The Journey Into Us

Pairing: Hiccup X Toothless
Rating: M for Mature

Disclaimer: I do not own anything HTTYD-related.

Chapter 50

=Normal POV=
(Sunday, 3/7/2020; 11:30 am)
(Barbarchi City, Archipelago)
(Wild Fantasies)

Trayden felt bad for his boyfriend, Hunter was so quiet after he learned what he did on Thursday about not only his parents seeking him out, but also that he had two younger siblings. Hunter tried to put it out of his mind during work hours, but unless he was performing his routines solo or with a group, you could see it on the man's face that he was confused, and definitely wanted answers, but hesitant to speak to his parents. Trayden couldn't blame Hunter for worrying, it would prove to be an informative and emotional day. Hunter had decided that he couldn't put it off and this talk needed to happen, he was still very undecided if he would forgive his folks, but, at least, he needed to meet his siblings and perhaps offer them a safe haven from their overly judgmental parents. It wasn't fair to the younger siblings of Hunter's that they didn't get to know him and being that they would be eighteen this coming October; it was their decision to know their older brother. However, there was a stipulation to this agreement when Hunter had agreed to see his parents and siblings.

Hunter wanted all his friends there. Hunter wanted Gregory present, but that was a given. Trayden had been asked to come too. The agreed on date for this encounter was today, the 7th of March. A Sunday. And the meeting space was to be held at Wild Fantasies because it was big and didn't allow Hunter to reveal where he lived until it was decided how this would go. The business was closed for tonight, but Hunter still wanted it over with. Trayden spent Saturday night at Hunter's house, it had been a request because Hunter just didn't want to be alone. The two made out a little before they went to sleep, it would have been sex, but the males were exhausted after working. This morning, though, Hunter and Trayden engaged in some foreplay and it landed them late to Wild Fantasies. They were the last to arrive to the establishment and walked in casually. Hunter's mood already dropped before they got out of the car.

"Everything is going to be okay. I'm here with you," Trayden reminded his boyfriend.

"Thank you, babe," Hunter gave a light smile, holding his hand tightly, and bringing it up to set a kiss on the back.

Trayden smiled to his boyfriend and they started their way inside the building; they laid eyes on everyone there, sitting around and waiting for them. Gregory was leaning on the bar, arms folded over one another and looking less than happy with Hunter's parents, who were standing with two children, who appeared to be seven or eight years old. Hunter knew those had to be his twin siblings, Nathan and Hollie. There was no denying they were related. Nathan appeared to have green eyes and auburn hair, looking more like his mother, but had his father's nose and face-shape. Hollie showed to have hair like her father which was a reddish-orange color, but the shape of her mother's face, and nose, also her blue-green eyes.

"You're late, son," Hunter's father informed.

"Okay…One, don't go there with the son comments. I've only allowed this to cure my own curiosity, but believe me…I'd have preferred that you stayed out of my life after this long. Two, I said between 11 am and 12 pm. It is 11:30 in the morning, so don't get on me about time. I was busy with Tray," Hunter remarked.

"Can I ask why we had to meet at some strip bar?" Inquired Hunter's father.

"Because I'm not telling you two where I live until I decide if I can forgive you, and then if I even should." Hunter responded, it was a fair question. "This is where I work and it's a big space to hold everyone. Also, I happen to be in real good with the owner, who allowed this,"

"Always so sarcastic," Gregory sighed some. "I own the place. Always wanted to run a bar, got a good deal through the previous owner and left it alone for the strip part. Hunter runs the show, music, lights, and whatnot," He enlightened.

"We know you live with Gregory, Hunter," His mother, Vivian Haddock, chimed lightly.

"I actually don't," Hunter retorted, folding his arms over one another now. "Enough." He cut off his parents from beginning again. "The conversation we're about to have is by no means suitable for children…So while we have this out, they need to not be here." He remarked.

"We brought them to meet you…" Salvatore stated in a calm voice.

"And that's fine and dandy, but after this. You don't get to come back after a decade and think we're gonna be all good again? One big, happy family just because you brought along my younger siblings. If they were in their teens, maybe I wouldn't care…But this is between you two and me. Not them and they are too young for what is going to be said," Hunter gave a firm stare.

"I'll take them in my office here. They can watch TV on the computer with juice and chips, as long as it's okay with you two. But I do agree with Hunter that they shouldn't be here for the talk between you three," Gregory offered.

"That's fine with us," Vivian said and Salvatore nodded his head to Gregory.

"You good out here, laddie?" Gregory looked at Hunter.

"I can handle them, Uncle Greg. Thanks," Hunter replied to him in a calmer tone.

"Right then. Come on, kids," Gregory led the two seven year old children away towards the back and into his office. Hunter knew it was soundproof and his siblings wouldn't be able to hear anything when this inevitably became yelling. Once the door was closed, Gregory gave a thumbs up threw the window, Hunter knew it was okay to start and also that Gregory would be watching for emergencies if things got out of hand with Hunter potentially losing control of his emotions where he got too angry or upset with everything.

"I granted you a chance to speak with me, so don't waste my time with matters that don't matter," Hunter remarked.

"Your siblings don't matter to you?" Vivian questioned softly.

"Don't twist my words. Meeting them right now doesn't matter because I can do that any time I want. I also don't have a problem with either of them. My issue is you two. If all you did was seek me out to tell me you had two more kids in the last ten years that I should get to know, then you can introduce them to me and leave. But don't ever come back into my life again. I'll contact you, privately, to maintain a relationship with them. They didn't wrong me, so I won't take my anger out on them," Hunter informed coldly, pausing. "So you've passed your message that I have twin siblings…Was that it?" He asked.

"No, we wanted to talk to you too," Salvatore sighed, closing his eyes.

"Then talk. Stop standing there like children who got scolded for doing wrong and talk to me. I told you, this is you ONLY chance," Hunter reminded. "I shouldn't be surprised that you don't know how to start or speak to me, you're very good at just staying quiet. I guess ten years hasn't changed much," He added. "Why don't we start easy? Why did you do it? A decade ago as of February 28th, 2020, it marked ten years that you kicked me out for being gay. I want to know why and if your reasoning sucks, the conversation stops and you leave,"

"Hunter, you have to understand how shocked we were to learn you were gay," Vivian started in a light, cautious tone. "We were having such a lovely night for your birthday and then you just dropped that on us,"

"How did you think we'd take it?" Salvatore said in addition.

"Maybe by actually being surprised?" Hunter suggested. "Telling me you needed a little time to sit with it? Uh, perhaps us sitting down and talking about it where you asked questions of when I discovered that I was, any of that?" He remarked.

"It was mind-blowing, Hunter…" Vivian frowned.

"Maybe for you, but what you did to me was heartbreaking!" Hunter snapped, finally throwing his arms down at his sides and glaring. "You didn't say anything at all. You didn't do anything at all. You just sat there, in silence, staring at me like I'd killed someone in cold blood. There was no shocked voice, no surprise in your eyes. You told me I had ten minutes to pack and get out," Hunter retorted with a hard stare. "You said nothing else to me, other than stopping by the old room to give me a file with my important documents in it, then inform me how much time I had left and that I would leave the phone behind."

"We know what we did was wrong, sweetheart…" Vivian tried to reach for him.

"We regretted things as soon as you left the house and went out of sight," Salvatore tried.

"Then why didn't you come after me!?" Hunter yelled. "I was less than a fifteen minute walk away in the park! It was less than eight by car! I sat on the park bench under the big oak tree for an hour until Gregory came to get me. He was the only person I called before you demanded the phone into your hand, and he knew where to find me," He continued.

"We knew you'd be angry at our reaction, how we handled things," Salvatore informed quickly.

"We understand there were a million better ways to take what we were told, and we went with the worst, not even thinking about it all. We're so sorry…" Vivian went to get his hand, but Hunter backed away from her, still giving a murderous look in his green orbs. Trayden saw pain behind all that. Hunter wanted to fall, but wouldn't let himself in front of them.

"I don't accept your apology because I think it's bullshit," Hunter commented coldly. "If you really mean what you say, then you would have come after me,"

"We did! We went to the park a few hours later and you weren't there!" Salvatore insisted.

"Because Gregory came and picked me up!" Hunter glared. "All of this apologizing and your reasons are meaningless and a waste of my time!" He paused some and took a breath. "I know you checked the phone, find out the last person I called. I know you were more than aware I was with Greg. If you mean what you say, why didn't you just call him up and tell him what went down was a mistake and you didn't mean it?" His parents had no response. "Why did you tell everyone I was sick, and that's why I wasn't in school? Why did you tell everyone I ran away when being sick wouldn't hold anymore? Oh, I know! You were too ashamed to admit you fucked up and didn't want anyone to know the truth that you kicked me out at fifteen years old because I told you I'm gay!"

"Hunter, please…We'd do anything to take it back," Salvatore offered.

"But we know that we can't. Time is not ours to control…All we can do is move forward into the future," Vivian suggested softly. Hunter's annoyed face didn't chance.

"You're so lax about this and it's making me want to tell you that all bets are off and just leave," Hunter refolded his arms over one another, and his voice was a little calmer. "You don't even know the shit I went through, do you?" He asked as both parents shook their heads.

"Greg only said that we hurt you and we'd never understand how much," Salvatore sighed softly.

"Ten years ago, after Gregory came to pick me up, I started living with him. When legality matters were cleared up, I fell into a bad depression because of what you did. I just stayed in my room at Greg's, brokenhearted, day after day. I was reckless, used to steal his cigarettes, alcohol…I did whatever it took to not feel anything," Hunter explained. "I did it for a while, until one of the times that I just broke down. Greg was called from work by the neighbor who heard a lot of crashing upstairs. Once I sobered up, he told me he was scared I was going to kill myself or actually try to end my own life intentionally and that he didn't want to come home to see me gone. He knew it hurt me, and suggested I talk to someone…So I started seeing a therapist to cope with it all. Kicked bad habits, was working with Greg at the auto shop, started getting back into things I enjoyed doing…December 2012, I had my GED, worked under the table…And in January 2013, I stopped going to therapy because I was in a better place and I've never forgotten the words Gregory told me that made all the difference. I still live my life by them." Hunter informed.

Salvatore and Vivian could only be riddled with guilt, and it was seen for everyone to see. "You told the family and my friends that I was sick, then that I had run away. Most of them believed, at least until last three months ago, that I had been killed and you didn't have the heart to tell them I was dead. Really, though, it was you not having the balls to tell them you disowned and kicked out your only, at the time, son when he told you he was, still actually, gay." Hunter went on. "I purposely made sure the phone was unlocked when I gave it back, so you could see who I called before I left the house. You had a way to contact me all these years, by calling Greg, who purposely didn't change his number so you could reach out. Gregory, who purposely never moved out of this apartment for you to come see him to ask about me," He informed. "You had everything you needed to make it right. Back then. When it mattered and would have meant something to me."

"Us coming to you now doesn't matter or mean anything?" Vivian's eyes began to tear up.

"How can it? You decide after ten years to come back and apologize? Instead of right away? Or did you lie to me and it didn't hit you right away that you regretted your decision?" Hunter stared intently. "If you knew it was wrong the moment I left, why didn't you stop me from leaving? Stop me from walking down the driveway, the street?" Hunter asked. "Greg never got any calls from you and you never showed up to inquire about me. In fact, I bet you don't even know that you lost all rights to me,"

"What?" The Haddock parents said quickly, shocked.

"I didn't stutter," Hunter retorted, leaning back on one of the tables, looking annoyed. "You threw me out of your house, at fifteen years old. That's called neglect and abandonment in the eyes of Child Protective Services," He informed. "I don't think you understand that Gregory is more than just my unofficial uncle and legal godfather. You kicked me out, Gregory not only let me live with him, but he took me in as his own."

"What do you mean?" Salvatore asked.

"I adopted him, Sal." Gregory walked towards them. "You and Vivian lost your rights when you did what you did. He would have ended up orphaned and fostered, in the system, had I not stepped in. And with Hunter over the age of fourteen, he consented to the adoption. The judge approved the everything. Years ago before Hunter turned sixteen," The man explained.

"But you're still our son by birth," Vivian said gently.

"Believe me, if I could remove blood, I would. Genetics say I'm your son, but parenting says Greg is. He adopted me when you decided you couldn't have a gay son." Hunter scoffed. "You still haven't told me why you didn't immediately come after me if you regret your choice,"

"We felt like everyone needed some space after what happened." Salvatore said.

"Then you should have said that ten years ago and sent Hunter to his room until you sorted your thoughts. Instead, you resorted to immediately throwing him out on the streets. A defenseless teenager!" Gregory glared, folding his arms. "It was the end of February! It was below thirty-five degrees! The lad was freezing by the time I got to him!"

"Dad…" Hunter warned, seeing the Gregory was getting angry, which didn't happen often.

"Right, sorry," Gregory took a breath and went back to the office.

"Don't give me that look," Hunter saw the hurt, almost offended look that his parents gave him when Hunter called Gregory dad. "He adopted me. In many ways, including legally, Gregory is my father." He told them firmly. "Gregory has done nothing but love and support me like a loving and supportive parent would. Gregory took me in, gave me a home and made sure I was taken care of. He gave me a room, clothes, help through therapy and more support in that. He got me a job…Where were you when I needed support?" Hunter asked. "Oh, right. Throwing me out. "But hey, I made it without you in my life. I survived, and now I have everything I could ever want. A home, vehicle, job, friends, lover, and all the love and support that I could have even hoped to get."

"Hunter, please?" Vivian tried. "We know we messed up, and we can't take it back. Its…Unforgivable what we did," She paused as Hunter arched a brow, curious and motioning for her to go on. "We'll do anything for another chance to be what we weren't before."

"Yes, we will, son. I swear it. We just want a chance to make it right, like we should have before and reacted badly when it happened. And we never should have stayed away this long…It is completely unacceptable and unforgivable." Salvatore reiterated what his wife said.

Hunter was quiet. Taking everything in and sighing. "Fine." Hunter closed his eyes.

"You'll forgive us?" The two Haddock parents asked quickly.

Hunter looked at them. "No. You said yourself that what you did cannot be forgiven. You threw me out of your lives over me being gay, and didn't make a single initiative in the last ten years to rectify the mistake you claim to have made that day. I probably would have been angry and upset with you then, but you could have at least tried and things might have been different. But as that isn't the case, this is where we are now. And you are right, it can't be forgiven, so I won't forgive it." The two parents looked down. "However," He paused. "I will grant you a single chance to prove your words just now, and if you fuck it up, then I will continue living my life without you two in it. Ready?" He informed. The two parents nodded, almost hesitantly. "You one chance is to show me why you deserve to be in my life."