Chapter 38 – Expectations

It rang and everyone could hear footsteps approaching the door right in front of them. It did not take long until Ruffnut ripped the door open, intending to greet the Crew with a loud shout about a perverted scene she had just imagined. The anticipation was great. Well, what else could result from a shout of several dirty sentences that were stored far, far, far away in her brain? Ah, yes, disgusted faces as well as stunned expressions. She was about to shout out her most intimate and private secrets when suddenly the group beat her to it.

"Happy Birthday!" the crew shouted in a choir, totally shutting her off unintentionally. Ruffnut, standing in front of them with an open mouth just managed to ask, "Penis?"

Everyone laughed all the while the star of the day invited them into her house. Tuffnut was already enjoying his time with his friends from the technology club, Fishlegs included. When he heard several voices overlapping each other, he turned his head to the source and grinned widely at the sight of the crew. However, before Tuffnut could even get close to them, Snotlout decided to greet them first.

"Babe! I haven't seen you since… let me think… ever! I missed you!" he called out cheerfully, already trying to embrace her in a tight hug. Astrid grimaces and was stepped to the side. The same moment she lifted her foot, she felt a familiar and warm arm wrapping around her waist, dragging her away. Snotlout ended up hugging himself, which disappointed him. Turning his head to the reason of it, he stood with his back straight again, trying to look as intimidating as he could manage. "Well, who do we have here? Who invited you to this party?" Snotlout asked with a smug grin.

"The girl who's supposed to be the main actress today, Scott," Hiccup spat at him, although a bit too politely in Toothless' opinion.

"Too bad that there's no need for you here, Useless. She already has me on this party so you're not needed," Scott replied, already annoying everybody around him.

While Snotlout continued to seek a fight with Hiccup, he in return just ignored him, looking around the house and examining it. Astrid closed in on Ruffnut and whispered curiously, "Why did you invite him again?"

"I fucking didn't! Fishlegs slipped up and told him about this party, and as you can imagine, Mr. brawn-but-no-brain invited himself to this party. He's been nagging me about you the whole time. For fuck's sake, if you weren't my best friend, I would have told you to stay home in order to avoid him ruining my party, which - mind you - he already did by breaking the favorite cup of my mother," Ruffnut answered just as silently, explaining her best friend in a rather annoyed undertone the consequence it will have. Heck, nobody messed with Ruffnut's mother, or rather, nobody dared. Every single one, who thought of himself or herself brave enough to take on Ruffnut's mother was met with a horrible painful right hook, which sent them straight to the hospital.

"So? How's it going with your lovely, scrawny Romeo?" Ruffnut asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at her, giving her that familiar uncomfortable stare that she always gave, whenever she was too interested in a topic. It would take months for her to stop, which Astrid definitely had not the nerves for right now, with all her problems still hanging over her head.

"Better than I can even imagine," she simply answered. That was a good answer. Not too short but also not too detailed. It was vague. And she hoped dearly that her beloved blonde friend would take it and let her be. However, she knew deep within her heart that it was not even slightly enough for Ruffnut. So, with a quick idea Astrid decided to change the focus away from her and towards Ruffnut instead. "What about you? Care to explain me the thing that's going on between you and Eret? He told us that the thing between you two is something like a friendship with benefits. I thought you wanted him?" Astrid asked, going with Ruff to the living room where Tuffnut and Fishlegs were already waiting.

"It's complicated. I want him, no doubt. But it's like an unspoken rule between us. I have the feeling that everything will crumble if I tell him about it, about me wanting him as a real boyfriend. So here I am, stuck with that vague definition of a relationship between us. I don't even know if he feels the same about me. I mean, yes, I'm perfect, and smart, and beautiful, and tall, and have a good figure and-"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're perfect. I get it. Get to the point."

"He's just fucking perfect! I mean, I'm perfect. And he's perfect! And we're clearly made for each other! But since we're both perfect, we have both the right to decide if we want to be stuck with each other's perfect features, which we actually shouldn't even think about. But you know, it's boring to live your life with someone who's as perfect and flawless as you, right?"

"Rrrrrright…" Astrid drag out the pronunciation a little longer, obviously doubting everything that her best friend had just said but she did not mind telling her opinion since she knew that the crazy blonde would not listen to her anyway. Ruffnut raised an eyebrow again, giving her that suspicious look, as if she were to check out her friend.

"Anyway," she continued, wiggling her eyebrows, "Did you do the do?"

"Ruff! Why-"

"Astrid!" Tuffnut called joyfully, coming up to her with open arms.

The girls turned around to look at the person who had just interrupted their conversation. Ruffnut clicked her tongue while Astrid mentally made a note to herself to thank him for the saving. She still did not understand Ruffnut's reasoning but she would not ask further anyway. All the while Ruffnut and Tuffnut argued, Fishlegs made an appearance and tapped Astrid's shoulder. The girl in question turned around and was greeted with that overfamiliar chubby face.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. H-How are you?" he asked, shrinking into himself a bit, as he went on, his self-confidence dropping to the low level it always was.

Astrid smiled. It really had been a while since she had talked to him the last time. She liked him as a friend. His personality may be the complete opposite from hers but it soothed her to know that he was a friend who would listen to her if she really needed it. Of course, Ruffnut did the same. However, she only listened to a limited amount of her problems until her mind could not take it anymore, leading her to distract herself with other things. Ruffnut had already apologized a couple of times for her behavior and Astrid forgave her. She knew that the blonde could not concentrate too much at once. She was not angry with her, not even the slightest. It was just that Astrid would have liked it if there was someone out there who willed to listen to her. She had not opened up to anyone until she met Hiccup again. It was as if a wall of iron had surrounded her heart, preventing other's from intruding and also unconsciously keeping her away from others. She had a hard time trusting people for a really long time.

Actually, Astrid was an open-minded girl. She said what she thought aloud. She did not shrink away from telling people off, no matter if the people were of her age or adults. The matter was just that since she had lost Hiccup, the pain had hit her harder than expected. It was like a defense mechanism. She did not want to feel the same pain ever again, so she stopped letting people near her core. She still let people talk to her but she herself never talked about her problems ever again. It was still nice to know that there was a person willing to listen to her anyway though. Even if none of them would be able to replace Hiccup. That is why she appreciated Fishlegs' caring nature.

"I'm fine. How about you?" she answered with a gentle smile. Of course, that just had to take him off guard. Fishlegs stared at her for a good minute before he pulled himself together again. He shook his head for a moment as to rid of all his thoughts that just went flying through his mind. He scratched his chin with his finger, looking anywhere but at her, stuttering, "W-Well, I'm pretty good. I-It's been lonely though, without you and the twins around…"

Astrid looked at him, realizing that she had indeed forgotten about him and Snotlout. Who could blame her? Her head was filled with Hiccup only after they had reunited, and her father kicking her out just made her focus on him more. He is the reason why she was still standing on her two feet. It did not excuse her from neglecting Fishlegs though. But she did not feel like telling him the story yet.

"I've… been busy. Things came up and I… did not have time to go out with you guys. And Ruff's somehow stuck with me and Tuff's wherever Ruff is. So… I'm sorry we've kept you out of this until now," she explained slowly, making sure that Fishlegs did not jump to unnecessary conclusions.

"Oh. Okay… I think I can understand that. Erm, yes… It's okay. Really. It's just that… yeah, I felt a bit left out. I mean, you left me with him alone," Fishlegs said, his voice getting lower as he glanced to Snotlout. Astrid followed his eyes and chuckled. "And I'm surprised. You've… changed. Not in a bad way! In a good way! Definitely a good way! You… You're more relaxed. Your shoulders aren't stiff anymore."

Astrid smiled at him and answered, "Yeah. The past months have made a big impression on me. I'm not going to tell you about it now though. I'll tell you sometime later. There were just so many things going on and to be honest, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"No offense taken," Fishlegs said with a raised hand, smiling at her sheepishly, "But… w-well, how should I put it… Tuff told me that you got yourself a… boyfriend?" His voice died out at the end while he lowered his face unconsciously. He felt like he was stepping into a forbidden territory. He was sure that Astrid would give him the cold stare and tell him that it was none of his business. At least, that was the case whenever the group asked her about her interest in boys. She would scowl, click her tongue, frown and shut everyone up by beating them up… or rather, beating Snotlout up. However, this time she seemed to blush, and fidgeting even. She looked to the side several times, as if she was checking if there was someone around who listened in on them. Of course, she could not care less about who did or who did not listen in on them. It was just a something that went through with her, like a reflex.

"Yeah… I do have a boyfriend now," Astrid answered with a love-struck grin. Fishlegs did not believe his eyes. The Astrid Hofferson could actually show such an expression. Now he really was curious about the person who had managed to steal her heart.

"How is he?"

"He's a jerk."

As expected, Fishlegs gave her that dumbstruck look, where the corners of his lips drop to a level that people would not expect to be able to drop that much. His lips pursed and his eyebrows rose to the heavens. Astrid laughed at his expression and Fishlegs blushed uncomfortably.

"He's a jerk, he's an idiot, he's sarcastic, he's scrawny, he's a show-off and he's a smartass. But he's also nice, caring, handsome in his own way and he's always there when I need him," she said, her expression turning slowly from laughter to an adorable one. She wore that gentle smile again, her eyes drifting away from reality as she characterized him. "And I just love him so much."

Fishlegs smiled and gave out a sigh of relief. He did not know what that tingly feeling in his chest was, but it somehow reminded him of a father being relieved that his daughter has found her chosen one.

"That's nice to hear. Tuff said that he would also attend the party. Where is he?" he asked curiously, wanting the person in question in front of him right now. He turned to look around, his eyes searching for someone who might fit the term scrawny. Just when they finished talking about the devil, Hiccup sneaked up to Astrid from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin in the crook between her shoulder and neck.

"The idiotic, sarcastic, scrawny jerk and smartass of a show-off heard everything," he said, tightening his grip around her as if to threaten her slightly. Astrid however seemed unfazed and so he decided to pull out his emergency card. Slowly, he sneaked his hands under the rim of her shirt and when she still leaned into him, he squeezed her side with a hard grip. She yelped and threw a fist immediately into his direction. But since her back was facing him, her attack ended in vain and even the struggling did not save her from his teasing grip. "Hiccup! I swear! Stop!" she yelled, half laughing though.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" he teased her, grinning maniacally as he held her down while he continued to tickle and squeeze her sides.

"Pleaaaaase! Stoooop!" she pleaded and her face slowly turned from joyful to painful. Hiccup sighed and stopped, still hugging her though. "That hurt, idiot…"

"Don't blame me. You went off telling people about how bad I am," he answered, resting his head on her shoulder.

The couple continued the banter while Fishlegs stood at the sideline, watching them. Ruffnut joined him as she waited for him to save his first impression of the tall and lean boyfriend.

"And? What do you think about him?" she finally asked, crossing her arms with an amusing grin.

"He's… average. I thought that… he would definitely be someone who's out of our league."

"Oh trust me, he is out of our league. The only one who's allowed to stand next to him is our lovely Astrid there."

"Well, still, that's… unexpected."

"Who are you telling that? Of course it's unexpected. We're talking about Astrid here."

"Truly… unexpected."

A/N:

Hey there, I'm back. I'm sorry for abruptly taking such a long break from writing this story, but life's been upside down and I didn't – or rather, don't - get as much time for writing fanfiction anymore as I did before. I had to help out my parents over the past two months with their work and free time was short, I was tired and I just wanted to sleep.

I don't know how much I'll be able to update per week, so I won't make any promises concerning the updates. They'll happen when they happen. Although I feel bad for leaving you with a sort-of-cliffhanger for two months. I was even mad at myself. But please notice that it was definitely not intended. Just bad timing.

Again, thank you for reading and I wish you all a happy new year.

Date of Update: 2nd January 2016

~ KeGzZ