Chapter 11

Hiccup was walking on clouds the next day, well not literally, but he was far more happier than he had been in a while and it was all thanks to Astrid and their 'not-date' date. The first and only class that Saturday morning was that of Professor Queen and plonking himself down in the hotseat with a smile on his face raised some eyebrows from his colleagues. No one smiled like that while in that seat, most whimpered, some cried, so Hiccup's good mood got noticed. Hiccup sat with his back to the others so he did not see Heather's scowl directed at him for a minute.

"Good morning class," Professor Queen said as she came into the room while carrying a to-go cup. "I hope you all read up on the next few chapters because we will be handling a case study today."

Several groans could be heard but they snapped their mouths shut when the professor shot them a glare. "Now let's continue along. This particular case places emphasis on mens rea and actus reus......." Professor Queen started lecturing. The class continued for three hours with a short break in between and afterwards Hiccup felt like his head was spinning. Some cases were just too plain weird.

Hiccup was just on his way out of the classroom when Heather caught up with him. "Hiccup can we talk?" She asked and Hiccup looked around but didn't see any Fishlegs. It was odd because the two normally walked to class together and were all lovey-dovey as well.

"What do you want Heather?" Hiccup asked. Heather's recent behavior and going out with Astrid had started Hiccup getting over Heather for real. He looked at the woman he once fell in love with clearer eyes and he didn't like what he saw.

"Who was that woman?" Heather asked him pointedly.

"Excuse me what?" Hiccup lifted a brow.

"That woman you were with last night. Who was she?" Heather demanded.

"And what gives you the right to know?" Hiccup asked with a raised brow as Heather sputtered.

"Hiccup I demand to know. For all you know she could be playing you."

"Like you did?" Hiccup shot back dryly causing Heather to take a step back.

"Heather? You're still here?" Came the question as Fishlegs came out of the classroom, most likely after having had a conversation with Professor Queen. Hiccup took the opportunity to turn around and walk away. He had nothing to justify to Heather after all.

Hiccup let out a sigh. He had no more classes today but he also didn't just want to go back to his dorm. He was wandering around campus when he spotted a small on-campus cafe. Hiccup entered, deciding he had nothing else to do except go back to a pouting cat. When he approached the counter he spotted a familiar face. "Snotlout?"

"Hiccup!"

"You work here?" he asked the obvious question as he took in Snotlout's apron and........ Reindeer antlers.

"Yeah, about two months now," Snotlout told him and then asked what he wanted.

"Uhm...." Hiccup looked at the menu and the amount of different coffees available. This little store had a variety that would put any large chain coffee shop to shame. "That's a lot....." Hiccup mumbled as his brows furrowed. He hadn't even heard of half of these.

"Well this is a campus," Snotlout said as he waved his hands around causing the antlers on his head to jingle. "Coffee makes the world go round here."

The cafe wasn't busy, which was surprising and both turned to look towards the door as it opened with a creek and the bell above got hit. "Astrid?" Hiccup's eyes widened upon seeing her. He knew she was still on campus doing research but he didn't think he would run into her so soon.

"Hiccup!" Astrid gave a bright smile upon spotting him. She walked up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Aaaaah young love," Snotlout sighed from behind the counter before saying "You're usual, babe?"

"Hello to you too Snot, don't call me babe, and yes usual," Astrid said not taking her eyes off of Hiccup. "Have you ordered yet?"

"I have no clue what to get...." Hiccup mumbled and then something caught his attention. "Wait, you know Snotlout?"

"I'm a regular here." Astrid said which caused Snotlout who was still watching them to snort.

"Regular? I thought you had coffee instead of blood in your body by the amount you drink. Hiccup don't let her fool you. She's a caffeine addict."

"So I'm guessing you know Snot as well?" Astrid rolled her eyes at Snotlout's remark.

"We're in the same study group." Hiccup commented.

"Astrid, help the poor guy out with his coffee!" Snotlout said as he looked at the two. He went to make Astrid's order while Hiccup and her looked over the menu.

"Well it's a bit nippy outside so might I suggest a warm drink." Astrid leaned in close causing Hiccup to blush slightly. Her eyes skimmed over the list until she found what she was looking for. "Ah, here it is... try the Affogato."

"What's that?" Hiccup's brows furrowed.

"Vanilla gelato drenched in hot espresso," Astrid got this dreamy look in her eyes when she talked about coffee.

"Alright, I'll try it," Hiccup told her. He definitely wasn't opposed to trying something new.

"Snotlout give the man your special Affogato." Astrid chuckled.

Snotlout who was getting milk said "Rodger, one Affogato and one extra large Marocchino coming up!"

"Marocchino?" Hiccup asked. He had seen the drink on the menu but it was also unknown to him.

"Oh poor Hiccup," Snotlout mumbled. "You have no idea....."

The extra large Marocchino, turned out to be a very big cup of a shot of espresso, thick hot cocoa and milk froth. Hiccup stared at the cup Astrid was holding as they found a booth to sit at.

"Didn't the menu say it was supposed to be a small cup?" Hiccup asked as Astrid sniffed the beverage with glee. She must have been holding herself back the last time they went out for coffee.

"Snotlout hooks me up," Was all Astrid told him. In front of them were also two pastries that Snotlout had included. The barista had waved them off and said "Have fun you lovebirds." Which caused Hiccup to blush and Astrid to giggle. Taking his hand, she led him to a discreet booth and they sat down. Hiccup sipped his Affogato and his eyes slammed wide open and then he stared at his coffee.

"I think I'm in love," he murmured. Astrid huffed.

"Damn-I've got competition from a hot drink," she commented, sipping her Marocchino. Hiccup looked up and grinned.

"It's no competition to you," he said and then stared at the coffee. "Thor-I said that aloud, didn't I?"

"Loud and clear," Astrid told him, smiling and then grabbed a paper napkin and leaned forward. "You've got a little milk moustache there, Hiccup..." He blushed slightly and held still as she dabbed the milk away.

"Um...sorry..." he mumbled and then took another sip. She rolled her eyes.

"Got another one..." she told him and he gave a small smile.

"Um...you wanna help me with that as well?" he asked and she chuckled.

"Ah...Mr Sassy is back," she grinned and sipped her Marocchino, sitting back with a smug smile and a huge milk moustache-almost a milk Zapata. His eyes widened and he started to chuckle. "Anything funny? Like...on my face? No? Are you sure?" she teased him as he started laughing harder and finally grabbed a napkin and beckoned her closer.

"I think you may have got a little milk just there..." he managed and she smiled and lifted her chin, allowing him to dab her top lip clean with a slightly shaky hand. She grasped his hand and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Now-are you busy this evening?" His eyes widened.

"Um...no..." he admitted. She smiled.

"There is a Christmas Concert at the Catholic Church," she told him thoughtfully. "You fancy going? And then maybe out for some chilli? You owe me a rematch." He grinned.

"It is so on!" he promised her as he sipped his coffee once more, oblivious to the fangirling Snotlout jumping up and down behind the bar.

-o-o-

The weather grew cold and Christmas soon approached. Hiccup was staying at the dorms with a handful of other students because the trip back to Berk would have taken too long to be worth it for the length of break available between classes.

"Yeah, mom, Love you, Merry Christmas...." Hiccup said over the phone as he had been talking to his parents. Cami and Throk had mailed him a present a couple of days ago with express instructions to open it on Christmas Eve. When Hiccup opened the box he found two things, first a tiny Santa hat for Toothless, and second some of the truffles he was secretly addicted to.

He sighed. The Hall was quiet because almost everyone had gone-especially Heather who had crowed as loudly as she could that she and Fishlegs were on their way up to Ingerman Lodge up in Vermont for a Christmas skiing and charming his family. Resigning himself to a quiet time, Hiccup glanced back at his room. Toothless had managed to shed his hat four times and was now curled up on the windowsill with it resting gently on his head, his ear and tail flicking intermittently with irritation. Settling down on his bed and sitting cross-legged, Hiccup stared at his cat and then at his little stash of food. It looked like his Christmas Eve meal would be canned beef and ramen.

"HICCUP!" Tuffnut burst into the room, causing Hiccup to jerk and fall off the bed and Toothless to leap up, hiss and shed his hat once more.

"Tuff what the hell!" Hiccup said from the floor. "And ow."

"Yo man.... Party in the Common room. Everyone is invited. Grab your cat and let's boogie." Hiccup frowned.

"Tuff-is Chicken going to be there?" he asked thoughtfully as he remembered Toothless trying to eat the bird the last time they had a gettogether.

"Yeah-but it will be fine," the male twin assured him "It's the Season of Goodwill..." And he grabbed the less than impressed feline and his cute hat before speeding out of the room. Hiccup picked himself up and sighed.

"Yeah-but I'm not sure that applies to Toothless's attitude towards potential cat snacks," he muttered as he scrambled after the other man.

Tuffnut, when reaching the Common room where the party had already started, deposited the irate feline next to Chicken who was sporting a jingle bell around her neck. He then placed the little santa hat back on the cat and Toothless shot him an 'I-will-hunt-you-down' look. When he arrived, Hiccup saw Snotlout and Ruffnut hunkered around the oven where there appeared to be something roasting. Well, it smelled like meat cooking. Possibly. Or maybe burning. Ruff had a pan with about four pints of cranberries cooking while cabbage was boiling and a big jug of gravy was already made. Corn, pumpkin and peas were also already booked.

Hiccup didn't see Eret around and then he remembered that the man was going back to England to visit extended family this year. Tuffnut was skulking around a washing up bowl that seemed to be serving as the punch bowl and Hiccup thought the man might have just spiked it. But when he leaned forward to check the 'punch' he wondered if it had in fact been spiked with a splash of fruit juice...because it smelled like approximately 90% alcohol.

Backing away, he looked around to find Toothless and when he found his cat he raised a brow. Toothless wasn't eating Chicken, oh no. Toothless had proudly perched himself on the back of the Chicken who was being flattened and looked less than happy. Feathers seemed ruffled but the cat didn't care, carefully licking a paw and pointedly extending his claws to be cleaned as if reminding the chicken who was the one on top.

"I think it's ready," Ruff announced and pulled the oven open to see the smallest turkey he had ever seen delivered from the oven. It was wrapped in foil and did smell moderately appetising. And then he frowned: he considered himself a connoisseur of bad cooking, having survived his mother's efforts for his entire life but he had never seen anything like this.

"Um...Ruff...are you sure?" he asked worriedly. She nodded.

"Yeah-looks great to me," she assured him. He shook his head.

"It's pink," he warned her. "And it looks like it's been run over."

"Well, it wasn't going to fit in the oven because it was too tall so we wrapped it up in foil and got Snot and Tuff to jump up and down on it," she explained.

"Why does it only have one leg?"

"It was too wide to fit in so we pulled that off and cooked it in the frying pan," she explained.

"Why is the grill on?" Hiccup asked, peering at the oven. Ruff folded her arms.

"Look, Mister 'I don't have anything to bring to the party apart from a cat with a hat' I'm not taking any..." she began.

"Actually-the grill is on," Snotlout told her, checking. "The turkey isn't actually cooked. At all."

"WHAT?" Tuff asked.

"I thought it was browning a bit fast," Ruff mumbled. Hiccup sighed, estimated the size of the turkey and flipped the oven on then shoved the stampeded-on turkey back in.

"Maybe we should eat the rest of the food now," Snotlout suggested. "Otherwise it will get cold..."

"At least we have punch," Tuff said cheerfully, dipping a mug into the highly alcoholic mixture and handing it to Hiccup. "Here you go, Hiccup, my man! ENJOY!"

The party passed rather pleasantly for Hiccup, or maybe it was the slight buzz he got from whatever rocket fuel Tuffnut had poured into that punch. Hiccup was seated on one of the many couches in the room when he saw Astrid enter. He nearly jumped up, almost tripping over someone's foot, as he quickly went to her. "Ashtrid... Hi Ashtrid...."

"I was coming to see you and give you...this..." she said slightly self-consciously. She had a small squashy parcel grasped in her hand and she glanced around. "I won't intrude..." He grabbed her hands and shook his head wildly.

"PLEASE intrude," he begged her. "Sheriously. I think I may die of malnutrition. I've been fed cranberries and gravy and alcohol and punch and more alcohol and did I mention the punch?" She smiled.

"Possibly," she reassured him. He sighed.

"Look, the turkey has been shquashed flat and grilled, the potatoesh are crunchy and I am drunk but I know that you are the pershon I really want to shpend this evening with and pleashe don't go!" She glanced around.

"Why is Toothless wearing a hat and lying on top of a very nervous-looking chicken?" she asked.

"I think Tuff may be trying to engender a shpirit of Goodwill and Toothless ish trying to engender absolute terror prior to actually pounshing," Hiccup sighed, his slur becoming more obvious. "I thought you'd be out..." She smiled.

"I am," she said. "I came here." She handed him the parcel. "For you..." He chewed his lip.

"Oh Thor..." he mumbled. "I-I have shomething for you but it'sh in my room..."

"Open mine," she told him and he carefully tried to open the sellotape before accidentally ripping the paper open. A vintage 'The Empire Strikes Back' tee-shirt fell out. He gaped.

"I alwaysh wanted one of theshe," he gasped, and kissed her on the cheek without hesitation. "Um...wait a minute..." He dashed out...which was followed by a thud. Everyone ran to see he had tripped over the carpet. "I'm okay..." he said and crawled off in the direction of his room. Astrid frowned and watched him crawl round the corner.

"What did you put in that punch?" she asked sternly.

"Vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila, more vodka, cointreau, cassis, triple sec, blue curacao and grenadine-with a dash of pineapple." Astrid pulled a face.

"Yuk-pineapple," she commented. "Go easy on him, okay?"

"He's had three mugs!" Tuffnut said. "It will only knock you out at six. I tested it on my sis."

"But Ruff has the alcohol tolerance of a herd of rhinoceros," Snotlout pointed out. "Half a mug would floor a normal person."

"Oooohhh right!" Tuffnut said as if finally realizing it. "Uhm... then yeah... three cups should knock out an elephant."

"I'm going to check up on him," Astrid said, her brow furrowed. She grabbed Hiccup's present and walked after him, striding away rapidly. She caught up with Hiccup as he was trying to open the door to the room opposite his and was muttering under breath about why he had locked himself out. She smiled and crouched by him.

"Hey," she murmured. He looked up and started.

"Hey," he mumbled. "I think I broke my door." She rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Your door is over there," she pointed out and he glanced over, his eyes widening.

"Oh. Thanksh," he said and crawled over to the correct door. Flailing awkwardly, he managed to wrestle the door open and crawled in. Astrid followed.

"You okay down there?" she asked him and he looked up, smiling broadly.

"The room'sh shpinning sho it feels shafer down here," he mumbled as she chuckled and sat down on the floor by the bed. He crawled over and sat beside her.

"You okay?" she asked him and he sighed.

"Shorry...I shouldn't have drunk the punch but the turkey wash raw..." he explained and leaned against her. "Have I told you you're beautiful...." She nodded.

"And you're sweet," she told him.

"Aww...I wash holding out for handshome..."

"Cute."

"No!"

"A bit dorky..."

"Can't deny that," he mumbled.

"And you're the guy I came to spend Christmas Eve with," she told him. A smile lit up his face and he hugged her.

"Thanksh," he said happily. "That has made my entire Christmas..." Then he frowned. "Are you all alone here?" She nodded.

"Yeah-but not really," she told him. "Because I'm here with you." He pulled out a parcel wrapped in gold paper with a big bow on top. "For you," he explained unnecessarily. Her eyes lit up and she looked at him-and then opened the parcel. There was a jewellery box inside and when she opened it, there was a bracelet-one of the ones where you could add charms with time. There was one on it-a little silver eagle. She looked up.

"You're a legal eagle," he mumbled. "Shorry, it's corny but I wanted to give you shomething you could add to with time..." She fixed it on her wrist and smiled in delight.

"It's perfect." He smiled and leaned on the remote for the TV. The picture clicked to reveal Bing Crosby singing 'White Christmas' and he stared at the screen in surprise. "Hiccup," she said and he looked back to her, his green eyes hazed with alcohol but his inhibitions gone.

"I have never sheen thish," he admitted, "but I don't care because all I want for Christmash is you. And now, I am going to kiss you, Astrid Hofferson."

"I thought you never would!" she smiled and leaned forward to press her lips against his. "Happy Christmas, Hiccup."

"Happy Chrishmas, Ashtrid," he mumbled.