Tangled Vows

Chapter 48

The time had come.

As much as Astrid could continue to run circles around the issue, and spend forever trying to hold it off until the end of time, she knew what she had to do. Standing before the hardware store, looking up at the sign and remembering the first time she had walked through that door, Astrid felt that swirl of anxiety twist tighter in her stomach.

She couldn't hold this off any longer. 

Stepping through the door, and into the store, that familiar rusty, oak and oil smell hit her nostrils like a welcoming hug, and she basked in the warmth of the light and woody smell filling the air around her. The bell above the door sounded as she entered, signalling her arrival, and she turned towards the front desk.

However, the man behind the desk was not who she had expected to see at all. Astrid had hoped to see another sight of that wonderfully sweet auburn-haired nerd standing behind the counter, possibly looking saddened by her absence and a look of guilt colouring his features. Although she knew that he wouldn't let that inner turmoil affect his work, Hiccup was anything if not efficient at his work.

Instead, the man standing behind the counter was not a man at all. This worker could not have been more than 17 and looked as though he was still in high school, and had only just recently started working there. Astrid knew that Hiccup had a couple of workers at the store who could help him when he wanted time off, but Astrid had never really seen any of them. 

Nevertheless, she wasn't about to let this small obstacle spoil her chances, nor deter her courage from continuing. She was going to find Hiccup, whether this little worker would help her or not.

"Hello, can I help you?" The boy asked rather cheerfully.

"Hi, what's your name?" Astrid asked out of politeness, looking around the store in the hopes of finding Hiccup hiding behind one of the aisles. But she had no luck, it was clear that he wasn't there.

"I'm Gustav. Why?"

"No reason," Astrid shrugged it off, returning her attention towards Gustav once she had determined that Hiccup was not at the front of the store. "Gustav, could you tell me where Hiccup is? It's just... I have something really important to talk to him about."

"Hiccup?" Gustav questioned, as though he was surprised that Astrid was there to see Hiccup rather than for him. Or at least, that Astrid had any idea what she was doing in there at all.

"Yeah, Hiccup. Do you know where I can find him?" Astrid asked more urgently.

Gustav looked over his shoulder towards the door to the storeroom. The door was closed, and it seemed like Gustav was afraid of what lay beyond it. Astrid immediately assumed that Hiccup was behind that door, most likely at his workbench with another engine of some type.

"He's in the back. But he asked me not to disturb him. So, I don't think he'd want to see you right now." Gustav stuttered out nervously, reluctant to even tell Astrid where Hiccup was in case he got into trouble. However, before he could stop himself, the words just came sputtering out.

Astrid smiled, "Don't worry. If he yells at me, I'll make sure he knows it wasn't your fault." 

Before Gustav could stop her, Astrid stormed past him and made her way into the storeroom, making sure to close the door behind her. Despite his efforts to persuade her otherwise, Gustav could do little to stop Astrid from getting into that storeroom, and could only watch helplessly as the door closed behind her.

Standing in the darkened storeroom, Astrid could see a singular, bright light coming from one corner, and knew that it was Hiccup's workbench. As she peered closer, she could see his familiar hunched figure towering over it, and working very determinedly on whatever was before him.