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Lesson One: Realization

It was like the rope bridge he had been balancing on for years finally snapped and he was dangling so close to the other side it was almost too much to bear.

The winds were changing before him in every direction, but changing nonetheless.

He finally had the respect of his father and tribe—but it was fake. He finally had a friend that understood who he really was without pretense—but he was a dragon. And then there was Astrid. Did she even fit into the equation?

He took her up into the air expecting a short flight to calm her down and came out of it with his cheeks stained pink from blushing and a wide eyed expression.

Had Astrid just kissed his cheek?

It was too much to take in past her putting his arms around him when they discovered the dragon’s nest. She clung to him like she was terrified of every new thing that came her way, but all of that realization didn’t come crashing on down to Hiccup until he was suddenly faced with her running awkwardly away, her face stained pink as well.

It was then he realized he didn’t know Astrid Hofferson at all. One moment he had come to a forced contentment that his battle to win her affections was a lost cause—and that Toothless’s friendship would be more than enough for him—but then there she came and crashed right down into his operation. Completely changing his opinion of her, at that.

He had put her up on such a high pedestal for so long he didn’t realize that he only knew her on the surface. The tough girl who could do no wrong. The pretty girl who played hard to get. The proud girl who looked down on him for not being 100% on his game all hours of the day. And then she went and did something like that.

It was no doubt in Hiccup’s mind that he liked her. He was a teenager, after all, and she was quite beautiful. But this new Astrid was someone Hiccup didn’t know at all. And what’s more, was that he actually wanted to know her. He didn’t want merely fantasize about what it would be like to be her boyfriend, instead he just looked forward to getting to know her.

He gently reached his fingers up to touch his own cheek. The cheek she had kissed. What did it mean? He wondered. Surely Astrid had never shown too much interest in him before, but whatever it was, and whatever fears Hiccup had of her only liking him because of him befriending a Night Fury vanished when she stood beside him.

Stood beside him before his fight with the Nightmare, and stood beside him when he was a traitor simply moping on the docks. Stood beside him when they were about to go flying off to battle.

“We’re almost ready to go,” He heard Astrid announce when she helped Fishlegs mount his Gronckle, and he smiled. Neither of them were highly qualified to teach—Astrid less so than him—but she still went about it as she did everything else. With and odd confidence she seemed to pull out of thin air.

She walked up to him then, looked up at the Nadder Hiccup was scratching.

“I guess we’ll be riding the Nadder?” She asked him quietly.

“Um, yeah, I guess.” He blinked, not knowing why it was so weird for him to comprehend that she was choosing to ride with him.

“Alright.”

There was a silence between them as Astrid simply stared at the dragon, looking as if she were trying to take the whole beast in before she rode it. Of course, Hiccup would be doing the steering, but being on Toothless was already a big step for Astrid, but now just casually riding another into battle…

And for what, really? For him? After he had ran off the docks proclaiming he’d do something crazy Astrid followed shortly after him, claiming that she’d go get help while he went to the Kill Ring. Hiccup didn’t think she’d find anyone to really help them, but to his surprise she managed to round up Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs. She didn’t have to do that, though.

So why did she?

“Astrid…?” Hiccup said, looking up at her. She didn’t turn her gaze, but she responded with a hum that she was paying attention. “Thank you.” He said instead of asking the question that was burning a hole in his mind.

“For what?” Astrid finally turned her head to gaze at him, looking confused.

“For helping me out when you didn’t have to.”

Astrid turned her head back to look at the Nadder, though Hiccup didn’t miss the slight coloring on her cheeks before she did.

“You don’t owe me a ‘thank you’.” She told him quietly. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“That’s not true. You’ve been here for me a lot in the past two days.” Hiccup told her just as gently. He didn’t know why they were speaking so softly to each other, but he kind of enjoyed the quietness.

“I’m just…I’m sorry Hiccup.” She told him, barely above a whisper, and she looked rebelliously up at the Nadder.

There was a pregnant pause between them and Hiccup rolled through his options carefully. He could make it hard for her, tell her she was awful to him and that she would have to work for his forgiveness. Or he could take advantage of their sudden closeness and spill out all the relief he felt for knowing that someone was really giving him an honest apology. But instead he did a combination of the two.

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” He shrugged, tugging the rope around the Nadder a little tighter and climbed on effortlessly. Astrid’s eyes were wide as she looked at him, but Hiccup simply held out his hand, smiling gently. “Well, you coming?”

“That’s it?” She raised a brow.

“That’s it.” He smiled again. “Now are you going to climb up, or what?”

Astrid’s confused brow softened, and her curled lips smoothly curved into a smile as she placed her hand in his.

Hiccup could only feel proud of himself. He could’ve given her hell, no doubt. He could’ve held a grudge on every one of them, but he didn’t. Because what would be the point of wanting leeway for his mistakes if he didn’t give it to others?

Instead he enjoyed something completely different, something like a girl he never dreamed of getting to know apologizing. A band of friends flying into battle with him, and the realization that the girl he had put on a pedestal all those years wasn’t perfect at all.

And that she liked him.

Description
Lesson One: Realization

It was like the rope bridge he had been balancing on for years finally snapped and he was dangling so close to the other side it was almost too much to bear.

The winds were changing before him in every direction, but changing nonetheless.

He finally had the respect of his father and tribe—but it was fake. He finally had a friend that understood who he really was without pretense—but he was a dragon. And then there was Astrid. Did she even fit into the equation?

He took her up into the air expecting a short flight to calm her down and came out of it with his cheeks stained pink from blushing and a wide eyed expression.

Had Astrid just kissed his cheek?

It was too much to take in past her putting his arms around him when they discovered the dragon’s nest. She clung to him like she was terrified of every new thing that came her way, but all of that realization didn’t come crashing on down to Hiccup until he was suddenly faced with her running awkwardly away, her face stained pink as well.

It was then he realized he didn’t know Astrid Hofferson at all. One moment he had come to a forced contentment that his battle to win her affections was a lost cause—and that Toothless’s friendship would be more than enough for him—but then there she came and crashed right down into his operation. Completely changing his opinion of her, at that.

He had put her up on such a high pedestal for so long he didn’t realize that he only knew her on the surface. The tough girl who could do no wrong. The pretty girl who played hard to get. The proud girl who looked down on him for not being 100% on his game all hours of the day. And then she went and did something like that.

It was no doubt in Hiccup’s mind that he liked her. He was a teenager, after all, and she was quite beautiful. But this new Astrid was someone Hiccup didn’t know at all. And what’s more, was that he actually wanted to know her. He didn’t want merely fantasize about what it would be like to be her boyfriend, instead he just looked forward to getting to know her.

He gently reached his fingers up to touch his own cheek. The cheek she had kissed. What did it mean? He wondered. Surely Astrid had never shown too much interest in him before, but whatever it was, and whatever fears Hiccup had of her only liking him because of him befriending a Night Fury vanished when she stood beside him.

Stood beside him before his fight with the Nightmare, and stood beside him when he was a traitor simply moping on the docks. Stood beside him when they were about to go flying off to battle.

“We’re almost ready to go,” He heard Astrid announce when she helped Fishlegs mount his Gronckle, and he smiled. Neither of them were highly qualified to teach—Astrid less so than him—but she still went about it as she did everything else. With and odd confidence she seemed to pull out of thin air.

She walked up to him then, looked up at the Nadder Hiccup was scratching.

“I guess we’ll be riding the Nadder?” She asked him quietly.

“Um, yeah, I guess.” He blinked, not knowing why it was so weird for him to comprehend that she was choosing to ride with him.

“Alright.”

There was a silence between them as Astrid simply stared at the dragon, looking as if she were trying to take the whole beast in before she rode it. Of course, Hiccup would be doing the steering, but being on Toothless was already a big step for Astrid, but now just casually riding another into battle…

And for what, really? For him? After he had ran off the docks proclaiming he’d do something crazy Astrid followed shortly after him, claiming that she’d go get help while he went to the Kill Ring. Hiccup didn’t think she’d find anyone to really help them, but to his surprise she managed to round up Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs. She didn’t have to do that, though.

So why did she?

“Astrid…?” Hiccup said, looking up at her. She didn’t turn her gaze, but she responded with a hum that she was paying attention. “Thank you.” He said instead of asking the question that was burning a hole in his mind.

“For what?” Astrid finally turned her head to gaze at him, looking confused.

“For helping me out when you didn’t have to.”

Astrid turned her head back to look at the Nadder, though Hiccup didn’t miss the slight coloring on her cheeks before she did.

“You don’t owe me a ‘thank you’.” She told him quietly. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“That’s not true. You’ve been here for me a lot in the past two days.” Hiccup told her just as gently. He didn’t know why they were speaking so softly to each other, but he kind of enjoyed the quietness.

“I’m just…I’m sorry Hiccup.” She told him, barely above a whisper, and she looked rebelliously up at the Nadder.

There was a pregnant pause between them and Hiccup rolled through his options carefully. He could make it hard for her, tell her she was awful to him and that she would have to work for his forgiveness. Or he could take advantage of their sudden closeness and spill out all the relief he felt for knowing that someone was really giving him an honest apology. But instead he did a combination of the two.

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” He shrugged, tugging the rope around the Nadder a little tighter and climbed on effortlessly. Astrid’s eyes were wide as she looked at him, but Hiccup simply held out his hand, smiling gently. “Well, you coming?”

“That’s it?” She raised a brow.

“That’s it.” He smiled again. “Now are you going to climb up, or what?”

Astrid’s confused brow softened, and her curled lips smoothly curved into a smile as she placed her hand in his.

Hiccup could only feel proud of himself. He could’ve given her hell, no doubt. He could’ve held a grudge on every one of them, but he didn’t. Because what would be the point of wanting leeway for his mistakes if he didn’t give it to others?

Instead he enjoyed something completely different, something like a girl he never dreamed of getting to know apologizing. A band of friends flying into battle with him, and the realization that the girl he had put on a pedestal all those years wasn’t perfect at all.

And that she liked him.