Everyone in the village square was seated to watch Hiccup become chief, and he did, flawlessly too. But the second event was his marriage to Astrid, and after Stoick asked for any objections; the only person who spoke up against the union was Hiccup himself, saying he couldn't marry Astrid, and wouldn't. Astrid didn't look amused, but right now; everyone was left in silence.
"Hiccup, what do you mean you can't and won't marry Astrid? You're under contract, I arranged that marriage with her folks. My heir marrying their daughter." Stoick stated.
"Only I'm not your heir anymore, Dad…" Hiccup remarked. "I'm still your son…But I think you may have forgotten that these events switched. The wedding didn't come before I became chief," He reminded. "That contract no longer exists as it's conditions have changed."
"He's…Not wrong, Stoick," Sven informed after briefly discussing the matter with the other four council members; Gobber, Spitelout, Mulch, and Bucket.
"He's not legally bound to that contract anymore. If he wants to cancel it; he can as chief." Spitelout agreed.
"But why, laddie?" Gobber asked calmly. "You've been in this since it was announced, why didn't you speak up then?"
"I knew I wouldn't have had a choice. I had no power to get out of the contract," Hiccup said. "Now, I do…And it's precisely why I asked my father to switch the event order last night. So I couldn't be tied to the contract considering I'm not the heir anymore. I never wanted to marry Astrid. I didn't want to get married at all, right away. I do know it's required. If it's my future with Berk, then I want it to be my future…" He explained and looked at Astrid. "The wedding is off."
"We had an agreement, Hiccup…" Astrid whispered.
"And that's another reason…How dare you try and blackmail into marrying you. You knew what you did last night, you knew I didn't love you, but you think you can back me into the corner?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes.
"I'll tell everyone…" Astrid warned.
"Do it." Hiccup dared her.
"Hiccup…Stop," Toothless stepped forward. "It's not worth it."
"It is to me…" Hiccup told him. "You told me last night I shouldn't have to take it, and you're right…I shouldn't, and won't. So go ahead, Astrid…Tell them." He urged.
"What is this all about?" Stoick inquired.
"I won't marry her because I don't love her, and I refuse to marry someone I don't love." Hiccup told his father.
"Then who do you love…" Gobber wondered. "If you love someone else, that can be set up…"
"Hiccup, you're not doing this to me…" Astrid glared as she stepped closer to him. "Now…Let's just calm down, and get through this. If I reveal what I know, you're in big trouble and being chief won't save you…"
"I don't need saving," Hiccup remarked coldly. "You wanna give me a meaningless threat? I'll do you one better…" He faced everyone. "What Astrid is itching to reveal but doesn't have the guts to is that I'm in love with someone else. A male…" Hiccup revealed.
"A ma-male?" Dagur asked.
"That's right," Hiccup nodded. "He's a very good friend of mine, who…Another confession now, I've been having sex with for the last three years." He informed. "We were young, both dealing with new feelings of growing up…So we decided to have sex at random. The cove, the house, Dragon Island, even the forge a couple times. It kept us happy and busy, and over time, I feel in love with him. He loves me too…But we pushed it aside to pacify everyone, said it was for the better. It's not. Not for me, and I know not for him either," Hiccup said.
"Why…Sex with a male?" Thuggory, of Meathead Islands, questioned.
"Cause sleeping with a woman with the risk of pregnancy is forbidden. Can't get a male pregnant," Hiccup shrugged.
"Fair point," Camicazi, heiress to Bog-Burglar, agreed.
"We started when we were fifteen, and Astrid caught us back in August, told my dad…Who told me it was fine. Last night…Astrid caught me and my friend having one more night together before I got married, she told me to marry her today or she'd tell everyone to try and ruin me." Hiccup announced.
"I mean…You were betrothed to Astrid, so it was wrong to lay with another…But," Heather started.
"Can't help who ya love," Natalie smiled. "And it was wrong of her to try and force you. Wrong, and disrespectful; he was the heir and now chief…He does have the right to marry whoever he wants."
"Also…Loving a male, even being with one intimately isn't wrong…" Viggo Grimborn, of the Dragon Hunters, informed. "My niece likes males and females."
"I do too," Gala Vinter, heiress of the Shivering Shores, admitted.
"Hiccup can marry whoever he wants, as long as there's one heir provided in the required frame…" Alvin Ogglebert, leader of Outcast Island, stated.
"You should have told me, Hiccup…" Stoick informed. "I wouldn't have been upset."
"Dad…Look at your track record with me telling you things out of the ordinary," Hiccup smiled a bit. "No, I didn't think you'd react well to me telling you that I'd fallen in love with a male,"
Stoick shrugged, nodding. "Is…It Tallon?"
"It is…" Hiccup replied as he reached for Toothless's hand and had him stand next to himself. "So…It's okay if I marry him, as long as I give an heir?"
"This is ridiculous…" Astrid went to walk by Hiccup and ended up shoving into him in a way that actually made his prosthetic give out and he felt down and ended up smacking his head on the ground.
"Ow…" Hiccup grumbled.
"You okay?" Toothless helped him up and made sure he was balanced. "Astrid, apologize. You could have gone around, but you purposely knocked him back and down. He's your chief…Have some respect."
"Hard to get around with you standing between us…Oops," Astrid remarked.
"That does it," Toothless growled and it actually came off as a growl, making Astrid stop and look at him. Toothless had a blue glow around him as he went, for the first time Hiccup had ever seen it, into his hybrid state. "You will not treat Hiccup this way," He told her. "You don't ever challenge him when I'm around…Have I made it obvious who I really am, or should I take the transformation to something you know?" He asked her, annoyed.
"What the hell are you talking about…What are you?" Astrid asked.
"Really? You don't know him?" Hiccup asked, then sighed when she shook her head. "Tooth…Do it," Toothless transformed again, revealing his Night Fury form to her. He gave a deadly snarl as she backed away quickly and the realization hit her and everyone else. "I'm really shocked no one put two and two together. Whenever Tallon was around, Toothless was not. Would I really have sex with a complete stranger? He's my best friend, and the man/dragon I love…" Hiccup said calmly as Toothless returned to human form, though naked and Hiccup grabbed a pair of pants from his bag on the floor so Toothless could put them on.
"So…Toothless, your Night Fury dragon can…Change forms?" Stoick asked. Hiccup nodded. "And Tallon was just a cover?" Hiccup nodded again. "You love him?"
"With my everything…" Hiccup replied. "I-I know it's weird and shocking but…"
"First things first…Astrid, quit acting like a spoiled brat. You pushed past him on purpose out of jealousy that he's in love with me, that you were so close to becoming chieftess and it was snatched away," Toothless commented. "You will not hurt him again. He is your chief, you will respect him or you will deal with me. Are we clear?"
"Yes…" Astrid nodded to him, then hurried away.
"You didn't need to do that," Hiccup told him.
"Of course I did," Toothless cupped his cheek and stared into his eyes. "I've told you many times…I will always have your back, sides, front…Whatever. I'm always going to be here for you, whatever way I can. I love you with my everything, all that I am and will be…"
"I love you too," Hiccup replied as Toothless leaned in and kissed him deeply. But of course, the action broke because they had quite the audience.
"Now, wait just a minute…" Madguts, chief of the Murderous Mountains, spoke up. "This isn't okay."
"Liking or loving a male is fine. But this…Man is not a man. It's a dragon with a human form, which is completely unheard of!" UG, chieftain of the Uglithugs, remarked.
"Perhaps it's a little odd, but we saw the proof," Chief of the Peaceable Tribe, Cuyler Grayson, mentioned. "Though I don't know what that first form was…"
"Hybrid," Toothless said. "It's the form I take that is a little of both sides." He explained. "I don't really use it that often."
"Right, thank you," Cuyler said. "But regardless, if they're doing things as human males…It's no different."
"Is this even allowed?" Gunner Falk, Chief of Lava-Lout Islands, wondered.
"There's no law that says they can't be together, as long as Hiccup can provide an heir." Gobber stated.
"And who is going to step up just to get pregnant and have a child?" Henrik Andersen, of the Quiet Lives Tribe, looked to the others. "It is a requirement to being chief, even if you do not take a wife, or even get married; you have to have a successor to take the throne if anything happens to you."
"If I may…" A female voice spoke up, coming through the group of people.
"Uh, who are you?" Hiccup asked. He noticed an older male, a group of others walking with the two adults. The older male looked oddly similar to Toothless.
"Mom?" Toothless's eyes widened.
"Mom?!" Hiccup looked at Toothless. "This is your family?"
"Hello, my eldest…" The woman smiled.
Toothless let go of Hiccup's hand to go over to his mother, a woman with long black hair and blue eyes appearing to be in her early forties. The two touched foreheads and smiled. "Father," Toothless bowed to the older male, black hair and dark green eyes.
"My son," The male replied calmly. "It's been some time."
"Seven years," Toothless nodded.
"We've been worried about you, and searching all over," Spoke the voice of the youngest girl in the group. "I've missed you big brother," She smiled.
"Missed you too, little sister," Toothless replied, giving a light smile. "What are you all doing here?"
"We've been searching for you, as stated." His mother replied gently. "We were sure where we lost you all those years ago, so we've been all over to look. But of course, had to mind the humans who continue to hunt. We've been out of the Archipelago for several years until we caught word from other dragons the hunting had stopped and there was peace. All from a young boy who bonded with a Night Fury."
"We have been watching over the islands to find you since everyone else was accounted for when we checked after landing." The father remarked.
"What happened to you?" Asked another male.
"I got hurt and landed on Dragon Island, then under the control of the queen there; Red Death. During a raid on this island, Hiccup here shot me down. But he spared my life, so I spared his…I've resided here since." Toothless told them.
"Why did you not return?" His father wondered.
"I was happy here. Hiccup and I are best friends and over time…I've grown to love him." Toothless replied. "I'm really shocked you came after me, isn't the rule not to fall behind or you're on your own?"
"Not really a rule, but it was a group vote to ensure we did not all get found and captured. Also, can't really tell the Night Fury king no to finding his firstborn, so…" The father chuckled.
"True," Toothless shrugged.
"You're an heir?" Hiccup blinked. "Didn't cover that in our discussions,"
"I meant to, but also never thought I'd see my family again…" Toothless said softly. "Now, you know." He added.
"So, you're all Night Furies?" Sven inquired.
"That we are. The rest are settled in hiding beyond the boundaries of the Archipelago." The father informed. "We know where you are and that you're alright now, so we won't make you come back with us, my son."
"I wasn't planning on leaving without Hiccup, and he's chief of his tribe…So we're staying." Toothless said firmly.
"Can we get back on topic now?!" Madguts demanded. "All of this is entirely unheard of, but whatever. We need to know the Berk Chieftain can adequately sleep with a female to obtain an heir,"
"I have to agree with Madguts here. We need to know Hiccup can go through with sleeping with a woman, and also ensure we can find a willing female to go through with this plan. If not…We have the right to out vote you, Hiccup and make you get married to a female…" Dagur remarked.
"Dagur…" Heather sighed.
"Astrid, you were willing to marry him…That would have involved intimacy and giving him a child. Are you willing to do this for the sake of giving him an heir?" Stoick asked.
"Not unless we're married." Astrid folded her arms over one another.
"I volunteer," Heather put her hand up.
"You can't. You're heiress to Berserker as Chief Dagur's little sister. It has to be someone with no royal ties." Mogadon stated.
"This is all pending that Hiccup can go through with it…Or will his love or Toothless get in the way?" Alvin asked.
Now, all eyes were on Hiccup. "Why do they call you Toothless, brother?" The youngest Night Fury standing there inquired.
"That's the name Hiccup gave me as a dragon when we became friends. It's just stuck," Toothless replied. "Hiccup, you okay with what needs to happen?"
"We said before that it might go this way, so I suppose…If I have no other choices," Hiccup began.
"No, you don't. An heir is required, and we all know it's not always possible to get it on the first try. You're better off getting married," Ryker commented, he was Viggo Grimborn's older brother, and second in command for the Dragon Hunter tribe. The only heir for that tribe was Viggo's son, Brynjar, currently in attendance.
"I'll marry Toothless." Hiccup stated.
"He can't give you a child," Madguts said.
"I'm perfectly content not having one right this very moment." Hiccup argued.
"But you have to have one in order to stay chief," Alvin reminded.
"But not right now. I have a year to get married, and two years to have a child. That's three total, why the hell are we worrying about it now?" Hiccup countered.
"Because you have no plan!" UG commented.
"I'll worry about it when I need to." Hiccup remarked.
"You can't just do whatever you want, Hiccup. You're not a child anymore…And you've done more than enough that has been worthy of treason, being cast out or killed." Arngrim Dammen, chief of the Northlands, said.
"And yet, here I stand…Because I decided to embrace being different and it's done nothing more than end the war with dragon, and give you peace with them. Seems me doing what I want works out for more than just me." Hiccup informed. "I always do what I need to do when needed…"
"Like today, where you were supposed to get married to Astrid…And instead of saying something months ago; you drew it out and waited until now to speak up. Here you are indeed, not married…" Snorre Markovsen, Chief of Thunderhead Bay, responded.
"Well, wedding isn't happening with her…So you can all be on your merry way home now. I've got a tribe to run…" Hiccup said.
"You can't walk away from us and we can vote you out as chief if we believe you aren't doing what's best for your people," Alvin said.
"Are my people provided for and safe, as spoken the vows I took less than an hour ago?" Hiccup retorted. There was a pause. "If the answer is yes, I'm doing what's best for my people. You know, just mentioning it again…ENDED THE WAR WITH DRAGONS. Not only did are my people safe from raids…So are all of yours. Don't come at me about doing what's best…It's all I've been doing for three years." He told them. "If you can't get over this need an heir right now nonsense, then I'll save you the work of voting me out as chief and I'll just leave."
"What do you mean, son?" Stoick asked, becoming worried for what Hiccup meant.
"Pretty simple, Dad…Don't have to follow the tribals laws or traditions if I'm not part of the tribe anymore and live beyond the Archipelago." Hiccup said. "To put it simpler…I'll invoke self-exile."
The area went silent. "Lad…That's a pretty serious threat." Gobber said softly.
"And I'm pretty serious about it…" Hiccup told him. "I have not once refused to carry out the laws standing. I said I would give an heir before the time limit expires, why the hell can't anyone just accept that and drop the subject. Cause the way these fools are making it seem, is that I have to do it right now and that's not how it works." He explained. "So if you can't back off about the matter, and continue to make it seem like I can't be with or marry Toothless over this heir requirement…I'm prepared to leave for good. I can more than survive out there, all I need is Toothless. The one individual who saw me for me, and has always been here for me…I had acceptance, loyalty, protection, a friend, and love all through one person. A dragon…I won't abandon him for the people who turned their backs on me first." Hiccup told them firmly.
"We never betrayed you," Astrid scoffed.
"No? Did the tribe not absolutely despise the fact I was so different? Scolded publicly by my father when something went wrong? Bullied, teased…Pushed around. Oh, and not a single person from this tribe or the others believed I could ever be anything more than a disappointing embarrassment. That I could never be chief." Hiccup revealed. "Where did I spend my childhood, not trailing my dad…I was in the forge, with Gobber, and he is the one who raised me. No offense, Dad…Love you to death, but we all know you couldn't stand to be around me much after mom was taken because she was different too. All I did was remind you of her. It wasn't until this tribe faced imminent fate on Dragon Island by Red Death, who I warned that you wouldn't be able to defeat, when Toothless and I nearly died to destroy that dragon, did anyone actually accept me as I was. When everyone saw that my difference wasn't so bad after all," Hiccup looked around at them, mainly from his own tribe lowering their head in realization it was true.
"I've always been the way I am and it took fifteen years for everyone here to understand and see that. I almost ran away three years ago, just me and Toothless, because I didn't want to go through my final test of killing a dragon. I was willing to run for that…So no, I won't think twice about leaving with Toothless again. We'll be just fine, and we'll be happy. It's your call, but I made this choice a long time ago if things came down to this…" Hiccup informed.
Toothless smiled and linked his hand to Hiccup's. "If this ends up happening, you're more than welcome to remain with us at the nest. You're our son's lover, basically his mate…You're family. Besides, everyone is itching to meet the boy who ended the war and made it safe for all dragons to live free." Toothless's father informed. "We're not Vikings, and we live outside the Archipelago; they can't touch you there."
"Well, you heard it. We got a place to go, so what's it gonna be?" Hiccup asked them firmly.