Chapter 10 : "Forward"
It was cold. If you ignored the fact that it was past one in the morning, it was almost winter and they were in Berk. But the cold was the least of her problems.
After the intense night, because no other adjective occurred to her, she was both mentally and physically exhausted.
She looked sideways for the thousandth time at the boy behind the wheel. Concentrated on the road, leaning back on the seat in a calm posture and his serious face. Astrid never thought she would ever use the word serious to define Hiccup Haddock. But he was, his frown was low, without actually looking angry, and his mouth was a tight straight line.
She looked away quickly distracted again by the scenery outside the window and held a sigh.
The thunderous voices of Camicazi and the idiot Jorgenson were still drumming in her temples, at least her headache had started to evaporate since they had been alone. Totally nothing to see about
Astrid looked at the seat next to her, also relieved at the absence of the crushing presence of the burly brown guy... Thuggory? She didn't know why but that boy made her comfortless.
Astrid leaned the side of her head back against the glass, occasionally answering a few short questions from Hiccup about directions and giving him just as short answers.
The silence slowly became poisoned with tension again.
She ran an automatic hand over her cheek, just brushing it. It didn't hurt that bad, but she'd have to figure out something tomorrow before class. Makeup would work. Ice and maybe a doctor too but who had time. She shook off the thought, covering it with his hair again.
Soon the streets became familiar and the thought of fate seized her chest. She quickly took out her phone again, which had cost her a kidney to pay overtime in the cafeteria from the pocket of her wrinkled jacket.
Nothing.
Messages still unread and calls not returned.
Damnit, Ruffnut. She always appeared at the most inopportune moments and now she disappear.
Astrid couldn't blame her though, she wouldn't pick up the phone at one in the morning either.
She had considered stopping by their house and staying the night, but was clearly rejected by all the cons: the noisy twins, their parents, interrogations she didn't want to answer...
Fighting back a frustrated groan, she shoved the phone stiffly back into her jacket.
Hiccup glanced at her at the sound of the cloth. The road longer than he expected (geez, how long had she been walking before?) was beginning to end, he supposed from the girl's more tense gestures.
So he was going to take her to her house.
Good.
To her house, with the man who hit her.
He was cool with it.
Yeah, great.
He gritted he teeth. Now what? The streets were beginning to end and they were about to reach the last neighborhood before reaching the outskirts of the city. He was about to ask before she made it clear on her own:
"Stop here"
Hiccup blinked out of his musings, not stopping the car just slowing it down and looked at Astrid. The girl looked back at him, full of firmness, a veil of nervousness and concern that she tried to hide over her eyes that Hiccup didn't know how he could read.
He slowly took my foot off the accelerator until the van stopped at another ditch and turned off the engine.
Why had she told him to stop now?
They were just in another stretch of forest and road, the last neighborhood dotted with the lights of the streetlights in the distance illuminating them.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. Astrid fixed her gaze beyond him and the end of the trees, the boy followed her gaze cautious until he spotted the only house with the lights on.
From the quick panicky face and then
tense strength in the blonde, Hiccup guessed it was her house.
There was someone waiting for her
"Fuck" they both thought at the same time.
He heard the click of the belt and Hiccup turned quickly to her, his mouth hanging open but not sure what to say.
Astrid returned his awkward gaze, her frown of concern and her tight mouth.
"Thanks for...the ride" her voice small and shrunken.
And before she could even open the car, her door lock was heard.
Astrid stared at the protruding metal piece, blinking in puzzlement.
Her hand clenched hers on the handle, turning confused to Hiccup.
The boy, with his back straight against the seat, looked at her house concentrated, nervous inside. "Oh boy, what am I doing..."
"Haddock"
Hiccup shrugged in on himself.
"Haddock, the door"
"Nope" the boy almost felt his heart kicking his rib cage and his head calling him an dickhead.
Brave. But dickhead. "She's going to beat me up"
"Hiccup" she raised her voice and the brunette couldn't help but let a nervous and adrenaline-filled smile escape him. He quickly held it back by pursing his lips.
"Belt" he warned while with carefree movements turned the key making the engine roar and stepped on the accelerator again.
Astrid's house approaching.
"Y-you don't have to take me there- Hiccup!" her voice louder and more nervous than he'd ever heard.
"I'm not going to take you there," Hiccup clarified without looking at her. He pressed the pedal harder, clearly not intending to stop, and turned off the car lights.
He managed to hear a hoarse "what" from the girl before accelerating again.
"Haddock what the fuck, stop the car-!"
The cluster of houses to your right and the only house lit up behind a large dark figure at your door.
Astrid gasped and Hiccup held it back.
He was really waiting for her.
Hiccup glanced at her for a few seconds, her face darkened surprising the blonde.
"Get down"
Astrid wasted no time when they passed right in front of her house, huddled in her seat giving thanks to the darkness of the car and the night and counted slowly to ten inside to calm herself.
Astrid stayed like that for a few seconds until she sat down again with restless slowness, her neighborhood moving further and further away.
She heard the boy release a contained sigh and saw him relax clearly on the seat.
Hiccup shook her shoulders loosening them and tilted his head toward her, a tiny smile on her lips. "Belt"
Astrid scowled at him tightly, and inadvertently leaned forward, her hands resting between the two front seats.
"What the fuck was that Hiccup!" her voice high and normal hers at last, Hiccup smiled.
"Improvisation" he said sincerely.
"What is your great plan? Leave me in the park to sleep on a bench?"
Hiccup glanced at her, just realizing how close she was.
He averted her eyes "Oh, I thought about it, but the park is too far away" he heard a snort from the blonde as she slammed back to the middle seat in an ungracious movement "What? You want me to take you back?"
Astrid glared at him, she shook her head and looked away. Hiccup wiped his smile, and after a few seconds he looked back down the road, turning at a roundabout to return to the center of town.
"You can leave me around here, I'll handle it"
Hiccup didn't look at her raising an eyebrow, his tone dripping sarcasm "Really? Where are you going walking? You would freeze right away and you wouldn't survive ten minutes alone on the streets" he smirked at her receiving a grimace.
"You don't need to take me" she insisted still with a frown.
"Don't worry, my honor as a good citizen doesn't allow me to abandon a helpless lady in the middle of the night" Hiccup said amused. He knew that Astrid Hofferson was not exactly a helpless lady in distress, but he knew it would annoy her.
"I wasn't worried" she growled not wanting to play along. If she got mad at him he they would just go around in circles, and he really had been a non-jerk that night. Surprised? Of course she was.
Astrid heard him release a soft laugh that relaxed her. She leaned back against the seat, her head thrown back. Freya, how she wanted a bed right now...
"So what now?" she said in a calm neutral voice.
Hiccup held his breath before sighing.
He licked his lips and looked at her askance "We'll go to a motel"
Astrid raised her head roughly, her eyes wide in shock.
Hiccup could not contain himself at that look, he bit his lip but in the end he broke into laughter that was increasing.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding-! Sorry-!" he said between laughs.
"Not funny Haddock"
"Come on, it was pretty funny"
He heard Astrid giggle briefly and saw her smile in the rearview mirror.
He smiled and turned the wheel, the familiar hills and the usual road approaching.
"We're close" he looked at her sideways with a look that she couldn't identify "Belt"
He heard the click from the back seat and spread his smile.