How to Train Your Dragon 1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, welcome to my first HTTYD story :) I have so many awesome ideas for this story; I'm so excited! I've written a few one-shots recently too, so feel free to check those out as well. I guarantee cuteness in this story, so ye have been warned ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**Confessions of a Lovesick Viking**

Hiccup sat at the desk in his room staring at a blank paper, his right hand holding up his face as he tried to think. He wasn't thinking of what to draw or writing down flying or battle tactics, oh no; he was trying to think of something bigger than that.

She already owned axes galore, so that was out. He'd already made her nice headbands or arm bands in the past few years—he didn't want to repeat himself because he couldn't come up with something new. Even taking her on a long flight with just the two of them seemed old and boring—they did that last year.

Whatever he came up with in the end, he was sure she'd be happy and wouldn't complain. But that didn't mean that he'd be satisfied.

Astrid was turning twenty-one next Thursday. Your twenty-first year on Berk meant you'd reached full adulthood and could join the village in tribal meetings but could actually give input from now on; you could be elected into certain offices in the chief council starting at that age; you were allowed to officially get married and have kids. There were tons of benefits to turning twenty-one.

Hiccup had turned twenty-one a few months ago. Being the son of the chief, and the only son at that, Stoick had organized a huge party in his honor. He had been told that the party was typical for heirs of the tribe, but there hadn't been one in so long that he figured Stoick was buttering up the occasion.

But Hiccup didn't want his friends to turn twenty-one and have a mediocre celebration. Just because he was the chief's son didn't mean every other adult should get a pat on the back and be forgotten. He planned to do something special for all of his friends, but the most important person in the group to him, and whose birthday fell first, was Astrid.

A small smile tugged at his lips at the thought of her. Ever since that first day he saw her while at breakfast with his parents, he just knew they would be great friends one day. Little did he know the amount of struggle he'd have to go through to make that friendship reality. Or even better, little did he know as a three-year-old that she would wind up being more to him that just a friend.

But you don't think of those things when you're three.

Their relationship had grown fully over the past six years since he and Toothless ended the war with dragons. The first year or two was full of strengthening their friendship with wisps of awkwardness here and there; they kept their personal feelings mostly to themselves, but it was unmistakable to anyone watching.

But three years ago at Snoggletog Hiccup finally took a leap of manhood and asked her on a date—a real date with just the two of them, no dragons, no villagers, no Ruff and Tuff to blow something up or Snotlout to blow something out of proportion. He'd planned for weeks in advance a great day together, finishing it off at the Snoggletog party. They've been practically inseparable since.

Hiccup blinked out of his thoughts, still staring at the blank page. Sighing he dropped his feather pen into the ink well and flopped his journal closed. Clearly he wasn't getting anything done. He blinked heavily, trying to stay awake but finally rested his head on his arms on top of the desk.

When was the last time he was this tired? What was it, early evening?

He'd trained twenty eight-year-olds with Terrible Terrors from nine til noon that morning with Fishleg's help. Then he had to help Stoick take care of an accidental fire in the village center due to Ruffnut and Tuffnut's little brother Olaf's antics. The little boy was only five and he threw terror into the hearts of all who saw him—the Twins were supposedly worse, but he had his doubts.

Gobber needed his help in the forge most of the afternoon, then after dinner he took an hour flight on Toothless. Then some poor thirteen year old fell into the sea from the cliffs, so there was a mad dash through the ocean to find him. Hiccup found him, but had to dive in and drag him to the surface where Stoick pulled him out and took him to Gothi. The kid was fine, just unconscious from the fall.

And then there was ground work, helping Stoick and Spitelout rebuild the foundation of the building that had burned down earlier that day. He was supposed to help for longer than he did, but Stoick finally noticed his son's apparent exhaustion and made him go home.

Actually thinking it through now, it made sense—he'd been going this much every day for the past few weeks. No wonder he was exhausted. Hopefully his body would get used to being so busy soon.

Arms suddenly moved over his sides and hugged his middle, making him stiffen and sharply inhale. But he exhaled with a smile when the lovely smell of her newly washed hair greeted him.

"Hey you," Astrid whispered in his left ear, making him bite his lip.

He breathed a short laugh and sat up, looking up at her. "Hey, what's up?"

She shrugged, unwrapping her arms from his torso, but didn't move away. "Nothing really, I've just been looking for my boyfriend for countless hours."

He looked away sheepishly. "Sorry, I've been going nonstop all day."

"That's what I heard." She crossed her arms, "You're wearing yourself out and you know it."

"I don't deny it."

"Then maybe you should, I don't know, take a break?"

"Astrid, I'm trying to get used to being busy all the time for a reason." Hiccup reasoned, running a hand through his dark unruly hair. "If I'm going to be chief one day, I have to be able to keep moving all day, every day."

"I know," She looked across the room. "I just hate seeing you look so tired all the time."

He leaned his head on the back of the chair and gazed up at her upside down. "It's all for the greater good. I'll make you a great chief one day." He winked.

"You think so, huh?" Astrid raised an eyebrow, but he could see the corners of her mouth turning upward and the glint of a smile in her eyes.

"Oh I know so."

She smirked, unfolded her arms and wrapped them around his shoulders, clasped her hands under his neck. His heart pumped faster at her touch, but his smile didn't waver. "And how is it that you know so much?" She asked, her face looming over his.

"Because I'm dating the most beautiful girl in the world. Need I say more?"

Astrid smirked and leaned a little closer, her lips ghosting over his, but she whispered, "Prove it."

He smiled and closed the space between them, sighing at her lips on his. Her hands ended up on the sides of his face and he reached up to stroke her cheek. He could stay like this forever, he'd be perfectly content-

"Am I interrupting something?"

Astrid jerked up at Stoick's voice, standing up straight and looking at him standing on the stairs with wide eyes. Hiccup merely sighed and sank lower in his chair, clearly miffed. "Nope. Nothing at all."

"I thought not." Stoick's smirk was unmistakable as his son turned to face him. "There was a rockslide on the mountain near Mulch and Bucket's farm today. I want you to go check it out in the morning, make sure no animals got hurt or killed. Or people."

"I suppose it would be good to check for people too," Hiccup agreed. Astrid flicked him in the side of the head, making him and Stoick share a laugh.

"I'm going to throw some fish on the fire. You want some Astrid?" Stoick asked, turning back to the stairs.

"No that's alright, I'll be heading home; thank you though." Astrid smiled.

Stoick nodded and headed back downstairs, but not before calling, "Don't mind me, continue what you were doing."

"Keep rubbing it in!" Hiccup called, but couldn't hide the grin. This wasn't the first time someone had walked in on one of their kissing sessions. Astrid always seemed flustered by it, but the more it happened, the less Hiccup seemed to be fazed.

Hiccup stood up as she sighed, "Well, guess I better head home. Save some time for me tomorrow okay?" She smiled.

He reached up and moved her bangs out of her left eye, let his fingertips stroke her temple for a moment. "You got it," he whispered before kissing her forehead.

She breathed a laugh but turned toward the stairs. He followed after her, stopping at the doorway. "Want me to walk you home?"

Astrid gave him a 'seriously' look. "Hiccup, I'm perfectly capable of walking myself home."

"Granted, but that doesn't mean you have to." He argued, leaning against the door, effectively blocking her in. Stoick glanced up from the fire with a smile, listening to their banter.

"Don't make me move you," She threatened.

"There's only one way you're getting out this door," He fired back, shrugging his eyebrows at her.

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Oh I think you've gotten enough attention for the day."

Hiccup pouted and gave her the kicked puppy look. She avoided eye contact and tried to pull him from the door—he always killed her with that look. He dug his heel and prosthetic into the floor and pushed back against the door; he matched her in strength now, so it was an equal fight.

"Hiccup really, I have to go home," She huffed, crossing her arms. "And stop looking at me like that."

He only deepened the sad face, earning him a punch in the arm.

"Oww, okay fine, you win," Hiccup chuckled and opened the door for her.

Astrid walked onto the porch and smirked, "I always do. Goodnight Hiccup."

"Goodnight Astrid," He leaned against the doorframe with a smile as she walked into the pale evening light towards the village. He watched her walk away for another minute before going back inside.

Toothless was sitting next to Stoick by the fire when he closed the door. "Hey bud," Hiccup scratched his best friend behind the ear. "Where've you been?"

Toothless snorted and tossed his head in the general direction of the forest. Probably went hunting, Hiccup guessed. He sat down across from his dad and poked at the fire with a metal rod. The two Haddocks were silent for a few minutes before Stoick flipped the sizzling fish and looked at his son. He raised an eyebrow at the goofy smile on Hiccup's face.

"Alright, what are you thinking? Out with it."

Hiccup breathed a smile, but kept poking the fire. He was silent for a few moments before he stopped moving his arm and looked up at his dad. "I love her, dad."

Stoick smiled and checked the fish. "I know you do. You've loved her for longer than you think."

"I don't mean the little kid puppy love, dad," Hiccup replied, eyes back on the fire. "I would do anything for her. If she asked me to jump off a cliff to prove that I loved her, I'd do it."

Toothless growled his disagreement and Hiccup patted his head. "Of course, you'd disagree."

"Yes, I know," Stoick reiterated, putting three fish on one plate, one on the other. Hiccup always did eat light. "Your mother is the one who first said you two would get married one day."

Hiccup stopped in mid-swig of his drink. He swallowed and furrowed his brow, "Really?"

"What, you don't remember that first time you ogled Astrid in the Great Hall?"

"Of course I do," Hiccup looked away in embarrassment.

"Love at first sight."

"I thought she was pretty, but we were three, dad. It wasn't love then. Sure it may have led up to that one day, but it wasn't love."

Stoick rolled his eyes and took a drink of his mead. "The jury's still out."

"Psh…" Hiccup blew his bangs out of his eyes in response.

"So…" Stoick inspected a fish bone for a moment as Hiccup chewed, waiting for him to continue.

"So what?"

"So you should propose to her."

"Huh," Hiccup scoffed, suddenly finding his half-eaten fish more interesting. "Yeah probably…"

"Now don't get all awkward, you said you love her right?"

"Yes?"

"That wasn't a question."

"Yes, I do. Very much so, last I checked."

"Okay then," Stoick held out his hands. "So next step in the process is the proposal."

Hiccup frowned, "I guess you're right, but how does one propose? I've never really thought about it-"

"Well it goes just like this," Stoick leaned forward, gaining his son's full attention. "You walk up to her, you declare your love, ask for her hand, she will promise you many sons and you get married a few months later. Simple."

Hiccup blinked, his mouth slightly ajar. "Erm… don't you think that's kinda… blunt? Traditional? _Boring_?"

"That's how I proposed to your mother."

"And my comment stands."

Stoick sighed, "Only you would want to think up a whole operation. All you need for a proposal is a man and woman bound to each other by a mutual understanding to survive. Or what you might call _love_. Not sure which is more important-"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Mutual understanding. Ha!"

"Don't laugh at the old ways of marriage. It was completely necessary in some situations. But aside from that, just propose to her. You need a wife in order to take over as chief anyway and what better woman to choose?"

Hiccup looked surprised for a second. "What?" Stoick asked.

His son shook his head, "I didn't expect you to think so highly of her." At Stoick's furrowed brow, he quickly added, "Not that I thought you didn't think highly of her, I just figured you approved of us together but I… didn't really think about it."

Stoick shook his head with a smile, "Just keep digging."

"Well ya know…"

Stoick chuckled as Hiccup quietly finished his fish. He suddenly looked up with that look of an idea forming in his mind. "I wonder…" he murmured.

"Oh boy," Stoick said to Toothless. "What's he thinking now?"

"I've been trying to think of a gift for Astrid for the past few days. Her birthday is next week. I wonder-"

"Propose to her on her birthday, it'll make it more special."

Hiccup nodded, "Okay, didn't take long to convince you. But that's not special enough-"

"Hiccup, just propose to the woman! She won't care how you do it, she'll just be happy you did."

"I know, but I like planning special events."

"We could throw a celebratory party for her twenty-first year like we did for you, and then you can propose to her at the end?"

"Nah, that's too original."

"Too original? Hiccup, original is my way of proposing."

"So my comment on that being traditional and boring still stands then."

Stoick avoided that and continued, "It doesn't matter how you propose, no matter what she'll be all squeals and giggles—all women are after being proposed to."

"Uh dad, in case you hadn't noticed, Astrid isn't really into the squeals, giggles and flouncy girl attitude." Hiccup waved his arms around and spoke in a high pitch voice with each word.

Stoick pursed his lips to hide his laugh. "Can you do that again?"

"No." Hiccup ignored his father's hearty laugh, face reddening a bit. Why did he always do stupid, embarrassing things? But he too cracked a smile, rubbing Toothless' nose when he set it on the edge of the fire pit.

"Anyway," Stoick sighed, calming back down. "Do what you want I suppose, but you have a week to prepare. Don't go overboard and don't forget about your responsibilities."

Hiccup nodded distractedly as his father got up from his chair to scrape the fish bones off his plate. His mind was going in a hundred different directions, but one question was at the forefront of his mind:

How does one propose to the woman he loves?

**First chapter done! I've got chapter 2 started; I'll try to get it up for you guys soon, but tomorrow's Monday, that means school (meh) and my brother is coming to visit me at school! Whoo-hoo! So I'll try to get more up to you guys soon, but I won't make any promises on a certain day. That's just silly because I can't guarantee anything haha**

**Feel free to drop me a review! Thanks guys! :)**

**~EmK**


	2. Chapter 2

**Good grief, this chapter is long! Lol But that's good for you guys, means you have more to read ;) More fluff in this chapter and had tons of fun writing it. Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 2**

"Whoooo-ooo!" Hiccup crowed as he and Toothless flew through the air at top speeds in the mountains of Berk. The sun was just peaking over the rim of the mountains, the morning air was crisp and clean, if slightly muggy—all in all, a gorgeous morning.

Toothless pulled out of the vertical dive and flew along the edge of the mountain by the treetops, looking up and giving his rider a happy coo. Hiccup patted his side, "Good dive, bud. You never cease to amaze me."

Toothless happily shook his head in response. Hiccup smiled, watched the ground below him flash by. Despite his exhaustion the previous night, he was awakened by Toothless before the sun came up but he didn't seem too affected by it yet. He'd gotten a few extra hours of sleep by going to bed early at least.

Soon the rockslide came into view, or what was left of it. "Alright bud, let's land and see if we can find anything." Toothless swooped to the ground and trotted to a stop before Hiccup slid off his left flank. The duo walked through the stone-y wreckage in search of any poor souls—animal or not—caught underneath. Thankfully after a full half-hour search, they found nothing.

"Well, I guess that's that," Hiccup smiled at Toothless. "What do you say we head-" Some loose rock under his prosthetic made him stumble a bit, but he caught his balance quickly. He looked down and kicked a few rocks out of the way as if to tell them to get lost. One curiously colored rock flew into the distance from his kick—of course within seconds he was on his hands and knees in search of it.

Sometimes he could curse his curiosity. He hadn't been blessed with much of a muscular frame or talent with weapons, but he sure drew himself nuts that he couldn't just let something small like a _rock_ go.

But when he finally found it, he gaped at it, turning it over in his hands in shock.

"Gold?"

It wasn't very big; maybe only a couple inches long and an inch wide. Some rock was still stuck to it on a few parts, but it seemed otherwise unfazed. Toothless bent and sniffed the rock before walking away, clearly uninterested. He plopped on his bottom a few feet away, giving Hiccup a bored look.

"Don't look at me like that," Hiccup said, looking back at the gold. "This could be good for us. Or really bad." The last thing Berk needed was daily raids from pirates and other Viking tribes because there was gold in the mountains.

He stood and pocketed the gold nugget, glancing around for more but came up empty. Toothless was soon nudging his back and snorting at him impatiently, obviously ready to leave. "Alright, let's go." Hiccup climbed into the saddle and Toothless took off towards the village.

**Xxx**

"Gold? Here now, lemme see!" Gobber lunged forward, trying to snatch the nugget of gold from Hiccup's hand. Stoick calmly and firmly held his friend back. Gobber always did love gold, which made sense considering he had been working with metal his entire life.

The trio was back in the house, the young adult wanting to tell them about the gold without drawing the attention of the villagers. Toothless lay nearby taking a silent nap.

"Where did you find it, son?" Stoick asked.

"By the edge of the mountain where the rockslide happened. This is all I found, no hurt animals or anything. I could actually show you where whenever you have free time."

"Which translates to never," Gobber smirked.

Hiccup nodded, rolling the gold around in his palm, "Yup, I figured as much."

Stoick frowned, "I don't have time for adventures, you know that. A chief has-"

"Multitudes of responsibilities that he must attend to at all times." Hiccup interrupted using a Viking accent. Gobber laughed and Stoick scowled.

"Don't take it lightly, Hiccup. You'll be taking over someday."

"Yup, I'm aware."

"So instead of searching for _gold_ and other such rubbish,maybe you should, I don't know, be preparing?"

Hiccup deadpanned, "Dad, I'm working on it, but I'm not taking over tomorrow! And besides, I didn't go searching for gold; I did what you told me and found gold on the way. It's cool the things you can find if take time to smell the roses. You should try it sometime."

Gobber stepped between them, "Now ladies, you've both got the prettiest curls, but shouldn't we get back to business? Hiccup found gold, Stoick. Shouldn't that mean something?"

"I'm not sending our men off into the woods and mountains in search for gold, something that can easily sway a man's thoughts and intentions. We don't need to be getting unfriendly visitors because they find out we have gold on our island. Better to leave it alone." Stoick looked at both his son and friend with an equal intensity that basically told them not to go hunting for gold.

Hiccup sighed, "You're right. But what should I do with this?" He held up the gold nugget.

Stoick raised an eyebrow, "It's a little chunk of gold, Hiccup. It can't be worth that much. Just keep it, maybe you'll find something useful for it."

"If I can't sell it to Trader Johann, then what's the point?" Hiccup frowned. He'd hoped to trade off the gold for something cool for Astrid or himself. But like already stated people could sniff out the original location of gold in no time. Berk didn't need war and conflict over a simple metal. Leave that to the stinking Romans.

"Hiccup, I'm insulted. If there's one thing I've taught you to do, it's to make stuff. Make something with it." Gobber poked the boy's forehead. "I'm sure you'll come up with something interesting."

Hiccup silently watched Gobber and his father exit the house, then looked down at the nugget again. He looked at Toothless, who got up and stood next to him, and mused, "What could I possibly make with a little two-inch chunk of gold?"

And suddenly it hit him. He knew what he was going to get Astrid for her birthday. "Come on, bud," He turned and ran out of his house and down the hill, Toothless on his heels. He ran into the forge and began heating up the furnace, excited to get started. But then he paused.

He'd need to do some measurements and figure out how exactly he was going to pull this off. "Hmm…" he mused. Throwing water on the just warming up furnace, he walked out of the forge, Toothless watching him in confusion. "Gotta slow down," Hiccup muttered.

He walked into the village in search of Astrid. People and dragons were milling about as usual, but his gorgeous blonde anywhere in sight. He bit his lip, scanning the crowd.

Hands covered his eyes from behind and someone whispered in his ear, "Guess who?"

He smiled but played along, "Hmm Ruffnut?"

"No."

"Fishlegs?"

"Uh no."

"Snotlout."

A pain bloomed in his arm and he laughed, turning around to face Astrid. "Very funny," she shook her head at him. Before his brain could register anything, her lips were suddenly on his. She already pulled away by the time he did register the kiss; it was very short, but it didn't stop that goofy smile from coming to his face.

"So what're you up to?" she asked.

He casually reached down and took her hand, "Oh nothing much. I maybe have a new small, but unimportant project at the forge that you need not worry yourself with." Hiccup held up her hand to his face as he talked, which she obviously found strange.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" She frowned, tried to pull her hand away.

"No, just hold still!" Hiccup pulled her hand back and inspected her fingers. _Small, thin… kind of long too, so it needs to be small-_

Astrid watched him looking at her hand with an intensity that could only mean one thing. "What are you up to?"

"Wha?" He suddenly dropped her hand and looked away, "I-I don't knooow what you're-"

"You're hiding something." Astrid poked a finger onto his chest. "And I just may have to do something drastic to get you to confess."

"Oh boy, she's getting feisty," Hiccup snickered, then muttered, "Evacuate!" He quickly began to walk away, but she effortlessly grabbed him by the back of his tunic and pulled him back, his prosthetic leaving a deep skid mark in the dirt.

"What are you hiding? Tell me."

"I can't tell you, it's a surprise!" Hiccup squeaked as his back hit stone wall behind him.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Lies."

"No seriously, I can't say… But it's nothing to be suspicious about, I promise." Hiccup smiled genuinely, trying to appease her curiosity.

She raised an eyebrow skeptically and pulled back a step. "Reeeally?"

"Yup. And believe you me, you're going to love it."

"Oh, so you're getting me something?" A smile broke onto her face and her blue eyes lit up in interest.

Hiccup slapped a hand to his forehead. "Agh, don't spoil it, okay?"

"Alright fine, but I'll find a way to get it out of you soon." Astrid sang as she walked back into the square. "See ya later."

"Bye," Hiccup smiled, watched her walk away before he blew a loud sigh of relief, sending his dark red bangs flying off his forehead. "That was close." He jogged back to the forge and went into his workshop, pulling out the gold nugget from his pouch on the desk. He frowned at it as he observed its surface for a hundredth time.

"This'll be fun."

**Xxx**

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly, especially when the horns for an approaching ship reached the ears of the villagers. Already knowing who it was, they all flooded to the docks in excitement to meet Johann and see what new treasures he'd brought to them this year.

Hiccup wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked down at the hardening gold. He was able to get all the offensive rock off the gold and melt it down into its finest form with no impurities. He didn't mind working on it some more, but since Johann was finally here, he knew it could wait. Worst case scenario, he could just reheat the metal.

"Hiccup?"

His heart jumped and he scampered around to a different table, pretending to work on other things. If Astrid saw the gold, her curiosity would spike and she'd surely ask questions. _She's got an eye for the finer things in life_, he thought, then added to his inner monologue, _Myself included, if I say so myself_.

"In here Astrid!" he called just before she walked in.

She put her hands on her hips, "What are you doing? Johann's about to dock his ship and you're in here tinkering."

"Hey, I like tinkering!" Hiccup whined, but gave her a smile and continued trying to pull out a screw from some equipment—the best distraction he could come up with on the fly. Thank Thor it was actually proving difficult.

Astrid watched him struggle for a minute, his face fixed in concentration. She took in his entire form, the way his bangs stuck to his forehead when he sweat, his shoulder and bicep muscles flexing as he worked, or the way he held most of his weight on his right leg to compensate for his left. She smiled when she noticed he was wearing a dirtied white tunic with short-sleeves—she liked it when he wore short-sleeves. It was different than what he grew up wearing and showed off his form more-

"Are you checking me out?"

Astrid blinked out of her train of thought to see him facing her, leaned against the work table, arms crossed with an amused smirk on his face. Usually she'd deny such an accusation, but right now, she didn't feel like it. She cocked her head as if to shrug and smirked back, "So what if I am?"

Hiccup laughed and looked away, shaking his head. "At least you admit it. For once."

"Well it's not like I do it on a reg-"

"Ohhh yes, you do." He held up a single finger in the air to stop her, his smirk growing. "Don't think I haven't noticed."

She gave him a piercing look and sauntered forward, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "Well if you would stop being so scandalous with those bare arms of yours."

"Ohhh I don't think it's that." Hiccup shook his head. "I think you just can't get enough of all this."

Astrid pursed her lips, "Because saying that just makes you _so_ much more attractive."

"Oh you know it," he winked.

Finally she punched his arm. He flinched, but raised an eyebrow at her. "That's for seducing me." She took in his grin and the spark of mischief in his eyes, and then grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers. She pulled away a moment later, but barely, and whispered, "And that's for everything else."

Hiccup pushed his fingertips into her hair behind her ear as he kissed her again, felt her hands brush on his chest, up his shoulders and intertwine behind his neck. He gently pulled her closer, wishing that he could marry her right at that moment.

"OY!" Gobber's voice suddenly erupted from the doorway.

Astrid flinched, but didn't pull very far away this time. They both looked over sheepishly to see Gobber glaring at them and the young 12-year-old Gustav standing beside him, a look of disgust on his face. "How many times have I told you two that my shop is not your little love bunk?"

Hiccup, still holding Astrid to his chest, hummed, "Umm-"

"Don't answer that!" Gobber fumed, stepping towards them. "I bring little Gustav in here to prepare him for work at the forge, and this is what he has to walk into? Come now, Hiccup, what have you to say for yourself?"

Astrid stepped away, her face tight from trying to not laugh. Hiccup too looked as if he were about to burst out laughing. "Umm…" Hiccup cleared his throat and recovered. "Gustav," He looked at the boy with a smile. "I'm going to give you a piece of advice that you should never forget. Now listen carefully," Gustav nodded and Hiccup glanced at Gobber. "Be wise about your location of choice when kissing your girlfriend."

"Why you little-" Gobber lunged at him, but Hiccup was already out the door, unable to hold down his laughter. Astrid jumped out the top half of the door used for handing in weapons and ran after him down the street toward the docks.

Gobber shook his head and turned back to Gustav. "Sorry about that, lad."

Gustav shrugged, "It's alright. I suppose it could be worse."

Gobber thumped the boy's shoulder. "You're too gracious for your own good."

"As long as they don't end up in my dad's workshop, I have no worries."

Gobber chuckled at the thought of Gustav's dad catching the couple in the back of the meat shed. "Yeah, that wouldn't go over too well."

**Xxx**

"We really need a new location for, uhh, _that_," Hiccup told Astrid as they reached the docks.

"What, we need a special location only for kissing now?" Astrid asked incredulously. "Sometimes, Hiccup…"

"Hey, it was Gobber's idea."

"Gobber's just jealous that we show more love in that forge than he does."

Hiccup snorted, having no response for that.

Astrid shook her head in amusement and pointed towards Johann's ship. "He took longer to get here this year. Do you think he has anything new?"

"I'm sure he's got something interesting." Hiccup replied, secretly hoping Johann would have something beyond interesting.

"Hey, there they are; the lovely couple!" Johann bellowed from his ship, noticing them. The couple waved and trotted down the dock to greet him.

"Hi Johann!" Astrid hugged the man, and Hiccup shook his hand.

"So, any news?" The trader asked. The couple looked at him confused, then he added, "Are there wedding bells in the distance?"

"Oh!" They both said, Astrid smiling at Hiccup, Hiccup rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, about that-"

"You _are_ still dating right!" Johann blurted.

Many nearby Vikings looking to trade answered him, "YES!" The couple flinched at their shouted, but amused response.

"Is our PDAreally _that_ bad?" Hiccup whispered to Astrid.

Johann chuckled, "I didn't honestly think otherwise. Well go on now, see what you can find!" He all but pushed the blonde and redhead onto his ship without another word.

Astrid went to the weapons and Hiccup looked around at other things, but nothing really caught his eye. Peeking at Astrid to see her distracted, he hopped off the ship and poked Johann in the arm.

"Find something already, lad?" Johann asked.

"Nope, not yet," Hiccup glanced at Astrid, who was still looking at stuff. "I actually have a question for you." He leaned forward and murmured his plans to the older man, who nodded excitedly but thankfully didn't shout for joy. "Guess I spoke a lil' too soon then, eh?"

Hiccup smiled, "I suppose you could say that."

"But now that you ask if there's anything interesting that can assist in your plan, I do have a little something. But it's below in the belly of my ship. Come along." Johann climbed back aboard his ship, Hiccup hot on his heels.

He managed to follow Johann down the stairs without Astrid noticing. Hopefully this wouldn't take long or she'd come looking for him. He looked around in the ship's cargo hold and whistled, "Didn't know you were such a pack-rat, Johann."

Johann laughed, shoving aside a few wooden crates to help them move easier. "Trust me, it's been worse." Johann led him to the back corner of the cargo hold and began unlocking a big wooden chest. "Now Hiccup," he paused after opening the lid. He grasped a small metal box and held it in his hands tightly, as if afraid to drop it. "I've never told anyone about this, so you have to keep it a secret."

"You can trust me," Hiccup nodded.

Johann nodded confidently and opened the lid to reveal…

"Whoa…" Hiccup breathed.

Jewels. Tons of them. There were sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds of all shapes and sizes.

"Where in Thor's name-"

"Back in my younger days I did a lot of travelling with my father," Johann began, poking his pinkie finger through the jewels as he spoke. "We travelled to Spain, England. He even got himself caught in Rome once. He wasn't rich, but he saved his money; throughout his travels he tried to get some form of trinket from each place, but managed to get a jewel or two from some places. He kept them in here and it was given to me when he passed on."

"Wow," Hiccup breathed. "That's a cool story."

"Yes well," Johann shrugged. "These ole' rocks have been sitting in this box untouched for countless decades. I think it's high time they got some use." He gently held the box out to Hiccup.

Hiccup gaped. "What? Oh Johann, I couldn't take all of these… I don't know what I'd do with them all. Besides, I just need something for Astrid…" He tapered off.

Johann smiled. "I understand; you don't need a whole box of diamonds. So pick one."

Hiccup looked at him, unsure. "What do you want to trade for it? I probably don't have anything nearly as valuable."

Johann shook his head. "Call it a wedding gift." He held the box out again.

Hiccup smiled and took the box, looking at its contents. "I never thought I'd be asking you for help in proposing one day."

"Ah, I consider it a privilege, lad." Johann clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you."

"Hiccup?"

He jumped at Astrid's voice. Before he could even think of what to say, Johann scooped up a fancy English sword with gold filigree and swiftly walked to the stairs. "Keep shopping," he whispered to Hiccup with a wink. "Astrid, look at what I found in the bowels of this beast."

Hiccup snickered as Johann's voice carried up the stairs. If anyone could interest Astrid in a new weapon, Johann could.

He looked back down in the box of jewels, poking his finger through. If he wanted to make her a ring, setting a diamond on top would surely make it even prettier… but how was he to do that? He was a blacksmith and dragon trainer, not a jeweler. And he hadn't seen many rings in his life.

But he'd figure out a way to make it the most beautiful thing she owned.

Some of the gems were too big and bulky; he didn't want the ring to be uncomfortable… he still had to make the band. Finally his eyes landed on a small diamond—simple, yet beautiful. Out of all the diamonds in the box, that was the one he wanted.

He managed to pick it up in his fingertips and held it there tightly as he returned the box and closed the chest. "Now where to put it…" he mused, staring at it in shock. How much money was sitting in between his fingertips? Perhaps he'd never know. He set the diamond in his palm and closed it, making sure that it wouldn't fall, and made his way up the stairs.

Johann was at the top of the stairs waiting for him when he got there. He held out a very small bag with a grin, "I think you'll need this." Hiccup smiled gratefully and quickly, yet carefully placed the diamond in the bag, and then attached the bag to his belt.

And not a moment too soon.

"Where were you?" Astrid demanded, sporting a new dagger on her belt. She glanced down at the little bag, "What's that?"

"Nothing of consequence," Hiccup replied, sharing a glance with Johann.

Astrid's eyes narrowed as she looked at the two men. "Something fishy is going on around here."

"I can't imagine what," Hiccup quipped. "We're only docked next to the fishing boats."

"Not what I meant."

"I'm sorry for the confusion, but I simply cannot indulge your curiosity at the moment," Hiccup smiled, but it faltered at her glare. "Or your feistiness."

"Astrid, Astrid," Johann placed a hand on her shoulder. "I assure you that whatever is going on, assuming there is in fact something going on, that it is in no way meant to cause you harm, detriment, emotional instability or shame. Trust me on this one. Everything is going to be okay."

Astrid seemed satisfied. "Hm. Okay, if you say so."

Hiccup's face fell, "You couldn't just take my word for it?"

"You're not Johann."

"Who exactly are you dating here?"

"You, but you're too suspicious for your own good." Johann looked back and forth between them with each statement.

"But what about trust?"

"Trust you?"

"Yes, because if you can't trust me, in all honesty this thing is just not going to work."

Astrid gaped and Hiccup blanched. Johann looked shocked. "Wait. No. Nonono, that's not what I meant!" Hiccup flubbed, trying to take it back.

"Hiccup-"

"No I can't believe I just said that-"

"Hiccup."

"That wasn't meant to sound that way!"

"HICCUP!"

"What!?"

He finally noticed her grin and Johann's apparent relief at her expression. Astrid held back a laugh, "It's okay, I know that isn't what you meant."

Hiccup heaved a sigh of relief so loud, people looked at him in annoyment. "Oh, by Odin's beard, I scared myself to death." Johann and Astrid laughed.

"Just keep sticking that foot in your mouth, boy," Johann slapped his arm.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "But seriously." Glancing at the soon-to-be-evening sky, he looked toward the dock. "Well I have to get some stuff done tonight, so I'll see you later Johann. Thanks for everything."

"Anytime Hiccup," Johann waved. "Come back tomorrow, I may have more goodies yet."

"Alright," Hiccup smiled, pecking Astrid on the cheek before jumping onto the dock and heading back to the forge.

Astrid watched him go before turning a look over to Johann, who flinched, "And what goodie did you already give him?"

Johann gulped, but he didn't falter. "Now Astrid, sometimes people have secrets that must be kept. My lips are sealed. But don't press the matter; Hiccup isn't doing anything suspicious. Just be patient and you will soon see just what he has up his sleeve." He patted her shoulder, then made his way over to other villagers.

Astrid looked at the docks heading up to the village, just catching Hiccup disappear at the top. What could he be planning? If she knew anything, it couldn't be something that simple.

**A cookie goes to the person who gets the movie reference ;) Writing Johann was super fun! I've only seen that first episode with him once, and none of the others though, so I hope I got him right. Feel free to leave me a review! More cuteness is coming! :)**

**~EmK**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hooray for another chapter! This is soooo long! And it was going to be longer so I HAD to chop it… Sorry. Special thanks to the amazing KatieMarie999 for helping me figure out this chapter and the next! I guarantee you guys humor and cute fluff ;D**

**Chapter 3**

"You want me to what now?"

Astrid's mother, Phlegma the Fierce cocked an eyebrow at the auburn-haired young man holding a small mold in his hand.

"I just need you to fit your finger inside so I can see if it fits." Hiccup smiled, holding it out to her.

Phlegma's look of confusion did not falter. "Why?"

"Just taking some measurements. But if you could use your left hand and put in the finger that's third to the left, that'd be great. Yeah that one," Hiccup smiled as she slowly pushed her finger into the mold.

He inwardly whooped for joy; it fit perfectly! Being an individual with a keen eye for detail, he had noticed years ago that one of Astrid and Phlegma's shared traits was their small, slender hands with long, thin fingers. He was taking a risk; if their fingers really didn't match up in size then the ring wouldn't fit Astrid—it would fit her mother. But this was his best shot in finding out without approaching Astrid again. He prayed to Thor that it would fit.

"Okay, now you do something for me," Phlegma crossed her arms, bargaining face on. Hiccup gulped; Astrid so took after her mother.

"O-kay…"

"Oh don't look so scared, it's fairly simple." Phlegma smirked at his nervous expression. "What's this all about?"

"Ahh…" Hiccup squeaked. He hadn't talked to either of Astrid's parents about his plan yet. He had planned to, of course, but it had only been a few days since he decided to embark on this mission. Unfortunately that didn't leave him with much time to talk to her parents either.

He sighed, "Can you keep a secret?"

"From who?"

"Your daughter."

"That depends." Phlegma smirked wider.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Hiccup slumped. He decided to beat around the bush, hoping she wouldn't catch on to any deeper meanings. "I'm planning a surprise for Astrid's birthday. I just… want her to stay surprised is all."

"Oh," Phlegma shrugged. "Well yes, fine; I won't say a thing to her. You made it sound like it was something bigger."

"Well…" Hiccup offered a small smile. "It could be. I did say it was a surprise, right?"

"Hm. Well I love surprises, but just make sure you talk to her father about whatever this surprise is." Phlegma warned. "Olaf doesn't like to be caught off guard, especially concerning his daughter."

Hiccup pursed his lips, but nodded. "Yeah, I'll…I'll talk to him this afternoon." He managed before heading to the door. "Thanks for your time."

"Anytime dear," Phlegma nodded and turned back to sharpening her axe.

He closed the door behind him and stepped off the Hofferson's porch. He looked toward the harbor where surely Mr. Hofferson was working…

He shook his head and hurried to the forge. He had to get the ring started. If it didn't turn out or set right in the molding, he'd have to make a new one. He would talk to Mr. Hofferson later.

Entering the forge, he quickly heat up the fire pit and retrieved the gold. Within the next twenty minutes it was melted down into a red hot, bubbly substance. He carefully poured some of it down into the small molding. He then set it aside with tongs to cool, and thought about what he should do next.

He'd need to attach the diamond to the ring somehow. He hadn't inspected a diamond ring before to see how it was typically done by Southern jewelers. He pulled out his journal and began a sketch of the ring, trying to figure out some way to attach the diamond without it falling off. If it did, there'd be no finding it.

He was so engrossed in his sketch that failed to notice a pair of hands untie his forge apron and retie it to a wooden cart used for carrying tools.

"Hmm…" Hiccup mused, looking over his drawing. He drew a couple metal prongs at the top of the band. With some hot melding of the gold and prongs he'd have to create from leftover gold, he could hopefully place the diamond on top, and then tighten the prongs to hold it in place. He nodded resolutely, hoping this would work. If anything failed, he didn't have an extra diamond like he did the gold.

He took a step forward to check on the hardening metal, but a loud clatter and sharp tug at his back caught his attention. "Wha-" He jerked around and was surprised by more tugging and more clattering—weapons falling to the floor.

A huge sword swung off the cart and very nearly chopped off the toes on his only foot. "Ah!" He yelped, holding out his arms to stay balanced and calm. "Whew…" he breathed. It would not do to lose his other foot.

He finally heard the stifled laughter from nearby. Slapping his arms at his sides, he called, "Alright you two, come untie me."

Tuffnut jumped up and lounged in the shop window. "Nahh, I don't think I will. The troll might because she's a softie, but I won't. As if you weren't clumsy enough, this is too much entertainment."

"Thank you for summing that up."

"Troll? Who're you calling a troll?" Ruffnut stood beside Hiccup, arms crossed.

Hiccup tried to twist and untie himself, but the more he moved the more weapons clattered to the floor. "If it's any consolation, I believe he called you a _soft_ troll."

"SOFT?!" Ruffnut roared. "Oh I'll show you soft!" She launched herself at her brother, running Hiccup over in the process.

"AHH!" Hiccup went flying, as typically klutzy people generally do when body-slammed by a soft troll.

Even at age twenty-one, some things never change.

The crash from inside the forge could be heard down the street, but due to the Thorston twins rolling in the dirt, beating the crud out of each other, the village remained oblivious to the poor Haddock's plight.

Still tied to the cart, Hiccup sat up and sighed. Now he had to clean up the forge of all the weapons. Then he had a thought and smacked his forehead. "IDIOT!" He growled, managing to stand up and pull out his dagger from his belt.

The twins' heads popped up out of the dirt at his outburst. "Who you calling idiot?" Tuff smacked a fist into his palm.

"The idiot who can train dragons and forge a ring out of gold but can't think to cut the stupid apron strings with a knife when he's clearly lying in a battlefield," Hiccup muttered, sawing at the strings of leather and careful not to skewer himself. He'd have to ask Astrid to help him sew those back up.

"Oh yeah!" Tuff jumped back into the forge, Ruffnut following close behind. "We heard about the gold! Can I see? Pretty please with gooseberries and Haddock on top?"

"Why am I on top?" Hiccup asked as he picked up a couple of spears.

"Come on Hiccup, show us the gold!"

"Shh!" Hiccup tried to appease them with calming hand motions, but they scowled.

"Don't do that, I am not a dragon." Ruffnut deadpanned.

Tuffnut looked down at her, "Really? Your butt says otherwise." He received a punch in the face as recompense.

"Ohhh yeah," Tuffnut sniffed, his left cheek swelling with knuckle marks. "Oh yeah, that really clears up the sinuses. Thanks dragon-butt."

Hiccup rolled his eyes as Ruff yanked on her brother's hair. He had to check on the ring but he couldn't with these two maniacs around. Besides he didn't want them blabbing about it, and not just around Astrid—his father didn't want anyone to know about it.

But they'd apparently heard it from someone.

"Where'd you hear about the gold?" he asked, hating to bring it up when they'd forgotten the topic in their lust for each other's pain.

"Gobber," They simultaneously replied, neither looking at him as they kept hitting each other. He was surprised they actually heard him.

"No surprise there." He mused. Hopefully this wouldn't come back to bite him. He glanced outside the forge for someone who could help him lose the twins; he had to keep working before the ring cooled too much in the mold.

Finally he spotted someone. "Fishlegs!"

The stocky man turned from his present location and walked to the forge. "What's going on? Everything uh… okay?" he asked, noticing the bickering twins. They were hard not to notice.

"Sure…" Hiccup glanced at them. "I just have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time and I can't seem to lose them."

"Is this about the gold?"

Hiccup face went slack. Strike two. He was now expecting Astrid to walk in and ask about it, but thankfully she was nowhere in sight. Well, not thankfully; he could use a beautiful face right now-

_Focus, lover-boy._ His subconscious brought him back to reality with the identical maniacs still bickering and Fishlegs standing outside the window awkwardly. Hiccup sighed, "Can you do me a huuuuuge favor?"

Fishlegs sighed and nodded, knowing what was coming, "Sure, I owe you one anyway."

"First off, can you get these two crud-muffins out of my hair, and second, can you distract Astrid? Just do something to keep them all occupied so I can finish my… erm, project."

"Project?" Fishleg's eyes lit up.

"Ugh, _Fii-iish_."

"Alright, aright…" Fishlegs pouted. "Yeah, I'll take care of them all for you."

"Thanks," Hiccup replied gratefully, but frowned. It wasn't fair for him to drop this load on his friend and then not tell him what he was doing. And Fish had really learned the key to keeping a secret since the adventure with the Outcasts a few years ago. He sighed, "Alright, come here."

He pulled Fishlegs down and quickly whispered to him what he was planning for that coming week. The twins didn't notice a thing until Fishlegs squealed in delight like a little girl, "AW REALLY?!"

The twins whipped around, finally realizing they were missing out on something. "What?!" "What's going on?"

Hiccup gave Legs a hard look. "Don't you dare tell a _soul_."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes, "What, that there is treasure down on the western beach that I found and that no one can find it unless a Hideous Zippleback digs it out, who happens to have +18 digging skills?"

Hiccup smirked as the twins nearly tripped over themselves, each screeching, "BARF! BELCH!"

"Fish, I so owe you one."

"Ehh don't mention it," Fishlegs waved off, walking backwards to try to catch up to the twins. "I am so excited for you! Now get to work, I've got you covered!"

And not a moment too soon. Astrid walked into the clearing a moment later, clearly heading for the forge. Hiccup bit his lip, but Fishlegs easily blocked her path.

"Astrid! I need your help!" He wailed quite effectively, Hiccup thought as he watched on from the darkness of the forge. "I went and told the twins that there was treasure on the western beach! They're going to destroy it!"

"Good thing you didn't say the eastern beach. I'm sure Stoick would kill you." Astrid smirked. The eastern side held the docks. "And you need my help because?"

"Because they need to be occupied. Or chaperoned. Or both."

"Why?"

"Because they were driving Hiccup crazy."

"Oh were they?" Astrid glanced to the forge. Hiccup ducked in deeper, hoping she couldn't see him. He didn't think she could though. She smiled, "Well I suppose I can help keep them in line."

"Ohh _thank you_." Fishlegs drawled, legitimately happy that he wouldn't have to face the twins alone. And with Astrid helping, he'd definitely live to see another sunset.

Hiccup exhaled his breath in a big whoosh. "That was close," he murmured, turning back to the mold. "Alright little guy, let's see how you held up."

**Xxx**

"You told them… what exactly?" Astrid asked, her blue eyes wide.

Fishlegs fidgeted. "Well… I may have inexplicably fibbed that there was treasure-"

"Yes, you said that part only eighteen times. This beach is utter chaos! There's one dragon and two people! How bad could it seriously get?!" Astrid spread her arms out to the destruction.

Gaping holes were all over the beach, some only a few feet deep, some deeper. The deepest—20 feet deep and long enough to fit the entire dragon—happened to occupy the two Thorstons and a furiously digging Zippleback.

"You guys are idiots." Astrid shook her head.

"You're just jealous you aren't down here with us!" Tuffnut called. "We're looking for treasure!"

"I don't need treasures of gold and jewels to make me happy." Astrid remarked flatly.

Fishlegs jerked. "Heh…" He quickly cleared his throat and looked down at the twins sternly. Astrid caught his expression change, but didn't question it.

She looked back down at the twins instead. "Guys come on, come back up. These walls are going to cave in, you'll be buried, and how would we get you out exactly?"

"Use your hands, dummy." Ruffnut stated, hands on her hips.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, because I can dig like a Zippleback."

"Who is one of the best dragons for digging, mind you," Fishlegs added.

"Yeah yeah, bookworm," Tuffnut waved him off. "We'll be f-" The sand began to cave in at just that moment.

"Ah!" Astrid yelped, but Fishlegs yanked her back and they scampered away from the edge.

Barf and Belch grabbed the twins and threw them into the air, far away from the caving-in sand pit. They landed in the shallows of the ocean nearby with a resounding splash. The dragon tried to flap out of the hole, but it couldn't get out in time.

However there was nothing to fear because its necks stretched over the original hole. The creature's two heads stuck up a few feet out of the sand, but that was it. Barf and Belch were surely and undeniably stuck.

Astrid sighed. "Well, you guys got what you wanted. If you truly love this dragon, you'll be digging up a treasure far better than gold."

Ruff and Tuff splashed over and immediately started chucking sand by the handful away from the dragon's necks. They argued over "whose fault this all was anyway" while Fishlegs sighed heavily. "This is going to be a long day."

**Xxx**

"Who knew this gadget could really come in handy one day?" Hiccup mused, hoping no one would walk into his back work room at that moment. He'd tied a few of his spying glasses together by a leather strap, which was tied to the back of his head. The end result was magnifying glasses. Only they were huge and extended several inches off his face, making him look seriously goofy.

If anyone was to walk in and he looked up, he was sure they'd die of laughter. His big green eyes were probably monstrous right now through the front view.

But he had no other option. He'd successfully created the prongs to hold the diamond, so now he was trying to fit it on the band. But the spaces were too small so he'd been forced to bring out the gadget that he figured he'd never end up using.

Setting the diamond on top of the prongs with tweezers, he managed to set the diamond on top and press it down. Now he'd need to tighten the prongs and hope the gem wouldn't pop off and fly to the floor.

It was a good thing he had steady hands.

Another five minutes and he was done, yanking the contraption off his face and rubbing his eyes. He held up the finalized product and sighed heavily, happy to be done.

"Wow," he smiled. To this day his biggest invention was by far Toothless' tail and rigging. But this? The golden band was thin and light, yet it still shone like the day he found it. The diamond set on top was gorgeous like the moment he chose it out of the box of jewels. But together?

"Now I really don't care what anyone says," He told himself, setting it inside a small box and shoving it into a corner of his desk. "But I am the _man_."

He leaned back and stretched, wondering what time it was. It had to be mid-afternoon. His stomach grumbled at the thought—he hadn't eaten since early that morning before flying with Toothless.

He walked out of the forge and nearly fell over. The sunset was unmistakable—it had to be nearly six in the afternoon! So he really hadn't eaten for about twelve hours ago…

"Oh boy," he mused, heading toward the docks. He hoped Mr. Hofferson was still there. He wouldn't talk to him at their home; he didn't want to risk Astrid overhearing. Anyway, he'd hopefully talk to him and then head home for the night. All that forge work on the ring was taxing.

Luck was in his favor and he saw Olaf Hofferson walking up the docks with some other men, clearly done working for the day. Hiccup stood at the top, waiting for him to reach arrive, but he was suddenly panic-stricken.

_What do I say? Hello Mr. Hofferson sir, I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand? No no, that's too formal. I want to marry Astrid. Waddya say? Oh Thor's beard, Hiccup, WAY too casual!_ Hiccup argued with himself mentally. Olaf was nearing the top now. _What do I say? What do I SAY?_

Luck was again in his favor when Olaf slapped his shoulder and boomed, "Hello Hiccup!"

"Ach…Hi!" Hiccup squeaked, then cleared his throat. "Hi," He tried again in a deeper voice, clearly flustered.

"I've been meaning to speak to you," Olaf said, turning to walk towards the cliff nearby so they wouldn't be overheard.

Hiccup gulped. "Really? What about?"

Once a good distance away, the tall, stocky blonde turned back to him. "My daughter. What are your intentions with her?"

Hiccup blinked, trying to catch his meaning. Like, does he mean in general? Or… more than that? He took a deep breath and said, "Well, I was actually coming to talk to you about her. Um. I was going to ask you…" _Here we go_. He stopped fidgeting, stood taller and looked the man in the eye. "I would like to marry her with your permission, sir."

Olaf's face was blank for a moment as he stared back at him. Hiccup grew nervous but he forced himself to hold still and keep his gaze neutral. Okay, maybe a tad bit hopeful.

Maybe more.

Olaf finally drew in a deep breath. "I mean no offense," he began slowly. _And here we go._ Hiccup thought, fearing the worst. "But, though you have grown stronger and a wee bit taller, how are you going to protect her? You're still not cut out to being a Viking warrior, which you have to be to protect a family."

A few sarcastic comments came to mind, but Hiccup silenced them. He instead nodded, "I understand that I'm not normal by any stretch of the imagination. I'm small, I'm strong for a super average person but only because I have to build muscle on a regular basis, not because it's in my genes. I'm not great with weapons…"

He tapered off, but looked the man in the eye again. "But I love your daughter. I'll protect her with every fiber of my being, I won't let her starve or freeze in the cold of winter. I'll be there for her every day until I die." The corner of Olaf's mouth twitched into a slight smile, but he said nothing. Hiccup quietly added with a shrug, "And she'd be the mother of the next chief. Not a bad addition."

Olaf had to smile at that. But he said, "Why are you choosing her? We all know you'll be chief one day and that you'll need a wife; why Astrid?"

Hiccup thought for a moment, and then replied, "When I was a little kid, I thought she was the most beautiful person on the island. That thought has never faltered over the years, but that's not all. She's strong physically and emotionally, she's a proper leader, people and dragons listen to her, she's got a handle on her responsibilities.

But she was also the first person that became my friend. She's not just the girl that I've had puppy eyes over since we were five; she's the girl who became my best friend. Even if we didn't get married, I would do _anything_ for her because I owe so much to her. Other than Toothless, she helped mold me into what I am today."

He paused, and then lightly shrugged. "That's why Astrid."

Olaf seemed transfixed, like he could listen to Hiccup express his love for his only daughter all night, but he cleared his throat and shook his head. "Hmm…"

Hiccup pursed his lips, heart pounding.

Olaf smirked, "I give you my blessing-"

Hiccup nearly squeaked in delight, but Olaf laid a hand on a shoulder and held up a single finger. "But,"

The young man paused, biting his lip. "But, you need to prove to me that you can handle a weapon. It'd be good and quite important for you to know how to properly use one."

"I'm actually pretty decent with a sword, if I may generously remind you?"

"Yes, but something sturdier than that." Olaf raised an eyebrow. "You are good with that, but if you don't have a sword and have to fight you will need to know how to use it."

"So," Hiccup swallowed. "You want me to prove to you that I can learn how to properly use any weapon that is not a sword before proposing to Astrid?"

"Yes." Olaf nodded firmly.

Hiccup sighed, but stuck his hand out with a smile. "Done."

"Done."

"Thank you, sir."

Olaf gave him a thump on the back before walking toward the village, leaving Hiccup standing by the cliff edge. He'd have to learn how to legitimately use a weapon, and _very_ soon. And something told him that a dagger didn't count.

A grin suddenly jumped to his face and he jumped for joy with a fist in the air. "Whoo-hoo!"

"Careful, wouldn't want to lose you over the cliff."

Hiccup jerked to a stop and tried to appear composed as Astrid walked toward him. "Yeahhh, that wouldn't be uh… good."

Astrid giggled and stood in front of him, looking up into his green eyes which gave off a slightly mystical look in contrast to the red sunset behind him. "What've you been doing all day?"

He shrugged, "Just working."

"Mhm, and what got you so excited?"

"I could feel your presence drawing near, and I couldn't help but get excited."

"Lies."

Hiccup grinned and looked down at his shoe, rubbing the back of his neck. Astrid smirked, "Here, let me help you with that." She reached up and ran her fingers along the back of his neck and up into his dark hair.

"Oh getting a little hands-on, are we?"

"Always," Astrid whispered, standing on tiptoes to kiss him.

Hiccup brushed his fingertips across her cheek and up to her temple, her bangs teasing his fingertips until he felt something at the base of her hairline. It felt like…sand?

He gently pulled away and pushed her bangs back. Astrid kissed his cheek and began to move to his jawline, but he (grudgingly) stopped her. "Why's there sand in your hair?"

She suddenly pulled away with a groan. "Is there?" She tipped her head upside down and rubbed her fingers through the loose parts of her braid. Hiccup gaped as sand fell everywhere, leaving a faint white line on the grass below their feet. "Ugh… I have to wash my hair now."

"Hm, sounds good to me," Hiccup smiled. "I like it when you wash your hair."

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Of course you do."

"Well I don't know what you wash it with but by Odin's beard, it smells good."

"Hmm, maybe one day I'll share the recipe with you." She winked.

Hiccup felt his cheeks warm up again with that look, but he managed to ask, "So you didn't answer my question. Why's there sand in your hair?"

Astrid sighed. "Well a couple of twins decided to let their Zippleback dig a thirty foot hole at the beach, thinking it was a good idea, before the walls collapsed. The twins got out okay but we were digging Barf and Belch out all afternoon."

Hiccup internally winced. "Aw I'm sorry." He bent forward and kissed her between the eyes.

"It would've been more fun if you had been there," she murmured.

"Sorry, I had stuff to do."

"What sort of stuff?"

"Super important stuff."

Astrid pouted. "Why can't I know about it?"

"Because it's special."

"And I'm not special enough to know about it?" She dared.

"Oh no, you're the most special. You're-"

"But I'm not the _first_ to know what it is, so how can I be the most special if you didn't tell me first?"

Hiccup closed his mouth. He didn't know what to say. Was she really this offended?

A bell rang in the distance. Astrid looked off toward the village and Hiccup's heart sank. That was Phlegma's dinner bell, telling her daughter and husband to come home soon or she'd eat without them. He didn't want her to leave yet.

Astrid sighed and looked back up at him. "I just feel like we haven't done anything in a while. You're always so… busy with something." She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Hey," Hiccup smiled a little and placed a few fingers under her chin, raising her face up to his. He bent down and kissed her chastely on the lips. "I'll make it up to you soon. We'll do something you'll never forget."

Astrid cocked an eyebrow, "Promise?"

Hiccup held her neck in his hands and kissed her again, longer, firmer. "With my every breath."

Astrid smiled yet didn't open her eyes, but held his hands on her neck and rested her forehead on his chest. The bell went off again, more earnestly this time, and she exhaled. "I gotta go…I'll come to your house later."

"Okay," Hiccup nodded and let her go.

Astrid walked away a few steps before stopping. She turned around, ran back and quickly kissed his cheek before sprinting off to the village. Hiccup sighed happily as he watched her run home. "With my every breath."

**The next chapter guys is going to be so funny on so many levels. I would've had it up for you with all of this, but I had to cut 'em in half. It would've ended up over 25 pages and I just can't write that much right now. One more week til Thanksgiving Break (WHOOOOO!) but I have to get all my school work done before then…**

**Anywho, please leave me a review to let me know what you think! Thanks guys, so glad you're enjoying my stories so far! :)**

**~EmK**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ladies and gents… BRACE YOURSELVES. KatieMarie999 and I had a RIOT collaborating on this and by Odin's bead assuming he were real and had one, this is hilarious!**

**At least I think so ;) Onward!**

**Chapter 4**

The sky was beginning to turn purple with the dwindling hour when Hiccup got to his house. As he neared the top of the hill, his stomach grumbled and his exhaustion made itself known. Toothless bounded up to him from the porch, knocking him to the ground and licking his face.

"Ughhh Toothless!" he laughed, trying to shove the black creature off his chest. "Come on bud, let me up." Toothless relented and helped Hiccup back onto his feet. The duo walked into the house, Hiccup firmly closing the door behind him.

He deeply inhaled the smell of salmon roasting over the fire. "Ahh fooooood."

Stoick cocked an eyebrow at him. "You alright, son? You look a little… peeky."

"Haven't eaten all day," Hiccup whined as he got himself a drink of water and nearly drank the whole mug in one swig.

"Don't hurt yourself, I'm not going to take it away from you," Stoick chuckled, plating the fish. Good thing he'd decided to make extra; Hiccup might want more than one fish tonight. "Anyway, you were in the forge all day?"

Hiccup sat across from him and nodded. "Yeah, I finally got the ring made today. It looks great."

"Ring?"

"Oh yeah," Hiccup rolled his eyes at himself. "Didn't tell you my plan. I made a ring for Astrid."

"Oh that," Stoick nodded. "Gobber told me what you were planning."

"Hopefully Gobber hasn't told anyone else," Hiccup muttered through a mouthful.

"Nah he hates it when people ruin surprises. You should be good, considering how big this one is." Stoick replied, then frowned. "Would ya slow down, ya're going to hurt yourself."

Hiccup had to smile but it was difficult with a full mouth. He held up a finger, trying not to laugh. _I will not choke._

Stoick rolled his eyes and kept working on his dinner, giving Hiccup time to chew. He finally swallowed, took a drink, and looked back up at him. "I haven't eaten since nearly five thirty this morning. Don't judge."

"Oh I could beat you in a food eating contest."

"By amount I have no doubts. But by pure skill of stuffing? Nah."

"I'd say let's go, but I'd rather not." Stoick replied, effectively squishing his son's competitive smirk.

"What?" Hiccup frowned. "You can't just get me worked up about a competition and then smush it."

"I just did." Stoick smirked. "And I'm the chief, so I win."

"Pshh…" Hiccup grumbled, then he looked up evilly, eyes narrow and a clear defiant smirk. "I could bump you off."

Stoick's brow furrowed. "Try me."

Hiccup met his stare and lastly nearly ten seconds but he finally had to look away. "Okay, yup; you win." Stoick smirked in response. "So…" Hiccup changed the topic, plating himself another fish and eating it slower this time. "I need a weapon."

Stoick's eyes lit up. "Thor Almighty, he finally sees the light."

"It's not-"

"You need a club."

"A _club,_ dad?" Hiccup gaped as his dad stood and hurried to a chest by the stairs. "Come now, I've built some muscle but you can't be serious!"

"You never forget your first club." Stoick stood, proudly wielding a club nearly twice his son's arm length and wider than his head.

Stoick dropped the club in front of Hiccup, effectively smashing his remaining fish and plate. Hiccup gaped at it. "Erm- dad?"

"Yes?"

"I just need something easy for me to show-"

"Easy? We're Vikings, Hiccup. We don't _do_ easy!"

"-to show Mr. Hofferson that I can indeed wield a weapon. I'd like to live to see my wedding day if that's okay with you."

Stoick paused. "Wait… what?" The two men failed to notice Toothless' head on the table, his tongue trying to nab a fish off the plate on the table.

Hiccup sighed, "Mr. Hofferson wants me to prove to him that I can handle a weapon before I propose to Astrid. Besides a sword that is, since I can do that."

"Ah," Stoick nodded. "A worthy challenge. You're lucky he didn't come up with something harsher."

"I was thinking my next best thing would be archery…"

"Archery? You can't be serious, just use the club."

"Just use the club, he says," Hiccup said in mock Viking accent to Toothless. "The man's clearly lost his mind." Toothless snorted in response, and returned to trying to snatch the fish off the center plate.

"Come on, son," Stoick stood and picked Hiccup up by the shoulders. "Thor's beard, when did you get so heavy?"

"Why does no one believe me when I say I've actually gained some muscle?"

"Then you'll have no problem throwing a club. Pick it up and give it a good swing."

Hiccup tried to argue, but Stoick wouldn't hear it. "No, just give it a shot! It's a good weapon!"

"Ughh…" Hiccup frowned at the weapon. Clubs were as savage and old-fashioned as you could get. He grasped the handle and picked it up, but still strained under its weight.

"There ya go. Now just-"

"Gah this thing weighs like forty pounds!"

"Stop being a wimp. Just give it a good swing."

Hiccup scowled at the word 'wimp', but said nothing. "And what exactly am I supposed to hit?"

"Can we just focus on swinging it and not hitting anything yet? No more questions, just swing it!"

Hiccup tried to hold the weapon up by one hand as he threw the other out in frustration, "Dad, a club is not my weapon of-" He jerked when the club began to sway. He grasped the handle with both hands but it came back toward his face with a definite, hardy swing. It hit him in the temple beside his right eye with a doleful clunk and Stoick honestly winced. "Owww…choice. Oww…"

The young Viking leaned on the handle of the club, giving up on it already, and holding his face. "Oh gods that hurt…"

"It did thunk you pretty good." Stoick admitted and heavily sighed. "Alright Bertha… you and Hiccup just aren't meant to be."

"B…Bertha?" Hiccup winced, finally letting his hand fall.

"Is there a problem?" Stoick asked, placing her on the table.

"Nahh…" Hiccup shook his head.

Toothless nudged his arm as if to ask if he was okay. "Yeah, I'm alright bud. If I can lose a leg at fifteen and survive, I can take a bludgeon to the head. But for the record," he pointed at Stoick. "This is all your fault."

Stoick rolled his eyes, "Oh you're fine."

"Mmm not really," Hiccup winced, touching his temple again. "I feel woozy." He walked over to one of their wooden benches and flopped back on it. Covering his eyes with his arm, he muttered, "Wake me up in the morning."

Stoick raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A knock at the door interrupted any response he may have had. Hiccup moaned in annoyance and Stoick opened the door.

"Oh, come in Astrid."

"Thanks."

Astrid strode through the door, scratched Toothless on the nose and looked around for Hiccup. She was shocked to find him lying on a bench looking utterly exhausted. "Hiccup, you okay?"

"My club's face hit me with the dad…" he muttered.

Astrid and Stoick shared a look. "What?" she asked, sitting behind his head and looking down at him.

"My face's club hit me with the dad. Don't…make me repeat…that."

Astrid glanced up, saw the club lying on the table and Stoick looking rather stoic yet a tiny bit guilty. She got the idea. "Where'd he get hit?"

Stoick tapped his right temple with pursed lips.

Astrid pulled Hiccup's arm away from his eyes. "Look at me. Hiccup, I want to see your face now look at me."

"Mmm donnnnt wannnnnt tooooooo… wanna sleeeeep." Hiccup whined, but moved his arm. He moved it so fast and sluggishly he nearly slapped her in the face, but she caught his wrist.

"Now stop whining-"

"Whoaaaa!" Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened. "Astrid, there are spots on your face!"

It was Astrid's eyes turn to widen. "This can't be good…"

"Cool, there are spots everywhere…" Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he raised an arm toward the ceiling, pinching his fingers at various spots.

Astrid looked up at Stoick, who's eyebrows were raised high, shock clear on his face. He then said, "To the healer."

Astrid nodded resolutely and placed an arm under Hiccup's shoulders, trying to sit him up. "Come on, you,"

"Man you are _feisty_ today."

"Don't make me slap you."

"Is Toothless pink or blue?" He suddenly asked, finally standing and Astrid leading him to the door. "No wait! He's…" He spun around, nearly knocking Astrid over. Where'd this newfound strength come from? He pointed at Toothless, face screwed up in concentration. "Noo.. I can't remember… what color…ow my head hurts. Why does my head hurt? Why are there spots everywhere?"

"Hush son, let's just get you to Elder Gothi." Stoick managed to get him out the door, Astrid and Toothless following closely.

Hiccup screeched to a halt. "I don't wannnna…"

"You have to, you're not thinking clearly."

"I'm tired, just let me sleep-"

"Nope, no sleeping," Astrid wrapped her arm around his and tried to make him walk forward, but his stubbornness won out. He wouldn't budge, even with Toothless nudging him from behind.

"Aaaastriiiiiiiid!" Hiccup was shouting now.

Astrid stood closer to him and said, "I'll give you a kiss when we get there."

That shut him up and they were soon walking.

Stoick leaned down to whisper to her. "Well you have a way of persuading him."

Astrid rolled her eyes with a light laugh. "Assuming he remembers by the time we get there. Which I doubt."

"Whoaaa, is he drunk?" A voice asked. Ruffnut and Tuffnut emerged from a side street a moment later.

"No, he just clubbed himself in the head. We're taking him to Elder Gothi; we think he has a concussion." Stoick informed.

"Coooool!" They high-fived.

Hiccup put his face in his hands and whimpered. "So many spots…"

"Now what're you two doing out?" Astrid asked, having had enough of them that day.

"We're heading home. We're just as tired as you. Sand is a taxing… dirt." Ruffnut saluted as she walked by. "Have fun with battered-brains." Tuffnut soon followed after her without another word.

Astrid shook her head and pulled Hiccup forward, who was muttering something about his head. "Come on, Hiccup, we're almost there," she gently told him.

A few minutes later they arrived and Gothi was looking into his eyes as best she could with her candles. She soon shook her head and tisked her tongue.

"How bad is it?" Astrid asked, biting her lip.

Stoick read her drawings on the floor. "He definitely has a concussion. He can't sleep tonight but he definitely needs to relax. He can't batter his brain any more than he has."

"So he really hit himself pretty good then…" Astrid sighed, running her hand through Hiccup's hair when he rested his head on her shoulder with a whine. "So who's going to keep him up?"

Stoick sighed, "I will-"

Gothi shook her head vehemently and she didn't have to write in the dirt to explain why. He'd been working since that early morning, as always; he needed his rest for the next day.

"I could?" Astrid offered, but Gothi and Stoick both shook their heads. Gothi because she wanted an adult to watch him; Stoick because he wouldn't want Hiccup to accidentally blab about the proposal in his state. Astrid frowned but didn't argue. "Well who then?"

The trio thought for a few minutes before Stoick snapped his fingers. "Gobber."

**Xxx**

"So he's not allowed to sleep but he has to stay relaxed." Gobber relayed before his chief and blonde friend left his home. "You do realize this is a little backwards, don't ya?"

"If he falls asleep his brain could shut down, Gobber," Astrid reminded him. "But he can't hit his head again or he'll hurt himself more. Just keep him calm; you'll be fine."

"Yeah yeah…" Gobber nodded. "Alright, I'll see ya in the mornin' then."

Stoick thanked him and left to go home and get some rest. Astrid walked past Gobber and planted a kiss on Hiccup's cheek and promising, "I'll see you in the morning," before also leaving.

Once alone with Hiccup and Toothless, Gobber sat in his favorite lounge chair. The room was silent for a minute before Hiccup began laughing at nothing. It started out as small giggles, but soon he was whole-heartedly laughing at absolutely nothing.

Gobber sighed but had to smile, "This is going to be a long night. Hiccup, what're you laughing at?"

"Your face is weird."

Gobber blustered for a minute, making Hiccup laugh harder. Toothless looked between the humans with a look of pure confusion, especially at his currently incapacitated rider.

Hiccup paused for a moment, "I think it would behoove you to look in a mirror. HAHA You're face!" Hiccup sank into his chair, his hands covering his face and his shoulders shaking, tears of mirth running down his face.

Gobber mouth the word "behoove" and shrugged. He stared at Hiccup for another minute, sharing a few glances with Toothless. Hiccup's laughter gradually died down and Gobber dared to ask, "You done?"

"Whoo, yeah…" Hiccup smiled contentedly, looking at the ceiling with a daydream-y look. "Laughing is great, you should try it some time."

"I laugh plenty. Inside." Gobber replied, lifting his mug to his lips. "Now you, on the other hand? You are just purely strange entertainment."

"What you mean is not like you," Hiccup sniffed. "You think I'm an ignorant savage and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so."

Gobber spit his drink out, "What?"

Hiccup stood up, walked in a wobbly, almost drunken state over to Gobber and pointed a finger into his face, "But still I cannot see if the savage one is me, then how can there be so much that you don't know, Gobber?" He dropped his voice to a mere whisper, "You don't know!"

"What. Are you. Talkin' about?" Gobber stared at him in shock.

Hiccup lumbered to a barrel holding weapons by the front door and grabbed a spear, slamming the hilt into the floor. "You think you own whatever land you land on."

"Hiccup, I didn't say anything about land... what are you on about?"

"The earth is just a dead thing you can claim," Hiccup poked a potted flower on the windowsill. "But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name." Hiccup placed a hand on his chest as if he said something profound.

"Rocks are alive?"

Hiccup gave him a steady, firm gaze akin to Stoick's when commanding someone to be quiet and just listen; Gobber closed his mouth. He continued on his spiel, "But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger you'll learn things you never knew, you never knew."

"I'm quite happy with my own foot right now. Hiccup, maybe you should sit down."

Hiccup suddenly dropped the spear, nearly dropping it on Toothless' tail, and ran up to Gobber, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?"

"No because then I would sound about as crazy as you are right now!" Gobber leaned away, swatting Hiccup's hands. "And what's corn? What's a bobcat?"

Hiccup let the shirt go and began spinning in wide, clumsy circles with his arms outstretched. "Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?"

"Okay now you're singing. Hiccup, stop singing? WHY ARE YOU SINGING?"

"Can you paint with all the colors of the wind," Hiccup continued singing at a high pitch and his voice awkwardly cracking. But he paid no notice. "Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?" He swooped his arm across the air as if seeing something.

Gobber gaped at him, at a loss for words. Then he suddenly had a thought; he slowly grabbed a journal he kept near his chair to write down anything that might rarely come in handy—which was now in this case. He began scribbling down Hiccup's words as he continued,

"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest!" Hiccup grabbed a basket of berries off the table and started throwing them at Gobber. "Come taste the sun sweet berries of the earth."

"Oy! Those took me hours to pick-" Gobber stopped when Toothless jumped in the air, happily catching the luscious berries and only adding to the madness. Gobber shook his head and kept writing.

Hiccup then dropped the basket and started rolling around on the floor as he sang, "Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once, never wonder what they're worth," Toothless slammed onto the floor with him, tongue hanging out as he rolled around, agreeing with Hiccup that the wooden floor was good for a back scratch.

"The windstorm and the river are my brothers; the heron and the otter are my friends,"

Gobber pursed his lips, "...you should probably talk to your father about that."

Hiccup then grabbed Gobber's hands and stared deep into his eyes, "And we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends,"

"Uhh okay Hiccup, now this is very uncomfortable."

Hiccup let go of his hands and gestured upward to the ceiling, "How high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down then you'll never know…"

Gobber merely stared at him now, wincing when his voice cracked on the high notes.

"And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, For whether we are white or copper skinned," Hiccup jumped onto his bed across the room and lifted his hands to the sky. "We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains; We need to paint with all the colors of the wind," He washed his hand through the air again.

He jumped back down, grabbed a handful of dirt from the flower pot and handed it to Gobber, "You can own the Earth and still all you'll own is Earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind!"

Hiccup finally silenced, panting, then suddenly realized Toothless was slurping berries off the floor. He watched him carefully, unsure if this was a good thing for the dragon to be doing. Or… blast, what color was he?

Gobber was staring at the twenty-one year old with a newfound opinion. Should he clap? Should he laugh?

Should he call Stoick and the healer and say Hiccup had officially lost his marbles?

"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain-" Hiccup lightly sang to himself at a lower key as he rolled a berry between his fingers. He had plopped himself down on the floor beside Toothless, now licking his chops of berry juice. Gobber took a mental note that Hiccup actually didn't have a half-bad voice… when he sung in the proper range he was meant to sing in.

But instead of voicing these thoughts, he said, "Hiccup, no more of that…whatever that was."

"What? My song?" Hiccup yawned, rubbing his eye. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Nope."

"But whyyyyyy…" He whined flopping back onto the floor. Gobber jerked when he bumped his head but he didn't seem to be affected.

Hopefully.

"Because if you fall asleep you might not wake up for a long time," Gobber advised. "Now sit up. Let's play a game or some-"

"Oh!" Hiccup jumped up, wobbling a bit. "I can teach you the song of my people! Come!" He grabbed Gobber's hands and tried to pull him out of his chair.

Gobber looked apalled. "What?! This is most definitely not the song of _our _people! Maybe whatever country _you_ came from, but not-"

"Come on, Gobber!" Hiccup whined again, pouting. Wow, how he looked and sounded like a 4-year-old when he whined. Now those were the good ole days; the simple life.

Gobber sighed and stood up, "I'm going to regret this."

"WHOOHOO!" Hiccup crowed, throwing a fist in the air and nearly knocking Gobber's teeth out.

"Easy there-"

"Okay Gobber, now repeat after me," Hiccup smiled and placed Gobber's hands on his chest. Gobber raised an eyebrow, afraid of what he'd say next. He gulped and nodded and Hiccup smiled, placing his own hands on his chest. "I am an experienced metal worker."

Gobber pursed his lips and repeated. "I am an experienced metal worker."

"I do not run from my problems, but confront them face to face."

"What is this!?" Gobber exclaimed. "This is nonsense-"

"SHHH!" Hiccup jumped forward and covered his mouth with wide eyes. He looked around warily then gently whispered, "They can hear you."

Gobber's eyes darted around the room for a moment. Hiccup removed his hand and said, "Okay, let's try this again. I am an experienced metal worker."

Gobber sighed, "Oh Odin, help me…"

**Xxx**

Astrid trudged through the village toward Gobber's house the next morning. She wondered how well they got on last night and if Hiccup caused any problems. As long as he was occupied with something, it was sure to be fine. Right?

As she neared Gobber's house she heard a couple of men's voices shouting, but she didn't think anything of it until she got close and found Snotlout standing in front of the house with his mouth gaping.

"Hey, 'Lout…" Astrid poked his arm. "You okay?"

"Shh," Snotlout whispered, and pointed to the house. "Listen…"

Astrid did listen, and what she heard shocked her, and she would ever forget it.

"CAN YOU SING WITH ALL THE VOICES OF THE MOUNTAIN!?" Hiccup and Gobber shouted from somewhere inside the house. "CAN YOU PAINT WITH ALL THE COLORS OF THE WIIIIIIIND!?"

"Oh Freya alive…" Astrid slapped a hand to her forehead. "If Gobber let him drink on top of it, we're doomed."

Snotlout finally burst out laughing. "What is going on?!"

"Long story short, Hiccup has a concussion and Gobber stayed up with him all night." She sighed and walked towards the door. "Alright, let's see the damage."

Astrid pushed the door open with her foot and nearly fell over. Snotlout snorted into his hand and tried to contain himself.

Toothless was dangling upside from his tail by the rafters, as per usual. But… he was painted all colors of the rainbow. Stripes, polka dots, random slabs of color… How he let them do this to him was a mystery.

But the real mystery was the equally paint spattered Hiccup and Gobber holding hands and dancing on the top of Gobber's kitchen table, both shout-singing, "AND YOU'LL NEVER HEAR THE WOLF CRY-"

"What in Thor's name is going ON!?" Astrid finally erupted. Snotlout finally blew up in laughter and slumped to the floor, nearly crying.

Hiccup looked over at her and gasped. "Astrid!" He jumped down from the table and began talking to her a mile a minute, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here, how long has it been? Wait no, don't tell me… My brothers will tell me instead-"

"What?" Astrid gaped, ignoring Snotlout's laughter.

"Yeah, apparently he has brothers," Gobber interjected. "Apparently they're the windstorm and the river."

Astrid and Snotlout both looked at him like he was insane. The blonde finally slapped herself in the face. "Gods, why did I ever think this was a good idea? He's more bonkers than when we left him!" With a loud sigh she grabbed Hiccup's hand and dragged him out. "Come on, Hiccup. Let's get all that paint off of you. You too, Toothless!"

"Bye!" Gobber waved with a yawn. He slumped into his chair and blinked lazily at Snotlout. "Whew, what a night."

Snotlout snorted, watching Toothless follow the couple out, "Yeah looks like it was… um, fun." He looked back at Gobber but he was already snoring. Shaking his head, he headed for the door to see if the Twins had any morning mischief brewing.

Before exiting the door, he noticed a journal lying on the floor near a pile of smushed berries. He picked it up and read through the lines.

"Oh. Mother of Thor." Snotlout whispered. "This is the best thing I have ever found." He then sprinted out of the house in search of his other friends in order to spread his master evil.

**Okay okay, so kinda corny but it was funny right? Please tell me if anyone else laughed besides me as I finish writing this chapter at 1 in the morning Lol But this is something that no one on the island of Berk is EVER going to let Hiccup live down, and maybe even Gobber. This is not the last you will see of Colors of the Wind, I assure you ;)**

**Anywho, please leave me a review! Thanks so much for all your previous reviews so far guys, I'm totally excited that you guys like this so much :)**

**Also, new HTTYD2 poster comes out today! EEP! I'm trying to keep calm here… Impossible I know. June come faster!**

**Well enough rambling outta me. Thanks for reading, drop me a review and I'll get working on the next chapter! Five days til Thanksgiving Break!**

**~EmK**


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How to Train Your Dragon, Humor, Romance