Behind the mask

Us

Hiccup was astonished to realise that he was sort of happy. Sure he had no parents, was living with his girlfriend's family  and no other relatives but he did have the most amazing girlfriend, a loyal and brilliant dog and a great group of friends. He had got detention for spying on Lilah and Savannah-who were suspended for two weeks for their actions-which he had accepted philosophically because he was really the expert at detention but he had refused to let the others take the blame for his plan, shouldering the full responsibility himself. But Olaf, Anna, Roland and Gustav had all filed into detention with him and grinned at Mr Johann, explaining they had known what they were doing and would keep him company. And he had really felt accepted in that moment.

Astrid had been annoyed that he had hatched the plan behind her back and carried the whole thing out without her knowing-though Ruff and Cami were clearly in on the plot. Even Hiccup explaining that he hadn't wanted her angry and distracted by Lilah's plotting hadn't soothed her and he had to apologise profusely for keeping a secret from her. She had forgiven him graciously though a pang of guilt had stabbed her unexpectedly hard for her hypocrisy: she was giving him a hard time while she still had one secret that she was keeping form him and had for months.

She had felt worse when he had sat next to her at lunch the following day, still eyed calculatingly by the other girls, and had looked very shifty and nervous. She had eyed him suspiciously, her eyes sweeping over his anxious shape.

"Um, Astrid...I have something to say to you?" he began hesitantly. She glared at him, her eyes hardening.

"What is it?" she asked fiercely. "Is it another secret?" He winced and nodded.

"Um, yeah...but to be fair, I have had to keep my secrets for years and not let anyone know," he said quietly. "I tell you everything that is important, Milady but you have to understand...I don't trust easily because pretty much everything has been taken from me. And when people demand I tell them something...I see Al, screaming in my face, looming over me...and I grit my teeth and close my eyes and curl up and cling to every ounce of stubbornness and refuse to tell them. You know I trust you, Astrid? You know I will never keep something important from you...But did you want to know every secret, every instance of abuse that I suffered? Every time I was unfairly blamed or detained? Every bad thing I did? Every instance of vandalism, of cutting class, of petty theft and insubordination? Every time I was locked up, starved, beaten, burnt? Because I can sit you down and tell you every secret I still keep...but I really think there are some things you don't need to know...and some which maybe aren't your business."

She blinked and nodded.

"I...understand," she said thoughtfully.

"I don't think you do completely...but this isn't a bad secret," he informed her. "More like...a question." He rubbed the back of his neck as he felt self-conscious, aware that other girls were eavesdropping as much as they could. He reached over and took Astrid's hands in his, his thumbs gently running over the backs of her hands. "Astrid...I'm sorry I upset you...and I wouldn't be surprised if you turned me down because I am Hiccup Haddock after all...but I just wanted to ask you...just in case...you might maybe wanna come to the Prom with me? As my date? Sort of thing?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Hiccup looked at her and sighed.

"It's okay," he sighed. "Sorry...I knew I..."

"Yes!" Astrid said suddenly. "Of course. Gods, I thought I would have to ask you!" His emerald eyes widened and a slow smile lifted his features.

"Um...really?" he checked. "I mean...it may be recorded for posterity that Astrid Hofferson actually went to the Prom with...um...me..." She stood and leaned over the table, beckoning him closer so she could give him a small, chaste kiss.