the characters belong to Cressida Cowell, the storyline that this story is based off of is owned by Dreamworks/ Dean Dublois.

Chapter Ten: A Change of Perspective.

Hiccup was sitting in his old home, looking around but not really seeing; he had never dreamed that his father, his chief would ever want to be a dragon rider, that he would ever want to change. Perhaps it was because Stoick never really saw any reason to change, he saw the world in such a black and white manner, and was absolutely stubborn that the white was always white, and black was always black. Sometimes though it seemed to be a matter of perception; perhaps sometimes the black is the white in shadows; scared to shine bright. Maybe sometimes the white was the black in sheep's clothing; bright enough to blind people. That is what happens when only one side of the story is the only side of the story you hear, people are murdered unjustly, wars are started over a simple misunderstanding. And this one has been going on for too long. It was time for it to end.

..."I will." Said the chief hoarsely, and than more strongly. "When do we start?"...

The words echoed in his mind as he slowly, methodically saw the small changes the chief had done with the house since he had left. The memory echoed on in his head going around and around, till Hiccup had to sit down in fear of fainting. All his life he had wanted to hear his father tell him that he had loved him discreetly or saying the words outright, at first the latter was what the boy had wanted but as time went on... He would have gladly have settled on discreetly. All he needed was a sign, anything. And here he was, a man, with that very sign he was looking for, and he didn't even know what he wanted to do with it anymore. Hiccup needed to think but his mind was still on that moment, those words, those emotions still coursing though his heart.

...the Berkians were in uproar, but Hiccup heard none of it. He stared at his father in shock, he didn't think anyone would volunteer, even Astrid. But she had already in a way volunteered. But his father? No. He opened his mouth several times in the end he would close it again, what could he say? How could he give a voice to the pain that he had hidden for years? How could he tell him how much that meant to him? How to let him know that it meant the whole world to hear him say those words? Did he even believe it? And if it was a lie, what did Hiccup have that Stoick would gain from lying? It was too much, he backed into Toothless. Hearing as if under water as the dragon started to softly growl at the Berkians, barely feeling as he swept him in his protective embrace. His mind went blank, his only thought was only on the fact that his father, his father just agreed to make peace with the dragons! Those two words shaking the man beyond comprehension, beyond the ability of anything else in the world ...

Hiccup was startled back to reality as the door slammed shut. Looking up into the eyes of Stoick, his father, his chief. The pain of both occupations that the man held was suddenly felt. The man had been so many things, both good and bad. Was he white or black? Hiccup couldn't be sure. He wasn't even sure he even knew what he wanted him to be.

0o0o0o0o0

Stoick looked into the eyes of his son, seeing so many emotions flitting through his eyes, like a butterfly testing each flower, unsure of which one it wanted to settle on. Stoick sat across from him slowly, he knew that he had to make the first step not Hiccup. He also knew that whatever that step was he had to tread it carefully, one wrong word and his son was gone, possibly forever this time. Quite a few times Stoick opened his mouth, but no sound came out. For the first time Stoick experienced true fear. Hiccup's raw child-like gaze at him did not help either. The gaze seemed to accuse him, accusing him for stealing him from a loving childhood, forcing him to live a childhood of pain. Of course Stoick knew that to be wrong, Hiccup was too caring to ever accuse anyone of anything, but himself of course. Desperate to communicate with his son he said the first things that came to mind.

"I'm sorry for driving you away." Said Stoick finally. Hiccup looked down at the table in guilt, it looked so wrong in Stoick's eyes, his son had done nothing but be himself. "You have nothing to be guilty of, Hiccup." He continued.

"That is a matter of perception" was his measured answer.

"No Hiccup, you are wrong. I'm guilty not you." Said Stoick firmly.

"I was the one not good enough for you, I was always a disappointment to you. You didn't drive me away, I was the one that drove you away, what with my clumsiness, my trouble that seemed to follow me wherever I went, no you didn't drive me away. I just wasn't someone you would want to stick around. So no dad, it was my fault not yours." Said Hiccup sadly, conviction lining his voice. Stoick's heart sank to the floor. What had he done? How could he have done this to his only child?!

"No! I love you, Hiccup. And I know that it took me till you were gone for me to clear my eyes and see it. For me to understand that I was hurting my boy, not helping." He lifted his hand to stave off any and all arguments from Hiccup before continuing. "You are the most important person in my life, when I thought I lost you..." He swallowed hard. "I thought I was going to die with you. The pain was almost unbearable. But trust me Hiccup when I say this: there is nothing, NOTHING that makes me happier than having you across from me at this table.

"There is no words that I could use to efficiently apologize to you. You were a victim, and now seeing what I had done there is no wonder in my mind why you left, or why you would in the future when this is over." Before the father had finished speaking the son was already shaking his head.

"You know, I never gave up hope that I would gain your affection, I left for one reason, and one reason only; Toothless. He's my best friend in the whole world. Back then no one... Needed me. No one but Toothless, you have no idea what it was like to be a nobody to everyone and everything all your life, and then... To become everything to one person. It a whole new feeling that I had no experience in." Hiccup said, seemingly intrigued by the grains in the table.

Hiccup wouldn't look up at him, and Stoick didn't know what was worse, the eyes of a man, with a childhood that had been lost, accusing him for it or the boy that was too scared to look at his own father in the eye. Stoick gulped. It didn't matter he guessed he deserved both of them. Stoick took a deep breath, calculating on how the best course of action.

"So..." He began. He paused for a moment lost on how to proceed. Than Hiccup impulsively spoke up.

"Did you really mean what you said. Earlier?" Stoick had almost forgotten that, he still meant it of course, but so many things had happened between the moment he spoken those words and now.

"Of course, I can see how much this means to you, and I want to show that I have changed. And... I trust your judgement. Your dragon has shown great self-control. And has shown me that you are right. And if that is true... Than it is definitely time for me to change, for Berk to change not only our perspective, but our way of life." He smiled at his hopeful son. "When do we begin?" At that Hiccup smiled for real for the first time to his father. There was going be plenty of bumps in the road, but at least they were getting another chance of being family, and this time Stoick wasn't planning on ruining it. Stoick looked into the eyes of his only son and there was no doubt in Stoick's mind that Hiccup already had a plan.

I wanted to capture the beginning of their amazing relationship that we see in HTTYD2, if I did that's awesome, if not... Well no one is perfect.

thank you for reading, and supporting my story!

final update:11/10/15