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﹏﹏𓊝﹏1: For the first time﹏𓊝﹏﹏
He’s ten, and has only been so for a few weeks, when it starts.
There was a raid recently, which means everyone is in a bad mood and their food stores are lower than normal, worsening the already bad moods around the island.
Hiccup knows he is a runt, that has long been made clear to him by many of the others on Berk. But he hasn't really figured out why it's such an important distinction; he's about to get a hint, though.
He doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but it's not his fault that these two men are talking so loudly and carelessly, unaware of their surroundings, and definitely unaware of Hiccup walking just behind them to make it to the great hall.
"—the chief gives him too much! He's just a runt, what's he need with such a full plate? Shouldn't even be around at all to take from the food stores, but the chief just refused to leave him out for a night when he was born, and now we gotta deal with watching him get full plates with every meal?"
"Yeah, all that food would be better spent given to people who can actually contribute to the village, not the chief's runt."
Hiccup frowns, coming to a stop on the pathway. The two men continue on their way to the great hall, still complaining, though just before they're out of earshot Hiccup hears them change topics to another complaint.
His stomach rumbles with hunger, but Hiccup ignores it and turns on his heel, walking back to his house rather than the great hall. Maybe those men were right. He's a runt, he knows this, he's smaller than all the rest of the kids his age, maybe being a runt means he needs less food than everyone else too.
So Hiccup ignores his hunger, and for the first time—but not the last—he skips a meal.
﹏﹏𓊝﹏2: When he thought he had too much﹏𓊝﹏﹏
Yesterday, Hiccup had eaten three full meals for the first time in a long time. He can't remember the last time he hadn't skipped a meal or two each day before yesterday, that's how long it's been.
Today, Hiccup feels terribly, horribly nauseous with guilt about it. He shouldn't have had so much to eat yesterday. He doesn't need the food; he does just fine without it, really. It was thoughtless of him to take as much as he had.
He bites back the bile that's risen in his throat; even though he wants nothing more than shove his fingers down into his throat until he's gagging, making himself throw up since the thought of being so full has him drowning in regret, he won't— he can't. If he throws up the food (that he didn't need in the first place, it's wasted on him, he didn't need to eat so much), then it really will have been wasted.
Hiccup comes to a decision; he won't eat anything at all today… or tomorrow… then after that he can go back to a small meal each day; but he needs to make up for eating too much yesterday, it's only fair.
﹏﹏𓊝﹏3: To Toothless's great concern﹏𓊝﹏﹏
Toothless has been with Hiccup all day, and he knows for a fact that he hasn't seen Hiccup eat yet. He's grown to care for his new friend, and Toothless is sure humans should be eating something every day, surely, so he decides he'll share his fish with Hiccup today. Hiccup usually accepts it when Toothless shares his fish, though after that first time Hiccup has taken to cooking the fish Toothless offers over a fire. To each their own, Toothless supposes.
This time, though…
This time Hiccup doesn't accept the fish Toothless tries to share with him. Toothless tilts his head, and pushes the fish towards Hiccup again. All Hiccup does is give him a smile that seems dimmer than his usual smiles, and then he pushes the fish back to Toothless.
"Thanks, bud, but I'm… I'm not hungry right now."
﹏﹏𓊝﹏4: The first time another human noticed﹏𓊝﹏﹏
Astrid knows something is up with Hiccup. He's somehow improved at dragon training almost overnight, and she wants to know how. So, she's been keeping a closer eye on him lately. Or, trying to; somehow, he always manages to slip away.
But he hasn't yet today; Astrid has been watching him all morning, and he hasn't left the village yet. By now, night is falling, and many people are starting to go back to their homes.
She watches as he leaves the great hall, and as she gets up to see if he's going home or if he's sneaking away from the village, she comes to the realization that she hasn't seen him eat anything at all today.
…actually, she's barely seen him eat anything any of the days she's managed to keep an eye on him.
﹏﹏𓊝﹏5: That time an enemy noticed﹏𓊝﹏﹏
"I see you haven't touched the food I had brought to you, my dear." Viggo says, coming to a stop outside of the cell Hiccup is currently locked inside. "If it's poison you worry about, rest assured I respect you enough to kill you in battle, not with poison."
Hiccup snorts, "Thanks, but I wasn't worried. Food and I just don't get along, let's say. Give it to someone who needs it, yeah?"
Viggo looks at him like he's a puzzle he hasn't quite managed to solve yet, "You have been here all day, my dear Hiccup, I would say you are indeed someone who needs to eat."
"Agree to disagree." Hiccup smiles wryly.
﹏﹏𓊝﹏+1: Starting to recover﹏𓊝﹏﹏
Hiccup thinks he's been doing better, lately. Because yes, he realized he wasn't exactly doing well, skipping all those meals. He doesn't… like eating. But he recognizes that he has to eat.
It's gotten a little easier to, since moving to the Edge.
Tonight, he walks into the clubhouse and joins the others sitting around the table. For once, he doesn't make excuses to leave when there's food set down in front of them all. He fills his plate and does his best to ignore how much food is on it, and he lets himself get distracted by the conversation his friends have started.
By the end of the night, his plate is empty… and for once, it doesn't feel that bad.