A/N: Wow. Thanks for your support guys! You are amazing I'm so gonna shout outs next chapter! XD
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors.
Chapter 2: Astrid
Toothless,
I would be lying to say that I'm not edgy, nervous or fidgety. They match my mood description fairly well, actually. My wing muscles ache as I pulse them one more time in attempt to keep us above air. Berk is in sighting distance but part of me doesn't want to go to the island.
What if they hurt Hiccup again? What if they won't let me see him? What if-Toothless you're being ridiculous this is...Berk. But still...
Hiccup lets out a shaky breath and I turn my head looking back at him. He gives me a tight painfully ghost smile. His eyes hold tired and hurt but his demeanor suggests something akin to determination. For what I have no idea.
I grit my teeth and turn my head looking back at the island steadily growing bigger. We're coming in from the back. Good. I dont want to deal will people right now. I angle my wings down so we gradually start to descend the destination I have in mind growing bigger.
The cove.
I land and my exhausted muscles cry out in relief. Hiccup groans and collapses against my neck. "Its over." He whispers his voice barely audible to my ears. "Its finally over."
Is it?
I'm not as sure.
Hiccup slides from off of my neck and collapses on his knees not even attempting to stand. I murmur quietly towards his back and ruffle his hair with my breath. He turns to look back at me, expressionless.
I move forward and curl around him and after a moment, he leans his back against my side twitching slightly and inhaling sharply. I immediately snap my attention towards him, his face is pale..well paler than usual and his fingers are twitching towards his back but he makes no move to touch it.
Attempting to hide his pain. Again.
How many times do we have to play this game?
I rest my head down next to him but neither one of us close our eyes. I guess part of me is afraid that when I do wake up this will all have been a dream. I can't keep doing through that anymore. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done.
Hiccup's fingers curl around the dirt slightly and I watch it with slight interest. His grip relaxes then tightens but he never releases it. I stare at his face trying to spot any ideas that will tell me what's going in inside his head. Probably thinking about that island. Like me. I can't get my brain off of it.
"He fears you, dragon. I don't. We'd make such a team, wouldn't we?"
Hiccup isn't afraid of me-at least, I keep trying to mantra that. A pair of footsteps catches my attention and my ears perk upwards as I focus on the sound. Two pairs.
Fear wraps around me like a cold blanket and I wrap my tail around Hiccup's form slowly lifting a wing over him as well as I get to my feet trying to determine where they're coming from. They always did that. Toy with me. Always there, in the shadows taunting and laughing before they dragged Hiccup's body from me promising me they if I summited, his punishments would stop.
I wanted to. I had to make it stop. But Hiccup begged me not to.
I'm not letting that happen again. Ever.
The footsteps are getting louder and Hiccup shifts poking his head out from under my wing. "What is it?" He whispers. None of your concern. Do. Not. Move.
Hiccup shifts forward and I growl in irritation. Of course he's going to look, he's Hiccup. What was I thinking?
The footsteps get louder before I can pick out a voice. "I don't know, I don't think they're out there anymore. We're too late." Female, soft and...stepping into the cove.
Astrid and Stormfly step into view and Hiccup's breath catches in his throat. Astrid's angry but sad. Her axe is in her hands and her knuckles are white from the death grip. Neither dragon or human has spotted us yet.
"Where are you? What happened to world without you in it?!" She suddenly shouts at the cove walls. "UGH!" She throws her axe forward and I jerk back slightly, pulling Hiccup with me as the edge of the blade lands inches from my nose.
Astrid turns and her gaze lands on me her jaw dropping in shock. "Oh great Odin's ghost." She breathes, looking like she's seeing a ghost. "Toothless?"
She moves forward hesitantly, Stormfly following after her quietly. She approaches me similar to how she would a wild dragon and I hiss through my teeth slightly. Hiccup rests a hand on my nose and I watch him for half a second, startled. How did he manage to worm his way out without me noticing?
Hiccup's hand doesn't move, quietly asking me to calm down. I frown but stop growling. Astrid freezes as her gaze lands on Hiccup. There's a long silence before her lips part to form a single sentence."You were dead."
Hiccup half laughs, but its painfully fake. Astrid throws herself at him wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. I tense slightly and watch them as Hiccup's spine goes rigid before he slowly hugs her back. Astrid pulls back and her expression hardens before she punches him on the arm.
Hiccup yelps and nearly collapses from the force and I catch him without even thinking about it. "That's for scaring me." She says angrily before grabbing his shirt and tugging him towards her for a small quick peck on the lips."And that's for being okay."
Hiccup looks up at her, shaking his head slightly. Then, Astrid seems to actually look at him, her lips purse tightly scanning the injuries I already know of before turning her attention towards me.
"You look terrible." She states and Hiccup raises his eyebrow slightly. As if stating silently, 'Thank you for summing that up.'
Astrid rolls her eyes and waves Stormfly towards her. "Sit. Both of you." She commands and Hiccup stands for a moment before settling down next to me. I lay down wrapping my body around his. Astrid tosses a blanket towards Hiccup before pulling out a roll of bandages turning back to us.
"Where have you been?" She demands sitting down in front of Hiccup scanning him again. Probably trying to debate where the worst injury is. Hiccup shrugs slightly, wincing. "Never mind, where does it hurt most?"
He shrugs, again. Astrid raises an eyebrow.
"Fine. Stay here, I'm gonna go get your dad and-" Astrid makes a move to stand but Hiccup grabs her hand with such quick reflexes, I'm slightly impressed.
"Don't." Hiccup says his voice barely above a whisper but his eyes are pleading. Astrid's eyebrows shoot up.
"But-" she starts to protest.
"Please." Hiccup begs. Astrid pauses before sitting back down.
"What happened? Please tell me something Hiccup!" Astrid pleads. Hiccup releases her hand and looks back at me, pale, tired and slightly fearful. As if talking about it will bring it back to life.
Hiccup's fist clenches before he releases a slow breath returning his gaze to her. "I can't." He whispers.
"You can't or you wont?"
Hiccup's expression closes off. All chances she had of getting information are gone now. Astrid sighs guilt crossing over her features.
"Sorry, I-" Astrid stops mid sentence. "I wont get your dad right now, but we're going to him tomorrow-understand?" She demands.
Hiccup frowns but sighs nodding slightly. "You guys look ready to crash." She says softly. "Go to sleep," she prompts. I shake my head firmly as Hiccup mirrors me. "Not a request."
Hiccup mumbles something under his breath I don't catch before settling down next to my side resting his head on his elbow. I rest my head down next to his wrapping my tail around his thin frame. Hiccup, after a moment grabs the blanket and curls in it squeezing his eyes shut.
Astrid and Stormfly talk quietly to each other, (though Astrid can't understand her dragon) and despite my best efforts, my eyelids start to close. No! I can't fall asleep! What if when I wake up, Hiccup is gone again and this was just a cruel dream?
The thoughts bounce around my head for a while before I eyes slip shut and sleep claims my exhausted body.
000o000
"...Yeah, they do look terrible."
"Like they're knocking on deaths door but he refuses to answer-he's at lunch or something."
"Will you two muttonheads please be quiet!? You're not helping any."
"So you found them like this, Astrid? You're not sure how long they've been here?"
"Yup. He refused to speak about what happened. I was hoping he's be more talkative when he woke up."
"Don't count on it, death is sure to finish his sandwich soon and come to claim them."
"Tuffnut!"
"What? He could be a fast sandwich eater!"
I slowly work my way back into consciousness building up the willpower to open my eyes. I dont want to face the guards again or face Jink's "training"-Wait. Memories crash inside my head abruptly and I jerk to my feet ripping open my eyes and staring around myself. Hiccup yelps slightly and I glance at him guilt sliding through me slightly. His position was thrown off as I lept.
I scan our surroundings. The cove. Berk. We're home. It wasn't a dream. I turn my head slightly trying to locate the source of the voices and spot the riders staring at us.
Hiccup groans and shoves onto one elbow, also apparently trying to determine if it was a dream or not. Then, he tilts his head and opens his eyes all tiredness imminently vanishing as he spots what I did. The riders are quiet for a moment everyone frozen before Astrid moves forward. She looks at me for a moment before leaning down next to Hiccup. "How are you?"
He shrugs.
She sighs slightly, "Well come on, we agreed that you'd see your dad in the morning."
Fear settles in his eyes before he glances at me. Nothing is going to happen. I'll make sure of it. I will. Hiccup struggles to his feet leaning against my neck as he slides the blanket off his shoulders handing it back to Astrid.
She takes it and turns to Stormfly. "Alright guys, lets go!"
And, nearly ten minutes later I land outside the back door of the Haddock household. I'm not facing people right now. Hiccup seems to silently concur with me -he hasn't said anything today yet- and slides off of my back his hands shaking slightly.
I move towards him. He's safe. Nothing else is going to happen. The other riders land behind me and Hiccup releases a deep shaky breath before he grabs the handle to the door and shoves it open.
Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, I was trying to find Toothless's voice. I haven't really written from first person in his POV before but Hiccup is another story. I'll try and make the next chapter longer. XD see you in a few days my fellow dragonites!
