"All right, Meatlug, there we go. Good girl." You smiled over at Fishlegs as you all worked. Nightshade was helping flatten the iron since she had her club tail. The twins were doing that too, but you thought their method was a little...tougher. "Hey, you know what I just realized? This is a new record for Gronckle Iron production. Who's a good iron-making machine? Yes, you are!" Meatlug wiggled her tail happily as Fishlegs hugged her.

"Whatever. If it weren't for Hookfang, that would just be a glob of useless barfed-up metal." Snotlout said.

"Well, if it weren't for Barf and Belch..." Tuff began. They kept beating it with their faces. 

"We rest our case," Ruff said.

"Uh-huh." 

"Ehem." You cleared your throat and Nightshade growled at the two.

"Okay, okay, she is helpful with it too." You sighed.

"Come on, let's keep working." You told them. Hiccup had also asked you to keep an eye on everybody since things were known to get out of hand.

After a few hours, everybody was pretty tired. You understood because you were getting there too. Hiccup and Arrow came over soon enough.

"Uh, Hiccup? I think Meatlug might be ready for a break. She's starting to lose her gag reflex." Fishlegs told him.

"Guess the perfect little machine isn't so perfect, after all." Snotlout commented.

"Have you checked your dragon? The giant oven doesn't look too perky, either." Fishlegs shot back.

"Huh?" Hookfang snorted and collapsed from weariness, accidentally shooting flames at Barf and Belch, who growled in response as they got upset. A fight broke out amongst the dragons. Stormfly's spines trapped Ruffnut and Tuffnut upside down on a tree limb. Toothless roared at them all, but it didn't work.

"Really? You too, bud? All right, that's it! Dragons, to your corners!" They still didn't listen to Hiccup. 

"Nightshade, could you?" You asked her. Her pincers came out as she screeched at all of them as loud as she could. They ll froze as she did this. She growled at them and they stopped. Hiccup looked at you, stunned. "Don't mess with an Armor Blade's glare."

"Hey, Hiccup. Did you know that upside-down you actually have a metal arm instead of a metal leg?" Tuff said suddenly, still dangling from the tree with his sister.

"What is going on around here?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, we've been working really hard on these reinforcement walls. Everyone is just tired. Look at the dragons." Arrow told him.

"You know, Hookfang and I could really use a vacay." Snotlout agreed.

"Vacation? Count us in. We'll grab our straw helmets and a chilling tale of Viking murder to read on some enchanted beach, laughing as the waves crash against us." Tuff added.

"Guys, I get that you're all tired, but remember why we're doing this." Hiccup replied.

"Oh, because you told us to?" Snotlout guessed.

"No, because Viggo is out there. We can't leave the Edge unguarded again." Hiccup explained.

"So, yay or nay on the vacay?" Ruff asked.

"Oh, gods," Hiccup muttered. "(Y/n), come with me. I want your help with something." You nodded and hopped on Nightshade. You both went to his hut and he went up to his room. Nightshade and Toothless curled up together as you followed after Hiccup.

"So, what do you need my help with?" You asked.

"Honestly? I just wanted your company. I'm going to work on my map, so if you want to help it's fine, but I wanted somebody to talk to as I worked, you know?" You smiled.

"Yeah, I get it. I'll get some practice in with my drawings while you work, then." He nodded and you both took your seats. He started to work and you got an idea right away of what to draw. You sat to his side, facing him, and angled yourself before you started drawing.

As you drew, Hiccup mainly focused on his map. He didn't notice what you were drawing. You grinned to yourself as the picture began to come together. After a little while, he finally looked over and saw your smile. He grew interested.

"What are you drawing?" You blushed, still smiling, and showed him the picture you had been working on. It was a realistic still-life drawing of him working on the map. He was stunned. "How do you do so much detail?" He asked. You chuckled. 

"I take my time. Do you like it?"

"Well, it's of me, so I don't want it to come of the wrong way, but yeah! I love it!" You chuckled.

"I get what you mean, and thanks." He smiled at you.

"Hey...I wanted to apologize." 

"For what?"

"Well...I still feel bad about what happened. I feel like I ruined evrything and I'm sorry for hurting you like that." You sighed, shaking your head ith a smile. 

"Hiccup, I told you that I forgive you. You don't need to let this eat you alive. It's over and it's okay now. It was all a misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion because feelings were hurt. It happens and I'm sorry for not understanding before. I shouldn't have run away like that. We both made mistakes, but now it's over." You told him. You gave him a hug and he returned the gesture.

"I can't help it. I thought you were going to join them after what I did. If you'd turned over because of me...I would never forgive myself." You frowned, feeling bad for scaring him. You kissed his cheek for a short moment. You hadn't done it for months now. It was the first time you'd given him any sign of your feelings since Leon's crew arrived. Still, he was oblivious to the true meaning of it.

"Hiccup, I forgive you." You told him. "I'll always be your friend. I'll always be here. No matter what we face, I'll be here. So please, stop doing this to yourself. I...I don't like being the reason you're upset or having a hard time. I want you to keep smiling." You told him. You pulled back as saw the sheer shock and surprise in his expression. you gave him a soft smile, your cheeks flushed pink. "I like your smile." He blushed, but he smiled at you.

"I think yours is better than mine." You chuckled again and you both hugged. The urge to say it was stronger than you were used to. You still held your tongue. You had to hold your tongue. Don't wreck it. Don't make it weird. Don't let it show. Don't. Say. Anything.

You both let go of each other and you felt a tug on your heart. You didn't like it. It was pulling you to him, trying to get you back into his arms. Still, you refused. You fought the tugging on your heart and suppressed it. That's how it has to be... You thought grimly.

Then, Fishlegs and Arrow suddenly came in. They had smiles on their faces and you instantly knew something was up. You remained silent as they spoke to Hiccup.

"Working on your map, huh?" Arrow observed.

"Need any help?" Fishlegs asked.

"No, thanks, I'm kind of-" Hiccup was cut off.

"You sure? 'Cause, you know, Fishlegs is really great with maps." Arrow said.

"Really great! Heheh..." You both looked at each other before turning back to them, not falling for it.

"Okay, fine, out with it, you two. You didn't come all the way up here because you love cartography." Hiccup told them. Arrow paused before saying,

"We object."

"We think everyone could use a break. The dragons are really cranky from being overworked." Nightshade grumbled in agreement from where she was resting with Toothless. 

"Guys, I thought we went over this." Hiccup told them.

"Just hear us out." Arrow began.

"As you know, we've been making Gronckle Iron. A lot of it. In doing so, we've exhausted the supply of sandstone on the Edge. And as you know, no sandstone, no Gronckle Iron." Fishlegs explained.

"There's a nearby island that has a huge supply of it. It's also deserted, quiet, and would be a great place to relax, and take a little break from real work." Hiccup looked to you and you shrugged.

"You know, a day or two away wouldn't kill anybody. But hey, you're in charge, Hiccup. Not me." You told him. He knew exactly what you were doing. You were leaving it up to him so nobody could really get mad at you. The neutral party rarely gets involved or attacked. You thought with a smirk.

"I don't really have a choice on this one, do I?" He asked. The others grinned. "Where is this island, exactly?" Arrow pointed to it on the map and Hiccup sighed.

"Alright, we'll go there." They smiled excitedly. "To get more sandstone!" Hiccup told them. They still grinned at each other.

"Whatever you say, man!" Arrow said before they hurried off. He sighed heavily and looked at you. You closed your sketchbook and scooted over so you were beside him.

"It'll be fine, Hiccup." You told him. "Now, let's start packing, okay?" He smiled at you.

"Alright."

*Later at the stables*

"All right. Viggo would most likely wait for low tide and try to penetrate the lower wall, then come up through the arena." Hiccup began to explain to his father.

"Which is why you've secured it from the outside. Hiccup, Gobber and I have defended Berk from much worse than a bunch of namby-pamby Dragon Hunters." Stoick replied.

"I know, Dad, of course." The twins soon came in on Barf and Belch.

"Ugh! Someone die? You two look like you're going to a Viking funeral." Gobber commented.

"And this is our vacation attire," Tuff replied.

"Uh, this is not a vacation." Hiccup told them.

"Call it what you will. But we plan to kick off our shoes and let the worries of the day melt away." Hiccup sighed again as Snotlout arrived next. He gasped. 

"Did someone die? Was it Fishlegs?" Snotlout asked. Fishlegs landed. 

"No, it's not Fishlegs. I'm right here and ready to go."

"Go where? No one ever tells me anything. Hey, Chief. What are you doing here?" Snotlout asked.

"I'm here to look after your base until you all return."

"Return from where?"

"You remember that vacation we were talking about?" Tuff said to Snotlout.

"Yes!"

"Well, it's not that. We're not going to a deserted island paradise to have any fun whatsoever." He said suggestively with a bunch of winks. "Instead, we're going to work, slave away in the sandstone mines."

"What!?" Snotlout shouted, going along with it but you saw his excited grin. You chuckled as you sat in the saddle on Nightshade.

"All right, saddle up. We need to get there before dark." Hiccup said. Tuff handed Chicken to Gobber.

"Remember, Chicken eats six times a day. Small portions. She's trying to trim down. Then she gets 'special time' before bed. You can read to her, tell her stories, massage her. But if you're reading stories, nothing too scary though. Horrible nightmares where she scratches and claws in the air. Stay about three feet away when she's sleeping."

"I got it, Tuffnut. I'll look after her as if she were one of my own." Gobber replied.

"All right, everyone. Let's do this." Hiccup said. Nightshade roared, rearing up and you laughed as you held onto the reigns. She rushed forward, leaping off of the wood deck and spreading her wings as she took off, leading the way. Hiccup followed after you quickly on Toothless.

You all flew along for a while before finally arriving at the island. You smiled as you all landed by a lagoon. It was a pretty good spot to relax. You were glad the others agreed.

"This place is insane! Look at that lagoon! Last one in is a rotten two-thousand-year-old egg!" Snotlout shouted before jumping into the water. Hiccup was too late to stop him.

"Uh, all right, fine, just a quick swim, then it's back to work." He said. You chuckled. The others cheered as the rushed in. Fishlegs did a cannonball as he jumped in with Meatlug beside him. You took off some of your armor and set it aside. You tied your hair back into a bun. You walked over to Nightshade who was still waiting for you on the shore. 

You glanced over and saw Hiccup staring at you. He quickly looked away as you noticed his gaze. You blushed a bit, realizing that he was looking at you because you'd taken off your armor, leaving you in just your clothes that were a little slim fit to avoid the issue of baggy cloth getting in the way of anything.

You hopped on Nightshade and Hiccup was about to ask what you were doing, but you were alread in the air. She flew over the lagoon, positioning herself perfectly for you. You balanced on her slender neck, walking along as if it were a plank. The others watched in shock.

"Out of the way, guys!" You called with a grin. The quickly swam to the sides. You turned sideways and closed your eyes. You fell back and the wind rushed past you as you went into a free fall. You fell through the air, slowly shifting into a diving form. What seemed like forever to you was only five short seconds. Your hands hit the water first and then your body was swallowed by it. You opened your eyes as you came to a stop, floating about 5 ft below the surface. You smiled and swam to the top. 

As you surfaced, the others stared at you in shock. You laughed at their gawking faces. They were looking at you as if you were insane. 

"Guys, Nightshade and I go swimming all the time. This is a basic trick." You told them.

"Can you teach me how to do that!?" Tuff asked. You chuckled.

"We'll see." Hiccup sighed, shaking his head, clearly thinking you were crazy. He began to head over to join you all. Toothless grumbled at the water.

"What's the matter, bud? Don't feel like a swim?" He growled again. "Ah, okay. You just keep watch then." He patted Toothless before jumping in. "Whoo-hoo!" You laughed as he joined you. You swam over to him and smiled.

"See? Fun!" You told him. He chuckled

"Okay, okay, but we still need to get stuff done after this." You shook your head with a sigh and a smile.

"Whatever you say, Hiccup." You agreed for now, but you knew the others were going to keep relaxing no matter what Hiccup said. After about an hour of fun, it was getting later in the day and the others were ready to lay on the beach and relax instead of swim. Hiccup, however, took this as a sign to get back to what he wanted.

"Okay, guys. Got that out of our system. Now its time for the other kind of fun. Working!" 

"Dude, lighten up. R-E-L-A-X. Relax." Snotlout told him.

"Take a load off, H." Tuff agreed.

"Those rocks aren't going anywhere. Unless you move them." Ruff added. You got out and walked up to him.

"Hiccup, it's okay. Let them have some time." He groaned.

"Oh, not you, too, (Y/n). You're killing me."

"Hiccup, we're all behind you 100 percent." You said as Snotlout shoved Fishlegs back into the water.

"Oh, that's nice." He commented sarcastically. You gave him an understanding smile.

"But you can't expect them to be you. They're your soldiers. And good soldiers will work until their hands are raw and until their backs are almost breaking. But there does come a point when they need time to regroup, to forget about being soldiers and just be people." He still didn't look too happy. "And I should know because of my family. They'd give their lives for me and I would do the same for them. They're behind me and I used to work them, but training and work can only get you so far. You know what will always push a team through?" 

"No."

"Working together to get to know each other and bond with each other. And the only way to do that is to take the time to relax and have some fun together. That means you too." He sighed but nodded, understanding what you meant.

"You're right. I've been pushing them really hard." You both looked over and smiled at the team having fun. "They deserve this."

Later that night you were all resting. The twins walked over with something that smelled awful. You scrunched up your nose at it. 

"Dinner is served," Tuff said.

"What is that smell?" Fishlegs asked.

"What is this?" Arrow groaned.

"Oh, glad you asked, my good man. That would be salt-encrusted sea bass with a salted seaweed gravy. Mixed in with salt and all finished with a little pinch of salt on top."

"Whoa, that is...salty." Hiccup commented. More like that's a heart attack on a plate.

"Too much, you think?" Ruff asked. Toothless snarled at it and Nightshade smacked it away with her tail. Arrow retched again and Meatlug vomited.

"Oh, weird. The dragons usually love fish, no matter how bad it tastes." Fishlegs commented.

"Hookfang won't even touch it, and I've seen him eat piles of yak dung. I mean piles of fresh out of the-"

"Okay, we get it, Snotlout." Arrow cut him off.

"Well, I chalk it up to underdeveloped palates. Both human and dragon." Tuff said, headbutting his sister. They both took a bite and froze. They kept chewing, but you saw the tears of agony in their eyes. You frowned, feeling bad for them. You sighed and dug through your saddle bag. You pulled out all of the snacks you'd packed. You tossed everyone some food and offered it to the twins, trying to help, but they refused to give in. You knew that it was a losing battle and put the last of the snacks away. You pulled out a bag of berries after that.

"Ooh! Can I have some of those?" Snotlout asked. 

"Uh, Snotlout, these are Nightshade's."

"She can spare a few." 

"No, what I mean is...their nightshade berries. They're poisonous."

"...You know what? She can have them." You chuckled and Nightshade happily gulped down her berries.

"Sorry I didn't bring anything besides that for any of the dragons guys. I would've brought something if I'd known." 

"It's alright, (Y/n)," Fishlegs said.

"Yeah, thanks for the snacks." Arrow agreed.

"No kidding! Besides, anything is better than that." Snotlout said as the twins finished their salted sea bass.

"Uh...I need to lay down." Tuff groaned.

"Me too." They both laid down and you chuckled lightly. 

"No problem, Snotlout. Anyway, let's get some rest, guys." Nightshade let you lay on the grass next to her before tucking her tail and head in and covering both you and herself with her wings to keep you both warm and protected. "Night, guys!" You called.

"Why do you two always do that when we camp out?" Snotlout asked.

"Nightshade and I are cuddle bugs. Isn't that right, girl?" She purred in agreement.

"I think it's sweet," Fishlegs commented. 

"Hey! I thought it was sweet first, Fishface!"

"Guys, guys, it doesn't matter how everybody rests with their dragons. Let's just...*yawn* get some sleep." Hiccup said tiredly. Everybody got settled. "Oh, uh, night, (Y/n)." You were glad Nightshade's wing blocked him from seeing you. Your face was bright pink and you had a shy yet lovestruck smile on your face.

"Night, Hiccup." I have no idea how I kept my voice even there. You pushed it aside and cuddled closer to Nightshade. "Night, girl." You whispered. She nuzzled you and you took that as her 'goodnight'. With that, you fell asleep with your dragon.

*Later*

"Everybody, wake up!" You heard Fishlegs' voice as you woke up. You woke up and realized Nightshade wasn't around you.

"Zip it, Fishface. The sun's not even out." Snotlout grumbled. He groaned in annoyance. You sat up and saw that something was wrong with the dragons.

"Guys! This isn't a joke! Get up!" You shouted, getting everyone's attention. Meatlug suddenly came out of the forest and she didn't look happy.

"Oh, Thor!" Fishlegs exclaimed in worry.

"What's going on with the dragons?" Hiccup asked.

"I have no idea. All I know