A/N: Get ready for a much longer than usual chapter... 5000 words, my friends. I considered splitting it, but decided that a long chapter is a nice parting gift, so enjoy!

For a moment, it seemed that Astrid was too stunned by Hiccup's actions to react. She quickly recovered, though, wrapping her own arms around him.

"Hey", she murmured.

"Hey", was all he answered. He didn't want to interrupt the moment with words. Even though there were so many things that he wanted to ask.

She must've understood, because she didn't speak any more, either; only rubbed one of her hands up and down his spine.

They stood like that for a minute, until Hiccup began to feel awkward in the silence.

"I'm glad you're okay", he said at last. It was a true sentiment.

He felt more than heard her chuckle. "Me too", she replied.

"You're glad you're okay? I should hope so", he teased. At that, she pulled back, and Hiccup let his hands drop to her waist. He didn't want to let go just yet.

"You know what I mean", she grinned. "I couldn't be completely sure that Hildegard wouldn't decide to randomly break her contract and run for it."

"Well, she didn't."

"Thankfully, no." She scrutinised his face, and he knew his emotions must be all over it. "You're not okay on the inside, though", she stated.

He sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to someone who knows you well. So? What is it?"

He struggled to put his thoughts in order, so he could tell her. "It's just... the way everyone looks at me. It was one thing with people who didn't know me. But... this is my home. I can't stand the idea of those who I grew up with, looking at me like they... Like I..."

"Like they don't know who you are anymore", she finished for him. He stared at her.

"Yeah." Once more, she understood him even when he didn't understand himself. She always did, ever since this whole thing had started. It was amazing how much they seemed to have in common these days.

Or had it always been that way, and he'd never realised it before?

"But why? The charges were dropped. You were declared innocent."

"Because of what I did when I was here. Remember?"

"Oh." Her face fell. "Right."

"Yeah. And there's no denying that I did that, no matter how much I regret it."

"But you weren't yourself. You were stressed, and tired-"

"I don't think they care about that, Astrid. All Vikings are stubborn, and Berkians are among the worst. They saw me pointing a sword at my father, and... well, to be honest, I think there is something else at work. Or rather, someone." This was a suspicion that had begun sneaking on him, and seemed to make perfect sense.

She raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The elders from the council. Specifically, those who aren't big fans of me, or my ideas, or my... fondness of dragons." It couldn't be a coincidence, the way they had seemed to sneer at him. Like they'd won, and they were proud of it.

Her expression turned sour. "You think they spread panic, and turned the people against you."

"I'm pretty sure. I gave them the perfect opportunity; they didn't even have to lie. All they had to do was exaggerate events and..."

"And everyone would be afraid of you", she finished. "And when the time comes for you to take your father's place..."

"...Berk may not like that idea much. And a chief without his people's support is not a chief."

"So they would gain control, and I'm assuming they'd have the power to propose a new chief. One that fits their interests better."

"Pretty much."

Astrid sighed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She couldn't mean for this whole situation, right? They'd already talked about this; he didn't blame her for wanting to protect the dragons.

"For not trying to do something when that happened. If I'd known that there were power-hungry people here, working against you, I would've..."

"Would've what? No offence, but people here don't like you very much, Astrid. Any attempt to help me might've made matters worse." He sighed. "Besides, talking about what we could've done is pointless now."

"I guess so." She raised her head. "So... what now?"

"I don't know." He smiled wryly. "To be honest, I was hoping you could tell me."

"Tell you what? You've seen the way people look at me, Hiccup. I wish I could tell you it gets better, but it doesn't. Not for me, at least. For you... well, these people know you. Perhaps you have a chance to show them that they're wrong about you. I mean, you've done it in the past."

"They know me, but they treat me like they didn't."

"They know you, but they don't understand. They can't."

"You understand me." It was the truth. He could see it clearly now. She'd never stared at him judgementally, the way other people did.

"Because I've been exactly where you are. Most people haven't."

"I know, but..." He hesitated to continue; what he was going to say was deeply personal. However, at this stage, what was the point in trying to keep anything from her? "In a way... I don't know... it felt like you understood me before you even knew me that well."

She smiled softly. "That's because I have more experience with people, and understanding their motivations, than most. And your case is more common than you'd think." She brushed her fingertips over his cheek. "You're not a bad guy, Hiccup. You're just a decent guy who was forced down a bad path. You can't walk back, but you can choose to get out of that path."

She made to remove her hand, but he covered it with his own, pressing both against his cheek. There was something incredibly comforting about the gesture, he didn't quite know what. Perhaps it was that, like the time she'd kissed his forehead, it was something nobody had ever done for him. Perhaps it was simply something he associated with her. But then did that mean he associated her to comfort?

He looked into her eyes, which were now staring at him. Questioningly, but warmly.

Yes, that was definitely a concept he associated with her, warmth. The warmth in her eyes, and the warmth of her hand against his cheek. She'd always been like that with him. Even when they first met, and he didn't trust her, she'd never lost her patient, kind demeanour with him.

And now that he thought about it, she was the same way with her employees, even if it was to a lesser degree. The only people she acted ruthless towards were her enemies.

Much like everybody else did.

So what did that mean?

"Hiccup?" Astrid broke him out of his reverie. "Are you all right? You zoned out."

"I..." What was he supposed to tell her? "I was just thinking."

Although 'thinking' might not be the most appropriate term. 'Having an epiphany' was probably more accurate.

This whole time, ever since he'd first met Astrid, there was a part of him that clung to the idea that she was a criminal, a bad person. That he should always be on his guard, because he never knew when she might decide to turn on him. That she'd killed plenty of people and he could be next if he wasn't careful.

Now he could see that wasn't the case. Astrid was just a normal person, who fate had pushed into a life of crime. She had been raised with a very particular morality and considered that mindset to be normal. She still had a defined sense of right and wrong.

In the past, he'd thought she was a bad person because she knowingly veered into the territory of 'wrong'. However, having walked a mile or two in her shoes, he understood better now. Sometimes, under certain circumstances, you could be pushed to limits that you never expected you could reach. It had happened to him. And, from what he could gather, her whole childhood had been like that. A constant fight for survival, and he suspected that, after her father died and she had to go to Alvin, it had got worse. She'd had no one, and had to get by on her own. That, plus the fact that she'd almost been raped, had probably had an effect on the way she acted.

She was violent, because that was how she survived, by being more dangerous than those who threatened her. Because, in the beginning, if she didn't kill her enemies, they would most certainly kill her. And after years of living like that, she didn't know any other kind of life. Peace was not an option for her.

After all, he'd had to drop a man to his death in order to survive. If Astrid's teenage years had been filled with those situations, as he suspected they had, it was no wonder she had turned out like she had. In fact, he was surprised that, despite everything, she still retained a certain sense of justice, when he doubted many of the people surrounding her respected that. It was almost a miracle that she was capable of caring for people, be it those who were close to her, or strangers like that child she'd saved from being raped. Then again, those actions were probably in honour of her father, who had given her love. Something that he doubted she received much.

She wasn't evil. She wasn't like Drago or Dagur or Viggo.

"Okay", Astrid's voice broke through his thoughts again, "you're starting to scare me."

"Sorry, I was... having an epiphany." He noticed she hadn't removed her hand from his. Her warmth felt great.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows. "About what?"

"You", he answered sincerely. She clearly wasn't expecting that. "And... me. And how... we're not so different, I guess."

"What do you mean?" She frowned. "We're very different. You, like I already said, are a good person, and I-"

"-are a good person too", he interrupted her. "I know you're the first one to think differently, but you are."

"Right. Because a good person would do the things that I have."

"Yes. A good person would save a child from being raped. A good person would help stop a maniac from taking control over the entire archipelago."

"You know what I mean."

"I do. And I stand by what I said." He smiled as he thought of a way to explain it. "It's like you just said to me. You're not a bad person, you're a good person who was pushed into a bad path. In your case, that path was pretty much your whole life. I'm not saying your father turned you into a criminal", he added when he saw that she was going to protest, "but the fact that he was an assassin did mean that you didn't have a normal life, so when he died, you were left with almost nothing."

"It sounds like you're blaming him", she said, tensely, and tried to drop her hand from his face. He let her, but without letting go of her hand. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. This was a sensitive topic for her, as he was well aware of.

"Look, I'm not saying it's his fault for raising you the way he did. From the way you talk about him, it sounds like he did his best with what he had. He could've just as easily left you to grow up as an orphan, and Thor knows what would've happened to you then. But he didn't, and here you are. And his influence is on you. Both the positive and the negative."

Astrid was regarding him thoughtfully. She made no comment, so he continued. "Anyway, because of the way you grew up, you went on a bad path without ever having a choice. And now you stay on that path because you have no idea of what's in the other one. And we always fear the unknown." This time, he was the one to put his hand to her cheek. (The free one. His other hand was still holding hers.) "But you could change. You could try seeing what's on the other side. Maybe you'll like it."

Her eyes were wide, and he wasn't sure if she was reacting to his words, his actions, or both.

"Let me show you", he whispered. For a moment he wondered why, and then he realised that, at some point, he'd stepped closer to her. There was less distance between their faces now.

"I can't", Astrid whispered back. "I can't."

"Why not?" He was leaning, he noticed, but he couldn't stop himself. It was as though he subconsciously wanted to see if he could read in her eyes. Or maybe he just wanted to be even closer.

"Because... because I've already done so much, Hiccup. There's so much blood in my hands. How could I ever try and pretend to be like you, knowing that?"

"You don't have to pretend. It's already in you; all you have to do is let it out of you."

"But-" This time it was her who stepped closer. With his hand still on her face, the space between them seemed even smaller. "-how can I live with myself? If I accept everything I've done?"

It took him a second to answer; he was overwhelmed with the warmth coming from her right now, from her body so close to his. He wanted more. He was losing focus in the conversation. "By recognising it was wrong, and realising you're enough of a good person to stop."

"I'm not so sure I can."

"You can", he answered, even as he pressed his forehead against hers, unthinkingly. When he realised what he'd done in his attempt to get even closer, he looked at her eyes, the only part of her face he could really see right now.

They were as wide as he'd ever seen them, but unlike other occasions, the dark of her pupils was overtaking the blue.

He may have very little experience with women, but he knew what that meant.

He began to inch forward, and her breath hitched.

"Hiccup…" she said in a pleading tone.

She didn't continue, so he took that as a signal. Using the hand that was still on her face, he tilted her head upwards. And as he closed the gap between them, and his lips touched hers, he felt the warmth rushing into him like a tide.

Too close.

He was standing too close.

She knew it from the start, when he literally ran into her and didn't let go, not for one moment.

And she shouldn't have encouraged it. She was well aware of it. But when he looked so dejected, what was she supposed to do? She couldn't push him away. So she gave in, just a little. She let herself get even closer. She told herself she could pull away later.

She was lying to herself, of course. There was no way she'd be able to pull away. Not when he seemed so desperate to be near her. Not when she was desperate to be near him, too. For months now, she'd spent most of her time either being with him, or thinking about him. Her self-control had been seriously damaged. She could stay away at a distance, but the way they were right now…

Impossible.

So she held on. She let him get even closer.

And when he pressed his forehead against hers, she knew there was no turning back.

He looked at her, and she didn't have the power to tell him to back away. If she could only say it, he would. But she couldn't. And she knew that her body language was telling him just how much she wanted it. There was no reason for him not to do it.

As he leaned in and his breath began to mingle with hers, she found her voice, just barely. "Hiccup…" She was pleading for him to stop, but the words died in her throat.

And then his mouth was on hers, and there were no thoughts to be had anymore. Only Hiccup. Only that she needed to get as close as possible. Her hands clasped behind his neck, practically of their own volition, crushing herself against him. In response, his free arm snaked around her waist.

Now there was no space whatsoever between them. Not between their bodies, and certainly not between their lips. His own were moving slowly, deliberately. It wasn't like he was acting with uncertainty because he was inexperienced; it was more like he was simply taking his time. And while she would've preferred a little more intensity, she adjusted to it. Far be it from her to complain.

Still, given how tightly he was holding her, it felt like he was restraining himself. She wondered about it for a second, and then realised why he was doing it.

This was his first real kiss. When she'd kissed him in Drago's ship, that had been pretend, no matter how much she'd enjoyed it. The other two kisses he'd had, with Hildegard and that woman he was trying to seduce, had also been fake, and from what he'd told her, a little aggressive. So now he wanted to do the complete opposite.

It gave her a sort of thrill, getting to be his first kiss twice. And if he wanted to take the time to truly enjoy it, then she would let him.

Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe. However, only their faces separated; he didn't let go of her waist, and she didn't remove her hands either. They were both panting, and she could see Hiccup's face was flushed. She imagined her own was, too.

She expected him to say something, but he didn't. He looked like he wanted to, but didn't quite know what. He recovered his breath, and his mouth was open as he tried to find words.

She kissed him again. Because at this point, what difference did it make? He made a muffled noise of surprise, but immediately kissed her back. This time, he put more force behind it, and she responded in kind. The hand that was still on her face joined his other arm around her waist, and he pressed her even closer to him. She resisted the urge to run her hands through his hair, like she wanted to; it would be too much.

By the time they broke apart again, Astrid was starting to feel dizzy, and she wasn't sure if it was the lack of air or if it was just Hiccup. She looked at his eyes, and noticed that the sadness in them had mostly vanished.

"You should go to sleep", she whispered, brushing some of his hair back. "Everything will be clearer in the morning." She hated to bring the topic back up, but it was necessary. Fortunately, his eyes only dimmed a little.

"Okay." He seemed reluctant to let go, even as he did. He looked around. Then back at her. She guessed the question before he asked it.

"Yes, we can sleep here. If it makes you feel better."

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I just... don't want to be alone tonight."

She nodded, then grinned. "Don't let Toothless hear that. He'll be offended you don't appreciate his company." She felt it necessary to lift the mood, just a bit.

He laughed for a second. "You know what I mean."

"But he doesn't."

"True." He fidgeted. It seemed like he didn't know how to act. "So, do you have some furs, or..."

"I do." She called Stormfly over, and retrieved the furs from her. She handed Hiccup a few, and then began spreading her own. Hiccup did the same, fairly close to her, and also pretty slowly. She understood he was giving her a chance to tell him to get further away, if she wanted to.

Why he thought she would want to push him away now, she had no idea.

"Hiccup, it's okay. We can sleep next to each other."

A nervous, but relieved, smile appeared on his face. "Thanks."

The dragons saw them preparing to go to sleep and did the same. Toothless set a part of the floor on fire before lying on it, and Stormfly curled up beside him.

Hiccup and Astrid settled in. They were close enough that, if he wanted to, he could reach out and grab her hand, and she suspected that was his purpose. Well, she thought, if it comforted him, it was fine.

"Good night, Hiccup."

"Good night, Astrid."

When Astrid woke up, the first thing she saw was Hiccup's face. He seemed at ease, in a way he hadn't been last night. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, if the way he had tossed and turned was any indication.

He was pretty close to her, but it could not be said that they'd slept together.

She wondered how he'd feel when he woke up. If he'd try to get through a day in Berk, and heed her advice about convincing the people. And more importantly, how he'd feel about what they'd done last night. Would he want to do it again? He had clearly liked it, but... he'd been feeling lonely and vulnerable then. He wanted companionship, to feel that someone cared for him, and she'd been more than happy to give it to him. It was a kiss that came more out of desperation than any real feelings, she thought. Sure, he probably liked her well enough, but not in that way.

With that in mind, what should she do? Act like last night hadn't happened? Cherish the memory, knowing it wouldn't happen again, and carry on like normal?

If she wanted their relationship to survive, that seemed like the best course of action. She had let herself go last night, but she couldn't do that again. She needed to collect herself.

By the time Hiccup finally woke up, she had already set up a fire (with Stormfly's help) and was cooking some breakfast. Toothless greeted his rider with a lick to the face, then went to play with Stormfly.

"Hey", she said when she saw he was awake.

"Hey", he replied, walking towards her.

They ate in silence. Hiccup seemed nervous; it was obvious he didn't know how to act around her after last night. If he was so uncomfortable, well then, she wouldn't bring up the topic.

"Feeling better?" she said at last.

He swallowed before replying. "Actually… I couldn't sleep, so I was thinking about my situation."

"And?"

"And… I think I have to leave. For a while at least."

Of all the things she expected him to say, that was not one of them. "What? No, you can't leave. This is your home, Hiccup."

"That's the problem, Astrid. I used to think so, but now, after how everyone acted towards me, I realise… home isn't only a place. It's also the people you know. And without them, it just isn't the same."

"But..." The idea was still preposterous to Astrid. "I know you said everyone was giving you the cold shoulder, but don't you think leaving is a bit too much?"

"I didn't say leave forever. I just... I need some time to think. And to be someplace where I won't be judged every waking moment."

"Haven't you thought that maybe, after a while, you can convince people here to listen to your side of the story? Maybe if they knew what you were going through when you...threatened your father, they would be more understanding."

Hiccup snorted. "I know you don't know Berk as well as I do, but Vikings understanding feelings? Do you really think that could work out?"

That much was true, but she didn't want him to give up hope just like that. "Maybe, with time."

He sighed. "Astrid, I see what you're trying to do. You think I'm making a rash decision because I'm uncomfortable, and that if I go through with it I'll regret it. You really don't know if things will get better, no more than I do. But if I leave... maybe my dad will be able to convince some people that I'm not... dangerous. Once they stop feeling threatened by me, they may be more inclined to believe it."

"And what of him? What of your friends?" She was starting to run out of arguments. "Won't you miss them?"

"Of course I will. But I've already gone months without seeing them. One more month won't make that big of a difference."

"So that's how long you think you'll be gone?"

"Maybe. I don't really know."

She sighed. She didn't like this idea, but she could see that Hiccup was convinced, and he was as stubborn as they came. Trying to persuade him not to do this would be pointless. "And where will you go?"

"Well..." He looked at her shyly. "I was thinking that, if it's all right with you, I could go to your camp."

For a moment, she just stared at him. She had done everything in her power to make sure he felt comfortable while he was staying with her, and she knew that he'd been treated well... but wanting to go back there? Knowing what was really going on, even if he chose to ignore it?

"Are you sure? Don't you think it'll remind you of all the trouble you just went through?"

He shrugged. "It's better than going to a town where I don't know anybody, or living in the wilderness with nobody but Toothless. At least no one will judge me there."

"And what about you judging others? You know what I do, Hiccup. Last time you were there, you were a fugitive too. But you're not anymore. You may now feel like you're... on higher moral grounds than my people."

"I may no longer be a fugitive, but I'm still not the same person I was when I first stayed there, am I? I've learned a lot. About people and what drives them to do certain things."

This was much like what he'd said last night. She hadn't been sure if he really thought that, or if it was another consequence of his negative mood.

"Look", he continued, "if you don't want me there-"

"No, that's not it", she interrupted him immediately. If he wanted to stay with her, then she could keep an eye on him herself, and she'd get to spend more time with him. "I just don't want you... giving a speech to one of my employees about being a good person and whatnot."

"I never did that, did I?" He smiled, and she couldn't help smiling back.

"No, but I wanted to check. Still... if you just stay there, don't you think you'll get... bored?"

"Well... I was thinking that maybe we could do something about Viggo."

"Something?"

"Yeah, to drive him out of business definitely. Because I assume that's what you threatened him with, right?"

"Sort of, yes. And what do you want to do? Because the only way to put an end to a threat like Viggo Grimborn is to kill him."

"Can't we-"

"No. Viggo is not Dagur. If we put him in a prison, even the Iron Fortress, he'll find a way to escape. And if we take down his business entirely, he'll try to start again somehow. Killing him is the only way to end him for sure."

For a few seconds, it was quiet, as Hiccup stared at her. She could practically see the cogs in his head turning as he tried to come up with a way to stop Viggo that didn't involve his death. He was smart, however, and soon realised that it wasn't possible.

"Very well", he said with the gravity of someone who makes a hard decision. "We'll kill him. For the good of the dragons all over the archipelago. One bad man's life isn't worth dozens of innocent ones."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. It was clear to Astrid that, even if he said he didn't judge people for their wrongdoings anymore, it was still hard for him to do something like that himself.

And it was better that way, she thought. At least he retained some of the way his personality had been before everything had happened.

"All right", she said. "So, did you want to leave now, or...?"

"I think I'd like to leave a letter for my father."

"A letter? Why not go talk to him yourself?"

He sighed. "Because he'll just make this more complicated. Plus, like I said, I'm not leaving forever. Just until... we take Viggo down. Maybe by then I'll have figured things out."

"Very well, then. Do you have something to write?"

"Uh, no. I was going to-"

"Here." She called for Stormfly, who was still playing with Toothless, and took some parchment and a pencil from her saddle.

"Thanks."

A few minutes later, it was done.

"Wait here, I'll go leave it in my room."

"And what if Stoick sees you?"

"I'll try not to make any noise."

Astrid smiled. "I have a better idea." She whistled, and from behind a bush came Sneaky, who she'd brought along just in case. He had probably been sleeping before she called him.

"Good idea." He handed the letter to the dragon, who left and was back in a matter of minutes.

Astrid mounted Stormfly. "Shall we, then?"

Hiccup got on Toothless, too, and they took off. As they gained altitude, she could see him staring at the island that was his home, and she heard him mutter a promise that he'd be back.

She really hoped that would be the case. But in the meantime, there were more adventures to be had.

And a madman to defeat.

A/N: Aaand that's a wrap! Yes, I realise this leaves a lot of unanswered questions: what happened to Hildegard? And Viggo? What about Valka?

Well, as you've probably figured out by now, there's going to be a third part to this universe, where I will finish all the storylines. However, it will be different from Burning and Phoenix, in that it'll be much less plot-driven and focus instead on the development of Hiccup and Astrid's relationship. Because let's be honest here, they've only kissed for the first time and they still have a lot more to go through to get over their differences...

So it'll feature time skips and whatnot, it'll be much shorter, and will only have plot at the beginning, as they work to take down Viggo and create a lasting relationship. And as for the name, I'm still between "Soaring" and "Learning to Fly", but either way, when it's up I'll put up an announcement here, like I did with Burning.

Finally, regarding how long it'll take me to get it up... well, I'm on holiday right now, but I've been working on this fic nonstop for a year and would like to take a break, you know? Don't worry, it won't be a five-month break, haha. My goal is to finish this third fic before the second semester starts next year (beginning of August). Also, even if it doesn't have much of a plot, I still need to come up with a basic outline. And doing that for this fic was a nightmare, haha.

So anyway, happy new year and I'll see you all in 2018 for the final installment of this series!