Astrid stared frozen as Alvin Treacher stomped away down the corridor, leaving the students silent as they stared at her. Hiccup felt his heart sink in dismay at the expression on her face: shock, dismay, anger...and he knew that Alvin was doing this to get at her...and maybe take her away from him as well. He knew Astrid was proud of her achievements, her perfect disciplinary record and her position...and all were threatened. The look on her face wasn't giving him much confidence. He looked back at her...but she turned away brusquely and headed for her class with Cami moving urgently to her side. He saw the two girls lean close and speak quickly and quietly.

They had only been openly a couple for less than two hours and already Astrid was being eyed like a disappointment and loser by about a quarter of the students and had detention. Hiccup feared that she was rethinking her decision to go out with him...and worse, that Martin would blame him as well for Astrid's problems. He stared after her until Tuff swatted him on the shoulder.

"C'mon, man-you'll be late and Mr Larson isn't the forgiving type..." he warned the skinny boy but Hiccup shook his head.

"I gotta do something about this..." he protested. Tuff stared at him.

"Like what?" he said. "Getting into more trouble won't help Astrid!" Hiccup stared wildly at him.

"You don't understand," he said urgently. "I gotta get her out of this...and stop Alvin..." Tuff stared at him. "He'll make her hate me..."

"Astrid's not like that..." the male twin said, frowning.

"But Alvin is...and Lilah..." Hiccup's face fell into a scowl. "Oh, I'll have to fix her properly this time..."

"So it was you with the goo!" Tuff grinned wickedly. "Okay, I'm in! Just don't let Al catch you..." Hiccup sighed.

"He'll be watching me like a hawk," he admitted. "But first I gotta get her out of detention." Tuff clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll help if I can," he offered. Hiccup looked and smiled, heading fast for Larson's class.

"Can you call Fish, Snot and Eret? I need to get the girls..." he said.

Astrid left her Law and Government Class with some trepidation and headed towards detention. She asked the others to make her apologies to Coach Bergstrom, wondering what the large hairy woman would think: Astrid was known to be reliable with a perfect record...and now she was letting the team down. She had never done detention before and she had no idea what to expect...but she arrived on time and walked into the room, seeing Alvin's face twisted in a nasty smile at her presence and pointed her to a desk on the front row. She silently sat there and wondered what she was supposed to do. One Junior and a Freshman also scurried in and took their seats as the Principal checked his watch. But Alvin was just settling in his huge seat, the door slammed open and Hiccup swung in, flashing Mr Treacher a broad grin.

"Hi, Al! Sorry I'm late!" he said without apology and plopped down at the desk next to Astrid. The Prinicpal scowled and glared at the skinny boy.

"What're yer doin' 'ere, 'Iccup?" he growled. "Yer ain't got detention!" A pair of emerald eyes flicked up.

"Well, that had to be a mistake on your part," Hiccup said insolently. "I mean, I've done detention every evening this year but this time, you've put Astrid in detention for kissing a boy...but as the boy in question, I really have to be in here as well, as I am guilty of kissing her..."

"That weren't the point, boy..." Alvin growled. Hiccup lifted his head.

"Then what was?" he demanded. "You said someone had complained about her kissing someone in public...but as I was kissing her, she can hardly be held solely to blame. And as she's not the only person to have kissed in the canteen this year, it all seems a bit...biased..."

"SHUT. UP!" Alvin shouted, advancing on the boy. Hiccup stiffened and his eyes widened as Alvin grabbed his shoulder and dragged him to his feet. His hands flailed for his crutches and he managed to grab one before he was shoved violently towards the door. He staggered and hit the wall with a heavy slam, breathing hard. "Get...out!" Hiccup looked up and slowly, stubbornly shook his head.

"Can't do that!" he grunted as he levered himself back onto his feet and looked at Astrid. "You see...I'm not like her. She's Class President. She does as she's told-not matter how wrong or how unfair the order is. I don't. I think for myself and I argue. Hel, you know I don't do a Loki-damned thing you say, Al! But I won't let you victimise her when there are a hundred people in the school guilty of what she did today...and I was even more guilty because I kissed Astrid Hofferson!" He glared at Alvin.

"Get out or you'll regret it," Alvin growled. Hiccup straightened up and stared into the man's eyes.

"We both will," he smirked, inviting Alvin to make a move. Astrid's eyes widened, realising that he was deliberately baiting the man. The man who had beaten and tortured him in his own home...and she realised how much courage it must have taken. Hiccup forced himself to limp unsteadily past Alvin to stubbornly sit by the desk. "But you can't make her do detention for kissing a boy without having the boy here!" Alvin's huge fists clenched and he slowly closed on Hiccup. Astrid saw him instinctively hunch his shoulders, steeling himself for another blow...and then the door to detention opened and three shapes sped in.

"Sorry we're late!" Fishlegs announced brightly. Alvin glared at him.

"Why are yer 'ere, Ingerman?" Alvin growled.

"Well, Heather and I kissed in the canteen today as well so we must have earned detention!" Fishlegs explained cheerfully. Heather nodded and sat behind Astrid while Fishlegs squeezed into the desk behind Hiccup.

"Mister Jorgensen?" Alvin asked angrily.

"Kissed Lilah in the canteen as well," Snotlout said casually. "Don't see the scheming bitch here though..."

"Coward..." Hiccup murmured.

"You are NOT in detention!" Alvin bellowed.

"But you detained Astrid for that reason," Heather pointed out.

"All of yer Seniors-get out! Not yer, 'Iccup..." Alvin roared and they all got up and scurried out. Astrid cast Hiccup a worried look but he gave her a small nod and she was swiftly but firmly escorted out by her friends, leaving Hiccup with the other two detainees. After a moment, they were sent out as well. Eyes wide with sudden fear, she cast a despairing look at her friends and lunged at the door...but Heather held her back.

"You can't go in there," she said urgently. "Hiccup organised us to come in and get you out, Ast! He knew Alvin would be mad...but he wanted you safe..."

"No!" Astrid protested. "He's in there with Alvin..." Her hand rested softly on the door and she could hear Alvin's shouts from within...and the quiet slightly nasal voice of the boy. There was the sharp sound of a slap and Astrid flinched. Heather and Snotlout hauled her back and the teens all retreated a respectful distance from the door when it suddenly opened and Hiccup emerged, his crutches swinging through, his head down. Alvin shoved past him and he almost fell but Astrid dived forward to catch his arm. He lifted his head and fashioned a small smile.

"Are you alright, Milady?" he murmured. She gaped, seeing a scarlet mark on his cheek.

"I should be asking you," she scolded him.

"I don't matter," he said quietly. "As long as you are alright." She blinked then and then punched him in the shoulder. He just flinched and she felt worse, lifting a hand to his bruised face and leaning forward to bury her face in his neck. He awkwardly wrapped his arm around her. "I had to get you out of there, Milady. I couldn't let you be targeted because of me. I mean...being Hiccup is a crime...one I'm constantly guilty of. But you shouldn't suffer for just being kind to me..."

"Hiccup..." she began and sighed. His green eyes flicked over her face and he sighed.

"I understand," he said tonelessly. He made to pull away but she clung onto him, tears in her eyes. She shook her head.

"No, you don't," she said urgently. "I'm a Viking: I'm tough!" She paused. "And I am not breaking up with you just because some bitches don't like it..." He managed a faint smile.

"I'm sure Alvin would appreciate being called a bitch..." he murmured and she kissed him gently.

"That's another detention," she said softly and he groaned.

"I'm harming you," he admitted. She shook her head, her eyes carefully searching his bruised face.

"Did he hurt you?" she asked him gently.

"Nothing I haven't had before," he said evasively.

"That means yes," she translated and his eyes flicked to meet hers. He gently stroked her cheek.

"Are we going to detention or going home?" Snotlout moaned in a bored voice.

"Actually, we all have practice...and Hiccup is gonna come with us," Fishlegs reminded him and they all sighed.

"And we're late?" Heather reminded them with a small smile. Astrid gave Hiccup a small smile.

"See ya later?" she whispered. He nodded.

"Don't be late," he murmured as she turned and ran off. Once she was gone, he sagged slightly and then stared at the others. "I'm coming," he sighed and limped off after them, as quickly as he could manage.

oOo

Astrid was concerned because he was quiet in the ride home-though no one got much of a chance to say anything because Snotlout was telling both of them how awesome he had been in practice and how brilliantly he had covered for the absent Dagur. Hiccup had remained still when the carrot-haired boy's name was mentioned and stared silently through the windshield, breathing quietly. They arrived home and Astrid helped Hiccup down, thanking Snotlout who grinned and promised to be on time the next morning. Hiccup had waved but kept his head down, heading quietly into the house and heading for his room. Astrid had greeted her parents and chatted about the day...when she realised that Hiccup hadn't come down. She frowned and sped up the stairs.

He was in his room, sat quietly on the floor against the wall behind the door, his knees drawn up to his chest and head down. His crutches were strewn on the floor and he looked wretched. Astrid frowned and crouched down by him.

"Hiccup?" she asked gently. "Are you okay?"

Reluctantly, he shook his head. His face was still buried in his knees so she sat by him, resting gently with her shoulder carefully in contact with his.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hiccup," she said calmly. "And I'm not giving you up."

"You should," was the muffled reply.

"Hiccup...just because Lilah is a bitch and Mr Treacher wants to cause trouble doesn't mean I'm going to fold," she told him. He slowly lifted his bruised face.

"You should give me up," he said hoarsely, his face pale. Her hand found his and her fingers slid between his. She felt his grasp gently curl around hers and his emerald eyes met hers. "You know...I had finally made a stand against him, told him that he couldn't continue to persecute me...because I would turn him in. I wasn't asking for anything except to be treated fairly and get my Diploma. And for an hour, I thought I was free, that I could manage to be treated like anyone else..."

Then he wiped the heel of his hand across his cheek. He sighed, turning to face her fully and there was a broken look in his eyes that she hadn't seen since he was turned away by his Mom. "Then Lilah went to him and gave him the lever he was looking for. Now he knows he can target you, can hurt you to get to me...and he told me that in the detention room..."

"Babe-I'll be okay..." she began but he shook his head.

"He'll damage you because he wants to hurt me," he told her gently, leaning his forehead against hers. "And I can't allow that. He can...do whatever he wants to me, but I won't let him harm you, Milady." Then he lead forward and kissed her, his lips pressing desperately against hers and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. When he broke the kiss, he buried his face in her neck, curling close.

"It's okay," She said, stroking his head and feeling him trembling. "It's been a rough day."

"Ya think?" was the muffled reply.

"You've returned to school, been subjected to the normal friendly Berk High welcome, ambushed by Dagur's friends, sneered at by half the Senior Year and then had to face Alvin in detention...to save me," she told him clearly. "Babe, you saved me again."

"Of course," he mumbled. "I love you. I won't let anyone hurt you." She stared at him, her fingers absently carding his wild auburn hair and nuzzled against him. Her mind completely blanked at the words. She blinked, glad he couldn't see her face at the moment.

"My hero," she murmured. "It's okay. You're safe. It was just a rough day." He lifted his face, his emerald eyes dark with worry.

"It'll get rougher," he said.