Lawyer AU where Eris and Nesta used to be rivals before she got married and decided to leave the field. But now she is divorced and determined to return to the legal field, even if it means working with Eris, not against him.
It was humiliating. Being here, gathering her thoughts, preparing to say what she was about to say, asking for this meeting. Even thinking about what she needed to do was unpleasant.
However, it had been just under seven years since she last looked toward the constitution or any legal doctrines, and, though she didn’t want to admit it, Nesta understood that she was no longer in the form she once was. She had been rejected by dozens of firms to which she had sent her resume. Considering her suspended legal license, this was expected, but something on a prideful level wouldn’t allow her to live with it any longer.
Though the fact that she was currently walking toward Eris Vanserra's office building showed that she didn’t have much pride left.
Passing by blocks of identical skyscrapers, Nesta glanced around, spotting the letter G on one of the buildings’ walls, indicating the block she needed. Tightening her grip on her bag strap, she went inside, heading for the elevator.
As the elevator slowly ascended, Nesta mentally prepared herself for rejection, understanding that her chances were somewhere between zero and one-thousandth. She prepared herself for an argument, already constructing a chain of arguments she could use if Eris started a debate. She also prepared herself for the possibility that they would, as usual, exchange sharp remarks, and Eris would hit her in the most painful spots, as he always did. Just as Nesta did in return.
On the twenty-seventh floor, the elevator doors opened, and Nesta let out a loud sigh, reminding herself that she was Nesta Archeron and shouldn’t fear any interview. Even if it was an interview at Eris’s firm.
The entire floor was occupied by his office alone, no one else’s. Finding the reception desk, Nesta approached a pleasant young woman and mentioned that she had a meeting with Eris. The woman kindly showed her to the right office and offered her coffee, which Nesta declined.
After asking her to wait inside, the woman left, leaving Nesta alone in the spacious office. Panoramic windows, bookshelves filled with various reference books, a few paintings of dogs, a small leather sofa in the corner with a coffee table, and a dark oak desk with organized folders and organizers on it. Nesta smirked mentally, Eris had always been obsessed with order, so the state of his workspace didn’t surprise her at all. Everything was polished to a shine, every item in its exact place.
She sighed and ran her hand over the desk as she walked to an empty chair, taking her seat and thinking about how this could have been her. It could have been her office, her firm, all that she had dreamed of achieving and would have achieved if she had chosen herself seven years ago.
Nesta thought about how her life would have changed if she hadn’t given up then. If she hadn’t listened to Cassian and his endless pleas for her to work less, which later escalated into pleas to give up her career altogether. Not directly, of course, because Nesta would hardly have let him finish such a suggestion. But Cassian knew how to persuade.
He knew how to convince her that she didn’t need this law firm all that much, especially considering that she had gotten pregnant and would have gone on maternity leave anyway. And then... postpartum depression, complications after childbirth from which Nesta had taken too long to recover; constant arguments with her husband about what was best for her and what was best for their daughter; and then the second pregnancy. And so seven years passed, and Nesta was no longer a lawyer. She had two wonderful daughters, whom she loved with all her heart, a broken marriage, and remnants of her former life.
Nesta could never say she regretted deciding to keep the baby. Astrid was the best thing that had happened in her life, just like her second daughter, Callista. Even though they preferred Cassian, leaving Nesta to be content with seeing the kids only on weekends because it was easier for them to stay with their fun dad than their strict mom. And because Cassian had a more flexible schedule than she would have if she actually got the job at the law firm, so it was a logical decision. Logical, even if it still hurt her.
"Nesta Archeron, I can’t believe my eyes," Eris’s voice rang out, and Nesta turned her head toward the door as he entered the office, smiling at her. "When you called me, to be honest, I was completely astonished."
Nesta looked at him, noticing small changes in his appearance. A different hairstyle, he was maybe a few centimeters taller than she remembered, his muscles had grown larger, obviously, he was now hitting the gym. But still the same expensive suits, the same eyes with a predatory gleam, sharp facial features, and a familiar smirk. Nesta had forgotten how handsome Eris was, perhaps because she hadn’t cared about it before, but here she was, single for several months, and maybe that made her a little biased in her judgment of men’s appearances.
"Nice setup," Nesta said, gesturing around. Eris just shrugged and scoffed, as if to say it was nothing special, as he walked to his chair and took his seat. Still the same annoying bastard as always — perfect. In a way, Nesta missed having Eris’s presence in her life, the constant desire to outmaneuver him once again.
"What can I do for you?" he asked, crossing his legs and twirling a gold Parker pen in his hand. "It’s not often I hear you asking for help. I didn’t even know you had that function."
"Funny," Nesta rolled her eyes, feeling like she was back in law school, when she and Eris teased each other at every opportunity.
Back then, she had wanted to take him down a peg and put the smug jerk in his place, while Eris wanted to prove to her that he was here because he deserved it, not because his parents had donated for a new building. And so they both spent nights in the library, preparing for the next exam, occasionally lifting their heads from books to exchange middle fingers across the library.
"I need a job," Nesta said bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush. Eris raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at her as if she had said something completely crazy.
"And you’re asking me for a job?" he asked, still not understanding her intent. Nesta sighed loudly and nodded.
"The best law firm in the city," Nesta shrugged, as if coming here had been her first thought and it was completely logical. "You know what happened to my previous one."
Eris studied her for a long time, as if analyzing her and her intentions. Nesta held his gaze, remaining steadfast under those amber eyes. She studied him in return, trying to catch every emotion flickering across his face to convince him.
"I have all the documents with me if needed," she added, adjusting her bag that lay on her lap. Eris gave a bored glance in that direction, then slowly raised his eyes back to her face, lingering a rough extra second at her neckline.
"Tell me something I don’t already know," he scoffed, implying that every grade, every case won, every qualification certificate Nesta had was already known to him, as he had been present in her life during each of these accomplishments.
Nesta frowned, thinking about how to answer that question. She had hoped, banked a lot on the fact, that Eris would be convinced, knowing her. He was the one to whom Nesta had boasted about her LSAT scores, which were one point higher than his own. He was the one with whom they had applied for various internships and worked together as summer associates in firms. He was the one to whom Nesta had always reminded of every case she won against him, every time they faced each other in court, and in her last years of practice, this happened very often. Eris knew how good a lawyer Nesta was.
"Isn’t that enough?" she asked, lifting her chin and deliberately maintaining her confidence.
"You have been out of the field for seven years, Nesta," Eris sighed, surprisingly without the sarcasm and mockery that Nesta expected to hear in his voice. "In seven years, how many changes do you think have happened in the law? New laws, changes in legislative acts, even the smallest shifts in judicial practice. And even without all that, seven years without any practice is not a small problem, Nesta."
"Are you refusing me?"
Eris didn't answer immediately. Instead, he twirled the same Parker pen between his fingers while Nesta awaited his decision. The past version of Nesta would have been deeply disappointed to learn that her future now lay in the hands of Eris Vanserra. Perhaps that past version of her would have slapped her across the face if she had known.
"No," Eris eventually said, to her surprise and relief. "But I will request that you complete a few additional courses for testing and upgrading your qualifications, aside from the ones you are already required to take to reinstate your license. On the company's dime, of course. Until then, I can't offer you an associate position."
"Then what are you proposing I do? Bring you coffee like a secretary?" Nesta sarcastically asked, knowing that mocking someone who had just generously offered her a job was illogical.
"A paralegal," Eris responded calmly instead of getting annoyed, finally setting the pen down on the desk and crossing his fingers.
"A paralegal? Eris, I was a senior associate and the top candidate for a partner role at my last firm. You can't expect me to believe that a paralegal position suits me."
"Nesta," Eris said in a warning tone, "seven years is a long time. This position will be temporary. It will help you integrate into the team, familiarize yourself with our client base, and get used to the legal environment again. I'm not doing this to humiliate you, believe me, that's the last thing I'd want to do to you. You were an excellent lawyer, but that was a long time ago. If you want your position back, prove to me that you're capable of it now."
He was right. To Nesta's deep regret, Eris was right. She was no longer the Nesta Archeron of the past, who could recite entire legal handbooks from memory, intimidate any lawyer in court, and win every case that came her way. So, to her even greater dismay, Nesta had to agree with Eris for the first time in a long time.
The rest of their conversation covered details like salary and schedule. Nesta was surprised that Eris accommodated her not only by offering her the job but also by setting a fairly high salary, despite the limited hours she could work due to her need to balance it with the qualification courses. Though Eris had never been particularly concerned about money.
The following week, Nesta started her job at Eris's firm. It wasn’t something she took pride in, but it was her best option. It was genuinely difficult to get used to a job she had once confidently declared herself the best at, to reenter the rhythm. But over time, she adapted to the new pace, juggling online modules, occasional in-person seminars, and work, while completely detaching on weekends to spend time with her lovely daughters.
Besides, the position didn’t demand the superhuman effort her previous bosses—and she herself—once required when she worked at her last firm, stubbornly trying to prove to them and herself that she was capable of earning the partner position quickly. Working overtime, closing major cases one after another, and building connections with hundreds of people, Nesta had quickly been promoted to senior associate.
But then, she met Cassian. The owner of a sports club located very close to Nesta's firm, fate had brought them together very quickly. Cassian was charming, sweet, and optimistic, while Nesta was perpetually sleep-deprived, grouchy but efficient lawyer, who believed sleep was for the weak.
After a few months of dating, squeezed into Nesta's tight schedule, she agreed to marry him, not thinking that eight months was too short. Her younger sister Feyre had also married quickly, and while Nesta had initially judged that decision, her younger sister's happiness quickly proved her wrong.
For the wedding and honeymoon, Nesta used all her annual leave for the first time, something she had never done before. And during the planning of where and when the ceremony would take place, she found out she was pregnant.
Pregnancy wasn’t part of her plans. She almost filed a lawsuit against the company that produced her contraceptive pills, but Cassian convinced her that the legal proceedings would take too much time and money, especially since they were already tight on finances due to wedding preparations.
Feyre, with a one-year-old child at the age of twenty-one, told her how wonderful it was to be a mother. Nesta didn’t deny that it was wonderful—for her younger sister—but she herself didn’t feel ready for motherhood. Not now. Not when her firm was on the verge of taking on another partner.
But she couldn’t bring herself to terminate the pregnancy either.
After long discussions, she and Cassian decided to keep the baby, trim the wedding budget a bit, and prepare for the arrival of the newest family member.
Looking back on those years now, Nesta couldn’t understand who that girl was who decided to give up her career in favor of becoming a housewife. Of course, Cassian hadn’t wanted to shut down his gym either to become a stay-at-home dad and give her the chance to return to work. Nesta never asked him to. She couldn’t. Not when his eyes lit up with ideas for his gym, always coming up with new ways to improve the business.
But the Nesta who had studied at Harvard Law School, the Nesta who had fought tooth and nail for her position in that field, the Nesta who had obliterated all her opponents in court, wondered why it had to be her. Why did she have to give up her career? Why did she have to give up her dreams when she was perfectly capable of returning to work after a year or two of caring for Astrid?
"Nesta," a voice interrupted her thoughts, and Nesta looked up to see Eris standing over her desk.
"Yes?"
"Is the motion for reconsideration on the current case ready?" He seemed to be asking for the second time.
"Yes," Nesta quickly scanned her desk, found the document, and handed it to him. "I was going to give it to your assistant, but he wasn’t at his desk."
"Probably running the errands I gave him this morning," Eris shrugged, taking the papers and briefly brushing his fingers against hers. Nesta instinctively pulled her hand back quickly, hoping he didn’t notice. If he did, Eris made no comment and retreated to his office, not emerging even when the workday officially ended.
Not that she cared when he left the office. However, working now, Nesta found herself being more mindful of her time, not driven to work excessive hours for the sake of a higher position. Maybe it was because she couldn’t get that position yet, at least not until she finished her courses and Eris was satisfied with the result. But over the years, she had learned how much she needed to value her personal time. Especially when looking back over the last decade, she saw work, she saw family, but she didn’t see Nesta Archeron—only the efforts she made for everything else, but never for herself.
One evening, Nesta decided to step into Eris's office, wondering if he planned to spend the entire weekend there since that’s how it seemed. After knocking and entering, she watched as Eris paced around his desk, phone pressed to his ear, eyebrows furrowed, and lips twisted in irritation.
"Make sure the act is on my desk by Monday. I don’t care what strings you have to pull to make it happen," he said to someone on the phone. Nesta didn’t envy the poor soul on the other end of the call.
A few more minutes passed, and the conversation ended. Eris rubbed his eyes wearily and finally looked in her direction.
"Still the same workaholic, I see," Nesta smiled.
"Do you need something?" he asked politely.
"I'm glad that after all these years, you've finally learned some manners," Nesta couldn’t resist commenting, too used to their usual style of banter.
"Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for you," Eris smirked in return. "Seriously though, why aren’t you home yet, Nesta? Don’t you have a loving husband and child waiting for you?"
Nesta froze. Eris had no idea that she was divorced. And the ring on her finger didn’t help. She was wearing just a regular ring, not her wedding one, purely to avoid unwanted attention from male colleagues who she had no interest in.
"No," she said quietly. "The kids are with Cassian. We… divorced about a month ago."
Eris’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that. His gaze briefly fell to her right hand, noticing the ring, then he looked at her questioningly.
"I don’t want unnecessary male attention," Nesta explained, taking off the ring and putting it in her bag.
"I didn’t know," Eris said, referring to the divorce. "That explains your sudden eagerness to return. And… I’m sorry it turned out that way."
Feeling a lump forming in her throat, Nesta quickly swallowed and shrugged. "Don’t be. Divorce isn’t as bad as it sounds."
Eris just grunted, sitting back down at his desk while Nesta stood in the doorway.
"Aren’t you heading home?" she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Not many people stay at the office until nine in the evening, especially on Friday."
"And yet, here we both are," Eris chuckled softly. "For some reason, I’m not even surprised."
Nesta gave a small laugh too, knowing it was true. Neither of them was surprised. This was how it had always been. The two of them, constantly striving to do more, to achieve more, never knowing when to stop. Maybe there wasn’t even an endpoint, just endless work toward some abstract goal that, in theory, should satisfy them and make them stop.
"Drink?" Eris suddenly suggested, holding her gaze.
Nesta didn’t think long before nodding in agreement, knowing it was better than going back to an empty apartment. She watched as Eris packed his things into a black case with his initials, grabbed his coat from the hanger, and headed toward the elevator. After descending to the ground floor, they stepped outside, and Eris led the way to the nearest bar.
Given that the area catered to high-powered businessmen, lawyers, and financiers, every establishment was top-tier, so there was no need to worry about the quality of service. Nesta glanced around, unable to shake the feeling of how much she had missed this life.
Eris spoke to the bar’s hostess, asking if they had any available tables. After casually mentioning his last name, the girl bustled around even more, and within five minutes, they were seated in a VIP booth.
"Tell me," Nesta said, looking over the wine menu, "What have I missed all this time?"
"Well, chronologically speaking, changes to legislation of the year…" Eris began, but Nesta snorted. He chuckled softly too. "But seriously, you missed a lot of boring court procedures. The law is the same—boring and monotonous."
Nesta was surprised to hear that from Eris. For her, it had never been boring. It was a challenge, a new obstacle, a new problem to solve by finding the right loophole in the right law. It had always been interesting.
"Seriously?" she asked. "I thought you enjoyed being a lawyer."
"I do enjoy being a lawyer," Eris nodded, gesturing to the waitress to take their order. "But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s incredibly dull without the right opponent on the other side," he smirked faintly.
Nesta didn’t have a chance to ask him more about that statement, as the waitress arrived to take their order.
"Since we’ve already touched on my disastrous personal life, what about yours?" Nesta asked, amused as Eris winced at the question.
"Nothing’s changed," he said dryly. "Some things are better left unchanged."
Back in law school, Eris had stated that he wasn’t a fan of relationships, never wanted them, and never would. It seemed he hadn’t changed his mind, and Nesta realized he had been serious back then.
"I’ve never understood your aversion to relationships," she scoffed.
"It’s not aversion. It’s a preference for not sharing space or wasting resources and time," Eris rolled his eyes. This was a debate they’d had several times before. Nesta genuinely did not understand his stubborn position, and Eris defended that stubborn position even more stubbornly. "Besides, can you imagine me falling in love with someone? Losing my head over a person?”
"I don’t know, maybe you should have at least tried before dismissing the idea," Nesta shrugged. "Falling in love isn’t as complicated as you make it out to be. It’s a lot easier than drafting a corporate merger agreement."
The waitress returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, pouring them each a glass, and then returned with plates of cheese, tartlets with caviar, and other snacks.
"I tried," Eris said quietly. "Didn’t work out."
Nesta didn’t push the topic any further, understanding that if he asked about Cassian, she wouldn’t want to answer either. Instead, she raised her glass, watching as Eris did the same.
"To things staying the same," she smiled faintly, for some reason happy that Eris smiled back.
"To things staying the same," he echoed, clinking his glass with hers and taking a sip.
It was strange to sit in a bar with someone Nesta once thought she despised. Eris used to be far more sarcastic and venomous, perhaps as she had been too. They couldn’t last five minutes in the same room without throwing insults at each other, except in court—there, instead of insults, they used dry legal jargon and countless arguments. And now, here they were, sitting together, drinking wine, and catching up on life. Maturing, she thought.
"I'm glad you're back," Eris said around his fifth glass. Nesta looked at him with surprise.
"I thought you'd be glad there’s no one left to fear in court," she smirked. Eris rolled his eyes.
"I never 'feared' you, just so you know," he scoffed. "But when you left, I did get a bit bored. Few could match you, and those who could were not even nearly as pleasant to look at. And at the same time, I’m glad you’re now working for me, not against me. I'm at the age where you could easily give me a few gray hairs if you faced me in court."
Nesta couldn’t help but laugh at his words. "And you call that not being afraid of me?"
"Just trying to hold onto a bit of pride," Eris grinned.
The rest of the evening, Nesta spent asking Eris about the partner position, thinking that it wasn’t too late for her after all. Later, Eris called them a taxi, giving her address first, then his, despite her protests that it would mean a longer trip for him across the city.
Hello fellow people’s of the tumble, I am unfortunately not going to be using this blog as I have issues with it working properly. So I hath made a new blog, called @chronicallytall in which I will be posting a completely different vibe of things and actually aiming to treat it as a proper blog just because I fancy it. So if ya interested hope on over :)
Hello fellow people’s of the tumble, I am unfortunately not going to be using this blog as I have issues with it working properly. So I hath made a new blog, called @chronicallytall in which I will be posting a completely different vibe of things and actually aiming to treat it as a proper blog just because I fancy it. So if ya interested hope on over :)
"Azriel's power gave out on the outskirts of our camp.
(...)
The gray light of morning had broken over the world, mist clinging to our ankles as we headed into that camp, Azriel still cradling Elain to his chest. He dripped blood behind him the entire time-a trickle compared to the torrent that should be leaking out. Contained only by the patches of power he'd slapped on it".
- A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.
➵ Art by @/aysha.nasir15 on ig
➵ Commissioned by me 💕
Hello!! This is my first time commissioning canon scene art and I'm SO EXCITED to finally get it out there! Working with Aysha on this piece has been spectacular, she has been able to bring this scene to life in a way that I could never have imagined. Thank you very much, Aysha!
I could say that this is one of my favorite Elriel scenes, but really all their scenes are, even the smallest ones makes me feel butterflies in my stomach. This one in particular makes me have great hope for them, as our dear Feyre narrates how Azriel doesn't want to let Elain go from his arms; even though he is hurt his first concern is that Elain's chains will be removed. I feel that it is a moment of deep connection between them, he was the first to be aware that Elain had disappeared and despite being in danger of death, he did not hesitate for a single second to go save her together with Feyre. This entire sequence of them meeting and then Elain showing that she is also fierce when the situation calls for it makes me love them even more. I also love how, in gratitude, Elain gives him a kiss on the cheek afterwards.
Honestly the Cauldron may have decided not to make them mates, but all of their interactions scream to me that they, in fact, are. Or, at least, will choose to be. Hence why I post this art for the theme of a bridge between souls 💜
Jaskier doesn’t have a horse. I mean yeah, technically he has Pegasus but in nw and most fanon media he doesn’t. The man walks at the same pace as a horse every day for twenty years. And I’m sure Geralt let him put SOME things on Roach, but probably not much. She’s Geralt’s horse and needs to carry his things AND Geralt, no one wants her to be over extended with bard stuff. So that means Jaskier carries all his stuff himself which is AT MINIMUM, his lute, notebooks, probably like 3 sets of relatively complex performing outfits and road clothes, all his fancy cosmetic stuff, a bedroll, and his METAL coin money. He also probably has first aid things like bandages and potions, frivolous things like baubles and jewelry, food, water, and probably other bard stuff like spare strings and such.
Yeah, Jask is depicted as traveling without bags but that’s just not possible. He probably carries his own essentials and as someone who backpacks— that alone is usually 20+ lbs. WITH modern technology aimed at making things lighter. Thats not counting all the fancy stuff he’s prone to and his career tools. Jaskier is probably hauling like 40-50lbs or more of stuff EVERY DAY while mostly roughing it off the land and keeping pace with a man on horseback. Oh, and this is WHILE SINGING AND TALKING the entire time. Can you imagine this man’s lung capacity? To sing and talk constantly while exerting himself?
This is all to say: Jaskier is strong as fuck and fit as hell. The thing is though, he probably doesn’t even recognize it. Yeah, he probably knows he’s got the muscle and such, but he still is largely perceived as a delicate person. He PROJECTS being delicate. Being fragile and pampered and in need of the finer things. He projects capable, but not strong. This. Is. Hilarious.
Jaskier, having already walked 12 miles at a moderate incline carrying 40lbs of stuff without breaking a sweat (it’s barely past midday): Geralt I am FRAGILE. I cannot POSSIBLY walk through this mud. (It’s like a 3 ft section) I’m not a rugged mountain man like you, I’m simply not BUILT for this!
Geralt, staring at Jaskier who’s as burly as most Witchers and has walked the path w/o Witcher training for over a decade: hm
Hiiiii, I just found your account a few days ago and I love everything you write. I don't know if you are still taking requests but recently one of my friends sent me this video and I couldn't help but think of Hiccup and Astrid in that situation... it's just so cute
Awwww @mrsfroggi thank you!!!! 🥰😄❤️❤️ I am so sorry it took me several days to respond (chaos. Just always assume it’s pure chaos over here 😆) but I am like kinda sorta taking requests, but with absolutely no reliability lol. But, that video you linked was so cute and adorable!!! 😆 So I took a shot at writing a hiccstrid drabble inspired by it 😄 thank you so much for this wonderful little note and request! 😁
—————————
“Mr. Haddock?”
Hiccup looked up anxiously from the uncomfortable waiting room chair, a stressed unkempt mess.
“She’s out of surgery now. She’s just waking up; she did great and she’s in recovery if you want to see her.”
Ruff and Snot got up too, following Hiccup and the doctor down a sterile white hall.
The doctor gestured to a curtained off bay where a wheeled hospital bed was parked and smiled.
“She’s a little out of it from the anesthesia and pain meds, just so you’re aware. We’ll wheel her to her room after she’s more alert.”
Hiccup frowned sadly at how pale and drawn Astrid looked, how small and fragile she appeared in the hospital bed. Astrid and “frail” in the same sentence felt so wrong.
“Hello milady,” Hiccup said tenderly, coming up to her bedside and picking up her hand. Astrid’s face pinched with a plaintive little groan, her eyes still closed. “What… happened to me…”
“You just had emergency surgery. They had to remove your appendix. We were all very worried about you.”
She groaned and blinked her eyes open, fixing her half-lidded gaze on Hiccup. She stared at him for several beats, like she was trying to figure him out, then furrowed her brow.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.
“You look a little weird,” she slurred.
“I look weird?”
She reached out her hand and cupped his chin. “Yeah, you’re funny lookin.”
“My gangly self-conscious inner fourteen-year-old thanks you, I guess.”
She pursed her lips, studying him through sleepy eyes. “You’re cute though.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Now I’m cute?”
She stroked his chin, confused. “I like you, I think.”
“You think?! Astrid, don’t you know who I am?”
She rolled her head back and closed her eyes. “Mmm… nah.”
“Wha—nah?” Hiccup stuttered, pretending to be wounded.
“Damn, she’s on the good shit if she doesn’t even recognize you,” Ruff laughed, and Snot snorted.
She opened one eye and peeked at Hiccup for several moments. She booped him on the nose with a wobbly limp hand. “You’re so pretty,” she sighed.
Hiccup chuckled. “So I’m not weird looking anymore?”
She thought about it. “Mmmm just a little. But you’re cute. And handsome and pretty.”
He smirked, trying not to laugh at her too much, as clearly she was not lucid. “I think you’re pretty too.”
He leaned over the railing and kissed her on the cheek.
Her eyes popped open wide. “A kiss?!”
Hiccup gripped the railing, shaking his head with a huge grin.
“One more?” she asked.
He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips.
“This guy is kissing me.”
Hiccup couldn’t contain the giggles at this point.
“‘This guy’,” Ruff laughed, already recording Astrid’s loopy silliness with her phone. “Like you’re not her husband!”
He kissed her again and she stared at him some more, mouth hanging open and hearts in her eyes.
A nurse came by to check on her.
“How’s she doing?”
“I think she’s alert now. She has no clue what’s going on, but she’s awake,” Hiccup said, amused.
“Ah, yeah sometimes people can have reactions to the medications. She’ll be fine in a bit and probably won’t remember your conversation.”
“This cute guy is kissing me!” Astrid proclaimed.
“He’s kissing you?!” The nurse played along. “Lucky you! Do you think he’ll take you home?”
Astrid scrunched her nose, frowning at the nurse. “But… I don’t have an appendix.”
“I think you’ll be fine,” the nurse chuckled as Ruff giggled so much she had to hold the side of the bed and Hiccup grinned.
“You got all of this on your phone, right?” he asked.
“Oh yeah.” Ruff nodded. “There’s only so many opportunities to embarrass Astrid and this one is golden.”
Astrid closed her eyes again and leaned back in the bed.
“Hey guys, do me a favor,” she said sleepily, lightly resting her folded hands on her stomach. “Don’t tell Hiccup that I kissed some cute guy.”
Ruff lost it and Hiccup sputtered a “Hey!”
“Now that’s some quality blackmail,” Snot said gleefully.
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