Hiccup was an absolute nervous wreck.
He had been dating Astrid for five years now, and he felt that it was the right time to ask her to marry him. He was worried how she would take it, but she always told him that she loved him, and of course, he said it back in return.
Hiccup and Astrid had become a little more romantically involved. He started to kiss her first instead of waiting for his girlfriend to, and they found each other alone more often, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Berk and just the presence of each other. His hands were always laced in hers, and he genuinely loved her. Hiccup never thought that he would ever get a girlfriend or find someone that he loved that much, but Haddock eventually found the one.
He paced back and forth in the forge, wanting to be away from everyone so he could think more clearly. What would he say? What happened if he was rejected? All these questions prodded at his mind, making him go insane.
Toothless warbled softly, trying to comfort his rider. Hiccup turned around to face his Night Fury and gave a small smile before sighing and slumping down to the floor.
"Bud, what am I going to say? I don't know if I can do this. Of course I love her, but does she really feel the same way?"
Toothless narrowed his eyes, aggravated that the twenty year old viking couldn't see how obvious it was. Of course she loved him! Could he not tell by the braids in his hair that Astrid liked doing that so she simply could be close to him? Hiccup never quite liked the braids, but he tolerated it for her. Often, the rest of the gang would make fun of him, saying he was losing the last of his manliness he had, but he didn't pay attention to them. He went through with it because that made Astrid happy.
As Hiccup sat there, he fumbled around an object in his hand. It was a ring. He spent several sleepless nights at the forge making it special and beautiful for Astrid, and it was evident that he worked hard on it.
The band was made of Gronckle Iron that was welded into a circle. The stone that was placed on top of it was actually one of Stormfly's scales that came off her. The ocean blue pendant was made to match Astrid's eyes, the same ones Hiccup was privileged to look at everyday. Her name was intricately carved into the iron, with small designs around it. Now that the ring was finished, it was time Hiccup got some courage to put his work into good use.
He was going to propose, no matter what the outcome. He wasn't going to let fear take away how he felt about his girl. Nothing was strong enough to do that.
°*°*°*°
Astrid agreed to meet Hiccup at Itchy Armpit, the island he accidentally discovered with Toothless. Although she disliked the name of the island, she still found it to be her new favorite spot.
Hiccup had become accustomed to this island too. It was absolutely stunning. Towering trees grew all around the place, a tint of orange mixing in with the green leaves since fall had just arrived. The air was cool and breezy, giving off a welcoming vibe. And out in the distance were towers of stone that rose up from the fog, the red Autumn tress dotting each of them.
"Astrid," Hiccup said softly, approaching his girlfriend that stood in front of him. He came up behind her, gently placing his arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder. She smiled and sighed a bit, enjoying Hiccup's closeness. He smiled to himself, and held her closer.
"I need to ask you something, M'lady," he stated, giving Astrid a small kiss on her cheek, making her lean into him.
"Yes, Hiccup?"
He heaved in a sigh, just enjoying the girl who stayed in his arms. Her arm reached behind her to ruffle her boyfriend's auburn hair, causing him to smirk after she slightly tugged at one of the braids jokingly. Finally, he turned around, taking Astrid's hands, and looked straight into her gorgeous eyes, the slight breeze blowing against the strands of hair that escaped her braid. Hiccup was so in awe of her as he started to realize how much he really did love her. Sure, Toothless was his best bud and he had become closer to his father, but the young woman that stood in front of him was his love, his forever. His.
Hiccup wasn't scared anymore. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, and he waited five years for this exact moment. They fell for each other at fifteen, and then their love only grew, a love Hiccup had never known before. And suddenly he realized why people got married: they were too in love not to be.
"M'lady," Hiccup breathed, gently squeezing the girl's hands. And without another thought, Haddock got down one one knee with a confused Hofferson in front of him, wondering what in the world he was doing. Then her eyes began to widen as Hiccup brought out the ring from a compartment in his flight suit, the pendant on it shining brightly against the mid-afternoon sun.
"When I was just a kid and saw you for the first time, I knew that you were special. Beautiful, for one thing, and able to defend for yourself. You definitely weren't like other vikings. So from then on, I had the biggest crush on you that the world had ever seen."
Astrid laughed a little at his remark, tears welling in her eyes as she realized what he was doing.
"And the day I kidnapped you, at least that's what you try to convince me, was one of the best moments of my life. My heart skipped a beat when you wrapped your arms around me and put your head on my shoulder, and when you were scared you held onto me. Then you kissed my cheek, and I was in a total daze. And once dragons came to Berk and everyone found out that I survived, you kissed me, and that was something I could definitely get used to."
Astrid laughed as tears formed in her eyes at the speech of his, and she smiled. "Hiccup..."
"And once we started dating I fell in love with you more. You kissed me, leaned your head against my chest, sometimes falling asleep with your head in my lap, and I couldn't ask for anything more perfect than that. But now, I want to know if you feel the same way."
Astrid nodded, urging him to continue on, and with everything he had left he asked,
"I love you, Astrid...Will you marry me?"
Tears streamed down the Hofferson's face in pure joy as she wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck and almost knocked him over. "Yes!"
Hiccup let out the breath he held in, and brought his arms around her waist once again, teardrops threatening to trickle down his face. He never felt so happy in his life. Astrid Hofferson told him yes. And one day, she would become a Haddock.
After a few moments, the girl let go of him, and both of them got back on their feet. And Astrid held out her hand to Hiccup who gently took it, slipping the ring on.
"Did you make this?" she asked, staring in awe at the craftsmanship of the jewelry.
"I did. And that bead is actually made from one of Stormfly's scales. I thought you'd like it if it was more personal to you."
The soon-to-be Haddock grinned, still marveling at her fiance's work. "It's amazing Hiccup. Thank you."
Both of them stared into each other's eyes for a moment until Hiccup lightly cupped one hand around Astrid's face and led her lips to his. He placed his free arm around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. His lips gently brushed against hers and she slightly blushed but didn't pull away. Her hands ran though his hair and he pulled her closer, continuing to kiss her as he faded away from reality for a moment. He would spend the rest of his life with Astrid, and he was thrilled.
After a minute, the two pulled away, their foreheads touching, and no sound could be heard except their breathing. Hiccup took Astrid's hands in his and lightly kissed them, sending shivers down her spine.
"I love you, M'lady."
And with a grin, Astrid replied, "I love you too."
