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Chapter 4: Shooting blind

Hiccup was standing outside the university library when it opened Sunday afternoon. He nodded to the student workers who didn't give him, or the five other lazily dressed persons, a second glance. He meandered inside with the rest of them, not trying to look too suspicious, back to the chair he'd sat in.

But the book was gone. He stood there for moment with a hand in his hair. Maybe someone had found it and turned it in? Seriously, what value could a half-used sketchbook have for thieves?

"Excuse me," Hiccup asked the tired brunette behind the desk. She looked up with a barely-there smile. "Did anyone turn in a sketchbook? I've lost mine."

"A sketchbook?" She repeated. "I don't know but I can check."

She was gone and back in under a minute. Disappointedly, no one had. He thanked her and headed back toward the chair. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and peered around the library. This early in the day there was hardly anyone there. He had something else to do that day so why not just hang out for a while? He picked a random book from the bestseller shelf and plopped down into the chair.

He started to read absently - what did other people do on the weekends? Sleep? Work? Do extra credit? Hang out with friends? Drink? Play pool? Did people even play pool anymore? His dad had a table in their basement but Hiccup hadn't ever been interested.

What did Astrid do on the weekends? He was sure that she had other friends and made plans. He'd never "gone out" and honestly didn't know what to think about it. What did it include? Bars? Food? Those noisy clubs that drunken people in tiny clothes seeped out from every Saturday night? They walked passed his building sometimes, and he often passed the clumsy crowd on his way home from work.

He couldn't really picture her being a part of that bumbling, numb, careless crowd. But then again he new hardly anything about her.

Thinking of her, Hiccup glanced eagerly around the library, hoping that in his drifting thoughts she might have wandering inside. A dozen other people had, but she hadn't. Or maybe she had and she walked right passed him, or upstairs, or downstairs, or wherever. Either way, he stayed until three when his stomach was irate. He'd need to go home and scrounge up something to eat. It was his big decision of the night: ramen noodles or canned soup?

Hiccup felt deflated as he entered his apartment. He groaned as he emptied his pockets onto the countertop.

"She's got better things to do." Hiccup told himself. "She's got much better things to do than…waste it talking to me."

It was a lifetime of being told so that convinced him to tell it to himself to save other people the trouble. Hiccup knew he shouldn't feel so down about not seeing her there. That's not how he should feel. But it was.

Sunday ended, Monday began, and Hiccup wandered back to the library. This time he didn't stay nearly as long. Tuesday left him exhausted. Wednesday morning was met with a chilly nip in the air. Was October always this cold? While he dressed he could already feel the dull ache in his leg. He cursed himself for not bringing his coat when he moved. He'd been in too much of a hurry. But despite the weather, he still made it to the library, trying to hide a limp. By the time he walked through the front doors his skin was prickled numb.

What the hell am I doing?

His first order of business was to get warm and to get the weight off his foot. He choose the first grouping of chairs, sat down, and waited on the feeling to return to his fingers. There was a gentle murmur of low voices, keyboards, and the shuffling of clothes. Every once in a while there was the sharp cough of the oncoming cold season.

"It's cold out there."

Hiccup jerked his head and was surprised to Astrid standing there, a coffee in each hand, a scarf around her neck.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed.

"Here," Astrid held out one of the cups for him. "Simple coffee, right?"

"Uh, yes. Thanks you." Hiccup nodded. The cup felt so warm in his hands. "Is the weather always like this?"

"Hm?" Astrid asked. She had taken a sip of her own. She sat down in a chair across from him. "You mean all over the place? Pretty much. It's cold out east, isn't?"

"Yeah, but not…suddenly." Hiccup shrugged.

"It took me a while to get used to it. Well, I'm still not used to it. California was always warm, you know?" Astrid said.

"You're from California?" Hiccup asked.

She nodded.

"Why move from paradise to Missouri?" Hiccup asked.

"I take it that you've never been out west?" Astrid smiled curiously.

"No."

"Eh, it's not as mind-blowing as everyone thinks it is." Astrid said. Her eyes were on her coffee. "It's where all the crazy people go so they can have crazy friends. It's just…not a place for me. Too dramatic."

"And…this is?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid sighed. "I wanted to move away but not all the way across the country. So I settled for halfway. It was between Missouri and Kansas. I'm sure as hell not spending four years in Kansas."

Hiccup smiled. What compelled him to speak was beyond him. "I kind of felt the same way. My dad wanted me to go to New York but it was too close. I knew he'd be checking up on me all the time. And…I wanted to get away."

"Take charge of your own path and let everyone else just go fuck themselves." Astrid said. She was staring at a place on the wall behind him.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked. She immediately snapped back to him.

"Yeah, just thinking. You know, when I moved out here I didn't own a coat. So I had to buy one my first winter." Astrid smiled. "And I called into work because the road was covered in ice. My boss laughed at me."

"You work?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's just this dumpy little weekend diner place. It's lame, I know, but it helps pay the bills." She shrugged. "Oh! I almost forgot, I have your sketchbook thing."

Hiccup felt his heart drum. Astrid had his sketchbook? The same sketchbook with a entire page of nothing but her? He silently prayed to someone somewhere that she hadn't looked through it.

"You left the other day and I've been carrying it with me since. I didn't know where you lived or anything so…I just hoped I'd see you around here again." She shrugged.

Funny, because I was doing the same thing.

"Oh, thanks." Hiccup said. He opened hands to take it but she held on to it. He swallowed.

"Hiccup," Astrid asked. She had that 'we-need-to-talk' tone that he'd heard a million times before. But unlike this father she used it softer, less intensely, with a lighter stare that didn't make him wish he could turn invisible, but instead made him feel like he was going to spontaneously combust.

"Did you look in it?"

"Yeah." Astrid said. She fingered the edge of the cover. "You're a really good artist."

"Oh, um…thank you." Hiccup swallowed. Did they turn the heat on overdrive? Why was it so fucking hot in here?

Astrid opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again but bit her lip. "Why did you draw me?"

Her face melted him. There was nothing even remotely close to disgust or dislike. It was curiosity, fair interest, and whatever else was there that made him feel like pudding. Any moment now he could collapse into a gelatinous puddle on the floor.

"I-I…uh, well, I mean…" Hiccup chocked on every excuse.

Because your beautiful and I can't stop thinking about you.

"No one's ever drawn me before." Astrid said. She ran her hand down the book's spine. She smiled, "It's sweet."

Hiccup was embarrassed and knew that she knew it. But she wasn't pushing the fact. She handed him back his sketchbook and he took it with trembling hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be creepy or anything." Hiccup said, eye on the book.

"It's…weird, I'll admit, but it's also flattering." Astrid said. "Is something wrong? I'm sorry I looked at them, I just couldn't help myself."

"It's fine." Hiccup said quickly. "I'm not used to…not being made fun of for drawing things."

"Why? Why would you get made fun of for drawing? You're great at it."

"It's was more because of what I didn't do. Like football." Hiccup shrugged.

"Oh," Astrid nodded. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Sports aren't for everyone. I mean, if history was full of sport stars then we wouldn't have people like Leonardo Di Vinci or uh, Salvador Dali, or Shakespeare. The world is full of different talents that all make the world work."

"Thanks." Hiccup said.

"I've got class soon, but, do you want to meet back here tomorrow?" Astrid asked and for a moment he was sure that he had misheard her.

"Uh, I work Thursdays." Hiccup said quickly. "And Tuesdays, but other than that I don't have much of a life."

Why did you tell her that?

"Friday?" Astrid asked. "Around four?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Awesome, I'll see you."

Hiccup held his sketchbook in his hands and watched her zip up her coat, sling her bag over her shoulder, and leave. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like running back to his apartment as fast as he could, or running anywhere until his cheeks were frozen and he couldn't breathe.

Do I have a date? …at the library?

XXX

I love the idea of Hiccup drawing Astrid so much - because I totally believe that he has. Thanks for reading, leave a review if you'd like

Also - side note - I pictured this story happening where I go to school. It's an old river town on the Mississippi in Southeastern Missouri. I also liked the idea of them coming from complete opposite ends of the country and meeting in the middle.