A/N: I know this chapter is kinda slow...I was just thinking how in Portrait of Hiccup, he went back to thinking he was inadequate. It just kind of got me thinking...IDK if Portrait of Hiccup happened or not...I know episodes 1-6 did, because Alvin ends up being brought up in the story...

"You know what you need, Hiccup? You need muscles," Snotlout told him.

"Yes, you've mentioned this a time or two before," Hiccup said testily. "And why do I need them this time?"

"Well, I mean…think about it," Snotlout said. "Once the novelty of your whole 'the Red Death' incident wears off, you're gonna become the screw-up of Berk again. Best bulk up now," he said.

They were standing in the training arena and the dragon training class had just finished.

The other teens all stared between Snotlout and Hiccup, waiting for the dragon trainer's response.

Finally, he crossed his arms and said, "Snotlout, just…just…"

"Yes?" Snotlout asked.

"Just go," Hiccup finished, then turned away, walking out of the training dome.

"Astrid? Do you think I have to toughen up? That I'm not a proper Viking?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid quirked an eyebrow. "What brought this on?"

"Nothing. Well…" Hiccup hesitated. "Snotlout. He brought this on. He's been telling me I need to become a proper Viking, otherwise no one will ever accept me once the novelty of the battle with the Red Death wears off."

Astrid just stared at him. "And you're taking him seriously?"

"Well…" Hiccup continued to hesitate and finally finished with, "Yeah, you're right, it's stupid."

"No," Astrid said, "actually, it isn't stupid at all. But keep in mind this is Snotlout. He'll say anything to keep a guy down."

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, well…"

Astrid walked off and Hiccup headed for home.

The moment Hiccup got in the door, all talking ceased immediately.

"Hey, Dad?" Hiccup asked, coming into the kitchen. "Who are you talking to?"

He was speaking to Gobber, it appeared, and Gobber gave him a quick smile that Hiccup returned. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing," Stoick said. "Just…boring chief stuff. You don't want to hear about it."

Boring chief stuff? Stoick never talked that way. If anything, he'd been at Hiccup since day one about how the boy needed to toughen up, take on some responsibilities and start acting like the son of a chief.

Ever since Hiccup had beaten the Red Death, things had gotten a little better between the two but there was still fourteen years of unsaid words.

Hiccup sighed. "Really? Like what?"

"Like nothing," Stoick told him. "Feel free to go upstairs."

Hiccup didn't miss the complete dismissal, and so he went upstairs to his room. But as he reached his bedroom, it suddenly occurred to him that there might be a deeper reason behind why Stoick had sent him upstairs.

Were they talking about him?

He began thinking over what Snotlout had been saying to him these past few weeks and hurriedly began worrying that maybe the other boy was right.

Was Stoick really sliding back into his old ways of raising Hiccup? The boy wondered. Or was it something worse, was it that Stoick no longer accepted him?

Hiccup thought about that for a second, then hurriedly slid over to Toothless. "C'mon, bud," he whispered. "It's time for a little night fly."