After hanging around at the apartment for around an hour, Elsa decided to leave and take Ashley with her. She didn't want Hiccup to drive 2 hours to her house. Also, she wanted to take Ashley home with her. Home. It sounded sweet.

"I'm leaving, and you guys have a good night" Elsa clutched Astrid and waved at Hiccup with Ashley in her arm; she left the apartment.

There was silence.

An uncomfortable silence.

Astrid snatched her purse from the chair she was sitting at. "So I'll be leaving now; it was...it was nice to see you, Hiccup."

Hiccup sped towards Astrid, stopped her, and towered to her, "You aren't going anywhere."

Astrid swallowed, fluttering at their closeness; it got her all sweaty "I...we were supposed to babysit Ashley together; she's gone, so I might as well be gone too."

He repeated with flat lips and cupped her cheek, "You aren't going anywhere."

"Hiccup, I need-"

"For God's sake Hofferson!" Astrid leaped at the change in his tone. "Can't you see me? Look at me! I'm going crazy without you. These last nine months, I don't know how I survived. And now that you're back, I'm not letting you go, not for anything."

Astrid examined every inch of his body, and he was right; he looked like a mess. "What do you want from me?"

He grunted and shifted back, tugging his hair in frustration and what not. "Do you not know the answer?"

"I don't" It was a lie, a very laughable lie.

Now that she provided him with her concentrated attention and really, really scrutinized him, he had changed so much in numerous ways. "Marry me, Astrid."

Her jaw plunged, and her purse fell on the floor with a tiny thud by the entrance door, where she stood. "No. I should've said no before, but I didn't...So no"

"Why the sudden change? You were so happy during our relationship; why are you suddenly pushing me away? Is it marriage? Because if so, you don't have to marry me; we can remain boyfriend and girlfriend, or whatever it is you want to call us. I want to be with you in any way, no matter the title," Hiccup kept rambling; he didn't want to stop talking, ever.

Astrid seized a profound breath. Oh Lord, this was going to be a very, very long argument; that she was so unprepared for. "Do I not have a choice? You can't force me to date you."

"Not if you're running away" That got her speechless, as he wished, so he carried on. "I love you; you know that" He glimpsed at the tears in the corner of her eyes. "You love me too; I know that."

"I don't." Astrid didn't look him in the eye; both knew she fibbed.

He figured it was time, to be honest with her and make her realize what was right. "You need someone to take care of you."

Her chin trembled, and her eyes surveyed the room, glimpsing at everything but him. "No, I don't, and what are you, my caretaker?"

"Everybody needs somebody, and I'll need you too; with my...leg, you know." He gestured to his legs, or leg to be accurate. He remembered how much she had wept, after his Ferris wheel accident, that amputated his leg.

It was a pain-filled memory for Astrid; she ultimately looked at him, and her dense tears fell when she blinked. "I'll need you more than you need me."

He took a step forward and murmured softly. "It's ok; that's how relationships work. Sometimes you'll need me more, or I'll need you more. It's fine."

"It'll mostly be me." She muttered and once again looked away. She had trouble making eye contact with him, mainly because she knew if she did, she'd fall harder for him.

Hiccup unexpectedly embraced her; his chin relaxed on her head, digging into her soft blonde hair. "I don't care; as long as I have you, nothing matters."

She fisted his chest harder and harder, trying to push him away, but his stubbornness caused it hard to. "It's not fair to you, Hiccup."

"It's not fair to you too. You're pushing me away because you have this stupid belief made up that I deserve better when it's you! You deserve so much, so, so much better than me. Look at me; I'm a scrawny, timid loser who's missing a leg."

Astrid swatted his chest harder and flashed daggers at him. "Don't say that about yourself. Don't you dare talk about my Hiccup like that."

"Then don't you dare talk about my Astrid like that too. Now you know how it feels, don't you?" He had a lopsided grin at 'my hiccup.'

"Hiccup-"

If she could be persistent, he would be too. "I want to be there for you; for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. I want all of you, Astrid, all of you. Your snorty laughs, your tears, your punches, your anger, your warmth, your comfort; I want the whole package, Astrid." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be there for you no matter what."

She sighed and dug her head deep into his neck. "I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't." He grinned and passed her a smile that was just reserved for her. It was a smile that meant forever. Its meaning can't be put into words.

Her head jerked up, and she deeply thought for a good long few seconds, deciding what to do and what not to do. She knew what she wanted forever.

It was him.

The Hiccup Haddock.

But it was selfish to keep him.

"No, we can't be together." She drew away and picked up her purse from the floor; this time, she wouldn't stop. She'd leave him forever; as much as it hurt her, she would. It's for the best.

Hiccup yelled at her from his spot, frozen out of shock, to even move. "You are a selfish, vicious woman."

She stopped in her track. "Is that what you think of me?"

He yelled again, "Yes!"

"You son of a half-troll eati...You asshole!" She ran back to him and hit him with her purse, flying in the air with each move. "Selfish? If I were selfish, I would've still been with you right now. I'm not selfish, far from it; oh, Thor, six years...and you don't know me."

"Then why?" He would take as many hits as she'd give him, but he wanted an honest answer; that made sense.

She pointed at him and herself, back and forth, making an effort to put her thoughts into words. "I love you so fucking much, Haddock, and that is why I have to let you go."

"Bullshit! It makes no sense." He blinked.

She facepalmed; of course, it wouldn't go to his dumb head. "Look at us; we have been in the house for three hours, and all we've done is fought, and you had to help me with my anxiety attack."

He remained confused. "Yeah, so?" It hurt her more to think he was getting used to it and considered it normal.

"I have chronic anxiety and depression. I'm a toxic person. I'm doing you a big favour by walking away, so you don't have to live with this," She signalled to herself with her hands, all of her. "Living with me will be torturous all the time; I'll push you away, my anger outbursts, my random attacks, my trauma, having the constant fear that I'll run away again, and Odin knows what else."

"Astrid-" He took a great breath and wanted to smack himself for being so insensitive and craved to take his words back, but unfortunately, it was too late.

She was crying freely; the waterfalls down her face, she had disclosed all her insecurities. "So there you go. I'm pushing you away because I don't want you to suffer. I'm letting go of my true love, my once-in-a-lifetime chance to be happy, just because I don't want you to suffer, and you...you call me selfish."

Hiccup moved his hands in random directions and ran his hand down the face, ashamed and not knowing what to say and how to put it. "I'm sorry, Astrid, I'm sorry, Milady. I don't know what to do. Maybe we could do Therapy?"

He looked up, hoping for an answer, but she was gone.

Astrid had left the apartment.

Regrets.

What have I done?

No, he can't let her go this time.

He took a grip on himself and ran out of the apartment, not even shutting the door behind him. She was walking to her car in the parking lot, and her hand movements to wipe the tears could be seen clearly in the dark. The whole neighbourhood could hear the loud sobs.

And briefly, it had begun raining.

"Be selfish!" He yelled from where he stood a few meters away from her.

A hand was on the door handle; she turned around. "What?"

He took a tiny step forward, thinking very hard before making any move. "I said be selfish."

"What?" She remained puzzled at this ridiculous saying. Her blue orbs shone in the dark, and elegantly the raindrops slipped off her eyelashes.

Another step forward. "You said back in the apartment that you didn't want to be selfish" Rain droplets were flying in his mouth when he opened his lips to utter the exact words, "Be selfish."

It all added up and made sense to the Hofferson now. "Why are you so God damn stubborn?! Why can't you let me go?"

"Because you're intoxicating! You're an addiction to me, Astrid."

She froze. "Hiccup?"

He stood in front of her. "These soft hands." He feathered her hands with his fingertips.

"Hiccup, what are you-"

He touched her rain-wet lips, and it sent shivers down her spine. "Your lips, when they say my name, it does things to me, Milady."

She blinked at him her eyes widened. "Stop."

"And these gorgeous to die for ocean deep eyes. When I look into them, I feel safe; I feel at home." He stared into her eyes, and they both felt butterflies in their stomachs.

"Hiccup." She was flabbergasted.

His lips attacked hers.

"You're a goddess Milady," He said each word between their kisses.

Astrid didn't react at first, stunned, but she slowly surrendered to the urge to kiss him and devoured his lips. Her hands moved on his face pushing herself closer to him, and his roamed her body, all her curves, and finally rested on her bottom back.

He shoved her backwards, and she didn't care about the bruises appearing in a few hours from the hard exterior of the car. She wrapped her legs around him, and soon they had gotten into dominant combat, just like always.

She desired him, longed for every inch of his body, and he craved her like he never did before.

Nine months.

That's how long they were apart.

After a few minutes, they drew back with a string of saliva falling, and the heavy hot breaths on each other's faces turned them even more on. She stood straight, legs coming off his torso, and he removed his hands from her lower back.

They were a messy pair, shirts wrinkled and puffy hair tangled.

They were thoroughly drenched in the rain by now. Now all they heard was the raindrops hitting the ground of the empty parking lot and the distant noise of the cars driving; nonetheless, it was pin-drop silence for the ears.

Out of breath, they uttered at the same time, "I'm sorry," And peeked at each other as if getting a flashback of some sort

The classic sass was evident in Hiccup's voice. "Well, that reminds me of our first kiss."

"But this time, it's you who attacked me." Astrid blushed and punched his shoulder, and he was expecting that punch. He invited it with a grin.

"Payback, I guess. I love this kinda payback, though."

The grin on his face brightened, recalling that lucky day he got his first kiss from the Goddess he worships. It was a lovely afternoon, and she was so frustrated with the sexual tension between them that she leaped on him, kissing him while he froze. He kissed back as shortly as she was nearly to let go in embarrassment with the same force.

On that lovely afternoon when they let go, they both said ' I'm sorry.' simultaneously.

She had come back after revisiting the lovely memory. "I need to go. This shouldn't have happened" His face dropped. His smile turned upside down like his world.

He pulled her back with her hand with a stern face. "Not this time"

Her eyebrow arched, challenging him, "You think you can stay with me?"

"Yes!" He yelled; he was tired of repeating it again and again. "I proposed to you! I knew I wanted you, all of you, forever. Oh, Thor Astrid."

She groaned and fell into his arms. "There's no backing out. You won't let me go no matter how hard I try?"

"No"

"Then we're both stuck with each other, I guess." She finally understood she couldn't run away from him.

"Gladly, Milady!" He pecked her forehead and inhaled the rosemary smell of her hair.

She chuckled and kissed the scar on his chin, which she reached without tiptoeing. "I tried leaving...but I forgot how stubborn you are" Her face cringed, realizing something. "It doesn't mean I've changed. I'll try to run away again, and my he-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Milady, because from now on, we don't talk like this, and even if you leave me again and move to a goddamn made-up planet, I'll get you back from there too."

She lightly swatted his chest. "You're unbelievable."

He pushed her face up and looked into her eyes with the most honest and painful look ever. "There'll always be a Hiccup and Astrid."

She smiled for the first time and nodded. "Also, babe."

"Hmm?" He asked, giving her his full attention.

She brushed her finger on his mustache. "If you want to kiss me again, this has to go."

"As you say, Milady." He checked and rubbed his nose with hers.

And this time, she won't run away.

They kissed in the rain, and a serene breeze surrounded them.