How to Train Your Dragon

Stoick's POV

Hiccup was so different on the ground then in the air. In the air Stoick's son was free. Hiccup's face lit up every time he got on the dragon's back and his eyes would shine. He was more than content being with his dragon all day, flying threw the skies at unheard of speeds. In the air- he was happiest.

On the ground… he was awkward. When people spoke to him he would wince as though expecting a horrible insult- which, Stoick thought, he probably was, that's all people would say to him if they did speak to him at all his entire life.

After he realized that they weren't going to ridicule him, he would just stare at the ground, or fidget, or look at his dragon which was always with him, with a longing stare.

Even when he would go to eat he would still head for an empty table. He always avoided the crowded tables and ate very quickly so that no one would be able to say much more then "hi" before he was ready to go.

Stoick had hoped that Hiccup wouldn't feel so awkward now that everyone had changed the way they treated him- he had hoped, but he knew that it would be a very long time before he wasn't so… uncomfortable if ever. The only person he was truly okay being with was Gobber and that was probably because Gobber had developed a sense of respect for Hiccup when he was younger and defended and watched out for Hiccup in little ways when others teased him.

Stoick still couldn't believe how he had been so blind to all of this. He had never noticed how the much the village had mistreated Hiccup before but that was probably because he treated him the same way as they did!

The morning he had woken up was the happiest day of Stoick's life.

Sweat ran down Stoick's face as he and several other vikings lifted a huge piece of wood to finish off the top of a dragon house. It was by far one of the biggest. It had designs all over the sides- dragons walking side by side with vikings- not vikings chopping off dragons heads which was what was normally carved into wood, painted on walls and put as decorations on the boats. All of the old designs everywhere were gone though, and after replacing all the old designs with these new ones the village seemed- lighter, airier, more free.

Stoick liked it.

It took forever to build all of the dragon houses though. At first he had hoped that they would be able to get the dragons' to help but they wouldn't do anything! Sure, they let people ride them now- but they still didn't really trust anyone to tie them up with ropes attached to huge pieces of wood. So they had to do it themselves, but Stoick didn't mind because he would be able to say that he did this for Hiccup. This was one of the ways he would make it better.

The slamming of a door caused Stoick to look up from his work… it was his door! And that could only mean… Stoick took off running towards his home, towards his son. He slowed to a walk that way he wouldn't startle Hiccup and make him fall down.

His son's eyes were disbelieving as they surveyed the dramatic change that had been going on for three weeks.

"I knew, I'm dead!"

It wasn't the sound of him in a delusional state or screaming in pain. It wasn't the sound of his labored breathing or anything else- it was just his voice and it was like music to his ears! And his son was right- he wasn't dead, he was alive and that thought made Stoick laugh with relief and happiness.

"No, but you gave it your best shot." He said, placing his arm around his sons shoulders, giving him a little extra balance. "So what do you think?" He was eager to hear his answer but they were interrupted by some of the other villagers. He would ask again later.

He and Hiccup had become a little closer since that day and were growing closer still.

He smiled, knowing that his thoughts were true.

Still… the Night Fury was the company Hiccup enjoyed the most, and Stoick couldn't help but be a little envious.

Stoick noticed that when Hiccup uncomfortable that the dragon would more closer to him and nudge his side like he was saying "I'm here for you, okay?" Hiccup would relax dramatically, scratching the dragons neck, his features just relaxed. He wasn't so rigid in his stance and he would look people in the eye for a few seconds before looking back at the ground- it was improvement, he wished that it was himself giving the encouragement, but he didn't mind if the dragon did it. He owed the dragon so much and he had accepted it into his life after he found it holding Hiccup protectively after they fell. He just wished that Hiccup was as relaxed around him as he was Toothless.

Hiccup accepted the other teens into his life pretty willingly but he still flinched at the sound of one of them calling to him. He normally left them during one of their flying races (like it was a contest!) and just flew a different direction, just him and Toothless. That was his comfort zone.

Stoick saw all of this everyday and knew that it was his own fault, that he had aloud this to happen, and that his son was so nervous and socially awkward. He would just have to live with it.

The End