Introduction:
'How did I get here?' Dr. Hekkrulf Haddock Ph.D., Eng. D, Sc.D., better known by his nickname 'Hiccup', thought as he set outside the office of the university's HR. Actually he knew how. He had only look at the young woman across from him to confirm. He was 26 almost 27, an adjunct professor and he was dating his student.
'How in the hell did I get here?' Astrid Hofferson thought as she set outside the university's HR office. But she knew why. She was only had to look to the man across from her to confirm. She was 22, an undergraduate senior and she was dating her professor.
"So any idea on what's going to happen?" Astrid asked Hiccup. She was better at presenting a strong face, but she was clearly nervous.
"Well they are going to ask us questions, and what happens from there I don't know." Hiccup was feeling a little dread.
"Ms. Hofferson, you're first." the HR agent said,
"Just tell the truth, all of it." Hiccup said and after gulping Astrid followed the HR Agent into the office.
Ch. 1 The meeting
"Before we start, I need to inform you, this is not disciplinary towards you or Dr. Haddock. This is just to determine what the relationship is, its nature, and any issues that may arise." The man said. "So let's start at the beginning. How did you meet Dr. Haddock?"
"It was during the summer break," Astrid started and the scene changed to the start of the break at the end of spring term. Astrid was woken by the calls of Stormfly, a macaw. Astrid got up and got dressed; she decided she would go for a run and put on her running shorts and sports bra. As she headed out she noticed her roommates were already up. The first of them she noticed was Tyrs Nicolas Thorston, better known as Tuffnut, he was looking over the apartment, despite his reputation for questionable decisions that often lead to him to be in pain, which he seemed to enjoy, he knew how interior design like no other, he could always maximize the space. "Hey." He said.
"Seeing if we should change the drapes from blue to red?" Astrid asked.
"No, red would totally mess up the vibe of the apartment. I was taking another look at the hallway pictures. We need one with you and boyfriend. No I will not bite that bullet, and neither should Snotlout." Tuffnut said before Astrid could comment. "On a different note, you let me organize your room, I know that can enough space so that we can get the last of your stuff out of the storage unit and thus cut down on the rent."
"Fine, as long as Ruffnut is with you." Astrid said as she let Stormfly out of her room. Tuffnut did a quick look inside.
"Trust me, that's a two person job." Tuff commented.
"See yah later, Tuff." Astrid said as she past Tuffnut. She had to admit, he was right, even with the rent divided among four people, the storage unit was an expense they could do without. Astrid continued into the main part of the apartment. There was Rachel Nichole Thorston, 'Ruffnut' in the kitchen making a though editable but less than desired breakfast, and Scott Lucas 'Snotlout' Jorgenson on the couch, he was asleep, another practice that went to long last night. Also there in a terrarium was a conjoined rat snake, Barf and Belch, the joint pet of the Thorston twins on the floor was a rottweiler, Hookfang, named for the hook like right lower canine, he was for a lack of a better term Snotlout's pet, but in reality it was Hookfang who called the shots. "I am going for a run, I am taking Stormfly. Hang in there, Hookfang, once the minor leagues contract comes through he'll have more time for you." Astrid left with Stormfly. The run was mostly event-less, Stormfly calling out how far they traveled every hundred yard. They arrived at the park, and for the most part it was their usual run, for the most part.
Meanwhile, Hiccup was stuck; he had been working on this prosthetic for months. The longest part of the making was getting the correct parts, now it was making absolutely right. He needed to spend some time away, however it was not Hiccup who made that realization; it was Toothless. Toothless was a big cat, as in 12 foot Siberian tiger big, to be accurate Toothless was a mixed panthera. He was part of each subspecies of lion, leopard, tiger, jaguar and snow leopard; Toothless' black fur proved somehow dominated. Toothless was also a rescue, Hiccup making a leg for the person that forced Toothless into existence and reported the illegal activities he found. Toothless was the only one that survived and Hiccup was able to get the necessary permits for him. He also had a decent back yard and his mother Dr. Valka Haddock Ph.D. would often take Toothless to zoos and fairs to impress and encourage people to become aware of and active against illegal animal trading. Currently Toothless was with Hiccup. Toothless decided he want a… walk… well just to get out of the house and to the park. Hiccup was reluctant but he couldn't argue with a cat over twice his size and over five times his weight.
The walk was short, and it ended with Toothless allowing Hiccup set on park bench and finally rest. Toothless, happy that he got his human out decided to have a well-deserved lie in the grass. But before Toothless could get comfortable something started to nag at him. His human was without a mate, it was not so much a problem for Toothless, the zoos he was taken to often needed a male to breed, and as far as Pantheras go, Toothless knew that he was prime genetic stoke and could easily prove dominance when challenged. Hiccup on the other hand, well he had an established well-paying job, he could easily provide for his mate and cubs…or whatever humans called their offspring. He may not have been handsome, but he was intelligent, and even in the earliest years of human evolution, it was the one smart enough to run that lived to sire children. So Toothless decided to look around for a suitable mate for his human. He knew he was not a perfect judge of human attraction, but someone had to do something; Hiccup's father, Stoick, had a political career that engrossed his time, Valka was always traveling and the assistant 'Fish' was it… well he appeared to be of no use. Toothless looked and looked and while each female appeared alright none seem to fit the bill and then he saw her, well first he heard the macaw with her. She was athletic, active, good build and she like animals, Toothless was not so sure about the macaw but if putting up with it would guarantee Hiccup a mate, it would be worth it, now for her to notice Hiccup… And of course the human is sound asleep on the bench; well Toothless never sent a human to do a cat's job any way. Toothless knew he would get a tongue lashing but it would be worth it, so he chanced it.
Before Astrid could register what happened, she was on her back and Toothless was over her. She was shocked by what happened by all accounts but when the two finally looked into each others eyes it was Toothless that felt fear. "Toothless get off her!" Hiccup shouted and pulled on Toothless' leash. The cat complied, not so much at the request of his human as to avoid being killed by the female he just tackled. "You know better than to that. Animal control has been gunning for you since the Lee's yipper vanished. I am so sorry; he's usually not like this. Are you alright?" Hiccup said hinting that he was panicking as he turned his attention from Toothless to Astrid.
"I am fine. Stormfly looks a little shaken though." Astrid answered as Hiccup helped her up. The two noticed Stormfly pecking at Toothless. "That's enough, girlfriend." Stormfly stopped and landed on Astrid's shoulder.
"Stupid cat" The macaw said.
"Stormfly, that is not call for." Astrid said to the bird. "I am Astrid, by the way."
"Hekkrulf; if I may 'Divine beauty' does not begin to describe. And here I go putting my foot in my mouth." Hiccup said as his face went red.
"Thanks, that's actually a new one. How did you know what my name meant?" Astrid asked, impressed by Hekkrulf's knowledge.
"I did some research involving Norse names a while back and 'Astrid' stuck. Are you sure you are alright, I will pay the medical bill." Hekkrulf offered looking Astrid over, not sexually but concerned with her health, she was hit with over a 1000lbs.
"I won't report this to animal control, besides it looks like Stormfly got even for me." Astrid commented. The two chuckled. "I better get going." But just as Astrid was about to leave something about Hekkrulf struck her as uniquite, that maybe he'll be a nice guy to date. For some reason she couldn't explain she felt like 'what the hell'. She took a step back to face Hekkrulf "Oh, in case you want to make it up to me." Astrid said as she took a pen and wrote her number on Hiccup's hand and returned to her run, while Stormfly took to flight.
Toothless smiled, happy that his human had a potential mate as Astrid left the park with Stormfly. The smile was short lived as he was berated by Hiccup all the way home; well you win some you lose some the cat concluded. Basicly the lecture went "Toothless, you know your are thin ice with Animal Control, what were you thinking? And don't give me that 'seriously' blank look."
As for Astrid the rest of her run was mostly like any other. But couldn't quite factor why she gave Hekkrulf her number. At the moment it felt right, but now that she thought on it, the decision felt rash. The guy had a fucking panther, a panther. But he seemed harmless and it looked like the panther was afraid, like hide behide its mother afraid, of her. When she arrived home she looked at her time, factoring out the cat tackling her and the converstion, it was actually one of Astrid's best times. When she got back to the actual appartment, Snotlout was no longer on the couch, most likely on his bed, Hookfang was sound asleep in his dog-bed.
"I am telling you Astrid is going to hate this." Astrid heard Ruffunt's voice from Astrid's room.
"Are you trying to kill me? It like you don't want this to work. There is simply no enough space for all th posters if they all go on the wall. But they all fit in the cardboard tube, and there, everything is out of the storage unit." Astrid heard Tuffnut's voice from her room. Astrid looked in to her room, Tuffnut never series to surpise her.
"I like it, I miss the poster, but I can deal with that." Astird said impressed with all that she saw, honestly she didn't know she could fit all her thing... well now that posters and the certificates down and in either a cardboard tube (the posters) or in a binder (the certificates) she did see it. "Thank you both."
"Well I am out of here. Yo Snotlout..." Tuffnut said as he exited the room.
Ruffnut stayed behind a few more secounds, but before she left she noted Astrid had a glow about her. "You met someone." Ruffnut said in the sly tormenting fashion as only girlfriends can wtith each other.
"What... no... Shut up..." as soon as she said it, Astrid realized how out of character it was. "Is it that obvious?" She asked after a secounds.
"Either that or a cat thought it could get the jump on you... seirously both happened!" Ruffunt realized the blush on Astrid's face. "Let he guess the guy had a cute little black kitten with big green eyes that said 'pwease put me'?"
"Actaully it wasn't a kitten, it was a … actually I don't know what it was but it was big, like twice as long as Snotlout is tall. But it had this interesting owner, he was tone, you know like a sports biker. He had this redish-brown hair and thes green ..."
"Auburn is the color you are lookinh for." Ruffnut interupted. Astrid glared. "What, you act like Tuffnut and I have a collective IQ of 150!" Astrid couldn't argue, the two were smarted than they let on.
"Anyway, he seemed to be a nice guy and..."
"You gave him your number, wow... finally you are working it." Ruffunt said as she slapped Astrid's rear as girlfriends are known to do time to time. Unfortantly for Ruffnut Astrid was not one to part take of that such and Ruffnut left the room with the starting of a black-eye "Tuffnut, Snotlout, I won the bet, pay up." she said as she left the room.
Astrid noted Stormfly was on her purch and was whisling a tune, it was from a song they heard once, about a girl finding a guy. "You too. I am taking a shower." Astrid said as she grabbed her towel and left the room.
At Hiccup's house he took the leash off Toothless and left the cat in the back yard. He went back to the work sherd, he looked at the componets and it clicked. In half an hour he was done, and just in time. Just then a large man about 24 entered, he had short blonde hair, some stuble "Oh hey Fisher."
"Dr. Haddock, I see you got the prothsetic finished." the young man said as he picked up and looked over the project.
"Come on, Fisher, 'Dr. Haddock' is my mother, and she should be here sometime to pick up Toothless for the Renaissance Fair she's going to. And yes it is done." Hiccup then looked down at his hand, the one that Astrid on. "I should write this down."
"You got a number?" Fisher asked. "Can I see?" Fisher took the hand, without confirmation. "I know this number, its Astrid Hofferson."
"Should I know her?" Hiccup asked.
"Nah, just a former residence of mine when I was a RA. So anyway, what's the plan, are going to overnight it?" Fisher asked.
"I was going to take myself..."
"I am actually planning to visit Gobber anyway tonight, he's going a practice of my doctorate thesis premise. So let me deliver it." Fisher offered. Hiccup couldn't argue. "So any plans with the number?"
"Do you think I should call her, ask her to out to a date?" Hiccup asked. The stare from Fisher pretty much said everything. "Alright I'll call her. You're just like Toothless." Hiccupo wrote the number down. "After we pack it. And give Gobber my bests." Hiccup said as grabbed a box to but the project in. "Also lets him remind it goes on with a counterclockwise twist not to be shoved in, in fact helping him put it on and take it off a few times until he gets it." Hiccup said as recalled how the last one Gobber broke.
"I got this, you give Astrid a call. But before you do, what's the game-plan?"
"Fisher, I have never dated before. I have no game-plan." Hiccup pointed out.
"Well for a first date, there are...three main ways to go with a few combinations, a drink at a bar, a dinner, a movie being the three fundimentals. Although people often combine the dinner and movie one, but sometimes its best to hold off on the movie. Do you want the statics for success?" Fisher asked.
"No, Fisher I don't need the break down. But what do you recommand?" Hiccup asked.
"I suggest you offer the dinner or a drink at the bar, keep it simple. Well you better call, I got this." Fisher said as his picked Hiccup up from his chair and put him on the grass outside.
"I get it." Hiccup then noticed Toothless was staring at him, like 'why haven't you called her' "You too. Well atleast Gobber and my father aren't here." Hiccup said mostly to himself, Hiccup got up and walked to the house with the number to call.
"And that's how we met. So what's your next question?" Astrid said as the scene changed to the HR office.
