"Hiccup, are ya alright?"
Gobber walks into the room with a tray. On it is a cup of hot tea and his famous 'Meat Gobber Stew' as Hiccup sometimes calls it. Hiccup can only grip on the blanket tighter. "Hiccup, cheer up. At least now that lad loves ya."
"No he doesn't." Hiccup mutters under the blanket.
"Oh yes he did. He said so himself to you, didn't he?"
"He must have meant as a family or brother..."
"Hiccup-"
"Why didn't you tell me…?" Hiccup says softly but painfully, his chest tightening. Gobber didn't say for a moment. This causes Hiccup to remove the blanket on him and face his uncle with an enraged look. "Why, Gobber?! Why didn't you tell me about having amnesia?!"
Gobber backs away a bit, not because of Hiccup's outburst (Thank Thor the child didn't inherited his father's loud voice) but because of the sudden disaster on his nephew's face.
Streaks of dry tears is visible under the light of Hiccup's room on his cheeks with his eyes red and puffy and a dark pair of shadows appear under his eyes, showing the lack of sleep he's gotten. He has been crying. For the past 2 nights.
Hiccup didn't know how to respond to Toothless's confession and because of that, he excused himself and ran out of the Night Fury household and called Gobber to bring him home early. When his uncle did pick him up…well, it was a shocking turn of events.
Gobber curses inwardly for making his nephew cry as much as the day when the poor boy face the first day of camp, which involves being taunted, teased or beaten up on rare occasion.
"I wanted to tell you, Hiccup…But…there's something you don't have to know."
"What?! What is there to not know?!" Hiccup shouts angrily at his uncle, feeling new tears at the corner of his eyes.
Gobber looks away for a moment, unsure what to say next.
"A lot of things, Hiccup."
Gobber and Hiccup turn to the door, facing Stoick himself.
"Stoick!"
"D-Dad!" Hiccup pales. Had he been listening?
"It's alright. I already know about the cross-dressing fact…" Hiccup flinches at that. He squeezes his eyes tightly, waiting for the speech of disappointment and shame. "Hiccup."
His voice made Hiccup wince and the child slowly open his eyes. He looks at his father and about to open his mouth when Stoick speaks first.
"I'm not angry, Hiccup." This causes a gawking look from Gobber and Hiccup.
"Yer not?"
"You aren't?"
"I'm not." Stoick takes out a nearby chair and sits by Hiccup's bed. He breathes in before letting it out. "I had expected it since the day you were born."
"How-"
"The previous Hiccups have done this sort of thing before, along with some of our family members." Hiccup blushes brightly at the small fact. Stoick sighs softly. "But you remind me of your mother when you were wearing those girl clothes…"
"Why…Why didn't you tell me you knew till now?" Stoick hesitates for a moment. Before long, he turns to look at Hiccup right in the eyes.
"Because I knew if I told you that, it would also mean I knew about Toothless and that I will only be in the way. And seeing how you knew you have amnesia…It's time I told you the truth."
Hiccup grips on his blanket and ask in a low, shaky voice. "Wha…What happened to me, Dad?"
Stoick shakes his head. "I only know about the small details, Hiccup…I can't help you get your memories. The only one who can tell you is the people who were there. Including you." He softly pats Hiccup's knee. "Now get some sleep. I'll let you get off of school for today, seeing how tired you are."
"But-"
"No buts, Hiccup." Stoick stands up and walks to the door. "Take this time to relax and think about what you will do tomorrow."
"He's right, you know?" Gobber pats Hiccup on the head. "Sleep tight and don't let the beetles bite!"
Hiccup almost smiles at that small nursery rhyme and nods lightly. "Alright…Thanks, Gobber…Dad…I'm sorry for the outburst…"
"Ah, don't worry about it. It was to be expected." Gobber flashes his signature grin and heads to the door, walking out of the room with Stoick. Hiccup lies on his bed and sighs, staring at his ceiling. But before he knew it, his eyes slowly close into deep slumber in a matter of seconds, showing him a dream…
A dream to his memories.
A young brunette walked towards a park, an excited grin on his face.
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna tell him how I feel."
Hiccup thought with a blush on his face and a paper in his hand. On that paper was written in a beautiful handwriting with a poem.
A love poem.
"There he is!"
Hiccup thought with his heart skipping a beat, his eyes aiming at a young, black haired child with toxic green eyes.
He's gonna tell him. Today is the day, he thought to himself.
Until a large hand took his paper.
"Huh?" Hiccup looked confused before his eyes widen and he turned around, looking at the bully he met when he first saved Toothless. The evil grin, the hideous glint in his eyes and the dark shadow surrounding his aura.
Not good.
"G-Give that back!" Hiccup reached out for the paper and tried to grab it but the bully was far too big and tall and the bully with his friend laughed at the sight.
"Or what? You gonna cry, little baby? Let's see what we have here."
"DON'T!"
But the bully read it. He raised a brow before his eyes widen and then he reread it over and over again. His friend follow suit before they looked at Hiccup with disgust.
"Oh god!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Dude, you're sick! You're gay and that's just plain gross! I bet your crush is gonna run away from you for sure! He'll hate you!"
The three bullies laughed scornfully while Hiccup stood there, his face shocked and fear. What if they're right? What if Toothless isn't homosexual?
What if his best friend hates him?
"Hiccup!" He heard the voice of his crush and turned to him, tears filling up his eyes, his heart squeezing in a tight, painful grip.
He couldn't face him. Not now.
"HICCUP!"
"HEY! GET THAT BRAT!"
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
Hiccup ran as he heard Toothless fighting the bully, crying out for Hiccup. He knew Toothless can handle a fight, he never lost to them. But his little heart pound in fear as he hear the harsh footsteps of one of the bullies.
His legs ran. Ran and ran as he did so, with tears falling at the corner of his eyes. Before he knew it, he's out on the road and the sound of honking brought him to reality, making him look at the incoming car.
"HICCUP!"
Hiccup looked at his best friend one more time, looking at the fear and horror in his eyes.
Shriekkkkkk!
Something hit him. He knew. It was the car. He landed on the cold floor with blood flowing under him. He heard his name crying out and a pair of warm arms wrapping around him. He used every ounce of energy to look up and saw Toothless's horrified face, cradling him like Hiccup is a treasure.
"Hiccup…Hiccup, don't close those eyes…Don't closethem, damn it! Look at me! You're gonna be alright!" Toothless looked at the surrounding people. "SOMEONE, CALL THE AMBULANCE!" He turned back to Hiccup, raising a hand to Hiccup's cheek. "You're gonna be okay. You'll be alright. Hiccup, stay strong. Stay strong…Hiccup…"
His voice was fading…Hiccup knew he's losing consciousness…
"Hiccup? Hiccup, don't close your eyes! Don't! Don't you close them! Hiccup!? Hiccup!"
Something wet hit Hiccup's cheek. Tears. He looked at Toothless's face as his defenses cracked and out came the broken, crying Toothless.
That was the last time he ever saw him.
Hiccup gasps as he sits up, awaken in the middle of the night. His body is shaking with his hands trembling from the shock of his dream.
His memory.
"Too…Toothless…" A drop of his tears land on his blanket before more follows. Hiccup covers his face, crying into his hands. He couldn't get Toothless's pained, crying face out of his head. He had hurt him. Painfully. All because of his selfish need to run away.
This has to stop. He has to stop running away before anyone else gets hurt.
And before Toothless gets hurt even more.
After wiping away his tears and calming himself down, Hiccup raises his head and gets himself off of bed. He looks at himself in the mirror with a slightly shaky but still bold stance and looks at his reflection.
The reflection seems different in his eyes now. Instead of a half-Hiccup, half-Hicca…there stands only Hiccup, no Hicca, no missing pieces…
Only Hiccup. The real Hiccup.
With a determine stare and a new feeling of confidence, Hiccup turns around and quickly prepare for school tomorrow.
~The Next Day, with Toothless~
"Hey, Toothless, are you-"
"Leave me alone." Toothless mutters darkly, glaring at a girl who tried to seduce him in the canteen. The girl shrinks in fear and quickly run to her group. Snotlout moves away from Toothless and gulps.
"H-Hey, you should really calm down-"
"Calm down?" Toothless glares at Snotlout, making the poor boy almost wet his pants. "How the fuck do you want me to calm down after what happened?! My own lover hates me! This is why I don't want to tell anyone about my secret!"
"Toothless…" Astrid places a hand on his shoulder but quickly removes it when she receives a glare. "Hicca isn't like that-"
"You can never know!" Toothless grips on his soda can, sending daggers to it. "She hates me…I know for sure." He drinks the remaining liquid in his can before getting up, the anger written all over his face. "I'm getting another soda."
"Toothless-!" But the boy didn't listen. He stomps his way to the vending machine in one of the school floors but outside the canteen, flocks of girls starts tackling him with gifts and begs.
"Toothless, go out with me!"
"No, me! I'm better than that what's-her-name!"
"No no! I'm the best! Pick me!"
Toothless clenches his fist. Of all times to be annoying, why now?
"Hey, who's that?" Toothless notices a guy whispering to another guy.
"I don't know…Wait, that girl seems familiar…"
"Hold on…Are you sure that's a girl?"
"Well, she has to be right? Wait…Oh god!"
Toothless's eyes widen and he rushes out of the group of fans, trying to get a view of who this girl is.
The sight of her blew him away.
Walking towards him is a brunette with unimaginable beauty. A white headband with a lily on it is place on her beautiful, shoulder-length, brown hair, matching with her light green top that says 'Keep Calm and Don't Judge' and slightly dark blue jeans with a pair of white, flat heels. On her face are freckles and a determine face fit for a queen.
It's his beloved coming towards him.
"Hic-!" But Hiccup made no room for him to talk. He grabs the dark blue tie around Toothless and pulls him into a deep kiss, getting everyone's attention.
The fans gasp, the girls shriek, the boys gawk and the whole population whisper. Toothless blushes a bit but before he can respond to the kiss, Hiccup pulls away.
Toothless looks at her with a slightly parted mouth and slightly red cheeks, shock by the bold move. Hiccup releases his grip on the tie and raises his left arm.
On his left wrist is a white and black pearl bracelet and Toothless's heart pounds at the sight of it.
That bracelet…!
"It's the friendship bracelet you gave me…On the day before the accident."
Toothless cradles his hand and caress his bracelet, the look of awe still on his face.
"You…You…" Toothless looks up and stares at Hiccup.
"I'm Hicca…But my real name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. And…I'm gay." Toothless was about to speak but Hiccup cuts him off. "Please hear me out…I know I have been a jerk for lying to you about my gender and my true identity but I can tell you for sure that I really, truly am in love of you. But you never noticed me. Not once. And it hurts." Hiccup closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "So I want you to know the truth about Hicca…and make sure you notice Hiccup now. I'm tired of running away like that day of the incident. I'm tired of running away from my fears of being rejected but most importantly…" Hiccup opens my eyes, a determine glint in his eyes. "I'm tired of hiding behind an image to get your affection…"
"Hic…You…You remember everything?"
"Yeah…everything. I'm sorry for hurting your feelings by lying to you. And even though it disgusts you, the truth is I love you. I have always loved you, ever since we first met. And I mean when we were kids…And I still do, even now. I understand if you hate me…I just…want to tell my true feelings and face you head-on." Hiccup turns around half way, looking at Toothless over his shoulder. "I hope you can forgive me for being a fake. Goodbye, Toothless…" Hiccup turns around to face the opposite direction of Toothless and starts walking.
Who knew telling the truth can be so hurtful…?
As Hiccup walks farther and farther, Toothless snaps out of his daze.
"Hiccup…"
Hiccup closes his eyes and continues to walk. Don't look back. Don't look back.
"Hiccup."
The sound of footsteps walking towards him almost made him want to run.
"Hiccup…Hiccup, wait!"
"I can't wait…If I do, I won't be able to handle your face of horror…"
"I love you even before you were Hicca!"
Hiccup stops in his tracks, froze by what he just said…
"Hiccup, I already knew you're Hicca…even on that day when I scared you while I was finding Hircules."
Hiccup didn't move as he processes the truth into his brain. He found his nerves and slowly turns around to face toxic green eyes, full of pain and worry.
And before long…Hiccup found the sensation to move his lips.
"W-W…What?"