Hey guys...sorry about the delay. I was trying to figure out which angle to put this chapter in. Enjoy!

The Last Night

SNOTLOUT

Finally! We're leaving!

It has taken another week and a half, but Stormfly's wing has completely healed. The skin is still tender, but she can fly okay, just not with any sharp turns or at top speed. Fishlegs says that now that the skin has connected, flying will help it toughen up, healing it quicker.

I normally wouldn't care what Fishbrain says, but Hookfang has stayed near Stormfly for most of the time since the Screaming Death thingy. He hasn't flown much. I can tell he's really worried about her, so I've been hanging around. About time she starts flying, so we can get off this smelly pile of rock.

There was one more attack a couple of days—more Slitherwings: but I think Toothless has finally gotten it into their heads that he's a Night Fury, and the King of Dragons. They kinda hissed a bit, bowed, and slithered off—but not before they completely fish-afied the Twin's hut. Sadly, they weren't in it—Tuff is still sleeping outside, and Ruff has joined him. I haven't flirted with her at all since the whole Fishlegs thing. It just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. She was really worried about the pudgy dude.

Anyway, I can't think about Ruffnut right now.

Ugh. That other her again. I just can't get her out of my head. Part of me wishes I had never met her…

But that other part really wants to see her again…

While Snotlout is up early, pacing behind the dragon stables, the rest of the riders are still sound asleep. Well, mostly.

'Hmmmm…' Astrid groaned sleepily, golden light filtering through her barely cracked eyelids. "Why is it so bright…" She tried to sit up and turn over, but a pair of strong arms are wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her closer and closer to the warm body next to her. She smiled sleepily and snuggled closer to Hiccup in a reflex motion…

…until she realized that he didn't have a shirt on, and she was only wearing some leggings and a tight bra that was way too revealing.

She let out a yelp of surprise and pushed at Hiccup's torso urgently, and he slowly woke up, groaning, and loosened his arms. Astrid sat straight upright, cheeks flame-red with embarrassment.

Hiccup slowly followed, sitting up groggily and mumbling "good morning," before slouching against the headboard and gazing at the visibly-tense girl with puzzled eyes. "Milady?"

Astrid sighed and looked down, cheeks flaming even brighter in the sunlight flooding into Hiccup's makeshift hut.

Hiccup tried again. "What's wrong, Astrid? Today's the last day! Stormfly's healed! We can finally start flying again! And no one has to stay up on sentry duty anymore…including me…" He punctuated the last statement with a playful shove that managed to raise a faint small on Astrid's lips, but her shoulders still slumped.

The silence stretched on, Astrid too embarrassed to break it, Hiccup too confused. He was looking half expectant, half worried, until he finally saw Astrid's obvious blush, and guessed what was in her mind. "Oh, gods, I'm and idiot, aren't I?"

Astrid looked away, so he couldn't see her blush growing even more pronounced, if that was possible. But she still didn't say anything.

Hiccup slowly rolled his legs over to his side of the bed, and stood up. He didn't notice Astrid following his every move out of the corner of her eye, looking especially interested in his chest, the way his muscles rippled and moved in the light, and how he stretched them out in the most eye-catching way possible…

She quickly looked the other way.

She could hear him moving about in the dim light, and when he came back into eyesight she saw he had put on a rust-red shirt that really accented his auburn hair, perfectly tousled even though he just got out of bed…

She realized he was talking to her. "…I mean, you are my girlfriend, so I didn't see anything wrong with it. It's not like we did…that…" He looked down shyly, and Astrid could literally feel his blushing.

Astrid sighed. "I know, Hiccup. It's just…I'm supposed to be a warrior. Fearless! Unbreakable! Without mercy. It feels so…weird…letting my guard down—even to you." She thought of her Uncle Finn, who even fought a Flightmare to defend Berk. "That's what a Hofferson is."

Hiccup's face fell completely, and it took her 2 full seconds to rewind what she said in her mind, and realize that she had said a horrible mistake.

Hiccup was already moving to the door, eyes gleaming with unshed tears. Astrid rushed to his side, grabbing his arm desperately.

"Oh, Hiccup! I am so sorry! I didn't mean it like that! Your father was a great warrior...oh gods, you've got to believe me! I didn't mean it…"

Hiccup suddenly whirled around, throwing her off his arm. She stumbled back a few steps, almost losing her balance. She looked up pleadingly, but his eyes were filled with anger…and behind that, terrible, petrifying sadness.

"Is this why you wanted to go with me?" She started at the anger in his voice. "Just so you could prove yourself? Not because you actually wanted to help, Thor save me, that would be crazy…" He was almost shouting now, and Astrid closed her eyes in despair. "All this time, huh? You've been there to protect me; poor, sorry little Hiccup Haddock, down a leg and a dad and trying to make his way into the world. Is this all it is, Astrid? PITY?!"

He said this last word with a horrible hiss of contempt that made Astrid stomach plummet and tears start prickling in her tightly shut eyes.

Hiccup looked about ready to start up again, but then he noticed Astrid's face, twisted and tear streaked, seeming only a foot tall, as if she was about to get stepped on.

He suddenly saw another figure in her place, a huge man with a flaming-red beard, skin sallow and grey, eyes lifeless…

His anger melted away as soon as it had come.

He knelt by her, hugged her, kissed her hair over and over, but she was still crying, shaking with emotion.

Hiccup finally stood up, physically and mentally exhausted. Neither of them knew what to say, and oddly, neither wanted to know

He decided to break the silence with a change of subject. "Well…I'm going to go check on Stormfly…see if she's ready to start flying." He turned around, but that small, rebellious, sarcastic streak in him made him mutter "you're a Hofferson after all…you should be fine without me."

As he slowly walked out into the cool morning, he didn't see Astrid's head snap up, a spark of anger in her ice-blue eyes, then slowly bend down in defeat, tears forming again.

Apparently, Hoffersons have excellent hearing...

A/N: Hiccup and Astrid weren't...you know...that, but Astrid was feeling embarrassed and Hiccup was in a vulnerable state. Any OOC acts by Hiccup were because of his feeling of failure caused by the recent death of his father.