Race Of His Life

Chapter 17

"Done at last!" Astrid stretched her hands above her head, finally relieved that the meeting was over.

"Are you really that exhausted?" Elsa asked, seeing the dark circles below her eyes.

"Yup. Hiccup's been having a tight schedule, what with attending interviews and shooting advertisements while also finding time to practice with Toothless. From when I took up the role of being his manager after I was disqualified, I've been stuck dealing with the enormous number of requests for his appearance in TV shows and radio programmes and I have to keep up with Hiccup's and my part of the work in the company. I had to take three all-nighters to finish all the work for this meeting." Astrid explained as they walked together towards the canteen.

Elsa wrapped an arm around her best friend's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "I know its hard for you, Astrid. So how about this? I'll take care of your work in the company and you can concentrate on Hiccup? The President will definitely not force his own son to sit in the office while he has a race to compete in so you won't have any company work to deal with. Besides, its the practice stage for the competitors so Hiccup won't be having any interviews until the last three or four days. So rather than doing any work at all, you should focus on your own health."

"What? Don't be ridiculous Elsa. It's my job. I can't dump it all on you." Astrid rubbed her forehead.

"And I'm your friend. And friends do this for each other all the time. And even you know that you need to focus on your health. I can always take your help later. Sound good?" Elsa smiled.

Astrid thought about it for a few minutes before sighing. "Yup." She looked up and smiled at her. "Thanks, Els."

"Good girl." Elsa smiled and led Astrid towards the table, pulled out a chair, and made her sit. "Now sit tight while I get our food."

Elsa walked away, returning with one normal looking tray of food and one especially filled with healthy salads and fruits. She placed the second tray in front of Astrid -who raised an eyebrow suspiciously when she saw the food selection in her own tray- and sat opposite to her.

"What's with all the greens on my plate?" Astrid asked before taking her first bite.

"You need them. Especially now." Elsa shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?" Astrid blinked.

"You do look terribly tired, you know," Elsa cast her a pointed glance, "And besides, I've been having other doubts about your health," she secretly glanced at Astrid's tummy, which did not go unnoticed by her.

"...How did you know..?" Astrid asked, shocked.

"So it is true! I noticed how you've been behaving since I came here and I'm sorry for assuming on my own but I felt it was too rude to just ask you about it," Elsa smiled. "Congrats."

Astrid sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It's that obvious, huh?"

"Nah, I'd say you're doing a good job so far. Does Hiccup know?" Elsa asked.

"...I took up his side of work so that he could focus on his race... If he knew I was pregnant, he'd stop me from working too much and might not focus on his race. This is something he's been dreaming of for years and I don't want to be the cause of his downfall..."

Elsa reached across the table and held her hand, giving a small smile as she spoke. "I'm not gonna advise you on what you should and shouldn't do. They're your decisions and yours alone. Take your time and tell him when you feel is the right time. I support you in every way."

Astrid smiled back, gripping her hand tightly in her own. "Only the Gods know what I did in my previous life to receive you as a friend."

Elsa grinned, placing her other hand on her heart as she spoke dramatically, "Am I really that bad of a friend, Milady?"