Chapter Text
Enjoy some festive fun!
-HTTYD-
Astrid leant in closer to the mirror to check her mascara wasn't clumpy, then drew back a bit and picked up the comb to smooth her fringe down over her face. She was just about ready. Well. Physically, anyway. Emotionally... she was a little nervous. It was her first night's work as an escort. It wasn't something she'd envisioned doing when she was younger, but as Heather said when she offered to set up a meeting with the power couple who ran the agency - "girl, you love to fuck. You might as well get paid for it!"
Heather certainly wasn't wrong. Astrid did definitely enjoy sex, and she'd always been a natural flirt. Her sexual escapades during college had been legendary, apparently. So Astrid wasn't nervous that she was going to be unable to satisfy a customer, but she had heard horror stories about sex work going terribly wrong. However, Heather's brother and his wife were the folks who ran the agency, and they screened clients and took excellent care of their staff. When Astrid had had to quit her office job or go to prison for murdering her creepy, obnoxious boss (she had tendered her resignation by slapping him in front of everyone else, but frankly he'd gotten off lightly), she had been a little worried about being a single mom with the holidays approaching and no job. So Heather suggested she meet with Mala, and Astrid had figured it was worth at least a conversation.
And so there she was, dressed to kill in a more fun way. Her halterneck dress left little to the imagination, and Astrid had opted to go with a red theme and a cute snowflake pendant necklace to suit the festive season. As she wondered if there was anything else she was missing, Astrid heard Heather letting herself in and calling out to ask where Astrid was. She called back, and heard Heather approaching her bedroom with a stop to drop her son off in the living room with Astrid's daughter. Heather was there to babysit, though their kids were always having sleepovers anyway so it wasn't really an unusual set up for them.
"Wow. You won't have to do anything, they're gonna die on the spot when they see you. How are your boobs staying in that dress? And yes, that is a complaint."
Heather said as she entered the room and took in the sight of Astrid all dressed up. As she had basically helped set Astrid up with the new job, Heather was of course completely aware of where Astrid was going and why she looked so dressed up. Even so, Heather had her make-up bag in hand and indicated Astrid ought to sit down. Astrid did so, still chuckling at her friend.
"It has cups built in. Sort of. Enough that I didn't need to break out the titty tape, anyway. Which is handy, because otherwise I'd have needed to get a bra that blended in. What are you planning to do to me?"
Heather winked.
"Dangerous question. For now, I brought some different lipsticks, cus I know you don't wear them much so I have many more."
Astrid enjoyed that smouldering look Heather gave her before she turned to root through her bag. She and Heather had been friends with benefits for... pretty much forever, by then, so they were incredibly comfortable with each other and constantly flirting. Heather had let her boyfriend know up front that she intended to continue sleeping with Astrid, and he'd been alright with it. Probably even more so when he was occasionally invited to join in, and it hadn't stopped the two of them getting married.
"You're gonna rock someone's world tonight girl. And I would know! Now give me a little pout so I can do your lipstick."
Astrid did so, giggling when Heather pecked a kiss on her lips and it took them a minute to compose themselves enough to actually be able to put lipstick on. The deep red colour matched her dress and went on smoothly, and Astrid had to admit it really set off her look when she admired Heather's handiwork.
"Well, hopefully they can handle me. Although I guess it's easy money if they are done in thirty seconds."
Heather kissed her with a joke about testing how transfer-resistant the lipstick was, then let her eyes wander down Astrid's body with blatant want.
"Hey, if they aren't up to the task, when you get home and the kids are in bed, we'll break out the wine and I'll make sure you are well taken care of."
Well, that sounded pretty good to Astrid. Heather was criminally talented with her tongue, and Astrid allowed herself the images of sitting on Heather's face later that night, regretfully dragging her mind out of the gutter when the fantasy started moving toward a sixty-nine... if she let her mind wander much more, Astrid was not going to leave for her job.
"Sounds good to me."
Heather grinned.
"That lipstick is meant to stay in place for several hours, but I bear no responsibility if you ruin it sucking cock too eagerly."
"Is there such a thing as too eager? Your hubby certainly doesn't seem to think so."
Astrid teased. Heather rolled her eyes, gave Astrid one last once-over and nodded before she went and grabbed Astrid's trench coat from the hook on the back of her door.
"As much as I approve of the outfit, the kids might want to know where you're going dressed like that."
Once she'd slipped on her red ankle-strap heels to finish the look, Astrid shrugged on the trench coat and tied the belt around her middle to cover the rather risque dress she had on underneath. She rooted through her bag to check she had everything - keys, condoms, lube, phone, emergency cash to get home if her driver spontaneously combusted and her bank card. With that done, she checked her reflection again and Heather whistled with a cheeky smile, then they headed out to where the kids were sat down in the living room.
Oswald Jr (named after Heather's father) was already set up with his favourite blanket and Astrid's daughter Zephyr had gotten the two of them cups of juice, and put a movie on the TV. Heather joked that she didn't need to be there, and that drew the kids' attention over to their parents.
"You look really nice mom! Me and Oz flipped a coin to decide who picked the movie. I won!"
Zeph crowed with a victorious grin, jumping up to go and hug Astrid goodbye. Oswald waved but refused to get out of his cosy set-up, so Astrid just ruffled his hair on her way past and chuckled as he protested.
"Let me know when you're on your way back, so I know that you're in your car and not some random guys trunk."
Heather joked as she walked Astrid to the front door. Astrid rolled her eyes, hugged her friend goodbye and headed to her car, hearing the door close behind her. She started up the car and drove over to the agency office, so she could drop off her car and get a ride to her date - a safety precaution, as the driver was tasked with checking each escort was happy to stay and able to get away quickly even if they were too drunk to drive. She checked in at the desk, and was sent through to a comfortable waiting room to await her ride.
"Not seen you before. Newbie?"
An attractive woman with hazel eyes and a long, dark braid piped up as she walked in to the room. Astrid nodded, and the woman perched on a chair close enough for the two to talk. Tall and very athletically built, Astrid could imagine she did very well in their line of work already.
"Yeah. I'm Astrid."
"I'm Vex. Yeah, really. Our parents had a weird sense of humour I guess. This your first time?"
Astrid nodded.
"Yeah. Friend got me an interview, she knows one of the owners. Said I might as well get paid to do what I love."
Vex laughed and nodded, leaning back comfortably against her chair and straightening the skirt of her dress out so it didn't wrinkle.
"She sounds very smart. Why do it for free? I have a double tonight, but they're regulars of mine. Business partners, and always a good time. I let them have their fun, then put them in their place."
She had no trouble imagining that - Vex was dripping ease and confidence, and was built like someone who could definitely take care of herself in a fight.
"Well, I did it for free a lot when I was at college. Had a lot of fun."
"Hey, call it practice so you've got the skills to pay the bills now. Mala usually makes sure you have an easy one for your first night, then go talk with her after you've had time to go process so you can figure out if it's right for you. And if you think you have a specialty."
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"Specialty?"
"Yeah. Submissive, Dominant, able to blend in at high class events or good for a quiet dinner and a wild night. That sort of thing. I'm good with entertaining pairs or partying in a group, and have the Domme thing going on. Plus I'm down for outdoor stuff. Been into archery since I was a kid, my brother jokes I was born with a bow in my hand."
They continued chatting, and Astrid already felt more at ease - Vex had been in the job for a few years by then and she clearly loved her job, although she was up front that it was hard work.
"You can always turn down a job, or leave, but yanno sometimes you have a perfectly nice guy who takes you to dinner but is lame in bed and you still gotta put on the same show. A lot of them just want someone to talk to and a little comfort, not to spend a couple hours showing you a good time on their dime."
Astrid nodded.
"Yeah, I hear we're basically unlicensed therapists sometimes. I've had dates like that anyway, at least this will pay the bills and help me keep up with how fast my daughter is growing."
Vex didn't have time to answer before someone came to let her know her ride was there. She stood up, fixed her dress again and grabbed her bag.
"If you're low on the essentials, ask at the desk. I have to go help some boys make business decisions" when Astrid raised an eyebrow in confusion, Vex winked "they take turns and whoever lasts the longest 'wins' that decision. Then it's my turn to have some fun."
She left with a wave in Astrid's direction, and Astrid figured if most of her co-workers were as fun to be around as Vex, she was definitely going to like it there. Although that was the easy part... as she was called through next, Astrid swallowed. Time for the real work.
Although, as Astrid climbed in to the small but luxurious looking limo waiting for her... at least she was heading out in style! The driver greeted her quietly and held the door open, indicated a sheet of paper was waiting for her and told her to call out when she had her seatbelt on. She belted up, sighing at how damn comfortable the seats were and signalled she was good to go, then picked up the paper. It was basic information on her client that evening, to let her double check what she was 'booked' for and so she could greet them by name and not give off an uncomfortable stranger vibe.
She read over it, then spent the rest of the limo ride enjoying the view through the window. Everything was decked out for the holidays, so there were lights and decorations everywhere, set against a dark, clear night sky. The light pollution meant she couldn't see the stars, but that was true most of the year as the streetlights had a similar effect most nights. She had her garden if she wanted to stargaze later.
"We're here. I'll wait fifteen minutes in case you decide it's a bad vibe, then go park nearby and wait for you to let front office know I need to come back."
"Thank you... sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Hunter, Miss Hofferson."
He smiled softly, and Astrid returned it.
"Thank you Hunter. I will see you later."
He nodded and waited to see her walk in, then got back in to the drivers seat. Astrid was glad Heather suggested the coat, as the winter air was brisk and her dress probably wouldn't have kept her too warm by itself. She went in and gave her name, and was led to the table reserved for her date. There was her client - Henry Haddock, though there was a note that he usually went by 'Hiccup' (he had used the agency before, which probably meant they knew more about him). As he stood up to greet her, Astrid was pleasantly surprised to note that he was at least very nice to look at. Lovely green eyes and surprisingly broad shoulders for his otherwise slim frame.
"Henry? I'm Astrid."
She used his real name first, in case 'Hiccup' was more of a 'for friends' nickname. He smiled and gave her a very appreciative look, then indicated they should sit down again.
"You can call me Hiccup. Childhood nickname, it stuck so much even my parents call me Hiccup."
Astrid nodded, then undid the tie on her coat. Hiccup's eyes nearly leapt out of his head as he took in the dress underneath, and Astrid would have been lying if she said that didn't make her feel amazing.
"Wow. You're gorgeous. And red is definitely your colour."
Astrid bit back a joke about how Heather would have agreed with him, and offered him a warm smile as she sat down opposite him.
"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."
They ordered drinks, and Astrid did not miss the way the waitress eyed her dress. It was tempting to flirt with her, but she didn't want to spook Hiccup just yet. If he was especially awkward or shy, he probably wasn't going to appreciate Astrid getting overly forward two minutes into their date.
"So, are you from around here? Not in an 'I wanna follow you home' way, that is. I just like hearing local knowledge, I'm down this way on business so I only really know a few spots. Your agency let me book in again, so I guess I didn't give off creep vibes last time I used them."
Astrid had been waiting to see if he mentioned the agency first - she'd been advised not to break the illusion and mention work before they did. Since he was being candid about it, she was happy it was safe to answer in kind.
"Not too far, but enough that I hadn't seen the holiday decor up this way before tonight. Have you been here before?"
She indicated the restaurant around them. Hiccup nodded, thanking the waitress politely when she returned with their drinks. He'd ordered two - a small measure of whiskey, and a fruity mocktail. Astrid was on soft drinks, wanting to keep her wits about her that first night for certain. Even if Hiccup seemed perfectly sweet and friendly so far.
"I'm not a big drinker, but in answer to your question, yes I have been here before and so I know they carry my favourite tipple."
"Tipple?"
Hiccup blinked, then laughed.
"Sorry. I grew up in England and forget to adjust the lingo. Tipple is British slang for alcohol."
He took a very small sip and pulled a face that told Astrid it was probably quite potent tasting, but he then hummed as though pleased with the taste.
"Mmm. Little taste of home for the holidays to go with my lovely company."
Hiccup nodded over at Astrid. He was obviously flirting, and gave off a natural charm he didn't quite seem to realise he had. Astrid sipped her drink, wondering if he had been a particularly awkward child or teenager before outgrowing it, but not realising he was now considered cute and fun by those around him. He toasted her with the tumbler before he took another sip, then placed down the glass and indicated the menus.
"I like it here, it's that nice mix of fancy enough that the food is always amazing but not so much you're ever unsure what anything is, and is not one of those places where stuff is somehow more expensive the less of it there is on the plate. It always worries me when it feels like a restaurant puts so much effort in to presentation that you're too afraid to touch it."
Astrid laughed, scanning the menu briefly before she asked Hiccup what was good there. So far from home over the holidays on a business trip... he was probably lonely, so she made sure to keep the conversation flowing without pushing it. Hiccup needed very little prompting, and Astrid was reminded of Vex saying that a lot of their customers just wanted someone to talk to. With food recommended and ordered, they continued to chat. Well, Astrid flirted and nudged the conversation occasionally. Hiccup did most of the chatting.
Admittedly, while it sounded a bit crappy to be stuck away on business when he wanted to be home with his family for the Solstice - apparently he came from Pagan stock, and he joked that his company had taken his willingness to work Christmas Day a little too far - his job did sound absolutely fascinating. Hiccup had studied Engineering back in England, and now spent his days designing and crafting high tech surgical robots and prosthetic limbs. Which was something close to his heart, as a close family friend relied on prosthetic limbs for most of their adult life and Hiccup was determined to improve functionality and comfort.
She nodded and spoke in the right places as they ate, but she let Hiccup continue to lead the conversation as he vented some frustrations about having to follow some of his inventions all over the place to make sure the companies interested in them knew how they worked.
"I love my work, and I love flying, and travelling is fun most of the time. I get that from my mom, I think. Dad is more of a homebody. But this city is a little too urban for me, I can't just take a day trip out somewhere green and exciting to wander around."
By the time a very delicious dinner had been eaten, and too-tempting desserts had been ordered, Hiccup had definitely loosened up a great deal. At least, Astrid assumed so as he was no longer fighting the urge to let his eyes wander down the bare skin her dress displayed, though he did still try to keep looking at her face when she caught him staring. Astrid kept up the teasing and flirting, reminding him he was very welcome to look.
To drive it home a little more, Astrid ramped up her sounds of delight as she ate delicate bites of the rich chocolate dessert she'd ordered. The flush on his cheeks by the time he'd finished his slice of cheesecake told Astrid that it was working. She let them finish their drinks, giving their food a little time to settle first before testing the waters to see if Hiccup wanted their night to move on to more... intimate conversations.
"So..." Astrid leant over the table, letting the position improve his view of her chest "wanna get out of here?"
-HTTYD-
If Hiccup didn't say yes right away it's only cus his brain stopped working.