I have returned with another heart-wrencher! I'm so kind. Anyway, rewatching HTTYD 2 for the millionth time, I came across the scene with Astrid leaning her head on Hiccup's shoulder when Stoick dies. And thus, this fic was born.
Enjoy!
I'm sorry, Dad
Hiccup Haddock awoke, thrashing from the ever-present nightmare, and slipped out of bed, quietly climbing down the ladder and onto the first floor of his house.
I'm not the Chief that you wanted me to be
He snuck into the most recent addition to the house, and stared at the tiny bundle, sound asleep.
And I'm not the Peacekeeper I thought I was
"Son."
I don't know…
"Babe?" Hiccup turned to find Astrid, leaning against the door, staring at him. "You okay?"
Why can't you follow the simplest orders?
Hiccup closed his eyes and nodded. "Y-yeah. Sorry to wake you, Milady."
Take him back to the house. I have his mess to clean up
Astrid enveloped him in a hug. "It's that nightmare again, isn't it?"
No one is more surprised, or more proud, than I am. Today my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes one of us!
Hiccup felt the tears slide down his cheeks. "Yeah. It just…hasn't stopped hurting yet."
I should have known. I should have seen the signs. We had a deal!
"Oh, Babe." Astrid held him tighter. "Stoick would have been proud of the Chief you've become. And of the father."
You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking. You're not my son.
Hiccup sighed. "I failed him. He warned me not to go, and I ignored him. I killed him. Through my ignorance and stupidity, I killed him. Not Toothless, not Drago, me."
I'm proud to call you my son
Astrid pulled away and frowned. "Do you really believe that? Hiccup, Stoick chose to save you. He made that choice." She turned Hiccup to face the tiny bed. "Look at our son and tell me he didn't make the right choice."
He's alive. You brought my boy back alive!
Hiccup swallowed. "I just wasn't ready to let him go."
So, what do you think?
Astrid returned to hugging Hiccup. "None of us were. And we are all still grieving him. Our son will never get to know his grandfather. Only hear the stories of him. I'll never get to witness the pride and joy that would have been on his face when you became Chief. And you'll never get to hear him call you 'son' ever again."
Haha! There he is! The Pride of Berk!
Hiccup pulled away and faced the bed. "Is this supposed to make me feel better?"
A Chief protects his own.
Astrid sighed. "My point is, you're not alone. And we'll face it together."
We can be a family again! What do you say?
Hiccup nodded and gently kissed his sleeping son's forehead. "Get some rest, Bud." He turned and smiled sadly at his wife. "Come on, Milady. We need to sleep too."
Hiccup!
As he exited the room, Hiccup turned back and stared at his sleeping son. "Sweet Dreams, Stoick."
I firmly believe that both Hiccup and Astrid would have struggled with Stoick's death. Hiccup never really dealt with those emotions (That we saw). Hoping that HTTYD 3 or any in-between TV Shows deal with this.
Thanks for reading!
