Chapter Text
Astrid didn’t get nervous, so she wasn’t nervous.
But who wouldn’t be nervous meeting your partner’s parent for the first time.
University classes were canceled on Friday, so Hiccup and Astrid had decided to use their extra-long weekend to drive up to Hiccup’s hometown. Hiccup promised to show her around town, and, most terrifying of all, introduce her to his dad.
It’s a pretty big step in any relationship and they have been dating for almost 4 months. It was Astrid’s idea for this trip, but now that it was actually happening, she regretted her prior bravery. Hiccup, of course, was ecstatic about the whole idea; he hadn’t stopped smiling since she suggested it three days ago. Damn him and his smile.
They were halfway through the drive. Astrid sat shotgun, one leg pulled up on the seat as she fiddled with the laces on her high tops. Somewhere in the last 10 minutes the young pair had fallen into comfortable silence, which, unfortunately, left Astrid alone with her thoughts. She tried to distract herself by listening to the radio and watching the trees blur by out the window, but she couldn’t stop fidgeting.
She knew she didn’t need to be nervous, and she wasn’t nervous, at least that’s what she told herself.
As she re-tied her shoelaces for the fifteenth time, she took a deep breath in and sunk into her seat with a sigh.
“What’cha thinking about?” Hiccups words cut the silence delicately.
She lolled her head to the side to look at him. His eyes were responsibly on the road ahead of them, but his right hand had made its way to her knee with a soft touch. She instinctively placed her own hand over his and they clasped together like magnets.
She matched his soft smile as he brought her hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
“You’re thinking very loudly.”
Astrid would’ve ripped her hand away in offense if his calloused fingers didn’t feel so perfect intertwined with hers.
“What does that even mean?” She furrowed her brows and tried to keep a laugh from escaping her lips.
“It means I can practically hear your brain working right now, what’s going on?” He spared a few glances at her while keeping a steady one hand on the wheel.
Her free hand went back to toying with the laces, “I’m just thinking about this weekend… meeting your dad.”
A silent pause came and went as Hiccup cleared his throat and said, “Hey remember a few weeks ago, family weekend, when your folks came to visit you.”
Astrid immediately knew where he was going with this, “Yeah I guess.”
“And remember how I was when meeting your parents” He gave her as pointed a look as he could while driving.
She just cast her eyes down with a smile and replied with playful snark, “Yeah you were perfect, like I knew you’d be, and it was great. My parents love you.”
“Ok ok- that may be how it seemed,” he shook their clasped hands, “but that’s not how I felt, and you know it.”
Astrid ran her thumb back and forth across his knuckle in soothing motions.
“I was so nervous I thought I was gonna be sick. But you,” he pushed his head back on the headrest and glanced her way, “you told me everything was going to be fine and even if, for some reason, your parents didn’t love me…”
“I love you.”
He squeezed her hand three times and mirrored the sentiment, “I love you. So, trust me on this one. My dad has been texting me all week about how he’s looking forward to meeting you. Just be yourself, it’s normal to be nervous, but it’s going to be great. We’ll have fun!”
He was right. She knew he was right.
But just to be lovingly difficult, she chose a joking response, “Or this is all some long play to take me out into the middle of nowhere and kill me.”
Hiccup’s deadpan is music to her ears, “Yeah or that.”
Her laugh was genuine as she felt her body truly relax for the first time since they left about an hour ago, “No, I’m sorry. You’re right and I am excited to meet your dad and see your old stomping grounds.”
“I’m gonna show you everything!” his frame was lit with excitement, “my favorite coffee shop, the old mechanics shop my Uncle owns that I used to work at, and there’s this great walking trail through the woods! It’s going to be an amazing weekend.”
Astrid felt her heart swell, “Can’t wait.”
It was soon after that they got off the highway and civilization was quickly left behind. When Hiccup had told Astrid about where he grew up, he always emphasized how middle-of-no-where country it was. And she never doubted- but it’s one thing to hear about it and an entirely other thing to experience it.
Small town shops, houses, and sketchy gas stations pepper the vast landscape of open fields. As the prime of fall had come and gone, the trees stood mostly barren and grey which, paired with the sunny blue skies, formed a beautiful juxtaposition.
As she floated in the passenger seat, one of Hiccup’s favorite folksy songs hummed on the stereo. The bouncing strings and poetic lyrics fit the scenery so well. Despite the fact that they were less than 30 minutes away from meeting Hiccup’s dad, Astrid had never felt more at peace.
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30 minutes later the peace was gone. Anxiety made a home in her stomach as Hiccup finally turned into a long dirt driveway and they approached a ranch style farm house.
Hiccup grabbed Astrid’s hand and shook it in excitement. The way his green eyes lit up behind his glasses as he smiled at her helped loosen the knots tangled in her stomach.
“Here we go!” He put the car in park and took out the key but made no move for the door, “Are you ready?”
He asked with sincerity. There was obvious excitement in his tone, but it was evident to her that- first and foremost- he was making sure she was okay.
So.
She took a deep breath and replied honestly.
“Yes,” she squeezed his hand and met his eyes with conviction, “Let’s go.”