Hi gang! I appreciate each and every one of your reviews. They make me so happy inside! A recurring statement that seemed to pop up regularly, was how in the world is there supposed to be romance between a merman and human.

Who said there was going to be romance? Me? What? Haha, just kidding. Anyways, just don't worry about it. We'll get there.

Also, the next few chapters are filler before we get into the main plot. Just bare with me. :)

In the morning, Astrid awoke to sizzling meat over a fire. She blinked awake, terrified at first, but then she relaxed when she saw the merman stirring the meal.

She yawned and sat up. "Whatcha doin'?" She asked, tired.

"Oh! Good morning! Toothless caught some fish, and I thought I'd make some breakfast."

Rubbing her eye, she noticed his cooking utensils. "Is that…a breast plate?" It was. The fine silver was mostly black where the fire had scorched it, and the shape was warped. He was stirring with a dagger, too.

"Oh, is it?" He shrugged. "What's it used for?"

"It's armor. To cover the chest."

He looked down at it, and then laughed. "Well, I won't be needing that!"

She shrugged. It was true. Getting out of bed, she sat across from him by the fire. She made herself comfortable before he handed her a ceramic bowl.

"Thanks." She yawned. She watched him as he picked the food with his fingers. Shrugging, she joined him. There was nothing like fresh fish, it tasted like chicken. "This is good."

"Thanks! When you're on your own, you get good at making certain foods rather well."

She nodded in agreement. "So," She began, eyeballing the great black dragon that sat nearby, scarfing down fish. "How did you two meet?"

Hiccup smiled fondly as he tucked in his tail and scratched Toothless affectionately. "It was last winter, when that freeze froze over the ocean…"

—

A younger Hiccup swam deep under the ice. The water was chilly and unforgiving, but it was bearable the farther from the ice you stayed. The mermaids stayed far in the depths, near the heated vents along the ocean floor. He didn't have that luxury.

It was on one of these frigid evening that he headed back to his cave after a day of fruitful treasure hunting. Little did he know, he would find the greatest gift of them all.

A large black form twisted in the waves, unaccustomed to the water. It kicked up and scratched at the ice, bubbles escaping it's mouth. Hiccup watched in horror as the beast gave up, and began to sink.

It was a dragon, black and beautiful, like the night sky. Such an amazing creature was succumbing to an icy grave, and Hiccup wasn't sure if the water would be as kind as it had been to him. He abandoned his prizes and skirted over to the beast. Hands under it's great maw, the merman lifted the dragon's head, to look at him.

Great juniper eyes that glowed like his own, bored into him like a knife. Pure terror flitted across the magnificent creature's face as he continued sinking.

I don't want to die. He seemed to say.

A mermaid's kiss is legended to protect a sailor from drowning. It's unknown why such a thing works, but it did. Hiccup, steeling himself for the worst, pressed his lips against the cold scales that lined the dragon's mouth, and blew.

The great jade eyes slid shut gently as the reptile relaxed in his arms. Hiccup gathered the beast's head to his chest, and together they sank, coming to rest on the soft sand of the floor. The merman rubbed his hand over the smooth scales and waited, his head rested a top of the dragon's.

Hiccup, the lone orphan, the only of his kind, felt this amazing attachment to something he had just discovered. Those green eyes had been mirrors, reflecting his own loneliness, his own fears. Almost drowning was a fate he would never wish on someone, especially not this magnificent creature.

It seemed like hours passed before the large reptile roused. It was only by the warmth he emitted that Hiccup knew he was still alive. The beast blinked awake, and then came to notice he was being held.

He didn't like it.

Hiccup was pinned against a rock by a great paw on his chest. He panicked, and sucked in water, forgetting to breathe. The dragon opened his mouth, preparing to fire.

Though it took a moment, the creature realized that it was underwater, and he hadn't drowned. He roared, bubbles blasting out and into Hiccup's face.

"Whoa! Hey! It's okay!"

The dragon was startled to hear the boy's voice. But after studying him, he came to notice that this little creature had saved him from the watery grave. He looked like the humans, the weak little pests that scurried on the ground, but this one had the tail of saltswimmys instead of legs. Then again, he didn't tend to water very well.

The humanoid held his hand out, ready to scratch his snout, but the dragon would have none of it, and attempted to retreat. Though, instead of going anywhere, the dragon just flipped backwards, his rear floating away. He spread his wings in an attempt to right himself, but the current lifted him and spun him again.

"Whoa! Easy! Easy…" The merman caught up with him, and held out his hands.

The dragon stopped his struggling and watched. Hiccup carefully touched his wings and pushed. The beast retracted them close to his body.

"There! Okay, now, watch me."

Those great green eyes narrowed in curiosity.

Hiccup used his arms to propel himself forward, just a little bit, slowly. The reptile copied his movements. Soon, they were scurrying across the ocean floor, practicing. Eventually, the Nightfury used it's back legs as well, and tried to race the merman. Hiccup sped on ahead and then used his tail to turn. The dragon was close behind.

On they raced, the dragon becoming faster and faster as he practiced the movements. Through reefs and ship wrecks, the great beast learned how to maneuver in this new world. And this little non-human was fun, he had saved him.

The ocean is full of mysteries and unknown dangers. Mermaid's are one of them, not many ocean dwellers would mess with the hybrids. But then, dragons don't follow any hierarchy, and food was food.

The deep blue of the Thunderdrum went unseen by the frolicking friends. That is, until he grew too close.

The Nightfury was the first to notice, alerting Hiccup with a growl. The boy grew startled at the threat, and swam farther away. Unfortunately, Thunderdrums were in the tidal class, and were much better swimmers then the Nightfury. It easily passed the land dragon to chase its pray, but the Nightfury was close behind.

Hiccup weaved through reefs and coral, anything to throw the feral dragon off his tail, but it was no use. When it came in range, it unleashed a vehement scream that rattled the boy's bones. Try as he may, he became disoriented and twisted in all directions. The predator came up and snapped at him, only catching the end of his tail fin.

Hiccup was doomed. There was no quick swimming with a damaged fin. But just as he thought his fate was set, the Thunderdrum shrieked in pain and wriggled. Hiccup darted behind a boulder and watched in fascination as the Nightfury tackled the other dragon. The fight was over soon, the tidal dragon decided the meal was not worth the effort, and he swam off.

The black dragon searched around, with a look akin to worry, before Hiccup came out.

"Hey, bud…thanks…" He spoke, wearily. The dragon gave him a concerned look before he winced. Sure enough, his tail had a rip running through it. It hurt, but it would heal over time. With a sigh, Hiccup started making his way home, only using his arms.

The Nightfury hated seeing his pet struggle, so he swam up underneath him and lifted, allowing the boy to ride him.

Hiccup guided the dragon to his grotto, enjoying the ride. Once inside, the Nightfury enthusiastically explored the cavern and the treasures it held. Hiccup pulled himself up on the ledge and laid down in exhaustion. He shivered, the winter air leaking in from the openings. He pulled over an old moldy blanket, and wrapped up in it.

After a few apprehensive moments of listening to things clatter, he heard the dragon inhaling, before there was and explosion of heat. He sat up quickly, surprised to find fire in his pit. Still, he didn't have much wood, so it wouldn't last long.

The Nightfury watched him carefully, then sniffed at his ripped fin.

"It'll be fine." Hiccup assured. "Just a little while, and it'll heal..." He smoothed the rough corners.

The dragon licked the wound, and then proceeded to sniff the boy. Finding him safe, he was content to stay. Hiccup smiled at him, showing he meant no harm.

The Nightfury attempted to copy the expression, a gummy grin pulling at his reptilian lips.

"Huh, Toothless…" He scratched his chin. "I could of sworn you had teeth."

Suddenly, his stomach rumbled and the dragon bared it's teeth.

"No no!" the boy cried. "It's just my stomach…I'm hungry." His rubbed his belly.

The dragon seemed to understand as he licked his chops, and then leaned over the fish boy. His eyes rolled up.

"What are you…?"

There was a 'hoark'-ing sound before the beast vomited a fish on the boy's lap.

"Ugh…" He grimaced. It wasn't as if he didn't eat raw fish, but raw fish from a dragon's gullet? That wasn't happening. Still, Toothless urged him on by mimicking a swallowing motion.

And so, he ate the fish, at least a little of it, while Toothless finished the rest off.

Wiping the slime from his lips, he looked to the dragon. "You know…I'm all alone here, and you aren't used to the water…would you stay here?"

The dragon stared at him, his pupils shifting in size. In a final effort, Hiccup held out his hand, turning his face away.

With that, the deal was set. And the greatest friendship began.

—

"So, we've been pretty much inseparable ever since." He nodded. Toothless now rested his head on the merman's lap as the boy scratched his chin.

"So…" Astrid began, digesting his story. "You kissed a dragon?"

He laughed. "Out of the whole story, that's the only thing you took away from it?"

"Well, not the only thing. But it's noticeable. I mean, how does that work?"

"Dragon's have lips."

She rolled her eyes and set her empty bowl aside. "Not that! I mean…how did kissing him keep him from drowning? It just…doesn't make any sense!"

He shrugged. "I don't really know myself…When I was younger, the mermaids told me about it. They said if I wanted to save a human from drowning, I could kiss them. This gives them my breath. I didn't know it would work with Toothless, but I just didn't want to let him drown…especially if I could save him."

Astrid crossed her legs. "I guess you would…since you haven't been raised to hate dragons, like me."

"Well, not land dragons." He clarified. "They are nice, but water dwelling dragons will eat anything with a tail."

She nodded in understanding.

"Astrid, would it be inappropriate if I gave you something?"

She looked apprehensive. "…like what?"

"A gift! Something I found, as…as a thank you for taking care of me since I got caught."

The blonde sighed. "Hiccup, you don't need to give me anything, I'm the one who caught you, and you're letting me stay with you."

"No, you caught me, because I was stealing, and yet you didn't kill me. Please?"

She exasperated. "Alright, if you really must."

The merman smiled and slipped out under Toothless' head. Using his arms, he scooted over to a far wall, where a swing sat. Easing into it, he gripped the side and pulled, the swing rising into the air.

Astrid gawked in fascination. "How are you doing that?"

"Pulleys." He answered easily, pointing up. Clusters of wheels hung between ropes all over the ceiling. She followed the different systems to various swings located around the cavern, each designed to lift him onto different ledges. "Incredible…"

"I can't climb." He swung onto the desired ledge. "Well, not easily. So I made these."

She looked at his tail, her brows furrowed as she imagined the struggle he endured. "It must be hard."

"It can be frustrating." He admitted. "Underwater, I could easily maneuver wherever I need too, but here…well, I work my arms."

He army crawled over the ledge, pulling his body along the rocky shelf.

"That looks painful. Do you want me to grab...whatever this is?"

"No no, I got it." He assured. Shortly after, he reached an algae covered chest and opened it, rifling through the contents. "I was going to save this stuff for trade, someday, somehow, but I think it would go to better use if you had it." He seemed to reach the bottom as he exclaimed a loud 'A-ha!' and started making his way back down.

Regaining his spot, he held out his hand. "Here, I want you to have it."

Astrid was ashamed. She didn't deserve such a wonderful gift. "Hiccup, you don't have to—…"

"But I do, Astrid!" He proclaimed. In his hand sat a gold ring, with a light blue gem set on top. It was quite beautiful, and could be very expensive. "May I?" He held out his other hand.

She raised her hand and allowed him to slip on the ring. It fit well, she found. He kissed the jewel, then clasped her hands. "If ever you are in trouble, just show this ring to the mermaids, and they'll help you. But you must promise me you'll never take it off, alright?"

She grinned. "This is amazing, thank you so much…I don't know what I could do to repay you…" She glanced at his hands that held hers.

"You're friendship is all I need." He ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"You have Toothless," she stated, rolling her eyes.

"I do, but sometimes I need someone I can hold a conversation with."

"Well, I can give you that." She smiled. "Do you know what kind of stone this is?"

"I believe it's what the people call…" He scrunched his nose, thinking of the word. "Chalcedony? Does that sound familiar?"

She shook her head.

"I found it in a Roman shipwreck…"

"Roman!?" She examined the ring more closely. "No wonder! There's no way we'd be able to get a hold of goods like this! This is amazing!"

"Really?"

"Yes! What else was in this shipwreck? Tell me more!"

"Well, I found it about a year ago…most of the stuff was ruined, but that chest was good. Also that barrel," he pointed to a barrel stuck in a corner. "It was sealed and there's something inside it, but I haven't opened it."

"Can I?" She asked, her excitement peaked.

He shrugged. "Be my guest."

Excited, Astrid jumped to her feet and walked to the back corner where the barrel was tucked away. Grabbing a spear, she wedged the end into the wax seal. After it was cut away, she pried the barrel open.

A look of disappointment crossed her face.

"What?" He asked.

"It's just water." She frowned. "Wait!" She leaned it and sniffed. "I think it's…" She cupped a bit in her hand and drank. "It is!"

"What?" He asked again, perplexed at her behavior.

"Do you have any cups?"

"Um…" He glanced around. "I think there are…chalices up there somewhere."

"Perfect!" She exclaimed, climbing up the wall, opting out of the complicated swing. "We're going to make the most of our time together!"

"I don't understand…" he spoke, obviously confused at her odd behavior.

"I'm about to introduce you to a human tradition that we hold near and dear to our hearts."

He was wary, but conceded, "If you say so."

She received the goblets and climbed back down. "I'm so excited! Stoick doesn't let me drink, like ever!"

"He doesn't let you drink?" He asked curiously. "Then…shouldn't you be dead?"

She laughed. "I mean this specific type of drink." She filled the two goblets and handed one to him.

He sniffed it, it smelled sweet. "What kind of drink?"

"Just taste it."

Gingerly, he tilted the cup back and sipped. The drink burned as soon as it touched his tongue and his mouth felt like it filled up with smoke. He gagged, sputtered, and coughed. "This is awful!" He wheezed. "You were excited about this?!"

She sipped and coughed as well. "Yeah! I mean, if he's hiding it from me, it has to be good!"

"Are you sure he wasn't saving you the torture? What is this anyways?!"

"It's wine, white wine. Take another sip, it's not so bad."

"I think I'll pass…" He set down the chalice.

She shrugged. "Well, you're missing out!" And she took another swig.

—

Hours and countless cupfuls of the drink later, Astrid was laying on her side by the fire. Her words slurred as she rambled, but she was in a complete stupor. "So, the next day the duck comes in and says, 'got any nails?' and the bartender says, 'no' so the duck says, 'got any milk?'" She finished her joke and laughed.

"I don't understand…why was the duck talking? And why was it asking for milk?"

She ignored him and took a swig finishing her cup. "Whoopsies! I gotta get some more!"

"I think you've had enough…" Hiccup urged.

"Nah! You drink until you pass out! That's the tradition!"

"Well, maybe we should stray on this tradition as well…" He finally finished his own drink, not even feeling a little buzzed. According to Astrid's accounts on viking culture, the person that drank the most wine without passing out won. Won what, he wasn't so sure.

But so far, Astrid was in the lead. Toothless had lapped up some of the foul liquid and was now curled around the merman, out cold. Hiccup had only drank one glass, in the course of many hours.

"You know what, Hickey?" She stopped and giggled. "Hickey, that's funny because that's what people get from kissing. Ha, ironic."

"How is it ironic?"

"'cause you kissed a dragon!" She teased. "Does Toothless have a little Hickey right here?" She pointed to her lips.

"What?"

"Do you want a hickey!? I'll give you one!" She started crawling towards him.

"Astrid, you're acting weird…" He shifted away from her.

"You're acting weird!" She countered.

"That stuff is effecting you, you need to stop," he urged.

She crawled up next to him and sat by his side, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I like you Hickey, I don't like many people, but I like you."

"Well, good," he amended.

"I also like this drink." She sat up to grab his chalice, most likely going to refill it.

Hiccup snatched it away from her and chucked it into the water. "No more wine!" He lamented.

She snorted. "Gee, if you wanted me to stop, you could have just said it!"

He groaned in annoyance.

Resuming her cuddling, the blonde wrapped her arms around his torso and made herself comfortable by his side. "You know Hickey, I'm glad I met you. You're nice. I feel like I can just tell you any ol' thing in the world, and you don't mind at all."

"I don't mind," he confirmed.

"But at home, Stoick always had all these rules. I had to watch my tongue, and I couldn't talk to people, and I couldn't say what I wanted." She affectionately rubbed his chest. "But here, I can just be myself. And I like that."

The merman carefully ignored her ministrations as he gently rested a hand on her shoulder. He wouldn't hold anything against her since she was in this state. "Well, that's good. I'd like you to be comfortable talking to me."

"I hope I marry someone like you." She proclaimed.

He gulped and had to remind himself that this strange behavior was attributed to the drink. "Well, maybe someday you will."

"You're so nice. How can you talk to me? I'm an awful person." She lamented.

"I think you're a good person." He corrected.

She buried herself into his chest. "I am a despicable human being!"

He pried her off. "No, you're not."

"Yes I am!" She moaned. "I hurt you and now you have to put up with me! You should hate me!"

She had a point, in a strange, convoluted way. He should hate her, she immobilized him. And yet, she tried her best to rectify her wrongs by caring for him. Right now, she was hiding him from people that wouldn't be so kind. She allowed him to go home, to see his best friend! Surely, a despicable human being would do no such thing.

Unfortunately, trying to explain this to her intoxicated brain would do very little good. Instead, he touched her face very gently and spoke, "I could never hate you."

Her mood did an 180, and she hugged him around the neck. "Oh goody!" She exclaimed, partially choking him.

"Sure thing." He whispered.

She nuzzled against his neck. "I'm glad, you're my best friend, Hickey."

He was startled, to say the least. They had only know each other for about a week, and within that time period, she had already decided that they could be that close. Still, he considered, she mentioned she didn't have anybody that understood her, so it was possible.

"Astrid, I—…" He stopped short. The blonde on his shoulder was breathing steadily. She had finally passed out.

He sighed with relief, thankful that he would no longer be taking advantage of her unfiltered state. The sun was still out, night time still off in the distance. Now, the real difficulty came with putting her to bed.

He would worry about that later.