Written for astridthevalkyrie/wikelia for her birthday. Happy Birthday!

After the Drago fiasco, Hiccup assumed it couldn't get any worse.

He was wrong.

Drago had opened the floodgates, and now they had a war on their hands - and not a dragon versus human war that every Berkian knew well, no, this was Viking against Viking: a horrid, bloodthirsty war, and Hiccup knew that not everyone was going to get out alive. Drago had brought a thousand men, and then a thousand more: Outcasts, Beserkers, you name it, they had advanced on Berk ready to take it for their own.

Hiccup's chiefly duties had been overtaken by preparations for war. His personal business was set aside. Astrid had become his second-in-command, and while she was his rock, there hadn't been time for a relationship. He told himself that there would be time after, that once this was all over, he and Astrid could resume what they'd had before.

It wasn't until he was in the thick of battle that he realised his mistake.

As he watched her fighting for her life, perfect warrior woman, he realised that there was something he didn't want to die without doing.

"Astrid," Hiccup screamed, barely able to carry his voice over the battle happening around them, "will you marry me?"

Astrid stopped mid-fight, her axe blocking the Viking in front of her from landing any blows on her, her mouth gaping open. Then, she came to her senses and swung at him, her weapon finding purchase in the gaps in the man's armour.

"Is now really the best time?" Her teeth were gritted as she pulled her axe from her foe and turned around to launch it at someone else.

Hiccup watched as another one of Drago's lackeys came Astrid's way, and he launched himself forward, throwing himself between Astrid and her assailant. He grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her out of the way of another sword.

In that moment, their eyes met. "Now may be the only time," Hiccup said.

Astrid opened her mouth to speak, but yet again, she was yanked back into the fight. She slammed the handle of her axe into an un-helmeted foe, and he slumped to the floor.

For a split-second, everyone around them was distracted, so Hiccup pulled her close. "I love you," he said, looking her in the eye, his thumb circling her wrist.

There was another almighty yell, as another Viking came screaming at them, and, in perfect sync, both Hiccup and Astrid crossed their weapons to block his blow.

He took her arm again. "I've made my choice," he said, "what's yours?"

Astrid stared at him for half a second. "Gobber!" she screamed.

Hiccup's face creased up. What?!

She turned in Gobber's direction. "Marry us!"

Oh, that makes more sense.

Gobber, whose thighs were clenched around a Beserker's head, taking on three more from his vantage point, slamming his hammer into as many helmets as he could, shot them an incredulous look. "I'M A BIT BUSY AT THE MOMENT."

Hiccup turned, to see yet more of Drago's army piling over the hill. There wasn't much time left.

"Gobber, NOW!" he yelled.

"Fine." Gobber raised his eyes to the heavens, launched himself off his Berserker seat, and landed in the middle of the fighting, taking down at least three of their enemies along with him. "Dearly beloved, we be gathered here today—" he bashed his hammer straight to the face of an oncoming Viking— "TO SEND YOU TO VALHALLA IN A MATCHBOX, YOU MISERABLE TADPOLE."

Hiccup and Astrid winced as three Vikings, twice the size of the two of them, advanced on them. They ducked out of the way of their weapons, rolling for the next available space and backing them into a corner. They glanced at each other, fear flashing through their eyes. This could be the end.

Out of nowhere, there was a screech, and then a flash of black and purple, as Toothless plasma blasted their assailants. Hiccup had reworked the mechanism in Toothless' tail fin, allowing the dragon to fly alone once more, and it was working like a charm.

In a second, Toothless' expression switched from his ferocious snarl to his goofy gummy smile, and both Hiccup and Astrid grinned.

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup said, affectionately stroking Toothless' snout.

They didn't have time to linger, so they both clambered onto Toothless' back. Hiccup reached for Astrid's hand.

"Astrid Hofferson," he began. "Do you take me to be your husband?"

A full smile stretched across Astrid's face. "I do!"

"Great!"

It was his last word before Toothless had to dip sharply to avoid an incoming net, and the two of them tumbled down below, back down into the fight.

"Hiccup Haddock!" Astrid yelled as she pulled herself to her feet, taking Hiccup's hand again, "do you take me—" at the same time, they pulled back to parry blows from the men and women around them— "to be your wife?"

They swung around each other, standing back to back as they continued to fight.

"In sickness and in health," Astrid began, yanking her axe from where it was lodged in someone's side, "with health being the less likely?"

Hiccup pushed away his attacker, twirled around to loop his arm around Astrid's waist, using his other hand to swipe his sword at the one attacking her.

"I do," he said, pulling her close. They were a breath away from each other, Hiccup's eyes flickering down to Astrid's lips.

Then they had to duck, Hiccup's hand over Astrid's back as they sank down into the ground to avoid a flurry of attacks at them.

"I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU—"

Gobber was interrupted by another set of Drago's henchmen, and for a few moments, he was too busy defending himself to continue.

Hiccup and Astrid were in a similar situation, both fighting for their lives. And yet, both of them were in a state of euphoria. It didn't matter that they were seconds away from death at any moment: they were together, they were back to back, and they were just a few moments away from being husband and wife. It would have been perfect, if they were not in the middle of a war.

"YOU MAY KISS—"

Hiccup turned, looped his arm around Astrid's waist again, and dipped her down, his lips inches away from hers.

Before he could pull her to him and kiss her like he'd wanted to since he asked her to marry him, he had to pull back and block another sword.

"YOU MAY KISS—" Gobber tried again, but he too had to stop to block another attacker. "OH, JUST KISS ALREADY."

Hiccup didn't need to be told twice. He pulled Astrid close and wrapped his arm around her before anyone else could get at them and kissed her hard, his eyes fluttering shut. He felt her move her hands to cup his cheek, tilting his chin so he could kiss her more fully.

The world slowed around them, the fighting and the yelling fading away as they held each other.

Then, when they finally pulled away, they looked at each other, grinned, and then ran off to join the fight once more, this time as husband and wife.