Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

i. Boy Meet Twins

Dragon Raids were, by this point, an inconvenience in Hiccup’s mind more than the fear-inducing events they were supposed to be. He was all of ten-winters-old, too old to be stuck in the Mead Hall with younger children, too young to understand the very real fear of war. All his peers had been given duties, small things but still things. He was the only one stuck inside.

No longer. Hiccup was going to prove himself. He was going to kill a dragon.

Sure, he was smaller than all his peers, who could barely hold their own axes up. And yes, maybe Dad was right to keep him out of the way because he was easy picking. 

But what Hiccup had that others didn’t have was an invention. Ever since he began working with Gobber, his mind had been running a rôst a minute. Late-night ideas had finally found their places in papers, drawn and designed to perfection.

Hiccup could do this. And then he’d show them he wasn’t just the runt of the pack. He wasn’t useless.

It was them that were useless, with their insistence on killing things with their bare, beefy hands. It would be much easier to kill dragons this way, for everyone. Efficient, elegant, easy .

(No, Hiccup wasn’t bitter that he didn’t have the stature his Dad wanted him to have. Why would he be? He had a brain.)

Hiccup timed his exit from the Great Hall with a blast from the outside, everyone too busy hiding to worry about little Hiccup. He left through the back exit, coughing as he stepped into smoke. The world was red, out here.

Nothing unusual, then.

Being small was an advantage sometimes - like running from Snotlout, hiding from Dad and Gobber, climbing into small places. It made it easier to slip into shadows and duck beneath debris. Neither dragon nor viking seemed to notice him as he headed to Gobber’s shop, abandoned now as they reached into the thick of battle where every hand needed to be on deck.

Including his, Hiccup thought giddily. He pulled out his weapon of choice.

“You’re going to be beautiful, baby,” Hiccup said, immediately getting embarrassed at himself but grinning still.

It was a stroke of late night genius. He had been unable to sleep because Astrid had glared at him and said he wouldn’t survive till next winter if he couldn’t even throw a spear yet. Which, rude - but it got him thinking. What if he could throw spears?

Or rather, have something throw spears for him. It was quite simple, really.

Hiccup loaded the spear onto the machine, much like a crossbow but much more sophisticated. All he needed to do was get it outside - 

“I forgot to add wheels.”

Hiccup face palmed. He knew he had been forgetting something.

“This is fine,” he said as fire burned in the background, “I’ll just aim out the window.”

It ended up being decided not fine.

(Hiccup needed to stop jinxing himself.)

See, the thing about dragons was that their hides were tough and Hiccup’s machines could throw a spear at only one speed, which was a speed a bit too slow. The spear flew out like a charm but instead of penetrating the Gronkle as intended, the spear bounced off and found its way into someone’s house.

No matter, Hiccup reassured himself as the dragon turned on him. He fumbled with the next spear, trying to load it and - 

And it didn’t shoot.

What? Hiccup frantically searched the machine, tugging at the strings and gears. Somehow, the trigger wasn’t working but why ? It had been so perfect. It was going to be beautiful .

“HICCUP!” Gobber roared, hooking his hand into the boy’s tunic and pulling him out of the shop, “What in Thor’s dirty undies are you doing here?”

That’s when Gobber’s shop exploded.

“For Odin’s sake – “ Gobber glared, “Stay here .”

Hiccup watched them man charge at the Gronkle that had destroyed the shop in dismay. His weapon was long gone now, burned to ash.

Along with a ton of other weapons, and unlike Hiccup, the other vikings were not going to be calm about it.

“Wow.”

Hiccup flinched, turning. Of course, there had been people to notice his humiliation. No one ever showed up when Hiccup was doing something right.

“H-hey Tuffnut,” Hiccup said, cringing.

Tuffnut was looking at the destruction behind Hiccup with a wide-eyed, dreamy look. Ruffnut was there too, holding a bucket - they must have been upgraded to Fire Control. Which was now something anyone expected from the twins.

“Did you just destroy all our weapons?” Ruffnut asked, grinning.

“No!” Hiccup protested, then amended, “O-only the ones that were in for repairs.”

“Oh, so half of them then.”

Hiccup frowned, “Okay, bu-but I almost killed a Gronkle.”

Ruffnut laughed, “Sure you did kiddo! And my brother’s almost smart!”

Tuffnut were still gaping at the burning building. “Wow.”

Hiccup sighed, “So are you gonna put out the fire or …”

“Nah,” Ruffnut said, “Let it burn.”

“You know, little H,” Tuffnut said, finally looking away from the fire, “We’re always wrecking havoc. It’s like our specialty. But you my friend - you are a walking disaster.”

“Gee, thanks.”

The roof on the smithy collapsed inward. Hiccup sighed. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at him in awe.

Hiccup hadn’t known it then, and wouldn’t ever know it, but that was the day that he first truly began falling out of favour with his father - and the day that he began falling into favour with the most insane duo on Berk.

—

Hiccup was grounded after the incident with the smithy. His days included rebuilding what he had destroyed and staying indoors and not touching another one of your ideas Hiccup, I mean it.

“I just wanted to prove myself,” Hiccup grumbled, “And I would have! If that stupid trigger worked.”

He tried to mentally figure out what had gone wrong, because Gobber was a stickler for Dad’s rules and was not letting him near any pen or paper. It wouldn’t be forever, of course, but it would be for long enough to get Hiccup annoyed.

“Yer still going on ‘bout that?” Gobber groaned as he hammered some wood into place, “Give it a rest Hiccup. Ya could’ve died ye know?”

“I was fine,” Hiccup protested.

“Ye were not,” Gobber sighed, “Seriously, I don’t know what goes on in that tiny head of yers. What good is killin’ a dragon if you don’t do it with yer - “

“Bare beefy hands I know.”

“I never said beefy,” Gobber said, waving his hammer-arm around.

“Oh but Gobber, I meant me,” Hiccup said sarcastically, “Me and all the muscle I don’t know what to do with.”

Gobber chuckled, the lecture successfully diverted. Gobber shook his head.

“Alright, let’s get ye back home. I’ll get ye for nattmal.”

Hiccup crossed his arms indignantly, “I don’t need to be chaperoned!”

“Sure ya don’t. Of course you’d just go straight back home, ey?”

Hiccup tried his best to make an innocent face, “Exactly!”

Gobber ruffled his hair, “Yer lucky yer so cute, ye know that? And tiny. Or else I’d have left ye to the wolves.”

“I’m not small! I’m ten!”

“So I should leave ye to the wolves, then?”

“That’s not - I didn’t - Gobber !”

Gobber laughed, and heat climbed up Hiccup’s face. But he smiled a little too. Unlike everyone else in the village, Gobber was always nice to him. And sometimes he even understood what Hiccup was going on about with his projects, though he rarely encouraged them.

He understood more than Dad, anyway.

Gobber made sure he got into the Chief’s hut before turning around to leave. Hiccup made sure Gobber was at least halfway down the path before turning around towards the backdoor. To leave.

Really, Dad and Gobber should know Hiccup better by now. It was their own fault. 

Gleefully, Hiccup grabbed his secret notebook from the floorboard under his bed and semi-skipped out the door. It was going to be a good day - 

“Hey, Hiccup!”

Hiccup froze, “H-hey?”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut grinned widely from where they were. Upside down. On a wooden beam. On his house.

Hiccup, and most of Berk, were somewhat used to the twins being, well, themselves. Much like how most of Berk was used to Hiccup being himself. Still, the twins were more foe than friend, having sided with Snotlout far too many times before. And anyway, the Thorstons were infamous for being bad news in general - the twins were mild compared to some of their other family members. 

Hiccup approached this situation with due caution, narrowing his eyes and stepping well out of range in case one of them fell.

“Wh-what are you guys doing?”

“Head rush!” Tuffnut answered, “It helps us clear our heads.”

“And we’re trying to see who lasts the longest!” Ruffnut said, “Me, obviously.”

“No, me!”

They began butting heads in midair, swinging wildly. Hiccup slowly inched away, deciding to just leave them be.

They had other plans.

“So, where are you headed Hiccup?” Ruffnut asked gleefully, “Going to go pray to Loki?”

“What, no, what, why would I - "

Tuffnut threw an arm around Hiccup’s shoulder, making him tense, “Or get some more machines to blow things up with?”

“The blowing up was on the Gronkle.”

“No need to be humble, you’re a wreck,” Tuffnut said.

Irritated, Hiccup threw off the other boys arms and walked forward, “I was going to explore the forest. Why don’t you guys just - " Hiccup made a shooing motion. 

The twins grinned instead, not budging.

“You see, young Hiccup, we have come to a conclusion …” Tuffnut began.

“Something about you draws disaster,” Ruffnut agreed, mimicking her brother's sagely voice.

“And therefore …”

“We have decided to follow you because …”

“We’re starved of entertainment!” they finished together.

Hiccup groaned, “Do what you want,” and stomped off, mumbling angrily, “Can’t stop you anyway. I can’t do anything right.”

—

ii. Twins meet Boy

“This is boring,” Ruffnut groaned for the upteenth time.

“Yeah,” Tuffnut agreed, for the upteenth time.

They were dragging their legs, swinging their arms in an exaggerated motion of being weighed down. Tuffnut had his tongue stuck out, as though the boredom was killing him.

“I never said it would be fun,” Hiccup shot back, “You could just leave.”

“And do what? Bully Fishlegs? We’ve done that already,” Ruffnut complained.

Hiccup very much didn’t want the other boy to be bullied and wisely kept his mouth shut. He had almost forgotten that the twins were pretty mean when they wanted to be.

“Why hasn’t lightning struck you yet?” Tuffnut complained, “And started a wildfire to ravage Berk?”

“Why hasn’t lightning struck you yet,” Hiccup muttered. He raised his voice, “Look, I’m just mapping out the area. It’s cool! Like how - “

“BORING!” Ruffnut yelled

“C’mon Ruff, let’s hit something.”

“We could hit Hiccup.”

Oh no, Hiccup thought, nervous and ready to run. This was all too familiar, though the twins had never attacked him without Snotlout being there to order them around. But they were bored, and everyone knew bored Thorstons were bad Thorstons.

“Nah,” Tuffnut said, to Hiccup’s relief, “He’s too skinny, we’d kill him.”

“And you guys aren’t skinny?” Hiccup yelped indignantly.

“Have you seen my sister’s fat butt?”

“Have you seen my brother?”

Hiccup looked them up and down. They were ten, like him, and almost just as scrawny. The only reason they weren’t picked on was because they were twice as crazy. And anyway, Hiccup wasn’t just skinny, he was small. He chose not to comment.

“Do your parents know you’re out here?” Hiccup pressed, “It’s getting late, maybe you should go back.”

“Does your dad know,” Ruffnut sniped back.

Hiccup glared, “I’m used to this place. I know every nook and cranny. You’ll just get lost.”

“Oh yeah?” Ruffnut challenged, “Well we know every cook and nanny too!”

Hiccup snorted in disbelief, “Then why don’t you make it out on your own? You don’t need me.”

“‘Course we don’t need you, useless!” Ruffnut snapped.

“But it’s fun bothering you,” Tuffnut said, tone lighter than his sister’s, “And if you really know every look and manny then I bet you’ve got something cool to show us.”

Both Hiccup and Ruffnut lit up.

Excitedly, Hiccup said, “I know just the place. This way!”

He was delighted to find out he was faster than both of them, though only by a bit. He hadn’t been lying - he knew the forest like the back of his hands. Childhoods spent alone with a notebook meant he had documented every rock formation, every slope and curve, every fallen tree. He laughed when Ruffnut tripped over a stump in an attempt to catch up and Tuffnut fell into a stream that Hiccup easily jumped over.

Winter was approaching in rapid succession now, with the forest floor littered with oranges and browns. As they ran, the fallen leaves crunched underfoot and soon, they were all trying to step on as many as they could, trying to make as much noise as possible.

Hiccup giggled when slipped on some mud, getting his tunic dirty, and Ruffnut pulled him up happily. It was almost like they were friends, suddenly but naturally, a simple afterthought to their little adventure.

The incline began to get steeper, the rocks around them becoming sharper. They were reaching the edge of the berk.

“We’re here!” Hiccup said, breathless, as he stared up the cliff - not the tallest one around, but the most practical, “Well, almost. Now we climb up!”

“Race you!” Ruffnut said, as Tuffnut yelled, “Up?”

“You’re not scared of heights, are you?” Hiccup teased.

Tuffnut sniffed, “‘Course not, I was more worried about you, runt.”

If Hiccup needed any more incentive to be the first one to the top, he just got it. Climbing up was easy, knowing all the footholds that the cliff-face had to offer, but Ruffnut and Tuffnut were stronger than him, and more experienced. 

He was losing. Until Ruffnut stepped on Tuffnut’s face to get ahead, and he pulled her leg in retaliation. Hiccup giggled.

“You guys are your own downfall!” Hiccup yelled down at them, when he reached the top.

They groaned in unison, grumbling as they finally stopped fighting and began climbing up. Hiccup happily sat on his knees, waiting. Ruffnut glared at him as she passed.

“I would’ve won.”

“Sure.”

“A little help here?” Tuffnut called, having slipped from his foothold and now holding on for his dear life.

Hiccup immediately tried pulling him up, failing spectacularly. Fortunately, Ruffnut was more used to pulling around humans.

“You’re crazy, little man,” Tuffnut said, “And that’s coming from me. How high up are we?”

“Nine farlongs above the sea,” Hiccup said smugly.

“Woah,” Ruffnut said, “That’s like - that’s nine whole Monstrous Nightmares combined!”

Hiccup gave her a strange look, “How long do you think Nightmares are?”

“Yeah. It’s more like … ten,” Tuffnut said, giving Hiccup a brief glance that was almost questioning.

“Try a hundred,” Hiccup grinned, “Now c’mon, this way. Careful!”

The cliff plateaued off, low-lying foliage covering their way. Hiccup pushed them aside easily, gesturing at his new companions – friends? – to come along. He held some branches aside, allowing them through first.

“Huh,” Ruffnut said, fighting wonderment out of her voice, “That’s - that’s pretty neat.”

“It’s freaking amazing,” Tuffnut said, more honest than his twin, “Definitely a hundred Nightmares high.”

Over the edge of the cliff, the sea stretched beyond them. Below them was a sharp drop-off, so standing at the edge felt like standing on the sea itself. The sun had disappeared below the edge of the world, leaving behind a sky painted deep orange and purple.

“I like coming up here,” Hiccup admitted, “Though it’s not my favourite place ‘cause you have to climb so much. I - I know some other places - cooler ones - this one was just close by - “

Ruffnut blinked, “You wanna show them to us?”

Hiccup shrugged, “If you want. But you can’t tell anyone!” he frowned, “Especially not Snotlout. This has got to be our secret, okay?”

The twin grinned, and put out the pinkies. Hiccup stared at them.

“We’re making a pinkie promise, idiot,” Ruffnut said, “Gotta wrap your finger around ours, like this …”

Hiccup wrapped his pinkies around theirs, one for each twin.

“You’re okay, for a runt,” Tuffnut allowed.

Hiccup smiled, “And you guys are kind of okay too.”

—

That night at nattmal, Hiccup sat alone.

The twins had bound off the moment they reached Hiccup’s house, barely saying goodbye. Hiccup had had to patiently wait for Gobber to show up lest someone realised that he had left. Gobber brought him to the Mead Hall, commenting on Hiccup’s muddy tunic with a raised eyebrow.

Hiccup had raised an eyebrow back. Or tried to. It didn’t work because both his eyebrows raised together.

Now in the Hall, Hiccup sat at his usual table in the corner, notebook open. He spied the twins sitting with Snotlout, Fishlegs and Astrid, along with some other kids younger and older than them. 

He was a little worried that they’d tell the others off the cliff and the others would make fun of him. But so far no one has approached.

You just have to jinx yourself, don’t you, Hiccup , he thought bitterly as a large shadow was cast over him.

“D-dad.”

“Hiccup,” Stoick the Vast greeted, a booming voice that couldn’t be quietened even as he tried, “I thought I said no more ideas.”

“Not an idea,” Hiccup said, closing the book, “Just drawing.”

It was true. He’d been drawing himself and the twins by the cliff, the day having both exhausted and invigorated him. He wondered if they could go on more adventures.

Probably not, he figured with a sinking heart. He looked at the twins, laughing louder and looking much more interested in whatever Snotlout had to say than with anything Hiccup had said. The twins were pretty rough and rambunctious and Hiccup was, well, a runt.

No one would ever want to be friends with him.

(Until he proved himself and killed a dragon.)

“Well, I hope none of your drawings cause anymore destruction, got it?” Dad said, “I don’t want you or the village getting hurt.”

“Sure thing.”

Dad adjusted his helmet and Hiccup fought back a sense of satisfaction. The Chief of Berk, rendered awkward by his runt of a son. The irony.

“Well. See you back at the house.”

Hiccup hummed his acknowledgement, going back to his drawing of his maybe-probably-not friends. At least he was keeping his promise to his dad - this drawing couldn’t symbolise destruction, right?

(Hiccup really needed to stop jinxing himself.)

Chapter Text

i. Broken Wings

“RUFFNUT! TUFFNUT!” 

Hiccup winced at the volume of the shouting, sighing as he realised that the Throston twins had once again left a trail of destruction in their wake. Something about sheep, metal wires, and a single orange.

“Those two,” Gobber shook his head, “Fer all yer faults Hiccup, at least you won’t be that much trouble, ey?”

“I’m plenty trouble,” Hiccup said with mock-indignation, “See how much trouble I am?”

He tried to swing the axe he was sharpening, and promptly fell. Gobber burst out laughing.

“Yer a riot is what you are,” Gobber said, wiping his eyes, “Back to work.”

“More work?” Hiccup whined, which was unlike him but he had seen an interesting bird the other day and was wondering if it would return to the same spot in the forest.

“One more sword,” Gobber negotiated, “Figure ye need a break. Before work breaks ye.”

“I am very resilient,” Hiccup argued back.

Fondly, Gobber cuffed his head lightly, “That ye are, kid.”

“Not a kid.”

Hiccup sharpened the sword and worked it through all the necessary procedures obediently, before looking to Gobber. Gobber waved him off and before the man could even say goodbye, Hiccup was gone.

The new season had brought in a fresh wave of greenery to the forest, stirring life into it. As he ran deeper into the woods, birds and small wildlife scattered, the only things in the world scared of tiny Hiccup. Flowers bloomed, pollen in the air making him itch slightly, but the sheer joy of the fresh breeze and the spring-time sun was enough to keep him going.

He had survived another winter, to everyone’s surprise but his own.

Dad had been worried, but he was always worried. Snotlout had made a sliding comment about Hiccup’s declining health, Fishlegs had looked horrified, and he had overheard a Jorgenson talk about who might be the next heir. It was the same every winter.

Sometimes, Hiccup thought he might be surviving on pure spite. Like he said. He was very resilient.

“Oi, it’s Hiccup!”

He skidded to a halt when he heard Tuffnut’s voice, almost tripping. He waved slightly.

Ever since their adventure to the cliff, Hiccup had been hanging out with the twins on and off. Usually the other two were doing something else, but sometimes they’d join him. Usually when he was testing something out  - which, so far, had always gone disastrous.

“Wha-what are you guys doing here?” he asked, a little suspicious.

“Running from mean old Alva,” Ruffnut said, “Not our fault she wasn’t paying attention to her sheep better!”

Hiccup cringed, “Please t-tell me none of them died.”

“Little H!” Tuffnut gasped, “We’d never kill innocent animals. People on the other hand…”

Ruffnut snickered, “They’re so fragile.”

Hiccup was, as always, very afraid for his own life.

“What are you doing here?” Tuffnut asked, Ruffnut not seeming all that interested in him anymore. She went to swing on a branch.

“I found a rare species of bird the other day. I think it might’ve been a Willow Tit - “

The twins burst out laughing, “ Tit .”

“Very mature guys,” Hiccup rolled his eyes, smiling a bit himself, “Anyway, they died out on Berk a few years ago - or so we thought..”

“Boring!” Ruffnut called.

“What do they look like?” Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup perked up, surprised, “White and small. And really fluffy.”

Tuffnut frowned, looking around, “Don’t see it.”

Delighted, Hiccup laughed, “Well, not yet. We have to be quiet and stealthy and patient - “

“Okay, now I’m bored too,” Tuffnut picked up a rock and threw it at Ruffnut’s helmet.

“Hey! Don’t throw rocks at me!”

“Don’t be so easy to hit!”

Ruffnut roared and tackled Tuffnut to the ground. The two began wrestling, kicking up dirt and almost pulling Hiccup along with them. Fortunately, Hiccup was too used to them by now and just sidestepped, finding a fallen tree bark to sit upon.

It was mostly okay, just watching them fight. He pulled out his sketches of the willow tit and began drawing another one, allowing their arguing to be background noise. It was familiar somehow. Even if no brd would come within a mile of them anymore.

Hiccup hadn’t noticed before they began hanging out more, but Ruffnut and Tuffnut were a bit like him. Outcasts. Of course, Hiccup had very little to do with his own ostracisation, and the twins liked to bring it upon themselves, but Berk disliked the three of them for similar reasons. They brought chaos and confusion wherever they went, and they were pretty much useless at everything else.

Though, the twins were still more liked, actually being Viking-like most of the time. Meaning, they were still mean and dumb sometimes.

His notebook was snatched out of his hands with enough force that he almost fell forward.

“Hey!” he glared at Ruffnut, “G-g-give that back!”

“G-g-give that back,” she mocked, flicking through the pages, “Wow, these are even more boring. Do you have any drawings of - “

“Dragons!” Tuffnut said, stopping at a page, “Woah, a Whispering Death! Let me see.”

Tuffnut pulled at the book. Ruffnut pulled back, “No!”

“Give it!”

Hiccup looked frantically between them, hands clenched in fists, “Stop it! It’s-it’s mine, give it back!”

The book was starting to fall apart under the force. Frustrated tears welled up in his eyes - he should’ve known this would happen. Nothing good ever happened to him, every “friend” he’s ever had just wanted to hurt him.

In a panic, he pushed Ruffnut to the ground, the notebook falling with her. Some pages came apart, but at least it was whole.

“Hey!” Tuffnut yelled, shoving Hiccup, “Only I get to push her.”

“Then tell her no-not to touch my notebook!”

“Why you –” Tuffnut stomped forward, only to stop when he stepped on something. He yelped, immediately jumping back.

“What was that?” Ruffnut asked, as the something chirped miserably.

“A willow tit!” Hiccup said wonderingly, “And a baby one,” he glared, “And you stepped on it! What is wrong with you?”

“Didn’t mean too…”

Hiccup crouched down, assessing the damage. The wing seemed to be broken. He didn’t know enough to accurately judge how old it was, but it wasn’t an adult. It wasn’t a baby either, at least. It must have been hurt long before Tuffnut stepped near it. Not on it, like Hiccup had thought.

“Is it going to be okay?” Tuffnut asked, voice surprisingly small.

Hiccup looked up, about to snap, when he was horrified to see the other boy’s eyes were welling up with tears.

“Are you crying ?” Even Hiccup didn’t cry over hurt animals!

“Hey!” Ruffnut growled, “My bro’s sensitive! You know that!”

Uh no, Hiccup did not know that. He was Tuffnut Thorston . There was no way he was sensitive. That was just - huh?

Tuffnut angrily looked away and demanded, “Well? Is it okay?”

“It’s wing is broken,” Hiccup said quickly, eager to move past the strange display as well.

Ruffnut grunted, “Guess we should end it’s suffering then, huh? Downed dragon is a dead dragon, or whatever.”

That was surprisingly … smart. Tuffnut was sensitive and Ruffnut was smart. What was happening to the world?

“What! No!” Tuffnut yelped, “I mean - “

“It wasn’t your fault, Tuff,” Hiccup said, looking up, “It fell from its nest,” he smiled at the boy, who seemed a little relieved, before catching himself and forcing an uncaring expression, “Alright, get me a twig - the straightest one you can find. I’ll make a splint.”

Tuffnut was on it immediately, Ruffnut sitting down and watching them, slightly curious. Hiccup took the string of his notebook, figuring he’d put it back together later.

“Okay, now hold him,” Hiccup instructed, “Gently.”

Tuffnut did, a little hesitant. Hiccup was still trying to get over the fact that Tuffnut was shaken up over injuring a bird . The twins hadn’t been lying after all - they’d never hurt an animal.

“There,” Hiccup said, tying the splint together and admiring his handiwork, “Think you’ll be able to take care of him?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Hiccup grinned, loving this new side of Tuffnut. But he would withhold from the teasing. For now.

“You know, once I started bawling after thinking I killed an ant?” Hiccup said, casually.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut laughed. “Hah! You really are useless,” Tuffnut said, though there was no venom behind his words.

Hiccup beamed, staring down at the bird, “Guess I am.”

That night, Ruffnut knocked on his door and handed him his notebook back, bound. He’d forgotten it in the forest, too caught up with Tuffnut brainstorming pet names.

“O-oh,” he said “Thanks?”

“Yeah,” she shifted, “Thanks for being nice to Tuffnut.”

Hiccup shrugged, “It’s what friends do,” then he glared, “But friends don’t st-steal each other's notebooks!” he paused, and a little more quietly added, “Or make fun of their stutters.”

Ruffnut groaned, stomping dramatically, “Well friends don’t ignore friends by constantly scribbling away on a notebook all the time! Like, we get it, you’re smart, get a new thing.”

Hiccup blinked, “Oh. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’d have shown you what was in it if you just asked.”

Ruffnut blinked, “Wait really? That’s it?”

“Yeah,” Hiccup grinned, “See what we can get done when we just talk things out.”

“Ugh, you’re such a sissy, can’t believe we like you,” Ruffnut grinned back, “Though I suppose that really does prove we’re insane. So … can I borrow your notebook?”

With narrowed eyes, he asked, “You’re just going to burn it, aren’t you?”

Ruffnut hummed. Then, she grabbed his notebook back out of his hands, cackled and ran away, “You know me too well!”

“Ruff!”

He got the notebook back tomorrow anyway, crude doodles all over his blank pages, but his actual notes untouched. Hiccup grinned, and kept the notebook on his shelf, despite how the corners were burned and there was a suspicious stain on it.

He pulled out a different notebook and started designing wings, thinking about the bird now living with Tuffnut, wondering if one day vikings could fly like birds - or dragons. 

ii. Leave the Nest

Things changed between them after that.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut started sitting with him at meals, their wildness drawing more stares than Hiccup was comfortable with - most people chose to ignore him. But they were a good distraction, their insanity and sometimes dumbassery lending to more and more brilliant ideas when distilled.

Basically, Hiccup had realised that between their chaos and confusion, there were nuggets of wisdom. Rare, but precious. 

In turn, Hiccup interjected with his own sarcastic comments, which they seemed to appreciate greatly. He always kept a hand in his notebook, but Ruffnut’s words kept him from getting too deep into his mind. Instead, he jotted down random notes, because the twins were, above all, completely random.

He also learned, slowly, that the twins worked well together, but they were different people. Tuffnut was kinder, sometimes more sympathetic, more willing to listen to Hiccup’s complaining. Ruffnut was braver, sometimes smarter, more willing to punch someone for Hiccup.

With the seasons turning warmer, Dragon Raids began to grow more frequent.

Hiccup, now older and wiser by a year, had decided to pull away from killing dragons to helping the village.

It … ended badly.

“Dude,” Ruffnut laughed, “ Dude . How did you destroy three houses by your scrawny self?”

Hiccup flushed, “I thought … water … catapult …”

His friends were breathless with laughter and Hiccup could only bury his head in shame.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut tried riding the water catapult.

It … ended about as anyone expected.

“You three are all to be inside on the next Raid,” Stoick yelled for the whole village to hear, “I don’t want anymore of your help, Hiccup. And you two just … just stay away from everything.”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut were completely unrepentant.

Hiccup was already scheming.

“Don’t get it,” Hiccup complained, “I’m trying aren’t I?”

“Your dad just doesn’t understand your genius,” Tuffnut offered, “Happens to me too.”

Ruffnut was bored of the conversation, hitting Tuffnut’s helmet with a mace. The boy seemed completely unbothered. Hiccup paused, watching them.

“They underestimate us,” he said, “We’ll show them!”

“Yeah!” the twin cheered, then went back to hitting each other.

Hiccup looked down at his notebook, full of useless ideas now. He had hit a rut. He looked up at the twins for inspiration, then froze as he caught sight of who was approaching.

“Well, well, well,” Snotlout sneered, “If it isn’t useless, more useless and most useless.”

“W-we prefer chaos, confusion and crazy actually,” Hiccup drawled. Next to him, the twins high-fived.

“More like dumb, dumber - “

“What do you want, Snotlout?” Hiccup interrupted.

“Did your girlfriend dump you?” Ruffnut asked, gesturing to Astrid halfway across the Hall, “Oh wait, she’d never date you.”

“Astrid and I are a match made in Valhalla!” Snotlout yelled, “She just doesn’t see it yet. Women, right?”

Tuffnut grumbled, “I know right?”

Ruffnut hit him. He hit back. Hiccup sighed watching them push each other to the floor and start tussling.

“Must be a nightmare to be around them, huh?” Snotlout said in mock-sympathy.

“Uh, no, it’s you who I can’t stand.”

“Oooh,” Ivan, who had been drawn in by the commotion, said, “Runt’s got teeth.”

Snotlout punched his fist to his palm, grinning maliciously, “Then how about we break them?”

“Uh, no,” Tuffnut said, getting up from the floor, “Only we get to break his teeth.”

Hiccup spluttered in protest but was ignored.

“You’re seriously defending him?” Ivan growled, “He’s Hiccup . He’s bad luck.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Hiccup murmured. Again, he was ignored.

“Yeah, exactly,” Tuffnutt agreed, “He’s an honourary Thorston sibling.”

Ruffnut adjusted her helmet, “Younger, obviously.”

“What do you mean obviously!” Hiccup yelped, then registered the words, “Wait … really?”

He had known they were friends but to call him sibling was so … sweet and sappy. And so unlike the twins. What had he actually done to earn it, other than destroying stuff? He felt his cheeks warm, but he was grinning anyway.

He’d never had friends before and now he had siblings .

“This is ridiculous,” Ivan said, “Snotlout, are you going to let this stand?”

Ivan was older than them and a Jorgenson. Hiccup knew the battle was lost the moment Snotlout’s eyes went cold. He would always be a Jorgenson first.

“Obviously not.”

It was okay, mostly. Hiccup was used to taking punches, though it hadn’t happened in a while.

What he wasn’t used to though, was someone punching for him.

Ruffnut’s fist made contact with Snotlout’s jaw, the impact making his head snap back. Tuffnut grabbed their mace and swung wildly at Ivan, forcing the boy to jump back.

“You two,” Ivan snarled at two viking girls - his friends, presumably - that had gathered, “Grab them.”

The girls lunged for the twins, but they danced out of reach. Ruffnut cracked her knuckles.

“Oh, this will be fun ,” she said, “I’ve been missing a fight – hanging out with you is very non-violent.”

“Yeah, get a hobby.”

Hiccup looked at them flatly, “Are you on my side or not?”

Ruffnut shrieked as she charged at Ivan - Tuffnut grinned at him, “All the way, bro,” and followed his sister into battle.

Hiccup watched the chaos unfold with a sinking heart. The twins were good at dodging, but they wouldn’t be able to outfight them.

That was okay - Hiccup had been outthinking bullies for a long time.

“Oh, he-hey Dad!”

Ivan and the others stopped immediately, Snotlout letting Tuffnut go from where he had the other boy trapped in a headlock. Hiccup grabbed the twins hands, one in each, and pulled them along, running straight out of the Mead Hall. It really was a good thing his dad was chief - no one wanted to bully Hiccup in front of him.

“Oi, we had it!” Ruffnut yelled.

“Uh, no, we were outnumbered three to four.”

“Two to four,” Tuffnut corrected cheekily. Hiccup rolled his eyes but could admit he hadn’t actually been contributing to the fight.

Outside, preparations for the Bork Week were underway, creating a crowd surrounding the Hall. Hiccup and the twins wove around them.

“YOU THREE!” he heard Ivan yell, “Fight back like proper vikings!”

Ruffnut grit her teeth and clutched her mace tighter, but Tuffnut laughed, “We’re disciples of Loki first and foremost.”

Hiccup wouldn’t go that far. Ruffnut grinned in agreement.

The crowd made it easier to lose their hunters, Hiccup’s smaller stature and the Thorston’s natural lankiness meaning they could slip through small openings. But eventually, the crowd began to thin the further they got from the Great Hall.

Wolffang, one of Ivan’s friends, a huge guy bigger than most full-grown vikings, and just as dull, stepped out of an alley, ready to block their path. Hiccup glared.

“Split up and go around,” Hiccup said. 

The twins nodded. Hiccup charged straight ahead, grinning. Wolfang looked around, confused by the twins, but settled on blocking Hiccup’s path. Anyone watching knew little Hiccup couldn’t take on someone as big as Wolfang. 

Wolfang swung his arms in a grabbing motion.

Hiccup slid under him.

“Good thing I’m so small,” he murmured to himself. 

“H!” Tuffnut said, seeming way too excited as Ivan began to catch up, “Which way now?”

The crowd was starting to slow them down more than anything, some people clearly attempting to stop them from running in such an unviking-way. The Jorgenson’s were gaining speed.

Hiccup spied a wagon full of barrels, “We go up! Follow me!”

They do unflinchingly. Hiccup lead climbed up the barrels with relative ease, stacked precariously but well enough that they could get up. He waited till the two were on the roof of the house with him before kicking the topmost barrel, sending them all toppling right onto Snotlout.

“Let’s go!” he yelled.

They flew across the roofs, viking houses made conveniently close to each other. Hiccup felt a laugh bubbling in his chest as people looked up at them in confusion. Ruffnut grinned and waved at Stoick as they passed - she really didn’t have any self-preservation skills.

They made their way out of Berk. By the time they made it to the beaches, they were panting and laughing, and their foes were long gone. 

“That was fun! Let’s do it again!” Tuffnut said, throwing his arms up in the air in triumph, “With more hitting this time.”

Hiccup swayed on his feet, “No thanks. Let’s never do that again.”

“You’re no fun,” Ruffnut told him, “Still think we should’ve just fought them. I was ready to bite.”

“But did you see the look on their faces when H kicked barrels into them?”

Hiccup smiled at them, a little hesitant, “H-hey, um, about what you said … in the Hall, ab-ab-about us being siblings …”

“Oh that,” Ruffnut said, feigning dismissal but nervously playing with her mace, “You’re an honourary Thorston.” 

“No take backs.”

The twins both looked at him, searching. Hiccup grinned so hard that his cheek began to hurt, “Thanks guys.”

It wasn’t like he’d ever be a good enough Haddock, after all.

“So what do we call him?” Tuffnut wondered out loud, “Upnut?”

“Hiccnut?”

Hiccup groaned, “You both suck, just call me Hiccup!”

“Nuh uh! Thorston’s need a nutty name,” Ruffnut pushed Hiccup lightly, but Hiccup was way too weak and ended up falling into the water.

“Hey!” he yelled.

“You’re our brother so we get to bully you now!” Ruffnut grinned, kicking sand in his face.

“Oh so you’re playing like that, ey? There will be consequences!”

Ruffnut gave him a blank look, “ Ooh , I’m so scared - AH!”

Tuffnut snickered as his sister was pulled into the water by her feet. She reemerged spluttering, “Why you little - “

They both looked at Tuffnut, still laughing, then looked at each other.

“Hey, no, don’t - “

Hiccup returned home that day, dripping with sea water, and didn’t notice, nor care, about the look his father shot him.

“Upnut is good.”

“I like Hiccnut better.”

“Wait,” Tuffnut sat up, “RUNTNUT!”

Hiccup threw a pencil at his head.

“We don’t have to get revenge,” Hiccup said hesitantly, “We should just leave them alone.”

“H, love you, but no,” Tuffnut said.

“Yeah, Hiccnut,” Ruff said, waving the goat bladder in his face, “Besides, don’t you want to test out your little machine?”

“It’s more than just a machine. It’s - “

“A water catapult that can’t shoot water,” Ruffnut said pointedly, “But with this, it can!”

“Behold,” Tuffnut said, waving yet another goat bladder in Hiccup’s face, “The answer to all your problems.”

“Courtesy of I,” Ruffnut grinned.

“No I!”

“No I!”

They growled and began slapping each other with their respective goat bladders. Hiccup sighed, supremely unimpressed.

“And what exactly is your idea?”

“These!” they held up the bladders.

“Yes, I figured, but what - “

Oh. Oh .

“You two are geniuses. Gross geniuses, insane geniuses, but geniuses. ”

Tuffnut smirked, “Finally someone gets it. Wait, what did we do?”

Ruffnut shrugged, “Dunno, I was just gonna pee into Snotlouts drink and then launch him from the catapult.”

“Same! The bladders were a metaphor.”

They high-fived. Hiccup grinned, still refusing to take back the fact that they were brilliant .

Hiccup ordered the twins to fill the goat bladders with water (sea water so no one accused them of wasting fresh water), and began rigging the catapult. 

“Ugh, is this one of your non-violent ideas?” Ruffnut groaned as she loaded the bladders into the catapult.

“Our brother is a wimp,” Tuffnut agreed.

“I swear you two got meaner ever since I became Hiccnut.”

“Oh my gods! Did you hear that sister!”

“I did indeed, brother! He had finally accepted his place and become Hiccnut, the Hiccup of Nuts.”

“That sounds sufficiently dirty, brother.”

“That was my intention, sister!”

HIccup groaned and let his head fall, thumping against the catapult. It almost sprung the trap, but held for a while longer, thankfully.

“Now what?” Ruffnut asked.

“We wait.”

“Boring.”

“Please, just, trust me!”

So they waited. Not for long because Ivan was stepping out of his house right on cue. He walked forward two steps, then stopped.

“ Come on ,” Hiccup urged quietly.

Ivan stretched, walking forward again. Straight into the trigger wire.

The catapult launched three goat bladders straight into Ivan’s face, exploding on impact and drenching him in sea water - and anything else that had been inside.

“You three!” Ivan growled, spotting them.

“And now we run,” Hiccup said happily.

“Least favourite part,” Ruffnut huffed.

“Most favourite part,” Tuffnut grinned.

Ivan screeched, coming after them, only to trip over a rope that sent a bucket full of sea water onto his head. Bucket first. But he’d be fine, vikings have notoriously thick skulls.

Hiccup was proven right when from behind them, Ivan screamed:

““RUFFNUT! TUFFNUT! HICCUP!”

“He got your name wrong,” Tuffnut murmured.

And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Hiccup laughed unadulterated.

Chapter Text

i. Getting Distracted is a Family Trait

Silent Sven had been complaining about his fence padlocks for a while now, in his own silent way. With them all being distracted by their own worries for the upcoming winter, most had overlooked his silent, frantic gestures.

Not Hiccup!

He had decided that Silent Sven’s lock needed an upgrade and went to work on it immediately, completely forgetting to sharpen Spitelout’s axe in the meantime.

What resulted was all the sheep escaping that night because the lock failed and a backlog of orders in the forge.

“ Hiccup ,” Stoick said, with that disappointed scowl of his.

Behind Dad, the twins were making the same scowl while hanging upside down. Hiccup fought back a grin.

“So-sorry dad,” Hiccup said, “I’ll fix the gate.”

“I thought only the lock broke.”

“Uh, about that …”

Hiccup honestly had no idea how it even happened. The entire fence gate had come off its hinges, like Loki really had it out for him.

So Hiccup found himself on the first days of snow, fixing the fences of Sven’s farm, listening to a couple walk by and murmur, if he wasn’t the Chief’s son …

The twins were playing near him, throwing bola at each other with varying accuracy. Hiccup ignored them, trying to focus on the task at hand and failing miserably. He had forgotten to bring his notebook with him. He kind of wanted to run back and get it.

“You guys could help you know!” Hiccup called.

“What’s the fun in that?” Ruffnut shot back.

Hiccup would offer payment, but realised they’d probably make the situation worse somehow. It was better to just let them do their thing and not get in the way.

“What if we could shoot hot water at each other?” Tuffnut mused, “Like dragons?”

“Yeah, and didn’t need to keep heating water.”

Like an automated heating system . Hiccup had already thought of that and come up with some pretty terrible ideas, quickly shot down by Gobber. It mostly involved dragons, which was dumb because dragons would never work with them and it seemed a little cruel to force them to, enemies or not. 

Tuffnut’s bolas landed near Hiccup’s head, making him yelp. He glared, “Watch it!”

“Yeah, Tuff! Hiccnut’s head’s not a dragon,” Ruffnut grinned, “Thought if I squint.”

“Rawr,” Hiccup said sarcastically, eyeing the bolbus head wrapped around the fence near him.

“You know what would be cool,” Tuffnut said, “If dragon’s could just spit these out. Wouldn’t need to use our arms anymore.”

Ruffnut hit him, making his helmet spin, “Then they’d hit us dumbass. Besides, what’s the fun in fighting if something else throws your weapons?”

Hiccup glanced up at Tuffnut before going back to work. Of the two, he was the one who said the most random things sometimes. Little monsters on their skin no one could see, freezing yak-milk in ice (ew), eating moldy bread to cure a fever. Ruffnut usually just grinned and nodded along because she loved the ensuing confusion that Tuffnut always caused.

He wondered if anyone else had figured that out yet, the little differences between the two. How Ruffnut was always more ready to hit someone, more ready to brave the unknown, more ready to learn and think and be cautious, more ready to protect her brothers. How Tuffnut was always in-tune with other people’s feelings, always more outgoing and ready to talk to people, always having something to say, always breaking up fights between his siblings. Or maybe it was just him being privy to it, which made a little warm ball glow in his chest.

Him and the twin’s parents. The parents who he still hadn’t really met but knew existed. He’s seen the twin’s dad drinking in the Hall, a glum faced big guy who people seemed to avoid. Their mother was a cheerful woman, lean like her kids, but when he tried to say hi, he had been ignored.

“Hey,” Hiccup asked, a little hesitantly, “I’ve never met your mom and dad. What are they like?”

“Lame,” Ruffnut said.

“Fine,” Tuffnut mumbled.

Hiccup didn’t think he’d ever heard such generic answers from the twins, so he didn’t push it.

He turned back to the fence, the hammer weighing heavy in his hand. It really would be so much better if something could do it for him. But so far, his inventions like that had failed or been shot down by Gobber before he could even come up with it. The closest he had gotten was the spear-throwing device, but he had quickly realised that to throw a spear he’d need more momentum he simply couldn’t get with the gears he had.

Something smaller, then. Something like … bola.

“Oh no,” Ruffnut grinned, “Hiccup looks like he’s got a brain child.”

“Just an idea, need to - “ write it down, but he hadn’t brough his notebook, “I’ll be right back! Please don’t let the sheep escape while I’m gone.”

“Don’t make us work ,” Ruffnut groaned.

“Yeah, we will literally die.”

“Guys, just sit here and watch sheep, you can’t mess up,” Hiccup called back, already running back home.

(Hiccup thought he knew the twins better than most people on Berk and he was very, very wrong .)

By the time he had grabbed his notebook and spent a good amount of time dumping everything in his mind onto paper, he decided it was about time to get back to Sven’s farm and finish the fence.

He knew something was wrong the moment that there was no fence to fix .

“They looked sad,” was Tuffnut’s testimony, as he rode on a sheep’s back, “All caged up like that.”

“I like chaos,” was Ruffnut’s excuse, “And violence too, but you’re boring and won’t let me hit people. Gotta make up for it somehow.”

Hiccup wanted to cry . His Dad was actually going to kill him.

The sheep were everywhere, and the fence was nowhere, and honestly, how could that have ever happened? How did an entire fence disappear? He turned to the twins, about to ask, when he realised that the fence (the entire fence) had fallen inward.

“Help me get this up,” he barked, “And get those sheep inside. Stop riding them .”

“What if we could ride drago - “

“Not now, Tuffnut!” Hiccup yelled. 

Tuffnut wiseley snapped his mouth shut. Ruffnut was already working on the fence, looking a little guilty. Hiccup tried to help, but his noodly thirteen-winters-old arms were utterly useless. Instead he tried to shepherd as many sheep as he could back inside. 

“We got distracted,” Tuffnut said.

“Yeah, it’s your fault for leaving us alone,” Ruffnut mumbled.

Hiccup glared at them both, “You’re right. I should never have trusted you. I can’t believe this.” It was a simple task!

“We’re not the screw-ups,” Ruffnut spat, “You’re the one who broke the fence in the first place.”

“I was trying to help . That’s what I’m expected to do. No one has any expectations of you two.”

“Oh boo hoo , I’m the heir, I’ve got so many problems and no one else does ,” Ruffnut mocked, “Do you have any idea how much you complain?”

Hiccup felt something tighten in the pit of chest as he snarled, “Sorry I’m so much trouble . No one asked you to stay.”

“You did!” Ruffnut burst out, “And we tried , okay? We’re sorry .”

Hiccup blinked, startled. He didn’t think they’d ever apologised to anyone before. They were the twins .

“You’re right, no one has any expectations of us,” Tuffnut mumbled, “But you do. It’s weird and we don’t like it.”

“You’re my friends. Which means I trust you, and you seriously let me down today.”

Tuffnut winced, “Yeah. Sorry.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah,” Hiccup turned to Ruffnut as well, “Thanks for apologising. Guess we’re all screw-ups. I ended up getting distracted too.”

“It’s a family trait,” Tuffnut offered, “We are too great for these pitiful fools.”

Hiccup nodded along with his sagehood, “We cannot be contained.”

“To Hiccup’s crazy ideas!” Ruffnut toasted with a hammer.

“And Ruff’s fat butt!”

“It’s not fat!”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut got distracted halfway again but eventually the three of them managed to get the fence back up and fixed by nightfall. As for the sheep …

“How did you LOSE THREE OF SVEN’S SHEEP?” Dad snarled next morning before Hiccup could sneak away to dagmal. Sven stood behind him, arms crossed.

Then, Stoick turned around and looked at the twins, “You two get over here, I know you’re involved in this!”

Hiccup thanked Thor that most people were in the Mead Hall and not outside, even as the snow started soaking through his clothes.

The twins slinked beside Hiccup, looking confused.

“Alright,” Dad put his hands on his hips, “Tell me what happened .”

The twins were, for once, quiet.

“It was my fault,” Hiccup admitted, “I got distracted and ran back to the house to get my notebook to write something down. I left the twins in charge and  … what did happen?”

Tuffnut started, “Sheep looked sad - “

“The fence was in the way - “

“It was Loki,” the finished together.

Sven looked downright murderous.

Dad pinched the bridge of his nose, “I have half a mind to throw you two in the lake by your ankles. As for you,” he glared at Hiccup, “You start a task, you finish it.”

Hiccup knew that, but there was no explaining to dad the itch of getting something down on paper before his mind got distracted again. He kept quiet as Dad took a deep breath, readying himself for the lecture. Sven gave him a silent glare all throughout. He could admit that he got distracted on Dad’s second mention of responsibility .

He chanced a glance at the twins and did a double take at the stars in their eyes.

Eventually, they were allowed to go get their meal, trudging through snow now already thick enough to reach their ankles. 

The twins peered at him curiously. When he didn’t say anything, Ruffnut punched him.

“Wha-what! What is wrong with you?” Hiccup burst out, messaging his shoulder.

“Your dad’s kinda cool,” she said.

“You got that from him shouting at you?” Hiccup asked, alarmed.

Nothing about a red-faced giant yelling could possibly be cool. The only reason Hiccup never tried to hide was because he knew and trusted his Dad to never actually hit him. Punish him, sure, but Dad was still the best Viking in the village.

Ruffnut punched him again and strode ahead. Hiccup turned to Tuffnut, gesturing at his sister’s retreating back in question, “What was that?”

Tuffnut shrugged, and looked away.

That night, Dad came home with a strange look on his face. Hiccup had opted to eat nattmal at home and was reading when he came in. The man stopped when his eyes caught Hiccup bent over his notes.

“Son,” he said, sounding awkward, “You know I punish ye because I care about ye, right? I want you to learn - “

“I know,” he cut in, “Are you okay?”

Dad sat across from him, taking some food for himself, “I visited the twin’s parents to see if I can get them under control.”

“ … and?”

“Aye, it’s not for you to worry about.”

“They’re my friends,” Hiccup protested, “I want to know.”

Dad shook his head, one large hand patting his head, “I’m glad yer friend’s with them, son. Yer a good lad.”

ii. The Haddocks

That winter was hard - harder than any Hiccup remembered experiencing. The Dragon Raids had left them weak on defences and low on food. Their longboats had returned from searching for the nest in broken pieces, and Dad had glared at him hard when asked how it went.

People were glaring at him a lot lately.

After the water catapult, which had admittedly been an unmitigated disaster, Hiccup had carefully stayed away from doing anything stupid during raids. He had been told to work in Gobber’s smithy during that time instead, which kept him mostly distracted.

But that didn’t stop the glares. Like it was somehow his fault dragons were attacking them.

(And maybe he was a curse, but people didn’t have to be so mean about it, right?)

“Don’t get what I did wrong,” Hiccup told Gobber, working the forge, “I actually have been pretty calm the last few months.”

He’d been too busy hanging out with the Throston twins trying to make traps and then testing them out on the twins, who volunteered, and on unsuspecting bullies, who had not volunteered. 

It had been fun, and Hiccup made sure nothing got too harmful.

(He had accidentally caught Stoick in a net once - being scolded by a red-faced giant of a man hanging upside down ended up being hilarious .)

“Ye haven’t done anything wrong.,” Gobber said quietly, “This time, anyway. Sometimes viking’s gotta punch summin’ to stay sane.”

“So I’m the village punching bag.”

“Aye.”

Never accuse Gobber of sugarcoating things. Hiccup sniffled, his fingertips feeling cold despite the heat of the blacksmith’s shop. He pulled the furs around himself tighter.

“Ye alright?” Gobber asked, “Catchin’ a cold?”

“I’m fine .”

But he could feel the cold settling into his bones, as he walked to the Mead Hall that night. That winter wasn’t just low on supplies, it was low on temperature. It was like the world had come together to punish Berk.

“Yeah, one of those blasted Thorstons,” he heard someone yell as he entered, “Gruffnut or whatever. Stole all our supplies and left .” 

Ah, there was also that. 

There were many major Houses in Berk: the Haddocks, the Jorgensons, the Hoffersons, the Ingermans, the Byornsons, the Eskilssons. They all had a thing going for them: the Haddocks were leaders (bar Hiccup); the Jorgensons were dumb - er, shoot-first-act-later - worriors; the Hoffersons were the best as all kinds of weaponry; the Ingermens were scholars and record keepers; the Byornsons took care of all things food and health wise; the Eskillssons excelled in defences. All the Houses were consistent.

The Thorstons were the newest major House on Berk. And they were consistently inconsistent . Some of them turned out fine - good vikings and integral parts of the village; others turned out thieves. People always asked why Stoick put up with them.

Their only saving grace was that they did all the odd jobs no one wanted to do. According to Berk anyway.

Hiccup didn’t know much about the other Thorstons, but his friends were definitely the milder of them. Which was saying something because every other day the twins were up to something or saying something that was crazy, confusing or chaotic. 

“Gruffnut’s a nice guy,” was Tuffnut’s verdict, “I bet he had a reason! He’s so cool, traveling the world - “

“He’s a butt.”

HIccup blinked at Ruffnut, who looked annoyed. This was the first time the twins had genuinely disagreed on something. They were always bickering, but none of that had ever meant anything.

“He was nice to me,” Tuffnut protested.

“No he wasn’t . He was manipulating you,” Ruffnut rolled her eyes, “Gods, you’re so dumb.”

“No you.”

“No you.”

Hiccup sneezed before they started fighting again. They looked at him.

“Hiccnut,” Tuffnut said slowly, “Are you … sick?”

Hiccup sniffled, glaring, “No.”

Ruffnut quickly slid away from him, taking a seat on the far side of the bench, “ Ew , germs.”

“We need to clear our hands with mead or ale,” Tuffnut said sagely.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, “Why would you do that?”

“It kills little monsters living on your skin,” he said, like it was obvious. Ruffnut nodded vigorously.

“Don’t be stupid,” Hiccup said, always loosing track of what the Twin were going on about, “And I’m fi - fi - fi,” he sneezed, “I’m fine.”

But the winter only got harsher after that, and Hiccup’s cold got worse.

“He ain’t gonna make it,” he heard Spitelout whispered one afternoon, the world already dark because the sun hated winter just as much as Vikings, “Such a shame.”

Hiccup grit his teeth and wrapped his arms around him.

“Take it easy, son,” Dad said, gruff but not unkind. HIs face was lined with worry, but he was somehow still stern, “And don’t listen to them. We both know yer a survivor.”

That might have been that first time Dad had ever believed in him.

Hiccup nodded and took his meal to his usual table. The twins were already there, eyeing him.

“Your dad really cares about you,” Ruffnut noted.

“Well, he’s my dad,” Hiccup reasoned, “He’s alright as long as he’s not all: Yer going to be the Pride of Berk, son. Man up ,” he said in an exaggerated Stoick accent, doing a thing with his arms.

The twins looked contemplative for a moment. Hiccup realised that he didn’t actually know very much about the twin’s family. He knew about the Thorstons, in general, but nothing about their mom and dad.

“I’m sure your dad cares a lot about you too,” HIccup offered.

Ruffnut laughed and Tuffnut gave her a glare. “Course he does!” Tuffnut defended.

Hiccup coughed into his elbow, groaning as his chest rattled. Someone yelled, “Take that somewhere else,” and Hiccup decided he might as well.

“I think I’m going home. Don’t feel hungry,” they needed to ration anyway.

“Oh no you don’t!” Ruffnut said, “Eat!”

“But - “

“ Eat ,” Tuffnut prodded his ribs, “I know it isn’t the culinary masterpiece that we make, but it’s food.”

“You guys can cook?”

They sat on either side of him and practically glared at him into submission. They were scared, he realised.

Hiccup knew children who never made it through winter, babies who were too fragile, teenagers who didn’t get enough meals. It was just how being a viking was sometimes. 

(One day, he’d change it. He had ideas, about heating systems, about better clothing, about so many things –  if just given the chance, he could change the world. He had to. Or else, what would he be worth?)

Hiccup was a runt. Of all of them, he was the most likely to die.

“Don’t worry guys, a little cold isn’t going to kill me,” Hiccup said, “I’d probably kill it actually, being a proper viking and all.”

“Yes, you and your noodle arms,” Ruffnut nodded, “So scary.”

“Terrifying,” Tuffnut shivered, “Nothing human is that skinny.”

Hiccup smiled at them, and ate his food.

In response to whether or not they cooked, the twins made Hiccup a meal.

It was strange, but not bad.

“Tuffnut cried on it.”

That explained the salt.

Hiccup coughed wetly, waving away Gobber’s concern.

“I just need to lay down,” he said, snuggling further into his blankets.

“Ye take care, ye hear? Can’t be going ‘round losing my apprentice.”

Hiccup ignored him, too focused on breathing so that his chest didn’t hurt. He’d be fine. He’s made it through worse.

They both startled when the door of the Haddock house burst open.

“Hiccup! Are you dying?” Ruffnut yelled, “You can’t die!”

“Keep it down muttonhead!” Gobber snapped.

“I brought blankets,” Tuffnut said, ignoring the smith, “Well, I stole it.”

“Thanks Tuff,” Hiccup said, smiling at them both, “Gothi says I just need to stay warm.”

“I can do warm,” the other boy said. They must have been really worried.

Gobber shook his head, rising from his chair with a slight groan, “I better get going. Stoick will be back soon.”

Hiccup nodded as Tuffnut climbed into bed with him, Ruffnut taking his other side. For all they liked to say Hiccup was the younger sibling, they definitely acted more like toddlers.

“You’re not actually going to die, are you?” Tuffnut said, voice muffled from where his head was buried in Hiccup’s shoulder.

“Of course not,” Hiccup soothed, “I’m made of tougher stuff.”

“Hah, Tuff,” Ruffnut said, her head on Hiccup’s stomach.

Hiccup grinned. He was definitely the older brother. Not that they’d ever agree to it.

When Dad came in, Hiccup was still awake, watching the world through bleary eyes. Dad raised an eyebrow. Tuffnut was drooling on his shoulder, and Ruffnut’s feet were cold. Still, Hiccup couldn’t be bothered.

“Thorston sandwich,” Hiccup explained, as if it made complete sense.

To him, it did.

Hiccup noticed that the twins didn’t have any coats that seemed to fit them. They had both hit a growth spurt (together, because when did they ever do anything apart) and were taller than Hiccup now. Broader too.

“Dad says it’s fine,” Tuffnut said, “We’ll grow into it.”

“They’re smaller than you,” Hiccup pointed out.

Later on Ruffnut confessed, “Tuffnut still thinks Dad cares about,” she huffed a laugh, “He’s so gullible . My dumb brother,” she squinted at Hiccup, “Unless you’re dumber.”

Half-heartedly, he pushed her, “I’m smarter than you two combined.”

That winter was harder, harder than any that the twins had experienced. So it was barely a surprise when Ruffnut didn’t push back and instead said:

“Yeah. You are.”

When Hiccup mentioned it to Stoick, he pulled the three of them aside and handed the twins furs that fit.

“Wow,” Tuffnut said, “Thanks, dad.”

Ruffnut grinned until Tuffnut’s mind caught up with his mouth. Hiccup bit back a laugh as Stoick patted the boy’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Ruffnut said, “Thanks, Dadnut.”

“Don’t you dare,” the Chief told her.

“Chiefnut?” Hiccup offered.

“Chief-dad,” Tuffnut decided.

Hiccup laughed at the look on his dad’s face.

That winter was the hardest, but it somehow was the warmest Hiccup had ever experienced. Snoggletog saw him eating with Gobber, Dad and the twins as if things were okay and would always be okay. There was a warmth in Dad’s eyes, then.

The next autumn Hiccup (accidentally) blew off some of the Great Hall’s walls while trying to make a heating system. And he was back to square one.

“Sometimes I don’t - “ know what’s wrong with you, “ - get you , Hiccup,” Dad said in resignation.

“Yeah,” he retorted, “I don’t get me either.”

The twins laughed. Hiccup scowled at them, though there was no real heat behind it.

It really sucked that he was no longer the only child, but it really stung that he wasn’t even the favourite.

Chapter Text

i. Dragon Training But Not Like That

“Aw, does Hiccup have a wittle crush?” Ruffnut teased.

“Huh? Crush? Who are we crushing?” Tuffnut looked around, confused.

“I - I - I have no idea what you’re talking about. Did you see the sky today? Super blue. Maybe we should go jump off a cliff instead of talking about this.”

“Astrid is pretty, isn’t she?” Ruffnut pressed, “Could break you. Are you into that?”

Tuffnut finally caught on, “Wait, Astrid is your crushnut? H, you could do better.”

“There’s literally one girl who’s around our age,” Hiccup said, “And you, Ruff, but you’re like my sister.”

“Only like? ” she asked, offended, advancing menacingly with her fist raised.

“Wow, sucks you got stuck with that,” Tuffnut said in mock-sympathetically.

Seeing the opportunity, Hiccup nodded, “Really does.”

“I’m going to kill you both!”

Hiccup spent that afternoon being chased by Ruffnut through the village - for various reasons, because she seemed to forget very quickly what her motive was. As he ran, he spied the highest points in the village, his mind running through a thousand scenarios.

So he had a crush on Astrid. Big deal.

More importantly, he needed to impress her - er, the village - soon. He was getting to the age where Dad would declare him heir and if he kept being a runt forever, Dad might just pass him over for Snotlout. Or Ruffnut (clearly Dad’s favourite child). 

He needed to shoot down a dragon. And he knew exactly how.

“I call it the Bola Launcher,” Hiccup grinned, “Pretty neat, right?”

Tuffnut booed. Ruffnut shook her head, “What have I told you about naming things without us present?”

Tuffnut booed louder.

The Bola Launcher was renamed the Epic Flaming War Machine That Shot Rock Traps Epically.

“It doesn’t flame,” Hiccup protested.

Ruffnut grinned manically, “It should.”

Tuffnut stood in front of the device which his arms wide open, “Hit me.”

It worked.

It worked.

“Is uh - someone going to get me out of here?” Tuffnut asked.

Ruffnut had already left to dagmal. Hiccup was too busy scribbling down improvement notes.

“The world’s pretty nice from down here.”

“Come on. Gimme something to shoot at,” Hiccup prayed, “Gimme something to shoot at.”

He didn’t pray to the Gods he knew, but hoped that at least Loki would let up for once. Just once, any dragon would do. He knew it would work this time - he had tested it, improved it. Maybe he’d never be a viking like Ruffnut or Tuffnut or Astrid or Snotlout or Dad. But he could do this.

And finally, the world gave him a sign.

The sky lit up with Night Fury fire. Hiccup tracked the shadow carefully, the dragon’s silliouhette only seen because of the smoke dancing in the sky. Wait for it , Hiccup thought, wait for it …

Now!

The recoil jerked Hiccup back but he ignored the pain shooting through him in order to scramble up and search the sky. A shriek cut through the air, clear and high.

I hit it.

“Oh, I hit it!” Hiccup said, “YES! I HIT IT! Did anybody see that?

(No one ever showed up when Hiccup was doing something right.)  

Loki was back at it again, because someone did see it. A Monstrous Nightmare, to be precise.

What resulted was really not Hiccup’s fault! Mostly.

“Sorry, Dad,” he said, and then, at Dad’s anger, added, “Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.”

He could tell from that moment that Dad was absolutely done with him, grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him towards the house. But this time - this time he hit it. A freaking Night Fury. And it was out there somewhere, perhaps not dead, but as good as.

“It's not like the last few times, Dad!” Hiccup yelped, excited and apprehensive all at once. He gestured to the forest, “I mean, I really actually hit it! You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it–”

STOP!” Stoick yelled, making Hiccup flinch. He let go of Hiccup’s shirt, rubbing his face, “Just... stop. Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!”

Irritation flared in his chest, “Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think?”

He winced, because even he knew that was a little far. Winter without food was no laughing matter.

“This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Why can't you follow the simplest orders?” Stoick shook his head, gesturing to the twins and Gobber, “Get him back to the house. I have his mess to clean.”

“You trust the twins , over me?” Hiccup asked, humiliated.

“At least they were doing what they were supposed to do!” Stoick roared back.

Hiccup watched the man walk away, gaping.

“We really are his favourite children,” Tuffnut hummed, “Come on you! March!”

Hiccup glared, “He just likes spoiling you.”

“He hates you more than the twins,” Snotlout mocked, “Your own father! How does that feel - “

“Shut it,” the three of them said in unison.

Once they got to the house, Gobber glared at the three of them and told them not to get into trouble before leaving.

“Trouble? Us? Never.” Tuffnut said.

“So what’s this about a Night Fury?” Ruffnut asked.

Hiccup grinned at them, “Raven’s Point, that’s where it went. I’m sure of it.”

“Are you sure you’re sure?” Ruffnut asked.

“Yes!” Hiccup yelled, frustrated, “It has to be here around somewhere.”

“Some people lose their knives - “ Ruffnut began.

“ - or their mugs - “

“ - or their heads, cousin Lars lost his head - “

“Or their head!” Tuffnut finished, “But you lost a whole dragon!”

“Yes, the Gods hate me, we have established this,” Hiccup said drily, “Anything else you would like to say? Wnat to trample on my self-esteem a little more?”

“But Hiccup, how do we trample on something that isn’t there?” Ruffnut grinned, and high-fived Tuffnut without looking.

“I hate teaching you to be like this,” Hiccup mumbled, “Go back to being dumb.”

“Will do!” she said happily, “C’mon Tuff, let’s go see if there’s any destruction that needs breaking.”

Hiccup watched them walk away, having half a mind to join them. But he knew he had done it this time, even if the twins didn’t believe him. He just needed to look harder. But where could it have gone?

He hit a branch in frustration and, with his luck, the branch hit right back. Grumbling, he looked up.

The branch had been broken on impact, and something big had dragged a trench through the mud.

Hiccup had found it.

Hiccup had found it.

And he had let it go.

He had let it go .

The twins were going to have a field day with this.

If he ever even told them.

“Dragon Training,” Dad said, “You start tomorrow.”

Hiccup’s day just kept getting better, really. Thank Loki. Thank him so, so much. Hiccup would make sure to offer him yak dung next time.

“I hope I get some serious burns!” Tuffnut exclaimed.

Ruffnut grinned, “I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.”

Astrid rolled her shoulders, assessing the Arena coolly, “Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.”

Hiccup decided it was time to make his presence known. “Yeah, no kidding, right?” Hiccup drawled, “Pain. Love it.”

“Chief-dad let you into Dragon Training?” Tuffnut asked, incredulous, “What did you have to offer up to the Gods for that?”

“Your heart?”

“Your lungs?”

“Your eyes?”

“Your leg?”

“Your dic-”

“Let's get started!” Gobber interrupted, cutting Ruffnut off, “The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.”

“Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify him or...?” Snotlout laughed.

“You’re hilarious Snotlout. Consider comedy as an occupation?” Hiccup sniped back.

“I’ll consider your face!”

“Charming,” Hiccup drawled.

This was going to be fine.

Not fine, very not fine , Hiccup’s mind screamed as he ran, scrambling for his shield. The Gronkle gave chase, absolutely nullifying Gobber’s previous reassurances of, you’re small, they won’t come after ye.

“Hiccup!” he heard Ruffnut’s worried yell.

Hiccup backed up against the wall, shield forgotten and mind blank. This was not how he wanted to die, staring down the mouth of Gronkle gearing up to fire.

Gobber’s hand hooked into the Gronkle's teeth, pulling it away. It was only then that Hiccup felt like he could breathe.

“Are you okay?” Tuffnut asked, on his knees beside Hiccup.

“‘Course he’s okay,” Ruffnut said, knocking them both on their heads, “He’s survived worse.”

“And he’s going to need to keep surviving worse,” Gobber grumbled, “Remember: a dragon will always – always – go for the kill.”

So, why didn’t the Night Fury?

When Hiccup and the Night Fury’s eyes meet the second time, he could feel electricity run through his veins. There is something about it - him? - that called to Hiccup. Mysterious and alien and going against everything Hiccup had ever known.

It was like staring into the ocean, the sheer depth enough to lure and drown Hiccup.

(Like looking into still waters, only to find yourself looking back.)

Gobber handed them the Dragon Manual that night, with strict instructions to read it.

“Read ?” Tuffnut asked, grossed out, “What are we? Hiccup?”

“Thanks Tuff,” Hiccup murmured, “I wonder what it has on the Night Fury.”

“Did you actually find it?”

Hiccup flinched, looking up at his brother, “N-no.”

From across the table, Ruffnut narrowed her eyes. She was about to say something when Astrid left the table, Snotlout and Fishlegs following. Ruffnut made a move to follow them.

“See you later.”

Hiccup grunted.

“Oh hey,” Tuffnut said, as he got up as well, “Since your dad’s not here, mind if we crash at your place? Not like our parents will notice.”

“You know you can do that whenever, right?”

“Thanks, bronut.”

Hiccup waved, turning back to the book and flipping through its pages. Thunder boomed outside, as though even the sky knew the danger of the beasts.

And yet.

“Sleepover!” yelled a voice.

“Sleepover!” echoed another.

“Go to SLEEP!” ordered the last.

The last voice was very much not heeded.

There was a knock on his door.

“My house is too small,” Gobber said, “Ye don’t mind do you?”

“How can your house be too small?” Hiccup asked, “You’ve literally never complained about that before.”

“You’d know about complaining, wouldn’t ye?”

Ruffnut whooped. Tuffnut said, “There’s my man.”

“It’s like you all live to bully me,” Hiccup huffed, “Some family you are.”

Because really – sometimes, a family was your adopted siblings and a Gobber.

And Dad, but Hiccup didn’t want to think about him right now.

(And a dragon but Hiccup really didn’t want to think about that, ever .)

Hiccup messed up. Bad.

“Is this some kind of a joke to you?!” Astrid yelled, “Our parents' war is about to become ours! Figure out which side you're on.”

She stomped off, rightfully mad. Hiccup watched her go, feeling his heart falling. He really did want to impress her.

“She’s so badass,” Ruffnut sighed.

Hiccup shot her a look.

“What? You were right. Everyone has a crush on her.”

Tuffnut enthusiastically waved a hand in the air, “I don’t!”

“No one cares,” Ruffnut groaned.

“No one cares about you.”

“No you!”

“No you!”

Hiccup watched them wrestle with a sigh. The Night Fury might have thrown his whole world off balance, but some things never changed.

“Toothless? I could’ve sworn you had …”

Sharp teeth snatched the fish right off Hiccup's hands.

And so the mystery thickened.

Toothless. It was a good name.

He was kind of cute.

Terrifying, but cute.

While the twins slept - completely hogging Hiccup’s bed with absolutely no regard for Hiccup’s wellbeing, those little muttonheads - Hiccup got to work.

Attaching a tailfin to a dragon was hard work.

Flying said dragon though?

It was harder.

(But it was easier, too, in so many ways.)

“Pair up!” Gobber ordered.

Ruffnut grabbed Hiccup, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, “Dibs!”

Astrid slinked closer to Fishlegs without actually saying anything. As if on her silent command, Snotlout and Tuffnut paired up.

“Um, why –” Hiccup began.

The Arena began filling with gas.

“Today is about teamwork.” Gobber lectured, “Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which.”

Hiccup readied his bucket.

“Something is up with you,” Ruffnut said, voice hushed.

“Wh-what, I have no idea what you-you’re talking ab - “

“Your stutter gets worse when you lie. Which means you’re a terrible liar, you liar,” Ruffnut galred, “And also, you think you can keep things from us? We made you, disciple of Loki.”

“That’s uh - I never agreed to being a disciple of - “

“So where is it?” Ruffnut asked, eyes narrowed as she leaned forward.

“Where is what -?”

“The shrine you dedicated to Loki!” Ruffnut grinned, “Clearly you sacrificed something to get your dad to let you into Dragon Training.”

Hiccup laughed nervously, “Hah, yes! That’s it!”

But the glint in Ruffnut’s eyes told him that she already suspected what he was up to.

Dragon Training was going great.

“And it’s all thanks to you, bud,” Hiccup said, gently running a hand on the dragon’s scale.

Finally. Finally, the village recognised him!

His smile fell.

But what did they see?

Everything we know about them is wrong. The thought reverberated around his head as they glided gently back into the cove. He could still feel the phantom warmth of the Terrible Terror that had trusted him so easily.

He had always wanted to change the world. To have Berk and Dad and everyone look at him and praise him. He had wanted respect. But this world that he had found out about - where the sea was the sky and the clouds were something he could reach out to touch - this was not a world that Berk would ever accept.

And should he make them accept?

This cove, this dragon - this . This was the first time Hiccup had ever felt free. Even with the twins, no one had ever understood him like Toothless did. Couldn’t he stay here forever? A place curved out in the world just for him?

“Oh my gods.”

Toothless growled suddenly, and something sounded behind Hiccup. He whirled around, ready to defend his home.

“Oh my gods,” Ruffnut repeated, a look of pure bliss in her eyes, “We were right. You are a disciple of Loki!”

Tuffnut stepped forward, arms spread wide as if ready to embrace something. He had a similar dreamy look on his face, “The gods hath spoken.”

Behind him, Toothless growled.

And like that, the little world Hiccup had created shattered.

The twins had a tendency to do that.

ii. Dragon Meet Chaos and Confusion

“Hiccup,” Ruffnut said, a little bit of caution finally seeping into her eyes, “Is that a Night Fury? ”

“Uh, y-yes, it would seem it is.”

Hiccup held out a hand to Toothless, keeping his eyes trained on the twins, who were carrying their weapons with them. Toothless sniffed his hand, taking the signal to stand down – for now.

Hiccup hysterically wondered if he held his hand out to the twins, they’d do the same.

“Okay,” Tuffnut said, “This is officially the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Wait no – second craziest. There was that - “

Tuffnut tended to ramble when he was nervous. Ruffnut, on the other hand, tended to fight, which was exactly what she seemed to be gearing up to do.

“I know I have a lot of explaining to do,” Hiccup interrupted, “How about you put your weapons down for now …?

“Are you insane?”

“Never mind, this really is the craziest thing.”

Hiccup let out a breath slowly then turned to Toothless, who was far more likely to listen, “Hey bud, why don’t you go to the other side of the cove for now? I need to talk to my friends.” 

He wasn’t sure how much the dragon could understand, but Hiccup’s nervous gestures seemed to be enough. Toothless skidded over the little lake and took up his usual place, circling it with fire before settling down. The twins watched him with matching looks of awe and confusion.

“Okay,” Ruffnut said, still clutching her weapon like a lifeline, “Explain. And if better be good, or I’m telling your dad.”

“And you know he’ll listen to her,” Tuffnut piped up.

Favourite child, Hiccup sighed. “Okay, it’s a long story, but remember when I said I shot down a Night Fury …”

“And so I decided to take him flying - “

“Hiccup, why .”

“Fourth craziest thing.”

“So me and Toothless - “

“Toothless and I,” Tuffnut corrected.

“Toothless,” Ruffnut yelled, making the dragon look up, “Oh, not you dragon. I’m talking to Hiccnut - Toothless , Hiccup? Really?”

“Uh, yes?”

“What have I told you about naming things without us present?”

Tuffnut booed.

“And it was incredible, guys,” Hiccup whooped a laugh, “You have to see it to believe it.”

Then his eyes lit up. Would Toothless allow it if he asked nicely? He could see the twins thinking along the same lines, turning to each other and carrying a silent conversation.

“He might let you touch him,” Hiccup offered, “But you need to get rid of those weapons.”

Tuffnut didn’t seem to have a problem with it, but stopped when Ruffnut didn’t make a move to do as Hiccup said. She wrung her hand around the handle of her mace, looking to where Toothless sat.

“Ruff,” Hiccup coaxed, “It’s fine. I’m going to protect you both.”

Ruffnut rolled her eyes, “It’s Tuff that needs protecting.”

“That is true,” Tuffnut grinned.

Ruffnut dropped her mace and Tuffnut followed eagerly. They looked at Hiccup.

Okay, now it was all up to Toothless. He had been sceptical of Hiccup at first, so it would be fine if it took some time, as long as they were patient –

“Oh my gods you’re adorable!”

“Tuffnut no!”

But Tuffnut had already charged at Toothless, who whined his confusion. The boy wrapped his hand around on of Toothless’ paws, which had been raised in a half-hearted attempt to protect the dragon. Tuffnut didn’t seem to mind at all, rubbing his face on Toothless’ leg.

“Oh wow, so scaly.” Tuffnut looked up at Toothless with wide eyes, “You’re not going to kill me, right?”

Toothless looked at Hiccup, completely lost. Hiccup felt a laugh bubble out of him as Ruffnut groaned.

That was one way to do it.

“Sorry about him, Toothless,” Hiccup said gently, as the dragon dropped his front legs with Tuffnut still attached to them, “This is Tuffnut.”

“Can we call him Toothnut?”

“No,” Hiccup snapped, “Also, get off him, you’re bothering him.”

Tuffnut got up, still very close to Toothless, who was looking at him more curiously now. Hiccup gestured at Ruffnut to come forward.

“And this is Ruffnut,” Hiccup introduced, “They are my friends. They want to be yours too.”

Toothless looked at him, comprehension dawning. Still, he made no move to touch them. The twins would have to meet him halfway.

“Here,” Hiccup said, taking Ruffnut’s hand, “Hold your hand out like this …”

He did the same with Tuffnut, using his own hand to spread the other boy’s fingers. Toothless watched as they inched closer, arms outstretched but not touching him.

After a moment of hesitation, Toothless pressed his head against their palms.

“Wow,” Ruffnut breathed.

“Yeah,” Tuffnut echoed, “Wow.”

“So when can we fly him?”

Toothless grumbled, which Hiccup translated as: “Somewhere between never and not any time soon.”

Tuffnut spent most of that day chasing around Toothless’ tail, and, on occasion, Toothless himself. The dragon seemed to realise it was a game and that the boy-twin was not dangerous, and had fun running around.

Ruffnut was still cautious, watching from the sides and occasionally egging the dragon on.

“You know if anyone finds out you’re going to have to kill it, right?” Ruffnut asked.

“Him ,” Hiccup corrected.

“And no one will find out,” Tuffnut said, joining them.

Toothless nudged Tuffnut's back before coming to settled beside Hiccup. Subconsciously, Hiccup reached out to run his finger along the dragon’s scales, exactly where he knew Toothless liked it.

“No one will find out,” Ruffnut echoed, “Not from us, anyway.”

Hiccup held out his pinkies, and they wrapped theirs around his. A promise that wouldn’t be broken. Another secret for them to keep.

It was exhilarating.

Hiccup rolled his charcoal pencil on his workbench, Ruffnut’s words eating at him. Eventually, someone would find out. Or, eventually, Hiccup would have to kill a dragon. Whichever came first, he needed to figure out what to do.

“Chief-nut!” Hiccup heard Tuffnut yell from outside Hiccup’s workshop, “Are you here for Ruffnut?”

“Why would I come into Gobber’s shop looking for her …?”

“Because she’s your favourite?”

Hiccup grinned. Thank gods for Tuffnut - if Dad had come in and seen his tail designs he’d be doomed. He left his workshop, masking his smile with a look of sterness. He needed to be more viking for Dad — no more childish grinning.

“Hiccnut, what are you doing with your face?” Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup sighed, ignored him, and turned to Dad, “Hey Dad, welcome back. Gobber's not here, so…”

“I know. I came looking for you.”

Hiccup’s eyebrow shot up, “You did?”

“You've been keeping secrets.”

Hiccup exchanged a worried look with Tuffnut, panicking, “I … have?”

Stoick’s voice dropped an octave, “Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?”

Tuffnut stepped in quickly, wrapping an arm around Hiccup’s small shoulders, “Just so we’re clear, what are we talking about?”

“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!” at Hiccup’s incomprehension, Stoick prompted, “The Dragon Training, son!”

“Oh,” oh, “Yeah, that.”

Tuffnut heaved a sigh, “Oh thank Thor, I thought –” Hiccup stepped on his feet, “Ow, why ? Ugh, I’m going to go find Ruffnut.”

“I’m going to go also,” Hiccup tried, but Stoick grabbed him by the back of his tunic.

“I had something to give you,” Dad said, looking brighter and happier than Hiccup had ever seen him, “To keep you safe in the ring."

He held up a helmet, “our mother would've wanted you to have it. It's half of her breast plate,” he knocked on his own helmet, “Matching set. Keep her close, you know.”

Hiccup felt something in his chest wrench at that.

His dad was proud of him, for the first time in forever.

His dad was proud of something he was not.

(And maybe, Hiccup realised then, his dad would never be proud of who he was.)

iii. Big Dragon, Little Dragon

“Oh wow,” Tuffnut said, as if he couldn’t help but make a jab at Astrid, “He’s better than you ever were.”

Astrid growled at him, charging back into the arena. Tuffnut grinned, knowing Hiccup would probably win anyway with his voodoo-dragon magic. After all, only Hiccnut could tame a dragon.

And ride one. Not fair that Toothless wouldn’t let Tuffnut on his back, no matter how much he pleaded. He was just as crazy - if not crazier - than Hiccup!

As predicted, Hiccup won. Tuffnut wondered if Toothless liked chicken and if he should get the dragon some of that for dinner.

Did dragons eat humans? Also cool – he could feed Toothless Snotlout. Wait no: no one should be subjected to that.

“The Elder has decided!” Stoick-dad roared.

Tuffnut jerked up and realised he had just missed something very important.

Beside him, Ruffnut sighed, “Figures. Crazy’s got himself into trouble again, Confusion.”

Tuffnut perked up at the nickname, “Then lets get him into more trouble, Chaos!”

Unfortunately, Hiccup was not in the cove when the twins got there. Tuffnut looked around and confirmed that indeed, there was no large dragon or very-small boy in the cove.

“Where do you think he went?” Ruffnut asked.

“Up?”

Ruffnut nodded. They probably went flying. Again – so unfair.

They waited around, poking each other with sticks and taking turns pushing each other into the lake. At some point, Tuffnut found himself with a makeshift bludgeon chasing Ruffnut around, though he wouldn’t be able to quite recount how they got to that point.

There was the sound of wings beating and a massive creature landing. Tuffnut lit up.

“Toothnut!”

“We never agreed on that name!” Hiccup yelled.

Ruffnut scoffed and stage-whispered, “He’ll come around.”

He almost always did.

When they’d first been friends, Tuffnut had been more interested in watching the absolute disaster that Hiccup was than actually being friends. Somewhere along the line though, he realised that Hiccup actually cared about them. It was only normal to reciprocate.

Dadnut and Toothnut were bonuses. Bonusi? No, bonuses.

Tuffnut realised belatedly that someone was riding with Hiccup.

“Astrid?” Ruffnut yelped.

Astrid slid off the dragon and looked at the two of them, then back at Hiccup, “I’m guessing they know.”

“Can’t keep anything from them,” Hiccup shrugged.

“Damn right you can’t,” Ruffnut yelled.

Tuffnut had more pressing concerns to discuss, “Are you serious ? She got to ride the dragon but we don’t?” he stomped up to Toothless, who gave him a flat look – he was spending too much time with Hiccup – “You, mister, are in big trouble. Absolute traitor you –”

“Tuffnut, calm down,” Hiccup said, rubbing his arm sheepishly, “I’m sorry, but we didn’t have a choice. Astrid was going to go tell Berk about Toothless so … I decided to just show her why she couldn’t.”

“And?” Ruffnut asked, holding Astrid’s axe to Astrid’s neck, “Are you going to tell?”

Astrid kicked Ruffnut’s shin and swiftly stole her axe back, “Maybe.”

Then, she proceeded to ignore the twins. How rude.

“Hiccup, what we just saw there – it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them. Let's find your Dad.”

“Traitor,” Ruffnut hissed, “Tuff, kill time!”

“Finally!”

Toothless stood in their way, looking all too used to their antics. Not good, Tuffnut thought, sharing a look with his sister. They would need to up their unpredictability game.

“Wait,” Ruffnut said, her mind catching up, “You guys saw the nest ?”

“What nest?” Tuffnut asked, “A bird nest - oh. Oh.”

“We can’t tell Dad,” Hiccup said, looking at all of them, “They’ll kill Toothless. We need to think this through.”

“Hiccup, we just discovered the Dragons' Nest,” Astrid yelled, “The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret?! To protect your pet dragon?! Are you serious?!”

Tuffnut growled at her, “He’s more than just a pet.”

“No offence Astrid, but you have no idea how epic Toothless is,” Ruffnut snapped.

Hiccup’s eyes steeled, his jaw set, “Yes.”

Astrid looked at the three of them in disbelief, but when her eyes found Toothless they softened into something akin to understanding.

“Okay,” she breathed, “Then what do we do?”

It was abundantly clear that she wasn’t talking to the twins or Toothless anymore. Again. How rude.

“Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out.”

Astrid nodded. She punched Hiccup, “That's for kidnapping me,” then, she kissed him on the cheek, “That’s for everything else.”

Ruffnut gagged, watching her walk away, “I’m so over her.”

She gave Hiccup a sly glance, to which Hiccup blushed, stuttering out, “Wha-what? What are you looking at?”

“Someone’s got a crush –”

Tuffnut shook his head, slinking into the space beside Toothless, “Vikings, ammiright. What say you and I leave these morons behind? Give me a lift, bud –”

Toothless smacked Tuffnut with his tail.

How rude.

Hiccup’s attempt to tame the Monstrous Nightmare was monstrously nightmarish. 

Astrid watched Hiccup for a moment, the twins beside her seeming at loss for what to say – which was a rarity, for them. It was a testament to how awful the situation was.

She sighed.

Hiccup had given her the sky. She wasn’t allowing him to give up here.

She stepped forward and said, “It's a mess. You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend…”

“Thank you for summing that up,” he said sarcastically. At Astrid’s unimpressed look, he realised sarcasm wasn’t going to work with her, “Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? It would have been better for everyone.”

Astrid looked out over the sea, where the ships had disappeared, “Yep. The rest of us would have done it,” she turned to Hiccup, “So … why didn't you?”

“I don't know. I couldn't.”

“That's not an answer.”

“Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?”

You gave me the sky. I want to know why.

Astrid took a deep breath, “ Because I want to remember what you say, right now .”

“ Oh, for the love of-- I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!”

Astrid perked up, “You said "wouldn't" that time.”

“Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!”

Astrid smiled, something in her softening. She had never been soft but for Hiccup … well. Maybe she could be, just this one time.

“First to ride one, though.”

His eyes widened. When Hiccup went silent, she prompted. “So...?”

Realisation dawned in his eyes, like light reflecting off still waters, “...I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him, and I saw myself.”

“I bet he's really frightened now,” she scrutinised the boy next to her. He loved that dragon more than anything, didn’t he? “What are you going to do about it?”

“Eh, probably something stupid.”

Astrid grinned, “Good, but you already did that.”

Hiccup looked past her at the twins, who were leaning against the rock, watching them. Ruffnut grinned, Tuffnut waved. Astrid really didn’t know what Hiccup saw in them, but he must see something she didn’t, because the next thing he said was:

“Then I’m going to do something crazy.”

He ran, and Astrid watched him go, almost fond. She had never really liked Hiccup up until the Night Fury - up until Toothless. She had never really seen him, until now. That was him, the boy who had changed their history written by generations. The boy who had shown her true freedom, where the world turned upside down, where the sky became the sea and clouds were soft to touch.

“Wow, he never gets out of his little moods this quick,” Ruffnut said, jerking Astrid out of her thoughts, “Nice going.”

Astrid looked at them, wondering if maybe she was seeing them for the first time too, just as she had seen Hiccup.

“Thanks.”

“We should follow him before he does something crazy stupid,” Ruffnut grinned, “Without us, that is.”

Astrid smiled back. It was like they were having a moment, an understanding between them for someone they cared about.

“Hey so, if she’s part of the family what do we call her?” Tuffnut asked suddenly.

“Um, not crushnut anymore, for sure,” Ruffnut said.

“Nah,” Tuffnut squinted, “Hoffnut? Tridnut? Oh no, I got it!” his eyes lit up:

“ Assnut.”

Moment over. Astrid hit them both on the head and walked away.

Finally, Ruffnut thought, giddy with excitement, finally we get to fly.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut shared a Zippleback, affectionately named Barf and Belch. The dragon’s kinda cool, all teeth and growls, and just smart enough for Ruffnut to absolutely understand what they were going on about. Or maybe, the twins were just smart enough that the dragons knew what they were going on about.

Currently, the heads were nipping at each other, much to Tuffnut and Ruffnut’s enjoyment.

“Can you not jostle me so much?” Hiccup asked from behind her.

“Is Hiccnut getting airsick,” Tuffnut teased, “I thought you were a great dragon rider.”

Hiccup stuck his tongue out at him, “Keep going and you never get to ride Toothless.”

“Don’t need to!” Ruffnut yelled back, “We’ve got the best dragon ever!”

Barf-and-Belch roared in unison at the praise. Hiccup huffed a laugh, the sound carried away by the winds.

Ruffnut had been surprised when Hiccup chose to ride with her. She had thought he’d go with Astrid. But crushnut had no sway over siblingnut, it would seem.

“There!” Hiccup yelled, as the fog cleared.

Ruffnut gasped. That thing was larger than anything she had ever seen.

“This –” she began.

“Is - “ Tuffnut continued.

“AWESOME!” they finished together.

Hiccup whooped, then from behind her yelled, “Everyone fire!”

The dragons did so with a light nudging. Hiccup assessed the situation, then continued to take the lead.

He had always been good at that.

“Okay! Lout, Legs, hang in its blind spot! Make some noise, keep it confused! Astrid, find out if it has a shot limit! Bring the chaos!”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut glared at him - Ruffnut as much as she could, craning her neck to look at the boy behind him.

“That’s our specialty,” they told him in unison.

“I know, but I need you to do something else. We need to find Toothless!”

Barf-and-Belch dove into the fire, towards the direction Hiccup indicated. They dropped Hiccup off on the boat where Hiccup was trapped.

“He won’t be able to break that on his own,” Tuffnut told her, “Noodle arms, and all.”

Ruffnut and her brother probably wouldn’t be able to either. She grinned, and nudged Barf-and-Belch towards the vikings.

“Zippleback incoming!” someone yelled, causing people to duck.

Ruffnut could get used to this power.

They made it to the front of the crowd, Ruffnut shouting, “Dad!”

The Thorston elder turned to look at them, making Tuffnut wince because for some reason Tuffnut still cared about their so-called Father. Ruffnut ignored the man and turned to her real dad, getting the dragon under them to roar till Stoick looked up.

“Hiccup needs help! He’s that way,” Tuffnut yelled down.

Stoick eyed the dragon and growled, “He needs help with the dragon ? What makes you think –”

“For Loki’s sake, man!” Ruffnut shouted, “For once, listen to your children and go. Hiccnut might die!”

Ruffnut grinned from her dragon, watching Stoick’s face go red. Then, Stoick rubbed his face in frustration – very usual, when in the presence of the twins.

“You’re lucky you’re my favourite,” Stoick growled up at her.

Oh yes. Ruffnut could get used to this much power.

Tuffnut snorted, “He’s only saying that, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ruffnut waved him away, “We all know Hiccup’s his favourite,” she grinned at her brother, “He’s my favourite too.”

“Oh good, I wouldn’t want to be your favourite ever .”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

They argued all the way to the Red Death, very much confusing the big dragon and leaving chaos in their wake.

Back on Toothless, Hiccup felt alive.

I'm proud to call you my son.

Flying in front of the Red Death, Hiccup’s mind ran its paces, figuring out what to do. Down in the crowd, he spotted Wolfang’s horrified face and got an idea.

Hiccup charged straight at the beast, as she opened her mouth to get ready to fire. But she was big and slow, and the moment Hiccup was close enough, he yelled at Toothless to “Dive!”

The dragon’s underbelly was unprotected and soft, making it roar as Toothless’ shots made contact. Hiccup aimed for the wings.

“Alright bud,” Hiccup said, as the Red Death was sufficiently enraged, “Now we climb up!”

It was an echo from his childhood, the first time he and the twins had hung out. Back then, that was all Hiccup had known - the cliff and the sea and the sunset. But now, the world felt so much bigger. Now, with Toothless, he felt so much bigger.

The vikings were watching him, awe and terror and confusion. Finally, they were seeing him for who he was, not reeling back in disgust or sneering with malice.

Because this was it, wasn’t it?

This was him.

This was them.

Toothless and Hiccup climbed upwards, the sky at their fingertips.

The Red Death fell.

Hiccup and Toothless fell with it.

Stoick the Vast wasn’t feeling very vast or stoic, as he sat by his son’s bed. The dragon had taken up its place in the corner of the house, watching Stoick with open hostility and nudging Hiccup lightly from time to time.

The twins had taken up place everywhere in the house, scuttling from one place to another like skittish sheep.

“Will you two, STOP!” Stoick roared.

The twin’s dragon poked its head through the window, more obedient than the twins themselves. Stoick waved it away, mildly apologetic. He didn’t mean to yell at them.

“Sorry,” Ruffnut said, “I’m bored.”

“Then go outside ,” Stoick ordered, “Hiccup needs his rest.”

Tuffnut scurried over, sitting in the space on Hiccup’s bed that he had pretty much claimed since he was just a boy.

(They were still just children. Stoick’s children. And that they rode dragons, that they ended a war, didn’t seem to matter when they were still so small.)

“He’s going to be alright, right?” Tuffnut asked for the upteenth time. He was more persistent than even Hiccup.

If Stoick had to choose, everyone would be wrong in assuming who his favourite child was. Hiccup was a lick too clever with a penchant for trouble. Ruffnut was brave but utterly foolish. Tuffnut on the other hand —

But he would never choose.

Clever and curious and caring. How could Stoick not love them? Valka would say the same. Not that he was ever letting these kids know - Ruffnut would tease him, Tuffnut would cry, Hiccup would say something sarcastic. They had no respect for him.

“He’ll be fine,” Ruffnut said, punching his brother’s shoulder, “He’s Hiccup.”

Tuffnut punched her back and they began chasing each other around. Stoick roared, “Outside!”

Gobber burst through the door, making Stoick heave a sigh.

“Wow, yer having quite a day huh?”

Surrounded by two dragons, the twins and now Gobber, Stoick could only bury his face in his hands.

“How’s he doing?”

“Breathing,” Stoick said grimly, “But he’s a survivor.”

He always has been.

“Hey, Dad, can I borrow your axe?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

“They really don’t respect ye, do they?”

Toothless laughed at him. Stoick wondered what his life had become.

Hiccup woke up with a dragon nudging his chest, a girl sleeping on his stomach and a boy leaning against his shoulder.

“Toothless?” he hissed, “You can’t be here – “

He shifted, and realised something was very wrong .

Hiccup woke up without a leg, a dragon helping him to the door and his friends trailing behind asking (shouting) well-meaning but headache-inducing questions and facts.

“You lost your leg, by the way,” Ruffnut said.

“Yes, I can see that.”

“Do you think you could make that peg into a sword?” Tuffnut asked.

“I might try.”

They finally got to the door and Hiccup heaved it open.

“Oh, wow ,” he breathed.

“Epic, huh,” Tuffnut elbowed him lightly, “It was all my doing.”

“What? It was me!” Ruffnut yelled.

“No me!”

“No me!”

“No - “

“If you two start again I’m throwing you in a well! ” Stoick yelled, “Gobber.”

Gobber hooked his arm through their tunics at the same time and dragged them away. Dad turned to smile at Hiccup, seeming unbothered by Toothless. Still, Hiccup tried to use his small body to hide the dragon.

“Am I dead?” he ventured.

Dad laughed, lighter and freer than ever before, “No, but you gave it your best shot,” they looked to the village together, “Turns out all we needed was a little more of... this.”

Hiccup stared at his dad’s large hand and grinned, “You just gestured to all of me.”

“That leg was my handiwork,” Gobber said, as the twins struggled to get out of his hook, “With a little Hiccupy flair. You like it?”

“I’ll probably make some tweaks.”

The crowd gathered around him laughed. Which was so weird. People weren’t supposed to laugh at his jokes.

“I think I need some … rest and time to process,” Hiccup said.

“Of course, son.”

Gobber and Dad made sure he got back into the house, fretting all the way. Hiccup made sure that they were distracted beforre turning around towards the backdoor. To leave.

Really.

One would think Dad and Gobber figured this out by now.

Gleefully, Hiccup grabbed his secret notebook from the floorboard under his bed and let Toothless lead him towards the door. Toothless was all too excited for the next adventure.

Outside, the twins were hanging upside down. From Barf-and-Belch. When they saw Hiccup, they jumped down.

“Hey, Upnut!” Tuffnut greeted.

“Hey guys,” Hiccup grinned back, “Wanna see a cool place Toothless and I discovered?”

Ruffnut whooped, “Hel Yes!”

“Race you to Raven’s Point then!”

Sometimes, Hiccup figured, family was the strange mishmash of Gobber, Dad, his adopted siblings and his beloved dragon.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.