And another spooky one!

Hiccup/Astrid. Second or third date, I guess?

Warning for brief mentions of blood.

-HTTYD-

Hiccup watched as she pushed her food around her plate, noticing both this time and the last that she didn't really seem that interested in eating. He was kind of worried, but she was engaging and chatty, and seemed to be enjoying the dates. She'd agreed to the second one, at least. And her toned physique didn't immediately set off alarm bells for 'undereating', even if she was rather pale...

Maybe she just didn't like eating in public? Hiccup resolved to make their next date (if there was one) one where food wasn't central. He just hadn't wanted to invite her to a bar, in case Astrid thought he was trying to get her drunk, and neither were available in the day, which made lunch or coffee shop dates more difficult.

Hiccup really hoped there was another date. He'd been floored she agreed to go out with him to begin with; lithe and beautiful, with big blue eyes and golden-blonde hair, Astrid could probably have had just about anyone within a five mile radius if she smiled at them. Gods, her smile... Hiccup's heart kept trying to leap out of his chest every time she smiled at him, belly full of flutters making it hard for him to eat.

He wasn't full of himself enough to assume that was why Astrid wasn't keen on her food.

"So, how's your pasta?"

"It's fine."

It would have been better if it had the missing garlic on, probably, but Astrid had mumbled something about allergies and the smell last time they went out, and then there was the fact garlic didn't exactly go with early dates, given the whole bad breath. So Hiccup asked for no garlic, and the soft smile Astrid gave him for making the concession was more than worth it.

"Just fine?"

Hiccup shrugged, smiling.

"I'm not really here for the pasta."

Astrid returned his smile, and the two went back to rating the various Halloween decorations the restaurant had desperately tried to balance between seasonal and still date-suitable. Personally, Hiccup felt the huge hearts carved out of the pumpkins kind of defeated the Jack-O-Lantern look, but then Astrid seemed pretty clued up on the pagan origins and had him look up 'neeps' on his phone, slightly more terrifyingly carved turnips that predated pumpkins.

"How do you know this stuff? Are you Pagan?"

She smirked, lifting her water glass to her lips.

"Would you believe me if I said I was there?"

"Probably not, you don't look centuries old."

Laughing lightly, Astrid rolled her shoulders in a half-shrug, placing her glass down still mostly-full. Conversation resumed, his food vanishing and Astrid's mostly pulverised until it was unrecognisable.

"Dessert?"

"We can go if you want?"

Astrid shook her head, insisting Hiccup order himself dessert if he wanted it. He did offer to share his chocolate mousse, light and rich and sweet, but Astrid shook her head and seemed rather intent on watching him eat. The spark in her eyes had his stomach fluttering even more, and despite the natural end of the date, Hiccup was reluctant to say goodbye.

"Well, I had fun tonight. Call me?"

Hiccup nodded dumbly, pulse rising when Astrid leant up and kissed him, mouth cool and soft against his own, her perfume subtle and inviting. Reticent, Hiccup peeled himself away from the beautiful blonde, getting about two feet from his car when he realised he didn't have his car keys. Patting down his pockets, Hiccup sighed and turned to head back to the restaurant, hoping he hadn't lost them in the street somewhere.

Thankfully, he'd just dropped them and they had been handed in, so Hiccup thanked them thoroughly before he headed back out. The streets were pretty quiet, late enough that most people were home for dinner but early enough that the night owls hadn't yet surfaced. So it was little wonder Hiccup heard the muffled grunt, followed by a hissed response.

Ignore it, it's nothing to do with me...

Hiccup couldn't ignore it, and edged in a few steps. Just to make sure nobody was hurt. Hopefully he wasn't about to disturb an amorous couple like some weirdo pervert. It was dark, so he fumbled for his phone, tapping on the torch function. He saw something quite unexpected.

"Astrid?"

For a brief minute, Hiccup's heart sank as he thought he'd caught her getting... intimate with some other guy. But when she jumped, the man she was pressed against crumpled to the ground and she turned, mouth and teeth clearly covered in fresh, red blood.

"Hiccup!" She wiped her mouth almost casually, looking between the man on the ground and Hiccup, wincing at the bright light "yeah... there's something I kinda need to tell you."

-HTTYD-

I mean... y'all know what she's gonna say.