"So I just got off the phone with Scott," Stephan blurted out the moment Hiccup entered through the front-door of his father's villa with little Cami in his arms.
"Henry?"
Hiccup ignored his father's inquiry. He placed his daughter down on the couch and then quickly headed back to his car again to unload groceries.
Stephan sighed, calling his granddaughter over instead. Cami complied, seating herself on his lap. "Tell Poppa what happened," Stephan asked her with an encouraging smile. Cami enthusiastically laid out all the details, even mentioning the girl that kept her company while she waited.
Stephan chuckled at her childish excitement. "Your father can be so irresponsible sometimes," he muttered, shaking his head while staring into her green eyes with fondness. "He is lucky to have such a brave little girl though." He patted Cami on the head affectionately and hugged her.
When Stephan lifted his head up again, he noticed Hiccup standing in the doorway, looking morose and guilty. "Cami, my dear, why don't you go and fetch Poppa his sweater from his room, eh?" Stephan asked his granddaughter.
As Cami ascended upstairs, Stephan walked over to his son and then to both of their shock, pulled him into a hug. Hiccup froze in surprise before awkwardly patting his father back.
"And she is just as lucky to have you," Stephan assured him. "Everyone makes mistakes, don't beat yourself over it, son," he pulled back, resting his large hands on the younger man's shoulders. "Just make sure it never happens again."
Hiccup gave him a slow nod, and then followed his daughter's trail to the second floor. Stephan watched him go with a rueful smile.
"Life has not been kind to either of you," Stephan mumbled to himself. "Let us hope the future has better things in hold."
-.-.-
"I don't like being kept in the dark, Heath," Astrid groaned at her best friend as they sat by the dining table, going through the guest list. "You know that, both of you!" she said, looking over at Rebecca with a frown. "Please. Tell me the truth."
Heather and Rebecca continued to share glances with one another and it only made Astrid more further aggravated. She couldn't fantom what the reasoning behind this secrecy could be.
"Astrid, a lot has happened after you left," Heather attempted to explain after she set her white tablet aside. "Everything is different now," she said with a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "We are not kids anymore."
Ruff nodded along, looking more serious than Astrid had ever seen her. "It's for your own good that you don't know. In a way you should be thanking us, we are sparing you for all that unnecessary guilt."
Astrid stared at them with intent for a moment until her eyes suddenly widened as a thought crossed her mind. "This doesn't this have anything to do with.." she trailed off uncertainly, leaving the question up in the air for her friends to either deny or confirm.
Heather sighed, her green eyes looking dim and tired. She opened her mouth to address Astrid's implications but was suddenly interrupted by the doorbell.
"That will be my aunt," she grinned, sounding oddly relieved as she hurried away to answer. "Scott! Help Aunt Becky unload her luggage!" she yelled at her fiancé who was playing video games with Tuff upstairs.
Astrid and Ruff assisted Heather's aunt into the living room and helped her settle down comfortably. The rest of the evening was spent on more never-ending wedding preparations. It seemed Astrid appeared to have let the former subject go for now.
-.-.-
It was early morning when Hiccup sat in a cafe, sipping on his latte while he waited for his company to arrive. Within an half hour, he spotted a silver Mercedes parking up outside.
Scott beamed at him after he sank down on the chair across. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Tuff along," he said, pointing towards the man in question. Tuff walked into coffee shop but pretended to ignore Hiccup's presence.
"Isn't he going to sit down?" Hiccup muttered. Scott sighed. "He is still mad at you about last time," he mumbled and then turned to his best friend with a scowl. "Tuff, get over here!"
Tuff eventually complied but still regarded Hiccup with coldness, refusing to look at him.
"I can't believe you are back again so soon. I didn't think I was going to see you until next summer. Is everything alright with Uncle Stephan?" Scott asked his cousin with a frown. "How is Cami doing? I didn't mean to tell on you, by the way. I swear, Heather forced me to do it."
Hiccup waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it," he eased off Scott's guilt. "Cami is fine, and Dad is doing better for now so I'm not sure how long we are going to stay. Besides, I'm planning to enroll Cami in kindergarten soon."
It was the one thing Cami had been looking forward to all year. She usually didn't get to interact much with other kids around her age. It would be a nice change for her.
"So who is usually with her when you are off to work?" Tuff prompted quietly, surprising Hiccup with his sudden pique of interest.
"I hire a baby-sitter, and sometimes.. mom drops by to help," Hiccup answered with a shrug, eyeing Tuff curiously. It was the first words he had spoken to him in months.
Tuff snorted, finally making eye-contact with him. "You know, we could have helped you out if you had not moved so far away. You wouldn't have needed to pay strangers to look after your daughter."
"Tuff!" Scott scoffed. "This is not why I brought you here. Leave Hiccup be, he has had a rough enough time already."
Hiccup shook his head. "It's fine, Scott. Tuff has every right to be mad," he acknowledged. "We did leave without a goodbye and that wasn't cool."
"What Hiccup said," Tuff agreed, looking smug.
Scott rolled his eyes but still wore an expression of concern having had more insight into the situation. "Considering what you went through that is completely understandable. But Tuff is right about one thing," Scott mused and Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at him. "You need to let us help you."
Before Hiccup could voice his reply, Tuff interrupted. "You should come to the wedding! It's going to be grand, festive and Ast-" he tried to quip in but Scott coughed loudly, elbowing him in the ribs.
Hiccup seemed to actually mull over Tuff words for a moment, the slip up going completely over his head. "I admit, I wasn't initially planning to.. but maybe that's not such a bad idea? It might do Cami good to catch up with everyone."
Scott shot him a nervous smile.
"What?" Hiccup asked when met with silence.
"Don't get me wrong, you are more than welcome attend," Scott clarified, although still appearing a tint weary of the idea. "It's just that.."
He paused.
"There is something you should know."
-.-.-
Astrid stared at the diamond ring on her finger as she laid flat on her back. Heather's wedding jitters were beginning to affect her as well even if her own wedding wasn't to occur until next fall. She sometimes worried if she would ever be ready in time.
Hiccup seemed to have been ready almost fresh off college. Astrid had often stayed awake at night, wondering about her childhood friend and if he ever regretted his rash decisions. He had been so madly in love with Camilla the last she saw of him, and it was hard to imagine Hiccup appearing otherwise now.
He and Camilla were probably still living like newlyweds after all these years, and Astrid hoped the same kind of love awaited her in the future.
A/N: Quick update. Happy Thanksgiving!
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