Work Text:
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows over Dragon’s Edge. The day had been intense, with the Dragon Riders working together to reinforce their defenses and prepare for potential threats. Everyone was exhausted, but Astrid was determined to squeeze in one more training session with Stormfly. She had always been relentless in her pursuit of excellence, and today was no exception.
As the evening wore on, Astrid felt a familiar but unwelcome sensation creeping over her. Her limbs grew heavy, and a dull headache began to pound at the base of her skull. She knew what it meant, but she pushed the thought away, focusing instead on perfecting her last few maneuvers.
After a particularly strenuous dive, she landed heavily, stumbling as her feet touched the ground. Stormfly turned to her with a concerned squawk, but Astrid waved her off. “I’m fine, girl. Just... tired.”
But she wasn’t fine, and deep down, she knew it. The world started to blur at the edges, and her hands began to tremble. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the effort was in vain. Her blood sugar was plummeting, and she hadn’t done anything about it.
She leaned against a tree, hoping to regain her balance. Just a few more minutes, she told herself. But her body had other plans. The dizziness intensified, and her legs gave way beneath her. She sank to the ground, the world spinning around her.
Unbeknownst to Astrid, Hiccup had been watching her from a distance. He had noticed the subtle signs throughout the day—the way she had skipped lunch, the slight tremor in her hands when she thought no one was looking. He had known about her condition for a long time, ever since Gothi had confided in him after a particularly severe episode when they were younger. But he had never let on that he knew, respecting Astrid’s fierce independence.
Now, seeing her collapse, his heart pounded with worry. He quickly made his way over to her, kneeling by her side. “Astrid?” he called softly, his voice filled with concern. He looked over her making sure she didn’t hurt herself when she fell and was happy he didn’t find any marks.
She barely registered his presence, her mind foggy and unfocused. “Hiccup... I...need”
“Hey, Hey.. It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he said, his voice gentle. He reached into his pouch, pulling out a small vial of honey he always kept with him for moments like this. Carefully, he lifted her head and brought the vial to her lips.
“Just a little, okay? You need to get your sugar levels up.”
Astrid instinctively licked the honey, her body responding to the much-needed glucose. Hiccup watched her closely before giving her another dollop of honey on her lips, relief washing over him as she slowly began to regain some color. He didn’t say anything more, just quietly helping her through it.
After a few moments, Astrid’s breathing steadied, and her vision cleared. She blinked up at Hiccup, confused but grateful. “What... what happened?”
“You pushed yourself too hard,” Hiccup said simply, offering her a reassuring smile. “You need to take it easy, at least for a little while.”
Astrid tried to sit up, but Hiccup gently pulled her to him to let her lean against him for support knowing full well she wouldn’t lay down again, “Not yet. Just rest for a minute.” Stormfly came over and sniffed her and laid down by her seeming content with her rider's improvements and began to preen her hair.
She hesitated, unused to being the one who needed help. But something in Hiccup’s eyes made her relax, and she allowed herself to lean back against him, letting the world settle around her. She gave her dragon a few gentle scratches making her trill happily. She turned her attention back to Hiccup as his mind was clearing.
“How did you know?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hiccup looked away for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “I’ve known for a while,” he admitted softly biting his lip nervously unsure of how she would take it. “Gothi told me after that time you got really sick near tawfest when we were younger. She thought I should know, in case you ever needed help.”
Astrid’s eyes widened in surprise. “You knew? For 10 years? And you never said anything?”
Hiccup shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. “I figured you didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t want to embarrass you or make you feel like you couldn’t take care of yourself. So I just kept an eye on you, just in case.”
Astrid didn’t know what to say. She had always prided herself on her strength and independence, but knowing that Hiccup had been quietly looking out for her all this time... it made her feel something she wasn’t used to feeling: Safe .
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Hiccup reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “You don’t have to thank me, Astrid. We’re a team, right? We look out for each other.”
She nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, we do.”
For a long moment, they sat there in silence, the weight of the day slowly lifting. As the sky turned into golden rays, Hiccup helped Astrid to her feet, making sure she was steady before they headed back to the clubhouse.
“Let’s get you something to eat,” Hiccup said, his tone light but insistent. “And no arguing.”
Astrid chuckled, feeling more like herself again. “Fine, but only because you asked nicely.”
As they walked back together, Hiccup offered her a small bundle of nuts and berries for her to munch on. She hesitantly took them. Hiccup being who he was would ‘steal’ a few now and then with a cheeky smile to help her relax. Hiccup stopped them just before they exited the forest and went over to Toothless tail.
“Uh… what are you doing?” She asked as she finished off the last of berries.
“Well… They are going to ask what took us so long. Sooo -” Hiccup pulled out a screw on Toothless' tail and took off a small rod and hid it in his saddlebag, “You found us and walked me back after a stunt I did on Toothless that broke his tail.” He said with a warm smile as he patted Toothless who purred in response Stormfly came over sniffing her friend's tail and bristled at the fact he couldn’t fly now.
Astrid felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the honey or amber rays. She knew she could trust Hiccup with her secret, and that knowledge made all the difference.