If you have watched 'Black Mirror' you probably recognize the song name and episode summary. I wanted to give a Hiccstrid spin on my favorite episode from the series. There will be some noticeable differences but also quite a few similarities since I'm borrowing the storyline and concept. Obviously I can't touch the masterpiece that is the actual episode and neither do I ever want to.
Song: "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle
** For those of you who have never seen 'Black Mirror', you can expect this fic to be a little confusing in the beginning but everything will make sense as you continue to read on.
A young man in his early twenties was sitting by himself in a crowded nightclub. The music was loud and fast, the atmosphere lively and dynamic. He was approached by a few drunken girls, and even a couple of guys, but always turned down all of the advances. This was his first time in San Junipero as he had recently moved into a house by the beach, just outside the city.
He was almost finished with his drink when someone new slid into the booth across from him.
"I don't think I have seen someone like you here before."
Hiccup readjusted his glasses and looked up at the stranger in front of him. It was a girl around his age, as most people in San Junipero were, and she was stunning with long golden locks that reached down to waist, oceanic blue eyes and cherry plump lips smeared in something shiny. In short, she looked something straight out of a fantasy.
"What is your name?" she asked with a sultry smile.
Hiccup felt his face redden as he uttered, "Hiccup." Her presence was oddly magnetic but he resisted being drawn to her. He was promised to another and it wouldn't look right.
"Unusual but I like it. It's different. Unique." Her beam grew into an alluring smirk. "I'm Astrid, the girl of your dreams," she joked.
Hiccup laughed awkwardly, feeling his blush grow hotter.
He watched her sip on her fruity drink. "So what brought you to San Junipero?"
Hiccup shrugged. "It suddenly became an option for me and I decided, why not? I might as well give it a try."
Astrid chuckled. "Yeah, I have only been here for a week myself," she said. "It's been quite an experience except for this one guy named Scott who will not leave me alone after we just shared a drink together. I think he has fallen in love with me," she finished off with an eyeroll. "I'm here to have fun, not fall in love."
Hiccup nodded timidly. "Yeah, same here."
Astrid leaned forward then, caressing the inner side of his exposed forearm. Hiccup shivered, closing his eyes while trying to form an audible sentence in his mind.
"Do you want to dance with me?" she whispered.
Hiccup shook his head, leaning away from her hot touch. "I'm not much of a dancer," he admitted with a sigh. "I will only embarrass you."
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Astrid took a hold of his hand and helped him to his feet. "Come on, there is a first time for everything."
Hiccup reluctantly let himself be pulled along until they were standing at the center of the dance floor which was decorated in 70s themed disco balls and flashing lights.
As a new song began blasting through the speakers, Astrid started dancing and grinding against him shamelessly. Her black leather leggings hugged her curves so tightly it left little to imagination and Hiccup felt himself starting to become aroused. He clumsily moved with her and could feel the stares of everyone on him. It didn't take long before panic crept in and he practically leapt away from the scene.
Standing outside by the doorway in the warm summer night, he tried to catch his breath. Even here in San Junipero he couldn't escape his past insecurities.
"Are you okay?" he heard Astrid ask as she appeared by his side, looking worried. "I'm sorry I dragged you out there-"
"No! I mean, it wasn't your fault.." he was quick to reassure. "It's me. I'm just not used to.. all this attention on me. I have always been somewhat of a social outcast."
Astrid leaned against the brick wall next to him. It was the first time he noticed she was shorter than him despite the stilettos she was wearing.
"I get it. You don't have to explain yourself," she said, and then suggestively trailed her hand up his arm. "How about we take this somewhere more private? I have an apartment not far from here. We can take my car."
Hiccup closed his eyes, fighting the strong temptation. "I can't," he said with a sigh. "I have a fiancée, Mala.. she.. It wouldn't be right."
Astrid quirked an eyebrow. "That's not usually what most worry about when they come to San Junipero."
Hiccup chuckled, nodding. "I know, but it's my first day here and I.."
"It's okay," she interrupted him with a smile. "Find me if you ever change your mind," she finished off with a wink before retreating back inside.
Hiccup felt regretful almost immediately but forced himself to walk away.
It had been over three weeks when Hiccup revisited the city that never slept.
The 70s theme had now been switched out with a different decade. Hiccup walked across the crowded streets with his head hung low and hands buried in his pockets. He recognized some of the faces from his previous visit but couldn't recall any of their names, all save for one.
He entered the familiar club which had now taken the appearance of a restaurant with people slow-dancing to a live jazz band playing in the background.
Hiccup peered around searchingly until his eyes landed on a girl with honey bronde curls in a dark red dress by the bar. She looked slightly different than what he had remembered but it was without any doubt Astrid.
As he walked closer he could see she was sitting across from a man with dark hair and olive skin. Hiccup felt his confidence starting to wane until Astrid looked up and their eyes met. She smiled at him, beckoning him closer.
Hiccup saw her whisper something to her former company who stood up and left at command.
"Hi," she said, patting the now empty seat.
Hiccup sank down beside her and flashed her a grin. "Hey."
"You look different," she said with a teasing smile. "I see you have lost the glasses."
Hiccup chuckled, scratching the top his head. "I realized I can't be hiding behind my glasses all the time. It was time for a change."
She smiled in approval, sipping on her martini.
Hiccup licked his lips, fiddling with his hands nervously as he tried to form his next words.
"I, uh.. I changed my mind." He could feel his heart race as he watched set her glass down and turn to him. "I-" He was cut off by her finger on his lips.
She stood up, adjusting her dress and held out her hand. "Come with me."
He smiled at her shyly before accepting.
They were running across the beach, laughing. Astrid had taken off her heels, holding them in one hand while her other hand was entwined with Hiccup's.
The waves around them crashed loudly into the night, almost drowning out their voices.
Astrid suddenly stopped short and dropped her shoes down on the sand. She turned her back to him, standing close enough so that he could feel her body-heat emitting through the thin material of her dress.
"Help me unzip?"
Hiccup felt his cheeks burn as he drew the zipper down her back. Astrid shimmied out of her dress, now standing in nothing but black lacy underwear.
Hiccup drank in the sight of her. Every curve and inch of exposed skin. She was perfect in every sense of the word, especially with the moonlight giving her an ethereal glow.
"Come on, you dork!" she called after him as she tiptoed into the water.
Hiccup hesitated only for a second before following suit. He pulled his shirt over his head and got rid of his bottoms, throwing them next to her clothes before running into the darkness after her. He would probably follow her anywhere.
The water was cold against his skin but at the same time he had never felt more alive than in that moment. He lifted Astrid halfway up and spun her around while the waves danced around them.
Astrid giggled, throwing her head back. Her fingers grasped onto his auburn locks, caressing and pulling on them. As she came to stand face to face with him again, her smile faded and she pulled him into a searing kiss.
Hiccup rested his hands on her lower back, holding her close to him. When they broke apart, he could see her eyes had darkened, mirroring his own lust.
"My house is not far from here, if you.. I mean, you don't have to. But.. if you want to.. umm.." he trailed off, stammering.
She slid her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. "Lead the way."
They stood in his bedroom. The lights were dimmed but he could still make her out perfectly.
Hiccup felt his heart race as Astrid trailed her fingers across his lanky, firm chest. "You are beautiful," she whispered.
Something swelled inside him at her words and, as their lips met again, Hiccup felt himself sigh. It didn't take long before the kiss grew more fiery and Hiccup found himself flat on his back with Astrid astride him.
Despite Astrid's initial attempt to quicken up the pace, they moved slowly, with deep and deliberate strokes.
Their eyes stayed locked throughout it all, only breaking away once they reached their peak.
Their love-making lasted until the early hours of morning and they spent the aftermath talking and kissing, relishing in the afterglow.
"You deflowered me," Hiccup joked, stroking her naked back with the tip of his fingers.
Astrid could only giggle in response.
"My first kiss and now my first time."
"Really?" she asked skeptically. "I have a hard time believing a guy like you wasn't swarmed by women."
Hiccup started caressing her hair as he spoke, "You better believe it. I haven't exactly led the most exciting life, being in a coma and all. This is the first time since my accident I have felt something real."
Astrid remained quiet for a moment, mulling over his confession. "I'm dying," she whispered. "San Junipero was just a way to pass time."
Hiccup hummed in response before pulling her into another sweet kiss.
Nearly 3 months had passed since Hiccup last saw Astrid and he had been relentlessly searching for her in every corner of the now futuristic town.
He kept reminiscing over their nights together, trying to understand where it had gone wrong and why she was avoiding him.
Returning back to his corvette, he noticed a short guy with black hair leaning against it.
"Hey, I have seen you before," he said as Hiccup approached him. "You were hanging out with Astrid last time. Why she picked you over me still boggles my mind."
Hiccup perked up upon hearing her name, finding himself feeling hopeful again for the first time. "Do you know where Astrid is?"
The guy shook his head. "No clue but she will show up eventually. You should try the 2000s and 2100s."
Hiccup nodded. "Thank you.. uh.. I forgot who you were?"
"The name is Scott, and you are very welcome my friend."
The setting in San Junipero had changed into a 2010s theme. There was no longer loud music blasting from the nightclub as it had now turned into an internet cafe.
Hiccup sat in his usual spot and stared into his coffee. By pure coincidence he suddenly saw the familiar blonde through the window.
Hiccup didn't waste time in chasing her down and cornering her. She didn't seem as pleased to see him however.
"What do you want?" she asked in a bored tone, not meeting his eye.
Hiccup frowned at her, confused. "I missed you." He tried to smile but she remained indifferent.
"I can't do this Hiccup."
He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
"I can't fall in love with you," she said flatly. "This.. this isn't real!" She gestured over their surroundings. "It's virtual! It's made up!"
"What I feel for you is real," Hiccup argued, his voice firm and rousing. "For me nothing has been more real than this."
Astrid shook her head, pushing past him.
Hiccup stared after her, hurt. "You are afraid," he shouted after her. "You are so afraid of your own feelings you always run away. You are afraid what you feel is actually real and you just can't let yourself accept it."
Astrid halted and spun around. "You wouldn't have loved me in real life," she retorted. "You wouldn't have loved the real me."
Hiccup stood his ground, towering her. "Try me."
Astrid clenched her jaw, looking away.
"I was only fifteen."
Her face relaxed slightly and her eyes snapped up to see the bitterness in his gaze. "What?" she breathed.
"I was fifteen by the time of the accident and I will be 75 years old next week."
Astrid stared at him in complete shock. "They kept you artificially alive for that long. Why?"
Hiccup snorted humorlessly. "Because my dad was the great, stubborn Stoick Haddock and he refused to let me go. My family kept me alive in hope of somehow bringing me back to life someday."
"So you have never been out of the coma?"
Hiccup shook his head. "They tried to wake me up once for a few days but my body is too damaged, it doesn't function as it should."
"I'm sorry," she said, looking regretful. "You were robbed off your entire life."
He closed in on her, taking her hands in his. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Astrid. I refuse to accept that you don't feel the same way." He looked at her pleadingly. "Please."
Astrid hid her face from him. "I have to go," she mumbled, blinking back tears as she ran off.
An old woman around the age of 72 opened her eyes, squinting against the white light of the room which momentarily blinded her.
Across from her sat numerous of other elderly people with the 'virtual-reality app' fastened to their temples. They all appeared to be fast asleep but were actually spending their days away in 'San Junipero' which was a massive server room where people uploaded their consciousness either for a visit or permanently.
A nurse named Atali appeared by the elderly, sick woman's side, helping her stand up.
"Careful there, Ms. Astrid," she said. "Given your condition you shouldn't be restraining yourself."
Astrid chuckled, letting the young woman assist her. "I will be fine, child. Just help me over to my walker."
As she stood in front of the elevator and waited, she turned to regard Atali again.
"Atali, I need to ask a favor of you."
The young woman smiled at her warmly. "Of course, Ms. Astrid. Anything you want."
A strawberry blonde woman in her early 30s seated herself across from Astrid in the dining era of Berk's Retirement Home.
"You must be Mala," Astrid stated with an impish smile. "Hiccup'a fiancée."
Mala threw her head back, laughing heartily. "Is that what he has been telling everyone?"
Astrid's aging eyes twinkled. "He certainly has been using you as an excuse to hold himself back."
Mala chuckled again. "He speaks of you as well," she said with a teasing smile. "We don't converse as much we used to but it's clear that Mr. Haddock is quite taken with you."
Astrid felt her smile fade. "And I with him," she admitted.
Mala nodded, squeezing her hand before she let out a sigh. "They are finally going to turn off the machines that are keeping him alive next week."
"Oh?" Astrid frowned. "He forgot to mention that part."
"I thought he might have," Mala mused. "He might have also refrained from mentioning that the reason we are getting married is so he can 'pass over' when the time is ready."
Astrid furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "You have to be married to do that?"
"Not usually." Mala shook her head. "But Mr. Haddock doesn't have any living family left to make this decision for him. His father's will only dates to Mr. Haddock's 75th birthday, after that the hospital is allowed to turn everything off," she explained. "I have been corresponding with Mr. Haddock for over the past two years and he wishes to have his consciousness permanently uploaded to 'San Junipero' immediately after his death. He sees it as a second chance at the life that was so prematurely taken away from him."
Astrid nodded. "Can I see him?"
Mala smiled brightly. "Of course you can. I'll call up an auto."
The first thing Astrid noticed was how skinny and helpless he looked. There was an oxygen tube connected into his neck and several other devices linked to various parts of his body. It didn't escape her that he was missing a foot as well.
Astrid slowly stepped towards him with Mala following quietly behind.
Despite his old age, she could recognize his features. It was the same strong jawline and thin lips. Most of all, his nose was exactly the same. Astrid stroke her hand over his cheek and kissed him on the forehead. "Still beautiful," she whispered.
She touched his face again and then turned towards Mala with a mischievous glint her eye.
"Mala, if you don't mind, there is one last thing I would like to do."
Hiccup was sitting by himself, staring into the ocean.
It might be virtual but this was the only reality he had truly known so for him it was as real as any ocean out there in the 'real' world. He scoffed at that word, feeling his heart break anew as Astrid's face flashed through his mind. Hiccup sighed to himself.
"You got your thinking face on," he suddenly heard from behind him.
Hiccup looked up and felt his eyes widen. "Astrid," he breathed. "You are here! You are really here."
She grinned and sank down next to him, swatting him on the arm lightly. "Of course I am, you dork." Hiccup looked at her in awe, his emerald green orbs glittering with hope.
Astrid took a deep breath. "Hiccup, I have spoken to Mala." She searched his face for any sign of ire but found none.
If anything, Hiccup seemed puzzled.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Stand up," she ordered, helping him up to his feet.
Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but stopped short when Astrid dropped down on one knee in front of him. "I know you and her had this whole agreement but.." She kissed his knuckles, staring up at him lovingly. "Don't you think marrying me would be more meaningful?"
Hiccup blinked in disbelievement, taking a step back. "I..uh.." Just as sudden he lifted Astrid into his arms and captured her mouth in a passionate liplock.
His smile was broad and eyes bright when they finally broke apart. "Yes, yes. I will marry you."
The wedding had been in a floral garden on a mountain peak and while they had been all by themselves, it had been eventful and the honeymoon even more so.
Astrid shifted in Hiccup's naked arms to face him as he stared her down. "Good morning Mrs. Haddock," he grinned. "I imagine you feel a bit sore today."
She socked him on his shoulder playfully. "Hey! I'm just kidding!" he laughed and pulled her closer against him. "But are you okay?"
Astrid kissed him above the heart. "Never been better," she whispered, cuddlinh into a him a little while longer. "What time is it?"
"It's almost dawn, why?" She broke away from their embrace and sat up with a sigh. "They are going to turn everything off soon. I should be there when you pass over."
Hiccup nodded. "Okay. But promise me you will be back again."
Astrid leaned down to kiss him on the lips once more. "Promise."
Hiccup Haddock was declared dead shortly after all the machines had been switched off. His consciousness was uploaded into the server immediately afterwards.
Astrid didn't attend the burial of his body but knew that Mala had taken care of everything. She was getting far too sick to be able to move around much. Now she laid in her own deathbed and it wouldn't be long until her turn was up.
"Do you want me to shut the window for you?" Atali asked softly. Astrid shook her head. "No, let it stay open. I want to feel the breeze against my skin one last time."
"Of course, Ms. Astrid," the young woman said and placed the virtual reality app against Astrid's temple, turning it on. "Let me know if you need anything."
Astrid nodded. "I will. Thank you for everything." Atali squeezed her hand in response and Astrid soon began drifting off.
Hiccup stood by a cliffside, overlooking the city of 'San Junipero' from distance. Astrid had been gone for five days now and he could feel the concern starting to build up. Fortunately he didn't have to wait much longer as he suddenly saw running towards him, looking as much of a Goddess as he remembered her to be.
He swept her off her feet as he caught her in his arms and spun around until their laughter died out.
Astrid squeezed her eyes shut, cherishing this moment with him.
"I was getting worried you weren't coming back," Hiccup whispered, stroking the loose strands of her hair.
Astrid stiffened in his embrace. Biting her lip, she stepped away from him to hug herself. "I promised I would come, didn't I?" she muttered dryly, looking away from him.
Hiccup regarded her curiously, taken aback by her sullen tone. "Is something wrong?"
He could see her posture grow even more rigid upon his persistency. "Astrid.. please talk to me."
"I'm dying," she blurted out. "By next morning I will be dead."
Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by Astrid.
"...and I'm not passing over," she stated. "I just came back to say goodbye."
A beat of silence pulsed through the air until Hiccup suddenly gripped Astrid by the forearms. "You are leaving me?" he growled accusingly.
Astrid could only nod, her gaze tearful and apologetic. "I have no choice, Hiccup."
Hiccup's mouth turned into a grim line. "Of course you have a choice! You can choose to stay here and we can be together forever."
Astrid broke away from him again and sighed. "And exist inside a machine? This isn't real, Hiccup. It's-"
"Don't you dare say it's fake!" he cut her off. "It might not be the reality you are used to but doesn't make it less real," he argued. His face then softened up and he grabbed her hand, lifting it up to his cheek. "Astrid before I passed over, Mala told me they are expanding this world. There will be other places for us to go and explore. They are even adding a new island that will have dragons! Dragons, Astrid! We can do and be anything we want here. There are no limits. Please reconsider your decision," he pleaded. "I can't imagine a world without you in it."
Astrid stroke his face lovingly but then dropped her hand, turning away from him. "As nice as all of that sounds.. I just can't, I'm sorry." Before Hiccup could voice his protests again, she continued, "I had a whole life before you. A family, friends and even a daughter," she revealed. "None of them passed over and it wouldn't be right for me to do."
Hiccup frowned. "You never told me you had a daughter."
Astrid blinked back tears and shot him a rueful smile. "Lia was only twenty when she died of brain cancer," she spoke in a hoarse voice, "..and she didn't get the chance to pass over. What right do I have to spend eternity here with you when my daughter doesn't even exist anymore?"
"Astrid.."
"It would be selfish of me to stay. She is waiting for me to join her, Hiccup. Wherever she is.. or isn't."
Hiccup swallowed back the lump forming in his throat and tugged on his hair in frustration. "Why did you marry me if you were just going to leave me in the end?" he asked out loud bitterly.
"I married you to help you pass over!"
Hiccup snorted, shaking his head as anguish became evident on his face. "So that's it? You never loved me, did you?"
Astrid couldn't bring herself to lie again, not about this. She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles. "Of course I love you, you dork. That's why I came to say goodbye."
Hiccup's face remained devoid of any happy emotion. "But you don't love me enough to stay."
Astrid looked away from him, dropping his hand to hug herself again.
"Wouldn't your daughter have wanted you to be happy?" he challenged her, remaining just as stubborn. "I know this wasn't what you had planned but sometimes things don't go according to plan. I know my life sure as heck didn't. Please.." he begged. "Just this once, stop thinking about what you think is the right thing to do and follow your heart. Please Astrid."
Astrid felt a tear escape past her and squeezed her eyes shut as she made her final decision.
Here lies..
Lia Hofferson, beloved daughter and friend.
Astrid Haddock Hofferson, beloved mother, wife and friend.
A coffin that carried the body of Astrid Hofferson sank down to the ground, next to where her daughter rested. Atali placed a bouquet by the gravestone and smiled at the rising sun. "You did the right thing, Ms. Astrid."
Hiccup splayed out his map of the 'Barbaric Archipelago' he had been working on when Toothless suddenly flicked a pebble on his head.
"Oh, what? Do you want an apology? Is that why you're pouting, big baby boo?"
Toothless merely mocked his rider, making Hiccup try to tackle him down to the ground but it instead ended up with Toothless playfully dangling the young man off the edge of a cliff.
"You're right, you're right! You win, you win!" Hiccup surrounded in defeat, now finding himself pinned underneath the dragon's weight.
Suddenly, a loud screech was heard and Hiccup turned around just in time to see Astrid and Stormfly land behind them.
"Afternoon, milady. Where have you been?"
Astrid mounted off Stormfly and gave Toothless an affectionate scratch under his chin before venturing over to where her husband was standing. "Does it really matter? I'm here now, aren't I?"
"I guess it doesn't," Hiccup chuckled and pulled her flush against him.
AN: Hiccup and Astrid together forever. Didn't see that coming, did you? xD
For anyone who is still feeling confused, the entire idea behind San Junipero (taken from the British series BM) was to give retired and old people in nursing homes and hospitals a chance to enjoy life inside a virtual reality. Eventually the server becomes a place where people continue to exist after their death. A sort of gateway to immortality.
I had been wanting to write this for a while so I thought I might as well just do that. Now I'll go back to focusing on 'An Unexpected Visitor' for the next couple of weeks. You can expect an update over the weekend.