Work Text:
Hiccup was tired.
However, he didn’t feel the need to sleep. No. He was just tired of the monotony and the responsibility of being the chief of Berk. You see, after the final battle against Drago, he had taken the position like his father before him. The thing was that he did not really want to be a leader, he just wanted to continue exploring with Toothless even if only for one day; to clear his mind like he used to before his father had died he became chief.
It didn’t help that his relationship with Astrid had become... strangled after they had broken up either. So, being trapped on the island where your ex was, and having to act like nothing was wrong or that he didn’t mind the stares and questions was nothing sort of torture.
Still, he pushed through it all. His village needed him, even if he just wished he could go back to the old times where everything was easier. He had met his mother and, even if it was just for a short moment, he had everything; just for it to be ripped from his grasp shortly afterwards by Drago.
It had been painful. It was still painful... He still remembered the smell, the way his father’s hand had felt when he touched him for the last time, pushing him out of the way so Toothless wouldn’t hit him. And Toothless... He still remembered how he had looked at him, how he had been so confused and lost, wondering what had happened right before regaining his consciousness and trying to get closer, only for Hiccup to shout at him and push him aside when he needed him the most.
He knows Toothless forgave him, for he was grieving, and he understood that. However, Hiccup had yet to forgive himself for lashing out at him like that.
He sighed.
There were good things that came out of it, he supposes. Toothless was now the Alpha, which made it easier to control dragons so that they didn’t wreak havoc on the village. And he also got his mom to move back to Berk to help guide him, although she chose to live in another house, claiming that their house had too many memories for her to move on.
Oh, how he wished he could go back and change things, even if-
Before he could continue with that train of thought, a loud sound distracted him. Looking up he saw Toothless approaching him with a worried face, as if he could sense his bad mood and wanted to check on him.
“Hey Bud” said Hiccup, reaching to Toothless’ head and resting their foreheads together, causing the dragon to purr softly and lick Hiccup a bit. “Toothless! You know this doesn’t wash off!”
Looking unapologetic, the dragon kept doing it until he got Hiccup up from the bed. The latter wore a fond smile on his face and started preparing for the day, those previous thoughts forgotten. At least for now.
After getting ready and having breakfast, they headed for the great hall for a long day of meetings. Another thing the brunette missed were the early morning flights he and Toothless used to go on. Now, however, the start of his days were always filled with meeting after meeting and, as chief, he had to attend every one of them.
As they walked, Hiccup couldn’t help but notice that everyone kept sending him glances as he passed by. Some of them were apologetic, some curious, but the ones he hated the most were the sympathetic ones. It had been weeks since he and Astrid had broken up, yet he still couldn’t live it down.
Trying to ignore everyone, he sped up. The sooner he got to the great hall, the sooner the meetings would end. Meanwhile, Toothless stayed beside him, sending glares and growling softly when the other Vikings didn’t get the hint. Hiccup appreciated it, he really did, as he just didn’t have it in him to say anything himself. They just kept walking until they eventually made it to the grand hall.
Upon entering he made direct eye contact with Valka who smiled softly at him, the way only a mother could, before directing her gaze to all of the Vikings that were gathered there and saying:
“Alright everyone. Hiccup is here, so please take your seats and let’s begin”
And so began the discussions about the future and management of Berk. They ranged from how to build enough housing for all the new dragons they had acquired from the fight with Drago, to the continuous fights against the hunters; including other topics such as the rationing of their food and supplies.
Just when they were about to start discussing how to take care of what had been destroyed in the twins’ latest prank, the doors to the great hall burst open and everyone fell silent, turning their heads to find Astrid, Eret and someone none of them knew.
The unknown man was thin and small; he couldn’t be more than five feet and five inches tall (1.65m). He had a long black and white beard, braided into intricate patterns, signifying he took great care of it. He also had an elegant way of moving, as if he was flying instead of walking. His attire wasn’t that of a typical merchant either, it was far more elegant, with some golden threads within their clothes, signalling a good status.
They walked hurriedly towards Hiccup, with worried expressions on their faces. This confused everyone else. After all, it wasn’t often that people interrupted these meetings, so it had to be of great importance.
Once they got to the chief, Astrid quickly spoke without leaving room for argument:
“Hiccup, we need to talk. This is important, whatever you’re doing can wait.”
Confused, Hiccup looked around uncomfortably and, after a few seconds, nodded, letting the rest of the hall know that they would continue with this meeting the following day. It was obviously important if Astrid herself was here, considering on what terms they were on at the moment.
“What is it, and who is he? What’s happening?”
“His name is Einar, and he is a trader we found while patrolling. Apparently, he had an encounter with the dragon hunters because of some information he had, and now he came here to ask for our help” Replied Astrid.
Seeing as this was serious, Hiccup immediately sat straight, focusing his whole attention on them. At the same time, a curious Toothless approached them, sitting next to his rider.
“I see. What is it that you need, Einar?”
“Well, I was just minding my own business, trying to sell some goodies, when suddenly a group of hunters appeared and started asking about Driftmist Haven. This, if you don’t know, is a mysterious place lost to time, which is rumoured to have ruins of an ancient civilization.” Said the newcomer, pausing a moment to take a breath. “They somehow knew I had information about this place and they wanted to know how to find it in order to search for relics and knowledge, which would let them enslave even more dragons. Obviously, I tried to refuse but, in the end, I was forced to tell them where it was”
“I can confirm it, Hiccup. I also heard rumours of that place when I was a hunter. It was said to have been the home to a civilization that had far more knowledge about dragons than any other before or after. Still, no one knew how to find it, so it remained hidden. But now…now I fear that if they reach this place they could get their hands on some relic or paper that could tell them far too much. We must get there first” Said Eret, who, up to this moment, had been fidgeting from side to side.
Such a sight made Hiccup consider the situation carefully. If that place truly had such knowledge or relics, they couldn’t just let the hunters have free reign over it. They had to get there before them and prevent anything from falling in the wrong hands.
“I see... Then we must act fast. How far is this place from here Einar?” asked Hiccup, taking out his map and standing, already thinking of how he could plan everything.
“That’s the problem; it’s about 2 weeks from here on ship and about 3 days by dragon. They already have the advantage, so we must hurry.” Replied the merchant, biting his nails while he paced in front of them.
Hiccup paused. Maybe this was the excuse he was looking for. Toothless was one of the fastest dragons. He could make sure the Hunters didn’t get their hands on anything while also taking a break from his chief duties. It was a win for him and probably for Toothless too, since their flights had become more and more scarce after taking on the role of chief.
With that in mind, he glanced at his dragon, finding that he was already watching him and made a choice.
“Then Toothless and I will take the lead while you come behind us. This way we could get there faster and make sure that nothing falls on their hands. Actually, my mom should come too, since she may know more about this place and has been dealing with the hunters longer than us.” Said Hiccup, a determined and yet excited look on his face.
Toothless, after hearing this, started nuzzling Hiccup in an excited manner. It seemed that the dragon missed flying too.
“Yeah... It’s settled then. Toothless and I will go ahead and scout the island while you guys get ready to come. We leave at dawn tomorrow.” Declared the chief, leaving no room for argument.
While he said this, Hiccup was already checking everything they would need and getting up from his seat, forgetting a crucial piece of information.
“Hiccup, wait! Uhhh…Einar still hasn’t told you where it is...” Exclaimed Eret before the other could get away.
“Oh!... Oh yeah, sorry, please go ahead Einar.”
“Well, before I do you should keep something in mind: Do not, not even for one second, think that nothing unexpected will happen. That place... It’s said to not only have relics and knowledge but also a connection to the gods. What I mean is, be careful, for a greater power may be present there.” Said Einar with a mysterious glint in his eyes, as if he knew more than he let on.
Nevertheless, Hiccup didn’t really pay attention to his expression, only to the position he then marked on his map: a secluded island he hadn’t thought much about when he first flew near it.
He also failed to notice the suspicious look Astrid sent Einar’s way or the weird look he got from Eret, only thinking about how he was finally going to feel the wind on his face again.
“Very well, I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s go Toothless, we have a lot of things to do before we leave” said Hiccup, leaving the hall behind and, with it, his chief responsibilities. It felt... refreshing.
The next day, Hiccup woke up to soft warbles and a tongue licking his face eagerly. In turn he smiled and opened his eyes, seeing Toothless already looking at him with a questioning look on his face. He immediately understood what it meant.
“Alright, alright, I’ll go get ready. I knew you missed going on these trips as much as I did. Didn’t you bud?” Asked Hiccup. Toothless, in turn, replied by jumping around in the house, not unlike he did many years ago when he first woke up after the battle with the Red Death.
“I thought so. I missed those flights a lot too, bud. But at least we are getting a minimum of six days in a row to make up for some lost time, huh?”
After he finished getting dressed, he and Toothless had some breakfast and then picked the dragon’s prosthetic tailfin and saddle. The human then, attached the latter to his dragon and went to fetch all the other things they would need which were already prepared from the day before.
“Very well then. Provisions? Check; camping supplies? Check; hyperactive dragon? check.” At that, he got thwacked by said dragon’s tailfin as he got a death glare from him too. Hiccup started laughing. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Let’s just go, bud we have everything ready”
He started getting pushed to the door and, seeing how bad they had missed flying… why would they wait any longer? And so, with a mighty sweep of Toothless’ wings they took off to the sky, starting the trip to Driftmist Haven.
The moment they were a safe distance from the ground, they started celebrating the freedom it brought in their own way: doing stunts, flying side by side with the help of Hiccup’s suit and overall just enjoying each other company in the skies once more.
Once they had both burned off their excess energy, caused by weeks upon weeks of being earthbound, they decided to stop in a small island to make camp and pass the night. The settlement itself didn’t consist of much, just a small tent for the both of them and some furs, a blanket and a pillow. Hiccup doubted they would need them though, since he had a dragon sized heater with him.
A while after, when they were both comfortable, Hiccup sat down and said “You know, bud? It wasn’t until this morning when we took off that I realized how much I needed this. Flying with you is one of the only things that make me sane, that keep me grounded... To be honest I don’t know how I would endure any of this without you” As he said this, Toothless crept closer, placing his head on his lap and warbling softly as if replying.
“I know, I know. I’m cheesy. But I really want you to know that I... I appreciate you Toothless. I wouldn’t give you up for anything.” After this statement the dragon replied by softly nuzzling him, telling him in that language that only the other one knew that he felt the same way. Meanwhile, Hiccup was softly running his hands above the scales on his head in a soft caress. It seemed like both of them understood that, without the other, they weren’t complete.
Both the dragon and his rider stayed like that for quite a long time, just cuddling and basking in each other presence until they eventually feel asleep.
The second day was a copy of the first: they soared trough the skies as one, enjoying the wind on their bodies and the sense of freedom it brought them. At night they once again shared a tent, talking to each other in a language only the two of them could understand until they fell asleep, safe in each other presence.
At noon of the third day, they finally got to the island where Driftmist Haven was. The former was huge; it had mountains, cliffs… it even had forests so big you couldn’t even see where they ended. The duo spent about an hour scouting the coast to ensure that there weren’t hunters already there before heading in the direction of the ruins Einar had marked in the map.
Driftmist Haven was located on the central part of the island, a slight mist concealing it from the naked eye. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you wouldn’t notice it. Furthermore, there were some rock structures that could be seen once you got close enough.
It didn’t take them long to find a place to land near the ruins. Once they were earthbound again, they could start to appreciate the approximate shape the building had in its golden times: it had been a square-like structure, a huge one at that. If someone were to approach its middle, they could see the decayed walls with its once intricate pictures turned into little more than just vague shapes.
There were also huge stone pillars that had carvings ingrained within. But the most awe-inspiring feature was the altar which the pillars seemed to gravitate towards. It was positioned on the middle of the square, somewhat elevated from everything around it. Its former purpose had probably been to conduct some sort of ceremony and it seemed to be the only place where the drawings and writings of the wall were legible.
As they crept closer to it, Hiccup started seeing familiar figures in the pictures of the wall: there were dragons and human like creatures. They were all bowing to three cloaked figures which towered over all of them. From these cloaked figures there seemed to be a ray coming out, dividing the human like creatures and the dragons.
It wasn’t until they were both right next to both the altar and the wall that Hiccup noticed that those were not really ordinary humans, but a mixture of dragon and man. They had their wings folded over their backs, with their tails either resting in the air or on the floor. And now that he really thought about it, he knew who the cloaked figures were.
“The three Norns? Why would they be here?” Hiccup asked to no one but maybe himself. This did earn him a confused look from Toothless. “Oh, right. You don’t know who they are, do you bud? Well, they are three gods. Each one represents a time state: past, present and future. They are also said to be the ones in charge of the destiny of mortals.”
As he said this, Toothless started walking around the altar, sniffing and regarding it curiously. “I feel like I’m missing something here bud, but I don’t...” Before he could finish what he was about to say, his dragon stepped in some kind of plate. Strangely enough, it was the perfect shape for a dragon’s paw and when he tried to take it away from the surface, he found that it was stuck.
“Bud, what was that? Are you okay?” Hiccup started towards Toothless. Suddenly, all of the pillars’ engravings started glowing and the altar started making a sound that resembled a buzz. Seeing this they both started panicking and the human tried to get to his dragon only to find an invisible barrier keeping him at check. “Toothless, I don’t like this, get out of there NOW!”
Already in full fight or flight mode, the night fury started shooting plasma blasts at the altar at the same time he started thrashing in a futile attempt to free himself. Meanwhile, the altar’s buzzing had grown louder by the second and strange golden orbs were now visible on top of the stone pillars.
It was then that in a desperate attempt to at least protect Hiccup from whatever was happening, Toothless fired a plasma blast at his feet sending him flying backwards, landing mainly unscathed. Right after that, the pillars orbs seemed to send golden threads to the main altar causing it to wrap the whole island in a blinding white light.
Sadly, it seemed that the altar was in such a precarious state that, at the same time that the light started receding, a crumbling sound followed by a small explosion was heard from where it once was located at.
It took Hiccup a while to come back to his senses and, when he did, the first thing he noticed was all the dust that had been stirred up, which made him question what had happened. All he remembered was getting to the ruins and seeing an altar, getting close it and then Toothless had... Wait! Toothless! Where was he? Was he okay?
With those thoughts running through his mind, he quickly sat up and started searching around for his dragon while shouting his name. He even went to where the altar once stood but only found its remnants. Thinking the worst, he began to truly panic. The only good thing was that the dust had begun to settle, making the search just a tiny bit easier.
After some time of frantically searching, he stumbled upon something that made him pause. There, among the remnants of a pillar was what appeared to be an arm. It took him a moment to react. He didn’t remember any other person being nearby when he and Toothless had gone scouting or when they were exploring the ruins. So, the question was: how was there suddenly an arm there?
Before he could continue that line of thought, he saw the appendage twitch. The movement made him jump into action, hit by the realization that the person whose arm it was could be alive. And so, he ran towards it and, with quite some effort, got the debris off of it. What he saw made him gasp.
The arm was connected to someone. And they were no ordinary human; they looked like one of those figures from the wall. The “person” had wings, which were as black as the night, extended in what was probably an attempt to protect themselves. Their tail was also limp on the floor. The figure wore a black tunic that resembled a kyrtill, except this one left some of their chest exposed, which was actually quite defined, with hints of a six pack. He forced himself to stop thinking about it.
Their skin was immaculate, not a single imperfection in sight. Pulling back slightly, Hiccup started to take note of the face. Firstly, they had a defined jawline and their hair, which reached just above their shoulders, was also as black as the night. It seemed that colour was their go to, or so Hiccup assumed.
Before he could keep taking them in, the other’s eyes opened and the first thing the rider took notice of, was that they were just like dragon’s eyes. In fact, they looked exactly the same as Toothless’. Come to think of it, the wings and tail were also similar to his night fury’s.
“H-Hiccup?” They spoke. Their voice was hoarse yet very soft, almost whisper-like. Nevertheless, just hearing it made the man jump.
“How do you know my name?” The human asked, eyeing the other warily, his hand reaching down to touch Inferno in reassurance that, if something were to happen, he would be able to act fast to defend himself.
“Me Toothless, Hiccup not recognise?” Replied the other. Hiccup dropped his hand from Inferno immediately, he didn’t know why, but he was sure that the other was telling the truth. He could see traces of his dragon in all his features.
After a moment he finally got his voice back “Bud? How did this happen? how are you…? Well, not exactly human but you get what I’m saying. Does it have to do with whatever happened right now?”
“Not know, I woke up like this. We move. Here not safe” The ex-dragon said, watching their surroundings warily.
Nodding, Hiccup got to his feet and extended his hand to help the other up. It wasn’t until Toothless was standing that the human noticed his companion’s height. At around 6'3" (190cm) he towered over Hiccup. Hell, he would tower over most of the village. Now that his wings were folded over his back, he could see that they got to Toothless knees. Meanwhile, his tail was long enough that the tailfin was scraping the floor.
Shaking his head, Hiccup tried to focus on what was happening, he would have time to marvel over his (former?) dragon’s form another time.
“We should head to the shore, and regroup with the others once they get here.” Hiccup started walking, trusting Toothless to have his back. “This place, Einar said it had a connection to the gods, maybe... Maybe this place isn’t what we thought, bud.”
“Yeah, now that I think about it, this place probably never was one with relics or secret knowledge, but a shrine were dragons could change their form. That would explain the paintings on the wall, what I don’t understand is how or why...”
Hiccup suddenly paused his rambling, and turned back to look at Toothless with a smile on his face. “Wait, you can talk now! Oh, how I have waited for the day where we could fully understand each other! There are a lot of things I want to ask you, let’s take advantage of the time we have. It will be a long walk to the shore.”
Toothless gave Hiccup a small smile of his own, a clear resemblance to the one he used to make when he was a dragon and said “Okay, Toothless want ask Hiccup too.” And so, they begun the walk towards the meeting point they had established with the other riders while they asked each other things they had always wanted to know.
A few hours passed by before they finally reached the end of the forest that surrounded the ruins and before they could finally get a glimpse of the shore. However, for the duo, it didn’t seem like more than a few minutes had gone by. Time sure went by very quickly when there was no longer a language barrier between you and your best friend. If you were to ask them, they would say that it had been time well spent. Especially Hiccup, who now finally knew what Toothless’ life had been like before they had become friends.
Toothless, however, also asked his fair share of questions about human customs that he had never been able to voice until now. Why did they have so many feasts? Why were the dead sent to ships to the sea and then set on fire? And many more questions, which Hiccup answered to the best of his abilities.
Once in the cliff, and seeing as they still had some time until night arrived, they decided to sit down at the edge to enjoy the views. It was still afternoon, albeit barely, and the sun was starting to reach the horizon, casting beautiful colours on both the sky and the sea.
They stayed like that for quite some time, just basking each other’s presence. The ambient was nice, peaceful even, and yet Hiccup couldn’t help but think back to everything that had happened the days before.
“I don’t think there is anything the hunters could use against us here, bud. The more I think about it, the weirder it is. We will have to ask Einar when we get back... I think I heard him say some cryptic things but I was too excited to go on this journey to give it too much attention... Damn it! I should have been more careful! It’s my fault that you...” Hiccup sighed, looking anywhere but at his best friend.
Toothless stayed quiet for a moment before answering: “Hiccup not like new form? Toothless like new form, can speak to you now.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s not that I don’t like it but... What if, instead of changing you, the altar had done something else? I should have been more careful, but I was so blinded by the prospect of going out with you and leaving all our responsibilities behind, even if just for a while, that I failed to take the necessary security measures. If something had happened to you... I don’t know what I’d do.” He finally dared to glance at Toothless, only to find him already looking at him. Instead of the annoyance or anger that Hiccup expected to find, he only saw unfiltered affection. What kind of merits had he done to deserve being on the receiving end of that look?
“Not Hiccup’s fault. Toothless touched altar, not Hiccup.”
“Yeah but...”
“No but. Toothless not check either, at fault then?” Argued the ex-dragon, his unblinking eyes staring straight at his rider with an intensity that made Hiccup feel things he couldn’t quite explain. Before the human could even think of something to say, his best friend spoke again: “Toothless not know what happened, but happy can talk with Hiccup”
Hiccup couldn’t help but wonder how Toothless always seemed to know how to make him feel better. Muttering a soft “Thanks Bud” Hiccup leaned onto the half human, resting his head on their shoulder. No more words were exchanged. They didn’t need them, after all, just having each other close was enough for them.
They remained like that for a good while. Sadly though, they eventually had to pull apart in order to start setting camp. After a very short discussion they decided that Toothless should get sticks for the fire while Hiccup set up the tent.
It was something that they had done countless times in their previous journeys. However, something was different this time. You see, Hiccup couldn’t stop thinking about their sleeping arrangements. Usually, Toothless would just lay next to Hiccup and provide enough body heat that, even on winter, only the small blanket would be needed. Now however…
Before he could keep thinking about it, Toothless got back. The human shook his head and proceeded to ignite the fire. Then, they sat down next to it to eat as the last rays of sunlight faded in the horizon.
They ate in a comfortable silence. Only the sound of the fire, crickets and the wind could be heard. Eventually, they both entered the tent and started getting ready to sleep.
“Sorry bud, I don’t have any spare clothes for you to sleep in. But you can take the pillow and the blanket.” Once Hiccup had changed his clothes, he turned to close the entrance to the tent.
“No need, I warm anyway.” Replied Toothless, who started taking the upper part of his clothes off. Hiccup wanted to counter his friend’s affirmation, but the words got stuck in his mouth when he saw him topless. “We share” Declared the ex-dragon, nodding while he got the blanket and got their makeshift bed ready.
Hiccup, who still couldn’t form any words, started admiring the other’s physique. He was lean, muscles defined but not overly so; it was just the right amount, or so he thought. It took the human a long time to notice that Toothless was looking at him too, a questioning look on his face. He blushed and rushed to agree, which he immediately regretted, once it registered what exactly he had said yes to.
It was then that Toothless turned around, revealing his back to Hiccup. He had thought his front muscles were defined, but they had nothing on his back ones. It seemed that flying with a human on your back was good exercise after all. The muscles were not the only thing to marvel about though. He had a small line of dorsal spines that started on the base of his neck and ended just before the spot where his tail started.
To say he was mesmerized would be an understatement. Without noticing his own movements, the human got up and crept closer to touch them. However, just as he was bringing his hand to the soft looking spines, Toothless turned around once again. This caused them to be face to face, Hiccup’s hand hanging in the air awkwardly.
Neither one of them said anything for a long time, choosing to stare at each other in silence instead. Toothless didn’t seem to mind it. Hiccup, on the other hand, was blushing more and more by the second while trying to come up with a plausible explanation as to why he looked like a ripe tomato.
“Come, let sleep, tomorrow big day.” Toothless eventually said, pulling Hiccup close and covering the two of them with the blanket. Even with the dragon as a humanoid, the size difference between was still big enough that Hiccup’s face was under the other’s chin. This, in turn, caused even more blushing. At that rate, Hiccup was sure he would faint.
It took the human some more time to manage to calm down. When he finally did, he found that he hadn’t been as comfortable as in that moment in a long time; a sense of belonging that he couldn’t quite explain was warming him from the inside. Not wanting to ruin it by overthinking, he decided to stop trying to understand the feeling, at least until the following day. Instead, he ignored it and, after a while, he fell asleep with a small, content smile on his lips.
The first thing Hiccup noticed when he woke up was just how comfortable and well-rested he was. Those past few months had been torture when it came to that. Between becoming chief, the Astrid situation and all of the repairs that had to be done in the village, he hadn’t had much time to relax or sleep.
After a few moments spent just enjoying the sensation of sheer comfort, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. He was in the tent. More specifically, he was on the makeshift bed Toothless had made for him. He decided he was too comfortable to leave and turned around. It was then that he noticed that he was resting his head on his companion’s bare chest while also being held close by one of his arms.
Blushing, he pondered over what to do. He could try to sneak out of his grasp and start their day or he could give in to temptation and go back to sleep. Before he could decide on which option to choose, Toothless started stirring awake. Hiccup froze. It was one thing to be caught in a compromising position once, but twice in less than 24 hours? That was sure to raise questions that he knew he would not be able to answer.
“Morning” Said Toothless in a sleepy voice. At the same time, he pushed himself up so he was sitting on the bed, forcing Hiccup to do the same in order to avoid falling to his lap. “Oh, uh- morning Toothless. I uh, I hope you slept well.”
“Yes, sleep well. You?”
“Well… uh, it’s actually been ages since I’ve been this well rested bud. I feel ready to take on the world. Or well, in this case, all the questions the others will surely have. Right, about that, we should start getting ready.”
Nodding, Toothless got up from the bed, followed by Hiccup. They dressed up and used some of the provisions they had packed to have breakfast while they kept learning new things about the other. Eventually, they did leave the tent, deciding to leave it there for the moment to make it easier for the others to spot them while they explored their surroundings.
In the end, although Hiccup argued that they should split up to cover more ground, Toothless convinced him that it was safer for them to remain together in case the hunters had come during the night. And so, they started patrolling the nearby grounds to ensure that no one had arrived.
They explored in a comfortable silence, caught up in their own world while also being somewhat vigilant of their surroundings to avoid being ambushed. They still had a few hours to burn until midday, which is when Hiccup estimated the others would arrive. During that time, Hiccup started doing what he did best: overthinking.
He started wondering what those feelings he had been experiencing since the previous day were; why he couldn’t stop thinking about Toothless’ new draconic features; or even why he had certain reactions just by being close to his companion. In the end, he managed to convince himself that they were nothing more than curiosity for his best friend’s new appearance. Still, a small voice in the back of his head kept saying that it wasn’t the whole truth. There had to be something else, another reason behind his new behaviour, and he feared he knew what it was.
A few hours later, and once Hiccup was absolutely sure that there were no hunters nearby, they both decided to go back to the cliff to meet the others, while also getting something to eat from the tent. It was a relatively short walk to the campsite, so they got the food, ate it, and went to the cliff to welcome their comrades.
They didn’t have to wait long, in a matter of half an hour Toothless saw 3 figures approaching from the distance. He warned Hiccup, who suddenly remembered that they were supposed to meet in the ruins and not at the cliff.
“Wait, Toothless we need to catch their attention, fire a plasma bla... Huh, now that I think about it, can you still fire them?” Asked the human, turning around to face him. His companion paused. “I not know. Did not try” Turning around so he was facing the sky, Toothless closed his eyes and tried shooting once, twice without success. Finally, on his third try, he made it.
It was not like any other plasma blasts. It travelled faster, was bigger and made a stronger explosion. Hiccup flinched back a little bit, not expecting that much force. On the bright side, the human thought, his friends were sure to have noticed them by now, so they decided to wait where they were. As a side note, Hiccup was making sure he didn’t forget to ask Toothless about that blast. That was for sure.
It took the other riders about ten additional minutes to arrive. The group consisted of Valka, Fishlegs and the twins. It seemed that Snotlout and Astrid had stayed at Berk to keep everyone at check. When they landed, the first thing they did was to send a wide range of glances towards Toothless. Valka’s was full of interest. Fishleg seemed to study the former dragon, and the twins were convinced that they were in front of some sort of Lycanwing.
And so, sighing, Hiccup began to explain everything while ignoring the twin’s comments littered in between. There were some instances in which Toothless would add something, but he mostly let Hiccup do the talking. Some things, such as “how” it was possible for the transformation to happen, he still couldn’t quite explain, but those were questions for another day. Once the brunette finished explaining he scanned their faces, finding different scales of confusion and interest mixed in them.
“So... Let me get this straight: Toothless touched some altar and now he is a human?” Fishlegs asked excitedly, his gaze locked between the half dragon and the forest, as if wanting to go there himself. “Where is this altar anyway?”
“Yes Fishlegs, he touched the altar and was forced to stay there while some mechanism activated. It terrified us both, especially when it exploded, trapping Toothless under the rubble.” Replied the chief, sending a glare at Fishlegs. He understood his excitement, but this was not the time nor place for it.
Fishlegs visibly deflated, but it seemed he understood where the other was coming from because he just muttered a soft “Right” and stayed silent afterwards. Hiccup hadn’t mean to be rude, but it was just that the subject pissed him off. What if the altar had other purposes? Then Toothless may not be safe and sound, and he just couldn’t stomach the thought.
Sighing, Hiccup decided to just drop the subject altogether. “Anyway, there wasn’t any knowledge or relic there, unless you count the altar itself, that is. There is no reason for us to linger and risk a hunter attack. Besides, Toothless and I must talk to Einar about this, see if he knows anything else. He was strangely cryptic when we met him.”
“And how are you going to get back? Can Toothless fly you like this? Can he even fly himself?” Asked Ruffnut, gesturing to the man in question. Hiccup opened his mouth to say that of course Toothless could fly him and then he stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t thought about that. Deciding to let Toothless talk he turned towards him. “I... I actually don’t know. Bud, can you...?”
Toothless didn’t say anything, instead, he spread his wings and started to flap them. Before Hiccup could stop him, he started to fly. Much to everyone’s surprise he did not fall, Hiccup had seen his new tail, but he had not processed that it was healed until that moment. It was also at that time that he understood that Toothless didn’t need him to fly anymore, causing a sinking feeling to settle in his chest. Shaking his head he casted those thoughts and feelings to the back of his mind.
Once Toothless had grown accustomed to his new form, he landed next to Hiccup. He folded his wings back on his back and started stretching. If Hiccup had not known better, he would have been fooled, but he knew Toothless well enough to know that he was showing off.
“Yes, I can carry Hiccup” He declared, a satisfied look on his face. Said man turned to fully look at him. “Excuse me, what do you mean carry? You don’t have a saddle anymore, Bud.” In response, the dragon simply raised his arms. Hiccup stared at him for a moment, and then huffed “You have to be kidding me...” He tried to sound annoyed, but the fact that he would still carry him brought him some peace of mind and a small smile to his face.
“Hiccup wait, we can’t leave so fast, we should let the dragons rest and eat for a moment before starting the journey back.” Said Valka, who had stayed mostly silent until now. Hiccup tried to read her face to see what she was thinking, but it remained a mystery to him.
“Oh, of course, you guys rest, Toothless and I will take the tent down and... We may need you to carry our things though, since we no longer have a place to attach the luggage to.” Replied Hiccup. After seeing that the others agreed, he went with Toothless to pack for the trip back home.
It was during this time that he noticed just what Toothless meant when he said he would carry him. Odin be damned! He had just agreed to be carried in his arms…what was he thinking? Wait, he wasn’t, that was the problem. Sighing, he tried to think of a way to get himself out of this hole he had dug himself into, but no solution came to his mind. At his lack of ideas, that wouldn’t involve injuring Toothless’ ego, he decided to just suck it up. After all, how bad could it be?
Well, as it turns out, a lot. They had been travelling most of the day and had just arrived at the island they would spending the night at, but for Hiccup it felt as if he had just arrived at his salvation. Turns out that being carried meant that Toothless would literally carry him bridal style. And yes, he understood that it was the safest way to travel with Toothless given the circumstances. However, it turned out to be rather uncomfortable to watch all his muscles work, all the while also dealing with these new feelings he couldn’t quite explain.
Okay, Hiccup knows he wasn’t being fair. After all, once he managed to put all those things aside it turned out to be a rather nice trip. Either way, he still preferred flying on his back rather than being carried. He could get used to the latter too though.
Once Hiccup was done being dramatic and, seeing as they still had some time before the sun went fully down, he proposed going to the nearby beach to have a bath, as they had done many times before, both on their trips and on Berk. Toothless easily agreed, so they picked some towels and headed for the water.
When they got to the beach and started undressing Hiccup concluded that, once again, he had fucked up. He kept forgetting that Toothless was now half human, and that made Hiccup have not so pure thoughts or feelings, which he still refused to acknowledge. And so, he tried to avoid looking at the former dragon for the whole time he was in the water.
This, of course, proved to be a bad idea when he was suddenly pulled down, causing him to crash into the water with a muffled cry. When he surfaced, he saw a self-satisfied smirk on Toothless’ gorgeous face so, of course, he had to give him some payback. He made it appear as if he was just about to leave and when the other came close to follow, he took the opportunity and splashed him as hard as he could.
When Toothless saw what was coming, he tried to fall back, but it was too late. Now it was Hiccup’s turn to look smug. Toothless grinned backed at him before splashing him back. Soon a full-on water war had begun between the two of them, if it could be called that since Toothless clearly had the upper hand in both strength and agility. Eventually, both of them stopped, standing close and panting from the exertion.
Hiccup let a smile adorn his face before looking up at Toothless, finding a matching grin there. He brought his hands to the other’s shoulder and started bringing their faces together under the attentive look of Toothless’ eyes. Right before their mouths collided, when their breaths were mixing, Hiccup used the hold he had on the other push him back, making him flail and fall to the water. Toothless’ wings spread to stop it but he wasn’t fast enough and went underwater.
Laughing, Hiccup hurried to get out of the water, knowing that if he stayed any longer, the same luck awaited him. He wasn’t above playing dirty to get the other dripping wet. It wasn’t a fair encounter after all; the other could protect himself using his wings. Taking advantage of the fact that they had been very close to the sand, the Viking quickly got to a towel to dry himself.
Toothless emerged as quick as possible, determined to get some payback, only to see that Hiccup was already on the shore, using a towel while looking extremely satisfied with himself. He couldn’t help the smile that emerged on his own face when he went to follow him. He could get his payback another time.
Once they were as dry as they could be, they got back on their clothes and headed back to the camp using the last rays of sunlight. They found the others around a small fire, eating some smoked fish. Meanwhile, the dragons could be heard having their own feast somewhere on the back.
Settling down on the free space, they both begun smoking their own fish, Toothless getting some extra ones because of the energy he burned while flying. It was a dinner spent in a warm ambience, talking about whatever came to their minds and the occasional prank pulled by the twins. It felt nice. As time passed, the riders started heading off to sleep and, eventually, both Hiccup and Toothless also went to their own tent and fell asleep in the same position as the day before. They didn’t make a comment about it.
The second and third day, went by fairly fast. Hiccup was now more accustomed to being carried while flying and, even though he still preferred riding, he had grown fond of this way of flying as it allowed him to admire see Toothless muscles in action. At one point he even managed to convince the humanoid to try to fly side by side using the suit.
That was one of the few things that could stand up to how they used to do it with Toothless in dragon form. It was the same but still different at the same time. He wouldn’t know how to explain it but there was just something in seeing how Toothless muscles flexed and moved in this form that was addicting. He would even swear that the way they moved was even more defined in this form, and he would know. After all he had seen them in action for years now.
By dusk of the third day, they finally arrived at Berk. The first thing they did upon arrival was organizing a meeting with all the villagers for the morning on the next day. They had many things that needed explanations after all. Then, they sent someone to search for Einar, seeing as they also needed some answers from him.
Knowing that the following day was going to be an exhausting one, all the travellers collectively decided to go to sleep before word got out that a strange creature had been seen with them and they came to ask questions. Only thinking about all the inevitable doubts and questions that would be posed was enough to make Hiccup dread waking up in the morning.
This was one of the times where he wished for someone else to be the chief, to just be another villager and not being required to answer every single question other people had. To be able to just breathe and have breaks.
He broke free from his thoughts when Toothless called his name. Turning to look towards him he found a slight frown etched across his dragon’s face and worried eyes scanning him closely. It was then that he took notice of the fact that they had already made it to their house. Making their way inside, they quickly ate something and went to bed, too tired to bother changing their clothes. They would wash themselves and their clothing in the beach tomorrow, that way they could postpone the questions even if just for a bit.
The next day was exactly how Hiccup figured it would be. The rumour that he had come with some sort of dragon and that Toothless was nowhere to be found was stirring some doubts and unease. Still, they decided to put it off as much as possible by washing up at the beach and then talking to Gothi so she was aware of everything.
She fortunately took the news really well, although at this point Hiccup doubted that there was anything that would catch her by surprise. She said that she would see if she could communicate with the gods to see what was happening, and that she would tell them if she found anything.
Afterwards Hiccup went to the great hall while Toothless headed to see the other dragons and explain everything to them, not before assuring the young chief that he would be okay. He also promised him that the dragons would respect his role as Alpha even though he had changed physically. It also seemed he retained the ability to communicate with the dragons, so that was a plus.
With nothing left to do that could let him stall any more time, Hiccup finally entered the great hall. Finding that everyone was already there swarming and questioning Valka he jogged up to his seat and started what was sure to be a long meeting.
Just as he expected, the meeting was never-ending and tedious. He had to explain what happened about three times for them to even understand that he was sure the humanoid was Toothless, that he wouldn’t leave and that he didn’t understand how that had happened either.
Once he finally managed to calm them down, he decided to leave the Hall to go meet Einar, but he was ambushed by Astrid.
“So, you mean to tell me that Toothless is now, what? A human?” She was blocking the door, making it clear he wouldn’t be able to escape this conversation. So, with a sigh he answered. “Yes, a half human of sorts. He can still fly and fire plasma blasts. I think he is still the Alpha too. Why?”
“I think you know why, Hiccup.” A frustrated look started appearing on her face.
“I really don’t Astrid. Look this has been a pretty rough day and I still need to meet with Einar and have him explain all of this. So please, not today. I can’t do this today.” He tried to side step her, but Astrid wasn’t willing to drop it. “Hiccup, we broke up because all you did revolved around Toothless and I was tired of being the third wheel. I asked you before and I will ask you again: Are you sure of your feelings towards him?”
Before she could even finish speaking Hiccup was already shaking his head. “He is just my best friend Astrid, there’s nothing more to it” He once again tried to leave but before he could get far Astrid grabbed his arm. “Hiccup, if there was more, which I am not saying that there is, maybe now would be a good time to pursue it. You can now communicate freely and you are as compatible as ever. Just… think about it, we only want you to be happy.”
Hiccup looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since they argued and broke up. And where he once thought that was judgement and disgust, he found that there was only slight annoyance and care. It seemed he had misunderstood her intentions after all. He allowed a small smile to settle on his face and nodded. After a moment she dropped his arm and allowed him to go meet Einar.
Einar was staying on the outskirts of the village. He had been allowed to stay on one of the buildings that, years ago, used to be a weapon storage. As time passed and the need for them diminished, they started turning those storages into houses for wanderers and merchants that needed a place to stay. It also allowed them some privacy for times like this when confidential conversations needed to be held.
At first, Hiccup contemplated waiting for Toothless to come back but he quickly discarded the thought. It was obvious now that Einar had known more than he had let on, what he didn’t know was what was the motivation behind keeping it a secret. Nevertheless, it mattered little to Hiccup. Einar had risked Toothless’ safety and, therefore, he would show no mercy if the situation called for it.
He found the merchant sitting in a lone chair, facing the window. He stepped into the room, but kept a safe distance between the two of them. He stayed like that for some time, just staring at him. Eventually Einar broke the silence: “I see you are back, Hiccup. I suppose you want answers, yes?”
Hiccup didn’t say anything at first, instead taking two steps towards the other man, who still had its back turned towards Hiccup. Once he got closer, he grabbed Inferno and unsheathed it, just in case. “Yes, you knew what the ruins were capable of. So why not warn us?”
“Ah well, you see… if I had warned you about what could happen you wouldn’t have explored them. I merely let you discover it by your own means.” Einar spoke in a calm and elegant voice, as if he was confident that nothing would happen to him. That served as fuel to Hiccup’s fire, making him see red for a moment. How dare he?!
“So, you just decided to risk Too- our safety? For what? Entertainment? What were you after, Einar?” Hiccup’s voice came strangled, a sign of the fact that he was struggling to hold back his frustrations.
The merchant didn’t say anything at first, he just turned to face Hiccup, letting the other voice his anger and frustrations. “I just don’t see what you would get out of doing this. And I bet the hunters were never a problem to begin with, you just needed an excuse to get me to go there. Right?”
“I see the rumours about your intelligence weren’t unfounded. Yes, you’re right Hiccup. But you got the reasons all wrong. I didn’t mean Toothless or you any harm. They just wanted you to have a chance. The transformation is not a curse, but a gift. Bestowed to dragons whose relationships with humans are of the purest degree.”
At hearing that Hiccup paused. He scanned the other man’s face for any hint that may let him see that he was trying to deceive him. Finding none he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. “So, what you are saying is that “they” wanted to give us this gift? How does that include you? And who even are they?”
“I think you already know the answer Hiccup. After all, you recognized them from the paintings on the wall.” Einar stayed quiet then, letting Hiccup’s brain process this information. He could see the exact moment when it all clicked cause the other’s eyes went wide. Turning to face him with a shocked expression and a question in his eyes, which Einar instantly understood. “Yes Hiccup, the Three Norns are the ones that wanted to give you that gift. As for how that concerns me, let’s just say that I am merely their envoy.”
Hiccup didn’t say anything. He simply got his back to the wall and let the back of his head hit the wall with a soft thud. He needed time to make sense of all this. He stayed like that for a few minutes before he decided to leave and ask Gothi. Maybe she knew something he didn’t.
“Hiccup, before you leave you should know that they just gave you a chance. What you do with it is fully up to the both of you.” Einar paused, as if thinking about something. Eventually though, he said: “Just know that maybe Toothless wouldn’t be as opposed to it as you think. I can’t say more, but think about it.” And for the first time since Hiccup met him, he saw what appeared to be a genuine encouraging smile on his face.
Hiccup opened his mouth to ask him what he meant, even though deep down he knew the answer. Nevertheless, before he could utter one sound, Einar vanished in a similar flurry of light that had appeared when the altar worked its magic. Once the light had vanished, Hiccup couldn’t help the small feeling of hope that had taken root deep inside him. Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance.
Walking out of the house Hiccup started thinking of what he could do to try and speak about that with Toothless. He eventually he shook his head, now wasn’t the time, firstly he had to meet with Gothi, see if she knew anything else.
Sadly, it seemed that she hadn’t discovered anything new. Once he got there with Gobber, he told her all Einar had said. Well, almost, everything. She had confirmed what he said and then said that eventually Hiccup would have to thank them, but that it could wait until all was said and done. And so, with a knowing smile, she had ushered him home under the pretence that he would have to do a lot of things come morning.
He took advantage of the walk home to think about Toothless. Starting with the cove, from how they had met and going all towards the present. He thought about their interactions along the years, how they had grown to be two sides of the same coin, almost granted to be in the same place. He then focused his thoughts on the last few days, thinking of how the transformation had changed some aspects of their dynamic.
He then started wondering what the future may bring. He found himself fantasizing about a lifetime of being with Toothless, not as friends but as something more. Going every day to sleep in the other’s arms, waking to that smile he had grown to love. A grin of his own made his way to his lips, just thinking about it had him feeling fuzzy.
He no longer wanted to deny the fact that he had feelings for Toothless. He had harboured them for quite some time. But now that he was part human and he was sure that Toothless was able to give consent, most of the issues that had been holding him back had vanished. And so, and with a newfound determination, he promised himself that when the half dragon came home tonight, he would talk to him.
Toothless didn’t make it home that night. Hiccup stayed awake for all of it, waiting for him but he never appeared. At first, he thought the meeting with the dragons had just been longer than expected. But as hours passed and he still had to see any sign of him, he started growing worried. What if the dragons hadn’t accepted his new form as their Alpha and therefore started fights to try and take the title for themselves?
The more the hours passed the more his thoughts began spiralling into a bottomless pit of negativity. The “what ifs” consuming his whole brain with visions of a bloodied Toothless while the other dragons just watched. Logically, he knew that wouldn’t happen. After all, he knew that Stormfly, Hookfang and many others were loyal to him. And, most importantly, they were his friends and dragon or not they would be on his side.
By the time the sun came out Hiccup had been unable to get even a moment of sleep, but he was too worried to care. Once he noticed that it was already sunrise, the last bit of patience he had snapped. He immediately got ready and ran to Astrid’s house, banging the door the moment he got there.
He didn’t have to wait long for an angry looking Astrid to open the door. She opened her mouth, probably to shout something but she must have seen something in his face that made her pause. She instantly got serious and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her. “What do you need?” She asked, Hiccup really was grateful to have her on his side at this moment.
He hurriedly explained what had happened, by the end of it he was anxiously pacing in front of Astrid. “Hiccup. Hiccup! Calm down. Look, why don’t you search the cove and I will gather all of the other ones to search the rest of the forest? I don’t think he went far.” Before she had even finished speaking, the young chief was already nodding and thanking her. Turning around he started speeding towards the cove. He just wished Toothless was safe. Had he turned around he would have seen Astrid smile softly and shake her head muttering something under her breath: “I just hope what you’re doing is worth it, Toothless.”
Hiccup didn’t lose any time. He ran towards the cove, following the path he had walked countless times while shouting Toothless’ name. It usually took him around 30 minutes to get there by foot, but the need to see if Toothless was safe made him get there in just 10. He quickly went down to it and started frantically calling for his best friend, yet only a few moments after he stopped abruptly.
Toothless was there, standing in the same place they had first bonded, with a sheepish smile and one hand behind him. After blinking a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things he started walking towards him. “For Odin’s eye Toothless, just what the heck are you doing here?! Did you know how worried I was when you didn’t come home after going to meet the others? For a moment there I thought that… that something had happened to you”
Toothless said nothing at first, but he did seem quite guilty at seeing how his actions had affected the human. Hiccup stopped walking and stared at Toothless, waiting for an answer, needing to know why he hadn’t come back. The Alpha hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps towards Hiccup, leaving them just outside of arms reach.
“I not mean to make you sad. I… I wanted to surprise you.” He showed Hiccup the arm that was behind his back and seeing what was there made him gasp. It was a beautiful black necklace, made from what appeared to be polished obsidian. On the middle there was a single black scale. It took him a few seconds to notice it was no ordinary scale, it was that of a night fury.
He took a small step towards it, needing to inspect it closer. What followed were a few moments of Hiccup just marvelling at the beautiful design it had. He eventually pulled back, slightly flustered at his reaction. Looking at Toothless, he waited for him to continue explaining.
“Talked with Astrid. She say I should give you a gift for what I want to ask.” Toothless, for the first time since Hiccup had met him, seemed to be self-conscious.
“I… I don’t understand bud. Ask what? Is the necklace for me? I’m not following you.”
Toothless made a frustrated noise, he was still getting used to talking in this language and words didn’t come easily to him. Then, he had an idea. If he couldn’t explain it, he could simply show him. He used his free hand to grab Hiccup’s arm and pull him in. A confused sound broke free from the others mouth but he didn’t have time to question the half human before their lips joined.
Hiccup couldn’t understand what was happening. One moment he was trying to understand what Toothless had meant with that and the next he was being kissed by his ex-dragon. He wasn’t about to complain though, as this was something that he had craved for quite some time. The kiss itself wasn’t much, neither of them had much experience after all, but to them it was ground shaking.
Hiccup closed his eyes, bringing one of his hands to Toothless’ neck and the other to the hair on the back of his head. Toothless used his free hand to bring Hiccup even closer together. They didn’t move much and neither of them dared to try and deepen the kiss but it still was perfect for them.
Eventually they pulled back to catch their breaths, but they didn’t let go of each other. Hiccup was at a loss for words, still reeling from the kiss, so Toothless took the lead.
“Hiccup. Be my mate” Said man’s eyes went wide, chocking on air. He looked at Toothless face to see if this was some sort of joke, because even though he knew he wouldn’t joke with things like this it seemed like something straight from his dreams.
“I- What?” He replied. He thought that he must look stupid: wide eyes, a huge blush and not the brightest of answers. Still, Toothless didn’t seem to mind.
“Be my mate.” He pulled open one of Hiccup’s hands and put the necklace there. “A gift for you. Let me court you. Astrid said this called that.” Hiccups brain was struggling to follow the situation, stuck on the fact that Toothless wanted him to be his mate, still he wasn’t about to look a horse gift in the mouth.
“I… Y-Yes, I would love to be your mate Toothless. Wait, is this why you didn’t come home? Were you making this necklace for me?” He was full on beaming now, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. Why Astrid had suggested he come here directly, why she didn’t kick his ass for forcefully waking her up… He didn’t have much time to think about it though, cause the moment he finished speaking Toothless was nodding and bringing him close so he could get the necklace on him.
“Yes, a symbol. A symbol that you are mine.” A shiver went up through his spine at the possessive tone that Toothless used while putting it on him. No longer had the necklace been secured that did the Alpha once more bring their lips together, in a much more frenzied kiss.
They stayed in their little bubble for quite some time. Nevertheless, they had to eventually pull back from each other, which they did once Toothless had trough fully claimed Hiccup, leaving hickeys all along his neck with some lone bite mark. Hiccup would swear he had some kind of obsession with his neck, but that was a conversation for another day. Right now, though, they needed to get back to the village so Hiccup could do the dreaded chief work.
They decided to walk back home. That way they could have some more moments for themselves. Somewhere along the middle of the trip, Hiccup dared to intertwine their hands. Toothless immediately stopped and for a moment he thought he had overstepped it and was about to pull back. But then he saw how the other was looking at their joined hands, as if trying to decipher something, and paused.
“This something mated pairs do, yes?” He eventually asked. Hiccup nodded as an answer, nervous as what his reaction might be. He didn’t have to wonder for long, as the next second a huge smile appeared on Toothless’ face. He squeezed Hiccup’s hand momentarily before starting walking once more, as he did so, Hiccup gave a smile of his own.
By the time they made it back to the village Hiccup was a blushing mess while Toothless just had a slight red colour on his neck and ears. They made their way trough the village and, surprisingly, no one came to ask where they had been. He supposed Astrid had taken care of it. Just when he was thinking of how to thank her, she appeared in front of him flanked by the other riders.
“Hiccup, what are you doing here?” Said Snotlout. That made him frown, why wouldn’t he be here?
“What he means, is that we thought you would take a break if things went well. And they apparently did, so why didn’t you?” Interjected Astrid before Snotlout could keep talking. Hiccup sighed, oh how he wished to take a break, but there were many things to do and he couldn’t afford to lose more time. “I can’t take a break. There is just so much to do…”
“But that’s what we are for. What is the use of having a brain if you don’t use it? Just go take that break, we can cover for you.” Tuffnut’s words made Hiccup pause, he… he hadn’t thought about asking his friends for help so he could take breaks from all of this.
He had been so submerged in pain and duties that asking for help when all was too much didn’t even cross his mind. Of course he could count on his friends to help him out when he needed to. Looking at their faces, he saw encouraging smiles on all of them. Finally, his eyes stopped on Astrid, who nodded and said. “Go, we got this Hiccup.”
With a nod of his own he turned towards Toothless, who was already looking at him. “Want to go fly for a bit bud?” Toothless smile grew wicked, and faster than he could say “Fish” the Alpha had already picked Hiccup up and took of to the skies. Laughing Hiccup let himself smile freely. He would still have to explain this to the village eventually, but right now, none of that mattered. For in the skies, with his mate’s arms around him and the wind on their faces, nothing could harm them.