Caged Lovers

Hiccup and Astrid share a moment before their escape | Takes place a long while after S3 of RTTE

I'll give this shot a low M rating. Viewer Discretion is Advised

At first glance, a regular night may seem perfectly normal to the eyes of the majority. This is the case if said people only stay within the walls of their homes, afraid of getting hurt by wild dragons or foreign Vikings. That being said, they definitely have no idea what's going on with the minority; the ones who crave adventures outside their respective islands. Though the life of a daring teenager is exciting, it can also be troublesome and, often times, dangerous. This is especially true to the 6 adolescent Vikings living in an island outside the archipelago. They, of all people, experience more event-filled nights considering the many fights they fought and the enemies they made along the way.

Hiccup Haddock, being 1/6 of the daring group, should know by now how to survive evenings like these; evenings wherein he and his friends are in the disadvantaged side of a situation. After almost 3 sleepless nights, he thought the plan of invading the dragon hunter's base under the cloak of night would work. They've talked, devised Plan B's, and trained all throughout, but how is it that Viggo Grimborn seems to always be a step ahead of them? How is it that he can evade whatever they throw at his direction? Is he that smart to outthink every plan Hiccup thinks of? Maybe Hiccup will ask him himself.

"You're lucky Viggo still chooses to spare you...for now" Ryker's chuckle snapped Hiccup out of his observing state. He pressed the bludgeon onto the one-legged boy's back, forcing him to walk faster. Unfortunately for Hiccup, escaping wasn't an ideal move. Even if he tries to make a run for it, his hands were tightly tied behind him, and the identical trees in the foreign forest was confusing enough that it'll make escaping difficult right then and there.

Ryker pushed Hiccup harder every time the boy steals a glance at his sides. His brother strictly ordered to get harsh when he notices the boy's movements get tedious. If there's one thing Viggo is sure of Hiccup, it's that he is an observer and what he sees can be used against the enemy. They kept on walking for a few more minutes, nothing but the cool wind blowing against the shrubs filled their ears. Hiccup did his best to observe the pathway without having to slow down, hoping he'll find something that can help him out of the situation. Even if you don't look, the numerous green metal cages were very much noticeable against the purplish surrounding. He knew he'll be imprisoned in one of those, which will make things harder for his Nightfury if it tries to rescue him later on. Through his peripheral vision, he saw spiky shields and chains scattered on the ground. However, he failed to notice anything specifically different that can be used as a landmark.

"It's surprising how you and your friends just never stop" Ryker started.

"What can I say? We're a stubborn group"

"Obviously" the hunter rolled his eyes. "I suggested having the two of you sprayed with the Flightmare's mist and dropped to the middle of the ocean" Ryker said, his raspy voice hinted more contempt for the boy. "But Viggo is too hospitable to his…guests"

Hiccup suddenly stopped in his tracks, the big guy didn't push him this time. "'the two of you'?"

He smirked, "What? You didn't think you'd be alone here did you?"

He pointed the bludgeon forward. The area ahead was cleaned of any trees and was replaced by dragon proof cages arranged in a circle. There were a couple of dragons imprisoned inside: Nadders, Gronckles, and even adolescent Thunderdrums. On the very center of the dragon prison lays a cage with a different prisoner- it was a girl. And not just any girl, it's the girl Hiccup cares the most for. His eyes dilated, "ASTRID!"

Astrid gasped and abruptly stood up. She held the bars of the cage and looked at him incredulously, "Hiccup?!"

He ran towards her, his steps making an uneven sound on the pavement. He reached the door of her cage, eyebrows furrowing in worry, "H-how did—

He suddenly got pulled back. Ryker unlocked the cage with his free hand, and then hastily tossed Hiccup inside before the unbound Astrid could pounce. The hunter banged the door shut and then locked it. Astrid helped Hiccup sat up; she moved behind him and started untying the ropes around his wrists.

"You know, if it was up to me, you and your dragons would be dead by now" Ryker asserted as he watched the girl struggle with breaking her friend free from the ropes.

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed, "You're NOT going to get away with this"

"I don't think you noticed, but you're the one in the cage and not me" Ryker chuckled yet again. He backed up and smirked at the two. Teenagers are so readable nowadays; the brothers-

Ryker and Viggo- figured something was going on between Hiccup and his blonde ally. The over protectiveness the two display towards each other whenever in the heat of battle doesn't exactly make their real ties oblivious. Viggo thought it'll be better to hold the girl as hostage for leverage, but he also realized that if he used that tactic again- this time on a much more special lady- then the young Haddock might figure out how his brain works. Instead, he wanted to be experimental this time. He wants to see if Hiccup could be cunning, or if he solely relies on his intelligence in times of distress. Moreover, he wants to know if the latter has any sudden improvement if there is another soul in grave danger besides his. As from what Viggo could tell from their past one-on-one encounter, Hiccup could get rash when pressured. That's because he's on his own. Now that the girl he possibly has a relationship with is with him, how will he do it? Will he be more careful? Will he get himself and the girl to safety? Both Ryker and Viggo are more than excited to see the events unfold.

"Hope you two brought blankets because it's going to be a long night" Ryker bid before he marched away, laughing.

Hiccup cursed under his breath. While Astrid was freeing him, he watched as the second-in-command slowly faded from sight. Now that he's gone, there was nothing to be cautious with. All that there is left are the cold breeze, the snores of the caught dragons, and the heartbeats of two Vikings.

"Sorry, Hiccup." Astrid frowned, "A net caught me"

Hiccup's head shot up, "Are you alright?!" he looked back at her.

"I'm fine...but Stormfly" she sighed as she finally loosened the knot on the rope, "I-I don't know what happened to her, or where she's being kept!"

Hiccup wiggled his hands free from their constraints and turned around to get a good look at her. Despite the predicament, she still looked breathtaking. Something about her retaining her perfect beauty while in a dangerous situation amazes Hiccup, how can someone so combative still remain alluring?

He moved to the side and sat beside her, "We're going to find her, Astrid...eventually"

"What about you and Toothless? What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"I-I didn't know there were guards in the area. There were just too many of them and we couldn't possibly run away unharmed, so I surrendered and Toothless was muzzled" Hiccup sighed.

"Then we're totally weaponless!" Astrid exclaimed exasperatedly, "What if we can't get out of here?!"

"Don't be a pessimist now, milady" Hiccup leaned on the cold steel and closed his eyes, thinking about what Viggo is possibly up to by keeping the two of them here when he could just go straight to the point and kill them both.

"I am NOT being negative!" Astrid defended. Hiccup opened one eye and looked her nonchalantly, "It was…just a…" she sighed in defeat, "a negative thought"

"I can't blame you for thinking that way though" Hiccup smiled at her reassuringly, "I mean, you've been cooped up in her longer than me, I'd feel the same-downed and helpless."

She scooted closer to him and gave him a nudge, "Hey, you're supposed to be the positive one between the two of us"

Hiccup chuckled, "It was just a statement, no need to worry about my positivity fading"

"Good, you shouldn't be hopeless. I mean, it could be worse"

Hiccup looked down at her, "Worse than this? What other circumstance could possibly be worse?"

Astrid looked up at him, her sapphire eyes searching for the gentleness in those all too familiar emerald eyes she grew to adore, "You could be alone right now"

As their pupils fixated on each other's stare, his eyes slightly widened in realization. She's right. If she wasn't there with him, then he'd worry if she got captured too and restlessly hope she got back to the Edge safely. And if it was the other way around; then he wouldn't be able to sleep worrying over her life. He'd probably go nuts and just attack out of instinct.

"What about the others? Where are they?" she asked, breaking the short pause.

"I don't know" he shook his head, "But I hope they got away, maybe they can bust us out of here"

"Fishlegs; I know he can think of something, but Snotlout and the twins?" She accentuated the latter.

"Have faith, Astrid. I'm sure they can break us out" he smiled weakly.

"Well, what do you propose we do now?" she asked.

"Right now, we can't really do anything except rest for a bit and…think of something"

"We can't just sit here forever you know, we have to do something to get out. The only ones we can really rely on now are ourselves" Astrid expressed with conviction.

"I know…I know" Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "Easier said than done" The longer they stay there, the higher the risk their friends are taking against the hunters. Now that he thought of it, with him and Astrid here, his peers are in just as much in harm's way as the two of them are. He needs to hasten devising a plan for them to get out of the infernal maze of trees. He inspected the area, searching for something that can be of use. Surprisingly, the ground was spotless. There were only bits of leaves, dirt and stones. Obviously, Viggo purposely had this place cleaned so they can't improvise a tool that they can use to escape. One more thing Hiccup noticed was that they were unguarded. Normally there would have to be several guards watching over them to assure no escape. But, how come there's none? Is there one at the exit of this forest? That's an even more dumb post since if they do escape from there and the guard coincidentally goes in to check on them, they can use the trees as a shield to stray away unnoticed. Then again, there could be numerous all over the area that he was unaware of.

Astrid remained silent as she felt the gears in Hiccup's brain turn. She would think a plan of her own, but from what she can observe, opening this cage to begin with seems impossible. They took her knife away and they confiscated Hiccup's multipurpose shield. For now, her plan was to take down whoever gets in the way of their escape later. She trusts that Hiccup can think of a way out and get them both back to the Edge to reinforce their battle strategy. Until then, she'll stand by him and assist with putting the plan into action.

Her mind suddenly got distracted by a gust of cold wind that harshly blew against her bare skin. The trees surrounding them wasn't helping at all, it only intensified the evening's cold breeze. She hugged her knees to her chest and laid her head on top of them. Much to her dismay, her worst fear came; shuddering on a cold night.

A while later, the future Chief-to-be still had no idea on what they're going to execute. He was completely blank. Despite the unfortunate circumstance they found themselves in, he's still glad that he gets to spend some time alone with Astrid. His growing infatuation for the young Hofferson always gets the best of him. Her presence makes an unpleasant situation less aggravating to deal with. She is his inspiration, but recently- she's more of a distraction.

Hiccup extended his leg; the sole of his boot reached the opposite side of the small cage while his prosthetic leg was propped up so he can rest his right arm there. "This is my fault"

Astrid turned her head to his direction, "No, it's not"

"Yes it is" he looked down at her, "This was my plan. If I thought it out longer and harder then maybe it could've worked" he said, looking away.

"You did your best!" she sat straight, her body starting to shake. She closed the remaining distance between them and placed an assuring hand on his back, "I know you did"

"Yeah, well my best imprisoned us both" he remarked sarcastically.

"No plan is perfect. Something's always bound to go wrong. But that doesn't mean that when it doesn't go the way you planned, you immediately give up" she encouraged.

He sighed, "That's the harsh truth" and then he looked back at her, smirking, "That's more like it"

"Hmm?" she redirected her gaze back to his eyes.

"You're being optimistic for once"

Astrid laughed softly, "Don't mention it or it might go away"

Hiccup raised his brow and noticed Astrid's shaky shoulder, "Uhh…are you okay?"

"H-huh?" she placed her hand down.

"You're shaking" and that's when Hiccup noticed the change in temperature. At first, he didn't felt it due to how close his outfit was compared to Astrid's. One time, he asked her why she wasn't wearing arm bands and she simply told him it was too warm to wear them even though the cold season was fast approaching. He knew Astrid well enough to figure out how weak her skin was against the cold. For a Viking who grew up in an island which experiences winter half of the year, it's baffling how she's still not used to it.

"I need to wear something thicker next time around" she sighed and rubbed her arms.

"Yeah, we can get you some furs from Trader Johann the next time we see him" Hiccup teased.

"We really should" she smiled.

Hiccup paused for a minute and remembered a similar encounter from their youth, only back then- they weren't prisoners and the space they were trapped in wasn't so small. They were racing in the snowy mountain that day and, unintentionally, their dragon blasts caused an avalanche. Astrid was supposed to save him but she ended up getting trapped underneath the snow as well. Not knowing that their dragons would save them, he instinctively invited her to his arms. And that pretty much kept them warm for about 30 seconds before their lips almost came in contact with each other. He also remembered what Fishlegs suggested while they were telling him and Snotlout the story. You know, you could've used your own bodies to keep each other warm.

He's not cold, but Astrid's shaking wasn't going to stop anytime soon. And this is as good as any time to follow Fishlegs' advice. "Come here" he opened his arms and made space in between his legs so she'll sit there.

Astrid blushed. Sure, they're in a secluded area and chances of getting caught was very low considering how everything that'll come close can easily be heard through the painful silence, and they would've already parted at that point. But…this is Hiccup! It's different with him. They've had some moments before; moments in which Hiccup proved his utmost concern for her, where Astrid initiated a kiss, and then there are those really awkward ones. Astrid was bold back then, but they're not kids anymore-Hiccup has bloomed into a rather dashing young man and has outgrown her in terms of height, making what's left of her advantage on him crossed out. When they were younger, she was aware of how enamored Hiccup was over her and she acknowledged it quite well, however, she doesn't regularly send him the signal that she liked him back. Yes, she kissed him on multiple occasions to at least enlighten him and show her appreciation, but declaration of mutual feelings has never been made.

Now that they're older and have a deeper perception and sensitivity per every touch they shared, she was more cautious. Those simple pecks from before were considered child's play, if she gives him the same gestures she was giving him back then, it'll turn heads. Heck, she doesn't even know if he still likes her. When Heather inquired about her and Hiccup, she just told her off by saying they were just friends. Friends who kissed four times.

Eighteen year old girls don't just accept their male friend's invitation to cuddle to keep warm, oh no, there's always something behind it. Then again, Hiccup Haddock III was a perplexing mystery. He may be very typical and predictable, but most of the time-he was like a puzzle that can never be solved due to his complexity. First and foremost, why is he offering her this? Was it to tell her that he still likes her after all these years, or was it merely to keep her warm for the night? What happens if she accepts his invitation? Will it send some sort of signal to Hiccup?

This wouldn't be the first time he had his scrawny arms around her; this would be the third time. The first was oblivious to the gang. Upon finding the island of the Deathsong, they stayed up late and eventually fell asleep beside each other…closely beside each other; she was facing him, hands safely placed against his chest, while his arms were wrapped around her stomach. The second was when he rescued her from drowning after Stormfly got caught by the hunters. He hugged her tightly, but she was too drowsy to hug back. Of course they hugged as kids, but she doesn't count those as affectionate ones.

"A-are you s…sure?" her tone was something between a shiver and a stutter.

Hiccup genuinely smiled at her, "I won't bite"

Astrid slowly moved to sit in between his distanced legs and nestled closely to his warm chest. She relaxed as soon as she felt the warmth his body brought. "Th-thanks Hiccup" she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"No problem" then he wrapped his arms around her.

Her first reflex would be to punch him in the gut, but she didn't do it. As a sign that what he was doing was fine, she leaned on his chest more firmly. Hiccup smiled and straightened a bit to get in a more comfortable position; his back remained leaning on the cold steel and his eyes glued to the beauty in front of him.

This is the first time Hiccup got intimate with her after their little debacle with Heather a few months back. It's not that Hiccup got overly mad with Astrid, he was just very disappointment that she didn't trust him enough to tell him something that huge. He kept distance from her for a bit, lessened their casual conversations, but after a good chunk of apologies, they reconciled for real and everything went back to normal.

"It's been a while since we did this" Astrid spoke.

Hiccup chuckled, "Which part? The getting imprisoned part or..?"

Astrid laughed softly, "The 'or'"

"Ah, yes" He pulled her a little bit closer, a blush growing on his already pink cheeks. "Guess being here has its perk, huh?"

Astrid smiled, "I guess…" then she turned around, looking at him playfully, "You're taking this quite well"

"I know, I'm surprised myself" Hiccup chuckled that dork chuckle of his. He placed his hands at his sides. "To be frank, you make me calm."

"And being here with you is less lonesome" she smiled and lightly punched his shoulder.

"Hey!" he laughed as he rubbed his shoulder.

Their laughs soon died down and the silence came back again. Astrid didn't turn around to look at the sky; instead, she leaned her head on Hiccup's chest and listened to the thumping of his heart. On the other hand, Hiccup did his best not to squirm out of excitement. With what she's doing and how close they were, he thought of this as the perfect opportunity to tell her what he's been hiding for so long. Doesn't matter if the twins start teasing them afterward or if Snotlout punches him for having romantic connections with Astrid, all he wanted was to let her know and just be able to hold her without any explanations needed.

"I'm really glad you're here, Astrid" he looked down at her.

"So am I" she said softly.

He swallowed, "And…uh, th-there's something I've been…been meaning t-to tell you"

Astrid expression went from relaxed to being fully alert. She looked up at him, "What is it?"

"I…I uhh…th-there's this girl that I…really, really like" he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, a darker blush creeping up his cheeks.

She sat up straight and raised an eyebrow, "Who?" Please let it be me, please let it still be me.

"Umm, y-you know her very well!" he hinted with a nervous laugh.

Astrid was too anxious to even say the name, "Heather?"

"H-Heather?! What?! NO!" he intersected his arms and quickly separated them, gesturing great refusal.

Oh thank Thor, Astrid mentally sighed in relief. She covered her mouth and stifled a laugh for her next guess, "R-Ruffnut?"

"Oh my gods, Astrid" Hiccup rolled his eyes tiredly. "Not her!"

Astrid couldn't help but laugh at his expression, "What?! They're the only girls I am close with, there's no one else besides—"

Hiccup looked down, hiding his face from her, while Astrid's face just brightened and her mood instantly lifted. The gods answered her after all. Hiccup pressed his lips and pondered on what she would say next: will she finally realize that it's her, or she'll tease him more?

"Me…" she muttered softly. She smiled and held his chin, holding it up so he'll look at her directly. "Am I right?" she let go.

Hiccup smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I thought you knew that by now"

"I-I'm not the assuming type…"

Their expressions softened, then, out of nowhere, they slowly leaned towards one another. Neither of them knew for sure who made the first move, but at the moment, they could care less. All that matters was that they close this unnecessary space in between them. Hiccup wanted her to feel even warmer, and she wanted to pour every single hidden emotion to him. They inched even closer; Hiccup's nose touched her cheek, while Astrid's hand found its way to his jaw.

"Hiccup…" she whispered before he claimed her lips with his own. Eyes closed, stomachs churned, the atmosphere warmed, and sparks flew everywhere. As soon as he felt Astrid kissing him back, Hiccup felt bolder and placed his hand on the small of her back.

To finally taste him again after 3 years of not being able to, Astrid felt reminiscent. His lips were still as soft as ever, his mouth tasted of fresh water, and it still sends an electrifying sensation to her body. The kisses they had before were austere and short-lived, but this one? Looks like it's not going to end anytime soon.

She began giving him open mouth kisses instead of multiple, lingering pecks. Now that they've older, she thought it was time they…explore. Before she can even initiate it, she felt something prying her mouth to open up. Is that his tongue?! Without missing a beat, Astrid opened up and felt it touch hers. Their tongues began dancing for dominance, the male Viking obviously winning this one.

"Astrid?" he mumbled in between their lip-locking.

"Hmm?" she hummed softly.

"Is…this…alright?" he asked breathlessly, his mouth not moving an inch away from hers.

She leaned closer to him and caressed his face to tell him her approval of this activity. His grip on her tightened, he pulled her waist closer to his and deepened their kiss. He bit her lower lip gently and continued invading her mouth. Astrid didn't think this kind of pleasure was even attainable, and yet here he was- giving her a great night despite being trapped in a cage, surrounded by wild dragons.

She shifted and wrapped her legs around him. As they made out more, each passing second became even rougher, sloppier and louder. It was befuddling how they weren't awaking any of the dragons around them when she was practically moaning out loud every time he bit her- and he has bit her a lot. Hiccup pulled away, he proceeded to trail his lips down to her chin, to her jaw, and finally found its way to the base of her neck. He began sucking on her skin, gently at first then it becomes a little bit harder. Astrid couldn't even suppress her moans anymore, he was too good and she was willing to let him know that.

She felt something hard pressed against her thigh. Her eyes blinked opened and she looked down to see if it was a spike from her skirt, his metal leg or what.

Neither. It was something sticking out of his pants.

Her eyes widened, oh my gods. Her mother had told her that once a man was well pleasured…that happens, and when it does, there's no stopping it until the man calms down. It's inevitable, her mother would say. Now that she saw that thing mere centimeter away from her womanhood, she had this conundrum of whether to stop or to continue because whatever they were doing was too damn good. It'll be impossible to do it at home, or even in the Edge. From the looks of it, this is the only chance they have with doing such romantic act.

She was about to make up her mind when Hiccup stopped from sucking her skin. He pulled away, head resting on her neck, and panted to catch his breath. Astrid smiled. She rested her arm on her lap while the other happily brushed his hair, "You should've told me earlier…" she whispered almost breathlessly.

Hiccup chuckled, "Was it good?"

"Very" she admitted.

"I'm delighted to have pleasured you, milady" he said in a very manly tone which resulted into Astrid chortling her heart out. She bent to plant a kiss on his forehead, "You are too funny"

It took a while for them to catch their breaths and slow down their heartbeats. It's not every day they get to savor each other's company like this after all. Hiccup, in particular, took a lot of time to get his little friend to go back to its normal state. He didn't know that this would be a side effect to their bonding, if he would have known better- Astrid would be teasing him about this, that is, if she even noticed. Seeing that she was only humming quietly, it seems to be oblivious to her. Thank Thor.

Even though this was new, Hiccup knew for sure that he would get used to this. He rose up, carrying Astrid in his arms. After placing her down, he stretched his body and shook off any remaining excitement that may lead to an unplanned encounter…although, he can't help but keep his eyes off her lips; those lips that tasted too good.

He reached his hand out and placed them on her shoulder pad. "Feel warmer?" he teased.

Astrid chuckled but nodded nonetheless, "Yes, thank you again"

A lop-sided grin formed on his lips. "What are you going to tell them if they noticed those?" he asked, eying the marks he left on her neck.

She shrugged, unbothered by it. "Eh-I'll think of something"

He looked at her with what he calls 'Toothless eyes'. It's how Toothless looks with larger pupils; the ones which Hiccup finds irresistible. "I take it that you like me back?"

Astrid lightly punched his shoulder, "Of course I do!"

He chuckled wholeheartedly and snaked his arms around her waist, "Ahh…this is such a good evening for me. Uneventful, but, in a good way I suppose"

Astrid wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, "Then let me make it even better"

She leaned in and was about to kiss his lips when she heard someone clearing their throat. They both quickly sprang apart; Hiccup almost hit his head on the top part of the cage while Astrid almost lost her balance when her arm went through one of the cage's holes. They recovered quickly and stood straight, ready to see either Viggo or Ryker.

The last thing they'd expect to see though was an ally in front of them, accompanied by their boisterous friend, holding a key with one hand…and the most surprising part? Their dragons were standing by them, unchained and unharmed.

"HEATHER!" the two exclaimed in unison. They rushed to the door and held on the bars, ready to get out of there.

"Well, well" she grinned condescendingly, "I was going to bust you two out but- from the looks of it, looks like you're enjoying it here" she teased.

"I knew something was going on with you two!" Snotlout accused.

"U-Uhh…" Hiccup looked down, blushing. "We-we weren't-

"Oh hush!" Heather strode forward and unlocked the chained lock around the handle of the cage, "You guys were hugging!" she added.

"And Astrid was about to kiss...HICCUP?!" Snotlout exclaimed both in infuriation and disbelief.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup scolded, "Wild dragons" he gestured around them.

"Oh yeah" he gave him a thumb up and started unlocking the other cages with dragons in them, all of which were the simpler cages without the padlocks.

"Th-that's not what I meant, but okay" Hiccup shrugged in content. Heather opened the door for them, Hiccup immediately rushed out to check on Toothless.

As Astrid made her way out, Heather smirked at her. "Just friends my butt" she mocked.

Astrid sighed heavily, "We were...until tonight" she mumbled the latter.

"Yeah, sure you were" Heather nudged her playfully and went to free the other dragons.

Astrid walked to Stormfly and hugged her, "Oh girl! You're alright!" she exclaimed in relief, "H-how did you guys…" she turned to Heather and Snotlout who had just finished taking a muzzle off a Gronckle.

"Dagur" Snotlout replied.

"Whoa! Really?" Hiccup asked in pure shock.

"Yeah, I guess things made more sense to him now" Heather smiled.

"So, he helped you guys to get our dragons back?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, and he's the one that gave us the key too"

Astrid's eyes widened, "But…how? Ryker has the key!"

"He's very sneaky" Heather laughed softly.

When they finished freeing each dragon, Heather mounted on Stormfly with Astrid while Snotlout went on board with Hiccup on his Nightfury. Windshear and Hookfang were back on a remote part of the island, a spot where, according to Dagur, the Grimborn brothers left unguarded since it didn't need protection. They fled away in full speed because no sooner than later, arrows started shooting at them, each of which were dodged with such ease and agility. They landed on the spot the two were talking about. Without wasting a beat, Snotlout and Heather rode their own dragons and flew away as quick as possible.

"Heather, I'm surprised you picked Snotlout to accompany you over everyone else" Hiccup started as they were a good distance away from the hunters' island and were on their way back to the Edge.

"It was either him or the twins-and, you know how loud they can be" she chuckled.

"What about Fishlegs?" Astrid cut in.

"Ha!" Snotlout laughed, "Try 'Chickenlegs'! The guy was even more scared than his dragon"

"Beside the point, I had no other choice Snotlout" Heather teased.

"That or you couldn't resist this manliness" he flexed his arm.

"Speaking of manliness…" Heather looked at Hiccup and Astrid fondly, switching her gaze back and forth.

Snotlout sighed, aggravated, "I can't believe that Astrid-of all people- was going to kiss you!"

"Oh...she did it before, and I think there'll be more in the future" Hiccup smiled at Astrid.