A Yakky Reunion
AN1: Co-written between Vala411 & Harrypanther (Warning: Please be aware both of us are either tipsy, sugarhigh or both)
AN2: No teachers, buildings or yaks were harmed in the making of this story. Just 'slightly' singed.
AN3: Disclaimer: We don't own How To Train Your Dragon (more's the pity). Rights remain with Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks.
-o0o-
"PLEAAAAASEEEEE!" Snotlout begged as he hugged his neighbour's legs, on his knees. The begging continued, causing the blonde woman to roll her eyes in exasperation and mild disgust. "Astrid please help me out here!" Snotlout continued. They had been neighbours for close to two years now and Snotlout knew he and Astrid didn't start off on the right foot but he thought that she was warming up to him.
"Why me again?" Astrid asked with a roll of her eyes. "Also stand up, you're embarrassing yourself." Snotlout scrambled off the hall floor of their apartment building and looked at Astrid with pleading puppy-dog eyes.
"Because you're literally the only one who can do it!" Snotlout whined. The blonde woman pursed her lips and scanned the stocky man in his security guard's uniform.
"Lily on the third floor rejected you, didn't she?" she deadpanned.
"Yes," Snotlout signed. He was hugging her legs tighter.
"Maddie on the fifth floor?" Astrid guessed.
"Shut the door in my face." Snotlout conceded.
"Jane at the reception?"
"Threatened me with mace," Snotlout muttered.
"Rochelle on the fourth floor?"
"Kicked me in the...well, let's say she wasn't at all keen…" Snotlout grumbled with a wince. "Hey, I even asked our landlord."
"Our landlord is a 64-year-old woman with 8 cats," Astrid pointed out, folding her arms disapprovingly.
"I know," Snotlout uttered. "She said I wasn't sexy enough for her."
"And you came to me last?" Astrid checked, raising an eyebrow and scowling as Snotlout gulped.
"Well, I didn't think you'd agree," he pleaded pitifully.
"You're right. I don't," the blonde snapped and was about to slam the door when Snotlout shouted:
"WAIT! I'LL GET YOU THOSE LIMITED EDITION CAKES YOU LOVE FOR A WHOLE WEEK!"
Astrid stopped and peered at Snotlout with a cynical eye. "Those special Mille-feuille cakes?" she asked him carefully.
"I work Security in the building across from that bakery. I can get them before they are sold out!" Snotlout told her desperately. "All I need is this little favour."
Astrid thought for a moment, her azure eyes assessing Snotlout. She had been seriously craving those cakes again but they were always sold out when she went after work. Her neighbour was getting desperate with bribing her because they weren't cheap-but did she want to be seen in public with a rather short, stocky, desperate security guard who had issues with regular bathing and had flirted horribly with her for over a year?
But cakes were cakes...
"Fine, I'll do it. I'll be your date to your High School reunion," Astrid stated, causing Snotlout to punch the air with glee. "And I expect the first cake IN ADVANCE or the deal's off!"
-o0o-
"Tell me again why I needed to basically dress like a Bond girl for this?" Astrid asked when they were in the parking lot of Snotlout's old High School, ready for the reunion. Snotlout had been absolutely desperate for her to be dressed up to the nines, looking at least a million dollars and as she had given her word, Astrid had agreed. As a beautiful woman with pale skin, big azure eyes and shimmering gold hair, Astrid knew she was attractive and had chosen a floor-length silk-satin cream halter-neck gown that hugged her perfect figure beautifully, the neckline slashed to the waistband. Golden Louboutins and a matching purse completed her ensemble, making her look Oscar-worthy. She looked around: her schooling had been at the more downmarket Berk High but they all knew that Raven Point Academy was the most exclusive school in Berk.
"Because….." Snotlout began and then looked around to check if no one was around to overhear them. "I really need you to make me look good. A lot of these people come from very well off families and I don't really want them finding out I ended up as a Security guard."
"Why? A security guard is a perfectly good job to have," Astrid stated honestly. Snotlout looked embarrassed.
"Yeah, but I was Mr. Popular back then and voted most likely to succeed," Snotlout signed.
"Ah." And though she was already regretting the agreement, she felt a pang of sympathy for Snotlout. "You want to live out the old glory days. And pretend they were right." Snotlout nodded.
"Just for tonight, I'd like to be the success they thought I'd be," he sighed. "And you're going to be my ticket to making them believe that." She looked him up and down and slid her arm through his: he had cleaned up reasonably well, with his broad face clean-shaven and his raven hair neatly combed. His pale blue eyes were sparkling as he smiled.
"Then lead on, Mr. Success," she told him, lifting her head. "Show me your Alma Mater!"
They walked through the main entrance and Snotlout glanced around with unabashed interest. The main hallway was wide and freshly decorated, the floor covered with a sturdy but good quality carpet and there were portraits and certificates on the walls, along with posters and artworks by the pupils, shields won by the sports teams and photographs of the graduating classes. It was, Astrid had to concede, rather more impressive than her own High School, which looked as if it was about to fall down ten years ago when they had left school.
There were other couples walking around, along with some groups and they were all murmuring, reminiscing as they revisited old haunts and relived old memories-some funny and some rather more poignant. Snotlout pointed out a few places-where he had stood as he had given his then-girlfriend her first kiss and where he had said goodbye to his friends for the last time as he left school. Astrid found herself feeling more sorry for him. He was brash and not especially bright or insightful but he was clearly disappointed at how his life had turned out and a part of her wanted to make sure he had a good night. And she found herself hoping he wouldn't just put his foot in his mouth-as he tended to when he was flirting with her.
"Oh look, they redecorated!" Snotlout noticed as he and Astrid were walking towards the gym. "There used to be a wall here!" The blonde frowned, inspecting the clearly new plasterwork.
"Do they redecorate often?" Astrid asked as Snotlout proceeded to point out several more renovations that had happened after he left school. A wall gone there, more doors, new classrooms, even a new pool. She looked confused.
"Well, only if an explosion happened," Snotlout shrugged as if it was common causing Astrid to stop in her tracks.
"An explosion!" she uttered looking caught off guard. "Was that a frequent occurrence?"
"Yeah, we had a set of twins who were in my year," Snotlout smirked. "They loved causing explosions." Her eyebrows raised in concern. He then started ticking off a few examples. "Let's see, the wall to the gym was blown up once because of a misplaced experimental firework that was actually about seventy fireworks all rolled into one, the pool is now where the tennis court used to be due to the exploding balls, the front doors of the school were trampled by a stampede of yaks..."
"Wait...Yaks?! Why would there be yaks here?" Astrid asked as she looked left and right as if a yak would pop out any second.
"You know, I think the Vice Principal asked the same question. And the Biology Teacher. And the Police. And Berk Animal Welfare… In fact, only the twins know the answer to that…" Astrid shook her head.
"And I guess they went into Demolitions?" she guessed. Snotlout shook his head.
"Actually, I heard one went into teaching and is currently a teacher here," he revealed. Astrid stopped dead and stared at him incredulously.
"So let me get this straight. One of the people who was regularly involved in the destruction of the school became a teacher and returned to this very school to teach?" Astrid summarized. "And some idiots actually hired them?"
"Pretty much," Snotlout said as they reached the gym doors. "You should have seen graduation. When the twins got their diplomas the teachers broke out the alcohol on stage. I hate to see the expressions on their faces when Ruff came back to join the faculty a few years later!" Astrid shook her head.
"You know, I doubt that would happen in the Public School system," she murmured as Snotlout shrugged.
"Well, Raven Point Academy is a pretty unusual place," he shrugged as the walked into the Gym, decorated with a huge banner in red and gold, proclaiming "WELCOME BACK GRADUATES!" He gestured. "Ta-Da? We're here!"
Astrid looked around. The gym was a large space, now laid out with tables to one side laden with drinks and food and a number of round tables with six or eight chairs, covered with crisp white tablecloths and decorated with neat red and pink flower arrangements. There were people milling around, most in evening dress and tuxedos and all looking very pleased with themselves, Most were clutching glasses of champagne or cocktails and Seniors were circulating with trays of canapes. Snotlout chivalrously snared them both a glass of champagne and stuffed three mini samosas in his mouth as they slowly circulated, nodding to the other attendees and allowing Snotlout to show off his 'girlfriend'.
Calmly, he pointed out several of the teachers standing in the gym, circulating and greeting their former pupils. He gestured to a huge, saturnine man in a black suit, with long black dreadlocks, a sallow scarred face and a small braided beard.
"There is Mr. Bludvist," Snotlout commented in a low voice. "He used to be the Physics teacher and he became the Principal a few years back." He then leaned a little closer to Astrid to lower his voice to a whisper "Rumour had it that he only became the Principal after Ruffnut returned. Our old one, Mr. Grimmel, had a bit of a breakdown and no one wanted to become the boss afterwards to take responsibility for any over-budget repairs. Not even Vice-Principal Johann."
"Ah," was all Astrid could say as she looked at the surly Principal. The man hardly looked like a sympathetic leader. Snotlout grabbed her arm and almost spilled her champagne.
"Oh, and there is Mr. Treacherous." Snotlout pointed out. "He is the PE teacher and was my football coach. Good coach too, really supported me and sponsored me for my scholarship...except for one little thing."
"Which was?" Astrid was quite curious indeed.
"His mother…."
"His mother?" Her tone was perplexed.
"Yeah, we called her Excellinor the Witch. She taught Biology until her retirement in my Senior Year, thank Thor. Boy were we happy to see her go." Snotlout shuddered at the memory. "She was super strict. I would rather face three nuns with rulers, to be honest. But when it came to her son, she was a big softy. Mr. Treacherous was a bit forgetful during football season and he often forgot to eat so she would shout in the hallways "Ooooh Alvin-pooooh, Mommy made you a packed lunch!"
Astrid held a hand in front of her mouth to stop her laughter but she doubled over anyway at the mental image. Somehow, it kind of explained how come Snotlout was how he was. But she composed herself as he continued on explaining who the various staff members were. Then he squealed and hid behind her, gesturing at a buff man in leather pants and gilet with short spiky carrot-red hair, a scrappy beard and scars over one side of his face.
"Oh my Thor!" he gasped. Astrid frowned.
"What?" she asked as he gestured with a spring roll he had grabbed to settle his nerves.
"Dagur!" he whispered.
"Dagger? Who names themselves after a knife?" Astrid asked incredulously, wondering if maybe she had stepped into an alternate universe. Strangely enough, though she had been born on and lived on Berk her whole life, everyone she had known throughout her childhood and in school had been really...normal. In fact, she had scoffed at her friends from College who had laughed that Berkians had a reputation for weird names to scare off gnomes and trolls. Clearly, it seemed, she had been going to the wrong school because this place was weird name central.
"Dagur De La Ranged," Snotlout whispered, peering out from behind Astrid. "He was about three years above us but his sister was...in my year. Was a Berkian Army Ranger until that incident with the packed lunches, the helicopter and three exploding tanks. Anyway, I heard he was invalided out. He's the gardener here. Completely obsessive. I mean, I heard he cuts the bushes with hairdresser's scissors! And the front lawn! Every plant is measured in place with a ruler. And anyone walking on the grass...well, I believe the Board of Governors had to give him a written warning for threatening to axe students' feet off for bruising his lawn…" He glanced at Astrid. "Did we walk across the grass on the way in?"
"Yup," Astrid confirmed.
"I think I need the bathroom," Snotlout gulped and vanished under the tables, crawling towards the exit undercover. "I'll be back in a few…" Shaking her head, she picked up a lox sandwich and sighed. She was wondering if her Mille Feuille were really worth all of this...
Ten minutes later, she was really getting fed up. She didn't know anyone here and she was hanging around the drinks table with still no sign of Snotlout. Dagur was chatting amiably with the Principal and an attractive raven-haired woman and no one had paid her any heed. Idly, she poured herself another punch as a tall, lanky auburn-haired man approached her. He was dressed rather casually for such an event, in plain black slacks and an open-necked rust-red shirt. While everyone else was in full evening dress, hoping to relive glory moments, he looked like your everyday guy down the bar. What struck her though was his handsome, sharp-jawed face and his sparkling emerald eyes. He smiled and she felt her heart flutter a little as he nodded a greeting.
"Hi," he introduced himself, his voice light, slightly nasal and very pleasant. "I'm Hiccup. Snotlout's cousin. You must be his girlfriend." The man, Hiccup, held his hand out for her to shake and she vaguely remembered Snotlout mentioning that his cousin had also attended the school, though they hadn't talked in a few years. She firmly shook his hand, feeling his warm skin against hers. She felt her lips lift in a brief smile.
"Hmm… 'Girlfriend' is a bit of a stretch," Astrid conceded. She knew that she was basically more like arm-candy as Snotlout introduced her to his past friends. For an independent and fierce woman, she was finding it harder and harder to smile and not feel insulted at being stared up and down by a selection of lascivious men who were clearly just seeing her as a piece of meat. Not one person had asked her anything about herself, though they had been keen enough to boast about their own achievements. And though she was getting expensive pastries out of the deal for free, she wasn't enjoying the evening. In a second, Hiccup read her face.
"He bribed you didn't he," he sighed. Her eyes widened as he offered a small smile. "I told him not to do it when he called me up a week ago but well….."
"Well?" Astrid asked. She was curious now.
Hiccup pointed at someone and Astrid turned to see the attractive raven-haired woman she had noted earlier laughing and chatting with several other women. "Snotlout's crushes," Hiccup explained easily, grabbing himself a punch. "They all rejected him for Prom so he wanted to show you off to make them feel that they missed something. Though two of the ladies in question had a good reason for blowing him off."
"They did?" Astrid quirked a brow in response to his statement. He chuckled and gestured to the black-haired woman
"That's Heather de La Ranged, youngest child of an old-money family but she went against their wishes and joined the Army after graduating. She was checking out recruitment offices during Prom time."
"How did you know that?" Astrid asked.
"We were close then. And since I wasn't going to go to Prom she asked if I could help her sneak around and drive her to the places," Hiccup stated.
"You didn't go to Prom?" Astrid frowned.
"Yeah, couldn't get a date." Hiccup just shrugged casually, as if he hadn't cared-though there was the faintest of edges to his voice which told Astrid that he had. "I was a nerd back then. A complete fishbone. Tall, skinny as hell and awkward. I could fall over my feet on a flat floor. No girl wanted to look my way with the exception of Heather and Ruffnut."
"Ruffnut? Is she the other girl Snotlout had a crush on?" Astrid asked, wondering where she had heard the name. Hiccup had to stifle a laugh.
"Ruff? Thor no. Ruffnut is one of the Thorston twins, a truly destructive force of nature! I'll introduce you to them later if you want. Snot's second crush was her," Hiccup then pointed to a woman that was talking to the Principal. Elegant, dressed in a sheer white gown with a choker of diamonds at her throat and her coppery hair in an elaborate style, she was stunning but she also looked extremely satisfied with herself. "Her. Atali Maiden, she was the Student Body President and the 'one that got away'. Though, in fact, my cousin never got the nerve to even ask her out. You probably saw her on the welcoming committee." Astrid shook her head.
"Nope," she commented. "She was already hobnobbing with the Principal and that guy over there with the designer tux. Snot and I didn't even feature on her radar." Hiccup sighed.
"Sorry," he said honestly. "She's taken with her own publicity and mixes with the great and good. She's on the Town Council as the Arts Portfolio Holder. She meets and greets anyone famous coming to Berk-and rumour has it she refuses to let them go unless they have their picture taken with her…"
"You seem to know a lot," Astrid remarks. "Did she stalk you as well?"
"Um...kind of," Hiccup admitted, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Mainly for my family, to be honest. I was kind of a disappointment at school...anyway, it's all water under the bridge." He gave a small smile. "I don't recognize you so I assume you didn't suffer the Raven Point Academy experience." She chuckled, recalling Snotlout's tour.
"No, thank Thor," she chuckled. "I went to Berk High." He sighed.
"You know, I wish I had," he told her conspiratorially. "I mean, rumour has it people there are pretty normal...no weird names, strange cliques or ancient traditions you have to follow…" Her eyes widened.
"Traditions?" she repeated, her brow furrowing. "What traditions?" He chuckled.
"Maybe I shouldn't scare you off," he said with a small smile. "So what do you do?"
"I teach karate at the Sports Centre and self-defense classes at the YMCA and the Retired Vikings' and Valkyries' Home," she told him. "Oh and I also work in the Housing Department."
"Wow. You're a busy woman," he commented. "And not one to cross, I suspect." She smirked.
"I wanted to volunteer for the Special Constable Programme but the recruitment officer told me that it wasn't open to women," she muttered as he frowned.
"That's not right," he told her. "The Mayor set it up for all Berkians who wanted to contribute. I can speak to them…" She frowned.
"Why?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Because you wanted to do it and you were wrongfully denied," he told her simply. "If you still want to." She turned to face him.
"So what do you do?" she asked. "Why would your word carry weight?"
"I know the Mayor and I know you are exactly the sort of person he would want to serve Berk," he said, glossing over the answer. "That is, if you still want…" She nodded and smiled.
"Actually...I would appreciate that," she murmured. He smiled and then looked awkwardly self-conscious.
"Anyway, I've got a couple of friends to catch up with. Would you like me to introduce you?" His emerald eyes sparkled hopefully and she paused. A huge part of her really wanted to prolong her time with Hiccup, who was extremely cute and friendly. But she sighed and shook her head, feeling a sense of obligation to Snotlout-and the promised pastries.
"I probably should wait for Snot," she admitted, though her face was disappointed.
"The offer is still open," he told her, a hint of longing in his voice. "Any time." And then, with a slight nod, he walked away.
More time passed and she watched Hiccup drifting through the room, smiling to the teachers and chatting amiably, while she tried to recall what Snotlout had told her about his cousin. It wasn't much, to be honest. She got the impression that Snotlout looked down on his cousin while being jealous of him. Certainly, Hiccup was tall, handsome and kind, without any noticeable airs and graces. Snotlout had said he was rather scrawny and clumsy but that certainly hadn't matched with the hot guy Astrid had been talking to. And he had seemed rather interesting, very easy to talk to...but he was the only person who hadn't made a point of telling Astrid what his job was and how well he was doing. She frowned.
But as she looked around for Snotlout, she still couldn't see hair nor hide of her date. He had been gone for a while and she didn't think going to the bathroom took so much time unless you drank Yaknog. It tended to have an unfortunate effect on the bowels but it was banned in Berk unless at an authorized traditional Viking Celebration. And even then it came with health warnings, more health warnings and a waiver that you had to sign before consuming the wretched stuff. Frustrated, she cast around for Hiccup-and then she finally spotted her own date...talking to Atali. She stopped mid-stride as she set off towards him and decided to give him some space, Hiccup's words rolling around her memory. This was a reunion, a time for second chances. So she decided to let him try to get the woman he never could. Then she turned away and finally spotted the auburn hair of the man she was seeking. Maybe she'd take up Hiccup's offer of meeting the twins after all.
Hiccup had looked up with a smile as she approached and he had eagerly welcomed her and introduced her to the famed Thorston twins. But meeting the twins was not what she had expected. From the descriptions, she had expected mad scientists, possibly who loved stroking white Persian cats and had rayguns stuffed in their lab coats. These two adults looked... normal. Of course, she didn't voice this as she shook their hands while Hiccup introduced them.
"Astrid, meet Ruffnut and Tuffnut." A lanky woman with a long face and grey eyes, her pale blonde hair piled up in an immense beehive have a grin. "Ruffnut is the Chemistry teacher here at the school now." Hiccup nodded as Astrid smiled at her: she was leering but she didn't appear like a crazed demolitions expert. Then she turned to Tuffnut, a lanky male version of Ruffnut with pale brown eyes and hair in long blond dreadlocks, who was dressed in black slacks with a black shirt and crisp fitted jacket with a white scarf draped around his neck. She smiled lazily.
"Are you a teacher too?" she asked as he gave a laugh.
"Thor no!" Tuffnut laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Yours truly is a model!" He then struck a dramatic pose causing Hiccup to roll his eyes. "I'm sure you've seen me in some of Milan's top fashion shows!" Astrid's eyes widened. He wasn't anywhere near as cute as Hiccup but now she watched, he carried himself with some poise-though he then ruined the effect by elbowing Ruffnut in the middle. "Of course, my butt-ugly sister was only ever fit for work indoors. Locked away, preferably in the dark. In goggles. And a face mask. Really, preferably a full-body hazmat suit…"
"HEY!" Ruff protested. "You know you only got that first Runway gig because you fed Yaknog to all the models and you were the only one who didn't have terminal vomiting!" Tuff waved his hand in the air nonchalantly.
"Modelling is a ruthless business, dear Sister Nut," he said superiorly. "Once they got a taste of Thorston, they couldn't do without me…"
"Weird seems to be in," Ruff retorted.
"Well, you're the teacher who has demolished the most of the school in her tenure," Tuff replied snidely. "I mean, melting through the entire floor of ChemLab 2 while with your Freshman Inorganic Class was a new record…" The female twin smirked.
"It was an initiative test," she explained. "The ones who made it to the door before the floor collapsed clearly had sufficient initiative to survive chemistry. The rest...chose biology. Once they got out of traction." Astrid stared as Hiccup chuckled.
"Darwinian Chemistry lessons," he commented dryly.
"Chemistry chooses you, not the other way round," Ruff told him. "If they don't make something melt, explode or fall down...they haven't done the practical properly."
"And that is why this school has the most expensive insurance in the Northern Hemisphere," Hiccup commented ironically. "Even schools in Beirut and Damascus have lower insurance. And probably blow up less…" Ruff glared at him.
"Harsh, Hiccy," she commented.
"Hiccy?" he repeated, a small frown on his face.
"But probably fair," Ruff conceded. "At least, my husband thinks so…" Astrid stared as Hiccup leaned close.
"Ruffnut is married to another of the teachers-Fishlegs Ingerman, who is one of the Geography Teachers," he explained.
"Fishlegs?" Astrid repeated. "Um...that makes no sense. Fish don't have legs. Why would anyone call someone Fishlegs?" Hiccup shrugged.
"That's a great point-but sadly, this is Berk, where people are rather stupid and congealed in their ways. It's Berkian tradition to have a dreadful name...so lo and behold...Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout..and Hiccup." He shrugged. "Go figure." She sighed.
"Well, half of Berk is like a Viking theme park so it isn't that great a stretch of the imagination to understand how it happens," she confessed, smiling at him. "Geography?"
"Probably so he knows where he and assorted bits of the school are landing after they've been blown up again by his wife," Tuff quipped and then he waved to a husky blond man who looked rather timid but waved and scuttled over to join them. "Fishy! Meet Astrid. She's apparently going out with Snotty!" The man smiled brightly, his large hand enclosing hers.
"Oh, it's so good to meet you!" he enthused, his green-blue eyes filled with welcome. Astrid soon found out that he was a really friendly guy, a classmate of the twins, Hiccup and Snotlout who adored his wife and had persuaded Ruff to turn her talents to teaching. He also taught a little Viking History and was adored by his students. And he blushed when Hiccup also let it slip that Fishlegs's classroom was on the other side of the school, well away from the Chemistry classroom. The auburn-haired man winked.
"Safety precautions and all you know," he commented as Ruff nuzzled against her husband. "She insisted, in fact, so she couldn't accidentally explode him!" Ruff winked.
"You're damn right," she agreed. "This is my personal Meatlug, aren't you, snookums?"
"Yes, dear," Fishlegs said with a twinkle in his eye. Tuff rolled his eyes and made a gagging motion but everyone could see he was happy to see his sister settled as well. Hiccup glanced around and saw Atali still talking to Snotlout.
"Would you like something to eat?" he asked, gesturing to the nearest table. "I think we're occupying here and I would love to talk a bit more to you…?" There was a hopeful note to his voice and she found herself smiling.
"You know, I would love that," she said, resting her glass of punch down alongside his and joining him at the buffet. Hiccup was a gentleman, making sure she was served first and had everything she needed. Some of the other guests were less generous, jostling her and almost spilling her plate until Hiccup stepped in. All of them grumbled and muttered that she should know who they were...but Hiccup merely cast them an unimpressed look and continued shielding her. When they got to the table, the twins had managed to filch a full plate of chicken legs and ribs and were munching away, discussing something in low tones. Fishlegs was chatting to an elegant woman with page-cut strawberry hair and green eyes, dressed in a simple black gown.
"This is Mala," Fishlegs said. "She's a Veterinarian at the Berk Animal Sanctuary. We got our dogs Meatlug and Barf there. This Reunion is running a fundraiser for the animals. She graduated in our year due to ill health and I've known her since I volunteered in the sanctuary as a college student."
Astrid smiled and mentally calculated how much she had in her purse. She needed to make a donation but she was short on money: she hoped they wouldn't make a big deal of it. And then Hiccup leaned towards her and she found herself lost in his eyes.
They chatted for over an hour as Fishlegs and Ruffnut replenished their plates and brought them additional mini gateaux and wafer-thin mints. Despite never meeting him before, she felt as if she had known Hiccup her entire life. He was amusing, kind, had a quick and sarcastic sense of humour and was interested in her. In fact, the only thing he hadn't told her was what he did, merely murmuring he had an office job. She had accepted it, though she felt he was holding something back. But he was single and had gone as far as to offer her a lift home-or a drive-through coffee.
Two of the burly men from the buffet table, drifted over to the table, both leering at the little group.
"What have we got here?" one asked, a burly dark-haired man with caramel eyes and a superior tone on his voice. "Two members of staff, the other vandal twin, a blonde who's probably a hooker and the year's fishbone." Hiccup frowned at that, his emerald eyes sparkling.
"Apologise to Astrid right now," he said firmly, rising to face the man. "Eret-that's plain rude and unworthy of this reunion."
"Why?" Eret asked, glancing at his friend who was darkly handsome. "I'm head of a chain of seven bakery stores across the Archipelago!"
"My good man, I'm an internationally renowned fashion model, used to the runways of Milan, Paris, and London!" Tuffnut boasted.
"While I'm CEO of Meathead Meats!" the other man said, then leaned forward and grabbed Astrid's hand, lecherously kissing her knuckles. "Thuggery Meathead at your service.". Astrid glared at him.
"And do you share his opinion?" she asked sweetly. He shrugged.
"Well, I've never heard of you," Thuggery commented, still leaning forward and not letting her hand go. Astrid smiled and punched him hard in the face, watching him go down like a felled tree.
"Heard of me now," she commented. Eret gaped in shock.
"You...you...you...punched him!" he protested.
"Anything you want to say?" Astrid asked, rising to face him, her fist still balled. Eret paled.
"Um...sorry?" he hazarded.
"Try harder," she suggested while cracking her knuckles as the others watched in shock.
"Please don't hit me?" he tried.
"Nope. Last chance…" Astrid growled. Eret dropped to his knees by the unconscious shape of his friend, clasping his hands in desperate supplication.
"Please please please please don't hit me! I am really truly completely sorry that I made any derogatory comments about you or any of the others here. I was wrong and judgemental and I will never do it again…" Astrid glared at him and then glanced over at Mala.
"And…"
"And I'm making a pledge of ten thousand dollars to the animal sanctuary now!" he gabbled. Astrid gave a curt nod.
"Nice to meet you. Now go away,' she snapped and Eret couldn't scuttle away fast enough as Hiccup watched her with a raised eyebrow.
"Wow," he commented. "You are one feisty and amazing woman, Astrid Hofferson. I am really impressed." He sighed. "And I would have taken him but you beat me to it." She chuckled, smoothed out her skirt and sat back down, sipping her punch.
"One of the benefits of a Public School education," she commented with a smile.
"I like her," Ruff commented.
"Me too," Mala added.
"Me three," Tuff joined in while sipping his fruity cocktail. "Awesome work, A! I'm getting you tickets to my New York shows! My special guest!" She blushed and lowered her eyes.
"Thanks," she murmured. "That's very kind." Tuff smiled and then adjusted his scarf.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I think they're playing my song," he said, hearing 'Livin' La Vida Loca' come up. He grinned and made a beeline for Dagur, smiling as he approached the buff carrot-haired gardener who had been keeping an eye on his sister discreetly. And to everyone's surprise, Dagur grinned and the two got up and started to dance.
"You know, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Hiccup commented.
"Play it again, Sam," Astrid added, winking while Ruff rolled her eyes.
"They'll be on Copacabana next," she grumbled. "Tuff has been moping over Dagur for the last year and he only came hoping to get a chance to dance with him."
"Reunions are the place to reconnect with old friends and make new ones," Hiccup commented, smiling at Astrid. "You sure I can't give you a lift when the time comes?" She sighed.
"Can I get a rain check?' she murmured. "Snotlout promised and it wouldn't be fair to run out on him." Smiling wistfully, Hiccup nodded.
"I promised to chat with Mr. Bludvist before I left," he murmured. "He was my Physics teacher and I promised to let him know what happened to me." He gave a shy smile and rubbed the back of the neck. "Just keep an eye on the twins. I have a nasty suspicion they are planning some sort of 'hilarious' prank…" She nodded.
"Can I see you before I go?" she asked and he smiled.
"I would love that," he confessed and paused. "Astrid, you have completely made my Reunion. I wasn't going to come...but then I wouldn't have met you. So thank you for being here." Then he smiled and walked away, leaving her confused. She hadn't seen Snotlout for a couple of hours and had certainly spent most of her time with Hiccup. In fact, she was plotting ways to meet up with him again-but for now, she needed to catch up with Snotlout and have a word with him. And maybe she needed a little fresh air to clear her head.
She really really liked Hiccup.
Glancing in the direction the auburn-haired man had vanished, she turned on her heel and walked down the hallway towards the front of the school. Now she was walking back down, she glanced up at the displays on the wall and began to notice something for the entries dated ten years earlier.
VALEDICTORIAN - H HADDOCK
CLASS PRESIDENT - H HADDOCK
HONORS - H. HADDOCK
ART PRIZE - H. HADDOCK
SCIENCE PRIZE - H. HADDOCK
There were three beautiful paintings all marked H. HADDOCK and a picture of the year with what were definitely the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs clustered around a skinny freckly young man on crutches. She paused and peered at the young man, seeing Hiccup's eyes in the skinny young man's face. She gasped and peered at the legend below.
R. THORSTON T. THORSTON F. INGERMAN S. JORGENSON H. HADDOCK
She glanced over her shoulder at the gym and almost turned-but she had promised herself she would check with Snotlout so she walked out into the carpark and cast around, slowly growing annoyed.
"Thor-damnit Snotlout where are you!" she hissed. She had lost sight of Snotlout after he had met up with Atali and as she quartered the parking lot, she could see that his car was gone. She growled and balled her fists. "I'm going to kill you!" she muttered angrily. He had dragged her here to his school reunion where she knew no one, shown her off like some prize pooch and then had dumped her for the girl he had dreamed of for years...without even bothering to let Astrid know he was bailing on her. And he was her ride home.
"Is everything alright?" Hiccup asked as he approached Astrid, probably heading for his own car.
"I think Snotlout ditched me," Astrid mumbled and then noticed what Hiccup was carrying. "Is that a fire extinguisher?"
"Uhm… yeah…" Hiccup nervously chuckled. "I think it's best to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Astrid asked with a raised brow.
"Well, though they thought no one was listening, I overheard the twins were talking about how they needed to break-in Drago since as Principal he only had to deal with one of them. Which to them meant only half the fun. I just hope they don't get the yaks involved again. They already have two warnings from the fire department."
"Wait… WHAT?!" Astrid asked. Hiccup sighed.
"I have a very strong suspicion that they are about to get strike three," he sighed. "They've been warned that the firemen aren't going to round up a herd of yaks once more and that the school staff will have to do it." Astrid glanced over her shoulder. She had taken her purse with her so there was nothing left in the school.
"Don't you have a jacket?" she checked. He shook his head.
"I think...a swift getaway would be more in order," he commented. "Anytime now…" They then heard it… a low rumble...and then a huge explosion that threw them both to the ground. As they glanced up, the whole wall of the school fell over, collapsing in an enormous pile of rubble.
"WHAT THE FRIGGA?" Astrid yelled as Hiccup hauled her up.
"They did less damage than I thought," Hiccup commented though, much to Astrid's surprise. She goggled at the sight and then Hiccup added "They must be a bit out of practice. The fence isn't even damaged this time." Astrid stared and then they heard the rumbling, the lowing of cattle...and suddenly there was a stampede of huge, stupid Berkian yaks pouring through the front entrance of the school. Worse, the front two were being ridden by the unmistakable shapes of Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Hanging onto another was Fishlegs and Hiccup raised the fire extinguisher, letting it off with a loud hiss. Predictably, the yaks swung round and stampeded off down the road towards the main town Plaza.
"How in Thor's name did you learn how to wrangle yaks?" she asked him in shock. He cast the extinguisher aside.
"I went to the same school as the twins," that was basically all the explanation he needed.
"Did I just see a sheep riding on top of one of the yaks?" Astrid asked and wondered how the school building even survived all these years. There was a stream of dusty, trampled and angry self-important graduates who were yelling at the equally trampled and fed-up looking teachers. Dagur, though, was in high spirits as he cheerfully jogged off in pursuit of the yaks-and Tuffnut. Eret and Thuggery caught sight of Astrid and began yelling.
"You! I'm having you banned!" Eret sneered. Thuggery was still holding a napkin to his broken nose.
"Oh, please-like I'm ever coming back to this place!" Astrid scoffed and then glanced at Hiccup. "I have everything I want from this reunion right here." She glanced at Hiccup and he smiled. "I think I'd love to take you up on that ride-and that coffee, Hiccup." He gave a broad smile.
"You know, I think I have just got a date with the most beautiful women here," he smiled and took her hand, leading her to a Prius. "Milady?" She smiled as Eret and Thuggery turned to Principal Bludvist to complain.
"Ah, gentlemen," the Principal said cheerfully.
"He didn't even adhere to the dress code!" Eret whined. Drago smiled.
"What dress code?" the Principal asked.
"The… The…" Eret sputtered.
"The Reunion never had a dress code. You all just wore black tie." He then shrugged. "Happens every year-everyone tries to impress everyone else at the Reunion. But honestly…. Hiccup Haddock is the founder, CEO, and owner of Viking Energy, the leading Renewable Energy Company in the North. When you're worth upwards of a billion dollars, he can wear what he wants and pull it off."
Astrid smiled as she slid into the car, seeing Hiccup easily get into the driver's seat.
"Coffee milady?" he asked. "I know this wonderful little cafe… and we can avoid the yak stampede," She nodded.
"It's a date," she said as they pulled away from the ruins of the School. "I am sure this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
The End
AN: (Harry is staring at Vala)
Harry: "Where is my Porg?"
Vala: (Blinks) "Uhm… well…"
Harry: "Where is my Porg?!" (Looks in fridge frantically and then in oven)
Vala: "Relax….. I wasn't going to eat him this time,"
Harry: "Then where is he?!"
Vala: "Pub-crawling"
Harry: "Excuse me… what?!"
Vala: "Pub-crawling. Joined up with another flock of Porgs and went to a pub."
Harry: O_O
Vala: "What?!"
Harry: "So what you're saying there is a flock of very drunk Porgs out there?!"
Vala: "Pretty much,"
Harry: "Thor help anyone that comes across them,"