Legally Auburn (HTTYD)

Part 10

Chapter 10

Eret blinked and looked down as Hiccup put a bowl of ice cream on his lap. They had ended up back at Hiccup's dorm and then proceeded to break out the ice cream, which was surprisingly a big tub.

Hiccup turned on the small TV to see a Christmas movie playing. "You haven't decorated." Eret observed as a black cat dashed by and hid under the bed.

"Didn't have time, with all the reading, classes, assignments and now apparently an internship opportunity." Hiccup shrugged as he sat down next to Eret.

Eret sighed "I know how you feel. There's just never enough time." The bigger man was oddly quiet then and Hiccup had to shake his shoulder to get him out of his thoughts.

"You alright there?" Hiccup asked looking a bit worried.

Eret scooped up a bit of ice cream, eating it before speaking. "It's just my old man. I'm only here because of him. I don't even want to be a lawyer. I actually got offered a full scholarship to culinary school in France."

"Can't you talk to him about it?" Hiccup asked but all he got from Eret was a self-deprecating laugh.

"My family is old money Hiccup. I mean real old money. Senators, lawyers, congressman. I'm expected to follow in their footsteps." Eret sighed once more as he dug into his bowl of melting ice cream. "The very notion of a chef in the family was dismissed with rolling eyes and scoffs."

"Eret...... I know this might not help much but........ " Hiccup said as he looked at a man that had the weight of his family legacy on his shoulders. "Your family can't determine who you are. Something like that, it will just lead to heartache." Hiccup took a breath before continuing, his own ice cream forgotten. "Only you can make the decision on how to live your life."

"Uuuuuuugh, I know you're right," The man commented. "I've had times when I just wanted to shout that I wanted to study cooking. I want my own restaurant some day, not being stuck behind a desk in a cubicle of some fancy firm!" Eret ranted and then looked down at the bowl of ice cream. "I feel like I'm like this ice cream, melting away in a place that isn't for me."

Nothing more on the subject was said after that and the two spent the night watching a movie and eating the entire tub of ice cream. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Eret was thinking things through more clearly now.

Friday came sooner than expected for Hiccup and he was rifling through the small closet in his room to find an outfit. Toothless was laying on his bed and being huffy because shirts kept landing on him. Hiccup was surprisingly nervous about this not-date that he was having with Astrid and he turned around holding a clothes hanger with a red polo shirt and a set of black jeans on his other arm. "What do you think of this bud?" Hiccup asked and Toothless meowed disinterested before pawing at the pile of clothes.

"Well you're no help." Hiccup huffed as his cat paid him no attention. Maybe he should cut back on the Tuna treats. Hiccup got an idea and quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed a familiar number. "Hello.... Hiccup?" Came from the other end of the line as the person picked up on the third ring.

"Cami are you busy right now?" Hiccup asked.

"Just making Throk watch reruns of Get Smart," Cami said over the phone. "What do you need?"

"IhavethisnotdatewithtAstridandIhavenothingtowear!" Hiccup blurted out.

"Well good thing I'm used to you talking and not breathing." Cami laughed. "WAIT, YOU HAVE A DATE?!" The was some scuffle on the other side of the line as he could hear Cami say "Throk now is not the time to fall off the couch!" She then turned her attention back to Hiccup "Okay, you have a date with this Astrid? Why haven't you told me about Astrid? Are you totally over the whole Heather thing?"