Ch1: Confess
Third Person's P.O.V.
It was the day after Hiccup had woken up. He was still getting used to his new prosthetic and he walked with a slight limp but now dragons were allowed on Berk as friends, or at least acquaintances and it was nice. All of his friends hung out with him and another thing, his dad was constantly hovering over him, which was annoying. Whenever he would trip or fall or be in pain his father was there to help and Hiccup hated it. They were walking through the village once.
"So the dragons don't seem to be causing any trouble so far and-" Hiccup started but tripped over a rock.
His father, of course, caught him.
"Careful Hiccup," Stoick said and there was the guilt on his face.
"I can catch myself Dad," Hiccup said, slightly annoyed and pulled his arm out of Stoick's grip.
And, of course, there were people staring.
There was another time when they were at the shop and Hiccup fell by tripping on his own foot and prosthetic.
"Hiccup!" Stoick exclaimed and rushed to his boy's side, easily lifting him up, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Dad," Hiccup grumbled, "Just fine."
The guilt was on Stoick's face again. All of his friends and Gobber were staring.
And then there was the time during the village meeting in the Great Hall, the time when Hiccup snapped.
"Come here son and tell everyone your ideas to help with the dragons living with us," Stoick said, stepping closer to his son and walking with him up to the middle of the room.
When they got to the middle, Hiccup started to feel pain in his leg and his limp got worse.
"Are you alright? Do you need to sit?" Stoick asked and Hiccup saw that guilty look replace his father's smile.
"No Dad, I'm not okay!" Hiccup exclaimed.
Everyone was shocked by Hiccup's outburst.
"You keep treating me like I-I'm going to break!" Hiccup yelled, "Your protectiveness is, is just making it worse!"
He was upset about his leg and it did hurt but it would make him less of a Viking if they knew.
It's just a leg and I'm a Viking! It's an occupational hazard…"
Hiccup drifted off, holding back the tears.
"Hiccup."
Hiccup looked at his father and saw his father crying in front of the whole tribe.
"That moment when you flew off on Toothless to defeat the Red Death, I was so terrified. It was worse when we were looking for you and I saw you just lying in Toothless' arms, motionless. After losing your mother, I never wanted to lose you. After I disowned you that day and I walked out to the ships, I thought, what have I done? I only thought I was trying to protect you," Stoick quaked, "I forgot that a chief feels no pain."
That was when his father broke down. Hiccup had never seen his father cry like this before, not even when he spoke of his mom.
"I'm sorry Dad."
Hiccup hugged his father and cried too and this time, he didn't care that everyone was staring. After that, Stoick stopped hovering over him, at least in public anyway.
