Two days before the fight, Hiccup and Astrid returned home to see a note tacked to their door. It had been a long day between flying with the dragons and training to fight. The last thing Hiccup wanted was to see a note.

Hiccup, come to the forge.

Astrid, go see your mother.

-Stoick

"That can't be good." Hiccup began to lament.

"It's probably fine," Astrid tried to placate. "We're home at the same time we usually are. And we're still technically on our honeymoon. What would he be reprimanding you about?"

"That's why I'm worried!" He chuckled humorlessly. "I suppose I should go. But I might need boob therapy when I get back."

"You are a boob."

"Touché."

Astrid kissed his cheek. "It'll be fine. I won't wait up."

So Hiccup made the short trek to the forge, dragging his feet all the way. It was past sunset at this point, but the sky was still visible. The houses were tinged in blue and orange from torchlight.

The forge was brightly shining on the hill. Laughter echoed from it, so that had to be a good sign.

As he appeared in the doorway, he found several men from the village sitting around the cleared worktable. There was a keg, some steins, and several bottles of ale sitting and waiting.

Stoick, Gobber, Axel Hofferson, Bucket and Mulch, and Astrid's other uncle Leif all looked to him as he entered, and cheered.

"There ya are, lad!" Stoick said boisterously.

"What's going on?" Asked Hiccup.

"It's a bit backwards, but we never went through the sword ceremony!"

Hiccup was puzzled for a moment before he clarified, "you mean…breaking into the old tomb to retrieve a sword?"

"That's the one!"

Hiccup groaned. "Do I have to? I'm already married!"

"Correct! So, we thought we'd mix it up a bit!" Said Gobber. "Since you two said you'll have an official wedding in the fall, we'll do the sword ceremony closer to that."

"So…what's tonight?"

"The fun part!" Said Axel. "We drink and tell ya how to please a woman!"

Hiccup stood silently as they all laughed. He could smell the alcohol in the air. They'd started drinking without him. "Can we do the sword thing instead?"

"Nonsense!" Stoick swept him off his feet and plopped him onto a stool. Then a stein of mead was placed in front of him.

Being so young meant that Hiccup hadn't partaken in a lot of drinking. That was usually something a boy his age would do in secret with his friends…but he didn't really have any.

The mead was mostly sweet, a flavor that he found he could tolerate easier compared to the ale.

The first mug disappeared before too long, and was refilled.

"Wait," Hiccup belatedly realized. "You guys are the ones that are supposed to be teaching me about pleasing a woman? You guys have never been married," he pointed at Gobber, Mulch, and Bucket. "You're my father-in-law, so I don't really want to have this conversation with you," he said to Axel. "You've been widowed for 16 years, and you're my dad." He pointed to Stoick. "That means Leif is the only one qualified. And even then, he's still Astrid's family."

Leif cheered and chugged his drink.

"Aye lad, but we've all lived around women. We know what it takes to live in harmony with them. And so we'll pass that information on to you," said Mulch.

"And we'll never pass up a chance to drink!" Sang Bucket.

"Aye, that too."

Did you know that the more fat and muscle a person has, the easier it is for them to hold their drink? In contrast, the smaller and leaner, the less alcohol is needed to get drunk.

Another mug was emptied and refilled.

Part of it was the general thirst of talking and laughing with friends, and part of it was hoping that the alcohol would make the situation less awkward.

It started out simple enough. 'Treat her with dignity and humbleness.' 'Don't demand work from her, but agree on expectations early.' 'Discuss it with her if something is bothering you, don't hold on to resentment.' These were things that Hiccup knew, and they seemed rather obvious. Perhaps someone more like Snotlout would need more elaboration.

Hiccup quickly asked for a refill when Gobber uttered the phrase 'when you want some lovin', you gotta prime her, and not just thrust it in.'

Hiccup realized that the drinks they had were a little stronger than he expected, and that he could not hold his liquor as well as his father. His face felt warm, and he felt like he was floating. Words came out of his mouth before he could consider them.

Before he knew it, he was waking up in his home with a splitting headache, dry mouth, and nausea. "Oh no…" he lamented, trying to sit up, but flopped back down as his stomach protested.

His joints were all sore, well, more sore than he had been the rest of the week. There was also an itchiness on his chest, but that was rather minor in the grand scheme of things.

As he laid in bed, he could hear his wife talking to someone downstairs in hushed tones. He gave it a minute, and concluded it was either his father or Axel. Neither great options when he remembered what he could from last night.

Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed, still in his clothes from the night before.

So he changed, hoping the fresh clothes would rid him of the stale and dingy feeling. When he removed his shirt, he went to scratch at the itchy spot, though quickly realized what had happened.

An echo of his own voice returned from last night, slurred and far too enthusiastic for his own good. "That's a great idea!"

He was never drinking again.

Now dressed in clean clothes, he felt slightly better and sauntered downstairs.

It was his dad. He and Astrid sat at a little table with a pair of chairs.

"Morning." Hiccup mumbled.

"Afternoon," Astrid greeted, with some amusement. She got up from her seat and beckoned him to take it. "Your dad brought over this set this morning. Seems like even when drunk or hungover, these men know how to build furniture."

Stoick laughed. "You know Gobber has a full pint of ale first thing in the morning, right? Something about loosening up the joints."

"I don't doubt it." Hiccup chuckled.

Astrid placed a large mug before him. "Don't worry, it's just water."

"Oh sweet release!" He started to chug.

"Your first hangover treating you well, son?" Stoick smirked.

"No. It's kicking my ass. I've never felt this horrible in my life."

"Well, the fight isn't until tomorrow evening. Plenty of time to rest. It is partially my fault for making you drink so much. You have my blessing to take it easy."

"Great. Man, I can't remember anything that happened last night."

"That's probably for the best…" Stoick said with a little smirk on his lips.

"Why?" Hiccup asked, with horror. "What happened?" He turned to Astrid. "What did I do?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. When your dad brought you home, you were out cold over his shoulder. You slept hard all night."

So they both turned and looked at Stoick.

"Well, as the night went on, you got a little more loose-lipped. Most of it was unintelligible, but you did tell everyone about Toothless."

Hiccup paled considerably. "No…"

"But I doubt anyone will remember, or understood you were talking about a Dragon. Mostly, they'll just think you were talking about a toothless friend you made in the woods."

"Definitely never drinking again."

"How do you remember all this?" Asked Astrid.

"Lass, look at me. It takes a lot to get me drunk. And I've been drinking a long time. I know how to handle my liquor. And I worried Hiccup might say something, so I took it easy."

"And this little souvenir?" Hiccup tapped his chest.

"That was Gobber's idea. You loved it."

"What?" Astrid pried.

"I'm too embarrassed to tell you right now," Hiccup admitted ruefully.

"Don't worry Lass. You'll know soon enough…especially if that skinny dipping story is true."

"No! No no!" Hiccup protested. Then he groaned, "ugh, can't anything good happen to me without the whole village knowing?"

"Again, everyone was drunk. And what happens in the forge, stays in the forge. Don't worry, son. We've all had our drunken confessions."

After a brunch of eggs, Hiccup went back up to nap. The window was open slightly, allowing the cool sea breeze to keep the room fresh. Distant gulls called out among the waves.

Despite the nausea and headache, Hiccup was easily pulled back to sleep. He slept most of the day, in fact, and only roused slightly when Astrid called out to him.

"Hiccup? I'm going to make sure Toothless is fed, okay? You just rest."

"Mmhhhmmm."

Evening turned to night, and Hiccup never even noticed when Astrid joined him in bed.

On the morning of the fight, Hiccup arose early. He was slightly disoriented and dehydrated, but overall, much better from the day before.

Astrid still laid sleeping beside him, her soft snores quickly becoming a sound of comfort.

Today was the day. By the end of it, he'd be back in bed, and probably bedridden for at least a week with broken bones and open wounds.

His nose already hurt just thinking about an incoming punch.

He got up and dressed quietly, doing his best not to disturb Astrid, then he left the house in search of an early breakfast.

The sun was behind the trees in the east. The sky alight with an orange gradient. The air was cool, and dew still wetted the grass.

Only a few people were up at this hour. The baker was one of them, and Hiccup followed the scent of fresh baked bread to his shop. His window was open, and the baker smiled as he approached.

"Oh, morning Hiccup! Not the Haddock I usually see this time of day," said the baker.

"Yeah, I'm…up early."

"I remember my stag night," said the baker, good natured. "Took me a week to fix my sleep schedule."

Hiccup sighed. "Of course the whole town knows about the stag night."

"Sure, what with everyone hootin' and hollerin'! Your father at least had the decency to let everyone know to get some wool for their ears. Now, what can I do for you?"

Hiccup gave him a little smile, "I smelled your bread and wondered if you had anything prepared for breakfast."

"Got just the thing! Fresh from the oven rolls, and strawberry jam from the madam."

Hiccup's very empty stomach growled at the words. "Sounds perfect."

"I'll get that right up."

"Make it three, my good man," a voice interrupted from behind, startling Hiccup.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut appeared on either side of Hiccup, resting their arms over his shoulders.

The baker's smile faded. "Hello you two."

"And a fine morning to you as well," said Tuffnut.

"Let it be known, our mother has had a word with us this morning, and we are here on our best behavior…and bring payment for our tab." Ruffnut held up a bag of coins.

The baker's mood improved. "Well now, that's more like it! I'll prepare three rolls!" He took the money and got to work.

"So…" Hiccup began, conversationally. "You two are up early."

Tuffnut scoffed. "Are you kidding? If the sun is up, we're up."

"Really?"

"Early mornings are the best times to be awake. Then you get to witness all the pranks you set the night before go off!"

"Oh, now I get it." Hiccup smiled.

"Besides," said Ruffnut. "It's a fight day. Gotta start early if we want a nice sized book." She held up a stack of paper.

"Why am I not surprised that you guys are setting up bets?"

The baker returned with a sheet of rolls. "You guys are running bets on this fight? Really?" He chuckled. Then he added, "no offense Hiccup."

"Some taken."

"What are the odds?"

"That's the beauty of it, my good sir. While the odds of Hiccup winning a round are 0 to 3, we've taken some considerations for other odds."

"Gee, thanks." Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"There's a 1 to 2 chance that Hiccup survives a round."

"The fight isn't to the death!" Hiccup protested.

"True, but it is until knock out, so by 'surviving' we mean unconscious."

"You two came up with these?"

"The conditions. Fishlegs helped with the math."

The baker set the first plate in front of Hiccup. "Any other odds?"

"2 to 1, Snotlout claims he's won the fight before the ref actually declares it."

"Meaning he'll at least be focused for the first round, and he'll protest the other two…if Hiccup survives that long."

"Oh, and then there's a 1 to 2 chance that Stoick will stop the fight early to save Hiccup's life."

"Wow!" Hiccup called.

"Interesting set," said the baker with a smile.

"So…can we put you down for anything?"

"Three gold pieces on Snotlout bragging."

"The easy win, but not much of a pay out."

"And then, one silver piece on Hiccup."

"Surviving?"

"Winning."

Hiccup looked surprised, but then again, it was just a silver piece.

"Very good!" Said Tuffnut, pocketing the change, while Ruff marked him in the books.

"You know," said Ruff. "You aren't the first person to bet on Hiccup winning."

Hiccup sat up a little straighter.

"Let me guess, the chief?" Asked the baker.

"Hell no," Tuff laughed. "He only bet on Snotlout bragging."

Hiccup deflated.

"Gobber bet three gold pieces, and Axel Hofferson bet ten."

Though smiling, Hiccup said, "I need to talk to Axel about his gambling problem."

"Why would Axel bet a number like that?" Asked the baker. "Ah, no offense Hiccup."

"Still some taken."

"The scoop is that Hiccup's been training with Astrid. And honestly, I believe it." Tuff gave Hiccup a nice pat on the back. "If anyone's going to take Snotlout down a few notches, it's this guy."

"You think so?" Hiccup brightened.

"Sure! I'm not going to bet on it, but yeah! Think about it. Fishlegs? Me or Ruff? Astrid certainly could have before she broke her arm. You have the element of surprise."

"Completely unsuspecting."

"Non threatening even. Like a baby deer!"

"I'm less flattered the more you speak."

"Tell you what, Chief Jr. We'll give you a ten percent cut on the takings if you win."

"How generous."

"Merely a token of our esteem. Just make sure you win before Snotlout brags for the highest possible payout."

Hiccup sighed. "Noted."

—-

After breakfast, Hiccup went down to the cove. The fight was in the evening, and he had a lot of time to kill before then. And he would rather spend it away from the town.

It could very well be his final hours.

Valka was still asleep when he arrived, as was Toothless. But with some gentle poking and prodding, he got the dragon awake.

After all, Toothless didn't get to see Hiccup the day before, so he was rather excited to see him.

Hiccup saddled him quietly, and they left for a long morning flight.

"You have no idea what's happening, huh bud?"

Toothless gave a low whine.

"I haven't been very frank with you about it. I mean, you knew how I felt about Astrid, and I told you how close we were. Do dragons have a concept of marriage? Anyway, you knew that Astrid and Snotlout were supposed to get married."

A warble.

"Right. I complained about it for months. Well…I don't know how to explain this, but I accidentally married her first. You were there when I told my mom, remember?"

Toothless made a noise that Hiccup swore was a laugh.

"So while I got to marry her like I had been dreaming about since I was 13, I have to fight Snotlout to restore his honor. It's happening tonight."

Toothless hummed, a low sound that was both comforting and telling.

He knew exactly what Hiccup was dealing with.

"So. Yeah. I wish you could help with this, but…ugh. I'll get in bigger trouble for that. All that to say, I might not be able to come out here for a few days. Possibly. It all depends how hard I get my butt kicked. Astrid's been training me, at least. I might be able to survive longer than I expect." He shook his head slowly. "I'm not optimistic though."

Toothless decided enough was enough of the moping, and tucked his wings in suddenly to drop from the sky. The sudden drop made Hiccup's stomach float into his lungs as a scream ripped out of him. Just as quickly, Toothless unfurled his wings and caught them.

Then Hiccup busted out laughing, the adrenaline starting to course through him. "You're right bud. No use worrying about it right now. Let's do that again, but higher!"

—

Despite his valiant efforts, Hiccup found himself marching through town, towards the arena. The sun was a few hours from the horizon, and the rest of the village was finishing their dinners.

Hiccup had no appetite.

The squawks of birds combined with the hub-bub of the crowd sounded like a funeral dirge to his ears. It was time.

Stoick was there when he arrived, as well as a few townsfolk eager to get the good seats.

Stoick smiled at him and clapped a hand to his shoulder. "There you are! Didn't see you all day! Surprised you showed up a little early. Thought I'd have to pull you out from under a bed somewhere."

"Like a scared cat? Come on, dad. Don't you have any faith in me?"

"Son, no offense, but everyday that you're alive is a miracle."

"Can't argue with that."

"Now, I can't be in the ring with you, so I asked Gobber to take my place. I'm sure Astrid will be with you too."

"In the ring? What for?"

"Technically, to pull the combatants apart at the end of rounds. But in this case, you'll probably need someone to drag you over to get your wounds treated."

"Noted."

"I'm also not mediating the fight. I didn't want anyone to assume I was being biased. So, I have to just be a quiet observer. Just wanted you to know so you weren't sad I wasn't being more supportive."

"Oh, I don't think you could be more supportive if you tried," Hiccup snarked.

Stoick gripped his shoulders, but not too firmly. "Hiccup. No matter how this turns out, remember, it's not important."

"That's what I'm banking on at least."

"And, your mother wanted to give you her love and luck too."

"That's sweet."

"She's watching up there," Stoick pointed to the cliff that looked over the arena.

Both Valka and Toothless emerged from hiding in the foliage to wave at him.

Hiccup screwed up his lips. "I'm worried that Toothless will come to my help."

"Your mother assured me she has him under control. But we're all here for you son."

It was then that Astrid and Gobber arrived, with Spitelout and Snotlout not far behind them.

"Ready to get beaten within an inch of your life?" Snotlout smirked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

As a group, they entered the arena. A wide circle was drawn on the stone floor in chalk. Two chairs sat in opposite corners. The Jorgenson's took the left-most chair, leaving the other for Hiccup.

Spitelout and Snotlout began having a hushed conversation, most likely last minute suggestions on how to brutally maim Hiccup. Snotlout removed his helmet, vest, and tunic.

"You should take yours off too," commented Astrid. "One less thing for him to grab."

"And," added Gobber, "they have to see you aren't wearing any armor."

Hiccup grumbled, but conceded.

Astrid had seen him naked, being shirtless wasn't a problem. No, it was the new, permanent addition to his torso he thought she'd have an issue with.

Hiccup slowly removed his tunic, before dropping it onto the chair, and then held his breath for the impending reactions.

"Hiccup…" Astrid breathed, slightly in awe, and mostly amused. "Wh-what?"

Over his heart, in mostly neat lettering, was Astrid's name. Tattooed for the rest of eternity.

"I'm never drinking again," he said simply, with a little shrug.

"Oh…" Gobber gave a disappointed sigh. "That looked so much better last night. What did you do?"

"Me?! You were drunk when you did it! You probably messed it up! I'm just happy it's spelled right."

"There's a first for everything." Gobber grinned.

"Are you serious?!" Snotlout shouted from across the arena. "You got her name tattooed?! You little maggot, she's not even yours!"

"She's my wife, you idiot!" Hiccup snapped back, proudly.

Snotlout squared his shoulders and began to stomp over, but Spitelout gripped his arm.

"Keep that anger, but wait a few minutes."

Oh great. Now Hiccup was really going to get it.

At this point, most of the village had arrived, and the rest were trickling in.

Stoick stood. "Attention!" His voice echoed over the crowd. There was instant silence.

He had to teach Hiccup how to do that someday.

"I'd hate to welcome you all to tonight's event, but what was promised is promised. My son, no matter how well intentioned or accidental, has caused a slight against the Jorgenson family. They have agreed to settle the matter with a fight. After said fight, no matter the outcome, I expect the rest of you to drop the matter entirely."

There were some mumbling from the crowd, and Hiccup distinctly heard someone say loud enough, "wouldn't have been an issue if Spitelout hadn't tricked poor Axel."

"I will now turn it over to Hackjaw, the reigning champion of the Mead Hall brawls, who will be mediating the fight as an unbiased eye." He gestured to the man.

"Aye, thank you Chief," said Hackjaw. "Now, you boys listen up." He called down to Snotlout and Hiccup. "As you may very well know, there are very few rules in an honor fight. No armor, no weapons but your fists. This fight is not to the death, and if one of the contestants dies, the surviving contestant will be treated as a murderer. And we don't want that, do we Snotlout?"

Snotlout scoffed as some of the audience chuckled.

"There will be three rounds, each round lasting 3 minutes. After each round, we will judge who the winner is and if the other combatant is able to continue. There is no conceding, we will determine if you've had enough."

Hiccup sighed and hung his head.

"If a combatant is knocked unconscious, the other will be declared the victor of the fight. In the off chance that there is no knock out, the winner of the majority of rounds wins. If there is a draw and the end result is a tie, we will add a quick one minute round at the end. Each round begins and ends with a horn." He pointed to silent Sven, who held an hourglass and a horn. "Are there any questions?"

"What's the chalk circle for?" Asked Hiccup.

"Try to keep the fight in the circle to protect the others in the arena."

"What's the rule on broken bones?" Snotlout asked, while cracking his knuckles.

"Legal."

Hiccup swore aloud.

"If we are ready, combatants step into the ring."

"You got this," Astrid promised.

"Yeah right." Hiccup chuckled darkly.

When both Hiccup and Snotlout stood in the ring, Hiccup assumed his fighting stance, now muscle memory from all his training with Astrid.

"I hope the marriage was worth it," Snotlout sneered. "Because I'm about to break you so bad you'll wish you were dead."

"Or, you could just rough me up a bit and we'll say I owe you a favor?"

"Can't wait to break your jaw so you stop being such a smart ass."

"I should have run when I had the chance."

"Ready!" called Hackjaw.

The horn sounded, and Hiccup clenched every muscle in his body, totally frozen in fear.

Snotlout ran at him, full tilt, a primal roar ripping from his throat. He slammed into Hiccup, lifting him off his feet, then quickly threw him to the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs.

Hiccup only had a second to contemplate how stupid that was before Snotlout's knee dug into his sternum, and the punches came.

The first blow turned his vision white. It wasn't the first time he'd been punched in the face, but this was the first time it was against the ground where his head couldn't move.

Right to the face, full strength, knuckles drilling into his bones. It was a flurry of blows, each one blending in with the last, all tenderizing his face. A few to his nose, a few to his upper cheek, a couple to his jaw.

If he hadn't clenched everything, it might have hurt a bit more, if possible.

The horn blew, but Hiccup barely noticed, as Snotlout had yet to relent his assault.

It was suddenly over as Snotlout was forcibly pulled off of him by Spitelout and Gobber.

"There's no way that was three minutes!" Snotlout yelled up to Hackjaw.

"I can end the round early if I think someone has had enough!"

Astrid ran to Hiccup and knelt beside him. "Hiccup?"

"Don't touch him!" Cried Hackjaw. "Hiccup, lad, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

Hiccup raised a weak thumbs up to Hackjaw.

"No knock out! Snotlout wins the round! One minute break before the next round!"

Gobber and Astrid each hooked an arm under Hiccup and dragged him over to sit in the chair.

He already looked awful, and the bruising hadn't even set in yet. Blood poured from his nose, split lip, and eyebrow.

Astrid took a wet washcloth and tried to gently wipe the blood away, but without a bandage, it would be a problem again.

"Water," Hiccup huffed.

She took the ladle provided and gave him a drink.

He sipped it, swished the water around in his mouth, and spat it out on the ground. It was mostly blood.

"Bucket," he then said.

Astrid gave him the whole bucket of water, about to question what he was doing when he dunked his whole head in.

He flung his head out a moment later, his now wet hair flopping back.

"Are you okay to go again?" Asked Gobber. "Because if you're at all disoriented, I can tell the judges, and this can be over."

Hiccup pushed his wet hair back and wiped the bloody water from his face. "I have to try again. Astrid worked so hard to train me, and I totally screwed it all up. I have to try again."

Astrid rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do this on my behalf. All the 'louts want is to punch you around. They did that. You can be done."

"One more round."

Gobber didn't look too sure, but nevertheless, helped him to his feet.

On his own, Hiccup went back into the ring.

Snotlout faced him on the other side. Hiccup noticed with a strange hint of pride, that Snotlout's knuckles were bleeding.

"What? We're going again? I think it's pretty clear I've already won this thing."

That declaration sent up equal cheers and boos from the crowd.

Hiccup smiled. Oh right, the bet.

"Round 2!" Hackjaw announced, and Hiccup dropped into his fighting stance. His face throbbed, and his body trembled with adrenaline.

The horn sounded, and Snotlout ran at him just like the last time.

This time, Hiccup wasn't frozen. He clenched his muscles, and as Snotlout collided with him, Hiccup dug his fingers into his back, brought his knee up, and drilled it right into Snotlout's stomach.

This made Snotlout release his grip slightly, and Hiccup got out of the grapple and scooted several feet away.

The crowd cheered.

"Why you little—!" Snotlout grit, running at him again. This time, he went for his neck, and Hiccup expertly weaved out of the hold. Snotlout got him into a headlock, and Hiccup used his elbow to dig into Snotlout's ribs and get out, just like he and Astrid had practiced.

Every grapple, Hiccup had an answer for. Every punch, he knew how to deflect or move with to avoid pain.

Snotlout kicked Hiccup hard in the side of the knee, causing him to lose his balance, at which point, Snotlout gave him a hearty shove to knock him down. Hiccup fell, but braced himself with his arm so as not to hit his head, then he quickly rolled up onto his knee and got to his feet before Snotlout could hit him while he was down.

The crowd went wild, chanting Hiccup's name. It seemed like regardless of bets, the village was excited to see a good fight. Stoick's cheers were the loudest.

"Stand still!" Snotlout shouted.

Hiccup didn't respond, remaining laser focused on avoiding the next attack.

Snotlout threw a nasty haymaker towards Hiccup's head, which he blocked with both of his arms. This left his stomach open, and Snotlout landed a heavy punch there.

Hiccup crumbled forward, winded again. But before Snotlout could hit him again, the horn sounded.

"Oh come on!" Snotlout shouted.

"End of round!" Hackjaw declared. "A draw!"

This made the crowd go crazy again, as Hiccup returned to his chair.

Astrid shook his shoulder enthusiastically. "That was great! I knew that training would help!"

Hiccup managed to smile. "I'm kind of impressed with myself, honestly."

Gobber crouched at his side. "You have one round left. Think you can do it?"

"I feel a little light headed," Hiccup wiped the blood from his face that continued to pour from the first round. "But I can do it."

"I'll let you in on a little secret. I promise that no one is going to give you any grief for fighting dirty."

"Fighting dirty?"

"Cheap shots."

Hiccup nodded heavily. "Sure. And I'm sure no one saw how many times Snotlout pinched and bit me during that round." He held out his arm that had a bite mark on it. He glanced over to where Snotlout was resting. He looked pissed, but Spitelout was worse, reaming him out and pointing out everything he had ever done wrong.

"I get it!" Snotlout finally shouted back, loud enough for Hiccup to hear. "I didn't even want to do this stupid fight! So just let me finish it!"

Spitelout jutted out his jaw, but retreated, throwing a wet towel at the back of Snotlout's head.

"Ready?" Astrid asked.

"Let's end this." Hiccup stood, shaking out his limbs.

Snotlout joined him in the circle, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. No doubt, Snotlout could see the graphic amount of blood pouring from Hiccup's face.

There had to be some satisfaction.

The horn sounded, signaling the last round.

Neither moved. Hiccup, waiting to go on defense again, and Snotlout deciding what move he was going to make.

"Take him down!" Spitelout hollered.

Snotlout then smiled, looking slightly smug. "You know what? I'm going to let you have the first hit."

"What?" Hiccup asked, only slightly thrown off.

"Yeah!" Snotlout laughed, widening his stance, and raising his arms out to his sides. "Give me your best shot."

"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Spitelout raged.

But Snotlout simply seemed to not care, and waited patiently for Hiccup to hit him. He even closed his eyes.

Perhaps it was a trick? No, Snotlout really was too cocky for his own good sometimes. Hiccup moved closer, slowly, thinking. If he did this right, he could actually win.

With all the strength his little body could muster, he kicked up, right between Snotlout's legs and sent his balls inside his body. Snotlout crumbled forward, a satisfying wheeze slithering through his lips.

Hiccup took the opportunity to grab Snotlout by the hair and bring his face down while Hiccup raised his knee. Bone against bone connected in an audible clack, Hiccup's kneecap striking right between Snotlout's eyes, and Hiccup dropped his opponent.

Everyone stood still for a moment, just waiting for Snotlout to get back up.

"Snotlout! Get up!" Spitelout yelled, his voice breaking.

Snotlout didn't move.

Gobber ran over to check, rested a hand on his back, and then on his neck. He smirked and called to Hackjaw, "Snotlout's out cold."

"THAT'S MY SON!" Stoick screamed, his voice echoing over the arena.

A smile began to break out on Hiccup's face as the cheers of the crowd were deafening.

But it was good he didn't drop his guard, because Spitelout was livid and ran straight at Hiccup, his fists already swinging.

Hiccup performed the same maneuver on Spitelout as he just had with Snotlout. He kicked the man clear in the nuts and bashed his face with his knee.

The crowd went silent.

As Spitelout hit the ground, Hiccup backed up, actually terrified. "Oh gods! I didn't mean too!"

Fortunately, Spitelout seemed to take it better than Snotlout had, and wasn't knocked out. He staggered to his feet, groaning. Then, as he held his head, he began chuckling to himself. "Alright, alright, I suppose I deserved that."

Hiccup took a further step back.

"What a wallop! Sure, it was no punch, but it certainly did the job!" Spitelout was still laughing. He shook his head. "Ah, this whole thing was a lot of nonsense wasn't it? Sorry about that lad." And he went over to Snotlout and poked him with his foot. "Alright boy, let's go home and get you patched up."

Hiccup dropped his arms in shock.

He felt light headed again, that cotton-in-the-ears, fuzziness in his brain. He stood awkwardly in the arena as the village erupted in a roar. People were throwing things, shaking the chains around the dome, and hitting each other.

"You did it!" Astrid cheered as she collided with him. Hiccup went boneless as she picked him up and spun him around. "I'm so proud of you!"

Hiccup grinned at her, despite his dizziness. He managed a sound of affirmation that sort of sounded like, 'yuh'.

Astrid then grabbed his face and kissed him full on the lips.

It was then that Hiccup finally passed out.