AN: I'm very happy you all seem to like this little bit on nonesense so much :) I had fun writing it, too. And also drawing the cover art... If one wants to call that crawing xD

As for an update schedule... I think I'm going to upload one chapter every two or three days.

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Chapter 3

"You've got to help me!"

Very slowly, Cami turned and gave Hiccup a purposefully puzzled look. His approach didn't come unexpected, but she enjoyed making him squirm quite a bit. They'd been friends since nursery, after all. Surely that entitled her to tease him a bit every now and then, right? Or, maybe, occasionally, even a bit more. "How could I possibly help you?" she asked artlessly. "You're smarter than me by half a galaxy, at the very least. If anything, you've got to help me with that biology essay for next week."

There was a hint of panic in his eyes, and Cami couldn't help but grin. Winding him up was simply too much fun.

"You've got to teach me how to dance," he all but whined. "I know that I'm a hopeless case, but please. I… I'll write that essay for you, if only you help me to not be a complete embarrassment. Please, Cami. I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't know what to do."

Oh, Loki… the boy was a treasure. Cami pretended to think about his offer, then shook her head. "No chance, Hiccup," she replied, wallowing in his moment of desperation, but then decided to let him off the hook. "My essay is due to Wednesday morning, and when you're serious in wanting to learn how to dance until Tuesday night, you won't have time to write one of your thorough essays for me." He looked stunned which, as Cami had to admit, was almost equally enjoyable as his panic before. "How about you come over to my place after classes? You can get a pizza from Carlo's and I'll show you the basics. Then we can continue tomorrow and on the weekend at my aunt's school. She'll be delighted to hear you're finally learning how to dance."

For a moment, Hiccup just gaped at her, stunned. But then a wide grin spread across his face, and he nodded. "You're the best, Cami!" he exclaimed, and threw his arms around her in a friendly hug. It was a little awkward with him being almost two heads taller than her, but who cared.

"I know, I know. Just remember to order extra cheese on the pizza, okay?"

Hiccup nodded, then dashed off to his next class. Cami gazed after him with a broad grin, then shook her head and headed to her own class.

She'd been surprised that it had taken him almost two days before he'd made up his mind and asked for her help. Dancing was her area of expertise, after all. Her aunt Mala led their family's dancing school, for Odin's sake, and while Cami was more interested in street dance than in classical dancing, she'd still imbibed the basic steps of waltz and rumba from her infancy.

When he came over that night, promised pizza in one hand and a bag full of other treats in his other, he looked a lot more nervous than in the morning.

"And you really think I can do this?" he asked self-consciously, absently nudging against one leg of her desk with his good foot. "I mean, there's a reason why my clumsiness is kinda a running gag by now. And with my leg, I'll never be a good dancer anyway, so why do I even bother. Justin was wrong in encouraging me. I shouldn't even... I... maybe I should just move to another city and change college so that I'll never have to see anyone ever again. Maybe even change my name… Yes, that's it, I'll–"

"You'll stay," Cami interrupted him resolutely.

Hiccup shrank in a little more on himself, but didn't say any more. Sighing, Cami sat down next to him at the edge of her bed. It wasn't weird or awkward to have him sit there, not with how long they knew each other.

"And now, you'll listen. I'll happily say it again. Astrid asked you. She knows about your leg and your clumsiness and every other point you might want to bring up. And she asked you anyway. She doesn't expect you to be a perfect dancing partner. She just wanted to go there with you. You don't have to become the perfect dancer. But if you're willing to try, the basics shouldn't be a problem, and I'm sure she'll appreciate your effort."

Hiccup gulped, threw her a cautious glance, and then nodded. "Okay. I'll try. And if I fail, you'll cover up for me when I go into hiding."

"Sure, whatever," Cami agreed, rolling her eyes at his dramatic antics. "But let's start directly, then take a break to eat, and then, maybe, try again, all right?"

Hiccup didn't resist any further and followed her instructions with the same concentration he held when drawing yet another dragon or repairing parts of his motorbike. Cami reckoned that he'd have way more trouble casually laying his hand on Astrid's waist than on hers, but, well, she would only be able to prepare him so much.

But, despite her comment about how sad she was to see her soap opera come to an end the other day… she wanted it to come to an end, too. Hiccup had been pining for Astrid since the first day they'd all met, and from what Cami had seen, Astrid was doing little better. That it had taken them this long to make the first step was baffling enough, no need to make it any more complicated. Yes, she would do whatever she could to help her friend get the girl of his dreams.

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There you go, a short one. Future chapters are going to be a bit longer than this. :)