid insisted as Hiccup pulled her along by the hand, weaving between trees and bushes.

"If I tell you right now, you won't come with me" Hiccup replied.

"That doesn't sound very promising" she complained, but continued following him all the same. Her fingers itched for her axe that Hiccup had made her leave behind, and as she had (reluctantly) done so, she realised something.

She trusted Hiccup with her life.

The revelation was equal parts frightening and exhilarating. She'd never put this much faith in anyone before, let alone her husband of less than a month.

They were in an unfamiliar part of the forest now but Hiccup was still moving purposefully like he knew exactly where he was going, and before long the trees in front of them disappeared and they reached the edge of a large circular cove with a lake in the middle.

Astrid tilted her head in confusion. "You come here for swimming?"

Hiccup laughed nervously. "Umm no- follow me"

He climbed down a steep path and Astrid followed him until they reached the sandy floor, and Hiccup looked around like he was waiting for something.

"Hey Tooothless" he called out. "Look who's here to see you!"

Nothing happened for a moment, and Astrid was beginning to question her husband's sanity when there was a rustle in some leaves up ahead and she caught a large and dark shape moving amongst the shadows.

"Hiccup?" she asked, seriously spooked now but he still looked completely unfazed and continued moving forward.

"You can come out bud, it's ok" he encouraged and suddenly a dragon as dark as the night slowly creeped out into view, looking warily at her.

Astrid couldn't believe her own eyes as she instinctively tried to retreat but Hiccup's firm grip on her hand stopped her.

"Hic-hiccup that's a-" she didn't even know what kind of dragon that was. Okay, maybe she had a sneaking suspicion but that thought was way too frightening to voice and she didn't even have her axe or shield and now they both were gonna die a slow and painful-

"He won't hurt you" Hiccup encouraged, though he might as well have been a thousand miles away for the words didn't quite register in Astrid's utterly terrified brain.

She had considered herself fearless her whole life, and now she was realising what terror truly was. Her legs seemed to be frozen to the earth. The embodiment of everything she feared was right in front of her, stalking closer, and any second it would pounce and-

"Toothless, Astrid. Astrid, Toothless"

She couldn't figure out why Hiccup was talking so casually and not screaming hysterically. She might have done that had her voice not evaporated at the sight of the beast.

Hiccup stroked the dragon's head and Astrid was wondering if this was some sort of a crazy hyper-realistic dream.

"C'mere" Hiccup tugged her closer, her legs complying for some reason. What was the use of resisting? They were both dead anyway right? In the face of certain doom, she had become highly susceptible to suggestion.

Astrid finally managed to squeak out, "Why isn't it-"

"Attacking us?" Hiccup supplied and Astrid nodded wide eyed.

"Well toothless here might look all tough and scary but he's really a big softie. Aren't you buddy?"

Astrid blinked rapidly a few times but nothing changed, she didn't wake up, the world still made zero sense.

"This is Toothless. My best friend"

"B-best friend... a dragon"

Hiccup chuckled. "Yes, a Night fury to be precise"

"Night fury?" A long forgotten incident popped up in her mind from hearing that name out of Hiccup's mouth. "You mean a few months ago when you said you shot one down... you were telling the truth?"

Hiccup grinned. "Yep. No one believed me at the time and I guess that was a good thing. Otherwise I would never have figured out the truth"

"The truth?"

"The truth about dragons- they're not the vicious monsters we believe them to be"

"Hiccup, I'm telling you we need to get away from that-"

"Hold out your hand" he interrupted, holding her hand palm out towards the dragon. Astrid felt this situation extremely odd, with her being unsure and scared and Hiccup being all confident and in control. She forced herself to do as he told, since she was still alive so maybe in some insane way he knew what he was doing after all?

She felt Hiccup's arm around her shoulders as he held her in place, and the dragon cocked its head curiously at her before taking a step forward. Astrid didn't even realise that she'd closed her eyes until the contact of smooth scales on her fingertips made her snap them open.

She was touching... a dragon. A Night Fury.

"See? It's perfectly safe. When I shot him down, I accidentally hurt his tail so he was unable to fly. I managed to make a prosthetic one in the forge"

She'd been too preoccupied with worrying about her hand being bitten off, and It was now that she noticed the brownish prosthetic fin on its tail, and the... was that a saddle?

"I'm gonna pass out" she said, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.

Hiccup laughed, "You're Astrid the fearless! " He leaned closer in a conspiratorial way and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, the best part is yet to come"

Clutching Hiccup so tightly she was sure it must have been painful, she forced herself to lift her face from his shoulder onto the oncoming wind which whipped her braid around wildly.

Astrid didn't know how she'd let herself get talked into this, and now she was miles up in the air and the clouds were rushing past like big fluffy sheep and she was absolutely terrified and yet it was all so... magical.

Is this what it is like to be a dragon?

Her heart rate gradually slowed with each beat of the dragon- Toothless' wings, and once her panic had reduced slightly lower than a mind numbing amount, her mind flooded with thoughts like a dam bursting open.

When she'd first noticed Hiccup's regular unexplained absences, she'd wondered where he went. But this was something she couldn't have imagined in her most bizarre dreams, yet it fit so completely, like the last piece of the puzzle that explained so many of Hiccup's oddities, from his absences, to his late nights at the forge, to his taming of the nightmare to win her hand- this was unreal.

But the wispy clouds swirling around her outstretched hands were absolutely real, and she had this funny feeling in her stomach that nothing was ever gonna be the same after her feet touch the ground.

This was all so... Hiccup. He had once again gone and uprooted her whole world from underneath her, and she wanted to be confused, or mad, or something, but when they burst above the clouds into a dome is twinkling stars and iridescent auroras, the sight took her breath away.

No amount of thinking was gonna help her, so she just let it all go and clutched her husband closer, enjoying the warmth of the contact in the freezing wind.

She stopped resisting, stopped trying to grasp at some meagre understanding of it all, and just took in the sight of her new world.

And oh, what a beautiful world it was.

She sat beside Hiccup on top of a large rock in the cove, listening as he recalled the events leading up to her meeting toothless today, stopping every once in a while to answer her questions.

Toothless was visible as a dark shadow in the twilight chasing fireflies around like a curious kitten.

Whenever she'd imagined a night fury- for the couple of fleeting glances she'd gotten as it streaked overhead in the night during raids, she'd pictured a vicious bloodthirsty monster, scarier than any other species she'd ever known. The offspring of lightning and death itself, Toothless, had well and truly defied her expectations.

As Hiccup animatedly explained how he'd made the monstrous nightmare realise he wasn't a threat, how he'd met peaceful dragons in the wild, she noticed a hint of vulnerability in his voice.

He was explaining everything he knew and believed in, confiding in her things that they both knew were more than enough to be considered high treason on Berk, and hence, there was a distinct air of worry all around him.

They had grown closer over the last few weeks than she'd ever imagined, but there was still a hint of insecurity in Hiccup. Like he was constantly worried about doing something that will drive her away and leave him all alone.

It was understandable to her, given how he'd been treated over the years by all of Berk, and even his father hadn't really been a person he could open up to. Not like this.

And now he was worried that she would hate him for this, or she wouldn't believe him, or think him insane, rat him out to the village and be hailed as a hero, use this as a more than valid reason to break off their marriage.

She'd opened up after about an hour of flying, even going so far as to voice her enjoyment to him and let him know that she was okay with this, as unexpected as it had been.

But clearly, that wasn't enough to dissuade his doubts, for he still seemed a bit on edge, like he was ready to fly away forever on a moment's notice.

She shuddered at that mere thought, and knew she had to get it into his head right then and there that it was fine, she was fine, they were fine.

"Hiccup?"

"Hmm?"

"This is just... a lot to process for one evening"

Hiccup turned to her concerned but she spoke up before him, "But rest assured, I'm not gonna tell anyone. Nor will I leave you over this, I promise. To be honest, I can't believe you did all this. I can't believe you've managed to keep this a secret for so long, and I really can't believe it's possible for a vicious dragon of the night to look... adorable" she finished with a cheeky grin.

He smiled in return but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You're... completely serious? You won't tell anyone? Not even your family?"

She looked down smiling before meeting his eyes again. "You are my family now"

Hiccup let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeak, staring in awe at her.

Before she could come up with a witty retort to his speechlessness, she found herself being pulled into his embrace as he held her tightly, chanting relieved thank you's in her ear.

He pulled away just enough to press a firm kiss to her cheek before returning to the hug again.

She found herself returning his hug eagerly, feeling satisfied at finally knowing his secret and happy that she had gotten her intentions through to him successfully.

He eventually released her and hopped down from the rock before taking her hands to help her down as well.

Suddenly they were standing face to face and before Hiccup could step away, she decked him on his shoulder.

"Ow!" He protested, looking scandalized. "What was-"

"That's for keeping secrets from your wife"

She reached for his tunic again and he flinched as if bracing for another hit, but he received something quite the opposite, when Astrid tugged him close and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips before pushing him away.

"And that, was for... everything else."

"Hey wait a second!" Hiccup called from the table.

Astrid turned around to look at Hiccup, her hand about to undo her braid to brush it before getting ready for bed.

"Yeah?"

"Don't open it just yet, hold on" he said, getting up and grabbing his sketchbook and pencil while Astrid stood confused.

"Huh?"

Hiccup looked down and he was sure his face looked as warm as it felt.

"I wanted- I wanted to draw a portrait... of you. Can you... sit still for ten minutes?"

"I'd love to, but right now of all times? I probably look like a mess"

Hiccup shook his head. "Quite the opposite. You're looking extra beautiful right now with your wind swept hair and rosy cheeks, and I really... wanted to capture this moment from the day of your first flight on a dragon"

Astrid had gotten used to Hiccup calling her beautiful without reservations by now, but it still colored her cheeks and melted her heart all the same.

"Okay then, husband" she replied coolly and enjoyed his reaction. She'd figured out by now that any time she simply acknowledged their marriage, it sent him into an idiotic grin mode for the next hour or so.

She sat down on a stool next to the fire, Hiccup instructed her to look straight and put her braid over her shoulder so it was fully visible. Unsure of where to place her hands, she settled for her lap.

Hiccup sat back and pretended to observe her critically, but even she could see that he had trouble keeping the visible adoration out of his eyes. Even after being married for nearly a month, he still looked at her like he couldn't believe she was really here, with him.

She found it extremely cute and flattering, and as he sketched looking down all focused, she took this opportunity to observe him back, committing all his features to memory.

She'd gotten better at reading his expressions and emotions by now, and he'd gotten better at reading her. And now that they were bonded over an earth shattering secret as well, she felt closer to him than she'd ever had.

He looked up and smiled at her, "just a few more final touches"

The truth was, she didn't mind posing for him and being letting him put her to paper. The old Astrid would have probably dismissed such artsy things useless and unimportant, but she had grown to appreciate Hiccup's creative talent as much as his technical skills, and sitting here in their house all alone with her husband, she felt adored, worshiped, loved even, as he looked at her, a never ending smile on his face.

Loved.

That word would probably have mortified her in the past, but now, it just made her smile a bit wider. Even a blind person could see how much love was radiating off him towards her. Everything he did, said, or even didn't say, conveyed his abundant affection in a way that she was finding hard to imagine living without anymore.

He'd never put it in spoken out loud, blunt terms yet, at least not to her directly, but she had no qualms in admitting that she was a hundred percent sure that her husband loved her. Maybe even from earlier, before they'd been married.

As fearless as she considered herself, she was still afraid to put her feelings into words or even conscious thoughts. This felt too precious and perfect to label, at least for now. So she decided to let him know by her actions instead.

When he proudly showed her the remarkable sketch of her he'd made, she joked, "How much will this fine masterpiece cost me?"

"For you Milady, free of charge. Or maybe one kiss if you're feeling generous" He added cheekily.

She knew she shouldn't spoil him like this, but she was feeling way too warm and fluttery to care right now, and deciding that she indeed was feeling generous, she wrapped her arms around him and paid him on the spot, double the asking price.

Now that Hiccup had come clean to Astrid, things just seemed so much easier. First thing in the morning, he was excitedly pulling her along through the woods and before long, they were soaring through the air, Astrid's golden tresses flying in the wind behind them.

It was strange to think that only yesterday, she had been holding on to him terrified, and now, it looked like she belonged in the air. It gave him an unexpected burst of optimism. If she could accept dragons, who was to say the rest of Berk couldn't?

They landed around noon, and since Gobber was still going around helping repair the damage from the storm, Hiccup went off to go help him while Astrid decided to stay in the cove a while longer, training with her axe while Toothless watched her curiously.

She did feel a bit uneasy initially being alone with the night fury without Hiccup to protect her, but that feeling soon passed when she realised how much of a softie toothless really was. Apparently he had decided to let his guard down completely in front of her, seeing that if Hiccup trusted her, then he did too.

Over the next few days, Hiccup and Astrid woke bright and early for pre-dawn flights and sneaked away out the back door of their house for evening flights. Seeing the sun rising and setting from miles up in the air was a sight that Astrid had fallen in love with, and although she enjoyed flying tremendously, one of her favorite parts of it was having an excuse to put her arms around Hiccup and pretty much hug him from the back for an hour or two.

In the air, there were no villagers, no arena, no chores, no fighting. Just her, her husband, and their dragon. She couldn't help but feel grateful to Hiccup for discovering this beautiful world, and for inviting her into it.

Looking down at the distant ocean, she couldn't help but wish they could just keep on flying and never have to step back on the ground ever again.

One fine evening sitting by the cliffside, Astrid found herself utterly blind sighted by something Ruffnut suddenly mentioned in a nonchalant tone.

"Oh by the way, I'm getting engaged to Fishlegs tomorrow"

"You're getting what?!" Astrid exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Hush, keep it down will you!"

"When on earth did this happen?"

"When I turned sixteen last week, he showed up bright and early on my doorstep and was holding a contract in his nervous hands. It was a hilarious sight, to be honest" Ruffnut said, giggling at the memory.

"And you just accepted it?"

Looking back, Astrid didn't really remember too many instances of Ruffnut and Fishlegs spending time together. Ruff of course flirted outwardly with any boy in the village she could find, but Astrid had always assumed she just enjoyed the attention rather than seeing a real emotional connection.

Now that she thought about it though, it did make sense. Snotlout was too self centered and egoistic even for Ruffnut's taste, and although Fishlegs' timid and gentle nature was a stark contrast to hers, it just meant that she'd enjoy having the reigns over their relationship and legs certainly wouldn't mind following in her footsteps.

"I did accept it" Ruffnut replied. "But contrary to what you might think, it wasn't an impulsive decision. I'm not that rash"

"Hmm?"

"Over the last month, I was basically running an undercover audition to find a suitable match for myself, silently judging every boy I came across"

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Well, I didn't tell you because at first I figured you had your hands full already while dealing with your sudden marriage and your confused reaction to it, and then I figured I'd just wait and see how it played out between you two and maybe that'll help me decide.

To be honest, I wasn't sure about marrying right away either. But after seeing you, the most focused, stubborn, and the most un-romantic person I knew, fall in love with married life after hardly a week or two of resistance, I thought, how bad can it really be?"

Astrid scoffed. "I'm not un-romantic, I'm plenty romantic!" Then her eyes widened at what she'd blurted, and she reddened while trying to decide which of the two options was less embarrassing.

"Normally I'd disagree, but you might be right. At least, given the way I've seen you smooching old fishbone in the last few days" she smirked.

Astrid sputtered, "W-w-what? You couldn't have seen that"

Astrid wracked her brain to remember the last few days. She'd always made sure to kiss Hiccup only in private, either in their home while wishing him goodbye in the mornings, or sometimes in greeting at the forge or after flights on toothless. But there's no way Ruffnut could have known that.

Ruffnut grinned triumphantly. "Aha! So it is true then"

Astrid couldn't believe her friend's convoluted deduction tactics.

Ruffnut continued, "I pretty much knew it already, seeing how you've been so smiley and glowing lately. It doesn't take a genius to guess what's happened. You know, I am even beginning to think you might be falling in loooove"

"Shut up!" Astrid tried as usual, but couldn't really bring herself to feel angry at her insinuations for some reason.

"Okay so getting back on topic, Fishlegs did turn out to be my first choice. He's a real hunk," she said, wriggling her eyebrows, "Plus I like sensitive guys. And then he was the one to show up with the contract first and I think it all fell right into place"

Astrid couldn't help but smile at the notion of Ruffnut and Fishlegs being a couple. They did seem kinda cute together, Plus as a bonus she and Ruff will now be able to gloat at Snotlout for him still being single despite his incessant and obnoxious attempts flirting with both of them over the years.

"I'm happy for you" she said. Ruffnut seemed slightly surprised by her sincere tone.

"Thank you. I hope you'll help me pick out a good dress though. You're not miss queen of fashion sense yourself but at least it'll be better than having my idiot brother tag along"

Astrid laughed. "Sure thing"

I hope I did justice to the romantic flight scene, it's a big moment in their relationship here and it's always fun to write. Also, I simply love any story in which Hiccup draws Astrid hehe. Do let me know your thoughts! :)

p.s. Rufflegs shippers rejoice :p