Hhhhhhhh
.
Hiccup couldn't focus much in dragon training, not until gobber called out to him as soon as the zippleback chased after him. With the eel in his vest, the dragon managed to sense the slimy creature just inches before they attack. Rather, they backed from the brunette, roaring in fear before hiccup had led the double headed dragon back to their cage.
Apparently he hadn't been focused enough. His mind lingered at the flabbergasting thought of what happened back in the cove hours before the time for dragon training.
It was just impossible to decipher. Asel- no sorry, Ace, who had a dragon form also as a human? Let's go back to hours ago before today.
“Who are you?” hiccup squeaked, his basket and prosthetic tailfin dropped to the ground, taking a step further from the approaching man in front of him.
Ace grunted, muttering the words 'figured.' before turning back to hiccup. He stood up and bowed. “I’m Ace. Sorry for acting rudely the way I was before.” was his response and this confuses hiccup the most.
Ace blinked, considering both of them had been quiet for a while. Understanding his confusion still wrapping around the brunette’s head, the raven-haired crossed his arms, giving his human time processing things. But eventually, the silence was irritating him. “It was priceless seeing you pretend to have eaten that fish meat. You thought you'd get away by throwing it up when I wasn't looking.” ace piped up, it was enough to catch the boy’s attention, followed by a widened eyes staring right up at the freckled male. Seeing his reaction, the pirate couldn't help suppress his laughter.
“I had to if I wanted to become your friend!” the brunette finally snapped, and the fire fist was quick to shut his mouth. “We’re already friends, aren't we?” the freckled male corrected, and hiccup opened his mouth, but closed it.
The idea of Asel turning into a human was relatively feasibly bizarre and impossible.
“So, asel-”
“Ace.” the raven-haired hissed.
“Ah- Ace, sorry. So ace, how- how did you- how did the cute and adorable intelligent dragon that I know and bonded with yesterday, turn to, well, you?” hiccup began, gesturing to all of ace like how gobber and stoick gestured to all of him.
“Mm,” ace responded, readjusting his hat before turning his head to face the brunette. “T'was curling up in my sleep, very comfortable position for a dragon if I say so myself. Woke up in the early mornin’ as usual then' felt as if I can walk again and talk again like the human being I originally am.”
Hiccup’s mouth agape. Ace’s accent was very, unique and not the type of accent you'd usually find around here in the village. “Ah.” was all he could muster up from the other's sentence. “So you just turned into a human without realizing it. You, turning into a human and a dragon seems unrealistic to me, it's just impossible.” the brunette stated with nonchalance, pieces coming together as ace nodded followed by a hum. Even ace is surprised hiccup had been taking all this information in and calmly.
“Nothing is impossible when we have devil fruits.” the freckled male remarked with a grin, but found out the other that had gone into a daze, overthinking probably, but he can't blame him if he thinks about it further. This boy seemed to only have known about dragons and dragon killing and nothing else out of the ordinary. It seemed the word 'impossible' isn't anywhere near his vocabulary if the brunette had been alarmed at the fact this man was suddenly calling himself the dragon from yesterday.
Ace shook off his thoughts and noticed the said other’s staring at the ground, tilting his head confused, his gaze slowly landing on the basket he swore he sniffed the aroma of raw fish from it. “Can I eat now?” he questioned, followed by a pat on the shoulder, snapping the brunette from his trance. Hiccup flinched slightly and nodded, handing the heavy basket to the other, only for the other to lift it as if it wasn't a problem to him. “Come.” he gestured, and the brunette reluctantly followed. Not long they were found sitting on a rock with the basket of fishes now exposed to the ground, while the fire fist gathered enough sticks to puncture the fish with, handing a few to hiccup. Preparing his hand and mostly his palm out in the open, ace was ready to light up a fire. “What are you doing?” hiccup bubbled up and ace didn't answer. For a brief moment, the boy watched, intrigued. And stared astonished. Fire came out from ace’s index finger, then eventually his whole palm and started roasting the fish.
Hiccup took this as a chance to lean his own fish on a stick closer to the fire. He hadn't eaten yet, so it wouldn't hurt to munch on some roasted bland fish for breakfast, hiccup mused to himself. “So you're not only a dragon who can turn into a human, but you can create fire.” he commented, which led to ace look at him before clearing his throat.
“I am fire.” the freckled male asserted, but hiccup doesn't buy that. At least until ace had suggested the boy to throw a rock at him. The brunette protested, worried the rock would hit his face and bruise, but did ace listen?
Ace shook his head, assuring the other he'd be fine. Finally, hiccup hesitantly picked up a rock and threw it at the other, only to gape at how the rock just literally went through his body. “See? I am fire.” he repeated with a grin and hiccup rolled his eyes, a smile forming up his lips and sit back down to continue roasting his food.
Not long, the two of them got to know each other. Ace finally got to learn the boy’s name, full name to be exact, and to hiccup, ace’s full name. The two of them having similarities they grew up in an island, and have fathers with highest authorities (in which cough, ace doesn't want to talk about the man he'd scowled internally until they got out of the topic.) and then hiccup’s race. They were vikings, but ace lied about himself being a sea traveller rather than a pirate. They chattered about the most randomest things, mostly ace, since he had the most interesting stories to tell. Starting off with a very annoying but lovable brother who wouldn't stop believing in achieving his dreams, ace's adventures out at the sea, his ridiculous pranks he pulled at his crew brothers, their marine enemies and meet his little brother once again who finally sailed out at sea with a good crew looking out for him, but all that and for some reason ace couldn't find the right time to explain he was a pirate, or everyone else, or even boast about how he's believed in luffy in becoming a pirate king someday. It just, had ace quietly stare at the fire munching on his fish. And not long their conversation died out, with them eating their food in silence.
.
“Wait- Where are you going?” the brunette called out in slight panic after ace had eaten his food and stood up. Fire now lit on branches that the freckled male had gathered from before. “To train.” he responded simply, stretching his arms to its limits unlike his rubber brother. This relieved hiccup. He had a friend now, and ace leaving so soon which he thought the freckled male was going to at first, seem like he was desperate not to let ace go. Call him a lonely coward but talking to ace made him feel warmth around him. Not because of the fire he emitted from well- himself, but because of his company, the goofy smile he wore and chuckles he let out whenever he ranted about his stories out at sea. Surprisigly, hiccup would find himself laughing along, gathering enough confidence to talk about his life stories as well.
This is what it felt like having a friend. He thought glumly.
Hiccup glanced back up and watched from behind, observing the other, he realized just now how ace had a tattoo, a purple skull shaped with a white moon on its supposed bone nose. That honestly fit on him if hiccup was honest. He also noticed ace's meaty and tall figure as a human. Not the type of meaty viking meaty, but he was skinny and bulky at the same time, like he had the perfect body figure sculpted by the gods themselves.
Hiccup blushed from embarrassment, embarrassed to stand, talk and sit alongside a man like ace while hiccup is just a fishbone compared to him. But the more he stared at ace, the more he slightly felt envious of how perfectly well his body build is.
The brunette frowned, not because of ace but because even his dragon as a human can prove he's perfect looking. And hiccup is just, hiccup, scrawny, awkward and timid. Useless, a klutz and a boy shunned out because of how futile things he does that leads to disasters. That isn't entirely it, he swears. His inventions just really go and activate at the wrong time, and it doesn't help that nobody would want to stand up for it, see and determine whether his invention really is something they shouldn't be called disastrous things. He hated how he was born like this, wimp, small with intelligence, yeah that's all it, intelligence and a kindhearted soul he is. The gods really hated him, he thought. He must have been switched. A kindhearted soul, swapped places with the viking spirited soul into a viking home than a rather better life. Yeah the theory might sound about crazy, considering there's a dragon turning to human kind of thing happening just right in front of him. It wouldn't hurt to think of impossible things now, right?
Little does he know ace is a troublemaking bastard too, troubles left and right whenever the fire fist felt like it, but except he does them on purpose.
“You up for a spar?” ace blurted.
Hiccup blinked. “Hu- Huh?”
A spar? As if, fighting each other?
“I figured.” ace continued, as if he was reading the brunette’s mind. “I overestimated you. Having seen a skinny boy like you reminds me of my brother. I underestimated him when he was out and fighting for his life, risking it all just to get to me.” the freckled male ranted on.
“Hold on, you're saying, you think even with my scrawny figure, I can fight?” hiccup interjected, confusion swirling in his head. Ace simply nodded to the question. Hiccup’s mouth agape.
“If you can’t then I understand. That was weird coming from me hm.” ace chuckled and readjusted his hat, only to feel something warm holding onto his arm.
Hiccup.
“I, I can't spar, but I'd learn from you! If- If you can just teach me how to fight, may- maybe my life can get infinitely better!” he blabbered, frantic even. This may be the only time ace can turn into a human, but who knows. It's only a matter of time before he's back to being a dragon- a night fury. “Suppose I can teach you a few tricks, it's just been a while since I've fought without having my devil fruit involved.” ace held hiccup’s hand in return, the brunette’s smaller hand compared to his palm and nodded. But looking back at hiccup’s expression, it seemed to have confusion flooding around his mind.
Oh yeah, he forgot to mention devil fruits.
Hiccup detached his hand from ace and questioned about what devil fruits are. Ace managed to explain it, noticing the boy literally had no idea what it was or like there wasn't a myth about it existing. No scratch that, it's like devil fruits never existed in this place!
His explanations were noted all in the brunette’s head before the aforementioned boy had brought up about learning how to fight. Oh yeah, ace almost forgot about that.
And his first lesson was to grab a pipe, a damned pipe! Even hiccup doesn't know what a pipe meant, ace explained it was metal scraps from a house! Last time he checked, hiccup’s village houses are all built by strong wood and wood only. Does that actually mean they can add iron metal to their houses to improve its durability? Mostly it's just wood, copper and rocks.
He couldn't wait to recreate it at the blacksmith. He was given a sketch of what it looked like, the fire fist explaining its instructions to recreate them properly.
The perks of hanging around a shipwright, ace thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose proudly.
Snapped out of his thoughts he glanced up at everyone who had been staring wide-eyed at the brunette himself. He wiped his hands on his fur vest to rid of the eel's slime on its skin from his palm. “Uhh soooo, trainings over? Yeah well, gotta head first, see you tomorrow!” the boy rushed out, everyone in the arena focused on him until his scrawny figure running in the distance no longer in sight.
Luckier for the brunette, gobber decided to get a drink, giving him the ability to take up all the space in the blacksmith again and begin working on his pipe weapon as ace instructed. Just like how he'd work on the prosthetic tailfin, hiccup worked on the said weapon until sunset.
Hiccup prayed to the gods (despite not that much of a worshipper or a believer in them) that the freckled male hadn't turned back to a night fury again.
His prayers, not answered.
Arriving at the cove, the figure sitting in front of him was none other than ace in his dragon form, his orange hat stood atop of his head and the night fury looking like he was excited to see the boy again. But oh well, suppose while he's still a dragon, the brunette can finally attach the prosthetic tailfin he made for ace. Well, as a dragon.
“Hey ace.” he cooed, reaching out his palm to touch the dragon’s snout. “Nice to see you too and again bud.” the brunette spoke warmly, odd enough to feel most comfortable around ace as a dragon.
His moments with the night fury didn't last long. Fire began to spread around the dragon and hiccup managed to jump out of the way before he could get caught up. Smoke covered up the entire dragon and the next thing he knew, the same quirky accent began coughing loudly and groaned. “I shouldn't have used so much fire- COUGH!”
Blinking and confused, hiccup rather found himself coming to a realization the dragon returned back to his human form- ace. “Ace?” he called out, and his response was rather cheerful.
“Hiccup!! I just managed to find out how to turn to a dragon and human back and forth! Isn't it great?!” the freckled male called out, waving away the smoke surrounding them and clear. Hiccup sighed in relief. At least now the fire fist knew how to switch forms willingly. It would of been ended right there if he had waited long for ace to return back into his human form to start training. The thought shuddered the brunette internally.
“That’s great! Now get over here and see if this pipe I've created is exactly the way you've described it.” hiccup demanded rather impatient. And to that as a response, ace had approached him and been readjusting his hat as per usual. But seriously, why did it seem like his hat was so important to him? The brunette asked himself, a question he'll never be able to bring up to ace, afraid it'll pop up some sour and painful memories. He does not want to see his dragon sad.
It was weird calling him his dragon during his human form, hiccup had thought. But it is weirder to call him his human if that was the case.
“Quite perfect the way I described and instructed it to be.” ace began, snapping the brunette out of his thoughts as he stared at the pipe in hiccup's hands. “Did you add more weight to it, making it a little more heavier?” the freckled male questioned, and the boy nodded.
“Good, now lift it, swing it, carry it with you until you feel as if it's weight wasn't there in the first place, and your body slowly coordinating and getting used to it's heaviness. Only then I can begin showing you tricks and ways to use the pipe as a weapon.” ace ordered before his narcolepsy setting in and dropped dead to the ground. This had made hiccup react, frantic, rushing over to ace’s side and nudge him awake. To no avail, but if hiccup remembered clearly, ace probably had some sickness where he couldn't overcome the sudden urge of falling asleep at the most random and wrong times.
Time to get to work, oof this is heavy. Hiccup thought.
He missed dinner time and stayed up all night exercising and strengthening himself to adjust to the pipe's heaviness, any arm exercises and carry the pipe for about an hour before resting again until he felt as if he was carrying the pipe like holding a mere stick. Not long, overworking paid off and it took him until dawn to adjust and to get used to his new weapon’s weighty. Or maybe because his left hand had immediately gotten accustomed to it. Another sleepless night for hiccup and soon in six hours before the next dragon training.
“Get some rest.” a voice which was slightly hoarse, spoke bitterly behind the brunette. Hiccup flinched and raised his pipe to whoever was behind him, panic rising in his head, heart racing faster than before, thinking it was either gobber or a fellow viking who had found him to take him home, frightened they might find out about ace.
Only Odin knows whether the raven-haired had turned back to his night fury form. But he'd still be captured as a human either way, face and the lack of clothing seeming foreign to his berkian folks.
Speaking of ace, it was actually the said dragon- human who had startled the viking boy. Sighing in relief, he grunted, giving a shot of glare right at ace who couldn't contain his snickering afterwards, letting out a hearty laughter. “You scared me.” the brunette nonchalantly stared at the freckled male before he managed to apologize more than twice. “Just woke up actually, and found you still working on that pipe.” he exclaimed, and hiccup nodded. It explains his hoarse tone, but before hiccup could comment , ace beat him to it. “I assume with how fast you've gotten used to the weapon, suppose you're prepared for some fighting moves.”
The brunette perked up, grinning. “But you need to eat and rest before so.” ace sneered and hiccup swore he'd heard himself erupt an inhumane scowl. He did not train for the entire night and dawn to eat then get back to bed and rest! Protest beginning to word out from his mouth when he saw ace no longer expressing out a sneer and rather his gaze pointed right towards himself which was clouded with worry. Hiccup felt a pang in his heart. His mentor (and dragon) was worried for him. He could take a bit of time to rest, hiccup thought and sighed, relaxing his shoulders then slumped down, leaning his back on a rock and pipe still in his left hand. “Fine but only an hour. I got training in roughly six hours.”
Ace grinned, oddly wide. Should Hiccup be concerned by that?
.. He should've, he should've just stayed awake that time, followed him even. Ace woke him up with breads, cheese and cooked fish and yak meat from each village houses, all gathered in a bigger bucket on his arms, gesturing hiccup to get up if he wanted to start training.
The brunette choked on his food when ace had told him what the fire fist did while the other had napped peacefully.
Apparently, an hour ago he's set a random house on fire to keep the villagers distracted and stole some food from the storehouse. Worse, it was the chief’s house, hiccup’s house, which ace didn't know at first seeing how most berkian houses are practically the same. With this information, hiccup’s face paled and ace guiltily look away. “I didn't mean to.” the freckled male puffed his cheeks, anticipating a yell or scolding considering thatch, izo and marco (mostly thatch) would often be found chasing after the fire fist after the aforementioned other had pulled a prank or something would go horribly wrong and their gazes would immediately point at the culprit, him. Hiccup sat, baffled, but eventually frowned.
“That was my house.” he began, gaining his composure not to yell at his supposedly mentor. Ace nodded.
“That was my house.” he emphasized, and ace nodded again.
Hiccup could either already scold the dragon human (who's probably older than him in his point of view), cry or jump off a cliff.
He's decided to do all of them in order. Goodbye! Nobody will miss Hiccup the useless!