"Morning Hiccup." Toothless whispered. Hiccup grumbled deep in his throat.

"Five more minutes."

"Whatever you say. Birthday boy." Toothless laid back down, happy about getting some more sleep.

"Birthday boy? Oh right I am! What are we going to do today? We don't really have much to do here. And everything is all frozen outside, and being warm is much nicer than being frozen, so that's out." Hiccup pondered what they were going to do.

"Well you said five more minutes so I'm taking it. But after that we'll do anything you want." Toothless mumbled. Hiccup chuckled, as he laid back down as well. He placed himself right in front of Toothless' face. He watched his dragon slumber. He was enchanted by his friend's peacefulness, but knew better than to think there wasn't a billion things running through the dragon's head.

He also knew that mating season was still in full swing and that the only think keeping him safe was Toothless' will. He feared that one wrong brush, or scratching him for too long or too well would break Toothless' hold on himself. He didn't want to get hurt and they both knew if something would happen it would be difficult to move forward. They would end up walking a narrow path from that point on.

Hiccup didn't know what to think anymore. He didn't think Toothless noticed that even he was feeling the effects of mating season. After being changed the burning deep inside started. Then after the day he caught Toothless rutting into a hole he dug, he almost burst. He had to run but couldn't help the tent he was pitching. He found a secure spot that Toothless wouldn't find him and took care of himself. Thinking about what he saw the whole time. Afterwards he felt dirty. He didn't know if he should tell Toothless about it or not. He wasn't sure about how the dragon would respond to that.

Toothless opened his eyes to see Hiccup having a small panic attack. He drug the boy close to himself, purring as he did.

"What's wrong Hiccup? You can't be sad on your birthday." He soothed.

Hiccup laid there, almost in tears. He was so confused about what he wanted and didn't know if he should tell Toothless or not. His small panic attack blew up. He started sobbing loudly, trying to clutch onto something. Toothless didn't know how to help but he tried his best to calm Hiccup down. Toothless purred louder and curled in closer.

"Hiccup what's wrong?" He pleaded. He worried that Hiccup had figured out that he lied about yesterday and was freaking out about it, or that he was regretting his change to the odd half dragon he is.

Hiccup's breathing slowed and he started to control his crying. He slowly pushed himself away from Toothless just far enough to look at him through his still tear filled eyes. He could tell that his friend was deeply concerned about him and about what had happened. Hiccup licked the salt from his lips. With his mind made up at least a little he decided to jump and hope that he didn't hit the ground. He swallowed hard as he spoke.

"Toothless?" The dragon focused more on him, making Hiccup feel itchy. "What I'm going to say is going to sound messed up. And when I say it. Toothless, what I'm going to to say is going to change what we are. If there is some slim chance that we won't fall apart or become awkward around each other… Well here's to hoping. A few weeks back I saw you trying to uhm hump a hole you dug. I didn't see much but I…" Toothless cut him off.

"You saw that! Oh gods Hiccup, I thought I was somewhere you wouldn't find me. It's just with mating season and everything."

"Toothless let me finish." The dragon stopped his panic filled apology. "I couldn't get it out of my head and I kinda had to, you know, myself. I didn't want to tell you but it was eating me up. I felt like I was on fire and the only way to put it out was that. Toothless I think that the change is making me feel the effects of mating season." Hiccup face flushed. He thought his head was going to pop.

"Hiccup there's something I need to tell you about that day." Toothless whispered. Hiccup looked up, confused. "I was thinking about you when you caught me." Toothless paused for a second and took a deep breath. "HiccupI'velovedyousincethedaywemetandIwantyoutobemymate." He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the boy to blow up at him.

As expected Hiccup bolted upright. He didn't move away from Toothless though.

"You what?" He questioned.

"Okay so I've been thinking about this for longer than you'd like. What Freya told us made me think. She basically confirmed that I'm the only one of my kind. I didn't want you to worry so I hid how I felt about that. It made me feel alone, even with you being right there every second. I think that if I take a mate that I'll feel less alone. I would see other dragons with their mates and they were all so happy. It's not rare in our culture to find someone perfect for you. You just know who it'll be right when you meet them. It's some weird since we have for each other. Hiccup you're that perfect match. Freya said it herself we're soul mates, a set of people who under any circumstances would be together. I think that we're meant to be more than friends Hiccup. I think we're supposed to me more than two runaways who fear for their lives every day. I think…"

"I get it Toothless." Hiccup stated. "I just don't know what it's like. Like what would I compare it to?"

"Dragon's mate for life Hiccup. The decision is final."

"So it's like being married? But there's no way out if you don't work out."

"Mates rarely don't work out. Dragons know their perfect match right from the beginning."

Hiccup stared blankly passed Toothless, running everything through his head. He went all the way back to when they first met. When he almost ended his friend's life. Then when they had to run for their lives and the immediate hardships afterward. He remembered the day they completed their house and the harsh winter that followed it. Everything up to where they were now. He realized that after the first few weeks together that Toothless had made himself Hiccup's guardian. He would do anything Hiccup said without a second thought, without any regrets. Do this, do that, kill him, her, whoever, as long as Hiccup said to. It was Toothless' way of showing him complete trust. A devotion to the one he loved.

Hiccup also figured out why he felt so weird and nervous around his friend. He blinked slowly and mentally berated himself.

"Toothless?" Hiccup whispered. Toothless looked up him. "I think I want to be your mate. I just didn't know what to say before. I do now. I love you Toothless. I want to be the one that you wake up to every morning and the one you say goodnight to. You're already kinda my everything so adding being my mate doesn't change us much, other than I don't have to hide that away from you anymore. I don't have to suppress my feelings."

Toothless jumped at Hiccup pinning him to the ground. He licked and nuzzled his mate.

"Thank you Hiccup! You don't know how happy this makes me. I love you Hiccup. I love you."