Let's Give it a Year

Chapter 10

A loud, obnoxious knocking sound echoed throughout the hotel room, the incessant banging upon the door causing both Astrid and Hiccup to stir. Groaning in annoyance, Hiccup stirred awake first, his eyes unwilling to open for the morning light. However, turning over on the couch and falling haphazardly to the floor, Hiccup woke himself up.

The fall to the floor create a loud thump as his body met the carpeted floor, and a concerned voice called out through the door,

"Hiccup? Astrid? Is everything alright in there? Open up, I want to talk to you!" Stoick's booming, authoritative voice called out to them from the other side of the door.

His voice caused Hiccup's body to freeze as he began to haul himself up from the floor. What was his father doing here? Hiccup took a moment to glance over at Astrid's bed and saw her still locked in a deep sleep. He admired her peaceful sleeping face and stumbled over to the door lazily.

As he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of his father, a fist still raised to the door ready to knock again. He looked over Hicucp's figure which was being held up by the door that he had sleepily flung his weight onto and was steadily maintaining his balance with it.

"Dear Odin, boy! You look a mess!" Stoick observed as his eyes scanned his son's figure. "I guess you are a young lad, but I didn't think you two would hit it off quite so well!" Stoick exclaimed before Hiccup shushed him harshly.

Hiccup wanted to laugh at his words, the idea of sleeping with a girl like Astrid being something of a teenage dream. Especially after last night's words. Hiccup looked up at his father lazily and gave him a stern look.

"Dad, why are you here?" He asked curiously, sleep still trying to work its way through his body and wake him up.

"Well, you see son..." Stoick started, but then all of his words disappeared and he was left with his mouth open and nothing further to say. "You know what, how about you come downstairs. Get all packed and ready in, shall we say half an hour? And I'll meet you there. You see, Thorald and I have a little surprise for you and Astrid." Stoick smiled brightly, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"See you downstairs in half an hour." Hiccup agreed, slamming the door in his father's face and retreating back into the room.

With a heavy sigh, Hiccup walked back into the room. Wiping his face in annoyance and frustration, Hiccup let out a loud groan and stormed over to the bed. Admiring Astrid's sleeping face for a moment, taking in her peaceful features and rosy lips that drew Hiccup's eye, Hiccup dragged the sheets off of her body with a forceful tug and threw them to the bottom of the bed.

Astrid's exposure to the coldness of the room caused a shiver to ripple through her body and slowly stir her awake from sleep. Hiccup sighed and shook his head as Astrid slowly awoke from sleep, whilst he began to pack up his things and gather together some clothes for the day.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked sleepily, a small yawn evident in her voice as she wiped her eyes. Sitting up on the bed she noticed Hiccup's erratic movements around the room, dashing about to gather clothes and fold them into his bag.

"Pack your things and get changed. We're meeting our parents downstairs, he said they have a surprise for us." Hiccup spoke whilst hurling things into his suitcase.

His suitcase was only small, it only had a few clothes in it that was suitable for an overnight stay, as well as his pristine suit for the wedding. As he packed, he grabbed a few comfortable, presentable clothes for himself and dashed into the bathroom to wash up and change.

"Oh, by the way!" Hiccup called out from within the bathroom as Astrid slowly made her way off the bed, "They want to see us downstairs in half an hour, better be quick." He called out to her with a hint of amusement in his tone as he felt a surge of panic and hurry wash over Astrid from within the room.