Astrid looked at herself in the mirror while she was brushing her teeth that night, a smile on her face that had been there constantly since lunch, since Hiccup and she had agreed to go to prom together, as friends.

It was when she spit out the rest of the toothpaste foam that it hit her. He hadn't phrased the question specifying they only go as friends. She shook her head as if the physical motion could stop her mind from overthinking, which was usually Hiccup's move – he was the overthinker, she was there helping out with common sense.

Astrid [10:59pm]: It's not a date, right?

Hiccup [11:11pm]: we're friends

It was more of a statement than an actual answer, but it was answer enough. It wasn't a date and they would make sure of it in order to keep it from becoming awkward.

They decided that Astrid would pick him up instead of the other way around where the boy would stand at the door with a bouquet in his hands waiting for the girl to come down the stairs while her father gave him the intimidating dad talk. They agreed on no flowers and no dads. She was there at eight and texted him to come outside, and then she drove them to prom.

Fishlegs was the official photographer of the night. He insisted on the job and wouldn't leave it to anyone else. He was head editor of the school paper and as such would provide one of the important sources. Which was why he was taking his job very seriously and wouldn't let Hiccup and Astrid pass without taking their official prom portrait. They tried talking him out of it, but he was relentless.

Astrid rolled her eyes and stood in front of the camera, arms crossed and glaring. Hiccup came up next to her, standing close enough that their arms touched and she could smell his cologne, which flustered her for a moment. It was somehow simultaneously grounding and disarming.

He told her to smile, his voice so close to her ear that it gave her goosebumps. She met his eyes and the camera went off with a flash. Hiccup put an arm around her shoulders and she casually leaned into him, the corners of her mouth curling into a grin on their own accord. The camera flashed a second time and Fishlegs was finally pleased.

Hiccup pulled her along, his hand burning on her bare arm, leaving it tingling when he let go.

The gym at Berk High was almost unrecognizable. Lights hung everywhere, a disco ball was suspended from the ceiling, colorful flashes were dancing over the floor. There were a few tables with drinks and snacks, seating accommodations here and there, and a big dancefloor in the middle of the hall. A DJ had set up his gear on a desk in a corner, music was blaring through large speakers, and the dancefloor was already full of students.

"Welcome to the jungle," Astrid heard a familiar voice behind her say.

"We've got fun and games," another equally familiar voice joined in.

The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut appeared, matching grins on their faces.

"We got everything you want, honey, we know the names."

"We are the people that can find whatever you may need," Tuffnut finished and made an exaggerated bow.

Astrid crossed her arms. "You didn't spike anything, did you?"

"We? Never." Hiccup gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe them either. "Anyway, if you two need anything – and I mean anything – you know where to find us." With that, Tuff winked at them and disappeared into the crowd, his sister by his side.

"Someone should keep an eye on them," Hiccup mused and Astrid wholeheartedly agreed. Judging from the look on the twins' faces, something was clearly to go awry tonight.

The party itself turned out to be better than Astrid had anticipated. The music wasn't awful, there were no overprotective parents playing chaperone, people weren't showing up drunk and it seemed like the twins had not done anything to the drinks (which made her a little suspicious, but she chose not to dwell on that, for the sake of her enjoyment of the night so far).

Hiccup was right next to her most of the time. Sometimes their elbows would touch and make her all the more aware of him. She would brush her bangs out of her face and look away to hide the almost constant blush that heated up her cheeks and ears. Heather winked at her every single time which Astrid always answered with a glare.

Snotlout tried asking her to dance every time a slow song came on, but she kept shutting him down. From the corner of her eye, she could see Hiccup frown at him in an annoyed fashion. But not a single time did he ask her himself.

Tuffnut, however, did. That was, he didn't exactly ask but simply pulled her onto the dancefloor with him. It wasn't a slow dance and Astrid knew there were no deeper intentions there, so she let him twirl her around in an extravagant fashion until she felt dizzy.

"Snotlout doesn't even know how to dance," he yelled in her ear over the loud music. "And Hiccup's too chicken to even keep eye contact with you, so your best friend Tuffnut will show you how to have a good time."

"Thanks, Tuffnut," she said when the song ended. He bowed and placed a kiss on her hand.

"Anytime, my fair Astrid, anytime. Hey, I love this song!" With that, he threw his head back and his hands up, yelled along to the music and started to jump and spin around. The students around him quickly moved away from him so they didn't get hit by his flailing limbs. Soon enough, a circle formed around him while he banged his head and danced in true Tuffnut fashion.

On her way back to her friends, Astrid saw Heather talking to Hiccup somewhere off to the sides. He rubbed his neck with one hand, and she could swear there was a blush on his nervous face. When Astrid reached them, Heather winked at her and disappeared into the crowd.

Hiccup wouldn't look at her directly when she came to stand next to him. "So, um… Nice party, huh?"

"What did Heather say to you?"

He finally looked up, his green eyes wide. "Oh, n- nothing. I'm um, I'm gonna… I'm gonna go and… And find Fishlegs! Yeah, that's… what I'm gonna… Yeah." And with that, he was gone. Tuffnut was still rocking the dancefloor, Heather, Snotlout and Ruffnut were nowhere to be seen, and Fishlegs was taking photos on the other side of the gym, which left Astrid to herself. She crossed her arms with a scowl. She didn't have to think hard to guess what Heather might have said to Hiccup. And that muttonhead had panicked.

She huffed and sat down on a chair in a corner, her good mood suddenly gone. Why was he avoiding her? Since Fishlegs had taken their portrait, he hadn't looked at her once, apart from a few short glances. He'd been by her side the whole night so far, though. Had come along when the group decided to dance. Once, he had taken both her hands and twirled her a couple times, making her dizzy in a different way than Tuff had with his moves. But immediately after, he had dropped her hands and barely said anything to her since. It was as if he couldn't stand being close to her. It stung.

On the one hand, Astrid figured he was as nervous as she was, here on their not-date that, whatever she told herself, felt real nonetheless. They were overstepping a line. They had always been friends, exclusively. By agreeing to go on this not-date date, they had made room for the potential for more. It wasn't just a longing idea anymore that kept them – her, at least – awake at night. This was a chance for them to make a move, to erase that line. On the other hand, the otherwise determined Hiccup was acting like a coward by flinching away from every chance he got to take a step forward in whatever it was between them.

But, as vulnerable as Hiccup could make her feel with a mere look into her eyes, she wasn't Astrid Hofferson if she didn't advance on her own. If he was too afraid to do something, she would do it instead.

Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. Tonight, she would make the move.

What that move was, however, Astrid wasn't sure. Should she kiss him? Tell him about her feelings? Kiss him then? But what if he didn't want her to? Argh! Astrid stomped her foot. She hated this uncertainty, this vulnerability. It was like Hiccup had this power over her. This power that he didn't even know he possessed. Was he aware that he could easily break her, turn her whole world upside down? Knowing him, he would never intentionally do that. But if he hadn't picked up on all the signs she'd been sending him during a whole year, he could have the best intentions with his actions but still unknowingly break her heart.

She nervously clenched her fist when she heard the music change to a slow song. She scanned her surroundings but couldn't find Hiccup at first. Then the crowd parted and he dodged several couples who had started swaying to the music.

Astrid's lips curled into a smile on their own when he sat down next to her and breathed a simple "Hey." She felt the familiar storm of butterflies in her stomach when he held her gaze and smiled that lopsided smile of his that gave her heart palpitations on a regular basis. "Sorry for running off earlier." He sheepishly rubbed his neck, a familiar gesture of his.

"Yeah, that wasn't cool." She relaxed in her seat. A simple smile and his calm voice did that to her. She raised a hand and loosely hit his shoulder with it. "That's for leaving me alone over here."

"Guess I deserved that." Astrid hummed in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn't until the song was almost over that she remembered her plan. She just needed to ask him. Just a single dance. Now, before the song was over. But when she turned to him and opened her mouth, the words already on her tongue, and he looked back at her with these big green eyes, freckles barely visible in the dim light, she froze, stuck under his questioning gaze. And when she shook herself out of it, it was already too late, the beat faster, the chance missed. Astrid inwardly cursed.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, still looking at her.

"Oh, nothing," Astrid brushed her bangs out of her face, "I just wanted to ask if you… wanted something to drink." She could have sworn he looked disappointed for a second, but then he nodded, smile back on his face.

"Sure."

With ABBA playing in the background, they made their way to the drink stand, choosing between water, soda, and something ominous with a bright blue color. It tasted as predicted – too sweet and too fake, and weirdly sour at the same time. Astrid downed the whole cup all in one go and flushed the strange taste in her mouth away with water. Hiccup was silently sipping his coke, flashing her tight smiles whenever she looked over.

Astrid wished the twins had done something to the drinks. Maybe a little alcohol would calm her nerves and make this less awkward. Hiccup's simple presence made her feel energetic, powerful, like she was on fire, and extraordinarily nervous at the same time. She cursed her adolescent hormones. One glance from him and she wanted to step closer, closer, until their bodies touched, until their lips collided, and closer, always closer and – and she wished she had a beer, or maybe six, right now. To make it easier to be around him while he was in this tux, jacket thrown over his shoulder, the sleeves of his button-down rolled up, flashing lights illuminating his face. Astrid wished it were easier to just ask Hiccup such a simple question as–

"Do you… want to dance?"

She blinked in surprise and stared at his outstretched hand, then at his wide, hopeful eyes. It took her an embarrassing time of several seconds to fully register what was happening.

Her heartbeat took up a notch when she placed her hand in his and walked with him to the dancefloor. She hoped he didn't feel her racing pulse or noticed the blush creeping on her face when she realized this was a slow song.

The world around her blurred and faded when she put her hands on Hiccup's shoulders and felt his coming around her waist. They started swaying to the music, soon finding their own rhythm.

Astrid was aware of every smallest movement of her fingers where they were lying on his shoulders, felt the fabric of his shirt, and realized she was gripping a little too hard. She felt the warmth of his hands through her dress. Her waist was the source of millions of tingles shooting through her body, her heart was racing, her stomach dropping out with every little shift of his fingers, with every time their eyes met. Somehow, they managed to not trip or step on each other's toes, like this rhythm was specifically designed for them.

Hiccup pulled her closer ever so slightly, green eyes full of affection, and an overwhelming wave of fondness spread in her chest. She managed to break away from his gaze, put her hands around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder. She breathed in his scent, a mix of cologne, shampoo, and something distinctively Hiccup. Closing her eyes, she buried her nose in his neck while his hands snaked around her back.

Astrid didn't remember the last time she felt so content, so safe and so warm. As a matter of fact, she didn't remember anything, couldn't think about anything. There was just her and Hiccup and Phil Collins. Right now, a comet could destroy the earth, everything could burn down, aliens could invade Berk, her whole world could shatter – nothing mattered except Hiccup's arms around her, hugging her tightly.

In this moment, she didn't give a damn about how cliché it sounded that she felt his heartbeat sync with hers. For all she cared, a director could yell cut when the song ended and wrap some high school rom-com she and Hiccup were unknowingly starring in as leads. In fact, she never wanted the song to end, willed the DJ to put in on loop.

But her wish didn't come true. The song faded into a fast, more upbeat one. Reluctantly, she let go of Hiccup, taking a step back, her fingers twitching to reach out for his hands. She could feel her heart in her throat when she met his eyes again and swallowed. All of a sudden it was hard to breathe when he looked at her that intensely.

"Wanna get some air?" she managed to say while her brain was still caught in the fog of being so close to Hiccup. He nodded and they weaved their way through the crowd and out the doors.

As soon as they got outside, Astrid's heart slowed down to a normal pace. It was already dark, the last remnants of light on the horizon disappearing while more stars appeared every time she blinked. She took a deep breath. The air was fresh and smelled like rain. And sure enough, the first clouds were blanketing the sky in the far distance.

A few students were standing in groups around the entrance to the gym, lit only by the light coming from inside and the screens of their phones. Astrid ignored their curious glances and kept walking, Hiccup trailing close behind her. She'd never really cared for high school gossip and would certainly not start tonight. Besides, one of them was one of the girls that had tried asking Hiccup to prom, and it took Astrid a lot of willpower to not turn around and meet that girl's seething glare with a victorious smirk. Her dignity knew better.

They strolled along the school grounds in comfortable silence. Hiccup had his hands in the pockets of his pants, his jacket still over his shoulder. Astrid wondered how it had not fallen off yet and if he even knew it was there. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. Every once in a while, their arms brushed, but Astrid didn't flinch away. She could feel his eyes on the side of her face and was glad that it was dark. Her cheeks were burning from a combination of the hot, stuffy air inside the gym and Hiccup's attention.

"You look great, by the way," Hiccup said when they passed the garden club's flowerbed. "I really like your hair down like that."

Astrid felt her ears flush and twirled a strand of hair on a finger. "Thanks. You look really nice, too."

Hiccup rubbed his neck shyly and Astrid already sensed a protest coming, but for once he actually accepted a compliment like that without talking himself down in a sarcastic way. "Thanks."

A sudden cool breeze hit her and she tried to suppress a shiver, but Hiccup saw it. "Here," he said, took the jacket off his shoulder – so he did know it was there – and put it around hers.

"Thanks," she murmured and slipped her arms through the sleeves. The shivering stopped immediately. It smelled like Hiccup.

She shot him a smile as they approached the set of swings they'd spent most of sophomore year on, mostly with the whole gang, sometimes just the two of them after last period, talking and joking around for hours. She remembered one day when her mother had called her asking where she was and Astrid realized it was past eight already, the sun dipping down on the horizon.

She sat down on the right swing – her swing – and Hiccup plopped down on the left one. They just sat there silently reminiscing for a while.

"I guess that song goes into our playlist, huh?" Hiccup said eventually.

"Really?" Astrid played nonchalant, "you think it was special enough?" Even in the dark, she could see the panic on his face as he tried to backpedal.

"Oh, well no, I mean yeah, I mean if you don't–"

Astrid chuckled. "Hiccup, it's okay. I'm kidding." She couldn't hear his exhale, but it was evident in the way his shoulders untensed. Jumping off the swing, she slowly started walking again. "It was nice."

"Yeah." He smiled his lopsided smile at her as he caught up with her and bumped his shoulder against hers. She bumped back harder.

"Hey!" Hiccup complained. "Violence!"

"Communication," Astrid insisted and earned herself a chuckle.

"Then tell me, what are you communicating?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I don't know, give me a hint, maybe." Did this count as flirting? Astrid wasn't sure, but she liked it.

"I've given you plenty of hints, Haddock." She didn't wait for him to answer. There was another subject she wanted to bring up. "What did Heather say to you earlier?"

Astrid expected him to avert his gaze, maybe rub his neck or start rambling. Instead, he looked her dead in the eye. "Well, what do you think?"

Her fist hit his shoulder. "That's for using my words against me." She hit him again. "And that's for not dancing with me sooner."

Hiccup rubbed the spot she'd hit and pursed his lips. "You didn't dance with me, either."

"Because you were avoiding me!"

"I wasn't– This isn't even supposed to be a real date, remember?"

"Oh, really?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" His arms were flailing around more than usual while he was talking.

"You tell me!"

Hiccup sighed. "Are we really having this argument right now?"

"Why can't you just tell me what's going on?" Astrid asked, softer, hoping. They'd made their way over the school grounds by now and had reached the other side of the gym. A few lights were illuminating a small area near the back exit. Astrid could see Hiccup's forehead crease, his brows furrow, as he looked at her for a long time. She gulped down the sudden fear of rejection that wormed its way into her heart. Whatever Hiccup would say or do now, however vague it would be, it could go only one of two directions. Either it was a hint that he felt the same way about her like she did about him – or that he didn't.

"I-" he began, the rest of the sentence getting stuck in his throat, for once lost for words. His eyes darted down her face. "Your lips are still blue," he mumbled. Astrid traced her tongue over them. They tasted like sugar.

She wondered what his would taste like if she inched closer. If she leaned in, tilted her head a little, shut her eyes and–

"Hiccup, my man!"

Astrid and Hiccup jumped apart. She released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He ran a face over his hand with a sigh as he turned around and faced the source of the interruption.

"Tuffnut!"

"Yes, pal, it's me. Welcome to the jungle!"

Ruffnut appeared by his side, a wicked grin on her face. "We've got fun and games."

"We got everything you-"

"You do know what that song is about, right?" Hiccup interrupted Tuff with a raised eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Sure we do," Ruff said, "that's why he have–" she pointed with both her hands at her brother who opened his jacket, revealing pockets full of condoms, "these."

"We already provided our service to three couples," Tuff added. "If anything, we're the safe angels of Berk High prom."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to know the details." She turned to Hiccup defeatedly. "Let's just get back inside."

"You know where to find us!" Ruffnut shouted after them as they rounded the corner, disappearing from the twins' sight.

Astrid sighed. The moment was ruined. Neither of them brought up what had just almost happened while they took the shortest path back to the party. Her heart was racing again. Being around Hiccup was probably bad for her health.

But that had been it, right? They had almost kissed. She tried to remember if it had been just her who had leaned in or if he had as well. He had, hadn't he? All at once, Astrid wasn't so sure. But he hadn't pulled away, either, right? She groaned inwardly.

"The twins are one of a kind, huh." She turned her head to look at Hiccup. The expression in his eyes was unreadable, which Astrid found absolutely frustrating. Usually, she was able to read him like a book. But if she were to guess, he was equally unsure about what to do or say in this situation. There was no way he could interpret what the twins had interrupted the wrong way. The question was how he felt about it.

"Sure are," Astrid answered as he opened the door, paused for a second and then awkwardly held it open for her.

"Milady," he mumbled and waved her inside.

Her heart skipped a beat at the nickname as she shuffled past him. The loud music and stuffy air immediately greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the gym. After the cool, quiet atmosphere outside, she felt like entering a different world. She soon found Heather talking to Fishlegs near the snacks and trudged over to them.

"Where have you been?" her friend asked her when she entered earshot. "And what are you wearing?"

It was then that Astrid noticed she was still wearing Hiccup's jacket. "Oh, right," she muttered and took it off before giving it back to Hiccup who had followed her over. "Thanks," she said, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"You're welcome." He smiled and took it from her. Their fingers touched ever so slightly but the spark was intense, nonetheless. Astrid swallowed.

Heather looked at her with a teasing grin and leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. "I'm sensing sexual tension."

"Heather!" Astrid hissed under her breath, knowing she was blushing before she felt it. She shot the boys a glance. Hiccup averted his eyes quickly and Fishlegs had turned in the other direction, shooting more photos with his camera.

"He's blushing," Heather whispered in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up," Astrid answered in the same way. "What even did you say to him earlier?"

Heather chuckled. "Don't worry, it wasn't related to… you know."

Astrid eyed her warily. "Related to what?"

Heather winked at her in the most suggestive manner. "The sex dream."

Astrid whipped around and pulled her friend away from the boys, far away, to the other side of the gym, where there was no chance they could hear them, see them, read their lips or use any other way to find out what the two girls were talking about.

"You will never ever talk about this to anyone, least of all Hiccup!" She gave Heather her very best glare. "I told you that in confidence!"

"You told me because you were horny and desperate to talk about it." Heather wasn't affected by Astrid's glare at all, probably because her face was as red as a tomato.

"I was confused, not horny! And it was still in confidence, okay?!"

Heather put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'm just messing with you. I won't tell him, mainly because he'd probably combust on the spot or drop dead anyway. Or stutter himself to death, I bet he can do that."

Astrid crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the other girl, trying to figure out how serious she was. Heather was her best friend after Hiccup and Astrid knew she could essentially trust her, which had been a reason why she'd told her about the dream in the first place, but sometimes she could be devious and sneaky. "Do you promise?"

Heather nodded solemnly. "I promise and I swear. Whichever you prefer."

After another minute of judging, Astrid sighed and finally dropped her glare. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Let's not talk about this anymore, alright?"

"At least not for tonight," Heather winked at her and grabbed her wrist. "Come one, let's dance."

Thankfully, Heather kept her word. It didn't stop Astrid from watching her carefully whenever she came close to Hiccup, though.

Every once in a while, their eyes met and Astrid's heart contracted in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to drag Hiccup back outside to a spot far from the twins and continue what they'd started before they'd been interrupted. And ever since Heather had mentioned the dream, she thought about paying a visit to the safe angels of Berk High prom to let them provide her with their goods and – and she really needed to cool off. Her hormones were raging.

Maybe she just needed to clear her mind of him for a while. Dance with Heather, get Fishlegs to lay down his camera for an hour, invent a fake party on the other side of town that Snotlout just had to attend.

Maybe then she could try this move one more time.


A/N: *Kid from vine voice* Look at all those chickens!

(If they continue to be such chickens, Tuffnut will adopt them as pets.)

Anyone figured out what song they're dancing to? :D (It's "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins.)
And for those who didn't recognize it, Ruff and Tuff are quoting "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n' Roses. And do YOU know what that song is about? ;)