Chapter 21:

Astrid silently congratulated herself on another successful mission. Arkyn looked like a rabbit staring down the shaft of a crossbow from his position next to the Chief during his introduction. Although the new rider was now the tallest of their group- even if only by a small margin- Stoick still dwarfed his figure. The moment when Arkyn lost his breath was just the yak butter on top, too.

She watched as he stepped back down onto the floor until the line of sight to him was lost in the crowd of Vikings, most of whom were now gravitating towards his location in the hall. Still clapping, the girl was once again interrupted by Ruff who sidled up next to her, an expression of self pride pinned upon her face.

"I've figured it out." The Thorsten said, matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about?" Astrid asked, thoroughly confused.

"I know why you decided to wear a dress tonight. Also, I didn't even know you owned one. What's with that, anyway?"

"Mind indulging me then? Whatever you think the reason is, I already gave you my own."

"I saw the way you looked at Arkyn just now. Hell, you've been messing with him all night. For fun. You never do that." She pointed out.

Astrid got defensive. "First of all, you don't know what you're talking about, and second, I mess with people…I mess with Snotlout all the time."

"You mess with Snotlout when he makes you mad. Everybody messes with Snotlout. You've been messing with Arkyn tonight because it makes you happy. You haven't stopped smiling since you got here."

"So what, I can't have any friends? I messed with Hiccup tonight, too…he just left before you got to me."

"I'm not saying you can't have friends, but this is different. We've been friends a loooong time, but back before the Red Death you were always so serious. So focused. No distractions."

"Well things are different now, Ruff. Maybe I don't like being 'serious Astrid' anymore. Maybe I never did…"

"And so overnight you became Astrid who wears dresses and goes to parties? Just because? I'm not buying it, and I know you better than anyone. I bet I know you better than you know yourself."

"Yes, Ruff, just because. Now calm down and stop interrogating me. We're at a party…go beat up your brother or something. That's how these things usually end." Astrid shot this line back rather quickly, but she was quite taken aback by what her best friend had said previously, probably because it was partially true as Astrid was still having trouble trying to make sense of her many emotions.

Neither girl got a chance to say anything more, however, as someone unfortunately beat the Thorsten's to their usually trademark exchange of fists. Astrid sighed as she watched the fight unfold, mentally chastising it for its no doubt petty initiation, until the motion of a dark shape darting towards the door flashed out of the corner of her eye. Whipping her head at the sight, Astrid noticed Arkyn leaning against the large door of the hall, one arm pressed between his spine and the handle while the back of his other hand wiped sweat from his face. He only paused for a second, facing the crowd and giving the ensuing brawl a once over before silently slipping out of the building and being enveloped by the blackness of the atmosphere.

All too focused on the squabble on the dance floor, none of the other riders in the vicinity seemed to notice the boy's escape. Something was wrong, though. Astrid knew that much. Determined to find out what it was, she slowly turned and began making her way towards the front of the Great Hall, however she didn't get very far before Ruffnut grabbed her forearm, looking confused.

"Where are you going? You're missing the best part!"

"None of your business. Talk later?" Astrid pleaded.

Ruff looked slightly hurt about being kept in the dark, but pursed her lips and nodded. Hoping that was the last of that, Astrid continued, but she was then stopped by Hiccup who was now standing at the very edge of the group.

"Hey, are you leaving already? Astrid, if this is about earlier, I'm sorry I was st-"

"No no! Nothing you did. I'll be back." She turned to leave, muttering to herself. "Probably…"

Hiccup gave a sigh of relief and watched her go, admiring her ever beautiful figure as it disappeared from view behind the heavy door, eventually facing the remaining riders once more and rejoining the conversation in the now post-fight environment.

—

Arkyn found himself out back behind his house, leaning against Stinger's curled up shape as he sat in the grass and stared up at the moon. There was nothing and no one around. Just him and his dragon. Almost every last soul on the Island was packed into the Great Hall at that moment celebrating him…and he wasn't even there. The music from the party could still be heard though, it's sound floating over the town and reaching Arkyn's ears from his home's location.

Sure, he'd wished the night had gone differently. Scenarios of several outcomes played in his mind, one after the next, none ending like the reality Arkyn was currently experiencing. Part of him wished the party had never even happened. There was nothing to be done about that, though. There were a lot more important things than some stupid party that he wished had never happened, but those were definitely beyond help.

All this was not to say that Arkyn was not currently content with himself. What more could he ask for than to have some peace and quiet with his dragon? He'd fed Stinger generously upon his early arrival back home, taking pity on his friend who'd stayed back so loyally. The boy stretched his arms out and placed them on Stinger's scaly sides, scratching them absentmindedly.

The sound of faint footsteps coming down the path towards the house caused the creature to lift its head with curiosity, making Arkyn freeze. He prayed to Odin they'd keep walking, skip his house, leave him alone, but alas…the sound changed as they left the dirt road and ascended his few stone steps, eventually giving a decisively audible knock on his front door.

"Son of a bitch." He whispered to himself under his breath, contemplating the option of not answering at all before giving in and slowly standing up, entering his house through the back door. This was almost definitely someone sent here by the chief to call him back to the party. They'd certainly noticed he was missing by now…or perhaps he overestimated them. Nobody even knew where he lived, unless it was…

"What are you doing here?" Arkyn asked in a surprised tone, opening the door to reveal none other than Astrid Hofferson on his front step. Her presence forced him to quickly remove the painfully obvious cynicism from his face. Better her than a messenger of the Chief. He thought, expression slightly softening.

"Really? That's the best greeting you could come up with?" She joked, messing with her braid.

Arkyn joined her on his front steps, closing the door behind him so it was just the two of them outside. "You're lucky I answered the door at all. You're the last person I expected to come knocking tonight." He again noticed her lack of dragon and his curiosity got the better of him. "Hey, I haven't seen Stormfly all night. Have you been walking everywhere too?"

Astrid laughed. "Well, yes, but not because I have to. Have you ever tried to ride a dragon in a dress?"

Arkyn smiled and shook his head, looking down in embarrassment. He supposed he should have thought of that… Noticing the girl had dodged his earlier question, he reiterated. "So what are you doing here, anyway? The party is clearly still very much alive."

"We never saw you again after the Chief's introduction. We were wondering if something might be wrong." She tried to play it cool, although it was becoming increasingly obvious she was simply there on her own accord.

Arkyn looked at her skeptically. "Who's we?" She shifted her weight uncomfortably at his question and blinked while he connected the dots in his head. "You followed me here, didn't you? I bet the others didn't even notice I went missing. That fight sure had peoples attention…" There was a small pause of silence. "You really are nosy." He smiled and looked up at her to see her reaction.

She punched him on the arm, immediately defending herself. "I am not nosy. I'm considerate. There's a difference."

Arkyn nodded sarcastically, rubbing the spot she had hit. "You know, Astrid, if you're here to ask me back to the party, I'm not going to go."

"Drag you back to that loud house? Not a chance." She hesitated for a moment. "You really don't feel like you deserve it, huh?"

He shook his head. "I had a debt to pay to Berk. Not many villages would be so welcoming to a tribesman that wasn't their own. They keep saying hero. Heroes…they represent people. They make sacrifices. Anyone would have done what I did given the chance."

"But not everyone can do what you did. That's why they're so excited."

"That may be true, but whatever the case, it's too much for me tonight. I'm not ready to handle all…that." His voice grew quiet and held a hint of embarrassment.

Astrid picked up on it, giving a knowing look but not pressing any further. It was rare to come across a Viking who wasn't simply chasing glory. Hell, Snotlout would be basking in the attention if the circumstances had involved him, but Arkyn was different. He seemed to seek a more humble life, which Astrid appreciated. Not wanting to bother him further, however, she tried to find an excuse to leave. "Well, I should get going…I'm pretty tired myself, and my parents told me not to stay out too late."

Arkyn heard her sigh as she turned to leave and it made his heart drop. He didn't want her to go, truthfully. Once she left he was to be condemned to another evening spent by himself, eventually ending with him going to sleep in a house left empty for yet another night. The Viking considered all their conversations up to that point: the ones on the cliff, the time she walked him home, and even the one they'd shared just now. Waves of affection for the stunning yet caring girl that was now walking away suddenly crashed over him. Affection he didn't know he had. Affection he'd never felt for anyone before. It was unbearable, as though his eyes were open for the very first time.

She'd barely made it back onto the path when he called out, the need to stop her rising rapidly on his priority list. "Astrid, um…wait a minute."

Astrid stopped and faced him, smiling expectantly, causing Arkyn to panic as he hadn't actually thought of a valid reason to present that would keep her around. The music from the hall was all that could be heard over his deep breaths, and a plan began to form in his mind. It was high risk, sure, but also high reward, and nothing better came along to snuff it out, so he committed before the pause became awkwardly lengthy. "We can still hear the music. If I…asked you to dance with me…would you say yes?" There it was. All on the table. Moments more tense than when Arkyn was fighting the screaming death passed as he waited.

Astrid gazed up at his stance by the door. The boy's face was crossed with a longing that extended far beyond the simple question. It made her aware of just how much she longed for it too ever since she'd kissed him at the arena so many nights ago, no matter how much she had tried to convince herself otherwise. There were just too many things she found attractive to ignore any longer. Ruff had read her like a book. It didn't take Astrid very long after this to consider his ask and she soon responded with a shaky voice, somehow feeling just as nervous as he looked. "Yes, I would."

Arkyn let his breath out that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in and held his door open for her, eventually offering Astrid a hand to grab as she once again reached the top step and entered his house with him.

It was the first time she'd actually seen the inside of the quaint dwelling. Astrid took a quick look around at its layout. His back door gave way to his bed and night table, and not far in front of that on the left side of the house was his fireplace and a wooden countertop with various cabinets underneath, while a small round table with two spindly chairs took up the open space beyond the front entryway. The yet to be used loft extended from the back wall over his bed, it's ladder stowed above.

She watched as he quickly moved the table and chairs aside, clearing out a space large enough for them to move around in before grabbing a piece of firewood from a small pile and disappearing out back momentarily. A whoosh was heard alongside the sight of a bright flash and he hurried back in holding the partially flaming log with a covered hand, quickly tossing it in the fireplace to ignite the starter brush that already sat there.

"Did Stinger light that?!" Astrid asked with a laugh. "Is that even safe?"

Arkyn wore an expression of satisfaction on his face as he explained, evidently believing his method of fire starting was revolutionary. "Hasn't killed me yet. Besides…Toothless lights the forge. How's this any different?"

Gods, what an idiot. Astrid thought to herself, snickering internally. They smiled at each other before finally facing one another in the center of the room. With the covers on the few windows and the now warming fire the setting quickly became quite intimate, the two teens taking several moments to just stare at the person across from them, drinking it in.

Arkyn realized just how special his situation truly was, and out of respect for the girl he would soon dance with, solemnly lowered his gaze and slowly removed his father's gloves- the first time he'd done so in the presence of one of his friends since he'd arrived on Berk- placing them on the counter and out of the way. The notion of safety they provided quickly left him, but it was all soon forgotten when he met Astrid's ice blue eyes once more.

"Arkyn, your-" Astrid started, but he cut her off.

"It's ok." Arkyn smiled, almost whispering. "He'd have my hide if I offered a girl a gloved hand on our first dance." And with that, he slowly stretched his right hand forward and gently grabbed her left, placing his other upon on her waist. The gloves had made his hands warm and they felt good against Astrid's cold fingers, chilled by the evening air. "Shall we?" He asked, looking for the girl's final approval.

She nodded, and they began to sway just as the party's band picked up a new song. To Astrid, it was bliss. She and Arkyn took each step in tandem, moving around the small space with surprising grace. This was quite strange to the girl as nothing about Arkyn's personality thus far suggested he would possess the skill. "I didn't take you for the dancing type." She commented, lightheartedly.

"My mother taught me." He said, smiling as fond memories filled his head, too happy to think on the bad times. "What about you? I could have said something similar."

"Same here. I used to hate it when she brought it up…I was always more focused on the dragon killing lessons from my dad. It was a waste of time back then, but suddenly I appreciate it a lot more for some reason." They shared a quick laugh at her sarcasm before going back to enjoying each other's presence.

The first song soon came to an end, and Arkyn held his breath once more fearing Astrid would want to be done after just one number. Luckily for him she felt the same, and Astrid squeezed his hand as if to tell him without words. Words just seemed so unnecessary in that moment…

The night progressed peacefully as one song turned into two, two into three, and three into four. There came a point where the contact between their hands was simply not enough for Astrid, and she buried her face in the crook of Arkyn's neck, the taller boy's cheek resting against her hair. He moved his left hand from her waist to the back of the girl's head and held her close in his arms, continuing the gentle swaying.

The fourth song slowly and quietly faded out, leaving the pair in silence. Arkyn brought their swaying to a stop and wrapped both his arms around Astrid, the girl soon repeating the action. They settled into each other's tight embrace for a few minutes, saying nothing, each feeling slow, hot breaths land on them at periodic intervals.

Astrid didn't have a care in the world. She was more relaxed than she'd been in quite some time and the list of places she'd rather be grew shorter as the time passed.

Finally pulling back, the pair stared into each other's eyes once more, and Arkyn found himself looking at the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen, only now realizing it. There were no contenders…not one. Her perfect gaze seemed to shoot through him, making Arkyn question whether or not the moment was really happening or if he was just dreaming. She could have spent her time any way she liked that evening. At home, with Stormfly, at the party, with her parents, etc…but she'd chosen to accept his invitation to dance, and that's what they'd done.

"I have to tell you something." Astrid finally broke the silence as Arkyn listened intently. "I lied about my parents wanting me home. I just thought you wanted me to leave…" She wore a stupid smile, not knowing just how wrong she was.

"I couldn't be happier that you stayed." He said to her, making sure she became aware of his appreciation. He paused a moment before speaking again, this time in the form of a cross between a blurt and a whisper. "You are so beautiful…"

The moment became palpable as his words hung in the air, delighting Astrid as they reached her ears. She'd guessed Arkyn felt this way after seeing his reaction when she walked in at the party, but actually hearing it was worth its weight in gold. Astrid took one last look at his face, an expression of awe and relief populating it's features all at once, and found the same feeling she'd felt when the two of them had talked at the arena begin to rise within her- that knot in her heart had returned.

Knowing of only one way to get rid of it, Astrid wrapped her arms around Arkyn's neck and leaned forward, closing her eyes as her lips met his in a deep kiss, this one delivered with far less hesitation than the former. It lasted for several seconds before she pulled away, smiling coyly at him as she waited for his predictably dumbfounded reaction.

Arkyn was indeed stunned, and he gaped back at Astrid with his mouth hung open and wide eyes. Whatever scenarios he thought of before, this one had topped them all. "Wow…" was all he could muster, being completely failed by any sort of romantic vocabulary.

"You look like a fish, you dork." Astrid giggled, and Arkyn quickly shut his mouth, opting to hug her once more to try and hide his blush.

"Thank you for staying." He breathed again, holding her tight.

"You think I put on a dress willingly for the first time ever just to go home without a dance?" She joked, finally leaving his arms and leaning against the counter.

"So Ruff wasn't lying, huh?" Arkyn asked rhetorically, and he moved to stand next to her, allowing some separation in between as he smiled and looked down towards the floor. "You really waited the better part of 15 years to wear something that jaw dropping?"

Astrid sighed. "It really took things the better part of 15 years to change enough to give me a reason." She said, hinting at everything that had happened in the last two months, but particularly those events which occurred after Arkyn's arrival. "But I'm glad they did."

"Me too." Arkyn laughed, gesturing to her. "Especially if these are the results."

Astrid blushed. She truly wasn't used to compliments like this, but she was starting to like the new feeling. Butterflies fluttered around inside her as she turned to look up at Arkyn, who smiled back, his dark brown eyes shining warmly in the firelight, lips curled up into an attractive smile. A wave of emotions hit her all at once and she spoke before she could catch herself. "I think that I…have feelings for you." Astrid said suddenly, letting go of her own objections and allowing her subconscious to do the talking. Her mother was right…sometimes things just happened.

Arkyn watched her face go pale as she realized what she'd just said and had to now wait in anticipation for his response. Needless to say he was rendered speechless with pure elation, frozen like a yak in a blizzard as he stared back at the perfect girl who now felt the same way he did. He couldn't just say it, however, at least not at first. His throat was dry and his vocal cords seemed to have given out entirely. Instead, he shuffled closer to her and cupped her soft face in both his hands, pulling her close and placing a long kiss on her forehead, eventually breaking it to tilt his own head downward so that their foreheads were now touching, noses now gently nuzzling each other as their eyes locked and they studied one another more closely than they ever had before.

"I think that I have feelings for you too, Astrid." He said, almost whispering before sharing another kiss with her, this one on the lips.

Astrid felt his hands on her face and smiled, her mind still going a million miles an hour. Gods, what is happening. She thought, and although no answer came she continued enjoying whatever it was, letting the night progress on the course that had been set when she first stepped foot in the boy's house.

Pulling away, Arkyn rested a hand on the counter and faced the girl, who now stood straight again, backlit by the slowly dwindling fire. Tiredness began to creep over him as he realized how long they'd been with each other. "It's getting late." He pointed out, although the ever constant party noise from the hall would have suggested the night was young. "What d'ya say? Was tonight a one time thing, or is the famously cold Astrid Hofferson willing to make it a…two time thing?" He teased her, confident he likely knew the answer but poking fun anyway.

"Only two times?" Astrid questioned, feigning disappointment. "With any luck I thought we'd make it to at least three…"

Arkyn smiled stupidly, still not believing he was having this conversation, with Astrid no less.

Astrid looked hesitant for a moment and then spoke again. "There is…one thing though…"

Uh oh. Arkyn's mind began to run wild with theoreticals, all negative. I knew it was too good to be true."Uh- what's that?" He asked, fearing the worst.

"Can we…not tell anyone for a little while? At least until my parents know… I want them to find out from me, not from Thor forbid Ruffnut or Snotlout. I'd like to tell them myself, I just need a little time."

Well that seemed harmless enough. Arkyn thought, relaxing. "Oh, yeah of course."

Astrid smiled. "Thanks…it's just all so new, and right now it's our thing. I want to share it with only you for now…"

Arkyn stepped closer and wrapped Astrid in a tight hug, speaking gently in her ear. "That sounds lovely."

They finally separated and Astrid began to walk towards the door, dress flowing behind her, sleepiness grabbing a hold of her as well. "I'm really glad you stopped by." Arkyn joked, watching her go. "Goodnight, Astrid."

"Goodnight, Arkyn." She replied, shooting him one last smile. "Looks like the 'famously cold Astrid' finally found someone to warm up to." And then she was gone, exiting into the shadows and jaunting her way home.

Arkyn closed the door gently and locked it for the night, pulling his furniture back into place as he decompressed. Little more than a month ago it had seemed as though he had no future. He'd simply been a parentless drifter floating to his death in a wooden boat, only to wind up on Berk instead. At the time it was unfamiliar, but now it was his home. What was more, however, was that now Arkyn not only had his own dragon, but he had Astrid. 2 partners…both playing vastly different yet equally necessary roles in the boy's life. Just thinking about it made the feelings of hopelessness and loneliness that had lingered after his parents death fade that much faster. Progress felt more possible than ever.

For once Arkyn's house had been used by someone other than himself, and as he collapsed on his bed he was comforted with the new memories he'd made that evening. Yeah…he'd blown off his own party, but it had clearly led to better things anyway. It still didn't feel real…but it was, which left one question bugging him for the rest of the night:

What in the hell do I do now…?

—

Hiccup swung his feet in the air as he sat with his remaining friends at the party, all now with a plate of food. It'd been quite some time since any of them had seen either Arkyn or Astrid, and Hiccup was beginning to worry about the reasons that might have brought about their extended departure. Although the boy hadn't seen Arkyn leave, Astrid had said she'd be back…from what, she didn't say, but Hiccup didn't feel it was his place to ask in the first place. All he knew was that he wasn't the one to drive her off, which was the only silver lining to be found at the moment. Perhaps Arkyn was still lost in the crowd? Unlikely, as the group had gone looking for him, but the swath of Vikings was so thick after Stoick's introduction and the following fight that it was impossible to keep track of what was actually canvassed.

It was a shame Astrid had left early, really. Hiccup was really looking forward to spending more time with her that night…possibly even working up the courage to ask her to dance? He wasn't so sure about that prospect, but it was nice to daydream about. If only he hadn't looked like such an idiot when she'd first walked in…

Hiccup decided he'd make up for that eventually and rejoined the table's conversation before they noticed the boy had spaced out, which had now shifted to the size of the crater the Screaming Death had made in the cliff. There would be time enough for Astrid.

Or so he hoped…

AN: Rewrote this chapter way too many times, but I think I finally have it in a place that can set my ideas up for future chapters in the best way possible. Quick reminder that this story is best if you read it with an open mind lol, I know we got a lot of die hard Hiccstrid fans out there but hopefully you can still enjoy this plot as is. More to come for these characters and their arcs, so please don't get your pitchforks out just yet. Thanks for the recent new followers! Be sure to review and as always I appreciate all my readers.