The Girl in Glasses

The decision

My mom sighed and turned to the man I truly hate at the moment. "Is this really necessary?"

My dad nodded stubbornly and turned to her. "To me it is. I want to spend time with her...alone." He took a full step toward me and cradled my face in his hands, despite my squirm of protest. "Please come with me."

I thought about it for a moment. 

I don't want to go with him, but I also do because I don't want to push him away again...even though that's kinda what I'm doing now. So, I shrugged and backed away from him and his hands, standing beside Hiccup. "I..." I took a deep breath and gripped Hiccup's hand in mine. "I don't know. I'm not sure if I even want to stay in the same room with you alone..."

Hiccup squeezed my hand and whispered in my ear. "Astrid, is it okay if I speak to you in your room again?"

I shrugged and looked up, saying, "Sure, I guess," with the same voice volume as him.

"Okay." Hiccup turned to my parents - that 's' in parents sounds foreign to me - and tugged my hand while speaking. "Do you guys mind if I talk to Astrid, for a moment, again?"

My mom and dad gave each other a look before nodding. 

Hiccup gave them a bitter smile and walked with me up the stairs and to my room.

0000

"Astrid, are you gonna go with him?" Hiccup held both my hands and looked into my eyes, glasses discarded.

I let out a breath and shrugged. "I don't know. I...I just don't."

Hiccup sighed and brought me to a hug, placing his chin on my head while placing a warm kiss on the crown of my head. "I suggest you go with what you choose... I want you to be happy, so...go with him. Even though I will not like it...I want you to be happy."

"But I'm not happy!" I argued, trying to break out of his hold but he just held me tighter, like last time.

"I know, I know," Hiccup murmured into my hair. "But, who knows? You'll one day regret the decision of not going with your father and miss him... Again."

I gripped a fistful of his shirt with my hands on his chest and felt them tremble with the force my grip has. "I know," I croaked out. "I know that. But that means I'm gonna have to leave my mom, my small group of friends, and...you. And you, Hiccup." I felt tears build up in the corners of my eyes while I let go of his shirt and wrap my thin arms around him. "I don't want to leave you..."

Hiccup sighed and wrapped his scrawny arms - which had a trace of muscle - around me and hid his face in the crook of my neck. "I don't want you to leave either..." he muttered.

I felt my lower lip tremble a little but I bit it to prevent it from trembling more. I let out a shaky breath and tightened my arms around him. "You've always been there for me..."

Hiccup nodded and I felt his warm breath on my neck. "Not always... But I wish I've been there when you were depressed and lonely..."

I shook my head. "There was nothing anyone could've done to do that. You never even knew I existed so..."

Hiccup pulled away from the hug, his hands in my upper arms, and looked into my glistening eyes. "No. Astrid, there was something someone could've done about it..."

I shook my head, looking down. "No. No there wasn't."

Hiccup looked at me with disbelief and hastily wrapped his arms fully around me, squishing me to his body, and I wrapped my arms around his waist since he was taller than me.