So this was a little idea that wouldn't let me go and I had to write it. Sometimes I get nostalgic about having fun as a teenager :)

Based on movie canon, takes place about a year or so after the first one, diverges from there.

I didn't feel this deserved an M rating, but it is definitely a heavy T for language and teenagers being teenagers (and descriptive making out. We all wanna see Hiccstrid get to second base, right?) ;)

"You ready?"

Hiccup wiped his hands on a towel and nodded with a grin.

Astrid grinned back at him, hand on her hip. "Well then let's go, slowpoke," she teased.

"Aw, come on, Astrid. Give a guy a break, I've been working all morning," he said. "See if you can say you've made an entire shield before noon."

"Why did you need to make an entire shield this morning?" she asked skeptically.

"Rush order," he answered as they fell in step together, heading toward the training arena. Toothless noticed his rider striding off and hastily got up, trotting after them from his napping place next to the forge.

"Well, there's no one better than you," Astrid said, bumping him with her elbow playfully.

"I can think of a few master smiths off the top of my head, but I appreciate the sentiment," he said, ducking his head bashfully.

She laughed and rolled her eyes, and he shrugged. Using sarcasm as a deflection was simply second nature. He was still getting used to receiving actual real compliments, especially from Astrid. Though it had been a year and change since they defeated the dragon queen, adjusting to all the changes about his village had taken time. He still couldn't quite believe he had Astrid solidly in his corner, even though by all accounts she had been his first true human friend. He didn't think Gobber counted in that respect, as he fit more into the category of mentor and fill-in uncle.

All the years spent pining over her, idolizing her, pulse quickening whenever he caught sight of her seemed so far in the past. He had a crush on her, but he didn't know her. Now it was different. Now his heart was in the balance and every moment he spent with her made him fall in deeper.

They were still in the beginnings of something, what, he wasn't sure. They stole innocent kisses whenever possible, and once some not so innocent kisses in the stables when everyone had gone. That made him feel lighter than air for hours afterward, as she waved her fingers coyly at him when they parted. Who knew sticking tongues into each other's mouths for an hour would feel so amazing? And she did it with him! Hiccup the Useless. Based on the noises she made, he didn't think he was so useless anymore.

He cherished every second she was willing to spend with him. He never pushed to define what they were doing, because at this point he'd take whatever she generously offered. Never in his wildest dreams did he actually think Astrid would ever give him the time of day, but here she was, walking with him and chatting his ear off. He didn't want to make her think too hard about how she was spending her time, lest one day she'd wake up and realize she was spending all her time with him, the former village pariah.

Some part of his wounded pride and male ego would try to remind himself that he was a hero now and he saved his village, but it always dissolved back into self depreciation quickly enough.

So then he'd focus on her shiny golden hair, the faint little freckles that dusted across the bridge of her nose, and the blue of her eyes. He'd think about how he didn't deserve her, not at all, and he'd think about how lucky he was that she thought it was worth while to talk to him.

"Hiccup?" Fingers snapped in front of his nose. "You still with me?"

"Oh, uh, yeah! Sorry… about that."

"Thinking about crazy contraptions and… pulley systems and ball bearings, or whatever it is you think about, again?" she smirked.

"Ha! Ball Bearings, right…" he said, hiding the guilt in his voice. Because he definitely hadn't been thinking about blowing off afternoon training and stealing her away into the stables for a reprise of the other day. It was downright embarrassing that she occupied ninety nine percent of his thoughts these days, and shameful those thoughts were never innocent.

As they headed into the tunnel, Toothless following behind, Snotlout's voice could be heard floating in from the training arena.

"I'm telling you the honest to gods truth!"

Hiccup and Astrid shared a look.

"Pssh, I dunno, Snot. Sounds fake to me."

"Shut up, Ruff. Sounds like you're just a little jealous." They could hear the smugness in his voice.

"Ha! Jealous?! Why would I be jealous? If I wanted to feel a boob I'd just feel my own."

"That's not… what I meant… besides, what boobs? You're flat as a shield, Ruff."

"Hey!" Ruff said indignantly.

"Calm down, sister, he's right, those mosquito bites aren't impressing anyone."

"Really, if you want to talk about the size of various body parts-" Ruff said.

"ANYWAY," Tuff said hurriedly, cutting her off, "I'm sorry, my dear snotty friend, I agree with my sister. Your story sounds conflated at best, completely contrived at worst."

"Gerta let me touch her boob, I don't see what's so hard to believe!"

"Um, maybe… all of it?" Fishlegs spoke up timidly.

"Not you too," Snotlout said, exasperated.

Hiccup and Astrid stopped in their tracks. They had just reached the gate and were about to enter, when Astrid grabbed Hiccup's wrist and held him back.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "What a liar," she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Hiccup to hear. He chuckled, his shoulders bouncing.

The rest of their friends were already waiting in the arena, off to the side, which concealed Hiccup and Astrid's approach. Apparently Astrid wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I'm sorry, Snotlout but there's only a one point five percent chance Gerta consented to let you touch her… considerably sizable chest."

"Then do your math again, Fishface because I did touch her considerably sizable chest."

"Um. I have done the math, and if there's a possibility any of us have touched a breast, excluding Ruffnut and Astrid since they own them, the greatest percentage of probability falls to… well, Hiccup."

"What?!" Snotlout shouted, along with exclamations from the twins.

Hiccup went stock still and stood up straight, his face flaming. He didn't dare look at Astrid, who also tensed beside him.

"Fish my friend, recompute. How would Hiccup have touched a boob?" Tuffnut asked, thoroughly confused.

"Well, think about it," Fishlegs said, clearly uncomfortable. "Out of all of us, he has the closest thing to a romantic entanglement with Astrid. We know they've kissed, she did it in front of the whole village. If they've continued kissing in private, and the trajectory of their, um… oh gods, the trajectory of their physical activities naturally progresses, eventually they might, um… move on… to other things of a… boob touching nature."

"Ha!" Snotlout scoffed. "The day Hiccup touches a boob before me is the day Ragnarok decimates Midguard!"

"Didn't you already touch a boob, as you so claimed earlier, Snotlout?" Ruffnut asked coolly.

"It's just an expression, Ruffnut," Snotlout sneered.

"Honestly, I agree with Snotlout on this one," Tuffnut said, thoughtful. "Hiccup may be close to Astrid, but this is still Astrid we're talking about. She'd snap him in half."

By now Hiccup's face was so red his freckles had caught on fire. He clenched his fists, rooted to the spot where he stood, though his heart was thumping erratically against his rib cage and his knees felt like they'd give out any second.

Astrid looked closer to absolute fury, like she'd burst into the arena any second with axe swinging. Hiccup assumed she was angry at the insinuation he would put his hands anywhere near her person.

He could only feel wholly ashamed. As much as he would always and forever respect her in his words and actions, his fantasies were like a wild dragon that refused to be tamed. Many nights (let's be honest, every second he had to daydream too) had been spent thinking about the exact scenario of touching every inch of her, preferably with her clothes tossed all over the floor. He couldn't control it, he tried and failed every time.

So it was with a special flush of disgrace that he listened to his friends speculate on his private life and effortlessly disparage it.

"Tuff's right, Astrid would break every bone in his tiny little body. Why would she want to be pawed up by that fishbone? What she needs is a manly man, someone with a little experience," Snotlout boasted, puffing with pride.

Astrid scoffed so loud it echoed off the tunnel walls and she had to slap her hand over her mouth.

"Barely grazing Gerta on accident in the market doesn't count as experience, Snotty," Ruffnut said, amused. "Besides, I have it on good authority Astrid thinks you're a dingus."

"She does not! Come on, it totally makes sense. Astrid and I are like the male and female counterparts to each other. We're the best warriors of our generation on the island, I'm hot, she's hot, get it? My dorky ass cousin has nothing going for him. Oooh, so he killed a really big dragon and he rides a Night Fury. He's still missing a leg and I could use him as a toothpick. There's no way that little nerd is touching a boob in his lifetime, guys, much less Astrid."

Hiccup had heard enough. Without even glancing at Astrid, he turned and began walking back up the tunnel. Toothless backed out with him, confused and concerned.

"Hiccup!" she hissed, trying to avoid being overheard. "Hiccup, wait!" She ran after him, but he climbed up onto Toothless's back and took to the skies before she could say anything else.

He didn't want to hear it. Her sympathies, her agreement with Snotlout and Tuffnut, her inevitable rejection.

The worst part was he knew those two idiots were right. Before Toothless, before the death of the dragon queen, he was fated to live as an eccentric bachelor or arranged to be married to a cast off chieftan's daughter for an alliance. Any heirs produced would be born out of duty, and the thought of a life devoid of love made him ill- because Astrid would always be there, and his heart would still be shackled to his hopeless love for her. Any boob touching would be empty and soulless if it wasn't her beneath his hands.

He stayed out all afternoon, avoiding the training arena and any beautiful blondes that had stolen his heart. He tried to prepare halfhearted excuses for his absence, but ultimately gave up, deciding he really didn't care what anyone thought anymore.

He knew he was in direct competition with his cousin. Snotlout had always been a bit of a bully, this wasn't even the worst he had ever said about Hiccup. Still, something struck a nerve. The notion he was unlovable, undesirable as a romantic partner, wounded him in a place he didn't know he had. It wasn't like he hadn't come to this very same conclusion himself, but to hear it being spoken aloud, behind his back and confirmed by his new friends, hurt deeply. Astrid had been right there beside him to hear it all. He wasn't sure how he could face her ever again.

It was tempting to just take off, fly away and never return. His father would get over it, so would Astrid and Gobber. It was easy to convince himself that no one would even miss him.

Toothless made the decision for him, eventually fighting against his pull to soar farther out to sea. The sun was setting and darkness settled over the water, the last rays of sun dipping below the horizon. It would be pretty if he weren't utterly depressed.

He went back to his empty house, his father off on a clan meeting to visit the Bog.

He took a few bites from a loaf of bread as he sat mulling things over by the hearth, then stored it away. It seemed he lost his appetite, a rare thing for a teenage boy that finally hit a bit of a growth spurt. He was as tall as Snotlout now, and soon he'd overtake Tuffnut if he kept growing at the same rate.

"Guess we should just head on up to bed, huh Toothless?" he said dejectedly. "Not like there's anything else to do."

He sauntered up the stairs, sighing once he reached the top. Toothless bumped him encouragingly in the lower back with his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, bud. Stuff kinda sucks right now, but I'm still glad I have you." He smiled sadly and patted Toothless's nose. Toothless snuffed and pushed Hiccup toward the bed.

He removed his belt and other hardware, including his prosthetic. Once he kicked off his lone boot, he blew out the candle on his bedside table and tossed and turned.

About an hour later, after more tossing and turning as a symptom of a restless mind, he heard scratching outside his window. Toothless popped his head up, a slight growl in warning gurgled in the back of his throat. He sniffed, then calmed as Hiccup's bedroom window shutters burst open and a figure shot through and rolled on the floor.

Hiccup sat up in bed with alarm, scrambling for a weapon. Toothless cooed and he allowed himself to relax at the sound. He squinted in the darkness.

"Astrid?!"

She brushed off her skirt and walked over to grab the candle. "Gimme a light, will you, Toothless?"

He obliged, huffing fire at the candle's wick.

"Good dragon," she said, patting him affectionately. She placed the candle back into its holder. "That's better."

"Astrid," Hiccup said urgently, "what are you doing in here?!"

"Snotlout and Tuffnut are idiots," she all but growled.

"Established," he said dryly. "But seriously, what's going on?"

"Your dad's still gone to that clan meeting, right?" she asked briskly.

"Well, uh… yeah," he managed to say dumbly. "But that doesn't mean we still wouldn't get caught! My dad would kill me if he found out I had a girl in my room while he was gone!"

His protests fell on deaf ears. Astrid fiddled with her skirt. He babbled uselessly some more while she worked at the clasp.

"Really though, as much as I like spending time with you, the middle of the night is not an appropri-….ite…. oh… gods…"

His voice failed him as her heavy armored skirt fell to the floor with a clunk and she gracefully stepped out of it. She calmly removed her pauldrons and tossed them with the skirt.

"I feel like this has been the theme of the night, but seriously, what is happening? Why are you shedding clothing like- eep- I- uh…"

His brain shorted out.

In one smooth motion she crossed her hands at the hem of her shirt and drew it up over her head in the sexiest manner his mind could conjure. In fact he wasn't entirely sure this wasn't just another of his midnight fantasies. All that remained on her, after she kicked off her boots, were skin tight leggings and a thin binding on top.

Words stuck in his throat. His heart beat so fast he'd be concerned it would break his ribs, if he could concentrate. Blood raced through his heart and pooled in all the right spots. He stared, transfixed, mouth hung open and frozen to his bed.

She stalked toward him, jaw set and eyes flashing. Now would be the time to panic if he had any brain function left at all, but he could only watch as a helpless bystander when she scooted him over to make room for a second body in his bed. A warm, curvy, barely dressed feminine body in his bed.

She displaced the covers and climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs. The strangled sound that came out of his mouth wasn't dignified in the slightest.

She grabbed his wrists, determined, and it was like everything happened in slow motion. He watched with an almost out of body experience as she deliberately guided his hands and placed them on her chest.

He exhaled, staring at the two appendages that couldn't possibly belong to him.

"There," she said, just above a whisper. "Proved them wrong, huh?" She looked utterly pleased with herself.

He could barely register the stiffness of the linen cloth wrapped around her upper torso, or the softness of her body underneath. It was like his brain was still processing, attempting to understand what was truly happening in the moment. She shifted slightly in his lap and something else urgently took up his attention.

He squirmed, terrified she'd figure it out, and his hands twitched.

"Sorry!" he gasped, attempting to yank his hands away, but she reached out to catch them and put them back in place.

"Don't be," she said, leaning in. His eyes widened as she connected for a gentle kiss, unexpected with the boldness of her behavior. Her lips caressed his bottom lip, then aimed for the corner of his mouth, baiting him into responding. Her mouth was tender against his, not like the rougher simple kisses she planted on him in public.

These were seeking, exploring, asking for permission. These were the kind of kisses that sent tingles to his fingers and toes and blood zinging through his veins.

Her hands still covered his, held against her chest. She depressed his fingers, indicating his touch was desired.

He responded to the kisses first, attempting to reel in his scattered thoughts and focus on one thing at a time. His mouth moved against hers, matching her sweet rhythm, and he tested the waters with his tongue, running the tip along her bottom lip. She responded eagerly, and open mouths collided.

His heart soared, he could swear Toothless took it for a ride. Since they were making out in earnest now, having both of his hands on her chest felt awkward, so he dropped his right hand into her waist, the smooth expanse of her bare skin sending electric tingles into his fingertips. He could feel the soft dip into her natural waistline, the bones of her ribs, her hip, the ridges of her spine as he explored.

His left hand remained over the soft mound, and he started rubbing with his thumb, easing into more notable contact. She seemed to like this, and in the process of kissing him she arched her back, pushing solidly into his hand.

His confidence bolstered by her apparent enthusiastic approval, he began caressing her breast with his palm, coming up for air every minute or so, and diving back into the heavy kissing. He brushed his fingers over the center and she squeaked into his mouth. He ran his thumb over it next, a thrill shooting through his stomach when he felt a hard bud.

He gently tweaked the perked nipple under the cloth, and relished in her delighted gasp. Each little sound she made sent a bolt of pleasure straight to his lap.

It was tentative exploration and learning as they went, but so exciting in the best way possible.

It was the feeling of subterfuge and the thrill of doing something they shouldn't, knowing there was little possibility of actually being caught.

In the midst of all the kissing, Astrid had wiggled her way closer on his lap. Some part of his lust logged brain noted she was almost directly on top of him now and he pulled back, anxious she would notice and be angry or disgusted with the part of him that was completely out of his control.

"What?" she murmured, leaning in toward his mouth, apparently dismayed he put a stop to the lip lock.

"Oh, ah… it's, you're- um…" He shifted underneath her weight, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

A smirk alighted on Astrid's face as she watched him fluster himself. She shuffled forward and plopped down right into his lap, straddling his hips.

He squeaked and gripped her thighs.

She grinned, biting her bottom lip. She leaned forward and murmured in his ear. "Having a good time?"

He shivered and fought the primal urge to thrust up against the warmth of her body. She deliberately wiggled her hips and he groaned as his head fell back against the headboard.

He was in trouble. So, so much trouble.

Giving Astrid any leverage on him was not a smart idea, and she just discovered one of his major weaknesses. Judging by her level of sheer delight in his inability to control his reactions to her, he could see the potential for much teasing to come in the future.

Since he might end up with a humiliating mess on his hands if she didn't stop her playful seduction, he decided to turn the tables. He bucked her off and she fell to the side with a giggle and a shriek. He pulled her underneath him and claimed her lips again, one hand supporting his weight and the other on the bare skin of her waist.

She made a little noise of satisfaction into his mouth, looping her arms around his neck and resettling, arching her back into his touch.

The flow of deep open mouthed kisses became thick again, the only differentiation between them were quick gasps of air or breaths in through noses. Heated and passionate, like only two teenagers in love could manage.

He waited a bit, then the hand resting against the hot skin of her lower back crept up, dragging fingertips across her stomach. He flattened his palm on her belly, slowly sliding up higher. His destination and intent were clear, but he was playing it cool, hanging back, making sure she wanted this before he just-

Astrid huffed against his mouth and took his hand, placing it on her breast.

He shrugged his shoulders, almost sheepish, and rubbed little motions with his thumb. She put her hand on top of his and squeezed.

Point taken.

At least she was a girl who knew what she wanted and wasn't shy about expressing it.

He broke away from her mouth and started kissing along her jaw, pressing his thumb solidly against the hard bud underneath cloth, and she moaned and wrapped her legs around his middle. Her wrap was starting to come undone and his heart beat rapidly when she made no effort to re-secure it. His fingers wriggled their way under the strap slowly, waiting on her assent. She pushed his elbow up and his fingertips brushed against her peaked skin. He was too excited, too caught up in her soft body beneath him. He exhaled and fiercely reclaimed her lips while caressing her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She surged up into his touch and ground her pelvis against his thigh.

They broke apart with a wet smack and deep panting breaths. A broad grin lit up Astrid's pretty face in the dim candlelight. Hiccup echoed the grin, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah," he agreed, still hovering over her, holding his weight up on an elbow.

After a moment of gazing at her in a love-sick stupor, he rolled onto his back, forearm across his forehead, willing the throbbing in his pants to settle down. He adjusted the blankets so it wouldn't be as obvious.

Astrid snuggled up into his side and he naturally placed his other arm around her.

"Are you gonna get in trouble for being out in the middle of the night?" he asked.

"Everyone was asleep when I snuck out," she yawned, rubbing a hand on his stomach affectionately as the post heavy-making-out endorphins cooled down.

"Okay… just… don't accidentally fall asleep in here, because I don't want to get you in trouble," he said, clenching and opening his tingling fingers.

"Don't worry so much, babe," she said, closing her eyes.

He chuckled to himself, and hugged her tighter.

ooo

He awoke to snuffling, displacing the hair around his ear and sunlight streaming into his window.

"Aw, okay Toothless, I'll get up, one-" he yawned, "second."

Aside from momentary disorientation upon awaking, he felt really good, like truly amazingly good, snuggly warm and happy.

Then he realized why he felt so amazingly good, snuggly warm and happy.

Astrid was snoring next to him.

The deep satisfaction turned into panic.

"Shit!" he exclaimed.

Astrid awoke with his loud swearing and realized she was not in her own room.

"Oh no!"

She scrambled over his lap and out of his bed, catching on the blankets and thumping to the floor.

"Oh gods, what time is it?!" Hiccup exclaimed, reaching for his prosthetic.

"Have no idea, Hiccup!" she said, irritated, throwing on her shirt and hastily fixing the clasp on her skirt.

He grabbed his belt and boot. "Maybe we can pretend we went out on a really early morning flight, and then you came back with me to my house? No one saw us leave?"

"Right, everyone will totally believe that," Astrid said, rolling her eyes.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you," Hiccup said, pursing his lips.

"Been spending too much time with you," she grinned, arranging her pauldrons on her shoulders.

She tugged on her boots and made for the door.

"Wait," Hiccup said. He grabbed her waist and adjusted her skirt.

They hurried down the stairs. Hiccup peeked out the front door.

"Seems like the coast is clear… it must still be early enough?"

"Let me call Stormfly. Then at least the early morning flight thing looks more plausible," Astrid said, poking her head out the door around him. She whistled as softly as possible. "Stormfly! Here girl!"

Stormfly happily trotted around to the front of the house.

"Oh, good girl! You must've waited for me all night!" Astrid opened the door and walked out to pet her dragon.

Hiccup followed, scratching his head. "Um… that might not be a good thing-"

"Top o' the mornin' to yeh, Hiccup, Astrid," Gobber said, whistling as he walked past on his way to the forge. "When the cat's away the mice will play, eh?"

"Oh," Astrid said, beet red as her hands dropped from scratching Stormfly's chin.

"Gobber-" Hiccup started, hands out warily.

"If you're finished lightin' Astrid's fire, how about you come light up the forge?" Gobber called cheekily, not even looking back. "I'll be waitin'!"

Hiccup didn't even have a comeback to that. "We were on an early morning flight!" he yelled weakly. "Please don't tell dad- oh, yep he's gone."

"Right, sooo… I'm just gonna go…" Astrid said, grinning at him and giving him a wink.

"Yep, right, okay I'll just… be in the forge, s'where I'll be… getting mercilessly teased by Gobber," he said, deflating.

"That sounds like a you problem. See you this afternoon," Astrid laughed, sauntering off with Stormfly.

ooo

Despite what happened the previous day, Hiccup was relieved for training after deflecting innuendo and insinuation from an amused Gobber all morning. Astrid met him at the forge like she always did and they walked together, Toothless and Stormfly in step behind.

Once again their friends were already in the arena. Astrid got more fired up the closer they walked, pounding her fist into her hand.

"They shouldn't have talked about you that way," she said, her jaw set. "I'm not going to stand for that. I'm gonna go in there and let them have it. I'm gonna tell Snotlout where he can shove it, and I'm gonna tell him all about what I let you do last night so I can rub it in his face-"

"Whoa!" Hiccup raced around her to stop her. "As much as I love that you're willing to stand up for me, milady, I don't think it's necessary."

"Why not?" Astrid said, trying to move past him. "Snotlout should be put in his place."

"Yeah, maybe," Hiccup said reluctantly. "But, I'd rather keep what you and I do between us. I don't want… I don't want Snotlout to be the reason that things happen between us, you understand?"

Astrid softened. "Oh, yeah, okay. Sorry." She looked mildly ashamed. "But, isn't that essentially what happened last night?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, kinda. But from now on, we do things for us, because we want to? And we don't let Snotlout and Tuffnut goad us into anything?"

Astrid smiled. "I'd like that."

He smiled back. "Me too."

With that understanding, they entered the arena.

"Oh, look who bothered to show up today," Snotlout teased. "Both of you had better things to do yesterday, huh?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth.

"Astrid," Hiccup warned under his breath.

She sighed. "You know what, yeah, we did have better things to do yesterday. And we're probably gonna do the same thing tonight, too."

Snotlout and Tuffnut were confused, Fishlegs looked uncomfortable, and Ruffnut smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snotlout asked.

"Absolutely nothing, Snot," Astrid said, giving Hiccup a brilliant smile.