AN: Gah! I edited the hell out of this chapter and I still didn't like it. Oh well, here you guys go! Hope you like :)
Although chilly, the skies were clear. The waters were unusually tranquil, and the reflection of the sun upon them created a pleasant glow. The touch of a breeze added a sense of sereneness to the air. The ferry ride was peaceful, but Toothless could not enjoy it.
Although his dream wasn't frightening in a traditional sense, he was still shaken. He had never believed that dreams had some sort of hidden meaning, but something was tugging at his mind. It made him feel uneasy.
Toothless took a small bit of comfort in knowing that at least Hiccup enjoyed himself. The sleepy smile on Hiccup's lips as he admired the seemingly endless sea was enough to make the entire trip worthwhile.
A ferry crewmember waited for the couple at Berk's dock. He thanked Toothless for his patronage, and assured the couple that their luggage would be safely delivered to the house where they would be staying.
House? A terrible thought passed through Hiccup's mind, and his mood soured. He had assumed that they would be staying at some resort, or at least a nice hotel. If they were going to be staying at a house, it was more than likely going to be one of those "reenactment huts" where they would have the displeasure of living like Vikings for a week. Ugh…
Toothless thanked the crewmember, despite the fact that he ruined his surprise. The pathetic human was only doing his job, but now he needed something to distract Hiccup until everything was ready. He had hoped to lounge at a cliffside, enjoy the sunset, and plan the rest of the vacation with Hiccup until the preparations were completed. If he continued with that plan, however, his mate would be sure to start asking questions about their accommodations.
Maybe they could take a nice hike in the woods? No, Hiccup was probably too tired. What about a walk along the beach? Not distracting enough. He needed to come up with something quick.
"Ten more minutes until the next guided tour! Ten more minutes!" A female voice shouted. The couple looked in the direction of the voice, and found a woman in Valkyrie attire standing in front of a poorly reconstructed hut. The wooden sign above the hut's door read "Viking Tours" in a runic font.
A guided tour! That was perfect.
"Why don't we take one of those tours?" Toothless asked, trying to sell the experience with as much false excitement as he could muster. It was especially difficult since the former Dark-Hunter hated the idea of being paraded around his own hometown by someone who didn't have the slightest clue what they were talking about.
Without waiting for Hiccup's answer, he took his hand and led him toward the hut. Hiccup made small sounds of discontent, but his protests were half-hearted at best. Guided tours were lame, but it was better than not doing anything.
It didn't take long for Toothless and Hiccup to become incredibly annoyed by the tour. The tour guide's information was incredibly inaccurate, and reenactors were even worse. It was difficult for the pair to not be offended by the stereotypical depictions of savage Vikings. They weren't the most civilized of people, yes, but they were above cannibalism, mass murder and rape.
Fortunately, the tour guide had offered to allow willing customers to stay behind while she led the rest on a nature hike. Toothless and Hiccup did want to explore the woods, but they wanted to do so in private. They didn't want to share such a loving and spiritual experience with other people.
They explored each of the buildings, and enjoyed private jokes about inaccuracy and bad acting. A few of the "homes" doubled as gift shops, which piqued Hiccup's interest. He had the unfortunate obligation of bringing back souvenirs for friends, and the sooner he fulfilled that obligation the better.
"Wouldn't your friends much rather have something from Italy or Spain?" Toothless asked as he examined the various miniature replicas of Viking deities.
Hiccup snorted. He picked up a snow globe and shook it gently. "Crap is crap no matter where you buy it from."
Toothless' face took on an expression of disgust when he read "Made in China" on the back of the miniature he picked up. "I never really thought of it that way before, but I guess you're right." Toothless set the miniature back on the shelf.
"Really, though," Hiccup began as he set the snow globe back with the others, "If you think about it, no one cares where you got the souvenir from, just as long as you got them something."
Toothless chuckled. "Deep, truly inspiring."
Hiccup shook his head and sighed. He still couldn't help but smile.
The trip to the gift shop had been fruitless. Hiccup was obligated to bring gifts, but he couldn't justify spending ten pounds on a poorly made snow globe or miniature. It didn't matter how wealthy he had become.
They mindlessly wondered around to other parts of the reconstructed village when Toothless received a call. It was brief, and few words were exchanged, but the dragon seemed ecstatic after the conversation. "Are you ready to see where we're going to be staying, my love?"
Hiccup managed a smile despite his negative feelings. He wasn't ungrateful. He knew that Toothless had planned their accommodations with him in mind. Besides, evening approached quickly, and Hiccup welcomed any protection from the cold that accompanied it. "Psyched."
Toothless had explained that the trip to the house would take fifteen minutes, but to Hiccup, it felt like an eternity. The trek was completely uphill. It didn't help that the trail was dark and precarious. The nearly unbearably cold air didn't make matters much easier either. By the time Hiccup was able to see his surprise he was winded, freezing, and exhausted.
Hiccup took a moment to recover from the climb before he resolved to face his accommodations. It didn't look half bad. It wasn't a hut, like Hiccup initially thought. It looked more like a modern-day, one-story cabin. Toothless took the pleasure of opening the front door, and gesturing his mate inside.
The house was small, but perfect. The foyer led to an open kitchen connected to a fully furnished living room. The kitchen was equipped with the latest in culinary devices, including a gourmet stove and an extra-large refrigerator. The living room was decorated in soft, beige tones, and the warm fire in the brick stone fireplace made it even more inviting.
"You like?" Toothless teased. The bright smile that lit Hiccup's face was more than enough of an answer, but verbal acknowledgement of his greatness would always be encouraged.
Hiccup laughed as he bumped Toothless' side. "Of course I do!"
The dragon kissed his mate softly on the cheek. "Let me show you the room."
Toothless wrapped an arm around Hiccup's shoulder, and lead him through the small hallway behind the kitchen. They stopped in front of a door that was at the very end of the narrow hallway.
"Are you ready?" Toothless asked with a mixture of excitement and hesitation, as if he were genuinely unsure of his gift. Hiccup nodded eagerly against his mate's shoulder. He was sure it would be as perfect as everything else was.
Resolve strengthened, Toothless opened the door, and Hiccup was immediately in awe.
The large windows were what first caught the younger man's attention. They made up the entire far wall of the large master bedroom, and the view was perfect. One could look down the mountain and enjoy the view of woodland scenery as far as the eye could see. Hiccup could even make out the tiny lights of London on the horizon.
"The middle window is actually a sliding glass door, so we can go out on the patio whenever we like." Toothless explained.
Hiccup nodded, unable to do much else. He looked around the large room, and was marveled by nearly everything he saw; an extra large, low-leveled bed, a television set that rivaled the size of theirs at home, a cherry wood dresser, and the matching nightstands at the sides of their bed. This was better than any hotel or resort. It was all the comforts of home away from home.
"Toothless," Hiccup choked out, "This i-is-"
"Wait!" Toothless interrupted with excitement, "Before you pass judgment, you need to look at the bathroom!"
Near the entrance was a door that led into an extra-large bathroom. It was nearly identical to the bathroom they had at home; granite tiling, a long, granite countertop with dual sinks, a heating towel rack, a porcelain throne, a large tub, and a two-person shower.
The main, and only, difference was that the far shower wall was a window to the outside.
"So you have a wonderful view as you shower," Toothless laughed, "But don't worry, the patio outside gives you plenty of privacy."
Hiccup was a little unsure about having a view as he showered, especially because he planned to have more than one rendezvous with Toothless as he did so. But, he trusted Toothless' judgment on the matter. It would be rather difficult for someone to see them, unless they trespassed onto the patio. Under Toothless' protective watch, that would never happen.
"So, what is your judgment, my love?" Toothless asked eagerly as they reentered the bedroom.
Hiccup couldn't suppress a grin. Toothless looked like a puppy waiting for a treat, and he deserved one hell of a treat for such a wonderful and clever surprise.
Hiccup hugged his mate tightly. He hoped that the action would express the appreciation that words couldn't describe. Toothless returned the affection with an equal amount of strength.
"Everything feels wrong."
The voice startled Hiccup. He wasn't sure where it came from, or who had spoken. It was definitely not Toothless, but he knew he recognized the voice from somewhere.
"Did you say something, my love?" Toothless asked softly.
Hiccup shook his head against his lover's chest. Had the voice had come from him? No, surely not. Yet, he wasn't so sure.
Toothless released his human before kissing him softly on the forehead. "Come to bed?"
Hiccup bristled slightly at the thought. He was tired, and although Toothless had been wonderful that evening, he was much too jetlagged to do much of anything. "I'm actually feeling kind of tir-"
Toothless interrupted with a chuckle. "I know, I was asking if you were going to sleep with me, as in actually sleeping."
Hiccup's tension dissipated, and he laughed. "Oh, okay."