Lessons In Dancing And Dreaming - 11 (Last chapter)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!
Here now, the last chapter of this silly little rom-com-story. Have fun :)
. o O o .
Just as Hiccup had hoped, the dance was still in full swing when they arrived at his grandfather’s old barn. Sure, they were late to the party, but they weren’t too late. Actually, he considered their arrival to be perfectly timed. Not so late that their appearance would be overly noticeable in an already mostly empty barn, but also not so early that everyone was sober and paying attention to the rather unexpected combination.
Because, surely, they made an odd pair. He looked just like his usual lanky self, too long and thin, limping slightly, his hair in its usual mess, and with clothes that had looked fine earlier, but were dusty and, after repeatedly riding his bike, wind-blown and quite untidy-looking. And then there was Astrid, beautiful as ever in that deep blue dress that hugged her curves perfectly, her golden hair in a simple yet elegant braid that was hanging over her shoulder and hadn’t really suffered from wearing a helmet. And with his bracelet on her arm.
Sure, probably nobody but him really noticed that one, but it still meant a lot to him. Yeah, maybe getting her such a piece of jewellery as a birthday present had been a little too much considering that they’d been just friends this morning and he didn’t know how or where they would end up, relationship-vice. But he’d still bought it. Or rather, composed it. It was a simple gold chain with a couple of charms that weren’t dangling off the sides but were linked into the chain directly. One was a minuscule guitar, the other a stylised bow and arrow, and the third a blue crystal, surely no valuable stone but matching Astrid’s eye colour perfectly. And she’d liked it. Had even thrown her arms around his neck to hug him and kiss his cheek in her joy.
His skin where her lips had touched them was still tingling.
As was his hand that was holding hers as they entered the main dance room and looked around for their friends. Eret and Dagur were the first to notice them, nearly identical grins spreading across their faces as they spotted them. Eret was handing Dagur a note as they came over, and a small part of Hiccup worried what exactly had been the wording of their bet this time.
“So, you made it after all,” Eret greeted them with a smirk. “Didn’t think you’d still show up here.”
“Oh, shut up, Eret,” Astrid rolled her eyes good-humouredly. They were still slightly red Hiccup knew, but in the dim light in here that was barely noticeable.
He looked around the room as Astrid swatted off more teasing comments by Eret and Dagur, knowing that she was well able to handle those. He spotted Tuff at one table at the side of the room, dancing the chicken dance on top of it with a cheering crowd around him, and he also saw Ruff pulling Scott into their direction. But those were all of their friends he spotted. Sure, he hadn’t expected to see Justin here — but where were Heather and Cami? He owed them both hugely.
“So, you made it after all,” Ruff cheered as she reached them, using the exact same words Eret had used too. “We were taking bets, you know? I said you’d still come here and not directly jump into bed with each other.”
Oh, so that had been their bet? Hiccup inwardly applauded their confidence, even as his ears turned a burning red. Not… that he hadn’t thought in that direction… But that definitely wasn’t his goal tonight. He wanted to be with Astrid, and not simply get laid.
“You guys are horrible,” Astrid snorted. If this topic affected her in any way, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she now looked around too, and frowned. “Where’s Heather? I need to punch her. And then thank her.”
Eret and Dagur shared another grin, just as Ruff began to cackle. “Oh, that was another bet,” she snickered. “As cute as you two are and as glad as we are that you finally made it, you weren’t the only ones pining mutually. Although, I don’t think Cami was actually pining for that long. Subtlety isn’t really her thing...”
Astrid seemed genuinely baffled as she looked from one to the other. “Cami and… and Heather? Really?” Her eyes met Hiccup’s, but he just shrugged. That didn’t come as that much of a surprise for him. Ruff was right, after all; by no means could anyone call Cami subtle.
“Yep, really,” Dagur chirped, clearly approving of his sister’s choice. “After Hic bolted out of here like a madman, Cami didn’t really waste much time.”
“No, certainly not,” Ruff agreed. “They left not much later, after Scott here—” she indicated toward a very drunk Scott who didn’t seem to register much of his surroundings anymore, “—commented on how their behaviour wasn’t very public-friendly and that he quite liked the show.”
“I…” Astrid began, obviously still a little stunned by this revelation. She peeked up at Hiccup, cheeks burning. “That makes my incorrect assumption all the more stupid, right?” She asked sheepishly. Judging by the looks they got from everyone around, they had no idea what she was talking about, but Hiccup thought it best not to dwell on it anyway.
“Doesn’t really matter anymore,” he said, shrugging, which earned him a grateful smile from the blond Valkyrie who still held his hand. Even now, he still could hardly grasp how that had happened.
“Okay… how about we see what’s left of the food? Because I’m pretty hungry, and I don’t think I want to stop dancing once we started.”
Hiccup nodded at her suggestion. It sounded like an excellent plan.
. o O o .
Hours later, Hiccup still could hardly comprehend how he’d ended up here, holding Astrid in his arms and swaying with her in time with the last chords of the music. They had danced properly earlier in the night, so Cami’s lessons and the whole misunderstanding hadn’t been for nothing. But by now, her head rested comfortably on his shoulder, his cheek on her hair, and their arms were wrapped around each other’s bodies as they simply enjoyed their closeness.
His leg was aching after being up and about nearly all day, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, didn’t care, accepted the pain gladly as stopping to dance would properly mean to leave and say goodbye. Because no matter how many insinuating comments their friends had made over the course of the night, he didn’t intend to spend the night with her. What he wanted was a proper relationship with the girl of his dreams, and he wouldn’t rush and ruin it.
But eventually, the night had to come to an end. Eret and Dagur were long gone already, and Ruff and Tuff had dragged a pretty much knocked out Scott toward a taxi, discussing what weird story they were going to tell him in the morning or whether simply drawing stuff onto his face with a permanent marker was enough fun already. Both he and Astrid chuckled at their ideas, then she threw him a regretful smile.
“I think we ought to leave too,” she said, eyes cast to her other hand resting on his chest. “Will you drive me back home, or should I see whether I can catch a taxi? It’s… not exactly on your way.”
Hiccup took her comment as the subtle hint that it was, driving her home, but not staying. He nodded. “Of course I’ll drive you home.”
Once back at her uncle’s house, he stowed away the spare helmet back into its compartment, then simply placed his own on the seat as he escorted her to the door. She definitely noticed it, threw him a smile, then once again took his hand and leaned against him for the short walk toward the entrance door. When they reached it, she hesitated for a second, then quickly stretched and placed a peck on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Slightly stunned by the renewed and very welcome contact, Hiccup could barely do anything but grin like a lunatic. “What for?” he asked. If anything, he was the one who ought to thank her, after all. For making this dream come true.
“For not giving up, even when I was such an idiot and didn’t even bother to call our date off. For explaining, for putting up with me, for making this day so wonderful after all, for…” she trailed off, biting her lip as she glanced up at him. All of a sudden, her gaze was weirdly intense. There was a fire in them that made Hiccup’s breath hitch. But before he could react in any way, she reached for the collar of his shirt and hauled him down to kiss him once more.
On the lips.
With her hands buried in his hair.
With a low groan, he gave in to her demanding mouth, her tongue stroking his before he could even comprehend what was happening. His hands curled around her waist and back on reflex, pulling her closer as their kiss intensified. Her low moan could more be felt than heard, rumbling through both their bodies, the screech of an owl in one of the nearby trees the only noise as they thoroughly explored each other’s mouths.
When they parted, Hiccup was dizzy with lack of oxygen and his head filled with her. Slowly, he opened his eyes again to look at her, the gleam in her eyes even visible in the near darkness of the night.
“And that was for everything else,” she murmured, oddly shyly smiling up at him.
“I… I could get used to that,” he muttered stupidly, but she didn’t seem to mind, her smile growing a few shades brighter.
“Good night, Hiccup,” she whispered, and stepped away from him, slowly yet far too soon.
“Good night, Astrid,” he replied. “See you soon.”
Once again, she flashed him a brilliant smile before the door eventually closed behind her. Hiccup took a moment to gaze at where she’d disappeared, then return to his bike.
On his way back home, he felt lighter than ever before, and once he lay in his bed, he contemplated for a moment to text his friends, to thank them. Cami for her incredible help, and Justin for convincing him to ask for that help in the first place. But Justin would be long asleep, and Cami… Well, Cami surely was otherwise occupied too.
Chuckling quietly to himself, he let himself drift off into slumber, looking forward to seeing Astrid again soon, as more than just a friend now, and dreaming about a future with her at his side.
. o O o .
There, it's done. :) I hope you enjoyed this silly little story, I certainly enjoyed writing it.
But now, here's a question: There's one epilogue to this story, but it's not completely written yet. The question is now: Should I leave it a T-rated epilogue or turn it full M-rated? Or do two versions and do both? What would you prefer?
AN: Huh, what's this? A new story? No, not really. This is just a little something that came across my mind while watching kids telly the other day and that I'm using to overcome writer's block. So I have no idea how regular I'll update this. ^^"
What's to know about it? Modern College AU. That's really it, I think. Have fun. ^^
. o O o .
“I think I'll ask him.”
With one eyebrow raised, Heather looked up at her best friend. Astrid sat across from her at the cafeteria table, eye cast straight past Heather and Ruffnut, and Heather didn't need to turn to know where she was looking.
Or rather, at who.
“Ask who what?” asked Ruff. Her focus was more on arranging the food on her plate into funny imageries. Heather cocked her head, trying to make sense of it. Was that… a mashed-potato-and-ketchup bonfire where the pea tribe sacrificed the carrot people? Ruff definitely had too much of an imagination.
“Ask Hiccup if he'd go to the spring dance with me.”
At that, Ruff now looked up after all, eyes wide in bafflement. “Hiccup?”
Astrid's confidence seemed to crumple a little, which was quite an unusual sight, even for Heather. Usually, there was nothing that could intimidate Astrid Hofferson, always fierce and direct. But as soon as a certain someone was involved, her confidence shrank to the size of an almond.
“You don't think that's a good idea?” she asked, shoulders slumped and head dropping. “You're right. That was a silly thought. I should–”
“You should go over and ask him,” Heather intervened before Astrid could completely lose her head. “Because if you're waiting for him to ask you, you two will be tiptoeing around each other until you're both old and grey.”
Astrid gave her a pensive look, but then nodded. “You're right. I'll ask him. Right now!”
And with these words, Astrid stood up and walked around the table to the other end where Hiccup sat between Justin and Cami, quietly eating his lunch. She got a few curious glances, from Scott, who kinda always had his eyes on any woman, and from Eret, who grinned and then held out his hand to Dagur, accepting the note Heather's brother handed him grudgingly. These two and their bets.
“Hiccup?” Astrid's voice rang loud and clear, drawing everyone's attention.
Hiccup went rigid in his seat, then slowly turned to look up at the blond valkyrie looming over him.
“Hi. Hi Astrid, hi. Uhm… hi.”
Even across the distance of the entire long table, Heather could see the fierce blush spreading across Hiccup's freckled face and all the way down his neck. Heather failed to get what her friend was seeing in him, but she at least had to give him that much; he was adorable.
Astrid bit her lip, a little thrown off guard as she always was when the boy's green eyes were focused on her – or at least when she noticed it. “I-I wanted to ask you–” she began, stammering, “–whether you'd go to the spring dance with me.”
As red as his face had been a moment ago, the rate with which it turned white now was a little alarming.
Heather was enjoying the show greatly.
“The spring dance?” he squeaked, voice surely at least an octave higher than usual. “Yes! Y-yes, of course.”
For an endless moment, there was a bubble of awkward silence around their table. Nobody dared to say anything, too hyped – or, in Scott's case, shocked – to interrupt their moment.
“Good,” Astrid eventually said, throwing an apprehensive glance at the gaping group of their friends around them, and fled. There really was no other way to call it. “I… I'll see you around,” she muttered, turned, and left the cafeteria – in the wrong direction for their next class.
. o O o .
So, there. Really short chapters inc. As always, I'd be incredibly thankful for comments :)
Astrid lay curled up into a ball on her bed, wrapped in at least three blankets and surrounded by an endless sea of used tissues. In the background, the playlist with her favourite music was playing on her stereo, but she wasn’t really paying it any mind. Usually, music always served to make her feel better, but today, not even that worked.
How had this happened? How had this day, a day that had been supposed to be her lucky day, the best day ever, turned into this… complete failure? And why did that had to happen on her birthday, for Odin's sake? It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair!
A new wave of sobs shook her body at that thought, even as she fought to keep any noises to a minimum. Uncle Finn hadn’t checked on her in a while, obviously unused to and uncomfortable with dealing with crying girls, but any too loud sobs could summon him back, and Astrid could definitely forego that. He couldn’t help her anyway except bringing her a new box of tissues every now and then.
She couldn’t say for how long she lay there. She had lost all sense of time after crying through half of the night and then sleeping nearly until noon. At that moment, she’d been grateful to not live with her mother anymore. Not that she had a problem with her mum, but Brenna Hofferson surely would have first made a scene for her to ditch college for no good reason, and then wouldn’t have left her in peace until she knew what upset her daughter so much. Living with Uncle Finn was much easier. Not just because he lived so much closer to her dream college, but also because he gave her the space she needed when she asked for it.
Except for right now…
There was a knock on her door first, before his head poked through the opening. “Astrid, lass? How are you doing?”
What a stupid question. What did he think how she was doing? “I’m fine,” she grumbled, then sighed. He was only worried for her, she reminded herself. “Thanks.”
“Good.” Finn sounded a little sheepish. “Because, well, there’s someone here for you.”
Astrid paused, then sat up, bewildered. Someone was here for her? Who? All her friends would be busy getting ready for the dance by now. Unless it was Hiccup who came to pick her up? That… would be a really cute gesture, except that she didn’t want to see him and might scratch out his eyes if he were to see her like this. She didn’t want to be his pity-date when he wanted to be with someone else. But, luckily, it wasn’t Hiccup.
“Oh Gods, Astrid!” Heather exclaimed the moment she pushed past Finn into her room and saw her. “What in Freya’s name happened?”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Finn muttered, and pulled the door closed behind him. Astrid grimaced; she wished her uncle would have taken her friend with him.
“Nothing happened,” Astrid sighed, turning tired eyes away from Heather. “I just realised what an enormous idiot I’ve been.”
With a snort, Heather pushed aside some of the tissues to make space for herself to sit. “You really are an idiot, no argument there. You should have seen Hiccup today when he realised you wouldn’t show up for lunch. He was so sad, like a kicked puppy. And all just because you don’t have the nerves to–”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sure he was devastated!” Astrid interrupted her bitterly. “The poor boy. But don’t worry, I’m sure he will quickly find comfort; Cami will see to that.” Once again, the image of Hiccup and Cami entangled in a tight embrace rose in her mind’s eye. It made her squeeze her eyes shut in the pointless hope that would make the picture go away.
“Cami?” Heather inquired, disbelievingly. “You think he’s with Cami? Oh, honestly, Astrid, that’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. You know perfectly well that they’re just friends. I mean–”
“But I’ve seen them!” Astrid cried, and her outburst had Heather shut up in an instant.
There was a moment or three of utter silence before the words seemed to have sunk in and Heather frowned. “You… what?! No, that can’t be true, Cami’s not… I mean, they’re just friends. Have been since nursery. They aren’t interested in each other romantically; why would they keep it a secret if it were otherwise?” She shook her head, bewilderment written all over her face. “Tell me what you’ve seen.”
Exhaling a deep and tired breath, Astrid looked at her friend again. “I saw them last night,” she began her explanation. “They stood in front of her house and were just bidding their farewell. I saw how they embraced each other, and I heard how he said something about how happy she makes him and how he can’t imagine living without her. And then they kissed… Gods, Heather, I’ve been so stupid to think…” She trailed off as a new wave of tears welled up in her eyes, and reached for the tissue box. Why, oh why had she ever deluded herself into believing he could be interested in her?
But she would get over him. She was Astrid Hofferson, after all. She wouldn’t drown in sorrow for the rest of her life just because some stupid guy she’d had a crush on didn’t return her feelings. She would give herself this one day of crying her heart out, and tomorrow she would be back on top. She would forget him, would ignore him. She would focus on her education and her sports. There was this archery tournament in two weeks, after all. Just the right thing to keep her occupied enough to not think about… about those stupid green eyes, that stupid crooked smile, and those stupid sassy comments. About that stupid face with its freckles and the chiselled jaw, those stupid deft hands that so easily worked on all kinds of mechanisms, and… and…
Another sob tore itself from her throat. Just this one day…
“I can’t believe that,” Heather stated, finally rising from her stupor.
Under different circumstances, Astrid would have gladly taken the challenge her friend offered by indirectly accusing her of lying, would have debated and argued. But today, she didn’t have the energy for that, so she simply gazed at her with tired empty eyes.
“No!” Heather insisted. “You can ask every single one of our friends; if you told them this story, they’d only laugh about it, without exception. Okay, maybe Scott would cry at the idea of his cousin having had a girlfriend for all this time, but that’s not the point.” She scooted closer to Astrid and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come with me to the dance. Let’s ask them. I’m absolutely certain that he only has eyes for you. And… and even if it were otherwise, he certainly wouldn’t be with Cami of all people. Believe me, I’m pretty sure that, whatever you’ve seen, it wasn’t what you thought.”
Grimacing, Astrid shrugged Heather’s hand off her shoulder. “No. I’m not going there. I’m certainly not embarrassing myself by being that annoying girl that can’t take a hint. Do what you want, but leave me out of this.” She sat down on her bed and, reaching for her trusted guitar to channel her emotions, turned her back on her friend. “See you tomorrow.”
Heather didn’t leave right away. Astrid could hear her shuffle and fidget. But in the end, she thankfully left without another word.
Very slowly, Cami turned and gave Hiccup a purposefully puzzled look. His approach didn’t come unexpected, but she enjoyed making him squirm quite a bit. They’d been friends since nursery, after all. Surely that entitled her to tease him a bit every now and then, right? Or, maybe, occasionally, even a bit more. “How could I possibly help you?” she asked artlessly. “You’re smarter than me by half a galaxy, at the very least. If anything, you’ve got to help me with that biology essay for next week.”
There was a hint of panic in his eyes, and Cami couldn’t help but grin. Winding him up was simply too much fun.
“You’ve got to teach me how to dance,” he all but whined. “I know that I’m a hopeless case, but please. I… I’ll write that essay for you, if only you help me to not be a complete embarrassment. Please, Cami. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I don’t know what to do.”
Oh, Loki… the boy was a treasure. Cami pretended to think about his offer, then shook her head. “No chance, Hiccup,” she replied, wallowing in his moment of desperation, but then decided to let him off the hook. “My essay is due to Wednesday morning, and when you’re serious in wanting to learn how to dance until Tuesday night, you won’t have time to write one of your thorough essays for me.” He looked stunned which, as Cami had to admit, was almost equally enjoyable as his panic before. “How about you come over to my place after classes? You can get a pizza from Carlo’s and I’ll show you the basics. Then we can continue tomorrow and on the weekend at my aunt's school. She’ll be delighted to hear you’re finally learning how to dance.”
For a moment, Hiccup just gaped at her, stunned. But then a wide grin spread across his face, and he nodded. “You’re the best, Cami!” he exclaimed, and threw his arms around her in a friendly hug. It was a little awkward with him being almost two heads taller than her, but who cared.
“I know, I know. Just remember to order extra cheese on the pizza, okay?”
Hiccup nodded, then dashed off to his next class. Cami gazed after him with a broad grin, then shook her head and headed to her own class.
She’d been surprised that it had taken him almost two days before he’d made up his mind and asked for her help. Dancing was her area of expertise, after all. Her aunt Mala led their family’s dancing school, for Odin’s sake, and while Cami was more interested in street dance than in classical dancing, she’d still imbibed the basic steps of waltz and rumba from her infancy.
When he came over that night, promised pizza in one hand and a bag full of other treats in his other, he looked a lot more nervous than in the morning.
“And you really think I can do this?” he asked self-consciously, absently nudging against one leg of her desk with his good foot. “I mean, there’s a reason why my clumsiness is kinda a running gag by now. And with my leg, I’ll never be a good dancer anyway, so why do I even bother. Justin was wrong in encouraging me. I shouldn’t even... I... maybe I should just move to another city and change college so that I’ll never have to see anyone ever again. Maybe even change my name… Yes, that’s it, I’ll–”
“You’ll stay,” Cami interrupted him resolutely.
Hiccup shrank in a little more on himself, but didn’t say any more. Sighing, Cami sat down next to him at the edge of her bed. It wasn’t weird or awkward to have him sit there, not with how long they knew each other.
“And now, you’ll listen. I’ll happily say it again. Astrid asked you. She knows about your leg and your clumsiness and every other point you might want to bring up. And she asked you anyway. She doesn’t expect you to be a perfect dancing partner. She just wanted to go there with you. You don’t have to become the perfect dancer. But if you’re willing to try, the basics shouldn’t be a problem, and I’m sure she’ll appreciate your effort.”
Hiccup gulped, threw her a cautious glance, and then nodded. “Okay. I’ll try. And if I fail, you’ll cover up for me when I go into hiding.”
“Sure, whatever,” Cami agreed, rolling her eyes at his dramatic antics. “But let’s start directly, then take a break to eat, and then, maybe, try again, all right?”
Hiccup didn’t resist any further and followed her instructions with the same concentration he held when drawing yet another dragon or repairing parts of his motorbike. Cami reckoned that he’d have way more trouble casually laying his hand on Astrid’s waist than on hers, but, well, she would only be able to prepare him so much.
But, despite her comment about how sad she was to see her soap opera come to an end the other day… she wanted it to come to an end, too. Hiccup had been pining for Astrid since the first day they’d all met, and from what Cami had seen, Astrid was doing little better. That it had taken them this long to make the first step was baffling enough, no need to make it any more complicated. Yes, she would do whatever she could to help her friend get the girl of his dreams.
. o O o .
There you go, a short one. Future chapters are going to be a bit longer than this. :)
AN: WHat’s that, Ship? Another update already? Yes. Because I’m horrible. And I’m starving for feedback... xD Your win, I guess ;)
Hiccup knew that he was damn lucky to have Cami as his friend. From Thursday night, when she gave him his first instructions, up to Monday night he practically spent every bit of free time he had with her. At first, she showed him where to place his hand – on his partner's back, not the waist or even lower – and how to hold their hand, showed him a couple of basic steps, and didn't seem to get tired of practising them with him. During the weekend then, they were mostly at Cami's aunt Mala's dancing school where the stern woman made him practise with others of her pupils too – so that he wouldn’t get too accustomed to dancing with only Cami, she commented – and gently but firmly corrected him whenever she thought it would help him improve instead of discourage him.
“I think you're ready for your date, Hiccup,” Mala commented Monday afternoon.
Hiccup had already showered and changed back into casual clothes, and sat at one of the tables to the side of the room. Cami still had training with her street dance group, so he'd retrieved his books from his bag as he waited for her to be ready to go. In between all this additional training, he still had to do his regular homework too, after all, plus the preparation for his engineering group meeting. But that was fine. It gave him breaks from the unfamiliar physical activity, and it meant that he'd gotten around to help Cami with her biology essay after all. But Mala's words efficiently tore him away from thinking about engines.
“Erm… da-date?” he stammered as he glanced up at the tall woman. “W-what makes you think I have a date?”
Mala gave him a deadpan look. “Hiccup, I have been trying to get you to take dancing lessons to improve your balance since you had that accident all those years ago–” she nodded at his leg, “–and I know that Cami has tried to persuade you too. Now, you certainly do not have to tell me, but your sudden change of mind coinciding with the grand spring dance tomorrow…” she trailed off, suggestively, and Hiccup dropped his head. It really was that obvious, wasn’t it? Especially for someone like Mala who’d known him practically for all his life.
But then, it wasn’t really his intention to keep this date a secret anyway. Hel, he’d even gotten a birthday present for Astrid, one that probably was a bit too expensive for just a friend.
“You’re right,” he mumbled sheepishly. He paused, self-consciously, before he went on, “A-and you think I‘ll be doing okay?” Carefully, he glanced up to interpret Mala’s expression instead of just her words. But the small but warm smile playing around her lips seemed to be genuine.
“I think you will,” she replied. “You learned a lot during the last days, and I would say you made good progress, all things considered. I mean, you probably would not be able to pull off an impressive Viennese waltz performance, but then, you don’t have to. All you need to do is move with the music, don’t be so shy when you place your hands on your partner’s back, and stick to slow dances.”
“Which would suit the purpose best anyway,” came Cami's dry comment from behind them. “Although, I bet she won’t notice anything beyond his dreamy green eyes anyway.” She laughed, and nudged her aunt's shoulder. “I need to tell you the whole story one day, Mala. It's better than any rom-com. The way these two were tip-toeing around each other for two years now...”
“Sounds like a night of wine and laughter,” Mala replied with a sly smile, and Hiccup dropped his head with a low groan and burning cheeks. Despite being her aunt, Mala wasn’t that much older than them, and Cami and Mala were close, he knew that well enough. He had no doubts that this planned night of them gossiping about his so far non-existent love life would actually happen.
“Are you ready to go?” he rather obviously changed the topic, glancing at Cami and the packed bag in her hand.
She chuckled as did Mala. “Sure,” she winked. “Let's head home and make sure you're getting enough sleep before your big day tomorrow.” On their way out, they could still hear Mala chuckling.
Hiccup drove Cami home on his bike as he often did, the spare helmet practically always in the small compartment beneath the seat. Once they reached her home, he went out of his way and even accompanied her to the entrance door instead of simply waving her goodbye from his bike. Cami gave him a curious look, but there was something he wanted to say, and he needed a few moments to form the right words in his mind.
“Cami,” he began when they'd reached the door. “I… I wanted to thank you. For your help I mean.”
“Which help exactly?” she asked with a cheeky grin. “The dancing lessons or keeping you from going crazy with nerves?”
“Heh… both?” he laughed shakily. “Gods, I'm so happy you're here, Cami. Honestly, I can't imagine what I'd do without you.”
At that, Cami laughed. “I know, I know,” she chirped, winking playfully. “You'd be lost without me. But don't worry, I'll always be here for you.”
Hiccup couldn't help himself and threw his arms around her in an enthusiastic hug. “Thank you so much!” he mumbled. “Remind me to invite you to a pizza if tomorrow really goes as well as you keep saying.”
“Extra cheese,” she reminded him smugly. “And it will go smoothly, don't you worry. Now, off with you, and get some sleep. See you tomorrow.” She gave him a friendly peck on the cheek, as she sometimes did when she was in a good mood.
“See you tomorrow then,” Hiccup chuckled fondly, waved her goodbye and returned to his bike.
But when he bent to stow away the second helmet into its place, he thought he saw something moving in the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw a shadowy figure disappearing around a corner, a figure with a familiar golden braid flapping behind her.
Hiccup frowned, but then shook his head, laughing quietly at himself. Was he already seeing things now? Was he so eager for the next day, so looking forward to his date with Astrid, that he imagined her appearing at the oddest places? It surely wouldn't surprise him; he was thinking about her often enough. All the time, actually.
He couldn’t even say what exactly it was about her. Sure, she was beautiful with her sea blue eyes and golden hair, with her toned body and perfectly proportioned curves. But it wasn’t just that, he insisted, he wasn’t like Scott who only cared about how a girl looked. She was so much more, that spark of humour in her eyes when he made a sarcastic comment, how earnest and ambitious she got when it came to her classes and archery, the dreamy look she got when playing her guitar, as if she was somewhere else entirely. She was funny and kind, fascinating. And Hiccup was eager to get to know her better than just on the friends-level of the past two years.
He threw one last glance in the direction where the shadowy figure had disappeared. Then he shrugged, and with a faint smile on his lips, he put his helmet on and headed home, anticipation for the next day glowing warmly in his chest.
Astrid felt torn. Ever since Heather’s message had reached her about fifteen minutes ago, she didn’t know what to think anymore.
On the one hand, she was angry. How dare he? How dare he come here and try to make those petty excuses? ‘It wasn’t what it looked like’? Oh, sure. The image of him and Cami entangled in each other’s arms seemed to be etched into the back of her eyelids by now. And if that was not what it looked like, then why was he apologising? No, she couldn’t believe him that easily, not after this day of crying and heartbreak. Not with feeling so raw inside.
Oh, but she wanted to believe him! In fact, there was little she wanted more right now. Which was why she hadn’t let her uncle throw him out again. Which was why she’d even tidied up her room in a hurry — as best she could, at least. She wanted to believe every word he said, wanted to revive her hope that she hadn’t been a complete idiot for the last two years. She wanted to wrap herself into the comfort of his voice and his words, even as it sounded a little off, too smooth. Not quite like him.
“…and Heather told us what you said you saw. But it really wasn’t what it looked like. I hugged Cami, that’s true, but only as a friendly gesture to thank her because… because she helped me a lot. That’s also what I meant by what you probably heard me saying. She spent the entire weekend teaching me, and—”
“—and then she kissed you?” Astrid interrupted him, her voice weary and tired. No matter how he tried to explain everything else away, this fact remained.
Hiccup’s shoulder slumped. “She… yes, but… but it was only a peck on the cheek,” he tried to explain himself. “Just a friendly gesture and nothing more. She’s not my girlfriend or anything, we’re not a couple, never have been. Believe me, if I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t have accepted your invitation to a dat— to the dance.”
Chewing her lip, Astrid averted her eyes. Gods, how much she wanted to believe him… But his words didn’t really fit to what she remembered. She clearly remembered them wrapped around each other and… and… She halted, frowning. Had she really seen them kissing? Or was that just an image her mind had made up on its own with the picture of their embrace and the kissing noise. She wasn’t sure anymore. Gods, she really wanted to believe him — but feared she wanted it too much to be reasonable. So instead, she tried to be logical, tried to analyse what he’d said.
“What did you do then when you spent all weekend together but are not a couple?” she asked quietly, trying to hold on to something. It was a stupid question. They were friends, and she’d certainly spend all weekend with Heather too. But there was still something… “What did she teach you?” New images rose in her mind, images she certainly liked even less than that of them kissing in front of Cami’s house. It wasn’t her business with who Hiccup slept, if he and Cami were friends with benefits, or whatever he called it, but she certainly didn’t need to like imagining it.
Hiccup frowned, then his eyes widen. “Uh, no!” he backpedalled, shaking his head and his arms alike. “No, not what you think, it was… was…” He trailed off, a fierce blush spreading across his face, and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other and back again. Weirdly enough, the sight somewhat calmed Astrid. This seemed more like the Hiccup she was used to, shy and a little awkward. Real. He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “She… taught me how to dance.”
Astrid sucked in a surprised breath, but didn’t get the chance to say anything.
“Last week, when you asked me,” he went on without a pause, seemingly focused on getting everything out as long as she listened. “I was so… so happy. It was like a dream come true. But I didn’t want to embarrass you by showing up with a limping fishbone as your partner. So I asked Cami to teach me how to dance, so that you wouldn’t need to regret asking me right away. Because… well, I guess I was hoping yo-you might agree on going out again. Because I-I like you!”
. o O o .
There, he’d said it…
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of admiring her as simply her friend, he’d said it. Unable to look at her, he waited for her reaction, eyes closed and head dropped. He didn’t want to see surprise, pity, or disbelieve on her face. But there was no reaction at all, and that was even worse.
So he’d screwed up after all. He’d told her what he felt for her, but it was too late. Or maybe there’d never been a real chance anyway. Maybe she accepted his explanation as she hadn’t objected anymore, but that apparently didn’t mean that she wanted to have anything to do with him. Maybe she hadn’t wanted that anyway. Truth be told, he didn’t understand why she’d been interested in the first place anyway. She was so gorgeous, smart, kind, and talented, while he was just… just an awkward cripple who ruined everything.
Sighing, he turned away from her. He ought to leave. He’d tried and failed. Well, tough. Life would go on. He would get over her.
Eventually...
Probably…
But then she reacted after all. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, so low that Hiccup wasn’t sure whether he’d understood her correctly, but it made him pause nonetheless. Even though he shouldn’t. He didn’t want her apology. He should just leave. But instead, he stood still and listened.
“I’m sorry for… for reacting so…” She paused, then started anew. “I overreacted when all you did was… and I should have known better. I know you’re an honest person. That’s part of why…why I like you so much. I mean, you only tried to… and I thought you… I’ve been so stupid, and I’m sorry!”
Dazed, he turned toward her after all, and found her standing in the middle of the room now. She looked timid, with her arms tightly wrapped around herself. Remorseful even. And even puzzled as he was, his quick mind raced through what she’d just said, filled in the gaps as best he could. It wasn’t hard, simply acknowledging the misunderstanding, that she understood now. But even more important...
…why I like you so much
Had she really said that? Did she mean it like that? Or did she mean something else? Could she mean what he hoped she meant?
Once more, he looked at her, intently, analysing what he saw. She was wearing jogging trousers and a loose-fitting shirt, comfortable and not meant for going out. Her hair was a dishevelled mess, probably not tended to all day, and her red-rimmed eyes, cast to the side, were glassy as if close to tears. As if her usual cheerful and confident front had crumpled. She looked incredibly vulnerable, hurt, yet still so beautiful. She had made a few steps toward him, but hadn’t crossed the whole distance. As if her courage had left her in between? That was a stupid thought. Unless…
In the background, the low music changed to a new song. Hiccup’s mind was racing, interpreting what he saw — and he made a decision. A crazy one maybe, but he didn’t care. This was his only chance.
Taking a deep breath, he scrambled up every bit of courage he could find — and made a hesitant step in her direction.
. o O o .
Astrid felt incredibly raw inside. This whole day of tears and pain had been her own fault, her own foolishness. If she hadn’t reacted so stupidly, if she’d simply trusted in Hiccup’s honesty, or had confronted him last night right away, this day could have been just as happy as she’d hoped it would be. But now, she’d ruined it.
He hadn’t even said anything anymore. She’d apologised, had even blurted out that she liked him, but he hadn’t deemed it necessary to reply in any way. She’d wanted to go to him, but the prospect was daunting. She didn’t even know what to feel or think anymore.
But when she looked up again, he suddenly stood right in front of her. He had one hand raised, holding it out for her, just as if—
“May I ask for this dance?”
Astrid gaped at him, wide-eyed, too stunned to really comprehend. Luckily, her body reacted even as her mind was too slow for that. She made a strange sound, something between a sob and laughter, nodded, and laid her hand in his. Ever so gently, he pulled her closer, looking incredibly concentrated as he placed one hand on her lower back, and a moment later, they were swaying in time with the low music.
With a weak chuckle, she dropped her forehead against his shoulder. This was ridiculous, silly, absurd. Who danced in a bedroom, wearing jogging trousers and no shoes? But it didn’t feel silly. It felt just right.
And it wasn’t much of a dance anyway, not really. Just slowly swaying and turning as their arms left their designated positions, winding around necks and waists until they ended up in a comfortable embrace. One that Astrid didn’t want to leave again. Ever. Not even as the song ended and her stereo switched to another song on her playlist. They danced through another song, if what they did could be called dancing, before she finally found her voice again.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled against his shoulder, and went on when he gave a confused grunt. “For overreacting and ruining the spring dance for you. If I’d just…” she trailed off, shrugging awkwardly. Damn, she wasn’t used to feeling this insecure. But Hiccup didn’t seem to mind.
He laughed, shakily and a little embarrassed, before he replied, “I don’t mind. Actually, this just now was the best dance of my life anyway.”
Chuckling, Astrid retreated a little to look up at him, giving him a shy smile.
He gave her a similar look, cheeks flushing endearingly. “Although… We could still go?” he added. “If you want to, I mean. It’s not that late, there might even still be some food left.”
The mentioning of food reminded her that she hadn’t really eaten anything today — and let her stomach rumble, which made her chuckle again, if a little self-consciously. “I… I don’t know. I look horrible. My face, my hair, and I haven’t even showered, and—”
“I think you look beautiful,” he interrupted her, his voice entirely matter-of-fact and sincere. Then his blush intensified, and he hastily added, “Besides, next to me, you’d always look like a film star anyway.” He indicated toward his jacket and shirt, stained by dust and dirt as she only now noticed.
Thinking for a moment, she nodded. “I… I think I’d like to go,” she eventually muttered. Maybe this day wasn’t entirely lost after all. And the image of her and Hiccup dancing for real and having a fun night out was very alluring. “That is… if you give me ten minutes to get myself in order?”
Beaming, Hiccup agreed. It took her a moment to convince her uncle to leave Hiccup unharmed as he waited downstairs while she took a quick shower and hurried to get herself presentable. She’d meant to braid her hair into a cute hairstyle she’d picked out over the weekend, but now, her usual simple plait would have to do. At least she could wear her new dress after all. After adding a discrete layer of eyeshadow and mascara, she decided that her look would have to do, and headed downstairs.
It was amusing to see Finn standing in the doorway to his living room with his arms crossed in front of him and with Hiccup standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. But when Hiccup’s eyes landed on her and she saw his awestruck expression, she didn’t feel like laughing anymore.
His eyes went wide and his lips parted in surprise, lips Astrid, in all honesty, couldn’t wait to taste. But that wasn’t a thought for now, not with her uncle eyeing her with that weird smirk.
“Guess I’m not needed here anymore,” he grumbled. “Hope you’re having a fun night, lass.” He winked, then turned and left them alone.
“You look beautiful,” Hiccup finally gasped, lips twitching into a wide grin. “I still can’t believe this is really happening…”
The last words were barely more than a whisper, but Astrid heard them anyway. Smiling a little shyly as she often felt around Hiccup, she reached for his hand and carded her fingers through his. “It is,” she murmured, peeking up at him through her lashes, reassuringly even though she sympathised all too well. She could hardly believe it either.
With his hand still wrapped around hers, they left through the front door. Astrid wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but only when she saw Hiccup’s black bike parked in her uncle’s driveway did she realise that, of course, he’d not come here with a car. She would ride on his bike. The thought made her heartbeat quicken, and her hand around his involuntarily tightened.
“Everything okay?;” he asked, a little worried, and let his eyes follow hers. “Oh. Does… does it bother you to ride on my bike? I… maybe I could call Cami to pick us up, or—”
“No, it’s fine,” she assured him, biting her lip. “I… would like to ride with you on your bike.” She firmly walked the rest of the way, studiously ignoring the heat in her cheeks.
His hands trembled slightly as he fished for his key and opened the small compartment that held a spare helmet. But before he pulled it out and handed it to her, he suddenly stopped mid-movement and groaned.
“I’m an idiot,” he muttered, head dropping before he looked up and at her again. “I’m sorry! With… with all that chaos just now, I didn’t think about that anymore, and I… I didn’t mean to forget. I just…”
Not understanding what he tried to say, Astrid shook her head in bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”
He gave her a sheepish smile, and pulled a small box out of the compartment, wrapped in golden glittery wrapping paper and decorated with a deep blue, flower-shaped bow.
“Happy Birthday!”
. o O o .
So... that was the longest chapter of the entire story... I think... I hope it was to your liking! :) We're not quite through yet, there's one more to come. Soon ;)
