22Snoggletog Eve arrived in the blink of an eye. Snowflakes were gracefully falling to the ground. Everyone was cheerfully chattering about tonight. Everyone was anticipating the festivities, the feasting, and the dancing and singing. Well, almost everyone. I was one of the few fretting about tonight. Right now, I was watching the falling snow flurries, wondering why on earth I had agreed to dance with Astrid. Sure, I had danced with her before. Once. But it was a slow dance. On Snoggletog Eve, it was almost all jigs and foot-stomping dances. I found out the hard way that it is very difficult to stomp your feet when one of them is metal.
Bounding up to me came a gurgling Night Fury who so kindly decided to dump the pile of snow he had collected on his head onto mine.
With a shiver, I brushed the snow out of my tousled hair. "Nice, Toothless."
Burbling, Toothless stuck out his tongue to catch a large snowflake on it. After laughing at his childlike behavior, I mirrored him.
"What're you doing?" asked a small voice.
Turning my head slightly to the right, I saw the little red-head girl whom I knew to be one of Mrs. Ack's.
"Catching snowflakes," I replied.
Then, she shook her head disappointedly. "You don't do it now. It's too early. You have to wait until next month. I always do."
I squinted at the gregarious girl confusedly. "Well, you don't know what you're missing-"
I was caught off guard when she grabbed me by the hand and started pulling me. "Come over here! I wanna show you something!"
I went with her. "Uh, okay-"
Then, she stopped and scowled at me. "No, no, no! You have to close your eyes, or you'll see it!"
"I thought you wanted me to see it," I joked with a slight smile.
But the girl was not amused by my remark and jabbed her tiny finger at me. "Shut them, Hiccup!"
Shocked at how demanding this little girl was, I did what she asked, and she pulled me along.
"Alright, open!" she demanded.
Hesitantly, I opened one after the other.
"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, gesturing to her snow dragon with a proud beam. "See? See?! Isn't it great?! Isn't it?!"
"Yeah, it is," I reassured her, staring at it in confusion. "Uh, what kind of dragon is it?"
She scoffed at me. "Isn't it obvious? It's Toothless!"
Toothless let out a surprised growl.
"Ohh!" I said. "Oh, yeah, right! Hey, it-it looks great. It's exactly like him, right, bud?"
Toothless glared at me. It does not. I am not that fat. And my eyes are bigger than that.
The red-head girl cocked her head at Toothless. "Why's he upset? Doesn't he like it?"
"Oh, no, h-he likes it," I said quickly to which Toothless grunted at me as if to say "blatant liar." "Just, uh, h-he has a few notes. Maybe, uh, make the eyes bigger."
"Ohh, right."
Toothless was growling annoyedly; he looked like he was ready to pounce on the girl. And shave off around the middle. Shame on you, child, you made me look like a Gronckle-
"Oh, look at that, Toothless, ice skating!" I exclaimed, pointing down at the people on the frozen stream.
Turning his head quickly, Toothless gurgled in excitement and pranced off down the hill with me running after him. When we reached the stream, I hid myself behind a tree trunk and peeked out from it. I saw many Berkians, including Snotlout, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and -amazingly- Fishlegs were gliding across the ice with grace. I was kind of jealous. I never could ice skate very well, even when I had two feet. Now, I could scarcely stand on ice for five seconds without slipping and falling. Stupid leg, I thought, watching the gang zip across the slippery terrain. At least they couldn't see and pity me as long as I was concealed behind the tree trunk. The twins were twirling and making figure-eights as they sung:
"Snoggletog is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year. . .
Dragons in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful mem'ries there. . .
Snoggletog is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year."
With enthusiasm, Toothless panted and jumped out from behind the tree and leapt onto the frozen stream and glided across it expertly. He turned around and smiled at me smugly.
"Showoff," I murmured, more to myself than to him.
Running rampid, Toothless zoomed on the ice, bumping into Snotlout and knocking him off balance. Snotlout yelped and grabbed onto Toothless' tail in panic as my dragon continued skating across the slippery ground.
"HEEEELP!" Snotlout screamed.
I came out from behind the tree and ran toward the stream. "Toothless, stop-"
My words came to an abrupt stop as I slipped on the ice and fell over on my back. It was typical that I would slip on the frozen terrain, but what was the most surprising thing was that it was my right foot which caused me to trip. How irony loved me.
With a painful grunt, I pushed myself to my feet to find Toothless was spinning out of control with Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut attached to his tail. As he skidded to a stop, the four flew off him, going in all different directions. I froze in fear as I saw Ruffnut zooming straight towards me, screaming, "CATCH ME!"
"Oh, no, no-gaah!"
She collided with me painfully and took me down with her. It took a few moments for my vision to cease spinning and adjust. The next thing I saw was Ruffnut's grey-blue eyes staring directly into mine. Then, I let out a muffled yelp. Ruffnut was on top of me, and her lips were touching mine!
"EUCCK!" I exclaimed, pushing Ruffnut off me and jolting back in disgust and fear. "AUGH! What the heck was that?!"
From my left, Tuffnut glared at me. "I don't know. Whatever you just did, I'm not so sure I like it."
"Dude, you were kissing her?" Snotlout exclaimed, gesturing to Ruffnut, who looked starstruck.
Heat rising into my face from pure mortification, I stuttered flusteredly, "Wh-what, I was not- I wasn't kissing her, sh-she was kissing me!"
"I was doing nothing of the sort, it was purely accidental," Ruffnut said, crossing her arms, but then, she gave me a slight smile. "But I do see why Astrid likes to kiss you. You do it well, even when you're not trying to."
"Eugh," I groaned, sliding back in utter disgust.
"What?" Ruffnut said, throwing her arms out in confusion. "I'm not saying we should do it again, although I, heh, I certainly wouldn't be against it-"
Feeling extraordinarily uncomfortable, I cut her off. "Oookay, I'd like a new conversation, please."
"Yes, please," Snotlout retched, then cleared his throat. "Hey, you seen Astrid around?"
"Uh, n-no," I said, grabbing Toothless by the neck to pull myself up. "She's been kind of. . .gone recently."
"What on earth could she be doing these past few days?" Snotlout wondered. "I mean, it's not like she would intentionally avoid you. Wait, is she?"
"Unlikely," Tuffnut scoffed. "Astrid and Hiccup are practically married."
"Uh, uh, n-no, w-we aren't," I stammered, carefully making my way to solid ground. "A-and I don't really know exactly what she's doing, but whatever it is, it's been all 'cause of her mom."
"Speaking of married," Ruffnut began with a sly look in her eyes, "you asked her yet?"
"Uhh, what?" I said, uncomfortable with her tone of voice.
Toothless rolled his eyes. Duh, the question.
"Oh. Ohh. Well, I. . ." I ruffled the back of my hair anxiously. "I mean, I. . .no."
"Oh, you want to take your time," Fishlegs assumed.
Tuffnut scoffed in disbelief. "Why haven't you asked the question? Have you forgotten what we taught you? Do Ruff and I have to refresh you?"
"No! Uh, no, I-I remember," I assured them hastily. "Look, I-I've been meaning to ask Astrid, I have, just- I'm a little nervous, and it doesn't help that she's not been around a whole lot lately. She spends most of her time in her hut doing Thor knows what."
"So, you know where she is. Why don't you just go and-" Snotlout made a flurry of movements that would suggest a proposal. "You know."
"Uh, because I don't do all that," I responded, mimicking his movements. "Besides, one time I did, and- Mrs. Hofferson shooed me away." Hugging my knees, I sighed. "You know, I think. . .I think maybe I shouldn't even try asking Astrid to be my betrothed."
Toothless' head jerked up in surprise.
Tuffnut and Ruffnut gasped dramatically. "What? No!"
"But you can't give up now," Fishlegs whined.
"Well, it's been a complete disaster every time I've tried," I groaned. "I fainted the first time, I got tongue-tied the second time, and the third time, I wasn't even allowed to see her. I mean, if it even happened, I wouldn't know what in the world to do or say, so. . ."
Snotlout shook his head at me. "Hiccup Haddock, you are just so disappointing sometimes. You're the only person I know who can be so dead-scared of proposing to a girl."
I rested my chin on my knees, avoiding eye contact. I felt ashamed that I was having so much trouble with this, but I was not going to admit it. So, I popped a sarcastic comment to hide it.
"Do you know anyone who wouldn't be scared of proposing to a girl? And the girl you've had a crush on for nearly your whole life?"
Snotlout inhaled as if to speak, but then closed his mouth, and said nothing.
"We understand, Hiccup," Fishlegs reassured, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I shook my head slightly. "I don't think you do. I mean, this is Astrid we're talking about. She's been able to hold her own with an axe almost since birth. She's more beautiful than anyone I've ever met. She's taught me to do so many things I never thought I could do. She's this amazing, brave, determined young woman who deserves everything, and she's the person I love more than anyone. . ."
Looking around, I noticed all of my friends' faces staring at me in amazement. I was rambling on about her again. Why did I have to do that?
"I'm hopeless, aren't I?" I sighed heavily, looking down at my feet.
Tuffnut chuckled softly. "A hopeless romantic. You know, maybe Snotlout's right. All of the Hiccup Haddocks in this world, you're the Hiccup Haddock-iest."
I blinked confusedly. "I'm not even sure what that means, but I gather it's not good."
Then, looking uphill, Toothless let out an excited growl.
"What is it, bud? Wha-"
Coming down the hill, I glimpsed Astrid's beaming figure.
"A-Astrid, hey!" I stood up, smiling at her.
"I thought you didn't ice skate," Astrid chuckled.
"Uh, that's because I don't. But Toothless apparently does." I shot a look at my dragon who smiled gummily and then started poking and prodding his head at my pockets. "Hey, will you quit it?"
Astrid giggled quietly and stared at me.
Fishlegs cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh. . .guys, how about we-"
"Oh, yeah, yeah," the other three said in unison, shuffling away hurriedly.
"See ya, Hiccup!" Tuffnut said, waving goodbye and continuing his ice skating.
With a gentle nudge from Toothless, I stepped closer to Astrid who was still smiling at me.
Rubbing my left arm nervously, I looked sideways and coughed. "So."
Coming to my rescue, Astrid broke the deafening silence. "You wanna take a walk?"
With a smile, I nodded. "I-I'd like that."
With a soft laugh, Astrid took my arm, and we started walking. When I glanced behind me from uncertainty, I saw that Toothless was completely gone. I half wanted him with me since he was, after all, always there when I was with Astrid, kind as my guide. But the other half of me was grateful that my friend was courteous enough to let me be all alone with Astrid.
All alone. Those words echoed ominously in my mind. I was afraid I might panic too much or I might put my foot in my mouth. But, as I felt the reassuring touch of Astrid's fingers, my worry instantly melted away.
"I haven't seen a lot of you lately," I remarked.
"Yeah," Astrid said with a small sigh. "Mom's been kind of taking up all my time with something. I know she means well, but I'd much rather be spending time with you."
From her tone of voice and the fact that she was vague about the "something" she was doing, I guessed that she really did not want me asking her about it. So, I didn't.
"I haven't missed anything, have I?" Astrid asked.
I shrugged a bit. "Ah, not much. You were lucky that you missed the twins' singing these past days. Despite what she thinks, Ruffnut cannot hit high notes."
Astrid giggled. "I remember last year when she couldn't even open her mouth without every note coming out as a shrill shriek."
She and I laughed.
"I've missed this," I said after a moment.
"Missed what?" Astrid inquired.
"Y'know, us, just us, talking, spending time together. I mean, without any threat of Dagur or Ryker or Viggo hanging over us every minute of every day or having the guys to interrupt."
Astrid nodded in agreement.
Then, suddenly, we stopped in the middle of the forest.
"You know," Astrid began, "we've never really done this before. Hung out all alone, as a couple. You know? I mean, not even the dragons are here with us."
Looking around slightly as if I doubted her, I saw that we were indeed alone. Anxiously, I fiddled around in my pockets, stopping as my fingers encountered something I did not even know I had on me. Then, it clicked in my mind. Toothless, you sneaky dragon, I thought. Looking up, I smiled at Astrid.
"Well. . .now that we're alone. . ." I took out the mistletoe I had in my pocket, earning a gasp from Astrid. With a goofy smile, I took the plant and waved it over my head. "Huh?"
Astrid shook her head with a laugh. "You can't be serious. How long've you had that?"
"Since a friend of mine slipped it onto me. So. . ." I leaned in closer to her. "Whadda ya say, Miss Hofferson?"
"Oh, Hiccup, don't be silly. That tradition is ridiculous."
"What if I begged?" I inquired hopefully.
"I'd call you a dog," Astrid replied simply and looked away.
"Oh, come on, Astrid." I grabbed her forearm. "Please?"
She looked back at me. I waved the mistletoe just above our heads hopefully.
"I love you," I said in a baby voice.
Astrid giggled and rolled her eyes a little. "I love you, too, you nut."
Grabbing me by the neckline of my shirt, Astrid pulled me into a kiss. While wrapping one arm around her waist, I silently thanked Toothless for his little trick. I felt Astrid's hand touch my face as she kissed me ardently while I kept the mistletoe suspended over our heads. Forget this, I thought, and I wrapped my other arm around her and lifted her off the ground.
As soon as I did this, Astrid broke away with a cry of surprise. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" I replied with a sideways smile.
Astrid's eyes narrowed at me. "You're such a romantic, you know that?"
"And you love me for it."
With a smile and a kiss on the cheek, Astrid wrapped her arms around my neck and embraced me tightly. "I do."
I hugged her back, a smile frozen on my face. Then, I heard a small voice inside my head which sounded awfully like Tuffnut's. What're you waiting for? Do it!
My eyes darted left and right, searching for any sign of life. But there was none. We were all alone in the forest. Just us two. Was this the time? Should I ask her? What should I say? What would she want me to say?
"Hiccup," came Astrid's voice, bringing me back to reality. "You're trembling."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I-" I set Astrid down on her feet.
Then, I noticed she was right. I was trembling. I was shaking, and I had not even noticed it until now.
"Hiccup, are you okay?"
"Uh, I-I'm fine, I just-" I ran both of my hands through my hair, trying to formulate the perfect words to say. "I just wanted to. . .I wanted to ask something."
"Oh, okay," Astrid said with a shrug. "Shoot."
Flustered, I bit my lip. My agitation completely overtaking me, I said arguably three of the most awkward words in the history of awkward words:
"O-okay, I-I'll shoot."
"I'll shoot?" I thought to myself. What kind of stupid thing is that? That's what you're gonna lead with? "I'll shoot?" Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, you absolutely, positively are the most awkward, ridiculous, stupid Viking on the face of this earth! What the heck are you thinking? That was the best you could come up with? Think of something romantic, for Thor's sake, not something like that! Oh, why can't I think of something to say? Why do I always have to get tongue-tied? This is literally the worst possible moment. . .
"Um, uh, uh, uh. . ." I stuttered, nervously twisting my hands together.
But then, Astrid grasped both my hands, stopping them and squeezing them reassuringly. "Hiccup, it's okay, go ahead, it's just me here."
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Here goes, I thought. "Astrid. . .you and I've been pretty close for a while now."
"Mm-hmm."
"Well, I. . .I was thinking that. . .maybe. . .you and I should-"
But I did not get to finish my sentence. Typical. Just my luck that when I started, someone called out and interrupted me.
"ASTRID!" came a distant singsong voice.
"Ohhhh," Astrid groaned, hanging her head like a child. "It's my mother. I'm sorry, I've gotta go."
"Oh, it-it's fine," I lied. "It's totally fine, I-I understand."
Astrid sighed disappointedly. "I just wish we could've had more time. Ugh, I really don't wanna go. . ."
"Hey, it's okay, we-we'll spend time together later."
Astrid's face brightened. "That's right. We've got all tonight to look forward to. Remember, you're all mine. No one else's."
I smiled. "Always."
Astrid giggled.
"What, was that corny or-" I started, realizing what I said.
"Maybe a little. But sweet." Then, upon hearing her name called again, Astrid grumbled a little. "I've gotta go, but remember, tonight, you, me, dance floor, 'kay?"
Astrid lightly poked me in the arm for emphasis. She stared at me intently, her blue eyes shining brilliantly. My gaze was transfixed on her eyes. They were so beautiful and pure and calming. I felt as if she had cast a spell on me as I found myself unable to look away from those two sapphires in her head, even if I wanted to. Gazing into them made me feel an indescribable sense of calm. Astrid's irises were the exact color of the sky on a clear, sunny day.
With a dreamy smile, I nodded. "Okay. . ."
"Well-" Astrid lovingly brushed away my bangs, my eyes sliding shut at her delicate touch. "Until then. . ."
Pure euphoria surged through me as Astrid planted an ardent kiss on my lips. For an instant which seemed to stretch into an eternity, we stayed locked together. I felt as if I was flying up above the clouds, free. The feeling remained even after she broke away. I was cemented in a trance of smitten ecstasy; I hardly knew what was happening. I only perceived that Astrid was with me, and I with her.
Astrid smiled at me, running a gentle hand through my hair. "See you tonight, Dragonboy."
Dreamily smiling back, I sighed. "I love you. . ."
Her hand slipping out of mine, she started her way up towards the hill. I watched as she gracefully ran up the hill with her braid swinging behind her. I sighed again. Astrid was so beautiful. I loved her so much. And to think that soon, she would be in my arms, the two of us dancing the night away. . .
I was brought out of my spell in a snap. "Astrid, I forgot to tell you I can't. . ."
But she had already disappeared up the hill.
". . .dance very well," I finished weakly.
Well, this was perfect. Astrid was probably expecting a great dance partner, but instead, she was going to get the clumsiest boy in the entire Archipelago. Yep. By midnight, I would have broken several of her toes stepping on her feet.
Duh, duh, duh, I'm dead, I thought with a double facepalm. Great job, you useless runt.
. . .
Everyone had gathered in the fields. Every Viking was dressed up in their best. Even the twins were looking festive. Tuffnut had decided to wear sprigs of holly in his dreadlock braids. Ruffnut had tied a belt of jingle bells around her waist so that everyone could hear when she was approaching. For some people, it was somewhat of a warning system. Snotlout had polished his helmet to a pristine shine. Fishlegs wore his best furs.
I did not exactly want to be standing out in the crowd, but I dressed up nonetheless. Under my usual leather vest, I wore my best green tunic lined with gold on the cuffs and neckline. Tuffnut suggested I wear a helmet with a mistletoe attached to it, but I very quickly declined that idea. Doing something like that was basically like putting a target on your back.
Fiddles and flutes sang cheerily while laughter and chatter filled the air. Snowflakes fell on the glowing lanterns stringed on the surrounding wooden poles and the evergreen tree. There were Vikings, young and old, feasting, talking, making merry underneath the night sky. It was an old Berkian tradition where we stayed up all night on Snoggletog Eve so that we could wish every happy holidays the instant Snoggletog Day came.
The dances were just beginning. Everyone grabbed the partner they already had or they searched through the crowd for someone acceptable. Fishlegs had already asked someone and was whimpering in excitement as he walked to the dance floor with the girl. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had -for some strange reason I'll never understand- chosen each other as their partner.
"Remember, sis," Tuffnut was telling Ruffnut. "I lead, you follow."
"Uh, no, I was born first," Ruffnut argued back. "Ergo, I lead."
"Nuh-uh, I don't think so. The guy always leads-"
"Yeah, well, you're just my baby brother, so there's an exception in this case."
Tuffnut scoffed. "No way. Ruff, I'm leading."
"But you always lead-"
"Oh, for the love of humanity, would you shut up?!" Snotlout interjected.
Ruffnut eyed Snotlout. "Someone's cranky. You didn't get a date for the dance, did ya?"
"No! I did!" Snotlout lied. "I just. . .she's hiding somewhere. Y'know what, I'm gonna look for her."
And with that, he left, and the twins went off hand-in-hand, continuing their pointless debate. Everyone looked so excited for a dance. Even those who just stood in a circle and clapped to the music.
Well, everyone except me. Currently, I was sitting next to Toothless, nervously tapping my thumb to my lips. How on earth was I supposed to dance with Astrid? I was not exactly graceful. And speaking of her, where was Astrid? She had been absent since our walk in the forest. My eyes searched through the crowd of people, but I caught no glimpse of her. Where on earth could she be?
A voice shook me out of my thoughts. "You can't find her, can you?"
I turned my eyes up at my father. "Wh-who? Who're you talking about?"
"Astrid, obviously. You can't find her, I assume."
I sighed heavily. "No. I don't know where she could possibly be. It's not like her to-"
Toothless then nudged me lightly, growling excitedly.
Turning my head, I looked to see what was exciting him. Catching sight of what -or rather, who- Toothless was looking at, my jaw dropped in utter awe.
It was Astrid, arriving late to the party, and she looked simply breathtaking. Just above her bangs, she wore a coronet braid wrapped around her head while the rest of her golden hair fell down her back and shoulders in long, loose curls. Her kransen was replaced with a silver diadem on her forehead. Instead of her usual skirt and tunic, she had donned a stunning midnight-blue dress embroidered on the neckline and at the elbows with silver thread. The flowy silk skirt was floor length, and the long sleeves flared out at the elbows. In all my life, I had never seen Astrid so incredibly beautiful. She looked flawless and graceful and. . .perfect. There was no other word to describe her. She was perfect.
The sound of my father's quiet laugh brought me back to reality. "She's a stunning sight, isn't she?"
I laughed breathlessly, my eyes still on her. "She looks so. . .I never. . .she's a goddess."
I nearly froze from fear when Astrid's head turned and she caught sight of me. Even though she was a significant distance away from me, I thought that perhaps she had heard me. All at once, I felt myself blushing more than ever before, and my legs turned to jelly. Why was I so scared?
Then I felt a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Looking sideways, I saw Dad smiling at me encouragingly.
"Go on, son," he said.
"Uh, I don't think I-" I began.
"It's alright. Go to her." Dad gave me a light nudge.
For a moment, I looked at him and Toothless uncertainly. But my best friend nodded encouragingly, his green eyes locking on mine.
Go on, Hiccup, he seemed to be saying. Go be with her.
With a gulp, I straightened up and made my way towards Astrid. She drew near me, walking stiffly with her bottom lip sucked in. We at last were standing face-to-face with each other. A million things I wanted to say sprung into my head. Astrid, I adore you! You're miraculous, milady! What did I do to deserve you?
"H-Hi," I at last stuttered out.
Astrid smiled for a second before the grin vanished. She seemed embarrassed. And almost slightly. . .uncomfortable.
I laughed a bit, my eyes running up and down her gorgeous figure. "Wow."
"Yeah, I know," Astrid groaned. "If you haven't guessed it yet, this is why I've been cooped up in my hut the past few days. Dress alterations. It was Mom's, and she insisted I wear it this year. Ach." She shifted the chain belt around her waist slightly and gripped her sides. "This corset is attacking my internal organs. I know, I look ridiculous with this thing-"
"No, no, you don't," I smiled, touching her shoulder. "You look-"
Miraculous. Glorious. Stunning. Breathtaking. Magnificent. Lovely. Wonderful. Goddess-like. Perfect.
"Beautiful," I settled on at last.
"Don't be polite," Astrid said, with a slight whine in her voice. "You can tell the truth."
"Astrid, I am. I really mean it. You're. . .you're absolutely beautiful in this dress."
Astrid smiled a bit. "Really?"
"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "You're lovely, milady. I almost thought you'd turned into an elf."
Astrid giggled. "Well, thank you. And you're very handsome tonight." She ruffled my hair playfully. "Going green, huh? I like it. Shows off your eyes."
Taking her soft hand into mine, I bent down and affectionately kissed each knuckle. "I'm glad you came, Astrid. I-"
Looking sideways, I noticed the people lining up.
"Looks like they're almost ready to start the dance," Astrid remarked.
"Uh. . ." I rubbed my neck nervously. "Astrid, I. . .have a confession to make. I can't. . .dance anything that's not. . .a waltz."
Astrid said nothing. She just looked at me.
"I know, I know," I groaned, waving my hands in apology. "I should've told you that sooner, and this is literally the possible time to say-"
Astrid cut me off. "Hiccup, it's fine. I knew what I was getting."
I bit my lip in agitation. "Uh, y-you mean a-a clumsy guy who has, um, a, y'know-" I gestured down at my prosthetic, wishing now more than ever that I still had two legs.
Astrid smiled sideways. "Hiccup, that doesn't matter."
"It sort of does-"
"Look, I meant what I said. I don't want to be dancing with anyone but you tonight." Astrid passed a gentle hand through my hair. "Just follow my lead, and you won't go wrong."
I gave her a nervous smile. "What if I follow too closely and step on your toes?"
Leaning in, Astrid whispered in my ear, "Well, it's a good thing I'm wearing boots instead of slippers." Then, she stepped backwards, grasping my hand. "Now. . .will you dance with me, Dragonboy?"
In complete silence, I looked into her eyes, unsure of what to say.
"Please?" Astrid said softly.
Her blue eyes gave off an intense light. For a moment or two, I was speechless.
But then, I grin spread across my face as I whispered in response, "As you wish."
Astrid beamed at me. Pulling me quickly by the hand, she and I lined up for the dance, and then the music started.
Hurriedly, I grasped both her hands and looked around worriedly, hoping with everything I had that I could do this.
"Okay, skip, one-two," Astrid said, instructing me.
Shuffling awkwardly, she and I moved left, and then suddenly back right. Next, we flattened the palms of our left hands against each other's, turning in a half-circle, then switching hands, turned in another half-circle the other way. Astrid grasped my hands.
"Alternate feet, Hiccup."
"I don't even have feet!" I said, looking down and doing my best to imitate her small kicks.
"Okay, here we do a belt turn." Astrid spun around me while I did my best to guide her.
"Uh, what are we even doing?" I said nervously.
"Relax, it gets simple after a while."
Astrid grabbed my other hand, and then we stepped in and out, in and out, repeating the process while we moved in a circle. I was barely keeping up, and I felt ridiculous. But at least I was not tripping over my own feet. Yet.
"And now the spinning," I said, nervous as we went into wild gyrations.
"Whoa, watch it!" Ruffnut cried as I bumped into her.
Luckily, it was then that the music stopped. The nightmare was over. I let out a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry, Astrid, I'm such a klutz-"
"Hey, it's okay," Astrid said, touching my face affectionately. "And you aren't a klutz. You're just being stiff, that's all."
"Yeah, because I can't-"
Astrid put her finger to my lips to stop me. "Hiccup. You remember our first dance. We were all alone."
"Y-yeah, s-so?" I questioned, feeling stupid that I was not seeing what she was getting at.
"Well, obviously," Astrid continued with a small smile, "you're all stiff because of everyone else here."
I bit my lip. "Yeah, I guess, but there's nothing I can do about that, I mean-"
Another lively song started up.
"Oh, this will work," Astrid said, pulling me by the hand. "This is less complicated, just right for you."
"Oh, I don't know," I sighed, breaking from her hold. "Maybe I should sit these out and wait for something slower-"
"Oh, come on, you promised. Besides, you can do anything you want for this dance, as long as you just use every ounce of your energy and-" Astrid took a step closer. "You focus on me."
On impulse, I took her by the waist, hardly knowing what I was doing. Joining hands, she and I stepped lively. But as I started to look around, I began to worry. I hardly knew what I was doing or what to do. What if something went terribly wrong? What if I screwed up so badly that everything went so wrong, so terribly wrong? All it took was one false step, one slip-up, and it was all downhill from there.
Don't screw up, don't screw up, just keep it together, don't panic, Hiccup. Be careful, don't step on her toes. Don't step on her skirt, watch out for everyone else, don't panic, don't panic, Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup. . .
"I don't think-" I began, but Astrid grabbed me by the neckline of my shirt, forcing me to look in her eyes.
"Don't think. Don't speak. Don't look back," she said, pulling me along as if I weighed no more than a feather. "Just keep. Your eyes. On me."
I followed her every step almost in a trance-like way.
Astrid's spellbinding blue eyes pierced through me as she spoke. She began to appeal to my imagination, and somehow, her voice was so calming that I believed every word she said.
"We're all alone in the night. There are no villages, no houses, no people for miles around. We have no sense of where we are, we have no possessions at all. We don't know what's in store for us. But none of that matters. Because tonight, we have each other and the music to dance everything away."
With euphoria coursing through me, I dipped Astrid, and then twirled her.
With newfound fervor, I found myself gliding across the dance floor, Astrid holding onto me tightly. Every surrounding thing blurred in my peripheral vision. I no longer saw the other dancers, the musicians, the lanterns, or even the stars. I only saw Astrid. It was as if the entire world had suddenly vanished, and we and the music were all that remained. In a dreamlike state, she and I danced and danced and danced nonstop. I felt as if I was floating high in the clouds, blissfully ignorant of everything around me but her.
She and I moved fluidly for the fast jigs and the do-si-does. As I twirled her in and out of my arms, she laughed in glee.
"Shall I lift you aloft, milady?" I smiled.
"You may, milord." And she jumped in my arms and I spun her around.
Then, the music slowed, and we stepped quietly, rocking back and forth in a spin. Closing her eyes, Astrid laid her head on my chest, and I rested my chin on top of her soft, gold hair. Holding her ever close to me, I shut my eyes, letting the music carry me away.
Astrid's soft voice came. "For someone with only one foot, you're an amazing dancer."
Opening my eyes to gaze down at her, I chuckled quietly. "Just lucky, I guess."
Astrid lifted her head and stared into my eyes. "No, that's not it."
"Then what is?" I asked.
Astrid beamed. "You're a natural, Dragonboy."
As the music ended with a flourish, I slowly dipped Astrid back.
Pulling her back up, I stood there, my eyes frozen on her. "This is the greatest night of my life."
"Mine, too," Astrid whispered.
I stared at her. She looked so beautiful with the pale snowflakes which sparkled in her hair. Her hand went to my chest, my arms tightened around her waist. We were drawing closer. We were mere inches from each other. . .
". . . at least you got someone!" came Snotlout's voice, which pulled me back into reality with a jolt.
I looked around, having completely forgotten where on earth I was. That was right. Everyone from Berk was here, and the night seemed to have grown darker.
"What. . ." I began, dazed. "How long have we been dancing?"
Astrid looked up at the sky. "It's almost midnight."
My mouth hung open in disbelief. "Almost midnight? Man, I-I had no idea, I. . .I completely forgot. . .everything."
Astrid smiled. "I know, I did, too."
"Does-does it feel hot to you?" I stuttered. "Or is it me?"
"Well, we've been dancing and twirling for three hours," Astrid giggled. Then, slipping her arm through mine, she said, "Why don't we stray a little from the party?"
She got no argument from me. We walked through the crowd until we were standing in the snow behind the evergreen tree we had decorated.
"Thank you for tonight, milady," I said at last.
Astrid smiled. "I should thank you. That was the most fun I've had dancing in, well, ever."
"Really?"
Astrid shrugged, looking sideways. "Well, other guys just stand there, stone-faced, y'know. And then, if you're as unfortunate as to get, ugh, Snotlout-"
"You're in for lots of boasting and a lifetime of bad flirting," I finished.
She and I laughed.
Then, she asked me a question that caught me off guard. "Why do you call me 'milady?' "
I blinked, feeling suddenly nervous. "Uh, what?"
"I was just wondering," Astrid said. "You've called me 'milady' for some time. I don't know, I'm just curious what exactly you mean by it."
I shrugged, trying to pass it off. "I don't know, I mean, it's-it's an honorary term, y'know? Y-yeah."
But Astrid, of course, did not buy it. In her defense, I was less than convincing.
"Really? Come on, Hiccup, you can tell me."
I bit my lip hesitantly. "Well, I. . ." Then, somehow, I found the courage to look into her eyes. "Astrid, ever since I was five, I. . .I've had a crush on you. And since then, I've never even looked at anyone else. I call you milady, because, well, you're the only girl for me."
Hardly knowing what I was doing, I found myself sinking down onto one knee. Suddenly, in the spur of the moment, everything just came to me. I didn't have to think about it; I knew exactly what to say, and by the gods, I was going to say it.
"Astrid Hofferson, you're the only woman I've ever loved, and you're only one I will ever love. It started with you, and I want it to end with you."
Astrid stood there, dumbstruck.
Holding out my hand, I whispered, "Astrid. . .will you be my betrothed?"
Then, Astrid let out a breathless laugh. She took my hand. "Yes, Hiccup, yes!"
As she pulled me up, I laughed in disbelief. "Really? You really-"
Flinging her arms around me, she smothered me with kisses. "Yes, yes, yes. It's always been yes."
With a mirthful laugh, I returned the embrace, and I lifted her off the ground, spinning her. We kissed and broke away and kissed again. As our spinning came to a stop, we locked in a kiss. I had done it, and she had said yes. We finally were betrothed. We stayed close together as this perfect moment seemed to go on forever. We were blissfully unaware of everything around us. We did not notice when everyone shouted "Happy Snoggletog" and dragon fire exploded in the sky. We did not notice until moments later that Toothless was hanging like a bat from the tree with a mistletoe in his mouth. We stayed like this, Astrid's lips against mine, my arms around her, completely and utterly happy.
Snoggletog that year on Dragon's Edge was full of craziness, Loki'ing, and mind-numbing coldness. But despite the anxiety that came with this holiday, I would not take back a single thing that happened. Afterall, in the end, I got Astrid, the girl of my dreams. She was mine, and I was hers. And if that was not worth every single bit of craziness I dealt with, then what is?
THE END.
Thank you for reading! I loved writing this story, and I hope you enjoyed it. Well, Happy Snoggletog to all, and to all a good night!
