It's back by popular demand! The stupidly named StreetRacer!AU has survived! I'll be posting a day's early access to this on my tumblr, if anyone wants to follow me there. (skinnyjeans-bigdreams) along with other stupid drabbles. shameless self promotion. Anyway, enjoy the third chapter.

0o0o0o0

It was midday when Astrid had attempted to get a hold of Hiccup. He was working under his car, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head from his lasting hangover headache. He didn't hear the distinct buzzing of his phone on the work desk across the room. When he finally pulled himself out from underneath the car to take a break and grabbed his phone, he had 5 messages from her. It was a shock, seeing her name pop up across the screen. When he gave her his number, he didn't anticipate she would actually use it. Maybe she wouldn't disappear again.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:34pm] Hey

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:34pm] You busy today?

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:37pm] Don't tell me you're still sleeping. It's past noon.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:40pm] I save your butt from killing yourself in a drunk driving accident and this is how you repay me?

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:44pm] Really feeling the love, Haddock.

Hiccup snorted into his hand, scratching at an itch on his nose with the heel of his palm. She'd driven him home last night- part of the reason why he was here right now and not sleeping in his room at home. His dad wasn't going to let him forget that Astrid Hofferson had dropped him off drunk last night. Even if he didn't remember much except for the strawberry scent of her shampoo when he leaned in too close to her hair. He'd drank a lot, enough that he'd woken up at 9 this morning sick as a dog. He was currently relying on pain medication to keep himself from turning into a walking corpse. He could barely remember the conversations he had with Astrid last night. Bits and pieces stuck out to him, though, like her indecisiveness over where she wants to go onto school, which is why she was staying home the year after high school. Another buzzing in his hand pulled him from his thoughts.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:50pm] If you don't reply in five minutes, I'm coming to your house to wake you up.

[Hiccup Haddock: 12:50pm] Hold your horses, M'Lady. I'm awake.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:51pm] Oh, it lives?

Hiccup laughed.

[Hiccup Haddock: 12:52pm] Sorry to disappoint.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:52pm] I'm not disappointed.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:53pm] I was going to kill you if you died before you could fix my car like you promised. I've been waiting all morning.

[Hiccup Haddock: 12:53pm] How do you plan on killing me if I'm already dead?

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:53pm] ... Shut up Haddock.

Hiccup didn't notice the way he was stupidly grinning at his phone. He did, however, notice how even a text from her managed to get his heart beating furiously inside his chest. He'd convinced himself for four years that he was over her, that Astrid Hofferson was a fantasy that would never happen. When she walked back into his life it's like all those feelings bubbled back to the surface, reminding him how ridiculous it was that he cared so much for her.

[Hiccup Haddock: 12:56pm] You know, if you're so scared that I'm going to die before I could fix your car, you could come by right now. The garage isn't in use and I could try to fix her up for you.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:57pm] Really? That'd be great. I promised a friend of mine I'd meet her for coffee once she's up, but I could probably stop by after.

[Hiccup Haddock: 12:58pm] Yeah, anytime you're ready. I'll be here.

[Astrid Hofferson: 12:59pm] Great, I'll see you then.

Hiccup grinned to himself as he shut off his phone. He pushed himself off the work bench, and made his way into the main office. His Uncle, Gregory Gobber, was sitting back in the wheely office chair at the counter, a game of football on the small tv he kept in the corner above the table full of magazines. He was snoring faintly, feet thrown up on the shelf under the table. The stubby blonde man taught Hiccup everything he knew about cars over the past few years, lacing his knowledge with subtle teasing. Today was apparently no exception to the rule.

"Tha' grin on your face contributing to tha' fact tha' Astrid brought you home drunk as a doormouse last night?" His thick Scottish accent sounded behind Hiccup as he ducked down to the mini-fridge below the counter. Gobber had himself set up in the small office. Hiccup pulled out a bottle of water. He stood back up, glaring back at his mentor, who was watching him with amused eyes. Hiccup waved his hand at him.

"Don't tell me you're going to start that too," he leaned back into the wall, unscrewing the cap, "I already got a lecture. "You're still too young to be drinking, Henderson Haddock. Imagine what it would look on the campaign if my son was arrested for underage intoxication?" Hiccup's voice lowered as he mocked his father, puffing out his chest and holding his arms further than shoulder-length apart to look bigger.

"He jus' wants you to be safe, boy," Gobber tried to comfort him, "he doesn't want you to get hurt."

Hiccup snorted into his water, coughing as the cold liquid went down the wrong pipe. "He's just worried about me ruining his reputation. Hiccup the Useless strikes again," he grumbled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Simon "Stoick" Haddock only ever showed disappointment in his son, or that's how Hiccup felt. Since he found his fox, Toothless, and caused a slight uproar among the political parties also looking for leadership of Berk City, Hiccup felt like he was one big disappointment to his father. That was part of the reason he enjoyed racing so much. He felt free, looked up too, uncontrolled. He was his own person, and he wasn't a disappointment.

"Hiccup," He held his hand up to quiet his uncle. Gobber wasn't actually his uncle, rather his dad's closest friend, but Hiccup grew up around him so much that it felt wrong to not call him family.

"Astrid's stopping by later so I can help fix her car," Hiccup interrupted the conversation before it could continue, "I'm going to go finish working on mine before she gets here." He didn't want to hear about how much his dad actually cared about him.

Hiccup pushed himself off the wall, walking back into the garage and shoving his hands into his pockets with a sigh. He hoped Gobber would take the hint and get out of the office before she got there. He didn't think he could handle Gobber embarrassing him in front of Astrid.

0o0o0o0

Astrid stared at the blonde on the opposite end of the table. Her fingers bounced uncomfortably on the wood, iced coffee sitting practically untouched in front of her. Ruffnut had a predatory smirk across her face, eyes boring into her best friend's. Astrid did not back down from a challenge. She knew exactly what Ruffnut was going to start with. Astrid didn't think she stopped that voracious smile since she picked her up from Hiccup's house last night. Ruff leaned forward, fingers coming to rest under her chin, folded over one another. Astrid held up a slender hand, shaking her head.

"Don't even start," she told the other girl, hand falling back to the table.

"He beats you in a race, and now he's fixing your car?" Ruff's eyebrows wiggled.

Astrid glared, slouching down into the chair. "Nothing happened, Ruffnut," she retorted, almost sulkily. Nothing had happened. She had found her childhood best friend and he had offered to fix her car earlier than she had originally planned. So what if he wasn't the adorable little dork who she knew previous? All she was doing was getting her car fixed by someone who knew what he was doing and wasn't going to ask questions. Her fingers flew up to brush her bangs out of her face, and her eyes narrowed.

"One minute you're calling him the "son of a half-troll," and then he's fixing your car? I wouldn't call that nothing. You're not telling me something," Ruff grinned, "Astrid Hofferson isn't the type to forgive and forget."

Astrid shrugged her shoulders. "I knew him when I was younger. I'm just catching up with an old friend, that's all."

Ruff snorted in a very un-ladylike way. "Catching up? Is that what you're calling it?"

Astrid flung her hand out, smashing it against Ruff's arm. "There isn't any 'it.' I haven't seen him in like five years. I'm not going to just jump into his bed!" Her hands flew up into the air.

Ruff shrugged, unfazed by the act of violence. "You left the party with him last night. You're telling me that you didn't jump into his bed?"

Astrid scowled in her friend's direction. "No, I didn't." She left the party with Hiccup last night, but he hadn't been in any condition to try anything with her. Not that he would want too. Not that she would want too. He was a stumbling, slightly giggling drunk who needed to get home without a DUI, and she was the only person sober enough to help him. Ruffnut looked genuinely surprised.

"I just thought because of that ass-"

"You're forgetting I've known him since I was like, five, Ruffnut. I'm not thinking about his ass," Astrid's arms crossed over her chest while she glowered. That ass had gotten better. However she wasn't paying attention, because that ass didn't catch her attention. He was Hiccup, for pete's sake. Dorky little Hiccup who forced her to help him make water-bottle rockets when they were ten and almost blew up her garage when they were twelve. Just because he grew a few feet and gained more angles than he had before didn't mean she had to think about him in anyway than fifteen year old, scrawny, childish Hiccup. That's the way it was going to stay.

"Okay, fine. You don't have to think about his ass. That doesn't mean I'm not going too."

Astrid's hand flew up to her head, "Can we change the subject?"

Ruffnut shrugged her shoulders and glanced down at her nails, scratching at her cuticles. Her short blonde hair ruffled around her ears as a breeze blew in from the air conditioning. "To what?"

She shrugged right back at her friend and tapped her shoe against the ground. "I don't know. Something other than what we're talking about now."

"Oh," Ruff leaned forward again, landing her arms across the table with a thunk. "I heard about another race at Snotlout's party last night."

"Snotlout?" Astrid lifted her eyebrows. The name sounded vaguely familiar. She was pretty sure Hiccup mentioned him as the host of the party. "Who's that?"

Ruff sipped her drink casually. "The dick who threw the party last night. He kept calling me babe and trying to put his arm around me," Astrid wrinkled her nose as she continued, "Anyway, he was bragging he's going to be racing some guy next Tuesday." She stretched her arms over her head and dropped them to her lap with a sigh. She waved her hand around in the air and rested her chin on her hands. "You're going to come watch me watch him get his ass kicked, right?"

Astrid let out a laugh. "Do I get a choice?"

She shook her head. "No, you don't."

"Then I guess the answer is yes." She half-grinned at her friend and then glanced down at her phone. 3:30pm. Astrid stood up, pushing her chair away from the table and picking her practically melted coffee off the table. She tried to ignore Ruff's smirk as she threw her bag over her shoulder. "I should go get my car fixed before it's too late."

"Have fun," Astrid pretended not to hear the undercurrent of innuendo as she stalked out the door and over to her dented blue car.