''Ya!'' exclaimed Astrid as she threw her battle-ax to the target at the other side of the arena, being a painted red barrel. She smiled proudly as it plunged itself in the bull's-eye. She gave a look at Hiccup sitting on the second level, a hand on her hip.

''Ha!'' laughed Snotlout, throwing his head backwards. ''I can do way better than that.''

''Why - please, Snotlout,'' said Astrid, gesturing to do so. ''Be my guest.''

''I won't be your guest,'' he said, picking up an axe from the ground. ''I'm inviting myself. I'm a rebel. I'm no guest.''

''Would you just throw the axe already?'' said Astrid, pointing at the painted barrel next to hers.

Snotlout held the weapon above his shoulder, and threw it at the target. It twirled through the air, and the blade plunged in the frame of the barrel.

''Well, you didn't do 'way better than me', but it was a nice try, Snotlout.'' said Astrid, shrugging and putting both hands up to her hips.

''I was misbalanced!'' said Snotlout as an excuse.

''Yeah, yeah, then you're gonna say you had something in your eye, then that your toe's hurting, then that the axe was too heavy...'' said Astrid, waving as she walked away towards Hiccup. ''And then it'll end up just like every competition.''

''Urgh...'' grunted Hiccup at the word 'competition'. ''Guys, this is not a competition!''

''Of course not,'' said Astrid as she reached him, hopping next to him and sitting by his side as Snotlout continued axe-throwing. ''So..? Got anything else to do than watching us train, or... are you just watching me train?''

Hiccup half-laughed, embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head, looking away.

''Actually, I just got nothing else to do...'' he said, meeting her eyes.

The screech of a Terrible Terror reached their ears, and the little green dragon landed on Hiccup's arm he out-stretched for the Terror Mail to land on. He grabbed the little paper attached to the little dragon's back paw, and unrolled the scroll.

''Actually, scratch that.'' said Hiccup, his eyes moving from left to right as he read the written words. ''I got to prepare for that peace treaty on Berk. My father wants me to be good-looking when the visiting tribe arrives.'' He pushed himself up. ''Gotta work on that outfit, see you guys later.''

''Ha, too bad you got to improve your look,'' said Snotlout, who heard everything. ''and I don't! Ha, ha-ha!''

Hiccup ignored that meaningless call, and walked up to his hut to get a head-start with that new suit for the peace treaty in just a couple weeks.

...

Astrid walked up to Hiccup's hut after training, wondering if he might need a hand with something. After all, two heads are better than one – or in her case, two axes are better one.

She knocked on his door, calling out his name. ''Hiccup? Are you in there?'' she asked on the other side.

''Yeah, I'm here, Astrid. Come in.'' she heard Hiccup reply, and she pulled the door upwards, and immediately shut in back down just to cover her face. ''Oh gods! I'm so sorry...''

''No, it's okay, you can come in.'' said Hiccup, and she opened the door once again and closed it back. She wasn't exactly expecting to lay eyes on his bare-back.

For a second, she'd forgotten what she came here for, but it quickly came back to her as she thought to herself to stop acting so shy. ''Do you... need a hand with something..?'' she asked, reaching her hands behind her back.

Hiccup was working at a table with many fabrics on its top. A chest lied close to him, opened, revealing many objects inside. He turned around to face her, and Astrid was almost sure he was looking at her strangely. Why was he looking at her that way? Did he often look at her that way? Did she say something weird? Is she blushing? Oh gods, she better not be blushing...

''Uh, sure, here,'' said Hiccup handing over a measure-rope. Astrid shifted her eyes from him to the rope, smiling awkwardly.

''Oh, right,'' she said when she was back to herself – at least she thought she was. ''Where?''

''At the ribcage,'' he said, and she wrapped her arms - uh, the measure-rope around him, grabbing a pencil and drawing a line at the indicated number.

''Here,'' said Astrid, and handed the items back to Hiccup. He took them, his hand touching hers as he did.

Oh, gods. He touched my hand...

''So... What is it you're doing, exactly?'' she asked, reaching her arms to her back once again, unable to stay unmoving. She approached him and came to his side, looking at the drawn suits on the papers all over the table.

''Well, some sort of outfit, nice enough to be presented, but I also figured, while I'm at it, why not make a new armor?'' he explained, gesturing at the plates that would cover his chest.

Astrid grabbed the paper, and read some writing next to the drawing. Maybe that'll distract her. The armor would be mostly black, two different-sized shoulder pads for each shoulder, one on which there would still be a dragon sign, and many more.

Man, he'd be great-looking in this... Not that he ain't right now - Astrid! Stop this right now!

She put the paper back to its place and took a couple steps backwards towards the exit.

''I'm gonna – I have to, uh...'' said Astrid, gesturing to the door as the turned on her heels to grab the handle, only for her hand to grasp at nothing as she still looked at Hiccup. She really had to stop looking at him – like, right now. ''I have to fly Stormfly before dinner, so...''

''Uh, okay, I'll see you then..?'' said Hiccup, looking back at her, confused.

''Right, see yah,'' she said and finally made it out.

As soon as she was out of his sight, she ran, panting at what just happened. What was that? What just happen exactly? Why was she freaking out!?

She pushed away her bangs with one hand delicately, thinking about everything that just happened. Was she... was she..?

Am I attracted..? Wait. Am I? Yes. I mean no –I mean...

Astrid shook her head, trying to clear all those images of Hiccup, his bare-chest, his bare-back... Had it been the first time she'd seen him this way? Did she want more? What is this feeling!?

Stormfly squawked curiously at her rider as she'd been standing there for no reason for a while now. The Nadder approached her rider, finally breaking Astrid from her thoughts.

''Hey, girl,'' said Astrid, smiling as she realized it was just her. She scratched her scaly head and climbed on the saddle. ''Come on, let's go for a ride.''

Edit: I don't know...I just thought of something where Astrid would kind of 'fangirl' over Hiccup, and react now instead of when she was younger. And she doesn't know what's going on and why she's feeling this way now and not before.

I hope some of you liked it, 'cause I've been getting reviews and some don't seem to have, saying things just don't make sense, like Astrid's reactions. So please, keep the flames low, I don't wanna be dragged down and stop writing, because I love it.

Thanks,

-RainDragon28