The bet

The melodic sound of the wind chimes hanging close to the door being swayed by a slight breeze echoed in the mostly empty café, signaling the entry of another customer. From behind the counter, a balding man with a prosthetic hand, a thick blond unibrow and a peculiar mustache looked up from the newspaper he was reading.   

A tall man with white-blond dreadlocks had just entered and his grey-blue eyes lit up in recognition when he saw the man behind the counter. He was probably about 6 feet tall and had a really nice build. Toned biceps and calves showed proudly under the military green sleeveless hoodie over a white tank top and gray cargo shorts that he wore. His skin must've been light a long time ago but it was almost impossible to tell because of the nice, almost bronze tan complexion he has now, obviously a product of being out in the sun for years. A sleek, new DSLR camera hung from his neck and he gave the man behind the counter a short wave as he walked over to him.

"Sup, Gobber?"

He greeted, resting his forearms on the smooth wooden countertop.

"'ello there Blondie, came to have some breakfast before snapping some pictures with yer fancy new camera?"

The blond man smirked and replied. "Ain't she a beauty? Took me forever to finally get her but she's well worth the wait. Unfortunately, I might not get to use her today. I'm gonna go for a run first then hit the beach, then maybe take pictures before going to work. Why are you here? Usually around this time you'd be asleep and Fishlegs would be running the place."

Gobber folded his newspaper and set it down on the counter between them. "Aye, well, remember when I told ye about my old friend Stoick?"

"Yeah, Snotlout's uncle. You said he was moving here soon."

"Aye. His plane flew in this mornin and I had to wake up early to pick 'em up. I would've gone back to sleep as soon as I dropped them off at their new house but I had to help him and Hiccup unpack some stuff and by the time I made it back, it was opening time and Donny is nowhere to be seen. So I just went in and here I am."

'Donny' is Fishlegs' real name. He's a pudgy blue-eyed blonde and he was Gobber's nephew. He had an unfortunately large amount of cellulite on his chunky little thighs when he was a kid and the other kids thought they looked like fish scales. Hence, his nick name. "Fishlegs" Most of the kids who called him it have grown out of it but to his close friends, the name stuck and they still call him Fishlegs even now, 15 years later.

The blond nodded once, appeared to think of something and asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hiccup?"

"Stoick's son. He's about yer age.-"

"His name is Hiccup?" he asked again, skeptical.

"Of course not ye oaf. Only yer parents are loony enough to name their kids something as odd as Tuff an' Ruff."

Tuff pouted at him but the balding man ignored him and kept going. "It's like with Donny. It's just a silly little nickname that stuck."

"Alright, what's his real name then?"

Gobber gave him a somewhat sly smirk and asked. "Interested are ye? Tired of all the other boys on the island?"

Had he been younger, he would've flushed indignantly and fire off a rude reply but his… preferences were ancient history now. Almost everyone in the entire island probably knew and sure some girls are still a bit disappointed and every new female tourist to lay eyes on him have yet to stop being dismayed that he will never chase after them, ever but honestly, he couldn't care even if he tried and as far as he knew, aside from those poor tourists, no one else cared.

"Just asking for a name, Gobber." He answered, but there was a small 'so what if I am?' smirk on his lips as he did.

"Why don't ya go ask him yerself?"

Gobber replied, gesturing with his artificial hand at something behind Tuff.

Tuff looked over his shoulder and he's ashamed to admit, his jaw fell open and he experienced a very clichéd very infantile schoolboy-seeing-the-hottest-person-alive moment.

Sitting in a booth all by him self next to one of the many glass windows in the café was probably one of the most handsome brunettes Tuff had ever seen in his entire 23 year life. His hair was slightly long-ish and chestnut brown with bangs long enough to fall lightly over one of his eyes. He was holding a paperback copy of some book in one hand and was tapping his fork against his plate absently with the other.

"Hey, Hiccup!"

Tuff looked at Gobber in surprise when the older man called out to the brunette but Gobber only held his attention for a split second before his eyes were back on the brunette sitting not too far from them.

The brunette looked up at the sound of his nick name being called and turned his head in their direction, causing the light streaming through the window to shine into one unbelievably green eye and highlight his hair, making it seem like he had a copper halo resting lightly on his head. He raised his eyebrows in inquiry and Tuff didn't even have the mind to worry if he noticed him openly staring at his face now that he could see it in all it's glory. He had some stubble on his chin and seeing it from the front just made him even more appealing, in a scruffy, very guy-ish way.

"D'ya need a refill?" Gobber asked, nodding at the small white mug, resting to the left of Hiccup's plate.  Hiccup looked into his coffee mug and looked back at Gobber with a small smile. "Actually, yeah, I do."

Gobber nodded, gave Tuff a discreet look that implied he saw the look on his face when Hiccup turned to face them and he intentionally called his name to make him look, and turned to go into the kitchen to grab a pot of coffee.
       
Tuff raised an eyebrow at him and turned his attention back to hot piece of man meat called Hiccup. Green eyes had now drifted to him and he was frozen on the spot for a split second, unsure of what to do. Then Hiccup offered him a small polite smile and he regained enough of his mental functions enough to smile back. And just like that, Hiccup turned his attention back to the book he was reading as if their little exchange didn't happen at all.

"Ey, If I've seen that look on yer face before, I've seen it a billion times. This one's off limits blondie."

Tuff looked over as Gobber emerged from the kitchen, walked around to the other side of the counter and nudged him with his prosthetic hand. He was holding a coffee pot in his other hand and he walked over to where Hiccup sat, poured him some coffee and said something to Hiccup who thanked him, laughed briefly and said something back. His eyes crinkled adorably when he laughed and Tuff wondered how long it was since he last saw someone who was hot and cute at the same time, at first sight.

When Gobber walked back to him, he looked at Tuff like a typical dad would when he sees a guy checking out his kid.

"No ok?"

"Why not?" Tuff asked. Raising his hands, palms up, in the 'Aw c'mmon' gesture.

Gobber sighed. "Look, maybe it's because I've known the kid since he was a baby or maybe it's because I've known ye since even before ye started chasing girls an then boys but see the thing is, no offense to ya but he's a good kid…not exactly the type that would be ya know, better off with yer type."

"What? Hey, just because I haven't dated anyone for more than 3 weeks, doesn't mean that I'm afraid of commitment."  Tuff protested.

Gobber gave him a look. "Sure Tuff." He muttered flatly.

Tuff opened his mouth to say something but Gobber cut him off. "I know he's a good looking lad an I don't care. No. Alright?"

Tuff shut his mouth, but he had on his 'You're being really unfair to me' face.

Gobber sighed and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, you think I don't approve of ya, wait til ya meet his dad. Look, the only way you'd ever get close to that," he said nodding at Hiccup. "Is if he hits on ya first."

Tuff's face lit up immediately and Gobber resisted the urge to smack himself.

"That wouldn't be much of a problem…unless he's straight."

Gobber sighed again. "Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me and Stoick, I'm afraid he's not."

Tuff smiled one of his huge shit-eating grins and Gober rolled his eyes. "Ok then, problem solved." he said.

Gobber raised the right half of his unibrow at him. "Don' be too cocky. What makes ye think he'd go fer you?"
  
"Dude, have you seen me?"

Tuff asked, gesturing to all his tanned, 6 foot something muscled glory.

"That is exactly the kind of meat-head attitude that would NOT make him swoon over ye. If there's anything he can't stand, it's men who think they're Adonis himself."

"Oh really?"

"Yah. Really. Those flock to Astrid all the time and Ya seen how Astrid deals with guys don't ya?"

"Yes…"

"Yeah, well he's like her only he uses more clever words and just words. But he gets the same results. Guys walk away, rejcted and with their egos and maybe even feelings, crushed."

"…Hmm…Hot with a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue…Could he be  more attractive?"

"Ugh." Gobber said, rubbing a palm over his face in exasperation.

"Alright, ya know what, Let's make a bet."

Tuff raised an eyebrow and waited for Gobber to continue.

"If he approaches ya first, I won't object. At all. And I'd do everything I can to make sure Stoick won't either. However,"

Tuff raised both his eyebrows, already feeling confident.

"Ye cannot approach him. In any way. Ye can't talk to him, ye can't pretend to ask him directions or anythin like that and ye can't ask anybody for help, Meaning no, ya absolutely can not ask Anthony for help."

'Anthony' was his best friend who he had affectionately dubbed "Snotlout" for reasons that he honestly couldn't even remember. They were only 4 when they met and he thinks the name popped up at about the same year, so yeah. However like Fishlegs, the name stuck and so he was forever known to Tuff and all their friends as Snotlout. Anyway, Snotlout, conveniently was Stoick's nephew meaning Hiccup was his cousin and he could have been Tuff's direct path to Hiccup but apparently, that was also out of the question.

He pouted. "Well that's just…You really think that there's no way in hell he'd go for me don't you?" he asked.  

"Not to put too fine a point on it, yes I do."

The part of his brain that is connected to his ego just registered that it had just suffered from a blow and immediately sent signals to the rest of his brain to defend it…in the only way he knew how, by being brash. Before he can really think about it, the words were out of his mouth.

"I accept that challenge. You got a deal."
    
Tuff held out his had and Gobber shook it. "Alrighty then. Now, how about I get ya yer breakfast?"

He'll show him. No one has resisted Tuff's charms before and most of those who hadn't fell for them with absolutely no effort on his part. Pfft, people swoon at the sight of him all the time. How hard could it be for Hiccup to do the same?


As it turned out, pretty hard.


Tuff stared out into the sunset dejectedly as he sat floating on his surfboard. It's been a week and a half since he first saw Hiccup. A week and a frikkin half!  He had gone to the café every morning hoping that the brunette would notice him and when that didn't help, he asked Snotlout to find out where Hiccup usually goes and he went there, putting himself in plain sight for the green-eyed man to see.

But so far, he hasn't gotten even a glance,

It's been a week and a half and he didn't even know Hiccup's real name! He could just ask Snotlout but where's the fun in that? Besides Lout had already given him enough information about his cousin to write him an autobiography, he wanted to find out at least one thing on his own.

"Wow, this is a new record. For both of you. A week and a half of stalking and he still hadn't noticed you. Either he's really just that blind or you're losing your touch."

Tuff glared at Snotlout, who was floating beside him on his own board, eagerly looking at the waves and waiting for one big enough to surf on.

"I wonder how he'd react if he finds out I've told a guy who wants to rape him practically, every-damn-thing about him, allowing said guy to stalk him like there's no tomorrow."

Tuff's glare intensified and he pouted. "I am not stalking him."

Snotlout turned and gave him the 'Oh, please' look.

"Do I have to remind you of your basement? It has "creepy stalker" written all over it. No one can walk down there without going up to their eyeballs with pictures of Hiccup. He paused to shudder.

"Dude seriously, he's my cousin. Couldn't you pick someone else to be obsessed about?"

"I'm not obsessed!" Tuff said indignantly. And he wasn't. Much.

"You probably know his life story better than he does and you haven't even talked to him!"

"What? How is that my fault, YOU told me everything there is to know about him."

So what if he knew that Hiccup was born on the same year, 4 months behind him, he was allergic to shrimp, he used to compete as an equestrian and he had a black horse named Toothless? So what if he knew that he goes to Gobber's café practically every morning and orders scrambled eggs and waffles and black coffee? So what if he knew that Hiccup had a degree in architecture and arts and he works in the local high school as a math and art teacher and that he goes for a morning run twice a week?   

He didn't force Snotlout to tell him all that…Technically.

And the pictures? Well, he was a photographer. When he sees something worth taking a picture of, he takes his camera and he snaps a picture. And really, what person with a more than decent camera could resist taking a picture of someone who has a face like Hiccup's? He'd bet anything tons of people had before. (actually he doesn't need to, Snotlout told him that Hiccup was prone to getting stalked. That was why his dad was so overprotective of him. But anyway,)  

"YOU wouldn't shut up about him! I had to do something!" Snotlout fired back.

They fell into a short silence, then Snotlout spoke again.

"Just give up on him man, it's not like there isn't a battalion of other guys out there who would be more than willing to let you screw them into the floor."

Snotlout had been surprisingly accepting, (well you know, for him) about Tuff's preferences when he came out but never has he actually interfered with his lovelife or in this case, lack thereof.

"Or screw the bet, walk up to him and just kiss him til he can't see straight, anything to get you to stop being an obsessed stalker. It's creepy and it's disturbing. Specially because he's my frikkin cousin."

"No. Dude, have you ever seen Gobber when he goes into protective parent mode? He'll chop my dick off if I even dared to try anything."

Tuff reasoned and it was true but the real reason he wouldn't give up the bet was because he was just a stubborn bastard like that. He said he'd get Hiccup to notice him and he would. Plus there was just something about a challenge that Tuff finds so irressitable.

"Hmph. Fine. But if you snap and you get arrested for rape, don't expect me to bail you out."

Tuff smirked. "Don't blame me, your cousin is just so damn rape-able. Have you seen his ass? If Gobber wouldn't mutilate me beyond recognition, I'd hit that in a second."

"Ew. Dude, you're talking about my cousin here."

Tuff's smirk only grew wider. "You know what I'd do when I finally get that for myself? I'd tie him up, strip him down and-"

Tuff didn't get to continue as Snotlout kicked him off his board.  


Tuff's "Stalking" went on for another week and he was starting to think he was never going to win the bet, when one day he saw Hiccup on the beach.

The brunette was sitting in a hammock hanging between two trees. He was wearing a pale gray tank top that showed off lightly muscled arms and a pair of faded ripped jeans. A sketchbook was open on his lap and he appeared to be drawing something while the breeze ruffled his chestnut brown hair lightly.

He had just parked his pick up truck when he saw him and immediately, his photographer instincts kicked in and he knew he had to take a picture. So he took his DSLR, hopped into the back of his pick up and prepared to take a picture. Hiccup was in a position where he was practically facing him and if he would just look up, he'd be able to see Tuff but seeing as he had taken thousands of photos without him knowing, Tuff thought there's no chance this time would be different.

So he snapped a photo.

Wow, Hiccup looks so hot when he's focused.

And another.

Hmm, three more shots wouldn't hurt. That light streaming through the leaves of the trees is magnificent.

And another.

On the third shot, Hiccup looked up. He looked up and smiled.

Frikken smiled.

At him.

Tuff blinked but didn't take his eye away from the view finder, too surprised to move. Did he really just smile at him?

Hiccup was still looking straight at him and then he pulled out a digital camera and aimed it at Tuff. When the flash went off, Tuff finally took his camera away from his face.  

Hiccup was now smirking at him and Tuff felt a wave of embarrassment so strong, he blushed for the first time since he was 14. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at him and he could only grin sheepishly and resist the urge to drown himself. Now he knew what his dad meant when he said, you'll only feel shame about anything when you get caught.

Trying very hard to play it cool and to look at anything but Hiccup, he stood, jumped down from the back of his truck, got into his car, put away his camera and drove away, banging his head on the steering wheel twice in the process.

Two weeks later, Tuff received an invitation to the annual arts night in the school Hiccup worked in and on the bottom there was a note that said.

Come, you might want to see something.

-JH

He had no idea who the hell JH was and he sure as hell didn't trust him but the note really intrigued him.

So he went.

There were a ton of impressive photos and artwork on display from all the most talented art students in the school but only one portrait really caught his attention.

On display near the entrance to the auditorium where the event was being held, was an exquisite oil painting of…him…with a camera held up in front of his face, crouched down in what really looked like the back of a pick up truck. The rest of the truck was blurred by a myriad of different colors so it was a little hard to tell. The background was a mixture of different hues of blues and greens all blending into each other beautifully and it highlighted the only solid figure in the portrait, him.

Under the painting there was a little plaque and it said

Title: Capturing real life
Medium: Oil paint
Artist: James Haddock

There was also a description of what the painting was supposedly about but he didn't read it. He got stuck at the name.

Haddock…why does that sound-

He found his eyebrows raising out of their own accord as he realized that Haddock was Snotlout's last name. Well, it was before his parents got divorced and he switched to Jorgenson, which was his mom's last name.

"I was gonna call it "The Hot Stalker" but I don't think admin would have let me get away with that."

Tuff jumped in surprise and immediately turned to find no other than the person he had been following for weeks, looking nothing short of delectable in a black long sleeved button down shirt and a pair of denims and smirking up at him.

"Hi." He greeted.

It took a bit of effort to get his mouth to work but he managed. "Hi."

"So, we finally get to talk."

Tuff didn't reply, too focused by noting that his eyes(well, all of him really) are even more gorgeous up close and that those freckles on his cheek are just too cute.

"I heard from Snotlout that you weren't a psycho stalker and I was wondering why you wouldn't just ask me out. Then he told me about your bet with Gobber."

Here Hiccup paused to rolled his eyes.

"So, I'm James. Or as Snotlout and Gobber probably told you, Hiccup." He said, holding out his hand.

"Tuff. Tuff Thorston." He replied, taking Hiccup's smaller hand into his own and shaking it slowly, all the while trying to ignore the very unmanly voice shrieking something like 'He's holding my hand!' in his head.

"Now that that's over with, I believe this is the part when you ask me out?"

Tuff grinned. "Are you free tomorrow at 8?"

"I am."

"Awesome."

Hiccup smiled. "There. Snotlout should be happy now. He's been whining about men and relationships for weeks."

Tuff chuckled. "Believe me, I know. Oh damn, now I don't have anything to make him squirm." He said, snapping his fingers in mock disappointment.

Hiccup laughed. "True…I think I do though."

Tuff smirked. "Go on," he urged.

Hiccup smiled a smile that could only seen on the face of someone who's up to no good and Tuff knew that he won't be letting this one go for a looong time.

========


"Gah! What the fuck?!"

Snotlout screamed as a full cup of the iced tea they were serving inside landed on his head, drenching him in the sweet drink.  He looked up to see where the blasted thing came from and instantly regretted it. He knew he shouldn't have let Astrid talk him into coming here.

Up there on the balcony above him was Tuff and Hiccup…eating each other's faces.

There was no other word to describe the way their mouths were clashing together, tongues peeking out here and there. Tuff had his arms wrapped around Hiccup's upper back while Hiccup had both hands buried in Tuff's dreads.

"Holy shit." He manged to utter.

"Woah, is that your cousin and Tuff?" Astrid asked from beside him.