There was a mistake made in the last chapter that may have caused confusion, so just for clarification; Astrid's uncle is not dead, he's in a coma.

Thank you so much to the guest reviewer who brought this to my attention, I wish I could thank you in a proper pm, but alas, I cannot. Hopefully you will see this :)

Anyway, without further ado, chapter 28!


Astrid was discharged from the hospital only one day after being admitted. Her good health and physical fitness helped her recover more quickly than normal. The whole gang came to pick her up so I didn't really get to talk to her much, I didn't want to air her dirty laundry in front of everyone. It was almost eree how normal she was acting, I guess this wasn't new for her, just for me, but seeing her laugh and chat as if nothing was wrong made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. The idea that something like abuse would ever become 'normal' to her, made me even more uncomfortable.

"So, I think now's a good a time as any to celebrate exams finishing!" Snotlout called out excited as he drove the car. "What do you guys want to do? Pizza? A movie?"

"...Actually, I have some stuff I need to do, maybe we can do something tomorrow?" Astrid said looking down at her phone.

Tuffnut groaned. "Oh come on really?"

"School's out, we have all summer to celebrate, I just need a little down time okay?"

"...Guys, she just got discharged from the hospital, now is probably not the best time to be partying." I said looking over at Astrid. "We can do stuff when Astrid's better."

Tuffnut laughed. "Alright, alright, Romeo. We can wait a few days."

Snotlout pulled into the dorm parking lot and parked close to the door. "I'll plan something wicked for next weekend, then you'll have to come." He said as he stepped out of the driver's seat.

Astrid chuckled. "Okay, Snot, I'll be sure to keep next weekend open."

"Sweet!" He shouted punching a fist in the air. "We're going to have the biggest party of the year!"

Everyone shuffled out of the car and walked to our separate rooms. I stood lingering in my doorway as I watched Astrid step inside of her room and shut the door. Once I heard the door lock I sighed and moved to my desk.

"What's up with you? Is it something about Astrid?" Fishlegs asked, concern clear on his face. "You guys were acting kind of awkward at the hospital yesterday, and it doesn't seem much better now."

I sat down in my chair with a thud. "It's...complicated." I said quoting what Astrid had told me. "I can't really tell you about it."

"I'm sure she'll be fine dude. She's Astrid, she can deal with anything."

I nodded. "Yeah...I know she can."

Fishlegs eyed me. "Is it…not about the hospital? Are you guys fighting or something?"
"No...kind of…"

"Kind of what?"

"It's kind of about the hospital, and also kind of not about the hospital, and we're kind of fighting, but we're also kind of not fighting." I said exasperatedly.

"Wow." Fishlegs replied. "You weren't kidding when you said it was complicated."

"Unfortunately."

"Well...um, good luck I guess, I hope you figure it all out."

I sighed. "Me too."

Just as I moved to open up my laptop, the familiar sound of Astrid's door opening caught my attention. I stood up abruptly, startling Fishlegs, and rushed out the door. Astrid was there, locking her door, dressed in her casual clothes and ready to go out. As soon as she saw me looking down the hall at her she sighed and moved towards the stairwell, I immediately ran to catch up with her.

"Don't." She said firmly as I followed her down the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"It's not important."

As we turned the corner I rushed ahead of her and stretched my arms out to block her way. "You can't go there."

"Hiccup."

"I won't let you."

Her shoulders dropped as she was clearly annoyed. "You know perfectly well that I can easily get past you, so let's not do this right now."

"When then?" I asked. "Before or after your parents beat you up again?"

"Don't-!" She lowered her voice and glanced around the stairwell. "Don't say something like that out loud, and they're not going to beat me up, you don't know what you're talking about."

"How do you know that?" I retorted. "They've done it before."

"They don't do it that often, okay?"

"Oh, I see, they only hit you sometimes, that makes it much better." I said sarcastically.

"Look it's not a big deal, the school told them about my hospitalization, they're just worried about me. They're not going to hit me alright, now will you move already?" She explained.

I scoffed. "They're worried?"

"I told you, it doesn't happen a lot. Sometimes they just can't control their anger, and they're not angry today, but they will be if I'm a no show."

"The doctor said you had multiple bruises."

"Bruises last a while Hiccup, trust me, I know." My face crunched up into a deeper scowl. "From training! I don't have time for this, just get out of my way already!" She said quickly ducking under my arm and walking further down the stairs.

I turned around and ran after her. "If you're going to go no matter what I say, at least let me come with you."

"No." Astrid replied as she walked hastily.

"Astrid-"

"The answer is no, Hiccup" She said suddenly turning to face me. "And don't follow me, I don't want you anywhere near my parents. Ever."

"Why? What are they going to do? Hit me too?" I asked.

Astrid just turned back around and continued walking out into the parking lot. "No, of course not!"

I jogged after her. "What are you worried about then?"

"I'm not worried about anything."

"It certainly seems like you are."

She groaned in frustration and stopped walking again. "If you go, they're just going to ask you for money, and knowing you, you'd probably give it to them."

"Why would they ask me for money?" I asked. "Do they know who I am?"

"No, and I would like to keep it that way. I don't even want them to know I have a boyfriend at all, let alone a rich one."

"Why not?"

"Because they're going to ask you for money!" She yelled. "Every boyfriend, every friend, shit, even any random kid I worked on a school project with, my parents always asked them for money. Poor, rich, it doesn't matter. They'll ask anyone. But they don't deserve fuck all from you."

"...Why would I give them money?" I asked, my head was spinning, the more she talked the more confused I was. "Why would I give them anything?"

"They don't just ask for money, they give some sob story about their lives or try to convince you that I would be better off if you gave them money or some other bullshit. They'll say anything to get you cough it up."

"I won't give them money, you can tell them I'm whoever, just let me come with you."

Astrid shook her head. "If you don't give them money, they'll only take it out on me later. Just stay here Hiccup, I'll be fine." She then turned back around and walked towards the bus station.

I just stood there, at a complete loss. I didn't know what to do, I wanted so desperately to make the situation better but I had no idea how. It seemed like no matter what I said nothing would change Astrid's mind. I walked back upstairs, down the hall, and into my room.

"Are you alright?" Fishlegs asked.

I didn't reply, I just sat on the edge of my bed and covered my face. Toothless climbed into my lap and rubbed up against my stomach, he was probably trying to console me, but it didn't help me, not this time.


I sat on the bus. Frustrated. I wasn't quite sure if I was frustrated with him or myself, maybe it was a bit of both. We were just getting back to normal, Hiccup had been feeling weird about the olympics thing, we hadn't spent a lot of time together, but we worked through it. Now I had just fucked it up all over again. I knew he meant well, I knew he was trying to help, but he doesn't understand my parents, he doesn't understand the situation. I wanted him to understand me, understand why I was doing what I was doing, but I also wanted him as far away from this part of my life as possible.

The Astrid at school, she was strong, confident, and independent. This Astrid wasn't, and I didn't want anyone to see this Astrid, least of all Hiccup. I hated pity, I hated the way it made people look at you, the way people spoke to you, and the way you could feel everyone's eyes on burning into your back. Everyone treats you differently, and they think they're helping you by giving you their pity, but really they only make it worse. Because when people pity you, they don't respect you.

I sighed and leaned my head against the bus window, watching the buildings pass by. I watched as the buildings went from having pretty planters out front and big glass windows looking into neat shiny lobbies to being run-down with barred windows and graffiti.

"Welcome home." I muttered.


Astrid returned to school a few hours later, when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and saw that it was her, a wave of relief hit me. Those few hours were probably the most stressful anxiety ridden hours of my life. I knew that she had visited her parents many times before, but now that I knew what was going on, I couldn't help but imagine the worst possible scenarios over and over in my mind.

I quickly stepped out into the hall so she could see me. She looked at me, sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's go outside, we can talk there." Astrid then walked back towards the stairs and I followed after her. We went to the back of the building where hardly anyone ever went. As soon as we got there Astrid lifted up her arms. "Take a look if you want, they didn't do anything."

"Tell me what to do."

She dropped her arms and shot me a confused look. "What?"

"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Astrid sighed. "Hiccup, I don't want you to do anything."

"I can't just do nothing." I said. "I can't. Not while this is happening to you."

"I just want you to treat me like normal."

"Are you kidding? I can't even eat cereal like normal."

"Well that's what I want you to do." Astrid said looking off to the side. "I can't stand it when you look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you pity me."

"Astrid," I said taking a step towards her. "It's not pity, I'm worried. I'm so worried that I can't stopping thinking about what could happen, what already happened."

"Nothing happened." She said quickly. "Check if you want to, I'm perfectly fine."

"Astrid,"

"You asked me what I wanted you to do, this is what I want you to do."

I shook my head. "I can't do this."

Her face slowly crumpled up into a pained expression. "Then don't." She said turning to walk away.

"Astrid-" I yelled, grabbing her arm. "I didn't mean it like that, why are you taking it like that?"

"Taking it like what?"

"You know exactly what you're taking it as." I said. "I would never mean it like that, you should know that, Astrid, I-"

"Hiccup,"

"I love you."

Her expression was excruciating. "...Why are you saying this right now?"

"Right now is when I need to say it. Right now is when you need to hear it."

"No, it's not." She said turning her face away from me.

"Yes, it is." I insisted. "You need to know that people care about you, that I care about you. That I love you."

Sher shook her head. "Please stop."

"I can't stop loving you." I said trying to look at her face. "Even if I tried to, even if I wanted to."

"No, stop saying it."

"Do you believe me? Do you believe that I love you?"

"Just- stop."

"Astrid, believe me, I love you, please believe me."

"Please! Please, Hiccup, just stop. Please."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't want to do this right now."

"What's wrong with right now?"

Astrid laughed bitterly. "Everything is wrong with right now." She looked at my confused expression and shook her head. "You don't get it."

I moved closer and took her hand. "Then make me get it."

"...It's because I love you that I don't want you to see me like this." She finally admitted. "I don't want anyone to see this part of me, but you, I don't want you to see it even more. It's pathetic-"

"No it's not!" I said suddenly. "It's not pathetic at all, you're the strongest person that I know."

"That's exactly why, Hiccup." She said exasperatedly. "I'm the strong one, I'm the dependable one. I'm not supposed to be weak. The person that you love, I can't always be that person."

"Yes you can." I said firmly. "I love every person that you are."

She scoffed. "You can't know that."

"Prove me wrong then. Show me your worst parts, your ugliest parts. I'm confident, are you?" I squeezed her hand. "There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always."


Sorry for the very dialogue-heavy chapters, hopefully there should be more stuff happening in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to leaving a review!