For the Love of Hiccup

Chapter 1: Changes

Chapter One: Changes

Hiccup was gripping the strap on his backpack as he headed towards his school - Berk University. He had no idea how nerve wrecking your first day of college could be.

"Hic, you'll be fine. No one will notice."

Hiccup looked down at his long time best friend, Astrid. Look down. Just last year he had to look up to talk to her. He shook his head and smirked "I'm not the scrawny, two-footed, short Hiccup Haddock that some of them went to school with. It's not like they won't notice the change."

Astrid snorted and reached her hand up, ruffling his hair "What change? That you grew a few inches and got hot?"

Hiccup ran his hand through his hair to fix it, hitting the braid that Astrid had convinced him to let her do "Thank you, for that. he chuckled "What about the leg?"

Astrid tapped her chin and smiled "We'll come up with some amazing story and everyone will think you're cool!"

"Oh? Like what?"

"You... Were shark bait?"

Hiccup let out a laugh, shaking his head "Shark bait, right."

Astrid reached over and punched his arm "It's better than a car wreck"

Hiccup rubbed his arm with a smirk "Why don't I just tell everyone that my best friend abuses me and she beat me up until my leg was broken?"

Astrid laughed and punched him again "That's not amazing, Hic!"

"Neither is a car wreck, but it's better than that."

Hiccup sighed, looking down at his prosthetic while they were walking. Astrid looked out of the corner of her eyes, her smile almost immediately falling. She knew what he was thinking about; his leg and his wreck. How glad he was that she was okay, but mainly about how it cost him his leg.

"Hiccup, stop thinking."

Hiccup smiled sadly "You know that's impossible for me."

"You're alive," she started "I'm alive. We're both okay. Stop thinking about it, that's what I meant."

Hiccup threw an arm around his best friend and pulled her close to him "You're the best, did you know that?"

Astrid smiled "That's why I'm your best friend."

"A little full of yourself there, aren't you?"

Astrid shoved him away before punching his arm "Shut it, Haddock."

They were standing outside the doors of their college. Hiccup knew he'd be seeing people he went to high school, and that's what made nervous. The last time he felt this nervous was when he kissed Astrid for the first time, also with some fear that she was going to punch him in the face.

His nerves were at their highest when Astrid pulled the doors open. He felt as if everything was silent and all he could hear was the sound of his prosthetic hitting the floor as he walked. He glanced around, recognizing some faces and prayed that none of them would talk to him.

Astrid was waving to Ruff, one of her high school friends. She waved back before looking at Hiccup, her jaw almost dropping. She practically ran over and stopped them, her hands flying to his shoulders "Fishbone, is that you?!"

Hiccup chuckled and nodded. Fishbone, he could thank his best friend for that name "Yeah, it's me."

"You aren't a walking talking fishbone anymore! What happened?!"

Astrid's jaw tightened. She didn't like the way Ruff was looking at him. She crossed her arms, glaring "It's called a growth spurt. It happens."

Ruff shot Astrid a glare before her focus was back on Hiccup "What about your foot?"

Hiccup scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and put his gaze on the floor "I... I'd rather not talk about it."

"You had two feet in high school. Didn't you?"

Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm, pulling him away from the group of people who had come around to find out what happened "Of course he did" she snapped "Now back off. He doesn't want any of you to know what happened"

Ruff was glaring at her again. She always knew that Astrid and Hiccup were close, but she didn't know that Astrid would start biting people's heads off for just asking him questions.

Astrid didn't take her eyes off Ruff. She remembers Ruff telling her about how she had a crush on Hiccup their senior year. Astrid knew that Ruff's crush was useless because Hiccup had kissed her right before Ruff admitted her feelings for the "talking fishbone", but she couldn't help feeling jealous. Astrid had even thrown a punch at her, claiming that Hiccup was hers.

Astrid started walking away, pulling Hiccup along with her. She could tell by his face how awkward and uncomfortable he felt about Ruff's questioning.

"You know, a lot of people are going to question you about your foot and I can't be with you twenty-four seven. You'll either have to-"

"Tell them or make up some story. I know, Astrid."

"Hey, don't get sassy with me. It's true, so you better think of something."

Hiccup rolled her eyes. He knew if he sassed her again she'd break his arms or leg. He looked over at her and sighed "Can we just go to class?"

She finally let go of his arm and smiled "Yeah, let's go. We all know how excited you are to be back at school"

"You need to stop hanging out with me. You're actually getting a sense of humor."

Hiccup found it would be really weird if his sense of humor and sarcasm hadn't rubbed off on her. She stayed with him all summer. The two even went on their graduation trip. Astrid had stuck by him when he was unconscious for a week after the wreck. She took care of him, despite his complaints, before his prosthetic was made. And she would take him to his therapy sessions.

So yeah, he knew it would be pretty weird if the sense of humor didn't rub off on her.

"Shut up, I'm allowed to have one."

Hiccup rubbed his chin as they turned into their first class. He smiled down at her and dropped his hand "Sense of humor doesn't suit you, Hofferson."

Astrid rolled her eyes, pushing him into a seat before taking the seat next to him. She glanced around, sending anyone who that was looking at Hiccup weird a glare. Especially if they were looking at his foot. She wouldn't hesitate in hurting someone if they made fun of him.