A/N: This is a one-shot where I wrote on the after events of what would have happened after toothless and the dragons left new berk and on how Hiccup deals with it. It's my first story so, if there is any grammatical errors please forgive me. Please post your reviews so it would help me in my future works. Hope you like the one-shot. So, let's get on to the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own The How to Train Your Dragon Franchise. All rights remain with Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks.

Pairing: Hiccstrid

Word Count: 2023

Set after toothless and the other Dragons left new berk

Hiccup Haddock was tired and exhausted after the war between Grimmel and the Berkians. Being in Newberk was different but without Toothless being beside him was a whole lot different. It was hard for him to say goodbye to his best friend and what he never wanted to happen happened. But he knew that it was for the best and that this was the only way to keep the peace between Vikings and Dragons.

He was laying on the bed in his tent and though he was tired, he couldn't sleep. He recalled the incidents over and over again and thought about how he was going to lead the people of Berk in a different way i.e., without depending on Dragons. The thought of it made him a bit afraid-scratch that-it scared the beeswax out of him. He had to start making plans on how to rebuild here, what to do for food, shelter, keeping the people happy and not making them cranky, etc. He had to do everything in the old way, without his buddy or the dragons.

When thoughts started to overwhelm him, he closed his eyes and wished that his father was here to take all the burden away from him, to advise him on what to do and what not to do. He felt himself getting sucked by his own head.

But it was the words of Astrid that saved him from his distress. She would tell him to stay calm and do everything one at a time. After the war he couldn't talk to her. Heck he wasn't able to grieve on the loss of his best friend. No Hiccup, you know it was for the best and you know that he is in a better place away from you. He groaned and sat up. He wanted to make it stop. The pain was just unbearable. The pang in his heart at the thought of not being able to see his best friend again, he wanted to shout, scream at the top of his lungs and cry.

But he just couldn't. He just can't show his vulnerability. Not with every tent being close to each other. He decided to take a walk and cool his nerves.

He saw the people sleeping soundly in their tents. Though every person in the village had lost their dragons, he guessed it would be easier for them since the hairy hooligans have lived their lives fighting dragons. After a month or so they would just go on to adapt with the former lifestyle.

He wandered into the woods and finally he came to the last place, the place he didn't want to go, the place where he had said goodbye to Toothless, his best friend and his dream of peace between Vikings and Dragons. Every memory flashed before his eyes. He was feeling overwhelmed again. He can't go there. Not now.

As he was about to turn, he saw a person being seated there, a certain Shieldmaiden. His betrothed. He pulled himself together and came from the woods to see the sky dark as black and clusters of stars filled the sky as dust in the air and yet no Dragons were there to cover it. He sighed. Then he saw the Cliff and there at the edge sat the shield maiden. The light of the moon showed her golden locks of hair and her beautiful physic as a cool breeze came.

He moved closer to the shieldmaiden to see a beautiful yet sad face, her eyes gazing at the ocean, her small red lips plastered with a frown and her hands holding on to the grass as though her life depended on it .But even though she was physically here her mind wasn't. Her thoughts wandered as if fire burnt everything in its path. He could feel that aura from her. He sat on his knees closer to her. Unable to get accustomed to the silence he called her politely.

"Astrid".

The young shieldmaiden's thoughts were disrupted by that raspy yet polite voice, but when she heard it, she scowled.

"Astrid, you ok?" Hiccup started to get worried. No response. She didn't even look at his face. "Astrid, please talk to me." Now he was really worried. His thoughts started to cloud him. He wondered what he did to make her feel angry. It was unusual for her to give him a silent treatment. Sure there were times he made her mad with some of his quirky ideas in the past but she mostly scolds or yells at him. The silent treatment meant that this was something greater than his invention hazards. But… What? He turned his full attention to Astrid.

"Astrid?" He called. She looked him dead in the eye. Even though there was only a little bit of light in the area he could see those blue eyes filled with anger, pain and sadness.

She opened her mouth but there were no words that came, only a deadly punch on his shoulder. His knees gave out from the force and he started to rub his shoulder. If it wasn't for his armour his shoulder would have been dislocated by now.

She stood up, gritted her teeth and what came next shocked him. Pearls of tears fell from her eyes, the light of the moon glistening it. Then she spoke with her voice small yet menacingly dangerous.

"You piece of Yakdung. Do you ever think of anything before you nearly sacrificed yourself."

She didn't want to tell this. Heck she was a warrior. The general of berk. Out of all people she knew that in a war, blood is shed, Sacrifices are made, Lives are given up. Death always prevails. But then again, love doesn't look at the facts.

"DID YOU EVER THINK OF CALLING BACKUP, DID YOU EVER THOUGHT OF CALLING US TO SAVE TOOTHLESS AT THAT TIME, DID YOU EVER THOUGHT OF YOUR TRIBE, OF WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT YOU LEADING THEM, DID YOU THINK OF YOUR MOM, DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE GANG!"

And did you ever think of me Hiccup of what I-I would do without you by my side?"

The last sentence broke him as she said it in a slow, quivering, tear-streaked voice. Shocked and broken by the declaration he stood up and said "Astrid I-I am so sorry I- '' and that's when he saw his beloved sobbing and trembling because of him. Her head was bowed, her hands protectively around her middle as her tears fell on the ground.

The pain in his shoulder was not the one that pained him. It was her sadness that made his beloved cry. He gently touched her shoulders and brushed it with her thumb. He embraced her. He felt her trembling and felt himself in a kneeling position as her legs gave out.

He then felt her hand around his stomach and her forehead on his torso as tears started to soak around his clothes. He placed his left hand on her golden locks and his right on her shoulders as she cried. His eyes were starting to prick him and so was his heart. He closed his eyes. Oh Thor! What have I done?

After a few minutes he felt that her shoulders were not trembling anymore. He opened his eyes. She heard her sniffle and letting him go as her teary eyes were gazing at the ground.

He placed both of his hands on her cheek and tilted her head towards him as he thumbed her tears away. She looked into his eyes.

He said in his low, soft tone "Astrid I am so sorry, I know what I did and I should have asked for backup but he was my best friend and I couldn't think of anything but to save him so I did what I did. But as I was falling, I thought about the tribe but I knew that the person who believed in me would lead them. I thought about my mom and I know that the person I care a lot would be there for her. I thought about the gang but I knew that the person I trust would keep them alright and lead them"

He then took a deep breath to keep himself steady from his emotions as a tear fell from his eyes." And I knew that-" His voice faltered "that the person I Love and-and trust with all my heart, my love, would have to deal with it, that I would break my promise with you-"

"There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid." Astrid said.

Hiccup took her hand and placed it on his chest near his heart, gave her a tiny smile on his now tear streaked face. "But the norms gave me a chance to not leave their Valkyrie with that much burden and that she should be happy. So, I am here now"

She chuckled and sniffed. Then he placed his forehead on hers. They could feel their cold breath. He just wanted to be like this forever. After the bittersweet victory, the loss of his father and the letting go of his best friend and partner in battle he just wanted to feel secured from another loss and she was the safe haven. He knew that she too was hurting from her loss of her best friend and that everything will be different in their lives as well as the tribe but they had each other. He made a decision to keep it that way that no matter what happened their love and trust would never change and that he would keep the promise till his dying breath.

They pulled from each other and looked at each other with nothing but love.

Then he saw her emotions shift into pain.

I'm sorry, Hiccup. I know you are hurting because of toothless. I shouldn't have yelled at you for this. I just-" She sighed. "I miss Stormfly and the thought of not being able to fly with her or feeding chicken or seeing her f-from now onwards." A teardrop fell.

"I thought about all the things that I can never have that led me to think-" She closed her eyes and took his hands. Her hands were warm. He squeezed it. She whispered "that I almost lost you". She opened her eyes.

He saw the hurt and pain which reflected his. He held her in his arms. She buried herself in his chest. He placed his chin on her head. She cried and so did he. All the pain built up was now being shed with tears. The pain and grief that was caused in a day was now opened to each other. After what seemed like forever, she pulled away from him and placed her hand on his cheek. He held and leaned on to it. Tears didn't dare to stop flowing from him as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

The pain in his heart disappeared. He felt relieved.

"Thank you, Astrid" he said softly. She smiled. The tears stopped flowing.

Hiccup pulled himself up and held out his hand for her which she gladly took. Then another punch was gifted by Astrid to the shoulder.

"Ow! Astri-"

But his lips were occupied by hers by the time he could finish. She kissed him in the most passionate way possible. He pulled her closer to him and gave him to her. All the pain erased just for a moment as the lovebirds enriched their love. Arms dangling on his neck and hands on her waist, they both soaked themselves in their love. At last, their lips parted. Still closer to each other, tear streaked and gasping for air she smiled at him.

"I love you, Hiccup"

And so, they spent the night with each other by their side. Sure, it would take months for them to cope up with the current setting. But together with their friends and family, and by cherishing the memories of their dragons it will be easier to start anew.

The End.