I said I'd do these sporadically, sooo yeah. However, I think I've decided I want to get through this before any other stories though, I don't know why, but I really feel for this story, and I have so much planned in my head compared to the others, this one has a defined direction whereas the other stories have more of a "The plot is over there somewhere" attitude. So ya know what, I'm just gonna write this until I lose enough interest to change my work up a bit (which will take a while, though given my affinity to looking through Hiccstrid stories lately, if I don't write some [at least slightly] Hiccstrid at some nearby point, I'm going to drive into that wall sooner)

On a slightly related note, I have recently found I prefer stories that torture Astrid, I don't know why, but her being in pain seems to be one of the easier ways to drive me into a story. If you see how that relates to the last chapter then you sir get a cookie. (I tried to be subtle most of the way through it, and I can't tell if I succeeded)

Also, please tell me if I'm going a bit far on the OOC side please, my senses have been too numbed by fanfics to tell anymore.

Anyway, now that I've told you my life story, I think I've rambled enough, so let us get back to the story.


Chapter 4: A Friend In Need

Hiccup arose from his nap in study hall. He didn't need it, he often had his work completed enough for him to easily pass and he was devoted to complete projects to get them out of the way, so he slept. The bell would usually wake him up, and on most days, signify he had lunch. Today he had an special idea in mind. Before he left the room he decided to write as much of the idea as he could, music was never easy to describe in text form, but he caught enough of the inspiration. He decided it be smart to wait until he got home after practice to work on it.

Leaving the hall, he passed by his locker, thinking it might be easier to avoid his cousin if he picked his succeeding class' books then. Closing his locker he saw Astrid pass him, he hadn't had class with her yet, so he hadn't notice before but looking at her passing form she seemed distressed, maybe even upset. He called out to her, causing her to turn, revealing that he was indeed right, not that it would be easy to discern, it required knowing her a well and good while.

He walked from his locker towards her paused form now looking at her feet and asked "What's wrong?" They proceeded to walk with each other when he came upon her side. "What happened?" Trying to get her to talk, and she knew she couldn't defeat him. "My father doesn't like you driving me home." As they went to sit in a secluded area, neither was caring much for food at the moment. "He...wants you to stop driving me home." She let her mood drift out of herself a bit, causing a short sob before she bit it all back. "Well I could get Felix-" He started but was interrupted. "He doesn't like me being out with either of you...I've trying to see it as something else but he doesn't want me around you." She drew out, sounding spent. She leant her eyes onto her hands, which were settled on her thighs "I can't take it, he wants so much from me...I'm not perfect...it's so much...too much"

She was having a hard time keeping all of it in, Hiccup could sense it. He knew her distress was growing quickly, much quicker since they started practicing, only worsened by the "Feels" talks they had after. He also knew she'd not want anyone to see this, and especially not any of her friends, even if she couldn't avoid Hiccup now. He came up with another brilliant idea, he knew Astrid need some time and the bell was would ring before she'd had enough. Sparked by this, he decided a closet was better than being seen by anyone else she knew, so she redirected her to the closest supply closet. "What are you doing?" She glared at him as he lead her away. "Helping, I know you'd love for everyone to see you breakdown." He said as they entered, but she punched him for it. "Ow, alright, bad time for sarcasm." He told her rubbing his arm in the dark closet. "But seriously, keeping it down is not good for you, trust me." He emphasised his point with his arms and shoulders a bit. "I can tell you're upset, and it's better that only I know then the whole school, right?" He gave her a questioningly sympathetic look. She responded with her eyes going down, knees feeling weak from a combinations of anger, sadness, frustration and the like.

She finally collapsed in the most unexpected way, to Hiccup at the least, and just went into a hug with him. She leaned her face into his shoulder and arms around his back, below his arms. Needless to say he went rigid from the touch for a moment, unexpected as it was, before he softened his gaze and body sat both of them down while she sobbed into his shoulder. They sat on one of the stools next to the unused trash cans.

The world finally collapsed around her because Hiccup, who she suspected knew more then he let on, comforted her. She just couldn't take it much longer, going into the closet released most of the social perfection pressure, combining with what she would consider her best guy friend showing care struck her into an uncontrollable feeling. She normally could handle the world crashing, she's suppose to be a Hofferson, but at that moment, she lost it, and hated herself for being weak. Her problem, however, was she couldn't stop it, everything came crashing down, and she couldn't rebuild it.

After an hour, way passing the lunch bell, of sobbing she finally built enough courage to cut it, though she still didn't try to leave her friends grip. "Sorry." Hiccup nearly scoffed at her apologizing. "For what?" He asked, letting her sit in his arms, as a friend he thought. "For being weak and...crying-" He cut her off "You didn't do anything wrong...sometimes, we need a shoulder to cry on" His arms were still trying to find an appropriate place to stay, even after an hour, deciding to leave them back on her back. "Better me then Snotlout though." That livened both of them up enough to give weak chuckles, soon enough, Astrid felt like leaving Hiccup's arms. "Thanks Hiccup, I needed this." As she lifted out slowly. "Anytime, just remember both me and Felix actually do care, if you ever need a shoulder, I don't think he'd mind, I don't." He said with a smidge of confidence just before the school day concluded, bells going off in the background. "I doubt anyone cared about our absence" As he looked up for the metaphorical bell. "Sorry for taking up your day." She stared back at the uninteresting floor. "Don't be, this was preferable to getting beat up by Snotlout, and you needed it, my day was dumb anyway."


Practice began a bit later, as Astrid was still a bit distressed. She found however, when they started, everything just faded away, all her misery was gone, and she could just play without a care in the world. She hadn't been use to the idea of music being carefree, not when she was doing it. She suspected that was what made music good, practice helped a lot, but finally knowing what it was that drove it, where she was just originally doing it to push herself and improve herself, now she had an even better reason. She never wanted to give that up, the feeling of being carefree.

Due to Astrid, it took a while for the practice to end, though none of them really cared. Astrid's carefree change made the entire group much more relaxed, and in Hiccup's opinion, better. They were getting much more relaxed as they played, and for Hiccup and Astrid, they now moved heavily with the song, Fishlegs was holding himself a back a bit, but he felt the pull to follow suit, so the beat would show in his head, if but slightly.

Practice had to however end, and this time they rarely took a break before the end, so they didn't talk much. But after practice, Hiccup wanted to make sure Astrid would be alright for the night, so he went up to her as she packed her stuff up. "You gonna be alright with me taking you home?" He questioned, concerned for returning her. "Yeah, I...my dad'll be mad but I doubt he'll...I mean I should be able to avoid him for the night." She didn't want to return that night, she knew he wouldn't be happy about her still being out with her band. Sensing her mood, he replied with "If you need it, I could let you over for the night, my dad wouldn't care." She thought that was the best thing she'd ever heard from a friend, but she didn't know, it wasn't often she disregarded authority.

Her confliction died when she thought about it, prefering his house to home anyhow. A minute later she agreed, she was already playing in a band without her father's approval, what's so bad about not coming home for the night, and with the talent show in twenty four hours, it might just be easier to deal with. With that decided, Hiccup didn't bother taking Felix's car, there was little point, the walk wasn't far, and neither of them minded, even if he was a "cripple" as Snotlout once said.

They left Fish's house with their their guitars, Astrid hadn't bother with her amp for two they left, Hiccup sparked a conversation with her about her father and what is going on. "He's always demanded perfection, always wanting me to have the most out of life. He just has a...harsh way of showing it. Mom says he doesn't mean anything, that he just wants to push me, but..." As they continued the walk she looked down, glad it was too dark for anyone else besides them to see. "Does he hit you?" Hiccup was pretty sure he knew the answer. "He says he doesn't mean it." She said with no backing. "Astrid..." He grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. "Does he hit you?" He said firmer, determined look on his face, one Astrid learned meant he wouldn't give.

"Fine, yes, happy?" She shot out of his grip upset, a conviction in her tone. "He hits both of us, you happy? YOU HAPPY HADDOCK?" She nearly yelled at him before deflating, upset with being bothered by him. "You happy..." Hiccup stopped her. "I can't be, not when a friend's in pain..." He grabbed her by her shoulders again "Felix and I care, you're friends to both of us now." He paused before letting her go, and they walked side by side, though Astrid's head was down. "You can trust us." They continued walking in silence, Astrid still though preferable to being home, but no less tense.

They soon reached the door when Hiccup finally decided to speak again. "You can sleep on the couch" As he opened the door. "If you need anything, I'll be in my room" He then picks up the phone by the front door, dials up his dad and waits for the pickup.

"Aye" The response was a really slight scottish accent. "Hey dad, so I'm gonna be letting a friend sleep over, you mind?" He asked, though knowing his father, it matter very little. "Did ya finish your work?" Stoick asked over the phone. "Yeah." He heard an 'umpf' over the phone. "Fine, sure, I'll be home late again, just let them have the couch." He told his father a goodbye and promptly hung up the phone. "What an unexpected answer." He blurted mindlessly to no one.

Astrid went up next to him just as he blurted mindlessly. She couldn't care less cause she had a specific objective. She slugged him in the arm, which he yelped at. "That's for making me open up." He gave her questioning look, how could she say that was a bad thing. Then she kissed his cheek, a quick peak, only platonic. "And that...was for everything else." To which she retreated gracefully to the couch with a frozen Hiccup still standing by the door. And then he heard a scratch nearby. "Oh right." He opened the door. "By the way Astrid..." His best friend went from the open door to a peg near the couch. "You never properly met, Toothless..." He walked behind the couch and gestured his hands to Toothless. "Toothless, Astrid." He continued as she lifted her hand to the eagle and scratched his head. "He's amazing." Noting his oddly blackened color. "Does have like a place or does he..." She was about to ask before being interrupted. "He usually sleeps with me, need to make sure his mischief stays in the house." He joked, seeing it was now ten, he decided he should get prepared for bed.

"Alright if you need anything, my door is the first on the right, the sheets are on the arm, my dad might be back at twelve or later, so if he asks just tell him you're...well, the friend who stayed over." She thanked him for everything and laid down, she was exhausted.

What did I ever do to get a friend like him.


So um...how was that? I think it was alright but I'm probably too biased

Now I thought I was gonna do the talent show here, but when I started, I unexpectedly followed Astrid, I swear this was not my control, I may have written it, but I was not in control, though I do not regret it. Also, holy crap, I didn't mean to write so many allusions to the film, I mean one or two were purposeful, but I just kind of subconsciously wrote the rest in. Though I will say I don't think I regret it.

Either way, happy fluff.

Ok, so now that I've said that, we should (keyword:should) get to the talent show next chapter, fingers crossed we get there at some point :P

Alright now, I've been listening to Nirvana and Iron Maiden all week, with some old Three Days Grace scattered about, I'm really addicted to the Run to the Hills and The Trooper riffs, and can't stop with Smells like Teen Spirit either (Smells like Nirvana anyone :P), it was really fun, and I think somehow helped with writing this.

So now that I've said that, let us get to the outro: If you liked fav and follow, and no matter what you thought, tell me (appropriately please) what you thought in a review. Thanks for reading and stay tuned to Viking Siege. ;)