"Can we go in a corner or something?" he spoke into her ear over the music. "I want as few people to witness this as possible."

She nodded and they spotted a place against the wall in the back corner. The shot and three cups of beer all in rapid succession were kicking in swiftly and she felt like she was swimming through throngs of people, clutching his hand tightly. Her head spun, woozy and high, lighthearted as a thrill of excitement streaked in her stomach.

She guided him to the wall and made him stand with his back to it. She pressed up against him and wove her arms around his neck, beginning to dance. Most of the music played was mainstream club hits, perfect for grinding. He seemed stiff, his hands on her waist but he didn't move his body much. She thought he'd be more comfortable with her facing him, but as the song switched and began to filter into another one she decided to turn, pressing her ass into his middle and swaying back and forth enticingly. His hands dropped to her hips, gripping tightly.

She grinned and reached her hands behind to place her fingertips on his own hips, encouraging him to follow her motion. She was far more advanced at dancing than him, but to his credit he tried with her guidance, an effect of the alcohol giving him the confidence to move.

She pressed to his chest, his heat transferring to her back as his hands flitted at the waistband of her skirt, fingers holding onto the bare skin of her hips, palm sliding to the front of her stomach then receding to her side.

Times like this made her thankful Ruff forced her into being social. She was ecstatic to have someone worth spending time with to share in the experience- especially when that someone was quite enthusiastic about her plastering her body all over him despite his initial hesitance.

She dipped lower, her upper back gliding against his middle and his hands tightened on her shoulders. Every hitch in his breath, every placement of his hands sultry against her skin sent shocks of pleasure straight between her legs.

She rose and turned to face him, teasing hands on his stomach and sliding them up to his chest, slipping her leg over his right to grind herself on his thigh in a pointed rhythm reminiscent of other activities they could be doing with their pelvises. The music only heightened the passion exchanged between panting breaths, hands everywhere and the urge to get as close as possible. It seemed like every song blaring out of the speakers was explicitly about sex, sending not so subliminal messages about how this night should end.

Alcohol and the very obvious reaction in his pants to her dancing made alluring arguments, enticing her to give in to temptation. She liked him and he seemed to reciprocate her feelings; would it really be so bad to do it just this once?

She dipped to her knees, dropping low like the song suggested, and gazed back up at him from his midsection. He groaned and rolled his head back against the wall, the Viking helmet clinking and sliding further down on his forehead. She placed her hands on his thighs and moved them up his body when she swayed back to her feet, ending at his rib cage. She roped her hands around his back and he tugged her to him, halting her movement to give her an insistent kiss.

She lost herself, fingers twisting in his tunic and head fuzzy. He bucked his hips into hers and she gasped into his mouth, knees almost buckling from the sheer heat building between them. Seemed like he wasn't the only one seduced by their dancing. She wanted him.

"Astrid!"

She reluctantly turned her head at the sound of her name, so wrapped up in him, but Ruff waved at her and she grinned.

"Just one, um- minute, okay?" she shouted to him. He nodded, his expression dark and wanting as he self consciously arranged the front of his tunic, which fortunately was a bit longer and hit at just the top of his thighs.

She stumbled her way over to Ruff, who beckoned at her saucily, and they took a moment to finish out the song. She always liked dancing with Ruff, in high school and present. Admittedly they received a lot of male attention for their efforts, as Ruff was not shy about dancing up on her purposely for said attention and she generally laughed and played along. She glanced back at him and his eyes hadn't left her. She blew him a sloppy kiss and he smirked, shaking his head.

"Hey, let's go upstairs so I can talk to you, okay?" Ruff said into her ear once they were done. Astrid nodded and wobbled back over to him and relayed the plan. He scooted closer to the corner to wait.

Ruff escorted her up the stairs, which she didn't remember being so tippy. Once they were in the kitchen and could hear each other, Ruff poked her in the stomach. "Enjoying yourself?"

This sent her into a fit of giggles.

"Okay, okay, why are you all silly."

"Shhh!" Astrid said, with more giggles. "I'm gonna tell you something."

"How many drinks have you had?"

"Three cups of beer. And a shot. Why."

"You're this tipsy and you've only had three and a shot? I didn't think you were this much of a lightweight."

"Hey, give me a break, I drank them all in a row and I didn't have much to eat today. And I'm not a fish drinker like you."

Ruff snorted. "The correct phrase would be 'drink like a fish' and yes, I do consider drinking as one of my favorite pastimes and I've built up an enviable tolerance but seriously... you saw all of your drinks being poured and you never set them down, right?"

"Hiccup got the beer and I saw the shot being made, I'm not dumb jeez, Ruff," she said, shaking her head.

"Okay, okay. So he's been watching out for you then?"

She giggled some more. "Oh yeah, he's been watching me alright."

"What were you going to tell me?"

Her eyes twinkled and she leaned in, conspiratorially. "I think- I think I'm going to sex. I'm going to have the sex. With Hiccup tonight. I'm thirsty, I'm gonna get another drink." She wheeled around, intending to hit up the keg.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up drunkface Astrid," Ruff said, grabbing her arm and tugging her back to the wall. "What are you planning on doing?"

"Sex. I'm gonna do it," Astrid said, looking very pleased with herself. "He wants it too."

"I'm sure he does, he's a guy after all. Here's the thing though, don't do it."

She gave Ruff an incredulous look. "Did you just say 'don't do it?' Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not joking, Astrid. You can't even say it right, there's no way you should be having it."

"You told me to sex him the first night we met!"

"First of all, I was mostly teasing you. Second, that's when I thought it was just going to be a one night stand. It's not just a one night stand, you genuinely seem to care for this guy a lot and this is probably not the right time to introduce sex into the thing you two have going on, while being drunk on top of it."

"I'm not drunk."

"Fine, you're not smashed, but you are tipsy."

"Yeah... okay maybe, a little kinda tipsy."

"Exactly. So, how about we not make poor decisions while we're tipsy, huh? You leave that to me. You're supposed to be the sensible one."

"But, he's so cute," she said, pouting.

"He is very cute, especially in that Viking helmet. But really, if you still plan on letting anything happen tonight, sober up before he throws it in you. Do you even have a condom?"

"Um... no."

"Does he?"

"I... don't know."

"You didn't think this through, did you."

"Um... no."

"I can't tell you what to do, but if you need anything I have a stash in the bathroom in my makeup case."

"When did you start making sense."

"I've made sense for awhile, I just choose to hide it under sarcasm and sexual innuendo."

"I never would have thought you'd be the love guru."

"Hey, all my experience just means I've been around the block a few times and I know how this works. Let me impart all my wisdom on you, young grasshopper, and right now I am strongly advising against you having sex after drinking. I don't think this is how either of you want it to happen."

"No, I guess not," she said sullenly, playing with the end of her braid.

"Did I harsh your buzz?"

She shrugged. "A little."

"Good. You don't drink often, and I have nothing against consensual drunk sex, but not for the first time. I don't want to see this get messed up, okay?"

She nodded, looking down. "Okay."

"Do you want some water?"

"Yeah, I'm parched," she said. They filled a solo cup with tap water from the kitchen. She felt better, more clear headed, even if her balance was still off kilter.

"I better get back downstairs to Hiccup."

"You go get that hottie Viking," Ruff said, winking. "Do you need help getting down the stairs?"

"That might be advisable," she said.

"Look at you, even drunkface Astrid still has a nerdy vocabulary."

Ruff escorted her down the stairs and into the basement. She momentarily worried when she couldn't spot him, then realized it was because someone was standing in front of him. She could just view the horned helmet behind some girl in a black cat costume.

"Oh hell no," she said with an alarming growl. She stalked over and caught a glimpse of his face; he looked uncomfortable and was shaking his head.

The dim lighting of the room made it difficult to see, but she figured he was telling the girl he wasn't interested in dancing with her. She hurried to his side and cat girl gave her an unimpressed once over. She injected venom into her iciest stare and wrapped her arm around his waist. His cheeks colored and he shrugged apologetically at the interloper, mouthing a 'sorry.' The girl turned her nose up, melting back into the crowd of dancers.

"I can't leave you alone for one minute?" she said into his ear, teasing. "I come back and you have girls all over you."

"Hey, I was being good. She came along and asked if I wanted to dance. She was really persistent but I told her no and that I was waiting for you."

"Good," she purred. "You're all mine, Haddock."

She gripped the collar of his shirt, tugging him into her and planting a rough possessive kiss on him, hoping that dumb girl was watching. She pulled back and smirked at the glazed look on his face, eyes dilated with lust and swollen lips parted.

She rolled her body against him in time with the music, hands in her hair, hips swaying, generating sparks of heat between them like steel striking flint. If he thought she was dancing sensually before, she proved the prior moves were just the beginning of this particular skill set of hers. She knew precisely how to roll and dip her hips, pose in perfect feminine silhouettes, and pinpoint the exact parts of her body to rub against his to heighten his arousal.

A song with a slower pulsing beat came on and she used the opportunity to purposely draw out her movements into sultry rocking motions against him, her back to his chest. He placed his palms on her hips and she settled her hands over his, glancing at him over her shoulder as they swayed together in tandem. His lips grazed the back of her neck, stubble scratching her skin and tingles skittered down her spine.

She could feel his restless energy as she worked him, his hands guided her hips, spinning her around to face him. He slid a hand behind her neck and stole a searing kiss. She dug her fingertips into his abdomen and brushed her chest against his, then let her hands wander across his body in response to his inability to keep his hands off of her. She was drowning in the experience, every touch sending streaks of lightning straight to her core and by the looks of it she was effectively taking him right down with her.

Once they started making out it was extremely hard to stop. Though she attempted to keep her rhythmic motions to the music, they dissolved into needy pawing at each other more than actual dancing.

Normally not one for this level of public displays of affection, the alcohol did its trick and lowered just about every inhibition she had. His hands were gripping her ass and one slid its way back up to squeeze her breast and she hissed and bit his lower lip.

Lust took over every immediate sense, clouded out rationality and made her leap over unspoken lines. She nipped at his jaw, placed her palm against the front of his pants and stroked up firmly and he nearly came undone, bucking into the heel of her hand, groan lost into the thumping bass.

She barely had time to blink as he flipped them, pushing her against the wall with his body and claiming her lips, tongue forcefully inserted into her mouth and hand diving under her skirt. She canted into his touch and gripped his wrist.

"Maybe we should get out of here?" she suggested, nibbling his earlobe and breathing hot against his cheek. He nodded and grabbed her hand, tugging her through the crowd and she could barely keep up with his long strides. There was no trace of a smile on his face as he led them up the stairs to search for their coats.

"Hand me my phone and I'll let Ruff know we're leaving," she said. He gave it to her and after one shaky handed text shot off to her roommate they were outside in the brisk night air, determinedly headed toward the apartment.

The chill did nothing to extinguish the fire raging between them and he said nothing as he clutched her hand tightly through his urgent pace.

She tried to keep the smirk off her face. They participated in quite a few in depth make out sessions but she had never seen him this riled up. He generally was polite and respectful even in the most passionate moments they had shared so far, and she was starting to wonder if he was even capable of getting a little rough and losing control. While they had crossed a few more boundaries, blatantly grabbing him was a line she hadn't breached until tonight. The knowledge her dancing drove him into such a state thrilled her.

Once they reached the apartment he fumbled with his keys at the door, hands trembling from adrenaline and alcohol. He finally got it open and tugged her inside, barely registering the door shutting before he attacked her mouth with his own. After a moment he pulled away with a loud smack and flicked the door locked as a quick afterthought. Eyes dark and intense, he placed his hands on her shoulders and backed her into his bedroom.

A few more paces and she was shoved onto his bed, bouncing on the mattress. The helmet was tossed aside with a heavy clunk onto the floor and he was on top of her, kissing her everywhere, a flurry of hands and movement, tongue and breath and weight against her, nipping the bare skin around her navel. She drank up all of it, sighing and gripping his tunic, fingers catching in the lacing at the collar.

He sat up for a moment to tug off her fluffy boots, throwing them over his shoulder. She slid her legs around his waist, crossing her ankles behind his back. His hips ground into hers with need, making her pulse race and her head spin. Ruff's warning rattled around somewhere in the back of her mind but the insistent sharp ache between her legs made it easy to ignore.

He stripped other elements of her costume away, the skull belt tossed onto the floor and her shirt pushed up over her bra and his mouth was on her, all teeth and tongue. She gripped his hair in her fists, knees clenched at his waist. She arched into him, chasing every intoxicating sensation, every scrape of his teeth on her collarbone and wet heavy pass of his tongue on her neck.

He knelt up, eyes raking over her figure and hands dipping underneath her skirt to pull down her leggings and underwear in one swoop, tossed aside just as carelessly as the rest of her items. She rolled her head back as he wasted no time, fingers sinking in right where she ached the most. Her hips instinctively jerked toward him, inching into his lap. She reached one hand behind her head and gripped his pillow, the other clamped onto his arm, his bicep flexing underneath her palm due to his movement. Her spine naturally arched for him as his other hand slipped underneath her lower back, fumbling for the clasp of her skirt-

-when a light knock descended on his front door.

"Hiccup? Hiccup, dear..."

"Fuck," he swore fiercely, yanking his hand away and flipping off the bed faster than she'd ever seen him move. Her legs flopped to the bed and she felt a dull unfulfilled ache throb in her nether regions at the untimely interruption. He flung her leggings and underwear to her and attempted to hide the situation in his pants.

"Shit shit shit shit..."

Another knock. "Hiccup?"

"Just a second, Mom!"

She bolted upright. Mom? She scrambled for her underwear, yanking them up and grimacing at the lingering dampness. He was out the door and she tugged on the boots, hoping it would look convincing enough. Head throbbing, nothing sobered her more quickly than being busted by a parent.

She had just scooted out of his bedroom and closed the door to hide the evidence of what they had been up to when he let his mother into the apartment. She was a tall woman, he only cleared her height by a mere inch, and she held an overflowing laundry basket on her hip.

"Hey, Mom," he said, scratching his head nervously.

"Hello, my dear," she said, setting down the laundry basket. She smiled and placed her purse on the countertop. "I'm sorry to come so late; I would've been by sooner with your laundry but I had quite a night at the Reserve. A barn owl was brought in, poor thing caught in some barbed wire and it took most of the evening to patch him up. You're usually awake this late anyway and I thought I'd swing by so you'd have clean clothes for tomorrow."

"Yeah, ah great. It's, ah, it's fine, don't worry."

"So, who is this?" she asked, turning her gaze on Astrid. If she were at all shocked to see a girl in her son's apartment at this hour she did not show it.

"Ah, this is my- ...Astrid. Um, I mean, this is Astrid," he said, clearly flustered and doing a poor job of hiding it.

"Hello, Astrid," she said, holding out a hand. "I'm Valka, Hiccup's mother."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking Valka's hand, noting Hiccup must have inherited his beautiful green eyes from his mother. In fact, she could see much of the familial resemblance in his stature and movements. If he was mysterious, his mother was ten times more so. She had never seen the expression "still waters run deep" personified more accurately than in the woman who stood before them. Valka was genial when she spoke but distant in manner, and though it didn't make Astrid uncomfortable per se, it did give her great insight into explaining some of Hiccup's habits.

"So, why are you two all dressed up?"

"We were at a Halloween party," he explained. "We just got home. You ah, honestly almost missed us."

"Oh, what perfect timing then," she said.

Astrid gave him a look behind Valka, smile forced and eyes wide.

"Um yeah, perfect... timing."

"Well, I don't mean to interrupt, I'll head out then," she said, looking between the two quickly.

"No, it's um, it's no trouble, Mom. Don't worry. Thanks for bringing my laundry."

"Of course, dear," she said, cupping his cheek with a tender smile. She reached for her purse and turned to leave, then stopped and dug around in it. "Oh I almost forgot, your father wanted me to give this to you." She pulled out a check and handed it to him. "It's tuition for next semester."

He furrowed his brows, gazing at the amount on the check. "Mom-"

"I know it's early, don't worry about it. Just deposit it into your savings and use the money when it's due."

He looked up at her, troubled. "But Mom-"

"I'll see you later then," she said, hand reaching for the door.

"This isn't from Dad," he said.

Her hand curled and she turned back around to smile at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Well, it's from both of us, of course."

He shook his head. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but Mom..."

"Please, take the money, dear."

He sighed and placed the check on the counter.

"You are so talented. That piece of yours, the one hanging in the Reserve's lobby gets compliments all the time. He's coming around. He's seen your artwork, he knows it's very good-"

"But it won't ever be good enough to justify going against his opinion," he said. "Does he know you wrote that check?"

"Yes."

"Mom."

"Well, he knows I was going to give you some money, maybe just... not how much..."

"Mom," he said, exasperated. "I can't accept this. I don't want to cause more fighting."

"You won't dear, don't worry. It's my decision, he'll be fine."

He remained unconvinced. "Am I going to get an angry phone call in a few days?"

"Absolutely not. As I said, he's coming around and he's seen your work. Your father is proud of you, whether you want to believe it or not," she said firmly.

He rolled his eyes and set his jaw. "I'll take a page from his book and believe it when I actually see the evidence."

"He loves you," she said, pulling him into a hug. "And I love you too."

"Thanks, Mom," he said, lightly disengaging himself from the embrace. "And thanks for the check, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." She turned to Astrid. "I'm sorry my dear, I won't take up anymore of your night. It was lovely to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too," she said, inclining her head as Valka took her leave. She frowned at his back as he leaned against the counter, one hand gripping his hair as he stared down at the check.

He growled in frustration and sighed, setting both his hands down to rest flat on the counter top.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said glumly, turning around to face her. "Sorry, you um... had to witness that. Again. Why can't my family and friends just leave me alone, they're going to scare you off."

She smiled. "You're fine. Everyone always has their own brand of family drama."

"I guess."

"So I take it things aren't the greatest between you and your dad, huh?"

He frowned and picked at the corner of the check. "Ah, nope. No they are not."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. He wasn't thrilled when I decided to go for an art major. Thought I was wasting my money and time and I should've gone for something more prestigious. You know, like engineering or architecture, something suited to my skills. Or maybe law, to follow in his footsteps," he scoffed. "I'm really good at math and stuff, but it just wasn't what I wanted. I like art, I like seeing beauty in everyday objects and I like creating things. We just see the world in completely different ways and it's impossible to see eye to eye."

"That must be so difficult. I'm sure your mother is right though, a father would still love his son."

He gazed at the floor, frown marring his features and she wanted to hug him until he smiled again. "Yeah. But, he has to love me because I'm his kid. That doesn't mean he likes me."

"Hiccup," she said sympathetically, winding her arms around his waist. "Don't think like that. Sometimes parents place a lot of pressure on their kids, wanting what's best for them, but they forget how it's perceived."

He turned to face her, giving her a small smile. "Thanks. You truly are amazing, sticking with me after all this."

"You're entertaining, that's for sure. It's like my own mini soap opera."

"Gee, thanks."

"So, your mother calls you Hiccup too?"

"Ah-" he said, looking at her with wide eyes.

"I thought I'd have earned your real name by now," she teased.

He scratched his head and grimaced. "Um... well... it- it is my real name."

She raised her eyebrows. "...Seriously? I mean, I'm sorry, that sounded bad, I'm not trying to make that sound bad but just...how did your parents come up with that?"

"Yeah. That reaction right there is why I tell people it's a nickname."

"Why don't you just go by your middle name or something?"

"Because that's even worse."

"What-"

"Nope."

"Aw, come on!"

"How about we change the subject?"

"Nah, I like this one. How did you come about this very unique name? You can tell me, I promise I won't laugh."

"Yeah, right." He sighed deeply and paused for a reluctant moment. "Well, I wasn't fully lying about having them, it's just I wasn't so much a 'kid'... My mom's kinda eccentric and didn't really think about the repercussions of her decision. Supposedly the story goes I got the hiccups a lot while Mom was pregnant with me and she nicknamed me baby hiccup, intending to settle on a real name after I was born. Mom and Dad never decided on another name they liked better, and since I was born premature and really tiny, the nickname just stuck."

She giggled at the irritated look on his face and clapped her hands. "Okay but that's actually kind of adorable."

"Thanks for not laughing. And no, it's actually kind of dumb and I never tell anyone this so consider yourself lucky."

"Oh, I'm special, is that it?" she said, giving him a grin.

"You are very special."

"Aww, getting sappy on me, Haddock?" She lightly punched his shoulder.

"I don't do sappy, I do sarcasm and bitterness."

"Apparently you don't do your own laundry, either?" she gave him a teasing smirk. "Need your mommy to fold your underwear?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Okay, okay come on now. The laundry machines down the hall are always taken and they're coin op, so my mom does my laundry for me, for free. No need to make fun of me for my less than stellar domestic skills. And she doesn't fold my underwear."

"I see a neat little pair of tightie whities right on top there."

He whirled around and looked at the basket. "I don't wear tightie whities."

She laughed at his indignant expression.

"I might be kind of dorky but I'm not that dorky."

"Well then? Boxers or boxer briefs?" she said with a toying smile.

He leaned in and grinned against her lips. "I'd tell you, but I don't think you've earned it."

Yeah, um sorry for the cock block. But I had to get in some exposition somehow right? You understand ;)

So, it's ridiculously hard to describe dancing. After awhile it gets sort of redundant and there isn't much dialogue to break up the action descriptions. Hope it wasn't too bad to get through?

Also, a note about how much Astrid had to drink- I live in a state where drinking is basically a sport. Three beers and a shot is nothing to most people around here. I'm (an embarrassment to my family) a lightweight and three beers in one go and a shot would make me quite tipsy. So, I'm going off the fact that Astrid is female, smaller in stature, and doesn't party it up all the time like Ruff does. She's not supposed to read as wasted, just in that sweet spot of buzzed and giggly. Hope that makes sense.