Chapter 4: 'Let's move in together?'

"No I don't think a date by date, blow by blow will be necessary, I didn't need to know all the details of the morning following the first date. I am given to understand that you are now living in the same house as Dr. Haddock, how about we focus on that how all that came about?" The HR agent rubbed the part of his nose in between the eyes.

"Are you okay? You look like shit" Astrid asked actually taking a minute to look at the HR agent.

"I had to deal with a sexual harassment claim against one of the Physics department researching doctors by his assistant a couple of days ago. I am not supposed to say anything, but it was taxing trying to explain to the doctor how and why what he said was inappropriate, and I just found out the doctor has ordered the assistant to do his assigned sexual harassment retraining course, citing that his time was better spent on what he was hired for. Now I have to track him down and… well, you get the idea." The HR said "I know I shouldn't let that issue affect how I work with the concern around you and Dr. Haddock, but I have had a long week. Sorry, okay, you and Dr. Haddock had gotten back from your first weekend together is where I believe you left off." The HR agent was clearly trying to back to being focused on her.

"How about I fast forward to July, when I moved into Dr. Haddock's place…" it really wasn't a question, Astrid could see the wear in the HR agent's eyes over the other issue he had to deal with, also the blow-by-blow account would have her here until midnight Sunday-Monday. The scene changed, it was a week before the end of July. She and Hiccup have been spending a lot of time together, they saw a couple of movies together, went to a couple of nice restaurants, Astrid ended up borrowing a couple of Valka's old dresses so not to look like she didn't belong. She had spent a couple… many nights at Hiccup's house, Stormfly had moved in and the blue and gold macaw and Toothless seemed to become best friends, Stormfly seemed to have found a spot that vexed Toothless and the big cat couldn't scratch. It also came clear that Toothless was a smart cat after all, Stormfly never saw Astrid as happy as she was with Hiccup.

Astrid had gotten up and taken a morning shower in her apartment, it was when she went for clothes and found only the clothes she wore yesterday in her laundry basket that she realized almost all her clothes were in Hiccup's closet and dresser. She also noted that the only thing of hers in her room were her bed sheets. "Well fuck." Still wearing the towel she looked around the apartment and the only thing belonged to her was her towel; in fact she just used Ruffnut's soap and shampoo. Astrid decided to borrow some of Ruffnut's clothes for a day. Ruffnut did oblige but nothing fit right. "I think I moved into Hiccup's place." Astrid said as looked at herself in the mirror.

"We tried to tell you that yesterday. So you will not be part of the lease renewal?" Ruffnut asked. Horror crept over Astrid's face, the lease expired July 31st and it had slipped her mind, and while the landlord was willing to renew, there was no way Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut could afford the apartment and there was no three-room apartment that were open or going to be open in time to move in time for August. "You forget didn't you?"

"I am so sorry; it's just that I've been so much time with Hi…" Astrid started

"Hotcup that you forgot? It's okay, it is time for a roommate meeting any way Snot and Tuff will be home soon. You were out past dawn, so did you ride the 'Night Fury' all night long?" Ruffnut cut Astrid short with the twin's mocker for Hiccup. Astrid knew what Ruffnut meant by 'Night Fury' and it wasn't Hiccup's motorcycle.

"Actually Hiccup and I went out for a night ride with his bikes, the Deadly Nadder is everything I hoped it to be and more, Hiccup clearly made some fine tuning just for me. Hiccup even made an attachable basket with a quick escape so Stormfly could nest in and ride with me, helmet and goggles to boot. On a different note, we haven't had sex since the first date." Astrid pointed out.

"So you two actually just sleep together? Damn girl you put out once and this guy is basically becomes your thrall."

"He's not a slave."

"Really, have you two ever fought?"

"We don't always agree." Astrid said not quite sure Ruffnut was going with this. But this topic seemed to be one she would prefer to avoid.

"Have you two actually argued over anything? And Hiccup saying he disagrees does not count." Ruffnut said. Astrid thought about it, Hiccup may have expressed his difference in opinion to hers but he would always go with her, even when it turned out that they should have went with Hiccup's. But Astrid realized that it was not because Hiccup was enthralled by her, he had two motives, the first was that if he always agreed with her and it turned out she was wrong often enough she would start agreeing with him but the second and deeper reason was that he wanted the relationship to work.

"Hiccup is waiting for the best time." Astrid answered "He has does have three doctorates."

"Good enough for me." Astrid didn't know which was more surprising, that she was able to know Hiccup so well or that Ruffnut bought that lie so easily.

When Snot and Tuff arrived the four finally discussed if they were going to renew the lease or not, they agreed that they would move into Hiccup's house if he would accept them as tenants, if not they would renew the lease and Astrid would be on the lease until they got a new roommate, again assuming that Hiccup would allow her… like anyone ever doubted it.

Later that day at Hiccup's house the four discussed with Hiccup the possibility of moving in. Hiccup noted that while he had space, but he really couldn't take on more tenants, as for Astrid, he actually knew someone looking for a place, a drama major named Heather Ingénue. Hiccup informed that he was asked to teach a summer Physics 101 and Heather was one of his students, she was a transfer student. He offered to give Heather their numbers for them to discuss the detail. Snotlot and Tuffnut were sold once they heard 'Her name is', Ruffnut took until she heard 'She's currently working at the theater house on High Ave…', Astrid was however stuck on the topic of Hiccup being a personal level of any degree with another female undergraduate student. It was then that Astrid and Hiccup had their first fight.

"Wait you have a female undergraduate student that you know is looking for a place?" Astrid asked there was a hint of anger, jealousy to be exact.

"Yes, I do. She met with me after class, she wanted clarification on a topic and it was the last class of the day, she didn't live on campus or have a car, I heading by where she was for the time. It's no big deal."

"It is a big deal. You were with some hussy." Astrid nearly shouted.

"No, I was not with a house woman. Heather does not live in a house."

"What?"

"Hussy is a shorten term for house woman from the Norse 'hus' meaning house and the old English 'wife' meaning woman."

"Whatever, you were with some floozy and didn't tell me."

"Heather is not a floozy, she cannot afford silk."

"What?"

"Floozy means with silk or silken, it comes from the word floss, originally a term for the silk used to make clothes. In the context of women, floozy actually means a young woman who owns silken clothes. I studied a little etymology. On a different note, I did nothing wrong, all I did was give someone a left and it was mentioned during the ride she was looking for a place that was closer not only to her school but to her job."

"And I guess feeling her breast on your back was just the finder's fee!" Astrid accused.

"Umm Astrid, pssh." Fishlegs tried to get Astrid's attention so to point out a particular fact about what Hiccup drives to the university.

Sadly Hiccup was not helping "What! You think I drove her on my Night Fury?" This was the first time Hiccup raised his voice to Astrid.

"Well didn't you, I bet little Ms. Innocent also went big eyes and kissed you too!" Astrid appeared beyond reason.

"Astrid, I never take my Night Fury to work." Hiccup almost whispered. Silence. "I am going out for spin and I'll be gone for a while. I'll be back for dinner, Fisher. You're all welcomed to stay." Hiccup said as if the entire argument never took place and left. The room was silent. They all heard the sound of Hiccup starting up the Night Fury and heading out. Everyone there, including Astrid knew it was Hiccup whom won the fight.

"I am some crazy jealous bitch." Astrid whispered as she sat down in what was affectively her chair.

"We should better go." Tuffnut said to Ruffnut and Snotlot.

"But Hiccup said…" it took a while but Snotlot came to the realization the twins already did. The three left having decided that they would deal with Heather, and cut down on Astrid's emotional involvement. Astrid remained in her chair. She was jealous over Hiccup just giving someone a left, how could she be so irrational, she knew the rush of testosterone and dopamine released from her being involved with Hiccup as she was would fuck up her serotonin levels and mess up her objectiveness but she never figured she would be one of those crazy stalker jealous-envious bitches you hear about, well technically she still wasn't, she was not going to go out of her way and spend every second of her day trailing Hiccup. Maybe she should start taking birth control and other hormone controlling pills, she's been all natural her entire live thus far, she is a Hofferson after all. She didn't know how long she stared into the void until she felt a blanket being wrapped around her.

"Hey, you okay?" Hiccup asked, his voice was gentle and soft, he sounded like he was the one in the wrong the whole time. "I am sorry I raised my voice at you, that I didn't tell you about giving Heather a left earlier and not clearing it with you first." He then kissed Astrid on the forehead.

Astrid then pulled Hiccup into a deep embrace. "I am sorry I was so jealous." She could barely whisper as if her voice would break if she tried to speak any louder.

"Hey, let's make it official. Astrid Hofferson, let's move in together?" Hiccup asked whispering into Astrid's ear.

"You mean 'Astrid, will you admit that you moved into my home?'" Astrid softly chuckled. "Either way, yes." Astrid said as she kissed Hiccup. "You won our first fight, you know."

"Astrid, when people who are in love with each other fight, everyone loses. I know it's been implied and is ineffable, but I need to say it. I love you, Astrid." Hiccup said and kissed Astrid's neck right on the jugular.

They didn't quite remember how it happened, but as the sun light touched them, it was clear they had moved from the chair to the couch under the blanket Hiccup wrapped around Astrid, Hiccup's prosthetic was across the room they were not dressed as their clothes were scattered over the room and Astrid was using Hiccup as a mattress again. The two woke up about the same time. "Hiccup, I know it's a little late, but I need to say it. I love you, Hiccup." Astrid whispered to Hiccup. They elected to stay on the couch for a few more minutes.

The last of Astrid's stuff was in Hiccup's house before the week was over, and her roommates were able to convince Heather to move in before the end of the month and renewed the lease with her instead of Astrid. "And that's how I started to live with Hiccup." Astrid said as the scene changed back to the HR office.

Author's Note: I learned the origins of the terms 'floozy' and 'hussy' from the H2's series America's Secret Slang. Hiccup knows these terms because he researched. Yes I have Hiccup win their first fight, why shouldn't the guy win the first fight and I have Astrid being an all-natural girl, i.e. no artificial hormonal regulation, no particular reason it just fit with Astrid's character from my perspective. As for Heather's last name, it is a term for both actresses whom play a particular role and the alluded to role in certain plays it also works with the mocker 'Ms. Innocent' from the show.