AN: This story is created due to the request of HappyDylan. It's unfair that Hiccup is the only one who is pining. This is not in the same universe as Imagination.Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train your Dragon or any of the characters used in the story. Except for the OCs.
Astrid grabbed her luggage and stepped on the escalator. Her boss is generous enough to give her a two week vacation or maybe because it's the first that she asked. Then add the word 'nice' and a sweet smile to the equation. Boom. Either way, she couldn't care less as long as her mother won't eat her alive for missing another Christmas and New Year's Eve in her home. Her mother was viscous in giving out threats and usually stay true to her words. She will not be at the receiving end.
As she stepped out of the escalator, she quickly saw her name in a big card board with her ecstatic father waving it wildly and two of her nephews jumping up and down with glee. She ran to meet them and she was engulfed in hugs and happy exclamations of her name.
"Aunt Astrid! Aunt Astrid!" She laughed as she picked one of them up.
"We miss you, aunt Astrid!" Paul, now an 8 year old, looked up at her with large blue eyes and a beaming smile.
"Me too, Paul. Me too. And Michael look at you! The last I'm here you were only in diapers." Michael grinned. He looks so much like her sister. She glanced at her smiling father. It's not just Michael and Paul who has undergone a huge change. Her father's once slick brush-up hair is now looking rather dull and shaggy with gray streaks peeking. God, it's been four years. So many things have changed.
"Hey, dad." She went over to her father and they engulfed each other in a warm familial hug with Michael between them.
"Hey, my little firecracker. Ah, look at you. Look how you've grown. I've missed you." Her father has her now at as length giving her a once over. Well, not in a creepy and leering way.
"Well, come on. Let's continue this back at home. We don't want to keep your mother waiting." Her took her luggage and the boys led the way to the parking area. Astrid and her father kept an eye on them catching up on each other about her job and the happenings in Berk. Ruffnut already got hitch? That's a miracle on itself knowing her friends free spirited nature. Tuff got a job in a fabric factory. His experimentation with the different textures and patterns in the fabric kept him out of trouble. And Snotlout is the coach of Berk's High football team. Well that's completely predictable.
They entered the car and the siblings argued about who gets to sit shotgun. Astrid got to seat shotgun and the two were confined to the back. Astrid watched the snow covered buildings go by thinking of ways to curb her mother's would be sour mood.
/
"You know, walking around the neighborhood is kinda cool with you." Ruffnut adjusted the beanie on her head. Astrid kept eyeing her friend especially her rounded stomach. She's really nervous about Ruffnut's well-being. Wet ice is very slippery.
"Yeah, well, I still think we should've stayed back at your house. Fishlegs will pull his hair out worrying when he comes back from grocery shopping."
"Meh, I already texted him. I need to get some air. Stuffing my face and just sitting is making me crazy. I can't wait to get this thing out." She patted her stomach rather forcefully.
"Did you seriously just referred to your child as a thing? Shouldn't children be treated as a gift?" Astrid said incredulously glancing beside her friend. Ruffnut gave a derisive 'Ha!'
"You wouldn't be saying that when you're feet is swollen and you're fat. Speaking of fat, Wanna get some burgers? Because I do." Astrid just rolled her eyes.
"Johann's?" Astrid suggested their high school hangout.
"God yes! I haven't been there for ages. The fish soup with haddock is really good."
Haddock...
Ruffnut pivoted other heel and stopped Astrid with her arm. The latter glared at the former. She should really stop with the jerky movements.
"Let's cut through the park." Astrid stared at the west entrance of the park. It leads through the trees with their bare stripped of their leaves. Like arms stretching out to snag you. During winter, it's dark and looking rather ominous.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Ruff."
"Are you scared of trees now, Hofferson?" Ruffnut teased her a smirk forming on her lips.
"No, because you're pregnant. Snow could be covering protruding rocks just waiting for you to trip and fall. You could be injured or worse." She stared at the evidence of the growing life inside of Ruffnut. They don't know the gender yet. Fishlegs wanted it to be a surprise.
"Would you stop treating me like I'm some handicap. I'm just pregnant! I can talk care of myself even with this thing inside me. I'm eating for two. And right now I'm hungry!" Ruffnut marched on to the direction of the entrance and Astrid gave a sigh of defeat and followed her friend.
The park gave off an eerie atmosphere coupled with the gray sky. She let Ruffnut lead the way cause frankly, she forgot the shortcut.
Then the pathway became familiar. Too familiar...
The bench with a missing plank. That's where she and him ate strawberries.
A memory started to engulf Astrid. The day they marked that tree.
"Hiccup is this really necessary?"
"Yep, plus I already got the chisel from Gobber. Might as well do it now." Hiccup grabbed the hammer from his pocket and started hammering the chisel into the bark of the oak.
She watch him labor with his cheesy idea. Astrid refrain to offer any help. She sucked at woodwork.
It took him atleast forty-five minutes to complete it. He stepped back beaming and wiping the sweat from his brow. She stood up from the grass and stood beside him.
He successfully made a symmetrical heart.
"Harold + Astrid. You couldn't be more cliché?" She has to admit, it's beautiful and making her very giddy. How did he make the letters cursive?
"You know me, milady. Only the cheesiest and lamest things for you."
She stared at his forest green eyes and suddenly has the urge to reward this. And she did. She gave him a peck on the cheeks. He looks adorable with blushing cheeks and a pout. No doubt dissatisfied. She laughed and went to the tree and traced the lines with her hand. And he chose an oak. A strong tree withstanding many catastrophes-
"Hey! Earth to Astrid."
Astride snapped from her daydream. She looked at her gloved hands tracing the same cursive lines he carved years ago.
Ruffnut looked at her worriedly and glanced at the carvings of the bark.
"Wow, he did that huh? He's so cheesy."
"Yes, that he is." Astrid let her hand fall limp by her side. She plastered on a forceful smile and faced Ruffnut. Her friend is frowning. It's weird when Ruffnut is showing concern.
"Come on, aren't you hungry? Johann's is just in front of us."
They exited the park and walked towards the door of the establishment The gloomy atmosphere was replaced with warmth and mouthwatering smell of food. Ruffnut inhaled deeply and quickly ordered. Astrid went to a booth and watched her friend order a ton of food. She snickered at the cashiers face. This might turn up good.
/
"Michael, could you read the list? What's next in it?" Astrid pushed the cart and continued on to another lane. Grocery shopping. Great. Couldn't her mother had done this two weeks before Christmas? Her mother woke her up seven o'clock sharp and told her to take a shower. After drying and putting on a sweater and jeans, she shoved a mile long grocery list to her face.
And now she's here. Having a Go Kart battle with everyone on the store. Everything is going scarce. There's only three pear shaped hams left. She took all of them. She grabbed whatever spaghetti sauce packets she could get her hands on. Canned mushrooms, canned corns, canned assorted sliced fruits for fruit salads, apple syrup for the hams and so much more.
Michael is having the time of his life on the baby carrier. He'd go, "Faster, aunt Astrid." The little dare devil. Still not content with the speed that she's going. If her sister could see her now, she'll have a heart attack then tell her to never to go near her children ever again.
The last canned peach. Her sister wants them and it's the specific brand that she told her. And an idiot is approaching it no doubt having intentions of putting it in his cart. She build up momentum by running. She can see Michael beam at her already knowing what's about to happen. She hopped on the ledge of the cart and let Newton's third law of motion set in motion. She could see the guy's back walking in a normal pace. As she passed him, she leaned sideways and held out her hand. Closer. Closer! Yes!
She held her prize up in the air and applied her left foot to stop the movement of the cart. Michael is giggling and clapping his hands chanting, "Again! Again!"
She smiled and looked back at the man to apologize. Her eyes widened and she can feel her jaw hit the floor.
It's him. His russet hair is unkempt as always. His wearing a green coat, grey pants. And his forest green eyes mirrored her shock expression. Hiccup.
"A-astrid?" All this years, he still stutter.
She gave him a small wave. Then put her hand behind her ear. "Hey, Hiccup."
An awkward silence filled the air for a couple of seconds before Hiccup decided to break it. "So how are you?"
"Me? Oh good. Just, just home for the holidays."
"Oh, m-me too." Another silence filled the air between. She studied him. He'd grown taller. His shoulders are broader and his face more angular. More masculine. More handsome. And the four o'clock shadow on his jaw is making him more and more attractive.
"We're having a Chri-chirstmas party back at my place. Well I-I can't promise you that Snotlout won't be there."
"Sure why not."
She blushed crimson when he caught her looking. He started blushing too. Now they're both blushing. Astrid was about to speak again when she say the lady on the same isle quickly put her hand behind a row of cans and pulled making the cans fall on her cart loudly prompting Hiccup to glance behind him.
They both realize the reality of their situation. Damn it! Why do they have to meet in the middle of a grocery spree?
"So uhm, see you later then?"
"Yeah, catch you later." Astrid glanced back behind her at the retreating form of Hiccup. She just really wanna stay put and chat. But she has other things to do.
She got all the groceries, thank goodness. But she had a few kerfuffles along the way like the lady on the meat section. Her father loves bacon. The guy on the chocolate isle. Michael wants those! Then she survive the grueling wait on the check out. That teenager could use a lesson or two about attitude.
She put the groceries in the trunk of the car and seated Michael in front. He happily munched on the chocolates that, "aunt Astrid got from the man with a funny hair." It is a ridiculous perm. She started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
She never bumped into Hiccup again. Which is disappointing. She has so many questions to ask. What are you doing now?, Did you finally get Toothless to eat something other than tuna?, Do you have a girlfriend?, Have you forgotten about me? About us?
Astrid shook her head and listened to the radio. Mariah Carey is belting out her famous Christmas song. And Michaels singing along to it. Even though her voice are like two cats in heat fighting, she sang along too.
/
She stared up at the ceiling recounting
the days when Hiccup and her would go to the movies. He always gets the tickets and she the popcorn. He'd hold her hand in a death grip everytime they watch a horror movie.
A knock sounded from her door and her sister entered. Rounded belly six months into the pregnancy.
"Hey, lunch is ready. Mom sent me to get you."
"I'm not hungry." She pulled the covers up to her head and laid on her side. She heard her sister sigh and the clicking of the door. Then her mattresses dipped and she felt her sister's hand on her shoulder.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about, Karen."
"Oh I think, seeing your and having this reaction is a lot to talk about."
Astrid lowered the blanket up to her neck. "How did you-"
"Michael is very talkative. He got it from his father."
Astrid sighed and looked out the window. It's snowing again. Like the time Hiccup and her got caught in a snowstorm and have to take shelter in a convenient store. She can feel her heart pulsate painfully at each memory.
"Fine if you don't wanna talk about it, at least come down and eat. So you can at least delay the inevitable mom confrontation." She threw the covers and stood up.
"Fine"
/
"So let me get this straight, you knew that Hiccup is here and has been here for a week earlier than me. Why didn't you tell me?!" She's back at Ruffnut's place sitting and fuming on the living room sofa.
"Well, because I know you'd react like this and besides why do you care?" Ruffnut had her arms akimbo. Fishlegs is busy preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen. He's too afraid to let Ruffnut help. He say her down back in the living room to keep Astrid company. He left clubhouse sandwiches and freshly squeezed orange juice.
"I don't know." She said in a small voice. Why does she care?
"Rachel, I think I made a mistake." That got Ruffnut to pause. She only uses Ruffnut's name when she's being serious.
She continued. "I mean I think we could've made the long distance relationship work. Skype and Facebook is there. Why, why did I broke up with him?" Astrid feels really small. And depressed. And without integrity.
She heard Ruffnut sigh. "Look, I think this is a bad time to say this but I think you need to know-"
Loud knocks sounded from the door. Ruffnut stood up to get the door. A few seconds later, Tuffnut plonked beside her. Wow, out of all the people, he changed drastically. The once long hair with dread locks are now short and in a brush up like her father's. He's wearing a polo shirt underneath his sweater. Tuffnut and sweaters. She didn't think they belong in one sentence. Not unless if the sentence is 'Tuffnut burned the sweaters.'
He looked at her and his grey eyes quickly sparked with recognition. "Oh hey, Astrid. Good to see you."
She saw Ruffnut go up the stairs. "Ruff, don't forget the scarf!" Tuffnut shouted. In which Ruffnut replied, "yeah, yeah!"
"We're gonna build a snowman. You wanna join us? You look a little down. Is it because of the weather?" Like her sister, it's a little strange when he shows concern. He usually doesn't care about what happen around him.
She smiled sadly. "You wouldn't care."
She saw Tuffnut getting comfy leaning back on the sofa. He has a look that says go on. Wow, he really did change.
"Okay, what would you do when you broke up with someone and realized that you still love them after all this years?" He has his eyebrows raised.
"Is this about Hiccup?" She blushed. Is it that obvious? Does she have a neon light sign on her forehead that says, "Still in love with the Haddock kid."
"You know what I think you should do? You should go there and tell him what you feel!" She felt surprised at his outburst. Then she shook her head.
"It's not that easy, Tuff." She felt Tuffnut grab her shoulders.
"Of course it's that easy! Would you let fear get in the way of your happiness? Would you let yourself be content with what ifs? No, that's not the Astrid that I know!"
He's shaking her right now. But his right. "You know what? I'm gonna do it!" She got up and went to open the door. "Thanks for the pep talk, Tuff!" She called behind her before she went on her way.
Back on the sofa, Tuffnut felt very proud and proceeded to reward himself with sandwiches on the coffee table. He poured himself some orange juice too.
What's taking his sister so long? It's not that hard to find a scarf and a hat. After twenty minutes or more, he counted, his sister went down the stairs holding said items.
"So, all that's left is the carrot and the coals. Where's Astrid?" She looked around the living eyes landing on her brother. He sat up proudly with a smug smile in place.
"I told her to follow her heart. You can't stop love, sis!" Ruffnut's eyes grew wide with horror. She looked at her brother like he'd grown two heads.
"What have you done?!" She screeched. Fishlegs came running from the kitchen with a worried expression. "What's going on?"
Ruffnut ignored her husband. "Do you remember last week when we met Hiccup?"
"Yeah, there was- oh! Oh." He ended with a small voice. Ruffnut rolled her eyes at her brother's short term memory.
"Yeah, oh! You dumbass! What were you thinking?!" Ruffnut patted Fishleg's pockets.
"Where are the keys to the car?"
"Now, honey let's be reasonable-"
"Give me the goddamn keys to the car!" Fishlegs quickly handed it to her not wanting to risk his wife's wrath. She threw it on Tuffnut's face.
"Get your ass out of the sofa. You're driving." Tuffnut quickly stood up and went to his sister's garage. She can be scary if she wants to.
/
Astrid arrived on the mayor's house on 6:00. She rang the doorbell and Snotlout answered it. He's wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.
"Oh hey, Astrid. Say you wanna-"
She barreled pass him looking around for the love of her life. There he is, talking to his father. She felt pride and love swell in her chest. From the looks of things, he already settled his differences with his father.
She walked towards him in measured steps. Her heart beating at a very fast rate. Every step feels like a step towards freedom and happiness. He finally saw her and waved. She waved back and quickened her step. Why would she delay the inevitable?
"Hey, you came. I'm so glad." He was beaming so bright she thinks that he'll explode with happiness. Is he feeling it too?
"Yep, here I am." This is it. Finally.
"Harold!" A woman wearing a red sweater came up to him and hugged him. Astrid can feel the bite of jealousy. The woman has long white hair (that's gotta be fake), and blue eyes (she really wanna scratch them out).
He has his arms around her. Is she missing something here.
"Oh hey, Astrid, meet my fiancée, Jacqueline." Fiancee?
Hello, nice to meet you!" Jacqueline held out her hand. Fiancée. Astrid shook her hand. She feels really numb. Fiancée.
She didn't register the following events. She's on the sofa. Snotlout is bragging. Ruffnut pulled her out of the party. Tuffnut lending her his coat. The twins apologizing and Tuffnut won't stop apologizing. Fiancée. He's already getting married.
Tuffnut pulled up outside her house. Fiancee. Christmas dinner. Her family laughing. Is she laughing? There's nothing to laugh about. Fiance.
She's lying in her bed. Fiancée. Late it's too late. Years too late. She felt something wet on her cheeks. Tears. The dam broke. She dampen her cries of agony using her pillows. It's 12:00. Merry Christmas. She's still crying. It won't stop. Hiccup. Hiccup. Hiccup.
AN: So that was weak. Thanks for reading. Leave reviews and constructive criticism. Belated Merry Christmas! Till next time.