HICCSTRID: How Life Goes

Chapter 18: Believing

For the rest of Christmas day, Hiccup and I have taken every opportunity to hide somewhere and kiss. It's like our own version of Hide and Seek. 'Hide and Kiss'. By the time I clamber into the bed, I feel drunk with happiness. This had been the best Christmas ever.
***
The next morning i'm woken by a gentle tapping on the bedroom door. I get out of bed and open the door. Hiccup is standing in the hallway grinning.
"Get dressed, we're going out" he says.

"What time is it?"

"Almost seven."

"In the morning?"

"Yes in the morning! Put something warm on. And bring your camera. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

I scramble into a pair of jeans and boots and my flecked to sweatshirt and head down to the kitchen. Noah's over by the counter putting a couple of flasks into his bag. The beautiful smell of freshly roasted coffee is filling the room.
"Alrighty, lets get goin." He says, as soon as he sees me.

"Where to?"

"This morning is about the only time of the year when New York actually goes to sleep."
Hiccup says. "I figured it would be the perfect time to show you some of the local sights."
He takes a hold of my hand. "I want you to know more about where I grew up. Plus I thought you might want to take some photos without a ton of other people getting in the way."
***
It's a perfect morning outside. Everywhere is covered in a fresh blanket of snow and there's that weird muffled silence that it brings. Hiccup shows me his old school and his favourite cafe and the shop his mum used to take him to every Saturday to spend his pocket money on comics and candy. Then he takes me to the local park. Apart from a man in the distance walking a dog, we're the only people there and ours are the only footprints in the blanket of snow. Hiccup sits on one of the swings and gets a faraway look in his eye.
"My dad used to tell me that if I swung high enough I would shoot to outer space." He says softly. "I used to believe him too!" He laughs. "Man I used to swing my butt off trying to get into space."

He turns to look at me. "Why do we believe everything our parents tell us?"

I sit down on the swing next to him. "Because we love them? Because we want to? When I was little, my mum told me that my toys came to life every night while I was asleep. In the morning when I woke up I'd check in my tent and they'd all be in different positions to how I'd left them."

"In your tent?"

I laugh. "Yes. I used to have a tent made out of blankets at the end of my bed. It was my favourite place to play. It made me feel all cosy and safe. My mum must have crawled in there every night to move the toys around. I think it's good when parents tell us things like that. It makes life more magical.

Hiccup nods. "I guess. But when what they tell us doesn't come true..." he breaks off, a frown creasing on his forehead.
"Then we have to find something else magical to believe in."
He looks at me and smiles.

"Yeah I like that."

He shifts his swing sideways till he's right up close to mine. "I believe in you Astrid." Hiccup says looking into my eyes.

"I believe in you too."
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What it do? How's life for you guys? It's super rainy where I live and I'm forever feeling sleepy and hungry. 😑
Until next time,
PEACE ✌🏼