A Hiccstrid Story | When worlds collide

Just Breathe

"Hiccup," Astrid sighed. "There's something you should know?"

"What's the matter?" Hiccup worried. Astrid took a deep breath.

"Remember, when we were talking about the future? You know, marriage... kids..."

"Yeah..." Hiccup looked at her curiously as she picked at her cuticles, which she only did on the rare occasion that she was really nervous.

"Do you really want all that?" She asked.

"Of course I do." He told her. "Someday. You still want that too right?"

Astrid nodded, clearly fighting back a tear or two.

"Someday." She whispered.

"Sweetie, what's the matter? Where's all this coming from?" He wrapped his arm around her, comfortingly.

"Hiccup I-" She hesitated. "What if 'someday' was a little sooner than we thought?"

"What do you mean?" Hiccup wondered.

"I-" She stuttered. "I don't know how to say it."

"Say what? Astrid whatever it is, you can tell me. You know that, right?" He rubbed her arm soothingly. She nodded. She reached into the nightstand, tucking something beneath her sleeve.

"I wasn't gonna tell you yet. You have so much going on." Astrid explained. "But,... I'm freaking out and I need you to know so you can tell me I'm overreacting and everything's gonna be okay."

"I can't tell you that until I know." Hiccup informed. She slid the item out from her sleeve and hesitantly passed it over. Hiccup froze, his eyes widened and for a few minutes, silence fell upon them. He gazed at the faint lines. Both of them. A million and one thoughts raced through his head at that moment. Of all the things he expected her to say, this was nowhere on the list.

"Hiccup? Can you say something? Anything?" Astrid worried. Her breathing quickened. A small smile crawled onto Hiccup's face. "You're...?" He glanced over at Astrid, who nodded nervously. He glanced back at the test he held in his hand. "I'm gonna be a dad?" He whispered.

"You're not upset?" Astrid asked. Hiccup's head snapped to the side.

"What? Why would I be upset?" He wondered.

"I don't know. I just thought-" Astrid honestly didn't know what she thought. "We've only been dating for a year. Exactly a year. We have school, and with everything going on with your dad. And where are we going to live, how are we going to afford it? I wasn't ready for this Hiccup! I just-"

She stopped, as a pressure built on her chest, and a choking feeling rose into her throat. Her breathing grew more ragged, suddenly finding it a rather difficult task.

"Astrid?!" Hiccup panicked as she fought for breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, one hand pressed against her chest. She shook her head ferociously.

"I can't... I can't breathe." She inhaled quickly, grasping her hoodie and pulling it away from her neck as if it were blocking her airways.

"Shh, don't talk. Just... deep breaths, okay? Calm down." Hiccup said softly as he watched her gasping like a fish out of water.

Astrid sucked in another breath and another. How was it she was breathing but the air felt empty? She was becoming light-headed. Dizzy. She threw her other hand out, desperately searching for Hiccups. He grasped it tightly, using the other hand to rub gentle circles on her back.

"It's okay. I'm right here." Hiccup reassured. "You're okay." He briefly stopped rubbing her back and grabbed his phone to call Heather. Normally, he would just shout, but it was a rather large house and he didn't want Astrid's head to hurt more than it already did.

"Hey, Hiccup. Everything okay?" Heather asked when she answered the phone.

"Can you bring a glass of water up please?" He requested. "Quickly!"

"On it!"

***

Astrid had her eyes closed, desperately trying not to cry, not having much success. The tears began to fall. Hiccup wrapped his arm back around her, pulling the blonde into his lap, and held her close.

"Shhh, it's okay, I'm here." He whispered.

Astrid's sobs started getting heavier. She was hyperventilating, her face turned red as less and less oxygen reached her lungs. Hiccup leaned her against his chest and rocked her back and forth.

"Shhh Astrid, you need to breathe. It's just a panic attack." He said softly. "Hey..." Hiccup swept her tear-filled bangs away. "Tell me, what annoys you the most about Snotlout?"

Astrid gripped Hiccup's shirt.

"Too easy? How about the most annoying thing about me?"

Astrid shook her head.

"Oh come on, there has to be something."

Astrid took a deep breath. As deep as she could muster.

"You-"

Breathe

"You stole my-"

Breathe

"Side of... the bed."

She finally rasped out, her breath slowly returning to normal.

Hiccup let out a small chuckle along with a quick sigh of relief.

"Everything okay?" Heather asked as she entered the room, handing Hiccup the glass of water he requested.

"Thanks." He said. "We're okay. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay." Heather smiled as she left the room.

Hiccup handed the glass of water down to Astrid and within a few short seconds, it was empty.

"Astrid, look at me." He spoke soothingly, brushing her bangs behind her ear. "No, this may not be perfect timing. But, I am definitely not upset." He explained. "Astrid, I meant what I said. Whatever comes our way we will get through it together. This is no exception. Astrid, I love you, more than I  thought I could ever love anybody and it's been six whole minutes and I already love this baby just as much." He placed a gentle hand over her stomach, her hand instantly draped over his. She smiled contently as she rested in Hiccup's lap. "We're gonna be okay, Astrid. All of us. I promise."

***