Hiccstrid Shorts

The Perfect Morning

Hiccup saw his house sitting on the top of the hill. It wasn't that far, but it felt far. Especially for someone who hadn't slept in over two days.

He limped up the hill, his breath hitching every time he put pressure on his leg. He had been on it all day and it made sure he knew that it didn't like it. He knew what his leg would look like the second he took off the prosthetic, and he could hear Astrid giving him the same lecture as she massaged all the knots out like she usually did when this would happen.

He was finally at his front door and slowly pushed it open. It was quiet and dark, telling him that Astrid wasn't home yet. She had been working just as hard as him in the last few days. Everything had been going wrong this week. It was like it all just decided to come crashing down at once, and the second he started to fall asleep while standing up is when Gobber told him to go home. Hiccup fought him on it, of course, but he was eventually just too tired to argue and decided that he was right. He probably should get some sleep.

He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up them and at the closed door that led into his room. There were so many steps.

Has there always been this many?

Climbing up all of them just looked way too exhausting so he glanced behind him at the rug lying on the ground next to the dying fire. It looked extremely comfortable.

He turned around, draped his satchel over the back of the chair, and then laid down on the soft rug with an air of defeat. He sighed as his face fell into the furs. Hiccup took a deep breath and before he could even finish exhaling, he was already fast asleep.

~ ~ ~

Astrid made her way home a couple of hours later. It was dark and the light from the full moon was guiding her way up the hill. She pushed the door open and was met with darkness.

Wasn't Hiccup supposed to come home? She thought to herself as she hung up her furs on the hook next to the door. She walked towards the kitchen when she almost stepped on him. It was so dark in the house that she hadn't even seen her husband lying on the floor asleep. His mouth was hung open and a trail of drool was seeping into the rug.

She smiled at the sight and bent down to wake him up, but she stopped herself right before her hand touched his arm. This was the first time in days that he actually looked relaxed. Every feature in his face was smooth and he looked eighteen again.

Astrid quietly walked around the home and got the fire going, causing an orange glow to light up the room. She walked upstairs, took the blanket off their bed, and grabbed their pillows before making her way back downstairs.

She gently lifted Hiccup's head and froze when he began to stir. When he didn't wake up, she slipped the soft pillow underneath his head and combed her fingers through his soft auburn hair before draping the blanket over his sleeping form. After admiring his restful position once more, she removed her boots and proceeded to lay down next to him.

Astrid watched his face as she pulled some of the blanket over her. A soft smile appeared as he unconsciously curled closer to her and draped an arm over her waist, pulling her near him. She heard him sigh as she rested her head on his chest. The feeling of being this close and in the arms of the man she loved more than anything was exactly what she needed after a long couple of days and she was fast asleep in a matter of seconds.
~ ~ ~
Hiccup was the first to stir the next morning. His back ached and as he went to stretch out the soreness something stopped him from moving too far. He opened his eyes and was met with a mop of blonde. Astrid was practically lying on top of him with an arm and leg draped around his body. The sight of his wife still fast asleep and clinging to him was enough to make him feel like the luckiest man in the archipelago.

He removed a strand of her long hair that had made its way into her mouth sometime during the night before pressing a feather-light kiss on her forehead. His thumb absentmindedly rubbed soothing circles on her small waist.

Hiccup hadn't realized he had fallen back to sleep until he felt the feeling of soft lips pressed against his jaw. He opened his eyes and was then met with the two blue eyes that he never got tired of looking into.

She smiled and brushed her lips against his. He heard her mutter, "Good morning," before pulling away and looking at him once more.

He returned the smile and as Hiccup turned his head to kiss the small hand that was cupping his cheek, he thought that any morning where he woke up next to Astrid wasn't just a good morning but a perfect one.