I'm back... not that I really was gone. As said I was working on my NaNoWriMo story during november and I managed to reach 50.000 words in one month. After that I needed a few days way from writing anything. On top of that I had my birthday and if I would get another contract at work. So busy times. (I got a new contract for 6 months btw. Really happy about that, it comes with awesome co-workers, interesting work, massages, fitness and porn, yes I am seriously here. I'm a girl. Still serious.)
As for this chapter, excuse my French. It's been ages for me since I last wrote any French and it never was my strongest subject (heck I would get better grades if I didn't take my tests seriously) So please correct me. For everyone who doesn't understand French, there are translations at the bottom of the chapter.
Tillerton Again: I thank you again for your review. It really motivated me again to write for NaNoWriMo.
thedeathwidow: I didn't see any clowns. Did spent too much money though XD (I just had to buy eevee and pikachu at build a bear, since we don't have that here.)
Carlo Solo: I actually am still figuring out the exact details as to what happened to Valka, do have some ideas, just need to sort them out. Also thanks for the complement. I try my best with drama and romance.
Wstenfuchs: good interesting or bad interesting?
Chapter 16 Fever
Astrid suddenly sat up straight, when Hiccup stirred. He simply rolled around and continued sleeping. Sighing relieved she sunk down in the chair she was sitting on. It was the middle of the night, though Astrid had lost track of time. After mixing new ointments and potions with Gothi and changing Hiccup's bandages at some point, she had been dozing off whilst sitting in the chair. However, never entering a deep sleep state, proved to be rather exhausting. With every stir, loud breath or any sound at all, she sat up straight looking what the source of the sound had been. Most of the time she found either Toothless or Hiccup having moved. Twice Hiccup had woken up soon to be followed by throwing up. Luckily both times in a bucket. Of course she had to clean that and the second time she really wondered if he would even be able to puke again, his stomach had to be empty by now.
Normally she would have hated the night shift. She had done it a few times before, mostly with kids. Gothi wasn't getting any younger after all. Still she hated feeling tired or waking up every hour, if she were lucky that was. There had been nights that she woke up every twenty minutes. Not that she could really call it sleeping.
Right now, it wasn't so bad. Sure she still hated the fact she wasn't able to get any decent sleep. Or having to clean a bucket of vomit multiple times a night. Still, since she wasn't alone in helping the patient, it wasn't that bad. Toothless was there to sooth Hiccup and Sneaky helped her with cleaning the bucket. Not that the little dragon had been much use, but its presence alone had been appreciated.
Sneaky had also done something she hadn't even taught him. During the beginning of the night he had often watched her making the wet cloth on Hiccup's head cool again by putting it in a bucket of cold water. It had watched her intensely, studied her every movement from his hiding spot. Astrid knew this, because she had taught the dragon where and how to hide. She knew where to look and every time she had seen him watch her. At some point, after Astrid had sat down to simply watch Hiccup and occasionally change the wet cloth, the little terrible terror had flown over, grabbed the cloth, dropped it in the water and then put it on Hiccup's head. At first Astrid had been stunned as to what she saw Sneaky do, then she partly panicked because the cloth had been drenched. So when she quickly grabbed the soaked item, Sneaky had looked confused at her. She wringed the water out of the cloth, well mostly, and then placed back on Hiccup's head before looking at Sneaky.
A next attempt from the small scaled creature came about half an hour later. This time it used its claws to wring out water and to say Astrid was impressed was an understatement. She had never expected the little dragon to be able to do such a thing. The cloth may still be wetter than when she would wring it out, but it wasn't dripping and to her that was good enough. She had given her small helper a scratch under his chin, making him purr in delight.
Just when Astrid had her eyes closed, to enter yet another light sleep, she heard new movement. Quickly she opened her eyes once more and found Hiccup sitting up in bed. He was staring at the cloth that had fallen of his forehead. Astrid eyes wandered to the bucket which was right next to the bed and mentally prepared herself for what was probably to come. However unlike the last two times he didn't hang over the side of the bed, but simply picked up the cloth and studied it as if it was a strangest thing he had ever seen. He eventually lost interest in the cloth and started looking around, laying his eyes on her. She could see he wasn't entirely focused and his eyes had a somewhat dazed look in them. The color of his face told her his fever was still there.
With a sigh she stood up from her chair and held out his hand to him so he could hand her the cloth. He didn't seem to understand, so gently took it from him and dropped it in the bucket with water.
"Lay back down, Hiccup. Your fever is still pretty bad," she told him as she place a hand on his shoulder to push him down.
He however seemed to have different plans, as a sudden devious smirk formed on his face and his hands traveled to her back. Before Astrid could respond, he had taken her down with him.
"Ack, Hiccup, wh-what are you doing?" she uttered baffled and a little panicking.
Astrid tried to get herself away from Hiccup, but only got more tangled up in his arms somehow. When she found Toothless wide awake and stare at them with a tilted head, she gave the dragon a pleading look, but it simply remained seated. Watching them as if it where some theatrical play just for him. He seemed to enjoy it as well. Damn dragon.
Her heartbeat started to race when she suddenly felt Hiccup nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck as she lay on top of him. What the heck was he up to?! Time to think about his reason she had not for he let her roll of him, her back towards him. His face was right in her neck and for some reason he found it a good idea to nibble on her ear. Albeit it sent a unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling through her body, she really wanted him to stop and let her go.
"Mon chéri, je t'aime," he then whispered in her ear, though she hadn't the slightest clue what it meant.
Toothless however seemed to as he was now looking at them with wide eyes full of surprise. That dragon knew more languages then she did!
"Hiccup, please let me go," she pleaded almost as she tried to escape his arms without hurting him, "You're still sick. You need to rest."
"Hm, oui. Je suis endeuillée," he smiled and pulled her closer once more.
Astrid had no idea what Hiccup just said, but apparently it was rather funny, for Toothless seemed to crack up with laughter. Seeing a dragon laugh was rather interesting, she however found no humor in her situation. She rolled around to face Hiccup, trying to push away the thought that they were currently sharing a bed. The facts that one she was really tired and two it somehow was rather comfortable and nice in his arms didn't help her situation at all.
Behind her Toothless had stopped laughing and she just knew he was watching them with curious eyes. She pondered over what to do. Hiccup probably acted this way because of his fever. She had no other explanation for it. Her Hiccup wouldn't just simply hug her like that.
Wait what?! She stopped her halfhearted attempt of escape when she realized what had just crossed her mind. What in the world was she thinking and why? Hiccup wasn't hers. Just what was wrong with her?
"Astrid?"
To this Astrid responded, though he had said her name with some sort of accent. She quickly realized he wasn't mistaking her for someone else. Why on earth was he hugging her?!
"Est-ce que tu m'aime aussi?"
It was a question. It was clearly a question to her and she had no idea what to answer for she had no idea what he had just asked. Panicked she looked at him as he gave some hopeful look, making her wonder what he was hoping for.
She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed him away just a bit.
"I really don't understand what you're saying, Hiccup. Please switch to Norse," she mumbled.
He gave her a not understanding look. Astrid sighed as he clearly had no clue he was in fact speaking a language she did not understand. His arms were still around her and she was having a hard time trying to ignore the gently and playful strokes on her back and sometimes the back of her head. Whenever she tried to move away from him, he would pull her closer once more, resulting in laying dangerously close to the edge of the bed now. In fact she would hit her head on the night table when she moved it to the back just a bit.
"Please let me go," she asked him in an attempt to get herself out of this weird situation.
Nothing like this ever happened. Nothing even close to this has ever happened to her. Her normal reaction in situations where guys came too close to her comfort, was hitting or kicking. This however was entirely different in so many ways she was clueless on what to do with it and herself. She was partly panicking, caused by Hiccup, but at the same time he calmed her from it. It was so confusing she really wanted to get away from him, yet at the same time it wasn't uncomfortable, so she didn't want to go. Sshe had to though. There was no way she was going to let Gothi find them in each other's arms… uh her in Hiccup's arms. The woman may not talk much, but Astrid was pretty sure even she would gossip about such a thing.
"Je ne veux pas te laisser aller et être seul à nouveau. S'il-te-plait reste avec moi."
Again Astrid did not understand a word of what he said, however the boy had pulled her closer and buried his head in her chest as he talked. His voice leaking sadness and begging. It was just that, that made her understand he didn't want her to go. She let her fingers glide through his hair, which he seemed to like.
"Hiccup?" she said after a while, letting her fingers still go through his hair.
"Hm," he responded, his face still buried in her chest and still holding her firmly.
"Do you see the chair behind me? The one I was sitting on before?"
He lifted his head just enough to look over her.
"Oui," he said with a nod, but looked at her in confusion.
Well at least now she knew one word of whatever language he was speaking. Oui apparently meant yes.
"I'll be sitting on that chair. I won't go anywhere."
"Non, non," he let out and violently shook his head.
Astrid wondered if that meant no.
"You need to go back to sleep," she said, ignoring his disagreement with the plan.
"Puis dormer avec moi dans le lit!" he exclaimed and once again nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, though this time it seemed more in a desperate attempt to seek comfort and convince her of whatever he had just said, "Je t'aime. Je t'ai toujours aimé. Je comprends que vous ne ressentez pas la même chose, mais s'il vous plait juste rester avec moi pour une nuit. Après que vous pouvez ignorer stupide inutile moi."
As he rambled on in the foreign language, Astrid couldn't help but hug him back to calm him from his panic. It surprised him, but he did not move away.
"I don't understand a word of what you just said, I'm afraid. If you think I'm leaving you here alone, then please stop panicking. I'll be here all night and still when you wake up in the morning. Just on the chair, not this bed. There isn't enough room for two people."
What the heck was she saying now? However those words seemed to have some effect as he looked around to study the size of the bed it seems.
"Juste. Quelqu'un pourrait tomber si nous dormons ensemble," she heard him mumble.
He didn't look too pleased when he said that, but gave in as he sighed with a nod. However he still held on to her, pulling her even closer.
"Hiccup," she protested with a sigh.
"Seulement pour un moment, s'il vous plait," he muttered into her shoulder.
Astrid trembled a bit when she heard his voice so close to her ear. Her body responding like that freaked her out. For a moment she dared not to move, but then gently pushed him away. This time Hiccup let himself be pushed away. His hands slipped away from her and Astrid decided not to dwell on the somewhat disappointed feeling she had with that. She sat on the edge of the bed and was about to stand up, when she felt Hiccup's hand on her lower arm. Looking around to him she found him sitting up and before she could say a word, his lips were pressed on hers. Without even realizing she angled herself better and leaned forward, sinking into the kiss. The hand that he had used to hold her arm, traveled up slowly and wherever he touched her, a tingling feeling stayed behind. She got back to her senses when his hand was at her shoulder and pulled away.
"Go to sleep, Hiccup," she whispered though not looking away from him.
He gave her a smile, gave her another kiss though it lasted only a second this time. Then he lay down and pulled the covers over him. Astrid grabbed the cloth from the bucket with cold water, got rid of the surplus water in it and placed the damp fabric on his forehead. She stared at him with a blush covering her face, before sitting down on the chair with a sigh. When she looked to her side she found Toothless giving her a teasing look even she could understand.
It was because of his fever he acted that way, she told herself. And she didn't want to hurt him so she went along with it just enough to please him. Yes, that was what happened. Yes…
His head hurt like someone just hit him with a rock when he woke up. For some reason he felt cold, though his entire body was covered in sweat. He could feel the salty liquid in his neck and his tunic sticking to his body. When he sat up two pair of eyes studied him curiously. One pair belonged to his dragon partner, the other to Astrid, who also seemed a little… scared? Hiccup decided to ignore that.
"Do you have something for a headache?" he asked with a hoarse voice.
Somehow that was a reason for Astrid to sigh. She poured a glass of water and offered it to him.
"You're probably dehydrated after last night, which causes your headache," she explained when he didn't take it immediately.
He took the cub and drank a bit, still feeling nauseous.
"Do you remember anything from last night?" she asked in a cautious tone.
Hiccup placed the cup on the night table next to the bed as he shook his head. He noticed her studious look and started to get a little worried about what had happened during the night. The last he could remember was throwing up.
"You started talking in some language I don't know," Astrid said after a while.
Somehow he felt a little relieved.
"What did I say?"
He watched her as she look thoughtful for a moment. Trying to recall something he had said.
"Sil taim, si taim… sil maime…je taim…"
Hiccup's throat went dry as she was whispering the nonsense words. Please don't let it be… he started thinking and swallowed.
"Je t'aime?" he questioned in a whisper as he silently begged for being wrong.
"Yes, that," Astrid nodded, "what does it mean?"
Instantly he was glad he already had a fever and his face was already flushed. Of all the things he could have said, those words. He may have realized he still had feelings for her, that did not mean he was planning on saying them out loud… to her. When he noticed her questioning look, he turned his glance away and it happened to fall on Toothless who was giving him a smirk. It was one of those I- saw-it-all looks he was giving him and that damn dragon seemed to enjoy it too. Too much to Hiccup's liking. There was more. There had to be more. The dragon's smirk was telling him that much.
"Did… did anything else happen?" he eventually dared to ask, even though he wasn't entirely sure if he really wanted to know.
From the corner of his eyes he spotted a blush creeping across Astrid's cheeks. Oh Thor, he thought, please don't tell me I did something stupid.
"You…uhm… sort of may have pulled me on the bed and hugged me, asking me something, but what I have no idea."
Okay, that wasn't too bad…
"And then you kissed me at some point."
Aaaand he did something stupid. The words hit him like a brick and he suddenly lost his ability to talk. The panic must have been written all over his face, because she quickly said, "calm down. It's fine."
"F-fine?" he uttered as his voice broke.
He dared to look at her again and clearly saw she was just as uncomfortable with the topic as he was.
"H-how can you be f-fine with it?"
Why was he talking? Didn't he loose his ability to do so a moment ago? Seriously, he should have kept his mouth shut! He didn't want to know. He didn't even remember any of it so what does it matter. His stupid curiosity got him into trouble on multiple occasions, though he still hadn't learned it seemed. Yet…
Whenever he was curious about something, albeit the problems it had caused him, it had brought him to where he was now. A traveler, having seen more than any Viking maybe anyone on this world. A rider of a night fury who was also his best friend. An inventor, how else could Toothless fly. He even defied gravity himself with his own set of wings… even though he could only float with them. And to some… to some, even though he wouldn't agree with them, a hero.
So, even while being terrified of what Astrid had to say about it… would do maybe. He was curious. Terrified, but curious and that was probably what ran his mouth. Made him ask. Although he half expected her to slap him in the face.
She gave him an uncomfortable look before turning her attention to his leg. She started changing the bandages there. Hiccup decided to leave the question hanging in the air. Often people would start talk after a while.
When all bandages around his left leg were gone, he studied the wound himself for the first time and started to understand why it hurt so much. It still looked nasty.
She applied some light pressure to it as he gritted his teeth and pinched in the sheets. It started to bleed lightly, but that was all that happened which Astrid seemed satisfied with. He dropped on the pillow as she started applying ointment to it followed by wrapping a clean bandage around it. As he watched her, he noticed she messed up a few times and heard her softly curse. She looks tired, he thought and noticed just in time his hands were moving towards her. He quickly pulled back glad she hadn't noticed. Urgh, stupid body acting on its own.
"It's fine because it wasn't the first time," he heard her whisper.
It took him a moment before the meaning of the words hit him, while he repeated them in his mind.
"What?" he asked with a hoarse voice as he rapidly sat up.
So rapidly that his vision started to become clouded and he let himself fall backwards again with his eyes closed. He heard her chuckle and felt a knot being made in the bandages.
"When you had amnesia the queen managed to get you under her control again. I managed to snap you out of that by kissing you."
Hiccup stared at her in disbelieve. His eyes wide as she was moving to the bandage around his hand. She kissed him?! He looked to Toothless in the hopes he could enlighten him a little or tell him it was a lie. All his scaled friend did was nod with that same grin he had been having for a while now.
"Whatever possessed you that you come up with the idea of kissing to get me out of the control of a dragon queen?" he eventually asked looking at Astrid once more.
His voice was slightly shaken and with an undertone of disbelieve and sarcasm.
She focused on her job of changing the bandage around his hand, whilst talking.
"I didn't want to hurt you and my mother often uses that trick to make my father forget everything. Since I was in a tight position, I gave it a try."
Hiccup blinked and stared at her as she wrapped a clean bandage around his hand, which was almost completely healed by now. She moved over to his other arm.
"How many times?"
The words had slipped from his mouth without thinking about it and as soon as he said them he regretted them… a little.
"How many times what?" she asked, smearing the ointment on the cuts and bruises.
He thought about how to formulate it before speaking again.
"How many times did you use that trick to get me back to my senses?"
"Twice," Astrid answered after a short silent, still focusing on taking care of his wounds.
Twice. Plus that one time he apparently kissed her made it three times they kissed. Three times and none of them he could remember! How unlucky can one be?! The gods really must hate him and like to toy with him.
"I'm going to get you some broth Gothi made. I'll be right back," she announced once all his bandages were changed.
As soon as she was out of the room, Hiccup let out a grunt. He ran his not bandaged hand through his hair and dropped backwards once more. After staring at the ceiling for a few seconds the face of Toothless was hovering above him.
"Fine, go ahead, what exactly did I say, because it seems like you even understand French."
Toothless let out a snort.
"Hard not to, when you have been speaking it a lot too, even to me."
"Didn't want to get out I was a former Viking," he mumbled and looked expectantly at his scaled friend.
"Well… you called yourself lovesick and all in all you begged her to stay and gave her a love confession. You were rather clingy and I would say a tad childish."
"Great," Hiccup mumbled as he let that sink in.
He was just glad Astrid hadn't understood a word of it. Just then Astrid entered the room again, with a bowl of broth in her hands. Hiccup sat up as Toothless stepped aside so she could him the food. He really wasn't hungry and stared at the liquid in the bowl. Astrid gave him a stern look and he knew that she somehow would find a way to make him at least drink some of it. Admitting defeat before even starting the fight he really had no energy for anymore, he carefully took a small sip to check the temperature. It was just right and he drank about half of it, before he couldn't bring himself to it anymore. She seemed satisfied with that.
"Get some more rest, I'll be back later," she then said, moving towards the door as he placed the bowl with the remaining broth on the night table next to the cup of water.
"Non attends! N'allez pas!" he let out in some strange panic state that overtook him.
Right after he said those words he realized they had been in French. Astrid stared at him with a surprised face but walked back to his bedside.
"What language is it anyway?" she asked calmly as her hand was placed in his neck to check his temperature.
Hiccup was certain just that gesture made it raise.
"French," he mumbled, "sorry…"
She seemed puzzled as she pulled her hand back and Hiccup quickly looked away.
"What does it mean?"
They were both quiet for a while. Hiccup dared not to answer that question. Eventually he shook his head slightly and lay down. His back turned towards her.
"It doesn't matter," he almost whispered and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
"Hiccup," he heard her sigh.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
He rolled to his back to look at her, to hopefully throw her off and make her think it had been the meaning of his words. Even though what he had said clearly had sounded like panicking, it was this was just as pathetic as the actual words he had said.
"Home. I rushed out last night and didn't go back. My parents are probably wondering what happened," she said as straight to the point as she would always do, "I'll be back in a few hours, but if you really need me sooner, send Sneaky."
The little terror suddenly plopped down on the edge of the bed.
"Also don't try to leave again," she then added with a stern voice.
"Ok," Hiccup mumbled.
Astrid gave Sneaky a pet and then left the room. Leaving Hiccup alone in the room… with two dragons. He really didn't want to be alone, well with just Toothless and Sneaky. But he didn't want to act like a pathetic child. He rolled back to his side and curled up his body a little.
"I'm a stupid idiot," he muttered to himself.
1 Honey I love you.
2 Hm yes. I'm lovesick.
3 Do you love me too?
4 I don't want to let you go and be along again. Please stay with me.
5 Then sleep with me in bed!
6 I love you. I always loved you. I get that you don't feel the same, but please just stay with me for one night. After that you can ignore stupid useless me.
7 Right. Someone could fall if we sleep together.
8 Only for a moment, please.
9 No wait! Don't go.