Ehe...hi guys...
I feel TERRIBLE for not updating sooner, but I do sort of have a reason. This chapter's been mostly done for a long time, but it was INCREDIBLY short, so I really didn't want to post it until I was sure it was finished (I actually wrote up a lot of it right before I posted this chapter.) I also kind of wanted to wait until I had at least started the next chapter, but I've had basically no ideas for it...

The other reason is my phone broke pretty badly. Well, I had one phone that basically had the battery die, then I got a new one, started typing up the chapter, and then the screen shattered, making it basically impossible to write properly. So finally FINALLY I have a new screen, some free time, and a finished chapter, along with many many apologies from me and the hope that you will enjoy it.

Also if you guys have literally any suggestions at all for the next chapter, they will be incredibly appreciated, because all I've got at the moment is a tiny pinch of an idea, if that, so pleasepleaseplease, any and all suggestions will be given consideration.

But for now, please enjoy!

After a little bit of coaxing, Toothless finally managed to convince Hiccup to ride on his back, making sure he was comfortably settled before picking up his crutches and walking over to the rest of the performers.

They all stood up to greet him but Toothless shook his head, giving them a look that indicated that they should stay back. He turned around and bent his knees, sinking down enough that Hiccup could slip off his back slowly, landing on one of the plush mats.

Toothless sank down into it next to him, setting the crutches down on the floor and getting comfortable, readily accepting the calloused fingers that slipped in between his own, smiling as he gave them a light squeeze in return.

Light conversation began around them again, ranging from questions about what the hospital had been like, to how long it'd be til Hiccup was healed enough to return to the stage, to how Toothless was feeling about all of this, as he'd been in a rather stormy mood ever since Hiccup had gotten injured, and they were all kind of afraid to go near him when he was like that. (Which Snotlout rather exuberantly denied.)

Hiccup tried his best to field all the questions being thrown at him, over-dramatizing some of the details to appease the easily bored Thorston twins. He was finally able to take a break when Astrid leaned down from the ledge she'd been listening on and asked if it was okay if they signed his cast.

All of them dug in their costume pockets after he agreed, searching for a pen of some sort, groaning when no one could find any. There was a loud clattering noise and they looked over to see Fishlegs setting his backpack to the side, a mess of character sheets and a variety of multicolored pens and pencils now laying on the hard floor. He rummaged through the pile a bit, gathering up sharpies and other such pens, handing out ones he thought fit each of them.

The twins shoved at each other, both trying to sign it first, ending up jostling the other's hands, leaving trailed off squiggles in their wake. After they were all done, and all the pens had been returned to Fishlegs, Hiccup surveyed what they'd written, holding in a laugh when he saw the twins handiwork, looking less like their names and more like the beginning of a letter followed by someone being shoved off a ledge at high speed.

Astrid piped up again, having returned to where she had been sitting earlier.

"So what are you going to do around here until you're completely healed? Your dad seemed…I dunno…just a biiit reluctant to have you walking around."

Hiccup let out a sigh, still mentally going over that exact question from earlier.

"Probably help him look after expenses, to be honest. Half of the star act of the show and I've been reduced to finances, can you believe it?"

She gave him an apologetic shrug, accompanied by a sheepish smile.

"Hey, least you can swing by and visit, right? And when you get fully back on your feet, we'll all be here to help make sure you're back at the top of your game, right guys?"

There was a general agreement around the crowd and before long it all sank back into casual chatter, to which Hiccup responded by resting his head on Toothless's shoulder, quietly observing the others, responding only when directly spoken to.

Here's hoping the recovery went quickly.