Summary: Hiccup and Astrid share a moment at the forge. With someone else. (Post-sequel)

Gobber always used to say that the best part of the early morning light was the way it gleamed and reflected on all the weapons hung up at the forge.

Hiccup had to disagree; it was definitely the way a certain warrior's hair captured those beams, spinning it into strands of shining gold. He used to dream about touching it for years, and now all he had to do was reach out his hand. It might get him a weird look, though in comparison to the punch he might have gotten much earlier, weird looks were very welcome.

Astrid was sitting on one of the cluttered benches, next to a pile of cured sheepskins. Between that and all the dented, scratched pots and pans and swords laying around waiting to be mended, Gobber's forge didn't have much seating room. "You let it all mound up on you again, Hiccup," Astrid said, examining a shield. "This is worse than when you spent all that time on your flaming sword. You were making up work for weeks."
She didn't sound pleased. Hiccup let the grinding wheel stop, blowing on the edge of her axe to remove particles. "I know, but hey - at least you don't have to wait in line, right?"

"Hiccup, you've got to find a balance somewhere. I know it's important to discover as much as we can about dragons, but … don't forget about us."

Astrid sounded worse than exasperated all of a sudden. She sounded upset. Hiccup put down her axe and came over to sit by her - as close as he could manage around the mess on the bench. "Hey, hey … I have no intention of forgetting anyone," he said gently. Astrid didn't look at him.

Toothless rumbled at him from the corner where he was curled up, as though telling him he had to do better than that. Hiccup sighed. "Okay, you're right. I've been spending a lot more time than I probably should flying off exploring."

"And?"

"Ah … so much time that when I come back, I usually have a few boatloads of work to catch up on …"

"And?"

"Aaaand because of that, less time to spend with my amazing, badass, warrior girlfriend?"

"Mmm, better. Go on."

"Whom I fully intend to take on the most romantic flight of her life later tonight?"

"Hmph. Very good." Astrid smirked. "I've sure got you trained, huh?"

"Yeah, oh sure, you've trained the dragon trainer. Most impressive, Miss Hofferson," Hiccup teased lightly. Astrid laughed and leaned in for a kiss over the slightly shifting pile of skins, Hiccup doing the same.

What his lips met was decidedly not Astrid's face.

He opened his eyes and recoiled, falling off the bench and Astrid yelled in a panic, delivering a swift punch to the recipient of her own wayward kiss.

"OWOWOWOW!"

"Tuffnut, what the hell?!" she spat, wiping her mouth. The twin looked just as shell-shocked as either of them.

"Indeed, what the hell - all I did was sit up, I didn't ask for you two to kiss me awake!" he complained, massaging his chest where Astrid had likely bruised him. He looked from Hiccup to Astrid, suspiciously. "Wait. Are you cheating on each other?" Tuffnut looked aghast and strangely flattered.

"No, we are not - what are you doing sleeping here?" Hiccup asked, mystified.

"Oh, that. Snotlout decided he was going to serenade my sister all night. Hookfang started howling because it was so bad. Actually no, I think he was helping. Then Fishlegs came by and he wanted to read poetry he'd written, but Snotlout wouldn't stop singing, so 'Legs started shouting his poetry as loud as he could, which made Snotlout -" Tuffnut took a deep suffering breath, "SING EVEN LOUDER!"

"So that's what that noise was," Astrid muttered. "I thought Gothi's Terrors were tormenting the livestock again."

Hiccup was massaging his temples. "I completely sympathize, Tuff, but nobody's singing or reading poetry anymore, so maybe you should just go home now?"

"Ugh, maybe I should leave Berk. Then I won't have to deal with any nieces or nephews named Ruffsnot or Legnut or whatever," he grumbled, fighting his way out of the mound. He stalked off, still muttering a litany of possible unappealing names for Ruff's future children.

Astrid looked after him, shaking her head. "You know I almost feel sorry for the twins."

"Yeah me too," Hiccup admitted. "I should make them some earplugs."

"You do that. But I expect to see you tonight at sunset, Dragon Master," Astrid smirked at him. This time, her lips met his and Hiccup leaned into the kiss, happier than a Terror in a sunbeam.

"I wouldn't dream of being late," he grinned and watched the sunlight make her hair gleam as she walked away.