PROPOSAL DAY IS HEEEEERRRREEEE! GAH This chapter could not have turned out more perfect! Aaaand 13 amazing pages ;D I won't keep you guys; enjoy!
P.S. This is one of two parts… Enjoy!
Chapter 9: The Trail
Astrid walked through the village the next morning with a big smile—nearly a dozen people had already bid her a happy birthday when she left her house. Everyone was all smiles when they saw her. It was like everyone knew something she didn't.
She jogged up the steps to the Great Hall to join her friends for breakfast. They were all sitting at a different table than usual, which she thought was odd. They sat up on one of the platform tables that Stoick would usually sit at with the Chief's advisors and council.
Each of their faces brightened when she approached the table. Ruff and Tuff smirked a little at each other as Hiccup hopped up from his seat with a massive excited grin on his face.
"Happy birthday, beautiful!" He gave her a small kiss on the lips, completely catching her off guard. He rarely kissed her in public—all the time when they were alone and public figures would frequently barge in, but never purposefully in front of people.
"Well thank you, handsome," She smiled at him. His hair looked slightly damp at the edges, meaning he had washed it that morning, which would explain why he smelled so good. She didn't know what he washed his hair with, but it smelled amazing. "What're you so excited about?"
Hiccup ushered her to sit down at the table beside Fishlegs, who happened to be grinning almost as widely as Hiccup. "What is going on?" Astrid asked again, looking up at Hiccup suspiciously.
Hiccup's smile only grew. He looked up, and she noticed his slight wink at her father and Stoick sitting together on the other side of the room. Her brow furrowed at how weird he was acting. If she didn't know any better, she might think he was drunk! Odin help her if that ever happened; he was clumsy to begin with. There would be no desire on her part to add alcohol to the mix!
Hiccup turned back to her as he pulled a piece of paper out of his belt. He held it up in front of her and she looked at it quizzically. "You're not allowed to open this until you eat breakfast first."
"What? Why? That's not fair."
"Because today is your day and you're going to be moving all day long." Hiccup smirked.
"Ohh so you've got something planned?" She quirked an eyebrow.
Hiccup breathed a laugh. "Oh I always have something planned." He slid the paper in front of her tauntingly, kissed her forehead and turned to walk away. "Confession number one."
Astrid stared at his back confusedly. Then she stared at the paper. It was neatly folded and held together in Hiccup's seal—one of his newest chiefly acquirements that he had to start using. She reached for the paper and all her friends stiffened or said, "No."
Astrid glared at them all. "Why?"
"He said to eat first."
"Since when do you guys follow any of his instructions?"
"He didn't give us those instructions. We could read that paper as you eat breakfast if we wanted to." Fishlegs replied.
"But luckily for us and unfortunately for you, we already know what it says." Snotlout took a sip of his morning mead. "Gosh, that's gotta be torturous! You should get eating-"
Astrid was out of her seat in seconds to get her breakfast. She muttered under her breath at their incompetence and the annoying torture her boyfriend just had to put her through. Her father stood beside her suddenly in line as he too grabbed a plate. "Get plenty, dear."
"Dad, come on, not you too!" Astrid whined.
He smiled at her small amount of food on her plate. "We all know you want to open that paper, but Hiccup doesn't want you to be hungry in two hours. Eat plenty because the next time you eat will be late afternoon."
Astrid narrowed her eyes at her father. "So you know all that he has planned?"
"Oh he may have filled me in," Olaf said vaguely. "Now get more food on that plate. The confession is waiting."
Astrid scowled at his back as he walked away. "Confession…" she mused. What did both men mean by confession? A confession of what?
She sat down beside Fishlegs again and began eating her food probably a little bit faster than necessary. She didn't scarf it down like a complete pig, but pretty close.
Snotlout snickered. "We're not going to take the paper away from you."
Astrid glared at him. "I've been trying to figure out this secret for the past month. The day finally comes and he still makes me wait!"
"This is Hiccup we're talking about," Fishlegs patted her back. "You're in good hands."
Astrid ignored all other conversation as she ate the rest of her ham, eggs and biscuit. She glared at the paper the entire time until FINALLY her plate was empty. She snatched the plate up with her mouth still full.
"You should swallow." Tuffnut smirked. "OW!" He yelped when Astrid's foot collided with his leg under the table.
Astrid broke the seal and a small paper slid out from the bigger note. The small square read, "Did you get anything to drink?"
"GAH!" Astrid growled out loud. "Hiccup, seriously!?"
She stood up and stomped over to the barrels of water. She tried to ignore her friends' uproarious laughter; she may have even heard her father's and Stoick's in there somewhere. She stomped back over with a full mug and slammed it down on the table. Now Hiccup was just being annoying.
"I'll drink it in a minute." She growled as she opened the note, not waiting a minute longer and not caring who said what. She wished Hiccup were here so she could slap him.
She slowed her breathing as her fingers finally opened the note. At the top of the paper, Hiccup's left-handed handwriting had scrawled, "Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number One", and the center of the note read:
It was at this table that I first saw you. We were three, your hair was in two braids instead of one and I noticed your beautiful blue eyes even from across the room. From then on I needed no convincing, and I haven't needed it since—you are the most beautiful girl on Berk.
I love you.
~HHH3
You'll find my next Confession at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Great Hall.
Astrid blinked and reread the note again. Wait… she looked around. They were sitting on the platform. So if he was three when he saw her for the first time, he had to have been sitting… right here. She blinked in surprise. "Wow… this is… wait." She turned to her friends, who were grinning. "Next confession?"
Ruffnut rolled her eyes but couldn't wipe off her smile. "Astrid, just follow the instructions. You're the queen of that. Just go where he tells you."
Astrid made a move to stand when Snotlout pointed at her mug. "Drink your water." She pursed her lips and chugged the drink halfway. She'd find more when she needed it; how long would this really last? Surely they were exaggerating things. She walked around the table and poured the rest of the cold water down Snotlout's shirt.
"Wow, really?"
"Yup. I'll see you guys later." Astrid nearly trotted out of the Great Hall in anticipation. What did he leave at the bottom of the stairs?
Tuffnut sent a victory fist toward Stoick and Olaf, who both nodded with smiles. "Here we go," Stoick smiled.
"The happiest day of my daughter's life has officially started." Olaf nodded as Astrid walked out the door.
"That it has. That it has."
Xxx
Astrid ran down the steps two at a time, her excitement mounting as she descended. She reached the bottom and found there, lying in the dirt just beyond the last step, another folded note. She picked it up and looked around, wondering if she'd see Hiccup anywhere. He was nowhere in sight.
She shrugged and tore open the note, wondering what this one would say. Her brow furrowed when she read:
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number Two:
The same day I saw you for the first time, I ran down the stairs to try to meet you. I got pushed in the dirt by a bully before a certain beautiful blonde stood up for me and picked me up out of the dirt. It was at that moment that I wanted to be your friend.
I love you.
~HHH3
You'll find my next confession in front of your house.
Astrid tried to remember the first time she met Hiccup. It was all a blur since she had known him for so long… Though she did vaguely remember yelling at Snotlout for spitting dirt out everywhere and getting some on her skirt, and he had asked if Hiccup had tagged along. Something about her being crazy for being nice to him… or something.
She reread the note and smiled. How many confessions did he make for her? What else had he planned for today other than these notes? If he was that excited and if he had to surely bribe so many people not to spoil the surprise, then surely he had more up his sleeve. She tucked the note underneath the first to keep them in order and made the short trek to her house.
The third confession was leaned against a wooden post beside their family's porch steps. Astrid eagerly opened it and read:
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number Three:
The plan as an 8-year-old was to apologize for the Terrible Terror bite on your right arm. I felt so awful about that to the point I couldn't sleep at night. But I was determined to make you feel better with some flowers. However, the spider, that disgusting vermin of Loki's lair had other plans, and I only pushed you farther away.
But I never gave up on you. I would never give up on someone so amazing.
I love you.
~HHH3
You'll find my next confession at the western beach.
Up to this point, number three made her heart melt the most. Her parents had recently reminded her of that incident. Hiccup really had come a long way… but hopefully she still had time to destroy his ridiculous fear of spiders. She placed confession three under the pile and turned away before a familiar voice called to her.
"Astrid, wait!"
"Ruff?" She asked when she turned around.
The blonde huffed for a moment, clearly out of breath. "Hiccup wanted me to tell you to go to your room next, then go to the next one."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Umm… okay." She walked up her porch steps as Ruffnut dashed off, clearly not sticking around. Astrid shrugged. She'd never understand the young woman, so she never did ask questions.
A small note was sitting on her bedside table, but mysteriously, there was no seal. She thought this was weird, knowing that Hiccup was a little obsessive in the continuity department. Why would he seal some and not others?
She shrugged and read the note, which remained un-numbered:
Sometimes I watch you sleep at night from your window. Your gorgeous flowing locks cascading across your pillow, the moonlight catching the curves of your face… you're gorgeous, baby.
~HHH3
Astrid raised an eyebrow and snorted. If Hiccup ever watched her sleeping from her window, so help her, she would slap him. That was just awkward. She wondered about the legitimacy of the note, but made a mental note to close and lock her window at night from now on.
"Okay, so… the western beach," She mused as she clomped down the stairs and out the door. What had they ever done at the western beach? She was starting to get the feel for the notes—they were special memories of his before they started dating, or even before being friends. And if her intuition was correct, he'd have more recent notes laid out for later in the day.
It was a ten minute walk, but Astrid finally made it to the western beach. It was a little more secluded than other beaches near the village, which really made her wonder what his note would say. A few dunes still remained from those few weeks ago when she and her friends had had to dig out Barf and Belch. She rolled her eyes at the memory as she scanned the area for the note.
She was surprised to find Stoick standing on the beach a few yards down. Astrid walked over to him and he turned at her approaching footsteps. "How is it going?"
"Oh ya know," Astrid rolled her eyes but her smile was unmistakable. She held the notes tighter. "He's cryptic as always."
Stoick smirked and pulled another confession out of his belt. "Confession number four."
"Four?" Astrid asked as she took it. "Wouldn't it be number five?"
Stoick blinked in confusion. "Ah that's just what he told me to say."
"Hmm…" Astrid hummed as she opened the seal.
"I'll leave you to it. Have fun and happy birthday." Stoick patted her shoulder and walked off.
It was a few seconds later, but Astrid quickly turned. "Oh, thank you Stoick!" She looked back at the note, shocked at the content of this one. It wasn't what she had expected…
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number 4:
Your new axe was stuck in the ice, thrown there by a bully. The only one stupid enough to retrieve it was me. I nearly died getting it for you, but the thanks in your eyes made it worth it.
I love you.
~HHH3
My next confession will be found in Gobber's forge.
Guilt pinched Astrid's stomach at the memory of that day. When she read it again, she felt like she was thrown back in time as if being forced to relive it.
They were ten. Her Uncle Fearless Finn had just gotten his niece a new axe for Snoggletog and she carried it around everywhere she went. One bitter cold morning, Astrid joined Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff, and a tag-along Hiccup to take a walk through the village.
The walk had taken them to the western beach, where a group of 13 and 14-year-olds were gathered. One particular boy, who had a knack for being mean to younger kids began to push them all around, starting with Hiccup. She remembered being angry at him for always pushing people around; so angry was she in fact that she nearly cut off his toes with her axe!
The brutish boy shoved her to the ground in anger, ripped her axe from her hands and threw it onto the ice twenty feet out. The younger kids stared in horror at the action, the axe blade sticking straight into the ice with a dull crack.
Astrid remembered nearly tackling the boy into the snow in her anger. Maybe if she had been paying attention, or if anyone had ever paid any attention to him at all, they could have stopped him.
But no one saw the acutely small heir of the tribe walk steadily onto the ice until he was trying with all his might to pull out the axe.
"Hiccup, stop being an idiot!" Snotlout had yelled at him with the older kids. She remembered being frozen in shock. Why had he gone out there?
"Unless you want to be stupid enough to come out here and stop me, I'm getting Astrid's axe!" The small boy had yelled back.
Astrid remembered those next moments distinctly.
Hiccup finally yanked the axe out of the ice. He turned to walk away from the crack. He took one step toward the shore…
And the ice broke.
The voices of their screams, the older kids charging back to the village to get the adults, any adults, the shock of the icy waters lapping at the crater in the ice… those memories were burned into her mind's eye.
He was lucky. He shouldn't have lived. But he shot back through that hole and onto the ice like a seal, shaking and struggling to breathe.
The yelling adults could be heard running down the hill, Stoick's voice loudest among them. But how Hiccup had managed to pull himself out of the water, and drag himself away from the hole never ceased to amaze her.
It had taken precious time that he didn't have, but when he was finally in Stoick's arms, he was blue, his clothes frozen and his breathing ragged and shallow. Stoick had wrapped his cloak around his son and began to pick him up, but Hiccup croaked, "Wait."
He held his left hand out towards Astrid—it was still holding the axe. Olaf ushered her forward, and she slowly took it. She remembered her fingers brushing his and feeling panicked for a moment. No one should feel that cold. It wasn't natural.
But he did this to himself! He had been reckless, stupid! Granted she wanted her axe back, but he shouldn't have been so stupid!
But as she stared into his green eyes at that moment, when she pulled her axe back into her possession, she murmured, "Thank you."
And as Stoick carried him away, she swore that she had never before seen him look so happy.
Astrid blinked back to reality. She realized she was still standing on the beach, the note slightly crinkled in her tense fingers. She smoothed out the wrinkles slowly. Eleven years… that had happened eleven years ago. And she was just now discovering why he had gotten her axe back.
Because he couldn't stand seeing her unhappy face… and even at ten, he was willing to sacrifice in order to make her happy.
A happy smile came to her face and she had to honestly force her eyes not to well up. "No no, none of that," She chided herself. She read Hiccup's instructions on where to find the next note, and looked out to the horizon.
She took a moment to breathe the salty air and silently thank the gods for such an amazing person in her life.
Xxx
"Man, she's already headed for number five!" Hiccup exclaimed as he left the forge, his father on his heels.
"Yes, but she's confused about the numbers," Stoick scratched under his helmet. "Frankly so am I."
"What's so confusing?" Hiccup raised a brow. "I just numbered them in order for future notice."
"Well," Stoick began, unsure. "When I said Confession number four like you instructed, she asked, 'you mean number five?' Sure enough, she already had four in her hands."
Hiccup stopped walking and looked at him with a deeply furrowed brow. "Did she say where she got it?"
"No."
Hiccup frowned, looking away. "Something stinks around here. And it's not the fish."
"Better keep an eye out then."
"I'm going to sick Toothless on whoever is messing around."
Stoick chuckled, "Come on, no one is going to spoil the ending. Now you better go before she catches up to you."
Hiccup smiled and picked up his pace again. "Oh don't you worry. She won't."
Xxx
Astrid's eyes scanned the forge five minutes later, hungrily searching for her next target: confession number five. A certain burly blonde with a long braided mustache waltzed in from the back room and threw her a greeting. "Hey there, Astrid!"
"Hey Gobber," She smiled distractedly, searching the work tables.
Gobber smirked. "Lookin' for his note, eh? It's over there."
Astrid followed his hooked arm to the shop window where confession number five lay. She skipped over to it and eagerly tore it open, surprising Gobber with her excitement.
"I don't think I've ever seen you so… girly."
Astrid stopped in the middle of reading a sentence to scowl at him. He gulped and shuffled away to hammer on a sword and she returned to the fifth confession:
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number Five:
Six years ago, the same night I shot down Toothless, I witnessed a fireball bathe the most beautiful girl on Berk in a euphoric light, and it was all I could do to not go crazy then and there.
But I suppose I still went a little crazy in the end, didn't I?
I love you.
~HHH3
My next confession can be found in front of my house near the stairs.
Gobber peered over her shoulder and she allowed him to read it. "Did this really happen?"
"Ha! Sure did," Gobber smirked, thumbing his nose. "I had to drag him back in so he wouldn't run after you."
"Oh come on, he wasn't that bad." Astrid waved an arm. She tucked the fifth note under the others and paused. "Was he?"
"Pretty close."
Astrid breathed a laugh. "I had no idea he was so…"
"Lovesick? He used that word for a reason, ya know."
"I guess so. Alright, well I'm off to his house next. See you later!"
Gobber watched her run out of his shop toward the Haddock house. He had to smile as he remembered the days when Hiccup would stare at Astrid from the forge and he always had to thunk him on the head to get him to focus on the task at hand. It was a wonder he still had all his limbs- erm, well his two hands at any rate.
Astrid gazed up at the sun, realizing it was nearly noon already. She wasn't hungry at all with all the excitement and she had more than usual for breakfast; suddenly she was super thankful that Hiccup had made her stop and eat before getting started. His thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze her.
Even though it was beyond annoying at the time.
She reached the top of the stairs and easily found the next note. The wind tousled her bangs as she read:
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number Six:
I stood here at this exact spot when you kissed me for the first time. I still have no idea how I was able to talk afterwards, but I swear that in that moment you completely blew me away. I'd even go so far as to say that I haven't completely recovered since that day. No matter what happens, you will always have me by your side.
I love you.
~HHH3
My next confession will be found on my desk.
Astrid felt her heart warm up at this note, but she wasted no time in placing it under the others. Why did she feel like the more notes she read, the more emotional she felt? Gods, if he made her cry…
She entered the Haddock house without knocking, but it was empty. The noonday light spilled inside, lighting up the interior. She closed the door with her foot before running up the steps to Hiccup's loft room. Confession number seven was at the center of his desk alongside some other papers, which were surprisingly stacked in a neat pile on the edge of the desk. As she further looked through his room, she was surprised to find it very clean. Not that he was usually messy, but he was a guy—some form of uncleanliness was expected. But even the floor looked like it had been swept.
She could get used to this.
Astrid chuckled to herself as she sat down on Hiccup's stool and tore open the note.
Confessions of a Lovesick Viking Number Seven:
You insisted on helping me home after a crash on Toothless hurt my left leg. I was selfish and didn't want you to stay. But because I let you help me, I have since never felt more supported or more loved.
I love you.
~HHH3
You will find my next confession on your bedside table.
She remembered that day. They were seventeen when it happened. Stoick had been gone on a trip those few days and she had wanted Hiccup to go to the healer's, but he was being a stubborn oaf—he had resorted to lying on the ground limp as a rag doll in order to not go to the healer's. She rolled her eyes at that portion of the memory. He was such an idiot at times.
So she had taken him home instead. She made him sit at the kitchen table while she got ice, but when she came back with it and he was still sitting there with his prosthetic on and pant leg rolled down, she had frowned at him.
"Are you going to let me ice it?"
"I can do it when you're gone." Hiccup winced at the hurt in her eyes.
Astrid tried not to sound annoyed with him. "It's either me or the healer."
Hiccup huffed and looked away awkwardly. Why was he acting so… uncomfortable? "You've… you've never seen it without the prosthetic. You don't want to." He avoided eye contact as he spoke.
Astrid furrowed her brow, not accusingly, but in confusion. He was right; she hadn't ever seen his leg, but it had been two years… it couldn't still look that bad, could it? But if he was this uncomfortable about it, then she would have to tread lightly.
"Hey," She stepped toward him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. His eyes met hers nervously. "I'm not going to hurt you or make fun of you. I just want to help. Let me help you."
Hiccup swallowed slowly before lightly nodding. He reached down and unclipped the prosthetic with shaky fingers—she couldn't believe how nervous he was. Had no one ever seen it before?
He set the prosthetic beside him on the table and shakily sighed, staring at his leg. She brushed a hand on his arm, surprised at how uncomfortable he felt. "It's… it still hurts sometimes, so just be careful."
He made a move to pull up his pant leg, but Astrid tilted his chin toward her. "Always," she gently whispered.
He had stared at her for a moment before turning back to his leg with less nervous movements. When he rolled the leg up over his knee and the stump was exposed, she nearly gasped at the bruise forming on the outside. He really had hit it hard on that tree.
She found that she couldn't stop looking at it, which only made his ears and neck burn. It was strange to see a limb missing its bottom half, but his leg had healed remarkably in the past two years. The skin where the prosthetic attached was red and inflamed, especially around the incision scars. It had to hurt constantly.
But he never complained.
"It's bad, isn't it?" Hiccup whispered rhetorically as his girlfriend continued to gape at his bum leg.
Astrid looked back at him and, gripping the ice bag, shook her head. "No. I've seen much worse. You carry it well." She lightly pressed the ice bag to the bottom of his remaining leg, and he jerked, hands squeezing the edge of the table.
She watched his expression from her position on the floor, but he didn't make eye contact. It hit her how he had no one to talk to about his leg; had he ever talked about it? Surely he could talk to Gobber or Mulch… but they were older and Hiccup wasn't one to talk about how he felt. It had been two years… surely if anyone had ever seen it or talked to him about it, he wouldn't be feeling this awkward?
Or maybe it was just her. Maybe this was the last thing he ever wanted her to see. His scar of all scars, his biggest weakness at the hand of an enemy—it couldn't be easy.
Her eyes dropped back down to the stump, glad to notice that some of the swelling was going down. He probably was supposed to ice it often, but knowing Hiccup he probably never did. She gently removed her left hand from the ice pack and rested her fingertips on the incision.
He stiffened as her cold fingertips traced the scars. "What are you doing?" He whispered.
Astrid didn't reply. She didn't define him by his leg—it was a weakness, but he wasn't weak. And he needed to know that. She gently rested her lips against the worn, inflamed skin, lifting her eyes to his as she did so.
His eyes were wide, full of shock. She kissed his leg again and rested her cold left hand against it. "I could never think that you're weak, Hiccup," she whispered back. "This is only one part of you that proves just the opposite."
What happened next was so sudden and unexpected that she would never forget it. He blinked…
And a small tear streaked down his face.
Astrid had never in her life, not in all the years of being bullied, cast down, emotionally abused, heck even with the pain he went through every day with his leg, never had she seen Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third cry.
And seeing him cry now put a dagger through her heart.
"Hiccup…" she whispered, setting the ice bag down and standing to hold him. They wrapped their arms around each other, a few more tears falling down his face. "I'm sorry…" she whispered over and over. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to upset you."
"Are you kidding?" Hiccup sniffed and sat up. She hated how his face reddened when he cried, but the small smile on his face was unmistakable. He tried to say something but looked down when his throat constricted from emotion.
"Shh, it's okay; tell me." Astrid wiped the offensive tears off his handsome face with her thumbs.
Hiccup sniffed loudly and looked back up at her. "I've… I've never felt more loved by anyone."
Astrid's eyebrows furrowed in a sad frown and she rested her hands under his jaw. "Oh Hiccup…" she whispered. She pressed her lips to his in a warm kiss, and he hugged her closer to his chest. She felt more droplets wet her hands and she swiped her thumbs across his cheeks again.
She pulled away from the kiss and he buried his face in her shoulder. Astrid could hardly believe what was happening—once he started, he couldn't seem to stop. He had apparently mastered the silent cry years ago because he rarely made a noise, but she could feel her shoulder get wetter.
It was then that Astrid realized how much he didn't feel loved; how much support he really, truly needed when he was so good at handing it out to everyone else; how much pain he hid from everyone under a mask of innocence.
And it was then that she had made the decision: from then on, he would be supported; his pain would be her pain; and most of all, he would be loved.
This chapter ended so beautifully I was gushing and squealing to myself. I'm so excited to write the next chapter! Thanks so much to KateMarie999 once again for helping me out with confession ideas! My two favorites to write were the ice scene bc it was so Hiccup, and I loved it, and the last one with Astrid helping Hiccup with his leg. There was just something about it that just clicked. Love love love!
Anywho, part two coming in a few days! Thanks SO MUCH for all the kind, encouraging reviews, guys! It means the world!
See you guys in a few days and Merry Christmas! ;D
~EmK
