Life was good for him, he didn't imagine anything could ever ruin the happiness he felt being in a relationship with Astrid and knowing they would be having a daughter together in four months. Hiccup loved it all so much-though it would be better if he and Astrid could actually decide on a name for their daughter. However, they'd been at it for a week since finding out the gender and still couldn't decide. All of his friends were happy for them too-they threw a big celebration together with pink balloons and a cake that said 'It's A Girl' on it with pink, yellow, and purple frosting. Stormfly and Meatlug went out of their way to get the baby each a little something from them. Meatlug got her a onsie, and Stormfly got her a pair of pink and white baby sneakers. Hiss and Sparky pulled together to get Astrid and Hiccup a crib and changing table combination that even had two drawers in it to store diapers and wipes. Hookfang got the baby a dresser for all the clothes. Zap grabbed about three boxes of diapers and wipes. Toothless got bottles, pacifiers, as well a pack&play while Gobber got Astrid a rocking chair and small bassinet to keep in their bedroom for the first few months. Hiccup and Astrid were picking up clothes and onsies once a week during trips to the store.
Astrid obviously no longer had trouble with being stalked: she felt safer now because of Hiccup's actions with the restraining and no contact order. Thanksgiving was coming up in another week-they were excited to celebrate it together at Gobber's house. The plan was for Astrid and Hiccup to go to the Thorston house to celebrate with them, Fishlegs, and Snotlout-then they would be making it back to Gobber's for 6:30pm dinner with the band all together since they were all doing Thanksgiving with their families in the earlier part of the day. It was gonna be a good day with a lot of food and laughs-they couldn't wait. Today, Hiccup was out at the store picking up a few things for Astrid because she was homesick. The doctor told her to just take it easy and rest but if she started throwing up a lot or felt a lot of pain to come into the hospital. Hiccup was picking up some cough drops, an approved medication for fever and pain reducers, also some ginger ale and crackers to ease her stomach.
Hiccup placed his items on the belt due to being next in line after the person in front of him walked out the exit doors just off to the right of the registers. "Hello. How are you this evening?" asked a young woman's voice.
"I'm well, how about yourself tonight?" Hiccup replied calmly as the cashier began to scan the items one by one.
"Waiting for the end of a very long shift to end. So many people in buying cold remedies and flu care items," the cashier chuckled some.
"That's why I'm here too. My girl is sick, has been for two days." Hiccup sighed lightly, hoping Astrid would be alright. The first day wasn't so bad, today when she woke up, she was worse with a fever and just about bedridden.
"Poor thing, hope she feels better soon," the cashier said softly. "Alright, your total tonight is $8.23," she added. Hiccup pulled out a ten from his wallet and handed it to her. She pressed the button on the register screen and the drawer popped open as she began to collect his change, "Your change is $1.77. Have a good night, sir," the cashier smiled. Hiccup stuffed the change in his pocket as he got the bag and nodded to her.
"You as well," he said and with that, he exited the store and headed for his car. It was a cold night but then again the months from October to about middle of March were known to be freezing on the island of Berk. Hiccup was pretty used to it honestly-he just wanted to get home to take care of Astrid.
"Fancy running into you here, Hiccup," came a familiar tone, Hiccup whipped around to see Heather there with her usual smile.
"You found me, I didn't run into you." Hiccup remarked coldly as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
"Hey, what's your rush? We haven't seen each other in so long..." she pouted innocently.
"In a rush to get away from you, Heather." Hiccup retorted.
"Come on, let's go for coffee and catch up?" Heather offered.
"No way. I have to get home," Hiccup said preparing to open his car door but she put her hand on his now.
"To take care of your new girlfriend right? The one you got pregnant on a drunken one night stand?" Heather stated as Hector's eyes widened some and she grinned.
"How did you know Astrid was pregnant?..." Hiccup asked pulling his back from hers now with narrowed eyes.
"I was in the neighborhood when you and her told her friends. Sounded like a pretty wild night you had after you left me," Heather said softly. "We have things to talk about, I'm sure you can spare a few minutes..."
"Best night of my life actually. Out of my way, I need to get home. You and I have nothing to discuss," Hiccup told her firmly now as he opened his car door but Heather shut it on him before he could get in.
"Oh, I think we have a lot to talk about if you don't want me telling every news crew from here and around the Archipelago about Dusk have a one night stand with a fan, and then her ending up pregnant," Heather challenged.
"You wouldn't. You are still under contract and if you say a word about me or my personal life the you know the consequences," Hiccup reminded her coldly.
"That's fine. I've already lost you so I've got nothing left to lose. The question here is will you put me away when I'm the only thing protecting your pregnant girlfriend from the paparazzi?" Heather said as Hiccup froze momentarily, his brow twitching at the words she had said. "Think about it, Hiccup. Even if I'm in prison...the truth will be out and she won't be safe. You remember what it was like with everyone knowing about me...do you really want your pregnant girlfriend to be under the stress of the celebrity lifestyle?"
Hiccup stared at her intently now, trying to figure out if she'd really do it. Of course she would, she already stalked Astrid for a week and threatened her. "I see the game you're playing..." he sighed, "What do you want, Heather? I know you want something in exchange for your silence, so what is it?"
"You. That's all I ever wanted-but you left me instead," Heather told him now.
"You pushed me away from you. You wanted sex in the dressing room twenty minutes before showtime, you always wanted sex from me, or to be in public eye as Dusk's girlfriend. You didn't love me and I didn't want to be with someone who loved what I could give her over loving me as myself," Hiccup told her slowly now.
"I said I was sorry. I do love you, Hiccup...all I'm asking for is a second chance to prove that," Heather stated calmly.
"Well you're too late, Heather. I'm with Astrid and she's pregnant with my child, I'm not just going to abandon her to be with you-not to mention the fact I don't want to leave her. I love her and she loves me. Me, as in Hiccup not Dusk," Hiccup said firmly now.
"Fine, then I'll just tell everyone the truth and let you have fun protecting her from things you couldn't even protect me from," Heather said pulling out her cell phone. Hiccup's eyes widened now as she put it to her ear.
"Alright, alright...you win, Heather," Hiccup said quickly as Heather dropped the phone now and looked at him, "Stop...you win. What do you want from me? I'll do it just...leave Astrid alone, please..." he asked.
"Wow, you really do love her to be willing to do anything to protect her..." Heather stated a little surprised at how fast he changed his mind. Hiccup held his breath in fear as Heather ended her current call after saying it was the wrong number and she was sorry. "I told you what I wanted but here...I won't be heartless. I know you love her and will never love me so I propose a deal, interested?" Heather asked.
"I'm listening," Hiccup stated.
"She can have you, but I want you too." Hiccup arched a brow now, "Let me explain. Astrid can have Hiccup, I want Dusk. By that I mean that when you're doing performances, talk shows, interviews...I want to be at your side. I want to go on dates with you being Dusk and me being myself. No disguises. If I call you over-since I'm not allowed there, then I expect you to come as Dusk. I'll be honest, I don't really want you back-I want the spotlight and to be able to have sex again. And anytime you don't have to be Dusk...you can be with her." Heather stated.
"That's hardly fair-that means you can call me over anytime you want. I'm not abandoning Astrid, she's five months pregnant, Heather. We go to doctor appointments every two weeks, and I still my practices almost every night of the week for three hours," Hiccup argued. "I am not sleeping with you again, no way. Out of the question. I'll play and act as your celebrity boyfriend all you want but sex is out of the question completely,"
"Fine. I won't interrupt your stupid appointments or practices. But after practice, I want you coming over to see me and spend the night and if you won't sleep with me then we can do foreplay," Heather remarked.
"I am not spending the night at your place every night. Especially after Astrid has the baby, she's gonna need my help. And no foreplay either, Heather. I'm not touching you period unless it's for the sake of acting for the press. You said you wanted the spotlight back, when we're alone-there's no spotlight. Those were your words, I agreed to be your celebrity boyfriend, to be Dusk with you. The rest is out of the question. I will come see you after practices and I will spend the night sometimes-but not all of them and if Astrid needs me for any reason at all, then I will be by her side." Hiccup informed.
"Very well then-but I better get to see you too, and don't you dare have sex with her because that's not fair to me that she gets you and I don't. Got it? Or else I'm going straight to the press," Heather warned.
"Whatever. Can I go now?" Hiccup growled out, he couldn't fucking believe this was happening right now and he had half a mind to just go to the police and get a restraining order against her for himself too but that wouldn't stop her from telling the press and then Astrid would be in danger at school and at home because they'd be all over the woman Dusk was dating and carrying his child. That's why Heather put it the way she did, she wanted the spotlight and Dusk-not Hiccup.
"Sure. See you soon then," Heather kissed his cheek.
"Won't be until after Astrid feels better, she has the flu right now...I will call you," Hiccup almost threw up when she kissed him, Heather backed out of his way as he got in the car and she moved farther away as he started it up and sped off without a word. He only prayed Astrid would understand why he did this.
(Gobber's House)
As soon as he got there he put it in park and hit the steering wheel hard with frustration-he took a breath before getting the bag from the store, taking the keys out and walking towards the house. The time was about 7pm-they were waiting for him to get back to continue practice and he'd been gone almost half an hour because of Heather's threat and now blackmail. He walked into the house and shut the door harder than he meant to.
"You buy half the store?" Zap teased.
"I am far from in the mood right now, Zap..." Hiccup mumbled as the others now noticed how serious and pissed off he looked.
"Hey, what happened?" Toothless asked him now.
"I'll tell you after I get this to Astrid," Hiccup said holding up the bag.
"She'll be right out, she's in the bathroom. She's been sitting out here with us since you left because she was lonely, her fever broke and she was able to keep down some of dinner," Gobber informed him. The bathroom door in the hall opened as Astrid walked out and saw him, she smiled a bit but didn't see him smiling and got worried.
"What's wrong, babe?" Astrid asked him gently with a hand on his arm.
"You're gonna wanna sit down for this..." Hiccup said, Astrid already didn't like where this was going-she sat down on the couch as Hiccup put the bag down on the table.
"What's eatin ya, lad?" Gobber asked now.
"You'll never guess who I ran into at the store..." Hiccup mumbled.
"Your parents?" Astrid asked being the first assumption to put him in this kind of a mood.
"Worse," Hiccup mentioned.
"What could possibly be worse than your parents?" Stormfly asked.
"My ex," Hiccup remarked.
"Oh Gods, you ran into Heather there? She say anything to you?" Toothless asked.
"Oh, she had a lot to say. She's fucking blackmailing me into being with her," Hiccup groaned now. Their eyes widened.
"She can't do that, she has nothing on you..." Hookfang mentioned.
"Except the fact she knows Astrid is pregnant with my child, and knows that I'm Dusk...she threatened to go to the press about it if I didn't agree to her terms." Hiccup sighed.
"She'll go to prison if she talks though, so why are you worried?" Astrid asked softly.
"Because even if she goes to prison...the truth would still be out and you would be in danger of paparazzi harassment. She specifically told me she didn't care if she went to prison, told me to have fun protecting Astrid from things that I couldn't even protect her from. And sadly as much as it pisses me off...she's right. I mentioned all this when we got together-Heather got hurt a lot being with me as Dusk in the celebrity life, and I don't want that happening to you. That's why I said our relationship was Hiccup and Astrid, not Dusk and Astrid even though I'm the same person-it doesn't show to the public when I'm Hiccup..." he sighed heavily.
"What does she want, you told her you were with Astrid, didn't you?" Toothless asked.
"Yep and she doesn't care. She said she doesn't want 'Hiccup', she wants Dusk. She said she doesn't care if I'm with Astrid as Hiccup, but she wants Dusk. She wants the spotlight back, in the sense that anytime I'm out in public as Dusk-she wants to be at my side," Hiccup explained.
"What a bitch..." Meatlug huffed, all of them in shock hearing about this.
"What else does she want-her terms about this?" Astrid asked.
"She wants Dusk as her boyfriend, to be in the spotlight again. She said that when she calls me, she expects me to come over and spend the night with her. She tried to get me to agree to have sex with her, I said no. Then she tried foreplay, also said no. I told her that I still have practices and your appointments so I couldn't just come over at her every beck and call, she said that was fine-she wouldn't interrupt appointments or practices, but wants me over after practices. She wants dates as Dusk and herself, no disguises. I caught her on her own words that she said she only wanted me as her celebrity boyfriend and in the spotlight so I wasn't touching her unless I had to act," Hiccup sighed heavily.
"Wait...you actually agreed to this?" they asked in shock.
"What choice did I have? It was that or Astrid gets thrown into the fire, and I don't want her under all that stress..." Hiccup closed his eyes.
"Did she say anything else about this arrangement?" Astrid asked now.
"She told me I couldn't have sex with you and that I better get to see her equally or she'll go to the press with everything...Astrid, I'm...I'm sorry...I'm...just trying to protect you from all that..." Hiccup got on his knees now and looked at her with worry she'd leave him. "I don't want any part of this, I want you and our baby...I swear it won't go on forever-I just gotta figure out a way to get out of it...make her hate me, or a loophole in the contract...something that says she can't do this...please don't hate me...please, I love you and only you..." he pleaded.
Astrid put her hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair gently. "Any man willing to put up with his psycho, stalker ex-girlfriend just to protect his current girlfriend and unborn daughter...is not a man I can stay mad at. I understand why you did it, Hiccup and...I'm okay with it," Astrid said softly as Hiccup looked up at her quickly. "I love you, and I know you're just protecting me, I appreciate that..." she added.
"Y-you're...not mad at me?" Hiccup asked.
"Oh, I'm furious-but no, Love, not at you. I'm sure Gobber, the others, and myself can find a way to get you out of this. Until then, just act like agreed upon. This is the off season, there isn't a lot of action for Dragon's Roar right now. Take her on a few dates to keep her happy and off your ass, stay two nights a week. I know you won't have sex with her, or partake in any foreplay. Everything will be okay, I promise..." Astrid smiled at him.
"I don't deserve you-but Gods am I lucky to have you. I love you, Astrid..." Hiccup told her as he leaned in and kissed her, then pulled back.
"And don't worry about us not having sex," Astrid smiled as Hiccup arched a brow at her now, "She's not allowed near me, or the house...she can't see us being in the safety of our home," his girlfriend teased.
"You, milady, are devious, as well dangerous. By the Gods, it is so friggin' hot when you talk like that..." Hiccup smiled.
"I know, I'm aware...Don't stress, Hiccup...things will be okay and work out just as they should. She'll get what's coming to her and we're all gonna enjoy watching her go down," Astrid said as she stroked his cheek tenderly. Hiccup nodded, but he still didn't like this in the slightest. It made him sick to be around Heather-but he had to put up with it for the sake of protecting Astrid: she said she didn't mind he was doing it but it still bothered him. He just hoped they could find a way to get him out of this and fast-but it was all he could do, to just play by Heather's rules of the game. Act like her celebrity boyfriend, and let her enjoy the spotlight, that was it. He could handle this...for now.