My heart felt like it was trying to kill me by pounding in my chest. God, was I sweating? Seriously? I have lost all control while texting this guy. The first text arrived around 6, three hours after meeting in that produce section of the supermarket. Small talk was like dragging dead weight through a mud pit sliding down a hill.
'Keep your head you ninny.' I told myself. I had given him the time and address of my house for the party the following my day. Just to clarify, it was a party for my little brothers 5th birthday. Earlier Aiden had wandered away as I scoured the shelves for the perfect cake mix and this hot piece of ass found him crying by the apples. Within a few seconds they were best friends and now he is coming to the party- Hiccup. What was it I called him before? Something with frosting I think. Anyway, it was all prepared under perfectly innocent pretenses, but something was there. I just remembered his eyes and wanted to see them again-his gap toothed smile, and that funny way he moved his shoulders. My phone buzzed and I was glued.
'All good. What does he want for his birthday?' Hiccup sent. I thought for a second.
'Well, he likes dragons.' Nice and specific, Astrid. I rolled my eyes. That thought bubble popped up as he was typing.
'I think I got it.' He send back with a declarative period marking the end of his statement. That was quick, and it peaked my curiosity.
'What is it?' I sent back, getting up off of my bed and over to the bird cage where my parrot squawked to get out. I kept my eyes on the screen as I unlatched the door and helped the blue and yellow bird out.
'Can't say, you'll see it tomorrow.'He send with a wink emoji and I smiled to myself. 'Oh there's something I wanna see tomorrow… Astrid. Honestly.' I balanced my bird on the crook of a bent elbow and my phone in both hands in a weird hunched back position. Stormfly chittered at my phone, turning her head inquisitively to see without her blind spot. I started typing as she pulled a piece of my hair in her beak.
"Hey-" I pulled my head in the other direction to get it out of her mouth. Such a pesky little bird. Stormfly squawked again and looked into my eye for some reaction, chittering as she did so like this was a two sided conversation.
'Tomorrow at 2, come through the back gate. I'll see you then.'
'See you then, milady.'
My cheeks went red again for the hundredth time that day. -
The backyard was covering in streamers and balloons of all different colors. The plastic table clothes, napkins, and plates had the same dragon prints on them. Even his cake had toy dragons atop it. I had went with the blue velvet after all. Aiden was running around with his friends from school and my parents were tending to the guests. I kept checking my watch every few minutes. It was 2:30, why was he late? Aiden had asked me in passing 4 times and I didn't want to overdo it and text Hiccup more than twice.
"Astrid dear, could you go get more plastic forks please?" Mom asked me, gently placing a hand on my upper arm. She looked a little frazzled and kept an eye on my brother, my dad, and all of the guests. I huffed and pulled my hair into a high ponytail at the top of my head and walked back inside to retrieve some more forks from the bag on the counter top. The kitchen window faced right back into the backyard and I heard my brother yell. There, running into the yard, was a big black dog with funny wings harnessed on it. 'What?' I thought, hopping out the door to the back patio.
I watched Aiden run towards the dog without hesitation, the dark black lab had long hair and his tail swayed happily to be surrounded by the kids. I paused, forks in hand.
'What the shit is this?' I dropped the forks into the cup on the table and had to squint to get a better look at the dog. My back was turned towards the fences gate and I heard it open but only paid mind to it in my sensory memory.
"Ehem." Someone behind me cleared their throats and I jumped a little at the suddenness. I turned on the balls of my feet to face him. "You think he likes the dragon?" Hiccup quirked an eyebrow, his hands were in his pockets and he was closer to me than I had expected.
"That's your dog?" I looked back for a second, Hiccup raised his wrist and pointed to the leather bracelet on his right arm. That was his dogs' name.
"Toothless. Sorry we are late, trying to get that harness on him was near impossible. I broke an end-table trying to catch him." I threw my head back, laughing whole-heartedly. I was glad he came. Once I stopped laughing I just forgot to say anything and glazed over him. He had brown pants on, a deep red sweater and I could just see his belt. His sleeves were pushed up his forearms and out of the way,
'One of my weaknesses, the sexy sweater thing. You know what else I want to pull away? Freya, Astrid, slow your roll…. But he is human catnip.'
I forced a tight smile to conceal the inner conversation in my head. He looked me over as well with an amused look on his face, gods, what was he thinking? This is why I stayed up till 3 in the morning on a skype session with Ruff. Baking a cake and picking out an outfit. I had these deep purple tights on with a plain brown skirt pleated skirt, a sky blue top and my red sweater, all tied together with boots darker than my skirt with red laces. My hair was pulled to the side in a braid, it was too much work to help at the party with it down.
"How did you get that? Did you buy it or something? I was worried you weren't going to make it." I said, pushing my bangs out of my face. Hiccups eyes were too intense and nervously I flickered between his eyes and his lips.
"I actually made it for Halloween, you know, Dragons and Vikings go hand in hand. File the complaint with Toothless, he knows I'm clumsy and believe me, he exposed the weakness." I turned his left arm up to reveal a bruise and lifted to the side his shirt to reveal a gigantic yellowing one on his side.
'So him in the hate, huh? Only the hat…girl, are you drooling? Hot damn I could stand to leave a bruise there… with my teeth.'
I realized my eyes lingered even after he put his sweater back down and I coughed to cover up my own perverted thought. 'Pervert much, Astrid? You raging hoe-bag.' I chided myself. Hiccup looked perplexed but none the less, probably sensing the awkward I was releasing into the atmosphere he pat my back.
"I'm fine, sorry. Yeah." His hand lingered on my shoulder right next to my braid. "It's uh- nice to see you again, Hiccup." I followed with a nod.
"Nice to see you again too, milady." He kissed the back of my hand and ran his thumb over the ring on my ring finger. Stormfly's name was engraved on it in small script.
'So if you kissed him like right now? Yeah, I would shut up.- AhHHHH calm the crap down.'
My hand turned around to grasp his wrist. He had a gravitational pull and I was lost in his grip. Hiccup, being the gentleman he was, let me pull him closer. The voice of reason was silent. 'Yaaaassss' was actually all that rang through my head…. That and some crap that wasn't really all that pg. Hiccups eyes didn't break away from mine even as his mouth was inches from mine. He pushed his lips onto mine and my head was in a daze. I barely knew him, but there was something about him, something I wanted more than anything.
"AHHHH" Aiden yelled as he flew by on the back of Toothless, trying to hold onto the gigantic dog. "DON'T KISS MY SISTERRRR" He bopped up and down on the unsteady dog but still found time to embarrass me. I stumbled away from him Hiccup the same way I would had I just thrown back a few beers. Sloppy, red faced and ready to die as the whole party turned their faces to look at us. Hiccup tapped his fingers on his thigh.
"So… should I meet your parents or just run?" HE puffed out his cheeks and I laughed, covering my mouth.
"Stay. We need a Viking to man the fort." I winked and turned around, helping Aiden off of the 'dragon'. It was admittedly impressive how discreetly he kept his hand rounded over my backside the entire time he spoke to my parents. I definitely found something worth keeping, all thanks to my adventurous little brother.