When I Come Back

It's All My Fault

Astrid 

"Hey, you ok?"

   Apparently with all my running around and worrying, I was too distracted to realize what time it was. It was already the end of the day. 

   I heard the three little words that come together to form a question, yet they didn't register in my head who they were meant for or who they came from until they were repeated. 

"Hey, you ok?" I turn to see none other than the hansom descendant of the devil himself. 

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine. How was it?" I wasn't going to guilt trip him by saying how I really felt. 

   He gave me a skeptical look before answering, "It was pretty good. Everyone there was really nice and welcoming. They all seemed really relaxed and the island was rather peaceful." 

   He was avoiding any talk of the heiress. I wasn't going to let it slide.

"What about  - what was her name? Rasmerelda?" I really couldn't remember her name for the life of me, but I was ok with that. 

"Uhh, her name was Rosemal. She was kind, gentle, and deeply cared for her people. I just don't think she's cut out for daily life on Berk." Hiccup states.

"Now enough of that. You wan't to tell me what's wrong?" His tone suddenly went from awkward to stern, he wasn't asking.

"I'm fine." It didn't matter how strong his authoritative tone was, what was going through my head was only going to make me look weak. 

"No, you're not." he decided to increase his tone. 

"Yes, I am!" I snapped. 

   We made eye contact, him giving me the " I know I'm Right So You Might As Well Just Say It" look, while I was giving him the "Prove It Look."

   Sometime over the years, all insecurities of his were either lost or hidden so deep they were often forgotten. 

   We each held these looks long enough for me to start getting distracted by his emerald green eyes, sharpened jaw, sprinkled freckles, and shrinked scar. I became so distracted, that I didn't have time to react to Hiccup picking me up, throwing me over his shoulder, and beginning to walk back to the village. 

"Hiccup!" I shrieked. 

   I couldn't hear his chuckle due to all the noise produced by busy vikings, but I knew because of the slight shake of his shoulder. 

   A viking carrying a woman over his shoulder through the village was an unusual sight just by itself, but the fact that it was Hiccup carrying a woman over his shoulder drew so much more attention to us. 

   As we passed there were gasps of surprise, snickers, bellowing laughter, low whispers, and simply just dropped jaws. 

   15 year old Hiccup would've never been able to carry another person over his shoulder and he would've gotten extremely uncomfortable from all the added attention; however 20 year old Hiccup just readjusted his grip, kept his back straight, and I'm sure his head held high. 

   He carried me up the small hill to his hut and held the door open for the dragons, before setting me down. 

   I huffed, fixed my frayed skirt, and patted my now  tussled hair. "What was that for?" 

"Funny, that used to be my question to you." and he was right, it was. 

"Well clearly times have changed." I couldn't help the heat rising in my cheeks as I think of the defined muscle no longer hidden thanks to Stoick's old tunic. 

" Look, I just want to know what's going through that head of yours that made you off."

"It's nothing you need to worry about Hiccup." It was starting to get harder to withhold the information. Something was telling me to just let loose and hope for the best. 

"It has to do with you. So it most definitely is something I need to worry about." How could I not just spill everything to that?    

   I let out a heavy sigh, "When you first left I felt lonely. Then as they years drug on, I started to stress, loose sleep, and become extremely short tempered. I don't know how you keep up on your chores, helping your dad, running the team, and keeping Berk safe while still maintaining your energy, optimism, and drive. I felt so overworked and I missed you so much it hurt. Then when Toothless started to disappear for days at a time, I could barely live with myself. How could I let the most important thing he left me in charge of run off? I thought you'd be mad at me and never want to talk to me again. I thought-" 

   He cut me off, "Shhhhh, shhhhh. It's ok. It's ok." he cooed, cupping my cheek.

   He took a step closer and foreign smells of food from afar and dust of another island entered my nose. As well as the familiar, comforting smells of leather, soap, metal, and dragon. 

   He looked me in the eyes, "None of that should've happened and I'm so so sorry. I should've never left you in charge of so many things. That wasn't fair to you. I'm so sorry." 

   When hiccup finished his apology, he gently leaned his forehead against mine.