Chapter 10
Eret blinked and looked down as Hiccup put a bowl of ice cream on his lap. They had ended up back at Hiccup's dorm and then proceeded to break out the ice cream, which was surprisingly a big tub.
Hiccup turned on the small TV to see a Christmas movie playing. "You haven't decorated." Eret observed as a black cat dashed by and hid under the bed.
"Didn't have time, with all the reading, classes, assignments and now apparently an internship opportunity." Hiccup shrugged as he sat down next to Eret.
Eret sighed "I know how you feel. There's just never enough time." The bigger man was oddly quiet then and Hiccup had to shake his shoulder to get him out of his thoughts.
"You alright there?" Hiccup asked looking a bit worried.
Eret scooped up a bit of ice cream, eating it before speaking. "It's just my old man. I'm only here because of him. I don't even want to be a lawyer. I actually got offered a full scholarship to culinary school in France."
"Can't you talk to him about it?" Hiccup asked but all he got from Eret was a self-deprecating laugh.
"My family is old money Hiccup. I mean real old money. Senators, lawyers, congressman. I'm expected to follow in their footsteps." Eret sighed once more as he dug into his bowl of melting ice cream. "The very notion of a chef in the family was dismissed with rolling eyes and scoffs."
"Eret...... I know this might not help much but........ " Hiccup said as he looked at a man that had the weight of his family legacy on his shoulders. "Your family can't determine who you are. Something like that, it will just lead to heartache." Hiccup took a breath before continuing, his own ice cream forgotten. "Only you can make the decision on how to live your life."
"Uuuuuuugh, I know you're right," The man commented. "I've had times when I just wanted to shout that I wanted to study cooking. I want my own restaurant some day, not being stuck behind a desk in a cubicle of some fancy firm!" Eret ranted and then looked down at the bowl of ice cream. "I feel like I'm like this ice cream, melting away in a place that isn't for me."
Nothing more on the subject was said after that and the two spent the night watching a movie and eating the entire tub of ice cream. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Eret was thinking things through more clearly now.
Friday came sooner than expected for Hiccup and he was rifling through the small closet in his room to find an outfit. Toothless was laying on his bed and being huffy because shirts kept landing on him. Hiccup was surprisingly nervous about this not-date that he was having with Astrid and he turned around holding a clothes hanger with a red polo shirt and a set of black jeans on his other arm. "What do you think of this bud?" Hiccup asked and Toothless meowed disinterested before pawing at the pile of clothes.
"Well you're no help." Hiccup huffed as his cat paid him no attention. Maybe he should cut back on the Tuna treats. Hiccup got an idea and quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed a familiar number. "Hello.... Hiccup?" Came from the other end of the line as the person picked up on the third ring.
"Cami are you busy right now?" Hiccup asked.
"Just making Throk watch reruns of Get Smart," Cami said over the phone. "What do you need?"
"IhavethisnotdatewithtAstridandIhavenothingtowear!" Hiccup blurted out.
"Well good thing I'm used to you talking and not breathing." Cami laughed. "WAIT, YOU HAVE A DATE?!" The was some scuffle on the other side of the line as he could hear Cami say "Throk now is not the time to fall off the couch!" She then turned her attention back to Hiccup "Okay, you have a date with this Astrid? Why haven't you told me about Astrid? Are you totally over the whole Heather thing?"
"It's not a date, well, it's a not-date. We're just going as friends." Hiccup tried to explain.
"Sure....sure. Whatever you say, hon," Cami said and Hiccup could imagine her having some weird grin on her face right now. "When you get back from this 'not-date' of yours I want details!"
"I still need something to wear!" Hiccup answered back. "I think I just went through all my clothes."
Hiccup heard some hushed whispers over the phone, presumably Throk saying something. He only caught part of it "He never used to care what he wore with......"
"I know!" He heard Cami respond before talking to Hiccup again. "I'm putting you on speaker. "How long till you have to meet Astrid!" She stressed the name which caused Hiccup to roll his eyes. "An hour," Hiccup responded.
"And you're still in your underwear?!" Throk could now be heard. "Good thing I know your closet inside and out."
"That is a disturbing thought," Hiccup mumbled but proceeded to grab the items that Throk suggested.
"Oh, one last thing to finish the ensemble," Cami said and Hiccup gulped. That tone, oh that tone......... there was no saying no to that tone. "Leather jacket."
"But..."
"Hiccup-don't make me come over there and make you put that jacket on!" she warned him.
"But we're going to the movies," he protested. "I mean it doesn't matter what we're wearing...we're sitting in the dark..."
"Are you walking there in the dark as well?" Cami asked him.
"Well, yes-it's winter..." he commented.
"Muttonhead!" she scolded him. "The fact that you're so concerned tells me that this matters!" He shook his head.
"Look, she's already qualified, a proper lawyer, so there is no way she would be interested in a Freshman loser like me," he told her. "Look-gotta go..."
"WAIT!" Cami called. "Good luck, hon. Be yourself!"
"Bye," Hiccup said and hung up, then stared at his wardrobe. "Leather jacket..." he murmured. And then he grabbed it and put it on. "Okay...when has she ever led me wrong?" he mumbled to himself, trying to forget that time when Cami had him ending up only in his shorts on top of the Town Hall stairs while wearing a purple tartan Tam O'Shanter. "Well, apart from that time..."
Astrid was waiting just outside the Hall, her eyes lighting as she saw him emerge. She was looking fabulous in a short brown flowered skirt, thick navy leggings, brown boots, navy blouse under her short dark brown suede and leather jacket. Her hair was braided over her left shoulder and there was only a trace of pink lipstick and no other makeup. Hiccup paused and stared, almost forgetting to breathe.
"Hey," Astrid smiled and Hiccup pulled himself together, grinning back.
"Hey," he managed. "You look great!" Her smile widened and she dipped her head slightly.
"Thanks," she replied. "You clean up well yourself..." His eyes widened in mock-outrage.
"You mean I looked like a total wreck before?" She chuckled.
"Not quite...but you look good as well," she replied, taking his hand. "Shall we go?" He smiled as her firm grip tightened on his hand and he gripped her back.
"I would love to, Astrid," he replied as they headed off down the road.
Walking along the elegant tree-lined streets, he found himself chatting to Astrid as if they had known each other forever. Gently probing-using skills Hiccup wished he possessed at teasing information out of someone-he found himself telling her about his school life, about his family and friends and about Heather. Shaking her head, she reassured him that he wasn't being crazy and that Heather's behaviour was extraordinary and pretty reprehensible.
"So...anyone in your life?" he asked hesitantly, hoping against hope that the answer was 'no'. Though why would it be? She was beautiful and smart and kind. She was also a proper lawyer and would meet other lawyers and he didn't think anyone like her would be interested in a would-be engineer turned law student with crazy friends, an inability to speak up when he was nervous and a feline with cattitude in spades.
"Nope," she said and his eyes widened.
"Um...how?" he found himself saying as they crossed the square and headed down to the movie theatre. "I mean you're...amazing..." She shook her head.
"Actually, I'm not," she told him with a wry smile. "And lawyers are just as much assholes as other people. All they ever saw was a pair of tits, blonde hair and a face that wasn't ugly...and they all assumed I was just there to make up the numbers and be hit on. I ended up having to work harder than the others, putting in more hours, more research, more everything just to get some respect."
He tried to look shocked because he already knew how amazing he thought she was but he knew she was a beautiful woman and some people tended to underestimate people because of their looks. Just as some of his classmates ignored him because he clearly wasn't from an exclusive Prep School fuelled by old money but instead was an auburn fishbone from a town no one could find on a map and a propensity for SciFi tee-shirts.
"I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I could call you ugly, if you want?" She chuckled, shaking her head.
"I value my looks-because they are part of who I am...and do make people underestimate me," she reassured him as the movie theatre came into sight. There was a small line of geeks and aged Star Wars fans waiting for the screening and they joined the end. "I bet people underestimate you as well..." He nodded as they moved forward.
"Um...something like that," he admitted as they reached the kiosk. "Two for Episode Four please..." Astrid stared at him and smiled.
"I'll get the sodas and popcorn then," she promised and he smiled.
"Thanks..." he said and soon they were seated in great seats right in the middle surrounded by nerds and geeks. He glanced around: they were the only couple. Astrid glanced around and started laughing.
"And you know, no one will notice whatever we do!" she told him slyly. "Every other eye will be fixed on the screen..." She leaned against him and he yelped, blushing fiercely. "Don't worry," she smirked. "Don't worry, Hiccup-your virtue is safe with me," she reassured him gently and then stole some of his butter popcorn.
"Hey...you could endanger it a bit, if you want," he mumbled and grabbed a handful of her chocolate popcorn." She chuckled and as the lights dimmed and the familiar logo of 20th Century Fox flashed up and then the opening introduction scrolled up the screen.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
"Otherwise known as modern day Berk," Hiccup muttered. Astrid sniggered and snuggled comfortably against him as the theatre shook with the roar of the Star Destroyer as the huge starship apparently flew in over the camera, chasing the Rebel ship. Against her, Hiccup finally relaxed. This was his idea of a perfect evening.
Two hours later, they emerged, buzzing and eagerly discussing their favourite moments in the well loved and familiar classic. The crowd dispersed and holding hands, they walked back to the Square.
"Ask her if she wants something to eat!" his conscience-which still sounded like Cami-urged him and he shyly glanced at her. Her cheeks were pink with the chilly air and exhilaration from the film and her eyes were sparkling.
"Um...would you like to have something to eat?" he suggested as they reached a more crowded area. "Maybe pizza?" She stared at him and he groaned. "Sorry. Thor, what was I thinking? I mean that someone like you would want pizza? I mean I'm sure it's all proper French or..."
"Superspicymeatfeast with extra cured yak," she told him, smirking. "I like pizza-and I like it hot, Mister Haddock." He gulped.
"Um, me too," he murmured and then his mouth quirked up in a smile. "But only the Superspicymeatfeast? Not the Ultravolcaniccarnivoreplus? With added chillis?" She smiled at him.
"Is that a challenge?" she asked him in a teasing voice. "I should warn you, I am the most competitive person on this planet. And I have never been beaten in the pizza challenge..." He raised an eyebrow.
"Boy, the competition must be weak round here," he teased her. "I mean, my Dad and I can eat anything. Literally. I mean, my mother's cooking could decimate populations. It's practically classified as a chemical or biological weapon...and I've had that my entire life. I had to chew my milk when I was bottle fed after Mom had warmed it up! And it dissolved the bottles!"
"My Uncle Finn used to win Chilli-Cooking competitions back home and I always ate everything he cooked," she shot back, her eyes twinkling with enjoyment. "I have a Gronckle-iron stomach, Hiccup..."
"Then it is so on..." he told her as they headed to the Pizza Restaurant. Astrid paused at the door and stared into Hiccup's bright green eyes. She smiled and on an impulse, she pulled him into a brief kiss.
"That's for luck," she told him, her hand twining with his and pushing the door open with the other. "Because you're going to need it!" Hiccup tried to remember to breathe and then he smiled.
"So are you..." he tried to say though it unfortunately came out as "Wgtzl." She started to laugh.
"Real smooth," she chuckled and he began to laugh as well.
"And that was my best pick-up line," he sassed back and she hauled him into the restaurant, still laughing.
As they vanished into the Pizzeria, two shapes on the opposite side of the Square were staring at the pair. Heather's hand tightened fiercely around Fishlegs's and he yelped in pain, wondering where his girlfriend got such a ferocious grip. Heather was glaring, her face both shocked and furious.
"Did you see that?" she hissed. "Hiccup was out with a girl!" Fishlegs frowned and gently extracted his hand from the vice-like grip before inspecting it and tenderly massaging it.
"Well, that's not really a surprise," he reminded her. "We know he likes girls because he was your boyfriend previously."
"But he's out with a girl. Here!" she snapped. Fishlegs frowned. They had been at a very nice and extremely exclusive French Bistro, 'Le Manoir Blanc' and it had been a very nice meal with Heather at her sweet best...but suddenly, she seemed like a completely different girl.
"And he's not allowed to go out and have friends?" Fishlegs checked in an amused voice, trying to make light of the issue. He couldn't understand why Heather was being so obsessed....it almost seemed like she was jealous...
"Heather, he's out with a girl and they're clearly on a date," he told her reasonably. "You have been very critical of him supposedly coming here just to follow you even when we are engaged. Now it looks like he's moving on. You should be happy for him." She shook her head stubbornly.
Fishlegs couldn't help feeling very uncomfortable as he watched his fiancee eye another man. 'This wasn't right.' he reasoned and then said to Heather, "Come on, we should go."
"But..." Heather tried to protest and with a sigh she nodded and they left. All the while Fishlegs was both wondering and apprehensive about what was going on in his fiance's head.