How deep is your love: 'What ifs'

Request 2

Chapter 2

Prompt: What if Astrid hadn't found out about Henry lying about his mother and had given him the money?

Suggested by Guest

Pairings: Astrid/OC

AN: This chapter contains excerpts from chapter 11 of How deep is your love.

Astrid was quite giddy as she arrived int he park for her date with Henry. She was still nervous that things were going a bit fast. Her mind told her to slow the hell down while her heart yearned to rip the clothes off of her boyfriend.

She looked around, when she got to the park, to see where Henry was and spotted him under a tree on a picnic blanket. He waved at her when he saw her. "Astrid so lovely to see you again." Henry greeted her and then dramatically took her hand and kissed it.

"Oh stop it you smooth talker." Astrid giggled as they sat down on the blanket. Henry proceeded to pull out several dishes from the basket that were Astrid's favorite, including the parfait. She had unconsciously been humming the song that she heard Tuffnut singing on her way to the park. She was watching Henry dote on her as she remembered the lyrics. Suddenly a pang hit her. The lyrics of the song hit close to home for her as she looked at Henry. Suddenly some insecurities surfaced. 'Did Henry really like her?' Her mind asked suddenly. 'Is this relationship going too fast?', 'Is he really my Hendrik?'. Her mind was going a mile a minute as she watched her oblivious boyfriend. This whole week felt like a dream. 'Was Henry truly Hendrik?' her mind asked again as doubt began to cloud it. True, this relationship was going pretty fast. She didn't really question it either but the song that was stuck in her head made her see a different angle. 'This is going too fast.' Her mind supplied as she suddenly panicked. Her breath hitched which caught Henry's attention.

"Astrid are you alright?" he asked while holding a Tupperware container in his hands.

"Eh..... I'm...... eh......" Astrid was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Honey?"

"Are we moving too fast?!" Astrid suddenly blurted out. 'Oh gosh now he's going to think I'm not serious.' her mind supplied as she noticed the shocked look on Henry's face. "I mean... eh....... Look we need to talk." She said as she was organizing her mind. "Henry,....... Do you think this relationship is going too fast?" She decided to be blunt. "I mean, I like you and all but do you think we could slow it down?"

"Astrid......" Henry said as he took her hands in his. "I understand." He told her. "I fell for you the moment I saw you." Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. "If you want to take this slower I understand." He added calmly. "But......" Henry suddenly trailed off.

"But what?" Astrid asked as some deep-rooted fear came bubbling upwards. Some old rooted fears came back from when she still lived. 'Did her boyfriend not want her?', 'Does he not think she's good enough?' Astrid shook these fears away as she reminded herself that times had changed and that she was a successful, independent woman who wouldn't need any man to provide for her.

"Henry what's the matter?" Astrid asked as she looked at him. There was worry in his eyes.

"But......" Henry continued. "I'm going to have to leave for a couple of days. It's........... It's my mother. She called and told me she was in an accident."

"Is she alright?!" Astrid gasped.

"She's in a hospital in Cambodia and can't pay the bill." Henry told her seriously. "I'll need to head back to the city for a couple of days to put my affairs in order and try to scrape together enough money for a ticket and the hospital fee."