=Hunter's POV=
(Sunday, 1/7/2018-2:45 pm)
(Archian Island, Berk)
(Haddock Home)
So, it was awkward on Thursday to not only have been caught in Nicole's room by her parents, but also that they heard me refer to myself as her boyfriend. Nikki's father, Keith, looked ready to kill me. However, when Nicole ended throwing up again and my attention went to her instead of the fact her dad was glaring at me for being in her bedroom's bathroom, never mind being in the house alone with his daughter, Mrs. Strondsen, Ella, stated that given the circumstances of Nicole being ill; we should discuss the matter of me being there and her boyfriend another day. Thankfully, Keith agreed and I said my goodbye to Nicole while she was leaning against the wall. I gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and told her I hoped she felt better before letting myself out of the house and returning home. I did inform her that the makeup work folder was on her desk, as I set it there before coming into the bathroom to check on her. It's been a couple days since then, three to be exact. Nikki messaged me this morning and asked if I'd come over for that talk that her parents agreed to put off. Safe to say that today would be the one it came out officially we were dating and I prayed that they wouldn't ban us from seeing one another.
The time agreed was for 3:00 pm, so here we are at fifteen minutes of as I was preparing to go over to her house. I left my room to find my uncle and father sitting in the living room. "Where are you headed at this hour, son?" My dad asked.
"Uh, Nicole's…" I replied.
"Dinner with her family?" Glenn wondered.
"Eh, more like talk because up until Thursday; they didn't know we were together…But she was still sick, so the chat was put off until today." I admitted.
"They…Didn't know you were dating their daughter?" The two males asked.
I nodded to them. "She said there was a reason her parents might not like the idea of her dating again, but she's never told me. She got close once, but I could tell she was nervous about it and said that she could tell me when she was ready. But last Thursday when she was sick; I was sitting with her in the bathroom and her parents showed up to find me there and calling myself her boyfriend…So yeah. Guess I'm being invited over to have this talk. I'll be home later, love you guys!" I waved and hurried out to get to the jeep and then head for Nicole's house.
. . .
=Normal POV=
(3:00 pm)
(Strondsen Home)
Hunter pulled into the driveway on time and reached the door; he took a deep breath before knocking three times and then stepping back to wait. Hunter had already warned Nicole when he left the house and was on his way. After a moment, the door opened to reveal Nicole there, smiling softly.
"Hi…" Nicole said gently.
"Hey. I'm glad you're feeling better…I've missed you." Hunter said as the two of them hugged lightly and he kissed her cheek.
"Missed you too, and I'm happy to finally feel better. Please, come in? My parents are waiting in the living room for us." Nicole revealed, opening the door more to invite Hunter in. He stepped through as Nicole closed the door and led Hunter to the living room, where Keith and Ella were waiting for them. Keith did not look pleased, but was calm as Ella just smiled.
"Welcome, Hunter. Please, have a seat?" Ella motioned to the couch near the one the Strondsen parents sat on.
"Thank you, Mrs. Strondsen." Hunter replied, sitting down and then Nicole beside him.
"I don't believe we need to do introductions, those were covered the night of your cousin's birthday party at your house…" Keith began. "I want to know why you-," He started again, a firmer voice coming through. But he was stopped by his wife's hand on his arm.
"We want to understand the…Situation between you two and why is wasn't known before last Thursday?" Ella interjected.
"When did all this start?" Keith asked.
"We…Realized we had mutual feelings for one another after a dance back in October; the Halloween one. It was to a very old song, and at the end-," Hunter started.
"I-I kissed him. I'd had a crush at first, that evolved into like. I never said anything until that night though." Nicole took over the story, which Hunter didn't mind; that was what happened.
"I'd had a crush too, developed into like. We agreed to leave the dance to go get dinner, since we hadn't eaten before. We talked about things and decided to spend some time getting to know one another better, as we only met in September." Hunter continued.
"We agreed that things started after our first movie night…You remember I told you that every time I finish one of the Harry Potter books, we watch it at Hunter's because he has them all. Anyway, we said it started then, crushing, then liking." Nicole revealed to them. Her parents hadn't said a world, just listening to the teenagers speaking. "Uh, during the dinner at the end of October; we just asked one another questions to learn more about the other. We said that if any questions were too personal, we'd pass and no hard feelings, but maybe talk about them later on after we got more comfortable with one another."
"We went on some dates and hung out until December, when we agreed to sit down and talk about if our feelings stayed the same, grew, or changed completely. The two months was to see where things would go with the feelings in the open, and kind'a dating because we knew that sometimes it happens where a people admit feelings, get together, but then they fade. So we were testing to see if that would happen to us. It was after my game on the 23rd where we talked before the movie and agreed that our feelings were still there and had gotten stronger. So…We decided to start dating officially." Hunter explained, leaving out the fact they kind of made out before the talk.
"And we've been dating since." Nicole added. She was glad Hunter didn't mention that Hunter said he loved her, that would be complicated to explain. It might come out eventually, but it was easier to play off they evolved to love with the time in rather than say Hunter loved her first and Nicole had no idea if what she felt for him was love or not.
"So you've only been officially dating since December 23rd?" Keith inquired.
"That's correct, sir." Hunter replied with a nod of his head.
Keith stared a Hunter for a few moments before rising to his feet. "Ella, why don't you and Nicole go get started on dinner while Hunter and I chat a little." Keith suggested.
"Yes, dear." Ella stood as Nicole did too, she gave Hunter a worried look and he gave one back not to worry because this wasn't the first time he'd had to go through the private talk with dad thing. He'd done it once, with Ashely's father. It ended up going really well, and he allowed Hunter to continue dating Ashley afterward. Ella and Nicole left the living room as Keith looked at Hunter again.
"Come with me." Keith said. Hunter got to his feet and followed Keith down the hall on the left, they went up a flight of stairs and entered a room that would be above the garage; it appeared to be an office where Keith likely did work from home on files and what not as he was a doctor at the hospital. "I figured this would be better, and more private to speak to one another without the girls not-so discreetly peering from the kitchen to make sure I'm not going to scare you off." The man started, motioning to a couch for them to sit on.
"I'm…Not easily scared, sir." Hunter admitted. "I've been through the talk with a girlfriend's father before…" He added.
"Ah, good. Then I don't have to be as gentle since I'm sure you know what's coming?" Keith stated. Hiccup nodded to him. "I don't want you to believe that I'm going to be the father who makes his little girl mad or upset by laying into you on all the if you hurt her, I will hurt you stuff. I assumed you already picked up that I won't deal with my daughter being hurt by a man. Nicole is my only child, only daughter. My wife and I always wanted more kids, but it was difficult to have just Nicole and were told it'd be harder and dangerous to try again."
"I, uh, completely understand, Mr. Strondsen." Hunter said softly. "I am also an only child to my parents. My mom suffered many miscarriages, and one stillbirth before I was born. I came into the world two months early. It was not advised my parents have anymore either, for fear of more loss and my mom being unable to handle it again. My parents had me later than wanted. My father is currently forty-seven. And my mother would be forty-three this year. I'm only about to be eighteen, so figure that in how old they were having me…"
"Your father was twenty-nine, and your mother…Twenty-five?" Keith asked. "Doesn't seem old. About average, actually. But I assume, because you said there were many tries to have a baby, they started much younger?"
Hunter nodded. "Yes…My mom married my dad at twenty-four after dating since they were eighteen in 1994, they started trying right away from the honeymoon. So I've been told…" He stated. "But they were informed that it wouldn't be safe for mom to keep trying for more kids after me based on her past with pregnancies, the one stillborn, and then me coming two months early."
"What did you mean by your mother would be forty-three?" Keith questioned.
Hunter looked down a little. "She…Passed away last year, just after her forty-second birthday in May on the 14th."
"I'm sorry for you loss, Hunter." Keith said sympathetically. "My condolences, son."
"Thank you…" Hunter replied, not wanting to get upset. "But anyway…This is…About me dating Nicole, right?" He tried to divert the conversation away from the fact his mother's death anniversary was coming up in four months. Keith understood and didn't want to upset him by staying on a grim topic which wasn't the point of this conversation.
"Yes, of course. My wife and I never used to be this involved with Nicole's…Relationships; I'm not sure what she's told you about them in the past. However, the last one made us decide we needed to be more on top of things and that is the reason I wanted us to be able to talk. Nicole has never told us about the boys she decides to be with, so when we learned you were her boyfriend last Thursday; it came off as a shock and we feared a repeat of the past. My first instinct is to protect her as the others have been…Well, if I can be honest, not like you." Keith remarked.
"She's…Told me about a few, but not in overly great detail. During our Halloween dance dinner, we got on the topic of past relationships, and she opted to pass on telling me about her most recent ex. Uh, we got on it again when we started dating officially, she told me that it might be the reason it took you and your wife a long time to trust me. I told her she didn't need to tell me, and she could if she wanted to." Hunter informed.
"Well, then I won't say anything until she does. I just need to make sure you're not going to be one of the past guys before I let this continue. I'm…Sure you understand?" Keith hoped.
"I do. As I said, not the first time I've been through twenty questions with father of my girlfriend. That…Wasn't meant to come out as sarcastic as it did, only that I do know what's about to happen…" Hunter revealed quickly, not wanting to disrespect him.
"I appreciate your honesty, Hunter." Keith said. "That shows me that you won't lie to me in order to pass this."
"Cheaters never prosper, and liars never win as the truth always comes out. Honesty is always the best policy." Hunter replied.
"Your parents did a marvelous job raising you, lad." Keith complimented.
"I'll be sure to tell my dad that when I get home later." Hunter nodded. "It would make him happy to know I listened to some things and applied them to real life. And please, feel free to ask me anything. I know that nothing is too personal to a father worried about his only daughter." He invited.
"I'm mainly checking to make sure that no surprises come up about you; I'd prefer to know everything, rather than have it pop up and I get mad that I didn't know previously it could be something." Keith mentioned.
"Please, go right ahead and ask anything, sir. I won't lie to you." Hunter reminded again.
"Alright, let's start easy then. I could hire someone to get your information for me, but I prefer to ask myself and hope for honesty. As you stated you won't lie to me…How about you just tell me about you? I didn't have this luxury with any of Nicole's other boyfriends…As she kept them secret. So if you're going to be in my daughter's life, and we're going to be seeing a lot of you; I'd like to know more about the young man my daughter is seeing." Keith stated, inviting Hunter to speak.
"Alright, uh…My name is Hunter Haddock, I was born February 29th, 2000. My parents are Spencer and Valerie Haddock, my Godfather and unofficial uncle is Glenn Forger. My biological uncle is Shawn Jorgenson, Chief of Police. His wife, my aunt, is Francine Jorgenson, and their two kids are my cousins; Shane and Addilyn. I've always lived here in Berk. I work for my Uncle Glenn in his auto shop, have since as long as I can remember, probably fifteen for legal age. But I used to spend summers there and learned a lot about cars…I play Basketball, on recreation and school league teams. I didn't do rec this past summer because I was busy in the shop; been doing Basketball since I was probably six, or seven." Hunter paused to think about more stuff.
"I remember you said you had your license already, and that you scored perfect on it. How are you grades in school?" Keith wondered.
"Straight A's." Hunter responded.
"Good, good. Career plan, or staying at your uncle's shop?" Keith questioned.
"I plan to go to college while still working for my uncle during off time. I've been considering to go into Engineering as my major; then maybe minor in Art." Hunter stated with a smile.
"That's a good field to be in." Keith smiled, seeming pleased with the answer. "Now, I know what you father does, and your uncles…What did you mother do?"
"She was a Veterinarian, founder and owner of Healing Hearts Sanctuary; it's managed by a very good friend of the family now…But my dad still owns it." Hunter explained.
"Ah, very good. It's a top animal hospital and shelter on Archian Island." Keith informed.
"I-I know. I used to help there too when I was younger. I was good with keeping the animals calm when they first came in and needed to be treated. I seems to have a way with them, or so mom used to say I did." Hunter shrugged.
"When you work with your Uncle Glenn, you said legal work; I assume you're on the books and getting paid?" Keith inquired.
Hunter nodded to him. "Yes, yes. I make about $17 an hour, for now as I only work part time due to school. Uh, afterward and even while going to college; my uncle is gonna raise it to $20. I still get a weekly allowance from my dad, have since I was probably five with just doing basic chores. Used to get paid under the table by my Uncle Glenn before I was on the books from about thirteen to fifteen. Not as much as I make now, but he'd pay me for cleaning up spills, some booking, and what not. And…Mom used to give me a little something for helping at the shelter. I've basically been working since I was five, saving like crazy so that way I'd always have the money I need to do whatever I wanted. Mainly for college, as I got older and wanted to go into Engineering. I originally considered auto, but my godfather has basically taught me everything in the field already, so I'll go for what I want and don't know." Hunter smiled.
"I do pay my own bills, car insurance and phone. They're in dad's name as I am under eighteen still, but I give him the money for both. And I put my own gas in the jeep, and pay for things I need like clothes and what not. Uh, I help dad with food in the house, especially if it's something specific I want. I pay for the repair on my car, and save on labor by fixing it myself at the shop." Hunter chuckled a little.
"That's very good, Hunter. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, were raised to respect hard work and the skill of saving money and being responsible. I deeply respect that, especially for a young man of your age. Most don't learn such life skills, or morals until their out of college and realize that the real world is not as easy when you're out of your parents' house." Keith complimented.
"Thank you, sir." Hunter bowed his head. "I just like to be ready for anything, and if I'm not; I adjust pretty quickly."
"Excellent philosophy to have." Keith beamed. "I stand by what I said; you're a very good man as far as having priorities straight and knowing how the world works…Now…If you don't mind, can I inquire to your…Past with relationships. You mentioned before that you and Nicole spoke about past lovers in not great detail, so I suppose I'm curious about how all those went?"
"I don't mind." Hunter replied as he began to tell Keith about his past love life. It wasn't awesome, but Hunter had promised to be honest and open, so he damn well would be and only prayed by the end of the fatherly interrogation; that he'd still be able to date Nicole.
