I'm doing my Book Thief/HTTYD crossover! This isn't gonna get much attention, I know, and I'll update sparingly, but the idea is so nice. This is an AU for both HTTYD and TBT. It is a modern AU for How to Train Your Dragon, starring Hiccup and Astrid and maybe some others. For The Book Thief, it is an AU where Rudy went off to that school.

Astrid Hofferson would always remember the day she met Rudy Steiner.

He had approached her on the street. He was a young boy - younger than her and her husband, but not so young that he couldn't pass a legal adult.

She had been going home, with a simple water bottle in her hand, when he ran up to her, dirt covering his face, and begged for a drink. At first, Astrid had been hesitant, but when she saw a cut on his cheek she gave in and let him drink. He swallowed the water like it was life support, and then collapsed onto the floor.

Astrid had felt pity hit her like a ton of bricks. She had kneeled down, wincing only slightly, and murmured, "Are you alright?"

At the question, his eyes had shut tightly, and he shook his head, tears spilling out of his eyes. When he had looked at her, she knew - he wanted help, needed help, but was much too ashamed to ask for it.

And that was how they ended up here. He was sleeping on their couch. Astrid studied him quietly. He had the same features she did. Right before he gave out, she had asked his name, and he gasped, "Rudy Steiner."

Steiner. He was German, he even had the accent. What on Earth was he doing in America? Astrid felt a surge of fear - had she let a Nazi into her home?

The soft opening of the door broke her from her thoughts. Hiccup walked in, looking exhausted. The normally bright green eyes that she loved to see were downcast. He didn't even notice the stranger sleeping on their couch. He walked straight up to his wife, pulled her by the waist, and crashed his lips on her's.

Now, normally, Astrid would quite agree that kissing each other helped a lot to distract and relax, but right now was not the time. So she only kissed him for a minute before pulling back. Hiccup pouted, still clutching her waist.

"Astrid, what -"

"Sorry, babe," she whispered, putting a finger to his lips before gesturing to the couch, "we have a guest."

"Who is that?" Hiccup whispered back, looking back and forth worriedly from the blonde on the couch to the blonde in his arms. It was the little things like this that made Astrid swell with love - Hiccup trusted her. He didn't look scandalized or accusatory, just curious with a touch of concern. She pecked his lips before answering.

"I found him on the streets." She pulled him to their bedroom and sat him down. Now they could speak in normal tones. "And he's in horrible condition, Hic. He's a German too."

Hiccup pulled her onto his lap and rubbed her arms, warming he up. The air conditioning wasn't the best in their apartment. "Nazi?" He too had seen the blonde hair and the fit build.

"Perhaps. But I couldn't in good conscience leave him there. He looks a child, Hiccup. Perhaps he's eighteen or so?" She took a deep breath. "We'll find out when he wakes up, I suppose. His name is Rudy."

And that was when Rudy began to scream.