The runaway Valedictorian(HICCSTRID)

6 Catching Up

Few minutes after the previous chapter
Astrid POV:

    I practically runned with Stormfly to the park, because I was so excited. The nervousness from earlier was gone and I was excited to see Hiccup again. I wanted to know everything that has happened to him over the past few years.
    So after twenty minutes after leaving the company I was at the park. But Hiccup wasn't here yet. I was a little disappointed, but still excited. So I just walked to one of the benches that was near a pond and sat on it, with Stormfly next to me.
    I looked down at my clothes and cursed under my breath. I didn’t even change to something more comfortable. I was in a dark red skirt, with dark blue leggings under it. I then had a blue and red T-shirt on and work shoes on. It was not uncomfortable, but it could have been more comfortable.
    I waited for a few minutes, before I heard the sound of someone walking behind me. I turned around and immediately smiled when I saw Hiccup. He was in the same clothes like before and had a completely black husky on a leash with him. He smiled at me and I let go of Stormfly’s leash and practically runned and hugged him. He hugged me too and let go off his dog’s leash.
    “You're late,” I said.
    He chuckled and said, “Actually, I am right on time. You are just a few minutes early.”
    I smiled and let go of him and looked at him. Stormfly in the meanwhile walked next to my side and she and Hiccup's dog were both sniffing each other. I smiled and knelt down and asked, “And who is this?” I then rubbed his head and he looked up at me with his green eyes.
    Hiccup smiled and knelt down and replied, “Toothless.” I looked at him confused and he just replied, “I’ll explain later. And who is this?”
    He scratched Stormfly on her head and she crooned happily. I smiled. She doesn’t often trust new people and I was happy that she trusted Hiccup so easily. “Stormfly,” I replied, happily.
    Hiccup smiled and then took Toothless’s leash off and I did the same with Stormfly’s. They sniffed each other once more, before they started to run and play around. We both chuckled a bit, before walking and sitting down on the bench. I looked at Hiccup and immediately asked, “So how have you been?”
    He smiled and replied, “Good, thank you. And what about you?”
    I smiled a little bit and said, “Better since I moved here, thank you. And Hiccup, I want to thank you for giving me the job. Really, I appreciate it.”
    He smiled and said, “Your welcome Astrid.” We then started to catch up. I asked him questions about his life, while he asked me questions about mine, which luckily avoided the topic of my failed marriage. And it was quite the best time of my life.
    
    I looked at Toothless, Hiccup’s dog, with pity, when I heard how he found him as a pup. But could see that he has a good life with Hiccup and was enjoying his time with Stormfly. I smiled and looked at Hiccup and said, “That was a nice thing you did for him.”
    He nodded and said, “It was just the right thing to do, Astrid. I am sure that anyone else would have done the same thing.”
    I shook my head and said, “Still as caring as always, aren’t you?”
    He smiled and nodded. “Yep,” he replied while popping the ‘p’.
    “So,” I said, “Is there anyone in your life.”
    He smiled faded a bit and said, “Sadly no.”
    I frowned and asked, “Umm, I’m sorry to ask, but how the frick is there no one in your life?” He looked at me confused and I explained, “Hiccup, you are everything a woman wants in a man. You are smart, caring, funny, sarcastic, wealthy and extremely handsome. How can you tell me that you are single, when probably most girls drool over you.”
    He chuckled a bit, before calming down and replying, “I guess I am not ready yet.” I looked at him confused and he sighed and said, “I have dated a few girls since I became Harper, but they all just dated me, for my money. Just like Cami. And I didn’t want to be used anymore, so I stopped dating. So that is why I am single.”
    I looked at Hiccup, sympathetically. I could tell that he was trying to make it sound like it was not bothering him, but could still see that it hurted him. And I was immediately enraged. How could all those girls and Cami, just used the sweetest and the most caring guy in the world. I made a silent promise that I would break their noses if I ever crossed them. But I quickly calmed myself down and placed my hand on his shoulder.
    He looked at my hand and then at me. He looked a bit confused and I smiled at him a little bit and said, “Hiccup, you are the sweetest and most caring guy I have ever met and know. And what Cami and all those girls did to you was wrong and stupid and if I ever see them, I will brake their nooses. And I am sure one day, a really special girl will fall head over heels in love with you.”
    He smiled a small smile and said, “Thanks Astrid.”
    I smiled and said, “You’re welcome, Hiccup. And looked at the bright side. You could have gotten married to one of those jerks. Like I did.” I mumbled the last part, but could see that he heard it.
    His smile softened and he asked, “You ok? I am guessing that the divorce was pretty messy.”
    I nodded and said, “Yeah, you can say that.”
    He looked at me concerned and said, “I am sorry about the divorce. That you had to go through it. Not that you had to divorce Eret, because you knew that you were marrying a jerk, but that you had to go through the process.”
    I smiled a tiny bit and replied, “Thanks, Hiccup. I guess I always knew that I was marrying a total jerk.” I was glad that Hiccup and I were friends again, because he understood me completely. He knew what to say and when to say it.
    He smiled a bit and then said, “Sorry I have to ask this, Astrid, but what in Valhalla motivated Eret to divorce you.”
    I chuckled a bit, but then stopped to think of an answer. I didn’t know whether to tell Hiccup the truth or not. If he found out that I have disease he might judge me and I didn’t know if I could handle that. But then again, Hiccup was completely honest with me so far so I had to tell him the truth and hope for the best.
    I sighed and was about to speak, but Hiccup then assured me, “You don’t have to tell me, Astrid.”
    I smiled a bit and then started, “It started a few months ago. Eret and I were married for five years and after doing it for a long time,” I blushed a bit in embarrassment, “we started to notice that I didn’t get pregnant. So we went to the hospital to do a check and then….”
    I stopped and took a deep breath. I was about to continue, but Hiccup grabbed my hand, softly, and started to rub it slowly with his thumb, calming me down.
    I gave him a grateful glance and then continued, “We both did a couple of tests and after sometime we got the results. And I was diagnosed with a disease that prevents me from getting pregnant.”
    Hiccup gasped slightly and rubbed my hand more to tell me that he was there. I smiled a small bit and continued, “From there it went downhill. I found out that Eret was having an affair with a lot of women, so we got divorced. And I lost almost everything. But.. But-”
    I stopped talking, because I couldn’t anymore and just began to cry. Hiccup pulled me into a hug and I cried into his chest. He rubbed my back and said, “I am so sorry, Astrid. I am so sorry. I know how much you wanted to be a mother and I am sorry.”
    I buried my face deeper into his chest and softly continued to cry in his chest and he kept comforting me. And after a while I managed to stop crying and just sniffed a few times and listened to Hiccup heart beat and enjoyed the warmth of his body. He just kept hugging me, while rubbing my back now and then.
    After a minute, I finished, while still being buried into his chest, “After a few weeks of being divorced, I got fed up by all the sympathy I got from the divorce, so I just ran away. I always heard how Fishlegs ranted about Viking Industries so I thought it would be a good place to start over. So I came here and I am happy that I came.”
    Hiccup chuckled softly and said, “I am happy that you came to Astrid. Just wished that you didn’t have to come, under the circumstances you came.”
    I nodded and said, “Thank you, Hiccup. And I wish it could be different and I am happy that I came.”
    He hugged me tighter and we stayed in that position for a few minutes, till it started to get dark. We talked a little bit, before we got our dogs, who were exhausted from playing together. Hiccup, being the gentleman he is, walked me home, even though I protested.
    And after a few minutes of walking in a comfortable silence, we finally made it to my flat. We both walked up to the front door of it and I then turned towards him. He was for once level with my eyes, because he was a step below me. He smiled at me and I smiled and hugged him and he hugged me back. “Thank you, for the talk, Hiccup. I really enjoyed it,” I said.
    “We should do this, again,” he replied and I nodded. “Well, are you free tomorrow after work.”
    I nodded and replied, “Yes, I am. Same place?”
    He nodded and said, “Well see you then.” I hugged him tighter and was about to pull away, but he then said, “O and Astrid. Can you promise me something?”
    “Anything,” I replied and looked into his forest green eyes.
    “Can you please not tell anyone, from Berk, that you found me?” He said.
    My eyes widened at the promise he asked me to keep. Here was Hiccup, the person everyone has talked about since he ran away, asking me not to tell anyone that I found him. Not to tell his parents, who were heartbroken when he left, that he was ok and that I have found him.
    “Hiccup,” I said, “Everyone misses you. Gobber misses you. I missed you. And your mom and dad miss you too. And they want you to come back.”
    He sighed and said, “I know Astrid. I know. Just give me a little bit of time. I will go back to Berk to visit, soon, but I just need some time. And I don’t want Berk to come here, ok? So please, just give me a month. Can you?”
    I thought for a moment, before nodding slowly. “Ok, Hiccup. I won’t tell anyone, just please don’t leave me again,” I said.
    His expression softened and he pulled me into a hug and said, “Astrid, I am not going anywhere. And I just got you back, so I am not going to leave you anytime soon.”
    I smiled and hugged him tighter and asked, “Promise?”
    He hugged me tighter and said, “I promise, M’lady.”
    I smiled even more and hugged him tighter. After a few seconds, Stormfly and Toothless both nudged us. We both laughed and pulled away from each other’s warm embrace. We both looked at our dogs, who were eyeing us suspiciously.
    I smiled and looked at Hiccup, and saw his eyes staring, with wonder and amazement at the two dogs. I smiled and even before I could think what I was doing, I leaned forward and kissed Hiccup on his cheek.
    Hiccup instantly tensed and blushed a scarlet red. I blushed too and said, “Goodnight, Hiccup.”
    He smiled a bit and said, “Goodnight, Astrid.”
    I looked into his eyes once more, before turning around and opening the door of my apartment. Stormfly and I quickly walked into it and I turned around to close the door, but as I closed the door, I locked eyes with Hiccup.
    I smiled a small smile and Hiccup had one too. And then the door closed and I sighed happily, before turning around and leaning against the door. I then let my feet slip under me and started to slowly slide down the door until I was sitting at the door staring into the thin air.
    This talk was the best of my life. And I couldn’t believe it, I thought that Hiccup would judge me, because of my disease. I knew he was too caring and too good of a friend to judge me off it. And I smiled at that. I really didn’t deserve it, but I promise myself that I was going to cherish every moment I have with Hiccup. As his friend and personal assistant.
     And a small part of thought, maybe one day, more than just a friend. I smiled and stood up and got ready for bed with a smile, glued to my face.