Let's Give it a Year

Chapter 19

Night had fallen and the time was getting late, the rain outside was smacking against the windows of the house and rattled the house with its echoing beats. Hiccup was sat on the sofa in the living room, the door open to listen for Astrid's arrival home.

"Where is she? It's getting late."

At the end of the workday, Hiccup had tried to find Astrid to offer her a lift home, however, he could not find her and ended up going home by himself. He figured that she had probably walked home and would be there when he arrived.

But she wasn't.

So, Hiccup ended up waiting on the sofa in silence, listening to the rain spitting upon the windows outside, and he was growing concerned. He knew that Astrid hadn't taken an umbrella and it was getting cold, the rain making the temperature drop.

Suddenly, after what felt like hours, Hiccup heard the sound of the front door opening in the entrance hall. Hiccup perked up, raising his head and turning towards the door of the living room and slowly standing up from the sofa.

As he approached the hall, he heard small sniffs and groans from the intruder. Hiccup knew it was Astrid and peeked his head around the corner into the hall, not wanting her to know that he had been waiting around for her to come home. However, when he laid his eyes upon her, his heart wrenched and his body reacted instantly. Racing towards her, Hiccup grabbed Astrid's face and checked her over.

"Astrid! Oh my Thor! You're soaked." He checked her forehead with the back of his hand, the small gesture making Astrid blush. "You're burning up. Come on, let's get you out of those wet clothes." Hiccup helped lead Astrid towards the stairs, dropping her bag by the door as she continued to sniff.

"And into a dry martini?" Astrid joked suggestively, secretly wishing she could have a drink right that second. She was shivering and she knew that the alcohol would help warm her up.

Hiccup laughed at her joke, the sound sending a bolt of joy to Astrid's heart as she saw that magnificent, genuine smile upon Hiccup's face once more. She loved that smile more than her own, the action making her feel warm and wanted.

Helping her up the stairs whilst Astrid struggled out of her wet jacket, Hiccup led her up to her room and sat her down on her bed. Kneeling down in front of her, her feet rested on the door as she struggled to take her jacket off even sat on the bed, Hiccup began untying her shoes and removing them from her feet.

Once Astrid had freed herself from her jacket prison, she looked down at her feet and saw Hiccup's hunched form protectively untying her shoes. A part of her warmed at the sight, his dexterous and careful hands trying not to apply pressure to her feet as he slid the wet shoes off of her feet. His grip upon her ankle as he slid the shoes off, was gentle and soft as he cradled the joint in his hand like a piece of delicate crockery.

Soon, her shoes were off and she was now left in a wet shirt, that was becoming transparent, and a black skirt that hugged her hips tightly. Hiccup tried not to invade her privacy by avoiding eye contact with her shirt, knowing that he would be able to see underneath.

Instead of helping out with more of her clothes, Hiccup stood up with his head down, not daring to look at Astrid as he stood before her. Astrid looked up at his blushing cheeks, his eyes clearly avoiding her at all costs, and she found it adorable.

"I should probably leave you to get into some dry clothes," Hiccup announced, not looking up once at Astrid, who was still shivering on the bed that she was sat upon.

Looking around her, Astrid was reminded that she didn't have suitable clothes for sleeping in currently on her, so she would have to get changed into some different clothes. With a sniff, Astrid rose up from the bed and made her way over to her dresser, searching for some clean, dry clothes to sleep in.