581Hello!
So, I'm sort of new to the How to Train Your Dragon fandom, but I thought I'd give it a shot. This is a college AU based on this prompt:
"You're my next door neighbor and you have an obnoxious cat that you're not supposed to have in your apartment. When I go to confront you about it, you're actually really hot. I promise not to tell the landlord about the cat if you let me come over to pet it whenever I want."
Sounded perfect for Hiccstrid with a heavy dose of Sasstrid and Snarkcup :)
Unfortunately I can't promise any timed updates. I'm notorious for taking months to write and edit, but I always appreciate anyone who sticks around to read what I put out!
Now, please enjoy some sass.
This was the last straw. She was furious.
A thump, the sound of something ceramic breaking, and a muffled groan of protest filtered through the paper thin walls of her apartment.
"Aww, son of a- that was my favorite coffee cup, you useless animal."
She pounded on the wall over the bed, like she had done several times a day for the past two weeks.
"Great, now you've got us in trouble again. I saw that! Don't look at me like that, this is your fault."
She would move her bed away from the adjoining wall if she could, but her furniture arrangement options were limited by the small room and the location of the door and closet. She flopped back against her pillow, growling in frustration.
Her idiot neighbor's cat, the one that technically isn't allowed in student housing, was making it impossible to study for her midterms. This ass clown moved in two short weeks ago and she was positive she'd never been so annoyed in her life. Their schedules didn't seem to match up; she hadn't even run into him getting the mail or in the parking lot, but she sure heard from him and his stupid cat enough at night. He stayed up and played music until two in the morning. Who even listens to Modest Mouse anymore? Her neighbor did. At annoyingly loud levels while she was trying to study or sleep.
It was just another infraction committed in a long list of grievances she had. He clomped around his apartment with an odd gait, unlike anyone she had ever heard. His useless animal knocked things over all the time with that annoying little cat trill. Or it would meow at three in the morning and she'd hear him stumble out of bed and scold it with biting sarcasm. His bed must be against the same wall as hers, because aside from the cat and the music the most annoying thing of all was when he brought a girl home and she heard everything through the wall, right next to her. He wasn't loud but his lady friend was the vocal sort and she couldn't help pounding on the wall then, to her satisfaction causing an argument and breaking up whatever was happening in that room before she had to listen to it advance any further.
He was mad at her and she supposed she couldn't blame him. He slammed one angry fist on her wall, making her jump. He sighed then and left his room. It almost made her feel bad, but at the same time she really didn't need an almost front row seat to her already obnoxious neighbor getting laid.
"Ahh, Bud! Bud, stop it! Those are my good brushes! Toothless stop chewing on them!"
This kid, did he not even see the irony in that statement? She couldn't take it anymore. She huffed out loud and scrambled off her bed, threw open her bedroom door and stomped through the living room.
Ruff was on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie with her twin brother.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna give the dude in the next apartment a piece of my mind," she said with a snarl.
"Really? Why?"
"Cause he's annoying and I hate him."
Ruff and Tuff raised their eyebrows but didn't stop her as she slammed their front door shut, making the questionable foundation of the apartment walls shake. Once faced with the door of the next unit she raised her fist and banged on it rapidly. She heard an undignified clamor as its occupant hastened to answer.
The person who whipped open the door was not what she was expecting.
The first thing she noticed were green, green eyes. Then a five o'clock shadow of scruff he had neglected to shave for a day or two, perfectly messy rolled out of bed hair that maybe was just overdue for a haircut. Her eyes widened and he had a look of complete confusion on his face. He glanced past her down the hall both ways, noting she was alone.
"Can I help you?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders minutely, and she was struck with the kindness in his eyes and expression.
"Why haven't I ever seen you getting mail?" she demanded, then closed her eyes in exasperation with herself. His unexpected good looks threw off her composure and stole some of the fire out of her would be rant.
"Excuse me?" he asked, even more perplexed.
"No, that's not why I- your dumb cat," she said, poking him in the chest, hard.
He looked down at her offending finger, sticking between his ribs. "Um, ow. Can you not?"
She removed her appendage. "You're not supposed to have a cat in here."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you the landlord?"
"Well, no," she faltered. "But your dumb ass cat keeps me from studying and it's not fair because you're not even supposed to have one!"
"Whoa, hey now, only I can call Toothless a dumb ass," he said.
"Oh, also that. What the hell kind of name is that? Who names their cat Toothless?"
"Almost all of his baby teeth fell out at the same time, so he didn't have any teeth when I got him from the shelter." He leaned against the door frame, nonchalant, which for some reason infuriated her even more. "Which apartment do you live in, exactly?"
"That one." She pointed.
His eyes narrowed and he straightened his posture. "Are you the one who keeps knocking on my bedroom wall? It's you, isn't it. I should've guessed with the way you assaulted my front door."
She growled and clenched her fists. "I wouldn't have to keep knocking if you didn't keep doing stupid noisy shit! You listen to your music so loud. Have you never heard of headphones?!"
"I didn't realize I had to use headphones in my own home," he said, his former blasé tone taking on a harder edge. "I also didn't realize I'm not allowed to have company in my own home either."
She had the grace to look slightly guilty. "I was trying to study and your girlfriend was really loud."
"Not my girlfriend."
"Cheating on your girlfriend? You're even more of an ass."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't have a girlfriend. And even if I did, I'm not a cheater."
"One night stand then, huh?" she said, crossing her arms and assessing him.
"Not that my love life is even remotely any of your business, but no. A- friend," he said cautiously. "And it probably wouldn't have worked out anyway, so maybe I should thank you for stopping a mistake before it even started."
"Well, you're welcome then? I think? Whatever, this is beside the point. You need to keep it down. I have a lot of studying to do and I can't concentrate when you're stomping around in there and your dumb cat is meowing his head off in the middle of the night."
"Tell me something, are you always this uptight?"
"What?" she said, offended. "Listen, you are a horrible neighbor. Do you ever hear me at all? No. Because I'm quiet and considerate of others!"
"Well, yes, but you're not all that quiet when you're angrily knocking on my bedroom wall. And you're not very considerate interrupting my night by yelling at me on my front door."
"Ooooh, you! I'll tell the landlord you have a cat if you don't quiet down!" she threatened.
Toothless chose that moment to wind around his owner's legs as if he knew the crazy lady at the door was badmouthing him.
"Really? You'd kick out this sweet, innocent little guy?" he said, picking up the cat and presenting him to her.
She crossed her arms and shook her head. Admittedly, Toothless was a beautiful cat. His long haired coat was jet black and shiny. He had a large fluffy tail like a bottle brush and bright, intense green eyes. Just like his master.
"I'm more of a dog person."
"That's a shame."
"You were just calling him a useless animal twenty minutes ago."
"Affection," he said flatly, letting Toothless go as he squirmed to get down. "You heard that, huh?"
"Yes. I told you, I hear everything. This is why I'm so annoyed."
He had the gall to smirk at her. Smirk at her! And the worst part is it made her heart flutter and her stomach filled with a hundred butterflies.
"So what's your name? If I'm going to be audibly observed by you for the unforeseeable future I'd at least like to know."
She resisted the urge to turn her nose up at him. "Astrid. And yours? So I can yell it at you through the wall instead of banging on it?"
"My friends call me Hiccup."
"We aren't friends." She gave him a funny look. "That's not your actual name, right?"
"Ah...a nick name."
She held out a hand, palm facing up. "Are you going to tell me your real name?"
"Nah, I don't think you've earned it."
She crinkled her nose. "Why do your friends call you Hiccup?"
"I used to get them a lot as a kid."
"Hmm," she said, looking him up and down. He was wearing a worn in t-shirt with the Berk University logo on the front, loose dark gray pajama pants, and white socks. She realized he was returning the favor, his eyes drifting down and she crossed her arms over her rather low cut white tank top, in which her navy blue bra showed through. She hadn't expected to leave her apartment this evening and clearly did not think about how her slouchy pastel blue pajama pants, the band rolled on her hips, let a bit of midriff peek out. She self consciously ran her hand over her messy braid. Ugh, her eye liner was probably smudged from rubbing her tired eyes. He looked back up at her face with a grin and she glowered at him.
"So what's your major? Must be something that leaves you with all this time to dick around in your apartment," she said haughtily, attempting to cover the fact she had checked him out, anxious he had sized her up just as much.
"Are we playing twenty questions or something? Why do you care?"
She frowned. "I don't know, I was just-"
"Graphic design. Believe me, I'm not dicking around in my apartment at night. I listen to music to help focus on my assignments. I didn't realize it was disturbing you. I'll turn it down next time."
His apology caught her off guard. "Thanks. I didn't mean to just assume..."
"You kinda did though. But you seem like you're a 'make assumptions now ask questions later' kind of girl. I get it."
"I am not," she insisted. "That's not very nice."
"You're not very nice," he retorted, lifting his hand and ticking off his points on his fingers. "You've been banging on my wall since I moved in here at every little tiny noise Toothless or I make, you literally cock-blocked me, and now you've shown up on my doorstep to interrogate me for some pretty personal information for absolutely no reason."
Her mouth hung open, sensibly chastised and she had the first inkling that she may have been a little over zealous.
"I, um..."
"I'm sorry works, you know. It's not that hard. I'm. Sooooorry," he said, in the snarkiest and most condescending voice she had ever heard. Even though he was being a sarcastic little jerk she knew it was sort of deserved. But, she also had an unhealthy dose of pride and his patronizing tone made her dig her heels in all the more.
The snarl was back on her face. "Well I am sorry. Sorry that some people get to just draw all day while others have very intensive and involved majors that require all of their free time to be taken up by studying. Which you're keeping me from, by the way, again."
His mouth dropped open and he raised his eyebrows shock. "I'm keeping- I'm keeping you?! And did you seriously just reduce my major to 'drawing all day' like that's easy?"
His ire made her shift back onto her heel, but she stood her ground.
"Listen here, blondie. You're the one who showed up on my doorstep with your ridiculous attitude and false assumptions, and you're the one who's been keeping this conversation going. You're the one who's had me on edge for two weeks, wondering who the hell has such a huge stick up their ass they have to rap on my wall every time I so much as move a finger. And you're the one who came stomping over here, devaluing my work and threatening to have my cat removed from my home because you can't handle a little bit of stress. This is your problem, not mine."
She broke eye contact, rubbing her arm with the opposite hand and looked down. "I... um..."
"I'm sorry," he said with a sigh, rubbing a hand through his already messy hair. "That was uncalled for. Looks like both you and I are taking our frustrations out on each other. I shouldn't have yelled at you, but I've had a rough month. My roommate moved in with his girlfriend, leaving me with an apartment I couldn't afford on my own. I refuse to move in with someone I don't know and of course there's a shortage of people I'm willing to cohabitate with. So I had to transfer to this crappy student housing in the middle of the semester and gather up all my shit while trying to 'draw all day' and work twenty hours a week on top of it. The dog I've had for most of my childhood just died, and my last apartment allowed cats and I couldn't bear to get rid of Toothless too."
"I'm sorry," she said, sincerely contrite.
"Ah, so those words are capable of coming out of your mouth," he said.
"They are," she answered evenly. "But you're really trying my patience with your refusal to accept them, rough month or not."
"I accept your apology."
"Thank you. I'm sorry about your dog, I know that must be hard," she said, sympathetic.
"It is, thanks," he said, ducking his head. "So, now that you know my life story, what's yours? What's this major of yours that requires infinitely more time and effort than my slacker graphic design courses?"
She shook her head, feeling really low for how much she had berated him. "I'm a biology major, specializing in microbiology-"
"Do you want to come in?" he asked suddenly, cutting her off. "If we're actually going to talk civilly to one another it's sort of weird with you just standing out in the hallway."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not going to try anything, are you? You're not like, a serial rapist or anything?"
He held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "On my honor, milady."
She snorted and a giggle escaped. "Milady? What'd you just come from a renaissance fair?"
"It was supposed to disarm you," he said with a charming grin. "I just don't want you to yell anymore."
"Hmm," she said suspiciously, brushing past him and entering his apartment.
"Sorry about the mess and the boxes everywhere," he said. "I'm slowly unpacking stuff in between my busy schedule."
"Don't worry about it," she said, glancing around. He didn't seem like a slob, but he wasn't a neat freak either. Boxes were stacked and hanging open in contained piles in his living room and kitchenette. His living room furniture was sparse, a beat up love-seat couch with a cheap coffee table and an old tube tv resting on an even cheaper tv stand. A Nintendo Gamecube and dvd player accessorized his tv and a soda can and an empty bowl decorated the coffee table. A little cat tower sat in the corner for Toothless.
A few dishes were in his sink, and every other surface was littered with paper and art supplies. Toothless trilled, brushing up against her legs and flicking his tail. He laughed. "I think he likes you. That's surprising, since normally he hides when people come over. And, you know, you sort of came over here to kick him out."
She made a face at him with a grin, although his comment wasn't undeserved.
The feline's flattering attention was short-lived when he stopped rubbing himself on her legs and went to sit by his food dish, meowing for attention.
"Yeah yeah bud, I'll feed you in a minute. You're so needy. Can't you see I have a girl over?"
Toothless didn't seem nearly as impressed and gave his owner a baleful look.
"Fine," he huffed. He opened a kitchen cabinet and grabbed a tin of tuna cat food. "This'll just take a second."
"Sure," she said, wandering after him, taking a curious look at his drawings scattered on the counter top. Already from just a glance she could tell he was very talented.
"So," he said, scooping out the food into the cat's bowl, "about that major?"
"Oh, yes," she said. "I've been studying microbiology. All my classes are super intense. It's an interesting field but anything in the science category requires so much intensive studying. The chemistry and advanced math classes alone are killer. I'm sorry if I've been on edge lately. As you know, midterms are coming up and I don't feel prepared and I just-"
"I get it. I'm sorry if Toothless and I contributed to your stress," he said, leaning on his right leg and shrugging.
"It really wasn't your fault. I was taking my frustrations out on you."
"Lucky me," he said with an easy grin.
"So, what does your major entail then? Obviously I have some misconceptions," she admitted. "I don't really know what art majors do."
"Well, every semester we work on building a master portfolio. Each class I take requires assignments that are submitted for it and every midterm and semester it's reviewed. They basically assess whether I'm good enough to continue on in the program. It doesn't sound as grueling as it actually is, I know, but believe me it's rough getting all your weaknesses dragged out every single review period. So I've been working extra hard on my assignment for Typography." He frowned. "Drawing may seem like it's easy, but it can take hours and hours to come up with the right composition, and then the time it takes to complete it, and sometimes you feel like you're never done with it. I'm up all hours of the night, often, trying to complete something so it's perfect, and it's never perfect. There's always something wrong with it... Being an artist means you have to have really tough skin and handle criticism over nearly everything you do."
"That does sound tough," she said sympathetically. "I'm really sorry for insinuating it wasn't."
"Nah, it's okay. Like I said, I'm used to criticism."
Something stirred inside her at that statement, like he wasn't talking about school, but since they only just met she let it slide.
"Well, I guess I can finish giving you the tour," he said, swinging his arms awkwardly. "This is a one-bedroom, so ah, there's the bedroom."
She peeked in. "Your wall does face mine. Your bed is right up against the same wall mine is."
"Really?" he said, amused. "Which way does your head face?"
"Same as yours." She blushed. Why was she blushing? "Wow, that's a really high-tech computer," she noted, an expensive looking Mac sitting atop an inexpensive computer desk.
"Yeah, kind of a necessity with my major. Either I have a computer for home use or I'd have to spend every waking moment of my free time in the computer labs at school. I don't need to know what four in the morning looks like on campus. I sort of sunk all my money into the computer and nothing else."
"Don't blame you," she said, turning to face him.
"Hey, do you want something? Like, I have soda or coffee. Or if you like drunk studying I have beer and I think some rum?-"
"What is this?" she asked abruptly.
He looked bewildered. "What is what?"
"What we're doing right now. Isn't this weird?"
"Um, I guess? I was just trying to be a good host? And then I made a joke. I kinda do that a lot."
"Sorry, I just don't know what I'm doing. I don't really make it a habit to wander into strange boys' apartments. Especially when I should be studying."
"Well, I don't really make it a habit to invite pretty girls who are furious with me into my apartment either, so there's that."
Her cheeks heated and she couldn't help the smile that came to her face. "Oh, um..."
He grinned. "I guess we're both in uncharted territory here?"
She shrugged. "Yeah."
"Hey, if you need to get back to studying, by all means. I don't want to keep you. We can always... later... I mean. You know where I live." He shrugged. Then his face changed as he looked at something over her shoulder. "Toothless!"
The cat in question was up on the counter, green eyes wide and innocent as he stared right at them and batted a paw at another coffee mug on the counter top. He grabbed her shoulders to move her, darting past and chasing the bratty cat down. "That'd be the second one today, you little ass."
She giggled and Toothless managed to look affronted, lazily licking a paw.
"Aww, I bet he just wants some attention, don't you?" she said, kneeling down and holding out her hand so Toothless could sniff it. He brushed down her arm and she gathered up the cat, sinking her hands into that soft shiny fur and scratching under his chin. Toothless melted into her arms and purred.
"Are you sure you're a dog person? You found his favorite spot," he said, smiling. "Wow, he really, really does like you."
"Of course he does," she cooed, giggling when Toothless presented his belly for more scratches. "He seems like a smart cat."
"More like a smart ass. So I guess this means you'll let me keep him?" he asked playfully.
"I suppose. But only if you let me come over and pet him every once in awhile."
"You've got yourself a deal," he said.
"Well," she said, standing up and brushing the cat hair off her hands. "I guess I better get back to studying."
"Yeah," he said, looking a little disappointed. "I've got stuff I should be doing too."
She started for the door.
"Hey, ah," he said, sounding nervous. She turned back to look at him. "You know, if you want, you could bring your books and hang out and study here for awhile. Once you stopped all the loud yelling you seem kinda nice, I wouldn't mind getting to know you. Or, I guess if tonight doesn't work some other time? My door's always open. I mean, not literally always open, I lock my door like a normal person because burglars but for you-"
A genuine smile broke out onto her face. "I'll think about it. It'd just be so I can keep an eye on you, you know. And smack your hand when you try to turn up your music."
He laughed. "If it makes you come back, I'll turn it up really loud, just for you."
"I've never met someone with this much sass. Are you always like this?"
"Oh man, we've only interacted for a half an hour. You don't even know."
"Great," she said, shaking her head with a grin.
"I'm an absolute treasure to be around, so say my friends."
"Is that why your roommate couldn't wait to move out?" she teased.
"Oh! Wow, ouch! Someone get me some ice for that burn," he said, gripping his chest. "Really, bringing up the roommate thing? Low blow, Astrid."
"I really should get back to studying," she said, trying to ignore the way her name rolled pleasantly off his tongue, and then she flushed because she started thinking about his tongue specifically. In certain places. Like her mouth. And- time to go.
"Sure," he grinned. "See you around."
She headed out the door, heart thumping in excitement and a little light headed. All of her studying and focus on her classes didn't leave much time for boys. He seemed nice, albeit that razor sharp wit. Ruff was constantly trying to get her to hang out and put herself out there more, but none of the usual beefcake empty-headed frat boys ever seemed to do it for her. Sure they were nice to look at but that was about it, as a proclivity for partying and hookup culture was their main identity and it was just about the exact opposite of hers.
Ruff perked up as she came through the door.
"What took you so long? Did you murder him and have to hide the body?"
"No," she laughed. "The opposite, actually..."
Ruff's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Do tell, is he hot?"
The bright blush on her face was all Ruff needed.
"He is! Our neighbor's a hottie, huh? How come I've never seen him? I wanna see him!" Ruff started to get up and Astrid held out her hands frantically.
"Keep it down!" she insisted. "These walls are like rice paper, he can probably hear everything you're saying!"
"So? What happened then, did you guys just talk or?"
She gave Ruff a look. "What do you mean what happened. I yelled at him about his cat, he told me he's had a rough month, I was sympathetic and that was it." She looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. "He invited me to come back and study with him, though..."
"Ooooh! And you're going to go, right? Lookit you girl, gettin' some strange from the hottie next door instead of book learnin', go Astrid!"
"Oh my God, Ruff, I'm not going to do that," she said, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.
"Why not? Have some fun for once."
"I just met him. Like, literally I've known him for half an hour."
"Um, hello? People go to parties and fuck strangers all the time."
"Yeah, people who don't mind waking up in the morning with a venereal disease."
"Not if you're safe about it. Do you need to borrow a condom?"
"Oh my God, no!"
"So you're not gonna make him wear one? You of all people? Even after you just lectured me about venereal diseases, miss microbiologist?"
"Ruff."
"Suit yourself then. Have fun being boring and responsible."
She pouted. "I thought you'd be proud of me for even considering going back to his apartment."
"It's definitely impressive for you. But you're still in here whining at me instead of cuddling up with Hottie McHotpants. Honestly, fuck him and then come talk to me."
"Jesus, Ruff."
"What are you doing still standing here? There's an attractive guy who actually offered to spend time with your beautiful nerdy ass. Go back over there!"
"Do you really think I should? Isn't it weird?"
"No! Go back over there now, before it's too late tonight."
She still hesitated.
"Now!" Ruff shouted, throwing a couch pillow at her.
She scampered into her bedroom and gathered up her notes, pens, and textbooks and shoved them all into her backpack. Then she darted into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and spraying on some fruity body spray. She grabbed her eyeliner and shadow to touch up her make up. A little pink lip gloss couldn't hurt. Her hands nervously fumbled for her stick of deodorant, definitely needed to reapply some more of that. She yanked out her hair tie and redid her braid so it was smooth and fell over her shoulder.
"Where's Tuff?" she asked, slinging the heavy bag up onto one shoulder as she rejoined Ruff in the living room.
"He went back to his place. Snot said they're getting a bunch of guys to come over and play beer pong."
She raised her eyebrows. "And you didn't go with him? You're the queen of beer pong."
"Oh I'm going, I was just being considerate. I didn't want to leave and lock my dearest roomie out of her apartment. Turns out I should've left, you would've had to spend the night with the boy next door."
"Oh! Right, keys," she said, grabbing them out of her purse. "Thanks, Ruff."
"Anytime, lady. Now go over there and make me proud."
"You know I'm not going to do anything, right?"
Ruff sighed. "You really should. Just this once, Astrid."
"Sincerity, from you?"
"Yes. You're all books and brain and you let that ass go to waste. I mean look at you. With that body you could get any guy you wanted, but you don't, you hole away and study like it's all that matters in life. Live a little. This is college! You're supposed to make questionable decisions, discover yourself and all that shit. You only get these few years and then it's over."
"I'm not having sex with a stranger," she said firmly.
"I'm not asking you to. But at least kiss him? Make out a little. Midterms aren't even next week, you have plenty of time to study. Blow off some steam with a cutie; all this stress isn't good for you."
"But-"
"When's the last time you made out?"
"Um..." She bit her lip and cast her eyes toward the ceiling.
"Oh my God you have to think about it, it's been that long?!" Ruff said.
"I've been really busy!" she said defensively.
Ruff shook her head. "You mean getting busy- with your textbooks and notes. Pitiful. You need to go make out with that hot boy. Immediately. Like as soon as you get through his door."
"I can't just walk up and kiss him, that's ridiculous-"
"I can guarantee he won't mind."
"I'm not-"
"I guarantee he won't mind."
Astrid huffed. "Fine. If the opportunity arises-"
"Which it totally will," Ruff prompted.
"I'll kiss him."
"And then make out."
"Don't push it."
"And accidentally get carried away, and then oops! Look at that, how'd you get inside me?"
"Ruff!" she shrieked, shoving her roommate in the shoulder.
"Go get yourself some strange, pretty lady; fives." Ruff held up her hand for her to slap, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"You're the most ridiculous best friend I never asked for."
"But you love me."
"I tolerate you. Don't you have a beer pong title to defend?"
The two parted ways in the hall, Ruff giving her a thumbs up as she stood nervously in front of his door. This time her knock was much more respectful.
The same calamitous hustling was heard before she was face to face with him again.
"Astrid?" he said, his expression lighting up. He glanced at her book bag.
She shrugged. "Ruff's going to a party and I'm all alone for the night. You offered, so I'm taking you up on it?"
"Yeah! Sure, come on in," he said, standing aside to let her through. She took a deep breath and smiled at him as she crossed the threshold.