I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

Unappetizing Meal

When Hiccup did not show up for breakfast, Astrid grabbed a muffin and jogged to his house, hoping that Stoick hadn't shipped him off for the little stunt that they had pulled yesterday.

The blonde climbed the grassy slope that led to the Haddock household and rapped on the wooden door (a practice that she was not accustomed to). A few seconds later the door creaked open and a pair of cautious green eyes glanced through the small crack.

"Hey, Hiccup." Astrid put on her sweetest smile and thrust out the muffin. "I brought you some breakfast."

"This is a very poor apology in comparison to what you made me do." Hiccup said flatly. But he accepted the muffin anyway.

"Well, you did agree to it." Astrid pointed out. "Even if I used...some persuasion."

"Not the word I was thinking of, but alright."

"Aw, Hiccup, I said I was sorry." Astrid pouted slightly.

Hiccup sighed heavily and opened the door completely. "I know, I know. I accept your apology and promise not to make you feel guilty every time I recall the horrid experience of me wearing a dress in front of the entire village."

"Fishlegs can share your pain." Astrid grinned and pecked the boy on the cheek. "How did your dad take it?"

"I managed to convince Gobber to help me lug my dad home. We put him in bed and when he came to and started yelling at me I told him that he must have been dreaming." Hiccup grimaced. "Let's see how long that excuse holds up."

"What did Gobber say?"

"He couldn't stop laughing."

"Is Toothless mad?"

"Nah. Just confused. I can't say I blame him."

Astrid sighed with relief. "Good to know everything worked out."

"Wouldn't take it that far." Hiccup arched an eyebrow. "There are plenty of other Vikings that witnessed the whole ordeal with their own eyes. I will never hear the end of it and my dad will probably realize sooner or later that what he saw wasn't a dream."

"You're quite the optimist, aren't you?" Astrid quipped. She leaned against the doorframe and smiled mischievously. "But I think I have the cure for your moodiness."

"I can't wait to hear this." Hiccup crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"It's my turn to dare someone. I was thinking of daring Tuffnut and decided to run my dare by you to see if it meets your approval."

"You need my approval because...?"

"I thought that if the dare was appropriately humiliating, you wouldn't feel so bad about what you had to do to help me with my dare." Astrid explained.

"Ah. Fire away."

"I was thinking of daring Tuffnut to eat one of his father's boots."

Hiccup blinked. He stared at the blonde for a moment before a smirk crossed his face. "Yeah. That would actually make me feel appreciative of what I was forced to do for you."

"Then I guess I better get going." Astrid grinned widely. "I have a lunch special to deliver to Tuffnut and I'd hate to be late."

Hiccup waved as Astrid took off towards the Thorston household. The boy shook his head and closed the door. "What have I gotten myself into?" He mused.

...

Lunch rolled around and the group had gathered at their usual table in the Great Hall. Tuffnut ate his bread and fish, unaware of the horror he was about to experience. Hiccup sat across from the boy and was failing to hide his smile.

"What are you so happy about?" Snotlout demanded.

"I know who Astrid is going to dare next." Hiccup answered simply.

Everyone froze and stared at Hiccup with wide eyes. "Who is it?" Fishlegs asked fearfully.

"It's not you, big guy." Hiccup assured and Fishlegs let out a sigh of relief.

"It can't be me. There are no dare-backs." Ruffnut crossed her arms. "And it's obviously not gonna be Hiccup. So it's one of you two dorks."

Tuffnut and Snotlout exchanged weary looks. They knew exactly what the blonde was capable of and they knew she wouldn't hold back in giving the most gruesome dare imaginable.

The girl of their thoughts chose that moment to saunter into the hall. She kept one hand firmly behind her back as she approached the table her friends were sitting at. "Hey, guys."

"Who is it?" Snotlout asked bluntly, not wanting to waste time fretting over what he would possibly be forced to do.

"Tuffnut." Astrid admitted and smirked. She dropped a boot on the table and immediately the kids covered their noses from the awful stench.

"Ugh! It's the smelly one too!" Ruffnut gagged.

"The smelly one?" Hiccup asked nasally, his fingers pinching his nose.

"Yeah. One boot is smellier than the other, if that makes sense." Ruffnut eyed the footwear curiously. "What does Tuff have to do with this?"

"Tuffnut, I dare you to eat this boot."

"Oh, thank Thor it's not me." Snotlout muttered.

"Well, if Tuff refuses the dare, then it gets passed down to you." Astrid crossed her arms and eyed the boy expectantly. "Well?"

Tuffnut stared at the boot in horror. He glanced at Snotlout, who glowered. "Don't even think about it, man."

The male Thorston swallowed thickly and reluctantly pulled the boot over to him. "You better look out," he growled before squeezing his eyes shut and biting into the mouldy, stained leather.

The kids watched in horrified fascination as Tuffnut gagged the fabric of the boot down. Eventually, only a few mangled pieces were left on the wooden tabletop. Tuffnut pressed his hands over his mouth and his cheeks bulged.

"You're turning green." Fishlegs observed.

Astrid laughed. "Duh. He just ate a boot."

"That was the single most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life." Snotlout muttered, holding his stomach.

"It was awesome." Ruffnut agreed.

Tuffnut could no longer hold down the bile and he leaned over the tabletop, throwing up most of the contents of his stomach. Cries of disgust rang across the hall, and Hiccup had a feeling they would be doing the same thing as Tuffnut if they knew what had occurred. He was close to throwing up himself.

"I'm getting out of here." Fishlegs muttered. "You're all insane."

"I'm with you, bro." Snotlout quickly followed Fishlegs out of the hall.

Ruffnut burst into laughter at her brother's misery and Hiccup glanced at Astrid. "That was nasty."

"Yeah." Astrid sighed. "I was hoping he would have passed on the dare. That way Snotlout could have eaten it and Tuffnut would be that close to losing."

The doors to the Great Hall swung open and Thorgerd Thorston hobbled in, balancing one on foot. He glared heatedly around the hall, not noticing his sick son. "Alright. Who's the joker that stole one of my boots?"

Dare suggested by snake screamer :)

Next chapter: In which Tuffnut dares Snotlout.