Heat of the Forge

The heat in the forge had past unbearable ten degrees ago. It was just like the Island of Berk to do something like that, always have an extreme. The weather couldn't just get a little warmer for once, no, the heat had to roll over the island like an oven door opening.

Gobber was working on a set of new weapons. Sure the dragons were allies now, but there were plenty of other Viking tribes that the Hairy Hooligans were not on good terms with and they still had plenty of fighting to do.

But fighting was not what was on Gobber's mind that day. There was overwhelming dread in the pit of his stomach. He looked outside to see the sun was high in the mid-day sky, and Hiccup had still not arrived to work. Just as he went back to pounding the hot metal, Hiccup darted through the door and started working. No 'hello', no, 'sorry I'm late', and that was just fine with Gobber. The awkwardness was worse than the heat.

Gobber wished he could forget last night, when he had been fooling around with Astrid's notoriously gay uncle Tanstrap, and Hiccup had unexpectedly walked into the forge and seen them both with their pants down. The boy had stood there for half a second before turning and walking out again. Gobber felt so bad for his little apprentice, seeing something like that between two burly Viking men. And even worse, that Hiccup thought he'd have to come and work with Gobber the next day.

They worked in silence for about an hour, both sweating from the torturous heat. Finally Hiccup broke the silence when he came near to grab a tool. "So I guess that's why you never got married." Gobber looked at him, surprised to see him wearing a silly grin. "So are you two… together?"

Gobber's jaw dropped, and then he burst out laughing. "Tanstrap? Odin, no! He jus' knows how to have a good time now an then." He sort of regretted saying that as the look in Hiccup's eyes changed. Once again he felt guilty. "I'm sorry ye saw such a thing."

"Oh, whatever. S'okay." Hiccup said. He paused for a minute. "Jeez, has it ever been this hot before?" The boy peeled off his green tunic, revealing the sheen of sweat over his chest.

Right then, someone knocked at the door. Gobber opened it. It was the merchant who came to Berk every month to deliver crates of raw metal and stone, another man Gobber fooled around with on occasion.

"Hey there Gobber, I've got your shipment here. I put the crates out back." The merchant took a look at Hiccup and smiled, knowing today was not a good day to hook up.

"Aye, thanks a bunch." He turned to Hiccup. "Fetch me the money from the back room, Lad."

"Yep," Hiccup said, hobbling to the back and returning.

Gobber didn't like the way the merchant looked at Hiccup. Sure he fooled around with men his own age, but Hiccup was a good boy uninvolved in such things. And Gobber didn't want anyone thinking otherwise.

He paid the merchant and went back to where he was working. But Hiccup didn't go back to work. He came over and slipped himself between Gobber and the hot metal he'd been hammering. He took up his job with the hammer. They were very close then, and Gobber glanced down at his apprentices' thin form, the lean muscles contorting as he hit the metal. A bead of sweat slid from Hiccup's neck down his bare back, catching the light from the fire.

"You should probably carry those shipments in," Hiccup said, "You know I can't lift them."

Gobber nodded, pulling himself out of the weird trance. He shook his head and went outside. Things went on as usual for a while, but Hiccup kept needing things that were close to Gobber's work station. Their skin kept brushing, and Gobber was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Hiccup was acting funny.

The fifth time Hiccup came over for a tool, Gobber frowned at him. "Don't ye think it's awful crowded in here today?"

Hiccup stared at his toes, his shiny chest rising and falling. He gained resolve and faced Gobber. "What you did to Astrid's uncle, I want you to do that to me."

Gobber blinked. His ears must have not been working right.

Hiccup started to look nervous. "So what do you think?"

Gobber blinked again, and was suddenly furious. "What in ell are ye talkin' about? I'd never touch ye, not in a million summers."

"Why not?"

Gobber's mind swirled with reasons and he struggled to choose one. "Y-yer my apprentice, for one. And yer the chief's son! And you're just a kid!"

"I'm eighteen, now. I'm not a kid."

"Why in ell would ye talk of such a thing?"

Hiccup's mouth was open but he looked unsure of what to say. "You know me," he finally said, "Once I have an idea in my head, I can't get it out until I do something about it."

The blacksmith sighed. "Can't ye find some boy yer own age?"

Hiccup looked embarrassed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "I've been with Tuffnut, actually, but he doesn't know what he's doing and he… likes to hurt me. I started messing around with Snotlout but I'm pretty sure he'd be even worse than Tuffnut. And Fishlegs is with Ruffnut so… yeah. I need someone with experience and when I found out you swing that way…"

Gobber just stared. He'd always thought of Hiccup as a nephew, always seen him as a child. And he wasn't Gobber's usual type either, much too small. But here he was leaning against the edge of the stone forge, shirtless and shiny with sweat. The desperate look in his green eyes was absolutely enticing.

Gobber backed toward the door. Hiccup's shoulders sagged with disappointed, but then his eyes widened as Gobber turned the lock.