A/N: Just so we are clear, this story jumps around in time, I have people's ages listed for clarity.

Baring All (Hiccup Age 18)

On the other side of the old dorm door Hiccup could hear the faint tune of 'Gone, Gone, Gone' by Phillip Phillips.

He jingled his keys, fumbled with the iron deadbolt as loudly as he could, then rattled the dented knob before pushing the door to swing open.

"Honey, I'm home," he called out ironically before entering the dorm room with closed eyes.

"Yeah, I got it," Tuffnut answered, "No girls here, you don't have to make such a big production." He muttered, "Besides it was just one time…Or ten…I don't keep track."

Hiccup opened his eyes, but jumped away from his roommate's side of the room once he realized Tuffnut was sitting his bed in the buff.

He spun around and yelled, "For the love of Odin! We talked about this – you need to wear clothes. Normal people wear clothes when they talk to friends."

"Do they really, H?"

"Yes. At least boxers. And you better be staying on your side when you're like this."

Hiccup heard the shuffling of fabric against skin as he busied himself arranging his desk for school work.

"Totally texting my sister to tell her how you freaked out about my hot naked body."

"She's down the hall, tell her in person. Hang out naked in her room."

"I tried that, but her roommate tried to castrate me. At least, I think she did - there were scissors going to that area. Oh, and Ruffnut said it's inappropriate because we are siblings."

Hiccup cringed at the thought of sharp objects going down there, while deadpanning, "Man, are they uncool."

"I know, right!" Tuffnut went back to lounging on his bed with his laptop, this time wearing boxers and a purple Indi Band T-shirt. On the walls around him hung posters of scantily clad female musicians. When girls visited, Tuffnut used the posters to catalyze conversations about the musical talents of the singers and note that he found their clothing to be empowering because, "as little of it as there might be, the women felt free to use their bodies to express themselves".

Hiccup had decorated his walls with the periodic table, a poster of obscure complex math jokes that Fishlegs gave him last Snoggletog, and his drawings – mostly of dragons, horses, and his family's home in Norway.

Before settling in to homework, Hiccup straightened a few more things, tossed Tuffnut's dirty clothes in the laundry, then threw empty beer cans in the recycling bin.

The old wooden floor boards of the historic dorm room creaked beneath their flimsy carpet as Hiccup bustled around the room. As freshmen, they got placed in the one antique Berk Tech dorm. At least the fresh coats of paint the rooms got each year for the past centuries gave them the best sound and temperature insulation on campus. However, the old heating system meant no thermostat adjustments, so winter meant the radiators put out heat like a dragon's maw.

Despite the sweltering artificial heat Hiccup liked the archaic dorm. Even without furniture and trimmings, the room held the ghostly essence of past inhabitants and memories - good and bad, wild and studious.

Hiccup crawled on Tuffnut's desk and forced the stiff ancient window to open with a creek.

"Letting air in…" Hiccup said with strained breath, "Better than…no clothes…" Hiccup released a defeated grunt after realizing the three inches it moved were all it would give. The crisp winter breeze cleared out some of the oppressive radiator heat and the stale odor of Tuffnut.

"Good call…Also, I was going to clean up before you got back," Tuffnut said, probably lying. "Weren't you going to be gone for three more days, you know take a few days off to spend with your 'Ice Queen'?"

"You know, she has a name." Hiccup hopped off the desk. Nonchalantly he informed his roommate, "I broke it off. I think she'll be happier with someone else. The sparks weren't there. I figured I should end it, fly back to good ol' Berk, USA, then finish this essay on the 'Evolution of Feminist Interpretations of Pride and Prejudice'."

Hiccup took down the pictures of his now ex-girlfriend and tossed them in the bottom desk drawer, then pulled his chair to his desk before opening a word doc.

Tuffnut grunted.

"I know that noise. I know what you're thinking," Hiccup accused.

"Eh, I don't think too hard, so wouldn't be challenging to figure out what I'm thinking."

This time Hiccup grunted. He started typing his quicker, tapping hard at the keys.

Tuffnut's phone rang and he answered, "Yeah, he's back…yep, broke it off...yep, no sparks – I win the bet, so yes, I'll be picking our outfits for the next party…By the way he freaked out about me being naked, again…haha! I'll ask-," Tuffnut put the phone down. "Ruffnut and her roommate want to know if you would freak out if they hung out here naked. We're trying to find out if we can de-sensitize you to nudity."

Hiccup shook his head, "You can't. And before she brings it up again, I'm still not interested in her roommate, especially after that story you just told. Can I finish my work in peace and morn my painful break-up?"

Tuffnut went back to the phone, "Oh, yeah, totally faking self-pity…he won't talk to me about it, you should come over – fully dressed…no, you come here…It's the same distance, genius…It's two doors down…I'll ask him." Tuffnut put the phone down again.

Before he could say anything, Hiccup blurted out, "I'm not going down there to get hit on by her roommate, put my man area in danger, and discuss why I ended another relationship."

Hiccup pounded the keyboard, while Tuffnut picked the phone up again, "I'll put you on…"

Tuffnut flipped his dreadlock behind his shoulders as he sat forward and held out the phone.

"Haddock," Ruffnut's voice came through the speaker, "you idiot – this better not have been because of some lame make out session you had when we were 15. I swear to Thor – do you know how much tail you could pull if you'd move on?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't want to 'pull tail' – which really sounds more perverse than coming from a girl I might add—I want to do my report, study for a physics exam, then get to the stables to see my horse."

Tuffnut took the phone off speaker to finish up his conversation. "Rounding up bunnies sounds sexist, I wouldn't say it…yeah, I guess you could say it…'fluffing feathers' does sound hotter … Shouldn't we just tell him he could get other girls or set him up? ...Normal people do that... Yeah, useless…I'll see you at dinner…" He tossed the phone aside then went back to work.

Hiccup's fingers hovered over the keys as he stared at the Mac's bright screen. "I'm not hung up on some crush from almost 4 years ago…just so you know."

"Sure."

"This last thing wasn't going to work out…Lots of relationships don't work out – your parents, my parents-"

"Your parents are still married."

"Living in different countries, leading different lives. Only being together for show."

"OK."

"Speaking of, remember my dad's 50th is this Saturday night. Mom expects you and Ruff to be there."

"Sweet – I'm thinking Ruffnut and I will wear tuxes over t-shirts from obscure Norwegian Black Metal bands – good conversation starter, but not so interesting that people will want to talk to us too long. Plus, it pays homage to your people."

"Not sure 'Norwegian Black Metal' bands really represent my parents. They're practicing Lutherans…"

"You know, Hiccup, you should do more than 'practice' your religion if you're really committed - like actually play it."

"I think with religion practice and playing are the same…never mind. Can I do my work now?"

Hiccup tapped his desk and Tuffnut went back to work.

Hiccup tried to type a few more times before blurting out, "I do think of her! Because she disappeared—after we spent all those summers together, riding horse, sneaking out, joking around, doing what kids do, kissing in woods, almost confessing how we felt – How? How can I not?"

"OK."

"Every time I try to forget her. Every time I try to make it work with other girls. Similar girls. Different girls."

"Sure, you do," Tuffnut's voice lacked belief, and maybe attention.

"And, now I will. I won't spend another moment thinking about –"

"Don't say her name," Tuffnut ordered, "If you say her name you'll keep making it real. Look, H, you've already wasted enough time." His roommate finally looked up from his work and met his eyes, "Move on. It ended 4 years ago. For her and you."

"You see-"

"Hiccup," Tuffnut tossed his work down and stood up, " For the love of Loki! I will tackle you if you bring her up again. Do you want to spar with all this raw Viking? You humble pacifist? Do you?"

Hiccup shut up and returned to his work. This time, he decided, he really was going to forget her.

000

Haha! Poor Hiccup thinks he can move on – not a chance!

Thanks to all who Faved, Followed, and especially to those who reviewed. I apologize I was not able to get around to replying to the review this time around because of a busy schedule.

Response to guest review about the writing – I appreciate that. And thanks for the note about the "wooden"ness, I'll try to work on that. And, I'm not actually old enough to remember the song. I'd have to be in my 50's - maybe? Haha! I wouldn't know about it if it wasn't used in a movie and, well the internet helped me track it down. It is obscure, but I wanted something older that had a timeless feel. The problem with some modern or well-known songs is people already have a relationship with them and that might affect the way they feel about the story. That being said, many chapters will probably have better known and more recent songs. But I'm always looking for a forgotten hidden gem