Chapter 20
So while I was in the shower, I thought of how I finally wanted this to go, so yay! I don't own the Httyd Franchise, and please review.
*_*_*_* Norway, Nine years ago *_*_*_*
"Where's my son?" A frail female voice asked.
"We'll send him right in ma'am," a nurse told the woman.
A boy walked into the room, his eyes were puffy and red from crying. He hurried over to the side of the bed and clasped the woman's hand both of his.
"Oh, my son, I'm so proud of you," the woman said, placing her free hand on the boy's mop of auburn hair.
"But I haven't even done anything to make you proud," the boy cried out, fresh tears streaming down his face.
"Yes you have, you've grown into a handsome young man, and I know that you are going to accomplish wonderful things," the boy's mother said, her hand now on the side of his face turning him towards her.
"Thanks mom," the boy gave a sad smile and looked down.
"Harrison," she said, "I have something for you."
Harrison looked back up to his mother.
"Grab that box over there," she pointed vaguely in the direction of the box's location.
Harrison grabbed the box and looked at her; he waited for her next instructions.
"Open it," she smiled weakly.
Harrison tore the lightly colored paper away to reveal a jewelry box. He looked up at his mother and then proceeded to lift the top open. Inside the box was a ring.
"No, mom, you can't give me this," Harrison told her shaking his head ever so slightly.
"Of course I can, I want you to give this to the one," his mother insisted.
Harrison looked back down at the ring, his eyebrows knit together. The ring had a silver band and an oval shaped diamond at the center with a spiral on each side and balls of silver forming a triangular shape around the spiral.
"But mom, this is your wedding ring," Harrison said, taking notice of her ringless finger.
"Oh it won't do me any good where I'm going. Besides, I trust that you will make the right choice with who you decide to give this to," she placed her hands on his, making the small box close and shook his hands for the emphasis that she needed.
Someone then entered the room. It was Harrison's father. From the expression on his face, Harrison could tell that he wanted to be alone with his wife, so Harrison hugged his mother tightly before walking out of the room.
That night, Mrs. Haddock passed away.
*_*_*_* Present day *_*_*_*
Harrison sat on the couch when Astrid went to take a shower. Once he heard the shower running, he dragged his face through his hands and leaned forward propping his elbows on his knees. He sat like that for a good fifteen minutes he guessed, because the water had just turned off.
He still didn't move from his current position of staring contently at the coffee table. He didn't notice walk into the room until she was standing beside him with her body bent to look at his face.
"Harrison?" She asked.
Harrison snapped his eyes up to be met by the intensity of her blues ones.
"Are you okay?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Uh, yeah, fine," he said, leaning back against the couch.
She sat down next to him; she slipped her other hand into his. "You know that you can tell me if you need to, I'll listen," she assured him.
"Thanks, Astrid," he gave her a small smile.
Astrid moved to give him a peck on the cheek, but Harrison turned to her at the same moment and she caught his lips in the kiss. Harrison didn't make a move to pull away, but Astrid broke the kiss. "So what kind of sight-seeing touristy thing do you want to do today?" She asked, a slight blush creeping onto her face at the realization that he wasn't wearing a short yet.
Harrison looked down at himself. "Well uh, I think that first I need a shirt and then I should go back to my hotel and get dressed and stuff," he said, turning to face her.
"Did you get a cab here?" She asked him.
"Yeah, why?" He answered, standing up.
"I can drive you back," Astrid offered.
"You don't have to," Harrison declined.
"I have to go to the store for food anyways," Astrid explained.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Harrison said walking towards her bedroom where his clothes from yesterday laid on the floor. Half way down the hall, he heard a hiss and looked down to see Astrid's cat lying right in the middle of the hall.
Astrid was driving back to Harrison's hotel with the backseat of her car covered in grocery bags. She had been able to convince Harrison to stay at her place for the rest of his time out in California.
Pulling up to his hotel, she saw him standing outside with his suitcase and backpack. She unrolled the window. "Who's this stranger?" She teased unlocking the trunk.
"Ha ha, very funny. It just so happens that this stranger is staying with you for the rest of the week," He said, walking to the trunk and lifting his suitcase in and throwing the bag on top. He walked around to the passenger side and got in. "You're not going to crash this time are you?" Harrison asked before realizing what he said.
Astrid stared at him, her mouth ajar.
"Sorry, wasn't thinking," he apologized, looking straight ahead.
Astrid started the engine and drove out onto the main road.
Nice one, Harrison. I just had to include something from his time in Norway because we never really touched base on that. What do guys think is going to happen next chapter? I'm so excited to write it, I'm like bubbling with joy. I seriously had to rewrite the beginning of this chapter like five times until I figured out how to go about the whole thing. Please review and let me know what you think.