Through The Ups & Downs

Couple; HarrisonXBriana

Rating; Mature

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD or any songs I might use! Also, from this point in the story and in future chapters, I do not own the character; Ella(Eira) Solveig. She belongs to my good friend, ShadowSpirit020.

=Author's Note; Look, I know some people aren't happy about the pairing change to HiccupXBriana over the original HiccupXAstrid one, but it was a last minute change that a lot of others are happy I decided to do because I always do Hiccup X Astrid or Hiccup X Toothless. So if we could not send reviews or messages complaining about it, that would be awesome. Thanks in advanced! -Nightstar Fury

21) Leave Him Alone

{Harrison's POV}

[4/19/2015-4:05 pm-Haddock Household]

If it made me a coward or whatever Addilyn referred to me as then whatever. I didn't care anymore. All I gathered out of this fight is that I'm in the wrong for not telling everyone about Briana right away, that I let my new relationship get between my family, friends, and myself. I knew it was messed up; I just didn't want Bri to think I wasn't there for her when she was sick since I'm so far away. Here I am, only home for another four days and I spent the first three on my phone a lot and talking to everyone in Kuwait because they wanted to know how things were at home, mainly Dex and Sy wanted to know. I wasn't going to ignore them. That's why I didn't understand why everyone was so upset with me.

Monday was the only day that everyone was home and I spent the entire thing with them. Tuesday I spend at Berkys and with my little brother. But today when my friends came over today, I was only distracted because Briana is sick and I knew my team was going on a dangerous mission without me. I got scared and immature about things, I admit to that, but they all walked away from me. Hell, I wasn't even mad at Addilyn about the reading my messages thing after getting off the phone with Bri, I asked if they wanted to hang out still and then it turned into all this. My parents were upset with me too, and Dad even said for me just to go back to Kuwait, so why shouldn't I?

Did I want to leave? No. I wanted to fix things with everyone. I know Addilyn won't talk to me anymore because, for her, this wasn't about my talking to the others on my phone. Addy just hated that I didn't tell her I had a girlfriend and probably also that I didn't return her feelings for me. What else can I do to fix that with Addy? There was nothing at all; I can't help how I feel. Was I in the wrong for that too? Right now, Nate was the only one in my corner, thinking I didn't do anything that deemed everyone abandoning me. I couldn't fix things with any of them; it was too tense. None of them were going to listen, it would be more fighting, and I didn't want that so it was better if I just left and maybe after the tour and business in the US was over, I could come back and talk to them.

Upstairs in my room now, I was packing my things up after having changed into my ACU. When I got finished at 4:20 pm, I exited my room after locking the door from the inside, I had a key to it, so I wasn't worried. I held my bag over my shoulder as I saw Nate sitting on the couch on his phone, playing with some application; he glanced at me. Seeing me dressed the way I was, he got scared and rushed over to me quickly.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Nate asked as I hugged him back.

"I don't think anyone wants me around right now, kiddo. Dad told me to go back to Kuwait so, that's where I am going," I replied.

"No! You can't leave, this is your only time off, and you've only been home three days," Nate protested as tears formed in his eyes.

"Nate, I know it's hard to understand, but I messed up big time. I promised Mom and Dad plus the others that I wouldn't keep secrets anymore and I broke it by not telling them about Briana being my girlfriend. I was stupid and got caught up in my relationship; I let it decide everything I did because I don't want to lose her. Now everyone has walked away from me because they think I don't want to be here, that I don't care about them," I tried to explain.

"S-So tell them you do care! It was just a mistake, and they'll get over it, Harry. I understand, you have your first girlfriend and don't wanna mess that up, and she's sick too. I don't blame you for being worried about it. And your friends are there too without their leader. Mom, Dad, and your other friends should understand how stressful that is for you. Don't go, please? I just got you back, big brother, don't leave me again. Screw them; I want you here," Nate whispered.

"Nate, don't talk like that. Everyone is mad at me right now, and it's just easier if I leave so everyone can calm down. If I try to talk to them after all that, it will be more fighting because they're right. I'm a coward for not trusting them not to judge me if I told them the truth and they have every right they did to walk out on me. It's better if I go and then we can all talk about things when I get back," I told him.

"B-But!" Nate began.

"Listen to me, little brother. I wish for nothing more than to stay here, but you saw the fight and heard what was said. I've let them down, and it's just best if I go for now. My team could use the extra hands and dragon anyway. I know it doesn't seem fair, but most often in life, things aren't fair. You know how Mom is the head honcho at the school and Dad is the police chief, so we always have to be on our best behaviors at public events with them because we're expected to be a certain way?" Harrison said.

"Yeah. We always have to be so perfect," Nate smiled a little and rolled his eyes.

"Well, unfortunately, no one is perfect, and every human can make mistakes. When that happens, people who try their best to be perfect look down on someone who isn't. Others get hurt or disappointed in you and sometimes it's better to walk away for things to cool off. I know you don't want me to go back, but right now, everyone besides you is looking down on me, disappointed and hurt by my mistake. It's too heated and tense for me to try and talk to them and I don't want to fight more and lose them for good. Sometimes time apart can make people think about things and end up making them stronger. Either way, I think that for me, it's just best that I leave," Harrison explained.

"Wi-Will you still call and talk to me?" Nate asked with a few sniffles and wiping his eyes.

I smiled at him, "Of course, buddy. I'll message you on Skype when I get there, okay? I should go before it gets too late. As it is, I probably won't land there until around 6 am or later depending on weather and how many breaks Toothless and I take," I informed.

"Be safe flying in, Harry. I'm gonna miss you," Nate said. I hugged him tightly, and he returned it. I stepped back after kissing his forehead with a smile and held out my hand. Nate grasped it and smiled back. "Side by side or miles apart," Nate started.

"We'll always be brother connected by the heart," I finished the sentence, it was something we'd always done since Nate was about five. A way for him to know that no matter what I did or where I went, I would always be with him. I released his hand and ruffled his hair as I reached the backyard and grabbed a small bucket of fish, then saddled Toothless. "Come on, bud," I told him. Toothless got up, and I hooked the fish to his saddle while climbing on his back and looking back at Nathaniel who was trying not to cry again. "After the tour ends, I will be back in January 2016. That's when the platoon leaves the US. See you soon, kiddo," I said as Nate nodded. I patted Toothless's neck, and he took to the sky silently at top speed.

{Normal POV}

[5:30 pm-Haddock House]

Nate was sitting on the couch when there was a knock on the door, so Nate got up to answer it, and after opening it wide, he saw Harrison's friends there, even Addilyn. At this time, Spencer and Viviana returned to the living room as well. Nate was glad they showed up because he had words for them to hear about how they made Harrison feel. Little did Harrison know, Nate had been playing with the recording app on his phone when Harrison left. Nate left it on and recorded everything Harrison said about why he was leaving for Kuwait again.

"What do you want? Came back to make my brother feel worse?" Nate retorted angrily. It was their fault he left again because Harrison knew he made a mistake and no one gave him a chance to explain.

"I came back to apologize to him; I shouldn't have slapped him no matter how upset I was," Addilyn sighed. "But he was still in the wrong for lying to us,"

"And we shouldn't have walked out on him either and said the things we did," Regina mentioned afterward. Nate scoffed as his parents were beside him too and Nate stepped away from all of them.

"Where is he?" Frankie wondered.

"With how fast Toothless took off from here, I'd say that Harrison is probably in Denmark by now," Nate stated casually as he sat on the couch once more.

"What do you mean, Nathaniel? Why would Harrison go there?" Viviana inquired.

"Because he's going back to Kuwait," Nate informed coldly. At those words, everyone froze.

"What?!" Viviana screeched. "W-Why would he do that!? Spencer, call him, make him come back!"

"It's no use calling him. Harrison turns his phone off while he's flying. He left because you all walked away from him when he made a mistake and because Dad told him that maybe he should just go back to Kuwait since his friends there need him more than we do," Nate remarked.

"Spencer? You told him to go back there after the argument?" Viviana asked, shocked to learn of such.

"I-I didn't think he would do it! Everyone was tense, I said it in the heat of the moment," Spencer admitted. Finally, Nate got off the couch and glared at them.

"Yeah! You made a mistake because you weren't thinking! Harrison said he was sorry for not telling anyone about having a girlfriend and he stated that he knew he was wrong to get so wrapped up in having one that he put her before his family and friends. Harrison knows he messed up and got scared, but you all made him feel horrible and didn't give him a chance to explain it as he did to me before he left. You didn't listen to him, I did, and that's why I know he's going back to Kuwait. Harrison told me he felt like it was pointless to stay when everyone was made and wouldn't let him talk, so he's going back there and says maybe you'll all forgive him and want to speak when he returns from the US," Nate yelled.

The others bit back. Sure, they were mad at Harrison for lying to them, but now they realized that Harrison knew he made a mistake and felt horrible about it. When everyone walked away, Harrison felt like they didn't care anymore, so he decided to leave too.

"The worst part about all this is that Harrison never promised to keep you in the loop when he came home from training. He pledged to tell you what he could, and Harrison said that he didn't say anything about Briana because they didn't know how things were going to go at the start. All he did was make one mistake, and you acted like he tried to kill someone," Nate huffed.

"Nate, you don't understand what is going on. Don't catch an attitude with your mother and me," Spencer sighed. Nate glared as he got his phone out and brought up the recording between him and Harrison that he saved.

"Oh yeah? Well, then maybe you'll believe me if you hear it from him yourself," Nate retorted coldly as he hit play and tossed the phone to his father. After that, they all listened to the conversation about Harrison explaining things to Nate and saying it was best if he left for now. When the recording was over, Nate took his phone back and stepped away from the small group. "I was intentionally trying to record him either; I just happened to leave it on by accident. He went back because he feels like no matter what he does right now here, it won't make a difference because you're all ticked off at him. And now I won't see him again until after he comes home from the US in January," Nate frowned as he ran past them up the stairs and left the group down there and then knowing that it was too late to change anything.

[Kuwait, Iraq-Camp Arifjan; 4/20/2015-9:30 am]

Harrison finally reached Camp Arifjan after a full night of flying. Just like the first time, Harrison and Toothless stopped in Romania and Turkey as their resting points and to get a little rest before bolting through the night sky again. With it now being 9:30 am on Iraq time, Harrison just flew over the camp and landed by the stables, taking his friends and commanding officers by surprise. Toothless touched ground as Harrison got off his back and rubbed the top of his head.

"Thanks, Toothless. Go get some rest, pal," Harrison whispered as Toothless licked his cheek and Harrison removed the saddle from his back and tucked it under his arm. Toothless got into the stable and laid down after Harrison put up the seat and got his draconic friend some fish to eat.

"Haddock. What are you doing back three days ahead of schedule?" Aaron inquired firmly.

"With all do your respect, Major Hagebak, it's a personal matter that I don't wish to discuss right now. I flew all night and just want to get a shower and some sleep. If that's okay?" Harrison said softly. Aaron was going to push more, but Glenn stopped him from continuing with a hand on his shoulder.

"That's fine, lad. Go on now," Glenn smiled. Harrison nodded and went to the barrack.

"Glenn, I want to know what happened to make him come back early and with no warning either," Aaron said.

"You heard him, Aaron. Harrison doesn't want to talk about it right now. He flew all night; he's probably tired. Let the boy rest up, and maybe, later on, he'll tell us what happened. For now, I think it's best if we all leave him alone," Glenn informed. Sighing because he didn't have much choice, Aaron nodded to Glenn. All they could do right now was leave Harrison alone and hope he talked to them after he got some sleep.