AN: All right, let's get started for real. I already mentioned at another point: By now, this story is completely written out. We have 11 chapters and one epilogue. I only wrote this story as fun in between my heavier writing, so don't expect anything spectacular. It's just a bit of nonsense rom-com fluff/drama.

. o O o .

Chapter 2

"Oh, God's, what have I done…"

After her embarrassing performance at the cafeteria just now, Astrid had gone to the one place she always went to when she needed a moment of peace and quiet: the small wood behind the college grounds. She leaned against one of the bigger trees, forehead resting against the rough bark, and wished she could turn back time… or at least turn invisible for the rest of her life.

"Whathaveidonewhathaveidonewhathaveidone…" she muttered over and over until she heard footsteps approaching.

"You finally made the first step into the right direction," a familiar voice tore her out of her misery. "And I'm glad you did. Seriously, as funny as watching you two tip-toeing around each other had been in the beginning, after two freaking years it got a bit boring now."

Astrid threw Heather a half-angry and half-annoyed look. This wasn't the first time her friend complained or teased her about her crush, after all. But then she remembered what she'd done just now, and groaned.

"But I did it all wrong!" she complained. Heather frowned, apparently not seeing the problem, so she went on, "I shouldn't have asked him in front of everyone. I didn't give him a choice at all. I should have waited until after classes are over and ask him then. When he's on his way to his bike maybe. Or call him later. Just anything other than–"

"Astrid, calm down!" Heather interrupted her mental breakdown. "Seriously, this was the best you could have done. I know you well enough by now; if you hadn't asked him now, you would have chickened out. Again! Relax. He said yes, so what's your problem? You'll see, you're going to have a wonderful date next week, and if you haven't kissed within a week after that, I'll make you."

Astrid snorted, but didn't object further. Heather was right, after all. She was good at chickening out of asking Hiccup out – she'd done so quite often already. And the idea of actually kissing him made her heart beat faster. But still… there was this one thing that wouldn't stop nagging at her. "But what if he didn't want to say yes? What if he only did so because everyone was watching?"

At that, Heather burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me? Gods, Astrid, when will you finally believe me? Hiccup is so head over heels for you, he'd do anything for you. You'll see, it'll be a fantastic day, and, maybe, also a spectacular night."

Astrid rolled her eyes at that comment and Heather's suggestive smirk, and actively refrained from letting that idea rule her thoughts too much. As if she would directly hop into bed with him on their first date... Not that she hadn't had a few one-night-stands with complete strangers before… And of course, she already knew Hiccup… But still, the idea didn't really suit her.

Either way, thinking about this possibility had served at least one purpose. She regarded her upcoming supposed-to-be date with one lanky freckled dork with a little more optimism.

. o O o .

"Erm… what just happened?" Hiccup muttered, following Heather with his eyes as she followed Astrid out of the cafeteria and everybody else filed out too.

Cami slapped him on the back as they, too, picked up their bags to go to their next class. "Oh, what an epic moment," she cackled. "On the same level as Amy Pond's farewell to the Doctor and Jack Sparrow giving up becoming the Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Pure awesomeness!"

"But… those were all sad moments," Justin contradicted. "And this was… it was just…"

"The saddest moment of the last two years," Cami went on, cheerfully and in total contrast to her words. "It means my favourite real-life soap opera is going to come to an end. Really a shame. And just because: those moments might have been sad, but they were still moments of love."

Justin rolled his eyes, but Hiccup barely registered their bantering anyway. "Oh Gods… what just happened?" he asked again, a little more frantic now. His head whipped around from Cami's wide grin to Justin's encouraging smile.

"Astrid asked you out for the spring dance. And you accepted," Justin said, confirming what Hiccup thought had happened. So it hadn't been a dream after all. For a short second, a wide grin started to spread across his face and his heart began to beat faster with joy. But then, cold realisation hit him.

"But… but I can't dance." He indicated toward his left leg, to the prosthetic hidden beneath clothes and shoes. "I'll just stumble and embarrass her and she'll hate me, and then I might as well bury myself in a deep hole, because if she hates me, I don't think I could go on and who cares anyway, I'm just a loser and–"

"–and she knows that."

Slumping, Hiccup dropped his head at Cami's words. "You're right… she knows I'm a loser. I guess she only asked because she lost a bet or something."

"Well done, Cami," Justin muttered.

"Oh, don't be so overly dramatic," Cami groaned, the way she rolled her eyes audible in her voice. "What I meant is, Astrid knows about your leg. We've all been to clubs or the swimming pool together often enough, after all. She knows you're not the most graceful dancer on Midgard. And she asked you anyway, because she likes you. And I know I've been telling you this for quite some time now, but who knows. Maybe you'll even believe me now. She likes you!"

Hiccup glanced at Justin, but he just shrugged. "She does, even if you don't believe us. Besides, pulling a prank like fake-inviting someone? Not her style."

Hiccup nodded, swallowing. "You're right, she wouldn't do something like that." He paused, chewing his lip, and then gave a small nod. "Okay, when is this spring dance anyway? Maybe… maybe I can learn how to dance until then?" Hopefully, he glanced at Cami.

"Erm, let's see." Justin tilted his head, thinking. "I think it's someday next week. I didn't pay much attention since I didn't plan on going, but–"

"NEXT WEEK?" Hiccup shrieked. "Oh, Gods… I'm dead… I can't possibly learn how to dance until next week, that's…" he shook his head in desperation. "When exactly? Maybe I can rightfully call it off because I'm busy? There's that group meeting for my Engineering class Thursday night, after all. I can't possibly call that off."

"No, you won't get out of it that easily, Hic," Cami singsonged cheerfully. When Hiccup and Justin gave her questioning looks, she lifted her arms above her head, stretching. Then, with a devious grin, she nodded at a poster sticking to the wall beside them. "The dance is exactly in one week. Next Tuesday. Tuesday, the 30th May."

"30th May?" Groaning, Hiccup dropped his head. "I'm so dead..."

Confused, Justin looked from Hiccup where he'd stopped walking a step or three behind them to Cami who was cackling like a maniac. "Why is that day special?"

Cami took a moment to gleefully enjoy Hiccup's whimpering. The boy was an engineering- and dragon- geek, his calm and logic mind working beyond her understanding – except it came to a certain girl. And that fact was immensely entertaining to Cami.

"That day is special," she explained, "because he can't turn her down on that day." Upon Justin's still confused expression, she added, "It's her birthday."

. o O o .

As always, comments are very welcome ;)