It all happened in a rush. One minute they were lying together on their bed, and the next, she had gone into labour.
He was a mess. A complete mess.
Their baby wasn't due this soon.
This was dangerous, and even the Fearless Hofferson-Haddock felt fear.
Hiccup got off the bed and put his prosthetic on, struggling to do so since he was hurrying. "Milady, take deep breaths. I'll be back soon."
Astrid let out a piercing scream that brought tears to the rim of Hiccup's eyes. "No, please don't leave me." She felt so vulnerable and exposed even to her husband.
"I'll be back within a few minutes. You won't even know it." He quickly pecked her forehead and left, disregarding her deafening cries with a heavy heart.
As he promised, his mother and gothi were in the Haddock house within a few minutes and had everything prepared for the heir's birth.
Hiccup saw the concerned looks on his mother's face that only terrified him more, so he took her aside and asked her, "Mom will she be ok? Please say the truth" Valka stayed silent and glimpsed into the matching set of green eyes, and it answered his horrors.
"She's losing a lot of blood, and it's very early."
Hiccup shouted at her mother, not meaning it, "But I was early too, and you and I are fine." He blamed this on his genes; somehow, this was his fault.
"Hiccup, she went into labour way earlier than I did." Valka placed a hand on his cheek and nudged him in Astrid's direction. "Stay with her."
Only looking at her, he realised the flood of blood on the floor, her legs, her forehead and hair drenched in sweat, and she held up her finger, calling for her husband.
He hurried towards her with a fake put-on smile. "I'm here, Astrid."
"Raise our daughter with lots of love."
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "We both will with so so much love, my love."
Astrid's head fell on his chest behind her. "I don't...I don't think I'll make it, babe."
He moved her hair away from her forehead and looked her in the now dull blue eyes. "You are The Fearless Astrid Hofferson-Haddock. Of course, you will."
She chuckled softly and dug deeper into his chest, enjoying his scent and warmth as if she knew this was the last time. "I feel scared, babe." They both felt her soul leaving her body inch by inch. "Tell her how much I love her. The love I won't be able to give her."
"Astrid!" He felt her getting heavier as she let go of life, and he held her from behind and begged the Gods they let her live.
A loud cry was heard in the room with fists clenched, hitting in every direction. "That's Astrid's daughter, for sure," Valka murmured, tears streaming down her face.
He stared at the tiny baby in Valka's arms with love "A daughter?" He chuckled, so Astrid was right about the gender. "See, Milady; you were right as always. We have a daughter look at-"
Astrid was gone.
Valka placed the baby on Astrid's pale chest for one last contact with the mother. "This was your amazing mother." The baby calmed down as she knew this was her mother.
Their daughter opened her eyes, and Hiccup seized a sharp, loud breath. The identical blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Astrid's. A baby twin of Astrid, and if it were normal circumstances, he would've adored her even more.
But right now...
Right now, he loathed his daughter.
The love was replaced with hatred.
"Son, what are you-"
Hiccup shoved her daughter from Astrid's chest into Valka's arms and embraced Astrid with all his might. "She killed her mother; she killed my wife. If it weren't for her, my Astrid would still be here."
Valka shrieked with the weeping baby in her arms, begging her to return to her mother, "Hiccup Haddock! Astrid wouldn't want this are you-" Hiccup knew she wouldn't, but emotions were messing with his mind.
"Take her out, mom and leave me with Astrid for some time." Valka nodded and kissed her deceased daughter-in-law's forehead before leaving with her granddaughter and Gothi behind her. She yearned to shout at her son for being absurd and neglecting his daughter, but she had all the time to do so. He didn't.
She left the couple alone.
Hiccup got off the bed and, as gently as feasible, inclined Astrid on the bed, so she rested; he clasped her hand and wept openly, "There was always supposed to be a Hiccup, and Astrid and you left me! You left me, Astrid." Loud and tearful whispers left him.
He brought her knuckles to his lips. "What will I do without you? How will I live without you?"
"I promise I'll give our daughter so much love. She's a mini you" He brushed her hair and shut his eyes, remembering his daughter's adorable tiny face. "She has your hair and eyes; she'll always remind me of you; it'll be torturous."
He pecked her pale warm cheek. "She'll be fearless just like you."
A kiss on her purple lips was placed. "As we promised, I'll give her your axe when she turns 12, and she'll get her first dragon when she's 6. I'll keep her safe."
He cried loudly that everyone outside their room could listen to him and cried with their friend, "I'll give her so much love, Milady, so much; I'll tell her how much you loved her."
After an unbearable half an hour, he left the room to see his waiting friends, mother and daughter.
He took his daughter from her arms and, with his two fingers, feathered her cheeks. "I'm sorry, love, daddy was being a knucklehead, as your mother always says." He could never use past tenses for his Astrid; she was alive in his heart and their baby.
Everyone was crying, and Snotlout attempted to put on a fake stoic face, but the tears were sliding down his face. "Have you decided on a name?"
Hiccup nodded.
"Astrid Valkyrie Haddock"
He jerked up with his heartbeat racing, glancing around frantically until a delicate hand rested on his shoulder, relaxing him.
"Babe?" Astrid stroked her eyes with the knuckles and peeked with concern-filled bright eyes. "It was just a nightmare."
His chin quivered, and he whispered, "Milady?" Hiccup jumped on her and kissed her, still not letting go of the tight embrace. "You're ok." It was unbelievable he had lost her a few minutes ago, and she was here. Safe and alive.
Astrid ran her fingers in his hair and chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Of course I am. My strong husband is here with me."
The reply she got made her heart stab. "You died, Astrid. I watched you die, and I could do nothing. I despised our daughter because she took you away from me. Milady, I-" His wife carefully listened to him.
"Shh, Hiccup, I'm here, and our daughter is here too" She placed his hand on her pregnant belly. "And I'm due in 2 weeks; you don't have to worry about me going into labour soon. Even if I do, I'll be fine. I'm a Hofferson; don't you forget that." She kissed him. "And a Haddock now. It adds to my strength."
Hiccup kissed her again, one hand on her belly and one on her chest, feeling her heartbeat to know she was alive. "You're really here." She looked absolutely stunning as the luminous beams of the moon hit her radiant face.
Astrid nodded, and they rested their foreheads. "No one can take me from you." Hot breaths hit their faces when they parted.
"I know Grimmel is gone, and Toothless and Stormfly are sleeping outside to protect us. We are here at New Berk safe, but I-" He sobbed. "But I feel helpless; how will I save you if something goes wrong." Her nightgown was soaked with his heavy tears.
Astrid stroked his cheek and darted him in his red eyes full of tears. "Nothing will go wrong, Hiccup, trust me." Why could he not believe Astrid? Her heart ached for her husband.
He gripped her hands and tugged her closer to him. "But what if it does, and you do leave me?" He wanted to feel her; she really was ok.
She chuckled and swatted his arm. "Then I'll wait for my dork in Valhalla" His heart dropped hearing what he wasn't anticipating. "But it won't." This was what he wanted to hear.
He challenged, drawing back and staring into her determined ocean eyes. "How do you sound so sure?"
Astrid chuckled and reasoned, "I know I'll make it. I'm a fighter, and so is our daughter. We both will be fine. Also, I can't leave you because-" She passed, and Hiccup looked at her with full attention.
Astrid smiled and kissed him on his warm lips, and wiped his tears. "There'll always be a Hiccup and Astrid." Two tiny braids that Astrid discreetly made were in his hair now, and she played with them.
A light breeze engulfed their room they slept in each other's arms.
The nightmare was gone, and Hiccup knew nothing could take her away. The breeze made them feel safe, assuring them it would be fine.
That day in a way, meant a lot to both of them. The mighty dragon rider, Chief of The New Berk and the well-known Hiccup Haddock figured that he couldn't protect his Astrid all the time, and The fearless dragon rider, Chieftess of The New Berk and one of the first dragon riders, Astrid Hofferson-Haddock realised how much her Hiccup truly loved her.
Their daughter was born, and Astrid whispered in her husband's ear their daughter's name. He smiled and kissed their foreheads.
"Zephyr Hofferson-Haddock"