AN: So I'm thinking of changing up the first chapter, I really wasn't happy with it but it won't change anything about the rest of the chapters… but at the same time I don't want to go over any of the chapters I've written and I'm nervous about making it worse… so opinions?

I really won't change it for a while yet since I've got a lot of story I already have planned for future chapters o.o and I reaaly don't want to go back yet.

Also had so much fun with this chapter so... it turned out basically twice as long as the others, not sure if this is gonna be the norm from now on but maybe.

"words" – English

"words" – Icelandic

words – thoughts

Chapter 4. How to Appease Loki (And Still Fail)

Devastating winter passed without much issue and I made it to the age of five… without burning down the village.

I've stopped asking for permission to learn things, (except cobbling, and blacksmithing damnit) and have instead been self-teaching, which is fine with stuff like fishing, cooking, basically anything requiring practice and ingenuity, so long as I skip a few technical skills… and well, laundry.

Others though…

Cobbling, I have no idea where to begin. Sewing… I can fix tears, make some pretty embroidery, but without templates, or tools to make templates, or, like, guidance, everything becomes lopsided or too small, or the pieces don't fit or… It's just frustrating. And blacksmithing? Yeah, I haven't even been let within two meters of the forge since becoming Gobber's apprentice let alone let near the bellows or the sharpening stone… Not that I can actually push down on the bellows or even lift an axe so I guess that's a mute point.

As is, I only had a few more things left that I want to learn before trying to build my stamina. Smalls things… like farming, food preservation, and medicine.

Kind of necessary, I like to think, for not… you know… dying.

And with the last one I mentioned? Doubly necessary but also all the more difficult to learn, seeing how I'll have to learn Gothi's… sign language. Which means talking to Gothi, I thought with a cold shiver.

Pushing most of those thoughts to the back of my mind, I began hanging up the laundry.

Shaking my head, I hummed with each peg I put into place, a soft smile dancing across my lips. I had gotten Gobber to help, and by help, I mean, do all the work for, me to make a clothesline with several pieces of long, thin metal and fishing line that attached to the outside of the house, in a spot that got the most sunlight (for what little gets through to this island), and was basically like the collapsible clotheslines from my old life. It worked pretty well, lying flat against the wall when not in use, but stayed upright when in use despite all the heavy clothes… though I had to use a wooden stool to hang up anything on it.

I was really happy when Gobber actually made it for me, I hab been expecting him to dismiss me, or laugh at me, so when he looked at the design concept I'd done up and actually truly did it…

I was so shocked I nearly cried… not that I did. If he had laughed I would've just attempted to make one using wood even if it would have taken me weeks to make, but… he didn't… and it felt great.

I shook my head. It probably seemed stupid to feel happy over something like this but when I kept getting denied every time I tried to be a little more independent, be a little more like how I was before I came here, I had been dismissed as a fanciful child with too many useless ideas. And every bit of dependency I had chafed. A lot.

Adding it up in my head I realised I would've been about twenty-eight years old, give or take a few months since everything here was noted in seasons, so not being able to be entirely independent really rubbed me the wrong way.

Also…

Washing clothes was actually one of my favourite choirs in my old life. Crazy, I know. Well, that and cooking, even though to begin with it had been because I would be left alone by my family and wouldn't be told how badly I was doing it.

Basking in one of the rare patches of sunlight, I fell back on the grass, warming myself as I covered my eyes with a thin sleeve-covered arm, lazing about despite needing to leave for Gobber's workshop soon. I figured I had a few moments of peace before I had to leave.

It had been a few months since the last dragon raid but… each time one happened I seem to be shoved into the Great Hall or under a bench down at the forge, so I haven't made any progress in befriending any dragons yet. Even though I really, really, want to talk to a dragon, or pet one, or even just look at one. I mean, how messed up is it that I'm in a universe bursting with dragons and yet the last one I was able to actually look at was Cloudjumper? And I couldn't even enjoy that! Since I was busy deluding myself into thinking it was all a really long lucid dream.

Feeling a little cheated, I decided to have some faith in the Gods today… and came up with a plan.

Standing on the edge of the village border and the start of the forest, I took some deep, clensing breaths, shaking out my arms as I did so.

Earlier on I had asked Gobber for the afternoon off with an excuse that I wanted to try and make some friends my age. To which he'd laughed at me, allowing it while also informing me I didn't have friends of any age. And I'm sure he'll laugh at me again when I lie about being outcasted by the other five year olds.

I smiled inwardly at that, even as I cringed internally from the mild mortification I knew I'd feel after that future conversation, lies or no.

Inhaling deeply once more, taking in the rich smells of the forests mix with the salty tang that enshrouds most of the island, I braced myself, taking a step forward and-

"Oy, runt!"

Rolling my eyes skyward, I lifted my hands as if asking why. Seriously Loki? Seriously?!

"I said," growled the child's voice behind me, "'Oy!'"

Turning around with a sigh, I blinked owlishly at… yep. Snotlout. Of course, I thought, withholding a sigh.

"Yeah, Snotlout?"

His face seemed to twist into a confused pout for a few short moments, only for his haughty look to return just as quick.

The last time I saw him we were three and, luckily for me, we never ran into each other after that despite the size of Berk, but, of course, on a day I wanted to be mischeivous, Loki had to pull the rug out from under me.

Snotlout leaned his taller, thicker frame against the tree next to me as he smirked down at my smaller, obviously weaker, form.

"Just wondering," he hummed, as he found something interesting about his nails, "what a weakling like you is doing so close the forest." He paused here, giving me a half lidded, almost bored look with his eyebrows raised, the mean smirk on his face taking the look from pretending to care to found someone smaller and weaker to pick on/entertain self with. "You do know that you could be attacked by a dragon, don't you?" he preened, smile turning just a tad more malicious.

Pondering what it was I had done to become such entertainment for the Gods (I assumed that's why they did this), I tried going over my options, sizing Snotlout up as I did.

Now, I could brush him off, go on my merry way… and probably get the snot beat out of me.

I could also do a macho off of sorts, try to outman his five year old self… and probably get the snot beat out of me.

Or-

Know what? Fuck it. If Loki has it out for me then I may as well just have as much fun as I can with it. Either way, I'll probably have the snot beat out of me no matter what in the end.

Looking down at the ground, I scuffed my shoe with a woeful pout adorning my soft face.

"Was.." I paused, tilting my head up as if seeing Snotlout in a new, awe-inspiring, light. "I-I was w-waiting for someone as… as strong and brave as you to t-take me on an adventure," I stuttered shyly, fiddling with my hands.

"Oh, well, I-" he started, caught off guard, before I quickly interrupted.

With my bangs covering my eyes, I let my face drop, staring morosely at the ground. "But someone a-as amazing as you is probably t-too busy and important to be able to do that," I said with a sniffle, rubbing the back of my hand over one of my eyes as I turned my head to the side, away from Snotlout.

Repressing my small urge to break out in giggles, I tried to think of all the time I miss out on with St- Dad, only to find it didn't raise an emotional response so I moved on to thoughts of Ash and Adrianna and how much I wished I could see them, not for long though. Just long enough to tighten my vocal cords and mist my eyes, ready for the killing blow of this act.

"Like my dad," I whispered, turning away as if to head back to the village.

"H-Hey!" Snotlout yelled, his hand encircling my upper arm.

Hook, line, and sinker, I thought with an internal cheer of triumph, feeling gleefully smug at the completion of my act.

"I-I'm, like, not as important as the Chief, like, still super important, just not that much so…" he paused, his shoulders raised awkwardly, almost defensively, as the weak façade of toughness dropped enough to see his vulnerability. "I-" he stopped again, his eyebrows furrowing as he seemed to struggle with himself, his eyes then clearing as he threw his shoulders back to their confidently straight place.

"I have time," he stated with a stern back of steel coating his words, sounding final, as if I would argue.

Guilt filled me as I made eye contact with the bigger boy, believing I saw something like wounded comraderie behind his eyes. I forgot he was just a lonely kid, even as I had been manipulating my words to affect him. He was a lonely kid constantly seeking his father's approval and trying to prove himself, even though he was entitled and a muttonhead about it. And Spitelout was as much a busy father as Stoic was. I didn't have any right to manipulate that.

Creasing my eyebrows in frustration, at myself, I chewed on my lip and grabbed the sleeve of Snotlout's shirt with my free arm. I looked at him sincerely as I could, wanting express gratitude properly. He didn't have to spend his time with me, and he probably actually did know his way around the island better than I did so I was honestly grateful.

"Thank you," I told him earnestly, eyebrows creased as I gave him a very serious nod.

At this, interestingly, he tensed as I thanked him, his eyes lighting up and sparkling with some intense emotion that lifted a small, almost humble, smile to his lips.

Has no one thanked him for anything before?

Thinking on that, I concluded that no one probably had before. He was five. Five year olds aren't really helpful, if they even tried to be. Or at least, that's what I gathered from my old life, I wasn't quite sure if it was all that different here.

"S-So, where do you wish to adventure?" Snotlout stuttered, releasing my arm as he tried to look sure and imposing.

"Wherever you want to go," I answered honestly, quite happy to learn anything more about the island, even if it meant I might not be able to befriend any dragons today. There's always tomorrow.

And that was how Snotlout Jorgenson and I, Ryan Cassata turned Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, became adventuring companions.

Some things I had learnt whilst wandering the forest of Berk with Snotlout had left my adult pride bruised.

One, I have no stamina. None. I don't remember ever being this unfit when I was a kid the first time, or as clumsy.

Two, anything that exists will hurt me. I've tripped over, bumped into, and been attacked by more inanimate objects today alone than I had in my entire past lifetime.

And three, which probably hurt the most; Snotlout has more spatial awareness and directional ability in his littlest finger than I have in my entire body.

So, as we came across a field of grass taller than the two of us combined, I was more than happy to flatten out a small area of it to collapse onto, nursing the many bruises, cuts, and grazes, even as Snotlout stood without even a single scratch on him.

"What's wrong?" he laughed, leaning over me. "Is someone tired?" he teased, chuckling at my huffing, mess of a self on the bed of grass.

Grumbling angstily to myself in English, I looked around the tiny space I had cleared, something about it seeming almost familiar.

Leaping to my feet in a rush of excitement, I let out a happy squeak, ignoring Snotlout's surprised look.

Yes! Yes yes yes!

Pulling out a few strands of grass, I ran my hands over them as if I could confirm the truth of it with touch, even though I'd only seen it in a movie. It might not even be what I think it is… but it looked pretty damn close.

"Snotlout! Do you know what this is?" I whisper shouted, reaching behind me and pulling him closer so he could look at it.

"Yeah, grass," he said, with a roll of his eyes. "Do you know what it is?"

Grinning from ear to ear, I ignored the sass and kind of bounced on the spot as I started braiding the strands together. "It's a very very very powerful plant used to ward of danger."

"I bet that's just a kids story," Snotlout huffed even as he moved closer to me. "Y-you don't think it's true, do you?"

Leaning closer to him, I whispered, almost as if sharing a secret, "There's a legend that talks of a great Viking who was once disarmed in battle, without even a shield or helmet to protect him, had a dragon, on the verge of eating him alive, fall limp before him almost as if sent to sleep. And you know what he had on him?"

"What?" Snotlout asked when prompted, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Smiling softly at his rapt attention, I slowly coiled the braided grass into a bracelet and held it out to Snotlout. "A protection charm made from Dragon Nip."

Handing it to Snotlout, I watched him handle it reverently, staring at it in awe.

"That's for you," I told him, humbled by the amount of care he showed it, even if the field we were standing in wasn't actually filled with Dragon Grass. "As thanks for taking me out here, and spending time with me."

"Wha-?" he said, shock coating his voice, as he blinked down at me. "Really?" At my nod, he blushed, standing straighter as he tried to go back to his confident persona. "N-Not that I believe a stupid legend like that," he huffed, spine straightening as he tried to appear taller. "B-but I'll accept it, s-since it's the only way you can show your appreciation."

Is it bad that, although I was basically just insulted, I feel genuinely pleased?

Similing as I pulled out a few more strands of grass, I decided, no, it wasn't.

"What're you doing now?"

Braiding this next lot, I wondered if it was going to fit. "Making one for my dad," I stated simply, humming a little as I continued.

"O-oh."

Noticing the awkward tone accompanying Snotlout's response I looked over at him to see his eyebrows furrowing, hand rubbing the coild braid now adorning his wrist, and his eyes darting all over the place nervously, before turning my eyes back the the bracelet in progress. Does he want something but doesn't know how to ask?

"Is something wrong, Snotlout?"

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed him tense up, eyes scrunching a bit.

"Wha- No," he bit out, turning his head away as a slight pout took over his bottom lip, his eyes darting to my hands every now and then.

Ohhh. I am very slow.

"Would you-"

"Canyouteachmehowtomakeoneformydad?" Snotlout whispered, cutting me off.

Blinking in shook, and lack of understanding, I looked over at him, his face turned away from me as he blushed. Recognising the first few words of his rushed sentence, I thought I got what he meant.

"Y-you want me to teach you?" I had honestly thought he was going to ask me to make one for his dad for him. I was pretty surprised.

He nodded his head sharply still looking away.

Stopping mid-way through the charm I was making, I grabbed a few strands for Snotlout, holding my half-finished product in my mouth as I tied the ends together, before grabbing Snotlout's hands. I told him how to arrange the strands and moved his hands in the motions they should follow.

"Just make a practice one to start, since the second will be better than the first. And when you are finished with this part leave about…" I held up my fingers about two inches apart, "thiiiis much undone."

When he was done, I showed him how to connect the two ends by demonstrating with my own charm.

"Like this?" Nodding at his first finished product, I noted it wasn't too lopsided and grabbed him a few more strands of grass to make the one to give to his dad. "Hiccup?"

Snapping my head up to look at him as I heard that- er- my name, the first time he's actually said it, I raised an eyebrow in question.

"I-If you want," Snotlout stuttered, holding out the finished charm, "y-you can have it. Y-y'know, t-to protect you since." He looked away, shoulders rising defensively for the second time today. "S-since important people, l-like me, can't always be around to help w-wimps like you."

Sighing at the insult, I shook my head ruefully, reaching out quickly when Snotlout's face dropped, misunderstanding my actions, and took the charm, coiling it up before sliding the charm over my fist to sit snugly against my wrist.

"Thank you," I told him, feeling oddly at the behaviours he's displayed over the past few hours. He was acting very in character but… I still couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by it, even if I was grateful. "I'll take good care of it."

His face turned bright red as he hurriedly snatched the strands of grass out of my hand and tried to start the charm for his dad.

Time passed peacefully for a bit after that, the quiet tranquility only broken here and there as I advised Snotlout on making the charm, until we began making our way back to the village, after I pocketed a number of strands of grass, a little concerned I'd break my charm on the way back.

"H-Hey."

"Yeah, Snotlout?" I asked, doing my best to avoid the tree roots sticking up out of the ground as the village came into sight.

Snotlout's hand caught my shoulder, stopping me from walking into a low hanging branch.

Looking up to thank him, I froze in surprise instead at his next words, a little annoyed at the amount of times I'd been surprised.

"Wanna have dinner with me?"

…Uhh, what?

Checking over my body, I confirmed I was still five-year-old Hiccup, covered in dirt, grass and injuries.

Snotlout seemed to get defensive at my confused, ruffled state, his shoulders coming up again as he scowled. "What? Do you not want to hang out with me anymore?"

Mouth dropping open, I waved my hands in front of me, snapping myself out of confusion. "O-Oh!" I annunciated sooo articulately. "No, no! That's supposed to be the other way round! I didn't think you'd want to hang out with me anymore." Not that that's why I was actually confused, but… well, that too.

Friggin' inappropriate adult mind. You are five.

He scoffed at me, rolling his eyes. "Muttonhead. So?"

"A-Ahm, I'm good. With that. Yes. But uhh," I stuttered a thought coming to mind. "I normally have dinner with Gobber and Dad in the Great Hall."

"See you there then," he called as we were now at the edge of the village before racing off.

Shaking my head ruefully, I began to make my way back to Gobber's forge, with a smug smirk pulling at the corners of my lips as I triumphantly realised I had made a friend.

Take that social anxiety.

Waiting in the Great Hall for Snotlout to show up, I admired my craftsmanship currently adorning Stoic the Vast, Chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribem who is said to have popped the head of a dragon clean off of its shoulders with his bare hands when he was a baby.

Do I believe that? Yes, I do.

Did that stop me? No, it didn't.

When Dad had picked me up from Gobber's workshop, upon which I had been cryptically answering Gobber's questions with just a repeated, smug 'you'll see,' I had tried giving him the protection charm I made him. Only he ignored me, brushing me off with a 'Not now son,' as he dragged me to the Great Hall as quickly as he could since he apparently still had important Chief duties and was only collecting me so that he could keep his promise (self-inflicted promise he made after Va- Mum was carried away).

Now, I'd like to say that at this point I acted with the grace of all my twenty-eight years of life and nodded in understanding with some hums of sympathy as I followed along maturely so as not to bother him.

That, however, would be a lie.

No, I didn't throw a tantrum.

I, instead, bided my time until the great Chief was distracted as he discussed Important Things with his advisors. After climbing pretty clumsily into his lap, which he only just tolerated with a sigh, I began to deftly tie bows of Dragon Nip into the ends of his beard around the bands holding his braids in place, at points weaving bits of the long grass into his beard.

I was now standing next to Gobber, very happily admiring my work, as Stoic, who had not noticed, did nothing about the pretty decorative pieces I had added to him. It's just missing something…

"Gobber?"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't to have any flowers, would you?"

"Ha!" Gobber laughed, his voice echoing out across the hall before he received a sharp glance from the Chief, which silenced him only in as much that he smacked his hand over his mouth and shook. Gobber shook his head in a negative, bending over as he tried to breathe.

I was little sad at being unable to give his look its 'finishing touches' but all in all was pretty happy with it.

Hearing the door to the Great Hall groan open, I turned glad to finally see Snotlout and his parents enter. Not that I was particularly okay with Spitelout as a character from the show, but I didn't know much of him as a person here so I tried not to dislike him immediately.

"Snotlout!" I called with a wide grin, running over to him. In all my childlike excitement, I had forgotten that I was Hiccup, son of the Chief of Berk, and not Ryan, the hug-obsessed, overly excitable nerd, and had tackle-hugged him with all of my small self before processing the thought. He didn't fall over, of course, but he did freeze up with my arms and legs curled around him in a glomp.

He petted my back awkwardly before I released him, giving him a small smile as I began blushing and internally berating myself, social anxiety eating at me as I rubbed the back of my head shyly.

"Hah. Ha-ha! You- you are so funny, Hiccup!" Snotlout said stiffly, pushing me towards one of the tables to sit at as Spitelout, who gave me a heated glare, and Mrs. Jorgenson went over to the Chief.

"Sorry," I mumbled as we sat next to each other at the table. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I won't do it again."

Damned boundary breaking menace, Ryan, I thought shamefully. You know better.

"What?" Snotlout asked, looking at me funny. "No, no. It's fine… It's just…" He sighed, flicking the table as he continued with a frown. "I tried to give my dad the protection charm and he told me 'Jorgenson's don't need charms, we are strong.' And then when I told him that I made it for him, he told me not to waste time such stupid things."

Putting my hand on his arm, I frowned, wondering if there was anything I could say in this situation. I wasn't really the best at comforting people. For instance I'd tried comforting Ariel, one of my closest friends, and ended up making her cry even more.

In other words, I'm really bad at it.

But I didn't want to just not say anything.

So… I braced myself and told him the first thing that came to mind, hoping I don't cause lasting scars with my clumsy words.

"Well… if he doesn't accept it, you can still give him the protection grass."

He looked at me as if I was an idiot so I moved on quickly.

"I mean… since the grass is what has the protective qualities, with the way of preparing them just enhancing that, you can just tie pieces of it to him, or his clothes." This is essentially what I just did to Dad but I at least felt satisfied by it, so maybe Snotlout could enjoy doing something almost rebellious and ver cheeky or-

He's frowning more at me. What have I done?! Is-is he gonna cry? Gods what if I ended up making Snotlout Jorgenson CRY?

"What if he gets mad?" he asked in a small voice.

Oh.

"Deny any and all involvement." I'm a bad person. "An make sure only to tie the grass to him while he's sleeping, and to his clothes, or, hey, even his weapons while he's not looking. And if he sees you, you can just say you were trying to learn to be as great as he is." I nodded proudly at my advice, all while believing at this point that I am no better than the twins. "But," I state with a very serious tone, hoping maybe I can sound less like a bad person, "you can only do this since it's to keep him from dying on the battlefield before Valhalla is ready for him." Nope, still just as bad.

Snotlout nodded sagely, as if my advice was actually worth something. When did I even earn his trust this much?

"So, what about your dad?"

At this, I grinned, brushing over my feelings of failure and doubt. "He was too busy to pay attention to me," I said, watching confusion fill the Jorgenson's features. "So…" I pointed discretely over at Stoic, grin widening as I felt pride in my childish acts again.

Watching understanding come over him, I gave him a thumbs up, noticing Gobber observing us with a look of disbelief out of the corner of my eye.

When the adults finally join us with plates of food, I spot a perturbed frown on Dad's face as he seemed none too pleased to be joining the Jorgenson's with us at the table.

Snotlout and I continued having quiet conversations between ourselves throughout the meal until a loud complaint from Spitelout interrupted us.

With a loud clatter of his plate, Spitelout rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth and glared at me. "Stoic, what kind of man are you raising here?"

Silence fell over the hall as Stoic turned flashing eyes to him, face grim. "And what. Do you mean by that?"

"Your son had mine making bloody jewelry," Spitelout growled in disgust as I just blinked at the vehemance. Why the hate, man?

Stoic's gaze snapped to mine, the steel in it not softening as I stared back. "What is he talking about?"

Blinking rapidly, I frowned in confusion, unsure what was happening here. Holding out the bracelet I'd made earlier, I looked about at the serious atmosphere weighing over the table. Seriously, what even? "It's a protection charm," I said defensively, not sure why I had to be defensive in the first place. "I told you about it earlier but you were really busy so I couldn't give it to you…" I trailed on, biting my lip and trying not to stare at the bows that bounced on Stoic's beard as he spoke.

"Is that so?" he asked to which I nodded, even more lost with the conversation. "So?"

Staring at his suddenly outstretched hand, I placed the charm in his palm, still not entirely sure it will fit his wrist, and also still not sure what in the name of Frigg was going on. "You put it on your wrist," I supplied, holding up my arm with the charm Snotlout made me on it as reference.

"Thank you, Hiccup," Dad told me as he wore the bracelet and smiled at me, to which Spitelout scoffed.

D-Did I just assist with a pissing contest?

"Oh, ye've gone soft," papa Jorgenson growled.

"Careful, Spitelout."

"Thought he'd grow into a strong Viking without that woman's influence-"

The Chief's hand hit the table with a bang, as I flinched, realising the implications of his words and well aware he went too far.

"What?" Stoic the Vast snapped, his voice a rolling storm.

"You heard me," Spitelout hissed before standing. "We're leaving," he stated with finalty, staring hard at Snotlout causing him to leap out of his seat, spine straight, even as he gave me a look laden with concern.

I hadn't realised I'd zoned out until the door to the Great Hall slammed closed.

"Well, 'at could've gon' better," Gobber snorted, patting me on the shoulder in some sort of pitying gesture, to which I was still sort of lost.

"Just. Stop," Dad growled, as he stood and left the hall aswell, presumably to place a block of ice against his temple as he usually did when things took a turn for the worse.

I watched him leave before looking skyward again.

Does it really need to be this hard, guys? Like, Syn, if you just wanted us not to hang out, a simple no would've sufficed.