GUYSGUYSGUYGSGUYSGUYYYYYYYS. I'M STILL HERE AND WRITING I PROMISE. I know this took forever and I have no excuses, but I was definitely working on it here and there this whole time. There was just like, one tough scene after another and I got stuck so many different times it was ridiculous. So I hope you guys like this oooone because it really was a challenge for me. I'm just really glad I got it done even though it did take forever D: But really, with how close I am to the end of this, have no doubt that I'll finish this no matter how long it takes. I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU GUYS OUT IN THE COLD. NEVERRRRRR.
...
"Seasons May Change"
.
Chapter 11: "Truth Will Out"
...
Time was at a standstill.
Father and son stared at each other from across the quiet room, completely frozen, neither knowing how to react. Hiccup kept his confidence up, reminding himself repeatedly that if he let it slip for even a second, he wasn't going to win this. He kept his expression as calm as he possibly could. He didn't regret it. How he felt about Toothless wasn't something he could hide forever, and he wasn't ashamed. Scared, yes. His heart pounded loudly against his ribcage, but he kept still.
He'd made the move he'd needed to make. Now it was his father's turn.
But the elder man was not making it easy for Hiccup to hold his stance. His expression was that of utmost incredulity, staring at his son as though he'd sprouted a second head. It seemed like hours before he finally managed to speak.
"What?"
Hiccup resisted the urge to slap his hand to his forehead. He took a breath. "Do you.. really need me to repeat that?"
Stoick only continued to gawk at him. "What do you.." He trailed off for a moment, and he suddenly (though not surprisingly) looked angry. "If this is some kind of joke, Hiccup," he stated warningly.
Hiccup mirrored his father's cross expression. "Why in the world would I joke about that?" he demanded, forgetting his calm visage. "Do you hear any laughter coming from me right now?"
"Well what am I supposed to think?" Stoick shouted. "You say something like.. like that, and.. Hiccup, this is too.. you can't mean that. You can't."
Hiccup gave his father the most defiant stare he could muster. "I love him."
Stoick opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked both furious and defeated at the same time. Everything about the sight before him made Hiccup feel uneasy. Still though, he sat straight and didn't dare break eye contact.
"Where did this even come from?" Stoick asked. "Because of what I just told you?"
"No!" Hiccup shot. "He feels the same way, we've already.."
He stopped, realizing what he'd been about to say. His father's expression became indescribably shocked, his eyes going wider than Hiccup had ever seen them. He felt his face go red with embarrassment.
"We're together," he amended. "I.. want you to know."
In the silent moments that followed his words, Hiccup realized he was shaking. Adrenaline pumped through him, pushing him on. Fear threatened to overwhelm him, but sheer force of will was what kept his shoulders up and face straight.
"This isn't right, Hiccup," Stoick finally said, the volume of his voice decreasing quite a bit. "Even for you, this is.. this is too much. How am I supposed to react to this?"
"It's not like I haven't thought this over a thousand times through," Hiccup told him. "I don't want you to react to this. Not right now, anyway." He paused for a moment, and in a much gentler voice, said, "I just want you to trust me, Dad. I know how I feel, and I know how Toothless feels. I'm not asking for you to accept this right away, but to just trust me."
It seemed like an eternity passed after Hiccup spoke. His father looked even more defeated now, with utter bewilderment thrown in. He wished the older man would say something, but he supposed he should just be grateful that the conversation hadn't gone worse. Sitting there in awkward silence was better than being screamed at.
Outside, the rain began to slow.
Before Stoick could give his response however, the front door below them slammed opened and slammed shut. The two of them jumped, but remained silent as the sounds of Toothless scurrying up the steps echoed through the house. Not a second later, the dragon was standing in the doorway, dripping wet, the black cloak hanging above his ankles. He held the prosthetic in one arm, wrapped in a thick cloth. Almost instantly, Hiccup could see Toothless sense the tension in the room, that something wasn't right. He hesitated in the doorway, his gaze landing on Hiccup.
Stoick was the first to move, taking a step toward Toothless. Uneasiness rose within Hiccup, and he braced himself on the bed, ready to get up if he needed to. He obviously wouldn't get far on one leg, he knew, but.. he would do something if his dad was going to do anything to Toothless. The dragon also tensed, staring now at the large viking walking toward him.
He stopped only a step away from Toothless, who held his stance, his eyes narrowing. Stoick lifted his hand, and just as Hiccup was about to leap from the bed, that large hand fell onto the dragon's shoulder.
Both Hiccup and Toothless were rendered motionless. Stoick's face held no real expression. He just looked at Toothless for a long while, his hand unmoving, and then he left the room without a word. Neither Toothless nor Hiccup moved as Stoick's footsteps reverberated down the stairs and out of the house.
After a while, Toothless turned his head toward Hiccup. "You.. told him?"
Hiccup was still too surprised to form actual words. So he settled for a nod.
Toothless blinked, his eyes going even wider. "And that was his.."
"Acceptance," Hiccup finished. He nodded again. "Yeah, I think it was."
Astrid stepped out of her house as the rain finally slowed to a light drizzle. Thunder could still be heard, but off in the distance now, following the thick, dark clouds. She hopped off the last step and looked up as the half moon became visible once more. It was getting late, but she wanted to make sure Skye was okay. The Nadder had an odd thing against storms.
Astrid made her way down her normal path to the dragon houses. Past the twins' home, around the pub, and past the armory stall -
".. didn't even know Hiccup was back!"
She stopped dead in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. That was Gobber's voice. She turned her head to the left, toward the open window of the stall. She couldn't see anybody, but there was definitely a faint light coming from inside, and two voices talking. But besides that.. Hiccup was back? She hated the way her heart picked up speed at this knowledge, and how she yearned to take just a few steps back and hear a little more of the conversation.
Astrid stood conflicted for a moment, one part telling her to keep moving, that she shouldn't care if Hiccup was back or not. But the other part told her that there was no harm in being curious of the boy's whereabouts. He'd been gone for a few days after all, why not find out where he'd been?
So she gave in. She quietly treaded back toward the stall and stood near the window, far enough away that she wouldn't be spotted.
Stoick's voice was the next thing she heard.
".. less than an hour ago," he said. Astrid noticed now that there was the constant sound of footsteps. Stoick must've been pacing the room.
"So what's got you so riled up?" Gobber asked.
Stoick didn't answer for a long time. Astrid wondered if maybe they were speaking too softly for her to hear, when finally he spoke.
"I'm not even sure I should say anything."
"Are you kidding me? You come down here in this state and you're not going to tell me what in Odin's name happened?" Gobber demanded.
Again it took a while for the chief to say anything. "It's crazy," he said finally, his voice distant. Then he chuckled, but it lacked any and all pleasantness. "I don't even think you'll believe me. Hell! I'm not sure if I do!"
"Stoick," Gobber said firmly. "This isn't like you at all. Tell me. You think someone like me with all of my insane stories I tell that I couldn't believe something?"
Astrid took a small step closer to the window, her curiosity at an all time high. The village chief normally remained unshaken by anything and everything. What on Earth had happened with Hiccup to cause him to react this way?
He started to speak, Astrid holding her breath as she listened in.
"Hiccup has just informed me," Stoick began, his voice holding a mock pleasant tone. He stopped to take a breath. "That he and that dragon are having.. relations."
Everything stopped. Silence rang like a harsh bell in Astrid's ears as she stood there completely immobile. Her mind spun in so many different directions that she couldn't keep up. The only clear thought and reaction she could grasp onto was ".. What?"
Which, as it turned out, was the exact same reaction Gobber had. "What.. er.. what do you mean by-"
"Exactly what I said!" Stoick barked. There was a loud thud followed by even louder footsteps; he'd abruptly sat up from whatever he'd been sitting in and began to pace the room again. "They're together! Romantically involved! Whatever you want to call it!"
"Wha-? Wait.. what?" Gobber spluttered. "How is that even-"
The footsteps abruptly stopped, as did Gobber's words. "Okay, okay, I won't ask that question," he said quickly. The footsteps continued. "But.. well, setting aside all of the obvious questions.. what the hell did you do?"
The footsteps stopped again, followed by a short silence. "Nothing," he said, his voice calm now. "I basically told them 'okay' and I left. I didn't know what else to do."
".. Are you okay with it?"
"No!" Stoick barked. "I mean.. I don't know! I shouldn't be, I have a right mind to toss that beast into the ocean, but.. I almost lost Hiccup once already. The last thing I want is to do something that will put that distance between us again."
Gobber never answered, and neither of them said anything for a long time. Astrid remained stock still outside, an unknown thundering in her ears was almost all she could hear.
Finally Stoick spoke once more. "After he lost his leg, I told myself I'd trust him from thereon out, no matter what. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. And tonight, after he told me, all he asked for was my trust. I've never seen such a look on his face." He paused, Astrid heard him take a deep breath. "I don't like it. It's crazy, it's unheard of, I can't see how anything good could come of it, but.. all I can do is trust my son that he knows what's best for himself."
Hiccup looked over his handiwork with a small nod. "There, it looks good now." He had just finished tying on the new leg with fresh twine. The appendage felt snug against his leg, which was only a little sore now. Toothless, who had been watching him from a spot next to him on the bed, stood up and held out his hands. He now sported a long sleeved tunic and a pair of dark trousers that he'd stolen from Hiccup's wardrobe while the boy had been attaching the new leg.
Hiccup accepted the offer, slipping his own hands in Toothless' and standing up a little shakily.
"Is it still painful?" Toothless asked, obviously still worried.
Hiccup put weight on it and a dull ache blossomed from just above the appendage. He winced. "A little, but it'll be fine. As long as I don't walk on it too much for the rest of the night."
Toothless gently squeezed Hiccup's hands. A moment passed. "You are still shaking," he said idly.
Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah. I'm still a little freaked out."
"I still cannot believe that you told him."
"Me neither. I can't believe he didn't murder the both of us!"
Toothless laughed this time. "Well I.. am very glad that you told him, Hiccup," he said, a smile bright on his face. "It means far more to me than I can tell you right now."
Hiccup smiled, his emerald eyes shining. He lifted their conjoined hands and laced their fingers together. Toothless leaned down so that their foreheads touched. They stood like that for a little while, enjoying the silence and peace of each other s presence.
Until there was a knock on the front door.
Toothless sighed. "Must this always happen?" he asked, sarcasm thick in his tone.
"Apparently," Hiccup responded with equal enthusiasm. They separated and Hiccup unwillingly made for the door. "You stay here. Hopefully I'll be back in a minute."
Toothless said nothing but obediently took a seat on the bed. Hiccup left the room and made his way (carefully) down the stairs. He wondered momentarily who on Berk could be knocking at this hour, and was answered with the last person he wanted to see.
"Astrid!" he choked. He immediately realized this was a very rude greeting and composed himself. He tried to smile but had a feeling he was failing miserably. "I mean, er.. h-hey. How are.. you?"
He faltered. He just now noticed the expression on her face. She looked absolutely distraught.
"Hiccup," he whispered. "I.. I know this is really.. but I need to know something."
He swallowed, beginning to feel nervous. "I uh, sure. Of course."
There was a long pause, and finally in a small voice that was ill fitting of the girl, she asked, "Why did you break up with me?"
The panic that bubbled up inside Hiccup was instantaneous. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. He'd known he'd have to talk to her about it someday, and he couldn't let himself be frightened of it.
Astrid took his silence badly however, and before she could think about it or even stop herself, she blurted out what she'd been holding back since he'd opened the door.
"Was it because of him?"
Hiccup's eyes went wide and he visibly stiffened. She took his reaction as the confirmation she needed and she had no idea whether to feel angrier or more upset.
"I.. uh. Who?"
Hiccup regretted his answer the moment it fell from his lips. He didn't know how, but Astrid knew, and the last thing he needed to do was try and lie about it.
"Please don't lie to me right now, Hiccup," she said, her gaze falling to the floor. She took a step across the threshold. "I just.. I need to know you didn't leave me for that.. thing."
Defensiveness rose up inside of him. He looked crossly at her and stated firmly, "I didn't."
"I said don't lie to me!"
Hiccup was unprepared for the sharp slap that struck his face. He stumbled backward, but kept his balance. His hand instinctively lifted to touch his now stinging cheek. He opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, there was a blur of black and a small yelp from Astrid. Toothless now stood between the two like a black curtain, his wings outstretched to shield the boy standing behind him.
"Toothless!" he gasped, the sudden appearance startling him. "I'm fine, you don't need to -"
"She struck you," he interjected, his voice thick with anger.
Hiccup placed a hand to the spot between his wings. "Please," he said calmly. "I can handle this, I'm okay."
It took a few seconds, but Toothless complied by slowly folding in his wings. He could see Astrid once again, and now saw the stricken look on her face.
Hiccup took a breath. "I'm not lying," he told her in a firm tone. She stared at him, half wanting to believe him just by the look on his face alone, but..
"But I overheard your father!" she argued. "He told Gobber that you.. and him.." She trailed off, her voice shaking in a threat to betray her anger.
Needless to say this surprised Hiccup. His dad had gone off and told Gobber? He would've been a little more than annoyed by this under normal circumstances, but that was an issue for a later date. He stepped in front of Toothless.
"It's true," he said. "Toothless and I are, well, together."
She visibly flinched. It was strange how many emotions he was watching her deal with just in the last few minutes. Hurt, anger, sadness, desperation. He'd never seen her in such a state and it was worrying him to say the least. Astrid opened her mouth to say something, but he continued before she could.
"But that's not why I broke up with you. Astrid, you know we started becoming distant with each other weeks - months ago. You can't tell me you didn't notice."
Somehow, this seemed to calm her down. She was looking on at him with a somewhat lost expression, appearing as though she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. Hiccup kept going, keeping the same mindset he'd had with his father just a short while ago. He needed to keep his head up if either of them were going to get through this. It was odd, he thought, how he was suddenly the stronger one between the two of them.
"To be honest," he continued. "I should've ended it a lot sooner than I did. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as they are now."
Astrid looked a little hurt at these words, but she patiently took them in. Her gaze fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself. Hiccup took a few steps toward her.
"I'm.. sorry that you had to find out about Toothless and I this way," he said softly. "And I'm sorry I let things go as far as they did. That's.. about all I can say, Astrid."
Nothing was said for a long time after this. No one moved, no one spoke. Slowly though, Astrid seemed to gain back her strength. She dropped her arms to her side and looked Hiccup square in the eyes.
"It's not just your fault," she said, her voice a little rough. "I.. I did notice that you were distant with me, but I chose to ignore it. I guess I just hoped that.. we'd work it out." She shrugged her shoulders at her confession.
"I'm sorry for.. barging in here and freaking out," she added, her ears going a little red. "Seriously, I just.. I feel so stupid now, but it's just.." She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering to Toothless for less than a second. "It's a lot to take in.. you know?"
Hiccup nodded. "I know."
She bit her lip and took a step forward so they were directly in front of one another. She reached out her hand to his face, her finger tips inches away from the spot where she'd hit him. But she recoiled, pulling her hand back again and instead shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I slapped you."
Hiccup smiled. "Ah, it's alright. Nothing you haven't dealt me before."
A small laugh escaped her, and suddenly, the entire room felt much lighter. "I want to talk about this some more with you someday," she told him. "But for now I need time to.. to get over it."
He nodded. "I understand."
She gave him a tiny smile and began to walk backwards toward the door. She lifted a hand and waved. "Until then," she said.
"Yeah," was the only thing he could think to say.
And with that, she was gone.
