Hey guys ! New chapter !

Disclaimers : I don't own the stories of How To Train Your Dragon nor Rise Of The Guardian, all credits go to Cressida Crowell, William Joyce and Dreamworks Animation Studios.

Hope you enjoy !

Love and scales !

Chapter 13
Protector and captor

Hiccup had been five, maybe six at that time, it was a few months before they had found Joke. In his little nightdress, he was cautiously steping down the stairs in the middle of the night, but froze as he spotted his father, sitting in front of the fireplace. The man was crying.

He hesitated and wanted to get back to his room, but the step creaked, exposing him to the chief. Stoick turned and saw his son, who curled on himself. The chief sniffed and wiped his eyes.

''Son, you should be asleep.''

''I was thirsty…''

Hiccup felt bad, he didn't wanted to surprise his father, even less to spy on him. The man understood it and smiled, holding out a hand to him.

''Come here.''

The little boy smiled and let his plush on the stairs before runing to his father. Stoick sat him on his knees and let him help him hold the stool to shake to embers in the fire.

''Dad, are you… gonna get us a new mom ?''

Stoick smiled again, despite his sad face, and hugged his small son before kissing his head.

''I don't want another. Your mom… was the only woman for me. She was the love of my life.''

He hugged his son again, both looking at the crackling fire. Silence remained for a short moment, before the chief spoke again.

''But with love comes loss, son. It's part of the deal. Sometimes it's hard, but in the end...''

He looked back at his son, with softness, contemplating the slightest trait he had in common with his beloved Valka.

''It's all worth it. There's no better gift than love.''

Hiccup couldn't help but think about his father's words during the rest of the way back. He was back on Toothless' back, Joke on Lumiverse's. Both dragons had not made any noise from the beginning on the journey, just faint vibrant sounds that seemed sad. Both Furies were soaring in a none-motivation-way, as if lost in their thoughts. Hiccup looked at his hubsand, both of them were saddened to see their friends like this. Seemingly, this visit to the Hidden World had shaken them.

They flew for a bit longer before going back to New Berk, it was early afternoon but the clouds were making it a pretty dark day. When they finally landed, the vikings dismounted their friends, still in deafening silence. Lumiverse was the first to move as she walked slowly to Toothless and rubbed against his side, before looking at the horizon, towards west, with longing eyes.

Joke felt his heart ache seeing how she seemed nostalgic of this beautiful place they had just discovered. Toothless, for his part, gaze between the horizon and the camp. Hiccup looked there too, the construction had progressed again while they were out. He spotted two hutts being built at the top of hills. Dragons flying there were carrying bags filled with rocks.

Somehow, this view he had known for the past nine years ached his heart. He couldn't help but compare them to the ones living in the Hidden World. As he was losing his sight on them, he drowned in his thoughts.

He thought back to what Elska had told him, concerning the fact they were relying too much on the dragons. He also reminded something she had said at the Sanctuary, three years prior, debatting on the limit between friendship and ownership.

''There's a fine line between being a protector and acaptor. This is the subtility between being a queen and a tyran, I must protect them as I must protect their liberty.''

Back then, Hiccup thought he had understood what she implied, but now he was sure of it. After seeing the Hidden World and seeing how happy and free Toothless and Lumiverse were there, now that he looked at Berk's dragons with a more aged look, he didn't see free dragons.

A dark idea came across his mind. Maybe Kosmozis was right ? Maybe humans were greedy, even those who were well-intentioned were greedy without noticing it.

The young chief came back to reality as he felt a chilly hand caress his cheek. He looked to his left and met the concerned eyes of his husband. He drowned in surreal warmth of his blue eyes, almost forgetting his troubles. Almost.

''What's troubling you ?''

''I'm thinking.'' Hiccup rejoined, taking his hand in his.

When he looked back to the camp, Joke did as well, trying to guess what was going on in the head of his husband and chief.

''I realize Elska was right, we rely too much on our dragons, we can't do anything without us anymore. Look at this, we even use them for our work. I thought they were happy here, but when I saw Toothless and Lumiverse back there…''

Words suddenly escaped him, emotions took control, leaving a long sigh instead of further explanation.

''I wouldn't say 'use'.'' Joke said with a surprisingly light tone. ''We help each other. We're stronger together. Don't you think that, if they didn't want to help, the dragons would find a way to kick us out ?''

His joking tone aught to draw a slight smile on the viking chief's face. Just talking to his husband and he already felt better.

He looked back to the white-haired young man and melted again in his eyes and smile. If this was going on like this, Hiccup was going to really think Joke was a warlock, his words had their kind of magic, calming him down. And the gods knew he needed it.

As he was contemplating the perspective of kissing him, his train of thoughts got interrupted by Lumiverse when she rubbed her head against both of them. Joke chuckled and scratched her nape, which she appreciated. She bent her head backward and closed her eyes, slightly purring. Toothless warbbled to the pregnant man, asking for some affection too.

Joke gave it to him with his other hand, forcing him to let go of his husband. Petting them didn't stop him from talking.

''Nevertheless, I agree we're getting too dependant on them, we have to relearn to handle ourselves, well… by ourselves. I mean, we both see it thanks to the Night Lights, but our dragons have their life too, and it's a good thing.''

Hiccup smiled seeing that, despite a different vision on the matter, they were agreeing. It relieved him.

''You're right, we have to learn anew, and we have to give them back their life. Our dragons should be free.''

When his tone changed to become more solemn, Joke stopped the petting to listen to him with full attention.

''This exodus was to seek the Hidden World and settle there, but you saw it too : this is a land for dragons. There is no place for humans, there.''

''It's no big deal. We have this island, now.'' Joke shrugged.

The white-haired yougn man tried to smile but, he didn't know why, he had a bad feeling about what his husband was planing.

''Yes.'' Said husband rejoined. ''We belong here, they belong there.''

Toothless lifted his head, Hiccup could have sworn his pupils got rounder, so it gave him even more courage, yet this impression faded as the dragon whined.

The Night Fury walked to him and rubbed against the viking who seemed ready to say good-bye, but Joke didn't agree.

''Hold on live, you're going too far.''

''How so ?''

''I agree with you when you say the Hidden World is a land of dragons, but you can't just send them all there. Here, this is our world just like their, we can share it- No, we have to share it.''

Hiccup froze in surprise as his husband's voice was raising, getting angry. Just like their first conversation about the exodus, their divergent opinion was turning into a fight, but a bigger one that the previous.

''I thought you wanted peace between out two peoples ? Tell me how do you want to change people's mind if you bannish the dragons ? We have to get to know what we don't understand if we want to accept it !''

The young chief wanted to retort something, yet he had to admit Joke got a point. The young man with snowy hair glared at him, and the way he was keeping Lumiverse close to him added weight to his words. The way Toothless was rubbing against himself did so too, it looked like the Night Fury was asking him to hold him too. It convinced him Joke was right. Hiccup sighed and wrapped his arms around the black scaly head.

''I'm sorry, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking.''

He heard a faint sigh, like a relieved sigh, then heard footsteps nearing him. Just the time to see the white hair and he found himself in a chilly embrace. He squeezed back and buried his face in the neck of his beloved. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like crying. He felt the urge to cry, like a wave splashing inside of his chest.

Before even noticing it, tears rolled down his cheeks and sobs were making his way in his throat, shaking his shoulders and whole body. It felt like he had accumulated pressure without realizing it, and now he was breaking down. For how long had he been keeping this inside of him ? What was making him collapse all of a sudden ?

Surely it was realization of the huge mistake he had almost commited, giving up on a so-precious friendship as the one he shared with Toothless. Joke was right : they were stronger together, learning anew to handle themselves on their own didn't mean cutting all their bounds.

Shamelessly, with complete trust for the one he was holding in his arms, the most important person for him, he wiped like a little child and let out all troubles. He lost himself in the chillness of the arms wrapped around him, the chillness of his slim but strong body he was holding, and soon felt a reassuring stroke at the back of his head.

''I know it's not easy.'' Joke said while kissing his head and hugging him. ''Peace is a long-lasting fight, composed on several battles on different levels. It will take time, but I'm sure we'll do it, in the end. We just have to not give up.''

Hiccup knew he was right. They couldn't give up, they couldn't give up on the dragons. Kosmozis was mistaking thinking that men couldn't change, that peace was impossible and that they had to send back the dragons where they came from. Berk was proof of this change, people just had to see it to do the same.

In a moment of sorrow, Hiccup had almost took the same path as the General, forgetting in the process everything he believed in. But he had the chance to have someone reminding it to him. Breathing in the scent of this someone, feeling the love of this someone envelopping him, he discovered all over again the strength and depth of his own feelings.

Pressed against one another, Hiccup could also feel the curve of his beloved's belly against his, making him able to perceive the vibrations caused by their child's movements, reminding them he was here too.

This moment of cooling down could have been a bliss, a glimpse of Valhalla on earth, yet it reminded him about the threat over this being he was cherishing so much. These two beings he was cherishing so much.

Joke always knew how to back him up in his worst moments, to find the words he needed to find back his courage and confidence, he had always been there for him, and once again he had proven how much the viking chief needed him. In the end, maybe Hiccup was not only dependable of his friendship with the mighty Night Fury…

He could picture what would become of him if he had to lose Joke.

''I love you so, so, so much, Joke.'' He whispered inbetween two sobs.

''And I love you just as well. Hum… maybe with one more 'so'. ''

Hiccup chuckled. Decidedly, even in the worst moments, Joke could make a joke. When he felt once again the chill lips kissing his hair, shivers ran down Hiccup's spine. He let go of his husband and pressed his forehead on his, drowning back into his eyes.

Then he kissed him, letting in a mixture of passion and tenderness wave over the thin lips he was so addicted to. Notions of time, war and peace faded away from his comprehension, he forgot every single fundamental principle about existence, only keeping in mind love and the life that was growing up inside his lover, life over which he put a warm and reassuring hand.

Hello guys !

Just a little message to warn you I won't be able to post the following chapters before the 26th (you know why of course ;) )

So until then, Happy Snoggletog to you ! :)