The middle of the night, when the brightness that existed by the moon disappeared, and the room was covered in strange, unnatural darkness. Just then, audible was thunder outside the window, and the little boy, who was sleeping in his bed woke up violently, jumping into a sitting position.

Firstly, he began rubbing his eyes and looked around his bedroom, actually surprised about his waking. Unexpectedly, the sound of another lighting startled him, and immediately, he covered himself with sheets, hoping these would keep him safe.

Even so, after a while, the sounds weren't getting any quieter, and because of that, he grasped swiftly the black, dragon toy from his pillow and pressed his face to it, while his eyes glistened.

Eventually, when his body loosened, pulling the plushie to his chest, he sat up and stood from the bed. Afterward, he rushed through the room toward the door, ran across the messy living room, and sneaked inside another bedroom.

Inside, he could observe the wardrobe, also the desk with the computer and papers on it, but despite that, his eyes were locked on the big bed in the corner. On his toes, he moved toward it, not frightened by the fact of a figure laying in it, as the sheets moved up and down, repeatedly.

Stopping by the side of the bed he gaped at the sleeping face of an older man with black hair that snored calmly. Pulling his arm toward him he flinched, and instead of waking him up, the boy wiped his eyes while walking to the other side of the bed.

There, he climbed at it and laid himself on his side next to the man, and turned back from him. Later on, gently, he pulled the corner of the sheets on himself, just so as not to junk it off the man, and attempted to close his eyes, unsuccessfully.

Suddenly, he froze at the feeling of squirming behind himself and the man's arm encircled him, bringing him closer to himself. At the movement, the ashamed child sank in himself, while the man shushed and kissed the back of his head.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here," he whispered into his ear, lifting the corner of his mouth. "Say Daddy what's wrong?"

"Nothing," the boy mumbled and sat up, while the man raised his head to gaze at him. "I-I will go to my bed," he stammered, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"Come on, you can sleep here, Hiccup. Don't you want to stay here?"

"I-I can't, I am a big boy," Hiccup replied, moving forward, so his legs hung from the bed's edge.

"And so what?" Dad snorted, grasping the boy's armpit and by them lifting him back to his spot next to his side. "It doesn't matter. You may-,"

"But you said-,"

"Buddy, I said that to encourage you to sleep alone. That doesn't mean you can't come here anymore at all," he clarified, pulling the boy to the side, whereby his head ended up against his stomach. "If you are spooked, or you had a nightmare, come here, got it?" He summed up and Hiccup nodded his head, with his cheek pressed against his dad's belly. "So, what's the reason-," he began and halted, hearing the thunder that was the cause of the boy's shiver. "That's why."

"It is scary and loud," Hiccup muttered and the man stroked his hair, gently. "I can't be scared."

"Why not?" He asked, creasing his forehead.

"Because big boys-,"

"Big boys aren't afraid?" He finished and sighed, rubbing his eyelids. "Who said you this nonsense?"

"Hookfang," Hiccup muttered, gazing away and playing with his dad's shirt bulge. "He said that there is nothing he is scared of."

"Buddy, I assure you there are thousands of things, your uncle is afraid of. For example- bees," he hummed agreeably while Hiccup giggled. "Yes and really much. It got to the point that whenever he sees one he's moving to another city."

"You are joking, bud," Hiccup laughed and raised his head. "But, doesn't Uncle disappear because of hockey?"

"Well, tournaments may be a reason, but only partly. I swear that the bees are the main motive," he stated and smirked. "Also, uncle is afraid of one of the hockey teams, you know? At the sound of their name, Hawks, he gets terrified, but what he is the most afraid of is Stormfly."

"Auntie? But she is so nice!"

"Maybe for you, but not for the rest of us, buddy," he pointed out, and grabbing Hiccup he positioned him on his stomach. "You see, everyone is afraid of something."

"That is not true."

"How is that? There is someone that isn't afraid of anything?" He questioned and snickered. "Who says that he's afraid of nothing? Barf? Belch? If that was Torch, I won't hold back."

"Daddy is scared of nothing," Hiccup murmured, pointing at his dad's chest.

"Me? Why would you think so?"

"Because everyone says that Toothless isn't scared of anything."

"They know nothing, Hiccup," he commented, leaning his head on the bed's frame. "I am afraid of many things."

"Of what?"

Gridding his teeth Toothless brooded, before giving in and exhaling. "Okay, I will tell you, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone. If somebody finds out about that, twins won't give your daddy a break, okay?" He reasoned and after Hiccup nodded swiftly he clicked his tongue. "I am afraid of spiders."

"Really?!" Hiccup giggled, covering his mouth.

"Seriously, I am. That's probably the main cause of why we still live in that cold, insect-less city," Toothless admitted, narrowing his eyes at the laughing boy, "also because my friends live here, but that's the second, less-mattering, rationale," he whispered, grinning mockingly.

"Why are you scared of spiders, bud?" Hiccup inquired, beaming with excitement. "They are so small!"

"These monsters have four pairs of legs and eyes! They may be small but also are abominations," Toothless grumbled, shivering at the image. "If you see a spider don't call me, but smash it with whatever you would like, no matter the cost."

"Yes!" Hiccup exclaimed, jumping thrilled on Toothless's stomach. "I will be defending you, Daddy!" He announced, punching the air.

"Thank you, my little protector," Toothless murmured, and pulling him by the neck he kissed Hiccup's forehead. "What else... Well, I am scared of the ocean, how deep it is."

"Daddy is afraid of water?"

"Not exactly, but I can say you that once when Hookfang took us to the underground aquarium for your fourth birthday, I barely held together," Toothless recalled, shaking his head and grinning. "Also, I am afraid of our neighbor. That blond miss, that we see every day after leaving home."

"Why? She is nice, and she gives me candies!"

"Never take from her these candies! The way she looks at me makes me tremble like she's planning my murder," Toothless gagged and his expression hardened. "If she ever again tries anything, you must say to me, okay?"

"Okay, I promise," Hiccup swore and shrugged. "I didn't her anyway. Meatlug is a better way of gaining sweets."

"Hiccup," Toothless warned, raising a brow at him and the boy grinned, nervously. "Anyway, next would be twins."

"Barf and Belch? But, they are friends!"

"Maybe they are, and maybe I'm not scared of them, but the things they are capable of doing," Toothless retorted, and leered at the ceiling, inhaling. "For instance, when you were two, I got a promotion at work, but I must have traveled aboard to learn more, and hence, to get it. Of course, I couldn't take you with me, so I searched for somebody who could have stayed with you, and I, literally, asked everyone, but only twins were available."

"What about Miss Weronika?"

"Well, she went to college, so she wasn't a possibility, and neither was Hookfang who was with Stormfly in another city for one of his matches, and Martha who went to her brother's wedding, leaving me only them," Toothless remembered and chewed his bottom lip. "I made them a list, you know, of the things, they couldn't have made, like getting you pierced or tattoed, but I would have never predicted they would take you on safari."

"I was on safari?!"

"You were, without my knowledge," Toothless grumbled, still not reconciled with that fact. "They found the gap in my list, took your passport, paid the ticket, and you flew there, just so to make it before my come back. Truth is, I didn't know about it until a month after the event when I gained suspicion after my son has been repeating the word elephant."

"Wow," Hiccup gasped, lit up. "I was so close to an elephant."

"Buddy, you rode one," Toothless conceded, and Hiccup's eyes gleamed. "I have a photo on my phone," he reflected and leaned to the bedside table to grab it.

Afterward, he froze when after being back in his laying position Hiccup appeared just next to his neck. Instantly, he turned on a device and opened the chat with the Belch, where he swiped up until the photo emerged on which he clicked.

"As you see, I don't talk with them much after that incident," Toothless presented the sense of the speed of finding the years-long picture. "There you go," he added and both of them observed the sight of baby Hiccup riding rather a big animal. "Truth be told, I almost didn't find out about it. At first, I thought that they only took you to the zoo, and because of that was your chatter, but when I found the ticket to the area, which's name wasn't even readable, something clicked in my head."

"Cool," Hiccup blurted while Toothless squinted his eyes at him, "and dangerous," Hiccup concluded, smiling innocently and his dad nodded agreeably. "Twins are silly."

"If by silly you mean stupid, then yes," Toothless rectified and brought Hiccup closer to himself, who snuggled into his neck. "I didn't tell you what is the thing I'm most afraid of."

"What is it?"

"The thing I am scared the most about is you."

"Me?" Hiccup repeated and his lip trembled. "You are scared of me?"

"No, no! Of course not," Toothless denied, embracing Hiccup, so his face was pressed to his skin. "I'm not afraid of you, but for you," he justified and hissed, at the feel of tears against him. "It's alright, buddy," he shushed, taking Hiccup into his arms and rocking him a little. "Easy, little boy, breathe."

"Y-You like me, right?" Hiccup soughed and encircled his arms around Toothless's neck.

"I love you, buddy, the most in the whole world," Toothless acknowledged, kissing his temple a couple of times. "I fear so much that I'll lose you someday."

"M-Me too," Hiccup confessed, sniffling.

"Unnesesairly," Toothless responded, resisting his cheek at Hiccup's head. "You'll never lose me, and I might."

"How?"

"You grow so fast," Toothless remarked and tears shone in his eyes while he grinned. "It won't be a moment and you will move out to college or somewhere else."

"Bud, but I'm only five!" Hiccup pointed out and giggled.

"And moments ago you were one month old, little, tiny Hiccup, that had been smaller than my forearm!" Toothless reminisced and rubbed his cheek against Hiccup's one, "and you're calling yourself a big boy!"

"I will always be daddy's little boy."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Hiccup vouched and kissed his Dad's cheek. "I love you, bud."

"I love you too, buddy," Toothless responded and heaved a calm sigh. "Don't grow up too fast, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay," Toothless repeated, wiping his eyes swiftly. "Let's go to sleep now, okay?"

"Now?" Hiccup murmured, sinking closer to his dad. "Just a minute more."

"We'll cuddle in the morning, sweet boy," Toothless countered, laying them on the bed. "Besides, we may cuddle to sleep, right?" He chuckled and made both of them comfortable under the sheets. "Get some sleep before tomorrow's kindergarten."

"I don't want to go there."

"Why not?"

"Snotlout is there."

"Snotlout?" Toothless snickered and stank his eye at Hiccup. "Bully? Do I have to talk with his father?"

"No, but he is mean."

"Mean, huh?" Toothless fretted and grunted. "Hear me out. When you won't be able to withstand that Snotlout, tell me. I'll take care of everything, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now sleep," Toothless ordered and around fell silent until it was bothered by thunder, causing Hiccup to tremble. "Would you like to talk until it goes away?"

"No, I will be alright," Hiccup stated, and after a moment moved closer to his dad, tugging his shirt. "Just in case."

"Of course," Toothless chuckled and stroked his back, gently.

Henceforth, they both became still, until the man stopped his touch, and Hiccup muttered. "Daddy, are you sleeping?"

"No, I'm waiting until you will," Toothless answered, leaning his lips against Hiccup's head. "Sleep," he crooned, messing his hair with his nose.

"Okay, goodnight, bud," Hiccup giggled and closed his eyes, smiling. "I love you."

"Goodnight, buddy. I love you, too."

Few ending words:

1. As much as my story was inspired by others, it was also inspired by my goddaughter. She was just born when I began that story and she's now a year old, also my cutest, most adorable sweetheart. I love you, bunny and I'm so glad you won't ever read it (kisses for readers)

2. This story is NOT YET FINISHED. I mean, it is, but I have an idea for one final event that would be five chapters long and which would fill one story gap (I wonder if someone noticed it's existing) So, if I get bored, I may write them, but if not, then that's the ending I may agree onto.

3. I'm going to miss them I-I. That chapter wrecked me (a little too much tho XD)

4. WHO IS EXCITED FOR "OUR CURSE"SEQUEL?!