Part 3 in my AU story-within-a-story of HTTYD. Since somebody asked, I'll clarify: Astrid and Hiccup aren't a couple, they're best friends. But they're in that awkward transition stage between best friends and "I love you let's make some bay-behs nao." What? None of you have ever had that?

Somebody else also asked me to talk about Viking marriage and divorce:

Viking women had a LOT more power than other medieval women elsewhere in the world. If the husband wasn't treating his wife or the kids right or he was just a lazy asshole, it was very easy to divorce him. All she had to do was announce it twice, with witnesses. Once in the doorway, once by the couple's bedside. After which, the divorce was final. If the wife left the husband for good reason, she'd get all her property and possessions back. Kids would go with the mom, and older children would spend time between their houses. So hopefully that gives you a little more insight as to what Hiccup, Stoick, and Val are going through.

Val is not in this chapter. She will return next time. If I ever did turn this into a full-chapter story, there would be much more parental drama, but all these oneshots are intended to focus on Hiccup and Astrid so I'm still trying to stick to that while having her act as his moral support with all the crap going on his life.

Hiccup let out a grunt of pain as he was shoved into the wall. Okay, maybe telling Astrid hadn't been the best plan. He also probably shouldn't have brought her back to the blacksmith stall to tell her. Too many weapons, not enough witnesses.

"You…did…what?" Astrid hissed. She was keeping a rather tight grip on his shirt. "Are you insane? Please tell me you're joking. Because if you are, it's not funny."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "I really wish I could tell you I was. But, unfortunately, I told you the truth of everything that happened today. Ow!" Astrid gave him another little shove, making his head hit the wall again.

"You mean to tell me," Astrid growled, and Hiccup was worried that her harsh glare might actually kill him before she did, "that you become the first Viking to ever shoot down a Night Fury; the first to ever see one up close, and you let it go?"

"I know, Astrid! I know it's the dumbest thing I could have ever done, I-it's all messed up, I'm sorry!"

Astrid let go of him. "Damn right it's the dumbest thing you could have ever done! It's on a level of stupidity unknown and unseen on this island until now!" She raised her hands as if getting ready to hit him again. Hiccup flinched. She crossed them instead and turned away from him, scowling at all the sketches on the wall. "Why'd you do it?" she finally asked.

"Huh?" Hiccup said, dazed. There were only so many near death experiences one could handle in a single day. Astrid turned to glare at him.

"Why did you let the dragon go?" she asked, enunciating each syllable.

Hiccup opened his mouth to answer, but the words got caught in his throat. "I-it-just…I was…" he gave up and sighed. "I don't know the answer to that right now," he admitted.

Astrid's hard expression flickered to something between hurt and betrayal for a moment before she composed herself again. Wordlessly, she stomped off toward the door.

"You want me to walk you home?"

"No, thanks." Then she was gone.

She grabbed him and pulled him off to the side when dragon training was over with the next day. He had almost been burnt to a crisp by the Gronckle and she had been giving him the cold shoulder. It wasn't right to hold grudges with the frequency of dragon attacks in their village.

"Why aren't you dead?" she asked bluntly.

"Did you miss the part where Gobber got the Gronckle away just in time?" he drawled sarcastically.

"No! Not that! I meant how did you survive yesterday? 'A dragon always goes for the kill.' So how are you still alive?" Hiccup shrugged, but she could tell he had been thinking about this, too.

"I don't know," he admitted. Astrid rolled her eyes and let go of him.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart." The corner of her mouth twitched, trying to fight a smile.

"Doesn't mean I always have the answer."