Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians! Anyways, thank you for the enthusiasm and support on this story! So many fellow Canadians, HI! Sorry for not updating since Canada Day, since then I got a job, started university, and I... did stuff...

I am straying from the original order of the one shots that I posted at the beginning of the story, I'll finish Game Face and post it next. I'll alternate between writing J'Imagine and No Cannon Shall Sink This Ship, so between those two I might update sooner, but between school and work, yeah, might be a little while.

Another fun Canada fact before the story starts: the Canadian Mint made quarters for Remembrance Day with coloured poppies on it and when US officials came to Canada and got these quarters, they thought the coloured poppies were some kind of listening device. Also for Canada 150, the Canada Mint made a toonie that glows in the dark!

Okay! Onto the story!

3: Power of you and I

Hiccup as sitting on the couch, quietly reading a book, listening to music through headphones. Astrid smiled as she walked up to Hiccup without him noticing, too engrossed in his book and his music. She lifted off one side of his headphones and said, "Excusez-moi où est la sale de bain?"

Hiccup laughed and lowered the headphones to around his neck. "You know that you just asked me where the bathroom is, right?"

Astrid shrugged as she sat down beside him, holding her own book. "It's been four years since my last French class," Astrid said, sitting down beside him. "Don't blame me."

"Well," he said, "I think your French is sexy, mon brave."

With a smile, Astrid asked, "Mon brahve?" trying to mimic Hiccup's accent, "What does that mean?"

Blushing, Hiccup mumbled, "My brave."

"Oh..." Astrid settled down, using Hiccup's thighs as a pillow and lifting up her book.

"Wait, you don't like it or something?" Hiccup asked, pushing down her book so that he could see her.

"No, I like it," Astrid said. "But I like 'milady' better."

"That is contrary to the first time I called you that," Hiccup said, recalling how she punched him hard.

She shook her head. "I like it... mon brave."

Hiccup blushed and kissed her forehead. "And I like that too, milady."

Hiccup hummed happily, brushing back her hair with one hand, switching to Toothless when Toothless meowed in protest and clawed at his hand. He started humming a song softly, but a moment later, he sighed and stopped.

"Why are you stopping?" Astrid asked. "Your voice is nice."

Hiccup looked down at her with a smile. "I live for these moments," he said. "No nausea, no chemo, no pain..."

"No pain is probably from the millions of painkillers you're on right now."

Hiccup laughed and shook his head. "Minimal amount of painkillers," he corrected.

"Whatever you say."

Smiling, Hiccup continued, "I live for these moments when I feel... when I feel like I can actually win this."

"Win? Is this a game to you?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I'm fighting so hard for you and Dad, but maybe at times, I need to look at all of this that way to find something in myself to push even more."

Astrid smiled and relaxed against him. "Hiccup verses Cancer, what a game, ladies and gentlemen, game of the century. Who do you think is going to win?" she said in a mock announcer voice.

"This one game that I am not going to lose," Hiccup said firmly.

"And I believe you," Astrid said. "What's the score now?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I think they got the first point when I was diagnosed," he said. "I'm not sure when I'm going to get a goal."

"I know how you can even the score." Astrid reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.

Hiccup smiled into the kiss and tried to follow her as she pulled away. Astrid smiled at the action and gave him a quick peck. "I believe now that makes the score 1:1."

Hiccup opened his eyes. "Just because of you?"

"You get a point because I love you," Astrid said, bringing him down for another kiss.

Hiccup: 1. Cancer: 1.

...

Stoick woke up in the middle of the night to some strange sounds. Deciding to go investigate, Stoick opened the door to his bed room and saw the light in the bathroom on.

"Hiccup?" he called out, knocking on the door. "Are you decent in there?"

There was a small pause and a couple of sniffles before Hiccup called back, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm coming in."

"Wait! No!"

It was too late as Stoick pushed open the door. Hiccup was sitting on the ground and as Stoick entered the bathroom, Hiccup buried his face in his hands. "Dad, please, go away."

"What is wrong, Hiccup?" Stoick asked, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, Hiccup shook his head, not meeting Stoick's gaze.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" Stoick asked, checking over Hiccup's body for anything.

Hiccup pushed Stoick off. "It's nothing like that," he said quietly.

"Then what is it?"

Slowly Hiccup raised his hand to his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and chunks of brown hair fell out.

"Oh Hiccup," Stoick said, raising his hand to run a hand through his hair like he always did, but stopping himself before he did. "The doctors told you that this could happen."

"Yeah... but it doesn't seem real until now."

Stoick pressed a kiss against Hiccup's forehead. "I'm sure it does," he said. "Here, I'll help you wrap your head so that hair doesn't fall out while you're in bed, okay?"

Hiccup nodded slightly, allowing Stoick to help him up to his feet. As Stoick wrapped Hiccup's head in a cloth, Hiccup closed his eyes as his shoulders shook with sobs.

When Stoick finished, he turned Hiccup around and hugged him tightly. "It's going to be okay," he reassured him. "Don't worry about it."

Hiccup tried to nod, but tears rushed down his cheeks. Stoick tightened his grip, though mindful of not squishing his son. "Want to sleep in the big bed tonight?"

Silently, Hiccup nodded against Stoick's large body, allowing Stoick to bring him to his bedroom and help him under the covers. Stoick watched as Hiccup lay on his side, not closing his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Can't sleep?" Stoick asked as he settled down in his bed.

Hiccup grunted, giving a short shrug as he turned away to that side that used to be Valka's. "Could... you tell me about Mom?" he said, his voice so soft that Stoick could barely hear it.

Stoick smiled at the mention of his wife. "Oh, she was beautiful. She was the kindest woman, such a brave and kind woman."

"I miss her, Dad," Hiccup mumbled, his voice tight with emotion.

"I know. I do too."

..

The next morning, Hiccup sat on the stool in the bathroom as Stoick shaved off the rest of his hair. As locks of hair fell down around him, Hiccup kept his eyes fixed firmly on his hands, trying to avoid looking at his falling hair.

"There we go," Stoick said, putting down the razor and taking off the cloth around Hiccup's shoulders. "All done."

Hiccup raised his eyes to look at his reflection in the mirror. For a moment, he studied his reflection, eyes blood shot from crying and head now shinny and hairless.

"I look ridiculous," Hiccup said softly.

"Hiccup," Stoick reprimanded.

He stood up without looking at Stoick. "Thanks, Dad," he said hollowly. Hiccup cast one more look at the mirror, a deep tugging at his gut hating the reflection. "Hiccup: 1. Cancer: 2," he mumbled.

"What's that?" Stoick asked.

"Nothing," Hiccup said louder. "Call me when supper's ready."

Stoick watched sadly as Hiccup limped into his room, his heart breaking for his child. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he hurried to his phone, dialing a number.

..

"Hiccup! Supper's ready!"

Hiccup sighed and lifted the pillow high enough off his head to yell out, "I'm not hungry!"

"Hiccup! Come down for supper!"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll eat later."

"Harold Haddock. Come down for supper. Now!"

Wincing at his full name, Hiccup dragged himself up and put his Canadiens bunnyhug, hitching up the hood to cover his head, but as he entered the kitchen, he stopped, completely stunned.

Astrid was sitting at the kitchen table, her hair completely shaved. As she saw him come into the kitchen, she smiled and stood up to greet him. "What do you think?"

"Y-you-your h-hair," Hiccup stammered, his hand lifting to her head. "What happened?"

"Your father called me and told me what happened," Astrid said, running her hands over his head. "I wanted to show support."

Hiccup turned pink and looked over at his dad who was beaming happily. "Dad..."

Stoick smiled and placed his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "If you think you look ridiculous, what do you think I would look like?"

"Dad?"

Stoick chuckled and handed Hiccup a razor. "It's my turn."

Hiccup looked between the razor in his hand to his dad. "What?"

"I just did yours, you can do mine." Stoick sat down in a chair in front of Hiccup. "I think I would like to keep the beard though, it is Movember after all," Stoick said, stroking his beard. "Other than that, go ahead."

Hiccup smiled uncertainly before putting the razor to Stoick's head. At first, Hiccup was tense, unsure if this was a dream, but then half way through, Hiccup relaxed and laughed, smiling freely as Stoick and Astrid talked and joked with him as he shaved off the rest of Stoick's hair.

"Done," Hiccup said, putting down the razor.

"Thank you, son," Stoick said as he stood up, some of his joints popping. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, mockingly doing a pose for the two teenagers.

Astrid and Hiccup laughed as Stoick scooped them into his arms. "We must look like quite the sight," he said, running his hand over Hiccup's head.

Hiccup smiled at his dad. "Thanks, Dad."

Hiccup: 2. Cancer: 2.

...

"I'm going. I'm going," Hiccup insisted. "I'm not going to miss this."

Astrid sighed, patting Hiccup's back. It was just a hour before their Winter Formal, a dance for the seniors at the school. Hiccup had just had a round of chemo the day before. He had assured Astrid over and over again that he would be going, but now he was crippled by waves of nausea. He couldn't get off the floor without vomiting again. They had been sitting in the bathroom for twenty minutes, Hiccup insisting that he was okay, Astrid arguing that he wasn't, and Toothless sitting patiently in Hiccup's lap as he bent over the toilet, waiting for the nausea to fade. "Babe, you're puking. You aren't going."

Hiccup shook his head, hanging his head over the toilet. "Astrid, it's our Winter Formal. I'm going."

"Hiccup," Astrid said, seizing Hiccup's chin to make him look at her. Ignoring the smell of vomit on his breath, she sternly said, "You're staying at home."

Tears filled Hiccup's eyes and he whimpered. "I'm not going to let the cancer control my whole life. I am going to this dance."

Astrid held out her hands as Hiccup tried to stand up again, ready to catch him when he fell, which he did a second later, lurching forward and vomiting whatever he could into the toilet again.

"Hiccup, you aren't going." The two turned around to find Stoick blocking the door. "You clearly aren't feeling well."

"Dad," Hiccup complained. "Please..."

"No, Hiccup."

"Fine," Hiccup breathed in defeat. "I won't go."

Stoick gave a sympathetic smile. "I'll go get you Gatorade," he said. "Try to get to your bed, okay?"

Hiccup nodded slowly as Stoick left to the kitchen. "Astrid," he said quietly. "Go to the dance."

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Go to Formal," he said, finally raising his eyes to meet her eyes. "I don't want you to miss it because of me."

"I'm not going to leave you when you're feeling this bad," Astrid said.

"No," Hiccup said. "Just go. You only get one winter formal and you've worked so hard during high school not to go."

"You've worked hard too, don't you deserve to go?"

Hiccup laughed and pushed her. "Just go. Don't worry about me. I have Toothless," he said, lifting up his cat.

Astrid laughed and kissed his forehead, grimacing at the sweat on his brow. "Take a shower."

"Okay," he said with a smile. "Go. Have fun."

"I'll be back after the dance, okay?"

"Take your time," Hiccup said, waving her away.

She stood up and looked back before she left the bath room.

Hiccup looked so small and pale curled up on the bathroom floor. Stoick came into the bathroom, nodding to Astrid. "I'll take care of him."

Astrid nodded and left the house without her date to the Formal.

Cancer won this match.

Hiccup: 2. Cancer: 3.

..

"Want to dance?"

At the dance, Astrid was standing on the side of the dance floor when Snotlout came up to her and offered a dance. Astrid wrinkled her nose at Snotlout. "You know I'm dating your cousin, right?"

"Yeah, of course," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not trying to hit on you. You just look so sulky without that stick of a boyfriend. I thought I would offer."

She smiled and nodded, allowing Snotlout to lead her out onto the floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders as he held her waist, a respectful distance between them.

"I'm sorry that Hiccup couldn't make it," Snotlout said, sincerity in his voice. "I know how much Hiccup was looking forward to this."

"Yeah," Astrid said, looking down at the ground. "It was too bad that he had chemo."

They danced in silence for a little while, Astrid staring at a spot over his head, imagining Hiccup there instead.

"So... I'm a pretty good date, aren't I?" Snotlout said.

"Oh shut up, Jorgenson," Astrid said, looking back at him. "I'll very much rather be dancing with Hiccup."

Snotlout smiled and said, "Then turn around."

She glanced over her shoulder and gasped in surprise. Hiccup was limping into the gym, holding a carnation in one hand. He still looked a bit pale and his clothes were a bit ruffled, but it was him.

"Hiccup!" Not caring that she knocked over a couple of other people as she rushed through the crowd, she threw her arms around Hiccup. He grunted in surprise, trying to catch his balance, but falling down flat on his back. He was laughing as Astrid planted a kiss on his lips before hugging him fiercely. "You're here! You came!"

Hiccup returned her embrace just as tightly. "Of course I came," he said. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

..

As the dance ended, Hiccup helped Astrid into her jacket before struggling with his own. She smiled and helped him put on his jacket.

"You heading home?" Astrid asked as she straightened the collar of his jacket.

"Let's not go home right now," Hiccup said. "and don't worry, I will tell you when I feel too sick."

"Okay, where do you want to go?" Astrid asked.

A hour later, they were sitting in a Tim Horton's with their usual orders. With a box of Timbits, they had their drinks, Hiccup had a hot chocolate while Astrid had a double-double.

"What did you win?" Hiccup asked as Astrid pulled up the rim with her teeth.

"'Please play again'," Astrid said, putting the cup back on the table. "What about you?"

Hiccup smiled smugly, holding up his cup. "It's a win. Free coffee," he said, ripping off the lip of the cup. He stopped for a moment before holding it out to Astrid. "Here, you have it."

Astrid smiled as she took it. "You know, ordinary boys give their girlfriends things like flowers or jewelry instead a free coffee that they won from Roll Up the Rim."

"Well, milady, we're much different than ordinary boys and girlfriends," Hiccup said, selecting a jelly filled Timbit out of the box.

"Yes, we are," Astrid agreed, stealing the Timbit from him.

Hiccup: 3. Cancer: 3.

...

"Ready?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup smiled and took her hand. "Yeah, of course."

They were getting ready for the Terry Fox run, the annual event to raise money for cancer research in honour of Terry Fox, a Canadian hero, who tried to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research on one leg. For the first time in a little while, Hiccup wore shorts, showing off his prosthetic leg as if the same as Terry Fox's.

"Oh, your shoe is untied," Astrid said and bent down to tie his shoe for him. Hiccup smiled at the top of her head affectionately and the dreamy smile didn't leave his face as she stood up.

"What is it?"

Hiccup shook his head and pressed a quick kiss on her forehead. "You're beautiful," he said simply.

Astrid smiled and returned his kiss quickly. "Come on, let's go."

Hiccup and Astrid lined up at the starting line. It was a quick route down through downtown and down the river.

Tweet!

A whistle blew and slowly, the crowd started to move forward, some running, some walking.

"Wouldn't it be cool to go see Mile 0?" Astrid said as they started off at a slow jog for Astrid and a quick pace for Hiccup.

"I've been to Mile 0 many times," Hiccup commented.

"Really?" Astrid said. "Oh right, you Newfie."

Hiccup smiled. "I'll take you there someday then," he decided. "We can go to the Mile 0 landmark and L'Anse aux Meadows too."

"To see the Vikings?" Astrid said with a teasing smile.

"Of course!" Hiccup said. "And while we're there, I can dip my leg in the Atlantic, just like Terry Fox did."

"He did that at the beginning of his marathon," Astrid pointed out.

"Yeah because when we go, it'll be the beginning of our marathon, our adventure together."

Astrid smiled. "You are such a weird romantic."

"I'll add that to my Tinder profile."

Astrid snorted and pushed him away, sprinting off before he could recover.

"Hey! This is no fair!" Hiccup yelled after her, limping unevenly after her.

Astrid did slow down and the two of them finished the run together. The end of the run was at the park by the river where the bank of the river slopped down gently to meet the river.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned around and saw his seven foot father coming through the crowd quite easily. "Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you were at work."

Stoick was beaming as he handed Hiccup an envelope. "This is from your doctor."

Hiccup took the envelope, looking between his dad and Astrid. He scanned over the words on the paper, his eyes settling on words near the bottom. "Oh god..."

His legs gave out from underneath him and Astrid caught him on the way down. He wasn't sure if he was laughing or if he was crying, a strange combination of a desperate laugh and a cry, he looked up from Astrid's arms to look at Stoick, his eyes filled with tears as he said shakily, "Is this true? Is this real?"

Stoick smiled, tears in his own eyes, and nodded. "Of course it is, you're officially in remission."

Hiccup could never again describe the feeling that flooded him. All of his happiness concentrated into a warm ball expanding his chest, filling his skinny frame until he couldn't hold it in. He burst into tears again, burying his face into Astrid's shoulder, crying happily. His father knelt down beside him, rubbing his back. "It's over, Hiccup," he said. "It's all over."

Hiccup laughing, tears still pouring down his cheeks.

He stood on shaky legs, Stoick and Astrid beside him. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the sky and smiled. He let out a wordless scream of joy, running down to the edge of the river. "YOU THOUGHT YOU BEAT ME? NO!" he yelled to the sky. He wasn't sure who he was yelling to, he didn't believe in a god, but in all games, there are winners and losers, and in that moment, Hiccup was sure that he won. He needed his opponent to know that he won. "I'M STILL STANDING! I'M IN REMISSION! YOU HEAR ME! YOU LOST! I WIN!" Hiccup paused for a moment to catch his breath before yelling again, "I WON!"

Astrid was smiling as she approached him, joining him ankle deep in the river. "It's over."

"It's over," Hiccup repeated. He lifted Astrid up and Astrid laughed as he swung her around in a circle, but he underestimated the momentum and they crashed into the shallow water. Astrid laughed and tried to push herself off of him, but Hiccup held her close and placed a sound kiss on her lips.

"It's over," he whispered, resting his head on the ground. "It's over. It's really over. I won."

...

Five years later, in early April, the snow hadn't all melted yet, but the warm winds had blown in. Hiccup was sitting on the bench beside where he used to have a hockey rink in the winter.

Astrid approached him and stopped in front of him, kneeling down so that she could be in his line of view. "Hey, babe, how are you holding up?"

Hiccup opened his eyes and immediately tears filled his eyes as he saw her, mirrored by tears in her eyes as well. He took her hands and whispered, "I love you, Astrid. I love you so much."

Astrid laughed shakily and brought his hand up to her lips to kiss his knuckles. "It's going to be okay, Hiccup," she said.

"No, it's not," Hiccup said. "They said... the doctor said..."

He couldn't finish his sentence as the doctor's voice echoed in his ears. "I'm sorry, Harold, the cancer is terminal. There's nothing that we can do this time."

Even though his cancer had been in remission for years, recently, Hiccup had chest pains. The other day, Hiccup while home alone had so severe chest pains that he collapsed. When Astrid came home to find him unable to move and barely breathing, she rushed him to the hospital where the doctors had diagnosed him: terminal lung cancer.

Hiccup let out a quiet sob and Astrid quickly hushed him, moving to sit on the bench beside him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, letting him cry into her chest until he was all cried out.

Finally, his emotions steadied and looking up, Hiccup tried to smile at Astrid, though tears filled his eyes again. "I was going to ask you to marry me," he whispered. "We were supposed to start our life together."

Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth moved wordlessly as she tried to find something to say. After a moment, she asked, "Are you still asking me to marry you?"

Hiccup shook his head. "It'll be unfair to you to marry a dying person. All I want to know... if I had asked... if I wasn't dying... would you have said yes?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. "How would you have asked?"

Picking at the knees of his jeans, Hiccup mumbled, "It was stupid... maybe it was better that it didn't happen."

"Come on, Hiccup, just tell me," Astrid said. "Anything you come up with is always amazing."

Quickly, Hiccup tried to brush away tears and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "After wowing you with dinner and the evening out, I was going to take you home and I planned to dance with you and wait for a good moment to ask you."

"Dance to which song?"

Hiccup hesitated for a moment before pulling out his phone and started playing a playlist. "All of these songs are songs that makes me think of you," he said, his cheeks turning bright red in embarrassment.

Astrid smiled, taking the phone from his hand and starting the music, and helped him up to his feet.

"Astrid, what are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Dancing with you," Astrid said, placing her hands around Hiccup's neck. "Just like you wanted."

Hiccup smiled and wrapped both arms around her, holding her tightly as they swayed to the music together. Astrid smiled and rested her cheek against Hiccup's chest, swaying with him to the music. "Just so you know... if you would had asked, I would've said yes."

Hiccup tucked Astrid under his chin, holding her close to his chest. "I know," he whispered, closing his eyes. "Thank you."

...

Cancer may have won, but everything Hiccup did, and everyone Hiccup loved claimed Hiccup as the real victor of Life's game.

Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions on what you want to happen, more Tim's runs, more hockey games, or anything, please feel free to request it!

And just wondering, how many people know Terry Fox? As a Canadian I learned all about him as I grew up, and then I saw a post on tumblr asking if httyd was the first place people learned what a prosthetic was, and bc Terry Fox was a constant hero I learned about I knew about prosthetics way before httyd, so I'm just wondering if people know about Terry Fox. Tell me in review!

Thank you! Please review if you can!

Happy Thanksgiving!