=Normal POV=

{September 2012}

Two months had gone by since the night of Fishlegs's and Heather's wedding. Camicazi had been staying clear of Hiccup, and had no means to contact him either. Astrid refused to be Camicazi's friend because of the lies Cami told her to locate Hiccup when Cami knew why he would talk to her. Heather, Fishlegs, Throk, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout still spoke to Camicazi, but it wasn't an everyday thing; perhaps just once or twice a week to see how everyone was doing. Fishlegs and Heather were enjoying being newlyweds, still living in their apartment, and working. Throk and Ruffnut were planning their wedding for April 2013, and it promised to be interesting too. Snotlout and Tuffnut were still only in the dating stages of their relationships with their girlfriends; Stilsta and Asta. Eret and Dahlia were married too now; they tied the knot a week ago, and were due back from their honeymoon in two days. Thuggory and Brittany were doing well, been back together for over a year. Cody and Kirsten were living together, still dating, but there was rumor he would be asking for her hand in marriage sometime in 2013.

However, Hiccup and Astrid remained single. Astrid continued to work and train for the next tryouts session for the racing league, and Hiccup helped her out with it to keep himself distracted from thinking about Camicazi. In August, just after the Ingerman wedding, Hiccup got emotional because it would have been five years with Camicazi, and they'd be engaged by now. Alas, it was Astrid to realized something might be bothering him when Hiccup took the day off work, and hadn't been answering phone calls or messages. Thuggory had gone to check on Hiccup, and proved Astrid's suspicions of Hiccup being upset because it was August 8th. Now, it had been seven months since the breakup, and Hiccup was doing a lot better as the time passed. Hiccup was back to doing things he loved to do such as draw, and take flights with Toothless while doing daring moves. Yes, everything was starting to turn around for him, and more-so because he and Astrid spent a lot of their free time together.

Today was more training for the racing league. Hiccup and Astrid met up with their dragons around 10 am at a training course in the city.

"Alright, where do we start this morning?" Astrid asked him.

"Well, the league looks for different aspects in people for the team such as; speed, discipline, appearance, health, and skill. Were you told why they didn't select you?" Hiccup inquired.

"No, but I feel like it was something to do with our times, and handling the course. I'm not great at sudden turns at full speed," Astrid stated.

"We can work on that. Stormfly is definitely in good health because she's still young, and I know you've trained her well; listening to commands isn't a problem either. Appearance, well, that can be worked on because it's mainly for you; color wise if you would," Hiccup informed while looking over Stormfly. "So, we can work on speed for now. Why don't you take Stormfly for a couple laps to warm up while I get my stopwatch ready, and then we'll do some time trials,"

"Got it. Let's go girl!" Astrid called to her Nadder. Stormfly squawked as Astrid got on her back, then they headed for the smaller track. Hiccup got his stopwatch ready on his wrist, then pulled out a few other things that could help Astrid train to make the racing league this time around. After ten minutes Hiccup signaled her over as she landed before him.

"The first part of any race by the league is eight laps with no obstacles. So, I want you to start here on the big track, and I'll time it," Astrid nodded to Hiccup as he got his finger on the start button. "Go!" he pressed it as Astrid zipped off. After she'd gone eight times past Hiccup, he stopped the clock. "Not bad. 3.47," Hiccup stated. "Regulatory times show you have to do at least eight laps in two flat,"

"I was going as fast as I could," Astrid sighed.

"It was only the first run. Let's give it another go; eight more," Hiccup wrote the first time down as Astrid nodded and prepared to take off once more. Hiccup sent her off with the click of a button. This same process repeated three more times, but Astrid could not complete the track in two minutes or less. Astrid landed, clearly disappointed in herself and getting down-hearted about it.

"It's no use, Hiccup. We just can't do it," Astrid looked down.

"You can. There are other Nadders on the team, Astrid. However, I think I may have found the problem," Hiccup said as Astrid looked at him curiously. "You hesitate on turns," Hiccup pointed out.

"I get nervous," Astrid looked down. "It's…the sharpness and her tilting at that speed makes me afraid to fall,"

"But it's slowing you down," Hiccup informed. "Your last time was 2.43, and we can knock off those previous forty-three seconds to make the max two minutes if you don't slow down on corners. Come on, you're almost there and we've only been here forty-five minutes,"

"I just…get scared, Hiccup. I-I don't want to fall. I did it once when I was sixteen, and got two cracked ribs because of it," Astrid explained.

"Astrid, you can't let one incident hold you back. Okay? I'm going to tell you something that my mother always told me; Never allow the fear of falling once keep you from flying again," Hiccup said as Astrid sighed. Hiccup looked at Toothless now, and whistled him over, then got on his back before offering his hand to Astrid. "Let's go,"

"G-Go where?" Astrid asked.

"The track of course. Now, come on. You trust me, don't you?" Hiccup inquired. Astrid took his hand as he pulled her up behind him. "Hang on," he instructed. Astrid locked her arms around his waist while Hiccup prepared the stopwatch once more. "Let's fly, bud!" Toothless gave a delighted roar before shooting off down the track. Reaching the first bend, Astrid held tighter as Toothless didn't slow down. Toothless tilted and turned to make the corner. After eight laps passed, Hiccup stopped the watch, then Toothless landed. Astrid lifted her head and looked at the time on the device. Thirty-five seconds! "If we can do it, so can you,"

"That's hardly fair; you're riding a Night Fury!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. The point is that it can be done if you trust your dragon," Hiccup muttered. Now we're gonna do this again, only you're gonna sit in front," Astrid gulped a bit as she moved in front of Hiccup and put her hands on the handles to the saddle. "You will be safe, I promise," he assured. Astrid nodded. "Again, Toothless," the Night Fury gave a warbled, the shot off again. Hiccup put one hand on her shoulder, and another on her hip. As the curve neared, Astrid instinctively gave a command to slow down. "Do it, bud," Hiccup ordered as Toothless kept at his speed.

"Hiccup! No! No!" Astrid screamed as Toothless began to turn and Hiccup moved Astrid to the side as well. Once the turn had been made, Hiccup sat them both up straight as Toothless leveled out. After it was over, Toothless set down as Astrid breathed deeply. "That was terrifying!" she shouted. Hiccup showed her the watch; 0.35s.

"But you survived, didn't you? I didn't let you fall, as promised, and we didn't need to slow down to keep the same time as before," Hiccup remarked as Astrid couldn't protest.

"You kept tilting me!" was the argument she countered with.

"When you fly on your dragon, you fly with them. I made you lean when Toothless did so you get the motion of how he operates. Move with Stormfly, be one with her," Hiccup stated. "Now, get on Stormfly, and fly the way we did on Toothless. You're in control now, and if you can fly Toothless at that speed, then you can fly your dragon no problem. Don't slow down, and don't be afraid," Astrid took a deep breath as she climbed into Stormfly's saddle, and Hiccup prepared the watch once more. "Go!" he pushed the button as Stormfly took off.

Eight times around the track again, and Astrid moved the way Hiccup instructed her to while never slowing down on corners. Stormfly landed as Astrid nervously looked at Hiccup, who was looking at the stopwatch. "Another fail, right?" she grumbled.

"Unbelievable," Hiccup said quietly as Astrid sighed. Hiccup smiled as he tapped her arm and showed her the time. One minute and forty seconds. "Well done, Astrid, and you too, Stormfly," Hiccup stated. Astrid couldn't believe it; an hour with Hiccup and she was under two minutes for eight laps around the track! Astrid looked at Hiccup, then the watch, then she got off and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Hiccup! I never could have done this without you helping me conquer my fears of fast turns!" Astrid jumped up and down. Hiccup chuckled as he hugged her back.

"Now, I think we've earned a little break, and then we'll keep practicing," Hiccup told her. Astrid nodded as they headed off to the side to enjoy the food they brought to eat, and the dragons got fish and water. Astrid was so overjoyed about this, and she knew that with Hiccup's help, she would make the racing team this year.

{Early October 2012-Home of Finn Hofferson}

All through September, Astrid worked with Hiccup as much as they were able to get her ready for the tryouts that were being held right after the New Year began. This meant that Astrid only had two months left to get prepared. Thanks to Hiccup, Astrid mastered the speeds she needed to have in all individual areas, and now they had to work on getting it all together. Hiccup even helped her come up with a race look for her and Stormfly. The more time Astrid spent with Hiccup, the more she was falling for him. It wasn't a crush anymore, and that worried Astrid because Hiccup has only shown signs of being her friend, but nothing more. Also, Hiccup seemed to still be getting over Camicazi. At the moment, Astrid was texting thuggory about how their days had been.

[What have you been doing all day? -Thug]

[I've…been with Hiccup…-Asty]

Astrid was nervous to tell him because nobody knew about them getting together for dragon race training.

[Doing what, pray tell? -Thug]

[He's been helping me prepare for racing league tryouts, which I've just found out will be after the first of the year. -Asty]

[Hang on. You're the one he's been talking to so much? We've been wondering what has him occupied. -Thug]

[Yeah, he offered to help me out. I'm sorry if I've been taking him from you guys a lot; I really enjoy spending the time with him, and I felt like it was keeping his mind off of…Well, you know who. -Asty]

Suddenly, her phone rang. Astrid looked at the caller; Thuggory. Why would he be calling during the middle of the day? Wasn't he at work? Astrid answered the call. "Did you want to hear my voice?" Astrid greeted jokingly.

"I wanted to ask you something regarding a matter back in 2011," Thuggory began.

"Um, okay. Ask away?" Astrid replied.

"When we broke up; you told me it was because you had a crush on someone, right?" Thuggory inquired. Astrid blinked a little. Why would he be asking about that?

"Y-Yes?" Astrid responded.

"Does that somebody happen to be Hiccup?" Thuggory questioned. Astrid's eyes widened as she gasped a little. "I'll take your shock as a yes. I'm not mad, Astrid, just tell me the truth. Is Hiccup the one you're crushing on?"

Astrid was caught, and she wanted to know how Thuggory figured it out! For now, though, she couldn't lie to him. "Been crushing on him since I met him back in Senior Year," she admitted. "How…did you know?"

"Why didn't you tell me back then?" Thuggory wondered.

"Because you're his best friend, and Hiccup was with Camicazi, and madly in love with her. I assumed I would never have a chance with him," Astrid sighed. "I just…didn't want to cause any problems between anyone.

"Fair enough. Does he know you like him?" Thuggory asked next.

"No…I haven't had the heart to tell him because I don't know if he's over Camicazi. I don't…want to scare him off as a friend if he doesn't feel the same way. I don't…want him to think that I've only-," Astrid started.

Thuggory chuckled at her. "Hey, relax. Hiccup isn't that kind of guy. And I can say with almost 90% assurance that he's over that bitch. Hiccup will never forget what she did, and he might always have a soft spot for her because she was his first for a lot of things, but he doesn't love her like he used to; I can tell,"

"How?" Astrid questioned.

"Because of you," Thuggory said as Astrid's eyes widened. "I've known you two are hanging out a lot, and he's been helping you. But Astrid, you've been using it to help him too; keeping him distracted from thinking about Camicazi. I say he's over her because Hiccup is always talking about how much fun it is to be around you, and working with the dragons. I never see him stop smiling when he talks about his time spent with you. I'm going to be completely honest with you, okay? I'm positive that Hiccup likes you, Astrid. I don't know if he loves you, but he really likes you, and won't admit it to anyone, or himself because he's scared to get hurt again. I know because I'm his best friend, and I see how happy he is,"

"I wouldn't hurt him, Thuggory. You know that," Astrid insisted.

"I know that, but I think he's holding back because he doesn't know if you feel the same. Also, as I said, he's scared to feel those emotions again. He's holding back, but I see that you make him happy. You have to tell him how you feel, so that way he knows it's okay to return the feelings to you. I won't make you, but Camicazi fucked up, and now you have a chance to be with him, and you should take it. I gotta go because Hiccup's on his way back. Think about what I said," Thuggory informed, then the call ended.

Astrid put her phone down, and sighed. Thuggory was sure that Hiccup had feelings for her, and to take the chance she has now to tell Hiccup how she feels, so he won't be afraid to show his own and return them. Astrid knew Thuggory was right. In the beginning when she met Hiccup; she never would have imagined that Camicazi and he would breakup, but they were and Astrid had a chance to be with him, and make sure he was never hurt again because Astrid would protect his heart, as she hoped he would do the same for her. Astrid made her choice; she was going to tell Hiccup how she felt for him.