Don't leave me

Chapter 19: One chance

Hiccup's POV

I pushed open the doors to the Meade Hall and stepped outside into the cold night. I had just finished yet another dinner. Another dinner where I had just watched my friends laughing and having fun at their table while I was stuck at the Chief's table with my mother, Toothless and the elders, talking about politics. Fortunately for me, I had Toothless.

I stopped at the top of the stairs as my attention was caught by the full moon that lit up the night sky, a million stars twinkling around it.

I raised my hand and placed my thumb over the moon, my heart constricting as my mind was flooded with memories.

Toothless cooed as he nudged my hand. "What is it, bud?"

The dragon nodded forwards where a young woman was walking with her head down. From behind, the young woman looked eerily familiar, but it wasn't before I narrowed my eyes at her that I recognized the young woman as that I had been in love with since the moment I met her.

Toothless cooed before nudging me forwards with his nose, urging me to go talk to her and clear things up between us. I glanced down at the dragon, who responded with a nod as he patiently waited for me to go after her.

I took a deep breath, building up some courage before I put one foot ahead of the other and made my way over to her, taking a hold of her wrist and making her stop in her tracks.

Before I could even open my mouth, she had already spun around and flipped me onto the ground, leaving me with an aching back, a twisted arm and a pair of flaming blue eyes glaring down at me. "What do you want?"

"Astrid, please, I need to talk to you" I begged her as I let out a soft groan.

She loosened her grip on me before getting up and brushing off her skirt. "I've heard enough of your excuses, Chief"

"Astrid, please let me explain—" I scrambled to my feet.

"Explain what? There isn't anything to explain!" She interrupted before turning her back to me and crossing her arms. "You slept with Heather, something I know you wouldn't have done if you didn't have any feelings for her"

I took her hands in mine and turned her to look at me, and to my surprise, she didn't resist. "Astrid, I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you and I will love you until the last breath leaves my body, nothing can change that, nothing will change that, you're the only one for me, now and forever"

She avoided my gaze as she furrowed her brows and swallowed. "Hiccup, I... I know we are on a break and that I shouldn't really be angry with you for sleeping with Heather, but if you love me as much as you say, then why?"

My mouth refused to open.

She narrowed her eyes at me, before letting her hands fall out of my grasp. "Exactly"

She was about to turn and walk away yet again when I opened my mouth: "Because I felt alone"

Again, she turned to me, brows furrowed. "What?"

I took a deep breath as I ran a hand through my hair. "I felt so lonely, Astrid. You had just told me that you wanted a break and I didn't know what to do with myself. Then Heather came along and asked if I wanted to eat dinner with her, long story short, we had a lot of fun but ended up drinking too much Meade"

Her shoulders fell and her glare softened, but she still remained silent.

"My loneliness mixed with my drunken state of mind caused me to make a big mistake, which I regret terribly now, and for that I am sorry" I gazed into her eyes, which were as fiery as ever, but with a hint of sadness hiding behind the flames.

"So what you're telling me is that you got drunk and ended up sleeping with the first person that made a move on you?" Astrid sighed as she shook her head slowly and placed her hands on her hips. "Thor, how am I supposed to trust you when you act like this Hiccup? How can I trust that you won't make the same mistake the next time you feel a little lonely?"

I cupped her cheeks and forced her eyes to meet mine. "Astrid, I know this isn't easy for you, but I swear on every god in existence, if you give me another chance, I'll never do anything like that ever again"

"Hiccup—"

"Please, just give me a chance to prove myself to you, Astrid, I swear you won't regret it" The corners of my lips bent up in a small smile as her eyes reflected the night sky.

Suddenly, she grabbed me by the collar and pulled me into a kiss. Electricity crackled around us as our lips met, eager to be reunited after such a long time apart. As I braided my fingers into her hair and her hands snaked around my neck, the whole world around us started to fade. Gods, how I had missed that feeling.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer as our lungs screamed for air, forcing us to pull away. Heavy panting and small chuckles filled the air around us as we leaned our foreheads against one another.

"One chance" She breathed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

A grin spread across my face as I placed a peck on her lips. "That's all I need"