Accidental Fiancé

9: A New World

Nine: A New World.

Astrid was honestly astonished at how quickly he had accepted the offer and she had expected a little more in the way of argument by the young man. Her eyes widened in shock.

"I-I do?" she mumbled and he grinned.

"What happened to the confident soccer star I met last time?" he teased her gently and she giggled.

"Well, her sassy friend just shocked her and removed the power of speech!" she retorted. "I expected you to say no, to be honest!" He managed a small smile.

"I like to surprise people," he said. Usually in a bad way. No-stop! You can't think like that all the time...that only means that Bella is right... "And I think I could do with a few weeks away from Berk." She leaned forward.

"What about your job?" she asked with concern and he shrugged.

"As I told you, I can work over the internet just as well-as long as I get some time and space to concentrate," he explained. "I have some jobs I'm working on that just need me to concentrate. I just need to speak to my boss...but I'm sure he's aware that I seem to be the fiancé of the most famous woman in the Archipelago so I'm sure he'll cut me some slack..." I hope. Accepting this, she nodded.

"I guess you need something to do while I'm training and playing..."

"Though he would be expected to attend your matches," Heather pointed out. "He can sit with me in the box." Astrid nodded. "Also...he only has what he's standing in," she pointed out. Frowning, the blonde turned her gaze on Hiccup and he gave a self-conscious laugh.

"Ah...complicated story," he said quickly. "Had to get out of the apartment in a hurry...because Bella really wan't happy that I was seeing you." In fact she would have been furious if she had known...so I didn't tell her. Catching the edge to his voice, she looked at him and inclined her head.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "Do you want me to speak to her, to explain..."

"NO! Thor, no..." he shouted urgently. Then he forced himself to relax. "That...really wouldn't help, Astrid. Sorry-but if you speak to her, tell her anything, I can guarantee it will be all over the papers. Helheim, she already threatened to tell them lies about me..." Heather frowned.

"What lies?" she demanded. "Hiccup-is there something we need to know?" Her voice hardened. "What secrets do you have? Are you gay?" His eyes widened.

"NO! Definitely not!" he said and then realised what he had said, for he knew Heather was gay. "I mean I don't have anything against gay or bi people but...for me it's girls all the way. Sorry."

"Don't be. Girls for me as well," the raven-haired girl smirked and then grew more serious. "Paedophile then?"

"ARGH! No no no no no!" His eyes glittered. "I mean-why would you say that?" he protested. "That's just so...horrible! How could you even think...?"

"Well-she must have something on you," Heather said sternly and even Astrid was leaning forward, her eyes focussed on the auburn-haired man. He felt his gut clench in anxiety and he stared at his knees.

"Not really...but she was my girlfriend and she could play the wronged party," he sighed. "And we were together for three years so she obviously has embarrassing stories about me...um...yeah..."

Heather frowned.

"What sort of embarrassing stories?" she pressed. "Cross dressing? Sexual fetishes? Impotence? Some weird kinky stuff?" Astrid watched Hiccup cringe and turned absolutely scarlet all the way to the tips of his ears.