A/N: And we're back! It's been a long two weeks and my exams were tough - thanks to all of you who wished me good luck! - so I had to rush quite a lot to get this done. I don't think it's my best work but I don't think the chapter turned out too badly either.

Then, on another note; I have been offered the amazing opportunity to host my own channel on A Thing Of Vikings' Discord server, which is currently expanding to also become more of a general HTTYD fandom community. The server itself is filled with lovely people and my particular channel will be a place to talk about my fics, primarily Phantom. So if you're looking for insights, want to ask me questions or just want to talk about Phantom with me and other readers, this is the place to be! And the invite link can be found on my Tumblr, aleteia-ff!

Vivi-nvtg: Glad to hear you enjoy them!

DeathBerryHime: Ah, your reviews are always so extensive and lovely that I don't know how to properly reply! Indeed, it was a big step for both of them. A problem surfaced and they actually solved it together. Yay PhantomHiccstrid! I very much loved that chapter for this reason. (And yes, bed-sharing is definitely a win. And there will be more Phantomcup this chapter…)

Bloody Rogue dragon deity king: Wow indeed ^^

cosmicblader12: And now the next chapter is here!

MilaBirdchairs: More smut will follow soon ;)

fuzzyhoudini: Super interesting review! But yeah, I can agree with what you said. I do think it also very much depends on the backstory Hiccup is given in Hiccup Leaves AUs; I put quite some time and effort into crafting this quite elaborately in this story, which I feel in turn makes it a lot easier for Astrid to relate to him and to his reasons for staying away. And she sees how hurt and conflicted he is over leaving, and I really think that's one of Astrid's qualities in canon as well; seeing how Hiccup is feeling and giving him what he needs to get back on track.

And in a way, she's still very much adhering to the "Attack the problem first, ask questions later" mentality here as well; she wants to relieve Berk from both the dragon raids and the Phantom, both of which she is confident will happen if the Red Death dies. And she's working every day to achieve that goal.

But I do agree it's a very interesting issue! These are just my quick two cents :)

oldestj1: You're very welcome!

CajunBear73: I know! They really had to have this talk and I felt they had it well ^^

IcyForest: Yeah I agree you can pretty much consider them official at this point. And yeah, wasn't going to end that one with angst! Never go to bed angry, after all ;)

Midsully: Still hands only! When they do have 'actual sex' for the first time, it will be covered extensively ;)

No Account: Thank you!

RotcehM: Thank you too!

Entr'Acte – Alpha Comes to Berk

Stoick the Vast would've liked things to go back to normal after his encounter with the Phantom. But they did not.

He had never considered himself to be someone who was easily intimidated. Because he wasn't. After all, he had seen enough in his lifetime, battled enough villains. It was hard for him to be impressed. And the Phantom certainly hadn't impressed him. But he had shaken him in a way no enemy of Berk had shaken him before. And he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why. Perhaps because he was madder than any man he'd met before.

Life on Berk itself had gone on as it normally did. Just like how the village had gotten 'used' to the war with the dragons – as much as one could get used to war – the Phantom's presence had become part of their daily routine. Not that that meant that the Berkians wouldn't like to see him gone – there wasn't a doubt in his mind that his fellow villagers would like to see the Phantom's head on a stick as much as he did – but just like how they'd adapted to their houses and farms being destroyed by dragons, the damage the Phantom did was something they just had to adjust to.

To say he didn't like that was an understatement. The dragons were one thing, but the Phantom was another. The Phantom was a man. After his encounter with him in the tunnels, he couldn't be more sure about that. And he couldn't allow himself, nor his village – especially his village – to live under the tyranny, or the terror, of another man.

"We just have to find a way to catch him, Gobber," he argued, spending another bit of scarce free time in his friend's crowded shop.

The blacksmith turned towards him. "You got another note?"

Stoick smiled wryly. Gobber knew him too well. It'd been the same as the one he got almost every other day these weeks. She's fine. I hope you intend to keep it that way. You know what I want. How long until you realize you have no choice but to concede?

Some days, that message would arrive in one complete note. On others, the Phantom would scatter the sentences, spread them out across separate pieces of paper. But it was always the same message. Taunting him, questioning Stoick's strength and resolve. He wouldn't let that get to him.

"The same as always," he conceded.

"It's kind of chilling, isn't it, still?" Gobber muttered, looking for something in the back of the shop. "The way he talked to you. Still does. Using Astrid and all."

"It's a tactic more than anything," he grumbled. "He's been telling us to give in to his demands for over a year, but we never have. So I guess this spring, he's decided to switch it up." He groaned and sat down on one of the stools in the forge. "Can't imagine he's too happy with us finding his underground lair either."

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"Wonder what?" he frowned.

"Whether we were meant to find it."

He looked at his friend, creasing his eyebrows. "You don't seriously think that?"

"At this point, I don't know anymore," Gobber shrugged. "Judging by that wonderful exchange you had with him, it didn't seem like he minded your presence there."

"Or he just tried to play it off that way because he doesn't want us to think we're ahead of him," he countered.

"If only we knew," Gobber muttered. "Would make this whole ordeal a lot simpler."

"I can't wait for the day we've gotten rid of that maniac," he grumbled. "And with any luck, he'll take the dragons with him."

"Those beasts have been here for way longer than he has, though," Gobber pointed out.

"For all we know, he's not the first Phantom." The thought had crossed his mind before. "There could've been generations of them. This one is just the most persistent. Or most cocky."

"That's not the kind of thought that'll make me sleep better at night," his friend told him, visibly shuddering. "I'd prefer to think that once we're done with him, that'll be the last of his kind."

"So do I," he agreed. He leant his head in his hands, overthinking the task ahead. "But how do you catch a ghost?"

"Was there anything in what he said to you the other night? A weakness of some sorts?" Gobber asked as he peered at the bolt he was currently holding with his prosthetic.

"Hardly," he groaned. "Just taunts."

"Aye," his friend nodded, recalling the conversation they'd had the morning after that particular raid. "He said something about Valka and Hiccup too, didn't he?"

Stoick almost shivered at the thought. You lost your wife, your only son, and now the girl you incredibly naïvely hoped would one day become your successor. The Phantom had no right to talk about any of them like that.

"It irks me that he knows about them," Gobber continued.

"Me too," he agreed. "But it's not like the Archipelago doesn't know. Or…" He swallowed before his next words left his mouth. "He knows because he forced Astrid to tell him about me."

"Let's hope that's all it is," the blacksmith mumbled.

"He's not from here, Gobber," he said resolutely. There was no way anyone from Berk could be that vile. "And all other tribes deny knowing his identity as well. He's a handful to them too, after all."

"Except for the Berserkers."

"Yeah, well, if Dagur wanted war, he would just sail here. Sending someone to torment us for almost two years would be unlike the Berserkers," he pointed out. "Say what you want about the hot-headed boy, at least he does things the proper Viking way. Instead of hiding in the shadows. Besides, they never get raids in the first place."

"Lucky bastards," Gobber grumbled as he went to search through some boxes. "Did the Phantom kidnap anyone from any of the other islands though?"

"Not that I've heard, no." He slowly shook his head. "Last letter I got was from Alvin. Who reported that things were the same as always. Dreadful and terrible."

"Outcast Island doesn't exactly need the Phantom to cause that kind of atmosphere though," Gobber quipped, which he met with a slight curl of his lips. After that, his friend continued, more silently: "It does seem like the Phantom has a bone to pick with us in particular, doesn't it?"

Stoick didn't answer, but just sighed deeply instead. A silence hung between them after that as Gobber fumbled around with the few spare swords they still had. His eyes surveyed the forge, taking stock of what the Phantom hadn't destroyed or sabotaged. It really wasn't much.

"How many traps do we still have?" he asked.

Gobber looked up, creasing his bushy eyebrows. "What kind?"

"Anything. As long as they can catch a man."

One of the blacksmith's eyebrows went up. "You're not going to try to find him in the tunnels again, are you?"

"I am."

"Your last attempt wasn't exactly successful," Gobber argued.

"Which is why I need the traps."

Gobber eyed him warily. "And what are you planning to do with those? Just cover the entire tunnel system with them?"

"Exactly. He's bound to step in one of them if there are enough. No matter how clever he is," he explained.

"You don't know that," Gobber countered, pointing his prosthetic at him.

"I do," he insisted.

"No, you don't."

"Then what would you have me do instead, Gobber?" he asked, raising his voice in frustration. "I can't keep letting him get away with this. Destroying our village. Kidnapping our people. So unless you have a better idea…?"

He looked at his friend, who paused for a minute until he eventually shook his head.

"I have to try," he continued, his voice softer this time. "At least one more time."

"I'm just not sure if Berk can spare them," Gobber told him. "Both you and the traps."

"Well, with the gods' blessing, this will be the last time it'll be like that. Ever." He looked up at his friend. "Will you help me set them up? The next raid should be due in a few days, at most."

A smile appeared on Gobber's face before he gently nodded. "Of course, Chief."

No more than a week later, Stoick the Vast found himself in the tunnels underneath Berk. With even more determination than last time. But also, although he hated to admit it, with more wariness.

Occasionally, he could feel the caves around him tremble, telling him there'd been another explosion on the surface. He tried to block it out as best as he could. Just one more time. That's what he'd told himself last time as well. But this time, he'd get the Phantom for sure.

Gobber and he had worked every day, placing traps in the Phantom's tunnel system. Ideally, they would've set them up the night before the raid, but that was the main issue with the dragons' habits; they remained unpredictable. So instead, they'd opted for placing the traps – nets, leg-holds, anything they could find – in secluded places, moving them every day. Hoping the Phantom wouldn't notice. Praying that the quantity of traps would make it so that he failed to locate at least one.

Stoick knew well enough that it was a longshot. But it was their only shot. And he just couldn't resign himself to no longer trying.

So, he kept slowly pacing through the tunnels, listening for a sound, a twitch, anything at all. It made him uncomfortable. This wasn't supposed to be how he fought his battles. He should be on a battlefield, fending off enemies, leading his people towards their glory. Not hiding in caves, looking for a man who didn't want to be found. Although at this point in his life, he also wouldn't mind not having to fight anymore at all. He'd done that enough. Lost enough.

Occupied by his thoughts, he felt the cold of the underground space settle into his bones, the humidity of the air slightly dampening his cloak. He had no idea how much time had passed. How many more hours he had to kill before he could lay his eyes on the people of Berk again. He wondered if they'd noticed his absence yet. And if they sought anything behind it.

Clunk.

The sound echoed through the tunnels, bouncing off the walls until it reached his ears. One of the traps had snapped shut. Someone had touched it.

With his pacing, his breathing accelerated as he made his way through the tunnels towards the source of the noise. He knew the rough location of all of the traps, but the thought of making his way there in the dark still made him anxious. Because he didn't know what he would find. A man? Or a monster?

When he reached the trap however, he found nothing. It had been a simple leg-hold trap. And it had caught nothing but empty air between its jaws.

An uneasy feeling settled into his bones. If the Phantom had let this one go off, what did that mean for –

His thoughts were interrupted by another sound. Another trap. He rushed towards it, but this time the space was empty. Frowning, he crouched down to the ground, carefully scanning it with his fingers but making sure he wouldn't get caught himself. But before he could finish his survey, something else echoed through the caves.

"You don't have to bother with that one, I already got rid of it."

There was no courtesy in the Phantom's voice as he spoke those words. Just his familiar, mocking tone.

"And this one." Another trap slamming shut.

There was a pause, before a laugh followed. "Even though it looks incredibly silly, I commend you for the creativity of this particular placement."

Stoick moved again, chasing after the Phantom's voice. But it moved quicker than he did. Until he'd heard not one, not two, but all of their traps snap shut or be cut down. And then there was nothing to fill the tunnels but the Phantom's manic laughter. Which moved around constantly, making it impossible for him to locate the maniac.

"You know, as much as I appreciate you setting all of this up, I don't exactly have a problem with pests down here. Except for you."

"Likewise," he grumbled.

"Oh Chief, you wound me," the Phantom quipped. "So, where would you like me to put these things? I could use them as scrap metal, but with how well your blacksmith has been serving me, I might be better off just returning them to you. It's your call."

"No one on Berk serves you."

The Phantom laughed mockingly. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. This island is mine. Just admit it."

"I am Berk's chief," he answered, determined.

"Oh yes, and that really means a lot, doesn't it? Tell me, Chief, how are you protecting your people? From dragons? From me?" The Phantom chuckled. "Oh, that's right, you aren't. You've never been able to oppose me. And you never will be. So give up."

"I will never give in to the demands of a madman like you," he spat.

"So you're just going to keep going until Berk can no longer hold on? Until you're forced to leave this island because people refuse to live here any longer? Or, you know, because they feel they need a change of leadership? I have a very busy schedule, but if asked, I'm sure I could make room. Some might even say it's what I was born to do."

"You're outright delusional. That wouldn't ever happen!" he roared.

"And I can see why they call you Stoick," the Phantom scoffed. "Gods, you're stubborn. But the delusion's all yours. Do you really think that if I would march in here tomorrow, promising that I'd settle for a more peaceful reign instead, that none of your loyal subjects would find that idea appealing?"

Before he could lash out, the Phantom continued. "But don't worry, I'm not interested in ruling a tribe of bloodthirsty, empty-headed Vikings. So there's no reason to be afraid. Or rather, no reason to fear me more than you already do."

"You don't frighten me!" he roared.

"If you ask me, the very fact that you're here at all means I do. Why else would you waste your time down here in the tunnels, instead of helping your people on the surface?" the Phantom teased.

"Me wanting to see your head on a stick has nothing to do with being scared. You're a nuisance. And I squash those."

"And I really do feel thoroughly obliterated. Some days, I don't even know how to function under the enormous weight of your acts against me." The gigantic amount of sarcasm in the Phantom's voice made his blood boil. "Can you remind me what those were again?"

"Shut your mouth," he bit.

"But I so enjoy these conversations. After all, I don't think you and I ever had proper talks," the Phantom cooed.

"If this were a proper talk, you'd show yourself."

"I think I'm quite clear enough like this, thank you."

"What do you want," he hissed.

"This again? I thought we'd been over that. But I can refresh your memory. Leave this godsforsaken island, give it back to the dragons. Sail south, to the mainland, where your kind belongs. Never show your face here again. Or, alternatively, stop killing dragons. Just chase them away. It's not very difficult. Even you could do it."

"Never."

"Then I suppose it's option three instead; stay here until you've failed so thoroughly that either you, or Berk as a whole, crumbles. Because you'll fail. You'll fail all of them. Just like you failed Astrid Hofferson."

He balled his fists, wishing he could throw them in the Phantom's face. "Listen up you little – "

"You know," the Phantom interrupted him, his voice echoing loudly through the caves. "I do really feel like me taking the girl has created more of a bond between us, you know? After all, we never talked before that! But I get it. You are quite fond of her, and I… Well, I don't think I need to complete that, do I?" He paused, filling the caves with a wicked laugh. "If me taking another one of your people would bring us even closer together, I'd gladly do that."

He heard the Phantom clap his hands together before he continued. The sound was slightly muffled, but still clearly audible. "Do you have any preferences? I've taken a liking to your blacksmith, but I wouldn't dare to tear him away from his equipment. After all, he's taken so much work off my hands. Is there anyone else you're particularly fond of? I would prefer a guy. As great as Astrid is, there are just some things that… Well, you probably know. Or don't you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get personal, I –"

"Be! Quiet!" he yelled, raising his voice as the Phantom's rambling echoed through the caves. He was met by the man's mocking laughter, which made him clench his teeth together. The Phantom was playing with him. And no one had the right to make a fool out of him.

"You are not taking anyone else from this island. You will return Astrid to us. You will leave us alone. And you will take your dragons with you," he demanded.

"Or else? You'll ground me, like I'm a naughty little kid? Or will you kill me? Capture me and lock me up? Hunt me down so you can put my head on my spike? I thought that's what you've been trying to do for the past years. And how successful has that been?"

"I won't –"

"Yeah, you won't let me get away with this. But I will. So once more: Stop killing dragons. Or leave this island altogether. Those are my only two offers. I won't bother to come down here again, because you clearly have no intention of negotiating."

"Neither do you," he bit back. "You've only ever given me an ultimatum."

"And so have you. But I don't think I'm the one who has to make the compromise here. I am not the one whose people are at the mercy of a ghost. Of a Phantom." The Phantom paused for a moment, lowering the volume of his voice. "I could be much worse. And I don't think you want to experience that."

"Don't you dare threaten my people!" he roared.

"Please allow me to give you one advice, Chief. Not that you will listen, because, well, from what I've gathered so far, you never do." The Phantom briefly paused, the tone of his voice even more ominous as he resumed. "Save what you can of yourself and your people. Before there's nothing left to save."

There was a silence after that, nothing more than a slight rustle and Stoick's own laboured breathing echoing through the tunnels. Then, the Phantom's voice pierced the silence once more, an iciness and possessiveness in it that made him feel colder than he had all night.

"And I will never give Astrid back."

No matter how often Stoick called out towards the fiend or taunted him after that, he received no reply. Once again, the Phantom had vanished.

As soon as Astrid properly moved into the Phantom's Nest, the weeks started to fly by. Staying with Hiccup was, as marvellous as it was, in all honesty, inconvenient. Due to Hiccup's nightly escapades as the Phantom, his sleeping habits were pretty much the complete opposite of her own. He had a tendency to wake up in the late afternoon and to only return to bed in the early morning, which was only a few hours away from when she'd get up to train the dragons again.

So, she certainly couldn't say her quality of sleep nor the amount of sleep she got had improved ever since she'd started sharing her bed with Hiccup. But she honestly couldn't care less. Because nothing could compare to the warmth and comfort she felt when Hiccup would slip into bed at the end of the night. Waking her only slightly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear until she drifted away into sleep again. And she had to admit she'd spent more hours lazing in bed than usual, just so she could look at the way Hiccup's lips were slightly parted as he slept, his youthful face handsome and unguarded. And so far, he hadn't complained when she'd woken him with a kiss because the sight of him became too much.

It had been on one of those lazy mornings that she'd asked him whether he didn't mind that they weren't having actual sex. Hiccup had paused then, removing his lips from where he was sucking slightly on the skin of her neck and moving up to devour her with his eyes instead.

"As much as I'd love to have you," he'd told her as he'd suggestively pushed his hips against hers, letting her feel how hard he was. "To fuck you right here, right now; you told me you weren't ready. So, no, I don't mind. I've had sex often enough in the past. This is different; this is about you. I want to be with you. And like I told you before, I'd have you any way you want me to."

He'd sealed her lips with a kiss then, intense and passionate before he'd moved his lips to her ear. "And when you are ready, I have every intention of making sure you won't regret it."

The suggestive tone in his voice had set her ablaze, and they'd both finished shortly after, but it'd also put her more at ease. There was no pressure on her from Hiccup's side. No pressure on her from anyone, really. There, on Phantom Island, it was just Hiccup and her. With no one to judge them, or to care about what they did. The two of them was all that mattered. And their dragons.

Stormfly had not been sure of what to make of their new living situation at first, but eventually, she'd eased into staying in the Phantom's Nest as well, although she still occasionally spent her nights down in her old alcove. Which was fine; all Astrid had to do was call out to her from up there, and the Nadder would find her way back to her quickly enough. Toothless himself had quickly accepted their new inhabitants as well – as long as they didn't disturb his sleep too often.

She still spent most of her days working with the dragons, and things were getting significantly better every day. Habit and repetition had engraved their drills and patterns into the minds of Hiccup's lieutenants, and other dragons were starting to copy it, up to the point that it wasn't unusual to find herself and Stormfly leading a pack of up to fifty dragons flying around Phantom Island. Getting them to commit to coordinated actions such as attacking a target was proving to be more difficult, but their lieutenants were getting the hang of that. And the first other dragons were starting to follow.

Hiccup tried his best to be up in the afternoons when he was around Phantom Island, so she could get him up to speed with her progress. Luckily, since the lieutenants didn't have much trouble following Hiccup instead of her – after all, he was the one that had freed them and taken care of them until she came along – and neither did the other dragons, especially those he'd recently freed. And Hiccup himself picked things up incredibly quickly, although he never hesitated to tell her how impressed he was with her efforts. But it made her feel at ease seeing him so dedicated to their goal nevertheless.

Now that she was staying with him, there were other things she only now noticed Hiccup's dedication to as well. Whenever he wasn't outside, flying on Toothless or repeating some of her drills on his own, he would usually be at his desk, working on sketches, or practicing his movements with Inferno. It intrigued her, and she usually didn't comment on it, just watching him from the corner of her eye instead.

Today however was different from her usual routine. Instead of in Phantom Island's surroundings, she found herself out in the Archipelago's ocean. Watching a ship sail towards the horizon, which Berk was hidden behind. Only an hour away by dragon, at most.

Hiccup had come back with the news after the last raid; he'd found her parents. From what he could see, they were on their way back to Berk. But she'd asked him to show her nevertheless. So as he'd left for the Viking islands to prepare for the next raid, he'd led her to her parents' ship. And she'd be trailing them ever since, staying just out of sight so they wouldn't get suspicious.

She spent most of her time stationary in the air, or sitting on sea stacks. She hadn't truly realised how much faster dragons were than boats until now, and the difference was striking. It made her fantasize about what the Archipelago would look like if all of them moved by dragon. Which was an interesting way to kill time, if nothing else.

She'd debated flying down to the ship's deck a few times over the past few days, but she'd always hesitated. Her parents were on their way back to Berk. Knowing them, they'd only do that if they thought their daughter couldn't be found. So most likely, they thought she was dead. They could move on. And she didn't know whether now was the time to sweep in to explain what was actually going on. Whether she wanted to put her secret on their shoulders as well.

She hadn't achieved anything yet, after all. Sure, she'd found Berk's lost heir and fallen for him. But as far as Berk could see, she wasn't any closer to solving their problems with both the dragons and the Phantom. And she didn't know how much longer that would take. Why would she put that uncertainty on her parents' consciousness now as well, when they seemed to finally have found enough rest to return home to Berk? Where Stoick would take care of them. And Hiccup would never hurt them.

Most of all, she feared they just wouldn't understand. Because it had taken her so long to understand Hiccup as well. She didn't know if right now would be the right time to try to convince her parents, and the rest of their generation, that dragons were kind-hearted and good creatures. While their village was still being raided and haunted. There'd be a time for that after they'd beaten the queen. When they could actually prove they were right. When the odds weren't stacked against them.

Still, they were her parents. And Berk consisted of her people. And she couldn't deny that now, being so close to home, Berk only so slightly out of her reach, she didn't feel a pang of homesickness. She felt at home with Hiccup too. But it was just… different.

As if he'd heard her think about him, she was shaken from her thoughts by a Night Fury who levelled out next to her, his rider looking at her from behind the slits of her helmet before he lifted up his visor.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked, the look on his face one of concern.

She nodded at him before prodding Stormfly to move slightly above Toothless. Hiccup held his arms out towards her and caught her hands as she jumped onto Toothless' back. It was a habit they'd developed if they needed to talk – or briefly kiss – in the air; Hiccup couldn't separate himself from Toothless because of the tailfin, but she could easily move from dragon to other. It prevented them from having to scream against the Archipelago's winds. And allowed the two of them to be closer.

Hiccup hunched forward, allowing her to step over his shoulders and settle in front of him, between his legs. She leant back against him as his arms wrapped around her, his lips pressing to the top of her head as he did. When she looked up, she found him frowning at her, his eyes both soft and concerned.

"Babe." She smiled at him, lifting her hand to Hiccup's face and tracing the bag underneath his left eye. "You look terrible."

Hiccup slightly revealed the gap between his teeth. "And I'm happy to see you too."

"Looks like you need some sleep," she told him. "Was the raid last night?"

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her a little tighter. "Yes."

"Where?" She felt she already knew the answer.

"Berk."

"Guess my parents will not have to bother with that then for a few days, once they arrive," she mumbled. "That's something."

"Did you tell them?"

"No." She shook her head. "What if they won't understand?"

Hiccup didn't answer, but just pulled her closer instead, burying his nose in her hair and pressing his lips against the base of her neck. She knew he didn't know the answer to that question either.

They just sat there for a while longer, watching the ship on the horizon until Toothless got restless from staying in the same position for too long. She untangled herself from Hiccup's arms, twisting to grab his cheeks and kiss him tenderly before she got to her feet.

"Are you coming home, or?" Hiccup asked, his big green eyes following her movements as she called Stormfly over.

Home. Phantom Island. Not Berk.

She briefly glanced back at the ocean, biting her lower lip. "I think I'm staying for a while more."

Hiccup pursed his lips as he watched her jump back onto Stormfly. "Do you want me to stay as well, or?"

She averted her gaze as she settled back into Stormfly's saddle. "I'll be fine. You should probably go home so you can sleep."

"I really don't mind," Hiccup told her, his voice softer than usual.

She looked back at him. "Hiccup, please. I can take care of myself. Please do the same." When he frowned, she added: "If not for you, then for me. I'll be a few hours more, at most."

After a moment of silence, he finally nodded. "Alright. Just be careful."

"I always am," she smiled. "Thank you for checking on me."

Hiccup's eyes darted over her figure. "I…" Instead of finishing his sentence however, he shook his head, moving his visor down while he changed the position of Toothless' tailfin.

"See you soon." Then, with a big gust of wind produced by a few beats of Toothless' wings, he was gone.

She took Stormfly down to a nearby sea stack after that, letting her rest for a bit. After that, it only took an hour or so more for Berk to come into her view. And a few more hours before she watched her parents' ship dock into the village's harbour. From a distance. She couldn't bring herself to put Stormfly down on the island's cliffs. It just didn't feel right.

All in all, it felt strange to see Berk again. Not much had changed in the three and a half months she'd been gone. The village looked to be in worse shape than it had been before she left, as that'd been before the raids had started again. None of the watchtowers still stood upright and she didn't spot Berk's usual arrangement of siege weapons either. But by the looks of it, Hiccup hadn't touched anything they'd agreed he wouldn't destroy. He'd kept his word to her. Not that she'd ever truly doubted he would.

With that reassurance, and that of her parents being safely back on Berk, she flew away, leaving her island behind her. She'd come back there. She'd give the Berkians the explanation they deserved. But only when the time was right. Until then, she'd have to wait. But she had Hiccup.

The flight back to Phantom Island was long, and not particularly interesting, especially since Stormfly had an amazing sense of direction and she didn't have to do a lot of navigating himself. She admired Hiccup for making this trip as often as he did. He could've easily made a home for himself closer to raid territory. But instead, he chose to return to his dragons whenever he could. And to her.

Phantom Island was relatively quiet when she arrived – as quiet as an island filled to the brim with dragons could be – and when she landed in the Nest Hiccup was in bed, Toothless curled up around him. It wasn't unusual for her to find the two of them like that. She hadn't said anything about it, but she'd noticed that Hiccup was prone to having nightmares whenever he slept alone. Especially when he'd just come back from a raid.

Usually, Toothless was there to soothe him in an instant before she could even make an attempt to help out. And aside from occasionally moving restlessly, Hiccup always seemed fairly at peace when they were in bed together. Now however, she watched Toothless lift his large head and look at her, his big green eyes asking her for help as the dragon warbled softly.

Frowning and concerned, she walked over to their bed, her heart constricting as soon as she caught sight of Hiccup. He was curled up on his side, his scars facing her. His trembling hands were pulled into fists against his chest, his mouth slightly hung open and his eyes were squeezed shut, only slightly relaxing when he winced. She'd never seen him like this. It hurt to look at.

Biting her lower lip to ease herself, she knelt down next to him, pulling off her boots and relieving herself of her shoulder pads, gloves, hood and skirt. Hiccup was mumbling unintelligibly, a mixture of words and moans she couldn't make sense of leaving his lips. She pulled up the covers and crept under them, sharing a look with Toothless, who released Hiccup slightly as she reached out towards her lover.

Grabbing his shoulders, she tried to turn him around towards her, but he was too cramped up for her to move him. She wrapped one arm around his bare torso instead, the other around his shoulder as she pulled him closer to her. He winced slightly at her touch when she laid her cheek on top of his scarred one, letting her feel the rough structure of his face.

"Sssh," she whispered to him, softly stroking one of his balled fists with her fingers, hoping she'd get him to relax. "It's okay."

His breathing was laboured, his body shuddering against hers. She kept talking to him, occasionally sharing a glance with Toothless, who seemed to be as lost as she was. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of dream it was that kept Hiccup in its hold. That made him so deeply and thoroughly terrified. Was it about something he'd experienced? A story he'd already told her, or one of the many she suspected he still hadn't?

After minutes passed in which Hiccup did not seem to get better at all, she slowly shook his shoulder. "Hiccup. Hiccup, wake up."

It took a few tries before finally, she felt him jerk against her, sure he would've hit her with his rash movements if she hadn't been holding him already. Slowly, his breathing calmed, falling back into a normal rhythm as his body started to relax too. She softly caressed his skin until finally, he wriggled, angling his face to look at her. His green eyes were blown wide, fear and terror reflected in them. When they settled on her however, he almost looked surprised.

"You're back," he murmured as he turned further, a sense of disbelief ringing through in the way he spoke.

She cupped his cheek, softly stroking it as she smiled at him. "Of course I am."

Hiccup moved quickly after that, twisting around to face her and wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close to him, resting his head against her shoulder, his arms possessively locked around her waist. As if he was afraid she'd vanish if he didn't keep her close. She stroked his back with one hand and his hair with the other, occasionally pressing kisses to the top of his head until finally, Hiccup's breathing slowed and he fell back into a more peaceful sleep.

Not long after that, she joined him, still holding Hiccup's reassuring warmth against her. Because after the events of the past days, she could surely use some of that too.

A/N: I'm looking forward to next week and your comments/presence on Discord until then!