All These Lights

eret

"Hey, has anyone seen Astrid this morning?" Eret asked, walking into the meeting room they had rented for breakfast.

"No, not since she left with Hiccup to the beach last night," Dagur replied, stuffing potatoes in his mouth.

"She might still be asleep," Fishlegs offered.

"I went to her hotel room and knocked on the door, no response." Eret had considered marching down to Hiccup's hotel room and demanding to know where she was, in addition to the details of last night. He eventually decided against it because he figured Astrid wouldn't like the invasion of her privacy. Each minute past 9:30 that ticked by made him more antsy. He had to find her. "I'll be back."

"Eret, maybe you should just let them sleep," Fishlegs said, not fully realising he implied they were together in some way.

"We're running late, Fishlegs. Astrid of all people should recognize the need to be on time." Eret left the meeting room. He hadn't eaten but he couldn't eat, not yet; not until he knew the whereabouts of his boss.

While waiting for the elevator, his phone rang. 

"Hello?"

Eret, it's been a while hasn't it?

"Yeah, it has. Did you get my message yesterday?"

Yes, and I have what you wanted.

"Great..." Eret got in the elevator and clicked the 3rd floor button, a devilish smirk written across his face.

xxx

Astrid rolled over in bed. She stretched to pick up her phone from the nightstand and checked the time.

Meanwhile Hiccup was still slumbering peacefully, dreaming with a smile on his face, until he heard Astrid shout.

"9:36! It's 9:36 and no one woke me up!" She shot straight up and immediately noticed her surroundings. It was definitely not her hotel room and she was still in last night's clothes. She was also still wrapped up in Hiccup's jacket.

"Thor, Astrid, say it louder, I don't think the vikings heard you from beyond the grave." Hiccup grumbled and rolled off the couch.

"Hiccup?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me." He got up off the floor and stretched every muscle possible; the couch had left him sore as hell.

"You slept on the couch?"

"Did you expect me to sleep in the bed?"

"Well, I-I assume we're in your room so–"

"I'm not that much of an ass, Astrid. I gladly took the couch." Hiccup ruffled his hair a bit in the mirror by the desk. "Besides, I didn't know which room was yours and you were really tired so I didn't want to wake you up."

"Oh, I-um-thanks, I guess." That was all Astrid could manage. Hiccup was being thoughtful the night before and it left her speechless. He just kept finding new ways to surprise her.

"'Thanks I guess'? That's all I get after willingly aging my back 20 years on the couch?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want flowers?" Astrid pushed the covers aside and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Flowers would be great actually, and a get well soon card for my poor, sore back." He dramatically flopped onto the bed, pinning Astrid in the process.

"Hi-Hiccup—"

"Mm, yes?" Hiccup spoke into the mattress.

"I-um-we need to...um," Astrid swallowed the lump in her throat. Why was she nervous? Surely it wasn't the proximity to Hiccup, they'd been close before and she was quite certain he had carried her last night. Oh Thor, he carried her, probably through the lobby. How many people had seen that? Articles were probably being written right now...