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"This Sickness" (ch.5)

--"Is this how you wanna go down...?"--

      "What's with you, Tuffnut?! I came to check on you! I was being nice! You shouldn't be such an ass about it!" Hiccup huffed the last part, turning and frowning at Snuff, who was currently making content noises as he scratched him under the chin. Snort bumped his elbow and he looked down, watching the dragon's head curl up towards him with sympathetic eyes, its clicks quiet and comforting. He reached out to rub the top of its spiked head before glancing up at Tuffnut again with the same hurt look. The blonde turned, caught the look, and snorted before throwing his cloth into the bucket between them, splashing them both with warm soap bubbles.

       "You came for something else too! I'm not stupid, Hicca, I KNOW you did!" Hiccup faltered and paused when his ears caught the name he had heard yelled in the arena. Rose tints warmed his freckles and he dropped his eyes to the floor, trying to hold back the strange smile that name wanted to split his face with. "You want my thanks? THANKYOU, for almost getting killed, and in turn, almost getting ME killed. THANKYOU, Hicca." The blonde continued on, throwing his arms out to the side in annoyance, glaring in frustration at him. The Monstrous Nightmare Tuffnut had been taking care of turned her head towards him, her blind eyes fixing him with a cruel and protective glare, puss already yellowed and caked in the corners of the black and crimson scales.

       He didn't respond for a while, instead went back to petting the Zipple Back, buying himself a second of time as he tried to decide whether or not he wanted to speak the words he was so desperately trying to articulate in his head. The blonde shook his own head, a look of annoyed disgust playing in his slate colored eyes as he turned away, waving him off with the same angered annoyance. He stooped back down, body performing the functions fine, but failing to bend and fall with the same fluid grace Hiccup was so accustomed to envying on the lithe boy.

       Large, skull crushing hands snagged the cloth, swirling it in the water before pulling it out and letting him stand, Hiccup's eyes following the cloth to the dragon's bent thigh, traveling up the toned length of the twin's arm. They lingered on the muscled chords in the boy's neck, platinum strands falling over his shoulder to obscure the scared flesh from his view, turning his eyes to the thick, furrowed brow of the blonde.

       "You called me Hicca." Tuffnut froze his motions, the words failing to register otherwise. Hiccup blinked, a hand on either of the Zipple Back's heads still, using their sulfur smelling warmth for the comfort he needed to continue. He took a breath and pushed on, "You did. In the arena and just now. You said Hicca." His words trailed to almost nothing as he lost steam with each one, eyes falling to the hay strewn floor with already accepted defeat.

       Slowly, Tuffnut turned and faced him fully, rolling his shoulders back and standing straight as he did. Hiccup slowly let his eyes run up the full length of the usually slumping boy, his head tilting back just so for his eyes to finish taking in the entirety of the boy. With measuredly calm, movements the blonde stationed his feet a bit firmer on the ground and folded his arms across his chest, frowning down at the smaller viking, looking as though he were prepared to battle to the death.

       "IF I did, would you like to tell me what you're going to do about it, HiccUP?" His voice was low and ominous, promising to show him as little mercy as he had the dragon behind him. Quickly, Hiccup back pedaled, trying to shake off the sting of his actual name being used.

      "No, no...! I-I didn't mean it like that, really...!" He winced, holding up his hand in placation, smiling nervously underneath the twin's scrutinizing gaze. He shook his head again, auburn bangs catching in the summer perspiration on his forehead. "R-really, Tuff, honest! I just...I just wanted to..." He trailed, letting his eyes fall once more as he stood straight, coming to a conclusion he hadn't come to before. The blonde continued to wait, ever patient when it came to the decision of violence or not.

       Slowly Hiccup let the green of his eyes latch onto the gray of Tuffnut's own, taking in the flecks of gold that danced around the ash colored irises. "I just wanted to know if it meant something to you." He murmured, Tuffnut's face showing shock and horror before he could catch it.

      The blonde slid back a step, shaking his head and straightening his countenance out, glowering at the hay the Monstrous Nightmare was lying on beside him. "Don't. Okay?" He turned, his tone a somber one Hiccup didn't think the impulsive blonde owned. He took a step forward, reaching out for the answers he knew were sitting right there on the breadth of the boy's marred chest. Tuffnut shook his head though, gritting his teeth and shoving a hand out to stop the brunette, turning to glare at him.

      "I said DON'T. This isn't something you need to screw with, Hiccup. Just..." Huffing softly and closing his eyes, the boy twin ran a hand down his face, dragging his angular features before releasing them to normalcy. "Just go fuck Astrid or something. Leave it alone." With that he turned his back on him, starting deeper into the recesses of the barn, slouching more and more as he went.

      Hiccup stood for a moment, blinking in shock as he tried to wrap his mind around the words and their meaning. Something was there. It was just like he suspected, just like he had thought about more and more as the weeks drug on and Tuffnut stayed in bed; he wanted to know the meaning of that name. He wanted to know why it felt so damned good to hear it. "Tuffnut, stop!" He called out, reaching for the blonde as he started towards him in a light jog. "Wait! You can't just tell me to leave this alone! I wanna know!" He skittered to a halt when Tuffnut's spine stiffened, body straightened, and he whipped around to face him again.

     "What part of 'GO AWAY' do you not understand, Hiccup?" He snarled, beginning to slowly advance on him this time, sending him backing up nervously. "You DON'T want to dick around in this shit. So DROP IT and go back to fucking your girlfriend!" Hiccup almost fell over when he tried to avoid the sudden swing of Tuffnut's arm, eyes wide as the blonde jammed a finger at the door far behind them, eyes boring holes into him when he barked the words. When he was satisfied he had cowed the boy into respect again he ground his heel into the ground, turning and starting off one more time, hands fisting at his sides as he did.

     Hiccup sat for another moment, debating on whether or not he should really take the twin's advice. Slowly he found his head tilting as he watched Tuffnut take his anger out on a haystack, lifting it with disgruntled strength and growling as he threw it to the side with an impossible force. That brought him to his feet again. He started towards the blonde once again, this time determined to stand his ground, his brow furrowed to read this across his face. "Listen to me, Thorston!" He was surprised at how much like his father he sounded, and dismayed by how child-like he sounded compared to the boom of his old man's tone.