Stand The Test Of Time
Rated; M
Pairing; Hiccup X Astrid
Disclaimer; I do not own HTTYD.
Summary: It was supposed to be one of the best nights of Hiccup Haddock's life with his girlfriend, Astrid Hofferson, of three years accepting his proposal for marriage; until she said no. Heartbroken, Hiccup decides to move on with his life while Astrid realizes too late that she made a mistake. What happens when the former lovers come face to face eight years later?
1:
=Normal POV=
[Monday, 6/30/2014-4:30 am]
[Isle of Berk; Transport Center]
A teenage male with auburn hair and green eyes sat in a chair by the window near his departure gate. The male looked around to see other males and females around his age, and likely all going to the same place as he. As far as the male understood; this gate was only for army recruits and he could see that there were about twenty-three others aside from himself. A ding alert got the male's attention as he listened.
"Passengers for Dragon Air flight 1066 to the mainland; we will now begin boarding at Gate A. Passengers for Dragon Air flight 1066 to Barbarchi Isle is now boarding at Gate A. Thank you," was announced by a male voice. As the male glanced over; he saw a male standing at the desk for the gate putting the phone down on the cradle. The man grabbed his backpack and stood up; he looked down at the photograph in his hand. It was of him and a girl who had blonde hair and blue eyes. The male stared a moment before tearing the picture in half, then half again before throwing it in the garbage as he moved on to the entry point with his ID and ticket in hand. "Good morning, sir,"
"Morning," the male responded. After checking his ticket and license; the worker smiled handing it back.
"Enjoy your flight, Mr. Haddock," the man opened the gate door as the teenager headed down the connecting ramp to the plane. The male gave a smile to the flight attendant and moved to his seat in the back of the plane. The male stowed his bag and above and took his seat, fastening his seatbelt. The male took a deep breath and laid his head on the side of the plane, looking out the window. At 4:45, after the initial take off announcements were given; the aircraft turned onto the runway and darted down, slowly lifting into the air and heading to the mainland; Barbarchi Isle.
So long for now Berk… The auburn-haired male thought as he closed his eyes to try and relax through the flight.
. . .
[6:10 am]
[Mainland; Barbarchi Isle]
After an hour and a half flight, the plane landed and pulled up to the gate. After just a few extra minutes; the passengers deboarded and made their way inside the Barbarchi International Airport terminal. The teenager took in right away way a bustling place this was. Don't waste time, Hiccup. The male thought as he looked around and followed where the rest of the recruits through the area until they got outside.
"Berk recruits?" asked a man in uniform.
"Yes, sir," replied one of the males in the group.
"When I call your name, get on the bus," the man ordered and began going down his list as everyone waited to be called on. After ten minutes; he was in the H's. "Haddock, Hiccup?"
"Here, sir," the young man replied. The soldier motioned his head for Hiccup to get on the bus, so he moved right along. Hiccup took his seat and looked out the window. Things seemed to drag on; Hiccup learned that there was an entire group of recruits from different islands heading for Reception Week, which was the pre-basic training segment that last anywhere from three to five days. Around 6:30 am, nearly twenty minutes since the plane landed; a male with red hair and green eyes approached where Hiccup was sitting.
"Mind if I sit with you, man?" the male inquired.
"Not at all, be my guest," Hiccup responded to him. The male slid in and sat down, relaxing for a moment before offering his hand with a smile.
"Name is Dagur Bazirk," the male, Dagur, introduced.
Hiccup set his hand in Dagur's shaking it a few times. "Hiccup Haddock," he replied.
"Good to meet ya," Dagur smiled.
"Same," Hiccup nodded.
"Did I catch your name right?" asked a male from the seat in front of Hiccup and Dagur. This male had blue eyes and semi-dark brown, short, curly hair.
"I'm sorry?" Hiccup questioned.
"You said your last name was Haddock? As in Mayor Haddock of Berk's son?" asked a second male who had brown hair and amber eyes.
"Uh, yeah; that's me," Hiccup responded calmly.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Thuggory Meatsen, Mayoress Meatsen's son," Thuggory smiled, reaching his arm over to shake Hiccup's hand, then Dagur's.
"Eret Trapp," the second male, now dubbed Eret, introduced, shaking hands with Hiccup, Dagur, and Thuggory.
"Recruits!" the soldier stepped on the bus. "We're heading right for Reception Battalion; I hope you all got a good night's sleep because there are no breaks until 9 pm tonight when the lights go out! When we arrive; you will abandon all bags here and form up outside on the white-painted foot prints you'll see on the ground. You will keep your hands at your sides; you will not speak unless spoken too. Is that understood?!"
"Sir, yes sir!" the boys and girls on the bus called back. The soldier sat down up front as the bus doors closed and the vehicle carrying a bunch of recruits pulled away from the sidewalk.
Thuggory, Hiccup, Eret, and Dagur looked at one another taking deep breaths. "Here we go," the four of them said together.
. . .
[7:00 am]
[Mainland; Archian Military Base]
The ride had been silent as none of the recruits knew if they should dare talking. Hiccup felt it was a test to see if they could listen now since they wouldn't be doing any talking unless someone spoke to them. The buses parked as Hiccup took note of the white footprints they'd have to stand on after getting off the bus. The solider up front stood as the doors opened. "Off the bus recruits!" he ordered. Quickly and in an organized fashion, the passengers on the bus made their way off and each stood on the marked places. There had to be at least a hundred recruits that had been split up between four buses leaving the airport.
"Listen up, recruits," the man standing before them called as others were walking around and making sure everyone was in place. "When you walk through those doors; you're officially started Reception Week. It will last about three to four days as long as there is no delays in processing. Everything here will prepare your for Basic Training, so I advise you pay close attention and do exactly as you're told. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the recruits yelled back. The man pushed the doors open as two others held them as the group was given the signal to move into the building, but staying in their rows. When everyone was inside; the door shut and every single one of them knew that from here on out it was schedules, orders, and seriously hard training to go from civilian to soldier.
. . .
[8:00 am]
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]
The silence of the house was broken by a woman's scream. Two sets of heavy steps were heard barreling down the stairs as two men broke into the room panting.
"Valka, for Odin's sake; it's eight in the morning!" the first man, with red hair and green eyes, bellowed.
"Stoick, easy…Val, what's going on?" the second male, with blue eyes and blond hair, stated. The woman had long autumn-colored hair and blue eyes that hand minor hints of green in them; she faced the two males with tears in his eyes and a piece of paper in her hand as her body shook with sadness, confusion, and concern.
"I-I came down here to check on Hiccup because he hasn't looked right since the night he graduated high school," Valka sniffled a bit. "But he's not here…" tears slipped down her cheeks. "His bed is all made up, a-and I found this on the pillow," she handed the paper to the one called Stoick.
"What does it say, Stoick?" the blond-haired male inquired.
"Gimme a second, Gobber," Stoick replied as he unfolded the sheet of paper and took a deep breath. "Dear Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gobber. By the time you gets this, please know that I'm not in the house, at a friend's place, or even on the island anymore. I've cleared my bank account, taken only what I need from my room, and turned my phone off; you'll find on my nightstand, along with my keys to the car. I caught a ride off the island, and I'm gonna be on my own for a while. I'm leaving no trail to find me because I want to be left alone, so I ask nicely that you please respect that. I need to be away from Berk for a while; the distance is necessary for me to deal with everything. I promise I'll tell you what's going on when I make contact, but for now…Please know that I'm okay, and I'll talk to you soon. Love, Hiccup," Stoick recited the note.
"My baby…" Valka sobbed as Stoick quickly pulled his wife into his arms.
"What happened? Why would he do something like this? To make such a drastic choice to up and leave…" Stoick sighed.
"I don't know, my old friends…But I'm sure we'll know soon enough," Gobber informed them. "Unfortunately; I think it's best if we leave him be for the time being,"
"What?!" the two Haddock parents exclaimed in shock and fear.
"Listen…Obviously something big came up with the lad, and he felt that some time away would be the best course of action. You know how Hiccup has been; he's not someone who runs with the crowd. Hiccup is different, and he always has been, likely always will be. While it seems confusing and worrisome…At least he left a note, and let us know he'd be in contact soon," Gobber stated.
"I still want to know, Gobber…It's not like something big to come up and Hiccup feels he can't come to us with a problem…" Valka closed her eyes.
"Maybe he feels that at eighteen years of age; he should be able to handle his problems," Stoick informed. "We'll give him some time and if we don't hear from him in a month…We'll start looking around and getting answers," Valka sighed, but nodded and agreed, so did Gobber.
. . .
[8:30 am]
[Isle of Berk; Hofferson Residence]
A girl with blond hair and blue eyes sat on the edge of her bed looking through a photo album labeled; Hiccup & Astrid. The girl, Astrid, sighed heavily as she closed her eyes and closed the book, setting it aside. I'm such an idiot… Astrid lowered her head as she thought back to two weeks ago when she panicked and said the wrong word when it wasn't what she meant.
/Flashback/
[Saturday, 6/15/2014-10:30 pm]
Hiccup and Astrid, boyfriend and girlfriend for three years as of today had just finished making love. Tonight marked their graduation from high school, and their three year anniversary of dating. Despite being eighteen, graduated, and in a relationship so long; Astrid's parents, Calder and Asvora Hofferson, said that Hiccup was allowed over but had to go home by 11:00 pm. Both sets of parents knew the teenagers were having sex, and ensured that Hiccup and Astrid were protected in their own way. Hiccup had condoms and Astrid was on birth control; the IUD that went in the vagina for five years. Hiccup and Astrid became sexually active at seventeen, during the summer before Senior Year. Stoick and Valka Haddock, Hiccup's parents, didn't care if Astrid stayed overnight with Hiccup at their house once both teens turned eighteen, and it hadn't been a school night.
However, tonight; Colby and Ashlyn were out, so Astrid invited Hiccup over and let him know her parents said they'd be home for 11 pm. This meant Hiccup had to leave by 10:45 pm to avoid trouble. So, the two were now cleaning up and getting dressed after laying naked and cuddling after having sex for an hour. Hiccup had been over since 7:00 pm; they had dinner and watched a movie, which led into them making out, and then making love.
"I'm glad you came over," Astrid smiled.
"I'm glad you invited me," Hiccup responded. "Um…Astrid…There's something I wanted to talk to you about since we're alone," he stated a bit nervously.
"What is it, babe?" Astrid looked into his eyes.
Hiccup took her hand in his, his face becoming serious. "Astrid…You and I have been through everything together. I want you to know that you have me, no matter what. Okay? Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean; I'm with you," Hiccup said as Astrid's eyes widened a little. "I told you back when we were just friends that there will always be a Hiccup and Astrid…You were my first friend, and my first love. Astrid…I want you to be my last," Hiccup reached into his pocket, pulling out a red heart-shaped box and opened it revealing a stunning silver three-stone engagement ring; there were two normal white diamonds on either side of a red heart-shaped diamond that sat in the middle. "We've been together for three years, and I've loved being your boyfriend…But I want more, Astrid. I want to be with you forever, however long I have left on this Earth…I want to spend it with you. Will you marry me?"
Astrid was speechless, so shocked and in disbelief that this was happening right now. Panicking with a million thoughts racing through her head; she backed up, releasing Hiccup's hand while shaking her head. "No," Astrid ran off to her room, closing the door behind her and locking it. Astrid panted, leaning against her door trying to figure out what just happened. Astrid's ears tuned into the sound of the front door opening and closing hard. The sound of Hiccup's car started up and drove off as Astrid crumbled to the ground, crying.
/End Flashback/
Astrid never heard from Hiccup after that night. No calls. No texts. Nothing at all. Astrid distanced herself for two weeks, trying to figure out how to fix this. Astrid realized now that she made a huge mistake in saying no. The problem was, Astrid didn't understand why she said it. And now; she'd figured it out. Astrid only got scared because it happened so out of the blue. Astrid loved Hiccup with her everything, but she panicked when the moment came that Hiccup proposed to her. Astrid had still wanted to go to college, have them get a place of their own; then marriage, and probably kids. Astrid panicked because she didn't think she was ready, but she realized after Hiccup left that she was more than ready to spend the rest of her life with Hiccup.
"I have to see him," Astrid put her fist in her hand. "It's only 8:30 am…Hiccup should still be home. I need to fix this…" she added while grabbing her purse, keys, and shoes. Astrid hurried outside to her blue 2014 Chevy Malibu and got inside. Astrid started the car, backed out, and headed right for the Haddock Household.
. . .
[8:40 am]
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]
Astrid pulled along the sidewalk, parking as turned off the car and headed for the door. However, Astrid noticed other cars she recognized; the ones of her friends. Why are they all here? She asked. It didn't matter; she saw Hiccup's car, a black 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Astrid reached the door and knocked a few times. Stoick opened the door and offered a slight smile.
"Hello, Astrid. Please, come in," Stoick invited her. Astrid bowed her head in thanks, walking into the living room where she saw Valka, Gobber, and her five friends. Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson, both had dark brown hair and blue eyes; they could be twins if not for the fact they were a year apart in age. Fishlegs Ingerman, blond hair and green eyes. Finally, the actual twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorson; they both had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Tuffnut's hair was in dreads, Ruffnut's in braids; it was literally the only way to tell them apart sometimes.
"Where's Hiccup?" Astrid inquired.
"We were just about to call you to come, sweetheart," Valka said lightly, using a tissue to dab her eyes.
"What's…Happened? Is Hiccup alright?!" Astrid felt her concern rise.
"We wanted to tell all you kids at the same time…" Stoick sighed. "Hiccup is gone,"
"What?!" the six teenagers exclaimed.
"What do you mean, Uncle Stoick?" Adelaide asked instantly. Snotlout and Adelaide were Hiccup's cousins because their father, Spitelout Jorgenson, was Stoick's brother.
"This morning, Valka went to check on Hiccup because he's seems a bit distanced, distracted, and not himself the past two weeks since graduation; she found the bed made and Hiccup gone with a note on the pillow," Gobber informed.
"Now that you mention it; he has been really quiet," Fishlegs interjected with a finger up.
"We've been trying to get him to hang out with us, like we do every summer…" Snotlout mentioned.
"He always said he didn't feel good or was busy looking for a job," Ruffnut stated.
"Well, Hiccup's letter explains that he bailed and wasn't leaving a trail for anyone to follow him; that he needed to get away and by the time we got the letter; he wouldn't even be on Berk anymore. Hiccup left his car here, and turned his phone off," Stoick said.
"And that he'd get in contact soon, but requested we respect his wishes to be left alone because distance is necessary to deal with everything he has going on. None of which we know…" Valka sighed, looking down.
"Have…You heard anything, lass?" Gobber wondered. Astrid stood there, entirely shocked and worried that she might have really messed up and made the biggest mistake of her life two weeks ago. Astrid understood now; Hiccup wanted to get away from Berk because of her breaking his heart in her panic about thinking she wasn't ready when all she did was overthink everything.
Bringing her hands to her mouth; she wanted to cry. "Gods…It's all my fault…"
"What do you mean, Astrid?" Adelaide asked.
"Two weeks ago, the night of our graduation…Hiccup came over because my parents were out until 11…Right before he had to leave; he asked me to marry him and I freaked out with how sudden it was and told him no before running off to my room…" Astrid admitted.
"You…Told him no?" the friends, Hiccup's parents, and Gobber asked in shock.
"I-I didn't mean to. I…Over thought everything about getting married at eighteen, or I guess it would be a year later when we're nineteen…I just…Psyched myself out and panicked…I-I didn't mean to tell him no. It took me two weeks to figure everything out, why no came out instead of yes…And now he's left…And it's all my fault," Astrid lowered her head. "I broke his heart…"
Valka instantly got up to hug Astrid tightly. "Ssh, it's alright…It's okay. It was a misunderstanding…I-I'm sure when Hiccup gets in contact with us; we'll tell him the truth,"
"Absolutely," Stoick agreed.
"Just one problem," Gobber mentioned. "There's no telling where Hiccup is, when he'll come back, or when he'll even make contact,"
