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Chapter Text

The age old feud between the isle of Berk and the tribe of Bog burglars had reached a boiling point after generations of tension and fighting.

Right before it escalated into an all out war like many were anticipating, and by some miracle of diplomacy, their leaders had managed to arrange a meeting in midst of all this, both sides trying to project strength while secretly hoping for a compromise.

When the imposing form of Stoick the Vast had confronted the fierce Chieftess of the enemy tribe, few around them hoped anything less than further animosity would come out of these supposed 'peace' talks.

What had resulted was… stranger than fiction.

"It is decided!" Stoick had proclaimed to his people afterwards. "Never again must you fear a surprise Bog burglar attack on your homes in the night. I have ensured this."

The price for peace?

An eighteen year old Hiccup- long thought to be useless and weak- until he had brought about a revolution- the price for peace was the freedom of his choice.

He had recently been appointed as the youngest Chief of Berk in history, but his father Stoick the Vast still handled high stakes diplomacy and other important matters, while training his son.

The enemy Chieftess' daughter had just happened to be of a similar age, perhaps they both were a little too young to be of a marriageable age but that hadn't stopped the agreement from going through.

Berk had the dragons and the fire power, but the Bog burglars had a greater prowess and ferocity in battle.

Neither side could live in peace until the other was lurking at their back. The solution had been rather simple, to give both sides something to lose.

Bog Burglars wouldn't attack an island where their daughter lived- where she was the Chieftess.

The ever prideful Berk wouldn't attack their own Chieftess' birthplace, her home.

Berk would be granting one of the highest positions of authority to an outsider, and The Burglars would be giving up their precious daughter and topmost warrior.

Despite animosity being rooted into the core of these peoples, perhaps this strange arrangement could be the spark to change that…

Hiccup had been, understandably, flabbergasted.

"You arranged my marriage to a girl I haven't even met? DAD?!"

"It's for the good of yer people, son. As the next Chief, you must think from a bigger perspective.

"But not just any girl, a BOG BURGLAR? You do realise how insane this plan is? she'll hate me! and I don't want to marry one of those shifty snakes either!"

"Hush Hiccup! If you keep clinging to that old mindset, how can we expect the rest of Berk to change? You were the one who changed our minds about Dragons, remember?"

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah… but dragons are not evil…"

"Neither are these people, son. Let the quarrels of our ancestors stay in the past. You are the next generation. It's a blank slate. Don't let the hate keep carrying forward. Otherwise Berk will never again know true peace."

Seeing his dad's serious tone and hearing his logical argument took the wind out of Hiccup's sails. He'd been all set to fight him on this.

"But she'll still hate me. And I can't guarantee I'll not defend myself if I have to-"

"Hiccup. You're getting married, not going off to war." Stoick bellowed.

"What's the difference again" he muttered under his breath, slumping his head on the table.

His life had taken the strangest turn. Befriending a dragon was one thing. But marrying a creature even more feared…

The imposing warship had docked on Berk- the first peaceful docking in all of ever.

There had been too many soldiers and officials around to ascertain who the 'royal' family was.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the square, on a gloomy morning. The weather was perfectly matching Hiccup's mood, he figured. Add some scattered lightning and it'll be perfect.

Perhaps Thor could strike me down right now and get it over with. Or her, wherever she is.

He had stood at the Altar, waiting with sweaty hands. Waiting for his enemy bride to show.

And then some people had parted. Surrounded by mean looking guards, she had stepped forth. Left the guards behind, stepped onto the stage, glaring at him like he had punched her grandma.

This was Hiccup's very first time seeing a lone Bog Burglar up close, outside of a battle of some sort. The first time seeing one without any weapons or armor.

Though her poofy dress could've hidden a dozen knives for all he knew.

Hiccup had always been a pretty logical bloke. He had eventually agreed to this marriage as it had seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He trusted that he could defend himself if it came down to it, even without a left foot.

What he hadn't expected was… her.

Her piercing blue eyes, pale blonde hair and cheeks red from the cold. The necklace she was wearing was really shiny. She was nearly as tall as him. She was looking at him strangely now, perhaps wondering why he was looking at her strangely.

Hiccup had always been a pretty logical bloke, that much was true. But no one had warned him that the so called enemy was going to be this… gorgeous. The toll her visual attack was taking on his brain was immense, and he was suddenly glad he wasn't being asked to fight her. Because he wasn't sure if he could.

The rest of the ceremony had passed him by in a blur. It was just a whole lot of waiting and holding hands and listening to other people say stuff.

He probably must've done all the required things, cause from then on, people stopped looking at him and her separately and started looking at them together.

Like a married couple.

The very first word he'd said to her had been after she'd already been deemed his wife.

It hadn't been anything profound, just a simple "sorry" when he'd accidentally stepped on her dress while descending the stairs.

She'd replied with no more than a disdainful look.

The first words she'd said to him were arguably not as polite.

"I never asked for all this."

He supposed she had been given the shorter end of the stick. He wasn't the one having to live on a faraway island, surrounded by strangers.

She picked at her food as she sat stiffly beside him, not even paying the atmosphere and music any mind.

Perhaps he owed it to her, to make her life a little bit easier.

When he offered that night to let her take the whole bed, he hadn't been expecting a thanks, and neither did he get one.

He just snuggled on the floor against Toothless, hoping that the dragon would be enough of a discouragement to prevent her from attacking him under the cover of darkness.

She seemed tough enough to beat him up, but did seem wary of the Night fury. Dragons were still very much a strangeness to her tribe.

He knew he couldn't get too comfortable though, not with a Bog burglar living in his house.

Agreement or not, he wasn't gonna let his guard down that easily. It might just be a long winded ploy to infiltrate Berk.

When he'd opened his eyes the next day, still on the floor, part of him was grateful for having survived the night.

The other part couldn't help but stare entranced at the strange blonde girl, deep asleep swaddled in his covers. Spread out sideways on his bed like she owned it.

Tip-toeing out the door, he chose to escape while he had the chance.

Astrid Hofferson had known Berk was renowned for its dragons, but that didn't mean she'd been expecting to be sharing her room with one.

That Night fury pranced around the house like it owned the place, giving her the side eye each time she passed. Even a hiss if she approached her new husband for anything, clearly warning her the one-legged idiot was under its protection.

And 'Toothless?' That dragon had too many teeth to count. Almost as ridiculous a name as 'Hiccup.'

Hiccup.

Her husband, the famed hero of Berk.

She'd expected a boastful and built man, possibly a smaller version of his giant father.

He was quite different from her expectations, both in stature and in personality. She hadn't truly known what she was getting into when she had agreed to this marriage.

She wanted to prove herself as the bravest warrior of her tribe. There was no braver feat that venturing alone into the den of the enemy. If that secured her people's safety, it'll be worth it. And if Berk went back on their word, she'd be in the best position to stab them in the back.

Though her timid and friendly husband might not even need a knife to go down. A single sharp look might be enough to do him in. That being said, not everything about him was timid.

If she'd had the slightest of doubts on whether all those tales about him were true or not, they all went away the first time she saw him flying on that dragon.

Waking up in a large bed after the first sleep that was way too comfortable than it should've been, she'd immediately noticed the distinct lack of dragon and dragon boy, who'd spent the night cuddled together on the floor like old lovers.

Peering out of the window, she could see that black shadow flirting with sea stacks, skipping atop the seawater before launching a thousand feet straight up.

She could barely make out the human sitting on the back. She didn't need to see his face to know who it was.

When he stepped in the door twenty minutes later, hair ruffled by the wind, he seemed to be surprised for a second, perhaps having forgotten about the existence of his new wife.

After awkwardly wishing her good morning, he started preparing breakfast. Whatever shenanigans he was doing in there were clearly working, and it all smelled so good, especially since she'd barely eaten anything last night, having had no appetite.

Dining with her enemy was a novel experience for her, but her hunger managed to overpower her reluctance to eat his food. She had still waited for him to take the first bite though. And had made sure he'd served himself from the same pot.

Going through all this trouble just to poison her didn't make much sense, but she wasn't taking any chances.

She had the nagging feeling that he was wanting to make conversation but was failing to come up with anything to say. She offered him no assistance, not eager to become chatty all of a sudden. He may be her husband by law but she still didn't trust him or these people completely. Or at all.

Quickly finishing his food, he'd mumbled something about work before grabbing his coat and leaving. She felt a little bad for ignoring him now that he was gone, but then again, he wasn't the one whose life had been uprooted and she wanted to feel like it was her right to act extra grumpy for at least a little while.

Returning after work that evening after a successful day of avoiding her, Hiccup had been greeted with an empty house. Slightly concerned for what she could get upto unsupervised, he had decided to go outside to search for his missing bride, eventually finding her down at the docks.

She'd been hugging her parents goodbye one last time.

Their formal goodbye had already been done last evening but they had stayed overnight due to rough seas. They were finally leaving today.

He didn't feel comfortable approaching closer to the departing party all alone, but he did wait a slight ways away for a while, waiting for her to return.

Noticing him with a start, she might've quickly wiped a stray tear from her face, he wasn't certain.

Passing him without a word, she'd stormed off to their house, clearly not interested in conversation any more than she'd been in the morning.

Not trusting her to find her way back through these unfamiliar streets, he followed at a safe distance, giving her a slight tilt of the head to indicate the way, a couple of times she turned her head to begrudgingly ask him for directions.

They made it to their house and she immediately asked him if there was a place where she could train. It was actually strange to hear her voice for the first time since last night.

He wasn't sure if she was just wanting to get away from him, nor was he liking the way she seemed to be itching to plant her axe in something, presumably something named Hiccup.

He pointed her in the direction of the arena, and told her to take the path away from the direction of the town where she'd hopefully be able to stay out of trouble.

At least, that was what he hoped. His new wife somehow managed to pick a fight with a group of Burglar hating Berkians, Thuggory and some of his loud-mouthed mates.

He got there just in the nick of time after hearing the commotion up ahead, and was all set to swoop in to rescue her when it turned out she wasn't the one in need of rescuing.

She had one foot planted on a bully's chest and was twisting the arm of another, growling "Say it one more time, would ya?! 'Go back to yer rotten island', wasn't it?"

A group of concerned citizens had gathered but no one had the courage to stop the new Chieftess' rampage. This certainly wasn't the first impression Hiccup had planned, and he hastily pulled the protesting girl away, throwing some quick apologies to the pile of beaten Vikings on the ground.

He was sure they had started it, but perhaps hadn't done anything warranting this much of a humiliating defeat, at the hands of a girl no less.

Still, he couldn't help but grin, pleased to have landed himself such a strong and capable bride. He'd heard of her prowess in stories, but to actually see her in action was still surprising.

Even if he had to tip-toe around her from now on, to make sure not to find himself at the wrong end of her fists.

"Let me go! I'm not done with those hooligans yet!" she announced, but let him pull her along anyways.

"I'm sure," Hiccup laughed, "but I think you should not spend your first day on Berk beating up its citizens, right?"

"Those left-footed buffoons took hardly a minute to topple over. I thought Berkians were stronger than that."

Hiccup chuckled. "I suppose a lot of us have been slacking off ever since dragons started lifting the heavy loads. But not all of us…" he said, as they arrived at a clearing in the woods, and he stood facing her, raising his fists.

"I'm ready, milady"

She raised her eyes at the novel term, more so at the soft way he'd said it.

The next moment, she was swinging, expecting a solid hit against his- but he twisted around like a dragon, using her momentum and almost guiding her to the ground.

She wasn't going down that easy though, kicking off a boulder to steady herself and her other foot sweeping his legs out from under him.

The impact with his prosthetic ended up hurting her as much as him, and they both fell to the ground.

She rebounded the next moment and pounced on top of him, straddling his waist and trying to grab a hold of his fists.

She didn't know what he was grinning about, but she managed to restrain him after a few seconds and he stopped struggling.

"I win." she announced, silently impressed by the fight he'd put up.

"I'll accept my defeat with honor, milady-"

He was still smiling and her smugness turned to outrage when he whipped them around and landed on top of her, pinning her down with strength she didn't know he had, even as she kicked her feet uselessly.

"-if I didn't have any other way out." he finished, his green eyes inches away from hers.

She realised he'd let her think she'd won! That little-

Then, he suddenly released her and sat up, looking away bashfully. She could've sworn he was blushing.

"Umm- g-good fight." he mumbled. "Let's get going."

He was off without waiting for her reply, clearly embarrassed about something, but she didn't know what. He'd won after all.

She smiled to herself.

At the end of the day, she'd managed to find one worthy opponent on this strange island. Luckily for her, she was sure she'd have plenty of opportunities to spar with him again and settle their score.

It did feel strange though, to be looking forward to something after so long.

Hiccup was having a hard time these days.

One on hand, he was having to delicately navigate his way around his scary new wife and her infamously quick temper.

On the other hand, he was finding it hard not to get all red faced whenever he spent too much time around her.

He could usually play it off and look the other way before she noticed. But sparring was the worst.

Her face always ended up too close to his and more than once she'd commented on his flustered look. He'd managed to make up some excuse about the cold, as if that could explain everything.

She hadn't pressed the issue but had given him some strange looks.

He didn't want to act all weird if he could help it, but what other choice did he have?

Saying it was due to the way her face and her voice affected him so, was just too embarrassing to admit out loud. Not when he was still attempting to ascertain whether or not she was trustworthy.

As the Chief, it was his duty to judge the background and character of any new face on Berk.

Her face.

And don't even get him started on her hair.

So silky that it should've been a crime. Flowing over to his side of the bed and into his dreams.

Still, he was surviving through the nights sleeping next to her now, so that had to count for something.

More than once he'd bit back the question he wanted to ask her more than anything.

He wanted to ask her if she regretted marrying him.

It had been a month by now, and he couldn't say he felt any regret now or that he ever did.

Having someone next to him or close to him all the time, it was a feeling that was akin to comfort. Even if she was originally a stranger to him and he was a stranger to her ways.

He felt a care for her now that he couldn't deny. His friends had noticed it too. He wasn't sure when it had started, perhaps on the very first day, the day she'd sworn her life to him…

Just being attracted to her physical beauty would've been simpler.

The incessant need of wanting to talk to her day and night was much tricker to deal with.

More than anything, he wanted to know what she was feeling, all this while.

She seemed happy enough to spar with him and it made her delightfully happy when she won, and not that he'd admit to her, but maybe he'd lost a couple of bouts more than he had to, just to see her rare smile another time.

Hiccup didn't mind jumping from a cliff or soaring through the clouds with a wing suit, but the mere notion of bringing up his feelings to his wife made him feel rather nervous.

"She'll come around son." His dad had advised him. "In the meantime, be the man you think she'd respect."

His friends had been somewhat less helpful.

"You just need to become a man! Sit up straight and grow a real beard. Chicks dig that." proclaimed Tuffnut. Ugh.

"Umm- I think you should tell her how you feel. She will like it if you're honest…", said Fishlegs. Not the worst advice.

"Just let her 'accidentally' see you shirtless! Mmm. She'll like it cause-" and that was when Hiccup tuned out Ruffnut's advice.

"Send her back to her island! I don't appreciate the way she's beaten me up- I mean, picked a fight with me… and lost of course-" that was Snotlout.

Still not thinking he'd be able to confess outright, Hiccup decided to stop stressing about it so much.

He was her husband. She'd gone through all the effort of marrying him for the sake of her people. But she hadn't been forced to do it. He wasn't going to drive her away unless he really messed up.

Putting the notion of allies and enemies and other labels firmly out of his mind once and for all, he vowed to simply be a good husband to her, and let everything else work itself out in time.

Waiting for the day he could finally be brave.

Chapter Text

Flying on dragons should have been illegal, in Astrid's opinion. It seemed way too risky and full of unknowns, entrusting your life to a thousand pound killing machine.

Her husband could hardly keep his feet on the ground though.

Her Husband.

The only person she could call her own, in a village of near-strangers.

Her husband who flew the skies and soared above the clouds. His prowess in the air had been well known in the archipelago for a few years.

Word had even gotten to her home tribe, though it had been hard to distinguish fact from fiction, but it was still the first time she'd ever heard about him. Back when she'd been a fifteen year old warrior in training and some idiotic dragon-boy from a far-off island had been the least of her concerns.

Three years later, she somehow found herself married to that perplexing figure.

He'd even offered to take her for a 'flight' a few times, but she'd refused every time.

If he wanted to fall to his doom, he wasn't taking her down with him.

The other problem with dragons was that they could take him so far from Berk so quickly, so far that she knew she had no way of finding that idiot if he got into trouble, except having to rely on other dragons.

On this day, these thoughts were whirling around her head as she paced around the dark, empty house.

It had been another regular mission to some island she couldn't bother to learn the name of, and he'd said he'd be back in a few hours at most. But the afternoon had given rise to a terrible storm, with torrential rain and dark clouds as far as the eye could see. The weather on this island was somehow even worse than her old home.

Berkian streets were flooded and it seemed ludicrous that anything could fly in this wind, let alone avoid the patterings of hail. She'd gone and asked the sentries to confirm Hiccup and his party were still out at sea.

They should've returned over an hour ago, she thought with annoyance.

A couple hours later, that annoyance had turned to worry, which was slowly turning into a sinking feeling in her chest she couldn't quite explain.

He is a famed hero, right? There's no way a storm should make him this late and he had no right to be making her worry like this!

Meaning, worry for her own safety and social standing on this island of course, should her husband meet an untimely demise. Not worry for him. Of course.

Still, her chest felt heavier and heavier with each passing minute, as she waited with her eyes glued to the front door, willing it to open. She didn't know how long she sat there, but it was beginning to get dark outside through the storm now.

Eating lunch hadn't even occurred to her, and she wasn't going to do so now, her appetite was non existent.

She was imagining how best she'd chew him out this time, how she'd throw a big fit and make him regret not listening to her and always going on these dangerous missions.

Yes, that would show him. Once I get my hands on that lanky idiot, I'll make him regret the day he-

She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. Please come back.

The noise of the back door opening made her jump, head whipping around.

The sight of him stumbling inside, in his dark flight suit and dripping water everywhere but otherwise unhurt, made her forget everything else.

He paused when his gaze landed on her, guiltily wondering if he was about to face her fury for being way too late. Unaware of all that she'd felt in the last few hours, the roller coaster of emotions.

The girl in the question was looking at him silently, blinking her eyes as if to confirm he was actually there. He was.

Overcome with pure relief in that instant, she stood up, stepped forward until she was in front of him and then she moved even closer and hugged him tightly, for a long moment, before realising what she was doing and pushing him away just as quickly.

"S-Sorry- I just…I was just… glad you're home." she said, embarrassed.

"It's okay." he smiled, and that smile turned into a grin as he realised that she'd been worried for him. "I'm glad too."

She narrowed her eyes when she saw how much he was enjoying this, but she didn't have it in herself to be angry at him now. The front of her shirt was soaked now too and she shot him a glare for that, despite it technically being her own fault.

She went and got him a towel, and was focused on drying his hair when she heard him say her name.

"Astrid?"

"Mmm?"

"Were you waiting for me?"

Her face felt warm and she didn't know how to word her reply without admitting to certain things.

"I- I was, but only because I wanted to give you a piece of my mind for being late…"

He was smiling too much for someone who was actively being threatened.

"Then why aren't you saying anything?"

"I'll… I'll do that tomorrow. It seems unfair to do it now while you're all cold and tired."

She rolled her eyes at the way he beamed at her then. But then he said-

"Can we do that again? Hug?"

Her mouth fell open at that, but she wasn't sure if it was due to the boldness of his request or the realisation that she was going to heed it without a shred of doubt.

Because he had been the one to ask, so she could pretend a while longer that she didn't want this just as much as him, if not more.

She went and kept the towel down, came back and gave him another hug, this time a much longer one. His cheek felt freezing against hers and his hands came up to rest on her back. "You're cold and wet" she commented, or rather complained.

"You're warm and dry. And you smell nice." came her husband's cheery reply.

"I'm not dry anymore." she mumbled, slowly releasing her hold on him.

"Sorry about that" He replied, pulling her back into the hug once again, not sounding sorry at all.

Rolling her eyes again, she let him hold her a while longer before she wriggled out of his grasp and started fussing with some plates and bowls in an effort to not make a big deal out of it.

Thankfully, he'd ended up flustering himself enough that teasing her was no longer on his mind. His face now reminded her of how he looked after their sparring sessions, and she was only just beginning to clue into the reason.

He came back from upstairs after changing into some dry clothes, and they had a peaceful dinner together before turning in for bed.

Too wired up to sleep though, they'd ended up talking late into the night, learning more about each other and sharing own thoughts that neither knew they even had.

In between comfortable silences, he could her her breathing next to him. He couldn't stop himself from voicing the thought he'd had for so long.

"Astrid?"

"Mmm?"

"You must miss them right? Your parents and your home?"

"Hmm? what do you mean?"

"I know It must have been so hard to leave behind everything you've ever known and go live in a strange land. I've been so preoccupied with the way my own life had changed that I didn't even properly think about how you must've felt…

"What I mean to say is… I admire you Astrid. I'm not saying that lightly. You're so brave to be willing to marry a stranger for the good of your people. I know we've had our differences, but you still support me in so many ways without even trying to.

"And- I like talking to you. Maybe it's because you're someone who doesn't treat me like some hero. I couldn't tell you how many times I've messed up in the past. A lot of people here have long forgiven me for those times, overwhelmed by the positive changes I've bought to Berk."

"But you have changed Berk… that praise isn't just for show, you know?" she said softly.

"That may be true, but I still feel like they're seeing me as someone I'm not. I'm still the same Hiccup. And when you get mad at me or act coldly, I guess…" he chuckled quietly. "It reminds me of the old times, how people used to treat me… I won't say it's a completely sensical response… but it still makes me nostalgic about those days. It makes me happy…"

Astrid didn't know how to respond now, not when her husband had bared his soul to her like that.

"Leaving everything behind… wasn't as bad as I had expected…" she mumbled behind her blanket. "I mean, you're… you always take care of me… you look out for me and try to make me feel at home… that always makes me happy, even if I may not show it… and I like talking to you too. You're so honest and kind to everyone, you're kind to me, even when I give you a hard time."

"Really? Do you… do you like it here?"

"Yeah… I do. It's different from my home but it's not as bad as I'd expected, to be honest. Your home and mine… they're all just, people. Not like the stories I've heard since I was a toddler…"

He nodded. "I agree. I'm actually growing quite fond of the bog burglar that has invaded my bed- ow! that hurt!"

That comment got him an elbow to the side, but that also made him notice how close she was, which made him smile goofily even through the pain.

Fond of her? Talk about an understatement.

Seeing her genuinely worried for him when he'd come home tonight, he'd felt a pang of something in his chest, something like a mix of affection and longing.

The next morning, he'd thrown caution to the wind and wished her a good morning with a small kiss on the cheek.

She'd stared at him wide-eyed in reply, but hadn't punched him like he'd half expected.

He'd gotten out of there before she had a chance to. And then he'd spent the whole day, grinning like a lovestruck idiot.

It was a few days later, and Astrid was contemplating giving in to it.

When faced with the brutally cold Berkian nights, his warmth in the bed beside her had been tempting, though she'd managed to resist so far. Another winter storm wasn't helping things either, the constant thunder and lightning had her on edge.

Pushing her ego aside this one night, she did what she had to do and gingerly wrapped herself around her stiff as a board husband. After a few minutes, he did finally relax though, responding with a tentative arm around her waist.

Happy she wasn't gonna freeze to death, she fell asleep and somehow, without even realising it, let this become her new routine.

Her husband, on the other hand, was freaking out internally at her paradoxical actions.

He was low-key scared of her sometimes, and other times he found her downright adorable even though she was supposed to be a good for nothing dragon-hating bog burglar.

At first in their marriage, she'd let him know every single thing wrong with Berk and this dragon-loving lifestyle in great detail, although lately her outlook had grown rather accepting.

She might not be singing praises about dragons anytime soon, but he knew she was secretly growing a soft spot for Toothless.

And he was growing a soft spot for her.

There she was, always greeting him after a long day with her unimpressed smirk, helping him with chores, even kept him warm at night and he didn't know how to deal with his feelings anymore.

Emboldened by that one kiss on the cheek, he'd tried to hold her hand once while they walked together and she'd swatted it away, making her actions in these nights all the more surprising.

What he did know was that all this closeness was slowly getting to him. And perhaps it was getting to her too. Something had to give, but he didn't know what.

Eventually, a night came when they had ended up on their sides, face to face and he could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. It had been late in the night and he had probably been half asleep at that point, and he wasn't sure who had moved first, but suddenly her lips were on his and he was kissing her back like his life depended on it.

They really are as soft as they look, had been his last thoughts as he'd drifted off some time later.

The next morning, she'd acted so nonchalant that he almost convinced himself it had been a crazy dream. But there was no way he could have imagined all that, and imagined it feeling so real. The way her arms had wrapped around his neck and kissed him long and deep.

Did she even remember it happening? her subtle hesitation before she hugged him goodbye that morning- the slightest of blush on her cheeks- signalled that she did.

He'd put it off to being some freak occurrence but the same thing happened a few nights later. Somehow, it started becoming another pattern of sorts.

Kissing like lovers in the deep of the night, and not quite acknowledging it in the daytime.

He found himself on some nights trying to stay awake through exhaustion, waiting for her to initiate first. Sometimes, she did. Other times, he lost patience and made the first move, not meeting much resistance as he claimed her lips again and again.

Even if it was only under the cover of darkness, even if it was with his stubborn tough-as-nails wife who nagged him all day, he just couldn't bring himself to shut out her advances, or not make his own.

He wasn't brave enough to confess what he felt for her in words, but perhaps he could convey his feelings through action.

Despite having friends and family, Hiccup had been starved for this kind of physical affection for so long without even realising it.

Since he'd originally been forced to marry an enemy as a duty to his people as much as his wife had, he figured the least they deserved was to indulge in the one or two simple pleasures of married life.

Despite being wary of dragons, his Astrid now shut her eyes and clung to his back, waiting to be back on solid ground but never refusing to fly with him whenever he asked, ever since he'd managed to convince her the first time.

She was subtle about it, but he did more than once catch her giving the stink eye to anyone who opposed his policies during strategy sessions or complained about their roles assigned by him.

She didn't really use her powers as Chieftess all that much, still acting sour to most Berkians. Only Ruffnut was the one who could hold a conversation with Astrid without getting threatening looks, and since Ruff wasn't always there, it meant she only had him.

He'd never spent so much time with anyone that wasn't a Night fury. It was scary how much he was getting used to it. How his gaze was pulling towards her at every idle moment. No one had warned him that married life was like this.

The fact that she was so infuriatingly beautiful didn't exactly help either, but he'd managed to sort of get used to it. At least he was able to look at her in the face now without fumbling his words like a fool.

He was teaching her to cook this evening, laughing as she grumbled and complained but tried her hardest to copy him with limited success. She seemed really determined to try though, saying she didn't want to wait each day for him to come back and prepare dinner, but he suspected she wanted to do this for his sake, to carry her own weight in this household despite being born for battle.

It was adorable to see her try, to see her focused face, and the way she tried to push aside her bangs and-

"What're you looking at?" she narrowed her eyes.

He bumbled some excuse when she caught him staring at her for the third time today, turning away as she told him off, as red faced as him.

She did begrudgingly thank him for his teaching services after the meal though, so he considered the day a success.

That night, Hiccup and Astrid had gotten into bed barely five minutes ago, when she was already pulling him close and swallowing his surprised gasp with lips, letting go of all pretences that she had to be under the influence of sleep to be willing to kiss her husband like this.

Perhaps it was her way of thanking him for teaching her today, but she kissed him for considerably longer than usual, even tugging him on top of her until he covered her completely and could feel her warmth through her nightdress, certain that she could feel the way she affected him too.

He was almost about to let his will crumble, about to finally ask her why she was willing to do this with him, why him of all people, why she never let him see this side of her outside of their marital bed.

He wanted to know what was in her heart, before he let himself indulge in her any further. It didn't feel right to let this go on like this, no matter how much he was tempted to.

Pulling away from her lips, he stopped her from chasing him back in, with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She whined in annoyance but he held firm, making her open her eyes as he hovered over her, both of them quietly catching their breaths.

"Astrid?" he whispered, breaking that heated silence that had persevered for weeks.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently, eager to resume the kiss.

"Do you really like me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you remember that we did this tomorrow? I don't want to keep on pretending otherwise…"

She fell silent for a moment. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't like you, I'm not that type of girl…"

"Then why do you never let me do this in the daytime…?"

Astrid laid her head back on the pillow, looking to the side. "I… I don't know. My life has changed so much lately. I want to feel one way about all this but for some reason being with you makes me feel another type of way all too much and it's…" she sighed. "It's easier to do this in the darkness, to not feel like I'm betraying myself…"

Hiccup leaned down and nuzzled her cheek. "Is it really betraying yourself, letting your lawfully wedded husband hold your hand every once in a while?"

She blushed and shook her head. "That was one time! and besides, before I came here, I had made a vow, that I'd never fall into a Berkian's clutches, as long as I lived…"

"And have you? fallen into my 'clutches?'" He asked with a grin, pressing his lips against her neck.

"Maybeee. Ok fine. Yes! I like you just a little bit more than I usually act like! I said it. I like you." she mumbled. "Can we kiss again now?"

Hiccup laughed then, figuring it was as much of a confession of feelings he could expect from her tonight. It'll take some more time for sure, before she'd let him into her heart completely.

But even this much was enough to let him know that that day would come.

"See? All you had to do was ask nicely." he replied cheekily, kissing that annoyed frown off her face with surprising ease. "And for the record, I like you too. A lot."

He couldn't see her reply but he felt her smile, practically laugh against his lips on their next kiss.

Another kiss had them forget what they'd been talking about altogether, and they continued their tender display of affection until sleep overtook them both.

The next day, Hiccup was sure she'd return back to the status quo, no matter what he'd made her admit last night.

But when she shyly bestowed him with the briefest of kisses while wishing him goodbye that morning, he knew that she didn't want to forget about their talk either.

In public, she still didn't let him do anything more than hold her hand without getting feisty, but at least she was willing to let down her walls when it was just the two of them, hugging and touching and kissing him just often enough to keep him from focusing on anything except her. He was sure she was enjoying the power she wielded over his weak heart way too much.

Additionally, she all but growled at any woman that approached him in public, clearly having grown rather possessive of him. Not that he could even notice anyone else now, he had eyes only for her.

When they went on a visit to her home tribe for the first time, just the two of them and Toothless, she glared at each and everyone who eyed her husband with distrust, much to his amusement.

When there were no people around, she smiled more easily, as she showed him around her home island, the places she'd grown up and trained at.

The small bed of her childhood room was definitely not big enough for two, but they'd somehow managed, neither letting the other take the floor.

He'd had to pretty much hold her in his arms to make them fit, but he didn't have anything to complain about. Not when her head was snug against his chest and there was enough light to see her closed eyes, her small smile as she pretended to be asleep.

When they touched down on Berk a few days later, she'd commented something along the lines of 'having been away from home' while getting off the saddle and he realised she'd been talking about Berk. As her home.

That insignificant little fact made him emotional all of a sudden, overcome by the realisation that this girl from a strange land was gonna spend her whole life with him. Here. With him. She'd chosen to.

His wife had gasped in surprise and slight confusion as he pulled her by the hand until they were safely inside their home, out of sight of the outside world.

She'd somehow realised what was coming though, and as soon as the door had closed, he'd pushed her up against it and kissed her properly, with more meaning than just simple pent up want.

She'd whimpered when he'd pulled away, her eyes watering for no reason. Her heart was beating way too fast and she asked him to take her up to their room before her legs gave out.

She knew what was gonna happen now, and she knew that he knew as well. It wasn't like either of them had decided on this moment in advance, it was simply the moment when everything had fit into place. The natural conclusion of the preceding few weeks.

Her former enemy, and now, her ally, her lover, took his time carrying her up the stairs, savouring this moment and gently teasing his impatient wife at the same time.

They fell into the bed they'd shared countless times before, but it felt like the first time.

She didn't felt the least bit shy as they alternated between affectionate kisses and pulling articles of clothing off each other until they were skin to skin.

Her mind flashed back to that first morning when she'd been wary of the food he'd served her, not trusting him enough.

If only that Astrid could see me now, she thought. Laid bare before the same man, beckoning him closer. She'd probably faint.

This time, she had no such reservations. Before letting him take her virtue, she held her lips to his ear and whispered the confession of love that she'd been unable to properly say all these months.

She smiled through teary eyes when she got the expected reply from him, along with another sweet kiss.

He made love to her all evening, even into the beginnings of the night.

People were probably wondering where the Chief and Chieftess had disappeared to so suddenly after their trip, but he knew that was an embarrassing explanation for tomorrow.

Right now, he just wanted to cuddle with his lovely wife and enjoy the afterglow- even if his stomach was growling in protest. Astrid laughed and turned around in his arms, pecked his lips before crawling out of his hold and getting dressed, in favour of dinner first rather than just going to sleep.

Going hungry didn't seem all that bad after all, not after the heaven she'd made him experience. Regardless, he too joined her for a quick bite, before pulling her back upstairs and persuading her into resuming their previous activities.

The former enemy tribes slowly but surely started losing animosity towards one another over the next few months, as they witnessed their reluctantly married heirs, now so obviously in love with each other.

Berkians weren't that surprised though, after all, Hiccup had a knack for befriending the enemy, first with the Night fury, and now with the Burglar heiress.

Astrid's people were more perplexed, seeing the fierce and prideful girl grow to care so much for the soft-natured hero of Berk.

Slowly, through stories exchanged between the tribes via the fledgling industry of trade between them, both peoples finally started to hear the true history and ideals of the other, instead of old and overblown rhetoric that had been used by Chieftains of the past to foster hatred.

Hardly a year later, when Hiccup declared his first-born daughter to be the future Chief of Berk, he only gained further respect from the tribe of proud female warriors.

Astrid was glad for the newfound peace, if only because it meant her two families were now closer than ever.

Because she'd become part of Berk, and her new family here had become a part of her. She loved little Zephyr to death and the only reason she had her was because of her dear husband, someone she'd once seen as an enemy.

The man she now loved, and didn't feel too much embarrassment in (occasionally) admitting that fact.

She had changed her mind about him, her former enemy turned dearest friend and companion, the father of her child, the leader of her people.

The seeds of understanding the young couple had planted, nurtured by love and affection, had bloomed into flowers of peace and prosperity.

The small change they'd started by taking a venture into the unknown, that change grew hundred times over and spread far beyond the shores of Berk, and into the great unknown.