Ingrid went on about how she was thankful for him finally ending the menace the dragons posed them, though how she would miss fighting them.

But Hiccup didn't hear a word of it. Under his mask tears pooled in his eyes, and he was thankful the mask hid them.

'Astrid had... *liked*, me? Well sure she had the pictures of her I drew pinned on the wall and she was just crying in front of me, but wait, she actually liked me?' Hiccup slapped his helmeted face with his other hand. 'My god, I am so oblivious'

"What's the matter?" Ingrid asks confusedly, breaking off from her rant.

"Oh, uhhh, nothing sorry, just uhhm, remembered something that's all" Hiccup stammered.

"Are you alright boy? You're shakin' like you've been out in a snowstorm" she chuckled.

Hiccup looked at his gloved hands, and they were clearly shaking. He tried to cease the shaking, unsuccessfully as his mind whirled with a million scenarios, each presenting to him places where he was incredibly oblivious to the fact that Astrid might like him.

"Yes, uh, yes. Sorry, yeah I'm fine thanks" He said, drawn out of his thoughts.

He carefully hooked the frame back onto the wall and made his way to the door.

Still in a shocked stupor, he ambled out, bidding Ingrid a brief farewell as he wandered over to his house.

He went in and was immediately met by a joyful and ecstatic Toothless who nuzzled at him. Hiccup took his helmet off but didn't stop for toothless' greetings, instead just threw himself into a chair.

Toothless came over and sat next to Hiccup's chair, concernedly cocking his head to the side.

"I'm fine bud" Hiccup told him but the dragon clearly didn't believe him and decided to rest his head in Hiccup's lap and gave a low mumble.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm fine. Just found out the girl I've had a crush on for years also had a crush on me. Now I've surely missed my chance. Uhg, if only I wasn't so pathetic and awkward..."

Toothless licked his face to abruptly shut him up, and gave another low warble as if to tell him to stop moping.

Wiping away the dragon slobber, Hiccup grunted and pushed Toothless off of him and curled into a ball in the soft furs on the chair.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him and he sat up, "Hey bud?" He called out to toothless who was still perched next to him. "Would you mind if we took Astrid for a flight say tomorrow?"

Toothless replied with a cheerful warble, clearly pleased to see Hiccup's mood improve.

"Thanks bud", Hiccup lays his head back down and proceeds to nod off, watched over by Toothless.

Astrid at the time was still lying in her bed, and very much wide awake. 'Hiccup is alive. But how? Did he escape? How did he befriend a dragon? Hiccup has a dragon! Oooh, I wonder if I could have a ride. Nah, he probably wouldn't let me. I wonder if he still likes me? No, he probably likes some girl wherever he came back from.'

The cascade of thoughts crashed down on her and she found herself wholly overwhelmed, and steadily getting drowsier.

But one thought stood out amongst the rest as she drifted into sleep: 'Why is he hiding himself from everyone?'

Dawn: and a faint chicken crowing can be heard, heralding the return of the sun. Astrid as usual woke up with the sun, a habit passed through her family.

A large snore ripped through the house, gently shaking anything not tied down. Ok, well most of her family anyway.

Astrid liked the feeling of waking up with the wildlife, and got out of bed, pulled on her boots and left the house.

Hiccup however, was not naturally an early riser. However with an impatient dragon insisting to go for a morning flight, there isn't much one can do to refuse it. "I'm-m awake! I'm awake, I'm awake alright" Hiccup huffed at the pining dragon.

As much as Hiccup enjoyed the morning flights, he greatly disliked having to wake so early every other morning.

Hiccup got up off from the chair he had collapsed onto the other night and stretched. He just had enough time to grab his helmet off from the side table when Toothless came bounding back, grabbed him by one of his legs, and yanked him off of his feet. Toothless trotted happily out of the door with Hiccup hanging upside down from his mouth, before resting him down outside.

Hiccup have a disgruntled groan "Uuhg, do you *have* to keep doing that Toothless".

As he sat up he noticed Astrid staring, amidst laughing, at him from her doorway. "Hi", Hiccup chuckled nervously, and then was smacked hard in the face with Toothless' tail, landing him on his back again.

Astrid's laughter continued, now more vigorously.

After Astrid stopped laughing quite as much she walked over to where Hiccup was still laying and offered him her hand, which he took and she pulled him upright once more.

Hiccup dusted off his black leathers and picked up his helmet up from where it had dropped.

Astrid stared at him for a moment, he had his sheepish smile and his hair was even more tousled than usual. 'And his eyes, his gorgeous green eyes. Uh, wake up! Stop staring at his eyes, you're being weird!' Astrid yelled at herself internally. She pulled away from him a bit quickly after catching herself staring, and noticed him shake himself out of his head also.

"So, his name's Toothless?" Astrid asked, chuckling again. At hearing his name, Toothless came bouncing back and stopped just short of Astrid, sniffing at her. He then sat in front of Hiccup protectively, still looking at Astrid suspiciously.

"Yeah", Hiccup grinned "And hey, Toothless, it's okay, she's a friend".

Toothless grunted disbelievingly but let Hiccup get back in between him and Astrid.

Hiccup patted Toothless on the snout so he opened his mouth lazily.

Astrid peered inside and commented, "Oh, so he has retractable teeth? Cool".

Hiccup stood dumbfounded, 'How had she known? She hadn't even seen him retract his teeth yet!'

Seeing his bewildered look she explained, "Well I can see it doesn't look like he has any teeth now but i saw his teeth when he carried you out just then and yesterday when you landed."

"Oh, right" Hiccup laughed, and Toothless snapped his teeth out, but Astrid barely flinched. He cocked his head to the side, 'This human wasn't surprised at his trick? Hmm, maybe smart human okay'. Toothless stuck his head out towards Astrid and he nosed at her left hand, though Astrid had frozen, clearly fighting her warrior instincts.

Her muscles tensed and her right hand grasped at where her axe usually resided on her back, but found nothing.

"Ssssshhh" Hiccup said quietly and calmingly, "It's ok, he just want to say hi".

"That's a *Dragon* Hiccup." Astrid hissed back at him.

"Yeah, well he's *my* dragon", he retorted and stood by Astrid's shoulder. He then gently took her hand and held it out in front of her and whispered to Astrid to turn her head away. Which she did, albeit reluctantly at turning her back on what was in her mind still a savage, feral beast.

But the midnight black dragon only gently nosed her palm, and too closed it's eyes.

"Well done you two", Hiccup congratulated them and Toothless bounced up and down happily then launched himself onto Astrid.

"Aaarr-g-pluh" Astrid attempted to yell as she was pinned to the floor by the dragon, but her cries were stifled as had her face thoroughly cleaned. Hiccup sat laughing at her spluttering and trying to worm her way free, "Now you know what that's like" he said, still chuckling.

"Yuck" Astrid said, getting up after Toothless had finished. She stood looking down at her saliva drenched clothes unimpressed.

"Don't worry, it dries out quickly" Hiccup reassured her, still laughing. Toothless stood waving his tail, clearly pleased with himself.

"Well anyway, we were just going for a morning flight" Hiccup said, hopping up onto Toothless' saddle. "Want to come?"

"Uhhhh" was Astrid's reply.

'Huh, she both really wants to and really doesn't at the same time. I wonder why?' Hiccup pondered to himself, seeing Astrid's torn expression.

"Well how about we start low and slow, so you can used to it?" He asked.

"Uhm, ok sure" Astrid nervously chuckled, getting on behind Hiccup. He then affixed his helmet back onto his head saying "Just until we leave the village."

Astrid's curious reply gets halted by Toothless starting to walk forward and Hiccup turning around to tell her to "Hold on tight".

"Woo-OOAH" Astrid yells as Toothless leaps into the air, wings snapping out, catching an oncoming breeze. He then slowly flaps his way clear, and they are gently soaring a good 20 meters above the village, off towards the forested back of the island.

Hiccup leans down close to toothless' head and says "Keep it gentle now ok bud?"

To which he gave a discontented rumble, but kept them gliding slowly onwards.

Astrid meanwhile was trying not to look at Hiccup's rear she was being unknowingly presented with the sight of, but failing considerably as her eyes repeatedly darted back. As Hiccup sat back again, Astrid was peering below them, watching the tops of the trees rustling below them.

"Wow" was all she said, the awe in her voice clear.

Hiccup chuckled, taking off his helmet, "Yeah, it's quite a sensation being up here for the first time. Seeing everything look so small, and just feeling free".

But then Toothless grew tired of the slow, boring gliding, and starting rapidly gaining altitude. Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup's waist in a desperate attempt to not fall off as the dragon flew vertically. Toothless levelled out when the reached the clouds, and they all admired the dawn. The light shining out across the blanket of clouds they were smoothly gliding over.

"For the love of Thor!", Astrid exclaimed, "Tell him not to do that again! I nearly threw up".

"Ok ok, I will", Hiccup laughed nervously, leaning back down slightly again to whisper to Toothless.

Astrid, her arms still wrapped around his waist, leaned forward with him and turned her head to gaze at the clouds as they drifted by.

Hiccup felt her rest her head on his back and he felt a little rush of butterflies. He then sat up slowly, and she readjusted so she was resting her head on his shoulders.

'Wow, i could sit like this all day' they both thought to themselves in unknowing unison.

But they were both awakened from their thoughts by Toothless grumbling. "Oh, I think he wants to land for a bit. Let's fly lower a have a look shall we?" He said, patting Toothless' right shoulder.

They flew lower, through the cloud cover but beneath them was nothing but open sea. Toothless snorted a displeased grunt, and sped up slightly to search for a suitable resting place.

Astrid turned around and saw Berk fading into the horizon behind them.