Exploring their relationship

Training resumed, though Astrid was ashamed to admit that training a friend was a lot different from training your girlfriend.

Her girlfriend.

It was surreal to think about, but Astrid would be **** to call it a bad thing.

Astrid had already made up her mind that what she had with Hiccup wasn't wrong. She was never more certain of anything in her life. The two of them had to keep their relationship a secret, and sometimes it was **** for them.

Same-sex couples were frowned upon in their culture. Men who willingly bedded with other men were seen as cowards and slavers, two things the people of Berk wouldn't abide. Women on the other hand were meant to help bear babies to continue the clan and women who refused to do so, even those who vowed such things to the Gods, were seen as lazy in their duties. Women who bedded other women in particular were seen as bad influences, or at least that's what her mom's friends told Astrid at a young age.

Astrid and Hiccup had managed to get by. They would trade barbs with each other out in public, they held hands under the table in the Great Hall, intense make-out sessions, etc.

One time, Astrid came to their usual training spot to find that Hiccup had put together a picnic for the two of them as a date. It was sweet, though Astrid was completely lost by the etiquette of a date. She's never actually gone on a date and she refused to ask, lest people start asking questions to things she didn't have answers for.

That day she learned something new about Hiccup: she was a fantastic cook. She managed to sautee vegetables and roast a chicken without hurting herself, using nothing but wild herbs and a pinch of sea salt to make it

"Where did you get grapes?" Asked Astrid in surprise. Grapes were very hard to get as far into the Barbaric Archipelago as they were.

"Trader Johann had a box of them."

"Must have been expensive."

"Well, being the Chief's daughter comes with some perks, and what kind of Viking would I be if I couldn't make my girlfriend happy."

Astrid returned the romantic, if rather corny gesture, with a kiss on the cheek, causing her to blush.