=Normal POV=
(Friday, 10/27/2017-12:00 pm)
(Archian Island, Berk)
(Berkian Academy)

Nine days had passed since the one where Hunter admitted to only his father and uncle that he liked Nicole; between school, practices, and downtime, Hunter was working on gaining the courage to tell Nicole at the Halloween dance tonight, since they were going together. There was no guarantee they were going to get together, or that she even liked him back, but Hunter was hoping for the best outcome. Hunter was still dealing with feeling dizzy at random, but it seemed to happen more around practice time, so he wrote it as just doing a lot. A new development was heart palpitations, nothing major to Hunter as it only seemed to happen after doing the warmups jog with the team. Hunter would just drink water and take a breather with the rest of the team, and it would stop. Hunter figured it was just from being out of shape and he'd be fine once he got back into things. Right now, Hunter was at lunch with his friends and enjoying his food.

"So what's the plan tonight?" Heather asked.

"Yeah? Are we meeting up early to get dinner before the dance? Or should we bail the dance early and grab dinner then?" Raelyn wondered.

"Well…That's up to all of you. Hunter, Travis, and I have practice until 5 pm, then we clean up and shower," Shane reminded.

"Don't forget we're not even using the gym for this practice…" Travis remarked.

"Yeah, well be in the middle school one because the dance is being set up here," Shane sighed.

"No, they changed it back to ours," Hunter informed. "We just have to be ridiculously careful with the decorations when shooting. I guess the middle school is having their Halloween dance tonight as well, so they needed the gym,"

"Easier said than done…" Travis and Shane muttered.

"Wasn't my call to make, guys," Hunter shrugged.

"But you're captain…You should have some say," Shane replied.

"I'm captain of the team; I don't decide where practices and games are held," Hunter rolled his eyes.

"You're captain?" Nicole asked; her attention pulled from the book.

"He makes captain ever year; he's got the most experience," Travis chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me in all our conversations about your practices," Nicole giggled.

"I thought I had," Hunter said lightly. "But yeah, guys. Practice is still on in the gym at 3 pm, then while we're showering at 5 pm because coach plans to cut practice at 5:45; the dance committee is gonna come in to set everything up in an hour for the dance at 6 pm,"

"Why do you get told all this and not us?" Shane mumbled.

"Because I'm captain, it's my job to know and what difference does it make? I just told you, didn't I? You would have found out when we all met at the gym for 2:45 anyway," Hunter continued eating.

"It's gonna be madness to set everything up in one hour," Ashley stated. "You guys couldn't have practice outside?"

"It's freezing outside to be running around in tank tops and shorts, Ashley," Hunter remarked. "It'll be fine, everything is mostly set up already. We just gotta watch for the hanging décor,"

"Whatever you say," Ashley turned her head to continue eating her sandwich. Hunter fought glaring at her, despite being friends after the breakup; they still had their little fights with one another. Their friends didn't know what the cause of the breakup; Ashley and Hunter just told them that it wasn't working out and they were better friends than lovers. The friends didn't even question things anymore; they just laughed it off, but for an outsider who had never seen it before such as Nicole, she sensed a lot of tension between Hunter and Ashley. However, Nicole didn't feel it was her place to ask, or that this was the place to ask.

"We still on for tonight?" Hunter asked Nicole.

"Going to the dance together? Yeah. I'm just gonna stay here until it starts, so you don't have to worry about picking me up or my parents dropping me off," Nicole smiled. "I wouldn't mind a ride home, though?"

"I think I can manage that," Hunter nodded. "I just noticed that you're not reading the second book anymore…When did you finish it?"

"Oh, two days ago and slipped my mind to tell you because I was just so anxious to start the next. I'd finished it at night, and wasn't tired yet, so got started on the third," Nicole giggled.

"Nice. Well, you know what that means; we'll need to plan another movie night to do the second one," Hunter chuckled.

"I'm free all weekend, unless you've got stuff going on?" Nicole offered.

"Actually, I do. My uncle needs me at the shop, and the team has their first game…I think it's the first Saturday of November," Hunter mentioned. "Would you opposed to movie night during the week?"

"I'd…Have to ask my parents on that one," Nicole stated. "What about the Saturday, just after your game? I'm gonna be there anyway,"

"That is very true…I believe the game is scheduled for 11 am, and usually only last an hour and a half, so by 12:30 it would be over. Could do an afternoon movie?" Hunter nodded.

"We wouldn't be out until 1, maybe later. Don't forget the after-game meetings, and then showers," Travis said.

"Alright, so like…Let's say 1:30-2 pm?" Nicole offered.

"I think that works; we'll grab lunch on the way to my house," Hunter agreed.

"Okay, so while your plans are worked out now…Can we get back to where this conversation started?" Heather stated. "What are we doing for dinner on Friday?"

"I mean, I think that should be up to the individuals going. We're not all coming together, and some of us will already be here," Nicole replied.

"That doesn't really give an answer," Ashley said.

"How does it not?" Nicole looked at her now after slipping the marker in the book and putting it back in her bag. "If you're not going to be here, go get dinner. Hunter, Shane, and TJ will already be here for practice, and then showering. By the time that's all that done; it'll be closer to 6 pm and they likely won't have time to eat before the dance starts. Elijah, and Devon too, already here because they're the assistant coaches. Same as me, I'm just staying here, so I won't eat until I get home. If you're going home at 2:30; you've got…Like, three and a half hours to decide what to do for dinner. It doesn't have to be a group activity just because we're all going to be at the dance," she explained.

"What's your problem today? You seem really snappy," Heather asked.

"I don't have a problem, Heather. I'm just being me, and you know that I don't beat around the bush or sugarcoat things," Nicole informed. "If that makes me snappy or whatever…Well, I can't say I'm sorry because it's just who I am,"

"She wasn't snapping," Hunter defended Nicole now. "She was explaining what she said, as Ashley didn't get it. And Nikki is right, while a group dinner sounds nice; it's just not going to work that way because we all have different schedules. So you guys and girls, who have time to eat before the dance, go ahead. Or do something after, leave the dance early and go grab something. But, Nicole is right; we don't have to make it a group thing when we're already gonna be at the dance together,"

"We just thought it'd be cool to hang out more," Fisher mentioned.

"And that's a great idea, but maybe we pick a day where there isn't already so much going on. You figure we've got school from 7:30 to 2:30, then Shane, Trav, and I have practice til 5, and then the dance at 6 until 10, and we all have to be home by 11 pm for curfew," Hunter reminded. "Can't just throw something like that on someone," he added.

"He's right," Mindy nodded. "We can't just expect that everyone has the same schedule,"

"Hanging out is fine, but that's gotta be talked about and planned in advance," Nicole said as she cleaned up her area and sat back to grab her book and continue reading until the end of lunch. Hunter leaned back against his chair and looked over.

"What part are you on?" Hunter asked her. Nicole smiled as the two started talking about where she was in the third book of the Harry Potter series. When the bell rang, they moved to get to their next class and were looking forward to the dance tonight. Hunter planned to tell Nicole that he liked her, unknown to him that Nicole was going to tell Hunter that she like him.

. . .

(6:00 pm)

The day seemed to drag on after lunch; Hunter and Nicole both had a feeling that maybe their friends didn't like what they had to say regarding the hanging out situation, but they didn't feel bad over it because it was the truth. Hunter and Nicole finished their day, both stopped at the bathroom, and then went right to the gymnasium. Myra had taken Ashley, Heather, Mindy, and Raelyn home with her so they could all get ready for the dance together. Fisher took the bus, but obviously Shane, Hunter, and Travis stayed at school for practice. Just like at tryouts, Nicole only sat in an open seat and did her homework, then read her book until Coach Bludvist called practice over and let the boys go shower up and he'd relay necessary meeting information in an email since the dance committee needed to get started on the setup. Nicole waited outside the boy's locker room for Hunter and then they were basically first in line to enter the dance at 6 pm, which was now.

"You didn't bring your costume with you?" Hunter asked once they were in with their group of friends and Hunter noticed that Nicole never changed.

"I did, but they locked the girl's locker room and the other bathrooms were all being cleaned for tonight, so I didn't have a place to change," Nicole shrugged. "What? I don't alright like this?" she asked.

"No, no. You look great," Hunter smiled.

"So do you," Nicole replied. Hunter was dawning a Viking look for his costume(Think HTTYD 3 Hiccup's normal leather outfit only in brown, black, and gray).

"The bathrooms are open now, why don't you go change?" Raelyn suggested.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll wait for you in the hall," Hunter offered. "Then we can come in together," he chuckled.

"Alright," Nicole nodded as she and Hunter both exited through a side door and got into the hallway, moving to the nearest bathroom which was in D-Hall. "Be right out," she stated before slipping into the bathroom and got herself changed into her costume, which wasn't anything really different from her normal attire. Nicole quickly did her makeup and exited to find Hunter leaning against the lockers. "I'm ready,"

Hunter saw Nicole wearing a strapless black rosetic dress that was angled, showing her left leg above the knee, but the angle fell down the right, showing the ankle. Over the solid black dress was semi-see through layered cover that went down her arms, across her neck, and followed the same angle as the dress. Nicole finished the outfit with a red rose necklace on a gold chain, high-heeled sandals where the straps went up her ankle a bit. Of course, there was also the black outlined lips with deep red lipstick, and then a silvery eye shadow and black eye-liner in place too. Nicole didn't do much with her hair except let it down out of the braid, and Hunter could fully see the red streak that fell in front of her left eye with some of the black hair too.

"Wow," was all Hunter managed to get out.

"Too much gothic, or looking like I'm going to a funeral?" Nicole wondered.

"No, it's perfect. I was just…Floored by how beautiful you look," Hunter complimented. Nicole composed herself from the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks.

"Thank you," Nicole said. "Shall we…Get back inside?" she suggested. "Wouldn't want our friends to think we ended up leaving," she laughed a bit.

"I can just imagine our phones being blown up," Hunter rolled his eyes, but was smiling. "Milady," Hunter offered his arm to Nicole now; she could only giggled a bit, slipped her arm through and hold gently to his upper arm as they re-entered the dance after showing the stamp on their hands to prove they'd already turned in their tickets and checked in.

"Hunter! Nikki! Over here," Mindy called.

"Guess our friends found our tables for the night," Nicole stated. "Come on," Hunter led her over and pulled her chair out for her so she could sit down and then he grabbed the spot beside her.

"Nicole, you look awesome," Heather informed. "What are you going as? Vampire?"

"No, this is just another outfit I have. It's not a costume to anything in particular," Nicole responded. "Just figured it was more appropriate for a dance," she shrugged.

"Still looks good," Raelyn said.

"Alright, so what now?" Nicole asked.

"Now it's just sit around and talk or dance," Hunter remarked.

"Wow, that sounds boring," Nicole blinked.

"See why I never come?" Hunter laughed.

"Probably could have had more fun if we stayed home at your place to watch Harry Potter," Nicole smiled.

"Come on you two. We have more fun than that," Ashley sighed.

. . .

(7:45 pm)

After a short period, everyone seemed to have shown up, so the lights went down and the music was louder with more people up and dancing. The friends at the table were just sitting around and talking with some fruit punch, though Hunter and Nicole were just sitting back and watching everything as the conversation their friends were in wasn't really an interest of theirs. Right about now, it had been about two hours that they'd been part of this dance and were actually bored as hell.

"Can I ask what the point of coming to this dance was with them when none of them are even dancing?" Nicole leaned closer to Hunter so he could hear her over the loudness in the room.

"Just to hangout," Hunter replied. "Can hardly hear you. And feeling lightheaded from the heat, want to step out into the hall for a bit?" Hunter asked her. Nicole nodded as Hunter got up and offered his hand to her; she accepted it and rose to her feet.

"Where you two going?" Devon asked when Hunter and Nicole went to pass him while he was by the door.

"It's too hot in here, Dev; I feel lightheaded," Hunter admitted.

"I'm just going to make sure he doesn't faint or anything," Nicole said.

"I noticed you looked a little winded and dizzy during practice. Go on and get some air," Devon nodded. Hunter and Nicole exited into the hallway, where it was a great deal quieter.

"Thank Odin…I can hear myself think again," Nicole breathed out. "Are you okay? You mentioned being lightheaded,"

"It's nothing major, just the heat of the room. I probably should have chosen a more breathable outfit," Hunter chuckled a bit. "No, I'm okay. Just need a few minutes out here," he assured.

"Alright," Nicole went over to the water fountain to get a drink. "How can they think this is fun? Oh, my Gods…I have a better time showering,"

"I know, that's why I don't usually come to these things. It's nothing but loud, hot, and boring. And the music sucks," Hunter agreed. "My one exception is prom; I went last year. Wasn't fantastic, but still went since I'd already paid for my ticket,"

"The music wouldn't be so bad if they were playing things from our generation. But this is like…80's and 90's. Not saying it's bad; I do enjoy oldies from time to time…But this is relentless. Most aren't dancing because they don't really know this stuff unless they got stuck listening to it with their parents, like me," Nicole muttered.

"You and me both," Hunter nodded. "Like, give us something within the last five years,"

"I think it's because the DJ is basically in his grave," Nicole giggled.

"Yeah, he's pretty old and usually the pick of the school. I've seen him since starting high school at all the dances and what not. I think the only time we get someone different is prom," Hunter informed. "I don't think he has anything from this generation programmed either, people have been making requests and he doesn't have them,"

"Should we go back in?" Nicole wondered

"Probably. Students aren't supposed to be in the halls unsupervised too long. There's chaperones around the corner to make sure no one is just wandering the school and only coming out to use the bathroom or get a breather. That's why I told Devon because he'll report it on the radio that we've stepped out from one of the side doors where teachers aren't lurking, and he's still right there," Hunter pointed to Devon standing by the door. "There's been too many cases over the years with students leaving dances to smoke or have sex in the bathrooms. Some even sneaking in alcohol and getting drunk, so the staff has been cracking down on watch students,"

"Understandable," Nicole replied. "Well, let's return then," she smiled. Hunter nodded as they both re-entered through the door they left from.

"Feeling alright?" Devon inquired.

"Yeah, better. Thanks," Hunter stated as he and Nicole went to go back to their seats, but he noticed she was sort of smiling and humming along to the song currently playing.

"Talk about old," Nicole laughed.

"It's my parents' wedding song," Hunter smiled.

"It was my grandparents'. I'm just laughing because of all the reactions and not a single person is up dancing right now," Nicole giggled.

"Come on," Hunter offered his hand to her.

"What?" Nicole asked.

"Let's go dance to it; I bet we're the only ones who know it," Hunter suggested. Nicole contemplated it for a moment before nodded and taking his hand just as the lyrics were beginning. Hiccup led her onto the dance floor, but not too far away from their table with the friends.

"What are they doing?" Ashley asked.

"Who?" Heather wondered.

"Nicole and Hunter; they're on the dance floor," Shane remarked. "I think this is Uncle Spencer and Aunt Valerie's wedding song…" he added.

"But…Why would Nicole and Hunter dance to it? Who even knows this song; it's like Viking Age-old," Fisher mentioned.

"Well, people know it…But not the dance," Heather said.

"Well, I'm not passing up the opportunity to catch this on video," Raelyn grinned as she got her phone and set it to record, focused on Hunter and Nicole preparing to dance.

The song was For the Dancing and the Dreaming, but Hunter and Nicole rocked the song with the dance behind it. The two of them were laughing, smiling, and maybe even singing but it couldn't be heard over the music, despite the room being quiet from the shock that people were actually up and dancing to this. When the song ended, Hunter and Nicole surprisingly got applause from the other guests. Hunter and Nicole just smiled at one another, happy that they did the dance. As the two prepared to walk back to the table, Hunter stumbled a bit when a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Woah," Hunter tried to catch his balance, but Nicole made sure he didn't face plant.

"You okay?" Nicole asked gently.

"Yeah, yeah…Just…Got a little dizzy," Hunter waved it off with a smile.

"After a night of utter boringness, I guess one dance was too much excitement, right?" Nicole laughed as Hunter did too.

"Guess so," Hunter agreed. "I actually expected to have a miserable time tonight, but you've managed to make it tolerable and enjoyable. I feel I must thank you for that,"

"You're welcome," Nicole nodded.

It was happening again; the two of them were close like in the jeep and staring into each other's eyes. Hunter wanted to tell her he liked her, but he just could find the courage he needed to blurt it out to her. Nicole moved closer to Hunter, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down closer to her as she placed her lips on his in a light kiss. Hunter froze a moment, entirely shocked by the action, but he ended up leaning into it more and kissing her back. Their friends just sat there in complete surprise to see Nicole and Hunter kissing.