Summary: Hiccup moved to a new school for a fresh start where no one would know about his leg or the car accident. Lucky for him, he was paired up for a group activity with the cute blond girl he's had a crush one since he arrived at the school. He wasn't really looking for friends, but sometimes, what you need comes when you least expect.

They're around 15 in this fic.

Important NOTE: I might turn it into a series of one-shots.

When You Least Expect

Hiccup couldn't believe his luck. He was awestruck to see his name paired up with the girl he couldn't stop looking at since he arrived at the new school, a month ago. At the end of the class, Astrid Hofferson herself came to his table.

"Hey, you're Hiccup Haddock, right?" He quickly nodded in response, not trusting his voice at the moment. "So, I guess we have to do this project together… I think the sooner the better, we have only a week, after all."

He cleared his throat, trying to hide how eager he was. "Yes. Maybe we could start today?" Grabbing his things on the table and put his backpack on and followed her out the classroom, trying to keep her pace.

"Sure. Just not in the library. The seniors are going to have a big test tomorrow and I know a lot of people will be studying there, so the library will be full… Could we go to your house?"

"M-mine?" He gulped.

"Yeah. Mine is far away, I wouldn't want it to be a problem for you…" Her eyes automatically went down at his limping, but she soon raised them and changed the subject before he had the chance to open his mouth to complain. "Besides, my brothers will be there and they are a pain… Well, at least one will be, Astren will probably be one of the people studying at the library… But Aaron, my younger brother, he won't let us do our project. So, is that okay?"

"I don't know, my house is a mess…"

"I've got two brothers. I'm used to messy environments; don't worry about that… Unless you don't want me to come over."

"No, it's okay." He gulped again, it'd be alright as long as she didn't go to his room and didn't see his crutches or wheelchair. He was already sick with people looking at him with that pity look just because he limped, he didn't want anyone to know he missed half a leg below his left knee. That was why he changed schools, everyone knew about the accident in his old one.

"Good. So, see you after school. I gotta go to Math now."

"And I've got Arts… So, see ya." He smiled and turned the corner to his next class.

Hiccup opened the door and turned to Astrid as he entered. "Well, I've warned you…"

The blonde followed him close behind and as he locked the door again, a dog came running and barking in excitement and confusion at the girl. Hiccup laughed and leaned to pet the black Labrador, whispering to him that it was all right until he calmed down.

"He's so cute! What's his name?"

"Astrid, meet Toothless." Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at her puzzled expression. He answered her question before she could even say it. "When he was a puppy, he used to bite so softly that it was like he didn't have any teeth, so the name stuck… Besides, I was only eleven, then."

"Well, you're… creative."

"I know it's awful. But I love this big boy anyway." He shrugged and gestured to the living room. "Shall we?"

Astrid made her way into the living room. The table in the dining room still had boxes and personal belongings all over it.

"You did warn me… You just moved into this house, right?"

"It's recent. Dad and I didn't have a lot of time to settle in, yet. Sorry about it."

"I don't mind it as long as we can do this activity."

"Good, so, make yourself confortable, I'm gonna get my laptop and we can start it, okay?" He asked and she nodded. "My room is a lost cause, really. I wouldn't want anyone but Toothless in there until I put everything in place…"

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, then."

Hiccup hurried away as fast as he could to his tidy room, leaving his backpack on the chair, he grabbed his laptop and Biology book. He took half a second to feel bad for lying so much to the girl he had a crush on, but quickly dismissed the feeling as he exited the room, closing the door shut.

Astrid had left her backpack and books on the sofa and was now by the bookshelf, looking at the portraits his father insisted on keeping there.

"Hey, is this your mom? You look like her."

His small smile vanished. "Yes…"

"She's really pretty… Where is she? At work?"

"No…" He sighed. "She's away… She left us."

Hiccup sat on the sofa and turned on his laptop. Astrid noticed something wrong, but she didn't get the tone behind his words, she didn't know him after all and she was distracted, wanting to get to know the new boy at school.

"When was it?"

"Some months ago." He answered, leaving the laptop on the coffee table in front of him and opening the Biology book on the page about viruses.

"That's why you two moved out? Because of the divorce?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What? Oh, no… Not that kind of leave us… She… It was a car accident…"

Astrid's jaw dropped and she was red with embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm sorry… I didn't know it… I…" She left the bookshelf and grabbed her own Biology book. "So, Viruses, right? We need to detail their structure, reproduction and cycles, so we better get it started."

"I guess we're done!" Astrid closed her book, looking at the word document.

"Yes. I'll just proofread everything later and check the formatting before I print it and take it tomorrow."

"We'll probably be the first ones to hand it to him. I guess I got the right coworker out of that class, after all." She smiled and stretched her arms; happy this activity was done.

"Thanks."

"And we only finished it so soon because you're smart, really, you're good at it."

"Not that much. It's just because Biology is easy. Math, on the other hand, not so much… This school is a bit advanced on the subject, so I'm having a hard time with it… And Physics."

"Why didn't you say so before? I could help you with Math and my friend Fishlegs will be happy to help you with Physics."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it won't be a problem… To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive when I saw your name on the board next mine, I thought you were very anti-social and I didn't even know you could talk, but you're not like that at all." She laughed. "But I guess appearances can be deceiving. A nice guy can be hidden beneath this stern vibes of someone who's disappointed in people."

"Yeah…" He laughed nervously. She was right indeed. He had been disappointed at his so-called friends hat vanished after the accident. "I think it's just easier to be on my own. People sometimes are… complicated."

"Especially teenagers. But that only means you have to look harder to find nice people." She shrugged. "By the way, do you have something to eat?"

"Sure." He closed his laptop and put it on the table while she stood up in an instant. He took a little longer to leave the sofa, being careful not to put his weight on his left leg. "Would you like some chips? Dad likes it so much we have piles of different kinds of chips."

"Yes, I'd like some. Thanks." Then she followed him to the kitchen. She stayed for another half an hour until she had to go back home.

Hiccup balanced the tray of food in one hand as he grabbed his ringing cellphone from his pocket. He looked at the screen, but he already knew who it'd be before he answered the call with a smile.

"Hey, Gobber."

"How's my favorite godson doing today?"

"I'm fine. Let me guess, you're calling because dad told you there was a guest home yesterday?"

"Of course! How could you hide it from me, Hiccup!" Gobber nearly yelled in excitement, making the boy laugh even more.

"I wasn't hiding, I was going to tell you later today. But it's really not that big of a deal." Hiccup walked forward very slowly, looking around and searching for an empty table or at least with only a few people so he could sit and eat while listening to music.

"Sure it is! You're getting friends! I told you it'd happen!"

"She's not a friend. We were doing a project for Biology."

"It was a girl? He didn't tell me that!"

"It doesn't matter, it was the teacher who paired us. I'm pretty sure I'd be the last person she'd want to be paired with. She told me herself I looked like a freak… Well, she didn't use these words, but I get the gist…"

"Oh, Hiccup! That's because you walk around as if you want to be invisible. It can't be that hard to go and introduce yourself to people, you know… I thought you wanted a fresh start at the new school."

"I'm getting it, no one knows about my leg, so no one pities me or looks at me in a weird way. It's a relief, you know." At least not as much as it used to be in the old school.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"It's just… You don't know what I'm going through…"

Gobber sighed, shifting on his chair. His tone came more serious. "Hiccup, I've been there. Twice, remember? I know exactly what you're going through."

"What I mean is that you weren't a teenager when you lost your foot and hand… and…" He trailed off as he saw a beautiful blond girl stand up and wave at his direction. Was that Astrid? He stopped walking to look behind him, but there was no one waving back at her. "Hum…"

"What's going on, boy?"

"I think Astrid is waving at me?"

"The girl from yesterday?"

"How'd you know?"

"Do you know anyone else?" Hiccup could imagine his godfather rolling his eyes.

"Fair point… Well, I'll go talk to her."

"See? I told you. Friends!"

"She probably just wants to know if I brought the project to hand the Biology teacher after lunch… Talk to you later?"

"Sure! I'll come over to your house so you can tell me about your new friends. Bye!" He hung up between laughs.

Hiccup put his phone back into his pocket and walked as fast as he could to the table she was sitting on with four other people.

"Hi?" He asked, still uncertain she was waving at him, but if it were someone else, surely he or she would have passed him by now. "I brought the activity, would you like to take a look at it before the class?"

Astrid shrugged. "I guess so, but we can do it later. Would you like to sit with us for lunch? I saw you were looking for a place to sit." She gestured at the people sitting with her. "These are my friends, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And as you said before, you needed some help with Physics, right? Fishlegs is the guy to help you."

"I wouldn't want to disturb you guys."

"Just sit already!" The black-haired boy said, annoyed.

"Don't mind him, please. Snotlout doesn't know what politeness means…" Fishlegs said, ignoring Snotlout imitating him sarcastically. "But I'll be happy to help you. Do you have time after classes?"

Reluctantly, Hiccup sat down.

"Hey, you're new, right?" The twin boy asked. "So where did you study?"

"What was it like?" The twin girl went along.

"Just… normal, I guess." He answered and his phone vibrated. He grabbed it and looked at the screen, there was a text from Gobber.

I know I'm right! You'll see.

He smiled and put it back in his pocket. Looking at the people at the table he secretly hoped his godfather was right this time.

Just a curiosity, I put him getting Toothless at 11 because that was his age when he got Toothless in the books, I thought it'd be a nice detail.

I don't know if the characters were a bit OOC, but since their backgrounds are completely different, I made them as closest to the characters, yet fitting their current situations.

Btw, I had no idea to put for them as a project to do, so I asked my sister (still in high school) what she was studying and then added it into the story.