"I'm nervous."

"No, really?" Snotlout drawled sarcastically from the chair he was sitting in. Astrid made a motion at him to cut it out, and continued to braid Hiccup's hair.

"Hiccup, it's fine. It's just one peace treaty. Your dad just wants you to be there," she said soothingly, enjoying the hair between her fingers.

"I know. But the youths never like me. Every time they visit" He pulled away from her hands, only to bury his face in her neck. "Why would they like me now?"

Fishlegs smiled at the sight. "Why wouldn't they? Come on, what was the worst they did to you, call you skinny?"

Astrid felt Hiccup's hot breath as he murmured an assent, and she knew he was hiding his face because he didn't really want to answer. Her neck just happened to be there, but she didn't half mind. She turned to press a kiss to the top of his head and then looked to see the twins come in.

"Did you plant the paint bomb in Sven's house?"

"Of course," Ruff said smugly, "did you doubt us, Astrid?"

"No." She started running her fingers through Hiccup's hair as the twins sat. Tuffnut raised an eye at them, and he made a face.

"Do you guys have to do that here?" He stuck his tongue out. "I mean, I'm happy for you guys and all, but…" He stood up, and had that Tuffnut look that she had grown so accustomed to. "What about the magic of friendship?"

Fishlegs and Snotlout both laughed, and Ruffnut stood up and shook a fist at them, making them shut up immediately. She turned to Astrid again.

"He has to go, by the way. The ship is about to arrive, I saw it."

"No," Hiccup whined, pressing closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Snotlout," she said loudly, "take him there."

"Why do I have to do it?"

Fishlegs sighed. "Because you have to be there too, Snotlout. Ergo, you're the best one for the job."

"Ugh, fine. Come on, princess." He jumped up, grabbing Hiccup, who clung to Astrid childishly before she pried him off and he followed Snotlout, pouting.

Astrid smiled. The L word was on the tip of her tongue these days, but she could wait, and so could he. There was no way Hiccup L-worded her.

"So," she said, turning back to the twins, "how exactly did you get into Sven's house?"

Astrid felt it had been ages since she had slept peacefully. What with being constantly hunted and living in fear, it was hard. She loved the Edge, but it felt good to be back on Berk, where there were others guarding her for the first time in forever. And she didn't need to worry every time she closed her eyes.

Which was why she was beyond annoyed when she felt someone shaking her awake.

Astrid opened her eyes, only to see Fishlegs and Snotlout, all in her room staring down at her.

She bit back a shriek and sat up, grabbing two knives from behind her pillow, feeling horribly exposed without her shoulder pads. "What in the name of Thor is wrong with you two? Get the Hel out!"

"It's an emergency," Fishlegs said, as though he was on the verge of tears, "it's Hiccup. We can't find him."

Astrid opened and closed her mouth, before grabbing her shoulder pads and strapping them on while glaring. "You muttonheads, it's the middle of the night, of course you can't. He's at home!"

Snotlout stomped his foot, and Astrid threw him a deadly look. If her mother or father woke up, she would kill them both. Idiots.

"He's not at home, Astrid." Fishlegs wrung his hands frantically. "We went to his room for guys' night, and when we couldn't find him in his room or anywhere near, Tuff went to wake up Ruff and we came to get you."

"Guys' night?" Astrid asked incredulously, trading the knives for her axe. "You guys have guys' night?"

"Have for a while," Snotlout said, shrugging, "but since it is for...guys, you and Ruff were never invited."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "No shit, Snot."

She stood up, getting her boots, when a small pebble hit the window. Looking down, she saw the twins had arrived.

It really wasn't surprising that no one had gotten an adult. The teens were too used to depending on each other when something went wrong, and she knew they could handle it. Only if it was something serious, would Stoick get involved.

"Come on."

"Out the window?" Snotlout asked, shaking his head. "No way."

"How did you get in here, then?"

"Through the window."

Astrid glared.

"But that was coming in! Not going out, where there's a drop! I am not doing it!"

Half a minute later, as Snotlout fell with a shriek, Astrid thought to herself how nice it was to have an axe to threaten people with.

"HICCUP!" Ruffnut shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth. "OIOIOIOIOI -"

"Why are you doing Heather's war cry?" Tuff asked, shooting her a confused look. "That should be copyright."

"It was not Heather's war cry. That, dear brother, is a Hiccup summoning call."

"But Hiccup isn't a dragon."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Would you two shut up?" Snotlout snapped, as they all followed Astrid. She would have told them herself, but she was beginning to get worried.

He was nowhere in the village. They were in the forest now, and the panic in her chest was squeezing at her. Viggo was gone, she had to remind herself, and at the moment they did not have any enemies who would want to capture him.

So where was her dragon boy? Tuff, Fishlegs, and Snotlout had said Toothless was next to his bed, so there had been no struggle, otherwise he would have woken up. Either someone had drugged him, or Hiccup had gone himself.

Fishlegs gasped next to her. "I see him!"

Astrid whirled - it was more like a half whirl - to see the shadow of his metal leg beyond a bunch of trees. He was just standing there alone.

She was about to call out to him when suddenly he wasn't so alone anymore.

Snotlout stopped in his tracks as they all heard a voice sneer, "He came here alone, don't worry. He thinks he's someone special."

That was a youth. He talked just like they did, without the accent that heavily littered the adults. And before Astrid knew it, there was a punch, and Hiccup crumpled to the floor with a groan.

"Runt."

She didn't register anything for a second. She felt Snotlout run forward, and then she must not have moved, because it took Tuff grabbing her hand and tugging her for her to run.

And that was worse, because there were two other boys and one girl there, and they all got their kicks in on her dragon boy.

Snotlout ran forward with a roar, and jumped on the boy who had landed the first blow. The other three kids turned around, surprised, and Astrid, Tuff, and Ruff didn't hesitate before there was a full on brawl. Fishlegs scooped up Hiccup in his arms as Astrid's fist collided with a boy's jaw. He got some licks in too, but nothing as bad as what she did. Snotlout was the most vocal of them all.

"DON'T - TOUCH - MY - FUCKING - COUSIN - EVER - AGAIN!"

His words only spurred her on, especially when she saw Fishlegs put Hiccup down and lifted his shirt to reveal bruises.

The other kids ran off eventually, and Ruffnut screamed a terrifying cry telling them not to come back, before they all rushed to Hiccup. His eyes were barely open. Astrid launched herself at him, and when he groaned lightly, she loosened her grip and backed off.

"Why would you go to meet them here?"

"It's what we do every time they visit," he mumbled, his hair falling into his eyes, "I come, they come, they beat me up, we go home. No big deal."

"I'm gonna beat you up now," Tuff said, crossing his arms and frowning, "why didn't you ever tell us?"

Hiccup smiled lightly, and winced as he shrugged. "Why would anyone care about the kid who just destroyed the village the other day?"

A horrible pang of guilt shot through Astrid, and she sighed. She told herself that she would have helped if she had ever found out, but a small part of her knew she would do what she had always done. Sneer and keep walking.

At least she wouldn't do that anymore. None of them would.

Fishlegs sighed loudly, and then he nudged Hiccup. "You missed guys' night."

Hiccup's eyes became wide open and words started pouring out of his mouth. "Oh gods, guys, I was so nervous all day - I forgot - I'll make it up to you -"

They all started laughing one by one, and Astrid sat next to Hiccup as Ruffnut shook her head. "He was joking, dorkasaurus. No one cares about your dumb guys' night."

Astrid laughed and nodded her agreement. Her and Ruff exchanged a smile as the boys started protesting. They were all losers, but they were their losers. She moved closer to Hiccup and squeezed his hand.

"And I think me and Astrid should come next time."

"Then it's not guys' night!" Snotlout huffed, and he too, moved closer to Hiccup, but no one commented on it.

"If you don't invite us," Astrid began, pretending to be angry, "I'll make it dead guys' night."

"Okay, good point."

They all laughed again, and then Hiccup murmured softly, "Thanks, guys."

No one responded, just smiled, and Astrid felt a head rush at the gratitude in his eyes. They talked for a while, about everything except going back to the village.

Stoick growled as he walked through the forest. The kids were in big trouble, beating up a visiting tribe - honored guests - was not proper behavior in any way, and how Hiccup could have allowed it was beyond him.

The other chief was behind him, and they both walked silently. Sullenly, the visiting kids also walked, trudging their feet. They claimed to be completely innocent in the matter.

He stopped short when he saw an axe, Astrid's axe, lying there. The other chief followed his line of vision as Stoick sighed softly.

Hiccup had his back against a tree. Astrid was leaning on his shoulder, breathing softly. Snotlout was sprawled over Hiccup's legs, and Fishlegs was in front of them, lying back as though keeping them all warm. The twins were on either side of the teens, their arms spread out over everyone.

And with smiles on their faces, they were all fast asleep.