Too early, I hear banging on my door. I groan, moving closer to Hiccup instinctively. His arms tighten around me and his eyes remain closed, his hands warm and inviting as they brush my skin. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, his long hair tickling my forehead.

"Come on, lovebirds! Work to do, things to be done!" someone that can only be Astrid calls.

"I asked for one day. One...freaking...day," Hiccup grumbles, pressing the back of his head into his pillow.

"We've still gotta clean up everything! Then there's some dragon races going on," Snotlout says.

"We really wanna see which Night Fury is better!" Ruffnut calls. "I already bet Tuff my desserts!"

"They can't take a hint?" I ask, my voice still thick from sleep.

"Would you mind if I go murder them?" Hiccup asks, sitting up a little.

"By all means. Do what you must," I say, shutting my eyes again before deepening myself into the nest of furry blankets.

Hiccup crawls out of bed, grabbing the nearest fur blanket and wrapping it around his bare body. He shuffles across the floor and unlocks the door, opening it a crack as he double-checks that he's covered.

"For the love of Thor, Astrid. You said we got one day," he says sleepily.

"But...dragon races. Fury against Fury! It's gonna be awesome, Hiccup! Please?" I hear the blonde beg.

"Come on, Hiccup!" Fishlegs whines.

"Tell you what. You leave us alone for now, and we'll come out for the races." Hiccup sighs, ruffling his hair. "Good?"

"Sure thing, chief!"

I look up from the bed just in time to see Tuffnut wink at Hiccup before he shuts the door again. He turns back to me and I sit up slightly, keeping the blankets bunched around my chest as I yawn.

"Anything you wanna do?" he asks.

"Nope. Let's just lie around, cuddling," I say, falling back into the mass of pillows.

Hiccup smirks, ditching the blanket and climbing back into bed. He wraps his arms around my middle, nuzzling his face into my neck. He plants a few kisses on my neck and collarbone and I can't help but squirm as I roll over and pull his lips down to meet mine.

He breaks away, his left arm staying near my head as he hovers over me. His beautiful eyes shimmer with love and adoration and his fingers trace down my face and chin. I shut my eyes, letting out a soft breath as I press myself against his warmth.

"I love you, Hiccup," I whisper.

He smiles, as though those words are some sort of treasure. "I love you too, Thora."

----------

Later, during the dragon races, Hiccup beats me by one point. He and Toothless take a celebratory lap while I act like I'm upset about losing.

My friends and I laugh and joke about the awesome stunts we did during the race and I suggest we go for another ride around the village.

We climb onto our dragons, taking off into the wild blue yonder. Dark Moon and Emerald follow us. I laugh, looping around in the air as a feeling of freedom takes over again.

I look up to the sky, where a few rays of sun break through the clouds and I smile, knowing that my parents are watching over me. Even so, that feeling of foreboding hangs overhead. I've got to make the most of what I have left.