You know how there one chapter you ALWAYS wanted to write when you planned a fanfic? This is the one. Along with another yet to come. I hope you all enjoy.
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"So, I'm up on the stage, and I've got this…really creepy clown mask on, and I'm jumping around and trying to be goofy." Hiccup relayed, leaning on the counter. "The kids are really liking it and seem to be having a good time. But then when I took the mask off, the demon possessed man in the back stood up and started screaming."
"Oh jeez," Gobber shivered.
The door rang and Astrid hurried in, with wet hair tied up in a bun. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Clinicals went long and an old man pooped on me."
"Oh it's alright," Hiccup turned and gave her a bright smile.
"Hey!" She smiled in return, "you got your braces off! Must feel good."
"It's amazing!" He beamed. "The first thing I had to eat was a caramel apple from Kilwin's, which was amazing."
"So you stated."
He just kept on smiling, and the sight made her heart race. Bad girl, she warned herself.
"Join us," Tuff urged. "Hiccup is telling us his weirdest memory of Africa."
Hiccup cleared his throat. "Okay, so for recap, I'm performing a skit with a mission team from our church, and we're at a church which is notorious for a demon possessed man hanging around."
"Sounds interesting so far," Astrid stated, taking a soda out from the cooler.
"So as soon as I get up for my part, I take off my clown mask I was wearing and the demon possessed man starts shrieking at me. He ran all the way up the aisle and threw a gallon bag of weed at me."
"That's a lot of freaking weed." Tuff stated, nonchalantly, having heard this story several times before. "Did you save any of it?"
"Of course not. I don't actually know what happened to it after that. I just know we sang about 20 verses of 'Blessed Assurance' while the man was just dragged out of the church."
"So that's your weirdest memory of Africa?" Gobber confirmed.
"Probably, at least, as I can recall." He shrugged.
"Must feel pretty weird to be going back soon," Tuff wondered. "You haven't been back since…what, middle school?"
"Yeah, when I lost my leg. But I've kept in contact with my friends there, so it won't be totally weird."
"Wait…when are you going back?" Astrid asked, dread creeping up in her mind.
"Well, I technically graduate in January. So I think we're looking at going back mid-April. So, I've still got nearly 6 months."
"And you are going to work your butt off in the meantime, you hear me?!" Gobber warned, shaking a hook in his face.
"Yeah, yeah."
Astrid hid her disappointment well and pretended to be happy for him. "Well, make sure you let me know when you're leaving so I can take your job."
His fingers splayed across his chest in mock offense. "You wound me, M'lady."
She crinkled her nose. "Hey, I'll give you a pass, but never say that again."
He chuckled.
The doorbell rang and in came a customer. Tuff wandered off to do fake work and Gobber retreated to the back room.
"Hello, how can I help?" Hiccup asked.
"I'm just thirsty." He stated, plainly.
"Oh, well, we have some sodas for a dollar."
"Great!" Said the man with a smile. He studied the cooler, and took out a cream soda. He examined the bottle, and then looked back into the cooler. "Wow! People must really like the cream soda! It's almost empty."
Hiccup was suspicious. He thought he had just stocked that fridge, it shouldn't be anywhere near empty.
"See! Look!" Urged the customer.
Hiccup peaked inside and saw that, indeed, there was one spot missing from the cream soda, belonging to the bottle in his hand. Hiccup just went along with it. "Oh yep, look at that. I guess we'll have to fill it up."
The man smiled, paid for his soda, and left.
"That was…interesting." Astrid supplied.
"You see all types here."
Astrid took a sip of her Rat Bastard Root Beer and sighed. "Thus the curse of retail."
Hiccup snapped his fingers, "that's right Astrid! I was going to show you this thing I discovered earlier this week."
He headed into the back of the store while Tuff grabbed two paint sticks.
Hiccup emerged again with an armful of PVC pipes of all different sizes.
"What's this?"
"A stroke of genius." Hiccup provided, leaning the pipes up against the counter. "Now, each pipe makes a different, distinct sound when I whack them against the counter."
"Like Boomwhackers."
"Yeah! Just like Boomwhackers. Observe."
Bum, bum, bum-bum, bum. Bum Bum.
"Hmm…" Astrid pondered.
"I'll play it again."
Bum, bum, bum-bum, bum. Bum Bum.
Then Tuff took over, "Ladies and gentlemen. It's my pleasure to introduce to you…" He sang a little as he clicked his paint sticks on the counter. "He's a friend of mine…"
"Yes, yes I am!" Hiccup sang back.
"And he goes by the name...Hiccup! Wowoowoooo." He howled. "All the way,
from 20 blocks South.
And he's got somethin' special for y'all tonight
He's gonna sing a song for y'all
About this girl."
As Tuff travelled to the shelves to drum on them, Hiccup started to bob his head in time.
"On that sunny day,
Didn't know I'd meet,
Such a beautiful girl,
Walking down the street."
His voice wasn't perfect or angelic, but it was pleasant to the ear.
"Seen those bright blue eyes,
With tears coming down,
She deserves a crown,
But where is it now…" He sang as he played the pipes. "Mamma listen…"
It was then that Astrid realized what song he was singing and started laughing.
"Señorita, I feel for you…
You deal with things, that you don't have to
He doesn't love ya, I can tell by his charm
But you could feel this real love
If you just lay in my…"
Hiccup let loose, singing loudly and obnoxiously. Knowing the chorus, Astrid joined in as well.
"A~h, a~h, a~arms...
A~h, a~h, a~arms...
A~h, a~h, a~arms…"
Hiccup made eye contact with her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"When I look into your eyes
I see something that money can't buy
And I know if you give us a try
I'll work hard for you girl
And no longer will you ever have to…cr~yyyyy!"
Suddenly, Gobber burst into the room, tambourine in hand.
"Senorita, I feel for you,
You deal with things, that you don't have to," Sang Tuff and Gobber.
"Deal with things you don't have to," Parroted Hiccup, soulfully.
"He doesn't love ya, I can tell by his charm,
But you could feel this real love
If you just lay in my…"
The door rang and the pipes fell with a clatter as Hiccup was startled. Gobber and Tuff stopped playing awkwardly as Astrid burst into laughter. Hiccup looked quickly to the door to greet the customer, but froze at the sight.
One Scott Lout stood in the door, looking just as startled and confused. "You?" He asked with question.
It only took a half a second for Hiccup to recover. His nostrils flared. "You!" Hiccup responded in anger.
"Wait," Astrid looked between the two of them. "You know each other?"
"Wait, you know him?" Hiccup responded in kind.
"Sure, he's my boyfriend."
Hiccup's eyebrows rose in surprise, before narrowing in anger. "You've got to be shitting me!"
"Now Henry," Scott came fully into the store, with his hands held out in peace. "Let's not get carried away. Can I talk to you in private?"
Hiccup took a massive sigh and nodded wordlessly. He beckoned him into the back room.
Tuff started picking up the abandoned PVC pipes. "That was weird."
"Tell me about it. Whatever Scott had to say must have been really important, since he didn't even say hi to me."
"Plus," added Gobber, "I've never seen Hiccup that angry."
They spoke too soon. The wall to the office was just as thin as it had ever been, and they heard Hiccup loud and clear, screaming so much that his voice cracked.
"How dare you! How dare you!? You slimy, disgusting piece of garbage! I could kill you! You go out there and tell her the truth right now!"
The wall was quiet for a moment as Scott replied.
"There's no excuse, Scott! You don't apologize to me, you apologize to her!"
There was another long break, both voices muffled, Hiccup seemingly calmed down for the moment. But only for the moment.
"Alright fine! But if you don't tell her, I will. And I shit you not, she will kick your ass harder than I ever could!"
A moment passed before Scott came back, looking perfectly calm.
"Everything alright?" Gobber asked.
Hiccup stood in the doorway, his face red and still boiling with rage. "Peachy."
"Hey so…" Scott began. "I wanted to just pop in and see you at work. I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'll see you later tonight, okay? I have…something I should tell you."
"Oh, okay…yeah. Tonight." Astrid confirmed.
He leaned in a placed a kiss on her cheek, making sure Hiccup saw the action.
He did, and looked ready to explode.
"Later!" Scott waved.
The room was tense as Hiccup picked up the rest of the pipes and hauled them away.
Astrid called back, trying to ease him. "You know, you have some real musical talent. I think it's cool that you found the right pipes to play Señorita." Her compliment sounded forced and awkward. To everyone around.
"I'm…going to see if I can fix the handle to the freezer," declared Gobber, sneaking away.
"Yeah, and I'm going to do something that isn't here." Tuff stated, taking a can of spray paint and a funnel and heading to the door.
The room was quiet for too long, only an occasional clatter of metal and then a swear. Hiccup never ever swore. And it frightened her.
"Hiccup?"
"What?" He called back.
"Can you please talk to me for a second?"
The young man stormed back to the front, huffing the whole way. He went to the cooler and took a soda out. Then he dropped into one of the high chairs and took a swig. It would have been concerning if it wasn't Root Beer.
"Better?"
"No." He stated, his nose crinkled in disgust.
"How do you know Scott?"
He sighed, and took another drink. "I'm so sorry Astrid, but I promised not to tell. You'll find out tonight."
"Oh." It wasn't like him to keep secrets from her. She was the secretive one.
Maybe a topic change would get him out of his funk. "My dad had a really good day when I saw him yesterday morning."
It worked. Hiccup brightened considerably. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, when I took Stormfly over to see him, he was able to pet her." She chuckled. "And then Stormfly said, 'Hiccup good. Good head,' and my dad actually responded. He said, 'Hiccup good. Good head on shoulders.' It was really quiet, but it was like…he was approving of my decision to let her stay with you."
Hiccup smiled. "I'm flattered. Toothless and I love having Stormfly over. She adds just enough noise to the house make it lively when only one of us is home."
She smiled wistfully, "One day I'll be coming back for her."
His eyes narrowed. "But…what if I don't want to give her back?"
Astrid looked insulted. "You told me where your spare key was, I can get in at anytime to take her back."
He sighed, "well then, I guess it was too good to be true."
"I'll let you visit ummmm….once a month."
"Excuse you!"
They both dissolved into laughter, as the earlier atmosphere disappeared. Or so Astrid thought. Seeing Scott had brought back a lot of ugly emotions in Hiccup, and they were not so easily pushed away. But for her sake, he would pretend that everything was fine. Especially since he loved to see her laugh.
The rest of the day went smoothly. At 5, Astrid helped close the store and then waved goodbye to Gobber and Hiccup and left to prepare for her Saturday night date night.
Before she got very far, however, Hiccup was running after her.
"Astrid!" He called.
She stopped, giving him a weird look. "Did I forget something?"
He approached her, standing toe to toe with her.
"Hiccup?"
He took her hands, and held them gently within his own. Just the simple action was warm and safe. Then he spoke, in a voice so raw she felt the sincerity in her soul.
"I have something I need to tell you. It's so important I just..."
He looked deep into her eyes, and she only saw love and respect. "I…I think I'm in love with you…I know I'm being unfair since you and Scott are together…but I respect myself too much to just pretend that these feelings don't exist. I don't know…I guess I just wanted to take a chance."
She knew he had feelings. That much was obvious, but love? Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him. He gave a soft smile, his gentleness actually hurting her. She knew she couldn't reciprocate. He should have known too.
"Hiccup…I'm very flattered…and thank you for telling me. But…I think it's best if…we don't see each other outside of work anymore. I'm sorry." She slowly pulled her hands out of his grip.
He kept his smile, though it turned sour. "Okay," he whispered. "I figured you'd say that. I just…wanted to be honest with you. At least with this."
"Thank you."
"And…if you ever need a safe place, I won't move the key."
"Hiccup…"
"Please, just let me have this piece of mind."
She nodded, tears starting to prick up in her eyes. "Okay, if I ever need help, I'll go to you."
He sighed, finally taking a step away from her. "Good. Good…I'll see you Monday then. Have…a nice weekend."
"You too…" And they parted ways, with the worst pain in their chests.
Hiccup returned to the store, wordlessly. He finished his duties and then went to his car and cried.
Getting in her car, Astrid sat for a moment, unwilling to move. She felt like garbage.
"It's for the best." She told herself, "I did the right thing." With a heavy heart, she turned on the ignition. Her car stalled for a moment and then whined to life. "Me too girl."
Justin Timberlake blared in the stereo. Guitars starting the intro before the heavy bass kicked in.
Aren't you something to admire, 'cause your shine is something like a mirror
And I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine
If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find
Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side
The drive was monotonous. She sniffed a few times, trying to hold everything back.
'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go
Just put your hand on the glass, I'm here trying to pull you through
You just gotta be strong
'Cause I don't wanna lose you now
I'm looking right at the other half of me
The vacancy that sat in my heart
Is a space that now you hold
Show me how to fight for now
And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy
Coming back into you once I figured it out
You were right here all along
It's like you're my mirror
My mirror staring back at me
I couldn't get any bigger
With anyone else beside of me
And now it's clear as this promise
That we're making two reflections into one
'Cause it's like you're my mirror
My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me
She nearly slammed on the brakes as a sudden realization hit her. How could she be so stupid?
You are you are the love of my life
You are you are the love of my life
Hiccup had always been good to her. He'd always been there when she needed someone to lean on. He offered a place to stay with no requirements. Even when they just met. His company instantly made her feel better. He didn't hide stuff from her. He listened to her. He held conversation. She never even saw him on his phone when they together. He invited her to hang out with his friends. He never blew her off.
Now you're the inspiration for this precious song
And I just wanna see your face light up since you put me on
So now I say goodbye to the old me, it's already gone
And I can't wait wait wait wait wait to get you home
She was in love with him too. He made her laugh harder than Scott ever did. His smile warmed her heart. When he was angry, which was rare, she never feared him. The thought of him kissing her, hadn't repulsed her. It thrilled her actually. She was interested in his life, as he was in hers. He stirred feelings within her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Not since she had to grow up.
Just to let you know, you are
You are you are the love of my life
Girl you're my reflection, all I see is you
My reflection, in everything I do
You're my reflection and all I see is you
My reflection, in everything I do
You are you are the love of my life
It didn't matter what big secret Scott had to tell her. Tonight, she was calling it quits. It was about time. He had been there when she needed him, but she wasn't quite sure if that warranted a life of being stood up and potential fist fights. They weren't compatible anymore. And she wondered if they ever were.
She pulled into her driveway with another sigh. Now came the hard part, letting Scott down gently, and making up with Hiccup. She supposed she could just text him, but where was the emotion in a blue screen? No, she'd tell off Scott and then run to Hiccup. This time, she'd kiss him for real.
Astrid walked in the silent apartment. It appeared her crazy roommate wasn't home. It was for the best, she'd rather not have her there if the break up turned into a shouting match.
A break up. How bizarre. She'd never been through one before, much less instigated it. But she'd seen enough movies and TV shows and knew it would probably hurt.
Even if she didn't hold feelings for him anymore.
In her room, she put on pajama shorts and a comfy shirt. Then she slipped into her house slippers and took down her braid. If she was going to do this, she was going to be comfortable. She made some tea and sat on the couch, waiting for him.
The TV was just white noise as she sat there, thinking. She needed to rehearse. He needed to think this break up was totally about him, and not have anything to do with Hiccup. Lord knows what he would do if he figured out Hiccup's feelings. He'd probably break his other leg.
Time marched slowly. It was a long time until 9 o'clock. And it felt even longer that she kept glancing at her phone debating on texting Hiccup. She never did, but the urge was great.
Finally, her phone buzzed with a one word text from Scott.
Here.
She stood, taking a deep breath, and went to the door.
Scott waited for her, a pleasant smile on his face. "Hey."
"Hey," she replied, just as pleasant, but not quite so earnest.
His eyes shifted over the apartment. "Roommate here?"
"No, I'm all alone."
"Cool cool…" He seemed to be searching for something, but for what, she had no idea. "Good day at work?"
"Yeah," she nodded, idly. "How do you know Hiccup?"
"Who?"
"Henry?"
"Oh oh…uh he's…" he glanced away from her. "His dad and my dad worked together. We grew up together."
"Oh, in Zambia?"
"No, when he came home from Zambia."
Astrid narrowed her eyes. Hiccup was from Tanzania, and spent his childhood there. Scott was lying.
"Well, you don't really get along with your father, so it makes sense that you haven't seen him in a while," She shrugged.
"Right, Right…" He muttered. He scratched his head.
Both were just vying time to confess.
"Look," Scott started. "There's something I should have told you a while ago."
"Save it." She snapped, scaring even herself. "Look, I've been doing a lot of thinking…I don't think…" She sighed. This was hard. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."
"What?"
"I don't really have feelings for you anymore. And I feel like you don't have any for me either."
He stood blank-faced.
"You don't respect me, you don't pay attention to me, and…you don't put anything into our relationship. When was even the last time we had sex?"
"Do you want to right now?" He asked, half-heartedly.
"That's not the point." She huffed. "I don't want to do this anymore. It's not worth it. Sorry for wasting your time, but I wanted to tell you this in person. I owe you that much."
Scott frowned, an ugly look. Her heart pounded in her chest, waiting to see his reaction.
"And…so I'm just supposed to be okay with you borrowing 3,000 dollars? And just let it go?"
"No Scott, I will pay you back the money. I promise. I promised you before, and I'm not going back on you. I just…don't want to date you anymore."
This did not make his mood any better.
"I knew it. This whole time, you've been cheating on me…with Henry none the less!"
This exasperated Astrid, and her anger flared. "Scott! If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times! I'm not cheating on you! I was loyal to you to a fault! And you never trusted me, no matter how hard I tried!" Emotion poured out of her at her confession as she begged him to understand.
"Don't yell at me!" He shouted back.
"I'm going to yell at you because you deserve to be yelled at! You—you—!" There were so many things she wanted to call him, but she didn't even know if it was worth it. "I'm done discussing this, Scott. It's over!"
He grabbed her arm and shook her. "You don't get to tell me when we're done! I have invested too much in this relationship for you to call it quits!"
She tried to yank her arm back, but he held firm. "I have just as much say in this as you! It's my life!"
"You don't have a life!" He screamed, shaking her. "You have no family, no friends, you work a dead end job and live in a shitty apartment. You are dependent on me to go to school!"
"I don't need you!" She screamed back, helpless against his strength.
"Yes you do! You have no where else to go! Don't be stupid!"
With a great shove, she pushed him away from her. "I don't need you! I don't need you!"
The punch was stronger than the last time. It knocked her off her feet and sent her to the floor. Blood would be coming from her nose soon.
"I told you, don't be stupid. My life is very stressful and I can't always control things…If I lose you, where will I be?"
Astrid got up on her knees, holding her nose. "You think I'm going to apologize after you punched me?" she bit.
Scott replied with a kick to the rib cage, knocking the wind from her. "You're doing this to yourself!"
She fought to stand, though it hurt, and she continued to breathe deep. It was like something snapped. This concern she had for him, this thing that kept holding her back, it was gone.
"My nose is bleeding, and I didn't punch myself," She stated, coldly.
Then he made the face that sent shivers down her spine. He bit his tongue with his lips closed, and jutted out his lower jaw. His eyebrows furrowed and met his pupils. Nostrils flaring, and cheeks puffed. The look of a man with no emotion but rage.
Astrid punched him first.
As he staggered backwards, she darted around him and ran out the door, taking nothing with her. All the while, Scott howled for her, "you broke my nose!"
She sprinted around the house and into the neighbors yard, hearing the door slam. No doubt, he was running after her. "You can run all you want! But I'll always be waiting! This isn't over until I say so!"
She paid him no heed as she jumped the neighbor's fence and dashed into the woods.
His cry came from the distance, raw and visceral. "You hear me!? This isn't over!"
His voice echoed behind her as she raced on. The dark of the woods filled with the unknown should have scared her, but she was more terrified of what could have followed her.
The woods were her sanctuary. The intersecting branches were stained glass windows. The assorted stumps were the pews, and the cacophony of crickets and sounds of wild animals were the holy choir.
Eventually, she came to a clearing with railroad tracks. Both directions were lined with trees until they faded in the darkness. It was a cloudy night, and there was no light to guide her.
Just her endless beating heart.
She stood still for a moment, listening for foreign noises. Nothing but crickets. No cracking of sticks, no voices, nothing to suggest human life. She was finally safe. For now at least. She held her side, her ribs tender. Everything hurt. She took the hem of her shirt and ripped it in a thin strip, wadding it up and shoving it in her bloody nose. It would work for now.
But now what was she going to do? She had no phone, no keys, no wallet…not even proper clothes. She should have thought through this better. Where would she even go? Scott knew about Hiccup. That would probably be the first place he'd look for her. But then again, maybe he didn't know where he lived. Then there was always the fact that Hiccup had a panther and, well, Stoick, to be sure. The more she thought about it, the safer the Haddock Home looked.
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the area around his house. Where were the railroad tracks? She imagined the tunnel, and then the main road. Across the street there was a cemetery, and bordering that, she could have sworn there were tracks. If not, then she'd come up with a better plan.
So she picked the direction she assumed was South, and started off.
It was a cool night, at least. Not too cold and not too hot. And rain didn't seem likely, for this, she was thankful.
On and on she traveled. Her feet hurt already from standing all day, and this was not helping. Her house slippers at least kept her from stepping on something sharp…for now at least.
Eventually, the woods ended and the city came into view. Gobber's Goods was not too far, though at this hour, no one would be there, and Gobber had updated the security system anyway, there was no way to get in. It didn't matter, so she pressed on.
As she crossed the bridge over the river, the water calmly lapped against the metal wave breakers. It was almost peaceful, and she took a seat, just for a moment to catch her breath. From here, she could see a break in the clouds in the distance over the lake, where the stars could be seen ever so slightly. Like a light at the end of a tunnel.
She didn't spend much time on her break as she clambered to her feet.
After another hour, her trek led her to border a busy road. It was unlikely that Scott would be looking for her here. If anything, he would be waiting at her house for her to return. But before her brain could process this logic, her eyes saw headlights coming around the corner and she dropped to the ground to hide in the grass. Her lungs filled with rapid breath as she covered her head with her hands and didn't dare to open her eyes, lest it would give her away. The car was long gone, but the anxiety remained. With shaky legs and careful eyes, she stood and continued down the tracks.
It felt like years. Her feet began to drag the longer she walked. Tears bit at her eyes from the pain. Surely, her slippers weren't doing her any good, but she wore them to keep from getting splinters.
Then she saw it. The cemetery. A cool fog fell upon it, and gave it a haunted look. She waded in, and let the cool dew seep through her slippers and cool her raw toes. The graves looked inviting, surely the residents would allow her to rest for a moment. But, she'd be home soon. And then rest.
In the tunnel, every step echoed and she tripped several times. She was just so tired.
Then finally, she saw the wonderful view of Hiccup's house. She made her way up the driveway, tossed her slippers into the garbage and threw herself into the service door, as she had seen him do a hundred times before.
"Please tell me he really didn't move the key," She wondered aloud. Both cars were inside, and she was thankful. On the side of the garage sat Hiccup's bike, still unfinished. She went to the cabinet behind it and found the hidden key behind the roll of duct tape. She kissed it. "Thank you, Hiccup."
Inside the house, she tiptoed quietly down the hall, no signs of stirring occurred. At the foot of the bed in the guest room, a spare pair of pajamas sat waiting for her. They looked amazingly soft. She took them and went to the bathroom. The light went on and she winced at the brightness, and then the train wreck that was her face. The punch that had landed had left a ugly bruise that spread over her nose and a bit around each eye. She turned on the faucet and rinsed her face, watching as the water beneath turned yellow. The skin was tender, as the skin on the bridge of her nose had split open. She was just lucky it wasn't broken. Cupping the water in her hands, she gulped it down. The coolness soothed her dry lips and swollen tongue.
She stripped off her dirty shorts and ripped shirt and turned the faucet on the bathtub. In the closet, she found a wash cloth and some bandaids. What she really wanted was to take a full shower, but she didn't know if she had the energy. As she eased her feet into the warm water, they stung as they were rubbed raw. She used the wash cloth to wash the mud from her arms and legs.
Finally, she dressed her nose with the bandaids. "Alright, good enough. I'll find that bag of peas Hiccup keeps around and ice this." She threw on the pajamas and turned off the light. "Then bed." She smiled at the idea. Bed sounded so good.
She climbed the stairs to go the kitchen, only to see a light on. She prayed that it was Stoick, or someone had just left it on, but it seemed that luck was not on her side.
Hiccup leaned against the counter, a bowl of cereal sitting in front of him. He looked up when she walked in.
For a moment, they just stared at each other. He obviously hadn't expected her, especially since she had said she didn't want to see him anymore. But the bruise on her face spoke volumes.
She hadn't prepared what she was going to say, how she was going to rectify this situation.
"Why…don't you have a seat on the couch? I'll get you some peas." He finally said.
She smiled slightly, and followed his instructions. As she sank into the cushion, she felt her legs starting to throb.
"Are you hungry?" He called.
"Yeah…"
"I'll make you a sandwich."
"Thanks."
She peered over to Stormfly's cage, to see her sleeping peacefully. Toothless leapt down from his beam and trotted over to lay at her feet. Astrid just sat idly and waited.
Soon enough, Hiccup came back and handed her a bag of frozen peas and the sandwich, and then took a seat next to her. He sat crosslegged, facing her.
Both ate their food quietly, still not sure how to start a conversation.
Hiccup finished his Captain Crunch and set the bowl to the side. "So?"
"So…what?" She asked.
He didn't really have to guess, but assumed Scott was responsible for her nose. "Why did he do that?"
She glanced away. "I broke up with him."
"Oh, so he told you about…you know…"
"He didn't say anything. I just…do you remember when you asked me if I wanted to marry Scott?"
"Uh, I think so. Wasn't that like, months ago?"
"Yeah, but…I kept thinking about it. And after…what you said yesterday, I was driving home and I realized that you treated me better then Scott ever had, and we're not even dating."
"But Astrid…"
"Even before you liked me."
He swallowed, a little pink on his cheeks. "I've kind of always…liked you."
She grinned.
"So…he just punched you?"
"Something you might not know about me Hiccup, is that I'm a fighter. When I get angry, I get angry. But Scott's the same way, so I had to learn to control my anger. Tonight he was saying all sorts of crap and accusing me of stuff, so when he hit me, I just…snapped. I broke his nose and ran out of the house without my phone or keys and ran here."
"Wait wait wait wait…you walked here?"
"Yeah…I didn't know what else to do. I don't have your number or address memorized…"
"How long did it take you?" He asked, resting a warm hand on her knee.
She glanced to the clock on the wall. "Well, it's 2 o'clock now…so four hours?"
He shook his head.
"Why are you up?" She questioned.
"Oh, I just couldn't sleep. I was…really worried about you. You never texted me, so I assumed that Scott chickened out of our promise…"
Astrid furrowed her eyebrows, "Are you saying whatever Scott had to tell me would ruin our relationship?"
"I hoped it would."
Astrid looked at him skeptically.
"Not for my sake, but for yours." He clarified.
"Alright, well, I think you better tell me what this mysterious secret is, since I refuse to talk to Scott ever again." She considered a moment. "Do I have to get tested?"
He blanched. "Um…maybe?"
Her eyes widened.
"You see…Scott's my cousin."
"Wait…your cousin?" Hiccup could see the wheels turning in her head. "Like…as in your cousin Scott that's married to Heather?" Her voice broke.
"Yeah…" Hiccup nodded, softly.
"How long have they been married?"
"Three years."
"Jesus Christ…" Astrid pulled her feet up and leaned her forehead against her knees. "This whole time…he was scared of me cheating on him. But he was cheating on his wife! On Heather!" She shuttered. "I feel sick! How could I do that to her?"
"Astrid, you couldn't have helped it. You had no idea. The best thing we can do is call her in the morning and tell her what happened. I think it's best if we tell her as soon as we can."
Astrid nodded, the sickness in her stomach not quite disappearing.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm so mad. And disgusted…Hiccup, I slept with him. I helped him cheat on Heather!"
"Again, you aren't to blame, because you didn't know. Heather is really kind, she'll understand. Why she even married Scott in the first place, I'll never know." He shook his head. "Are you going to throw up?"
"No, probably not," She assured. "It's over now. Just a terrible nightmare that I don't have to worry about anymore. So let's change the topic, or I'm going to feel guilty for the next month."
Hiccup wasn't looking at her. "Why did you come here, after what happened earlier? I thought that you have…" He trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.
"You said you wouldn't move the key." She said simply. "This is the only home I have." She smirked slightly, "Having Toothless and the Chief of Police around were a plus."
He smiled back, finally looking her in the eye. "You feel like this is home?"
She nodded. "It's the first place that felt like home after my dad went into hospice. I feel safe and I can relax. It's warm and inviting, and I don't feel uncomfortable at all…your dad treats me like his kid."
"He has a tendency to do that." He laughed.
"And Hiccup?"
"Hmm?"
"Back when I said that I broke up with Scott because of his treatment of me…that was only partly the reason."
"Oh?"
She sighed, "when…you said you loved me…it made me really happy. Happier then I had been in a long time, and I realized that saying no was the biggest mistake I could ever make…because maybe we could have been together a few hours sooner."
Hiccup's eyebrows raised clear into his hairline. "You mean…?"
Astrid reached out and touched his face, gently. She gazed at him, a pained look on her face. "Did you cry? When I said I didn't want to see you anymore?"
"A little," he admitted, sheepishly.
"I'm sorry for the heartbreak."
"It's alright. I expected it, honestly. You are fiercely loyal, and I appreciate that about you."
Astrid was leaning in. "I wish I had met you sooner in my life. I have a feeling things would have been better."
"Maybe you should have applied at Gobber's instead of Bath and Body."
She giggled, a pleasant sound. Like she was finally at peace. She gazed down, in thought, and then took a risk.
Carefully and slowly, so he could move away, she moved one leg over him, and then straddled his legs. She rested her hands on his shoulders, seeking approval. He didn't seem to protest, as he rested his arms on her waist in return. He swallowed hard.
Then she leaned in, closing her eyes.
"Wait," he begged softly.
She did, seeing his conflicted face.
"Should we be doing this?"
"What do you mean?"
Hiccup tried to take his hands away from her, but ended up clasping her arms instead. "You just broke up with Scott. I don't want to be a rebound. I don't want you to only be doing this to feel better…I want you to do this because you actually care about me."
"Oh Hiccup…" she gasped. "Thank you." She leaned in and pressed her forehead to his. "It means a lot to me that you would think about that, but I promise, I want this."
"You do?"
She bored her eyes into his, daring him to compromise. "Hiccup, I love you. I really really love you."
His lips twitched into a smile. "Kiss me then."
It started out slight. Just a touch of lips. Both hesitant, but eager. Soon she turned her head slightly and dove her fingers into his hair. He reciprocated by pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her.
Then, her heart cried out for his, and he answered it. Several heated kisses later, he opened his mouth slightly, as did she and a little dance of tongues began. It didn't last long, as Hiccup pulled away with a loud smack.
"Wow," he breathed.
"Wow…" she repeated.
"It's a lot better now that you're sober," He teased.
She could have berated him, but she chose not to, and kissed him soundly again. She was tired, and ached. She knew she looked like a mess, but the way Hiccup looked at her made her heart beat with joy and excitement.
A throat cleared behind them.
The couple pulled apart in haste, hair ruffled, and out of breath.
Stoick stood behind them, not impressed. "Why is it that I keep finding you two playing tonsil hockey at wee hours of the morning?"