Two weeks passed since I had nearly left Berk for good. My aunt didn't seem surprised upon my knocking on her front door that one day, a bag in each hand and a mildly embarrassed expression on my face. In fact, she was overwhelming with her excitement, ushering me through the entrance and rambling on about how great it'd be here for me, all while taking my bags and heading upstairs before I could even give a proper hello.
I settled back into a familiar routine over the course of the passing days, despite missing one rather important part of my life: my mother was miles away and I'd be lying if I denied that I got upset about it from time to time. My aunt had assured me on several occasions that I would be just fine and that there was always the possibility of visiting. Soon enough, I was able to accept the fact I was, nearly, on my own here.
When Hiccup had offered to help me feel more comfortable staying here, suggesting friends and a job among a few other ideas, he hadn't been bluffing. One of the more unexpected gains I'd made the past weeks here was of a growing friendship with Astrid. You'd expect the opposite in such a situation, but somehow, we'd been getting closer. I had also started helping out with preparing for dragon races and cleaning up the arena after events, which gave me even more of a chance to interact with the other teenagers.
"Astrid?" I called out to the blonde as she was steadying a scoreboard that had been knocked out of place. Today she had decided to stay for a bit after racing and help with the clean-up, so we'd been casually talking for the past half hour.
"Hm?" she replied, still surveying the board before her. I took a breath, unsure of how to phrase my thoughts.
"You're not.. mad at me, or anything, right?" I settled on asking slowly. I watched her pause the action she'd been doing.
"You mean about Hiccup?" she said a couple seconds later. I nodded, before realizing she couldn't exactly see my response.
"Yeah," I replied. I bent down to pick up a lone armband that someone must have lost, trying to busy myself while waiting for her answer.
"I'm pretty pissed off about it, actually," she said in a calm voice. I paused, eyes widening. That wasn't the answer I had been expecting, at least, not as blunt as she had been. Then again, this was Astrid.
"I mean, if you hadn't come back, I am 90-percent sure Hiccup and I would still be together," she continued, resetting the other scoreboards. I just stood there, staring at the armband in my hand.
"But, you know what? You did come back, and I can't do anything about that." I turned to look at her, and she had been watching me with crossed arms. I exhaled a breath, unsure of what to say.
"So, yeah, I'm bitter about it, but you're a great person, (Y/N). It'd be dumb of me to blindly hate you just because you somehow managed to steal Hiccup," she added in a playful tone but I was already bursting into protest mode.
"Uh, wait a second, that is not tr--," I began to argue in confusion but she only shook her head, turning to finish up the scoreboards.
"It's okay, though. However, if you do hurt Hiccup, I will not hesitate to injure you," she deadpanned. I closed my eyes, shaking my hands.
"Astrid, what are you going on about?" I insisted. She looked at me with a questioning expression.
"He hasn't talked to you about it?" she asked.
"Yeah, he told me he broke up with you but that's all? I'm not.. we're not like.. dating now, or something, if that's what you think," I said with a huff of disbelief.
"You're kidding me," was all she said with a raise of her eyebrows before she moved away from the area she'd been standing in and headed for the arena's exit. I watched her leave, absolutely unsure of what had happened.
---
"It has been two weeks and you haven't done anything," Astrid said the very second she stepped into the blacksmith workshop. Hiccup turned his head to watch her walk his way before gesturing to the weapon in his grip.
"I've done this," he replied with an air of sarcasm but she only stood in front of him with hands placed on her hips.
"When you broke up with me because of (Y/N), I assumed it meant you would be doing something about it," she continued as if he hadn't spoken. Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows, head tilting slightly.
"Uh.. it's been two weeks," he pointed out.
"Yes! Exactly! Two weeks, Hiccup," Astrid exclaimed.
"I just thought it might've been, oh, I don't know, a bit too soon, maybe?" he drawled.
"Well, I mean, if someone breaks up with me to be with someone else, I'm expecting that to be the best damn relationship to exist or I'll be very insulted." She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms loosely.
"Okay, I don't have a lot of experience in these things, but I'm pretty sure people don't normally want their exes to move on within two weeks," Hiccup began to argue lightly, but Astrid only gave him a look that quieted him.
"Really, Hiccup, if you're not going to do something, I'm going to do it for you," Astrid said.
"Why are you pushing for this so much?" Hiccup asked instead. She paused, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip before shrugging one shoulder.
"Does that really matter? I mean--"
"It does, actually. I'm a bit confused as to why you are hoping I date someone so badly."
"I don't know, maybe I just don't think you'll get the chance again, or that Ruffnut wouldn't be the best idea," Astrid said in a slightly lighter tone.
"Really? Is that why?" Hiccup said with a laugh. Astrid only shrugged, unwilling to try and seriously explain herself.
"I'll talk to her tonight. Okay? Are you happy, you weird... person?" Hiccup said, gesturing to Astrid with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged again before leaving without anything more than a goodbye.
"I do not understand girls," Hiccup muttered to himself, looking down at his weapon and spinning it once in his hands.
---
I had headed back home after the 20 minutes without Astrid's return. I wasn't sure what had happened but I didn't feel like staying there if she had forgotten. I had barely made it upstairs when I heard knocks on the front door.
"Are you busy?" Hiccup asked nearly the moment I opened the front door after his insistent knocking.
"Uh--"
"Great, could we take a walk?" he asked before I managed to reply, and I gave him a weird look before shrugging.
---
"So, uh. (Y/N)," Hiccup said. I glanced towards him, waiting.
"Hi," he decided to say and I laughed slightly, giving him an incredulous look.
"Hi?"
"Okay, um, you remember when I said I broke up with Astrid for you? And you asked me about it and I said I had no idea?" He started to mess with his hands. I nodded.
"Well, you see.. I kind of do have an idea, actually," he continued. I held in a scoff.
"Wow, really?" I said sarcastically. He finally met my eyes and laughed a bit, shaking his head.
"Shut up, okay, I don't know if you can tell but I am a bit nervous right now and you are not helping," he muttered with a playful tone. I tilted my head, watching him.
"What, why are you nervous?" I asked. He sighed, beginning to mess with his hair absentmindedly.
"I don't know, it's just.. I mean, are you not picking up on the hints? I'm not good at talking," he rambled a bit, but I only shook my head, slowing my steps.
"Hints?" I repeated. Hiccup stopped walking, and I nearly collided into him with the suddenness. He turned to face me, quietly holding my gaze. I narrowed my eyes in uncertainty.
"Okay, I literally do not understand--"
The rest of the sentence was stolen from my lips as he pressed his against them, pulling away after just a few seconds. A light blush peeked out from behind his freckles as he took a deep breath. I stood silently, lips still holding a gentle tingle in the aftermath.
"I swear, if you still don't understand.." he drifted off with a nervous laugh. No words came to me as a reply so he huffed a sigh.
"Wow, okay. (Y/N), I have had a major crush on you since we were younger, and then you left so obviously I had to get over it, but now you're back and you successfully ruined my life. There, there it is, is that enough for you or do you still not understand?" He added teasingly, but it still held a nervous tinge as if he was desperately trying to seem more lax about the situation than he actually was.
"Oh my Gods," I managed to breath out. He stared at me for a moment before looking away.
"I realize now that I probably should've made sure you felt the same before doing all this," he muttered with a chuckle, running his fingers along his jawline.
"You broke up with Astrid for me?" I blurted out. The look he gave me would've made me burst into laughter had I not realized how ignorant I sounded.
"I'm sorry, were you not paying attention this whole time, or something..? Because I mean, that is literally what I have been trying to explain to you," he replied with an incredulous laugh.
"Really?" I said, tilting my head.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" he said with a narrow of his eyes and a slight smile on the corners of his lips.
"Hiccup," I said quietly, staring at him in slight awe. He started messing with the hair near the back of his neck.
"Could you say something at least, like, I don't know, maybe 'Oh, wow Hiccup, I have a crush on you, too' or even 'Sorry, I hate your guts' because I feel really awkward right now," he admitted with a raised eyebrow. I wasn't sure I could form a sentence at this moment that would accurately convey my feelings. I settled on closing the distance again, letting my arms wrap around his neck as I pressed my lips to his. His body language radiated surprise for a moment before he placed his hands on my waist lightly, returning the kiss.
I pulled away a bit later, waiting for his reaction. He stared at me quietly for a few seconds before clearing his throat, removing his hands.
"That is not what I expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless," he finally said with a lopsided grin and I let out a laugh, shaking my head softly. He leaned down for another kiss, but I moved away after a second.
"Wait," I started, but he widened his eyes.
"Am I really that bad of a kisser? Are you changing your mind now or something?"
"No, you dork, I'm just.. Earlier, Astrid said you had to talk to me about something. Does this mean she already knew?" I asked, the thought having just popped into my head.
"Oh, well, I kinda had to explain to her why I wanted to break up, so yeah," he said with a slight shrug.
"So you straight-up told her you were ending it to date someone else?" I raised an eyebrow. He pressed his lips together, starting to shake his head with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, I didn't really think it through, huh?" he agreed.
"Hiccup, that is terrible!" I insisted, unable to suppress my laughter.
"I didn't really plan on telling you tonight, or for a while, really, but Astrid basically told me that if I didn't start dating someone she'd kill me, so.." he said playfully with another shrug.
"So she's okay with it?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I mean, earlier, she had admitted to me that she wasn't exactly on board with the whole thing, so I didn't know what this meant.
"Eh, she doesn't really show it but I mean.. I don't know. She's a lot stronger than you think," he said, but I was already shaking my head.
"Trust me, I do not underestimate her strength one bit," I assured him, earning a chuckle.
"You know, it's kind of weird, but ever since you two split up, me and her have gotten closer," I added.
"You guys don't like, hide away and make fun of me as a form of bonding or anything, right?" He teased.
"Aw, of course not, Hiccup. We just do that in front of you," I added with a smug smile. He gave me a insincere glare before crossing his arms.
"So.. I guess we're a thing now?" he said with the hints of a grin. I paused thoughtfully before shaking my head.
"I don't think we qualify as 'a thing' until one of us voices it," I decided.
"Well, I made the first move so you should be the one to ask," he countered with a childish expression.
"I don't think it works like that," I started to argue with a laugh but he held out his hands, looking up.
"Nope, come on, I'm waiting," he insisted. I sighed, fighting a smile.
"Okay, Hiccup. Will you be my boyfriend?" I said plainly, crossing my arms. He pursed his lips, pretending to consider deeply.
"I don't know yet, let me think about it," he started but I shoved him halfheartedly, an incredulous giggle escaping.
"I refuse to play this game."
"I'm kidding, of course. But now we're a thing and we should kiss to celebrate," he added quickly, starting to pull me towards him but I held up my hands.
"Oh my Gods, you need limits," I laughed in disbelief, turning away.
"In my defense, I have been waiting 10 years for this moment, so I mean?" He tilted his head with hopeful eyes.
"Oh, honestly, Hiccup.."