SLAM! Hiccup smashed his fist on the evil contraption that woke him up. "Take that, you hateful alarm." He said, groaning as he rolled over in an attempt to ignore the very rude awakening. Suddenly, he bolted upright. "Of course, it had to be Monday.." He quickly stumbled out of bed hurriedly began to get ready for purgatory. 'Oh, did I say purgatory? I meant to say school.' Thought Hiccup bitterly as he hopped out of his room while trying to put on his boot, he could smell breakfast being made in the kitchen. Eggs, bacon, pancakes and... burnt toast?
Hiccup sighed as he entered the kitchen to see his dad frantically trying to get the toaster to stop smoking. There was something rather comical about a man of his stature nearly bouncing around in his attempt to clear the smoke with his spatula. How a man as large as an ox suddenly could take on the description of "nimble" would forever remain a mystery to Hiccup.
Hiccup was brought back to present day when his father began yelling at the toaster. "Confound you, you useless spewer of endless terror!" Hiccup resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm sure it's feeling so remorseful now that you've given it a firm talking to." Stoick jumped, startled. "Oh! Hiccup! You're uh... You're up.." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at that. "Last time I checked, I thought so. Hiccup replied. Stoick, now thoroughly embarrassed asked, "Uh son? Just how long were you.. ya know.. standing there?" "Long enough. Is that the fourth toaster you've fried this year?" Hiccup questioned. "No! Third! ...fine. That's the fourth one. I think you should cook the toast from now on..." Stoick replied. Hiccup snickered as he answered, "Yeah, who knows when I might die from burnt toast food poisoning." Hiccup's eyes widened realizing what he just said. He stole a glance at his dad, expecting a glare. Stoick just sat there with wide eyes. Then, Stoick began to chuckle, then an all-out laugh. 'Well that was... slightly unexpected...' Hiccup thought to himself. Laughter is what you would call a rarity for his " too manly to show a facial expression" father, all the man ever does is scowl at anything and anyone other than his food. Well, don't look a gift-horse in the mouth as the old saying goes.
Hiccup quickly ate and took off for school. A senior in high school with straight A's and no friends aside from his math class partner Fishlegs, if you could call it friendship, would describe Hiccup's school life. As one might expect, he was ready for it to be over. One thing he hated was the idea of being stuck in a small town doing small town stuff for the rest of his life. He was meant for something big, he just knew it. He'll find what exactly that something is when school is over and he can get out of here, but just getting that far is all that matters right now. This place holds too many memories anyways.
'Oh yay, and look who just had to stand in front of the door!' Hiccup thought as he neared the building. 'Why did I think I would miss out on my daily dose of joy today?' Hiccup thought with a glare. There, at the door stood Snotlout and his "gang". Also known as the start of a very long morning if not avoided.'Looks like I need to take the long way around again.' Hiccup thought. Quickly, before anyone could take note of him having been there, he crept around to the back of the building and tapped on the door he knew was the janitor's door. He counted in his head as he knocked five times on the door, even though he'd done this so many times he didn't technically need to count anymore.
He mentally crossed his fingers as the door opened, and sighed in relief when he saw who he wanted to. "Oi, 'iccup! What are you doin' 'ere? Did ya miss ma words of wisdom fer ya that soon?" Hiccup shook his head as he walked through the door. "Of course Gobber, how could I ever last without your truly moving and thoughtful words for the wise? I would be utterly lost without your brilliant counsel oh great and mighty wise one!" "Heh heh heh, of course ya would lad! I know ya already mourn th' day when ya can't rely on this hunk of beauty!" Gobber said, while striking a heroic pose. Good ol' Gobber never changes. "So, same as always this mornin'? Gobber asked with a thoughtful look. "Yes Gobber" Hiccup replied, "I'm running from the cops and need a back way escape. Could you help me out?" Laughter twinkled in Hiccup's eyes. If only he didn't have classes, staying and battling Gobber's wit was way more appealing than hiding from people all day. Gobber played along, rubbing his chin as though considering his options. "Well, ah might know a way of escape, but it will take all ye've got to get there!" "Please," Hiccup said, "We all know that nothing out there can handle all this raw power." He said while gesturing to himself. Gobber laughed. "In yer dreams lad. Off with ya now, wouldn't want to miss all the fun!" "Of course not, because what could be better than school?" Hiccup asked with a shake of his head though he was still smiling. "I'll see you after school Gobber!" He said as he hurried away.
Hiccup never forgot how he learned to value ol' Gobber, or how much he truly leaned on the man for support throughout life nowadays. When Gobber found him hiding in the cleaning closet four years ago crying and not wanting to go home or back to class, Gobber practically took him in hand to see to it that Hiccup had something other than his fish bringing positivity into the boy's life. Hiccup chuckled sadly to himself as he thought about the fact that Gobber was probably the only reason still at school and not dead in a ditch somewhere. Ironically enough, turns out that Gobber actually used to wrestle with his father, even though they had since lost contact. Gobber said it was just because he didn't want to bother Stoic that he never took up Hiccup's offer to get them back in touch, but Hiccup suspected something had happened between the two. They both have such heard heads after all...
Hiccup shook his head at the thought and threw his hood up, knowing it was time to face reality again and put aside the mystery of the two crazy men. Being careful to not get spotted, he slipped into class and began the boor that is his high school life. 'It's only for a few more months, then I'm getting out of here.' He told himself. It wasn't even that he technically needed to be here, there wasn't anything that was taught that he needed to know or learn, he was far past all of this anyways. However, part of the luxury of being him was who his dad was. Stoic would kill him if he didn't "do the high school thing." Hiccup suspected that Stoic was hoping the peer pressure of sports and events would push Hiccup to be a better... something... something, anything other than what he was now, which, in short, was a hermit.
Could anyone really blame him though? The world was full of dull and cruel people, how is that interesting and better than the solitude that Hiccup took comfort in? It's not like anyone cared anyway, minus perhaps the few people that Hiccup considered to be his friend. And the only reason his dad cared in the first place was that he didn't want Hiccup to be the laughing stock of his social life, not because Stoic really cared about the level of mental health his son was at. Hiccup didn't blame Stoic, Honestly, the man was all manner of awkward himself ever since that day. In never was his area of expertise to think of the best way to raise a child anyway.
Hiccup looked down at his notebook, now filled with unreadable scribbles. The good side to these useless classes was his ability to use the time to think. he could dream of his escape. Hiccup was never so irrational as to make a foolish decision, so every piece of his plan needed to be perfect. Was he running away? Well, yes and no. Not in the reckless sense of the word, more in the mental aspect of it. He was fleeing from this place, from the memories, and from the small-town foolishness, yes. But this wasn't an overnight and disappearing by morning type of thing. If there was one thing Hiccup wasn't, it was petty. No, he would tell his dad to his face he was leaving, and he would have a plan for every step of the way.
The only thing to wonder about is what he would do after he left... Sure, he had dreams as much as the next guy about what he might want to do, maybe he could become an engineer or be a mechanic or perhaps he should be a writer? Hiccup almost laughed out loud when he pictured himself in a coffee shop with a beanie and a latte, pounding away at a computer. Yeah, probably not his thing. Maybe instead he should seek work in some type of law enforcement? 'Heh, yeah there's a thought. I'll just galavant through the night with the adrenaline of all the paperwork piles.' He thought to himself. He always wondered at the fact that he could be so full of justice and yet so greatly despise the paperwork that follows almost every form of justice. It's almost as though someone got a laugh at the thought and decided with a twisted sense of humor that it should be done. Of course, there were other ways to implement justice that didn't require as much boredom, so maybe he could find a decent enough a loophole, but unless it was flying a helicopter, none of them held enough excitement for Hiccup. Sure, he could very well do paperwork and do so with excellence, but honestly, he already had enough unnecessary paperwork between a breath of fresh air and himself. After all, he was trying to get AWAY from the mundane, same-old-same-old type of life. He could feel it in his very bones, the need for something greater.
As usual, the day was going by like a blur. Lunch had come and gone and now Hiccup found himself walking mindlessly to math class. Only after this class did his day really begin.
Fishlegs was already at class and brightened a tad when Hiccup walked in. Fishlegs was the exact opposite of Hiccup. Where Hiccup could care less about studying (though partially because he really didn't need to), Fishlegs would break a sweat the moment the teacher handed out a piece of paper, regardless if it was a test or not. And where Hiccup was sick of his days running together, Fishlegs seemed to crave quiet and simple. Hiccup gave a wave in acknowledgment and headed to the seat behind Fishlegs.
"Hiccup! Dude, I really need help right now, they had a surprise quiz in physics today and I wasn't ready and I'm freaking out right now. What if I failed it?! They should know that my body can't handle stress hormones, why would they spring something like that one me? I even petitioned the state representative about finding a way to reconsider the health side-effects of such things and whether or not we can push to find a more effective way of teaching, it's scientifically proven that the school system in our country isn't the best anyway!" "Fishlegs! Slow down, you haven't taken a breath since I walked in the room man.." That was another way that he and Fishlegs were a complete opposite. Hiccup could be silent for life and not mourn it one bit, but Fishlegs could talk the ears off a deaf person. Actually, he could probably talk the ears off a concrete house... "I'm sure you did fine Fishlegs, you practically live to study anyway so the likelihood of you not passing that quiz is ridiculously low." Hiccup said, trying to sooth the kid. Fishlegs stopped his ranting and breathed. "You're right Hiccup, I'm sure it will be fine. Sorry." "No need to apologize, I get it." Hiccup replied, patting Fishlegs on the back comfortingly.
They sat down and class began soon after. Again Hiccup retreated to his thoughts. It wasn't soon enough that class let out and Hiccup left with a quick "see ya around" to Fishlegs. Yeah, he and Fishlegs were pretty chill. Once in a while, they would hang out at each other's house, but other than that they were basically a support for each other during the rough patches at school. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hiccup hurried to what he considered to be one of the better parts of his day. Working out with Gobber.
Definitely not what people would suspect to bring a slight spring in Hiccup's steps, especially since anyone who had ever thought to attempt something like that with the giant meathead would know the grueling tales of the man's skill were not over exaggerated. But that's something that Hiccup was grateful for. Back when Gobber took him under his wing so to speak, he had asked if Hiccup would like to work on some skills to keep him from suffering from an eternal black eye and sore rear end. Hiccup at the time was afraid, every effort thus far to better himself physically ended with the disappointment that followed being as small-boned as he was and people trying not to break him simply by breathing. But with Gobber, no, Hiccup knew within seconds that this man wouldn't treat him like he couldn't handle something. The man solidly whacked Hiccup on the back of the head for freezing up the moment Gobber took a stance, and despite a sore head that had him wondering if the black eye wasn't a better choice at this point, he was thrilled that he actually had a chance. To him, this was a small taste of freedom.
The man in question is not where he is supposed to be, Hiccup observed. Usually, he was here, right on time. Here being the, what Gobber prides himself on being a sort of dojo, even though in Hiccup's eyes it was more of a big garage with a mat in the center and some weights and a few combat weapons. 'Eh, I guess it does depend on what one's definition of a dojo is..' Hiccup thought to himself. Gobber's place wasn't far from the school, which worked out since he could just walk through the forest behind the school and avoid people altogether. Hiccup slipped into the house as he had done many times before and tried to find the missing teacher. 'Seriously, how hard is it really, to find a man that big and loud?'
Hiccup walked into the kitchen to find, for a second time that day, a ridiculous sight. There was Gobber, with... are those... spectacles on his face? This dork had a double-decker sandwich in one hand and was reading whatever book it was that seemed to catch his eye today, and was reading out loud despite the face full of food. "Oi 'iccup! Glad ya join th' party!" Gobber said when he caught sight of Hiccup's unimpressed face in the doorway. "We'll g' started in a minute. Ya want one?" Gobber gestured to the pile he was holding, now half gone. Hiccup tried not to look to squeamish. "Ya know what Gobber, I'm good! I'll just grab a drink..." Hiccup said. "Now see, tha's part of yer problem righ' there, ya need t' eat if ya want t' put some meat on yer bones!" Gobber said, his monster for a sandwich now swinging dangerously close to Hiccup's face. Hiccup wondered if this was a good example of a fight or flight situation in modern-day society, along with unwanted interaction with distant family members at get-togethers. Surely no one would blame him if he bolted rather than eat... was that a whole fish between the bread? Honestly, it was a genuine fight not to lose what little he had for lunch. Hiccup swore on every star he knew that the lunch at school had never sounded so good in comparison right now. What good was the natural instinct to rid the surroundings of danger, if not to burn this monstrosity in front of him? Hiccup had the sneaking suspicion this was no doubt part of the reason Gobber was rarely seen with any other human. 'It's doubtful a cockroach would eat... that...' Hiccup thought to himself. "Uhhhhhh hey Gobber! Don't you think it's time to train now? Don't want to waste time, you know what they say about wasting daylight!" Hiccup said, backing up quickly to avoid a faceful of the sandwich. "Aye yer right lad, best git t' it then!" Gobber said, as he put the entire sandwich in his mouth and began hobbling out of the kitchen. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed a water and followed after Gobber.
This was the kind of days that made life bearable. It's was almost sad, the fact that this house held more joy and memories than his own home. Stoic... Well, he meant well at least, but home definitely didn't feel like home. In fact, one could say it was anything but a home. It had a coldness that couldn't be removed with heat and even the light of the sun couldn't remove the lonely feeling that the very walls held. Even the big clock on the wall at the top of the stairs echoed with a resounding tick that only furthered the lack of joy that rang through the house. It didn't surprise Hiccup that, without intending to, he truly sought refuge anywhere but there. Maybe if his dad was home more often it would be different, but then again probably not. Stoic was no homemaker. He practically lived in his room when he was home anyway, unless the lure of food became too great long enough for him to shuffle out of his room for something edible. Gobber's home, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. The man's walls were more often covered to the ceiling with knick-knacks and junk that probably had no use to begin with, but Gobber would insist otherwise and follow up with a story of how he procured the object currently in question and why he needed it, the pack rat. Hiccup almost thought to make a sign that said, "Warning, avalanche risk, speak quietly for fear of certain death," but more than likely there'd be no room for it anywhere anyway. But at least one didn't feel lost and lonely here. There was always something to do, to be done, to make. Yes, this house was rich with laughter. Even on a gloomy type of day, this house was a safe haven from the world outside. One could huddle in the office and find joy in the repeated tales days gone by. Gobber should've been famous for his story-telling, if only because of how excited he got when thinking back to a different time.
"Oi 'iccup! Ya betta' get yer wee hinny in 'er, headaches ain't gona make themselves!" Gobber hollered, despite the hypocrisy of his words. Hiccup chuckled. Good ol' Gobber never changed. Practice with Gobber was always something that got Hiccup moving, literally and figuratively. Hiccup really did have a lot of respect for the ability that Gobber had for tailoring a session to what Hiccup himself needed. See, given the tinier, lacking brawn and whatnot, he could never train like say, his father for example, at least not with the hopes of being alive at the end of it. No, he needed something that would bring out his strength. His mind, and his agility and Gobber did just that. "Wher's yer head at lad?" Gobber hollered. "It's th' mindless wondering tha'll git ya killed!"
"Yeah, I hear ya." Hiccup said with a small smile. They both reached for their weapon of choice, a bo staff for Hiccup and of course a battleax for Gobber. Hiccup was pretty sure the man slept with that thing by his bed.. Gobber took a stance, Hiccup did likewise. They eyed one another carefully.
The downside to fighting the same person for four years is you learn how they fight. You pick up on every subtle move, the shift in their eyes, the twitch in their feat. They know your moves and you know theirs. The upside, in attempt to gain the upper hand, you never know what will happen when desperation sets in, which means you have a risk of getting a solid pummeling due to carelessness. Hiccup grinned at the too calm teacher in front of him.
"Whatcha' waitin' for 'iccup? Decided yer better off in th' hen house?" Gobber asked, grinning almost ear to ear. Mind games. The true battle during any fight had begun. 'Ah, the bait. Two can play at that, oh mighty grandmaster!' Hiccup thought. "I thought it was polite to let the ladies go first!" Hiccup jested back. "Ohh now yev done it!" Gobber quickly sprang into action. They exchanged a series of blows never taking their eyes off the other as they circled. "Wishbone!" "Meatsack!" Wha', did yer goldfish teach you how to swing?" "Oh puh-lease! My goldfish could bat your attempts away with his tailfin!" "Wha'd ya say lad?! You'll pay fer tha'!"
Up until this point, they weren't really doing much outside of a light warm up, throwing mocking insults from time to time. Laughing on occasion and all while chasing each other around the room. But then something shifted. One breath, one heartbeat, suddenly everything was very different.
Gobber suddenly lost all humor.
Hiccup stumbled back confused as Gobber suddenly charged at him without restraint. There was a void look in Gobber's eyes, and it scared Hiccup to his bone. 'What's happening?! Where did this come from?!'