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Seventy One: Heart and Nerve

Seventy One: Heart and Nerve

Hoark received a phone call as he was leaving work for the weekend, debating briefly whether he should take it-but his innate good manners won and he lifted the receiver.

"Hello? Hoard's Attorneys at Law..." Then his eyes widened. "Tonight? I hadn't expected you for weeks..." He paused and concentrated. "I'll meet you myself. No, I am certain I will recognise you. Yes-eight thirty flight. I'll see you in a few hours."

oOo

Despite the fact that he had just hosted his eighteenth birthday party the previous day, Hiccup had invited his friends over to spend the night for a sleepover...the first he had been able to host during his time as friends with Astrid and her little gang. He had felt awkward and embarrassed in having to accept hospitality without reciprocating...and while he wasn't trying to shove his wealth down their throats, it was a relief to be able to take his turn and welcome them to his home. Not that they weren't all familiar with the place, since they had helped him move in and cleaned the house.

They had willingly arrived at five with sleeping bags and he had welcomed them gratefully, with Toothless over-excited and barking happily before trying to lick every guest to death. Astrid had kissed him tenderly on arrival, leaviing him very self-conscious, and he had shown them to their rooms: Heather and Anna had his room with his former bed, which had fresh sheets on while Fishlegs and Kristof were in the guest room opposite Gobber's room. Shyly, Hiccup had led Astrid to the double room at the far end of the house, the bed untouched and with clean white sheets, the curtains pulled back, revealing the twilight view across the back garden and the hills in the centre of Berk beyond.

"This is beautiful," she murmured, her eyes sweeping over the view, the sky fading with orange and purple clouds vivid against the sunset.

"It's yours," he said recklessly. She turned her head to inspect him. "Um...I mean every time you stay here...with the gang of course...it's yours. Astrid's room. Yup. Yours." She smiled and rested her sleeping bag on the bed. Then she frowned.

"And I'm not going to discover in the middle of the night that there's a secret passage between this room and yours and then find a limping auburn fishbone in my room?" she asked him dryly.

"Thor, no," he mumbled, blushing. "My Dad would never stand for it, to start with. 'A Chief needs his sleep!'" She started giggling as he adopted a thick Scottish accent.

"And you? Do you need your sleep?" she asked him and he chuckled.

"Milady, I need all the sleep I can get!" he laughed. "Between being kidnapped, fighting for my inheritance and saving Berk, my diary has been insanely busy! I promise not to sneak in during the night and interrupt you." He paused. "If I tried I'd trip over my broken ankle and then you'd beat me up using your judo stuff anyway!"

"And don't you forget it," she told him smugly, walking over to wrap her arms around his middle. "You know you didn't have to do this?" He leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers.

"Well, you spent your College fund on giving me back my car...so I need to pull my weight for Friday nights," he said softly. "And I will find a way to make sure you shall go to College, Astridella..."

"Ugh...that is such a terrible way to mangle my name," she grimaced. "You owe me a meal for that, babe!"

"Your wish is my command, Milady," he smirked, looping his arm around her waist and walking alongside her back downstairs. Once there, he headed for the kitchen, where he skilfully whipped up fish tacos with salsa verde, fresh tortilla chips, salad, slaw and non-alcoholic citrus fruit punch. The others chatted as he cooked and he smiled at the sensation that people actually appreciated what he did, not just what he bought. And their faces as they ate the food filled his chest with warmth. He had an old-fashioned cherry pie cooking for dessert and he had to remember to save a slice for Gobber, who was over with Mulch and Bucket, celebrating.