Part two, Astrid POV. *prepares rock to hide behind*

-HTTYD-

"Come try this!"

Lillian called out to her, and Astrid dramatically sighed before she got up and walked over to the kitchen.

"Yanno, if you didn't kick me out when you're cooking, you wouldn't have to yell for me."

"And if you didn't set fire to the kitchen at least three times a year, you wouldn't get banned from the kitchen."

Astrid grumbled, but she couldn't help smiling when Lillian pecked a kiss on her lips before lifting the spoon to her mouth. She recognised the taste, glancing over to the side and seeing the confirmation of a box of lasagna sheets.

"Good?"

"Perfect. Now put down the spoon."

Lillian complied, laughing lightly when Astrid grabbed her, silenced by her sister kissing her. Oh, how she loved her twin. Even when she was mean and stopped kissing her too soon, claiming the sauce would be burned if she let Astrid distract her.

"A likely story!"

"Do you want lasagna or not?"

"... I want lasagna."

Damnit.

"Good. Now this is ready, you can chop some vegetables for me so I can get on to assembly."

Once everything was piled high and being thrown in the oven to take aaaaages to cook (but worth it!), Astrid dragged Lillian back to the sofa and snuggled her. Moving in with her was the absolute best thing ever, as they could just be within those four walls. If Astrid wanted to stare lovingly at her twin for six hours straight, she could! Lils didn't usually stay still that long, but that wasn't the point.

"You smell nice."

Lillian murmured, burying her face deeper in to Astrid's neck, ignoring her squirms at the slightly ticklish sensation.

"I should hope so, I showered earlier."

Her sister laughed, squeezing Astrid around the middle with the arm that laid there. Astrid turned her head and sniffed Lillian in return, just because.

"Your hair smells good. New conditioner?"

"Yeah. Purple bottle. You can use it if you promise not to forget to close it and let half leak all over the bottom of the shower again."

"One time that happened!"

"Yeah, but that conditioner was discontinued and I had to find a new one."

Sticking her tongue out, Astrid pouted when Lillian got up to go check on the food, but was happy to hear said food was almost done. Finding Lillian with a bowl of cupcake mix on the go when she got up to see why she'd been gone so long was even better.

"The oven will be warm anyway, why not?"

"Hey, not complaining!"

Pleasantly full of tasty food, Astrid put the rest of the cupcakes in the fridge to keep til the next day and joined Lils in their usual lazy evening ritual of TV watching and mocking bad American shows. She braided Lillian's hair and then unbraided it again just to enjoy the feel of it sliding between her fingers like liquid silk. Lillian purred and melted into her when she felt fingers rubbing circles on her scalp, sighing happily and being generally adorable.

They were sweet little moments that happened pretty regularly. And perhaps Astrid took them for granted a little.

"Bed?"

"Mmm. Sounds good."

Lillian yawned softly, barely taking the time to brush her teeth and wash her face before she stripped off and crawled under the covers, waiting expectantly for Astrid to spoon up against her back before falling asleep.

They reluctantly parted for work and college respectively; Astrid had only spent one year in additional education, knowing she wasn't suited to spending all her time behind a desk or poring over books. Although, she had come up with a very useful method of helping Lillian study for exams and the like...

Dragging her mind out of the gutter, Astrid focused on making people sweat in ways far less fun than sex. For them, at least. Astrid loved working out. Not as much as she loved getting in a naked workout with Lillian, but nobody was going to pay her to do that, sadly.

She returned home to an empty place, but there was a little note on the kitchen table next to her protein shaker, scoop of whey waiting in there for liquid to be added.

Left this in case your phone died at work and you didn't text me to say you're on your way back. Promised to help Andy study for the Chemistry test next week, be back late. Don't forget there's leftover lasagna and cupcakes. I love you x

There was even a little heart inked on to the corner of the note, Astrid running her finger over it with a soft smile before she looked up with a frown. The sound of a key in the door confused her - she'd just seen the note from Lils saying she'd be late home.

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably when she recognised the clicking of heels on laminate flooring, schooling her face out of the scowl that seemed to rise to the surface whenever she was around. They helped cover the rent so Lils could focus on college, because they approved of their quiet, academic child more than the mouthy bisexual who preferred rock climbing to algebra. Astrid wasn't stupid, by any means - she was probably better than Lillian at Anatomy, and if she needed to learn something, she could. Astrid just preferred hands on learning to book learning.

But because they helped out, Astrid and Lillian's parents had a key to their place. And unfortunately, that allowed their mother to drop in at random. Astrid couldn't really remember a time she hadn't clashed with the woman anymore. They'd certainly never been close. She bit back a sigh at the disdainful look her mother gave the outfit she had on.

"What are you wearing?"

"Running gear. I just got back from work."

"That explains the smell. Clean yourself up. I have words for you."

Unsure what her mother had concocted as an excuse to complain in Astrid's general direction this time, she headed off to the bathroom and took a quick shower, pulling on one of Lillian's jumpers for comfort when dressing before she went out to face Mrs Hofferson again.

Astrid's stomach twisted coldly when seeing that her mother had Lillian's little note in her hand.

"Give that back."

"No. This is what I came to speak to you about. I know what you've been doing to your sister, and it stops now."

Oh. Oh fuck. No no no no...

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They'd been so careful! How could she possibly have found out? Lillian's sweet little note was crushed between perfectly manicured fingers, and despite the passing resemblance between Mrs Hofferson and her identical twin daughters, there was none of the warmth and familiarity inside Astrid when she looked at cold eyes and stern features.

"Don't play dumb with me. I saw you!"

"Saw me?"

"In bed with your sister! You were both naked and... touching."

Her mother shuddered in disgust, and Astrid did the same for different reasons. That had been what she heard the other day, what woke her from her pleasant nap with Lillian?

"We've shared a bed since we were kids, it's no big deal."

"You're not going to talk your way out of this, and I refuse to let you continue to... infect your sister with this deviant behaviour of yours. She has the chance to make something of her life, unlike you. It stops now."

Astrid crossed her arms, doing her best not to lash out at this evil creature masquerading as a mother.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll have you locked up."

"What?"

Astrid couldn't help blanching slightly.

"You heard me. What you're doing is not only sick and depraved, it's a crime. I'll see Lillian imprisoned before I let you drag her down to your level."

"You think I'm a deviant for liking women, but you are willing to lock Lils up with only women?"

The muscle twitching in her mothers cheek had Astrid ready to duck, remembering dodging backhands and the like in her younger years, before Astrid took up fitness and her mother was too much of a coward to pick on somebody stronger than her.

"Don't try to be smart with me" something cold and calculating washed over Mrs Hofferson's face, sending ice down Astrid's spine "but is that what you want for her? Everyone knowing what you did to her, while she's locked up? Is your perverted little 'relationship' worth throwing her life away for?"

It was the lowest blow their mother could swing with - forcing Astrid to choose between their relationship and Lillian's life and freedom. Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't have her locked up."

"To get her away from you, I would. Oh, I'm sure you have her convinced it's fine, that you're 'in love' or whatever you pretend it to be, but you have never been right and I refuse to let you drag her down with you. A little distance to see the error of it all, and she could continue on. Or you can listen to me for once in your miserable life, and do as I say."

Mrs Hofferson left ten minutes later, and Astrid just buckled where she stood, leant against the wall with her knees pulled up against her chest. How had everything reached a point of falling apart so damned fast? Just because they'd fallen asleep in the afternoon, warm and comfortably post-coital. Once. It felt like such a rookie mistake after years of getting away with their relationship.

What was she supposed to do now? Breaking things off with Lillian sounded like the most agonising thing she could possibly do, and Astrid wasn't even sure she could do it. How could she possibly convince Lils she didn't want to be with her anymore?

But what choice did she have? It seemed their mother really was willing to ruin Lillian's life if it meant making Astrid miserable. Because Astrid didn't give a damn what happened to her, but Lils? She couldn't bear the thought of her twin having to go through being outed, judged, treated like a sick freak for loving Astrid.

She cried. She cried until she felt numb, a gnawing sense of nausea low in the pit of her stomach. Eventually getting up off the ground, Astrid wiped her blotchy, overly warm face down and saw the screwed up bit of paper that had fallen from her mothers hand, saw the scoop of whey protein still sitting in the bottom of the shaker bottle. She snatched up the note, carefully pulling it open and tracing the little heart in the corner again.

If she told Lillian what had happened, she knew Lils would tell their mother to stick it up her ass. Which was undoubtedly tempting, but that wouldn't prevent the threat being followed through.

Astrid washed her face and stared at her reflection, which turned out to be a very bad idea; it was like looking at Lillian, and the red rims and hollow look in her eyes seemed like a warning of what was to come, of what she'd have to see later.

She was no closer to any sort of decision when Lillian got home, calling out for Astrid.

Whatever she was doing, Astrid wasn't doing it tonight. She practically leapt on her sister, burying her face in the front of Lillian's shirt and breathing in her scent. Her heart skittered in her chest, melting when arms wrapped around her.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

Astrid shook her head.

"Don't wanna talk about it."

Something in her tone must have convinced Lillian to accept it for the moment, lugging Astrid over to the nearest suitable surface and they laid on the sofa, Astrid wishing she could just crawl inside Lillian's skin where they could never be separated again.

Astrid only realised she'd fallen asleep like that when Lillian was shaking her awake, concern all over her face and a murmured apology that she needed the loo.

"We should go to bed anyway if you're falling asleep."

When they made it to bed, Astrid felt wide awake. Lils had questions, she could see, but her sister gave in to Astrid's frantic, desperate kisses, pressed her hands and mouth against Astrid's body in all the right places. In the future, Astrid wished she'd taken her time that night, savoured their final intimate embraces and gave herself the time to commit every second to memory. But the urgency was blurred with need, need for Lillian as much as a need to be distracted from what was coming.

It was as intense as it ever was with her, but it wasn't enough to last her forever. Not that it kept Astrid from trying, and they only stopped when Lillian was so wrung out and exhausted she could barely stay awake. Astrid clung to her even as she slept, Lillian's sweat drying on her skin, worn out enough not to notice Astrid silently crying behind her.

Lils was going to hate her.

Maybe that was for the best. Might make it easier...

Who was Astrid kidding? Nothing was going to make it easier.

She got up early, showered and dressed before Lils was even fully awake, using the excuse of going for a run to explain it to her suspicious sister. Astrid jogged until she was out of sight of their home, then slowed to a walk and tried to straighten her head out just a little. She'd thought herself in circles most of the night, slept very little and eventually just lay there listening to Lillian breathing, watching her sweet little twitches, hearing those funny little noises she made.

All things she wasn't going to get to experience again. Astrid tried to choose her words on the walk home, supposing in a way it was good Lils didn't know their mother had come by yesterday, as she'd definitely put two and two together if she did. Pacing back and forth by the door, Lillian looked relieved to see Astrid, though her beautiful face crumpled sadly at the mood she could read Astrid was in.

Astrid closed the door behind her, and when Lillian crossed the room and reached to comfort her, Astrid grit her teeth and turned away.

"Astrid?"

Certain she could not hate herself more if she tried, Astrid took a deep breath.

"We need to talk."

-HTTYD-

I had more for the ending, with scenes like Astrid sitting in the hallway listening to Lillian crying, that little note clutched in her hand... but I couldn't get it to all flow right. Curse thee brain.