(A/N) Finally another chapter! This one was inspired by a reviewer's comment on one of my smut-shots

Story Idea-Hiccup Haddock, once a slave and now a free member of the Hofferson clan, must adapt to normal life as a viking and figure these feelings towards his new 'friends' out.

Story Idea Timeline-The teens are 17. HTTYD universe but an AU where Valka stopped the dragon war, not Hiccup.

Warnings/Details-Mentions of slavery, scars, and some non-graphic depictions self harm. Hiccstrid!

Hiccup Haddock. The quite boy who slept on a pallet in her bedroom, always afraid he'd make a mistake, always skittish towards others. Especially her parents.

Astrid's parents had been on a hunting trip when they went to a trading island for supplies after their ship got a hole in the side. They'd been able to go hunting for sport much more often now that the war was over. Dragons and humans didn't fight anymore ever since Valka Haddock had taught her husband how to reach the dragon's nest. They'd hesitantly agreed to team up with the dragons in order to destroy the queen, and had succeeded. Later on they parted ways with the dragons, letting them come and go as they pleased. Some vikings, especially fishermen and loggers, trained their own dragons to help them with their work.

Astrid's parents had seen a slave boy under the care of an abusive owner, covered in bruises from head to toe and hardly able to walk on his metal prosthetic without collapsing because he was so underweight. They knew he was a slave because of the chain around his neck.

Hiccup's master had taken him to that same island for sale, unable to support him any longer. Hiccup hadn't fought, hadn't cried. He'd just stood there, accepting his fate and knowing he would be hurt by another master as soon as he was cleaned up.

Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson had offered to buy him. Berk did not believe in slave trade, so they planned on buying him so he could live a free man. Of course, to prevent him from being captured again once the slave owners knew it was all a ploy, they'd have to have the paperwork saying he was legally their slave, and live under their roof.

Once he'd gotten home, Stoick and Valka recognized Hiccup as their son who had been kidnapped when he was five years old. Stoick said Hiccup would have to be a part of the Hofferson clan so if any foreign traders or other tribes came to Berk, no news would escape that Hiccup had been bought for a cheep price only to be set free. He would not be able to be Stoick's heir, which was why Stoick and Valka now had a three year old son named Hayden. The boy absolutely loved Hiccup, and Hiccup tried to make their interactions as un-awkward as possible.

For a man to earn his freedom cost a hell of a lot more money than it did for said man to be bought.

So Hiccup stayed in Astrid's room. It took weeks for the Hoffersons to convince him he didn't have to clean everything and he wasn't a slave to them, but rather family. Hiccup was shocked when Agnar Hofferson-Astrid's father-and Ingrid Hofferson, her mother, told him they accepted him as a part of their clan even if he was the Haddock's son, he was completely bewildered, having bore a slave mark on his skinny chest since he was five years old and so used to being a piece of property he was.

Hiccup didn't have a relationship with his parents at all. Valka would invite her son over for dinner at times, there was a spark in Hiccup's eyes he didn't have if he wasn't with her, and he allowed her to hug him which was something he didn't really like to do, but other than that there was nothing. It made since because he didn't have any memories of them.

Astrid was the only other person Hiccup would allow to hug him. Like a select few people on Berk, though there weren't many, he had a dragon of his own. A Night Fury named Toothless. He said one of his mistress' had bore a child-his child in fact-and her father was going to kill the boy. Hiccup had ran away with the child, dead set on saving him, and had met Toothless. He used the Night Fury to help him get the baby to another island who accepted dragons named 'The Defenders Of The Wing'. He'd flown back to his master after watching the queen find the baby and swaddle him, those people being his only source of survival he knew as he had no idea how to hunt, cook, or sew. He hid Toothless well before he ran back to his house.

Hiccup's owners were furious he'd escaped and beaten and burned him. He'd gotten an infection in his left leg as a result which had to be removed. Hiccup was thirteen then, and Astrid could only imagine a child going through such a procedure without anyone being there for them. Thank Thor Hiccup and Toothless were both here now.

Hiccup was 17 now, as was she, and they'd developed what could only be called a fragile friendship. They'd go on flights with Toothless and Astrid's Deadly Nadder who's name was Stormfly. When Agnar and Ingrid were gone they'd eat dinner together in the great hall. Astrid's friends would sometimes join them, but were mostly too afraid to get near the new boy in the group who was so skittish. Normally they ate alone, one of each friend coming to visit on different days. Hiccup had bonded with one other group member, Fishlegs Ingerman, who agreed to teach him how to read which Hiccup was beyond happy to take up.

It had now been exactly four months since Hiccup had been rescued. He ate dinners with the Hoffersons when Astrid's parents were home, and had learned to take up normal supportive chores like Astrid, rather than cleaning everything without reward like a slave would. He'd taken up forging with Gobber as his slave masters had taught him how to blacksmith so he could fix their weapons for war with other tribes. Despite that being such a not-so-great experience in the past because he was so overworked, when it was just him at his own pace he really loved to smith.

"Can't sleep?" Astrid asked in a low voice. Her parents were out on a fishing trip, so tonight it was just her and Hiccup. Though the sun had gone down hours ago, there was a storm going on outside which was keeping Hiccup awake. Astrid herself couldn't sleep because she was afraid for her parents out there on the water.

"Not really." Hiccup had had his eyes closed, wrapped tightly in the blankets on the floor, but somehow his roommate knew he was awake. He tensed a little in his skin, at first worried she'd be upset with him or not going to bed when he was supposed to, though those instincts soon faded when he remembered exactly where he was, and that Berk didn't believe in slave trade.

Astrid nodded her head, spotting the tensity in his muscles. Thunder sounded, lightning flashing in the distance. Hiccup whined almost silently in the back of his throat, clutching the blankets tighter.

He'd told her a few days before when another storm was hitting Berk that he was afraid of thunder. The fear wasn't necessarily because he thought it could hurt him, but because it reminded him of things that had hurt him, like whips, or the sound of clutter falling to the ground after he accidentally dropped something in weakness, which ultimately led to him being punished.

Hiccup slept shirtless, having gotten to used to sleeping half naked as a slave do to not wanting to get blood on his only shirt. He still wore his long leggings, and never took his prosthetic off. Astrid could clearly see his scars. Whip marks, burns, cuts, scalds, and even some she couldn't quite figure out.

Deciding she had enough of watching Hiccup shake and shiver in fear and probably cold, Astrid moved from her bed and down to the floor. She touched Hiccup's shoulder gently, not wanting to startle him when she embraced him. The boy made no motion of protest or agreement when he arms silently wrapped around his mid torso, holding him from behind as they lay on the floor-bed.

Eyes clouded, Hiccup brought his thumb up to his mouth where he chewed the nail. He tended to chew his nails until they'd bleed when he was stressed or fearful, and would occasionally rub small spots on his palms or wrists raw when he was panicked but refused to show said anxiety. He'd told Astrid the reason for this was because he had always had some sort of cuff, chain, or steel rope wrapped around his wrists growing up, sometimes having weights attached to them to keep him from trying to escape open areas like the forge. Now that they were no longer there, he just felt too light, and it felt wrong. He needed some sort of pressure, weight, or pain there. When he was stressed he just couldn't escape that desire, and had to do something that made him bruise like the steel ropes, or rubbed his skin like the cuffs would.

"Stop that." Astrid grabbed his wrist when she saw Hiccup was about to bite his nail too deep, restraining him there with her head on his shoulder while she lay behind him on her side.

Hiccup's eyes widened, goosebumps raiding his skin and a small gasp escaping his lips when she held his wrist and mid torso tighter. He was afraid she would hurt him, even after being her roommate for so many months.

Yet, he realized something else. Something comforting. The pressure on his wrist, the way she held him, her hand wrapped around the skinny limb, while she lay behind him comforted him in the same way causing pain or pressure himself would.

"O-Okay." Hiccup mumbled, never one to talk back after the experiences that act had led to in the past. Astrid smiled warmly and started to let go. She was surprised when Hiccup's hands followed hers, chasing her strong grip on him, as if he wanted it.

But he hates being restrained. It scares the shit out of him. Astrid thought to herself, confused with an eyebrow raised.

"Are you okay Hiccup?" Hiccup said nothing in return, eyes clouded and face expressionless as if he hadn't heard her. Nonetheless, Astrid squeezed his wrist tighter, holding him like he apparently wanted her to. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, his form relaxing ever so slightly.

A thought struck her, one that made her feel stupid for not realizing it sooner.

"You like having something wrapped around your wrists. You know I don't want you to hurt yourself, so you want me to hold you instead." Hiccup nodded his head, turning to look at her over his shoulder. Astrid tugged on his wrists, wanting him to role completely onto his other side. Hiccup-having been taught all of his years not to ignore a young woman's wants no matter the situation-did as she was silently asking.

As soon as Hiccup was on his right side, now facing Astrid while the both lay on the floor together, she took both of his wrists in hers, squeezing tightly. Hiccup hissed, almost as if he was in pain, but then he closed his eyes for a few seconds as if he was in peace. When he opened them again he gave her a small smile.

"Thank you Astrid." Astrid smiled at him, nodding her head to tell him it was no problem. She let go of his wrists despite his silent protests, instead holding him by his midsection and hugging him close.

Hiccup gasped in surprise, at first tense as if in shock. His eyes were wide as he gazed over Astrid's shoulder, gulping audibly as she continued to hold him.

Hands not knowing exactly what to do, Hiccup let on lay on the back of her right shoulder, the other on her lower left hip. He lay his chin on her shoulder, shaking in his skin when another bout of thunder roared overhead. He tried to bite his nails once more, but quickly stopped when the girl holding him squeezed him a little too tightly, warning him not to.

Eventually his breathing evened out. Astrid smiled when Hiccup hugged her a little less awkwardly, relaxing in her arms with his hands still hesitantly touching her back.

"It's no problem Hiccup. I don't mind helping you. You've been through enough. Now it's my turn to do something to prevent more from happening to you."

Hiccup smiled warmly, ducking his head when a blush took over his cheeks for reasons he didn't quite understand. He held her closer, silently hoping she didn't want to go back to her bed because damn he was reveling in having someone else down on his level for once, someone who wasn't another slave.

"Can I tell you something Hiccup?" Astrid asked, her voice now hesitant and slightly small, though she tried to sound confident. Hiccup didn't quite understand why she asked because he knew she knew he wouldn't deny her requests, even if he was considered free to an extent nowadays.

"Yeah. Uh-huh. Sure." Hiccup stuttered out, not quite knowing how to cope with the feelings that washed over him when she held him tighter, nuzzling his sensitive, scarred neck. Pretty much everything was scarred that wasn't his face.

"I think...I think I like you, if only a little bit. I think I really do like you Hiccup, but I didn't want to tell you because it's only been a few months."

Hiccup blushed deeply. If Astrid was going to confess her feelings to him, of course she wasn't going to beat around the bush. She was going to be blunt and strait forward because that's just who she was.

"The last time a woman took interest in me..." He trailed off, not wanting to explain any further as he had already told her these stories before.

Astrid looked saddened, her features falling and eyes fluttering closed while she held him tighter. At least she wasn't angry with him, he thought.

"I'm not like that. I don't just like you because of the way your body looks Hiccup." The boy in her arms only responded with a raised eyebrow, seemingly genuinely confused by her answer.

Astrid sighed deeply, feeling saddened by his response. How much had this 17 year old boy really been through in his short life?

"What I mean is...I like you because you're a very kind young man. You're strong, but you don't boast like Snot, and you aren't constantly competing with me like most other vikings. You respect my parents, and you respect me."

Astrid sighed deeply, her breath tickling Hiccup's neck and making him shiver.

"I like you in the way a girlfriend or a wife would I think. I like you because I feel if I was ever going to expect someone to take care of me in a marriage, you would be my first choice. I trust that you would be able to do that, and I hate being far away from you."

She could almost see the gears turning in his head. Eventually, Hiccup looked back up at her, a small smile gracing his lips while his bangs fell partially over his forest green eyes.

They had that spark she rarely saw, the light clearing that fogginess away.

"I think...I think I like you too." Hiccup eyes suddenly widened, his cheeks blushing.

"If that is okay of course."

Astrid leaned forward, planting a simple, gentle, almost friendly kiss on his nose, not wanting to scare him away.

"It is. It really is."