This chapter is the excellent work of my wonderful co-writer, and I loved reading it! I'm sure you will too.

-HTTYD-

If she was honest with herself, then Astrid had to admit that she was nervous. She couldn't even think why, exactly, just knew that there was this queasy sensation in her stomach, the one that made her wrap her arms around herself and throw looks around to see whether anyone was giving them weird glances.

But why would they, she reminded herself. It wasn't as if the truth was obvious; that her companions were actually her brothers and that they all were here to look for furniture for their son. It wasn't as if they looked anything alike, after all. Or that anything in Eret's or Hiccup's behaviour showed that they were more than just her helpful friends.

No, it wasn't the other people that made her nervous, but worrying about them gave her a good excuse to not think about the true reason for her unease.

"Here, what about this one?"

Hiccup waved her over to the wardrobe corner of the home-centre's kids section. Eret was taking care of ordering the cot they'd picked before so it would be ready for them to pick up at the exit once they'd paid, which was easier than trying to steer the huge box through the busy store themselves. Which was probably why the store did it, she supposed, knowing in her gut she was trying to distract herself with such pointless wonderings. Looking around for a gap in the stream of customers, Astrid eventually just squeezed her way through to reach Hiccup.

Honestly, if it hadn't been so complicated to navigate the jobs and free time of five people—as Heather and Cami were looking after Henry while she and the twins were looking for furnishings and decoration to put into Henry's room at their place—she would have called their plan off the moment she'd seen the jam-packed parking lot outside. But it was time. Three months had passed now since she'd decided to accept them in her and Henry's life for real. Three months during which she'd grown more and more accustomed to their presence, sometimes comfortable even. There was still that sting she always felt when she caught them kissing, exchanging smaller gestures like brief caresses or looks, or just in general from being around them. It wasn't jealousy, not really. She was happy for them, that they'd found happiness with each other. But a part of her longed for being a part of that happiness as well, and no matter how hard she tried to smother it, it wouldn't go away.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that it was time for Henry to get his own room at their home. With more visits, Henry had grown more used to them, had even spent the occasional afternoon alone with them so Astrid had time to work or relax in peace, relieving Heather of constant babysitting and giving the twins and Henry the bonding time with each other they deserved. And now, it was time for him to have a more permanent space with them. With his fathers.

Even as it made her feel… she didn't even have a word for how she felt. Too confusing.

"Yeah, this is a good choice."

Astrid said after inspecting the wardrobe set Hiccup had suggested, effectively distracting herself from those moody thoughts. She was still adamant about them not spending money on stuff for Henry or her, but she couldn't really argue against them setting up a room for Henry in their own home, and they'd never have gone for letting her pay for his stuff. And, really, the expense of setting up another room for Henry wasn't one she'd budgeted for in advance. So, adamant and independent as she was, it was a bit of a relief to not have the financial weight this time around.

"Sturdy. Rounded corners. Enough room for Henry's clothes and some toys. I think I've even seen an online shop where they make these huge themed stickers for the fronts of this set. Maybe they do custom jobs, too. If the measurements fit with your room, this one would work."

Hiccup looked relieved when she approved his choice, happy even. Damn, why did he have to look so handsome when he smiled?

"Yeah, the measurements work, I already checked. And designing a front sounds like a great idea."

Astrid smiled, a little ruefully. Knowing her brothers, Hiccup would probably create something including dragons and reindeer, something personal and meaningful, and it would look amazing. Actually, knowing Hiccup, he'd probably paint the damn thing himself.

"Alright, let's see whether we can add this to the order Eret's placing or whether we have to place a second one."

She turned around to look for their brother. However, before she even could catch a glimpse, an arm wrapped around her waist and she got pulled back. Just in time, as it turned out, as a trolley whooshed past her, the woman behind it throwing her a dirty look for almost stepping into her path. Like it wasn't a public shop! But all of that only registered in a very, very small part of her mind.

The far bigger part was focused on Hiccup's arm around her, on his chest against her back, his breath in her hair. She froze, her breath catching in her throat and her heart missing a beat before it sped up as if to make up for it. Even with her getting more comfortable around them, she'd been careful to avoid physical contact, scared of how she might react, body and heart. But this? It was all she'd hoped for, all she'd dreaded. He was so close, his warmth seeping into her, holding her. And the part of her that dreamed of returning to what they once had relished in it. It wanted to cuddle closer, to melt into his embrace, to forget everything else, the past, the present, their surroundings. She wanted to—

"Phew, that was close. These people, can't they pay even a little attention? That woman would have run you over without even blinking!"

Way sooner than she liked, Hiccup let go of her again. In fact, probably only a second had passed, even though to her it had felt longer and shorter all at the same time. Astrid took a breath to compose herself again before glancing up at Hiccup. He wasn't looking at her, eyes following the woman and her trolley. He seemed agitated, his face flushed, but as much as Astrid wanted that to be because of her closeness, it was probably just his anger at the carelessness of that woman.

"Yeah," Astrid said, her voice weaker than she liked. "We better be careful that doesn't happen again."

Silly girl, she chided herself. She really had to get over her foolish feelings for them. It was about damn time.

But it seemed luck wasn't with her that day. They found Eret in time to add the wardrobe to their order, which was at least something. However, when they went to look for some basic decorations such as shelves and other accessories, she wished she could have used placing the additional order as an excuse to get some space. If the store had been crowded before, it felt like at least twice as many customers were here by now. More than once, she found herself pressed against Eret or Hiccup by people pushing past them in the narrow spaces between shelves and furniture on display. And every time, it was just as intense as Hiccup's kind-of-embrace before, making her heart race and her mind go blank with ill-advised bliss. She shouldn't think like that, shouldn't feel like that. But she just couldn't help it. That part of her that still longed for them wouldn't listen to logic.

It got especially bad when they were waiting in line to pay for their purchases. People shoved from all sides, and wedged between Hiccup and Eret, she couldn't take even one breath without inhaling the scent of their sandalwood shower gel. It brought back memories, images and sensations of her being wedged between them in other ways, heated passion and sweet bliss.

In a poor attempt at warding off the flood of impressions, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to make herself as small as possible. Dammit, she had to get a grip on herself! One would think that after over two years she would eventually get over them.

"Ugh, this looks like it's going to take a while," Hiccup muttered at her side, unaware of her internal meltdown. "It's as if at least half the city is here today, as if it's the last day ever to buy stuff."

Eret grunted in agreement.

"So much for getting lunch on our way back, too. If this takes any longer here, we won't have time for that before we pick up Henry again. Or…" He paused, then added, "Or how about we get something from the snack bar at the exit? It's not exactly high cuisine, but better than nothing. Astrid, do you want to get something for us while Hiccup and I take care of this here, and we meet at the car?"

Astrid nodded, relieved about this excuse to get away.

"Yeah, I can do that. Hot dogs for everyone? Roasted onions for you both, gherkins only for Hiccup? Ketchup and mayonnaise?"

Why, oh, why did she remember their preferences so well?

Eret's lips twitched into a smile.

"Water and some of that cassis lemonade for Hiccup."

She nodded, and without waiting a moment longer, she fled.

Watching Astrid run away from them hurt more than Hiccup was willing to admit. Eret's reasons for suggesting getting snacks here weren't wrong, but still. They had only been a pretence, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to eat something now anyway.

Because Astrid clearly hadn't been comfortable being there with them, and it had only taken one exchanged glance with Eret to know that he was seeing it, too. He'd thought that she was feeling better by now, that she knew she had… well, had nothing to fear from them. Both he and Eret had been careful not to push her, to not give any indications they wanted or hoped for anything more than she was willing to give. And yet…

"I guess she still doesn't fully trust us."

He murmured. Eret threw him a glance, briefly squeezing his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"Maybe..." he looked back over the crowd to where Astrid had disappeared, "or maybe, it's something else."

"What do you mean?"

Eret shrugged.

"I don't know. It's just…" he shook his head, "maybe it's just the idea of Henry getting his room with us that is churning up some emotions. We'll have to give her more time, to adjust. Hopefully that's all it is."

"Yeah… maybe…"

A few days later, Eret leaned against the wall of his and Hiccup's living room and watched his brother play with their son. The sight brought a serenity to his mind like little else. It just felt so right, so wonderful. Natural. Henry was running all around the room, gathering up all the colourful little balls he and Hiccup had rolled around before, delighting in finding them again behind boxes or below cushions. Eret felt as if he'd never tire of watching them.

But as adorable as the scene was, Astrid's absence was all too tangible and so he turned to walk back to the room they'd prepared for Henry over the last week. Bed and wardrobe were assembled, shelves and accessories added. Hiccup had worked for hours, until he was finally satisfied. He'd painted the room like a landscape, with islands and the sea, a herd of reindeer grazing on one side, a flock of dragons flying on the other, and the ceiling covered with an image of the Northern Lights. A beautiful little nod to the home of their people, even if Henry never got to go.

As expected, he found Astrid there, standing by the cot. In her hands, she held a worn-out cushion, the one she'd made from Eret's old t-shirt, but as he entered she bent down to place it in Henry's little bed.

"There, all done."

She announced. Eret didn't reply. She'd stayed behind to get Henry's bed ready for his first night sleeping there. But surely that hadn't taken her nearly half an hour, had it?

"Are you really okay with this?"

He asked in a quiet voice. Astrid had been acting strange for the last few days, more reclusive. Not as bad as in the beginning, but the difference was still noticeable. So Eret didn't want to spook her. Astrid clearly hesitated, but then she nodded.

"Yes, I am. It's just…" She gave a light shrug, "it feels strange. But it also felt strange the first few times he spent the night at Heather's. It'll be fine, I know." She paused again, took a deep breath, and put visible effort into cheering herself up again. "But I really like what you did with this room. I'm sure he'll love it once he's old enough to appreciate the effort."

But she wasn't fooling him, eyes dropping along with her forced smile.

"It's okay, you don't have to pretend."

He murmured softly. When Astrid looked up, a little confused, Eret couldn't help but notice that she also looked incredibly vulnerable. And after inwardly debating what he and Hiccup had agreed upon, he eventually decided to throw caution into the wind for just a moment. In that moment, she wasn't their ex-lover or even the mother of his son. She was his baby sister, and she clearly needed someone to lean on.

With two long steps, he breached the distance between them and pulled Astrid into a comforting hug. Initially, she stiffened, and Eret would have retreated if she'd given any indication of discomfort. But she didn't.

"I get that this is difficult for you."

Eret finally said, to breach the awkward silence that followed, but also to reassure her he had no ulterior motive. Because he didn't. As much as he might enjoy holding her again, this was only for comfort.

"And we appreciate that you agreed to this step; it means so much to me and to Hiccup, too. Also, I know you only planned to spend this one night in our spare bedroom" that was a precaution because in contrast to spending a night at Heather's, his room here was brand new and he didn't know it yet "but no matter how well he might take it, you're always welcome if it makes leaving him here easier for you."

It would be strange to spend their nights under the same roof as Astrid again, he knew that. But it wasn't like he was inviting her to their bed, right? He wasn't overstepping a line here, was he? Wasn't pushing her too hard? He only wanted to offer her all the choices she needed.

But as it seemed, his worries were for nothing.

"Thank you," Astrid mumbled in return.

Lost in his worries for moment, Eret hadn't picked up on the change of atmosphere right away, but her words drew him back into reality, and… was she leaning into him?

From one second to the next, Eret's heart rate picked up. He wasn't imagining it, was he? Astrid wasn't just accepting his comforting hug now, she was all but melting against his chest. And he wasn't imagining how comforting had changed to something almost like intimate, right? The way she was curling into his embrace, her arms around his torso pulling him closer, and her head resting against his shoulder… It could be still just for comfort, but it didn't feel like it. To him, at least. But there was that serene smile on her lips, and had that just been a soft sigh? Just for a moment, things felt like they had done over two years ago, when she'd been a part of his and Hiccup's lives, had that solid place in their bed and their hearts. For a moment, he was back there, she was still the same. Cheeky, sensual, confident, demanding.

And then, the moment ended.

Astrid stiffened, then took a hasty step away.

"I…" she stammered. "Uh, thank you. For the offer, I mean. I'd say we see how this night goes and then… I wouldn't want to hover around when it's your time with Henry. So…" She trailed off, her eyes not meeting his. "Anyway… I better say my goodnight to him and then leave the rest to you two."

Eret couldn't help but feel as if she was fleeing from him when she darted past him and out of the room. He heard her voice in the living room, heard Henry babble something in return, but couldn't focus on them right now.

What had that just been? That embrace, how she'd melted against him and how happy she'd seemed… he couldn't have just imagined that.

Could he?

-HTTYD-

Well... COULD HE?