Chapter 3!
If there's a smut chapter to this, like Ridiculous it will go in Hiccstrid one shots. (Thank you Sq!)
-HTTYD-
Huddling up in the sleeping bag Astrid sweetly gave him, Hiccup chewed on his sandwich and smiled to himself. It was cold, but he had his freshly laundered jumper and coat on, he'd eaten twice today and Astrid was somewhere warm and safe. Ruff and Tuff might even have a home soon.
He would never tell Astrid they had offered him that room. That he had begged to give it to Astrid, desperate to save her before she lost hope or got attacked. Uncommonly beautiful even covered in street grime, Astrid's big blue eyes and shy smiles had Hiccup hooked from day one. Unfortunately she also tended to attract bad people who wanted to take advantage of her situation, offering her things like food and somewhere to sleep in exchange for sex.
Not that he'd judge her for taking those opportunities, but when the offer for the housing came through... Hiccup couldn't help but try to save her from having to. And he had. Hiccup felt better just knowing that he had. He could survive on the streets, practiced at finding food and somewhere to sleep.
Astrid came to find him a week or so later, looking brighter, cleaner, healthier than when he had last seen her. Sat reading his book, Tuff napping nearby and Hiccup eating the cookie he had saved from last night, a shadow fell across the light coming in from the street entrance. He looked up, found a smile that made his chest warm and a familiar blonde braid.
"Hey" he pushed himself up, wary not to touch her now she was all clean "you look like you're doing better."
"I am. Thank you. I uh, I brought you food. As a thank you."
Sure enough, Astrid dropped her bag down and pulled out cup-a-soups, crackers and peanut butter. Beneath that was a pack of beef jerky, and a rare treat of a bottle of sports drink.
"You didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. They got my benefits through today and I know you wouldn't take my money. So I bought you stuff instead."
"Well, I suppose I did ask you to pay it forward. Thank you, Astrid. Are they helping you look for jobs and stuff?"
"Yeah. They put me on a computer course to help me sharpen up my skills, and a nice counsellor works there once a week to help us adjust to the new life."
"That's great! I am so happy for you Astrid."
He knew he might never see Astrid again as she managed to rebuild her life, but Hiccup was genuinely thrilled to have met her, helped her.
"Thanks Hiccup. I don't know if I would have made it without you. And the twins."
Astrid gestured to the sleeping Tuff, who was an amazingly heavy sleeper.
"Give it back it's my blanket!"
Tuff talked in his sleep sometimes. That was usually his only coherent sentence, the rest gibberish but Hiccup found it endearing.
"I've no doubt you would have been just fine. You're smart and strong Astrid, you'll do... amazing things."
Her shy smile lit up her face, and Hiccup felt a flicker of butterflies as beautiful blue eyes sparkled. He took a mouthful of artificially coloured isotonic drink to mask it, then smiled in return.
"You should get back before it starts raining, not that it wasn't lovely to see you."
Astrid turned to look up at the sky, frowning.
"Guess so. I'll see you again mister."
"I look forward to it. Thank you again for the food."
She waved, headed off to ensure she wasn't caught out in the wet weather threatening, and Hiccup slid down back into his spot and smiled at where she'd been standing for a minute, then went back to his book. It was quite good, full of silly dragons with silly names. He would be sad to return it, but that was how the swapping worked. Someone else would equally enjoy this book, he was sure.
"Hey Tuff. Jerky?"
"Oh. Thanks. Where did that come from? You didn't cook Chicken did you?"
"Nope, Chickens fine. Astrid brought me food. You know I like to share."
"Astrid was here?"
He nodded, held out the bag of jerky to one of the other transient folk who took a piece with a muttered thanks and continued over to their spot in the corner.
"Yeah. I made her go back before it started raining. You want some PB?"
"Nah. Ruff got us some yesterday when she went to get a shower."
"Suit yourself. Since you're up, I'm going to go the bathroom and look for some wood for the fire tonight."
Tuff yawned, rubbed his face - despite his age, the male twin was smooth-chinned - and stretched.
"Ok. Want me to watch your bag?"
"Sure. Thanks Tuff. You want the rest of this?"
Hiccup offered the two-thirds-full bottle of sports drink to Tuff. If Ruff came back he would share it with her.
"Thanks H."
The walk to the bathroom showed Hiccup looking pale and rough, but that was par for the course. He gave his scruff a quick rinse to get soup flecks out of it, wiped dry with a paper towel after using the bathroom. It was volunteering day the next day... maybe he would shave in the morning. His hair still hung around his shoulders; Tuff was surprisingly good at haircuts, especially for someone with waist-length matlocks, and he did haircuts for anyone who asked politely.
After running his hands under the hot tap for a minute to warm them, Hiccup put his gloves back on and headed out to seek scrap wood for the firepit. A couple of abandoned buildings with kicked in fences were good bets, streets with houses more risky but often reject furniture was dumped and that tended to burn quite well too.
"Oi!"
Hiccup tended to try and go unnoticed, so he didn't immediately realise he was being shouted at as he leant down to grab some broken fence panels from the alleyway he had been walking through.
"What you doin'?"
"Who, me?"
He straightened up, found himself surrounded by four rather severe looking gentlemen. They didn't seem to like the look of him, and there was a strong, pungent smell of alcohol and marijuana smoke in the air around them.
"Yeah! Stealin?"
"No! I just wanted some wood for a fire."
The most cruel looking ones lips curled up in a sneer, and he leant down to pick up a hefty hunk of wooden fence post. Backed him up against the alley wall.
"Ya want wood ye thieving scrounger? 'ave it!"
Hiccup had been attacked before for simply existing as a homeless man, and he resigned himself to a few bruises and pain until they got bored and moved on.
He didn't actually expect the guy to hit him with the fence post.
The blow knocked the wind out of him, sent him staggering but there was nowhere really to go. One of the others shoved him back, the second hit to his calf and if Hiccup had the space, he would have collapsed in agony. They laughed, jeered as they punched and kicked at him, fists making contact with his jaw and leaving him reeling.
"Hey! What's going on down there?"
A voice cut into the mocking sneers, made the flurry of hits finally stop.
"Lets get outta here!"
The thugs scarpered, leaving Hiccup to collapse to his knees and try not to lose consciousness. His head was swimming as his rescuer approached, a tall, stocky guy with strawberry blonde hair hanging around his shoulders. At least, that was what Hiccup thought his saviour looked like before the world went black around him.
As consciousness started to reach him again, Hiccup groaned at the sensation of pain where his entire body felt bruised and battered. The next sensation he registered was soft and gentle, a warm hand on his own. Cracking open an eyelid that felt like it weighed two tons, Hiccup spied a glow of blonde hair.
"Hiccup? Are you awake?"
"Uhhh" Odin his throat was arid, dry as a bone "almost."
"Thank Thor. You want some water?"
He nodded as best he could, felt a straw at his lips a moment later and lamented the loss of Astrid's hand in his. Sucking weakly, he groaned in relief as water flooded his dry mouth. Managed to open his eyes properly, then scrunched them closed against harsh white lights.
He was in hospital. In a gown.
"Where's my coat? My stuff?"
"Calm down Hiccup, you took a nasty beating."
He shook his head, lights burning his sore eyes as he looked around for any sign of his things.
"My picture... my parents. It can't be gone!"
Astrid placed a gentle hand against his shoulder, swam into his blurry view but even then, he recognised her sparkling blue eyes.
"Breathe. Your picture is here. Safe and sound."
The rustle of a waterproof bag against his hand relieved Hiccup somewhat, blinking away the blur of his vision as best he could and calm flooded him as he saw his parents looking back from the little rectangular memory.
"Everything else is replaceable. But not this."
Hiccup sort of noticed the scrape along his hand that held the photo, but his pain was secondary as he stroked his mothers smile, looked at his dad and Gobber laughing.
"They look happy."
Astrid looked at him with sadness, but he could also see she understood.
"We were. Once."
The thin linen curtain across his 'room' whisked back and Hiccup looked up into the face of a nurse, who bustled over to him.
"Ah Hiccup, back with us I see! I imagine you're feeling pretty tender, but we couldn't give you anything until we were sure about your head. How do you feel?'
"M'ok."
"Dizziness? Nausea? Blurred vision?"
He shook his head.
"No, my heads fine. Thick skull."
The nurse turned to Astrid, tapping a pen against her wrist.
"I'll need you to wait outside while I check his injuries."
"I'll... go get a drink. I'm coming back, don't you worry."
He offered Astrid a tired smile as she left, lamenting putting down his picture so the nurse could look him over. Under the gown was sore viewing, bruises littering his legs and hips, making the old scars under them look angry, fresh. Hiccup bit back tears.
"No broken bones, but you've got some wicked bruises and swelling."
"How did Astrid get here?"
"Her number was in your coat. We didn't have a name for you, just the picture and the number in that bag. Figured that was as close to an emergency contact as we were gonna get."
Hiccup frowned, flipped the bag over and sure enough, Astrid's name and the hostels number looked back at him.
"I don't have anyone anyway. That picture is all I've got of my family... I've got Ruff and Tuff I guess, but they don't exactly have phone numbers either. Hey, do you know who found me? I should thank that guy."
The nurse, finished prodding him to check for serious damage, nodded and pulled the gown and blanket back over him.
"He left a name at the desk, I'll get it for you. You've missed breakfast" how long had he been unconscious? "but I'll make sure someone brings you something up. Any allergies?"
Hiccup shook his head, about to tell her not to bother when his traitorous stomach rumbled loudly. With a short smile, the nurse swept out and Hiccup kicked himself for not having asked where his clothes were. Thankfully, the nurse was back a minute later.
"Hey, do you know where my stuff is?"
"In a bag under there" she pointed at the little bedside stand "but we can get you something clean to wear."
Shaking his head again, Hiccup smiled.
"I'm fine. I know how to keep my wounds pretty clean, even on the streets. Did you get the guys name?"
The nurse handed him a card, watching Hiccup struggle to turn out of bed and pushing him back.
"At least sit until you've eaten and taken some painkillers. You'll find it easier to move then."
Disgruntled, Hiccup stayed put and took the card pulled out of her uniform pocket. He was stunned to see the surname on the back.
"Magmar Thorston? No way!"
Suddenly, he felt a whole lot better. That must have been Ruff and Tuffs uncle who found him. Maybe he was looking for them when he happened across Hiccup.
"You know him?"
"No, but... doesn't matter. Thank you."
Internally, Hiccup did a little victory dance. Externally, he looked sufficiently cowed. Any attempt at escape from his bed was stilled by Astrid's return almost the second she saw the nurse leave, handed him coffee like he had done the first day they met.
"Thank you."
"It's just coffee."
"I meant for being here. Sneaking your number in with my photograph... I never even noticed."
Astrid looked a little sheepish, hid her face in coffee steam for a minute.
"I wanted to be sure you could get hold of me if you needed to. I'm sorry for going into your things, it fell out of your coat when you took a shower."
"Don't worry about it. You don't control gravity. That would be cool if you did. Then you could fly."
Astrid looked at him, bemused.
"Did you hit your head?"
"I got hit in the face" he touched his jaw, felt it still tender "so I might've got hit on the head. Do I look hideously disfigured?"
She touched his face, unbelievably gentle and it almost didn't hurt as she traced his bruises.
"Nah. You're still pretty cute."
"You think I'm cute?"
Astrid's eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed, stammering slightly.
"I-I uh... shut up."
Hiccup chuckled, tried not to let it go to his head.
"Yes ma'am."
His lip was definitely split, but Hiccup didn't let it stop him drinking the still nice and hot coffee. The hospital bed was warm and soft, coffee infusing his insides with warmth to match. Astrid sat quietly with him while he ate - beans on toast might seem basic to some but Hiccup was ecstatic with it. Full and finally given medication now he has eaten, Hiccup laid back against his pillow to wait for the pain relief to kick in.
"Will you tell me about your parents?"
Astrid was looking at the picture that Hiccup had left on the bedside, pensive.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
She raised an eyebrow as Hiccup sat up, shifted the sheet and gown covering him to show the scars running along his leg and hip. Astrid gasped, covering her mouth for a second.
"Not so cute now huh?"
Astrid frowned, standing up.
"You tell me."
She lifted her shirt, exposing an aged scar that covered her side, wrapped around part of her stomach and back. He'd seen similar scars on others, treated a burn or two in his time on the streets when someone got too close to a fire in desperate need to get warm.
"You were in a fire."
"Yep. You?"
"Car crash. Is that how they..."
"My parents? Yeah. They died in the fire. I got sent to live with my aunt, who chucked me out not long after I turned eighteen. Not that she was a great person to live with anyway..." Astrid dropped her shirt, sat down and wrapped her arms around herself "I showed you mine. Your turn."
Fair was fair, he supposed. Hiccup sat up properly, wrapped his fingers around the cup of tea that had come with his breakfast.
"Dad was at work, mom and uncle Gobber came to pick me up from school so we could go home, get ready to surprise him with an early birthday party. We were just driving along when this..." Hiccup faltered, heard the screech and shattering in his mind and trembled "drunk ass in an SUV smashed into us. I don't remember much, just that they wouldn't let me see my mom after. Said I should remember her as she was."
Hiccup hadn't even told all of this to Ruff and Tuff, but it felt oddly cathartic to get it off his chest even as his throat grew thick, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"My dad was never the same after that. He lost his wife, his best friend. He was drunk at the funeral... and pretty much every day after. We... existed that way for a few years, and then one day..." Hiccup trembled, but Astrid reached for his hand again and Hiccup pushed through "one day the police knocked on my door, said they'd found him. He killed himself. Drove his car off a bridge."
"Could it have been an accident?"
Hiccup shook his head, details burning clear in his mind. The officer had spared none of the gruesome details.
"He was stone cold sober. They reckon he was alive for a few minutes after the car hit the water, but he didn't try to get out. My dad could have pulled that car apart with his bare hands... no. He wanted to die."
He didn't realise how badly he was shaking until the sound of the bed-railing rattling reached him. Astrid was crying, tears silently streaming down her face.
"My gods Hiccup... I had no idea."
"Nobody does. I've never told anyone before now."
They sat in quiet sorrow until Hiccup could stand her tears no longer, picked up the tissue box next to him and handed it to her.
"T-thanks."
"No problem. Could you uh, let me get dressed? I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything, promise."
Still quietly weeping, Astrid wiped her face and nodded, heading through to wait outside his little cubicle. Hiccup hauled himself out of bed with a grimace, agreeing with the nurse that he didn't really belong out of bed but, as he wasn't critically injured, he needed to go find Tuff and his backpack soon. Pretty much everything he owned was in there. Working bruised limbs into familiar clothes, Hiccup was glad they weren't splattered in dried blood or something.
"Is he here?"
That was a familiar voice... Hiccup checked his bottoms were done up, tucked his family picture back inside his coat, then stuck his head out of the curtain and spotted the twins. And his rescuer.
"Hiccup! Hey! We hear you met our uncle Magmar."
"Meet is a strong word. But yes. Thank you... You probably saved my life. Definitely my limbs."
Magmar shrugged, pushing his messy hair off of his face and swinging it over his shoulders.
"Yer welcome. Especially when I hear ya been good to my kin."
"They've been good to me too. I'm glad you found them."
Tuff held out Hiccup's backpack, which he took with relief at it not being lost to him.
"He says we can go live with him! Only it's kinda far away, so we might not be able to visit you much."
Hiccup smiled, reached out and hugged Tuff.
"You go, you deserve it. Both of you. I will be thrilled to know you guys are getting your life back."
"But what about you?"
"He can come, if he needs somewhere to go."
Magmar offered, but Astrid, who had been rather quiet until then, shook her head.
"He's staying with me, don't worry."
Hiccup was going to turn Magmar down anyway - he didn't really want to leave his hometown, much as he would miss the twins - but Astrid surprised him.
"Yeah? Cool! Hey, can we give him your address so he can write to us?"
Magmar nodded, beaming. He was as incessantly chirpy as Tuff it seemed.
"Sounds like a fine idea. We were gonna go get lunch before we get goin', come join us? If yer alright to be leavin' that is."
"Hiccup! Get back in bed!"
The nurse had spotted him. Hiccup stood his ground... after a second or two of almost mechanically obeying the scary lady.
"I'm fine. Really. Thank you for everything, but I can sit still healing bruises anywhere."
Scowling, the nurse bade him to wait, returned with a clipboard.
"You need to sign this to say you discharged yourself against medical advice."
"Sure."
Hiccup scrawled his name on the paper, signature ill-practiced and messy.
"That everything?"
She nodded.
"Then thank you. Let's stop clogging up the NHS shall we guys?"
Hiccup made a speedy exit, the others following and Astrid was obviously ready to scold him.
"You're not all better yet."
"No, but hospital beds aren't for bruises and scratches. The pain relief is still going, don't worry about me."
Magmar treated the four young adults to lunch at a nearby cafe; Hiccup hadn't eaten so well for a while. Nobody brought up that he and Astrid had probably been crying thankfully. That would have been awkward.
"We better get going, it's a long drive. Ye sure ye staying Hiccup?"
"Yes, but thank you anyway. Guys, write to the homeless mail service for now, don't wanna lose your mail if I start circling the system."
"Good plan! Yeah. Come on Chicken, we're going for a car ride."
The twins hugged him tight, then waved goodbye. Hiccup promised to keep their address safe, tucked it into the bag with his family photo, safely nestled in his pocket. When they left, he turned around to Astrid.
"Did you really want me to stay so badly you lied so I wouldn't go with them?"
"I wasn't lying. You're staying with me."
"Astrid, there is no possible way-"
"Watch me."
"No. If you get caught they'll throw you out."
"So don't get caught."
Hiccup hadn't realised how difficult Astrid was to say no to until he was wandering in that night having argued until he was blue in the face but Astrid wouldn't be swayed. Threatened to come after him if he didn't go with her.
Hiccup complied, unstrapping his sleeping bag from his backpack and Astrid looked at him in confusion as Hiccup took off his coat, wriggled out of his jumper.
"What are you doing?"
"Sleeping?"
"On the floor?"
"Uhh... yes?"
Astrid shook her head, shuffled over.
"I'm not having you on the floor."
"I'm not getting in your bed. My clothes are dirty and I smell."
Astrid pouted, crossed her arms.
"So shower and sleep in your spare bottoms. I have a clean t-shirt."
He had just laundered his light cotton bottoms for when the weather was too hot, saving them for at least when he next got to shower. Which Astrid was offering.
"Alright. If it'll stop you looking at me like I'm naughty."
He brushed his teeth first, to rid himself of garlic breath from lunch. The shower ached something fierce on his battered body, but it felt good to be clean at least. He put his bottoms on, rinsed his socks in the sink and draped them over the little radiator in there and padded out. Astrid held out the spare t-shirt, which he quickly hid himself under before she insistently demanded he get in the bed.
Hiccup clambered in, and Astrid sat up next to him as he tried to take up as little space as possible. She looked at him pensively, biting her lip.
"I'm glad you're here Hiccup."
"Me too Astrid. G'night."
They went to sleep facing opposite directions, but when Hiccup woke a few hours later Astrid was burrowed into his chest, messy blonde hair splayed across his borrowed t-shirt. She looked terribly sweet and he dared not move her. Even if he kinda needed to pee. He was used to holding it for a while when queuing for food or shelter lists anyway.
He watched Astrid sleep for a while, wondering what it was about her that had drawn his past out of him like never before. He had known Ruff and Tuff for over a year before he even met Astrid, but now she knew more about him than anybody. Anybody living, anyway.
Gods, she had seen him cry.
Hiccup hadn't let himself cry like that in a while. Not since before he lost his family home after Stoick died, certainly.
"Hey... what you thinking about?"
Astrid was awake, peering up at him with sleepy blue eyes.
"Nothing really. Comfy?"
"Mhmm. I can't remember the last time someone.. held me."
Hiccup wrapped a hesitant arm around her, smiled when Astrid hummed contently. Aside from the twins, he hadn't exactly gotten much physical contact either. It was nice.
He left before morning broke fully, not wanting to be caught in Astrid's room. She took his nightclothes hostage though, as a way of guaranteeing he would come back to her while she spent the day getting help to look for work and adjust to life no longer on the streets. Hiccup went to the soup kitchen, apologizing for missing the previous day.
"I can tell you probably weren't gone intentionally. Are you up to this?"
"Mhmm. Got me some ibuprofen from the walk in centre on my way. So long as nobody minds I look like hell, I'm good to go."
The kitchen gave him lunch and something to take with him afterwards, so his body had enough fuel to heal his injuries if nothing else. He spent the next few nights sneaking into Astrid's room, clearing out the next day before anyone did room checks. Astrid gave up the pretense and cuddled into him intentionally by the third night. Hiccup didn't really mind. He quite liked it. Alot.
Day six of this new lifestyle brought Hiccup to the homeless postal service, where a letter from the twins made him truly happy - their uncle was great and they were off the streets. The service allowed him paper and pencil to write back, agreed to send it for him - one letter a month was better than nothing.
Day nine, Hiccup was at a day for housing lists again, determined to stop Astrid putting her own room at risk if nothing else now.
"Hey, Haddock!"
He recognised Jake, one of the social workers.
"Yeah? You need help finding someone?"
"Not quite. Come on."
He followed, found himself sat in the office - with Astrid.
"We know what you've been doing" his heart stopped, dreading the next words "and while its against policy, we decided not to bar you both. Another room has come up, and the gentleman vacating it to move to the halfway home insisted you take it. Swore you saved his life."
Hiccup shrugged, not sure who they meant.
"Who?"
"His name was... Justin? Blond, American accent?"
He cast his mind back, memory flickering in.
"He got beat up. I just got him to the hospital."
"He said you treated him and personally supported him until you found somewhere to call an ambulance."
Hiccup rubbed the back of his head, felt the remnants of a nasty bump from when he was attacked a little over a week ago.
"A couple of bandages and a scrawny limper is no heroic effort. I just did what anybody would have done."
Despite his protests, Hiccup was cajoled into signing up for the room. He wouldn't stay long, right? Just enough to get him back on his feet.
It was surreal, knowing the little space was temporarily all his. His own bed and shower and toilet. Somewhere to put his photo in pride of place. Astrid had to go do her chores and job hunting, which left Hiccup to shower and shave and dress in the clean clothes given to him. He had a couple of fading bruises and his scars were still there and he was still razor thin, but hey. He had somewhere to sleep at night.
That was one hell of a big step up.
"Hey you."
He turned, saw Astrid leant against his doorway.
"Hey yourself."
She smiled shyly. Hiccup felt butterflies again.
"So... I was thinking about something."
"Ok, shoot?"
"When we move on outta here... what do you say we do it together?"
"Really?"
Astrid nodded, reached for his hand and he happily let her take it.
"You gave me hope when I'd given up. I'm not letting you go without a fight. You're my lucky charm."
She stretched up, kissed him soundly on the mouth. Hiccup blinked, stunned to silence. He found his voice eventually.
"I say... great idea."
-HTTYD-
And we are done! As said, if smut occurs it'll be in Hiccstrid One Shots... But I gotta go write my active stories again first hahaha damn chapters growing.