Never Belonged

Chapter 58: Suspicions Growing

Hiccup

Her skin against my own burned hotter than fire itself. Each and every day for the past two weeks I would hold her close to me but feel myself get burned by her touch. I keep telling her to see Gothi but she keeps refusing being the stubborn person she is. I'm holding her close to me as she breathes peacefully in her sleep. I run my fingers through her sleek hair as it drapes down her back so neatly. Each strand glows against the light coming through the cracks in the walls. Her arm is wrapped around my waist loosely as her head is placed against my chest. I lean down and press my lips against her forehead while pushing away her fringe, a smile curved on my face as I looked at her as well as my heart released butterflies. I watched as her eyes slowly opened to their surroundings. The ocean crashed with the forest as she looked deeply at me. "Morning," I whispered to her; she smiled at me while moving strands of my hair away from my face. "Morning," she replied to me. "Does your father have jobs for you to complete today?" she asked me with a look which was hopeful that I didn't; I shook my head "Not today, why you have something in mind?" I asked rolling on top of her pressing my hands down on the bed gazing down at her.

She lifted her hand up to my cheek "Well I would love to spend the day with you if that's possible," I gave her the look as I was thinking teasing her, "Mm let me think...would I like to spend the day with my wonderful girlfriend?" I looked down as she glared at me in a joking manner "Sounds like a plan," I finished leaning down to kiss her. Instead I felt her fist hit against my shoulder, a pain I haven't felt for years and without my armour it hurts more than I hoped for. "Hey what was that for?" I moaned clutching my arm "That was for tormenting me and this," she moved her hand up to my tunic pulling me in towards her as she leant in close pressing her lips against my own. The sweet cherry taste left me wanting more as she pulled away. Her forehead was placed against my own as she finished "Is for everything else." I smiled at her cupping her face with my hand. Her skin still felt burning hot but it seemed like it was coming back to normal as I couldn't feel my hand burning up. "So what did you have in mind that we could do," she opened her mouth about to answer until she pushed me off the bed. My body crashed to the ground before I could watch her jump off the bed into the bathroom.

I pushed myself up as the door slammed behind her. I walked over and opened the door slightly as she held her head over the toilet seat. "Oh Astrid..." I cried. I walked over to her and pulled her hair behind her face and rubbed my hand soothingly down her back. It went on for about five to ten minutes until she finally stopped convulsing. She moved away from the seat and pushed her body weight against me. I wrapped my arm around her holding her close to me "You feeling better now?" I asked her as I felt her head nod against me "Are you sure you want to go out today, we could always hang out inside," I told her I didn't want her getting any worse. "I'm fine Hiccup honestly, you can stop worrying about me," but that's the thing, I always worry about her because I don't want to lose her. I leant down and kissed her on the forehead before we got up to get ready to leave. I helped fix her hair back into her normal braid before she helped me re-fit my armour back on. As we stepped outside the wind slapped against of faces as the snow began to fall. It hit her hair so perfectly that it made her shine against the whole surroundings. Her eyes glistened against the ice as she stood admiring the snow fall and I couldn't help but smile at her perfection.

We were about to walk up to the Great Hall for breakfast before Astrid spoke "Hey I'll catch up with you in a moment I just need to do something," I was hesitant to leave her by herself after what happened this morning but her eyes told me she needed my trust to know she going to be okay. I nodded and let her leave while I headed to the Great Hall. I turned around to have a last check on her before she left out of sight for good and I watched her go and walk up to Gothi's hut. I felt a bit more secure knowing that she was finally going to get some help like I'd been telling her to for the past weeks. I headed into the Great Hall and sat with the others. I took a seat next to Jack "Hey where's Astrid?" He asked looking to my side "She went to see Gothi, she wasn't feeling well this morning," he nodded slowly until a felt a presence by my side. I smiled hoping it was Astrid by my side but when I turned I was face to face with Hayley. It wasn't disappointing but I wished it was Astrid. But when I looked at her she seemed sad. "Hey what's up?" I asked her.

"Nothing..." she mumbled lowering her head, I took her hand in mine and dragged her outside so no one would interfere with our conversation. "Hayley tell me, what's wrong?" she shook her head at me "Hiccup I'm fine..." I lifted her head so our emerald eyes clashed but I could clearly see the sorrow within them "I won't let this go until you tell me," I told her and I made sure that my eyes stayed pierced with hers. "I woke up this morning and I couldn't find my families necklace, it's a family heirloom which we've kept for years and it's the only thing I have left of them and it's missing, I can't find it anywhere and I've searched and searched but it's nowhere." I watched as tears slowly started to seep down her rosy cheeks. I pulled her close to me and hugged her tightly "I'll help you find it Hayley don't worry, come on we'll have another look together," I felt her nod against me before we set off towards her house.

**********

We couldn't find her necklace anywhere. There was no sign of any sapphire necklace in the house. I wasn't sure where it disappeared to but I knew that it was destroying Hayley and I hated seeing her like this. "I'm sorry Hayley, I guess we can carry on looking for it tomorrow, we'll find it don't worry," she nodded before saying goodbye. As I walked back through into the village I watched as from Gothi's hut emerged Astrid, had she been in there all day? Sucks for spending the day together. I walked over to her as she finished walking down the stairs "Hey you alright, you've been in there all day," she nodded at me "Yea, I'm alright trust me she gave me something which made me fall asleep," I nodded at her wrapping my arm around her as we made our way back to her house.

I stood behind her and picked her up bridal style surprising her as she screamed "Hiccup careful," she laughed as I took her upstairs. I dropped her down on the bed while I got on top of her. I looked down at her smiling "I missed spending the day with you and it was your idea," I pouted running my hand down her cheek, "I know so did I," she leant up and kissed me but as I pushed down deeper into the kiss her hand knocked against the side into her closet but as it did so I heard something fall onto the floor. I stopped what I was doing and I looked down. Below in front of my eyes I saw something shimmering. I picked it up and sat down on the bed. Astrid pushed herself up examining what lay in my hand. "What is that?" she asked looking at it closely "It's Hayley's necklace." I said it almost as a whisper. "It's what?" she sounded astounded at my comment.

I looked at her "It'sHayley's necklace, one that was passed on down through her family...did youtake it?" I looked at her my eyes wide open "What?! No I would never takesomething like that I never even knew she had a necklace why would I take it?!"her voice rose the more she spoke "Well I don't know, you haven't been verypolite about her over the last couple of weeks so you figured you could takesomething personal away from her!" she pushed herself up off her bed and walkedaway from me "You know Hiccup, out of everyone we know I figured you would havebeen the one to believe me...even Snotlout would," those last words cut medeep, how could she compare me to my cousin. Then she left. I stormed out ofher house and made my way to Hayley's house, I just couldn't believe thatAstrid would do such a thing.