Chapter 24
I was going to write this earlier, but I kinda got busy with straightening my sister's super curly hair for like two hours. Let me just say that I do not like today, it is the last day of summer vacation for me and then I have school tomorrow. I believe that I am the only one out of all my friends who doesn't have school supplies, which sucks because all the boring things will be the only ones left.
Well, I don't own the Httyd Franchise and please review.
It was raining, but only a drizzle yet it was enough to soak clothes if someone went to grab the day's mail. It was as if Mother Nature knew that today was a sad day, and was crying herself. In a cemetery, there was a sea of umbrellas, most of them black but there were a few polka dotted ones in the mix. The attire of the people under the umbrellas was either black suits or black dresses with pearls. These people were the friends and neighbors of a young woman who died a week earlier. Amongst the crowd was her son, clutching to the skirt of the girl who now took care of him.
Luke was a mess. He had held it together during the day, but at night, he cried. Each night he had crawled in bed to be with Astrid and Harrison, the latter he had decided was like his older brother. Luke had even refused at first to even attend the funeral, but Astrid convinced him to go and say his final good bye.
During the Eulogy, Luke had run up to the casket in the church and started shaking his mother in attempt to wake her, but had been quietly scooped up by Astrid who returned him to his seat and tried to calm him down by rocking him in her lap and whispering soothing words to him.
Harrison did not attend; he had flown back east to discuss a personal matter with his father a few days before. He had promised to leave on the next flight when he finished discuss the matter with his father, and had a new set of his clothes in tow. Astrid wished that Harrison were there with her, knowing from experience as a child that seeing family members motionless in caskets, it was hard to say good-bye.
After the burial, Luke was mad. He did not understand why people were celebrating. Astrid had explained to him that they were celebrating the time that his mother was alive. He still did not like seeing strangers laughing and being happy when his mother had died.
Luke's mood lifted a little when he was handed a slice of cake with the word 'In' written on his slice. He ate in silence, staring at his shoes. He didn't even look up when a girl in a white polka dotted black dressed walked up to him and introduced herself. From what he listened to, apparently her mother was his mom's best friend in high school.
"Luke, why don't you come say hi to some people," Astrid suggested.
Not wanting to be rude, he walked over to where Astrid to see a woman in dress slacks and a man in the same attire next to her, they looked similar. "Hi," Luke greeted half-heartedly.
"Luke, these are my two best friends, Rachael and Tony. They're like my siblings," Astrid said, gesturing to the two when she introduced them.
"We're sorry to hear about your mom," Rachael smiled sadly, squatting to his height to shake his hand.
Luke took the hand and shook it slightly.
"But you're in good hands here with Astrid," Tony smirked, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.
Luke's eyes started to water, turning on his heel he ran towards the hallway. Astrid called after him but couldn't weave past people as easily as him. Coming to a closed door, he paused a moment before pushing it open, running down the hall. Tears blurred his vision and he ran into something and stumbled to the ground.
"Whoa, are you okay there, bud?" A voice asked.
Wiping stray tears away, Luke looked up to see Harrison reaching down to pull him up. Luke stood on his own and wrapped his small arms around Harrison's good leg.
"Why's everyone having a good time in there?" Luke sobbed into Harrison's pants.
Harrison removed the boy's hands and kneeled in front of him. "I know what you mean; I lost my mom a while back. I was as confused as you until I was told that they were enjoying the memories and the impressions she left with different people. It will get better, I promise," Harrison explained, holding Luke's hands in his.
Luke hugged Harrison and sniffled a little. The door opened from where Luke came from. It was Astrid. Harrison watched her and gave a soft smile that barely showed. She walked to the two and smiled at the sight.
Harrison pulled Luke away to see his face. "Hey, why don't I distract you for a little," he suggested, standing.
"H-how?" Luke asked, his voice shaking slightly but he was no longer crying.
"You'll see," Harrison winked, taking a few steps towards Astrid.
Astrid gave him a confused look.
Harrison took one of her hands in his. "Look, I know that this is all bad timing and all, but this just had to be done," Harrison admitted, his face turning a different shade of red with each word. "Astrid, I have been in love with you since we first met. I hope that you feel the same," Harrison's voice quavered slightly from nerves.
"I do feel the same," she nodded her head slightly, still confused as to what he was getting at.
"Okay, that just made this a whole lot easier," he muttered to himself. "Look, I know that I'm probably not the kind of guy you expected, but I would do anything for you." He shook her hands slightly for emphasis. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that although we've not really been physically together for all that long and I might be rushing things, we've actually know each other for almost eight years. Eight years is a long time, I mean its two thousand nine hundred twenty two days, and that's a lot of rotations around the sun each day. I mean, wow, think of how many high and low tides that is, it's a lot," Harrison ranted.
"Hiccup," Astrid smiled, causing him to close his mouth before his next sentence with a pop, his eyes shifting from side to side, a little surprised that she used her nickname for him.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"What are you getting at?" She asked, eyeing him questionably.
"Did you know that Hiccups are caused by contractions in the diaphragm? It can also mean a malfunction? I mean you could use it in many ways, but of course, I like the nickname, it suits me. Not that I'm a malfunction or anything, nor do I actually hiccup all the time. Did you-" he ranted again before getting cut off mid-sentence.
"Hiccup, I know the definition of the word hiccup," Astrid laughed a little, rolling her eyes ever so slightly.
Harrison's completely red face flushed a ghostly pale color at that moment, he retracted his hands from hers to wipe them on his pants before taking her hands again. "Astrid, as you already know, I love you," he said in all seriousness.
"Yes, I know," she confirmed, glancing at Luke and making a funny face that caused him to smile a little.
"So," he began, digging a hand in his pocket. An expression of pure horror passed over his face as he searched his other pocket for whatever he was looking for. His hand came out of that one empty, he began to pat his pant pockets and let out a sigh of relief as he pulled his hand out of his back pocket, his hand in a fist.
"So," he began again," Astrid Hofferson Vanderbilt. Which one do you prefer?" He asked, purposely getting side tracked.
"Both names have a ring to it," she answered, still confused.
Harrison cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Astrid Hofferson Vanderbilt, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be the one who is still by your side when we're both so old that we have to go to a nursing home. I would be extremely happy, ecstatic even, if you want the same," Harrison admitted, going to kneel on one knee and holing her hand . Astrid, you would make me the happiest man in the universe if you did me the honor of marrying me," Harrison proposed, opening the small box with his free hand.
Astrid was speechless, surprise written all over her face. Then shock crossed her face followed by the slight scrunch of her eyebrows. "So that's why you've been so weird," she noted, giving him a slight shove on the shoulder. Of course I'll marry you, you blubbering idiot," she grinned from ear to ear.
Harrison slipped the ring on her finger and stood, wrapping his arms around her. Her feet left the ground as he spun her around.
He placed her back down. "Wait, what do you mean by blubbering idiot?" He asked confused.
"Nothing," she smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Luke ran to them, a real smile on his face.
Both Astrid and Harrison shrunk to his height to embrace the boy.
"You are going to be my dad!" Luke exclaimed, looking at Harrison.
"Yeah, yeah I am," Harrison nodded.
I absolutely loved writing this chapter. I mean how to make it more awkward for the guy who has awkward written all over him. Of course, there will have to be more drama after this chapter, I mean it's only fitting. What do you guys think the new drama will be? Please review! I'll update this weekend.