Astrid! I don't know who was waiting for Astrid, but Astrid! And wittle Hiccup!

Year Seven- A Girl?

Hiccup and his dad were growing apart. Well, Stoick was chief and Hiccup couldn't be babied for the rest of his life. Six years would be good enough. And he wouldn't have a huge problem with it either, if he didn't keep sending him off to be babysat. He hated that.

Snotlout was a jerk, Ruff and Tuff were weird, and Fishlegs was no fun. His dad didnt trust him enough to leave him alone in the house so he was shipped off to whoever was free and willing.

He'd been inside almost every house in the village because of this and to be honest he was sick of it. His dad was currently in the middle of dropping him off at Astrid's house, who, as he's been recently informed, is a girl.

"Daddy! I don' wanna go ta a girl's house! They're boring and gunna make me play with dolls!"

Stoick sighed. "Hiccup, Astrid will be fun. And don't say anything mean to her or your in big trouble."

Hiccup slouch and let out a big, dramatic sigh. He would do this every once and a while on the walk to the Hofferson house, and was immensely annoying. Fortunately, it didn't last long.

The Hoffersons didn't have a large house like Hiccup's, but he had gotten used to the idea that not everyone could have what the he had.

Before he could protest one last time, Mrs. Hofferson was at her door and Hiccup was shoved inside. It really was a smaller house than the other kids'. There wasn't a child in sight. Hiccup wondered if his dad made up this Astrid girl. His dad was talking to "Astrid's" mom, they were distracted enough to not notice him poking around. He wandered aimlessly around the house, but there wasn't much to see. Anything he could see from one side of the house he could see from the other side too.

To be honest, he always felt uncomfortable in other people's houses. He didn't like being away from home. He didn't know where everything was in other people's houses he didn't know where all the hiding spots. He just felt vulnerable.

Suddenly, out of literally nowhere, a girl appeared. She was a pretty girl too. Her hair was in two thick braids with bangs so long they covered on of her eyes, which were the exact color of crystals. He assumed. He'd never actually seen a crystal.

He was nervous all of a sudden. He didn't want to be here. Girls weren't supposed to be… like this. They were supposed to be cootie monster freaks.

No, no, no. This was all wrong.

Before he could march up to his dad to tell him he was not staying here, and would put up with Snotlout if it meant getting out of there, his dad was gone.

Darn it.

"Hey. Are you Hiccup?" She knew who he was? How?

He panicked. How was he supposed to answer? Obviously he was supposed to say "yes", but how?

She started staring at him weirdly and he finally said, "Yeah."

Idiot!

"You're the chief's son, right?"

He didn't trust himself to not say something stupid, so he went with a nod.

She looked at him for a second and smiled. "You wanna play?"

Hiccup grinned and enthusiastically nodded.

"What do you wanna play? You wanna play Vikings versus Dragons? That's my favorite game!"

Hiccup fought to keep the smile on his face. He hated that game. Every time he played it with Snotlout and the twins they made him be the only dragon and made fun of him for losing. Hiccup didn't want to think Astrid was the same, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"I'm tired of that game. How about we play pretend?"

Astrid looked skeptically at him. "Okay… what's that?"

"It's anything you want it to be." He smiled wide at her, hoping he was being convincing. "So?"

"What do you mean 'anything you want it to be'?"

"You're asking too many questions. You have to use your imagination. Like… we could be explorers searching for… um, a new land! Or we could be brave Vikings sailing to the dragon nest!" He was excited now. He had thought of this game off the top of his head, but now he really wanted to play it with someone. He just hoped she did too.

She smiled. "Yeah! Can we search for the dragon nest? That sounds like fun!"

He nodded eagerly, ready to get started.

"C'mon, let's go outside. It's too small in here." She pulled him by the hand and they both ran out the door.

They found a grassy spot behind Astrid's house and decided to play there.

From there they sailed all the way to the dragon nest, slaying dragons together along the way. They made it to the nest and chased away all the dragons. Hiccup had so much fun he forgot he spent his whole day with a girl.

Eventually, the day came to an end and he had to go home.

"Had fun, Hiccup?" His father asked him on the walk home.

"Yeah!"

"With a girl?" Stoick smiled smugly as Hiccup blushed, but the boy nodded anyway.

"Yeah." After a few seconds he said, "Can I go back tomorrow?"

Stoick smiled. He was glad his son found friend. "You can go back tomorrow."

Hiccup smiled and ran giddily back home. Girls weren't that bad.