This is my first attempt at doing a one-shot/song-fic so all constructive criticism is welcome. I also recommend looking up and listening to the song "With You" from Ghost while reading if you would like for the mood of it. Hope you enjoy, thank you.

-Windsy

I do not own "How To Train Your Dragon" or the song "With You" from the musical Ghost.

With You

by Winds of Inspiration

Head in her hand, Astrid Hofferson was feeling less than prepared to go on stage and it was starting to make her feel like an idiot. She was Astrid Hofferson for crying out loud! She was a black belt in Karate, had earned many gold medals for fencing for the past few years, had led the Volleyball team to many a victory, was anything but novice to singing in front of an audience, and above all had trained and rode a Deadly Nadder. She was always willing to step up to any challenge and rise to the occasion with every ounce of confidence present.

However, something was tugging at her heartstrings, pounding in her head. Astrid knew why, but even she knew better than to let certain matters serve as a distraction. Even when her Uncle Finn had passed away when she was little she still had to keep herself in check for her Karate tournament to earn her next belt the day following the funeral. Yet, the boy who she had come to consider her best friend was now lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, about to have surgery on his left foot tonight and all attempts to take her mind off of him were failing. She let herself slide down against the wall in her light blue dress.

Had it not been for that crazy man shooting at them from the car, had it not been for the auburn haired boy quickly covering her as the shooter's car spiraled out of control, and had it not been for her suggesting they go out that night; she would feel pleased, excited for him to see her perform for the first time.

Who was she kidding? She did not need a simple boy to make her feel confident! Even before they became friends she was her own source of self-assurance. Despite her typical brashness nonetheless, there was something about Hiccup Haddock III that made her ache. In fact, a huge part of her was tempted to ditch the performance and wait for him at the hospital as his operation proceeded tonight. When she heard from his father that there was a chance they would have to amputate the foot during surgery, Astrid began having nightmares involving her finally seeing Hiccup again, well and recovered, only to kiss him and feel his body grow cold and disappear.

Lifting her head, she stood up, brushed out any dust or wrinkles that may have ended up on her dress and peeked out from the stage left wing to see that the A Capella group had finished their last song.

"Hey Astrid, break a leg!" She turned startled to see Fishlegs, the stage manager grinning at her. Forcing a smile she whispered, "Thank you." As the applause for the A Capella group began to die down, Fishlegs grabbed her hand, looked her in the eyes and after a solemn breath said, "I know you wish you could be with him now, but I think it will help you to pretend like he's somehow still listening to you." Though Astrid was tempted to make some sort of remark concerning how pointless it was she only nodded and at the sound of her introduction proceeded to reach her spot on the stage to the microphone.

She looked to the pianist on her right, nodding to signal that she was ready when he was to begin. She took a slow, nervous breath before letting the first notes escape her.

"I picked up your shirts this morning, I don't know why, I don't know why. Mr. Reynolds said to say 'hello', I started to cry, I started to cry." Closing her eyes briefly, she carried on.

"Every place we ever walked and everywhere we talked, I miss you. You never leave my mind. So much of you is left behind…"

Suddenly, Astrid swore she could feel Hiccup manifesting before her eyes in one of the empty seats smiling his adorably awkward smile, his green eyes looking directly at her, as though they were encouraging her to continue. She wanted to shake it off considering that it was not him, but her heart told her otherwise as let herself keep singing. As she felt something her in chest and stomach pull her down, she allowed her breathing to keep her standing.

"You took my days with you…took my nights, with you…." Thinking back to before, she could now understand Fishlegs's original point. The great Astrid Hofferson was now determined to send this message to Hiccup from the depths of her soul.

"Those unfinished conversations we used to have still speak to me, and I write you letters every day that I'll never send and you'll never see," Like a bullet about to be released from a gun, those lyrics triggered those nightmares Astrid feared would come true,
"All this wishful thinking gets me nowhere. I can't stay. Though my heart is broken, it keeps breaking every day!"

The audience had become a blur, as she felt a fog in her blue eyes. There was no turning back now for Astrid.

"You took my hopes with you…took my dreams, with you…" Astrid was not going to let her feelings choke her just yet. She needed Hiccup to hear the rest of it, even if it did mean being anything but strong at this point. Even though he was downtown in the hospital, she was okay with having her feelings made known to him, for him.

"I keep thinking that you'll be calling, everyone says that it's all in my head…" Astrid was reminded of every moment she found herself about to text or call him, only to realize he would not be able to answer whilst in a comatose state.
"And I can't accept it yet, I'm not ready to just give in, I know that I can't live in this pain!" Even with the nurses and doctors trying to pull her to reality about her hopes being too high, there was no way Astrid Hofferson was going to give up while Hiccup had any chance of survival.
"With these feelings of regret. I can't comprehend this and pretend that I don't care. Any place I wanna be I wanna see you there!" With the break in the music she allowed herself to succumb to the message in the music of her heartstrings, the drumming of her head, and the signs of the lyrics. There was no use. The great, fearless, confident Astrid Hofferson was crying for her best friend…no…a beloved young man who she could see for who he was and who saw her as more than someone gifted athletically, but as human…he was her source of light. With all her strength she let the rawness of her voice slightly choke as she made herself finish.

"You took my life with you…took my world…with you…."

She exited the stage, ignoring the thunderous applause and praise that seemed to echo, chasing her as she rushed to her bag with her cell phone and car keys back stage. Now that reality was back in place she could not believe how foolish she was to let her guard down like that in front of so many. However, that did not occupy her mind for long. Something new was invading her thoughts.

Astrid Hofferson was plummeting into a deep spiral that she would not be able to escape from, at least not easily. She was letting herself fall for Hiccup Haddock. There was no use denying it now. Getting her things together, she made her way to the parking lot. Before starting the car, she texted her parents, letting them know where she would be for the rest of the night, and possibly the weekend.

Proudly wearing her heart on her sleeve as a valued piece of armor, Astrid was going to stand by Hiccup for as long as she could, wanting to be the first face for him to see when he would finally wake up following the surgery. Besides Toothless if they somehow let the Night Fury in to see him. Regardless, Astrid was determined to see him regain his strength and be there every step of the way no matter what.

Just as long as she was with him.