I watched Titanic for the first time two days ago, and that movie hit me so dang hard. And of course the first thing I think of is a Hiccstrid AU. :) Have fun reading, get ready for some drama lol. Feedback is greatly appreciated! :D -Kat (FanWriter02)

Promise

My heart is pounding, I can't breathe. It's pressing against my chest like a giant weight, threatening to thrust out of my chest. At this moment it didn't matter. Let me die, I don't care. At this moment, it felt like the world was coming to an end.

Maybe it was. For us.

I clung desperately to Hiccup's arm, not daring to let go for fear that upon hitting that cold water rushing towards us I'd lose him again. No. Not again. I was never letting go of him.

I swear loudly. We were drawing so close, I felt lightheaded. Again, I couldn't breath. I closed my eyes tightly, blocking out the scene, wishing I could do the same for my ears. Yet I can still hear the screams and cries of terror- some of pain- as well as the roaring waters that was quickly swallowing us up.

"Ready!?" Hiccup's voice is so near to my ear, I can feel his breath against my face. Yet I could scarcely hear him over the din. With force I open my eyes, only to be met by the waters mere yards away.

"Do you trust me!?" Hiccup shouted, louder this time. His arm around my waist tightened into an almost death-like grip, but I knew he was only afraid. Just as terrified as I was.

"I trust you!" I screamed. I could smell the salt water now, it was so close. I held my breath without realizing it, but it didn't matter.

"Now, Astrid, now!"

I gulped deeply through my mouth and nose in desperate attempts to fill my lungs substantially. I heard Hiccup do the same beside me, but that was all the time I had to comprehend from my surroundings.

The water slammed against me like a million needles.

Instantly I lost any air I had in my lungs. My mouth filled with water, my arms and legs went weak. I felt Hiccup grabbing frantically at the life jacket pressed around my body. But I was numb, I could scarcely move.

Those fingers were scrambling at my cloths now, hanging on to anything they could find. I realized with a jerk in realism that that was Hiccup. Hiccup. He didn't have a life vest.

With renewed strength and energy I didn't know I had, I grasped onto his hands. I tried to kick, but the vacuum like suction by the sinking ship was sucking us both down with it towards the ocean floor. I looked down, letting out an empty scream of desperation when another strong gust came in the waters, ripping Hiccup from my hold.

I tried to swim for him, but with the loss of weight I began floating rapidly towards the surface. I screamed groggily and tried to catching sight of him again, but he was lost to my vision. My heart sank, my mind blanked, and once again I went numb.

I bobbed to the surface and my head hit the freezing air. It wasn't until then that I realized how cold I really was. The water seemed freezing now, the air was frigid. My limbs were already going numb and my skin tingled like it was being burned. My head went dizzy, but I wasn't going to give up.

I bobbed back up, bouncing up and down in the water as I screamed Hiccup's name. I needed to find him.

"Hiccup!" I screeched. But my voice was lost in the wave of other voices of the people around me, calling similar pleadings. Names were being shouted, begging for help.

"Hiccup!" I screamed again, twirling around in the water. My eyes scanned wildly over the crowd of swimmers. The air was misted from our breaths, while children cried and sobbed and others swam desperately for help, yet there was no relief.

I spun about again, my head pounding with each beat of my heart. I couldn't lose him. Not again. I'd promised to hang onto him, I'd promised to keep him safe. I couldn't break that promise.

I was Astrid Hofferson, there was no way I was going down or letting my Hiccup die without trying my hardest.

Even though this situation looked direly hopeless, I just couldn't. The waves were slapping against me, I felt ice passing my shoes beneath the waters. The cries and screams were beginning to settle.

I know we are going to die. Somehow… it seemed I'd known it all along.

"Hiccup! Please, Hiccup! Answer me!" I screamed repeatedly, my voice mixing with sobs. "Hiccup! Babe!"

"Astrid!"

I swung around instantly to face the sound of his call. It blended in with the others, but I heard it distinctly. I laughed in relief at the sight of his wet face paddling through the water towards her. He gave a half smile, but it portrayed no joy. It had no shine to it, not like it normally did. His face was white, so pale it was almost translucent. My relief at finding him faded in one moment, and once again I felt the cold.

His arms wrapped tightly around me, and we were moving through the water. "Swim, Ast, ya gotta swim." He gasped weakly, tugging me along. I follow willingly and desperately, trying to keep up. My life vest makes swimming difficult, but with Hiccup side paddling and towing me along I'm able to keep up.

I'm gasping for breath, hardly able to breath in the cold air to my already freezing body. I longed for warmth, I longed for relief. Yet it seemed none would come.

I look to the back of Hiccup's head and watch silently as his wet hair clings to his head in clumps, and his frantic expression flashed back occasionally. His green eyes were wide and dark with pain and panic, not for himself, but for her.

"Astrid, here…" We came to a halt, and I jerked out of my daze. I noticed with extreme gratefulness that he'd led me to a piece of timber, what looked to be a door from the ship. I instantly scrambled aboard it, tugging him with me.

I cried out when the our make shift raft began to tip under our weight. I felt Hiccup slam his hands against me, pushing me up onto it and keeping it from capsizing.

I scoot to the edge, hanging on for dear life in attempts to keep it from moving. "Hiccup, c'come on…" I urged through clattering teeth. I reached my hand for him and tugged, but again the lumber rocked dramatically.

"No, no, Astrid…" He fell into the water out of my reach. My eyes widened in fear, I knew what he was going to say. He just had to be the gentleman, that stupid idiot…. Kind, stupid idiot. My stupid idiot.

"No, Hiccup, don't you dare." I murmured lowly. "You stay in there, I do too."

"No, don't. You have a chance, please take it." Hiccup huffed in return, breath puffing into a waft of fog. He grabbed onto the edge, but his entire torso and legs were in the water. He was shaking, his head was lowering towards his hands for warmth.

I'm not letting him do this.

Without a word I turned and slid back into the freezing water, gritting my teeth as the pain sliced through my limbs. I didn't think I could get any colder.

"As-Astrid… n-no, please don't." Hiccup chattered weakly beside me. He lifted one of his arms and wrapped it tightly around my shoulder, tugging me close. He was shaking harder then I thought, or maybe it was just my shaking adding to his that made it seem worse.

I nodded my head and pressed it against his neck. My barely recognizable braid slid into my face, making me realize in shock that it was covered in beads of ice.

I lifted a hand to touch Hiccup's hair, realizing his was worse than mine.

"H-H-Hiccup, ge-get on the-the raft. Now." I ordered as sharply as I could in our current situation. He needed to get out of the water. We both did.

Hiccup shuddered but didn't say a word. He shook his head weakly, turning to meet my gaze. He tipped a lopsided smile, then with a mighty shove tossed me back onto the raft.

I gasped in surprise and shock, watching as Hiccup fell back weakly after the exertion. He floated to the front of the make-shift craft, crossing his arms on top of the wood.

"A-Ast… there isn't… isn't… r-r-room. T-t-t-too mu-much weight…" Hiccup's voice was grating, even more nasally than normal. He lifted his soggy head, smiling weakly again.

"No." I hissed through my teeth. "Absolutely not, I'm not letting you freeze to death, you idiot. I refuse to sit here dry and safe while you're in that ocean dying, I will not, Hiccup, because-" I was rambling, and I knew it. But what did I care? I was dead serious. I couldn't sit here safe, knowing I could do something to save him.

He lifted a shaking hand, pressing his finger against her lips. His skin was ice cold, making me shudder.

"Shh, A-As-Astrid…" He breathed roughly. "I-it'll… i-i-it'll be alright…"

"No. No it won't." I'm crying now, the few tears I had strength enough to shed spilling down my cheeks. His shaking hand moved slowly to wipe them away. I leaned against his touch, grabbing his face in my own hands.

"I'm not losing you again." I whispered fiercely.

"Y-y-you… you won't…" Hiccup trembled, leaning his torso onto the wood. His head was lying down next to mine, face to face, eye to eye. His eyes were bright with pain and regret, while I just stared at him in disbelief.

I'd just found him. He'd shown me a whole world I never knew about. And now I could be losing him.

I was. I was going to lose my Hiccup again.

"Hiccup, please…" I whimpered, pressing my lips desperately against his. They were like ice, but soft and gentle just as I knew them to be. Hiccup murmured reassuringly against my mouth as we continued to kiss, pressing tightly against each other.

"Promise me you'll stay with me." I breathed urgently as I clasped my arms around him, trying to keep him semi-warm. "Please, Hiccup, don't leave me." I begged quietly, my lips against his ear now.

"I-I-I… Astrid, I-I ca-can't…"

The answer only had me hanging onto him tighter.

"Please, Hiccup, please. Pleasepleaseplease." I rambled nonsense, words meshing together. "Get on, please I cannot lose you I won't I can't I love you-"

His lips against mine stopped my words. He pulled away slowly and gently, smiling. "I love you too, milady." His voice was a strained steady tone, obviously trying to keep the quaking out of it. His next line of speech wasn't as smooth. "Wh-which is… why… why y-you have-have to pro-promise me… to not fall asleep. D-don't close your eyes, Astrid, n-no matter-matter how much y-you want to."

I nodded sharply, biting my lip harshly to hold back my cries. "Hiccup, I love you so much." I whispered passionately, holding him closer.

"Promise me."

I looked up, staring into his face in despair. I ducked my head and pressed it against his neck, whispering the words he waited for. "I promise. I trust you. Please, just please stay w-with me."

He didn't reply, but I paid no notice. I curled into him, nearly tipping our raft in the process. Time seemed to have no bounds. We have laid here for so long, so long, how much time has passed?
The sounds and screams around us are settling into hoarse pleas, until it went entirely silent. I lifted my head to stare in horror at the scene around us, dead, frozen bodies floating in the waters.

I looked to Hiccup, moving my lips against his to make sure he was still breathing. He felt so cold, there was ice layering his cloths and hair. But I could just barely make out the shaky rise and fall of his back.

I closed my own eyes, feeling the cold seep into my bones. I shivered and shook, wishing there was more I could do.

I kissed Hiccup's forehead gently. He didn't move.

"Hiccup, babe…" I whispered, giving him a shake. I couldn't let him sleep. "Hiccup, please…"

"Ast…" His voice was barely audible, nothing but a weak croak. He shifted so slightly, whining in pain.

"Shh, please…"

"Astrid…" Hiccup blinked up at there. His eyes were hazy, I could tell he was fading.

But I refused to accept it.

"I love you, Hiccup." I whispered between shudders.

"Don't… please, don't." Hiccup rasped, lifting a weak hand to let it fall against my cheek. "Don't say… s-say goo-goodbye."

"We… we aren't going to… to make it, Hic-" I stuttered helplessly. I knew it, I knew he knew it… it was just so painfully hard to accept.

We were dying.

"No. No, Astrid. You are not going to die." Hiccup whispered fiercely, but his voice was far too weak to be convincing. "You're… y-you're gonna live to be an old lady… to die peacefully in a warm bed. As-Astrid… this… this isn't how you'll go."

"You jump, I jump." I murmured, grabbing his hand and pressing it to my lips. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

Hiccup shook his head desperately. "Please-" He whimpered.

"Do you love me?" I whispered softly, calmly. I hardly recognized my own voice. It wasn't me, the me was broken, dying.

Hiccup nodded with a sob, kissing me fiercely. "I love you, I love you so much, Astrid."

I nodded, tears staining and freezing on my face. I didn't care. We were failing, we were falling.

I kissed him again, whispering my goodbyes.

I must've fallen asleep, for I suddenly found myself waking. I lifted my too heavy lids, blinking against Hiccup's cheek. I kissed him again, hating how stony cold he felt.

"Hello!"

I swallowed with difficulty, wondering if my ears were playing tricks against my mind. I looked up, my vision blurring and slurring together.

I could just barely make out the swinging light in the waters.

"Hiccup." I tried, but it came out as an incomprehensible rasp. I cleared my throat as best as I could, trying to move Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup… th-th-there's… help…"

He didn't reply.

I rolled closer, having somehow moved away from him in my slumber. I gave his arm another shake, my heart dropping into my stomach when I realized how… how still he felt.

I jerked my mouth to his, kissing him, trying to feel some hint of breath. There was none, no signs of life. I sobbed, desperately capturing his mouth in attempts to just bring him back to me.

"Hiccup, Hiccup, please, no babe…" Again, my voice was nothing but a breathy moan, nothing more. I couldn't even tell what I was saying.

"Hello! Is there anyone out there?"

"H-help." I whispered desperately. "'elp…" I hugged Hiccup tighter, sobbing against his hair. "H-help…"

"Don't leave me…"

I shook and glanced up again, the boat was drawing closer, but a few more moments and they would pass. I glanced down and grabbed a lose piece of wood floating by, picking up the stick and weakly knocking it against the door I lay on.

"Help, he isn't…i-isn't breathing…" I tried again. "Please…"

The boat turned, alerting shouts sounded. They'd heard, they heard me. They saw me. I flopped against the wood in relief, brushing my hands against Hiccup's frozen face.

"I love you." I cried, kissing him again. "…Thank you… I-I'll keep my promise."

I hugged him as close as I could, not moving away until the men of the boat forcefully tore me from his body. I screamed and cried for him, begging them to bring him back.

Someone held my arms, forcing me to lay at the bottom of the boat. A blanket was pulled over my shoulders, I collapsed. I sobbed quietly to myself, praying, wishing, my heart being torn apart with each plea I made.

To bring my Hiccup back to me.