The dragon riders

Chapt 19

Hiccups pov
"Alright, are you all ready?" I asked, receiving a chorus of enthusiastic "yeahs" and "yups." "Alright then, let's go," I declared. I carefully positioned Erik on top of Toothless and settled in behind him. "Is it alright if I sit behind you?" I inquired. He nodded in agreement. Just as we were about to take off, Astrid's parents came rushing towards us, shouting.
"Astrid, you're not going anywhere!" her mother exclaimed, pointing at me. "You're poisoning our daughter with your hippie ideals, and it ends today!" Stoick stood behind her, ready to take action. I let out a weary sigh, desperately trying to control my frustration. "Look, lady, I needed another soldier, and she's a fast learner. I think she'll be just fine," I reasoned, attempting to restrain myself from punching her in the face.
"Oh no, no, no! She must stay home! We don't want her to be associated with the likes of you," she retorted, her face turning red with anger. "She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions," I calmly replied. "She's more like a grown child who doesn't know what she's doing," she yelled. I rubbed my temples, silently pleading for some divine intervention. "Bitch," I heard Erik mutter, pointing at her. She instantly went ballistic. "What did you just call me?"
"Erik," I interjected. "You said we can only say that word if it's true," he defended himself. I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Yeah, I did say that." "Well, aren't you going to tell him to apologize?" she demanded. I glanced down at Erik, then looked back at her. "No, I don't think I will," I calmly responded.
"Whose child is this? They raised such a disrespectful child. All he needs is a good beating to straighten him up!" she yelled. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Respect is earned, Mrs. Hofferson, and just because he was acting up doesn't mean he needs to be beaten," I stated firmly. "You raise spoiled children if you don't hit them," she argued. "I wasn't hit as a kid, and I'm not spoiled," I countered. She turned to my father and asked, "You never hit Hiccup?" "Well, I would try, but he would get me drunk beforehand so I'd forget about it and fall asleep," he admitted.
She turned back to me and sneered, "Well, I guess that explains why he's such a fuck-up." I began to retort, but she cut me off. "You either tell him to apologize, or he's getting the boot!" her father bellowed. I stood my ground and declared, "I will not, because firstly, Erik isn't wrong, and secondly, you're literally beefing with a 10-year-old."
"Who are his parents then? We need to have a talk with them because their child is a disrespectful piece of shit," she spat venomously. I narrowed my eyes, pointing at myself, and boldly stated, "I'm his guardian, so you'll have to talk to me. And the way I see it, you're the ones being immature."
"Immature?!" she shrieked in disbelief. "That's enough!" Astrid intervened, her voice tinged with fear as she looked at her parents. "I'm going, and you can't talk me out of it." "There, she has spoken, and that's that," I asserted firmly. "No your not"! Her mother yelled, desperation in her tone.
"Let's go," I said, determination filling my voice. Astrid took the lead, soaring away. "Get back here!" her mother screamed. I responded by flipping her off and coolly remarking, "Talk to the hand, bitch." Her enraged shouts echoed behind us as we fell into formation.
Amidst the silence, Frost broke the tension, his voice filled with frustration. "Man, I was just seconds away from killing your parents. Sorry you got stuck with such shitty ones." Astrid let out a sigh, and I could hear a touch of resignation in her reply, "It's fine. I'll get through it."
"Aw, poor baby. You know we can handle them for you if you want," Icy said, her voice laced with sympathy. "Nah, they're family. I have to stick with family," she replied firmly. But they treat you like a child," Rapunzel chimed in."They never listen to you when you make a decision," Beamer added."They're immature," Heather pointed out. "And they undermine your feelings," Jack added, frustration evident in his voice.
              "Honey, listen to me. That's toxic. You're way too grown to deal with your parents' meltdowns, okay?" Icy interjected, her concern palpable. "We can take you back to our island, so you don't have to be around them. You'll get to travel and have fun," I offered, hoping to lighten her burden. She sighed, contemplating the proposition. "I'll think about it." "Well, make your decision quickly, so I can order my builders to construct a house for you on my island," I urged.
                    She mustered a weak smile, but it still warmed my heart. I'll admit I used to have a crush on her and maybe I'll still do. Who wouldn't have a crush on her? She's so incredibly beautiful when she smiles. In fact, she's beautiful even when she's angry. Actually, she's just beautiful in general with her golden locks cascade like sunlight, framing her flawless face. Those piercing blue eyes seem to hold galaxies within them, sparkling with an enchanting allure, her adorable laugh makes my heart flutter. She's smart to and-
       wait, no, no, no,no! Stop it, Hiccup! She's way out of your league, and her parents despise you. How can you possibly marry a woman whose parents hate you? You don't even know if she likes kids or if she even likes you, for that matter. You can't risk falling in love again. Don't you remember what happened last time? The pain, the disappointment, it's not worth it. She's going to break your heart into little itty bitty pieces just like everyone else did.
                    My inner turmoil clouds my thoughts, rendering me oblivious to my friends' conversation. Suddenly, Icy snaps her fingers, pulling me back to reality.
"Hiccup, where are we going?" she asks, her voice bringing me back from my mental spiral. "What? Oh, to Barbarian Island," I reply, slightly dazed. She nods, and we set off on our way. Yet, Astrid remains etched in my mind, damn it.