Chapter 8: A Promise Fulfilled
Age: 15 years old.
This is crazy- this is insane- I'm really doing this- I…
Hiccup heaved a deep breath, the frigid air above the clouds filling his lungs.
He only had his fur vest for warmth, and his teeth chattered. But there was fire in his veins.
I'm on the way. I'm going. oh gods help me.
He knew the sane thing to do would have been to wait a few days. Till they'd gotten the hang of it. Till he was prepared. But then he would've missed it. The day he wanted to see her. What he'd promised her one whole year ago.
That he'd never miss one of her birthdays again.
And now here he was, up above the clouds, flying on a freaking Night fury, going to meet her. The thousand mile journey that usually takes them a good week by ship. He was attempting to do that in a single day.
They had taken off at sunset, and it was already midnight by the time Hiccup finally spotted a little islet to rest on.
He all but tumbled out of the saddle, tiredly curling under Toothless' wing for warmth. He hadn't even thought to bring a blanket!
Before he knew it, it was dawn, and he was back in the air. The intense longing to see her was overpowering all the exhaustion. The daydream of surprising her on her fifteenth birthday- that was what had caused him to put this impulsive plan into motion in the first place.
What will she think? Will she be happy to see me? Would she understand about Toothless?
Hiding the fact that he had befriended the dragon didn't even occur to him. The thought of keeping any sort of secret from her was unthinkable.
He would have said as much in his letters in the last few months if not for the fact that he couldn't risk someone else along the way reading them, and figuring out his secret.
Astrid will understand. She understands me like no one ever has.
Morning turned to noon, and he knew it'd be evening before long. His heart sank as he tried to calculate the route, which looked completely different from up here in the sky.
He doubted he'd reach her before the day was over. Maybe if the winds were favourable…
Happy Birthday, my Astrid, He whispered softly to the breeze. I hope I'll reach you in time…
Astrid sunk into her plush bed with a deep sigh. The soft surface felt like heaven after the long and eventful day. Fifteen now. Only three more years to go.
She'd been in high spirits throughout the day. It was the pretty much the halfway point between Hiccup's last visit and the next, roughly a year from now.
A tiny part of her still remembered something he'd once said to her. A wishful promise, obviously said to make her feel better that day they'd met again after so long.
She knew it wasn't something that could actually happen, and she held no grudges towards him for failing to fulfil that impossible promise.
Just the fact that he'd tried to reassure her like that in one of her vulnerable moments- had tried to make her happy that one moment with his bold declaration- that was more than enough for her.
It had been a good birthday. She closed her eyes. Remembered the way he'd last kissed her before they'd parted ways, when she'd boarded the boat from Berk. The memory made her blush and she hid her face under the covers, giggling like a little girl.
She never knew being lovesick could make her feel giddy like this. Another whole year and her feelings for him had only grown stronger, if that were even possible. Her mum had been right after all.
She wondered if he would have written her a letter today for her birthday. If he had, It should arrive within a couple of weeks, maybe less if she was lucky. She couldn't wait.
Finally, her tiredness caught up with and overcame her strange midnight glee, and as she was about to drift off, a strange sound caught her attention. Outside the large window.
A bit spooked, she sat up and squinted her eyes. Her large balcony was over a dozen feet above the gardens below- was there some bird or squirrel?
Something clearly larger moved outside and Astrid gasped. Her fingers reached for her favorite axe that she kept beside her bed, the one that he'd made for her.
"Astrid" said a muffled voice through the window.
She surely had to be dreaming. This wasn't real. But then how-
A soft knock. Hypnotised by this illusion her brain had probably conjured up, she wordlessly got up and walked closer, lighting and taking a candle from the bed stand.
She approached the window... and he was... there.
He was looking at her. He was smiling.
Astrid wasn't sure if she could believe her own eyes anymore. Swallowing nervously, she opened the balcony door, almost expecting to find no one there.
Hiccup- a real Hiccup, stepped through and engulfed her in his arms the next instant.
He squeezed her tight as he laughed in relief. "I hope I didn't wake you- I know It's late- I'm sorry"
Astrid just let him hold her, axe dropping to the floor, finally realising that he was actually here. His arms sure felt real to her, and so did his thudding heart against her chest.
"Hiccup, are you really here?" she whispered softly. "h-how?"
He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes. "I'm here Astrid. I promised, didn't I?"
His face was red from the cold but his smile didn't waver. There were small, happy tears in his eyes. "I came to see you. Happy birthday, milady"
And that was enough to make her finally break down, crying with relief and with joy and all the longing she'd had over the last year, as she buried her face into his neck while thanking the gods silently for letting her have this moment, as unexplainable as it was.
He sat down with her on the floor but didn't let her go, letting her cry softly while he rubbed her back, whispering sweet nothings against her ear.
After a while, she stopped sniffling and he gently wiped her tears with his hands, still holding her in his lap as he explained how he'd gotten here.
"This is gonna sound nuts, but…"
He intently watched her expressions as he recounted the events of last few weeks, going from the fateful raid where he'd landed his shot, the long evenings of learning to trust each other to form the unlikeliest of friendships, hiding his jaw-dropping secret from the whole village and his father, overcoming the numerous challenges of flight through trial and error.
"-and it was just yesterday when my cheat sheet slipped from my grasp, and I realised I didn't need it anymore as me and Toothless weaved through sea stacks faster than I thought we could. I realised- that it was possible for me to come and see you all by myself… and I just… did"
Astrid's face had flashed surprise, disbelief, contemplation, and finally, as he paused to take a deep breath, admiration.
"You're just… incredible Hiccup. I knew that already- but still… this is… so you. I'm so proud of you"
Hiccup blushed at the unexpected praise. To be honest, her understanding him enough to not think him a traitor to all mankind- even that much would have been enough for him. But this was… too much for even him.
Keeping this secret within himself all this time had been excruciating. And now he was able to share it with the person he cared about the most. It felt like a load had lifted off his shoulders.
There was still a long road ahead. He still had to find the nest, he still had to change all their minds. But looking at her like this, seeing the hope in her eyes, he didn't have the slightest doubt he could do it all.
When she was with him, nothing seemed impossible. He wanted to make sure she knew that. Knew the strength she gave him just by existing.
"Thank you, my love. I'm sorry I didn't have time to get a present for you this time… but-" he cupped her cheeks in his hands. "-at least I can give you this"
He kissed her so gently and lovingly that Astrid almost whimpered when he pulled back after a long minute. "One more" she whispered and he obliged without hesitation. She couldn't have asked for a better gift than this one, here at this moment.
"Is he- is he outside?" she asked after finally coming up for air. "Toothless?"
Hiccup nodded. "He'd staying hidden in the gardens after dropping me off- I'm sure the sentries won't get a whiff of him" he added with a wry smile.
"I can't believe I fell for such a troublemaker", Astrid murmured.
"Hey!" Hiccup protested. But then, she did have a point. He was pretty sure breaking into a young woman's bedroom in the middle of the night wasn't exemplary behaviour.
Now that the initial rush of seeing him was over, another question came to her mind. "Wait- you said you left yesterday? Have you been flying for over a day straight?"
"Well… I did get a few hours of sleep this morning on some island where we stopped- but yeah"
"Did you eat something?"
Hiccup opened his mouth and then closed it. Now that he thought about it, his throat was parched and his stomach empty. He hadn't really thought to bring food, and the small water canteen on his saddle had run out this morning itself.
Taking his silence as answer, Astrid shook her head, got off his lap and went to grab a jug of water, plus some bread from a basket. She didn't want to risk a trip to the kitchens at this hour, with a boy in her room and what not.
She watched as he gulped down the water before eagerly digging into the bread, finally realising how hungry and thirsty he'd really been.
"I know you wanted to see me Hiccup, but you really should have waited and prepared better before coming. You shouldn't push yourself like that"
"But I didn't want to miss your birthday" he replied sheepishly with a mouthful of bread. Astrid rolled her eyes, though she was glowing inside. She really meant that much to him?
"I don't want you to take unnecessary risks Hiccup. To be honest, this whole dragon situation worries me too. You could get hurt- or get caught by the others-"
"I won't let that happen" Hiccup reassured her. "I will see this through to the end. My dad will understand. I just need some more time"
Astrid wasn't sure whether to give him her blessing to continue this dangerous pursuit or not. One one hand, she wanted him to stay on the ground, stay safe, if only for the sake of the future she dreamed of with him.
But she also wanted the boy she loved to stay true to himself. Hiccup being the way he was was the reason she'd grown so fond of him in the first place. If he could do something as unbelievable as secretly coming to see her on the back of a Night fury, then he could pretty much do anything in her opinion.
"Promise me you'll stay safe for me" Astrid said seriously, gazing straight into his eyes.
Hiccup nodded. "Toothless has got my back. We'll be okay. And I'll definitely remember to pack my lunch next year" he added.
Astrid raised her eyebrows. "You seriously plan to meet me like this on my next birthday as well? I'll surely get in a load of trouble if we're caught"
The impropriety of all this was against everything she'd been taught as a young princess. But then again, she was the one who'd shared a bed with him for a whole week last year.
"Are you… are you complaining?" Hiccup asked cheekily, enjoying the blush rising on her cheeks.
"N-No! I mean I am… but I won't stop you from coming again- I mean I would- but it's not like you'll listen to me anyways so it's no use."
Hiccup smiled at her knowingly. But then he remembered how far he was from home.
"I have to go soon" he said, bringing the young couple back to reality.
"Already?" Astrid gaped. "You hardly got here an hour ago!"
"My dad will be back from the expedition in a couple of days at most…. I have to be home by then" he said, and she could just hear the longing his voice.
Astrid shook her head, staying firm.
"At least get a few hours of sleep- you can leave at dawn if you really have to"
"But-" he tried protesting, but her iron grip was already pulling him to his feet and and towards her bed.
Having her staying in his room back home was one thing, but being in her room, on her bed, was doing all sorts of strange things to his stomach.
Despite the dim light, Astrid looked as beautiful as ever in her pale blue nightdress, as she beckoned for him to climb in with her.
He was pretty sure no man on earth could have resisted that invitation.
As she held him close, the day's exhaustion finally hit him all at once. "Thank you for coming Hiccup… I really needed this" she said as she squeezed him closer.
"I needed it too" he said softly in reply. He fell asleep soon after that, and she did as well.
"Don't go Hiccup" said Astrid, holding her betrothed's hand as he stood at the balcony door. The soft blue light outside signalled that dawn was fast approaching.
Her voice was groggy with sleep, and she was shivering due to the open door. But getting out of the cold was the last thing on her mind.
Hiccup smiled for her, but she could see the pain behind his eyes too. He didn't want to part from her any more than she did. But she knew he had to go. This was a gift, and she should be grateful for this one night.
"I won't have to Astrid, one day soon. I'll marry you as soon as I possibly can, and then you'll have a hard time getting rid of me at all"
She laughed softly, though her eyes were wet. "Come here"
She pulled him closer and kissed him, again and again, whispering 'I love you' in between each one. Now that their goodbye was in privacy rather than a public dock beside a boat, she could properly show her affection for him, like she'd wanted to in the past.
Hiccup tightened his embrace as well, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hold her like this for a long time after today.
"I love you too, sweetheart" he breathed after she finally let him go. "But I really have to go- I'll see you soon okay? And I'll wait for your letters as well"
Fighting the urge to pull him back inside, she nodded and reluctantly loosened her grip around him.
"Happy birthday Astrid" he said as his parting words, pecking her lips once again, making her smile tearily before she finally let him go, watched him climb down and disappear into the tree line.
Not five seconds later, a jet black shape shot out, disappearing into the low ocean clouds before she knew it. She gasped. That was the dragon- and it was so fast.
Hiccup had promised to introduce Toothless to her the next time they met. She hoped with all her heart that he would've succeeded in his goals by then.
She stared at the brightening sky for a while, before going back to lie on her bed, which was still filled with his scent.
And later that day, her family members couldn't help but wonder about her strangely good mood without any obvious reasons.
"I just so happen to feel extra happy since this morning..." she replied coyly. "Perhaps I just had a good night's sleep."
A/N: This was the chapter that inspired this whole story in the first place :) Hiccup just couldn't resist seeing her once he realised he could. And on her birthday no less. Astrid got the best present ever for sure. Toothless the best wingman: the origins
Hope you enjoyed, I'd love to hear your thoughts! thank you for supporting this story :)
-Gravitybeam
