#in RoB hes making constant self deprecating jokes about how his father is disappointed in him/doesnt like him

[dizzybevvie]

Ik there are some Zephyr and Nuffink enjoyers out there and good for you /gen but i just cannot get invested cus...."Nuffink" ?????????

[howtodrawyourdragon]

Watched Midnight Scrum during my break and now I'm catching Midnight Scrum feelings.

Like... I've never noticed the sweet, sweet poetry of Hiccup noticing how angry his father got upon rescuing him.

In Riders and Defenders of Berk, you get Hiccup commenting on Stoick's anger a couple of times. But I think the most important one I want to bring up is the comment he makes in RoB's 'Animal House,' when Stoick tells Ruff and Tuff to get Hiccup for him.

Tuffnut: Hey Hiccup! Your father's looking for you. Ruffnut: He looked angry. Hiccup: He's looked angry since the day I was born. But I'm sure there's no connection.

Riders of Berk still takes place not too long after Httyd 1, when Hiccup was both the runt and the local embarrassment. When every attempt to try and gain favor was met with scrutiny, ridicule, and his father's ire.

Stoick even told the able-bodied men and women of his village to choose between sailing to the nest of dragons with him and potentially meet an untimely demise or spent that entire time watching over Hiccup. Everybody in that Thing chose the former.

So when Hiccup makes comments like the one mentioned above, you know where it's coming from.

And then RttE season 4 comes along with 'Midnight Scrum.' The episode in which it turns out Viggo placed a bounty on Hiccup's head and his father (and the rest of the Dragon Riders) has to race to get him back before he's delivered to Viggo. After getting him back, this is what Hiccup tells his dad:

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you that mad, and that's saying something."

This line, if you remember the way Hiccup had to grow up- always trying so hard to gain acceptance and getting hardly any of it until he defeats the Red Death with Toothless- and making self-deprecating jokes about how his father's "constant" bad mood is somehow connected to his being born... That Hiccup sees his father as angry as he was in this episode for his son, because he was being hurt, because he's been taken... Well, I think this is another something that's come full circle in this franchise.

Hiccup finally sees just how much Stoick loves his son. And I think the next thing Hiccup says backs that up.

It's worth it to remember that Hiccup comes back to Berk earlier in this episode, expecting retribution for a mistake he's made. One of such proportions he hasn't made since Httyd 1. Stoick reminds Gobber of that before Hiccup even arrives and just the very sight of the young man still makes his blood boil. After all, Hiccup didn't just destroy a piece of the village this time, he lost their gold. They're livelihoods, their means of getting supplies and keeping everyone fed and healthy.

Hiccup even comes to stand before his father like a kicked puppy with Toothless cowering behind him. He's made his father angry again, he's disappointed him. Pulled a stunt like the ones he used to pull back when he was 15 and younger.

Except then the rest of the episode happens and Stoick's anger isn't because didn't tell him about the bounty and got into trouble again. It's because his son has been taken and could be hurt or worse.

Hiccup reunites with Stoick, they have their interaction and Hiccup makes the realization that he is, after all, Stoick's son.

Of course, Hiccup knows his father loves him. He raised him, it showed in how overprotective he was, it showed in how Stoick changed for him. However, this is the first time Hiccup associates Stoick's anger with love for his son as well.

Hiccup's face in those two screencaps says it all, basically. It's the face of a son who sees his father in a whole new light.