The Hiccups Along the way -HTTYD-

Let Me Take Flight

I allowed myself to relax for a couple minutes as I soaked in the heat from the setting sun and my best friend who always was warm to the touch. "Come on bud, we should get some dinner." Standing up on my sore legs I stretched and bit back a pained groan. While I had practiced riding toothless before we actually went into the open air, I still wasn't used to the aches and pains riding for an extended period of time would cause. After clambering back onto Toothless we flew over the ocean and with 'great skill' we were able to catch a good amount of fish. Of course our great skill wasn't that great and it ended with me dripping water and looking like a fire exploded in my face, which honestly, wasn't that far from the truth.

Toothless helped me start a small fire as I took some fish we caught and skewered it on a pointy stick. Preparing my food I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of the piece of wood tearing through flesh. I always hated that part of cooking fish. Well that and almost everything else. I wish that I could just... I don't know... Not eat meat. But if I did that I'd be even more of a freak than I already am. Not only that but dad would complain and say something along the lines of,

"Son, if you don't eat your meat you'll always stay like this." Then he would gestor to all of me and rip apart his meat with a little too much gusto, like he was trying to show me how good meat was. "Meat keeps you strong, it keeps you alive. If you're going to be chief someday, you need to be strong." His voice would strain on the word 'Chief'. We both knew that there was a likelier chance of Snotlout becoming the next chief or Stoick would stay chief until the day he died and the villagers would choose the next one.

I was drawn from my thoughts at the familiar sound of regurgitation. Cringing as the top half of a fish slid down Toothless' tongue and onto the ground beside me. "No thanks bud" I tried to keep down the contents of my stomach which was pretty much just bread, cheese, water and stomach acid. "I have my own food." I gestured to the fish I had cooking over the fire and kept my eyes away from the fluid covered fish head.

The two of us sat together for another ten minutes or so before a small pack of terrible terrors flew over to us. I kept my eyes trained on the small dragons as I felt toothless' chest rumble with a protective growl. Whether the protectiveness was for me or his dinner I wasn't one-hundred percent sure. But either way the colorful dragons neared and tried to steal some fish for themselves. I couldn't help but watch how they fought for food and how toothless chortled when he was able to take his food back from them. One of the terrible terrors was planning to fight against toothless but when it was getting ready to shoot fire from its mouth toothless sent a small plasma blast into its mouth which caused the dragon to collapse before it drunkenly walked away.

"Huh" I thought out loud, "Not so fire proof on the inside are you?" Reaching down I took hold of one of the smaller fish in my pile and tossed it to the little dragon. "Here you go" The terror quickly swallowed the fish whole and when I settled down next to toothless again, it tentatively made a purring noise and nuzzled up against my arm and curled into a ball against my side. "Gods... Everything we know about dragons is wrong..." I gently pet the terrible terror as toothless and I watched the sun set. But, before it got too dark I took toothless back to the cove where I changed out of my clothes real quickly and tried to get as much dirt, grime and ash off of me as possible. I wasn't too sure if dad was going to be home or at the great hall when I got back to the village, and I didn't want to take any unnecessary chances.

~~

­It seemed like Thor and Odin were on my side – at least partially this evening seeing how Stoick hadn't seen me when I made my way into my backroom of the forge. Seeing how I was in the clear for the moment I slid off my riding gear before stuffing it in a wicker basket on my shelf. Taking a few minutes to calm my slowly rising anxiety, I yawned into my hand before plopping onto my stool. I decided that since I had time to spare, I would draw some pictures of toothless. Maybe even some of the terrible terrors I had seen today.

I can't say that I knew how long I had spent in the forge, but when I heard footsteps nearing my not so secret hide away I tensed like a cat ready to pounce, or in my case flee. So when I found it was Stoick who came into my space, I quickly tried to hide the various drawings I had created that evening. "Dad!" I practically gasped, "You're back! Gobber's not here so..."

"I know" Dad shoved his way into the room which suddenly made me feel extremely Closter-phobic and jumpy. "I came lookin' for you"

"Y-you did?" I squieked

"You've been keeping secrets"

"I – Uh – I – I have?"

"Just how long did you think you could hide it?"

'Oh Gods no!' "I don't know what you're-"

I was cut off by dad as he spoke with great power in his voice, "Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it. So." Stoick stepped farther into the back room and I could feel my breath begin to quicken. "Let's talk... About that dragon."

'No, no, no, no, NO!!' I internally screamed, "Oh Gods... Dad, I'm so sorry! I was going to tell you." 'Not really' "I just didn't know how to uh..." Before I continued and blathered on and burst into tears, Stoick started bellow laughter which caused me to fall silent. "You – You're not upset?"

"What?!" Stoick looked at me like I had grown six more heads, "I was hoping for this!"

"Ahhh... You were?" I furrowed my brows up at my father.

"And believe me, it only gets better!" Dad began to gush, "Just wait till you spill a Nadder's guts the first time! And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear! What a feeling!" Dad smacked my arm causing me to tumble backwards and into my bookshelf, "You really had me going there, son! All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen. Odin, it was rough, I almost gave up on you. And all the while you were holding out on me! Oh, Thor almighty!"

'Okay... We are thinking of two very different topics!'

"With you doing so well in the ring, we finally have something to talk about." Dad sat down on an extra stool and looked at me with this light in his eyes I had never seen before. It was like a boyish joy that was awakened by the thought of... Hurting... Dragons...

I stood silently in front of dad, not entirely sure what to do now that I had his attention. Compared to his usual slaughter first, ask questions later act, I was simply performing a party trick in the ring. And boy would this trick get a bad response if found out. The silence lasted for about a minute until dad began to shuffle through his furs quietly saying, "Here, I uh – I brought you something... To keep you safe in the ring." And out dad pulled a Viking helmet with small horns compared to the ones Stoick had on his helmet.

"Wow... Thanks." I studied the helmet and couldn't help but smile at it. Dad actually gave me a gift. Though it might not be for the correct reasons, he still gave me something.

"Your mother would have wanted you to have it. It's half of her breastplate." I quickly withdrew my hand from the actual metal part of the helmet and grimaced slightly, "It's part of a matching set" and dad pointed to his own helmet, "It keeps her – Keeps her close, you know. Wear it proudly Hiccup. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal."

I could feel guilt wash over me like a title wave. I set the helmet down on my desk and faked a yawn. "I should really get to bed."

"Yes, good. Ok, good talk." Stoick got up from his seat shifted awkwardly

"I'll just uh... I'll see you back at the house. Great. Uh, thanks for stopping by... And for the uh... Breast hat."

Dad cleared his throat and nodded, "well... yep. Good Night."

Once the older man left I heaved a sigh and flopped back down in my seat. I wasn't expecting to see dad in my one safe place. Nor was I expecting the gift. Looking at one of the last reminders of mom, I couldn't stop the heavy feeling resting on my chest. I wasn't a good Viking. I didn't deserve this hat, nor that boyish look in Dad's eyes. When he finds out that the reason why I'm excelling at dragon training, was because I had a dragon to train with he would be furious! Hell, even beyond furious! I probably wouldn't see the next day's rising sun because Stoick struck out in blind rage.

"What am I going to do?" I clamped my hands onto my shaggy brown hair and pulled in frustration. "Mom... Someone... Please help me...