Even Gods Need Cuddles Too
With his true identity revealed to Hiccup and Zenna, Loki found it a lot easier to share more things about himself. His favorite food, favorite flower, favorite color, favorite hobby – those were easy for him to share with his honorary little brother and sister. But there were some things the former God of Mischief wasn't ready to reveal, most being related to his former family and home.
Hiccup and Zenna were patient. When Loki was ready, they were there to listen. Their best friend and big brother was like a delicate flower, slowly unfurling his petals as they nurtured him with their kindness and trust. In time, Loki told them stories of the times he traversed the realms using the secret passages connected to Yggdrasil and finding his way back to the palace with no one the wiser. He spoke of the grand library where he spent hours upon hours reading tomes filled with rare knowledge and the healing rooms where he carefully observed the healers at work to learn healing magic.
Showing was different from telling, though. And, on rare occasions, Hiccup and Zenna were able to discover things about their mischievous and mysterious friend when they least expected it.
On one particular warm spring afternoon, the Three Weirdos came to the Cove after a busy day of flying and adventuring. It didn't take long for Toothless, Stryka, and Embla to fall asleep with their Riders following suit.
Zenna tossed and turned around a lot while sleeping. A few times, she'd done full rolls that usually ended up with her falling right out of bed. This time, she managed to roll out of her spot between Stryka's paws and ended up close to a snoozing Loki. The former God of Mischief was laying on his side with his arms splayed out to the side he was sleeping on. His fingers brushed against the rough fur of Zenna's vest and he unconsciously reached for the sleeping Fiersome girl and pulled her closer to him.
"Mmm?" Zenna opened her one violet eye just a crack and found herself snuggled close to Loki, her back to his chest and one arm wrapped around her waist. Loki sighed and buried his face in Zenna's hair, relaxing into an even deeper slumber.
"Loki?" Zenna sleepily mumbled as she tried to wriggle out of the raven-haired teen's gentle grasp. Loki merely cuddled her closer, letting out a soft whine of protest.
Zenna sighed and relaxed. 'Looks like I'm not getting out anytime soon. Still, this feels nice…' she thought and smiled. Loki felt warm, but not too warm where it became unbearable. And the way he was holding her was quite comforting. Closing her eye, Zenna fell back asleep.
That was how Hiccup found them when he woke up from his nap.
"Uhhh…?" The future Chief of the Hooligan Tribe blinked at the sight. Zenna slumbering peacefully while Loki was essentially big spooning her. His eyes quickly roved over the pair's forms, making sure there was no hands were placed on inappropriate places. When he determined that no inappropriate touching was going on, he got up and approached them.
Zenna woke up to his footsteps and yawned, "Hey…"
"Care to explain… this?" Hiccup gestured to him and Loki.
"Dunno… Guess I rolled over in my sleep and he just held me." Zenna smiled. "Hicc, next time, you should cuddle with him. This feels really nice," she remarked.
"Tempting." Hiccup put a hand to his chin. "Should we wake him up?" he asked.
Zenna shrugged and gently patted the arm Loki had wrapped around her waist.
Loki blearily blinked his eyes open with a sleepy "What…?"
Upon seeing the position he was in and whom he was cuddling, his eyes flew wide open and he frantically rolled away from Zenna, not stopping until he hit a wall.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do something so inappropriate!" he exclaimed, kneeling before Zenna with his head bowed.
"Relax, Loki. You didn't touch anything off-limits," Zenna reassured him before grinning. "Although, I never took you to be a cuddler."
A-am not!" Loki was sure his cheeks had turned the color of strawberries as he looked anywhere but at his friends.
Toothless, Stryka, and Embla woke up from their respective naps to find their Riders at the far side of the Cove. Waddling over to them, they listened, heads tilted to the sides, as Loki tried to explain himself.
"I-it was a one-time thing! N-nothing more. Norns, Zen, don't smirk at me like that. It was an accident!"
"An accidental cuddle, yes. But you seemed to really enjoy it. I'll admit that it was really cozy for me."
"Hiccup, help me out here."
"You two did look really comfortable... Maybe we can cuddle next time?"
"H-Hiccup!"
"Who'd have thought that Loki could turn his face completely red?" Stryka giggled.
"This must be a new bit of magic he's regained," Toothless remarked.
"Yeah, the magic of embarrassment," Embla snickered.
Loki pouted and shot the dragons a glare before looking at Zenna, fidgeting. "You… liked it when I cuddled you?" he mumbled.
"I liked it. Your height makes you the perfect big spoon and you were nice and warm," Zenna replied before frowning. "Were you… never cuddled before?"
"It was fine when Thor and me were children. Mo–Frigga always indulged us, but Odin," Loki scowled. "he told us to stop before we entered puberty. Said it was unfitting for us as princes to be overly affectionate," he admitted.
Now it was Zenna's turn to pout and shake her fists at the sky for good measure. "One can never be too old for cuddles!" she declared and pointed at Loki. "You! Anytime you need a cuddle buddy, you come to us, got it?" she instructed him, Hiccup nodding over her shoulder.
Blushing, Loki nodded then glanced at Hiccup. "You… wouldn't mind?" he mumbled.
Hiccup shook his head and motioned for Loki to follow him. Toothless obliged and curled up on the grass, giving his Rider a comfortable space to lay down in.
"Come on. Don't be shy." Hiccup patted a spot next to him and lied on his right side.
Glancing over his shoulder at Zenna, who gave him an encouraging nod, Loki lied down behind Hiccup and gingerly wrapped his arms around the boy. Hiccup hummed as his back was pressed against Loki's chest. Settling into the cuddle, he felt safe, warm, and cozy.
"Huh, Zen's right. This does feel really nice," he said quietly.
"Mmmm…" Loki mumbled and snuggled closer to him.
Honestly, Hiccup could understand why Loki was so shy all of a sudden. Having never grown up with a mother, he'd never gotten that many cuddles either. He had memories of his Dad cuddling him when he was little, but then he got too busy chiefing and… well, his bone-crushing hugs were the closest thing he now had to cuddles.
Zenna and her family, on the other hand, were big on physical affection. Hiccup would see her parents snuggle together in front of a fire and wonder if his own parents were like that. And don't get him started on Zenna. She absolutely loved giving him and Loki hugs (with their permission). Many a sleepover had ended with her and him cuddling close to each other.
'Sorry, Zen. I think our big brother might be taking your 'Greatest Cuddler' Spot very soon,' Hiccup thought as he fully settled into the cuddle. Loki, in response, calmed and he wrapped his arms around the smaller male with a little more surety.
"You know, you can always cuddle with us if you need to," Hiccup told him.
"Okay…" Loki hid his face in Hiccup's soft brown hair. "Thank you…" he mumbled.
Seeing that the boys were having a good time cuddling, Zenna joined them and cuddled Loki from behind.
"Even gods need cuddles too," said Zenna, gently rubbing Loki's back.
Loki nodded and, letting go of all the tension in his body, basked in the comforting cuddle pile. It'd been so long since he felt like this. A brief memory of Frigga cuddling him when he was a boy flashed through his mind and he felt his breath hitch, receiving a comforting nuzzle to his neck from Zenna while Hiccup gently squeezed his hand.
Sighing, Loki closed his eyes, the gentle warmth of his two best friends lulling him to sleep. "Thanks guys..." he mumbled before he completely dozed off.
"You're welcome," Hiccup and Zenna yawned, feeling the sweet pull of slumber beckoning them to dreamland.
Seeing that their Riders were slowly falling asleep as they cuddled together like hatchlings, Stryka and Embla settled down around them along with Toothless.
If anyone entered the Cove and dared try to interrupt the Three Weirdos' cuddle time, they were going to get two plasma blasts and an acid spray as warnings.