The Journey Into Us

Pairing: Hiccup X Toothless
Rating:
M for Mature

Disclaimer: I do not own anything HTTYD-related.

Chapter 68

=Normal POV=
(Sunday, 8/30/2020; 5:15 pm)
(Barbarchi City, Archipelago)
(Hunter's House)

Hunter pulled into the driveway of his house, and got in the garage. Hunter shut off his truck and looked over to Trayden, his boyfriend looked so upset and deep in thought. Hunter didn't know what he could do to help, but he would do anything if it brought back the smile to Trayden's face. Hunter couldn't believe that Trayden was hit on, attacked, molested, and would have been raped if Nathan's baseball hadn't broken things up. Hunter wanted those responsible caught, but he'd leave that to police; Hunter knew his boyfriend needed him more.

"Everyone is still here, aren't they?" Trayden asked, his eyes cast downward.

"It appears that way, love," Hunter replied. "I'll send them home now," He added.

"No…No, it's fine…" Trayden said. "I-I know they're just worried about me and you did give them the option to stay to wait for you to return,"

"I only said that under the assumption I'd come back here alone after I made sure you were okay," Hunter informed.

"Still, it's alright," Trayden adjusted in the seat a little, and winced. "I don't mind…I just want to take some pain killers, get a shower, eat a little something, and try to relax before bed, then pray I find sleep and not have a repeat of last night…"

"Whatever you want, babe. Let's get inside and you can go right to my room to shower in there, that way you don't have to cross the living room where I'm sure they all are waiting," Hunter said lightly.

"Are you going to tell them?" Trayden wondered, his eyes closed.

"Not if you don't want me to," Hunter reassured. "I can make them go home with only the information that you are okay, and it's gonna take some time to heal. If they ask why you're are here, I'll tell them its so I can help you while you recover because your injuries make it difficult to move a lot and the doctor suggested having a helper,"

Trayden shook his head. "Just tell them the truth. If it comes out later we didn't tell them, they'll just get like they did when they found out we were having sex…So I rather they know now, and add on that they were only told so they wouldn't harass…But I don't want to talk about it other than when I speak to police, or court, if that becomes a thing…I just want to forget it happened…" Trayden sniffled a bit.

"I understand, babe. And I will make sure they do as well," Hunter vowed. "Come on, let's get inside the house. I'll grab your stuff. Do you want to stay in the room you used during lock down, or mine?" He inquired.

"Yours, if that's okay…" Trayden said.

"More than okay. But I want to leave the door open a little bit that way I can hear if you need me for anything. You know with the door shut, it becomes sound proof," Hunter requested, Trayden nodded to him, feeling it was fair. Hunter smiled and got out of the truck, then hurried around to Trayden's side to help him out. The two got inside the house and Hunter guided Trayden down the corridor, and past the small hallway that let out into the kitchen, dining area, and living room. The others noticed the males right away, Blake was the first to reach the kitchen, but Hunter put a hand up to stop him where he was, then he lowered his fingers until just the index one was up, signaling to hold a moment. Hunter helped Trayden into his room, then bathroom. "Take your time, and call for me if you need anything?"

"I will…" Trayden replied softly.

"I'll get your bags in here before you get out of the shower, so you'll have something to change into," Hunter promised as Trayden nodded to him. Hunter gave him a small kiss on the cheek, then left Trayden to his privacy in the bathroom. Hunter exited the bedroom, leaving it open a few inches in case Trayden called for his help.

"Is he okay?" Blake asked instantly.

"I'll explain in a few minutes," Hunter told him.

"Hunter…I just want to know if he's alright…Please?" Blake showed concern in his eyes.

Hunter sighed. "Physically, aside from the attack injuries, yes…Mentally, I'm not sure yet. It's a lot to sit and cope with," He informed. "I'll explain in a sec. I just gotta get some stuff out of my truck," Hunter then went back into the garage to get the two bags that they went to Trayden's apartment to pack. Hunter returned inside, closing the garage door, and taking the stuff right to his room and setting it on the bed for Trayden to access when he got out of the shower. Hunter then left the room again, and found his friends sitting around the living room. "Before I say anything about what happened, I want it known and understood that Trayden doesn't not want anyone bringing it up, for any reason at all. His words, just now in the truck, were that he wants to forget it."

"We understand," The group of friends replied together.

"And mind you, how I tell you this; it's only because I don't know everything in exact detail. The officer who took the statement asked for a jist of what happened, and would get the full story later once Tray has had some time to sit with things and recover a bit." Hunter warned. "Just wanted to give you that heads up, that I'm only telling you what I know," He added. Hunter took a breath, listening that the shower was still going. "The simplified summary is that Trayden got hit on, attacked, and molested. He would have been raped too if not for my brother's baseball landing where Trayden was, and then the people who did this to Tray ran off."

"Oh, my Gods!" Many of them gasped.

"How did this happen…" Blake questioned.

"Trayden only said that he was walking along the path in the park around the area that is considered hidden, the blind spot. And there were these five guys who tried to stop him for some fun. Tray refused and tried to walk away, but he was grabbed and pulled backward, causing him to lose his balance. He was dragged a bit farther away and held down while two beat him up. After that, the guy who originally tried to stop him started touching and molesting him. When the guy kissed him, Tray bit him, and that made the guy mad. The guy ordered for his pals to turn Tray over and they started to pull his pants down…But that's when my brother's ball landed, making them scatter…" Hunter paused to take a breath. "Nathan recognized Trayden, called for my parents, and they're the ones who called for help. Dad phoned the police, mom called me to call Dustin and Rachel…"

"How hurt is he?" Jason asked.

"Most of it was cuts, and some bruising…But he did end up with two bruised ribs. That's why we went to the hospital. The paramedics on site weren't sure the state of his ribs, so X-Ray showed that he's got two on the left which are bruised. The doctor said the minor stuff will heal in a week, but the ribs will take three to six weeks." Hunter explained.

"But you said the mental is what you're worried about," Blake pointed out.

"Based on the things I saw since arriving at the park. According to my mom, who told Rachel and Dustin before they followed Tray and me to the hospital, when she and dad found Trayden, he was all curled into himself on the ground, crying and shaking. He wouldn't let officers or paramedics come close too fast. When I got there, he just wanted me to hold him and he sobbed for a good twenty minutes. The trembling didn't really stop, he's quiet…So I know he wants to forget, but stuff like this isn't easy to get over," Hunter told them. "It's gonna affect him for a bit,"

"Why'd you bring him here?" Alyssa inquired.

"He asked if he could stay with me, or me with him for a few days because he didn't want to be alone. I'm certainly not going to deny him that request. We chose here because he mentioned me still having to work," Hunter shrugged.

"What's going on with the police stuff?" Bryan wondered.

"Your father is on top of it. He's the one who took Tray's statement at the park, while your uncle was keeping people back. Two others…Hunters and Traytor, had talked with my parents and little brother first, then helped your uncle out." Hunter responded.

"My dad?" Bryan blinked. "But he's not an officer?"

"He said he started out as one and since PI work had been slow, he took a few police jobs to help out and stay busy," Hunter said.

"Will they be able to find the guys who did this?" Addilyn hoped.

"Trayden didn't get a lot of chances to see them all, but he could give pretty good descriptions for a few with their faces, eye and hair color. Some he could only mention clothes he saw, then a general range for height, weight, and age," Hunter revealed. "Vincent said it should be enough for a sketch artist when Trayden was ready to come in and give a full, detailed statement. He gave Tray his card, said to call after he'd healed a little,"

"Would it go to court?" Thaxter asked.

"Not sure, nothing was said about it, but maybe that's just because they have to find and arrest them first," Hunter offered.

"Sounds right," Bryan nodded. "So where is Tray now?"

"Taking a shower. He's sore, and tired. He said he just wanted to shower, take some meds, eat, and relax until bed." Hunter informed.

"Poor Trayden…" Nicole frowned. "Since we can't bring it up to respect his wishes, can we message you for updates on things?"

"Yes, absolutely," Hunter insisted.

"Why was he in the park?" Devon questioned.

"He said at the hospital that he was there because it was something to do. He said he hadn't heard from anyone all day, and he was bored at home, so he went walking. I guess he was trying to tire himself out to go home and take a nap because he had a hard night trying to sleep or stay asleep once out. But as he was heading to get home is when he came across those five guys. It was around 2 pm," Hunter enlightened.

"He had that headache last night, didn't he?" Ethan asked.

Hunter nodded. "Yeah, he said he still has it. Meds only dull it slightly, but it hasn't gone away," He stated to them.

It was silent a moment. "HUNTER!" Trayden's voice called out. Hunter instantly got off the wall he was leaning on and hurried down the hall to his bedroom, then to the bathroom door.

"I'm here, babe. What's wrong?" Hunter wondered with worry.

"I-I need your help…" Trayden winced.

"Okay, am I alright to come in?" Hunter checked with his hand on the knob.

"Yeah…" Trayden replied. Hunter walked into the bathroom to find Trayden still in the shower, but had fallen with the towel around him. "I-I slipped and fell…Hit my side going down…Don't really have the strength to get up on my own power…" He muttered in clear dislike of his situation.

"It's okay, love…It happens. Come on, let's get you up," Hunter moved in more to help Trayden to his feet and then out of the tub. "Are your ribs alright?" He asked gently.

"Yeah, I didn't hit on the left…But I'm still sore," Trayden replied. "A-Are the others still here?"

"I just finished telling them everything, and they understand not to bring it up. I told them they could message me for updates, though," Hunter explained. "You okay to finish up in here, or do you want me to stay?"

"I'm…Done in here, I just have to get dressed…Can you help me into your room?" Trayden asked.

"Of course," Hunter said, he guided Trayden into the bedroom and helped him sit down. As Trayden located his clothes, Hunter went into the bathroom to put the clothes in a separate spot to wash for him, and then shut out the bathroom light. As he got into his room again, Hunter saw that Trayden already got on his boxers and sleep pants. He was trying to do his shirt, but struggled with lifting his arms up. Hunter went over and helped Trayden to get the shirt on so he wouldn't have to raise his arms and hurt himself.

"Thanks…" Trayden sighed.

"No problem. Want to come out? I'll get you a pain killer and we can figure out what to have for dinner? I haven't eaten yet either," Hunter suggested.

"Is everyone going to be looking at me all sympathetic-like?" Trayden mumbled.

"Not sure, but at least you know they care. Everyone just feels bad about what happened to you, handsome," Hunter tried. "No one is going to look at you any differently," He added.

"I guess I'll come out for a bit," Trayden finally agreed. Hunter smiled encouragingly as he helped Trayden up again, then they left the room. Reaching the living room, the others were surprised that Trayden came out, but somehow felt that he didn't want any attention drawn to earlier, so everyone put on smiles to do their best not to make Trayden uncomfortable.

Hunter helped Trayden to sit down on the couch and then smiled at him. "What are you in the mood for to eat, babe? You can have anything you want, and I'll somehow, with my shitty cooking skills that I'm sure I inherited from my mother, make it happen," He joked as Trayden cracked a smile.

"You don't suck at cooking," Trayden countered.

"You're right, I suck other things and I'm really good at that," Hunter winked as Trayden blushed. "You walked into it, love,"

"I guess I did," Trayden agreed.

"Now, what would you like to eat?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know…" Trayden thought about it. "Shepard's Pie?"

"You got it!" Hunter beamed, then he lightly pecked Trayden's lips and went to the kitchen to start cooking. As he did that, the others started talking to Trayden, trying to keep him distracted from thinking about earlier. By 6:00 pm, the meal was made and Hunter made enough for everyone to enjoy. Around 7:00, when everything had been cleaned up, everyone just kept talking. Trayden took meds for pain at 7:30 pm, and stayed on trying to relax until the pills kicked in. By 8:30 pm, everyone saw that Trayden was starting to nod off, so they said their goodbyes and left the lovers to themselves.

"Thank you…For tonight," Trayden said as he cuddled against Hunter as comfortably as he could.

"Your welcome, but I haven't really done anything," Hunter chuckled a bit.

"I know you're fuming about what happened, and you want to know the details…But you've pushed it aside to focus on me and making sure I'm okay," Trayden yawned a little.

"I don't need to know everything, Tray…I know that you were hurt, and yes, that does make me mad. I don't like seeing you upset, and to think people would do such a thing to you, to anyone, and in broad daylight…Yes, that angers me. But I know that you were hurt, and it still hurts you whether physical or mental…So that's all I need to push aside personal feelings and keep my attention on you, to help anyway I can in making you feel better," Hunter explained.

"I love you," Trayden sniffled a bit.

"I love you too," Hunter leaned a bit to kiss Trayden gently. "Are you okay, though? I know it's a dumb question to ask given how fresh things are…But I feel like I haven't asked you at all,"

Trayden relaxed against his boyfriend. "I guess I'm still in shock that it happened, scared of what could have happened if that ball hadn't landed near me…" He admitted.

"That's normal to feel, babe. I suppose I'm just looking to see how much this will affect you, in the sense of nightmares or you possibly shutting down?" Hunter confessed.

"I won't shut down, or shut anyone out…What happened did hurt me, but with a little time, I'll move past it. I may still be scared that I'm going to run into those people again, and that they'll try to finish what they couldn't today…" Trayden said.

"That won't happen." Hunter stated firmly, and protectively. "Until they are caught, I will make sure you are safe. Even if I have to go with you anywhere outside your apartment,"

"I'm also mad at myself…For not fighting harder…" Trayden sighed.

"It wasn't your fault, Trayden…You were overtired, and dealing with a headache…Your mind wasn't all there, and lack of sleep already affects your body. There were five of them, and one of you…You saw that they wasted no time doing something to catch you off guard and prevent you from fighting back," Hunter informed. "Don't think that way, and like I said, it won't happen again. We work the same shifts, so I'm always available. Even if you're just going to the store, I'll come over and we can go together…But I won't let anything happen to you, babe. I promise." He vowed.

"You'd do that for me?" Trayden asked softly, surprised.

"I'd do anything for you…Anything to make you happy and see you smile. Everything to protect you. Trayden…I don't want to lose you. I refuse to. I told all our friends that, your parents and my parents too…The night I realized that I love you, that's what I told them…" Hunter revealed.

"W-What night was this?" Trayden questioned.

"The night I got the call about you being positive for Covid-19," Hunter admitted. "After you had the asthma attack, and I was telling the others…As soon as the words Tray is positive for the virus left my mouth, Gregory was on me not to get close to you because if I caught it, there was a high chance it could have killed me. I've never handled illnesses well. Flu, bug, any of them…When I was a kid, just those things could put me in the hospital because I have a super weak immune system despite what good shape I'm in," Trayden only listened, stunned by the information. "I told them that I wasn't going to let you suffer, that I had been around you all week and was fine…The last thing I said was that I wouldn't lose you, that I refused to. And I hung up to get back to you…" Hunter explained. "Later on after you fell asleep, I realized what I said to them and asked myself why I got like that…And I just settled that you're not like other boyfriends I've had in the past, and what I felt for you was much stronger than any of what I had for them. I had said once before that you're the difference in my life, the person I met who made me go from live every day to living for every day…It just hit me that I love you. And I told myself that as soon as you were better, and things calmed down a bit…I would tell you,"

"And that moment was back in July, when you said it after we made love…" Trayden wondered.

Hunter nodded. "I know it threw you for a loop, but after everything we'd been through…No other time seemed right than that night, that moment where I was staring into your eyes. Something just clicked the first day I met you last December, it was always your eyes that drew me in. I could see right away that you were honest, loyal, kind, wicked shy," Trayden blushed. "From the moment we met at Wild Fantasies when you returned my wallet, I had this sudden desire not to let you walk out of my life, Tray…That's what brought on asking you to dinner, and having you come to my house, the party…Everything. I just wanted you around and to be honest, I never imagined that one person would have such an effect on me. And wanting you around so much came on because like I told you the night we hung out and I admitted to wanting to get to know you better, I meant that. I wanted to understand why you were the one that drew me in. And now…I get it. It's because I fell for you back then, Tray…" Hunter said as Trayden's eyes widened. "I fell for you that night in my garage when we kissed, and that set off the chain to not want to lose you…I just didn't realize it until the night everyone wanted me to stay away from you. And it hit me that it was love. That was the factor in not wanting to lose you because I love you and have this entire time…"

Trayden was just about in tears after all that, despite the pain, he hugged Hunter tightly. "I think I fell for you that night too…But I think it hit me before we got together, the night of my mom's party when you came to comfort me about missing my best friend. I left it at liking you because I thought telling you I love you would scare you off…And after the lock down lifted, I planned to say something. For our six month anniversary, but you beat me to it," He admitted softly.

"So…I think we should call it like at first sight, love at first kiss," Hunter smiled.

"I agree," Trayden wiped his eyes and they shared a kiss. "And I think I'm always going to be alright as long as I have you in my life…" He said in response to when Hunter asked if he was going to be okay.

"Then I promise I'm not going anywhere," Hunter reassured. They kissed again and continued to cuddle until 9:30 pm when Trayden began to fall asleep and they decided to go to bed. Maybe it was a bad day, but the night was good and neither of them could wait to see what the future held.