Chapter Text
Hiccup gets it, alright? He knows. He’s different, and he’s— he’s odd, and the other Berkians don’t like him! But do they really need to keep reminding him? Day after day, complaint after complaint— it never ends! Someone always has something to say about how he’s ruining something or fucking up some other thing or how he’ll just never be a good Viking and he should quit trying now or that Stoick should cut his losses and choose a new heir because Hiccup is clearly such a useless runt that—
So yeah. Hiccup gets it. Kinda hard not to realize when it’s been this way for… oh, about his whole life? At the very least for as long as he could form and express his own opinions and ideas.
There was a time it bothered him (a long time, admittedly), like well and truly bothered him, an upset beyond consolation type of bothered. But that’s behind him, because now? Now Hiccup only feels a dull ache and a Hel of a lot of resignation. This is just how things are. Hiccup is nothing if not stubborn and so he refuses to change who he is at his core, and the more he went seeing how hated he is for being himself, the more he began thinking that maybe all that acceptance he wanted isn’t worth it.
His stubbornness goes in the other direction as well though, and so Hiccup will keep trying to get them to accept him for who he is. He… doesn’t really have many options other than that.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏࣪﹏𓊝﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪
Suddenly, he has another option.
He has Toothless, the Night Fury he shot down in an attempt to prove that his way of doing things works too. And then no one believed him, he only got more mocking remarks and harsh comments. He went to the woods on his own, anything to prove he really did shoot down a Night Fury! He was going to kill him. But then…
…he wouldn’t.
And so it went from there that he freed the Night Fury. And that should’ve been the end of it. But again, Hiccup is nothing if not stubborn.
So he came back. And then back again. And again and again. And Toothless became his best friend, his first friend in… a long while. And as he works on giving Toothless a chance to fly again, he realizes he finally has another option aside from “be scorned” or “hollow acceptance.”
He doesn’t take the option right away, but he makes plans for it.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏࣪﹏𓊝﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪
Hiccup is in his workshop late at night, sketching Toothless absentmindedly as he mentally goes over his various plans for if the worst should happen and he needs to leave with Toothless. He’s scrounged up enough gold that he won’t immediately be in a tight spot, he’s squirreled away enough spare metal pieces and leather scraps and old tools that he can craft anything they might need for a time, and he’s already set aside some food that won’t go bad and some medicinal herbs just in case. Wouldn’t do to be on his own without medicine.
As he runs through his supply list in his head, he almost misses his father entering his workshop, and Hiccup scrambles to cover up his sketches of Toothless and his notes about his tail.
“Dad! Hey! You’re back! Uh— Gobber isn’t here right now, so…”
“I know,” Stoick says, “I came looking for you.”
“You— you did?” Hiccup doesn’t know how long it’s been since… anyone’s come looking for him, for anything. Years, maybe.
“You’ve been keeping secrets.” Stoick crosses his arms.
“I— I have? Uhm…” Hiccup feels his stomach drop and he resists the urge to fiddle nervously with his fingers.
“Just how long did you think you’d be able to hide it from me?”
“I don’t know what, uh, what you’re—”
“Nothing happens on this island without me learning of it.”
“Dad, I—”
“So, son. Let’s talk… about that dragon.”
“Ah, dad I’m sorry, I—” gods, he’s going to have to leave now. There’s no staying. If his father knows about Toothless then Hiccup can kiss Berk goodbye for good, he’ll be shipped off if he doesn’t leave on his own terms, or worse, he’ll be—
Stoick starts chuckling, then.
“…you’re not… upset?”
“Upset?! I was hoping for this!” Stoick claps a hand over Hiccup’s shoulder.
“You— you were?” He can’t… no, it doesn’t make sense for this to be about Toothless— but then what—
“Oh and it only gets better from here son! Just you wait— the first time you spill a Nadder’s guts or mount a Gronckle head on a spear is a moment you’ll never forget! Oh what a feeling!”
Oh… this is about the dragon ring…
“You really had me going there, Hiccup! All these years of being the worst viking Berk has ever seen— Odin, it was rough! I almost gave up on you! Oh but you were holding out on me the whole time and now, Thor Almighty, we finally have something to talk about with you doing so well in the ring! You’ve done me proud, son!”
“Ah, yeah, uh…” Oh how long it’s been that Hiccup’s wanted to hear those words from his father, to finally hear Stoick say he’s proud of him, and now that it’s happened…
…Hiccup feels sick.
“Oh I… I have something for you,” Stoick says, quieting down, “To keep you safe in the ring.” He holds a helmet out to Hiccup, who takes it gently, examining the craftsmanship of it as he does.
“Wow… thanks, dad…” he surprises himself with how sincere his thanks truly is, just moments ago he was feeling sick at his father’s pride in him, a pride in something entirely false, but he is truly thankful for the helmet and the sentiment behind it of wanting Hiccup to be safe.
It’s moments like these that remind him his father really, truly loves him.
It’s moments like these that make it all the harder to leave.
“Your mother would have wanted you to have it,” Stoick nods, “It’s half her breast plate.” He taps his own helmet, “A matching set. Keeps her… keeps her close, y’know? Wear it proudly, son. You’ve held up your end of our deal.”
“Yeah…” Hiccup takes a yawn, “I uh… I should get to bed now. Big— uh, big day in the ring tomorrow…”
“Right, yes, the final challenge. You rest up, and good luck, Hiccup.”
The reminder of the final challenge has Hiccup slamming his head down onto his desk the moment his father leaves his workshop.
Oh gods, he’s really in it now.