A oneshot challenge between RedHawkdude and I

Prompt: The language of flowers

Rules: Less than 3000 words

Say it with flowers

'Astrid...'

'Astrid…. please wake up'

'Please….'

Astrid let out a groan as her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at a white ceiling as her eyes tried to focus. The smell of disinfectant hit her and she noticed that someone was holding her hand and looked down to find her mother asleep in the chair next to her bed.

"Mom?" She rasped and let out a cough which startled her mother.

"Astrid?" Her mother sat up and looked at her daughter in shock. "Oh my Thor Astrid! You're awake!" She shouted and proceeded to hug Astrid tightly.

"Mom what happened? Where am I?"

"In the hospital sweetheart. Don't you remember?" Her mother asked as she pressed the call button for the nurse while pouring her daughter a glass of water. Astrid took the offered glass eagerly and gulped down the water. "Your father should be back from the cafeteria soon."

"I….I" Astrid hesitated as she touched her head which she then realized was bandaged. She shuddered as she flashed back to what had happened.

-Flashback-

Band practice had just finished and Astrid packed up her guitar and sheet music before making her way off of school grounds. She tugged her winter jacket close as a cold breeze blew past her. Snow was lightly falling as she trudged to her home only a few blocks away.

She heard a car honk and turned to see the blue jeep that her ex boyfriend, Matthew, drove stop next to her.

"Afternoon Astrid" Matthew greeted as he rolled down the window. "Want a lift?"

"Hi Matthew" Astrid greeted. "I don't think so. I'm almost home and shouldn't you be at hockey practice?"

"It ended early. Come on Astrid. Would you rather freeze your butt off in the cold than ride the rest of the way in a warm car? I know you're not particularly fond of winter." Matthew questioned.

Astrid debated this for a minute and shivered when a particularly cold wind hit her. 'Why not?' She questioned as she nodded to Matthew who opened the door for her.

They drove in silence and Matthew parked not far from her house. Astrid could see that her parents' cars were not in the driveway. She figured that they must be working late tonight so she started fishing through her purse for the house key when Matthew laid his arm casually over her shoulder.

"Matthew can you stop that?" Astrid asked as she removed his arm. "We're not dating anymore."

"Oh come on babe." Matthew tried to pout. "Can't it just be for old times sake?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Astrid asked as she had found her keys and gripped them.

"I'm just saying, we can both see that your parents aren't here, so why not have some fun?" He asked as he leaned in to kiss her.

Astrid stopped him in his tracks when she held her binder in front of her face making Matthew kiss that instead.

"And this is the reason we broke up." Astrid spat as she opened the car door and climbed out while grabbing her guitar case. "You pressuring me to sleep with you won't work!" Astrid angrily slammed the door. "And to think I thought you were just trying to be nice."

Astrid had started walking away when Matthew angrily stepped out of the car and grabbed her arm twisting it. "Hey is that the thanks I get for giving you a ride?!" He hissed.

Astrid was having none of it though. "No, this is the thanks you get for acting like a complete douchebag!" She shouted before delivering a swift kick straight to Matthew's groin.

Matthew cringed and doubled over, letting go of Astrid's arm, as he cupped his groin. Astrid hefted her guitar case on her shoulder and made a beeline for her house. Matthew however recovered quickly and chased Astrid, slamming her down onto the sidewalk pavement. Her head hit the pavement with a crack.

"Where the hell you think you're going." Matthew hissed as Astrid was dazed. She could feel something sticky flow down her face. "You're the only girl who ever dared to say no to me. And I get what I want." He muttered as Astrid felt a hand on her neck. She weakly tried to pry him off of her but she was rapidly losing consciousness from the blow to the head.

She faintly heard someone shout "Hey get away from her!" before she completely blacked out.

-End Flashback-

"Astrid honey are you feeling alright? You kind of spaced out for a moment." Her mother asked which brought Astrid back to reality.

"Yeah mom" Astrid said as the nurse and her father came into the room.

"Astrid pumpkin!" Her father exclaimed as he hugged her tightly while the nurse checked her over. "I'm so glad that you're alright!"

"How long have I been here?" Astrid now asked.

"Two days honey." Her mother told her. "You had a really bad fall and you were unconscious when you arrived in the emergency room."

"I swear I would have knocked that boy out if he wasn't facedown on the pavement already." Her father muttered.

"Wait what?" Astrid asked perplexed. "How did that happen?"

"We got a call from the police explaining the situation. Our neighbour's son from across the street saw you getting attacked from his window. He rushed out of the house and punched that good for nothing out cold before calling the cops and ambulance. He even stayed with you the entire ride to the hospital."

Astrid nodded as she could faintly remember someone begging her to wake up but then her eyes widened when she realized something. The only neighbour's across from them with a son were the Haddocks. They owned a florist business with fully functioning greenhouses, specializing in rare and out of season flowers. Their son Hiccup, was a tall lanky guy with the greenest eyes she had ever seen, who was by highschool definition considered a geek. To think that Hiccup had knocked out a varsity hockey player to save her was shocking, yet her parents were singing his praises even now.

"You mean Hiccup?"

"Yes dear. He should be here soon for visiting hours. We told him to go and get some rest." Her mother exclaimed. "He said he had a present for you."

Astrid nodded as she lay back down and listen to her parents as they fussed over her. It was an hour later when there was a knock on the door.

The door opened a crack and she could see Hiccup nervously peek inside.

"Come in come in." Her father cheerfully said as he opened a pudding cup.

"Astrid you're awake! I'm so glad you're okay." Hiccup said as he kept his hands behind his back.

"Thank you for saving me Hiccup." Astrid said as she noticed Hiccup blushing a bit.

"I...I just did what anyone would have done." Hiccup nearly stuttered as his cheeks turned red. He then brought his hands to the front to reveal a beautiful bouquet of flowers. "These are for you." He said as he presented Astrid with the flowers. "I...eh… picked them myself. I hope you like them."

Astrid stared amazed at the bouquet of flower. "Thank you Hiccup." Astrid said and it was now her turn to blush. "I love them."

Hiccup and Astrid talked amicably as the time passed but soon it was time for Hiccup to leave as visiting hours were over. Astrid would be discharged tonight, according to the doctor who had dropped by to check on her.

That night Astrid was all too happy to go home and sleep in her own bed. She was happily snuggling into the cushion when her mother opened the curtains to let the morning rays of light in.

"Mom!" Astrid whined as she dragged the blanket over her face.

Her mom rolled her eyes and then said "You'll be late for school." which got an immediate reaction from Astrid as she stepped into her pink bunny slippers before racing to the bathroom to get ready. Her mom chuckled as she heard the bathroom door slam and after a minute Astrid opened the door again, this time with a toothbrush jammed in her mouth. "It's Saturday isn't it?" Astrid grumbled.

"Yes it is." Her mother said smugly. "Also I placed those flowers on your desk. I do wonder what meaning they have."

"Meaning?" Astrid asked as she now noticed the vase of flowers.

"Why yes. Flowers have their own language. I do wonder what Hiccup was trying to tell you with his bouquet?"

Astrid lifted her eyebrow as her mother went to the living room. After showering curiosity got the better of her. She looked at the bouquet and then opened her laptop to find their meaning.

Astrid gasped as she found what she was looking for.

::Daffodil:: Uncertainty, chivalry, respect or unrequited love, return my affection; new beginnings.

::Clovenlip toadflax:: Please notice my feelings for you.

::Pink Dahlia:: Elegance and dignity.

::Hibiscus:: Rare and delicate beauty.

::Gardenia:: Secret love.

::Red daisy:: Beauty unknown to possessor.

The more Astrid was reading about the meaning of these flowers the more her cheeks burned. She then decided to act. She deftly closed her laptop before grabbing her coat and scarf and determinately walking out of her room.

"Honey where are you going?" Her mother asked as she and her father sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"Across the street!" Astrid shouted as she swiftly put on her boots and opened the front door.

Her father looked up from the paper he was reading as he watched Astrid march to Hiccup's house. "Well It's about time. I was wondering when that boy would make his move." He said to his wife who hummed in agreement.

"We've been waiting far too long." Astrid's mother said as she sipped her coffee before opening her book, titled 'The Language of Flowers', to where she had stopped the last time. She removed the bookmark and continued reading while also thinking what to make for dinner if Astrid wanted to bring the Haddock boy over.

-The End-