Hiccstrid One-Shot: Measurements

They grew, as the years passed, and Astrid was surprised when she and Hiccup were nearly the same height. She had assumed that he would remain the village runt, brilliant and willing to search for trouble.  

It was a brisk morning. He was in the smithy, writing up a list of items to order from Trader Johann on a sheet of parchment. Astrid approached from behind, noting how his tunic stretched between his shoulders, it was so tight.

"Good morning, Astrid." He looked up and turned to smile at her. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I borrow you for a race with Stormfly?" she asked. "Where's Toothless?"

"Helping Gobber move some heavy iron ore. We were lucky that the dragons found a vein in the mountains, one that is still teeming with iron."

Astrid chewed her lip. She couldn't help but notice how Hiccup stood taller, so that his apron cut off at the knees.

"You need new clothes," she said, eying his tight shirt. "I mean, since you've been growing-"

"Yeah, who'd have thought? Working on it," he said with a wry grin. "That's what this list is for, actually."

"I thought you had free run of the smithy supplies."

"I do, but I have to tab everything with Gobber now. Something about me making various inventions behind his back." He swaggered to imitate the smith. "Ya have tah pay yer dues as my apprentice, Hiccup, which means accounting for your dues!"

It was a fairly accurate impersonation, and Astrid laughed. She then leaned over to check on the list.

"New riding gear?" she asked. "If you're getting this much leather and cloth-"

"Yeah. There's an idea I want to try out, with full body armor, and Toothless and I need to be more streamlined," he said. "If it works with us, I want to try it out on . . ."

His voice trailed off as he gazed at Astrid. His face started to turn red.

"With you," he finished, a bit softly.

"On me?" She raised an eyebrow, flattered. "I'm your test subject?"

"No. You'd be getting the refined version." He patted himself. "I'D be the test subject, to work out the kinks and tight areas-"

Another slip. He clammed up, and Astrid couldn't resist.

"If you were to make full body armor, you'd have to make measurements to avoid those tight areas," she teased. "Of my upper half, and my lower half."

It was working. Hiccup was turning bright red as she took his hands. He didn't pull away, however, and his hands seemed to have an idea of what his body wanted.

"Astrid, that was not what I meant, not at all!" he said. "I meant that you'd need to be safe and -"

"You'd have to take measurements here," She placed his hands against her shoulders before moving them to her waist, "and here, and finally-"

"Ahem."

Gobber was watching them. Astrid quickly dropped Hiccup's hands. His face was still red.

"Just going over the ledger, Gobber," he said. "Talking about materials that have to be ordered, supplies that need to be noted-"

"How long have you been standing there?" Astrid asked, wanting to get to the point.

"Long enough to see the puppet show." Gobber shot them a wicked grin. "It seems that someone is LONG overdue for the talk. Have you been to see Gothi?"

She shook her head, her face burning now. Gobber lacked an arm and a leg, as well as tact.

"Hiccup, the ledger can wait," he said. "I think it's time we had the talk."

Hiccup tried to whistle for Toothless, to make a run for his dragon, but Hiccup couldn't whistle and Gobber was quicker. He scooped up the boy with his hook hand. Hiccup squirmed like a caught fish, but Gobber took him inside the smithy door, just as Toothless appeared and slammed headfirst into it. Astrid winced.

"Sorry, Toothless," she said. "That was my fault."

Toothless, looking much undignified as he shook himself, fixed a penetrating look on Astrid. She tried to hide her blush while looking apologetic. It was nice of Hiccup to think of making her body armor, for better use in combat. The battles with the Screaming Death would have been better with using a dragon armada.

Too late for that now. She had suggested the embarrassing idea, and Hiccup probably would be turning red for a week before he came up with a sarcastic comment. Given Gobber's knowledge of the hens and the yaks, Hiccup would not be able to get the idea of a carnal romantic night out of his mind.

Astrid shook her head, feeling silly now. Someday, Hiccup would feel comfortable about taking those sorts of measurements. They had been careful, because as Gobber had known, Astrid hadn't been to see Gothi, but they had gotten closer over the months. Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father, would want marriage and grandchildren in good time, and she knew that Hiccup wasn't ready. He still thought of himself as a wayward Viking, ready to take off at a moment's notice to find new dragons. Seeing babies frightened Hiccup, knowing he'd be bearing one to create a new heir.

One day, though, when he got his kinks worked out, both with the armor and with himself. She'd be ready for both those improvements, and offer her body for measurement.