Ehhhhh.

I've been gone for so so long, and I'm really sorry. I do owe everybody who was waiting for an update for more than seven months a huge apology. And I'm not here to make excuses for myself, because I know I can't do that. But I'd like to take a moment to explain.

A few of you may know that 2019 was an especially crappy year for me, as I was dealing with a lot of stuff such as problems with friends and mental issues. I've also been questioning my romantic orientation quite a bit as well- I feel like my audience just here isn't the most accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals, so I'll leave that there. But I'll just say; I'm here and I'm queer.

But- and I am awfully dreading this moment- I've lost interest in the HTTYD fandom.

I know that is such a stupid, hypocritical thing to say. Because writers I loved when I was still obsessed with HTTYD, such as BeyondTheClouds777 and the like, were leaving the fandom and I remember thinking, "Wow, that's annoying. I'll never leave." I remember feeling disappointed with them for leaving, though it was their own personal choice, and somehow jealous of their readers in the fandoms they still participated in. I remember thinking, "How could they have betrayed us?"

Now it's me leaving. And it's not for no reason; god, no. I've found this lovely, intriguing fandom: the Nevermoor fandom. I write a lot of stuff about that with my lovely friend Idri over on Wattpad, and we're strangely very active. Nevermoor is about a ten-year-old girl named Morrigan. She's clever, hilarious, and very cursed. I strongly recommend you read Nevermoor and Wundersmith (the second book) by Jessica Townsend, so you can follow our fanfictions over on Wattpad and AO3. There's a third book coming out in July, and we're very excited.

I'm sick of making promises I can't keep. Sick of going to bed at night and crying about my unfinished fanfictions. Knowing I have to update. Knowing it's my own personal decision, but I'll be letting people down if I don't.

I will be finishing all WsIP (Works In Progress), and all upcoming stories (excluding Mission: Improbable, a fanfiction co-written with DaisytheDoodleDog) are hereby cancelled. I'm putting a notice up on my profile later today.

Thank you so much for bearing with me throughout all this, and again, I'm so sorry. Special apologies to Romantica 123. You deserved better, and I'm sorry I couldn't provide it.

Enjoy the last chapter, guys. I might not see you again, but most of my social medias are in my profile.

-Tahlia xx

P.S. homophobes will die in this chapter fyi

Astrid sat on her old bed in her parents' house, thinking about Hiccup and Jessika. Eira. Thor, whatever her name was, Astrid had realised that it hadn't been Hiccup's cousin who had messed everything up- it was her. She was the one who had caused Hiccup all of this pain, all of this trouble.

Eira hadn't done anything.

Astrid felt like a monster. How could she have been so stupid, so jealous, so mean? Yeah, arrogant was her style, but she had made a promise.

A promise she had broken.

Astrid sat outside Gothi's healer hut biting her nails in worry, anticipation, and fear. Would he be okay? Would he live? Would he... would he ever forgive her for what she had done?

The 'he' was Hiccup Haddock. The very person she had hated for eight years... until they were twelve and she realised her parents and all the others were wrong; Hiccup wasn't a stupid, weak, scrawny, useless boy like they all said- he was smart, talented, and kind of cute, if a little challenged in the muscle department. But still, she had to pretend. Act like she hated his guts- but she didn't want to hurt him. So she would only insult him with the other teens behind his back. When she and Hiccup were in each other's presence, when nobody was looking, she would try and sneak him a small smile. A reminder to always be hopeful.

She didn't think he ever saw them.

But it still had to hurt. The boy was clearly mad about her, and while she hadn't been able to say the same, she could now confidently say that she, Astrid Hofferson, had fallen in love with a runt. Hiccup must have spent a good eleven years, from four to fifteen years old, thinking that everybody hated him. He must have thought that about Astrid as well! She had messed up, and she vowed never to be so hateful again.

The door to the healer's hut banged open, and Astrid jumped up at the sight of the Chief. "S- sir?" she asked, secretly dreading his response. "Is he..."

"Hiccup's fine, lass," answered Stoick confidently, but Astrid presumed he was feeling slightly more worried and upset than he let on, as she was. "Gothi had to... erm... amputate his leg... and he's currently in a coma, but he'll be-"

"WHAT?!" Astrid yelled. Amputate? Coma? What in Thor's name was happening?

Stoick frowned disapprovingly. "Keep your voice down, lass. Gothi needs to concentrate in there; she's still stitching up some of his wounds. He'll be alright. Why don't you go get some rest?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Astrid cried in frustration. "I've been mean to him since we were four, and for three years now I've loved him. I CARE about him! I don't WANT to get any rest! I want to be by his side all through this!"

"Gothi says the coma could last for around a month or so," replied Stoick flatly.

"I- DON'T- CARE! I would stay for a YEAR! I WANT TO STAY HERE! Please... let me stay here. I promise never to be awful again. Just because you've been a crappy father, doesn't mean I can't stay here! I LOVE HIM AND I WANT TO STAY HERE!"

Stoick visibly flinched. "Repeat that?"

"I DON'T GIVE A CRAP! YOU'VE BEEN AWFUL AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT! I- AM- IN- LOVE- WITH- YOUR- SON! I am Astrid Hofferson and I am in love with Hiccup Haddock!"

Breathing heavily after her outburst, Astrid looked down, ashamed. Not of being in love with Hiccup, but of being so rude to her Chief.

Stoick stared at her, a tear glistening in his eye. "Alright, Astrid. You may stay- but just for tonight."

And three and a half years later, Astrid had broken her promise.

"Astrid!"

Astrid whipped her head around, hearing a familiar feminine voice can her name. She outwardly groaned when she saw who it was- Eira was standing there, smiling sadly. "Huh?" the former growled irritably, wiping tears she pretended didn't exist from her eyes as she did so.

"I just came to say goodbye. Mum's leaving now, and I can't stay behind..."

Oh.

Eira walked closer and sat down beside Astrid. "You know," Hiccup's cousin said softly, "All I wanted was to spend some time with Hiccup. I could see that I was making you jealous- but I couldn't do anything about it. I'm so, so, sorry I messed things up for you and Hiccup, Astrid."

Astrid looked down at her knees. "No, you're not. If you were really sorry, you wouldn't have- yeah."

"That's true. That's really true. But I hope you can accept my sincere apologies. Hiccup and I have discussed it at length, and I really owe you a huge sorry."

"Yeah, you do," Astrid scoffed. "What about that outburst, then? Hiccup's 'mental issues'?"

"I'm sorry, I said!" replied Eira, looking a little offended. Astrid sighed. "I know. I'm sorry too- I didn't exactly behave that well either... I just really thought..."

Eira frowned. "You thought what?"

Astrid swallowed. She couldn't say it. Could she? Would she ruin it even more? Would they all view her as simply a jealous bikkja, somebody not to be socialised or associated with?

She said it.

"I thought you were in love with Hiccup. I'm so sorry, it's so stupid, but..." Astrid trailed off, her face reddening. Eira looked shocked for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "Thor, I didn't know I was that good of an actor! No, no. Never. He's my cousin. Plus, I don't really know how to say this, but I don't really like guys like that."

Astrid whipped her head around to face Eira, ashamed. "O- oh. Agh, I'm so sorry-"

"No! Don't be," Eira replied immediately and confidently. "You had no way of knowing. I don't exactly give it out as free information. And besides, the Great Hall thing was my fault. It was just to piss you off."

Astrid chuckled. "We're... good, then? Like, you're not going to stab me or anything?" Eira opened her mouth to answer, but before she could start, a shout rang out through the air. "Eira! We're leaving!" The girl quickly scrambled to her feet, and pulled Astrid to hers. "If you ever want to chat, just ask Hiccup to send a letter. He knows where I live."

Astrid grinned. "Will do. I think you'd better get going before your mum leaves without you. I gotta go sort things out with Hiccup anyway..."

Eira nodded understandingly, hugged Astrid silently, and ran off to where her mother was waiting impatiently.

Astrid entered Hiccup's father's house, hoping he was there. If he wasn't, she had no hope of finding him. She had tried the cove, the blacksmith's, the training arena- he had to be in his house if he wasn't flying back to the Edge already.

She ascended the stairs, craning her neck to see if he was there before she got up. She couldn't see him, and her heart sank. Now I'll have to wait three days, she thought to herself, getting to the top level anyway- and there he was, lying face down on his bed, hair a mess and armour off. "H- hey, Hiccup?" Astrid whispered uncertainly. He slid his head under his pillow with an almost inhumane groan. "Nghh... what do you want?"

Astrid cautiously positioned herself next to Hiccup's near-unmoving body, being careful not to disturb him all that much. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly. He rolled over to face her, removing his head from under the pillow. Astrid recoiled at the sight of his white, ill-looking face, and winced as he replied in a croaky voice, "Do I look okay?"

"No."

"That's because I'm not."

Astrid smiled, unable to hide her utter happiness that she hadn't completely messed up their relationship. He was still her snarky friend he always had been. "What's up?" she questioned. He sat up slowly. "The sky, the ceiling, probably a few thousand dr-"

"Not literally, you moron," groaned Astrid, rolling her eyes. Hiccup smirked. "Just a headache, then."

"Oh. Sorry. Uh... I came to really apologise for everything I said. I know apologies don't cut it anymore or whatever you told me- but I'd really like another chance. I'm sorry I was such a-"

"Profanity," Hiccup grumbled, smiling slightly. Astrid laughed. "Yeah. So... what do you say?"

Hiccup thought about this for a minute, putting a hand up to his chin to stroke an imaginary beard, and Astrid somehow only caught onto the fact that he was pretending to muse it over thirty seconds in. She punched him lightly in the arm, and he yelped. "Ow, Astrid! What the-"

"Profanity!" Astrid giggled, and instantly felt ashamed. "Sorry, I-"

And Hiccup kissed her.

Astrid was taken aback, but melted slowly into the kiss, closing her eyes and feeling a sense of warmth and belonging she thought she'd never feel again. They pulled apart after about ten seconds, and Hiccup grinned. "Does that answer your question?"

Astrid pouted. "No, I think you have to do it again."

Hiccup obliged, and Astrid smiled as they broke apart. "I love you, idiot."

"I love you too, milady."

This is such a crappy ending but wow, I've finished! It's been exactly a year, a month, and a day since the initial release of this story. I'm sitting here, doing a writing sprint on Discord. I have four minutes left. I'm so sorry this has taken sooooo long, but I needed time to find myself. Thanks for sticking with me, guys, girls, and everybody inbetween. Love you all!

-Tahlia xx