Hello everyone! This is something I've been playing around with and finally decided to post. Enjoy!
Hiccup was awoken by a sudden crash. With a start he sat bolt upright, his glance swiveling left and right to find the source of the noise in the darkness. A tiny croon arose. A massive black silhouette creeped up to him. Reaching over to his nightstand, Hiccup struck a match and lit the candle. He held it aloft and found a pair of emerald green staring at him.
"Toothless? What's wrong, bud? Did the crash wake you up?"
Toothless bowed his head, whining in an almost ashamed way.
Hiccup cocked his head. "What's the matter?"
But the Night Fury would not raise his eyes. He whined again.
Weird, thought Hiccup. To think we thought for so long that dragons never felt anything.
Setting down the candle, Hiccup slipped his bare foot and prosthetic out of the covers. He reached his hand forward and stroked his friend's scaly head reassuringly.
"You don't have to be scared," Hiccup smiled gently. "I won't get mad. What is it?"
When the Night Fury at last lifted his eyes, he turned his head to the right and crooned. Hiccup, following his gaze, grabbed his candle and got to his feet. Rays of light shone out into the darkness, painting the room the warm, orange glow of a sunset. He saw the new lava slab which Toothless was now using as a bed. To the left of it was Hiccup's desk, surrounded by a strange mess on the wooden floor. Hiccup inched toward his desk and bent over to inspect the mess. Pencils and brushes, usually resting in a wooden cup, were all strewn about the floor like birdseed. Notebooks were lying face up and down, pages unceremoniously folded and dog-eared. Hiccup's various papers had flown helter-skelter all over the room. Then, Hiccup's gaze went to a miniscule axe, its blade broken off from its wooden handle. Hiccup took it up and held it in his palm.
Toothless whined apologetically.
But Hiccup only chuckled quietly. He glanced over at his friend. "I guess you're kinda cramped over here. I'm sorry, I should have given you more room. No wonder you knocked this stuff over. Oh, bud, wait, it's okay," Hiccup added quickly as Toothless began to turn away.
Setting the candle atop his desk, he took the tiny axe in hand. He slipped the handle into the blade and out several times. "See? It's been broken for years, it's not your fault."
Toothless hesitated as Hiccup reached his hand out, a reassuring, loving gesture. Then he placed his forehead into his friend's palm with a coo.
"Hey. Tell ya what. First things tomorrow, we'll move you so you get more room. I'd hate to have you claustrophobic," Hiccup chuckled.
However, Toothless shook his head.
Confused, Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you want to stay here by the desk?"
Another shake.
"Oh-kay… Is it something else?"
Toothless hesitated, then he nodded.
Setting the candle atop his nightstand, Hiccup knelt down and sat back on his ankles. He looked straight at his friend. "What's going on, bud? You can tell me."
A moment passed before Toothless lifted his bowed head. In his brilliant, pure eyes was a pollution of something intense. Something that looked like… fear.
Something that reminded Hiccup of a feeling he had felt so many times as a child.
"It's nightmares, isn't it? About the Red Death?"
Toothless gave a quiet whimper.
Hiccup gave him a sympathetic smile. "Hey, it's okay. She's not coming back. She can't hurt you anymore."
But strangely, Toothless shook his head and growled softly. That's not what scares me.
Hiccup was silent again, raising his eyebrow. He stared long and hard at the Night Fury. "What? I-I don't understand, what is-"
The Night Fury lightly tapped his claw at Hiccup's chest.
"What, me? Did I do some-"
Another tap. Hiccup fell silent, his eyes widened.
After they had shot the Red Death, after the explosion, Hiccup and Toothless crashed into the tail. Hiccup remembered nothing after that, but he knew that Toothless must have dove into the flames to save him.
"The nightmares… they're about… me?"
Toothless' eyes grew sad, a minute coo vibrating in his chest.
"Oh, Toothless. Oh, buddy…I understand. I don't wanna lose you, either." Hiccup pulled away, cupping Toothless' head with one hand. "I'll never leave you."
Hiccup flung his arms around him. Although Toothless recoiled a moment, he then leaned into the embrace, tucking his head over the boy's shoulder, purring lowly.
"I'm here, Toothless. I'm here," Hiccup whispered into his dragon's ear. "I promise."
Here they stayed locked in an embrace, and for a moment, the world and all its trouble and terrors seemed to fall away. It was as if nothing could hurt them. Together, they were invincible. Together, they could protect each other. Nothing could break them apart. Nothing.
A low purr vibrated in Toothless' throat. Hiccup pulled away to meet his friend's gaze.
"What is it, bud?"
Toothless' green eyes shifted hesitantly.
"Hey, hey, don't be scared," coaxed Hiccup. "What can I do to make you feel better?"
After a moment, Toothless glanced over at the empty magna slab, then over to Hiccup.
Hiccup shook his head. "I don't understand, what…"
Then, glancing back at the dragon's emerald eyes, he saw them round and…pleading. Toothless did not want to be alone.
With a nod, Hiccup smiled kindly. He got to his feet and pulled his quilt from off his bed. "I'll stay with you till you fall asleep."
Toothless returned the smile and gave a grateful nod. They both settled down upon the stone bed, Toothless curling his tail around Hiccup who sat beside his friend. He stroked Toothless' forehead, earning a soft, drawn-out coo. Hiccup smiled, glad as the Night Fury began to settle down, the tenseness in his shoulder seeping away. To his surprise, Hiccup felt something sleek curled around him and pulled him down.
"Wha-! Toothless, hey-"
Hiccup grunted when he was pressed against Toothless' side and Toothless' tail slinked around his middle, and slipped under his head. A low, rumbling coo vibrated through Toothless.
"Oh-kay," Hiccup began. "What-"
He froze in Toothless' hold while the Night Fury draped his wing over him, blanketing him in complete darkness.
Gradually, a wave of warmth washed over Hiccup, strange and mysterious, but peaceful and calming at the same time. It took a moment to realize that the warmth was coming from Toothless' scales, gentle and lulling. Wow, Hiccup thought in quiet awe. So this is how dragons survived during the cold months. Their flames must keep them warm throughout the year.
Another wave of heat from the dragon's sleek scales seeped into Hiccup, warming him from his head even to his toes. Hiccup's eyes drooped with a contented sigh. For years of shivering because of the constant nipping chill of Berk, Hiccup had found it hard to sleep. Impulsively, he laid his head against his dragon's side, relishing the warmth and leaving behind all thoughts of shivers and cold and ice. Hiccup listened to the slow, steady beating of Toothless' heart, a slow, calm rhythm that his own heart began to follow.
A soft coo came.
"I'm here, buddy," Hiccup breathed softly. "I won't let you go…"
He shut his eyes, and the world faded away.
. . .
Hiccup's eyes gradually slid open to the sight of a wood panel ceiling. His mind felt wonderfully sluggish, his body relaxed, and his eyelids heavy. So heavy. He sighed sleepily. He perceived a sleek, black mass radiating warmth against his skin. Hiccup's gaze drifted over to his middle around which a dark tail was wrapped snugly. Then, turning his head, he found a massive black dragon, sound asleep next to him.
"Toothless," Hiccup barely breathed.
The Night Fury's ear twitched, a low, rumbling purr vibrating in his chest. Gradually, Toothless' scaly lids blinked open to reveal his sleepy green eyes. He lifted his head slightly when he recognized his friend laying under his wing. He gave a light, warm coo, and Hiccup returned a small smile.
"Hey. Good morning, bud." He reached out his hand and stroked Toothless' scaly forehead. "You sleep okay?"
With a coo, Toothless nuzzled his nose into Hiccup's palm, earning a laugh from his rider.
"Guess that's a yes."
The Night Fury burbled, staring straight into Hiccup's eyes. The green sparkled and shone with an intensity that the boy had never seen, never felt before. It was so real, so powerful that Hiccup's heart swelled unbearably. Though his friend did not speak a word, Hiccup knew exactly what he meant.
Hiccup smiled and embraced Toothless once more. "I love you, too."
THE END
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I'm unsure when I'll have the next chapter of Into The Fire out, but I'm still working on it.
Stay tuned! Wishing you happiness and luck!
-FictionL0ver11