Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD, RoTG, or any other character you will recognize in here. The only characters I can claim ownership to will be OC's.

AN: For those who have skipped the last chapter, it will be explained in this chapter. If you feel confused still at the end, I will be more then willing to explain over a PM.

Tangled Up With Cupid

Chapter Eight; The Aftermath

He was more then relieved when the familiar blue car pulled up to the curb. His body felt completely numb, and he didn't even offer a greeting as he slid into the passenger seat. Her blue eyes rested on him, questioning him silently on why he had wanted her to come pick him up. Turning her gaze to the road, she pulled away from the school and down the road.

If Astrid knew Hiccup, she knew she shouldn't bother him with questions. When he felt comfortable, when he felt the time was right, he'd come out and tell her what was bothering him. He could never take stress well, and she knew he'd only hurt himself if he stowed long with whatever was troubling him. That's why she offered a silent shoulder, and ear when he needed to vent.

"Astrid," he called to her.

Letting her gaze shift to him for a second, she acknowledged that she'd heard his voice with a soft him. He pressed himself into the comforting warmth of the seat. He wished he could seep into the material, wanting to wipe away the touches that Dagur had placed on his body. He still felt as if he could feel the other man's hot warmth of his mouth around him. As soon as he got home, he was going to take a long shower, and scrub the traces of the other man off of his skin.

"Have you ever done something, something you regretted doing right after?" He asked.

"Hiccup," her tone was a warning. "If this is about the break up." She started, rolling her eyes.

"It's not." Hiccup replied. Truthfully he didn't want to talk about their relationship. For once, his thoughts weren't about her. He wanted to tell her about Dagur, about how weak he had felt and how close he'd been to possibly losing himself.

Giving a sigh, Astrid nodded her head. While she was surprised it wasn't about their breakup, it worried her that he seemed so serious. She processed the question he'd asked, and found that sure, there had to be a lot of people who felt that way. Human's were normally curious, and sometimes that curiosity got then into sticky situations. And sure, you'd regret it later, but you can learn a valuable lesson from it.

"Yeah," she answered. "I have."

Her answer made him sit up a little further in his seat, attention fully focused on her. The answer was a surprise, and part of him wanted to hope it was about the break up. But he shook his head, this was about what he did right now. Not about their broken relationship.

Just. How was he going to tell her? And how would she react to it?

From the moment he had first kind of discovered girls (mostly, her.) he had always seen himself as being straight. He always had eyes for Astrid, and he never strayed to look at anyone else. He had never checked out another girl. It was Astrid or no one.

But, he had just let Dagur do that to him. And, if it hadn't been for the other males mother, he would have let him go much further. He would have given his virginity to Dagur.

"I-I did a terrible thing."

"C'mon Hic, it couldn't have been that bad." Astrid answered with a small chuckle.

He shook his head, "No. Really, it was bad." he took a deep breath, 'here goes nothing' he told himself. "I had another guy give me head."

His body jolted forward when the female slammed on the brakes, and he thanked the gods that he'd put on his seat belt. Astrid's eyes were big, her mind slowly, oh so slowly piecing together what Hiccup had just said to her.

Sure, she had figured before they broke up that he just wasn't completely into her. Yeah, he'd been the first to say I love you. And everyone could tell that for years, he'd been head over heels for her. She never thought he saw her in his world the rest of his life. There was going to be someone, she'd been so sure of that. Someone who would make him give more then he'd ever given her.

But, she always expected it to be another girl. Not another dude!

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, finally pressing down on the gas.

"Because, it was a mistake."

Hiccup shrunk a little further down in his seat, wondering if Astrid would be willing to just drive out of state and far, far away from this place. He felt his phone give a vibrate, but he didn't bother checking. He didn't want to see a single message from Dagur, didn't want to be suckered into meeting him again and going back down a path he had almost gone before.

"What happened?" Astrid asked.

And so he told her everything. The friend request from Dagur, followed by the message with the other male's phone number. How Hiccup had wanted to ignore the message because of the first meeting that they'd had at the Snuggly Duckling. Astrid listened quietly, nodding her head when she felt it was time.

He sunk further and further down into the seat, feet stretched out as far as the space in the car would allow. He told her how Dagur had invited him over and Hiccup tried to find a reason to not go over there, only to discover that the older male knew where he lived! God, that only set more dread into his stomach. Because he knew his parents wouldn't move unless he had a really good reason to.

And then it all lead up to what happened. How Dagur had told Hiccup that he Jack wouldn't be into someone like him, and Hiccup had focused on the last of that sentence more then the entire thing. Someone like him. As if he were some sort of disease or something.

Astrid gave a sigh. Even if this Dagur didn't know it, he had played Hiccup right into the palm of his hands. She knew all about the low self esteem Hiccup had worked through when they were younger. Snotlout knew how to get to him quickly, and when he couldn't, he'd use his fists.

"Hiccup." she softly spoke his name, her tone soothing as she reached across to take his hand.

Even if they weren't dating, she still cared for him. Hiccup had seen parts of Astrid that she hadn't shown anyone, he knew her more then even her parents. She felt him return her hold, his body beginning to shake as soft sobs came from his direction.

"We all learn from our mistakes, some of us learn faster then others." she told him, tightening her hold on his hand. "You've realized that it wasn't something you wanted. But you also need to learn that you are not the person others may think you are."

She wished she could better comfort him, but she had to make sure they got home safely. So she just continued to hold his hand, thumb rubbing soothing circles as she listened to him cry.

"You aren't weak, Hiccup. You are a strong, handsome young man who will go far in life. And I know that you will meet someone who will make you happy, and who you will make happy in return. This guy, Dagur, he doesn't know you. He's only using you. He isn't worth your time, or your tears."

Slipping her hand free, she brought it up to wipe at his face. She wiped away each tear that continued to shed from his eyes, pouting at how upset Hiccup had gotten from what happened. She didn't have to scold him, or yell at him for what had happened. He was already beating himself up over it.

He gave a shaky exhale, closing his eyes as Astrid's soft calloused hand touched his face. He missed her touch, and it help a little in forgetting the way Dagur had touched him.

"Do you want me to hang out with you, or do you think you'll be fine?" Astrid questioned once she pulled up to his house.

He bites at his bottom lip, because he knows that if he's home alone with Astrid, he'd have to hold back temptation to kiss her. But he doesn't want to be home alone either. So he nods his head, and she turns the car off completely.

. . . .

"Flynn!"

The boy mention gives a start, body shooting up from where he's been lounging out on his couch. Looking to the girl who's called his name, he see's this big grin stretched across Rapunzel's face. She's really happy, which has to be a good sign. Rubbing at his back, he turns so that he's sitting on the couch as she comes to sit next to her.

"What's up?" he asks, giving a yawn.

"I just got off the phone with my cousin," Rapunzel tells him, smile never leaving her face. "She's got a date with Jack!"

Before he can say anything, she's already got her arms wrapped around him and is hugging him. Giving a small laugh, he wraps his arms back around her. This eases him, because hopefully with this date between her cousin and Jack, they can possibly put an end to this whole 'setting their friends up' plan.

Once she's finally let go of him, she places her hands on her lap, snuggling closer to his side. Her bare feet swing happily where they dangle off the couch. She's so happy that it wouldn't have been a surprise at all if some butterflies just came fluttering around, or a rainbow just appeared and stretched across his living room.

Though, those things can't logically happen. Not unless they were in a cartoon.

"So," he begins, running his fingers through her hair. "Does this mean we can stop whatever plan you had next?"

She's nodding her head yes, before a thought seems to stop her, and now she's shaking her head no. He gives a groan, fingers pausing in her hair as she looks away. Her happy mood is starting to shrink away, and he's angrily yelling at himself for asking something like that.

"I still need to find a girlfriend for Hiccup." she informs him. "Plus, what if the date doesn't go well? What if Jack cancels?!"

She quickly rises from her seat, Flynn giving a groan and leaning back as he watches her begin to pace the room.

"I trust Anna will be fine. She's very pretty, and she has such a lovely personality. But what if she ends up burping after dinner and grosses him out? Or what if she stuffs her face and tries talking around the food in her mouth? Elsa won't be there to help her, and I don't think Mother will let me out on such short notice."

She's mostly muttering to herself, one hand cupping her chin while the other moves about, giving more animation to her already moving body. Picking up one of the pillows on the couch, Flynn decides to place it over his face. Now that she's started, he knows she won't calm down until she finds some sort of way to fix this situation.

He just wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend.

. . . .

To ease whatever jealousy problem Jack has been going through (which still confuses Aster.) The older male has gone over to the Overland home, greeting the three younger children when he walks into the house.

Sophie, Jamie and Emma all attack him with questions, tugging on his arms as they ask about how the animals at the Zoo are. While he would have been annoyed if it had been anyone else, he's got a soft spot for the three little ankle biters. Jack groans as the five of them gather in the living room so that Aster can answer each and every question aimed at him.

The couch can't fit all of them, so Sophie has decided to settle herself onto the older male's lap. Her leg's curl up as she rests her cheek on his chest, tilting her head slightly so that he can look up at him as he talks. Jack and Emma sit on his other side, and Jamie is reluctantly stuck sitting on the floor. Why is he stuck there? Because Jack is playing protective older brother and won't allow his sister to sit on the other boys lap.

"How are the animals with the snow out?" Sophie questions him.

"Well, we don't let a lot of them out with the cold weather. Though there is still a few out. The penguins, and the polar bears. The winters here aren't as bad as where they come from." Aster answers her.

"Where do the other animals go?" Jamie pipes up.

Aster looks down at him, taking notice of how the boys hand is inching closer to Emma's leg. It seem's Jack has caught on as well, because next Aster watches as he stomps down on Jamie's hand. The dark haired boy gives a cry, before narrowing his brown eyes at Jack. Emma rolls her eyes, slapping her brother's hand for hurting her boyfriend.

It makes Aster a little relieved that he's an only child. He doesn't think he could stand having an older or younger sibling. Surely he'd be as protective as Jack is with his sister, but he also figures he'd get in more fights with a sibling.

Sophie's small voice catches his attention, "Where do they go?" she asks, ignoring the two bickering boys.

"We usually take them inside."

Once the kids are all out of questions, Jack finally drags Aster out of the room, though not without giving Jamie a warning. His room is a lot more cluttered then Hiccup's, clothing lying about on the floor. Aster gives a grimace as he steps around a pair of boxers, spotting what looks like an empty pizza box sticking out from under the bed.

"This room just becomes more of a mess every time I come over." Aster comments.

"Screw you rabbit."

Avoiding the bed, he decided to lean against one of the walls. Jack wasn't bothered by the mess though, because it was his mess. Stepping over clothes and moving, he tossed himself face first into his bed. Rolling his eyes, the older teen crosses his arms. He didn't come over just to hang out with the younger kids and watch Jack lounge around and be lazy.

There's a muffle, though he can't make out a word the other boy has said. Closing his eyes, he tries to keep from moving over and pulling Jack up so that he can talk without being silenced by the bed sheet.

"Gonna have to speak English there, mate."

"Why don't you speak shut your face, mate?" Jack mimics his Australian accent, rolling so that he's laying on his back.

"I can always leave." Aster answers.

Jack opens his mouth to retort something back, but it snaps shut. Scratching at his arm, his blue eyes meet with Aster's green one's. "I have a date, tonight."

"Well, I feel bad for the girl going out with you."

"For your information, she asked me."

"Probably dared to."

Jack gives a low growl, picking up one of his pillows and throwing it at Aster. The older boy only has to step to the side, watching the soft object hit the wall with a faint thump and then fall to the floor. Bending to pick it up, he tosses it back to Jack. The other boy isn't as lucky, and gives a small 'oof!' when the pillow hits him in the side of the head.

"Now, what's the problem?" Aster questions, moving to sit himself on the edge of the bed.

"I met her on Tuesday, and she's really nice. But.."

"But?"

Jack drapes an arm over his eyes, fingers tugging on a loose thread of his shirt. He's talked to Anna over the week, the two finding out more and more about each other. She's really nice, and yeah, she's pretty. But as soon as she asked him and he told her yes, he's been feeling a little unsure about it. And now that it's the day of the date, he's been a little nervous and just a tad dreading whats to happen.

He doesn't know why he's dreading it. Shouldn't he be happy that he's got a date with a pretty girl? They have a few things in common. They both like to eat, they both have sisters, and they both like building snowmen in the Winter.

And

And..

And that was really the only things they had in common! He gave a groan, kicking his legs out a little. Why wasn't he happy about this date? Just because they only had three things in common, shouldn't mean that this couldn't work out. There was still a chance that she could be the one, right? But he felt like he should cancel.

The only thing keeping him from doing so, was because he'd feel like an asshole for canceling so last minute. She'd been so excited about it, talking about it all week. Who was he to end something that could be fun, before it even started?

Aster takes notice to his friends change in behavior. Is he nervous that he may screw up the date? Or is there another reason? He reaches out, patting Jack's shoulder. "You'll do fine. You're a cool guy, I'm sure it'll go great."

Jack stiffly nods. Maybe Aster's right.

So, next chapter would you guys like to see the date with Jack and Anna or no? Even if I don't, we'll still hear a little bit about the date from Jack, Anna and Rapunzel. And next chapter shall have some more HiJack goodness.

Anie6142: You guys opinions always matter to me. I will always take into consideration any suggestion you have, and if I really like it, it'll make some way into what I had planned. I would love to update more often for you guys, but I just don't want to clutter you with chapters or have some of you guys play catch up because of your busy lives. Plus, sometimes I end up distracting myself.. And ah.. Chapters come out later then I planned them.

Anony: I can understand if some of you guys are disappointed in Hiccup. Dagur seemed to figure out a weakness he can use to his advantage, and Hiccup is submitting to it. More of Hiccup's background will be brought into later chapters, as well as how Dagur feels.

FuckYeahMotherFucker: I'm glad to see your liking this as much as Our Beginning. I originally planned for either Aster or Jack to get him, but then I decided on Astrid. While she plays a big part as his ex, and someone he's trying to work to getting back with, she won't have many parts in this. I had planned on bringing her into the last chapter, where she'd kind of throw off Hiccup's blind date, but changed my mind last minute. But I brought her in here to show that even with the break up, these two have a strong bond and they'd be there for each other. If it had been Astrid calling Hiccup, he would have come as fast as he could.

There will be a tiny bit more Dagcup later. I will always give you guys a heads up.