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Hiccup’s phone rings nearly as soon his last class ends. He would have at first thought it was Jack, they have been texting the whole time, but it’s call tone, not the short ‘beep’ of a message received. He hopes to the gods above it isn’t Gobber because that man is horrid, absolutely horrid, ever since Jack came into the picture, and especially two days ago. Honestly, he’d like a few more hours of respite before he inevitably has to head to the coffee shop for his shift later in the afternoon.
It’s not Gobber, it’s Stoick, and he flails for a short minute. Confusion and worry battle each other out for a moment because since when does Stoick call so much? It’d barely been a day since his last vague call.
"Hey, Dad, no, hi, is everything okay?" Hiccup immediately says into the mic of his phone.
"Hi, son," Stoick interjects, voice gruff in what seems to be discomfort. "Yes, everything’s okay, I just want to check on my son."
Hiccup hums disbelievingly, “right. Not like you checked on me yesterday or anything.” He purses his lips and raises a brow sardonically, even if his dad isn’t technically in front of him. “Except that doesn’t really count, huh? Since you kinda just sprung up The Talk with me and everything. For no understandable reason.”
"I can’t remind my son how wonderful he is and how he deserves a man who will care for him and respect his decisions and the word no, now? My son is a wonderful boy and needs to be reminded that he is worth more than some boy who can’t even ask him on a date properly?” Stoick’s voice, which had been rough in a show of defensiveness at the start, steadily grows louder and bolder, increasing in passion that Hiccup nearly doesn’t catch what Stoick was hinting.
"Wait, Dad—what—are you—how did—what,” Hiccup sputters, throwing his free hand and stumbling in thin air, “have you been gossiping with Gobber?”
"What—no, that was—it was for your own good. I need to know what’s happening with my son!" Stoick rumbles, back to defensiveness, it seems.
"Dad, the hell,” Hiccup answers hysterically. “Have I no space, no privacy!” In truth, Hiccup doesn’t care much for his dad keeping tabs on him, he does the same to Stoick through Gothi, but he does mind that Gobber could have been consorting with his dad about the entire embarrassing thing that is his and Jack’s growing inept relationship. Possibly like gossiping housewives that laugh at the failure that is two supposedly grown men.
"A father needs to know these things, son, you can’t go mingling with boys behind your father’s back.”
"He’s not a boy, Dad! He has a job," Hiccup argued.
"By working on furniture," Stoick undermined.
"He paints! He’s an artist! That earns!"
"And my boy is studying to be robotics engineer," Stoick sniffs, snobbish.
"Yeah, well, I’m a barista at the moment!" Hiccup feels distinctly disarmed. He never thought he’d have this conversation with his father, much less about Jack, who he’s really only had one date with, not even a first kiss yet (nope, that kiss still doesn’t count, that will never count).
"That—"
"He’s a decent guy, Dad," he cuts in. "He’s not bad." He tugs at his shirts, feeling a small smile grow at that and the obvious care Stoick showing for his son’s worth. He almost laughs at the thought, remembering a time when he believe he was worth smidge in his father’s eyes. "He likes me," he continues helplessly.
"That’s," Stoick coughs, "that’s good. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s not good enough for you."
“Dad,” Hiccup groans, flushing in embarassment and pleasure at his father’s words.
"But," Stoick adds, voice clearly uncomfortable, "you clearly really like him back."
Hiccup buries his free hand into his pocket and agrees, “yeah, I kinda do.”
"The date was good?" Stoick finally asks.
Hiccup reaches the dormitory and waves at the other students milling about. He goes to dig for his keys as he replies warmly, “yeah. It was good.” He gathers his set of keys and lets them dangle in the air, laughing when he recalls, “maybe less so at the end.”
"What happened?" Stoick said alarmingly.
"No, no," Hiccup placates, "nothing horrible. Except, well, a horrible first kiss."
He heads into his room, gathering down to pet his Toothless and goes to recount to Stoick what he’ll probably tell Gobber and laugh about later.