Let's Give it a Year

Chapter 17

Finally, the next morning came and Hiccup was feeling much better than the day before. He was still slightly irritable from seeing Astrid with that mysterious man. But he was deciding to forget about it and declare it as a deception.

"It wasn't Astrid, it wasn't Astrid."

By saying this mantra, Hiccup had convinced himself that he hadn't seen Astrid with someone the day before. It was an illusion.

"But it looked so much like her..."

Hiccup looked at himself in the mirror that morning, looking over his suit and making sure there were no creases in the lining, and decided that he would head down for breakfast.

"No, it wasn't."

As he opened the door to his room, ready to leave, he saw Astrid exiting her own room. The two made eye contact briefly, Astrid's eyes looking upon Hiccup's figure in surprise and shock. She acted as though he was the last person she had wanted to meet at that moment, and the blush on her face only confirmed it.

"Hey, Ast-..." Astrid quickly left the corridor, leaving Hiccup stood at his door all alone. "...trid?" Watching her go, Hiccup furrowed his brow, a sense of curiosity taking over him as he tilted his head as he watched her.

Quickly following behind, racing to catch up to her, Hiccup made it down the stairs and noticed her direction was heading straight for the door. Wanting to make her stay, Hiccup called out to her desperately and perhaps a little louder than he was supposed to.

"Astrid! Hey!" She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him, "Where are you going? I'll take you to work. I said I would didn't I?" He suggested with a charming smile, reminding them both of the events from yesterday. Yet, Astrid remembered beyond that.

"No thanks, 'sweetheart'," Astrid called mockingly, a hint of hatred could be heard in her tone as she looked at Hiccup in distaste. "I'm going to take the bus, it'll be less of a burden for you to bear. After all, I'm not that important to you. I'll be fine. I'm just your wife after all, and that can't be used as an excuse to use you as a chauffeur." Astrid replied pointedly, her arms crossing over her chest stubbornly.

Hiccup looked at her in confusion, sensing that she was angry at him for some reason. However, he couldn't figure out why. Did he say something to her? Furrowing his brows and attempting to take a step towards her, Hiccup shook his head in disagreement with her words.

"What are you talking about Astrid? You are important to me. You're my wife, I should take care of you."

Astrid scoffed.

"Do I seriously have to repeat myself to you? Being your wife shouldn't be an excuse or reason to have to drive me to work." Astrid's voice turned cold, her words harsh as she avoided looking Hiccup in the eye. She knew that if she looked at him long enough, she would give in to his charms. "At least, that's what you told me..."

"Astrid..." Hiccup tried taking another step closer.

"I'm going to work, I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check on your carpool. You'll just have to choose someone else to yell at for your morning outbursts, I hear your secretary is a lot closer to you than most, maybe try her."

With that, Astrid headed for the door and slammed it shut behind her. The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the empty house, causing an unknown feeling to settle into Hiccup's heart. He didn't know what just happened, but he knew it had something to do with him.

He just had to figure out what.

"What was that all about? Did I do something wrong again? Gods, why are women so confusing?"