Aannnnddd I'm back! So we last left Hiccup terrified but ready to propose (and Toothless irriated). Let's see how this goes! I would call this chapter K+ for one swear.

Hiccup knew when Astrid rode out on her Deadly Nadder Felma. Most days he'd join her, swooping down from overhead and laughing into Toothless's neck at the bewildered surprise on her face as she wondered how she hadn't heard them coming. Sometimes would they'd clank the saddle, whip in and out of her peripheral vision, call her name softly enough to convince her she was imagining it, and abruptly soar in front of her after nearly an hour. They tried to be imaginative in ways to astonish her, never do the same thing two days in a row.

On their less mischievous days, he and Toothless just liked to show off. They'd do all their amazing moves no one in Berk could come close to mirroring, smirking into the wind as Astrid tried to copy them….and usually they'd have to catch her after she fell off in the attempt. Other days, they'd race. Sometimes they let them win…just as long as they never got cocky and thought that they actually were faster.

But some days, they would just cruise, side-by-side, silent except for gentle smiles and glowing eyes exchanged between riders. Those days might in fact be his favorite. Once they landed, he could just wrap his bony arms around her, and if he was brave enough, kiss her, and she'd never push him away.

But today he wouldn't be soaring through the pink clouds with her. He was doing something much scarier than a triple upside down flip.

"U-u-umm," he said to the woman yanking herbs from the earth. "Hi, Mrs. Hofferson. Need any help?"

Inga Hofferson stood up. "Ach, Astrid's boy. Hiccup."

"Yes, yes, that is in fact my name," Hiccup said agreeably. "Isn't that a lovely, er, helmet."

"What do ya wan'?" Inga asked straightforwardly. "Why aren't you chasing my girl around the skies like a lark?"

"She mentioned that. Great. Augh, um…I wanted to speak with you and your husband."

Inga's eyes twinkled. "Saw this coming, we did. Everyone did, 'cept that daughter of mine. I'll fetch 'im. URGH!" She bellowed. "THE BOY WANTS YA!"

Urgh Hofferson trudged up the hill. "Ya?"

Hiccup abruptly couldn't breathe, looking at this massive man whose daughter he was in love with. "Uh, hi, see, sir, I, um, want to, um..." Stop saying um! He screeched at himself.

At that exact moment, his bad leg buckled. He grabbed Inga's shoulder to avoid falling, wishing he hadn't sent Toothless off. (He'd thought that if they rejected his proposal and insulted him in any way, Toothless might set fire to their house, and then they REALLY wouldn't like him.) "Sorry," he gasped. "When I stand up too long…can happen…" he slowly unclenched the fist holding desperately to Inga's dress and reluctantly straightened, flashing his most winning smile. "So. I sort of…well, more than sort of…I do … '''llmakeherhappypleasesir?"

Urgh said gruffly, "About time you asked." He clapped Hiccup's back in almost fatherly way. "Ask her now." He laughed, pointing; Hiccup's spine felt distinctly like jelly as his dream girl approached.

Astrid bounded up, cheeks wind-reddened. "Hiccup! What are you doing here? I thought you guys were just being smart today, but you never showed."

Hiccup shifted. "Oh, we just thought you might want some dragon-rider bonding time. I mean, me and Toothless hang out just us all the time."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I know. I fell like I have to pre-schedule with Toothless before we do anything or he'll kidnap you back. Literally."

"That only happened once…"

Astrid huffed.

He chuckled. "He's just a little overprotective."

Astrid raised her eyebrows. "Okay, a lot," he admitted. "But tell you what. How about a little Hiccup-Astrid bonding time? Right now?" Astrid looked to her parents, who nodded. Hiccup gestured towards the forest, and off they jaunted. Well, one jaunted; the other limped with spirit.

Inga and Urgh watched them go. "He's crazy about her," Urgh observed.

Inga hmmed. "Good; she's crazy about him."

Astrid felt Hiccup's eyes on her and met his gaze. "What?" He started. "Nothing. Just…nothing." He ducked his head. "How's Felma?" Astrid was not convinced, but she went with the subject change. "Good. Still can't get let her anywhere near water because of the reflection thing. I don't understand why she's so vain! She spent more time preening yesterday than I have in my entire life." Hiccup's eyes lit with the fire Astrid loved; he knew dragons. He was the best at them. She understood; to him, dragons were like her fighting. "That's what people need to realize; they're not just a big flying mule. They've each got a unique personality, a history." His face glowed, and she knew he was remembering taming Toothless. She knew pieces of that story, and she was curious about the rest of it; yet, it felt like invading his privacy to ask outright. She wished she was more patient, for the millionth time. It actually had been an obstacle when she was training Felma. Hiccup kept reminding her it took time to gain their trust, to understand their motions, to move as one. He insisted that's why he was so much more skilled with Toothless; but Astrid didn't think so. He and Toothless had been connected from the beginning by one thing:

They were the only one of their kind.

Hiccup's metal foot clunked against a rock; Astrid suddenly wondered where they were going. She observed the mossy boulders, the leafy ground, the stretching pines, and concluded: they were in… a section of the forest. She mentally groaned. She turned to Hiccup to ask, surprised to see his eyes cast upwards and his hands clasped reverently. His lips flowed with soundless words.

"Hiccup?" She asked tentatively. He smiled absentmindedly. "Hm?"

"What were you doing just now?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, running the other hand over his hair in a familiar embarrassed gesture. "Um, nothing, really."

Astrid punched his arm. "OW! Okay! I was...thanking the Gods for all of… this," he gestured.

"You just gestured to all of me," Astrid teased.

"Exactly," Hiccup smiled his gentle smile, and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "All of you." Her heart sang.

"Hey." He pulled her to a stop. "Trust me a second, okay?" He carefully laid a hand over her eyes.

"I trust you, I just don't trust the ground…I'm going to fall!"

"No, you won't. I won't let you." She liked how he said that, like she was something precious that needed protection. Of course she DIDN'T, but still. It's nice to be appreciated.

"Okay, step down. Slowly—" She jumped, stumbling; Hiccup seized her waist and yanked her back. "Careful!" He admonished, readjusting her. She tried to ignore how her pulse sped at his touch; she tried to pretend she didn't care if he ever touched her again.

Hiccup's voice sounded sturdy and reassuring, dependable. "Step down…step down…another step…okay, keep going….stop!"

He peeled his hands from over her eyes. She blinked and let her sight readjust to the dim of the evening, and she recognized the place: what she thought of as Toothless's clearing, by the lake. "This is where—"

He finished the sentence: "The first place you saw me as something more than a professional screw-up."

"The first place I could understand you," she corrected.

He tilted her chin up. "The first place you saw me." There was a strange intensity on his face, a strength of emotion. Their eyes locked for a second that felt a thousand times more than that before Hiccup sat heavily on a boulder. He patted the spot beside him. She sat as carefully as she could, trying to avoid jiggling his prosthesis. Hiccup watched her comb her bangs behind her ears, his eyes misting with memory. "You know I've had a crush on you since I was eight?"

Great start Haddock! Way to sound like a stalker.

Astrid blinked.

"Take that as a no, huh?" He laughed nervously. "You never noticed me. Well, you noticed me, just not in a desirable way. I mean, I was pretty noticeable. Am pretty noticeable." He raised his metal foot with a sardonic smile.

Astrid thought back. Hiccup had always acted different around her than the other boys. They'd compliment her fighting skills, tell her she was pretty, and seemed to think she would fall over with adoration. As if. Eventually they got the message she wasn't interested. (Except for Snoutlout, who persisted for years afterward. He had only recently eased up after Hiccup had a talk with him that must have involved death threats; not only was he leaving Astrid alone, he was finally treating Hiccup with respect. Astrid would have loved to know what exactly Hiccup said, but he denied having ever done anything at all.) Hiccup had been awkward, nervous, very rarely talking to her. When he did, it was usually a soft, "Hi, Astrid," or asking if she needed any help carrying her things—his attempt at chivalry, she realized now, though then she had viewed it as an insult. She had laughed at him. She had been so cruel to him.

Sometimes, she saw him watching her; if she meet his eyes he dropped whatever he was holding and blush.

He'd always been there waiting.

And she had never noticed.

She felt an overwhelming urge to touch him, to prove how she felt. I'm sorry, Hiccup. I was an idiot. She slid up the rock to put her head on his shoulder. "I never knew," she whispered, and somehow it felt like she was apologizing even though the truth of those words stung even more.

"I still don't get it." He looked directly to her. "What can I offer you? You could have anyone in the village, and…this?"

"You just gestured to all of you."

"Yep, all of me." He brushed his hair out his eyes; the color always made her think of the leaves spiraling to meet the ground in October. "I mean, you can easily beat me up—"

"Hey, that's a benefit," she joked.

"I can't kill anything larger than a rabbit—"

"The Green Death was larger than a rabbit—"

"That was all Toothless."

"Not all, who was steering?—"

"I can't fight, I can barely walk—"

"How many times do I have to say I don't care about that?" she said fiercely.

"I just like hearing it," he said simply. "Just humor me. Why me?"

"Thor, you are AGGRAVATING!"

"Great start."

"Because!" She wanted to stamp her foot like a child throwing a hissy fit. Why couldn't he see how amazing he was? He was the one who could get anyone in the village. Literally, anyone. The parents of three-year-olds hoped they could wrangle a betrothal to their daughter. "Because. You're smart, you're creative, you make me laugh, you're so damn adorable—"

"Whoa, what? Can you repeat that last one?"

"You're tougher than all of us—"

He kissed her.

"And because I like when you do that," she finished breathlessly. "Did you bring me down here just to ask me that?" she demanded.

"No. But I did bring you here to ask you something." His pupils dilated and his eyes widened; Astrid was reminded of a rabbit hiding from a hunter. "Um."

"That's what you wanted to ask?"

"No—oh, man. I'm going to screw this up. Okay. Okay," He sucked in a breath. "Astrid, Astrid Hofferson, I sort of… okay, really…Iloveyou."

"What?"

"I love you." Those words, so simple, so right, once he yanked them out of his babbling mouth.

"You do?"

"Of course. So… do you…love me too?"

She flung herself into his arms. "Duh! For someone so smart, you're really oblivious."

"Well, I wasn't sure, with all the hitting…"

She swatted his arm again for good measure. "So that's what you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, there were more like two questions."

"And the second is…?"

Hiccup swallowed. Dad did it. You can too, he reminded himself. "Astrid, I—will you—" She started to interrupt; she knew. Whew. He was out of this one.

Hold up. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III was almost nothing like other Vikings, but they shared one thing: they both had stubbornness issues. He had set out to propose to Astrid Hofferson, and he was going to do it if it killed him!

"Shhh," he said, laying a finger on her lips. He pulled form the pocket of his tunic a little wooden box. Remembering something he'd read once, he sank to one knee. He unlatched the box, exposing its contents, and said clearly, "Astrid, will you marry me?"

'Well, duh," she said again, softly, tenderly. Her eyes were like two tide pools glinting with midday sun. Hiccup carefully wrapped his fingers around the ring and slid it on her hand. She studied it. "I've never seen anything like this before. Where did you get it?"

Hiccup shrugged, gesturing modestly with his hand. "Technically, I'm still Gobber's apprentice."

She gaped at him. "You made this?"

He nodded. "I finished it up today. Wasn't hard. See, these red stones are garnets; you can find them in a lot of the rocks out here, you just have to chip them out. The band's made of a combination of silver and steel, so it's bright but won't bend. The center stone is actually a dragon scale." He grinned roguishly. "I had to sneak into Snoutlout's stables with some dragon nip so I could scrape off a Monstrous Nightmare scale. Once I had the materials, I just had to forge the ring…some metal, some tongs, making sure my foot doesn't get too close to the fire…the hard part was the runes." He pointed: "Bottom center of the inner band." She took it off cautiously and peered into the band. In the neatest runes Hiccup could manage to carve with a needle into molten metal, it said it all in one word:

Always.

"Hiccup," Astrid murmured. "You always manage to surprise me."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Excellent," she whispered, and kissed him.

The growl from nearby reminded him Toothless was expecting him back. He was late enough Toothless had left the house to wait for him, but not late enough for him to take him back by force. Toothless was prowling close, but not enough to invade Hiccup's privacy. Wise dragon. Hiccup grudgingly moved from Astrid's mouth and said, "So, I've got one more surprise."

"Yeah?"

"Right after—" He pointed to his leg. "My dad thought he'd keep Toothless outside…then downstairs…then in my room…well, none of that exactly worked out. Eventually, he ended up in my bed."

Astrid stared. "You share a bed?"

A sharp snarl shook the trees.

Hiccup continued, "And he would like you to know—"

Toothless bounded into the clearing, wrapping his tail protectively around Hiccup. He glared at Astrid. "—that he's not going anywhere."

Astrid folded her arms. "I am NOT sleeping in the same bed as your pet dragon!"

Toothless roared.

"He is not a pet!" Hiccup protested like she had just called him a girl.

"Okay, your domesticated dragon." She looked straight into Toothless's eyes. "Not. Happening."

Toothless pounced, ignoring Hiccup's yelling, and landing on Astrid's chest. He bent his face low over hers and growled.

"Oh, fine," she huffed. "Useless reptile."

Toothless bared his teeth.

"What, only Hiccup can call you that?"

Toothless fixed his eye on hers. "Yes," Hiccup translated. "Come on Toothless, you've made your point." The Night Fury reluctantly let her up. A wide, stupid, happy smile spread across Hiccup's face as he patted Toothless's side. "We wore her down, bud."

She pushed him. "He sleeps on your side."

Hiccup and Toothless grinned simultaneously. Hiccup pulled her onto the dragon, and they wordlessly shot into the skies.

So ends this tale :) But I'm open to continuing it, if you request. Anyway, BIG SHOUT OUT to my first 8 reviewers:

Anon: My first reviewer ever :D I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that I kept Astrid true to her character...the same agressive, independant girl we all love!

XV323: I actually had astrichs, but for some reason they didn't save. Thanks for pointing it out (you'll notice I fixed it) and and all your other help :)

Voldyne and Ladylore: I hope you guys think this chapter is as good as the first! The encouragement really helped!

ketbelle: Thanks! I'll be sure to read some of your work soon.

Just Blossom: Thanks for the help and feedback! You'll notice I took your suggestion and used google ;)

WordshakerXD: Oh yes, I WILL make you watch this, and YOU. WILL. LOVE. IT.

TreepeltA113: Here's the next chapter! Thanks for your support :)

..and a special thanks to the readers who put me on their favorite story list: chad-is-the-best, DKing2020, and Renting...

...their story alert list: Bestial moon, and their favorite author list: WordshakerXD.

You're even more amazing if you review again!