Hello, everyone! Did ya miss me? I missed you~

So, yeah, sorry that I've been gone a while. I'm okay. Well, still alive, anyway. It's just kind of been chaotic. But no need to worry! I'm all good now!

As an apology, I guess you deserve more than one chapter, huh?

-giggles- well, enjoy!

"Toothless, why are we here?" Hiccup asked. They were once again at Toothless's island. The dragon had suddenly grabbed Hiccup as he was cooking dinner and took him here. Stoick would be furious when he came home and they weren't there. Again.

"Strip," Toothless commanded. He stood on the entrance side of the cave, just in case Hiccup thought about running away. Now in clothes that fitted him properly, he would look dangerous to anyone but Hiccup.

"What?" Hiccup questioned his face lighting up. He'd expected something like this to happen at some point, but he hadn't expected it so soon. He wasn't ready yet. That was a decision that couldn't be undone, no matter what.

Toothless also blushed, realizing what Hiccup had been thinking. As much as Toothless wanted that to happen, he knew Hiccup wasn't ready yet. And he'd never make Hiccup feel pushed into something. Not by him, and not by anyone else. He was willing to wait forever for the boy.

"Not like that," he coughed. "I know you got hurt."

Hiccup blinked in surprise. He thought he'd been able to hide that fact well. Toothless had seemed to buy it at the time, and Astrid hadn't even seemed suspious at all. When had one of them noticed?

Instead of arguing, Hiccup carefully took off his shirt. On his left hip was a bad burn that still hadn't healed. It didn't hurt as much as it had before, but it was annoying when it started to randomly bleed. Hiccup would always rush to treat it so that no one would notice and ask about it.

Toothless bent down onto his knees and looked at it closely. Hiccup could see the look of hurt in the dragon's eyes. That's one thing about their bond that he hated. Whenever Hiccup got hurt, Toothless seemed to feel much more pain to he ever did.

"It's not her fault," Hiccup said quickly. The last thing he wanted was a war between his friends. He wouldn't be able to stop it or take a side. It was something he never wanted to happen, even if it killed him.

Instead of replying, Toothless licked at the wound. First, Hiccup winced, but then his face turned red when he realized what his dragon had just done. Worse, Toothless hadn't stopped. He continued to lick at it, soaking it in his spit. When Hiccup tried to move away, Toothless just held onto his hips.

"Toothless!" Hiccup protested. Toothless immediately stopped and looked up to his rider. Hiccup's face was flushed and his eyes were watery. It was such a tempting sight.

Toothless stood up and pulled Hiccup into his arms. As soon as he did, Hiccup began to calm down. Toothless's heat spread through him, warming him like a child's favorite blanket. He kissed Hiccup's forehead and held him close.

"Dragon spit has healing qualities," Toothless explained. He didn't want a scar left on Hiccup's beautiful body. If there was, he really wouldn't be able to forgive Astrid. No one had the right to hurt Hiccup.

"You could've said so," Hiccup muttered. After all, that had really surprised him. Being taken to a secret place, asked to strip, and then suddenly licked? Hiccup had thought... His face heated up just thinking about it.

"Sorry," Toothless said. "I've been trying to be calm about it."

"How long have you known?"

"Since you interrupted Astrid and me at the cove," Toothless told him.

"I'm really sorry I didn't say anything," Hiccup apologized. "I just didn't want you any more mad at her..."

"I've forgiven her," Toothless sighed, "but only because you asked me to."

"Thank you," the boy replied.

"But, Hiccup," Toothless said, "you have to tell me when you get hurt, okay?"

"Okay," Hiccup agreed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Toothless chuckled. "Stop apologizing, silly."

"Sor... um, I mean, sure."

Toothless shook his head and nuzzled into Hiccup's hair. It was fluffy, unlike most of the other vikings. It was just another difference Hiccup had. But, like all of his others, it was a good difference.

"Any other wounds?" Toothless asked.

"Nope," Hiccup answered. "Not that I'd let you know if there were."

"Hiccup..."

"Joking," Hiccup laughed. He wrapped his arms around Toothless. Sometimes, his dragon was a little over protective. It wasn't a bad thing. In fact, Hiccup thought it was cute.

"That wasn't very funny," Toothless mumbled.

Hiccup looked to the pout on his face and smiled. "Yeah, it was."