#I NEED HIS FIG SO BAD ILL BE SUCH A HAPPY GUY PLEASE

[matty-bear]

my into the spiderverse hyperfix has come back and now i wanna do smth Sturniolo n Spiderman related… maybe fics maybe hcs maybe blurbs idk but all I know is that there aren’t enough Spider-Man Sturniolo fics on here. I have so many fic ideas guys I needs be sedated like rn the master list is getting SO full with future shit like someone tell me to calm tf down

[maedarakat]

Discarded

("A Gruff Separation"  AU - Hiccup adopts the Twins after they fail Agnut’s administration of the Induction Trials and get disowned by the Thorston clan.)

----

Green eyes surveyed the scene - which was pitiable by any comparison. Hiccup looked away from the slumped, exhausted forms of his younger friends and to Agnut, scowling.

“Okay that’s it, I’m calling it - the Trials are over for right now.”

“Well, yes, unfortunately,” Agnut nodded. “Because it’s clear they lack the stamina and strength to be Thorstons. With a heavy heart, I must declare -"

“A re-trial!” Hiccup said firmly. “It’s not fair to say they failed when you know their cousin ran them completely ragged with his lies!”

She sighed. “While that may be true, the High Council will only say that cleverness is also an important factor in becoming a Thorston. They were both fooled by their cousin, Gruffnut, and his forged scroll. That certainly does not work in their favor.”

He made a noise of frustration. “I can’t say Chief Stoick is going to agree to your assessment of failure -“

Agnut blinked and reached over to primly seal Hiccup’s lips shut between thumb and forefinger.

“Young man,” she drawled, “Pulling rank on me is not effective, nor appreciated.”

Her eyes softened at the sight of her younger cousins, both groaning and trying to help each other sit up. She pulled Hiccup a bit further away from the group by his arm.

“Especially ineffective,” Agnut whispered, “because it doesn’t matter what I report back to the Elders. The Thorstons have long doubted whether these two are a good fit for the family. It would honestly be far kinder to announce their failure and let them muddle along.”

Incensed, Hiccup folded his arms. “I have to say we’re in agreement on that one particular thing. The Twins certainly do not need a family that holds trials to accept their own flesh and blood!”

“It’s the way it has always been done with our clan, a tradition that has been stubbornly passed down through equally stubborn generations. Not even the Chief can interfere in private clan matters.”

Scowling, Hiccup didn’t answer. His arms were still crossed, signifying his refusal to budge.

His father might not be able to change the Thorstons but that wasn’t going to stop Stoick from raising absolute Niflheim on the Thorston Elders. The man had already done it more than once on the Twins’ behalf.

The most striking in Hiccup’s memory was the time Hardsell had forced Tuff to chop wood in a blizzard, barefoot and wearing only his underthings.

Stoick had come in like a lion the moment he discovered the cruelty - delivering a vicious uppercut to Hardsell’s jaw and laying him out cold. He had then carried Tuff, wrapped in a bear fur cloak, through the knee-high snow to his own warm hut, with Ruffnut in tow.

Just thirteen, Hiccup well remembered his father’s angry ranting to Gobber about the draconian punishment, while he sat next to the blond twin - pale and blue-lipped on a pallet by the Haddock’s hearth.  In comparison to his father, Hiccup hadn’t known what to do then, other than help Ruff rub warmth back into her brother’s thin, shivering body.

As Hiccup watched Agnut make ready to leave, he was disheartened to think there wasn’t much he could do this time either.

He walked back to the Twins, swallowing past a lump in his throat at their pained, tired expressions.

“So, I guess we failed after all,” Tuff muttered, leaning against the wall of the Clubhouse. His face was smeared with soot and covered in scratches, and he was holding what looked like a broken wrist close to his chest.

Ruffnut was now laying with her head in her brother’s lap, arms wrapped around her stomach. A surprise blow with the wild Nadder’s tail had sent her somersaulting backwards into a tree, with a force that had made Hiccup worry for her ribs.

He knelt next to them, gently running his fingers over Ruff’s side. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to just stand aside and let your own family kick you guys out.” His gentle ministrations brought an uneven giggle from Ruffnut.

“You tryin’ to tickle me happy, Hiccup? Not that I mind at all, please do go on.” She cheekily lifted her tunic a bit higher. Hiccup sighed but continued to examine her ribs.

“I’m just checking for broken bones, Ruff. That dragon really got you.” There was bruising, but nothing felt out of place and she didn’t cry out when Hiccup added a bit of pressure. That was good at least.

Tuff wasn’t so lucky, he hissed in pain as Hiccup felt along his forearm. Something gave slightly, making him tense and yelp, snatching back his arm.

Toothless burbled his concern and loped over to the Twins, nuzzling Tuff’s cheek. The dragon sat closer, curling his tail and a wing around both of them.

“Thanks T, I’m good. Just a little fracture from that fall,” Tuff shrugged.

And burns from the brush fire they had to rescue an infuriated boar from, and cuts from the Nadder spines - all without mentioning Tuff’s heart-stopping fall down the cliffside as he ran along the edge, dodging flaming ballista spears. Thank the Gods their Zippleback had flown swiftly to save him, even if the interference had disqualified him from winning.

Hiccup now understood why early grays had crept into his father’s hair and beard, and he’d be surprised if they weren’t in his own hair by this time tomorrow. “You guys need some rest and recovery. I’ve half a mind to take you to see Mala’s healers tomorrow.”

“No offense, H, but we kind of just want to go to our huts, close all the windows and pretend we aren’t alive for a few days,” Tuff sighed. “Possibly even weeks.”

“That sounds like a terrible plan,” Hiccup said, unable to keep the worry from shaking his voice.

“Hiccup, I know you care. It’s sweet and it honestly makes me want to cry,” Ruffnut said, and her voice was warbling just a bit on that note. “But this has been the worst birthday we’ve ever had, and - and I - “

She hitched and buried her face against Tuff’s thigh. He leaned over her protectively, looking both ill and defiantly brave as he sheltered her from sight. “Could you help me carry her?” Tuff asked, sounding frail. “We need - we need to just be somewhere dark.”

“You guys want to sleep in my hut?” Hiccup offered, without hesitation. He paused, uncertain if that was too awkward. He needn’t have worried, Tuff actually brightened at that.

“We can sleep with you and Toothless? Word on the street is that he purrs.”

Toothless certainly didn’t seem bothered by the idea, trilling softly in response. He gently nosed Ruff and got his head beneath her arm, encouraging her to stand up. Between Tuff and Hiccup, they got her into the Night Fury’s saddle and walked together toward the hut.

Hiccup was additionally distressed to see Tuffnut moving with a limp, and a long gleaming gash showed through his ripped leggings. Wordlessly, Hiccup put Tuff’s good arm over his shoulders and steadied him with an arm around his waist.

The Twins had already been injured and exhausted after Gruff’s fake trials, which had led to their many missteps and injuries during Agnut’s trials. Had the twins not been in such bad shape, Hiccup had no doubt they could have passed with flying colors.

Tuff had dodged all the spears but he’d twisted his ankle in the Titan Zippleback cave which caused him to fall off the cliff before reaching the finish point. Both he and Ruff had already gotten burns from the explosion that rocked the cave earlier (the same one that had made Hiccup’s heart nearly stop with terror because he had no idea if they’d been killed by the blast.)

It had made trying to save the boar particularly hellish for them, and the boar had escaped their hold, rendering the second leg of the Trial a failure.

The last task - getting a spine from a sleeping Nadder - had also gone horribly wrong, all because they were too exhausted to sneak up as silently as they usually could have.

This was all Gruffnut’s fault. Hiccup swore if he ever saw that jerk again, he was going to punch the guy straight in his lying mouth. Part of him even considered writing to Dagur and Heather in the interest of tracking Gruff down for a friendly little ‘chat’. Dagur had a deep dislike for traitors, after all.

Hiccup’s thoughts were darkly protective as he helped Tuff up the stairs. Toothless had gone ahead of them with Ruff and waited patiently as she got out of the saddle, wiping her eyes. She stumbled towards Hiccup’s bed and fell down across it, burying her face in a pillow to muffle her crying.

“Sis,” Tuff croaked, and Hiccup noted with guilty surprise that there were tears streaking his friend’s face. He’d been so concerned about their physical injuries, he hadn’t even begun to worry for the emotional impact of this awful day. Hiccup helped Tuff lay down next to his sobbing twin, watching as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a close hug.

Toothless warbled sadly, looking every bit as helpless as Hiccup felt. He scratched his dragon’s head and walked over to sit beside them, pulling a warm fur up to their shoulders. “Can I get you guys anything to eat or drink?” Hiccup asked. Usually the Twins were delighted by free food.

“We’re not hungry,” came the unified answer. Ruff reached up to pull the hide further over both their heads.

Okay, well that was definitely worrying. Hiccup bit his lip. “I’m going to go talk to Gobber before Agnut leaves. I-I’ll give you some time to be alone.”

And maybe he’d bring some food anyway. Yak chops and figs, if he remembered their favorites correctly.

“You’ll come back soon, right?” Tuff’s voice asked plaintively.

“I won’t be long at all. Just a few minutes and I’ll be right back,” he assured them, getting up. “Until then, Toothless will stay with you.”

They didn’t answer, but Ruff sighed shakily and reached a hand from under the fur to pat Toothless’ head. The Night Fury nuzzled her palm then laid his top half over them, beginning to purr as loudly as he could manage.

Hiccup took that as his cue to sneak out. He had to ask Gobber some questions, and he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like any of the answers.

----

“Of course I’ll be letting the Chief know everything,” Gobber had assured him, his tone somber. The blacksmith’s eyes had tracked the Twins’ departure to Hiccup’s hut with concern. He had seen all of them grow up, and Hiccup knew he cared for Berk’s own pair of rascals just as much as Stoick did.

It was just as Hiccup feared; having failed the Trials, the Twins were truly alone. They would have to give back everything the family had ever given them, possibly even their clothing, and they could no longer visit their own home. It was coldly and brutally unfair.

“Aside from that, should the Thorston family Elders should happen to need anything from my forge, I’ll be sure to inform them the waiting list is at least a few months out.”

Hiccup smiled faintly. Of course Gobber would.

He could also have said he’d do their jobs and repairwork shoddily, but both of them knew Gobber would never lessen the quality of his work for any reason. No, he would just make them wait an absurdly long time for it - which was just as disruptive a punishment.

“In the meantime, you take care of those two. Let your father hammer some sense into those stubborn Elders, and I’ll keep you updated.” He climbed onto Grump, and gave Agnut a hand up. She nodded to Hiccup as she seated herself behind Gobber.

“Haddock,” she said, before they took off. “I want you to tell them that I’m sorry. Please let them know I still consider myself their cousin.”

“Really? So if they need anything, you can lend them food or money or a place to stay?” Hiccup asked flatly.

“Heavens no! The family strictly punishes anyone who takes in a disowned ex-Thorston. I’d be disowned myself, along with my little ones. I don’t like it either, but that’s the way it is. I truly wish they had passed the Trials.”

“I’m sure you do,” Hiccup sighed, knowing it was pointless to lash out at Agnut. She was part of the problem, but not the root of it.

He waited for her and Gobber tp leave before walking to the Clubhouse kitchen to round up some food. Fishlegs had beaten him to the task, unsurprisingly.

“Here,” he said, holding up a big basket. “Heather told me her yak chop recipe a while ago and Snotlout still had some extra figs from the last time he went to the Northern Markets. I wrote to Heather and Dagur already and told them everything.”

He looked worried, but Hiccup smiled and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Hey, well that’s good. It saves me from writing a very incoherently angry letter.”

Fishlegs huffed. “Oh, trust me, my letter was pretty blistering. I can’t believe that Gruffnut! And seriously - the Thorstons are really disowning their kids just because of some stupid Trials?! If you have a baby, then that baby is yours no matter what! My mom would never make me prove I was an Ingerman.”

Hiccup sighed. “I know, Fishlegs. Hopefully my Dad can make them see that. But like Agnut said, he can’t force them to change their traditions. We all just have to be there for the Twins right now. Make sure they eat, heal, and rest. Maybe even distract them a bit.”

The larger boy nodded, looking thoughtful. “You’re right, Hiccup. I’ll go see if I can work on some salves for their bruises and cuts.” He hurried off and Hiccup watched him, turning to go back to his hut.

He drew water from the well, determined to make them at least drink before going to sleep, and carried both bucket and basket through the door. Abruptly he stopped in his tracks when he saw the gold hair laying in a pile on his main floor. What on earth? Hiccup went up the stairs, setting his burdens down as he saw the Twins sitting upright.

Ruff had unbraided her hair, and it was still long, though not as long as it had been. She’d cut it to the middle of her back, and its natural curl was starting to return prettily. She was sitting behind Tuff now removing the beads and unbraiding what she could.

“Guys?” Hiccup asked, moving toward them.

“Hey,” Tuff responded morosely. “She’s helping me because . . .” He held up his injured wrist, grinning lamely.

“Why are you - you know you can wear your hair however you want to, right?”

“We actually can’t wear anything that ties us to the family - hairstyles included. Tomorrow we have to go to the Northern Markets and do a complete wardrobe change. Trade in our old stuff, you know. It won’t be so bad, there’s some new things I’ve had my eye on. I always wanted to try out that black leather vest with suede fringes.”

“You’d look awful in suede,” Ruff sighed. “You just like saying that word.”

“True. It is one of my favorites,” Tuff agreed. “Right up there with ‘fringes’.”

Hiccup shrugged, not quite sure how to take their change in mood. He picked up the basket. “I know you guys said you weren’t hungry, but -”

Tuff’s grey eyes widened and he lifted his head, sniffing. “Do I smell . . .?”

“Figs?!” Ruff dove over his shoulder for the basket, snatching it and nearly toppling her brother onto the floor. Tuff recovered and whirled around, and both of them descended upon the food.

“Ahh, not in the bed, come on - use the table,” Hiccup scolded. He sighed as they completely ignored him, but relented with a shrug. It didn’t look like there’d be any crumbs, and he was right; soon enough the basket had been emptied and Ruff was rapturously licking sticky fig seeds off her fingers while Tuff gnawed ferociously on a yak bone, stripping off the cartilage with his teeth.

Hiccup sat down next to them, and was surprised when they cleared the bed without needing asked - putting down the basket and flicking off stray blond hairs from Ruff’s impromptu haircut.

He was quite suddenly made part of a sandwich, Ruff on his left and Tuff nestled on his right, resting his swollen forearm over Hiccup’s stomach.

“Ahh,” Hiccup murmured in sympathy, reaching down to gently examine his younger friend’s wrist. “Definitely broken.”

His fingers lingered uncertainly, unsure if he should warn him first or just do it. Tuff sighed, and hid his face in Hiccup’s shoulder. “Go ahead,” he muttered. “Just be quick please.”

Hiccup did his best and with a sharp crack, set Tuff’s wrist. A pained yelp was quickly followed by a low sob. Tuff slid down to hide his face against Hiccup’s ribs, clinging tightly to him like some lanky frightened octopus. He remained so for a few moments, even as Hiccup rubbed his back and murmured reassurances. Tuff relented finally and let Hiccup get up to retrieve some pieces of kindling and linen to make him a splint

Toothless crooned a soft good night, hopping up on his own bed to make his usual circle of fire. After he finished wrapping Tuff’s wrist, Hiccup laid back down between them to make himself comfortable, oddly well used to sleeping with people in his bed. This was hardly the first time the Twins had crashed with him, but it was the first time they’d been invited to.

He watched Ruff fall asleep first, then Tuff, before finally succumbing to his own exhaustion.

It had been a long, hard day and they all needed some sleep.

-----

Unsurprisingly, Hiccup woke just before dawn to sobbing.

He’d blinked awake muzzily to realize his arms were empty and that it somehow wasn’t correct for them to be. Sitting up, he saw that it was Tuff’s turn to break down. Ruff was leaning against him with an arm around his shoulders and murmuring as soothingly as she could. Hiccup was at their side before he was fully articulate.

“Tuff? What - what’s up?”

“I thought he’d changed, I really thought this time he’d - I thought he cared for us! But he just  -” the boy managed in between hitching breaths.

Oh. Okay, well, there was reason number four-hundred and eighty-three to punch Gruff in the face the next time Hiccup saw him.

“Don’t worry about Gruffnut. He’s a scam-artist and a jerk. Didn’t he also fail the Trials?”

Wait, that didn’t come out right.

Tuff started wailing even harder and Hiccup groaned an apology, sitting up to rub his back.

“No, no, it’s not what you said - I just never realized how alone he must have felt all those years. I mean, no wonder he was a drifter . He - He didn’t even have a home to come back to -”

Ruff groaned and slapped her forehead. “Tuff, for crying out loud! The guy completely screwed us over, you can stop worrying about him. He’s fine! And we will be too. If he can do it, so can we, right? Remember saying all that, about the hut with a divider?”

“Yeah, I was just saying all that because I didn’t want Gruffnut to see us freak out! N-Not that I don’t have a few ideas for what we can do - I mean, I’m good at reading runes, finding clams and diving for abalone and oysters. And you can weave baskets out of anything and read palms and tell fortunes! W-We can make a living off that at the Northern Markets, right? Selling our wares and various talents?”

Hiccup wrapped his arms around the Twins. “Don’t worry about that, guys. Absolutely no-one is going to make you leave Berk.”

“But we can’t live in our house,” Ruff said. “And since our parents were only staying together for us, I bet they’ll finally going to -“

Tuff gave a questioning whimper, looking at her in horrified suspense.

“. . . Buy that new baby yak calf they were talking about last winter,” she covered, grinning weakly. “Can’t have too many yaks, right?”

Tuffnut sighed, sounding relieved, and missed Ruff shaking her head at Hiccup over his shoulder as she gave a thumbs down on the chances of their parents marriage lasting out the month.

“Oh Thor,” Hiccup muttered, rubbing his temples. “What I’m trying to say is you guys won’t be alone through this.”

“We know Hiccup, and thank you,” Tuff said. “It’s nice to know we’ll always have friends in these trying times. Whether it’s a couch to crash on, a basement to hang in, even a designated window to peer in sadly while you enjoy Snoggletog dinner with your family.”

“What . . . of all the ridiculous - you are my family!” Hiccup nearly shouted, with a ferocity that startled even himself.

The Twins stared at him, too stunned to make any sort of comment, and Toothless raised his head to chirp in surprise.

Hiccup stammered, face reddening. “I - I mean, you’re all more than just my friends - and that includes both of you. You guys are like the annoying little brother and sister I never had, and I’m not letting you go cold or hungry, or homeless. We’ll figure this whole thing out in the morning, but until we do, you will always have a home with me and Toothless.”

Neither Twin spoke a word, but they did tackle him into a warm hug, nearly sending all three sprawling off the bed.

———

“You can’t be serious,” Astrid said, eyes wide.

“Oh, I am.” Hiccup barely looked up from the grinding wheel, honing the edge of his sword. Astrid avoided the sparks but came around to stand in front of him.

“I know you want to help, but this is a huge decision. You’re likely going to be Chief someday!”

“That’s not decided yet,” Hiccup shrugged. “What’s decided is that the Twins are not going to be living on the street.”

“Of course not, but it doesn’t have to be you! I’m sure plenty of other Berkians will agree to house them until they find their own way,” she argued.

“Really? Name a couple.”

Astrid crossed her arms, fuming for a moment, then sighed. “Okay, you’re right. No-one else is coming to mind. Mostly because the Twins only seem to listen to you, even if barely.”

“They listen to you too,” Hiccup said, though he was smirking faintly. “When you aren’t being a - how did Ruff put it? A major buzzkill.”

She huffed, but couldn’t keep back a smile. “A buzzkill, huh? And what does Tuffnut say about me?”

“That you need to take a very long nap. Possibly smoke some dragon nip.”

Astrid huffed. “Fine. Just so you know, if either of them ever call me ‘Momstrid’, I’m going to punch them in the ear.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised by that in the least. Feel free to practice on Gruffnut or any other member of the Thorston family.”

She paused, folding her arms. “You’re really upset by this. I mean, it is upsetting, and I’m worried for them too, but . . . . this feels personal.”

Hiccup stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. “Astrid, I love my dad, okay? And everything that happened between us is in the past and we have a good relationship now. But I will never - ever - forget what it felt like when he said I was no longer his son.”

Wincing, Astrid moved toward him, gently touching his arm. She said nothing, letting him continue.

“The Twins just lost their entire family. They may joke and act like it doesn’t bother them, but I know better. It’ll be hard and insane and I’ll probably tear all my hair out by the end of the week, and yes, I’m aware I probably should have talked this through with you first, but -”

A kiss to his cheek quieted him. “Hiccup, you’re always going to do what’s right before you consider whether other people will be happy with it. That’s one of the things I like about you. What can I do to help you guys?”

Hiccup smiled gratefully, relieved she understood now.

***

The Twins’ family was like a pack of vultures. There was no kinder word for it.

Hiccup should have known something was up when Tuff and Ruff started taking things from their hut and hiding it in various corners of his room.

That morning he’d come upstairs to find Tuff nailing a floorboard back down. He’d grinned sheepishly, but finally confessed what was going on.

“Upon disownment, the entire family gets to go through the belongings of the failures,” he explained. “So in a few days, this island is going to be swarming with Thorstons fighting over all our stuff. We’re just hiding things that you guys gifted us with, and also stuff we can’t bear to part with, like Fluffers and my new favorite axe. Also, would you please claim Chicken and her little babies are yours? So nobody tries to eat them?” He clasped his hands together pleadingly, though he hardly needed to.

“Tuff, none of that’s going to happen. They are not coming to this island. I’ll write to the Chief and-”

“Way too late for that, H. Look out the window.”

Hiccup did and scowled as he saw a flock of dragons heading for the Edge, with all sorts of riders - most of them tall with similar hairstyles to the Twins.

“Okay, scratch that. They’re not landing on this island.” Hiccup walked out of the hut and whistled sharply. A few moments later Tuffnut curiously followed him outside.

A white shape flew over to Hiccup, who gave Smidvarg non verbal instructions with his hand, pointing at the approaching Thorstons.

Smidvarg gave a screech and flew off to gather his flock.

“What did you tell him to do?” Tuff asked, having missed most of the signals Hiccup relayed.

He had his answer as mere minutes later, a flock of Night Terrors began to relentlessly divebomb the approaching dragons and their riders.

There was a great deal of shouting and Ruff ran up to them, also watching wide-eyed as the beleaguered Thorstons tried to bat away their attackers and keep a hold on their dragons. Their progress on the island was halted; none of the Night Terrors would let them get a single wingbeat closer.

Finally, the flock turned back, heading South to Berk. The Night Terrors followed for a bit and then returned. Smidvarg landed on Hiccup’s arm, crowing proudly. He churred contentedly as he received a fond scratch on the crown of his head.

“Wow. You really mean business. Nobody’s ever done that before.” Ruff asked Hiccup, quietly.

“Yeah. I mean, I thought the offer was a nice, well-meaning but empty gesture we were supposed to politely turn down,” Tuff chimed in, “But now  . . . you really want us to live with you?”

Hiccup gave them both a smile. “I want you to join my family. It’s not quite adopting you - I mean, that would be awkward.”

“Indeed it would. What would we call you then? Dadcup? Daddock?”

“Ha, ha, please never call me that. I wouldn’t hear the end of it from Snotlout. But from now on, you guys can both call me brother.”

The Twins exchanged glances, and looked back at him, both looking nearly overwhelmed.

“Your Dad won’t - “

“He will let you move in. Just let me handle it. All you two need to worry about now is taking care of yourselves and your dragon. You still need to heal and rest. If you’re up for it, we’ll head for Mala’s island tomorrow morning.”

Again, Ruff and Tuff exchanged glances. “Well, I don’t see the harm in it. I’m simply dying for another coconut.”

“And we can see if Mala’s killed Dagur for real yet,” Ruff grinned. Tuff elbowed her, scowling. It resulted in the usual scuffle, which Hiccup knew better than to intervene in.

-----

Mala and her healers did what they could, applying a pain-relieving salve from dandelion heads and arnica flowers for both Twins, making sure fractures were properly set and gashes stitched. They’d had to give Tuff a few bites of sage fruit so he could remain calm, as he absolutely hated needles.

He wound up needing to eat the whole thing just to remain still, and as a result was more than a bit dazed when he and Ruff got let out.

Ruff smirked at her grinning brother, smoothing her tunic over bandaged ribs. “How you feeling there, bro?”

“This planet is so beautiful. I’m so glad we’re on it.”

“Ooookay, Boynut, yeah. We’re on a pretty great planet.” Dagur commented, largely amused. He whispered behind his hand to Hiccup. “What’s a planet, little brother?”

“Hey, wait a second! If Hiccup’s our brother and your his big brother, does that make you our big brother too?” Ruff interjected.

“Uh . . .” The Berserker suddenly looked hunted. Heather put a hand over her mouth to hide her grin.

“We’ve never had a big brother! Just a few older cousins.” Tuff walked toward him with open arms. Dagur stopped him with a hand on his face.

“Nope, no - you’re Hiccup’s little brother, but I’m not your big brother. And if you ever prank me - ever -  I’ll hang you from a coconut tree by your ankles.”

“Just what a big brother would say!” Tuff cried rapturously. He ducked under Dagur’s hand and hugged him tightly around the waist. The look on Dagur’s face made Hiccup, Heather, and Mala burst out laughing.

“What’s wrong, Dagur? Don’t like being called brother incessantly?” Hiccup teased, failing to keep a smirk off his face.

Dagur snorted, shook his head and relented. “Fine. Come here, Girlnut.” Ruff gleefully ran over and he picked both of them up, hugging them until their joints cracked.

“Berserker Spine-crusher Hug! I love it!” Tuff gritted out.

The others were still laughing as Dagur set the Twins down. The Berserker gave Heather a crafty look. “And you know this also means Heather’s your big sister.”

Heather stopped laughing and yelped as she was suddenly tackled in a hug between both twins, lifting her off her feet. It was Dagur’s turn to burst out laughing as she glared at him flatly, but she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. Heather wrestled her pinned arms free and hugged the twins around the shoulders as they set her down.

Mala beckoned to Hiccup, wishing to talk to him aside.

“Am I to understand the family of Tuffnut and Ruffnut no longer want to claim them?” she asked, looking puzzled. “How is this allowed on your island?”

“Well, it’s not normal. But from what I’ve seen, the Twins are better off without them. Doesn’t really stop the sting on their end, but . . . I think they’ll be okay. We have our own family, all of us riders.”

“I understand. Even here, not every family is happily in tune with each other. The families you find can often be formed with stronger ties than bonds of blood. I believe the Twins will be happy to live with you, though it may take some adjusting.”

Hiccup watched as the Twins ran past, Ruff triumphantly holding up Heather’s axe as she shouted indignantly and chased after them. Dagur was laughing too hard to help her much.

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be plenty of adjusting. But we’re all going to be there for the Twins, and I know they’ll always be there for us. They’re the heart of the group. At the end of the day, no matter how rough it’s been, they’re always there to cheer us up. And they’re often brilliant - some people can’t see it. I can’t imagine what our group would be without them.”

“You care for them, but not just as a leader,” Mala smiled. “And what do you think your father, Chief Stoick, will think about these ravens of mischief moving into your home when you return to Berk?”

Hiccup laughed wryly. “Ohh, there’s going to have to be a few arguments here and there, I’m sure. But Dad would never turn them away either . . . especially not now, when they need us the most.”

He watched them fondly, glad the Twins were smiling again, despite everything. Hiccup couldn’t think of a single thing worth more than that.

End.