In the olden days, people used to talk about time as if it were a person. They used to call him Father Time. And according to Casey, Father Time was an old man with a long white beard and carried an hourglass everywhere. I've also decided that he has a really mean sense of humor. Think about it. Whenever something happens to you, like if you're stuck in an algebra exam or you fall over and everyone laughs at you, time goes by so slowly that every second feels like an hour, but whenever something really amazing happens to you, like you actually might be falling in love for the very first time, time goes by so fast you blink and an entire week has gone.

It's New Year's Eve morning. We're leaving tomorrow. Correction, i'm leaving tomorrow. Hiccup is staying in New York for a long while, most likely going to finish up school here. But all he's told me is that he needs to sort out some issues with some people. I'm leaving the person I think i've fallen in love with. In the days since Christmas my list of evidence that Hiccup is my soulmate has grown and grown. And tomorrow i'm going to have to leave him, fly across an entire ocean away from him, back to my barely-even-talking-to-me best friend.

As I lie in my bed and stare up at the ceiling, I feel hollowed out with sadness. Unable to stand it anymore, I get out of bed and head downstairs. As I cross the hallway, I hear a new, deep and raspy voice. I quietly peek my head around the corner and see a big man with a red beard talking to Hiccup. His dad. 'Don't you think you'd ought to tell her? I mean i've never met her but I still think you should.'

"No!" Hiccup's voice is so insistent it makes me stop dead. "I don't want to ruin it. It's been so fun and cool-"

I shake my head and step out of the corner, pretending i just came in and heard nothing.

"Oh hi sir!" I say to Hiccup's dad. I reach out my hand for him to shake it. "You must be Hiccup's dad am i right?"

"Right you are lass! Hiccup has told me lots about you this morning. And please, just call me Stoick. Join us for breakfast?"

I nod my head but i'm not exactly listening. I can't stop thinking about what i heard. What were they talking about? Am i that 'her' that Hiccup's dad mentioned and if so, what did he think Hiccup should tell me? All day long the question bugs me, not helping my growing tension about leaving tomorrow. As i set about the horrible task of packing my suitcase, i start to go over everything in my head, searching for clues that Hiccup might've been keeping something away from me. In the whole time i've been staying with him, I haven't seen a single one of his New Yorkian friends. He hasn't seemed to be hearing from anyone either. I sit on my case with a sigh. Here i go again, searching for negative things instead of focussing on the positive.

Hiccup took me to the art gallery, and I met some of the people that worked there and were also his friends. I don't even know if it was me that Stoick was talking about.

In the afternoon we all sit down at the kitchen table to play Monopoly. Well apart from Bella who was seated under the table playing with her dolls.

"Are you guys going to Times Square tonight?" Stoick says as he hands around the money.

"Yes," I reply, but the truth is, i'm not looking forward to it at all. We're supposed to be going to Times Square for the New Year, but as soon as the clock strikes midnight it will turn from the year i met Hiccup to the year i have to leave him. I feel the overwhelming urge to cry, and begin studying the differences in this version of Monopoly to stop myself. But it's hard to be riveted by the fact that the stations are called railroads when it feels as if your heart is breaking. Hiccup takes hold of my hand from under the table. I look at him and smile,.

'You okay?' He mouths to me.

I nod.

"I can see you holding hands," Bella calls out in a singing voice from under the table. We look at each other and I laugh.

"You know what I was thinking dad," Hiccup looks over at Stoick. "Why don't you get some rest tonight dad, and we'll stay home instead of going out. Plus anyway there's no way we'd be able to see anything if theres going to be a huge crowd so theres no point."

"But surely Astrid would like to see the Times Square before she heads off." Stoick says.

"I wouldn't mind at all," I say. "I'd prefer it infact. I don't do very well in crowds you see."

Stoick nodded. "Alright then."

***

After two hours of Princess role-playing and karaoke with Bella, she is limp with tiredness.

"I think someone might be ready for bed." Hiccup says, picking Bella up.

"No! I am not ti-" She starts before yawning and dozing off.

Hiccup brings her upstairs and puts her onto her bed before tucking her in.

"I'm going to make sure she's actually asleep. See you in the basement?"

I nod and a weird sensation of excitement and fear courses right through me to the soles of my feet. As I go into the basement, I see some twinkling fairy lights at the far end. At first i think it's coming from another Christmas tree but I realised it would be the wrong shape. I go past the sofas and see that the lights are actually coming from the pool table. But it doesn't look like a pool table anymore because it's got blankets draped over it and fairy lights strung around it.

I hear Hiccup coming down the stairs behind me. "I built you a tent." He says, "I remember what you said about it being your favourite place when you were younger, where you felt safe and..." He breaks off, looking away embarrased.

Completely without warning, my eyes fill up with tears.

"Was it a dumb idea?" Hiccup asks, looking at me. "Oh thor, you're crying. It was a dumb idea. I'm sorry i-"

"No," I interrupt. "It's one of the nicest things anyone's done for me."

He smiles, "Seriously?"

"Yes." I look up at him. "Thank you for listening to me. For remembering what I said to you."

Hiccup frowns. "Why wouldn't I remember?" He grabs my hand and pulls me into the tent. I get down onto my knees and crawl inside. The entire floor is covered in different cushions, and the edges are lit by a string of fairy lights that are fading in and out. In a corner theres a small jug of lemonade and some cups.

"This is amazing," I say, as Hiccup crawls in after me. He looks at me with such intensity, it's as if he's trying to read my mind.

"Astrid?"

I look at him, and he's looking serious.

"Yeah?"

"I really like you."

"I really like you too."

"No i mean i really like you. I like you so much it might even be..."

I look at him, willing him to say it.

"Love." He whispers.

I take a hold of his hand and look down at the bar of music tatooed onto his wrist. "I like you so much, it might even be love too."

He laughs. "You don't get lines that smooth in the movies ever."

I laugh too. "But smooth is very overrated."

And then he wraps his strong arms around me and pulls me close. "Im so sad you're leaving." He says into my ear.

"Me too." I lean into him and rest my head on his shoulder.

"But this isn't it you know?"

I pull back and look at him. His hair is all messed up and its super cute, I fight the urge to touch it.

"I'll visit you back in Springdale, and you can come here whenever you want and until then there's still our phones." He says. And then he starts to kiss me. Little kisses as light as butterfly wings all the way up the side of my neck. Then on my face, my eyelids, the tip of my nose until finally our lips meet. Our kiss is so passionate and full of meaning I don't want it to ever end. But then something starts beeping. I pull away from Hiccup and stare at him in confusion.

"What's that?"

"Sorry, my watch. I set it for midnight so we wouldn't miss the new year." Hiccup pulls me back towards him.

"Happy new year Astrid."

"Happy new year Hiccup." I say, hoping with everything i've got that it will be.

Hiccup gently guides me down so that we're lying on the cushions and, as he holds me to him, I silently beg Father time to show some compassion and freeze all the clocks in the world so that our kisses will last forever.
♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪
Wow what a long chapter. 1568 words actually. NEW RECORD FOR MEE!! Ahah I'm just going to go eat food now.
Until next time,
PEACE ✌️