"you're not going anywhere." The Changewing told Hiccup. He froze mid step.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." Hiccup pleaded.
"Shut up. I understand what you meant. But right now, how you're going to repay me, is by telling me what to do or say." She turned to look at the other group still talking. That got a few chuckles from the others. Hiccup waved them all off.
"Listen I don't know what to tell you."
"What do you mean? You have a mate just tell me what you did and we'll adapt it to this." She panicked.
"Toothless and I just kinda fell into place. Before it happened I never even considered him a possibility. The human and dragon thing is kinda a huge barrier to cross. Without the 'help' we got it's likely that we wouldn't be mated at all right now." Hiccup admitted.
"What do you mean? You two are perfect. It's hard to believe that you wouldn't be mated."
"That's true I've never seen two being so close before." One of the others chimed in.
"Okay yeah, but it's, like, I don't really know how to explain it. I haven't always been able to talk to dragons. It wasn't until we got 'help' that we could talk, and it just fell into place after that. Once we could actually talk, Toothless just admitted everything to me and it made me realize that, not only could I not try to be with another human, I was too far gone to relate, but that he was the obvious choice for me. But with the language barrier we would have never happened. I shouldn't say never. Eventually we would have figured it out but not for a long time.
So I don't really know what to tell you. I guess just go talk to him. Figure it out, be direct. You're direct in everything else you do why not this? Just go up him and tell him. He isn't going to run away, probably. Plus it's not likely that those guys are talking about anything important right now. Just go it."
"I can't just go tell him." She freaked out. Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"Why not?"
"Cause it's him."
"If you don't go up to him and say something right now I'm going to."
"You wouldn't."
"Hey Dusty!" Hiccup called to him. "Come here I need to ask you something." The large off colored Nadder broke away from the others in his group.
"Yes? What is you need?" He asked happily.
"It isn't what I need." Hiccup looked to the Changewing trying to literally hide herself. "It's what she needs." Dusty turned to her.
"What do you need Color? Did you get a new recruit who needs some help or something?" Color was having a hard time keeping herself cloaked.
"Uhm, no. Nothing like that."
"Okay? Well I can't think of anything else. So?" He looked at Hiccup confused. Hiccup held up his hands.
"Just give her a minute, it's pretty important." Hiccup reassured him. They waited for the nervous Changewing to do anything. She started to say something but couldn't quite get it out.
"Do you need me to tell him?" Hiccup asked her. She didn't move or say anything. "Okay, gods help you. Dusty look, I'm going to be straight forward. She wants you to be her mate." Hiccup said casually.
"Oh. Is that it?" He asked. Color looked up, mortified.
"What do you mean, is that it?" She asked.
"Well I kinda figured that eventually we'd get together. I just never acted on it because you were always so busy. Before and after The Queen. I didn't want to complicate things. And you're away so often, I didn't want to say something and then you have to leave and we couldn't talk about it, figure it out. So i've been biding my time, waiting for the right time to say something, and just hoping that someone on your team didn't peak your interest before I could say my part. But seems they knew about us as well. Not surprisingly. Our fights weren't exactly subtle. And when you go from not being able to tolerate each other to inseparable. Rumors spread quick. Plus the trading of information for extra food never hurts. Luckily for me that goes both ways."
"Both ways? They've been telling you things about me?" She asked.
"I only ask about what I need to know. I do understand that there are some things that you aren't allowed to tell anyone. I mostly just ask about your well being."
"How many of them have talked to you?"
"All of them."
"Really?"
"They worry about you."
"Then they can talk to me. They don't need to you to be the one. They're my friends, they're my team. If they worry than why not say something?"
"It's different."
"How is it different?"
"They know that we're close and there are just things that they can't talk to you about. That I can. That's all it is. Your team is just looking out for you."
"Still, they should have said something."
"Yeah, maybe they should have, but you probably wouldn't be as open with them. You have to understand that you guys are together for weeks on end and if someone says something that makes things awkward, then you're going to be forced to be around them. It could end up being dangerous. So they come talk to me, then i'm able to talk to you. And it allows me to move our conversations in a way where I can get you to talk about what they told me. It allows you to vent and for me to catch up on what you're doing out there."
"I guess you're right." Color admitted.
"I'm sorry I went behind your back like that. But you're tough to crack and I was going to take anything to make that job easier."
"Thanks, for looking out for me."
"Hey, that's what mates are for."
"Mates? Where not mates."
"Well we could be, if you wanted."
"I don't know. I don't want to burden you. " She admitted.
"Damn, why couldn't you think that when we weren't friends. At least now I want you to be there."
"Are you sure?"
"Well…" Dusty looked around. "There are a few others." He joked. "But it seems they've all lost out to you."
"Dusty, I would like it if you were more than just my friend."
"What, like best friends?"
"This is hard enough, please don't drag it out."
"Then just say what you want." He moved to that he was standing right in front of her. All she could see was his legs come into her view. She looked up at him, a kind smile, and a serious posture.
"Dusty please, we couldn't even have kids."
"I don't care. Say what you want." His voice stern.
"I, I." She took a deep breath. "I want, to, to, bewithyou." She forced herself. Dusty broke his posture and pushed himself against her.
The group around them cheered, and many of the people watching who knew the two also cheered, quickly figuring out what happened. Hiccup walked up to them which got both of their attentions.
"Congratulations." He cheered. "Now that you two are together, I would guess that one of you is going to be moving to the others species group. Or we could find you some place on one of the shelves where you could set up your own personal nest. Come talk to me if that's what you want. We'll figure something out." Hiccup turned around to all the rest of the group he's been talking with. "You're all dismissed. Scouting parties, regroup with your teams figure out what you want to do. You can stay to scout for new additions or leave immediately. If you stay, please no longer than a week. We need you out there, protecting us." After many nods, yeses, and thank you's, the group dispersed. He turned back to the new couple. You two can stick around, I'll probably need you both anyway.