I know... I know... it's been ages... I rather wonder at anyone still reading this, but if you are, thank you. I really did work hard; I need to complete this story. Thank you to everyone that cheered me on, for reminding me that this story is worth completing, even if it's just me reading it. Thank you to everyone that waited, uncertain if another chapter would ever be forthcoming. So what do you think? will they end up together? I still haven't decided, you know... One more chapter before it's all over.
Zutara FTW chapter 29 . Mar 22
I love your work!
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying this. Sorry it's been so long.
TMYSchol chapter 29 .Mar 22
Welcome back, I hope you'll be able to finish this. I like to see how this ends.
One more chapter before it's over! don't worry, finishing this is my main goal from the moment I started this.
Guest chapter 29 .Mar 22
Love your work...keep it up! And remember that the longest rope has an end and as such all the bad times will eventually end so u just have to keep hanging on!
I keep coming back to this. Thank you 3
Azula lover chapter 29 .Mar 22
You're back! Love your work especially this story!
LOVE that you love Azula. One of the best characters I've ever seen. Thank you for reading
Chapter 30 - The King by Sarah Kinsley
You said I was your second head
I knew exactly what you meant
So tell me
Before we get older let's do everything
You're scared of when it's over
You're still young and you're still free
"Astrid…" Hiccup stepped towards her, then faltered.
Astrid came closer, and only then did Hiccup remember that he was taller than her.
His arms seemed to move all on their own, opening, drawing her in like a magnet.
Feeling her in his arms, all doubts ebbed away. All working memory of who he was disappeared in favor of taking Astrid in. The smell, the feel of her, the loose wisps tickling his face as he tried to bury his face in her hair.
Dagur's huff pulled them apart... "Alright, alright Hickey, that's enough, you two."
Astrid giggled. "Thank you. Both of you."
"That's alright," said Dagur, grinning. "Hickey and I got to know each other," he winked to Hiccup.
Heather sighed, tired to the bone. "You two should get going," she said, not sparing Hiccup a quick glare before putting a comforting hand on Astrid's shoulder. "Things may be quiet this past week, but it won't be for long." She glanced at Hiccup and Dagur again before nearly whispering. "I need a word with you. Alone."
Hiccup sighed. "I'll go get my things."
Dagur took the dishes to the kitchen, shaking his head, still grinning.
Hiccup took his time, trying not to eavesdrop as Heather and Astrid's voices were raised, still muffled through the walls and doors.
When he braved the living room, Heather seemed upset, but so did Astrid, whose eyes were bright and damp as she held Heather's hand. She squeezed it, almost like a warning, as Hiccup came into sight.
"Ready?" said Astrid, her face back to her serious facade.
Hiccup nodded, smiling at the nostalgic sight of her.
They both looked at Heather, who squeezed Astrid's hand one more time before letting go, turning away with her arms crossed.
Hiccup grimaced, looking at Astrid. She couldn't help but burst into a smile.
He didn't forget to thank Heather for giving him shelter.
"WE NEED TO GO SHOPPING SOON!" shouted Dagur from the kitchen.
Hiccup laughed, and he and Astrid left the apartment.
They were weirdly silent as they walked to Astrid's car in Heather's building's parking lot. Astrid seemed anxious, looking everywhere then down, and forcing him to keep up with her as she nearly ran.
He had the brief thought that this was overboard, and then Heather's voice came to him, reminding him that he wasn't ready.
He frowned.
An elderly man exited the gray SUV, the trunk opening automatically for them.
He greeted them jovially, and Hiccup awkwardly relinquished his luggage to him.
Hiccup, flustered, couldn't stop apologizing and thanking him.
Astrid smiled at the interaction, asking Hiccup to sit in the back with her as he hovered between the front and backseat doors.
Hiccup apologized to Astrid's driver again.
"Our last destination, please, Mr. Han," said Astrid.
"You got it, Miss."
'Finally,' she seemed to say with a smile, laying her head on Hiccup's shoulder, both of them watching as Mr. Han drove them all along the river.
They were in a state of disbelief, submerged in the same haziness of a domestic daydream.
They pulled up to a townhouse.
They stepped out, Hiccup too dumbfounded at the sight to fret about Mr. Han bearing the weight of his luggage by himself.
Astrid smiled at his expression, her hand finding his.
"I thought you lived in an apartment?"
Her smile was even brighter. "No. I bought this."
She looked so proud of herself, he couldn't help but smile.
Mr. Han rolled Hiccup's suitcase and bag closer to them.
"Oh, gods," said Hiccup, almost like an apology.
Mr. Han and Hiccup engaged in a new interpretation of the 'I'm so sorry and thank you' play, before declining his help to carry the luggage inside, and Astrid gave him a generous tip.
Watching Mr. Han drive away, Hiccup stood next to her, her hand slipping into his.
They huffed, closing the door behind them after bringing his luggage in.
Alone now, there seemed to be a space between them, invisible, yet solid. He was afraid to touch her; somehow, it was like coming back home to a place he'd never even lived in.
Just like stepping inside this townhouse.
Astrid offered to give him a tour of the luxurious house, which included a glass elevator surrounded by a spiral staircase.
It had been the home of an eccentric architect before her untimely death, Astrid had explained as they were lifted into the next floor.
What if they had changed too much in this time apart? It hadn't been long, but a lot had happened. Is that why she hadn't kissed him?
They stepped out from the lift.
She guided him to a closed door, corralling him so he couldn't help but lean on it.
Their connection deepened; green against blue, searching.
Astrid gulped, getting closer to him, heart pounding out of her chest.
Her fingertips posed themselves over his heart; she could feel the warmth of him as she closed her eyes, and finally the sweet, clumsy brush of his lips against hers.
They came apart, shaking with energy, their breaths held. They let out a nervous giggle.
The warmth was enveloping her again. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her, their lips crashing, blundering, now nearly desperate.
Was he kissing her, or was she kissing him?
All that mattered is that they opened the door behind him, his lips on her neck, her moans resonating in his jaw.
Stumbling into the room, their coats thudding softly on the hardwood floors; stumbling back into the bed and then onto it.
Astrid straddled him as Hiccup closed his eyes, sighing as he felt the skin under her t-shirt. Her fingers tried to find his jeans' zipper tag when he stopped her. She gazed down at him, his green eyes were still wild, pupils wide.
Seeing her, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, his brows furrowing.
Astrid leaned down, sighing into the crook of his neck, kissing his cheek before rolling to the side.
Their heavy breathing filled the silence for a moment before he whispered a 'sorry'.
She turned around, snuggling into him, the light coming from the window opposite them bathed her face.
His face was still pink.
Astrid smiled, then pressed a soft kiss to his neck. "You okay?"
He turned to face her, lumbering his legs around.
"Sorry, I was just not… ready." Seeing her expression, he corrected, "I only mean! I didn't bring… I wasn't expecting to…"
She half-sighed, half-laughed. "Come here," she prompted, scooting towards the bed header.
He carefully removed his prosthesis and joined her further up the bed.
Astrid held his hand, and Hiccup laced his fingers with hers.
They stayed in thoughtful silence for a while.
He took comfort in Astrid's heartbeat, the rhythm steady and warm.
Had he always been afraid of losing her? Or had he never believed she would pick him in the first place?
Only a couple of days ago, he wasn't sure that he'd ever get to speak to her again.
He looked at the room around him. Back when they were both across the ocean, in one of their many drives and horse riding lessons, or maybe the time when they had their first kiss and talked about anything and everything at the edge of the pier, she had told him about her life.
About the tall ceilings and white walls, the enlarged pictures of her, enlarged and highly produced, plastered along the walls.
He had honestly paid little attention to her tour of the eccentric house, except from being shocked at the glamorous elevator in the seemingly normal house, but looking around Astrid's bedroom now, he felt almost as if he was back in Berk.
The familiar coziness, the colorful walls, with furniture that seemed older, but sturdy, and the clutter. So much clutter. He wanted to study it closely.
But Astrid's world seemed to change so rapidly, he wondered if he'd even get to.
"When did you start planning to move here?" he asked her, unintentionally quiet.
But she was fast asleep.
He faintly squeezed her hand, trying to not disturb her.
Before he knew it, he was asleep, too.
She'd seen the text as soon as she woke up that morning. She was out.
Frowning, she turned the stove burner on, dragging the pan to start heating it.
Astrid wasn't a fool, she knew that she'd be out the moment she realized her pictures had been leaked.
The chain that was producing her show was notorious for child-friendly content, and her own fans were mostly tweens.
She cracked a couple of eggs on the pan, watching them sizzle.
At least, the last time she'd checked.
Her following seemed to go up and down, as told by Heather's report and her mother's hysteric, abusive texts.
Paris, Los Angeles, wherever she was now, her mother seemed equally satisfied and furious that her future was on shaky grounds.
Equally as happy to see her struggle as she was concerned about the same.
In any case, Astrid was not looking forward to Ingrid's return.
She went to take a picture of her breakfast, but the eggs had turned brown and they were stuck to the pan.
Sighing, she used her phone to order breakfast instead.
Hiccup came down the stairs as she arranged breakfast in the dining room.
"SwiftFood," she said, apologetically, expecting him to know what it was. Instead, he eyed the food with interest.
"Is that a restaurant?"
Astrid laughed. "An app," she pulled out her phone, showing him how to see different restaurants across NYC.
Hiccup smiled as he sat down where his plate was, "we only have the one diner in Berk."
"I know," she smiled back. "Eat quickly. I want to take you somewhere."
Even if nobody but Hiccup and her driver knew yet the address to the house, she urged him to not mention her name once they went outside. "I'm not Beyoncé, so we'll be safe if we act natural," she'd said as she put on a beanie, her face washed free of makeup.
Astrid's hair was tied back in a braid, the tail of it laying on her shoulder.
He brushed it off her shoulder, his gentle hand betraying more a desire to touch her than any urgent styling needs.
She gravitated towards him, her lips encountering his before either had a chance to think.
They pulled apart, and the haziness evaporated away fully before it even occurred to her.
"I was thinking of using the trains to move around," she nodded to his leg as she spoke, "will you be okay?"
He frowned, first over 'trains' and then over his own doubts of whether his leg could go on all day without hurting.
"We might need to sit down here or there," he said after thinking about it for a minute. He hadn't walked for too long before. He rode on top of Natt Fury or drove his Jeep everywhere.
Even when walking Toothless, he would always let him roam, while he sat and sketched, or took photos.
Astrid turned to him, "phone?" He pulled it out of his pocket and put it in her open palm. "Wallet?" She asked again, and he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.
"Don't take them out when we're out," she said, making a show of putting them on the inside pocket of his jacket, "they're easy to grab."
"Right, yeah…"
Smiling, Astrid kissed him once more, grabbed his hand, and opened the door for him.
Outside, it was loud. The street seemed to be more full of houses like Astrid's than anything, brownstone buildings like those in the movies, frosted with orange and yellow leaves.
In the near distance, taxi cabs and their drivers warred with each other in loud complaints and expressive hand gestures.
He managed to overhear a couple's argument on what 'cawfee' house was closer in 'wawlking' distance. He wondered why Astrid didn't speak like that.
Astrid squeezed his hand, her amused face looking up at him, her blonde hair in a simple side braid, little wisps of her bangs tickling her face. And her eyes, the lovely blue of a lovely day.
He kissed her again, quickly, so they wouldn't get lost with each other.
She stuffed their joined hands in her coat's pocket and they walked on.
They walked together, waiting on and off subway cars, navigated crowds in certain areas.
Central Park, topped with a visit to get some coffee, bookstores ("I don't read much," she said, almost ashamed to admit, "but it's peaceful. People come here for the books" and not to ogle at me, she seemed to leave that floating in the silence). Sometimes, a fan or two would ask if it was really Astrid, and Hiccup would take a picture.
Some other times, she was confused with other, blonde, beautiful women. Astrid would good-naturedly take a picture with them too, and send him a mischievous smile.
Sometimes, people would just ask to take a picture because they saw someone else take a picture with her.
If a crowd assembled, Astrid would say her sorrys and thank yous and pull on his hand. Pulled him away before they couldn't escape it.
Clearly, acting natural wasn't enough to be inconspicuous.
They went to so many places, it was hard to keep track. The world's fastest tour of Astrid, all the colors and smells (good and bad), spices, flavors, all the places she loved and touched; all that she was made of.
And she was all.
So much.
She was everything and in every single thing.
Street food, and the noise, the million of screens and billboards, many with her face on it (she hurried him away from those, displeased with the lack of perfection only she could see).
It was at their stop for early dinner at a joint when the world caught on to them.
They were waiting for their food, and after a girl and her mum approached Astrid, with loud wonderings of 'we're just here on a trip!' and 'so lucky, she's your biggest fan!'.
People looked around to find the source of the noise.
Hiccup first hesitated, once the pair were walking away, but then said, "I like a quick lunch, anyway."
She threw her head back with a big laugh.
"You don't think they realized?" he asked quietly.
She looked in the direction of the woman and her child, amusement leaking from her face, "it'll be the quickest lunch you've ever had. Sigrid would scold us about digestion."
"After making friends with that lady."
Astrid laughed again. Sigrid was a loving woman, so she loved anyone who loved her loved ones.
They ate in contented silence for a bit, but it wasn't long before they showed up. Astrid saw them first, as the sun turned gray, right before it went down.
They stood by the large windows, twisting their cameras. Click, and there they went, looking down on them to check. 'Who had they caught this time?'
Astrid's frustration was palpable. Pulling out her phone, typing something here and there.
They had smelled blood and were now clicking more frantically, like little piranhas.
She waited; her neck craning, her leg jumping up and down, her movement rattling the flimsy table, checking her phone periodically.
The owner, a big, dark-haired man was already in a screaming match outside telling the piranhas to leave; they could both see her through the glass
Her phone finally pinged and she sighed; her leg stopping at once. Then, she pulled a big US bill on the table, strapping her bag on her shoulder.
"Ready?"
He mumbled something, but it seemed enough, so they got up, following her lead. Their hands were laced together, and out they went onto the river, to swim with carnivorous fishes.
They all wanted a piece of her.
Shouts asked where she'd been, who he was, who had leaked her boudoir photos.
They wanted a piece of him, too.
Anything would do, for these cannibals.
There was already a car waiting for them, thankfully, Astrid's driver, Mr. Han, was waiting for them, the door to that morning's gray SUV open.
Astrid got in first, and as he tried to get in himself, a particularly zealous piranha held the door open so he wouldn't close it.
A flash blinded him, Mr. Han's grunt barely registering in his brain.
Astrid pulled him in, and the door shut with an unceremonious thunk.
Less than a minute later, they were being taken away.
Hiccup blinked the last of the bright spots away, to come to face with Astrid's wary stare.
His smile was earnest, but it seemed to do something to her, her wariness turning into weariness.
She slumped back with a groan, her own head hitting the headrest of the backseat.
They drove in silence for a bit, Astrid looking out, the soft orange sunset dulled by the tinted windows, with Hiccup watching her cautiously before she spoke again:
"Not so shiny anymore, huh?" She still wasn't looking at him.
"What?"
Her head seemed heavy on her shoulders, lolling back as she turned to him.
"My life. Me. Not so shiny for a golden girl."
Hiccup opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. What could he say to that? how could he explain that she was everything and in everything, made up of everything?
Everything that matters.
Everything that was alive.
She snorted but looked away again.
They were all coming back, the memories.
Her blue eyes, almost silver in the moonlight as she looked up to him, and they kissed for the first time, away from the Midsommarfest throng.
Her cream-colored skin turning the best type of pink as she scowled in indignation.
Her blonde hair shining with the halo of a wheat field in the summer sun.
She was everything that was alive.
He never thought he'd think anything that corny.
Maybe, he had never truly fallen in love before. How can you fall in love like this at 18?
He licked his lips.
"The sun," he said, stupidly, maybe it was the beer she'd insisted he try.
Such a lightweight.
"What?" she croaked.
"You're not like gold. You're the sun." At her silence, he tried to continue, "you know… sunshine… and all that..." He was lost for words.
She froze for a moment, her eyes wide and her mouth open.
Then, what began as her letting out a giggle turned into a hearty chuckle, and into full-blown teary-eyed-gasping-for-breath laughter.
Hiccup was already apologizing, "you know I always end up with my foot in my mouth," he prattled, "one would think the chances are lower since I only have the one…" The more he apologized, the more Astrid laughed.
She grabbed at his forearm, as if it was a lifeline. He continued to prattle on.
Mr. Han gazed at them through the rearview mirror, probably concerned that they were drunk, or worse.
It took her a while to calm down. As soon as she seemed to get over it, she'd see his embarrassed face, and start laughing again.
She seemed to have her fill though, because she sighed contentedly, her hand reaching for his. "That was the cheesiest thing anyone's ever said to me," she said earnestly, then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."
As she kisses him again, his grimace turns to a sheepish smile, into a whole grin.
Then, he starts kissing her back.
Then, they lose track of time.
At least until Mr. Han clears his throat. "Miss."
"Sorry," They said, almost at the same time.
They noticed that they did, and chuckled at the coincidence.
"Come on," says Astrid, opening her side of the car. "We have one last stop for the day."