Astrid had spent the entire day looking for Hiccup and had failed. The sun was starting to go down before she realized how long she had been looking for him. It was like he dropped off the face of the earth.
    When the last place she could think of, the cove, failed to produce Hiccup, Astrid let out a scream of frustration.
   "You would think that with the dragons gone it would be a little bit easier to find him! But no! I've checked every single place he is known to go and—"
    Astrid was hit with an idea. Check where he usually wouldn't go. Look for him doing something he usually didn't do! She then realized where he has been the entire time. And she wasn't excited to go find him there...
   *****
   "Just think guys, had Hiccup done what he was supposed to Stoick wouldn't have been killed, ahaha!!" A Viking laughed in a drunken stupor. "It's all his fault! It's Hiccup's fault the Chief is dead!"
   Hiccup couldn't take it anymore. The jackass had been saying everything that had happened was because of him all damn day. He set his mug down and looked to the twins, who were also drunk.
    "You know what my wife would do if she were here? ...which she's not."
The twins stared at Hiccup, waiting for his drunken self to continue.
   Astrid peeked in through a crack in the door of the Great Hall and saw Hiccup among many other drunk Vikings
"She'd grab this scumbag by the neck," Hiccup didn't realize it, but he was actually doing what he was saying!!!
"AND DECK EM'!" POW! Right in the nose! The Viking fell to the floor with a definite thump.
"Holy yak!!" Tuffnut shouted.
"Y-yup," Hiccup....hiccuped. "That's what she'd do. Kerplunk! Right in da nooooossseee! Because Astrid does not take shit from nooooOoOoObodyyyy nope no! Not anyone, no one, single one, dragon pox one.... what was I saying?"
Astrid walked up behind Hiccup, deciding it was time to get him home before he hurt himself, or anyone else. "Kerplunk, Huh?"
"Yyyyep a da doooo. KERRRDPLUNK."
"That's it. We are going home. Come on." Astrid nudged him out of his seat.
"Oooo where are we going?" Hiccup said in a singsong voice, staggering towards the door.
"Home, Hiccup." She attempted to throw his arm over her shoulder, but He jerked away exclaiming,
"Ah! No touchy!! I have a husband!"
"Oh for Thor's sake!" Astrid exclaimed, holding him up so he wouldn't fall. "And who is this "husband," may I ask?"
  Hiccup, tripping over his own feet, used his finger to demonstrate, "Youooouu!"
    She arched an eyebrow. "Me?"
   A dorky smile spreading across his face as he nodded, clearly proud of himself. "Mhmm."
   "Okay, come on. Let's go."
   "Okaaayayaaay."
   As they entered their hut, Hiccup's happy go lucky mood died down and the sadness came back, as Astrid knew it would. Hiccup never stays drunk long. His body zooms right through the alcohol.
   "He was gone... just like that, Astrid. Poof."
   "Hiccup, lets try not to think about that right now." She sat him on the bed and pulled his shirt off, freeing him of the alcohol soaked material.
  "It was my fault... it's m-my fault he's gone." Tears began to swell in his eyes.
   "Hiccup it was not your fault! It was a bad day all around, and it was because of Drago. Not you. There was nothing you could have done." She ran a hand through his hair as she walked over to the dresser to grab her nightgown.
   "I could've listened to him.. I should've listened to him! Had I listened he wouldn't be... Toothless wouldn't have..."

    When Astrid turned around she saw Hiccup and laid back, tears rolling down the side of his face and onto the pillows. "Oh Hiccup.." She crawled into the bed next to him and he immediately rolled over and hugged her, his face resting on her stomach.

    Astrid didn't know what to do except run her fingers through his hair, and let him cry. Sometimes all a person needs to do is cry. After a few minutes Hiccup sniffled and murmered, "Do you think he felt anything?"

    "What?" Astrid asked, confused by the question.

    "Whe-when the plasma blast hit. Do you think he felt anything?"

    "Oh.. no. No, I don't think he felt anything Hiccup. It was instantaneous."

   Astrid waited for a reply, but after a few moments she assumed he had fallen asleep. Tears glistened off his freckly cheeks and dampened hair. It made Astrid sad to see him in such a state, but she knew he'd be fine in the morning. Hiccup was strange like that. He only took one day out of the year to be sad about it and the next he was just fine.
    A few minutes had passed when Astrid heard thumping on the stairs. Seconds later Heather timidly poked her head through the door. She saw Hiccup asleep with his arms wrapped around her torso and the side of his face in her stomach. He looked exhausted.
   "Come on," Astrid jerked her head, inviting her inside. "He's asleep."
   Heather walked in and gently sat down on the bed. "Is he okay? He seemed really off today."
   "Yea.. it's just been a rough couple of days. I was sick yesterday and today.. well.."
   "What?" Heather arched an eyebrow.
   "Well... do you remember how I told you Stoick died in an accident a few years ago?"
   "Yes."
   "Today is the 2nd year anniversary of that day. It wasn't just an accident Heather. We were in battle against a madman named Drago Bloodvist. He had control over a Bewilderbeast, and as you know they can control other dragons."
   "Astrid where is this going?"
   "Just listen. To prove a point to Hiccup, Drago forced Toothless to try and kill him. Just as he was about to fire the shot Stoick intervened and was hit instead."
    Heather's mouth fell open. "Oh my..."
   "That's why he's been so upset. He'll be fine in the morning." Astrid gently ran her hand through his hair. "Hopefully."
   "I will be," came Hiccup's husky voice.
   Astrid cringed visibly. Whoops. "How long have you been awake?"
   "I never fell asleep." He didn't open his eyes to speak, he was too tired for that.
   "Sorry," Astrid lifted her hand away from him, assuming he was upset with her. But Hiccup reaches up, found her hand, and brought it back to his head, so she continued.
   "It's fine, you deserved to know Heather. I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning."
   Heather rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, I'm a big girl I can take it. You try to get some sleep Hiccup. You look terrible." She smirked as she got up to leave.
   "Gee, thanks." Hiccup mocked.
   "Anytime, I'm always here to tell the brutal truth."
   "Obviously."
   Heather chuckled and left for the night. A few moments passed in silence before Hiccup spoke again.
   "Astrid,"
   "Hmm?"
   "I love you."
   "I love you too Hiccup. Now shut up and get some sleep."
    "Okay." He burrowed his face into his wife and did just that. Slept like a baby. Sometimes a person just needs to be held.