Thank you all so much for your support and love, I greatly appreciate it, honest. It means a lot to know that you're all enjoying this story. Because that's one thing about being a writer that I love. It's bringing entertainment to people. Making them happy.

I really wanted waffles after this chapter. You've been warned.

X

Chapter 12: Waffles?

Hiccup stirred. The sunlight was streaming in from the window, illuminating Astrid's bedroom in a brightness that was both pleasant and stinging. Hiccup rolled over, with his back to the window, and tried to find that sleepy comfort. But he was awake. He rolled onto his other side. Astrid was laying on her stomach, half of her face buried in its plush, hair braided to avoid tangles.

She was still sound asleep. Even asleep she was beautiful. Like something out of a magazine. The light fluttered around her like an extended halo.

Last night they had stayed up, just talking. They'd laid in bed in the dim light, under the warm blankets, in pajamas. It was…so pleasant. He didn't want to fall asleep. He wanted to stay, right there, in those moments, with Astrid, forever. He'd been…happy. He could really get used to it.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Astrid had said, biting back a yawn.

"Let's start small. What is your last name?" Hiccup asked, thinking he was looking at her but wasn't sure. In the dark all he could make out was an outline and slightly varying shades of shadow.

"I've told you, I think. It's Hofferson." Astrid nodded.

"Right, I did know that." Hiccup said, suddenly feeling ridiculous. "Your Uncle Finn lives in Berk."

"Yes." Astrid said. "My turn. What's your real first name? and your last night, while your at it."

"One question at a time."

"I didn't know you had rules." Astrid said, a tired half-laugh.

"I just made them up. For fairness's sake."

"Okay. What's your real first name?"

Hiccup inhaled. Astrid must have heard it. He heard the sound of hair against the pillow, like she was turning her head to look at him, and he almost wished he could see her. But then again, in the dark he had a much broader sense of confidence.

"Harold."

"Harold?"

"Yes."

"Then why not have 'Harry' as a nickname instead? Or does it not fit, thematically?"

"Because 'Hiccup' fit a lot better." he said flatly. "But I'm sure 'Harry' would have made a childhood on Berk at least a little better."

"Not since you're not very hairy."

"Astrid."

"What? I mean, I didn't see anything but I touched you."

"Astrid."

"Don't worry, super hairy guys freak me out. I like your smoothness."

Hiccup sighed. It was her question. Wasn't it? No, she'd asked her question about being called 'Harry'.

"Of course, with 'Harry' you open the door to Harry Potter jokes."

"I don't get it."

"You know, the nerdy kid that didn't fit in and turns out he's a wizard?"

"I know the concept. I never saw those movies."

"You…you've never seen the Harry Potter movies? Read them?"

"No."

"I know what our next date is going to be. Potter-thon."

"Really?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely." Astrid said humorously, yawning. "What's your last name?"

"Haddock. And that's like three questions for you. My turn." Hiccup said. "What's your favorite food?"

"It changes from time to time. I'm on a Chinese kick recently. But I really like strawberries. Shortcake. You?"

"I don't know. A friend of mine's mom makes really good crab cakes."

"Those sound gross."

"They're really good. They're not too fishy or too sweet."

"I don't like seafood. Too fishy."

"But you like Chinese."

"Chinese isn't seafood. It's rice and broccoli and chow mein." Astrid inhaled, releasing it slowly. "Who's this friend? I didn't think you were popular."

"I wasn't. But I had a friend," Hiccup half-laughed, even thought it wasn't funny. "Frode. We called him Fishlegs. Please don't ask, because it's a really long, stupid story, with the logic of five year olds."

"Fishlegs?"

"Yes."

"So…it was Hiccup and Fishlegs?"

"Why do you say it like that?"

"It sounds like a fantasy novel, or a pirate story."

"If it were my life would be a lot more interesting."

"Why? What made it boring?"

"I-I didn't do a lot." Hiccup admitted. "I didn't have a lot of friends. I didn't go out and…party, or whatever everyone else did."

"Well, I'm glad you ended up as you are. I like you."

He didn't want to believer her when she said things like that so easily. He wanted to call her bluff and storm out, pushing this impossible woman from his mind, from his life, but he wanted so desperately to believe her. "Thanks."

"Thank you."

Whose question was it? "Where did you grow up?"

"California, Sacramento, but I don't remember it, and Los Angeles after that. I spent a summer in San Diego. My parents told me that we lived in Denver for a year but I don't remember that either. I just remember living in Los Angles. What about you?"

"Just Berk." Hiccup said. He'd never been to California. Moving across the Mississippi was as far west as he'd ever gotten. "Berk was always so rainy and cold. California sounds amazing."

"It's not as amazing as everyone that doesn't live there thinks it is. I mean, it's sunny, and mostly warm all the time, but it's a super weird place. I mean, I couldn't wait to get away from it."

"Why did you want to leave?"

"It just…got old. I needed a change, you know? To get out."

"Yeah, I understand that." Hiccup sighed. He listened to her breathing for a moment or two, trying to think of a better question that what her favorite color was, when he heard a gentle snore ease from her relaxed throat. Her breathing was even and soft. He whispered, "Astrid?"

She'd fallen asleep.

Hiccup had laid awake for a little while after that, better questions running through his mind, but they all escaped as sleep came over him too. And now he was awake, the sunlight warming the air, lighting the subtle red tint on the walls. He hadn't noticed it before.

This was so pleasant. This. This waking up in the sunlight, next to a girl whose opinion somehow matters more than anything to him, whose next word wasn't anticipated with dread. He wanted to know what she was going to say, wanted to hear her voice.

"Good morning," her sleepy whisper came through a little hoarse. Astrid was laying in the same place she'd been, but her bright blues were open, watching him.

"Morning."

X

"How do you do that?" Hiccup asked.

"Do what?" Astrid turned to ask, genuinely confused, thinking that she'd done something strange.

"Make freezer waffles sexy."

She'd smiled. She couldn't help it. He'd said it so simply, with the shyness that turned everything he said into truth.

"I don't know." she shrugged. She side-glanced at the waffles resting in the toaster. She didn't know that freezer waffles could be made sexy. But she was glad that he thought that she could, whether or not that was good. She turned around and rested her back against the countertop, so she could face Hiccup, who was sitting at the island. "Okay, my turn. Who, and where, was your first kiss?"

Hiccup's casual smile vanished instantly. "On the lips."

"Of course."

Hiccup looked down at the counter, fidgeted his thumbs, and swallowed. "You. Your bedroom."

She felt a lump in her throat but she moved passed it. "Really?"

Hiccup blushed and looked away.

"I mean, that's not…bad." Astrid said. She was a bad liar on the spot. Hiccup's shoulders fell. "I mean, it's kind of…refreshing. You know, to know that you were somebody's first something. That way I know where you lips have been."

"I guess." Hiccup shrugged.

Great. Way to go, Astrid. You embarrassed him. What a bitch. "Is it weird for me to ask why?"

Hiccup sighed. "Not really. It's not a sad story, it's just…lame. I was anti-social, and didn't 'date' or anything. Girls didn't look at me, like I said."

"I don't know why, you're adorable." Astrid said. She meant it. He was. It seemed to help but it didn't undo the damage that she'd done.

"My love life consisted of a bully that pushed me down, kissed me on the cheek, and said I was her boyfriend for the day in the third grade." Hiccup said, a bit downcast, but he overlaid it with his sarcastic humor.

"And your sex life?" Astrid added, and knew as soon as the words left her lips that she'd been too blunt.

"Remember that night in your room?" Hiccup asked, "Yeah, that was it."

"I was your first." Astrid said it as a fact, not as a question.

Hiccup nodded, "Yeah."

"That is refreshing." Astrid said. Hiccup looked at her, a different look in his eye, that made her immediately support herself with an explanation. "It's always kind of daunting when you're with someone and you think of how many others they've been with. There's a kind of…magic purity with the first time. It's like…the first bite of a donut that is delicious but with every bite after that it's not as good."

She watched him swallow. He was looking at her, a determination that slightly unnerved her. Most of the time he'd had a shy, curious look, but every once in a while she saw a glimpse of something…darker. It was fierce, strong, and probably braver than he knew. It was intriguing to know there was that side of him, one she hadn't seen, but right now his eyes were driving stakes into chest.

"What?"

"Did you listen to what you just said?"

"Yes?"

"How many guys have you slept with?"

Oh. Oh. She had said that. And he couldn't have missed those obvious parallels between him and her. She looked away from him. She remembered the waffles. She turned back around and picked them up and plopped them down on the plate she'd set out. The butter and warmed syrup were already on the island. She held the plate in both hands and set it in front of Hiccup. He was still staring at her. He didn't look down at the waffles. He didn't even make a notion that they were there.

He's being so…damn persistent. She loved it but wished he's stop aiming it at her.

"Astrid?"

"I know." Astrid said. She looked down. Honestly, she didn't want him to know. She didn't want herself to know but she did. "I don't want to tell you."

She dared a glance up at him. He was still staring at her. God, he must think her such a whore. He finally looked down at his waffles. "Can I have a fork?"

"Oh, right, of course." Astrid said, glad for the change of subject, glad for something to do with her hands. She pulled a fork out of the drawer and set it down beside the plate.

"Are you going to tell me?" Hiccup asked.

Damn him. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because you know mine. And I want to know if it's as astronomically high as you make it out to be."

"Nineteen." Astrid said to the floor.

"Nineteen?" Hiccup repeated.

"Yes." Astrid could feel his eyes on her. Nineteen. After hitting the double digits it didn't matter. It all felt the same amount of horrible. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was exposed.

"Is that…times, or guys?"

"Guys." She felt like she was in an interrogation.

"So…"

"Don't ask me how many times. I don't know." She spat, more bitterly than she intended. But it did the trick. She looked back up at Hiccup. He was leaning back, fork in hand, watching her.

"Okay." Hiccup nodded. He jabbed the fork into the stack of waffles.

"Are you upset?" Astrid asked, purposefully waiting for his mouth to be full so he would have to think on it before he spoke. "I understand, if you are, I mean, if you told me that you'd been with…that many, I'd feel…not special. But, it's not like that, Hiccup, I promise."

"Then what is it like? Is this something that you do every couple of weeks? Are you into me now but in a month are you going to be moving on to some other guy?" Hiccup asked, insecurities flashing in his eyes.

"I hope not." Astrid shook her head. He looked at her. "I like you, I really do, and it's going to take a lot to make me sick of you."

Hiccup took another bite of waffle. Syrup dripped down his chin and she fought back the urge to lean over the island top and lick it off for him. No, not right after that conversation. He took another bite and used his finger to wipe his chin clear.

"So I'm guessing that high school wasn't you're heyday?" Astrid asked. He poked her and she was going to poke him back.

"No." Hiccup said, staring down at his waffles as he cut them through. When she didn't say anything after, he continued, "It sucked, more or less. I spent a lot of time by myself, trying to not go crazy. I-I, uh, had this crush on a girl, she was popular. I wasn't. I asked her to the junior prom. She laughed at him."

"That's rude." Astrid commented. She could have at least just declined. There's no need to be so harsh. Such bitches.

"Yeah. I didn't even bother with the whole prom ordeal the next year. I spent the night at Fishlegs's playing Halo." Hiccup shrugged.

"Halo?" It was a game, right? In space?

Hiccup sighed. "A video game. You aren't into that kind of stuff?"

"Not really. I'm more of a tangible, physical kind of girl. You know? I like games that I can touch, like checkers. I like books that I can hold and smell."

"You smell books?"

"Yes. They smell nice. It's like aerated intelligence."

Hiccup smiled. "So…was your prom experience better?"

"I'd say so." Astrid said. She was intimidated by what he thought. She didn't understand why. No one else's opinion bothered her. But this skinny kid's did. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and become that girl again. She probably was that girl but she didn't want Hiccup to think so. "I went to prom my sophomore year. It was a little awkward because most of the girls were older than me, and they kind of had this glare that I was invading their…sophisticated party, or whatever. But it wasn't a bad time. The next year was better. We stayed out too late, drank, hung out in the park until the sun came up."

"Did you go your senior year?"

"Yeah." Astrid smiled. As long as they were sharing, "I went with a basketball player. He had a bright red Cadillac. You know, he almost got to play with the Lakers. Didn't make it. Fell into drugs. Dropped the ball. Literally."

"A red Cadillac?"

"Yeah." Astrid nodded. It had been a really nice car. Shiny. Leather seats in a light pinkish tan. A really nice backseat. But Hiccup didn't need to know about that. But for some reason she felt like he already knew.

"Was that your first time?"

Damn him. He knew. But she sighed, "No."

She knew he was looking at her again.

"Are you going to eat?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah," Astrid said. She'd forgotten to put more waffles in her tiny toaster. It only had two slots, two waffles at a time. She reached for the box on the counter, and began to untangle two more frozen waffles from the package. "I was sixteen."

"What?"

"I was sixteen when I lost my virginity." Astrid said plainly. It was blunt time. "With my boyfriend at the time. In his basement. It was awkward. Was it awkward for you?"

Bingo. Hiccup looked distracted by this question. "A little."

Subject change. She needed something else to talk about. Turn the tables. Embarrass him. Call out his short comings. Anything to get the spotlight off hers. His were much less…regrettable.

"So," Astrid said, with a lightning bolt of inspiration, "If that was your first time, and you've not had a sex life, then it's safe to say that you've never had a blowjob?"

It had the effect that she'd wanted. He almost choked on his last bite but regained his posture and swallowed. He looked down at the plate, at the floor, at the ceiling, at his hands, anywhere but at her. His cheeks were red and he was twitching.

This was it, a moment of weakness. Astrid pounced on it. She plopped her waffles on his empty plate and walked around the island to sit beside him. She scooped butter with one hand and place the other on his knee. As she smothered the top waffle in butter while she slid her hand up from his knee, along his thigh, making him jitter and twitch.

She was about a thumb's length away from his zipper when a electronic beat burst into the air. They both jumped. Astrid reached to the counter where she'd left her phone.

"What kind of a ring tone is that?" Hiccup asked, a little breathless.

"It's not. It's an alarm. I've got class in an hour." Astrid said. She cleared the alarm on her phone and put it back on the counter. She went back to the waffles and quickly chopped it up into large bits and stuffed several bites into her mouth at once. She chewed and swallowed. "I'm going to shower."

Astrid flew to the bathroom and turned the water on and had just pulled her shirt over her head when she had a sudden thought. She tossed her shirt to the pile and opened the door, cracking it enough to poke her head through, while still hiding her breasts from him. Modesty.

"Hey," Astrid called, "If you're still here for lunch we can get Chinese."

"Okay." Hiccup said back. He was still sitting at the counter. He'd turned around to look at her, a bit of embarrassed innocence reddening across his cheeks.

Astrid shut the door. The steam was heating up the bathroom. The water was hot and felt great on her skin. She tossed her pajama pants in the same pile as her shirt. Maybe one day she'll upgrade and get a hamper. But right now clothes on the floor were fine.

X

Don't you want waffles now?