"Another rousing speech my love." Toothless complimented.

"It wasn't a speech, Toothless. It was meant to be a private conversation.

"Well you fooled us. With how loud you were being, we thought you'd come up with something to boost morale a bit. Those I suppose you did. It just wasn't aimed at them." Toothless smiled.

"I really didn't mean to be that loud.

"It's fine." Toothless assured. "You get loud when you're nervous."

"I do?"

"Yeah. Your dad does it too actually. Must be a family thing."

"Why have you never said anything? I could have stopped doing it."

"Exactly why I didn't. I'd rather you be loud then quiet up and not say stuff to me. When you're loud you just let it all spill out of you. Say anything and everything that's racing through that head of yours. And I like that. It's kept me well informed of your thoughts and feelings on many things."

"Well, you're welcome but if I'm making a scene then I'd prefer if you'd say something."

"The thing is, when it's you and me I know what I'm doing. I've learned how to calm you down and be quiet when necessary. But I'll never outright stop you."

"Why not?" Hiccup asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure you'd just explode if I let you hold it all in." The Night Fury bumped Hiccup's chest with his snout. "Listen, at this point I've accepted that one of the ways you communicate is through nervous, panicked rambling. Cause it all builds up in there and eventually it all has to come out. And when it does, I sit there and I listen. Every fear, worry, idea, plan, complaint, compliment, then at the very end you're always worn out and tired, then ask me what I think. So I get to go through everything you said and pick out all the important parts. I get to make suggestions and point you in the direction I think you should steer the ship. You tend to ask me why I think that's the right choice and I explain my thoughts. Which you tend to mostly, if not completely agree with and then suddenly, the ships righted and headed in the direction we both think is best."

"I didn't realize how much effort you put into that."

"And then." Toothless continued. "Because you're tired you normally want to lay down for a bit so we head off to our nest. Where I get to make you giggle and laugh and shower you with love." Toothless moved real close to Hiccup's ear. "And whisper to you that I wish I was actually showering you with my love."

"You're gross." Hiccup pushed Toothless away gently while smiling.

"Gross or not, when you're with me, you're not as loud. Which clearly causes a bit of panic."

"Well if you just told me it wouldn't be an issue at all. And what do you mean my dad does it too?"

"I think that's pretty self explanatory."

"Does he get louder or whatever like me?

"Yeah. Do you not notice?"

"No? But how couldn't I?

"Obviously he doesn't notice he does it and you grew up with it, you just picked it up from him and didn't notice. It was just normal for you."

"I guess, but no one's said anything to him about it either? You'd think my mom or Gobber would have said something, right?"

"Maybe they did, maybe not. It's just something that you do and it's just something that we've accepted. If anything it lets us know what you're feeling. Or at least me."

"I guess. I don't know if I like that though. Especially if it's enough to make people concerned."

"Sure but really not that big a deal, I assure you."

"I guess." Hiccup put his hand under the dragon's chin. "Let's go do the second part where we go to our nest and you tell me nice things." He smiled.

"Mmm. Do I get to do the third part?" Hiccup chuckled at his mate's sly grin.

"Probably wouldn't stop you even if I said no."

"Eh, yeah probably not. It's too fun to make you squirm. Plus if I say all the right things you might just take us out to that spot we found in the fog that one time… Well not one time."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and started walking, Toothless close behind. Toothless occasionally, purposely bumping into Hiccup's hip.

"Would you stop that?" Hiccup complained as he swatted at Toothless.

"Stop what?" Toothless asked innocently.

"Stop bumping into me."

"I'm not bumping into you."

"Toothless I swear to the gods." The dragon laughed and bumped into him a little harder than before. The next time Toothless tried to bump him, Hiccup stopped and Toothless missed. He smiled at his dragon but had to quickly move again as Toothless was on the attack. The two ran around each other as they slowly made it to their nest.

Stoick, much like most of the others, were watching them as they slowly made their way to their nest. As they disappeared Stoick and most others began to resume their regular day. Mostly tending to their dragons, resting, basic work, and sparing. Stoick was focused on the former as Plates had come up from the smithy to be around Skullcrusher. But while she was there Stoick took the liberty of taking her armor off and was in the middle of checking out her condition when they heard Hiccup yelling.

"Do you think it's weird?" Astrid popped out from behind Skullcrusher. Stoick didn't show that he was startled except a slight pause on his moments.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that, lass."

"Hiccup and Toothless I mean." She circled around to watch Stoick work.

"What about em'?" Stoick tried to focus on his work.

"That he's with a dragon. They… you know. Shouldn't we say something? Like remind him that dragons are still animals?"

Stoick closed his eyes and huffed. He stopped looking over Plates and turned to the blonde woman behind him. He took a moment to figure out what to tell her.

"We, we just have to accept it." He started.

"That's all you got? Normally people are punished for that. Does Hiccup get some special treatment because he's your son?"

"Astrid, Hiccup gets no special treatment I assure you. Firstly he isn't a part of our village anymore. I cannot punish someone who isn't under my banner. Secondly you must have gone blind if you can't see he's not human anymore. He may still walk like us, talk like us, but even the dragons don't see him as human. Third, even if he was still human, it's clear he shares something special with them. He's drawn to them like bugs to a fire.

I'm not saying that if he still lived on Berk that he wouldn't be punished for it. But what I am saying is that there'd be more understanding. His relationship with them is something we couldn't overlook. He figured out more about dragons at sixteen than Bork The Brave did in his entire life. We've used that book for how damned long? And most of what's in it may as well be made up.

No disrespect to ol' Bork but the dragon manual may as well be made up. Outside a few things, what's said in that book is either just wrong or not the whole story.

But Hiccup's notes? God's above he's been studying them since the day he left. Those chests near his nest are full of his findings. Amazingly detailed and impossible to misinterpret. Or better yet go interact with them and figure it out for yourself. Everyone else is, even your friends. Look lass." He put his huge hand on Astrid's shoulder. "I understand your fear. I understand your hate. But look around you, look at everyone who's put that aside for the opportunity for something new. Something better."

"Fine." Astrid sighed. "I'll try." She tried to turn away but Stoick turned her back towards him.

"Wrong answer lass, you'll do, not try." He took his hand off her shoulder. Astrid tried to turn away again. "Actually, one last thing. In regards to my son and his dragon. His mate." Stoick sighed. "It's something you must simply accept. I know seeing someone with an animal and knowing they…" He nodded. "But we have to accept that the situation is the same but the circumstances are different. They aren't simple animals that don't understand what's happening to them. They're people, like you and me and if we can love then-, then so can they. It's just how it is." This time Stoick turned around and returned to tending to Plates. Apologizing for getting distracted.