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Language:
English
Series:
Part 5 of The Wanderer
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Road to Nowhere Discord Recs, hufflepuffdemiwizard's completed works
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Published:
2019-08-06
Words:
889
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1/1
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A Stranger with a Premonition

Summary:

When Stoick meets Harry the first time, he brings good tidings and kind words. The second meeting isn't really a meeting as a passing of glances, with the bulk of his attention focused on his son as time slows to a crawl.

Notes:

The first part is happy and the second is sad. :( I cried a bit writing it but that's because I was watching the movie at the time and it really got to me. So this takes place pre-httyd1 and towards the end of httyd2.

Work Text:

Stoick had only seen the man a few times. Oddly enough, those visits of his seemed to correlate with the death of great warriors of their tribe, including his father, the chief. After he had unleashed his arrow he had taken a step back, looking everywhere but the pyre. 

That’s when he spotted him, standing away from the crowd on one of the cliffs. Like he knew Stoick was looking, he turned away from the pyre and looked to him. Even at this distance, Stoick could seen the green of his eyes. He stares until the Valka comes to him and places a hand on his shoulder. 

He turns away and looks into her green eyes and sees the sadness and weariness in them. The eyes of the one he loves the most. Valka puts a hand on his cheek and draws him away from his dark thoughts. She takes him by the hand and they walk away together. 

He forgets about the man until late that night, lying awake unable to sleep. He drags himself from their bed and makes his way through the house, touching the walls and furniture, remembering the little things. Soon that is not enough and he makes his way out, through the village and into the forest. 

He makes it to the cliff where he’d seen the man probably half an hour later, not expecting anything but still wanting to check. But as he goes up to the edge of the cliff, he hears noises that seem to be humming. He breaks through the trees and sees him, sees a figure sitting on the very edge. 

He’s humming. A tune that sounds unfamiliar yet so achingly familiar at that same time. Stoick falters and finds himself staring at the man as he hums, sometimes singing in a language he doesn’t recognize. He doesn’t know how long he stands there but eventually he takes the last few steps to the man and sits down next to him. The melody doesn’t falter and he takes some time to listen and take it in. The man obliges him and continues. 

When the very first shimmers of dawn start to paint the horizon, Stoick realizes that time has been passing and he should return soon. He turns and finds the man looking at him, humming softly fading. Those green eyes… He’s very sure that he is not sitting next to a mere human but he has no idea what he could be. He decides not to ask. 

“You have a strength in you that many would kill for, you know.”

He blinks, not having expected him to speak. 

He smiles, amused, “You will be an amazing father.”

At this Stoick gasps, “What?”

That earns him a small chuckle and he thinks about it, getting more and more excited before the dread sets in. 

He’s distracted when a much smaller hand rests on his arm. Those green eyes are glowing subtly and that smile is patient and sympathetic. “You will be great, Stoick the Vast. You will be great to many and you will be the father he needs. It will not be easy, it never is, but you will be good for each other.”

Stoick cannot find any doubt within himself that those words are the truth. “He…? A son?”

A nod. 

His heart swells at the thought of his unborn son. He must make sure Valka is alright. He pauses before getting up and manages to lock eyes with the man that is not a man. “What is your name?”

Green eyes widen just a bit in surprise before he bursts into a laugh. “You are a brave one, Stoick. I do not get asked that often.” The laugh dies down and he looks towards the horizon. “I am Harry. Just Harry.”

Stoick asks no more of him. He stands and after a moment of staring at the sunrise he manages two more words.

“Thank you.”

He can see the smile from his view of his profile. It’s a bittersweet one and he doesn’t know what to think of it, so he heads home, the humming starting back up once he starts down the cliff. 

Valka is confirmed to be pregnant a week later. 

He doesn’t see the man again.

_

When they hear the cry and the alpha turns away from them, Stoick looks and sees Hiccup near Drago. That’s enough to nearly stop his heart. But when Toothless turns on him? His heart is racing out of his chest in his panic. It’s beating so fast it feels still.

He runs and runs and he’s so close when time seems to slow when his eyes catch something else. Green eyes, but very different from his family’s. Vaguely familiar green eyes. 

And he knows, in that moment, that he’s not going to make it. 

His heart calms and his eyes focus on his son once more as he reaches for him.

He doesn’t blame Toothless. He could never blame Hiccup. And he hopes that they will come to understand that and accept it. 

He doesn’t feel the pain and he’s grateful. The last thing he sees as things fade to black are sad green eyes and a sad, sad smile. 

It’s fine, Harry. He’ll have Valka and Gobber and Astrid and…

And everything fades away.

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