AN: WOW! There are a lot of you! Guess I should've gotten them to kiss sooner! XD Thanks to: MusicPeaceAndCheese, MissHanyou, LovingMyth, Veritas4Eternity, GamerFreak007, xxHaleinaxx, Twig'um, Lifeclaw, Caris L. Clearwater, Loti-miko, Splash Mountain, Paranoidman, xSoulCaptivex, Snea, ELMO-kibafangirl11, mpkio2, I'm Gay For Robots, Duiker, krystaldragon11, Candy-chama, Squeeb, an anonymous reviewer, gigi-2000, darkdaylight, kol0, crzyRENThead, Clumsy Giraffe, sally-dark, flutegirl0422, Gaara'slilsis, hokagegodessarya, Michael01, XHelloXGoodbyeX, Kat1132, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Asa ReMe, RoosterEmpress, ChickiChickiHirhri, Apple-Elite, Isabell Kistinger and those who may be following in anon also! I appreciate the support everybody! I hope I can continue pleasing; and I hope the writing is clearer this time around… ^^
I apologize for the long wait and that it's not much! Ever since I graduated Thursday, I've been attempting to catch up on sleep I gave up throughout the year. It hasn't been working. I've still been staying up late but not to write—my brain couldn't piece words together; instead, it focused on just reading and drawing. I even drew something for an occurrence that will happen later in this story and I'd like to post it to show you all and get some feedback on anatomy and whatnot (now that I know what to pursue as a career), but I don't know how to put it on deviantart… XD
Something really coincidental occurred with the title of this chapter. After the last one, I immediately started this one (till my brain fried) and gave it the title it has. After speaking with Loti-miko, I checked out her link for YouTube videos she created and found THIS: www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=r4z16_Ezamg It's my absolute favorite video on YouTube for ToothlessxHiccup! (If you're reading this Loti-miko, I IMPLORE you to finish it! I'd love to see the full version!) Anyway, just re-started it today and finished it today so forgive errors. Hope it's all right! And to note: remember, this is going to be pretty short of a story so it won't be long, I believe, till it ends. That's also why everything is moving quickly.
DISCLAIMER: Y'all know I don't! Although, for graduation, my little brother got me a towel with Toothless on it and I bought for myself Saturday "The Art of How to Train Your Dragon!" I love concept art! Forty bucks but worth every penny! :D
Toxic
It was different from kissing Astrid. That much he could say for certain.
With the girl, there was delicate warmth, almost; he felt fire, but it was docile—eager yet tame. In the instant Toothless' mouth, gentle and hesitant, brushed upon his, he felt a liquid inferno melt his insides, becoming a plethora of turbulent emotions and his mind reeled.
Blood boiled under his flesh, burning in his lips; Hiccup faintly realized that the taste of Toothless' lips was salty, no doubt from the sea. He felt himself slipping under, senses drowning till all he felt, saw, smelt, and heard was Toothless, dangerously magnified and omniscient. He shuddered as he felt the other male's tongue slide along his lips, his teeth…
Toothless tilted the boy's head back, sleepless nights and broken dreams piecing themselves together right before his very eyes. His mind drifted in and out, each sensation new and incredibly pleasurable; so this was why humans pressed mouth to mouth… He had never thought the reactions would be so strong! It took everything in him to control himself properly—he could feel his fingers trembling while they traced along Hiccup's jaw line, twining into auburn tresses; heart pounding violently, he breathed out a heavy gasp. They drew in ragged breaths, but Toothless was caught in this wonderfully new euphoria. With deliberate languidness he pressed his face in the crook of Hiccup's neck, inhaling deeply, absentmindedly placing butterfly kisses on the pale skin, sliding his hands up and down the slim countenance he adored, resting on the small of Hiccup's back.
Eager, hungry for more, he crushed his mouth upon the boy's once more. Toothless had no idea if he was doing anything right, but as Hiccup relinquished, the dragon felt a newfound possessiveness towards the human… his human. Hiccup was his human. No one would have him. But the girl slipped, unwillingly, in his mind; rage burned—
Hiccup gave a moan; it was almost… painful? A coppery taste swirled in his mouth, deliciously familiar. It was… blood? Withdrawing in surprise, Toothless looked down at the burgundy welt on Hiccup's mouth, the boy looking at a reddened digit with astonishment.
"I'm sorry!" he apologized, quickly. These emotions were terrible…!
"No, no," Hiccup hastily reassured him, "It's all right."
"I should be more careful!"
Hiccup rolled his eyes, smiling up at him. "You're fine, I'm fine—there's no harm done. Don't fret over it."
Toothless sighed, but felt no better about it. Blushing hotly with shame and chagrin, he pushed back his hair. It's been getting longer…
Hiccup licked away the last droplets of blood, and he noticed the sudden feral gleam in the eyes across from him; beryl orbs held an insatiable hunger. Flushing harder under the scrutiny, Hiccup lightly coughed and stepped over to the rushing tide, splashing some water onto his face, not sure what to do or say now.
Toothless wasn't sure what to say either, but he knew what to do. There were plenty of things he desired to do with the boy, but he reined himself in.
"You know…" Hiccup began, "You're teeth might not be sharp anymore, but they can still leave quite a bite—no pun intended, either."
Toothless felt familiar guilt washing through, "I'm sorry."
Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, flicking water droplets at Toothless. "I'm not mad, you realize that."
Coming over to crouch next to Hiccup, the dragon rested his head on a propped hand, elbow resting upon his thigh. He was still quiet. Why was this body so difficult to control sometimes? Hunching his shoulders forward, he glanced at Hiccup; the boy was watching him, curious and intent.
"What's wrong?"
Sighing, Toothless turned his gaze back to the distant horizon. "I can't control myself in this form."
Hiccup blinked, surprise on his features. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not precisely sure… I never expected a body so small could have such emotions—they're really strong. Do you ever feel as though you can't control yourself?"
The question was said with an adolescent tone, and Hiccup patted his shoulder. "Yes, I suppose. I've been human longer than you, and I can definitely say I can't control myself; though it depends on certain things."
"Really? What kind of things?"
"Oh, you know, like if you were really angry and you lose it, or someone you cared about was in danger…" Hiccup murmured, voice becoming quiet. The flustered look on his face made Toothless smile. He wasn't the only one with that problem he supposed. Muscles relaxing, he laid back onto the grainy shore.
"Why did you lose control…?" asked Hiccup slowly, his inquisitiveness getting the best of him.
Toothless' silence rang for a few moments; finally, he released a harsh, swift breath. "Her."
"Her…?"
"Astrid."
Hiccup's eyes suddenly went wide, rising to his full height in one quick movement. "Oh dear gods, Astrid!"
Toothless felt his heart thud loudly in his ears as Hiccup's face was stricken with guilt. The boy's head was in his hands, and he suddenly whirled around to look at the steep cliff where Berk was settled. Toothless' heart lurched painfully within his chest. Hiccup glanced at him, and he felt the familiar wash of guilt flow through him. It wasn't that he was angry with Toothless at all, but he felt incredibly awful that he had forgotten…
He had been trying for so long to get her to notice him—ever since he could remember. She had always been beautiful in his eyes and there had never been a time when she would breathtakingly turn her face to him. He ignored the sneers from her friends, paid no attention to how she haughtily walked away from him, her air and message clear: I am better than you. She had qualities that covered those; beneath that arrogance, she was kind and strong of mind and heart. Astrid was tenacious, but there was a sensitivity he had been able to descry as he continued to know her, piece her together.
And, in an instant, a moment of passion, he had forgotten all that he'd been trying to do just for her.
A tentative "Hiccup…" made the young Viking turn around, meeting the green eyes of his friend. Toothless' face held concern, and, to Hiccup's surprise, a tinge of shame.
"Why do you look like that?"
Toothless hung his head but kept everything to himself. Hiccup decided, due to their now awkwardness, maybe now was not a good time to ask questions. So, instead, he merely grabbed the taller man's arm and pulled him forward, heading back towards the village.
Toothless felt a numbing sensation in his gut, cold as ice and hard as stone; he was worried about what Hiccup was now thinking. Did he regret this? It had not appeared so, but doubt was an adversary the dragon can never seem to shake off. As for the shame… he felt responsible for Hiccup's dilemma. Despite the fact he loved the boy, deep inside, he knew that he should not have done so. As possessive as he was, as jealous of the girl as he was, she had nothing to him, really. Was this fair…?
There was a stroking sensation on his palm, and he blinked out of the reverie; he looked down to see Hiccup's thumb softly moving on his skin in a comforting movement. He gave the boy's fingers a gentle squeeze, and tried to block out everything except what he had felt only moments before.
His love for Hiccup was now off his chest, and that was enough.
XXX
Ruffnut halted petting her and her brother's Zippleback, watching curiously as Astrid walked by, looking dejected and angry.
"Stay here, I'll be right back." said Ruffnut to her dragon, giving both heads one final pet. A few steps behind the other blonde woman, Ruffnut called out her name. Astrid whipped her head around, her braid flying out behind her.
"Oh, it's you Ruffnut. What is it?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to see how you were doing."
Astrid's brows narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"
Ruffnut breathed a quiet intake of air. She was never really good at these things. "Well, um, you just looked upset. Is everything all right?"
Astrid's face seemed to pale and flush all at once, giving Ruffnut cause to worry further. "I don't know Ruffnut… I honestly don't know."
"Trouble with Hiccup, huh?"
Astrid sighed heavily, "No and yes…"
"What do you mean?"
"Hiccup… Well, Ruffnut, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that he is an incredibly smart, talented and wonderful person…" catching herself on a rant, and the smirk on the other girl's face, Astrid blushed brightly, "Would you?"
"I actually would."
"Well, in any case, he's still amazing to be with; it's just… Toothless."
"Toothless? What does he have to do with the two of you?"
"That's the thing—I don't know what he has to do with us… But I'm going to find out." With that, the blonde stood, determined to find out if their relationship would continue to work. She was not prepared to lose him to anything… or to anyone, if the latter was the case.
XXX
Hiccup slowly polished a weapon, dazedly watching as it began to shine. A blend of black tendrils, beryl optics and bronze skin suddenly reflected back and Hiccup jumped almost a foot in the air. The weapon slipped from his fingers and Toothless caught it before it clanged on the wooden floor.
"Don't do that!" Hiccup cried out, patting his chest in a frantic attempt to steady the heart rate.
Toothless gave an apologetic grin. "Sorry. I forgot how skittish you can be."
"I am not skittish. You just like sneaking up on people." Hiccup returned, pretending to snap at him. The miniscule smile was a dead giveaway.
Toothless passed Hiccup back the weapon and settled himself on the floor, crossing his legs and leaning over on them, head in his hands. His eyes twinkled mischievously.
Hiccup felt an uncomfortable tightening in his stomach but his heart beat excitedly. "What?"
"Nothing…."
Hiccup swallowed and continued to refurbish the weapon in his hands, his body tensely aware of Toothless watching them with that steady, unnerving gaze. Toothless smiled inwardly; he made a low moan in the back of his throat.
The Viking's face became the brightest crimson either of them had, undoubtedly, witnessed. Hiccup faintly wondered how blood could not be rushing out of his nose by now—with that being all it does now. Glaring down at his best friend, Hiccup set himself on continuing his work, desperately attempting to forget the man settled right beside his chair.
Toothless laughed a little, and Hiccup, seeing the broad shoulders quiver with mirth, smartly slapped his back. The dragon broke into a complete paroxysm, holding his sides. Hiccup pursed his lips. "You are so incorrigible…"
Toothless propped himself up on an elbow. "You're right. But at least I admit it."
Flushing again, the young male rose and hung up the hammer, blowing auburn strands out of his eyes. A pair of arms twined themselves about his torso and lifted him into the air. Hiccup flailed on instinct then, dizzy from being quickly spun around, felt his mind go blank as Toothless caught his mouth in a searing kiss.
There was that pleasant burning sensation, filling him to the brim till he overflowed with it; wrapping his arms around the strong neck, Hiccup whimpered quietly at the nibbling Toothless was giving his mouth, skimming along his jaw and nipping a delicate earlobe.
"You know…"
"Hmm…?" Toothless lazily replied.
"Not that I mind, but for a dragon, you sure know what you're doing, don't you?"
Toothless' face flared up, dusting the russet skin, and his mouth changed into a lopsided grin, "Huh… Well, I guess… I don't know—I'm new at this, you know that."
Hiccup smiled up at him. "I'm just giving you a hard time."
Toothless smirked then, and Hiccup realized the other direction his choice of words could have gone. Coughing a little, Hiccup's breath hitched again as he was pulled him forward, callous fingers sliding down the length of his arms, and finally resting on his back once more; a hand, tentatively, slipped beneath the tunic…
Unsure, Toothless pulled away and licked his lips, staring straight into Hiccup's gaze; softly, he brushed his nails up the back of the human, barely touching the sensitive skin; Toothless felt the shudder that was Hiccup's reaction and an eager surge presented itself like new. Drawing Hiccup back to him again, the kiss was feather-light, almost chaste, and full of wonder at how that one simple, soft touch had caused such a shiver.
Hiccup, regaining some sense in the reprieve, pushed his hands against the other man's chest. Confused, Toothless stopped. Hiccup almost forgot what he had halted his companion for—the chest was so warm, the beat of his heart fluttering as wildly as his own…
"Um, maybe we should stop."
Toothless suddenly was contrite. "Did I do something wrong again? I was being careful not to bite you this time—"
"No, no, you haven't done anything wrong. You're very good," Hiccup quickly stated, the blush in his cheeks due to the fact being true, "It's just… Someone might see us, you understand."
Toothless seemed to comprehend it; his face looked disappointed but he could see from the boy's perspective; however he suddenly tensed. "Why is it all right if you kiss Astrid in public, though?"
Hiccup slapped himself in his mind, repeatedly. "I don't mean it like that."
"Of course you don't." replied Toothless, his tone so acrid it dripped, seemingly toxic.
"I didn't!" he nearly shouted; casting an askance glance at the windows and door, Hiccup stepped closer to him; Toothless took a step back, arms crossed over his chest. When Hiccup tried again, Toothless bared his teeth at him, a reflexive action but nonetheless the sudden hiss made Hiccup jump.
Hiccup narrowed his brows and stalked off to the door, making a point to slam it behind him. As he cautiously went down the steps, Hiccup's fury rose in a quiet storm; he had not meant it like that—they simply needed to more stealthy in this… relationship.
It's not that the aspect of homosexuality was forbidden, but there were regulations that followed like shadows. Women could pursue women and men could pursue men; the problem with the latter is that there was a line that shouldn't be crossed. If a man decided to love one of his own gender than he would have to make for certain that he was still capable of taking care of himself—show the whole of society that he was still self-reliant; the prospect of men with men was not what disgusted Vikings. What truly made them sick was depending on that partner when you—a man—were fully able to provide for yourself.
"Hiccup?"
Flinching at the familiar voice, he turned, gracing Astrid a smile. "Oh, hey, Astrid—"
"We need to talk." said the blonde, moistening her suddenly dry lips.
"Oh… About what?"
"Us."
Hiccup stayed quiet, not trusting himself to speak. She took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the thick wood. The young man followed as best he could, watching his footing to make sure his prosthetic leg did not get caught in a root; Hiccup felt his heart begin to pound. This was certainly not what he wanted to deal with—not when he and Toothless had separated today on sour terms. Today just was not his day.
Astrid couldn't help the throbbing in her breast. She had Hiccup all to her right now, bubbles of felicity tingling madly upon her skin. It felt as though decades had passed since she and he had spent time alone together. That was when the girl knew. Astrid apprehended that she was in love with this boy. She never would have thought before—not even if she lived as long as the gods themselves—that she would be in love with someone she had once considered a gawky anomaly of everything she held dear. He had been, almost, a thorn in her side since they had been little. Astrid held tradition and Viking values close, a moiety of her being, and because he had been the very opposite, she had not simply detested him; she loathed him.
Thinking back to that magical day, when he had invited her into the world he discovered, she had felt strange while soaring in the sky. It had not simply been the beauty of the world strewn before her; she had looked at him and a constriction made her heart fetter. Her fingers had ached to reach out and touch the rowan-colored hair, and she drunk in the sight of his face, the brightness of his green eyes as he beheld the view. She, too, had felt the same—as though they could reach out with a godlike hand and command the universe to their bidding. But she simply wrapped her arms over him, astounded that his build was firm, his shoulders not as narrow or weak as she thought they might be. He was the protégé of a blacksmith, she reasoned, and that was why his body was such; still, she had been unable to resist pressing her digits closer…
Astrid's impressions of him grew incognizant. She found a friend in him, but it had not been till she thought he might be dead that, in such a short span of time, she felt an inkling of what might be affection towards her fellow Viking. Astrid had realized, perhaps, it had not been only hate but jealousy. He was the son of Stoick the Vast, the greatest Viking their tribe had seen, and yet he had a son that could not live up to the standards of their kind. He also had great potential to be someone, something much better than a Viking. She had not been able to place how or why—it had just been a sense. And she had been right—he had become a powerful Viking in his own right, made a name for him and she had been proud of what he had done—all by being himself.
That had been a little over a year ago, and she found new aspects of him to love everyday, discovered how much she truly enjoyed his company. His kindness and understanding never failed to make her happy, his mild-nature substantially pleasing, and a secretive welcoming relief to the boorish ways the other male Vikings behaved. His wry humor never failed to make her laugh, either and she began to take into account his sophisticated observations, seeing points no one else would have ever perceived.
It was when the two of them were alone that she felt the true collision of quixotic ardor for him; Hiccup was an extremely sensitive lover, always satiating her needs before his mind took into account his body's urges. She would look directly into his face, cupping it between both her hands, as his calloused palms roved along her slick form, sending wave after wave of pure pleasure, each thrust driving her mad, she knew her heart palpitated from the sweet words he murmured for her; the song was always luscious and sincere, despite it usually ended with one word repeating, just one word, but it never failed to make her feel like the luckiest woman in the world. The heavenly solo always ended with 'beautiful' and she truly felt so in his arms. She had heard the word spoken to her many times, but it had never seemed to reach her till he said it to her for the first time…
Astrid sighed wistfully at the memory, staring up into the branches, past them into the sky. She looked back at the man behind her, a gentle smile toying with her mouth as he stopped cursing at the ground and met her eyes. She giggled and he gave her a small grin, brushing his hair back from his face. Gods, he was handsome… Before, she never would have thought that of him either, but he was. Everything about him was splendid and she was seriously displeased that she had never seen his charm and looks before.
Someone had beaten her to it, seen the Viking for whom and what he was, and though Hiccup was hers, she was bitter about that fact. It must have been as translucent as glass for the boy walked up to her, his hand resting upon her shoulder.
"What is it?" asked Hiccup.
Astrid met his green orbs with fervor. "Hiccup, I'm in love with you; you know that, right?"
Hiccup's pallid face turned a beet red; she had never stated the confession so openly before and he felt awful that her eyes were sparkling with truth and earnest. "Yes."
"Do you love me?"
"You know I do."
Astrid smiles and wraps her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest. "Even now, the same way as before…?" A figure formed in her mind's eye, handsome and dark; savage hatred, toxic and hot, burned in her mouth, congealing her heart; the loathing deluged within and rivaled her passion for the man she held, the one she loved.
Hiccup was quiet; he can't lie to her. And her suspicions were confirmed.
AN: No idea whether their play of words is similar to ours but hey, we'll say they used 'hard' back then too. I'll fix it later. XD
Also, I truly think Astrid had feelings for Hiccup before the flight. After the first time I saw it, I thought, "Wait a minute, is she just using the guy because he's the big shot now?" The following times I paid attention to her expressions and regard when Hiccup was close. Some parts of the film made me go, "Maybe she does, to a point, she just doesn't know it either." thus leading to how I wrote her feelings. Also, there's quite a few fics that turn Astrid into a full-blown bitch to push the Toothless/Hiccup relationship but I don't think she's an awful character; arrogant and high-strung, yes; but malevolent? I don't think so.
The whole homosexuality written above is, apparently, correct. Guess I should fix up one of the previous chapters… -shrugs- Oh well; spilt milk. Anyhow, I thought Vikings would abhor homosexuality but not for the reasons I thought; I also remembered, "Oh right, Germanic tribes were the ones that threw people into bogs; Vikings are completely different!" (And yet my chapter titles are German… XD) I was thinking back when Christianity was first introduced to the Vikings, too, but I'm so leaving religion out of this. There was a site that focused specifically on Vikings and homosexuality but if any of you know anything else, please let me know.
Besides, the Vikings in the film, obviously, still believed in their Norse gods and goddesses; bringing Christianity would bring up problems with the direction of the story. And it's bad enough that I get disapproving looks for still supporting/tolerating same-sex relations despite my, now, Christian background. This is such a cursed blessing. :P
Sorry this chapter was more AN than anything… Hope it's all right though. XD
