Characters: Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick, Gobber

Rating: T

Time range/age: Before the events of Race to the Edge

Disclaimer: HTTYD and its characters all belong to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell.

In That Little Room

It was one sunny afternoon at Berk. The kind of afternoon that makes you want to kick off your boots, get comfortable on a chair and just sleep the time away. Birds were chirping, wind was blowing, and everyone seemed to be enjoying a nice relaxing nap that afternoon. Well, most of them.

"Where in the name of Odin has that boy run off to again?" Stoick the Vast, Berk's mighty chief, muttered as he searched his house for any sign of his son. Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, was out at the back napping on the grass, but Hiccup was nowhere to be found.

Stoick gave up searching the house and went out back where the Nightfury lay. Toothless sensed Stoick's presence and looked up at the Chief before giving him a gummy smile.

"Toothless, do you know where Hiccup is?" Stoick asked as he scratched the dragon on its nose. Toothless pointed his tail at the direction of the forge. Stoick did a face-palm.

"Of course that boy's in the forge. Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered to himself. He gave Toothless a pat on the head before heading towards the forge.

As he neared the building, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Stoick!"

"Gobber! What is it?" Stoick asked as Gobber waddled up to him.

"Have ye seen Hiccup? That lad was supposed to help me with those saddle requests we've been gettin' around the village." Gobber said as he held up many pieces of paper which contained the saddle designs.

"No, I havent seen him, but I think he's in the forge. I'm heading towards there now." Gobber nodded before he and Stoick began to make their way to the forge.

"So, why are ye looking for Hiccup?" Gobber asked once they reached the building. He placed the papers on a nearby table before facing the Chief.

"I just have some important things to discuss with him." Stoick said. "With him being the next Chief… he still has to learn a few tricks from his old man. Better start—"

"OW! Hiccup!"

Stoick and Gobber took a surprised glanced at each other once they heard the voice.

"I know what ye're thinking and it's not me, Stoick." Gobber said. Stoick was about to reply when another voice was heard in that little room where Hiccup works on his projects.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it, you're just yanking it too hard!"

"Well if you'd just stop fidgeting, then I wouldn't have yanked it too hard!"

By now, Stoick and Gobber had moved from their places and was now standing in front of the closed-door of Hiccup's room. Stoick and Gobber both placed their ears close to the door.

"Astrid! Will you please handle it more gently?"

"Handle what gently?" Stoick whispered to Gobber. The other Viking shrugged his shoulders.

"Just hold still for a minute."

Stoick and Gobber listened closely to hear shuffling sounds and a groan from Hiccup.

"Finally! I thought it would never come off."

"Well if you weren't pulling it so hard…"

By now Stoick and Gobber were giving each other confused glances.

"What in Thor's name are—" Stoick began but was hushed by Gobber.

More rustling movements could be heard.

"It still hurts though."

"Oh, here, let me just…"

Gobber made a face as they heard another moan escape Hiccup.

"How does that feel?"

"Great, but watch out for that sore spot over there."

Dripping sounds could be heard. Gobber took a glance at Stoick.

"Should we leave 'em alone?" he asked. Stoick gave Gobber a laugh and a pat on the shoulder.

"Today, my son becomes a man!" Stoick declared as he and Gobber made their way out of the forge.

That evening, everyone was gathered in the Great Hall for dinner. When Hiccup and Astrid arrived, almost everyone cast them knowing glances and cat calls. Hiccup and Astrid exchanged confused glances towards each other.

"What's going—" Hiccup began before he was grabbed by Stoick. The older Viking gave his son a very painful "pat" on the back while chuckling heartily at the young boy who still had a very confused look on his face.

"Today, my son became a man!" Stoick declared causing the rest of the Vikings to cheer before swarming a very confused Hiccup. Astrid was about to make her way to him when she was suddenly dragged aside by Gobber.

"Gobber? What's going on?" she asked. "I didn't understand what Chief said…"

"Astrid, may I ask ye a question?" Gobber asked as he shifted from one foot to another in an awkward way.

"Sure…" Astrid said hesitantly. Gobber cleared his throat before speaking.

"Where were ye this afternoon?"

"I was with Hiccup. Why?"

"Where were ye and Hiccup at?"

"We were in the forge… Gobber, why are you—"

"What were ye doin' in the forge?"

Astrid eyed him. "Gobber, what's going—"

"Just answer the question, lass. What were ye two doin' in there? Specifically inside Hiccup's little room?" Astrid was taken aback with what Gobber said.

"How did—"

"Answer the question, Astrid." Gobber demanded. Astrid groaned, but it was drowned by the cheering of the Vikings surrounding Hiccup. Gobber eyed them wearily.

"I went to the forge to look for Hiccup because I needed my axe sharpened. When I got there, he was slumped over the table clutching his prosthetic and was groaning with pain. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that his stump hurt so I took him into his room to look at it." Astrid said. Gobber urged her to continue.

"Then as I began to remove his prosthetic, it was stuck. So I started to yank it a little but Hiccup kept on kicking me back and said that it hurt. By the time I manage to remove that blasted thing, his stump was a little swollen and red. I searched his room and luckily found some water and a cloth so I began to rub his stump with until it was all better." When Astrid finished, Gobber was rubbing the back of his neck while eyeing the crowd of Vikings wearily. He then turned his attention to the lass.

"Are ye sure that's the only thing ye both did back there?"

"Yes, Gobber. Now, what's going on?" Astrid demanded as she saw her parents, who were in the Great Hall as well, give her stern looks.

"Well, Astrid, Stoick and I visited the forge this afternoon and… well, we kinda heard ye two back there in that room—"

"You eavesdropped on us?!"

"Let me finish! Anyway, Stoick and I kinda got the wrong idea. I was a bit skeptical at first, but Stoick here kept on bragging to the whole village how his son 'became a man' today… which kind of explains the situation we are in now." Gobber said. Astrid had a shocked look on her face before she groaned and placed a hand on her head.

"So, you two thought that Hiccup and I… that we were… Odin above! Gobber! We didn't do any of that! Ugh! How could you even think… oh my freaking gods!" Astrid exclaimed as she began to pace. She was about to march straight up to the Chief to explain herself, but Hiccup already beat her to it.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed the fear-stricken dragon trainer as he glanced between his father and the villagers. Gobber passed a hand across his face.

"This is why I stay out of these things…" Gobber muttered to himself as he glanced to see Astrid run to Hiccup's side to help him explain the events that occurred earlier at the forge.

"Oh boy, I'd assume Stoick would be giving Hiccup the talk tonight, right, Gobber?" a random Viking asked as he came beside Gobber. The blacksmith gave a chuckle as he saw Hiccup's and Astrid's flushed faces.

"I think he would be doing something more than that."