this took much longer to type than it should have. im half exhausted as im finishing this so my grammar might be whack. let me know if there are major mistakes so I can fix em. thanks everyone!

Metal and oil is what Hiccup knew best. The twenty year old discovered long ago he could build practically anything he set his mind to. His eyes had a knack for glancing at twisted, grimy metal underneath an old hood and knowing exactly what the problem was. Things like tools just made sense to him. The laws of physics and machines had definite answers and problem solving methods. They were logical.

Girls, however, were everything but.

The opposite sex was like a completely different species to Hiccup. Sure, he had the occasional girlfriend in high school, but none had lasted long. He never had the opportunity to get into the nitty gritty of how females dealt with their problems and expressed inner feelings. Honestly, that was probably the reason why no girl had stayed long with him.

"Why can't they be like cars," Hiccup grumbled, angrily twisting the wrench. He swore when the bolt snapped off and the end of the wrench bent. Damn super strength. Dropping the twisted piece of metal on the ground, he shoved away from the open hood of the car and looked to Jack. "It'd be so much easier."

Leaning against the wall of the garage, Jack shrugged. "Maybe there's a manual somewhere."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and slammed the hood down. Jack's Mustang would have to wait on its maintenance. "Your situation is easy. You don't need a manual for that."

"What 'situation'?" Jack asked, pausing the snowball twirling in his open palm. "I don't have a situation?"

"C'mon, I've been here for, what, a week now and I know you've got something for Punzie. Even if Astrid hadn't said anything, it's pretty obvious."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh, whatever you say." Hiccup began throwing tools back into their box. Jack gave the snowball a final twirl, before tossing it out the open garage door. "You aren't following that dumb 'supers can't be with supers rule' are you?"

"Dumb rule? Why do you care we shouldn't be with other supers?" Jack smirked, shooting a single zap of ice that Hiccup easily dodged. He watched it freeze the cement wall, before turning back to his friend. "Looks like I'm not the only one who wants to be with a super."

"So, you do want to be with her," Hiccup laughed, wiping his grease covered hands on the towel hanging from his back pocket. "And don't try to change the subject."

"I never said I wanted to be with her."

"But-"

"Jack. Hiccup."

Hiccup reached reflexively to the piece of metal in his ear, before replying to Wiz's voice.

"Think you could make it down to the lab? We've got an issue."

They were the last ones to enter the room. Wiz was at his respectable place at his desk. The twins sat on top of one of the counters and Punzie came eagerly over to the two boys when they entered. Snotlout leaned against a far wall, watching one of the screens.

Hiccup didn't let himself look at blonde on the other side of Wiz. His last words to her, a long week ago, had been laced with anger and resentment. It made his core heat up and a flash of warmth travel the length of his spine when he found himself remembering their argument, her narrowed eyes and flared nostrils when he defended saving her. He stalked off to his room that night and laid in bed, silently fuming, until the sun rose. She didn't speak to him that morning, or even look at him. After the first few days of her silence, it became clear her intentions were to never let him see him her blue irises again.

That was fine by Hiccup. There was no way he was going to apologize for saving her. Given the opportunity, he'd do it again.

"So, I did what you guys asked." Wiz turned in his seat and addressed the room. Hiccup noticed the smudges under his eyes and his ruffled hair, but didn't say anything. Nothing would keep the guy from his work. "I can't find any records from the security cameras and alarm systems. I can't even find out who clocked in to work on the day of the break ins."

"You can't find anything?" Snotlout asked incredulously. "Why do we even keep you around?"

"Reprogenetics reported they had data on gene mutation stolen." Wiz continued on, ignoring Snotlout. Nothing they're too concerned about, but CERN is different. I've tried all week to hack into their databases and get some information."

"You can't get past their computers?" Hiccup asked.

"No, I did that in the first five minutes. The problem is there's nothing there. Everything from the day of the break in is completely erased. I can't retrieve it."

"Then we go there and find out for ourselves." Hiccup forced himself to look at the determined face the voice came from. Astrid had a fist pounded in one palm, bangs falling in front of her eyes as she continued. "If the computer system is being erased and the public doesn't know about it, then there's someone high on the career ladder who's covering it up. We need to know why."

"It's CERN though." Ruffnut rolled her eyes and leaned back on the counter. "We can't just walk in."

"It's out of the country too." Tuffnut grumbled. "We get caught, the suits won't be able to keep us from getting locked up in some foreign prison. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not rotting in some Switz jail cell for the rest of my life."

"There's got to be another way," Punzie said desperately. "A way to scoop up some dirt on the head workers without breaking in."

"Well, anyone up for some dancing?" All the heads snapped to Wiz, who had been typing furiously at the keys. He was now gazing at the screen in front of him. "The man who provides most of the donations to the company is Felix LeBeau, a French billionaire who specializes in companies that focus on scientific advancement."

"You think he's our guy?" Jack asked.

"He's rich enough to do whatever he wants, without question. If he wanted to erase the records, it'd be no problem."

"Um, what was that about dancing?"

Wiz typed again and an image of an impressive building filled the screen. "This is his mansion in France. Felix here happens to have quite the event coming up. It looks like the worlds rich and powerful will be there in a week for a night of fun."

"Alright, you hack onto the guest list," Hiccup said, running the plan over in his head. "Then what? Lock him in a closest until he blabs?"

"We got lucky again," Wiz replied. He glanced up at the blue-eyed blonde next to him. "Apparently, Mr. LeBeau here has a weakness for beautiful women."

"Ah, yes!" Astrid pumped a fist in the air. "So, I seduce him, lock him in his bedroom and get him to talk without any interruptions. Piece of cake."

"He's attracted to powerful, beautiful women. Especially women he can't have. So, you'll need a front. It's a good thing he's rich. The number of divorces he's being accused of causing is insane…"

"Sounds like a real Romeo," Hiccup snapped, unsure why his stomach was churning uneasily. "How are we doing this?"

"I'm hacking you two into the guest list now," Wiz spoke to the screen. "You'll go in with Astrid, watch her back and keep an ear out for trouble, then make a quick getaway-."

"Wait, me?"

"You've got better people skills than Snotlout and Jack is too cold to the touch. You're going in with her."

Hiccup eyes shot to Astrid and found her already staring at him, arms crossed but no expression written across her pale features.

"Better people skills than me? I have amazing people skills! I'm a wonderful person to be around asshole!"

"Careful Snot, that wonderful personality is showing."

"Your ice won't save you when I shove you through a wall-"

"Get out of here!" Wiz exclaimed, lightly shaking his head. "Can never get anything done with you guys hanging around…"

They left Wiz, muttering to himself and working intently. Hiccup tried to hurry past the blue eyes gazing at him, but a small hand clutched his bicep and he froze.

"Hiccup, wait."

Astrid's voice was soft. It matched the tone she used immediately after the explosion or when she trailed her fingers over his scales for the first time. He turned, realizing they were alone in the hallway. Everyone had scattered when Astrid stopped the lanky boy.

Her fingers fell from his arm and Astrid started twisting her hands in front of her, looking anywhere but his face. When she finally spoke again, it was quick and full of nerves.

"Listen, this is really hard for me to say because I'm am totally not this person, but Punzie has just going on and on about how I have to own up to fact that I screw up a lot just like everyone else but I hate it because I don't screw up. Ever. I can't let myself screw up because that's not what supers do, but I do all the time and I can be mean and hurtful and Punzie just won't shut up about it-."

"Are-are you trying to apologize?" Hiccup couldn't help the small smile tugging on his lips.

"Yes!" Astrid exclaimed, throwing her hands down at her side. "I was so mad at you, because I don't need help and you gave it to me and it was so annoying. So, I lied and gave you crap about the girl and yelled at you and you were right and I wouldn't admit it-."

"You don't apologize a lot, do you?"

Astrid huffed, blowing her bangs out her eyes, and smiled weakly. "Is it that obvious?"

Hiccup bit back a laugh and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, I guess I accept your rather lame apology."

"Lame apology?" Astrid scoffed. "I practiced in front of a mirror all day! You know, I'd be nicer to me. You wouldn't want me to run into the arms of a certain French billionaire to bury my grief."

They both started down the hallway, slowly, enjoying the conversation. Whatever Punzie had done, Hiccup sure owed her.

"Is that our story?" Hiccup asked. "I'm a mean, insulting husband and you need someone to nurse your wounds?"

"We met in college," Astrid began, grinning slightly. "You were twenty three and I was twenty, both incredibly intelligent and gorgeous."

"Of course."

"You're an expert in mechanics and I was one of the leading minds in biological sciences. It made sense for us to get married."

"Can't argue with that."

"So, with complete approval from both our families we have an extravagant ceremony a few months later and soon, I learn your secret. You're mean. Always giving me snide little remarks, insulting my appearance, and having the audacity to think you're smarter!"

"What a crime."

"With a plan of escape and a craving for tender hands, I decide to go to one last event with you and there I meet Felix LeBeau."

"You would cheat, on your incredibly handsome and intelligent husband, just because of snide remarks?" Hiccup laughed, rounding a corner. He was heading towards the elevator leading to the garage, but Astrid still kept by him.

"Well, he did save me when I didn't want him to."

Hiccup glanced down at her, but she simply smirked up at him. He managed to keep quiet until they arrived in the garage, but couldn't hold back his questions once his hands landed on his tools again.

"So, why'd you flip out after I saved you?"

Astrid perched herself on a stack of boxes and shrugged. "It wasn't your job. I'm a super. I don't need someone to save me."

"Everyone needs someone to save them."

Astrid blinked several times, taken back by his statement. Quietly, she watched him continue work on Jack's car. Too soon, she found she'd lost interest in the metal and the mechanics and was instead stealing glances at his arms, his furrowed brow, the way he bit his lip as he worked…

"If everyone needs someone to save them," Astrid asked, after several long minutes of silence. "Then, what do you need saving from?"

Hiccup didn't stop his working. His arm slowed and he licked his lip before he answered. "I guess we'll find out."

"Do you think you can promise me something?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I'm a super." Her voice was firm, making Hiccup pause in his work and turn his head to look at her. Her jaw was firm, but it wasn't in the anger he'd seen it in all week. "I'm not weak. I don't want you to save me again."

"You want me to promise to never save you?"

She nodded and her bangs fell into her eyes again. Astrid quickly brushed them back so she could see Hiccup's face. He smirked and continued back to his work.

"I'm going to be honest, Astrid." His voice was muffled under the hood of the car and she couldn't see his face anymore, but Astrid could practically hear the smile in his voice. "I'm never going to let you die. Whether you like it or not, I'm saving you."

For whatever reason, she couldn't convince herself to get mad at him.

im a review obsessed! soooo please leave me some :)