"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the first Viking to ever train a dragon, the heir to the Chief of Berk, and defeater of the Red Death...is scared to tell his girlfriend's parents that we're dating."
Hiccup blinks. "Well, when you say it like that..."
Astrid gives Hiccup "the look".
Hiccup and Astrid have been together in a romantic relationship for a little while now - around three moon cycles. After three years of keeping their romantic feelings to themselves (...kind of? Apparently Heather thought it was obvious...), they finally started dating. They have only recently started to make it public, after having a little bit of time to enjoy it for themselves, since it was so new and so wonderful; it was their own little world.
A lot of people in Berk currently assume the relationship is (finally...once again, Hiccup and Astrid never thought their feelings for each other were that apparent) official, but Hiccup and Astrid haven't officially told anyone except for the gang, Gobber, and Stoick...well...all of them found out accidentally, but it was bound to happen at some point.
There are two people, however, that they need to tell - Astrid's parents, Hjalmar and Thora Hofferson.
Which, to Hiccup, is basically a death sentence.
It's not like he doesn't like them. Because he certainly does, and he knows Hjalmar and Thora like him, too. Thora basically treats Hiccup as if he's her own son.
But that doesn't mean they're going to feel the same after they find out Hiccup and Astrid have been dating for three months without informing them about it.
Well, that's how Hiccup pictures it going in his mind, at least. Because frankly, he can't really picture this going well.
Especially with Hjalmar Hofferson. That man scares Hiccup sometimes. He's almost as tough as Stoick the Vast, and the only reason why Hjalmar is scarier than Stoick is because Hiccup lives with Stoick and is used to it by now.
But Hjalmar is a whole other ballgame. The man could scare a dragon just by looking at it.
And, he's incredibly protective of his daughter.
So...yeah, Hiccup's pretty much screwed.
Astrid's face softens, and she places a gentle hand on his forearm. "Everything is going to be fine, Hiccup," she tells him sincerely. "All you have to do is go in there, tell them we're dating, and probably sit through a lecture from my dad. That's all!"
Hiccup deadpans.
Astrid blinks and then laughs nervously. "But my parents love you! It'll be fine."
Hiccup sighs and slumps his shoulders. "I know, I know," he says. "We can't hide it from them for too much longer. I'm surprised my dad hasn't made an announcement to the whole of Berk yet about it."
Astrid laughs and wraps her arms around herself. "Yeah, he seemed pretty excited once he found out."
"Well, he and Gobber apparently had a raffle going on, and he won, so..."
"They had a bet on us?" Astrid asks, confused.
Hiccup shrugs. "I guess," he replies. "Kind of creepy if you ask me."
Astrid tucks her bangs behind her ear, only for them to fall back out shortly after. "Kind of, yeah," she agrees. "But, I mean, it was going to happen eventually."
Hiccup furrows his eyebrows. "What, a bet?"
Astrid smiles and shakes her head. "No!" she exclaims, punching Hiccup on the arm. "Us, stupid!"
Hiccup's eyes widen. "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah," he says. "Of course." He smiles at her affectionately.
Astrid places a hand on her hip. "What was it that you said? 'There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid'?" She grins even wider at her boyfriend.
Hiccup nods his head. He glances around, to make sure nobody was watching, and then leaned in to press a short kiss to Astrid's cheek. "And I stand by that."
Astrid's cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "I do, too," she replies. She gestures with her head to her house, which they are currently standing on the steps leading up to. "Alright, enough stalling. Come on, lover body; can't waste any more time."
Hiccup sighs nervously. Astrid notices and simply takes Hiccup's hand in hers and leads him up the stairs. "Seriously - everything is going to be fine!"
