After breakfast, I said bye to Carol and Kye and made my way into town. I got a lift to their house with Astrid so I'd have to get the bus home. They only lived about a block or two out from the main shopping district so it was no biggie. As I walked by Will's work I checked in the window to see if he was on today, and sure enough, I spotted him in his white shirt, black pants and apron, turning a crepe on a hot plate. Watching him work right then made me contemplate crepes but I remembered I just had pancakes...gods-damn my sweet tooth! Anyways, I decided to go in and catch up with him.
"Morning Will," I greeted as I took a seat on a bar stool. He placed a finished crepe under a hot lamp for a brunette waitress around our age to come collect.
"Hey, mate, morning yourself!" Will returned cheerfully with a handshake. "Can I get you something?"
"Uh, just the usual, thanks."
"Coming right up." He made me a chocolate milkshake and one for himself.
"One of these days, your boss is gonna call you out; You know that right?" I teased.
"Oh ha ha," Will retored. "Two things, my brother: One - My boss couldn't give two shits what I consume for free, and Two - I finish pretty soon anyway."
"Oh, only a morning shift?"
"Mm-Hm." I then saw him try to surreptitiously glance over my shoulder at something, but his body language made it clear something was bothering him.
"Will, are you okay?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah...I'm fine," he dismissed rather quickly. I followed his eyes and looked over my shoulder to see the waitress from before. I got a better look at her and saw she was rather pretty...OH!
"Will! You like that girl or something?" I pressed. He looked rather glum.
"...I don't know," he huffed. "She's been acting real strange lately. When I found out we were gonna be moving here I thought it'd be good to chat to somebody before we moved so I'd at least have one friend before I arrived, and I found her on Social Media and introduced myself. So we've known each other for a couple months and she'd been so nice to me and she was there for me when I was going through shit with my band back home, and we've been hanging out a little bit recently, and...I think I've got it hard for her."
"So what's the problem?"
"The problem is, I've been receiving mixed signals from her a lot now. A couple of nights ago on chat, she started flirting with me and I was like wait, what? So, I bantered back to see what would happen and she kept doing it, and blah blah blah, until I asked her what we were doing. Then, she went all coy about it and denied what she was doing. And whenever we see each other in person she acts as if nothing happened. Its killing me, Hiccup. Literally killing me." My Gods! What the hell?
"Oh, Will, that's rough...is that why you're uncomfortable whenever we bring up special someones?"
"Yeah," he nodded sadly. "That, and I never had the best of luck with girls back home, anyway. Everyone where I came from either wasn't my type or had barely any regard for me at school. and...something else but that's a story for another time."
"Fair enough," I shrugged. "What is your type?"
"Ah, I dunno, um...Intelligent, beautiful, supportive, similar tastes to mine, fantastic listener...anyone who could be my rock, I guess."
I hummed in thought. Well, he's got the right type...I better change the subject in case he gets any more glum. "So you finish soon...wanna catch the bus home with me and we can jam for a little bit?"
"I'd love that, thank you," Will accepted gratefully.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Oh, uh, sure."
"When you're around Astrid and I...do you feel like a third wheel?" I rushed the last part.
"What?" He laughed.
"Are you jealous of me and Astrid?"
"What? Oh, hell no, man I'm not jealous of you guys at all!" Will laughed again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I promise," Will assured me. "I actually think its beautiful you guys are together. You're a cute couple." Then it was my turn to laugh.
"Thank you."
"All good, man...Although a part of me does wish I had someone who loved me, I think its awesome you guys are together."
"Heh, thanks, but I don't know if she loves me, but..."
"...You love her?" Will finished for me. I slowly smiled.
"Yeah." He grinned at me and nodded.
"I always knew there was something different about you, Hiccup. You feel all these things and you're straight and open about them. You're braver than you probably think you are and that's why I'm glad you and I are friends. Nothin' but love for you, brother." He finished with a slightly ghetto voice (Hope that wasn't racist).
"Hey, what are brothers for?" I chuckled. We fistbumped and kept chatting for about ten minutes before he ducked out the back to change into his casuals. He emerged wearing blue jeans and a brown Henley top with a few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. He looked like a blonde Nathan Drake. As he came up to me I hummed Nate's Theme, and it didn't take him long to hum along with me as we left the café and we burst into fits of laughter as soon as the door shut behind us.
"Great game, that one."
"Hell yes."
Okay, let's find a bus home."
"Lead the way, Sulley."
"Take that back! My hair is not silver!"
"You sure about th...?
We found a bus and headed straight for home. Once we entered our studio we tracked a couple of ideas for an hour or so, jammed a couple covers here and there and went back downstairs at noon for lunch. Will offered to make French Toast. I hadn't had it in years and my already sugar loaded veins would have to cop another clogging, so to speak. When Will was almost done, Toothless jumped on my lap from out of nowhere and eyed the batter curiously.
"Nuh-uh, not for you," I jokingly scolded as I picked him up and cradled him like a baby, like I always do. As usual, he started purring like a motorcycle but his eyes pleaded with me and he mewed a couple of times.
"Will, look, he's pouting," I laughed. He craned his neck over the bench and laughed.
"I love that cat."
"He is the best! But no batter for you, bud." I kissed his head and set him back down on the ground. Then the front door opened.
"Hiccup?!"
"Oh! Hey Dad, in here!" I called out. Dad walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face.
"Hey, son. Ooh, French Toast?"
"Yessir," Will said nervously.
"How many times must I tell you, young William? You can call me Stoick!" Dad boomed proudly as he clapped Will's back.
"Ah, but there's an inlying irony there. You asked me to call you Stoick yet you called me WILLIAM in the process." Will replied.
"...Touche. Anyway, good to see you again, lad."
"Good to see you too, si-Stoick. Want some?" Will gestured to the high pile of bread.
"Yes please!" I've got quite a long break before I have to head back out."
The three of us chatted and ate together until Dad interrupted.
"Will, do you mind if I have a private word with Hiccup?" Dad asked unexpectedly.
"Oh, uh, not at all! I was just gonna go tune up the drums anyway." He left the kitchen and bounced upstairs.
"Okay...Son, I wanted to apologize to you."
"What for?" Wait, where was this coming from?
"I know I should've done this a while ago, but now that you and I actually have a moment...I wish we had more moments together, Hiccup, I really do. But work is pulling me one way and family the other, its a terrible tug-of-war for me at the moment. And what with your mother needing more enclosures I've had to work longer days to help her out and help out others who need it. But I..." Tears started to form in his eyes. WAS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING? One slid down his bushy cheek and caught on his beard.
"I'm sorry I didn't-don't spend more time with you, son. Work is taking up my world right now but you are my whole world. I hope you can forgive me for not being a better father these past few years. I didn't take the time to help you when you were going through what you were going through and I regret leaving you with your pain, but know I always looked out for you...Always, even when I couldn't talk to you about it. I...I love you."
I nearly felt like crying too. True, he didn't have the greatest support for when I was suffering, but I didn't care. The fact remains he was still here, looking out for me, and even just for that, I'm grateful. Choking back tears, and full of deep breaths, I spoke.
"As my friend, Will, would say..." I put my arms around him best I could and hugged him.
"I got nothin' but love for you, Dad."
I realised there was virtually no father/son interaction in my story until now. I really enjoyed writing this one. Hope you liked reading it too.