Part 4
Hiccup awoke in his own house and in his own bed four days later. His father and Astrid were gathered at his bedside. The first thing Astrid [who was sat on his bed next to him] did was burst into tears of sheer relief then kiss him with the feeling of someone who had genuinely thought the love of their life was dead. He kissed her back, and his hand shot onto the back of her neck, pulling her closer. He wanted to enjoy this moment. When they finally broke away they gazed into each others eyes, forehead to forehead, and he said, "Thank you, milady." With a smile.
Astrid smiled through her tears. "No problem." Then she turned serious as she moved back. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, never scare me like that again! I thought you were dead..."
Hiccup smiled again. "Well, I'm not dead. What even happened?" he was confused.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Stoick asked. He was sat a little further back, he had been contemplating how cute his son and Astrid were.
"Ummm, flames?" Hiccup was unsure.
"Yep. Your good leg caught fire." Stoick explained and Hiccup lifted the thin cover on his bed to see that his right leg was bandaged from his ankle to his knee. He suddenly realised how much it hurt. But it wasn't the pain he was used to. It was a more burning pain, as if his leg was still on fire. He grimaced at the pain, and was a little shocked.
"So basically, I almost lost my other leg?"
"Yep. It was horrible. I stayed with you the entire time, and when Gothi ripped off the burnt trouser leg from the ankle to the knee your leg was burnt red raw and there was peeling skin and urgh, it was awful." Astrid said, shaking her head in disgust at the memory.
"How long was I out?" Hiccup asked, not directing his question at either of them in particular, but it was Astrid who answered.
"Four days." she said and her voice was choked. "We all thought you were..." she started but then she just burst into tears again.
"Dead, I know." Hiccup finished her sentence for her, then put his arm out. Astrid took the offer for a hug and she lay her head on his chest, where she could hear his steady heartbeat through his thin tunic. He soothingly stroked the top of her head and kissed her forehead. "Hey, ssshh, it's okay, I'm very much alive and I'm not going anywhere any time soon." he whispered in a soothing voice.
"I'll leave you." Stoick said and got up.
"Thanks, dad." Hiccup smiled.
Stoick was safe in the knowledge that his son was awake so he left to do his Chiefing. As soon as he left the room, Toothless, who Hiccup just noticed was asleep in his usual spot, woke up and bounded over to his master.
"Hey, bud." he said and with his free hand he touched Toothless' nose. "No flying in the near future, sorry buddy." he added, indicating his bandaged leg, which still felt like it was burning. Toothless looked a little disappointed but he was happy to see his master was still alive. They then heard cheering outside. Stoick had obviously told the village he was awake.
Astrid raised her head. "I almost killed Snotlout after that..."
"It's alright, so did I." Hiccup laughed at his own joke. "I don't know what came over me though..."
"You were protecting me. Which I guess was rather sweet, although I don't really need protecting. But you totally ignored my pleas for you to stop!"
"I could barely hear them, Astrid. I now get what they mean by the saying 'Seeing red.'"
"You did give him a broken nose." Astrid was laughing now.
"Did I?"
"Yep. His nose is crooked, it's quite hilarious, actually." Then she looked at his face properly for the first time. "Oh my Gods, your eye!"
"Oh yeah, could you pass me that mirror?" Hiccup asked, he wanted to know what his eye looked like. When she handed him the mirror he glanced at his right eye, which he'd just realized had a squint. The skin around the eye was black and purple and bruised, and was excruciatingly painful to the touch. "Woah. That is what you call a black eye." he was genuinely shocked by the size of the bruise.
Astrid put one finger ever so slightly on the bruise and Hiccup winced in pain. "Ow. Please don't do that."
"Sorry. That was the result of Snotlout's retaliation."
"I guessed. Oh well, I broke his nose." Hiccup smiled at the memory, then he yawned. "Oh my Gods, I'm suddenly super tired."
"You've only just woken up!"
"That was different, I was in a coma."
"Fine, I'll leave you to sleep." Astrid got up and walked to the door. When she got to the door she turned to him and said, "Love you."
"Love you too." he replied and then fell asleep with a smile, it was amazing loving someone so much your heart could burst.
And I think that's where I'll leave this story. I can't think of anything else to write in it! Hope you enjoyed!:-)
