I do not typically like to write modern stories, but over the years I have other ideas for other stories in my head. This is one of those ideas, just replaced with Hiccup and Astrid. Let me know what you think of this little one shot!

I do not own "How to Train Your Dragon" or it's characters.

...

Hiccup sighed. Sleep was not coming to him at all. He looked at his watch, and sighed again when he realized it was only seven o'clock in the evening. He just wanted to sleep through this grounding. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. He rolled his eyes and decided to get out of bed.

He had to roll very strategically to avoid rolling onto the black cat that had settled itself under the covers beside him. The toothless old guy just wanted to be warm and snuggle. It looked up at him with his green eyes, and grumbled.

"I'll be back, bud. We can cuddle in a little bit," Hiccup said to him, and with that he threw the covers back over the cat.

In the kitchen he made himself a bowl of warm tomato soup. He lived off the stuff considering his father didn't cook, and since he was grounded-no take out Chinese this evening. He couldn't even go near the car without his father giving him eye this week.

Hiccup slipped into his tennis shoes, then wrapping his bowl up in a dish towel, he reached for his sketch pad on the kitchen table, and headed towards the front door. Doing so, he passed his father's work study.

"Son-" his father called to him. "Where are you slipping off to?"

Hiccup put his head down, took a step backwards, and looked at his father from the thresh way. He looked to be knee-deep in paper work.

"Just going out on the porch," Hiccup said to him. "I promise I won't step a food off of it."

"You better not," his father said to him. "I hope you learned something this week."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Hiccup. "No parties."

"Parties are okay. Just not the type you went to," Mr. Vast replied to him. "What are you sketching?"

Hiccup was thankful his father changed the subject. "Not too sure just yet to be honest. Not much inspiration out here, unfortunately."

His father chuckled at him. "Monday, you will have your freedom back."

Hiccup nodded at his father, then took his leave out to the porch. The weather was cold and snow had actually been falling gently, but he didn't care. There, he settled himself up on the stone wall, leaned against the pillar, and began eating his soup.

The night was cold and rainy, but at least he wasn't cooped up inside the house. He longed for the weekend to be over. At least at school, he could be social and out exploring the woods for something to draw. He could spend hours out there. As long as he came home by dark, with his father's car in one piece, his father did not care.

He tipped the bowl up to his mouth, and sipped the last bit of soup down. He sat it and his spoon aside, and reached for his sketch pad. Flipping to a random drawing, he folded the book over, and came to stop on a sketch he had done in art class. It was of a pop can. He still had not completed the shading. It reminded him of the weekend before, and with that he sighed, wishing it hadn't reminded him.

A week from today, he and his father were in an argument. He was having one of his heated teen moments, upset at the world, depressed, and hurt. He had asked his father where his mother had actually gone year before. His father told him he did not know, as he had always told Hiccup. Deep down at the time, Hiccup felt that his father actually did know where his mother disappeared to but refused to tell him. Hiccup had stormed out of the house, going on a walk.

He had found himself at one of Snotlout's parties. He had never been there, but as he was walking by, some random people from school had invited him up to the porch to talk about school. Within five minutes, someone slipped an open beer in his hands. From there, Hiccup's first taste of the beverage circled into a horrible spiral. From a taste, to one beer gone, to five, Hiccup was a mess. And he had tried to walk home at two in the morning a complete mess. His father had found him on his way home, stumbling. Instead of screaming at him there, his father had helped him into the car, drove the remaining five blocks home, and helped Hiccup into the house. Hiccup had only made it into the house before he had started to feel sick.

Hiccup sighed, remembering feeling the sobering feeling as he finished puking into the commode. The following day, a migraine from Valhalla greeted him when he woke up. Surprisingly, other than a calm conversation with his father at the breakfast table that morning, and a week's grounding, that was all that happened to him.

"You aren't a lad that goes looking for that kind of trouble," Mr. Vast told him. "Considering what you have been going through, I don't see the point in yelling at you. But, for a week, other than going to school, you will be at home, got me?"

It was true. Hiccup was usually just a quiet kid lost in his sketches, the woods and books. He rarely caused any issues for his father. He knew how hard his father worked to keep a roof above their heads. He did not want to cause his father any grief, most of the time.

Hiccup turned the book closed. He had thought he wanted to sketch, but he didn't. Instead, he looked to the street and started counting the cars that passed by. He started counting just the red cars, then he decided to count the blue cars once he counted ten of the red. He reached for his sketch book, and started counting every color that passed by: black, gray, white, red, white. He chuckled to think that this was actually entertaining his sixteen year old mind. As a kid, this worked on car rides with his father or when he was with his friends. He never dreamed this would satisfy his maturing brain.

He glanced at his watch. He had been outside for an hour. His rear was becoming cold from sitting on the stone. He knew he needed to go inside before he caught a cold.

As if on cue, he heard the screen door open to the house. His father had come out to check on him.

"You will catch pneumonia again if you stay out here," he said to him.

Hiccup laughed to himself. He leaned his head back against the pillar and continued to stare blankly into the street. "I'll be in shortly, Dad." At this point, he was being stubborn. He felt like his father was giving him an order to come inside, but in the end he knew he was not. Merely just checking up on him.

He heard the screen door slam closed behind him. After a moment, he decided to head inside. He closed his sketchbook, and headed towards the door.

As he reached his hand to pull on the metal door, he heard a screech in tires. He turned back towards the street, and saw a bright yellow Mustang coming down the road from his left, speeding. It was Snotlout, showing off. Hiccup rolled his eyes. He really disliked the guy's arrogance, but what was he going to do? Couldn't talk sense into him even if he had tried.

Hiccup turned to head back into the house again, but stopped short when he heard a crash behind him, and it was close. Hiccup dropped his sketchbook and turned around to look and see what Snotlout had hit in the street.

At first he thought he had hit his father's car, but that was not the case. Instead, he had hit another person coming from the opposite end of the street head on. Before thinking, Hiccup rushed out into the street.

He stood at the hoods of the cars for a moment, internally trying to figure out which way to turn. His heart pounded. His first thought was to see if anyone was hurt. Snotlout's driver's side door opened, and out he stumbled. He screamed loudly, and then doubled over and puked. Hiccup shook his head, then turned and went towards the other driver.

The windows were foggy, and he couldn't see into the car. He reached for the handle and tugged, but the door wouldn't open at all. Backing up, Hiccup realized either the door was locked inside, or the impact had pushed the side-panels backwards, keeping the door from opening.

Hiccup tried knocking hard on the window. He could tell the person inside wasn't moving. He could tell from the shadows the airbag had deployed.

It was then that Hiccup became conscious of his other senses. He could hear voices of neighbors outside who came to inspect the accident. He looked around himself, and saw the few neighbors that had come out had not come off of their own porches. They only stood looking out.

"Hiccup!"

He turned around and saw his father was on the porch as well, but instead of standing there watching, he was coming to see what his son was doing.

"What are you doing?" he asked him. "Go inside!"

"Dad- she's not awake!" Hiccup said to him. "She's not responding-"

"I will handle it from here, just go inside and stay there!" his father yelled at him.

Hiccup tried the door again, but it would not open. He then tried the back-driver's side door. It would not open either.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup felt like he was drowning. He was worried about the person who Snotlout had hurt by acting stupid. Drinking AND driving, how irresponsible could he be?!

In the yard, was Hiccup's answer. He headed down into the yard, and reached for a brick that lined the flower bed. As he came back, he realized his father had thought he was heading to the house to go inside, but that was not the case. Hiccup rushed up to the car, startling his father, and threw the brick right through the back passenger door window. From there, Hiccup reached his hand inside, and pulled the lock upwards so that he could open the door. Without moving his right hand from the inside of the car, he reached over with his left, and pulled the latch on the front door. It opened.

Pulling his right hand back out, he rushed over to the driver in the front seat. He paused when he realized who it was.

Astrid. She was a girl in his grade. They had never really spoken. But, he recognized her. She was unconscious in her seat, her head was turned away from him.

"Hiccup, go inside!" his father demanded. He ignored his father, and instead, crouched down on his knees next to the car.

"I'm not leaving her side until someone comes," Hiccup said to his dad.

"There you go, acting irrational again-"

"I know who she is, Dad," Hiccup said. "I go to school with her."

He turned back to her, and saw her eyes flutter. She gasped when she was startled. Her hair was pulled into one side braid. She went to reach for her seat belt to unbuckle herself, but she winced in pain. Hiccup saw the fear in her eyes.

"Astrid," he said gently to her.

She gasped, and barely moved. He could tell he had startled her a little more than what she already was. She squinted her eyes at him, and he saw her making the connection.

"H-Hiccup?" she said quietly.

"It's going to be okay," he said to her. He turned to his father, and realized he was on his cell phone calling the emergency in. "What hurts?"

"My-my shoulders and neck," she said quietly.

"Don't move your head," Hiccup said to her. "Keep calm. Help is going to come."

He saw more fear on her face, and even a few tears escaped her eyes. She sniffled gently.

"Astrid, don't be startled," Hiccup said to her. He had to do something to try to comfort her. He felt bad that she was scared. He reached his left hand up and took her closest hand. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away. Instead, she squeezed it tightly.

"Help is coming," Mr. Vast said. Instead of trying to usher his son back to the house, he leaned over the car slightly, and looked inside at Astrid. "Astrid, I'm Hiccup's dad. Is there anyone I need to call for you?'

"My parent," she gasped out. She told him a phone number, and he was back on his cell phone making the call for her.

In the distance, Hiccup could hear the sirens. He felt his heart still pounding, worrying about how scared she was, but he simply squeezed her hand, letting her know he was right there.

Suddenly, he felt someone grab his shoulders and push him away. It was a paramedic.

"Hiccup-" Astrid said to him, looking for him.

"It's okay, I'm still here," he called to her. He felt strong hands grab his shoulders and direct him out of the way of the medics. It was then that Hiccup felt a pit in his stomach, and he was suddenly a little unsteady on his feet.

"Son, go back to the house," Mr. Vast said to him. "I'll be in once she's on the truck-"

Hiccup's eyes were becoming unfocused. "Dad, I-I don't feel so good."

"Hiccup!" his father yelled at him. His vision was becoming very fuzzy. He felt his father grab his arm, and from there he blacked out.

...

Hiccup had been in and out of consciousness. He had registered himself being cold, but suddenly he was cold and very wet. Then, he heard the sirens of the ambulance truck, and then he heard voices around him. When he actually regained consciousness, he could hear a monitor in the background. The room was dimmed, but he could tell light was coming from somewhere.

He moved his left arm, and felt something rub against his arm, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He tried to sit up, but his right arm wasn't cooperating. It felt tied down. What was going on?

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door push open, and more light came into his room.

"Morning, Mr. Vast," said a voice.

"Hello," was his father's deep reply.

"You know, we could bring a cot in for you, instead of you sleeping in that chair-"

"I'm all right," he said. "Would you mind bringing me some water?"

"I sure will, once I check your son's vitals-"

Hiccup felt a hand touch his arm, and he jumped suddenly.

"Hiccup-"

"Dad-where-what-"

"Easy, son," his father said to him. He grabbed Hiccup's shoulder and rubbed it. "Easy."

Hiccup heard a monitor start beeping more behind him. "Dad-am I in the hospital?"

"Yes-but you won't be here too long," he said. "Let Kyle here get your vitals, and if you are up to it, I'll fill you in."

Hiccup felt his pulse quicken again as the male nurse wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his left arm. After feeling it get really tight, Kyle loosened the pressure, removed the cuff, and ran a "wand" over Hiccup's forehead, getting an accurate temperature reading. Hiccup watched him check two bags hanging from a pole behind his head, made some scribbles on a board, clicked his pen and looked at his father.

"Now, you said you wanted some water. For you, Hiccup, I am sure you could use some as well."

Hiccup nodded, realizing his throat was rather dry. With the Kyle left the room, and Hiccup let out a heavy breath.

Mr. Vast looked very exhausted and stiff as he came over to Hiccup's bed and took a seat there. He swallowed, and let out a breath.

"You had to be Mr. Hero tonight," he said. "When that girl got in that accident-"

Hiccup gasped. "Astrid! Is she okay!"

His father placed his hand on his shoulder. "She's fine. She's going to be pretty sore from the air bag deploying, but other than that, she seems to be okay. She went home tonight. You on the other hand-however-" His father signed and shook his head. "I am proud of you for taking care of her. But, in your urgency, you hurt yourself."

Narrowing his eyes, Hiccup looked at his father. "How?"

"Well, the paramedic figured it out," his father replied. "When you reached into the back window to unlock the front door, you sliced your arm on the broken glass. You didn't realize you had-you were too focused on trying to help her."

Hiccup bit the inside of his lip. "Which means-"

"You lost a lot of blood, and passed out on us. That's why you are still in the hospital-" His father rubbed his temples, and that was when Hiccup noticed his father's forearm had a bandage over it.

"Dad, did you have to give me blood?" Hiccup asked him.

"I did," he said to him. "With you being B negative, we needed to find a blood type that would match yours. Well, that was me."

Hiccup sighed. "Thanks, Dad." He leaned his head back again against his pillow. "Well, I wanted out of the house. But not this way."

"I think you learned your lesson from last week," his father said. "You do realize who hit your friend, don't you?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "He was trashed."

"That he was. Promise me, if you ever did drink, you won't ever drive."

Hiccup nodded. "Don't worry. Last weekend puking my insides out was enough. And this-"

Kyle entered the room again, and handed Mr. Vast a large Styrofoam cup of water, and sat a large mug with a straw down on Hiccup's hospital tray. "Anything else I can get for you?"

Mr. Vast shook his head and sent him away.

"So, why am I in a sling?" Hiccup asked.

"Well-you've got thirty stitches up your arm. Best to keep it somewhat immobile."

"Thirty! How bad did I cut it open?"

"Pretty good," Mr. Vast said to him again. "Get some rest. Hopefully you'll spring free from this place before noon."

I wrote this in one sitting, and I am exhausted. I really had the itch to do some typing tonight, and getting some thoughts down. Not my best work, but I feel better and can sleep better knowing I tried.

Have a good evening, guys!