"We have many names." Toothless began softly. Hiccup tentatively listened.
"Some call us angels, we were once called gods." He paused and hummed, remembering old times. "Some called us demons, devils, fae. We were even called monsters."
Toothless looked out to the bonfire the dragons had created earlier, already raised high to the sky. He watched as Barf and Belch stood and began to dance around the fires in a rhythm they could only hear. Hiccup followed his glance, allowing Toothless to bring him more onto his lap and hug him tighter, lips dangerously close to his ear.
"I suppose we can be called all that and it won't be that far from the truth." Toothless said softly into Hiccup's ear, this information was his alone.
Soon Meatlug was pulled in to dance intricate dances and he pulled Ruffnut in, who was coaxed to relax and move with them in tune with the flames that seemed to rise higher.
Hiccup watched as one by one the dragons lifted themselves up with ease off the floor and twirl around the bonfire, adding flames when they wanted or spreading the fire with their fire-proof tiny-scaled skin with chirps of laughter.
Snotlout was the last to join in their festivities; Toothless and Hiccup were left alone to speak, as if the other dragons knew.
"We are called 'forme skifteaksel,'" He whispers, lips grazing the shell of Hiccup's ear. "Skifts, for short."
Time seemed to come to a standstill, the fire illuminating the group's figures. Their laughter and speech light and airy, carried by the soft breeze.
"We can change shape to what we desire, of the living that is." Toothless murmured. "To ensure our survival."
"How long have you guys been around?" Hiccup interjected, but didn't move from his hold.
Hiccup felt Toothless chuckle, the vibration from his chest was felt on his back. Hiccup stared further as the dance continued; it was something surreal that he had never seen before. Vikings didn't really have time to dance around bonfires till day break (of course, weddings were an exception, the couple needed the blessing of their Gods to make it work).
Hiccup didn't know how long they had not spoken until Toothless broke the comfortable silence between them.
"I can't say for certain. I stopped counting the years I have lived. It feel like five years have passed, or maybe it has been a century? That is what I ask myself and never search for the answer because of its irrelevancy."
"How long have you been before this form?"
"A few centuries, maybe." He answered casually.
They sit quietly for a while, watching the dragons and their riders frolic around the licking flames.
"So, if you wanted too, you could have regrown your tail?" Hiccup finally asks, a question that had been brewing since the transformation and has never been brought up.
"… Hypothetically." Toothless kisses the top of Hiccup's head, wings coming to wrap around the boy so he wouldn't freeze. "Given more time, I could have; dragons are kind of like lizards, we can regrow our tails."
"But the shifting. The shifting. Couldn't you have grown it back using your shifting abilities?"
"… I suppose so, to ensure my survival."
"Why didn't you?"
"I met you."
Hiccup sighs dramatically as he put away his tools for forging. Last night's endeavors spinning around in his head with a rewind and playback button.
Toothless and himself ended up being pulled into the ring of fire to dance after they finished their talk. Later into the night, the riders had fallen asleep comfortably around the fire, the dragons still dancing fluidly.
Despite his inability to dance like the rest, Toothless dragged him along and supported him, arms around his waist at all times. The fire died down the slower the hybrids danced. By the time their movements stilled and the night crept over them, the fire sizzled out to burnt wood. They took their respected riders in their arms and with a nod to each other in farewell, flew to their destinations.
Hiccup had stayed, content, in Toothless's hold until he deemed it late enough to leave the dampening and cold air. He fell asleep on the flight home and woke up in the dragon's hold, under layers of blankets that is was practically suffocating. But when he tried escaping that warmth and unsheathed himself from the blankets, the coming winter cold hit him hard and he hid in the warmth, desperate to not face the cold again.
The second time he awoke, Toothless was gone, but the heat remained. With enough courage, he left the warmth and comfort of his bed to try and search for his buddy. After not finding him in the first hour, Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and went to his workshop to create and model new equipment.
That was how he spent the majority of his day, cooped up at his station with his inventions and drawings, last night on replay and wondering what will happen when he sees Toothless again.
That dragon never does listen to him.
With a sigh he looked outside to see the sun dropping low into the horizon. He left his station for food and later came back home. But the dragon could not be heard or seen. He hadn't returned yet. Puzzled, Hiccup left to walk around the village in search of his counterpart.
Hiccup grew worried when the moon came out and Toothless was nowhere to be found. Melancholic, Hiccup went back to his house for rest, perhaps the dragon would show up later that evening.
Toothless didn't show up that night. Or the next day, or the day after that. Hiccup grew restless.
It had been nearing the fourth day when Toothless finally showed up. Hiccup was in the living room of his house, worried, until Toothless opened the front door and strutted in like he wasn't gone nearly a week.
"Toothless!" Hiccup jumped from his place on the couch to run to the front door. "Where have you been? I've been so worried!" He scolded, sounding eerily like a lover.
The dragon only gave a pleasant smile and hugged Hiccup to him, breathing in his scent as the door closed behind him. He walked the boy backwards and closer to the stairs. When he pulled away, he gave a soft kiss to the boy's forehead in hopes of calming him down.
Hiccup glared upward, a slight scowl on his lips until he relaxed his face, knowing he won't get anywhere with the infuriating to no end dragon.
"Now, are you going to talk?" Hiccup asked, hands on his hips in a pseudo-angry way.
Toothless gave a chuckle at the action and reached for the small bag that was attached to his hip. Hiccup watched curiously, eyebrow raised in confusion. He unlooped the strings and held the full pouch out to Hiccup, who took it carefully.
"What's in it?" He asked, looking to Toothless as the dragon motioned for him to open it. As he reached to open the button that kept it shut, the bag moved. Hiccup jumped at the sudden movement in the pouch and hurriedly opened the button.
The boy gave a small gasp and recovered quickly as he took the small animal out of the confines of the bag.
"A kitten? Why a kitten?" He asked, holding the tiny thing in his hands, laughing when the baby tried pawing at his hands. The kitten was literally a ball of fur, tiny as it may be, with a thick coat designed especially for winter. White paws and grey mane, a white stripe going down between its eyes, down the mug and over part of its chest.
"It's so cute." He held the kitten up to look closer at it, nuzzling it closer to his face. "Is this really why you were gone for a week? To find a kitten?"
Toothless shrugged, walking closer to Hiccup's side to pet his latest find.
"Yes. I thought it was appropriate." He said lightly but didn't divulge any further. Hiccup didn't really understand, but left it at that, too preoccupied with the hyper mess in his arms.
A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Stoick walking in. At the site of the two and the new arrival, he halted. Hiccup looked up to see his father and smiled, holding up the bundle in his hands.
"Hey, dad. Toothless got me a kitten." He said, going back to entertaining the kitten. "I'll name her Fress." By this time, Hiccup was in his own world and didn't notice his father's reddening face.
Stoick stood stock still, watching the interaction between the three, barely breathing as he tried to get his frustration under control, making his face bloat with red.
"Hiccup, that's enough!" He finally snapped, making the boy jump a little before looking at his father questioningly. Confusion marked his entire face, not understanding why his father was so angry. "That kitten has to go, now. You can't keep it."
"What?" Hiccup raised a brow, his face now filled with disbelief. "Why?"
"Because, Hiccup." He said sternly, keenly aware of how Toothless came closer to his son and put an arm around Hiccup's shoulder. Stoick's face reddened some more. Hiccup, however, didn't even notice the closeness of his former pet. He was all too familiar with Toothless's disregard for personal space.
"Dad. It's just a cat."
"That's not the point Hiccup!"
"Then what is the point? You're not making any sense."
Stoick kept silent, trying to quell the bubbling in his chest with calming breaths.
"Just take it back, now." Hiccup made a face of disbelief before shaking his head.
"What is your deal? It's just a kitten Toothless gave me. I'm keeping it." With those words, he turned around and Toothless's hand dropped to his side as he continued up the stairs to his room, coddling the new arrival to the family unaware of the stare down between the two men he just left.
Toothless watched the man silently, as Stoick did to the dragon and the silence between them both spoke volumes and was deafening. A slow triumphant smile worked its ways to the tallest of the two men before Toothless turned and jolted up the stairs and into Hiccup's room, shutting the door behind his retreating tail.
Stoick was left speechless and incredulous. His nerves ran high.
Up in Hiccup's room, the two were seated close near the headboard of his bed. The kitten tramping on Hiccup's lap and running up his clothes. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh and chuckle at the playful bugger, so full of energy at this age. He barely even noticed how Toothless held him by his waist and leaned him into his chest, keeping him warm.
The door opened harshly, Stoick's large form in the doorway, all fearless Viking.
"Hiccup, we need to talk. Now." He stated, leaving no room for argument as his eyes narrowed on the hand at his son's hip. The man looked towards the culprit, who wore a lackadaisical smirk.
Hiccup raised his brow, wondering where his father was going with this, again, before shrugging it off and handing the kitten back to Toothless. The dragon, in turn, motioned for him to take it with him. Rather than question why, he stood and was ready to bring the kitten with him.
"Leave, the kitten, here." His father's voice boomed, ordering him to obey before he left, door shutting closed behind him.
"What is that all about?" Hiccup asks, giving Fress back to Toothless, who quickly grabbed Hiccup's neck and gave a peck on his lips. This made Hiccup blush, heat spreading through his body. He pulled away, slightly embarrassed. "Well, I'll be back." He muttered before he left.
Downstairs, Stoick was standing menacingly in the living room, waiting for his son to come down. When he did, Stoick motioned to the couch.
"Sit down, son."
Hiccup did as he was told, skeptical as to why he had that leader voice on. As he was about to question, his father spoke up.
"I want you to get rid of the kitten."
"Why?" Hiccup asked exasperatedly, "It's just a kitten dad, what's wrong with it?"
"The problem is you don't understand the meaning of it!" He tried keeping his voice down, knowing the dragon upstairs could probably hear. Hiccup flinched at the loudness of his voice, but he was used to it from before.
"What do you mean?" Hiccup questioned. Entirely confused as to where this conversation was going.
"Toothless got you it, didn't he?" Stoick asked and waited for his son's nod before continuing. "He gave it to you as a symbol of marriage, Hiccup." His voice was now dangerously low.
"W-what?" Hiccup managed to sputter, blushing red at the thought. "N-no he didn't, he probably thought it was a nice gift."
"Do you not see how he is around you? Always touching you, always hugging you, kissing you. How can you say he doesn't mean in a marital sense!" Stoik reasoned, Hiccup's face flailing and blushing up to his ears with a deer caught in headlights look. He tried to defend himself.
"It's Toothless, dad! He did that before this happened, anyway. I-it's not like it's anything new."
"Hiccup, listen to me." Stoik warned. "Kittens are given by the husband to the bride. By Odin, Hiccup, have you seen the way he looks at you?"
"Oh, come on, dad, you aren't making any sense." Hiccup tried to dissuade any suspicious thoughts his dad might have had. This was ridiculous! How could Toothless even know of their customs? Let alone marriage traditions.
His father did not seem at all convinced as he looked to Hiccup skeptically, the boy's face fighting a losing battle of staying neutral and pale.
"Okay, w-well, I'll be going now.." He stated awkwardly, getting up on weak legs and walking back up the stairs, his heart hammering in his chest. Once he reached his door, he could still feel his father's eyes on him through the walls.
Shaking it off, he walked into his room and closed to the door, leaning against it with a deep sigh. He looked to the dragon on his bed, the kitten kneading its little paws into Toothless's chest as he scratched its neck.
Hiccup stared at him accusingly for a moment, knowing the dragon had heard every single detail of their conversation downstairs. But Toothless gave no inclination of knowing of what went down. He opened his eyes to stare at Hiccup, a welcoming smile on his lips as the boy made his way to the bed to lie down.
Memories went through the boy's mind of all the affections that were given to him by his dragon. Sure, they might have crossed the friend's line plenty of times, but that didn't mean the kitten was a gift for a romantic relationship… right?
Toothless slid down on the bed, face facing Hiccup's. And the two stared at each other for a moment before Hiccup's face reddened again when Toothless came closer, noses touching now. Hiccup couldn't really deny the affection, but not for the reasons he was naming. With a breath, Hiccup felt lips on his in a soft manner.
When had he closed his eyes?
"Are you scared?"
A/N: Well, here is, what I think it will be, the almost last chapter. It took me a bit to figure out how I wanted it to play out. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND REVIEWS AND LIKES YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GIDDY AND LOVED IT MAKES ME. I had to do a little bit of research for this chappie, enjoy!
Doomsday BeamXD; I know.. I'm kind of awkward about putting it at the top, it's at the bottom on all of my fics lol
Warrior Nun; Yeah! I was doing some research. I need to buy the series and read them. Teehee. & Thank you!
Thank You for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon