Hi everyone! In the last chapter there were some typos, i'm sorry for this. And be patience, english is my second language. anyways here the new chapter. Enjoy it!
"I really like Astrid, Hiccup. She's such a nice girl."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I know, Mom. I heard you the first million times."
Valka looked affronted. "I haven't said it that much."
"Yeah, you have." Hiccup gave his mother a pointed look. "You've said it at least twice to me since dinner two nights ago."
"I can tell that you like her, Hiccup. That's why I keep mentioning it." Valka smiled. "I just want you to be happy."
Hiccup sighed. His mother didn't need to know that he actually liked Astrid very much. She was beautiful and she was kind and funny and really sweet. But he was a bartender in Berk and she was a star in New York City. They were just in different situations and Hiccup didn't see that changing any time soon.
He would hang out with her when she wanted to, because his mother was right—it did make him happy. It made him happier than he had been in a long time. It made him forget about the situation he was in and how he hadn't done anything to fix it over the years.
"She's going to go back to New York, Mom," Hiccup said quietly. "She's meant for so much more than Berk and I'm…" He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. His mom hated when he talked like that.
He was proven right when Valka glared at him. "Stop talking like that," she snapped. "Hiccup, when are you going to realize that you're just as special as anyone else? You're meant for so much more, too." She patted his cheek gently, which was something that she always used to do when Hiccup was a kid and he was upset. "You have to believe that."
The thing was that Hiccup didn't believe that at all. He wanted to, but he just… he didn't. He stopped being that optimistic a long time ago. Still, he forced a smile for the benefit of his mother and nodded his head. He hugged her goodbye and kissed her cheek before he left.
Hiccup knew it was sad, but he had stopped believing in himself a long time ago.
Astrid let out an exasperated sigh as she listened to the woman she called her best friend chattering in her ear. She kept the phone pressed to her ear as she checked on the loaf of banana bread she had in the oven. She was making another one because… well… because it gave her something to do. She didn't have to think when she did this, and not thinking was good.
" Ruffnut —"
"No, really. I think you should fuck him."
" Ruffnut!"
"What?" On the other end of the line, Ruffnut laughed. "Look, you were the typical high school theater geek who had a crush on the golden boy of high school. Now that you're back and better than ever, you have the chance to sleep with the guy. So you should do that."
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Ruffnut, you know that I don't sleep around like that. And I…" She trailed off and bit her lip.
"Oh my God. You like him, don't you?"
"Well…" She did. Astrid really did like Ruffnut. There was just something about him; something about his amber eyes, the way he smiled, the way he talked to her. She couldn't help but like him. She had always had a crush on him in high school, and when she had seen him in the bar that day, it was like it had never gone away.
"I guess that's even more of a reason for you to fuck him, then. You like the guy, so go after him!"
"It's not that easy, Ruffnut. I'm not here to find a guy. I'm here to…" Astrid swallowed hard and leaned against the kitchen counter. She couldn't even say the words. How was she going to handle what was happening to her papa if she couldn't even say it?
"Astrid," Ruffnut said softly. The mood had suddenly changed; everything was serious and heavy. At this point, Ruffnut was probably the only person that knew how Astrid was really feeling. When Astrid had gotten the phone call from Alexa telling her about Evan in the first place, it had been Ruffnut that had been there when Astrid had fallen apart.
Astrid hadn't let herself have a breakdown since then. She refused, because she had to be strong for her fathers. It wouldn't help anyone if they knew that she couldn't handle what was happening. God, she couldn't even think the words without wanting to cry.
"I'm okay," Astrid whispered. She cleared her throat and spoke again, forcing herself to make her voice stronger. "I'm okay."
Ruffnut stayed silent for several long moments. She knew her best friend, and she knew that Astris really wasn't okay. She was just pretending that she was. The night that Astrid had found out that her papa had cancer had been a bad night. She had known her for years and she had never seen her lose it like that before. If Astrid kept holding it in, she was going to have a breakdown even worse than the first one.
"But Astrid—" Ruffnut began, but the woman in question interrupted her.
"I have a handle on this" She stated. Astrid honestly didn't believe that for a second, but maybe if she said it enough it would be true.
"Okay," Ruffnut said. She didn't try to push her, because it wouldn't do any good. She only hoped that Astrid would find what she was looking for while she was in Berk. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, something was missing from her life. And hopefully, even though Astrid was there for a truly sad reason, she would find it.
Ruffnut had a feeling that Astrid would find it in the form of Hiccup Haddock.
Astrid was sitting at the island in the kitchen in front of her laptop. She was clicking through emails from her agent about parts that she could audition for when she returned to New York. She just scanned them, because she honestly didn't know when she would be going back. She adored her agent, Karen Scott, but she didn't know what to say to her. Astrid would be staying in Lima for at least five months, since that was how long her father was expected to live. Even after that, she didn't know how much her father would need her after it happened.
"Hello" Alexa said as he entered the kitchen. He greeted his daughter with a kiss on the top of her head. It made Astrid smile, because that's what she used to do when she was a little girl. "What are you up to?"
"I'm just checking my email. Karen has sent me a few about different parts for when I get back to the city. I don't know if I'll take them, though," Astrid answered as she shut her laptop.
"What are you talking about?" Alex demanded. "I don't think I've ever heard about you passing up a part."
Astrid breathed in deeply. "I just want to focus on being here for you and dad right now." She didn't answer the question directly. Astrid would return, and she knew that there would be plenty of parts waiting for her. She just didn't know exactly when that would happen.
Alexa gave her a look that made her want to curl up in bed and pull the covers over her head. He hugged her tightly. "Oh sweetie. You know that your father wouldn't want you to do that."
Astrid returned the hug before she said, "I have this under control. I know what I'm doing, alright?"
Alexa studied his daughter before he nodded his head. Her little girl was all grown up now, and she had to trust that she knew what she was doing. She smiled at her then and said, "I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so I can't go and visit your papa at the time I normally do. Would you mind going?"
Astrid tensed. She didn't have a problem visiting Evan when she was with Alexa, but it was something entirely different going by herself. She didn't know if she was ready for that just yet.
But she couldn't just say no, either. Someone had to go see him. They couldn't just leave him in the hospital by himself. He was on his own too often as it was, and Astrid was just going to have to suck it up and visit.
"Of course I will," Astrid said. She made sure that her voice was light, and Alexa smiled and hugged her again.
"He'll be so happy to see you," she said.
Astrid managed a tight smile. Of course she would be happy to see her papa and spend time with him, but it was just difficult. Astrid hated knowing that no matter what she did or said, she would be losing him.
She was just going to have to push through it. She had to be strong enough for her family.
Given that Astrid had so much on her mind, she had volunteered to go food shopping for her mother. It would give her something to do so that she didn't have to think about visiting her papa the next day.
She wished that she didn't feel so horrible about going to see her papa in the hospital. But it all felt so real there. When Astrid was in New York or even at the house in Berk, she knew that Evan had cancer but she didn't have to actually see it. But now she was going to have to see him on her own.
With a sigh, Astrid pushed those thoughts away as she got a cart and began to push it through the supermarket. She tried to focus on just getting the food that she needed—and it actually turned out to be quite a lot. Apparently, Alexa was throwing a business dinner later in the week.
She found all of the groceries and placed them in her cart before she went back out to her car. She had quite a lot of bags, and she sighed before she popped the trunk and started hefting them in. Thankfully, the work was mind-numbing and it was the perfect way to distract her.
"Need any help?"
Astrid jumped at the new voice and turned to find Hicup standing next to her car. She smiled brightly at him—a real, genuine smile. She instantly felt so much better seeing him there.
Hiccup blinked in surprise at her reaction before a grin spread across his own lips. They stood there for several moments, just smiling at each other until Astrid remembered that he had offered to help.
Before Astrid could even say anything, Hiccup started grabbing the grocery bags and helped her put them in her trunk. He quickly finished with the work, and Astrid could only smile as she watched him. He was dressed simply and easily, in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. But good Lord, did he wear those clothes well. When he realized that she was watching him, he stopped and turned to look at her.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing." she couldn't very well say that she had been checking him out. "You're just very chivalrous, that's all."
Hiccup's cheeks turned red and he shrugged his shoulders. Astrid found his modesty and shyness incredibly adorable. He had always been like that, even in high school. And now they were doing that thing where they were standing and smiling at each other once again.
Astrid's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse to find a text message from her mother. Her good mood instantly disappeared, as the text message was a reminder to visit her father the next day. Alexa had given her a list of things to bring to Evan, as well.
She sucked in a shaky breath as she dropped her phone back into her purse. She closed her eyes and massaged her fingers into her temples. This was just a lot to deal with.
"Hey." Hiccup's voice was gentle. He reached out and touched her arm, and Astrid's eyes fluttered open. His amber orbs were full of concern. "Astrid."
And that was all he needed to say before Astrid's eyes suddenly filled with tears. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes in an effort to keep the tears at bay. Hiccup's fingers wrapped around her wrists and he gently pulled her hands away. She couldn't believe that she was about to have a meltdown in the middle of the supermarket parking lot.
"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I didn't mean to…" Astrid trailed off and shook her head.
"Don't do that," Hiccup said. His hands slid from Astrid's wrists to her own hands. His palms were warm and comforting as they covered hers. "You're obviously upset, and you don't need to apologize for that. Just let me know what I can do."
Without realizing it, she squeezed Hiccup's hands. He was amazing. "Can you come with me to the hospital tomorrow?" she rushed out before she could think about it. Hiccup's presence calmed her. Bringing him to see Evan would make her feel so much better.
He looked alarmed as he pulled her closer, squeezing her hands in return. "You're okay, right? There's not something wrong—"
"No, it's nothing like that," Astrid assured him. "We're just going to visit someone. That's all."
Hiccup didn't ask questions. He wanted to, sure, but he didn't want to push Astrid even more than she had already pushed herself. Seeing that Astrid had been about to cry made Hiccup want to pull her into his arms and protect her from all of the bad things in the world. Instead, he squeezed her hands again.
"I'll go with you," he agreed. "Do you want me to drive?"
It was actually so nice of him to offer. She didn't know if she could force herself to drive. Going to visit Evan without the support of her mother was just a big deal for her. She felt so much better knowing that Hiccup was going with her.
"That would be great," Astrid said quietly as she looked down at their entwined hands. "Thanks."
Hiccup studied her before he carefully pulled her into his arms. Astrid closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, reveling in the comfort that being in his arms gave her. He smoothed his large hands over her back.
"Astrid, it's going to be okay," He murmured in her ear.
Astrid just held on to Hiccup tighter, because she knew that it really wasn't.
