AN: OMG this is my VERY FIRST fanfic! It seemed fitting that my first fanfic should be about my biggest fandom. At first, I wanted to write about Hiccup and Gobber (not enough people focus on them), but I got sidetracked by Toothless (how could I NOT?)... so this one-shot became a two shot! I hope you like it, plz R&R and all that jazz.
disclaimer: (omg 1st disclaimer) I do not own How to train your dragon.
The few weeks following Hiccup's awakening after defeating the red death had the young Viking hero very occupied. He barely had any time to himself, excluding, of course, the morning flights he had with his beloved dragon, Toothless. The village seemed to respect Hiccup and Toothless' alone time when the sun came up. As soon as they landed, though, the people of Berk were all over him, asking questions, or ~ for the less delicate Vikings ~ demanding answers about dragons.
During that time, Hiccup went left and right solving problems, teaching hard headed Vikings how to train their, often very proud, dragons. This was challenging, for it was hard for some Vikings and dragons to earn each other's trust after a vicious 300 year old war. Both parties had to neglect a big part of what they learned throughout their lives. Yes, it was difficult, but not impossible. The people of Berk seemed to be on the right track. It's not the Viking's fault if they're rough, it's in their nature. The dragons seemed to be starting to understand this. How were they supposed to know that Vikings are tough and loud 24/7 and not only in battle? Dragons were always more open to trust Hiccup for these reasons, which became quite annoying for those who asked for his help only to see their dragons, which they thought vicious and hyper, be incredibly calm and kind towards Hiccup. To say the least, everyone was impressed by Hiccup's capabilities.
Hiccup, on the other hand, felt exhausted. Only a few thoughts kept him from going crazy when no one seemed to know how to treat their dragons. At least they're not hurting the dragons anymore he'd think. At least I'm not the only one dealing with this he'd also think. Astrid and Fishlegs were very helpful and pitched in a lot to help keep the peace between Vikings and dragons. Even Snotlout and the twins helped. Of course, the teens also needed help sometimes and they all went to none other than, guess who... Hiccup! The thought that kept Hiccup going the most though, was the following: At least Toothless is by my side.
Toothless. That dragon loved his rider so much he wouldn't leave his side, especially after almost losing him after the battle of the Red Death. The strength of the bond between Hiccup and his dragon is immeasurable and beyond any Viking's imagination. Since Hiccup woke up, they were inseparable. Even before he woke up, it was impossible to get that dragon out of the house! They depended on each other. Toothless needed Hiccup to fly and Hiccup needed Toothless to walk. Of course, Hiccup would learn to walk on his prosthetic himself, but during his first weeks, having someone to lean on was almost a necessity. Toothless was more than happy to help his best friend go through a tough time.
And man was it a tough time! Between flying and running around helping everyone and taming dragons all day, plus with all the attention he was suddenly getting, Hiccup didn't have time to realize that he was wearing himself out. He was still recovering from an amputation for crying out loud! The only time he gave his leg any attention was at night.
Hiccup would sit on the edge of his bed, that had been taken downstairs, and he'd take off his prosthetic with a hiss, which would earn him a sad croon from Toothless. After reassuring his dragon that he's fine, he would drop on his wooden mattress and fall asleep before his head would hit the pillow, since he'd always be absolutely exhausted with the days he'd have.
Of course, it always sailed right over Hiccup's head to change his bandage, partially because he didn't want to touch his stump since he knew it would hurt, and partially because he really did forget with everything going on in his head. Fortunately, Stoick made sure that his son's leg received proper treatment.
Toothless didn't fail to notice that Hiccup's sleep seemed uneasy. Knowing that he also needed rest, Toothless went in the corner of the room and lied down, falling in a light sleep so he could stay alert and wake up if his rider had a problem. He was supposed to sleep outside, but after noticing the bags under Hiccup's eyes and how he seemed to get worse with every passing day, Toothless wanted to make sure he at least had a good night sleep.
No one but Toothless seemed to notice Hiccup's exhaustion. The signs were subtle. Hiccup didn't make as many sarcastic remarks, his smile didn't seem to reach his eyes anymore and Toothless mostly noticed that while walking, Hiccup seemed to place a lot more weight on Toothless than before. This didn't bother the dragon at all, but it did worry him. Shouldn't it be the opposite? Shouldn't Hiccup walk more and more on his own, rather than needing the support more and more? Toothless was getting worried, so he wanted to keep an eye on Hiccup while he slept, to see if he'd been sleeping well and to make sure that he did.
It didn't take long before Hiccup started tossing and turning. Mumbling inaudible words. Toothless was up and by Hiccup's side in a second. Hiccup had a frown and kept mumbling "no...don't k-kill...t-Toothless...no..." a few tears started to escape from under his eyelids. Toothless knew his buddy was having a nightmare about when they were separated before the battle, but he wouldn't dare wake him up. Not when he needed to sleep so badly. Hiccup sleeping wouldn't stop Toothless from comforting him though. The night fury placed his head on the bed, near Hiccup's and purred comfortingly in his ear.
Feeling his best friend's presence, Hiccup slowly stopped tossing and turning and mumbling. His face relaxed as he exited his nightmare and fell into a better sleep. Feeling very happy with himself, Toothless remained where he was, staring at Hiccup steadily breathing. He was about to return to his previous spot when Hiccup turned on his side and subconsciously brought a hand up on Toothless' head. The dragon froze. He didn't dare move or even breathe for a few seconds, out of fear of waking up the sleeping sleep deprived boy. When he saw that Hiccup had no intension of moving, Toothless decided to just fall asleep there. The bed wasn't too high for him to sleep with only his head on it and he felt reassured that if Hiccup had another problem, it would be short lived with him nearby.
The duo remained like this, regaining much needed energy, for a few hours. Then, at about 1 in the morning, Hiccup's peaceful sleep was cut short by a now familiar tingling sensation in his stump of a leg. He woke up, surprised at seeing his dragon so close. Doesn't he usually sleep outside? Then he braced himself for the pain that was sure to come. The tingling sensation was already intensifying, starting to hurt, making him feel tense and blurring his vision. One thought crossed his mind. I don't want Toothless to see me like this. But Hiccup knew that if his dragon was this close to him when he was in pain, he'd be sure to wake up. In vain, Hiccup turned his back on Toothless, thinking that if he doesn't see him...he might not hear him...
Hiccup curled in on himself, grabbing his left leg that was already hurting like crazy and gingerly rubbing it. It felt like it was on fire. Again. He willed himself not to scream, but couldn't stop the gasps, groans and whimpers that exited his lips nor could he stop the tears that were wetting his pillow. Everything went fuzzy in Hiccup's head. All he was aware of was the pain, he didn't notice that Toothless had been awake from the moment he turned around, nor did he notice him desperately trying to comfort him by purring and crooning with worry. Hiccup didn't notice his dragon at all until he started nudging him and licking his tears away.
Finally acknowledging his night fury's presence, Hiccup said through his teeth "gn...t-Toothless...'m fine *gasp* go back to...sleep".
Needless to say, Toothless was not at all convinced by this shaky statement that was followed by a whimper that broke the dragon's heart. He didn't like seeing his rider like this. Not at all. He would do anything in his power to make it stop, to help Hiccup, but Toothless had no idea what to do. He couldn't stop the Viking's leg from hurting. A part of him was yelling at him that this was all his fault for not catching the young hero fast enough, whereas another part of him told him that it was not the time to riddle himself with guilt. If he couldn't make the pain stop, he'd have to comfort Hiccup and make this all easier on him.
Without another thought, Toothless grabbed the pained ~ and now surprised ~ Viking and pulled him in a warm scaly embrace, then he purred. Hiccup was very surprised by this action... Maybe more than he should have been, what else should he have expected from his overprotective friend? Though his leg still hurt a lot, he was comfortable. His tears stopped as he tried to ignore the pain and focus on something else. Toothless' purring, Toothless' breathing, Toothless' heartbeat. The pain in his leg started to lessen and, before long, it ceased entirely.
Hiccup took a few shaky breaths before mumbling "thanks bud". Toothless crooned in response, and rolled on his back to bring his wing around Hiccup, making him yelp, then he rolled back on his side. Hiccup was enveloped in darkness and lulled back to sleep by listening to his dragon's heartbeat. This was the first time he got the pain to end so quickly and the first time he was able to go back to sleep after.
Toothless couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. Had he been going through this every night? This must be why Hiccup seemed so tired all the time. He hasn't had a good night sleep in a while. The dragon also felt mad at himself for not noticing this before. He was always right outside sleeping without a care in the world while Hiccup was going through this. Does his father know? Toothless doubts it. Hiccup tells Toothless everything, yet he decided to hide this. He must be trying to act all Viking like about this, saying he's fine, being as quiet as possible, toughing through the pain. Toothless is slightly upset at Hiccup for not confiding in him, but at least, now that he knows, the dragon can finally help his rider... But how?
AU: R&R seriously, new author. I need feedback! Was it good? Was it bad? Was it ugly? (see what I did there? ;) )