Birthday Fic

In light of my 27th disastrous Birthday I felt compelled in the best ever way to write a HTTYD fic.

Using what the fates have given me….a Toothless Dragon.

Those who follow my work might know that life hasn't been a smooth ride….anyone who's read the original series of books of How To Train Your Dragon will have a good idea how much both Hiccup and myself have suffered in our short lives.

This leads all up to discovering Dragons in a time when there was nothing else to save me. The story spoke volumes to me and brought me back from the edge so when my Birthday falls through once more it's to comfort from a Night Fury that I turn too.

Thus….

"The Forgotten One"

A HTTYD Birthday FanFic Special

Hiccup was dumbstruck. How could this be happening?

His friends had actually forgotten his Birthday!

It hadn't even felt like this when he'd been the outcast in the village. How could he now be forgotten when they all lived together on a tiny island? He'd mentioned it in passing a few weeks ago. He'd only expected them say "Happy Birthday" just acknowledge that the day was special. That the day was his day.

Maybe even get a kiss from Astrid…? His heart pinned for the absence of that possibility.

He stood mouth agape at his friends gathered in the early dawn in the Club House. Each tinkering with their own chores and errands.

He'd walked in smiling, feeling sure it would be a great day. Maybe go for a ride with Toothless.

The Gang had meet him with no more than the general greetings of any other day.

Perhaps it was too early in the day. His stood unnoticed, he closed his mouth and lowed his arms that he'd raised in disbelief.

They'd wish him Happy Birthday in their own ways later in the day.

He felt sure. Wouldn't they?

Together they worked, like any other day. Hiccup felt his mood slowly sink lower with each encounter with his friends that left him feeling more certain they'd forgotten.

"Hey, Hiccup my fine fellow what say you of this colour? Is it not too …red?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow to the thick blood red bucket of paint Tuff placed before him a thoughtful hand to his chin as he avoided Hiccup's eyes and stared at the paint.

What was he to say…paint was paint…wasn't it?

"Hey, that's my mutton!" Snotlout roared swiping the fish back from Ruff who had nicked it off the plate. The two fought over it for a moment until it fell from each of their hands and hit the deck.

Snotlout picked it up and brushed off the speck of dirt and placed it back on the plate then with an over the top manner he presented it to Heather.

"Oh, give it a rest Snotlout, she's taken!" Ruff quipped, the silence that fell implying whom in which held Heather's true affections.

"Yeah, just like Astrid." Tuff elbowed his sister with a laugh.

Everyone in the room sniggered all except Hiccup who was mortified.

"Astrid's not-"

"Forget it Hiccup you know you can't convince the Twins of anything they themselves haven't come up with. You know how they are."

Hiccup sighed knowing Heather was right.

"No, Toothless I need that mutton, how about a cod?" Heather tossed the fish over to Toothless whom gobbled it up lavishly.

"Has anyone seen Astrid today? She was with us at breakfast…."

"She'd probably out on Stormfly, you know she's almost as bad as you….am I right T?"

Tuff leant on his elbow against Toothless whom all but shrugged and returned to pinning Heather for more food.

Astrid seemed to be spending more time away from him than she normally did. Seriously! Today of all days he wanted her near. It seemed so incomprehensible.

How could they have forgotten? He'd politely made it clear all his life how important his Birthday was to him. Before the Red Death he'd gingerly expressed his feelings to virtually deaf ears.

It had simply been the way of things.

However, after all the times he'd had to fight for his life, his Birthday meant more to him for the pure fact he was even here at all!

Right from birth it had been a fight for life. He'd been so weak and small he'd heard many stories of how they'd all feared he'd not live through his first night. Even the crueller stories of how many didn't want him to.

After the Red Death he'd found more reason to live and had even more reason to celebrate the fact he'd made it to another Birthday!

How could his best friends forget? There hadn't even been a Terrible Terror from his Father, and there'd been no time to take a ride with Toothless.

Could this day get any worse!

Walking back to camp Hiccup kicked a disgruntle tuffit of dirt with his boot. The sun was hanging low in the sky and still no acknowledgment from his friends.

"I don't get it Bud." He proclaimed to his only friend in the world, it seemed. He knew the Gang still cared and they were still his friends; they'd been through too much together for it to ever be any other way, but in this moment, he didn't feel like they were his friends.

Unreasonable or not it was how he felt. How their forgetting his Birthday had made him feel.

"Astrid hasn't even said two words to me all day!" He informed Toothless, as they meandered back to camp. Taking the wingless rout for not being in a hurry to return to base and declare his Birthday over and forgotten by all he loved.

Toothless growled low in his throat beside him and bowed his head as Hiccup lightly patted his head.

"I still got you hey bud."

Again his friend growled this time not in sympathy but in distracted glee like a kid seeing a butterfly Toothless bounded off into the growing shadows towards camp faster than Hiccup could ever hope to follow.

He didn't even try.

Twice in one day he stood dumbfounded with disbelief.

Staring out over the slight ledge that Mother Nature made, right down at the flickering lights of their camp below, his Night Fury friend swallowed up by the shadows and long gone from sight anyhow.

"You too, bud? On come on!"

He slumped down on the ledge and hung his metal leg over the edge and swung it back and forth gingerly.

Staring sightlessly at it. The metal seeming to gleam in the growing moonlight, taunting him. Laughing at him, with all he'd suffered, all he'd lost for them, all he'd sacrificed and they couldn't even remember his Birthday!

Hiccup sat in the night and invoked his right to sulk.

On your Birthday when things have gone so wrong everyone deserved that much.

In Hiccup's opinion everyone should be remembered and feel important on their Birthdays if no other day.

He lost track on how long he sat there, thinking, brooding.

Lost in his downcast feelings. Watching the last of the sun slip away behind the hills of Dragon's Edge. Watching the last of his Birthday slip away. Uncelebrated. Forgotten.

Maybe it was because his Birthday fell on a leap year…perhaps they'd miss judged the day….? Were playing a trick on him…no that didn't make sense if he'd been born on Loki day, he could believe it, especially of the twins.

Anyone born on a leap year ought to have their Birthdays valued more so.

Okay, so maybe his staying alone up here sulking was churlish, technically he was all but 8 anyway. If one skipped all the years he'd "not had a Birthday"

Misery soon became his companion and it seemed in its viciousness it hadn't forgotten his Birthday!

When there came the distinctive sound of a Night Fury in the sky his head shot up, tugged from his reprieve as Toothless shot across the sky letting out a plasma bolt or two in what seemed to be unsuppressed glee.

What was Toothless so worked up about….it wasn't his Birthday!

Moments later the Night Fury landed down behind him and Astrid bounded down from his back with a big smile.

"There you are!" She exclaimed as over excited as Toothless, who bounded happy cycles around her, constantly looking back at him then at her with a big toothless grin. As if saying …. "Look I brought your girlfriend, I brought your girlfriend for your Birthday!"

Hiccup would have been delighted had Astrid actually been his girlfriend. Now she just happened to be the woman he loved but lacked the courage to tell her so and spent his Birthday pinning away wishing she'd kiss him.

Playfully shoving Toothless aside Astrid causally sit down beside him, and joined him in staring out over the edge.

"Wow, cool spot how'd you find this?"

Luck. ….not something he actually was feeling right now.

A part of him wanted to call her out, point out she'd forgotten his Birthday. Somehow her forgetting hurt more than the others.

Even Toothless.

She playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

"Hey, what's up?"

She seemed as giddy and happy as Toothless, who'd bounded off to frolic in the marshes.

"Nothing."

She seemed to accept his answer not looking deeper to discover that was the furthest thing from the truth. He was angry.

However irrational it was, to have one's Birthday forgotten by his friends made him feel like they weren't really his friends.

Astrid! How could Astrid have forgotten?

"Okay, we better head back. You know I was worried when Toothless showed up without you."

He was surprised he'd even left!

"But it was clear you were okay granting how giddy he was. Practically tossed me up in the saddle."

She laughed the sound musical and instantly lifted his spirits.

Oh, man that made him feel worse!

She got up and started to head back to find Toothless.

"Hey, Astrid?"

He stood too, less agilely as she had on account of his metal leg. The one he'd put all his pent up frustration into. Blaming the leg for all that was generally not related to his missing limb.

"Yeah?" She turned back to him her angelic face catching in the moonlight and her hair shimmered like white gold. Her eyes were bright and wide almost as much as Toothless's were when he was eagerly happy.

Could he not just kiss her anyway? Was his Birthday the reason he needed to ask? There was definitely something between them, had been there since he'd first taken her flying on Toothless all those years ago, to him it was a forever kind of feeling. He just didn't know how to tell her, was afraid she didn't feel the same way but all that aside there was something there and she had kissed him many times before…..

"Do you think there's something special…about today?"

His courage left him and he reverted to the cause of his vulnerable feelings.

"a …."

He couldn't do it! To call her on it, just seemed cruel. She would undoubtedly would feel horrible for forgetting and he never wanted to make her feel bad. Ever.

He loved her.

He was man enough to admit it to himself.

It was why it stung more that she of all people had forgotten his Birthday.

He sighed. About to tell her it didn't matter, then they'd get Toothless and fly down to the camp. The day had ended and that was that. Maybe next year…if a Whispering Death…Screaming Death or any of the other deaths didn't kill him in the next twelve months, perhaps his friends would remember his next Birthday. Or he could just sink into the black hole of misery and embarrassment.

Longing for the one precious gift he could ask for…but had hungered for no less.

"Never min-"

"Yes!" Astrid suddenly shrieked punching him in the chest as she often did.

"Yess, it's your Birthday! The Gangs been planning a party for you all day, they've all got gifts made and wrapped waiting for you. We were all just waiting for you to return even Toothless knew what we had planned. I tried to stay away from you because I felt like I was going to burst, trying to keep the secret! It was Fishleg's idea and I couldn't wait to tell you! It has been torture not being near you today…."

She stopped abruptly having revelled more than she'd clearly meant to, and not about the secret surprise party they'd planned.

Hiccup didn't know what to be more surprised by first.

They hadn't forgotten! Astrid had ….

Suddenly he felt his cheeks grow hot and he stood dumbfounded for the third time that day. He raised a hand to the back of his neck and couldn't look her in the eye.

It all made sense now, the twin's seemingly incessant meanderings and barrage of questions!

They'd all been planning him a surprise party!

They hadn't forgotten!

"Sorry." Astrid clasped her hands together and looked adorably sheepish.

Slowly she stepped closer to him, he couldn't move else being forced to step backwards off the edge.

She traced a finger to the clasp on his armour staring at it intently as she spoke.

"You know, I'm glad Toothless came and got me."

Hiccup could hardly breathe.

"I have a gift for you back at camp….it's a hustler for your dagger, I reckon it'll look good right here."

She trailed her hands down his left arm, gently clasping his forearm.

"But there was something else I wanted to give you for your Birthday. I'd rather the Gang not see it."

Before he could say a word she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was brief but it set his world spinning.

Faster than a barrel roll on Toothless ever could.

She tasted of berries and spring water from the valley. He found himself sinking into her embrace as if all his strength had been taken from him with just that one kiss.

She started to draw away but he recovered enough of his senses to slip an arm around her waist, drawing her closer and kissing her once more.

She let slip a startled sound of surprise before it was overshadowed by a moan of delight.

She tasted so sweet!

Something in that moment changed, chaste kisses were gone and the more embellished embraces took over.

Thor knew how long they would have stood there, in a their secret spot locked heartily in each other's embrace, were it not for Toothless choosing that moment to bound through the marshes and collide brutally with them both. Knocking them all laughing to the ground in a tanglement of limbs and tails.

Toothless lavished him with kisses too to the sound of Astrid's endlessly sweet laughter.

"Hey…Toothless!" Hiccup laughed shoving at the Night Fury's head attempting to stop Toothless's tongue from covering him in any more saliva.

Toothless relented only to turn around and kiss Astrid much the same.

"Toothlesss! Ew" Astrid shrieked good naturedly. Laughing the whole time.

"We better get going…I left the twins watching the cake Heather made. I don't think they'd hold out long."

Hiccup grinned at the image her words invoked and at the anticipation of Heather's brilliant cooking!

Suddenly misery evaporated as if it had never been there.

Dusting themselves off they got to their feet and jumped on Toothless's back.

Hiccup felt a moment of heart melting sweetness as Astrid placed her arms around him and held him tight.

He placed his hand over hers and for a moment looked down at their hands entwined.

Something had changed between them and he loved it!

He couldn't say what exactly it was but it was the best feeling in the world! A felling of hope, of freedom-like no other!

Astrid smiled up at him from over his shoulder and kissed his cheek. Then Toothless shot up into the sky, twilling merrily a few times just as he'd down that very first night they'd gone flying together. This time Astrid clung to him with glee and shrieked with delight as Toothless nosed dived down towards the camp. The Gang awaited them at the open door to the Club House. The place was decorated and held a wonky banner that read "Happy Birthday Hiccup!" in blood red paint.

His friends cheered as Toothless effortlessly landed on the ledge of the Club House. Astrid bounded down from behind him and soon he was surrounded by his friends all clambering to give him their gifts, all talking at once. Hiccup heard mentions of "she told you didn't she?" and "yeah, I bet she wouldn't last the day." and some of "you own me two Markells!"

Hiccup looked over the heads of his friends and met Astrid's eyes as she stood across the room, in her hands she held the dagger holster she'd mentioned, but in her eyes held a gift that was more precious than anything, a promise that filled his heart with more joy than a thousand remembered Birthdays ever could.

The pair smiled at each other, blocking out the sounds of their friends and together silently acknowledged that something had indeed changed between them back on that cliff's edge.

Something that changed everything, and suddenly it was the best Birthday ever!

END

Eliana Robinson

9/11/16

CREATION DATE – 9/11/16

PUBLISH DATE – 10/11/16

The Forgotten One Disclaimer

THE FORGOTTEN ONE- is a Fanfiction of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON I do not own the characters or original plotline.

PLOTLINE: Hiccup is bereaved and astounded to discover the gang have forgotten his Birthday….or have they? Could this Birthday be the best yet? And what incredibly precious gifts could it bestow?

This story is NOTfor official publication or profit.

THE FORGOTTEN ONE is a short tale in an unofficially link series between all my HTTYD fanfics and is purely meant as entertainment.

CREATION DATE – 9/11/16

PUBLISH DATE – 10/11/16

Now part of the "Dragon Adventure's" Series by Eliana Robinson