Hello again! First off I just wanna say thank you to everyone, the feedback has been incredible! Sorry, it's taken me a while to post an update, it's been crazy in my life lately.

A little fun fact about me is I listen to music a lot. Pretty much 24/7, and it's a huge inspiration for me. And this particular story was inspired by 2 particular songs:

Almost (Sweet Music) by Hozier

Guiding Light by Mumford and Sons

From this chapter on out if you'd like, take a listen to those two to set the mood of the story. Also! If you'd like to see anything in particular in the story just leave a review or PM me, I could use the inspiration from you guys as well! I will not be writing any um... sexual things, I'm afraid. I'll hint at it (eventually) but nothing in depth.

Here we go!

Chapter 5

Anxious wouldn't be word Astrid would use to describe herself, but it's the word anyone else would use. The only thing she's heard from Hiccup was a friendly "thank you again for having me over" text message about 15 minutes after he left her apartment. She followed it with "of course, I'm glad you came!" then nothing else after that. And it was driving her crazy, though she would never let anyone see that. The dinner was 2 nights ago, so 2 whole days without a single form of communication. She was starting to think she might have scared him off. Or he wasn't doing that stupid "wait 3 days" thing.

Astrid completed her days with her usual routine which consisted of a run, school prep work, lunch with either Heather or Eret and then a lot of just hanging around and trying to keep herself busy. Currently she and Heather were at the Rec Center on campus playing a little one on one basketball, which Astrid was clearly winning.

"Why do you have to be so good at everything?" Heather mumbled as she walked to grab the ball from the corner of the court and bouncing it to Astrid.

"I'm not, just quick on my feet." Astrid dribbled past and shot the ball into the hoop.

"Okay, I'm done! This isn't fun anymore!" Heather exclaimed while throwing her hands in defeat. "This is why I chose a theatre major, not good with contact sports."

"In order for it to be a contact sport, it actually has to make contact with you." Astrid grinned at her, poking fun at her friend. She was thankful that Heather pulled her away from her apartment. She didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to become 'that girl' who checks her phone every 5 minutes for a new text message or a missed phone call. There's nothing wrong with doing that, it's just not Astrid. She doesn't wait around for anything, she just goes and gets it herself. So you can see why it didn't make any sense to her why she can't bring herself to text him for coffee first.

"Astrid, I'm sure he'll call." She looked up to see that Heather was standing in front of her now looking at her friend with a careful expression.

"I know, I'm not worried about that." She lied.

"Mhmm, okay then." Something in her voice made Astrid look up and she saw a smug smile playing at her lips.

"What? I'm not!" Astrid pressed her first statement.

"I said okay! I totally, 100% believe that you are not worried about it." Sarcasm dripping off every word.

"Whatever." Astrid dribbled the ball around the court trying to shake her mind.

"A, what is it about this guy that has you acting like this?" Honest curiosity took over her tone as she followed her.

"I don't know, Heather. I can just tell he's going to be important somehow, though I don't know how." Astrid mumbled, confused by it all herself. She heard Heather take in a quick gasp and looked at her friend trying to not let a goofy smile take over her face. "No, Heather, please don't. You know I'm not one for all this 'lovey-dovey' boy talk."

"I'm sorry, I'm just excited for you! This is the first guy that's really caught your eye! Though, I can't see why he wouldn't. With those eyes, I'm surprised he doesn't have girls lined up at his door to try and get hold of his fantastic backside-"

"Ok. WOW. Noticed all that didn't you?" Astrid interrupted. "Would you like me to plan your wedding?" Casting a sideways glance to her.

"No need, I've already planned everything." Heather grinned linking arms as they walked off the court. Astrid pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the still blank screen and sigh. "How about we grab dinner to go and head back to my dorm to watch a movie?"

"I think that sounds great." Astrid signed. She knew she needed a distraction, and she was thankful Heather asked if she wanted to hang out or else she might have convinced herself into something doing something crazy. Like walking straight to his door and demanding why he hasn't text or called her yet. Did he not think the same thing as she did? Does he not see?

It was starting to get dark outside as they walked to Jays Diner to grab dinner. The campus was starting to become more alive with students moving in and hanging out in preparation for the start of school in a few days. Astrid's mind wondered to Hiccup again and where he could be and what he was doing. She's really got it bad for this kid, and she doesn't even know his last name.

As they were seated Heather told her all about the theatre program and the news to be shared there. She told Astrid her hopeful list for the upcoming Fall productions, and she was going to audition for the musical that was set to show in November. While she was talking Astrid's phone starting ringing from its place in the middle of the table.

"Is that him?!" Heather must have seen the sudden terror and joy mixed on her face.

"What do I do?" She asked out loud, though she meant it to only be in her head.

"You answer it!" She said it like it was so obvious, though Astrid still wasn't sure. Why was she so nervous?

"You better do it quick. It's going to go to voicemail."

"Okay, I'm gonna answer it." She picked it up, "Hello?" She answered the phone.

"H-hey! You picked up." A bright and nasally voice came from the other side. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, no! Just at Jays with Heather." Astrid tried her best to ignore the the fact that Heather was now on the same side of the booth trying to lean in and listen to their conversation.

"Ah, I gotcha." He said with a shaky laugh. "Well, I just was calling to say hi and see how you were doing and-" he paused for a second, and Astrid's heart almost jumped out of her chest. "And, I was wondering if you would maybe want to grab breakfast with me tomorrow?"

"Yes!" She blurted out a little too quickly. "I mean, yeah. That sounds like fun!" She tried recovering her burst.

Astrid could feel his smile from the other end of the phone. "Really? Okay, then! Um, I'll pick you up at 7:00? Is that too early?" He asked, and she could imagine him running his hand through his hair. A trait she's starting to really enjoy.

"No, not at all! 7:00 it is." She tried her best to hide the fact that she couldn't stop smiling, and that Heather was practically jumping out of the skin with excitement.

"Okay. 7:00, then. I can't wait. I'll see you soon, Astrid." And with that, her stomach fluttered, a feeling she wasn't sure about yet.

"See you tomorrow, Hiccup." She ended the call and turned to Heather who was waiting very impatiently.

"So?! What's tomorrow at 7:00?" Her friend pressed.

"We're going to get breakfast." Trying her best to sound as casual as possible. Heather looked ready to burst and let out a small, but a rather loud squeal. "Would you quiet down? People are starting to stare."

"I'm so excited for you!" Heather grabbed her arm and made no effort in lowering her voice. Astrid really didn't mind, she was used to her friends tend to get overexcited about things. It's one of the reasons they got along so nicely, they equaled out each other. "So? Do you know where you're eating? Where you're going to hike? You must really like this guy, I don't think I've ever seen you up willingly before 9 am unless it had something to do with school."

"Okay, not fair! I was up at 6 the other day, and I went for a run." Astrid defended herself, though there was some truth to Heather's statement. "I don't mind getting up early at all, I can be a morning person when I choose to be."

"Which you haven't. Ever." She pointed out. "Not until now, anyway, which means this boy has you all hot and bothered." Heather wiggled her eyebrows and Astrid suppressed an eye roll.

"It's not like that at all. Yes, he is cute and charming but there's no way of knowing if he thinks the same of me. So as of now, friends. That's it." She said in a stern, convincing voice.

"Mhmm, okay. Not like you haven't been dying for this moment when he would call you and ask you-"

"And we're changing the subject now." Astrid cut her off. "I found a new chair for my living room." She was grasping at anything to get Heather's mind off of what just happened.

"Really? What color? And also, this conversation isn't over. I'm crashing at your place to help you get ready in the morning. Astrid didn't even bother arguing, she knew she could convince heather any other way. But in a weird way she was thankful for her being there. They finished their dinner, the Hiccup conversation on hold until the morning.

—

"Okay, you can do this. No reason to be nervous, you've eaten breakfast before. This is no different." Astrid told herself. It was almost 7:00, and Heather had already left after helping her get ready (despite Astrid's many attempts of telling her she didn't have too). They both decided on something simple: white tank top, blue and green plaid shirt, and forest green shorts with tennis shoes. Astrid pulled her long blonde hair into a French braid that fell between her shoulder blades and tried to stay calm. She had no clue where they were going which is adding onto the nervousness.

She grabbed her small backpack that held her keys, wallet and a few other necessities and a bottle of water and walked out of her door. They agreed, later on, to meet outside, since they lived so close to each other. She walked down the stairs to find Hiccup walking back from the direction of the dog park with Toothless on a leash not far behind.

When she saw him all of her nerves and thoughts managed to subside. She watched him talk and play with Toothless on their short walk back and she immediately knew they were the best of friends which made his appeal factor raise 100%. He raised his head and caught her eye.

"Hey! There you are." He had a beaming crooked smile that made her loose feeling in her legs.

"Here I am." She shrugged and smiled at him. "Hey, Toothless." She reached down to pet him and he wagged his tail and pressed his head into her hand.

Hiccup chuckled, "I guess you two didn't get a formal introduction. Astrid, this is Toothless. Toothless, Astrid." He waved his arms between the two of them.

"It's very nice to meet you." She squatted down on his level to scratch both ears with both hands, and toothless curled into her lap, his tongue hanging out as he enjoyed the attention.

"I don't think I've ever seen him take to someone so easily." Hiccup commented. "Usually he's stand-offish at first, then turns into the huge teddy bear you see here." He had a look of adoration on his face which made her blush, and they hadn't even been together for 5 minutes. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's do it." She told him. He leads the way to his car, which was a green Jeep Patriot that had a little paint peeling off the sides, and opened the passenger door for her. She hopped in with a 'thank you', and he returned it with a smile and closed the door. He opened the rear door for toothless and got in the driver's seat and started the engine. "So, where did you have in mind for breakfast?" Astrid asked, curious. There weren't many places close to campus.

"There's a place I found a few months ago, it's kinda a surprise." He shot her a grin. "But it's a drive away. About 30ish minutes or so. Is that okay?" His tone was careful and timid as he asked glancing at her for approval.

"Of course, I'm always up for an adventure." She gave him a smile and he seemed to relax a little.

"I should have asked you sooner, but I also wanted it to be a surprise. Better to beg for forgiveness, I guess." He chuckled. "Here, I brought you a bottle of water for the trip. And a breakfast bar in case you were starving." He handed them to her, and she her heart swelled a tiny bit by the kind gesture. This guy was already so different than anyone she's ever met.

"Thank you, that was very nice of you." She took a sip and looked outside of the window. They were driving away from the university and blurs of trees passed outside the window. They rode a little while in comfortable silence before Hiccup broke the silence.

"Do-" He cleared his throat, "Do you mind if I put music on?"

"Go ahead." They exchanged smiles and he plugged in his phone to the radio. A familiar song came through the speakers, but it took a second for her to place the name. He looked at her for approval of the music, he must've noticed her slight confusion.

"Is Dave Matthews okay?" He asked, slightly worried he chose the wrong music.

"That's who this is! I was trying to place the band, I love this song." She grinned to herself sitting back enjoying the music.

"Really?" He beamed, "Dave Matthews Band is my all time favorite. I love all of his songs. He just has this way with lyrics and he's the most talented guitarist that I know of. I'm so glad you like this." He was looking at her like it was Christmas morning, his face was so bright his smile was wide. He let out a little laugh and turned up the music. "Do you know any other songs?"

"I mean, just the usual songs. The ones on the radio and a few others. I think my favorite is called 'Why I Am'. My uncle plays that one album they have a lot." She informed him.

"My moms from the New Orleans area so growing up I always needed up listen to this type of music. It kinda reminds me of home, ya know?" He features fell into a content expression as he drove along and she couldn't help but stare at him a little longer. She's never really thought of Dave Matthews as a band that is someone's favorite, just a band that plays quietly in the background or on the radio. But he looked so relieved and happy that someone else knew his favorite band, let alone someone who actually enjoyed them. Some unfamiliar song played on the radio while Hiccup sang quietly along. She glanced behind her in the backseat to check on Toothless, and when he noticed someone looking at him he jumped and put his face in her shoulder.

"Hey, bud!" Hiccup laughed. "Let's not slobber on her already, we need her to like us." The both of them laughed at his statement and they rode along. Two more songs played before they reached where they were eating.

"No way, I love this place!" Astrid exclaimed when she saw the building. "My mom use to take me here when I was little all the time, she uses to work at the hospital just right up the street." Hiccup parked and she went to open her door, but before she could he was there opening it for her and helping her down. He reached out for her hand and she grabbed it she seemed to lose the feeling in her arm. She looked down at their hands and noticed his hands weren't as rough as she would have thought with him studying to be engineering, they were soft and warm and welcoming. He let go too quick for her liking but decided it was best. 'We're just friends, I don't even know for sure if this is a date.' She reminded herself.

"I'm not going to lie, I kinda wanted it to be a surprise. I found this restaurant a few weeks ago because they allow dogs on their patio, and their omelets are to die for." Hiccup said as he opened the back door and Toothless sprang out of the truck, Hiccup had to jog a little to catch up with him. "Toothless enjoys them too, and just can't wait as you can tell!" He called over his shoulder to her. She laughed and started walking to catch up with them. The greater must've recognized Hiccup because she gave him a little too friendly of a smile and looked between the two of them with the faintest look of disappointment, but Astrid could have imagined that. She led them to a booth on the patio, handed them their menus and said their waiter would be with them soon.

"This is a surprise though, I haven't been here in years," Astrid said while looking at the menu. "And I've grown to like more breakfast foods other than waffles, and everything looks amazing. You mentioned the omelets?"

"They're our favorites!" He smiled down at Toothless, who was laying under the bench Hiccup was sitting on. "But the skillets are also very good. The farm fresh is probably the better one."

The waitress came to the table with a pot of coffee and a smile. "Hey there, stranger. How's it been? We haven't seen you in a week." A pretty, older lady came to the table. "Hey there, Toothless." He barked in response and she smiled at Astrid, obviously waiting for Hiccup to introduce themselves.

"Hey, Sarah! Yeah, busy moving into my new place, couldn't make it over this way." He chuckled, and the waitress glanced to Astrid. "Oh-this is Astrid, my-my friend." Sarah reached her hand towards her.

"It's nice to see our Henry here has brought someone else besides Toothless." Sarah laughed and put her hand on Hiccups shoulder while he blushed. "Do you want your usual order?"

"Yes please, but with ham." Sarah poured them two cups of coffee and asked if Astrid needed a minute to look over.

"I think I'll have the farm fresh skillet, it came recommended." She handed Sarah her menu and Sarah went to place the order. She looked to Hiccup to find he was staring at her. She glanced down slightly embarrassed and took a sip of her coffee.

"How are your eyes that blue?" He was leaning on one hand with a dreamy look. Her head snapped up and his arm fell from his chin, knocking over his cup and hot coffee went across the table into her lap. She gasped at the sudden warmth on her shirt and in her lap, and reached for the cup. "Oh-oh my gosh. I'm SO sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean too! I don't know why I said that or did that. I'm sorry, here let me help." He stood up to grab more napkins from the waitress, and came back and handed her a ridiculous amount. She stared at him for a second and then burst into laughter. She tried to calm herself, but couldn't help herself. The poor look on his face with both adorable and priceless.

He stood there, tall and awkward, holding the pile of napkins. "Hiccup, thank you, I'm sorry-" she went into another fit, it must have been contagious because soon Hiccup was laughing along with her. They were now on the same side of the booth laughing so hard they had to hold onto each other for support. When the laughter subsided Hiccup was holding her arm and she was very aware of how close he was. He cleared his throat.

"I really am sorry." He was looking in her eyes. "This date is already off to a great start." He said with a sarcastic undertone.

"This is a date?" She questioned him, with a quirk in her eyes. He looked ready to pass out then, but held his ground and adverted his eyes a bit.

"Yea-yeah, I'm mean...if you want it to be." He looked hopeful and so adorable she couldn't hold back the huge smile that spread across her face.

"I would like that very much." They probably seemed silly to everyone around them, but at that moment neither one cared. They were interrupted with someone close by clearing their throat.

"Henry, what are we going to do with you?" Sarah laughed, placing their food on the table, which caused more laughter from the two.

The rest of the date went smooth, they ate and talked about anything and everything. When Hiccup dropped her off at their complex she found herself eager for the next time they would see each other. After all, he promised it would be soon.