=Normal POV=
(Thursday, 4/18/19-6:30 pm)
(Berk, Archia Isle)
(Temporary Office)
Hector wasted no time getting to work after the small argument at the school after Astrid got on his case about Selena messing around with him. Hector hadn't lied, Selena was an interest of his and they were friends. More or less with benefits, but it was getting into like and they had discussed potentially getting together as a couple. However, that same night that they were going to talk, Hector got dragged into a meeting with his father about the merge and things ended with Hector learning he was going to be arranged to marry Astrid. Needless to say, Selena and Hector were unable to begin dating due to the arranged marriage. The two still talked every day, but throughout it, not constantly. Selena was the first girl Hector ever slept with, so they'd always had that connection between them of being close and having mind-blowing sex. That was up until Hector started sleeping with other girls, and guys. Hector would never admit that Selena was still his favorite hookup partner; he loved her daring side, like earlier in the girl's locker room. Hector had been a little nervous about it, but it was fine and obviously, it couldn't be an all-the-time thing. And Hector made that known to Selena after they were done. The school was dangerous to be sneaking around for quickies.
Hector was at work now, about to be done, and could leave to get to the apartment. Although now, after earlier, he didn't want to go there. Sighing out, Hector was told to wait until his dad and father-in-law returned before leaving, so he was working on the last bit of his homework. It was only some math work, and that was something Hector was good at. While finishing the last problem, he glanced at his phone on the desk, it was one of his other girls asking if he was free.
6:35 pm
At work right now. Wife's bday party after.
Rose's Cell, 6:36 pm
Aw! It's been so long, though. Miss you ramming me! How about during spring break?
6:36 pm
I'm sure we can plan something. Miss it too, could use some stress relief. Gotta get back to work. Ttyl!
Hector locked the screen as there was a knock and he sighed. "Come in, guys," Hector wrapped up his homework and placed the things away. The door opened revealing the male assistant. "Oh, sorry. Thought you were my dad or father in law,"
"No trouble, Mr. Haddock!" The male smiled. Hector smiled back, the assistant was cute. Damn if he wasn't married, not that it mattered with the separation. Hector couldn't have fun with anyone at work, that was a bigger risk than fucking at school.
"Please, call me Hector," Hector invited, leaving on the desk. The male got a bit shy. "What can I do for you?" Hector inquired gently.
"I typed up the final copy of something that your father asked for, and he said I could go home once he saw and approved it. But I see he's not here, so I'll go wait for him," The male prepared to leave.
"I can look it over," Hector offered. "Bring it here," He added. The man seemed nervous. "It's okay, I'm the future CEO, and I'm sure my father would be thrilled to see me doing actual work." Hector chuckled. The male figured it was okay, and walked in more, bringing the papers to Hector, who began to go over it all. Hector knew what these sheets were for, so it was a simple proofing read before they got submitted to the department necessary.
"Are they okay?" The male hoped.
"Seem alright to me. No errors, and accurate information." Hector nodded. The male beamed. He set them down before him and looked to the male again. "So, I've met just about everyone here and I don't recognize you,"
"I'm sorry! My name is Jason or just Jay, lobbyist or whatever it's called. I just started at 4 pm." Jason introduced Hector shook his hand. "I wanted to be a personal assistant, but no one needed one. So I took what was available."
"Hector Haddock," Hector informed. "Future CEO," He added. "Well, if you hang around long enough…I take over in June and I'll need an assistant. Not that I don't love Gertie, but her age is showing in her work and I think she's finally retiring when my father steps down. I'd be happy to have you up here with me,"
"Really, sir?" Jason asked in surprise. Hector nodded to him as their hands separated. "Thank you so much,"
"You're welcome." Spencer and Marcus waltzed in, chatting. "You're all set to go home, Jason. I'll take care of these," Hector motioned to the papers.
"Thank you, Hector! Have a good night!" Jason beamed, then headed out.
"You too!" Hector replied.
"We said he is to be called-," Spencer began.
"Dad…" Hector warned. "I told him he could call me Hector. I don't really like the formality when I'm not CEO. I will be, eventually, until then…Hector is fine,"
"I suppose that's alright," Marcus shrugged.
"It is because I said it is…" Hector mumbled. "Anyway…Jason was only up here to bring these for you, Dad…You weren't here, so I took them from him. They're all set," He handed the papers to his father. "Now, since you're back…Can I go home?"
"What's your rush?" Spencer wondered.
"It's my wife's birthday and I promised I'd be home by 7," Hector answered.
"Ah, yes! Go on then," Spencer smiled. "It's so good to see you and Astrid getting along,"
"I never had any doubts," Marcus laughed. "They are similar, but also different, so it balances out."
Hector rolled his eyes as he gathered his things and prepared to leave. "See you tomorrow," Hector hurried out to get to Toothless and dart to the apartment, hoping things had calmed down from earlier and that Astrid didn't tell their friends anything.
. . .
(6:50 pm)
(Haddock Apartment)
Hector got Toothless situated in his stable, then went in through the sliding glass doors on the porch to get into the living room. Hector got the porch key from the landlord last time he came around to collect rent at the beginning of April. It was easier for Hector to use the porch entrance than walking all way around to use the main door. Upon walking inside, the friends were there and Astrid was moping on the couch.
"Well, isn't this cheerful for a party," Hector remarked.
"We haven't been partying, Hector…Astrid's been miserable since we left the school," Heather stated.
"You were kind of mean," Syrus mentioned.
"I'll let you know when the things I say hurting others starts to bother me," Hector closed the door and headed towards his office.
"Hector…Sit down. I think we should talk," Theodore said gently.
"There's nothing to talk about," Hector replied. "If she didn't want me to say something hurtful, then she shouldn't be parading around acting like she's innocent with past flings,"
"We know, she told us about what she did…And your solution was to separate, but keep acting married for others?" Cassandra asked.
"That is the solution based on her begging me not to leave," Hector got into his office to take off his suit and change quickly, then come back out. "I wanted to divorce her and would have, but she begged me not to for whatever lame reasoning she gave me."
"For the sake of not destroying the company, and our father's friendship! You don't seem to care about anyone but yourself in all this. You just want out of it." Astrid snapped at him.
Hector rolled his eyes and folded his arms over one another. "Yeah, I do. Didn't you?" Hector asked, taking Astrid by surprise. "Didn't you also not want any part of this, so much that you left me with all the housework for months? Not finding a job, so I had to pay everything?" He continued. "Don't play the victim. We had an agreement, the day of the wedding, to work together towards this and you didn't do shit towards it…Except almost fuck your ex right there on the couch."
"It was just a kiss!" Astrid stood up.
"Yeah, that you admitted would have gone a lot farther if I hadn't gotten home early that night. And you were definitely straddling his lap and making out with him." Hector glared. "Stop trying to make it like no big deal, Astrid. You say I don't care about anyone but myself in this? I should have left you that night…But I stayed. Because you begged me to stay. But the only reason you did that was to save your family honor and the company merge. It wasn't because you care about me. I did my part since we got married, and you didn't want anything to do with it…So who really didn't give a shit here? Me or you? Because I tried. You only wanted to suddenly try after you got caught cheating and knew I had the right to leave."
"Okay, you two…" Madison stopped their bickering. "Regardless…You are married and should be working towards trying again…"
"I offered that, he refused," Astrid claimed.
"Because it shouldn't have taken you all those months to decide to try with me after you got caught being unfaithful, and now trying to save face to protect your family honor and the merge…" Hector stated.
"There's never been a divorce in my family! You're okay with ruining everything?" Astrid asked.
"Was it me or you, Astrid? I was entirely loyal to you, trying to make this work with you…But you decided to keep hating this marriage because it was forced, so you cheated on and avoided me like the plague unless we had to act. You're such a hypocrite!" Hector remarked and Astrid flinched. "You wanna talk about hating the arranged marriage because it's stupid, we don't live in Viking times…But try to play the card of family honor and allied company? That you want to save it? Yeah, in that sense…I don't care about the traditions from BACK THEN. I care about the now…The time period we live in. And in this era…Divorce happens every day, with no rebound on the family." He reminded. "Companies fall every day too, you pick up the pieces and keep going. Our father's companies would have been fine because if they were desperate enough to have the merge, they'd renegotiate terms to not lose all the money going into the merge." Hector informed. "There wouldn't be negative backlash on my family because I'm not the one who fucked up! YOU DID!"
Astrid flinched at his anger. "You say I don't care, but I stayed when I had every right to leave. I didn't stay for your family honor to be preserved. I didn't stay because you begged me to. I didn't stay over our father's friendship. I stayed because I chose to think maybe you cared about something more than yourself. Evidently…I was wrong." Hector said. "I told you I'd agree to stay married to you on my own terms. I gave you want you wanted, Astrid." Hector mentioned. "Staying married to keep everything together, but with the freedom of not being locked to one another. Stay married, live our lives as if we're not. Act with those who have to see us still married. It's not that hard of a concept…But don't forget that in two months, I can put a stop to everything." Hector paused. "The only reason I'm staying now is that the only way I can tolerate your presence is due to the agreement we made, and the fact I'm just about CEO, and once our father's step down, the company will be fine. I won't let it fall. With or without you, I'll make sure the company stays strong. You forget that as soon as I graduate…That newly merged company belongs to me, and once it does…I take control of its legal matters…That includes our marital ties to it." Hector paused. "So if I were you…I'd stop pissing off the person who can change everything."
"Hector…That's kinda harsh." Heather frowned.
"Harsh or not, it's reality. This isn't Viking times, this is the 21st century…People can stay married for various reasons but have separate lives. So the decision is hers. She can work with me, or be against me. I don't care either way…But I'm not changing the agreement without a damn good reason. Right now, it's the only thing keeping me sane enough to stay with her." Hector admitted.
"So the agreement is staying married, act with your parents and in the public eye that things are fine…But you're allowed to sleep with whoever you want since she shared one kiss with her ex?" Roxanne inquired.
"No," Hector shook his head. "It stays married, act with who we have to, but we can sleep with whoever we want. It's not just me having hookups, she is too. Like I said, fair compromise in agreeing to stay married to one another. Legally married, but living separate lives until we HAVE to act married with others." He explained.
"So that girl earlier, who smacked your ass on school campus…" Astrid started.
"Selena?" Hector arched a brow.
"She one of your girls?" Drew inquired.
"Yep. I already told her not to do that again, she apologized," Hector stated calmly.
"Is she the one you were texting in class and left for fifteen minutes to go see?" Syrus questioned.
"I went to my locker to get a book from the morning classes, and then stopped at the bathroom," Hector responded. "Is that a problem for you? It's none of your business what I do on my time anyway."
"Who are the others?" Flynn asked.
"Also none of your business," Hector replied. "All you need to know is that this is where things are for me and Astrid. Alright? I didn't demand things be this way, she agreed to it. Like terms of a deal. We stay legally married, but live together as roommates and lead separate lives unless it comes to apartment-related things. We act married with our parents and like a couple dating in school to abide by school rules of PDA and whatnot. That is the agreement and it will stay that way unless a time comes where things need to change." He added. "Now…Are we going to drop this and have the birthday party, or continue looking at me like I'm in the wrong when she's the one who brought it on after I had actually been trying to make things work? Not for nothing, but I turned two offers to get laid tonight to leave work and come right here. Had I known I'd get harassed, I wouldn't have bothered."
"Okay, okay…" Alexia put her hands up to stop anyone from saying anything about Hector mentioning having two offers to hook up tonight. "Let's just…Take a deep breath, and relax. Regardless of anything else, we're all friends…And this is supposed to be a party."
"And we shouldn't be interfering on their…Private life," Evan added. "Let's just get to having a good time," He suggested.
Not having much choice, and everyone having mixed feelings about the situation; they knew Alexia and Evan were right. Hector and Astrid were married, agreeing to stay together on their own terms. And as their friends, it had to be supported and obviously, kept quiet to avoid problems. However, the friends had a little something to work with as far as maybe trying to help Hector and Astrid fix things between them. Hector said he wouldn't change the agreement without a good reason, then they needed to find whatever it was that would get Hector to change things between him and Astrid, and willing to try again in making the marriage work as an actual marriage. Now, with everyone settled down; the food was out and music was on. Hector had gone to take a quick shower and Astrid pulled herself together from the shock of Hector's valid arguments during the talk. When Hector came out again, Drew handed him a drink and put an arm around his shoulders as if to say that everything would be alright and relax. Hector nodded to him as they tapped cups and took a drink. Beyond that, it was all smiling and having fun to celebrate Astrid turning eighteen, and also just getting time together as friends.
