Tangled Vows

Chapter 38

Astrid had expected things to change between them since their feelings had been exposed for both to see. Something had to have shifted between them to make things feel awkward or to feel strange. Like the first time Eret had confessed to her, things between them felt uncomfortable for a while until she accepted.

Yet, with Hiccup, nothing felt different. It was as though they had always felt this way with one another and had just grown to accept it. Nothing felt strange or uncomfortable, and nothing felt awkward or scary. It just felt... normal.

Their feelings, now exposed and known to one another, didn't change much between them. If anything, it only changed how long they looked at one another, before one of them turned away and blushed at getting caught.

To Astrid, this strange moment of peace between them felt no different than it had been their entire friendship. Like this peaceful understanding of one another changed nothing, and things carried on as normal.

Astrid liked it. Nothing changes, nothing feels awkward or weird. It just feels... right.

Sitting at the table, finishing their dinner with polite conversation, was as normal as normal could be. Despite what had been revealed, and despite what they knew, conversation flowed as smoothly as it had always done between them, and nothing felt different.

Even though, everything was.

"How about we watch a movie tonight?" Hiccup suggested as Astrid stood to take the plates from the table and put them in the sink to wash. "I can wash them."

Astrid shook her head as she took the rest of the mess from the table and cleared it away, putting the cutlery and plates in the sink to be washed. It was what she had done since she had first moved to Hiccup's house, and never before had he offered to take the burden away from her.

"It's fine, Hiccup. I've been doing it for the past two months, I can handle another night." She laughed to herself, humoured by Hiccup's sudden need to help out with the chores.

"If you insist, I just wanted to be polite."

"If you want to be polite," Astrid turned towards him, a hand on her hip and a broad smile across her face. "Then let me pick the movie for tonight."

Hiccup groaned, but quietly accepted her offer. With a victorious smirk and grunt of happiness, she turned back to the dishes and swiftly began to clean them.

"But no romances." Hiccup ordered, leaning back in his chair and finishing the last few mouthfuls of wine they had been nursing during dinner.

"Of course," Astrid rolled her eyes but reluctantly agreed.

"Something fantasy, maybe." Hiccup pondered, as though it were still his choice of movie.

"We are not watching Lord of the Rings again." Astrid groaned, throwing back her head in exasperation as the idea swept through her head. She knew where he was going with these vague requests, and she wasn't willing to put herself through it again.

"Come on, it's a classic." Hiccup complained whilst Astrid rolled her eyes heavily enough that Hiccup could see - despite her back being turned towards him. 

"Hiccup, we have seen that trilogy over 50 times. I swear to Odin, if you make me watch it again, I will gouge your eyes out." She emphasised her threat by holding up a spoon that she was halfway through washing in the sink.

Hiccup conceded and slumped in his chair in annoyance, having lost the first battle. But this was only the beginning of the war.

"Okay, but no Legally Blonde." Hiccup warned, starting off the argument again with a new target.