Don't leave me

Chapter 4: Full moon

Hiccup's POV

"Astrid..." I reached for her but she turned away.

"Let's go, Stormfly" She commanded the dragon, voice colder than the ice the Skrill was trapped in.

I watched her as she flew away, my heart aching in my chest at how cold she had been.

She hadn't acted like that towards me in years.

I let out a sigh as I watched Stormfly and Astrid disappear on the horizon as the citizens of Berk slowly realized that it was time to go home.

I don't know how long I stood there, outside the Meade Hall, but it didn't matter. She was all that I could see, all that was on my mind. Her ocean blue eyes that reflected the moonlight, her brows, drawn together in a mixture of anger and disappointment and her mouth, parted slightly as if there was something else she wanted to say.

Would she ever forgive me?

***

I had spent the entire day walking around the city with Toothless at my side, doing all the Chiefly duties my mother wouldn't be able to do without me.

Seeing as it was my last day, I had set aside some time for a class with the 18 year olds.

I arrived at the academy and was met by wide smiles, coming from both dragons and riders.

"Alright class, I see you all brought your dragons? Perfect, because today we will learn how to fly zigzag without falling off" I climbed atop Toothless and the rest of the class followed my lead as we flew out of the arena and out above the open water.

Most of that class was spent trying to teach the students how to fly around sea stacks without falling off their dragons.

There were of course a few incidents, but no one were severely harmed.

Then came the last student of the group. It was the young woman that had been so excited when I informed her and her group of friends that I would be their teacher. Rebekah was it, I think.

She seemed to be doing quite well around the first sea stacks, but when a high pitched scream pierced my eardrums, I knew she hadn't made it around the fourth.

Toothless reacted quickly, and we were able to catch her before she hit the sharp rocks that loomed beneath.

She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and pulled herself closer to me.

Poor girl, I thought, she must've been really frightened.

"Thank you, Chief" The young woman breathed heavily as she gazed into my eyes.

I gently placed her back onto her dragon. "Try not to fall off on the way back, alright?"

She nodded as a smile appeared on her face.

"Class is over, you're all free to go!" I announced to the class before setting the course back towards Berk.

***

Toothless loud snoring filled my ears, throwing my concentration off the work I was doing at my desk.

I rolled my eyes at the dragon as I stretched, my body reminding me of how long I had been sitting there.

I glanced over at my bed and couldn't help but feel a little tired. I set aside my work before making my way over to it.

As I laid in the bed, I couldn't help but feel drawn to my window. I glanced over at it, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but when I sat up in the bed and got a good look at the starry night sky, I was immediately reminded of a different time, a better time.

I got up again and climbed out the window and onto the roof. The dark sky above me had been littered with stars, and in the middle of the glittering darkness was a bright, full moon.

I sighed as images of Astrid appeared in my mind. I brought my thumb up to the moon as my mind was filled with memories.

~~~

It was a full moon. The moon was shining brighter than ever and was reflected on the surface of the pond at the cove.

Astrid and I were sitting in the grass, separated from the rest of the town, finally getting the alone time I had dreamt of us having for years.

She sighed as she wrapped her arms around her legs, her eyes shining almost as brightly as the moon she admired. I scooted closer to her.

She turned to me with a smile before leaning her head onto my shoulder, sending the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy and making my cheeks turn a pinkish red.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "Astrid?"

"Yeah?" She replied, her eyes still glued to the moon above.

"Did you know that no matter where you are on earth, the moon is never bigger than your thumb?" I asked her, my voice trembling slightly as I pointed to the moon.

She furrowed her brows at me. "I don't believe you"

"See for yourself then! Just close one eye and place your thumb on the moon" I smiled, guiding her hand towards the moon.

She closed one eye and placed her thumb on the moon. "Wow, I gotta say, I'm impressed. Where did you learn this?"

A surge of confidence overcame me as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "A magician never reveals his secrets"

She let out a chuckle. "You're no ordinary magician"

"Alright then, Trader Johann told me" I smiled at her.

She let out a laugh before she grabbed me by the collar and pressed her soft lips against mine.

~~~

I sighed at the memory and couldn't help but be brought back to that night at the Meade Hall.

I kept my thumb on the moon as I wondered if she was doing the same, even now, when she was so angry with me.

How would I manage to be away from her for so long?