Title: Big Man on Berk Part 2

Summary: It wasn't Meatlug being in danger that shocked Fishlegs out of his trance. It was Hiccup.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship

Characters: Hiccup, Fishlegs

Rating: K

Astrid's day had gone from bad to worse.

She was trying to save Snotlout, when suddenly, she'd heard Fishlegs - not Thor Bonecrusher, but the terrified Fishlegs she knew - shouting "No! Hiccup! HICCUP!" before leaping off the Scauldron's back and diving into the water.

Astrid had left the twins to get Snotlout while she herself doubled back around and dove into the water after Fishlegs. She'd found them beneath the ocean, Fishlegs and Toothless struggling while Hiccup was already unconscious. With Astrid and Stormfly's help, they had all made it back to the surface of the water.

Now that was all fine and dandy, but it would have been even better if Hiccup had been at least breathing.

Astrid kept her hands pressed against his chest, feeling his heart flutter weakly behind his ribcage. She didn't know how long he had been under the water, or how long he had been deprived of oxygen, but she knew that Hiccup had water where his air was supposed to be, and it was clogging his lungs, keeping him from breathing.

She pushed against his chest occasionally, trying to see if she could make his coughing reaction kick in, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything until they reached the shore.

She was trying to be calm, really, she was, but it wasn't working very well.

"Faster, Stormfly, faster," Astrid urged.

Stormfly chirped in agreement and sped onwards. Behind her, Astrid was aware of Snotlout and the twins flying, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

The shore was in sight, and as soon as Stormfly touched down on the wet sand, Astrid jumped off Stormfly's back, pulling Hiccup with her with more force than necessary. She practically threw her friend against the ground and then bent over him, her hands once again pressing against his chest.

All of a sudden, she couldn't feel his heartbeat.

She couldn't feel his heartbeat.

"Hiccup," she gasped. She couldn't think for a few moments. Her brain seemed to have stopped right there. Then, she shook her head, her eyes widening when she came to the realization. "HICCUP!"

She heard the others and their dragons land around them, and then Fishlegs dismount across from her, but she couldn't think about it. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't an expert at drowning.

But there was one thing she thought that maybe she could do. She had seen it done before, when a fisherman fell overboard.

She didn't know what she was doing, but she decided that anything was better than doing nothing, and if she could bring Hiccup back, it was even better. She folded her hands over his chest and, using as much force as she dared, began pushing and pressing Hiccup's chest repeatedly.

"Come on, come on!" she shouted desperately"Come on, don't do this! Don't do this to me!" No reaction. He didn't cough, he didn't breathe, couldn't breathe...

"Come on!" she growled. "Come on, breathe, FOR THE LOVE OF THOR, HICCUP!" She wasn't going to lose him like this. She couldn't lose him like this.

"BREATHE!" she shouted, slamming her fists down onto his chest in one last attempt to save his life.

And, to her disbelief and relief, Hiccup coughed. He coughed and choked and gagged, water spilling from his pale lips. Terrified he would choke and begin suffocating all over again, Astrid grabbed him by his shoulders and manhandled him into a sitting position, slapping him on the back with more force than she meant to use.

She heard the others behind her sigh with relief, but she really couldn't bring herself to acknowledge it. When he finally stopped coughing, he laid, doubled over in Astrid's arms, unconscious.

She rubbed his back. He spat up more water, even in his unconscious state. She looked up at the other riders. She knew unconsciousness was common for someone in Hiccup's state; the lack of oxygen got to his head, and he passed out because of it. She knew he would be fine when he woke up.

She looked back at the ocean and heard a dragon roar. She was reminded, all at once, of the water dwelling dragon still taking residence in the ocean. She didn't want to leave Hiccup by a long shot, but she knew that they had to relocate the Scauldron, and she would have to lead the others now that Hiccup was unconscious.

"Someone needs to take him back," she said. "The Scauldron's still out there. We have to relocate it."

Instantly, Fishlegs' hand shot into the air, and Astrid looked at the chubby boy. No longer Thor Bonecrusher - Fishlegs was back to being Fishlegs. She knew Fishlegs would never hurt Hiccup. He would be careful with the unconscious rider.

"Are you sure, Fishlegs?" Astrid questioned. "You don't even have a dragon to ride."

Fishlegs opened his mouth to answer, but then, Meatlug dropped from the sky, landing directly in front of Fishlegs. "Meatlug!" Fishlegs said happily as he raced forward and embraced his dragon's head. Meatlug licked him back.

It was sweet and all, but Astrid was really focused on getting Hiccup back to the village as quickly as possible. "Okay, Fishlegs," Astrid said. "Take him, hurry. Get him to Gothi. Have her check his breathing."

Fishlegs nodded, stepped away from Meatlug, and slowly, carefully, took Hiccup from Astrid and into his own arms, one of Fishlegs' arms under Hiccup's shoulders while his other arm slid in the crook of his knees. The way Hiccup's head lolled limply against Fishlegs' arm made Astrid wince.

"Be careful with him, Fishlegs," Astrid hissed. It wasn't like she didn't trust Fishlegs; she just didn't want anything else happening to Hiccup. "Don't fly too fast."

"Meatlug is slow and steady," Fishlegs assured her. His grip on Hiccup was tight but gentle. "Don't worry. We'll be careful."

Astrid didn't question him further. Instead, she turned and looked back at Stormfly and the other riders. Toothless growled at Astrid, his eyes glued to Hiccup. "Okay," Astrid said. "Toothless can follow you guys from the ground. Hurry, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs nodded, carefully mounted Meatlug, and they were airborne. With that done, Astrid turned to the other riders, shouted, "Come on! Let's get this Scauldron to a new home!", and then, after mounting their dragons, they were off, towards the ocean.

…

Hiccup was fine, according to Gothi. Astrid hadn't broken any of his ribs during her furious chest compressions, and the unconscious was due to lack of oxygen to his brain. Although Gothi had said Hiccup would make a full recovery, and a speedy one at that, Fishlegs still felt awful.

This was his fault. It was his fault Hiccup was hurt, his fault Hiccup had nearly died, his fault, all his fault.

Right now, Fishlegs was waiting beside Hiccup's sick bed, drumming his fingers against his knee nervously. He couldn't help it. He couldn't.

Hiccup suddenly stirred, and as soon as he did, Fishlegs looked at him. "Hiccup?" he said uncertainly, and Hiccup opened his eyes, blinking multiple times to clear his blurry vision. He looked at Fishlegs, squinting in confusion.

"...Fishlegs?"

It was too much for Fishlegs. "Hiccup!" he shouted, and before Hiccup could protest or ask what was going on, Fishlegs was crushing him in a tight embrace. Hiccup swallowed thickly; it became hard to breathe again.

"Okay...okay, Fishlegs," he said, voice strained. "Now...just...if I could...breathe…"

"Oh, right," Fishlegs said, and he released Hiccup instantly. Hiccup's head was pounding, and his lungs ached, but he was alive. The last thing he remembered was being submerged in the ocean, trying to get back to the surface.

And now he was here.

"Um...so it's you," Hiccup said. "You're...you're back to normal…? No more 'Thor Bonecrusher'?"

"Thank Odin, no," said Fishlegs, and he twiddled his thumbs. "Hiccup, I'm so sorry. You nearly died, and...and it was all my fault!"

"No it wasn't," said Hiccup, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault, Fishlegs. It was Snotlout's fault. He was the one who hypnotised you like that. You didn't have a say in it."

"I know," said Fishlegs, "but...but…"

"Fishlegs, even if it had been your fault," Hiccup said, "I'd almost die a thousand times over if it meant having the real Fishlegs back. I couldn't stand Thor Bonecrusher."

"Even though he was braver than me?"

"Fishlegs," said Hiccup, "Thor Bonecrusher was a coward compared to you."

Fishlegs looked at him uncertainly. "You really think so…?"

"Of course I do!" said Hiccup, smiling. "Now stop blaming yourself for my almost death. I can almost die fine enough on my own."

"You're right," said Fishlegs, and he got to his feet. "You're right! It's not my fault!" Suddenly, his eyes darkened. "It's Snotlout's fault," said Fishlegs, and he smiled in a definitely not-usually-like Fishlegs way and turned towards the door.

"Don't be too hard on him, Fishlegs," called Hiccup.

"Oh, I won't be," said Fishlegs. "I won't be too hard on him…"

And he left Gothi's hut.

Toothless slid up beside Hiccup and cooed, pressing his nose against Hiccup's chest; Hiccup hugged the dragon briefly, and then looked back at the door. "Yeah, I know, bud," Hiccup said, rubbing the Night Fury's head. "If Snotlout doesn't show up tomorrow for training, I'll definitely know why. Thor Bonecrusher may have been tough...but no one's tougher than Fishlegs."

Toothless nodded in agreement and licked Hiccup's face. Hiccup scowled.

Author's Notes:

Like I said, I started this a long time ago and never got around to finishing it, so I hope you guys liked it anyways…

SERIOUSLY THOUGH I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! :D :D :D :D :D I love you guys! :D

Cheers!

-BeyondTheClouds777