Behind the mask

Back from the dead

It was late afternoon when the group made it back to Sven's very comfortable cabin, still sweating and hot. Stoick had walked alongside his son, murmuring questions but the young man had been stunned and he had only managed a few, vague answers. Astrid had watched him with concern, seeing his confusion but not wanting to intrude on the reunion between her boyfriend and his long-lost father. But as they approached the cabin, Hiccup paused and looked for her, his anxious green eyes finding her and flooding with relief. He stretched his arm for her...and she sped up to lock hands with him.He ghosted her a smile, feeling her warm grip reassure him as nothing else could.

Sven made them all comfortable and fired up his barbecue, hauling out slabs of beef and ribs from his freezer. "It's time for a celebration," he had explained, producing a keg of beer. "And I don't get many visitors around here anyways..." Stoick had offered to help, heading out to chop some wood for the barbecue while Astrid stretched her legs and rested back against the couch. Hiccup had slumped by her, his face still in shock. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close. He was sweaty and exhausted but he curled his arms around her and pressed a tender kiss to her temple.

"You okay, babe?" she asked him softly, seeing his eyes trail through the open back door to see the huge shape of his father swinging the heavy axe like a toothpick. He shook his head.

"I...I don't know what to think," he admitted faintly. "I had accepted Dad was gone when the court awarded me his money, I know Mom is gone. I came up to...to put them both to rest so that I could move on after school...and suddenly...he's alive?" He shook his head. "I mean I should be happy. And I am happy...but I don't know...what's going to happen? He forgot me and Mom...will he remember anything apart from my name? What's he going to do now?"

"I guess you're overthinking, babe," she said, trailing a finger lightly down his chest. She rested her hand briefly onto his chest. "What does this tell you?"

"My girlfriend likes sweaty and sunburnt redheads?" he suggested, smiling.

"Well, only one specific one..." she reminded him, hauling him into a kiss. Leaning in, he kissed her back, lips moving sensuously over hers, his hands, sliding down to her waist...

"Steady on, son! There are other people here! Sven-you didn't tell me he was a hit with the ladies... But that's my boy!" boomed a laughing voice and the two teens pulled apart as if shot. Stoick was looming over them, grinning.

"DAD!" Hiccup whined in utter embarrassment. Astrid buried her face in his chest for a long moment and when she looked up, her face was beet red.

"Mr Haddock..." she mumbled. Cool grey-green eyes inspected her closely.

"How long has this been going on for?" he asked. "How close are you? Have you...?"

"That's not your business!" Hiccup snapped, his emerald eyes glittering with anger. "Gods! I have had to live for over five years without you, I have had to deal with Mom remarrying an abusive bastard who gave me Hel for years, with being starved and thrown out on the streets, with being targeted by my so-called friends, run down and almost killed...and all through it, I had no father. My father was dead! And Astrid saved me. She took me in, she befriended me...I love her!"

Stoick backed up a step, his eyes a little confused. "I-I'm your father and I should be concerned about your relationships..." Hiccup scrambled up, his eyes flashing with rage.

"That ship has sailed!" he shouted. "You don't come here and start telling me what to do! I've had that for four years with Al and I'm not taking it from you as well! Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when Mom needed you? When we were penniless...or homeless...or so desperate even Alvin Treacher seemed like an improvement?"