A/N: I have put flashbacks in italics to make it clear that an incident happens in the past

Bromance on the Edge

Hiccup shivered while sitting on a splintery wooden chest.

"I found an old blanket in one of the other crates for you." Tuffnut threw it over Hiccup then positioned himself behind him on, so they sat back to back leaning against each other.

Toothless had calmed down and returned to his post at the bow, while the Hooligan ship drifted further away from the Brawler's. In the distance, iron-gray clouds streaked heavily on the horizon, hinting of a storm further out over the choppy ocean.

"Nice rescue, Chief," Tuffnut complimented.

"I'm not mad at you. You don't need to suck up." Hiccup took in a deep breath, tasting the salty air. The ocean wind picked up and tugged at his damp auburn locks.

"I know he was like a father to you, too." Hiccup knew acknowledging it would make them both feel better. And maybe a confession would as well, "Last night I slipped up and told Astrid about that thing we did. The thing we weren't supposed to ever talk about."

"Honestly it's good you get these thing off your chest. Ha! Get it off your chest, because-"

"No, not that. I meant that other thing – the tavern."

"Oh, that thing…" Tuff leaned away from him.

"Did you ever tell your sister?"

"No—I thought about it. Especially since she knew I was hiding something, but I never told her. What do you say? What did you say?"

"The wrong thing, then I needed to explain myself. But the truth. But, I did sort of mentioned you might have taught me all I know about women's underwear, so yes, technically I did start to get that off my chest."

Tuffnut laughed, "So did tell her that story?"

"No, not the right time or place. But you know I probably will."

"She'll think we're weird." Hiccup could hear Tuffnut's wicked smile as he joked.

"No more so than usual…" The blanket that covered him smelled like mold and offered as much protection from the cold air as a sheet of paper. However, Tuffnut leaned his back further against Hiccup, who started to feel the warmth of his friend's body melting away some of the chill.

000

Flashback – to Dragon's Edge (before Hiccup and Astrid were a couple)

"I have a personal problem," Tuffnut walked into Hiccup's hut.

"Make it fast." Hiccup yawned as he put his pencils in their holder. "Toothless already turned in and I was just about to join him upstairs."

"You know how Ruffnut and I make bets. She bet that cousin Gruffnut would tell a bunch of lies while he was here and then would have a sinister motive. And she was right. And I lost."

It had been a few day since the twins' cousin had shown up, lied to them, and then tried to steal their dragons. In retaliation they dumped their devious cousin off on some dragon inhabited island.

Hiccup rubbed his temples. "I've got more important things to worry about with dragon hunters on the loose. But, I want you to know, your gambling problem will be my top priority when this is over."

"Yeah, good to know – look – so, I of course, lost… and I had to trade clothes with Ruffnut."

"Terrible. This is a true tragedy. And not just because that is a stupid bet. Goodnight." Hiccup got off his stool and started for the stairs.

"But, I've got this problem…" Tuffnut stripped off Ruffnut's shirt to reveal breast bindings wrapped around his chest.

"Well, it got weirder…Look I really don't know anything about women's underwear. Just cut them off, if you can't figure it out."

"She'd be mad if I did that – then there's taunting that I'll have to endure once she tells everyone I couldn't get them off. Can I just get a little help here? These things itch and the circulation to my lungs has been cut off."

Hiccup shook his head and started walking up to bed, "Be a Viking. We all have to endure a little bit of taunting. I did and I'm tougher for it. And it's only a matter of time before Snotlout does something more humiliating and we move on to teasing him."

In response to Hiccup's non-existent concern, Tuffnut fell to the floor loudly gasping for breath. "Oh gods! Can't breathe…might die…in your hut…these women's bindings...too tight…when my dead body found - what will others think?"

Hiccup ran over and jumped on top of him, covering his mouth, "Don't be so loud – you'll wake up Astrid next door and embarrass us both. How do I explain you here like this?" Hiccup gestured to all of Tuffnut as he stood then pulled him up. "If Ruffnut will be upset if they get damaged, I should probably leave them. Put your shirt back on and have Astrid do it tomorrow? Or maybe for fun, wake Snotlout up and taunt him."

"Hiccup, Astrid won't do this for me, and she'll tell Ruffnut and I won't hear the end of it. They might even tell Heather. Sure I can handle some teasing, but I don't want to be embarrassed in front of girls. Snotlout he won't know any better than you – you can figure this out. Besides - you and I, we're cool. You said we were friends. Guy friends – help each other out."

Hiccup moved his shoulders and deadpanned, "I guess I'm flattered you came to me?"

"That's the spirit, H."

Hiccup ran his fingers over the bindings. Really, they weren't that complicated, he never touched them directly before. He'd seen drawings and heard about them and even sometimes saw them in the girl's laundry, but never thought about their detailed, but actually uncomplicated, mechanics. After running his fingers over the fabric, he found a small tight knot folded under the layers, he fumbled with it till it came lose.

"Oh, thank Thor! I can breathe again." Tuffnut stretched and filled his lungs.

"Why didn't you watch Ruffnut put them on you? Or for that matter watch her put them on?"

"Don't be pervy, Hiccup, I don't watch my sister change! Or my sister dress me!"

"Says the guy who just asked me to take his sister's underwear off him."

Hiccup thought about that, he wouldn't dare watch another girl change, let alone a sister if he had one. Tuffunt and Ruffnut probably changed when the other one was not around. If they ever changed their clothes, other than when they traded for stupid bets.

"Hey, I did you a favor, now you'll know how to do it and won't look like a fool when you have to undress, Astrid someday." Tuffnut let out a little laugh, "I mean, can you imagine if you got that wrong? Or took too long or –"

"Astrid? I don't know what you're talking about," Hiccup dismissed as he started rolling up the bindings. "We're just friends."

"Really? We all know – even Snotlout if he won't admit it."

Hiccup looked at the bindings as Tuffnut went to put his shirt back on.

"Wait," Hiccup stopped him, "I'm going to put these back on you, then take them off again."

"OK, now who is being weird?"

"No, you're right. I want to know how to do this. Why not now? I know it sounds weird, but…I don't want to look completely stupid later…not that I would, but…"

Tuffnut dropped the shirt, "It's weird, but I get it. Don't make it tight though. I think Ruffnut was trying to kill me. She might still be mad."

Hiccup laughed as he put the bindings back on adjusted them, then took them off again, this time more easily.

"Thanks," he said as he started to wrap them back up, "And, maybe we never talk about this again?"

"Oh, I bet you'll break down and tell Astrid someday, like when you're married and she's impressed by your undressing skills."

"Yeah, I don't know. I mean we're not together or anything. It might never happen."

Hiccup thought about his friendship with Astrid. They had grown closer since moving to Dragon's Edge and they were older now. Maybe the perfect moment would come and he would need to make that move, it had been on his mind more than usual lately.

"Would you really have been fine if I went over to her place and asked her to do this?"

Hiccup thought about. "No, I wouldn't have."

"Well at least you have prospects…" Tuffnut put his shirt back on, "I mean don't get me wrong – Chicken and Macie are great…and of course there was that time we never talk about…" He looked down.

"Which we aren't going to talk about now." Hiccup became serious.

Tuffnut shrugged. "Sometimes I wish you were a girl, Hiccup."

Hiccup dropped the bindings that he just rolled up.

"What? Um- ok? Please no. Why would you say that? This went from weird to creepy. I am never undressing you again."

Tuffnut held up his hands, "Look, I'm not being creepy… It's just… You'd make a cute girl and we're friends, so maybe if you and Astrid were both girls, which would be hot, but at least I'd have a non-sister friend who was a girl or maybe I could date Astrid—"

"Watch it." Hiccup raise an eyebrow.

"Or I'd at least be the most appealing guy in the group… Wow, I should try to keep some of my crazy thoughts in…"

Hiccup picked the bindings back up and stepped back a few feet, "Maybe all that could happen in some other universe…but um – Thanks for thinking I'd be a cute girl? Not sure if anyone will ever think that…"

Hiccup looked at the bindings in his hand. Ruffnut would get married, with her good looks and value as a fighter, she could even marry outside of Berk. And most likely she would. And then Tuffnut would be alone. Because of famine and the hard years during the dragon wars, not many children from their age group survived, and many of the Hooligan girls that had survived knew enough about of Tuffnut's antics to not be interested in him. Hiccup realized even if he and Astrid were not a couple he was lucky to have her as his best human friend and fortunate they seemed to share a mutual spark. It also helped that he never saw a more beautiful girl.

But, Tuffnut never had luck with girls, despite having more respect for women than most guys -probably because of his close relationships with his sisters and mom. And if Hiccup was being honest with himself, there had been times where Tuffnut explained things about women to him that he'd never know about on his own - like being extra nice when they got irritated and complimenting things they changed about their appearance. And Tuffnut sometimes warned him when that monthly thing happened so he could be extra careful.

Hiccup recalled sensing Tuffnut feeling disappointment when Heather started dating Fishlegs. He probably needed a girl to watch out for him if Ruffnut ever found someone. Hiccup and Astrid once speculated he used Macie and Chicken to supplement his longing for intimate female companionship. Being that they seldom met appropriate single women his age, maybe he was reaching a point where he might feel it wouldn't happen for him.

"You know – you won't end up alone. It's not like we're the only people in this world…"

Hiccup put the bindings down and started to remove his armor.

"Is that your signal, you're going to bed and I should leave?"

"Nope, it's my signal that you're going to practice this too."

"Uh…"

"Come on, we're in this together – you don't want to look like a fool on your wedding night when you can't get past the future Mrs. Throrston's underwear."

Hiccup slipped off his shirt and Tuffnut started to put the bindings on him.

"This is weird," Tuffnut repeated, "And I want to point out that now you've made it creepy by doing this after I wished you were a girl…but…thanks. Oh, and I will not let you live down this strange fetish of your's."

"Fetish implies I'm into this. It is a necessary study to make sure we don't embarrass ourselves in the future. Thor knows I've been teased enough in this lifetime."

"Oh, it's not over. You'll just have to be a Viking about it."

"Just make sure we keep it an inside joke. Don't make up a song about it or anything…"

000

Present time

"So…" Hiccup scooted his back closer to his friend hoping to siphon more body heat. Tuffnut scooted back an inch in response, their backs aligning like two boards on a building. "Have you met any possible future Mrs. Tuffnut's? I hear weddings are the place to meet women."

"Well, I can tell you many of those women are into guys who are musically talented and ride dragons…And I might have gotten some invites to a few tents."

"Nice. And?"

"Ruffnut thought none of them really had that future Thorston girl 'it' element. So I don't know…"

Hiccup nodded.

"What's up with that girl living with you?" Tuffnut inquired, "What are you going to do with her? You can't exactly re-gift her? And we know you won't keep her around Astrid. People are already starting to talk about how jealous she must be, given how she's pretty much always owned you."

"Ha- no, can't keep her, can't toss her out, and don't want to do either. And yes, she's making Astrid crazy, just by being there."

"Yeah…you get all the hard choices."

"Don't worry. I don't intend on doing the wrong thing this time. I promise, I'll make sure she stays safe here in Berk." Hiccup re-assured him.

"Hey, Hiccup," Snotlout trotted up to them, "I think we have enough fish. And I'm not sure if this old hunk of splinters can take another load."

Hiccup looked at the dull sky and calculated the time of day based on the position of the pale sun. Further out, the storm seemed to be moving closer. "Yeah, let's head back."

"Good, because I have to finish sewing a wedding dress." Snotlout added.

"Seriously?" Tuffnut Scowled. "The wedding is in, like, four days! How have you not finished yet?"

Snotlout folded his arms, "Perfection requires time! Not like you'd know anything about that…"

"What does that mean? I do thing perfectly all the time – might be destroying things perfectly. But, I still do it when it needs to be done. And perfectly."

Snotlout put his hands on his hips and leaned into Tuffnut's personal space. "Oh! I'm sorry, if you're only other contribution is running your mouth and playing stupid music, which takes less time than real work."

"Oh, like sewing dresses and? And? What do you do, Snotlout? Because from what I've seen, you just annoy my sister and whine to Hiccup about everything – guess some people never change."

"Shut up, Tuffnut," Snotlout mumbled.

"Hey," Hiccup interjected, before the pair escalated the argument, "both of you. I'm not sure what's up with you guys, but you need to refrain from fighting like feral dragons. From where I sit, you both contribute. But, right now - you're both whining. Stop this, or I'll have my mom force you to do teambuilding drills together all winter."

Snotlout walked off mumbling about lack of appreciation.

Hiccup spoke to Tuffnut, "Seriously - what's up with you two?"

"He started it." Without further explanation Tuffnut got up and walked to the other side of the longboat, leaving Hiccup alone with his back exposed to the wind and wondering why everyone seemed to be falling apart.

A/N:

As always thanks to those who follows, faved, and reviewed.

I apologize that I'm late with an update – I have a project that is going to take up some time and I have a family that I have to take care of. I wish writing could be higher up on the priority list, but cruel time forced me to become and adult – stay young as long as you can.

Good and bad news about future updates – I have some later chapters written, but the next chapter is only an outline. And because of time constraints, I might not be able to get it up as soon, but once I've completed it, the updates should be steady for a while.

A/N about the story: Just so there is no hate reviews, I want to be clear that this chapter is strictly about guy friendships and is not meant to be sexual, it is meant to bring the characters together in a silly way to show male bonding over girls and anxieties over future roles as husbands, but not in a pervy way. I got the idea from the RTTE episode "When Darkness Falls" after Tuffnut says Ruffnut had to trade clothes with him after losing The Thorston Challenge.

And for the folks who like historical accuracy – I did some research– Vikings might have actually used fitted bras and more complex undergarments, but bindings have been used in other stories and I used that, because I like that the word "bindings" comes from "bind" and this incident helps to "bind" the guys together in friendship. A "bind" can also be a problematic situation, so read into that what you will. I try to be very specific with my word choices.