A/N: I am really sorry for the late chapter! however, I've re-written this four times now and I think I've got it to the level of perfection I want it to be (and plus it's a whooper of a long chapter!)

Also, I really, really love reading all your reviews about the chapters, I've been having a ball reading your comments about Heather, I love you all.

"Who would have thought three weeks would solve everything?"

Astrid had pulled her suitcases up the stairs to her bedroom the evening before, her family had been a little skeptical with her wanting to come back a day before they had arranged, but she had been calm and relaxed once she was home.

She missed her friends but spending time with her family and having time to do the homework she took back with her unleashed the inner calm in her.

Astrid's back in town bitches! x

She smiled as she sent the message out to her friends, she knew one person who was glad she was back, so was Stormfly by the looks of her purring on the window seal of her room.

"I know you're in there!" Ruffnut shouted, excited to see her best friend again. Astrid couldn't help the smile which took over her face as she opened the door to be embraced in to a hug by the taller blonde.

"Missed you too Ruff!" she beamed a smile at her, both of them began to laugh and then notice they were wearing each other's gift.

Ruffnut had a large pendant dangling from her neck, Astrid had always told her she would look amazing with one, and inside held a picture of both of them on their first night out completely drunk but it was still an amazing photo of them. Whilst Astrid had a small silver bracelet one with a 'A' and 'R' charm on it, to represent their friendship.

"We have good taste" Astrid smiled, looking at the necklace. Ruffnut laughed,

"Come on Astrid, let's go and grab a coffee, or vodka, which ever comes near us first…"

The monday morning of the first day's back in the new year proved to be difficult. Both Astrid and Ruffnut had double expresso in their coffees that morning to class and had both expected the boys to lay it in to them how hideous they looked; although Snotlout being Snotlout would tell them straight to their faces, leading him to nurse two dead arms.

"Double maths?" Fishleg's asked as him and Astrid were walking down the corridor, she shook her head; thankful that she had dropped an hour of maths and in exchanged doubled up in history.

"Afraid not. Only an hour for me now, which I'm thankful for.."

Fishleg's hung his head, although Astrid knew it he was okay about it, after all Fishleg's loved maths, and had taken double sciences and an extra class in physics. She had no idea what the large blonde boy wanted to do in life, but if it involved double lessons in maths and science she was out.

"Have you spoken to Hiccup?" The question brought her tumbling back down to reality. She shook her head at Fishleg's

"Not really, I don't know what to say to him. Do I say sorry? or do I just," she began to fiddle with her ponytail "or do I just leave it?"

"I'm not really one to say, after all relationships aren't my thing…"

"True Fishlegs, and we weren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend were we? We went on a few dates but he never called me his girlfriend and I never called him my boyfriend."

"Then why are you worrying? Surely you'll speak about it at one point, but if you weren't actually going out then it's not a problem is it?" Ruffnut had caught up with them, she held a light blush on her face, wether it was from the outside air or not Astrid wasn't about to ask.

"That's actually a strong point.."

"Shut up Fishlegs." Astrid spoke as they entered the classroom,

"You're not the one who has to sit next to him in english and maths…" she sighed, as she saw he had already sat down and was staring at the board.

She turned at Fishlegs and Ruffnut before sighing and making her way towards her seat. Thankful that this term he had taken the window seat, making it less awkward for her having to shuffle past him.

"Hey." she mumbled, as she got settled, he looked at her and she noticed how tired he looked,

"Hi."

'Well, at least he replied back.' she thought, although it wasn't as comforting as she wanted, she couldn't help but be pleased he was okay with her.

"Can we talk later?" Hiccup asked, not looking at her still, she held a small smile before she sighed.

"Sure." she sighed, hopeful but at the same time anxiety struck her, everything was going to be put on the table; all the locked up emotions and feelings it was about to be unleashed.

He walked to her building and stood there for five minutes outside in the cold breezy winter air, the snow that had fallen earlier in the day had settled lightly on top of the bushes outside the building, as if it was icing sugar.

He knew he had to go in, he knew he had to hear her side of the story, but deep down he was more annoyed about the fact that she got herself in to so much trouble when she could have come up to him with out any of this happening and telling him her feelings.

"Girls are crazy." he sighed, his warm breath blowing out, it was either now or never for him to find out the truth.

Astrid's heart sank as her door was knocked, she had run out of time to put her emotions in to words and she was just going to have to explain everything with out messing any of it up. She took one last glance at Stormfly who had settled nicely in the pile of Astrid's dirty clothes, she had thrown them in a panic towards the corner of her room near the heater, Stormfly had took the opportunity herself to create a nice warm bed for herself.

She took one last breath as she opened the door, feeling the outside cold and the smell of Hiccup's deodorant; heaven.

"I want you to sit down, I want you to listen and I want you to tell me honestly." Astrid spoke, soft but stern as Hiccup sat on her bed whilst she sat on the floor cross legged. She was panicking.

Hiccup watched as she composed herself, he had to admit, he missed her; he missed her voice, he missed their coffee dates, but what happened between her and Heather was unacceptable.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning." she started, Hiccup nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself, after all it was Astrid's voice which needed to be heard, not his. Yet.

"I had thought about talking to you for ages," she looked him in the eyes, his beautiful forest green eyes,

"I was telling Heather, when we were friends back then how I had always had a small thing for you, after all you're Hiccup, nerdy but so, so lovely. And after everything went down hill for Heather and mine's relationship she was out to show me how she was the queen of the school. She had ruined friendships with people who used to care for her and got rid of the friends who wouldn't hang with her - Ruffnut and I being some of the population; and then she had it in her mind that she was going to hurt me even further by taking something which means so much to me away."

she could feel her cheeks going red, there was no hiding for her, she was out in the open and he was staring at her. Listening to her speech, which was turning more towards her letting her barrier down.

"I over heard her talking about you, and saying that she was going to get your attention and hang around you. She so desperately wanted to date you just so she had something to spite me everyday with, she wanted to watch me crumble and become a mess in front of the whole Academy. I couldn't watch her destroy me, let alone take advantage of you to something you would think was real."

"So you took it upon yourself to throw a few fists her way?" Hiccup raised his eyebrow, no anger or hate coming from him, he was listening to every word that fell from her mouth. Astrid half smiled, nodding,

"I can't allow anyone to hurt you in such a way, I wouldn't allow Heather to ruin someone who means the absolute world to me, Hiccup you mean so much to me." That was it, her emotions got the better of her and she began to let tears fall; all the emotion she had hid for all this time, the secrets and no one understanding Heather's love for misery in others.

Hiccup froze.

Now it was no news to anyone that Hiccup had a crush on Astrid; ever since he had first laid eyes on her blonde braided hair and hypnotic sapphire eyes he was hooked. As she had said he was the student who loved using his brain, logic was his best friend and he accepted that he could only look at Astrid and that was that.

But as he grew up and as she did they became friends, thanks to common interests in a few subjects and then taking part in their social gatherings he had relit the love in his heart for her.

"You still hid the whole thing from me Astrid, the last time I checked friends don't do that. They don't keep things like this hidden. And for one I thought there was at least some trust between us?" Hiccup spoke, frustration was the main feeling he held right now,he wasn't about to let this drop. Heather yes, she's a bitch, but Astrid not saying this or coming to him was what hurt.

"I'm glad you did paint her all the colours of the rainbow, I'm glad I know why you hate her so, but the fact you kept it a secret about her plan from me, that wasn't fair. If you told me I could have done something about it; I could have called her out on it. I could have done something more than be here right now in the present watch us argue about someone who isn't important."

Hiccup finished his rant, her face was still pointing to the ground, he felt like he had just told her off more than he should have, but his feelings had got the better of him.

"The thing is Hiccup, I love you." She blurted, thankful her face was pointing at her feet as a wave of pink hit her face. And she was sure her make up was going to be running down her cheeks, even more of a reason to not look at Hiccup. She was a mess.

"I've always loved you."

She broke away from her feet, looking up and getting caught in his eyes again, his face was stern. He was beautiful, Astrid was thankful for sitting down, otherwise she was sure she would be on her knees from looking at him straight in the eye and turning in to a passed out mess on the floor.

"Say that again Haddock." she dared him, he smirked,

"I love you Astrid."

That was all she needed, that was all she needed to hear from him. After the mess Heather had created he still loved her, he always had. Her stomach twisted, releasing the butterflies she never knew were inside her as Hiccup pulled her up from her sitting position.

"I love you Astrid," it became natural for him, it rolled off his tongue with little effort. Every time he said it a smile fell on Astrid's face and how could you not say it? Just to see her beautiful smile fill her face, to watch her eyes fall on to yours as you say those magic words.

"They made up!"

Hiccup and Astrid turned to her wall, it had seemed Ruffnut had invited the guys over to over hear the conversation; and she was positive it was also incase things went wrong she had her friends to hold her.

"Thin walls guys!" Astrid shouted, rolling her eyes as she heard Tuffnut saying "Shit"

"I'm sorry." Astrid finally said, realising she hadn't said it yet, she was overwhelmed by Hiccup's talk, but thankful he had his say, even if it stung.

"I suppose this also means," he smiled at her "seeing as you are forgiven, and for the fact I always trusted your violence.."

Astrid rolled her eyes at him, he was going the right way for a punch with his little speech.

"But, I was going to give you this, but you left before I had the chance…" he brought out a black box with a royal blue ribbon tied around it. Astrid's face looking at him and then back towards the box.

"Are you?"

Hiccup looked at the box and then the shocked facial expression Astrid was holding and shook his head laughing

"Jesus Astrid! It's defiantly NOT that," he added a stern frown at 'not' bring Astrid in to a fit of giggles,

"Okay, okay!" she raised her hands in a surrender, still laughing "I didn't mean to offend you."

Hiccup shook his head, praying to the gods above him to give him the courage for the next few minutes where nothing went wrong.

"Just open it Hofferson."

Ruffnut and the boys had bombarded Astrid's room expecting Hiccup to be on his knees begging her, but they were disappointed as Astrid opened the present to find a key necklace inside the box, Hiccup froze as he saw their friends walk in, but gulped as he tried to explain the reason behind it.

"It's just so you know you have.." he gulped again going red, quite quickly "The key to my heart." Astrid couldn't help but beam a smile at him, there was something about the Haddock that made her goofy in all aspects of herself. She could be natural around him and still act serious and goofy with him with out him telling her off or not knowing what she was talking about.

"That has to be the cheesiest thing you have ever said Haddock."

"Good god, can you guys not be all lovey dovey?" Snotlout spoke, gaining frowns from Hiccup and Astird,

"Don't like it? You know where the door is." Hiccup replied.

So…I'm just going to come clean.

Want to make it official?

xxx

Astrid's smile grew as she read the text before she went to sleep, she had never been happier that her emotions and feelings had done her such good. And karma was on her side for sure.

;)