All These Lights

home court advantage

"Kittens? Of all the things you find and bring home it's a litter of kittens?"

Hiccup was sitting in his kitchen, with his dad, being 'talked to'. Needless to say he didn't like the idea of the tiny animals inhabiting a portion of his home.

"Well, it's not like we could've just left them." Hiccup said, scandalized by his own words. He was still clutching the black kitten he claimed earlier. On the table between him and his father two more of the animals were sleeping.

Stoick made to reply but something his son said caught his attention. "We?"

"Did I say we?"

"Yes, you did say we."

Hiccup silently cursed his father's attentiveness. "I-uh-I was... out?"

"Out with who?" He crossed his arms. "Hiccup, you know—"

"Yes I do know. And I was with our new manager, for your information, if anybody is careful about that kind of thing, it's her." Hiccup huffed.

There seemed to be news of him dating someone new every week. None of it was true, of course, and most of the fans saw right through it but that doesn't mean it made his life any easier. He knew that it came with the territory and that it existed only to antagonize him. By year three he was able to tune out most of the white noise and focus on the real articles and the worthwhile magazines that actually cared about the facts.

"Ah, and who might that be?" Stoick still had his arms crossed.

"Dad, this is—this is different. Astrid is different. It was just a friendly dinner between... friends." Hiccup paused, contemplating why it came out as more of a question than an answer. "Besides, she owed me one and she needed someone to show her around... and, I don't know, I guess I just thought it'd be nice to get to know her."

"That's a nice thought, son, but I'm sure she's been here enough times to know her own way around. And is there not some rule against being so close to one's management?"

"Not close in that way." Hiccup muttered.

"I'm just concerned, Hiccup. That's what fathers do, they care for their children, and I don't want to see someone get hurt, especially you." Stoick chose his next words carefully. "All I'm trying to say is that, given your... lifestyle, maybe outings like that should not be made habit."

His father's statement made Hiccup feel too many things at the same time. Somedays it felt like his father believed the crap they wrote about him, deep down he knew that wasn't true but... Hiccup knew what his father was saying not only made sense, but came from a place of love. His mouth opened before it could catch up to his brain's consensus. "Don't you understand that I'm not the person they make me out to be?" Hiccup blurted out and sank deeper into his chair, rousing the sleeping kitten on his lap. "I just wanted a friend, dad, that's all... I thought you of all people would get that. A real friend."

Stoick sighed. While he knew how much his son had been put through, he would never understand what that felt like. After two years of watching him and his three best friends slowly drift apart while being so close together, it was only natural that Hiccup wanted to feel that same connection again. A real friend, just like he said.

And of course he knew that most of what was said about his son was false... how could he not? He raised Hiccup by himself and he had tried to give him the best life possible, wanting so much more for him than the life he chose. Somedays it felt like he failed, but he had never seen Hiccup as happy as when he was performing. Stoick knew who his son was—inside and out, backward and forward, upside down and right side up. He knew that one day he would find the right someone and he would treat her like royalty.