A/N - Someone asked me today if I planned on added shorts/drabbles to my Change of Scenery universe, and this popped out. I didn't plan on writing it tonight, but it happened. These drabbles are all set in the world of my "A Change of Scenery" story. It's on here somewhere. It's a modern AU Hiccstrid.

I've got several shorts planned out, but I'm a busy person here of late and I make no promises as to when this will be updated. I've got two others stories I'm working on, one novel I'm trying to finish, work, and grad school. I'm a busy bee. I did dump my boyfriend so I've freed up that much more time, haha.

X

Thunder cracked. Astrid woke up to the sound of the sky bursting and held onto the blanket. Why did the springtime have to be so noisy and violent? Through the window the lightning flashed and thunder followed only a moment behind. The thick of the storm would be on them soon. Astrid peered at the digital alarm she'd bought, but the space on the nightstand was blank. The entire building oozed with the same too-early morning disquiet of a power outage.

Sighing, Astrid rolled over onto her other side. Lightning brightened the room and highlighted Hiccup's profile. How could he sleep through this? In the short silence between the thunder she could hear his gentle snoring.

CRAAACK.

Pit. Pit. Pat. Pit-pat.

Astrid had no sooner gasped from the thunder's sudden hammer when the rain started, smothering the window with constant drops. It waterfalled from the gutters and splashed down the building's side. Astrid scooted away from her warm spot in the bed to be next to Hiccup. She nestled between his arm and his chest. He hummed in his sleep and sighed into her hair, but did not wake.

Next to his beating heart, the thunder became distant. The rain pounded and beat but she didn't care if it flooded. They were far from the street. They would float on the bed forever.

Astrid woke next to the feeling of warm, chapped lips against her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open as Hiccup moved, leaving soft kisses down the side of her face and ending at her jaw.

"Good morning," he said to her cheek.

"Hey," Astrid hummed. She felt so warm in his arms.

She rolled in his arm as his lips met hers.

"What do you have planned for this wonderful Monday morning?" Hiccup said against her mouth. He moved to her cheek and began to trail her jaw with his lips.

"Oh, you know, I thought I'd clean a little, do some laundry." Astrid ran a hand through his unwashed hair. "I notice you're wearing the same underwear that you wore yesterday."

"You'd rather I didn't?" Hiccup asked with that beautiful smirk of his.

Astrid laughed. "Nah, I just put these sheets on."

Hiccup nuzzled her neck and found that sensitive spot near her ear, but instead of kisses, he tickled her with his two-day beard. She laughed and giggled and tried to roll out of his grip, but he followed her. They wrestled until the edge of the bed drew closer, and it was called a truce.

"So, coffee?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, sounds good."

Astrid rolled out of bed and tucked her feet into the leather moccasins Hiccup had gotten her as a Christmas gift after she complained about her feet being cold. She thought it was more because she would use him as a foot-warmer at night. She padded into the kitchen and readied the percolator while Hiccup trotted into the bathroom. He nudged the door closed but it lingered ajar.

"Oh, I've got a few places I want you to look at," Astrid said to the bathroom door. Hiccup hummed in response. While he was busy and the coffee percolated, she arranged her notes on the coffee table. She sat on the couch until he finished, and slunk to the couch and sat beside her.

"What do you got?" Hiccup yawned.

"Okay," Astrid put her hands out to him, knowing he wasn't quite as awake as she'd like him to be. "This first one is just outside of town. It's a newer complex so it's a little more expensive, but it's also updated and well laid out."

Astrid pointed to a note-book paper with a crudely drawn apartment layout and a list of pros and cons. Hiccup eyeballed it lazily.

"It's nice, and I like the half-bath," Astrid said. "But it's a little farther drive. The neighbor is good, there's some undeveloped forest on two sides and a subdivision on the other."

"Okay," Hiccup nodded.

"This one is on the other side of town, on the other side of the mall," Astrid said while looking for any sort of reaction. So far he'd been greatly indifferent. "It's not as big, just one more room bigger than what we've got, but they have been recently updated. And there's a washer and dryer in the apartment. I like that."

"Okay," Hiccup nodded.

"Okay, this last one is not an apartment." Astrid waited for anything of a reaction. When she didn't get one she continued, "It's a two bedroom house out in that subdivision on the other side of Denny's. You know the one I'm talking about? It's kind of a suburb, as in there are rules about lawn decorations and loud noise. They frown on college kids moving in, so it's mostly young families and older couples."

"A house would be a lot more work," Hiccup said. "A lawn would need a lawnmower. And when something broke we'd have to fix it ourselves."

"Yes," Astrid nodded. The percolated began to fit. The apartment smelled like coffee, and she knew he'd need a cup if she wanted constructive input. She padded him on the knee, "I'll get coffee."

She left him with her detailed notes as she made them each a cup. She took her time, giving him ample opportunity to find one he liked. When she returned to the table, he held the notes for the house in his hands.

"What do you think?" Astrid asked, sitting down. She placed his coffee on the table.

"Do you want to live in a house?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know, it was just another option." She sipped her coffee. "I mean, we're not in a hurry. We don't need another place to live."

"If the air goes out, we'll be looking for one," Hiccup smirked. He sipped his coffee.

Astrid half-laughed. In the past four years, the boiler had been replaced twice and the air continuing unit had been worked on at least ten times. Their refrigerator had gone out and left them eating out every night until the landlord bought a new one, the cheapest one she could find. The building had seen it's fair share of use and the fixtures were showing their age.

"How much are all of these?" Hiccup asked, half-heartedly.

"The rent is at the bottom." Astrid pointed with her index finger. "None are really out of the budget."

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed.

Astrid sipped her coffee and watched him finger the paper. He read her notes, but his eyes were somewhere else entirely.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" Astrid asked. "These are just ideas, I'm not saying we have to move out tomorrow. We don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to."

Hiccup sighed and set the paper down. His brow came together and he bit his lip. He put a hand to his chin and fumbled words came out in a soft sigh.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Hiccup said with a smile. He reached for her knee. "I, uh, got a job offer."

"When?" Astrid asked, gripping her cup. "That's amazing!"

"It was Friday when you went with Heather to that yoga class."

"Where is it?"

Hiccup bit his lip.

"Where is it?" she repeated, slower.

"Augusta," he said with his eyes on the floor.

She blinked. "Maine?"

"Yeah."

There was a moment when she wanted to throw confetti for him. One month out of school and he'd already landed a job. But his downcast face told her there was more to it.

"It's too close to home?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, and no. It's a good job, starting out at fifty a year."

"Really?" Astrid clasped a hand over her mouth. "That's great!"

"I know," Hiccup nodded. "I want to take it, but I don't. It is close to home and I don't know why that bothers me."

"Even if you do take it, that doesn't mean you have to stay with that job forever."

"I know."

Astrid took a long drink of her coffee and Hiccup did the same. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. The guy that called said they'd call back on Monday for my answer. He knows my father, I guess."

"Oh," Astrid said. "Are you worried he'll expect more from you?"

"I don't know, he said that he went to college with my father, whatever that means." Hiccup looked down into his cup. "It's just…if I take that job I'd have to move up there."

"We'd have to move up there," Astrid corrected and squeezed his hand.

Hiccup smiled. "I wouldn't make you do that,"

"Are you kidding? Hiccup, we're a team. If you go, I go."

He smiled. "Thank you. So you wouldn't be mad if I took it?"

"No," Astrid shook her head. "I thought Maine was great. The people were nice and I love sweater weather. Besides, living in a college town is weird if you're not in college."

Hiccup laughed. "You'd have to find another job."

Astrid shrugged. That was true. Doubtful that she'd find another job like the one she had at Rachel's. She knew Alvin added to her paycheck. No other boss would. "But, that's okay if you're making fifty a year."

"Oh?" Hiccup raised a brow.

"Yeah, that way I can focus more on the important things, like cleaning and cooking and keeping my love happy." Astrid leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"So it's okay?" Hiccup asked again. "We're doing this?"

"We're doing this." Astrid nodded.