The soft beep of the machine was the only sound as the gang lounged around the room, attention mainly on phones as they checked out what else was happening in the world. Astrid had refused to leave Hiccup's side until he woke after his surgery and the rest had stayed in solidarity...well, the girls, Tuff and Fishlegs had volunteered to stay and Snotlout had refused to look mean and petty so he had stayed as well-though with bad grace. Gobber had looked around the room at the crowd already waiting, seen the boy when he was unconscious, said a few words in his unconscious ear, then left, ordering Astrid to let him know when Hiccup woke up.

Snotlout had just arrived back with an enormous armful of snacks when Ruff poked Astrid hard in the arm. When she looked up angrily, the female twin jerked her thumb at the bed...where Hiccup was blinking silently and moving his head slightly. Annoyance forgotten, Astrid leapt to his side, her hand unconsciously finding his.

"Hiccup?" she said gently. He blinked, his emerald gaze still bleary.

"As-Astrid?" he murmured. "I'm still alive?"

"As far as I know...though I only got an A in Health class..." she told him smugly.

"Show off," he mumbled. "How many feet do I have?"

"Two-same as everyone else," Astrid told him reassuringly.

"Then why does it hurt so much?" he moaned softly. She smiled.

"They had to remove all the fixator thingies because they were pressing on the blood supply to your foot," she explained. "So they put a load of titanium pins and plates in...which was why the surgery was so long. They made a much bigger cut to do all that...though the surgeon was much happier with the result..."

"You're gonna have an awesome scar, dude!" Tuff told him cheerfully, eating a handful of Snotlout's Cheezie Puffs.

"Yeah, chicks dig scars," Snotlout pronounced unwisely.

"You'd be fighting girls off with a baseball bat...if Ast wouldn't kill them for getting near her boyfriend..." Ruff added. Hiccup lifted his head slightly and his green gaze flicked over the people in the room.

"Did-did I miss something?" he asked with a slight frown. "Um...shouldn't you be blanking me or calling me 'worthless' or something?"

"It's okay, Hiccup," she soothed him, carding her fingers through his wild auburn hair. He gave a slight sigh and closed his eyes for a second: it was extraordinarily relaxing. "They know." His eyes slammed open and he tensed.

"Wh-what?" he croaked. "What a-about your popularity, your position...?" Her hand twined with his.

"You're worth more than that," she said gently, searching his face for understanding. "I'm so sorry...you didn't deserve that..." He swallowed, blinking.

"Actually, I probably did," he sighed. "You gave me a home and somewhere safe when...I had nothing. At all. I couldn't r-ruin you after you did that for me..."

"You did more," she murmured, stroking his hair again. He paused and his mind latched onto a memory.

"Um...did I kiss you?" he asked her.

"Yep."

"On the mouth?"

"Yep."

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Nope."

"You do know I was delirious with pain and...what?"

"I'm not going to kill you, Hiccup!"

"Maim me? Painfully...?"

"Nope?"

"Punch me?"

"I reserve my right on that one..."

"Thought so..." he sighed as she leaned closer.

"Just not now...because you have been through enough..." she reassured him.

"Oh that's just great! Now the Sword of Damocles is hanging over me," he grumbled.

"Deal with it..." she smiled. Then another random memory hit him.

"Did Ruff call me your boyfriend?" he asked. She gave a small blush. "Are you blushing?"

She punched him in the shoulder and he flinched but forced a brave smile onto his face.

"Thought so," he said painfully as she leaned forward.

"That was for being a smartass!" she warned him, and then leaned forward and pressed a small chaste kiss onto his lips. "And that's...well, for everything else!"

There were wolf whistles and cheering until Astrid looked up and glared at the others.

"Way to go, Ast!" Cami whooped.

"Didn't think you had it in you!" Ruff shouted, grabbing another handful of Snotlout's tortilla chips. He whined and snatched at them before catching what she had said.

"Princess-no! You gotta see a head doctor here! I'm sure he can cure you off this psychosis!" Snotlout shouted before Ruff elbowed him in the ribs and stole the whole bag.

"You are all so dead...and you, Snotlout, have ten seconds before I'm coming after you with the nearest defibrillator...!"

"AARGH!" The stocky boy was already at the door, scattering potato chips as he went.

A hand tightened around hers and she looked back at the skinny and battered shape on the bed, reading his absolute weariness and the pain still in his eyes. "You can kill him later," Hiccup said painfully. "Um...are you sure about the boyfriend thing? I mean...I don't mind if you don't want to because being your friend is awesome as well and I don't want to make you feel awkward...well, awkwarder because I kind of cause trouble wherever I go even if I don't mean it and...oh, Thor..."

"Hiccup," Astrid said in a serious voice. "Are you telling me you don't want to be my boyfriend?" There was a sudden uncertainty in her voice and he realised this actually meant something to her...really, not just for show. He chewed his lip for a second then sighed.

"Um...I would really like to if you're actually asking but I mean you're Astrid Hofferson and I'm Hiccup Haddock and most people look at me like something they've stepped in and..."

"Do you always ramble this much?" she asked him.

"I-I think it must be the anaesthetic because I've never been sort of suddenly in a relationship and I think I must be dreaming. That's it! I'm actually in a coma dying by the roadside after being run down and this is just a dream..."

"This is not a dream and you aren't dying," Astrid told him sternly. "And you've just admitted that you want this because you wouldn't be dreaming of it if you didn't..."

"Busted," he sighed. "Yes. But I meant it about the boyfriend thing...if you're sure...I mean...you may have to speak to me in public...maybe be seen with me in daylight...acknowledge I exist...?" The dry sarcasm in his voice had Cami frowning but Astrid gave a small smile.

"Well, sometimes you have to decide what's important," she told him softly, stroking his messy auburn hair of his face.

"What have you got about my hair?" he hummed.

"It's so soft!" she told him gently. "And I have finally realised that spending time with people you care for is far more important than the opinion of people you despise."

"Um...true, Milady, though I don't think that's actually how High School works?" he suggested. She smiled, placing a small kiss on his furrowed forehead.

"Maybe it should," she said thoughtfully. "I have my friends and my boyfriend...and I really don't care what the rest think...!"

"I think we need that head doctor of yours, Snot," Hiccup murmured, lifting his hand to tenderly stroke her cheek, still dizzy with amazement at what was happening. Probably pity, he decided. But right now, in pain and completely disorientated by what had happened, he would go with it. Maybe Astrid would regain sanity in the morning...but for now, he might as well enjoy it. He beckoned her close and kissed her again.

oOo

Ingrid was trying one last time. She had been hung up on twice more and the phone had rung out a few times but finally when the call was answered, there was a woman's voice.

"Don't hang up!" she said urgently. "Mrs Treacher, I am ringing about Hiccup Haddock-your son. He's been in a serious accident and has a badly broken leg. He had needed two surgeries and remains in Berk General. They are going to keep him for another week. And though he hides it well, he would love to see his mother. To hear from his mother. Can you spare him the time, Mrs Treacher? Will you come and see your injured son?"

There was a pause and then a slow breath.

"Wrong number," Valka said and hung up.