We don't own any of the OG characters, that credit goes to C. Cowell and DreamWorks.

The change was slight, but Hiccup noticed it.

He turned his head to observe his father. Anger was radiating off the chief's face. Hiccup's emotions still felt as if they were about to erupt.

He tried his best to keep them under the surface, as he kept a nonchalant expression.

"We're not done talking." Stoick's voice rose even higher and his gaze traveled from his wooden duck, to the fireplace, and now, to Hiccup.

"I-I thought we were." Hiccup mumbled, a little surprised, but mostly hopeful. He managed to keep the explosion at bay.

"Can you just not meddle? It's not like you care about this shit with me and Astrid." His voice was quiet and shy, but his words cut through his father's mind like a blade, snapping his patience in two.

Hiccup took a step towards his long awaited room, but it would have to wait a little more.

"I said we weren't done TALKING!" Stoick yelled, standing up and almost getting light-headed. It was an upwards battle for Hiccup, continuously pushing the boulder of anger away from his mind.

"Get down here and talk to me like a viking!"

That word. He always hated that word. He wasn't a viking. He never was. He's a dragon rider. A strategic, well-thought out, quick-witted dragon rider.

He jumped off the stairs, landed gracefully and let the dam break. "

I didn't do anything! She's making a big deal, even though I haven't done anything! You know, sometimes she can just be a little too Astrid. I mean, I discovered a new dragon rider! It's amazing! Another person, out there, riding them like we learned to do. What if there are more? There could be so many more! And she's just jealous of everything!"

Stoick narrowed his eyes.

"I think she just–" Hiccup cut him off and continued, even angrier than before. "No, she can't keep looking for reasons to fight with me. It's tiring, and, quite frankly, very much annoying. Whether it's 'Oh, you didn't notice my new ax.' or 'When's the last time we went riding together?' there's always gotta be some crap to fight about. Some meaningless shit she picks apart and takes out of context." He's been talking for a while but Stoick's face didn't move or twitch even slightly.

"Well, I for one, would say whatever happened, was a big deal. How about the fact that I haven't seen you since yesterday? No message, no warning, you disappear and don't show up home, even though there is another storm every few hours. Where were you?" Stoick asks accusingly.

"I was out flying with Toothless and we saw that dragon rider. The way she and her dragon worked so well together intrigued me and we went closer to look-"

"I'm sorry. I just thought you said `she´ for a second," his dad interrupted.

"That's because I did. Why is that even important?! All that I was trying to say was, that I'm NOT the only one who learned that dragons are tame! There could be so many others out there!" His face lit up with excitement as he was explaining.

"We could have allies and friends that we could explore the archipelago with! Doesn't that interest anyone besides me?" He was genuinely asking.

It seemed like a question worth asking and hoping he would understand, he paused in between rambling to stare at his unreadable expression. After a little while of staring, Stoick dropped his face and looked almost disappointed. Disappointed that he was still clueless.

"Why don't you just stop with the exploring and the intriguing and the clubs and the complaining? It's not worth it Hiccup. Look at Astrid! She's interested in protecting this village more than anything else. She uses her dragon to help the ones in need here!"

Hiccup knew it was coming. That phrase, those words, that demeaned him like nothing else did.

"Why can't you just be more like Astrid?" his words almost pitiful.

Holding back a waterfall, he heard his voice crack as he spoke now "No, I can't be more like Astrid!"

"Why not?" Stoick was waiting for a response eagerly.

"BECAUSE I'M NOT ASTRID!" His face was red, his body was shaking with pain and anger. He would never be enough for him.

As his father digested the powerful sentence, Hiccup swallowed his sadness once more and let the anger boil to the top.

"I can't be who you want me to be! I'm Hiccup. Not Astrid. You just never saw it that way. I was always a 'maybe'. A 'one day'. Not enough. Not what you wanted. That weak, small, not-a-viking boy, who was trying to win his father's diminishing approval and his village's approval! Why do you always try to take everything away? Both of you! I had dragon riders, and she took them away. Now she gives them orders. I'm just a joke to everyone! I warned you about the island but you didn't listen so I ended up having to save all your asses. I had a mom, but you never listened to her and now she's gone!" That hit hard. Hiccup could tell.

It was a bit too far to go to Valka, but he needed to make some sort of impact. Stoick was hurt but he couldn't be weak in front of Hiccup and let him win.

"You are acting irresponsibly and I'm not going to encourage this! As my son, you should respect me, and yelling is out of the–" that was the breaking point.

There it was. The end of the tunnel. The light that was almost too bright to see. He wouldn't take it anymore. His son. In a strictly biological sense. Nothing more.

"Am I your son? Really? I never noticed! I always thought Astrid was your daughter but, wait ohh yeah! I am your son! And what's crazy is that I always looked up to you. Now I realize you look down on me more than anyone. For Thor's sake, you don't even LOVE ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, sort of like a grand finale.

The curtains close on their replenished relationship and the instruments are silenced. Hiccup takes a step towards the wooden stairs, jumps on with one leg and swiftly makes his way to his room.

There, a pair of bright eyes were worriedly peering onto him. He pets Toothless reassuringly and swings one leg over him while securing the other in his artificial tail attachment. Giving Toothless only a small pat on the neck, they lift off into the sky, colored with the bright sunset light.

Stoick hears them take off and doesn't think much of it. They both need time to cool down.

But just as he sits down on the bench to calm down, he hears thunder echoing outside. He rushes outside to warn Hiccup, screaming his name.

"Hiccup! HICCUP!" He won't look back. He's not worth it, Hiccup thought, as a soft tear rolls down his bright red cheeks.