Thanks again for the positive reviews! I'm really glad you all like this story so well. I was skeptical about it at first, so thank you!
Chapter 5: Late Night Snack
Thursday was slower than usual. Hiccup kept spying the time and groaned as the minutes stretched into hours. There was a fist in his throat that clenched every time he looked at the clock. Tomorrow, he had plans with Astrid. That thought was so foreign to him that it didn't matter how many times he repeated it to himself.
"Hey," boomed his boss. He leaned his balding head out of his office door. "Six to nine, Saturday night, want it?"
"Sure." Hiccup nodded. As much as he dreaded it he needed the money.
But before overtime, he had plans with Astrid.
That night he laid on his air mattress staring at the thumping ceiling. It still felt unreal. But this is what he moved for, wasn't it? A fresh start? A clean slate? To be in a place where people didn't automatically judge him for being a klutz, a screw-up, or whatever else they called him.
People in Berk looked at him like they assumed he'd break the first thin he touched. It was like pity, disgust, and dislike. He hated it. But here, no one cared who he was or where he came from.
And then there was Astrid. They way she looked at him was like she didn't care about what he'd done or what other people thought about it.
Astrid.
He had plans with Astrid tomorrow.
Hiccup tried to swallow. When he thought about her it felt like there was a fist in his throat. He couldn't sleep. He wasn't even tired. But he must have fallen asleep because the sudden crashing of something on the floor above him shook him awake. Groaning, he got up, showered, dressed, and waited on his couch with his sketchbook in his hands. He tried to draw something but nothing came.
As four o'clock finally rolled around Hiccup drove to the library. It was too cold to walk very far. And the weather was starting to effect his leg. It was sore and he tried his best to hid the limp. He went through the main doors and scanned the room for her blonde hair. He didn't see her. He sat down and for a panicked moment he feared she wouldn't show. And that fear didn't diminish as the time slowly ticked by.
Five minutes past four.
Eight minutes past four.
Ten minutes past four.
Fifteen minutes past four.
Twenty minutes past four.
Hiccup got up and scanned the bookshelf. He draw a hand down a colorful spine when he heard quick footsteps approach. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see Astrid bent over, hands on knees, panting.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Astrid gasped. She waved her hand then straightened herself. She plopped down in a nearby chair. She unzipped her coat and threw it beside her. She was dressed in sweats and her braided hair was still wet.
"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked. He sat back down across from her.
"I was at the gym and Coach stopped to talk. Then I was running late but I needed to shower because I was sweaty and gross. I'm sorry, I should have given you my number so I could have text you."
"It's okay. Coach?"
"I was on the track team my freshman year. It took up too much time so I quite. He's trying to get me to join again." Astrid said. "Hey, give me your phone. I'll add me."
Hiccup reached into his pocket and produced is phone. Astrid took it from his hand and deft fingertips she added herself into his contact list.
"There. I sent myself a text so I'll have yours too." Astrid sighed. She handed it back to him.
He glanced down before it vanished into his pocket. The screen was of a started conversation, with Astrid Hofferson, with the single message reading text. The phone dropped into his pocket. He had her number in his phone.
"My lungs are freezing. You want some coffee?" Astrid asked. She stood up, hand in her purse.
"Sure." Hiccup nodded. "I'll go get it, you stay and catch your breathe."
She hesitated, money in hand, and then said "Okay."
Hiccup came back in a few minutes with two hot cups.
"Thank you." She took it gratefully, and inhaled the steam, sighing relief.
"So you played track?"
Astrid smiled. "You don't really play track. You run."
"I really wouldn't know the difference."
Astrid didn't stop smiling and started to detail him on running track. They talked about high school, the differences between small town Berk on the east coast and overpopulated southern California. They talked, and talked, shared stories and ideas. For all his nervous anticipation this was surprisingly easy. Astrid made him nervous but when he was with her everything seemed easy and simple. And time flew by so fast.
"It's getting late." Astrid sighed.
"You want a ride home?" Hiccup offered. He felt that first tightening in his throat. "Um, I've actually got some homework I need to do upstairs. But, thank you." Astrid fidgeted.
Sounds like an excuse.
Hiccup nodded and said his simple goodbye, and Astrid hers, and they parted ways. Hiccup looked back over his shoulder before he left so see Astrid's blonde head vanish up the stairs to the computer lab. He felt so warm that when he went outside the cold air smacked his face like frozen blade. The sun was going down and the temperature was dropping. He ran to his car and was thankful for the cover from the wind.
On his way back to his apartment his car huffed, puffed, and groaned. A block from his place the heater gave out altogether. At least it still ran.
Saturday came and worked, like he'd assumed, sucked. He was grateful when nine o'clock signaled the end to his torment. He clocked out and left before his boss could offer more overtime that Hiccup couldn't turn down.
His old car stuttered, but started. The streets held the usual Saturday night college-town traffic. Cars headed to the bars, to the restaurants, to the theater, and everywhere else, it seemed. He watched people on the sidewalks absently, until one blonde head caught his attention, and realization hit him.
Astrid was walking down the street, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her red peacoat, alone. She wasn't paying attention to the people walking around her. She wore heeled boats that looked more than uncomfortable to walk in. Hiccup changed lanes to be closer to her. He thought about honking, like so many college kids do, but he thought better of it. He rolled down his window and called to her.
"Astrid!"
She didn't respond. Was it just him or did she roll her eyes?
"Astrid!"
She visibly sighed, her chest heaved up and her lips parted to let out the breath, but she still didn't respond. Was she ignoring him on purpose? Was he just her library-friend?
Hiccup was looking at her and almost missed the car stopped in front of him. The light had changed and the break lights glared at him like they knew he'd been distracted.
"Astrid!" Hiccup called again. He feared she'd keep walking.
"Good god," She groaned, stomping her foot as she turned, lips twisted to spat something nasty, but as her eyes settled on Hiccup her face broke into a warm smile.
"Do you want a ride?" Hiccup asked. Although he didn't know what a girl like her would think about riding inside a car like his.
She smiled, and looked briefly across the road, and ran across it to his passenger's side. She popped the door open and slide inside, not minding the fast food debris, and rubbed her hands together.
"Sorry, I didn't know it was you." Astrid breathed into her cupped hands. "It's so fucking cold."
"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. He hadn't heard her curse before.
"Thanks, by the way."
"It's nothing."
"Turn left on Broadway." Astrid instructed.
Hiccup obeyed. "You live by the campus?"
"No, but I'm starved. Hungry? My treat. I got paid tonight."
"Sure."
They drove down Broadway to the lit-up McDonald's. They ordered and sat in the back beside the darkened window. Across the street was Capaha park. The yellow arches reflected off the dark lake.
In the light he could see the heavier makeup around her eyes. The black was smeared a bit at the edges, a soft gold glitter sparkled along her cheekbones, her lips were faded red. Her hair had been done up but had fallen through the evening. She looked exhausted. He'd never waitresses but he heard it could be a rough job.
"What brings you out so late?" Astrid asked.
"Overtime."
"Ah, I thought so. You smell like smoke and sweat, and leather?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." His self-consciousness just hit the roof.
"Don't worry about it. I kind of like it."
"What about you? Work?"
"Yeah. Did you hurt yourself at work today?"
"No, why?"
"Because you're limping."
Hiccup swallowed hard. Astrid pointed under the table to his left leg. She took a large bit of her hamburger.
"Oh, uh, no, that's…normal." Hiccup shrugged. She looked at him, mouth full, her brow raised in question. "I-It's a prosthetic. The sudden weather shift is taking it's toll."
"What happened?"
That fist in his throat clenched. "Out house burnt down when I was fifteen. One of the rafters crushed my leg."
"That's horrible."
"Eh, it's not so bad. Nothing we can do about it now."
"How much is missing?"
"Just below the knee down." Hiccup motioned to his left leg, indicating with a finger where the plastic started.
Astrid ducked beneath the table, albeit a little clumsily, and he could feel her eyes on his pant legs. "They look the same."
"That's because when I stopped growing my dad opted for a prosthetic that would mirror my other leg. They did this whole mold thing, it was weird. But at least now my legs look the normal in pants. The others where like pirate peg legs." Hiccup tried to laugh.
And if she felt disturbed by his fake leg she hit it well behind her curiosity. She kept asking him questions, about his leg, about walking, about the effects of weather. He asked until Hiccup failed to swallow a yawn.
"It's getting late." Astrid nodded.
Their food was eaten, their drinks empty, the drunk crowd was filing in with their munchies. Hiccup and Astrid headed back out into the cold October, slide into her car, and she directed him to her apartment. She lived in an upscale and clean little subdivision, in a gray stone apartment building with tinted windows. It was much nicer than his place but he wouldn't tell her that. She could tell that by his car.
He pulled up and parked right outside the front door. She dug in a pocket for her keys and pause with her hand on the door's handle.
"Thank you, Hiccup. For everything."
"It's really nothing. I would have felt guilty for letting you walk all the way here in this weather."
Astrid's smile was exhausted. She leaned over the console, abandoning the handle, and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could register the soft peck she was out of his door and through hers.
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