A/N: Flashbacks are in italics!
—
The Night Fury: Part Two
There was a pressure on his chest, something making it difficult to breathe. Hiccup let out a cough before taking in a staggering breath of air. Why was it so hard to breathe? He struggled to blink open his eyes, trying to see clearly as his eyes adjusted. Eventually, he found himself staring up at the clear, blue sky. He was outside... it was the middle of the day.
Suddenly, his sight of the sky was blocked as something black loomed over him and two curious, blue eyes peered down at him.
"Ah!" Hiccup tried to scramble back but found it difficult as the small Night Fury sat on his chest, looking down at him. It purred softly and sniffed at his face with its white nose, causing Hiccup to flinch. These things were everywhere!
Hiccup froze when he heard a low growl coming from a distance to his right and he immediately knew what it was. The last thing he wanted to do was get in between a great Night Fury and his hatchlings— his troublemaking hatchlings. Hiccup didn't dare move, other then to look at the dragon from the corner of his eye, for fear that the Night Fury would think he was endangering his offspring. Though, as he lay there with a baby dragon on his chest— a fairly heavy baby dragon— Hiccup realized that the baby Night Fury with the white nose was no longer paying attention to him, instead, it looked rather cowed. As the hatchling slowly stepped off of Hiccup's chest and padded over to her father, Hiccup followed her with his gaze as he sat up, watching as she looked up at the adult Night Fury with wide eyes and a wiggle of her tail.
After giving the baby dragon a look, the Night Fury finally relented and gave his offspring a lick on the forehead. Hiccup found the whole exchange rather endearing, reminding him of his own daughter, that is, until the Night Fury turned its gaze on him and his heart started pounding in his chest again.
"Oh gods..." Hiccup cursed quietly, his heart racing. He just had to go out looking for the Night Fury, the dangerous, powerful, intimidating product of lightning and death itself. What exactly had made him think this would be a good idea? After barely managing to survive the threat of a dragon the previous day, he had gone and put himself in another dangerous situation. Astrid would freak out if she knew what he had done.
The Night Fury and Hiccup stared into each other's eyes. The dragon's eyes were so green, so intelligent, so full of emotions. Hiccup started to feel that same connection as before, a sense that their lives were meant to be intertwined somehow, that they shared something, that they were the same.
The feelings of panic and fear started to dwindle and suddenly, Hiccup had a longing to touch the Night Fury... though he knew he shouldn't want that. He shouldn't want to make friends with a dragon. This was wrong. At least, that's what he was trying to convince himself to believe. Ever since freeing the Night Fury seven years ago, Hiccup had been trying to curb his new fascination with dragons. It clearly hadn't worked.
Hiccup looked down in surprise as something was plopped down in front of him. The white... Night Fury? White Fury? The... white hatchling had approached him again, looking up at him proudly as a half-eaten fish sat on the ground like an offering. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the baby Fury, reminding him of a happy dog trying to please its human friend.
Glancing back at the adult Night Fury, Hiccup gave the dragon a questioning look as he reached toward the white hatchling. The Night Fury merely tilted his head, seeming to trust him with his baby. So Hiccup let his hand gently touch the head of the hatchling and pet it. The white dragon cooed softly and seemed to like the attention. With a laugh, Hiccup continued to pet the dragon. It wasn't long before the black hatchling with the white nose came bounding over, eager to join in, both of them fighting for a place on his lap.
The Night Fury watched on from his position, a short distance away. He knew the human was a little jumpy around him and didn't want to intervene. Though he was happy to see two of his hatchlings bonding with the boy who had saved his life. He suddenly felt a pang of sorrow as his thoughts went back to his poor third hatchling, and his mate.
Only-One was here for a reason. With renewed determination, he decided to try again. The man was jumpy and flighty, but the Night Fury was determined to break through and finally make that connection.
Hiccup wasn't sure when he had last laughed and smiled like this when he wasn't playing with his daughter. He was completely distracted by the two baby dragons, finally relaxing as some of his stress and anxiety melted away. He was always so tense. However, the friendliness of these baby dragons had him enjoying himself, part of him wondering if Zephyr would like them too.
The feelings of stress and anxiety quickly returned, however, when Hiccup felt a warm huff of breath on the side of his face and he remembered where he was. Ignoring the babies, Hiccup ducked his head and leaned away from the adult Night Fury, holding an arm out in front of himself protectively. He closed his eyes, waiting... though not entirely sure what it was he was waiting for as he cringed and his heart started racing again.
Eyes still closed, Hiccup felt like he had been in his defensive position for a long time. He had thought the Night Fury had been okay with him interacting with the hatchlings. Perhaps he had gotten too friendly with them? Whatever had prompted the intimidating creature to approach him, Hiccup refused to move until he felt safe doing so, and who knew how long that would take? He couldn't sense the baby dragons anywhere nearby... maybe the Night Fury had decided to leave him alone when the babies had wandered away.
Hiccup flinched hard, taking in a sharp breath of air. Something was touching his outstretched hand. Something... scaly? Hiccup slowly peeked one eye open and peered up, not sure what to expect. He hadn't felt any pain, so clearly the dragon hadn't attacked him, but then... what was it doing?
As Hiccup looked up his eyes widened. The Night Fury had touched his nose to his open hand. The dragon's eyes were closed and he let out a soft purring sound. Hiccup... no longer felt afraid. He had wanted to touch the Night Fury... and now he was. Suddenly curious, Hiccup turned his body toward the dragon, no longer leaning away from him. Looking on with wonder, Hiccup moved his hand from touching the dragon's nose, and slowly ran his fingers up the dragon's snout, between the eyes that were still closed, and up his forehead. The Night Fury seemed to like it, so, with some hesitation, Hiccup pet the dragon's head again.
The Night Fury purred once more and Hiccup couldn't help it as a smile slowly spread across his face. The feeling of cool scales under his hand was foreign and kind of odd, the knowledge that he was petting a legendary, dangerous dragon was intimidating. But the supposed killer and bringer of destruction was purring, had approached him in peace. Dragons... weren't all what they thought they were. There were some good ones out there and this Night Fury was one of them.
"Thank you." Hiccup spoke softly, not wanting to startle the dragon with sharp teeth, while he was so close. However, at his words, the Night Fury slowly blinked open his bright, intelligent, green eyes. Those eyes were so expressive. Hiccup suddenly knew, just by looking into the dragon's eyes, what he was thinking— what he was asking.
'Why are you thanking me?'
"You saved my daughter's life." Hiccup clarified, seeing recognition in the dragon's eyes. "She means the world to me... and I almost lost her."
Hiccup closed his eyes as the scene replayed in his mind again. Zephyr, crying and calling for her daddy to come save her... him reaching out, knowing but not being able to accept the reality that he was not going to make it in time. His lip trembled and he felt a wave of sorrow at the memory, at the idea of losing his daughter, of seeing her being taken from him and not being able to do anything.
'I know how you feel...'
This time he didn't flinch as he felt the Night Fury touch him, the dragon's nose bumping against the side of his face in a gesture of comfort, and lingering there. Without thinking, Hiccup reached up a hand and started stroking the side of the dragon's face. He hadn't been able to seek comfort or confide in anyone about what had almost happened. He had longed to tell his wife, but that would require him to tell her about the Night Fury, and Astrid had killed dragons before. She was furious at the dragon that had almost taken her family from her. She was emotional and on edge. Hiccup couldn't stress her out anymore than she already was, he couldn't tell her what had really happened. So, he had kept it to himself, had lingered on it, had been holding in his emotions— the stress building up inside. And here was this dragon, offering comfort and understanding.
"What happened?" Hiccup found himself asking.
'My third hatchling... and my mate. They were taken.'
Hiccup felt sorrow again, but this time on behalf of the Night Fury. At least Zephyr had been saved, she was alive and that alone should bring him comfort, but Hiccup always dwelled on the negative. He hadn't been enough. He hadn't been able to save his daughter, to be there for her. Despite all of his actions, she had still almost been killed. Hiccup didn't know what he would do if he had lost Zephyr.
"I'm sorry..." Hiccup empathized, stroking the dragon's head again. The dragon cooed softly, but it wasn't that pleasant purr again, it was a mournful sound. Hiccup pressed his forehead against the Night Fury, his eyes still closed as he felt scales against his cheek. His other hand reached up and held onto the other side of the dragon's face.
The two remained that way, soaking in the comfort from each other— each able to empathize and understand how the other was feeling. They had both been through so much, had felt alone and lost. Had both longed for a loving family. Had both felt a sense of loss and sadness. They had both fought through depression and had found that love that they had wanted. They both had families now, children that they loved with everything that they were. They were kindred spirits, finally united.
Slowly, Hiccup opened his eyes, once again meeting the eyes of the Night Fury that were so much like his own. The large, expressive eyes reflected back his own feelings, displayed kindness and empathy.
Suddenly, Hiccup blinked, startled. He had first understood the Night Fury by reading the emotions displayed in his eyes. Then... he had understood the Night Fury even though their eyes had been closed... He could understand the Night Fury, and the Night Fury understood him.
Hiccup smiled again. That feeling he'd had, ever since first meeting the Night Fury and watching him fly away, supposedly for good, was gone. He didn't feel a sense of longing and incompleteness. He felt whole, he felt... that maybe he was where he was supposed to be.
—
The new sleeping arrangements always had Astrid a bit disoriented when she woke in the morning. The bed was smaller, the surroundings were different, and Zephyr lay beside her instead of Hiccup, who insisted on sleeping on the floor to give them more room.
Astrid took a moment to blink herself awake as she sat up in bed, looking down at her sleeping daughter with a smile. Her eyes became watery, not with the grogginess of waking up, but with the warm feeling of gratitude in her heart that her family was okay. She had been so distraught...
The good feeling was suddenly gone as she turned her gaze to the place on the floor where Hiccup had been sleeping the past two nights. The blankets were disheveled but her husband was not there. Taking a deep breath, Astrid told herself that Hiccup was probably downstairs already.
Quickly dressing and readying herself for the day, Astrid was eager to get downstairs and see Hiccup, so that she could reassure herself that her family was still safe and together. Pressing a gentle kiss to Zephyr's forehead, Astrid decided to let her sleep a while longer and descended the stairs.
"Good morning, Astrid." Stoick greeted cheerily. Despite the raid and the overall unknown future of Berk, Stoick had been in quite the good mood the past couple days. He seemed to be enjoying having his home full of his family. He woke early and made them breakfast, played with Zephyr, made sure Astrid wasn't wanting for anything, and made a special effort to talk to his son. "I made a rush order for a new bed, for you and Hiccup. I'm afraid that's the best I can do though— you'll have to wait before your home can be rebuilt."
"I understand, thank you." Astrid responded distractedly. "Where is Hiccup?"
Stoick gave his daughter-in-law a blank look for a moment before responding. "I thought he was still upstairs."
Astrid couldn't help it, she had thought that she had lost her family just the other day, she couldn't go through those same feelings again. Her eyes widened in fear and she immediately made for the front door, so she could go looking for Hiccup.
"Now slow down, Astrid." Stoick intercepted her. "I'm sure Hiccup is fine. The raid is over, there isn't anything out there that's going to hurt him."
"You don't know that." Astrid knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't help it. She feared losing the ones closest to her... she couldn't lose Hiccup, she had to know where he was.
"Why don't you stay here with Zephyr and take care of yourself?" Stoick suggested. "Breakfast is ready. I'll go look around the village for Hiccup. He's probably just at the forge helping Gobber. There are a lot of weapons to fix still."
Astrid gave her father-in-law a long, considering look before slowly lowering her hand from the door handle. She nodded her acceptance and sat down at the table, Stoick giving a final wave before disappearing behind the door.
—
Everything about his routine and his life had changed, so quickly, and yet as Hiccup made his way through the streets of Berk, somehow things still felt... exactly the same.
It had been a couple weeks since he and Astrid had married and he was still adjusting to some things— living in a new home, sharing that home with someone other than his father, sharing his life with a woman, sharing a bed, having more responsibilities around the house... the list went on. However, the thing that really threw him the most was that he was rarely ever on his own.
The daily routine Hiccup was used to was much lonelier. He would get up after his father had already left, on purpose, ate something at home as opposed to going to the Great Hall, packed some food for later so that he could continue to avoid the busy Hall, headed straight for the forge and got to work with barely a word to Gobber, then after work he would set out for the woods where he could walk or find a nice place to draw. By the end of the night he would head back home, hoping that his father was already in bed or too busy to acknowledge him. That was his routine, that was what he was used to. His world had been a lonely one, and he hadn't expected that to ever change.
Now, however, wherever he was, Astrid was there too. Granted, they had been excused from their regular duties so they could focus on starting their family, but there were still reasons to go out. When they went out so they could resupply their home with food and other essentials, they went out together. When Astrid wanted to visit with her parents because she missed home and was also trying to adjust to her new life, Hiccup had to go too. While at home, Hiccup never ate alone or sat in his room by himself, contemplating the point of his lonely existence. No, Astrid was always there and... it was kind of nice. It was certainly a bit awkward, but Hiccup never did like being alone and Astrid was good to him.
Things were getting better with every day. Things became slightly less awkward as time went on, they talked to each other a little more openly, they started to rely on one another. Hiccup found that he liked being close to someone, it wasn't like anything he had ever experienced before— something more than a friendship cut short. Though, he always held back, just waiting for the moment when Astrid would tell him that she wasn't in it for him, she was there to do her duty to her tribe. She didn't love him, he was sure, but allowing himself to enjoy the companionship of another person was too much of a temptation for him, and he allowed himself to hope that it could be real, even though it would only cause him more pain down the road. That was okay though, he wasn't expecting to be around for much longer anyway. He would do his duty, do the only thing for his tribe that he would ever be considered useful for, then he would rid Berk of himself for good.
Hiccup didn't have a problem with a lot of the changes in his life, even if it was odd to think about and even though, on occasion, Astrid being next to him in bed startled him when he would wake up in the middle of the night. He was getting used to her always being there. Though it made him sad that the only experience he was going to have in life, having a companion, a wife, was in this situation. Why couldn't someone love him for real? Why couldn't he have this, for real? He could see himself enjoying married life... enjoying having a family of his own... but no one would ever actually want to be his wife. No one would ever marry him willingly.
Today was the first day that he was out of his new home, on his own, and as he walked toward the forge, Hiccup noticed as everyone resumed sending him glares, bumping into him as they passed by, or even saying hurtful things under their breaths when he walked past. He hadn't noticed those things whenever he had gone out with Astrid... it was as if they behaved differently when he was part of a couple— the couple that held Berk's future in their hands. On his own, Hiccup realized with a feeling of resigned acceptance, he was still hated, still useless, still unwanted.
After speeding up, Hiccup made it to the forge rather quickly. As he stepped inside, he was hit with a familiarity, a sense of nostalgia. The last time he had walked into the forge, he hadn't been married.
"Oh, look who it is." Gobber's voice reached Hiccup's ears, though he couldn't see him yet. Then Gobber came out of the back room. "How's married life treating you?"
Hiccup wasn't sure what to say, he never really did anymore. The camaraderie he had once shared with Gobber had fizzled out years ago, during dragon training. Gobber had said some insensitive things and Hiccup had changed, as requested.
Hiccup merely shrugged and Gobber raised an eyebrow out of concern, though he wasn't one to talk about feelings.
"Well... I'm sure you and Astrid will adjust." Gobber replied to Hiccup's silence, awkwardly, then moved on. "I know you're excused from forge duty right now for... uh..." Gobber realized where his sentence was headed and quickly redirected it. "Well, I just needed your help with something small."
Quietly and a bit timidly, Hiccup followed Gobber through the forge. It turned out that some detailing was needed for a special piece, meant for someone else's wedding. Hiccup was the one to go to for such things. He was the one with the patience and the talent to do such beautiful, intricate designs.
With a feeling of petty reluctance, Hiccup agreed to do the job. He didn't understand though, why his detailed carvings were so desired by so many, and yet everyone still called him useless. He would do the job, never receive a thank you, and the very people who commissioned it would still likely look down on him. That was the way things were, and Hiccup accepted it. There were plenty of reasons for people to hate him and the one talent he possessed that people liked, wasn't enough to outweigh all the things about himself that everyone hated. If he refused to do the work, things would only get worse for him, because somehow, things could still always get worse.
—
A few hours later, Hiccup was leaving the forge and making a beeline for the forest. He didn't stop or even look up, doing his best to avoid as many people as he could. Once he had taken a few steps into the trees, he froze, eyes wide as he realized what he was doing. Out of habit, he had fallen back into his old routine— do work in the forge and then go straight to the forest to spend the rest of the day alone.
He stood there in indecision, part of himself really wanting to have some time alone, but the other part knowing that he should probably return home. His time was not his own, not anymore. But... would Astrid even care? Would she even notice that he was gone? She was probably sick of him always being around. Just because he was starting to enjoy her company, didn't mean that the feeling was reciprocated. No one had ever cared before, when he would wander off on his own...
With that thought, Hiccup continued forward, thinking that he was doing Astrid a favor. She would enjoy having some time without him for a day. No one liked having him around, he knew that. Poor Astrid had been stuck with him, and though she was very nice about it and treated him well, Hiccup was sure that underneath all that pleasantness, she was wishing for her freedom and cursing his name. Why would anyone want to be bound in matrimony to the likes of him? Certainly not someone like Astrid, who had a noble heart and was making the sacrifice to be his wife, so that Berk could have a future.
He would give her the day to be without him, it was the least he could do.
—
The day had grown later without Hiccup realizing it. After he and the Night Fury had had their moment together, they had separated and the dragon had backed off a bit, to give Hiccup a chance to take in all that had happened. Hiccup knew, the dragon had felt the same thing as him in that moment. They were meant to be friends, they were meant to find each other. Their lives were meant to be intertwined, though he did not know why.
As Hiccup thought things through— the reality of his bond with the Night Fury truly sinking in— he sat by the pond, in the cove. The Night Fury remained nearby, his focus entirely on the human, though he tried to act like he wasn't watching. Hiccup found it rather amusing. The Night Fury had so much personality.
Hiccup had appreciated the comfort that the dragon had offered him, and he was intrigued about where this odd and forbidden friendship could go, but he was also appreciative of the space the dragon was giving him now. It was a lot. The dragon was sentient, was incredibly intelligent. He had saved Zephyr's life, had returned to Berk after all this time— he remembered him. The hardest thing to take in, however, was the fact that Hiccup could communicate with the Night Fury.
Sitting by the pond, not too far away from the Night Fury, was a good way to get used to one another, in Hiccup's opinion. And somehow, he felt like the dragon agreed.
"Hey." Hiccup pretended to be offended. The hatchlings were much more upfront and social, not content to sit around patiently. The black hatchling with the white nose stepped on the doodle Hiccup had been drawing in the dirt with a stick. She didn't understand what she had done and looked up at Hiccup with wide, inquisitive eyes.
"You just stepped on your father's face." Hiccup told the female hatchling. She simply tilted her head. The human made no sense. Hiccup chuckled lightly and scooped the baby dragon onto his lap. The Night Fury didn't mind when he interacted with the hatchlings and Hiccup had quickly grown bold enough to touch them and hold them.
With the baby dragon out of the way, Hiccup continued with his doodle, fixing up the smudges done by baby Night Fury paws.
This time as Hiccup drew, he paid close attention to the Night Fury. Hiccup found that in his drawings that he had done from memory, he had been fairly accurate in his representation. There were slight differences, but Hiccup was sure that some of those differences were because the Night Fury had grown and matured more since the last time they had crossed paths.
Hiccup sighed in fond exasperation. The white hatchling had decided it was his turn to come and step on the drawing in the dirt. He would just have to do a more thorough drawing of the Night Fury another time, but in his sketchbook instead, where it could remain on paper, undisturbed. In the meantime, he was enjoying being the center of attention for the two hatchlings.
—
Hiccup had ended up at the spot where he had found the Night Fury all those years ago. He had come back to this spot a lot since then, the Night Fury still so intriguing to him. He wondered what had happened to the dragon. Part of him wished that one day, when he walked out here, that he would find the Night Fury again.
He couldn't help but feel disappointed, even though he knew that he would never see that dragon again. He didn't know why he wanted to, he shouldn't. Dragons were bad. Though... the Night Fury hadn't seemed to be bad.
With a sigh, Hiccup found a spot to sit. It felt like old times, him out in the forest on his own, a satchel around his shoulders containing a sketchbook, a charcoal pencil, and various other things. No one knew he was out there, and no one cared.
Hiccup reached into his bag and pulled out his sketchbook. The Night Fury was on his mind, so he started drawing him by memory. The expressive, green eyes were what he remembered the most. There was an intelligence there, the dragon had a soul, it wasn't just some vicious monster. He sketched out the eyes first, just the way he remembered them— reflecting his own emotions back at him. Then he started drawing in the face and all the little details that somehow, after all these years, he still remembered.
The day passed rather quickly and as Hiccup sat in the same spot, shading in his drawing of the Night Fury, he realized that it had gotten dim enough that he couldn't see his drawing well enough to keep working on it. As the realization sank in of how late it was, Hiccup startled. He had stayed out longer than he had intended.
Scrambling, Hiccup closed his sketchbook and put his things away, back into his satchel. He stood up, slung the bag back over his shoulder, and started running back to the village. It wasn't that he thought anyone would particularly care that he had been out for so long, he just didn't want to upset Astrid that he wasn't there to do his house duties. They had been spending every evening sharing in the responsibilities of preparing dinner, eating together, and then cleaning up together before retreating to their room. Hiccup didn't want to return to find that Astrid had done the work in preparing food on her own. He didn't want to be a burden to her. Hopefully he would make it in time to participate in their routine with her.
—
Things seemed to be falling into place in his life, as of late. People were treating him better, though he was still weary around them and couldn't help the flare of anxiety whenever too many people were around. His dad was making an effort to treat him better and be a proper father to him. His family were all together and safe. And, Hiccup couldn't help it, he was excited for their new baby to be born.
On top of all that, reuniting with the Night Fury finally satisfied the curiosity and fascination with dragons that he had developed, ever since their first meeting.
Feeling a rare sense of peace, Hiccup gave the Night Fury a smile. The dragon tilted his head curiously, eyes wide in fascination by the human— Hiccup, he now had a name for him. Recognizing that the expression was something humans often displayed to one another when in good spirits, the Night Fury tried to mimic the smile.
"What are you...?" Hiccup was taken about by the Night Fury's actions. For a moment, it looked like the dragon was grimacing at him and Hiccup briefly doubted their feelings of camaraderie, thinking that the dragon was actually unhappy with him there— like so many others who had hated his presence. However, after a moment, Hiccup couldn't help but laugh, realizing what the dragon was doing. He was smiling back at him. A big, gummy smile. Wait.
"You're toothless?" Hiccup asked incredulously. "The legendary, intimidating, product of lightning and death itself— is toothless?"
The odd smile dropped from the Night Fury's face, almost comically, and he huffed indignantly before opening his mouth wide and showing his teeth.
For a moment, Hiccup was startled. He had never seen anything like that before. No other dragon he knew of had retractable teeth. However, his amusement won out and he gave a small chuckle as he watched the supposedly, big and scary Night Fury, pout about being teased. He was a formidable dragon, in his own mind, and maybe to other people and dragons out there, but no longer to Hiccup.
"You know what?" Hiccup smiled once more, seeing the Night Fury for who he was. Having seen his softer side. This dragon was good, he wasn't scary at all. "I think that suits you. Can I call you Toothless?"
The Night Fury gave Hiccup a look, one that said that he disapproved, but the expression quickly melted away. No one had ever given him a proper name before. He and his mate, his hatchlings, didn't call each other by names. They knew each other by scent and communicated differently than people did. The only name the Night Fury had ever clung to, was Only-One. That name had meant something to him, because he had been alone for so long, because he had sworn to himself that he would be the only one to bring down the hunter who killed his kind, who had taken his mate and third hatchling.
However, he couldn't claim that name any longer. He was not the only Fury left, he had found a mate, had started a family. He would not be the only one to bring down the hunter, because he was here to ask Hiccup for his help.
Toothless approached Hiccup with an accepting expression on his face, and cooed softly, giving his answer. He would be Toothless. He would be whatever Hiccup wanted to name him. The Night Fury was not vicious if he did not have to be. He didn't like to be at war with the people. He'd rather approach a potential new friend with his teeth retracted— in a show of friendliness— than come out growling and swiping. Toothless. He could be Toothless.
Hiccup reached his hand out once more, but not in his own defense, this time in a show of friendship. Toothless was quick to accept the touch and let out a soft purr, causing his new friend to smile.
The moment ended, however, when two hatchlings decided that they wanted to join in. The white one flew into Hiccup, forcing him to catch him in his arms. The black one nudged at Hiccup's leg, much like a cat. Hiccup smiled at the two baby Furies. They really were rather adorable, that is when they weren't causing him trouble like before.
"How does a black dragon like yourself, have a white Night Fury hatchling?" Hiccup wondered aloud. He cradled the white hatchling and poked his nose, the baby dragon cooed back at him. "What are you? A... bright Fury? No, that's not it."
Toothless liked seeing Hiccup interacting with his hatchlings. He hoped that someday, Hiccup would trust them with his child. The girl who had been with Hiccup the other day had seemed so scared of him...
"Is your mate... a white Night Fury too?" Hiccup interrupted Toothless' thoughts.
'Yes.' Toothless answered simply, though he couldn't help the sadness that followed.
"I've only ever heard of Night Furies before. Are white Furies... like a different breed? Like how there are sheep, as a species, but if you go to different tribes, some of their sheep are very different." Hiccup was trying to figure it out. It occurred to him how easily it was to converse with the Night Fury, so much easier than it was to interact with people. Hiccup felt comfortable around Toothless, he didn't feel comfortable surrounded by other Vikings. Hiccup's ease with Toothless had occurred so easily, so naturally. If only things could be that way back in the village.
Toothless tilted his head at Hiccup's question. He had never really given it much thought, classifications like that, were a human thing. He had been surprised to come across a Fury like him, who was a sparkling white as opposed to pure black. He had been searching for Furies like himself. He hadn't known there were other kinds of Furies out there. He gave the dragon equivalent to a human shrug, which made Hiccup laugh— Toothless was so expressive.
"I suppose it makes sense. My dad once brought back some sheep from another tribe and when they bred with our sheep, the result was an odd mixture of the two." Hiccup was still holding the white hatchling, holding him in a way that he had used to hold Zephyr, when she had been just a baby. The hatchling seemed to be enjoying it.
"You said..." Hiccup hesitated to bring it up, but was wondering. "Your mate and a third hatchling, they were taken?"
Toothless looked down, a sad expression on his face. A sad sound escaped him as he thought about how he had been forced to leave his mate and a hatchling behind, it tore him apart inside.
"I'm sorry to bring it up..." Hiccup apologized.
'It's okay.' Toothless looked back up. 'I didn't know where else to go... I had to protect my other two hatchlings, so I couldn't try to free my mate and our third hatchling.'
"You did the only thing you could." Hiccup tried to reassure, seeing just how conflicted Toothless seemed to be. He couldn't imagine what that would be like, having to choose, having to leave some of your loved ones behind, in order to save the others.
'I came here... hoping you could help me.' Toothless looked rather timid as he finally mentioned the reason for him being back on Berk.
Hiccup blinked in surprise, not sure what he could do to help his new friend. He would, if he knew how, but he wasn't very good at very many things. Releasing Toothless, all those years ago, would be considered something to be looked down on, by his people.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how I could help you." Hiccup answered apologetically.
'You freed me.'
"Well that wasn't very hard, you were here, on Berk. I had a knife on me, there was no one around to stop me." Hiccup didn't even know exactly what had happened to Toothless' family. "What happened, to your mate and hatchling?"
'They were captured by an evil hunter, Grimmel. He desires to hunt down my kind, the Furies, until there are none of us left.'
"That's kind of an odd life goal." Hiccup thought, in hindsight, it might not be the best time for sarcasm.
'Some people are bad, some dragons are bad. But you're a good person, and there are dragons out there who are good too.'
"I suppose that's true. It's hard to reason out why someone does what they do, without knowing them. But that doesn't excuse his actions." Hiccup suddenly felt ashamed. Grimmel was doing something his people would find heroic. Perhaps even his own wife would think as much. "My people are no friends to dragons. I'm sorry."
'They don't know that dragons can be good, they have only seen the bad.' Toothless explained. 'There is a Queen dragon, she controls the ones who raid your people. She used to control me, until you freed me.'
Hiccup was taken aback by the new information. The raids were because of a controlling, Queen dragon? There was such a thing? His mind started racing as he thought about what that meant.
'She is one of the bad dragons.' Toothless clarified. 'Maybe you can help me, and I can help you.'
"A Queen dragon..." Hiccup was still thinking, until one thing stuck out to him. "Wait, how did I free you from the Queen? All I did was cut some rope."
Toothless felt slight amusement at Hiccup's tendency to downplay his very important role in his life. They had only met briefly, about seven years ago, and yet that one simple interaction had changed Toothless' life.
'You showed me kindness like I'd never known, you freed my mind from the Queen's control. When I left here, I was able to start a new life, I was free. If anyone can stop her, we can.'
Hiccup didn't respond right away, still wondering how he could have had that big of an impact on the Night Fury. Toothless had changed him and his life, after that one encounter, too. He had accepted that he wasn't a killer, that he would never kill a dragon. He had become fascinated by the dragons.
With Hiccup so focused on the topic at hand, the white hatchling grew bored with the lack of attention and jumped out of Hiccup's arms, drawing him out of his thoughts.
"I'm not a dragon killer like the rest of my people, I'm probably the last person to ask about taking down a Queen dragon." Hiccup had never thought that he would be apologizing to a dragon, that he wasn't a dragon killer. Toothless cooed in amusement.
'You're different than the other people. That's a strength.'
"Not where I come from..." Hiccup looked down in shame. He was surprised when Toothless was once again by his side, offering comfort and friendship. If only Hiccup had had Toothless, all this time, then maybe he could have flourished, maybe he could have found happiness sooner. "I'll do what I can to help, but I don't know what exactly I have to offer. I'm here, your missing family is out there. We've never even managed to find the dragon nest."
'I would take you... but I can't fly right now.' Toothless let out a sad sound as he looked back at his tail.
"Oh gods, I forgot." Hiccup could have kicked himself. He had wondered if the Night Fury had been injured.
As Toothless swished his tail into view, Hiccup was able to see it. It looked painful. Immediately, Hiccup went to the tail and kneeled in front of it.
"Hold still!" Hiccup had to put his weight on the uninjured part of the tail, to keep it in place. He threw Toothless an unamused look and received another amused coo in response. "Now I see where your hatchlings get their trouble-making personalities."
Toothless stepped forward, causing his tail to move and Hiccup to nearly lose his balance and face plant in the ground as he tried to get a good look at the injury. Hiccup let out a startled sound before catching himself.
"Yes, they definitely took after you..." Hiccup said under his breath. He was finally able to get a good look at the injury on Toothless' left tail fin. The structured part of the tail fin looked to be broken in some areas and there was a tear in the membrane in one place. Hiccup had never taken care of a dragon's injury before. His healing abilities were limited to caring for sick, little girls and kissing small injuries better, followed by some healing herbs and perhaps a wrap of some kind. "How do dragons heal... from injuries like this?"
Toothless cocked his head again. Dragons didn't really have ways of taking care of injuries like that. If a dragon was injured, they lived with it and whatever that meant for them. Some dragons never flew again and Toothless was afraid that would be his fate. Then how would he be able to save his mate and hatchling?
"Maybe..." Hiccup dug inside the satchel he had slung over his shoulder. He pulled out a sketchbook, but realized it was the one he had just finished, so he dug around for his new one and put the other back. "I wonder if I could make some kind of a splint for your tail..."
Not entirely sure he understood what Hiccup meant, Toothless patiently waited as his new friend sat by his tail and scribbled in his book. The two Fury hatchlings wandered over and watched the movements of Hiccup's charcoal pencil as if mesmerized by it.
"That... that might just work." Hiccup went over his drawing again, thinking through the mechanics of what he had just drawn. Making a splint for a person was easy, but for an intricate dragon tail? That was a little more difficult and definitely not something he had done before. Hiccup looked back at the tail and a thought occurred to him. The splint meant nothing if the tear in the membrane couldn't heal back together. "Toothless?"
The Night Fury startled, realizing that Hiccup was referring to him, using his new name. Toothless gave Hiccup his attention.
"Do tears in wings or the membranes of tail fins... can they heal back together?"
'Sometimes. It depends on how big of a tear it is. If the two sides of the membrane aren't touching, they cannot mend back together.'
"That... could be an issue." Hiccup looked at the problem again, trying to come up with something. "The membrane might be too thin for stitches... I wonder if Gothi has some kind of tacky substance that could hold the sides of the membrane together, until it heals."
Toothless blinked in confusion. Hiccup had just said a lot of things, and he had no idea what any of it meant. When Hiccup looked back at the Night Fury, he saw the confusion on his face, and so said things more simply.
"I think I can help your tail fin to heal properly."
This time Toothless understood and his expression brightened immediately. Already, Hiccup was being so helpful, even though he had been doubting himself earlier. Toothless was sure he had made the right choice is seeking out Hiccup.
—
The run back to the village seemed so much longer, now that Hiccup was in a hurry to make it back quickly. He took every shortcut he knew, cutting down the amount of time it took to return as much as possible.
"Hiccup!"
Hiccup nearly skidded to a halt as the familiar and booming voice reached his ears. He hadn't heard that angry shout directed at him in a while now, since he had left his childhood home and moved in with his new wife, yet it had the same affect on him that it always had.
Turning around slowly, Hiccup did his best to reign in his fear and growing anxiety as his father came into view. Hiccup had run right past him on his way back home.
"Where have you been?" Stoick questioned, an angry scowl on his face. Hiccup suddenly felt like that little boy, in trouble yet again, for doing... well, anything really. Whether he was trying or not, he would get in trouble. Hiccup hated the expression on his father's face, cringed at the sound of his angry voice, and died a little on the inside at the pure disappointment radiating off of his father.
"I..." Hiccup started, but was unable to finish.
"Astrid's been looking for you." Stoick continued in his stern tone. "She's been asking around, wondering where've you been."
"I'm sorry..." Hiccup barely got out, he felt a rising panic and an urge to run away again. He hated this feeling, hated when his father lectured him.
"That's not good enough." Stoick wouldn't let up and Hiccup was just grateful that the village was nearly empty, everyone at home or in the Great Hall. "You're married now, Hiccup. You can't keep being irresponsible. You're not a child anymore! Why can't you just grow up and take things seriously?"
"I was just-" Hiccup tried once more to explain himself, but gave up when he was interrupted yet again. There was no winning. No matter what he did, he was always in the wrong.
"Did I not tell you what your new responsibilities would be, before you got married?" Stoick asked, but continued without waiting for a response. "I told you, you wouldn't only be responsible for yourself, that you would be responsible for your wife as well. You two are supposed to be partners, equals. You can't disrespect her like this, you can't just run away from your responsibilities anymore." Stoick suddenly looked exasperated. "I suppose this is partially my fault, I gave you too much leeway. I let you run off on your own instead of getting after you more to do your duties for your people. Now you think you can keep doing whatever you want."
Hiccup kept his mouth shut, his gaze directed at the ground. He had run off before because no one wanted him around. He had tried to be a good heir to his people, but no one wanted that. The only way he could make his people happy, was by not being there. But of course, everything was always his fault.
"Hiccup." Stoick said firmly and with expectation. He waited, a glare on his face, for his son to finally meet his eyes. "I had better not have to tell you this again. You're a husband now. You treat Astrid with respect, you take care of her and she will take care of you. She isn't some prize given to you so that you can do what you want with her and then abandon her, she is a person and your equal. You two have to communicate. You're going to be raising a child with her, so you need to step up and be a good husband and a good father. No more of this. No more running off, no more being... you."
There it was. Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath while doing his best not to react to the words he hated hearing more than anything. When he opened his eyes again, he looked back at his father and nodded in understanding.
It was hard to believe that on the morning of his wedding, Hiccup had actually thought that he would miss his father. That sentiment had faded quickly, however. When Astrid inquired if he wanted to visit home, like she often did, he would politely decline. He didn't have to go back there if he didn't want to, he was safe from his father's disapproving glares in his new home. Eventually, however, he and Astrid were supposed to start shadowing Stoick, to learn the ways of a chief, then Hiccup would be seeing his father everyday.
"Good. I had better not hear that you're treating Astrid badly, again." Stoick walked past his son, gesturing for him to follow. It seemed he was going to be escorting his misbehaved son back home.
With a feeling of indignation, Hiccup followed. He wasn't bad to Astrid and he most certainly didn't use her. Did his father really think he was that kind of a person? He was only married because of the expectations people had for him, it hadn't been his choice. He had done everything his father had told him he would have to do, when Stoick had been trying to prepare his son for married life. He was respectful to his new wife. He did communicate with her— she was the only person he really did communicate with. He'd had her best interests in mind, all day. She had said that she was going to visit home while he was in the forge. They hadn't made plans after that and Hiccup had thought she would appreciate some time without her new shadow. People liked it when he gave them space, they liked it when he wasn't there. He had been thinking of his wife.
The walk through the village of Berk felt longer than usual, and Hiccup already hated making that walk as it was. Usually, the walk would be better at this time of night, because no one was out to heckle him. But tonight, the trek through the village felt worse than ever.
Once they were within view of the chief's home and Hiccup's new house, which wasn't far from his father's, the door to the new house opened and Astrid came running out. Hiccup visibly flinched as she came running to him, expecting a punch to the shoulder and a scolding, or something along those lines. The last thing he had been expecting was for Astrid to embrace him and hold tightly to him.
Stunned, it took Hiccup's brain a few moments to catch up and process what was happening. Eventually, and after some hesitation, Hiccup reciprocated, hugging her back.
"I was so worried about you..." Astrid whispered softly into Hiccup's ear as she held him close. If Hiccup had been expecting to hear those words, then he would have expected to hear them in a different context— perhaps as Astrid yelled at him for disappearing on her. Hiccup supposed he should have thought about that. She had essentially been given responsibility for the screw up of Berk, and Hiccup had just made that harder on her.
"If you're alright, Astrid, I'll leave you two be." Stoick excused himself. He hadn't known what to expect either, but he was glad to see Astrid truly did care for his son. He had been worried when Astrid had asked him if he knew where Hiccup was, then seeing her inquiring about him all evening while she looked around for him. Stoick had been worried that the marriage wasn't working out, that maybe Hiccup and Astrid were both unhappy. This marriage had to work, a lot was riding on it— the future of Berk, even.
It had been a reassuring sight to see Astrid so relieved to find Hiccup safe, and to see that Hiccup seemed to care for her too. Stoick didn't understand Hiccup, his whole demeanor contradicted itself. He was almost an entirely different person than he had used to be. Stoick didn't understand why Hiccup was always running off, why he seemed to have an aversion to doing the things he was supposed to do. If anything about his son had remained consistent throughout all of his changes, it was that he still had that stubborn streak.
With one last look at the newly married couple, still embracing, Stoick returned back home. He was assured, at least, that his son was safe and Astrid was happy.
–
A/N: Thanks for reading! It was good to see that so many of you are still following this story, despite the unplanned hiatus. Thanks for welcoming me back, this story should be updated more regularly from now on, though there will be a holiday HTTYD fan fic (a sequel to "Snoggletog Showdown") that will be published in place of my regular stories come December! So watch out for that. I'll try not to leave you hanging with a cliff hanger though!
Silver Sentinel: I hope the rearranging of the beginning of the story helped with the confusion. Flashbacks are always in italics. The first part was mostly about Toothless' backstory and what he has been up to in the past seven years. I think the hatchlings being there was good for Hiccup, since he is pretty good with kids, or at least with his daughter. He can relate to Toothless now because they are both parents. I hope you liked that this one had more of Hiccup in it! The next part should have the interactions in it that you are waiting for.
Toothlessdaydream: Yeah, that is a good point about the Light Furies, I did see them there. However, this is an AU. What if the different events in this story cause those Light Furies to not be there? The Light Fury in this story had been living with others of her kind before Grimmel showed up, then she managed to escape and was unsure if any others had escaped as well. Then there is always the fact that no one can really know for sure, whether or not one is the last of their kind. There could even be more Night Furies out there somewhere in canon, but they are just well hidden or never end up crossing paths with Toothless. How can all the dragons in existence know to show up at the Hidden World? In my story, I'm going by the point of views of the characters, and they don't know if there are others out there. Toothless holds out hope that there are, the Light Fury assumes the worst— that they are the last ones. I appreciate you wanting to let me know though! Every once in a while, I miss or overlook something, so it is always helpful when people try to help. Thanks for the review!
Eikntt: I can't tell if you liked the last chapter or not, but I hope you liked this one! Writing about Toothless when he didn't have a name yet, was very difficult. Thanks for reviewing!
omega13a: Someone offered to create the TV Tropes page for "What Lies Beneath," but didn't say anything about "Deviation." I hadn't known what TV tropes even were before they asked me. I don't know how to create those pages, so it is just "What Lies Beneath" that has one. I'm happy to have one story with a TV tropes page, though. Yeah, it is awful for Toothless. He has been through so much, so has Hiccup. They have really needed each other. I think maybe you know who I'm hinting at, haha. And I'm excited to write her into the story!
CajunBEar73: There's a lot more going on out there than Hiccup knows about, and a lot more people he doesn't know of or doesn't think are alive. With the events of the movies not having happened, all of Hiccup's enemies are out there, and they've had plenty of time to scheme and build themselves up.
Ataruss: Hey there! Haha, I'm glad I could accidentally help you with that. I would never abandon this story! Or any of my other ones. Some of my fan fics are easier to write than others, so the ones that are easier to write are the ones that get updated the most often. I just had some writer's block as I tried to figure out how to write Toothless' part of the story with his backstory and the affects his actions have had on others and the overall story. It was a lot to figure out. I'm happy to be updating this story again, though. I'm so excited about where this story is headed. I'm glad to hear that you liked the new chapter! With the way this AU has gone, Hiccup and Toothless' friendship was bound to happen very differently. I think Eret is a good person at heart who just got mixed up with the wrong people. He switched sides so easily in the movie. Hiccup is realizing that he cares about his life now, he has things to live for, and Toothless will only help. I think you're right, Zephyr's birth was one of the first most important events in Hiccup's life and meeting Toothless is another. Perhaps learning that Astrid really does love him was one too? I hope you liked this chapter as well!
grecefar: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! With the events of the movies not having happened, there's a lot of danger out there that has been building up over time. Zephyr playing with the hatchlings would be very cute, wouldn't it? Thanks for reviewing!
Jhousa: I'm glad to be making progress on this story again! I think writing for this story will come easier, now that Toothless' nameless point of view is done with. Toothless started a family and so did Hiccup. The both love their families so much and have a connection with each other through their paralleling pasts.
Silvolde: Thank you! It's good to be back and making progress on this story again! I'm glad that you are still reading it. Grimmel and Toothless certainly seem to have a history, don't they? Grimmel won't stop with his obsession and Toothless won't give up on his family or his kind. I hope you liked the new chapter!
ShadowSpirit020: Yeah, poor Toothless! He has lost so much. He could have benefited from having a supportive friend like Hiccup in his life, all this time. It's about time that they came together. Thanks for the review!
CHSHiccstrid: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the last chapter. It was a hard one to write. The Light Fury dying would have been so sad! I don't think I'm that cruel of a writer, the last chapter of "Deviation" aside... I like angst, but tragedy is a bit much for me. I think Astrid had it in her to be a kind person too, she just lost herself. She is very loving of her family and friends and we'll see even more of her in the next chapter!
Yuvimalik: Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that you like my take on the arranged marriage AU. I'm also glad that you like how I wrote Hiccup and Astrid's friendship. I think Astrid had to have had some feelings toward Hiccup in canon, for her to become so close to him in such a short time. I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter!
htvhtgjtdhzr: Haha, sorry for the long wait on new chapters for this story! I would never abandon this story or any of my others. Some chapters take longer than others, though. I think writing for this story should be easier from this point on. I'm glad you're still following the story! Thanks for being a consistent reviewer!
KN Hudson: I'm glad you saw the symmetry in both Toothless' and Hiccup's stories. They have both felt loss, have succumbed to sadness and despair, and found a new purpose in their growing families. Now they have found each other again. Thanks for reviewing! Your reviews are always so thorough.