a/n Hello everyone!

To anyone who used to follow this story, I would like to apologize for abandoning it, and leaving you all on a cliff hanger to boot. I hope to rewrite it all, and while I cannot guarantee how quickly I will write, I do plan on finishing it this time. I also would like all of you to know, that I plan on introducing a few characters from the How to train your dragon book series, and changing the plot a bit so that it will hopefully make more sense than my original version did.

Hopefully whoever still follows me enjoys, and accepts this as a rather weak apology.

-Define-Sanity

Hiccup had never considered himself a religious person. However, at the moment the boy would have been willing to pray to whatever God or Deity that was out there if it meant that it would just. Stop. Raining.

He held his backpack over his head in a feeble attempt to keep himself dry, but as his sneakers found yet another puddle, the action proved to be useless. His thick auburn hair clung to his face, and It was with wet socks that he trudged up the library stairs, silently begging that his favorite study nook would be free. The spot in question was a large window seat on the second floor of the building that overlooked the garden below, and with its plush seating, it was in Hiccup's expert opinion, the very best place to do his homework for a few hours.

As Hiccup shouldered open the heavy library door, he found himself reflecting on the person who, for the past two weeks, had been making himself comfortable in Hiccup's unofficial seat. It annoyed him some, as while it was true that he held no actual claim, and in reality there would be more than enough for two in the spacious window, Hiccup was a boy who valued his rarely found solitude.

His sneakers made an unpleasant squelch as he padded past the librarian's desk, and across the carpeted floor. A sound which prompted a low growl and a glare from the old man silently tap-tapping behind the outdated computer. Hiccup offered an apologetic smile, and tried to stifle his shoes by tip-toeing as quietly as possible. The boy crossed his fingers with every step up the stairs to the second floor, and once he was out of ear shot from the librarian, scuttled as quickly as his pride would allow to the biography section. Another reason as to why Hiccup loved this particular window seat out of the several others, was that it was seldom that biography section was occupied, especially so close to school being over. However, as luck would have it, all of his hoping had been for naught. There, sitting with a notebook delicately poised against his knees, was the very same boy whom Hiccup had hoped not to see.

Hiccup pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in a way that made the freckles on his forehead press together. He resisted the urge to stomp childishly the rest of the way over to the window, and almost aggressively shrugged his backpack to the floor. The books in the bag made a loud 'thump' as they hit the carpet, and Hiccup winced slightly, praying the frightening librarian downstairs wouldn't investigate the sound. The stranger looked up over his knees and either oblivious or not caring to Hiccup's obvious distain, flashed a smile that was all white teeth. His eyes, the colour of drinking chocolate crinkled at the corners, and Hiccup felt the fight leave him like a breath from his lungs.

"Hi again." Hiccup huffed, offering his own crooked smile. But before he had a chance to say anything else, the boy had bowed his head once more and stuck out his tongue as his pencil flew over the pages of his notebook.

"Duly noted.." With a roll of his eyes, Hiccup crawled up on to the seat, and leaned back against the wall with his feet on the cushion in front of him. He gave himself a moment to relax, and pulled his cellphone out of the pocket of his damp jeans. Then, rather bored, Hiccup checked the cracked screen for any messages. There were a few staggering texts from Fishlegs, and one from what might have been Astrid, but judging from the spelling had more than likely been from her younger sister. Hiccup smiled to himself, reading over the mess of messages, and thought who he ought to reply to first, if at all, when he felt a small pressure on his leg. Looking up, the boy found a rather worn out looking notebook being held over his knees. He squinted his eyes, only then realizing that there was writing as well. Curiously, he followed the lines of the book upwards, to find the pale fingers holding it. The strange boy was grinning hopefully as he held out his notebook for Hiccup to take.

Hiccup hesitated, but not wanting to be rude took the book in an unsteady hand and turned it the right way so he could read it. "Um… Thanks I guess." He mumbled as his weary green eyes skimmed the page. There, in neat, almost cartoonish letters was only one word:

Jack.

"Jack…" Hiccup echoed softly to himself, peering over the pages. The boy nodded and pointed to himself animatedly, before turning his finger to Hiccup.

Now, Hiccup was a clever boy, if his A average in school was anything to go by, but it still took him an embarrassingly long moment to process what simple question the boy, Jack apparently, was asking. Once he had connected the dots however, It was like a literal light bulb had gone off in his brain, and Hiccup's eyes widened almost comically. "Oh!" He exclaimed, eyebrows shooting to the ceiling. Jack pressed a palm to his mouth to keep from laughing, and between wheezes whispered a stuttering "Shh-sh-sh!"

Hiccup clapped his hands over his own mouth, cheeks growing red as they always did when he was embarrassed. He strained his ears, listening intently for any sign of the soft footfalls of the librarian. When none were heard, Hiccup lowered his hands cautiously and darted his eyes left and right. "Name… Right.." He whispered softly. "Uh-" But before he could say anything, Jack rose a slender finger and uttered another soft "Shhhhh…."

"I can't talk any softer." He pleaded. His voice was as quiet as the beating of a butterfly's wings, but still Jack's finger remained poised, pressed to his thin lips in a silent demand, eyes serious.

More than a little frustrated, Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands in an animated show of confusion. At this, Jack slid his notebook once more in the boy's lap, and offered his pen with a cheeky grin.

'You must be joking.' Hiccup thought, taking the pen despite himself. All he had wanted was a quiet place to sit and study for a few hours, and yet here he was playing a game of twenty questions with a boy he only knew as The Seat Thief.

Dutifully, Hiccup quickly wrote out his name and passed the notebook back to Jack, who arched a thick brow skeptically. Jack sounded the name out silently, as if tasting it on his tongue, and gave an airy chuckle.

"It's not my real name." Hiccup whispered, only to be silenced again by Jack's insistent shushing. Burying his face in his hands, the boy heaved a sigh louder than his words, and counted to 5 in his head. Never before had he met someone as dedicated to the rules of the library as Jack was.

After those five seconds had passed, Hiccup felt rather than saw the notebook being held under his nose. When he opened his eyes, there it was, with another sentence written neatly under his name.

I see you here all the time. What are you doing?

Hiccup read the words and peered back up at Jack. The boy was looking back at him with hopeful eyes as he waited for his reply. Hiccup took the book, but refused the pen this time as he had countless times seen Jack with the poor thing clutched between his teeth. Instead, Hiccup leaned over and pulled his backpack onto his lap before digging through the mess of textbooks and candy wrappers.

By the time Hiccup had managed to find his one lone pencil, Jack had made himself comfortable sitting cross legged and seemed to be rather intrigued by the sight. He held his ankles, cocking his head in an attempt to read what was being written. His eyes took on a mischievous twinkle when his notebook was handed back to him, and he read over Hiccup's reply.

I was hoping to get my homework done.

'Homework?' Jack said lowly, more to himself than to Hiccup, who narrowed his eyes and hissed an indignant "SHH." If Jack understood the irony, he paid it no mind as his head was already bowed while he wrote a quick 'Boring.'

Hiccup read this and frowned, clearly hoping to get more of a response from his shushing. Not one to be discouraged however, he plucked the notebook from Jack's hands and wrote out a hasty response.

No talking, remember?

Jack pressed his hands to his mouth again, and stifled a giggle. His shoulders shook, and while Hiccup could not see his lips, it was clear how his eyes squinted that he was grinning madly. There was something about that smile that was contagious, as soon Hiccup himself was bent over his knees and trying hard not to laugh.

In that moment, it was like the rain that has been pitter pattering against the glass had disappeared. In Jack's muffled laughter there was a burst of sunshine, and the moisture in Hiccup's shoes no longer bothered him. The boy squinted over knees and tried to hold his breath in an attempt to keep his giggles at bay, but this only caused a large and rather undignified snort to shoot out from his throat. Hiccup's fist found its way between his teeth, and he bit down, straining to hear for the librarian. It was nothing short of a miracle Hiccup decided, that they didn't get kicked out that day.

Once the pair had calmed themselves, Jack lowered his hands, and mouthed a silent 'Sorry.' Hiccup watched as the boy's right hand made a fist and drew a small circle over his heart. There was something familiar about that action, but Hiccup could not place his finger on what it was.

For the first time perhaps, Hiccup properly took in Jack's features. Even sitting down he could tell the boy was tall, all long spidery limbs and skinny body. His skin was pale, with a light dusting of freckles that danced over his upturned nose, and the warmest brown eyes that Hiccup had ever seen. His hair, a light silver white colour like the snow they were bound to see in the next few months, made it hard to place an exact age; but if the dark coloured roots were anything to go by, Hiccup would have placed his age to be no more than eighteen.

Jack was watching him now, and flashed a cheeky wink when their eyes met, the tip of his pink tongue peeking out between his lips as he did so. Hiccup didn't know why, but being caught staring brought a light flush to his cheeks and he suddenly felt like a stupid school girl. In order to preserve his pride, the boy did the first thing he thought of, and stuck out his own tongue in retaliation.

Perhaps it was not the most mature response, but the pair clearly had marked themselves as not the most mature period. Jack let out another breathy chuckle through his nose, and pulled his notebook back up into his lap. His pen flew over the page and not even a full minute had passed before he thrust the pages back into Hiccup's now waiting hands.

I'm supposed to be doing homework too.

He wrote, rather sheepishly. Hiccup peered up at him and scribbled a quick response.

And why aren't you?

Jack now seemed bashful, though his smile still played on his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck, and offered a small shrug before taking his book back. It was like this that they communicated, pages being passed between them with only the sound of pencil scratches announcing their words.

-Its boring. I spend 6 hours in school, why should I have to take it home with me?

-Because it helps you learn.

-You know what else was supposed to help you? Cocaine. Look up old timey medicine they used to put it in there

Hiccup snorted out another laugh and tossed his head to look out the window rather than Jack.

-They did not put cocaine in medicine.

-Yes they did

It was a ridiculous conversation, Hiccup would be the first to admit, but it was a pleasant one nonetheless. While the boy was hardly lonely, Hiccup was not the sort to go out and make friends on his own. They always had a way of waltzing in to his life without his say, and this was exactly what happened with Jack. The pair prattled on to each other, talking about everything and nothing at the same time, like there was nothing outside those stone library walls. Even though no words were exchanged, for the first time, Hiccup didn't notice the silence.

Hours had passed before there was a muted flash coming from the large pocket of Jack's hoodie. The boy paused, as if processing, and then reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Hiccup squinted against the light, but Jack seemed to be rather unperturbed. Hiccup watched as he pursed his lips, turning off the light and then began tapping away at the screen. Just like that, the spell seemed to be broken, and Hiccup realized just how dark it had become outside. His eyes widened, realizing that despite the cramp in his hand, he had not even begun his homework. He dragged his hands over his face, pulling his cheeks down as he thought of how late he would have to stay up to finish his work.

He was pulled from his stupor by a phone being held under his nose. The notes app had been pulled up, and typed had been the simple message: 'I have to go now my brother is here'

Hiccup nodded simply and flashed a thumbs up, already collecting his backpack from the floor. He too was due to be home soon, and was not about to miss dinner. Perhaps if he was lucky he could use dinner to bribe Fishlegs into letting him copy his homework. It wouldn't have been the first time that that particular stunt had worked.

By the time he had gathered all his belongings, Jack was already on his feet and stretching his gangly arms above his head. His eyes squinted shut as he arched his back, waiting for the satisfying 'pop' to be heard. When Hiccup stood as well, he could see that Jack was easily half a head taller than himself. Hiccup bit back a frown, displeased that his assumptions had been correct and he had found yet another person that dwarfed him. Not that that was a particularly hard thing to do, as at only a modest five feet five inches Hiccup had earned the nickname 'runt.'

Jack rose his right hand in a curious thumbs up that started at his ear, and moved forward to his chin. He mouthed the word 'Tomorrow' and shot Hiccup a hopeful grin that Hiccup returned with a nod. It was not like he had many other plans during the short few hours between school and home. They would meet tomorrow again for sure, and this time Hiccup vowed he would finish his homework.

When Hiccup arrived home later that evening, he was welcomed to the heady aroma of roasted tomatoes and spices. The scent itself warmed him from the inside, and made him forget for a moment the clothes that clung to his skin. He toed off his wet shoes, and followed the smell into the kitchen, leaving damp footprints in his wake.

"You're not my mother." Was the first thing out of his mouth when he entered the kitchen.

"Astute observation." Came the quick reply, which shut down any plans of bribery in Hiccup's mind. He watched his friend flip a chicken breast in the pan at the stove, and wasted no time attaching himself to Fishlegs' hip.

"My friend.." Hiccup moaned, pressing his head to his neighbour's shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

Fishlegs clicked his tongue and peered over the rim of his thick bottle cap glasses. Hiccup noticed that one of the lenses had gained a crack in them, but said nothing on it as he knew the lanky boy was in charge of his dinner. "I lost my house key again, and yer mum took pity on me and invited me in."

Hiccup nodded, watching the oil sizzle in the pan. "I should have known by the lack of smoke that she wasn't cooking."

"Exactly why you should be happy to see me." Fishlegs slipped the spatula under the chicken breast and used to slide it onto an awaiting plate. "She was planning on trying a new recipe."

"Yikes." Hiccup hissed, taking a step away from the stove. His mother, while a kind hearted and brilliant woman, had next to no culinary prowess. "Where is she anyway?"

Fishlegs shrugged his shoulders and handed Hiccup a plate. "Upstairs somewhere? All I know is she wanted me to tell you to set the table when you came home."

Hiccup took the plate with a wary hum. "And am I to assume that since you're out in the kitchen and not hiding in my room that my dad is working late?" Despite his large size, there were very few things that Fishlegs was not afraid of, Hiccup's father especially. The man had not done anything to be considered cruel to the boy, but his curt and rather gruff demeanor had a way of instilling fear into most anyone. And if it was not his personality, it was his staggering six feet and five inches of height toppled with his fiery red mane of a beard that did the job for him. Fishlegs nodded, his dark curls bobbing against his forehead as he did so.

"Ah, yeah." He pushed his hair back with the palm of his hand. "Should be here in about an hour I think it was?"

Hiccup hummed again and picked up the chicken breast with his bare hand. "Did you know they used to put cocaine in old timey medicine?" He took a bite, hissing as the heat burned his tongue.

"They did not." Fishlegs replied as he flipped another chicken breast in the pan. "Pretty sure they put weed or something in cough syrup though."

"That's what I thought too, well, not the weed part, but apparently they used to put cocaine in medicine. Jack went off on a tangent about it for a while?"

"Jack?" Fishlegs glanced down at his friend, and wrinkled his nose when he realized Hiccup was eating with his hands. He had long since memorized every cupboard and drawer in the Haddock household, and wasted no time fishing out a fork and knife for Hiccup. "Are we making other friends now? We just cleared the paper work on Astrid, and already you're bringing more into our circle.

"Well, if we're being honest it's more like a square." Hiccup drew a square in the air with his knife, and set his plate on the counter. "You, me, Astrid and Camikazi. Four. And I'd hardly call us friends. He's the guy I told you who kept stealing my window seat."

"Yes but if you bring in more, that'd make us a polygon-"

"Can we be a pentagram instead? That sounds cooler."

"Aha! So you admit it!" Fishlegs turned off the burner and moved the pan to the sink. "You're trying to bring in new friends without telling me again. I'm hurt."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and abandoned his plate so he could instead begin to set the table. He gathered the cutlery and pointed a fork in his friend's direction. "Am not, and even if I did, I doubt he'd be able to replace you. You're the only one I can think of who will climb through my window just to steal my DS."

"Please. I will climb through your window for more than just your cruddy DS." As he spoke, Fishlegs began to transfer the plates of chicken and vegetables to the embarrassingly small kitchen table. Really, there was not much room for more than two, but with Hiccup's father at work, and his mother still busy upstairs, there was hardly a reason to use the much larger table in the dining room. "So did you make out?"

Hiccup spluttered, kicked at his friend's leg. "I did not make out with the person I was only just properly introduced to today!"

"So you would make out with him."

"I am not making out with anybody!"

"Not even me?"

"Ew! Especially not you!"

Fishlegs was cackling by now, his cheeks red and shoulders shaking. "You've hurt my feelings."

The last plate to meet the table was Hiccup's and the boy was all too happy to continue eating. His stomach growled pathetically, and shut down his will to argue. Instead, he stuck out his tongue and cast a halfhearted glare across the table as Fishlegs helped himself to a generous amount of vegetables. There was a rare moment of silence between them as Hiccup focused on wolfing down his food as if he were a starving man. Fishlegs watched this in mild disgust, but opted on not saying anything, as it rarely did much in the past.

Once his plate was empty, Hiccup continued. "I dunno, the guy is weird."

"What guy?" Fishlegs asked, still hardly half way through his chicken breast. Hiccup helped himself to a lonely looking carrot on his friend's plate, ignoring the still steaming bowl of vegetables in front of him. "The library guy?"

Hiccup nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "He didn't want to talk period, and made me write to communicate with him."

"Taking into consideration the Hairy Scary Librarian, that sounds fair to me." When Hiccup reached over again, Fishlegs gave up and pushed his plate across the table, where it was graciously accepted.

"Yeah but…" Hiccup took a fork full of what must have been a bell pepper, though he barely tasted it to find out. "I dunno. It was weird. Who goes out of their way to write instead of whisper?"

"People who don't want to test fate?" Fishlegs folded his arms on the table and rested his chin lazily on his arms. He blinked slowly before reaching over and plucking a green bean out of the bowl. "Or maybe he's a lizard person and has no tongue."

"Lizards have tongues. Cute ones."

"Weird ones."

"You're weird."

"Maybe he's mute?"

Hiccup hummed, considering this while Fishlegs walked his fingers back over to what was once his plate. He gingerly gripped the rim, and pulled it back towards himself so he could at last finish his chicken. "No…" Hiccup mused, stabbing his fork down on empty air. When he realized the plate was gone, he snatched it back from his friend. "I heard him talk, but…."

"But?" Fishlegs pressed, giving up on his dinner. There was another pause, while Hiccup furrowed his brows and glared down at a spot on the table. He couldn't place where the stain had come from, but it was shaped like a boot and had begun to bother him. He scratched at the surface with his finger nail, while Fishlegs watched from over his glasses. Then, it was like a switch had been flipped and Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Shit."

"What?"

"I think I was talking to a deaf kid."