Astrid finds out the hard way that you can just wake up a sleeping Hiccup. Set during RTTE. After midnight scrum.
She had been looking for Hiccup for hours, they had returned to Berk because they all needed a break. Most of all Hiccup, the war with Viggo and the Hunters was really taking its toll on him she could tell that he wasn't sleeping. She would wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and see candlelight floating out of the windows of his hut. It took a while but she finally talked Hiccup into going home. Everyone was beginning to see the changes that this war was having on him. They hadn't seen him eat for days and that really scared all of them, he was losing the little weight that he had and with winter coming that wasn't going to end well. He wasn't taking care of himself and it was evident from the way that he looked. He had large dark circles under his eyes and he was pale and they knew that if they saw him out of his armor they would see his ribs.
They had got there in the early morning and Hiccup had been on the move the whole time. The A-team had pulled him into the arena so they could work out a few things with him. Astrid used that opportunity to talk to Stoick about Hiccup. She told him about the last week and how concerned all the rider were for there leader. Stoick had told her that he would talk to him and make sure that he ate and slept while they were on Berk. She trusted Stoick really she did, but she knows that he was busy and that he wasn't going to get to talk to him anytime soon. Yet she decided that she would let it go, for now, she headed home to see her family and caught up on what everyone was doing.
She had eaten dinner with her family at the Great Hall. The rest of the gang was at the hall eating with their families, well everyone except Hiccup that is. Stoick and Gobber were sitting at a table together when Astrid walked over and asked Stoick where she could find Hiccup. Stoick had told her that he thought he saw him heading home. So started the search for the missing rider. First, she checked his house and he was nowhere to be found, so she checked all the usual places like the arena and the cove. Right now she was heading towards the forge. If he wasn't there she really didn't know where she was going to look.
When she got to the forge it looked empty but she knew that he was probably in the back room. She entered the forge and could see that it hadn't been long since someone had used it. She walked to the back curtain and even from there she could hear his deep breathing so she figured that he had fallen asleep finally. When she pulled back the curtain she saw Hiccup out cold, he was sitting at his desk with his head resting on his arms which were on top of the desk. He looked pretty peaceful, but she knew that he needed to go to eat something then sleep in his own bed.
"Hiccup, come on we got to get you something to eat and get you to bed." Astrid had walked towards him a few steps and she was speaking quietly not a whisper but quietly, but he was out. So she decided to give him a little shake. Hiccup let out a little moan, Astrid saw that as a good sign and continued he efforts.
"Hey, yeah that's it come on sleepy head." she had reached down and grabbed his hand.
Before she could do anything he had grabbed a hold of her hand and twisted it, that gave him the opportunity to switch positions and give himself more leverage, pinning her to the desk that he had just been at.
"Wait.. what Hiccup it's me, Astrid! Ow, stop!" this situation had just turned upside down and she was still trying to catch up with what was happening.
Hiccup wasn't really sure what was happening but his body was acting without him, he heard a voice that he thought that he recognized. Right now his brain was on overdrive and he was in pure survival mode.
Astrid had been completely overtaken, he really was stronger than he looked. She was fighting to get control. Eventually, she got her hand loose and turned around to face him, he looked dazed and not really there in the moment. He was fighting to get control back and managed to grab her arm again and pull it behind her back, but he was reaching for something that he just couldn't reach. She looked towards the desk and saw that his dagger was laying there, she had to do everything in her power to keep him from getting the knife without hurting him that is.
Just as he almost got it he was pulled off of her and dragged away, he was still fighting. Toothless had a hold of the back of his shirt and was pulling him to the ground. He must have heard the scuffle and came to the rescue. He had finally gotten Hiccup on the floor and now he had his front paws wrapped around the boy as he purred and cooed into Hiccup's hair. Astrid took that moment to breathe and think about what had just happened.
After a few minutes, Hiccup was beginning to actually wake up. At first, he was confused then a look of guilt came over him and he looked over at Astrid. She seemed to be deep in thought and didn't notice him looking at her.
What had he just done, he had just tried to hurt Astrid. She was going to be so mad at him, she was probably never going to talk to him again.
"Hey, are you okay, Hiccup. You really scared me." her voice scared him. He was surprised that she was even still here let along talking to him and of all things asking if he was okay. In all honesty, he knew that he wasn't he hadn't been able to sleep since he was kidnapped not that long ago. Every time he would close his eyes his brain would come up with all these situations and imaginary people coming to take him again. He had also lost his appetite and was only eating enough to keep himself running. He knew that something was wrong but there was no way that he would tell the others. But now Astrid knew something was wrong, why did it have to be Astrid who tried to wake him it could have been anyone else, he knew that she wouldn't hurt him even if he was trying to hurt her but if it was anyone else they would have just stopped him and worried about everything else after the situation was safe.
He knew that he had to tell her that he wasn't okay that he needed some kind of help. He was just so embarrassed why hadn't he realized that it was Astrid. How had he let it get that far? He couldn't hold back his tears as they came. He felt so pathetic now he was crying.
"Ast.. I'm so sorry… I need... I haven't been able to sleep since it happened." they both knew what he was talking about.
"Oh, Hiccup don't be sorry it's not your fault it is those pieces of scum did that." it was a relief to hear her say that she didn't blame him, it only made him cry harder. She came over and grabbed him in her arms and they rocked together on the floor until he calmed down. Then together they went to the Great Hall and got Hiccup something to eat, then they headed to his house and she told Stoick about it. She walked him up to his room while Stoick went to talk to Gothi.
Stoick came back and started brewing a tea that Gothi had given him. She said that it would help hiccup sleep. While they waited Hiccup ate and they all talked. Once the tea was done Stoick brought it up and Hiccup drank it. He began to get really really tired, but that also made him panic and he looked towards Astrid with the most sacred expression she had ever seen on his face. Then he looked at his dad the same way.
"Could you please stay with me, please Astrid." she looked at Stoick and he gave her a nod telling her that it would be okay if she stayed.
"I'll tell your parents where you are, you too sleep okay." he gave them a smile as he walked down the stairs.
After he had left she crawled into bed by him and that's how they fell asleep, in each other's arms.