Author's Note: Heyyyyyy, everyone and welcome back to another one-shot for "Sticks and Stones!" =D And...whaaaa?! Thirty reviews? =O Thirty. Reviews?! Wow! Thank you so much, you guys! =D I still can't believe how far this one-shot collection has gone; I literally still feel like I posted it yesterday...X)

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot, "Strong," and...yeah. X) I don't got anything else to say here. I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot!

Summary: Astrid is strong. But despite her bold nature, she does feel weak sometimes. Hiccup reassures her that she isn't. (RTTE.)

Strong

Astrid Hofferson was strong. Stronger than any other viking Hiccup had ever known.

Well, besides his father that is. But still, Astrid was strong. Fierce. Bold. Brave. And so many other amazing adjectives that Hiccup could think of. The Hofferson never lost control of herself in any dire situation. She always knew what to do, even if it seemed as if there was no way out of things. Nothing scared her, frightened her, and she wasn't the least bit malleable. No one could manipulate Astrid Hofferson. Her heart was brave and her soul as strong. She was passionate about everything that she did, and that was why Hiccup loved her. That was why he had fallen for her when they were only six. Astrid was dedicated and collected; she never seemed the least bit weak.

But sometimes—and those sometimes were very, very rare—Astrid would feel weak, and she hated that feeling. She hated feeling weak. Astrid had grown used to being strong and bold all the time; it was her nature. Nothing was supposed to get to her, and when things did, she would take her axe and slice through solid trees until she felt calm again. Whenever Astrid felt weak, she felt like she couldn't do anything. She felt helpless, and oh how she loathed feeling helpless. It was like having a thorn stuck in your leg, something that was not only painful, but annoying and irritating. And that was why Astrid had so meticulously crafted her barriers. Barriers that hid what she was truly feeling on the inside. Barriers that hid her vulnerability when she was feeling weakened. And for years, that had worked. No one had seen Astrid weak. No one had seen her scared or feeble.

No one…but Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third.

Hiccup could see through Astrid's act. To the Haddock, she was like glass; he could see right through her. He could tell when something was bothering her even though no one else could, which was why he was rather concerned when Astrid excused herself from dinner at the clubhouse when the conversation deviated to Viggo and his fishing boat that he had infected with the Scourge of Odin.

Having been the victim of the harrowing disease herself and having been the one to enter the ship and see all of those victims that Viggo had inflicted, Hiccup knew that it must have been difficult to sit through half of the talk about such things. Astrid was healed of the illness and infection, but Hiccup still worried about her, and he often asked if she was feeling alright when Astrid looked a little off on most days.

Knowing that Astrid would probably want at least a little bit of company, Hiccup left the clubhouse and shook his head when the twins suddenly launched in the question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. The two had been obsessed with the almost impossible question, and it caused rather heated arguments between them, Snotlout, and Fishlegs. Hiccup could hear Fishlegs begin his argument on why the egg had come first instead of the chicken when he reached Astrid outside. Her legs were dangling over the edge of the platform, and her hands were placed neatly in her lap. In the pale, ghostly moonlight, she looked beautiful. Hiccup shook those thoughts out of his head as he walked up to her. Astrid made no sound or movement that acknowledged him, but Hiccup knew that Astrid was aware of his presence. The young viking took the empty spot next to her and followed Astrid's gaze toward the ocean.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

Astrid drew in a long breath. Then, she breathed out. "No…"

"What's wrong? Are you sick? Do you have a fever?" Hiccup asked in a rush. He was about to place his hand on Astrid's forehead, and she pushed it away. She laughed softly.

"I'm not sick, silly," said Astrid. "I just feel…" she sighed. "I just wish I could have done more to help those people on the fishing boat…"

Hiccup felt himself falter. "Oh…Astrid, you know that it would have been too late—"

"I know," interrupted Astrid. "But Hiccup, you weren't there. All those people…all those innocent people…hurt by Viggo's hand. I just feel like I could have done something. But I just…ran out like a spooked Terrible Terror." Astrid balled her fists. "I should've done something. But instead, I freaked out and ran."

"Astrid, anyone who was in your position would have freaked out," Hiccup said. "I know I would've."

"But that's the thing, Hiccup," said Astrid. "In that moment I knew that I should have done something. Even as I flew back to the Edge, I knew I should have at least tried to do something to help those people. When I was infected with the Scourge, I couldn't believe how horrible it was. I felt like I was dying…"

Hiccup watched as Astrid shook her head. "I felt…weak. And that's how I felt back when I was in the ship. I was weak. Scared even. I freaked out when I should've been brave."

Astrid hung her head. "I feel like it's my fault that all those people died…"

Hiccup's heart almost stopped. Here was Astrid Hofferson, the bravest person he knew, calling herself weak and timid. And she blamed herself for what had happened to those people on the fishing boat. No, no. It wasn't Astrid's fault. It wasn't her fault at all.

Hiccup's hands grasped Astrid's shoulders, and he turned her to him. Her blue eyes were sparkling like sapphires, and her face—her beautiful face and features—were marred with sadness. Hiccup couldn't bear to see his best friend—maybe, possibly even more to him—in such a dejected state.

"Astrid…you're one of the strongest, bravest people I know," said Hiccup. "You going under that ship was something that I know I probably wouldn't have done. Heck, I don't think any of us would have gone down there. And you're right, I wasn't there to see what you saw, but I do know this…it wasn't your fault that those people suffered, Astrid. It's Viggo's. He's the one who set that ship up. He's the reason you got the Scourge. All of that torture just for one dragon…"

Hiccup's eyes flashed in the moonlight. "If there's anyone to blame for all of that, it's Viggo. It was all him."

Astrid was silent for some time. Then, she threw her arms around the auburn-haired viking, nearly squeezing him in a hug. Hiccup kindly returned the gesture, and Astrid was the first to pull away.

"You don't know how much I needed that," said Astrid. She smiled. "Hiccup…thank you."

Hiccup nodded. "Anything for you." He froze, and he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um…I mean…you're welcome."

Astrid laughed, and she placed a quick peck on Hiccup's cheek, which made him blin in surprise. The Hofferson said, "Why don't we go and stop the others from arguing before they start attacking each other?"

Hiccup had forgotten about the argument, and he was still a little dazed from Astrid's kiss. "Um…uh…yeah! L-Let's go do that."

Astrid pulled Hiccup up, and the two began to walk back to the clubhouse. Astrid sent a smile in Hiccup's direction every few moments, and he flashed one back to her. In those few moments in the moonlight together, Hiccup had felt a spark. A connection with Astrid. The young viking didn't know if she had felt it too, but he knew that she probably did.

For no one could miss the bold, strong feeling of love.