Will it be forever?

Chapter 21: An unexpected visit

Astrid's POV

It was an early morning on the great isle of Berk. I had been home for just about two weeks, and let's just say that things ... well, they weren't going so well with my dear husband.

I was still very displeased with him swapping me out with Rebekah for an entire year, before he realized that Rebekah was in fact, not me! One can see why I've refused to spend time with him and tried my best to steer away from any conversation. Hel, I've even been sleeping on the couch! Granted, he has begged for me to come sleep in the bed, but I just can't bear to be near him, so I refused.

With me saying all these bad things about my husband, most people would think that I hated him, right? The truth is, I don't. Not even a little bit, not even at all. I wish I could hate him, I wish I could despise him with all my heart for leaving me to rot and be tortured on Berserker Island for a year, but for some reason ... I just couldn't. Even when I felt I was being torn to shreds and that I was on the brink of death, I still couldn't bring myself to hate that man, which is why I resorted to distancing myself from him.

Well, except for that morning.

The night before, Hiccup had stopped me on the way home, fallen to his knees, just so he could beg me to eat breakfast with him the next morning. He had told me he just wanted to see me, to spend some time with me and he swore that if I ate breakfast with him that morning, he would leave me alone for the rest of the day, which is why I complied.

"So ... what are your plans for the day?" Hiccup asked casually as he took a bite out of his breakfast.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

The silence in the room was so uncomfortable and awkward that I nearly shuddered, and Toothless must've felt it as well, seeing as he just walked out of the house, without asking Hiccup to come with him.

Before ... everything that happened, we had been able to sit together in complete silence without it being awkward. We would just look at one another, smile a little and then turn back to our breakfast. Was it bad of me to miss those times?

Just as Hiccup was about to open his mouth to say something, there was a knock on the door. I furrowed my brows as I glanced over at it, getting up from the chair before Hiccup even had a chance.

I opened the door and was hit by a wave of shock at the sight before me.

There, outside our house, stood Heather, looking gorgeous as ever with her sparkling emerald green eyes, long, braided, black hair and perfect figure. But what differed from all the other times she had been standing outside our door, was the little boy on her arm. He couldn't have been more than a year or two, with his messy auburn hair nearly covering his chocolate brown eyes and brushing his freckled cheeks.

I had absolutely no words. My mind quickly drew comparisons between the boy, Heather and Hiccup as the image of Heather walking down the stairs of Hiccup's house an early morning with messy hair and a long yawn appeared in my mind.

And as the last piece of the puzzle came together, Hiccup came up beside me, eyes wide as he exchanged looks between Heather and the young boy in her arms.

I turned my glare towards him and if looks could kill, Hiccup would be a steaming heap of meat on the floor.

"Hi, Hiccup!" Heather chirped, followed by a sickly sweet smile.

Hiccup swallowed hard as I glared daggers at him. Why wasn't I surprised?

"Heather!" Hiccup loosened his collar as he seemed to be sweating. "W-Who is this?"

"This?" Heather grabbed the little boy's hand as she helped him wave at us. "This is my son, Henry. Or should I say our son?"

I could feel the anger boiling inside of me as I turned a deep shade of red, my glare boring into Hiccup's skull as I waited for him to deny the accusation, but to no one's surprise, he didn't say a thing. He just stood there, stiff as a stick as he stared with wide eyes at the child in Heather's arms.

"Mornin' Haddocks, you ready to—" Snotlout and the others stopped in their tracks as Heather turned towards them, helping little Henry wave at them as well.

"Hey, you guys! How are you? Say hi to little Henry!" She beamed as she pinched her son's cheek.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut immediately ran over to Heather and Henry, clearly not noticing the tension in the group as they greeted the child in high-pitched voices.

"Ooo! Who's the little baby?" Ruffnut asked as she made weird faces at him, which in turn made the child fuss before he started crying.

"I think he likes us!" Tuffnut pointed out as he shot us a thumbs up.

Hiccup was white as a sheet as he watched the scene ahead of him unfold, my glare still on him, with no plans of stopping anytime soon.

Heather comforted the child as a warm smile appeared on her face. "This is Henry, our son!"

Everyone went silent as they watched Heather gesture between herself and Hiccup. Even our friends understood that this was no good, no good at all.

"Dada?" Henry asked as he stretched after Hiccup, who had somehow become even more pale than before.

"Aw, he wants to be with his daddy! Here, hold your son." Heather smiled as she carefully handed the child over to Hiccup, who looked stiff and rather uncomfortable as he received it.

That's where I drew the line. Nostrils flaring and steam pouring out of my ears, I whistled for Stormfly, who came at an impressive speed before landing elegantly beside me. I climbed up on her and dug my nails into her saddle.

"Astrid, wait! Where are you going?" Hiccup asked, nearly throwing his son into Heather's arms as he rushed over to me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Far away from you."

"What? Why?" Hiccup asked, brows knitted together as he tried to grab onto Stormfly's saddle, only for her to jump away with a growl.

"Hiccup, are you blind? First of all, you left me to rot and be tortured in that Hel on earth called Berserker Island for a year. And during that time, you were screwing a literal teenager disguised as me, whom I wouldn't be surprised if was pregnant as well, considering your impeccable record!" I sneered at him. "Second of all, you finally have the family you've always wanted! A wonderful son born by a beautiful mother, who will most likely come to live with you in your charming little home!"

"Astrid—" Tears were welling in Hiccup's eyes as he reached for me, pain and desperation was etched into every crevice on his face.

I glanced down at the ring on my finger, the ring that had been there since the day we got married and had remained on even through my year of Hel on Berserker Island. I furrowed my brows at the silver band as I slipped it off my finger, earning gasps from the crowd that had gathered around us.

"You see this ring, Hiccup? You gave it to me on the day we got married, a day which I considered to be the happiest day of my life. I'll never forget how nervous I was, and I'll certainly never forget how amazing you were, throughout the entire day. On that day, you promised me many things, and you were so incredibly fantastic and kind that I could do nothing but smile.
But had I known what would happen, had I known how right after our honeymoon, I wouldn't see you for weeks on end, had I known I would be kidnapped, beaten and tortured while you ran around like a lovesick little puppy with a teenager on your arm, well, I don't think I would've said yes." I studied the band in the palm of my hand with furrowed brows before throwing it at Hiccup. "Here, I have no use for it anymore, give it to the mother of your son, seeing as you spared no expense in waiting for me to pop out one."

I dug my nails even deeper into Stormfly's saddle before giving her a small pat on the neck. "Come on, girl, let's get out of this place."