Disclamer: I don't own the characters of how to train your dragon, Boden and Una as well as Dragon City belongs to my friend Kelseyalicia, I also don't own wolf children
Mhhh... mmph... uhhh...
Slowly, weary, Valka opened her eyes - her vision was fuzzy, but she vaguely registered the ceiling wall.
Almost in slow motion, she remembered-
The man she'd grown close to, he changed before her very eyes...
Herself, kissing his nose, and burying her face in his muzzle's fur...
"I love you, Valka..."
-Valka sat up quickly, panting, finding herself in her own apartment. She was sitting on the bed, the only light that of the moon outside, and everything had been just as she left it.
"Valka."
She breathed out, turning toward the source... there, leaning against her dresser, one knee up with his hand upon it, was him. "Are you okay?" he whispered, worried - he'd turned back to human.
Her heart remained pounding, but his voice- it helped soothe her, and Valka slowly nodded. "Yeah" she whispered back, strangely calm. "I'm okay."
He slowly let out a breath, head hanging down, relieved.
Just then, things came to mind... crazy things... but with her pounding heart, what she'd learned, Valka didn't believe she could think any other way. There was still so much she wanted to know about him, about all the mysteries. But his heart, his feelings... even after he'd transformed, those weren't a mystery to her. Not only sharing his deepest secret despite being afraid, but when she professed her love, he returned it- even now he was returning it, in his own way. She was shocked, but this hadn't changed anything; she knew that deep in her heart, and couldn't imagine ever turning him away.
"Please" Valka whispered, soft and gentle. "Tell me your name."
He breathed out again, surprised... minutes must have passed, but she waited patiently.
A little chuckle. "I must admit, I always found it refreshing, how you never asked for my name" he admitted, faint-but-gentle, "I've never known anyone who was fine with that. Why do you want to know now?"
Slowly, Valka glanced at herself... her scarf and coat, she wasn't wearing them; he must have put them away. It brought a little smile; how sweet of him.
Her hands started moving, and she gradually took off the hooded pink shirt... the white one soon followed...
He hitched, entirely shocked, but couldn't look away - she felt his gaze the entire time, heart pounding, but she didn't stop.
"Why?" she whispered, breathing a little heavier; halfway through. "Because, I'd like to know... what name to call out..."
He gasped, nearly losing his balance, clinging to her dresser's lower handles as he stared at her.
"Y-You're serious?"
Valka slowly nodded. "And please" she continued to whisper, "I'd like to l-lay with you, like that... b-before it all starts."
He didn't say anything, nor did she hear a sound... by the time she finished, completely bare before him, she glanced up.
Slowly, very tentatively, he moved toward her - before her eyes, he changed again. His limbs slipped out of his clothes as he became a wolf, fur rippling across his body, but his gaze remained only on her. He stopped just two feet away, his fur color almost blending into the night, where he wasn't lit by the moon.
Carefully, his claw came closer and closer, before gently caressing her cheek, "Are you scared, Valka?" he whispered, nervous.
"No, I'm not" she whispered back, looking straight at him. "Because it's you."
Slowly, his eyes gleaming the entire time, he moved onto her bed - his muzzle slid right by her cheek, letting her lean against it, gently kissing his fur. She didn't resist as he gently pushed her, laying them down, him adjusting on top of her. Valka could feel her body heating up from anticipation, but also from the warm fur, which flowed all across his body. She gently brought her arms up, running them across his body in little motions - his muscles, what she could feel of them they didn't feel purely human, nor fully wolf, but a mix of both. He slowly panted, but adjusted his muzzle at the crook of her neck, breath hot...
"It's okay, Valka" he whispered. "It's okay... I promise, I won't do anything while I'm like this..."
"T-Thanks for that" she mumbled through his fur.
The rest went unspoken, but still Valka felt content, running a hand down his spine - a small shiver went through his body, but his grip remained steady, and he stayed close.
"You wanted to know my name?" he breathed gently-
-Valka gasped, looking up at him.
His green eyes were shining, but then they closed, mouth setting into a little smile. "My name" he breathed again, still holding onto her; Valka could feel his pounding heart, going fast like her own. "When I absolutely had to give a name, to my relatives, and later here in the city, I took a liking to 'Stoick'. Even though it's a usual name here, few have batted an eye, as it turned out."
A slow warmth went through her body, separate from the rest...
"My real name" he whispered, eyes still closed. "The one my parents gave me anyway... it's Vast."
She started trembling again, but still Valka reached up- she gently caressed his cheeks, feeling overcome again.
Valka kissed his nose then - he jolted, grip tightening instinctively, before he just stared at her.
"...Vast..." she whispered lovingly, trying to savor how she felt.
He slowly blinked... then he began changing; his fur started rippling, which made her hitch numerous times (it tickled), but it still flowed away. The feel of a wolf changed gradually, into that of a man, completely naked- it made her heart beat even faster. Still, his grip remained reassuringly strong, and a hand gently caressed her cheek and fringes of her hair, easing things a little. The moment it finished, he got even closer to her, enough that she could feel his hot breath on her face.
"Valka" he breathed, briefly shivering, "You're sure?"
In answer, she gently traced a finger across his chest muscles-
-he hitched a little, before his hand moved as well... she gasped, feeling a different rush of warmth, as he slowly moved near her chest.
"Truly?"
Panting, Valka nodded several times, having never been more sure in her life.
He didn't do anything for awhile, then he leaned in even closer... she met his lips on her own, trembling a little, but just loving the strong, firm sensations. She wouldn't let go either, and held onto him tightly the entire time.
/
The next morning
Feeling heavy, Valka slowly stirred before making a sound- why was she throbbing?
It happened again and again, faint, but regular... slowly, she realized where and breathed out; she was naked.
Her heart started beating faster, but still part of her felt strangely calm - slowly rising, the blanket fell off her shoulders, cool air washing over the skin.
Something told her to look left, and so she did-
-the man she loved was right there, covered by the blankets... he seemed to stir, but only enough to move his head before resting again.
A lot went through her head then: seeing him transform; how they said they loved each other; how he must've taken care of her, returning them to her apartment here; everything they talked about... including what they did-
Her cheeks felt warmer- but Valka slowly smiled, looking at her sleeping lover.
"I know you now" she thought, content. "And I swear, I'll always know you by your real name, no matter what."
Feeling even warmer, she leaned down again, before gently brushing her fingers across his shoulder - after a minute of this, Stoick started stirring for real, eyes blearily opening, then glancing at her fingers. He hitched a bit as the sensations registered, then saw her; Valka merely smiled a little more, scooting closer, which he soon noticed... before slowly, his hand came up and gently covered her own.
He gave off his own little smile. "Please tell me this isn't a dream" he whispered, extremely soft.
She slowly shook her head. "No, it isn't" she breathed gently, "not unless I dreamed it too. But I know I didn't... Stoick."
For a moment, he just looked at her, before resting his head even more... his little smile barely changed, but she knew what he felt. Then he touched her shoulders, drawing her closer; she didn't resist at all.
"Tell me more" Valka whispered eventually, warm in his embrace.
"What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you want to tell me" she answered, gently kissing his neck.
Stoick breathed out, never letting go, "...I'm a descendant of the Honshu Wolf" he whispered to her-
-Valka jolted a bit; she remembered reading about them, during one class that dealt with the remains of past species. They'd been extinct since the early 20th century... or so it was believed in textbooks.
"I think myself to be the last surviving member" he continued, a hand slowly touching her hair. "The last one who has both wolf + human blood."
"But, m-maybe there are others you don't know about?" she asked, very tentatively.
He was silent for a stretch, before he adjusted a bit. "Part of me always thought there could be, but that same part knew if there were, they wouldn't show themselves easily. And besides, I thought I couldn't bear to hope, if the chance was so small... so I didn't try."
Valka made a little sound, giving his neck a series of little, comforting kisses.
Her lover stirred, but he liked it. "But now-" Stoick whispered, drawing her attention. "Now... I think I could begin to hope again."
Making a little sound, she looked at him-
-he looked back. "My parents told me everything about our history, but they died when I was young" he whispered, the hand in her hair toying with it now, while the other caressed her cheek. "I lived with relatives then, who wouldn't have accepted me had they known what I was. The moment I was old enough for a driver's license, I left for the city, and never looked back. I lived around where I could - there were plenty of places a wolf could settle from day-to-day - then I got a job, and kept to myself. I had made my peace with living alone."
Valka's lip quivered a bit, but she only tightened her grip; he's not alone anymore.
Then he leaned forward, kissing her briefly. "Now though" he whispered, very close. "Now I feel I was wrong... I don't have to be alone... I can hope."
He kissed her again, and she held him tighter and tighter, heart pounding out of happiness.
She didn't know what would happen next, what things would be like in the future... but that didn't bother her; in fact, she was starting to like it.
It was like a dream, for both of them - but they knew it was real. Every collection of moments seemed to go by quickly, day after day, when in fact that's exactly what happened - first it had been only days, but then, it had taken a few months again.
...
Stoick slowly moved, pulling a sunflower from the bundle beside him, looking at it as he twiddled the stem. For a long time he'd called himself Stoick, still thought of himself as that, but now Valka knew his real name... and she insisted on using it when they were alone.
He was pretty sure she said it in her head too, when she called him Stoick in public - it brought a little smile to his face.
"Val-"
"Yeah?"
"You asked before, if you could belong with me at my home" he breathed, just holding her. "Perhaps... I could belong with you, instead?"
She gasped a little, grip tightening from surprise, but he was patient.
"Live here with me, i-in this apartment?"
He nodded, threading his fingers through her hair, breathing slowly. "I swear, we can work something out" he whispered softly, liking how close they were. "I can pay half too; I want to, if you'd agree-"
"Yes."
Stoick jolted, not sure he heard her right.
Valka leaned back, just enough to look at him... her eyes were slightly wet, but her smile was warm.
"I'd love that, Vast" she whispered sweetly, eyes half-closing, leaning even closer-
-he easily obliged, trying to show his appreciation for her in their kiss.
And then of course, how easily he'd moved in the first place-
He gently knocked on the door, waiting with hands in his pockets - despite her having said yes though, he was a little nervous; sure, he'd lived with his relatives, but an apartment building was so small. Sharing such a small space would be new to him-
Valka opened the door, smiling when she saw him. "You're here" she breathed, looking nervous herself, but also excited too - she looked down, but was surprised that 'everything he owned' basically fit into two small grocery bags (which were aged a few years).
"Remember what I said before?" he gently asked, drawing her attention. "How a wolf can make a home almost anywhere there's nature?"
She was surprised, but the memory surfaced in her expression, and she slowly nodded. "I understand" she breathed, a little soft, "You don't have anything big like furniture, or things like that. Just small little mementos, and things you wanted to keep."
"Yeah" Stoick breathed, slowly picking them up. "I swear though, they won't get in your way - I'll make sure of that."
Her smile got softer, before she gently touched his arm. "I'll still be curious though" Valka whispered in his ear, pecking his cheek- he was slightly sheepish. "You'd better tell me about them someday."
"Fair enough, I guess."
Then, just as gently, she lead him inside-
"Hey, Stoick-"
He quickly brought himself back, where his partner was motioning him inside the truck.
"-just got a call."
Another job - well, when they weren't hanging around waiting, they were working; he quickly put the sunflower stem back neatly, before he hurried to stand up and get into the truck.
...
"Dinner's almost ready" Valka called, finishing up the cutting.
"Got ya."
It brought a little smile; sometimes he gave simple responses, but the emotions underneath the words were more important anyway. He was looking forward to dinner, and that was good enough for her.
Valka hummed a little, tasting said dinner, before nodding in satisfaction - she quickly gathered up everything onto two plates, before putting those on the table. Stoick waltzed in, not in a hurry, especially since he looked at what she'd prepared. "What's that?" he wondered, sitting down.
"They call it 'shish kebab'" she said gently, sitting down as well. "It's mainly meat on a stick, though it's not limited to that - you nibble at it from the sides,and slide the whole things off."
He chuckled a little, slowly taking one, sniffing it - he got a little smile; to his wolf-ish senses, it must smell pretty good.
"But, it can be even better" she said softly, to his slight confusion.
To show him, she took another stick and gently dipped it in her drink (he was really surprised then), where she let it drip a bit inside the glass before pulling it out. Stoick looked at her a moment, she nodding, before he slowly tried it with his own meal, looking at it a moment after pulling out. Just as she ate hers normally, having had it before, he took a small nibble at his... then he gasped, his expressions alone saying that he liked it. She giggled at the side, including when he began to munch like there was no tomorrow.
"Hot and cold, a ton of sensation" she thought, content to watch for another moment, before she ate as well.
"Mmh, mmm, that's a unique taste" he breathed, after having swallowed a few bites. "How'd you get the idea for this?"
Valka giggled, smiling, "Well, the first time was an accident" she told him, which visibly raised an eyebrow slightly; now he was even more curious. "My grip slipped and it fell in, coating it-"
...
"Hey, Val?"
"Hmm?" she breathed, about to start folding her clothes, before he motioned her over - she hesitated a moment before smiling, coming over to join him. "What is it?"
In answer, Stoick slowly produced a photograph, holding it out in front of her - she breathed out, curious as she looked at it, going through numerous reactions.
"It's so beautiful" she whispered with wonder.
He smiled a little; "That's a location quite a distance from here" he said gently, drawing her attention. "It's out in the country, full of little homes and a few other installations. It's not a big village or anything, but it's a loving community, from what I saw. Well, at a distance, mind you (she hummed a little), because I didn't let anyone see me. Still, I took that picture a few winters ago, as you can tell."
Valka's little smile showed a lot of interest, and she continued to hold the photograph. "Could we go there sometime?" she whispered. "I can tell it's important to you, if you've kept this photo for years.
"Maybe" he answered, but sincere. "And yeah, it's important to me, but for a different reason than you might think."
"Hmm?"
"What I am Val, is half human, half wolf" Stoick breathed, gently taking it back. "That means part of me finds nature, wide open spaces, all of that appealing. I wondered if I could make a life in that country, when I took that picture... but despite wanting to, I chose not to do it. At that time, I had made peace with being alone... and small communities like that stick together; I didn't think I could get away from them if I tried."
A hand gently covered his. "And that's why you chose this city" she said gently, leaning against him. "Because society usually leaves you alone, unless there's a reason otherwise."
"Yeah."
She stayed against him for a moment, before she gently took the photograph again, getting up - he watched as she walked over to his bookshelf, and then he breathed out; she gently placed it on top.
Their designated spot for important memories... his picture was there, alongside the picture frame of a young Hana with her father, and a cup that had belonged to him.
Valka slowly put her hands behind her back, looking at him- she was smiling softly.
He returned it, understanding.
Valka hummed gently to herself, folding clothes, as soon the laundry would need to be done. Stoick was at work of course, but he'd be home in time for dinner - enough time to enjoy themselves for an hour, before she went to work too. She was still glad though; except on rare occasions, when she got home, it was still 'early' enough to say goodnight to her lover, and cuddle together before they both fell asleep (they tended to sleep late). They'd done plenty of that by now, both in human form and her against Stoick's wolf form, and a little bit more too (always human), o-on occasion-
-her thoughts were interrupted when her throat suddenly constricted.
She doubled over, clutching her mouth, shaking- why was she trying to throw up!?
Valka tried to fight it, stand up... but by the end, she barely made it to the toilet in time... gah that felt terrible! Weakly, her eyes having shut tight, she groped for the handle, just managing to flush... but ugh, the smell-
-wait, why had this just happened so suddenly?
"Did I- did I eat something bad?" she thought weakly.
She didn't think so... nothing she'd bought had gone bad, that she'd seen (or consciously allowed), but then- ah, Stoick!
If something had gone bad,, he might be having the same problem!
Weakly getting to her feet, Valka found her phone - he was still at work, but she knew he often had breaks between his mover work. But what to say? If she was too specific, he'd get worried- and much as she'd love the attention, she didn't want to do so for no reason.
Eventually, after almost sending 'Vast' in the text, Valka sent her message:
'Stoick, how's work going? Anything good or bad?'
Sitting in the chair, not making any sudden movements just in case, she waited patiently... seventeen minutes later, her phone pinged; he'd replied!
'Work has been slow today, except for our last delivery just now - kinda good, as we get to relax more, but sorta boring. Other than that, it's all good.'
Valka slowly breathed out... Vast was fine; if he'd been throwing up like she just did, and consistently, he'd have been sent home by now.
'Okay, but I hope you come home soon. I love you.'
'I'll be there. Love you too, Val.'
A few moments later, her phone showed he was no longer 'on' the message service - the phone itself might be, but he thought she was done. Hana saw this, but her mind was far elsewhere...
It was her, just her... but why... it's not like she was pre-
She gasped, her heartbeat going haywire!
P- pregnant... was she pregnant!?
Her emotions were so overpowering, Valka didn't know what to think!