(It's too late, she believes in fate, he's absolutely smitten)
Chapter 4 - Second Glances
Hiccup was late the next day, earling a partly stern, partly amused look from Gobber.
"So … went well last night?"
Hiccup did not fail to notice his suggestive tone and huffed, running a hand through his unkempt hair.
"Not as 'well' as you think. We just stayed out pretty late last night and I overslept."
"Ah," Gobber acknowledged, still smirking. "Seeing as she didn't run away the second she saw you as you assumed-"
"Honestly, Gobber, that's a new low, even for you."
The older man just laughed. After a while, Hiccup uttered, "Remember what you said about not spending the time I spend with her in my head? The second she opened her door, I just sort of stopped. I spent the whole evening with her without second guessing myself. She's just …" he tousled his hair again, letting out a breathless chuckle. "She's something else. It feels like with her I don't really have to decide, or turn things over and over, it's … confusing. In a good way.I wanna figure her out. I wanna know what makes her tick and know the way she thinks."
"Oh boy …" Gobber mumbled to himself, thinking, 'he is absolutely smitten'.
oOo
Astrid was humming. While working. It seemed almost outrageous to be in this much of a good mood. She was supposed to concentrate on her tasks - even if it was something as mindless as cleaning the cages - and not on the events of last night! And yet, she couldn't help but let her thoughts linger. Specifically on Hiccup. She smiled as she realised she silently referred to him as Hiccup too now.
He'd walked her home that night. Usually people would simply insist on doing so and Astrid would refuse, but Hiccup had simply grinned that lopsided grin of his and had said, that if she wanted to he'd like to walk her home and Astrid had accepted, gladly even. It was the she realised she hadn't really wanted to say goodbye just yet. She'd never say this out loud but that scared her a bit. She wasn't used to these kind of feelings and wasn't sure yet if she was okay with them. It all had all gone a bit fast, but then again, this had been building up for some time now.
Her first impression with him then had been so different from what she knew now. When they'd met she thought she'd only seen his physical attributes and had seen him as this serious, precise and abrupt professional.
The second glance had revealed much more - of course, he still was outrageously attractive, but Astrid now knew that he was in fact not as serious, nor curt or simple. He was funny and considerate and thoughtful and gentle and, goodness, that wasn't enough. She wanted second glances and third, fourth, fifth glances. She wanted to get to know him - really get to know him, past his smile and his lighthearted jokes.
Astrid sat there in litter and sand and thought, 'I hope he lets me.'
oOo
It was already dark when Hiccup got home. He felt as if he'd been dragged through hell and back; his lungs felt accordingly.
"Hey, bud," he rasped and gently scratched the black cat's ears. "Sorry for taking so long. We had two fires today. I'm just glad everyone got out well. You hungry?"
Toothless meowed and scrutinised him with bright green eyes, snapping his tail. Hiccup grinned and click-thumped towards the cupboard, wincing slightly with every step he took.
"I can't wait to get some ice on there," he muttered. "Remind me to keep some at the office."
He watched Toothless eat for a while, then he carefully shifted his weight back on his prosthesis and shuffled into the bathroom in search for his diffuser.
'A one-legged fireman with asthma,' he thought. 'How ironic.'
His phone started ringing just as he set his foot into the cold water. Hiccup shivered and picked up.
"Haddock?"
"I heard you had a date" the solemn voice of his father established. Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"Hey Dad, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking."
"Hiccup."
"Okay, sorry. So Gobber already spilled, huh? That didn't last long," Hiccup commented dryly, heaved the diffuser onto the stool next to the bathtub and turned it on.
"No," his father replied but then quickly picked up the reason for his call again. "So? A date?"
"Yes."
"How'd you manage?"
"Wow, dad, don't make it sound like being a 23-year old man who didn't have a date in the past five years of his life is disappointing."
His dad laughed. "So, come on, who is she?"
"Her name is Astrid Hofferson, she lives a couple of blocks away from me, actually. We met because she set her stove on fire - several times, I should mention. It took me a while to work up the courage to ask for her number. We went out yesterday at had a nice dinner at the Che Dragon."
"Hold on, did you say Hofferson? That name rings a bell." His father stayed silent for a while, which Hiccup used to dry his still slightly aching stump.
"Ah, now I remember!" Stoick Haddock bellowed, making his son flinch involuntarily. "Astrid Hofferson, of course! She's at the Smith's whenever we have a get together with the company."
"Oh. Yeah, she mentioned working part-time in a bar."
"She's a nice young lady, Hiccup, congratulations."
He chuckled. "We're not getting married, Dad, we just had our first date."
"So there will be others?"
"Well, as a matter of fact, yes. I invited her over for Friday. I'm cooking."
He practically heard his father raise an eyebrow and sighed.
"I promise my intentions are honorable."
"Good, I didn't raise you to be a brute like your cousin."
Silence. A defiant 'Snot changed a lot since he was sixteen, Dad' was quickly swallowed back down.
Instead Hiccup replied, "I know, Dad, I know. But, um … promise next time you see her not to talk about me. She probably doesn't even know you're my dad."
"Alright, my lips are sealed. I'll see you next Wednesday for lunch?"
Hiccup smiled. "Yup. 'Night, Dad."
"Good night, boy."
Stoick hung up. Hiccup sighed. Twenty-three years old and his father still refused to acknowledge it. The thoughts about his father were loudly interrupted by his growling stomach. Right. Nourishment. Pasta sounded good. Humming lightly Hiccup strapped his prosthesis back on and made his way back downstairs where Toothless waited for him. On the way down he idly wondered what Astrid's favourite kind of pasta was.
oOo
'Quickfire question: favourite kind of pasta?'
Astrid's heart jumped. Trying to bite back a grin, she texted back, 'Alfredo in terms of fettuchine or spaghetti etc , but Lasagna has a special spot in my heart. Yours? Though I feel like your message served some future reference..'.
Still smiling she set down her phone and turned her attention back to the book in front of her. She was only a couple of pages further in when her phone buzzed again.
'you guessed right ;^) Can't go towards Friday unprepared! I'm a man of simple taste, I usually just make good old pomidoro'.
She hummed.
'Simple taste, huh?'
'well..'
'Anything else that applies to?'
He typed, then stopped. Then, 'now you're just messing with me.'
She laughed. 'You guessed right ;)'. And after a moment of hesitation she added, 'You had a good evening?'
She imagined him laugh and run his fingers through his hair.
'almost got fried back in the city, but got out alright, everyone else did too. Those are my favourite days'
'I'm really glad - also glad you made it out fine!'
'we also had to rescue a cat from a tree, so I guess that sorta balances it out'
She snorted and scrunched her nose. 'Was that a pun?'
A pause. Then, 'what if I said yes?'
'Then I'd say it wasn't PAWrrible.'
'I'm sorry, did you just become the woman of my dreams'
She knew it was a joke. She could even imagine the tone of voice he'd deadpan this with. And yet, she blushed, her heart singing.
'good night then' she typed back before she did anything stupid.
Hiccup laid on his bed, Toothless on his chest, his leg propped on his pillow, shielding his wide grin from the darkness with the crook of his arm and only rasped out over his blush, "Good one."
So, this was a rather short one, I just wanted to get some first-date afterthoughts and such in. Next up is the ~evening in~!