Yesterday's Riders episode made me SQUEAL like a little girl! They finally kissed! Can I get an amen?

Anyway, here's the next chappie!

Waiting

I jerk awake as someone taps my shoulder. I lift my head from the nest my arms have made on the pallet where Hiccup rests and look up to see Stoic, a concerned look on his face. "Son, ye need t' go home. Yer mum's worried 'bout ya."

I look back to Hiccup's pale, sleeping face. The crater where her left eye once was is now covered by a red eye patch with a skull and crossbones on it. A large chunk of her hair was burned off in the fire and her face, legs, and arms are covered with burns and scars. She hasn't woken.

We returned to Berk a week ago, two days after the battle. Hiccup and Toothless got heroes' welcomes as Gobber and Stoic carried her to her house. Toothless begrudgingly allowed me to sit vigil by her side for the entirety of this week, for which I am grateful.

"I wanna be here when Hiccup wakes up," I say quietly.

Stoic puts his beefy hand on my shoulder. "I know. Just go home for a while. If she wakes up, I'll send somebody to get ya. Besides, ye need to bond wi' yer Dragon, right? Ye can't let Hiccup get too far ahead o' ye."

It's a bit surreal, talking to the man that popped a Dragon's head clean of its shoulders as an infant about creating a bond with one of the creatures. I stand slowly, stumbling a bit. "You're right, sir. Do you promise to get me?"

"Ye have my word."

I nod slowly, wave a small goodbye to Toothless, and kiss Hiccup's hand lightly before I leave the house.

()()

My mom nearly suffocates me with her hug when I return home. "Asher Hoffander, if ye ever scare me like that again," she chokes, "ye'll be paddled so hard ye won' be able t' sit for a month!"

I haven't seen Mom cry since my dad died. It really hits me hard now that I could have died. "I'm sorry, Mum," I say, hugging her back just as hard. We just stand there, hugging each other and crying for a few moments before she pulls back and kisses my cheek.

"How's Hiccup?" she asks. My mood sinks lower.

"She hasn't woken up yet. Mum, I'm scared. What if she doesn't wake up?" My tears are flowing freely, and my rep will be ruined if this ever gets out to the village. "I don't know what I'd do!"

She gathers me back in her arms and begins to rock me. "She'll be okay, Asher. I promise." Then she smiles and wipes my face with her fingers. "That girl's been blessed by th' gods."

I nod into her shoulder. "Thanks, Mum."

()()

The Nadder is most definitely a female. I decide to name her Stormfly.

I sit with her in my bedroom, carefully stroking her snout. She seems to calm around me, and I feel a swell of pride. I hope Hiccup will be proud of me.

A few tears drip out of my eyes, and I'm surprised when I feel Stormfly's snout bumping my hands. Her head falls into my lap, and she doesn't protest when I wrap my arms around her and cry again. "She has to wake up," I whisper to her. "Hiccup has to wake up."

()()

As Stormfly and I wander the village the next day, many people do a double take at the sight of her. It still hasn't completely settled in yet.

I make my way to the Meade Hall. As soon as they see me, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Snotlout scurry over. "How's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asks as Snotlout gives me a "manly" hug.

My face drops. "It doesn't look like she's close to waking up yet."

Ruffnut turns away, and I presume it's because she's hiding her wet eyes.

Tuffnut knocks me in the shoulder comfortingly, and Fishlegs wraps his arms around me in a bone-crushing bear hug. See, Hiccup? You've got a lot of people waiting for you. You need to wake up!

I don't cry in front of them. I don't. I leave and go to Toothless's canyon to.

Gods, I miss her.

This was pretty much mostly filler, but I wanted to explore what Asher/Astrid might've been going through during Hiccup's near-coma.

In the next chapter: Asher and Hiccup are reunited. See you soon~