Author's Note: So many follows! Thank you for the reviews and and favorites! It's very encouraging. Now, onto more Hiccstrid!

Chapter 8

Astrid

As Hiccup kissed her, Astrid's arms instinctively snaked around his torso and pressed her body closer to him. The smell of leather and smoke from the forge engulfed her, and she felt boneless. Hiccup was holding her, tasting her as his tongue brushed against her lips, panting when they broke apart.

His eyes darted over her face, filled with wonder and a hint of trepidation.

He wanted this, she realized.

Regaining some of her senses, Astrid pulled back her arm and slugged him.

"Ow!" he gasped, stepping back to hold his shoulder.

"That's for waiting so long," Astrid said.

Hiccup rubbed his injury, but a lopsided grin tugged at his mouth. "Do I at least get the next part?"

Astrid smiled innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She darted out of his reach and sprang on top of Stormfly. Twisting around in her saddle as the seastack fell away, Astrid watched Toothless shoot after them.

"Come on, girl," she whispered, leaning over her dragon.

A feeling of lightness bounced through her body. She'd always loved streaking through the clouds and over the spray of the ocean, but it felt better today. Fuller.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Hofferson!" Hiccup shouted after her.

Astrid glanced back. They were gaining, and she could see his toothy grin. She pulled Stormfly sharply towards the island. Toothless would always catch them, but she could at least make it a challenge.

They darted around the forest, weaving through trees and canyons until they burst into the cove where Astrid had first seen Toothless.

"Gotcha!" Hiccup shouted as he jumped from his dragon's back and tackled Astrid.

While Toothless glided across the pond, they tumbled off Stormfly and somersaulted across the grass.

"Ow," Astrid moaned, yanking her axe from underneath her. "I think the handle bruised my spine."

Hiccup rolled over her, placing a hand on either side of her shoulders.

"Maybe you won't tease me next time," he said.

Yanking him down by the front of his shirt, Astrid pressed her lips against his.

"You'd hate that," she mumbled against him.

When the kiss ended, Hiccup fell next to her, entwining their fingers as they looked up at the sky and listened to their dragons chirping around the cove. Their legs brushed against each other, and Astrid reveled in the new warmth of Hiccup's body next to hers. To think only this morning they had argued and she had stormed into the chief's house…

"What are you going to do about your father?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

Hiccup sighed. "I don't know."

Astrid shot up, her hand slipping out of his. "Are you going through with the marriage?"

"No—of course not," he said, sitting up and resting his arms on his knees. "But what do I tell him?"

"That you're unavailable."

Hiccup ran a hand over the back of his neck. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"That—that you're…you and I…" stuttered Astrid, her face reddening as she finally thought through the full implication of you and I. "Odin's balls."

Laughing halfheartedly at her curse, Hiccup kept his eyes trained on the grass.

"I don't expect anything like that," she mumbled.

If Hiccup told his father he wouldn't be marrying because of Astrid, then—if Stoick didn't murder them both—they would be marked in everyone's eyes as intended for one another. Betrothed.

"You don't want…that?" asked Hiccup. "Eventually?"

Astrid's mouth fell open, but she didn't know how to answer. Her legs twitched, urging her to hop onto Stormfly and leave this mess of feelings behind. She was good at that, moving until the emotions fell away. But she couldn't do that to Hiccup.

When she hesitated to answer, Hiccup's green eyes met hers. He forced a smile.

"That's fine," he said.

"No!" said Astrid, her hand darting out to grab his arm, afraid that he would leave before she could fix this. "I didn't mean—you know, being forced into something with me just because you don't want to marry a stranger is not a great start to a—a relationship."

Hiccup shook his head. "I wouldn't call it being forced."

"Then what? Forcefully persuaded?"

"Maybe nudged to move a little faster down a path I already wanted."

Astrid's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"This is what I want," Hiccup said, staring steadily at her. "Even if I couldn't admit it before. If you're not ready, then I'll find another way to convince my father, but I'll jump in headfirst. I'll do anything to make you happy."

Having seen how far Hiccup was willing to go to complete a project or fix a wrong, Astrid felt the weight of his words. She believed him wholeheartedly. He really would do anything, which was a little scary.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay, that's a great speech, Hiccup? Or okay, that sounds great, let's do that?" Hiccup asked, smirking a little.

Astrid rolled her eyes and yanked him into a kiss.

She'd always been more of an action person anyway.