=Hector's POV=
(Tuesday, 4/30/19-7:30 pm)
(Berk, Archia Isle)
(Haddock Apartment)

I had known things would go South when I flew towards the apartment with Toothless and saw Tristan's car in the driveway. Originally, I was going to just stop home and change, Astrid wouldn't even know I was there cause I planned to go in through the window in my office. However, I saw Tristan's car, and though I might take the chance to remind Astrid that she was supposed to message me before a hookup comes over so that I have some warning not to walk in on scenes as I did. But, the reason I decided to cancel my own hookup once the dinner was shut down due to my father-in-law feeling ill, is that I heard Tristan trying to coax Astrid into going past her boundary of no vaginal sex. I actually respected Astrid a lot for that decision because she was ensuring she wouldn't get pregnant, which violates our arrangement. I decided chose to stay home and keep an eye on things, and sure enough during a song break, I heard the end of the sex where Astrid yelled my name of all names to yell out during her orgasm. I had to assume she was thinking about me, which was a night thought while it lasted. I then heard arguing and watched from the doorway of my office sliding doors to see what I did. I couldn't just ignore that Tristan pushed my wife down, called her a bitch, and intended to slap her. I acted and stopped him.

I'm glad I stayed home, who knew how bad that could get if Astrid had been by herself. I mean, our friends appeared out of nowhere, which I would get answers about later on…But I don't know if they would have arrived before Astrid was struck. And I'm sure they would have called me right away to tell me that Astrid's ex-boyfriend slapped her. Regardless, things were resolved, for now. Tristan was not allowed here at the apartment and I made it clear he was to cease contact with Astrid or have to deal with me. I knew that, at least, one of our friends was in each of her classes if I wasn't there myself. I guess Astrid wasn't expecting me to come out and defend her, nor now, ask if she was okay. She was looking at me so shocked.

"What?" Astrid asked me, staring with slightly widened eyes.

"I wasn't speaking another language, Astrid," I sighed. "Are you alright?" I repeated for her, slower this time. "I saw him shove you earlier…Did he hurt you any other time since he got here or any times you've seen him?" I inquired.

"No, to the second bit of that question…" Astrid shook her head. "Just hurt a bit when I fell, few little scrapes from the crash." She added.

"Good," I said. "Good…I'm glad you're okay," I mentioned. I was happy she was alright, because if I found out that guy had hurt her in the past; I'd grab Toothless and go after him. "Get changed, unless you intend to stay topless with friends over," I remarked. Astrid quickly shook her head. "Then go on," I motioned my head towards the master room. Astrid nodded and quickly went down the hall, getting into the room and closing the door. As soon as she was in the room and the door was shut, I groaned, dragging my hands down my face slowly. "At this rate, my stress level is gonna cause me to stroke out before I graduate and become CEO…"

"You good, little brother?" Drew asked first, coming beside me with a hand on my shoulder, the other patting my back.

"Oh, just fantastic, Drew…Just realizing that I now have to be concerned about coming home to find my wife beaten, raped, or dead in the living room or her bedroom because the guys she's screwing are assholes…" I informed sarcastically.

"Could always end the arrangement, not take the risk?" Heather offered.

"Then I suffer," I retorted.

"Or…You and Astrid could try working things out?" Flynn suggested. I looked at him, asking if he really just gave me that as a solution.

"Not like she ain't thinking about you with those other guys, from what we heard tonight," TJ shrugged.

"Yeah, gotta agree with TJ," Syrus nodded. "And you defended her as a husband would,"

"I'm still her husband!" I snapped. "I'm not just gonna sit back and ignore her existence," I added. "She goes to school all beaten up, who is catching the blame? Me. Either the one who did it or bad husband that she slept with someone else and I didn't defend her. Looks bad on me no matter what." I groaned.

"Look, we're just saying…You can't always protect her from these guys as long as this arrangement is going," Theodore stated softly. "Sure, you were home tonight and we came by…But what about next time?" He asked. Theo did have a point. We got lucky tonight that her dad was sick and I got to come home early. Next time, some guy could abuse her for calling my name in sex.

"What about installing a security system?" Roxanne suggested. "Let's you see who these guys are, you've admitted to only meeting that Tristan guy. If any of them try something, you can set off an alarm, or voice in to leave because you have it on camera? It keeps the arrangement? Right?"

"Doesn't do any good and would be an invasion of privacy to basically be watching Astrid on camera have sex with random guys. I wouldn't be able to watch it at work, definitely not during meetings." I sighed.

"What if…I just stop sleeping with other guys?" Astrid's voice made me turn around to face her. "You can keep sleeping with other girls…I don't care." She said.

"That wouldn't be fair, so if it is your choice to stop sleeping with others…I'll do the same," I stated. As much as it would suck, but I felt like Astrid wasn't saying this to get me to stop. I think she wanted to stop sleeping with others on personal choice because tonight scared her. She knew the same things that I was thinking of. What if there is a next time and I'm not around to protect her?

"No, Hector…That's not fair to you." Astrid mentioned. "Don't worry about me. I stop sleeping with guys, no worry if any of them will act as Tristan did. All of them get like that, mad because I won't let them have me fully," She informed.

"Any of them ever put their hands on you?" Evan wondered.

"No, but they get testy with the attitude when they have to leave because Hector's on his way here after work, or I have to leave to get back here. It's just my choice the way I had hookups and they don't like it." Astrid said. "I rather not take the risk again. Hector is right…Tonight, he was here. Next time, he might not be."

"Regardless," I got her attention on me. "I said two weeks ago that this arrangement wouldn't stop without a damn good reason….This is one of the reasons I'll accept to stop it."

"Me saying I'll stop and you want it to be fair," Astrid blinked.

"No, stupid…" I sighed. "Your safety." Her eyes widened a bit. "Your safety is at stake while I'm not here, whether that be with some girl or at work. Your safety is at stake if you're out with other guys," I explained. "Your safety is a factor in this marriage, negative backlash on both of us if something happens to you. Like I told them, it will either look like I beat you or it'll have to come out that one of your hookups beat you overthinking about me while having sex with them. As an example, not saying that's always the case. Regardless…It'll look odd and we agreed that the act couldn't be compromised, this agreement's risks are a threat to the charade of a happy marriage," I informed. "So the arrangement needs to stop. If you're not sleeping with other guys, I'm not sleeping with other girls. It's one-sided and looks like cheating if only one of us is doing it."

"Aren't you cheating on each other during this arrangement?" Flynn piped up.

"Shut up, Flynn!" Astrid and I both said together as he made an eep noise in surprise and hid behind Heather, who giggled and patted his hand.

"It's not cheating when it's separation, where two people stay married for whatever legal reason behind it and lead separate lives, no repercussion for sleeping with others." Astrid defined the separation we agreed on.

"Exactly. But things have changed to risk your safety…So I feel the arrangement needs to end. We stay married, act as roommates alone or with friends," I mentioned.

"Couple at school, married in the public eye?" Astrid asked. "What if…" She paused. "Since I know we're both enjoying the arrangement…I just sleep with guys when you're here, in your office or something." She tried.

"I rather not have to stop anyone else from hurting you, nor listen to it, Astrid. Yes, I could use headphones, but then I wouldn't hear any fights. I only heard tonight's because there was a song break," I rolled my eyes. "And I don't think your hookups if they already don't like when you or they have to leave, would appreciate knowing you're doing it with me a room away. What if you call my name again? That seemed to set Tristan off. Not that I'm not honored you were clearly thinking of the one time we had sex while you fucked him."

Astrid's blush burned from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "Shut up!" She screeched as I grinned.

"Thinking about the wedding night, Milady?" I teased.

"Fuck you," Astrid glared.

I folded my arms and smirked. "When and where?"

"Okay! So before you two jump one another, we're gonna leave! It's been enough of an adventurous night, and these…Whatever they are between you two is your business," Madison stated.

"Right, just let us know anything we need to," Evan agreed.

"We'll hang soon, I promise," I told them. They nodded, we said our goodbyes, and they were gone. "Okay, dropping the playfulness…Seriously, what's your reason for wanting to stop things?"

Astrid sighed a bit, rubbing her arm that she'd fallen on. I saw it was a little red and went to the freezer to get one of the cooler bag ice-packs. I gave it to her to put on the arm. "Thanks," We sat down on the couch. "I guess…Tonight scared me. Tristan's always been forward and brash, but never like tonight…I think he's jealous of you. And the others seem to be as well…I don't want to take the risk of a repeat, so it's better to stop things," She admitted to me. "But I meant what I said, I only want to stop it for me…You shouldn't have to just because the guys I slept with can't deal with me being married to you. Most of them are under the impression that you and I fuck a few times a week and you're the only one who has me…Fully. Well, vaginally." Astrid stated.

"Yeah, if we were banging even once a week, the arrangement wouldn't have started at all because you'd have known you could come to me if you needed relief…But hey, that argument was months ago. This is the now." I told her. "I don't feel right about continuing to have sex with other people if you're not doing to too. Flynn has a point, this would be more like me cheating on you cause you're still married to me and living here. I don't find the situation equal if we're not…Doing it to each other,"

"I see your point and I'm…I don't know what to call it for how I feel that you'd end the arrangement on the reasoning that it risks my safety, even if that means you have to lose it too. And I'd say…Maybe let us go back to the idea of roommates with benefits, but…" Astrid trailed off.

"Go on," I invited.

"Like I said…Tonight scared me, and I know that you'd never do that to me after how our wedding night went…" She shook the images from her mind to stay focused. "But I sort of want to take a sex break...Get my head together. The end of the school year is coming up, finals, prom…Gotta figure out work things again because once you take over…The other building will be shut down and I don't assume we're working together. Kind of off if you are my boss, as well as my public husband and normal roommate…" Astrid explained. "So…I guess I just wanna focus on me for a bit. And being that my choice, I want you to keep seeing other women too…Keep yourself busy and…Destressed. Like I said, maybe once I get myself alright again…We can drop the arrangement fully, have it be roommates with benefits or even…" Astrid stopped, biting her bottom lip.

"Even…What?" I pushed.

"Give…Things a try again?" Astrid said in a small voice, but I heard her. She wanted to try making our marriage work again? Well, fuck. Now, I really feel like I shouldn't screw other girls. "But after I'm…Good again. I don't want to do it right now because I feel like it would just…Fall apart with me not ready to have sex. Think of it as…Me still a virgin, knowing how it works, but not ready to do it yet. And if we try things again, I wouldn't want me not having sex with you to ruin anything…" Astrid continued.

I guess I saw her point. "Alright…Guess we can revisit that idea later, perhaps…" I was still shocked that she even suggested it. "But seriously, you still want me to have sex with other girls?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes, please?" I was surprised to put a please on the response. "I-I know it makes you happy, and while I'm focusing on me, I won't be any good at destressing you regularly or sexually…So I want you to still…Turn to them. And I swear, I won't get upset or anything. I won't pull any stunts to turn things around and claim you cheated, or anything. We'll keep it as is, only me not having sex. You and I are just roommates, except in public. I'll still work, do my part…Can we still do that?" She asked.

I thought about it. It sounded weird, but…It seemed like Astrid really wanted this, and it would ensure she was safe too. I sighed. "Okay…Okay. Fine. If this is really how you wanna keep it, I'll agree. But don't screw me, Astrid…I mean it." I warned. Astrid smiled, giving a salute with her fingers. "Alright. You take your sex break, I'll keep doing my thing…We'll make this work as roommates, and publicly viewed married couple. If…When you want to come back to the…Game, we'll call it. You'll let me know? We'll renegotiate terms or…Whatever?"

"Absolutely." Astrid nodded. "Just, uh, let me know if anyone is gonna be here with you…Or your…Not gonna be home normal time, or at all?"

"Will do." I agreed.

"Awesome, thank you," Astrid said.

"You're welcome? And thank you…I think?" I responded, unsure if that was the right thing to say. Was she thanking me for agreeing, was I thanking her for letting it go on as a one-sided thing? "So, since we're set with all that…Can I ask you something, Astrid?" I decided to push my luck and ask the question.

She blushed already but looked down. "I-Is it why I called out your name earlier?"

"Yes, actually," I confirmed.

Astrid sighed a bit, fiddling with her fingers. "Okay so…Part of my whole…Get me together thing is that…Sex has…Become boring for me." Astrid admitted as I listened, but not in any teasing fashion. I genuinely wanted to understand this. "It was great in the start, having sex at random and with…Different people. But it started getting boring once the hookups were allowed here. Like…Still felt good, but not…Wow moment, I guess," She continued, not looking at me.

"And I was your…Wow moment?" I inquired.

"Well, you were the first and, up until tonight, only who had fucked me vaginally. I kept thinking about what was wrong and why I couldn't enjoy it as I had before with others. Anal sex was always great for me…But I thought maybe it's because my wow moment was the vaginal sex, and that's why I let Tristan do it…He was supposed to pull out before he came, and us switch to anal…" She grumbled about Tristan being an ass again. "Anyway…When I was riding him on the couch, I just…Thought back to our first time, how it felt when you pushed me over that threshold of normal climax into fireworks orgasm," Okay, I took a little pride in that description. "I guess when I rode Tristan, I was looking for that. He wasn't really doing anything, I was trying to find the thing I did while riding you and in that, I was remembering what I did with you. When the orgasm hit, I just…Moaned your name because I was still reliving the moment when it happened with you." She confessed.

I was a bit surprised by her explanation, but I wasn't upset or anything. "But tonight is the only time you…Thought about how it was for you with me? You haven't been moaning my name with others?"

"No, no. As I said, it was…Boring with the others. Most of them like being in charge, so I kinda just lay there and it feels…Blah. And again, I always do anal with them. Tonight was the first I let anyone do vaginal, but I wasn't…Anticipating being on top, riding, and trying to recreate whatever the hell happened with you. It still wasn't…Fireworks wow because as soon as I said your name, I got scared you heard me and would come running to think there was trouble…And then the moment died all the way when I realized Tristan didn't pull out before he came," Astrid informed.

"Well, at least you know how to get it next time," I tried to cheer her up, I could tell she was bummed about things. "Hey, I told you…If you ever want to have sex with me, all you have to do is ask, or shoot me some kind of warning. I meant that. I'm all for random, spur-of-the-moment stuff. I know you're taking your break with it now, but if along the way you need a little relief, I'm here. As your…Roommate, friend, and husband. We don't have to fuck like dragons in heat either, I can do it just like our wedding night," I offered.

"Y-You mean like…Make love to me?" Astrid blushed some.

"Yeah. It doesn't have to be…Love, I guess. But I consider it a better term than sex, fucking, banging, or whatever. Making love can just be, slower sex," I said.

"I…Appreciate that, Hector. Thank you…" Astrid replied.

"Anytime," I smiled at her. "Seriously, you don't have to be afraid to ask me…For anything. We're in this together, even if we hate each other the whole time," I chuckled and she did too.

"I'll keep it in mind. And…Thank you, also, for saving me from Tristan tonight,"

"You're welcome. And to also keep in mind, I'd do anything for you…Not just sexual. You are my roommate, friend, I hope, and wife…I'm here for you," I put my hand on hers. I saw her smile lightly and blush more.

"Thank you, babe," Astrid winked.

"You're welcome, babe," I replied.

"What now, movie?" Astrid wondered since we were right there on the couch and neither of us had anything to do now.

"How about we order a pizza to share, grab some popcorn and drinks, and watch a movie?" I suggested.

"Sounds like the best idea I've heard all night," Astrid agreed.

I nodded, grabbing my phone to pull up the pizza place application while Astrid went to get drinks and popcorn. I ordered something we both liked and could share, then we got the living room set for a movie night. Things were still strange, but it was probably like that for both of us. I didn't know where things could go next, but I'm curious to find out. I hope it'll be something good. That would be nice after the almost year of madness we've both had to deal with. Tonight, though, this was turning out to be an okay night for Astrid and me even though neither of our original plans was seen through. I was alright with this.