Legally Auburn (HTTYD)

Part 2

Chapter 2

"So..... eh... lad, you wanna talk about it?" Gobber asked as he glanced at Hiccup occasionally while keeping his other eye on the oncoming traffic.

"Not really......." Hiccup mumbled as he stared aimlessly out of the window into the dark.

"Ooookayyy......" Gobber mumbled as he kept on driving. He wasn't very good with the advice as Hiccup liked to point out at times. Apparently telling a six-year-old Hiccup to imitate an octopus wasn't the swimming lesson Valka had in mind.

The ride back home was spent mostly in silence as Hiccup couldn't seem to find any good music on the radio. Gobber's eyebrows shot up as Hiccup kept channel surfing. He noticed the lad skipping Taylor Swift's 'We are never getting back together' song so fast only to end up listening to Pat Benatar's 'Heartbreaker'. The next channel wasn't any better either as it played Toni Braxton's 'Un-Break my heart'.

"Even the radio gods hate me," he muttered as the ride continued in silence. When Gobber pulled up into Hiccup's driveway and stopped Hiccup nearly jumped out of the car. He did say "Thanks for the ride, Gobber." Before bolting towards the door. Gobber followed after and he heard Hiccup run up the stairs.

Valka came from the kitchen wearing an apron that said 'Caution Biohazard' and called out "Sweetie?" only to hear a door slam.

"Gobber do you know what's up with Hiccup?"

"Well he either has a bad case of diarrhea or it's lady problems." Gobber scratched his head as he told her.

"You staying for dinner Gobber?" Valka asked and the poor man blanched.

"You cookin'?" he nervously chuckled.

"Yup," she confirmed cheerfully as smoke began to filter from the kitchen. "Ah, that will be the ice cream," she muttered and vanished again.

"I.....eh.....I.... just remembered. I have to finish a parade float." Gobber tried to think of an excuse to quickly back out and save his stomach. Valka popped her head back round the door and quirked a brow at 'parade float' but nodded.

"Another time then," she told him as Gobber, even on one good appendage, managed to get out of the door faster than the roadrunner trying to outrun the coyote.

"Oh that man," Valka laughed before she heard something explode in the kitchen. She sighed. "I knew that salad recipe was a little technical," she murmured as she headed back into the billowing smoke.

Hiccup lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, his phone clutched in his hand. The image of him and Heather, snuggled together for the selfie the previous winter stared back at him mockingly. They were both laughing and Heather's eyes sparkled and her face was filled with happiness. Heart aching, he stroked his thumb over her image and closed his eyes.

"I-I..." he mumbled and swallowed. "I don't know what more I could do." He took a deep breath. "I love you. And I know you loved me. And I-I can't believe that you can just cast that all aside..." He flung his arm across his face. "You're the only girl I love, Heather. The only girl for me."

"Son?"

Hiccup sat up automatically and his phone dropped on the floor. He cringed.

"Dad?" The huge shape of Stoick Haddock squeezed through the door, his massive shape powerful and straining against his 'Official Food Taster' sweater. Stoick's huge red beard moved as he leaned forward, his green eyes concerned. Walking in and accidentally knocking over Hiccup's chair and almost treading on Toothless the cat at least gave the young man a chance to reassemble his scrambled brain. "What are you doing here?" Stoick looked over his shoulder.