This is set during RTTE. Hiccstrid has been dating for quite a while during this :)
Astrid didn't know how it happened, all she knew was that it hurt. A lot. She couldn't lay down, sit down, let alone move without pain shooting from the top of her neck right down to her tail bone. It was getting harder and harder to hide it.
She was sitting at the clubhouse table late one night when Hiccup came behind her, accompanied by Toothless of course.
"Hi, Hiccup." She sighed as he sat down beside her. She had heard him from a mile away.
He gave her that dorky smile she loved. "Hi."
"What are you doing up?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. Not to be rude Astrid, but you look awful."
She rolled her eyes at that. "Gee, thanks."
"I-I don't mean it like that. You just look exhausted. Are you sleeping alright?"
"Of course." She lied. Last thing she needed was anyone worrying. "I just needed a moment to sit and listen to the world, ya know? Feel the peace in the middle of all this chaos."
Hiccup nodded in understanding. "Hey I get it. Everything can get to be a bit... much after a while."
The two sat there in silence for a while, staring at the moon and thinking their own silent thoughts. Hiccup's cheeks went the reddest of reds when Astrid's head gently fell upon his shoulder. He looked down to see that she had fallen asleep.
Toothless walked up and gave him the dragon equivalent of a smirk.
"Oh stop it," he whispered. "She did that all on her own." He blushed deeper. "Although it is... nice."
The dragon rolled his eyes and went to find a nice spot to sleep in. A little while later a screech from a night terror was heard in the distance. Astrid abruptly shook awake.
"It's alright," Hiccup reassured her. "It's just a night terror."
"Oh... oh geeze I fell asleep on you." She picked her head up and Hiccup was fairly sure he caught a wince. "Sorry.."
"It's fine." He smiled. "But I suggest you go and get some sleep, M'lady."
Astrid knew he was going to do it. He always did. She hoped for him not to anyways. Don't do it. Don't do it! AH DON'T DO IT.
He did it.
Astrid hissed in pain as his hand landed on her shoulder.
Hiccup immediately withdrew his hand. "Sorry! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"Astrid.."
"Alright fine." She pouted. "I'm not. I think something in my back is messed up. I can't even sit down without it hurting. It's been killing me all week."
"Astrid, why didn't you tell me?"
She hated the pained look he gave her, the worry in his eyes. It wasn't fair.
"I didn't want anyone to worry. Besides, it's not like anyone except Gothi can fix it anyways and I am NOT going all the way to Berk just to see that old bat."
Hiccup's hand came up to rub the back of his neck nervously. "What if I told you... I could fix it?"
Astrid's eyes widened. She didn't doubt him. He would never lie to her. But? "How do you know how?"
"Gothi taught me." He shrugged. "I mean, I was planning on becoming a healer before I met Toothless. I didn't want to be Chief, still don't. I could barely lift a sword back then so working in the forge full time was out, and I knew I wanted to help people."
Astrid stared at him. "Seriously?"
"Well, Yea." Hiccup chuckled.
"Alright then." She smirked. "Fix me."
**********
They were back in Hiccup's hut now. Astrid was standing, staring at the wall of Toothless's tails.
"I don't have to take my shirt off or anything do I?" Astrid peeped.
"No," he shook his head. Then a smirk escaped him. "Not unless you want to, that is."
What in Thor's name was that?! He yelled at himself. What?! Was?! That?! Let's not ever do THAT again.
It's not like you haven't seen her without it before...
That has nothing to do with it!
Sexy days on dragon's edge!
STOP IT.'
Astrid smirked in response, shaking him out of his ear with his subconscious. The extra spike of confidence, although random and out of the ordinary, had been hot.
"So what are you going to do exactly?"
"Well, it depends on what I find to be wrong. You're not gonna chuck me across the room when I touch you, are you?"
"Hmmm, depends." She chuckled. "We'll see how I feel."
"Oh thank you that-that's very reassuring."
"Oh hush and make my back stop hurting."
He does just that because that what he wants to do. He wants to make her stop hurting. To get that grimace off her face and make her hands stop shaking. To the average person, Astrid was a master at hiding her pain. But Hiccup had learned her tell tales, and trembling hands was a big one.
He walks up to her and spins a finger, gesturing for her to turn around. His hands land against her shoulders and she flinches.
"Sorry." He grimaces as his fingers trace her spine down to her tailbone on either side. He repeats the motion again and this time he finds it, just above her tailbone.
"Aha, I thought so. Your neck and spine are out of line M'lady."
"I have no idea what that means except pain."
"Yea, that's a good definition." Hiccup chuckled. He plants his thumbs on the knot and she flinches, clenching her hands into tight fists against her thighs.
"Yep, that hurts!"
"Deep breath," he waits for her to inhale, then cups her shoulder pulling backward and pressing in on the knot at the same time. It pops back into place with a crack and Astrid immediately sighed in relief.
"Woa.. that's much better." She rolls her shoulders a bit and her hands come back to probe the spot.
"Gods that was killing me. Thank you."
"You're welcome. But I'm not done yet."
"There's more?"
"Mmhmm. Your neck is a mess."
"Your neck is a mess!" Astrid mocks with a grin.
"Shush up and lay down." He shakes his head, amused.
Astrid listens and lays down on his bed, knees up.
"You're gonna have to scoot back toward my end. And lay flat, put your feet down."
As soon as she does this his hands come against both of her head, his fingers gentle on her ears. He's being delicate with her.
He's over top of her and she can smell the Hiccupy smell she loves so much. He smells like the woods...the ocean.. and fire... and freedom all mixed into one. There's also that gentle hint of sweetness.
So why is she scared? She's with Hiccup, her favorite person in the world. She knows he'd never in a million years hurt her.. but she's had her neck cracked before. She hates this part.
As he begins to rock her head side to side she tenses up.
"Loosen up," he says gently, his voice just above a whisper.
"I hate this part. It always feels like it's gonna break!"
Hiccup giggles and bends down to plant a kiss on her forehead. She doesn't realize the trick, which immediately made her loosen up. His kisses always did that. Along with her view of his jaw which was damn distracting. Ohh and the feel of his soft breath on her face as he looks down at her.
"The human neck is a lot stronger than a single-"
He abruptly turns her head to side, releasing a loud crack into the air. It sounded like a boneknapper running!
"Ayeee!" She squeaks, bolting upright and cupping the back of her neck.
"No fair, I wasn't ready! You tricked me."
Hiccup couldn't help but grin and the glare she gave him. She was already starting to get back to the Astrid he knew and loved.
"If I waited for you to tell me you were ready, it would've taken all night. Now lay back down, I have to do the other side."
Astrid groaned and laid back once again, glaring up at him. His hands came to her head again and she simply couldn't get over the feeling of his fingers on her ears. She supposed it was somewhere he did not normally touch, and it was new. Either way, she liked it.
Then again, she liked all of the ways he touched her. The way he grabbed her waist when they kissed. How soft his lips were against hers. The feeling of his legs intertwined with hers when they slept was her favorite.
"I can't do it until you relax." He said, pulling her from her thoughts.
"I can't relax when I know that gross pooping noise is gonna happen!"
"So think of relaxing things, not the popping sound."
"Like what?"
"Like... that day we spent together a few months ago. The moonlit flight. The warm salty air on our faces. The stars, how they shined so bright."
Astrid hummed in delight at the memory. Then CRRRRRACK.
An elongated crunch erupted in the room.
"All done." He smiled.
"OUCH!"
"Awe come on, that didn't hurt. I didn't even go as far as your neck could go. Your ear is supposed to touch your shoulder."
"Ew!" Astrid scrunched up her face as he moved around and climbed onto the bed with her, hovering over top of her. "Either way, that is the worst feeling ever! The literal opposite of the best feeling ever!"
"Hmm, and what is the best feeling ever?"
Before Astrid could even think of a reply, he had bent down, his lips pressed on her forehead.
"Is is that?"
He moved to her soft cheek, pressing down so gently, with such care that her cheek began to burn with heat.
"Or that?"
His lips were then on the tender skin on her jaw, just beneath her ear lobe.
"Hmm what about that?" His breath tickled her now pink ear. Her heart barely beat as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
"That, is for being beautiful."
He kissed her lips again, though this time he lingered on her much longer.
"And that, is for everything else."
"Hey," she whispered. "That's my line."
"Woops."
Hope you guys enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what your favorite part was in the comments! Also, if anyone has a request I might take some.
