I want to thank you guys for your continued support. I can't believe I got so many views on my last story! As promised I've written the first of my one shots. In this story Astrid is sick and Hiccups wants to take care of her.
"Astrid, you don't look so good. Are you sure you're up to this search?" I ask as Astrid walks into my hut.
"Hiccup I'm fine. This is just a little cold. Besides you'll need every rider you can if we're gonna find Dagur." She lays down on my bed with a groan.
I raise a skeptical eyebrow. Walking to my bed I sit down next to her and rest my hand are forehead.
"Your fever went down, but it could still rebound. But until you've completely recovered, you're not going on the hunt. I'll tell the guys to go on with out us." It must have been her fever because it looked liked Astrid blushed when I touched her.
"Hiccup you don't have to-" I cut her off.
"You're absolutely right, I don't have to, but I will. What, you think I'm going to leave my m'lady sick and alone." I say with a chuckle.
Astrid sits up and smiles at me. I'm rummaging through my medical supplies so I don't notice right away.
"Hiccup." I turn and look her.
"Why are you smiling?" I ask with a grin.
"I like it when you call me m'lady." she says with a blush.
I walk over and give her a quick kiss on the lips.
"M'lady." I whisper in her ear. She laughs and pushes me away.
I walk down to the official/unofficial HQ on Dragons Edge and give the guys their instructions. If they don't see any sign of Dagur by two days, they are to return to Dragons Edge. I walk slowly up the path leading to my section of the Island. I think back to how I ended with Astrid. All it took was her to kiss someone in a drunken stupor, my heart get broken, and then we were good as new. I chuckle at my cynicism. I open the door of my hut, and head upstairs to find Astrid asleep. I walk over and pull the covers over her. She snuggles closer to my touch. I lean down and kiss her forehead. She lets out a sigh. I'm about to head down to get her soup when I hear murmur through a haze of sleep.
"Will you stay with me?" I don't hesitate.
"Always." I climb into bed next to her and lie down.
She rest her head on my chest and I begin playing with her hair, a habit I've picked up. Soon her breathing steadies and I know she's fallen asleep. I look down at her and study her. I do so with an intensity only appropriate in a situation as this. I notice the freckles on her nose, the slope of her jawline, the perfection of her eyebrows. I soak it all in, constantly mesmerized by the perfect balance of beauty and perfection that is Astrid. I gently scratch her scalp and she leans into my touch. This brings a smile to my face. I let out a contented sigh and drift off to sleep.
I'm awoken by some one kissing my neck.
"Finally, your awake." She says with a smile. She leans on her elbow and runs a hand through her hair.
"How are you feeling?" I ask while stroking her cheek.
"Better now that I'm with you." She lies back down with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" She doesn't answer for a little bit.
She bites her lip and looks at me. "Hiccup, when I'm with you I'm unbelievably happy. Even the thought of you makes me smile. I love your laugh, your emerald green eyes, I love the sound of your heart beat as I fall asleep..." I blush, then I frown slightly as she trails to a stop. I play with her hair encouraging her to continue.
"Yet, I can't stop thinking about how I've treated you. Before you killed the Red Death I barely registered the fact that you existed. I stood by and watched as the other kids picked on you, and I was really self-righteous during dragon training."
She sits up and looks at me in the eye. "And after that, I skirted the issue of how I really felt for you. I mean, I had to kiss some A**hole I'd never seen before to realize just how much I loved you! But through all that you never once stopped caring. You always were there for me! Always bringing me immense amounts of joy. And I-" she stops and looks away. I lean forward and turn her head back to face me.
I search her blue eyes just as she looks in mine.
"I don't deserve all the love you give me." She whispers. She drops her gaze and stares at her hands. I bring her head back up to mine.
"Astrid." I whisper. I want to tell her how just how much she means to me, but words fail me.
"Hiccup." She seems to breathe my name. You could show her how much she means to you. That's not a bad idea, so I bring her mouth up to mine and let everything around us fade to the background.
Her lips eagerly meet mine and kiss me with a hunger I wasn't used to. I wrap my hands around her waist and pull her closer to me. She pushes me back onto the pillow and her hands slide up my chest before wrapping around my back. I pull my lips from hers to kiss her neck and her head flops to the side almost on instinct. She lets out a soft moan, and with that encouragement I gently work my way from the line of her jaw down to her neck. I nuzzle her cheek and she lets out a small laugh. We're both breathless so we lay there letting our heart rates slow. When the initial rush of our desire ebbs, our kisses become more gentle and passionate.
I pull away momentarily to brush her hair behind her ear. Cupping her chin I gently speak to her.
"Astrid I don't love you because you're perfect, I love you because your not. I love how your full of energy, I love how I can get lost into your eyes. But most of all, I love how you're always there to remind me who I am." I pull her closer to me, almost as if I was physically demonstrating the authenticity of my words to her.
She smiles and kisses me again, ending it by tugging on my bottom lip with her teeth.
"Thank you Hiccup. For everything." She rest her head on my chest.
"Now go back to sleep. And be safe with the knowledge that you, Astrid Hofferson, will always have my heart, and I will always love you, and I will always be yours."