Archive of Our Own

Again, the kink meme request was just for a “Five Times plus One” story. This is a little lighthearted fluff to balance out all the darkness going on over at [redacted, my other fanfiction]. Enjoy!

Inspired by Secondhand Serenade’s song, “Fall For You.” Specifically, the line: “I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start.”

Astrid Hofferson was immediately drawn to Gobber’s forge when the explosion rocked Berk’s early morning. A flock of Terrible Terrors roosting nearby surged into panicked flight, squawking and yowling, as the smoke curled overhead. With her axe bouncing against her back, Astrid picked up the leisurely pace and rushed towards the forge.

“Odin’s Dirty Diaper!” Gobber exclaimed from inside. A short moment later, he kicked open the door with a crash and tripped out into the morning.

A plume of black smoke spilled out along with the panicked apologies of the one and only, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he sputtered with a lot of repentant hand-waving that might have been checking to make sure he wasn’t on fire anywhere. “I am so sorry, Gobber. It wasn’t supposed to do that!”

Gobber had Hiccup tucked under his arm like a ham and carried him forcefully from the smoking shop. Both of them were singed and coughing between words. “It better not have been designed to explode! Hell’s Teeth! How did it even catch fire?” Gobber demanded.

“I don’t know,” Hiccup protested. “It must have been a mild calibration issue.”

“Mild?” Gobber’s voice rose in pitch. He dropped Hiccup down on his feet and spun him around by the shoulder to stare at the shop. “Look at my forge. It’ll take days to clean that mess up—” here, he slapped Hiccup soundly in the shoulder “—again!”

From her position behind them, Astrid could see that whatever Hiccup had been working on had not just failed, but had failed spectacularly. The walls of the shop were coated with black ash and the charred remains of something lay in a wet heap at the shop’s center. Warbling, Toothless came up behind Astrid and butted her lightly with his big head. She placed an assuring hand on the dragon, scratched beneath his chin, and settled in to watch the spectacle.

“I’ll clean it up, Gobber,” Hiccup said earnestly. “I promise.”

Gobber huffed and pinched a spark out of his mustache. With one final woeful look at his forge, Gobber headed off to the Mead Hall to enjoy the rest of a day that no work could be wrung from. With a heavy sigh, Hiccup ducked back into the shop, pushed open all the windows, and began to clean up with a sort of resigned habit. Astrid waited a few minutes before she patted Toothless on the nose and stepped into the forge as well. It looked worse up close and she whistled appreciatively.

Hiccup ducked his head as if that would prevent her from seeing him.

“You really did a number on the place,” Astrid remarked.

“Thank you for pointing that out,” Hiccup said sarcastically. He picked the broom out of the corner where it was propped against the wall, but all the bristles had burned off. He groaned, looked at it dolefully, and then put it down again. He toed the charred remains of a plank, picked up a small metal bracket that still retained its shape, and set it on the workbench.

“So,” Astrid asked companionably, “what was it this time?”

Hiccup glanced at her, but didn’t answer.

Astrid brushed some ash from the bench with her hand and then hopped up to sit on it. “We both know you’ll tell me eventually so you might as well tell me now,” she said evenly.

Sighing heavily, Hiccup dragged himself over to her and leaned against the bench.

Astrid looked down at the top of his head and began to pick bits of burned wood from his hair absently as she waited.

Finally, Hiccup admitted, “I was designing a sort of portable flame-thrower.”

Astrid lifted her brow and rubbed her thumb against some ash on his cheek. “A flame-thrower?” she repeated. “You do realize we have dragons, don’t you?”

Hiccup sighed and pulled away from her hand to rub his cheek with his sleeve. “I know that, but they all have a shot limit. I thought maybe some backup firepower might be nice to have around,” he explained. “You know, just in case.”

Astrid glanced at the seared surroundings and her fingers mapped a path from Hiccup’s hand to his shoulder. “And what are you thinking now?”

“That I need to do all my calibrations outside of Gobber’s shop,” he said plainly.

Astrid rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Hiccup,” she protested, drawing out the vowels of his name.

He tossed a crooked grin over his shoulder and ducked out of the forge to fetch a new broom with all the bristles still attached.

Astrid shook her head at his antics, hopped off the workbench, and headed back outside. A moment later, the flock of Terrible Terrors that had taken off when Hiccup’s invention exploded landed raucously on a cart of apples. All their flapping wings dislodged it and it began rolling downhill. Astrid raced to grab it and just managed to screech it to a stop before it collided with a house. She let her breath out in a rush and wiped her bangs out of her eyes. Between Hiccup and the dragons, there was never a dull moment on Berk.

The woods off Raven Point whipped by in a blur. Hiccup had always excelled over Astrid in one thing and one thing only—running. Though he was significantly slower since his foot had been severed, he still ran faster than she could. With her hand closed tightly in his own, he pulled her quickly through the forest towards the low beach that swept out into the ocean. Laughing breathlessly, Astrid did her best to keep up with him and relished the feeling of her legs pumping beside his. She breathed deeply and the air was scented with nature and Hiccup’s skin.

Finally, the woods opened like a door and Hiccup’s prosthetic sank into the soft white sand. He stumbled and Astrid pushed her shoulder against his to help him stand. Smiling, he trudged unsteadily through the sand to the edge of the ocean. The waves lapped against piles of seaweed and driftwood soothingly. Settled on a blanket nearby was a strange contraption Astrid had never seen before along with some towels and a picnic basket.

“What’s all this?” Astrid asked.

Hiccup hitched his arm over her shoulders to take the weight of his prosthetic. The sand was unforgiving. “I want to show you something,” he said. He let go of her shoulder, struggled through the sand, and sat down heavily on the blanket. Much to her surprise, he peeled off his shirt and began unfastening his prosthetic.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. “We are going swimming,” he said.

“Swimming?” Astrid repeated.

Hiccup eased his prosthetic off and rubbed his scarred limb with both hands.

“Can you even swim?” Astrid asked.

Hiccup’s mouth quirked between disgruntled and amused. “Just because I don’t have a foot doesn’t mean I can’t swim, but I will need your help to get to the water,” he explained.
Astrid nodded and began unbuckling her armor. “I can do that,” she said and dropped it beside his prosthetic. She looked around at the deserted beach and considered her shirt, leggings, and skirt. Hiccup still had his back to her as he removed the many socks and wrappings from his stump. The line of his spine was slender and graceful, his shoulders were peppered with constellations of freckles, and his muscles moved beneath his skin. She wanted to run her lips over every inch of his body.

She shimmied out of her spiked skirt and kicked off her boots. She peeled off her shirt and leggings next. In her breast bindings and panties, she knelt down behind him and caged him with her arms and thighs. Hiccup shivered as she ran her fingertips across the plain of his chest. He grasped her knees and his hand crept up the outside of her thigh. She pressed herself against his back and caught his earlobe between her teeth. She suckled lightly and felt him tremble with the sensation.

“Do you really want to do this on the beach?” Hiccup whispered.

Astrid slid her hand down his belly and teased his waistband.

“Don’t you remember what happened last time?” he breathed. “You’re going to get sand…”

Astrid slumped against his back with a heavy sigh. “Oh, right,” she mumbled.

Hiccup patted her arm consolingly and turned his head to catch her lips. She kissed him passionately, her tongue sliding past his teeth and deepening it. Hiccup cradled the back of her head, pulled her closer, and sucked her lower lip into his mouth. When his teeth scraped her skin, she moaned quietly into him. Finally, they drew apart. Hiccup’s pale face was pleasantly flushed, his freckles blending in, and Astrid felt the same familiar burning in her cheeks.

“Later,” Hiccup assured her.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said and pecked a quick kiss to his cheek.

“And I’ll hold you wherever you want,” he teased.

“I can hold you to that too,” Astrid answered. “Now, let’s see what you created this time.”

Hiccup untangled his contraption and handed Astrid a set of goggles with glass windows. Then, he showed her the long tubes that he had anchored to the beach with a stone and propped up to prevent them from filling with sand. He explained that they should be able to breathe underwater if they used the tubes and with his improved goggle design, they would be able to see everything. Astrid couldn’t help the little bubble of excitement that welled in her stomach. She had always wondered what the ocean looked like beneath the undulating water.

Hiccup smiled as if reading her mind. “Excited?”

“Maybe,” Astrid said cheekily because he already knew she was. She settled the goggles over her face and pulled the strap down over her hair. It felt strange, but she could see just as well as she could without them even if her peripheral vision was diminished.

Hiccup demonstrated how to use the mouthpiece and slipped on his own goggles. Astrid pulled his arm over her shoulder and the two of them staggered through the sand. Astrid helped Hiccup ease into the chilly water and put the tube into her mouth. She took a few experimental breaths. He did the same and then they swam out into the waves. Hiccup gripped her hand and tugged her down gently. The weight of the tubes helped them sink and his grip on her hand held her with him as the tide pulled them.

It took Astrid a moment to get used to the fact that she could breathe underwater, but once she got used to it, she gave herself over to everything she could finally see. Sunlight streamed through the water overhead, illuminating the underwater metropolis. All around her, beautiful iridescent fish darted in and out of the reef. Seaweed waved on the current like dancers. Beside her, the sunlight dappled Hiccup’s bare skin and his hair hung around his head like a cloud.

Astrid had always thought being in the sky was the most beautiful place on earth, but now that she could see beneath the waves, she thought maybe the ocean deserved that distinction. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Hiccup squeezed her hand and she glanced over at him. He smiled behind this breathing tube and Astrid felt her own mouth curve in response. She wanted to kiss him, but she wasn’t sure she dared when they were both underwater.

Then, suddenly, something snapped and Astrid’s tube flooded with water. Choking, she let go of Hiccup’s hand and kicked towards the sunlight. She broke the surface with a gasp and sputtered. A moment later, Hiccup surfaced beside her.

“What happened?” he asked.

“It must have broken,” she gasped. “I breathed in a bunch of water.”

Hiccup took her hand and began towing her back towards shore. He was a strong swimmer and it didn’t take long for them to reach shore. Sitting in the warm sand with the waves lapping at their feet, Astrid finally caught her breath. She leaned against Hiccup’s wet warm shoulder and he rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry,” Hiccup murmured and stroked the sodden hair back from her face. “I should have tested it more.”

“You should have,” Astrid agreed and coughed into her hand.

Hiccup’s face crumpled and he dug his remaining toes into the sand.

Astrid leaned over and pressed a kiss against his racing pulse. “But it was so beautiful,” she murmured. “I’m grateful that you showed that to me. I’ve always wanted to see under the ocean.”

“I know,” Hiccup said and ran his hand along her bare thigh. “That’s why I made it for you.”

Astrid smiled and leaned into him securely. He coiled his arm around her shoulders, hugged her close, and ran his hand down her ribcage. She curled her fingers against his bare chest and stroked the soft skin over his heart. When she kissed him, he melted.

Toothless bounded through Berk and finally ran to Astrid in a panic. His entire body was smudged with mud, stuck with grass and leaves, and there was a large branch wedged under his saddle. He vibrated all over as he jumped around her in frenetically, warbling and crooning. His saddle was empty, but his prosthetic seemed to be in working order as Astrid pressed her hand into the stirrup and watched it fan open. It wasn’t like Hiccup to ever be apart from Toothless unlike something happened.

“Toothless?” She tugged the branch free and tossed it aside. She asked worriedly, “Where’s Hiccup?”

Toothless chuffed and butted Astrid with his head urgently.

She swung herself into the saddle and managed to operate the prosthetic. She angled the tail jerkily, but Toothless trucked ahead regardless. Toothless brought Astrid out over the ocean, swooped over a bank of orange trees, and landed hard. He trotted over to a tree, looked up at it expectantly, and crooned in a way that almost sounded like laughter.

Astrid looked up and her breath caught in her lungs with shock.

“Um, hi, Astrid,” Hiccup said lamely and then he sighed. “You just had to get her, didn’t you, bud?”

Toothless snorted as though Hiccup deserved it.

Astrid climbed out of the saddle and stared up at the tree. “What in the Hel are you doing?” she demanded.

Hiccup was tangled in the branches of the birch, apparently caught by some part of his new flight suit. He dangled there like an overripe fruit, practically upside down. Flaps of leather hung down from beneath his arms like torn wings. “Are you going to help me down?” he asked finally.

Relief coursed through her and Astrid giggled at his plight.

“Or just laugh at me?” Hiccup asked her.

“I don’t know,” she said. “You might deserve to be laughed at for a little while.”

Astrid patted her waist, found her knife, and clenched it between her teeth. She stretched her arms over her head, cracked her knuckles, and jumped to reach the lowest branch of the tree. She had always been the best climber in Berk and make quick work climbing to Hiccup’s position. She perched on a branch behind him, locked her legs around his waist, and began to untangle the straps of his harness. When she got it down to the last strap and found it to be hopelessly knotted, she hacked through it.

Hiccup’s weight dropped from the branch and she grabbed the tree with both hands to keep them from falling. Keeping Hiccup clenched tight between her thighs, she lowered him to the branch below and then dropped down after him. They climbed down slowly with Hiccup taking plenty of instruction from Astrid. Finally, they were close enough to jump. Astrid did so and landed gracefully in a crouch. Hiccup dropped after her, his prosthetic slipped on a patch of moss, and he landed in a heap.

Toothless snuffled Hiccup all over, decided he was alright, and settled down to begin grooming himself.

Astrid laughed at him again and brushed some leaves from his hair. “How did you get up there?” she asked and plucked at the loose leather wings. “And what exactly are these?”

“A flight suit,” Hiccup explained and began folding the leather back into a hidden pocket Astrid hadn’t even seen. “Do you like it?”

“Maybe if it worked,” Astrid told him.

“It did work,” Hiccup protested and then looked at the ground, “for about ten seconds.”

Astrid picked a stick from his hair and tossed it. “Let me guess,” she remarked, “that wasn’t long enough.”

“Not hardly,” Hiccup said and winced when he discovered a scratch on his cheek, “in case you couldn’t tell.”

Astrid sighed, caged his face in her hands, and kissed him soundly. Hiccup tried to deepen it, but she pulled away and punched him in the chest.

“Ouch, what—?”

“That’s for scaring me half to death. I saw your life flash before my eyes when Toothless came back all muddy and scratched without you,” she scolded. Then, she kissed him again and tangled her fingers in his hair tight enough to hurt.

When she finally broke for air, Hiccup murmured, “Sorry.”

“I know you’re not going to stop working on this suit,” she muttered. “If you’re going to do something stupid, will you at least do it on Berk? I’d rather pluck you off Mildew’s roof and out of trees there. Plus, the healers are closer if you hurt yourself.”

“I’m not going to hurt myself,” he said.

Astrid poked his scraped cheek. “Just be more careful.”

Hiccup nodded in agreement and let Astrid pull him to his feet. He slipped into Toothless’s saddle and she climbed up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her cheek against his warm back. He smelled of leaves and soil and also something entirely him. She sighed contentedly and settled in for the leisurely flight home.

In the weeks that followed, Hiccup didn’t give up on his strange desire to fly by himself. He redesigned and rebuilt his wing-suit repeatedly, but the end result was always the same. Astrid wound up fetching him from treetops, fishing him out of ponds and the ocean, dragging him down from rooftops, and helping him repair half of everything he crashed in to. After a few more weeks, he finally managed to get it working to a degree that he didn’t crash anymore. Astrid denied it whenever he asked, but she was a little disappointed to no longer have to come to his rescue.

Astrid was standing on the stoop of her house with Hiccup, the sunset painting their shadows against the walls. She smiled and leaned a little bit closer to Hiccup, uncaring if anyone saw her kissing him. Hiccup’s arms circled her like a castle and tugged her tight against his chest. Her palms flattened over his heart and she felt its even beat begin to quicken as she pressed him against her front door. Abruptly a horrific crash sounded from behind and mostly within her house.

Astrid shoved the door open so fast that Hiccup lost his balance and nearly toppled over. She gripped the strap of his leather armor to keep him from falling. From her loft bedroom upstairs, she spotted a familiar flame-red tail spilling down the steps.

“Hookfang,” she muttered under her breath. She let go of Hiccup and hastily climbed the stairs.

Upstairs, sprawled in a crash-landing across her ruined bed, were Snotlout and Hookfang. They had plummeted through the ceiling. Broken boards lay strewn everywhere, her bed frame was demolished, and cool night air gusted through the gaping hole in the roof. Blearily, Snotlout sat up in Hookfang’s saddle, straightened his helmet, and then froze when he saw Astrid seething at the threshold.

“Um,” Snotlout began, “I can explain.”

Hiccup clambered up the stairs behind Astrid and paused when he saw the mess. His eyes moved to the roof and then to the bed and then back to his cousin. “What?” Hiccup said haplessly and gestured to encompass the room. “How did you even—?”

“I’ll give you three seconds to get out,” Astrid interrupted.

“This wasn’t my fault,” Snotlout protested. “There are circumstances—”

“One.”

“Astrid, I can seriously explain,” Snotlout tried again.

“Two,” Astrid said and reached for her axe. When she didn’t find it, she turned to pull the small knife from Hiccup’s belt and brandished it at Snotlout.

Snotlout eyed the gleaming tip and tiny size of the borrowed blade. Death at the end of that knife would be slow and painful. He jerked on Hookfang’s horns and the two of them rocketed out through the hole in the roof. The fading sunlight swallowed them.

With a groan, Astrid handed Hiccup his knife and kicked through the rubble. “Damn him,” she muttered. “How did this even happen?”

Hiccup crouched down and began stacking the broken boards against the wall. “How does anything happen when Snotlout is involved?”

Astrid picked up her quilt, shook the splinters off it, and tucked her pillow under her arm. “That’s the closest Snotlout will ever get to my bed,” Astrid grumbled. “I hope he enjoyed it.”

Hiccup tilted the headboard back onto its legs, but it was cracked right down the middle. “I can fix this for you,” he offered.

“That would be nice. Thanks, Hiccup,” she murmured and toed the broken footboard. She set her bedding down on the windowsill. Then, she stepped close to him and pressed herself flush with his body. “But where will I sleep tonight?”

Hiccup already wanted to kiss her, but forced himself to wait. Sometimes the little waits, the moments that built anticipation and made touching her all the sweeter, were the best part of being with her. He knew she would be his eventually, even if she spent an hour teasing him before she came to him in the forge. “You know, my dad left for the Shivering Shores this morning,” he whispered. “I have the house all to myself.”

“Oh?” Astrid remarked and ground herself against the hardness between them. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to let me sleep in your bed since mine is…”

Hiccup tucked his face into her neck and nipped her ear. “I might be persuaded,” he said.

Astrid took his hand and slipped it between her legs so he could feel how wet she was through her leggings. Then, she whispered something in his ear that sent all the blood rushing out of his brain and right into his cock. Then, Astrid pecked a quick kiss to his lips and pulled away.

Hiccup was left standing there, watching the swish of her hips as she walked down the stairs from her demolished bedroom. He followed her like a puppy as she fed Stormfly and lingered outside her house pretending to forget something. Hiccup’s pants grew tighter and tighter as she made him wait. His blood boiled eagerly.

Finally, she finished teasing him and headed for the Haddock house. She freed her hair from its tight braid as she walked, ruffling the long golden strands across her shoulders. Hiccup drew closer as though clipped to a leash, breathing in the lavender scent of her hair. She flipped it over her shoulder and smiled at him as she nudged open the front door. Hiccup followed hastily and kicked it closed with a bang. It was nearly pitch dark inside the house and he fumbled to light the fire. As soon as the flickering light began to grow, he turned his attention back to the love of his life.

Astrid had already stripped off her boots and leggings, but didn’t remove anything else. Hiccup closed the space between them and pressed her into the wall, caging her with his arms and body. She lifted her chin and kissed him, open-mouthed, with a moan. Hiccup’s warm hands slipped beneath her spiked skirt and cupped her bare bottom. He kneaded her cheeks and tugged her flush against him so she could feel the hard press of his desire.

Her back bent as they pressed against the kitchen table. Hiccup lifted her onto it and she wrapped her legs around his hips. The coarse material of his pants rubbed against her exposed core and she jolted, moaning, as he bucked against her. She fumbled between them, unfastened his pants, and reached inside to free his warm hard length. She stroked him and relished the way he moaned. His hot breath ghosted over her face and lips. He dipped lower and nipped her throat.

Astrid guided him to her dripping sheath and Hiccup slipped inside easily. A surprised moan escaped Astrid’s lips as he filled her. They had been together plenty of times, but never in this position. It felt so different but wonderful. He felt thicker and longer than usual, delicious and deep.

As he moved, Hiccup’s shaft rubbed her sensitive walls. Astrid whimpered in pleasure as he began to thrust in earnest, setting the pace he knew she liked. He reached between them and rubbed her pearl so that bolts of wonderful heat surged through her body. She clung to his shoulders, gasping against his throat, and he folded his mouth over hers to quiet her. The table beneath them creaked and scraped against the floor. The strong force of Hiccup’s hips rocked it.

Astrid tangled her fingers through his hair, deepening their kiss and tightening her legs around his hips. Hiccup rocked into her, thrusting at an angle that made her cry out. She bit down on his collarbone lightly, sucking his soft skin. He pinched her pearl and rolled it between his fingers. Again, the table creaked and groaned.

Abruptly, there was a loud crack and it gave way. Astrid yelped and clutched Hiccup’s shoulders. He staggered, but managed to regain his footing while supporting her. He held her up, her legs wrapped tightly around him, and turned so they could both look down at the table.

“What the—?” Hiccup muttered.

Astrid cradled his jaw and kissed him. “Keep going,” she pleaded.

Hiccup carried her awkwardly to the kitchen and settled her down on the counter. It was cold against her skin and she gasped in surprise. The chill heightened the heat where she was connected to Hiccup and her muscles clenched around him. Hiccup began to move again, slamming into her with renewed vigor now that he didn’t have to worry about the table moving. He rubbed her clit and cupped her breasts through her shirt. She moaned and his tongue darted into her mouth in time with his thrusts.

She was so close. Her body convulsed with pleasure, searing hot and wonderful along her spine and settling in her lower belly. All it would take was a little bit more, one more touch, one more kiss. Hiccup obliged hungrily. He kissed her deeply, tongue slipping into that special place just behind her front teeth. She cried out something resembling his name as her orgasm rocked her. A moment later, Hiccup pulled out and Astrid gripped him with one hand. She stroked him until he came, shuddering and bent against her.

They stayed close together. Hiccup had his head tucked into her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair, and pressed a kiss to her racing pulse. She cuddled against him, her cheek resting against his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat. Finally, they separated and Astrid followed him back to the ruined table.

“What happened?” she asked.

Hiccup crouched down and examined the broken leg. “I fixed this weeks ago,” he grumbled. “My dad came home after a night of drinking with Gobber, fell on the table, and broke it.”

Astrid grinned. “Maybe I shouldn’t let you fix my bed,” she said cheekily. “Everything you touch breaks.”

Hiccup scowled at her. “Maybe my dad should just be more careful,” he said. “Besides, my carpentry skills are just fine.”

She slipped against his side and pressed her mouth under his chin. “Come on,” she murmured. “I was just kidding. Why don’t we test out your bed? If it holds up, you can fix mine and we can test that out too.”

Hiccup sighed and wrapped his arms around her back. “Alright, milady,” he agreed and dipped his head to kiss her sweetly.

It was pitch dark as Astrid walked home from the Mead Hall. She had Ruffnut had dipped into the ale when no one was looking. Not that Astrid would ever admit it, but they might have had a little too much. The world was tilting underneath her feet worse than her first flight with Hiccup and Toothless. She tripped on the uneven path through the village and stumbled against the wall of a house. Righting herself, she headed forward a little more firmly and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

Astrid staggered forward with her eyes fixed on the silhouette of her home. Then, a dark hand slipped from the shadows and latched onto her elbow. The attack immediately sobered her mind, but not her body. She swung at her assailant, missed, and tripped into the wall. She reeled backwards and caught him in the head with her elbow. The blow was hard enough to send anyone into a black abyss of unconsciousness, but the attacker didn’t even flinch. Meanwhile, raging pain lanced through Astrid’s elbow.

“Odin’s Beard,” she cursed and locked her hand over her elbow. It throbbed.

“Astrid, Astrid,” a familiar voice protested. “Stop! It’s me.”

She squinted through the gloom of the night. At first, she thought maybe she had passed out in the hall and was hallucinating everything like Gobber sometimes did. The visage that stared back at her was impossible. It gleamed like metal, the lower half was dark like leather, short spiked horns crested all over it, and bright green eyes caught the moonlight. She stared at her attacker for a full minute before it percolated through her muddled brain.

“Hiccup?” she asked.

The nightmare mask bobbed up and down. “Yeah,” he said. “I need some help.”

“Are you under a spell?” Astrid slurred.

“No,” Hiccup told her and his brow arched in confusion. “I made this helmet since I’ve been taking so many spills with my flight suit and it’s…” He hesitated and his green eyes darted away. His pale throat flashed as he swallowed.

Astrid leaned forward, intending to press her mouth to his pulse and suck until everyone knew whom he belonged to. The low jaw of the mask got in her way. She hooked her fingers beneath its chin and pulled to take it off and have her way with him.

Hiccup yelped and locked his hand around her wrist. “Ow, ow, ow,” he protested. “Stop, don’t pull. It’s… stuck.”

Another wave of sobriety moved through Astrid. She just stared at him, at the mask, at his hand locked around hers where it gripped the helmet. “It’s stuck?” she repeated.

Hiccup nodded and the helmet bobbed with the motion.

“Let’s get into the light,” she said.

“The forge,” Hiccup offered.

Astrid took his hand and tripped down the familiar path to the forge. Luckily, she could walk to the forge in her sleep and managed just fine even drunk. Hiccup closed the door behind them and stepped closer to the firelight. Now that he was in the light, giggles began to well in Astrid’s throat. He looked positively ridiculous. His hair stuck up in the back under the tight constraints of the helmet. It was designed to look like a dragon, but knowing it was stuck just made it look like a malformed pincushion. She broke down laughing, spurred on by all the ale she had drank.

“It’s not funny,” Hiccup complained.

“It is,” Astrid told him between bouts of laughter.

Hiccup grabbed the helmet with both hands, pulled, and then dropped his hands in exasperation. “Will you just help me?”

Astrid guided him to sit down in front of the fire and cradled the helmet in her hands. She tilted it this way and that, examining the seams and the shape that had firmly attached itself to Hiccup’s head. “How did this happen?” she asked.

“I put it on and it got stuck,” he said grouchily.

Astrid rolled her eyes. “I mean, how did it get stuck?”

Hiccup sighed and yelped as she tugged gently. “I don’t know,” he muttered. “Maybe my head grew?”

“I doubt it,” Astrid said and stepped back to look at him as a whole. “Otherwise Snotlout would get stuck in his helmet twice a day.”

Hiccup stared at her, his green eyes bright behind the slits of his mask.

“I could just jerk it off,” she offered.

“Maybe later,” Hiccup said and he sounded like he was smiling.

Still buzzed, Astrid didn’t get his innuendo and continued, “Well, how else do you think I’ll get it off?”

“You could blow in its ear,” Hiccup said.

Astrid glowered at him. “Your head is stuck in that helmet and you have time to flirt with me?”

Hiccup’s eyes softened. “I always have time for you,” he said gently.

Astrid had never hated an inanimate object as much as she hated that helmet right then. How dare that piece of unthinking metal and leather get between her and Hiccup? She leaned down and pressed her lips to the hard plate over his mouth. Hiccup leaned into her despite the barrier and his hands slipped up her back. Between the alcohol and her desire for him already burning, Astrid’s mind clouded. She gripped the helmet and gave it one solid yank. It popped off Hiccup’s head sharply.

Stunned, the two of them just stared at each other and the helmet in Astrid’s hands. Hiccup’s hair stood straight up on his head in a halo of spectacular helmet-hair. Astrid discarded the helmet, pushed her hands through his mussed hair, and kissed him fiercely. She crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Hiccup’s arms encased her and she coiled her legs around his hips, grinding down into his lap with a moan.

She peeled his tunic off and collapsed against his bare skin, kissing his neck and shoulders hungrily. Hiccup cupped her butt and tugged down her leggings enough to slip his hand against her core. She was already wet and hot, sucking his fingers in greedily as he stroked her. She freed his hard cock and pumped it. Hiccup’s head fell back and she closed her mouth over his throat, lapping his freckled skin and tasting his pulse.

Hiccup lined himself up with her opening and canted his hips to fill her. Astrid moaned, her pleasure heightened by the alcohol surging through her system. Anchoring her hands on his shoulders, she pressed her knees to the stool beneath him and began to ride him. She bounced on his length, gasping as he pounded into her. Hiccup kissed her, his tongue sliding between her teeth, and she moaned into him. He quickened his pace, feeling her muscles clench with delight.

He snaked his hand between her legs and flicked her clit easily. Inhibitions lowered, Astrid came harder than she ever had. She screamed his name loud enough to wake the village and then crumbled against his shoulder, panting. Hiccup pulled from her wet sheath and finished himself off. Together, they sat in the forge to catch their breath. Astrid was limp and quiet in his lap, her breathing deep and even. Hiccup ran his hand over her soft hair and kissed her cheek.

Then, he realized that she had fallen asleep. Smiling to himself, he pulled up her leggings and lifted her into his arms. She murmured, clinging to him while her legs dangled over his arm. He opened the door of the forge and stepped out into the night. The cool air soothed his stifled face as he carried her home.

Astrid Hofferson had always loved Hiccup’s inventions, even when they backfired, blew up, or went horrendously wrong. Hiccup was special. He was the only person in Berk who ever tried to create anything and Astrid didn’t think she’d ever get tired of seeing the curl between his brows as he thought, the set of his jaw as he worked, or the way his hair curled against the nape of his neck as he bent over his desk. She found herself always waiting to see what he would do next.

Astrid leaned on the threshold of the forge for a long moment, watching Hiccup work at something on his tidy bench. Finally, she crept up behind him and kissed the back of his neck.

Hiccup jumped in his seat, startled. “Astrid!” he exclaimed and hastily covered his new invention.

“What are you working on?” she asked.

Hiccup’s cheeks colored and he pulled a bolt of fabric over his project. “You’ll find out,” he told her.

Astrid shrugged, unconcerned, and kissed his cheek again. Hiccup like to keep his inventions clandestine until he was either ready to show her or they blew up in his face and attracted the attention of the entire village. “Keep your secrets then,” she said. “Will you sharpen my axe?”

“Of course, milady,” he said with an easy smile. He took her axe and set it against the grindstone. As he pumped the pedals, sparks flew off the weapon and played on his face. He looked so handsome, but Astrid didn’t lean in to kiss him. She waited until he finished with her axe and handed it back. “Here you are.”

Astrid took it, folded her hands over his, and leaned in to kiss him. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and pressed as close as she could.

“Now, now,” came Gobber’s voice. “Get a room.”

Astrid drew away and licked her lips, enjoying the little flush that crept up Hiccup’s neck. “I’ll see you later,” she told Hiccup. “Sorry, Gobber.”

Berk was peaceful this morning. The Terrible Terrors were singing on the rooftops, Toothless was laying in the sunshine on his back, Stormfly returned from a morning flight with a clutch of fish, and Snotlout was nowhere to be seen. Astrid stepped into the woodshed and began pulling out the logs that needed chopping. She set to work, falling into the easy motion with the taste of Hiccup still on her lips. All the Gods above, she loved him with every fiber of her being.

“Astrid?”

Pulled from her thoughts, Astrid straightened up and wiped the sweat from her brow. A freshly-sharpened axe made chopping easier, but it was still hard work. “Hiccup?” she asked.

He stood close to her with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Can you just… try something on for me?” From behind his back, he produced a delicately carved box with a flourish.

“You want me to try on a box? What part of me is that supposed to fit?” Astrid asked cheekily and took the box from him. She opened it and the bright morning sunlight played on the stunning woven band. For a moment, she could only stare at it and her throat closed over. She couldn’t draw in a deep enough breath. She looked up from the ring and saw that Hiccup was kneeling in front of her, smiling with his eyes like jewels. “Oh Thor, Hiccup, it’s beautiful.”

“Astrid Hofferson,” Hiccup said and took the box from her shaking hands. He removed the ring and slipped it onto her finger. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Astrid gasped out.

She fell to her knees with him, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately. Hiccup cradled her close, absorbing all the things she couldn’t put into words. He could taste her love and she had always been able to taste his. She knew this was coming, but she hadn’t known Hiccup would do it so soon, not that she minded. When they broke apart for air, Hiccup’s smile was a mile wide.

“Well, does it fit?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful,” Astrid repeated and held her hand up to the light. Then, she tried to take it off. “Um, Hiccup?”

“What is it? Is something wrong?” he asked and clasped her hand between his.

“It’s stuck.”

Being in love is definitely not perfect, unless it is.

Questions, comments, concerns?