He was curled in his bed, head buried in the pillow when the drapes were thrown open as the Hoffersons tended to do to wake up Astrid. He burrowed further down, his eyes screwed shut and head pounding, wishing they would leave him alone for once. But the heavy steps got closer and he wearily raised his aching head, various parts of him beginning to ache as he moved.

"We need to talk," Martin Hofferson said.

He tensed. Astrid's father had never really wanted him here and had only tolerated Hiccup because of the determined championing of his wife and daughter. Wincing, he shoved himself to a very hesitant sitting position, his hair wild and sticking out in all directions and his face bruised and battered. He yawned and stretched, his back crackling and then he whimpered in pain as he pulled on his cracked ribs. Grimacing, he pressed a hand to his battered chest and raised his pained green eyes.

"Whatever you want, sir," he groaned. Martin stared at him.

"You've been fighting," he accused Hiccup and the boy winced.

"Um...not much fighting," he admitted. "More like being held and punched. Um. A lot."

"And my daughter comes back drunken and vomiting,"he accused the boy. Hiccup grimaced.

"Not-not my doing," he groaned. "The punch was spiked...the other team...they were trying to get off with Astrid and the other Cheerleaders...I tried to stop the guy who was talking to drunken Astrid..."

"Drunken Astrid?" Martin asked in a cold voice.

"Yeah...like normal Astrid but gigglier and not able to walk in a straight line," Hiccup explained thickly. "Also less good at running away when asked to. Might've got away without all of this if she could've run..."

"You're trying to tell me you were trying to help my daughter?" Martin accused him and Hiccup lifted his head, his green gaze filled with hurt.

"Is-is that so hard to believe?" he asked softly, his voice suddenly husky. "I mean...she literally saved my life when I was freezing to death. She gave me somewhere to stay and...and friendship...even if she has to pretend she doesn't know me or despises me at school..." He swallowed. "And your wife asked me to look out for Astrid...to make sure she didn't get hurt...in payment for staying. So-so I-I did..." Martin stared at the boy, whose eyes were furiously inspecting the quilt.

"But you weren't her friend, were you?" he challenged the boy. "You were a troublemaker, a boy whose grades are shocking and disciplinary record is worse." Shoulders hunched, Hiccup looked up despondently. Here it was...he could hear the axe swishing before it fell and the magical sense of security he had garnered here was about to be taken from him...when he had done everything asked of him. His grades had even improved...

"Yes, sir," he sighed painfully. "I know you wouldn't believe the reasons why I am how I am. I just never get a break..." Martin stood in front of him...and then stuck his hand out. Hiccup stared at him and gaped. "Sir?" he murmured as the man's hand closed around his..

"I misjudged you," Martin said briskly. "I thought you were going to harm my daughter...but instead...you protected her..." Hiccup felt the hand shake his and he winced, cushioning his cracked ribs.

"Um...I promised," he mumbled, looking embarrassed. Martin gave the boy a smile.

"So tell me what happened," he said more understandingly and perched on the edge of the bed...

oOo

Astrid awoke with a thundering headache and a throat like sandpaper. She could hear her mother walk around like a herd of elephants and whined in pain. Ingrid pulled the curtains back and Astrid blinked owlishly, the room still spinning slightly.

"Morning, Astrid!" her mother said cheerfully and she groaned.

"Mom..." she moaned, pressing her eyes closed against the harsh light. "What...what happened?" Ingrid frowned at her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Can't you remember?" she asked calmly. There was a pause and Astrid swiped her face with her hand, frowning.

Could she? She forced her mind back through the fog and recalled...the celebration after the game, laughing and joking with the girls...and the opposing quarterback, who chivalrously got her a couple of glasses of fruit punch. She recalled demonstrating the full Viking routine to him and getting hot and sweaty...and downing both cups straight away. He got her another two cups of fruit punch and she recalled feeling a bit muzzy after she drank them. But he had been funny and interesting and very very...touchy...

Her brow furrowed. He had been pawing her very personally...but she had thought it was hilarious. Why had she thought that? Usually she would have punched him...and then she remembered someone coming and fetching her, being gently pulled to her feet... He had been kind and calm and had tried to get her away...his green eyes kind and concerned and...

Hiccup? Her rescuer had been...Hiccup?

Then she had fallen down and she remembered being pulled away by the girls and...not a lot more...

"I think something happened at the post-game celebration," she mumbled. "I...they other team's quarterback was a bit...handsy...and I think Hiccup sort of rescued me...but I can't remember much more..."

"Your punch was spiked and you were very drunk, Astrid," her mother told her and the girl groaned. Now her parents would NEVER let her out to anything. "But Hiccup did come to your aid. I think he got hurt helping you..."

Seeing the bowed shape, held up by two of the larger players, the big quarterback pounding his fists into the skinny shape,, his face no longer handsome but ugly with rage...

"Jason..." Astrid murmured, wincing. "He...was really mad..."

"You were both dropped off here...at least you remembered to bring him back here," Ingrid smiled as the doorbell rang. Astrid frowned. "Your friends were really worried...I'll be surprised if that isn't them now..." She got up and went downstairs to let them in as Astrid ran her hands through her hair and groaned, pulling it out of the braid and then rebraiding it rapidly as she heard steps race up the stairs and her friends burst into he bedroom.

"AST!" Cami shrieked.

"Shhh!" Heather hushed her, seeing the girl wince.

"Why?" asked Ruff, equally loudly.

"Head exploding here," Astrid complained.

"Hung over!" Cami grinned, high-fiving Ruff.

"Gods, why does everyone think getting drunk is such fun?" Astrid complained. "This is NOT fun!"

"Drinking's fun...afterwards, not so much," Ruff commented with an evil grin. "And you were totes wasted!" Astrid scowled at her.

"How?"

"Punch was spiked by the other team..." Heather explained. "Fishlegs spoke to Gustav who saw their Running Back do it..."

"Here-you look thirsty...drink this...it'll make you feel better..."

"He knew!" Astrid scowled. "That two-faced rancid-breathed son of a half-troll..." Then she paused. "How...did I get away...?" she murmured. Heather rolled her eyes.

"Don't you remember anything?" Heather asked.

"Like who your rescuer was?" Cami asked slyly.

"Your 'hero'?" Ruff teased her. Astrid rubbed her head.

"Er...no?" she lied hopefully. "Snotlout? Eret?"

"As if! Those guys were chatting up their Cheerleaders! No...you were saved by...Hiccup Haddock!" Heather told her in astonishment. "Weird, huh?"

"Um...yeah?" Astrid said, flicking her gaze up to see her Mom at the door. Ingrid rolled her eyes and turned away, shaking her head. She understood popularity but had always reminded her daughter: Hoffersons fear nothing.

Except unpopularity...

"Honestly, he told us the punch was spiked and then he raced over to drag you away from their Quarterback...because you looked like you were about to go off and...well, you know..."

"No, I don't!" Astrid said irritably. "How come you guys didn't notice?" Cami shrugged.

"Their Linebacker was pretty hot," she admitted. "He gave us drinks but we were giggling so much we never got round to drinking them..."

"And Ruff and Cami threw theirs at each other," Heather said cheerfully.

"So Hiccup saved me?" Astrid asked.

"The Visithugs were really mad," Ruff admitted. "I shouted for Tuff and the guys when we grabbed you...but they were really giving him a kicking..."

Astrid chewed her lip in embarrassment, swiping her bangs off her face. Her cheeks felt hot.

"Are you blushing?" Heather asked her.

"Not."

"Are too! You look like a tomato!" Ruff grinned. "Don't you remember? You called him your hero!"

Oh gods...

"Did not!"

"And you told Snotlout you couldn't stand him..." Heather added, smirking.

Oh, she would never hear the end of that...

"That shouldn't be a surprise..." Astrid mumbled. "Been saying that since Freshman year..."

"But I think he sort of believed you this time..." Heather added.

Oh gods...

"But he drove us all back here anyway," Cami added. "You said your Mom would get Hiccup home...and once you were in, Snot took us home as well." Astrid stared at her hands and sighed.

"Um...there's something about that you oughttta know..." she mumbled. "He um kind of stayed here..." Heather stared at her.

"What?"

"Your Mom let Hiccup Haddock stay the night?"

"And he didn't wreck the place?"

"C'mon, Ruff-hardly likely to when he was all but out of it after that beating..." Cami muttered.

"Sorry-we are talking about Hiccup Haddock," Ruff reminded her. "He can cause trouble just by being somewhere!"

"Um well about that..." Astrid mumbled and then sighed, lifting her head and swallowing. This was it: moment of truth. How good were her friends?

"He lives here."

They stared at her...and then they all burst out laughing.

"Good one, Ast!" Cami giggled. "C'mon!"

"You can't expect us to believe that?" Ruff scoffed. "The class pest here? At your home?"

"Your Mom and Dad would never allow it!" Heather reminded her. "Joking!"

"Not joking!" Astrid snapped, her eyes flashing.

"Joking!" Heather insisted with a grin. "You'd have told us before now..."

"Yeah-we're your besties, remember?" Ruff winked.

And then a figure limped by on the way to the bathroom: tall and skinny with wild auburn hair, his battered face downcast and a hand resting lightly against his bruised chest. The girls stared up in shock: he was barefoot, his loose training pants scruffy and a loose, faded T-shirt hanging from his body: he had clearly slept here in his own clothes. Hiccup looked up as sudden silence met his appearance as he passed Astrid's room. His green eyes widened in shock and he managed a very self-conscious smile to the four girls staring at him, three with jaws hanging slack in utter shock.

"Hi," he mumbled and waved before limping on by.

And every eye turned to Astrid. Heather leaned closer.

"Okay," she said. "Spill!"