Where I Belong
Author: Nightstar Fury
Rating: M
Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid
Disclaimer: I don't own the HTTYD movies, or any of the HTTYD series such as Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, or Race To The Edge.
I'm Finally Home
-Hiccup's POV-
I seriously could not believe my mother. Shows up on Berk demanding I leave with her after she didn't bother to look for me for a year? She knew where she was, and didn't bother revealing herself until I said something until it came out I was Stoick's son! I looked up a bit now, Stoick was my father. I'd been living on Berk for a year, saying I had to find my father and where I came from and I'd been home and with my father all along. Berk was the island that Cloud Jumper took mom and me from, Stoick was the father that lost us but he was nothing like what my mother described. He was caring, kind, and protective. I understood his hesitation on dragons when I met him but he still...gave me a chance to show him the truth and even he's said it was the best decision he ever made. So much happened in one day and to top it off, I was still sick. I hadn't felt the effects while yelling at my mother but I could now and I hated it, flying with my stomach in knots, as angry and upset as I was probably wasn't my best course of action but I just had to get away from there. I wasn't mad at Stoick, Gobber, Astrid, or anyone other than my mother.
It made me sick to even call her that, what kind of mother does what she did to me. Lied for years, kept me from my life. I hated it so much, I hated all of it. How had I not noticed the signs before? Stoick and I looked similar, we both used tact and diplomacy to settle things, we knew when to take action and when to wait it out, we knew when to listen and when to just shut it down. He always had a fatherly feel to him around me, and hearing his story of when he had a wife and child that were taken from him...I instantly thought of what mom told me when we were taken from my father and island. I meant to ask him about the necklace but I got sicker and he made me sleep then I got worse over the course of four days. I was about to ask him when Toothless heard Cloud Jumper outside and then all this shit storm happened. I couldn't believe how angry I was over this, it shouldn't of made me this mad but it did and now I just wanted to pretend like it never happened.
I was sitting on one of the father sea stacks around the back of the island under Raven Point. I'd gone to the cove first but I just couldn't be there right now. That was a happy spot for Astrid and I, I didn't want to be pissed off and angry in it so I settled for a high sea stack that faced the Western direction, I was laying against Toothless with my legs hanging over the edge and arm over my stomach which was doing flips right now and made me want to throw up, I felt it continue to rise and lower in my throat. I heard the beating of wings and I swore if it was my mother I would freak out. But hearing the squawk of a Nadder, I knew it was Astrid and Stormfly. "There you are..." She sighed in relief as Stormfly landed and Astrid got off walking over towards me slowly.
"Is she gone?" I asked.
"I don't know...I left to find you right after you took off." Astrid replied, "Can I...sit with you?" I adjusted a bit so Astrid could sit beside me, I closed my eyes sighing now.
"Then I'm not comin back until I know she's off Berk..." I retorted.
"That's fine, Ein—...," She paused a moment, "Hiccup...That's going to take some getting used too..." Astrid tried to laugh a little, I knew she was trying to lighten the mood but I just wasn't buying into it right now. My mood was way past foul with my mother's actions.
"Yeah...Sorry again. But with all the lies she told me...I couldn't even..." She put her hand to my mouth and shook her head.
"Its alright, Hiccup...I know. You weren't sure if it was true or not...She told you a lot of things that weren't true. I don't blame you for getting mad..." Astrid replied, I looked down again before coughing hard into my arm. "You're still sick..." She frowned feeling my forehead, "And your fever is coming back."
"Pretty sure that's because I'm beyond livid right now..." I stated to her.
"Either way...You're sick and should be resting, Hiccup...I want you to be healthy again, and better so we can go on our dates and flights. Been missing them the last week or so." Astrid put her hand on mine she knew how mad I was and wanted to help but didn't know how to calm me down not like a lot could right now.
"As soon as I'm better I promise I'll take ya on a dinner date to the cove, or flying to a secluded beach for the day...Just us." I replied.
"I'd like that..." She smiled laying her head on my shoulder. "What can I do to make this easier, Hiccup..."
"You can't, Astrid...And I'm not saying that because I don't know how you can...Its because you just can't...For years I dealt with being...second to everything. Dragons always came first and..." I sighed out as she moved some of my hair from my face.
"Hey...I know. You've told me before...I know its hard, especially when she just showed up out of the blue a year after you left and wanted you to come back. In your boots, I would of probably done the same thing. I can't pretend to know how you're feeling right now, Hiccup but I do know this..." Astrid paused as she stared into my eyes. "You left that nest to find out who you were, where you came from, and find your father. And you did exactly that. You discovered you're more than a dragon rider, rescuer or whatever. You're a peace keeper too. You don't just...save the dragons and hide them from the world, you show the world the truth about them and spread peace. You found out where you came from, Berk and of all places this is where you crash landed a year ago. And...You found your father, the man who took you in as your own and turned out to actually be your real dad." Astrid smiled at me.
"Because my mother couldn't just tell me the truth...She lied to me for years, never told me anything. Why did I have to set out at 17 years old to find a truth she should of told me all along..." I mumbled.
"Hiccup, I think you're missing the point here...You set out because you knew there was more to your life than just rescuing dragons. You knew there was more to you...You wanted adventure, you wanted answers, you wanted to leave to be the real you. You wanted more. And you look at all it brought you. Don't you see it, Hiccup? Everything you've been through has brought you right back to where you began. Your life started here on Berk as a baby and 16 years later or not...You made it back here because this is where you belong. You have done so much, changed so much for this island. Everyone was hoping that Stoick would claim you his heir and look at it. You are the heir! By blood you are the heir of Berk!" Astrid exclaimed.
"I guess. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that the place I crashed on ended up being the place I'd set out to find all along but...what upsets me is that I did in one day what my mother had years to do. To show herself and show the truth but instead she chose to hide herself, the dragons...and me. If all she cared about was the dragons then why didn't she just take me back to Berk...Why keep me there, miserable and lying to me for years...You don't...know how much it hurts, Astrid..." I said as my voice began to crack, she saw my eyes with tears brimming and threatening to fall down. Astrid wrapped her arms around me as I finally just let go what I was feeling, sadness of knowing my mother never gave a damn about me. Anger of her lies and all around frustration for everything else in between. I'd been holding it for years but after today, I just couldn't
Astrid was right, I found my home, my father...I even found love. But at the cost of what? Leaving my mother for a year and her tracking me down. Then yelling at her for everything? I couldn't hold it anymore, I just couldn't. Astrid just held me while I cried against her, she rubbed my back softly and kept her hand behind my head. "Ssh...It's alright...It's okay, Hiccup..." Astrid tried to soothe me. After a good hour, I was just laying against her with her arms still around me. My crying had stopped but I still didn't know exactly how I felt. We heard the flapping of wings but I didn't bother to look up.
"Gobber sent me to find you both, he had a feeling you wouldn't come back unless you knew that...she had left. So I'm here to let ya know that she left an hour ago after Stoick told her to leave. We...hope you're okay, Hiccup and come back soon." I heard Fishlegs say. I didn't respond but Astrid did.
"Thanks, Fishlegs...We'll be back soon okay?" The flapping of wings sound got father away and I knew Fishlegs had left. "You said you'd come back when you knew she was gone...You can't stay out here miserable, Hiccup...I thought you wanted to be happy again, to be around people who care. You are. You have me, our friends, the village...and your dad. And not for nothing but...there's something my uncle Finn always told me since I was a little girl...And that is: everything that happens, happens for a reason. You went through a lot, Hiccup but everything brought you to the truth...It brought you home." Astrid added softly as she kissed my forehead.
"You're right...Thanks, Astrid...Let's go back home." I replied, finally finding a small smile. She nodded as we got up and mounted our dragons. We darted off the sea stack and back to the village square, and Toothless let out a roar to let everyone know we were back too.
-Regular POV-
Upon arriving back to the village, the dragons landed and people made their way to see for themselves. Gobber rushed to Stoick's house and knocked, the chief opened the door and saw him there. "They're back chief." Gobber informed, Stoick rushed out shutting the door behind him and rushed into the village square as fast as he could. He broke through the crowd as saw Hiccup standing there beside Toothless. Stoick approached slowly until the two were only inches from one another.
"Hiccup..." Stoick panted.
"I'm home, Dad." Was all Hiccup said, Stoick's eye's filled with tears as he wrapped his arms around his son tightly and Hiccup hugged him back, "I'm finally home." He was home and he was never leave again. The village cheered for the reunion, not just for their heir being alive and home but also the father and son before them. 16 years apart could get a little emotional for anyone but no one cared. Stoick had his son back, and Hiccup had his father. Neither of them could be happier.
"Yes you are, Hiccup. You're home at last my son." Stoick cried still holding Hiccup tightly. Finally they pulled away, Astrid wiped her eyes, so did Fishlegs and the twins. It was very emotional but incredibly happy too. "And now I think it's time that Berk celebrates. What do you think, son?" Stoick asked with a smile.
"I think that sounds...great." Hiccup nodded, the village cheered more as they all made their way to the Great Hall to celebrate the return of the chief's son and the island's heir. Hiccup had everything he could of ever wanted and hoped for. And he knew his future only looked brighter from here because now he was home with family and friends. Right now he just wanted to celebrate with them. He didn't know what life had in store for him next but he knew whatever it was, it would probably only make his life better.