Hiccup woke suddenly and sat straight up in his bed. After a moment of quick, sharp breaths he put a tired hand to his head, letting out a sigh.

"I have to do it today." He mumbled to himself. "I'm going to do it today."

The young man pulled himself out of bed, his shoulders hunched over with exhaustion. This had been keeping him up for weeks and he'd had enough of it. He threw on just his tunic and left the armor. He had one objective today and he'd planned to do it the moment he saw her.

Hiccup moved out of the house, feeling the cold northern winds blow right through him and turn his anxiety into a kind of misery. As he walked with deft purposeful toward the Hofferson house he saw the front door begin to pull open, and before he knew it his feet had taken him in the opposite direction and he quickly found himself in the mead hall. It was dark and empty this early in the morning, aside from a few drunken vikings who didn't quite make it home the night before, but that suited Hiccup just fine. He went to site down at the table closest to him, and when he did his face went into his hands. "If I can't even ask a stupid question, how am I supposed to lead the tribe someday?" He fretted.

"What are you doing?"

Fishlegs' voice suddenly sounding behind him caused Hiccup to jump and turn around. "Oh hi, Fish." He said. "Uh, nothing…anymore."

His friend quirked an eyebrow at Hiccup's unusual, early-morning dismay. "Something going on?"

Hiccup sighed as Fishlegs sat down across the table from him. "I've been thinking about Astrid and I."

"Oh no."

"Yeah." Hiccup mumbled, rubbing his face with his hand. "I'm going to ask her today."

"Really?" Fishlegs asked. "That was quick."

"It's not exactly a new idea. I've been trying to do it for weeks. It's just that every time I try I end up running the other way or saying something really stupid instead." He grumbled. "What should I do?"

"You're asking me?" Fishlegs asked, looking utterly confused by the entire situation.

Hiccup nodded.

Fishlegs looked around a moment, trying to think of an answer. Ultimately defaulting to logic and reason; the only things that made sense to him. "Statistically, getting married is more effective than not getting married. Living with another person takes up less space and provides life-long companionship." Fishlegs reasoned. "It forms socioeconomic alliances between families. It presents the opportunity to have an heir, which in your case you would want eventually, because no one wants to see Snotlout's kid become chief-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Astrid asked, appearing behind them. Somehow she'd come in without them noticing and that sent a blazing shot of fresh anxiety through Hiccup.

Oh gods, how long has she been standing there?!

"Oh, uh, Hiccup has something he wants to ask you." Fishlegs looked between the couple and held his breath, getting up quickly and passing by Astrid toward the door. "But I got to go, so, uh, bye." Then he was gone, subtly avoiding Hiccup's glare all the way out of the hall.

Astrid's confusion played on her face as she looked back to Hiccup. "What's up with him?"

The boy attempted shrugging casually, but he only looked more stressed out than he already was.

Astrid chuckled a little. "Or should I be asking what's up with you today?"

Hiccup mimicked her laugh nervously and began clenching and unclenching his fists like he always did when he was anxious about something.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" She asked, sitting down in Fishlegs' spot.

Hiccup looked around and drummed his fingertips on the table a few times before finally meeting her expectant eye. Every word he planned to say to her for the last three weeks seemed to suddenly vanish completely from his conscious mind. "Statistically," Hiccup began, already wanting to punch himself in the face for choosing Fishlegs' words to say at this moment. "Uh, getting married - I've heard - is more effective than not getting married." He spoke slowly and watched Astrid's expression grow slowly more confused. "It takes up less space and, uh, brings partnership…and it provides opportunity for heirs, which apparently I want someday otherwise Snotlout's kid is going to be chief, and we both don't want to see that happen."

Astrid stared at him in complete bemusement now, her mouth hanging open a little as she heard him ramble on.

"And something about socioeconomic families…" Hiccup stammered, watching his fingers continue to drum along the wooden tabletop. Then at once his frustration over his inability to articulately ask this girl to marry him finally pushed him to slam his fist on the table and look up at her. "Dammit, Astrid, will you marry me?"

Astrid's entire body, face, and thought-pattern seemed to be suddenly put on pause. She stared at him in confused, unblinking bewilderment. "D-did you just ask me to marry you?"

Hiccup's shy exterior plagued him again the moment he finally came out with it, and he wasn't quite sure whether to nod or shake his head. "Yeah." He said, watching her closely.

She blinked a few times and looked around, a little bit shocked. Then a smile began to grow slowly on her face as she looked back at him. "Yes."

Hiccup's head shot back up as an impossible smile showed on his face too. "Yes?"

Astrid nodded and laughed a little. "Yes, I will marry you."