"Whatcha doing?" The small, freckled kindergartener looked up, his hands simply covered up to his elbows in gloopy, goopy mud. For a minute, the younger child stared shyly at the newcomer, his spot on the playground usually devoid of other children. It had stopped raining about fifteen minutes ago- just enough time for recess to become a world of completely messy fun. All the other kids were busy skidding in the grassier areas of the muddied fields.

"Mud pies." He stated after a moment, judging this newcomer to be nice. He had messy brown hair, much shorter than he did, and brown eyes instead of the green ones he was used to seeing in the mirror. He looked around his age though, and he was grinning largely, as if it took up most of his face. It was kind of silly too, how big his grin was. It made his eyes all smushy and showed some of his teeth.

"Can I play?" Asked the other, with a tilt of his silly ruffled head. "I can make mud castles!"

"Weally?!" The younger asked, his eyes growing wide with fascination as he slipped up on his R's. They were the toughest after all! You couldn't blame a 5-year-old for a silly little slipup. Especially since he had such cute, but big front teeth, all of which stood absolutely crooked.

Sitting down beside him, and getting his knees all muddy too, the newcomer grinned and dove right in. "I'm Jackson Overland!" He said enthusiastically as he lifted a huge glob of mud and plopped it down in front of him, between his knees. "Six an' a half!" Unlike Hiccup, who had turned five a few weeks ago, Jack was already so much older!

"Ja-Ja…ss….on…" bubbled up from his companion's lips and he scowled softly, having a great deal of trouble wrapping his head around that one. "Ove- O… vew... lamb... Um..." It took a second for him to figure out which fingers to hold up, but he counted properly after a few seconds of thinking about it."Five."

Jackson only chuckled. "Call me Jack, Otay?"

He grinned and nodded. That one he could say! "Jack!" He held up his mud glop. "This look nummy to you?" he asked, truly marveling at his own handiwork, but not all that convinced just yet.

Jack simply nodded rapidly and explained how it looked good enough to eat. "What's your name?" He looked over at the freckle-covered kid and grinned, mud smeared all over his blue t-rex shirt now. He had a tooth missing off to the left-hand side.

"Hiccup." He replied a little slowly. He looked back own at his mud pie and scratched at his cheek, getting it smeared in bits of mud. "It's a stupid name." He huffed, smacking the mud pie as if it had made fun of him. The wet globs splattered across his deep green overalls and he crossed his arms.

Jack laughed and nudged him gently. "You're funny, I like you Hiccup!" He replied, grinning again with that funny way that took up all his face. Hiccup chuckled (Jack's laugh was contagious) and smiled (a little crookedly) too. "Tada!" Jack placed a stick on top of his castle of mud and gestured. "I'm King of the castle!" He declared. "RAWWWR!" He held up his hands like claws and Hiccup leaned over his pies to look.

"Ooh…" he said, "This is good…" Both of them crouched a moment, and then Jack turned.

"Lemme see the pie!"

Hiccup held his second glob up and giggled. "Taste it!" He said, expecting the other to fake taste it like is mommy (used to) and daddy did. Jack lifted the glop to his face and went "NOM!" But gurgled and sputtered. "EW EW EW!" He hacked, spitting out the glop because some of it got into his mouth. "IT TASTES LIKE DIRT!"

Laughing, Hiccup giggled fiercely. "Youw not weally s'posed to eat it!" He squealed and Jack looked at him horrified.

"But they're pies!" He insisted. "Just kind of yucky pies… not good enough to eat… ew ew ew…." He wiped off his tongue with a sleeve and smeared mud all over, not helping his case much.

"Hiccup!" He said, making the younger look up curiously. "Let's go splash in puddles!" He quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him to standing, dragging him hastily behind. Running on short-for-his-age legs, the kindergartener stumbled behind and yelped at the suddenness, but followed. Jack seemed like a lot of fun! Especially when he was being exciting! Standing over a large, beautiful puddle, Jack grinned triumphantly. "It's perfect!" He declared.

"Pewfect." Hiccup agreed, before Jack pushed off, jumped and splashed in the puddle, spraying Hiccup and making him squeal. Jack gestured for him to follow and Hiccup laughed, jumping and splashing too. But the water (hardly a few inches deep) was cold through his pants. The giggling and squealing was perfect, Jack lifting some up to splash him some on the head before the bell rang and the whistles blew.

Jack grinned and waved to Hiccup. "See ya later buddy!" He called and Hiccup giggled, not caring if he was scolded about the water because he liked having a new friend, and liked his smushy, squishy smiley face the best!

Jack was tall for his age, and Hiccup was short for his age. Many of the people who saw them playing together thought that Jack was three or four years older than Hiccup because of this. Still, the two boys ignored other people quite often, not really caring how the teachers would chuckle and call Jack responsible and sweet for looking after such a little kid. The way the teachers say it though, Jack and Hiccup being friends at all was a very good thing. Both of them were the only children in their families at this point. Hiccup liked to play alone, but he was kind of quiet and didn't know how to make friends well. Jack knew how to make friends, but his imagination was stronger than the kids in his class. When the two met on that rainy day in the muddy dirt, it was like a godsend. They began to do EVERYTHING together. Jack would find and play with Hiccup every day. Because of their birthdays, the two were in the same class, much to the curiosity of outsiders, who thought their ages were different. But every day Jack would drag his blanket over to Hiccup and they'd sleep together during nap time, Hiccup's large stuffed dragon toy sprawled between them.

Now, one might think that separating the two would be a good idea. Schools tended to do that a lot to kids, even so young as kindergarten, just in case of mischief and silly grownup problems. But Jack's mommy wasn't around anymore, and neither was his daddy. When he explained that to Hiccup, the little freckled boy grew so sad that he hugged him and refused to let go for a long time. Hiccup had lost his mommy too, and both at such young ages. To the teachers and counselor of the school, nothing could have been better for the two hurting children, than to find comfort and friendship in each other. Because of this, the counselor had encouraged they be allowed to spend as much time as they could together to help with their healing process.

Hiccup had been sad to know that Jack had lost people he loved, and since he was five, he didn't understand how to express it, other than hugging Jack a lot and petting his head and giving him little kisses on the cheek and head. He felt much happier when Jack told him that he was happy to have his Uncle North taking good care of him. When Hiccup saw "Uncle North" for the first time, the little five-year-old's eyes grew wide and he tugged on Jack's sleeve. "Jack!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Jack it's Santa!"

And indeed both Jack and Hiccup were absolutely positive that his jolly Uncle North was Santa Claus. He ran a mall toy shop and everything! Hiccup was positive Jack was the luckiest person alive, and decided he must be an elf.

The first time the two slept over, it was nearing September. North had spoken with Hiccup's father Stoick and the two had discussed it, and agreed. It would be good for the boys to have a sleepover! A little rough and tumble time in the living room would be too cute to pass up anyways. So after school on a Friday, Jack was taken to Hiccup's house and the two boys ran through in giddy joy. Hiccup expertly gave Jack the grand tour, showing him all the most important things, including: his bedroom, the living room couch, the kitchen table where castles are made, the patio swing because it was squeaky, and Hiccup's favourite room in the house, the Laundry room.

"Daddy does landwy an' it smells goooooood!" He said, leaping into a basket filled with a pile of freshly cleaned blankets. He buried himself in it and grinned happily as his butt poked out from beneath the blankets. It smelled SO GOOD, and he had JUST taken them out not ten minutes ago so they were warm. Jack poked his head inside and giggled, inhaling the scent too as Stoick came around the corner.

"I see little butts." He said. "Little buts a wigglin' in my laundry." He smirked and cocked one of his massive eyebrows. "It must be the laundry monster!" Hiccup squealed at that and tried to dig himself in further, his feet still poking out and wiggling. Jack shushed him gently and grinned.

"RAWR!" He said and Hiccup squealed again. "Laundry monster!"

"Laundwy monstew!" Hiccup copied.

Stoick was a VAST man. He was large and tall, and big boned. Like North he stood very, very tall, and had a pleasant look to his face when not stern. He had a giant moustache and beard that he liked to braid, taking great pride in his Viking heritage. North had a beard too, but it was all white like Santa. Both men had bellowing laughs and a kind heart, even if Stoick sometimes found it hard to express that. His hands came in and hoisted the entire basket up, the two children bursting out laughing as Hiccup and Jack poked their heads out of the blankets like little wrapped up beans. "Rawr!" Jack said again. "I'm gonna eat you!"

"I'd like to see you try." Stoick chuckled, and deposited the wiggling bundles onto the couch, where he sat next to them. "Little monsters, I need to fold this." He said.

Hiccup poked a pudgy little hand out and tugged the blanket over his head, shaking it. "Nuh-uh…" He muffled through the thick fabric. "Wanna have it."

"Would the laundry monsters like to keep the blanket?" He asked, amused.

Jack peeked his head out again. "Yes please!"

"Alright, on with you." He tugged the blanket off, Hiccup stubbornly still holding onto it as he was lifted up by his dad, and he and Jack moved back to the floor with the blanket as Stoick made to fold what little laundry still needed tending too.

"Daddy?" Hiccup asked, standing. "Can we, um, can we watch a movie? An have popcown?"

"Not yet, little one." He replied. "The movie, yes. I'll put it on after I fold this, okay? But no popcorn until later or you'll never eat your dinner."

"Otay." Jack said. "We can wait."

After he folded the clothes and returned the basket up higher to the laundry room (he deliberately left it on the floor because he knew Hiccup liked to lay in it when it was still warm) he pulled out the video (old fashioned he may be, but what was he to care?) and turned it on.

Jack looked at Hiccup and bopped his nose. "Hic We should make a fort!"

"Fowt?" He asked curiously. "But the table's way ovew thewe."

"No silly, couch fort!" He pulled the three cushions off the couch and stacked them, having a great deal of trouble. They fell, Hiccup held one, it fell again, they laughed, they squealed, and finally it stayed! It was a miracle and Jack was so proud, he and Hiccup told Stoick, who laughed and told them nice work. Jack proudly traipsed back to the living room where the movie (The Fox and the Hound) had finally made it past the boring opening credits. Jack pulled the blanket into their fort and Hiccup, trailing Toothless the dragon plushie behind him, crawled in. The two boys got comfy on their bellies, looking up at the TV as they hid under the blanket enough to see out and be cozy.

"I like this movie." Hiccup said, habitually chewing on the blanket.

"They're best friends!" Jack said. "Like us!"

"Like us fowevew, wight?" Hiccup looked over at him from his little bundle and smiled brightly as Jack nodded.

"Forever!"

That night was fairly normal. Being so little, Stoick had put them to bed fairly early and winked, knowing they would pull the blanket over their heads in the bed they shared and look at the picture book of dragons that Hiccup was totally enamored with. He loved dragons with a passion and no amount of telling him they were faerietales could convince him that they weren't real. He had favourite pages delicately marked with a little piece of paper and kicked his legs behind him as he and Jack lay on their tummies. "An this one is a Night Fuwy!" He said, holding Toothless close to him with eagerness. The plushie flopped and squished, but to little hiccup, he was real. He would leave little pieces of cereal for him on the little bedside table in case he got hungry in the night. He had a tiny pile of blankets in the corner of the living room windowsill for Toothless to sit and watch birds. (Because dragons were like cats you see, and they liked to watch birds).

Jack grinned, his head in his hands as he looked at the book. "Which one is this one?" He asked, pointing to a big one that filled up a whole centerfold! It was so cool! It was white and had big old spines!

"Scweaming DEATH!" Hiccup shot his hands in the air and tumbled back so he was facing the ceiling, giggling. "It can eat you up nom nom!"

"Omnomnom!" Jack bit the covers and tugged on them. "I'm a Screaming Death! Grrrrgrr!" He liked being monsters a lot, it chased away the bad things, and North liked it when he was a monster- he could growl and chase him and he'd run ALLLLLL over the house! He pulled the covers off and held the little flashlight, waving it as he gestured. "Dragons are real big huh?"

"Yes." Hiccup said matter-of-factly. "Big as a house! Etcept Toothless~ He's special~" He pulled the little dragon close and hugged him. He obviously loved it to no ends.

Outside, the rain tapped lightly on the window and Jack looked up. "Rain!" he exclaimed, running off the bed and peering out the window. Too small to reach, Hiccup followed him and leaned up on tiptoes, his nose and above the only things he could manage over the ledge of the sill. It was too dark to see, but the flashlight in the room let them see the droplets when they splashed against the water. "I love rain!" Jack said. "It's pretty an it smells good!" He giggled and Hiccup bounced on his toes in happiness. They watched the rain for a while, until they got too tired and went back to the bed to snuggle up and go to sleep.

Everything was quiet and nice until lightning flashed brightly overhead, cracking loudly in thunder, mere seconds later. Hiccup shrieked and bolted awake, the thunder severely loud overhead. Diving onto his covers, he scurried until he was completely shrouded.

Jack had been startled too, and had jumped back, hitting his head on the bedpost. He whinedin protest and clutched his head. "Owie…" but looked over at the other end of the bed. "Hiccup?" He asked, crawling in behind him. The nightlight of the room had died into darkness suddenly. Softly whimpering, Hiccup shook under the covers in the dark as Jack navigated his way around the covers and sheets, the flashlight in his hands. It wasn't very bright, but in the dark it looked better. He lifted the covers and felt really bad. Hiccup had balled himself up into a little ball under the sheet, his arms firmly around Toothless and softly trying to reassure the dragon (and himself) that it was just thunder.

Jack crawled in next to him and wrapped his cute pudgy arms around the smaller freckled boy. "It's okay Hic, I'll protect you so you can protect Toothless otay?"

Big, pitiful green eyes looked up at him, just brimming with great tears. "P-pwomise?" He asked shakily, leaning into his embrace and shivering. He squeaked and yelped again when the lightning and thunder crashed again.

"Promise." Jack said. "I'll fight off all the monsters for you, otay? All of them!" He said bravely. "Always!" He was scared too, but Hiccup was more scared, so he was going to be a big boy for him and keep him safe with the big comforter over them and the flashlight on.

Minutes after this, the door opened and Stoick entered with a candle in his hand. He pulled up the covers and smiled apologetically. "Sorry boys, the power went out so I had t' get candles." He opened his arm and Hiccup looked up. "I know it'll probably be kinda hard to sleep with all the scary noise, yeah? You want to come downstairs for some coco?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yes." He said quietly, and Jack nodded rapidly, a huge sense of relief filling him. He could relax a bit and both boys (dragging the big comforter with them) trailed after Stoick down the stairs carefully and into the kitchen where several candles were set up along the table. Pulling up a chair, Hiccup crawled up into it and sat down, Jack following as the two shared the seat. Stoick stood at the gas stove, having lit it with a match and stirred the coco in a pot.

Enthralled with the candles for a moment, Jack stared at them and leaned in close. He didn't get to see candles very often, or fire since their fireplace was broken. He laid his head on his arms, tired, and watched it flicker. "Why is fire hot?" He asked.

"Well," Stoick said, is back still turned. "Why is snow cold?"

"I dunno…." Jack said, and looked at Hiccup.

"Fiwe is hot because Dwagons bweathe it." Hiccup said, also leaning on the table, but also half on Toothless. He wiggled the dragon's "paw" up and down a bit. "Dwagon's bellies awe hot so fiwe is hot." Silly reasoning, perhaps, but he was five. The two kids were so tired- it was nearing 11pm. Too late for little ones to be up after a scare. But Stoick knew the cure, and he set the warm cups of coco (with a big puffy marshmallow in each) in front of them. He would have put it in sippy cups, but they shouldn't drink hot (well technically warm) things in sippy cups. Hiccup grinned and pulled the cup close, drinking its rich, chocolaty flavor. "Mmm~" The cups weren't very big, but it was worth it. Jack dug into his and got gooey marshmallow bits on his upper lips, terribly sticky.

Stoick laughed and leaned closer. "Is it good?" He asked.

"Yes!" Hiccup said and set his cup down, letting Toothless taste some. He was very careful not to stain the poor plush creature.

"Fire is a chemical reaction. That's why it's hot." He said. "Snow is cold because of the temperature dropping outside to make the rain freeze into flakes." Jack looked up with wide, curious eyes. The sound of the rain had stopped and Stoick smiled, gesturing to the window. "Come look."

He lead them off the chair and over to the kitchen's door to the back yard. He ushered them out the door to the little room for boots and things, then opened the back door. Hiccup's eyes widened, and Jack's grew like saucers. They held their little hands out, Hiccup still holding Toothless tucked under an arm and felt the little flurries falling. It was cold! "Just like you said!" Jack exclaimed and Stoick merely chuckled. "Come on in boys." He said, and ushered them back in. Jack finished his coco and yawned sleepily, a hand on Hiccup's back. The poor little guy had already fallen asleep against the table and hadn't finished his. But Stoick didn't mind. He turned off the stove and made sure the flame was out, then he lifted Hiccup into his arms and Jack trailed behind them, his hand against Stoick's shirt as he went up the stairs. He stayed by him, fearing the darkness behind the candle Stoick held, but they made it safely to their bedroom.

Tucking the boys in, Jack snuggled against the sleeping Hiccup who'd slipped his thumb in his mouth. Stoick took the flashlight and set it against the floor where it would shine but not too brightly. "Goodnight hiccup." Stoick said softly, kissing the boy. "Goodnight Jack." He ruffled his hair fondly and left the door open a crack. "I'm just down the hall if you need me." He promised, yet Jack was already fast sleep.