Talk:
Astrid Hofferson let out a contented sigh as she cuddled into her fiancée's chest and closed her eyes. The warm leather of his newly made flight suit felt good on her chilly face, the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat soothed her, and the way his arms wrapped around her waist made her feel like she was in her own little safety zone - though she would never admit the latter aloud.
Grinning his crooked grin, Hiccup Haddock reached up a hand to play with the loose, dusty blonde locks that had broken free from Astrid's braid during their dragon ride. He was lying in the grass of the cove - his beloved half on top of him - looking out at the reddening sky above. It was sunset, and he knew the both of them should be heading home for the night, but he just wasn't ready to break the moment.
"Mmm." Astrid embraced him and wrapped one of her legs around his. She knew as well as he did that they needed to go back to their houses. However, in all honesty, she would have been perfectly content to risk the anger of his father - and her chief - to just simply lie there and sleep with him under the stars. No, not sleep with him in that way; she meant just literally sleep in a completely platonic and innocent way. The other stuff would be saved for after they were married.
"You're tired, aren't you, milady?" asked Hiccup, tucking some hair behind her ear.
She nodded against him.
He didn't respond. Instead, he merely tightened his grasp on her and leaned his head on top of hers.
The two lay there for a while longer, enjoying one another's company. At one point, Astrid had actually dozed off, but she'd awoken again not long after to the sound of her Nadder - Stormfly - wrestling with Toothless, who was Hiccup's Night Fury.
"Maybe we should go," sighed Hiccup eventually.
"Maybe we shouldn't," she retorted, her tone surprisingly soft.
He pressed a kiss into her hair. "I know; I don't want to leave, either, but it's getting late, and you know how my dad gets when I don't come home on time."
"Forget your dad."
"Hey, the wedding's in three weeks. We get to enjoy each other every single night then." His cheeks turned red after he realized how his words had come out. "I mean...not just in that way...that's not the only way I meant...I..." He trailed off.
"But what if I want to enjoy you in that way?" She lifted her face and looked him in the eye.
"Every night?"
"Maybe." She smirked.
"Oh gods, what am I supposed to do with you, Astrid Hofferson?"
"Make me Astrid Haddock."
"But...but that's already going to happen."
"It'll only be official if we actually...you know...consummate the marriage."
"And we'll do that plus more." Nodding in reassurance, Hiccup leaned in to kiss her lips. "But we'll also just snuggle sometimes. Like this. In our bed. Or here. Or on a cliffside. Or -"
"I love you."
"What?" The two had exchanged many "I love yous" before, but Astrid's suddenness had taken him by surprise.
"I said, I love you."
"I love you, too." He gently pulled her down so she was against his shoulder. Then, he nuzzled her face at the spot where her ear met her cheek.
"Are we still gonna go home?" she murmured after a lengthy pause.
"No."
"But your dad -"
"Forget my dad."
"But in three weeks, we -"
"Shh."
