Here is it! The latest update! I know it's late. Now that I have only two stories going right now I should be able to update more frequently. Should. To make up for the lateness this chapter is a little longer than the others. Enjoy!
X
Chapter 18: Welcome Home
White swirled in blurry monochrome rainbows while icy fingers grasped each other and danced along invisible paths. They wound upward and outward into the sky, into unseen fairy rings, into heaven's dimension. She tried to reach out to them but couldn't. They were too far away.
"Hey, we're there,"
Astrid was shaken from her sleep. She'd slumped against the backseat of the cab and was holding onto her bag with crossed arms. The driver was looking over the seat at her.
"Oh, yeah," Astrid shook off the last strains of sleep. There was a crick in her back. Awesome. She retrieved cash from her bag and paid the impatient driver. She tossed the bag onto her shoulder and left the cab.
The snow had persisted. The streets and sidewalks were covered in a soft blanket. It was still coming down but in light flurries that barely touched her cheeks as she looked into the sky. She looked toward her apartment's living room window. The curtains were open. She sighed and started inside, crunching snow under her boots, and feeling the crick in her back moan with activity.
She stomped her boots on the rug before the elevator. She reached for the button but her hand paused. Her heart was bumping in her chest and her legs were twitching. She stepped away from the elevator and ran into the stairwell and all the way to her floor. She was out of breath and heaving as she walked onto the landing but she couldn't stop.
She came to a halt in front of her door. Suddenly, her keys felt heavy. She caught her breath, staring at the wood, and listened to the sound of someone in the kitchen. She reached for the knob but her hand froze. Why was she nervous about entering her own home?
"Fuck," Astrid spat in a whisper. She knew exactly why but she refused to admit it to herself.
No. Right now she was coming home from a long weekend working tables and serving drinks. Nothing more. One the other side of the door was her boyfriend, making something by the sounds, and waiting.
Get a hold of yourself, Astrid. She inhaled and held it, feeling her lungs expand, and slowly exhaled. She fastened her hand on the knob and turned. She walked inside and closed the door behind her.
"Hey," Hiccup smiled from the kitchen counter.
"Hi," Astrid stood on the mat. Why did she feel like a stranger? She kicked off her boots. "What're you doing?"
"Making a sandwich. Do you want one?" Hiccup asked, motioning to the lunchmeat and cheese circling his plate.
"Oh, no, I'm good." Astrid shook her head. She nodded herself out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. What was wrong with her? She tossed her bag beside the bed and looked to make sure that Hiccup wasn't behind her.
What the hell was wrong? Why did she feel like she was invading? This was her apartment, damn it! She couldn't calm her breathing. In a panic she reached for her phone. She tucked it between her torso and her arm and headed for the bathroom. She didn't know why she didn't want Hiccup to see it.
She kept her sights on the open bathroom door and shut it quickly behind her. She sank to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. With shaking thumbs, she found Heather in her contacts and pulled up the dialogue box.
Something's wrong. Astrid cursed herself silently. She kept misspelling the words and had to start over several times. She waited and set the silent screen on the floor between her feet. She crawled to the bath and turned on the water, as hot as it would go, and flipped on the showerhead. The steam rose up and the water pounded on the empty tub floor. Astrid was watching the mirror slowly cloud when her phone dinged. Her hand flew to it.
What's up? U ok?
No. Astrid shook at the keyboard and her breaths came in gasps. Was she sick? Was this some kind of seizure? Were her levels of some such or another out of balance? Should she so to the hospital?
What's wrong?!
I don't know. I'm shaking. Astrid tried to stifle her ragged breaths. She stared at the screen, waiting. Heather was always a source of calm advice. She needed some, right now.
Do you want to talk? Coffee?
No. I can't leave right now.
What? Should I call the police? Ambulance?
No. I think I'm sick but I don't know why.
Can you call me?
Astrid looked toward the cascading hot water. She didn't want Hiccup to hear. Why? She didn't know that either. She inhaled and pressed the call button. Heather answered immediately.
"What is going on? Do I need to come over? Are you okay?" Heather asked in a panic. "I can bring Carl."
"I-I don't know." Astrid whispered. Carl was an theater nut, like Heather, but unlike her he was built like a giant.
"Are you crying?"
"God, I hope not." Astrid wiped at her eyes. She was. "Shit,"
"Astrid, talk to me. What's happening?"
"I-I came home, and Hiccup was here, and it's just…like I don't belong here. I shouldn't be here. I don't know what to do. I can't breathe and I'm shaking…" Astrid whispered, inhaling as her chest heaved. She ran a hand through her hair. The steam was heating up the bathroom and leaving a dense humidity on her skin.
"What?" Heather asked, less worried and more curious.
"I don't understand,"
"Astrid, calm down, I need you to talk to me." Heather said in her sturdy alto. "Start from the beginning."
"Ok, I, uh, went to St. Louis this weekend," Astrid whispered. "And…"
"Oh. Oh." The low-toned contempt in Heather's voice didn't go unnoticed.
"And I-I just got home and…it just…I don't know. I fell apart."
Heather sighed, "Astrid, sweetie, I want you to imagine me giving you a hug right now. I'm squeezing you so tight that it hurts to breathe. I'm patting your head apologetically and I tell you this, in my best motherly voice, that you are feeling guilty."
"Guilty?"
"Your subconscious is screaming at your right now." Heather said, lowing her voice, "You just went to play with rich guys in the city. Am I wrong when I assume that more than just sweet talk and booze passed between you?"
"No," Astrid lowered her hand onto her knees.
"Your inner self knows what you did and that tiny Astrid on the inside is trying to tell you that it's a horrible idea." Heather said sternly, then sighed.
"I'm sorry," Astrid whispered, her voice gone.
"Astrid," Heather said, a bit reprimanding, "I'm not the one you should apologize to. I know you don't like to talk about it, so I'll just say it once and be done. If you really like that guy you need to stop…doing that…before it explodes and ruins whatever you've got with him."
'"I know," Astrid cried. "But…I just…"
"I know, I know," Heather said dismissively. "But normal jobs aren't extinct. You can survive on old fashioned waitressing. You don't have to do this to yourself."
"Thirty thousand." Astrid said into the phone, her voice hoarse and dry from crying, that seemed to have thankfully passed.
"What?"
"I got paid thirty thousand dollars this weekend. One night."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"Yes."
"That's a like half a house!"
"I know."
"Shit." Heather spat. She sighed. "In any case you do realize that by earning those dollars that you cheated?"
"Cheated?" Astrid barely managed to squeeze out the words. "No, no, it's not like that…"
"Astrid, sweetie, you cheated." Heather said plainly without judgment. It was a fact, undisputable, like a passage read from a dictionary.
"But,"
"You had relations with a person that wasn't your significant other. That's cheating." Heather said.
"God," Astrid groaned into her hand. She sucked in a sob. She could feel the tears returning.
"Have you told him?"
"Fuck no." Astrid spat, the tears suddenly feeling far away. She'd never tell Hiccup about that night. She'd seen the way that people looked at her after they knew. It was different. It was a look filled with pity, distrust, and hate, like she'd stepped in something smelly and tracked it through their house.
She loved the way Hiccup looked at her, like he actually liked her for who she was, instead of what she was. She couldn't stand the thought of his eyes changing.
"Then the only thing I can do is warn you." Heather said. "It's going to blow up. He's going to be mad. You'll be upset.
"I know." Astrid sighed.
"Okay," Heather sighed. "When that happens, I'll be here for you."
"Thanks." Astrid said. The call ended and she lifted her chin. Sweat was beading on her scalp.
X
Hiccup sat on the couch, Bones on the TV, and ate his sandwich while Astrid showered. She was taking longer than usual but she had looked exhausted. She'd come home in a frenzy and vanished into the bedroom and then the bathroom. He'd had days like that. A hot shower just melted the stress. But still…there was something in the way that she'd looked at him. It was like surprise, or worry, or even fear. It had unsettled something in his chest that he didn't want to think about. Doubt.
Was Astrid having second thoughts about him moving in? This was her place, after all, maybe she'd just wanted some time alone. In this small apartment private time was hard to come by. He could still move back into his place. There was still time to undo this before it became a disaster.
Hiccup finished his sandwich, washed the plate, dried it, returned it to the cabinet, replaced himself on the couch, and was halfway through the episode when the shower was finally turned off. It was a few moments before the door opened and Astrid, draped in a towel, wet hair folded over her shoulders in dark golden tendrils, went straight into the bedroom and pushed the door closed behind her.
She was being so distance. It was as if he wasn't sitting there at all. Was something wrong? He could feel it in his stomach. Something was stirring and he knew it wasn't the lunchmeat. It was barely three days old. He inhaled, stood up, pretending that he had much more confidence and courage that he really did. He took the few steps to the bedroom door. He didn't opened it. Instead he turned his back to it. He kept his gaze on the snow-lined window.
"Hey, Astrid?"
There was a pause in the skirmish of clothing. "Yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
"…yeah."
Hiccup sighed. Her answer was quick. Should he say something else? He'd never been very good at consoling.
"You know, you can talk to me, about anything." Hiccup said to the door. His heart shook when she didn't answer immediately.
He took a step back toward the couch when the bedroom door swung open. He turned around to see Astrid, wet hair combed and loose, dressed in a old t-shirt and patterned panties. She was undeniably attractive. Her skin was smooth and firm. His heart thumped, but upon seeing her distraught expression it skipped a beat.
"Astrid?" Hiccup asked.
The next moment happened too fast for him to completely process. Astrid began to cry and threw herself at him. Her arms clamped around his shoulders, hands fisted in his shirt, and she pressed her wet face into his shoulder. Stunned, Hiccup spent a moment to regain his racing heartbeat. He slid his arms around her and returned her embrace.
"Did something happen?" Hiccup asked into her hair. The wet strands were soaking into his shirt, along with her tears, and his entire shoulder felt damp. But it was alright. He rearranged his hands higher on her back and tried to ignore the fact that she wasn't wearing pants.
"I'm sorry," Astrid sobbed into his shoulder.
"For what?"
"…I missed you." Astrid whispered. She shifted so that her hot breath met his neck. "I missed you."
"Why are you sorry for that?" Hiccup smiled into her hair. She didn't respond and buried her face into his shoulder. He'd never understand females, especially this one. "It's okay, Astrid. I missed you, too. Hey, are you hungry?"
"You just ate." Astrid said, her voice mumbled in the fabric.
"Yeah, but it wasn't a lot. I'm still hungry. And I've kind of been craving a milkshake." Hiccup said.
"What?" Astrid lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him, sadness accompanied by a quizzical expression. Her eyes were bleary and her cheeks were tearstained. "Ice cream? It's a blizzard outside!"
"Yeah, but when I felt down my uncle would take me out for ice cream. It made me feel better." Hiccup shrugged underneath the weight of her arms. "But I understand if you don't want to."
To his relief, Astrid smiled. He relaxed the tension in his arms that he hadn't been aware of. Her smile softened and she rested her head back on his shoulder.
"I really did miss you," Astrid whispered.
"I missed you, too." Hiccup smiled into her hair. It was chilly against his skin. She must be cold. "You want to watch Bones with me?"
"Sure," Astrid sighed and loosened her grip on his shirt.
Hiccup's brain was suddenly taken over by an urge he would never understand. He bent down and swept an arm behind her knees and hoisted her into his arms. She laughed and hooked her arms around his neck. God, the skin of her legs was smooth under his fingers.
He carried her to the couch and sat her down. He pulled the throw from the back of the couch down over her bare legs. He swooped her legs up and sat below them and pulled them onto his lap. He wanted to be able to touch them under the blanket. Astrid giggled as he traced his thumb along her ankle.
They watched Bones for a few minutes, cuddled into each other in a mass of limbs, as the snowfall gradually picked up. Astrid rested her head on his shoulder and he comforted her torso with his arm around her waist. Hiccup traced his fingertips along her skin and she hummed as he gently touched her knee. His thumb circled the soft skin of her thigh and his heart flipped. He didn't dare higher than that.
They were beginning their third episode when Astrid suddenly jumped, throwing the blanket to the floor, exposing those beautiful legs as she ran into the bedroom.
"Astrid?"
"I forgot about your present!" Astrid called from the other room. She came back in, still thankfully pantsless, with a small box in her hands. She plopped back down beside him and handed it to him.
"Oh, you really did it?" Hiccup smiled. "I told you that you didn't have to."
"And I said that I would."
"Fine, you win this one. Only because I get stuff." Hiccup smiled. Did she really go out of her way to get him something?
Astrid's smile warmed his unsettled chest. He opened the box and searched through the tissue paper. He pulled out a coffee mug with an artful St. Louis design on the side. "Thank you, Astrid."
Astrid leaned in and quickly kissed his cheek. "Your welcome."
Hiccup set the mug and the wrapping onto the coffee table. He would have set it by the sink to wash it later but he didn't want to go that far away from Astrid. He leaned back into her and she curled into his side, fingering the hem of his shirt.
"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Astrid asked.
"I'm going home, I guess," Hiccup sighed.
"You guess?"
Hiccup laughed, not out of humor, but out of pity.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, just…" Hiccup sighed. "I'd rather not."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to face my family." Hiccup said. He looked away from her and despite her attempt to draw his attention back to herself he found a spot on the bedroom door to stare at. "They all think I'm a useless failure. I'm just a hiccup to them, remember?"
Astrid sighed, "But they're your family. They're supposed to irritate the hell out of you. But no matter what, they love you. They have to."
"Not with them. Besides, if they do love me then they do a good job at hiding it." Hiccup said.
"Well, I know it might be a useless invitation, but you are more than welcome to stay here with me."
"Thank you, but my dad has already bought the plane ticket." Hiccup smiled. He'd love to be snuggling with Astrid instead of listening to his family argue over football games. Then her words sunk in. "Wait, you're staying here?"
She nodded.
"You're not being forced home to be slowly driven insane by spending prolonged hours at a overfilled dining table?" Hiccup smiled.
"Nope." She shook her head.
"Why not?" Hiccup asked. He wanted to ask about the picture in her armoire. It was tucked away and hidden and it kept poking at the back of his mind. He wanted to know but the words wouldn't even come up his throat.
"Well, home is here, really. So I'm already there." She shrugged. He was about to say something else, to push a little deeper, when she suddenly drew away from the couch. "I'm starved. I'm going to make something to eat."
Hiccup got the message. It was the same sudden change of subject his father used. For a long time he thought that his father hadn't been listening. As he grew up he understood. When his father didn't want to talk about something, he didn't. It would seem that Astrid was the same.
X
Hiccup's flight was scheduled for the twenty fourth, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and he wasn't looking forward to it. His father had mailed the ticket and Hiccup was hoping that it wouldn't arrive in time. However, as if on cue, the envelope arrived on Monday morning. That same day the snow started to fall again.
"Hey, don't forget to bundle up," Hiccup instructed Astrid as she prepared to leave for class.
"Piff," Astrid waved his concerns away, ignoring his pleas to wear a hat and gloves. "I've got the immunity of a polar bear. Besides, it's not that cold."
Astrid left, backpack slung over her shoulder, and winked as she shut the door behind her. Hiccup lounged on the couch with his laptop. He'd been meaning to search through the majors on the university's website. Astrid had bugged him about it after he'd bugged her about her unfinished English paper. They'd decided on a truce. He'd browse the online database and she'd finish the first draft.
He was into the Cs when his phone rang. Sighing, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Did you get it?" his father's voice came from the other side.
"The ticket?" Hiccup thought about lying. He could say no.
"I know it did, Son, I was tracking it."
Of course he was. Hiccup sighed, "Yes, it did."
"Good. I'll be at the airport to pick you up."
"I am looking forward to it." Hiccup said with forced enthusiasm.
Stoick huffed on the other side.
"Alright, bye them."
"Bye." Hiccup hung up. Sighing, he closed his computer. He'd lost his interest in majors. He'd try again later. He slumped on the couch and inhaled the stillness of the apartment. Snow pitter-patted against the window.
His phone dinged. A text. He reached for his phone. It couldn't be his father. He didn't know how to send a text. Thankfully, this text was from Astrid.
How's the hunt coming? Find anything interest?
No. Dad just called to make sure the ticket came.
He must really want you to come home.
Right, so he can brag to the entire town how great of a prodigy I am. Sounds fun.
I think he misses you.
You don't know him. He doesn't miss people. It's just how he is.
It'll be okay. It's just a couple days.
Hiccup sighed. He quickly typed, trying to beat Astrid to the dialogue box, How's that paper coming?
I'll get it done, babe, don't worry. I hear that it's supposed to really snow tonight. Your flight might get canceled. They you'll have to stay with me!
That afternoon was met with an increase in snowfall. It wasn't heavy, more of a flurry, and Hiccup watched the snowplow pass three times on the stree below. When Astrid came home she was covered in flurries, from her bangs to her boots.
"Did you fall in a drift?" Hiccup smiled.
"No," Astrid shook her head, rubbing her hands vigorously together. "I tried to call a cab but they weren't running because of the weather. Apparently, it's too dangerous to drive so I had to walk back."
"What?" Hiccup shouted. "Astrid, that's too far to walk in this weather!"
"I know!" Astrid walked over to the stove and turned on the kettle. She withdrew a mug from the cabinet and dropped it onto the counter. She mumbled a swear under her breath as she took a teabag from the box.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm just cold. I'll be fine in a few." Astrid sighed.
"I told you to bundle up,"
"I'll be fine! I'm a polar bear!" Astrid shouted as she shred her coat and stomped out of her boots.
X
That night, Hiccup was laying awake while Astrid slept soundly beside him. He'd half packed the suitcase that Astrid had lent him for the trip. Just a carry-on. He didn't need to take anymore than that. Snow was spitting against the window with force. The wind had picked up, howling as it drifted the fluffy snow, sighing heavily against the building.
Hiccup rolled on to his side, then his other side, and onto his back. He wasn't going to try to sleep on his stomach. He always felt like he was being smothered by the pillow.
"What's up?" Astrid's tired voice drifted through the darkness.
"Nothing,"
"Are you worried about tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. There was no denying it, however 'worry' was an understatement. It was dread.
"There's still hope that it'll get canceled." Astrid whispered.
"That's too lucky for me. I'm sure that by the time my plane leaves all the snow will have miraculously melted, because fate hates me."
"Oh, that's a bit negative."
"My entire life is negative." Hiccup half-laughed.
"Is it all negative?"
He caught her words. "Not all of it."
Astrid let her sleepy giggle fall into the pillow.
Hiccup sighed as fierce wind rattled the windows. "If it's cold here then it's got to be fucking freezing in Berk."
Astrid snickered.
"What?"
"You're cute when you swear."
"What?"
"I don't know. It's hard to explain." Astrid huddled under the covers. "It's like…you're innocent, and when you swear…it's like hearing a little kid say it."
"You think I'm a kid?"
"No, it's your sweetness, it's like a kid's innocence, it's cute."
Hiccup sighed. Cute. Men weren't supposed to be cute. He could hear his father complain about it already. Babies and kittens were cute, men were not.
"What's wrong?" Astrid asked.
"Nothing," Hiccup said. He didn't want to tell her about his father's complaints. It was just another thing he was not looking forward to. "Maybe it'll be cancelled."
X
Hiccup woke up on his stomach with his arm draped over the side of the bed. Pale gray sunlight bled into the room from the thick curtains. Groaning, he rolled onto his back. His alarm had been set for eight so it must be before that. He inhaled and let it go slowly. If things went how they were supposed to he'd be sleeping in his old bed tonight, alone.
He rolled onto his side. Astrid was sleeping soundly beside him, her mouth slightly parted, brows gentle, skin supple and soft. She was a live image of the drawing that he'd done. She was so lovely, perfect even, down to the last freckle that dotted her creamy skin. There were a few on her face, her arms, her legs, and he was sure there were more. He'd love to find them all, once by one, and count them. She snored lightly and shifted in her sleep.
If only he could lie in bed all day and watch her sleep. However, his phone inevitability went off as eight o'clock rolled around. He sighed and drug himself from the bed to silence the sound.
"Good morning," Astrid mumbled as she stirred.
"Hey," Hiccup sighed as he stretched.
He popped his neck as he walked into the living room that was shaded with the same pale light. Curious, he shuffled to the window. He pulled back the curtain and gasped with the sight. Everything was white. A thick layer of snow caked the world outside, piled high on cars on the street, on signs, and drifted more than halfway up doors and windows on the first floor. There were lines on the road where it looked like someone had tried to drive through, but more than once the lines jutted dangerously to one side.
"Oh shit," Astrid said hoarsely over his shoulder.
Hiccup jumped. He hadn't even heard her. Her hand was underneath her t-shirt, scratching her stomach, revealing the low waistband of her pajama pants. Her sloped abdomen vanished below an exposed strip of the pattered underwear.
"Check on your flight. I'm going to see if classes are cancelled." Astrid said plainly. It'd be a few minutes before she was fully awake.
They divided to their computers. Hiccup wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for so it took him longer than Astrid.
"Oh, come on!" Astrid groaned.
"You still have school?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah," Astrid slumped. She feigned school spirit, "Of course we do. We're Vikings. We're fucking troopers. You?"
"Uh…"
Astrid scooted over and helped him navigate the airline's site. With her help it took than a minute to find.
"Delayed." Hiccup read. Just delayed. He'd be wading through the five feet of snow to his front door by sundown.
" Give it some time. It might still get cancelled." Astrid nudged him. "Coffee?"
"Sure."
Astrid yawned as she padded toward the stove. She set on the kettle and reached up into the cabinet and pulled down two mugs. She poured a spoonful of black instant coffee into each one. There was a sluggishness in her movements that irked him. It was off.
"Maybe one day we can upgrade to a legit coffee maker." Astrid leaned on the counter while the water heated.
"Maybe," Hiccup sighed.
"Or maybe a percolator. They make the best coffee." Astrid sighed. Her voice was distant.
"What's a percolator?"
"It's a kettle thing that you set on the stove and it brews the coffee right inside. The countertop coffee pots don't get the water hot enough. We used to have one. The entire house would smell like coffee."
"What happened to it?" Hiccup asked.
Astrid's distant expression shifted. Her eyes settled on him. There was a ferocity that he hadn't seen before, a defensive shield, and it made him swallow and forget whatever he'd been thinking.
"What are you staring at?" Astrid asked, straightening at the counter. Her gaze softened. She still looked half asleep and her normal radiance was dimmed.
"Oh, um…nothing." Hiccup said quickly. Heat rushed to his face.
"Are you sure?" Astrid asked, leaving the kettle and sauntering toward him, purposefully swinging her hips with sultry grace. She stopped in front of him and swung her legs over either side of his lap, sitting, and slid her hands around his shoulders.
His heart was thundering wildly in his chest. Astrid leaned in slowly and brushed her lips against his. His sharp inhale was as involuntary as the blood surging to his groin. In these pajamas pants there was no way it would go unnoticed. As if knowing his thoughts she wiggled her hips on his lap.
"Astrid," Hiccup whispered.
Astrid tilted her chin and kissed him sweetly, lingering on his lips, and only removing them when the kettle began to whistle. She slowly removed herself from his lap and Hiccup wasn't sure if he was glad or if he missed her. Both, a little. He watched her walk to the kettle and pour the steaming water into both mugs. The warm smell of coffee filled the living room and kitchen.
Astrid set the kettle on a backburner and deeply inhaled the steam as she stirred the cups. She added sugar and milk to hers and stirred it again before carrying both cups to the couch. She handed his to him carefully.
"Really excited about the coffee?" Astrid smirked, nodding to the protrusion in his pants.
"I really like coffee." Hiccup said as he sipped the mug. She'd chosen the St. Louis mug that she'd bought.
"I can see that." Astrid smiled. She didn't hid her stare.
"It's your fault it's there." Hiccup laughed.
Astrid smirked as she sipped her coffee. She slid her free hand through the front button of his pajamas. He'd been trying to make his arousal recede but his efforts were abolished when her warm hand fastened around it. She thumbed the tip as she drew it out of his pants and into the cooler air of the living room. She began to pump and drank her coffee, sitting as natural as if she were reading a newspaper, and looking lovely doing it.
He groaned as he finished in her hand. She collected it all and stood up with a smug satisfaction. She set her coffee down and headed to the bathroom with her hand outstretched. Hiccup tucked himself back into his pants. He took a drink of his coffee and reached to refresh the airline's webpage. It was still delayed.
Hiccup sighed as Astrid came back out of the bathroom with cleaned hands. In the same mad consciousness that he didn't understand, he pulled her back to the couch, collapsing with her. Astrid was laughing as they arranged themselves almost naturally, her back against his chest, and as one hand wrapped around her shoulders the other slipped below the waistband of her pajama pants. She gasped as his fingers slipped along her sensitivity.
"Up, just a little," Astrid gasped. Her hand lightly gripped the wrist of his working arm.
"Of course," Hiccup said into her ear.
She bit her lip as she moaned into his touch. Her grip on his wrist tightened.
His phone rang.
"Shit," Hiccup spat.
"Ignore it!" Astrid gasped.
Hiccup did just that, but it wasn't a moment after the phone had silenced that it began to ring again.
"Don't stop," Astrid gasped, her nails digging into his arm, gently bucking her hips to his hand.
He didn't want to stop but when his phone began to ring a third time he started to worry. Was something wrong? Only a serious event would require a third ring. His suspicions were strengthened when his phone ran a fourth time. He worked faster. Her head rolled onto his shoulder and her moans were an incentive to his tiring hand. His phone had been ringing constantly since he'd started. Astrid was shaking gently against him. She gasped and went limp, collapsing onto the couch.
Hiccup withdrew his hand. He should wash it but instead he wiped his slick fingers on his pants as he marched into his bedroom. He grabbed his phone from the dresser.
"Someone really wants to talk to you," Astrid sighed from the couch. "It's my dad." Hiccup said. He stared at the screen until it lit up again and touched the bright green button to answer. "Yeah?"
"Where the hell have you been?" Stoick hammered on the other side.
"Sorry, I was busy," Hiccup said. Technically, he wasn't lying. But telling his father that he'd had his hands down a girl's pants didn't seem like a good idea.
Stoick mumbled something on the other side.
"Did you have something you wanted to tell me?" Hiccup asked, already irritated with his father's hardened attitude.
"You don't know?" Stoick accused.
"Know what?"
"Goodness, Son, you need to stay on top of things. You need a sense of responsibility to get anywhere." Stoick lectured.
Hiccup sighed and didn't care if his father heard him. "You could spend the next ten minutes yelling at me or you could just tell me what's up."
Stoick let out a heavy sigh. "Your flight's been cancelled."
"Really?"
"Don't sound happy about it, Son. It's Thanksgiving. You need to be home." Stoick said.
"I know, Dad, but if I can't fly there's not a lot of other ways to get there." Hiccup shrugged. He didn't care if his father knew that he didn't want to come home. In fact, he'd rather him know that he was happy away from Berk. He wanted them all to know.
"Fine, Son," Stoick sighed. "There'll be an empty place at the table."
Yeah, like hell there'll be a empty place. "Okay,"
Hiccup hung up before his father could say anything else. He stalked back into the living room.
"What's up?" Astrid asked as she made her way back from the batrhoom to the her coffee on the table.
"My flight's been canceled." Hiccup said.
Astrid reached to his computer and refreshed the page. "Oh, look at that. It is."
Hiccup came back and sat down and reached for his coffee.
"How old is this computer?" Astrid asked.
"Old."
"It kind of looks like it's been built from like a bunch of other computers. It's like Frankenstein's computer."
Hiccup laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is. It keeps breaking and I can't afford a new one so I take parts from older ones and replace things as they break."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why? Is that weird?"
"No, not at all. It's really cool. I'm terrible with computers and this entire building-your-own-computer thing is amazing. You could go into computer science you know, it's a big field."
"I could." Hiccup shrugged.
"You should. This thing is awesome. A bit clunky, but still cool." Astrid smiled.
Hiccup slumped beside her.
"So what do you want to do for Thanksgiving?" Astrid asked.
"What?"
"Food! It's Thanksgiving. The only thing more important than family is the food." Astrid smiled at him. "And since you're staying here now, we should have a plan of attack before everything is closed."
"I don't know. How about we think about breakfast first?" Hiccup smiled. The idea of spending the week with Astrid instead of his family was much more appealing.
X