{A/N: This is the rated 'T' one-shot to my main story, "Trouble in Paradise"-(it's rated M so if you choose to read it, read at your own maturity). Review please! ❤ }
[ Hiccup: 21 years old, Astrid: 20 years old ]
"Hiccup!", the groggy blonde screamed at the top of her lungs.
The frantic bronze hair boy rummaged around the cabinets for the items his wife suggested to eat. Never in his life did he imagine being married to the love of his life but now having a baby! It felt just like yesterday when he could barely speak to her and just watch her from the forge.
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock! If you're not back in bed in five minutes, I swear to Odin you'll be sorry!"
Hiccup grabbed the last slice of bread, along with the other ingredients, on to a tray and ran up the stairs. He carefully maneuvered around the messy floor of clothes and paperwork to his food craving wife. She was prop up against the pillows with her favorite yak pelt laying over her. Her hair was messy out of her braid and her brows pinched together.
"S-Sorry milady! I have your bread and yak butter, salmon with no skin, and your water. Do you need anything else..?", his hands were shaking as he delicately laid the tray on her lap.
Hiccup wasn't shaking because he was afraid of his wife... it was because she was really ill. Astrid had fallen ill less than two weeks ago due to an unknown sickness. On top of that, she was almost two months pregnant. Hiccup was now the Chief of Berk and had two side jobs, working at the forge and teaching at the academy. However, his wife has needed him to tend to her so he had let the people he trusts most, Gobber, Valka and Fishlegs, run his duties.
Astrid let out a crackling cough, "Nothing else... besides you feeding and holding me..."
Hiccup nodded content, picking up the bread and tearing it to smaller parts. His fingers felt numb trying to feed his sickly wife the food her cravings asked for.
"Are you feeling the slightest bit better or worse?"
"Mm... I'm feeling better than two days ago...", she finished her last bite and brought her hand up to Hiccup's cheek. "Hiccup...", her eyes pleading to be held.
Hiccup smiled solemnly with a hint of sadness. He wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulder and waist holding her close as they both got under the covers. She was burning up with a fever again.
Astrid turned to face her husband and kissed the tip of his nose. "Don't you worry about this... we'll be okay", she placed his hand on her stomach. Hiccup's stern face broke into a smile and kissed her forehead.
"I'm trying not to worry..."
It had been three more days now and Astrid hunched over the porch throwing up. Hiccup held her from behind as Valka went inside to get the bucket of water and a rag. She was getting worse...
Astrid wobbled back to her chair with the help of her husband. He hadn't left her side for one minute and Valka took notice of that right away.
"Son you need to go shower and eat... She'll be okay with me", Valka gave a half smile and placed her hand on his lower back.
"I'll be fine staying here", Hiccup firmly stood in place.
"Hiccup please..."
"Listen...listen to your mom...", Astrid weakly grabbed his hand. Hiccup's eyes watered as he looked at the pale face looking up at him.
He nodded after the long pause. Valka rubbed the cold wet rag on Astrid's burning forehead.
Hiccup backed away watching the two before opening up the cooler of food. He got everything he needed and went to the Great Hall swearing under his breath, "If the gods could feel what I'm feeling...please, oh Odin please... let Astrid live".
Time felt slow for Hiccup. He already ate and now he was in the pond bathing. His thoughts kept consuming him.
'Why do I need to get clean? My beautiful wife is laid sick and I'm here taking a bath...'
His thoughts ended to the sight of his mother running towards him. She look mortified.
"Mom! What's wrong!", Hiccup grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around his waist.
"Hiccup! Gothi is with Astrid now! She isn't doing well". Valka caught her breath and pulled her son in her arms.
And that, that right there broke Hiccup.
"Ow! Oh!", Astrid clutched her stomach. Gothi raised the young blonde's feet on a pillow and rubbed her fingertips against her legs. Astrid's cries grew softer but her stomach felt the contractions. The elder moved up to Astrid's face and examined it. Gothi knew the signs happening to Astrid.
Miscarriage.
"G-Gothi help me!", Her tears fell uncontrollably.
Gothi shook her head 'yes' as she heard the familiar footsteps enter the room.
There was Hiccup.
He had only his pants still damp from the quick swim. His eyes widen staring at his aching wife. When Astrid caught glimpse of him at the archway she stopped squirming from the pain. Her bottom lip quivered trying to hold back the rest of her tears.
"H-Hiccup...Ow!", her hands flew to under her stomach, closing her eyes.
Hiccup raced to her side desperately grabbing ahold of her sweaty hand. Tears already mounded at the corners of his eyes as his wife wept beneath him. Valka got a bucket of warm water and a towel for Gothi. She appreciably took it and dipped the towel in it.
"Hiccup, lift up her nightgown. Her stomach needs to be exposed...", Valka calmly spoke. He didn't need to be reminded twice as he already pushed the gown up to her chest. Gothi placed the warm towel upon her bare skin, hearing a sigh from Astrid.
"W-What's happening...", the young wife hissed.
"Hiccup... If you want to step out for a while...", his mother gently tugged his arm.
"No! I'm tired of leaving! I married her under Odin and Thor and swore to be with her through anything!", Hiccup yelled through the pain expanding in his heart. Finally, his focus went down to her thighs.
There was blood... Lots of blood...
Valka helped Gothi clean Astrid as Hiccup slipped his grasp from his wife's fingers, backing up against the desk.
Their baby...
Everything went by fast. Astrid grew dizzy and fainted from the loss of blood. Valka took away the rags and towels. Gothi used some herbal remedies to soothe Astrid's aftermath.
And Hiccup... Hiccup just stood watching not being able to talk or move. He was lifeless.
Astrid stirred under the covers, bumping into someone's arm draped over her stomach. Her eyes jolted awake to see the young brunette sound asleep.
Her fingers swooped his bangs away from his face and smiled sweetly at him. Hiccup groaned shifting his weight on to his side.
Suddenly, Astrid remembered the tragic scenes. She looked under the covers to see wrappings around her thighs and herbal residue on her stomach. Her heart felt like it crunched up and withered away.
"Hic...Hiccup...", she carefully sat up and pushed on the sleeping man's shoulders. Hiccup shot up fully awake, "A-Are you okay..."
"N-No...", her eyes were reddening just staring at the foot of the bed.
"Did... Did we lose...", her voice trailed away. Hiccup dipped his head down. Astrid's tears fell. The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile.
"I was a fool... Thinking I could handle this... It's all my fault..."
"It's not your fault. Don't ever say it is", Hiccup got up and left downstairs.
Astrid continued to smile with the tears shedding.
It had been two days now, two days of nothing but silence.
Hiccup was sitting in the chair his father used to sit in. He was staring at the walls again. No one spoke to either of the couple. They just respectively left gift baskets outside the front door to show their condolences.
Arms of a fragile, pale woman snaked around Hiccup's neck as she sat in his lap.
"You know Hiccup... You can't stay sitting around the house any longer. You are still the Chief of Berk... And I'm not sick anymore...", Astrid tried to get him to look at her. "Hiccup... Please talk to me..."
Hiccup's eyes met his wife's loving ones. In that moment, his heart warmed up knowing his wife's okay. He can get through this like she can. He just needs her like she needs him.
"I'm okay now... Thanks to my strong wife... Why she puts up with me? I have no clue... But because of you, I'll be just fine...", his lips latched on to hers as his hands cradled her tighter in the embrace.
"Lets just wait awhile... To try again for a baby..."
Hiccup agreed and picked her up bridal style. "No more of this sadness... Starting today..."
"...We'll keep moving forward".
( Let me know how I did! And I recommend listening to "Flying with Mother" from the soundtrack! It's divine! ❤)
