So yes I do realize I have another fanfiction in progress but I had to write this down or else I would forget it and I can't wait to finish the story so I hope you like it.

A little boy. That's all I could say I was. I wasn't a hero. I wasn't a friend. I wasn't even a man. I was just a boy. I couldn't even help people. Do you know what that made me think? It made me think that I was worthless. Useless.

But the young boy of 8 I was had a beautiful, kind, loving mother. And somehow, she was always there for me. But mother suffered from a severe mental illness, and soon she began to hit me. It wasn't my fault, my mother was going insane.

But somehow I couldn't convince myself of that.

My father had abandoned us long ago. He couldn't deal with either of our illnesses. It wasn't just mom, I had gotten an illness that came from her; it was only physical though. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD.

COPD is a lung disease that I loathe. It has something to do with the airways that are supposed to carry air to my lungs being damaged. It's not terrible, I'm just always coughing. It isn't that bad. Sometimes I'm short of breath, sometimes I wheeze, and sometimes it feels like I can't breathe. But the worst part is when I have to use the Dragon.

I call it the Dragon, but it's just a machine. It's supposed to help me breathe. I have lived with it for 15 years, but it still seems to surprise people. They always ask me if I want a cough drop, like that would help.

Soon after I turned 9, my mom went officially insane. She brought me to the grocery store and beat me right there. In court she pleaded insanity, and was taken to a mental hospital. Soon after she committed suicide.

But somehow, it didn't matter to me anymore.

They never found my dad. I assume he found someone else. That also didn't bother me. They took me to an orphanage the day after they found him and he said he wouldn't take me back. I don't regret that.

And in less than 6 months, I lost everything I thought I loved. But, turns out, it didn't bother me, so I must not have really loved them. But even if I didn't love it, I still lost all of it. It seemed, at that point, life was pretty pointless for me.

At the orphanage, the kids stayed away from me. They thought if they got too close, they might catch my illness. Which was ridiculous, now that I think about it. At the time I just assumed it was because I was different, and because I could never be normal.

But then a boy came in. He had told everyone he couldn't remember anything about his past, he just woke up freezing cold on the side of a lake. He remembered that his name was Jack, though. He had dark brown hair and eyes. He seemed like he was hiding tears. Oh well. It's not like he would approach me because I -

I suddenly went into a coughing fit again. Uhg. My chest felt tight. I shook it off and went to read a book. A book about Dragons would suffice, I thought.

"Hey… are you okay?" The boy was leaning over me. It scared me, and I bumped my head on the bookshelf. I could hear the whispers around us, wondering why he would speak to me, which frankly, I was wondering as well.

"He's sick. He's always sick!" One of the other orphans, Azula, shouted. "It's quite disgusting actually! He never stops coughing!" I flinched, and the boy, Jack, ignored him. He stuck out his hand to help me up.

I must have looked distrustful, because the kid smiled, and he had the most adorable smile. "Oh come on, I don't bite!" Hesitantly, I grabbed his hand. It was so cold! He must have had bad circulation. I coughed again, and he looked worried. "You sure you're okay?" I just nodded. I didn't want him to hear how raspy my voice sounded.

He smiled, and walked away. I sighed. I knew it wouldn't last. Of course he's going to talk to Azula. That would make sense. But suddenly, he raised his arm and slapped her. He hit a girl. Why would he do that?

"That was for being a bully you insufferable brat!" He hissed at her, though I knew he probably didn't know what those words even meant. She shrieked.

"Hey! That hurt! Besides, are you any different? You don't want to hang around him, nobody does! He never even talks! All he does is cough, and when he isn't he's reading! He's so boring, and he'll just infect you! Why do you think his whole family is dead? Because of him!" Well it wasn't necessarily true, but it was all my fault.

I balled my hands into fists and looked at the floor. I wouldn't fight back. I was such a coward. I didn't even thank Jack. Jack laughed. Of course he would. I knew it was too good to be true. Jack kept laughing and everyone gave him a strange look. "You really think I care about that? For all I know, I've done worse!" Jack smiled. "Now, what's your name?"

Everybody apparently lost interest, because they all walked away, assuming that Jack was just another weirdo like him. "...So….? Your name?" Jack asked, tilting his head and grinning. I furrowed my brow, and opened my mouth to speak - and coughed again. Damn it.

I cleared my throat a little. "My name is Hiccup." I flinched at the sound of my own voice. Uhg. I sounded terrible. "But everyone here doesn't really care so what's your deal?" I asked suspicious. He laughed again.

"Okay, totally sorry, but …" He bit his lip and I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a nickname because if it is shouldn't it be Cough or something?" He looked sorta worried he might have hurt my feelings, and to be honest, at the time it sort of did. I furrowed my brow.

"I haven't heard that one before…." I rolled my eyes, and smiled for the first time. For some reason Jack turned a little red. I never knew why. "No. Hiccup is my real name, my parents were -" I sighed. "I'm a viking descendant. We stick to tradition. So…"

Jack laughed again. "Wow, I wish I knew where I was from." He grinned again.

For the first time in a long time, Hiccup felt needed. He felt like someone actually cared. and that made him really happy. He felt like there was someone who worried about and helped him when he couldn't breathe - in the literal sense.

1 YEAR LATER

"Come on, Hic, you're going to be late!" Hiccup sat up in bed, his eleven year old self as tired as a baby who ran a marathon. Jack was standing over him, and he was already up and ready for school.

After Hiccup was done with his early morning coughing fit, he walked over to the wardrobe. Jack walked up behind him. "Hic… your wheezing again." I concentrated and controlled it. I didn't want everyone at school to think I was freak too. "You ready? let's go!" Jack pulled me out.

Gobber, our orphanage leader stopped us. "Wait a moment boys, we have a new couple coming in, looking for a boy about your age. Stay for a moment, I'll call the school." I flinched. No matter how much Jack had brought me out of my hole, I knew I'd never get adopted.

Nobody wanted to deal with the sick kid. I've got a chronic illness for gods sake, it's the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., I probably won't live long. I know that, and I have faced that fact. Jack doesn't really get it. He's naive. He thinks of us as best friends who will never separate, but I know better. Nothing is permanent.

I didn't know how right I was.

The couple came in and looked around at the four of us. It was me, Jack, and two other boys. Gobber pulled one of them off to the side and whispered in her ear and looked over to me. She gave me that look and I wanted to punch a wall. I didn't want her pity. Jack bumped my shoulder.

"Come on Hic, cheer up." he soothed. I coughed.

"I can't when that hag is giving me that look. I'm not weak." I swayed, my chest was tight. Jack noticed and put on his all-business face.

"Hiccup, sit down." I rolled my eyes and did as told. It helped. Gobber came over and knelt down.

"You okay Hiccup, lad?" He whispered. I nodded. Then, louder, "They chose you, Jack." My stomach dropped. I knew this would happen, I just knew it! What was I supposed to do without Jack? What would happen? No… I was being too selfish. This is what would be best for Jack. I can't do anything about it.

I coughed again. "Goodbye, Jack." I said, smiling. I wasn't fooling anybody though, I felt the droplets run down my face. He wiped them off. THen he did something that I thought was really weird. He hugged me and kissed my forehead. "I always wanted to do that. Goodbye, Hiccup." Soon everybody was crying, and it was a mess.

He turned around and I've never seen him since.