TGS'verse

Chapter 13

"House keeping~"

Groaning, Bekker rose and headed for the door of her hotel room.

On the other side stood Hiccup.

"Guten tag, Sofie Bekker."

Her lips curled upwards. "Nice German accent there, Hiccup."

"Thanks, I've been practicing. When does Aalborg need you back again?"

"Tomorrow."

"No time to waste then. I'll be waiting."

"Mhm. Be right back," she shut the door, then turned and headed back to her bed, at the foot of which waited her suitcase.

...

"So you're still meeting this guy, right? What was his name again?"

"Jacob. He's someone my ex is hoping to date."

Bekker hummed. "I'd like to meet her sometime."

"Today could be your lucky day then. I got a text from her, saying they're at Johann's bar."

"The lonesome tradesman? Interesting name."

"Yeah. You can't call yourself a Berkian unless you've been here at least once. It's a rite of passage. So, shall we?"

Entering, Bekker marvelled at the candles which hung in Viking longship inspired holders. "Wow. Did I ever mention I love Viking inspired stuff?"

Hiccup smiled, bemused. "Not until just now, no. It's rare I find someone who is excited by this stuff. For us Berkians, this is fairly bland."

"What the hell is wrong with you all?" she asked flatly, to which Hiccup simply laughed.

"Hey, Hiccup! Over here!" Cami called, waving at him from a corner booth on the pair's collective right, past the stairs to the bathroom.

"Not so loud if you please, Miss Cami," said Johann from behind the bar, before his eyes met Hiccup's. "Greetings to you both as well. What can I get you?"

"I'll have my usual. Bekker?"

"Bourbon, please."

Johann nodded. "One bloody mary and one pint of bourbon, coming right up."

"Nice to meet you at last, Jacob. Cami here has said good things about you," said Hiccup, when he and Bekker reached the corner booth.

The black-haired, brown-eyed man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? She hasn't said much about you, except your name and the fact that you're a soldier."

"What can I say? I tend to keep things close to the chest. But enough about that. What sort of stuff do you do? Oh, and this here is a good friend of mine - Flight Lieutenant Bekker."

"Hi," Bekker waved, smiling. "Nice to meet you two."

"Likewise," Cami smiled in return.

Silence formed between the quartet as their drinks arrived before it was broken by Cami. "So, what is it like to be a Jaeger? Hiccup told me that he was bringing a Jaeger along as a friend."

"News to me," Bekker looked at Hiccup, who simply shrugged.

"Must have slipped my mind. You can of course say nothing, if you'd rather keep secrets from present company."

"Buzzkill," huffed Cami.

"Says the person who I met when she paid me quite an unexpected visit, all those years ago."

"Still buzzkill but point taken there, Haddock."

"Mhm." Then Hiccup looked to Bekker, just as she set down her glass, having emptied it of the bourbon she had ordered. "Hey, take it easy there ketchup-top, you're not known for a high alcohol tolerance."

"Hush you," came her reply.

"Ketchup-top?" Questioned Cami.

"It's to do with the hair," Hiccup explained.

"Ah," Cami nodded before smirking deviously at Bekker. "So what's this I hear about a low alcohol tolerance? How low are we talking?"

"Confidential information," said Bekker, not shying away from Cami's gaze.

"Smart. If you told me, I would tease you into oblivion. But I will find out this information eventually, you can bet on that."

Bekker simply raised a challenging brow. "Some might call that cocky."

"I'll text you the info later, Cami. No interrogations."

Two heads swivelled towards Hiccup, both put out but for different reasons. One of the heads had lips drawn into a pout. "Aww, but I wanted to have fun," Cami whined.

"Sorry not sorry," Hiccup shrugged, then addressed Bekker, who was staring at him with a look of betrayal. "Rule number one of Berk: never let a bog burglar descendant run around unchecked, lest you want to become an eventual target. Same goes for the Thorston twins or Snotlout Jorgenson."

"Some interesting names there. You happen to know that last guy?"

"My cousin," said Hiccup with a sigh. "Let's just say highschool was helheim on earth."

"What sort of stuff did he do?" Bekker asked, leaning forward a little and folding her arms on the table where they sat. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"Yeah, I'd rather not. You there! Jacob; you're rather quiet."

"Not much of a people person," he mumbled.

"I see," Hiccup replied. Figured that already, and I guess that's why you're not making a move on Cami, he mentally added.

"Right, Cami, can we talk? Be right back, Bekker."

"Take your time," she muttered. "Bartender! Refill, please!"

Leaving Bekker behind as she made herself at home, Hiccup led Cami to the stairs leading to the bathroom of the establishment. "I think I know why your object of interest hasn't made a move."

"He's an introvert, yeah I know."

"Yes, so why did you ask me to come here if you know already?"

"Because it's not normal, alright?" She glanced back at the table where Jacob sat, then back at Hiccup. "What introvert frequents nightclubs?"

"Tell me, how does he act while there?"

"Well, I first saw him at the bar, drinking and talking with some other guy - his friend or something."

"Right, so he'll have been there talking to his friend, is suddenly approached by a voluptuous blonde and pulled towards the dance floor or seduced by said blonde and led home. Do you expect an introvert to make a move beyond the obvious?"

"You did," Cami mumbled.

"I did, because if you'll recall, I had some prior experience thanks to Anne. Sounds to me that this is Jacob's first time ever, and he's an introvert as previously established, so not the most confident around people. I suggest starting afresh; take him on a movie date, get to know him and let him know you. Then make a move."

A slow nod was her immediate response, followed closely by a sigh. "What movie should we go see?"