AN: Kudos to Kreazz who got me to finish this chapter extra early. (Flops down on bed) All of you enjoy!
Chapter 14
Astrid's scream brought Hiccup bursting through the door in seconds. "Astrid what happened?!" Hiccup asked as he looked around the room. He noticed immediately that the bed was empty, save for a small lump wiggling in the blankets. "Astrid?" Hiccup asked confused as he looked around. The tiny dragon finally managed to poke its head out of the blankets and looked up. Hiccup followed the dragon's line of sight to the ceiling to see a small fruitbat clinging to his lamp. "Astrid?" Hiccup asked with a raised brow. The little fruitbat detached itself from the hanging lamp and flew right into Hiccup's auburn hair. "Hey... what??... aaah.... Ouch!" Hiccup shouted as the fruitbat got tangled up in his auburn locks. Hiccup couldn't see her, but he felt the small bat finally settle on his head, if he wasn't so worried about Astrid he would definitely find this very cute. "I see you met Toothless." He told the fruitbat. The little bat stomped on his head again causing Hiccup to chuckle.
"Yes, Toothless is a dragon, no he won't hurt you." Hiccup told the little bat, who stomped again with its little legs. "You know this conversation would go quicker if you changed back." The little bat was eyeing the small dragon still perched on the bed before changing back. Astrid could shift effortlessly now, she just forgot, with all the excitement of the day, that she was still on top of Hiccup when she shifted back. "AAAAAHHHH" Both screamed as they lost their balance and ended up falling on each other. Astrid opened her eyes and blushed when she noticed that she was on Hiccup in a very compromising position. Hiccup's eyes were open and he was doing a very accurate impersonation of a cherry. She quickly scrambled off of him and away from the bed as she eyed the small dragon warily.
"That's a dragon....." Astrid pointed at the small dragon that was watching her with curiosity. The little reptile even let out a small fireball.
"Toothless no fireballs indoors!" Hiccup admonished. "You've set enough couches on fire." The small dragon let out a yip before jumping in Hiccups arms.
"Aren't dragon's supposed to be extinct?" Astrid asked as she racked her brain.
"Aren't vampires supposed to be a myth?" Hiccup replied back with a laugh.
"How did you know I was a vampire?!" Astrid's head shot up as she looked at Hiccup with slightly fearful eyes. She was sure that she didn't slip up.
"Oh, Dagur texted me." Hiccup told her as he showed her his phone. There in a small text bubble was Dagur's message saying 'Robbing a blood bank, Astrid is a vampire too, don't let her close to the Oreos." Astrid growled at the oreo comment. Sure she was slightly addicted to them, that was no reason for her not to be denied those tasty cookies. Dagur was just getting even with her for eating all his cookies while they watched the Lifetime channel. As she thought about this then something hit her "Wait he said too... does that mean you knew Dagur was a Vampire?!"
"Well yeah...." Hiccup nervously said. "He hasn't aged since I was in high school. In fact the whole town knows. I just didn't expect you to be a vampire." Astrid was staring at Hiccup in complete astonishment. "What happened to the vampire secrecy?!"
"I think that flew out of the window a while ago." Hiccup stated. "Dagur and Mala have been a staple in this town for years now, and with all the other supernatural beings staying here......"
"Wait what?!" Astrid exclaimed as she interrupted Hiccup. "Other supernatural beings?"
Hiccup nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Eh.... yeah. Ever since the whole dragon thing started there has been a rise in supernatural beings in this town. I thought you knew and that was the reason you moved here. I just couldn't tell you directly."
Astrid's brow twitched as she remembered Hiccup mentioning that this town had some quirks. "Okay maybe we should start from the beginning." Astrid told him as she tried to wrap her mind around the new information. Her stomach gave a loud growl causing her to flush scarlet.
"Oh...." Hiccup mumbled as he heard her stomach. "Dagur's sister did mention you'd be hungry."
"Eh.... yeah..... I should probably get out of your way." Astrid mumbled as she didn't want her need for blood to take over.
"Look , it seems like you need blood and Dagur isn't back yet." Hiccup stated as he motioned to his wrist. "I wouldn't mind you taking some of mine."
"Hiccup I couldn't!" Astrid protested as she could still remember that he smelled so tasty during her bloodlust. "I.... I could accidentally kill you." Even as she said this her fangs started showing at the thought of what was being offered to her.
"Astrid, I trust you. You wouldn't." Hiccup told her as he noticed how she was trying to hold her need for blood back. "I'm offering, and you need it right now. Don't put yourself in any unnecessary pain." Astrid tried to deny her urges but in the end she just couldn't. They slowly sat on the bed as Hiccup offered his wrist.
Astrid watched him carefully before saying "You tap my shoulder if it becomes too much." She told him as her fangs were showing while she took the offered arm. Once she bit down the world around here began to make more sense. Her mind was less hazy with more blood she consumed. As Astrid sucked she slowly began to piece the events of the day together. She had made it to Henry's apartment and kicked down the door so hard that it had broken in two. Henry who had been watching TV startled and backed away. Somehow he managed to get out of the door. Astrid remembered jumping down his balcony onto the pavement and then nearly strangling him. She was surprised by the crowd merely standing there in confusion and awe as she tore into the man. She at least expected people to run away screaming or to gather a mob with pitchforks and torches once her identity had been revealed. 'Never underestimate a mob with pitchforks' She remembered from her travels, yet these people did nothing of the sort. They had been more interested in the drama that was unfolding than the fact that she was a bloodsucking vampire. Hiccup's comment about other supernatural beings in this town suddenly made more sense, and she had to believe him because he had a freaking dragon quite literally nuzzling his bed and playing with his blankets, a dragon that supposedly had to have gone extinct just like the dinosaurs. The small jet-black dragon, Toothless, had paid her no more mind once he knew that there was no danger to Hiccup. She felt three taps on her shoulder and quickly let go of the wrist, but not before licking the wound closed.
"Did I hurt you?" Astrid asked hesitantly as she looked at Hiccup's flushed cheeks.
"No..... no..." Hiccup mumbled before pointing to something. Astrid looked to where he was pointing to and saw Dagur stuck in the window. Dagur looked rather grumpy and he muttered "I just robbed a blood bank and you've already eaten!" as he gave Astrid a glare. Dagur wiggled and then grunted as he shoved the cooler he had filled with blood into Hiccup's room. "A little help here!" He groaned as he was stuck in the window.
Astrid had to stifle a giggle but Hiccup, flushed as he might have been, didn't hesitate to tease Dagur. "Mala's been feeding you her famous Cordon Bleu again hasn't she."
"Shut it Hiccup and help me!" Dagur grumbled.
Once Dagur had been liberated from the window, and Astrid had been given more blood, they resumed their conversation downstairs. Astrid had placed a straw in the blood containers while she listened attentively. "Excuse me but what did you just say?" She asked Hiccup while looking incredulously at him.
Hiccup gave a nervous chuckle as he repeated "My mom works for a government agency which is tasked with rescuing dragons and placing them in the preserve around Berk."
"And how are these creatures not extinct?" Astrid asked as she eyed the small dragon that was seated on the table and tried to lick her. She had been introduced to Toothless, a Nightfury, and the little dragon to her, yet she was still highly sceptical. Hiccup thought for a moment how to best explain the situation. "Do you know Jurassic Park?" He finally asked.
Astrid lifted a brow. "Of course I do. It gives quite a good example of why people shouldn't try to revive dangerous reptiles."
Hiccup nervously scratched the back of his head "Let's just say that those movies were made as plausible deniability for this scenario."
Astrid stopped sipping her blood and looked Hiccup squarely in the eyes "Are you saying that someone actually thought it was a good idea to clone fire-breathing reptiles?"
"Oh yeah" Hiccup mumbled. "And the ones mom managed to save now live around here."
"And the other supernatural beings you mentioned?" Astrid was trying to process all this information slowly. "Is the whole town?" She gestured.
"Oh nonooo..." Dagur cut in. "Maybe half of the townsfolk..." He mumbled. "Snotlout is human, so is Johann and Camicazi."
"Don't forget Mildew!" Hiccup added. "Although that can't be said for his sheep."
"What?!" Astrid asked.
"Human Mildew, demon sheep Fungus." Hiccup shrugged as if it was an everyday occurrence. "You do have to ask yourself how that old man managed to live so long."
"Okay............" Astrid mumbled. "Anything more I need to know of?"
"Well...... the twins are fire and water sprites who should not be mistaken for fairies like Drago." Hiccup mumbled. "Learned that the hard way." Astrid nearly choked on her blood. The doorbell rang Hiccup went to answer it while Dagur explained the differences between sprites and garden fairies, like Drago, to Astrid. His eyes widened when he spotted Henry on his doorstep. "What are you doing here!" Hiccup hissed as he dragged him away from his house. He was sure that Astrid would go ballistic again if she noticed Henry was there.
"You shouldn't be here!" Hiccup growled at his brother once he dragged him down the block.
"I wanted to apologize!" Henry told his brother. "To you and Astrid."
"You do know that she still wants to kill you right?" Hiccup groaned. "What made you try and piss off a vampire anyways!"
"I didn't know she was a vampire!" Henry protested. "If I did I would have never gotten together with her!" With that said Hiccup knew that Henry wasn't sincere when he said he wanted to apologize to Astrid.
"Oh so your real self is showing now." Hiccup muttered as he looked his younger brother square in the eye, "You could never accept that there might be other things out there besides humans."
"They are just so freaking abnormal Hiccup! How can you still live here?"
"Maybe because I want to!" Hiccup jabbed back. "I don't understand how you can be so judgemental towards these people. You grew up with them too!"
"They aren't people Hiccup! They're monsters!"
"When did my little brother become so racist." Hiccup mumbled as he took a step back. "These guys have just about as much of a right to exist as we do!"
"This is why I never returned!" Henry suddenly shouted. "This whole freaky town, with its freaky people, and now even my brother is a freak! I saw you with that dragon! Don't think you can hide it from me!"
"You were spying on me?!" Hiccup wondered when Henry had been sneaking around his house to spot Toothless.
"I thought at least my brother was normal but noooo, you had to adopt a dragon while I was away!" Henry persisted as he looked at Hiccup with contempt. "Why can't you understand that these monsters shouldn't be allowed to exist!"
"Why can't you understand that they have emotions just like humans!" Hiccup shot back. "Who are you to decide!" The glare that Hiccup pinned his brother with had Henry taking a step backwards. "You'll probably never understand." Hiccup mumbled as he looked at his younger brother. "That's what dad saw when he cut off contact with you."'
"Hiccup!" Henry tried to say something but Hiccup cut him off.
"Henry whatever trouble you are in you'll have to get yourself out. You've hurt Astrid and I'm sure that she'd probably kill you if she saw you again. I highly advise that you don't show your face to me again as well."
"But we're brothers!" Henry exclaimed as if that was the answer to everything.
"Yes we are and that's why I'm letting you leave this town alive." Hiccup told him seriously. "I will keep being your brother but your belief and your belittlement of the people that you grew up with just burned any bridges you had."
"You can't mean that!" Henry tried to reason with Hiccup. "Come on bro!"
"Henry this town is my home." Hiccup told him. "I've put up with you with hopes that you'd change but it looks like that won't happen. Why don't you go back to the city where you belong." Hiccup suggested before walking away from Henry and back towards his house. He was saddened that his little brother couldn't see what he saw in this town and its inhabitants.
"Hiccup please wait!" Henry shouted as he looked at his brother's retreating back. "I'm in serious trouble here!"
Hiccup looked back once at Henry before continuing his walk. He didn't know if his brother was serious or if he just wanted attention but he was done with him. When he got back into his house something caught him by surprise. He raised a brow as he saw an angry vampire that was sopping wet in the middle of his kitchen. "I'm afraid to ask, but what happened?" He mumbled as he saw Dagur try to dry her with his dish towel.
AN2: The next chapter will be next week as I need to finish HTTYD-Star Wars: Eclipse