I don't actually know where this came from. I just really wanted to write something deep and fluffy so I picked a pairing and went with it. This is set sometime early in Hiccup's time as chief, but not immediately. No less than six months after the second film and no more than two years after it. Anyways, I just love sentimental Astrid in HTTYD2, so I'm feeding off that while hopefully keeping her in character. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Da da da da da da I don't own these characters da da da da da
Astrid stared in a confused awe at the sight before her. Hiccup was twirling. Not only was he twirling, though, he also had tears streaming down the sides of his unshaven face. She hadn't been there long and couldn't decide if she should interrupt to make sure he's okay or pretend she hadn't seen anything and quietly leave. She decided on the former and slowly made her way to him, "Hiccup?"
She pretended not to notice the way his shoulders flinched at the sound of his name. "A-Astrid, hey, I didn't realize you were here," he said, clearly pretending to be unfazed by her appearance.
"I can leave if you want me to," she offered, "I was looking for you and noticed that you're crying…I wanted to make sure you're okay…"
Hiccup stared at her in confusion, reaching his hand to touch his face. He flinched again when his fingers were met his skin, presumably due to the moisture he found, "I hadn't realized I was crying…" Astrid realized that she had intruded on a sacred moment, so she turned to leave. "Don't leave, Astrid," he called after her. She turned to face him again. "Please, stay with me, I need you…" He leaned on a nearby rock and slowly slid down the side of it. His body started to shake and Astrid found herself sitting beside him before she even knew what was happening. His face was in his hands as sobs wracked his body and Astrid, pulled his torso into her lap, silently allowing him to cry.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only ten minutes, Astrid took in a sharp breath, "Can you tell me what's wrong?"
She felt his head shaking on her lap and heard a faint whisper, "Not yet."
"Alright," she said. Astrid knew Hiccup wasn't typically one for silence and she figured the silence had gone on long enough, so she continued, "You're doing a wonderful job, Hiccup. Despite everything, you've been able to do so much to help this tribe…to help me…when really I should be the one helping you…" she trailed off to allow Hiccup to say something if he chose to. He didn't. "I wish I could do more for you," she said, braiding yet another section of his soft hair, "but you're the stable one in this relationship, Hiccup. You're my rock. I don't thank you enough for that—"
"You do help," Hiccup interrupted. He slowly sat up to avoid messing up Astrid's braid. She smiled softly at him, hoping he would continue, if only to figure out what brought him to this state today. "You're always here to knock the sense into me…or to just be here and encourage me. It all depends on what I need. You always seem to know what I need…You are always what I need," he told her, "I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you."
Astrid had finished tying off the braid moments before Hiccup's confession and suddenly went completely still. Hiccup turned to look at her rigid form and gently brushed some hair out of her eyes. Her entire body felt like fuzz as she attempted to process Hiccup's words, "You wouldn't?" she squeaked out.
"Of course not. If anyone isn't thanking someone enough, it's me not thanking you, Astrid."
"What was wrong, Hiccup?" she asked suddenly. As much as she loved the direction this conversation was heading, she knew Hiccup was stalling, which would only hurt him later. She knew she had to get it out of him.
He sighed, "It's a lot of pressure. I miss…I miss my dad and I miss everything about my life before I was chief."
"Hiccup," Astrid breathed out, surprising herself that she had spoken.
"I mean, I don't miss not having mom, not at all, but I miss having unlimited time to go out on adventures with Toothless. I miss that freedom and not having the entire tribe depending on my availability and looking to me for advice and why is it my job to make the final decision on naming the babies of the tribe?" Astrid couldn't hold in her chuckle at that. "And more than anything, I miss being able to spend hours with you."
Astrid smiled, placing her hand on Hiccups cheek, "I miss that too, but I'm also really proud of you… Why were you dancing?"
"I was humming my parents' song and dancing to that," he admitted sheepishly.
"Was that your way of trying to cheer yourself up?"
"Yes…" he admitted with a grimace.
Astrid considered admonishing him for not coming to her, but it was just so…adorable. She knew he needed to process his grief in his own way, so she smiled, "That's really sweet, Hiccup."
"Wait, you're not going to punch me or yell at me for not coming to you about this?"
"No…not this time," she said slowly, "I know you need to process this in your own way and…using your parents' song is adorable."
She saw the blush rising on his cheeks, "I was going to come to you, y'know. I just didn't want to bother you…"
Astrid drew back her arm for a punch, but laid it back down, "I'm only not punching you for that because I said I wouldn't punch you this time, but Hiccup, you'll never bother me. Especially when you need me. I'll always, always be here for you. You know that, don't you?"
He smiled at her, "Of course I do, Astrid, I just…" he trailed off sadly.
"What is it, Hiccup?"
"So many of the things that get me so frustrated are questions I wish I could have asked my dad," he admitted, "it's not that talking them through with you doesn't help—"
"It just isn't what you really want," Astrid finished for him, "Don't try to deny it because you just said you wish you could ask your dad. And he would be able to help more than me. I get that." She kissed his cheek, "You are an incredible chief, but more importantly, you are an incredible man. I am so proud of you and I know your dad would be too. I wish I could do something that could make him be here with you, but since I can't, I will continue to do whatever I can to help you become the strong chief you want to be."
"Thank you, Astrid, and back to what I was saying earlier," Hiccup cut in with a smug, but still somehow sweet, grin, "You are amazing."
Astrid felt heat rise to her cheeks, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied.
"Are you feeling better than you were before?"
Hiccup smirked and pulled her close to him by the waist, "Absolutely. Thank you." And with that he pulled Astrid into a kiss. She wasn't quite sure how long they sat there, going back and forth between kissing and talking, but by the time they walked back to the village, it was dark. When asked where he had been, Astrid cut in and said, "I just needed to thank the chief for something."
So there it is. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. As I said, I just love Astrid in the second film. I know a decent bit about the grieving process, so I think my timeline for when this happened works realistically, because even when he's fifty, Hiccup will probably find something he wishes he can ask Stoick about being chief and within the first two years it probably happened daily. Please review ~Lyddie