Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just this story

Hiccup woke up feeling warm and content in a way he'd never felt before, and yet strangely numb. His left arm was completely numb and yet he was too comfortable to even think about shifting. A slight movement in the bed made Hiccup's eyes snap open, gaze instantly falling to the woman in his arms. It wasn't a dream, he had slept with Astrid in his arms all night after he inked a dragon onto her back. A lazy grin slipped onto his face, loving the way her golden locks had fallen out of her braid to spread out over his chest.

The inventor lay there for a while, enjoying the simple pleasure of holding the girl he loves in his arms. Eventually Toothless decided he'd lain in bed long enough, trudging over to nudge his rider. "All right Bud, just gimme a minute, okay?" Green eyes watched the dragon take a step back, sitting expectantly at the end of the bed.

Toothless had been up since before the grey dawn had broken, green eyes fixed on the humans in the bed. He knew the importance of spending time with your mate, which was why he had allowed Hiccup to sleep in a little longer, but the sun was beginning to rise and he needed to stretch his wings. Impatiently he settled at the end of the bed, luminous eyes demanding Hiccup get out of bed already.

Snorting at the impatient dragon Hiccup gently slid out from under Astrid, reaching for his prosthetic to attach the metal appendage. Peeling the blanket back he took a look at her marking, her skin looked like it could use a little more saliva and bandaging the whole thing might be a good idea to prevent her shirt irritating the tender skin. Leaning in he pressed a kiss to her lips, his fingers lightly tracing the dragon on her back from nose to tail.

"Mmm, is this how I get woken from now on?" Astrid smiled, almost rolling onto her back before she realised she didn't have her bindings or a shirt on. Blue eyes fluttered open to gaze up at Hiccup. "'Cause I could definitely get used to this." Reaching for the blanket, she tugged it to her chest before sitting up.

Hiccup couldn't help the goofy smile on his face as she pulled him in for a proper kiss. "Mmm, morning to you too Milady." Capturing her lips once more he tugged her into his arms, forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he stood up and carried her over to the chair. "Hey Bud, think you can give her a little lick for me?"

The black dragon rolled his eyes at their antics, but at least it meant he was closer to having their flight. Dragging his tongue over the blonde's back he watched the boy take a seat behind the girl. Green eyes watched the boy tug the blanket free, hands carefully winding bandages all the way up the girl's back until the whole design was covered.

"There, that should do it." Next was her hair, Hiccup gently combed her hair out before re-braiding it with all the flyaways and loose strands tucked back into place. He knew she could do it but he wasn't sure how sore she would be, and he really didn't want her in pain while she attempted to do what he could do for her. "I gotta go take this useless reptile out for a flight. I'll see you later, okay?"

Astrid sighed, leaning back into his warm body as his arms wound around her, his lips placing a lingering kiss to her neck. Then he was gone, tugging his shirt and riding gear on as an excitable dragons bounced around the hut. "Have a good flight." She called after them as they left the hut, leaving her to dress for the day and head down to the main hall.

For the next two days Astrid went to Hiccup's hut, or he came to hers, morning and night to cover her back in dragon saliva and clean bandages, before Astrid brightly told Hiccup the tenderness and irritation was gone. Slipping into his hut Astrid grinned at the young rider getting ready for bed. Quiet footsteps meant he hadn't heard her come in, his back turned to her as he removed his shirt, only for her to gasp at the sight of bandages on his right bicep and left side of his chest. "Hiccup, why didn't you tell me Ryker hurt you?" They had fended off a hunter's raiding party the day before.

"M-milady!" Hiccup spun to face his valkyrie, surprised by her presence. "I-it's not what it looks like, I promise. Ryker didn't do this." Fingers fumbling with the bandage on his right arm, he slowly unwound the bandage to reveal his personal crest of a Night Fury on his right arm, lining up exactly where it sat on his armour. "I uh- I was inspired by your marking and decided I should have a couple of my own." Moving to the other bandage, Hiccup removed the cloth covering the left side of his chest.

Blue eyes widened, a shuddered gasp as she saw what was there. Emblazoned on his chest, directly over his heart, was a Deadly Nadder. It's head was low, wings unfurled, and tail raised, ready for battle and guarding his heart. "Hiccup, I- ." There were no words, it was beautiful and she knew he'd done it just to prove he belonged to her.

"You have me, Astrid, all of me. Now and forever." Bold steps brought him over to the Valkyrie, one arm looping around her waist while the other lifted her hand to rest against the Nadder. "Carve out my heart, it's your name written there." She wore his personal symbol, not the Haddock family crest, his, and now he would wear hers. His heart beat for her and her alone, of that he was certain, just as he knew she would guard it with all the ferocity of a Nadder.

Blue eyes gazed up, almost overwhelmed by the intensity of his devotion. The girl had to remind herself to breathe she was so lost in the power of his stare. "Hiccup, she's beautiful." Carefully her fingers traced the skin just beside the Nadder, before laying the lightest of kisses to the inked form.

"Yes, you are." Hiccup murmured softly, fingers lifting her chin to kiss her as he'd been wanting to all day. A few more kisses peppered her face before he finally pulled away, taking a seat and calling Toothless over to lick his markings. "Okay Bud, do your thing." He sat still for a moment, letting the dragon cover his markings with saliva before he felt Astrid step forward and bandage them back up. Smiling, he followed the blonde to his bed, removing his prosthetic and settling down for her to use his chest for a pillow while they slept.

The next morning brought a flurry of commotion. After the most recent hunter raid Hiccup thought it was a good idea for them all to return to Berk and visit their families. They had been away for a while now and it would do them some good to spent time with their family and friends. It would also give them a chance to grab any extra provisions they might need while trading some items they'd acquired on their travels. It also provided the perfect cover for Hiccup to take care of a personal matter.

The riders reached Berk just in time for lunch, the famished riders quickly removing their packs so their dragons could feed themselves before joining the vikings for the noon meal. Stoick appraised his son as they ate, there was something different about his son, but he couldn't seem to put his finger on it. All he knew was something was different. Before he could pull Hiccup aside, Gobber whisked the boy away to the forge, rattling off a list of jobs he needed the lad to help him complete while he was there.

Gobber had left to deliver a sharpened sword while checking on an ill dragon, leaving Hiccup to man the forge. It was nearing dinner time, so people stopping by to make requests had long since died away, leaving Hiccup plenty of privacy when a certain Valkyrie dropped by to distract him. Leaning against his workbench he sighed into the kiss, arms wrapped around the spirited blonde, fingers burrowing beneath her top until he could drag them tantalizingly against her bare skin. Her own hands had long since slipped under his shirt, her fingernails scratching lightly against his chest and stomach as he made her whine against his lips. Gods did he love this, being able to hold her and kiss her whenever he wanted. Dipping down to suck teasingly on her neck Hiccup suddenly bolted upright at the sound of Gobber's voice.

"What the bloody Hel is goin' on in 'ere?" Hiccup jerked away, eyes wide like a startled rabbit while Astrid disappeared out of he closest door, leaving Hiccup to face his godfather alone. "What did ye do? I know dragon tails an' that was a bloody Night Fury on her back. So tell me, what was yer personal symbol doin' brandin' that lass like a cheap yak fer sale?"

Hiccup winced, he had really hoped Gobber hadn't seen that. "S-she asked me for a marking, and she chose one of my sketches and asked me to do it for her, so I did it." Hiccup replied softly, he really hated actually having to explain this, it was just so...personal. "A-and it's not just her, Gobber." With a sigh, the lad removed his shirt, letting his godfather see the Night Fury on his arm and the Nadder proudly inked on his chest. "B-but that doesn't matter, because I'm asking Dad to write up a contract tonight."

Gobber's mouth dropped open, Hiccup was asking for Astrid's hand? "Well why didn't ye say so?" The one-legged viking strode forward, crushing Hiccup's lanky form in a bear hug. "Odin's beard, it took ye long enough. I'll admit, I almost lost hope, but ye got there in the end, an' that's what matters." Finally releasing the boy he bent down to get a better look at the markings. "That's some good work there lad. What did she say when she saw that' 'ey?"

Gasping to fill his lungs with air after his Godfather's crushing hug, Hiccup panted out a laugh. "She loved it. Actually she uh- she kissed it." Cheeks flushed bright red as he remembered the way she'd spent that night letting him know how much she loved it. Hel, his lips were still burning from her kisses, and it just made him long for her even more. "I love her Gobber, and better yet, she loves me. Thor, what are the odds of that happening, huh?"

The canny old blacksmith roared with laughter. "Lad, ye weren' subtle. Anyone wit' eyes could tell ye loved 'er." The groan that left the love-struck boy just made Gobber laugh even harder. "And e'er since ye brought that dragon o' yer's around, anyone could see she was jus' as head o'er heels fer ye. Ye two were jus' too oblivious ta notice." Intelligent Hiccup certainly was, observant, not so much. Gobber loved the boy like a son and he was ecstatic that he'd finally managed to woo the woman of his dreams. "Now put yer bloody shirt on an' go get that contract. I wan' godbabies ta spoil!"

Nodding his head, Hiccup grabbed his shirt and tugged it over his head. Taking a moment to make sure he didn't look as if he'd had a roll in the hay before heading for the door. "Oh, an' Hiccup." Gobber's voice stopped the lad, turning to face the blond viking. "Do ye think ye could do one o' those markin's fer me?"

A bright grin crept onto Hiccup's face. "I'm sure I could come up with something for you. How about tomorrow afternoon, after you close the forge?" Gobber nodded his agreement and Hiccup turned, racing for Haddock Hall. It was time to talk to his father about making his intentions towards Astrid official.

As promised, the moment the forge closed Hiccup set up his workbench to do a marking for Gobber. The older blacksmith loved the design Hiccup had come up with for him. It was based on the viking symbol for a blacksmith but with dragons curled around it. Taking one bulging bicep in hand, Hiccup began to sketch out the design in charcoal.

"Hey Babe." Astrid greeted, kissing Hiccup's cheek while setting a plate of food down beside him as well as a pitcher of water. Hiccup wasn't much of a drinker, especially when he was working. "I figured I better grab you something before all the good stuff was taken." A much larger plate of food and a large tankard of mead was set beside Gobber, much to the blacksmith's enthusiasm.

"If ye hadn' already asked fer her hand, I'd tell ye to marry 'er." Gobber grinned widely at the lass, watching as she pulled up a chair beside Hiccup, taking the cloth to blot the design while Hiccup worked. "An' congratulations on finally pinnin' the lad down an' forcin' him ta make an honest woman o' ye. Don' gimme that look, we both know she made the first move." Gobber directed the last comment to Hiccup, his stare daring the lad to say otherwise.

Astrid chuckled, history would dictate that she made the first move, and she guessed technically she had by asking Hiccup to mark her, but she had to give him credit for actually making a move this time. "Actually, Hiccup kissed me first." Astrid replied, earning her a pair of raised eyebrows from Gobber, the bushy blond caterpillars threatening to disappear up into his helmet. "Technically I was asleep for the first one, but he claimed the second one too."

"Thank you, Milady." Hiccup's dry wit rolling off his tongue as he leaned over to claim a quick kiss. "For defending my honour and virtue as a man." Taking a quick bite of his dinner he returned to his work, thoroughly enjoying the playfulness of their newly found relationship. Had he known his bond with Astrid would only become deeper and more honest, he would've bared his soul to her ages ago.

Rolling her eyes at his sarcasm Astrid took a sip from Hiccup's cup. "So I shouldn't tell him about how you professed your undying love to me then?" Hiccup's head snapped to face Astrid, green eyes wide as he gaped at the girl while muttering a 'Thor no!'. An act that only seemed to embolden the girl.

"Oh Odin, now that's a story I need ta hear." Gobber crowed with glee. Ripping off a giant mouthful of roast chicken he stared at Astrid with eager eyes. He was an old romantic at heart, especially when it came to his godson, and he wanted to know what Hiccup said to make the young Valkyrie swoon.

The next day word had gotten around, Gobber no doubt boasting about the new ink resting under the bandage wrapped around his massive arm. Snotlout had been the first to approach Hiccup, his cousin demanding a Monstrous Nightmare all over his back. Right up until Hiccup showed him a needle, then the boy had muttered something about being needed for chores before scurrying off.

Fishlegs had been next, the husky lad stammering out a polite request for a Gronkle. Smiling, Hiccup had nodded his head to the workbench now set up for Hiccup to ink his fellow vikings. The young rider was actually becoming quite good with a needle, and his penmanship was exemplary. Passing Fishlegs a roll of bandage he instructed the larger boy to have Meatlug lick it twice a day and then redress the mark until it felt better.

A couple of other vikings were waiting for Hiccup to mark them, among them Gothi, the Village Elder. Gobber peered over to translate the old woman's scratchings before Hiccup kindly inked the symbol of a healer into the woman. Gothi's toothy grin at his work was more than enough for Hiccup as he asked Toothless for a drop of saliva before dressing the site and helping Gothi up.

Hiccup was actually doing quite well with the marking, every viking who had requested one had left a few coins behind as a thank you. The whole endeavor was really starting to make Hiccup smile, to know that so many vikings wanted his art on their bodies. His good mood lasted right until Ruffnut sat down and indicated exactly where she wanted her marking to be situated.

The young rider stared at her, eyes wide in horror as she indicated an area he would only ever consider inking for his wife. "No!" Hiccup stood up, his arm pointing towards the door, requesting she leave immediately. "That's it! No more markings! For ANYONE! I'm done!" Packing up his tools and his ink, Hiccup grabbed his sketchbook and left not stopping until he was in Toothless' saddle and high up in the sky.

Slipping into his Haddock Hall, Hiccup started at the sight of his father's gaze waiting for him. "I heard you refused to do any more markings for people. Left a lot of vikings quite upset." Hiccup's head fell, the last thing he needed was his father's disapproval, yet somehow he'd found it.

"Ruffnut wanted one...down there." Hiccup grumbled, slumping down onto the chair across from his father, noting the plate of food set aside for his arrival. "I just couldn't do it, Dad. The only person I want to see down there is Astrid." With a groan the boy dropped forward onto the table, face pressed into the timber.

Stoick's eye crinkled with mirth as he stared down at his son, finally letting out a hearty chuckle. "Aye, which is a good thing. Shows character. It's also one of the reasons her father was so eager to sign your contract." The vast Chief smiled as his son's head lifted, eyes wide with hope as Stoick placed the signed document on the table between them. "As of this mornin', Astrid is your betrothed and Ah've already paid her bride price."

This was better than anything Hiccup could've hoped for. His father wasn't mad at him, actually he seemed proud, and he was officially betrothed to the girl of his dreams. "Dad, thank you. This- this is everything I ever wanted." Finally sitting up, Hiccup slid his meal over and began to eat. He'd missed dinners with his dad.

The Chief smiled down at his son, grateful Hiccup had finally gotten everything Stoick had wanted for him. Seeing his son happy and with a woman he loved, who loved him back, what more could a father want for his child? And seeing the man that Hiccup had become, he couldn't be prouder of the man who would eventually succeed him. "So, would you reconsider your decision about markings for your Chief?"

Wide green eyes stared at his father, did he really just ask for a marking? "For my Chief, no." Hiccup replied, a soft smile covering his face as he glanced at the mountain of a man. "For my Dad, always."

A loud guffaw filled the room, a wide, toothy smile on the Chief's face. "You can tell me all about your betrothed while ye do it. I want ta hear all about yer grand proposal, how did ye win yer Lady Fair?" Stoick's beaming face looked down upon his son before opening his vest in preparation. "I-I want something ta help me remember yer mother. Put her close ta my heart." A large, stubby finger tapped his chest, indicating the spot he wanted.

Hiccup thought about the Nadder covering his own chest. "I know what you mean." Grabbing his charcoal, he began to sketch out a design. This was for both of them, and he was going to make it something his mother would be proud of when she met them on the fields of Valhalla.

May your thoughts and creativity flow

-Lady Ami DragonHeart