It's Okay to Cry: Post HTTYD 2. Astrid walks in on Hiccup mourning the loss of his father and comforts him with gentle and loving words only Hiccup can bring out of her. Requested by WhereTheGrassNeverGrows.

It's Okay to Cry

It was very lucky that Astrid had forgotten her special axe at home this morning.

However, Astrid didn't know that.

Instead, she went into a black rage about how late she was going to be for training the next Viking generation, then stormed back to Hiccup's house. She had been living there ever since they had been engaged a couple of weeks back. It was still a little disorienting to suddenly start going back to Hiccup's house after the day was done.

"Of all the days," she muttered as she stomped back across the path. "Of all the days..." She and the new recruits were supposed to be learning a special kind of defense today that couldn't be missed. And she knew what those kids got up to when there wasn't some authoritative figure over them. Jokes and pranks on the village, messing with their dragons... it was a living Helheim sometimes.

She reached the Haddock house, then opened the door as quietly as she could, knowing that Hiccup might still be sleeping in these early hours when the sky was just beginning to brighten. She went into the 'weapon room' where she and Hiccup stored their weapons. This room peered into the kitchen. She searched for her axe on the racks, muttering curses to the gods under her breath. "Son of a half-troll, minge-eating—"

"Miss you, Dad," a quiet voice suddenly interrupted her fury. All anger drained out of Astrid as she identified the voice. It was Hiccup. Tense, she turned around to look for her fiancé and spotted him through the crack of a hall to the kitchen.

Hiccup was standing behind a chair, his back facing Astrid, and his hands gripping the back of the piece of furniture. He wasn't moving. Just... standing there, deep in what... thought? And Hiccup's shoulders... they were... shaking...? But why? Was he laughing? But why would he be—

Astrid covered her mouth as she realized the truth.

Hiccup was crying.

The great Dragon Conqueror, Chief of Berk, Slayer of the Red Death, and the first Dragon Rider... was crying.

"I really miss you, Dad," Hiccup spluttered again, his shoulders now heaving. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I do... so much..."

Astrid was frozen in place. Horror filled her at his words. She of course knew that Hiccup missed his father... everyone did... but still enough to openly sob? She... she had had no idea... She wanted to run to Hiccup and comfort him, but all she could do was stand there, unmoving, and watch.

Hiccup then bowed his head. "It's... it's hard being the chief. Harder than I imagined. It's so difficult suddenly going from lazily exploring new lands every day to not knowing if I can sleep tonight because there's so much work to do. How did you do it, Dad?" He was almost begging the question. "And I know, I have Astrid... and I love her with everything in me." Astrid smiled, but it faded after a moment. "...but... I need my father, too. I need you..."

Astrid couldn't take it anymore. She ran through the tiny hall to the kitchen. To Hiccup. The chief needed her now, and she was there to help him. "Hiccup..."

Hiccup jerkily swiveled around, so surprised at Astrid's appearance that he knocked over the chair he was holding onto. "Oh, Thor—Astrid..." Tears stains were evident on his cheeks, as well as his quivering lips and the way his eyes tinged red.

Astrid threw her arms around her fiancé. "Oh, Hiccup... I... I didn't know..."

Hiccup was shaking with some sort of shock at the situation. "How—how much did you hear, exactly?"

"Um..." Astrid pulled back from Hiccup, meeting his eyes. "All of it, I think..."

A visible pallor crept through the chief's skin. "Oh. You... you weren't supposed to..."

"I know... and I'm sorry, Hiccup... I forgot my axe here, and I came back here to get it... but I saw you, and you were talking, and I couldn't help but listen in..."

A frown tugged down Hiccup's lips. "Well... it's my fault, then... sorry... I shouldn't have been—"

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried in disbelief. "You have nothing to apologize for! How—how could you say that—?!"

"But I shouldn't be crying. I need to be tough, for the village, and—"

Astrid cut him off again, "No! Hiccup, it's not what you have to do. It's what you want."

"And I want to be strong for my people," said Hiccup, sounding slightly miffed. "I want to be able to move on. I want to be able to wake up in the morning without a pang of regret that my father is..."

Astrid enveloped him in another hug. "But you also want to cry."

Hiccup was tense at first, but eventually relaxed and moved his arms under Astrid's, as well. "I... I... I don't... I want..." He sighed. "I don't know what I want," said Hiccup gruffly. Astrid could tell he was fighting off waves of emotion. "I don't know anymore."

Astrid patted his back. "Hiccup... I-I know that you miss... miss him."

Suddenly, Hiccup wracked up in big, quivering sobs that he couldn't force back. All of his pain, frustration, and sorrow came pouring out into long streams of tears.

"I just want my father back!" Hiccup sobbed. "I... I want my dad..."

Astrid felt tears bite at her own eyes. She clung tighter to Hiccup. "I know... I know..."

"It's not fair that he's gone!" Hiccup continued, still crying. "It-it's not! And... and I just..." His voice was hollowing to a whisper. "I don't know what to do... and I feel like it's my fault that he's gone..."

Astrid leaned into him, holding him close. "Shh, shh... look, Hiccup... I can't even begin to understand what you're going through, I admit it... but know, babe... I am here for you. And, hey..." She pulled back, then cupped her hand under Hiccup's chin. His eyes were red and his face heavy with despair. "It's okay to cry."

For a moment, Hiccup held her gaze, then looked away, shying back from Astrid's hand. "No, no it's not... I'm the chief of a village, I can't be weak..."

"Hiccup," Astrid said firmly. "You are human, like everyone else. They can't expect you to be more than that."

"But they do," sighed Hiccup. "My expectations are... very high... I'm the son of Stoick the Vast." He took on a more Norse accent for that, then dropped it. "Everyone needs me to be him, to take care of them..."

Astrid shook her head. "No, Hiccup. They just need you to be you. They don't need Stoick the Vast. They need Hiccup... Hiccup the Useful." She smirked. "So be him. Be yourself... I promise you, everyone will be satisfied..."

Hiccup nodded after a moment. "Yeah... it's just... it's not just that, you know... I miss Dad." He said the words simply, yet behind them laid so much emotion it hurt Astrid's heart.

"I know these words have been said many times, Hiccup... but... Stoick is still there, within you. He's there with every breath you take, every step you walk... He will never die until the last person with memories or knowledge about him passes away. And there's a lot of people on Berk, who will tell their children who will tell their children about Stoick."

Hiccup's lip trembled. "Still, that doesn't change the fact that he's... that he's gone..."

"Yes, it does," Astrid insisted. "Though Stoick might not be here in physical form, just think! Think of all of the memories of him! Remember that time when you were kidnapped and he took down a whole armada with a single ship just to get you back?"

A smile twitched on Hiccup's face. "Well, I certainly can't forget that..."

"Or the time when he saved that group of children from slavery in the Northern parts of the archipelago?" Astrid added, squeezing Hiccup's hands.

Hiccup chuckled. "That was truly admirable."

"And when you were unconscious after the battle of the Red Death... he stayed by your side for hours upon hours, only getting up for the necessities and the tribe's well-being. You have no idea how relieved he was when you woke up," said Astrid.

Hiccup's smirk still remained. "That... that sounds like my father..." He met Astrid's eyes again. "You're right. I've got memories... and those can hold me over. I'll always miss my father, but... but I'm okay." He grinned. "Thank you, milady."

"Of course." Astrid smiled softly. "And no matter what, I am with you, every step of the way." She suddenly punched his stomach, sending his suit's dorsal fin flapping out. In mock pain, Hiccup rubbed his bruise, yelping.

"Always the violence with you, huh?" he groaned, rubbing his abdomen.

"Hey, I show my support in... colorful ways," Astrid replied.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, then pulled her in close. "Oh, you..."

"Oh, you," Astrid teased back, but she was smiling.

Hiccup, though, looked solemn. "I'm serious, though," he said. "Thank you, Astrid... your words... you'll probably never know how far they actually go."

"Well," said Astrid. "Maybe I'll never know how far they'll go... but I do know that I'll see it. We've got long lives ahead of ourselves, after all, and plenty of time to watch things unroll..."

"That we do... And, milady..." Hiccup pressed a kiss to his fiancé's lips, making her grin. "I honestly can't wait to start a whole other life with you. I have this feeling that it's going to be..." He struggled for the right word. "Perfect."

Astrid laughed. "There's no such thing as perfect."

"Maybe so," Hiccup agreed. "But it's going to be perfect to me."

Astrid couldn't fight back a beam. Hiccup always made her so happy... no one else could make her feel this way. He was the right one for her, and her for him. "You're such a flirt, babe..."

Hiccup inclined his head, completely agreeing. "I really am... I guess that's what won you over, huh? Or was it my..." He flexed his arms in an effort to show dazzling muscles, but there weren't more than a few very slight bumps to them. "...masculine figure that got you?"

Astrid bent over, she was laughing so hard. Hiccup was mildly offended. This went on for longer than the chief would've liked to admit.

"Oh, gods," said Astrid, wiping her eyes as she at last straightened. "Oh, boy. Masculine figure... I'll have to... I'll have to remember that one..." With a last laugh, she swiped at her cheeks again, then calmed down. "But, no, Hiccup, none of those." She punched him again, but this hit was more gentle than the first. Still, that wasn't saying too much. "You got me because you're... you. You're funny, you're smart, you're kind and brave... handsome, I have to admit... you may not be as muscular as Snotlout—or even me—" that earned a laugh, which was responded by another punch "—but you're equally as strong, if not stronger."

Hiccup nodded. "Thanks. And, hey..." He now cupped Astrid's chin. "I love you, milady, and I will never stop, even in the depths of Valhalla or Helheim, or wherever I'm sent to when I die."

Astrid closed her eyes, a smile full of warm languor on her lips. "Mmm... Love you, too, Hiccup."

She opened her eyes again, then patted Hiccup's hand. "For always."

And those two simple words had Hiccup grinning like a fool the rest of the day.

Special thanks to these wonderful people...

katurdi, thepurplewriter333, DragonGirl310, Smoe05, FanWriter02, DragonRider015, aaaannnddddddd phieillydinyia!

Okay, so, guys... I'm sort of going through a tough period of my life right now, so I'm going to be updating less and less... I'll never completely stop updating, but I'm thinking updates might range from 1-2 weeks. Hopefully, I'll feel better within a month or two, but updates will be more sparse from now on.

I'll see you guys next time, huh? Thanks for sticking with me. Love you all so much. :-)