"Astrid? Hey, Astrid. Astrid. Astrid."
"I'm listening," Astrid said tiredly, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "what?"
Now that Hiccup actually had her attention and they were alone, he didn't know what to say exactly. Heather said they should hang out. But how to ask her without it being awkward?
"Um...hey?"
She glared at him, leaving the orphanage. Hiccup ran after her, feeling the pleasant cool air across his face. He started walking next to her.
"You sure you don't need me tonight?"
Astrid snorted. "It was one night you walked me home and it was because Dagur considers you his brother. If he didn't like you, I don't think you could take him."
Ouch. Her words were biting and true. But there was no need to say it like that.
"Rude," he commented, throwing her a grin. He was used to it, after all. Responding to mean words with jokes and/or sarcasm. It usually worked, and this was another example. "So, hey, listen, I - Heather, actually, was wondering if you wanted to hang out somewhere."
Finally, she stopped, turning to him with a quizzical expression. "Heather Oswald wants to hang out with me?"
"More like she wants everyone to hang out with everyone." Hiccup shrugged. "You, me, your friends, my friends."
"I'll bring it up with the twins and Fishlegs. You're still walking me home," she said idly, looking a little irritated, "stop it."
"I knew the damsel needed her - ow!" He rubbed his arm, and glared at her. "You really need to learn to take a joke."
Her punch had hurt. It was a wonder how a basketball had knocked her out, it felt as though Astrid was made of steel. Then he remembered that he had thrown it pretty hardly, and at her head at that.
"I don't need to learn anything, you dweeb." That insult actually made him smile, although it was probably because she was smiling as well when she said it. They arrived at her house, and before she left Hiccup grabbed her hand.
"Hey."
"What?"
"Um…" His cheeks turned slightly red and she looked genuinely curious. "Are we going somewhere tomorrow?"
"To the park." She tugged on his hand, but he held onto her hand firmly, though not unkindly.
Hiccup looked into her eyes. They were gazing, very intrigued, and he marvelled at the fact that even in the dark, her eyes shone bright. They were one of a kind.
"Thanks."
Astrid looked like she was about to ask what for, so he left her hand and started walking the other direction without looking back. His face suddenly felt very hot, was that just the warmth from her hand seeping through him? Probably.
He wasn't across the block when he heard a small bang.
Hiccup turned around again, furrowing his brows. That had been from Astrid's house. When he walked closer again, he saw through the window what was going on.
A woman - Astrid's mother, he assumed, from her similar hair and shoulder structure - was standing next to the wall, and Astrid was in front of her, and they were both screaming. Every time her mother said anything, she banged the wall. If Astrid started banging too, the wall would probably come down.
That was strange. Wasn't she her parents' little pride and joy? Hotshot Hofferson was probably anyone's dream daughter, she was smart, studious, serious, and rather stunning too. Not a troublemaker.
Unlike him. His dad hated him. With a passion, probably. But Hiccup drank, he played pranks, he got detention. Astrid was a...well, she was everything his dad would ever want.
He sincerely hoped she wasn't being abused. That wasn't fun, that was horrifying. But from what it looked like, only the wall was getting hurt.
At any rate, unless there was a basketball involved, Astrid Hofferson could take care of herself.
"Son," Stoick greeted, sitting by the kitchen table, "you're late, no?"
"I was walking someone home," he mumbled, not really feeling the need to talk to his dad right now. Then again, when did he ever feel a need to talk to his dad? Which teenager did? He would have guessed Astrid, but after seeing what he saw, he was no longer sure. The whole thing had left him rather dejected. It was easier to dislike her when she was perfect.
His dad looked up, a small scowl on his face. "Do tell me it wasn't the Burglar girl."
"No, it wasn't Cami." He glared lightly - Camicazi was always referred to as the Burglar girl. "It was Astrid. You know, Astrid Hofferson.".
"The girl you knocked out? The one you're working with?" Now Stoick looked interested. And it isn't even about me, Hiccup thought bitterly, it's because his screwup of a son might become friends with a goody goody.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Good." His dad nodded approvingly. "Very good, I did my research on her after what you did. She seems like a splendid person."
Hiccup feigned a yawn, and then went off to bed without really responding. Of course his father would love Astrid. His father would love all kids except for his son and his friends. What if Astrid became his friend?
Hiccup tossed in his bed, thinking about the question in earnest. What would it be like to be Hotshot's friend? What was she like with her friends? She had smiled and laughed a lot more when she was with the kids. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs all seemed pretty happy to be her friend.
His stomach clenched. Why, all of a sudden, did he want to be Astrid's friend? Was it because he saw just a second long glimpse into her home life? Because he liked the kids? Because that was what Heather wanted?
It wasn't as though he was starting to like Astrid.
But then, Hiccup thought as he finally dozed off, if liking her meant he got to stare at her pretty blue irises more, then maybe he would be up for it.
Review, pretty please! :)
