"Tired much?"

Hiccup's head flicked in the direction of the voice's source, to be met with Astrid's softened face, outlined by the setting sun. Stormfly chirped a greeting to Toothless, as the blonde sat next to a sighing heir, on the edge of the rock.

"Yeah. Then again, being kidnapped can do that to you," he joked, staring back over the village as the sunset framed a perfect picture of natural beauty.

"Mmm. You do manage to do that well," she confirmed, staring off into the distance. A crumbling of rocks told them that their dragons were hard at play, running around the thin spike of rock that held Gothi's hut up right. Deciding not to disturb them, the two continued watching the sky, as the last rays of the sun blinked out. One by one, candles and lanterns began to twinkle all throughout their village, making the roofs look like a reflection of the sky of stars.

"You really need to stop doing that, though,"

"Doing what?" Hiccup questioned innocently, shifting his position to face towards Astrid, wrapping his blanket tight around his padded shoulders.

"Doing the Hiccup thing. Always being so selfless and going off and getting, well, bashed," the girl huffed, as the boy nervously chuckled in reply.

The events of the day shifted throughout their minds, Astrid remembering how frustrated and anxious she had been when Stoick woke her up, calling Hiccup's name. Hiccup remembering the shock of waking to see the walls of below deck on a random ship. Overall quite hectic, and rather worrying for the pair, on both their parts.

"I don't understand why Viggo would put a price on my head though. I mean, yeah, he wants to get me but, that's really low, even for him. He usually constructs things through his brain, not by money or force. That's Ryker's thing," Hiccup breathed, the air clouding at his breath. Astrid just mumbled how dumb he was, shifting a little closer for him. Just for warmth. Nothing else. She hoped. Or didn't hope.

Why are emotions so confusing? She sighed, as Hiccup took a glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, you do have a point there. However, no one was expecting that move so it is in its own right Viggo's style," she reasoned, leaning against the rock's surface, massaging her arms.

"You have a point," Hiccup murmured, following her movements as he sighed yet again.

"I do. Which is why you need to start telling us these things," Astrid pushed, looking him in the eyes, as Hiccup smiled dimly at her.

"What do you mean? I always tell you everything,"

"Not really," the shield maiden mumbled, her eyes going downcast as she stared at her boots, shuffling them against herself. Hiccup's smile faltered, as he kept staring at her face. "You didn't tell us when you were going to find that island of night by yourself, and you got kidnapped there too! For such a smart person, you can really be dumb when you want to," Astrid said in a hushed whisper, making Hiccup bite his lip.

"Well, that was my fault. But hey, I got out alright anyway! Right?" his smile lightened up his face in an attempt to get Astrid out of her downcast mood.

"Mmm, yeah right," the girl's neon blue eyes glanced down at Hiccup's stomach, making the boy flinch in his self-consciousness. A vision of a fist colliding with his abdomen made the boy wince. Ryker's fist was hard, he wouldn't lie about that, and he couldn't help but wonder how many bodies that fist had crushed to an end. He was lucky he didn't get any internal damage, just a nasty bruise for the coming days. That would be fun to live with, wouldn't it?

"But your luck will run out. One day, you won't come out of the fight, and what then? We'll be without a leader, you would die! One day, Viggo might just get his way, and what then? The dragon's will be lost, we'll be lost! You can't keep putting your life on the line for us! We can handle ourselves Hiccup!" Astrid burst, Hiccup's clutch on the rough fabric of his blanket tighter.

"You might think it's selfless, but I think it's selfish, thinking you can die and leave everyone behind! Leaving me behind!" the blonde's mouth clamped shut, her face flushing after her spirited outburst, and because of something else.

Her legs shifted uncomfortably at Hiccup's silence, Astrid briefly wondering whether she had offended him in her heated lecture.

What am I thinking? Any sane person would be offended by that, she gritted her teeth, angry at how her anger broke out like that.

"S-sorry," she muttered, leaning to get up. Shield maidens don't stutter! She scolded herself, right as a hand grabbed her departing one.

"Don't be," Hiccup said, gently guiding her back into her original position. "I guess, I needed that," he laughed lightly, gulping as guilt pricked in.

I didn't mean to get her that worried, his eyes wandered to hers, softening her gaze at him. They seemed to be part of the sky, stars glittering with others in the dark surroundings.

"I really needed to apologise, and I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner. My dad was the only one to get an apology, and now that I think about it, I'm sorry I didn't consider you. I-I mean, I was thinking of you!" he stuttered, as her slightly hurt gaze pierced his heart, "I just, didn't expect you to be that worried! Like, I, well- s-sorry," he finished abruptly, turning away as he stared off into the dark sea to his right, away from Astrid's gaze.

"Man, I knew you were dumb, but not this dumb!" Hiccup's breath caught in his throat at the harsh remark, his eyes sliding back to Astrid as she stared at him remorselessly.

"Of course I worry about you! Wherever did you get the idea that I didn't!?"

"I just, didn't think so," Hiccup's breath muffled through the blanket fabric as he hid his nose inside, eyes flitting to the fire lit village and then back at Astrid's exasperated face.

"You just didn't think so," Astrid's echoed face deadpanned, making the heir gulp. He looked over the warrior's shoulder, searching the darkness for his dragon in case he needed an emergency getaway. Unfortunately, it seemed the two scaly creatures had raced all the way down to the base of the rock pinnacle, isolating the two friends. His only hope was Gothi and her healing staff, but of course he would never be able to get anyone to hurt Astrid. That was against his nature.

"Heh, yeah, never really crossed my mind," the words were streaming out now, all in a desperate attempt to ward off the angry girl who was crawling towards him.

"Oh really?" Astrid growled dangerously at him, as Hiccup's hand slipped, and his head banged against the rock.

Dead end.

Like me in a few moments, his breath came out strangled, as Astrid's hands pinned him against the rock, her look not conveying any hope of escape. Hiccup's eyes were wild, searching for any sliver of a way to escape. Unfortunately, with Astrid, there never was one.

"Well, you know I've never really been used to people caring!" he gasped, eyes shut as his hands covered his face in a feeble attempt of defence.

When nothing came, Hiccup's forest eyes peeped through his hands, hoping Astrid had backed off and given him his freedom, only to see a dazed Astrid, face hovering above his. Shock etched into her features, and stun laced in her words.

"You, aren't used to people, caring?" she asked, her breath clouding his face, as the boy shivered.

"W-well it's only been three years, I guess," Hiccup tried, the feeling of a foreboding atmosphere pressing against the pair. To cut things short, he felt he was making things worse.

"B-but we've always cared!" she tried, shifting a little away from the auburn-haired boy allowing him some space to sit upright.

"Well it never really felt like- you know what let's just forget this, it's getting late and my dad must be getting worried so if you don't mind I'll be going!" Hiccup broke off, trying to crawl out of Astrid's grasp. So close was he, until a hand slammed into the rock, breaking his hope of escape one again. The heir whimpered, as Astrid levelled her face with his, eyes glinting in rage in the moonlight.

"What do you mean, never really felt like it?" she growled, as Hiccup took a shuddering breath, looking once again over her shoulder but to no avail. It was either for the better or the worst, so he better chose his words wisely.

"I've never, never really felt like anyone ever cared until the Red Death was defeated," he murmured under his breath, forcing himself to say the words he had never uttered to anyone other than his father.

One glance at Astrid pressed him to continue, "Like, I didn't feel accepted, or cared for- I mean, loved! Yeah, that's it but y'know it's not bad I mean I'm okay no- mmmphf!" his frantic line of words was cut off brusquely, Astrid's lips silencing his worries and troubles. In both ways.

He melted into the kiss, as Astrid's arms found a path to his neck, Hiccup's following suite to her waist. Her move stunned him, as he couldn't remember the last time they had kissed. It had been quite a while back, and the action was quite welcomed as it was also his ticket to getting out of the awkward conversation.

Astrid slowly pressed him against the rock, deepening the kiss as the cold air pinched their bodies. The couple didn't care though, as the stars increased their run through the sky. All too soon, Astrid gently pulled away, much to Hiccup's disappointment.

"I'm sorry about that Hiccup. I never really thought what it would be like for you, and now I feel so ignorant. I hope," Astrid whispered "I hope that maybe I can make up for it? It will be hard, but maybe I can,"

Before he could reply, the blonde wrapped him in a tight hug, her head nuzzling the crook of his neck. Hiccup breathed out, as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him as she sighed deeply. Astrid's warm breath heated up his ear, as the heat spread through his face as the weight of the moment sunk in.

"You already have though. And please don't feel like you have to do this to make up, I don't need that. I don't want you to be chained to me just because you feel guilty, I want you to be happy too, and if being with me doesn't do that, then you can-"

Astrid silenced him once again with a brush of her lips, making the teenager shiver.

"Hiccup, I know I will never, no one will ever, be able to understand what you went through. But you better know that I will always be with you, not because I have to but because I want to, because I want to be with you. No matter what happens, what everyone else thinks, but we will always be a team. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid, no matter what has happened prior," she said, as Hiccup breathed out in wonder.

"Always,"

"Thank you," he whispered in turn, as they shared one last kiss, before heading back down, their fingers laced together.

Because through anything, no matter what, there would always be, a Hiccup and Astrid.

aaaaAAAAAARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! TOO MANY FREAKING FEELS! I'M DYING, DYING I TELL YOU! I GET GOOSEBUMPS EVERY EPISODE I WATCH OF THE NEW SEASON!

HNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Okay, I seriously needed that out of my system and let me just say, phew how much this canon ship needed these last few episodes. Hiccup mah boy it was high time you made a move (cough, one movie, two mini movies and exactly 90 freakin episodes to be precise).

Okay, so Blindsided seriously caught me, and Hiccup's little speech (internally screaming) he is such a sweetheart, so I just had to write this. Midnight Scum was another one of my favourites, so I just had to combine the two.

FUN FACT: This was my first romantic fic and I reeeeeeallllllllyyy hope it was okay (or good?) but that's for you to decide. So please click in a review(much appreciated) to help with my romance genre (I need help in that zone) and say whether you want more Hiccstrid because I'm feeling up to it

All in all I hope you liked this (and the new episodes of RTTE) and until next time,

Floof out!