Our Perfect Story

Chapter 15: Tears of Joy

*ding dong*

"Woof! Woof!"

Hiccup grinned to himself as he listened to the frantic scratching of paws on the Hoffersons' front door. Stormfly's shadow loomed through the crack at the bottom as she barked and clawed, occasionally her nose reaching down there to sniff the outdoor air. Toothless sat attentively, his head cocking to the side in confusion. Another dog seemed to be behind the door, yet its scent was unfamiliar to him.

"Hiccup, come in!" The sweet voice of the lovely blonde girl exclaimed as soon as she swung open the door, a wet towel hanging over her shoulders, her swimming cap and goggles still tight on her head. "I'm so sorry for the uh... presentation, take a seat and help yourself with snacks as I quickly freshen up." She gestured towards the coffee table where a few tubs of cookies sat.

Hiccup chuckled as he ran his free hand through his hair. "It's no biggie, it's your daily schedule, don't let me step in the way of your activities." The young man tugged on the brown leash of his dog, instructing the Labrador to follow him in.

As soon as the door was shut and locked, Astrid squealed as her attention diverted to the handsome dog in a red bandana who was sniffing out Stormfly. "Oh my gosh, he's adorable! Hi Toothless, I'm Astrid!" She outstretched a hand towards Toothless' head slowly, allowing him to sniff and get accustomed with her. Behind him, the golden retriever checked him out, curious with the newcomer. Back on Wing Island, Stormfly hardly met other dogs as Astrid's friends didn't have any. Toothless was to be her first true friend, besides Astrid of course.

Although the black Labrador enjoyed Astrid's scratches, he was far too excited to meet the other dog in the room. He turned to pounce onto Hiccup as if requesting his leash to be unhooked. The teen boy laughed before granting the dog's wishes, rolling up the lead and keeping it into his bag. His eyes caught sight of the box of brownies, remembering Valka's request.

"Hey Astrid, my mom baked some brownies for you and your dad," he said with his arm reaching out, the box in his hand. "Also, she says you're welcome to our little crib anytime, especially since we live so close to each other and have a project to complete."

She smiled softly, accepting the box as she opened it to take a sniff of the fresh brownies, its chocolatey scent filling her nostrils in contentment. "Thanks Hiccup, for the invitation and for the brownies. I can't wait to have them for lunch!"

"Wait, you haven't eaten?"

"Nope, I just finished my swim, and of course it's not ideal to eat before vigorous exercise," Astrid replied with a wink, making Hiccup's cheeks tinted with pink as butterflies filled his stomach. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes, then we can start discussing our project as I eat. I've got some leftovers heating up in the kitchen. And I hope it's not too much to ask of you, but could you please help me take the food out when the timer ends?"

"It's not a problem, Astrid," Hiccup said with a gentle smile which the lovely girl returned.

Astrid set the box onto the coffee table before running up the stairs as she removed her cap and goggles. "Thanks a bunch, Hiccup! Also, feel free to explore the house while killing time, but bedrooms are out of bounds though."

Hiccup snorted to himself, standing in the middle of a spacious living room where their dogs were bonding. Stormfly had brought out a few of her favourite toys to share with the visitor, whose tail seemed to be spinning similarly to helicopter blades in excitement. With the blonde girl's permission to 'explore' the house, there was only one spot he wanted to check out: the shelf of little Astrid and dad with her late mother.

Although Astrid had plenty of happy photos with her father, the pure joy on her face couldn't match up to that present when she was with both of them. Hiccup was genuinely interested in hearing the story about her mother, however he knew it was an invasion of privacy. If she were to tell anyone stories about her childhood with her mom, she would have to do it on her own will and comfort.

At that moment, the oven in the kitchen beeped. Stormfly instinctively ran into the kitchen, knowing fully what comes out of the electrical box when the alarm is sounded: food. Hiccup chuckled as Toothless cocked his head to the side in confusion before following his own master to his new friend's location.

Hiccup couldn't stop thinking about Astrid. He just couldn't. He was enchanted by her beautiful blue eyes, her long luscious golden locks, her sweet smile. Oh boy, every time she smiled he felt his heart exploding, a firework display playing in his guts. Enough about her beauty, she was probably the strongest girl he's ever met, both physically and mentally. Most importantly, Astrid's bubbly personality was outstanding. She could never fail to make him crack a grin, sharing similar humour as him. Astrid was smart, sweet, cunning but selfless, intimidating yet approachable, confident... the list would just go on in his head.

What Hiccup didn't realise was the lovesick smile that had formed on his lips as his mind went into a daydream of the lovely warrior. He set the hot bowl of what appeared to be broccoli soup with shredded pork dunked on top as Astrid's golden retriever hopped up and down in an attempt to steal a bite. Although the dogs were giving much attention, he couldn't notice the world around him as his mind dreamt about the one and only Valkyrie that made his heart race.

Unfortunately not being aware of his surroundings also meant that he didn't notice that particular Valkyrie enter the kitchen. She stood at the doorway awkwardly, an eyebrow raised in confusion as she watched Hiccup stare endearingly at her bowl of green soup, his eyes clearly displaying hearts and his lips twisted into a giddy grin. She had to admit that he appeared adorable, but his gaze towards her food was just... random.

"Hello, Earth to Hiccup, that's my food," she teased as she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. The tall, lanky boy leapt in shock as he broke from his daydream, his limbs flailing about aimlessly. When he noticed the blonde beauty standing right before him with a sly smirk, he couldn't help but turn beet red as the etches of her in his dreams turned into reality.

"Oh I- uhm hi!" He waved with an embarrassed grin plastered on his face. He immediately pushed the soup across the counter towards the girl. "I wasn't about to eat it, I swear! Bon appétit!"

Astrid just burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as Hiccup sighed in relief. Her laugh was so adorable and highly contagious, he ended up joining her laughter. Deep down in Astrid's heart, she knew she had never experienced such happiness with anyone else besides her parents. Yet there he stood, Hayden "Hiccup" Haddock, the first person to have made her cry of laughter since her mom.