Author's Note: Welp, it was about time I wrote a story where Hiccup goes through a phantom pain! XD

I hope you enjoy this one-shot! =D

Phantom Pains

Hiccup yawned and was attacked by Toothless' tongue as he sat up. The young viking shoved the Night Fury's head out of the way and rubbed dragon saliva off of his face. Hiccup glared at Toothless and the black dragon grumbled with laughter.

"Ha, ha, laugh it up, Bud," said Hiccup. The auburn-haired teen swung his legs over the edge of his bed. "How would you feel if I licked you awake?"

Toothless gave him a look that said, "Now, human, that's just wrong."

"Exactly," said Hiccup. He picked up his prosthetic and strapped it to his leg and stood up and was surprised by the feeling of pain that came as he applied pressure to his fake leg. Hiccup sat back down and looked at his false leg. Toothless sniffed it and looked up at Hiccup.

"I'm fine, Toothless," Hiccup said. He gave the dragon a pat on the head. "My leg just hurts a little. I'll just walk it off."

But Hiccup had a feeling that the pain in his leg wasn't something that one could just walk off. As Hiccup walked down the stairs, he found it difficult to use his left leg. The pain felt as if someone was stabbing what was left of his leg with a sharp, pointy dagger. The feeling was bearable, but rather irritating. Hiccup shook his left leg and said good morning to his father, then he grabbed his vest and walked outside with Toothless and the two shot into the sky for their morning flight.

Hiccup found that flying did help him keep his mind off of the consistent pain in his leg. The warm wind brushed against his skin as he and Toothless flew through the air. He managed to forget about the discomfort in his leg entirely the entire time he and his dragon were flying through the air. But once they landed, however, the pain returned and was even more uncomfortable than before.

Toothless warbled worriedly. Clearly, there was something wrong with Hiccup. But the young viking was stubborn and just wouldn't admit it. Hiccup patted Toothless on the head, reassuring the dragon that he was fine, although it seemed more like Hiccup was telling himself that than he was telling Toothless.

Toothless and Hiccup once again shot into the air and flew to a sea stack where his friends were waiting. They had all agreed to meet up and have a race to Dragon Island together, something that Hiccup had been looking forward to for a long time. To actually spend time with friends. Hiccup was still getting used to it, but he was adjusting really well. Hiccup and Toothless landed and Hiccup greeted his friends cheerfully, being careful not to make his voice sound strained.

"Hey, Hiccup!" said Astrid. "Are you ready to lose?"

Before Hiccup could respond, Tuffnut asked "Are you ready to lose, Astrid? Ruff, Barf, Belch, and had trained for this for hours yesterday."

"Wait, we trained for this?" asked Ruffnut, a look of confusion on her face.

"Uh, no, it's just what you say in these types of things to make everyone feel intimidated by you," Tuffnut whispered, albeit loudly.

Ruffnut nodded and then turned to the others. "Yeah! We even had to train for training!"

"I don't think that's possible," said Fishlegs as a matter of factly. "Training is training. You can train for training."

"Or can you?" asked Tuffnut.

Snotlout rolled his eyes at the twins' behavior and said, "You guys can prove that you trained the other day by beating all of us in this race, but I'm pretty sure we already know who's going to win."

"Hiccup," said Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Astrid in unison.

Snotlout scoffed. "No! It's going to be me. M-E. Me."

"But...why you?" asked Tuffnut.

"Because I'm the best out of all of us," Snotlout replied tartly. "Besides, who could possibly beat a dragon that can set himself on fire and someone as incredible as me?"

Astrid smirked. "How about a Night Fury?"

Snotlout crossed his arms and frowned. "Just because Hiccup is riding the fastest dragon doesn't mean he's going to win."

"But the odds of Hiccup winning are extremely high," said Fishlegs. "Remember when we went flying when Hiccup woke up?"

"He just zipped right past us and flew into the sun!" exclaimed Ruffnut.

"Hiccup didn't fly into the sun, you muttonheads," said Astrid. "He just flew ahead of us."

At this point of the little argument, Hiccup wasn't even paying attention. All he could think about was the constant spasms of pain coming from his leg. Hiccup sucked in a breath as pain shot up through what was left of his leg. Hiccup held back a pained groan and turned to his friends, who were getting ready to shoot into the sky and race.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" asked Astrid in concern. Hiccup jumped and turned around to see Astrid and Stormfly standing next to him. He hadn't even heard them walk over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup lied. Astrid stared at him suspiciously, but nodded.

"Okay, but if there's anything wrong, just say something," Astrid said. Hiccup nodded and watched as the Hofferson lined up next to Snotlout. Hiccup and Toothless walked over and took a spot next to Astrid and Stormfly. The Riders looked into the distance, determined expression on their faces. Hiccup started the countdown.

"Three...two...one...GO!" Hiccup shouted and the Riders took off. Hiccup and Toothless took the lead and Astrid was right behind them. Dragon Island wasn't very far away, but far enough to make the perfect finishing point for a race.

The wind ran through Hiccup's hair and Hiccup would have taken bliss in the warm, summery weather and enjoyed the thrill of the race, but his leg was distracting him. The pain was almost unbearable. Whenever Hiccup switched the tailfin mechanism, his leg would flare up with an insufferable amount of pain. Hiccup bit his lip to keep in a cry and continued on. He knew he should've just stayed home when the phantom pain started. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Hiccup's grip on Toothless' saddlehorn tightened and his knuckles were almost white. Toothless, sensing his discomfort, looked up at his rider with a concerned expression.

Hiccup gulped. "I-I'm fine, Bud," Hiccup said, but he knew that was a lie. He was not fine. He was the exact opposite of fine. Hiccup was breathing heavily as he tried to focus on the race but he found that extremely difficult with the amount of pain he was trying to bear. Suddenly, Astrid swooped past him.

"Yes!" she shouted victoriously. "You better hurry, Hiccup! The twins are right behind you!"

Hiccup turned around and Astrid was right, the twins weren't too far behind. He had to keep going or else his friends would know that something was wrong. Hiccup patted Toothless' head and said, "Come on, Bud, speed up."

Toothless looked at Hiccup like he had grown antlers. Speed up? Hiccup was in no condition for such speed, let alone flying. They needed to turn around. Toothless grumbled up at Hiccup, disapproving the decision that he was about to make.

"I told you Toothless, I'm fine. Besides, Dragon Island is only a...a few miles away," Hiccup said, and Toothless didn't miss the strain in his voice. Hiccup was in pain. They needed to head back to Berk before things got worse, but Hiccup didn't turn around. He kept on going.

The twins soon passed Hiccup, and then Fishlegs, and then Snotlout. Hiccup was in dead last. And his phantom pain hadn't gone away either. In fact, it seemed to only get even worse. Hiccup watched as Dragon Island came into view, but he was in so much pain that he could barely focus his eyes on the upcoming island.

"I-I'm fine...I'm fine...I'm fine…" Hiccup whispered to himself over and over, but he knew he was lying to himself. He needed to turn around. Hiccup used the last of his strength to click the tailfin mechanism and stirred Toothless back to Berk. He whimpered as another wave of pain washed over him.

"H-hurry, B-bud," Hiccup said quietly. Toothless nodded and beat his wings against the air, speeding back to Berk as fast as he could.

…

Astrid landed on Dragon Island first. The twins came in second, Fishlegs came in third, and Snotlout came in fourth. Astrid smirked mockingly at the Jorgeson, but her look soon turned into one of worry when she noticed that Hiccup hadn't arrived.

"Where's Hiccup?" asked Astrid.

"I guess he just couldn't handle the thought of losing," said Snotlout as he patted Hookfang. "That means we aren't last after all!"

"Wow. Snotlout was actually right for once," said Tuffnut.

"But that doesn't make any sense! Hiccup was riding the fastest dragon in existence. He should've beaten us!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

Snotlout crossed his arms. "I guess you were wrong, Fishlegs."

Astrid shook her head. "No, no. This has nothing to do with the race. Something's wrong with Hiccup." The Hofferson girl remembered the look of discomfort that Hiccup had on his face before the race started and she knew immediately that something was wrong with him. Hiccup said that he was fine, but Astrid knew that he really wasn't.

Astrid leapt onto Stormfly's back in one swift movement and said, "I'm heading back to Berk. He probably turned around and we didn't see him. You guys can finish racing without me."

Astrid then shot into the air leaving the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs arguing about who should get to claim first place now that Astrid was gone. The Hofferson urged her dragon to go faster, knowing that whatever Hiccup was going through, that he wouldn't be able to go through it on his own. Sure, he had Toothless, but the Night Fury's helping skills were limited. Astrid saw as the Isle of Berk came into view and ordered Stormfly to land in the Plaza. Astrid slid off her dragon and dashed to the Haddock residence as fast as her legs could carry her.

…

Hiccup burst through the door to his house, barely able to stand up used Toothless as a crutch and the dragon helped Hiccup sit down on the couch. Toothless pulled back and whined. He wanted to help Hiccup, but he didn't know how to. And Hiccup was in so much pain, and it hurt Toothless to see his friend in such a state.

Hiccup gasped as another excruciating wave of pain came from his leg and quickly swallowed down a scream. Hiccup's fingers fumbled for the rope that was keeping the leg attached to his shin and then hurled it across the room with the little strength that he had left. Taking the leg off only reduced the pain slightly. Hiccup closed his eyes and whimpered. He just wanted it to stop. Toothless nuzzled Hiccup's cheek in an attempt to make him feel better, but it didn't do much.

Then, much to Toothless' relief but much to Hiccup's embarrassment, Astrid opened the door to the Haddock hut and walked in. When she saw Hiccup sitting on the couch in an immense amount of pain, the blonde rushed over and sat beside Hiccup, clutching his hand in hers.

"Hiccup! What's wrong? What hurts?" Astrid asked immediately.

"N-nothing hurts…" Hiccup lied. The Haddock groaned as another spasm of pain came from his leg.

Astrid frowned. "Sure. Nothing hurts, Hiccup. Now stop lying you muttonhead and just tell me what's wrong so I can help you!"

Hiccup bit his lower lip, but he eventually told Astrid what was causing him so much pain. "I-It's my leg…"

Astrid looked over to where the prosthetic was tossed and then back to what was left of Hiccup's leg. "Okay. Did Gothi tell you what to do when this happens?"

"I-I think so...b-but I don't remember at the moment…" Hiccup said. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned against Astrid's shoulder subconsciously. "Stupid, stupid leg...it hurts...it really hurts…"

"It's okay, it's okay," Astrid soothed. She rubbed Hiccup's back. "Have you had phantom pains before?"

"Y-yeah...but Dad was there and he's busy chiefting..." Hiccup said. He hissed as pain shot through his leg again. Toothless turned to Astrid, a look of worry reflecting in his bright green eyes. Astrid knew how she felt. Here she was with her best friend who was suffering and she didn't know how to help him. Astrid knew that taking off the prosthetic was a step, and that the pain would eventually go away, but she didn't know how long that would be.

Astrid then got an idea. She turned to Hiccup and said, "Look at me."

Hiccup sat up slightly. "W-what?"

"Look at me," Astrid said again. "Try not to think about the pain and just focus on me."

Hiccup blinked in bemusement but he sat up and did what Astrid asked.

"Okay, I'm looking at you," said Hiccup. "This doesn't feel strange at all," he added sarcastically.

"See? You're already acting like your old self, so it's working," Astrid said with a smile. Hiccup smiled back but flinched when discomfort erupted from his leg again.

"Don't think about your leg, just focus on me," Astrid said again. She thought for a moment and then said, "Describe me."

"D-describe you?" Hiccup exclaimed. "This is getting really weird, Astrid…"

"Trust me, this will work," said Astrid. She leaned back in the chair. "I'm trying to help you. Now, describe me."

"Um...well...okay…" Hiccup said. "Y-you're...uh...nice."

"Nice. Okay, keep going," Astrid encouraged.

"Well, you're brave, selfless, and smart," Hiccup continued. "You're really good at fighting and you're probably the best warrior I've ever seen."

Astrid nodded and listened patiently as Hiccup kept on going.

"And...and your hair is like rays of sunlight and your eyes are the bluest of blue that I've ever seen," Hiccup said. The Haddock blushed slightly as he said those words, but the Hofferson seemed offended at all.

Astrid smiled and asked, "Really?"

Hiccup rubbed his neck. "Y-yeah. Really."

The two sat in a short silence. Toothless rolled his eyes and snorted, reminding the two of why they were here right now.

Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Do you feel any better?"

Hiccup had forgotten about his phantom pain entirely. The pain had reduced to the same stabbing sensation he had experienced that morning. "My leg still kind of hurts, but not as much as before."

Astrid smiled. "Then it looks like my treatment worked. You should probably stay in bed for a while, though. Just in case."

Hiccup sighed but stood up slowly. Astrid helped him up the stairs and watched as he climbed into bed. The Hofferson sat down in a chair to keep Hiccup company and Toothless curled up on his stone slab and watched the two.

"Hiccup, why didn't you say anything?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup coughed, embarrassed. "Um...well...I just...I thought I was fine. Besides, it's just a little bit of pain…"

"That didn't look like 'a little bit of pain,'" Astrid said as she crossed her arms. "You should've said something sooner."

"I would've but I just...I didn't want to feel weak or anything…" Hiccup replied quietly.

Astrid softened and walked up to Hiccup's bedside, placing a hand on the Haddock's shoulder. "Hiccup, you're not weak. You just endured a phantom pain halfway to Dragon Island and back to Berk."

Hiccup blinked as the realization hit. "Oh, Thor, I did, didn't I?"

Astrid nodded with a smile and then said, "And it's completely fine to ask for help, you know. I would've helped you if you just told me."

Hiccup scratched the back of his head. "I guess I should've said something sooner. It's just that I'm still getting used to all of...all of this."

Astrid nodded and she wished that she had realized sooner how amazing Hiccup was instead of believing everything that everyone else said. Hiccup was a smart, brave, and inventive viking. He was unlike anyone she ever knew.

Hiccup pulled out his sketchbook and said, "Since we're probably going to be here for a while, wanna do something?"

"Sure," Astrid said with a smile. "What did you have in mind?"

Toothless watched as Hiccup and Astrid played a game that involved describing a person, place, or thing and drawing it. Hiccup laughed at Astrid's mediocre drawings and Astrid punched him lightly in the shoulder every time, but she didn't seem offended. In fact, she smiled every time Hiccup laughed. Toothless buried his head in his paws and watched as Hiccup and Astrid worked on a drawing of him together. And as the two argued amiably over whether the wings were too big or too small, Toothless knew that there was something special about these two...and that they shared a fondness for each other that they weren't ready to admit yet.

Author's Note: Toothless sees the Hiccstrid, but Hiccstrid doesn't see the Hiccstrid. That totally makes sense...right? XD

Until the next story!

-BeyondTheMoon1203