A/N - 1) I can't answer/comment on guest reviews. If you want to ask me something you're going to have to log in, or you can ask me via tumblr, I'm sjhodge. 2) I know that the whole 'whore' thing is thrown around in this story, but it's not me or anyone else calling Astrid a whore, it's Astrid calling Astrid a whore. It's her insecurities and self-loathing that's calling her that. She's being really hard on herself.
Also, thanks again for all the reviews and the support!
X
Chapter 13: Chinese Takeout
Hiccup almost choked on the half-chewed waffled in his mouth when Astrid's deliberate touch slid passed his knee. Her bluntness never ceased to send him wheeling backwards, desperately trying to recover, but she was quicker than he at these things. She knew what she was doing whereas he was clueless.
Her hand slid higher along his thigh and he could feel the blood rushing from his brain to his groin. Nervous wouldn't begin to describe how he felt. He was panicking, shaking slightly, and excited. His stomach was in knots and he wanted to tell her to stop, after the conversation they'd just had, but he wanted her to continue. He wanted to do dirty things with her that he'd never dreamed of. He tried to push the number nineteen from his mind, as far as it could go, but it kept resurfacing.
Arousal pressed against his blue jeans, and Hiccup inhaled, waiting for Astrid's hand to tread the last few inches to his zipper. It was now or never, he told himself, to stop her or let her. He decided quickly that he didn't want to stop her.
A startling buzz of a tone broke the moment, shattered it, and Astrid's hand was gone. She was racing to her phone on the counter and putting an end to that obnoxious sound.
"What kind of a ring tone is that?" Hiccup asked, a little angry at the invisible person who'd interrupted. A jealous little voice in the back of his mind whispered bitterly, it's probably a guy.
"It's not. It's an alarm. I've got class in an hour." Astrid said quickly. She set her phone back on the counter and stuffed her mouth with several bites of waffles. She chewed and swallowed on her way to the bathroom. "I'm going to shower."
Hiccup was left sitting in the empty kitchen. She'd ignited an arousal and it wasn't going away. He sighed, "Thanks a lot, Astrid."
"Hey," Astrid called suddenly, making him jump.
He turned to see her standing behind the bathroom door, shirtless, but managing to hide the majority of her breasts behind it. He could see the plumpness, nonetheless, firm and round. Hiccup swallowed hard, and thought about anything besides Astrid's breasts. Washing the dishes. The waffles. Anything. But those thoughts were interrupted by Astrid, naked and covered in syrup in strategically modest places, smothered in soap subs in a buddle bath. He clenched his fists.
"If you're still here for lunch we can get Chinese." Astrid said.
"Okay." Hiccup said quickly.
Astrid shut the door, thank god. Hiccup sighed and adjusted the crotch of his jeans. Stupid jeans. There wasn't any give at all. The water was running, probably filling the bathroom with steam, and the lack of blood in his brain almost convinced him that joining her was a good idea. Hiccup stayed where he was and shook his head.
"Waffles. Dishes. Grocery Shopping." Hiccup said under his breath. He stood up and shook his head again, a little more vigorously this time. He resealed the waffles and returned them to the freezer. The waffles on the counter would be cold by the time she was finished so he ate the rest. He washed the plate and fork, which they'd shared. He'd just put the butter back into the fridge when the bathroom door was yanked open.
Astrid, wet and dressed in nothing but a towel, dashed across the living room and into the bedroom. She didn't close the bedroom door but at his current angle he couldn't see anything. He heard her drop the towel and swish it through her hair. He heard her rummage through drawers and her closet and throw clothes onto the bed, hangers clinking. She was mumbling lowly and he heard the quick swish of fabric over skin.
She returned, in a sweatshirt and jeans, braiding her wet hair quickly as she walked. She slipped her socked feet into weathered boots by the door. She tied off her braid and flung it over her shoulder she pulled her coat on and yanked her backpack over her shoulder. She rushed passed Hiccup and stopped to kiss him on the cheek before she left. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but by the time he had the words, she was gone.
"Man," Hiccup sighed. He replaced the syrup in the cabinet where Astrid had retrieved it. Cleaning up their breakfast hadn't taken very long and soon Hiccup was left standing in the kitchen. He twiddled his fingers along the counter. With Astrid gone the apartment was suddenly too quiet.
He fidgeted for a moment or two and then decided on a shower. The mirror was still steamed up a bit from Astrid's. Behind the door were Astrid's discarded clothes. He added his t-shirt to it, which landed with a soft plop, and unbuttoned his jeans. He pushed them down his legs and kicked them onto the others.
The water didn't take long to get hot. Hiccup stepped into the steaming water and smothered himself in it, saturating his hair, dripping off his nose. Astrid used this shower on a daily basis. She stood in this very spot, naked. Thinking about Astrid had again brought back a not-forgotten arousal. But standing in the hot shower, Hiccup didn't quell the imagines of her smothered in warm maple syrup, or of her scrubbing it off in a overly-sudsy bath, of her hands on his zipper, fingers closing around his throbbing erection, bringing it to her mouth.
He'd never had a blowjob, like she'd guessed, but he wouldn't turn down the option to try it. But at the moment all he had was his own hand, practiced and perfected at the task, but it wasn't his hand he imagined.
"Astrid," Hiccup moaned into the shower's wall, leaning toward it and propping himself up with his free hand while the other mimicked his Astrid-themed sexual fantasy. In it, he had her pushed up against the shower's wall, dripping wet (in more ways than one), gasping and clawing at his back, firm breasts against his chest, perfect legs wrapped around his waist. "Astrid,"
He came and his fantasy dissolved, running through his fingers, and down the drain. Breathless, he washed his hand off in the hot water. He reached for the yellow bottled soap but paused. Did he really want to smell like Tahiti and Jasmine? What did that even smell like? Hiccup picked it up from the shower caddy and popped the lid open, sniffing it, and a pleasant but very feminine scent filled his nose, Astrid's smell.
He hadn't planned of going anywhere else so he used it. Why not?
Nineteen.
Hiccup groaned into the incoming water bullets. He couldn't just ignore that little factoid. It kept coming back. He shouldn't have asked and just let it be a mystery. But he'd wanted to know. He'd really wanted to know. Why, he wasn't entirely sure. What did it accomplish between them? It proved she'd had more experience. But what did that really matter?
X
Astrid huddled in her coat as she made her way from class to the lunch court. English Literature always made her want to sleep. She'd read Beowulf in high school and had hated it. She didn't like it anymore now. She sighed into the breeze. She still had about ten minutes before the taxi was scheduled to pick her up. The warm aromas drifted from the coffee shop attached to the food court.
Maybe she'd grab a hot chocolate to pass the time. She stepped inside the coffee shop and relished in the warmer temperatures. It was set apart from the rest of the food court by a wall and a set of glass double doors. The entire place smelled like salted caramel and pumpkin spice. The lights were dim and the paint was dark, it was soothing if not a just a tiny bit pretentious, and students sat in groups in the shady booths. Seasonal disposable cups were themed with turkeys in scarves.
A few tables, but not many, had been taken over by notes and outlines and books. Early birds were getting a head start on their finals. A lot of professors wanted to do group presentations. Everyone hated them, including Astrid, who was beyond grateful that she didn't have one this semester. But, she still had that damn Frankenstein paper to put together, and whatever else those flighty English professors would throw at them.
"Tough decision, I know," Heather appeared out of thin air, grasping onto Astrid's arm and smiling widely, her white teeth a little too straight between her painted red lips.
"Hey," Astrid grinned. Heather always brought a sense of artsy-happiness to the room, like she herself was a summer-inspired painting. "I just got out of class, what's up?"
"My drawing class was cut short. Teacher had some kind of meeting." Heather waved her graceful hand. "A couple of us are going out to that new deli place by the theater, you want to go?"
"Like this?" Astrid said, motioning to her makeup-less face and sweatshirt.
"What? You look hot. You're really pulling off the exhausted college-student chic." Heather smiled, looking Astrid's pulled together outfit up and down with a designer's eye. "I hear that Victoria Secret is doing a whole line."
They laughed.
"And I've got a Chinese date for lunch."
Heather's smile twisted downward. "Huh? I didn't think you were into Asian boys."
Astrid, confused, quickly understood and laughed. "No, no, a date with Chinese food between us."
Heather smiled, "Right, is it with the drawing boy?"
"It is."
"What was his name, again?"
"Hiccup."
"Hiccup. That's a nickname, right?"
Astrid laughed, "Yes."
"It's not like a penis nickname, is it?"
Astrid laughed, although a bit red in the cheeks, "No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Astrid winked. It had been dark that night, but she'd felt it. It wasn't bad at all considering how skinny he was.
"So how's it going with him?" Heather asked. They stepped out of the way as the line at the counter began to grow.
"Good, I think." Astrid nodded. "I asked him to move in."
"Already?" Heather raised a brow.
"His apartment is junk and he's sleeping on an air mattress. He's a sweetheart and even if it doesn't 'work out' between us I won't kick him out. He's a lot of fun to be around."
"And even more fun to snuggle?" Heather smiled.
Astrid smiled, trying to play off her blushing cheeks as embarrassment, but she knew it was partly due to the lack of snuggling in their "whatever" relationship. She recovered quickly, "But he's thinking about enrolling. And financially, moving in would be a smart move."
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself it's about the money." Heather said, a dangerously smutty smile spreading along her ruby lips and a glinting in her eye. "But, seriously, isn't that moving a little fast? I mean, how long have you even known this guy? He might be secretly insane. What if he snaps one day and kills you in your sleep? Or rapes you in the shower and stabs you?"
"What?" Astrid wanted to laugh at her odd imagery. She couldn't imagine Hiccup Haddock as a murder. She saw him as the guy who would swerve to miss a rabbit darting across the road. "Nah, this guy is different. He's not like any other guy that I've met. He's special."
Heather smiles, "That's what they all say, the day before they stop answering the phone, their homework goes un-turned in, no one answers their door. Then, one day, when their rent goes unpaid and the landlord finds her, dead and rotting in the shower, blood staining the white tiles."
"Are you sure you're not a English nerd underneath all that paint?" Astrid crossed her arms.
"No, I'd rather paint stories than write them out. Bleh." Heather shrugged. "But, speaking of painting, does he still draw you?"
"I don't know." Astrid said. He'd kept his sketchbook well hidden after she'd snooped through it. She wasn't even sure if he had it at her place or his. "Maybe when he's sleep or at work I can find it."
"Oh, diving in to the sneaky girlfriend territory?" Heather smiled.
"Oh, like you've never."
"I didn't say that I hadn't." Heather whispered.
There was a ding on Astrid's phone as a taxi pulled up along the sidewalk outside. Astrid said a quick farewell to Heather and jogged through the cold November air and to the waiting car.
X
Hiccup was halfway through his second episode of "Bones" when Astrid came through the apartment door.
"How'd class go?" He asked.
"Bleh," Astrid groaned as she dumped her backpack by the door. She shed her coat and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair. She came over she slumped down beside him on the sofa. "What have you been doing?"
"I took a shower. Did the dishes. Then I discovered that you have Netflix." Hiccup said, pointing to the TV screen.
"Oh, yeah. Loads cheaper than cable." Astrid sighed. "Bones? You didn't strike me as a murder-mystery type."
"I didn't think I was either." Hiccup said, not missing the odd pitch in her voice. "But I didn't feel like looking through the entire database so I went to your list."
"Yeah, I was really into it a couple years ago." Astrid said. "I thought that I wanted to go into forensics, solve murders and catch bad guys. But I was talked into the basic degree in English. They said it was more flexible."
"Who said that?" Hiccup asked.
"The idiot advisor that talked me into it."
"Hm." Hiccup nodded. If he had to talk to one of those people would they throw him into a major that he hated?
Astrid sighed loudly, turning her exhale into a groan, and leaned back onto the sofa. "So you still good with Chinese?"
"Totally."
"Good, because we were going to get it anyway." Astrid said. "There's a family owned place like three blocks from here. It's my favorite."
Astrid got up from the couch and walked to the fridge. She pulled a paper menu from underneath a Vikings magnet. She came back to the couch and handed the menu to him. He took it from her hands and she plopped back down onto the couch, a little farther away from him than before. He pretended not to notice.
He hadn't eaten a lot of Chinese in his life. There weren't many in Berk. None, actually. But there was an American-Chinese food a couple of towns away. What if this place, he flipped quickly to the cover, Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, was a little too authentic?
"What's good?" He asked.
Astrid leaned over, her braid ticking the hair on his arm, and she gave him a quick tour of the menu. The chicken was good. The beef was hit and miss. Their white rice was usually dry and tasteless. The fried rice was really good. Their veggies were a little underdone but that's how she liked them. Her favorite was the orange chicken.
It took about five minutes to go over the menu, call the restaurant, place their order, and pay. Astrid paid over the phone before Hiccup could interrupt. He felt odd about having her buy his food like this. The guy was supposed to buy the food, right? But there she goes, again, paying for him. It was beginning to make him feel inadequate.
"Thank you," Astrid said as she hung up the phone with proper enunciation.
She set her phone on the counter and came back to the couch. She plopped down with an exhausted sigh.
"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah, just tired. Class really takes it out of me." Astrid said. She sighed, "Don't worry, carbs and sodium will bring it back."
"You want to watch Bones with me?" Hiccup asked, pointing to the TV.
"Sure, what episode are you on?" Astrid asked.
Hiccup quickly recapped the episode, even though Astrid had probably seen it, but she didn't interrupt him. She let him talk. He looked between her and the screen. When he caught her up to speed he leaned back. Astrid, grinning, lifted her legs upward and twisted her hips, laying her legs over his lap. He felt his heart flutter. He let his arms fall over her legs. His hands settled on either side of her knees, one curving around her calf and the other on her thigh.
They sat like this until the doorbell rang and Astrid jumped from the couch. She opened the door to a short and smiling Chinese male, maybe seventeen, holding a plastic bag in his hands. He handed it to Astrid with a quick bow of his head.
"Thank you," Astrid said.
"Have a good day," He said. With the bag transferred, he vanished from the doorway, and Astrid pushed the door closed with her hip. She turned around and set the bag on the counter. "Alright,"
It didn't take long for the entire apartment to smell like the Chinese. Astrid took two plastic covered trays out of the bag and set them on the counter, along with two pairs of plastic forks, a couple of packs of soy sauce, a little plastic tub of red sweet and sour, and two wrapped fortune cookies.
Hiccup paused the show and walked over to the counter. It smelled delicious, although it could have been because he hadn't eaten since those waffles. Astrid unpacked the food from its plastic casing and set the two meals out in front of the chairs. She arranged the wrapped forks on the right side, and then handed him one of the fortune cookies. She looked between him and the second one.
"What?" Hiccup asked.
"It's bad luck to give yourself your own fortune cookie." Astrid said.
"Is that a legit thing?" Hiccup asked.
"I…" Astrid started but then stopped. "I don't know. It's just what I've been told. By white people. It's probably not a Chinese thing. But still." She looked down at the last fortune cookie.
Hiccup reached for it and pushed it toward her.
"Thank you," Astrid said.
They sat down at the counter and ate and talked. They talked about Chinese food, good and bad experiences, and how Astrid had gotten food poisoning from a little Chinese place that had long went out of business. The owner had gotten arrested for chasing ducks in the park, finally shining light on the mystery of the dwindling duck population, which shut down his food business immediately.
Neither had made it completely through the tray. There was more than enough food for two meals, and maybe part of a third, and Astrid offered to put the leftovers in the fridge.
"That's one reason I like the Hong Kong place. You pay one meal price for like three." Astrid said as she closed the fridge.
She sat back down and unwrapped her fortune cookie. Hiccup did the same. The crisp cookie snapped open and the little white piece of paper stuck out.
He heard Astrid laugh, "'Don't forget to look around you. Inspiration is everywhere. You lucky number is five'. Right. What does your say?"
Hiccup cleared his throat. He stared at the red ink, which was a little uncomfortable on his eyes, and read, "'Stale skies grow stale wheat. A change of scenery is in order'."
"Is it?" Astrid smiled. She stood up, tossing her cookie's wrapper in the trash can, and reached for a paper towel. She wet it down under the sink and began to wipe down the counter.
Was it? Hiccup was about to toss the fortune cookie into the trash where Astrid had thrown hers, but hesitated, and when Astrid wasn't looking he clutched it, and tucked it into his pocket. He wasn't sure why.
"You know, Astrid, I've been thinking," Hiccup said, tentatively. Astrid paused, turned to face him with a slow caution, waiting with apprehension. Hiccup swallowed, he supposed that he could have used a better intro. "It's not bad, it's just…that I've been thinking, or wondering, if it was too late to enroll."
The apprehension on Astrid's face was immediately replaced by a wide smile. "Really? You're applying?"
Hiccup nodded. He was taken back when Astrid suddenly leaned across the counter and kissed him. Her hand grazed his arm, holding lightly onto him, and he felt his heart thump hard against this rid cage. He could taste the Chinese on her lips and was sure that she could taste it on his. She began to pull away and he felt a loss, and he knew that he didn't want it to end, and he closed that small space between them. When he pushed his lips onto hers he ushered out a small sound from her throat that drifted into his.
When they finally broke away from each other, neither moved, both still leaning toward the other.
"Is there anything else you'd like to know about me?" Astrid whispered, her breath warm on his lips.
"Your last name," Hiccup whispered back, a slight smile on his lips.
"Hofferson." Astrid grinned.
She kissed him, lightly, sliding her hand up his arm and around his shoulders. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands. Gingerly, he moved them to her waist, but he felt like an awkward preteen boy at his first dance, holding a girl at arm's length. He let his arms fall to a relaxed position at her hips. He kissed her back, feeling the rush of blood going south, suddenly aware of what kissing could lead to. He pulled away from her.
"What?" Astrid breathed, "Do you want to take this elsewhere?"
"No," Hiccup shook his head. He leaned back in his chair. "Do you remembering talking about sex last night?"
"Yeah," Astrid nodded, leaning back. "Does that mean you want to wait?"
"Yeah." Hiccup nodded. "It's not that I don't want to, I do, but I don't want a relationship that's just about sex, you know?"
"I understand." Astrid nodded. But she recovered, smiling, "Does that mean you want a relationship?"
Hiccup smiled. "Maybe I do. But, not going to lie, I don't know how that goes."
"Okay, I'll start." Astrid said, turning to face him, placing her hand on top of his. "Do you want to go out with me?"
Hiccup chuckled. It was such a simple question that made him feel young and innocent. He looked at Astrid, beautiful blue eyes and lovely cheek bones, filling him with reassurance.
"I would love to." Hiccup smiled.
Astrid leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
X
Side note, I have no idea what day it is in this story. A weekday. It's a problem that I'm working on. I'm making sure that there's a feasible timeline starting in the next chapter. Also, I was actually watching Bones when I was writing this, and editing. I've got a lot of episodes on my DVR right now.