Well, look who's back from a case of writer's block! Me! It's me.
First, want to give a shoutout to the best collaborator/boss/co-author out there. Christine, if it wasn't for you then this chapter would still be gathering dust. Thank you for helping me push through the block!
Second, music has always been an important part of my writing. There have been so many times that a song has inspired a moment in a chapter or even an entire chapter. So, some of Hiccup's feelings in this are based on the song Dazed & Confused by Ruel. Be sure to check it out!
My super talented writer friend, alejandrathemexican (previously majothemexican) has a really great fic, Riptide (check it out, and her other stories, after this if you aren't already reading it), and she bases her chapters around a different song. I really liked that idea so I may do it every now and then in this fic too. Also, just taking the time to give ya a shoutout cause you're super cool.
Lastly, this chapter has a lot of different things going on. I also wrote it while trying to get back on my feet after being down for a while so I'm sorry if it's a bit choppy. But I hope you all enjoy! :D
Chapter 10– Dazed and Confused
Astrid definitely didn't take the stairs any faster than necessary on her way down to grab breakfast. Definitely not.
And she didn't walk into the sitting area that Hiccup was usually at in the mornings with a bright smile on her face. No way.
And she really didn't even care that he wasn't there. Nope, not at all.
For the last week, he was always in the sitting room with an unusually large cup of coffee, a croissant, and drawing something in a sketchbook that she still had yet to ask him about.
But of course the one morning she wanted to see him sitting there just happened to also be the morning he decided to change his routine.
She turned back around and decided she would just go to the kitchen to grab a cup of tea before being yanked away by her stylists when she almost ran right into her father who was standing a lot closer than she would've preferred, "God, dad. I didn't even hear you come in here."
She stepped around him, but he stopped her by placing the newspaper right in front of her face. It was too close for her to see clearly so she grabbed it out of his hands and brought it down lower. Her blue eyes grew three sizes as she saw herself leaning over the small cafe table and Hiccup's shocked face as she gradually grew closer to him.
Now she knew why Hiccup wasn't here. He was probably getting the same lecture that she was about to hear.
"What is this, Astrid?" He pointed at the photo. She rolled up the newspaper and held it tightly in her hand. She no longer wanted to look at it.
"It's nothing." She lied. It was something, but she just didn't know what exactly.
"It looks like you and Prince Henry on a date." Ragnar hissed the word date like it was some forbidden word.
Astrid placed a hand on her hip, "It was not a date, dad."
"Everyone is going to be talking about this today." Ragnar crossed his arms.
"So? Let them talk."
"I don't want you becoming friends with Henry Haddock. The second you start to like him is the second this whole plan begins to fall apart."
Her thin eyebrows furrowed angrily, "Oh, so now you're telling me who I can and can't be friends with?" Astrid huffed and continued before he could answer, "I don't see what the big deal is." The good mood she had not even two minutes ago was completely gone now.
"Hofferson's and Haddock's have been rivals for a long long time. We've never been friends with one another."
Astrid rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated, "Seriously? You're the only one who actually took that stupid story to heart. Get over it already."
"It's not ju-"
"They fought over land or something ridiculous like that, right? Why does any of that matter now?" She interrupted.
"It matters because this is our family's history. Our heritage. The name Hofferson is what made you who you are today." He told her while wagging his chubby finger at her.
"And who am I, dad? Who am I away from this life?" She gestured to the large and elegant place around them.
Ragnar paused, he was searching for something to say, anything to say, but he came up blank.
Astrid nodded, expecting such a reaction. She briskly walked past her father and out of the sitting room before he could give her any other ridiculous orders, and as she made her way towards the kitchen, Astrid herself began to wonder if she even knew who she was away from this life.
Hiccup was back in the swivel chair. Hands were fixing his hair and touching his face, but he could barely feel them. He could barely even hear Gobber explaining all the details of his upcoming day. All he could do was replay yesterday's events in his head.
The smile that made her eyes light up and his heart race.
The gentle squeeze of her hand on top of his.
The feeling of her warm blueberry scented breath on his face.
Right now, he was more disappointed than anything else while thinking about her doing all of that as just a part of her plan to steal the crown.
And he was frustrated because something about her felt right. And then he was confused because for a split second while they were sitting together on the quiet beach, he could've sworn that she felt it too.
"Henry!" Gobber shouting his name brought him out of the thoughts racing around in his mind.
He made eye contact with the assistant, who was holding his tiny clipboard close to his large chest, "Yeah?"
The older man sighed and scooted his chair closer to the young prince, "Are you alright, lad?" He remembered the look of pure joy on the boys face just last night. Every bit of that was gone now.
"Just fine, Gobber." Hiccup lied.
Gobber saw right through him, "Is it about all the gossip in the papers?"
Hiccup shrugged his shoulders.
"I wouldn't worry too much about that. The only thing those silly papers are going to be talking about after today is the big race." The man chuckled lightly.
"You should go and tell that to Stoick."
Gobber waved off Hiccup's dramatics, "Eh, your father worries too much. And the papers plastering every bit of information about your personal life is what drove your mother away, so all of this hits pretty close to home." He placed his hand over his heart a little too dramatically.
"So, that is the reason my mother left..." Hiccup didn't know this about his parents. Valka never talked about it and growing up Hiccup didn't really want to ask for fear it would upset her. It was always a question Hiccup kept in the back of his mind, but never one that was spoken out loud.
"Ask Stoick about it sometime. That's not my story to tell." Gobber patted him on the back before going back to the information on his clipboard and then moved on to talk about Berk's Annual Horse Race like their previous conversation hadn't even happened.
Hiccup could only seem to focus on one thing the second they arrived at the track no matter how hard he tried to distract himself.
That one thing was Astrid.
The lace dress that hugged her hips and reminded him of the color of her eyes.
The way she smiled and waved at the people of Berk.
The way she posed for photos like she'd done this a thousand times before.
And the way her blue eyes lit up the second she spotted him walking alongside the barricades with his father to greet the many different faces.
The press was there too. Of course they were there.
And they weren't helping Hiccup get the girl off his mind either.
This morning, Hiccup was told by Gobber all the answers to the questions the press may ask him. He was ready for every single question about the race.
He wasn't, however, prepared for the press to bombard him with questions about his newly rumored relationship with the blonde standing only ten feet away from him, who also, judging by the annoyed look on her face, seemed to be getting asked the exact same questions he was.
"Tell us about your relationship with Lady Hofferson." The tall woman in front of him shoved the microphone in his face.
"We...We're friends." Hiccup stammered, hoping that the uncertainty in his voice wasn't too noticeable. He was only uncertain because he didn't even know if that statement was true or not.
The woman with the wild red hair didn't give up though, "So, there's nothing else going on between you two?" She eagerly pushed the microphone closer and closer to his mouth, hoping that would somehow pressure him to reveal all his secrets.
Hiccup rubbed his hands together nervously as he looked around him for any sign of an escape. Gobber was standing by the King. Eret was standing a few feet away from him and talking quickly into the microphone hanging from his earpiece. He guessed he was just going to have to talk his way out of this one on his own.
The prince turned back to the woman, "No..." He lied.
Hiccup was a horrible liar, he always has been, so he silently prayed that his no was convincing enough to get this lady to stop bombarding him with all of these questions.
Apparently, it wasn't.
She opened her mouth, ready to ask another question when the determined look on her face changed into pure delight at something going on behind him.
Hiccup turned to follow her line of sight and saw that the something was a someone. And that someone was Astrid.
She looked confident with her head held high as she strolled over his way. Once she was standing right next to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder. Hiccup looked at it before looking at her asserted face.
"Lady Hofferson, nice of you to join -" The red-headed lady started.
Astrid cut her off, "Look...there is nothing going on between Prince Henry and me," She patted his shoulder and Hiccup couldn't help but feel disappointed by those words, "So, why don't you stop wasting your time and start minding your own business by staying out of our personal lives."
"But-"
Astrid held up her finger, stopping the woman before she could speak any further, "No. We're done here."
She was not happy and Hiccup watched her jaw clench and her knuckles turn white from squeezing the microphone tightly as Astrid grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the line of eager press all wanting to ask them the same exact questions.
She pulled him to a spot where the clicks of the cameras and the shouting of the people around them weren't as loud. She removed her hand from his arm and looked at him with an amused smile spread across her face, "Why does it seem like I'm always saving you from these situations?"
He looked away from her, embarrassed, and decided to focus on their feet instead, "I had that under control you know." Hiccup muttered.
The blonde girl scoffed, ignoring him, "Here's a piece of advice, you don't have to answer their questions if you don't want to. If they ask you something you don't want to answer just don't answer it. Play it off or change the subject. It's that simple."
Hiccup was still looking at the soft grass beneath their feet, "Why are you giving me advice?"
He heard Astrid sigh and after a second when she still hadn't replied is when he raised his head and made eye contact. She opened her mouth, ready to say something and Hiccup was hopeful but then she was cut off by Ragnar yelling her name.
She rolled her eyes and ambled over to her father whose stern look actually frightened him a bit. As he watched Astrid turn and walk away from him, he let out a dejected sigh when he realized he may never get to hear her answer.
Hiccup didn't get the chance to stand there long enough to watch Astrid and Ragnar bicker back and forth about him. He couldn't hear them, but he knew they were arguing about him the second the older man pointed a finger in his direction.
"Prince Henry!" He heard Eret call behind him. He turned to see the head of security signaling for him to come over his way with his hands, "It's time for the royal procession." He told Hiccup the second he was within earshot.
"The what?" Hiccup asked, confused.
Behind him, he heard a man groan, "You really should start listening to me more," Gobber chuckled and turned to the King who was walking beside him, "You both should listen to me more."
Hiccup heard Eret chuckle beside him, "Of course the prince had to be just as stubborn as the king." He joked to Gobber.
The older man snickered and placed his hand over his protruding stomach as it vibrated with laughter, "Like father, like son." He and Eret led the way over to the line of horse-drawn carriages awaiting them.
Hiccup was walking next to his father and looked up at him, "Do they always team up on you like that?"
Stoick's face broke out into an amused grin, "They do," he nodded, "But I wouldn't have it any other way. They both know how to do their job well and keep things light at the same time."
Hiccup agreed, "Gobber especially."
The king chuckled, but his face suddenly turned serious as he looked over at his son strolling beside him, "When you eventually make your way into my position be sure that you get yourself a team of people who you can trust to not only do their jobs but that you can also trust as a friend."
Hiccup nodded.
"Do you get what I'm saying, Henry?"
"Find someone you work well with and who also works well with you. Someone that you can trust to be there for you both inside and outside of work." Hiccup repeated back.
Stoick patted his son on the back, "Exactly." He smiled, revealing a mouth full of large bleached white teeth that stood out against the bright red beard.
He didn't quite understand his father yet. This morning he was looking at him like he was both disappointed and frustrated by Hiccup's entire existence. But at this very moment as he stared into his identical green eyes he thought he saw his father looking at him like he was...proud.
And for a split second, Hiccup had a spark of hope that maybe he was seeing him as more than just the prince. This thought gave the boy all the more reason to smile back at his father.
The royal procession was just the King and his guests, which included himself, the Hofferson's, and the Jorgenson's, being paraded in front of the full stands. They all waved at the cheering citizens as they rode past them down the dirt track.
If his new status didn't feel real before, it definitely did now.
They didn't know him or have any reason to trust him, but they probably did simply because his last name was Haddock. Of course, there were some who still didn't have faith in him at all and that gave Hiccup all the more reason to work even harder so that he could eventually change their minds.
He chose this path so that his mother could keep everything she loved and worked so hard for, sure, but looking at the excited faces of Berk made him realize that shouldn't be the only reason he works hard. Whether he liked to believe it or not, he would one day be these people's leader and they needed him to care about them just as much as he cared about his mother.
And as the sense of pride he felt within himself grow with each and every loud cheer, he knew it wouldn't be long before he would.
After the procession, it was just about time for the race to begin and Hiccup hadn't known his father long, but he had never seen him move so fast before. He was almost dancing from excitement as they made their way up to the royal box.
Stoick strolled right over to the large glass, his hands rubbing together eagerly as the horses made their way onto the track along with their riders.
Hiccup sat down in one of the seats and peered over the glass at the horses down below. He didn't know any of the riders, but was excited about watching the race nonetheless. This event was already much better than the opera he attended the other night.
As all the racers began to take their place when he heard Snotlout's booming voice. It was drowning out the sound of the announcer who was describing each racer as they would trot up to the starting line.
Astrid was sitting next to him, against her will he imagined considering the look on her face was one of pure anger. He could almost see the rage boiling up inside her the more the Earl would gloat about something he hoped would impress the young woman sitting beside him.
The firing of a gun and the announcer saying, "And they're off!" turned Hiccup's attention back towards the race.
Snotlout was still talking, however.
"Snotlout. The race," Astrid gestured to the track in front of them, "Stop talking." She said firmly.
He stopped long enough for Astrid to peer down below and see which racer was already in the lead before he piped back up again.
Rolling her eyes, Astrid stood up. She looked behind her to see her father standing in the back talking to some man she'd never seen before and then glanced over to Hiccup. He was sitting by himself and completely engrossed on the event.
She strolled over to the side of the booth that the young prince was occupying without so much as a goodbye to the chatterbox that was sitting beside her.
"This seat taken?" Astrid gestured to the empty chair next to him.
He turned his attention away from the track to look at the tall blonde staring at him with an amused smile, "Yeah…" he replied lightly and when he saw her smile disappear and forehead crease he quickly added, "By you." He sheepishly gave her a gap-toothed grin as he gestured to the seat, inviting her to sit down.
Her smile returned as she took a seat. He heard the chair squeak against the floor as she brought it a tad closer to his, "That hat looks ridiculous on you, you know." Astrid snickered as she gestured to the tall black top hat resting upon his head.
Hiccup scoffed, "Have you looked in a mirror today?" he raised a hand and grabbed ahold of a piece of light blue ribbon hanging down beside her face, "Yours is just as ridiculous as mine." He added sarcastically.
Astrid pushed his shoulder playfully causing him to rock to the side in his seat.
"Rude. And here I thought you were the perfect gentleman. Oh, how you've fooled me." She replied cheekily.
Hiccup studied her face for a moment as his father's words from this morning rang through the back of his head. He was searching for any kind of sign of her fooling him.
His dad clapping and cheering loudly brought him out his reverie and he turned his attention back to the race down below to get his mind off of just how confused he was beginning to feel about the girl currently sitting very close to him.
Astrid's brows creased in confusion by his sudden change of emotion but instead of dwelling on it too much she turned her attention back to the race as well. Except she had a hard time focusing on it for the pair of eyes she felt burning a hole in the back of her head. They were either Snotlout's or her fathers and she wasn't about to turn around to find out.
"It always amazes me just how fast those horses can go," Astrid told Hiccup, breaking the silence.
He nodded, keeping his focus down on the two who were neck and neck as they inched closer to the finish line, "Pretty sure Toothless and Stormfly could run rings around them though." Hiccup said, turning his head to look at her with a goofy grin.
She chuckled, "Probably. You should see how fast she runs if she sees a snake. She is terrified of them. She even disappeared for two whole days after running into one in the stables."
"Oh yeah? Well, you should see Toothless when he sees a mouse. No one could catch him."
"He's scared of a tiny little mouse?" Astrid tried to suppress her snicker.
"That horse is one of a kind, for sure."
The little bit of space between their seats was gone now when she brought her chair as close as it would go. Their shoulders were rubbing against one another and Hiccup's heart began to pound in his chest as he felt their thighs touch.
Every single ounce of him wanted to reach his hand over and gently place it on her slightly bare knee. He wanted to grab ahold of the small hand that was resting on her leg and intertwine their fingers. And he really wanted to brush his lips over her flushed cheeks.
But he couldn't.
So, he took a deep and shaky breath in order to clear his dazed and confused mind.
Astrid imagined herself grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight in hers. She imagined leaning her head against his shoulder as she watched the race down below. And she imagined pressing a kiss to the small and faint scar that rested on his chin.
But she couldn't.
So, she turned her head hoping he wouldn't see the blush in her cheeks as a cause from the heat rising from the pit of her stomach and the racing beat of her heart.
And then Hiccup scooted his chair over a tad putting a little more space between the two so their shoulders and thighs were no longer touching. He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Astrid sigh beside him.
Hiccup hated to move away. He hated it more than Toothless hated mice, but he had to do it. He had to because there was still doubt in his mind and his father's words from this morning were still there, haunting him.
He needed time to figure things out and even though he liked Astrid, really liked her, he thought that not getting into these somewhat intimate situations with her all the time would help clear his head so that he could think about all of this without a flustered mind.
Astrid frowned the second she saw him scoot his seat a little to the left, leaving a small gap between them. She wondered why he did it and as she opened her mouth to ask him, they were interrupted by the booming voices of Stoick and Gobber as they watched their favorite racer cross the finish line.
The floor was shaking as the two men jumped up and down in their spots and soon the entire box was filled with the excited chatter of the race. Hiccup was pulled away by his father to head down to the stage where they would hand the winner his much-deserved trophy.
And as Astrid and the rest of the King's guests followed him out the door, she hoped she would get the chance to ask Hiccup about it later.
It was a tradition for the King to present the winner with his trophy, but Hiccup's father was giving that task to him this time. Many of the people around them thought it was a sweet gesture to give such an honorable task to the new prince, but Hiccup was nervous.
All eyes were on him as he lifted the extremely large silver trophy off of its pedestal. It was hot out and his nerves weren't helping his already sweaty palms. He handed it over but before the racer could grab ahold of the delicate award it slipped and shattered into a million pieces as it landed on the ground between their feet.
The whole arena was silent as they all held their breath before gasping and muttering amongst themselves. Hiccup couldn't even get the courage to look up from the pieces on the ground. He felt hundreds of judging eyes on him and he figured that keeping his head down until they all disappeared was the smartest decision he could make in that very moment.
However, after about a minute of looking at the floor, he knew he had to face both the racer and his father eventually so he glanced up.
The short man in the yellow and blue racing uniform looked more shocked than mad, which Hiccup was thankful for, "I am so sorry," he apologized, "I will personally make sure you get a new one."
The racer whose eyes were once filled with delight was now filled with disappointment as he looked up at the young prince, "Thank you." He replied and it was the only thing he said. He didn't lash out, probably just because it was the Prince of Berk standing in front of him. If it had been anyone else, Hiccup assumed there would've been a lot of yelling and name-calling.
"I, too, will make sure you get a new one as soon as possible." Stoick stepped up now, pushing his son behind him with a little more force than was probably necessary. Hiccup went to stand by Gobber, who was already on the phone with someone who could fix this mess, and saw that Earl Snotlout and Ragnar were trying to hide their amused smiles and failing miserably.
Astrid was looking upon him with pity, which is the last thing Hiccup wanted from her. It embarrassed him more than the disaster that had just happened. He looked away from her gaze and back at the king who finished up congratulating the racer. They took photos, shook hands, and then it was all over.
Stoick walked back over towards his son and he had a fake smile plastered on his face.
"Stoick," he called as his father walked right past him and Hiccup turned to follow him, "I'm sorry. It just slipped."
Stoick shook his head, still staring ahead as they all walked off the stage, "Not here, Henry."
He was mad. He was definitely mad and Hiccup knew he was going to get an ear full the second they got back into the car.
The prince stood at the bottom of the stairs as he watched him stroll towards the line of limos and sleek SUVs. He wanted just a second before he had to face yet another disappointed lecture from King Stoick.
Behind him, Astrid was slowly making her way down the steep stairs. Each step she took made her cringe and suck in a painful breath because her feet were covered in raw blisters from the new heels she was wearing. They must've not been as broken in as she thought and they'd been rubbing against her skin all day causing each and every step to make her feet throb more and more.
Astrid was almost to the bottom, but Snotlout must've been sick of her slow pace and pushed past her on the steps. Not expecting the sudden contact, Astrid lost her footing and completely missed the last two steps. She squeezed her eyes shut as she prepared to face plant on the gravel below her, but she was met with warm and skinny arms instead.
Astrid opened her eyes and was faced with forest green and cheeks full of freckles.
"You...uhh...okay?" Hiccup asked and let out a nervous chuckle.
"I'm...I'm fine…" Astrid cleared her throat.
They stood there for a moment longer than was necessary with Hiccup's arms wound tightly around her waist and Astrid holding onto his shoulders. Their flushed faces were just as close to one another as they were in the tight closet not too long ago.
Neither said a word after they untangled themselves and walked towards the cars, but Hiccup did silently ask the gods above about why they seemed to enjoy torturing him so damn much.
Hiccup's confused. Astrid's confused. WE'RE ALL CONFUSED.
I'm also still a bit dazed by that new clip from httyd3.
Leave a comment if ya want. I love them!