Night Changes
S: Hiccup and Astrid are taking a big step in their lives. The couple start preparing for the arrival of their future child, while also dealing with everyday life. (SEQUEL TO MIRROR IMAGE.)
A/N: What's this? The sequel to Mirror Image is FINALLY ready to be posted! Warning, there will be sex talk (and talk of alcohol) in this first chapter. The first half is mostly the talk, and trying to get someone laid. Fun, I know. Real plot hits the second point. Chapter two will ALREADY be bringing on some drama.
THE POLL FOR THE BABY(BABIES) IS NOW CLOSED.
The gender(s) and how many will be revealed in this chapter! Congrats to the winning vote ~
To be completely honest, this story was going to get tragic, but I think I'll be putting Hiccstrid thorough enough. So, 50/50 that it won't go tragic. Guess you all will have to wait to find out.
Strike is going just swimmingly, but I think that will go on hold until I get Night Changes at chapter 3 or 4. This IS the main story I've been working on.
OH. ONE MORE THING.
Desperately in need of a beta. Any volunteers?
Chapter One
Astrid smiled at her sister, reaching forward to the table and picking up her cup of water. Her smile fell when she realized everyone around her was drinking. What she would do for a drink. Hiccup would skin her alive if she ever asked for a tiny sip. Ashton raised an eyebrow at her sisters boyfriend "You're drinking?"
Hiccup smiled, setting the drink back on the table "Ash, come on. You know I started when -"
Astrid elbowed him, frowning and glaring "He started when we broke up. Those three days and this idiot decides to pick up an alcohol bottle." she shrugged, taking a sip of the water and sighing "If I could have drank, I would have."
Ashton scoffed, leaning back in the chair and glancing at Tuff "We've been friends for years and you always refused to drink?"
"He has become… One.. Of.. Us." Tuff said, lifting his cup in the air and shooting Hiccup a smile "Hofferson has that effect on people."
Astrid glared "Shut it, Thorston." she stared down at her water like it was her enemy "I would be able to tolerate you if I could drink."
"No."
"Just a sip? That's allowed, babe."
Hiccup shook his head "A sip of wine. This isn't wine."
Astrid groaned, leaning in to Hiccup. She's going to love these babies with all her heart, but she wants to drink. So bad. She could kill Hiccup. It is partially his fault that she's pregnant. It took the two of them! He looked at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead "You'll live, Astrid."
"Yo, Hiccup, do you want to hear what Ruff did the other day?"
This time, Ashton groaned, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling "I don't want to hear this again! Astrid, come, talk to me."
Astrid frowned, glancing from Tuff to her sister. She wanted to hear what Ruff did. She loves stories about Ruff. She sighed, looking back to her sister "Okay… But I want to hear this story."
Ashton waved her hand around "I'll tell you later. He's told me a million times. But seriously, I promise it's important."
"Oh.. Okay." Astrid mumbled something to Hiccup, kissing his cheek and standing, motioning her sister to follow "Come to the kitchen, sister."
Astrid could say she had never seen her sister look so nervous before. Whatever she wanted to talk about was serious. Astrid leaned against the counter, crunching on an ice cube before tilting her head and looking at her twin "So, what is it? I hate missing stories about Ruff. That girl is a riot."
Ashton started pacing back and forth through the kitchen, tugging at the ends of her hair as she walked. She glanced at Astrid before staring in the living room "How – Oh Gods, this is going to be weird. How long were you and Hiccup together before you… You know -"
Astrid raised an eyebrow "Before we what?"
Ashton groaned, grabbing her sisters shoulders "You know. Before you two had… Had sex for the first time."
"Oh!" Ashton's face turned red as she waited for her twin to answer. Astrid looked so.. Normal. Was this not weird for her? Talking about sex with your sister has to be weird, right? "I want to say.. Three months? Maybe four. A few months, I don't really know. Why?"
Ashton's face turned even redder as Astrid stared at her. She was her sisters eyes go wide before she brought a hand up to her mouth "Oh my Gods, Ash. You and Tuff haven't -"
"No." Ashton snapped, running a frustrated hand down her face "I don't know why. I thought things were good and going smoothly. I didn't peg him as shy."
Astrid shook her head, tapping her fingers on the counter as she stared past her sister to the living room at their boyfriends "Tuff is far from shy. He's… A Thorston. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed. You've got to throw yourself at him."
"I'm not going to throw myself at him, Astrid! That's… I don't know. Slutty."
Astrid pinned her twin with a glare. Crossing her arms over her chest, she spoke "I had to throw myself at Hiccup. He's actually shy."
Ashton shook her head "I'm not calling you a slut. But Tuff and Hiccup are two different people. Hiccup is a gentleman and Tuff is well… Tuff."
"So, corner him. Make him have sex with you." Ashton shrugged, sighing. Astrid smiled, tugging at the bottom of her shirt "Watch. I bet I can talk Hiccup in to leaving in less than five minutes."
Ashton raised an eyebrow, motioning her sister towards their boyfriends in the other room "Hiccup is still having sex with you even though you're pregnant?"
"Oh, you bet." Astrid smiled, rubbing lightly at her stomach "Now. Watch and learn, sister."
Ashton shook her head with a laugh. She watched Astrid adjust her shirt again before practically strutting out to the living room and falling on to the couch next to Hiccup. She mumbled something to him before reaching over and placing a hand on his thigh. Ashton glanced to Tuff who was still talking and seemed so unconcerned about what was going on.
Hiccup said something back to her, his hand falling to hers. Astrid glanced at her sister before standing. Hiccup said something to Tuff before following Astrid out of the room. Astrid mouthed something that looked like "See?" and then "Go."
"What is this about, Astrid?" Hiccup asked once they got to the bedroom.
Astrid bit her lip, peeking out the crack in the door. Hiccup sighed, walking back towards Astrid and tugging at her shirt "Astrid. What are you doing?"
Astrid shoved his hands away, but he quickly put them back. He tugged Astrid in to him, resting his head on hers, and watching his two friends. Astrid groaned, reaching a hand behind her and blindly looking for Hiccup's pocket. He frowned, reaching down and resting his hand on her wrist "What are you looking for? And why are we spying?"
"Phone." she turned to face him "Do you have yours?"
He nodded, reaching in to his pocket and pulling it out. Astrid smiled, taking it from him and typing out a message to someone. She turned back towards the door "Trying to get them to sleep together."
"Woah, what? In my living room?"
"No." she elbowed him with a laugh "In general." she shook her head "I swear, for a genius you can be an idiot."
Hiccup scoffed "You're mean. Who did you text?"
"Ashton. I was telling her to make some kind of move so they can leave and we can have our fun."
"Why does she have to make the move?"
Astrid rolled her eyes "Because, we both know Tuff isn't the brightest thing out there. He probably won't even know that she's making a pass at him."
"Astrid. Milady. We have a problem."
Astrid turned, staring Hiccup down "What did you do?"
Hiccup rolled his eyes. How does she always know when he does something? Not that he did anything wrong. This time. Astrid told Ashton one thing, but does she really need to know what he told Tuff? By that look on her face, yes. Yes he does need to tell her "Okay, so.. When you and Ash left, Tuff asked me why him and Ash hadn't slept together yet -"
Astrid's glare hardened "Hiccup -"
"I told him that maybe Ash just wasn't ready."
Astrid groaned, looking down at Hiccup's phone and typing out another message to her twin. Hiccup leaned forward, reading the message. She glanced up, glaring at him before looking back down at the phone "I'm telling her that you're an idiot, and that she should take him elsewhere to try." she nodded in finalization, hitting send.
A few seconds later, Ash shouted a goodbye. Astrid smiled "See? They're gone."
Hiccup slipped an arm around her waist "You're being awfully mean today."
Astrid shrugged, pushing away from him and walking towards the bed. She fell on to it, smiling "Now. Come here."
00000
Astrid rubbed at her temples, her elbows resting on the table. She couldn't wrap her head around the fight her and Hiccup were having. The dumbest fight they have ever had. They just needed to make a decision, and they couldn't even do that. They couldn't even agree on this one simple thing.
"I just… Why do you want us to move so bad?"
Moving. They were arguing over moving. Astrid thinks they should move. Maybe get a three bedroom apartment since they're having twins. Three bedrooms would be good! He doesn't seem to agree. He thinks they should have a two bedroom apartment. He thinks it'll be good for the twins to share.
"It is good to share, but when they get older -"
"We may have our own house by then, Astrid. If we buy a house we can however many rooms we want."
"But houses are expensive, Hiccup. We probably won't be able to afford one for awhile. I think a nice three bedroom apartment is good enough to start with. When they hit their toddler years, they'll want their own rooms."
"Okay, but, two bedrooms until they get to their toddler years. Then, move."
Astrid groaned, dropping her head on the table. Why can't they agree? How hard is it to just agree on one simple little thing for the sake of their children. Arguing. Over where to live. How horrible of parents can they be if they can't even agree on this? Astrid had to shake her head. She really needs to stop thinking like that.
"Hiccup. Why are we even arguing over this? It's stupid. Two bedrooms is better than our current places. But three is so much better, babe."
"But they won't need separate rooms for years. What could we possibly use the third room for?"
Astrid shrugged. True, they won't need to use the third room for years. But they could always use the room for something else, right? An art room for Hiccup? A play room for the kids? A guest room?
"You could.. I don't know. Use it for your art room? You've always wanted one."
Hiccup sighed, sitting down by Astrid. He ran a hand through his hair, staring down at the table top. Sure, an art room would be great, but a whole room just art that would soon be a kids room? It makes no sense to him. Where would all his art stuff go after their son or daughter is old enough for their own room?
He rolled his eyes. Maybe he just likes picking fights with her. Finding and choosing somewhere for them to live shouldn't be hard at all "An art room sounds fantastic, Astrid. But, once he or she is old enough, where would all my stuff go? We would be better off getting a house. Extra rooms. I could have my art room, you could have that dream gym room thing you talk about."
"Yoga room, Hiccup."
He nodded enthusiastically "Yeah. Yoga room. If we get a house, we could have everything we want."
Astrid groaned, tapping her fingers on the table "I don't… I don't have a job anymore, Hiccup. I can't help out how I want. I can maybe afford an apartment, but not a house."
Hiccup reached over, taking Astrid's hand in his. He should have known that money was the issue. Astrid made her money by fighting, and since she's pregnant and could no longer fight, she has no way of making money. She's been on the search for a job, but she really doesn't want to do anything other than fighting. She had even almost decided to go back to school for nursing.
"You know money is no problem, Astrid. You'll find a good job and be able to help out. Until then, I can handle any high payments."
Astrid sighed, shaking her head and messing with her boyfriends fingers "So… We're planning to buy a house together? Are we that serious?"
He gave her a smile "We're having a baby.. Babies. Of course we're that serious."
Astrid let go of his hand, pulling her phone out of her pocket and staring down at it. She pushed her bangs out of her face, leaning back in the chair "So, how does someone go about looking for a house?"
Hiccup shrugged, glancing down at her stomach and smiling "Well, we have six more months until they're born. We have -"
"Until month seven. No later."
He reached over, giving her knee a squeeze "We'll start looking tomorrow."
Astrid almost couldn't believe it. She's in love with her best friend. They'll be buying a house together. They've already got their family started. Not everyone can say that they're this lucky. Looking at Hiccup now, she wishes she had been the one to meet him first. They could have been this happy a long time ago.
