Astrid's feelings

XXX

"That's for… everything else." Astrid mumbled while giving Hiccup one last look before running off.

Having reached far away from his sight, Astrid stopped in her track to catch a breather, resting her hands on her knees while swallowing everything that had happened within the past hour. The reason behind Hiccup's sudden and unrealistic success during dragon training was that he had hid and tamed his own dragon! A dragon unlike anyone she had ever seen before, filled with personality and obvious acceptance towards humans in return for Hiccup's familiarity towards it. The minute she'd met the dragons' eyes when it snuggled up to Hiccup as it was the most natural thing it had all become clear to her. And just as she had fled both out of misbelieve and with the intention to tell the first Viking she met, she had suddenly found herself several feet up in the air, clenched tightly by a pair of great claws, her feet dangling helplessly beneath her.

Never in her whole life, not even in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined she'd be actually riding the thing she'd been raised to kill. But there she was, straddled on the back of a dragon, getting the wildest ride of her life as she at first was sure it was trying to get both her and Hiccup killed by flying about like crazy, performing all sorts of stunts and twirls and dives which caused the inside of her stomach to turmoil, giving her the urge to throw up before an apologize had suddenly made it soar into the sky, flying leisurely above the clouds and the island of Berk, providing the most magnificent view she'd even seen. Not that she had ever actually been the kind to enjoy such a thing before in her life, but this had without a doubt taken her breath away. And if that hadn't been enough, both her and Hiccup had been flown directly into the dragon's lair were the very king of dragons was located, which was pretty much every Viking's dream to be the first to discover.

And then, there was something else…

The sun had long gone set, but Astrid didn't feel the cold on her body. Slowly lifting her hand to touch her lips she felt a strange heat arise in her body, making her cheeks burn as before she knew it, a big blush was spreading across her face.

"I kissed Hiccup? What the hell was I thinking? Why did I…?"

Stomping her foot at the ground where she stood, Astrid pulled her hair at the sudden embarrassed feeling welling over her by the realization of what she'd done. Not that she was shy or uncertain around guys or really anything in general, but this… this was Hiccup! She wouldn't even consider him a guy. He was a geeky and scrawny and a pathetic excuse for a Viking and definitely not "kissing-material". That was how she always had viewed him. But this was…

Astrid took a breather to calm her flustered self for a bit, realizing how differently she had seen Hiccup the recent hour than she had done for her whole life. Sure, he was geeky, weird and not particularly handsome, but there was something else she had witnessed in him. She couldn't exactly put her finger on what it was. He was… determined. Surprisingly strong willed and had a seemingly hidden courage. And also, there was something else that made him stand out from the other Vikings. The ability to think things through and use his wits instead of following the basic Viking instinct of acting first, ask questions afterwards. To actually think that this guy, who'd been the bully victim and goofball among the villagers ever since his birth she was sure of, would be the most likely first Viking to actually tame and ride and dragon! The thought of it baffled her. Though no matter how much she tried to suppress it, there was another feeling covering the shock. Unwillingly, she felt how much the thought of it not only stunned her, but also impressed her. More than she thought was comfortable. The moment Hiccup had told her he would do anything to keep his dragon safe, regardless the cost for himself or the other Vikings, Astrid had felt an incredible admiration by the sight of his confident stare. Was that what made her kiss him? Admiration? No, why should that be a reason for actually do something so intimate and gushy towards him? It couldn't be that…

"Hell, no!" Astrid felt her heart drop in her chest the second the thought traced her mind. It couldn't be… after having spent her whole life up until now, noticing him from afar for the weird, useless twerp he was, and even hating on him the last couple of weeks for taking the spotlight from her with his sudden capability in dragon training, she now, after having spent not more than an hour or so with him, was falling in love with him?

"No way! No freaking way!" Astrid angrily thought while pacing back and forth for a few minutes, breathing nervously as the more she tried to think how it was not true, the more her body felt hotter as her kiss to his cheek kept unconsciously rewinding in her head, making her almost teary eyed by the thought of being in love with Hiccup. Him out of all people! She had never even thought about love much in general. To her, it was something that would occur when she would become an adult and would have to choose a husband based on his capability. She wasn't even sure if love mattered that much in the picture. As long as he could provide her with a roof and food, she guessed not much else was needed. But this! She was only 17 for crying out loud! And then with him? If she absolutely had to fall in love with someone why couldn't it had been with Snotlout? Or even Tuffnut? But no, the Viking who was going to capture her rough, sturdy heart was to be Hiccup. Son of the village leader and tamer of dragons. But also a complete goof and annoying twerp she reminded herself of. No. There was no way she would be in love with him. She admired him, yes. She would definetely treat him better and respect him more after this, yes. But that was it. She was thinking irrationally. After having experienced what she did, there was no way her body or mind would have been at ease anyway.

"The flight must have given me a cold… that's why my body feels so warm. It's got nothing to do with the kiss." Astrid confidently thought to herself with a tiny scoff, as if she was surprised at how she could even have been thinking such a crazy thought, and right there and then she managed to convince herself that it was the cause. Letting out somewhat of a relieved sigh, she turned her body to make her way to her house, looking forward to get some sleep after everything she'd been through, wondering what Hiccup would plan to do the next day in The Kill Ring.

XXX

"Hiccup?"

Astrid whispered hoarsely while bowing slightly over Hiccup's pale face, where he was laid firmly on some boxes covered with a blanket to provide a somewhat soft layer for him, while another thick blanket was wrapped tightly around his lifeless body, keeping him as warm as possible on the several hour long voyage back to Berk.

"He can't hear you, Astrid." Gobber calmly said as he came up behind her, bowing down next to her to place his one hand on top of Hiccup's cold hands. A loud growl was heard as the dragon lying next to him flashed his teeth at Gobber, uncertain at what he was up to.

"It's alright, Toothless. Gobber is another friend of Hiccup." Astrid assured him off, causing Toothless to draw his teeth back in before letting out a snort, not averting his suspenseful stare from Gobber.

"Would you look at that, Astrid." Gobber said while gesturing towards Toothless, who still kept a defensive stare towards both him and the other Vikings on the ship he and Hiccup was boarded on, occasionally letting out low sneers if some of them were to get too close, still not too fond of being surrounded by humans.

"A bloody Night Fury. He's been taming and riding a bloody Night Fury! And when I thought I'd seen it all. This boy here, he just wrote Viking history today. Even I did not see it. To actually think he'd go and kill the king of dragons…"

"Gobber…" Astrid suddenly interrupted him, taking a deep breath as she did her best to contain tears pressing on her eyes by the sight of the pale, barely breathing Hiccup in front of her.

"Is he… is he going to be…"

Gobber heard how her voice cracked as she didn't finish the sentence, ending up biting her lip by the fright that came with what she was about to ask.

"Oh, he'll be okay, alright. Just suffered a pretty harsh blow, that he did. If it weren't for the Night Fury covering him with his wings from the flames though, he would have been…"

"What about…" Astrid interrupted again as she didn't want to hear the end of that sentence. Shivering in her voice, she had to gather what she could of courage before finishing the question.

"What about his leg...?" she quickly asked under her breath, before unconsciously holding it as she awaited Gobber's answer. Seeing as his calm expression soon turned into a saddened one, Astrid felt the long suppressed tears coming out, rolling down her cheeks as she knew what the answer would be.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. It's been too severely damaged and a lot of blood has already been lost from it. ' you think if that way, it's a good thing he's not awake. He would have been in a world of pain right now if he were. If we don't remove it, it'll grow infected and slowly inject the rest of his body too. It's for the best this way… but he'll manage. It's really just a matter of getting used to anyways. I should know." Gobber said in a jokingly manner to try and lighten the situation somehow. Astrid managed to give him a slight smile before she'd turn her head to look back down at Hiccup, clenching one of his hands tightly while her eyes turned slightly puffy from the tears. Gobber caught up on her feelings as he decided to leave them be, getting up on his feet to check on the condition of the few boats that still were floatable, including the one they were boarded on.

Taking a deep breath, Astrid shut her eyes tightly for a moment as she thought back to the moment when she had heard his father yelling that Hiccup had survived falling into the flames created from the destruction of The Green Death. The incredible joy and relief she had felt by the revelation had made her certain of her feelings. Slowly opening her eyes to look back at Hiccup, she bent slightly over him and used her fingertips to brush some strains of hair away from his forehead.

"I'm sorry for having thought so badly of you before, Hiccup. You really are a one of a kind Viking. I never thought it was possible, but I think… I think I love you. So… please don't die, ok?"

Gripping her fingers a little, Astrid rolled slightly with her eyes by her realization, letting out a heavy sigh while continuing to gently stroke Hiccup over his forehead. Feeling she was being stared at, she raised her head to meet Toothless' eyes, who gave her what looked like a mocking expression, as if he had been reading her mind.

"What?" she asked, in which he just let out a grunt before crouching together to get some sleep, ignoring her confused and somewhat embarrassed stare.

"Stupid dragon..." she mumbled before looking back down at Hiccup, reaching out her hand to cover him some more with the blanket.

"I don't know what I might do when you wake up again, but if I end up doing… that… I hope you will accept it. After all, I don't know what you feel about me."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Astrid decided she could be concerned about that after he'd become well again. After all, there was still the question as to what extent he would heal again, both in body and mind. Though after what she had seen from him in these recent days, Astrid had no doubt that he would stick through. He was a different Viking perhaps, but a powerful Viking still in his own way. This she knew, and this was what she loved about him.