"He is looking unusually happy lately. Should we be concerned?" Stefan mumbled into his wife's ear as they spied on their son from afar.

Val smiled, feeling a shred of happiness rush through upon seeing her little boy appear so upbeat. It was a sight she had dearly missed and never thought she would ever see again.

Hiccup remained unbeknownst to his parents watching him, too concentrated on his task at hand.

He would be lying to himself if he didn't acknowledge the fact that Astrid's bidaily attention might have had something to do with this sudden wave of inspiration.

Despite himself, he had grown very fond her company. Although also increasingly frustrated with her and the trivial problems she had set for herself. He just didn't understand how Astrid could willingly choose to lead such a dull and closed-off life. She had the world resting before her feet and so much potential wasting away.

He really wanted to knock some sense into her.

"Doing alright there, son?" Hiccup heard his father ask as he seated himself on the seat across.

Hiccup nodded, quickly closing his sketchbook and setting it aside.

Albeit it was naught but a drawing of his deceased cat Toothless, he still didn't feel comfortable showing his sketches to anyone, least of all his parents.

-,-

He saw her walk out the library from the corner of his eye. She looked tired and overworked.

"Busy day?" he quipped lightly as she approached him. He was already engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

Astrid eyed him unamused.

"I don't know what to do anymore. I'm trying so hard to fix this but it's as if the universe is against me."

Hiccup chuckled at her. "Yeah, because the universe has nothing better to do."

"Shut it, you," she shot back at him. "Do you think I should give up?" It had been her childhood dream. So many years she had wasted relentlessly chasing it. Just saying these words out in the open made her cringe inwardly.

Hiccup complemented making another joke at her expense but the way she was pouting at him right now made him reconsider. "Do you want to give up?" he ended up asking instead.

Astrid shrugged. "It would be so easy, wouldn't it?" she said, descending down beside him. "No more worries or responsibilities. I could just hang around you all day long and live like a hillbilly."

"Lucky me," Hiccup muttered, making her swat him on the arm playfully. "I think you should do what makes you happy, not just in the distant future but also right now." Tomorrow was never guaranteed after all.

"Great. Now I'm even more confused after talking to you," she groaned dramatically.

"Glad I could help."

-,-

Astrid picked on her dinner plate, the broccoli not looking very appetizing next to the sweet corn. It might be healthier in the long term but the corn tasted better.

"Astrid?"

She looked up to see her father studying her. "Did you talk to your teacher about the recommendation letter?"

Astrid blinked, hesitating for a moment before shaking her head.

As predicted, her father shot her an annoyed look. "I'm starting to think you are not as serious about this as I had thought. What happened to the ambitious little girl I raised?"

Something in his tone aggravated her to the point of fuming.

She abruptly stood up from her chair. "I'm trying the best I can but apparently nothing is ever good enough for you!" she shouted at him and then all together left the table. Her mother stared after her, stunned.

It was the first time Astrid had ever raised her voice at any of her parents and it felt strangely good.

-,-

They were sitting indoors this time around. It wasn't anything too fancy. A small, cozy coffeehouse across the street. Astrid had insisted so Hiccup wouldn't be able to smoke.

"It's such an ugly habit," she said, grimacing. "Honestly, I wish you would quit. What made you even start in the first place?"

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I like living life on the edge. I mean.. what do I got to lose anyway?" he shrugged.

She only frowned further at his response, or lack thereof.

"That makes no sense. Aren't you afraid of all the health risks?"

He shook his head, sipping on his beverage experimentally and then grimacing at the taste. Apparently not a big coffee drinker.

"Not even death?"

Hiccup froze, his whole body stilling momentarily. He regarded her carefully as she stirred her coffee with a wooden spoon.

"What about it?" he said quietly.

Astrid took her time to elaborate, oblivious to his discomfort. "What I mean is.. do you fear death?" When she glanced up at him she could see his breathing was laboured and hands shaking. She quickly backtracked, feeling herself panic. "I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I? I'm sorry I-"

"No," he cut her off.

"What?" she breathed.

"The idea of nonexistence can be slightly bothersome," Hiccup shook his head again, forcing a smile. "But no. I'm not afraid of death. It's just a natural part of life."

"So you don't believe in an afterlife?"

He chuckled, much more relaxed now. "Astrid, I don't even believe in a God."

It wasn't as if Astrid herself was partial to any religion or a particularly religious person. It wasn't even something she went around thinking about daily. But outright denying God's existence made her feel uneasy somehow.

They ended up changing the subject afterwards.

Hiccup was apparently a great artist and surprised her by sketching a beautiful pattern on the inside of her wrist with a pen she had found in her bag.

His touch had caused a trail of goosebumps along her skin but she of course ended up blaming it on the cool temperature of the room.

There was no way Astrid Hofferson was actually falling for this odd but immensely talented weirdo.

-,-

He followed her home after their third coffee 'meetup' which took place almost a week later.

She didn't want to call it a date even if it had started to feel like one near the end.

They were just friends who happened to click in spite of their differences.

Two lonely individuals who enjoyed one another's company from time to time.

There was nothing more to it.

Or at least that's what she had been convincing herself until she found out just how good his lips actually felt against hers.

A/N: Sorry I'm taking so long with updating my other fic FWB. I'm writing a sex scene and it's going to take me some time.

In the meanwhile I hope you guys are enjoying this story. Leave a review and tell me what you think so far. :)