A/N - I know I've got other stories. I'm hitting a dry spell recently. I won't abandon those, don't worry, but it seems like I can write a two page drabble with ease while I'm beating my head against a wall trying to write a chapter. Writing Rule #1 - When writing stops being fun, take a break.
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Astrid dumped the Brussels spouts and carrots into the dish and carefully opened the oven. Heat washed out and hit her face. She squinted through it to slide the pan inside. The door slipped from her grasp and snapped shut. She tossed the potholder onto the counter and poked the chicken in the microwave. Almost. She closed the door and added five minutes to the timer.
While dinner cooked, she resumed her vigorous cardio in the living room. Two weeks of this and she'd already knocked off six of those extra ten pounds and planned to erase another five if she could. Or, she could keep this up and get ride of that pesky flab she'd accumulated since quitting track.
It had been two weeks ago Sunday she'd tried on an older pair of jeans and couldn't button them without pain, and a serious muffin-top.
Hiccup, the dear, had shrugged it off. "It's just a couple of pounds, Astrid. It's not like you can't walk through doorways anymore."
The thought had given her a shiver. Her reflection in the mirror suddenly changed, her waist enlarged and her legs like massive tree trunks. She shook the image and her puffy belly in her too-tight jeans returned.
Hiccup leaned in the doorway. "You're still beautiful. You'd still be beautiful if you gained a hundred pounds. Just a little chubbier."
She shot him a woeful glance. "Funny how skinny people tell fat people not to worry about their weight."
Hiccup had smiled, "You're not fat, babe."
She'd pouted and pulled the blasted jeans off and settled for sweatpants.
She'd found ways to make vegetables editable on the internet, by smothering them in butter and seasonings, and baking them. She spent a long while in the living room every day, pumping and stretching and sweating. Their downstairs neighbor hadn't complained. They probably thought she's lost it.
The timer on the microwaves beeped. Astrid finished her rep first. The muscles in her torso burned and whined but she refused to stop. At last she gave out and her legs crumpled underneath her. Her bottom thumped on the floor.
The chicken was done and she popped the pieces into the baking veggies. They smelled fantastic and her stomach rumbled. She used this time to wash the dishes, then returned to her workout. Four more pounds, she told herself. Four more.
Hiccup arrived home on time for the first time in a while, and of course dinner still sit in the oven and her rear end stuck up in a downward-dog. Without hesitation, his hand collided playfully with her rear and he scooted into the bedroom before she could react. She dropped and jumped up to her feet.
"That smells great," Hiccup said as he pulled a sweatshirt over his bare torso. His hips bones stuck out from the waistband of his boxers, and Astrid felt the sharp pang of jealousy. She quietly reminded herself that if her hips stuck out that much she would have nothing left of herself.
"It's Brussels and carrots," Astrid said as she pulled the sizzling pan from the hot oven. She set it on the stove with a clank.
"Brussels sprouts?" Hiccup asked with a squinted nose. "Gross."
"Maybe, but they're healthy so we're going to try them." Astrid inhaled the sweet, buttery garlic aroma. She really wanted them to taste good.
Hiccup set the table quickly, two plates and a fork for each of them, and Astrid set the pan down on a potholder between them. In a few short moments they sat down across from each other underneath the dim overhead light.
"It's been a while since we actually sat down to eat," Hiccup said. Both of his hands were flat on the table.
"Yeah," Astrid nodded. She scooped a large spoonful off the platter onto Hiccup's plate. Then she scooped her own.
"This is good," Hiccup said with a mouthful. He'd forked a Brussels sprout first. "It tastes like vegetable, but buttery."
"That would be the butter part," Astrid laughed. A forkful went into her mouth and it melted on her tongue. Thank god.
They ate in moderate silence, with sparse comments about the food or work. Then, as the plates emptied, Hiccup sighed and sat back in his chair.
"I got you something," he said simply.
"Oh?" Astrid licked her lips for the buttery remains. "It better not be chocolate."
He smiled. "It's not. It's way better. I think."
He scooted away from the table and vanished into the bedroom. He returned with a red gift box tied with a black ribbon. He stood on the edge of the kitchen, where the tile met hardwood, and held it out to her. She stood up and took the ornate box. It was lightweight, as if nothing were actually inside of it.
"I wanted to make you feel better about yourself, and after a few internet searches…I found an idea." Hiccup swallowed. He shuffled as she untied the ribbon, deliberately slow. "So…uh, if you don't like it the internet lied to me."
She smiled at the thought of him going out of his way for her. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be sweet."
The ribbon fell to the floor and she lifted the lid. Hiccup held his breath and clenched his hands. Her breath fell away. Inside the box, inside a layer of sparkled, black tissue paper, was red lingerie. Gapping, she set the box down on the kitchen table to take it out. Black embroidery stylized the cups and layer of see-through, silky mesh fell from the top. A matching pair of small underwear rested in the box.
"Hiccup…" Astrid said, barely a whisper.
"I know, I know, it's returnable. I-I didn't know what you would like and there was so much in the store and the saleslady seemed to know what she was talking about, she told me that breasts were sizable by fruit. I didn't know that. Yours got turned into oranges." He spoke fast and shuffled.
"I love it," she said. She held the sexy garment to her chest. "It's amazing!"
She grabbed the panties from the box and rushed past him to the bedroom.
"Where are you going?" Hiccup called after her.
"To try it on!" She closed the door. She tossed the red lingerie to the bed and quickly stripped. The bottoms fit, leaving the majority of her backside exposed, and the top took a moment to figure out. It fit much like a bra would, but with more straps holding it out. The mesh fell down to her hips, but opened down her middle, exposing her belly and everything below it.
It looked good. She spent a moment or two in front of the mirror, spinning and watching the mesh move. It hugged her chest low but several straps held her breasts in place.
"Are you done yet?" Hiccup asked on the other side of the door.
She inhaled and held her chest out as she swung the door open. She watched his face fall and his eyes panic to look at all of her. He tried several times to form words but none of them came out.
"How does it look?" she asked, leaning onto one foot and popping her hip.
"Amazing," he managed to say.
She took a step toward him but didn't make it through the doorway. His hands were on her, guiding her back into the bedroom.