Accidental Fiancé

2: Not A Date

Two: Not a Date

"How do I look?" Astrid smoothed down the form-fitting azure dress and checked her image in the mirror. The dress was one from her new 'Team Astrid' range and she had been undecided what to wear for her mother's birthday party so she had packed a couple of options. Strangely, she had chosen the one she liked better for her dinner with Hiccup-she wouldn't think of it as a date because Astrid Hofferson certainly didn't have time for a date! But she had to admit to herself-however reluctantly-that she was looking forward to spending some time with Hiccup.

Of course, she would never admit it to anyone-least of all someone she hadn't seen for years-but her life was pretty lonely. Sure, there was the camaraderie of the team when they were training or playing or on media duties but otherwise...they all had their thing. Some of the older players were still jealous of the stunning blonde who had hoovered the bulk of the contracts and endorsements and the younger players looked up to the famous Captain of the Valkyries and the National Team. She had a couple of the team who were friends-but one was on the brink of a transfer to the Freyas from Freezing-to-Death and there was precious little chance to hang out and just have fun. Any time she stepped out of the house, some paparazzi was watching and she had learned the hard way she couldn't go out clubbing, dancing or even have a casual date. Only here on Berk, where she was protected as one of their own would she stand any chance of a quiet evening.

She had one boyfriend since she left High School, a football player who had seemed like the perfect boyfriend-until she found him in bed with one of his team-mates. The matter had been hushed up and they had parted by 'mutual consent'-but Astrid knew that she had been used as camouflage for a man who had been unwilling to come out. And because she was a decent woman-and though when she was younger, she had anger control issues, she had worked hard to control her emotions so she suppressed her fury and smiled through the press conference and went along with the story. No matter how hurt and upset she was.

She shook herself and stared at her reflection, touching up her eyeliner and ghosting a little lipstick on her lips. Her long golden hair framed her beautiful face, a small braided portion snaking down behind her left ear and moving as she flicked her head. And then she smiled.

"Easy, Astrid," she murmured. "All you're doing is meeting an old school friend. No biggie. What could go wrong?"

oOo

He had tried on almost every shirt he possessed and he still wasn't satisfied-because this was Astrid Hofferson. His former best friend...who had run away almost without a word and certainly without any explanation or apology two days before High School Graduation, leaving the boy who had crushed on her for years and who had planned on revealing his feelings at Graduation utterly bereft. And while he wasn't quite the runty fishbone he had been then, he still was nothing much compared to the famous soccer player and fashion icon. Sure, he had grown to over six feet in height and was lean and toned rather than completely skinny but his hair was wilder than ever and he had an unfortunate habit of being clumsy and stammering when he felt self-conscious. And Thor, he would feel like a total fishbone next to the beautiful blonde.

He stared back into the reflection of his emerald eyes, expressing his uncertainty and then he took a shuddering breath. He hadn't told Bella-because she would have vetoed the meeting and he wanted to catch up with Astrid, who had been a friend throughout his school years. The chance of him ever seeing Astrid again after this was precisely zero and that was fine-because he had moved on as well, with a girlfriend and a steady job-but he would like to see how she had been getting on. And to see if she was still the girl he remembered.

"Red," he murmured, grabbing the discarded deep rust red shirt and holding it up against his body. With his dark auburn hair, bright green eyes and pale skin with occasional freckle, the red picked out his colours. Of course, Bella usually insisted he wore a boring white shirt when they went out-because she had to be the centre of attention. She was very bossy and demanding but Hiccup didn't really have a fantastic amount of self-confidence where the opposite sex was concerned so he had been grateful when she had come on to him and driven the relationship forward. And once she had things the way she wanted, he had done his best to fit in with her. She didn't really like him talking to other women-though even Bella had accepted that Rachel 'Ruffnut' Thorston was probably more of a boy than her twin brother Timothy (or Tuffnut as his friends knew him). But all other female contact had been cut off by the possessive and overbearing Bella and though he had been disappointed, Bella's words had echoed through his ears whenever he considered why he was willing to accept her wishes.