Authors note: Just reminding everyone that this story DOES NOT take into account the events of Season 6 of Race To The Edge. This story only takes into account all the events of all the seasons of Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, all of RTTE (except for season 6 of course) and HTTYD 2. This story is based after HTTYD 2, so the events of RTTE Season 6 are non-existent in this story.

Chapter 9 - One Way Or Another:

After cleaning up and stocking their ship with provisions, the two chiefs and their dragons commenced their course. Under the vast blue sky with patches of white clouds scattered throughout, it seemed that things went back to normal aboard SS Beowulf. Well normal would be the best word to use for now since Hiccup wasn't entirely sure how to describe it.

They worked on copying the map from the dragon eye lens on paper as they sailed toward the horizon. Dagur volunteered to sketch the map since it was the least physically strenuous task in the ship. Hiccup on the other hand, handled the navigation and sailing of the ship.

Within an hour or so, the lanky brunet checked to see how the Berserker was doing. The Berserker's attention to detail and steady strokes were almost as good as his and that was saying something since Hiccup was an experienced cartographer. The redhead continued sketching the map from where Hiccup left off several nights ago and it wouldn't be long before they were done. Not to mention Dagur's genius idea of purchasing a current map of Avatross from the Northern Markets helped a lot.

In the meantime, Hiccup sailed the ship while Dagur supervised every now and then. Though Hiccup did not have much experience with sailing a vessel, the other chief was surprisingly calm and instructive. At first glance, Dagur did not seem the type to be so gentle and constructive with teaching nor providing support. Yet there he was, right next to Hiccup through every step of the way.

The dressings on the Berserker were brand new because the previous ones got wet from their bath. Hiccup helped Dagur replace it and it wasn't that hard since he had done it to dragons before. Plus, it was made effortless with their cooperation. Right now, the sight was almost hard to believe, both of them working together, but for Hiccup it felt right. His trust for the Berserker seemingly grew the more time they spent together.

Not that he didn't trust the other man before…well there were moments of doubt every now and then. Especially when the redhead showed his old-self, from the maniacal laughs and sudden furious outbursts. The Hooligan still needed to get used to the new Dagur like how he was with other riders long ago, and it was only a matter of time before he did. After all, he never used to get along with Snotlout, the twins and even Astrid for that matter, then it all changed.

And he could clearly tell that Dagur had changed for the better. Much better in fact that Hiccup took a moment to reminisce at all the things that the Berserker said on the island. Unknown to him, a fond smile began to form on his face while he replayed the memories of Dagur worrying about him.

Only when Toothless nudged him with its wing did Hiccup snap out of it. His Night Fury gave him another knowing look, like the one he gave on the island which Hiccup still didn't understand. His dragon only got like this whenever Dagur was involved and it was starting to annoy him.

Suddenly Toothless went wide eyed and began blinking at Hiccup as if to mock him which only made his rider's eyes squint with anger.

"Hey Dagur." Hiccup called out and the Berserker turned to his direction then responded.

"Yeah?"

"Toothless seems a little restless. I think we're gonna do some scouting to check where we are on the map." Hiccup stated without removing his leer from the Night Fury who only mocked him some more before sticking its tongue out.

"Uhh sure!" Dagur answered, clueless to the exchange unfolding before him then handed the map to Hiccup's grasp.

"We'll be right back." Hiccup answered then hopped on Toothless before they launched into the air. When they were high enough, Hiccup made sure to not fly too far from the ship. Despite having Sleuther, Dagur was still injured and he wouldn't risk having the Berserker mind the ship on his own against whatever lives in the seas.

In the sky, Hiccup lectured his dragon but the Night Fury merely feigned ignorance. This rebelliousness was not unheard of from Toothless but something about this set an uncomfortable feeling in Hiccup's gut that made it difficult to focus on his scouting task. Not even half-an hour had passed, Hiccup returned to the ship to commence sailing. The Berserker returned to sketching the map while Hiccup headed to the steering wheel as if nothing was going through the Hooligan's mind.

"Hey Hiccup, what do you think Avatross is going to be like?" Dagur asked without removing his eyes from his work. Hiccup turned to the man next to him to answer, "I don't know. I've never been there, and I don't know anyone who has."

"Do you think they ride dragons too?" Dagur added the question but this time, his gaze moved to the brunet's direction.

"I dunno. Maybe…" Hiccup paused for a moment, "For all we know, we and the dragon hunters are the only ones who can fly dragons."

After Hiccup finished, memories of the other times when they met new communities in the archipelago flashed in his mind. The Defenders of the Wing, the Outcasts and even the people in the Northern Markets didn't take too well seeing Hiccup and the other riders with dragons at the beginning. Some were used to seeing dragons either attacking or locked up in a cage. It was sad to think that it could be the same when they reach Avatross.

"Hiccup."

The brunet snapped out of his train of thought blinkingly.

"What?"

A frown formed on Dagur's face before he continued, "I said, I'm not sure if going to new lands with our dragons is a good idea."

The thought had occurred to Hiccup before, however he dismissed it in the hopes of seeing the new world. "I know Dagur. I know the risks but…" The brunet's gaze moved to the dragons who were playing with each other on the deck before returning to face the other chief.

"Toothless and Sleuther are our friends. We couldn't just leave them behind-,"

"I didn't say we should've left them behind." Dagur interjected. "All I'm saying is, with how little we know about this new place, we need to be very prepared- as much as we can."

The Berserker walked away from the drawing desk to the bannister to set his eyes on the dragons. "We need to be prepared for the times when we don't have our dragons with us. If we're to find out the movements of the hunters as well as the location of the Skrill, we gotta immerse ourselves with the locals and familiarize with the terrain. The people in Avatross may not take too kindly to having dragons around, or maybe they do. They might not even take kindly to us since we're not like them. We may not even speak their language or dress the way they do. Lots of things need to be considered when travelling to unknown territory."

When the Berserker finished, Hiccup couldn't help but form a wide smile on his face.

"What's that smile for? Was it something I said?" Dagur asked and the brunet lanky chief quickly dismissed it.

"N-Actually yeah! It's about everything you said." Hiccup responded which caused the redhead's expression to be masked with bewilderment. "I mean, you seem to know a lot about travelling to distant places, to new lands…" Hiccup held up his right hand and moved it from left to right.

"Not a lot of people think about these sorts of things. Most of the time they try not to go anywhere but the places they already know because of the fear of the unknown but you- you seem to have put a lot of thought in this, probably more than I have." Hiccup paused but the smile never left his face. "And that's great. I'm really impressed." Then the lanky brunet nodded.

"Uhh thanks, I guess I like being prepared…" The Berserker rubbed the back of his head then gazed away from Hiccup. "That's very nice of you to say." He added.

No doubt, the redhead's cheeks began to redden. Hiccup noticed but made no comment about it to avoid making things awkward. Both chiefs returned to their positions to busy themselves with their tasks. In their minds, questions about their great undertaking surged and even began to think of some answers.

The one question they didn't address were the looks they exchanged every now and then, like at times when Hiccup thought the Berserker wasn't looking even though Dagur could clearly tell he was being watched.

Only when they broke into discussion about a subject regarding Avatross and whatever else they knew about the continent were when both men eased on the staring. During those times, the ambiance didn't seem too tense as if they could hear what the other person was thinking. Even the tension from earlier was soon forgotten as the men engaged in their discussions regarding the map and their experiences with new lands, from Hiccup's discovery of the different parts of the Archipelago to Dagur's adventures with the Berserker Armada.

Without question, sharing ideas and strategies on how to survive in the new world was certainly interesting. It made sailing and working on the map less tedious. They learnt there was a forest called Frenzy Forest which covered a large portion of the map and had several images of the Skrill insignia throughout. There were some towns and patches of civilization that were not located in the dragon eye lens but designed in the new map.

They continued their work until the sky was blanketed in darkness and the torches were lit. But eventually, the chiefs decided to call it a day and stored their things away to prepare supper. Earlier in the afternoon, Hiccup and Toothless caught some fish and even came across a pod of Sea Shockers heading to the horizon. This became the subject of the chiefs' conversation over supper as well as the remembrance of the time when Dagur was electrocuted by the Skrill.

The memory was so vivid to Hiccup that the brunet couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's not funny!" Dagur bit out but the Hooligan could not stop himself even if he tried.

"I got you so good! Hahaha!" Now Hiccup was laughing out loud and it did not dampen the Berserker's anger. The chieftains teased each other and laughed like they were children again. Perhaps if things weren't so rocky between them before, Hiccup might had been friends with Dagur.

He dwelled on the idea for a moment then remembered all the things the old Dagur did when they were young. Things like locking up Fishlegs in a cage or using Hiccup as a knife throwing target. The Hooligan tried to diminish such thoughts in his head since the redhead before him was no longer that person.

Dagur was now a dragon rider, one of their own and a friend. Every now and then, Hiccup needed to remind himself that things had changed, that people could change.

Well at least some could.

By nightfall, the two men had set everything up, so they and their dragons could rest for the night. Fortunately for them, the skies were clear and covered with stars as far as the eye could see. The water was calm and soothing as it splashed the hull of the ship, perfect for setting the vessel to remain on course while they all slept.

However, the ship going off course was the least of their problems. In the captain's chamber, well their chamber rather, a new storm was brewing.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Dagur questioned with a scowl.

"Because I can." Gazing upon the large bed covered by a large purple blanket with the Skrill insignia in the middle, Hiccup also scowled at the other man.

"Hiccup, you and I both know that there's more than enough room in my bed for two people. I've slept on this bed with three other people and we all fit just fine!" The Berserker exclaimed before quickly clamming his mouth shut.

"Forget I said that!" The Berserker yelped then looked away to hide his reddening face. No doubt Hiccup was not going to question the elephant in the room.

"You slept with three people at once? On the bed I've been sleeping on?" The Hooligan asked with a raspy voice and gestured his hands towards the bed.

"T-That's irrelevant…" Dagur stuttered, his expression frantically trying to hide the surging panic. "The point is- sleeping in a hammock is not the best for someone who has one leg."

Hiccup knew that the other man was not going to budge so he narrowed his eyes then crossed his arms, "Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"How's that any better?" The Berserker cried out angrily. The two men stared each other down for a moment, the air in the room was quickly filled with a cloying tension that would not go away.

"Dagur I really don't think it's necessary for us to argue about this. You sleep on the bed since you're injured, and I'll sleep on the floor and that's that." The Hooligan snapped and cut his right hand to the side.

"Fine!" Dagur bit out.

"Fine!" Hiccup bit back.

"Well your back won't be when it's aching all over." The Berserker pointed out before climbing on the bed carefully and lying on his right. It was childish.

They both were.

And all Hiccup would voice out was a "Ugh" before taking some spare sheets folded neatly at the end of the bed and laying it on the hard-wooden floor, frowning all the way.

When he was finally settled, he realized that the lamp was still lit so he got up, trudged to the glowing item near the bed then blew it out.

Despite the cover of darkness, the burning anger within both men lingered like an inextinguishable lamp flame. They both tried as hard as they could, even as far as squeezing their eyes shut to fall asleep. But they couldn't.

There was always something soothing about the sounds that a rocking ship made. The waves splashing against the hull and the creaking of wood gradually drained the fight within both men. It wasn't long before sleep eventually claimed them both however there was something that sat in Dagur's mouth which needed to be heard.

"Hiccup…are you awake?" The Berserker called out almost like a whisper. He did not move a single muscle nor heard the other man stir.

The thought of Hiccup already asleep occurred to him so he shut his eyes, only to spring right open when Hiccup responded.

"Yes Dagur?" The Hooligan answered who remained stationary as well.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier." The Berserker did not hesitate to reply as the thought that sat in his mind yearned for attention.

A pregnant pause passed before Hiccup answered, "I'm sorry too."

"It's just-," Dagur interjected as he had an idea of where Hiccup was taking this. "I feel bad that you're sleeping on the floor while I'm up here. It doesn't seem right is all…"

A small chuckle left Hiccup for a moment before he replied, "Don't be."

He heard the redhead shuffle on the floor and he could feel Hiccup's eyes on him, "You're hurt and besides, I've had my share of sleeping on the bed and being taken care of..."

The room went silent for a moment as both men replayed the memories in the island cave. Gulping, Hiccup felt the Berserker's eyes pressing on him too before he continued, "It's your turn."

With that, nothing more was said though there were even more things that sat in their minds than before. More questions filled their minds but at least they didn't keep them awake any longer. Not when the gentle splashing of the water and the rocking of the ship carried the chieftains to sleep.

In the morning, Dagur found himself alone in his bedchamber. Eyes barely open, Dagur staggered out to the deck where he saw Hiccup whose back was turned against him.

"Good morning." Dagur greeted but it made the other man yelp in surprise. Composing himself, Hiccup greeted in return, his Night Fury appearing behind Dagur to join its rider's side.

"How'd you sleep?" The Berserker asked and noticed the slouch in Hiccup's posture.

"I slept great! Sleeping on the floor isn't all that bad." A forced smile appeared on Hiccup's face to be expected.

Scowling, Dagur placed his right hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow, "You're lying." He stated.

"What? No! Really it's okay!" Hiccup exclaimed but then Toothless nudged his back which made cracking sounds from top to bottom.

"Ow!" The lanky brunet exclaimed then rubbed his lower back before snapping a look at his dragon.

"Toothless!"

Shaking his head, Dagur tutted, "Right…" before walking away, rolling his eyes.

Throughout the day, Dagur carried this impression as Hiccup struggled to do the tasks around the boat. Equipment kept slipping out of Hiccup's grasp and grunts of pain were heard from his lips for most of the day. Even Dagur couldn't keep a steady hand on his work as most of the time, he was observing Hiccup in case he hurt himself.

By nightfall, Dagur had enough and retired to the quarters for a moment before returning to approach the other chief. The Berserker found the Hooligan limping and almost as slouched as a hunchback at this rate.

"Come with me." Dagur ordered and caught the other man's attention.

The brunet raised a brow before he asked, "What? Why?"

"Just come!" Dagur ordered again but this time, grasping the other man's wrist and taking him within the ship. From the pattering sounds of feet, Dagur knew that Toothless followed them but stopped at the door despite growling in concern for its rider's wellbeing.

However, by now, Dagur also knew that the dragon trusted him enough to entrust its rider. When they reached the bedchamber, the room was just as Dagur prepared it. There were some incenses and candles lit around the bed, but the lamps were out. The room was filled by the wafting smell of incense which helped Dagur relaxed when meditating and during other things.

Things that he was about to do with Hiccup.

"What's all this for?" Hiccup asked suspiciously.

The Berserker's expression remained stern and commanding before he uttered, "Strip."

In surprise, Hiccup stammered, "What? Why?"

"Take off your shirt. You'll need it off for what we're about to do." Dagur commanded again as if this was something he was accustomed to ordering.

"Dagur, I dunno what you're thinking so you're gonna have to explain a few things before ordering me to strip." Hiccup took a step back as worry crawled on his spine like a spider clumsily trapped in its own web.

The burly redhead rolled his eyes before conceding to reply, "Ugh fine."

"Back on my island, apart from learning medicine, I took on a mentor to teach me the elegant art of massage therapy."

This time, it was Hiccup who raised a brow. "Massage therapy? You?" he asked.

"As you know, we Berserkers love to train for combat which leaves us with aching muscles. And so, our island has massage therapy as one of its popular trades." Dagur explained with a finger pointing up.

"Are you saying…you want to give me a massage?" Hiccup's voice almost went high pitched at the end.

"Yep. Since this morning, I can tell you've been aching all over, so I thought I'd help ease the pain." The redhead elaborated before gesturing his hand at Hiccup, "And if you go on like this, you're bound to get hurt. Massage therapy helps reduce the risk of injury you know. Plus, I've been told I'm pretty good with my hands."

A wide smile appeared on the other man's face as he wriggled his brows.

Shaking his head, Hiccup held his elbows and replied, "Yeah I'm sorry Dagur but I don't think this is happening."

"Why not?" The Berserker asked.

"Because- last time I checked you need both hands to be a masseur-," Hiccup replied, pointing at Dagur's injured left arm.

"I don't need both hands, I only need one and it'll be amazing! I promise-,"

Hiccup cut him off then exclaimed, "Even so it's awkward!"

"Awkward? How? I'm only looking out for your wellbeing!" The Berserker spat out, but rage boiled in Hiccup's veins.

"Well my wellbeing can do without a massage!"

The lanky brunet snapped out before exiting the room and slamming the door behind.

When he returned later that night, the Berserker was already asleep, back turned against the door. The candles were blown, and the smell of incense gradually disappeared by the second. Hiccup crept to his bed like when he was younger and sneaking into the forest to meet Toothless. Lying down, a deep and heavy sigh left him as he slowly closed his eyes.

Without a shadow of a doubt, guilt festered in his gut, a common tale of late. Tried as Hiccup might, he could not bring himself to sleep. No matter how many times he turned and squeezed his eyes, the fact remained that he was troubled.

A pinching and gritty sensation of guilt lurked in his conscience and nagged him awake, possibly yearning until dawn.

Come morning and Hiccup found himself without sleep, sitting on the floor. He watched the sun's rays pierce through the windows and cracks of the walls. Without looking at a mirror, there were certainly dark circles under his eyes. When Hiccup heard the other man stir, he turned to Dagur's direction and greeted, "Morning."

Dagur faced him but made no comment on his appearance then replied, "Morning…"

A moment passed, Dagur yawned and stretched but careful not to trigger his wounds. The men did not speak but again, they could practically hear each other think. It was beginning to be a regular thing between them.

Humbling himself, Hiccup sucked in a breath and turned to the Berserker again, "Hey Dagur, listen about last night-,"

Dagur quickly interjected, "No need to explain, I was out of line and should respect your boundaries. I'm sorry."

"No, I should be the one to say sorry, I was out of line." Hiccup shook his head, "You were just trying to help, and I was a total jerk about it."

"But-," Dagur tried objecting but the other man interjected again.

"No- No buts just please accept it." The Berserker observed Hiccup's expression carefully and eventually conceded with a sigh.

"Okay." The Berserker muttered softly in a whisper, "I only offered the massage because I thought you really needed it since you've been doing most of the hard work with sailing the ship and stuff. I just know how physically taxing that can be and I feel so guilty for not being able to help more."

"But you do!" Hiccup exclaimed as if Dagur's proclamation was crime in his ears. "You already do so much with the state you're in."

"But it's not enough!" The Berserker bit back.

"It is Dag-,"

"No, it's not!" Dagur cut him off then glanced down on his injured arm. "I hate being like this! I hate being a burden to you!"

Shaking his head, Hiccup tried to interject again, "You're not a burden-,"

But the Berserker's voice boomed across the room, perhaps throughout the entire vessel, "I am! Look, when we started this mission, I swore to myself that I would be able to handle anything that comes our way!"

"But now…" With a furrowed brow and a deep scowl, the Berserker struggled to get the words that had been clouding his conscience for a while, "Now…I'm just a liability."

Hiccup remained silent for a moment and let Dagur's words marinate in his mind. The Berserker did not say a word, his expression filled with sadness, and strangely some relief perhaps from the admission.

"Don't ever say that." Hiccup could only mutter in a whisper, wary that the Berserker could interrupt again. However, Dagur kept his lips sealed shut.

"When I lost my leg, a part of me felt even less of a chief, even less than a person. I thought that on top of how other people already see me, this-," Using both hands, Hiccup gestured at his left leg then continued, "-was only gonna make things worse."

"But I was wrong. People didn't think of me any less after losing my leg. They respected me even more for how I lost it. Not a single person blamed me because they all knew that I lost it for their sake, for trying to save everyone." Hiccup's eyes wandered up to empty space as memories of his fight against the Red Death and saving the dragons rushed through his mind and even made his left leg twinge. The memory might be distant, but the body could remember it so well like it happened yesterday.

"And that's how I know that my sacrifice was not in vain." The brunet added then turned to the Berserker before getting up and approaching the other man. Hiccup felt that Dagur's gaze never left him as he climbed on the bed to sit on the end.

"It's the same with you. You're injured for trying to save me when I was unable to save myself. I'm forever thankful for what you did so don't count that as nothing." Sliding closer, Hiccup placed a gentle hand on Dagur's shoulder, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here so please, don't be so hard on yourself. You will get better and things will get better. Until then, allow me to take care of you. To return the favor."

A small smile appeared on Hiccup's face and soon the Berserker's did the same.

"And you're not a burden at all. Not even close. We couldn't have made it this far without your help."

They were both smiling now when Dagur replied, "Thanks Hiccup."

With a slight nod, Hiccup removed his hand and breathed deeply for what he was about to say next. "Tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I'd like it if you can give me a massage."

The redhead went wide eyed at the sudden suggestion, "What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure!" Hiccup nodded with a bright smile though panic pinched his insides.

"Really?" Dagur raised a brow in uncertainty. "Last night, you said it's awkward."

"Well…I can't guarantee that it won't be but still I'm willing to give it a shot…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head as he suppressed his thoughts from going to places they shouldn't be. "Like you said before, it'll help reduce the risk of injury. And we can't have that now, especially since we're about to reach Avatross."

"That makes sense…" Dagur muttered then looked away as he thought about it.

"Yeah, a little therapy would be good, maybe tonight? What do you say?" Hiccup asked.

A few seconds passed with Dagur staring blankly at Hiccup before he exclaimed with a wide grin, "It's a deal!"

The Berserker got up, excitedly beckoned to start the day with breakfast. All the while, Hiccup pushed and pressed on the voice in his head that told him to take everything he said back, at least to the part where he agreed to a massage. A massage from Dagur in fact.

What in gods was he thinking?

It was a strange thing when one did not want something to come to pass, it came swifter than anything they could imagine. That was what it was like of how Hiccup spent the rest of the day. All day, he tried to keep it together and by keeping it together, he meant not looking at Dagur's general direction and making every single conversation as brief as possible. The other man began to speculate something by midday, but Hiccup denied it of course, he said he was fine and blamed it on the lack of sleep.

When in fact, it was a half-lie.

The Berserker seemed to buy it since he pressed no further and kept to his work. However, when evening arrived, the redhead confirmed if Hiccup was sure about the session by which the Hooligan replied with a 'yes'. Dagur nodded quite unsurely then disappeared to the cabins right before the lanky brunet slapped himself in the forehead.

Soon after the Berserker summoned the other man who asked for a few more minutes to himself. Dagur nodded then went back in the cabin without another word.

One could whiff the pungent scent of incense in the cabin's hall. Hiccup headed to the bedchamber as slowly as possible and when he opened the door, the room was just how it was yesterday when Dagur prepared it the first time. The lamps were unlit, but the room was illuminated enough by the candle flames which flickered and danced with the air's movement.

"Welcome." Dagur greeted with a wide smile like one of his Berserker men greeting Hiccup and the riders to their Island.

"Can you please take off your shirt and lie on the bed on your stomach?" Dagur asked then turned around to face the other way, "If you're nervous, then I won't look."

"Dagur, you've seen me shirtless before." Hiccup commented then the Berserker turned to his side to respond.

"I know, but I figured that giving you some privacy might ease off your anxiety."

"Anxiety? Who says I'm anxious?" Hiccup's voice went high at the end, more than he liked and it made him bite his bottom lip. Dagur merely glanced a knowing look to his side before turning away.

Hiccup said nothing more and proceeded to remove his garments then his shirt. He could hear his heart beat in his ear and breathing hitch. Swallowing once more, he climbed onto the bed then laid on his stomach and placed the side of his face on the pillow which was placed close to the edge of the bed.

"I'm ready." Hiccup stated then the Berserker turned around with a blank expression before a faint hint of a smile began to form.

"Good, let's get started."

Dagur walked over to Hiccup then started explaining what massage therapy was, its origins and who taught him how to do it. According to Dagur, some of the techniques were learned from the far Eastern Reaches, possibly even further than Avatross.

Though Hiccup knew this was Dagur's way of dampening the awkwardness of the room, he couldn't bring himself to remove his eyes from Dagur's hands. And the fact that he opened a small jar that contained a clear liquid substance which he began applying on his hands. Amidst his thinking, Hiccup missed what Dagur said about the liquid and he certainly missed the part where Dagur warned him that it was cold.

The sensation made him tingle from head to his curling toes.

After a while, Dagur's strong fingers pressed on Hiccup's back muscles all the way from neck to the lower back. It was strange. All too strange for Hiccup.

For no one had ever touched him like this or ever given a massage apart from Astrid. During those times, it would lead to intimacy with one another. And this was not an intimate moment for Hiccup at all.

Not at all.

But it was certainly relaxing. The way Dagur's fingers and palm moved and pressed and slid on Hiccup's back made Hiccup's eyes roll to the back of his head in pleasure and relief.

At times, the Berserker was slow and gentle but there were times when Dagur's strength certainly showed as even the tightest knots in Hiccup's back gradually loosened, much faster than when Astrid did it.

Eventually, Hiccup found himself drooling on the pillow, but he dared not move since he was afraid Dagur might notice his bliss covered expression. Besides, the Berserker was too busy chatting his ear off with calming thoughts and meditation advices. There was even something about asking Hiccup a question which the Hooligan was unable to register as sleep eventually claimed him like an old friend.

"Hiccup?"

Dagur called out to the other man but realized that he had fallen asleep. The brunet snored gently with a bit of drool pooled on his cheek which Dagur thought was funny yet alluring. Dagur had thought that Hiccup wouldn't be able to stay up late after the massage since he said he did not get much sleep last night. However, Dagur didn't expect for Hiccup to fall asleep during the massage itself.

The other chief was certainly out cold leaving Dagur with the question of what to do next.

One by one, Dagur put away the ointments and oils that he used and blew the candles around the room except for the ones next to the bed. He turned to the hammock which hung cold in the other side of the room then moved his gaze on the floor where Hiccup slept on yesterday.

A part of Dagur told him to wake Hiccup up because they agreed that he was supposed to sleep on the bed. Hiccup was so adamant with it that Dagur knew there could be trouble if he did not act now.

However, a part of Dagur told him that Hiccup needed the sleep and it'd be wrong to wake the other man.

In the end, Dagur blew the last few candles around the bed before carefully climbing onto the bed and laying on the side closest to the wall to leave as much space between him and Hiccup as possible. His face was almost pressed against the wooden wall.

For a moment, Dagur thought about his decision and the possible repercussions at dawn.

But then, he remembered that he was tired, and they were tomorrow's problems. And tomorrow could wait because for now, he was enjoying the blissful fact that he had helped Hiccup somehow.

One way or another.

End of Chapter 9.