Against his better judgment, he had gone to the Diner the next lunchtime, though he knew Astrid wasn't on duty. She had taken him home after they had escaped the Pizzeria and had a coffee, laughing gently-but not unkindly-at his chagrin and promising to keep a closer eye on future dates. And he really hadn't wanted her to go because when he had been faced with bed, all alone, the nightmares were worse than ever: chased by the giant Bertha, scorned and rejected by Ana and ridiculed by Astrid. Despite his exhaustion, he had paced back and forth rather than risking sleep once more. So he was feeling jaded and headachey when he arrived at the Diner.

The waitress on duty greeted him absently, directed him to the far corner and took ages to serve him, getting his order wrong. Fortunately, Rolf had noticed who it was and had amended what he cooked anyway so despite the waitress carelessly delivering a 'Pillager Special' Hiccup gratefully received a Viking Burger as usual. He sighed, staring at the coffee-which had been spilled into the saucer. Somehow, it wasn't the same without Astrid and he sighed, cut the burger in half and took a bite, then flipped his laptop open. With an almost masochistic wince, he clicked onto the Berk Trader website...and winced at the headline.

RIOT AT PIZZERIA, NINETEEN ARRESTED.

He winced and read how eventually seven police units had been called to restore order, arresting pretty much everyone else in the restaurant who had all been involved in a mass brawl. Bertha did get a special mention as did the six police officers who had been put in hospital. He groaned. That was one of the few restaurants he could still visit-but clearly not any more. He sighed and took another bite from his burger-as a voice drew him from his cogitations and nagged at his memory.

"So does Astrid Hofferson actually work here?"

Hiccup glanced up, seeing a buff shape leaning at the counter. A leather vest was stretched over his powerful shape, close-cut ginger hair bright in the artificial light. A state championship ring gleamed on his little finger. The waitress chewed her gum idly.

"Yeah," she said. "You want her number?" The man nodded but Hiccup waved immediately to her and she reluctantly pulled away from the stranger, coming over to him with a scowl.

"I really don't think Astrid wants this stranger to have her number," he murmured. "A black coffee, please," he added more loudly. She stared at him...then nodded. The men half-turned, frowning features and cold pale green eyes following the woman.

"Yeah-I wanna get in contact with her," he said. The girl shrugged.

"Not got it on me," she said lazily and the man visibly tensed.

"Then get it!" he growled. The waitress bristled at the tone.

"Nah," she said. "Not with that 'tude, hon!" The man balled his fists...then turned and stormed from the Diner, slamming the door so hard that the open/closed sign fell off. Hiccup frowned, knowing he had seen the man before...High School. A sixth sense was telling him to be concerned about the man who was seeking Astrid...but he had no idea what connection there was between Astrid and this guy, if any. All he knew was that the man's reaction to being denied whatever he wanted didn't bode well for his friend...and he silently vowed to keep his eyes open and watch out if the man returned.

oOo

"So who's next on the list?" Astrid asked him the next day as she slid his coffee in front of him and settled opposite. "Have you got over the Pizzeria Incident?" He managed a lopsided smile.

"Hmm...is it a problem that it has its own title?" he asked her wryly. "Is it always going to be like that?" She grinned back.

"Thor, I hope not!" she said and scooted to his side, peering at the screen of his laptop. He stiffened briefly at her proximity and then relaxed, scrolling down the screen. "Hmm-Merida Dunbroch. Sports student, likes archery, riding, needlework. Remind we why you chose her?"

"I think you told me that she would be a good influence and get me out into the fresh air," Hiccup told her dryly, staring at the stern looking picture of a young woman with bright green eyes framed by a waterfall of coils of flaming red hair that reminded him very strongly of his father. His throat briefly thickened at the reminder.

"Hmm-she's suggested meeting her at the Archery Range at the University for a lesson," Astrid read. "Have you ever fired a bow before, Hiccup?" He gestured at his lanky shape and shrugged.

"Do I look like I'm an outdoors type?" he asked her dryly.

"Hey, I never judge a book by its cover!" she told him. "You be a demon archer for all I know about you! Maybe even rivalling the legendary Night Fury!"

"Well, you can see for yourself how pathetic I actually am," he invited her. "After all, you are my wingman." She rolled her eyes.

"Not sure I can possibly sneak in," she told him but he gave her a smug look.

"There's a small coffee shop that overlooks the range," he told her calmly. "You can stay warm and have a laugh at my expense..." Her hand briefly squeezed his.

"Hiccup-I would never laugh at you," she promised him and he shrugged.

"Wait until you see my archery!"

oOo

It was a very chilly day at the Archery Range and Emma was in Nursery when Astrid settled in the cafe, ordered a small coffee and peered across the Range. There was something roiling in her stomach as she saw Hiccup with another woman, smiling to her on his date and listening attentively to her. Her hands tightened to fists and she forced herself to relax. She should hope that Hiccup hit it off with this girl-she really did-but somehow, in her heart, she felt the red-head would be wrong for him. She shook herself: all she wanted was for Hiccup to be happy. Was she so mean-spirited she wanted him to be as lonely and dateless as she was? She shook her head in defeat then sipped her coffee and watched the couple closely.

Merida was tall, determined and opinionated, pushing Hiccup around and very bossy. The tall lean man though was doing his part: smiling, listening attentively and shuffling his injured left leg in the cold. This wasn't his idea of a first date but the girl was extremely determined to see if he could possibly share her passion for the bow. Apparently it took hundreds of hours of practice to become an expert yet she seemed to expect him to master the skill in a short half-hour and had lectured him non-stop about the discipline required, the correct technique for holding, aiming and firing a bow and had then made him repeat her words back perfectly. Already regretting the date, he was taken vividly back to his childhood where he frequently disappointed his impressive father: he had the horrible premonition he would let Merida down as well. His heart hammered in his chest as she pointed towards the target and Hiccup warily lifted the bow, had his position corrected abruptly by Merida and was gestured impatiently to release the arrow.

The arrow soared way above the target and stuck in the roof of the English Building way to the left while the bowstring snapped against his left wrist and he dropped the bow with a curse. He stared at his wrist and rubbed the weal-before Merida grabbed his hand, ignoring the way he froze at the contact.

"That's nothing-just a wee reminder tae do it properly!" she told him unsympathetically. "You'll remember next time!" The words were so loud even Astrid could hear them in the cafe and she winced in solidarity.

"How-how is that supposed to encourage me?" he protested.

"Don't be so pathetic!" she snapped. "This should be easy..."

"Hey-you just spent half an hour telling me how it took you years of almost constant practice to become the expert you are-so how am I supposed to master a new skill in one lesson?" he asked her sarcastically. She scowled.

"I can't be wastin' me time with someone who doesnae share my interests!" she told him abruptly. "And you said you liked walking so you should be up for this kind of outdoor activity!"

"And why does walking translate into advanced weapons craft?" he asked her pointedly. "Does anything in my profile say I like weapons and fighting?"

"It didn't say you're sarcastic, snide and lazy either!" she snapped back, her eyes glittering. "I am a free spirit and won't tolerate someone trying tae take charge!" She glared at him. "Now get back tae your practice!" she ordered him and with a mute look of protest, he lifted the bow, nocked an arrow and aimed. This time, he missed impressively and hit a car in the car park. Merida screeched in fury and he guessed he must have accidentally hit her vehicle.

"You did that on purpose, ye wretch!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he gabbled as she glared at him fiercely. He couldn't hit anything he aimed at, yet alone damage her car on purpose! He loaded another arrow and frantically fired again, hitting a tree.

"AARGH! How stupid and clumsy are you?" she raged. "I told you very clearly how tae do this properly! Why can you not do as yer told?" He took a limping step back and her eyes homed in on the injury. Without warning, she grabbed at his leg and he yelped, stumbling back.

"No!" he protested desperately as she grabbed again..

"You're injured and my sports science degree gives me extensive knowledge of sports injuries..." she announced superiorly, her eyes stern, her hands securing his knee. He pushed them away frantically.

"And this isn't a sports injury," he retorted. "It's a major traumatic injury I got in a car crash-and doesn't need you touching it!" She grabbed again and he skipped back, narrowly missing her grasping hands. "Aargh! NO! Don't you know the meaning of personal space?" he snapped. Merida stared at him, eyes widening for a moment-befog her face hardened in fury. She shoved him backwards with two hands and he stumbled and almost fell.

"Where do you get off in telling me what to do?" she snarled and he backed off a step.

"I-I..." he began but she turned away.

"This date is over-and I'm gonna feed back what a sarcastic, snide, controlling swine you are!" she snarled and stormed away. He stared after her, breathing hard and then he sagged. His wrist was bleeding slightly and the rush of defensive anger had receded as quickly as it had come, leaving him feeling empty and drained. He hadn't known Merida for more than an hour and she was grabbing at his appallingly sensitive leg after bossing him around and demanding he did exactly what she wanted for the entire date. That she was now planning to call him controlling would've been funny if it hadn't been so depressingly hypocritical. And he worried it would scupper his chances at any other dates-so he would end up letting Astrid down on top of everything else.

He cast one last glance in the direction that Merida had stormed off in and then dispiritedly limped to the cafe, his leg really hurting in the cold. His cheeks were red and he was losing feeling in his hands as he finally made it inside, limping to the counter and getting himself a large hot chocolate. Teeth chattering, he staggered over and sat next to Astrid.

"I take it the date wasn't a success?" she asked him as he wrapped his freezing hands around the mug and took a long sip to settle his chattering teeth.

"Y-you have t-two g-guesses," he managed.

"Did that second shot actually hit her car?" she asked.

"I g-guess s-s-so," he mumbled.  "About the only thing that I did hit..."

"I think you hit the English Building," she pointed out and he sagged.

"But I didn't hit it off with Merida," he sighed. "Apparently I am sarcastic, snide and a controlling swine." Her eyes widened and her head snapped round to glare in the direction the redhead had vanished.

"What?" she gasped. "She was bossing you round the whole time! The only time you told her to do anything was when you told her to stop grabbing your leg!"

"Um...yeah," he admitted, "though I may have asked why she was giving me a hard time for not being any good at archery when she took years to become an expert." He gave a small shrug and turned his hand over, wincing as he inspected the weal on the inside of his wrist and grimaced. In a second, she gently grasped his hand and winced, inspecting the wound and sighing.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It's my fault you ended up on this terrible date..." But he glanced into her genuinely sorrowful azure eyes and smiled.

"You know, it wasn't all bad," he reminded her gently. She frowned as his hand curled round to grasp hers. "I got to get out in the fresh air, I tried a new sport-which I am pathetically useless at. And I get to have a coffee with you." She gave a wan smile.

"I'll post a review on her first, evil witch," she murmured and he gave a little lopsided smile at her fierce defence of her friend. "You really should blame me for this..." He ducked slightly and peered into her downcast eyes.

"Astrid," he said quietly. "I couldn't be more grateful. I am getting out, I am doing new things and I am spending time with a friend." She blushed. "Really. And hey-I even shot a tree." She burst out laughing.

"Well, that'll  be useful if you ever get ambushed by a tree!" she smirked and he gave a low chuckle.

"I suspect that's date number three," he smiled and finished his chocolate.