Hey guys! I'm sorry this update it short. I'll try to get a longer one out in the next few weeks. My life is hectic at the moment. (I'm kinda graduating high school this weekend so that's a big deal.) Thanks for being patient with me. I can't believe that this story has taken off so much. Really. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU ALL.

Obviously HTTYD is not mine.

-Ash

Chapter 11

Astrid and I sat at the edge of the cliff, gathering ideas and sketching out plans for our new art project. I never thought the most homework I'd ever have in a class would be art, not that I'm complaining. We sat there in a comfortable silence with only our pencils making light sounds.

Suddenly, she spoke, "Hiccup…"

I glanced over at her with a jolt, shocked at the unexpected voice, "Yeah? What is it?"

"I think… there's something really different about you. I can't figure it out. You just make me so happy. You make my world a better place to live in. It's just…easy to be around you. How could I ever thank you for that?" She stated with a smile.

I was astounded. I didn't even know how to react or what to say. Was she opening up to me? This was the most she'd ever said about her feelings! I bottled up some courage to spit any words out, "You are the greatest person I have ever met." I blurted. I immediately sucked in a breath and chewed my lip.

Astrid stared down at her drawing with a pause in her voice, "I feel the same way, Hiccup. I feel a lot of things about you that I can't explain."

"You're my first real friend, Astrid, I don't understand a lot of things we feel."

"I understand that. But maybe even more?" She mumbled.

Astrid scooted next to me before spinning her head towards me. I gulped and my face reddened instantly. The blonde leaned in and pressed her lips to mine gently. I attempted to return the kiss when everything stopped.

I shot up out my bed like a bottle-rocket. I struggled for my breath before intensely panting. Heat radiated from my face as if it were on fire. I curled my knees into my chest as my breathing began to slow. I gasped, "What the hell was that!?" I placed my face into my hands, "I can't have dreams about Astrid like that!"

I shook my head to as if to brush the dream away, "She doesn't feel like that about me! I finally have a friend! I can't ruin my newly found friendship with dreams like that!" I told myself.

This was all Astrid's fault for kissing me by the cliff a few days ago. Well sort of. It was a kiss but not a lip kiss? But it wasn't on the cheek either… She has got to stop giving me mixed signals! I'm still a teenage boy, dammit! I have hormones! I groaned and collapsed back onto my bed. What is my life?

I strode down the hallway of the school, trying not to focus on all the crap I had to accomplish in the next week. I stared blankly ahead as I shifted one foot in front of the other. I arrived at my locker as usual and unlocked it. To my misfortune, a pile of stinky sweat socks and dirty jock-straps rained down upon me. I squeaked in the back of my throat and flung them away. I heard the chorus of laughter ringing throughout the hallway and I sighed. I ran a hand through my, now most likely smelly, hair.

"Shut up!" A voice growled at the crowd. My ears sprung up as I recognized the voice immediately as Astrid's. She tossed her blonde braid over her shoulder, "You're all ridiculous!" She eyed the person that she knew was responsible, Samuel. The blonde intimidatingly stomped over to him, "Do you think this is funny, you prick?"

The larger male didn't know what to say, "Um… yes? I mean, duh! Who doesn't play pranks on the freak kid?"

"Me. I don't! And let me tell you something, Snotface, you're nothing but a coward!" There was a chorus of 'ooh's throughout the hallway. "You think that bullying him and calling him a 'freak kid' is gonna cover up what a better person is than you? You're just pathetic!"

"Aw, come on baby! You don't mean that! You know that I'm awesome and that you want to be all over me. So stop pretending and stop flirting with the little freckled face, art mutant over there and come be with who you want to be with." He boasted.

Again with the ouch comments.

I swear Astrid's eyes narrowed into slits and she snatched the front of his shirt, "You listen to me, Snotlout, you do not tell me what to do. I am who I am and that's nothing that you can change. Now I suggest that you and your asshole friends leave Hiccup alone." She sneered.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do to make me?"

There was a gasp among the crowd of students as the girl's fist made direct contact with Samuel's face. He fell hard to the tile floor with a smack! Astrid smashed her foot into his stomach as he lie there on the floor. She –a very brave girl – picked up one of the jock straps and sling-shot it onto Samuel's face, "That's what. Now, pick on someone your own size."

The gathering of students cheered and clapped for Astrid's bold movement, to both of our surprise. She swayed her way back over to me with a grin, "He shouldn't be bothering you much anymore. I think I took care of it."

My face completely flushed and I knew it too. I stuttered on my words, "Th-Thanks Astrid. You're a really great friend. I don't deserve it."

"Of course you do! You've been a great friend to me, even when I wasn't one to you. I should be thanking you Hiccup, it's about time I truly did something for you." She replied with a smile.

She's being really nice. Is this another dream? Cause if it is, it's really awesome! I stared at her intently and I felt my face start to heat up even more when the dream I had had was brought back to my attention. I gulped, "Yeah. So, um, thanks. I'm just gonna…yeah." I was in the process of spinning around when she grabbed my shoulder.

"Hold up, you're not trying to blow me off after what I just did for you, are you?" Astrid inquired.

"W-What!? No! Of course not. I just have to get to class soon is all. And we definitely shouldn't be late for class. Classes are a very important part of the school curriculum, you know?" I rambled. I flinched at my own statements. What was I doing?

"Hiccup…? What's going on?" She asked with a cock of her eyebrow.

I tried to avoid the topic, "Psht, what? Nothing. Of course."

"Harold."

Oh lord, I'm in trouble. She said my name. That is never a good sign. Ever. I gripped my books in my arms tightly. I opened my mouth to speak then closed it. I tried again, but instead looked like a gaping fish. Finally the worlds came out, "I can't tell you. You'll kill me. Or worse… not want to be my friend anymore. I can't ruin my first friendship with someone Astrid, please don't make me."

"What are you talking about, Hiccup?" She was so confused. I could tell.

"It's nothing, okay? Don't push it. I'm sorry I was being awkward. I'm really grateful for what you just did for me. No one has ever stood up for me the way you do. And I know it's gotten you into some trouble, but it means a lot."

"Astrid Hofferson!" A loud voice boomed throughout the hall.

"Speaking of trouble…" The blonde grumbled.

The large man narrowed his eyes at the girl as she turned around. She turned on the charm, "Yes sir?"

"To my office… now!"

Uh-oh…

"So I have detention for the rest of the week, but that's the most he said he would do because I was aiming for 'vigilante justice'. It doesn't hurt that I was sticking up for the mayor's son." Astrid chimed as she sketched on our landscape canvas as I worked on this week's project.

"I'm sorry that you got in trouble because of me." I told her with a sigh.

She just shrugged at me, "Eh, Snotlout had it coming. He such a douchenozzle anyway. I've always wanted to punch that guy in the face. So thank you for giving me a valid reason."

I snorted at her, "So that's what it was! You've been using me as an excuse to get back at Snotlout! And I thought you were my friend!" I cried dramatically as I fell back onto the cliff side grass.

"Nope, I'm such a fraud. I gave up all my friendships just to have a reason to punch Snotlout in the face." Astrid replied smoothly.

I sat back up and glared at her, "Way to ruin the joke. That was a good one too."

"You? Telling good jokes? Now that's a good one." She taunted.

I began to ooze my normal sarcasm, "Wow, I see. You're a great friend."

"Yes. Yes, I am sir. And you better remember it."

I stared at her with an unamused glare until she burst out into laughter at. I couldn't help but join in as we watched the sunset fall. Toothless purred comfortably while he observed us chit-chatting and giggling. Astrid painted a beautiful sunset into the sky with bright oranges and pinks. She stood and wiped the paint from her hands onto her apron, "Well it's starting to get dark. I have to get going before my parents have a hissy fit."

I pouted at her, "Already?"

"I know, it's been a fun day Hiccup. Thanks for making my life not boring. I'll see you tomorrow." She responded with a grin. The blonde then approached me and leaned over to wrap her arms around me in a good-bye hug, "I'll text you." Astrid pulled away with a wave and strode off into the woods back toward the cove to my house.

I packed up my paint kit and sketch pad into my bag. I kept the painting for our project out on the easel. I'd have to wait a bit to let that dry up some. I sat on the edge of the cliff and tossed rocks into the water. Toothless then scooted up beside me.

"What am I going to do, bud? With you? With Astrid? I can't understand why I was chosen to have this life. I've been miserable for fifteen years but within a few months everything changes… I'll never understand I guess. I'm certainly not complaining." The dragon nuzzled his head beneath my arm. I began to pet his scales gently, "I've never been this happy, bud. I'm so glad I have you and Astrid in my life right now. I wonder how long this will last. Until she doesn't need an art tutor anymore?"

Toothless growled at the thought. I glanced at him, "What do you think? Do you think the most popular girl at Berk High School is going to continue to be my friend?" He crooned at that statement.

I shrugged at my dragon, "I wish my aspect was that positive. I'm never certain of anything."

Suddenly there was rustling in the foliage behind us. I hissed and yanked Toothless by his saddle to hide behind the thick trees. There were then a few voices and more movement. We sat as quiet as mice while the strangers progressed towards our hiding place.

"Are you sure it was around here, Franklin?" A male voice questioned.

I paused and flinched slightly. Franklin? As in the dragon nerd, Franklin? This was so not good. What was he doing here!?

"Yes sir! I was out on watch and it flew across the sky. It was like a shadow, but it's green eyes were shining in the moonlight. It was glorious." Another voice responded. I immediately recognized it. That was indeed Fishlegs. This was definitely a problem.

"It doesn't make any sense… I know I hit that Night Fury when I saw it. How could it have managed to fly?" The other voice replied.

Franklin seemed nervous to respond, "Well maybe Night Furies are different. Maybe they have some ability to regenerate."

"That would be highly unlikely. A downed dragon is a dead dragon." My eyes widened at those words. Were they trying to kill Toothless!?

"But Dad, if no one has completely studied the Night Fury there is no way to know."

Dad!? This was really not good! Franklin and his father were trying to hunt down dragons? This didn't make any sense!

The third voice took me completely by surprise, "You two need to figure this out. I don't want these creatures terrorizing my city. If you two can't do anything about it, then I will do something about it." My entire body stiffened. I knew that voice immediately.

"Dad?" I murmured to myself. My own father knew there was a dragon on Berk? Apparently more than one! Multiple dragons on Berk!?

"Stoick, I can assure you that I am of the government's highest caliber when it comes to keeping these beasts a secret. There is no need to get hasty. We will capture this Night Fury, dead or alive." I gulped at the father's statement. I glanced at Toothless nervously and his pupils seemed to have shrunken. My heart began roaring in my ears.

"You better. If you don't take care of this, then there will be consequences." My father's voice threatened. I listened as the three males made their way to a different area of the woods.

I turned my gaze to Toothless, who seemed just as panicked as I was. This wasn't a good situation at all.

Maybe Toothless and I really did need to leave Berk…

Calm down my dears... this will make sense soon.