Don't leave me

Chapter 8: Coming home

Hiccup's POV

The sun shone brightly through the windows in my sleeping quarters on the ship.

The sounds of terrible terrors singing filled my ears as the salty smell of the sea tickled my nose hairs.

I got up from my desk to look out the window, where I could make out some familiar mountains and stone statues in the distance.

Berk. I felt my heart beat faster at the thought of my home.

It had been a year since I had last been there, and I had finally been allowed to go home, seeing as I had finished my Chief training.

My training hadn't gone as bad as I imagined it would. I managed to learn a little about strategizing, I made some friends and I learnt how to be a good leader to my people.

But still, I just couldn't get Berk out of my mind. My friends and family out of my mind.

I couldn't wait to be reunited with all my friends, my mother and Toothless.

I peeked my head out of the window, watching as the ship slowly but surely, sailed closer and closer towards Berk.

I jumped back inside and gathered my things as the ship docked.

I rushed upstairs to the deck, and as I stepped outside, loud cheers erupted all around me.

"The Chief is home!"

"Welcome back, Chief!"

I waved at my people as I got off the boat and searched the crowd for the people and dragons I had missed the as well.

"Hiccup, my son, How I've missed you!" My mother smiled as she carefully wrapped her arms around me, hugging me like I was made out of thin ice that could break at any second.

"I've missed you too, mom" I told her as I wrapped my arms tight around her.

When I eventually pulled away from my mother, I was tackled to the ground by my friends, who seemed to have missed me too.

"It's been torture, torture I tell you!" Tuffnut exclaimed dramatically as he rose from the pile of people stacked on top of me.

I couldn't help but chuckle as my friends climbed off me, and Tuffnut went on to tell me all about how horrible it had been to prank people without me yelling at him and his sister afterwards.

Unfortunately enough, I wasn't left standing for long.

A loud roar rang throughout my ears right before I was once again tackled to the ground, but this time by a night fury.

Toothless' teeth had been retracted, leaving only his gums behind as he smiled at me the way I had taught him to so many years ago.

I couldn't help but smile right back at him, but that smile quickly disappeared when he decided that it was a good idea to lick my face like there was no tomorrow.

"Gah! I've missed you too bud, but we've already had this discussion!" I chuckled as I wiped the dragon's spit off, receiving laughter from both dragons and people.

I patted his head, scratching him beneath his chin as he helped me get back up on my feet.

That's when I was hit with the feeling that something was missing. I let my eyes wander over the crowd, but there was no trace of what I was looking for anywhere.

I felt my heart sink along with my shoulders as several different scenarios were presented by my mind.

A year was a long time... what if she had found someone else?

As the thought swam across my mind, the crowd split down the middle, allowing my eyes to land up on the last person still standing in the middle.

She hadn't changed a bit since the last time I had seen her. Ocean blue eyes, long, shimmering, blonde hair and that playful smirk that so often tugged at the corner of her lip.

She walked steadily through the crowd, eyes fixed on me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she gazed at me with those ocean blue eyes, that rendered my knees weak.

"Hey" A smile replaced the playful smirk as her gaze deepened and her fingers grazed my cheek, as if she was making sure that it was really me.

"Gods, how I've missed you" I blurted out as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her even closer.

"I've missed you too" Her smile grew wider as she tilted her head ever so slightly before allowing our lips to meet.

For a short moment, it was like the world disappeared. Again, it was like there were just two people on the planet, the two of us.

My grip tightened around her waist as I refused to let her go, terrified of the thought of ever being apart again.

Astrid's hands fell down from my neck and onto my shoulders as she slowly pulled away.

"You better keep your promise" She furrowed her brows ever so slightly as her grip on my shoulders tightened.

Another smile appeared on my face as I gave her a quick kiss. "Believe me, there is nothing in this world I'd rather do"