A Meaningful Gift
Rated; T
Pairing; Hiccup X Astrid
Disclaimer; I do not own HTTYD.
~Author's Note; Just so everyone is aware; this is a ONE-SHOT story. As in this will be the ONLY chapter for it. Don't be asking for second one because I only did this for the sole reason that it came to mind, and I thought it would be adorable. Anyway, enjoy! -Nightstar
A seventeen-year-old male with auburn hair and green eyes sat at his desk silently. It was a Friday in February. All the students were sitting impatiently, waiting for 2:30 pm when the final bell of the day would ring, and they would get released for the weekend. The male was working on his homework seeing as the final class of the day was their Study Hall; he black jeans with white sneakers, and a green long sleeve shirt.
"Hiccup, hey! Any plans for your birthday this year?" asked one of his friends who sat to the right of him.
"Not sure yet. Gotta talk to dad first, Tuffnut," the male, Hiccup, replied gently.
=Hiccup's POV=
Yep, my name is Hiccup Haddock, and I'm about to turn eighteen in three weeks. My birthday is February 29th; this year happened to be a leap one. I'm currently a Senior attending Berk High School, and a straight-A student. I have four amazing friends and a girlfriend. I also have my dad and his best friend who is like an uncle to me. My friends are Snotlout Jorgenson, brown hair and blue eyes; he has a little sister named Adelaide too, and I suppose I consider her my friend even though she's two years younger than the rest of us. There's the twins, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut Thorston; both of them have long, pale blond hair and blue eyes. Ruffnut keeps hers braided in three sections, and Tuffnut let his hang loose but tied at the ends. Another friend is Fishlegs Ingerman; rounder fellow with blond hair and green eyes.
My girlfriend is Astrid Hofferson; golden blond hair that is always braided and hanging down her back with sky blue eyes. Astrid and I had been friends since we were twelve, but ended up together at the end of Sophomore Year when we were sixteen. Yes, Astrid and I have been together almost two years; June 17th was our anniversary. I loved Astrid a lot, and I knew she would be the one I settled down with one day.
"HICCUP! Yo, you with us?" I heard Snotlout ask me. I snapped out of my thoughts about marrying Astrid and looked at him.
"Yeah, I'm here," I replied.
"Well, you plan to stay here for the weekend?" Ruffnut chuckled. "The bell rang thirty seconds ago," she added. Wow. Had I zoned out that much? I suppose I had a lot on my mind besides a future with Astrid. I grabbed my backpack, tossing it over my back with one strap on my shoulder while getting to my feet.
"Sorry," I shrugged.
"You alright, Hiccup? You don't seem like you're all here lately?" Fishlegs inquired.
"I'm okay, Legs. Thanks," I smiled at him. I felt someone grab my hand, and I looked to see my Astrid standing there.
"You sure, babe?" Astrid questioned.
"Positive," I nodded to her, then kissed her forehead. Not long after that, my friends, girlfriend, and I walked out of the classroom into the busy hallway. We talked a bit, then said our goodbyes with promises of texting to stay in contact, and maybe hang out. I headed outside after zipping my coat. I didn't live far from the school; a ten-minute walk at best, but longer if the weather wasn't cooperating. I stuck my hands in my pockets, pulled my hood over my head, then began my walk home.
{Haddock Residence}
Reaching my house, I saw that my dad was out; probably shopping. I went to my room to drop my bag by the desk. Afterward, I got a snack; then I grabbed soda can from the refrigerator before returning to my bedroom. I might as well get my homework done; I didn't have a lot left since I did most of it in Study Hall. I whipped through my Science and Math; the put everything away. I saw my door open and smiled a bit seeing a brown/orange/white cat come in slowly.
"Hey, Cloudjumper," I greeted the animal. Cloudjumper was my mother's cat; he was old, going on twenty-one soon. My mom passed away when I was fifteen; shortly after I started Sophomore Year, and that hit my father and me hard. Mom died in a car accident; she was coming home from work on a stormy night, and some drunk driver was in her lane. Mom moved to avoid it, but the two cars still swiped, and the other one forced hers off the road. Mom's vehicle rolled, smashing out the windows, and crushing her against a telephone pole. The drunk got arrested, and now serving time in prison for driving under the influence on a suspended license.
Cloudjumper was nineteen then, and mom had him forever it seems. Cloudjumper and I bonded in a way; he always came to comfort me when I cried over mom. My dad had a pet; two in fact. Skullcrusher and Thornado, the two German Shepard/Labrador mixes. Cloudjumper comes to see me all the time, and I help him with getting to higher places. I loved this cat, and I knew he wouldn't be with us forever, but I hoped he'd be around just a bit longer. At least until I graduated High School. To me, it would feel like mom was there for it. I know that sounds nuts, but hey, who can blame me. My friends had been a Godsend for me during the loss of my mother, and I think that's when I started seeing Astrid differently too, began to like her as more than a friend.
Astrid would text me every chance she got just to ask if I was okay, or if there was anything she could do to help. Astrid and my friends were gathering all my missed work for me, taking notes so I wouldn't fall too far behind. I was blessed to have them in my life. So, my dad's name is Stoick Haddock; my mother was Valka Haddock. My dad's best friend and my unofficial uncle is Gobber Forger. My dad is a lawyer, and Gobber works in a garage fixing cars. My mother had been a police officer; I remember so many members of the department came out for the funeral. It's only been two years, but it still hurts that she's gone.
I bent down and picked up Cloudjumper carefully; then he nuzzled against my cheek. Finally, I kicked off my shoes and laid down on my bed as he sat on my chest. I pet him a few times, scratching the sides of his neck, which he loved. I heard a faint purring and smiled. I closed my eyes, relaxing now. Dad wouldn't be home until 4:30 pm, at that time Gobber would come over, and we'd all have dinner together. For now, I was content until that time came.
{Two Weeks Later}
=Normal POV=
It was 6:00 am, the normal time that Hiccup woke up to get ready for school, which started at 7:30 am. Getting up at this hour allowed Hiccup to shower, dress, then make sure all his school things were picked up before he got himself breakfast and ate. Hiccup typically left for school at 7:10 am, gave him time to get to the building and hang with his friends and Astrid before the first bell rang. As usual, Hiccup woke up and did his morning routine. By 6:25 am, Hiccup was in the kitchen to make something to eat when he saw Cloudjumper on the couch. Hiccup went over to pet him a few times, and something that seemed odd was that Cloudjumper didn't lift his head in response.
"Cloudjumper?" Hiccup asked gently as he got on his knees to wake the cat up, so he could eat with Stoick and him. There was still no movement from the animal. Hiccup shook the feline slightly; still, nothing as Hiccup felt his chest tighten a bit. "Clo-Cloudjumper…Come on, wake up," Hiccup tried again. At this time, Stoick had come out of his room, seeing Hiccup where he was.
"Son?" Stoick said to get Hiccup's attention.
"Da-Dad, Cloud…Jumper won't…wake up," Hiccup forced out shakily, his tone already beginning to crack. Stoick hurried over and checked the cat over a few times, lifting his head, but it fell limp. Stoick put his hand on the cat, then closed his eyes while lowering his head.
"Hiccup. Cloudjumper passed away, son. He's gone," Stoick informed. Hiccup froze the tears that had welled up in his eyes finally falling. Hiccup laid his head down on the cat, sobbing quietly. Stoick put his arm around his teenage son and tried to soothe him. "It's alright, Hiccup. You knew we wouldn't have a lot of time with him left" Stoick sighed softly. "We'll bury him out back under your mother's tree, and you don't have to go to school today. I'll call you out," he offered. Hiccup only managed a nod, but the tears hadn't stopped.
{End Of The Day; 2:30 pm-BHS}
The final bell rang as the friends met up outside.
"Has anyone seen Hiccup today?" Astrid asked first.
"No, not at all," Snotlout shook his head.
"And he's not answering messages or calls," Fishlegs pointed out.
"Maybe he's sick?" Ruffnut offered.
"Well, we should go see him; I'm sure he'll want his missed work," Tuffnut smiled. With the friends in agreement, they left school ground to walk to the Haddock Household. Upon arriving, they could see that Stoick was home, and Gobber was apparently over. Getting to the front door, Astrid knocked a few times.
"Hiccup's girl and friends are here, Stoick," Gobber pointed out to his friend. Stoick sighed as he got up, moving to the door, then opening it.
"Hi, Mr. Haddock. Is…Hiccup home?" Astrid inquired.
"Aye, that he is kids," Stoick nodded.
"Is…he okay? We didn't see him in school, and he wouldn't answer messages or calls either," Snotlout mentioned.
"We wondered if he might be sick?" Ruffnut added.
Stoick shook his head to them. "The lad ain't sick; just having a rough day," Gobber said.
"What do you mean?" Tuffnut wondered.
"Cloudjumper passed away," Stoick informed as the friends gasped; all having known how much that cat meant to Hiccup, and a now he'd died a week before Hiccup's eighteenth birthday? Hiccup couldn't have been handling that well.
"Where is he?" Astrid questioned.
"Out in the back," Gobber motioned with his thumb.
"May we see him? Please?" Fishlegs tried.
"You can head back, but don't be surprised if he asks to be alone," Stoick confirmed. The friends nodded and walked into the house, then towards the kitchen, which would lead them outside into the backyard. Getting to the backyard slowly, Astrid was first to see Hiccup sitting on a rock wall by a tree; his mother favorite one. Hiccup had his notebook in his lap with a pencil in his left hand. Hiccup's head was down, and he was sniffling a bit. Just behind him was a freshly moved dirt, then a painted rock; a memorial to Cloudjumper that Hiccup had done.
"Hiccup?" Astrid asked. Hiccup lifted his head a bit to see his girlfriend standing there; Hiccup palmed away his tears.
"You came," Hiccup managed.
"We all did," Astrid said lightly as Hiccup was able to see Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Fishlegs coming out as well. Astrid sat down beside Hiccup, she kissed his cheek and put her hand on his shoulders. "I'm sorry about Cloudjumper, babe,"
"It's…okay. I knew…he wouldn't be around much longer; he was almost twenty-one," Hiccup looked down again.
"We brought you the work you missed today," Fishlegs said. "I left it in the house with your dad,"
"Thanks," Hiccup replied.
"What are you working on?" Snotlout asked.
"Oh, nothing. I'd been sketching out the design for the rock earlier, and never put the notebook away," Hiccup responded. "I appreciate you all coming to see me,"
"Well, we didn't see you in school, and you hadn't been responding to anyone. We got worried and decided to walk over to check on you," Astrid informed.
"It means a lot to me that you'd go out of your way to make sure I'm okay," Hiccup tried to smile.
"We know you'd do the same if it were us," Tuffnut laughed a bit.
"Yeah, I probably would," Hiccup nodded in agreement.
"Are you going to be okay?" Fishlegs questioned.
"Eventually. It's just hard because Cloudjumper was my mom's cat, and we got close after she died. With him gone, I don't know; it feels like I've lost all of my mom now," Hiccup sighed.
"We know, Hiccup," Snotlout said. "She ain't gone, though. Your mom lives on in your heart,"
"But I want her out of my heart and memory; I want her here," Hiccup sniffled again.
"Your mom is always around, Hiccup; watching over you. I know it doesn't offer a lot of comfort, but know she's still with you even if you can't see her. And hey, you've still got your dad, Gobber, and all of us too," Astrid kissed his cheek, then hugged him.
"Thank you," Hiccup laid his head on her shoulder. The next hour or so was spent with the friends trying to console Hiccup, but they knew that the pain of losing Cloudjumper was fresh because the cat passed away that morning, or perhaps overnight and in his sleep. After a bit, the friends had to leave before they got in trouble, and thankfully, they all lived close enough to be able to walk home. Hiccup was grateful they had come by; having them there helped a little.
{February 29, 2016-Monday}
The week went by, and Hiccup was still upset about losing Cloudjumper, but he had returned to school on the 23rd. Stoick allowed him to have the 22nd off because that had been the day that Cloudjumper passed. Hiccup didn't want to miss too much school time and knew that losing a family pet was an unexcused absence, though, he was given last Monday due to the fact it had been his mother's cat. It was last period now, Study Hall as Hiccup was reading a book he'd brought from home. However, he hadn't seen his girlfriend or friends all day, and they hadn't been responding to his messages. Hiccup turned the page and continued to read when the door opened. Hiccup looked up to see Snotlout walking in.
"Where have you been all day?" Hiccup inquired while sliding the bookmark in place, then closing the book.
"Well, the gang and I know you've been upset since Cloudjumper passed away, so we decided to do something to cheer you up after we left last week. Brought you a little something we think you'll like," Snotlout smiled.
"But you have to close your eyes," Ruffnut pointed out. "Come on now, do it,"
Hiccup closed his eyes as the classroom was quiet now, wanting to see this. The rest of the friends walked in, then Astrid last holding a box with holes in it. Astrid placed the box on Hiccup's desk, then stepped back a little.
"Alright, you can open now," Fishlegs told him. Hiccup opened his eyes to see the box in front of him. Instantly, he got nervous and hesitant but moved his hands towards the box, beginning to undo the tabs, then opening the top. Hiccup's eyes widened a bit; then his lip quivered some as tears formed in his eyes as he sat back.
"What's the matter, babe?" Astrid asked. Hiccup didn't say anything at first as he looked in the box again, then put a hand over his eyes before pulling his hand down to show that he was very clearly crying now. Hiccup sniffled once or twice before reaching into the box and pulling out a small black kitten that had green eyes.
"Hi there, kitty, Oh, you're so little," Hiccup managed as the class smiled, and some of the others were crying too.
"He's nine weeks old," Astrid informed gently as she rubbed his back a bit. The kitten was sitting on Hiccup's chest, then moving around a bit to be closer to his face. The kitten licked his chin a few times, then rubbed his head on Hiccup's little bit of stubble. Hiccup sniffled again, trying to control his tears, but it wasn't working.
"Happy Birthday, Hiccup," the friends, and Astrid said together.
"He's mine?" Hiccup asked, a bit shocked.
"Yeah, we got him for you. We know he can't replace Cloudjumper, but we know you miss having a cat," Fishlegs smiled.
"This little guy came from a litter of five; he was the runt. We thought it might be fitting for you since your name represents runt of the litter," Tuffnut chuckled.
"Where did you get him?" Hiccup asked after wiping away his tears.
"My dad got him from a friend after I told him what we wanted to do for you. So, does this cheer you up a bit?" Astrid replied as she played with his hair.
"It's…I don't have the words for this. But yeah, I feel a lot better," Hiccup smiled a bit.
"And don't worry about cat food, litter box, and toys. We pulled together to get you everything you need. We dropped it off at your house already, and your dad knows too," Snotlout put a hand on his shoulder.
"You guys…didn't have to do this for me," Hiccup choked up a little; obviously emotional.
"Yeah, we did, Hiccup. We know that you would have done the same for any of us," Ruffnut told him as Hiccup looked at his friends and girlfriend with surprise and gratitude.
"So what are you gonna name him?" Tuffnut asked.
Hiccup scratched the sides of the kitten's neck as it began purring. Hiccup stopped a moment as it meowed at him and he wanted to cry again after the kitten used it's paw to bring his hand back over to keep petting him. Hiccup smiled softly as the kitten pressed it's nose to his, then licked him once. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh some. "Toothless," he finally said to name the animal. "Thank you for this. You have…no idea what it means to me," he told his friends and Astrid. Hiccup couldn't believe it; his friends had been gone all day, and he'd been upset not to be spending his eighteenth birthday with his friends. However, his friends and girlfriend surprised him with a kitten; something to cheer him up after losing Cloudjumper. Hiccup didn't have the words to express how happy and blessed he was to have these five people in his life besides his dad and Gobber. Hiccup would never forget this moment; the one where the people he cared about went out of their way to get him such a meaningful gift.