so i cant even begin to explain why this is so late. computer viruses suck. thanks for those who messaged me and asked if all was well :) btw, check out my tumblr. a lovely reader and follower drew some fanart of Hiccup and Astrid in this story.

oh and i am most likely going to change the rating of this story to M for mainly action violence. feelings on this? let me know what you all think.

The evening sun was setting when Hiccup gave a nod to Jack, leaving him in front of Wiz's lab before turning the corner to the infirmary. He held his helmet under one arm and traced the outline of the faded photograph in his pocket with his free hand. Ever since he snatched it from his possessions in the C.I.A, it had taken residence in his bedside table. Lately, however, Hiccup was feeling the need to have it close.

Rounding the corner, he jumped and dodged the swaying and humming form of Punzie as she skipped from the infirmary.

"Oh, hi Hiccup." She smiled sweetly and side stepped out of his way. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, how's Astrid feeling?" He reached for the door as he spoke, but paused when Punzie laughed softly, quickly covering her mouth.

"Um, I think you might want to put on that helmet."

"Why?" Hiccup got his answer as he opened the door and suddenly ducked, dodging the alarm clock thrown at his head. It shattered against the door frame and he looked wildly to the blonde glaring at him.

"You dick!" Hiccup's jaw dropped and he looked over at Ruffnut, who was laughing in the corner of the room. Astrid swung her legs over her bed, wincing, and tried to stand. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Wh-why?" he demanded, getting annoyed at Ruffnut's laughing. "What did I do?"

Astrid snarled his direction while bent in the middle and holding tightly onto her bed frame. Hiccup made a move towards her, but she swung her fist, missing him inches. "You thought it would fun to feel me up?"

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup dropped his helmet as she stepped towards him and was suddenly thankful there was no gun within her reach. "I never-."

"Then tell me, Hiccup," Astrid snapped, walking the length of the bed slowly. "How did you find out Mirror didn't have my gun?"

His face fell and Astrid only narrowed her eyes more. Whipping his head towards Ruffnut, who now had tears running down her face, he yanked open the door again. "Would you get out of here?"

Taking one last looked at the fighting pair, Ruff ducked under his arm right before Hiccup slammed it shut again. "Okay, just let me-."

"No!" Astrid shrieked. "God, is that all I am to you? Some sex symbol with a tiny waist and a nice ass?"

"No, I swear. Just stop moving, you'll rip out your-."

"The first opportunity you got you put your hands all over my legs? Let me guess. It was quite the turn on when Mirror actually went along with it huh?"

Hiccup growled in frustration, but moved to help her. Astrid was wincing in pain with every word she spat at him and wobbling on the spot.

"C'mere. Let me help."

"Don't touch me!" she hissed, dodging away from his hands and instantly biting her lip in discomfort. Growing more irritated, Hiccup ignored her batting hands and grabbed her forearms tightly, trying to get his arms around her to hold her still. Astrid ripped one of her arms free and her fist cracked against his jaw. "Let me go!"

The punch didn't hurt, but it sure ticked him off. Getting a better hold on her arms, he grasped her biceps and leaned down to her biting, snarling face. "Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself more. Would you just sit down and I'll tell you what happened."

"I already know what happened," Astrid said through clenched teeth. "You saw Mirror in the hallway, thought she was me, and took your opportunity. It's not rocket science, Hiccup. You're all the same. Now, let me go."

"Only if you promise to stop hitting me."

"No."

"Okay, then I'm going to hold you," he growled. "You're right. I did think Mirror was you and yes, my hand was on your leg, but it didn't happen that way."

"You're really something. You know that? It's because of low-life, douche bags like you that I'm even part of this whole super thing that I didn't want-!"

"She came onto me, Astrid!" Hiccup was nearly shouting, but her glare didn't falter. "I didn't try to take advantage of you or push you into a corner, it was all her! Mirror kissed me and I thought-."

"You thought it was me," she finished. Her eyes had softened by a degree, but her jaw was still set firmly. "So you responded how any twenty year old boy would."

"Yes," Hiccup loudly sighed with relief. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…felt up your leg, but I swear I didn't come onto you. It was her."

When he was confident she wouldn't swing another right hook at him, Hiccup slowly let go of her arms. Astrid leaned heavily against her bed and her face was slowly losing it anger, being replaced by annoyance.

"I guess I won't kill you," she mumbled. "But what's wrong with you? It didn't raise any suspicions that I suddenly threw myself on you in the middle of a mission?"

"Uh, nothing coherent was really going through my head at the time," Hiccup admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Of course not." She rolled her eyes and started to get back in her bed, giving Hiccup a glare as he moved to help her. "I can do it myself lover boy."

"I noticed it pretty quickly though," he continued when Astrid had pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed. "Even when I had asked where the real Astrid was, Mirror was still-."

"You used my real name?"

Astrid's shocked, unbelievable glare erupted on her face again and Hiccup's face went red. "Uh-."

"There's a reason we use fake names or our super names Hiccup!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry! It was just…instinct to ask where you were-."

Astrid pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily. "Just stop talking. I don't have the energy to deal with this now."

A heavy silence filled the room and Hiccup, scooping his helmet off the ground, fell back into the chair Astrid caught him sleeping in earlier. Fuming in her own annoyance, Astrid wasn't going to let herself forgive Hiccup so easily. Instead, she simply watched him, twiddling his thumbs, wiping some smudges off the black helmet, and occasionally glancing at her before looking away quickly.

Astrid internally cursed herself. God, she was hopeless.

"What's that?" She finally asked after minutes of quiet. Hiccup motioned to the helmet and she nodded.

"It goes with my new bike."

"Bike? As in…like a fast one?"

Hiccup laughed and nodded. "Yeah. That's what Tuff snatched. It's pretty great too. It would have a taken a year's salary for me to get something like that before."

"What did you do?"

"I was a mechanic. Fix everything from rusted trucks older than God himself to some two-doors I would have had to sell my soul to be able to afford. For a while I was going to school for it, but…" Hiccup's voice trailed off and Astrid saw his eyebrows furrow. "Things changed."

Astrid knew that all too well and quickly changed the subject. "Hows your face?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows and rubbed the spot where her fist collided with his jaw. "I'm surprised you didn't break it. You've got a good right hook."

"You're lucky that's all I managed to hit you with."

"I could have taken you."

Astrid rolled her eyes and bit back a smirk. "Right, that's why an injured teenage girl was able to punch you right in the face."

"I was just letting you off easy."

"Whatever, Hiccup."

He laughed and resituated himself in the chair, allowing Astrid to see the corner of the piece of paper sticking out of his pocket. Curiosity, rather than tact, got the better of her.

"What's the paper in your pocket?"

Hiccup eyes widened in surprise at her question and Astrid realized her quick mouth had done it again. Before she could apologize however, he reached into his jeans and pulled out the slightly crumpled photograph. Pushing himself out of the chair again and instead taking a seat at the foot of her bed, Hiccup offered it out to her.

Carefully watching his face for any discomfort and, after seeing none, Astrid carefully took the photograph and inspected it. It was older, but in color. The women in the picture was gorgeous, with light brown hair and high cheekbones. She had a wide smile and looked as though she was laughing at something behind the camera. She was young too. Probably only a couple years older than Astrid was. There was familiarity in her dark green eyes and Astrid realized who the woman was before she asked.

"Who is she?"

"My mom." His voice was calm as he took the photo back from her, but she still watched him carefully. "It's the only picture I have of her."

"Is she dead?"

"Yeah, has been for a long time now."

"I've had family die before too," Astrid said softly. "I know how awful it can be."

"You know more than I do. She died when I was a baby. I never really knew her." Hiccup leaned against the footboard of her bed and let one leg hang off while the other he stretched out. Astrid gave the leg next to her a reassuring squeeze as he spoke and he smiled softly. "But I guess that's a good thing. There's really never been much for me to miss. Who did you lose?"

"My brother." Astrid felt the familiar tightness in her chest, but had long ago learned to control it. "I lost my older brother the night I changed."

"I'm sorry." His apology was genuine and Astrid felt a rush of gratitude for the man she punched in the face just a few minutes before. "Is that why-is he why you changed?"

"Not really," Astrid admitted. "His death was just a small factor of me being super."

Hiccup didn't say anything else. He held his helmet in his lap and looked determinedly at the wall. Astrid was thankful he didn't ask any more questions. She hadn't spoken to anyone about Jackson and didn't plan on opening any healed wounds tonight.

"Your mom…she was why you changed." Astrid said suddenly. "I know that you're dad called you and said something to anger you, but it was about her wasn't it?"

Hiccup didn't meet her eyes as his lips set in a firm line and he slowly nodded.

Her feet slipped on the wet grass. A scream began to erupt from her frightened lips as the heavy set of arms grabbed her small torso, but a sharp blow to her head cut the cry short. Frantic, electrifying fear coursed through her blood as she twisted and thrashed in her captor's arms.

Astrid was so close. She could see her house, situated on the edge of the small field, only a minutes sprint away. Inside was her family. Inside was safety and security, but she couldn't scream to alert them. Her mouth was covered with too-warm, sweaty skin and tears leaked from her eyes as the body holding her moved back into the shadows, carrying her with him.

The cold edge of a blade was pressed into the soft skin of her exposed stomach. Silently, she prayed he would drop it, maybe even trip over his own two feet and release her, but the prayer was desperate and with little real hope. She kicked against the large legs in one last, frantic attempt to flee as he dragged her further into the tree line, away from any help.

Astrid wondered if dying hurt.