Ye, this is a one-sided Dagcup fic with a side of Hicctooth and mpreg. Because I knew there is at least one other person in this fandom that will read this. This is for you, one other person who shares all of my niche interests!
Enjoy!
Constructive criticism is highly appreciated:
Full warning: implied non-con, mpreg, implied intersex!Hiccup.
No Comfort, Only Harm
For the one-hundredth time, Hiccup found himself at odds with Toothless that night.
They were in a cave on an island far away from Berk, their temporary hideout of choice as there was a settlement someways away.
It was a disreputable place where many people of several different tribes and ethnicities came together when they were looking to buy, sell, were in search of information or just wanted a drink. This was a stop on the route of many seafaring Vikings and merchants. A place like the Northern Markets, except worse, so the rumours claimed.
Hiccup wanted to visit them, leaving Toothless at this cave hidden from view for his own safety, and that is why the two were at odds.
What brought them all the way here and away from home was a personal mission. They were on a quest to find out once and for all if there were any Night Furies left in the Archipelago or if his dragon's kind simply wasn't even native to an area this far North.
While able to thrive with the Hooligans, he hadn't failed to notice that Toothless also preferred warmer days.
Hiccup had learned long ago that the Book of Dragons never contained any information about Night Furies and neither did Bork's notes, the same notes that served as the foundation of Berk's famous book. Other tribes Hiccup didn't learn much from either as for many of them, Toothless was the very first one of his species they had ever seen.
This led him to believe that Night Furies simply may not even be native to the Barbaric Archipelago in the first place.
In order to find out for sure, he needed to get his hands on information that could only be possessed by foreigners, men and women whose home was far, far away from Berk. Maybe somewhere down South, where there were surely many more species of dragons that Hiccup would probably never get to see in his lifetime.
It was a sad fact of his life. But finding out where Night Furies lived would be a small comfort.
Popular stops like these, that were visited by any Viking, merchant, pirate or anybody else who travelled to the farthest reaches of the known world by ship, they were often dark places. Those with a faint heart or a weak stomach should never go there.
Locations with locals that would love to see someone like Hiccup, who has always looked like an easy target since birth, come for a visit.
This is why Toothless didn't want him to go. Not alone at least. Even if it might be one of the few places where Hiccup could possibly get any info. He wasn't a fool, he knew how vulnerable Hiccup would be without him and he'd hate for anything to happen to his beloved soulmate.
He wasn't all that interested in finding out about his own species anyway. Hiccup was all he needed in life.
"Bud, come on!"
Toothless' attempts to stop him so far involved complaining, physically getting in his way and pulling on whatever clothing he could grab hold of. For his last effort, Toothless had dragged him to the ground and dropped his full weight down on top of him.
"Bud!" Hiccup tried to push the much heavier Night Fury off of him, which proved to be a nigh impossible feat.
"You're too heavy for me! I can't get up!" Try as he might, Toothless did not move an inch.
Instead, he snorted as if to say "that's the point, you muttonhead". He didn't even bother to lift his head, his torso resting on the Rider.
Hiccup sighed deeply, giving up on trying to move that dragon.
"I'll be safe, Bud. I promise." He tried to tell him instead of fighting to break free. He knew it's what Toothless wanted to hear, even if the Night Fury didn't immediately respond.
"I know I don't have the best track record and that, if I don't find trouble, trouble finds me. But it'll be different this time. I have the Inferno with me, my flight suit is all thick leather, I know how to fight... And I know you'll be there if I just shout hard enough. I can hold out until you can come get me, Bud." Toothless grumbled audibly, not even in the least bit satisfied.
"Toothless, I promise you, I will call for you at the smallest sign of trouble. I promise that I won't test my luck." Toothless moved ever so slightly, apparently making himself comfortable on the human, who grunted. It was getting just a tad bit harder to breathe.
"Bud, look at me." Finally wriggling his arms free, Hiccup managed to grab hold of the dragon's head, hand underneath his jaw, and urged him to look back at him.
"I promise you that I will stay safe." He was being genuine when he told the dragon this. Toothless could tell by the stupidly honest gaze in his eyes that he was telling the truth.
But that didn't matter, did it? Toothless had learned long ago that Hiccup always got hurt some way or another, no matter how much he tried to stay safe. That simply wasn't in his control.
He grumbled in annoyance and laid his head back down once more, this time closing his eyes.
"Accept your fate, you're not going. End of discussion." That is what he seemed to be telling the other.
Hiccup gazed up to the ceiling of the cave with a huff, finding the occasional spider or bug crawling above them.
He wasn't giving up just yet. If there was anything he could find here, it was worth fighting for.
"How about a deal?" At least one earfin perked up, curious.
"This is the last place we'll try. I... I know that you're not that interested in other Night Furies. I know. So if this place is a dead end, we'll go back to Berk. Immediately." Hiccup suggested and Toothless raised his head to gaze back at him again. That this nabbed his attention meant something at least.
Toothless rumbled a question.
"Yeah, this one I promise too." Hiccup replied, a bit miffed he had to resort to such dramatic measures just to convince his dragon to let him go.
At least Toothless finally stood up and Hiccup could breathe easier again.
Did he have any idea how much he weighed?
Hiccup got up to his feet. Toothless sat down and turned away from him to show that he still did not approve of the idea.
"I know, I know." Hiccup muttered after dusting himself off and captured his equally agitated dragon's thick neck in a heartfelt hug.
Toothless melted in the touch almost instantly. He always did. He melted and he purred, moving so he could wrap a foreleg around his Rider and rest his head on his shoulder. He couldn't stay mad at Hiccup whenever he hugged him. He just couldn't. Had the situation been reversed, the result would've stayed the same.
They pulled away after a good few moments of simply enjoying each other and their company.
"I'll be back soon, Bud. And safe." Hiccup told him. Toothless gave him one last pitiful croon, a final attempt to keep him here. But Hiccup only gave him a reassuring smile and left.
Toothless sat at the entrance of the cave and watched him until Hiccup was no longer in sight.
He knew Hiccup would try to stay safe. He always did. That human has been through too much already to go out there and intentionally cause any further problems for himself. And he was smart and a skilled fighter.
Still, Toothless worried. His heart sank as something inside of him knew that this evening would not go well.
He wished Hiccup was back already.
The second Hiccup stepped into the village, a sense of discomfort instantly and unpleasantly crept up his spine.
Barely a moment was spend amongst these strangers before he caught the eye of almost every man and woman in his vicinity. Some were simple weary travellers and others were shady figures anyone with common sense would stay away from. Those that were neither were people who had settled on this island in search of raising a business up from the ground, looking to profit off anybody who made this their stop on their journey.
And then there was Hiccup. Who stood out painfully with his strange, leather getup.
But there was such a diversity here, that is what made it so perfect. If anybody knew where Night Furies could be, surely it would be seafaring travellers who have seen far more of the world than he had?
Hiccup knew he didn't belong here. Every questionable stare and unreadable gaze glued to his body as he walked past made that very clear to him. Still, he continued onwards, determined to find out whether this would be another useless lead or not.
The Northern Markets had been shady. Many, if not all, of the stalls there sold stuff that was stolen from either the living or the dead. Weapons, riches, clothing, anything one could ever think of.
But this place?
Wherever Hiccup looked, he noticed something that he desperately wished he could now unseen. These people, they were right up Viggo's alley, albeit a lot less sophisticated.
He decided for his own good to hurry to the nearest inn or tavern, the one spot where he could safely speak with the most potential informants. Although, "safely" was a serious overstatement.
Hiccup could've sworn, as he started with a light jog to the first establishment that caught his eye, that there was somebody chuckling behind him.
He opened and slammed the door shut behind him, harder than he wanted to. He was apparently more unnerved than even he knew he was.
Every eye inside the inn, it seemed, was trained on him.
His levels of stress rose.
Why, oh, why did he never listen to his dragon?
When, oh, when would he finally learn his lesson?
Even when they looked away and went about their business, many of them occasionally sneaking a very obvious peek at him, Hiccup found that he could not relax in the slightest. He was undeniably the unwilling centre of attention.
Just grab the info and go. Use the dragon call as soon as he leaves the edge of town and head for the safety of the sky.
That was a solid plan, clearly.
Hiccup began to walk to the counter, trying not to spend too much attention on the stares, on the conversations that were suddenly hushed the second he came too close the occasional client who stood up in either an attempt to intimidate him or for whatever far worse intentions in mind.
But he walked on. Even back when he was still a useless runt in the eyes of Berk, nobody could ever say that his nerves weren't made of metal.
He didn't flinch. Perhaps that was his stubborn pride talking, but he refused to flinch in front of any of these people.
He eventually reached the counter. The woman behind it was busy with a patron, so he waited patiently for his turn, crossed arms on the wooden surface and shoulders tense.
And his muscles grew tighter as his levels of stress rose even higher, his heart beating faster.
Because he knew someone was approaching.
From behind or from the side, he had no idea because he wasn't looking. A hand consciously settled on the little blade resting in its own little place on his armbrace. For reassurance.
He mainly used it to cut paper, leather and other materials he often worked with, but it could be used to cut up something else entirely too.
A hand slapped itself onto his shoulder and-
"Brother! What're you doing here?!"
Hiccup turned around to meet the very familiar face of Dagur the No-Longer-As-Deranged Deranged.
"Dagur? What're you doing here?" He wished he didn't look or sound as relieved as he probably did, but he was never more happy to see Dagur than he was in that particular moment.
"I'm pretty sure I asked you first. And let's be fair here, Hiccup, you here is a much bigger surprise than me being here." He had a point there, Hiccup gave him that.
He breathed out deeply.
"You know what? We have a table over there in the corner, how about we take a seat? You look like you're either about to pass out or hurt the first person who talks to you." Dagur suggested, noticing the younger man's obviously very anxious state of mind.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Even now that they were allies, Hiccup still found himself jumping out of his skin around the Berserker, but he was a much more preferable choice over any other patron here inside the inn.
Though he still wondered exactly what the other was doing here.
"Come on, Brother. Follow me." Dagur threw a secure arm around his shoulder and led him away.
It was a dead end. Like any other lead Hiccup attempted to follow these past five years, it turned out to be nothing and he once again returned empty-handed.
It was unpleasant to come back home in defeat, to reunite with his loved ones and tell them that he wasn't even a little bit wiser about the fate or whereabouts of the Night Furies than he was when he first left.
But he had kept his promise to Toothless. If their trip to that island turned out to be in vain, they would go straight back to Berk and that is exactly what they did.
It didn't matter much to Toothless that they didn't find anything or didn't find anyone willing to talk. He was happy to just have his Rider, their friends and Berk in his life. It was Hiccup who was the most disappointed, in both himself and this fruitless mission.
But he's discovered since then, some months later, that his failure in finding out anything about his dragon's kind was the very least of his worries.
Hiccup lied in bed one morning, seven, almost eight, months after his failure of a quest. He was simply staring off to the side as he didn't quite feel like getting up just yet.
It was a bit chilly in his room, but his covers weren't needed. Toothless was there to keep him warm, taking up most of the space.
The Night Fury was still asleep, though Hiccup could tell his slumber wasn't as deep anymore. He listened to his even breathing, trying to keep his thoughts occupied so they wouldn't go to places Hiccup would rather not think about.
His mood would suffer. And then his dad, Gobber and his Riders would ask questions that he would rather not answer.
It's been hard keeping them off his case so far and he already wondered how much longer he could keep it up, considering his situation.
"Hiccup! Not-So-Silent Sven has asked me to come for a visit on his farm! Can you come down, son? And Toothless too?" He could hear his father's booming voice calling for him. He was requesting him that he leave the confines of his room as Stoick wasn't a fan of leaving home while his son was still upstairs as of late.
A little while back, Hiccup had a bit of an incident on the stairs. Since then his father was reluctant to go about his duties for as long as Hiccup was still cooped up in his room.
"Coming!" Hiccup called in return, turning to lie on his back.
His answer roused Toothless, who began stretching and yawning.
Hiccup gazed at him and the Night Fury didn't waste a single second to give him one big, sloppy good morning lick.
"Toothless!" He yelped and wiped at his face while the dragon let out a guttural laugh.
He chuckled, though. Toothless always helped lift his spirits. Even if it was only a little bit, almost always succeeded.
As he moved off the bed, Hiccup sat up with a tired groan and let his eyes fall on his current situation. It was also the main reason why his father was so hesitant to leave him alone upstairs nowadays.
Simply put, he was pregnant. His belly, no longer as flat or as scrawny, has been growing with life. He carried offspring he only discovered was there about two, or so, months after returning home.
It was a shock to him. It was a shock to everyone around him.
It didn't matter that Stoick, the entirety of Berk as these kinds of things just couldn't be kept a secret for long in a community such as theirs, knew him capable of bringing life into the world himself since his only child's birth. The shocking part was that Astrid was his chosen love.
Toothless must have noticed his Rider's frown before even he did because he purred and nuzzled his abdomen, causing the babe inside to respond to the sounds it heard.
It liked to hear Toothless just as much as he did, something they discovered quite some time ago.
"You're right, Bud. Thank you." Hiccup thanked the dragon and scratched him behind a nub appreciatively, a touch Toothless gladly accepted.
Hiccup found his boot and Toothless helped him find his prosthetic. Once on, they walked out of their room.
The Night Fury had been a great help this past half a year. As the only other one who knew the full story, or about as much as Hiccup knew, it was good to have him by his side. He could be of aid in a way Stoick, Astrid, Gobber or the other Riders and Dragons could not be.
Emotionally, mentally, even physically, it was once again great to have his best bud right there next to him.
"Son." Hiccup glanced at his father as he descended the stairs and noticed the hand he held out for him.
His look of slight exasperation was the answer the Chief got.
"You're never gonna let this go, are you?" Hiccup asked and took his hand, although mostly because he didn't have any other choice. Stoick wouldn't let him.
"One fall down the stairs was one too many, Hiccup." The bear of a man responded, blatantly ignoring the fact that his heir was less than appreciative.
That was the incident Hiccup had had a little while back. His prosthetic had slipped while he was using the stairs and with no bannister to hold onto, he fell.
Toothless had not been able to catch him in time, although he had been able to practice some damage control. It was because of him that Hiccup fell onto his side instead of on his belly.
Ever since then, Stoick outright refused to leave when there was still a whole flight of stairs that his son had yet to descend and even refused to let him take most of those steps by himself.
"Anything I can do while you're gone?" Hiccup asked while Toothless left for the back of the house in search for fish.
It was customary for Vikings to start spending more and more time at home as a baby's due date gradually came closer. And though easily suffering from cabin fever, the same was expected of him. Astrid was bound to pop in soon enough as well.
"Not this time. Took care of everything while you were still asleep. What you need to do now," Stoick approached, took his son by his upper arms and gently pushed him backwards until he sat down in the large chair only fit for the equally larger than life Chief.
"Is to stay here and rest. You know what Gothi said." Hiccup shifted uncomfortably in his father's chair, the seat Stoick insisted he take, and nodded.
Gothi had told him just a week prior to stay at home and rest, to forget about any and all duties as a blacksmith and a Dragon Rider for the time being. After his accident, it was imperative that he take it easy earlier than others so soon in his third trimester and Stoick followed her advice religiously.
"Dad, I'll be fine! I'll be just fine. I have Toothless with me!" Hiccup told him when the man then proceeded to give him a stool to rest his feet on and more furs than Hiccup knew what to do with.
One rolled up for his back, one to keep him warm in case the fire died while Stoick was away and... What could he do with all the others? The second one wasn't even necessary with a Night Fury in the house.
And where was Sharpshot? He could lift a log and light a fire just as easily.
"I know, Hiccup, I know. I just want to make sure you're comfortable." The Chief told him and took a step back, apparently trying to think of anything else he might provide his child and future grandchild.
Hiccup waited, arms crossed and resting on top of his swollen bump.
It had been difficult for Stoick to accept this baby in the beginning, when Gothi had first given them the news after a thorough examination. It had been hard for many of them.
Besides being illegitimate, Hiccup never answered the question of exactly who had put it in there. Whenever anyone asked, the answers given were always vague or he'd just change the subject altogether. And Astrid couldn't have been the one.
Although she had tried to joke that she'd gladly be the father of this baby, an attempt to lift her betrothed's spirits that was made some time ago. Ruffnut had bluntly reminded her that jokes were usually not her strong suit.
An "Astrid, your jokes suck", spoken with affection.
But Stoick has come around since then, many people on Berk did after the baby could no longer be kept a secret. Weight gain was difficult to hide on somebody as infamously lean as him.
And the Riders, they had been a whole different story.
The Thorston twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, they had almost immediately declared this child their nibling and "the first of the glorious second generation of Dragon Riders".
Fishlegs, meanwhile, helped wherever and in every way he could. He often visited with arms filled with books on parenting and childcare, notes he got from Gothi, experiences he gathered from other parents on Berk, easy recipes, herbs that might help whenever their expectant friend felt under the weather, just about anything he could possibly think off.
Astrid and Snotlout were a little harder to convince.
The fierce Hofferson, she wanted to be supportive, as she always tried to be in everything Hiccup went through or decided to do. But she wasn't an idiot. She knew there was a reason why Hiccup was being so vague about the origins of this child.
But that had, luckily, not kept her from being there for him and the soon-to-be-born infant.
The same was for Snotlout. He also knew there was more going on than their lead Rider tried to make them believe there was and he was arguably harder to sway than even Astrid.
Ultimately, it was one moment, when Hiccup was four and a half months far and the babe had started moving not much earlier, that made Snotlout come back around.
When he was invited to feel its first real kicks.
His heart instantly stolen as he does have a soft spot for children and babies that he had yet to admit to, Snotlout, too, had taken to calling the baby their nibling.
Or 'Snotlout 2'.
Despite some reservations, the Riders had already generally accepted the babe as theirs. Not just Hiccup's. Theirs.
That made it easier. Though it was Toothless who understood his situation the best, the Riders deciding that this child was all of theirs to raise made it easier to carry.
Not that Hiccup could ever blame it. It was innocent in all of this. Whether it turned out to be female, male, or like him.
It was just hard because he doubted he was ready for this, because no one had asked his opinion on the matter before it was put there. Not that the baby could've possibly asked to be put in this position.
Hiccup sighed, deeply, when his father finally let him be after another ten minutes spend fussing over him. He was glad it was just him and Toothless again.
He probably hadn't yet told his father, but he did appreciate all his efforts. Even if his overbearing nature could be quite overwhelming at times.
It just made Hiccup wonder how accepting he'd still be if he knew.
Taking the way too many layers of furs on his lap, Hiccup dropped them on the floor next to the chair he was sitting on. He'd take care of them later.
He leant back in his father's seat and rested his cheek on the palm of a hand of his, the other settling on his belly. All was quiet in there for now. The babe proved to be a calm one thus far, apparently the complete opposite of when he had yet to be born, or so his father led him to believe.
Nobody was surprised. Tuffnut even mentioned how in character it was for Hiccup to be restless even before he was born.
His mind only briefly lingering on better memories, it soon found itself wandering back down a darker path. He hated how easily it did that now. And the farther he progressed, the quicker it went down that deep, dark tunnel.
There was a reason why Hiccup couldn't give them any details on the father.
It was Dagur. The current king, or royal consort, of the Defenders of the Wing. Mala's husband. Their ally. The Deranged who supposedly turned over a new leaf and became one of their trusted friends, however few there still were.
And not only could he not tell because he would be seen as a homewrecker, but his illegitimate child could be looked down upon too. Hiccup spend way too many years crawling out of that ditch himself, having experienced shunning and bullying at the hands of the same people he was to lead soon simply because he didn't fit the Viking standard. He wasn't about to put this baby in a similar position.
But he also quite frankly couldn't tell simply because he genuinely could not remember.
He remembered meeting Dagur in that inn that night and that was it. Even the walk from the counter to his table had almost seemed like something made up.
The next morning he woke up with no recollection of what had happened the night before. Alone. In a room of that inn somebody, who insisted on remaining anonymous, had already paid for. His clothes dishevelled, his pants and undergarments for some inexplicable reason no longer as neat as when he had last put them on himself the day before.
They were difficult to both take off and pull back on, intentionally complex as they were.
And he hadn't been drinking. It just wasn't in his nature to do so, not even when confronted by peer pressure. Though Stoick the Vast was known to hold his liquor, his son didn't even do mead. So he had no way of explaining why he couldn't remember either, why there was this questionable hole in his usually good memory.
This is why he had yet to tell the truth, why he wondered for how much longer his father would stay this accepting of a bastard child he didn't know the father of.
He didn't want to be seen as a seducer, especially with Dagur being a king and not an heir like he still was. Mala's happiness and marriage he wanted to tear apart even less. Especially when rumour has it that she was having some trouble conceiving the bundle of joy that the happy couple both wanted to have.
And the last thing he wanted was to be seen as a victim, which his friends, his father and his mentor, maybe even Berk as a whole, would undoubtedly see him as.
Because he suspected that, whatever had gone down that night, it may not have been entirely consensual.
Why else was his memory a complete blank?
When he didn't drink?
When he was on a mission far away from home?
When he needed to stay alert for both his and Toothless' sakes?
Hiccup didn't want to think about it. Anytime he sunk back down into this rabbit hole, he tried to force himself to a stop.
Because if he didn't, if he were to ever admit what may have happened to him and told anybody else about it...
Toothless rumbled, noticing his Rider's discomfort, giving his hand just the tiniest lick to draw his attention again. Hiccup decided to scratch his chin, grateful for the distraction.
He knew too.
That same morning, Hiccup also recalled returning to his side in a hurry. Frazzled, confused, worried that something might've happened to his Night Fury in his absence.
He found him safe and sound, exactly where he had left him in that cave, but that relief hadn't lasted long when Toothless noticed his physical state and sensed the trouble brewing in his mind, the whirlwind of emotions inside of him.
He was held then and tenderly so. Because Toothless has been learning more and more human customs and habits since coming to live with his Rider on Berk and knew that one reason a 'hug' would be given is when loved ones gave it to each other out of comfort.
And though Stormfly was the dragon with the best nose in their inner circle, it didn't at all mean that Toothless' nose couldn't pick up on the scents that didn't normally belong to his Viking, but clung to him anyway.
He had smelled the scent of alcohol that he had become familiar with after spending these past few years living under the same roof as Stoick the Vast, who loved a good time together with Gobber in the Great Hall, where they would sing and dance and tell tall tales of their adventures together.
There was the stench of sweat and he knew Hiccup's for all the times he's waited for the human to finish his work in the forge.
The scent of many people was very faint, but it was there. It had told Toothless of the village Hiccup had visited, the inn he entered in search for answers.
And then there was that one final stink. An odour that didn't belong to his human, but did belong to a human that he knew. He never needed to tell Hiccup who.
Toothless crooned, bringing Hiccup back to the real world all over again. He moved from his spot on the floor next to the Chief's big chair and sat his large form down in front of him, placing his head on his Rider's lap, who absentmindedly began stroking the top of it.
The dragon hated how he, his soulmate, just kept spacing out lately. And repeatedly so. He hated it. Even now, Hiccup was lost in thought.
He had too much on his mind for someone so young. Too much in his past too.
And it wasn't about to get any better.
They'll know. Hiccup was sure of it. Once the baby was born and it showed just the slightest resemblance to Dagur, they'd all know. In just two months time, his secret would be revealed and that frightened him.
Even with Toothless at his side, with the Riders there for him, the Dragons who remained loyal to him even with their own human partners, his father who would lay down his life for both him and his unborn grandchild, Hiccup was still frightened.
Toothless noticed. When did he ever fail to? And he moved to rest his head on Hiccup's shoulder as the Viking wrapped his arms around him in search of comfort, of reassurance.
The front door opened with a slow creak and they heard the cheery voices of the other Riders, who quickly hushed each other before entering just in case their friend wasn't up yet.
But Hiccup and Toothless didn't pull away from each other. The former needed this moment together and the latter was more than willing to provide.