Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"They knew we were coming. Viggo tipped them off! How could I have been so stupid?" Hiccup knew it was a risk to go with Viggo; now he was going to pay for it. He thought, for a second--. Oh, what a fool he was.

 It was many things, that just didn't add up. Viggo didn't hold himself up like the king of the world now. Instead, he seemed... humbled. He looked at Toothless, not like something to make some quick gold off of, but like the wonderful creature he is. Well. That was until, of course, he poisoned him. Not to mention the entire Skrill incident. Hiccup could've smacked himself. He was too hopeful, seeing things that weren't there.

"Apparently, Johann wasn't as easy to fool as I thought." A gruff voice rings out behind him. Hiccup whips around and is met by the view of Viggo Grimborn. The man was leaning heavily on a wooden support, the Skrill he bonded with standing behind him. Hiccup glared at the man.

"You double crossing-!" Hiccup growls in unison with his dragon, two pairs of green eyes locked onto the hunter, burning with venom. "The antidote. Viggo, where is the antidote?!" Viggo starts chuckling, shaking his head, as if he found this whole thing so funny.

"There isn't one." Hiccup's eyes widened. Wait. What?

"You really don't know your oleanders, do you, Hiccup? Red Oleander is harmless to dragons. I knew there was no other way to get your help." 

He understood what Viggo did, then. Of course. Another trick. Looking back though, wasn't he right? Hiccup would never trust the man's help. He would never trust someone like Viggo, the master manipulator.

"I would never harm such a magnificent creature." Hiccup paused, vicious thoughts stopping in their tracks at the meaningful statement. Then, Viggo groaned. Hiccup narrowed his eyes, looking at the man with a hint of concern, now. He was acting like...

"When Johann and Krogan left me for dead, a Monstrous Nightmare saved me. I spent my whole life hunting dragons, killing them. And I've come to respect them as equals. You taught me that, Hiccup. That's the final irony, I suppose." Viggo tried to stand up to his full height but fell forward, grasping onto a wooden table.

The problem was instantly clear.

Hiccups veins turned to ice. There were four arrows protruding out of the man's back, bleeding sluggishly in the dim light of the torches around them. It painted a haunting sight, chilling Hiccup to his very bones. Hiccup couldn't tear his eyes off of them. This man, one he saw as untouchable since the moment he met him, was heavily injured. The man he respected and feared more than any other was dying.

"Viggo!" Hiccup yelled, rushing to the man's side. His hands hovered over the arrows as he analyzed the wounds. They were deep, too deep. Hiccup saw the man's shake slightly under him, muscles spasming with what he was sure was severe surges of pain. This...This couldn't be real. Hiccup slung the man's arm around his shoulder, holding the hunter carefully as he stared at his scarred face, concern pulling at him as the man winced. 

"Oh, this is it for me, the end of the game." Viggo coughed out, his voice, the deep baritone that sent shivers down his spine was worn thin, sounding like gravel as the man grit his teeth.

"Viggo... no..." Hiccup could not accept what was happening in front of him. His hands shook at the sight of his rival, his greatest adversary, barely holding himself up, using Hiccup as support. Before, when the man fell into the volcano, he felt something similar, but actually seeing him like this... It broke something in him. His heart tugged insistently. 

This...this was not how it was supposed to go. He didn't know it could end this way.

A ruckus sounded out in the corridor, voices overlapping and the sounds of screeching metal. The hunters found them.

"Go. I'll hold them off until you're out." Viggo stood to his full height, holding himself like he wasn't in agony. Hiccups respect for the man grew even more as he hefted up his sword, crafted as a near facsimile of his own, yet something far more superior than the sword it was made to imitate.

"No. I am not going to leave you." Hiccup shook his head fiercely, grating out words with more force and pain than he thought he could muster. He reached a hand out, as if to stop him.

Hiccup felt his eyes water as he looked at Viggo, who turned to look at the rider. Respect, pain, and something Hiccup couldn't identify made the chestnut and pale blue gleam even darker. His eyes were one of the many things about the man Hiccup fixated on for so long. A man who held himself so high, yet could never block the emotions from showing through his eyes. For a second, he could've sworn he saw a glimpse of heartbreak dance on the man's features, like a man resigned. A man who has lost everything, accepting his fate. Viggo grasped Hiccup's outstretched hand, forcing something into his grasp, meeting his eyes. 

"Hiccup, you're more ruthless than you realize. I know you will defeat Krogan and Johann." Hiccup felt his skin crawl at the resignation in his tone. Viggo...made his choice. He was going to die here, for him. Viggo's touch lingered, the warm hands enveloping his completely. Hiccup didn't want him to let go for a moment. It seemed too...final. Too simple. This wasn't right.

When the man finally did, the item was still left in the rider's grasp. wooden and cold on his skin. Hiccup looked down, breaking the fierce eye contact with the hunter reluctantly.

It was the Accomplice piece. The piece Viggo showed him time and time again throughout the last several hours. The piece he thought Viggo was referring to him as, then the Skrill. His eyes widened for a moment. Viggo... Viggo was the real Accomplice here, wasn't he? And one knew in Maces and Talons, that sacrificing your Accomplice could mean total victory, as Viggo said earlier. Hiccup let out a shaky sigh at the sight.

Hiccup looked back up, meeting the eyes of Viggo. A smile danced upon the hunter's face, hollow and in pain. A smile of resignation. Hiccup could understand what he was feeling, but couldn't name it. Why he couldn't let this man who caused so much pain go. His lips cracked into a small and yet honored smile back, respect filling him for this man who kept surprising him at every turn. 

The man who Hiccup thought could never change... now stood before him, different. But, why would Viggo choose this, for Hiccup no less? To redeem himself?  If that were true, then he wants to fully redeem himself by giving up his life? Was that it? Or maybe this was a plan? Another trick? What kind of plan was that? Maybe he wanted to run away from the consequences of his actions by killing himself. Maybe it was just another attempt to slight the rider; Harm Hiccup again by taking away someone that Hiccup never quite realized was a part of him until now.

"Now go!" Viggo points towards the door with his sword, his brow furrowed with a determination not many men could match. Hiccup's gaze lingered on him, deciding. 

He... thought for a moment, to let the man go, let him die saving Hiccup and earn a place in Valhalla... but he couldn't. No. He refused to let this be how Viggo ended; How their story ended. 

He made his choice.

Hiccup marched up to the man until he was about an inch or two from touching the man's broad nose with his own. Hiccup's eyes glinted like emeralds in the firelight, his determination clashed with Viggo's, making the room crackle with tension. He then opened his mouth, tilted in a challenging grimace, and spoke.

This option. This sacrifice was...

Unacceptable.

Hiccup didn't understand this man. But he sure as Hel would not let him die. He had a lot to explain. He had a lot to atone for.

Hiccup opened his mouth, and uttered a small word. Small, but powerful. A word that changed everything. 

"No." 

Chapter Text

"Pardon?" Viggo cocked his head, confusion breaking through the determined scowl on his face. 

"I'm not leaving you here. You don't get to be a martyr, Viggo. I'm not gonna leave you behind." Hiccup pulled his sword off his back, the blade igniting with a bright flash. Viggo's eyes widened, then narrowed. Hiccup glared right back, before locking his eyes with the hallway, listening to the heavy footfalls of the hunters approaching them. He tensed his back, holding his sword in a ready position, the blade's fire twisted and crackled, as if eager for the heat of battle. Viggo growled, reloading the handle and flicking on the blade's fire. 
 
"Hiccup, we are enemies you and I. You are wasting time here. You must leave, now!" The hunter grimaced, hunching as he held his sword at the ready, his blade crackling menacingly in harmony with Hiccup's, hungry for blood.

"I don't let people die." 

"The string of bodies you have left behind begs to differ." Hiccup's eyes widened a fraction, then fell back into a glare. 

"Count yourself lucky then. You are not going to die here." Viggo shook his head, eyes wide at the sheer audacity of the rider in front of him, a small chuckle rumbling in his throat. Hiccup wanted to break the man's nose, even just to tear the small smirk off of his face, the weird awe in his expression. As if he never expected this. He should know better. 

A clang and screech filled the air, closer this time. The sound of a sword clanking against stone, the sounds of crossbows being reloaded. Viggo stepped in front of the teen, blocking him with his sword, a warning on his face, directed to the rider. Oh how dare he. Hiccup shoved the man's arm down, gnashing his teeth together.

"Hiccup, you need to go! This is pointless!" Oh Thor. It was like talking to a stone pillar! What will it take to get to this guy!? 

"Gah—do you ever stop talking? Get it through your head, Viggo! I am not going anywhere!" Viggo met his eye to the rider's, taking in the sheer determination in his gaze. Viggo met the man's glare head-on, neither flinching, until- 

"There they are! Fire arrows!" Men stormed through the hallway, arrows flew towards the pair, their eyes snapping towards the men with the shout. Hiccup held his sword up in a blocking position, knocking a few out of the air before ducking out of his dragon's way. 

"Toothless, plasma blast!" The dragon roared at the order, slamming the men with a direct blast, blowing several men against the walls. Blood streaked down the wooden walls, shining in the firelight and smelling of iron and death. Hiccup sat up, pulling Viggo close to him, out of the way as the arrows buried themselves in the wall where he once stood. A frustrated yell followed, the hunters trying desperately to reload their crossbows.

"Skrill, fire!" Viggo yelled, the mentioned dragon spread its wings wide, lightning filled the room as a powerful blast incinerated the rest of the men in the hallway. Hiccup was in awe as the dragon listened to Viggo, for a moment, but shook himself out of it. Now was not the time. Hiccup pulled Viggo down behind a small wooden table, avoiding the arching beams of death that emanated from the powerful creature. 

Hiccup pulled Viggo's arm around his shoulder, sure the hall was clear after the earth-shattering blast. More men seemed to be nearing their location, if the hollering and banging of iron and wood were any indication. Hiccup darted down the corridor as fast as he could while carrying a man double his size, dragons faithfully in tow. Toothless growled as his ear-flaps rotated quickly, trying to pinpoint the sounds coming down the hallway. 

"Where to?" Hiccup yelled. Viggo didn't respond, just looking blankly at the corridor in front of them. Hiccup felt a shudder as he looked at the listed face of the man. No, he couldn't be going into shock. Hiccup shook him as hard as he could in such circumstances, getting close to his ear as he yelled. 

"Viggo!!"

Light once again entered the hunter's eyes as he snapped out of the daze of shock, meeting Hiccup's eyes with a hint of dread and confusion. Great. This was not good. They needed to get out of here and get him medical attention now. 

"Where are we going?" Hiccup said, quieter this time, his voice shaking slightly It took a moment, but Viggo weakly pointed to the hall next to them.

"Left, then right. Once you are to the crossroads, there's a room on the right you can leave from." Hiccup nodded, pulling the injured man with as much speed as he could muster. As he turned the corner, he was met with a row of hunters blocking the hallway, weapons ready as they grinned at the riders, as if they won. Yeah, right.

Oh come on! Hiccup thought, gritting his teeth. They needed to get out of there. They couldn't let them stand in their way. Before Hiccup could gesture for Toothless, however, a yell came from his side. 

"Skrill!" Another blast of lightning filled the hallway. The smell of petrichor and burning flesh filled their lungs. Hiccup felt a grimace form on his face at the putrid smell and what it meant, but this meant their path was clear. Hiccup hurried down the now clear corridor, avoiding the smoldering bodies which scattered the floor, faces and clothing only red and black blurs as he focused on what was ahead of him.

"Hiccup! This is foolish." A voice quietly said next to him, hauntingly grave. Hiccup had to strain to hear it, but it filled him with rage all the same.

"Can you just be quiet! This is not the time for arguing!" More hunters escaped the rooms around them. "Toothless, flash 'em!" A bright light blinded everyone in the corridor. The hunters groaned and yelled as they quickly covered their faces from the bright blast. A perfect distraction for them. Hiccup ran down the hallway, blinking the stars out of his eyes as he scanned the room, analyzing every inch of it, how their were 4 hallways now, and how each and every one of them were filled with dozens of hunters. 

They were completely surrounded.

The hunters snickered, raising their blades. Hiccup growled at them, sounding so very much like the dragons he adored as his heart thudded heavily in his chest. Viggo carefully pushed himself off of the younger man, holding his blade up defensively. 

"Very well then. If you won't go then, Týr willing, I will fight and fall by your side." His voice was dark, resigned. Hiccup grit his teeth. Yeah, that was not how this was going to go. They would both get out of here, alive. 

"Oh don't be so melodramatic—look out!" Hiccup blocked an arrow headed towards Viggo's back, unwilling to add to the collection he already obtained earlier. The riders and their dragons met back to back, the four taking one hallway each. Hiccup heard his blood pounding in his ears.

The hunters charged.

"Behind!" Hiccup dodged an arrow that flew past Viggo's shoulder before swinging and meeting blows with the hunter before him. Hiccup grunted before throwing the man off of him. A symphony of screeching metal and roaring from both man and beast filled the hallway. Each man that he took out, another seemed to take his place. Exertion started to make the man's hands shake. He took another man out, before looking back at his accomplice.

 He was met with the sight of a hunter nearing Viggo's left, into his blind spot. His sword was raised high. 

"To your left!" Viggo looked to his side, locking blades with the larger man. Hiccup stabbed the man in front of him, before he noticed the Skrill charging up a powerful blast, lightning rippling across its body. Hiccup charged forward, forcing inferno into the meat of the hunter's arm that held Viggo in place. The man let go of his sword with a screech, letting Viggo finish him off with a quick blow to the neck, silencing his cries swiftly. Hiccup then rushed forwards, noticing a man about to impale Viggo. No, not on his watch. 

He quickly silenced the hunter with a bash to the temple with pommel of his sword, before looking back to the Skrill. His eyes widened. She was about to fire at them, behind them. 

"Down!" Hiccup forced Viggo to the ground as hard as he could, trying to be careful but clearly not succeeding in doing so as the man groaned underneath him. He couldn't worry about that now, though. "Toothless!" Hearing his brother's distress, Toothless let go of the man he was currently tearing apart and leapt onto the hunkered down ex-chief and heir.

A significant blast of lightning filled the room, not just at them, but in all directions. Toothless, protected the duo the best he could, lowering his head to the floor to avoid the brunt of the attack. Hiccup felt his hair stand on end at the electricity coursing through the room. Screams of agony filled the room, before everything fell silent, the sound of crackling flames and moans of pain  the only noises that echoed in the halls. 

"Hiccup." A tight voice rang out from under him. Hiccup sat up, his dragon's wings unfurling. Hiccup's heart froze as he took in the sight of the man under him. The arrow lowest on his back now lay next to him, the wound now gushing crimson in its absence. When he shoved him down, he must've tore it out, somehow. He grit his teeth. This was not good. Time was up.

"O-ok. Oh gods. Hang on, Viggo. Hang on!" He reached into his belt, pulling out a wad of linen he kept for situations such as this. He apologized before pressing a wad into the man's back. He quickly wrapped the wound as best he could, the hunter writhing in pain as he did so. Hiccup quickly took off his belt and wrapped it around the man's chest, locking the linen tightly into place on the wound and hopefully stopping the blood flow. Viggo looked at him, remorse and that other, deep and devastating emotion dancing in his eyes as he looked into Hiccup's own.

"Ah.. Hiccup... This is it. The end. I..." The man mumbled, before slumping forward, dropping his sword on the ground with a shallow clink. Hiccup's heart felt as if it stopped in that moment. 

"Viggo! No! Not now! Get up!" Hiccup frantically shook the man's shoulder. He could hear reinforcements running closer. "We have to go! Come on!" He hefted the man onto his shoulder once more, panicked eyes glancing around the hall, before spotting the one Viggo specified. He looked to the man, then to the Skrill, sitting behind him with a death glare on its face. He huffed, before laying Viggo on the ground.   
 
"Augh—I'm gonna regret this." Hiccup mumbled, before looking to the Skrill. The beast growled threateningly at the sight of him. The only man that a Skrill has ever trusted flung on the back of someone who attacked it. Great. How could he do this? 

"Ahh. Nice Skrill... Oh come on..." Ok. Ok. A semblance of a plan came to his mind. 

"Ok, you need to help me pull him onto Toothless. Can you do that big guy?" The dragon hissed, before nudging its rider lying on the ground. The cacophony of sounds drew closer. The rider tried to grab the hunter again, attempting to lift him himself. The Skrill snapped at him. Hiccup stared back, pleading.
 
"Please, just help us. Your rider is going to die. We need to leave. Now. We are trying to save him. We're his friends. Come on!" Hiccup tried again to pick up the hunter. The dragon glared, then huffed, finally relenting. Gently, he picked the hunter up by his tunic's shoulder, making the man release a grunt of pain. Hiccup finally hoisted the man's legs over the Night Fury's back, and leapt on himself, nodding to the dragon. He quickly tied the man's legs to the saddle with his extra linen. 

Just in time, too. 
 
"FIRE!" The men who managed to gather down the hallway aimed their crossbows at the group, firing a barrage of arrows. Toothless jumped to the side, dodging most of them. Most. 

Hiccup grunted in pain as one lodged itself into his arm. 
"AGH! Toothless! Go, go, go! C'mon, Skrill, come on!" He screamed in effort, trying to block the pain out. They flew down the hall, charging the large wooden door on their path to freedom. A net launched towards them, blocking the exit. 

"Net! Wait, fall back!" Hiccup called. It didn't help. They barreled right into the thing, falling haphazardly on the floor. Viggo slipped, landing on his head in the grass. Hiccup cried out as the arrow lodged in his arm was violently pulled out. Luckily, adrenaline made the pain quickly subside, he had to be careful though. Adrenaline was dangerous. He didn't know how bad it was. Hiccup hoped the hunter didn't take any more damage from the fall. He shook his head. No time to think about that now. There was a group of hunters coming. 

"Oh Thor! Toothless, cover him!" Hiccup told Toothless, who nodded his head, already raising his wing, covering the incoming hunters view of the man. Just barely in time. Johann walked forward, a small contingent of hunters at his back. The Skrill screamed from the entrance, charging a shot. 

"Shoot down the Skrill!" Johann yelled to his men. In unison, several dragon-root arrows, more than he has ever seen hit a dragon like this, lodged themselves into the Skrill. Hiccup grimaced as it writhed for a moment, before it fell to its side, unconscious. 

"Ah Hiccup, nice for you to join us!" Johann. Hiccup glared at the man, before yelling as loud as he could. Toothless fired a shot into the sky, a whistling plasma bolt lighting up the night. Johann looked at him, unimpressed.

"Oh was that all? Oh how pitiful! Your plan fails and a yell is your final words? I expected more from the great Hiccup Haddock the Third!" Johann scoffed, rolling his eyes at the trapped rider. Hiccup smirked, trying to hide his true concern behind his steady facade of confidence. Then, he spotted something behind the man. Something that gave him hope. 

Thank Thor he wasn't stupid enough to come alone.

"Actually, it was Viggo's pathetic plan that failed! Oh, and by the way, I wasn't yelling in frustration." Hiccup locked his eyes behind the man, watching as a certain Zippleback grew closer. The hunters grunted in confusion, Johann looking back with narrowed eyes. 

"Comin in hot, and blowing up snot!" A yell rang out. Fireballs fell from the sky. Several hunters scattered at the sight. Johann growled at the sight. He was frustrated. Good.

"Ruff! Tuff! Over here!" Hiccup yelled, waving his hands. Johann snapped his head back to the boy, growling, before running for cover. The twins flew over their heads, blowing copious amounts of flammable gas. A perfect cover. Hiccup threw the net off of himself and his dragon. He pushed Viggo with as much force as he could onto the dragon's back once more. The linen fastenings holding him to the dragon's neck made the job much more manageable. He quickly got on Toothless and gently took off, before meeting the twins excited stare.

"Hiccup! What took you so long? You nearly missed our awesome record breaking snot blast—woah, is that a Skrill?!" Ruffnut said. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Now was not the time. They had to go. 

"Not now. Can you grab the Skrill?" He asked. The twins gave him a cocky grin in return. 

"Ohoho, our fierce leader, asking for our help to carry a dragon of mass destruction? Very well then! Witness our glory!" Tuffnut yelled. Barf and Belch grabbed the unconscious dragon, hoisting it above the clouds of Zippleback gas. Hiccup met them in the air, Toothless warbling as he glared down at the base with his rider. 

"Alright! Take them out!" He yelled.  

"What a fine idea! I was just thinking the same thing!" Ruffnut said, her dragon realeasing more flammable toxins. Her twin chucked as he pulled on Belch's horn.

"Fire in the hole!" With that, the area exploded with a shattering bang, raining ash and fire from the obliterated base. Hiccup grinned. We survived he thought, before looking back at the man who was slumped behind him. Urgency filled his veins at the pallor of the man's skin. They were running out of time, fast. They had to go. 

"Toothless! Let's get out of here!" He said, concern painting his voice with a tremor. His dragons let out a warble in return, beating his wings as they flew back to the Edge, their nightmare over. But it seemed a new one was beginning. 

And with that, they were on their way. It didn't take long, however, for the twins to notice his unfortunate passenger.

"Woah Hiccup! There's a hunter on your dragon!" Tuffnut yelled, brow furrowed as they flew closer to him to get a better look. Hiccup sighed. 

"Yeah, yeah. I know. We are taking them back to the Edge." 

"The Skrill too? Awesome!" Ruffnut yelled in joy, taking the news in stride. Her twin wooped. 

"Oh, oh! Hiccup, our fearless leader taking the enemy and the offspring of Thor to the edge? How scandalous! You are finally a true servant of Loki! I'm so proud of you!" Tuffnut grinned, ash darkening his face and hair. 

"Our lessons  in Loki-dom have paid off, finally!" 

"Now's not the time guys. He's hurt, badly. They both are. We need to hurry back. Think you can keep up with us?" Hiccup knew the answer before he could fully say it, even when he knew he could go faster than the Zipplback, he had to fly with them, and time was of the essence. Goading them on was an important strategy if you needed them to do something. It was good to know they would try their best if there was a challenge involved.

"Oh Hiccup, you dare underestimate the awesome power of our dragon?" 

"I think the real question is, can you keep up with us?" They immediately started flying as fast as they could. Yup. Predictable as always, thank Thor. He leaned closer to his dragon, sending a worried look to Viggo. He was looking worse by the second.

" Ok. Let's just get out of here, Bud." Hiccup lightly squeezed the dragons sides, urging him to go faster. As he suspected, the twins lost their lead almost instantly. He would usually slow down a bit more to fly side by side, but they had to hurry. He looked down at the pale cold hands he held around his waist, a sense of urgency mixed with worry filling his entire body. 

"Hold on, Viggo. You can't die. Not yet."

Quick art I made for the chapter ;D 

Chapter Text

Hiccup jumped off of Toothless the second they landed they hit the ground running, His dragon following faithfully behind behind him. He passed Astrid, who shouted in confusion. Yeah, he didn't blame her, he was sure they were a sight, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had is enemy to save. Hiccup burst into his hut, shoving the old parchment and iron tools off of the spare bed frame in the corner, cluttered from the lack of use. Once done, he called Toothless over. 

Once the dragon was close enough, the rider pulled Viggo off of his dragon, quickly untying the linen restraints, carefully. He, with as much grace as he could muster with his thin body, maneuvered Viggo onto the bed; he was careful to lay him on his stomach, watching the arrows with a pit of dread in his stomach. The man let out a small groan, perspiration gathering on his brow from the painful movement. Hiccup cringed a bit, but quickly ran back outside, not paying it much mind. He had to hurry and find help, or there won't be any recovery. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. 

"Fishlegs!!" His voice felt horse as it shook, echoing through their base. Instead of the rider he needed at the moment, Astrid quickly made her way towards the distraught rider, confusion and worry disturbing her expression. 

"Hiccup! What... What happened? What are you doing?" She tried to look back at the hut, but Toothless growled from the entrance. She recoiled, astonished at the dragon and his riders behavior. Hiccup growled, his eyes flashing. Yeah, he really didn't know either. 

"Probably something I'll regret. Where is Fishlegs? Fishlegs!??" He shouted again. God's, he didn't have time for this. He quickly turned to run to the direction of Fishleg's hut. His dragon also howled with him, trying in his own way to get the bulky mans attention. Astrid followed Hiccups hasty jog as she scanned Hiccup, worry painted on her face.

"How can I help? Hiccup you have to talk to me-" She was cut off as the sight of the twins Zippleback appeared in her peripherals. She looked back, stopping in place alongside Hiccup, but only for a moment. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the creature grasped in their claws. 

"Comin in for a landing! We brought home a special guest!" Barf and Belch gently placed the dragon onto its side. 

"Yeah! Meet Thunderlord! Our new brother of Lokidom!" They leapt off their dragon, patting the unconscious dragons hind leg. She shook her head, electric eyes wide and worried as she ran to keep pace with her betrothed. 

"H-Hiccup! Thats a Skrill!" 

"Thank you, Astrid. I know. You would not believe what happened out there. But I need Fishlegs, now." As if on que, the man in question jogged up to the fanfare breathing heavily as he looked upwards. Fishlegs gazed at the spiked dragon, jaw agape as he worried his hands, clearly wanting to write down everything about the dragon before him. 

"Hiccup, Wait.. Is that? you brought home a Skrill?! How? Why?" His eyes widened as he processed the arrows decorating the purple and black scales of the dragon. "Oh, Its hurt!" The large rider started towards the dragon, but Hiccup quickly cut him off, grabbing the mans arm and standing in his way. Fishlegs sent him a look of shock and frustration as he asked a silent question, one which Hiccup quickly answered.

"I need your help. You studied under Gothi. You know more about healing wounds than anyone. I have someone in my hut that has severe arrow wounds to the back. I need medical attention and all of the materials you need there, now!" Fishlegs looked at him, alarmed and confused. 

"What? Who?" 

"Someone who needs help! C'mon! Come into my place when you have everything! Hurry!" Hiccup yelled, starting to run back to his hut. Toothless stood in vigil at the doorway, nearly as wired as his rider. Astrid ran next to him. 

"Why are you guys being so loud?! A mans gotta get his beauty rest!" Snotlout finally decided to grace them with his presence. Hiccup directed the riders, ignoring his cousin with not even a look in his direction, which Snotlout snorted at, eyebrows furrowed. 

"Astrid, you and the twins watch over the Skrill. Snotlout, Grab some dragon-root antidote from Fishlegs hut. Treat the Skrill." Everyone nodded, some less serious than others, but all feeling the tension in the air. Snotlout threw his hands up in the air.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on?" Snotlout shouted as Hiccup reached the doorway. Hiccup ignored him, striding inside. Astrid, against his wishes, peaked her head into the hut after the dragon moved further in. Her eyes widened, unbelieving at what, or rather who she saw laying there, face pale and sweaty as he let out a small groan, black hair stuck to his head and arrows potruding dangerously close to his spine. 

"I just- I had to do something, ok?!" Hiccup yelled, running to the hunters side. Astrid took in the scene with a hint of panic on her face. 

"Hiccup have you lost your mind?! That's Viggo! The man who nearly killed us and destroyed our village!" To add insult to injury, Snotlout decided to pop his head into the hut. Toothless growled. "Woah, Hiccup! That's our enemy! What are you doing? You-you cavorting with them now?!" Hiccup glared at Snotlout. 

"Thanks for pointing out the Outcast in the room! Just-Please do what I told you! I will explain everything later!" Toothless tottered to the door, pushing both of them back out of the door with a snarl. Snotlout whined at the action, eyes wide even as his brow furrowed in frustration. 

"Fine! Whatever!" Snotlout, finally doing as he was told, stormed away. Astrid stared into the room around the dragons wide frame, dumbfounded.

Hiccup huffed as his dragon made his way to the bedside, comforting the rider with his presence, big eyes staring at him and the hunter that lay before them. Hiccup sighed, gripping his bangs before glaring at Viggo. 

"You still have so much to pay for Grimborn. I refuse to let you die like this." The hunter responded with a wheezing sigh, eyebrows furrowed and his skin sallow. 

Just in time, Fishlegs burst into the cabin, his arms full of bags and bottles. He quickly trotted in, dumping the materials on the desk by the bed before fully taking in just who he would be tending to. 

"Hiccup, what in Midgard is he doing here?" Hiccup elected to ignore the question as it was thrown at him again. He was done delaying.  

"Fish! Thank Odin. He took 4 arrows in the back, one fell out. He passed out before we could escape." 

Fishlegs took in the man before him, his face going pale in sight of the blood soaked tunic with arrows protruding from it. The open skylight emphasizing the sheen of sweat and blood that caked the hunters back and face. Viggo breathed shakily, even unconscious. 

"Hiccup, that looks really really bad. I-We need a læknir, I am just an apprentice I.." Hiccup cut him off, glaring at his teammate. 

"Fish! Focus!"

"Uhm... Oh gods.. Ok, ok. Cut off his shirt, we need to see how far they went in." Hiccup did as told, after unbuckling the belt and loosening the linen, he quickly unstrapped his dagger from his arm and ran it across the black drenched tunic, being wary of the arrows. He slowly stripped it off of the man, leaving the excess to hang off the sides of the bed. A red undershirt laid underneath, connected to the dragon skin that hung off of his shoulders and waist. Hiccup made quick work of that one as well. He gently exposed the mans back, inhaling sharply at the sticky mess. 

It did not look pleasant. Thick blood welled around the 3 arrow wounds, but the worst was the one that ripped open, welling with red, rivulets flowing down the mans back without clothing to restrain its flow. The edged were raised and irritated, small hints of white and yellow settled in the wound, indicating a deep laceration. God's, the willpower to even move with wounds like this must be astonishing. His respect for Viggo grew a a bit more, but he did not focus on that. He instead focused on the task at hand.

"Oh.. that's euhm.. not good. They're pretty far in Hiccup. His chances aren't.. great. Are you really sure that he's even worth-" Hiccup snapped at his friend, his eyes glowing a dangerous viridian. 

"Fishlegs. It's not his time yet, Nornar be willing! Tell me what to do. He is dying!" He gestured his hands to the rider, infuriated by the sheer amount of insubordination that's taken place. Why is nobody listening? He knew why, but still, he didnt have time.

"Ugh ok, ok!" Fishlegs quickly rummaged through his things, taking a tankard of water and a pouch of herbs, dropping them into a tankard. He spoke, more stern and professional, as he was taught by Gothi to do.  

"One punctured close to the ridge in his back. We need to be careful. Ill pull out the arrows slowly. If one starts bleeding bad you need to staunch it. There's some wool in my bag. Also grab the whalebone. Its got some runes carved in already. And Hiccup?" He looked at his leader, his face grave. 

"Pray to Eir for her blessing. I hope it's not as bad as it looks." 

Hiccup jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. He whipped his head around to meet the concerned sky-blue of his betrothed. He forgot she was there, at the moment. Fishlegs didn't seem to register her earlier either, if his gasp was any indication.

"Astrid! Perfect. Grab my mortar and pestle. Mash the honey and yarrow together. Let Toothless add some saliva. We need a poultice to treat the wounds. Hiccup, careful now. Let me know if there are clear or yellow fluids. Anything smelly either, got it?" Hiccup nodded. Astrid looked dumbfounded for a moment, before nodding and heading towards the pile of items. Fishlegs efficiently extracted the arrows, noting the lack of barbed ends or shrapnel in the wounds, carefully setting them down. The man underneath them groaned, wiggling slightly in pain. Hiccup, as asked, used the wool to block the blood flow, placing wool onto the wounds, alternating pressure on each one. 

"Good, good. Staunch the flow. I need a needle." Fishlegs hobbled over to a bag, pulling out a bone needle and thread. as he tied it off, he glanced at Hiccup. 

"Just red, right?" Hiccup nodded. 

"Incredible. The gods are with him. The runes seem to be working." Fishlegs nodded to himself, before walking back over with a yak bladder. 

"Hiccup, back up. We are almost done. Take the wool coverings off. Get ready." He demanded. Hiccup complied. He squeezed the bladder, releasing vinegar across the wounds. Viggo yelled and writhed, face contorted in agony as his wounds were harshly cleaned with the vinegar. Hiccup grabbed his arm and leg, and Fish held the other side, holding the man as still as they could. The squirming finally slowed. Fishlegs sewed the wounds closed with efficiency, ignoring the hunter's pained whimpers. 

 
"Alright, Astrid, hand the poultice to Hiccup. Apply it gently." Hiccup took the offered bowl and hung it over the mans back, using the pestle to drop the concoction onto the mans wounds. Fishlegs patted down the lumps before applying clean wool. As he headed to grab linen strips, Hiccup and Astrid helped prop the man up slightly. Fishlegs quickly finished tending to the wounds, wrapping the linen tightly in place.

And with that. They were done.

"There!" Everyone collectively heaved a sigh in relief. 

A silence rung in the room, only accompanied by Viggo's labored breaths. Hiccup stared at the ground, avoiding his friends accusing eyes. It sure was quite nice wood, after all, in his hut. The grooves were deep and rich, they really made the color pop-

"Hiccup. You've got some explaining to do. Now."

Hiccup sighed. Yeah. He sure did.

"What-what did you do?" 

He wished he had an answer.

Chapter Text

"Hiccup, you have done some really questionable things, but this. This really tops it all. Of all the boneheaded Thor-forsaken-" Astrid yelled, gesturing wildly, her blue eyes flashed dangerously. 

"I just-"

"Hiccup, he is our enemy! Are you forgetting the amount of pain he has brought to our dragons? To our village?" Fishlegs spoke, his voice wavered a bit in confusion and hurt. 

"I am very aware Fishlegs! I know what he has done!" Hiccup groaned, waving his hand towards his friend in acknowledgement. Fishlegs narrowed his eyes as he continued putting away his utensiles, turning his head towards Hiccup.

"Then why go through all of this trouble to save him?" 

"I..." Hiccup really wished people would stop asking him such hard questions. Especially when he had no clue himself. He curled up tighter into a ball, metal foot lightly shaking as he stared down at the wooden floor. 

"Hiccup." Astrid said, stressing her tone as she glared down at him with her piercing eyes. He really wished he could be alone right now. It was days like this that made him regret not running away with Toothless when he could've, honestly. 

The doorway creaked, unwelcome listeners made themselves known as they stormed into the room, hopping over the irritated dragon. Hiccup felt his headache sharpen. 

"Yeah, the threat of death hanging over our heads every second is exactly what I want! Bravo Hiccup! Great call!" Snotlout yelled as he entered, his hands on his hips as he narrowed his eyes at Hiccup, not hesitating to join the 'scrutinizing Hiccup for acting impulsively' club, as he always did.

"I for one, am on board! I'm sure the man will lighten up the place! We could use a new coat of red in our hut!" Tuffnut yelled, banging his head against his sister's helmet with a loud clang. 

"Yeah, and we could use more entertainment for the boar pit!" Ruffnut echoed her brothers sentiment. Yeah. Im sure they were fine with the whole archipelago going up in smoke. At the very least they wouldn't fight him on this. One less problem here, he supposed. 

"I like how your mind works sister!" The twins giggled, slamming their helmets together with glee. Hiccup banged his head lightly against the wall. Any more of this and he would have to drink the willow bark tea Fishlegs set out for Viggo just to survive the pain of the afternoon. Hiccup's arm ached at that moment, as if the thought was enough for it to remind him that he was still injured. He winced slightly as he shifted. Astrid seemed to have caught onto the movement immediately, her eyes narrowing at his arm as he stopped his hand from covering the wound. 

"Quiet! All of you! This isn't getting us anywhere!" Astrid yelled. Hiccup wanted to kiss her just for that, feeling the ache of their stares wane as she interrupted them. They all quitted, looking at Hiccup and Astrid with confusion. Astrid nodded at the new silence before looking at Hiccup, who was currently trying to melt into the floorboards. 

"You are hurt." She said. Hiccup grimaced, but nodded.

"Yeah. Arrow nicked me." He mumbled. Fishlegs quickly turned and started rummaging through his medical materials once more, movements hasty. Hiccup nodded thankfully to the Viking as Astrid leaned close to him, grabbing his arm. 

" Let me see." Astrid said. Hiccup let her move his arm, showing the bloody torn cloth behind it. She let out a small breath of air at the sight, realizing it wasn't as bad as it could be, before looking up at Hiccup. Fishlegs came back, kneeling at his side with bandages. Astrid refused to break eye contact with him, eyes serious and narrowed. Hiccup swallowed at the sharp look. 

"Hiccup... This is insane, but I am going to trust for a moment that you haven't lost your mind. Please. Just tell us what happened." Hiccup took a deep breath before standing and leading the group out of the hut, trying to give Viggo at least a semi-quiet environment. As he made his way to their main hut, he tried his best to straighten his frantic thoughts into a semi-coherent stream. 

"Yeah, well. I can't exactly prove I haven't, but here goes..." 

"Wow."

"Yup." 

Everyone was convened in their main hut, reeling from their leaders story. Nobody said anything for a moment, unsure how to react. Hiccup could relate. He wiggled in his seat slightly, uncomfortable. The last day and a half were nearly unreal. Hiccup felt as though his entire world shifted on its axis. In the span of a sun-cycle his enemy tried to ally himself with their cause and tear down their enemies to the point he would die for their leader. Hiccup tried to see every angle, and how Viggo could possibly have some secret plan, but came up short. He felt the gaze of everyone on him, boring into his very soul, as if they could find the answers to the predicament Hiccup's impulsive decisions landed them in simply by staring hard enough. 

"Why would he try and sacrifice himself to save you?" Fishlegs chimed, cutting through the tense silence. 

"I wish I knew." Hiccup shook his head, unable to answer. 

"And he trained a Skrill??" 

"Yup." 

"I..." Fishlegs stopped, looking at the floorboards.

"Maybe he is possessed!" Ruffnut shouted, throwing her hands in the air. Sure. Hiccup sent them a look. The twins were being helpful, as usual. 

"Good theory, sister! I propose we set him ablaze to release the spirit! Grab the nightmare gel!" Hiccup's eyes widened. With a surprising amount of panic in his chest, he leapt to his feet, abandoning the barrel he was sitting on. 

"Woah, no! We are not doing that!" The twins pouted.

"Awww.." "Buzzkill." Astrid snorted. Snotlout threw his hands in the air, exasperated. 

"No, I'm sure he knew Hiccup was gullible and used our illustrious leader to get on the Edge and steal our dragons! We all know Hiccup has no backbone!" Hiccup took offense to that statement, but he couldn't deny that same thought has crossed his mind multiple times. Astrid glared at Snotlout, who stepped down a bit, leaning forcefully against the wall with an annoyed huff. At his surrender, Astrid turned to look at her betrothed. 

"I hate to say it, but Snotlout has a point...in a way. It was probably all just some plot to let your guard down." She grabbed his shoulder with a steady hand. Hiccup calmed at the strong presence next to him. He looked at her, grateful and hesitant. 

"I get that, but do you really think he took arrows in the back to get to me? Astrid, I just don't see any world where that would go in his favor." 

"Hiccup, the man is insane." 

"But he's not stupid. None of this makes sense. What point would dying make?"

"He probably knew another way out. He is also a master of manipulation." Astrid's eyes grew softer as her voice lowered, firm but understanding. Hiccup let out a small sigh. 

"Yeah. Maybe-maybe you're right. I just... I couldn't leave him there to die Astrid. Especially not like that. He doesn't deserve that kind of death." Astrid narrowed her eyes. Hiccup knew that expression well. She wouldn't back down from this. 

"Yeah you could have! It's not like it would be hard!" Ruffnut cheered from the other side of the room. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Thanks Ruff. That's-not what I meant." 

"Anytime Hic!" Hiccup stared at his teammate with a blank expression. 

"Well. We can't change what happened. What do you think we should do?" Astrid said, bringing his attention back to her. 

"I think, for now, we should keep him here while he recovers. Keep a close watch. Anything suspicious and well send him to Outcast Island. If he really has changed like he wants us to believe, then maybe... maybe this might be a good thing." At least, he hoped so. Now that he was out of danger, the doubt started creeping into him worse and worse every moment. This could be a play, but...what if it wasn't? He couldn't throw away the possibility, no matter how small it may be.

"I don't know Hiccup...He is too dangerous." Astrid disagreed, blonde hair whipping slightly into her face as she shook her head. "I think we should get rid of him, as soon as we can. Who knows what damage he could bring to us?"

Hiccup looked to the ground for a moment, considering. Astrid could see the clear hesitation written on his face. Astrid knew him too well, could see through his cold expression. She ducked her head further, forcing him to meet her eyes. She ran a hand on his, comforting him. 

"I know what you are thinking, I see it in your eyes. I get it. But-Hiccup, people like him-look. I know you want to see the good in everyone but some people are just evil. People like Viggo Grimborn don't change. First chance we get, we should get him far, far away from the Edge. So far away that he can't hurt you again." 

Hiccup let out a shuddering breath. He...didn't like that option, leaving the man to die out there. Viggo did try to save him. He didn't deserve such a dishonorable death. "I... I don't know Astrid. I..." He shook his head. "Let's at least let him stay until he isn't on deaths door. Ok?" 

Astrid considered for a moment. "Ok. Ok. But we need to get him far away from us when that time comes. Who knows what damage he could bring?" Hiccup stared into her resolute eyes, then slowly nodded. He sighed. He saw the logic in her statement. People like Viggo are out for themselves, and he felt he was being childish for ever even considering the contrary. Hiccup slowly stood, shaking the pins and needles from his body as he did so. The team followed his lead, heading for the entrance. Astrid stopped him for a moment, hand on his shoulder before leaving a small peck on his cheek, fluttering her eyelashes slightly as she looked at him. 

"I know you will make the right choice, Hiccup. He will only hurt us." And with that, she walked away into the cold night air. Hiccup let out a breath, watching it freeze in the chilled air. She was right. 

Still, even as he thought that, he felt something in his heart cry out that he was wrong, and that Viggo was different. 

He knows better, but he couldn't kill that hope in his heart, even when his head screamed. Even when it barely was a seed. 

Hiccup walked back to his hut, pulled a chair up to Viggo's bedside, and waited. He focused deeply on the man's features, taking in the pale skin, ever paler on the twisted flesh of his burns. The man's face was tilted towards him, half buried in the soft cotton pillow at the odd angle. His dark hair fell softly against the pillow, always elegant despite the current grim circumstances. He always hated that about the man, how he was so flawless, even scarred. His face was scrunched in pain, his dark eyebrows-eyebrow stood starkly against his skin, as did his well maintained facial hair. It was odd, he thought. The man almost looked normal, sleeping like this. Almost human. The mans eyes fluttered lightly against his cheeks, as if the man was dreaming. He guessed even monsters like him dreamed, didn't they? It was surreal, seeing him this close, brow relaxed and eyes closed. 

So exposed. So innocent looking. Hiccup never knew he could look so serene. Viggo seemed like such an untouchable god among men. Now... now he seemed human. And that did something to Hiccup, clicking something in place. This man could die at any moment. This man's life was as fragile as their own. He could take advantage of the man's weakness, ensure that the archipelago would not have to face the man's tyranny ever again. Before, he thought of that, killing Viggo, just to make it all stop, the nightmares, the death in his village, the war. Even when he hated killing. But now...

The thought made him feel sick. Because Viggo was more than a madman, more than a tyrannical god. He was human, and humans could change. 

A couple of days passed, Hiccup tending to his wounds, watching him, looking at his skin as it gained color, studying his eyes as he hoped they would open. It had to only be a matter of time. He never left the man's side. His dragon was getting antsy, but Hiccup couldn't leave now. Hiccup stayed, waiting for the hunter to wake. Finally, he watched as Viggo's eyes flickered for a moment, then opened. 

The first thought that crossed Viggo's mind was that he never thought Valhalla could be so painful. His back was aflame, like Changewing acid was slathered across it, painfully eating away at his flesh. 

The second, was that the Valkyries obviously didn't quite take him up yet; one stood before him, bathed in an ethereal glow. 

Beautiful. Heavenly. His glorious muse. His dear Hiccup.

He did think, for a moment, that the face of his supposed enemy greeting him was the greatest gift Valhalla could ever bestow him with. When he said as much, the Valkyrie stepped away, a pink flush covering his features. 

Odd. As he thought it, he realized it was peculiar that a male Valkyrie stood before him. He thought all of them were female. Perhaps they made an exception and sent him one with the face of his infatuation, and what a wonderful exception it was. The Valkyrie walked farther from his reach. Viggo keened as the presence abandoned his side, longing for the winged deliverer. He felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier over his blurry vision. 

He never realized Valhalla could be this cruel, to gift him such a gift, then tear him away once again. 

As the world fizzled away, thoughts of emerald eyes and auburn hair faded with it. Viggo was enveloped with darkness once more.

Hiccup slipped away into the cool night air, hoping to escape the embarrassment of that encounter. His heart fluttered as he breathed in the crisp air, his quick breaths accompanied by small puffs of white.

Out of all of the things he expected from Viggo, poetic rhapsodizing of his beauty and how he was a gift from Odin's very halls was not something that ever crossed his mind. Just...what? How hurt was this guy?

He winced, the flush that slightly faded came back with full force, leaving his body heated. The earlier hatred he harbored fell to the wayside for the moment, thrown by the jarring experience. 

He never really thought too much of the others emotions for him besides the obvious facade of twisted affection; never really considered the man felt anything more than contempt mixed with some morbid fascination, as he felt for him. He wasn't blind, he knew the man had an odd obsession with him (as Hiccup did for Viggo), but he never really thought further than that. He felt slightly hysterical. As a hiccup, he never experienced such a thing as that. He knew nobody has or will ever think he is physically desirable in any way. It was a rule. He couldn't believe anyone would break that rule. 

This was clearly all because Viggo was hurt, but...A day ago he would've sworn Viggo wasn't even capable of emotions other than greed. Now? Now Hiccup felt the slight urge to lean off his balcony and take a dive down to the rocky waters below than try to decipher this... enigma of a man. This was all too confusing. Yet he yearned to know more.

There was no chance those words were real, not after all he's put the man through. Hiccup did feel a bit of remorse on that front, but not much. The man did kill and sell dragons for profit after all. He couldn't forget that fact. He should remember that was who the man really was. He has been told so many times before, people like that don't change. People like that don't feel. 

Pain makes people act odd. He knew that. He tried brushing the encounter off. Yes, he was sure the man didn't like him... that way. His heart fluttered at the thought, even if it was insane. He would never. 

He furrowed his brow and made his way down the hill, whistling for his dragon. He needed to take a quick flight. He had a lot to think about. Hopefully, Viggo will be more coherent the next time he wakes up. He remembered Astrid's words, and steeled himself for an inevitable backstabbing. He will be ready for it, if that's the case. He would be wary for now, and prepare for the worst. He'll figure out what the man's endgame was to their little misadventure, and prepare for the worst. He shook his head, the mans tender words and expression forcefully pushed from his mind.

He wanted to hope that Astrid was right. She had to be. He wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't, If Viggo was actually telling the truth. 

Chapter Text

More time passed. A week, now. It was only a matter of time.

Viggo Grimborn groaned, the world first flickering into existence piece by piece, then all at once. The pain hit him with force akin to being stabbed. Now that he thought of it, that description was probably quite accurate to his current condition. Last he remembered, he was on deaths door. He recalled being skewered by several arrows, something he berated himself on;  he was better than letting a couple of hunters get the better of him. It was a pathetic way to go out. He did remember offering to sacrifice himself to save Hiccup, but other than that it was fuzzy. 

He wondered if he were dead. It didn't make much sense to be alive, after all. 

Unless...

Viggo gasped and sat up, or, tried at least. He was laying on his stomach. His back twitched in agony as he tried to prop himself up on his forearms. As he did so, he felt a small warm weight fall out of his hand. Viggo turned, coming face to face with his sleeping rival. 

Hiccup.

The hunters eyes widened, drinking in the sight as if it were water after weeks in the desert. The younger mans eyes were closed; his face serene and relaxed in the throes of sleep. His auburn hair was tussled and heavy bags coated the skin underneath his eyes, as if he rubbed them with charcoal. 

Viggo's heart thumped with a feeling he has come to associate with Hiccup for quite a while now. It wasn't affection, it wasn't exactly greed or lust either. He has felt all of those before and could identify them on the spot. This, this seemed to almost be a combination of all of those at once. 

He has heard his hunters wax poetic about their spouses once or twice, but ne never quite understood the reason they were so enthralled by another person. People, after all, held you back. They were an obstacle, either to be used against you or by you. He never quite understood those emotions people talked about, until he got to know Hiccup.

It was intrigue, at first. It quickly spiraled into fascination, then obsession, then reverence, then...

He was unsure what it was exactly, but for now he would use the name his warriors gave the feeling. The flutters in his chest, the way the other made him crazy, the complete enchantment the other held him under. 

He knew it was wrong, to feel that way about his enemy. And foolish. He knew nothing could ever come of it. He was the 'bad guy' as many have referred to him as in the past. The childish sentiment never failed to make him chuckle. He didn't mind being the man who people hated. He was tasked to ensure his tribe was well taken care for. He needed to ensure comfort and security for his people and, if he had to knock some heads around to do that? So be it. 

Besides, his adversary was betrothed to another. He would not choose to upset the rider, as hilarious as the thought is, he couldn't bear to see him broken by his actions.

Funny. Altruism. Another thing he never would have thought himself to feel.

Hiccup did tend to have that effect. He never thought he may also one day try and sacrifice himself to save another. It was unthinkable, but here he is. He expected to die, trying to save his enemy. He prepared for that outcome. He knew he would fall there, in that base. 

Apparently, he was wrong about that too. As he saved his enemy, his enemy saved him in turn, the fool. He felt the urge to laugh at the absurd situation build in his chest. 

Hiccup was just a walking contradiction. He grew from a dragon killing village, only to befriend a dragon. He fought to save all dragons, yet rumor has it, he killed one for his village. He blasted ships, ruined lives, and killed hunters, yet preached about the worth of life. He told him he was evil, yet saved him time and time again; saved him from his brothers trap, ran for him at the volcano, and now? 

Viggo winced as he slowly lowered himself back onto his stomach, feeling his muscles burn as he did so. He reached over to gently nudge the others hand. 

Well. If he played his hand correctly... he might learn why.

Hiccup jumped, a small yelp accompanied his magnificent eyes snapping open. Viggo's eyes twinkled in amusement as he looked at the other, watching as he collected his bearings, before meeting his emeralds eyes. A blush dusted the riders face, embarrassment and fear painting his face as the rider took in their proximity. Hiccup stood, the stool he was sitting on screeching as the man swiftly vacated the seat as he leaned against the bedframe. Hiccup taking a few steps back. 

"Good morning." Hiccups eyes widened, then narrowed. as if insulted. He growled, throwing his hands in the air.

"Good morning? Good. Morning? That is what you wanna go with Viggo? You insufferable, insane-gah!" Hiccup yelled. "You try to kill yourself for me and that's all you have to say? What was it that made you make that call back there? You surely didn't do it out of the goodness of your heart. "

"I..." He blinked, not expecting such an explosive reaction. Hiccup ran a hand through his hair as he paced the floor, a rhythic click and tap following his movements.

"Are hunters on the way right now? Do you have an army laying in wait here already?" Viggo felt dumbfounded, but also somewhat proud. If he wasn't so beset by such infuriating emotions, he could see himself twisting this situation in his favor. Alas, it was not one of those times. His own actions befuddled him; following his heart instead of his head like some simpleton. Still, he had to commend Hiccup's suspicion, even if it wasn't necessary this time. 

"Hiccup, truthfully, I did not plan this." 

"Are you just suicidal then? Is that it?"  Viggo snorted lightly. "I thought my untimely death would've been cause for celebration." Hiccup snarled, canines catching the candlelight.

"You-Do you have any idea what that would do to me? Having you die for me? You really think that would make me happy?" Viggo's eyes widened a modicum, startled at the man's words. 

"Well-we are enemies-" 

"We are more than that Viggo! " Hiccups rant suddenly ended with the rider backing away slightly, eyes wide. Viggo felt his traitorous heart leap at the others words. He nearly smiled at the rider.

Oh Hiccup, always the contradiction. 

"I didn't-I mean." Hiccup took a breath, steadying himself. He took a few steps, pulling the discarded chair towards him as he took a seat, leaning on his knees with a hint of disbelief on his face.

"Why, Viggo?" Viggo smiled at the mans words. 

"Why? Well, my dear. I couldn't let you die." Hiccup startled, the green eyes he adored flashing lightly in the candlelight, before staring down at the floor. Viggo felt his heart skip a beat, unsure. 

A silence rung through the room, neither wanting nor knowing what to say. As tense as it was, there was an undertone of warmth as they spent time in the others presence, rather amazed that they both were alive.  

"Viggo..." Hiccup started, but cut himself off. Viggo nodded, meeting the others viridian irises. Hiccup stared straight into them, not wavering. 

"Hiccup, you have taught me many things. Somehow, you have even inspired me to action." Hiccup's mouth hung slightly open.  "None of our last raid was a lie or trick, though I do not blame you for thinking that. Before I would not have hesitated to stab you in the back, or trick you somehow to twist it in my favor, but things have changed. I have changed, my dear. I do wish you would believe that." It nearly hurt to lay himself out so plainly. It was something he had never done, not even to his own brother. Hiccup did seem to inspire the oddest reactions in him. Hiccup hesitated, teeth grinding lightly in thought.

"The current plan is to drop you off on the closest island as soon as we are sure you will survive." Viggo winced. It was understandable. Still, he pushed. 

"You would leave me defenseless?" Hiccup gave him a look, then looked to his hands.

"You would deserve it." Viggo winced. Hiccup studied him for a moment, before staring at the ceiling for a moment.

"You've done this same song and dance before, Viggo. I just...fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice..." The hunter didn't blame him for it, even as he felt a stab of pain in his chest. Hiccup looked at the floor after another moment.

"Thor, im gonna regret this..." He looked back at the hunter. "Fine. I think... you deserve a chance after that performance. I owe you. After everything." Hiccup sighed. "-We can wait; at least until you are able to fend for yourself, then you are gone.." Viggo looked up at the rider, a befuddled hope dancing on his face. Hiccup noticed and glared. 

"Don't get your hopes up quite yet. I can change my mind." Viggo nodded. 

"Very well. Once I am healed, if you still do not believe me, I will disappear from your lives." The thought weighed heavy on his mind, but if it is necessary, he will do so. Hiccup nodded, a grimace on his face.

"I think we could use your insight. But one foot out of line and we will drop you in the volcano." Viggo winced. "I'm serious Viggo. One wrong move and that's it. I refuse to put my team in danger."

Viggo agreed, face stern and unyielding, meeting the others hardened gaze. "Agreed. I do believe this partnership will bring great things for the both of us." Hiccup snorted. "Debatable." 

They sat in a more companionable silence this time, Viggo simply just taking in his adversaries strong presence. Hiccup seemed to be contemplating something, his brow furrowed. Finally, the silence was broken by an interjection from the rider.

"Viggo. How can you help us during your short stay here? It might help me convince the other riders that I haven't lost it." Viggo considered for a moment. 

"Johann and Krogan are certainly something I can help with. I know their strongholds locations, as well as their personalities. If you allow me to stay longer, I can also help with attacking, planning, and defense. I am skilled in a number of weapons, and I am a good advisor both on and off the battlefield. I am also a rather accomplished smith. I can help design and repair your riders armaments." Hiccup seemed a little jarred at the last one. Viggo raised a brow at his flustered expression. Hiccup looked down.

"I didn't know you could forge. I knew you were an inventor, but I thought you had someone else do the forging for you. I thought it was beneath you." Viggo nodded. It was a sound conclusion to come to, after all. It was actually a pretty common thought around his lands, closer to the larger masses. Some thought that chiefs should be handed the work of the mind, and not of the body. While his tribe respected knowledge greatly, he would not be chief otherwise, his people were also renowned for their crafts. They were a people who hunted dragons and used them for trading; crafting was a very important part of that process. Viggo was always inclined towards work with his hands. "Its just... an uncommon skill, I suppose." Hiccup ended. 

"Yet another thing we share, though. Funny, how similar we are." Hiccup's cheeks heated up. He sighed and looked down.

"So, ok. Ill-uh, Ill be back to check your bandages." Viggo nodded, starting to settle back down into the mattress. He stopped, fingers grasping the sheets into tight bundles before snapping his head to the rider once more. The sense of urgency he felt was quite surprising, but he had to know if she was ok. 

"Wait." Hiccup turned, a question clear on his face. "The Skrill? Where is she?" Hiccup stood a bit straighter. 

"She?" Oh. He didn't know it was a female. It made sense, he supposed. He did say he couldn't tame one. They probably didn't have a plethora of info on them as the hunters did. 

"Yes. Is she alright?  Did she make it out?" Hiccup nodded, eyes softening at the concern in the others eyes. 

"Heh. Yeah. She's fine. Still sleeping off the dragon-root, last I checked. She saved you, you know." The hunter felt a weight lift off his chest. He never knew that a dragon could cause such a feeling. Still, he was curious at the others light laugh. 

"What amuses you so?" Hiccup turned, facing the hunter fully. A small smile graced his lips, filling the ex-chief with butterflies. He never thought a genuine smile would ever be directed at him. He relished it. 

"You-just. You are worried about a dragon's wellbeing? I would think you would only be concerned about how much the value would drop if it were injured. You could give a fremjani a run for their coin." 

"Perhaps. Or things have changed." Hiccup hummed before turning fully to the door. 

"Sure. Well...You'll have to prove that, Viggo." 

Chapter Text

Days flew, Hiccup shadowing the hunter, having small conversations, trying to find the truth. Most days were filled with strained conversation with his riders.

Hiccup was sure to stay at the man's bedside, talking to the hunter in the increasing moments of awareness, and tending to his wounds when he could.

A tense atmosphere enveloped the island, bringing even the rowdiest members of his troupe to a stilted silence. Hiccup hated every second of it. It reminded him of his childhood, with the way people avoided him like he would break at any moment. At the same time, he really couldn't blame them. 

He never did find the time to explain to the rider's his plan to let Viggo stay until he healed, and possibly let him stay until Krogan's and Johann's defeat. He was not looking forwards to that conversation. At all. He reasoned it wasn't important at the moment since Viggo was still bedridden, so he put it off. 

It had nothing do to with his concern over their reactions. Nothing at all. 

 As Hiccup made his way out of his hut after another check on the hunter's bandages along with another stilted conversation, the world's weight crashed upon him all at once. His head hung, feeling fuzzy, as if he was flying high in the clouds. Viggo… 

Hiccup felt his shoes scuff against the beaten wood of his porch. He paced, feeling the eyes of his dragon, currently sunbathing on the roof, locked on him. Judging him, he was sure. 

He wasn't sure what to think of the man at this point, besides the ever constant hatred. Just trying to process his emotions towards the hunter made his mind spin; something that was sadly a common occurrence. Confusion, anger, hope... a bizarre dependence...The same emotions that made him save Viggo's life, the same ones that made him hope and pray to the gods that this wasn't a big ploy.  His breathing quickened and his heart skipped a beat as he thought that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't lying. That thought sent an uncertain warmth to creep up his spine. 

Hiccup felt a large scaly head push against his stomach. He looked down to meet the bright green eyes of his Night Fury. Concern shown brightly in them. He didn't realize he abandoned his pacing and was standing silently. He scratched the dragons neck, a hopefully reassuring smile on his face. The deadpan glance from the dragon told him he wasn't fooling anyone. He dropped the smile. 

If he wasn't lying? What then? He was fully prepared for the man to stab him in the back, but this was a whole new territory, one Hiccup was wildly ill-equipped for. The man did try to martyr himself for Hiccup. But why? What on Midgard would drive the man to sacrifice himself for Hiccup? 

A recollection of delirious eyes and beautiful prose filled his mind. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and he cringed, quickly tossing away the memory. Now that was a stupid thought. 

Toothless chuffed, bringing his attention back to the dragon. Hiccup sighed, looking his dragon in the eye.

"What do I do, bud?" The dragon huffed, nodding to the door and tilting his head. He then looked back, meeting Hiccups eyes with a twinkle of determination. 

"Yeah. I know. I feel stupid, but I almost..." He wanted to believe him. He wanted the man to prove Astrid wrong. 

He really hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

"People dont lie about things like this, right? I mean..."

Toothless snorted. 

"Yeah. People like Viggo do. But why?" 

A small chuff answered him. 

"Yeah. I don't know either. I guess well just have to find out."

He gave Toothless a pat on his nose before breaking from his station, heading down the ramp, looking for his teammates. 

Odd, he realized. Everything was pretty dead. No dragons or riders to be seen. 

 That... did not bode well. 

Abruptly, as if answering him, a large explosion of lightning bellowed across the island, electrifying the sky with dazzling light. Hiccup gasped, shielding his eyes from the blast. He looked in the direction of the explosion. It seemed to come from the forest, where-

Oh. The Skrill. Right. He felt a bit of excitement build in him. They weren't sure if she would even wake up, and now... 

Another blast of lightning burst across the grey skies, making Hiccup's ears ring. He started running towards the commotion, his dragon faithfully in tow. He wished he could fly, but he would rather not get struck by lightning again. His feet thumped heavily against the wood, then the grass as he made his way into the woods. Yelling started to reach his ears, along with the ominous crackling of an angry Skrill. He spotted a large blonde Viking headed his way, waving his arms. Hiccup waved back, meeting Fishlegs in the middle. They both tried to catch their breath. 

"H-Hic...cup! The... Skrill! It... It woke up!" 

"Yeah... the lightning... is a bit of... a giveaway." Hiccup couldn't hold back the sarcasm, even in the light of the situation. Fishlegs gave him a tired expression before starting to run back to the Skrill, briefing Hiccup on the way.

"As soon as he woke... up he freaked out!" Hiccups eyes widened. Of course she did! He cursed his lack of foresight. And he called himself a dragon trainer. 

"I think I know why!" Fishlegs nodded and they broke through the tree line. What greeted them was pure chaos. 

The ground was scorched, trees were shattered, and small fires were catching on the more dry areas of foliage. A writhing Skrill sat in the middle of the clearing, struggling heavily against the blockade of dragons that prevented her from leaving. Arches of lightning thrummed across her back. Bandages were wrapped around her middle and neck, now torn with her struggle. Some wounds seemed to tear open from the rough treatment, bleeding sluggishly. The riders surrounded her, threateningly. Hiccup barely restrained himself from smacking his forehead in frustration. That was really not the way to treat a panicking dragon. Fishlegs quickly broke down the situation.

"He won't calm down! He keeps trying to go out to the ocean! Its like he is terrified of something!" Hiccup nodded. 

"Yeah, more like for someone." Fishlegs looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened, a realization dawned on his face, alongside shock. Hiccup gathered his courage and walked up to the rampaging Skrill. It locked eyes on him, freezing its movements. Hiccup steadily approached, a calm expression on his face. The Skrill growled in warning, prompting Hiccup to stop. He breathed a deep breath, keeping eye contact before walking further. She slowly leaned forwards, growling all the time. She sniffed him as she entered his personal space, making his heart thump wildly. 

He watched as her pupils dilated slightly and smiled. He knew she could smell her riders scent on him. He reached his hand out in a 'calm down' gesture. The crackles of lightning ceased their dance across her spines. He heard Toothless stop growling behind him. 

"It's ok girl. He is alive. He is safe." Her pupils dilated some more, her growling subsiding from a roar to a rumble. She took a tentative step to the rider and tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. Hiccup understood her question. 

"Ill lead you to him. Ok?" She snorted, bobbing her head again with glaring eyes, as if saying 'lets go already'. She was an impatient one, huh? He turned on his heel, walking down the cliffside, Toothless close behind. He heard the dragon start to follow his lead. 

"Hiccup?" He heard Astrid's voice echo across the clearing. He looked to the rider, who stepped away from the dragon, still perched on Stormfly. She looked confused, understandably so. The last fortnight had to be some of the strangest days of their lives, after all. Hiccup grimaced, trying to be reassuring.

"Its alright! She wants to see Viggo." Astrid's eyes widened. "Viggo?" He nodded and broke eye contact, only catching the bewilderment as the last emotion on her face. "She?" He heard Fishleg's whisper. Huh. He mentioned that to his riders, didn't he? 

How...long has it been since he has seen any of them outside of getting meals and bandages from Fishlegs? That...was somewhat concerning.

"Stay away until I give the go-ahead. Got it?" He heard some affirmatives from his riders. 

Hiccup made his way down to the Edge, feeling the electric air of the Skrill make his hair stand on end, the smell of ozone strong on her breath. He was careful, watching the wild dragon with each small step. She watched him, yellow eyes narrowed as lightning danced on her spines. He breathed it in shakily, careful to use measured movements as to not trigger the dragon, sending assuring smiles every time she growled. He made it to his door, leaning down and lifting the door with slow measured movements. He met Viggo's surprised expression. 

"Someone is very excited to see you." As if on cue, the Skrill nudged her way into the door, swiftly making her way to the hunter. Viggo's face melted into a breathtaking smile. Hiccup cursed his heart as it spread a warmth through his body at the rare sight; a feeling which he shoved deep, deep down inside himself. These... past few weeks? The more he has spent with this man, conscious or unconscious, just heightened these feelings in him. It irritated him, in a way. He didn't quite know why he was acting like this, but it seemed like the man was the only thing he could think about any more. And watching him took his breath away.

The dragon leaned her head towards the hunter, breathing his scent in deeply before rubbing her nose against his shoulder. Viggo chuckled and shifted with a pained grunt, bringing his hand to rub against the purple and black scales on her nose. she pushed into the touch, closing her eyes as she did so. Viggo earned a point in Hiccup's book, begrudgingly, mind you, as he saw the clear trust of the dragon. Dragons were good judges of characters, after all. Well, most of the time. 

Hiccup swore he felt Frigg's touch at the sight. It must've been quite rare, he realized, for Viggo to let his feelings show through like this, to be so... open with his emotions. He wondered how long it has been since the man in front of him truly smiled like this. It made something inside of him long for the sight more often, but he pushed that feeling aside. It was stupid, to want to see his enemy happy? Yeah. Not on his life. He was broken out of his rumination by the very subject of his thoughts. 

"Thank you, Hiccup." Hiccup met the mans heterochromatic eyes before they drifted lightly, tracing the way his scars stretched around the, now smaller, smile. 

"Yeah, I-its what we do. All dragons deserve to be saved." He watched as the man traced his eyes across the bandages, catching the tears and, now open, wounds. He frowned. 

"This is from the arrows, yes? The ones they shot at her when I was unconcious?" Hiccup nodded, tracing patterns absentmindedly on his dragons head. "Yeah. It took quite a few to take her down. We were getting worried that she wouldn't wake up." Viggo's eyes narrowed as he studied the nearly scabbed wounds. 

"Yes, I am sure it took quite a bit of dragon-root as well. Skrills are somewhat-naturally resistant. I'm sure the lack of storms didn't help her situation either." Hiccups eyes widened, his mind quickly absorbing the information, questions running through his head. 

"Wha-Really?" 

"You know what they eat, yes?" 

"Sure. They eat fish and sometimes other dragons, but legends say that they feast on lightning itself, said to be sent by Thor to feed his offspring." He said, tapping his arm as he looked at the man.

Viggo nodded. "There is actually some truth to that legend. From careful observation, I've been able to deduce they are able to absorb energy from the lightning and use it as fuel. They can eat fish, but they prefer Thor's gift over any other food source. Dragon-root has a minimal effect due to their specific diet, unless it is used in large amounts." Hiccups mind whirred at that. He mentally noted to write it down as soon as he could. Fishlegs would flip at the information, he knew.

"That's...incredible." Viggo nodded, a small smile on his face. "They are so rare, though. How did you find out their primary food source?" Viggo gave him an odd look. 

"We captured many of their species and studied them closely. They were very well sought after in the dragon trade." Hiccup gulped, recoiling. The mood dampening drastically at the reminder of who exactly sat in the bed before him. A blanket of tension fell upon them. Viggo must have noticed his discomfort. Right. Hunter. No matter how long he spent with the man cooped up in this room, he couldn't forget who he was, what he has done. Viggo gave him a calm measured look.

"As I said before. I would never hurt her, Hiccup. I swear it." Hiccup looked to the floor. They both sat in silence for a moment, only the sounds of purring dragons filled the room, oblivious to their tension. Hiccup finally spoke, breaking the thread between them. 

"I... Ill hold you to that."

Viggo narrowed his eyes as he agreed. "You do not need to fear for your dragons. No harm will come to them from my hands, not anymore. I promise you this." Hiccup watched him with wary eyes. He wished he could trust him, but for now, he would have to take him at his word. 

"Did you tell the riders of my extended stay on the Edge?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Not... exactly."

Viggo gave him a look.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I'll tell them. But we need to take care of business here, first. Your Skrill managed to set half of the Edge on fire." 

Viggo snorted in amusement. "She is quite the spitfire, isn't she?"

Hiccup nodded. "She sure is." He paused for a moment.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Viggo shook his head, focusing on the creature before him, appreciating the proximity of such a powerful dragon. 

"Not yet. I would like to choose a suiting name for such a magnificent creature. She deserves a more superior title then the ones I have heard." Hiccup felt his respect for the man grow, then noticed the underhanded insult.

"Hey! I was fifteen!" Viggo chuckled. 

"Toothless, though? Really?" 

"His teeth retract! I thought it was fitting!" 

"For a name? How fitting for the fearsome Night Fury, the great offspring of Thor and Hela!" Hiccup blushed, his shoulders shaking. 

"Just-ah! Let it go. It suits him!" Viggo smirked. The playful banter petered out into an awkward silence, neither quite knowing what to say to the other. 

Hiccup rung his hands, abandoning his invisible finger drawings on his dragon in his anxiety. He always hated tense atmospheres like this. They never boded well, and haunted most of his childhood. He would rather not sit in it any longer, even if it meant conversing with Viggo. He blurted a question that swirled in the forefront of his mind.  

"So... what else do you know about Skrills?" 

Viggo grinned. 

They talked. And talked. The awkward pauses continued, of course. But they became less and less frequent, neither wishing for the looming dread of silence to hang over them. It was getting easier to talk to him, after this long. Even if they didn't talk much, they felt like they could at least bond about their mutual obsession with dragons. 

And they did. 

 In that moment, they nearly forgot they were enemies and somehow, even enjoyed the others company, as equals. They debated through the rest of the day and into the night, deep in conversation about their favorite shared topic. Their dragons fell asleep, curled around the bed and the stool, which Hiccup sat in at some point in their discussion. 

 Hiccup felt like he was forgetting something, but paid it no mind. Surely it wasn't too important, he thought.  

Chapter Text

"Skrills... they are related to Night Furies?" 

"Legends say so. And that they can even fly near the speeds of a Night-" Viggo groaned, his movements to prop himself up further pulling on his wounds, sending agonizing pain down his spine. Hiccup sat up urgently, and quickly made his way to the others bedside. 

Viggo shifted as Hiccup gently forced him back down from his previous position propped up on his side, looking closely at the bandages wrapped around the mans middle, moving ones close to the wounds to ensure no harm was done. His eyes traced the muscle lines, noting how firm his back muscles were. He shook his head, clearing the thought from his mind and checking for any sort of strain or tearing on the wounds, noting the lack of blood. 

"You need to be careful. Your wounds aren't healed yet." Viggo chuckled, wheezing at the jarring motion. "I am very aware." Hiccups eyes narrowed, pursing his lips. 

"Ok, wise guy. Maybe I'll just leave you without your tea tonight." Viggo smiled at the comment, making Hiccup's ire increase.

"You would be so cruel?"

"To you? Absolutely." Viggo winced, as if this is some theatrical play. Hiccup rolled his eyes, finding the dramatic performance grating. Viggo noticed, and sighed. 

"Oh, my dear. You wound me so." The term sent a tingle through his body. Its... never done that before. 

"You seem fully capable of doing that all on your own." Viggo smirked, but said nothing more. Hiccup hummed.

"Its getting late. You need some rest." Hiccup mumbled. He allowed Hiccup to mix the willow bark and yarrow tea. Hiccup tilted the man's head up as he has done many times before now, allowing him to slowly prop himself up on his elbow. The ex-hunters lips curled up in disgust at the putrid tea, but drank all the same. Hiccup took in the scene, watching the mans throat bob as he drank. That sparked something in him, but he dismissed it. He studied the man's face, watching as his burn's that twisted like tree root's fanned up the mans brow, pale and shiny, like wax. He wondered how much pain the man went through, that day; The day he fell in a volcano.

Hiccup jolted. 

When Viggo held an axe to Astrid's throat. 

It suddenly occurred to Hiccup that he has spent the last few hours conversing with Viggo. Bantering, even. With the Hunter Chief. He sighed. He never knew...he could get along with the other like this, after everything that happened between them. It made his skin itch and his eyes narrow.

"Just- be more careful, Grimborn." Viggo furrowed his brow, noticing the sudden distant look on the other. It stayed silent for a moment, and he let the moment go, looking behind Hiccup. 

"As you wish, my dear."  Hiccup tried to make his face blank, and left the man to fall asleep. 

As Hiccup stepped out into the cool night air, and closed the door behind him. The crisp air was refreshing after the stuffy indoor air. One of the reasons he so loved being outside. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of sea salt and smoke that always permeated the Edge.  It was a clear night, the moon shining brightly against a blanket of stars. He loved the distraction from the enigma holed up in his hut. The man drove him crazy. He wished his heart and his mind could just make sense of this, even this once. He closed his eyes for a moment, simply standing, then opened them, and looked around. He frowned at the lack of people. 

They must have finished putting out the fires. He wondered if they returned to their huts yet-

Oh. Wait. Didn't he tell them to wait for his signal?

Oh no.

He was a fool. 

"Oh gods-" He heard flapping behind him, a sound he correlated with a certain blonde rider. He cringed, and turned around, meeting the worried eyes of Astrid as she flung herself off of her dragon and walked up to him. She grabbed his arms harshly, and inspected him, turning the brunette this way and that, scanning for injuries. When he passed her inspection, she let go, and huffed, her eyes flashing. Hiccup knew that look anywhere. She was relieved, but also furious. 

"Good, you aren't hurt." Hiccup nodded, but was jarred from the action as Astrid kneed him in the stomach. He wheezed, grabbing his poor abdomen as she snarled. Her hair fell in her face. It added to the cloud of danger permeating every inch of her aura. Hiccup was suddenly very, very afraid.

"Why the Hel did you not call for us?! Were you even in danger?? Were you distracted by some some nice bonding time with Viggo? You've been awfully buddy-buddy with that psycho." Hiccup panted, feeling sweat build up on his brow as he regretted his life choices. His betrothed was someone he did not like crossing on the best of times, and this? Well. He was in for a world of hurt. He quickly tried to explain. 

"Astrid I am so sorry, I lost track of t-" "Don't finish that Haddock! You don't just lose track of time like this. You are better than that! You left us worrying in the middle of the forest! For hours!" She snarled, grabbing his shoulders forcefully. Hiccup was suddenly very grateful for his pauldrons. 

"Do you have any idea how that made us feel?! Made me feel?!" She shoved him back, forcing his legs to stumble. "I was expecting to find you dead! I thought Grimborn killed you or you were eaten by the Odin-forsaken Skrill!" She grabbed his pauldrons again, dragging him in to meet her fuming blue eyes with his own. Hiccup flinched back, breaking eye contact. 

When nothing came, he opened his eyes, meeting her jaded ones. She seemed to be losing steam, or more accurately, was gaining her bearings and bottling up the anger. She huffed, shoving him back again as she took a step back. He stood, silent as a grave, his heart thrumming in his ears. She looked at him for a moment longer, then shouted. 

"It's all clear!" Oh, the other riders. Right. Almost immediately, several wingbeats filled the night air, followed by the heavy thumps ringing on the wooden baseboards of their walkways. The riders dismounted their dragons, heading over to their hunched leader. 

A moment of silence fell the group, before being broken by a timid voice. 

"So, he's fine? Nothing's wrong?" Fishlegs called, patting Meatlug's snout before reaching a suitable distance behind Astrid. Everyone seemed to stand a bit further away, sensing the tension crackling in the air.

"Nope. Time just seemed to slip on by, eh Haddock?" Astrid called, her voice grated and hoarse, as if she was holding back a scream. Hiccup winced and looked down, his body throbbed as he tried to straighten his back, wishing Toothless wasn't out fishing, just to have his strong presence beside him. He felt his confidence crumble, as if he was fifteen all over again. 

"Oh seriously? Not cool. I even brought Macy two along for this." Tuffnut waved his mace over his head, emphasizing his point.

"Yeah, like a metal mace would do anything against a Skrill." Snotlout snorted, crossing his arms.

Tuffnut gasped. "Hey! Macy two is a majestic creature. Do not besmirch her name!" 

Fishlegs shook his head, and looked at Hiccup, the mentioned rider feeling the eyes heavy on his body, weighing him down with the weight of the world, as though he was in the ocean.

"Hiccup, did you really just... leave us out there?"

Hiccup looked up, meeting the eyes of his team, noting their disappointed and shocked stares. 

"Ah- I really didn't mean to. Time slipped by and-I promise I was planning on telling you the coast was clear. Viggo and I-" Astrid cut him off with a snort.

"Ah yes. Lets address the hunter in the room. Hiccup." She swung her axe, getting close to her betrothed as she gestured to Hiccup's door. "He has a good chance of survival now. He needs to go and get out of our lives." Hiccup shook his head even before she could finish that thought. He didn't really understand why, but he couldn't bear that thought. Not now, not after the time he has spent with the hunter. Yup. He has to tell them. He sighed, and straightened his back a modicum, preparing for the absolute plasma blast he was about to unleash on his riders. 

"Ah. Yeahhh. About that. Astrid... I- well funny thing..." She narrowed her eyes.

"What."

Yeah. Hiccup was about fearing for his life, now. 

"I just- I don't think its a smart idea to just abandon him out there. I think- it would be better to keep him here. With us. On the Edge. Until he's recovered fully. He wants to prove himself loyal to our cause." Astrid's face slackened for a moment, the riders behind her following suit, and in Fishlegs case, losing the blood in his face at his announcement. It didn't take long for their expressions to change to more varied reactions, from fear, to hysteria, to anger, and in the twins case, pure befuddlement. 

"Wow Hiccy. What a plan. I am sure he and his Skrill just want to play house! Remember what happened last time we let him on the Edge!? Gah- what god messed up enough to let you lead?!" Snotlout threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. Astrid threw a look over her shoulder, eyes reflecting the fire of a thousand suns.

"Snotlout. Shut up."

Snotlout paled, making himself small in her sight. "Shutting up." 

Astrid shook her head, and again nailed Hiccup with a vicious growl, her teeth bared like the dragons they all loved. She walked back into the riders personal space, Making Hiccup hold his hands up in surrender. 

"In what world?" She shoved his chest, making him stumble a few feet back. "Would you think its a good idea to keep a Dragon Hunter on our island for any amount of time longer than we have to!? Especially that one!?" Hiccup tried to stand his ground. He was making the right choice here, he hoped. She had to see that. He had to convince her.

"I-I've already explained it! Besides, think of this logically. Astrid, he could help turn the tide of the war on our side! Besides, he is a great fighter, and he knows so much about the hunters operations!" 

"That's because he is one. Don't you get it!? He's just tricking you!"

Hiccup shuddered. "I get it ok? Its crazy, but I think this is the right thing to do Astrid!" Astrid stepped back a bit, emotions flashing across her face like a thunderstorm. A look of disbelief cemented itself. She shook her head. 

"No. Its not that, its you and your big heart, as always! You are being blinded by your own sympathy Hiccup!" Hiccup felt his anger rise. 

"No I'm not!" She snarled "Yes you are! Typical Hiccup, seeing the good in someone when it isn't even there!" Hiccup knew she was right, in a way, not that he would ever admit it to her. He stood his ground. 

"We helped Dagur change! And Alvin! Why is Viggo any different?!" He felt silly, even saying it. Astrid chuckled, a harsh sound, before swinging her axe between her hands and pacing forwards, her eyes colder than the artic icecaps in the north. 

"Last time he asked for our help he held an axe to my neck. The only side he is on is his own! Why can't you see that?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes, gaining a bit of ground. 

"Just- Astrid- Listen to me!" She refused and snorted, the stubborn woman she was. Hiccup both admired and hated that trait. She spun her axe threateningly, as if she was physically restraining herself from bludgeoning her betrothed. 

"You should have left him to die back there! You never should have brought him here." Hiccup wouldn't take that kind of talk, no matter how much that dark part of his mind he kept in the deepest corners screamed for blood, for revenge. He was better than that. 

"Then we wouldn't be any better than him!" Astrid huffed a laugh, turning away from Hiccup as she paced. Hiccup continued, holding his hand up in a placating manner.

"Gah- Just-He stays Astrid! He deserves a chance!"

"He doesn't deserve anything! We should throw him to the wolves! We should make him suffer, like he made us suffer! Like he made Berk suffer." He felt that emotion that he associated with Viggo, the same righteous anger that made him save the hunter, rear its ugly head again, rattling its chains and covering his vision with a red haze as she spoke.

She growled, venom coating every word. "For once, just listen to reason, instead of getting us killed because you are too weak! Too mjúk-hjartaðr to kill a monster!" Everyone gasped at her insult, even Astrid herself.

Hiccup felt the world pause for a moment, before he snapped, anger painting his world in a haze of red at her words. How...how dare she, out of all people? He got up in her face, feeling rage run through his veins, heating his words and sharpening his tongue.

"Last I checked, I stopped the war when I chose not to kill a monster." She flinched back. Hiccup took a step closer. 

"He will stay on our island. None of you are to hurt him! As your leader, as your heir, by Thor you will listen! Is that clear!?" Hiccup snapped out of the red haze that enveloped him, slowly coming down from the high of having his honor attacked. It was silent for a moment, the chirping of cicadas filling the night air. Hiccup felt guilt start to build in his chest, tugging at his heart at his words.

"Of course. How could I forget. Forgive me, chief." Astrid backed away, her nose scrunched and her brow furrowed. She stared to the ground, before dropping into a mocking bow. Hiccup backed up a few steps at the move, shocked. She stood and stormed off, grabbing onto Stormfly's saddle and heaving herself up. Hiccup reached out to her. 

"Astrid- wait-" She took off, her bangs covering her eyes, her stoic face burned into his memory as she disappeared into the stars. He felt the tug grow stronger, and a pressure built up in the back of his throat. A hand landed on his shoulder, grounding him from the emotions disconnecting him from his body. 

"Hiccup. Now isn't the time. Leave her be." Fishlegs voice rung out, fuzzy in his plugged ears. Hiccup swallowed harshly.

"But-I..." Hiccup turned, meeting the stoic face of his friend. Behind him, Snotlout and the twins stood, silent for the conversation, but slowly gaining more confidence as the tense atmosphere lessened slightly. Fishlegs shuffled his feet, his palour gaining a bit more red, as if embarrassed as he looked down. 

"So... Viggo will stay. Ok. Ill just- Ill go get some bandages. I'm sure the Skrill needs them." Hiccup heard a high ringing in his ears. 

"Fish-" Fishlegs turned, shuffling quickly away from the disaster-zone, into the direction of his hut. Hiccup felt something prickle against his eyes. He felt bile build in the back of his throat. 

"I still say this is a good thing!" Tuffnut called, swinging his mace. Tuffnut made his way to Hiccup, slinging his arm around his shoulder. It was a very unwelcome touch. 

"You know, They do say fighting is good for the soul! Relationships are best when sailed through rocky shores! Oh Hiccup, as my great Uncle Berthiers always said-" Hiccup grabbed the others cold hand and removed it from his shoulder, slowly standing up, surrounded by a haze.

"Just... leave me be for a moment. I'll just... go check on the Skrill, and Viggo." He made his way to his hut, head hanging, long bangs obscuring his vision as he left. He opened the door, greeted with a dark room, holding the man who caused such a tear in his family. He heard Snotlout call behind him, even through the ringing in his ears.

"Greaaat, we'll just pick this up tomorrow. Same time?" Hiccup ignored him. 

"Fantastic! I'll bring Chicken next time! She does love drama." Hiccup closed the door, letting it hit the ground with a soft click, enclosing him in a fitting darkness. 

He blindly walked through his room, grabbing at where he knew he had a candle holder. As he found it, he took his flint and steel, lighting the candle with a few clicks. It lit the room in a dim glow, revealing the Skrill and the very hunter that haunted him. Hiccup walked up to the man, sitting on the stool. He watched the man's breathing for a moment, counting the breaths. So many feelings bubbling in him like a cauldron threatening to bubble over. Even then, he couldn't find himself to feel that one feeling he has banked on when it came to the man for so long.  He cursed himself, and cursed the man who was blissfully ignorant in the throes of slumber. 

"I...hate you. Viggo Grimborn." He whispered, emerald eyes narrowed at the man. Subconsciously, he wished it were true. Then maybe he could cast the man out; make Astrid happy. Maybe then, he wouldn't've saved him in the first place, and caused all of this mess. Maybe then he wouldn't have to worry about the implications of him actually enjoying talking to the man. Maybe then, he wouldn't be weak. 

Chapter Text

It felt like an eternity passed, the rider enveloped in a dark and lonely haze of his own creation. 

Hiccup grabbed Viggo's hand, absentmindedly massaging the warm skin, feeling the scars and calluses that only could form from years of hard labor. His eyes were unfocused, feeling the back of his eyes prickle, and his throat tighten. He sniffed, hanging his head down, berating himself. A heavy haze of anger hung around him.

He has never lashed out quite like that. Snotlout and the twins, and, well. The rest of his team did like to aggravate him, nearly bringing him to the brink of a meltdown several times. Not once, however, did he really blow up like that. Especially not at Astrid. He lashed out like he would when someone he really cared about was in danger. He remembered, lashing out at Snotlout when he almost killed Astrid, but this? Why did he act like that for Viggo Grimborn? 

"What... What is it about you? Why can't... Agh! You are so aggravating!" He stood, pacing around the hunter's bed. "You- Why did you suddenly have to break the script, Grimborn?! You are just a scumbag businessman who spends his time killing dragons, not. Not this! We could have just gone on hating each other! We are meant to be enemies! So why!?" He sat down forcefully, grabbing the man's hand, and studying the dips and crevices, tracing the scars and calluses with his furious eyes. 

"Why... Why did you try to save me?" He blinked rapidly, his voice feeling hoarse. He was met with silence. 

"I hate you so much." More silence. He sighed. 

The door of his hut flung open, moonlight slicing through the darkness with force. Hiccup blinked, looking startled at the doorway, meeting the broad silhouette of Fishlegs Ingermann. The blonde's shoulders were hunched in a futile attempt to make himself smaller. 

"H-Hey. Im-uh.. I want to look at the Skrill?" Oh. Right. He forgot about the others feeble excuse, too distracted drowning in his emotions.

"O-oh! Fishlegs! Yeah. I uh- Ill help." He stood from the stool, the old wood screeching at the force. Fishlegs seemed to hunch a bit farther, holding his supply of bandages and ointment close to his chest. 

"Oh-um ok. Where.." Hiccup held out his hand, pointing to the slumbering beast in the corner. As if in response, she let out a breathy snore.

"She's in the corner, there." 

"Ah. Ok. I'll just... I'll look at her wounds." He nodded, letting the larger man walk quickly towards the dragon. Fishlegs sat by her side, admiring the dragon, running his hands lightly against her scales. Hiccup could relate. 

"She's a beauty, huh?" Fishlegs jumped, as if forgetting the other was in the room. After the shock, he nodded eagerly. 

"She really is! What an incredible creature! Hiccup, we finally get to study a Skrill!" He nearly squealed. Hiccup felt the same bubbly excitement rise in his chest. 

"I know! And- gods, Viggo knows so much about her species! Enough to fill a book! Skrills are amazing! She is amazing." Hiccup sat next to the dragon's face, watching as her nostrils flared with each breath. Fishlegs nearly recoiled at the reminder. Hiccup jolted as he realized his mistake. 

"I-is. Is that how you knew she was a female?" Hiccup nodded, looking to the other, who did not meet his gaze, merely starting to gently tug on the damaged bandages. Hiccup looked down. 

"Yeah. Yeah he told me." Hiccup tapered towards the end, the implication heavy in the air. Fishlegs let out a shuddering breath. 

They treated the dragon in silence. 

"Yeah... I just... I just- wanted to say I'm sorry." Fishlegs looked up at the leader. 

"Hiccup. What you did... That..." Hiccup cut him off, standing. 

"I know. I was so stupid." Fishlegs shook his head, his eyes sorrowful. 

" Just...Hiccup... I just want to know... What exactly happened?" Hiccup huffed, tugging his hair. 

"I... I don't know! I gave Viggo the Skrill, right? And he just, he was so thrilled to see her I, oh I don't know. I- I talked to him for a bit, and I..." He let go of his hair, waving his hands in the other direction. "Gods, Fishlegs, he knows so much! More than we do, about dragons!" Fishlegs met him with narrowed eyes. 

"That's because he is a hunter, Hiccup. They used that knowledge to kill dragons. They used it to turn a profit." Hiccup jerked at the reminder. He knew that. Oh god's he knew. 

"I get it, but Fish... Its-" Fishlegs cut him off. "He's different now? Hiccup? Because he said so?"  Hiccup sighed, taking his spot again on the floorboards, defeat weighing down his shoulders.

"I-That's not what I was going to say-" He hung his head, bangs flopping on his face. Fishlegs huffed. "You didn't have to say it." 

"Hiccup. I get where your coming from, I do. But...this man was the hunter's leader..." Hiccup rung his hands. 

"Well. Yeah. I'm... I'm just trying to make sense of things. What changed? Why..." Hiccup sighed, a heavy thing that made his body shudder. 

"Why did he choose to nearly die, for a dragon, for me?" 

The question rang in the air for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Hiccup focused on the breathing of the inhabitants of the room, grounding himself. A light commotion rang at the door, but he nearly paid it no mind, not until a voice rang out. 

"Maybe the man is, oh I don't know, stark raving mad?!" The voice of Snotlout rang across the room, making Hiccup and Fishlegs jump. It was soon accompanied by the very familiar voices of Ruffnut and Tuffnut. 

"Off his rocker?" Ruffnut chimed.

"A few planks short of a Trelleborg?" Tuffnut nodded, placing his hand under his chin.

 Fishlegs shook his head, staring at the twins. "Guys, that's... not helping." The twins shrugged, and with that, they all huddled around the two, each taking a seat on the peat floorboards. Hiccup cringed further into himself. Fishlegs sighed, before looking back at his leader.

"I... I really don't know. Why Viggo did that, I mean. But-" He sighed. The twins scooched closer. 

"Maybe he was already struck with a terminal illness?" Ruffnut gasped, holding her hand to her heart.

"Oh, maybe the scourge? That would make sense, he seems so sad! It is only natural for a man to lose sense in the throes of sickness." Tuffnut looked at the man, sympathetic. 

"Or, maybe, he lost what nails he still had? We destroyed his business, His brother betrayed him, his men left him to die, and Krogan and Johann, his only allies left, tried to murder him. He just couldn't take the pressure, and decided to go out with a bang!" Snotlout shouted, Fishlegs hissing at him to be quiet so as to not wake the inhabitants of the room. 

They sat there in silence, looking up at the man. They...really did do that, huh? That was depressing, hearing it all at once. 

"Wow. Uh. Thank you guys. For bringing that up." Hiccup groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Hiccup felt a flash of overwhelming guilt build up in his throat at the reminder; nobody has really summed it up quite like that before. When put like that, Snotlout's idea made a bit more sense. He shoved the guilt far away. He did it for the greater good, for dragons, he reminded himself. 

" I... I don't think it's really any of those. I don't- it doesn't make sense. He is too proud. And... none of this has been in his favor. What... What other option is there?" The twins guffawed, holding each other. 

"Hiccup! You betray yourself! You dare insinuate such things?!" Snotlout snorted at Tuffnut.

 "More like he's lost it just as much as the whacko over there." He jammed his thumb in Viggo's direction. "They belong with each other, both out of their gourd." Fair. Hiccup certainly felt like he lost it, too. 

"I'm not insinuating anything! I'm just... I want to know what is different! We didn't think Dagur could change, did we? Or Alvin! Or, Hel, even Dragons!" Hiccup gripped his bangs, running his fingers through the auburn locks in frustration. "Maybe I am losing it! But we should be the bigger person, no matter how much we hate him."

"I get it... I do... I really do. We've seen so many people change their ways, but Hiccup, this..." Fishlegs petered off. Then sighed. I- I know you have this, this thing with Viggo. And who knows, maybe you are right; But, we can't do this anymore." Hiccup looked up, confused. 

"What do you mean?" Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You haven't been exactly present-" He used his hands to quotate the word "-since we got our new guests." Hiccup's eyes widened. The twins nodded. 

"You have spent an awful long time with the Vigman. You weren't even there to see our boar match! Or our new watch tower before it fell down!" 

"I don't know, I kinda enjoyed it. Hiccup's always so bossy. But Astrid lately..." Both of them looked at each other, then shivered.

"Not helping." Snotlout snapped, surprisingly breaking up the chaos.

Hiccup felt the last few weeks come back to him. He has been hovering, almost obsessively around the hunter. He barely slept, barely ate. The bags under his eyes suddenly weighed heavy, and his clothes felt baggier. He... didn't even realize. It was just all a blur.

A hand landed on his forearm, reassuring and grounding. "Listen. We need to talk about today. This isn't about us not trusting your judgement or anything, or-or even you forgetting us in the woods today. You haven't told us anything, and we've barely even seen you since you brought Viggo and the Skrill back here. We aren't sure if he's messing with your head or... I think... I think everyone is really worried about you. Especially Astrid." 

"I..."  

Snotlout sighed, clearly debating heavily on if he should speak, then decided. "Hiccup. I can't believe I'm saying this but...We want to help you, but you have to let us know what is going on. No more of this... this." He gestured to the room, arms splayed wide.  Hiccup blinked rapidly, shocked at his friend's genuine words.

"Yeah Hic. Believe it or not, we do care." Tuffnut reached over, placing his hand on his pauldron.

Ruffnut nodded. "Even when you are an idiot. We love your terrible plans, especially when they explode in your face." Hiccup breathed, his breath hitching. 

"I didn't realize..." He turned, scanning the faces of his friends. "Oh... I'm sorry." He felt arms wrap around him in turn. Hiccup sat for a moment, cherishing the heavy warmth that was his friend, then friends. They slowly separated, Fishlegs sniffling lightly. 

"We are a team. We trust each other." Fishlegs nodded to him. "Promise you wont shut us out, and we promise we'll try to understand."

"I promise." Fishlegs nodded, a small smile breaking on his face. Even still, Hiccup turned his head to the subject of oh so much turmoil. 

"I- I can't just leave Viggo on some island, or with Alvin, like Astrid wants. I really, really want to trust my gut here. And I just... I want to give him a chance. For now. At least give me until he's healed."

"Alright. We trust you Hiccup. You can count on us. You are our leader." Hiccup nodded, a seed of joy burrowing in his heart. He really did love his friends. However, someone's absence was greatly felt in the room. Hiccup sighed, and pulled away. 

"What do I do about Astrid? She will never agree. And-god's she was so furious." Everyone cringed, and looked at eachother, as if looking for anyone else to have an answer. 

"Yeah... That's your problem, not mine." Snotlout stood, the others following his lead. Tuffnut grabbed Hiccup's shoulder, face solemn. 

"My advice to you, my dear friend? A wise man once told me 'There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the mace. There is a third power stronger than both, that of a woman scorned.'" He nodded sagely, as if that helped anything, then released his shoulder.

Ruffnut nodded. "You got that right, my fellow Nut!" She tried to knock her helmet against her twins, but he dodged.

"I meant women, like Astrid." They disappeared out of sight, but the sound of skin hitting skin told them enough. 

Fishlegs shook his head at their teammates, before looking back at Hiccup, a reassuring smile on his face. 

"Give her time. I'm sure she'll come around. She's your betrothed." Fishlegs stood, brushing his lap and grabbing his unused bandages. Hiccup followed him with his eyes as he made his way to the door, grabbing the door, before pausing and looking at the rider. 

"I am still not sure about Viggo, but if he knows as much about dragons as you say, then you two owe me a conversation about Skrills when you can. Got it?" Hiccup nodded, grinning. "I'll see you then. Make sure to bring the Dragon Manual." Fishlegs nodded, matching his grin, before he pulled the shudder down, once again bathing the room in darkness. Hiccup sighed, before going to find a candle once more. 

He shuddered, knowing the absolute maelstrom of pain that would befall him once Astrid stopped avoiding him. Maybe... maybe he could make her something. Yeah. It might soothe her, at least enough to keep his head attached to his shoulders. A project he has been putting off came to mind. He nodded, resolute, and he started to his forge, which was located outside of his hut in a small room. He looked back, once more, to the dragon and the hunter, and nodded resolutely and blew out the newly lit candle. This was more important, he thought. 

He made his way to the makeshift smithy, grabbed his apron, got a couple of pieces of parchment, and got to work on the piece he was intending to be his second betrothal gift, one that he was planning for a while. Now...now it seemed like it could help bond them once more. 

Chapter Text

Viggo slowly blinked. His eyelids felt heavy, a consequence of the herbal tea Hiccup fed him. He groaned, his back lightly throbbing as he changed his position to his side, then closer to his back. He heaved, his underworked arms shook as he positioned himself in a sitting position, grimacing at the irritated sparks of pain as he pushed his back onto the pillows. He sighed, relaxing into the new position. 

Last night was quite the rough night of sleep, even bolstered with herbs. Not only did the pain, while comparatively lessened, loved to remind him of his injuries; the screaming match outside deterred his chances of a restful night. 

He really couldn't care less about the other riders emotions. If they were to be upset at their new arrangement, then let them. The only one he cared for? Well... his mouth curved slightly in delight. Even if the rider still harbored hatred for him, he at the very least was adamant to see their deal through. 

Honestly? His first instinct was that the other would drop the deal the moment he could. Oh, but he knew Hiccup better than that; the boy was truly a gift from Valhalla. Not only did the boy, apparently, avoid his friends for him, but he was willing to give him a chance, after everything. A true chance to prove to Hiccup he understood.

A trill went up his spine at the thought, even if that thought wasn't entirely true. The man didn't really say he believed in him, more like he believed in change, but he digresses. Perhaps... Maybe... He felt the same undeniable pull, as he felt to him? His hand tingled, a phantom memory of small hands left him feeling warm. 

A foolish hope, yes. But one that was planted deeply in his heart. He slowly looked around, noting the lack of candlelight or noise in the hut.

"Hiccup?" Nothing answered him. It was odd. He should be here this early in the morning. He wondered as to his whereabouts.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice the rather large black dragon that seemed to gravitate to his bedside.

His eyes snapped down as a warm dark head nudged his hand. He focused on the creature before him, meeting the large green eyes of a certain Night Fury. They were narrowed into slits as the dragon withdrew, snorting. Viggo curved a brow at the dragon, bemused. 

"Hello there." The dragon's eyes narrowed a bit further, before he heaved a heavy sigh, hanging his head. If Viggo's views weren't absolutely ravaged the last year, then he would have dismissed the motion as simple agitation. Now, he could see it as frustration. It was miraculous, how expressive the beasts are. Toothless looked pointedly at the hunter, then jabbed his face to the doorway. Obviously, the dragon was trying to make him aware of something, but what? 

He looked quizzically at the dragon, who once again sighed, before grabbing his hand with a gummy mouth and tugging. Ah. Viggo realized his intentions. The dragon backed away, his slitted eyes narrowed as he gestured again to the door. 

"Hiccup?" The dragon chuffed, pupils fluctuating as he stood, and headed outside. Viggo sighed, and turned his body, letting his legs fall to the ground. He took a few steadying breaths, praying to Thor for strength, before heaving himself onto his now-unaccustomed legs. He stumbled heavily, grabbing the desk near him to halt his fall. Holding himself up for a long moment, he pushed his weight onto his shaking legs once more. He growled, frustrated as his legs nearly gave out.

 Viggo shuffled along slowly, grabbing parts of the wall and various pieces of furniture to aid his annoyingly arduous journey to the door, following the irritated dragon.

 He pulled on the doors shudders. It took more effort than it should, and his back burned at the movement. As the door opened, he had to raise a hand to block the suddenly overwhelming light of the morning sun. Even as his eyes burned, he nearly wept at the exquisite feel of air rushing across his body, blissful after so long cooped in a stuffy hut. He belonged outside, he knew in his heart and soul. He always seemed to forget until a moment like this, after so long cooped in the darkness. He oh so hated being pinned down by injuries. As his eyes adjusted, he slowly dropped his hand, blinking his eyes to fight the stinging as they adjusted. Once they did their job, he stood for a moment, catching his breath and enjoying the thrill of fresh air.

Toothless warbled then again gestured to the left, before trotting in that direction, clearly wishing for him to follow. 

Viggo sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow before following, using the wall for support as he made his way into a sectioned off room. He stopped, taking in the space with a bit of awe. 

So this is where the artist makes his masterpieces.

Tools, known and unknown to the hunter coated the makeshift walls, organized in a way that seemed nearly cockamamie to the man, yet he was sure made sense to the rider. Buckets of tools and bolts were scattered about; halfway done works were leaned against the walls and scattered on the many tables, one on the great anvil near the center of the room. Old saddles, tailfins, you name it. 

Viggo noticed a leather helmet sitting on a table near him, taking in the black and brown creation with a bit of awe. Another thing caught his attention, a large contraption made of red leather and wood. He studied it closely, committing it to memory. He would love to find what its purpose was. A large furnace with bellows sat in the corner, near the man currently slumbering at a desk, drawings and tools scattered around his head. He shook off his awe, making note to investigate the room at a later date. He finally landed his eyes on the man the dragon, who was now squeezed in the corner of the workshop, led him to. 

Hiccup's neck was bent in an awkward position, crooked against the wood and pieces of metal, his arm twisted on the desk making for quite the amusing sight. His auburn hair stood on end as it was forced upwards, streaks of soot coating the mans fingers and cheeks. He was clearly in the middle of something as he fell asleep; from exhaustion, if the deep bags under his eyes were any indication. 

He took in the sight with a thin smile on his face. Oh, how cute his adversary is. Toothless snorted, once again jerking his head in the direction of his rider. Viggo slowly made his way into the room, carefully dodging the many obstacles and reaching the sleeping leader. He waited a moment to catch his breath before reaching his free hand to lightly touch Hiccup's shoulder. 

 "Hiccup?"

Emerald eyes snapped open, accompanied with a violent gasp as Hiccup flung himself out of his chair, yelling. He flung his hands out in his surprise. He caught Viggo's leg with his prosthetic and unfortunately assuring the fall of both of them. He yelped and grabbed Viggo, forcing them into a heap on the ground. Viggo wheezed in agony as they fell violently, the body underneath him breaking his fall. Hiccup groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to breathe, his abused ribs weighted down by a man twice his size in muscle.

Hiccup locked his eyes on Viggo, as the hunters eyes landed on his. The riders nose brushed Viggo's, sending heat down his spine. He felt the rider's breathing quicken, blowing quick puffs in his face. Viggo watched as color coated Hiccup's cheeks. He would have enjoyed this moment a bit more if his body wasn't screaming.

"Oh... great... Odin!-AH!" Hiccup instinctively tried pushing on Viggo, who groaned as he tried to heave himself onto all fours. Viggo chuckled weakly , despite the red hot pains arching through his body. They sat for a moment, shock and pain filling their bodies; Hiccups face colored a lovely pink. It suited him well, despite the circumstances.

"You truly...are grace...incarnate, my dear." Hiccup snarled, pushing again on his shoulders. 

"Oh shut up Viggo. ghh-get off!!" Toothless trotted over, pushing underneath Viggo's chest gently, slowly raising him into a standing position. Viggo heaved a shuttered sigh as he leaned heavily on the dragon, petting the warm scales appreciatively. Hiccup looked at the dragon first, his eyes widened in shock at his dragons supposed betrayal, then met the hunter's eyes, face twisted into a grimace. 

"What are you doing here? Wait." His eyes widened, concern and annoyance coloring his tone as he took in the poor sight of the laboring hunter. Oh, what frustration Viggo felt at that look. He hated pity. "Why are you even up? oh Thor- you should be in bed!" Viggo sighed heavily as he attempted to ignore his pain, trying his best to let a smirk slide onto his face. 

"Is it such a crime...to want to stretch...my legs?" Hiccup huffed, unamused. 

"It is when you take four arrows to the back. H-how did you even know I was here?" Viggo tried to shrug, taking care to get a least modicum of composure into his posture. He took a moment, catching his breath.

"I was...curious of your whereabouts. Toothless... was quite helpful in locating you. I figured you were uncomfortable, so I woke you up. I... wasn't aware it would be such a dangerous task." Hiccup looked at the dragon, eyes narrowed. He mouthed the word 'traitor', before looking back at Viggo, frowning. 

"Its a natural instinct when I see a face like yours." Viggo hummed, the opportunity to tease his rival too tempting to pass up. 

"Oh you flatter me." Hiccup snorted, trying to stand. 

"Not a compliment." Viggo offered a shaky hand, which Hiccup entirely ignored. Rude.
Viggo decided to change the conversation to the, now uncovered, small pieces of leather and iron sitting on the desk.

"What had you so enthralled that you fell asleep working on it?" Hiccup jolted, looking down at the ground. 

"Its... Nothing. None of your business." Viggo hummed. "Oh. A gift for Astrid then?" Hiccup startled, confirming his suspicions. A small barb of hatred stabbed at his chest at the thought of the female. 

"Wha-How did you?" He petered off. The hunter raised a brow. "You weren't exactly quiet last night. I was quite flattered when you came to my defense." Hiccups eyes widened, as he suspected, the other wasn't aware of his alertness last night. It must've slipped his mind, he assumed. Surprise fell into a frown. 

"Don't be. We have a deal. Unlike you, I keep my word." Now it was time for Viggo to snort, the ridiculous notion was irritating, yet understandable. He didn't lie, however. Merely used logical ruses to his advantage. Clearly, the rider didn't understand the necessity of such ruses. He would have to instruct him, one day, if the others stubbornness permitted him to do so. 

"Harsh, I am a man of my word, despite your belief otherwise." Hiccup rolled his eyes forcefully, glaring at the hunter. Toothless chuffed as well, as if agreeing with his rider.

"Uhuh. I can still throw you off my island. I'm sure Alvin could find some use for you." Viggo raised a brow, unphased by the threat. Last night made it clear that the other was bluffing. 

"The Treacherous? Ah, yes. Our friend Dagur spoke of him often. He sounds about as sharp as a marble. I am sure they got along swimmingly." Hiccup threw his hands up in irritation. The hunter oh so loved the others frustration.

"Ghh-Do you always have to be this way?"

"Only when it bothers you, my dear. You do have the best reactions." Hiccup tugged at his beautiful locks harshly. The rider maneuvered himself to stand closer to the dragon, pulling Viggo's arm around his shoulder, taking the hunters bodyweight onto his own. Viggo was always so flabbergasted at the mans hidden strength, considering his stature. They navigated to the outdoors, before going back into the hut. Viggo nearly stopped him, not wanting to let go of the freeing outdoor air. Viggo looked down at the bed with a grimace. Hiccup huffed. 

"Just-agh, get in the bed."  

"As you wish." Viggo slowly nodded, once again settling himself slowly onto his prison of linen and wood. Hiccup helped him maneuver his legs onto the mattress and back onto his stomach, carefully pulling the sheets up to his shoulders. He greatly appreciated the gesture. The hunter watched as Hiccup scanned his prone form, then nodded, backing away, looking pointedly at him. The dragon next to the rider wore the same exact expression of exasperation, eerily enough. Interestingly though, it was pointed to his rider. How odd.

"And don't get back up! Odin help me, I will make you stay there." Hiccup barked. The Skrill, oh how he wished he could find a suitable name for her soon, glared up at the rider, irritated that she was awoken. She stood slowly, pressing heavily on the end of the bed and shifting the bedframe back with her bodyweight. She purred as she wrapped herself into a ball once more, settling to reenter her slumber. Viggo smiled at his dragon, before looking back at Hiccup's retreating form. Wait. A memory appeared in his head, one he wished addressed. 

"Wait, Hiccup." The rider turned, a confused look on his face.

"What?" 

"There was a... contraption, in the corner of your forge. Made of red painted leather, with some gears and long steel rods. Like your dragons incredible tail. What was it? Is it some type of sail? It was quite intriguing." Hiccup hummed, thinking for a moment. He saw as the rider realized what he was talking about as his focused expression softened at the edges, his brow unfurrowing a fraction. He looked back with intrigue and caution.

"What's it to you? Its not a weapon, so don't get your hopes up." Viggo figured, but was still intrigued nonetheless.

"Simply curious. I've never seen its like before." A flurry of emotions crossed his adversaries face, finally settling a bit. Viggo noted the small furrow of his brow and the gnawing on his lip, alongside the flush that never quite disappeared from earlier darkening. 

"Oh. Uh." Hiccup hesitated. "I called it the Dragonfly. Its to help me glide. I-I figured if I get separated from Toothless in the air, I should have a way to control my fall." Viggo's eyes widened, thrilled at both the explanation and the rider being willing to open up, even just a little. How absolutely fascinating. His mind whirled with the possibilities of such an invention.

"Prosthetic wings. Incredible." He whispered in reverence. Hiccup flushed a bit further, scratching the back of his hair, another hand propped on his waist. 

"Yeah, um. Not really. They failed. The first version at least. Mark II was a bit more successful, but the design still needs a lot of work. I've had... quite a few close calls testing them." 

"A second version? Was the one in your workshop your first?"

"Yeah." Hiccup started gesturing widely with his hands, as if pantomiming the item in question. "Figured it was too heavy; scrapped the gear mechanism on the back and made it out of yak hides. It attaches to my arms and legs and-aah-" Hiccup shook his head. "-its hard to explain...here." Hiccup headed over to his loft, and climbed up.

Viggo heard some small crashes as the rider searched for a moment, then the clicking of the riders prosthetic as Hiccup climbed back down with a dark red mound of fabric. He held it up, stretching the wings wide. They were about as long as his body, with straps of leather clearly intended to connect to his feet trailing at the bottom. The flaw in the piece was easy to see; the leather stitching holding the large pieces of hide together was torn apart, leaving a gaping hole on one side. 

"I-uh, strap it to my back and roll it out, kind of like a sail. I hold on the ends-here. It worked a few times, saved me once actually- but the stitching keeps falling apart from the stress." Hiccup pointed to the frayed leather. " I haven't really found a way around that yet." Hiccup mumbled, rolling the fabric back into a ball. 

"The fact they worked even slightly is miraculous. The concept is quite innovative, even if the design needs work. You never cease to amaze, my dear." He meant it. He wished one day that the rider would accept his brilliance. His sword, his dragons tail... He was a veritable genius. A perfect match. 

"Yeah. Its.. Ill figure it out later." Viggo nodded, a determination on his face.

"I'm sure you will. May I have a look at it?" A slightly bewildered expression passed across the riders face.

"Uh-sure. Knock yourself out, I guess?" He set the Dragonfly II on the stool beside Viggo. The hunter nodded in thanks. Hiccup stood for a moment, simply staring at the wings, before ruffling his hair. "Jus--aghh. Fishlegs is coming to talk later. Go to sleep." before spinning on his heel, waving his hand in a small wave as he walked out and shut the door, leaving Viggo in darkness.

He sat for a moment, then sighed. Interesting. Fishlegs, as his friends called him, struck him as the less confrontive type. He looked forward to their conversation. Alas, something further prodded his mind.

He slowly and carefully maneuvered into a sitting position, struck the flint and steel left behind on the desk, and grabbed the candle; searching for some adequate writing material. He wished he knew where is journal was to write in. He spotted his old dragon scales glinting in the dim light in the corner. Ah. That is probably where it was. A sad pile of clothing was shoved there, most definitely shredded from their misadventure into enemy territory. It was odd- being without the dragon skin on his person after so long. He nearly mourned his old clothing. He hoped the rider didn't look through them too closely.

He wasn't sure how he would feel if Hiccup read through his journal. Most likely relief, in light of the circumstances. He so hated the other misinterpreting his very obvious emotions. Even then, a hint of fear he swore didn't exist tugged on his mind. The thought of him seeing the entries he created on those dark nights, in solemn and longing contemplation... he wasn't sure how the rider would take it.

He longed for the comforting weight of the journal to be near him. The prose, the fine details, the heavy focus that he dedicated to those pages he held so close tugged at him from the far side of the room. Even still, he ignored its calls, unwilling to make the journey with his strained body. He again cursed his ailed state.

Still, he needed to use something to write with. 

He grabbed some scraps of parchment laying on the desk, and a small broken piece of charcoal. For now, he had something other than the rider to think of.

He started sketching a familiar set of prosthetic wings to his best ability, mind swirling with ideas on how to make a human soar; to get lift when dropped through the air, to control the speed and combat the tearing problem. Hiccup was quite correct, the second version was superior, but it could be improved. He grabbed the other wings with some effort and spread them across his lap, reverently running his fingers along the seams, taking note of every inch of the masterpiece. He drew and designed with both versions in mind, ideas flashing with euphoric speeds. It was quite a relief, a thrill, after so little stimulation to his mind for such a long period. 

He wished to see the wonderous design work. It would be incredible. Not only that, but he knew the riders desires well. Perhaps, one day with enough work, he might see those desires become a reality. Perhaps, if he played his cards right, he might even win Hiccup's favor.  

Also! Art! Enjoy! 

Chapter Text

Fishlegs hated this. 

He really, really hated this.

He swore he was nearing a state of hysteria, taking into account the fact that his body was shaking violently and sweat poured down his face. He tried to look anywhere but at the monster before him, as if that could help lessen the unbearable weight of the man’s gaze boring into his very soul, as though it was picking him apart from the inside. 

He really wished he was anywhere but here. He regretted his words to Hiccup earlier. He loved dragons, adored them, but was knowledge really worth this?

Considering the fact he is still enduring the hunters stare, the answer is yes.

He cursed himself for his insatiable curiosity. Now he was going to get murdered by the dragon killer or eaten by a Skrill or-

“Despite our past, I do not plan on hurting you. You can relax.” Fishlegs jumped, panic nearly separating his sál from his líkami. After all of what felt like an eternity, the man talking tore through his panic with the force of a plasma blast. He took a few quick breaths, trying desperately to calm his beating heart. Viggo Grimborn, who sat across from him fiddling with a piece of charcoal between his fingers, merely raised a brow at him. Gods, what a vandr ofstopi. 

“I-I-uhaaa, y-yeahh I k-nn.” Fishlegs stuttered out, wincing at each butchered sound escaping his lips. It was moments like this he cursed his anxiety. He sure wished Hiccup would hurry up.

“Don't strain yourself. Fishlegs, was it? Odd name.” Fishlegs looked up at the man, a slightly irritated emotion bubbling up to the surface. 

“Y-yeah. Yo-ou don't even know my name?” Viggo hummed, his eyes narrowing at the comment. Fishlegs swallowed, immediately cowering at the stare once more. He cursed his tongue for acting out again. Stupid pride. 

“Of course I do, Fishlegs of house Ingerman. I was merely attempting to make conversation.” Fishlegs eyes widened at the mention of his house name. He couldn't recall it ever coming up in conversation around the hunters, but knowing Viggo, he probably has known for a long time. It made sense, he supposed. The man in front of him was a conniving know-it-all. Still, he was curious, just a bit. 

“H-Ho-ow” Fishlegs cleared his throat, attempting to keep the damned tremor from entering his voice. “How did you-u find that out?” Viggo’s lips quirked into a small arrogant smirk. 

“Information is a negotiator’s greatest weapon, dear. I do have my ways. However, I do not usually disclose them with those of… less importance, let's say.” Wow. What a diplomatic response. Fishlegs felt that deep dark part of himself flare with the desire to punch the smug look off of the ójafnaðar-maðr. He narrowed his eyes, anxiety slowly leaving him in face of his anger. 

“I'm sure your ways are just as-ah crooked as a ofstopi like you.” Viggo’s smile only widened. 

“I prefer the term businessman.” Fishlegs fought the urge to roll his eyes, gaining confidence. 

“I think 'belligerent son of Audumbla’ fits people like you better.” Viggo’s eyebrows raised at the quip.

“Ah, I am sure someone as soft as yourself in body and mind would have far more resemblance to Ymir’s Kyr than I.” Fishlegs snorted.

"Im not up for games right now. Not with you."

“Ah, I was hoping for some diplomacy. Couldn't we just let bygones be bygones? We should put our past where it belongs.” Fishlegs shuddered, reminded of the monster that sat before him. 

“Y-you think you have fooled us about you changing sides? Hiccup is the only thing keeping us from throwing you off the Edge. Think again-” He was cut off by the others sharp tone. 

“Hiccup is your leader, yet you question his choices. Do you think so little of him that you would doubt his clearly superior intelligence?” Viggo’s face twisted, nearly almost offended. Fishlegs was somewhat bothered by the response, but reacted. 

“It's not that!… and that’s not what I meant. Hiccup is a good leader. We do trust him, but he doesn't...think things through sometimes. People have tried to use him because of his compassion before, so we protect him from those people, like you.” Again, a befuddling anger covered Viggo’s face. 

“Ah yes, you protect him so well, calling him a.. What was it? Ah, a mjúk-hjartaðr.” Fishlegs eyes widened. Viggo clearly caught onto his alarm. “I did hear your little spat earlier. Very mature. Your leader's lover treats him with as much dignity as a thrall it seems.” Viggo’s voice echoed as the only noise in the room as it raised in volume, bouncing off of the walls and echoing in Fishlegs ears.

“Dont talk about her like that! A-and Astrid is his betrothed.” He heard himself correct through the increasing bewilderment clouding his mind. 

 “Ah, so that makes such a dire insult warranted? He is still her superior in every way. You fight against his orders, and pretend you are acting in his best interests. You treat him as if he is below you when in reality he is so far above he dwells near Árvakr and Alsviðr. He chooses to be partial because that is what a leader does.” Ironic, coming from the man before him. 

They sat in silence for a moment, Fishlegs feeling sweat pour down his neck, confused, angry, and yet oh so terrified at the others palpable anger, even as it ebbed. Viggo sat straighter, his brow furrowed.

 “That, however, is a discussion for another time I suppose. Besides, you were the least at fault in that matter. Regardless of your feelings, I am here to help you, however ungrateful you are.” They sat in silence for a moment, Viggo turning his head to the door, as if beckoning Hiccup to make an appearance. Fishlegs did the same for a moment, though his mind was occupied. 

“W…why does Hiccup even matter to you? You hate him. He hates you. Why do you care?” His loud thoughts slipped out without effort. Viggo was silent for a moment, eyes blank. 

“Perhaps, but even still, he should be treated as the hǫfðingi he is. Hiccup is one of the greatest adversaries I have ever known. He is a brilliant strategist, and a fearless leader, told to be blessed by the Norns. His name filled the camp’s of my men, as if he were a vættr.” Viggo shook his head, amused. “He challenged even me, beat me at my own game, felled my empire, made every single one of my pieces fall.” A smirk danced on his face, contradicting the emotions anyone would be feeling in his place.  “Of everyone in Midgard, he is the only one that holds my respect, the only one who has ever matched me.” He turned to Fishlegs, eyes narrowed.  “So yes. I do care. I care a great deal, as should you.”

They sat in silence. 

Fishlegs stared. 

This… This makes no sense. Maybe Snotlout really was onto something here. Maybe the man has lost every bit of sense he might have possessed when he fell into that volcano. Maybe the war got to him. He seemed too lucid for that, though. Or… maybe…? He tried to die for Hiccup, That wasn't sane behavior. Or... wait... 

But that just didn't make sense… Or did it? His weird fixation-his near obsession with Hiccup… Jumping to his defense, going to him for help , even when he lost everything to him, going as far as to die for him, give up his way of life even… His heart beat quick in his chest, mind freezing as his eyes went wide. The only thing that was left, the only thing that did make sense… Oh gods… That couldn't be it. But he had to know…

“Viggo… do you love-” 

A crash cut off Fishlegs words, making both of the residents in the room snap their attention to the door. Muffled cursing echoed the crash, clearly belonging to the subject of their conversation. Another bang was heard, then the door, which before was cracked a bit to let the afternoon sun light the room, pulled the rest of the way open. There Hiccup stood, his face smeared with charcoal and soot, triumphant. A small bundle of linen in his hand. His dragon, ever by his side, looked up with an unimpressed scowl. 

“Viggo-is Fish-” Hiccup’s eyes landed on Fishlegs, who stared back in shock. The grin slipped a bit into a more embarrassed one. “Oh, you are here already. Ah-great. Sorry.” He stepped further into the room, pulling the door down behind him after his dragon. Even without Viggo’s Skrill, the room felt cramped with the new occupants. Hiccup pulled himself onto the desk, pushing off errant scraps of parchment and interestingly, the Dragonfly II, onto the ground without looking. He instead put the small bundle of fabric next to him in its place. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Viggo’s eyelid twitch as he looked down at the scraps of parchment, before looking up at the rider.

“Hm, a bit late, my dear. Me and your friend here were just getting acquainted .” Hiccup snorted, rolling his eyes slightly before meeting Fishlegs eyes, a pitying frown tugging at his lips, as it should. Way to leave him to the wolves. 

“ Sorry Fish. I-uh. I got caught up.” Hiccup’s lips tugged into a bit of a smile once more, and he gestured to the bundle. He started unwrapping it, before hesitating and turning towards the group, stopping his motion. “It’s for Astrid. To-uh, make up for-yeah.” He heard Viggo scoff. He rubbed the back of his neck with his now free hand, looking down. 

Fishlegs nodded, now accepting of Hiccup’s tardiness, despite the unpleasant situation it landed him in. It made sense. He did tend to put his heart and soul into his work, even when it didn't work. Fishlegs understood it a bit, he did put lots of effort into his cards, and the dragon manual as well. His eyes widened. Speaking of! He leaned down, pulling said manual onto his lap. He looked then to Viggo, who looked at Hiccup, his heterochromatic eyes unreadable. 

“I am sure it is wonderful, whatever it is.” A bitter undertone decorated the hunter’s smooth words, barely detectable. Fishlegs nearly shook his head in disbelief. He could hear it now. Oh gods. 

“Uh-Thanks?” Hiccup looked down at his lap, a small frown on his face. “I hope she sees it that way. I- I really messed up, earlier.” Viggo snorted lightly.

“Are you sure you are the one that needs to apologize? She used quite a few choice words towards you as well.” Hiccup’s frown deepened as he looked to the hunter. 

“That doesn't concern you, Viggo. It was my fault anyways. I didn’t tell them what was going on, that’s on me. I deserved what she said. She's in the right.” Viggo’s eyes seemed to flare at the comment. 

“I have known many men, and I have seen my fair share of mjúk-hjartaðr in my life. That is not what you are, and she should be reprimanded for her words. Even if they were, as you say, warranted, If I could, I would make her take it back.” That was… a very bold declaration. Fighting for someone else's honor was an extreme show of respect, close to a Heitstrenging.  Fishlegs highly doubted the man would follow through, or at least.. He did before. And Hiccup….

Hiccup… Wow. Hiccup’s cheeks lightly flushed and his eyes widened before falling to the floorboards, brow furrowing. Fishlegs, he has never really… seen that look before on his leader, unless he was really embarrassed, even if that wasn't quite the same face. Well...Anyone would be embarrassed after a declaration like that. Yeah. That was it. He really needed to stop reading into things. 

“No. I-I don't deserve-… I could be stronger. She has a point, Viggo.” Viggo smiled, a near gentle thing. Fishlegs didn't know the dragon-killer was capable of a smile like that. 

“No. No she doesn't. My dear, you could fell gods, if you so wished.” Hiccup met the hunters eyes for the longest moment, just studying the other quizzically. Viggo stared right back, challenging. 

Nobody spoke. Fishlegs felt like he was watching something he shouldn't. Something intimate. Something wrong.

 Unable to handle the tension any longer, Fishlegs blurted the first words that came to mind. 

“Eh-Hiccup killed a queen so I'm, eh... Sure he can-uh-...?”

“What?” “What?” They both answered his blurted statement. One with an intrigued and mildly alarmed look and the other with confusion and embarrassment.

Oh gods. Why did he just say that. He had to fix this. What were they here to talk about again? Everything went to Hel so quick. Oh Bragi bless him.

 “…So Skrills!” Right. Nailed it. 

Silence. It didn't work. Think Fish, think.

"So-um. Nic-nice weather were having?" What was wrong with him? He was too frazzled to think of anything.

Silence filled the room, before being broken by the alarmed hunter. 

“ You assassinated a monarch? My, Hiccup. It seems I have misjudged you." 

Oh Thor .

Chapter Text

 “Woah woah wait! Tha-that's not-! Fishlegs!” Hiccup waived his hands frantically, eyes wide. Fishlegs acted like he didn't hear him, looking at Viggo, appalled. 

“Wait no that’s not what-I-UH-Hiccup killed a dragon!” Oh gods. Fishlegs .

“Oh really? Now isn't that interesting? Please, tell me more. I have heard of a great battle between a certain Viking and a dragon, but I never imagined this.” A frightening smile was growing on the hunter's face, making his blood curdle. Everything was spiraling downhill so fast. And he was having such a good day. 

“No that's not-! Fishlegs-” Hiccup leaped off of the table, looking at both parties with panic in his eyes. He really didn't like where this was going. 

“She wasn't a good dragon! U-uh she controlled other dragons! ” Ok. Thank you Fishlegs. That didn't help anything at all. Hiccup really wanted this conversation to end. 

“Oh Hiccup, you were holding out on me!” Viggo flicked his eyes over to the rider for a moment, eyes dark with a manic glee, before looking back at Fishlegs. “I am not sure if I would classify a Deathsong as a Queen though. ” 

“Oh gods– Fish-!”

“I-it wasn't a Deathsong! it was the Red Death!” Hiccup drew his hands across his face, frustration growing with every moment. That was something he did not want to talk about. Ever.

“The… pardon? The what?” 

“Its a titan-” Hiccup finally snapped, yelling over their voices, frustration straining his throat.

“Enough!! Stop! Both of you!” 

His voice bounced through the house, shutting down the conversation with the fierce sharpness in his tone that all good leaders held. He glared at the two, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked at Fishlegs, who looked back with wide and panicked eyes. Toothless growled at the blonde man, matching his rider's emotions.

“S-sorry Hiccup I-I just…I..” Hiccup was done with this. 

“Fishlegs. That is enough.” Fishlegs snapped his eyes to the floor, feeling the overpowering aura that Hiccup sometimes possessed wash over him, demanding silence. 

“R-right. Sorry.” Hiccup nodded, eyes lightly softening, before snapping to the hunter as he spoke up. 

“Well. How intriguing! What is a Red Death? I have never heard of it.” Flashes of pain flared up his leg as flashes of the great dragon queen flashed quickly in his head. 

“It’s none of your business.” Viggo hummed, his eyes still filled with near manic curiosity. 

What led you, of all people, to kill a dragon?” Hiccup's eyes flashed. He gritted his teeth, sweat building on his brow. He hated thinking of the Red Death. He hated this man for not dropping it.

“ No.” He turned around, starting to head out of the cabin, unable to deal with the anger building in his very veins, complementing the phantom pain in his stump. 

“Hiccup-.” Fishlegs cut in for a moment. Hiccup flicked his angry emerald eyes at the Viking, immediately silencing him. 

“I- I'm not going to talk about the Red Death just because he’s curious.” Fishlegs knew he hated talking about it. He wasn't sure if that was even what Fishlegs was going to ask, but that didn't register in his enraged state. but he really wasn't thinking of much, at the moment. Only feeling the phantom sense of fear, fire, hatred, pain. Toothless aimed his ire towards the hunter now, head down and back arched. 

“Hm. Does this have to do with how you came to peace with the dragons? Or was it before? For glory, maybe? I have always wondered what you were like before your… peace. Did you kill it in front of your village?” Hiccup’s eyes widened, and he spun on his heel towards the hunter, meeting the eyes filled with curiosity, with a sick sense of glee. Oh. How dare he.

“It wasn't like that!"

“Hmmm…but you do feel pride. At least a little. It isn't good to lie, my dear. I thought we were supposed to be friends.” Hiccup scoffed, his grimace nearly curling into a smile at the sheer audacity of the man before him. 

“I-Is that what you think this is? No, Oh no no Grimborn. I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself to be something other than an insane murderer! This isn't some-some friendship! We have a deal, and that is all. Yo-you aren’t winning any points in your favor here! ” Viggo’s eyes sharpened. He was offended. Good. 

“Hm. Disappointing, Hiccup. If I recall, I believe you said I had to prove my loyalty to your cause. How am I meant to do that if you do not trust me?”

“Hiccup… I think-” He cut Fishleg’s off with a fierce growl. His breathing picked up.

“Hah-you really think I would ever trust you? After everything you've done?! After what you cost us? Contrary to everyone's belief here, I'm not stupid!” He could hear the man's teeth scrape against eachother through the blood rushing through his ears. 

“No. I don't believe you are." Hiccup nodded fiercely, gesturing his hand towards the hunter.

“Yeah! See, this-” He was cut off by the other's sharp voice. 

“And neither am I, yet here I am.” The man broadened his shoulders, pushing with force on the bed frame as he swung his legs around, and slowly started to lift himself off of the bed. Not once did he break eye contact, the stare burning into Hiccup's soul as he backed away. “I am willing to help you. Even after everything you cost me, I have chosen your side. Does that mean nothing?” 

“I…”

“You ask me to give you the knowledge of dragons that my people have amassed and kept for centuries, and yet you cannot tell me about the one dragon that you have killed?” Panic seeped through his bones. His vision was starting to blur.

“No! It’s not that! The dragon… it was the right thing to do!” 

“Then why are you hesitating?” Hiccup bit his lip, growling. He threw his hands into the air, getting closer to the man as he yelled in frustration.

“Are you afraid to admit that you killed a dragon? Are you afraid to admit we are not so different? Tell me, Hiccup. Are you ashamed? Perhaps not about the dragon, but maybe what led up to it? Did you kill it for your clan? Just like me? ”Maybe… perhaps you fear that we aren't so different, you and I?"

“No! Just-Shut up!” He gripped his bangs, panic building in his chest.

“You are. You hate it. Whatever led up to this, or perhaps the experience itself; You are afraid of it, ashamed of it. Why?” Viggo took a step closer. Here, Hiccup could see the sweat building on his forehead from the strain. If he wasn't so mad, he might've been concerned. Oh god's stop picking at the wound. Stop it. 

“Shut up Grimborn!” He snarled and jammed his finger into the other's chest with force. They were nearly nose to nose, Hiccup breathing into the man's face as he yelled, fierce emerald eyes meeting with an equally fierce blue and brown.

Something snapped, and his vision turned red. 

“You-you know what's wrong with you, Viggo? You-You just think you know everything, don't you! You-you march up in here, and-and ask me to trust you after everything? Oh-no. Hel no. I'm sure you are used to getting everything you want whenever you want in your pampered life, but not this time!” The man growled.

“You are very quick to assume, dear. You are putting words in my mouth. ” 

“O-oh! So you are allowed but not me. Y-you know, just-everything is a game to you, isn't it?! You-you wanna know why I don't want to talk about this? You wanna know why I don't want to talk about the Red Death?! I lost my leg in that fight! I nearly was banished from my village; I betrayed my people because I was the only one that could see there was another side to dragons!” Hiccup ranted. Honestly. At this point, the emotions over the years just burst through, his voice painted with frustration and deep seeded loathing. Panic and pain flared in his veins. He looked to the floor for a moment, then stared back at the dragon hunter's blank face. 

"Ah. This is not about the dragon, then." Viggo sounded, though it didn't register to Hiccup. 

“And-yeah. Yeah! Maybe I am a hypocrite! I was never a viking! To anyone! And then when I tried to stop the war, I had to watch as my best friend nearly died to my dad! Then he was strung up onto a boat, where he nearly drowned to death! My entire village was nearly obliterated because I tried to make peace!

He backed up and grabbed at his hair, nearly hysterical with all of the emotions pouring out of him. He felt his eyes sting painfully, and a lump built in the back of his throat. He could barely even process Viggo and Fishlegs, who stared silently at him as he broke down. 

“I had to fight a dragon the size of a mountain to save my Village who disowned me. A monster that can eat a longship in one bite. A dragon that forced other dragon’s to raid my Village! And yeah-yeah maybe I did have to kill it, but I had to; To save my people! I'm nothing like you! I'm not!” 

He walked back up to the hunter, again glaring with the force of Asgards might into Viggo’s eyes. His eyes felt blurred and they burned. 

“Because you kill for fun! You kill- just to make some quick money, without ever trying to find another way! You are a selfish, arrogant, geit!” Hiccup again pointed at the hunter, growling as he hunched, as if he were a threatened dragon. “You never tried anything else but killing innocent creatures for profit, even at the cost of your men! All you've ever cared about is money and pleasure! And that's why I hate you! That's why we are not, nor ever will be the same!” 

Hiccup laughed, grabbing his hair with his free hand and tugging harshly, shaking his head as his vision got blurrier. The insecurities building over the last week spilled out of his mouth.

“You only ‘changed’ because it was convenient for you, wasn't it? Everything really was a lie, and I almost fell for it.” Viggo inhaled sharply, stepping back. Hiccup’s snarl widened, seeing the others reaction. 

“You always abandon ship, and leave your men to die. Because they aren't men, are they!? They are just Maces and Talon pieces, right?! Here you are, leaving the losing side behind after taking and taking until there was nothing left for you to profit on. You don't even know how to care about anything, do you!? Not your tribe, not your business, just your precious little self! Even you pretending to sacrifice yourself was a lie.” His voice raised as he looked at the hunter's eyes, taking in how the man shook, fury dancing across his eyes. 

“I bet you never even loved your brother! You don't have the capacity to love!”

One moment, he was standing in front of the hunter. The next, he was pushed against the wall by a strong hand, nearly suspended in the air. He gasped, grabbing the hand that held him aloft frantically, tugging and digging in his nails as he swung his legs fruitlessly. Viggo growled, pulling the rider closer to his face, glaring harshly.

“Think before you speak, for once. Don't dare assume you know anything about me. I respected my brother, and I was a chief to my people. I hunted dragons because I was raised a dragon hunter to feed my tribe. And when a scrawny runt of a Viking with his merry little band of dragon riders came along and said our very way of life was wrong, what outcome were you expecting?" Viggo glared down at the rider. Hiccup froze, a realization dawning. The panic and fear from the Red Death seeping away, replaced by a new kind of dread.

Toothless snarled and started charging up a shot, but did not fire. A warning. Viggo glared at the dragon for a moment, then turned back to the rider.

“As chief, I had to provide for my clan, to honor my traditions, no matter the cost." He let go of the teenager, who slid down the wall and fell to his knees, gasping for air. Fishlegs watched on in horror, frozen. Hiccup looked up, rubbing his neck.

“I-I.. wanted…to… ” Hiccup groaned. He felt dread wash over him. Oh gods. What was wrong with him?!

“You waged war against my people, but I wanted to understand you. I was intrigued." His eyes flashed dangerously, voice raising slightly. "And then I realized you were right about the dragons. And I was wrong. I was left in a place where I was leading a battle that I did not wish to fight.” Viggo snarled. Hiccup felt worse each word that passed through the others lips.

“Did you ever give a modicum of thought to what I could ever say to my people, hm? Or why we hunt dragons?" Viggo glowered. Hiccup winced back. "We have nothing but the dragon trade. Our land is infertile, our oceans bare, and our island isolated. I had no choice but to continue our legacy, despite my personal feelings on the matter.” His voice was barely above a whisper now.

Viggo again got into the rider's face, taking in his panic, and sighing. He lowered his head, looking to the ground for a moment, before looking back at the rider with softer eyes, placing a steadying hand on the hyperventilating rider. He looked over to the dragon for a moment, who now just watched the scene, eyes set in dangerous slits. 

“A chief protects their own. I thought you would understand that, my dear.” Viggo headed to his bedside once more, slowly settling himself onto the bed, sitting calmly, despite his shaky breath and sweaty body assuring he is anything but. He seemed as if he were in his head. Toothless head followed the action.

"I was wrong." That echoed through the room, multiple meanings ringing devastatingly through the dead space. It harmonized with the ringing in Hiccup's ears.

“H-Hiccup!” Fishlegs ran over to him, unfrozen from his shocked state. He helped him off the floor, checking his neck and holding him close. He could barely feel him, deep in his own mind. Hiccup coughed for a second, then slowly stood on his own. Fishlegs stared between the two, his face pale. 

Hiccup raised his eyes from the floor to the hunter, eyes furious. 

He felt his heart start to thump ever harder. Panic and anger gave way to fear and guilt. He stared at the distant heterochromatic eyes, until he couldn't anymore. 

“I need to go.” He turned, yanking his door open and marching away, mind spiraling. 

The world thumped heavily underneath him, matching the pounding of his heart. He could swear he heard people call out to him, begging for him to stop, but he just couldn't . 

“Toothless.” Toothless answered his call, ducking down for him to get on, which he swiftly did, taking to the skies.

They flew for hours, Hiccup’s heart thumping and his anger mashing violently with his confusion. He ranted to his dragon, his anger overflowing. 

 After hours, his thoughts turned from anger to just exhaustion, head throbbing. Toothless warbled back at him, and they landed atop a small island. 

He dismounted, collapsing next to his dragon, air feeling thin and his heart beating harder than usual. The world felt askew, as if it wasn't real. The colors too bright, too painful. 

He felt the dark mass nudge his side. Two large green eyes stared at him, deep with concern. Hiccup leaned on the dragon, who curled around him obediently, sensing exactly what Hiccup needed in this moment. A wing covered the too bright sky, enveloping him in darkness. 

Toothless rumbled, rubbing his face best he could into the rider's body. Hiccup felt soothed, wrapped in the wings of his best friend. Hiccup felt his body slowly relax at the vibrations of the great dragon’s purring. He nuzzled into the dark void, thankful for his incredible friend. His brother. 

“What is wrong with me?” 

Not only did he just act like a child back there because he was… He didn't want to talk about them. He always froze at the memory, like he was fifteen again. He hated it. The lashing out like that was new. Viggo did seem to bring the worst out of him.

 A heavy thought kept poking through the fog, filling his entire body with pure dread. This isn't about the Red Death anymore. 

“Tooth…” Toothless let out a huff. Hiccup continued. “W-what if Viggo is right? I don't know bud. Why didn't I think of… why? Gah-how many lives did we ruin? How many people did we hurt?” Suddenly, the blank faces of evil men became people with families, friends, lovers…His heart thumped in his chest, his blood flowing hot in his veins. Was it real? Or was Viggo making things up? Hiccups breathing slowly evened out. He felt a pit of dread in his stomach. 

Was… was Viggo right ? Was he? Were they not so different?

No! No they were. They were completely different! Viggo killed dragons for fun! He-he killed people because they got in his way! He wanted to turn a profit, build an empire on the bodies of dragons! Hiccup couldnt be in the wrong here! 

What…did Hiccup know about Viggo anyways? He could pull at his very being, challenge his every move, he was a formidable foe that Hiccup spent hours trying to pick apart, but did he even know him at all? Did he even know where he lived? 

Did he even care before this point? Would he have lived the rest of his life not caring? If he let Viggo die, would he have continued the way he was? Was he that cruel? 

Hiccup rubbed his hand down his face, his chest aching. 

You are more ruthless than you realize … 

The rider leaned harder into the dragon, feeling the warmth soothe his aching body. His heartbeat calmed, no longer threatening to leap out of his chest. 

“Toothless. I think I'm ok.” He lightly pushed at the wing, the dragon obliging carefully. Hiccup squinted as the light of the day pierced his vision. He slowly adjusted, looking into his dragon’s concerned eyes. 

“Thanks bud. I owe you one.” The dragon narrowed his eyes a bit, then nudged his midsection, backing away with his tongue swiping his fingers. Hiccup got what the dragon was saying, but he still felt he should repay his brother. He scratched him a bit behind the ear, which made the dragon purr a bit louder. He sighed, looking up to the sky. 

“Tooth… What do I do about this?” Toothless gestured his head back, to the Edge, surely. Hiccup heaved a sigh. 

“I-I know.. I messed it all up. Oh bud, we really screwed this up, huh.” Viggo’s words danced in his mind, poking at the defenses he built up for so long, the ones that were shaken when he was saved by the hunter, then the Skrill, then… 

“I think it's time for us to talk it out… Actually figure out why he’s doing all of this.” Toothless looked down at his leg. Hiccup flinched back at the reminder. The Red Death, right. 

“Viggo is one for games, right? Maybe a game of stories?” Toothless tilted his head at his suggestion. He sighed, looking up to the sky.

“Y-yeah… I guess… that will work.” Toothless licked at his face, getting him with the corner of his tongue. Hiccup chuckled, pushing his head. 

“T–thanks bud. It’ll be ok. I just… Even though it's been so long… It still haunts me.” He rubbed his leg, the pain of fire and teeth embedded deep into his veins. “Is this really the only way?” Toothless chuffed, rubbing his head on his rider. An affirmative then. 

“O-Ok. I'll just go and-” Toothless cut him off as he wrapped him into his forearms, tugging him close to his belly and wrapping his wings around them like a cocoon. 

“Bud! I can’t sleep here! I have to… I gotta fix things!” He pushed on the wings and the legs of his brother, trying desperately to escape, or well. He told himself it was desperate. The extreme exhaustion built up from the last few days hit him like a tsunami, the warm embrace and soothing purr rocking him gently, coaxing him into relaxation. 

“Tooth… I…” His eyes felt heavy. 

“I can’...”

 He was out before the protest could leave his mouth.

 The dragon hummed contentedly, proud that he made his brother finally rest, before the draining day he would surely have tomorrow. With that, he also closed his eyes, meeting his brother in the throes of slumber. 

Fishlegs stared at the man who just pinned his best friend to the wall of his own house, mouth still ajar. He looked akin to a fish, at that point. Viggo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Are you going to stand there all day?” Fishlegs jumped a few feet back, startled at the man's sudden words. He ruminated on the argument he just witnessed, torn and confused and feeling guilt. He wanted to go after his friend, but he knew it was a bad idea. He knew Hiccup hated talking about the Red Death, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he?

 Oh no. Then he just stood there as his friend was pinned to the wall! That couldn't stand. Not now. He glared at the hunter, who was studying his nail beds. He walked up, his back straight, hopefully channeling the stronger part of himself. 

He decided to talk to Viggo Grimborn. He decided to understand if the bottom of his stomach that now boiled with a putrid feeling of guilt was warranted. If his words were in any way true.

“Viggo, what is going on between you and Hiccup?” 

Chapter Text

Hiccup slowly made his way back to his hut with Toothless in tow; the now noon sun beaming heavily onto his shoulders. He felt more rejuvenated than he felt in weeks, but that didn't help the heap of dread that writhed in his insides at the incoming conversation. 

He spent the better part of his walk on the edge thinking. Thinking of what he could say, how he could phrase everything. All he knew was that he needed to find common ground. If they were at each others throats with assumptions they won't get anywhere. 

He made it to his door, taking a moment to breathe before heaving the door open. He was met with the view of Viggo writing something on a piece of parchment. The man looked up to him, a somewhat startled expression quickly being replaced with indifference at his impromptu entrance. He set the parchment and charcoal on the desk by him. 

“Ah, welcome back Hiccup. Did you have a pleasant night?” Hiccup bit his lip. 

“Fine. I need to talk to you about something.” Viggo looked at him with a crooked brow. 

“And what would that be?” The rider took a breath, staring resolutely into the others eyes. He began, rehearsed words on his lips.

"Viggo. We need to clear some things up. No more secrets. It's only you and me." Viggo's eyes narrowed.

“And what do you mean by that?” 

“We both assumed things about each other yesterday. We need to clear the air between us.” He traced his eyes on the man’s features. “I want to propose a game, I guess. Ill tell you about the Red Death, and you tell me a story I ask about. For now, we are stuck together, and... We cant keep tearing eachother apart. We need to be open." Hiccup sighed again. "You said I didn't understand? Make me understand." Viggo raised a brow.

“Hm, a fine idea. And would it be a continual arrangement?” 

“Yes. I don't want any more-” He gestured, unable to find the right word for the nightmare that was yesterday. “-misunderstandings. We both say the whole truth, no lying.” He gave the hunter a pointed stare. 

"Given our track record, I find that hard to believe." Hiccup restrained the urge to groan. He looked back at the man with determination, hardening his green eyes.

"Ok. Viggo." Hiccup sighed heavily. "I give you my word."

"Hm. And you promise to tell the whole truth? No lies?" 

"Only if you promise the same." He snarked. A small grin bloomed across the hunters face. "Very well, my dear Hiccup. As you say, I promise. A story for a story." Hiccup nodded then heaved, a heavy thing, as if expelling his sál. He would just have to believe the man, he resigned himself.

"Just... where do I even start?" He mumbled. Viggo tilted his head, a small challenge in his eyes. 

"The beginning would be good." Hiccup felt a grimace build on his face to match the hunters, anxiety building in his chest. 

"Yeah... yeah I can do that I guess. God's I hate this. Here goes..."

Viggo studied Hiccup’s face closely, listening to the hum around them; the quiet symphony of settling wood and the very faint ocean hitting on the rocks below this… enigma’s abode. He stared methodically at his face, taking in his mouth, already forming creases around his lips from his expressive frowning; the angled eyebrows pressed down in his focus, bringing button nose to attention and shadowing his beautiful jade eyes that seemed to glow in the faint light. He studied this face many times before, always determined in the past to capture a perfect memory of the other’s elegant features, beautiful even with his hands lightly shaking and his shoulders set forwards, defeated. It was new, welcome even; he usually only saw a defiant front from the young man. He wished he had his journal to capture this new expression.

It was understandable, in the circumstances. He couldn't help but be slightly frustrated at his earlier outburst, but he got his point across, he assured himself. Here, finally, Hiccup Haddock sat before him, prepared to tell him of his past, even if just a part. He could already see a bit more of the picture than he had previously, thanks to Hiccup’s earlier outburst, but he was oh so curious . He needed to know more about this man. 

What knowledge he had previously was a conglomeration of hearsay and bits and pieces of Johann's rants that referred to Berk’s heir. He, of course, attempted to gather as much knowledge as he possibly could, but Berk seemed to be airtight, their already isolated island even more so after making peace with dragons. His spies were always turned away, and his men's attempts to talk to the locals in the seldom moments they did leave was almost always fruitless. He had plenty of basic information about him and his riders, of course, but nothing too deep. It frustrated him endlessly. 

The rider was a mystery. Even through all their war, the man didn't seem to enjoy talking about his life. Viggo never liked to assume, but he figured he had some ghosts in his past. He felt a trill down his spine at the thought.

“Well. I guess I'll start. You can probably tell from the way I look that I was a runt.” Viggo nodded. That was a fact that crossed his mind many times when studying the man's lithe form. Hiccup grimaced. 

 I was frail, prone to sickness. I was considered for barnaútburðr.” Not shocking, sadly. “But- I was told my mom fought the village elders' choice. My dad decided to go straight to the source. He asked Gothi, one of our more trusted elders to confer with the Norns, and she said it wasn't my fate to be cast out. The other elders disagreed, but my dad wouldn't have it.” 

“Because of his leeway as Chief, I am sure he overwrote your elders' decision?” He nodded grimly. “It was a close thing. They got me in a basket and everything.” He scoffed. “Still, my father said I should be named what I was. A Hiccup.” Viggo stared for a moment. 

“I hope that all of your people’s names aren't literal.” Hiccup shook his head, a shade of a smile on his face. Thank Thor. “No-no. Nothing like that. Most of us are given hideous names to ward off gnomes and trolls.”

Viggo snorted. “As if the usual Viking’s disposition wouldn’t have that effect on its own.” The rider startled lightly, then a small amount of humor shone in his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah that’s what I always thought.” He sighed.

“In my village, it was kill or be killed. Literally. We were raided by dragons constantly. We-we lost a lot of people to dragons.” Hiccup breathed a heavy breath, shaky with the weight of the topic. Viggo understood. War did not come without casualties after all. He lost his own family members to dragons. His brother included now, he realized. Still… It was odd. Knowing that the dragon riders lost so many to the dragons.

“They raided your village? That is not their typical behavior unless they are starving. Was there a reason?” Hiccup looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. “I'm getting there. Hold on.” Then he looked at the floor. 

“We should have left, but you know us Vikings.” Hiccup snorted. “They are stubborn. We refused to leave, even as the raids grew worse.” He sighed, shaking his leg lightly, his prosthetic clinking from the motion. 

“Since I was a runt, people didn't really… like me, lets say.” Viggo’s eyes softened a bit. He understood a bit of that mentality, growing up in his brother’s shadow, until he was chosen as Chief. Still…

“Children are cruel, unfortunately. Your father put a quick stop to that, I presume?” Green eyes looked at him with this… sadness. As if he could not understand. That made a small weight start to tug on his chest. He felt disturbed as he analyzed his expression. 

“Your father did interfere, correct? He is the Chief .” Hiccup exhaled, an exhausted expression drawing down his features. “Yeah. Let’s go with that.” He rocked a bit, focusing on his hands. The hunter felt a heat fill him, righteous anger filling his veins. Still, he let him talk, vowing to voice his concerns later. 

“A-anyway’s, because of that I usually spent time with Gobber, our master smith. You actually met him, I think.” Viggo thought for a moment, then it clicked. 

“The blonde amputee? The one accompanying your disguised teammate?” He nodded. “Yup. He pretty much was the only one who wanted to take me in. I apprentice under him as a blacksmith.” He narrowed his eyes, a small deprecated smile on his face. 

“I tended to experiment, quite a bit.” He let out a small puff that could've been laughter. Not much has changed on that front, Viggo thought. “They usually blew up in my face. Loki really seemed to favor me in those early days. But I always figured, if I wasn't strong enough to kill a dragon, I could make something that could. What I really wanted was to take down a Night Fury.” The hunter chuckled a bit. Hiccup looked up, deadpan.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” Viggo shook his head, still chuckling. 

“It is such an odd thing, hearing that you once wanted to kill dragons, a Night Fury, no less.” He gave a glance to the black dragon itself, who snorted. “If I had met you back then, I might have even recruited you. Imagine, you, working for the dragon hunters. You would be quite the boon, my dear.” He rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, In your dream’s Grimborn.” Viggo smirked. He wondered what their life would look like if that did happen, but that was neither here nor there. 

“So, your inventions?” 

“Yeah-right. One night, we were having a really bad raid. I usually worked with Gobber in the forge, but that night, a Night Fury decided to attack and Gobber left me alone to help. I thought then, ‘this is it. I'll kill a dragon. This is my chance.’” Hiccup shook his head. “Stupid.” 

“I rolled out my newest invention. It was a pulley system- well-” Hiccup gave him a suspicious glance. “-you don't need to know the details, but it could throw bolas.” Viggo shuffled, his eyebrows curved with interest. “I brought it out, far away from the burning village. I looked up at the sky, trying to find the Night Fury.” The hunter's eyes widened, glancing again at the Night Fury in the room.  

“You shot your own dragon down? That was how he lost his fin?” Hiccup glared. “Yup. Me, little ol’ Hiccup the Useless, shot down the great Night Fury.” He huffed. “Naturally, nobody believed me.” He heaved, glaring down at the floor. “Worst mistake of my life.” The hunter narrowed his eyes at the self-deprecation. Another thing to keep note of. 

“I went out to search for him by myself. Then… then I found him.” Oh dear.

“He was pinned down by the bola. I thought he was dead. He wasn't, of course.” He glared into the distance. “I was so proud . I remember saying some stuff about carving his heart out.” He looked nearly sick at that thought. “And then...I remember looking into his eyes. They were… so scared.” The hunter’s eyes widened. 

“You realized they were more than beasts then, didn’t you.” Hiccup nodded. Viggo sighed. “I saw the same with my savior, the Monstrous Nightmare.” He looked at him sharply, eyes wide. “He looked at me, with this… intelligence. It was-jarring, after so long spent killing them, how I never saw it before baffles me.” He turned to look at the rider. “I was blind to it, I suppose. Until you.” Hiccup looked at him startled, then dropped his gaze once more, fiddling his thumbs.

“It… yeah. I looked into his eyes, and I saw myself. I realized then that I couldn't kill him. I just couldn't .” A beat passed. “So… I cut him loose.” Viggo inhaled sharply and studied the rider, incredulous. 

“You… you released a Night Fury? Alone?” Hiccup nodded, solemn. “I couldn't just leave him like that. As soon as he was loose, he pinned me to the ground. I-I really thought I would die. But-” Hiccup looked down at Toothless, who looked back with a croon. “I guess he saw the same fear in my eyes, didn’t you bud?” Toothless chuffed, a grin on his face. “He growled at me, then just-left.” Hiccup shuddered. “After that, my dad, got the brilliant idea that I should start living up to our name; he threw me into dragon training.” Viggo hummed. 

“I am sure that was quite difficult.” Hiccup snorted. “Nope, it was a walk through Valhalla.” He shook his head. “Everyone was just so nice .” The hunter came to a sudden realization, his eyes narrowing. 

“Your own teammates. Your riders. They were your oppressors?” He startled a bit, looking back at him. “T-things are different, now.” Hiccup silenced Viggo with a sharp look.  “Just-just stop interrupting.” Viggo acquiesced, for now. He would not forget that fact, however.

 “My dad was convinced that the dragons had a nest, and always left a few times a year to search for it, to put an end to the war.” Hiccup grimaced. "He was right about that, looking back." He shook his head. “He left that morning. So I was on my own. Our first dragon to fight in the ring was a Gronkle, and-”

“Hold on, you didn't get training beforehand?” Viggo asked, surprised.

“Gobber believed in learning on the job.” 

“How barbaric .” Hiccup snorted, looking down. “Don’t let him hear you say that. Besides, he did some teaching in between.”

Viggo stared at him, before mumbling. “Oh dear. It all makes sense now.” Hiccup looked up quizzically. He clarified. “Your sword fighting is very structured. It’s like you are entirely new to the concept, as if you weren't taught until recently. You also swing with little finesse, as if swinging an axe or broadsword.” He looked down at the rider, a brow raised. “I do believe I am correct in that assumption, yes?” Hiccup glared. “It's none of your business. Besides-” A mocking grin pulled on his lips. “-looking back at our fights, I'm sure your teacher was the best heifer in the pasture.” 

He smirked. “Hmm. Quite the contrary. I had a fine teacher; The finest swordsman in Veiði, in fact. I am an orrostumaðr myself; raised with the greatsword. I am not sure if you even knew not to hold the blade a year ago.” Hiccup groaned.

“My dad taught me the bow as a kid; Astrid taught me swordfighting.” It was time for Viggo to roll his eyes now. “Ah yes, that tracks then. An axe-wielder teaching swordplay? Preposterous.” His eyes twinkled, a mischievous grin dancing on his face at Hiccup’s disdain. “You must have a proper swordsman teach you sometime.” Hiccup’s smug look deepened.

“Too bad I don't know any of those.” Viggo grinned, eyebrow raised in challenge. Hiccup swallowed, humor slipping off his face as he shook the moment away. “Jh-Stop going off topic. Anyways, the Gronkle tried to kill me, but Gobber stopped it. He told me then, that dragons always go for the kill, and I wondered… why didn't Toothless?” He pet his dragon, running his delicate fingers on the ridges of the majestic creature's head. Toothless purred. 

“I went back to where I cut off the bola. I'm not really sure what I was looking for, but I ended up finding Toothless. He was trapped in this big cove.” Hiccup moved his arms, as if emphasizing the word. “And he couldn't fly out. I just remember… Looking down at him, curious. Just asking- why?” Hiccup frowned. “I realized he was trapped.” Hiccup shivered, a depressing frown on his face. “I was curious, so I decided to try and approach. Just-figure out more about him.” A tiny smile grew on his face as the dragon drooped his head onto his lap. “He didn't like that… but I was persistent. After a while… he let me touch him.” Hiccup sighed, looking down at the bright green eyes looking back at him. 

“So, that is how you discovered the other side of dragons then.” Hiccup nodded. Toothless purred harder, pushing his head into Hiccup's hand. Viggo looked on, admiring the smile of the other. It was so… odd. Seeing him like this. 

“I decided to make him a tail, since, you know…” The hunter nodded.  Hiccup glared. “A downed dragon is a dead dragon. Yeah. I'm sure you know all about that.” He did, of course. Any hunter worth his salt would know that simple fact. Still, he raised a brow at the others insult. 

“So, what happened with your… dragon training?” 

“Well… I didn't really want to fight them, but I still had to do something so I… tested my theories. I learned tricks from Toothless.” Viggo leaned forwards, interested. 

“And what tricks were those?” Hiccup glared at him. He held his hands up in surrender. “Hiccup my dear, my hunting days are behind me. I am merely curious.” The rider huffed, then sighed, defeated. “Not important. But long story short, I learned how to fly Toothless, and I won in dragon training.” Viggo started. 

“You won? I thought this was training.” Hiccup nodded. “Yup. Seems kinda counterintuitive, looking back. Whoever won would get to kill a Monstrous Nightmare in front of the village.” Oh. He could imagine how the rider reacted to that. He could see the disgust on the rider's face at the prospect. It did remind him of his own reaction to their traditions, when he was younger and foolish. 

Or, perhaps...after everything...maybe he was right as a child to be put off by their ceremonies. 

“We had something similar in my village.” Hiccup looked up, intrigued and a bit disturbed. “We were left on the nearby island for a month. We were tasked to find a dragon, kill it, and bring it back to the village to graduate to dragon hunter.” Hiccup looked a bit sick. 

“What would happen if they failed?” Viggo hummed. “Well, you could opt out or return early and you would be drafted to an apprenticeship of your choosing. If you extended past the month's time, you had a team come and collect you, or what was left.” Hiccup paled a bit, and cleared his throat. He rubbed it, the skin a bit red from the earlier confrontation. Viggo leaned forwards a bit, looking at the others’ thin throat. He felt a small pang of remorse. 

“I do apologize for my harsh treatment earlier, my dear.” Hiccup glared, then sighed. “Sure. Well…your barbaric way's aside...” He stared down, silent for a moment. 

“I tried to leave my village. Start a new life somewhere else.”

Huh. Well, now that would have been an interesting turn of events. Perhaps, in another time, they might have met in that world too. How different would that have been? Viggo shuffled a little closer to the rider, staring deeply into his solemn face.

“And why didn't you?” 

“Astrid found me.” Oh. He scooted a bit further on the bed towards the rider, his knees now lightly touching his. Hiccup cleared his throat, looking down at the point of contact. “She saw Toothless, and headed back to the village. I had to stop her, so I…” A small grin cracked on Hiccup's face. “I gave her a ride, to show her what dragons are like.” Viggo looked down, meeting the mischievous grin on the dragon at their feet's face, his teeth bared playfully at the memory. He matched it, lips parting slightly as he grinned, envisioning how terrified that girl must have been. 

“Ah. So it went well.”

Hiccup playfully glared down at his dragon, who showed absolutely no remorse. “Toothless couldn't make it easy, but… Yeah.” Hiccup grinned, reliving the memory. “After Tooth was satisfied, we just…” Hiccup sighed, a slightly dreamy expression dancing on his face. Viggo stared, enraptured. Even if it was for the shieldmaiden, he couldn't dismiss how his heart fluttered at the others dreamy look.

“Flying on a dragon. Its like nothing you've ever experienced. Its… amazing. We wooed her together there, huh bud? She just couldn't possibly resist our charm after that.” Toothless licked his fingers, releasing a quiet warble. "I hope she forgives me..." He mumbled under his breath. 

Viggo tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“I have flown with you. It was quite… incredible, despite the circumstances.” Hiccup gave him a humored look. “Oh trust me Viggo, you may have ridden a dragon, but you have never flown with one.” Viggo grinned, intrigued.

“Hm, you could inform me of the difference sometime.” Hiccup grinned.

“Oh, I'm sure Toothless would love that.” Toothless gave Viggo a threatening grin, one he matched with equal fervor.

“How about this then? Another deal, if you will. I teach you the ways of a swordsman, and you show me what you define flying as.” Hiccup rolled his eyes. Viggo insisted, curiosity driving him forwards. “All in the name of our alliance, of course.” The rider stared and debated his options, then sighed.  “Well see." Viggo grinned. 

“When we were flying, Toothless suddenly started acting… weird. He flew into the fog of Helheim's gate, and led us to this-” He gestured with his arms. “Giant volcano. We flew right into it. There were so many dragons in there, just…” He furrowed his brow. “Dropping food into the center. We then…” Hiccup shuddered a bit, gesturing with his hands. Toothless looked almost like he was wincing. “A dragon head, the size of three longships at least, just appeared out of the lava. It ate a Gronkle in one bite.” Hiccup shook his head, a shaky breath escaping his lips. The hunter stared, wide eyed. Oh… oh he believed he knew the dragon in question, now, despite his pure disbelief. 

“You… it was Helheim’s Bane?” Hiccup looked at him, confused. Viggo clarified. “Helheim's Bane is a species of dragon that I have only heard tales and rumors of. The Queen of Dragons. It was said that they were created as a mockery of Freya’s creation, the Bewilderbeast, by Hela herself; to guard the gates of Helheim." Viggo gestured with his hands. "One of the last Titans of dragons descended directly from the Gods; They have the ability to amass armies of followers and they can fell entire armadas. Their very steps quake the earth, and their wings create fierce storms. They are some of the most feared dragons in existence, and they haven't been seen in centuries… until…” Viggo cut himself off, then looked at the rider's startled face. 

“You.” He shook his head. “… you faced a Titan? You killed a demi-god ?” The rider blushed, looking down in the face of his sheer awe. His humility was incredible. “I didn't! Toothless did. I.. I guess that makes sense, though. We've never seen another one, even though we've searched. We never faced anything like it, so we named it, the Red Death.” Viggo just stared, astonished. “You never cease to amaze, my dear. Just… how? How could you accomplish such a feat?” 

“I’ll… I'll get there.” He shifted, uncomfortable. “We headed back to the village, and we tried to come up with a plan.” The rider grimaced here, as if frustrated. “I got the brilliant idea to show the village they were good in the ring.” He grit his teeth. “I'm sure you can imagine how that went.” Viggo nodded, still reeling. 

“And what did you do?”

“Well… My dad startled the Nightmare, and it tried to kill me.” Hiccup played with Toothless’ ear flaps idly. “Toothless must've heard, because he broke into the arena, and scared it off.” Viggo winced. “Yeah. Yeah they saw me defending him, and so they tied Toothless up.” He shivered. 

“My dad… wasn't too happy with me. When we were fighting, I somehow let it slip that a dragon could find the nest. He didn't hesitate to gather everyone and take off, making Toothless lead them to the nest.” Hiccup huffed, anger showing through his eyes. “He didn't listen to my warnings. He never did.” 

Viggo studied his face, taking in the sad defeat. This was a common occurrence then. It oddly reminded him of his relationship with his brother and his own late father. The rider leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling. 

“Astrid convinced me to do something, so I got the others to ride the dragons from the arena, and we headed to the nest.” He sighed. “We were met with the Red Death. She left her mountain, and she burned all of the ships. I managed to get to Toothless but he was still pinned to the boat, and we went under the water.” Hiccup smiled, a small thing. “My dad saved both of us.” He shook his head after a moment.

“Toothless and I took out the Red Death, and we all went home.” Viggo stared, unimpressed. 

“Hiccup, dear. A Skald you are not, but even you can do better than that. It is not often that you hear of such battles between demi-gods. How cruel, to leave me in suspense like this.” He bit his lip.

“Fine. We got her into the air with a plasma blast. We ran her into some sea stacks, and when that didn't work, we disappeared in the clouds. We tried to make her angry, so she would fire. Unfortunately, she got Toothless’ fin, so we were on a time limit. I figured, after seeing a Terror get injured from its gas lighting in its body, we could do something similar. We flew up as high as we could, and shot her in the mouth when she started to fire.” He looked up at Viggo, who looked at him in awe. Hiccup's eyes were a bit unfocused as he relived the experience. 

“It worked . But when she fell, she exploded.” He rubbed his leg, as if in pain. “I lost control of Toothless before we could safely escape, and I fell.” He let loose a shaky breath. “Next thing I knew, I was in my village. And… well…” He shifted his leg a bit, the prosthetic creaking. “Our best guess is that Toothless bit my leg and pulled me to him, so he could take the brunt of the impact. I think he just had to make us even, didn't ya bud?” Toothless licked his lips, and nudged his rider's torso. Hiccup grinned at his dragon. 

“Incredible. Just… incredible.” Viggo breathed, looking at the rider, who blushed. “I was unaware that you were such an accomplished warrior.”

“Its not… a big deal. And-” Hiccup looked at Viggo sharply. “I had to. I am nothing like you, Viggo.” Viggo looked at him, pleasure sweeping on his features. 

"I think you know better, my dear." Hiccup shuffled his feet, a frustrated look on his face as he stared at his knees. Viggo chuckled, making the rider look up. 

“But I was correct about one thing for certain.” Hiccup looked on, confused.

“About...what?” Viggo smirked. 

“You can contest the gods. It's no wonder I lost to you, my dear.” Hiccup clenched his teeth, wide eyes locked onto the hunter for a long moment. 

He shook himself out of the moment, breaking eye contact. 

“Ok. Enough of that. That's my side of the deal done. I talked about the Red Death. Your turn Grimborn.”

"You- Odin forsaken- son of a Jotunn!" Astrid screamed, throwing her axe across her hut with a bang , knocking several things off of her desk. She huffed, her shoulders heaving as she paced through the room to grab her axe once more. 

She tried chasing after Hiccup when he left, but she lost him. She searched all night, and he just was gone. He then just showed up on the Edge this morning. He just ignored her, when clearly something was wrong. It clearly had something to do with Viggo. 

That idiot. She felt something very, very ugly build in her chest, pressing against her throat with ferocity. She yelled once more, throwing her axe and embedding it into the wall. 

Why won't he talk to her? They could always talk to eachother, until Viggo came around! And now? She slammed her fist into her desk, jostling several pieces of paper and weapons, some falling to the ground at the force. He barely even acknowledges her existence! They are supposed to be partners! They are betrothed, for Odin’s sake! She should trust him, and he her! As she thought that, she felt her arms shake with pent up emotion, an unidentifiable mix of longing and hatred and something else built in her, tugging at her heart and making her body feel heavy. 

She fell to the ground, wiping her hand across her face. If only there was a way to convince Hiccup he was bad news! If only she could get through that thick skull of his and make him realize she was the only one that mattered, then she could toss that matviss to the ocean and reunite him with his brother; destroy the man along with his empire, then things would go back to normal, and Hiccup would be safe.

Her hands landed by her sides, defeated. Her left hand, however, brushed against something firm, something leather. She looked down in surprise, and pulled a small book up from beside her. She took in the fist symbol on the cover, the many pages in the book, well worn binding pulled despite the clear effort used to keep it preserved. She stared, a feeling of hope bubbling up in her. 

It slipped her mind in the chaos, when she was helping with Viggo’s wounds, when she placed the discarded clothing in the corner something fell out. She forgot that she stuffed that something in her boot to read for later; that something that now laid in her hands, reflecting the sunlight like a beacon of hope. This was it, she thought as she cracked open the journal. This is how she will convince Hiccup that a monster like Viggo Grimborn can't be redeemed. There must be something in here to convince her betrothed that the man didn't deserve redemption. Something that will make Hiccup come to his senses and listen to her.

Chapter Text

Snotlout stood, tapping his foot impatiently as he stared down Fishlegs, who squirmed under the might of his awesome stare. He was intimidated by him. Good, the traitor. 

The twins stare boring into the larger Viking could have factored into the larger man's discomfort, but he doubted it. His glare was enough to make the Gods squirm, he was sure. 

Snotlout was just frustrated. Frustrated at the situation, their leader, frustrated at Midgard in general. Ugh. That's what they get for having someone as unstable as Hiccup as their leader. 

Deep in his heart, he knew none of them would have it any other way, despite their… rough past, he was a… good leader. 

Oh Thor, he would never admit that out loud. He couldn't even handle himself thinking it most days. 

This time though, he wasn't sure if he could back his leader. He was making an awful lot of half baked decisions here, more than usual, at least. Sure, Hiccup and the hunter scum had this weird… obsession? He would say? With each other. But the idiot just dropped their enemy on their doorstep and said he switched sides?  Then Hiccup just shut himself out entirely, cooping up for weeks with that whacko until they brought it to his attention, and the next day he gets into a screaming match with said nutcase? All of them heard that fight. All of them rushed after Hiccup, who just flew away. Fishlegs was the only one that knew about what happened. Not only that, but he was in the hut with Viggo afterwards. Doing what? He wondered.

He wanted to believe Hiccup, but they needed to do some investigating themselves into the monster. Nobody has had time with Viggo alone though, not until yesterday.

Fishlegs talked to him without Hiccup.

Fishlegs knew.. And oh, was Snotlout going to get the details. 

“So? What has our leader gotten himself stuck in here? Talk Fishlegs.” He furrowed his brow, increasing the intensity of his stare. Fishlegs fiddled his fingers, looking down at the floor. Ruffnut snorted. 

“Yeah. You were in there with them! Talk!” Fishlegs swallowed. 

“A-ah I-” He cleared his throat. “I-I don't really… know?” Snotlout snorted. 

“ You don't know? Yeah, uhuh. You aren't talking to-to some fools here. We know you know something! So talk!” Nailed it. Fishlegs chewed on his lip. 

“I… We went to talk about Skrills? And Hiccup was late.. So…I talked to Viggo and-” Ruffnut interjected. 

“Hmm, late you say? How suspicious!” 

“And you hung out with Viggo!? Very suspicious.” Tuffnut nodded solemnly.

“Uh-What?” 

“Oh brother, you are onto something! I think our theory that Viggo is dying is correct! They were saying their goodbyes!” Ruffnut gasped.

"Or Hiccup is gonna betray us!" 

“That doesn't even make sense!”

“Yeah, yeah. We need to know someone else's perspective here. I think Hiccup is being an idiot, and letting Viggo walk all over him, he's being taken for a fool.” Snotlout cut in, sneering. It would be surprising for Hiccup to do that to their team, honestly. He wasnt one to be taken advantage of. His conscience, that sounded suspiciously like Astrid if he was being honest, screamed that Hiccup was smarter than that, but he didn't want to assume. He turned back to Fishlegs, a question in his eyes. “Still! Fishlegs knows more than we do! You talked to him!" The twins nodded. 

Talk! Is this all a set up by Viggo? Or is Hiccup secretly planning on leaving the Edge to join the Dragon Hunters!?" Tuffnut called out. Snotlout looked at him. Hm. Interesting theory. 

“No! That's not it-what are you even talking about!?” Fishlegs waved his hands and denied it, know, like a liar. 

“So you admit there is something off about this redemption thing!” He pointed his finger triumphantly, grin widening.

“That’s not what I said!” 

“Aha! I do believe this is all very suspect!” 

“I think all of this lying and murder are very clear indications that our leader is hiding something!” Ruffnut snarked, leaning on her brother. Wait, Snotlout snapped his wide eyes to the female twin.

“Murder?!” Fishlegs shook his head, holding his hands out in panic.

“No! There was no murder!” 

“Then what is it?!” Snotlout snarled.

I-I think Hiccup is right! Viggo is different now!” 

Everyone stood silently, staring at the Viking that was now covering his mouth, eyes wide. He lowered his hands, looking at them as if they were something he didn't see everyday of his life.

“At least… A little bit…. Yeah…?” 

Oh.  

Good…

Wait, What ?

Hiccup started quizzically at the hunter before him. He was so… Well, Hiccup could think of many things to describe him. The man seemed to be scanning him in turn, and Hiccup really wanted to move out of the way of such an intense stare.

“So, a story for a story. I can't promise anything as thrilling as your tale, but a deal is a deal. What would you like to hear, my dear?” Hiccup thought for a moment, ruminating over the possibilities. He would prefer something with substance, something that the other couldn't just glaze over. But what? Maybe… no… or? Asking him why he hunted dragon’s would be redundant, and he couldn't just ask for his life story, so…Oh, that would work. 

“How were you chosen as chief over your brother?” Viggo hummed, his eyes still focused on Hiccup, who wiggled a bit at the attention. 

“Ah, a good choice. When I was 14-” Hiccup cut him off with a tsk.

“I had to start at the beginning, you do the same.” Viggo chuckled.

“Very well.” He thought for a moment. “My birth was not unlike yours, in some ways. Due to our rules of succession, Ryker tended to be in more of the spotlight. My brother was fostered, groomed to be the perfect chief.” Viggo snorted. “According to our dear father, at least. He believed in violence first and foremost; He spent most of our lives pillaging nearby lands, destroying what few allies we had and obliterating any chance of reconciliation. He killed dragons and sold them that way, from foreign lands. He thought that through domination, we could obtain total control, the fool.” Hiccup snorted.

“Sounds like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” Viggo stared at him, an unimpressed scowl on his face. 

“On the contrary, I believe such destructive methods are not only wasteful but bad for business. Especially for our lands, as isolated as we were. My grandfather was quite adept at making ‘connections’ with our few neighbors, and he led our lands into a time of… less bloodshed. My father believed in more…forceful methods; ‘true Vikings do not hide behind pretty word’s and prettier lies.’ He always preached to us.” Hiccup raised a brow. 

“And how did he feel about your views on the matter?” Viggo smirked. “Oh, he abhorred my views. Hated me, in return. I, of course, returned said feelings.” The smirk fell very slightly. “My brother idolized our father. He believed in brute force and pillaging just as much as any ‘true Viking’. Father was so pleased .” Hiccup could almost see the quotes around the phrase. He felt a pang in his chest, the words bringing up emotions he buried long ago. 

“ I was rather close to my brother growing up, until he reached his adolescence. My father took him on his excursions more frequently, and little by little, I recognized him less and less.” Viggo looked into Hiccup's eyes. “By the time we reached our majority, we were strangers.” Hiccup took a deep breath. 

“And that's why… So, who raised you, your grandfather?” Viggo nodded.

“In a way. He taught me to be a leader, but it was my mother who raised me. She is a fierce one, one of the very few people who hold my respect.” Hiccup felt a bit of awe at the reverence in Viggo’s eyes. His heart hurt, almost a jealous hurt. It was so jarring, as silly as it was, to put into perspective that his rival had a family, a mother . He couldn’t help the words that slipped from his lips. 

“She… you loved her.” Viggo looked at him then, with a somewhat confuddled look in his eyes, as if he saw something in Hiccup, but he didn't understand even a bit of what. What was so fascinating? After a long moment, Viggo sighed. 

“I cared for her, yes. I do have emotions, my dear. She was refined, a true chief's daughter. She taught me to be more than a Viking. She taught me my place, and that I alone can control my destiny. When my grandfather started teaching me, I truly understood her words, that the world is cruel and dark, and we control it, if we are strong enough.” He felt his stomach churn. 

“Viggo… that's not-” Viggo held up a hand, cutting off his words. 

“Yes yes. I know what you are about to say Hiccup. And while I adore our little spats, now is not the time for debate.” Hiccup shut his mouth with a click. Viggo nodded.

“She raised me as a chief should be raised. She taught me that knowledge was of the utmost importance; the way of true Chieftains was the path of refinement." Viggo looked down for a moment. "She introduced me to blacksmithing, in fact. She believed that you must understand the people around you, and control yourself, so that you may be strong. My father thought she was weak, and her ideals were those of a weak woman. He thought me an argr for believing her teachings. ” Viggo grit his teeth. Hiccup winced at the word. He knew the pain of being called that, and how wrong it was. It was one he heard directed to him, before.

“As a result, I was more the studious type, and my brother was evermore brash. I began to tire of his arrogance. I left his side more and more exploring our village on my own, and eventually, I found something intriguing. I found the war room.” Hiccup raised a brow. 

“You… a war…room?” Viggo looked at him for a moment, as if he were crazy, which he resented. Then, realization dawned on his face. 

“Ah, right. Your village isn't as… developed as most.” Hiccup recoiled, a scowl on his face. Viggo quickly spoke, slightly raising his hand. “No slight intended. I mean that your architecture is more simple, and several places are used for multiple functions. My island is a bit more complex in that way. We have a building entirely dedicated to planning expeditions and war efforts.” Hiccup felt his ire drain a bit at that.

“That seems… complicated. And unnecessary. On Berk we usually use our great hall or the Chiefs house as a… war room.” Viggo chuckled. 

“Well, my grandfather always said that warfare is an art, one that should be given complete dedication. A war room seemed to fit that ideal. It was quite the sight, maps and weapons lining the wall, and in the middle we had the largest map you've ever seen.” Hiccup was really curious now, his eyes wide. 

“A map huh?” What he wouldn't give to see something like that. He started dabbling in map making years ago, and he knows the years of effort that must've gone into such a piece. 

Then a thought occurred. “You keep mentioning your grandfather. Where does he come into this?” Viggo looked at him, amused. “In all due time.” He adjusted his back, straightening it a bit more. 

“I studied the map, absorbed by it. I had never seen the archipelago laid out in such detail. I took a look at the war pieces, and noticed they were all… wrong . The plan of attack was foolhardy. Nearly no planning at all. They wished to board on the shore in plain sight, a full frontal assault. As if that were any way to start a battle. I remember being offended. I moved some pieces, as if to make an attack to the west.” He gestured with his arms, hands spread wide. “I was so enraptured, I never even heard the man behind me until he called my name.” Hiccup shuffled a bit forwards.

“I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard it. My grandfather stood across the room. If I recall, he was smiling. It was odd. I never saw him smile before that point. He asked what I was doing, and when I explained that the war effort was poorly planned, he asked me what I would do. We planned for hours, laying out the pieces. Then, he asked if I would play a game with him.”

“Maces and Talons I'm guessing?” Hiccup chimed in. Viggo smirked at him, his heterochromatic eyes glistening. “Correct. I did not win that first game, or the next. It took a few weeks, but he was insistent after that moment to let me join him for a game every day or so.” Hiccup snorted. 

“I'm sure that burned you up inside, to lose.” Viggo’s smirk widened. “Ah, of course. But I knew it was only a matter of time before victory was mine. When that time came, I knew what my grandfather wanted from me. We played for most of my early life he taught me. He talked through our games, telling me of the rules of warfare, telling me of power over others, how to rule a people without an uprising. He told me much of dragons as well, and of the dragon eye. ” Hiccup leaned forwards, placing a hand on his leg as he did so. 

“I believe my grandfather's obsession might have nearly competed with your own, shockingly.” Viggo chuckled as Hiccup raised a brow. “He knew just about everything to do with dragons.”

“He used that knowledge to hurt dragons.” Toothless looked up, a small growl in his chest.

“Yes. He did. But, he also respected and feared them. He sought a way to control them." The rider scowled a bit, but Viggo continued. "He revered the knowledge passed down through generations. In fact, his own great-grandfather constructed the Dragon Eye, he was told.” Hiccup’s eyes widened, and he grabbed his knees to lean further. 

“Really? That-that early? How could he have discovered the techniques required to make it? It's a feat of engineering even in our day.” Viggo hummed. 

“Many secrets died with him, and many more are trapped in the Dragon Eye, waiting to be unlocked.” Hiccup grimaced, the bubbly feeling he associated with discovery dying down at the vague answer. Viggo seemed to notice. “However, once we retrieve it from Krogan and Johann, Well…” He smiled. We areallies, yes?” Hiccup swallowed. A bit of something building in his chest. A mix of guilt and instinctual revulsion in the mix. 

“Yeah… um. Viggo, we need to talk about earlier…” Viggo nodded. 

“We do, but after. My, and you said I was interrupting too much.” Hiccup scowled, lips pursed. 

“Fine! Fine. Go right ahead then. So your grandfather was grooming you to take the throne from your brother, right?” Viggo smirked.

“Insightful as ever, my dear Hiccup. Yes, he felt that his son did not deserve to be on the throne, and my brother was an obstacle. He made sure to impart that hatred onto me. He wanted to use me to get to the throne once more.” The rider frowned, worrying his lip.

“Did he abdicate? Or was he overthrown?” Viggo grimaced.

 “He was challenged for it.” Hiccup’s eyelids flared, his mouth opening slightly. “He… Your dad challenged his own father for the throne? He… that’s usually to the death. What happened?” 

“Well, my grandfather chose to forfeit the chair at first blood. You see, he was a clever man. He knew he wasn't strong enough to defeat his son, so he chose to bide his time, until he found a worthy successor, a worthy puppet, more accurately.” 

“And that was you.” Hiccup concluded grimly.

“Yes. I quite admired my grandfather. But when rumors spread that I wished to challenge my father, I knew it was him.” The hunter gave a soulless grin. “I should have put his teachings into practice. Never trust anyone, everyone lies. Even him.” Hiccup shook his head, his brow furrowed. So this was where the man got his hatred for the world, his distrust. Hiccup felt a strong urge to find this grandfather, and sick Toothless on him. Hiccup reached over, stopping himself from grabbing the others shoulder. This was Viggo , what was he doing? He couldn't comfort him. He put his hand down. 

“Viggo, that isn't right . People don't just do that.” Viggo raised a brow. 

“Are you not using me? Am I not using you? My dear, the world is nothing but a slew of transactions. To gain something, you must pay in return.” Hiccup grit his teeth. Of course, things were starting to come into view a bit when it came to the man, but he just didn't get it.

“Now, may I continue?” Hiccup nodded hesitantly, a promise that he would discuss this later in his mind. He wanted the man to understand . It was kind of funny, but he wanted him to experience something more than using or being used. It was sad in a way… the life Viggo has experienced has been more action-packed and eventful than anything Hiccup has experienced in his lifetime, yet the hunter has never really lived , has he?

“Word spread swiftly. When my father heard of the cries, he enlisted me in the dragon trade without consulting the elders.” Hiccup inhaled sharply. “But… You were a kid. His kid.” Viggo stared blankly, his eyes unfocused. 

“Yes. He was insistent. I was cast onto a ship set to leave in the morning, my brother's own boat, cursing my weakness. I planned for a time that I would be able to get back home, but voyages for the dragon hunters usually spanned years .” Hiccup nodded slowly.

“Your brother’s boat?” Viggo grinned. “Ah, yes. He passed his Eyjadreki trial earlier that month. I was placed under his command. And so I lived the life of a common soldier, serving under my brother. I plotted for the time I would return home. Alas, My father assured that I was quite hated in my village. I knew that I couldn't let them break me, and in turn I did my best to prove myself, to make myself a leader.” Hiccup felt a spear of ice pierce his heart. He saw his scars.  Worse and worse scenarios filling his mind.

“What… What happened on that ship?” Viggo looked at him with a blank expression. 

“I took the hardships in stride, and as we travelled, I gained the hunter’s respect around me. I mastered the ways of the sword from the commander; and as I succeeded, my brother failed. Eventually, my brother's poor choices stranded us on an island. An island full of these creatures called Grimoras.” Hiccup inhaled sharply. Viggo looked at him, surprise in his eyes. 

“You know of them?”

“We-uh. We've had an unfortunate encounter with those before. Toothless nearly bit my head off.” Toothless purred and licked his hand in apology. Viggo nodded, intrigue on his face. 

“Well, you must tell me of that tale at some point. Nevertheless, we were unaware of the dangers lurking in the waters, and camped in the forest. I disagreed; we didn't know the lands, and we were unaware of the dragons, but my brother thought it fine, that the island was abandoned. The infected dragon’s struck in the night, taking out many of our men. My brother was badly wounded. I took charge of our remaining soldiers.” The hunter, as Hiccup was reminded of once more, looked at him with a bit of reprehension in his eyes. Hiccup grimaced. 

“Did you kill all of them?”

 “My dear, they were infected.” Viggo tried to soothe. The rider glowered at the floor.

“I know . But-that doesn't excuse killing dragons. Besides, you can repel Grimoras with salt. They didn’t have to die.” Viggo hummed. 

“Unfortunately, all of us were hunters, my dear. We did not see it that way.” Hiccup bit his lip. 

“Yeah… yeah I get it. Still, I hate it.” The hunter nodded, looking at Toothless's narrowed pupils. “Yes. I regret it now, in many ways.” Hiccup snapped his eyes up to the hunter, an astonished look on his face. It was still an incredible thing to hear from the man, despite the jarring last few weeks. Toothless continued staring at the man. Viggo surely noticed, but said nothing.

“And then when we started celebrating, a Titanwing Deathgripper nearly grabbed me, then attempted to kill my brother.” Viggo gestured to his scarred neck. "He gave me quite the scratch as well." Hiccup grimaced at the scar he saw so many times on the hunter's neck, one of many scars decorating the hunters body. Still, the new dragon tore his curiosity away from the scars. Hiccup latched onto the new dragon name. 

“Deathgripper? What is that? It's not in our records as far as I know.” Hiccup put his hands on his knees, leaning towards the hunter, who smiled. 

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this is not a peaceful dragon species. It is a relative of your well-named Deathsong and the Changewing, but much more volatile. It is a dragon eater, one that spews acid and stings with a powerful venom. Two stings are fatal to any dragon. Its venom is actually known for its controlling effects when properly diluted as well.” Hiccup’s fingers twitched, the need to write down the information near palpable. “That particular use was discovered by an unsavory fellow in the north some years ago. We used the venom on the more… troublesome creatures in our grasp.” Aaand the mood was gone. The rider clenched his fists, feeling the sense of discovery take an abrupt swandive. Toothless looked at him, then back at the hunter.

“Of course you did. Another sick way to hurt dragons.” He mumbled. Viggo adopted a more tired look on his face. 

“If you are going to get offended each time I mention my business, we are in for a very long night.” Hiccup rolled his eyes, but rescinded. 

“Ok-fine. So a Titanwing Deathgripper. Not good news.” 

“Quite. I was one of the few left unharmed or alive. Even wounded, when I saw this dragon attempt to kill my brother, I entered into a deadly duel with this great beast. To this day, it was one of the hardest battles I have ever been in, but I was able to fell the dragon, protecting my people and saving my brother’s life.” His eyes widened.

“Your brother owed you a life debt.” 

“Yes. After that incident, we learned to respect eachother. We were rescued by some southerners and were able to repair our ship, and throughout the rest of the voyage back home, I led our people. I took the dragon home as a trophy as is custom; I proved myself a dragon hunter.” Toothless snorted at that, eyes narrowed.

“And when you got home?” 

“When I got home my father was missing. I never quite learned the full story, but he apparently heard of a place that led to a secret land in the sea. Foolish, I know, but he could only find it with a lost artifact of our people.” Hiccup grimaced. Even when the other said he hated his father, it was a rough experience to lose a parent. Then his stomach dropped. 

“The ship…-The Dragon Eye!” Viggo nodded, a grin on his face. “Yes, what an odd twist of fate, you, a dragon rider, found what we hunters have been seeking for centuries. It was quite frustrating to find out.” Hiccup let loose a slightly hysterical snort.

“But if your dad was assumed dead, that made your brother chief, right?”

“It would, if not for us both being on an expedition, My grandfather once again took his place as temporary Chief. He knew as soon as we came home that he would lose his place as chief once more, so he made plans for me to lead. He thought I still admired him.” The rider narrowed his eyes.  Absently, he noticed Toothless growl beside him. It seemed he was as invested as he was. 

“After all that time, after all I had gone through, the men we lost…” Viggo clenched his fist. “I wished nothing more than to see my grandfather's demise, even when he welcomed us home with open arms. When he saw my prize, he ordered it to be skinned for my own Eyjadreki ceremony, and said I proved myself worthy to be the next chief over my brother. I wished to know more, so I waited for night to fall. When I entered his study that night, I saw many things. One was a plan to stage my brother's death, and another…” He took a shuddered breath. Hiccup nearly reeled at the deep show of emotion. They sat in silence for a moment. 

“W-what happened?” 

“I found out that my grandfather sold our mother to another tribe as a gift, to gain their loyalty after my fathers raids.” Hiccup inhaled, and felt a sick feeling dropping his stomach to the floor. “The political move I understand. But one of the only worthwhile things my father did was marry her. She was the only person I could trust, and then she was sold.” 

Though his face was blank, The rider could hear his teeth grind together. He couldn't hold back the sheer compassion that overwhelmed his heart. He placed his hands on one of Viggo’s own clenched ones, staring at the others eyes, which snapped up towards him at the sudden touch. 

“Viggo...” Viggo stared at him, and Hiccup stared back, neither saying anything. Barely breathing. Hiccup felt the bizarre urge to hug him. Then, all of the sudden the moment snapped as Viggo sighed. 

“The next day, I confronted my grandfather. It didn't take much to ensure he never bothered us again.”

The compassion drained as he processed the others words. Hiccup let out a shuddered sigh, then let go of the other’s hand with a sick feeling building in his throat.

“You killed your grandfather.”

“Yes.” Hiccup snapped his eyes up, anger and sympathy painting a battleground in his heart. 

"How could you?”

“How could I not? Hiccup. I removed a monster from power. Wouldn't you say that is justified?” Hiccup stared at the ground, his eyebrow furrowed. 

“Oh Hiccup, don't act so modest. You understand the necessity of his death. You know I was justified.” Hiccup grimaced. 

“Just because I understand it doesn't mean I support it.” He scoffed. 

“This world is kill or be killed, dear. The sooner you accept that the better.” Hiccup sighed heavily.

“No its not. You could have found another way.” 

“Oh Hiccup, you know there was no other way”

They were silent, Hiccup staring deep into the others heterochromatic eyes, which stared with fervor into his. He hated how the man was right, and he hated how the world loved to prove him wrong. The rider knew he was being unfair at the moment, but he couldn't admit that. A question that seemed to dig into him since being pinned to the wall still haunted him as he learned more and more of this man's past. What would he have done? 

What would he have done?

“...Fine. Ok. I'm not going to argue this right now. It's a waste of time, and I need to talk to my riders before nightfall.” Hiccup took in a breath, breaking eye contact. “Viggo, what happened next?” 

Viggo sighed. “As I said, I was raised to the people as Chief within the week. My brother had no choice but to accept the judgement of the elders. They could not prove my involvement in my grandfather's death, and it stayed a mystery. And that, is how I became chief over my brother.” Hiccup looked down, heaving another sigh.

They sat in silence for a long moment, Hiccup ruminating over their conversation. Finally, he looked up.

"I don't think you are lying, not about this.” Hiccup reached out once more, placing a hand on the other's knee and snapping a determined glare onto his features.

“I know we talked about it before, but we need to lay it all out. For this to work we need to stop all of this…” He gestured with his hands. “This. From now on-” He let his arms fall.“-Let’s let go of our hatred, for now. Well talk to my team and make out a deal. Ok?” Hiccup heaved a sigh.

“I don't trust you, and Odin knows I hate what you've done... but despite my better judgement… I believe you Viggo.” Viggo’s eyes seemed to glow as they widened. Hiccup pulled his lips back in a not quite smile.

“Now, I need to figure out a way to talk to everyone-” He was cut off as the screech of an angry Skrill echoed violently against his eardrums, causing both of them to cover their ears. A few accompanying screams echoed the shrill noise. Hiccup got up quickly. Viggo looked towards the door with an amused smirk.

“Ah, she must be done eating.” Hiccup rolled his eyes at the hunter and hurried to the door. The door slid open with a bang, four of his five teammates tumbling in, followed by another shrill screech.

"Hiccup!!! Hide us!! Viggo, anyone!! Abort! Abort!" Tuffnut screamed as they all ran further into the room. 

“Well. I guess that makes it easier for you, my dear.” Viggo quipped as another crackle of lightning sounded as a Skrill burst into the room, growling.

Chapter Text

Hiccup quickly put his hands up, blocking her view of his very irritating teammates. He tried his best to adopt a calm expression as he relaxed his body in surrender. 

“Woah girl!! It's ok! It's ok!” The Skrill snarled at him for a moment, before bobbing her head around him to look at the man on the bed, who held his hands in a similar gesture, copying Hiccup as best he could. 

“Skrill, steady!” She relaxed, her pupils widening as she shoved past Hiccup and trotted towards her rider, nuzzling him lightly in the stomach. He pat her head fondly, a small smile on his face. “That's it, dear. Everything's alright.” Hiccup watched in awe as he calmed the dragon with a touch. If he wasn't raised a dragon hunter, Hiccup was sure he would've been a great dragon trainer. Well… maybe, he still could be. 

“Woah.” He heard from next to him. The Skrill snapped her head towards the four with a snarl, before raising her head, and in an almost haughty fashion, making her way towards her corner with Viggo’s clothing; settling into a ball with her eyes still tracking all of their movements. Toothless trotted towards the other dragon, sniffing the irritated Skrill. He was zapped on the nose for his effort. With a yelp, he retreated, glaring.

“Yeah- I-” Hiccup whispered as he stared at Viggo’s small smile, before snapping back to the riders. “What the Hel were you guys doing to cause that?” Fishlegs stepped back at his glare. Toothless growled beside him, his stare matching his riders.

“Uhhh…”

“Sh-she attacked us first!!” Ruffnut snapped. “You know Skrills!” Tuffnut added, nodding fiercely. Hiccup raised a brow.

“Uh huh. Fishlegs?” Said Viking fiddled his fingers. 

“Well… um, we were waiting to talk to you? And they were trying to break in, which I said was a bad idea! And she… I think she thought Viggo was in danger.” 

No wonder. Hiccup grabbed the bridge of his nose. “Oh Thor…”

“That's none of your business!” Snotlout chipped in, crossing his arms with a scowl. “Besides, it didn't work!” Hiccup groaned.

“You shouldn't try breaking into my house! How many times do I have to go over this!” Fishlegs started counting on his fingers as the twins shrugged. 

“Hmm. This seems to be a common occurrence. Do they have no sense of privacy?” Viggo furrowed his brow as he looked at the group. Hiccup rolled his eyes. 

“Oh, you have no idea.” Snotlout released a snarl, aghast. 

“ Dont insult us! Cooping up with Viggo all day? I thought you wouldn't do that! We had to get Fishlegs to talk to us!” Hiccup bit his lip as he took in the reprimand. He thought back to the earlier… leadup to their groundbreaking exercise and looked at Fishlegs with a bit of regret. He saw the whole thing. 

“Yeah… about that…” Wait. Fishlegs summed up what happened earlier? Oh no. What did he think about that? “Wait, Fishlegs? What did you say?”

“Uhm.. I just said… Uh, Hiccup.” Hiccup felt his anxiety build. He felt Viggo’s eyes on him as he held up his hands in surrender. Until-

“He said we should trust Viggo!"

“W-really?” Hiccup looked shocked at Fishlegs, who recoiled at Snotlout's words. How did he get that from the conversation? As a matter of fact… What did Fishlegs and Viggo even talk about while he was still in the forge?

“Fish?” He asked cautiously.

“Oh, now that is interesting.” Viggo chimed, a smirk on his face as he stared down Fishlegs, who waved his hands back and forth. 

“Ah… That's not what I said! Hiccup… We…” Then what did he say? Hiccup was cut off as Tuffnut made himself known. He apparently took the opportunity to inch closer to the Skrill, who stared at him with dangerous slits. 

“So, Viggo, Viggy, Vigster. What do you think about letting us ride your Skrill?” Hiccup felt a headache coming on.

“We need to talk to you Hiccup! And the hunter-err- whatever you are!” Snotlout snapped. Hiccup noted the odd stutter in his voice with a bit of confusion. 

“I do not think she would agree.” The hunter answered Tuffnut. Viggo grinned at the Skrill, who adopted a challenging snarl on her face. Toothless chuckled. 

“Oh I'm sure she'll- AH!” As Tuffnut reached towards her, she let loose a spark in his direction, shocking him lightly. Hiccup knew he was probably fine. Probably. 

“Hah! Do that again!” Tuffnut called from his place on the floor. Yeah he's ok. 

“G-Ok! Enough guys, quiet down! Tuffnut, no touching the Skrill! Ruffnut, get away from that, I can see you! Snotlout! Everyone. Just… Cmon. Sit down.” They all came from their respective places around the hut to form a half circle around the bed. Viggo slowly sat back onto the pillows, careful to prop himself up gently, as to not aggravate his back. 

“Party pooper…” Hiccup rolled his eyes as he settled down into the oblong circle, staring each of his teammates in the eye. He let out a sigh.

“Ok. Ok. So I know I haven't been exactly… forthcoming here…”

“Uh, yeah!” Ruffnut chimed. Tuffnut, now situated next to his sister, nodded. “We noticed!”

“I didn't mean to do…that. Worry you." Hiccup looked down as he admitted his fault, sighing as he felt all eyes on him. 

“Yeah we don't even know the whole-thing going on here. Hiccup, what's going on? Should we even be talking with him here?” Snotlout talked. Tuffnut nodded solemnly.

"We think you are going to leave us to join the Dragon Hunters!" He pointed towards Viggo, who started chuckling. 

“Ok we'll clear the air here-” Hiccup whipped his head towards the laughing hunter “-Viggo stop it–” He just smirked at the rider, who gave him a dead stare then turned back to his team. “I'm not betraying anyone. Viggo was betrayed and decided to switch sides, and in turn I saved his life. I have determined that he is trustworthy... for now-” He cut himself off, feeling the very obvious hole in his group. Astrid. He felt a dark pool of anxiety and regret as he thought of his betrothed..

“Astrid. Have you guys seen her? She needs to be here for this.” They all looked at him with varying degrees of alarm. Toothless especially. 

“Hiccup, do you want us to die?” Snotlout cried. 

“Yeah I'd take the Skrill over that mess.” Ruffnut nodded to her twin. “You do it.”

“I can’t talk to her! She scares me!” Hiccup had enough. He clenched his fist, a resolve building in his mind. He caused this. It was all him.

“Ok! Ill… Ill go.” His teammates looked at him then with even more dread, but on his behalf. Viggo looked nearly concerned as he tilted his head in his direction.

“Hiccup, are you certain of this? I would not advise it. She seems particularly… aggravated. Perhaps we could talk to her another time?” Hiccup shook his head fervently.

“No! No. She needs to be here.” Viggo nodded, somewhat solemn. 

“Very well. Good luck, my dear.” Hiccup smiled, a sad empty thing.

“Yeah- yeah ill need it.” 

He made his way out of the hut, Toothless close behind. As he closed the door, he heard a small last bit of conversation. 

“Well. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, now that we are on the same side.” Viggo called. 

“I uh…” Fishlegs was cut off by Tuffnut. 

“Pleasure, my good man! I know we have spoken previously but I must say it is a genuine honor to lay down my life beside your own! What do you think about boar pits, and would a ring of fire be a good addition?” 

“...Pardon?”

The conversation filtered to cicadas rhythmically rubbing their tymbals, filling the dusk air with their song. Hiccup did not feel even semi-soothed at their calls; each step feeling more and more as though he were heading to his execution. 

As he walked, he pondered everything that happened today. He was so full of every type of emotion known to man, he felt as though he would explode. Still, a weight felt like it was lifted off his chest.

Viggo… he didn't lie. For once, he told the truth. And that was far from the only shock of the day. Hiccup was honestly not only surprised at Viggo, but also at himself. 

The outburst earlier was childish, and even though Viggo was a piece of- he had to stop that train of thought, no; He needed to fight his hatred now. He promised the hunter to do so, and he keeps his promises.-Their past was a rough one, he should know better than to lash out like that.

He somehow got through that conversation unscathed, to a point, even when phantom pains still struck his leg with a vengeance, perspiration building on his brow at the memory that he always tried to push down. When they talked about the… Red Death.. He always got this way, and he hated it. It almost felt relieving to talk it all out, even when it was with his enemy. Or, he supposes, his ex-enemy for now.

 He was meant to lead his people one day, and he couldn't handle one conversation about a battle he should be proud of - but burned him every time those six eyes flashed in his memory, the smell of death lingering in his nostrils- A battle that was necessary? He embarrassed himself, and then attacked the man with petty digging insults. The fact the man didn't kill him was a miracle, honestly. 

You know, it was bizarre, how he never really thought of him as a human being, with a family, a mom and a dad. Hearing the others story awakened a sympathy in him that he usually only reserved for his allies. Perhaps it was warranted, in the circumstances. 

He liked the thought, honestly. Viggo was a very formidable man, terrifying in his own right in a physical and intellectual sense. Tactically, having him on their side would be an immeasurable boon. He thought many times through their war, how powerful he was, what he could do. It made him shiver.

But then, what did his alliance cost?

Toothless nudged his hand, bringing to attention the hut he didn't know he reached. Stormfly was parked on the roof, growling at the duo, her teeth reflecting the pink sky in a menacing way. Toothless growled back, stepping forwards and blocking Hiccup. Hiccup felt an unbearable sadness fill him at the reaction between the dragons. They were best friends. How could he have led them to this? 

“Stormfly, I'm here to talk to Astrid.” Stormfly hissed violently, lowering herself into a more threatening stance. Hiccup raised his hands slowly. 

“I know-I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I want to fix it. Please?” The dragon sat for a moment longer, snarling at the duo, then slowly acquiesced, lowering her posture into a bow. Hiccup smiled gratefully, and made his way to the door. 

As he raised his hand to knock, he could swear he could hear a noise like…? No, this is Astrid he is talking about. He brought his hand down onto the door in quick succession, the knocks ringing through the quiet, swiftly cutting off the noise and heightening his alarm.

“Uh, Astrid? We-uh… I-If it's ok… We are going to all talk to eachother in my hut… y'know, figure out the situation. I-I really need you to be there.” He should have rehearsed what he was going to say here. His mind was blank, only a regretful haze flooding his conscious. "Astrid?" Hiccup leaned his head on the door, the weight of the last few weeks pouring out of him. “I oh gh-Im so sorry. I really- oh it's all so messed up right now.”

“I was wrong, Astrid. I was just so stupid. I wanted to take on everything myself and I know we talked about it but I shut down and I just- Astrid. I am so sorry. I never should have-”

“Go away Hiccup.” A muffled voice answered him. It sounded strained. His heart grew heavier. 

“I… I need to fix all this. What is going on is just- I had no chance to explain.” He could feel himself grasping at straws here. He cursed his stupid mouth.

“You had every chance.” She was right. He cringed back before looking down at his foot, feeling the weight of his shame weight ever heavier. 

“Yeah… Yeah you're right. I did. And I hurt the whole team because I shut myself off and I didn't tell you about my talk with Viggo and I-” She cut him off, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“You and Viggo, huh?” Hiccup felt his heart tug once more. 

“Well, yeah… That’s what we wanted to discuss with the team. We-we came to an-” He was cut off again, this time by a louder voice, hollow and hardened at the same time.

“Right. You came to an understanding, right? Another secret from us. From me.” Hiccup really felt like he might collapse from the sheer guilt. He leaned on Toothless’ head, as if that would hold him up from the weight of his own shame. 

“I want to talk with the team to make a plan. With-everything. God’s… I'm so sorry about all of this. I'm going to clear everything up I swear. Just-just give me a chance.” He heard her sniff. 

“Odin, I hope...” It was barely a whisper. He wasn't even sure if he understood it. 

“Wh-what was that?” Nothing answered. “Please… Just open the door. I need to tell you…”

Suddenly, the door swung open forcefully, revealing a disheveled Astrid Hofferson. Hiccup nearly fell back at the juxtaposition of her regular appearance compared to her now. She looked as though she were thrown from Stormfly’s saddle and rolled down a hill. It seemed as though all the fight left her. Her eyes were stony and her face stoic. She stood with her back rigid, and her eyes focused behind him. Her fists were shaking. With what, he didn't know. 

He was left speechless. He grabbed onto Toothless as she shoved herself forcefully past them, nearly sweeping him off his feet. Toothless warbled, concerned. 

"Astrid?" He called. 

“Stop. Talking.” She gritted out. Hiccup quickly shook off his shock and jogged to meet her, reaching to grab her arm. 

“A-Astrid! I-” She forcefully shoved his arm off, an ugly snarl painting her usually lovely features as she glared at him. Hiccup hated himself for making that face ever appear on her. 

“Shut up Hiccup. Let's just go.” She turned again, marching towards Hiccup’s hut, her arms slightly raised and shaking. Hiccup shivered and jogged once more to meet her stride. 

“O-ok. Ill-” He nearly whispered, but she cut him off again with a shake of her head. A heavy blur stopped him in his tracks as Stormfly landed herself between them, chattering angrily at the pair.

"Not yet, girl." She growled out. Oh, that sounded promising to their reconciliation. Still, the dragon took a small step back, allowing a thin path. Hiccup cringed as he slunk past the dragon to Astrid's side, who looked silently forwards, a dead look in her eye. Toothless growled in warning as the Nadder bared her teeth. 

“Let's just get this over with.” Astrid spoke, voice perfectly calm. He stayed silent, a dread poisoning his veins as they made their way to the hut.

When they arrived, there was a bit of muffled screaming in the room, followed by a crash. Now a little alarmed, Hiccup heaved open the door, meeting a chaotic scene.

Chapter Text

Hiccup opened the door to complete pandemonium. The fire in the middle of the room was a good hint that he made a mistake leaving them alone for even a second. Snotlout looked like he was smoking, and Viggo just sat with a grin, folding his arms as he watched the chaos unfold. Fishlegs was trying to inch closer to the Skrill, who was glowering at the Viking. 

“Woah woah! What on Midgard is going on here!?” He ran over to his pulley system and quickly tugged on it, dousing the fire with a cold sheet of water. Everyone groaned in unison as the freezing liquid soaked the room. Hiccup was glad in moments like these that he thought of a good fire control suppression system for his hut, even when he still needed to work out a few… kinks. He looked over to Viggo, who was now trying to throw off his soaked sheets. A small part of him reveled in his misfortune, and another winced at the scene. He shook out his now soaked arms as he walked further into the room, putting his hands on his hips. 

“What happened here?!” The twins grinned, their teeth lightly chattering. 

“Eyy Hiccup! We were, uh. Bonding!” Tuffnut called, forming a thumbs up, as if that helped the situation. 

“And what part of bonding involved catching my house on fire!?” 

“Viggo said he would help us make a ring of fire! Snotlout generously donated some monstrous Nightmare gel to our cause!”

“No I didn't!” Viggo snorted, crossing his arms and looking at the twins as if he were entirely unimpressed. 

“Viggo?!” He raised a brow, a small smirk on his face. 

“I only said that their plan had flaws and simply pointed them out. After that it was out of my hands.” Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the Hunter, who looked at him with a bit of concern in his gaze. 

“Your teammates are quite… intriguing.” Hiccup rolled his eyes, glaring at his teammates. 

“Yeah, tell me about it.” He huffed, then threw his hands into the air. “I leave you guys alone for one second!” 

“Yeah, you know that's dangerous!” Ruffnut cheered. Her twin joined her. “You never learn!” 

“Shut up or Odin help me I will cut the arm off of the next person to talk!” Astrid called, her eyes still narrowed dangerously. Hiccup edged away from his betrothed, very much so intimidated by her. She turned her icy gaze onto him, piercing his very soul.

“Hiccup. Talk. Now.” He swallowed harshly, then shook his head a bit, looking to the ground. “A-ah… Ok.” He cleared his throat.

“So, uh. Let's just… start-I guess.” He rocked on his heels, worrying his lip between his teeth. “Right. What did you and Viggo talk about?” Fishlegs called out in the corner, still sitting uncomfortably close to an angry Skrill. Hiccup looked at him in mild concern, then looked down. 

“Just come out and say it. Now. Tell us everything.” 

“Ah- Ok.” He cleared his throat, trying to steady his confidence. “Viggo has proven to me that he is… trying-” Hiccup snapped a look back at the smug hunter. “-to actually ally himself with us. I've determined that he is… well, not trustworthy, but he is willing to try and help with our cause. From now on, I think we should consider him… a temporary part of our team.” At the groans that met his remark, he quickly put his hands up. “At least for now! Unless he tries anything stupid.” Hiccup sent a quick threatening glare at the hunter.

“ Then we feed him to the boars.” 

“I do like the fire idea more. Do we have any more nightmare gel Snot?” Hiccup cut them off with a raised voice. 

“No! Not that. We would just bring him to Outcast island. I'm sure Alvin would know what to do. We aren't going to kill anyone , got it?” The team looked at Viggo with a bit of venom in their gaze. 

“Even if he deserves it?” Astrid grumbled, twisting her axe skillfully. Hiccup looked at her, wary. 

“No. Not even if anyone deserves it. We are better than that.” The team grumbled, seeing sense in his words, thankfully. He wasn't too worried about most of his team, but Astrid did scare him a bit with her deathglare aimed towards the hunter. Viggo met her eyes, and nodded. 

“I do apologize for our… less than pleasant interactions in the past. I am sure Hiccup has told of our little adventure, yes? Everything that happened, all that was said was the absolute truth.” The Skrill stood up, hissing at Fishlegs before pushing her way to the man's bedside, curling around the bed frame. Viggo looked down at her with awe. Everyone in the room seemed to retract a bit at that stare. 

“I would never kill her, as I would never kill your dragons.” Hiccup nodded slowly. He was slowly but surely accepting the man's words. It was quite jarring, honestly. After everything, but the words rung true. 

“How can we even begin to trust you? I get what Fish and Hiccup said and all, but this is still really far-fetched.” Snotlout glared at the hunter. 

“Yeah, I really didn't believe it at first either guys, but-” He looked to the hunter again, a puzzled expression on his face. “after everything…” Hiccup let out a heavy sigh, meeting each of their eyes, each in a varying state of disbelief. “ I think he can stay on the Edge until we defeat Johann and Krogan.” A series of sneers and guffaws met that statement. “I know! I know. Let me finish. He has agreed to help with the war. In turn, we treat him as an ally. He wants to help us, to defeat the enemy. Despite everything…” Hiccup turned to the hunter once more. “We are allies. For now.” 

“Are you absolutely sure of this?” Tuffnut called out. “I mean… no offence, I mean, I'm all for some chaos, but i'm having a hard time believing all of this.” 

“I… I am sure. If anything happens, I will take the blame, I swear.” Viggo looked at him with almost admiration. He met the look with a glare. “But hopefully , there won't be any need for that.” He took a breath, shaking his arms once more. Fishlegs intercepted the conversation, a quivering note in his voice, yet sure. 

“I-ah.. Well. I talked to Viggo for a bit, and I… well I don't think he would hurt you , exactly. And after your fight… Well. None of us really thought about the repercussions of our actions? It-well-Viggo had a point. I-I don't think he is lying, either.” 

“What are you talking about? Our actions?” Astrid inputted, looking up for the first time.

“W-when we blew up their ships… And we attacked them…” Fishlegs talked quietly. “As-as much as I hate to say it-We've killed people over this. We bombed their ships, we infiltrated their bases. Did we even for one moment think about what we were doing?” 

“We saved dragons!” 

“We took butt and kicked names!” 

“No, guys…Just-Viggo said he hunted dragons to feed his tribe. I mean, did any of us really think about why they did what they did? Guys… we started a war with another tribe, because we didn't… agree with them.” Fishlegs looked down at the ground. Hiccup felt a well of gratitude built in his chest at the other’s support. 

“And we never tried to negotiate! We-uh.. Guys… Hiccup.. He’s right. We made a big mistake, and we just… we can give him a chance.” Viggo looked up at the Viking with an odd expression on his face. Fishlegs grimaced.

“But trusting Viggo? Is that the answer here? I can't be the only one to think that's insane. And regardless of what I think, do you even remember what he did?” Snotlout growled. “I don't care what you or Hiccup says. I think he is still a scumbag.” He pointed to the hunter, who raised a brow. 

“I am right here, you know.” Hiccup shushed him, transfixed by Fishlegs defense. 

“Of course I do! It doesn't condone what he did, you are right. The end doesn't justify the means. That’s-not what I’m saying. I just… guys. Look at everything he's done so far. I-I genuinely think he is trying to fix things with us. He hasn't tried anything… not to mention everything that happened at the stronghold to get us to this point. D-doesn't that mean something?” Hiccup could not believe what Fishlegs was saying here. His eyes were wide as he processed it. He thought his friend’s wouldnt understand. But here he is, here they are. 

“I-I think we sho-ould be the bigger people here, guys. I-I know he has done a lot of evil things, but… He… When I talked to him… He really was willing to help us. I hate him, and I hate what he has done, but…” 

“You are just asking us to trust a murderer, a dragon hunter.” Fishlegs waved his hands back and forth at Astrid’s words. 

“I just mean we should try!” Hiccup grimaced, and picked up where the other left off, thankful beyond words at the other. He gestured for him to fall quiet. 

“Thank you Fishlegs.” He raised his hands, gesturing. “I'm not asking you to trust him. I'm just asking you to trust me… trust my judgement here.” Astrid snarled, standing slowly. 

“Why would we trust you? He’s lying to your face and you can't even see it. You've been brainwashed by this lunatic.” Her hair covered her eyes, but Hiccup could see her icy glare peaking between the strands. He waved in surrender. 

“No. I haven't. I know, I've let you down. Especially you, Astrid. I've been stupid, but I'm trying to fix things here. Between all of us. No more secrets.” She scoffed. 

“Right. Then tell us the truth. What are you and Viggo? Exactly ?” Hiccup felt himself fall into confusion at her statement. 

“We– we are… barely allies, right now. We are trying to work through our hatred. He… I hate him, and he hates me, but… If we even have a chance at peace… don't you think we should take it?” 

“Right. And how does Viggo feel about that?” She gestured violently at the hunter, who adopted a stony stare. 

“I respect Hiccup greatly. I believe he would be a most helpful ally. He is someone who saved my life, and in turn I owe him a life debt.” Viggo nodded towards Hiccup, who stared back in… well. He didn't know quite what. Astrid scoffed. 

“Sure, that’s all you feel, right?” Hiccup turned to Astrid, confused. Viggo hummed, a brow raised. 

“Astrid, what is this about? You know our relationship.” Astrid cocked her head slightly, walking towards Hiccup.

“Do I?” Hiccup backed up a step, fear in his eyes. What was she talking about?

“Woah, what's going on?” Tuffnut called. Confusion was abound in the room. Viggo only watched, an almost suspicious glare pointed at Astrid. She noticed, and grabbed his arm. 

“What are you talking about? I know I've been closed off but-whoa!” 

Astrid pulled him forcefully outside, pulling the door shut with a slam. Hiccup let himself be pulled to the side, where Astrid glared into his eyes. 

“You know exactly what! Don’t take me for a fool Hiccup! Tell me what's going on! Right now!” Hiccup swallowed, eyes wide. 

“Astrid! I really don't know what you are getting at here!” 

"Viggo! How he feels about you! all of those things he said in that... ugh! It makes me sick!" She glared at him. 

“How could you keep this from me!?” She gripped his shirt as she pulled him closer to her. Hiccup felt like his expression could be compared to a fish in that moment. Thoughts spiraled as he evaluated any memories that could possibly have led to this… 

“-My dear, I cannot possibly think of a more beautiful face then yours to deliver me to Odin’s halls, what a most wonderful gift-”

His face flushed. Did she hear that? Is that it? That was the ramblings of a sick man! Her face fell, her hands slightly shaking as she took a breath. Hiccup understood now. Oh, how could she get this so wrong -

“Just- give it to me straight. Hiccup. I'll-Just-how could you hide this?"

-beautiful, my love. My glorious muse, my dearest-

“H-Its not like that!” He shook the memory out of his head, his cheeks darker. “Oh-Astrid!” He grabbed her arms, pulling her close to him, gazing into her eyes. “Listen, please. None of that was real! Viggo was delusional!” She grit her teeth, even as her hands started relaxing their death grip on his shirt. 

“No! Why are you acting like this?!” She yelled, her eyes wide. He dropped his voice down to a more soothing tone. No matter how flustered Viggo- a sick, depraved man that was just barely becoming tolerable-made him, he would never put him above Astrid.

“Because I want to see the good in him! You were right! I'm sorry, I'm sorry if that makes me weak to you, but I want to give him a chance! I-I know what you are talking about, but thats the ravings of a lunatic!” She released his shirt, taking a step back. She bowed her head down.

"It seems pretty real to me. He was pretty thorough with his words." Hiccup shook his head vehemently. 

“He also said stuff like that during our war to throw us off. You know that." He took a deep breath. "I love you Astrid. I do. You are my betrothed, my partner. Please Astrid. I need you to understand. I hate being away from you like this.” He put his finger under her chin, slowly bringing her to look at him. Her eyes softened as she brought a hand to his. 

"So its just him? Not you too?" Hiccup shivered at the thought. He would never be attracted to that man! Besides, they werent real! She should know that!

"No! No I promise. My heart belongs to you." He brought her hand to his chest, looking deeply into her eyes. 

“I just… Hiccup, you need to promise me, promise me that Viggo wont get to you. Don't let yourself be manipulated by him. Please, he is bad news.”

-emeralds that shine brighter than the Bifrost, holy as the stars, my dear- 

Hiccup shook his head. “ I get that Astrid, I do… But... You gave the rest of my-” He chuckled. “-Pretty hair-brained ideas a chance. Please- no matter what-” He ran a hand through her hair, tucking her bangs behind her ear. “Just trust me on this, ok? I promise I won't let his words get to me. Just… give it a chance?” She slowly narrowed her eyes. 

“I only saw a little... but it scared me too much for just a promise, Hiccup. You swear to me, on your life…. On your mother that this wont go wrong.” Hiccup’s eyes became wide, then narrowed.

“I swear.” She seemed to slump at the confirmation. He felt his heart pull for her. 

“Ok. But I won't trust him. I trust you. If… when this all blows up in your face, you need someone to pull you out. I need to protect you from him.” Her thunderous expression calmed, her eyes back to that sky blue that he loved. 

He smiled back. “Of course, milady. Thank you.” 

She looked down, a frown tugging on her face. “I didn't mean what I said, earlier. You aren't weak, Hiccup. You are one of the strongest people I know.” Hiccup pressed his forehead against hers. 

“I didn't mean what I said either. It was just… I reacted. I'm sorry.” He felt her nod against him. 

“I am going to watch him. He said some very concerning things about you in there Hiccup. I will never trust him.” He nodded. He was sure hearing him talk like that must've been jarring. 

“Yeah, I know. I get it. He freaked me out too.” 

They sat there for a moment, simply enjoying each other's embrace for a moment. One of the few moments they have truly just had alone. After a bit longer, Hiccup lifted his head away from her’s, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Yknow, last time I left them alone, they caught my hut on fire. We- should probably get back.” She nodded. They walked the short distance to the door. 

“That’s a good idea. You are still soaked.” Hiccup chuckled in response, turning towards the door. He pulled it open, to surprisingly, an organized room. He took in the semi circle, listening to Fishlegs. 

“-doesn't matter! Hiccup… He has a point in all of this. We were mean to him, and he gave us a chance. And Heather, and Dagur! Even dragons! Hiccup… he can see the good in people. He can-” Fishlegs squeaked as he noticed the duo at the door. 

“Hiccup! Astrid! I-uh…” 

“Hiccup, you have quite introspective friends. Have you… worked things out with your betrothed?” As Hiccup looked towards the hunter, he flushed a tiny bit, the conversation that haunted him since the man made his way to the Edge coming to the forefront of his mind. He viciously shoved it back. 

“Y-Yes. We figured things out, a bit. How- are things in here?” 

“Hiccup… ok. Ok. We’ll do this. What is the deal?” Snotlout looked to him, his eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic determination. Hiccup nodded, a small smile on his face. 

“That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. I wanted us to all agree on  a deal. Viggo, you have to agree to our stipulations, and in turn, you can stay here. Got it?” Viggo nodded, his brow furrowed. 

“Very well. What are your terms?” Hiccup looked at the team, who looked at him. Ok, so he should start them off. He met the hunter's eyes. 

“You sleep in here for the duration of your stay. For as long as you are with us you will tell me everything. You do what I say, when I say it. Listen to my teammates too. A-And dont pick any fights either!" Viggo smiled a bit.

“Very well, as long as you do the same. I know you all are rather…impulsive. I will retaliate if threatened.” The team looked at him, offended. Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Oh really? You wanna meet the end of a hammer old man?!” Snotlout started standing. Hiccup waved his hand between the two. 

“This is exactly what I'm talking about! No fighting or picking fights, between anyone! Got it? Viggo, you know exactly what I mean!” Viggo just looked at him with a smirk, like the Nadder who nicked the fish. Hiccup stared at him, unamused. 

“I think he should clean the stalls every day! A-and give us baths, and our dragons baths! Oh-Oh! And-” Hiccup cut off the twins before that spiraled even further.

“Guys, he isn't our personal thrall! He is a teammate. Please, logical things here.” Astrid looked up at that, her eyes piercing. 

“He can help with some of our chores. He has a lot to pay for, after all.” Hiccup could give her a point, there. He looked at the hunter, considering. Viggo looked back, a somewhat blank expression on his face. Hiccup remembered their conversation when he was recovering. Maybe that might suffice? 

“Fair. We can do that. But...A while back, we talked about some things he can do for us. Viggo?” The hunter nodded. 

“We did.” He looked to the team. “I have a lifetime of training with an assortment of weapons and I can offer my aid in any training you might require. I am a master tactician, as all of you know, and my knowledge is valuable on and off the battlefield. I am also a very accomplished smith.”

Ruffnut gasped. “Woah! You are like a more handsome Hiccup!” Tuffnut nodded as Hiccup recoiled. Viggo just smirked. 

“What does that mean?” Hiccup muttered. Snotlout just dismissed his dubious remark. 

“Why would we need you then? We have Hiccup to do all of those things!” Viggo looked mildly insulted. 

“While I do agree that Hiccup is a remarkable tactician and smith, he is lacking experience. I have led my village for a decade.” Viggo looked then at Hiccup, a soft expression in his gaze. Hiccup could hear Astrid gag. “Even then, I do believe two minds are better than one. Together, we could become an unstoppable force. Together, I have no doubt that we can defeat Johann and Krogan.” Hiccup… could agree on that front, a bit. He was giving him too much credit, but he would love another mind to bounce off of. The thought excited him a bit. For once, the devastating force that was Viggo Grimborn would be on their side. What could they do with that? 

“If we can trust you to do anything helpful.” Astrid scowled in the corner, glaring daggers into the hunter. Hiccup sighed. 

“Astrid, we talked about this.” 

“I know! But what do we really know about him? How do we know you won't turn against us the second you see Johann and Krogan?” The team looked at Viggo, who quirked a brow. 

“Your leader saved my life despite our past. I take life debts very seriously. On my honor, as Hiccup saved me, I will repay my debt in anyway he so desires. Not only that, but I believe in your cause.” He looked down at his dragon, who was now asleep, and then to Toothless, who looked at him with a tilted head. “I would never harm such incredible creatures. Krogan and Johann are a danger to dragons. They should not be allowed to stand unchallenged. I would help with that, if you allow me.” Hiccup felt his heart beat a bit quicker at his sincere words. He felt the bit of excitement build, with a bit of reprehension digging at him. Astrid brought his worries to the forefront of his mind. 

“This… this is really happening, isn't it?” Snotlout said, eyes somewhat wide. Viggo nodded gravely. The rest of the group just sat for a moment, until Hiccup thought of a question. 

“What would you like from us?” Everyone gave him an odd look, which he sighed at. He was still a bit apprehensive himself.  “This is an alliance. I was serious about us being teammates. What do you need?” He looked to the hunter, who thought for a moment. 

“I will have access to your forge and your resources, along with your common buildings. You will not dismiss my input under any circumstances, and you will also be transparent with me. I do not wish to be caught unaware. Also, in our previous discussion we spoke of a deal?” Hiccup nodded, to the dismay of his teammates. “I would like to add that. You teach me the way of dragons, and I will teach you combat.”

Fair enough. He thought for a moment, conscience combating with his heart, but he did have to compromise somewhere. He knew this was a good deal, the best he could get in the circumstances… 

“Oh yeah! Hiccup, are you gonna teach him how to ride the Skrill? Or are we just gonna keep Thunderlord when he leaves?” Hiccup looked up. Oh, the thought occurred to him before, but he felt a bit of apprehension. 

“I thought of that before. Maybe I can teach him to ride Tooth first, then her. It would be really helpful to have another dragon rider, especially a Skrill.” She cracked open an eye at him. He mumbled, mostly to himself. It was cut off by the hunter.  

“That is unfortunately impossible at the moment. As much as it appeals to me, I do not wish to be electrocuted.” Hiccup's eyes widened. Oh. Yeah. Skrill.

“Oh.” 

“Yes. For now, I have to stay grounded, unless you wish for me to fly with you on Toothless every time we leave the edge.” Said dragon looked at the hunter unamused. “Perhaps we might find a way around the problem, but for now, I would be better suited to ground support.” Hiccup winced at the mental pictures that appeared as he thought of the problem. Yeah, that wouldn't work. He vowed to do more research into a solution. 

“Yeah, I can confirm it is not fun to be electrocuted.” Snotlout crossed his arms. 

“I think it's pretty fun!” Tuffnut scooted closer to the Skrill, who started growling as he reached out a hand. Hiccup glared at his self-destructive teammate.

“Tuffnut! Get away from her!” He recoiled begrudgingly. He sighed, and shook his head, nonsense aside, he needed to continue. 

“Ok. So does anyone else have anything to say?” Astrid spoke up. 

“You stay away from us, especially Hiccup.” Hiccup winced back, their earlier conversation flashing in his mind. 

“That would be quite counterproductive, my dear.” Her eyes flashed, and she reached for her axe. 

“Don't call me that! Or Hiccup! We aren't friends! I'm going to keep an eye on you Grimborn, no matter what Fishlegs or Hiccup say. I don't trust you, and once the war is over, you leave us alone. Forever. Got it?” Hiccup winced at her words, but they were understandable. He gave her a look.

“Astrid, you can't ask him to stay away. That just… wouldn't work.” She backed down begrudgingly, unwillingly accepting the reality of the situation. He gave her a sympathetic look. He then looked at Viggo. 

 “But I do agree with the last part. You need to disappear after this. We might be more lenient, but Berk won't be. A-and don't ever come back, ever. Ok?” Viggo hesitated for a moment, then met his eyes. 

“Very well. After the war, you will never see me again. I swear it.” Hiccup nodded. Viggo matched his nod.  He held his hand out towards Hiccup. 

“Do we have a deal?”The rider leader bit his lip for a moment. This was almost surreal, but he really wanted to give him a chance here, and compromise is crucial in that. He looked around the room, meeting the gaze of his teammates individually. Astrid looked angry still, which was understandable after the events of today. Fishlegs looked… pretty confident, which was really interesting in and of itself. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at him with smiles on their faces, full of mischief and resolve, which filled him with a bit of dread. Snotlout looked pretty hesitant, but slowly nodded his head.

So, that's that then. He turned to Viggo, staring at him for a moment longer, taking in the mans resolute stare. Should he? 

 He felt a nudge on his side. He looked down at the unenthusiastic face of Toothless, who gestured with his head towards the hunter.

Ugh. Fine. 

“Deal.” He grabbed the others’ hand in his, studying the smug expression with a bit of vitriol.

“I look forward to our future. We shall accomplish great things, my dear.” Hiccup jerked his head in a nod, a mix of all sorts of emotions causing a deadly concoction in his stomach. He heard Astrid growl. 

“Don't make us regret this.” Viggo chuckled, shaking his head. Hiccup didn't know what he saw as humorous here. 

“Cool, so now we got that over with, can I go dry off now? This sucks.” Snotlout called out. A slew of agreements rang across the room. Hiccup winced as his soaked clothing was called back to attention. He looked at Viggo, who was now studying his sodden sheets with dismay.  

Yeah. He should probably take care of that. 

“Right-yeah. So- that's that then. Uh-Meeting dismissed.” Everyone stood, shaking some droplets of water off of their clothing. Toothless whined as water landed on him, quickly wiping it away with his paw. They started making their way out, each giving serious stares towards the hunter in the room. 

“Honestly, I'm already regretting this.” Snotlout called over his shoulder as he left. 

“Hey, chin up Snot! At least he can't be worse company than Tuffnut!” Ruffnut punched her brother in the arm; he chuckled and put his hands on his waist.

“Yeah!” Tuffnut slumped his shoulders and looked at his laughing sister. “Wait, don't say that in front of Viggo!” The group of three left the hut, leaving only Fishlegs and Astrid. Hiccup looked at them, slightly on edge. 

“Hiccup, if you need any help with all… this-” Fishlegs looked at Viggo with a bit of wariness. “Just tell us. We are here for you, ok?” Hiccup nodded thankfully. Fishlegs started to head to the door, before looking back at Viggo. 

“Remember what I said Viggo.” Viggo nodded, a smirk on his face. With that, the bulky viking left, leaving Hiccup with more questions than answers. He really wonders what they talked about. 

That left Astrid, who marched up between him and Viggo’s line of sight. She stared him in the eyes, anger and determination in her gaze. 

“Hiccup. I refuse to trust him. You better let me know exactly what is going on. Viggo’s…” She looked over to him with her eyes narrowed, then lowered her voice. “Obsession with you scares me. The things he talked about-” She shivered, and pierced his eyes with her own. “- Don't let him get to you. He is insane. Remember that.” Yeah, obsession is a pretty good word there, but he could handle the delusional rantings he spoke of earlier. He knew they weren't real, after all. 

“Astrid, I promise.” She smiled, a small thing. “Ok. Ill... support you.” She said, before lightly punching him in the arm. “And don't forget it.” He rubbed his arm, and she backed away. 

She gave another glare towards the hunter. “Stay away from him, you creep. Or I will make you regret it.” And with that, she turned to the door, making her way into the now dark night. Hiccup smiled after her. He didnt deserve her, really. 

“She doesn't respect you much.” Viggo called to him, tearing his attention away from the door. He rolled his eyes. 

“Of course she does, and I respect her. We are partners.” Viggo hummed at that. 

“And what a… pair you make. Like a bird to a fish.” What did he mean by that? Hiccup glared at him for a moment more, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't, he just sighed. 

He was about to go up to change, before turning back to the hunter, taking in the soaked sheets and bandages. Viggo was trembling a small bit, in his hands mostly. Hiccup felt the same chill, and cringed at the sight. 

Well, he should take care of that then. Wouldn't want him to catch his death, not after everything they've already gone through. 

He thought he would feel a sense of finality as he grabbed new sheets. Instead, a bit of hope blossomed in his chest. Instead of an end, it felt like a new beginning.

Chapter Text

Time passed, and honestly? Not much changed. Hiccup was grateful for that, in a way. 

In others? Well. Not so much. 

Astrid! Hang on, I need to talk to you-”

“When I get back!” She yelled. He tried to reach for her as she got onto Stormfly, missing her as she took off. Flying to where? Who knows. All he knows is it's a bad idea to follow most times like this. He knew she didn't agree with their new alliance, even after her begrudging acceptance of the situation about… three days ago, now. 

He completely forgot about her gift, in the raucous affair. He gripped the linen in his hands harshly. Did she actually forgive him? Or is she going to hold a grudge forever? He knew she was still really frustrated, but her behavior was… weird. She would be clingy one moment and aloof the next. It was odd, especially after their talk together. 

Did she really just not believe him? He wasn't sure how to really interpret her actions right now. She was acting like she was trying to investigate him or something. Now he thought of it, probably investigating Viggo, knowing her. 

Hiccup sighed. The situation with Viggo has only gotten… stranger. He couldn't for the life of him get his stupid words out of his head, flowing like honey in his subconscious. The other night really didn't help either. He really just couldn't get why it was affecting him now, of all times. 

At least, on the front of their alliance, things were… well, going? They weren't bad, and that was progress. 

“And how did it go this time?” Hiccup made his way into his hut, hearing Viggo call out to him. The man was sitting on his bed facing the wall somewhat, sketching on some parchment. He was doing that a lot recently, Hiccup noticed. Fishlegs sat behind him, delicately cutting his stitches away.

“Shut it Grimborn.” He called back. 

“Ah, that well?” Hiccup rolled his eyes. 

“You know Hiccup, you should just give it time. I-I think she'll come around on her own.” Fishlegs looked at him for a moment, eyes soft and understanding. 

“I guess.” Hiccup leaned against the wall with more force than necessary. “She just- she seems determined to make talking difficult. I thought we made progress the other night.” Viggo decided to take that as an invitation to give his input.

“You know, you could sneak into her house and place your gift on her bedside.” 

Hiccup recoiled. In what world would that be ok? 

…Then he remembered who he was talking to. Right.

“Uh-no! No, I am not doing that. I'm not invading her privacy! Do you want her more mad at me than she already is?!” He spat. Viggo shrugged. 

“I would call it simplifying the issue.” The hunter stated. Hiccup rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. 

“I call it breaking in.” 

“To each their own, I suppose.” Viggo said. Hiccup placed the gift on his desk. 

“We really need to work on your ethics, there.” 

“Yeah Viggo, normal people don't break into people they love’s houses.” Fishlegs chimed in, a pointed note in his voice. Viggo hummed absentmindedly, eyes locked on the bundle, curious.

“Will you tell me what it is?

“No. A-and keep your hands off of it!” Hiccup berated, seeing as the man is one to absolutely do that. Viggo held his hands up, as if in surrender. 

“Alright. I am just simply curious. I'm sure it will look nice on her.” Hiccup stared at him, unimpressed, catching the underlying question immediately. Fishlegs opened his mouth, as if to answer, which Hiccup cut off.

“Your underhanded tactics don't work on me Viggo.” Viggo merely shrugged his shoulders as Fishlegs flushed. 

“One can try.” Hiccup rolled his eyes, focusing on his friend.

 He noticed Fishlegs start to pack up his equipment, stitches all cut away and disposed of. A bit of relief filled him at the others' relaxed posture. 

“Fish? How is he?” 

“Well… He can’t fight or anything anytime soon, but he should be ok after a week or so. Everything seems to be healing just fine.” Hiccup nodded as Fishlegs gathered up his things. 

“Thank you Fishlegs.” Viggo spoke towards the Viking, who blushed. Hiccup nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah. we would've been lost without your skills.” 

“Ah, it’s n-no problem. If you feel any pain or anything-uh…tear, let me know. No exercise for at least a couple of days.” Viggo nodded, appreciative. Fishlegs sighed, nodding to Hiccup before leaving the hut. The hunter stretched his arms for a moment, appreciating the lack of confining bandages, Hiccup was sure. Hiccup looked at his now entirely bare back, then his chest as the man rotated.

The wounds did look much better than that chilling first night, ugly red lines instead of large gouges. It contrasted with the red scarring on his upper and lower back, across his shoulders. Another oblong one near his side shone bright white, clearly very old. What were clearly burn scars reached painfully up his other side, across his stomach and underneath the blanket. His own leg itched in sympathy. 

 There were scars on the front as well, many in various shades of pink or white. Hiccup really wondered how he came across such injuries. Years of dragon hunting, he was sure. The thin white ones on his back which crisscrossed made him curious though, his own back slightly burning with similar marks. He wondered, oh how he wondered as he traced the man’s bicep with his eyes, trailing on claw marks and arrow wounds. Over his pectorals to a burn scar, tracing them up his neck to his eyes-

-Eyes that were glistening on a scarred face, looking at him with a raised brow.

Hiccup flushed a tiny bit. Oh, how long were they sitting there?

 No. He didn't want to know the answer, as it would probably embarrass him further. Enough of that. He shook his head, wondering what was so intriguing about the hunter's chest now. He's seen him without a shirt before, this shouldn't be much different. So why was it…captivating? 

“We’ll have to-ah, figure out some clothes for you sometime.” He mumbled out. Viggo nodded. 

“That would be quite appreciated.” 

With a nod, he made his way up his loft, finding his armor without much trouble and strapping it to himself, along with his Dragon Blade. He deemed himself prepared enough, he figured. He started to the door, whistling for Toothless to follow. The dragon did after his little stretching routine, having woken from a nap. 

“Where are you off to?” Hiccup looked back to the hunter, confused for a moment, before he realized he didn't mention anything to the man. Figures. 

“Ah- I'm just getting some training in. We are investigating an outpost at the end of the week for dragon flyer activity, and I have to be prepared.” Viggo nodded, his brow furrowed a bit. 

“I thought we agreed you would train with me, and inform me of your missions.” Well, yes. They did. But-

“Yeah, when you aren’t bedridden.” Hiccup said, scanning the other’s form. It has been around three weeks, but that didn’t mean he could just move around all willy-nilly.

“Hardly. I can move quite well, now.” Viggo huffed. Sure.

“Yeah, with the finesse of our village elder.” Hiccup quipped back, scanning the other. He didn’t really look in peak condition. He didn't even look like he slept the previous night. 

“I am sure she would take offense to that.” 

“Probably, but it still applies.” Hiccup strapped his sword and shield on his back, facing the door.

“That does not affect my ability to think.” Hiccup paused for a moment. Well? He’s kinda got him there. It still made his instincts scream at him when he thought of sharing any of their plans with the other, but they did make a deal. One he would have to uphold his side of. He sighed. 

“Alright. I'll call a meeting for tomorrow.” 

“That suits just fine.” Hiccup nodded.

“Well, we shook on it. Don't really have a choice here.” He mumbled the last part to himself, though he was sure the hunter heard him. He leaned forwards, grabbing the edge of his door and heaving it open. 

Before stepping out, he heard a small ruckus behind him. He turned, pointing towards the hunter, who after he directly just said not to move, was getting out of bed. 

“No, you stay. Here. Get some sleep.” Viggo slowly acquiesced, if only for the dragon growling at him from his bedside. It seems the Skrill had more common sense then her rider, thank Thor. 

“You can’t keep me tied to this bed forever.” 

“You sure about that? I could add real ropes. See how you like being tied up.” Hiccup called, a challenge given to the hunter. 

“Hmm, tied to your bed? Correct me if I'm wrong, but bondage doesn't seem to be… your style.” Viggo chuckled. Hiccup flushed. That was not what he meant. He wasn't even thinking about that! He hated how his skin turned hot as he sputtered.

“Jus-ah! Viggo!” He pressed his hand to his face for a moment. “Just-Don't move from that spot! I'll be back in a bit.” He walked out, closing the door with more force than needed, escaping his own embarrassment. 

He needed to sweat this off. Viggo can't keep getting to him forever. 

Viggo awoke to a quiet room, no Hiccup.

It wasn't an unusual occurrence, per se, as the rider was usually out and about with his team these days. It was rather odd, this time though. Hiccup was supposed to be here at this hour. The sun was high, shining brightly underneath the door.

As he was about to sit up, he noticed a weight on his chest. In fact, the growling of a dragon was something he should have picked up as well. 

Viggo carefully raised his head, meeting the eyes of a… chicken? How… peculiar. 

Said chicken looked back at him with deep beady eyes, squinted slightly, as if judging him. The growling was, of course, from the Skrill, who was merely a hair's width away from the chicken, who didn't seem to process the fact there was a predator threatening it at all. 

“Ah… hello?” He really didn't know what to say in this situation. Was he really being judged by a chicken? It clucked, turning his head and leaning further towards his face. He stared back. Of all of the things to wake up to, a staring contest with some poultry was not one he imagined. 

He slowly raised his arms from underneath his sheets, careful not to disturb the feathered creature or his agitated dragon. 

He placed his hands under the chicken, slowly raising her off of his chest and sitting up. She bawked in displeasure, never taking her eyes off of the hunter.

 How on earth did a chicken get in here anyways? 

He nudged his Skrill’s nose lightly, which was met with a reluctant growl before she slightly moved away, allowing more floor space. Viggo gently maneuvered the chicken onto the floor, placing it backwards, as to break eye contact with the bird. 

“You found your way in, I am certain you can find your way out.” He said dubiously. As he released the chicken, it whipped back around, meeting its beady glare with his own incredulous look. 

Was… it trying to intimidate him?

He wasn't sure, but he would rather not have a chicken anywhere near him. 

“Go away.” The chicken stayed. 

He was now a bit annoyed. He slowly stood, grabbing the chicken again, leading it a few steps away. He turned and sat back on his bed, but before he could, he heard another bawk. Turning around, he saw the bird once again at his feet, glaring at him. The Skrill licked her lips.

Hmm, it might not hurt for his Skrill to have something to chew on… However, this was the Edge. The team members were a bit unhinged. He wouldn’t be surprised if the chicken was special in some way. No, he would rather not risk Hiccup’s displeasure, not at such a critical time in their partnership. He shook his head at the Skrill, who let out a hiss. 

He picked up the chicken, holding it far away from his chest. He felt it vibrating, an odd noise. Was… was it growling? 

How bizarre. He should just get rid of the creature. He felt like he was holding a canister of Zippleback gas now. He held it-her, he observed, further from his chest. 

His back still burned, but he had no problem pushing the door with his feet. His incredible companion decided to help push it open the rest of the way with a flick of her head. He nodded appreciatively, then looked back at the chicken. 

“Now, shoo.” He tossed it. The bird squawked and flapped its wings, slowing her descent to the ground. With his job done, he decided to start to turn around and make his way back into the house. 

“B-cauwk!” 

Viggo stopped, looking down. There, the chicken decided to block his path, placing herself firmly in front of him. What on Midgard was going on? 

“Get out of here, you infernal creature.” He made a kicking gesture towards the chicken, who merely flapped her wings in response. He stared for a moment, before hearing a gasp. 

“You dare kidnap and torture Chicken!? How could you!?” Ah, the twins. The most unhinged of them all. Makes sense, he supposed. He was correct in his assumption, at least. He turned towards the voice, meeting two hornswoggled stares. 

“Your chicken invited herself into Hiccup’s home. I just removed her.” The twins guffawed, the… boy? Snatching up the chicken. Good. 

“She would never invade someone's home!” The male, Tuffnut, pointed very closely to his face. He quirked a brow. 

“Except for ours! And Fishlegs!” The female chimed. 

“And Astrid’s and- she does like Snotlout’s. And Hiccup’s from time to time, but you have no proof! How can you accuse her!?” Well that cleared things up. The male got closer to his face, prompting Viggo to take a step back. 

“And how would I benefit from lying?” He really wondered. What exactly were they getting at here?

“For some scheme!! Maybe you wanted to eat her, or-or sell her off!” The female, Ruffnut, gasped. 

“Ah, don't worry chicken, the bad man can’t hurt you anymore.” Tuffnut recoiled from him, burrowing his face into the clucking chicken, before whipping his head towards Viggo, blonde hair whipping around his body. 

“You can’t see her again!” Good. He looked down at the chicken. Yes, she was still staring at him. He nodded. 

“That is just fine with me, take her.” The twin’s gasped in unison. Viggo really didn't understand what he was missing. What did he say now that upset them? 

“What, now you don't want her? Is she not good enough for you?!” Viggo felt his mind whir. Keeping up with this conversation was starting to get quite annoying. Tuffnut brought the chicken close to his face, making him recoil.

“Say you like her! Say it!” O..k? If they insist. He stared down at her beady eyes, way too close for comfort. 

“She is an… adequate breed of poultry? Pardon, am I missing something?” The twins retracted the bird and took a step back, entirely ignoring his inquiry, huddling together and whispering.

“Hmm. Brother? What do you think?” 

“No, what does chicken think?” The chicken clucked, flapping her wings.

“I think that Chicken… approves of him.” Ah, they seek wisdom from a chicken. How ordinary. 

“Well, if she approves…” They did know he could hear them, right?

 It didn't seem to matter, as they turned towards him in an eerie unison. 

“Fine Vigman, you are safe, this time!” Ruffnut nodded, her arms crossed. 

“We'll be watching you! No bird left behind!” The male nodded, pointing towards his eyes and towards him repeatedly. They both slowly backed up several paces, before whipping around and running off, chicken held above their heads. He stood for a moment, slightly dazed. While he was well versed in psychological warfare, he was sure that wasn't the goal here, despite the eerie similarities.

He looked down to his Skrill, who looked similarly concerned. 

“What… bizarre people. I wonder how Hiccup can stand them.” He mumbled. The Skrill besides him nodded, seemingly on the same boat he was. After the horrified awe wore off, he looked around. As he assumed, the sun was at its highest, casting heavy shadows through the clouds in the sky. It was quite a fine day, one well suited towards training or voyaging. 

In fact, he wondered if Hiccup was still doing that right now. He looked at his dragon, considering. Well… It wouldn't hurt to check up on the young leader, would it? He leaned an arm on the dragon. 

“My dear, can you assist me to the training grounds?” She bobbed her head, and with that, they slowly made their way to the ring, Viggo being careful of his injuries. He took slow careful steps, wary of the unsteady ground.

As he got closer, he heard the sounds of battle, grunts and the clashing of metal on wood and stone. He headed towards the noises until finally, he peaked over the rocks at the dome below. It was open entirely, giving a great view of the sweaty Viking, currently bashing his shield into a stuffed mannequin. 

Hiccup performed a practiced roll to the side as Toothless fired a plasma bolt at him, dodging the explosion. Then, turning swiftly on his knee, he pulled a mechanism on his shiny shield, opening the front and lodging an arrow into the newly exposed crossbow. He aimed and fired with precision, hitting the mannequin in the head.

 He collapsed the frame on the shield once he inspected the damage, hoisting himself to his feet. He was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed in concentration. From here, Viggo could see the sheen of sweat on his skin. Toothless let out another whine, firing towards the rider a moment after. Hiccup held his shield aloft, stopping the blast in its tracks. The dance continued.

 It was quite beautiful, watching the man’s more fluid movements, the sun glinting off of his weapons as he brought down the mannequin with devastating accuracy with his crossbow. Viggo wondered why he didn't use his gift of archery more. 

And oh, what Viggo wouldn't give to study that shield. He could see how ingenious it was, multiple weapons in one compact disc. Viggo pondered at the poetry of such a weapon. It was beautiful and seemingly peaceful on the outside, with a complicated and deadly combination of weapons built within. It matched its wielder quite well. It was something to note, when he got to teach the leader a few tricks. 

 Hiccup moved as if in a trance, whipping his sword from his back and swinging. Viggo could make some critiques on his swordplay, but Hiccup clearly had a gift with battle, his fluid movements and powerful swings could be honed into an incredible warrior. Even more incredible than he already was. Though, Viggo wondered if that was the correct weapon for him. Hiccup was suited to something smaller, something more deadly and graceful than a sword of that size.

 Hiccup whipped out his built in crossbow once more, firing at his dragon, shockingly, who fluidly jumped out of the way. They must try and train each other, then. He turned again, facing the mannequin before chopping it into two with his sword. And with that, Hiccup stopped, chest heaving. Viggo marveled at him. 

“Bravo!” He called, clapping slowly. Hiccup whipped his head towards him, his face flushing and emerald eyes wide. Viggo smirked as the shocked rider quickly holstered his weapons, launching himself onto Toothless and flying to meet him. As they landed a few lengths away, Viggo marveled at the view of such a disheveled Hiccup Haddock, flustered and sweating. Viggo longed to see that in… other circumstances, though this would suffice for now. 

“What are you doing out here?!” Hiccup said between breaths. He started walking towards Viggo, who leaned on his dragon with a smirk. 

“Just enjoying the show. You could use some work, but that was quite a performance.” Hiccup flushed a bit, narrowing his eyes. 

“Can you just listen to me for once?” Hiccup pulled his arm over his shoulder, making his way back to his hut. Viggo dreaded returning to that bed. Even with his back irritated, he wasn't one for bedrest in the best of circumstances. “Or is it just impossible with you?” 

“On the contrary, I listen to reason, and reason tells me staying cooped up would be counterproductive. Besides, I blame the chicken.” He snipped back. He was oh so tired of bedrest, as ironic as that sounded. He was quite surprised and pleased at the others' concern, however. Hiccup rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, well you should listen to common sense. You are going to hurt yourself.” Then he mumbled to himself, confused. “Chicken, what about her? Viggo disagreed with that sentiment, deciding to barrel over the other statement. He would rather not think on it too much. 

“I am flattered that you are so invested in my wellbeing.” Hiccup shook his head, his cheeks a bit pinker. 

“Yeah, keep it up. You might change my mind.” Ooh, harsh. Viggo chuckled at the very unlikely threat. 

"Now what about Chicken?" They made it back to Hiccup’s hut and walked through the open door. With it, the retort died on Viggo’s tongue.

There, on the bed, lie a chicken. 

What sort of sick plane do they live on. 

As he stared into the chicken's beady narrowed eyes, he heard Hiccup inhale sharply and release the hold on him, taking a step back in bewilderment. 

“Wait, what- when you said chicken earlier! I-is this what you were talking about? She broke in?” He gestured to the unwelcome poultry. Viggo nodded solemnly, not breaking eye contact with the chicken. 

“Indeed. Your twins thought I kidnapped her.” Hiccup looked at him with a bright confusion in his eyes as he turned his head to meet them. Viggo kept his face perfectly blank, despite the bizarre situation. 

She haunts me.” 

Hiccup stared at him, then back to the chicken. Viggo did the same. Suddenly, Hiccup’s shoulders started bouncing. Concerned, Viggo reached a hand out. Then, a noise escaped the other. 

A chuckle. Then another. Then a laugh. 

Hiccup whipped his head down and grabbed his abdomen, his shoulders shaking with the increasing laughter. And oh, what a beautiful laugh it was. One he never thought he would hear. It was harsh and guttural, accompanied by small snorts. It was perfect.

“V-Viggo, You-just!” He tried to cut through his own laughter, bending over. 

"Your team-is interesting."

"Y-ou don't ev-en kn-now the half of it!"

Unable to help himself, his own chuckle started leaving his mouth. In light of the circumstances, he couldn't help but turn that chuckle into a boisterous laugh, the comicality of the situation getting to him.

They both laughed for a while, tears gathering in their eyes. 

Viggo could not recall a time in his life he felt like this, but it was nearly exhilarating. His chest burned, but in a good way. He tried to catch his breath, the other trying to do the same. 

“It-s just- ha! I-it's not eve-n that funny!” Hiccup chortled, trying to take deep breaths. Viggo nodded. 

“I-it is rather-bizarre. Isn't it?” They both looked at the chicken in tandem, who was now staring down a curious Toothless. When the dragon poked his tongue out to lick it, the bird flapped her wings, smacking the dragon's nose and causing him to recoil and sneeze.

They both looked at eachother, then burst into laughter once more. Their lungs felt like they might tear, tears gathering in the corner of their eyes. Viggo felt something warm in that moment, something happy, like a hug. 

He wished he could live in that moment forever. 

Their humor slowly started to taper once more, harsh laughter fading to small chuckles. 

“Ok-! Ok.” Hiccup finally managed after a time, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I-I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.” Viggo tried to calm his breathing. Hiccup looked to the ground, a small smile on his face. 

“I-I don't think I have laughed that hard in my life.” Viggo looked up to the dragon rider at his comment. Now that should be a crime. 

“That is a shame, then. The world deserves to hear such a wonderful laugh.” Hiccup sniffed, rubbing his eyes. His smile became a bit flustered. 

“I-uh… you don't have to lie to make me feel better. I just… I haven't had a lot to laugh about in a while. It-it feels good.” Viggo nodded at that sentiment, no matter how untrue the beginning criticism was. 

 He didn't even realize how relaxing laughing could be. How odd it is. He didn't know he could laugh like that, even. That your chest could burn with happiness instead of anger. His heart felt warm, almost. His back burned, but it barely registered. Whatever this warm feeling was? He enjoyed it. 

“I wasn’t certain it could feel that way.” Hiccup looked at him for a moment longer, a small smile falling into a frown. Viggo missed its absence immediately. 

“Viggo… you…” He stopped, looking to the ground. Viggo wasn't sure where he was going with that, but it seemed their conversation came to a close as he slung the man's arm over his shoulder once more. 

Hiccup led Viggo back onto the bed, Viggo breaking away from him to sit on the infernal mattress, or the lack thereof. It made him miss his bed back… home. Still, he nodded in thanks, which Hiccup returned with a stiff nod of his own before inspecting his back. 

“Good, good. Let’s not try to strain anything else today.” Toothless and his Skrill decided to head in separate directions. One bouncing onto the support beams and the other sitting stoically at the end of his bed. Hiccup picked up the chicken and, with a small chuckle, placed it outside and closed the door. Hopefully, that would be the last of it. 

As Viggo slowly laid back down, Hiccup hovered at the door, switching his view to the Hunter and back a few times. Viggo raised a brow, curious. Now what was he contemplating? He seemed to come to a conclusion after a bit, said conclusion punctuated with a sigh. Viggo watched as he went to a corner full of old junk that Viggo hadn’t found the time to go through quite yet, before pulling out something black and long. 

“Hiccup?” He asked, tilting his head. Said rider said nothing as he approached, forcing the object towards him with a tired expression.

 Viggo slowly reached for the item, taking it in. 

It was a cane. Well crafted, the top of the cylinder was covered in runes for strength, tapering down into a black cylinder. As he fully took a hold of it, he rubbed a hand reverently on the base, which was carved intricately into a Night Fury’s head, eyes decorated with emeralds. Viggo admired the craftsmanship, running his hands down the shaft, feeling the smooth wood. It was intricate and beautiful and oh so Hiccup.

Hiccup sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

“I use it when my leg gives me trouble. Since you refuse to sit down, you can at least have something to help you get around.” Viggo nodded, awed by the show of kindness. 

“Thank you Hiccup. It is incredible.” Hiccup ruffled his bangs, looking to the side. 

“Yeah, uh-Don't mention it.” He mumbled, before slipping off his sword and shield and placing them in the corner. Ah, so humble. It was one of the qualities he so admired in the other. The rider laid his hands on his hips. Viggo watched, his hands still tracing the runes.

“So-yup.” He clapped his hands together as he swung them. “At least try and stay in bed until I'm back with dinner. I need to try and talk to Astrid again.” Viggo slowly nodded. 

“Alright. Good luck.” Hiccup sighed, shuffling his feet a bit before turning on his heel and yanking the door open. 

“Thanks. I'll need it.” 

Hiccup, about to walk out, hesitated once more, then slowly turned back to Viggo, mirth shining in his eyes. 

“You-uh. You have a nice laugh too. You should use it more often.” Viggo’s heart leapt. 

And with that, he was gone, leaving him with a heart much lighter than before. Viggo looked down at the cane in awe. Oh, what a wonderful gift. He would use it well. It felt so phenomenal, even if it was of necessity, to get a gift from Hiccup, and a compliment, though he was sure it was born of gest.

He had no delusions that it would be any other way, but he still thought of such a time it wouldn't be out of necessity. He pondered the types of gifts he could give him. Hiccup deserved only the best gifts, and Viggo paled in comparison to Hiccup’s artistry. His current project would have to do for now, even if it was also necessary to their alliance. 

“Ah, Hiccup. You never cease to amaze.” And with that, he pushed himself onto his feet, the cane taking his weight well. With that, he made his way to the door. His mind was set on exploring the others' forge, and Hiccup warning’s wouldn’t change that.

In his heart, a small flame was lit.

“B-bkawk!” He jolted at the noise, looking down at the floor. 

There sat a chicken. Its head tilted and its eyes wide. Of course.

He couldn't help the small chuckle that passed through his lips as he met its beady eyes. 

Chapter Text

The afternoon faded to night, a new day far on the horizon. 

A boat rocked fiercely on the waves, storm clouds swirling in a dangerous dance above their heads, the waters pulling and pushing fiercely at their call. Rain pummeled the deck like arrows, each droplet harsh against his skin. Shouting pounded in his ears, futile against the fierce thunder; the cacophony of noise making his ears ring.

“Ryker! This is foolish! We need to go! Now!” Brynja screamed against the storm, holding the sides of the ship with her powerful grip, hewn from years of service. Viggo nodded desperately at her words, gripping the mast with every ounce of his strength. A wave crashed into the ship once more, taking another soldier overboard in a moment, a shout from its victim the only evidence left of the man's demise. 

“Ryker! Turn around!” Viggo screamed over the torrential rain. 

“No! The island is here! Brave the storm men!” A shout of affirmatives met the call, barely audible. Viggo winced back as another lightning strike struck the water, almost knocking him to his feet. He held on for dear life, scanning the deck for any of the men, his men, who would listen to him. Brynja was trying to reach Ryker, who held to the beitiass with as much strength as he could muster, a challenging scowl on his face. 

“You are going to get us all killed!” Ryker whipped his head towards Viggo, who glared fiercely back. It didn't matter that he was the younger now. He knew he had more sense than the elder. He knew that it was foolish, hunting the fabled island. All to please his father, the old fǫl! What was he thinking!?

“This is my expedition, not yours brother! Men, hoist the skaut! Heave-” His idiot brother was cut off as another wave rocked the boat heavily, heaping tons of water over the deck. More men thrown overboard. More men killed over something so wasteful. Viggo snarled as he attempted to reach his idiotic brother, reaching a hand unsteadily towards him. 

“Viggo! Don’ let go! You’ll go o’erboard! We don’ need two dead chiefs!” Brynja screamed. He whipped his eyes towards her, taking in her force red hair whipping like fire in the wind, her blue eye locked on him with a stern expression, the other cold and dead staring into his soul. 

“We’re all going to die if nothing is done!” He yelled back, feeling his legs shake as the wind howled against him. He hated his more lithe build. He wished he was more like his brother in brawn, but was thankful that unlike him he had a brain. He shook his head at Brynja. 

“We do not have any more rowers! We are adrift!” A voice pierced the air. Viggo met eyes with Gunnarr, one of the more kind soldiers aboard. Gunnarr looked at Viggo, a sad contemplation in his eyes, paired with panic. He always cared too much for the harsh reality of the job. “We have no means to turn back!” Viggo felt his heart turn to ice. 

All of those men… they were on a large vessel, nearing a crew of around one hundred. How could so many be lost! He turned his brown eyes back to his brother, who looked down at the ground with a more panicked face. Viggo growled. 

“Do not look so pathetic brother! You are the cause of our deaths! If you just listened to me for once -” Another strike of lightning, another thunderous clap of Thor’s hammer; this time accompanied by a screech that echoed in his very bones. He looked to the sky with narrowed eyes, vision barely catching an outline. 

“Skrill!!” A man screamed. Viggo felt his panic reach a crescendo. 

“Viggo!”

The last thing he heard before the cold wave smashed into him was screaming. It hurt- it was so cold. He was going to die —

Viggo snapped awake with a gasp. His body was cold, like the waves' salty embrace. His back ached with each heaving breath. He looked around frantically, trying to find a way out, any way out. He threw off the stifling blankets, trying to find where they were-

Wait. Where was he?

He took in the room. The tailfins leaning against the wall. The wooden floor and ceiling. The messy desk, the smell of pine and oil, not ozone and seasalt. 

Oh. 

Oh, right.

He was on the Edge. His brother was dead, along with most of the crew of that expedition.

His heart slowly calmed from the memory. He lowered himself back onto his pillows with a grunt. He was at Hiccup’s hut. Of course. That happened years ago. There was nothing he could do about it now. 

That memory was one he hadn't thought of for a long time. Old memories were stirred up, it seems. He ran a hand through his black hair. It was growing longer, now. He would have to find some proper shears, or perhaps a comb. 

He reached over once more for the flint and steel, lighting the small candle left for him. Hiccup and Viggo were no strangers to odd sleep hours, so Hiccup tended to leave a candle out for him on the desk. He appreciated the gesture, especially now. Viggo sat then in the dim light, listening to the house creak around him, finding ease in the fact that the creaking was from the wind, not from earth shattering waves. 

Viggo thought he heard something, something small and faint. But it was drowned out by a grumble at the foot of his bed. He leaned forwards a bit, meeting the sleeping form of his Skrill. After that memory, he almost wanted to feel wary of her. But he knew, as surely that he knew he wouldn't harm her, that she wouldn't harm him. It was odd, to be so certain, but it clicked in his mind as a fact. It was something he would investigate further, but for now he was content in the feeling. He smiled at her, staring at her luminescent scales that slightly lit up with each breath, barely visible in the darkness. It was jarring, to think he killed dragons just like her. He never would have thought the knowledge would fill him with regret.

Another small noise reached his ear, a little louder this time. He turned his good ear towards the direction, trying to pinpoint its location.

“H-help. Pl-ease.” Viggo’s blood turned cold.

It was Hiccup.

The hunter quickly got out of his bed, his back aching. He cursed it, ignoring the ache as he made his way to the ladder leading to the loft. Now was not the time for weakness. He pulled his way up, muscles burning a bit after the long period of disuse. 

He wasn't sure what he would find. Was Hiccup hurt? Was he currently being held hostage? He didn't have a weapon; he would have to be calculated about this. 

As silently as he could, he poked his head over the floor, scanning the dark space, yet finding no one.

He met the outline of a bed, a young man writhing on it. 

“N-no! T-Toothless-” Viggo started to go over the wooden bend, quiet as the night. 

Before he could make it any further, however, a dark void cut him off, making him recoil a bit. Then he met two wide green eyes and his shoulders relaxed from their tense state. The dark pupils widened as they took him in. It was Hiccup’s Night Fury. 

“Toothless, what is going on? Is Hiccup ok?” The dragon stared at him, as if scanning him. Viggo felt oddly exposed under the intelligent stare. Then, as if he passed some sort of unspoken test, the dragon gestured urgently to the bedside, backing out of his way and heading back towards his rider. Viggo got the message, as odd as it might be. 

He pulled himself to his feet, feeling his muscles pull unpleasantly as he crept to the bedside, back hunched and alert; ready for anything. Toothless looked alarmed, staring at his rider. 

He finally reached Hiccup’s side, taking in the young man’s state. 

The rider was writhing, as if trying to escape something. He swung his arms out and arched his back; His face was contorted in an expression of fear and pain, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

Oh.

Viggo now knew what this was. It seemed as though their discussion’s affected both of them in a similar way. 

A whine came from the dragon on the other side of the bed, who gestured frantically to his rider. Viggo sighed. He was many things, but he didn't quite…know how to help here. Besides, Hiccup hated him. What was the dragon thinking? How could he comfort Hiccup like this? 

The dragon seemed to understand a bit of his thought process, because he let loose a rumble, his eyes narrowing. Do it, he knew the dragon was saying. Viggo sighed.

 Very well then. 

Viggo reached towards the rider, his hands gently pressing against the sides of his face, wiping the tears with his thumb. Hiccup shook his head a bit, fighting the hold. 

“Hiccup, it is alright. It is only a dream.” The rider arched his back towards him, tears falling harder. 

“It burns-it burns, no-nono please -” Viggo looked to the dragon, who gestured once more. Very well, how should he go about this? 

“My dear Hiccup, It is ok. Wake up.” Hiccup let loose a scream and smacked his fists against Viggo’s chest. Viggo groaned, but held himself steady. For his stature, Hiccup was quite strong. 

This wasn't working. He decided to use more drastic measures. 

Viggo released the young man’s face and wrapped his arm underneath the man's knees, the other underneath his shoulders, and heaved him up and sat onto the soaked bed, the rider in his arms, light even on his aching muscles. He pulled the rider close, holding him against his chest and whispering into his hair. 

“Hiccup, Hiccup. Shhh. It is alright.”

“Ungh- We-were going to die , Toothless-” Hiccup keened, eyes still clamped shut. 

“Is here. He is alright. Everyone is ok. You won, my dear.” Toothless nudged the rider, having made his way over to the side of the hunter. He looked at Hiccup with worried eyes, snapping back and forth between the hunter and the rider. Viggo nodded, continuing his consolation. 

“You aren't there anymore. Berk is safe. The queen is dead. You saved everyone.” Hiccup whined and instead of pushing, as he was before, he instead nuzzled into Viggo’s chest. Viggo fent his heart soften at the sight. It was so odd, seeing the leader of the dragon riders so… vulnerable. Viggo released his hold on the others legs, now he wasn't writhing, and brushed the hair out of his clenched eyes.

“It is alright. You are safe.” Hiccup groaned, his body a little less tense. Hiccup gripped onto Viggo’s bandages, pulling at them. 

“V-viggo..” Viggo felt his heart skip a beat. “Yes?” 

“D-don't leave me.” Viggo smiled, a rare and soft thing. He brushed Hiccup’s hair with his hand once more.

“Ah, If you were aware, you would never say such things.” Hiccup groaned at his words. 

“Promise…” Viggo felt a small fragile smile curve his lips. Ah, if only it were true.

“If that was your wish, then as long as you allow it. I would stay by your side.” Hiccup sighed, a small smile on his face. How… Odd… Hiccup hated him. He knew he did. So why was he being there bringing him comfort? Was he that stuck with guilt over others deaths that he would wish for his enemies presence? He crushed that tiny bit of hope in his chest. No-Hiccup would never like him as he did. His heart belonged to another. 

“Mmm, Viggo…” Hiccup relaxed for a moment. Just as Viggo thought he was drifting back to sleep, his body tensed. 

“Vig-Viggo!” The cry sounded far more alert this time, more awake. Hiccup’s eyelids snapped open, his head jerking away from the hunter’s chest. Viggo stared down at emerald eyes. 

“Good morning.” Hiccup glared and pushed at his chest. 

“Would you stop with that! W-what are you even doing?! Hiccup’s face flushed, embarrassment from the predicament playing on his cheeks. He took in their position. “Why are you on my bed!?” 

“You were having a nightmare.”

 Hiccup’s face still had a bit of a sickly pallor, despite the flush now on him. Viggo wished he could wipe away those tear tracks that streamed from the other, but Hiccup decided to do that himself, shoving off of Viggo and rolling onto the bed next to him, nearly falling over in the process. He was caught by the dragon, who looked at him in concern, as did Viggo. 

“Were you plotting to kill me in my sleep?” Viggo took a bit of offense to that. And after all of the bonding they have done as well. A shame, really. 

“As we are on the same side, that wouldn't be the wisest course of action.” Hiccup scoffed at his words, not answering. Viggo hummed in the silence. “I heard you.” Hiccup again, ignored him. "Why didnt you just wake me up?" He snarled. Viggo griimaced. 

"I tried. You are quite the heavy sleeper." A silence echoed, Hiccup curling up into a ball and staring at the wall. Viggo had the odd urge to lean against him, perhaps wrap his arm around the others smaller form. 

“Were you dreaming about the Red Death?” Hiccup glared. 

“What is it to you?” Viggo hummed.

“Nothing. Simply curious.” The rider rolled his eyes. “You know curiosity cost Odin an eye, right?” Viggo nodded, a brow quirked. 

“Perhaps, but with that sacrifice he was enlightened beyond anything we can possibly comprehend. I would say that is a fair trade.” 

Hiccup glared a moment more before sighing, dropping his glare to the floor, picking at the hem of his pants idly. 

They sat in silence, Viggo taking in the others' features. Hiccup was quite a beauty, even disheveled like this. His hair was sticking up in odd directions, His hands twitching. His skin was coated with a sheen of sweat, the latent memories wreaking havoc on the man. Viggo wished he could see the man asleep peacefully sometime. He would look like a Valkyrie, he was sure. 

“Yes.” Hiccup whispered, as if ashamed. Viggo could barely hear it. 

“And would you like to talk about it?” Hiccup simply stayed silent.

Viggo sighed and gave into the urge to scoot a bit closer to the rider, staring at him with a forlorn expression. Hiccup met his eyes, a quizzical look on his face.

“It is quite normal to fear at times, dear.” Hiccup’s face twisted. 

“No it's not. It is not. A chief never shows weakness.” It sounded rehearsed. Viggo narrowed his eyes a bit. He understood the sentiment, but that wasn't the type of chief that Hiccup was meant to be. His mothers words echoed his thoughts.

“Fear does not make man weak. It is controlling that fear that makes man strong." Hiccup shuffled, breaking eye contact. "Fear is natural, but you cannot let it control you.” Hiccup rolled his eyes at that. Viggo, even a month earlier, might have done the same.

“We both know you don't mean that.” Hiccup mumbled. Viggo had to strain to hear it. 

“And what makes you say that?” 

“Y-you are Viggo Grimborn, for starters? Why would you be afraid?” Viggo hummed for a moment, looking to the ceiling. He thought that too, once upon a time. He thought himself unstoppable, fearless, everything a chief should be, according to his grandfather, may he rest in Helheim. Perhaps, meeting Hiccup was the catalyst to his mothers words seeping into his mind, like an old ship lost at sea drifting onto the harbor. Hiccup was a catalyst to a lot of things.

“All men fear something, my dear.” He whispered, the words slipping out, near thoughtlessly, images of his nightmares flashing through his vision, fears of Hiccup laying dead at his feet making his hands curl into fists. Yes... It took a long time to understand the emotions that came with the image after his fall into the volcano, after awaking to a sleeping rider at his side, after seeing Hiccup so afraid for him. The words that left his mouth nearly made him recoil. 

He stood up, stepping carefully over the dragon, who simply stared at him, green eyes unreadable. He made his way down the ladder, looking up at Hiccup one last time before fully descending. 

“Goodnight, Hiccup. Let us hope we get some sleep before the sunrise.” The last he saw before dropping down were his emerald eyes, scrunched in confusion. Honestly? Viggo could understand that expression. He was startled himself. The rider made him feel fear, and guilt, so many other emotions he didn’t quite understand. 

It bothered him.

He wouldn't admit that to the rider, of course. 

“So… Are we just going to stare into eachothers eyes all day or…” Snotlout called, leaning heavily on a barrel in the corner of their hut. Hiccup shrugged, still looking at Viggo, who was leaned over their map, inspecting it closely. They all watched him, some wary, some curious, and some being the twins. Hiccup hummed, snapping out of his heavy concentration on Viggo’s face. Right, they should get back to the meeting. 

“So… What do you think?” Viggo leaned back, finally, and looked Hiccup in the eyes, a small smirk on his face. 

“I think… I am curious as to how you ever bested me with such a foolhardy plan like this. Perhaps I was over estimating your capabilities.” Hiccup frowned. He turned away as Astrid snarled, marching towards him. Hiccup quickly made sure to stand in the way of her axe. 

“Woah, Woah! Astrid, you promised!” She tried to get around him, but he held fast. Viggo chuckled, absolutely not helping with the situation. 

“I promised I wouldn't kill him! I can still maim him!” Hiccup quickly grabbed her arm, trying to get around him, and stared into her eyes, which calmed somewhat. 

“No! We are not doing any maiming, even if he deserves it.” Hiccup whipped his head back around and glared pointedly at the still chuckling man. He did sometimes imagine dropping him from Toothless. Egotistical geit. Still, he let Astrid walk back to the wall, huffing and leaning harshly on it.

“C-can you at least try to be civil?” Viggo shrugged, a brow raised. 

“It's a shame your team can't handle a bit of criticism.” Hiccup felt his eyebrow twitch. He could see Astrid restraining herself in the corner of his eye.

“We beat you plenty of times! Maybe you aren't as smart as you think!” Snotlout called across the room, taking a few steps forwards. Viggo smirked in his direction before turning to Hiccup.

 “Who made this plan? It certainly wasn't you.” Hiccup looked at him with a bit of a sneer on his face. Viggo could learn some sense of decency. If he was going to live on the Edge for now, Hiccup would not put up with him insulting his team. He sighed, eyes flickering to Astrid, who was barely stopping herself from leaping forwards.

“What would you do, oh wise one?” Hiccup said back at Viggo sarcastically, who stared back at the map once more. 

“You know, If you would agree to use lethal force, this war would be over?”

“And you would be dead. Praise the Gods that we are against it, or you wouldn't be here today.” Astrid called, her icy glare intense on Viggo's back. Hiccup agreed. He sighed, rolling his eyes at the suggestion. Viggo knew better by now. 

“Yeah, no. Thank you for your oh so helpful input, though, really cleared things up here.” He ruffled his hair, looking away from the man. “Gah, this is worthless.” 

“Naturally, when you seek advice from the enemy, they will lead you to your doom .” Snotlout called from across the room. Ruffnut nodded. 

“Very wise Snotman.” Snotlout puffed out his chest. “Of course it is! And don't call me that.” Ruffnut snickered. 

“Quit it.” Hiccup said, returning his eyes to the subject of discussion, eyes narrowed. “We agreed on this. Viggo. Do you have anything helpful to say?” Viggo hummed, an approving glint in his eyes. 

“Your best bet is by foot. You can't continue to act like you are fighting my ships, dear. They have dragons, and they will attack by air. The firm ground is your advantage.” 

“ We have dragons. Air maneuvers are our specialty. Our methods have worked against the flyers in the past.” Hiccup retorted, crossing his arms. Viggo narrowed his eyes, scars pulling on his face in an intimidating manner. 

“With luck, dear. Luck is not a reliable shield, and it will not protect you forever. You are skilled with your dragons, but that doesn't change the facts.” He turned to the map, leaning heavier on his cane. “Krogan tends to be hard headed. He tends to lack tact. You will have no issue finding his men and taking them out from below. Johann tends to hold back. He is a far more dangerous opponent. You should never engage him directly. Look for a boat, chances are he will be watching from afar.” 

“If they are there. This is a recon mission, remember?” 

“You saw activity…here, yes?” Viggo pointed to the island where their outpost was located. Hiccup nodded. 

“Yeah. They seem to keep sending scouts around..” Hiccup leaned forwards, hovering his hand over the man's hand and gesturing. “Here to here. But we don't know what they are doing. We can't plan for their actions.” 

“We can , actually. As I suspected, they are using my notes to find the dragon lenses. I happened to mention there was one right around this island.” Hiccup's eyes widened as he leaned closer to Viggo. 

“W-wh- Really? Is there one there?” 

“Of course not. I would never write down such a thing and leave it at their base.” Viggo huffed, amused. Hiccup retracted, a bit disappointed in the reaction. 

“What, you didn’t trust your allies?” Astrid said, crossing her arms with a defiant expression.

“I was perceived as a threat to their operations. There was no trust involved in our alliance. They were sure to keep me distant, never truly letting me know their plans. Of course I prepared for the scenario in which they betrayed me.” 

“If we are sure they are going to be there, then we should get the jump on them.” Astrid called, making her way closer to the table. Hiccup shuffled a bit closer to Viggo to make room for her. She glared at him for a moment before looking back at the ex-hunter. 

“Yeah! I wanna blow up some stuff!” Viggo glared at the male twin before looking back at Hiccup, splaying a hand on the map. 

“That would be unwise. Take a smaller team for reconnaissance. One or two would suffice. Spy on them, get information. Come and report your findings. Pherhaps, even plant some evidence of further treachery in their ranks. They are like dogs, Hiccup. Give them a scent, and they will foolishly follow their own tails. That is what will lead to their downfall.” Viggo collapsed his hand into a fist. “That is how we win.” Hiccup nodded carefully. 

“Ughh. Boooring.” Ruffnut called. Her brother nodded. “Yeah! We don't do covert ops pal!” 

“That’s only because you guys blow things up every time!” Astrid rolled her eyes, glaring at the twins. 

“Exactly! And it works!” 

“And that foolishness puts you and your team in danger. First rule of war. Never send in all of your team at once. When one man falls, have another take his place.” Viggo huffed, a steady glare on his face as he assessed the group before him. Astrid huffed indignantly. 

“Yeah, you would know a lot about sacrificing men.” 

“War has casualties. What is important is to minimize your losses, and prepare for the worst.” She snorted.

“Didn't seem that way to me.” Viggo raised a brow in her direction. Hiccup prepared to minimize damage.

“Yes, a callous one such as yourself wouldn't understand that.” And Astrid started towards him. A snarl painted on her face. Hiccup quickly blocked her with an arm, not breaking his gaze from Viggo, who looked at him with a smirk. 

“It's all or none of us. We work as a team . Not that you would understand what that is.” 

“Of course I do. If you remember, I ran a quite successful operation for the better part of a decade. Teamwork was essential in my plans. If you are set on having everyone there, then you can station the rest of the team on this island. They should be sufficient backup if anything goes wrong.” 

“Wait, so everyone would still be there? Just far away?” Tuffnut thought aloud, then shook his head. “Huh, that sound’s boring still. I want to see some action!” 

“That…is an option. But somethings off.” Hiccup cut him off, eyes wide in thought. He looked closer at the map, leaning closer to Viggo.

“Hiccup?” Astrid called, a confused note in her voice. Hiccup stood straighter, addressing the room. 

“What do you want us to get here? Clearly, you need something. You wouldn't be so set on us sneaking in otherwise.” Hiccup accused, looking over at Viggo, who smiled, his head tilting. 

“The dragon eye, dear. They will have it with them, most assuredly on Johanns ship. We can take back the dragon eye and find the Bewilderbeast before they can. Then we can end this war.” 

“B-Bewilderbeast? What’s that?”

 Viggo looked over to Fishlegs, then scanned the faces of everyone in the room, all wide eyed, though Hiccup had a contemplative face. Viggo mentioned the Bewilderbeast before, the dragon that was like the Red Death. But oh, it made sense. If the Red Death was the Queen, the Bewilderbeast was-

“The King of Dragons.” Hiccup and Viggo said at the same time. Viggo looked at Hiccup, a small smile on his face, before looking back at the rest of the room, who stood in variations of shock.

“Yes. At least, that is what I am inferring they are searching for. A fool’s errand, of course. That dragon has not been seen in hundreds of years, and if it does exist, then they will be waging war on a lesser god.” They sat silent, the room staring wide eyed at Viggo. Hiccup felt a pang of hope and fear. Finally, they had a lead. This was the advantage he was hoping for. 

“W-What do you know about it!?” Fishlegs blurted out, holding his finger out. Everyone gave him a look, one which he brushed off with a gesture towards Viggo. 

“C’mon guys! It's the King of Dragons! You can't say you aren't even a little curious! He knows more than we do! This is why he is here , isn't it!?” Hiccup slowly nodded, looking back at Viggo. He felt his blood start pumping, the sheer euphoria of finding out about a new dragon lighting up his eyes. 

“Unfortunately, my knowledge is limited. Most knowledge was lost through time, but the key is held in the dragon eye lenses. It rivals the size of mountains, and its tusks can level forests as Helheims Bane- the Red Death could.” Hiccup thought back to the many rumors he heard of such a dragon. One stuck out in his head, sending shivers down his spine.

“And… are the legends true? Can it control dragons?” 

“I assume so, yes.” Viggo nodded, a grim expression on his face. Hiccup swallowed nervously. 

“If it could do that, it would be-” 

“Amazing!-Catastrophic.” Hiccup’s and Fishleg’s voices overlapped. Hiccup shot a look at Fishlegs, who shrugged. 

 “If you managed to get one under your control, you could fell entire civilizations.” Viggo looked up to Hiccup, meeting his eyes. “If it is not extinct and they do have a method of controlling it, it would surely bring doom upon all of us in the hands of Johann and Krogan.” A chilling silence fell upon the room at his words. Hiccup felt a mix of dread and excitement, looking at the man. He ruffled his hair, looking at the map. 

“So… don't mess with it. Great. Won’t stop Johann and Krogan from doing everything they can to get it, though.” Viggo agreed. 

“Yes. That is why finding the lenses and the Dragon Eye is essential . From my knowledge, they only need one more lense before the key is unleashed. The birthplace of the Bewilderbeast is hidden in the final key.” 

“And do you know what that key is?” Hiccup mumbled, looking at the hunter, who met his eyes.

“Unfortunately, no. But we must find out. Hiccup, the Dragon Eye is the only way forward. If we take the Dragon Eye from them, we would not only have the means of finding the King, but we could stop the enemy in their tracks.” Hiccup hummed, rubbing the thin folds on the corner of the map in contemplation. He had a point, but with his own Dragon Eye, they could move forwards. Would it be better to try and take the original? Or just find the last lense? Viggo didn't know about his new Dragon Eye. What would they do in that situation were he to know about it? Fears and doubts crept in his mind, ever present but growing stronger. 

“And how do we know this isn't just some ploy to get the Dragon Eye and find the King yourself?” Astrid called, voicing out his concerns aloud. Hiccup nodded at her call, looking at the hunter pointedly. 

“You don’t. But I do give you my word that I will stay true to my oath.” Yeah, like that's worked in the past. Hiccup sighed. He had to continue to convince himself that he was different. He clearly was, in some ways. But how was he to know he could be trusted with the dragon eye? Should he tell him of his remake? 

“Yeah, like that's worked in the past. You are just a lying backstabbing murderer.” Hiccup straightened his back, looking over at his seething betrothed alarmed as she made her way over to the hunter, gesturing violently. 

“I bet the second you get your grubby hands on the Dragon Eye you will run.” She gestured towards him with her axe. Hiccup looked at her, concerned. She usually wasn't this hot-headed. He had to reel her in. As he thought, she continued closer to them, before holding her axe up to Viggo. 

“How much money would a mythical dragon fetch? A frattiler's worth? A whole island?” She snarled, eyes blazing.  “Or would you want to use it to control other dragons? Would you just lead them to slaughter? You won't rest until you have the entire archipelago under your thumb, will you?” Hiccup had enough. That same bubbling dark protective feeling coming to the surface. He grabbed Viggo’s wrist, pulling him a bit behind him, careful not to trip the hunter. 

“Astrid, this isn't getting us anywhere.” She growled, rolling her eyes. 

“You are feeding into his game. Why can't anyone here see that? He’s dangerous.” She huffed, a hurt look entering her eyes as Hiccup frowned. He didn't know what changed to make her even more hostile since their agreement. Why was she acting like this? She hung her arms, shaking her head at him.  

“Why are you so set on this whole redemption thing!? He will not change. He is a monster! The things he wrote are sick , and the fact you are still defending him makes me want to vomit!” He felt his heart sink, his eyes widening. What he wrote? What was she talking about? Hiccup looked beween the two, neither Astrid or Viggo backing down. 

“Viggo… Would you have done all of those things to the Bewilderbeast? Enslaving it? Creating a dragon army?” Fishlegs voice snapped Viggo’s eyes away from Hiccup, snapping Hiccup from his reverie. 

“In the past? Of course. Not for such barbaric means as destroying societies, but I cannot deny it would be quite the prize. The ability to control dragons at your fingertips? If I had the means, I would have pursued such a beast in the past.” Everyone in the room shivered at the thought, including Hiccup. Imagining the dragon hunter with that power was terrifying. Far more terrifying than Krogan and Johann ever could be. Viggo looked around the room, then looked back at Hiccup. 

“However, that was in the past. Dragons do not deserve to be controlled and sold. They are more than that. So, no. I would not do such a thing, no matter how lucrative.” He spoke in a calm voice, the baritone soothing to Hiccup's worries. He wished he wasn't so… enigmatic. This would be so much more simple. 

“Viggo…” He sighed shakily. This… this was why he couldn't not give this a chance. There was no lie in his tone. Hiccup believed him. It was such a weird feeling.

“Woah. He’s like a different person .” Ruffnut mumbled to her brother. 

“Maybe Chicken was right? He fell tragically in love with someone he could never be with and had his world view changed because of it?” Tuffnut mumbled, rubbing his chin. Hiccup and Viggo looked away from eachother to the twins, a befuddled look on their faces. What on Midgard were they talking about? Oddly, the thought of Viggo being in love formed a bit of a lump in his throat. 

“Excuse me?” Viggo mumbled, his head tilting slightly. He sounded almost startled.

“You are excused. Are you sure that's what she was saying?” Ruffnut gestured with her hand at her brother, only adding more confusion.

“Hey! Who else here is fluent in Poultrese?” Tuffnut nodded, crossing his arms. "It was either that, or Viggo is part Changewing." He suspiciously glanced at Viggo. "Which could be true." 

“Is that even a real language?” Snotlout mumbled. He looked intrigued and cautious, leaning against the wall. Hiccup cleared his throat, making order of the chaotic emotions in his heart. 

"Of course it is! You dare doubt my chicken knowledge?" 

“Well… I don't know about… whatever you guys are talking about. But this is what we are going to try to do. Ill… we go with Viggo’s plan… for now.” He sighed, ruffling his hair and looking down at the map. “We go in here. We’ll figure out who to send in…” A thought occurred to him, he looked over at Viggo, who seemed to focus on the map. 

“Viggo. We can't leave you on the Edge alone.” Hiccup crossed his arms, looking at the team.

"I am an adult. I do believe I can stay here alone." 

"Yeah, no. We aren't doing that. Hiccup and I will be infiltrating, so its up to you guys. Any volunteers?" Astrid adressed the room, taking her side at Hiccups. 

“Well I'm not going to stay!” Tuffnut cried.

 “Me neither!” His twin joined in. Before anyone else could cry out their dissent, Viggo interrupted. 

“Of course, you could take me with you.” Hiccup and Astrid recoiled at the mere suggestion.

"What? So you could sell us out?"

"No. I could help you. Advise you." 

“No! No, absolutely not. You are still hurt. We can't put you near combat like that!” That ugly bizzare protectiveness built up in him at the thought. Astrid let loose a growl. 

“Not unless I was on a dragon.” Viggo snipped. “I would be a most valuable asset.” 

“And a liability . If they catch us-” Hiccup started. 

“They will not. I assure you.”

“You can barely walk .” Hiccup said, straightening his back. Viggo arched his back to his full height, looking down at him impassively. 

“True, but I could fly.” 

“Viggo. You are injured! You can't fly!” 

“Actually-” He heard Fishlegs say. He sighed. Might as well let him talk. 

“What Fishlegs?” Asrtrid huffed, fuming.

“Flying might… be good, actually. It takes a lot of core strength, but it might help with rehabilitation without risk of tearing.” He swallowed nervously. “Uh, with not too much action, I-I think it would be ok if he eased himself into it.” Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. Instead of making it easier, Fishlegs just gave him confirmation. He could nearly hear Viggo’s grin. 

“Then dear, I do believe you owe me a ride.” 

"You can't ride the Skrill!" Viggo smirked. 

"Unfortunately, yes. But, I can ride with you until we find a solution to our little lightning problem." Fishlegs nodded. 

"That would work. You would need to take it slow and practice with him. If we could figure out a way to make a working saddle, we could have him fly with us." 

"Yes! Giving him a  deadly dragon will really help keep us alive.: Astrid snarled, rolling her shoulders. "Why do you want him to go with us Fish?" 

"I don't! He just shouldn't be here unattended! Besides, a Skrill might help us on our mission!" 

“Jus-Gh…”Hiccup sighed, letting his arms fall to his side. “We'll figure it out later. For now, you've been on your feet for too long, and I need to… figure out how to prepare.” Viggo hummed, and Hiccup turned to the group.

“So… What do we do now?” Snotlout said. 

“Train, prepare. This… can't go wrong. We need to get everything ready before this. Viggo… you need some rest. We’ll figure out what to do with you later.” Viggo nodded begrudgingly. Astrid abruptly started heading to the door. 

"I am going to check on our defenses." Hiccup quickly called. "Wait!" But she was gone, on the back of Stormfly and in the air. He huffed, then turned to the team. 

“Ruff, Tuff. Prepare our food supply and weapons. Snot, gather nightmare gel.” They saluted and left.

“Fine! Whatever!” Snotlout hung his head and grumbled.

“Just… do what I told you.” Hiccup called after them. He then turned to Fishlegs. 

“Fish, look over the lenses and your notes. Make sure there isn't anything we are missing.” Fish nodded, and headed out of the hut. He turned to the last person in the room. He huffed, tapping the man on the shoulder and gesturing to the door. 

“Viggo, let's go.” As they made their way out, Viggo sighed. 

“Dear, I would rather not wither away in bed.” His face twisted into a smirk. “Unless, of course, you join me.” Hiccup glared at him, ignoring the heat in his cheeks.

“We are on the same side now! Do you really need to keep messing with me?” Viggo shrugged.

“To make you flustered? of course. You look lovely in red.” He gestured to Hiccup, who flushed a bit more. Hiccup turned away, whistling for his dragon. He couldn't handle the face of his ex-enemy. It was too aggravating to look at. 

“Jus-Agh. Find your own way. I need to go flying with Toothless.” And with that, a large black dragon landed next to him. Toothless licked his face, before Hiccup slung himself on the saddle and took off. Viggo looked after him, a smirk still on his face. Viggo looked down to his Skrill, who looked as if she just woke up and trotted to his side as soon as the meeting ended. He smiled at her and scratched near her sharp spines, inciting a purr. 

“Ah. Well. No better time than now to work on Hiccup’s gift, hm? And, perhaps we can find a way to let us fly.” She screeched, bobbing her head once. 

And the sun fell, casting the world with shadow. Anticipation for the coming mission weighed on the riders.

Hiccup rustled in his sheets, counting the planks that made up his roof for the upteenth time. He counted, 35, 36, 37-

Ugh. He was sick of this.

It now had to be nearing dawn, his whole night restless and agonizing, his mind torturing him with nightmares, as it has been since the night he stirred up old memories. Even the fear and panic of his dreams was fading with his exhaustion, leading to a dead boredom and annoyance. Any time he closed his eyes, flashes of fire and pain filled his vision. When he lay still, he thought of a warm hold on his body, big hands holding him steady. He shoved both memories away, half he wasn't even sure were real , and closed his eyes once more. 

Fire, brimstone coating Helheim’s Gate, a scream- 

A warm embrace, large calloused hands, fingers brushing away his tears-

He snapped up into a sitting position. 

He couldn't sleep like this. His eyes were still wide open, despite his many efforts to get some rest. His body still felt on edge; his fingers tapping on his mattress. 

He decided to do something impulsive. 

“V-Viggo? Are you awake?” He called before even really thinking. He must really be tired if he’s willing to talk to him after… earlier. 

“Yes?” A voice rang out underneath him. So he wasn't the only one suffering. 

“Great. Just great.” Hiccup sighed. 

“Indeed.” 

They sat for a moment, neither doing anything. Toothless nuzzled more into his stomach, Hiccup’s hand resting gently on the dragon. Even though he didn't want to disturb his friend, he just couldn't stand sitting here any longer.

“Ugh, why even bother. It’s nearly sunrise.” He mumbled to himself, gently moving the Night Fury’s head off of his lap as he wiggled out of the sheets. He descended to his main floor, meeting the eyes of his guest, who was propped up, now reading a book from… somewhere. It looked similar to one of the forging books Gobber gave him for his birthday, which last he checked lied near his bedside. Hiccup didn’t know how he got it without him hearing. 

“Hiccup?” He shook himself out of that little mystery, and instead looked down at the snoozing Skrill, something that has been bothering him since their earlier meeting poking at his mind. He turned to look at the dragon hunter. 

“Viggo. You said lightning was a problem on the Skrill right?” Viggo nodded, slowly closing the book and setting it on his bedside. 

“Yes? Lightning is a problem at all times, in my experience.” 

Hiccup huffed at the answer. “Jus- you know what I mean. Don't sass me Viggo.” He thought for a moment, voicing what was bothering him.  “Do you… know any ways around that?” The hunter furrowed his brow, intertwining his fingers as he looked at the Skrill. 

“Hmm. I've pondered it.” Viggo looked back at Hiccup. “You know Thor’s wrath is drawn to metal, yes?” 

Oh he sure did. His body burned a bit at the memory.

“Yep. I know that very well.” Viggo curled a brow, but he wasn't about to give the man the pleasure of an answer to his unspoken question at the moment. Hiccup sure didn't want to talk about another irritating memory with the man right now. 

“Usually, I have noticed it strikes things closer to the sky as well. The higher the item, the higher the chance of impact.” Hiccup nodded. 

“Yeah?” 

“We could use both pieces of knowledge to our advantage, make something taller than myself constructed with a certain material. I have wondered, if metal attracts the lightning, then are there metals that conduct the energy ŕ?” Hiccup’s mind raced at the possibility. He has seen that metal can withstand it more than, say, wood. Rock also. 

“Hmm. Maybe? It would make sense. Everything has a different composition, like Gronckle iron versus regular iron…” He rubbed his chin. “There probably are some materials that could handle it more. If we used something, say like a harness, would that take the impact? Maybe protection runes could help as well?” Viggo grinned.

“And how shall we test such a theory?”

They talked well into the night, and into the morning, planning and theorizing.

Hiccup's heart, for the first time since fighting with Astrid, beat with excitement. 

Astrid huffed, looking down at the small notebook that haunted her every waking moment. She only had time to skim it before Hiccup called a meeting and they agreed to have that monster on their island, and it didn't help that most of it was illegible on most counts, but she got a pretty good jist of what the man's thoughts were. She regretted agreeing to his presence on the Edge, but she knew that Hiccup would just figure out another way to help the hunter.

He was stubborn like that. As soon as he got an idea in his mind, especially about making friends with the enemy for some odd reason, he ran with it. It frustrated her as much as it intrigued her. 

Fishlegs words did ring in her head, a bit. They were enemies too, once upon a time. 

But they didn't write the sick depraved things that Viggo Grimborn wrote. They didn't do what he did. Not even Dagur or Heather or even Alvin thought of these things. 

As she skimmed through the page she was on, detailing a plan to weaponize a plague that she was quite familiar with, she felt goosebumps on her skin. It made her feel sick, knowing the man behind such rantings was living on the Edge with them. 

The further she got into the book, the worse it got. It turned into plans to kidnap them, and sell their dragons. Another plan was to destroy Berk systematically. He detailed a plan to tear down their trading, burning the ships and stealing loot. He planned to isolate them, then take Hiccup in a union to open trade between their peoples. In such circumstances, they would have no way to refuse, and Hiccup would be sold away like some-some thrall!

The more time passed, the more obsessed the man became with Hiccup. Plans became poetry, and sketches of Hiccup filled the pages, the same features drawn over and over, as if he were memorizing him. It scared her. A lot. 

She thought for a moment that… but no. Hiccup wouldn't .   Hiccup was better than that, she knew. But Viggo? Oh. He felt something for him. And it couldn't be love. 

He was sick . 

Redeemed? Yeah. More like some political ploy, some way to manipulate Hiccup. She knew better than to believe any word coming from his mouth, and it seemed like she was the only one to do so! She didn't think her team was so naive . 

Her first thought of showing the book to Hiccup wouldn't work. He and Viggo talked about it, apparently? Something was off about the way he acted. Though, she was sure that her betrothed didn't quite know the extent of obsession the other had. He defended it as the ravings of a dying man, as if that made sense. Maybe he only knew of the end of the book. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. 

Regardless, what could she do but plan alone?  She knew something was going on between them, and Hiccup was too far in to listen to reason now. He was smart, though. If she had enough evidence, he would have to pay attention. Fishlegs, she didn't expect, but he must've been swayed by his lies or threatened. The twins were useless in keeping secrets, as was Snotlout. 

No, she couldn't ask for help. She was in this on her own. She had to get to the bottom of this disgusting man’s lie, and when she caught enough evidence, she would confront him in front of the team.

The only problem right now was he never wrote anything about this ploy. Nothing she found yet, anyways. Half of the book was gibberish, runes odd and very distinctly not any Norse she knew. Until she found a way to translate them, she was stuck. Fortunately, she had the perpetrator on the Edge, where she could watch his every move, when he wasn't with Hiccup, of course. 

She hated acting covert, and she hated avoiding Hiccup. It felt cowardly. But Hiccup needed to see the truth, even if she had to act contrary to his wishes. She cared too much about him to let him get tricked like this. She would act the part by his side, and she would find out what the hunter is up to, and do whatever is necessary to protect Hiccup, and their village. And this mission? It was the perfect time to plan.

INCREDIBLE ART FOR THIS ONE FROM @aberrantcreature!!!! 

Chapter Text

A loud explosion rocked the Edge, the concussive blast scaring away several poor Terrors from their little perch on the Edges local blacksmiths forge.

"Ok, again!"

This time, silence greeted him.

Hiccup sighed as the Skrill elegantly sat with her back legs tucked underneath her and her wings rested on her sides. She simply glared, her pupils narrowed. Hiccup rolled his eyes back, and looked over at Viggo, who was removing his own pair of Deathsong-amber goggles.

"A little help here?" Hiccup called, wiping his forehead, sweaty from the heat of a smoldering forge. Viggo simply admired his goggles, as he had been doing to many things in his forge. Hiccup really didn't understand the mans pure fascination with all of his inventions. Probably planning on weaponizing them, in some way. He was good at creating weapons, after all.

"Viggo." Said ex-hunter looked at him, eyes glowing from the heated metal in his gloved hand, a crucible dish held with tongs in the other. Hiccup just looked at him, then back at the Skrill. Viggo hummed, understanding his gesture.

"Fire."

And with that simple ask, the Skrill released a torrent of lightning at the target, Hiccup and Viggo watching passively as the lightning became bathed in light, thundering claps of lightning bouncing into the reinforced iron ringing in their ears.

Once she finished, Hiccup took his own goggles off.

"Now, why does she listen to you?" Hiccup mumbled underneath his breath as he made his way onto the testing range. The man barely did any training with the dragon, and yet she seemed to respect him. It was quite interesting. He wondered if they met before all of this. That would explain the familiarity, at least.

He leaned forwards and inspected the metal. The tempered metal was glowing, heat retained after multiple blasts warping the iron. This was the fourth metal they used so far. Another failiure. Hiccup sighed.

Most tests were unsuccessful, the lightning arching in other directions first. No, they needed something to attract the current, something that could withstand the heat of multiple bursts, but wouldn't destroy the base foundation. Hiccup held hope for the iron barb, but instead he tossed the ruined piece into the corner, joining other ruined test pieces for reforging.

"Ok, what are we missing here? We have to be missing something." Hiccup mumbled to himself. "What could be more conductive than iron?"

"Mabye yuro dmub haed!" Came a voice from behind him.

"Your dear friend over there seems to be made of something special. Maybe he could prove useful." Viggo raised a brow at Snotlout, who, after several incidents throughout the day, wisely made his way to the corner of the room and was hidden behind a wooden blast shield Hiccup created after many unsuccessful attempts at creating his flaming sword. Hookfang sat next to him, tucked into a similar loaflike position as the other 3 out of 4 dragons in the room.

Toothless deemed it necessary to try and bother the poor Skrill as much as he could. He watched as his dragon was shocked once more, shaking his head.

"Good point. Maybe we should just strap you to the Skrill Snot." Hiccup called, a joking note in his voice. He chuckled as the Viking waved his arms frantically at the idea. Hookfang, who refused to leave his riders side, chuckled at his rider. Snotlout looked back at him, betrayed.

"On! Yuo wodul lkie taht, woudlnt yuo?!" Snotlout called, pointing an accusing finger. His dragon chortled again, making the viking whip his head to him. "Don argee wiht tehm!"

"I'm joking! Besides, Thor's offspring there doesn't seem to like that idea, do you girl?" Hiccup looked at the Skrill, who had her haunches raised, her spines arched into the sky, small flashes of lightning dancing between them. No, she didn't seem to like Snotlout at all, nor did she really tolerate anyone outside of Viggo. He noted that he should keep them separated at all times. He shook his head, looking over at Fishlegs.

"What do you think?" Fishlegs, Who joined their little party near the 3rd or so test, tilted his head, tapping his piece of charcoal on his journal.

"Well, Koparr seems to be the best so far in terms of conductivity, but aluminum seems to attract the lightning more. Maybe if we tried a mixture of the two, that might help?"

"Maybe you should figure out hwo to not expldoe the entire island every tmie you decide to electrocute us!" Snotlout yelled from his hiding place, gaining his speech once more, luckily. Hiccup was having a hard time deciphering fried brain speech.

"What are you even still doing here?" Hiccup sighed, looking over at Snotlout. He was a bit curious at his continuous presence, especially concerning the hazards. "Its not really safe for you, with Thor's grudge on you and all."

"You don't think I would ever leave you alone with that guy when he has weapons, do you?" Hiccup felt himself feel a mixture of greatfulness and irritation. He could take care of himself, but it was nice to know that they cared for him.

"How touching." Viggo through over his shoulder. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Thanks Snot, but if he tries anything, Ill make sure he regrets it." Hiccup looked over at the ex-hunter, who seemed to be dipping his metal rod into the water to cool. It was an odd… oxidized color. It was a color he was deeply familiar with, yet off by a hair. He quickly made his way to the hunters side, careful to hover his hand over his blade just in case any funny business were to occur.

"That's… dragon proof metal. What are you doing with that?" Viggo turned to look at him at an angle, still holding the cooling metal in the water. As he pulled it up, the greenish hues expanded, covering the dark copper in a tarnished finish.

"A theory I have, dear, is this metal could withstand the current and work as an arrestor. The process of making drekikoparr is quite a fascinating one. After a Gronkle creates the molten mixture of iron and copper, you must treat the outside in multiple coatings of certain acids and spits of dragons. It oxidizes the outside, hardening it to withstand even the mighty plasma of a Night Fury. Now, I do not have the suitable materials needed to make true drekikoppar here, but- this is a start." He walked to the firing range, placing the near-dragon-proof metal at the center, the ceramic holster holding firm to the molded metal shaft.

Viggo walked away from the range, cane clacking on the ground, making his way to the side of a befuddled Hiccup. He positioned his arm behind his back and the other leaning on his gifted cane, staring at the range with a smile on his face.

"Now, I have seldom seen Skrills in my lifetime, but I have seen lightning strike a ship, a cage made of dekikoparr, to be exact." Hiccup crossed his arms, tilting his head to the hunter.

"And? I've seen a Skrill in a cage. It electrocuted the outside just fine. It didn't absorb any of it."

Viggo raised a brow at him, as if he were the crazy one.

"You can imagine I was quite astonished to find the lightning not only left the cage intact, but I found men inside of the cage, unharmed. At their feet, there was only splintered wood." Hiccup's eyes widened.

"You redirected the blast." He whispered. Viggo smirked.

"Correct. Metal in and of itself, I believe, does not hold the energy, it instead conducts it to the nearest possible outlet." Hiccup understood.

"And that was the wood."

"Yes. But it was destroyed with the force of the energy. Viggo gestured to the ruined pile of clay and ceramic, smoldering and black from the continuous tests.

"Wait, but how were the people ok? You said the cage was electrocuted." Fishlegs tapped his charcoal on the side of his journal, tilting his head. "You would just get hit from the energy inside, right?"

"The lightning only left its magic on the outside and arched to the ground. It didn't hurt the people inside because it was stopped by the wood." Viggo said, pointing again at the scorched pile.

"And, if you use something that could redirect lightning into a material that could withstand the energy of the blast-"

"You could, in theory, control the direction of Thor's magic." Viggo and Hiccup grinned at eachother. Hiccup's heart leapt as he saw the excitement dancing in the others eyes. That sensation was getting worse, as of late.

"And we could even stop it in its tracks. You wouldn't be electrocuted." He muttered, then grinned. "Even if you deserve it." Viggo tilted head, giving Hiccup a smirk in return. He pulled his goggles back on, carefully not breaking eye contact.

"Fire." And with that, the Skrill released a torrent of lightning at the metal, causing Hiccup to cover his eyes and look away. When he looked back, the metal stood tall, taking the damage of the destructive lightning with ease, clearly directing it to the clay it stood in, now more burnt than before. Hiccup smiled.

"Uh, to but in… sorry, but how would we do this? Clearly, everything we have tried hasn't worked as an insulator. How would we make sure Viggo doesn't get shocked?"

"Yeah! We can't just build a cage around him!" Snotlout called, creeping slowly out of his hiding place. Viggo and Hiccup looked back at eachother, then at the Skrill. Hiccup then tilted his head to the position of the Dragonfly 1, now carefully propped on a table, returned at some point to the forge.

"Or can we?" Hiccup mumbled, whipping his head around to the man before him. Viggo seemed to have come to the same solution, if the smile was any indication.

"My dear, I do believe we have found our solution."

"Wait- What do you mean-" Snotlout started, before a cacophony of noise reached their ears. They all backed away as a tired Zippleback crashed into the boardwalk, their riders jumping off with urgency.

"Where is it?!?!" Hiccup chuckled, holding his hands out innocently. When he sent the riders away to patrol this morning, he certainly didn't tell them of their plans to continue experimentation. Not after… the first day. He shivered. . They had to uncover the first layer of ground and rebury it to find any sturdy foundation underneath to build upon, as the twins were supposed to be doing.

"Uh, nothing?"

"You guys were doing demolition without us again!? How dare you!!" Tuffnut growled, pointing to the smoldering metal in the room.

"No, not demolition! We were just experimenting! Boring stuff!" Hiccup lied. It was actually quite fascinating to him, however, his words were brushed aside.

"I thought we were friends!? So not cool!" Ruffnut said, crossing her arms.

"You guys would destroy the entire Edge, nimwits!" Snotlout called, now closer to the center of the room now the danger was over. He still kept a large berth from the irritated dragon.

"Yeah, and it would be awesome!" Hiccup sighed, shaking his head.

"I say… how about a spin on that Skrill, to make up for it." Tuffnut made his way to Hiccup trying to lean on him. Hiccup let him fall off balance and stumble. He crossed his arms.

"Not after last time. Did you even finish the foundation of our meetinghouse yet?" The twins groaned.

"Come on! She likes us!" Said Skrill snarled, lightning arching on her back dangerously as she stood, her back spines arching. Snotlout yelped. Viggo shook his head.

"She disagrees."

"Aww Come onnnn! Just once!" Ruffnut cried.

"No."

"We would make Loki proud!!" Tuffnut chimed in, trying his best to twist his expression into his best Toothless-begging impersonation.

"That's what I'm worried about." Hiccup said.

"Didn't Astrid as you to watch the outpost after the reconstruction anyways? What are you doing out here?" Fishlegs called out, standing and patting a purring Meatlug by his side.

"And is that any fun?"

"How about we take a walk, dear? We have been at this for around 2 days, now. We could use a break." Viggo leaned close to Hiccups ear, his beard brushing lightly against the shell of it, tickling it gently. Hiccup shifted.

"Yeah, that is probably a good idea, if we don't want our island to explode." They both started sneaking to the side of the tent, but froze as Tuffnut swung a warped rod at their direction.

"Hey! Don't go anywhere! We want to get some Skrill time!"

"Hookfang! Don't-" Hiccup heard, before the dragon suddenly caught on fire. Hookfang leapt towards the skinny Viking, transfixed on the rod in his hands. Tuffnut, of course, took this the wrong way.

"Oh, you want to fight do you-"

And that was their que. Hiccup grabbed Viggo's arm and swiftly pulled them out of the hut, holding onto the spare linen shirt Viggo was wearing and tugging. They both broke out in a run, with Viggo struggling to keep up. Hiccup chuckled, the silly chase of theirs quickly commencing.

"Wait!" He heard behind him, then an explosion rocked the island.

"Go-go!" Hiccup felt a headache coming on at the thought of the damage, but now was not the time to deal with that. He felt the Skrill and Toothless at his heels, their heavy feet stomping into the grass. There- he saw an alcove of trees, one familiar and hidden, and pulled Viggo inside.

Hiccup panted, not one entirely built for stamina, and pulled Viggo close to him, pinning him onto the tree. Hiccup looked around, straining his ears to hear over his panting. Toothless nudged his arm, wagging his tail. The Skrill sat calmly, glaring in the direction of the explosion. Hiccup felt his racing heart calm a bit.

"I think we lost them." He chuckled. Then, he looked forwards, coming nose to nose with Viggo Grimborn's face. Hiccup's eyes widened.

He stared at the man, taking in his heterochromatic eyes, one dead and unfocused, the other gleaming with intelligence and mirth. Hiccup could count the hairs on the mans face from this distance. He could see the lines around his eyebrows from a long life of displeasure, He could see small marks and blemishes, decorating the porcelain skin of the man.

His heart raced with a bubbly feeling he has felt since he started this project with Viggo, something more and more prominent the more time he spent with the man. It was an odd sensation.

It… almost felt like when he chased after Astrid as a kid. It was a bizarre feeling. One that left him warm, and cold. One that haunted him, and gave him peace. He knew it wasn't a crush, or anything, gods forbid, but it scared him. A bit.

Well… he was attractive, in the broadest sense of the term. But not like Astrid. He was a mixture of rugged and refined, like a tarnished blade. He was pale and his hair was a bit outgrown, filling in the finely shaved sides of his face. Hiccup felt an odd urge to run his hand on it.

No, Astrid was beautiful, a polished blade, deadly and unyielding. She was perfect. She was…

He wondered. He thought of how he got those small marks on his chin, scars similar to his own at his hairline. He wondered if the spiraling patterns of scar tissue on the man's face burned like his, or if they felt numb, unfeeling and cold. He wondered, and he focused.

He barely heard the words muttered from the other.

"Is my face that interesting, dear? It is impolite to stare." Hiccup flushed, quickly backing away from the man.

"Ah-I-Uh-" He said smartly, waving his hands. Oh gods, what has been wrong with him lately? What about this man has him acting like a stupid teenager again?

He bit his lip, looking at the Skrill, who was studying Hiccup carefully. The rider felt oddly exposed under her stare. At her side, or at least, as close as she would allow, Toothless was staring at them, head cocked and eyes slightly narrowed, as if questioning. Yeah, Hiccup had a few questions himself.

"Just- a- we should be more careful next time. Who knows what would have happened if the twins got a hold of her." He mumbled, voice growing stronger as he addressed the reason they were out here in the first place.

"Catastrophe, I am sure." Viggo called, pushing off of the tree and meeting Hiccups stride as he made his way further into the grove and closer to the cliffside. He heard the dragon's join them.

"They do seem rather… manic. They do have a blessing of Loki on them." Hiccup snorted in agreement at the others words.

"They would have made effective dragon hunters." Viggo continued. Hiccup recoiled, the thought nearly making him gag. Oh, the twins, controlling ships and finding a way to control dragons? Oh, the whole archipelago would be in fire in a week. Them with one dragon is enough!

"Oh don't even joke about that! That is a terrifying thought!"

"Don't worry, I would rather not deal with the headaches that would occur even if they were not allied with the dragons. The archapelago is safe." Viggo chuckled. Hiccup pushed through the trees, closer to his little retreat.

Hiccup sighed as they broke through the treeline, meeting the beautiful view of the sky, puffy clouds dancing in its depths. The ocean roiled, calmly lapping at the seastacks that decorated the outskirts of their island. One had a small dragon perched on top, keeping watch over the afternoon. Hiccup felt every bit of tension melt out of his body as he took in the scenery.

Their island, Midgard, was really beautiful.

He loved it.

"You know… the twins actually sailed with your hunters when they infiltrated your camp." He added after a moment, sitting on the grass. The Skrill carefully watched as Viggo himself lowered down onto the green glade, balancing on the cane in his grasp. He had an unamused face on, taking in Hiccups statement with grace.

"…Really now."

"Yeah, it was kind of on accident too. They stumbled into your boat because someone stole Tuffnut's mace. That's the first time we even heard about Project Shellfire, actually." Hiccup figured the knowledge wouldn't hurt, now. Afterall… they were on the same side, at least verbally, but he was growing to accept it more and more each day. "Your security could use some work."

"Now that is embarrasing. And after I had such high hopes in my cadets."

"Hey, they heard the plans from you!" Viggo looked mildly disturbed at this revelation. His Skrill made her way over, leaning against her, hopefully in the future, rider.

"Semantics." Hiccup chuckled, crossing his legs and staring out at the shoreline. He tilted his head in the direction of the ex hunter.

"There's a reason we won the war against you. My team at least knows the
hjǫlt from the blóð of a longsword." Viggo snorted.

"Brains are in short supply on my island, I suppose. If you were to visit, perhaps we might have two working minds there."

"Yeah, I think I'd rather stick with the dragons, if you don't mind." Hiccup chuckled. Toothless decided to prance around, chasing a little butterfly, its delicate purple and orange wings flapping gracefully, dodging the dragons playful attacks.

"I never knew they could be like this. So carefree." Hiccup nodded, slowly.

"Crazy to think, when you aren't trying to kill them, they tend to relax a bit. They act like those creatures on boats sometimes." The rider said, a bit to himself, trying to rememver the term. One was on an old pirate vessel that visited their shores as a kid. It loved being pet, its fur warm and fluffy, orange and black mixing with white decorating its small body. He remembered begging his dad for one, around then. "Cats, I think they are called."

"Yes, We had a few cats on our island, and we took them on voyages for rodent control. The similarities are rather…uncanny." Hiccup felt happy, picturing the scene of many cats running in their village.

They watched the dragon in silence, Hiccup smiling at the scene. He looked over to the hunter, who was looking at the ground, a contemplative look on his face.

Hiccup decided to interrupt the silence once more, a question on his mind. One that has prodded him since their little bonding talk in his hut, after their fight.

"Can… you tell me about your island?" Viggo let loose a sigh.

"Now that will cost you a story, dear." Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"I'm not even asking for a story! Just… what is it like?" Viggo chuckled, shaking his head.

"If you tell me about Berk, then I will tell you of my island. That is how the game works, yes?"

"You know a lot about us already." Hiccup cocked his head, eyebrow raised. What would the other man get from that information? How would it benefit him?

"Not from you." Hiccup sighed. So this was just a way to get him to talk more about his life. Well, two can play at that game.

"Ugh… fine. Ok."

"Well then, what would you like to know?" Viggo said, looking back at the horizon. The sun was sinking deeper, the sky gaining a more dark hue. Hiccup didn't realize they nearly worked through the whole day, trying to make his harness.

"Well… anything really. Is it like Berk? Or is it more like a wasteland? I cant imagine its a nice place to live, dragon hunters and all." He dug. His voice, while firm and more serious, had more of a lilt to it than previous encounters. He felt he could joke with the man, at least a little, after everything.

"It is more…opulent than your quaint little island." Viggo hummed. "We are close to the mainland in the north. It snows most days, and we seldom feel heat from Muspellheim. I much prefer the warmer climates of the southern parts of the archipelago. The winters are harsh, and the sun is covered most days."

Hiccup waited for the other to add anything else, but it was clear he was done. Hiccup snorted, shaking his head.

"Oh wow, that's a glowing review. Really makes me want to take a trip right now." He said, glaring at the hunter. For the Chief of his lands, he didn't seem to miss it, nor did he seem particularly touched at the thought of his homeland. He almost seemed… neutral to it, or at least, he was hiding how he was feeling.

"It is the truth." Viggo said. Hiccup shook his head.

"This… its your island though. You are the chief of it. Why aren't you more proud?"

"Do not misunderstand. I am proud of my island, or rather… what was my island." Hiccup winced at the reminder. To his people, Viggo was dead. "Veiði is quite refined and advanced. My people are proud and strong, loyal to a fault. We have adapted and acclimated to our harsh conditions and thrived in spite of our difficulties under my reign. We have strong allies and we cut down those that appose us." The rider bit his lip, tilting his head.

Now, that didn't sound like someone talking about their homeland. He sounded so disconnected. Hiccup did hear the pride in his voice, but it was all for the wrong reasons.

"That's great." He tilted his head carefully. "Was there really nothing that made you feel… at home? Anything you loved? The sights, smells? Anything?"

"I don't see how that is relevant, dear." Hiccup sighed, shaking his head.

It was so weird, to think this man, who had far more experience then him, didn't even realize the true beauty of Midgard. He simply saw order and chaos. Every day, it made more sense to Hiccup, why this man had so many enemies, and was so good at what he did. He tried to never attach himself to anything in the first place. Everything had a use, and it could be thrown away once its use ran out, including people. Including his brother.

It made him wonder, what about Hiccup made it different? Or was the other just biding his time until he was healed? Hiccup thought that, but it didn't feel… right, now. Did it?

Either way, Viggo didn't know what he was missing, not seeing the beauty of the world. Hiccup didn't either… for a long time, then he met Toothless.

"What… Viggo, when you look out there, what do you see?" Viggo studied it for a moment.

"The horizon. The ocean. The wind and clouds indicate that there is a storm coming." Not the best answer. Hiccup sighed.

"No, no… How do I… Ok. How does it make you feel?" Viggo raised a brow.

"I am curious, what is the purpose of this exercise?"

"Just… go with me here."

Viggo slowly closed his eyes. "I feel the cold air on my face. The humidity of the ocean on my skin. It is quite chilly, and I suppose it might snow later tonight, instead of hail." Hiccup shook his head.

"No, no! That's… not what I'm going for here…" Viggo looked at him as if he were crazy. Hiccup gripped his bangs in frustration.

Viggo needed to see the world wasn't black and white. He needed to see the beauty in the chaos, not the profit and the values. He needed to open his eyes, like Hiccup did-

Toothless bounded in front of them, hunkering down onto the ground. Hiccup reeled back, as did Viggo.

"Woah, Tooth, be…careful…" The dragon looked at both of them, unimpressed, before gesturing to his saddle. Oh, he was asking them to ride. Hiccup looked back at Viggo.

"Oh. Ok, ok." He stood, dusting off his pants.

"Viggo… the world isn't like that. There isn't just… facts. There is beauty, and love, and…" He shook his head at the face of he other. You… let us show you." Hiccup looked back at his dragon. "What do you say, bud?" Said dragon whipped his head up and down, letting loose a whine. Hiccup smiled, then turned to the hunter.

"I thought you were against this."

"Well, Fish said you could use the practice. Better now then later. And… I have something you need to see."

He held out his hand to the shocked hunter, who looked at him with a nearly agape expression. Hiccup withheld a snort, trying to stay serious in this moment. Here… he felt like he could really tell who Viggo really was, a soulless monster, or… something else.

"Viggo… Would …. you like to go on a flight with me? If you think you can, at least." Viggo tilted his head upwards.

"Ah, are you going to finally explain your little difference of flight?"

"Jus- Yes or no?" Viggo huffed, then took Hiccups outstretched hand, though, instead of letting Hiccup pull him up, he pushed on the cane, raising to his full height.

"…Very well." And with that, Hiccup attempted to help the man maneuver onto the dragon, but the man simply lifted himself. Hiccup sighed, and slung himself onto the saddle. His prosthetic clicked in place.

"Ok. Tooth, just… thanks bud." He whispered, leaning forwards. Toothless warbled and sent him a meaningful look past his shoulders.

"Alright, you know the drill." Hiccup grinned and sat back, whipping his head towards the hunter.

"You better hold on. Toothless doesn't really care that you are injured." Hiccup felt large arms wrap slowly around his torso, and with no further ado, they launched into the sky.

Hiccup laughed as the wind whipped against his face. He heard Viggo gasp and hold tighter to his torso. Now, a bit of payback, he told himself.

Toothless barrel rolled, causing the man to audibly choke and duck closer to Hiccup's bent torso. Hiccup held steadily to his saddle, twisting his body to move with his brother.

And there they went, spiraling, diving.

"How about some payback!" They launched close to the ocean, Toothless' wing splashing freezing water on his passengers as they dipped, then he barreled into the sky. Hiccup could barely feel his face with the riveting dance they took part in, his leg clicking with each subtle move.

They were one, they were masters of their very own domain.

Hiccup whooped as they took another dive, laughing at the feeling of Viggo's beard buried into his neck.

"You gonna apologize yet?!" He shouted over the roaring wind, whipping his hair straight into his passenger.

Hiccup felt quite a bit of smug relief seeing the bare fraction of the man's terrified expression in his back.

Instead of an apology, however. A terrified chuckle vibrated in his back, the mans face pressing harder into his shoulder. Hiccup laughed with him, incredulous.

They spun to the ocean again, this time Viggo lifted his head, another chuckle leaving him, even while his hands shook against Hiccups.

They were splashed once more, leaving Hiccup to shake his head and flick the tail into an downwards position, encouraging his dragon to fly straight up, which he did with a roar.

They flew up, and up, Viggo let out a yell;

Then-

-they broke through the barrier of clouds.

And Toothless ceased his spiral.

The sky was a near pinkish hue, now. The spiral of confusion and colors halted as the dragon evened out. Toothless set himself into a glide, Hiccup clicking his leg in unison with the other's tail.

They both looked at the sunset, the dazzling array of pinks and blues and reds dancing through the sky, melting into eachother like a firey forge, iron glowing brighly and catching the world aflame. Hiccup sighed.

He would never get used to this. He would savor every moment he had with his friend, soaring above the clouds. He let go of the saddle, letting his arms dangle at his sides. Viggo exhaled against Hiccup's neck, looking around at the vibrant sight.

They dipped, brushing against the clouds, letting droplets of freezing air brush against their hands and feet. Hiccup smiled as the butterflies from the descent released, instead filling him with a serene calm.

"I… find myself speechless." Viggo muttered, letting his hand brush against Hiccups. He felt it tingle in response.

"Now that is surprising." Hiccup snorted, ignoring the sensation. Instead, he looked back at his passenger.

His heart beat louder at the sight.

The man leaned over his shoulder a bit, trying to look at the skies as much as he could. His face was relaxed, eyes wide and jaw open. He looked peaceful, at ease. His brow wasn't crinkled in its usual furrowed appearance, but rather smooth. Hiccup breathed a sigh, eyes wide.

The colors danced on his face, through his eyes. The red and pinks made his skin nearly glow, pale skin reflecting the glorious skies. He couldn't focus on much more than the wonderous glow in the others pupils, the awe and the glee.

"This is…" Viggo breathed. Hiccup opened his mouth.

"…Beautiful." They both sighed in unison. Hiccup… didn't know what to say after that. He was talking about the sky, of course. Right? He shook his head, taking the thoughts of the others expression out of his mind. No, no. He was up here to change the man, not to admire the other, or…whatever he was doing.

"To me…" He started, looking back at the sky. "The sky is home. I love Berk, and I love my people, but this…" He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the clean sea air.

"That… that is what the difference is, Viggo. That is why I know, I belong to the skies. This is it. This feeling, this love I have. That's what I was asking, earlier. If you felt at home."

"I… have never felt this." Viggo muttered, stroking a stray piece of leather idly in the saddle. Hiccup felt a bit of sorrow build in his chest for the other.

"Well… now you have." He said, sending a smile back to the other. Yes, at least he could change that, now. Now, he knew the other was really different. He knew he felt, could feel. It was terrifying. It stirred things in him he never knew existed.

They turned after a while of flying, to the direction of the Edge. Hiccup looked at the Skrill, now calmly gliding at their side. He wondered, what she would look like with a rider. 

Hiccup felt like he made his point, and they had reality to get back to.

"So… this is what it is like." Viggo murmured in his ear. Hiccup turned his head, a questioning look on his face.

"What?" Viggo raised his arms, eyes closed and focused on the air brushing on the sides of his face. He held them out, fingers splayed and coasting on the air, like wings.

"To be a dragon." Hiccup looked to the sky, then down at Toothless. He smiled and sighed, closing his eyes as his dragon rumbled, flapping his wings with his powerful muscles.

"Yeah… yeah. I guess it is."

Neither noticed a team of riders watching the scene, jaws agape. Astrid was noticeably absent.

"Would… after all of this, are you going to go back? To your village, I mean." Hiccup mentioned, helping the other off of Toothless' back with a grunt. Viggo nodded thankfully and stood to his full height, Hiccup careful to inspect for any damage to his injuries.

"Of course. I must face my people, and right the wrongs of my elders." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. Hiccup felt his heart sink to his feet.

"Your brother…" Viggo nodded grimly.

"Yes."

"I… I am sorry. You lost him like that." Hiccup mumbled, his heart hurting at another casualty of their war, no matter how vile the other was.

Viggo just shook his head, walking to the forest, the Skrill hot on his heels.

"He made his choice." Hiccup trotted closer to the man, trying to block his path.

"Do you really feel nothing? You lost your brother." Viggo stopped, looking at Hiccup with a stern expression.

"No. I am realistic. He was bound to try and kill me. It was only a matter of time." Viggo sneered. "All men do. There is always something to betray others for. There is always another side. All men are falliable, and not to be trusted. If you are ever to be chief, you must learn that."

"Not all men are like that!" Hiccup rebutted, eyes narrowed.

"You are still an heir. You will learn with time." Viggo started heading father into the forest, leaving Hiccup behind. Before he disappeared, he stopped, looking over his shoulder.

"No one is to be trusted." Hiccup tilted his head to the ground, a million thoughts running rampant in his mind.

"Then… why do you trust me? To heal you? To save you? Why did you even tell me anything about your past? Wht did you try to save me?" He muttered, head hung.

"I suppose… you are the exception to the rule." Viggo sighed, looking to the ground before turning, meeting Hiccup's eyes.

"Perhaps… It is because you are more dragon than man. A soul of a dragon, trapped in a Midgardian body." He mumbled, tilting his head. Hiccup stared back at him, emotions and thoughts clashing and making it hard to concentrate on anything other than the words he spoke.

"You are greater than all of us, my dear. You, of all people, deserve to live."

Hiccup felt his heart nearly beat out of his chest. After a moment, staring tensely into the other's eyes, Viggo spoke.

"Now, how about we try making a harness? I would love to see what you can do, my dear. I also can't wait to hear about Berk." He turned into the forest once more, giving the bewildered rider no choice but to follow.

"And… thank you. Both of you." Viggo called, not turning his head. Hiccup, still reeling, nodded slowly, the warm bubbly feeling building in his chest once more.

"So… What do you think?" Hiccup said, leaning around the soon-to-be rider, tightening the harnesses and carefully inspecting the leather that wound up his body, holding the large cage fit with barbed ends snugly on his back.

It reached around his body, arching back into single spine-like protrusions down his back. Copper wire was wound between the barbs, connecting the spines together. Hopefully, conducting the electricity away from the rider.

Viggo hummed, twisting this way and that. the wire dangled, wrapping around the small protrusions on his gauntlets, refurbished as the rest of his clothing. Hiccup would have to thank Snotlout for delivering the resewn clothes earlier, even if they were in a bit bad shape.

The shirt he wore now, was one of Snotlout's old ones, decorated with straps of leather. His old shirt scraps, which the man would not let go of, was made into a tunic, along with the gastly dragon skin Viggo also refused to remove. Most other things stayed intact, thank the gods.

"Not the most pleasing look, but it will do." Viggo slowly nodded, looking down his arms.

"Except, you are missing one crucial detail." The ex-hunter looked back at him, a grimace on his face.

"What?" Hiccup nervously asked.

"I am quite…prolific. If they recognize me, then we will have significantly worse problems down the trail." Oh, right. Hiccup looked around his forge for anything that could be used as a cover.

"Oh, right. Um." He grabbed an old cloak used for scraps, and wrapped it around the mans shoulders, clasping it on, hesitating as he ran his fingers on the mans shoulders, before looking around once more. His eyes spotted an old project from about a year ago, now. He grinned and quickly grabbed it, showing it to the hunter.

"Here. This… it was an experiment, something to protect my face, but I made it too big, maybe…" Hiccup slid it over the mans head, which fit snugly around his features.

"Here." Hiccup breathed, as the proximity to the man made him a tad uncomfortable, he retreated. Viggo touched the helmet gratefully, tilting his head. He pulled the hood on the tattered cloak onto the helmet, covering his neck. 

"Ah, excellent." He hummed. "And how do I look to you?" He held his arms out, giving Hiccup a full view. Hiccup's inner designer screamed a bit, but he held it in.

"Honestly? A bit less terrifying than your usual getup. But, it will do." And it would. The sheer amount of tests they ran made sure of that, surely.

They could use a few more, to be safe.

Tomorrow? He would ride a Skrill, and hopefully not die.

ARTTT

MOAR FAN ARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH @for-the-love-of-avo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter Text

Hiccup tapped his leg on the wooden floor, a quiet click-click-click that kept in time with his racing thoughts. 

How to go about this, he wondered?

He stared at the ships, blocking the shoreline on the enemy terrain. Viggo’s men were lining the shore, and there were even others on an island nearby, awaiting orders. 

He could send his dragon into the enemy lines. It would take out one of his greatest pieces, but it would protect his chief. Was the loss of his dragon worth such an endeavor? 

Perhaps not. It was one of his most powerful pieces. Maybe his traitor could block out the terrain, stopping the invasion. Hmm… decisions, decisions. 

“Do you give up?” The ex-hunter called, his voice lilted in humor. 

“You wish.” Hiccup chose his traitor, taking out the enemy on the harbor. Viggo decided to move his longship, taking out his traitor.

A fair sacrifice. 

Hiccup sent his dragon onto the longboat, taking the piece out of play. 

“Ah, bold move.” Viggo hummed. Hiccup bit his lip. But was it the right move? 

Viggo moved his marauder pawn, taking another one of his Vikings. Hiccup decided to move one of his longships closer to the other's chief. Maybe, if he had more men near the island, he could collect his dragon from the force of the enemy. 

Viggo moved another longship, closer to his island. Hiccup tilted his head. 

He moved his chief out of view of the longship. 

“Ah my dear. That was a mistake.” Hiccup groaned as one of his pieces, claimed traitor by Viggo, took out his chief. He sighed, seeing his mistake. He rubbed his face with his free hand, the other placed on his knee. 

Another game, another loss. 

“Agh- that’s hardly fair. C'mon.” Hiccup cried. Viggo merely smirked. 

“As always, your fault lies in your confidence, you shouldn't trust your allies so easily.” Hiccup turned a pointed glare to the hunter. 

“At least I have allies.” He mumbled. He knew the hunter was right though, in the game, he means. 

“Perhaps. In the game of war, not so much. Even a best friend can turn into an enemy.” Hiccup frowned. 

“Maybe yours can. Mine? No.” Viggo hummed, doubtful. Hiccup scrunched his nose at the insult, but decided to say nothing. He didn't need another fight today.

They reset the board, the pieces once again gathered at their main islands. Hiccup turned the board. Maybe he would have more luck as a Viking this time. 

A couple of nights ago, Viggo roped him into a game of Maces and Talons, to help with his strategy. He was reluctant, very reluctant, but he tried it. Turns out, he actually really enjoyed it. They decided to play every once in a while now, usually after their theorizing sessions at first, then, their discussions about their lives, trading jokes and insults, getting to know each other. It was… fun. Learning about the other, jarring really, accepting that the other had a life beyond being a monster, but enjoyable all the same.

 Hiccup was kinda weirded out how much he enjoyed the game with Viggo, really, especially since he was on an impressive losing streak. He tried playing with his other teammates before, and honestly? Viggo was the best opponent he has had, even if that made his skin crawl. Though, he supposed that wasn't exactly a fair comparison. He couldn't deny Viggo was a master strategist. He hasn't won once, yet. Only a few draws. A bit of a blow to his self esteem, but it drove him to try harder each game. He was sure a win was on the horizon. 

“Hiccup.” 

Hiccup looked up, meeting the view of the other looking to the side. Hiccup tracked his gaze, landing on his door, which now had sun shining out of the bottom. It seemed the sun had started to rise, another restless night between the two concluded with the warm arrival of Muspelheim's flame, dripping its essence past the protective chariot and dipping the world in fire.

“Huh, guess we played right through the night again, didn’t we?” Hiccup mumbled, turning back to meet the heterochromatic gaze of the other. Viggo had his pink lips tugged into a devilish smirk.

“We did. You have gone far with our practice. Just a few more games, and you might beat Toothless in strategy.” Hiccup rolled his eyes at the insult. Toothless perked his head up from Hiccups lap from his nap, glaring at the ex-hunter.

“Ill have you know, Toothless is a master at strategy. And besides, you couldn't strategize yourself out of a dragons anus. Give me a battlefield over a boardgame, and I would beat you.” Hiccup smirked playfully, rising to the verbal challenge. The war of wits became a game to them, one in jest, rather than malice as it was before, at least on his side. It was a bit…different, especially with their history, but Viggo was more tolerable than before, too.

“Our history says otherwise. Who won our battles, hm?”

“And who won our war?” Hiccup retorted, starting to stand. The other mirrored his action, grabbing the cane leaning on the desk.

“On a technicality, dear. Id hardly call our exact circumstances a win.”

“A surrender is still a win. I changed your mind. I won our war, no matter what you say.” Hiccup quipped, shooting a smile at the man. It was baffling, he was starting to believe his words. Viggo tilted his head.

“Circumstances wouldn't allow otherwise dear. I beg to differ.”

“Then beg. You just don't want to admit you lost.” Viggo let loose a low chuckle, leaning closer to the rider.

“Acting dominant, are we? It suits you." His voice was deeper as he said the words, more deliberate. Hiccup felt a pleasant shiver run up his spine. It kinda freaked him out, if he were being honest.

A sharp bark filled the air, drawing his attention to the noise. He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of his now wide awake Night Fury, wiggling his tail near the door. He must be excited after so long cooped up on the island to go on a mission, probably as much as he was.

A thought pressed on his mind relentlessly, bringing the mood down.

Viggo was going to fly on the Skrill today, to the outpost, on their mission. Viggo was going to ride a dragon. It terrified him. On one hand, another dragon rider would be incredible, on another, this was Viggo Grimborn, his enemy, his rival. It brought up so many twisted feelings that he didn't even know how to start processing them. He figured, he had no choice but to go with it. Maybe, the feelings might make sense, one day.

“Are you ready to ride her? Your Skrill? I didn't think you had it in you, being a dragon hunter and all.” He asked, clearing his throat and tilting his head to the hunter as he grabbed Toothless’ tack, checking the saddle for any wear.

“I am sure of it. Things are different now, if you recall.” Viggo hummed, stretching his back. It must've been sore from such a long night hunched over the board game. “Surely, coming from a dragon killing village, you understand.” Hiccup nodded. He was right about that, even if it wasn't the same circumstances. He remembered how it felt the most. The fear of being found out, everything that came with having a dragon, ending a war.

Hiccup chuckled as the memory of his first flight popped up in his head, shaking his head at the memory of his first take off on Toothless. Oh, he could still feel the excitement and the sheer terror as he took off on his dragons tail. 

“Coin for your thoughts?” Viggo said, a brow raised. Hiccup realized he was looking out of it for a bit too long, thinking of the past. He shook his head.

“Just… remembering my first time on Tooth.” Toothless chuckled, prompting Hiccup to roll his eyes good-humoredly at his dragon. “And I see you are still as unapologetic as ever.” Toothless huffed, still grinning.

“Sounds like it went well.” Viggo cut in.

“Well.... It went about as well as you'd think.” He huffed. Viggo let out an intrigued noise. It seemed he was curious, as ever.

“And? What happened?”

“Well, we didn't really like each-other, at that point. Tolerated at best. I tried to attach his tail, and he deemed it necessary to take off with me still on it. Threw me into a lake. Next try we crashed into a sea stack and almost fell into the ocean.” Viggo huffed, shaking his head. Hiccup rolled his eyes, letting out his own laugh.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.” He said between breaths, shaking his head. He still remembered how rattled he was, how much it thrilled him. “I forgave him, but he doesn't have to be so smug about it. You fell in that lake right after me, didn't you?” Toothless now looked insulted, pressing his head-fins to his neck.

“Yeah, that's what I thought.” Hiccup joked pointedly, crossing his arms.

"Well, I certainly hope to exceed that experience. It wont be hard, surely.” Viggo called, grabbing the harness and laying it on the desk.

“Hey! I was the first person to ride a dragon. I'm sure you wouldn't do much better.” Hiccup finished attaching the stirrups and pedal, then headed towards the ex-hunter, grabbing his shield from its propped up position on a nearby barrel. He then started to prepare the soft wool pad to lay on the back of the device.

“Now, of that I am certain. Riding a Night Fury is a feat on its own. I never could have imagined such a thing were possible before you.” Viggo hummed, turning around. Hiccup nearly smiled at the deliberate show of trust. Fake or otherwise, he never imagined the other would willingly turn his back to him. He heaved the device onto the others back, fiddling with the straps and tying the large cage onto the other. “You are a rare jewel indeed.”

Hiccup bit his lip. The compliment sending a pleasant flush across his body. Viggo contained. “I trust her to not fling me in a pond, at the very least, despite my past.” Hiccup shook his head.

“I told the team that well be flying together today, so you'll be fine… you should probably avoid saying anything though, you might set them off.” Hiccup paused for a moment. “She really does seem drawn to you. The Skrill.” Hiccup hummed, checking on the straps, tugging on them and checking for tightness.

“And I to her. We share a bond, it seems.” Viggo nodded, backing away from Hiccup.

“Yeah…. dragons do that to you. We all have that kind of bond to our dragons. Its what it means to be a rider. I guess you guys were meant to be.” He smiled, thinking back to how he touched Toothless, how it felt as though their souls aligned.

“And… what does that mean?” The hunter inquired. Hiccup tilted his head.

“Well-”

The door burst open with a bang, making all of the inhabitants jump back from the door, minus Viggo, who’s eyes only widened a fraction. Snotlout burst into the room, covering his eyes for some reason.

“You guys better not be doing some nasty-” He nearly yelled. Hiccup recoiled. What was he on about?”

“-swear if I have to see or hear anything I am going to throw Viggo off the Edge-” Hiccup shook his head, looking back at an amused Viggo before deciding to put a stop to this. “Snot-!”

 Viggo chuckled. Hiccup glared at him.

“Quiet.” He sighed, rolling his eyes. Was the world just losing it? "Snotlout, I don't know what you are talking about, but-uh, whatever it is- ah, just forget it. What do you need?” Snotlout uncovered his eyes slowly, looking around before taking what sounded like a relieved breath, for reasons unknown to him. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

Viggo huffed, a smirk on his face.

“Right. The Skrill is back. The, uh, team is getting ready to take off.” Snotlout said, crossing his arms. “We are all saddled up.“ Hiccup started.

“Right.” He nodded. He hoped it all went well, despite the desire to see the other fall. Just for a little while. He shot a look at Viggo, who started rechecking his harness. He deserved it. He cleared his throat, looking at Snotlout.

“Uh… Is Astrid there already?” He said. Snotlout nodded slowly. “Yeah. She is ready to go. Were just waiting on you. Hurry up.” He turned, leaving the hut. Hiccup sighed, looking back at the hunter, who was now holding the makeshift saddle Hiccup and him worked on last night in one arm with his helmet on top, the leather saddle that was Toothless’ now tailored to be a bit wider for the Skrills build. Hiccup hoped it held up.

This was going to happen. He was going to help a dragon hunter fly on a dragon, take a dragon hunter on a mission, on a dragon. It was weird. It was something he never imagined. He feared the possibilities, but he also… trusted the other, not to attack or betray them, in a way. The man put logic above pettiness, usually. It doesn't mean he hasn't prepared for the worst. He was still a wildcard.

“Well… Shall we, my dearest Hiccup?” Viggo gestured to the door with his head, Hiccup nodded, heading out.

“Don’t call me that.” He huffed, then added. “Try not to get yourself killed. Wouldn't want the hassle of finding your body." He stopped for a moment, then continued. "Maybe try to avoid falling into the ocean." He called back, not looking as Viggo chuckled.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, my dear. I do hope it goes better than your first flight.” Hiccup snorted. 

"Yeah, well. That won't be too hard."

“Can I just say, I am so excited to see the sheer chaos this baby can rain on our enemies?! Even Thor will be jealous!” Tuffnut cheered, throwing his hands in the air. His sister patted his shoulder, grin equally mischievous.

“Can you imagine? A hunter riding Thor's spawn! They'll run for sheer terror!”

“Or they'll jump for joy once he rejoins them with all of our secrets. ” Astrid interrupted their cheerful ruminating, a scowl on her face as she re-checked the harnesses on her dragon for the umpteenth time, a tick she developed when frustrated.

“Oh, don't be so down Astrid! This is a good thing!” Ruffnut nodded with her brother, crossing her arms. Astrid snarled, looking back at the twins.

“No! No it isn't! Why are any of you ok with this? Am I the only one who hasn't lost it?!” She said the last part to herself, mostly.

“You are right. This might blow up in our face Astrid, but tt also might not. You aren’t being fair, here.” Fishlegs said.

“No, you are being naive. Everyone is!” She said pointedly. No one is getting this! She was sick of being ignored. She was right.

“Don’t you trust Hiccup? Has he steered us wrong yet?” Fishlegs said. Astrid recoiled at the question. “We’ve been over this, Astrid. I trust him. Don’t you?”

“Of course I do!” She said instinctively. She did. She knew she did. She loved and adored the smaller Viking, and she trusted him implicitly. But she needed to protect him from his mistakes. She couldn't allow that… monster to be near her betrothed.

“Doesn't seem like it!” Tuffnut tossed, a more serious face on. “You've been avoiding him. We’ve all noticed.” Ruffnut nodded. “Its obvious you think there is something going on behind the scenes, just like us.” Astrid felt her blood freeze.

“What do you mean-” Fishlegs cut her off.

“Not now guys. Astrid. What is this really about? This isn't like you.” Astrid felt fire build. No, she refused to say it was anything other than protecting Hiccup. It was all about that! But, something tingled in the back of her mind, the fiery inferno feeling less protective and more…

“I-” She started.

“I think… you need to really think hard on what you are feeling. I don't… think this is about Viggo. This is about Hiccup, isn't it?” Astrid glared at Fishlegs.

“I think that you are being bribed, or fooled, or something. You are acting differently from before you talked to him alone. We all see it. What, do you have some deal? Are you being threatened?”

“No! I- Fishlegs was cut off by the sound of Ruffnut whistling.

“Ooh looking fine Mr.Hunter Man!” Astrid turned to see Hiccup and Viggo, walking side by side, Toothless on their heels. Her throat felt tight at the sight.

Viggo looked… like them. He looked like a dragon rider. It was wrong. She hated it. She hated him, hated how close he was standing to their leader, how Hiccup’s cheeks looked flushed. Her blood boiled.

“Give us a twirl! Work it!” Tuffnut continued. Viggo merely looked amused, continuing towards the group with a helmet and saddle in one hand, a cane in the other. Ruffnut chuckled. Astrid opened her mouth, preparing a scathing remark before being cut off by a large hand on her arm. She looked back to see Fishlegs, a pleading look in his eyes.

“Astrid, look. I don't trust him either, but… Just today, give it a chance. Ok? Trust Hiccup, try to see what he sees.” His face was serious, voice a whisper. Astrid rarely saw him this way. “Do it for Hiccup.” Astrid looked back at the approaching group, and then looked back at Fishlegs, letting out a shaky breath, brow furrowed.

“I… This is crazy.” She said, before nodding slowly. Just for today, then she will figure out what to do. She still had no leads, the things she translated were no plans, but they heated her ire ever further. She would give one day, one mission. Then she would raise Hel.

“Hey, Snotlout deserves some credit! I did the sewing.” Snotlout whistled. “And I do good work.” Viggo chuckled and finally reached the group, standing near the center.

“Thanks for reminding us again Snot.” Hiccup said, crossing his arms, a playful smirk on his face, before it became something more sincere as he looked at Viggo. Astrid never saw him look at the other like that. She hated it. “You did do some good tailoring, though. Thank you.”

“Hah! As If I would do anything less then superb! I worked forever on it!” Snotlout grinned, jamming a thumb at himself. Tuffnut walked up and punched him lightly on the arm.

“Isn't it just because you are scared of Viggo?” Snotlout shook his head.

“No! I'm not! Stop spewing lies!”

“So, how were you and Hiccup? Long morning?” Ruffnut called, petting her dragons head, a sultry smirk on her face. Hiccup’s face went red. Astrid hated that even more than she thought possible. That thought was horrid. She wouldn't ever accept that.

“What in Thor’s-” Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. Viggo merely grinned at her. She barely withheld throwing her axe at him.

“-No!” Hiccup continued, shaking his head. “We are here to work, not talk about… whatever you are insinuating. We have a duty to teach Viggo to fly, and that is what we are going to do. Got it?” Everyone nodded, some reluctantly, some being Astrid. Hiccup turned to Viggo. “Are you ready?” Viggo nodded besides him, looking at Hiccup, his eyes softening. Astrid hated that look in his eyes. Everyone nodded with them, some begrudging.

“So, what are we doing again?” Snotlout said, getting to his dragon, petting Hookfang’s snout.

“Right. Just give me a second.” Hiccup clapped his hands. “So first things first, lets tack her.” He said, grabbing the saddle from Viggo’s grasp. His hand lingered too long, Astrid noticed.

He walked over to the Skrill, who hissed at him. Hiccup held his hands out calculatingly, offering a hand for her to smell. She hesitantly did so, still refusing to press her snout into his hands, just barely inches away. Hiccup smiled all the same.

“We are going to put a saddle on you, so Viggo can fly with you. Is that ok?” She seemed hesitant, then looked back at Viggo, then Hiccup. Finally, she bowed her head, letting loose a rumble. Hiccup grinned at Viggo.

“Ok. She gave us permission. Come over here.” Viggo nodded, making his way, much steadier now that he wasn't holding a saddle, and made it to Hiccup's side. The Skrill warbled, throwing her head a bit back.

“Woah girl! Steady.” Hiccup said. Viggo pressed a hand on her scales, humming lightly. Everyone watched in awe as she calmed, breathing steadily. Hiccup was looking at Viggo, with the same bit of awe.

“Man, you should give up your title of Dragon Master!” Snotlout mocked. Hiccup shook his head.

“Don’t call me that, there is no such thing.” He now addressed Viggo, who was looking at him, mildly befuddled. “You ready for this?” He said, unfurling the bundle. Viggo nodded. Hiccup grabbed a thick woolly sheet from the pile, handing it to Viggo, who looked at it.

“Ok, so throw the pad on, here. Right-” Hiccup gestured to the dragon’s neck, “-here.” Viggo spread out the blanket, throwing it carefully over the dragon. Hiccup nodded, adjusting it slightly. Viggo tilted his chin up, contemplating.

“Ah, so like how you tack a horse, then.” Hiccup tilted his head.

“I…guess? The design is somewhat based off of a saddle schematic I had back at home. We don't have horses on Berk. We’ve only seen a few on a couple of other islands. Usually pulling carts or plows.” He tapped his chin, a cute little gesture he did sometimes when he was thinking hard. Astrid smiled at it. He looked at Viggo, curiosity in his eyes. “Do you have horses on Veiði?” Viggo nodded, a far away look in his eyes.

“Yes. Large, magnificent creatures.” He gestured with his arms, as if emphasizing his words. “They do remind me of dragons, in a way. They are smart, strong, a valuable companion on a battlefield, at times. They are not quite as smart, but they are fast, and they bond with their riders well. They are loyal companions until the end of their lives, if you treat them as such.” Hiccup leaned in closer, that gleam in his eyes sparkling brightly. It seemed everyone else leaned in a bit too.

“Really? Did you have one?” Viggo looked distant, nodding.

“As chief, we were required to learn how to ride. My horse was quite large, fearless. She had the strength of ten men. Fríða could track better than the greatest hunter, and could ride as fast as a dragon. At some moments, I was sure her hooves left the ground entirely.” Hiccup sighed.

“Must be nice. I've heard they are incredible beasts.” Every dragon sneered at the statement. Toothless especially looked offended, which Hiccup immediately took notice of. “Not as incredible as you are bud! I wouldn't trade you in for anything.” He sent a genuine smile to his dragon, who straightened his spine and nodded, a superior air to him. Hiccup then looked at Viggo, about to ask more-

“Anyways!!” Astrid cut in, unable to handle the looks they were giving each other. No, she didn't want him to fill Hiccup’s head with… lies. “You were going to saddle up? We don't have all day.”

“But this is super interesting!” Fishlegs retorted, a whine to his voice. He had a notebook in his hand, from where, she stopped questioning that a long time ago.

“Just buckle up and lets go.” She said, voice harsh and pointed. Hiccup nearly recoiled from her tone, but nodded.

“No, no. Astrid's right. We have a lot to do today.” Astrid smirked at Viggo, taking the small victory in stride. Viggo looked at her, an eyebrow quirked.

“Ah, ok. Yeah.” Hiccup said, shaking his head, then grabbing the saddle. “Make sure the back aligns with her spines, and tug the belts in place. There.” He said, checking the tightness of the first belt. Viggo copied the motion. Hiccup leaned back and studied the saddle.

Viggo reached forwards and placed his hand on Hiccups, feeling as he pulled the saddle. Hiccup blushed, a blush that should be reserved for Astrid. Not him. She snarled. He shot her an amused smirk. He knew what he was doing. He knew.

“Huh, not so bad for a two day job, huh?” Hiccup said, twisting his head and inspecting the saddles fit. Viggo chuckled, petting his dragons scales as he stood to full height.

“Not bad at all. I commend your crafting skills.” Hiccup bit his lip, shaking his head.

“Sure. Ok. So can you-” Before he could finish the sentence, Viggo heaved himself onto the dragon, hooking his cane onto a loop in the saddle. Astrid noticed how much stronger he was than even a few days ago. More of a threat. “Well. That works then.”

Hiccup threw himself onto Toothless with practiced ease, the others taking it as a cue to get on themselves. Astrid sighed as she got on Stormfly. Ok. She'll try and see how this goes. What Viggo will do. She still thinks teaching him the ways of dragons is a terrible idea. Things are going to go wrong.

“Alright.” Hiccup raised his voice, addressing his team. “So we are going to fly in a group, arrow formation, Viggo and me in the front. Ill lead as a demonstration, then fall back in by his side. Keep watch from behind, and yell if you see anything off. We are going to take this nice and slow, Viggo, follow me on takeoff. Once we are near the outpost, group A breaks off. Astrid and I will head to the island, got it?” A series of affirmatives echoed his words.

“Alright Viggo, lets get you in the air. Follow my lead.”

And with that, Hiccup took to the skies with a powerful beat of the Night Fury’s wings. Viggo pulled on his helmet and looked down at his dragon, whispering something to her. Suddenly, the Skrill screamed, shooting into the air after Hiccup, lightning arching across its back playfully. Astrid felt a shiver go down her spine. The dragon hunter was actually riding a dragon on his own. She had to keep a close watch.

“Lets go girl.” Astrid nudged Stormfly with her heels and took to the sky behind them, the rest of the dragon riders doing the same.

Viggo seemed to be adjusting well, leaning forwards and using his core to keep balance. He looked nearly natural, taking to it like a fish to water. His experience with horses surely helping him along, it seemed.

Hiccup fell back after the initial takeoff, flying besides the hunter. He scanned him, looking at his form before smiling.

“Alright! So just like when you were flying with me on Toothless a few days ago, hold on tight. We are going to do some basic maneuvers!”

When he was what.

And with that, they flew for hours, taking their time to go through dipping, diving, turning, all maneuvers needed to fly on a dragon.

With every moment, with every look of pride Hiccup gave Viggo, Astrid's blood boiled more.

Eventually, after their practice of doing a small spin, Hiccup flew close to Viggo, starting a spin around the other dragon, playfully smiling down at Viggo, who grinned up at him as he completed the maneuver.

“Stop showing off!” Snotlout cried, looking over at them.

“Flying in a circle is not showing off, Snot.” Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“Viggo couldn't do it!” Snotlout gestured to the Skrill and hunter, both looking back at him unimpressed. Viggo then nudged his dragon with his heel, who made a chittering noise and arched her wings, performing the maneuver over Hiccup, who just shook his head and grinned up at him, following his path until the hunter was at his side. Toothless growled at the Skrill, who bared her teeth, letting a small few bolts of lightning arch on the crown of her head.

“Very good, for a beginner.” Hiccup called. Toothless shook his head, then opened his wings wide, forcing them out of the formation. Hiccup whooped as they fell to the ocean as the dragon dipped in his wings, twisting and turning before they bolted back up into the formation, the dragon and rider moving perfectly in sync. Hiccup stopped perfectly at Viggo’s side.

“Can you do that?” Hiccup said cheekily. Viggo hummed.

“Now you are showing off, dear.”

“Who’s to say? It might've been just Toothless’ idea.” Hiccup shrugged, his dragon sharing an equally mischievous face. Viggo’s Skrill hissed.

That was the only warning the group had before the dragon folded in her wings, sending herself and her rider down to the ocean waves, then at the last second, she snapped them open, spraying water every which way. Her back arched, lighting convulsing on her spines, flickering to the water and dancing on the waves. It looked like Viggo’s little apparatus worked, as the lightning bounced on the arching metal spines, leaving the rider untouched.

She spun, throwing water with the small tips of her wings, before she launched up into the sky, evening out by the riders. Viggo grinned at Hiccup.

“My dear Skrill has ideas of her own, it seems.” Hiccup rolled his eyes. “That makes us even, yes?”

The hunter then sent a challenging smirk her way, taunting her. Astrid snapped, glaring daggers at the challenging gaze of Viggo.

“Hey Hiccup, watch this.” She grinned, pressing into the sides of her dragon, oh she would show him.

“Ok girl, lets show them our little trick.” She called to her dragon, who let out a cry in agreement. Stormfly reared back and beat her wings, soaring past the group with a burst of speed. She spun, flinging spines through the air in a dangerous dance away from the group, before tearing upwards, spiraling into the clouds, then falling into the group once more. Astrid smirked at the hunter. Hiccup clapped.

“Nice! Is that what you've been working on with Stormfly?” He said, tilting his head. Astrid nodded.

“Yes.” She turned to Viggo, danger in her eyes. “One of them.” One of many things, even when she couldn't translate, oh, she made sure to prepare for the inevitable betrayal. Physical training with her dragon was a part of that. He needed to know how powerful they really are.

“Hah! That’s nothing!” Tuffnut called. He pulled down on his dragons head, while Ruffnut pulled up. “You cant fight the awesome power of the Zippleback! Behold!” They twisted the poor dragons neck into a knot, nearly falling to the ocean before managing to untangle themselves. “Hey! You did that on purpose!” Ruffnut accused. They started bickering, the fight which Astrid filtered out. Hiccup chuckled in the background, but Astrid refused to break eye contact with the hunter.

“You will never beat me.” She said, the pent up anger bubbling to the surface. Viggo smirked at her. “Are you truly so sure about that?”

“Astrid!” Snotlout called. “Pay attention! Watch this!” The Viking nudged the dragons sides, only for Hookfang to light on fire, chortling. They all watched unimpressed as Snotlout spiraled, screaming. Viggo looked over at Hiccup, who looked unphased.

“Hell be fine.” He said to the bewildered look the hunter had.

“Hahahahhahaaaa!” They heard underneath them, Snotlout making his way back. “Did you see that!?” He was slightly smoking. Hiccup cringed, a smile on his face.

“That was really something Snotlout… maybe work on the fire problem.” Snotlout huffed and Hiccup chuckled. He seemed like he was having fun. That makes one of them. Astrid grimaced.

“That was cute! Now this is a real trick!” She did another set of spirals, diving and dipping, soaring through clouds with the ferocity of a real Viking. She flew around the group, aligning herself with the Skrill.

“Think you can beat me Grimborn?”

“Hey! It wasn't your turn!” Snotlout called, a whine in his voice. Fishlegs looked between them both with wide eyes. Astrid ignored it.

“How about that?” Viggo hummed, a brow raised.

“Are you threatened, dear? How…unbecoming of a shield-maiden like yourself.” Viggo grinned. Astrid growled. The dragons growled at eachother, one matching her riders emotions, the other defending her new rider.

“Of course not. Just having some fun.” Astrid said, lowering her voice and narrowing her eyes, making sure the man knew this was a threat. That she knew what he was up to, and she would do everything in her power to ruin it for him.

“How about a race to the outpost?” She said. A cry met her ears. “Like old times!” She yelled, not breaking eye contact with the hunter. Yes, they would settle this. Anger bubbled in her veins, he didn't deserve to be on a dragon.

“Oh, yes!!” Snotlout yelled, throwing his fists in the air.

“Now that sounds way more fun than this!” Ruffnut screamed, her brother shouting alongside her. “Ill beat you this time sis!”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Hiccup said, a worried tone in his voice. That’s right. Viggo couldn't handle it. Astrid smirked at the hunter, who looked annoyed, then glared.

“A challenge? Now how could I refuse?”

“Viggo?!” Hiccup whipped his head towards the hunter, a disbelieving look on his face.

“All in good fun dear.” He said, patting the Skrill who growled. The Skrill chuffed at Hiccup, as if offended he would ever think her rider could come to harm. Hiccup’s face turned more resigned as he saw the resolute expressions greeting him.

“…Fine. Don’t blame me if you get hurt.” He said. Immediately, Astrid climbed on Stormfly’s back, grabbing one hand on the horn of Stormfly’s saddle.

“Alright. Its on Grimborn. Lets see if you can take it.” Astrid smirked at him. She knew her place, and his. This was war, now.

“Oh, I know we can.” He retorted, the monster smirking back. Fishlegs looked on, worry in his eyes.

“Ok, everybody line up.” Astrid called, not breaking eye contact. All the riders did so, forming a perfect line in the sky. Viggo looked over to Hiccup, who also looked slightly worried.

“I would quite like to see the awesome power of the Night Fury. Unless, of course. The legends aren't true.” Toothless growled, the Skrill meeting the challenge with a growl of her own. Exactly in the fashion of his dragon, the riders eyes lit up, green eyes sparkling with the challenge.

“Oh, is that really how you wanna play this? I assure you, we are even better than the legends. Skrills, on the other hand…” Hiccup grinned, tilting his head. “Can you keep up?” The Skrill let loose a screech, hyping up the group.

“Yeah! Come on!” Tuffnut called. Hiccup chuckled. Astrid glared, Viggo looked at her with a gleam in his eyes.

Let's go you disgusting hunter. Astrid thought, gritting her teeth. She focused on the horizon.

“Alright! Lets show him the real power of a Night Fury Bud! Go!” Hiccup called.

Off they went, flying quickly forwards, the other dragons flying to meet them, like arrows through the bright blue sky, the waves rushing past them in a blur.

Quickly they soared, neck to neck, wind whipping dangerously on their faces. Astrid grinned at the feeling. She knew it was really only three dragons that could do this, and Hiccup would see her win.

They flew, the whistling ringing heavily in their ears as they increased speed. Astrid looked to her side for a moment. Viggo grinned back, leaning forwards on his dragon. Hiccup was looking forwards, between them.

Astrid huffed, nudging Stormfly with her boot. She increased her speed further.

Faster, faster they went.

The world became a blur.

They lost their teammates one by one, none being able to keep up.

Astrid couldn't lose to him, she couldn't.

She couldn't lose Hiccup. Not to him. She refused to lose him to Viggo.

Hiccup hasn't flown like this in a long time. Neither of them have. They were going fast-not as fast as they could be, though. He didn't know their limits, but he sure wanted to know them, exceed them. He always restrained himself for his teammates, but now... the Skrill was keeping pace. Exceeding it.

They had a long way to go anyways, the outpost was hours away. What would a little race hurt?

“Is that all you got!?” Hiccup cheered, looking to his side, at least, as well as he could with the wind whipping across his face. Only two other dragons to keep up with him at this speed, and he was sure he could push further.

“I assure you, we can do far better than that!” Viggo yelled, his eyes alight with mirth and excitement, an emotion that Hiccup felt a pleased warmth witnessing. Hiccup could tell he had the same thrill in his eyes as he did when he first rode Toothless. The thrill of adrenaline and flight. The pure freedom of riding a dragon.

“I will beat both of you!” Astrid screamed over the noise. She was starting to falter at these speeds. Hiccup realized that he wasnt holding back on his speed. It was incredible, another dragon standing a chance against a Night Fury. He heard the Skrill scream at his side, starting to outfly him. 

“Oh, its on.” Hiccup cried, his voice drowned by the wind.

The Skrill crowed at Toothless, who screeched back, forcing his wings forwards. Hiccup looked down, trying to control his breathing, the wind tumultuous and fierce, making his hair fling whip on his face. Stormfly looked like she was struggling, screeching against the wind.

Faster and faster they went, Hiccup barely registered Astrid, for some reason. He could only think about beating the hunter. It was only them-

-just Hiccup and Viggo.

 He grinned maniacally at the Hunter, his muscles straining against the wind. Viggo looked right back. He was a natural, he looked like a dragon rider. He looked like one of them. It was hard to fight the excitement that came with the view.

His hair was blown back, and he could barely breathe, having to tilt his head down. He gasped against its fierce embrace, grinning at the feeling of the air whipping against him, the feeling of riding his dragon faster, faster.

Toothless screamed against the wind, challenging the dragon next to him as much as he was competing against the ex-hunter. They whirled through the air, Hiccup ducking his body close to his brothers spine, the warmth of his dragon contrasting with the sharp stabbing freeze of the air. Hiccup barely processed it.

He was home, in the sky.

“Keep going bud. Yeah! Yeah baby!!”

They kept going, Hiccup gasped for air, but he couldn't stop . He had to push harder. His heart raced with his dragons. They were the masters of the skies. They were one.

Hiccup tried to strain against the sheer force that was the wind.

“Think you can keep up!?” He screamed, heart beating wildly. He heard nothing in reply.

Lightning crackled.

Hiccup whipped his head to the side, locking eyes with The Skrill, who was letting lightning arch on her body. His eyes widened as he felt something shock him. He looked down, and it might have been his burning eyes, but it looked like-

-Toothless was glowing blue.

“Woah, slow down!” He screamed over the wind, voice melting into the whipping air.

Suddenly, a bang resounded by his head, accompanied by a flash of burning light. Toothless screeched and recoiled, nearly throwing Hiccup off his back. Hiccup yelled as he fought against the force of the movement, whipping his head back. He groaned and looked around, eyes blurred from the flash and tearing up from the flight.

“Viggo!” Hiccup looked around, trying to clear the spots in his sight. Nobody answered, only the howling of the wind, and the deep breaths of him and his dragon.

Another blast exploded near his face, making him yell in alarm. He looked around rapidly. Who was firing? What was going on?

He spotted it, then.

A small flotilla of ships, and half a dozen or so dragon flyers, several preparing for blasts towards his position. His blood froze.

No. No.

They shouldn't be here. They weren't even close to the outpost. What was happening? He grasped for his shield on his back, holding it to position, heart pounding in his chest.

He steeled himself, eyes glinting. Ok. New plan on the fly. They were good at that.

“Alright bud! Get in close! We have to buy time.”

“Hiccup!” He turned, watching as something-someone raced towards him. A purple and black blur, spines and wings and lightning. A Skrill and her rider. He first felt relief, then confusion, then anger.

“Viggo!” He narrowed his eyes. Was this a set up? Did Viggo somehow call them here?! How dare he! “What did you do?! Was this all a set up?!” His heart burned. And he was starting to trust him. How could he be so stupid!

Arrows flew towards him, Toothless dodging rapidly, attempting to turn around. He cursed himself, they never should have been so careless. He never should have humored… whatever was going on with Astrid, even if he was trying to apologize to her. They bobbed and weaved, hoping to avoid the torrent of enemy fire coming their way.

Hiccup dove towards the boats, Toothless firing plasma blasts at the ships. Defensive maneuvers, think Hiccup. Think.

“I did nothing of the sort!” Viggo flew to his side, dodging a blast. Hiccup turned, swerving around the rider, preparing for a strike against him just in case.

“Were you just waiting until my back was turned? Till you learned how to ride the Skrill? Was Astrid right!?” His heart hurt, he didn't know why. He was prepared for this eventuality. He knew the other would do something like this.

He blasted one ship, debris blasting into the sky with the concentrated fire, knocking the men off the ships. He cheered, weaving around the waters and flying up. He just had to buy time for the team to catch up. He didn't know how he got far enough ahead to lose them.

“Think, Hiccup! I would gain nothing! They betrayed me!” Viggo flew closer, diving with Hiccup. Hiccup could see the eyes of the hunters eyes grow wide at the sight.

“Skrill!” Multiple voices cried in alarm. The flyers Singetails flew erratically away, faced with their greatest predator.

He bombarded the ship with a cascade of lightning, the men screaming as they were electrocuted, the boat catching fire from the concentrated beam of magic. Hiccups eyes widened at the display, then narrowed.

Hiccup dived with the man, twisting around the boat and allowing the flyers to fire upon their own vessel, ignoring the cries of the burning men, the smell of death in the air.

He reached the hunter, Toothless charging a bolt of plasma.

“Let me think! You got a Skrill, you were saved, and you have intel! It would make perfect sense!” He didn't know why he was so mad. It hurt.

“Hiccup, this is ridiculous!” Viggo yelled. Hiccup glared at him, fire in his eyes.

“Prove it! Because for all I know you are going to deliver me to Krogan and Johann!”

“I-No! Watch out!” Viggo's eyes grew wide, and the Skrill raced towards him, all too slowly.

Hiccup felt a burning blast graze past his face, exploding against his dragons wing, he cried as the side of his face burned, and the blast forced him back-

-off of Toothless’ saddle.

He screamed, his face burning as he looked up at Toothless, who was just underneath him, now struggling to stay in the air, diving after him, eyes wide. It didn't feel real. His body was trembling against the wind. He closed his eyes, one side burning with the fire of Helheim.

“Hiccup! Hiccup!!”

He looked past his frantic dragon, and saw Viggo, eyes wide and frantic, diving towards him with a determined Skrill.

He felt his earth shake at the look in Viggo's eyes. He looked scared. He looked terrified. Hiccup never realized he could look like that. Viggo had more emotions then he ever realized, it seems. It made him want to learn more, if he wasn't a traitor.

But if he was…Why was he so scared, for Hiccup? Why was he so determined make sure Hiccup lives?

His last thought, was that he looked like a god, with lightning violently thrashing around him, arching off the cage-like apparatus on his back, the glow reflecting off of his eyes, giving them an eerie glow. He descended from the Bifrost, a descendant of Thor.

 Hiccup closed his eyes.

The world turned dark.

 And the answer no longer mattered.

Viggo's body shook, lightning dancing across the cage on his back and occasionally dancing across his skin, lighting his veins on fire as they dipped, the Skrill trying to catch the fallen Night Fury in her claws. He yelled, pulling on the saddle, eyes narrowed. 

His body screamed at him, tense and lacking air, but he couldn't stop, he had to grab them. He watched as Toothless fell from the shot directed at Hiccup, which he barely dodged and instead took the brunt of the damage on his wing, falling to the ocean rapidly, diving towards his rider with as much control as he could manage.

His own dragon was using the lightning to increase his speed, if his hypothesis was correct. His bones shook with the lightning dancing on his body, tearing through his skin. She dove towards the dragon first, just managing to catch him in her talons. The dragon let loose a desperate screech, trying to reach his rider. Viggo tugged her saddle towards Hiccup, who was falling quick, limbs flailing limply against the wind.

“Go! Hiccup! Hold on!” He yelled. He felt desperate, insanely so. He was afraid. They dove to the human, faster and faster in their dive, gravity taking hold of the beast he rode.

He came closer and closer, until finally, they were nearing the water, he reached his arms out, trying to dive underneath the man he loved-

There! The weight of the other made him huff out a breath, the wind tugging him back. His back cried at the strain, his chest heaving as his dragon tried to reach a more manageable speed. He looked down, taking in the singed man in his arms. He quickly checked for a pulse, finding a slightly erratic drumbeat meeting his fingers as he touched his throat.

The area around his eye was scorched, small flecks of embers burning scars into his fair skin. It would scar, but he was otherwise uninjured.

Viggo sighed in relief.

“I got you dear. You are safe.” He said, smiling at the rider. He looked so beautiful, even with his hair a bit burnt and windswept. He never knew a flight could go so wrong.

What happened? Where was Toothless now?

He looked around, narrowly dodging a spine aimed at his face. An angry Astrid Hofferson met his gaze. He quickly had to dodge out of the way of another spine.

“What did you do!?” Astrid screeched. She prepared another spine shot.

“We were attacked!” He yelled, dodging another spine. His dragon started glowing, a rumble in her throat. He felt her charging a shot.

“Did you do this!? Did you!?” She yelled, fire in her eyes.

“Of course not!” He yelled. This time, he would never. He would not let Hiccup die. He would never let him fall, he couldn't hurt him, no matter how different that is now compared to months ago.

“Ill kill you!” She yelled, getting closer. Hiccup stirred in his arms. He looked down at him, alarm in his gaze. She was firing close to him, and he had to stop this diplomatically. Hiccup would just keep getting caught in their cross-hairs.

Then, the other riders arrived.

“What happened?!” Fishlegs said, quickly, or as fast as his dragon allowed, made his way to Viggo, danger in his eyes.

“Did your Skrill do this?!” Snotlout said, his dragon snarling with him. In fact, all dragons looked as though they were seriously debating turning him to ashes. He shivered at the thought, but held firm.

“A scouting party is down below.” His Skrill dodged another blast from a Singetail, before his Skrill shot it out of the sky with a powerful blast, taking it out in an instant. “As you can tell, they gave us quite the welcome.”

“Sure. Right.” Astrid stated, sarcastic. “As if I could believe that, dragon hunter.”

“If you would listen, I could guide us out of-” He started, but Astrid cut him off.

“You do not tell me what to do, ever. You have no power. I am second in command, and you will listen to me, got it?” Viggo grimaced, then looked down at Hiccup, in his arms.

“Take out the enemy however you see fit, but I will assure Hiccups safety.” Astrid glared at him, which he simply ignored.

“And how can I know that you wont just give him to the enemy? You are an ósómi, Grimborn.” She spat. “No, never.” Viggo glared at her.

“You know I don't want him dead.” He said. Then, he decided to play the card he had, one that he was nearly certain of. “After all, you know my thoughts, yes? You perhaps, read them somewhere?”

Astrid reeled back, shock on her face. Viggo smirked, so she did have it. He felt his anger rise at the thought, but at this moment, at least it came in handy that she had a gaze into his thoughts. She had to know he cared about the other. She wasn't naive, that much he knew.

“W-ait. What-”

“Uh, we are in the middle of a battle here!! Figure it out later!” Snotlout screamed, Hookfang firing at a dragon flyer who was getting a bit too close.

“You…saved me.”

He snapped his gaze down to Hiccup, who stared at him blearily. He was awake. Viggo raised a hand to brush his bangs away, his heart thudding in relief.

“Why?” Hiccup said, turning his head. “I don't get it.” An arrow whizzed near Viggo, who quickly leaned over Hiccup, shielding him. It flew mere inches from his face. Shortly after, a spine shot the offending flyer, knocking him out of the sky. Viggo turned to the direction the spine came from, finding Astrid.

“Hiccup, you alright?!” She shouted, looking at them. Viggo looked over to Astrid, who looked equally worried and angry, and also… shocked. He nodded in thanks, begrudgingly. She just stared at him, wide eyed.

"Wait, the Singetail!" Fishlegs cried, darting down to catch the unconscious dragon. Viggo shook his head. He shouldn't be too surprised.

"Toothless.” Hiccup said, quietly. “He… where is he?” He turned his attention to Hiccup once more.

“He's alright. We were able to catch him.” He said, looking into emerald eyes. “Its alright dear.” Fishlegs looked at him, biting his lips as he noticed the burnt state of Hiccups clothing.

“I will take Hiccup. Do not try to stop me. You will regret it.” Viggo said, a threat in his eyes. His Skrill screeched in warning at the shocked looking Astrid, who glared, but shockingly gave in. Fishlegs flew back up, Singetail in his dragons claws.

“Fishlegs. Go with him. Make sure to watch him closely. Head to the outpost! Well meet up with you there. We are all going to investigate the outpost together, maybe this isn't connected with the activity there.” Fishlegs, who was hovering nearby, nodded. Astrid flicked her eyes back.

“This is a scouting party, not an attack. Krogan and Johann are not here. I am assuming they have either taken the outpost, or this is a coincidence.” He said, turning to the ships, it seemed the twins soaked the air in gas, igniting it in a large explosion. Astrid looked at him, fire burning in her blue eyes.

“Either way, you better protect him with your life. The only reason I am letting you go with him is that you saved him. If you try anything Grimborn, I will destroy you so thoroughly, the gods themselves won’t be able to recover your sál.” And with that, she flew away, towards the remaining boats. Viggo grinned up at her retreating form. She had fire in her, that was for certain. At the very least, she knew what was important.

"Do you have to take that with us? It could compromise our position." Viggo said, looking at the orange dragon dangling in Meatlug's grasp. Fishlegs gasped.

"Of course I have to! She doesn't deserve to die because she was being controlled by the wrong side. All dragons deserve to live, despite what you think." Fishlegs snarled. Viggo sighed, conceding. Hiccup let out a choked laugh. 

"Yep, that's Fish for you. He will protect dragons, no matter what. We all would." He said, smiling. Fishlegs flew a bit closer, wary of the growling Skrill.

“Ah, how is he?” Fishlegs said, trying to look over at his leader, Viggo sighed.

“He is dazed, with some burns. He is fine, but I believe he has a concussion.” He then looked down at the rider in his arms, who winced. 

"Did you at least get the name of the dragon flyer that shot me? I would like to have some words with his boss." Hiccup mumbled.

“Tragically, no. He took a swim instead." He quirked the side of his mouth. And here I thought we agreed to avoid falling in the ocean.”

Hiccup let out an incredulous snort, then a small genuine smile pulled at his lips. Viggo drank it in, admiring it. It then turned into a serious glare, his gemstone eyes hardening.

"Protect Toothless and Fishlegs. Protect them with everything you have, and by Thor, you better not try to die again doing it. Swear it." He said, steel in his tone. Viggo nodded, solemnly. 

"On Odin's name, if it is your wish, I will protect all of you. As I said, you deserve to live, my dear diamond in the rough." Hiccup gazed, staring into the man for a moment, Viggo braving the stare with a hard look of his own, before the rider relaxed.

"You aren’t lying." He hummed to himself incredulously, eyes wide. Viggo could barely hear him.

"Gods help me, but I trust you." 

YALL WE GOT MORE ART!!!! Its the racing scene!! Thank you so so much @5wolfdog5!!!! YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!!!! 

Chapter Text

Fishlegs sighed, pressing a ball of wet wool to Hiccup’s face, cleaning the injuries. He steadied his hand against the chill of the night air, feeling a prick of empathy as Hiccup flinched back from his touch.

The burns were somewhat extensive, coating his left temple and arching across his forehead, the starburst of red reaching the corner of his eye, small flecks of scattered burns decorated the rim, raw and angry. Fishlegs winced at the wound. Hiccup would be in pain once he was lucid. But he was lucky. When he fell unconscious as they were flying, he thought it would be much worse.

“And?” A voice cut his concentration with the incisiveness of an axe. Fishlegs glared at the hunter for a moment, then focused back on inspecting the wounds.

After he completed his assessment, he reached behind him into Meatlug’s saddle bag for the necessary materials and got to work. He crushed the stored herbs carefully, rotating his mortar as he worked.

He was really grateful that he was always prepared for a scenario like this, just in case. Despite the constant teasing of his teammates, his preparedness came in handy more than once.

“Well… He should be fine. This… ah, this will scar, not too badly, but…yeah.” He gestured to the burns. “He might be in and out for a while. He was shook up pretty badly.” Viggo nodded, an almost solemn expression on his face.

“A shame. He did not sustain anymore injuries?” Viggo stepped back from the fire lighting up the night with an orange hue, nodding satisfactorily at the kindling he threw in, the twigs letting out small sparks and crackles as the flames lapped happily at the offering.

“No. And the burns are really just on the surface, thank Eir. They should heal soon. For now… we just need to wait to see how he is when he wakes up, which… should be soon.” Fishlegs shook his head.

He turned to the anxious dragon at his side, looking at him with slit eyes. He held out the bowl towards the dragon.

“… ah, well. Toothless, can you..?”

And with that command, the dragon reared his head back, made a few unsettling slurping noises, and spit a heap of saliva on the bowl. Fishlegs shuttered at the slimy impact feeling of the warm spit, but ignored it as he grabbed his pestle once more, mixing the mucus and herbs before applying it gently to the wound.

“….A curious method. Does Night Fury saliva have healing properties?” Viggo’s voice sounded behind him. Fishlegs nearly jumped at the proximity before nodding, slowly.

He felt hesitant to share, but after everything Viggo has shared with him about dragons, and Hiccup’s… fascination with the man…well…

“Uh, kind of. It actually has powerful disinfecting properties, and it especially works well against burns. Hiccup says it can lower swelling too! Its actually really fascinating seeing it work!” Fishlegs felt a smile build on his face. He pet the dragon’s head appreciatively, who stayed focused on his rider, eyes narrowed.

He always felt thrilled when someone showed interest in dragons, and he was more than happy to talk about it, even if his current company was less than desirable. He unnerved him. At least, as time passed, Viggo’s presence became less and less unbearable.

“Interesting. I don't recall seeing you or Hiccup use it in the past. Or on me, for that matter.” Viggo walked closer to them, his brow twitching slightly, from pain or something else, he didn't know.

Most likely pain, considering the days events. The harness which was on his back earlier couldn't have been light, either. It could have caused some damage in the chaos.

Fishlegs said the hunter could ride a dragon, not fight on one.

“Yeah, uh…we only use it for more minor injuries and illnesses, just in case there’s some…unforeseen side effects, or something… uh. Well I do. Hiccup thinks that it will help cure some illnesses even, once he figures out how it works, maybe even combat some venom types… Which would be really helpful, actually.” Fishlegs tilted his head, thinking of the doors that would open to them if they could create some sort of healing potion from dragons.

"And you apply it to wounds? Or is there other uses?" Viggo asked. Fishlegs shrugged.

"Yes, but not medicinal. Its a good adhesive, and its flammable. Drinking it is pretty useless too, as far as we can tell. But it did help Snotlout's tongue when he ate poisonous berries once. Other than that... uh, we are still researching it. I'm sure it can do a lot more." Viggo didn't look too suprised at the revelation of Snotlout's poor choices. 

Viggo crept closer, sitting on the ground besides Fishlegs, causing the other to shuffle a bit, uncomfortable at the unwanted proximity.

“Well… that certainly isn't an unfounded assumption." Viggo nodded, staring down at Hiccup, a jarringly soft look in his eyes. Fishlegs snapped his head at attention, hand’s tightening of the bandages on Hiccup’s head. Toothless nudged his rider, causing Fishlegs to stretch his neck to look at the other.

Viggo raised a brow before he looked at the dragon, a glint in his eyes. “Night Furies are quite the mythic creatures. With Hiccup’s intuition and experience with their species, I am certain he will discover many useful abilities.” Toothless looked a bit unimpressed, but the way his spine straightened betrayed the reaction he had at the compliment.

“You know, there are many dragons with powerful saliva.” Viggo said. Fishlegs hummed in thought.

“Ah, Like the Buffalord! But that could only heal one illness, right?” Viggo nodded, as if contemplating, then turned his head to look at the Singetail, still unconscious from his encounter with the Skrill. The former dragon, who was curled up on the opposite side of the fire, sent small sparks around her horns, in rhythm with her deep breaths. She glared at him, seemingly relaxed, but the edge of her pupils suggested otherwise.

“That is one example, yes, but there are many species with far more powerful organic excretions. And here I thought you were experts.” Viggo huffed, before a smirk stretched across his face.

Fishlegs narrowed his eyes at the insult. “We are experts. We know a lot about dragons.”

Viggo looked at him with a raised brow.

“Then surely, you know the properites of a Tideglider’s saliva.”

And with that, Fishlegs heart stuttered, his eyes widening. He nearly forgot the insult in lieu of new information. He leaned forwards, trying not to yell in his excitement.

“Another dragon?! What is it like? Tide-is it a water dweller, like Scauldrons? Or is it a hydrophobic dragon? What color is it? Does it have venom? What-” He was about to rattle off a few more questions before Viggo let out a chuckle.

“So you are unaware, then?” Viggo paused, then looked back down at Hiccup’s still form.

“Out of all of his friends, I understand how you and Hiccup get along the most. You are quite similar in your passion for dragons.” Fishlegs paused, looking down at his friend at the reminder.

“…I….Yeah. I think we both love dragons, more than anything. We are best friends.” He muttered, reminiscing with a thin smile. Eventually, he fell silent. Viggo took it as the end to their conversation.

“You know Hiccup quite well, then. Why don’t you tell me more about him?” Viggo leaned forwards, looking at Hiccup, even if his question was directed to the only other conscious person on the campground. He seemed transfixed on Hiccup, scanning his body up and down, as if drinking in every bit of information he could from looking at him.

“I do. But…Why don’t you ask Hiccup about himself, instead of me?” He gestured to the rider laying on the grass, his dragon now curled as close to him as he could be. Viggo merely grinned.

“Oh, I could. But why should I, when you have the answers I seek? Especially since I have information you want in turn. We could do a trade. Information for information.” Fishlegs shivered at the tone of his voice. Viggo shrugged, almost flippantly, hands emphasizing his exaggerated shrug.

“Of course, this is a friendly conversation. You are not bound to do so.” He paused for a moment, as if for effect. “Unless, you know less about him than you thought.” He sent a smirk his way, pointed and cunning. The rider huffed, skin flushed.

“Of course I know Hiccup well! Way more than anyone else! I mean, except for Astrid, and Toothless.” Said dragon looked up at Fishlegs, chortling lightly at the others flustered expression. Fishlegs blushed further, embarrassed from his outburst, but… he had to say something.

What to say… Fishlegs studied the man in front of him. Over time, Fishlegs carefully watched the other, and over time, he learned the other wouldn't do anything to hurt his best friend. As much as it made his skin crawl, the other loved Hiccup. Confirmed it himself, even.

Fishlegs was terrified of the possibility's that came from that.

The other was unhinged, so his fears weren't unfounded. Their war was enough to prove that. But the need for knowledge, especially from someone like him… now that was worth it. No, he would never betray his friend’s actual secrets, but either way... he felt like he could tell Viggo something. He could tell him about Hiccup because he… for some bizarre reason, didn't register as a threat to Hiccup. Not anymore.

As crazy at it was, Fishlegs saw exactly what his leader was talking about in the hunter. His mannerisms, the way he talked, the way he looked at Hiccup, all of it pointed to an answer that Fishlegs had a hard time wrapping his head around, even with the others say-so.

“You just- fine. Ill think about it.” Fishlegs huffed, then thought.

Hiccup groaned, distracting them both. His face was contorted in pain he was surely feeling from the burns decorating his face and shoulder. Viggo reached forwards, pulling Hiccup gently away from in front of Fishlegs and off of the forest floor. Fishlegs watched in somewhat befuddled awe as Viggo boldly pulled the other onto his lap, cradling his head. Then, he leaned forwards, whispering into his hair.

“Hiccup. It’s alright. Rest.” Hiccup groaned, unconsciously leaning towards the source of warmth, which happened to be Viggo. Fishlegs winced. It was so weird, but somewhat cute. As were many interactions between them that have happened since their newest… team member joined them on their island.

Toothless stuck his nose towards the hunter, growling slightly as he nudged his rider. Viggo hummed placatingly. “He is alright, Toothless. He is simply asleep.” Fishlegs started, the sound of the dragons name from the others lips still somewhat jarring to hear, especially with such respect.

And with that sentence, The dragon slowly withdrew, watching the hunter closely. Viggo didn't pay it much mind, instead focusing on twisting a small strand of Hiccup’s hair between his fingertips.

“I never really thought this could happen.” Fishlegs blurted without meaning to. He winced back as the hunter looked up at him, questioning.

“What?” Fishlegs shrugged, looking down at the ground. He decided to say what was bothering him, since he was already started.

“You being on the Edge, riding a dragon. You… feeling… like this. Anything. I still don't know if I believe you.” He sighed, looking up at the stars, hoping his friends would save him from the awkward moment. “Even after… everything. After we talked about why you changed, and Hiccup… Its just… so far-fetched?” Watching their little flight through the sunset, the way they bantered…

“That sounds like a question, dear. Me feeling anything? My presence? Or is it my infatuation with your leader that has you so confounded?” Fishlegs shook his head, then paused, wringing his hands.

“I mean… yeah. All of that. And the fact that Hiccup… well, he hasn't been acting normal either. I think… he might like you back?” He whispered the last part with an almost instinctive flinch, not sure if he wanted to believe it as he said it. It felt almost as though by saying the words out loud, it made it entirely real.

He looked at Hiccup, who looked far more content in the arms of their ex-enemy then he did even in Fishlegs. His face was relaxed, turned towards the others chest. His breathing was slow, moving the others tunic slightly with each puff of air he let out, tinted white as smoke in the cold night.

“My, you are certainly a professional at assuming.” Viggo huffed, ceasing his finger’s movements and instead focusing his attention on Fishlegs. He had an amused look on his face, unbelieving.

“No, no. Im not assuming anything. Hiccup… I've never seen him act like…this.” Fishlegs gestured, pointing at his best friend. “I… somethings going on. Between you two.”

“The hatred in his eyes says otherwise.” Viggo smiled down at Hiccup, a hollow, facsimile of a smile, like someone who clearly knew he lost.

“I don't blame him, of course. I am the enemy. His greatest rival. I harmed him and countless others in my endeavors, dragons included. Your village was nearly destroyed in our conflict. No, I do not blame him. I would applaud his sense if he left me in that base.” Fishlegs got that, but he also knew why Hiccup didn't.

“Leaving people to die is not in his nature. He always does what he thinks is right. No matter the consequences.” Fishlegs stopped for a moment, sighing and leaning on Meatlug, who panted happily.

“But that’s besides the point. No matter what you say… there's something there that wasn't before.” Hiccup, the way he has been acting. It added up to something that equally intrigued and frightened Fishlegs. Instilled a greyish sludge of dread and hope.

“He is in love with Astrid. I thought you were aware of that.” Viggo said matter-of-factly. insultingly so. Fishlegs looked up at the hunter, offended. Of course he knew that!

“I know that! And, yes. He is! And I don't want anything to get in-between them!” Fishlegs sighed after a moment, letting the tension release slightly from his shoulders.

“From what I can see though, that's different… Its-ah…not like…this.” Fishlegs heaved a sigh, unable to find the right words. “I don’t know. I think he feels something for you. I don't think Hiccup would ever acknowledge it, but… he feels a lot more than hatred for you, whether he likes it or not.” Viggo looked mildly intrigued, looking back down at the rider. He gently ran his fingers on his scalp. Hiccup almost nuzzled into the touch. The hunter tilted his head, eyebrow raised.

“…One can hope. He has always been an expert at subverting my expectations.”

After a moment of observing the others careful reverent movements, Fishlegs looked at the hunter’s face, biting his lip.

“I think… he’s been confused about you for a long time. He was obsessed with you… just as much as you are with him. Maybe not romantically, but… he wants to see who you really are, and who you can become. He helped you because, despite how much of a monster you are, he thinks you can be more than that.” Fishlegs took a breath, fiddling his fingers.

“Hiccup… he’s reckless. That is for sure. But… He isn't insane. I trust him with my life. And whatever he chooses, I will support him. Even if its you.”

They sat in silence, for a moment, the hunter looking at Fishlegs as if he grew another head. Fishlegs almost turned just to find out if one sprouted from his shoulder himself. He felt like he lost it. Was this what Hiccup has been dealing with all of this time? He shook his head.

Suddenly, something dawned on him. A simple grin pulled on Fishleg's lips, growing despite the tense atmosphere.

“You know what? I think I answered your question. Something about Hiccup? Didn't I?” His grin widened. “Now you have to tell me what a Tideglider is.” He nearly vibrated with the exciting thrill of new knowledge, quickly leaning towards Meatlugs saddlebags and grabbing the Book of Dragons. Viggo looked at him for a moment, then smirked.

“So you did. Well played." Viggo nodded. "A Tideglider is a Tidal Class Dragon, to start.”

And with that, until the team arrived, they were occupied, two wildly different types of dragon enthusiasts bonding over the knowledge of a new dragon. Fishlegs felt a small tug on his chest at the thought that Hiccup was missing this, but he would fill him in later.

He would be overjoyed at the prospect of a new dragon. It might help him, even with the painful situation that he found himself in with… everything.

Astrid lost.

She lost, she lost, she lost.

Astrid shook her head, gnashing her teeth as she reveled in the burning fury in her heart, trying desperately to shove away the pricking sensation at her eyes.

She. Lost. To Viggo.

It was hard to focus on more than the blank sky before her, her dragon squawking concerned at her, as if she needed any concern. No, She was fine. She was angry, of course. She lost. Which is something she never does. Which she did to Viggo.

No. She had to focus up ahead, on the whirring clouds and the whistling wind as they closed in on the boats below. She grit her teeth, her jaw aching at the force. Not like Hiccup could help, after being shot from the sky, and saved by him.

“So, what are we doing?” Snotlout, the brash and nasally tone breaking her concentration, yelled over the roaring wind. They were barely keeping up, even with an exhausted Stormfly. Her dragon was superior to all of them. Except for the Skrill. And the Night Fury. She snarled. No, it wasn't Stormfly’s fault. It was Viggo’s. It was all his fault. All of it.

“Uh, Hiccup and Astrid are having a lovers spat, duh!” Ruffnut stuck her tongue out. Tuffnut grinned, leaning an arm on his dragons horn.

“And Astrid lost to Viggo, hah! I wouldn’t’ve done that. Of course uh, I did this time but-I would've beat you all if I didn't have Ruffnut dragging me down!” He yelped as Ruffnut threw a something at her brothers head.

“We are on the same dragon, idiot!” She yelled, shaking her fist at her brother. Barf hissed in unison with his rider, eyes narrowed as its twin head chortled at the duo.

“Exactly! You are the problem!” Tuffnut dodged another, what looked to be an apple. Astrid shook her head at their nonsense. No, she had something to do today, something they all needed to do before she could save Hiccup from that monster. And they would have proof, they would.

“Destroying the enemy before they reach the outpost, or get what they came here for!” She snarled through gritted teeth, leaning further onto her dragons back. Stormfly beat her wings faster, her furious breaths in tune with her riders burning heartbeat.

“Do you mean get Viggo? Or Hiccup? Or the lenses?” Ruffnut yelled over the wind, distracted from attempting to harm her brother for the moment.

“She means me! They all fear me! The true dragon master!” Tuffnut jammed a finger towards himself, a smug grin on his face. Ruffnut leaned to her side, shoving him not-so-gently, almost forcing him off his dragon with a yelp.

“In your dreams!” She crowed. Her brother, once he regained balance, shoved her back.

“Aerial maneuvers! Dive in close and blow up anything that moves!” Astrid yelled, not bothering with seeing their affirmative nods. She squeezed Stormfly’s side, beckoning her to dive to the main ship, dropping helfire on the unfortunate occupants.

“Brutal! Finally, Astrid is joining the Loki-side! Lets go Barf!” A noxious shade of green spilled out of the dragons throat as they dived past her, coating the remnants of another boat in the gas.

“That’s a plan I like!” With a small shutter of sparks, the entire boat ignited, the explosion blowing her hair back with its ferocity.

“Dragon rider scum! Ready the remaining catapults!” She heard a desperate cry echo through the wind. She focused in the direction of the yell, narrowing her eyes. The smallest boat of the three readied a flaming fireball, launching it at the rider. She pulled up, dodging with ease.

“Archers, ready!” She pulled on Stormfly’s saddle, forcing her away from a barrage of deadly arrows.

“Lets make them regret messing with us!” She heard from beside her. Hookfang dove past her, his hide aflame and angry as he shot a stream of fire on the deck. Astrid grinned, her mouth almost hurting as she spotted a flyer, falling from the back of an unfortunate Singetail, who spiraled out of control from a stray arrow lodged in its wing.

Perfect. Someone to interrogate.

“Stormfly, dive, dive!” She screamed against the pull of the wind, nudging her dragons side. The dragon screeched, bringing her wings to her sides. Astrid pointed to the falling flyer. “Go Girl! Grab him!”

They dove expertly, carefully dodging arrows and debris. Stormfly opened her claws in anticipation.

“Fire in the hole!” A screech interrupted there dive, followed by a loud explosion, blinding her. She pulled back forcefully, stopping Stormfly in her tracks. She blinked quickly, whipping her head towards the falling man.

He was gone. Lost to the waves.

“Yeah Hooky! Lets go again!” Another explosion rocked her world.

She banged her hand against her saddle, letting out an irritated yell as she shot daggers at her teammate, who carelessly blew up another section of a ship, tearing the mast in two. She turned her head towards the sky, looking for another target.

Hiccup’s head throbbed to the beat of a drum, and the screeching of a horn. Or at least, that is what he was reminded of. Pulsing underneath his head in soft rhythmic thumps. He pressed closer, soothed by the distraction from his own aching head.

“Hm, are you that cold, my dear?” Fingers ran through his hair, soothing and warm and very unwelcome. Hiccup jerked back from the touch, lurching away from the thumping beat of the warm body holding him. He traced the green shirt to the black cloak, then, to heterochromatic eyes, looking at him in amusement.

“Ah-Wh-Viggo?!” He flushed, pushing harder against him, flopping on the ground. He groaned as his head pulsed at the movement.

“Yes?” Viggo hummed, tilting his head as if he saw nothing wrong with the situation.

“What, wh-what are you doing?” Hiccup glared at the man, fighting the blush on his face. Viggo shrugged.

“Sitting? I thought that was obvious.”

“You-” Hiccup started, then touched his face. The side that burned, his vision on his left side blocked by soft linen. “Ugh, what happened?”

Viggo leaned forwards, grabbing his hand and gently pushing it to the side, away from the offending bandages. There was a soft look in his eyes, even if his mouth was tugged down in a modest frown. Hiccup let the man pull his hand away, too startled from the touch, the look in his eyes he couldn’t quite look away from.

“You've been injured.” He murmured, tilting his head down to assess Hiccup’s bandages.

“Yeah, um. You have some burns on your face, around your eye. We wrapped it, so uh-don’t mess with it. We already treated them with a poultice.” Hiccup nearly jumped at Fishleg’s voice, before processing the others words.

Injured. Great.

Toothless bounded up to the two, pushing his face into Hiccup’s lap, teeth retracted and panting with his tongue hanging out. Hiccup chuckled, petting his head.

“Good to see you too, bud. I am so glad you are ok.” Then, as he looked around the clearing, past his excited dragon. It was dark, stars glowing delicately in a blanket of darkness, coating the sky in a dim ethereal hue of blue. The fire at his feet flickered, dancing as it reached for the sky, embers crackling happily.

His eyes widened. The days events hit him all at once, like a stack of timber-The race, Astrid, falling, the hunters finding them. The anger, the confusion.

The sky crackling dangerously. Viggo, reaching for him from the skies, dragon wreathed in the magic of Thor as they dived, his eyes glowing as they reached for him, like a Valkyrie. Like a god.

He froze, the mental image making his face heat up.

“Oh, ah. That.” He muttered. “We were attacked.”

“Yes.” Viggo raised his brow. "I was quite flattered by your speech, by the way.” Hiccup shook his head from his thoughts, rolling his eyes. He ignored the heat in his cheeks.

“Yeah, don't get used to it. Just-in the heat of the moment, and all.” He flippantly waved his hand, emphasizing his point. Honestly. He did mean it. Even if he was injured. The searing relief at seeing the fear in Viggo’s eyes. How his heart fluttered, seeing him.

“Uh, I don't think that's how it was. If I recall-” Fishlegs intercepted, holding a finger up. Hiccup shot a look at him, narrowing his eyes.

“Shh, Fishlegs!” He snapped, then turned to Viggo, who looked at him with an amused expression.

"No need to lie, dear." Hiccup rubbed the bridge of his nose. He ran his fingers on his dragons scales, tracing them with his fingertips.

“Do- you just live to see me suffer?” Viggo raised his shoulders a bit, opening his mouth to, probably agree, but Fishlegs interrupted with a sigh.

“Astrid and the rest of them decided to take out the ships. They should be here soon. Viggo saved you too. And we got a Singetail!” Viggo and Hiccup sent him a look, one which made Fishlegs shrug with a nervous chuckle.

“Really? I didn't notice.” Hiccup snarked, before looking at Fishlegs with a pointed glare, knowing how his friend could get sidetracked.

“What exactly happened?” Fishlegs took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Not much. When we were racing, you and Viggo got far too ahead. When we caught up, we saw you falling. Astrid attacked Viggo, and we assumed the worst. Uh-Astrid and- well you know that now. We headed back here, patched you up. Uh, yeah. Here we are.” He gestured to the campsite.

“And the Singetail?”

“Uh, Viggo shot it out of the sky with his Skrill.” Fishlegs shot a look at the ex-hunter, who shrugged smugly. Hiccup looked to the dragon in question, on the other side of the fire. The Skrill, laying on her side as she looked at the Singetail with narrowed eyes, huffed as she noticed the stares, licking her lips as she rolled over. Hiccup looked at Viggo.

“So, a Singetails greatest weakness. I guess you were right.”

“Did you have any doubt?” Viggo smirked at him. Hiccup sent him a blank expression.

“Do you blame me? We weren't exactly… simpatico, Viggo. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you back then. It took a lot of time to get here.” Viggo gave him a mockingly hurt look. Hiccup rolled his eyes, feeling a chuckle almost build in his throat at the sight.

“We’ve been waiting for you to wake up. You fell unconscious when we were heading here.” Fishlegs cut in, looking between them and biting his lip. Viggo nodded at the retelling, affirming the story.

“And where is here, exactly?” Hiccup asked.

“A small island north of your outpost." Viggo answered. Hiccup nodded, wincing at the sudden pain the movement caused. Both… riders looked at him with concern. Toothless nudged him again in the side, purring comfortingly. Fishlegs stood up, looking at his face closely.

“How are you feeling? Anything hurting?” He asked, tugging on the bandages. Hiccup pushed away the offending hand, sighing.

“No. I feel fine. Great, even.” He shrugged, sarcasm rolling off his tongue with ease. “Just a flesh wound.” Toothless looked at him with a similar deadpan as the rest of the party. Hiccup brushed off the looks.

“Hiccup.” Fishlegs said. “Tell me.”

“Ugh-My face is just irritated.” He said, trying to not touch the seared skin. The bandages felt itchy, unwelcome and stifling on his face. “Its just itchy. Im fine” Fishlegs nodded dubiously, reaching behind him and rifling through his expansive saddle bags.

“Im sure. Uh-take this, and try to be careful of your head. Can you hear fine?” He pulled out a bladder, full of some sort of tea or alcohol, Hiccup assumed. He wasn't complaining either way, if it would help his searing headache.

“If the singing Terrible Terror in my ear is a good indication, then yes.” He winced. The ringing wasn’t as bad as it was when he first woke, but it still pounded on his eardrum, the high-pitched squeal adding to his worsening headache. Fishlegs again reached into his bag, pulling out a book and rifling through its pages.

“Oh, um- ringing in the ears. Here it is. It says here that should pass with time. Just-be careful. You don't want to make it worse than it is. No strenuous activity until it goes away.” Hiccup nodded slowly before taking a long drink from the bladder. Mead met his lips, strong and heavy on his tongue, an herbal undertone tainting the flavor. He sighed at the burn in his throat as he tried to ignore the flavor, hoping it would ease his headache soon.

“Like I would ever do that.” He said, tilting his head. Fishlegs rolled his eyes.

“Sure. Remind me of that time after you lost your leg and then decided it was a great idea to-” Hiccup shushed him again before the other could continue, wincing at the memory. Yeah, that was a fair point.

“Point taken.” He said, mumbling. Toothless looked at him with a glare. He knew Hiccup… happened to have a particular issue with fate. It wasn't him who caused the trouble. Trouble usually found him. Usually.

“So… uh. I guess we wait?” Fishlegs said, slouching his weight onto his arm, Meatlug leaning her weight onto her rider, giving a satisfied purr as her rider rubbed her hide. Hiccup smiled and took another drink from the bladder. His body tingled, his pain a bit more bearable now. He then turned to the ex-hunter, who was shifting his position, wincing as he perched his arm on his leg, stretching the other. He frowned, recalling the glimpses of what occurred earlier.

“Yeah… Astrid… she attacked you. Are… you alright?” He moved towards the other, standing carefully to make his way to the ex-hunter. Viggo looked at him, face hard. The closer Hiccup got, the more he could see a pattern of thin lines on his neck, on his arms. His body itched at the marks. His eyes widened.

“Of course.” Viggo hummed. Hiccup doubted it.

Viggo followed him with his eyes, face expressionless as Hiccup walked behind him, sitting closely to the others side.

“Then why are you flinching?” Hiccup scoffed. He reached a hand forwards, tracing the lines slightly with his fingers, careful not to touch the burns. He winced. He knew exactly what they were. He himself had similar scars.

“You got burned. The lightning touched you.” He whispered, heart heavy. Did their apparatus not work? What did they do?

As if reading his mind, Viggo spoke calmly, assessing his fears.

“The harness took the brunt of it. The lightning only grazed me.” Viggo looked down at his own arm, tracing the red lines. Hiccup followed the patterns, committing them to memory.

They were pretty, in a way. Arching in complex patterns, dancing away from the main branches of deeper red. Like a grove of trees. Hiccup hummed.

"Yeah, uh. He should be ok. It really only irritated his skin, as far as I can tell." Fishlegs answered his unasked question. Hiccup nodded gratefully.

“Still. We need to research this more. You cant get burned each time we fly.” Viggo nodded grimly.

“I am sure, with time, we will find a solution. But for now, this will do.” Hiccup slowly nodded, reluctantly halting his fingers from hovering above the injuries. Yes. This was a problem, but one that would be solved with time. Soon, he thought. He would fix it.

Instead, he turned to look closer at the mans back. He bit his lip as he saw red blotches in the back.

“You are bleeding.” He mumbled. He turned, looking at Fishlegs, who was watching with an uncharacteristically unreadable expression. Fishlegs’ eyes widened, before he hastily set his book down, heading over to his side. Hiccup pointed to the red.

“It is hardly a concern.” Viggo said, slight irritation coating his voice. He must like being looked after about as much as Hiccup did. Hiccup felt an odd sense of disjointedness. Was this what it was like talking to him? Huh.

“That’s for us to say. Fishlegs?” He said, crossing his arms as he looked at their teams healer. Fishlegs looked closely at the crimson marks.

“Oh, I think his scabs might've torn. Uh, we need a better look at it.” Hiccup nodded, before raising his voice.

“Viggo, shirt off.” He said. He heard Viggo chuckle, taking of his shirt with controlled movements. He was in pain, now Hiccup was sure of it.

“My, you move quickly.” Viggo teased, baritone voice sunken lower with a flirtatious tone. Hiccup sent the man a look, but felt his face slightly heat up, both at the man’s voice and the sight of the muscular back of the ex-hunter.

God’s, he’s seen the man shirtless more often then not since their impromptu alliance was born. What was making him so flustered recently? He shook his head, looking at the purple-red hues of the healing wounds. Two were intact, only irritated around the edges, red and angry in the firelight, scabbing irritated in the center. The others seemed to have ripped. Not deep, but enough that blood coated the edges, standing out starkly on the man’s creamy skin. Hiccup grit his teeth.

“Yeah. That’s about what I thought.” Fishlegs interjected his thoughts. “Some tore. Not badly, but enough that you need bandages.”

The Viking nodded to himself, standing and grabbing the supplies from his bag. Hiccup couldn’t break away from looking at the other, looking at his scars.

Just like before, he felt fascinated. He wanted to know more about this man, his life. His own scars burned with their own memories, burned and sliced stories painted on his skin.

He looked at the places where the arrows struck the most, however. It was jarring, knowing just how close the other was to death.

How close Hiccup was to never knowing this side of the man. How close he was to letting the other die.

It filled him with dread, fear like no other.

“Hiccup?” He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at his friend, noting that the other now had supplies. He nodded, backing up and allowing the other space. As Fishlegs prepared the necessary materials, he spoke up.

“Are his scars… supposed to be this red-purple color?” Hiccup said, tilting his head. Fishlegs cleared his throat as he broke away from the herbs he was sorting.

“Uh, that's more of a sangria. And yes, it is. Some deeper wounds fade over time, but they start out dark in some cases.” Hiccup nearly sighed at the color correction, but didn't mention it. Good, it was meant to be like that, then.

“I am quite flattered you happen to care so much for my welfare.” Viggo snarked. Hiccup, maybe a bit more forcefully than he needed to, pushed Viggo forwards, gaining more access to the injury. He ignored the other, biting his lip to stop the snarky reply.

He whistled for his dragon, Toothless coming towards him at a trot, only a foot or so away. Hiccup smiled.

“So, do you know anything about the qualities of Night Fury spit?” Hiccup said, making a gesture to his dragon. Toothless started convulsing his throat, preparing to spit saliva in the bowl Fishlegs held. Fishlegs had an oddly alarmed face. Hiccup tilted his head.

“As a matter of fact, your dear friend happened to fill me in earlier. It has disinfecting properties, I hear.” Hiccup shot a look at his friend, who helplessly chuckled, abashed. Hm, maybe he could use this for a little payback.

“You know, the best way to get it to work is to drink it.” Hiccup said, voice steady as he inwardly grinned. Viggo turned his head towards him best he could, raising an eyebrow.

“Unfortunately for you, Fishlegs informed me otherwise.” Hiccup rolled his eyes. He looked at Fishlegs.

“Really? You just gonna tell him everything or-” He trailed off. Viggo hummed.

“Now, dear. This is an alliance. Information does go both ways.” He huffed as the dragon spit concoction was applied to his back. “Besides, it was not without a price.” Fishlegs gasped excitedly, nearly dropping his mortar.

“Right! Hiccup! We talked about a new dragon!” Hiccup turned to him, surprised at the outburst. Then the words processed, and he felt, for the first time in a while, truly excited.

“Wait, really?” He rocked on his knees, the fuzzy feeling in his stomach making his head feel less painful at the movements. “What is it?” Viggo chuckled playfully, turning his, now treated, body to the riders.

“A Tideglider! It has healing spit Hiccup! And potent poison! It- well- I wrote it all down and-They live in lakes and the ocean! Actually some are even close to Berk!” Hiccup smiled at the new information, rocking a bit on his knees.

“Really? Thats amazing Fish!” And it really was. Hiccup looked at Viggo, a grin on his face. As he studied the other, it became softer around the edges.

Viggo was really talking about his knowledge of dragons, fufilling his conditions of the alliance. And Hiccup has been blaming him, suspicious and blocking him from information. With reason, but didn't Viggo already prove himself? He sighed, guilt and reason pulling him in two directions. He nodded to Viggo in thanks, then turned to Fishlegs.

“Trust me, I am as excited as you are, but lets talk about it on the Edge. We don’t know when the other’s will get here.” Fishlegs held his mouth open for a moment, before nodding reluctantly. Hiccup felt that to his core. He wanted nothing more than to talk about a new dragon, but instead he would have to just wait.

“Yeah. I guess so.” Fishlegs grumbled. Hiccup took a wad of linen from the rider, starting the process of winding it around the others back, as they did so many times before. He tucked the bandage back with a sigh, ending the roll with a knot.

“There.” He said, pushing himself up on Toothless. The dragon crooned encouragingly as he made his way back to where he woke up. He sat back down with a sigh, his head throbbing. Hiccup looked at the abandoned bladder on the grass, before sighing and offering it to the ex-hunter.

“You could probably use this, huh?” Hiccup watched as the other took it, taking a drink before handing it back. "You ok?” He said, looking at the other in the firelight. Viggo’s eyes gleamed, emotions he couldn't fathom dancing in his pupils.

“Yes. I do believe I am.” Viggo said, looking at the other as if he did something miraculous. Hiccup mentally shoved that thought away. Why would he? Hiccup was nothing special, after all.

They were retreating, what few dragon flyers were gone. Men were in the water, burned and barely floundering against the current. She tried to ignore how still most of them were, bobbing in the waves, as she always did during combat. The boats were destroyed, broken wood and decks of worthless ships floating lazily in the current, sinking into the realms beneath the waves.

“Yeah! We destroyed them!” She heard Snotlout cheer to himself. “Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!” She whipped her head around, snarling at her teammate.

“Don’t you dare celebrate! You cost me intel!” Snotlout scoffed, leaning against his saddle.

“Oh, what. So you could ask him how Viggo betrayed us? Astrid. He has been on the island for like-ever! Wouldn't we be dead by now?!” Snotlout sneered, pulling on Hookfang’s horns, aligning himself with the fuming rider.

“He’s just biding his time!” She yelled straight back, eyes hard as ice.

“Or, maybe, you are jealous!” Tuffnut yelled, appearing at her other side. Ruffnut nodded, both of them wearing mischievous grins. She was tempted to set them on fire, for a moment.

“No, I am not!”

“Yeah right! You are acting just like you did with Heather, but like, ten times worse! The paranoia is getting to you!” Ruffnut cooed down at her, mocking her. “You aren't fooling anyone!” Astrid shook her head fiercely, staring down at her hands in defiance.

“Shut up! I am not jealous of anyone! Least of all Viggo!” Stormfly growled, as if to emphasize her point. No, she wasn't jealous. She was mad.

"Suuure. Then, like. What was with the race? You avoiding Hiccup? We all noticed. Hard not to.” Snotlout yelled, Hookfang beating his wings against the swelling wind.

“Im not avoiding him!” She said, mostly to herself.

“Uh huh. First step to acceptance is denial, Astrid. Or, whatever.” Snotlout rolled his eyes, getting closer to her. “You know, there are better fish in the sea, anyways. The one riding the Nightmare comes to mind.” He cooed, batting his eyelashes. The fire in her heart was stoked. She gripped her saddle with white knuckles.

“If you weren't so careless, then maybe we could have had the proof! But you messed it up, like always!” Snotlout’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey! That's uncalled for!”

“Well it’s your fault! I had him!” She glared straight back, piercing blue eyes tearing through the other rider. Snotout rolled his eyes.

“If your dragon wasn't so slow, then maybe you could’ve caught him!” Suddenly, the wind didn’t seem so soothing anymore.

The weather, cold and fierce, echoed the ice stabbing into her.

Her eyes widened.

The words echoed in her head like a cruel symphony, crashing on her. Dragging her down.

He was wrong. It wasnt Stormfly.

It was her. She lost. She wasn't fast enough. She didn't catch him.

“You…” She whispered.

“Oh, now she is quiet! You are just admitting I’m right. Aren’t you?” Snotlout crooned. He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have something to say?”

“Shut up.” She heaved through grit teeth. Her shoulders shook.

“I mean, Me and Hookfang could’ve-” She cut him off, yelling over the wind, the tight knot in her throat making it harder to yell over its chaotic symphony.

“Enough!! I failed Hiccup! I get it!”

She sat there on her saddle, feeling a pit in her stomach. She stared down at the saddle, running her fingers over the worked leather that Hiccup himself treated, hewn into a work of art for her.

She felt sick.

Because it was true. And Viggo saved him. Not her.

“Uh, I thought we were talking about the flyer guy.” Tuffnut called.

“Yeah.” His twin echoed, then shrugged. “I guess not, anymore. Though that was equally embarrasing.”

“Viggo beating Astrid? Yeah. Who saw that coming?” Tuffnut said. The words tore at her.

“Lets just… go to the camp.” Astrid shook her head, looking to the horizon. The instructions slipped from her mouth with more trained ease then continuing with this train of thought.

“I mean, you are so much better than him, Astrid! Why do you even care if Hiccup-” Snotlout started. She cut him off with the ferocity of an axe.

“Shut. Up. Or I will make you.”

“Uh, shutting up! Just saying!” He threw his hands up, but cut himself off at the thunderous look on her face.

They flew in silence for a moment. Astrid stewing over her emotions. She tried shaking the dark thoughts out of her head. She was a Hofferson. She was the best. She wasn't threatened. Not at all. No. She just lost. She was fine. She was fine.

She hoped the flight to the camp would be long enough to shake these emotions away. She hated it.

“Awkwarrrd.” Ruffnut whispered to her brother.

“Uh yeah. Way to say it sis.”

Chapter Text

Snotlout Jorgenson was confused.

Very much so, in fact. First he was yelled at for his superior attacking skills, which Astrid asked him for, by the way, then she just ups and acts like this? So distant? So-off?

They all weren't stupid. Something weird was going on with her, and Snotlout had a smidgen of an idea as to what. Snotlout knew it had to do with Viggo, Hiccup, and his beautiful face.

What? He had eyes, you know. No matter how intimidating he was, he was striking. Even his horrible scarring didn't detract from that fact. And obviously, he wasn't the only one that thought that.

He had a hunch. A hunch he didn't like, a hunch that bit at him, every time he saw Astrid, who kept distancing herself, just like Hiccup.

God’s, he was sick of the drama between them. He just wanted things to get back to normal. Especially since Astrid started lashing out her pent up feelings on everyone else.

Suddenly, he was broken from his thoughts as movement broke his concentration. A blur to his right. He turned, focusing on the disturbance.

Astrid was breaking from formation?

Wait-what?

Stormfly took a dive down and out, letting out a chitter and a few huffs of breath as she flapped her wings. She was trying to outpace them, going away from the campsite, why?

Snotlout recoiled, as did the twins. What is she doing? Did he miss something? He quickly dived to meet her, Hookfang snorting as Snotlout turned his head.

“Woah, and where do you think you are going? Fishleg’s went this way!” Snotlout gestured to the direction they were headed. At least, that's what he figured, since Astrid started flying that way before. Astrid kept her head down, hair flapping wildly in the wind.

“I have something to do. Don’t follow me.” She grumbled. Her voice sounded strained, painful. Snotlout had to strain his ears to even hear it. God’s, he was sick of this drama.

“Uh, no-Not happening! You are breaking Hiccup's little rules, aren't you?” He pushed on Hookfang’s horns, indicating him to lineup next to Astrid. Hookfang did so, steadily matching the quick speed of the Nadder, because he was awesome, of course.

“Yeah, who are you to say what we can do! You nor Hiccup control the mighty Nuts!” Tuffnut’s voice rang out above them as they tried to settle next to Astrid.

“A Nut never listens to authority!” Ruffnut called with her brother as they both came into sight. Astrid kept her head down, eyes narrowed at the horizon.

“Just go to the camp!” She yelled, her voice louder this time. Their was a fire in her eyes, one that reminded Snotlout of what she was like when they were kids. When she was determined and angry.

“Did you even hear us? We are going with you-uh-wherever you are going, which you still haven't told us!” Snotlout called over the wind, Hookfang roaring with her. Stormfly looked up, screeching in reply. Astrid sighed, looking down at her saddle before staring back up at the horizon.

“I need intel. You took our only lead back there, and I need to know more.” Oh, this again? Why was she bringing this up again!?

“God’s is this about before with the flyer? I said it wasn't my fault! And I didn't mean Hiccup, Astrid, you know that!” He cried, throwing his hands up. The twins snickered at the movement. Astrid snarled at him, whipping her deadly blue eyes towards him.

“The outpost. I'm going to the outpost.” Oh.

Ooooh. Ok.

Oooh. Rebellion. Snotlout likey.

So that is what she meant. They were going to go to the outpost without Hiccup. Snotlout felt a mix of excitement and concern as he nudged Hookfang on the sides. The dragon must have felt his emotions, if the growl he released was any indication. He felt confused, but he also would never turn down defying Hiccup. But-he had to ask I mean, come on. This is Astrid.

“Without Hiccup?” He said, quirking a grin.

“Uh, not that I’m not up for excluding Fish-face, Hiccup, and our uh-guest, but-Didn’t we say that we are going together?” Ruffnut said. Astrid ducked her head lower, as if ashamed of herself, in a way.

“We can look around without him!” She snarled. “He’s injured. He can’t help anyway!” Wow, now that was harsh, especially from her. Shouldn't she be more worried? He honestly expected her to race back to Hiccup as soon as she could.

“Oh, uh-really? Wow Astrid the rebel! I like it!” Tuffnut yelled, Ruffnut chuckled with her brother. Astrid growled, whipping her head up. Yeah, exactly what Snotlout thought, but-it was so unlike Astrid to do this.

“Just go to the camp without me. I can handle it!” Stormfly squawked, beating her wings harder and pushing through the sky in front of the group. Snotlout ignored her silent demand at the movement. Or uh, I guess verbal too, but that didn't matter now. He wouldn't leave her side.

This whole Viggo thing really was getting to her. Snotlout didn't like it at all. Was their situation really this bad?

They always seemed so…inseparable.

It seemed like, every day that passed. They became more and more...separable. 

It was concerning, especially with how gaga Hiccup was over her. 

“Astrid, you need us if you are taking out a base! Besides, with Barf and Belch we are unstoppable!” Ruffnut yelled, her brother nodding.

“Hiccup needs this to be done! And Viggo can't be trusted with this!” Astrid tucked her head towards the spines on Stormfly’s head, clearly gritting her teeth if the sentence were any indication. Snotlout winced a bit at the anger in her tone. “Just stay out of my way!” She added. Snotlout groaned.

God’s, why was everyone so difficult today?!

“I mean, I am always down to blow some stuff up!” Ruffnut added. “Even if Hiccup isn't there to see it!”

“Besides, it would save us time! Priorities!” Tuffnut nodded sagely.

“I can go alone.” Astrid yelled, shaking her head. “You don't need to be there.”

“Sure you can, but you go alone with us.” Tuffnut crossed his arms. Snotlout nodded.

“Defying Hiccup’s orders? Oh, now this will be fun!” Ruffnut yelled as her dragon squawked gleefully. And with that, they were off.

“Yeah! We can do this! Hooky and I can get this done, no problem!” He said, still he couldn't shake the feeling that this was not the best choice. He rolled his shoulders, leaning closer to his dragon as they increased speed.

Hiccup fought the shivers that wracked his body. He huffed at the inconvenience, tensing his muscles and toughing it out, as he’s always done on cold nights like this.

He could feel the wind growing stronger as clouds covered the stars and the world dipped further into night. Every creek and groan of the world around them grew a bit more haunting as Nótt’s great darkness took over. He tried not to think on how late it was. He shifted his leg as the cold bit into the metal and absentmindedly rubbed his hands together, trying to staunch the numb rigidity in his fingers from settling in.

Fishlegs left a while ago, leaving to grab some more fuel for their fire. Hiccup had a hunch he might be grabbing a snack or two for Meatlug as well, but either way, it only left four watchers at the campsite, one being Viggo Grimborn, and two dragons. While he trusted him a bit more to at least keep the peace, he still didn't like relying on the man. The Skrill seemed to be doing a good job at watching the Singetail, at the very least.

He stayed vigilant, watching the clouds for any movement. Toothless’ head lay in his lap, nuzzling into him with a grumble, as if Hiccup’s whirring thoughts were audible in the quiet night.

What could be taking them so long? It didn't make sense. They should've been here hours ago. It had to be the latest hours of night now, the sun surely will be carried across Midgard soon enough, if the faint purple hue on the horizon was any indication.

Hiccup scanned the skies for what seemed like the thousandth time, searching for the familiar shapes of his friends dragons. They had to be close. Soon, he would see them, he was sure of it. He just had to keep searching the horizon.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as something thin and soft landed on his shoulders, tearing his focus from the skies. Gods, he didn't even hear anything behind him, what was-Oh.

He reached up instinctively as he looked down, hands touching dark wool, frayed near the ends and warm to the touch. It took a moment to identify it as Viggo’s cloak. Confusion and a warm fuzzy feeling dipped into his heart as he ran his fingers on the frayed fabric. He looked down with a raised brow as he traced the edges of the cloth, watching Toothless as he let out a disgruntled snort when the threads danced on his nose, licking his lips as he readjusted in his rider’s lap.

“Despite my many efforts, I have found that trying to intimidate the skies will not increase the passing of time. Best to give it up now.” Hiccup huffed at the familiar baritone as he slowly looked up, a tired grimace on his face. His heart softened at the gentle look in the ex-hunter’s eyes as he met them, gazing down at him with a mix of humor and pity. Unable to handle the alien stare, he snapped his eyes back to the cloak.

“Doesn't hurt to try. Maybe the Nornir will give me a break, for once.” Hiccup sighed, rolling his shoulders to rid of the soreness that plagued him after so long looking up. He snorted at the idea as soon as he said it. Yeah, right. The Norns would never.

“Hiccup. I am sure your friends are fine.” Viggo said, voice calm and soothing to him. Hiccup bit his lip, suspicion gnawing at him. Why was Viggo trying to comfort him? Why was he here by his side at all?

“What, you care about them now? Didn't know you had it in you to care.” Hiccup snarked, anxiety sharpening his words. Viggo seemed unphased by his words as he looked at him calmly, leaning a bit forwards and resting his hand on his knee as he did so.

“Of course. What ally would I be without some concern for your fellow teammates?” Viggo gestured with his hand with the words. Hiccup rolled his eyes, tucking his head further into the cloak.

“Uh huh. Keep telling people that.” He mumbled back, glaring down at the cloak. Right, he shouldn't have it.

“Dear-” Viggo started, but Hiccup cut him off, grabbing the edges of the black cloak.

“-Uh-I don't need this. Keep it.” Hiccup said as he moved, already mourning the warmth of the dark fabric. The old medallion clasp inscribed with an old Berkian crest clanked at the movement. Hiccup heard the other let out a sigh before a large hand covered one of his own, calloused and yet soft on his freezing skin, stopping the movement.

Hiccups breath hitched at the touch, the pleasant bubbling and seething broiling hatred causing an odd spiral of emotions to swirl in his gut, as it had been for the last few days when it came to the ex-hunter. Hel, this whole week. God’s help him.

“I insist.” Viggo met his eyes once more before removing his hand. Hiccup’s body ached at the loss of warmth. Hiccup tried to put a bit of edge into his stare, but the warm fuzzy feeling in his body refused such an action to take place.

“T-Thanks-I guess. But it really is unnecessary.” Hiccup mumbled, looking down at the fabric, sighing at the warmth it brang. He really was cold, not that he would ever admit it. Viggo hummed in response.

“You need to dress warmer. We are much closer to the north than your little Edge.” Viggo sat at his side, a comfortable distance away. How oddly respectful of him. He just seemed to keep surprising Hiccup. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“It’s not that cold. Definitely not as bad as Berk.” Hiccup huffed, watching as his breath puffed into a little cloud of smoke, betraying his words. “Anywhere is better than Berk. There, It snows nine months of the year and hails the other three.” Viggo let out a huff in amusement.

“Now isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

“You are just lucky enough to only see it during the summer. There is a reason we call the late season ‘Devastating Winter.’” Hiccup rolled his eyes, lip’s quirking up a bit. “You know, you should visit Berk at that time of year; Bring your summer gear and just enjoy the brisk outdoors.” Viggo let out a small chuckle.

“Ill plan for it. I am sure my summer clothes would be more adequate than your measly armor.”

 Hiccup guffawed. “At least I have sleeves! Look at what you are wearing!” He gestured at the other man to emphasize his point. As the other started to retort, he pinned him with a hard glare. Viggo only quirked a brow with a smirk, shaking his head and ending the conversation with a small sigh as he sat besides the rider. Hiccup couldn’t help but look at the other, a frustrating curiosity beguiling him. He turned his head towards the ex-hunter, question dancing on his lips, but then he stopped and just… stared.

Viggo was looking to the sky, a small smile decorating his scarred face, tugging at the deep red and white mosaic of twisted flesh. Hiccup’s eyes unconsciously traced the curve of his mouth, the sharp point of his nose, the creases in his skin and under his eyes that seemed less severe than they were mere months before. His visible eye, glazed and pale, reflecting the stars in a dazzling array of lights, flickering fire highlighting his strong pale neck.

It seemed, ever since he saved Viggo, he seemed more… unburdened. As if the world was lifted off his shoulders. Less stern. Hiccup thought he would never hear the other laugh, or really show any other emotion besides the mask he wore to manipulate others. It was a pleasant surprise that he was proven wrong about the other, that he was human.

And now? What did he think? Why was he so-confused?

Hiccup turned away quickly, the flush on his face increasing. Odin’s beard, what was with him lately? First on the Edge, then on Toothless-No, wait. This has been a problem long before that. Thor. It started when Viggo was still recovering.

God’s. He had to stop doing this-whatever this was. Hiccup groaned, hanging his head. He could feel Viggo’s inquisitive stare on his back.

“Hm, I didn't expect you to be upset at your friends return. My, I may have misjudged you.” He heard from the other, a light note in his tone.

Hiccup snapped his head up at the comment, troubling thoughts shaken away as he processed the others words. They were back?

He quickly looked up to the sky, locking his eye with a group of colored blurs, becoming more and more visible as they approached. The anxiety and fear was replaced with relief as he processed the sight of his friends return. His eyes widened alongside his grin. They were back.

Hiccup leapt to his feet, ignoring the way the world tilted slightly at the movement. Toothless yelped at the jostled movement, growling at his rider. Then, his fins perked up towards the sky as he tilted his head. Toothless’ pupils widened before focusing on the sky with his signature toothless grin.

Hiccup raised his arms and cupped them around his mouth, tucking his tongue to the top of his mouth and opening his mouth wide, and screamed.

His screech pierced through the air, the harrowing sound of a Night Fury passing through his lips as he bellowed. Toothless echoed his call, as he let loose another, signaling to the group ahead. He stopped for a moment, smiling as he heard faint dragon calls back.

“You-you speak your dragon’s language? Impossible.” A befuddled voice mumbled from his side. Right, they never did dragon calls in front of Viggo before, did they? Hiccup looked at Toothless, who sent him a grin, before matching it with one of his own, looking at the hunter as he schooled his face into an incredulous look.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course. You didn’t know that? I thought it was obvious. Why do you think we are so good with dragons?” He could barely keep the smile off his face as he looked at the visibly shook expression of the other. Viggo seemed to go through several stages of disbelief, before narrowing his eyes.

“You are having me on.” Hiccup tilted his head, acting like he didn't know what the other could possibly be talking about.

“No, no. Its called dragonese. You haven't heard of it? Wow-uh, now that’s just embarrassing for you. Best Dragon Hunter in the Archipelago doesn't even know Dragon Language.” Hiccup shrugged playfully at Viggo’s deadpan stare, putting his hand on his hips.

“I understand exactly what Toothless is saying. Don’t I bud?” Hiccup followed this by a series of clicks and chirps he memorized from the dragon, all nonsense of course. The dragon nodded at the nonsensical noises, a pleased smile on his face as he warbled. Viggo looked between the two, a dubious look on his face.

“Their tongue cannot be spoken by humans. There has never been any known record of it.” Hiccup walked forwards, sending a knowing smirk his way.

“And I'm pretty sure there has never been any other dragon riders. Shows what you know about dragons. Seems like you still have a lot to learn, huh Mr. Dragon Hunter?” Hiccup rolled his shoulders, turning away from the flummoxed ex-hunter. Toothless followed his turn, staring at the incoming shapes. They were much closer now. Hiccup waved his arms, flagging them down. Viggo leaned in close to Hiccup’s ear, making him shiver at the tone.

“We will be discussing this later.” Viggo said, a no-nonsense note in his voice. Hiccup nodded. Oh, he was sure the other wouldn't let it go until he found out the truth. Viggo huffed by his side, folding his toned arms across his broad chest as the party reached hearing distance.

“Heroes coming through!” Snotlout yelled, his dragon growling as Snotlout leaned heavily on his horns as they landed. “And what did you guys do? Huh? I bet nothing as cool as us!”

“What in Thor’s name happened out there? Its nearly morning.” Hiccup said, trying not to wince as he walked quickly up to the riders. His leg whined in protest, cold joints frozen from the cold night. He ignored it as Astrid leapt from her dragon.

“Hiccup, I need to talk to you about something.” She said instead, her eyes hard and nonyielding, yet somehow absent. It was like she was lost in thought, as if she was a hundred miles away. Hiccup tilted his head in confusion.

“Uh-sure?” She started opening her mouth, then just-looked at him, eyes widening for a moment, before narrowing as she grimaced, focused on him. She looked furious, now. Her entire expression closed off.

Hiccup nearly took a step back.

“Ill tell you, dear Hiccy! The attack went great! Hookfang and me dominated, of course.” Snotlout pat his dragon’s neck, the dragon grinning at his side as his rider animatedly waved his hands around as he approached Hiccup.

“Like this!” He made an explosion noise. “Boom, Explode! We destroyed them, without you!” He pointed at Hiccup, who stood his ground, despite the burn of shame at the others words. No, he wasn't there to help. He cursed his carelessness.

“Yeah, that was great until-Astrid lost it to your face when you blew up her hostage.” Tuffnut said, jumping off of his dragon.

“Yeah. That was hilarious.” Ruffnut said, high-fiving her brother as she said so. Hiccup whipped his head towards the others. A hostage? What?

“What? What do you mean?” He asked.

“Then we attacked the outpost! Which, was actually pretty boring.” Ruffnut crossed her arms, leaning against their Zippleback. His alarm just continued to grow.

“You...did what?”

“Hey, it was Astrid’s idea!” Tuffnut shrugged. Astrid looked at him still, eyes hard and unfocused. He said, taking a step back. His heart ached a bit. His friends going against his orders was old hat, after all, but Astrid?

“What-Astrid? I didn't say to do anything like that. You were supposed to head back here and regroup.” Hiccup gestured with his arms as he said that towards her. She huffed.

“Yeah, well. You got hurt. You couldn’t help anyways.” She sent a look towards Viggo, who stood there unhelpfully, his arms tucked behind his back.

“Besides, it was clear. They moved out a while ago. All we found was an empty fortress.” Hiccup felt relief at that, but couldn’t help wincing back at the reminder of his injury. The insult in her tone made him ache. Did-she really think he was helpless now? That he couldn't help?

“Astrid-I’m fine! It’s just a little burn. What-even-I could’ve still gone with you! What if the camp wasn’t clear, or any of you got hurt? I never would’ve even known where you were!” He ran his hand through his hair, fear and anger pulling at his gut. “I just-What is going on with you!? First you don't talk to me, then you just-pull this?” He gestured to the group.

“Hey, don’t give her all the credit!” Snotlout guffawed. Hiccup deemed to ignore him, anger building in his chest.

“Because, Hiccup, we need intel, without him. Viggo called that attack, we both know it.” She hissed near the end, emphasizing her words. Hiccup sighed.

“Astrid, you could've just told me, we could've went to the base together. Why- you go on and avoid me, then you try to kill Viggo after he saves me-and just-I don't even know what to do here! We have a truce!” He sighed, Astrid glared at him.

“And what if he is lying to you?! How do you really know that Viggo didn't call that team in to ambush us? What if we just caught them by surprise and foiled his plan? Whats to say that he isn't fooling you right now!?” As Hiccup was about to retort, Viggo walked forwards, head held high.

“Dear Astrid, at least try to make sense. How ever could I have pulled that off, or even contacted them? Besides, to ask for help from those who attempted to kill me is a death sentence. Have you thought any of this through? Your paranoia is getting the better of you.” His voice dipped at the end, clearly trying to get a rise out of her. She growled.

“Viggo-” Hiccup warned, glaring at the ex-hunter.

“You are going to get us all killed.” She hissed, eyes flashing with malice. Viggo found that funny, if the way he smirked was any indication.

“You of all people should know, dear Astrid, that I would never put him in harms way.” He brought his voice to a whisper. Hiccup looked at him, eyebrows nearly flying off his face at the sentence. What? Before he could open his mouth, Astrid spoke.

“And that's what scares me. You want something worse.” Astrid whispered underneath her breath, looking between them with a mixture of dread and anger on her face. Hiccup shook his head. Neither of them were making any sense. They stood for a moment, glaring at eachother. Astrid raised her voice, shaking herself out of the moment.

“The only reason you are here is because of Hiccup! You are a disgrace, a murderer!” Viggo sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Of course every man has his faults. I admit mine freely.” He took a step closer to Astrid, who clearly had to keep herself from taking a step back. “And do you? You committed treason against your heir, did you not?” Her nostrils flared as the words processed. She took a step back, eyes landing on the grass. Hiccup sent a warning look at Viggo, who looked smug, as if he won.

“Stop it. She didn’t commit treason. She just made a bad call.” He said, voice controlled and powered. Astrid glared at the ex-hunter, as Viggo merely raised a brow in his direction. Hiccup wanted all of this to just. Stop.

“Viggo, you aren't helping. Astrid-both of you need to stop this.” He said to the ex-hunter, then he turned to his betrothed, anger roiling in his gut.

“You are defending a man who wanted to kidnap you! Who wanted to burn our village to the ground!” She grit her teeth, dropping her hand away from his face.

Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know! I get it Astrid. Yes--I am but- you know what? He also saved my life today, on the back of a Skrill, when he could’ve turned on us and went down to his men. He is trying, and you aren't even attempting to see that!” He said, tucking the information away for later. He needed to get to the root of this, now.

"Astrid…” He started, trying to calm his voice. He grabbed her arm, softly pulling her away from the ex-hunter. She let him. He sighed, running a hand on her own. She sighed, shakily. as she raised her free hand up, tracing his bandages.

“You-just won't listen to my warnings, then you get hurt, and I couldn't save you, and-you just-”Hiccup’s eyes widened. She…blamed herself? She continued, glossing over the accidental confession.

“Why can’t you just-say he is a monster?” She said, her voice trembling a bit. Hiccup fought the urge to hug her. He sighed, raising his voice.

“We aren't defined by who we were. We aren't our choices Astrid. He-You-”

Hiccup looked up, meeting the surprised eyes of the ex-hunter. “-you aren't past redemption. Nobody is. And, sure, I hate him for what he’s done…I-I can never forget what he has done, but-we can move past that, Astrid. We can let it go.” He nearly choked as he said the words, his mind fighting his heart, but-it was true, wasn't it?

The group sat, silently. Viggo looked at Hiccup with that look, as if he hung the stars in the sky; as if he was something that just couldn't be comprehended. And Hiccup stared back. God’s. He really was doing this, wasn't he?

"Uh. I don't trust Viggo, but… I do think he is trying. Astrid, and if he is willing to try, well...We need to try too.” Fishleg’s voice rung out. Hiccup nearly jumped at the intrusion. He had no idea when he got back, or how much he heard.

“He saved Hiccup’s life out there. We all saw it. Maybe… we all need to look through Hiccup’s eyes. He was right about dragons, and Dagur. I think he deserves that trust.” He added, fiddling his thumbs as he looked down.

“We can all give it a shot. Actually try, this time. Actually do something other than picking a fight. We are a team, we need to be in this together.” He continued, looking up at Astrid. She looked confused, betrayed, as everyone nodded with Fishlegs. It seemed, on this… even the twins nodded.

“I want to protect Hiccup.” Astrid mumbled, as if Hiccup wasn't standing right before her. He grabbed her hand, reaching another to touch her face, brushing away her bangs.

“You always have. And-I love you for that.” For some reason, that time he said it...it felt hollow. He pushed away that feeling immediately, staring into her eyes. She looked so torn, so hurt, so not-Astrid at that moment as she looked at him, then at the group.

“Would it be so bad if Viggo really was on our side? Astrid, as much as you hate it, he would be an incredible ally. We could use a Scipio in our war effort.” Ruffnut crossed her arms in front of her, drained from her usual cheer. In fact, the whole world seemed eerily serious. Hiccup gave her a confused side-glance. 

“I mean, we are fine with it. Chicken approved of him, so-that is good enough for us.” Tuffnut nodded in Viggo’s direction. Ruffnut nodded with her brother.

“Astrid, its time to just let Hiccup do his weird Hiccup-y thing. He helped Dagur-” Ruffnut started, her brother chirped in.

“-the dragons-”

“-Alvin-”

“Oooh-Heather.” They counted on their fingers as they listed, looking up to the sky as they did so.

“I told you Heather was different! She didn’t betray us!” Astrid snarled.

“Didn’t she?” Hiccup asked. “She was our enemy multiple times, Astrid, but you forgave her. Why is Viggo any different?” He leaned forwards, trying to meet her eyes. She looked forlorn, shaken. Hiccup took a deep breath, looking at Astrid closely, studying her. 

“What will it take, for you to trust me again?” He said, voice fragile. She took a deep breath, looking into his eyes.

She…looked nearly devastated. Hiccup felt his heart break a little. But-no. He couldn’t let this stand anymore. They had to become a unit again, a family. He took another steadying breath, steeling himself.

“This-all of this stops, now. If you need to talk to me, talk to me. If you have a plan, then tell me. But after all of this, I need most of all for you to trust me. I just-I see good in him, and I know you-have to see it, too.” He took a breath, letting out a small forced laugh.

“And it is insane but-I think that is why you are fighting it so badly. It makes no sense, but it is true.” He could feel Viggo’s eyes on his back, analyzing his words. He wondered, what he thought at that moment.

“Why are you all against me?” She said, quietly under her breath.

“God’s, stop being so jealous of Viggo! You think he will replace you, but he won’t! Hiccup cares too much for you for that to happen!” Snotlout said, throwing his hands up in the air. Fishlegs winced at his words.

Everyone fell silent once more, looking at Snotlout in surprise.

Snotlout, who apparently couldn’t handle the staring, huffed, shrugging.

“What, I pay attention! Did none of you guys notice this? He stopped a war for Hiccup, technically! He could have killed him, He could have killed all of us! Multiple times! He could’ve let Hiccup die today even. But he didn’t. Like Hiccup said.” Hiccup looked up at Viggo, who looked back at him with an unreadable expression. Hiccup-never thought about it that way.

“Is… Is that how you feel? That you would be replaced?” Hiccup said. She stayed silent, looking at the ground.

Hiccup took a shaky breath, grabbing her limp hands and pulling them towards him, cupping her fingers carefully between his own.

“Astrid-no. That would never happen, even if we weren't...together. You are my right-hand man, always. And, you didn't fail me. You don't have to prove yourself to me. I know who you are, Astrid Hofferson. And no one-no one can replace you. Like I said before, there will always be an Astrid and a Hiccup, right?” He whistled to Toothless, who warily trotted up to the couple, head ducked to the ground, as if unsure. Hiccup let go with one hand, grabbing the small wad of fabric from the saddle. The gift, that he was trying to give her, for so long now.

"Hiccup...I." She muttered, her eyes devastated looking. Hiccup gave her a sad smile.

“I made this for you, to apologize after our first fight. Just-You are beautiful, and-and intelligent, and you are so strong and-perfect. I don't deserve you, and I need to appreciate you more. There is no one better. And-God’s, I have been trying to apologize to you and I-” He held it out as he took his hand away to unravel the cloth, heart fluttering in his chest, but a hand rested on his.

“No-stop.”

Hiccup looked up, meeting Astrid’s eyes, hollow and devastated. His heart sunk. No, no. She didn’t forgive him? Was she this upset?

“Astrid-” He started, but she shook her head, pushing on the gift a little harder.

“This isn't right. Hiccup." She took a shuttering breath. "I don’t want it. I-I need time to think.” She pushed away from him, running towards her dragon and mounting her as quick as she could.

Hiccup reeled in shock, followed by a series of gasps around him. She...rejected him?

She rejected a betrothal gift. 

“W-what?” Hiccup stuttered. Astrid shook her head once more as she looked at him, eyes glazed and worried.

“Astrid-”

“I’m sorry. I love you Hiccup-but… Everything is different. You are different. I just wish it didn't take me so long to realize how how much.” She let out a wheeze, almost like a laugh as she shook her head again, meeting his eyes.

“You really care about him.” She scanned his eyes, as if looking for something. Hiccup didn’t even understand what she was talking about, here. Something nagged in the back of his head, and he looked over to Viggo, who looked at him with a blank expression, eyes hard and unreadable. His chest fluttered, a bit.

He didn't even realize, but something was different in her, wasn't it? Something was wrong. Something in-between them felt unsettled.

“Astrid, I'm still me. And I still love you.” He said, voice firm and sure. And she wouldn’t lose him. She never would, he wouldn't allow it. She shook her head, turning around and walking to her dragon, who looked sympathetically down at her rider.

“Just look at what you are wearing, and figure it out.” She mumbled. She climbed onto her dragon. His eyes widened as he was reminded of the weight on his shoulders. He fiddled with the cloak as she mentioned it as he has been the entire duration of the conversation, he realized.

Oh. 

“You, I- Astrid!” He started running to her dragon. No, he couldn't lose her, not over this- An arm stopped him.

And she was gone, Stormfly taking off with a roar. Hiccup grit his teeth, turning to who stopped him-and-

It was Ruffnut. Her face was grim, uncharacteristically so.

“Hiccup… if this is going to work, then she needs to accept this on her own.” She said, then shook her head. "You can’t fix this like you usually do. Things are different now.”

“Oh women, so complicated, so bizarre. I wish they were all more like Ruffnut, she’s basically a guy, with how unfeminine she is.” Ruffnut nodded, seemingly pleased, before whipping her head around.

“Hey! I'm plenty feminine!” She shook her fist at her brother, who just snickered.

Hiccup shook his head, ignoring their little skirmish. He was too caught up in his thoughts now.

“But-” Tuffnut broke from his sister’s choke hold, raising a finger.

“No but’s but yours in that bed mister. Or-asleep, somewhere. Rest, young Viking. Heal.” He pointed to the campsite. Hiccup grit his teeth. No, he couldn't sleep. He had to do anything other than sleep.

“No, I can’t sleep after that.” He turned, leaping onto his dragon’s saddle. Toothless shook slightly at the new and somewhat unexpected movement, before readying himself for the air. Toothless crooned at his rider, eyes wide and knowing. Hiccup knew he could count on his dragon to know how he felt.

“Hiccup I really don’t think that’s a good idea-” Fishlegs started. Hiccup cut him off with the raise of his hand.

“I'm-I’m not going after her. I just. I need to think. Ill yell at you all later. You still broke the rules.” He said, voice low and eyes narrowed at Toothless’ saddle. He sighed, looking up at the group, and especially Viggo.

“But… thank you, for trusting me. And-Viggo… just-” He cut himself off, unsure of what words to use to describe exactly what he was feeling towards the other. Viggo just stared at him, calculating. The other riders nodded.

“Yeah, well, how many terrible ideas have you had over the years?” Snotlout snorted. Everyone stared at him for a moment. He just shrugged.

“Is there-uh, any more to that statement?” Hiccup asked, lips quirking slightly despite the dreadful aching in his body.

“What? What else could I add? I’m right.” Snotlout waved his hand, as if he couldn't possibly see anything wrong. Hiccup shook his head, bemused. Somehow, his team always knew how to cheer him up, even just a little.

“Astrid will be fine, Hiccup. She's Astrid.” Snotlout finally added, glaring at him. Hiccup felt a bit of relief at his statement.

“Then we will be at a high enough level to finally unlock Viggo’s secrets! You still haven't told us how to make those Zippleback bombs you told us about!” Ruffnut whined, crossing her arms. The hunter looked at her, bemused. Tuffnut strolled up to his sister, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Hiccup felt a small bit of fear zip up his spine at whatever...Zippleback bombs were.

“We need it added to our repertoire Vigster! Our combat stats depends on it!” He said, same pleading tone in his voice. Viggo chuckled.

“Now, how could I refuse?” Hiccup glared at the hunter, shaking his head in warning. Hiccup shivered with the thought of what the twins could do with that type of weaponry. He ignored how his heart sank, looking at the ex-hunter.

“Don’t show them that. i warn you.” He said, Viggo looked at him with a smirk, neither confirming or denying his intentions. He sent him another look before adjusting on Toothless, preparing to take off. Fishlegs stepped forwards, blocking his view.

“We support you because you are our friend, Hiccup. Astrid will come around, I'm sure of it.” He said, a serious focus in his eyes. Hiccup sighed, looking to the sky as he prayed to the god’s for that exact outcome.

“Yeah, well. I hope so.” He said, then he looked down at Fishlegs, a small smile on his face. “Thank you, Fish. You are a great friend.” Fishlegs grinned back, patting Toothless’ back.

“I am your best friend. Ill always have your back. Now go. I can deal with this.” Hiccup nodded thankfully, then took off, Toothless crying into the night sky, hoping the wind would blow away his troublesome thoughts.

“Just-ugh-GAAAAH.” Hiccup yelled, trying to push as much of his stress and anger into the yell. He went to throw the gift over the edge of the nice little island he found, gritting his teeth.

But-he just couldn't. It wouldn't leave his hands. He growled, pulling back the cursed thing to his chest. He held it, looking at the fabric this way and that, before he dropped it at his side carelessly. It fell to the ground with a dull thunk, the worthless thing clanging against the rocks. He winced, even as it hit the ground, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Hiccup groaned and mirrored its descent, flopping onto the grass with a heavy sigh.

Toothless snorted, curling up around him with a sigh. Hiccup sighed, leaning against the welcoming hide of his brother.

“Heh-thanks bud.” He said, looking down at his dragon’s head. Toothless opened an eye, eyes wide and loving as he leaned forwards, licking Hiccup’s fingertips. His way of saying your welcome. Hiccup ran his hands on the dragon’s tail, thankful for his dragon.

The sun was starting to rise over the great sea on the opposite side of the island, the sky pink and beautiful. Any other day this sight would be absolutely stunning. Instead, it felt as if it were mocking him with its vibrant colors. He rubbed his eye, snarling as the bandages itched on his face.

“I just. God’s bud. I don't know how long I can do this.” Hiccup mumbled, glaring out into the sunset. Toothless chuffed, turning his head to look at Hiccup best he could. Hiccup raised his head and scratched the dragon's face, who purred. Hiccup leaned into his dragon, letting the vibrations he released calm him. 

“What do you think about all of-this?” Toothless sighed, then groaned, a warbling sound that shook his rider lightly. Hiccup chuckled. “Yeah. That's about how I feel.” He looked up at the sun, now falling lower towards the horizon.

“So what do you say? Should we try to go after Astrid?” Hiccup mumbled, mostly out of curiosity more than actual want.

Toothless snarled. Clearly, he had strong feelings on the matter. Hiccup shook his head. “Yeah… I don't really think it's a good idea either.” He sighed, running his hand through his bangs. His hand landed on one of the small braids at the base of his neck, one Astrid put there. His heart clenched at the mere thought of her.

“What do I do bud? Why do I feel-so—” He clenched his fist, trying to find the word. When he couldn't, he just sighed, releasing his fist. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Its my fault.” He looked up at the sky, finding shapes in the dark dissipating clouds as he thought. He grabbed the bladder from his dragon's saddle, one which he had been drinking from for a while now, and took a long drink of mead, hoping it would numb more than just his injuries. He was sure to get an earful from Fishlegs later, but he really didn't care at the moment. What should he do? Where does he go from here?

“Tooth, I just want to patch things up. She doesn't deserve all of this.” Hiccup said. Toothless warbled, shaking his body slightly, almost aggravated. Hiccup ignored it for the moment. He reached down, fiddling with the fins on Toothess’ head.

“I don't know, maybe. Maybe I am dragging her down. Maybe I am weak.” Toothless made a hissing noise, whipping his head back at his rider. Hiccup sighed and shook his head.

“I appreciate it, bud. But-she never acted this way before Viggo. Maybe-I am still avoiding everyone. Maybe she is right.” Toothless, without warning, stood, nearly knocking Hiccup to the ground. Hiccup yelped, instinctively reacting as he caught himself with his hand, leg’s kicking out in a feeble attempt to balance himself.

Toothless walked forwards as he growled, meeting Hiccups eyes, growling with his head low and his eyes slitted. Hiccup held his hands up in caution.

“Woah, what did I do?” He said. Toothless looked up at the sky, shaking his head as if disappointed in him. Then, he widened his pupils, nudging into Hiccup’s stomach with a warm sigh. Hiccup tilted his head at the behavior, even as his heart warmed significantly. His dragon was telling him he was wrong, that he cared.

“Tooth?” Hiccup whispered. He ran his hands on his scales, then dropped the blade at his side, using both hands to hug his brothers head, sighing into his scales as he leaned forwards.

It was as if every bit of stress bubbled up from him at that moment. His shoulders shook with every breath, his heart heavy and weak after such stress on his shoulders released for a moment, after so long.

They sat there for a moment, Hiccup trying to calm his breathing.

“At least-you always got me, huh. I can always count on you.” Toothless warbled, licking his face with his big pink tongue. Hiccup laughed, leaning away from the dragon as he leaned away from the unwanted lick.

“Gah-Toothless! You know I can’t get that out!” He chuckled, not really caring too much about his clothing. He leaned forwards, grabbing the sides of his dragon’s head and nuzzling into his forehead. Toothless chirped, pushing back into his brothers touch.

“What would I do without you Tooth. My brother.” He said, Toothless let out a huff, his purring growing louder as they separated. Hiccup smiled, then looked up to the disgustingly beautiful sky.

Suddenly, his thoughts were thrown as a large black and purple silhouette emerged from the clouds. He reached for his blade's usual position on instinct, before realizing what the shape was, or rather, who it was. 

“Skrill?” The dragon fell with a thump in front of him, her wings lowering as she took a few steps towards him, head low and eyes narrowed Her saddle lay on her back, empty. Toothless growled, curling his tail around his rider in warning. Hiccup held up his hands to both parties, trying to calm them down.

“Its ok bud. What-what are you doing here? Where is Viggo?” In reply the dragon made a crooning noise, sharp like a blade on steel. Whatever that meant, he assumed that she was out here on her own.

Hiccup took a careful step towards the Skrill, who hissed at his proximity, raising her hackles in warning. He stopped, holding his hands up in surrender. He heard his dragon hiss in reply. He took a step back. She calmed, lowering her head once more.

“Hey, hey. Uh… I'm sorry. Are you ok?” He called from a safe distance. Toothless warily made his way to his side, eyes narrowed. Hiccup tilted his head as the dragon simply stared at him, eyes slitted. 

“Right… Um, Viggo isn't here right now?” The dragon rolled her eyes, then chattered to Toothless, who answered with a croon. Hiccup stood befuddled as they talked. It was clearly somewhat heated, at least on Toothless’ side. His dragon raised his wings in a bit of a threatening way, until a growl from the other made him relax. Then, they both looked at him, eerily in sync. Hiccup felt a bit threatened, if he were being honest. 

“What–are you guys talking about?” He mumbled, still holding his hands up as he took a small step back. They simply looked away, continuing their conversation. They seemed to come to an agreement, because they both stopped nodding once to eachother. 

Hiccup stared warily as the Skrill turned to him, eyes slightly wider before approaching him, coming into his personal space. Hiccup could taste the ozone that seemed to seep off of her body. The dragon sniffed him, its cold breath tickling his face, then… she closed her eyes. Hiccup raised his hand, careful to not make any sudden moves. If he was misinterpreting this, he could lose his hand, but…. 

Maybe… 

He almost touched her snout, hovering his hand above it. He felt the static from her skin make a few strands of hair stand on end. He chuckled incredulously. She was… trusting him? Unfortunately, before he could make contact, she retracted, huffing and wrinkling her nose. Hiccup looked back at his dragon, a wide grin on his face. Toothless sat with his head held high, as if proud of his human. Hiccup chuckled. She didn't trust him yet, but it was progress. 

“She is quite magnificent, isn't she?” A voice rang out from behind him. Hiccup slowly looked back, not too surprised to see the man, emerging from the woods, a smirk adorning his face. Viggo gestured to his dragon, who acknowledged him with a bow, before turning back to Hiccup, placing his lighting-shield on the ground beside himself.

“I understand your need to fly your dragons everywhere. It is quite an addicting feeling, flying above the sea. I always knew they were fascinating, but that is something else entirely.” Both dragons lifted their heads at the praise, frilling their wings in delight.

Hiccup rolled his head back, meeting the eyes of the approaching ex-hunter.

“Viggo. I figured that you would follow me. Can’t just leave it alone, right?” Viggo huffed as he sat by his side, an eerily similar motion to earlier in the night.

“As always, you are quite perceptive, dear.” He waved his hand, looking at the stars, his eyes calm. “You know, I've never understood women. Too fickle for my tastes.” Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“You know, I really don't care what you think. Just-go away.” Hiccup started standing. Viggo quickly followed suit. Hiccup glared at him, before looking over at their dragons. They were a bit a ways across the rocks now, sniffing each other. The traitors.

“Do-do you ever listen?” Hiccup said, taking his place on the grass once more, pointedly looking at the sky instead of the hunter.

“Of course, when it worth my time. Unfortunately, your feeble attempts at isolating yourself are not.”

“I'm not trying to isolate myself, I'm just-trying to think.” Hiccup retorted. He wasn't, no. He just needed time alone, something which the other clearly didn't understand.

They sat for a moment, listening to the trees as the wind rustled between their branches, the grass as it fluttered gently. Hiccup traced the clouds, trying desperately to detract from the unwanted presence and thoughts. He sighed.

“This is all my fault. If-If I didn’t fight her, and I talked to her earlier-”

“She would have chosen this same path, or worse. As I said, women are complicated.” Viggo cut him off pointedly. He could feel the others eyes on him. He tried to ignore it, instead just-letting it go.

“I just-I wish everything would go back to normal. Maybe if...I didn't save you, everything would have stayed the same.” 

“And, would that have solved anything?” Viggo asked, looking down on him. Hiccup still pointedly ignored his gaze, dragging his hand across his face.

“Yes-no-I don't know. I just-” He cut himself off, unsure. He finally looked at Viggo, who didn't seem at all upset at his notion.

“I didn't mean it that way. I don't regret it. I'm just...” He whispered. Hiccup swallowed, trying to shake off the guilt of what he said. He looked back at the hunter, who broke his gaze, instead looking towards the fading stars.

“There is a legend that has been told through centuries, passed around through many ears and lips. One of a star, and a dragon. Have you heard of it?”

Ok? What was he on about? Hiccup tilted his head, a bit intrigued but wary. What game was he playing now?

“Uh, no? What, is it about killing some poor dragon and sacrificing it to the gods? Yeah, no thanks.” He said instead, the words pouring from his lips as he sneered. Viggo hummed in amusement.

“No, nothing so macabre. It is not a tale the Berkian's could have told you, no.  This was not a tale from my village, but my mothers.” Oh. Hiccup felt a bit more in the moment. Viggo never talked about her or her village. In fact, he never learned anything outside of what information Viggo gave him when they traded stories. What could this be about?

“So, dragon and stars? Sure. Uh-go on?” He mumbled, still a bit confused. The other raised a brow at him, then looked back at the sky, and the remaining flickers of stars in the blue and pink expanse.

“Centuries ago, long before Viking kind roamed this realm, Surtr’s flame bellowed and crashed with Mani’s great power, miraculously birthing a being of ash and fire. It looked down upon the great realms, praying to Surtr’s flame and Mani’s glow for more flames, to accompany it in the void. Surtr, moved with compassion, pled to Mani. In turn, the god’s created many more sparks, ones that could accompany his first creation.”

“The stars aren't alive. They are just sparks, right?” Hiccup said, raising his brow. At least, that is what he heard. Viggo looked at him, as if he were the silly one.

"Sometimes, a story is a story. May I go on?" Hiccup shrugged. Viggo sighed, continuing.

“Over time, their number grew, numerous enough to cover the void with their embers and illuminate the realms, dancing over Midgard with their flame. They were known to speak to themselves, weaving stories across the the depth of the void and watching the worlds as life passed.”

“Sounds like a blast.” Hiccup cut in, sarcasm lacing his tone. Viggo ignored him, instead continuing. The light from the sky reflecting on his hair, painting it in a pink and silver halo.

“One day, a star was created, bright and powerful, standing out amongst all of the stars, shining bright across the void. His name was þrá, and he was envied for its glow. However, þrá was not content in the void, no. He longed for more. You see, he desired to be adored, loved and worshiped. He felt he deserved more than the void, and so he turned his eye to humans.”

Hiccup shifted, looking more at the lingering stars and letting the others voice distract him from his problems. It was nice. He never realized how soothing the others voice could be.

“The other stars, cursed by envy, told þrá that there was a way to visit Midgard, and to be worshiped as the brightest star, the only one in Midgard. Simply, he would have to touch the dome around us, and a door would open. þrá, unknowing of their plot, agreed readily.”

“Let me guess. It was a trap.” Hiccup sighed. Viggo nodded,

“What þrá did not know, however, was that a star could not exist in the realm of Midgard. It was forbidden for a god of it’s stature to enter into it’s dome. The gods’ seeing the star as it tried to enter such a forbidden realm, became angered, and struck the star to the earth, stripping it of it’s godhood and leaving it mortal, cursed to roam the earth.”

“What-what did it do?” Hiccup felt a shiver up his spine. It rung eerily familiar. Why, Hiccup didn’t know. Either way, he was curious now.

“The star cried to the god’s, desperate to return to its brother’s and sister’s. It wished for Midgard, yes, but it regretted leaving its realm and its mighty powers behind. As it prayed, it did not notice a presence at his side, growing closer to him with every passing moment.

A dragon stood by its side, large and white, as if the very moon itself lived inside the creature. Its voice gentle as falling snow as it asked why he wept. He stared in awe at the creature, before regaling his tale of woe.

The star cried, wishing for the stars once more, for the home that cast him aside. The dragon sympathized with þrá, and agreed to help try to return to the void. Her wings, great and powerful, soared into the night sky as she sailed, twisting and turning with grace towards the sky, pleading for the god’s to take it’s fallen star back home.”

“But, it did not work.” Hiccup said, sadness in his tone. Viggo shook his head.

“No, his pleas rung on deaf ears, cries echoing into the void with no one to answer them, forsaken as he was. He fell to the earth, defeated. The star cried, and the dragon felt pity once more. The dragon took the star to her nest, and there, she cared and loved for the star. Day after day, they grew closer. Eon's passed.” Hiccup nodded, sighing. Viggo moved, sitting next to Hiccup, leaning his hand on his knee as they looked out at the pinkening horizon.

“Over time, the star learned the ways of the dragons, and learned the dance of the stars and the moon, hoping that one day, the star would be able to return home. The star stayed with the dragon, for it could not live with the human’s, and it did not suit dragons, so the dragon taught it how to live with her, and, over time, the dragon realized it loved the star, and the star learned to love the dragon.”

Hiccup felt a pang in his heart at this, as he stared at the ex-hunter. The way he said it, it sounded so painful, as if it were personal to him, and maybe it was. Hiccup didn't know.

“Still, after all that time, the star yearned for the void, even if he didn't dance and plead anymore. The dragon loved the star; She hated how he yearned for a home he could not return to, and desired for him to find true happiness. He was not happy on Midgard, nor would he ever be, she believed.” Viggo took a deep breath, a small puff of white retreating from his pink lips.

“One night, in a terrible flash, a large mare appeared at her side, curious of her turmoil. It heard her cries, and it pitied her. The mare said he knew a way to end their plight with only a small fee.” Hiccup took in a sharp breath.

“He said, if she were to dance for the moon and the stars one last time, he could unlock a passageway, but only if she gave something in return. Desperate, the dragon agreed.”

“Loki?” Hiccup mumbled. Viggo shifted, leaning forwards and looking down to the horizon.

“That night, she told her dear star she had a gift for him. They flew to the sky, dancing for the moon and the stars one last time. As they danced, the trickster god appeared. The star cried as his body was transformed, stripped from his lesser body as he was returned to his godlike status once more. And he watched, as the dragon he loved spiraled to the earth, her wings taken as the price for his godhood.”

Viggo looked at him, as if scanning him for some sort of reaction, or, maybe he was trying to hide his own expression. Hiccup looked back at him, analyzing his expression in turn. It was blank, but his eyes looked… lost.

“You see, In his longing, þrá doomed his dear dragon, banishing her from the skies and taking from her what he himself lost. He succeeded in his original goal, of gaining worship, but in his agony, he doomed her.” Viggo broke his stare, looking back to the stars. “Hiccup, the star did long for his home, but he loved his dragon much more than the stars. He just didn't realize until he lost her. Neither could ever see the other ever again, neither could be free. And he was doomed to look at this dragon as she withered. Some say that Mani, on the time of her passing, heard the pleas of the star, and split her body, creating a new species of dragon to roam the earth, for the star to look upon for all eternity.”

Hiccup looked down, biting his lip. It felt like there was so much more to that story. The way he said it, the way his heart fluttered in regret told him something else was at play, more than Hiccup and Astrid. Still, he tried shaking his head, and the weird layer of guilt that settled on his shoulders. 

“Wow-that’s uh. A great and uplifting story. Wow. Thanks for that. Makes me feel a lot better.” Hiccup stood up, leg squeaking at the sudden movement. He wobbled slightly, exhaustion making him unsteady.

“So, uh-what are you trying to say here? That I am holding her back, that I am the reason she is sad?” He gestured wildly, starting to pace back and forth. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Ok-Ok I get it, I screwed it up, and I made her unhappy. I doomed her. Right? I took everything from her, and I spit in her face.” He sighed, sitting down on a nearby boulder. He grabbed his head. “I just-I don't know what to do to fix it. She rejected me”

All was silent for a moment, then Viggo walked up to him, his feet only visible, before he gently placed a finger under his chin, raising it as he kneeled in front of the rider. Hiccup’s breath hitched at the proximity. Viggo’s eyes met his, calm and...safe. Beautiful.

“Oh Hiccup. It is quite simple, really. Give her time. Do not chase the stars for her.” Hiccup wanted to shake his head, but he couldn't, he just-couldn't. As if his body didn't want to.

“Yeah, you would like that, wouldn’t you?” He mumbled, voice barely above a whisper as he narrowed his exposed green eye at the other. Viggo hummed, tilting his head.

“You dance for the moon and beg the stars for her love Hiccup, knowing they will not hear your calls. What do you believe that will help, if not to hurt you more?” Viggo smiled, a small thing. He looked-more fragile, than Hiccup ever saw him. As if he were waiting for something.

“She might be happy.” Hiccup sighed, a shaky thing. Viggo looked at him for a moment, scanning his eyes. Hiccup tried to focus his eyes, his body feeling wrung out and exhausted.

“And you might fall to the earth.” He must not have found what he was looking for, if the disappointment that danced in his pupils was any indication. Hiccup felt like he disappointed him, in a way. And he didn’t know why. Why was his heart thumping so hard?

Viggo broke away from him, walking to his side. Hiccup nearly fell over as the tension was cut. But-there was a disappointment there, wasn't there? As if something should have happened. but didn't.

He tried clearing his throat, the burning pull of the lump lodged into it making him wince. He heard Viggo sigh next to his side, sitting on the large shelf-like boulder, by his side. If he were sober, the close proximity may have set off alarms. But this time, he just felt-warm. He reached over, laying his hand on the rock, close to the other.

He looked up at the sky, watching the dragons, who seemed to choose to play with eachother, in the grass. Or-at least Toothless was trying. The Skrill leapt up, spinning into the sky, eclipsing the moon as she danced out of the dragons reach. Toothless whined, unable to get airborne.

Hiccup felt a pang of sadness at his face. One day-for sure. He would get the dragon to wear a self-flying tail fin. Maybe-he could create one that could shift in and out of solo mode. Yeah. That might work.

Still, he couldn't help as he watched the ethereal dragon, lightning dancing on her wings, as she playfully flew out of reach, her shadow glowing with the pink and silver glow of dawn. Hiccup unconsciously leaned to the side. He heard a surprised intake of breath at his side, but he was too tired to care, the day’s event hitting him like a tidal wave.

“Look at them, finally getting along-heh, dancing to the moon. Moon...dancers.” He mumbled. He wasn't even sure if it was audible. It seemed like his body was giving out on him all at once, his eyes heavy. It made him chuckle as a thought occurred to him. “T-that’s a good name…”

“Hiccup?” A voice called. Hiccup blearily opened his eyes, looking at the two dragons that walked closer to him.

"Moon-dancer. Like in your story. That-that is a good name for a...dragon.” With that, he closed his eyes, the last thing he saw was the wide eyes of his dragon, and the Skrill by his side, both looking at them. He heard a voice chuckle.

“You know, I do believe you are right.” And with that, he was gone, the call of the void far too strong as he was pulled into the throes of slumber.

Viggo stared down, dumbfounded at the rider. Viggo was thankful that he took his pauldrons off earlier, for he couldn't imagine they would ever be comfortable, like his shoulder apparently was. Viggo looked up to his dragon, who seemed to find a place at his feet, her eyes narrowed on Hiccup, carefully analyzing him. She was oh so careful of who she trusted, Hiccup most of all. Viggo smiled at his dear dragon. reaching with his free arm to touch her snout.

“What do you think, my dear Skrill?” He asked. She sighed, pushing into his hand with a cool puff of air. She purred at his touch, closing her eyes before retreating.

“You know, it is quite fitting for you, my dear. Moondancer.” She looked up at him, then Hiccup, then the moon. She let out a small huff of air, then nodded. Viggo smiled at her, nodding his head in return. It seemed Hiccup had the honor of choosing her name after all. He chuckled at the irony.

He adored her more than any creature. She was part of him, in a way. It troubled him as much as it intrigued him. He may not have realized her significance in that tale, when it came to Viggo. How truly fitting the name was. How she saved him, as he did her. He gently ran his hand up her nose, letting her lean into his touch.

Yes, Hiccup chose a fitting name.

He leaned back, looking at the man in question.

“Hiccup?” He lay asleep on the man, nuzzled into his arm, bundled in his loaned cloak. Viggo sighed, his heart which he thought would never beat for any soul sang at the sight. He leaned forwards, pressing a small kiss to the crown of his forehead and whispered into his hair.

“Oh my love, so naive. If only you knew how my heart beats for you, my dear dragon. She doesn't deserve you." He sighed, looking up at the sky in contemplation.

"And It’s my fault to love you, I suppose. I know I cannot ask you to love me back." Viggo carefully moved his arm, slow and steady. Hiccup groaned a bit with the shifting as he moved. Viggo reached forwards, touching his dearest Hiccup’s head, reverently brushing his fingers through the auburn locks, nearly ethereal in the pink and silver light.

"But, if your heart allows for forgiveness as you say, if you allow me...I would never leave your side.”

And the words rung true through as the sun finally broke past the treeline, shining its great light through the trees and painting the world in a beautiful golden hue. A new day for all of those on the island; A new beginning for their future singing in its rays, daunting and uncertain. 

Chapter Text

Awareness came slowly to Viggo, which was odd in and of itself. He never slept soundly, and he couldn’t recall a time he didn’t wake up with a raging headache. Nevermind a time he couldn't remember how exactly he fell asleep. 

And yet here he was, his body well-rested and calm, as if it felt safe for the first time in what felt like years. It was quite thrilling sensation.

He never slept deeply on excursions with his hunters, and he surely would never let his guard down on his island. After his experiences...well, he thought he would never rest easily again, if he lived long enough to think of the ramifications of such things. Fortunately, he was still alive, due to the kind and courageous heart of his adversary.

He cracked open his eyes. As he did, he was met with the sight of the one he was just thinking about, one that fell asleep on him last night. Ah, so that was why he was calm, Hiccup did manage to have the most bizarre effects on him.

His gaze softened as he traced his features reverently, watching as he slowly breathed in and out, his mouth cracked open slightly.

The small nicks and scars he accumulated over the years mixed quite nicely with the small freckles scattered across his face. It reminded him of the embers of Muspelheim embedded in the firmament. They accentuated the auburn glow of his hair and brought out the green of his eyes when awake; they were all features he memorized over and over before, but they never seemed to lose their novelty as Viggo studied then as many times as he could.

Viggo couldn’t help but smile slightly as he noticed how relaxed the other was.

Viggo was attracted to Hiccup’s mind, of course, but his elegant disposition was a factor as well. He was quite beautiful indeed. Viggo desired him in every way, body and mind.

Viggo slightly shifted, careful not to wake the other, who lay there wrapped in his cloak, laying against him heavily. Viggo restrained himself from running his fingers alongside the elegant curve of Hiccup’s hips.

At some point in the night they must have slid down the rock and onto the forest floor, as they were bundled together and leaning against the rock, Hiccup’s body tucked neatly into his chest. Viggo breathed in, the smell of oil and grass mixed with leather and dragon fire just close enough to identify. 

Despite the crick in his neck, he would choose to never move, to never leave that serene moment if he could. He sometimes wished to look at Hiccup forever, as if staring at him would one day unlock all of his darkest secrets and fascinating talents. As he stared, he pondered his situation.

He always thought it below him to fall in love, never mind become emotionally attached as he did to Hiccup. He had seen men die for their dear loved ones, and he had seen wars fought for others. He never could understand understand that deep and enthralled love others showed. He always thought they were fools for allowing something as pathetic as emotions sway their actions.

The irony was not lost on him as he thought upon the last few months.

Here he was, enthralled with another as if he were some simpering teenager, just like those men and woman. He was right with that assumption, but after experiencing it himself, well… he couldn’t bring himself to regret loving Hiccup. Perhaps that is why some chose love, despite how infuriating it could be.

He sighed, closing his eyes once more, focusing on his breathing as he cut off the image of the others sleeping form.

When the war ended, Viggo thought he had two options. To return to his village or live on the run, neither of which appealed to him. But now? It seemed a third one presented itself to him, one that he deemed impossible before…but Fishleg’s words would not leave his mind all night. No, maybe that third option isn’t such an impossibility after all.

So, as he told his tale from his childhood, he looked at the other, studied him, wondering as to how he felt, what he truly felt inside.

And there was something there, in Hiccup’s eyes. Not love, no, but something close to it. Attraction? Lust? Confusion? Maybe a mix of them all. It seemed poor Hiccup might not even know himself, if last night were any indication, but, there was something there he could identify, hidden in his emerald eyes, something like hope. And there, that affirmed Ingerman’s words.

Never in the Nine Worlds would Viggo have thought that Hiccup might become more than his enemy, let alone an ally. And yet, here he was, thinking of the possibility of a future with his dear Hiccup. He thought of it before, of course, but tended not to dwell on such foolish daydreams, because Hiccup would never feel the same; He would settle for helping him grow and become more than Viggo could ever be. He would have been satisfied with dying to help his dear adversary along on his journey to end the war, and now after Fishleg’s words… well... it changed things.

If it were mere months earlier, Viggo would have acted on his emotions at that moment, but he was smarter than that, now. That would just push Hiccup away. No, Viggo could not show the other how he felt. He had to hold off on acting out on his feelings, Hiccup had to come to him. Despite how it clawed at him, he could be patient.

As if answering him, Viggo felt something touch his face, on the burnt side. It was quite damaged, yes, but it tingled with the light touch, the nerves sending a tingling burn into the numb tissue. Viggo made sure he did not twitch at the touch, pretending to sleep. He was curious, however, as to what Hiccup was doing.

He focused on the feeling as the other ran his fingers on the valleys and ridges of his twisted burns, barely touching his skin at all, as if scared the lightest touch would wake him up. He carefully traced them towards his head, then back down towards his neck, as if he were mapping them. Viggo was quite curious now. He thought the other would panic the moment that he woke up. This was not the reaction he was expecting.

It thrilled him, that his dear rider did not move away, instead inspecting him. It reminded him of his own actions, not moments earlier.

He heard a small huff, as if Hiccup were frustrated. He shifted slightly, putting his hand’s on his chest, as if to push him away. Viggo waited for him to do so, but Hiccup just stayed there, as if plotting on how to escape. Curious indeed.

“Why? What is wrong with me?” Hiccup mumbled, tracing his skin delicately, as if he were fragile, his hands steady as he did so. His voice sounded far away, as if he were lost in thought. They sat there for a moment, Hiccup tracing down his neck and his face, mapping his features. It took every ounce of strength not to move, to show the other just how his touch affected him. He was too curious of the others motives.

“Odin smite me.” He heard mumbled underneath the others breath. Hiccup shuffled away from him, letting loose a low sigh as he did so. Viggo mourned the others touch. He was enjoying it. Ah well. In due time.

“Now, that might be a little dramatic, wouldn't you say?” Viggo decided to make his consciousness known, slowly opening his eyes, as if he were only just waking up. Hiccup jumped at his voice. Viggo took in the other, sitting up and getting farther from him. After a moment, Hiccup sighed shakily, as if to regain his composure. When he spoke, his voice was steady.

“Not when it comes to waking up to you. I'm sure the god’s would be a little more forgiving in their torment.” Hiccup snarked, glaring at the other. Viggo propped his head up with an arm, raising his brow at the other with a smirk. Clearly, the other chose not to address his actions, instead deflecting with sarcasm.

“Oh, you wound me.” Hiccup looked at him, a moment longer than he usually did, before scoffing and shaking his head.

“Good.” He said through gritted teeth. Hiccup whistled sharply, calling for his dragon, it seemed. Neither of their dragon’s were with them, in fact. Viggo shuffled that information away, instead looking to the rider, watching as he sat up and fiddled with the edge of his cloak, as if deciding whether to take it off or not.

Despite Viggo’s wishes for the other to continue wearing his cloak, a mark of him being his, Hiccup undid the clasp and slid it off of his shoulders. Viggo watched as it fell down his back gracefully, admiring as the other revealed his thin shirt, almost suggestively. Yes. He was quite the beautiful thing, wasn’t he?

“What?” Hiccup snapped as he set the cloak onto the rock. Viggo slowly traced his eyes back up the other’s body to meet the others emerald eyes. He lazily smirked, tilting his chin up.

“Nothing, simply admiring you.” Hiccup flushed a quite fetching red, a scowl painted on his thin lips as he looked away, letting out a small huff as he did so.

“Yeah, sure. I’m, uh, sure I look stunning right now. Bandages are all in on Berk these days.” He said, sarcasm dripping from his lips.

“God’s, I hate these stupid things.” Hiccup grit his teeth as he harshly wiped his hand down his face, fingers itching his scalp where the bandages touched his hairline with frustration.

“Don’t worry, dear. They do not detract.” Viggo said, pushing himself into a sitting position. He stood, careful to not strain his healing back as he did so. He stood proudly, even as the other faced away from him.

“From what? My strapping Viking body? My charming disposition?” Hiccup said, rolling his shoulders as he adjusted his leg. Viggo took a careful and measured step towards him. He hung mere inches away from the other, lowering his voice as he leaned close to his ear.

“From your beauty.” He whispered. He could see the tensing of the others shoulders as he froze. Viggo grinned as the other slowly turned his head, their noses brushing at their proximity.

“W-what?” Hiccup said, shakily exhaling as they stared into eachother’s eyes, his breath hot against Viggo’s skin as he did so. Viggo smirked, raising a brow at the other. They stood there, Hiccup seeming to not know what to do at the moment, as if transfixed on his eyes. Oh, how he adored those emerald eyes, the intelligence gleaming through them as he analyzed Viggo, who studied him in turn.

Viggo carefully tilted his head, crossing his arms behind his back as he raised his chin.

“You know, my dear, you still haven’t quite told me about your… dragonese, as we agreed upon.” He broke the silence, watching as the other’s expressions frittered from confusion, to shock, to annoyance, and fell into an analyzing look. Viggo tutted.

“Or rather, lack thereof.” He added. Hiccup narrowed his eyes as he seemed to recall last nights events.

He did in fact hear the other talking in Norse to his dragon and heard him as he pondered their woeds, unsure of what their dragons were saying. He was sure Hiccup pieced together this information by now. It didn’t surprise him, as he assumed it was a farce from the get go, one that Hiccup was quite fond of using on him. Still, it fascinated him as to what the other would say in terms of his dragon call.

"How do you know it was a lie? What if I just chose not to use it last night?” Hiccup said, tilting his head back as he stared into Viggo’s eyes. He saw fire in their depths, a strength of diamonds in his spine as he refused to back down from the surely uncomfortable proximity.

“I am many things, dear Hiccup, but a fool I am not.” Viggo smirked. “However, I am quite intrigued on the uses of your calls. It clearly has some merit, if last night was any indication. Your ingenuity is impressive. It does make me curious if such a thing does exist.”

“Hah, I wish. We…should be getting back soon, though.” Hiccup said, looking towards the clouds. It was nearing midday. Viggo hummed.

“Without our dragons? Last I checked, you did not have a ship to carry you, either.” Hiccup swallowed. Viggo watched his throat bob as he took a small step away. He looked back to the sky, then back to Viggo. Their dragon’s didn’t appear yet, perhaps this would be a perfect time.

“The ability to call your dragon or signal your teams with an inhuman voice must be quite invaluable.” He was sure the other used it multiple times in their war, in fact. “It would come in handy at a time like this.” Viggo nodded towards the other, who rolled eyes.

“And I suppose you want me to show you, right? Our truce rules and all that. Dragon knowledge.” As if reading his mind, Hiccup said his thoughts aloud, running a hand through his hair as he did so. Viggo nodded.

“I would like that, yes. It would be quite the boon in the heat of battle, wouldn’t you say?” Hiccup sighed, seeing the logic in his statement, he was sure. Viggo leaned closer, walking to the edge side by side with the rider. Hiccup fiddled with his hands for a moment.

“Fine, Thor above.” He groaned, then after a moment of silence, he focused on the hunter.

“Well, ah, this is something you have to perfect over time. To sound like a dragon you need to memorize their exact tone and pitch of their voices.” Hiccup said, tone changing to a more formal tone, one usually used when teaching.

“God’s this is so weird explaining to you, of all people.” He mumbled under his breath after a moment. Viggo deemed to ignore the comment.

“Mimicry, then. Fascinating. And they do respond to it?” Hiccup nodded to his question.

“If they hear it, yeah. They have to be in earshot.” He pointed to his ear as he said this. Viggo nodded.

“It is worth a try, then.” He said, then looked back at Hiccup.

“So, I-uh, tuck my tongue against the roof of my mouth, towards my teeth. It-the sound comes from your chest, like this.” Hiccup let out a shaky nod as he fiddled with his hands for a moment, then he held up his hands, cupping his mouth.

As he did so, Viggo carefully studied him, watching how he locked his jaw wide, how his chest heaved. Hiccup screamed with the same blood-curdling howl of a Night Fury, as if the beast were part of him. Yet, it did not seem out of place. It seemed nearly natural coming from the rider. If he were a more superstitious type, then it would not surprise him if the other were part dragon. It was fascinating.

As Hiccup ceased his call, they both strained their ears to hear a return call. Overtime, they both looked at eachother, Hiccup looked slightly embarrassed, before turning to Viggo.

“So, your turn. Let’s see what you got, hunter.” He chided. Viggo raised his brow at the challenging remark. Now, a dragon call… he could try it, yes, no matter how silly it may have felt. He sighed, following Hiccup’s instructions as he cupped his hands around his mouth.

He cried, more of a yell than anything escaping his lungs. As he yelled, he nearly winced at the sound. It did not quite sound like a dragon, did it? Hiccup seemed to find it amusing, if his small chuckles were any indication. Viggo looked back at Hiccup, who was holding his stomach as he laughed with an unimpressed look. Hiccup composed himself a bit.

“I said a Night Fury, not a dying yak.” Hiccup chuckled through short breaths. Viggo hummed, raising his brow.

“Perhaps we should try another dragon. How would you do a Skrill?” Viggo asked. Hiccup thought for a moment as he steadied his breathing, before turning to Viggo with a challenge in his emerald gaze.

“You know, every dragon rider should know their dragon the best. Maybe you should give it a shot.” Viggo raised his brow at the challenge. Hm, that was an interesting take on it. Did he know Moondancer enough to mimic her cry? He did hear the calls of a Skrill multiple times in his life, but to mimic her scream seemed near impossible.

Still, he carefully thought of her cry, and tried to press his tongue to the back of his mouth as he focused on what muscles he would use. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled into the sky once more, the sound grating on his throat. It still did not come close, a bizarre scream instead emitting from his mouth. He could hear Hiccup laughing once more.

They tried a few more times, each ending in disaster. Viggo vowed to get it, even in the face of defeat. Hiccup found each failure quite amusing, it seemed.

“I will get it eventually, don’t worry.” He said, raising a brow in his direction. Hiccup shook his head, laughing a bit more.

“No, it’s not just that…just-you-Viggo Grimborn attempting to call a dragon… God’s, how did we get here?” Ah, he could see the humor in that. He never did imagine that he could be standing here, yelling at the sky with a dragon rider. He grinned at the other.

“Your stubbornness led us to this situation, if I recall.” Viggo said. Hiccup sighed, then nodded his head.

“Yeah, you are right about that. I just keep making the wrong choices, huh.” Hiccup said, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"I disagree. I would say they were the choices of one who will one day become a great Chief." Viggo said. He heard Hiccup sigh as he said that, as if he were unsure what to say.

They stood there for a moment, contemplative silence surrounding the two. Hiccup fiddled with the edge of his red shirt as Viggo tucked his arms behind his back, waiting for the other to break the silence, which he did, reluctantly.

“Viggo… About what I said out there, and last night... I just-I…” Hiccup ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly. Viggo looked at him knowingly. His words last night rung in his head as he looked at the others face.

“Hiccup, it is understandable.” He said. Hiccup snapped his head towards him, locking eyes with the hunter.

“What?” He whispered. Viggo shrugged nonchalantly. He could not blame Hiccup for his outburst, nor his words last night.

“It is only natural to jump to conclusions, especially with your dear betrothed’s…concerns. Your word’s and actions were ones of concern for your team.” Hiccup sharply inhaled at that. Viggo wondered if he forgot about his dear betrothed in the chaos of the morning, yet his eyes said otherwise. There was guilt there, yes, but also a resolute hardness in his eyes. He stepped up towards the hunter, closer than he ever did purposefully. Viggo’s heart skipped at his proximity. Hiccup looked at him, humor sliding off his face.

“I shouldn’t have let Astrid’s words get to me like that. That was wrong. I was wrong Viggo. You saved my life out there.” Viggo stared at the other, his face nearly touching his. It was odd, seeing the other like this. If he leaned forwards enough, he could nearly kiss him.

He wished to, for a moment; Hiccup’s words made his heart skip.

“A life for a life, yes?” Viggo whispered. Hiccup nodded, pausing for a moment before responding.

“Yeah. You are free now. I guess there is nothing left keeping you here.” Hiccup looked down for a split moment, as if in regret, before locking onto the hunter once more.

“You are. Our alliance is. I made a promise, dear, and I plan to fulfill that promise. Then I shall disappear. You have my word." Viggo said, Hiccup’s eyes widened for a moment, before a small smile stretched onto his face as he looked at him.

Hiccup held a hand out, which Viggo took. Hiccup took a shaky breath, then pressed his hand towards his heart. As his hand rested on Viggo's chest, he locked eyes on the hunter.

“You know, in Berk we have a saying passed down from Hamish Haddock the second. 'sem óvinir skiljum við, sem bræður rísum við.'" Hiccup said. He took a breath.

“It means that if we can find it in our hearts to forgive, we may rise stronger from the ashes, as one.” Hiccup shuffled, looking down as he removed his hand. Viggo's eyes widened. He knew the significance behind the others words. It was an oath, a promise. He slowly raised his hand, placing it on Hiccup's hand. Hiccup took a shuddering breath.

“It may not be a fancy story about the stars, but it served me well through the years, and it helped form who I am. I...use it today as a promise, and an apology. Hopefully, this might work for both of us, make us both stronger.” He looked up again, a resolute gleam in his eyes.

“Thank you, Viggo. For yesterday. Ill talk some sense into Astrid.” He spoke it with authority, as if he were forcing himself to say it. Viggo could tell the words hurt, even if just a little. Still, this was not what he was expecting. He nodded at the other, his eyes soft as he looked at the other.

Before he could respond however, a loud flapping noise, similar to a loud locust filled their ears, the wing beat of a Gronkle if he was not mistaken.

“Hiccup-Hiccup!” The voice of Fishleg’s filled the field, confirming his suspicions. The man jumped off of his Gronkle, breathing heavily as he trounced up to the rider’s.

“Wh-Fishlegs? Uh-” Hiccup quickly backed away from Viggo, noticing the close proximity they had to eachother. Viggo smirked at the flush on his face.

“W-What happened?” Hiccup continued, now a more reasonable distance away. Fishlegs eyes flitted between the two of them with a suspicion in his eyes, but he didn’t deem it necessary to address it. He focused back on Hiccup.

“Uh-we need to head back. There’s been a-uh a development. With the Singetail.” Hiccup nodded, his face becoming deathly serious.

“What happened?” Viggo was also quite intrigued. He stepped closer to the duo. Fishlegs looked nervously at him for a moment, before talking to Hiccup in a quieter voice.

“The Singetail! It has Deathong amber on it!” He said. Hiccup tilted his head. Viggo had an inkling of what this was about now.

“It… escaped a Deathsong?” Hiccup asked. Fishlegs quickly shook his head, gesturing with his hands as he took a step closer to Hiccup.

“No…no. I mean that’s what Astrid was trying to tell you. When they went to the outpost, there was chunks of Deathsong amber everywhere.” Hiccup’s eyes widened. Viggo nodded, contemplative. Yes, he was quite familiar with this problem indeed. It was one of his plans, after all.

“Ah, so they are still using Project Honeypot, hm?” He said, more to himself than to the group. They turned to look at him, eyes wide. He rubbed his chin, looking at the other two riders. A mixture of pride and concern filled him, a mixture that he was unsure what to do with. He answered their unasked question.

“You really believe Krogan's flyers could have captured as many Singetails as they have without some of my help? Dear, you severely overestimate them.”

Chapter Text

The day’s chill buzzed gently on the faces of the riders, the smell of fall filled the air as the season marched on into fall, painting the world in a myriad of reds and oranges. It was a beautiful day, but the tension between the riders ruined what should have been a normally typical reunion.

Astrid arrived earlier to the camp, an hour or so after sunrise. Not many words were said to her, and in turn, she did not speak to the others. She was too trapped in her own thoughts to say much, anyways. She sat there, a forlorn expression on her face as she poked at the lingering fire, the small thing letting out sad little sparks as it was disturbed, becoming smaller and smaller the longer she bothered it. Still, she continued.

With one sad little puff of smoke, it extinguished itself, leaving only smoking wood and embers. Still, she mindlessly poked the remaining embers, a faraway look in her eyes.

Fishlegs left some time ago, looking for Hiccup after they discovered the Deathsong amber on the unfortunate Singetail. Usually, that would be Astrid’s job to track down Hiccup, but it was unanimously agreed that would be a bad idea. Tensions were too high, and Fishlegs volunteered in her place.

It left the team with nothing to do but wait. They do not handle waiting well.

"God’s, I am so sick of this!” Snotlout yelled, nearly making everyone jump out of their skin. The twins yelped, knocking over their tower of meticulously placed rocks as they jumped. A groan of disappointment followed the action.

“Aww, can you keep it down? We were so close!” Ruffnut whined.

Tuffnut crossed his arms and huffed. “Unbelievable. I just can’t believe it. The betrayal.”

“Exactly, betrayal! You know what I can’t believe? This, all of this! With Viggo, Hiccup-all of that!” Snotlout threw his hands in the air as he started to pace. “I am done with this-drama! You guy’s aren’t supposed to be dramatic, I am! You are usually the voice of reason! What happened? And, And, regecting Hiccup!? I mean, I know I am worth it but where did that even come from?” He snarled. Astrid looked up slowly, then looked back down at the smothered embers, her expression stony and forlorn. Snotlout marched forwards and waved his hand in front of her face.

“Uh, Astrid, Hey! I'm talking to you here! When did you become so-like this?! You are supposed to be-like-the complete opposite of this! Why?” He ranted, waving his hands as he did so.

Astrid sighed, dropping her stick.

“Why am I the only one that has a problem with their relationship? Why are you so ready to defend Viggo when we can all clearly see what is going on here?” Her voice raised in pitch the longer she talked. Snotlout groaned.

“God’s, not this again.” The team leaned forwards a bit. “Viggo is creepy, sure. And unhinged, and terrifying. And I am not sure about him living with us, but Hiccup said-”

“And you believe him when Viggo has been getting into his head this whole time? How could you defend Viggo when he is trying to take Hiccup away from us?!” She slammed down her stick, the poor thing bouncing violently on the forest floor as she did so.

“What are you even talking about? Hiccup is fine! The only one who isn’t is you!” Snotlout pointed to her. Astrid snarled.

“I am talking about how he is using Hiccup!”

“Oh Astrid, so willing to jump to conclusions. When will it end? Just like our aunt Edda. So sad.” Tuffnut said.

“God’s, Astrid. You are acting like Hiccup is keeping some big secret from us. Like him and Viggo are hiding something.” Snotlout said.

“And what if they are!?”

“Hoh! The scandal! Astrid, what made you believe that Hiccup has chosen to join the dark side? That would be a new low, even for him.” He yelped when Ruffnut punched him hard in the arm, rolling her eyes, then she looked at Astrid.

“Ghh, boys. Viggo is in love with Hiccup, you idiots.” Ruffnut let out a breath, looking down to the forest floor. “I don’t even think Hiccup realizes it though, the moron. And I thought I was bad at reading people.”

The camp fell completely silent.

The male audibly dropped something, mouth wide and gaping in his sister’s direction.

“Nevermind, I take it back. This is a new low.” Tuffnut said. Snotlout himself took a step back from Ruffnut, then started laughed.

“Hah-hah good one Ruff! Now that is the most insane thing I have ever heard! How did you knock even more screws loose, huh? I thought that wasn’t possible!”

Astrid snapped her head up, eyes wide with confusion. All faces looked at her with varying degrees of disbelief. Snotlout gaped the hardest, his eyes wide and confused. Astrid looked around in confusion.

“You already knew! Stop acting like you don’t!” She spat once she gained her composure from Snotlout’s outburst. “None of you have let me forget it!” She threw her stick to the ground. It seemed as though the turn in conversation knocked her out of the funk she was in. She stood up, her teeth bared in frustration as she scanned the group.

“All of your little taunts, and remarks! You haven’t missed a single opportunity to rub it in my face. Don’t you dare play dumb now!”

“But what if we actually are dumb!?” Tuffnut said, waving his hands. Astrid snarled.

“W-How could you possibly not know?!”

“Well I did!” Ruffnut snapped, eyes narrowed before she scoffed, folding her arms. “I tried telling you this earlier, when you went to go get Hiccup and Viggo from their hut yesterday?”

“You said they could be naked, not-oh. Ohh.” Snotlout zoned out for a moment as understanding appeared on his face. “Oh, gross!” He yelped, before shaking his head feverishly, trying to banish whatever vision appeared there.

“And what about last night?!” Astrid snapped, crossing her arms as her eyes flashed dangerously. “If you didn’t know how he felt about Hiccup, then why would you say that?!”

“I thought you were worried Viggo was replacing you as an advisor, or a leader! You know, like an ally. Not romantically! Who in their right mind would ever think that!? Yeah, Viggo saving Hiccup multiple times was weird but like-” He swallowed, an awkward silence following his remark.

They all sat there, staring at eachother as they thought of the actions Viggo has taken. The way he looked at Hiccup, as if he meant the world to him, the way he stole every moment alone with him. The wierdly romantic flight. The race. They way he possessively hovered around their leader, analyzing his every movement. How he chased after Hiccup last night. Did, did they all miss this? How? How could they when it was so obvious?

How long has this been going on, anyways? How long has Viggo Grimborn been in love with Hiccup Haddock? How long have they all ignored the signs? How…how did Hiccup feel about it? Did he know?

“There, there, Snot. It will be alright.” Tuffnut looked up from the ground at the distraught teammate. He made his way over, patting his friend on the head. Snotlout slapped his arm away, rolling his eyes.

“It will not be alright! Don’t tell me it’s alright!”

“Uh, not that I am saying you guys are right or anything, but if you are, shouldn’t we…uh…stop this?” Tuffnut murmured under his breath. The team looked at him, alarmed at first, then slowly nodding.

“How? Like I have? What if we just drive Hiccup away even more? What if...his feelings are reciprocated? What if I already pushed him too far?” Astrid said, a concerned look on her face as she stared at the ground. She couldn't help the thoughts spiraling through her head like a typhoon. 

She...let Hiccup down, didn't she? She pushed him away. This wasn't about Viggo, this is about her, her failing him, her failing as a betrothed. Every day, she felt like she fell farther on his list, less important. She never even realized how far she had fallen.

Was… Was she jealous?

No, Hiccup was in danger, she was doing this for a reason. She was in the right, right? Then why did she feel such disappointment in herself? Why did she feel so…angry?

“Yeah right, that would be insane.” Snotlout said, crossing his arms. “Maybe you guys are jumping to conclusions.” Snotlout narrowed his eyes, grabbing onto that thought with both hands. Tuffnut nodded, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

“Would it? Have you met Hiccup? It’s not the craziest thing he’s done.” Astrid said, frustration darkening her tone. Her friends looked at her, concern dancing across their faces.

“Oh, don’t worry Astrid! Team Tuff and Snot will get to the bottom of this!” Tuffnut slung an arm around Snotlout, who grinned at his friend.

“Oh, you are on.” Ruffnut cackled.

“Yeah! I bet you guys are wrong. Even if Viggo feels anything, which I highly doubt, Hiccup would never recip-eciate… or whatever, it!” Snotlout said, crossing his arms with a sense of finality. Astrid bit her lip. She had all the proof she needed for Viggo, but Hiccup? 

Before he could continue, the screech of a Skrill and a Nightfury filled the night air, prompting them all to drop the conversation as the subjects of their conversation came into view. They dove towards the camp, all 3 riders landing in the clearing with a thump. The group hyper-fixated on the duo in question.

Viggo and Hiccup came off of their saddles side-by-side, landing next to eachother in-between their dragons, who looked at eachother, as if somewhat annoyed. Hiccup stumbled very slightly, which Viggo quickly responded to, grabbing his shoulder to steady him.

Hiccup looked back to Viggo, nodding in thanks. Viggo nodded in turn, a small and jarring smile on his face. The group shivered at the silent interaction, the new context seemingly turning an innocent gesture into something much more sinister.

Hiccup looked over at Fishlegs, who made his way to their side, albeit not as close as Viggo was. The team stood up as their leader made his way to the camp, side by side with Viggo. They both stood proudly together, as if they were equals leading the group, and not the leader with a somewhat-prisoner/ally. It made Snotlout’s skin crawl.

When did their stance change on one another? Did they even realize it? It never registered to them before. Now it was unnerving. Hiccup scanned the group, immediately realizing something was wrong. The small smile on his face slipped off.

“Uh, at ease guys?” Hiccup said. They all relaxed slightly, not taking their eyes off of him. Hiccup scanned the group, then cleared his throat to address them, Viggo standing unwavering at his side as Fishlegs joined them.

“We figured out where the Singetails are being taken, and why they are covered in Deathsong amber.” Hiccup straightened his back, looking slightly over at Viggo, an unreadable expression on his face. The team perked up at that. Fishlegs nodded rapidly.

“Yeah-its because-” Hiccup cut him off with a look.

“Not yet. We need to head back to the Edge and prepare. Ill explain everything there, got it?” Hiccup asked, then headed back to his trusty dragon, who, at the time, was having a stare off with the Skrill. The team looked to eachother, then collectively glared at Viggo, who sent a smirk their way, before making his way to his Skrill.

One by one, carefully, they all made their way to their dragons, making sure to bring the Singetail with them as they headed back to the Edge, concerned with what their leader could’ve gotten himself into this time.

“So… what is going on?” Snotlout cried as they dismounted their dragons. They were back on the Edge, finally. the last two days felt like a literal eternity to all the riders. It was quite a relief to be back home. Hiccup stretched lightly as he jumped off of his dragon, careful not to trip on his leg this time. Viggo, as he did before, met Hiccup’s stride. His hand slightly hovered, as if he wanted to touch their leader, but he seemed to refrain from the action.

As Viggo made his way to Hiccup’s side, Hiccup’s back straightened, as if Viggo being there somehow gave him strength. Hiccup’s eyes flicked to the other, an unreadable emotion in them, before he looked back at his riders.

“Lets head to our main hut. We can discuss more over there.” He said. The rest of the group nodded, and off they went, all members carefully watching Viggo as he followed their leader. Viggo made sure to let them know he knew they were watching, sending a smirk at them. They all felt a collective shiver crawl down their spines.

The board’s at their feet creaked as they walked on the narrow pathways, the sun beating down on them even as a chilly wind fluttered their hair. As Hiccup walked into the hut, he placed his hands on his hips, a serious look on his face. He scanned his team as they settled in the hut. Viggo made his way carefully to Hiccup’s side, closer than he usually would, as if making a point. Astrid bore her teeth at the man. Hiccup sent a look her way, warning her.

“According to our intel, they have a Deathsong captive. They are using it to trap and chain Singetails.” The group gasped collectively. Astrid’s eyes widened, then narrowed.

“Do we know what Deathsong they have?” She asked Hiccup, pointedly ignoring looking at Viggo. Hiccup shook his head. Viggo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Adult male, standard orange coloring for a Deathsong from the west islands. He was quite the fierce one, took out around twelve of our men before we were able to chain him down.”

“I don’t think it’s Garff, Astrid.” Hiccup interjected, looking mildly concerned, as if Viggo would react badly. He looked over to Hiccup thoughtfully.

“Garff? A Deathsong? You tamed a Deathsong? I am quite curious as to how you managed that. Would you like to enlighten me?”

Before Hiccup could answer, Astrid snarled at the ex-hunter.

“It is none of your business.” Viggo raised a brow at her harsh response.

“How fascinating. This one is quite important to you in particular, I see. I never imagined you would defend a dragon-eater. So is it only certain dragons you care about?” The whole team shuffled at this accusation. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he looked at the hunter.

“No. It’s not like that. All dragons deserve to be saved, Viggo,. We save the dragons that we can from Deathsong's, but we can’t help them all, that is just reality. They aren't wrong for following their instincts.” Hiccup crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking down at the ground. Clearly, it bothered him greatly. The other riders similarly looked away from the hunter. It was a subject that none of them liked thinking about. Viggo looked around, a brow raised.

“A compelling way to look at it. Your moral compass is quite… fascinating, my dear.” Before he could say more, Astrid spoke.

“This isn’t important. Viggo, Hiccup mentioned Project Honeypot on the flight here. What is it?” Astrid interjected. Everyone looked at her, slightly relieved at the break in conversation. Viggo nodded, accepting the attempt at subverting the topic with grace.

“Project Honeypot is a plan we concocted after Krogan came to me. It was his idea to use another dragon, of course, fire against fire. Singetails are known for their power, but not their minds. However, a cut of their reward was more than enough to sway me. I had to catch an army of powerful but dim creatures in a short time frame, but how to do it? Well, it was a quite simple solution, really. One that Krogan's own actions inspired.” Viggo pushed off of the table, folding his arms behind his back as he scanned the room. His eyes landed on Hiccup, who was staring at the fire pit in contemplation.

“Have you ever seen a fly near honey, Hiccup?” Hiccup looked up to Viggo, an eyebrow raised. “When a fly smells the irresistible fragrance of honey, they simply cannot resist flying towards the source.” Viggo gestured as he spoke. Hiccup’s eyes slowly widened.

“When someone wishes for something enough, they will ignore all dangers in its pursuit of it. And when a fly land’s on honey-” Hiccup started, but was promptly cut off by Snotlout, who crossed his arms in front of him, as he pouted.

“It gets stuck! Yeah! We get it. What does that have to do with Singetails?!” He said. Viggo raised a brow in his direction as Hiccup gave Snotlout a look.

“Yes. They find themselves unable to move, trapped in the very thing that lured them there.” Viggo said. Hiccup nodded, eyes far away as he thought. He pushed himself off of the barrel, rubbing his chin.

“You created a trap with something that would lure them in no matter what. The Deathsong’s song? Wait-no.” Hiccup’s eyes widened a bit as he looked up at Viggo, a mix of disgust and concern on his face.

“Eggs. A hatchery.” Hiccup concluded. Viggo grinned his way, unaware of how it made everyone’s skin crawl.

“I knew you would get it, my dear.” Viggo splayed his arms out, gesturing as he explained. “Luckily, nature made it quite easy. The island was already a breeding ground long before my great-grandfather found it. When we searched for Singetails in the past, that island was the first place we checked. Then it was a simple matter of relocating Krogan's captive Deathsong near the entrance of their cave. After that, the Singetails kept coming, only to be trapped by his amber to be conditioned for Krogan’s flyers.”

The room shifted uncomfortably as he explained the cruel trap he set up for the Singetails. Hiccup’s eyes flicked over to the Singetail in the room, concern building in his heart for the creatures.

“That is-” Astrid started.

“That is brilliant!” Tuffnut cut her off, throwing his hands in the air. Astrid glared at him, as did most of the other riders. Viggo looked bemused more than anything.

“Evil.” Astrid said, straining the word as she glared at Tuffnut. He lowered his arms, looking a bit abashed.

“Brilliantly…evil. Right. That’s… what I was going to say!” He defended. Viggo nodded in his direction, a small smirk on his face.

“I accept your compliment all the same.” He said. Hiccup rolled his eyes before giving Viggo a look. Astrid shook her head.

“It is cruel.” She said. Viggo nodded.

“Assuredly. But as a hunter setting a trap, it was the best course of action. One that I would take back, if I could.” Hiccup looked at Viggo, as if he were analyzing him. There was a note in Viggo’s voice. Pride and something else, regret. It was eerie, and intriguing. Hiccup’s eyes softened a bit as he studied the man. Astrid shivered at the soft look.

“Shouldn’t expect anything less, coming from you.” Astrid retorted, cutting off the odd moment and crossing her arms as she glared down the other. Hiccup sighed, looking away from Viggo.

“Its in the past. Now we will use it to our advantage. It is a chink in their armor. If we destroy the base and free the Singetails and the Deathsong-” Hiccup started.

“We will cut off their supply of new dragons!” Snotlout cried. Hiccup nodded.

“Strike at the heart of their operations, and they will have nothing, no new dragons-”

“No new flyers!” Snotlout added again. Hiccup gave him a somewhat annoyed look, but nodded all the same.

“Exactly.”

“And how do we know any of this is still happening? How do we know they didn’t change the plan since Viggo was working for them?”

“Hah, like they would do anything smart.” Ruffnut sneered from the other side of the room. Tuffnut nodded, a smirk on his face. Viggo looked at them, a hint of surprise on his face.

“For once, you are correct.” He gestured sideways with his arm, looking back at Astrid. “Why would they? If you recall, I am dead. They know nothing of our moves and have no reason to believe you might understand their operations.” He looked over at Hiccup, a smirk on his face as he tucked both arms behind his back.

“They lack imagination, dear. They would not change the plan they used me for, not after supposedly ‘killing me’.” He took a few steps towards him. Hiccup stood his ground, a contemplating look on his face as he looked towards Viggo.

“With me on your side, they will have no choice but to fall to their knees-” Viggo grinned, placing a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder. “-before us.” And another shiver crawled its way up most of the rider’s spines.

Hiccup looked at him, scanning him. This was closer than Viggo usually was, as if something were stopping him until now, or until last night, rather.

He did not hesitate to meet Hiccup’s eyes, his own heterochromatic ones gleaming. They looked at eachother for an uncomfortably long time. It seemed to be becoming a trend nowadays. The twins seemed to be watching uncomfortably intensely as Snotlout snorted.

“Aaand the red flags just keep piling up, don’t they.” He mumbled under his breath. That seemed to snap Hiccup out of the spell, at least, as he shook his head, looking back towards the fire-pit.

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” Hiccup mumbled, then he looked up to Astrid, who had a bit of a far away look in her eyes, her face blank.

“Astrid does bring up a good point, though. Your information might be outdated. Any risk of Johann and Krogan being there that you know of?” He gestured his hand towards Viggo, reaching for one of the many maps they had in the barrel near him.

“Unlikely. They are searching for the final one as we speak. For now, they are too distracted to be a hindrance to our mission.” Viggo said. Hiccup seemed to have found the one he was looking for. He rolled it out, displaying a small group of islands in the west. The proper territory of the Singetails.

“Ok-yeah. I doubt Krogan and Johann will be there. So lets figure this out. This is where Ice Tail Pike are found. Am I on the right track?” Hiccup said, turning his head in Viggo's direction. Viggo moved to stand by Hiccup's side, leaning over the map.

“Yes. Though, I am sure you could have found it of your own accord. This island here is where your little Deathsong is.”

“By the Cavern Crasher’s island, of course. They don’t like volcanic islands, and that is right in their migration path.” Astrid said, pointing to the map. Hiccup jumped slightly, unsure of when she got so close. He nodded at her observation.

“Very astute, Astrid.” Viggo raised a brow in her direction. She scoffed, glaring at the ex-hunter. Hiccup sighed, shaking his head slightly. When would they start getting along? Probably never, as bone-headed as both of them are.

“Right. Ok. So lets figure out a plan-” Astrid cut Hiccup off, not breaking her stare away from Viggo.

“First, Garff. Hiccup, we need to go and see if he is ok.” Hiccup took a breath, then nodded, an urgent note in his voice.

“Ok. Ok. Let’s head out.” He turned to leave, grabbing some rations and his shield from the side of the door before heading out. 

Viggo looked towards the team, his brow quirked, before he followed Hiccup out, matching their leaders stride. Hiccup accepted the man at his side easily, as if it was only natural. 

The looked well together, complimenting eachother effortlessly. Astrid felt her heart sink further than it ever has at the sight, a hollow fire burned in her veins, scorching her from the inside out.

Her knees shook in a rare show of weakness. She identified the emotion this time, not as protection or fear, but hot, seething, jealousy.

Chapter Text

After a quick flight, the team circled Garff's Island, peering through the trees for any movement belonging to a Deathsong. Hiccup’s heart thudded uncomfortably as he scanned the array of oranges and reds, hoping for a glimpse of the dragon they helped raise. He couldn’t help the increasingly grim thoughts from pushing to the forefront of his mind the longer they searched for the dragon.

There were more than the two Deathsongs they knew, even if they were rare. Viggo told him that, while the amber and skin was quite valuable, they were rarely hunted due to the danger. There was a high chance that it wasn’t either of the dragons he knew? He hated himself for even feeling a flicker of hope that it was another dragon. No dragon deserved the torment that Viggo described.

“Garff, Garff!” He heard the echo of the name in his ear’s from all directions. Astrid yelled the name as she flew towards Hiccup, a worried expression on her face. He looked at her, then down, hoping to see any evidence of Garff.

“Garff! Its us! Come on buddy!” He yelled, concern straining his voice.

“I can’t see him-” Astrid started as she flew closer to him. A noise washed over the group.

They quieted as he grating song of a very familiar dragon rung through their ears once more, and it immediately brought smiles to all of the riders faces. 

A small orange nose poked itself out of the trees, another screeching call ringing out as it did so. Hiccup grinned at the sight.

Garff was ok. 

Toothless called back, tucking in his wings as he dove, the formation of dragons following his lead as they landed.

He heard a screech at his side. He looked over, nodding to Viggo, who looked at Hiccup incredulously, even with his face entirely covered. He slid off his dragon with grace, patting her head as if to calm her worries. Which…fair. There was a predator right in front of her.

“It’s alright! He’s friendly!” He shouted to the both of them. The Skrill narrowed her eyes, small puffs of heated air leaking from her nostrils as she processed the enemy before her. He couldn’t blame their tenseness. He knew what a Deathsong could do.

Astrid hurdled herself off of Stormfly, quickly making her way to the dragon.

“Hey Garff, how are you doing buddy!” She said, chuckling as the dragon nudged her in the face. Hiccup felt his heart cry a bit at the sight. How long has it been since he has truly seen Astrid smile? Or…even talk to him, banter with him, as they always did? Would he ever see her smile like that at him again? He shook his head, as if it would rid of the depressing thoughts.

Hiccup leapt off of Toothless, rubbing his fin’s in thanks before the dragon ran towards the dragon with Stormfly, playfully bobbing his head.

Astrid laughed, letting go of the dragon and letting them play, Garff letting out small squeals in delight as he saw his friends. A frown pulled on his face.

He thought back to his gift on the Edge, the one he nearly threw into the ocean, and hung his head a bit, unable to stare at the girl he loved without feeling anger and pain. It was so frustrating.

A warm and inviting hand fell on his shoulder, thankfully shaking him out of his increasingly grim thoughts. He looked up, seeing the masked face of Viggo looking down at him, and like a beacon in a snow storm, it cut through the hollow void that festered inside of him. Hiccup felt a sense of warmth replace that dull chill as he stared at the other, smiling slightly in thanks. Viggo nodded. No word’s needed to be said. They both understood the other.

It was funny, how in tune they were now. You never would have guessed before…all of this. Hiccup probably would have laughed if he was told this is what his future held, standing side by side with his enemy.

“Fascinating. Two dragons, natural predators mind you, ignoring their base instincts and becoming allies.” Viggo didn’t lift his hand off his shoulder, instead looking over at the dragons, who playfully chased eachother. “I never thought I would see the day.”

“Yeah, can you imagine?” Hiccup asked, leaning a bit more into the warmth of the other. Maybe it was the cloak that made the others presence so inviting, he thought, maybe not. Either way, he slotted the thought of adding a cloak to his ensemble at some point. It would surely help on the cold days like this one. He wouldn't have to borrow Viggo's cloak if it he had one of his own.

Viggo’s hand moved a bit, hesitantly, closer to his neck, inviting Hiccup to lean a bit closer. He… didn’t, but he almost wanted to. The fact the other was touching him now, so gently and hesitantly, made a pleasant feeling bubble in his stomach. He smiled, a small thing tugging up his lips as he moved his eyes from the the dragons to the masked face of the ex-hunter.

“It's not the first time I guess, is it?” Hiccup murmured. Viggo looked down at him.

“No. No It’s not.” Viggo breathed, a soft note in his voice. Hiccup felt enthralled by the sight of his eyes as they gleamed through his mask, his heart skipping a step as he leaned a bit closer, as if pulled in by him, his eyes flickering ever so slightly to the others lips.

What changed to make him feel like this, he didn't know. It was just-something in his instincts changed. It seemed like something fundamentally shifted between them after the other night. And it scared Hiccup, nearly as much as it intrigued him.

“Ah-HEM! Deathsong, Dragons? Singetails? Hello?? Stop being creepy Viggo!” A hand flew in-between their faces, jarring them out of their stare-down. Hiccup blinked rapidly at the shock, jolting back for a moment before gaining his bearings. When he did, he looked at Snotlout, who apologetically shrugged.

“What, don’t we have other things to do instead of looking at eachother?” He pouted. His voice seemed strained, agitated. It made sense.

…How long were they standing there?

“Got it. Thank you, Snotlout.” Hiccup groaned, still slightly reeling. Snotlout nodded, a glare set on Viggo, then stepped out of the way, flicking his hand in an ‘I got my eyes on you’ gesture. Hiccup rolled his eyes at the other, curious as to his behavior.

He tried not to dwell on it for too long. Who knows why Snotlout does what he does. Still, it was good that he broke the moment, probably. He just kept getting sucked in like that, didn’t he?

He watched as Viggo shook his head in mild amusement, giving Hiccup a look. He echoed the movement before scanning the group before him, in different positions than before, all staring at him. The combination between the twins dissecting stare and Astrid’s heated glare made him feel oddly exposed.

He felt like he lost time in the others eyes, again. He wished he could figure out how to make that stop, but it just seemed to be continuing to increase in frequency. God’s, he had problems.

Hiccup crossed his arms, letting loose a heavy breath of air, a mix of pleasant fluff and regret started filling him as he broke their eye contact to look at the Deathsong, who whistled happily at him.

He turned, walking towards the Deathsong with small measured steps. He heard the breaking of twigs and leaves as Viggo followed.

“So, this is-woah!” He cut himself off as a dragon barreled up to the group with a screech, splitting them apart as the riders cleared a path. Hiccup took a few steps back as the dragon growled, not at him, but at Viggo, and the Skrill behind him. Hiccup’s eyes widened. He quickly put himself in-between them, separating them with his body.

“Woah! Garff! Its alright. He-he is a friend, they both are.” He smiled as he said the word. It felt surreal, even if it was just to calm the dragon. Garff whined, breathing a few deep breaths before slowly looking back at Viggo., then back at Hiccup. Garff then bobbed his head towards them in acceptance towards Viggo, who stood in a state of awe.

Hiccup gave the dragon a few pets on his nose before retracting his hand from the purring dragon. Garff whined, nudging him playfully in the side. Hiccup smiled, scratching that small section under his jaw that he loved so much. The Skrill snarled at the dragon as small arches of lightning danced on her spines. It didn’t seem to perturb the Deathsong, however, who bobbed his head playfully in her direction. Hiccup chuckled.

“So, this is Garffiljorg. We saved him from hunters and we had to raise him from an egg. He trusts us because we were the first thing he knew, the first thing he ever saw.” Hiccup took a breath.

“We trained him the best we could, but he needed to be raised by his own kind, so we brought him out here, where we knew others of his kind were located.” Hiccup sighed. “We protect him because he is one of us, dragon-eater or not. We can’t change what he is, as much as we would like to. He does eat fruit and eel more than he does dragons, but…We can’t change his nature. You are right about that.” Hiccup hung his head slightly, clenching his jaw at the reminder. Viggo hummed.

“I would not say that. You curved his predatory instincts. This is unlike anything I have ever seen in your so-called Deathsongs, dear Hiccup, nor have I seen it in any other cannibalistic or predatory dragons. You tamed him to see you as allies. Though, I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you.” Viggo tilted his head slightly as he looked at the rider, a considering expression on his face. Hiccup narrowed his eyes a bit a the others words, looking up at Viggo with a bit of a sneer on his face.

“We train dragons, we don’t control them. We show them another way, just like us. We show them that we don’t have to be enemies.” He took a breath, calming the instinctive anger at the term. He has heard it far too many times.

"Its amazing what a little love and kindness can give you.” Hiccup finished. Finally taking the hint by the snarling Skrill, Garff settled on another playmate. He whistled at Stormfly, gleefully hopping back as she playfully growled at him, advancing with a small flutter of her wings. Toothless sauntered up to Hiccup with a toothy grin, saddling up beside him with a chuff. Hiccup chuckled, petting the dragon.

“We sure missed him, though, didn’t we bud?” He said. Toothless bobbed his head in agreement. The Skrill behind Viggo hissed in displeasure as the Deathsong ran past them, Stormfly behind him. Viggo silenced her fears with a small pat of his own on the crown of her head, a small smile on his face.

“A couple of months ago, I would have scoffed at your words. Interesting, how life works.” Viggo said from behind him, his voice breathy and light. Hiccup grinned back at him.

“Yeah, who knew all it took was a war and a couple of near-death experiences to get you to see my side? Man, I should have done it sooner.” Hiccup joked. Viggo smirked, a fond look in his eye as he stared at the rider. A series of snickers followed from behind him.

Hiccup whipped his head around, meeting the wide eyes of one Tuffnut and the laughing form of Ruffnut next to him, gleeful and triumphant snorts escaping her. Hiccup squinted at them for a moment. What was going on with his teammates today?

“That must’ve been… quite difficult for you, raising a Deathsong.” Viggo said, diverting his attention and turning his head in Hiccup’s direction, a quizzical look in his eye.

“Yeah, no kidding. He wouldn’t stop screaming for days. Heather was pretty much the only one who had him under control, though he liked my singing the best.” Snotlout chimed in, crossing his arms across his chest as he raised his head proudly. Hiccup rolled his eyes at his antics.

“Snotlout!” Astrid warned, making her appearance known as she walked up to them. All humor and happiness was gone from her face, as though it were scrubbed away upon the sight of Hiccup. Hiccup frowned at the look.

“What, it’s true!” Snotlout defended. Astrid’s glare hardened, not at Snotlout, but at Viggo. Hiccup’s frown grew deeper.

“Heather? She helped you raise him? That is interesting. I did wonder what happened to her after our little scuffle.” Viggo seemed to take the glare in stride, responding with a lilt in his voice, as if it were a question instead of a statement.

“We shouldn’t be telling him anything about her. It was a risk bringing him here in the first place.” Astrid snarled. It seemed as though the fire that seemed stomped out earlier was back, albeit small. She said it quietly, as if she were fighting herself. Her eyes flickered back to Hiccup, a frown on her face. Hiccup shook his head at her.

“It doesn’t matter right now, anyways. We don’t know where she is.” Hiccup said, crossing his arms. “Besides, this has nothing to do with our mission here.” He took a breath, looking at his surroundings, trying to ignore Astrid’s steely glare. He has been getting better at that, as of late.

“Well… Garff seems fine. Doesn’t look like anyone found his island either, from what I can tell.” Hiccup said, turning this way and that, to emphasize his point. There were no boats or markings of a camp anywhere on the island, only their own. It was a relief.

“Good. Now-we must get going if we wish to complete our task, hm?” Viggo sounded behind him. A series of affirmatives, albeit begrudging and strange ones followed the sentiment. Hiccup looked around the group, eyebrow’s raised.

“Alright-uh, yeah. We can head back to the Edge now.” He said, filing the weird behavior of his team away to worry about later. Astrid looked tentatively between Hiccup and the Deathsong, before nodding to herself.

“Actually. We are taking Garff back with us.” She said. It took a minute to register, but when it did, Hiccup recoiled, jaw dropping at her statement.

“Wha-No, not a chance. He is safer here!” He stuttered, confusion and frustration filling him. What was she thinking? Astrid looked back at Garff, who playfully tilted his head.

“But-he is lonely. And Johann and Krogan could attack here at any moment.” Astrid added. Hiccup shook his head vehemently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“No they won’t. They don’t even know this place exists, Viggo didn’t even know this island! He is safe here.” He said. Astrid looked at him for a moment, before a steely resolve settled on her face. She broadened her shoulders, crossing her arms with a sense of finality.

“No. He is coming with us.” She pushed. Hiccup grit his teeth.

“He stays. Here. That is final Astrid. End of story.” He said. And he meant it. Astrid glared harder. He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He felt his resolve start to crumble.

“He is safe here.” He added. She refused, glaring at him. “God’s this is stupid, Astrid! You have to see that!” No change. She would not back down. Viggo looked between them, as if assessing what was happening between them. Hiccup felt himself crumble a bit more.

“Astrid…”

“So, who saw that coming?” Snotlout’s voice rung across the skies, hammering unpleasantly on Hiccup’s eardrums, adding to the headache that has been growing worse and worse the longer the day has progressed. He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the dragon that flew behind him.

“Don’t. Say it.” Hiccup said through grit teeth.

Astrid won, because of course she did. He felt more frustrated with himself than he has in a long time. He promised he would be stronger, didn’t he? Wow, how long did that last?

“Because I know I did.” Snotlout continued. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“Dear-If I may-” Viggo started. Hiccup cut him off with a swift glare.

“Yeah-no. You may not.”

“Well that lasted for-what, five seconds? Maybe six? Make it to seven next time and you'll break a record!” Snotlout yelled, continuing on his tirade against Hiccup. “Now we have a predator following us. God’s, I could write a book with all of the terrible decisions Hiccup has made when he should’ve just listened to me.”

“It was Astrid’s idea! I certainly didn’t hear you helping!” Hiccup threw up his hands in frustration. Snotlout looked at him, as if he were the crazy one.

“What, and fight Astrid? I don’t have a suicide wish, thank you!” Snotlout cried, nearly looking terrified at the prospect. Astrid chuckled in front of them.

“Has Hiccup ever won an argument with Astrid?” Tuffnut asked in a hushed tone, or at least, what he thought was a hushed tone when flying.

“Eh, I always thought that it was a redundant practice.” Ruffnut answered back, in the same loud whisper as her brother. They were two peas in a pod, weren’t they?

“Hiccup. You are their leader, you know this, right?” Viggo said, a harsh note in his voice. Hiccup groaned, wiping his face with his hand, small pricks of pain dancing under his fingers as he irritated the bandages.

“Yeah, but-I couldn’t just-say no.”

“Actually, It is quite simple really. It’s only one syllable. Like this! Nnnnnoooo.” Tuffnut yelled. Ruffnut laughed, mimicking the noise. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“Thanks for your input Tuff. Real helpful.” Tuffnut held a thumb up as he leaned heavily on his dragon’s head, a dumb grin on his face.

“Thanks! Ill be here all week.” Hiccup fought off the urge to hit his head against Toothless. Still, a frustrated groan escaped him.

“Hiccup, I do quite agree with your teammates here. This is quite the cockamamie plan. Surely you can think of better.” Viggo’s opinion was quite unwelcome, but his voice helped ground him, just a bit; enough to calm his irritation. Hiccup groaned once more, looking up at the sky.

“I just—I-” He was cut off once more.

“What do cockatoos have to do with this?” Tuffnut asked. Hiccup sent him an incredulous look. What on earth was a cockatoo? Ruffnut rolled her eyes.

“He said cockamamie. Like it’s trifling or pointless, redundant, like you.” She grinned, crossing her arms gleefully. Tuffnut gasped.

“Hey! I'm pointier than you will ever be!” He said. “You take that back!” He threw a punch at his sister, who tried kicking him in response.

“A good title! Chapter one! Cockanarmy nonsense. Hiccup let’s Astrid get away with thing’s because he doesn’t know how to handle an angry Astrid, which… fair.” Hiccup didn’t question where or when he got a seeing-glass and a piece of charcoal to write, and frankly he didn’t care. He gave into the urge to fall forwards, hitting his head against his saddle with a bit more force than necessary. Toothless shot him a look over his shoulder.

“Hiccup. You need to stand up for yourself. I know you are fully capable of doing so.” Viggo called out. Hiccup looked up, glaring at the ex-hunter flying besides him, leaning forwards slightly, his cage-god’s they had to think of a name for that-obscuring him slightly. The Skrill gave him a side-eye, her eyes half lidded, as if she were dissapointed in him as well. Sure, let the dragon’s join the club.

“Gah-Why is this so important to you?” Hiccup said, rubbing the bandages covering his eye once more. God’s, he was going to tear them off if they didn’t stop itching.

“To be a great leader, one must not let their soldiers voices overpower their own. You made a decision, and you let her change your mind.” Viggo asked, voice solemn and serious against the pull of the wind. Hiccup bit his lip, letting the words ruminate as he thought over their interactions. Has… has he been a bad leader, letting Astrid get away with things? Is that how everyone sees it?

“I-I guess I see her logic here, though. Just in case they find the island… yeah. I guess the Edge might be safer?” Yeah, that felt like a desperate attempt at a lie, even to him. He winced back at the sheer deadpan stare Viggo gave him. Even through the mask, he could feel his disappointment in his answer.

“We are a team, we all have a say.” He said, addressing the team. The team looked at him in varying displays of incredulousness.

“Thank you, Hiccup!” Astrid said, voice cheerful. “You are finally seeing sense, here, finally. I thought you never would, not with Viggo hanging around, still.” It didn’t feel targeted towards him, but Hiccup winced all the same, the mix of frustration and guilt growing more aggravated with her words. He didn’t agree with her. The only reason they were there was because he didn’t fight her hard enough. This… this was stupid.

He knew he could, but…He just-didn’t want to fray their relationship further. Compromise, that is the basis of any relationship, right? He sighed. Yeah. Compromise.

“Hiccup, you can say no to her.” Viggo said. Hiccup curled around himself a bit more.

“Yeah, like that would go over well.” Hiccup mumbled to himself. And he was right, in that. He was terrified of the outcome. Toothless moaned, looking up at him with wide eyes, concern filling them.

Before Viggo could respond, a very familiar sight greeted them. A wave of relief slammed into him as they cleared the clouds and layed eyes on the Edge.

“Oh-Look! We are here! Yeah! We can be quiet now!” Hiccup said. He nudged Toothess’ side, prompting him to dive. He landed neatly on the wooden planks, hanging his head down as the team followed.

“This is better, trust me.” Astrid said as she walked past him, her head held high. Garff followed Stormfly as they played once more, happy to be on the ground. She passed Viggo, glaring at him and giving the ex-hunter a grin. As if she won. It made him feel so much worse. A hand fell on his shoulder for a moment as Viggo turned to face him.

“You are their heir, Hiccup. Their future chief. You should have the final say.” Hiccup grit his teeth, looking up at Viggo with his brow furrowed.

“I do. She has a right to voice her opinion, though. She think’s it’s a good idea. Maybe she has a plan.”

“Funny, you seem quite able to decide what is right and wrong, and last I checked, you are their leader. If I were you, I would decide what is right for my people, and the mission at hand.” Viggo said. Hiccup felt hatred and anger and something else bubble in his stomach. He wanted to fight, he wanted to defend Astrid, but…He sighed, as if that would help anything. Viggo was right, as much as it nagged at him.

“I didn’t ask you for your advice.” Hiccup said through his gritted teeth.

“No, but you need it. You are far stronger than she will ever be.” Viggo said. Hiccup watched as Viggo gave him one more look before following the team inside. Hiccup followed reluctantly, Toothless following loyally at his side, giving him a few side-glances.

“God’s, bud. I just hope this blows over.” Hiccup mumbled. Toothless gave him a look. Hiccup huffed. “Yeah, as if it would be that easy for me.”

The duo headed into the hut, where some small conversations were being held. The twins seemed to be discussing something closely with Snotlout, who kept shooting looks towards Viggo, who leaned against the wall, arms crossed in front of him, Astrid glaring daggers at him from the other side. Fishlegs was in the corner, worrying his fingers as he looked around the room.

Viggo acknowledged as Hiccup walked in, pushing off of the wall and taking a few steps towards the middle table to meet him. Snotlout groaned across the room for some reason. Hiccup didn’t really care why.

“Alright, so now that-that nightmare is over with, we need a game-plan if we are going to save that Deathsong.” Hiccup mumbled, looking down. The room quieted, all looking to him. He broadened his back, putting on a face of confidence, the face of a chief.

“Any ideas?” Hiccup continued, forcing himself to look around the room. After a beat of silence, Snotlout raised a hand.

“May I interrupt and address the Singetail that is still. Here!?” He yelled, not even attempting to wait to voice his displeasure. Hiccup grimaced, right, that was another problem.

“She is still unconscious!! Besides, We couldn’t leave her out there for the hunters to find!” Fishlegs yelled, clenching his fists. Hiccup nodded in agreement.

“I get that, but isn’t it, I don’t know, a terrible idea!? Especially with a Deathsong hanging around!” Snotlout yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

“Yeah, it seems like everyone is just full of terrible ideas today. Who knew?” Ruffnut said, rolling her eyes.

“She is just here until she can recover from the Skrills blast.” Hiccup said, trying to calm the increasingly chaotic atmosphere of the room.

“So all of us can just bring whatever dangerous and un-trainable dragon we want to the Edge? Great! Let me just go get the Screaming Death!” Snotlout hummed, pulling out a piece of charcoal and a notebook. “Chapter two! Hiccup makes terrible decisions when it comes to favoritism!”

“The… what?” Viggo mumbled. Hiccup shook his head.

“Yeah, I really don’t know what he is rambling on about either.”

“You mean my book? Yeah, I decided to actually write one! What, you didn’t know you were looking at Midguards next best selling author? I call it ‘Every time that Snotlout was right, and Hiccup was wrong.’ or ‘The tales of the Snotlout and his idiotic leader.” He splayed his arms open wide. Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

“Huh, so a short story then?” He said. Snotlout’s smile immediately fell.

“Har Har, laugh it up.” Snotlout said, before scribbling in the small journal. A laugh rang out across the room, where the twins were settled.

“Eh, try harder on that title. Too many syllables.” Tuffnut said, crossing his arms across his chest. Snotlout pouted.

“Its a working title. Ill workshop it. Doesn’t change the fact that I am right.” Snotlout pointed his piece of charcoal at the twins. Hiccup fought off the urge to walk out of the hut.

“She is just going to be here until she heals, got it?” Hiccup said, pointedly looking at Snotlout. Snotlout groaned, snapping his book shut.

“Yeah, we believed you when you said that last time. If you didn’t notice, he is still standing next to you.” With that, every eye fell on the man besides him. Hiccup shook his head.

“That’s different!”

“Oh, we know.” Ruffnut called, a grin on her face. Hiccup gave her a confused look. It seemed as though that was the moment for Astrid to chip in, heading closer to the center of the room with a glare aimed towards Viggo.

“Hiccup. What is the plan of attack?” She asked, not taking her eyes off the ex-hunter.. Hiccup was thankful for the distraction. He walked forwards, looking at the map he set out earlier.

“Well, no saving the Singetails from the amber. or they'll just fly back to their nest. We have to target the Deathsong in the middle. Take out the guards without alerting her, or she’ll attack us. We don’t know if shell be able to fly out, either. The Singetails could attack us, too.” He tapped his chin, thinking. Viggo hummed behind him, hovering over his shoulder.

“If I may, I can lead you to the island where you will find the Deathsong. She is in the center of the island, in front of the entrance to the hatchery. There is only a few defenses consisting of two catapults and a handful of foot soldiers. You should expect dragon flyers as well.” Viggo added.

“And what about the dragon’s here? On the Edge? And the Deathsong? Or did you just conveniently forget them?” Snotlout said. He…did have a point there. Hiccup gave him that.

“They are staying here on the Edge. Fish, you need to work on getting the Singetail to come to. Chances are that she’ll try to run back to the hatchery. We can’t let her, got it?” Hiccup said. Fishlegs nodded hesitantly.

“Got it. But-what do we do if she wakes up? They are powerful dragons Hiccup.” Fishlegs said, worrying the bottom of his shirt between his fingers. Hiccup sighed.

“Right. We might have to wait for her to wake up before we leave, maybe we can try getting her to recognize us as friendlies. Garff can help if need be with restraining her if that doesn’t work. We just-can’t risk her flying back into that deathtrap.” Hiccup crossed his arms. Yeah, that might add more time to their schedule, but it might be for the best.

“Hiccup, Garff should come with us.” Astrid said. Hiccup sent her an odd look.

…What?

“Heh, sure. Just give the enemy what they want. Good one.” He joked, crossing his arms across his chest. Surely she was joking. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Astrid sent him a glare.

“I am serious.” Or… apparently not. “He is-he is lonely, and he hasn’t seen Stormfly in a long time and-” Astrid gestured as she talked, taking a few steps closer. The joking sarcasm left Hiccup as he understood how serious she was. Hiccup quickly cut her off.

“Wh-what!? No! Thor no! Have-have you lost it? That is a terrible idea!” He yelled. And it was. What was she thinking?! Flying a Deathsong into a Dragon trap? Is she insane!?

“He is a smart dragon. He wouldn’t get hurt!”

“Uh, no. No. You have to know how much of a bad idea that is! Astrid, you are asking me to put a dragon intentionally in danger, which he has no right to be in! We are not giving the enemy what they want.” Hiccup shook his head, furrowing his brow at his betrothed.

“Hiccup-” Astrid started. She sent that glare at him, the same one she used before. The one that he gave in to before. He felt his resilience flagging under her stare.

He sighed, letting his hands fall.

“Astrid-”

He stopped, his body freezing as a hand touched his shoulder, firm and steady. He looked up, slowly. Viggo stood by his side. And suddenly, he realized what he was about to do.

“I do believe Hiccup made himself clear.” Viggo said. Hiccup’s eyes widened.

‘To be a great leader, one must not let their soldiers voices overpower their own.’ Viggo’s words flashed in his head.

His resolve strengthened. But-Freya knew they were in a terrible place already, did he really want another fight on his hands?

“I actually agree with Hiccup here. Im all for chaos but isn’t bringing Garff like-stupid?” Ruffnut said. Tuffnut groaned, hanging off of a barrel as he did so.

“Yeah, talk about taking a step backwards.” Hiccup’s eyes slowly narrowed at the twin’s words. They…they were right. They were backing him up this time. He… could do it. He could tell her no.

“We can’t just leave him here!” Astrid yelled. Everyone looked at her, as if she lost it. And she very well might have.

‘Hiccup. You are her leader.’

Astrid lowered her head, meeting Hiccup’s gaze which was trained on the floor, lowering her voice, trying to get him to just let her do what she wanted.

How…long has he let her get away with everything?

“Hiccup, he will be lonely here with just Fishlegs. And, he and Stormfly haven’t seen eachother in a long time. He will be fine, just let him come.” She said, then took a steadying breath.

“Don’t listen to Viggo. Don’t let him manipulate you.” Astrid growled, crossing her arms in front of her with a sense of finality. Hiccup grit his teeth as the words hit him.

Don't let Viggo manipulate Hiccup? What was Astrid trying to do here?

And he chose his side.

“Hiccup. You have to side with me here. He is better protected with us. We are going with-”

“No.”

The room was silent for a moment, all watching their leader as he sighed heavily. He rubbed his forehead, one hand on his hip as he did so.

“Viggo… you are right. God’s. He is completely right.” He mumbled. Astrid recoiled at the unexpected response. She was clearly expecting him to cave again.

No. Not this time.

“W-What?” She said. Hiccup looked up at her.

“You don’t have to worry about Garff, Astrid, because you are staying here on the Edge with him.”

The room gasped, recoiling from their leader with mouths agape. Hiccup grit his teeth as his resolve waivered for a moment at her shocked face.

“What, no-you can’t-” Her shock quickly changed to anger as she growled, marching up to him. Hiccup crossed his arms, trying to hold up in her fiery glare.

“Yes. I can. I shouldn’t have let you bring him here in the first place. I shouldn’t have let this whole thing go on as long as I have…But I was weak. No-not this time.” He said.

And he meant it this time.

“Wha-Hiccup, don’t you dare! You need me out there!” Astrid said, shock coating her tone. Hiccup shook his head, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. He hated doing this, but he needed to. Viggo was right.

“No.”

“Hiccup, you know me. I can keep him safe.” She said, touching a hand to his shoulder. He instinctively swiped it off, a growl not-unlike a dragon’s exiting his mouth.

“Do I?”

The room fell silent once more. Astrid took a small step back in shock. The rest of the room looked at Hiccup, fear and awe on their faces. He agreed with their sentiment fully. He sighed, letting his arms hang limp.

“God’s, I hate saying this but-Astrid. I have to put you on probation. Viggo is right.” He gestured to the man in question.

“You are too impulsive right now. Not only did you act alone yesterday because you wanted to prove a point, against our plan and without intel, putting everyone that followed you in danger, but you are now suggesting we put a dragon in a battle that it has no need to be on. Not only could Garff get killed or worse, but he could expose us, or run to the other Deathsong, or… Thor, so many things could go wrong.” His voice strengthened as he talked, his resolve hardening with each word.

“Im-I'm putting my foot down on this one.” He tapped his foot to emphasize his point. He was serious this time. He was.

“If you don’t want Garff to be lonely, and Garff can’t come with us, then you are staying here with him” He refused to put a dragon in danger. Even for Astrid.

“Hiccup, you can’t be serious with this-” Astrid said through grit teeth. Hiccup took a few steps forwards, resting his hand on the dumbfounded shieldmaiden.

“I think you will find that I am. I need to have trust with my co-leader. And until you can figure out what-issues you have with Viggo and I-I can’t count on you. I’m sorry-Astrid…but you need to calm down and take a step back.” She looked up at him, hurt and frustration dancing in her eyes.

“But-Hiccup-” She sounded… defeated. Like she did the other night. He bit his lip. He hated putting her through this… but Viggo was right.

“You are staying. Here. No negotiations. It won’t be so bad, besides, Fishlegs could use the support if we are going to try and keep the Singetail here.” Fishlegs let out a squeal as he was mention. Hiccup took a step back, away from her, eyes firmly placed on the ground. Astrid stood for a moment, eyes on the floor. He felt a creeping dread fill him the longer she took to respond.

"Hiccup, are you sure-” Snotlout started. Hiccup nodded.

“Yes. And this goes to all of you too. Everyone but Fishlegs is on thin ice as it is with the stunt you all pulled. You are staying here with Fish and the dragons. End of story.”

They sat silently for a moment as the words sunk in. After they did, Astrid’s eyes snapped up, hurt and anger and a fire unlike any other danced in them. Hiccup took an instinctive step back.

“He has corrupted your mind, Hiccup.” She grit her teeth, walking towards him with a deadly gate, tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes. Hiccup felt his heart sink as she walked past him at a brisk pace, leaving through the door.

“Enjoy your mission with Viggo. You two deserve eachother.” She threw out behind her, before leaving entirely, her feet thumping heavily, matching the rhythm of Hiccup’s heart beat.

And with that. She was gone.

“Hiccup-that was.” Someone started in the room. He couldn’t bother to look to see who it was. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from floor.

“Woah.” Another voice called out.

He didn’t know who that was either. He grit his teeth, clenching his fist’s hard. They shook slightly.

“… We leave in the morning. Get some rest tonight, we’ll need it.” He mumbled. He walked out like a zombie, like his very soul left him. And it felt like it did.

The riders did not follow him, but he wouldn’t have noticed if they did. His mind swirled as he slowly sat down in the arena, finding comfort in the cold stones and the brisk breeze. He didn’t remember the journey here, nor did he remember sitting, but it was safe here, among dragons, besides his brother. Hiccup grit his teeth, looking at the betrothal gift he pulled from Toothless’ saddlebag at some point.

It always represented a new beginning to him. A piece of himself that he could give to Astrid. A symbol of their life together.

Yeah, right. His relationship with her was crumbling before his very eyes.

He knew she would never accept it now.

“Agh!! Thor damn it!” He hurled the gift at the wall of the arena, watching it tumble to the ground with a dull metallic thud, bouncing impressively close to him, as if spiting him. He glared at it, hating the way it glimmered in the sunlight. It was beautiful. It shone like Astrid’s hair when the light was just right. It always brought butterflies to his stomach, and now it only brought frustration and guilt. Disgusting.

He kicked it further, his metal foot clanging uncomfortably on the stone as he did so.

Toothless padded closer to him, eyes wide and understanding as he scanned his rider. He crooned, licking Hiccup’s hand lightly. Hiccup brushed his arm against his face, trying to clear the tears that fogged his vision. He shouldn’t cry, not over this. Another sign that he was weak.

“God’s-I am so frustrated bud.” He said, burying his head in his hands. Toothless crooned, pushing his head into his riders lap. Hiccup absentmindedly pet his dragon, thankful for one steady presence in his life.

“What-what am I going to do? How did everything just-fall apart?”

He could barely wrap his head around the thought that soon, very soon, Astrid might finally decide that he isn’t worth it anymore. He couldn’t think right, the world felt too colorful, too cold, too warm, a mix of anger and relief and shame filled him. He felt like he would burst.

He wound his fingers through his hair, tugging it forcefully.

What could he do?

Did he make the right choice?

Why couldn’t Astrid just-listen? For once? Why did it all just-crumble when Viggo came? How was anything different with him around? He swung his head back, his head making a harsh thunk as it collided with the metal of the arena. He groaned, leaning a bit forwards as pain flashed through his head at the impact. Thor, just another thing he messed up.

He was pathetic.

A croak and a loud bang sounded near him, making him jump a few inches. He whipped his head up, meeting the head, or heads rather, of a Zippleback. Belch let out a small chitter as he leaned closer to him, purring gently as he approached.

“Hey-hey Barf, Belch. I just-” Hiccup started. He couldn’t finish it, the words getting caught in his throat, tugging painfully at him. Barf leaned near the other side, letting his jaw hang low as they scanned him. Toothless crooned at the dragon, who let out a few gurgling croons before laying down, laying their heads on Hiccup’s leg. His heart lifted, just the smallest bit.

At least you care, huh? He leaned a bit forwards, brushing the dragon’s head as much as he was able. Barf purred happily, pushing lightly into the touch. A growl followed.

Hiccup turned, meeting the eyes of a Monstrous Nightmare. He stood near the entrance, hissing lightly as he walked forwards, claws tapping on the stone as he did so. He almost smiled at the sight of him. Despite his rider being who he was, Hookfang was quite attached to him, loyal to a fault, even if he refused to show it outwardly. He didn’t get it, but he appreciated the dragon, more than he could put into words.

“Hey Hookfang.” He called. The dragon huffed, making his way over before shoving himself onto Hiccup’s other leg. The Zippleback heads whined as they were shoved back by the large dragons head.

“You guys should be with your riders. Not me. You shouldn’t waste your time with me.” Hiccup mumbled, rubbing Hookfang’s nose. The Nightmare hissed in response. Toothless rolled his eyes. Barf and Belch echoing the sentiment. It took a moment to understand, but this time, Hiccup did smile, a small fragile thing.

They were trying to comfort him.

At least… no matter what, dragons understood. It was moments like these where he wished, just a little, that he ran away with Toothless. People were too complicated, to frustrating. Dragons were easy to understand, loyal, incredible creatures. He felt at home among them, even with his legs severely asleep from the weight.

“Hey guy’s… I-Im sorry, I don’t have any fish or anything but-I just-” Hiccup said, his throat burning as he looked at the dragons, for a different reason, now. He loved dragons, so much. He leaned forwards, trying to hug them best he could. They happily leaned into his touch, though Hookfang just bellowed steam from his nostrils, humming contentedly as he did so.

“Thank you.” Hiccup mumbled, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. Now-if only Astrid could be the same as a dragon. If only he could understand her, know exactly what to say…

It would be useless, anyways. It was his fault. This was all his fault.

As Hiccup went to pet his beloved dragon, another dragon landed next to Toothless, a now-familiar high pitched wail escaping the Skrill. The dragons jumped back, leaving Hiccup alone. Hiccup jumped a bit alongside them as she did, before her prescence fully registered. He felt a tiny smile tug on his face.

She was such an incredible dragon. He leaned forwards, holding a hand out, carefully testing the waters as he did so.

“Hey girl.” She screeched, splaying out her spines and Toothless growled at her. The other dragons let out their own varied growls, threatening her. None of them got along with her quite yet. Hiccup shook his head, retracting his hand. Dragons, couldn’t just figure out their problems with eachother, could they? He could relate.

He slowly stood up, his legs aching at the movement as he tried to shake the pins and needles from them. He took a small tentative steps towards the dragon, making his way to the center of the room where she sat. She hissed once more, eyes slitted.

“Come on Skrill… don’t be like that.” He huffed, raising a hand a bit. She narrowed her eyes a bit, looking at his hand as she took a very small step back. Then, her eyes widened as she looked at someone, or something behind him.

“Moondancer.”

Hiccup jumped as a hand gently touched the small of his back. He looked up, meeting the charming face of Viggo.

He was looking at his Skrill, a content smile on his face that stretched his scars ever-so-slightly, one that made Hiccup’s heart do a little flip as his eyes widened.

“A quite fitting name you chose for her, wouldn’t you say?” Viggo continued, reaching around Hiccup to place a hand on her head. She pushed into it readily, purring slightly, pushing into his hand. His soft grin broadened. Hiccup was taken by the sight, before he realized exactly what the other was referring to.

He groaned as the memory hit him.

Right, the story, him…He blushed… falling asleep on Viggo’s shoulder. He remembered saying something like that. How embarrassing.

“Oh, right. I-Uh…I…” He floundered for a moment, trying to think of what to say, fighting off the blush that conquered his features. “I thought you wanted a more sophisticated name for her. You said I was bad at naming things.” Hiccup said, crossing his arms. 

Toothless huffed in indigence. Viggo hummed, rubbing underneath her chin.

“It is actually quite sophisticated.” He hummed. She pushed into his touch, her eyes fluttering slightly. “My Moondancer, the one who chases the stars and pleads with the moon. Quite fitting for her. She saved me, after all. She led me to you.” He smiled, turning towards Hiccup. Hiccup’s eyes were slightly unfocused as his breath hitched, coming in shallow and rapid as Viggo took a step back, closer to him. He could nearly feel his proximity on his skin as Viggo got closer.

Hiccup yelped as something pushed him forwards, closer to Viggo. He looked back, meeting the eyes of his dragon. Toothless rolled his eyes, then looked back up at Viggo, then him, then the Skrill. Hiccup started to understand what he was saying. The Skrill huffed, taking a small step towards them.

His heart beat a bit faster.

“Go ahead.” Viggo said, a teasing note in his voice. He looked down, then to the dragon, who replaced her happier demeanor with a cold glare, flicking between both of them. Then, she sighed, an odd thing coming from a dragon, then lowered her head a bit, just in range of Hiccup. He chuckled incredulously. After all this time… she was trusting him?

“Hey, Moondancer…” He reached out, and with a small shudder, he placed his hand on her nose. It was cool and almost felt damp, as if he were touching metal. She breathed on him as he did, her eyes slightly fluttering from his touch as her pupils widened. Hiccup chuckled slightly, a soft smile on his face.

“Incredible.” Viggo said, his voice distant to Hiccup’s ears. He was too caught up in the moment.

This felt like…more than gaining a dragon’s trust. This felt like her… approving him, in some way, as if he passed a test. He smiled, a truly breathtaking smile. He leaned forwards, scratching underneath her chin. She tilted her head up slightly. Viggo leaned forwards, placing a hand on Hiccups back, sending ripples of warmth through his body. Hiccup looked up at him, smile still in place, then back to the dragon.

“Yeah, Yeah she really is.” Hiccup said. He looked deep into her yellow eyes, narrowed as they were, and smiled.

“Thank you.” And he meant it, with every fiber of his being.

He wasn’t quite sure who he was addressing, but it felt important to tell them both that. The Skri-Moondancer saved his life with Viggo, and Viggo has proven that he is far more than who he was. Instead, he was someone more, someone who made his heart race and his mind to race.

He challenged him, and hurt him. Hiccup hated him, but he couldn’t help but be enthralled, utterly absorbed by him. He regretted his words, his actions, everything. He retracted his hand slowly, standing up besides Viggo once more. Moondancer trilled, Toothless answering her call. The other dragons warily looked at her, before Barf and Belch, ever so like their riders, decided to approach, trilling happily as she growled at them.

He wished Astrid was here to see this. She never thought they would start bonding.

At the thought, however, the happier feelings immediately tanked in the rider, leaving him hollow and disgusted with himself. He shouldn’t be happy. He ruined their group today. He ruined his relationship, and over what?

“You are quite incredible with your dragons. They treat you as one of their own, you know.” Viggo said, his hand pressing slightly harder into his back, as if to ground him. Hiccup grit his teeth.

“Yeah, I can only get along with dragons, I guess. Not good for anything else.” Hiccup mumbled. He sighed, hanging his head.

“God’s, what do I do about Astrid? I just make her miserable. I tie her down. I drown her. And now I think I've lost her.” He said more to himself than the one standing beside him. He felt the air shrinking around him once more, the world growing a bit dimmer as he focused on the discarded gift on the ground.

“And would that be such a bad thing? She ties you down, Hiccup. You made the right move in there. She was the one who did not handle it with any sort of integrity.” His voice was soothing, helping Hiccup relax slightly, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

“Yeah and a lot of good that did me. I tore us apart with all of my right choices. I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. Stupid, weak, disappointment of a Viking Hiccup messed everything up again.” He mumbled, before looking up at Viggo, a fire in his eyes.

“You must be so happy, because you were right about us, huh? We are falling apart at the seams. A bird to a fish, right?” Hiccup grabbed his hair, tugging at the bangs as his eyes slightly welled. God’s, how pathetic, nearly crying in front of Viggo? How low could he sink?

“God’s-I ruin everything. My village, my relationship with my dad, my friends… Hiccup’s words tumbled out like a waterfall, with no way to control them. Years and years of insecurities and thoughts bubbling out as he broke down. Viggo hummed, eyes hard and calculating.

“And what should you have done? Caved to her whims? Had your dear Deathsong get killed or captured because she thought it was lonely? That is not how a soldier should act.” Viggo scoffed. “Your dear Astrid was foolish, and you protected her from herself. The fact that she overreacted is no fault of your own.”

“I-” Hiccup started. He startled as two hands landed on his shoulders. He looked away, down at the ground. Viggo took a small step towards him, into his personal space. He looked down at him, eyes narrowed.

“Astrid Hofferson never deserved you. Sadly, you are too selfless to see that.” Viggo said, voice steady and low, serious. Hiccup grit his teeth, furrowing his brow as he glared at the ground.

“Yeah, sure. Tell that to everyone in my life. I've been an embarrassment my entire life. I was named Hiccup because I was born an embarrassment.”

“Hiccup, dear, look at me.” Hiccup slowly looked up, meeting the hypnotic heterochromatic gaze of the man who started all of this, who created this whole mess, yet couldn’t be at fault for it. He couldn’t decide whether to spit in his face or lean a bit closer. His body shook at the gaze. Viggo’s eyes softened as he slowly lifted a hand, brushing away a few stray tears on Hiccup’s face. Hiccup grit his teeth harder. He shouldn’t be crying.

Viggo studied him for a moment, tilting his head this way and that, before leaning a bit closer, far closer than he ever had before. Hiccup’s breath quickened at the proximity. He wanted to take a step back, but he just couldn’t. He was frozen.

The next words, however…

“You are far more of a Viking and a leader than any other I have come across. You are Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Brilliant, stubborn to a fault, loyal, beautiful, fascinating, infuriating.” Viggo ran a hand on his face, tracing it, memorizing it.

“Not because of Toothless, but because that is who you are.” Viggo took a breath, the air tingling on Hiccup’s face. He sat there, frozen, eyes wide, as Viggo continued.

“No one will ever compete, because there has never been nor will there be a Viking as remarkable as you.” He paused as he took a breath, the hot air tingling on Hiccup’s face as he did so.

“My entire life I have dedicated to trapping dragons for the finest kings and chiefs of the land. I have traveled near and far, covering every inch of the Archipelago and beyond, and yet, I have not met a single being as divine as you.” Viggo sighed. It was shaky, as if he were unsure. He looked out of his depth, just saying what came to his mind, instead of some planned speech.

Hiccup couldn’t stop staring at those eyes, his face. Everything he could see. He was mesmerized. The words felt sincere, and Hiccup felt himself start to crumble.

“To say you are worthless is to insult those who care for you. You may not realize it, but you are worth more than all of the gold in Valhalla. So do not cry, my dear. Do not cry for those who do not realize your worth. She does not deserve it.” Viggo finished. He leaned away from Hiccup, his eyes harder than they should be for a man who just poured his soul out onto Hiccup. That was another emotion he has only seen once before on the man, before he fell into a volcano. Desperation.

Hiccup just stood there, his head spiraling.

“Viggo…”

“I-”

Odin, give him strength. He was such an idiot.

“Remember that, my dear. Goodnight, Hiccup.” Viggo sighed, looking away from Hiccup and instead looking towards the sunset. Hiccup sat there, frozen.

“Wait.”

He didn’t know how he said it. It felt like he was disconnected from his body. He was holding onto Viggo’s arm, stopping his retreat. Viggo turned, a brow raised.

“Hiccup?” He mumbled. Hiccup shook his head, letting loose a hysterical chuckle.

“God’s, I have to be the dimmest Viking in the whole Archepelago.” Hiccup mumbled.

He snapped his gaze up, meeting the heterochromatic gaze of the man who started all of this, who created this torrential storm in his heart.

And… he moved.

He didn’t know exactly possessed him at that moment. He didn’t even know if it was him or Viggo who moved. Maybe they both did.

Later, he would blame it on adrenaline, or maybe he just tripped. He couldn’t recall even moving. It was as though time stopped its march, and the sun skipped in the sky. He didn’t know what happened.

But one moment he was standing, staring at the ex-hunter. The next, Hiccup’s lips were pressing desperately into Viggo’s, their teeth clacking painfully as they kissed.

He tasted like iron and willow-bark, an unpleasant taste, yet it tingled pleasantly on his lips as he pushed harder, turning his head slightly. It took a moment, but Viggo pushed back, fiercely. He kissed Hiccup as if he were the first drink after years in the wilderness, as if he was going to disappear at any moment.

It was by no means a good kiss. It was one of the worst kisses Hiccup had ever had, in fact. His nose hurt from the impact, his teeth hurt and his lips burned slightly. It was nothing like the ones he shared with Astrid, which were always timid, small, a passing peck or a small press of the lips.

This was unrestrained, wild, desperate, painful, and so full of emotion that he could almost feel it in the air around him.

It was perfect.

And things made sense, and Astrid disappeared from his mind.

Hiccup moaned, bringing his hand up to curl into Viggo’s own hair, the hair just long enough to knot his fingers into, savoring the soft feel as he pressed his body close to the other, feeling his large body on him.

He slid his other hand up the man’s side, feeling the scars and muscles that made up the hunter, onto fabric, onto his chest. Viggo pushed him back several steps till they hit the wall, running his hand’s down Hiccup’s neck, to his side, holding his hips. Every touch felt like fire, electricity coursing through the touch.

He felt like he was making a mistake. He had to be making a mistake.

This was stupid, this was insane.

He was insane.

His mind screamed at him nearly as much as it cheered. He wanted to pull back, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. He instead pressed himself closer.

He couldn’t find it in him to care about the consequences at the moment. All that mattered right then, was Viggo.

Idiot.

After too long, but not near long enough, they broke away, both panting as they tried to catch their breath. Hiccup stared half lidded into Viggo’s eyes, as he looked at him, eyes full of desire for him, and he felt a barrage of shivers tear through his body.

He was making a mistake.

Viggo chuckled slightly between breaths, carting his hand through Hiccup’s auburn locks. Hiccup leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering slightly as he looked into those beautiful brown and blue eyes. One was pale, barely functioning, but the other seemed to explode with emotion, with life. And Hiccup felt his heart burn. 

“Hardly. I’d say that you rival the Gods with your shine, my love.”

Chapter Text

It only took a few moments for reality to dawn on Hiccup. He pushed the man back as his eyes widened, that warm floaty feeling dissapearing as he did so. Hiccup took a few deep breaths, eyes wide as he comprehended exactly what just happened. His hands shook and he tried to steady his rapid breathing.

He just kissed Viggo. He just kissed Viggo Grimborn.

What Thor-forsaken vættr possessed him? Why did he do that?!

Hiccup shook his head, looking up at Viggo who stared at him, bewildered. Yeah, Hiccup didn’t blame him there. He was just as confused as he was. Hiccup just-acted on what he desperately needed at the moment. He didn’t think, for once, and he regretted it.

Viggo took a cautious step towards him, his brow now furrowed in confusion. His face was slightly flushed, exerted from their moment together as he breathed deeply, scanning Hiccup’s face. He almost looked…worried. It couldn’t be concern, though, because Viggo didn’t feel anything towards him, not really. At least, that's what Hiccup told himself. This was insane.

First moment someone told him he was valuable, more than his dragon, and Hiccup’s first instinct was to kiss him?

No. No, this couldn’t be happening.

He’s lost it, hasn’t he?

He didn’t sense the approach of the other, barely registering the pain in his hands, fisted so harshly that his nails felt like knifes in his palms. He bit his lip, hands shaking and his shoulders tensed. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Viggo’s hand fell on his shoulder as the man looked at him with this-this pitiful look. This time it didn’t fill him with butterflies. This time it made his stomach sink.

Hiccup swept off the hand with a snarl, his heart thumping painfully and his head screaming at him that this was wrong. This was wrong and he hated every second of it. He ignored how his heart and his body yearned, because that was not right, all of this was wrong.

“Hiccup? What...?” Viggo said, his voice as smooth as silk as he dumped that loaded question onto Hiccup. He seemed as stumped as Hiccup was, for once. Hiccup would have laughed at the other if he weren't stuck in the same state. His voice was so comforting before, now it just sounded like nails on iron. Hiccup didn’t know why. He didn’t have an answer. Not one he could admit. Not one that he would ever allow to be true.

"I-Dont...Why did I..." Hiccup mumbled under his breath, the words just flowing out as he stood there, looking at the object of his twisted affections. 

Why indeed.There was something terribly wrong with him.

It took him a moment to react out of standing there like a dumbstruck fool, but Hiccup finally shook his head, shoving out of the way of the other, past his shoulder and away from the imprisonment of his arms, heading straight towards the door as he tried to even his breathing. Anything to get away from…whatever just happened.

The dragons stood there, all with various expressions of concern. He forgot they were there, before, too taken in by the moment. Now he realized that their eyes never left the two, wary and concerned. His eye’s hardened as he perceived their stares.

Moondancer had arched her back, scattered bolts of lightning dancing on her spines as she watched Hiccup with narrowed eyes. Toothless growled, shaking his head this way and that, as if explaining to the other dragons what happened. The other dragons hissed and grumbled, looking back and forth from Hiccup to Viggo with slitted pupils.

Hiccup felt sick to his stomach. Even the dragons were upset at his weakness. He retreated a few steps, avoiding looking back at-him. He could feel Viggo’s eyes on him. Hiccup tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Just stay away from me." Hiccup grimaced, not bothering to worsen the ache in his heart by looking back at the man. Toothless bounded to Hiccup’s side, his fins flat against his head as he whined, looking up at Hiccup with slightly slitted eyes, analyzing him.

"This is just a game to you, isn't it? Was this your end goal? To-to manipulate me into feeling anything for you?! God's, how did I not see it earlier." Hiccup shook his head, gritting his teeth as he tried to control his racing thoughts. It made sense, more sense than what he was feeling. 

His chest hurt.

He heard Viggo scoff.

“You really think that is all this is? Some mind game? Some trick? You still think me entirely void of emotions? Be rational, Hiccup.” Viggo said, clearly not approaching, but raising his voice for Hiccup all the same, his baritone bouncing off the dome with a unsettling echo. Hiccup scoffed, whipping his head back around to face the other, who stood in the shadows.

“I am being rational. With you? You-telling me I am special, like I’m somehow more than what I am-to get in my head, like you did the entire war? Yes. It has to be that. Compliments are just a way to manipulate people.  And-that is what you do, Viggo. That is who you are. How could I ever believe otherwise? Well, it worked. Now what do you want? What will you do?” Hiccup snorted, shaking his head, face flushed with shame. He was ashamed. he was a fool to be moved by the other’s words. This was Viggo.

Viggo didn’t mean any of his words. He couldn’t.

The pink of the sunset was no longer romantic, instead it felt haunting, making Viggo’s eyes glow red as they peered at him, the shadows making his silhouette haunting, intimidating. The dragons in the corner had snarls painted on their faces, though they did not move, unsure of what exactly the threat was to Hiccup. Their eyes also painted crimson in Muspelheim’s fire.

In the reigning silence, Hiccup turned back to the door, trying to fight the tears burning in his eyes for the umpteenth time today. Viggo broke the silence.

“You don't seem certain of your own assessment, dear.” His voice was darker, now. More condescending as he called to Hiccup, who was nearly out the door. Hiccup snarled, turning his head to the side. He refused to look to the other. He refused to show the tears on his face, even when Viggo just brushed them off his face moments prior.

“We hate eachother. That is how this works. We are only working together because we have the same goal, a truce. This...This is not alright.” Hiccup muttered. He didn’t mean it. And that terrified him.

“You have a very interesting way of showing your contempt, my dear.” Viggo taunted. The dragon’s growls increased in pitch as Hiccup growled, much like them, reacting on instinct to the man’s tone.

“Stop calling me that!" He took a shuddering breath. "This was wrong. I can't-I can't believe I fell for this. Astrid was right.” Hiccup said, his voice shaking slightly. He took the last few steps into the light, leaving the darkness of what was only moments prior something so… wonderful.

His lips tingled.

He took another step away from Viggo, away from the confusion and the chaos that he found himself in. He cursed his heart for its yearning, telling him to go back.

“You kissed me. Hiccup. It is not smart to delude yourself to reality. Is it so wrong?” Viggo said, his voice echoing lightly as Hiccup left his eyesight. Hiccup narrowed his eyes on the wooden planks at his feet, his eyes hurt as he tried to force away the piercing blurriness that obscured his vision.

“Yes.” He said, finality in his tone. And it would be. It was wrong. Everything about this was wrong. And he couldn’t let it continue.

Without even a look to the man, he left.

Viggo stared intently at the door, where Hiccup disappeared moments prior. His brow furrowed.

Just moments ago he was looking into the incredible green eyes (or eye, as the bandages obscured his other one) his dear Hiccup possessed, memorizing every little detail, how the emerald hue contained some flecks of gold that shone brilliantly in the setting sun, how his auburn eyelashes framed them so beautifully, how his skin was coated in freckles, painting his face like the stars painted the firmament above them.

He wondered if he was dreaming, before. After everything they had gone through together, he couldn’t possibly be so lucky.

Because Hiccup Haddock, his dear dragon, kissed him.

He was reeling, for once. A feeling that only Hiccup himself could incur inside him. He never in a million years expected something like this. For Hiccup to kiss him of his own free will. He hoped, but he never thought it would happen.

And yet—he did. It didn’t feel real. Until, of course, Hiccup snapped out of whatever spell he was under.

Viggo could barely contain the gasp when he was sent stumbling back by Hiccup. Hiccup was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and shaking as he hunched on himself in a defensive position, his eyes locked on some unknown subject, disoriented and hazy. He… looked panicked, terrified, as if the world were crumbling around him. And he left, not allowing for more than a few sentences between them.

And now, here he was. Alone. Hiccup gone and his dragons growling at him.

It was quite peculiar. Hiccup acted like a dragon when it was threatened with no place to go. One that lost hope, only running on feral instincts and panic. Like his life was ending.

Viggo looked over to the glint of medal laying on the floor, Hiccup’s gift to Astrid, if he recalled. One that was supposed to unify them again. Viggo walked up to it with slow measured steps, regretting leaving his cane at their shared hut for a moment as his back burned. He kneeled down, grabbing the item, inspecting it.

It was a dagger. A beautiful one, clearly made by expert hands. It shone like fire in the sunset, flickering up and decorating the walls in its sheen. Viggo looked at the handle, how it seemed to be made of older metal, less refined but still masterfully integrated, He traced the designs on it reverently, the runes that pled strength and power to the gods, clearly meant to be wielded against a mighty foe. A dragon perhaps?

It was quite fascinating, beautiful, immaculate. Hiccup never ceased to awe Viggo in his skill. And knowing Hiccup, there was even more than met the eye. He slowly wrapped up the piece, feeling a bit of pride in the fact that Astrid would most likely never receive it, not if he played his pieces right.

Besides, with Astrid’s rejection, it ultimately broke their betrothal, didn’t it? That is twice now that she spurned Hiccup, and the rules of Berk stated that a refusal or dishonoring of a gift was a rejection when it came to engagements, as far as he was aware. Her announcing it was only a formality, at this point. He was sure it would hurt Hiccup deeply when she finally did so, however.

When Hiccup’s world crumbled, when Astrid let him go fully, he would be there for him. It was symbolic, in a way, wasn’t it? How her rejecting him led to Hiccup finding comfort in Viggo. He understood why the poor heir felt as though his world was crumbling.

In a way-Viggo supposed-it was. Wasn’t it? Hiccup surely thought he would have Astrid by his side forever. He never would have expected this outcome. Neither of them did. And yet, here they are.

A thought occurred to him then. Was Hiccup even aware of what he just did, or did he just act on instinct? Was he that confused, that overwhelmed with sheer emotion that he would kiss him?

How…fascinating. And infuriating. As were most things when Hiccup Haddock was involved. He shook his head, looking to the hissing dragons in the corner. His dear Skrill walked up to him, rubbing her head gently on his side. She then clicked and chittered, as if trying to explain something to him. He sighed, running a hand on her head. She growled, rolling her eyes. The other dragons chirped and growled back.

Viggo looked between them, eyebrows furrowed.

“Ah, if only you could speak. You might be able to advise me. You must know Hiccup quite well, after all.” He said. She huffed, pushing her rider in the legs while letting out a chirping noise. Viggo stumbled a bit, confused. He pet her head once more.

“Dear, what are you trying to tell me?” She shook her head, snarling before making the same noise, pointing to the door with her snout, then back at him. The other dragons hissed and grumbled, which the Skrill replied to violently, screeching and spreading her wings. They hissed back, making their way out of the arena and taking to the sky. Where, he didn’t know.

He wondered what she told them. They clearly had a shared form of dialect. They understood eachother perfectly. It was curious he never noticed it before, until the riders. Moondancer whipped her head back to the rider, snarling. He narrowed his eyes at her. She huffed, gesturing to the door once more before once again making the same chirp. Viggo sighed. He understood what she was getting at. She wished for him to go after Hiccup.

That would be the wrong move at this time, as much as he wished to. Best to wait and be patient, see how Hiccup processed the sheer typhoon of emotions he was surely feeling after such a trying day. It took every ounce of patience to not find the man and show him exactly how he felt, as he would have done months prior. He would have shown him how scorned and offended; how confused and delighted he was. He wished to feel those lips on his again, over and over, feel the riders body on his own. His mind was alight with so many emotions he has never felt all at once, all for Hiccup, and it was exhilarating.

He couldn’t find himself to be too upset, though. Despite how insulted his pride felt.

Because, this meant that, no matter how much Hiccup convinced himself otherwise, he felt something for Viggo. He had to. After all, no one would do such a thing otherwise. He felt something, like Viggo did. Something that could be fostered and developed into what Viggo now knew as love, ad Viggo felt for him. It nearly made him chuckle. All this time, he assumed Hiccup felt nothing. He wondered how long he has. Perhaps, that thought he had earlier, could become reality with much more ease than he realized.

He would just have to be patient. Wait for Hiccup to realize exactly how he felt, because the poor dear was surely confused at the moment, torn between his feelings of hate and love, and when Astrid completely let Hiccup go, well, Viggo would be there for him, and if Hiccup allowed it, he would never let him go. 

“Dear-” He started. She snarled before he could tell her to stand down. He understood her, he wanted to see Hiccup more than anything at that moment, but his common-sense told him to wait. But before he could say anything, a shadow fell upon them. A familiar one. One that left only moments prior. 

Viggo raised an eyebrow as he watched the dragon fly into the dome. Moondancer hissed as a Monstruous Nightmare screeched as he descended, his body aflame. She fell back to the ground, splaying her wings threateningly. Viggo carefully put a hand in front of her, urging her to step back from the formidable dragon.

Hookfang must have changed his mind about his acceptance, after all. Or Moondancer upset him. Either way, Hookfang came back, blocking their way out. 

Hookfang spit up ash and cinders as he growled, lowering his head for someone to jump off. Ah, so that would explain his sudden return. His rider. Snotlout Jorgenson rode him. Viggo raised a brow at the shorter rider. 

"Ah, Snotlout. What is the matter?" He called out to Hiccup's rider.

Snotlout growled, much like his dragon, as he held up a hammer as he walked towards him, his posture hunched and menacing. Viggo took a few steps away from his dragon's side, assuring she could fire without harming him, just in case. 

“I don’t care how much you scare me, Viggo Grimborn. We need to have a little talk about what is going on between you and Hiccup. And what I just saw.”

Hiccup leaned against his dragon as he walked, his leg aching and his face burning. It seemed he strained them further, earlier, when he was kissing-he gagged-kissing Viggo.

“God’s, what a stupid move. What was I thinking?! Was I thinking? Great, Hiccup. Way to screw the terror. Just can't stop being Hiccup the Useless, huh? Just set another fire why don't you?” Hiccup growled to himself, trying hard not to pull his hair out of his head as he focused on putting one step in front of the other. He just wanted to collapse in on himself, disappear, never deal with another emotion again.

The forge was calling him, at the moment. He desperately needed to hammer something, or catch something on fire. He headed for his hut, growling when Toothless once again stopped, letting out several harsh warbles and grunts, his eyes narrowed at his rider.

“Gah-would you stop!? I am not going back to that-nightmare! I just-need to forget any of this happened! Going back to him will do nothing but- AH!” Hiccup yelped as he tripped on something in front of his house, collapsing onto the ground. Toothless yipped and quickly caught his rider, whining as his head impacted the harsh wooden boards. His leg throbbed as it bent in an awkward angle, sending shoots of pain up his leg as it hit whatever obstacle blocked his path.

“Ow! Watch it peg-leg!” Or rather, someone.

Hiccup whipped his head up from his position on his dragon’s head, pushing himself to a more upright position as he watched the blonde skinny rider adjust her helmet and pick herself up off the ground with a grimace on her face, holding tightly to a small leatherbound book in her hands.

“Wha-Ruffnut?!” Hiccup said, furrowing his brow, his voice coming out in a higher pitch than he intended as he recovered from the embarrassing fall. She snorted, brushing her tunic off with her free hand as she gave him a face.

“Uh, duh! Who else is this gorgeous?” She flipped her hair, walking far too close to him as she did so. Hiccup wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of fish that permeated off of her.

“What are you doing-how long have you been sitting there?!” He muttered, taking a step back. His dragon seemed to be on edge from where he stood next to Hiccup. Ruffnut sighed, leaning forwards and slinging an arm around Hiccup, who grimaced.

“My question is, what are you doing here, Hic? And...going back? Hm? You know. You seem to be thinking a lot there. Is it about a certain, I don’t know, hunter turned rider perchance? Wink Wink.” She stated her actions as she winked at Hiccup. Her smile was menacing as she shoved her face mere inches away from his. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to take a step back. The flush he fought off earlier was crawling back up his skin, flashes of the ex-hunter filling his mind.

He needed to get a grip.

“Wha-I-uh-I don’t know what you are-” She cut him off with a finger to his lips. A fiendish smile that always accompanied her more Loki-inspired actions stretching her mouth uncomfortably wide as she batted her eyelashes.

“Shh, Hiccy. Let’s cut to the chase. I am here for you. To vent, to let your feelings out, you know. Anything at all. Pour it out. Let my calming voice soothe you as you talk about your man.” Does…did she see what happened?! Is that what this was about? His eyes grew wide as he took a stumbling step back.

“My man? Wha-What did you-I-uh, am unsure where you are going with this. Where is this coming from? Did you-ah-see anything?” He choked out, like a liar. He just hoped that she didn’t see what happened, because it was a mistake, one that he would never make again, one that he wished he could forget. 

And with the twins knowing? Odin help him, they wouldn’t let him live it down for the rest of his life. Though he should have worded that better, if the gleam in her eye was any indication.

“Hmmmm, see anything? Well, now isn't that intriguing. Did something happen?" Hiccup took a sharp breath. She shrugged, victory on her face. "So it did. Fascinating. Unfortunately, you'll just have to tell me about it, won't you?"

Hiccup gave her a blank stare.

"Oh come on, I just want to hear how you feel after that horrible meltdown earlier! Maybe about Viggo, and how much you care for him. Limited time offer lover-boy. You can just tell me how you feel. Tell me. Tell me now!” Her voice raised to a screeching pitch near the end, Hiccup and Toothless both wincing back as she yelled in his face. Hiccup stumbled out of her reach. She clearly knew something, but what. How-

“What are…you…what-” Hiccup stuttered as he looked around frantically, but stopped as his eyes landed on the small book clutched in her hands. It looked…familiar, eerily so. Then, he noticed the crest.

His heart stopped.

“What…is that.”

“Oh, uh. Something I stumbled across, a little light reading.” Ruffnut shrugged, nonchalant. That emotion seemed to only last a moment however, as she stopped, her eyes growing wide.

Hiccup felt the urge to run, but he needed to know what she was about to say. His eyebrows furrowed as that hollow ick filled his stomach as he looked at the book. Ruffnut’s Loki-ish smile returned full force as she waved the book, his eyes watching its every movement. She seemed to like that, her grin growing wider.

“You know, Hiccup. It is a verry interesting book I have here. It might help you with your problems, in fact. With a certain man, perchance.” She said smartly, her voice fluctuating with each exaggerated movement.

“It’s Viggo’s. That is his clan’s crest. How did you get that?” He nearly shuddered thinking about the man’s—the man he hated, mind you—name. He wanted to reach out to it, he wanted to know the contents badly, just to make things make sense.

“Eh, I got it from Astrid’s hut. Or...she let me borrow it, perchance-who's to say?” Ruffnut said.

His stomach dropped, becoming a void of fear and…anger. Astrid. Astrid.

Astrid. She...knew?!

“You-wait, what? Astrid? She-had something like that the whole time? And you stole it from her? How did you even... Is-is that why she has been acting like this?! Some-some book?!” He raised his voice, his throat burning as he felt more anger than necessary accompanying the void of guilt and frustration that was coiled up inside of him.

Astrid hid this from him? Astrid could have told him everything all along, and she decided not to? Were the contents why she was acting so…hostile? What was inside of it that made her so scared, so angry, that she hid it from him? What was she so afraid of him knowing about Viggo? How...much was in there, to make Ruffnut, and Astrid act like this?! It terrified him, honestly. Did everyone else know more about his convoluted feelings for Viggo than he did?! Is that why she saw him as more of a threat, if she knew something he didn't?

If it was a threat…why didn’t she tell him?

“Eh, yes. But uh-that is something you will talk to her about. But-I would say be cautious. She is madder than a Nightmare in heat at the moment." Ruffnut chuckled. "But-maybe you should give it a look-see. Maybe you might learn something about yourself and Viggo. ” He reached out to the offered book, only for Ruffnut to snatch it back. He groaned.

“However~I don’t work for free. You owe me. You have to tell me what you feel like afterwards. I just gotta know how this plays out.” She said. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Is-uh, telling you how I feel necessary?" He mumbled. She scoffed.

"Yes! Let's just say... I got a lot on the line here. A brother to beat, you know, the works. It'll be fine. Just trust me." He groaned. That was…a dangerous proposal, for him and everyone else but he had no choice. It made him more curious of the contents.

He nodded. She smirked.

“Ruffnut! You better not be doing what I think you are doing!” A voice screeched from some place on the Edge Hiccup couldn’t quite pinpoint. The left, if Toothless’ ear flaps were any indication.

“You can’t prove it even if I am! You have nothing!” She yelled back, before tossing the book at Hiccup. Hiccup fought to catch it for a moment, before it settled in his hands. She winked at him. Again.

“Oh yeah!?” Tuffnut yelled, his voice was closer now. Hiccup could hear his foot-falls as he made his way closer to them. “Hiccup, don’t listen to her. She is lying! You cheat! You are a liar and a thief! I'm so proud but so mad at you right now!”

“Hah, I just know I am right, brother! Just nudging it along!” Ruffnut laughed. Tuffnut guffawed.

“That is cheating! Oh, by Thor's name you will regret this!” She laughed before looking down at Hiccup. Something…uncertain entered her eyes, but it was quickly wiped away. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gentler now. Her voice was quieter than he has heard in a long time.

“Hiccup. Just..read it. Things will start making sense. I promise. I know...it's hard. I get it, really. Let me know when they do.” She said, before standing up straight and running in the direction of her brother with a battle cry. Hiccup blinked in her direction, looking over at his dragon.

"Well... things just keep getting weirder and weirder today, huh bud?" 

Toothless hissed as he looked down at the book, gesturing for Hiccup to toss it.

"Yeah. I get that. I-but... after today..." Hiccup muttered. He got the gist there. It felt like he was betraying both Viggo and Astrid… but if it was worth hiding for so long… didn’t he have to know?

He was their heir, after all. Viggo would understand why he needed to know. Still, even after everything. It felt… wrong. This was clearly a journal of some sorts. Possibly Viggo’s own journal. He rationalized with himself. This could be a threat. This could explain what game-if any-Viggo was playing with his emotions.

This…could change everything.

“Bud. I-I have to know.” Hiccup murmured. Toothless whined, pushing his head into his riders side. Hiccup nodded.

“I get that, I do-but…what if this really is about Viggo? What if it is one of his tricks and not...whatever is going on here? What if Astrid was right all along?” Hiccup said, then mumbled. "And she hid it from me? God's, Tooth. This makes no sense. We need to know."

Toothless groaned, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in exasperation. Hiccup bit his lip. He swore the dragon knew more about this than he did, at this point. It seemed like everyone was keeping secrets from him.

But—he would understand now. He would understand what got him to care about Viggo. Why he kissed the man. Then he could end it, peacefully, or violently, if need be. Then him and Astrid could…possibly reconcile.

He needed to stop lying to himself, but he couldn’t stop. He refused to. Viggo was right. He was scared. He was so scared. And he was the one that started this. Sad, really. 

He took a deep breath as he descended into the darkness of his hut, the sky painting the interior a sickly red.

“Why did she hide this from me? What were you so desperate to keep me from?” Hiccup said. He walked, not breaking his view of the book as he walked, his dragon faithfully pulling the shudder down behind him as he grabbed a candle.

Well. It was time to find out.

Chapter Text

Snotlout tried to fight the shaking that seemed to torture his entire body. He told himself it was the cold, but the sweat running down his neck begged to differ. He swallowed, looking at the man who ruined pretty much everything with as much anger as he could muster with the fear coursing through him.

What? Viggo was intimidating, but Snotlout could handle him, for Hiccup. Because what he just saw? That needed to be addressed, especially since apparently Viggo must love him, according to Ruffnut, at least. He called yak dung on that assumption, this was Viggo, but that isn’t important now.

He needed answers. But…he really didn’t at the same time. He didn’t see everything. Just Hiccup and Toothless storming off after yelling at Viggo, after being pinned to the wall. By the time Hookfang decided to come back, or even bothered looking up at him from the arena, the traitor, Viggo was alone with that dragon of his. Clearly, there was some evidence here to something being wrong and Viggo was at fault. His glare hardened. Was he hurting him? What were they doing?

God’s, Snotlout wouldn’t have cared earlier, just that conversation with the twins about Viggo love… well. It wouldn’t leave him be. It pecked at his brain like an incessant chicken. It haunted him. It creeped him out more than he thought to think of this guy being in love with Hiccup, or Thor forbid, the other way around too.

There was no way. And he would prove it.

Viggo raised a cocky brow in his direction, the smug monster that he is. Snotlout ground his teeth, swinging his hammer in his fist threateningly. Hookfang snarled at his side, reacting to his rider’s anger, as he should. Snotlout was furious.

How dare this guy.

“I assure you, it was a harmless spat, a differing of opinions, one might say. Now, if I may—” The man moved to get onto his dragon, who hissed violently in Hookfang’s direction. The dragon snarled back, arching his back and splaying his wings wider, shaking them in a threatening manner. Snotlout growled, swinging the hammer to point at Viggo.

“Uh, No! You aren’t fooling me Viggo. You were just playing with all of us, playing with Hiccup! Now you are showing your true colors, like we all thought you would, right? I see through you!”

The ex-hunter smirked. “Or, perhaps you are misreading the situation?” Snotlout rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, glaring at the man in disbelief.

“Hah! Yeah, all right. I think I know what I saw. You and Hiccup fighting? Yeah. No. Hiccup rarely ever fights like that!” He hunched his shoulders, walking closer to the man, who simply stared at him, arms crossed behind his back in that cocky way he always did. God’s, Snotlout hated this guy.

“Really. Now that is interesting. You leader is quite firery when he desires." Viggo looked down, fiddling with his pristine fingernails for a moment, as if dismissing him. Snotlout scoffed. "You know, Snotlout, you are surely smart. Why would I hurt him now?”

Well duh he was smart! At least Viggo saw that! “Of course I am! Uh, You are enemies, you ugh—you have history, and obsess over eachother so much it can’t be healthy! You tried to kill us! Multiple times! I could go on and on!” Snotlout gestured with his hands, swinging the hammer in disbelief. “None of this can be good!”

Viggo looked up, mouth slightly crooked in a smirk. “It is admirable, dear. To care for Hiccup so much. To protect him like this. Admirable, but unnecessary. You do not need to protect him from me. In fact, it seems as though he is in more danger from his own betrothed, than me.” Hah, yeah sure. Snotlout marched up to the man, trying to steel himself under the man’s intimidating stare.

“Hah! You don’t know me, Viggo. And you don't know my team. I don’t care about Hiccup, or what he does. He can deal with it himself. I just want scum like you to know who you are messing with.” No. That really wasn’t true, but he would never say that, especially to this guy. Viggo should be faced with the strong and powerful Snotlout that everyone else was, one that made his dad proud, not one that cared about some puny twig like Hiccup, right? Viggo tilted his head, a small smirk on his face.

Their dragons snarled and crackled as they mirrored their dragons. The Skrill stood still, lightning intimidatingly arching off the ground and her back. Hookfang instead kept moving his wings, tail lashing as he twisted his head, jaw opening and closing in his snarl. Like dragon like human.

“Interesting how you deny it. Pride, perhaps?” Viggo shook his head. “No, you do care, or you wouldn’t be standing here. Despite your tumultuous past, you have grown to care a great deal for your leader, haven't you? You see him as family, like a cousin, or a brother perhaps.” His voice was lilted, as if he knew he was right. His stare pierced into Snotlout, and he was now certain the man had to be some kind of witch. Nobody could look into a Jorgenson and read them like a book! Not even Astrid could do that!

“No! I just-he gets himself into trouble! He needs to-Gah-stop trying to get into my head! You nearly destroyed Berk! You killed dragons! It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think you are doing something to Hiccup now!”

“So ive heard. Yes I did, but, as we established, it is different now. Hiccup gave me a second chance. Snotlout. I assure you. I would never hurt Hiccup, not after he saved my life.” Viggo's shoes padded near silently towards him, but it seemed louder than ever, matching the blood rushing in his ears. Snotlout cursed his body for being so tense around this guy.

He couldn't do anything to Snotlout. He swung his hammer threateningly, only to be met by the Skrill, lighting herself up in warning, her wings flaring slightly. He took a small step back. Right. Skrill. He took a gulp of air before continuing, glaring at the man.

“And why in Thor’s name should I ever trust the likes of you? Why should any of us? What really changed? Why would you go so far as to save him back there even!? Does anything you do make sense? No, right, it doesn't. Because you are insane! You are worse than Hiccup!” Snotlout snarled, pacing in front of the ex-hunter from a safer distance, hammer swinging with each movement. Hookfang snarled at his side. Viggo simply watched him, only his head turning at each movement.

“Tell me, Snotlout. Do you know what it is like, to care for someone you shouldn’t? To be in love?”

Snotlout stopped for a moment dead in his tracks, processing that sentence with wide eyes.

...What?

Oh god’s, Was...was Ruffnut right?? And Astrid? 

Here Viggo was, admitting it?

Just like that?

No way. A trick, a lie. Something had to be up. 

“....Hah, like you are in love. You don’t feel anything. I can smell the fish from here Viggo. You stink.” Snotlout said, voice rising with each syllable. Viggo hummed, brow raised in surprise.

“Interesting. You do know what it is like, don't you? An enemy, perhaps. Well. Now, that changes things, doesn't it?” Viggo tilted his head, walking closer to Snotlout. Snotlout held his ground, feeling sweat build on his brow. 

He looked over at Viggo, eyes narrowed and furious as he forced that quick flash of regret and pain that came with that question out of his mind, covering the hurt on his face quickly.

He…hasn’t thought about that for a while now. Curse Viggo for bringing that unfortunate not-even-a-relationship up. He didn’t want to think about what happened back then. What couldve happened if-

Snotlout pointed at the man again with a finger, hand firm as he forced a snarl on his face.

“No I don’t! I am not a lunatic, like you! You-you-you manipulator! Your schemes don't work on me! This is about Hiccup and you!”

Viggo chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he finally took a step closer, now only a foot away from Snotlout.

“Ah, lying, are we? You’ve been in love. Don’t deny it. I can see it in your eyes. Someone who hurt you, betrayed you, didn’t they?” Snotlout felt a shiver run across his skin as the man looked at him, dissected him. Viggo took a step closer.

“That’s not! I-!” He said, voice choked as memories flashed in his vision. It was silly, wrong to think about…him, at this moment. Thor… Without meaning to, his grip on his hammer lessened and he looked down to the ground, brow furrowed and frustrated. This guy could dig into him more than anyone else he has ever met. He hated it, like he was being seen like a bug under one of Hiccup’s spy-glasses.

“Don’t deny it.” Viggo said, voice low and inviting. Snotlout let out a shuddering sigh. No, He didn’t want to talk about what happened back then, how much it hurt to look at Fishlegs now…

“Stop trying to pick me apart! I am a steel trap! This means nothing! You could never get to me, not like you already got to Hiccup! No one else will fall for your sick game.” He yelled, spittle flying from his face, nearly hitting the man. Viggo raised his brow, or at least what would have been one if it wasn’t burned off.

“You seem so certain, but you couldn't be farther from the truth, dear Snotlout." Viggo hummed.

"Imagine, if you had a second chance to be with them, the one you loved. Wouldn’t you want that? What would you sacrifice, for even a moment?” This was creepy, eerie. Snotlout let out a shaky breath. He tried to wrangle his emotions, pushing away those what-ifs. Snotlout and Thor never would have worked anyways, but Viggo and Hiccup…

The way Viggo acted towards him…

Would...that work? He saw them today, on the dragon, in the race. 

What if... He gagged.

“…God’s, I can’t believe I am hearing this.” He mumbled, eyes wide. Finally, finally, he was seeing what Ruffnut saw, what Astrid saw. The look in his eyes, it reminded him of that awe that he felt, that excitement and worshipful attraction. He… was this really real?

This… it did put things into perspective, didn’t it?

Odin Almighty, he wished he could be stronger around this man. He wished he could just tell him to leave or fight him or… not stand here and understand him.

“You understand, dear Snotlout. I would never harm him. Not now.” Viggo said, letting him go and walking around him. Hookfang glared at him and the Skrill as she followed her rider out, leaving Snotlout to think.

What if Hiccup was right, here? What if this was real, what if Viggo really did…Snotlout felt like he would be sick…feel things for Hiccup? Love him? What did Hiccup feel about that? 

You…love Hiccup? Seriously?” Snotlout mumbled, teeth grit as every emotion seemed to slam into him. Viggo nodded. 

"Yes." Gods.

Ruffnut wasn't insane, he was. Because Snotlout could see it. Maybe he was insane too. Hel, he knew the entire team was insane.

Viggo fit right in here.

"Hiccup...He has Astrid. He would never go for you." He snarled, shock ruining the heat he attempted to put into the words. It made him feel sick, but in a way that he could only shoulder it a bit. Like he could understand, but he didn't like it.

Viggo continued walking past him.

"Then tell me, dear Snotlout. What do you think we were doing before you arrived?" Viggo smirked at him, before leaving his line of sight.

He stood there eyes wide for a moment. 

What.

Was he implying-No. 

No way. He shook that thought out of his head.

He sighed. God's, all of them noticed how psychotic Astrid has been... how much happier Hiccup has been. If...If this wasn't a trick, well then...what if it was like him and Thor? 

Snotlout hated being introspect-whatever. He hated dealing with all of this. The brain stuff was for Hiccup and Fishlegs.

Great. He glared at the floor, hearing his dragon hiss at the Skrill as she passed, following Viggo.

He would watch closely. This time, at least. Until he caught Viggo red-handed. He still couldn't trust the guy farther than he could throw him. 

He grit his teeth, fists shaking as they gripped harder. He felt sweat pour down his neck.

 But he found the courage in himself.

“Hey.” Snotlout said, voice echoing strongly in the dome. The footfalls stopped. Snotlout turned, looking at the man with piercing blue eyes.

“I don't trust you, and I don't really believe you either. But I will say this. You think you are so tough and high and mighty, but you aren't. If you do hurt him, I swear to Asgard and beyond that I will destroy you so thoroughly the Valkyrie won’t have anything left to bring to Valhalla.”

Viggo grinned. “As I said, admirable. Keep that fire, Snotlout.” And with that, he was gone, out of sight. It felt as if the air suddenly became breathable again.

And Snotlout sighed, letting his body nearly flop to the ground as the tension left him.

God’s, that man gave him the willies. How on Midgard did Hiccup handle that guy all the time, let alone be as close as they were when he first looked in?!

He hated him, but maybe, just maybe… he could give Viggo the benefit of the doubt this time maybe?

But he meant every word he said. He would kill the man if he hurt Hiccup. No second chances. No one messes with the riders. 

“Yeah.” He mumbled to himself. He would keep a much closer eye now. This has been going on for long enough. Snotlout had to assure that Viggo was different himself.

Still, hearing the man's words, paired with the scene of Hiccup and Viggo, Viggo pinning him to the wall.... 

Well, his mind went places that he didn't like. 

“Hiccup. What have you gotten yourself into this time?” He said, turning to get onto his dragon. Before he did, he looked over to the outside, seeing where Viggo was silhouetted in the red of the sunset. The man uncannily looked up at him right at that moment, sending shivers down his spine.

“Ymir's Skull, that man scares me.” He groaned to himself. Hookfang chortled at his rider, bobbing his head. He glared at the dragon.

“Shut up Hookfang.” He mumbled. He had to talk to Hiccup, figure things out from there. Tomorrow, for now his hut was calling his name. Hopefully he could sleep off that encounter, and maybe make sense of the emotions Viggo dug up in him. Get a grip, then spy on them. Shouldn't be hard.

Hiccup felt his hands shake, fingers thrumming on his legs as he stared with narrow eyes at that cursed, brown, book. Sweat built up on his forehead, making the bandages and burns itch more than they did before. He gnawed at his lip and felt his heart beat to the fine ting of his leg shaking in anticipation.

He couldn’t break his gaze away from that cursed book, sitting there, innocently on his table, adornments twinkling pleasantly in the candlelight.

It was simple thing, really. Nothing to hold his attention like this on the outside. A bit too embellished, with designs of gold garnishing the edges, and small rubies decorating the binding. It was worn, dogeared and torn in some places, yet clearly taken care of, at least as far as Viggo was concerned.

Astrid might be the culprit for the tears and misuse. It made his heart ache, for a moment. And it was an odd thing, to feel anger towards Astrid for how she treated this book. He shouldn’t care, really. She thought Viggo was their enemy, maybe even that he was putting Hiccup in danger. It wasn’t unfounded. But still…it made him angry. Angry that she could take something so personal about and treat it with such vitriol. How could she mishandle something so valuable?

He sighed, running a finger up and down the ridges of the spine, fingers dancing and catching on the fine metal work. It was pretty, really, even when they were worn. Damaged, yet beautiful, full of secrets.

Like Viggo, Hiccup supposed.

“Gah-Why is this so hard?”

Hiccup groaned, pushing the book to the side and slamming his head on the desk with a dull thump. He has been agonizing over this thing for what seemed like hours, now, not to mention his actions that haunted every movement he took. Toothless huffed from his place at Hiccup’s side, looking down at the desk with a hint of pleasure on his face. Hiccup glared up at the beast from where his cheek lay firmly on the worn wood, using a hand to push the dragon lightly.

“Thor forbid you give me good advice, you useless reptile.” Hiccup moaned, turning his head to bury his face into the smooth grooves once more, uncaring if he got splinters. Toothless chuckled at his feeble attempt at force, pushing his head into Hiccup’s own, rocking it lightly at the movement. Hiccup let out a small huff, before the days events hung on him once more.

“I just love torturing myself, don't I bud.” He mumbled. Toothless let out a melancholy warble, looking back at the door fervently, as he had been more and more often, begging him to go see Viggo, it seemed. Hiccup shook his head at the dragon, which his brother replied with a snort.

No, Hiccup couldn’t see Viggo again for a while, not until he could figure out what was wrong with him. What Viggo was doing to him.

And he could figure that out now, couldn’t he? This book held the answers.

"Wh-why are you so fixed on this?! I am not talking to him! I can't talk to him! Not after the biggest gaffes in the history of the Archapelago-in the history of Vikings!" He threw his hand up, before running it through his hair. Toothless gave him a deadpan look, which Hiccup ignored. 

"Don't give me that. You know I am right." Hiccup mumbled.

What he should do here and now, reading the book, burdened his shoulders more than his chiefly duties, more than talking to his father about this whole thing. It felt like he was breaking Astrid and Viggo’s trust in one fell swoop, like he was hiding Toothless from his village all over again. It made his skin crawl. He felt as though he would collapse under the pressure.

But it would make everything make sense. It would give him an idea of what Viggo could possibly… Norns above, Hiccup groaned, this was impossible, especially with what…happened today.

He refused to think about it. He hated how his body ached with regret, with need. He only loved one person, and that was Astrid, despite how…trying, it has been lately. Despite the fact that she basically said she was through with him. He got it, now. She must know more about the situation then Hiccup ever did. How much did she know about what Viggo has done to him? What does this little book hold, that she would act like this over it? He knew he was at fault for their relationship, of course, but with Viggo…

All Viggo has done is be there for him, when Astrid wasn’t. He held him, listened to him. Told him he was worth something when he knew he wasn't. It might be a game to Viggo, but…He made his heart quiver with anger and frustration and intrigue and—

Gods. He couldn’t do it.

He couldn’t open that little book. He couldn’t break that thin line of trust and hope that seemed to override the hatred and bitterness in their dynamic, or…maybe he couldn’t know what was surely the truth about the ex-hunter. How he was using him, as Hiccup surely should know.

Maybe he was just scared.

Either way, he couldn’t look into someone’s life like that. It felt gross, wrong. Immoral. His stomach churned at the thought. His eyes burned, as they already did twice that day. He wished the sun would just set and the world would fade to black, and he could just forget about all of this.

He was so sick of this-this indecision, of walking on eggshells. The games, the lies, everything. He just wanted it to stop. He just wanted things to go back to normal. Or, rather, normal with Viggo being there. He couldn’t let him go now, he knew that.

Not that he cared too much about that. He hated him. He did. He had to.

"I can't do it, bud. Guess... Ill just talk to Viggo, then. Huh? Clear this up before I destory every bit of progress we've had." He groaned, running a hand down his face at the blatant lies he kept telling himself. Oh, Freyja help him. Toothless let out a happy chuff, nudgling the book farther away on the desk. Hiccup gave him another look. 

"Who's side are you on?" He mumbled. Toothless padded his feet slightly, before letting out a shuddering rumble, shaking his head and licking his lips, as if he were thrilled. The betrayal. 

Hiccup growled, pushing up in the seat and grabbing the book with both hands, intent on shoving it somewhere, somewhere safe that no one could take it, and give it to Viggo when he could bear to look at the other man again. Toothless followed him, nipping at his heels. 

He couldn’t be frustrated at Viggo for this journals existence. It was his, after all. Astrid stole it and didn’t tell Hiccup, and that burned more than any secret Viggo could be hiding in those pages. He was careful as he turned, holding the book with more care than he should be bothered to show it. He groaned, letting his head fall once more.

And he waited, a pit in his stomach, for his house guest to return.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“Thor-these stupid bandages!”

Viggo was greeted with Hiccup’s irritated voice as he stepped into the hut by a dimly lit room, Hiccup rubbing his face viciously as he sat at a desk. Hiccup groaned after a moment, running a hand down his face as he stood up, Toothless letting out a whine as he was jostled from his place around Hiccup’s chair.

The dragon stood, stretching his body with a wide-mouth yawn, detracting his teeth and squinting his eyes as he did so. Hiccup mimicked the dragon, yawning and stretching a bit, heading over to his loft with a frown on his face. Viggo’s lips up-ticked at that. It was quite…charming, how he mirrored his dragon.

It was dark now, the sun dipped fully under the horizon long ago. He took his time in the forge before nightfall, fully expecting Hiccup to be asleep now, but alas. His project was done now, at the very least. He hoped the rider has calmed down some from their rather…unfortunate interaction. Hiccup must be wondering where he was. Hiccup looked down, eyes narrowed in focus on something on his desk, frustration painting his face. Viggo wondered what it might be.

“I was hoping to find you here.” Viggo found humor in the way the dragon riders back tensed at his voice, forcing himself not to jump even when his dragon did, snarling at the door before stopping, registering exactly what person shadowed the door. Hiccup looked over, meeting the man’s eyes with his emerald one.

“Where else would I be?” Hiccup mumbled, eyes flicking towards the desk, where Viggo could clearly see a leather bound book. Hiccup looked almost…ashamed? If he were to name it, as he flicked his eyes back to Viggo.

Viggo hummed. “Forgive me for assuming, but you do have a tendency to run when it comes to your emotions, dear.” Hiccup analyzed it closely, as if assessing how Viggo would react. He narrowed his eyes, looking to the desk once more.

Ah, that’s why it was familiar. His eyes widened a modicum as he realized exactly what Hiccup had in his possession. There, on the rider’s desk lay Viggo’s journal, the one that Astrid had. The one he spent countless hours adding his thoughts too.

He wondered how Hiccup reacted to such information. He seemed to be holding it together, for one who read something so sensitive. Or did he? Was it in Hiccup’s nature to read something like this?

Viggo walked towards the desk, picking up the journal with careful hands, flipping through the pages with a contemplative look.

“Now, how ever did you get this?” He mumbled. He heard the rider shuffle his feet, metal scraping on the floorboards unpleasantly.

“I didn’t read your journal, if that’s what you think.” Hiccup said, walking to the man. Ah Hiccup, too pure. Viggo oh so admired that in him, even when he was sure it would hurt the other. Toothless followed his rider, low to the ground. His Skrill wasn’t present, flying somewhere before he could finish his project in the forge and give Hiccup time, but it was good to be prepared for an attack, just in case. Viggo commended the dragon for protecting his rider, as he always had done. After Hiccup’s choices in the last few hours… yes. It was understandable to be prepared for anything.

He was sure most would react violently to Hiccup in these circumstances. Most.

“Viggo, we need to talk about all of this. Set things straight. We can't just-spend all of our time walking on eggshells.” Hiccup sighed, looking at the man with the blankest expression he could muster. Viggo looked into those haunting emerald eyes, raising a brow and walked towards him, placing the book down on the stool as he did so.

It took mere a moment to get close to Hiccup, analyzing his bandages. Even changed, he was sure they were quite unbearable, especially on his face like this. His own bandages irritated him on his back, holding together thinly knit skin.

:Very well, but first I have something to take care of." Viggo hummed. Hiccup backed up slightly, holding his head high as the man started towards him. Viggo admired that spirit about him, how he refused to back down. He felt the man’s breath on his face as he analyzed him, quick and unsure. Hiccup tensed once more when Viggo reached up, gently touching the bandages.

“Let me see. I do know a thing or two about treating burns.” And he did. He was quite well trained in the field and in his homeland as to how to treat burns. It came with the territory of being a Dragon Hunter, after all. He himself had…personal experience with face burns, and treating them.

Most would not have survived what he had, after all, without his knowledge.

Viggo carefully reached around him, unwinding the bandages carefully. Hiccup’s eyes fluttered as he grit his teeth, his body tense and unmoving under the man as he took of the bandages. After the last one fell, Hiccup blinked rapidly, hand shooting up to touch his exposed skin, surely glad to no longer have it burdened with the linen and medicine.

The skin was nearly healed. Incredible. It was irritated, yes, puckered at the edges in a mosaic of pinks and whites, small flecks of damage from his eyelid to his hair, cutting into his eyebrow. It seemed as if the scabs holding the shallow wound together held well. It no longer needed bandages, it seemed.

He wished he knew of the healing capabilities of Night Fury saliva as a hunter, though it didn’t quite touch the capabilities of a Tideglider.

Viggo let out a small sigh, satisfied at the sight. “Ah, there you are." Hiccup felt a small flush build up at that, glaring his green eyes back at the hunter, who simply reached a hand up, hovering it over the wounds.

"Night Fury saliva is quite capable, I see. These have healed miraculously. You have no need for bandages at this point.” Hiccup clearly tried not to shiver as Viggo looked into his eyes, probably much too close for comfort at the moment. Viggo noticed the man’s eyes flicker down to his lips once more with a hit of pride. Hiccup leaned back, gritting his teeth as he got out of that man’s reach.

I guess I match you, now.” Hiccup mumbled. Viggo let a small frown flicker on his face. No, even when the other had small burns, it could never be compared to the hideous and devastating burns that made his skin burn and itch unpleasantly, that disfigured him. No, Hiccup was still quite beautiful, even if they would scar into white starbursts on his skin over time.

“Hardly. I'd say it compliments your lovely features, my dear. It does make me wonder how you have managed to handle dragons and go unscathed for so long. At least, mostly unscathed.” Viggo said, tilting his head towards Hiccup's foot. Hiccup growled.

Ah, right. Hiccup was under the impression that this was all a lie, that he was less than the dirt under his feet. He could guess why, seeing his teammates and hearing the others deprecating words. He assumed the man’s living conditions when growing up were much worse than it seemed, but it burned him to think that Hiccup was put down so much, that he wouldn’t see how wonderful he truly was.

“Would you stop saying things like that!? God’s, stop this. We both know this is wrong, Viggo! You need to stop with this game. We have to let this go. I was stupid, I get it. Haha, laugh at the Viking who made a fool of himself.” Hiccup shook his head, feeling that same bubbling deep black tar in his stomach as he paced. Viggo hummed, shaking his head.

"A fool? No. Not quite. Nor do I think this was wrong."  Viggo said. Hiccup gave him a dark look.

Hm, no. He wouldn’t stop complimenting him. If the poor boy thought of himself as nothing, he would just have to make him believe his words. Thor knows his team doesn't give him the recognition he deserves. There was a reason he kept complimenting the man, after all. He refused for the other to think of himself so lowly. He gave the rider a look, one which the rider snarled at. Ah, well.

They stood there for a moment, before Viggo walked back to where their game was still set up from before their reconnaissance mission. Ah, Maces and Talons was quite a wonderful game to break barriers, wasn’t it? Looking at the pieces now, it felt as if it were an eternity since the last he played, even when it has only been a few days. Things are quite different now, aren’t they? Viggo moved the pieces into their starting positions.

“Care for a game?” He said to the rider. Hiccup slowly shook his head, brow furrowed in confusion as he stood there.

“Uh-No. I’d really rather not.”

Viggo gave him a look. “Come now, don’t be so stubborn. I insist.” Hiccup narrowed his eyes, slowly taking a step closer, finally. They could get somewhere, Viggo was sure. Viggo sat down, looking at him, waiting. Hiccup slowly followed his actions with suspicious eyes, sitting across from him with a burdened sigh, as if he were ready to do anything else at the moment. Viggo watched him closely.

Viggo picked up a piece, a Marauder on his side, and placed it a few inches forwards. And the game started. A few pieces moved, the clicking of wood and Toothless’ varied warbles as he watched them the only noise to cut the tense atmosphere, unspoken words hanging above them, chocking them. Clearly, with each passing moment, Hiccup got more tense.

“Did Astrid hand it to you? Did you reconcile?” Viggo asked, rubbing his chin as he analyzed the board. Getting him to talk might be the best move here. Hiccup moved a Viking closer to the mainland with more force than necessary at the reminder.

“Oh, sure. We danced and made up, everything is all mountain-grass and chin-scratches now. I’ll invite you to the wedding.” He mumbled. Viggo let out a small chuckle. Good. Hopefully it would stay that way between them.

“Ah, another of your team retrieved it. A twin then, presumably? Ruffnut, most likely.” She was quite smart, and most decidedly picked up on everything by now. Out of everyone on this island, she was the most likely culprit. He was proven correct when Hiccup froze, looking at him with wide eyes, before they narrowed in suspicion.

“You knew Astrid had it. You knew she was keeping it from me.” Hiccup said, not a question but an observation. Viggo nodded, moving his chief one step ahead.

“Yes, but I shouldn’t ruffle any more feathers at the moment with your dear betrothed, should I? Astrid seemed awfully set on keeping it from you. Nearly beheaded me for mentioning it’s existence near you.” Hiccup moved his longship closer, letting out a sigh.

“She...Yeah, well. She’s kept a lot of things from me, lately.” He said, mostly to himself. That must hurt Hiccup quite a bit, to have something so precious held back, especially with Hiccup’s current predicament. He looked so fragile then. It made him nearly wish to pierce that mewling quim with his blade, if he still had it. He deserved so much more than Astrid Hofferson. No wonder he had no self-worth, with Astrid dragging him down in every way possible. Viggo hummed, moving another piece.

“Yes. She has been. Significant others should not keep secrets like that, should they? She seems to drag you down more than lift you up, Hiccup. What other secrets may she be holding?”

"It doesn't matter. I trust her. Just because she looked through your little journal doesn't change anything." Hiccup said through grit teeth. Viggo picked up a piece, looking at it in his grasp.

"If one does not have trust in their closest ally, then all that can follow is their downfall." He put down the Traitor, ending Hiccup's dragon.

Hiccup let the words hang in the air, unable to come up with a proper response. Frustration hung on him like a cloak, dragging him down as he processed the others words. Hopefully realizing that reconciliation with the fiery blonde was quite futile. Viggo broke the silence after some time, raising a brow in his direction. Viggo hummed, looking back towards the book.

“You know, I thought you would jump for the chance to find precious intel on your enemy. Odd, how you didn't follow in your betrothed's footsteps in invading my privacy.” He was quite curious, after all.

Hiccup huffed. “I decided to cut my losses and talk to you instead. I have restraint, not like you know what that is.” Viggo analyzed him closely.

"I should be the one saying that." Viggo said. Hiccup's skin seemed to turn a bit red at the reminder of their joyful afternoon. Viggo smirked, even as he analyzed the others posture. He seemed nervous, scared. As if he feared the truth. And didn’t he? He was convinced Viggo was lying, after all. To read the journal would bring some unfortunate truths to light, wouldn’t it?

Well, Hiccup was meant to receive the journal, after all. Even if that was intended to be at another time. Might as well speed this along. Hiccup needed proof, didn't he?

Viggo stood suddenly, Hiccup tracking his every movement as he stood as well, looking at him with apprehension. He grabbed his journal from the desk, walking back to Hiccup with a muddied look in his eyes. He felt—exposed in a way. As if he were bearing his soul. He hesitated near Hiccup for a moment, before holding his journal out to the rider with one hand.

"Trust, in a relationship, I find, is of the highest importance. Especially ours, wouldn't you say?" And Hiccup’s eyes widened, his breath stuttering as the man gave him a look, a vulnerable one, holding out his thoughts for Hiccup to see.

Hiccup wanted proof, and this would be the best way to give him it. He shook it, tantalizingly slow. Hiccup's eyes tracked it, flicking up to Viggo's once in a while, an incredulous look on his face. Viggo sighed. He did not want to show this to Hiccup, but to prove a point, and to drive Astrid from his mind, oh, yes. He would, despite the pain it may bring. 

“This book was used as a journal through the last year or so, tracking my exploits and holding my thoughts.” Viggo, seeing Hiccup frozen, flipped open the book, huffing at the pages in frustration as he took in its state. "I do so love our game of stories. Perhaps, we should continue it, yes?" 

Astrid’s handy-work was sloppy and inconsiderate, marking up his notes and tearing the pages was quite unacceptable. He had half a mind to challenge her at that very moment, but that was beneath him, of course. He would have to let her know of his displeasure, in time, in other ways. He set aside the burning hatred for the girl for now, before holding out to Hiccup once more.

Hiccup gave him a look that was fragile, scared, and Viggo gave him a small smile in return. A sincere smile. 

"Read it, Hiccup."

And with that, Hiccup took it with shaky hands, analyzing the page.

Hiccup was greeted with, drawings. Drawings of the rider coated the page, different expressions, different shading, as Viggo was trying to capture him entirely. Some were scratched out, imperfect. Viggo spent many hours trying to memorize the face of his adversary, his every detail. He never could quite match the original. It was odd, showing Hiccup now.

Hiccup drew in a shaky breath, before flipping the page. Drawings of dragons and notes decorated this one. 

"It would be best to start at the beginning, I would imagine." Viggo said, raising a brow as he sat down at the table, resting his head on his hands.

Hiccup’s eyes narrowed as he flipped back to the beginning, where Viggo barely even knew Hiccup from the ramblings of Ryker and Dagur.

Ah, he never could have fathomed what that small one-legged Viking would rain on his empire at that time. He only thought of him as mildly entertaining. Oh how wrong he was. 

Hiccup was slowly flipping through the book now, curious and fearful, devouring the information before him, every word and drawing.

At first, it was mere information on how to run bases, how to keep commerce flowing and details on dragons. One page was entirely on the uses of drekikoppar, another on Gronkle-Iron. Every once in a while, Viggo added small diagrams and footnotes, but it was otherwise calm and calculated.

The further in they got, the more Viggo was affected by the rider in their timeline.

Hiccup paused on the page where Viggo first met him, leaving a small description of his capable mind and his Night Fury, how valuable they both were, not much else.

Viggo hummed, nodding, before going to sit down once more, resting his hands under his chin as he leaned over, looking down at the pieces as Hiccup flipped through the pages, his heart annoyingly loud in his ears as he watched the riders reactions.

“I wrote quite a bit about you. How I hated you, and wished you suffering. You were the only one I have ever met who bested me, and it fascinated me nearly as much as it irked me.” Viggo spoke slowly, watching as Hiccup’s breath quickened.

The pages kept turning, Hiccup scanning the pages quickly, eyes narrowed and efficient.

The writing was frustrated, obsessed at this point. This was where he was concocting plan after plan, being foiled and taken by surprise by a most intriguing enemy.

Hiccup’s name stood out more and more, every page he flipped.

Viggo remembered how much he wanted to make Hiccup suffer for what he had done, what he could do to his tribe. He remembered retreating into himself, losing sleep, becoming more and more obsessed as time went on.

His handwriting became more manic as it went.

Viggo remembered the sheer amount of sleepless nights he spent pacing, watching the skies for the rider and his Night Fury, scheming for the downfall of one Hiccup Haddock. He remembered attacking everything he loved, trying to make him more isolated.

Notes talking of the Shellfire, questions and observations of its species. Another flip, this one showing a diagram on how to control Catastrophic Quakens using vibrations.

As time went on, that obsession caved to less anger, and more enthrallment. Confusion and awe soon painted the pages alongside poisonous intentions. He wished to possess Hiccup, to destroy everything that would stop him. He planned on taking Hiccup from his village, leaving Berk to burn. 

It was surely unpleasant for him to read, but Hiccup did need to hear all of it, or he would never believe Viggo. Viggo moved a piece on their board, finally. His chief, blocking Hiccup's in place as he watched Hiccup read. 

Hiccup’s breath hitched and his eyes went wide. Viggo tilted his head up, looking at the page. Ah, the one were Ryker betrayed him. The shellfire.

The reason why Ryker betrayed him was Hiccup, after all. That must have been a shocking revelation, if Hiccup didn't figure that out himself already.

The rider took a moment, before slowly turning the page.

“Over time, I learned to understand you, learned to see your side.” Viggo said, adding to what he must be reading then. This… this was where his emotions shifted, after seeing Hiccup attempt to save him from his fiery doom. He first planned on enacting vengeance before that gave way to confusion. How his possessive obsession became more reverent awe. How he started writing poetry and drawing less to memorize him, but to understand him. 

How he wandered, searching for what to do now that he has lost everything. Everything but Hiccup.

How he left his sword in the Sandpit, the Chiefs sword which was passed down from generation to generation on. 

How he knew of where the Skrill was, how his brother told him of one that they captured alongside the Beserkers, and how the riders took the Skrill from them, only to let it go to a land in the northern mountains. How Viggo knew to search there during is time of being 'dead' after the Volcano. How he saved her from an old trap his people left.

How the Skrill did not attack him, simply... bowed, and left. How that became his first confirmation of how there were more to dragons than he realized. 

How Krogan and Johann asked for his help in turn for support from an outside source to rebuild his empire.

How his obsession became more than just a simple need. How he worked for Krogan and Johann, working to re-obtain his empire, but he couldn’t escape the hold the rider had on him, how he knew he couldn’t fight the riders much longer.

“Astrid feared showing you this because it proved how I felt about you. How none of this was a trick.” Hiccup’s eyes blinked rapidly as he breathed deeply, running a hand down the spine with care. He was surely to the point where he was in Hiccup’s hut, where he wrote of the rider, how he wished to know him. How he wrote poetry of him, yearning for the other.

Krogan and Johann's betrayal. How a Monstrous Nightmare saved him, became his savior. How he planned to meet with Hiccup one last time.

How he knew he might fall. 

Hiccup sighed, a shaky and fragile thing, before closing the journal, a deafening silence purveying the air around them as he did so. 

Viggo slowly reached forwards, putting a hand on Hiccup's, who sat there, frozen, eyes blank and wide.

“What we feel isn’t a lie. You can’t run from this, Hiccup.” He said to the rider, watching his eyes as they shook slightly, pupils thin in a void of green. Viggo hoped he didn’t scare him too much, but he needed to understand exactly what was happening between them.

Viggo reached into his belt, taking out the sword he found in the arena, placing it down with a small thud. Hiccup's eyes locked onto it.

“You left this in the arena. Astrid’s second gift, I presume? Incredible craftsmanship. A shame, that you would waste it on her. Now, what will you do with it?” He emphasized the words. A sadness and what looked like clarity shining in his irises as he took in the sight of the weapon. Clarity was a good sign.

Hiccup jumped up, eyes not looking away from the sword, before they snapped up to Viggo, who looked at him with a calm gaze, careful not to set him off more than he already did.

“Your move, love.” Viggo said, gesturing to the game board. Hiccup shook his head, looking as if the cosmos itself was crumbling down. He took a few shaky steps back, before looking at Viggo with wide eyes.

“You love me." There was no doubt in his voice anymore. "I don't understand this. Why?” Hiccup mumbled breathlessly.

"Why does one love? Well, now, that is an answer only the god's can give us. But I do believe you went through a similar journey, didn't you Hiccup? I never thought you would feel the same. I was content with you never knowing, and yet, here we are. So, how shall we proceed?" Viggo hummed.

Hiccup just... shook his head. A dissapointing response.

"This is insane. We can't do this." Hiccup muttered. Viggo felt a dissapointment well within himself, even as he kept his face blank. After that simple declaration, Hiccup turned to his loft, taking slow measured steps up his ladder, to his bed, carrying the journal loosely in one hand. Toothless followed after him, a panicked look on his face as he caught up with his rider, jumping up to the rafters after sending one last frustrated look at Viggo. He was acting shocked, confused.

Viggo narrowed his eyes, curious as to how Hiccup would choose to react once he absorbed the situation more.

The room was silent, now. Only the candle and breathing making the slightest of noises. Viggo slowly made his way to his own corner as he grabbed the candle, debating on what to do next. 

Tomorrow would be quite interesting, he thought.

He blew it out, leaving them both in darkness.

Chapter Text

When Hiccup was a kid, his dad always said that he would destroy their village with his bad choices, that one of his foolish inventions or ideas would burn the Archipelago down faster than the dragons would. At least things are a bit better between them, but his dad never hesitated to remind him how impulsive he was, and how his choices could get him killed. Most in his village thought he had a few bolts loose. What sane person would do what he has done?

He used to be somewhat offended by the sentiment before Toothless, but he could see it now. He did make some…less than sensible choices in his life. Even if some of them worked out in the end, he had to admit they were all right. He really was insane.

No sane person would believe Viggo. No sane person would kiss the guy. No sane person would feel joy, even the smallest amount, when they found out that their ex-villain was in love with them.

Yet here he was. At least that wasn’t the only emotion he felt, thank Thor. At first he felt shock, then anger, then a hollow sense of being numb and drained. The happiness mixed in with those emotions was crushed as swiftly as it appeared, leaving him empty, yet strangely feeling like he might explode.

Hours passed, yet Hiccup didn’t sleep. How could he?

After that revelation… he really didn’t want to move again. Or think. Or face that man that slept just a floor below him. He could barely breathe. His chest felt tight and his face burned. He felt himself shaking, with a plethora of every bit of emotion a human could feel, it seemed.

Because of Viggo. Because of this little book.

Hiccup grit his teeth, curling up further into a ball, around that cursed brown book that held the secrets of Viggo’s heart, pulling it closer to his chest. The realization that Viggo cared shook him. His brain wanted to rationalize it, to find a way that Viggo could have faked it, but there was just no way. Why? What would he gain, how could he have even pulled such a thing off?

He had to accept it.

His conversations with Astrid made so much more sense now. She did see Viggo as a threat in more ways than one, because she read it. She knew and she didn’t tell him.

He didn’t know which one burned more, knowing Viggo chose to tell the truth or Astrid chose to lie. Maybe the worst part was the fact that in some way, Astrid was right.

It left a sour taste in his mouth. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that this all could've been fixed if she just told him, before his stupid heart got too attached. Now….

Hiccup felt his shoulders shake as he curled up just a bit more, his dragon’s warm purring body wrapped around him tightly being the only thing grounding him to Midgard. He heaved, as if he were going to throw up. He felt like the Gods were playing one huge joke on him.

He was going to be sick.

This changed everything. Nothing could ever be the same again. Because of Viggo, nothing could ever go back to normal, and he couldn't ignore or explain away what was happening between them, but he couldn’t just accept it either, could he?

He shouldn’t-couldn’t feel this way. Neither of them should. This was wrong. It was impossible. 

What would happen if they did...try? Nothing but catastrophe, he was sure.

But the thought of that, the thought of being with him...It made his heart leap in his chest. God’s, he needed to get a grip, he needed to figure out his next move, that was not giving into his stupid desires. He needed to put his people before himself, he needed to put Astrid first. But how could he?

Hiccup sighed, sitting up with a creak of his foot as it scraped against the floor. His dragon quickly moved his wing out of the way, quickly letting Hiccup out of his wings, like a butterfly emerging out of a cocoon, Hiccup shot out, standing as quickly as he could, heading down the loft ladder swiftly yet quietly. He couldn’t stay here. Not with- Hiccup’s eyes flicked over to Viggo, who lay there, eyes closed and serene looking, the moonlight gleaming through the beams of the wood around him highlighting his features pleasantly-him still here. Most assuredly not asleep, knowing Viggo. He needed to think, to let out these emotions. It was pointless to try and sleep.

Toothless jumped out to his side silently, letting out a small concerned warble, his green eyes wide and concerned, visible even in the darkness of the room. Hiccup shook his head as he tried to fight the lump forming in his throat. He walked up to the board game left abandoned on the table, noticing where exactly their pieces stood, how Viggo blocked in his chief, with a scowl.

Then, he looked at the sword, reflecting moonlight beautifully on its edge.

And he felt like he might crumble, there. Because Viggo had a point.

Did...did he even love Astrid any more? He did, he thought, but it was different now. It felt...tainted. Wrong. 

Funny, how quickly things can change.

How quickly he can change.

He grabbed Inferno and left the blade on the table, heading out of his hut without a glance towards Viggo. His hand tightened on the handle of his sword, looking down for a moment, before quietly leaving, book weighing him down in his other hand. He thought for sure Viggo would say something, say some smarmy remark that would inevitably crumble into an argument, but he stayed silent, eyes closed. Hiccup sighed in relief before heading outside.

He gulped in the cool fresh air, enjoying the breeze rustling his hair and skin after being so confined in that room. The moon shone on his face, the barest pinks of dawn dancing on the horizon. He stood for a moment, just staring at the moon, before turning towards the arena. He was intent on training for a bit before the morning, hopefully to get some of this pent up emotion out. He walked down the steps and planks, eyes burning as he forced the shudder of the arena open with a mighty squeak, cursing the doors, before marching into the dark arena, igniting Inferno with a swift click, hoping to light his surroundings..

It crackled and popped for a moment, before falling back into darkness.

It was out of Monstrous Nightmare gel. He forgot to refill it yesterday. Frustration hit him like a tidal wave.

“Damn it!” He yelled, stabbing the sword into the ground with all of his might. "Can anything just be simple today?!" He growled, the built up emotions getting the better of him. The sword sliced through the rock with little protest, squeaking slightly as it wiggled with the force of the blow. Hiccup turned, starting to pace, mind alight with frustration and everything was going wrong, and why?!

He felt silly, acting like a child, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"What am I going to do about this, bud?!" He called to Toothless. He bit his lip, gripping his hands so harshly that he was sure they might bleed as he paced. Toothless warbled at him, concerned eyes watching his every move, looking behind him at something every once in a while, eyes narrowed.

"He can’t care about me. I can't care about him—That would never work! What is he thinking?! What was I thinking!?” Hiccup threw his hands up in the air.

“There just can’t be a Viggo and Hiccup! We live in different worlds. We are like oil and fire. What does he think could possibly come from this!? What does he expect?! Us to just mosey on up to Berk and say 'Oh, hey dad! You know that man that waged war on Berk and nearly killed half of the village? Yeah, we forgave eachother and are dating!' I am sure they would love to throw us a party in his honor! They wouldn't think I was just brainwashed! No, never!” He ranted, pacing too and fro, gesturing wildly with his hands.

Toothless let out a small hiss. Hiccup ignored it.

“Dad would sentence him to the Bloðorn the second he appeared anywhere near Berk, half of the Archipelago wants him dead-Anywhere we go, we would both be in danger! There is no other option but for him to disappear.” He cut himself off with a sigh.

“He-he has to go back home. Take his title back from the regent. Convince them to stop killing dragons; lead his people again. That is where he belongs. Not with us. Not with me. I need to think of what Berk needs, anyways. A chief protect their own, right? Viggo should understand that! This-This is just pointless to tell me these things, to make me hope.” Hiccup ran his fingers through his bangs.

Toothless growled, lowering to the floor, ear fins moving sporadically. His eyes were slitted, wary.

“This would just-just hurt all of us, and I have more important things to worry about than our misguided emotions that don’t make a lick of sense." He let out a growl. "We could have moved past this. I had everything planned out before he opened his mouth! I rationalized! I came to a decision!" He huffed.

"And then-then! He just has the nerve to come up, call me beautiful, and tell me that he is in love with me-what am I supposed to do?! Kiss him!? tell him that I…I…I feel something back? No, no I could never. I am meant to be with Astrid.” Hiccup trailed off, that well of frustration sapping away with every word, leaving only a hollow, bone-aching sadness in its wake. He hung his shoulders, looking down at the ground with a frown.

“This could never work. It's impossible. What was I thinking.” He mumbled out, finally. A small traitorous tear escaped his eyes as he grit his teeth. It didn’t-

A cough sounded out.

“Uh… Hiccup?”

Hiccup nearly leapt out of his skin at the nasally voice in the darkness of the arena. He scanned, looking into the darkness, before Toothless decided to light up the room, blue fire held in his mouth. Hiccup finally saw the perpetrator.

“Agh! Oh, Gods. Fish.” Hiccup shook his head, his body still shaking in panic. “You scared me." Then, his eyes widened.

Oh.

Thor no.

"You-uh, you heard all of that? All of that?”

“Sorry. Yeah. You were pretty loud.” Fishlegs shuffled a bit. Hiccup winced. “You seem very…at war, with yourself. Did… Viggo say something?”

“Well. He said a lot of things.” Hiccup figeted with that small book in his hands. Fishlegs eyes latched onto it, curiosity in their depths.

“Right. And… what, did that entail?”

“He has terrible taste in men.” Hiccup sighed, staying vague. Fishlegs gave him a look, one that he always gave him when Hiccup was deflecting, like he was right now.

“Hiccup.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t even want to know what I am talking about.” Hiccup muttered. Fishlegs let out a small yet burdened sigh.

“I can take a guess. You have had feelings for him for a while now, and has had feelings for you." 

Oh. What?

Hiccup whipped up his head, eyes wide as he stared at his friend. Fishlegs let out a tentative chuckle. 

"You are my best friend, Hiccup. I know you better than you think.”

Oh, oh no. Was he that transparent?

Did everyone know but him?

“So you know? That Viggo and I…that he...” Hiccup wrung the book in his hands, looking down at the floor in anticipation for his answer, he winced into himself, unable to look Fishlegs in the eye.

Fishlegs slowly nodded, wincing slightly. “Yeah. I mean you did just blurt it out. But I kinda already knew? And…I know what you are thinking, but, as unfortunate as it is, I don’t think he is lying about anything, Hiccup. He really does love you. I think. At least, it makes sense that he does.”

Hiccup winced. Fishlegs gave him a long stare as Hiccup grit his teeth, eyes locked on to the floor beneath him.

“You…are defending him? Believing him? I never thought I would see the day. Especially with… this.” Hiccup muttered. Fishlegs snorted.

“Not defending, just…trying to understand. Nobody else is trying to, so… uh. Yeah. I still hate the guy, and honestly I don’t trust him near as much as I trust any of us, but… not only did he save your life, but you believe in him, Hiccup. You trust him. And after everything we have gone through together… well… you've earned my trust. Trusting you gave me Meatlug, after all.” He scratched his dragon with a smile on his face, the dragon kicking her leg slightly as she let her tongue hang out. “So I want to… try to trust him too, even if I don't really agree with it completely.”

They looked at eachother, eyes soft and understanding. Hiccup smiled at his friend. Out of everyone, he knew Fishlegs always had his back, even if he was terrible at giving advice sometimes.

“Thanks. Fish. At least you have my back.” Hiccup said, head turning back to the book. He fiddled it in his hands, running his finger on the fist crest on the front with a shaky sigh. Fishlegs let out a small hum.

"Yeah. Well. Someone needs to, especially after Astrid...Yeah." He mumbled. Hiccup nodded slowly, cringing back. Fishlegs shuffled a bit in his seat. 

"For...for what it is worth-I-uh. You seem...happier. With Viggo I mean. Over Astrid." He winced as he said the words. Hiccup looked at him incredulously. 

"Uh, no. no. You got that all wrong. I don't... feel for Viggo like I do for Astrid. I do love her. I love her so much, Fish. I can't just...let her go because I am having a crisis." He mumbled. Fishlegs gave him a look.

"You love him, Hiccup." 

Hiccup sent him an accusitory stare, instantly deflecting his words.

"No I don't. I can't love him, because that would be insane, selfish, stupid-everything my dad warned me against being!" Hiccup said, his voice getting higher and more defensive with every syllable that leaked from his mouth. It rang false, even in his ears. Fishlegs sighed. 

"Your dad also warned you against dragons. You didn't listen then." Hiccup grimaced. 

"No, but-" 

"Your dad wants you to marry Astrid, right. He's wanted it since you were a kid, Hiccup. Besides... I think this is the first time that you have had...another option, right? I don't know, Hiccup, I don't like him, but you do." Fishlegs let out a small huff. 

"Maybe, for once, you should put your happiness above your duty? I don't know Hiccup, I just...I haven't seen you this...alive. This happy with another person before. Including Astrid." He said. Hiccup shook his head, staying silent. A small tear slipped down his face, then another.

"You are wrong. A chief puts his duty before himself." He sighed, curling a bit more into himself. Fishlegs watched him, concern flashing in his eyes. 

“What...are you so afraid of?” Fishlegs mumbled. Hiccup looked up at his friend then, his everything hurting and his heart pulsing in his chest painfully.

“I’m…I’m not….afraid. And I love Astrid still, I do. I'm just…using common sense here! You should get that! You know how much trouble this could bring. And I can't risk that for Viggo, Fish!" He sighed. 

"I am happy with Astrid. I am happy being the heir and leading my people. I am fine with being exactly who I was born to be, who my dad wants me to be. I-just-Viggo wasn't a part of that plan, Fish. And I need to figure this out, before things get worse.” Hiccup muttered.

"Then...what are you doing here, instead of, you know. Why aren't you, uh, talking things out with Astrid and Viggo?” Fishlegs asked. Hiccup looked at him, long and hard, before letting out a small sigh.

"Being a coward, I guess." Hiccup mumbled. Fishlegs let out a snort. He really didn’t know. He cleared his throat.

 “Why are you here?”

Fishlegs shrugged, a nervous expression on his face. “I-Uh. I was already here? Singetail duty, remember?” He gestured over to the wall next to him.

As he said so, however, his face paled.

“Which…was right there?” He continued meekly. Hiccup traced the direction of his finger, which pointed to a blank wall.

The Singetail was no longer there. He finally-finally turned to his dragon, who was letting out a dangerous purring in his throat.

Great.

“Right. Singetail. Right.” Hiccup mumbled, eyes wide, cursing himself for his foolishness. “We lost a Singetail in a closed room. Go figure.” He groaned, looking around the room. Fishlegs flipped of his blankets, as Meatlug let out a groan at his side as she was woken up.

Toothless snarled, looking around the dark room closely for their attacker.

It was tense, Hiccup looking around the darkness with a glare.

He turned, looking at his dragon, whose eyes were pinned to the ceiling. That was why he was on edge, wasn’t it? Hiccup slowly looked up in the direction his dragon’s eyes were locked onto, reaching to grab the hilt of his sword on instinct, forgetting momentarily of his earlier discovery. Fire tended to keep them calmer, after all.

A chitter came from the ceiling suddenly, and then, there was orange covering everything, and he was violently knocked over.

Hiccup gasped, his back hitting the floor with a bang, the sword clattering onto the wooden floor. Hiccup felt all of his air leave his chest as something large and heavy shifted on top of him, big scaly arms wrapping around him as he was knocked to the ground.

Of course.

“Ah-Hiccup!” He heard Fishlegs yell. He pushed at the dragon on top of him desperately. She slowly pulled back, looking at Hiccup with her little beady eyes. She didn’t let go of Hiccup, who was growing increasingly worried he was about to be fried to death. Or smothered. Either way, not pleasant.

Toothless snarled, mouth glowing blue in warning. The dragon did nothing, just stared down at Hiccup, her tongue flopped out as she let out a few snarling pants, her teeth bared as she gaped at him. Hiccups nose wrinkled at the smell of her breath.

“She woke up!” Fishlegs cried out. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I-I can see that Fishlegs!” Hiccup gasped out.

The dragon’s tree-like limbs squeezed his abdomen a bit harder as she leaned in closer, snarling. Toothless let out a plasma blast by her feet, causing her to jump. Hiccup quickly took the distraction to pull himself out of her reach, eyes wide as he looked at the dragon.

Her mouth lit up as she turned to her side and puffed herself up, trying to look more intimidating to her adversary. Toothless hunched down, jumping in front of Hiccup, tail lashing as he ducked his head up and down, eyes thin and threatening as he gaped his mouth open in a threatening display.

She wasn’t focused too much on Toothless, though. Instead she was focused on… him? Scanning him, before flicking her attention back to her enemies.

Something… wasn’t right here.

She snarled as Meatlug joined Toothless in protecting him, mouth glowing red as the Gronkle growled. The dragon’s sides and mouth started sparking as she wound up for an attack.

“Duck and cover!” Fishlegs said, running for Hiccup. Hiccup yelped.

“I-I don’t think-” He was tackled to the ground before he could say much more. The room filled with a red hue as the dragon fired off a shot, hitting the wall next to Hiccup with a deafening clap. A howling screech came from the Singetail. Hiccup looked up, noticing how she still had her eyes locked on him.

Was she aiming at him?

She hunkered down, scanning Hiccup’s body with a snarl, before pushing into his personal space, face nudging him in the chest. He shook his head in bewilderment, before he slowly raised a hand to her face. She glared at it, before looking back at him. She carefully backed up, sitting flatter onto her stomach as she analyzed him, a tongue coming to lick the side of her eye.

“Hi-Hi girl. We aren’t here to hurt you. We are friends, see?” Hiccup mumbled. She grumbled, looking around, snarling, her throat glowing an ominous yellow. But she didn’t attack. Why… didn’t she attack him? As far as Hiccup knew, they weren’t particularly trainable, especially mothers. She should be trying to get back to her eggs. And maybe she was? She might just be planning on killing them beforehand if she saw them as a threat. Hiccup huffed. Nothing else made sense today, might as well add another thing.

At least it was a distraction from everything else falling apart in his life.

He was sure Loki was having a laugh at him today. The Nornir too. All of Asgard, probably. Hiccup heaved as sigh, holding his hands out in surrender. She squawked, taking a small step back as she looked at him, no, around him.

“Why isn’t she trying to fly back?” Hiccup muttered, reaching towards the dragon once more, hands gesturing for her to calm down. The dragon hissed, pulling herself back and turning on her side as Fishlegs approached her, rubbing his chin. Her mouth burned a red hue.

“I don’t know. Maybe she is confused? I don’t-” Fishlegs cut himself off with a gasp.

Without another word, the dragon collapsed with a grunt onto the floor, limp. Hiccup ran up to her, eyes wide, before the very unwelcome cause made itself known.

“While watching you work is inspiring, sometimes it is best just to use tried and true methods.” A voice called out, stepping around the Singetails wide body and into to the room, eyes dancing with humor and a tiny hint of feigned concern as the man walked inside, a small smirk on his face.

Oh. It was him.

Great.

Hiccup snarled, looking back up at the cursed ex-hunter, who held his hands up, his eyes narrowed. Hiccup quickly reached for his blade, resting near him on the floor.

“What did you do to her?” Fishlegs asked, his eyes narrowed in well-deserved suspicion. He took down a dragon, after all, even when Hiccup was pretty sure he wasn't stupid enough to hurt a dragon in front of them. Viggo smiled, that stupid, arrogant, ‘I know everything’ smile that Hiccup hated, shrugging slightly as he placed his hands on the black and gold cane Hiccup hadn’t seen him with in a while now. A sign of their burgeoning friendship.

All of the sadness and frustration and yearning that was forgotten in the whole kerfuffle suddenly slammed back down onto him, reminding him of what he should be feeling, what he couldn’t feel.

“Don’t jump to conclusions so quick dear Fishlegs. I simply triggered a pressure point. She is fine. Just asleep.” Viggo pat the dragon on the side, emphasizing her point as she snorted slightly. Hiccup glared at the man, who looked up at him, warily. Viggo’s eyes narrowed as they landed on Hiccup, scanning him. Always analyzing, taking him apart.

“Hiccup-”

Hiccup stood with a little more urgency than needed, sword hanging in his tightly clenched fist, before turning and swiftly walking past Viggo, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. Ignoring him entirely. Viggo took a few steps back as he looked at Hiccup, stone-faced. Hiccup’s mouth curled up into a sneer.

“Keep her on the Edge. We’ll be back.” Hiccup said to Fishlegs, not even acknowledging the other man, his heart heavy and aching. Without further ado he walked out, harsh steps echoing in the dome. His dragon trotted after, but not before sending a disgruntled look at Viggo.

And they were gone, leaving the remaining persons with a range of shock and frustration on their faces. Fishlegs slowly looked up at Viggo, eyes wide.

“Thor-What did you say to him!?” He said. Viggo’s lips formed into a smirk.

“The truth.”

Fishlegs smacked a hand against his face. “Oh god’s. This is… not going to go well.”

The sky was barely pink with dawn as the riders made their way to the stables, grabbing their dragons and tacking them as quickly as they could. Tuffnut snorted as he looked up the hill, seeing a blank-faced Hiccup emerge from the training grounds. A careful Fishlegs and Viggo walked out after. Fishlegs head kept switching between Viggo and Hiccup, while Viggo focused solely on Hiccup, who ignored him entirely, a seething frown on his lips.

How…suspicious. How awfully intriguing.

Ruffnut narrowed her eyes.

The group made it to the stables, Hiccup glaring intensely at the ground as he walked up besides them. He seemed, sad, honestly. His shoulders shaking and his eyes narrowed. VIggo made his way there too, heading close to the stables to fetch his dragon, who was perched on the roof, her eyes narrowed at Hiccup. She leapt down, glaring all the way.

The air was nearly crackling, every rider on edge. Astrid was the only one not there, paroling the island, last they heard. Even Snotlout seemed oddly… introspective looking.

This day was cracking up to be most peculiar. It made Ruffnut practically grin at the chaos in the air, the chaos she created, perhaps. But that is neither here nor there.

“Woah, the tension here, its uh-!” Ruffnut tapped her head, thinking of the word. Her brother snapped his fingers.

“Electric!”

Ruffnut smiled “Yeah, crackling! Thor looks upon us with a smile this day!” She threw her hands up in the air, as if to praise him. Anything to ignore the chills that ran up her spine at the look in the riders eyes.

Something Happened. Something major, especially between Hiccup and Viggo. It was hard to believe they could barely take their hands off of eachother yesterday morning.

Ruffnut had an idea as to what, and that filled her with glee and fear. Fear mainly because, well, this all could go terribly wrong, Hiccup being emotionally constipated since birth (He didn’t realize Astrid had a thing for him until this year, after all.), but she didn’t tend to linger on the negatives. It could go well, and she could win her bet with her brother over there. Victory would be hers.

Who knew all it would take was the little book she took from Astrid’s hut?

“I don’t see any electricity except for that dragon over there!” Snotlout sneered, pointing to the Skrill.

The Skrill huffed, spikes of lightning lighting up the world around her in short bursts. Hiccup came back outside from the stables, heading towards his dragon, a blank look on his face.

Hiccup grabbed Toothless’ saddle, quickly tying it on with deft hands, checking his fin and clicking the pieces together silently. Viggo looked down at him, a forlorn look on his face, unsuited for his features but there nonetheless, as he strapped on his armored lightning rod thingy, watching the rider closely.

Something definitely happened.

“I don’t know, I see sparks coming from those two, practically palpable!” Ruffnut said, waving her hands. Snotlout’s eyes then flickered to Viggo, apprehension and something like understanding flashing in his eyes.

Well my, my, my. Now isn’t that just a riddle wrapped in a mystery.

Tuffnut snorted, leaning forwards on Belch’s head. “Geez, what happened to you guys?” He called. Only several glares met them from the rest of the riders in varying degrees of hostility. Tuffnut snorted again, looking at his sister.

“Do we even want to know?” He said. She nodded.

“Uh No.” “Absolutely.” Her and Snotlout’s voices overlapped, carrying very different messages. She looked up at the rider, who gave her a warning look.

What juicy thing did she miss yesterday!?

“Touche, sister.” Tuffnut mumbled. Hiccup sighed, finished with checking his gear. Ruffnut slowly walked up to him, sending a look at her brother before whispering into her oblivious leaders ear.

“Hiccup, soo… what did you think of the—iggs-vay ornal-jay?” Hiccup froze, eyes wide for a moment. He looked like… he was in grief, almost, as his eyes flicked up to Viggo, before his entire face shut down, as if he locked all of his emotions away.

Now. That is something.

“Don’t ask.” Hiccup grumbled, checking the belts once more, his teeth grit. She could hear them grinding, even. Unpleasantly. She nodded.

“How do you feel?” Hiccup gave her a fierce look, one that nearly made her want to step away, before standing up straight, his back to her.

“Fine. Stop asking.” And with that, he ignored her.

Wow.

“You promised. You can’t hide from this forever.” She said, flicking her fingers from her eyes to him in an ‘I see you’ gesture. He glared down at his saddle.

“Well, doesn't hurt to try.” Oooh. Definitely was affected. She said a small ‘mhm’ with a wide Loki-grin on her face. Hiccup ignored her. Jeez, he must realllly have been affected by the news.

She honestly thought Hiccup already knew Viggo was gaga for him. How could he not? Was he that oblivious? Well, knowing her illustrious leader…She sent him one more glance. Yeah. Yeah he was. He was kissed by Astrid at least three times before she gave up, only figuring out she was attracted to him this year.

He was hopless. It made her…worry. A bit. Not really, but the tiniest smackerel of a bit. Because she maaay have been too hasty giving him that book. Letting everything play out probably would’ve been better, but she thrived off of chaos, servant to Loki as she was.

Still….

She slowly walked back to her dragon, sending looks back at Hiccup all the time, before getting onto her dragon. Tuffnut gave her an interrogative look, eyes flashing.

“What did you do?” He mumbled. She sent him a wink, though her whole heart wasn’t quite into it as it usually was. This time, she wasn’t quite sure what she caused.

What did she do?

“Alright, get ready. This is a long flight. Viggo…” He stopped, stopping on the name for a moment, causing Ruffnut to lean in, curiously. His face was crestfallen as he said it, nothing like what she was expecting in him when he realized that Viggo loved him, if he didn’t know already. He seemed… sad. Huh. “-will lead us there. You know the drill. Once we get there, do what we planned. Arrow formation.”

“Hiccup! Just…” Fishlegs stuttered, eyes flicking over to Viggo. “Be careful, ok? Don’t… overreact.” Hiccup sighed, before giving him a short nod.

“I won’t. I'm fine.”

He jumped on Toothless, giving Viggo a look, which Viggo easily brushed off, taking to the skies, Skrill flapping her powerful wings with a screech. At the very least, they seemed to trust eachother enough to put their contention aside and work together. (which was a crazy thought considering the fact that, you know.)

“Ugh, who spit in his yak stew? He is acting worse than Thor did. You remember that?” Tuffnut grumbled, squeezing his dragon’s neck as Barf and Belch took to the skies behind their leader. Snotlout let out a small wheezing noise behind them. Nothing of importance. (though she was a master at emotions, so she might have a guess.) She really didn’t know what was in the air today to make everyone act so crazy.

"Yup. Sure do." She mumbled, staring at Snotlout.

Well, maybe, she had an idea.

Wow. A lot of worm mugs must have been poured yesterday, more than she thought. Nearly as many as what they released for their cousin Asmund's funeral, it seemed. And that was a lot of mugs of worms.

She shoved the worry deep deep down inside of herself and crossed her legs underneath her dragons head, taking off into the sky after their downtrodden leader, questions and curiosity swirling in her mind.

Chapter Text

The two day trip was long and brutal. Hiccup set a punishing pace, stopping for few breaks and barely saying a word, just looking to the clouds below, a contemplative look on his face. He ignored every concerned look coming his way, barely even processing some it seemed.

He looked lost in thought, a frown tugging on his face more often than not. When they camped, he stayed silent unless he had to speak, sitting as far away from Viggo as he could, not even looking in his direction.

The riders were…concerned, to put it lightly.

Not even Toothless could get him out of it. In fact, the dragon seemed to join him in his ire, snarling at everything that moved, eyes narrowed and concerned at his rider, as if he were attempting to protect him against a hidden enemy.

Everyone noticed the sad, nearly loathing looks directed to Viggo, and the fearful glances at his rider whenever they were near eachother. He even tried separating Hiccup from the group, or trying to cheer him up with little tricks. But nothing worked. The Skrill seemed more on edge each day, glaring daggers into Hiccup every chance she got.

Viggo watched him, silently, carefully. He seemed to be oddly quiet, especially for him. Of course, there were the occasional taunts and statements towards their team, but no taunts directed towards their leader. Just narrowed eyes and small gleams of a deep and burgeoning emotion under the surface, one only seen every once in a while, when his mask of nonchalance slipped. He seemed to be…waiting for something, or rather, trying to hide something under his sarcasm and blunt remarks.

It was a far cry from the friendship they had before. They weren’t mad… that wasn’t it at all. More like… lost. Confused. Traversing something that neither of them quite understood. They barely interacted, that playful banter and deep conversation gone.

It made the team feel hollow, like they were missing a piece, even without Astrid and Fishlegs it felt more wrong than usual. They didn’t realize how much Viggo integrated himself into their dynamic until Hiccup and Viggo’s interactions became near-nonexistent.

None of them liked it.

Viggo seemed to be getting a bit frustrated, looking at Hiccup as if he were being unreasonable, and for all the other riders knew, he was. There was a gleam in his eyes, the smallest flicker of resignation in their depths. None of them have ever seen Hiccup, or Viggo for that matter, act quite like this.

They were all worried. Why was he acting like this? Why were they so…wrong?

What happened in that arena?

They set their sights on the enemy, watching their island come closer and closer by the day. It made them all antsy, the eave of battle filling them with a mix of dread and anticipation.

It was time. Tonight, an hour before dawn where the world was at its darkest, they would attack. For now, They camped on a small island, the sun set a long time ago, the dragons and humans sleeping soundly on the terrace, small snores overlapping the sound of crickets in the trees.

It was a waiting game now.

Hiccup looked up at the moon, seeing its rays as he traced them through the treetops and looked at his friends, haloed in silver and gold, the fire making their shadows flicker and dance ominously in the night, as if something were writhing in the darkness, reaching for him, just barely out of reach.

He didn’t like pushing his team hard, but time was of the essence, after all. He sat by his dragon, now, watching the embers soar and dance serenely above their heads, both thinking.

He shivered, curling closer to himself as he bit his pink lips, the cold flushing his face as he leaned closer to the fire, the glow leaving after-images as he blinked his eyelids. He felt safer there, closer to the fire. As if it could melt away the ice cold pain in his chest, hoping it would ease the way he felt frozen and stiff, as he had been since…then.

The anxiety and fear and pain that echoed in Hiccup tore at him more every moment that passed. He ignored it best he could, trying to clear his mind of his problems and focus on the mission, because that was what was important now.

He really couldn’t stay mad, as much as he tried to. Now…he felt forlorn, frustrated at himself and the world around him. He felt as if he were making a mistake every moment that passed, and yet he rationalized every bit of action he took towards the ex-hunter. He wasn’t avoiding Viggo, he just needed time to think, even when all he wanted to do was yell at the gods, or Viggo at this point, until his face went blue for making this so much harder than it needed to be. Way more complicated than it ever should have been.

Hiccup sighed, poking the embers of the lingering fire with his sword. The blacksmith in him screamed at the action, but he didn’t care, much. It could handle the heat of Monstrous Nightmare gel for a limited amount of time, after all. It shouldn’t affect it much.

Everyone else was long asleep, the dragon’s nearly giving out instantly upon touching the ground. All but Toothless, who sat vigilant at his side, tail wrapped tightly around him as they sat side by side, his friend towering over him, the embers making gold flicker in his luminous slitted eyes as he scanned the area, before sliding onto Hiccup, who looked up at him, sad frown on his face.

Toothless’ eyes slowly slackened in their vigilance, the pupils widening as he looked at his rider, leaning forwards to nudge Hiccup in the side of the head, comfortingly, as if to say ‘you are not alone.’

Hiccup ran a hand on his friends face in thanks, which the pitch-black dragon leaned into, letting loose a small purr as he flicked the fins on his head happily. Hiccup appreciated him more than he could ever put into words. At least he knew that Toothless would always be on his side, by his side, no matter what. Nothing could tear them apart, not even something like… love. Or whatever Hiccup felt.

Hiccup turned his head to the fire once more, watching the ashes as his brow furrowed.

Toothless snorted, nibbling at Hiccup’s hair for a moment, before looking over to Hiccup’s other side. There, a dragon sat, like a Sentinel, she stared un-moving at Hiccup eyes wide and slitted, glowing eerily in the fire’s light. She snorted quietly, her spines on her neck at full-mast, her violet and creamy lavender wings tucked neatly at her sides. She was perched on her feet like a crow, standing vigilant over her rider.

Her rider, who sat a foot or two away from her, looking towards the fire as well, or rather, at Hiccup. It was eerie, how similar their gazes felt. Viggo really did find the perfect dragon for him, didn’t he? He flicked his eyes between the two for a moment, gauging their differences.

It was rather interesting, how they kept their distance, even as the Skrill hovered protectively over her rider.

As much as Viggo and Moondancer bonded, it seemed as though they still didn’t entirely trust one another. She kept a careful distance most times and he watched her somewhat warily, careful of her movements. Surely from a past of bad experiences from both parties, Hunters and Dragons alike. They were bonded, yes, better than Snotlout ever was with Hookfang at first. In fact, it was incredible how much they listened and relied on one another, but that was purely based on respect, on loyalty. Not on friendship or trust.

He wondered how terrifying they would be once that trust was established. He wondered if he finally found someone who felt that same… bond, that deep-seeded link to their dragon, like they were one., like he could feel the others exact thoughts and emotions. Every other rider looked at him as if he were crazy when he brought it up. No one else felt it but him and Toothless… maybe…

Well, that didn’t matter, did it? Viggo would be out of their lives quickly and he would never see him again, or there would be dire consequences for both of them. That thought should have made him happy. It did before, only mere weeks ago.

No, he had to think of more important things. Get his mind off of how everything in him hurt.

While Viggo’s stare weighed down on him like a doctors analyzing gaze, Moondancer looked offended, as if he insulted her in the worst possible way. He guessed… in a way he did. After giving him her trust he single-handedly tore apart his bond with her rider.

He didn’t blame her for her anger.

Still, he couldn’t help but shudder under the weight of their stare, holding his spine like steel as he glared into the flames, ignoring Viggo’s stare entirely. He wished he would stop, just… let it go, let things go back to normal again, even when he knew that was impossible at this point, he couldn’t help but hope.

Hiccup bit his lip, flickering his eyes away, back to the fire. He tried to ignore how Viggo’s eyes glowed enchantingly in the firelight, how he was drawn to the other, something he has never felt before. He was making a very conscious effort to avoid the man after their… talk. And he was succeeding in some way.

He just…wished the other would yell at him, scream that he hated him, maybe even laugh. This… sincere and careful silence and distance wasn’t like him. It didn’t make sense. He didn't know how to deal with this-this.

Hiccup didn’t even want to think about the other. Didn’t want to think of the repercussions of his presence.

So, he didn’t exactly know what spurred the words on, maybe it was because it was burning in the back of his mind, churning in his head relentlessly since he read that small book. Maybe it was because he just liked to suffer.

Maybe he was sick of silence.

“You know…The first time I saw fire that I remember, I was two, when my mom died. I was terrified of it, of what it could do.” Hiccup took a breath.

“By extension, I was afraid of dragons. Of course, my dad didn’t take kindly to his weak son being afraid of dragons. He wouldn’t stand for his son being Hiccup the Cowardly, on top of being a fishbone, so-uh. One day, he decided to call his friend Gobber, to take me in as an apprentice, a blacksmith.”

Hiccup felt Viggo’s eyes on him, surely narrowed and face as blank as before. Hiccup ignored the stare in his peripheral vision, focusing hard on the embers of the fire.

“He-He taught me everything I know; he told me to not fear fire, but to respect it. It worked. Over time, I became less and less scared of fire. I was fascinated with it, even. I felt like it would never hurt me. That…was a mistake. Because of that...I got more careless.” Hiccup let out a shuddering breath. He could hear the other man breathe, feel his eyes piercing his soul. He continued, the embers of the fire flickering in his eyes.

“Then, one day, It all came to a head. After so long forging, I barely wore my apron, and I almost never wore my gloves. Well… that day, My iron slipped, and molten copper fell onto my arm, just past my seventh year.” Hiccup leaned over, pulling on his arm brace lightly, eyes flicking down to it.

He remembered how he screamed, how much it burned, like his flesh was being ripped off. He remembered Gobber’s wide eyes as he ran into the forge, taking the bucket of cool water and forcing his hand into it. Hiccup couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sizzling skin, and the smell-

Hiccup took a small breath.

“I was hurt. Badly. I nearly couldn’t forge again after that, first because of my arm, second because dad was so mad at me. It took nearly a year for Gobber to convince him.” The burned pale pink skin underneath hidden in the leather and cotton ached at the reminder of its existence. Hiccup let go of his arm, curling more into a ball, watching the flames flicker and sputter as he laid his hand onto the dying grass underneath him.

“I played with fire, and I got burned.” Hiccup muttered, turning, finally, to look up at the ex-hunter. Silence, then a small huff sounded from the man.

“And yet, you train dragons. You play with fire more than any man. You don’t seem like one to be afraid of consequences, Hiccup.” Hiccup’s eyes narrowed a bit.

“That’s different. You know that.”

Viggo hummed. “Is it?”

They let the question hang in the air, only deep breathing around them of human and dragon. Moondancer huffed, her eyes narrowed on Hiccup from across the fire, her yellow eyes reflecting the dancing flames. Viggo let out a small breath of air.

“I have always known flames, ever since I was young. Dragons were as much of an integral part of my village as they were yours, for that matter. We were taught young on how to handle it, how to use it, and how to avoid being burned.” Viggo grabbed a small twig, snapping it in half and throwing it into the flames. The fire eagerly leapt as the new kindling was added, letting out a few happy pops and crackles.

“Fire is dangerous, yes. It can devour and destroy, it can melt your skin and sear your bones. It can destroy forests and villages with a mere spark. You know as well as I how destructive it can be.” Viggo slowly reached a hand up, touching the side of his face lightly, the burned mass of scar tissue highlighted in the fires warm light as he carefully touched it.

Hiccup winced as he followed the man’s hand, looking at the man’s burn. He knew his pain.

Viggo let his hand slowly drop as he looked back towards Hiccup. “But as much as it can corrupt, devour, destroy everything in its path… it gives warmth, seals our injuries, cooks our food. Without the risk, we may never have found all of its capabilities. And with forging, you can create more from the flames, anything you can think of, forged with iron and steel. It is interesting, Hiccup, how you would look at such a gift from the god's negatively.” He raised an eyebrow at Hiccup, his lips tugging up slightly.

"So I ask, Hiccup. What are you so afraid of? Because it surely isn't being burned, is it?"

Hiccup looked down, biting his lip, not answering.

"No, its about losing everything. Viggo. We can't do this." Viggo was right in that aspect, but Hiccup was right in how much he could lose. That was what mattered to him, not how much his heart beat and his body felt flustered under his stare. He steeled himself, looking back to the fire.

“Very well. If you feel so strongly, why did you kiss me?” Viggo stood up, glaring at the rider with glowing heterochromatic eyes. Hiccup stood as well, eyes narrowed as his dragon snarled, the Skrill meeting the tension in the air as well with her own growl.

“Gh-don't you get it? I made a mistake.” Hiccup said, voice tight and hollow. Viggo looked at him incredulously for a moment, before his glare returned, more heated than before. He walked up to Hiccup, his eyes piercing into his soul as he moved around the fire, until the light was blocked out, only Viggo staring into him. Toothless snarled, but didn’t intervene, even when Viggo stood a mere foot in front of him.

“A mistake.” Viggo mumbled, before shaking his head, letting lose a small chuckle. Hiccup took a small step back, into the velvety wall of his dragon’s wing. Viggo’s eyes sharpened once more as his laughter ceased. “So you tend to kiss others when the fancy hits you?"

"No, but i'm sure you have experience with that. A good way to manipulate people, right?" Hiccup snarled, baring his teeth in warning towards the other man. Viggo straightened his back, his eyes burning like the fire they were looking at moments earlier.

"You have quite the tendency to assume, don't you? Do you really believe I would flaunt my emotions so flippantly?" Viggo said, his brow raised. There was something there too, in his eyes, something sad, resigned. Hiccup ignored it, lowering his voice as he narrowed his eyes at the man.

Toothless yawned by his side, nudging Hiccup in the side of the head slightly, Hiccup reached mindlessly to the side, running a hand on Toothless’ leg, feeling his warm scales as his dragon slowly wrapped his wing around his rider, going all around him but in front of him, where the fire-where Viggo was.

“You don’t get it. You should, but you don't. Maybe, for once, you could realize how much of a horrible idea this all is. How much I could lose. My people, my tribe, my betrothed. My dad.” Hiccup huffed, curling a bit closer to his dragon as his mind whirled with dark and dangerous thoughts, the possibilities, of everything that could go horribly, terribly wrong. His morals and his heart battling for dominance.

"I refuse to do that again. Not for this." Hiccup said, glaring at the man. Viggo simply looked at him, eyes blank.

"There is no reward without risk, my dear. You should know." Viggo said, looking at him calmly over the fire. Hiccup grit his teeth.

"Easy for you to say, you have nothing left to lose!" Hiccup yelled, before his eyes widened at what exactly he just said. 

Oh. 

He didn't mean-

He took a breath, taking a step back. 

Toothless whined, shaking his head. 

God's. 

Viggo let out a small sigh, his face cold and detached. 

"You are correct, of course. It is understandable, why you wouldn't wish to end up like this, losing everything for the one they love. Pathetic, really." Viggo snarled through grit teeth, before standing up, walking away further into the darkness of the woods. Hiccup held up a hand, as if to stop him.

“This is pointless.” Viggo muttered, turning to walk to his dragon. 

Wait.

He didn't mean that. 

God's, what was it with this guy that he couldn't control a word he says? 

Hiccup grit his teeth

After reading his journal.. that was true, wasn't it? 

“Viggo-” He started. Viggo huffed, before turning to his dragon with a blank face, his movements stiff and hard as he tucked his arms behind his back.

“It is nearing dawn. Time is of the essence. Wake your riders.” Viggo said. Hiccup looked at him for a moment, before shaking his head. He felt a pit in his stomach, and a fire in his veins. Hiccup felt even worse than he did before, his body aching as he watched Viggo jump onto his Skrill, waiting for them to follow. 

Hiccup huffed, analyzing the island as they flew carefully towards it. There were flyers, and men, everything Viggo warned about. But they seemed more ready than they expected, patrolling the island with the dragons carefully, protecting their precious captives.

Not for long.

Hiccup grit his teeth, nudging Toothless to go faster. He leaned forwards, scoping out the island that lay ahead as best he could. He tried to brush that conversation out of his mind, but it lingered, like dragon saliva on his skin. He shook his head, trying to focus on the mission at hand.

It was starting.

They hovered close to the island, speeding closer to the site. Toothless snarled in warning as the fires of their torches became brighter. They were nearly upon them. Hiccup could smell the sticky sent of amber and the sharp smell of Singetails in the air, mixed with sea salt and fire. They were close. Any second now and they would see them.

He had to act fast.

“Alright. There it is. Snot, distract the flyers! Ruff, smokescreen! Viggo, to me!” He yelled out, holding a hand to the side as he gestured towards the island. Viggo sent him a sharp nod, which he promptly ignored.

“Ill go get the Deathsong! Once she is free, we free the Singetails!” He broke off of formation, flying down to the island.

“Aye aye captain!” With a salute, the twins let out a swirl of green gas, filling the campsite with coughing and yells. Within moments, those turned into screams as the gas was set off, setting the group aflame. Hiccup smelled the tinge of smoke and burning flesh in mere moments. Calls to action were heard near instantly, roars of dragons and the brightness of flame lit up the night.

And the battle started.

“Yeah, come and get me, you half-brained munge-buckets!” Snotlout laughed from the skies, Hookfang snarling as they set themselves ablaze.

The Flyers chasing after him, not seeing the swift black Night Fury in their camp as they foolishly were led away.

Perfect distraction Snotlout.

They were in their element then, in the dark. The night curled around them and made them invisible, made Toothless a mere whisper in the wind as the men below screeched, the sound of metal and wood grinding on eachother filling his ears.

Hiccup dived, watching the island through the smoke for-there!

The Deathsong was trapped in the middle, screeching as it shot amber chaotically, clearly disoriented There was a man on their head, holding their horns and pulling on them. Men went at them with whips and chains. One whipped her with a swift crack. She screeched, nearly falling over on her already unsteady legs, panting as she let out a shot of amber, landing a few meters away from her. The man laughed.

Hiccup snarled as a lump formed in his throat, gritting his teeth as he squeezed Toothless’ sides. Toothless let out a low moan at the sight, just as upset as his rider.

And they called dragons monsters. How dare they.

Hiccup had to get her out, and soon.

He stuck to the shadows, careful to not be seen. He heard a shadow following him with quick flaps of her wings. Moondancer was not near as stealthy, but she blended in well, only small sparks flittering on her skin at the danger. Viggo blended in with the shadows, only small glimpses of skin and metal giving away his position. His face was covered and his cloak bellowed as much as it could around the cage on his back.

Hiccup nodded to him, and Viggo broke away, landing in the small hatchery entrance, past the guards. They yelled, bringing to attention Viggo and his Skrill.

“Greetings.” Viggo said. Hiccup could nearly hear the grin on his face as the men whipped their heads to the noise. Moondancer snarled as Viggo jumped off, ducking low to the ground. She spread her wings. The men stopped their charge, confused for a moment, before their eyes widened as they processed exactly what dragon that was.

“Skrill!” They screamed.

Not fast enough.

Hiccup heard a screech, and with it, a blinding light filled the entrance of the hatchery. The screams and cries that filled the air made Hiccup nearly want to gag, but he had a mission to do. He narrowed his eyes, looking through the blinding spots in his vision as he focused on a cave before him. His eyes burned as ash and wind hit him.

He and Toothless landed in one of the many branching tunnels to the caverns.

This is where they stored food, according to Viggo. Hiccup stayed close to his dragon’s hide as he walked, silently looking for any enemies hiding in the shadow, only the glow of the moon guiding them.

His job was to burn their supplies, make a distraction for the rest of the fighters to leave the Deathsong, only for a moment, just enough to free her, then the Singetails.

Easy enough.

He leaned closer to the ground, arching his back as he walked quietly down the hall, in a way he learned from Toothless, keeping his feet light and avoiding rocks.

He could hear his breath in his ears and the screams outside.

They didn’t have much time.

“Toothless, Echo.” He commanded. Toothless let out a sharp screech, highlighting the entire cave in a blue glow.

They did see boxes and equipment lining the walls, yes. But, that wasn’t all.

Nearly instantly, a Singetail rider and a few archers were highlighted.

Hiccup’s blood turned cold.

No. There weren’t supposed to be more reinforcements here. Viggo said-

A sharp chuckle sounded out.

“Ah, there you are you piece of dragon-loving filth!” One of the hunters chortled before the Singetails mouth highlighted the room. “Thought we wouldn’t guard this lil’ area? Krogan said we might be getting some visitors after a few ships mysteriously caught fire from our old outpost. You wouldn't happen to know anythin' about tha', would you?”

Oh no.

The situation dawned on Hiccup, quickly. This was a trap.

The men chuckled as Hiccup lit Inferno with a click, lighting up the room a bit more.

Toothless let out a low screech, prepping a blast in his throat in warning.

“You really think that is the wisest move?” The man’s green eyes widened under his yellow mask as the orange Singetail’s chest glowed lightly. He held a spear to the dragon's throat. The men-Viggo’s old men-raised their bows. He heard clicks and laughter behind them, too. They were surrounded. 

No, they couldn’t take them all, and not without hurting that dragon.

Hiccup took a few steps back. The men chuckled. They knew they were outmatched. Hiccup had only a moment.

“Tooth, get out. Now!” Hiccup yelled, swinging himself onto his dragon. Toothless screeched, swiftly streaking out of the cave as quickly as he could, barreling through the archers with a plasma blast.

The men screamed as they fell to the ground, smoing slightly. Toothless whined as something pierced his side. Hiccup wheezed, looking down at his dragon. 

A gash on his side, bleeding sluggishly. Not good.

Hiccup felt more than heard the arrows fly by his face as they descended down the ledge and into the air, right into the heat of battle.

Hiccup looked up, seeing most of the catapults were wiped out by the twins, the Flyers seemed to be taken out, but flew quickly back to the caves entrance, where Viggo was fending off some soldiers with his dragon, and fire encompassing the camp.

Hiccup wheezed as another arrow flew close to his head, and he dove down with Toothless, locked onto the Deathsong. If they could just get her free, or get the person off of her head, than this would be more in their favor.

They were not prepared for this sort of push-back. There were more than a dozen flyers. There were at least fifty foot soldiers. They no longer had the element of surprise.

Panicked yells and machinery prepping to fire fell in the blasts wake, the eerie call of the dragons sending fear into their ranks.

Toothless bobbed and weaved the best he could, avoiding fire and bolas as they flew near him. He heard the tell-tale sound of lightning crackling as another dragon flew near him, the rider glaring at him through his mask.

“Hiccup, There are more reinforcements hidden in the caverns!” As Viggo said that, an arrow whizzed past his dragon, causing the Skrill to dive to avoid it. Hiccup sneered, clenching his teeth as he looked down. Sure enough, around a dozen men poured out of the mouth of the cave, arrows trained to the sky.

“Yeah, I got that! We will figure it out! I need to get to the ground and get the Deathsong out of there! You take out the ground forces!” He yelled, bobbing around a bola net. Viggo snarled back, his eyes alight as he looked at Hiccup, a rare bit of anger flashing in his eyes.

“This is a losing battle, Hiccup!” Viggo yelled over the tearing wind and screams. Hiccup sent a warning look Viggo’s way. Viggo sent a firm stare back at him. Hiccup flew down, taking out another catapult as his mind whirred.

“I won’t leave that dragon here!” Hiccup yelled, glaring at the man. He wouldn’t understand would he. Toothless screeched as they dodged another volley of arrows.

He quickly flew back up, analyzing the situation. A Singetail fell to the ground, skin crackling with small pulses of lightning, Moondancer’s mouth crackling slightly as she whipped her head around, looking for more enemies. Viggo looked down at her, a small frown on his face.

“Don’t fire at the flyers! You'll draw attention to us!” Hiccup yelled. Viggo sent him a look, as if he were nuts.

“Ok, Ok. What to do.” Hiccup narrowed his eyes, flying down in a spiral to the side of the Deathsong. His heart ached as he took in the beaten dragon, skin torn. Its purple blood flowing sluggishly from multiple lashes from a whip, the skin flayed open. It looked so much worse up close. 

The man who did it stood next to the dragon, whip at the ready. Hiccup felt anger boil up in him at the sight once more. It was beyond cruel. It reminded him of Garff, when they found him a while back, beaten and bleeding.

He wondered if Garff could have been in this same situation. It made him feel sick.

The soldier smacked the dragon with a shout, and the Deathsong let out a screech, sending a ball of amber their way. They avoided it, swiftly turning to the side, just enough to see another Singetail fall from the sky.

“I said not to fire, Viggo!” Hiccup yelled, dodging a blast from above. Another crackle of lightning sounded, the dragon falling to the earth in a heap. Viggo flew back to Hiccup’s side. The Skrill hissed once more, and fired at the sky.

“To your left!” A yell sounded. Hiccup whipped his head up, turning to the side. Toothless snarled as another arrow arched passed mere inches by his head. Hiccup bit his lip.

“We need to get to the ground!” Hiccup yelled. They dove.

Viggo followed as they tried to lose their attackers, landing near some boxes on the edge of the ring of rock.

Toothless quickly pulled his wing up the second they landed, blocking them as they went into another cave, curved into the rock and jagged to the touch. Hiccup grit his teeth in frustration as they went further into the cave.

Hiccup, as soon as they were far enough in, jumped off of his dragon and checked his side. 

"I'm sorry, bud. I wasn't quick enough." He said, resting his head on his dragon's side. Toothless whined, pushing his head into Hiccup's side, telling him he was alright. Hiccup felt a boiling rage fill him.

These men hurt his dragon.

They killed and hurt the other dragons. Who knew how many Deathsongs they killed before this one?

They needed to end this, quickly.

Hiccup turned, eyes flashing towards Viggo. Viggo seemed ok, if a little burned, his skin red and his body slightly shaking. 

"An ambush, I presume." Hiccup nodded, grabbing some bandage before pressing it on Toothless' side.

"Yeah. Taking a page out of your book." He muttered, anger leaking from his tongue. Viggo let out a small chuckle, which turned into a cough. Hiccup looked up at him, concern flashing on his features. He seemed a bit burned from the attack, skin red and angry around the exposed areas of his outfit. It hurt to see. No matter how frustrated he was with the man, he hated seeing the pain in his eyes. Viggo had fire in his eyes as he quickly stood, his cage slightly smoking as he did so. 

The dragons hissed as they walked back, further into the cave. The shouts and noises echoed through the stone, Hiccup shuddering as the rock vibrated under his feet, pushing the linen into Toothless' side more. Viggo made his way over to his side.

“Krogan heard of the attack on the retreating flotilla. He sent reinforcements here. They hurt Toothless with an arrow. I don't know if it was poisioned.” Hiccup muttered. Viggo sighed, grabbing some extra bandages and starting to wrap the wound on Toothless' side, taking note of how it was thin, straight across a foot or two. An arrow, most likely. Toothless shuddered slightly, swaying on his feet. So-most likely poisioned. 

Hiccup felt his heart speed up. They had no time.

“Of course. Krogan, as senseless as he is, would have known something was coming.” Viggo muttered. Hiccup grimaced.

“We have to get to the twins before-” Hiccup started, but with a screech.

Something came barreling at them, something orange with beady eyes, blocking them into the tunnel. 

Oh no, they were found.

Hiccup glared as a Singetail made its way to them, squawking as it spread its wings wide, letting out a small call. Hiccup pulled inferno off of his back and stood protectively in front of his dragon, before Toothless tilted his head warily, taking a step forwards as a growl ripped from his throat. The dragon just-flew there, staring at them, mouth gaped and prepared to fire. 

...what? 

“It has no rider.” Viggo mumbled. Hiccup froze for a moment.

Wait, no.

Hiccup looked up, and sure enough, there was no rider, just a long scar on its side.

A scar like the one on the Edge. 

Hiccup’s eyes widened.

God's, there was no way.

"Fishlegs and I need to have some words about observation. This is the one your Skrill hit." Hiccup mumbled.

"How interesting. It followed us here, then. Why?" Viggo hummed. He had a gleam in his eyes, as if something came to mind.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Any ideas-" Hiccup was about to question him, before It-no, she fired at the Skrill. Hiccup yelped as he turned, holding his shield up.

"Hiccup!" Viggo shouted in warning. He ran forwards, seeing the Skrill as she readied.

The strike bounced off of his shield as the Skrill fired back, a loud crackle and a scream of white flashing in his vision. The pain hit after that, swiftly, like a hot iron.

Hiccup hissed as lightning arched on his skin, dancing on his shield. He leaned forwards, gasping. He barely processed the arms of Viggo around him. He looked up, eyes narrowed. 

The Singetail dodged easily, before another strike of fire hit her in the side. Toothless this time. She cried, throwing her head back as her stomach started glowing a dangerous hue as Toothless readied another shot.

Moondancer hissed as she opened her wings, lightning arching on her spines and bringing more attention to them. The Singetail snarled, hanging her jaw wide open. But before it could happen again, a dragon ran into her, a body of fire, bigger than her as a growl sounded. 

“Hey! The only person who can set Hiccup on fire is me!” Snotlout screamed a war cry as him and Hookfang fired another blast at the Singetail. She snarled, throwing fire back.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup yelled. That means they have no one to distract the flyers. They didn't know where the twins were, and the Singetail which was supposed to be on the Edge was now here. 

He was absolutely having a talk with Fishlegs and his terrible observation skills the second they got back, if they got back. Who knew at this point.

The men knew they were there, now.

Hiccup noticed now, many soldiers surrounded them, more than he and Toothless could handle. Clearly, Snotlout failed as well, if the presence of Singetail Flyers hovering in the sky were any indication. The twins were flying close-by, dodging bolas. Hiccup’s instincts screamed at him to go help them, but he couldn’t, not with this many people standing in front of him.

Not good. They needed to fall back.

Before Hiccup could utter a word, however, Viggo pulled him up, slowly. It took a moment, but Hiccup realized what he did. The metal on his back was red again.

He saved him. Again. Hiccup’s brow furrowed. Viggo gave him a small nod.

“We need to re-strategize if we have any hope of winning this. I do believe I have a plan, if you would trust me.” Viggo whispered in his ear, taking his arm off of him. Hiccup looked back at him, eyes searching.

“I do!” Hiccup snarled through grit teeth. He did, he really did, but he just could barely stand being near the man. He could barely think, then, over his own heart.

“Clearly.” Viggo said, deadpan. Hiccup glared back at the man with disbelief written on his face. Now, really?

“Abort, abort!” A cry came from above, a Monstrous Nightmare soon passed their vision, several Singetails on his tail, more noticing the situation and flying above the two and their dragons, pushing them into a corner. He seemed to have lost his battle with the Singetail and led them right to Hiccup and Viggo.

Great.

The orange smaller Singetail snapped at the rider, before looking back at Hiccup. It made that same chirping noise at him, before firing down at the men blocking the entrance.

Why now!? What was with this dragon?

Either way, the crazy dragon just gave them an opening. 

"Ok. Let's take the chance here! Then when we are in the air we can take them out from above." Hiccup growled. Viggo ducked besides him. 

"Hiccup, we need to retreat. Just-" Hiccup glared at him, not wanting to deal with this at the moment. 

"Not now! After we get the team to safety in the air! Then, we can do whatever you need for your plan, but we are not retreating, got it?!" Hiccup yelled. Viggo gave him a look, then nodded. 

"Very well." Viggo said, a frown on his face. Hiccup sighed. Personal feelings about their… relationship be damned, he trusted him with his life. He saved it multiple times now, after all, but they needed to save that dragon.

“Hiccup!” Hiccup snapped his head back, looking at the entrance of the hatchery. The twins were surrounded, protecting the eggs didn’t seem to be going well. Hiccup grit his teeth.

Things were falling apart here. He had to act quick.

Hiccup stood at the ready, shield in front of him as the soldiers walked up to him. Toothless snarled, curling around his rider protectively as his throat burned a vibrant blue.

“Oh, come on! Do ya really have to hide behind yer precious Night Fury?” The lead soldier, wearing the skin of a Zippleback, pointed his cleaver at Hiccup, a disgusting sneer on his scarred face.

Ok. He could work with this.

“Go, bud.” He said as he leapt on his dragon, and Toothless screeched as they took to the air. Viggo followed closely, then the Singetail followed them. Hiccup looked back at her. What was with this dragon?!

“Guys! Get out of there!” Hiccup shouted as he passed the twins, dodging the attacks of the Singetail as she shot towards him and Toothless. They lost her as they swung around the rocks. He heard a yell in affirmative from the twins, and breathed a sigh in relief. That was one.

“Get off of them!” Snotlout said, before shooting another blast at the Singetail. She screeched, before firing back at him. Hookfang let out a sad whine as he tried to fire once more. He was out of fire. Things were spiralling out of control. 

Hiccup turned, blocking another shot from the Singetail. Or at least he thought he did. Toothless yelped as his tail caught fire. His eyes went wide.

“Snotlout! We need to go!” An arrow whizzed past his head as he spoke. He snarled. The dragon was giving away their position. They were gonna get shot again!

“Where to!?" Snotlout yelled, crossing his arms. He yelped as another shot flew past his head. “We are going to die!”

Hiccup rolled his eyes. “Just do what I told you!” And with that, Hiccup dove towards the cave he was in earlier, dodging the projectiles from every angle. They could fight them off together, he figured.

Toothless let out a screech as they dove. The Singetail, it seemed, was still hot on their tail. Viggo's dragon fired once more, nearly hitting Hiccup. 

“Go! Ill lose her!” Hiccup yelled. Snotlout growled before flying down, in front of him. Hiccup followed him, closely, diving between rocks in an attempt to lose her. Toothless’ fin was nearly burned off. They only had moments.

One-

two-

The Singetail dove after them, and fired. No time.

“Toothless, fire!” Hiccup yelled. Toothless flipped back, and fired at the Singetail.

"Hiccup! Stop!" He heard Viggo shout at his side, then she screeched as she was hit by the low-powered plasma blast, and they dove for the cave, the air whistling around them.

Suddenly-a crack sounded, and a roar.

Her shot hit the edge of the cave, above the entrance, and Hiccup’s eyes widened as they both flew into the cave, Singetail right behind them as they dove, further, further-

Rocks fell from the ceiling, and they both crashed into the ground, sliding into the cave. Hiccup was thrown from his saddle, rolling a few times before coming to a stop, something stopping him as arms wrapped around him. Several crunches and thunderous roars followed them as the rocks cascaded, blocking them in. 

And the riders were trapped there. With a hostile Singetail, The twins outside doing who-knows-what, inside of the cave with no exit.

Hiccup felt his stomach drop. No. 

The final rock fell and blocked out the torch light, leaving them in darkness.

"Well. Can I just take this moment to say...what the hel, Hiccup." Snotlout's voice rang through the darkness like a hammer.

Hiccup sighed. He had no answer.

Chapter Text

Earlier, on Dragon’s Edge, Astrid sat alone, the darkness and the dragon beside her her only company.

The medallion in Astrid's hands glinted softly in the light of the burning candle by her side, the small yet powerful flame highlighting the intricate designs that were embossed in the front flawlessly. It sent shivering flickers across the metal in unison with the candles gentle movements, the metal seemingly alive under the glow.

The way the metal danced, it reminded her of the times that she saw Hiccup working on his little contraptions in his forge; the way the metal bent and melted under his experienced hands, the way it seemed to come alive underneath his fingertips.

She never understood how he managed to create such incredible things out of something so lifeless as metal and stone. She wondered how he could forge something new out of something discarded. She never quite understood much about forging at all, if she were to be honest with herself. Never really had the patience for it, she thought.

Apparently, she never understood much about Hiccup at all, did she?

Astrid ran a hand on the surface, letting her fingers follow the small grooves as she focused intently on the medallion. Her eyes narrowed and her heart pounded as he curled a bit closer to herself, eyes slightly clouded and distant as she looked at the thing that once symbolized her future.

Their future.

It made her feel sick, just looking at the betrothal gift, tracing its details of what should have been their crest, before the Gods damned hunter came along. Before Viggo, she knew exactly what they were working towards. Now it was fuzzy, unknown, clouded in a fog.

For once in her life, she had no idea what would happen now.

She knew she would marry Hiccup since she was a kid, even before she actually developed feelings for him. It was their fate. It was never written or contracted upon, but she knew exactly what the village and the gods wanted for her. Her mother and father made it quite clear how important that would be to their family and to the clan to marry the future heir.

She hated the thought of marrying Hiccup when she was younger. He was weak, selfish, pathetic. Nothing like an heir should be. He treated everything like a joke when their lives were on the line. She knew he would burn down the village the second he became Chief, just like everyone else.

Spitelout and then Snotlout being next in line, too, was a worse case scenario if Hiccup were to be killed or banished. Ruffnut was the only other choice and…no. Marrying out of the village wouldn’t work either, as their allies were very few and far between, none of them willing to sacrifice a daughter to the flames of a dragon for the sake of a village that wasn’t their own. It was up to her to fix things.

Stoick wasn’t too hard to convince apparently, seeing exactly what future the Hoffersons saw for Berk if control fell on Hiccup alone. 

But then, things changed, and Hiccup ended the war, leading them into a new time or peace. She learned who Hiccup was under all of his sarcasm and his weak disposition. A warrior, a leader. A friend. Then something more.

Someone she could see herself leading with. 

And when she learned that he wasn’t useless, her future didn’t seem too bad. A future with the man who tamed a Night Fury, the man who could lead their tribe in a new direction, the killer of the Red Death, the man whose hair gleamed like copper in the setting sun, with his glowing green eyes that seemed so full of life. The man that always seemed to come back stronger and with a plan? A man she admired?

He possessed a strength of the heart that so many couldn’t even fathom. She knew he would be a good leader, and they would lead Berk together. They were meant to be, they made sense, they were perfect, they were all that each other needed. No one would ever love Hiccup like she did.

So why was it so easy for Viggo to break that bond, and why was she hesitating to win him back? Why wasn’t she storming up to Hiccup right now and dragging him back to Berk? And what would happen if she couldn't stop this?

“Do I?”

“I need to have trust with my co-leader.”

“I-I can’t count on you.”

“Viggo is right.”

She curled up a bit further, her mouth aching slightly from how hard she was clenching her jaw.

Viggo made Hiccup stand up to her. Viggo made Hiccup change his mind. Sure, it wasn’t the most well thought-out plan on her part, but to ground her? To leave her on babysitting duty? That wasn’t like him, and she feared what could happen if he were wrong.

Was Hiccup just-ok with risking everything for Viggo? Okay with letting his love for her dissipate for another, a man no less, and an enemy? Not only putting himself and their people in danger, but their future, Berk’s future as well for-for what?

She scoffed. She knew why. 

“Why won’t you just-let this go, Hiccup? Come back to me.” Astrid muttered, hanging her head slightly lower. Her blonde bangs fell into her face, blocking the medallion slightly.

She pressed her fingers harshly into the metal, the engravings embossing themselves on her reddened skin. She grit her teeth, thinking, looking for a reason why Hiccup would let himself be led away like this, why he would let himself be separated from the people who cared for him, who loved him. 

Unless, of course, he was right about Viggo, and she was just making this worse.

And…what if he was? 

She grit her teeth, dismissing the thought. God’s, she should’ve just killed the hunter scum when she had a chance, when he was bedridden, but Hiccup would hate her. Not only that, but it just felt… wrong, and she didn’t know why. Why did a part of her scream at the thought of just killing Viggo and being done with it? Why was she hesitating? Why did she even let him survive? For Hiccup? For her? And why did the thought of spending a life with this new Hiccup sound so...upleasant?

And...What if…what if she really was wrong about Viggo, and she was irreprably hurting Hiccup? Hiccup seemed so...happy, with him, after all. They really did fit together well, in a...wierd way. Not that she would ever admit that out loud.

She sighed, holding the medallion closer to the light. The Haddock Family crest shone through the darkness like a beacon, light flickering off of it serenely.

She…didn’t really know how he would react if he ever knew how she felt, how Viggo felt, but it wouldn’t be good.

She placed the medallion onto her table with careful hands, looking at it forlornly for a moment, before leaning forwards, off of her bed. Stormfly looked up at her warily. She especially seemed rather…distant, sensing the tense atmosphere as well as the other dragons.

When Hiccup left, Astrid didn’t even bother saying goodbye. She stormed to her hut, and stayed there, like he asked. At first she was in disbelief, because how dare he, but then when her mind cleared up, she saw he had a point. The dragon came in not long after, and now it was far past nightfall now. Garff was surely asleep somewhere else, maybe on her roof. He wouldn’t leave the island, not with Stormfly here.

And that was another whole disaster to think about, wasn’t it?

What was she thinking? Sending Garff in would only end in disaster. Hiccup was right about that. She was just-she-she wanted to prove something, like with the race, like with raiding the outpost-

“God’s, I am jealous, aren’t I?" Didn't she have a reason to be, though? Did she even know him anymore? She has never seen him this obsessed, even after Viggo’s and Hiccup’s first meeting, when Hiccup barely slept or ate for weeks. It always came back to Viggo.

She groaned. She had no idea what was going through Hiccup's head at this very moment. She wished she did, it would make things a lot easier.

Stormfly groaned at her door once more, scratching at it, asking to be let outside, surely to sit at Hiccup’s hut for a bit more. Astrid gave her a tired look 

She seemed more melancholy the longer Hiccup and Astrid fought, even though she was on her side. Every dragon loved Hiccup, it seemed. While she stayed loyal, she sent sad looks towards Hiccup every chance she got. It made sense, he was her first human friend, after all.

Stormfly whined at Astrid’s side, nudging into her before looking at her, pleading with her to do, something. To reconcile with Hiccup, no doubt. 

Even her own dragon thought she was wrong.

She groaned, holding her head. “Thor above, just tell me what to do..” She muttered a quick prayer, before reaching for the journal once more, safely tucked under her floorboards, and hoped and prayed to the gods that Hiccup would never know the extent of what she found, what Viggo felt for him, what he wrote about him. At the very least she had that up her sleeve.

She moved the plank, hand preemptively moving towards that small crevice where she kept the journal.

And her face went pale. Sickly, deathly pale.

Because it was gone.

And if it was gone, the twins had it.

The twins were the only ones who could or would break in here without her knowing. And if the twins had it, then they would tell everyone, or at least who they thought should know to cause the most chaos. In this case, there was only one Viking that fit.

Hiccup.

Oh Thor, Hiccup might know.

“No.” She muttered.

Her breath quickened slightly as her eyes widened, cold hand’s shaking slightly as she took this in. God’s, no. No. She couldn’t fix this if it was too late. She had to talk to the twins as soon as she could, take it back before any sort of damage could be done.

Just as she was beginning to stand, her door flung open with a bang. Stormfly screeched, hopping back a few feet to reveal a panting Fishlegs, holding a book and the Dragon Eye Two.

“A-Astrid! Th-the Singetail is gone! It-it’s going after Hiccup!” He heaved, leaning on the door. Astrid stood straight, her stomach falling. If the Singetail left, then…

Are you kidding?!

“G-Garff followed him! Th-they are both in danger! We-we have to go, now!” He threw the items in Meatlugs saddle bag, who looked just about as fatigued as he was, her body nearly vibrating with anxiety both from the moment and from her rider. Astrid felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

“How did it escape!? And-its going after Hiccup? Not the eggs?” She yelled, quickly trying to forget the fact that her life was falling apart right before her eyes once she heard that Hiccup was in danger. He always came first. He had to.

“Yeah-I was reading and-well, she uh-So it turns out when-well-It’s really fascinating but-” Fishlegs mounted Meatlug as he stuttered, his back shaking slightly from exhaustion. He must've ran all the way here. Astrid gave him a tired look before grabbing her axe and mounting Stormfly, the anxiety running rampant in her, leaving her stone-faced and cold, voice authoritative. They didn’t have time to wait. She ignored the dread that made her stomach sink to the floor, of what she might find out there.

“Just-tell me on the way!” Astrid yelled. Within moments they were off in search of the two orange dragons, who were surely flying right into a trap.

They arrived too little too late. The damage had already been done.

Snotlout snorted, shaking his head slightly as he put a hand up to the cold metal of his helmet, his ears ringing from the impact on the cave wall. His head throbbed as he dusted off his arms blindly, waving a hand in front of his own face. Nothing. Just blackness.

Great. Once again, Hiccup put them in a dangerous situation, again, great.

“Hiccup, how many times do I have to tell you that your plans are terrible?” Snotlout grumbled. So, they were now stuck here, in the cave. The entrance was entirely sealed. Absolutely no light, no idea of its foundation, no ending. 

“I don't know, Snotlout. Why don't you tell me again? Really let the message sink in.” A tired voice grumbled out. Snotlout made a mocking face, before glaring into the darkness.

“Hookfang. Light it up.” He growled, aggressively patting down his shirt, hearing rocks fall off of him with each movement. Stupid cave. At least he felt a bit better when he heard Hiccup yelp, before the room shone brilliantly, flames flickering through the room, coating it in an orange hue.

The space they were in was somewhat small, the ceiling of the cave around two Hiccups high. The cavern extended back a ways, but ended abruptly on all sides, the walls coated in a cool black darkness. Crates of food and weapons lined the walls, small bit of amber coating the walkway, gleaming like gold under their feet. The insane Singetail lay motionless in front of him, farther down the hallway. She seemed knocked out. Again. Good.

Toothless let out a moan, slowly letting go of his rider, who was rubbing his head slowly, looking around. He coughed slightly, the dust painting his face and hair shaking free as he did so.

“Viggo…? Where…” Hiccup seemed confused, slightly out of it, looking around dazedly. Snotlout sent him a concerned glare.

“Who knows, who cares.” Snotlout ran a hand through his hair before putting his helmet back on. While Snotlout nearly snorted at hearing the guys name from their illustrious leaders lips, he did wonder where the psycho was; the fact that he hasn’t even bothered to ruin his day further with his unfairly smooth voice was rather out-of-character, if he did say so himself.

“Wh-Moondancer!” Hiccup yelled suddenly, running towards the entrance with a heavy thump-click noise that haunted the rider with his every movement. Snotlout let out an unexpected guffaw.

“A what-dancer? Did ya hit your head a little hard there?” Snotlout turned towards him, an incredulous look on his face, but then, he saw what Hiccup was running towards. And he paused.

“The dragon? That is what Viggo named it?” Snotlout said incredulously, before taking a closer look at the black and purple dragon.

The creepy Skrill was whining, her body jerking as lightning flickered off her body and onto the walls as she struggled. It took a moment of wondering at her struggling, before he saw exactly why.

The end of her tail was trapped, crushed under the rocks, and her saddle was entirely gone, torn off. It was singed slightly at the edges, the leather seemingly snapped in the fall, or from a fireball from the Singetail. She seemed frantic, looking this way and that and pushing forwards, trying to pull herself out of the wall of stone. Snotlout took in a sharp breath, before looking around. That’s… that’s why it was so silent.

There…was no Viggo. Which means…

“No… no, no, no, nono.” Hiccup mumbled at the dragon’s side, running a soothing hand on her side quickly before looking at the rocks, where a small stream of blood lay. Hiccup let out a small whine, before pushing at the rocks, trying to dig them by hand, looking, frantically, for a way out,

Or…looking for Viggo. Who might be trapped under all of those rocks? No-no way, this was not how he ended, was it? That would be stupid. Viggo was far too much of a bada-He means, too stubborn for that.

“Viggo! Viggo!! Can you hear me?!” Hiccup yelled, his fingers frantically looking for a weak-spot, a rock that could be taken out, anything. He clearly thought the same thing as Snotlout, then. This cave was deep, A whole mountain fell on the entrance, and he was right by Hiccup when-how could he have escaped?

Toothless joined his rider in their search, sniffing the wall and nudging the Skrill, who whined, pulling at her tail as she tried to turn, sniffing the air for her rider, he supposed. She seemed particularly focused on Hiccup, who seemed more manic by the second.

Snotlout huffed, the worry seeping from Hiccup putting him more and more on edge as they waited. He walked up to the wall, trying to see if there was a way out, or anything of use. Nope-nothing stood out to him. They were well and truly trapped, with a potentially dead teammate. He felt shivers crawl up his spine as he looked back over to Hiccup.

“Might not be a bad thing, you know. One problem solved.” Snotlout muttered sarcastically. Hiccup’s eyes snapped back to him, wide and horrified.

“How could you say that?! He is a member of our team! I-He-We need him! If he’s-I would never forgive myself!” He yelled, before continuing his search. Snotlout nearly took a step back in surprise at the pure frustration and pain that seemed to lace his leaders expression, before Hiccup looked back to the dragon, eyes sharp and analyzing.

“The cave-in had to have missed him, He has to be fine. He has to be.” Hiccup stood up, hands shaking and eyes wide, terrified, before he shook his head, eyes narrowing. His shoulders heaved as he did that-that thing, putting himself in Chief-mode, as the twins liked to call it.

“Ok, Ok. We-we need to get you out, then-ok.” He mumbled, the nonsensical ranting paired with the heavy breathing nearly made Snotlout take a step back, before he realized that was stupid. He just-Hiccup looked scared, terrified, for Viggo. As if he were one of their own, as if…He was acting like when Astrid nearly died.

“Toothless, lift this rock here. Moondancer, pull out as soon as I tell you, ok? Just-just stay still until then.” The Skrill-Moondancer? What kind of sissy name was that?-hissed, her body heaving with each breath she took as she glared at Hiccup. Hiccup winced.

“I know, girl. I am so sorry. I-just-we need to get you out. Please, please trust me.” It felt like an eternity before the dragon let out another snort, before her head bobbed slightly. Hiccup let out a heave in releif, his shoulders shaking as he looked at the dragon in thanks. Hiccup’s eyes then snapped up to Snotlout, who stared back, a questioning eyebrow raised.

“Snotlout, stay with the Singetail. Hookfang, get closer. We need to get a better look.” He said, the authority in his voice sending a hint of urgency in their movements. All of the dragons did as they were told, calming down and getting into position.

“Ok, and one, two, three-” And on three, they lifted the rock, the black dragon grunting as he jammed his head under the rock, moving it slightly. The other stones shuddered slightly as they were jostled, but none fell, wedged too tightly. Hiccup pulled at the dragons tail, before yelling.

“Now!” And the Skrill pulled, flapping her wings as she did so, a pained whine leaving her throat as she ripped herself out of the wall, sliding a few feet forwards as the wall released her from its grip. Hiccup quickly made his way over, checking the tail.

From what Snotlout could see, it was still bleeding, a tone a bit off from human’s blood, more purple and dark, but eerily similar, dripped from her tail. Hiccup let out a shuddering gasp before he pat the tail of the dragon.

“It’s alright girl, just-Nothing’s broken, you were just pinned down. Toothless.” Hiccup said, before his dragon pushed his way to his side, licking the wound. The Skrill huffed, her chest heaving slightly, yet clearly becoming more relaxed. Hiccup moved up to her head, running a hand by her spines.

“I-I’m so sorry. I did this.” He said, words hitching as he said it, resting his head on her own. The Skrill trilled, nudging him lightly, her eyes slightly closed. Hiccup sat for a moment, before pulling away, looking into her slightly glowing yellow eyes.

“Where is he? Is he ok?” He said. The Skrill let out a small whine, before looking towards the entrance. Hiccup’s breath hitched. Snotlout’s eyes slightly widened as Hiccup looked back at the Skrill. Snotlout growled. No, there was no way he was dead.

Hiccup got back onto his feet, hastily walking towards the entrance, before looking back at the ground, analyzing.

“Ok, he had to have been thrown off. He-He is just outside.” Hiccup muttered, looking at the rocks. There were mostly massive rocks, as if the entire mountain slid to block their entrance. Several smaller ones were the size of boulders, dwarfing Hiccup and thoroughly blocking a way out. Even the boulder Toothless could barely move was on the of the smaller ones. Snotlout walked up to it, looking closely at the rocks.

They were well and truly trapped.

“Or, he just got crushed to death! And we are going to die here! Nothing can break through that, not even Hookfang!” Snotlout hit the side of his fist against the barrier, emphasizing his point. The rocks didn’t even slightly budge. Hiccup shook, taking off his leg and jamming it underneath the smallest rock they could find, trying to levy the rock out of the way.

“He can’t die! Not now! Not after everything we have gone through, god’s I-I messed up, and I have to tell him that I-Oh, this is all my fault. If I had just listened…” Hiccup shuddered, eyes widened. He seemed slightly frozen, his hands shaking and his face pale. Snotlout has rarely ever seen Hiccup like this.

It was… unsettling. Yeah, that was the word for it. It made his skin crawl. Still, he had a reputation to uphold, even as he felt the cold claws of doom wrapping around them, hoplessness hanging in the air. Oh, how he hated enclosed spaces like this.

“You got that right. You messed up big time.” Snotlout snorted. Hiccup shook his head, body nearly collapsing as his levy failed, the metal giving out with a sad screech as it bent and flung out of the hold of the rock, now utterly useless on the floor. Hiccup huffed.

“Thanks, Snotlout.” Snotlout nodded, his arms crossed. The Skrill let out a whine next to them, digging at the rocks with her nose as best as she could. Toothless was by her side, closely looking at the rocks, letting out small echoing blasts every once in a while, checking the rocks for a weak point. The sound of whining and the purple hue from his mouth made the air feel even more spooky, even with Hookfang sitting there.

If he knew correctly, as did Hiccup, being in a sealed cave with fire was bad. Like, dead bad. Something about a form of Dísir that haunted caves, stealing the fire and the air from the lungs of those who lingered for too long. And if there was something Snotlout did not want to do today, it was to mess with angry spirits.

“Just-The Nornir have it out for us, and then you have to go and do this! I mean, how many times can you cheat death!? It was just only a matter of time before we bit the dust. Especially Viggo, I mean, how many close calls can you have?” He snarled to himself, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Hiccup sighed, shaking his head.

“Stop being so melodramatic. None of us are going to die. He isn’t dead. He can’t. Not yet.” His voice sounded strained, unbelievable. Snotlout was quite sick of his leader and his optimism.

“Ugh, can you stop!? Meladramedy is exactly what we need right now! And how can you know that!? Besides, Viggo dying would not be the worst thing!” Yeah, it wouldn’t! God’s, the stupid man’s words haunted him every step, anyways. He was already the worst, even as an ally. He was interesting to talk to sometimes, but it wasn’t like losing one of their riders, right?

Well, clearly, Hiccup felt differently, if the way he whipped his head around to meet his eyes was any indication.

“Yes, yes it would be!” His voice strained, harshly bouncing on the cavernous walls around them as Hiccup gave him a venomous scowl.

Snotlout groaned, smacking a hand on his forehead. Right, Hiccup and his bizarre obsession, even though clearly they had problems recently. And he thought Hiccup was getting a clue that the man was-well, unhealthily attached to Hiccup.

“God’s, why!? Why Hiccup!?” He growled. Hiccup hesitated for a moment, before looking down.

“We are allies. Imagine if we lost Heather or Dagur! You would do the same, then!” Hiccup snarled under his breath. He did that-that thing, where his back arched lightly and he hunkered his head down. He was defensive. Good, because they both knew he was full of it. Snotlout wasn’t blind, especially after his talk with Astrid and Ruffnut, and Viggo for that matter.

Snotlout grabbed Hiccup’s shoulder, whirring him back to look at him. He looked at his eyes, glowing in the firelight, his pupils small and his eyes narrowed, yup.

"Don’t just give me that vague crap you’ve been feeding the rest of us.. Viggo told me some things after I saw you in the arena. I know.” He shoved a finger into Hiccup’s chest for emphasis, and with that, Hiccup’s eyes became a bit wider, his breath hitching as he looked into Snotlout’s eyes, searching them.

Clearly a touchy subject. He really did wonder, did Viggo tell him that he… had a thing? Maybe even attacked him? Oh, he would find out, now. He was invested.

“Did-you saw that? Odin-does everyone know?!” Hiccup growled, shaking his head. Snotlout shrugged, not really knowing or caring who everyone else was. Probably Ruffnut, with the way she scampered off after their meeting on the edge. Snotlout leaned forwards, getting more into Hiccup’s face.

“Yeah, that’s right! I know all about that. So tell me, what is the big deal!? I get it, he is smart, a good ally, But why is it so terrible to think he is dead for you?! He said, putting his hands on his hips. Hiccup looked at him, multiple emotions flashing over his face.

He didn’t quite… get all of them, but he definitely saw remorse, anger, sadness, maybe even hope? Then it fell to a more blank expression. He needed to push more. Hiccup wasn’t going to clam up like this. He wouldn’t just-just assume, like with Astrid. At least then he didn’t have to worry about Hiccup-er, Astrid then.

This? This was different. This smelled of bad decisions and something very familiar. Snotlout needed to stop thinking about how Viggo’s words kept popping up in his head, making him see more in Hiccup’s expression that he really hoped he was imagining.

Toothless growled, wings coming up behind him, a warning. Suprisingly enough, the Skrill did as well, her tail whipping dangerously behind her, her injury clearly not hindering her, much. He heard Hookfang growl, but it wasn’t important. This was.

He had to get this. They have been ignoring it for too long. His talk with Viggo awoke a-curiosity, an urgency in him, and he had to know. Because clearly, more was happening than he realized.

“What is so important to you!?” His words made Hiccup wince slightly back. “Why do you care so much about whether he lives or dies? What is so important that you can’t handle the thought of him dying? Be straight with me Hiccup!” He yelled, his voice getting louder and louder with each sentence. Hiccup was clearly fighting himself, his face turning slightly red, a mirror of his own, surely, and his breathing became quicker.

“Tell me!” Snotlout said, and finally, finally, broke him.

“Because I can’t live without him! Don’t you get it? I kissed him!” Hiccup snapped, his voice loud and frustrated, echoing through the cave.

And Snotlout froze.

It was silent, both reeling from the words. Hiccup was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and his hands shaking, a small bit of blood from the ground painting them in an odd mosaic of red and pink. He curled into himself more, a small keening noise coming from him as he looked at his hands, quiet and barely audible, before he mumbled again.

“I kissed him.”

His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke, his voice quiet and yet clear. It rang through the cave with a sense of finality, as if something just-snapped into place. There was more clarity in his eyes, his matted hair blocking most of them. His shoulders shuddered as he took in one more breath, his lips turned into a grimace as he blinked, his eyes seemingly more misty than they usually are.

No.

No way. This is insane. Viggo wasn’t lying? And Ruff? And-and everyone wasn’t nuts? Oh-Oh god’s, he didn’t think, he didn’t know-

He took a stumbling step back, eyes wide as he looked at him, confusion, anger, and oh-oh that was understanding, wasn’t it? Filling him. Hiccup looked up at him, resignation in his oddly bright eyes.

“What.” Snotlout said. Really the only thing he could say, in these circumstances.

Hiccup slowly dropped his hands, tilting his head with confusion at the look Snotlout was giving him, as if Snotlout was the insane one here.

“What?” He mumbled. Snotlout gasped, taking another step back.

“Of all of the-What-you kissed him!? You kissed?!” He yelled. Hiccup winced back at the noise, the dragon’s wincing slightly back as well, before he looked up at him, green eyes narrowed as he stood up, shaking hands rubbing on his brown pants, painting them an oddly red hue where his hands rubbed.

“You-You said you saw everything!” He yelled. Snotlout shook his head.

“Not-I just-I saw him pinning you against a wall, then yelling! I didn’t-Thor-What?! Are you kidding me? Please tell me you are!” He pointed a finger in Hiccup’s direction, who guffawed at him, before shaking his head, running a hand through his stupidly wild hair.

“I wish I could. You could just-forget I said that?” He mumbled, eyes trained in the middle-distance. Snotlout snorted, shaking his head ‘no’.

“Fat chance! Come on, Hiccup, this is so stupid.” Snotlout said, making perfect sense, or course. And wow, he really has to be the voice of reason here?! Hiccup let out a small chuckle, shoulders bouncing slightly as he did so. Toothless nudged his riders side, his eyes slit and ferocious looking at Snotlout.

“Really? I thought it was a great idea. Thanks for the heads up!” Hiccup snarked, shaking his head as he pulled himself onto his remaining foot, leaning against the wall with his hand. Clear as day, hurt and frustration coating his face under that mask, just like when they were kids. He was pretty good at reading Hiccup, and he knew that look.

“Now is not the time for your sass!” He snarled. “This is serious!”

“I know that! Why do you-god’s, it’s not like I am choosing this, Snotlout! It’s not that simple!” Hiccup grit his teeth, his eyes flashing as his dragon reacted to his anger, growling at his side. The Skrill joined him on the other side, her eyes flashing bright yellow under the glow of the Monstrous Nightmare at his back.

“Can’t you just-make it simple?!” Snotlout groaned. Hiccup snorted.

“Yeah, sure. Because any of this is simple. What do you want me to say? That I lost it? That I should’ve tossed him the second I could? Well-you are right! I should have! Any sensible Viking would have!” He threw his hands up in the air. Snotlout shook his head.

“I have never accused you of being sensible! I am just letting you know that this like-the worst idea you have ever had.”

Hiccup sent him a deadpan look, his eyes dully reflecting the fire as he looked at him.

“Your wisdom knows no bounds, Snotlout.”

Snotlout groaned. “What did I say about the sass!?” Hiccup gave him another look, which he shrugged off, scrambling to find something to say.

They sat there for a moment, just-staring at eachother, processing.

“Look. I know he isn’t the same guy exactly, but he is still evil. Or did you just forget about that?” Snotlout finally settled on the most obvious reason this made no sense, emphasizing the words carefully. He was still trying to see the endgame here. Why would Hiccup even-even like him enough to do-that? Hiccup sighed, looking back down at the ground, a snarl painted on his face as he rolled his eyes.

“He isn’t evil! He is-well…he is rude, and frustrating beyond reason, and needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut. He has this-just-nagging personality, like he want’s to see how far you can bend before you break.” Hiccup let out a shuddering breath before continuing. Snotlout opened his mouth to object, before Hiccup powered over him, leaving him with his mouth hanging slightly open as his voice raised in volume, echoing through the cavern.

“He needs to know everything about you, at all times, and only let’s you know what he wants you to know about himself. He just has to be the smartest person in the room, because Thor-forbid he is ever wrong like the rest of us! It’s-just so infuriating!” Hiccup balanced on his leg, waving his unoccupied hand this way and that, focused on the wall of stone all the time. The dragons took a careful step back from him, watching the rider carefully. Snotlout just watched him, a pit in his stomach forming at every word that leaked from Hiccup’s lips.

“He has this-this thing where he does this stupid smirk, when he thinks he’s won. And his eyes just-light up when he has a puzzle to solve. He is brilliant to a fault-god's, the smartest person I have ever met, and he has the worst superiority complex I have ever seen, enough to make Mildew jealous. He just-he has to know everything.” Hiccup had tears in the corners of his eyes, now, Snotlout noted.

“He couldn’t just leave things be between us, could he? He just had to be right; Just had to see how I would react-how far I could bend, and yet-he seemed sincere, which is impossible for the guy! And yet here he is, willing to learn more about us-about dragons, bonding with a dragon..." Hiccup's voice had less fire in it now, somber tones entering his rant as he looked to the ground, less frantic in his search. "He-he changed his ways. Even when he...He acts like love is a weakness, like attachments will only drag him down. He pushed everyone away, and yet...He treats me like I am worth something-like-I am enough."

Hiccup let out a harsh bark of laughter, tears slowly running down his face as everything he has, apparently, been holding in for months now seemed to burst out of him. His body shook like a leaf as Toothless wound around his leg, as if to catch him if-when he fell over.

"He-He has been torn apart by the world, and yet-even after everything between us...he let me in. He could have lied, but-he didn't. I-I just don’t get him. He is like a puzzle. I just don't get his angle, or how he could come out on top here. God’s, It’s like he want’s to drive me insane. Hah-I think he has succeeded in that.” Hiccup took a shuddering breath, a tiny smile, just there only for a moment, flickered on his face at the words, the firelight catching soft gleaming tears on his face as he let out a huff of frustrated laughter, running a hand through his tangled locks once more. Toothless let out a small pathetic whine, looking at his rider with his head hunkered down. The Skrill, Snotlout noticed, watched, eyes narrowed and studying, her entire body still as they locked onto the ranting rider.

Hiccup let out a breathy sigh, shaking his head slightly. 

“Underneath all of his sarcasm and anger, and the man who we fought, he is…he-He is so irritating and yet-he can be kind, in his own way-and hard-headed-He loves the smell of rain, and loves reading, and he has this-this smile when he looks at Moondancer, when he thinks no one is looking. He loves his people-brought them up from the brink of ruin, and is far more of a leader than I could ever hope to be. He broke hundreds of years of tradition just to listen to the truth about dragons. He can do everything-be anything-He could have destroyed all of us and went back to who he was...but he decided to stay here with-with us, because he was willing to change.” Hiccup huffed, shaking his head, a smile on his face.

“He isn't who he lets you think he is. And I just can’t help but feel…” He muttered, ending his tirade with a whimper. Hiccup drifted off, his eyes trained to the floor as he slowly stopped his pacing, his hands white-knuckled at his side. Snotlout took in an intake of breath, but it was just enough of a distraction to break Hiccup out of his trance, the rider's green eyes snapping to him, wide and regretful, before locking back onto the ground, embarrassment dancing on his face. Snotlout took a tentative step back.

Oh Thor. This was...this was...

"He just-he isn't evil." Hiccup finished lamely. Toothless quickly gave his support, rubbing his head on his riders leg. Hiccup looked down at him fondly for a moment, before looking at the wall of rock, a forlorn expression on his face, devastation dancing in his eyes. Snotlout let out a breath. God's what-what was he witnessing here? 

"I.." Hiccup took a shuddering breath. "I can't lose him."

And with that final declaration, they both fell into silence, only the sound of breathing and the crackling of fire filled the cave. 

Snotlout just stared at him. Snotlout, if his jaw could, it would be dragging on the floor. He felt unsteady, like the world tilted a bit.

“I can’t believe I am hearing this.” He mumbled. Hiccup shook his head, the small, most self-deprecating smile Snotlout has ever seen appearing on his face, as if he couldn’t handle the thought much either. Hiccup let out a small sigh, before resting his head against the wall of rock blocking their path, his eyes haunted.

“I know it’s stupid, god’s, it is so stupid. I know it could never ever work, and I know I should be happy with Astrid, and-and I am! I do love her, but this is different. I mean... I’ve been spending this entire time thinking of all of the ways this could go wrong, why I should never have acted like this. I mean, am I willing to throw everything away for this-whatever this is? Thor-my heart and my head just won't agree- But now, now he could be dead, Snotlout. And I could never tell him that I-” Snotlout took a careful few steps towards Hiccup, who was clearly breaking down before him.

“That you love him, right.”

"I-" Hiccup started, then stopped. Hiccup gave him a look, then, one that was just broken, hollow, before his shoulders shook, his eyes staring lifelessly at the wall.

"...We have to get out of here. If...If he is still alive. I have to-to fix things. Before all of us get hurt." Hiccup muttered, steel forming in his tone, before walking away, taking a quick moment to grab his flaming sword from Toothless’ saddle, searching the cave for any way out. Snotlout sighed at the sight. It looked as though a wind would push him over, at that moment. Snotlout hasn’t seen him like that since they were kids.

He… Never saw this coming. He had an inkling, sure, but he never ever in a million years would have thought he would see Hiccup so-broken, unless Astrid died. But-that wasn’t the same as this, was it? This was something more raw, more intense than the slow love story between them. This felt entirely different. It was like Hiccup lost a part of him. And something in Snotlout shifted, guilt and empathy welling up inside of him.

He kinda knew how that felt, fleeting as it was in his case. Didn’t stop the fact that he thought about it most nights. That he looked at Fishlegs and sometimes just-hoped. That he didn’t feel like he lost a good chunk of his heart when he was rejected so thoroughly. Jeez- he hated to say Viggo was right, but he knew exactly what Hiccup felt like right now, to be in love with someone no one else would ever approve of. Someone you can’t be with. Someone his parents would disown him for.

At least things started to make sense, in recompspect or whatever word Ruffnut used sometimes for looking back. This-they all should’ve seen this coming, shouldn’t they have?

Hiccup was never one to chose the easy choice, after all. None of them were, if he were being honest with himself.

Viggo oh-so hated being on the battlefield. He much preferred to watch a battle play out from afar. He liked watching his pieces neatly slot themselves into place, accomplishing their goal like a well oiled machine, like a well-played Maces and Talons match. War was chaotic, bloody, and quite simply something he would much rather avoid. His brother understood the concept, but always preferred to personally lead his men into battle. Another one of his frustrating idiosyncrasies that they never could quite agree upon.

However, for his dear Hiccup, he figured he should try to understand how their operations worked, how they managed to best even the greatest of warriors with their tactics. He simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity at the time.

Besides, he had no men to send into battle. Just a small band of soldiers with their dragons. But that isn’t to be said that he liked the idea. It was harder to think things through, harder even still to keep your head in the chaos that was warfare. He knew that. Fear tended to work best when ensuring his men would fight their battles, that and rotating the men as much as he could, so they would not form any unnecessary attachments.

Attatchments, he knew, could spell disaster.

This however, this was the first time in battle he truly had something far more precious to lose. A mistake, on his part. And with that, he was proven correct.

“Hiccup! Hiccup!” Viggo yelled, panic seeping into his tone, pushing against the rocks that blocked his dear Hiccup and his dragon into that cave. It proved to be useless, the stone not even budging under his arms. Hiccup was well and truly crushed, or trapped. He quite hoped for the former.

They did come up with contingency plans, A plan B, if you will, and a plan of retreat. He never expected Hiccup to act so irrationally, however, ignoring his advice and attempting to end himself with his reckless actions. The Singetail was a rather unforeseen inconvenience as well. A factor they did not plan for.

He took a few steps back from the wall. Clearly it broke down most of the cave, the fallen rock clearly blocking any sort of escape. The dust had yet to entirely settle, but his chest burned something awful, like it was constrained in chains. He felt his head hurt, his eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth.

It only took a few moments before everything went wrong. He saw the blasted Singetail getting ready to fire, his dear Hiccup having only moments to react. He urged Moondancer on, even when his saddle was scorched from the continuous barrage of lightning, dancing on her skin like ripples on water. Hiccup meant to lead her into the cave, hopefully knocking her out in the process, out of harms way and in a place they could easily access. It was reckless, too many things could go wrong.

He remembered that same devastating fear that coursed through his body, seeing Hiccup there, his dragon’s tail aflame, diving, preparing for a shot.

He remembered yelling his name and something-happened. He wasn’t quite sure how to define such a phenomenon, but it felt as though… him and his dragon, for the briefest of moments, shared the same desire. He would swear he felt her need to save Hiccup and his Night Fury align with his, right before his saddle failed, the fringed leather crumbling away as they turned. He remembered falling off of her saddle as they turned, landing with a careful tumble as he looked up, eyes wide as he took in the sight before him.

He watched as his dragon dove towards the rider and his dragon, and he watched as the Singetail’s blast tore apart the mountainside before it was knocked out, the momentum causing the dragons to fall forward towards them. He saw as they were buried in mere seconds.

And all he could feel was dread. It was an interesting feeling, one he has felt before, in fleeting moments. He felt it when he returned home from his first expedition. He felt it when he faced his brother after his betrayal, but never has he felt that emotion take him over quite so thoroughly as he watched the one that he shouldn’t care so much for disappear under dust and rock.

He pressed against the wall, trying to hear anything through the cracks in the rubble. Nothing. It seemed as though they were too deep in to parse any sound besides settling gravel. He sneered, backing up from the wall.

Around him, he heard coughing, but as the dust cleared, the men saw Viggo, standing alone at the cave, and they laughed. Viggo schooled his expression, turning to look towards them, his mask perfectly protecting his identity from these soldiers. Some of which he recognized as his own. Like sheep, they fled to another. Traitors, all of them.

Something else, however, caught his attention more than the soldiers.

There, behind them, surrounded by smouldering corpses and amber, was another Deathsong. It was pinned to the ground, its leg shackled as the men surrounded it.

So, backup was coming . Astrid surely decided to follow them, then, if the Singetail and Deathsong were any indication. Fishlegs accompanied her, most likely.

His grip on his sword became harsher as he stood stoically before the collapsed cave. The rest of the men snarled at Viggo, their horrid teeth glistening in the light of the dawning sun. Only a few, of course. He could take them easily.

He narrowed his eyes, brandishing the betrothal gift Hiccup so graciously left behind on their table. Quite kind of Hiccup to leave it there. He refused him any weapons, after all. He figured his dear would forgive him, when the time came. Its not like Astrid would use it. A good blade, he thought, as he twirled it around his fingers. He missed his broadsword, of course, but this would do for now.

Then, before he could say much of anything to the pathetic men around him, he felt claws grip his clothing, tearing him from the floor as he soared into the sky. Viggo blinked, and in a few, quite disorienting moments, he was elsewhere, a dragon atop of him. A Zippleback.

“Woah, I said don’t harm him much. Hiccup would put us in the stables for a month again, and I refuse refuse duty!” The quite distinct voice of Ruffnut groaned, hopping off her dragon with a thud.

“Eh, Hiccup wouldn’t mind too much. Have you seen the way they have been fighting?” The twin’s voice, Tuffnut, rang out after hers, another thud sounding from the opposite side. Viggo felt the dragon shift off of him, after which he gladly rose to his feet, his eyes narrowed as he took in where they were.

They were farther from the base, on a cliffside. The sound of dragons rang farther now, the smoke blocking their departure. A good vantage point.

“Your actions, however unnecessary, are appreciated.” He said, straightening his back and turning to the twins, who leaned against their dragon with scowls on their face.

“Yeah yeah, you can pay us back later. I hear a flaming ring for our boars in our future, don’t you sis?” Tuffnut said, lulling his head towards his sister. Ruffnut nodded, a smirk on her face.

“I sure do, brother mine!”

Another sound of flapping wings filled the area, causing the current residents to look up. Viggo felt his brow furrow as he took in the expectedcsight of the cyan blue dragon, and her annoying rider. Expected, but annoying nonetheless. She didn’t know how to follow orders at all, did she?

“Did you get him?!” Astrid yelled as the dragon landed with a short sqwack. She slid off of her dragon, axe swinging in her grip. The twins nodded in his direction.

“Yeah, Mr. Ungrateful is over here!” A thumb was jammed in his direction. Viggo simply hummed, glaring at the female rider as he thought of a new plan, thoughts whirring quickly in his mind. His heartbeat was quick, his eyes narrowed as his headache got worse with every moment that passed.

“Viggo! Where-”Her eyes latched onto him before she could finish her sentence, the sky blue turning frigid as she glared at him, her axe swinging menacingly. Oh, how cute. She really thought she could take him.

“Where is Hiccup!” Another voice called from above, drawing his attention once more. And with that rider, another one, one he approved of far more than Astrid, landed. His dragon groaned, clearly tired from the trip here. He raised an eyebrow. So, they had a Zippleback, a Nadder, and a Gronkle. Good. He could work with that.

“Occupied. An unfortunate run in with the Singetail you were meant to keep track of happened to cause a lanslide, trapping him inside the mountain; alongside your friend Snotlout, and our dragons.” He made sure to emphasize his words, enjoying the snarl that formed on the female riders face, and the guilt that formed on Fishlegs’. Good, they were at fault for Hiccup being trapped, or killed, though he was quite hopeful it couldn’t be that dire.

“Yeah, we saw that too. Just-gone, like that.” Tuffnut snapped his finger, his sister nodding, her face drawn into a rare frown.

“He isn’t lying.” She said. Astrid nodded alongside Fishlegs. Viggo tilted his jaw up, raising his voice to Hiccup’s teammates. It was important to start right away, after all. This has gone on for far too long already.

“Hiccup is our first priority. Fishlegs, your dragon is the most suited to reaching Hiccup. If we provide you cover, your dragon can break down the rock. Astrid-” Hiccup’s betrothed cut him off with a snarl, her axe gleaming as she raised it to attention.

“Woah, I am not taking orders from you! Hiccup asked me-” And Viggo saw fit to cut her nonsensical ramblings off there. He would give her one thing, the sheer audacity she possessed astonished even him. Still, he couldn’t find humor in Astrid’s pathetic attempts to control the narrative of their story. He had someone to save.

“He asked you to stay behind. Besides, I have seen what you have contributed to your team to help Hiccup, Astrid. Do you really think I would ever let Hiccup’s fate rest in your incompetent hands? Hiccup will die under your leadership, and that is a loss I refuse to take.” He growled at the last word, the usual calm and steady tone he used when talking taking on a darker and more rough cadence. The team, clearly intimidated, took a step back. Astrid, though, stayed, staring him in the eyes.

“No. You will not be taking over this mission.” She growled back. Viggo felt his frustration boil inside of him. This was not the time for her petty games.

"You are wasting time." Viggo said, his voice low, an undertone of warning darkening it. Astrid glared at him.

“Astrid-” Fishlegs started, a warning in his tone. Astrid shrugged it off.

“Do you think just because Hiccup is ok with this, that I am going to be? Think again!” She said, raising her axe to his throat. Viggo simply stared down at her, a frown drawn on his face. He heard a twin, Ruffnut, smack her face.

“Oh no not again-” She groaned. Viggo nearly nodded his assent. He glared down at her, his eyes burning into her own.

“Tell me, Astrid. Do you see Hiccup, or his Night Fury?”

She, clearly not expecting the question, dropped her axe slightly away from his throat. His glare furthered.

“I-What?” She muttered. Viggo felt something in him, something raw and protective, something he never quite realized was there, burn as he looked at this girl.

“That is what I thought.” He growled, before looking up at the group.

Their eyes were narrowed, pondering his thoughts as well. Good. he has been planning this piece for a while, ever since he knew exactly of the nature of their friendship. They did not deserve Hiccup. He felt urgency build in his chest. They had no time for this.

“You claim to care about him, pretend to be his friends, and yet you have no respect for his authority, nor do you have respect for him as a person. You would rather have this meaningless debate over and over until the end of time instead of trusting in his word. You treat him as if he is something to be trodden upon, something to be used. And you call me the enemy, when you yourself are delaying his rescue over nothing. So, enlighten me.” He stated simply, tone level even as he felt his anger seep into his words, emphasizing them. Making them hurt.

“Wait-No. We do. I do. We had a rough start, yeah, but we don’t treat him like that, do we?” Tuffnut mumbled, eyes narrowed. Ruffnut shook her head slowly.

"Uh, did....did we ever apologize? Anyone?" A silence met Ruffnut's words.

“I-I didn’t think about it that way.” Fishlegs said, his eyes wide and haunted. They all seemed stuck in the past for a moment. While Viggo would usually take the time to savor the words sinking in, he couldn’t stop thinking that he needed to find Hiccup, save him. They didn’t have time.

He looked up to Astrid, who had many emotions flashing on her face. Anger, doubt, surprise, realization. Ah, so she was finally accepting it, after all. Took her long enough, didn’t it? He turned, facing the battlefield, before he heard a bit of a ruckus behind him.

“Stop.” He heard Astrid’s voice pierce through the air. He turned, to see Astrid, her eyes cold and calculating, attempting to burn into him.

“Astrid. Fishlegs said in warning, his eyes concerned as he flicked them between the two. Viggo raised his eyebrow at the expression Astrid gave him. For once, it wasn’t hostile. It seemed… shocked, yes. Angry, but also searching.

Hm.

Astrid forced her shoulder back, knocking Fishlegs’ arm off before she straightened her back, her axe hanging by her side.

“I need to know. What-what makes Hiccup so important to you, that you would sacrifice everything?”

Hm. A good question. One he pondered the answer to for many nights. So, he decided there, to sink the knife a little deeper, his tongue sharp with pent up emotions. 

“Because he saw me, not as who I was, but who I could be." Viggo said, tone as sharp as steel. He looked into Astrid's pale blue eyes before continuing.

“I assure you, dear girl, that he means more to me than your measly mind could ever comprehend. None of you could." He took a breath, looking at the shellshocked group before him with a sneer.

"Now, I tire of your petulance. You are needlessly risking Hiccup's life, and I refuse to waste any more time on your petty rivalry.” Her eyes widened further, her face settling on an expression of shock as her eyes snapped up to his own. And the team clearly felt it, their eyes growing wider as they sunk in. Viggo sneered, before taking his leave, turning towards the battlefield, arms tucked behind him.

“Viggo-Wait.” He heard a voice call from behind. Fishlegs. He turned on his heel, brow raised. Fishlegs let out a loose sigh, fiddling his fingers.

“Guys, Hiccup needs us. Viggo is right. This-this is pointless. Hiccup trusts him, right? So I say let’s hear him out.” Fishlegs stuttered, a grimace on his face. His eyes gleamed with regrets, his jaw clenched as he nervously shifted at the attention on him.

“I'm with Fish. Besides, I have a bet to win. Can’t do that if he’s dead.” Ruffnut nodded. Even with her joking disposition, a serious gleam danced in her eyes. Viggo’s respect for her grew at that moment, as small as it was.

“So do I. Besides, Fishlegs, as much as I hate to say it, is right. Hiccup got himself into trouble, and it is our duty to pull him out, since, you know, things would be less fun without Hiccup around. We have eachothers backs, right? That’s like-what we do.” Tuffnut said, even though it clearly strained him to say it. His face seemed conflicted, eyes flickering between him and his sister. Hm.

A heavy sigh followed that declaration after a moment of silence, the air nearly echoing with it. The team turned to look towards the noise; towards the rider whose face was glaring into the ground, her lips curled up in a sneer, her eyes narrowed as her fists shook.

“Astrid?” Astrid let out a sigh, before her body relaxed slightly. She still seemed shaken, but her eyes seemed fierce as she looked up to Viggo, a gleam of resignation entering them, of acceptance.

“What is your plan?” She said, voice steady and dark. Viggo felt a smirk form on his face.

Finally.

EDIT: WE GOT FANART. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!! (Viggo's smiling at Moondancer, like Hiccup talked about <3)  

Chapter Text

Hiccup jammed his sword deep into the rock, the Monstrous Nightmare gel that coated the blade crackled under his grip as he pushed with all of his might. Slowly, it heated the rock around them, the rock glowing an ominous red hue. Hiccup’s face shown in the darkness, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed in concentration as he pushed harder against the crack.

Suddenly with only a small screech to warn him, the sword slipped from his shaky grasp. A small yelp emitted from the rider as he found himself on the cold gravel stone below him, the small rocks feeling like small teeth digging into his cheek and palms painfully.

Again.

A small snicker sounded behind him, from his entirely unhelpful company. He heard several growls echo through the cave, quickly silencing the laugh, not that it helped much. Hiccup shuddered, his body wound tight as his heart thudded in his chest painfully.

God's, Viggo… What he just said… to Snotlout of all people…

He just-exploded. Like everything just spilled out. If he were to be honest with himself, under all of the panic and guilt that clouded his mind, he felt the smallest sense or relief. It felt like everything clicked in place the moment those words slipped out of his lips. All of the sudden, things just felt… calm, like his heart and his mind finally were in unison, and he finally felt like he knew exactly what he was feeling. Until, of course, the dread, panic, and guilt overcame what little calm he had.

Despite everything...He was in love with the ex-dragon hunter. 

And it only took kissing him, learning how Viggo felt, and then Viggo being crushed by rocks, his foolhardy attempt to keep them safe backfiring, for him to figure that out. Odin, what was wrong with him?

Thor. Viggo could be dead. He hoped and plead to the god’s that it wasn’t true, but there was a high chance, and he had no idea how he could handle that outcome. He didn’t think he could, anymore.

A couple of months ago he would have, perhaps, recovered from that. From losing him. He almost did leave him there, in that cave, took the opportunity to escape and end the discourse with his greatest adversary entirely. He could have let the other have a warriors death, a guaranteed entrance into Valhallas halls. It would have been hard, but he could’ve moved on, he could’ve lived his life without him, completely ignorant.

But he couldn't, and he never quite could figure out-no, couldn't accept why. Until now. He wondered how long he has felt this way. Before discovering he survived the volcano? Before the Shellshocker incident? He didn't know. He probably never would have known, if he let the other die. He would've lived his life ignorant of the suffering the other caused him.

He let out a small hysterical chuckle over his nonsensical mutterings, his cursed body sending shivers down his spine, tears making his face itch as he looked at the wall, his breath stuttering.

Funny. How one choice could turn the world on it's head.

He… he hoped-prayed Viggo was alive. Now, it seemed as though life without the man seemed impossible. No, he couldn't have it end this way. He had to be alive. He had to be. He had to be.

Not only him, but his riders too, and the other dragons. All of his team, if his theory was correct.

Hiccup sent a quick look back to the Singetail, who laid motionless on the floor, her orange scales glowing lightly in the fire, her breaths slow and quiet, as if she were asleep.

If she is here, then chances are Astrid and Fishlegs are not far behind, and if they were here than Garff was here. They are all going to land in a trap, with no one to warn them, if…what was left of his team were taken prisoner.

His friends were far too loyal to leave without them even if they did see the trap, so most likely they will get captured or killed. He grit his teeth, looking around at everyone trapped in the cave, relying on him to save them, and back to the entrance. They had to get out of here.

Thor, He wished his hands would just stop shaking.

Hiccup grit his teeth, jaw aching as he pushed up against the coarse rock, sending a quick glance towards the sword, which seemed to have flung itself a few feet across the room. He felt his body shake as he pushed himself up, a mixture of dread and exhaustion making his muscles twinge painfully. Toothless whined, putting his head by his rider to lean on. Hiccup did so, tired smile on his face as he ran his hand on the smooth scales.

A small comfort when his entire world felt like it was crumbling to pieces.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of that red spot on the floor, crawling lazily out of the rocks. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears, his vision slightly flashing at the edges. Toothless let out a purr, wrapping his tail around Hiccup, grounding him as he swayed slightly. He barely managed to pull his lips up into a grimace, petting his dragons head fondly. Then to the Skrill, her eyes glowing in the light, locked onto him, staring into him, then to the wall. He could nearly feel how anxious she was, how fearful and in pain she was, though she hid it well, just like her rider.

He sighed.

It felt like hours at this point. It couldn't have been. Or, maybe it was. Time passed strangely when you are trapped like this, waiting, hoping for an answer, unknowing of what is happening outside to their team, their friends…

They had to get out of here.

Hiccup shook his head and glared down at the wall, leaning down and grabbing his sword once more, his replacement prosthetic squeaking at the motion. He let out a small whistle, signaling to his dragon to send out another pulse of purple light. Small crevices glowing slightly before the echo dissipated, leaving them in the weakening glow of Hookfang’s fire. He took a small step back, noting the deeper areas in his journal.

Their best bet was to target those deeper spots. He didn't have anything to expand those cracks though, and the stone clearly had a high melting point. They would run out of gel or fire before they could melt it. and the fumes that would occur from that… you don't smelt in a closed room. One of the first lessons Gobber taught him. Their only hope would be sheer force, which would take too long, breaking down the rocks from the inside of the cracks, which is impossible with the dragons and materials he had, or chipping away at it, which would leave them and their friends dead long before they made a dent.

So, what could be done?

Snotlout scoffed, his voice echoing unpleasantly through the cave, the same unhelpful noise that he has been producing for the last several minutes, the only things that broke the silence besides useless retorts at his attempts.

“There is no point. Its wedged tight. Even a stupid Terror could see that. And would you stop talking to yourself? You sound like Fishlegs when he's sleep deprived.”

Like that.

Hiccup let out a groan, rolling his eyes in exasperation. The others voice held the same malice that he knew him for, tamed as it was from their unsavory childhood, but it seemed more…distant, confused. Thoughtful. even. No help, at all, not to his thought process or the crippling fear that came with even thinking of the reason why he was so out of it.

Hiccup messed up, badly. He should be far stronger than to break down like that in front of a teammate, especially Snotlout. He trusted Snotlout, but after…everything they have been through, the voice in his head screamed that the other would use it all against him, mock him, turn the village against him once more-take everything from him.

Not that he hasn’t done that himself.

He bit his lip harder, the skin stinging painfully as he did so. He stood shakily on his legs, pushing on Toothless’ side for support as he forced his body into an upright position. He took a few unsteady steps back, looking at the wall, even though he looked over it so, so many times.

“If we had a way to break down the rocks, or find a weak point, then maybe-” He mumbled, voice tired and achy. He felt desperate, yet hollow. He… barely even processed the words of the other, eyes slowly sliding down the wall to the small puddle of…blood, Skrill blood, on the ground.

Snotlout broke his concentration once more.

“It’ll collapse on us and kill us all. Anything we do will kill us here. We searched it from top to bottom, and we both know there is no exit besides the one the stupid Singetail collapsed! We are trapped, doomed, doomed to die in this stupid cave! The least you can do is try to make sense of what you just said before we get dragged to Helhiem.” He could imagine the other waving his arms around as he spoke, his voice fluctuating, mocking as Snotlout took a few steps towards him, his feet and his voice making his head pound even more.

“We have to talk about this, Hiccup.” Snotlout continued. Hiccup winced slightly, eyes slightly glazed over as he looked down to the ground.

“Thank you, for summing up our inevitable doom, again.” Hiccup mumbled, hopefully deflecting the incoming conversation. It did not work, as he learned a moment later.

Before he knew it, the other was next to him. Hiccup yelped as large hands grasped his shoulders, twisting him backwards towards the other rider faster than he could blink. Toothless growled, Moondancer joining in expressing their disdain towards the action. Hookfang growled in turn, eyes locked onto Hiccup, though it was hard to quite tell when the face of Snotlout Jorgenson was blocking most of his vision, blocking the light and leaving him in the darkness of the others shadow.

Suddenly, it felt like they were kids again, standing in the others intimidating shadow, even though he stood taller than him now. Snotlout was always good at making him feel small.

Snotlout’s eyes were narrowed, light blue shadowed over and dark, his face shockingly blank, besides his slight snarl tugging his lips down. Hiccup felt his instincts telling him to run, to get away-

He slapped off the others arm, harsher than he expected, to both of their shock. He hasn’t reacted like that in years. He must really be out of it, if the ringing in his ears and the overwhelming feeling of emptiness weren’t good enough indicators. Snotlout took a small step back before his eyes settled back on him with that same hollow-yet-searching look.

“Hiccup. This is very important. I get you are dumb, but you aren’t stupid. I…I need to know why.” He strained the last word, his voice deep and dark, echoing ominously through the cave, monotone and searching, his eyes flickering now and then, searching Hiccup, looking into him.

Hiccup has rarely ever seen him like this. It…set alarms off in his mind, though they were pushed away by the fog of fear and guilt that consumed him.

“…Why? You need to be more specific, here.” He mumbled sarcastically, eyes starting to narrow as he tried his best to straighten his back and meet the other, using his height to his advantage, his heart thumping as the others eyes flashed. Snotlout’s face got a bit closer, his usual smell of sweat and lavender, for some reason, bombarding his nose as he did so. He fought hard not to lean away from the proximity.

“You know exactly what I am talking about. Don’t treat me like im some idiot, especially after that little speech of yours. Viggo, the tribe, Astrid. Everything. Why?” Hiccup ignored the way his body felt like curling into a ball as he stared the other down, his teeth grit and his hands balled into white-knuckled fists, tight enough that they ached.

“We have more important things to talk about here, Snotlout, like not dying?” He said, voice low to match the others, the growling echoing through the cave making the words seem more threatening, as if he were giving a command. Snotlout, however, refused to back down.

“No.” Snotlout said, teeth gnashing. “Why?”

“Why?!” Hiccup called back, raising his voice. Toothless hissed.

“Yes, why!” Snotlout ignored it, his nostrils flaring as he pushed his finger into Hiccup’s chest, forcing him back slightly. “You are risking everything even admitting this to me! Why would you ever love someone like that!? Why would you kiss him! Why would do that to Astrid! Why would you risk disappointing your dad like that? Tell me!” He snarled, like a rabid dog.

Hiccup had enough.

“I don’t know!!!” He yelled, his voice aching from the force he used to say the words. He shook his head, his hands shaking as he glared through his bangs at the other, staring deep into the others searching eyes.

“I get it, Snotlout! I-Chances are we would both get banished or killed! Or dad would just kill him, or me!” He put his hand on his chest in emphasis. “I could lose everything ive fought for my entire life!”

Hiccup took a breath after those words, leaning back slightly from the extremely close and unwelcome proximity of the others face. Snotlout stood there, face blank, watching.

“I just-I don’t know, ok? I have been trying and trying to tell him, but you know Viggo, he never listens! I get it, I get why this would never ever work, and I don’t even know if I want it to! I don’t want to throw anything away! I just-I still do love Astrid but-I can’t get him out of my head. I’ve tried to let him go, but he could be dead or captured now, because of me!” Hiccup grabbed his shirt harshly as the last word cracked in his throat, fire and fear running through his veins, burning him through and making his bones ache as he stared up at Snotlout.

Snotlout looked at him with that same expression, though it seemed more nervous, tense. It was starting to get on Hiccup’s nerves. He growled under his breath.

“Gh-You know what? Fine. Just-just laugh it up.” He threw his hands up in the air, his voice echoing alongside the growling dragons, gesturing as if he were addressing an audience, staring into the black of the others eyes.

“Tell me how you were right. Tell me what I already know, that I am the worst leader and betrothed to ever walk the Archipelago. Just get it over with. Tell the whole world you are right and I am wrong. I’ve already gone through all of this about a hundred times with myself, and Astrid, and Fishlegs and the twins and even Viggo! But-but please enlighten me.” He crossed his arms across his heaving chest, looking to the ground as he bared his teeth, eyes narrowed.

It was silent for a moment, a moment that dragged on for far too long, the silence bearing down heavily on him. He reallized the dragons stopped growling, only watching, waiting.

Finally, Snotlout spoke.

“I just don’t get it. You-you have everything. Astrid, a father who is proud of you, you are the heir of Berk, you have a Night Fury, I mean, what else could Viggo give you that Astrid and Berk doesn’t? Why…why would you fall for someone who could destroy everything you worked for?” This time… it didn’t seem like it was targeted towards him, more just-spoken aloud, as if it were a statement. Still, Hiccup answered it, voice quiet, yet dancing off of the walls loudly, echoing in his ears.

“Yeah-yeah, I ask myself the same question. Why? Why am I like this? Or-what…what am I meant to donow? God’s-The thing is, I don't know the answer, Snotlout. I don't know why I am such a screw up…I put everyone in jeopardy.” He fully expected the other to agree, as he always had. It shocked him, however, when the other slowly shook his head, black hair whipping gently on his face.

“That’s not what I meant, Hiccup. You aren’t…a screw up.” The other said it through gritted teeth, his nose wrinkling in distain, clearly fighting with himself as he said the word. Hiccup gave him a flat stare. Yeah, some things never change, do they?

“Try not to strain yourself there.” Hiccup grumbled, his head hanging slightly lower. It was nothing he wasn’t used to, but it still…ached.

“What does that mean?” Snotlout said, voice a bit louder and pointed. Then, before Hiccup could come up with a retort, Snotlout deflated, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Well-yeah, maybe before Toothless, when you were nothing you were a screw up, sure! But things are different now!”

Toothless let out a snarl, nearly making Snotlout jump out of his skin. Hiccup glared at the ground, letting the words sink in, ignoring the agitated dragon. Nothing. Right.

“Yeah. Different.” He said, quietly under his breath.

Silence reigned once more over the duo, Hiccup and Snotlout both thinking on how they could fix this, what they could say, or rather, what hasn’t been said, what tears haven’t been mended, even after all this time. Or, at least Hiccup was. Snotlout seemed frustrated, adjusting his helmet.

“You just-you don’t get it.” Snotlout grumbled, voice quiet and strained. Hiccup looked up, green eyes locking with the others blue. He felt himself sag, emotions leaving him drained and heavy.

“No-you don’t get it. Just-Just leave me alone and let me figure this out, Snotlout.” He said quietly, his voice cracking as he said the words, before turning around, back to the wall, back to planning their escape, as futile as it felt, before a voice rang out once more.

“You don’t know what I get. You should stop assuming what other people get.” Snotlout said, his voice hard and firm. Hiccup turned back to him, eyes tired. What…what was he talking about?

“What does that mean?” He said to the other. Snotlout merely huffed, shaking his head before crossing his arms, taking a few steps back and letting the light shine on Hiccup once more, casting Snotlout in a silhouette.

“Ffffine. Fine. This never happened.” Snotlout said, so quiet Hiccup strained to hear, but when he did, his heart nearly stopped, and he had to have heard him wrong. He had to.

I mean, this is Snotlout. He had to have heard him wrong.

“W-what are you saying?” He said, his mouth slightly open. Snotlout huffed once more, before reaching into Hiccup’s saddle bag, rummaging into it with out much care. Toothless jumped with a small bark at first, eyes narrowed into slits and wide, but after a moment, despite clearly being a bit unsettled by the sudden movements on his saddle, he only grumbled and adjusted himself, large paws splayed wide on the rock surface.

“I’m saying that this is stupid and will probably get us all killed. You are nut’s, Hiccup, but I can’t do anything to change that, can I? Besides, better if not a lot of people know, right? Best interests and all that.” He waved his hand above his head, not lifting his face from the inside of the saddle bag as he continued his search. Hiccup looked at him, dumbstruck.

“You…” He started before drifting off. What could he say here? Thank you? What are you doing? He didn’t expect the other to just-drop it like this. What would make him do that? Why was Snotlout acting so…wierd?

"What is your angle, here?" Hiccup muttered, mind quickly filling up with all of the ways Snotlout could use this against him, how he could destroy everything. He hoped he wouldn't, but it wouldn't be the first time. Still, that wouldn't explain his behavior.

Snotlout was quiet for a moment, before lifting his head back up, meeting Hiccup’s eyes with a resigned stare, something Hiccup has seen before on him, especially with his father, but not ever directed to him. He let out a small puff of air as he looked at the riders defeated face, before Snotlout dropped his gaze.

“We’ve all made choices that we regret, ok? Just know you owe me one, and when this all blows up in our face, don’t expect me to clean up your mess.” Snotlout pointed to him forcefully, clearly meant to be a threat, though not menacing. “So. Drop. It.”

Hiccup couldn't believe his ears.

He took a moment to breathe before locking eyes with Hiccup once more, who's wide eyes stared back. “Now, oh gracious leader, how do we even survive long enough to find out if he is dead or alive?”

He went back to rummaging through the bag, making small noises of distain or curiosity as he did so, Toothless rumbling his discomfort at his rider, who simply stared, his heart feeling a bit lighter at the other’s words. Despite everything…Snotlout was on his side? Even if it made no sense. It made Hiccup feel a bit warm that the other cared, in his own way. He hoped, at least. This seemed genuine, but that nagging fear didn't leave him. He didn't think it ever would. 

Snotlout clearly found what he was looking for, or rather, was curious by what he found, if his lip sticking out and his eyebrow being raised was any indication as he held a book up to the sky, turning it this way and that.

Hiccup’s blood nearly froze, that was Viggo’s journal, the thing that caused…all of this, really. It filled him with desperation, seeing it. He forgot he even grabbed it that morning, as chaotic as it was.

“Wait-” He blurted, eyes locked on to that precious, precious book. Hiccup walked forwards, on hand out, before stopping at the look Snotlout gave him.

“What is this? It isn’t yours.” Snotlout said, shaking the book slightly, before his eyes widened slightly. “That symbol. That’s Viggo’s tribe crest, right?” He mumbled.

Hiccup cringed slightly but didn’t back down, taking another step forwards.

“Just-a…it's nothing. Can you put it back? Can’t help us at the moment any-”

He was cut off as something fell out with a hollow thunk.

Hiccup paused, looking down at Snotlout’s feet. Something small and white sat there. Snotlout paused, putting the book down next to him as he kneeled down to pick up whatever fell out. Hiccup made his way over and looked at the object; a small folded paper, crinkled at the edges and creased; fragile looking, as if it were ran through someones fingers over and over, worried and yellowed at the corners. Toothless pushed his way between them and held his head up, sniffing it slightly before looking up at Hiccup, a curious tilt of his head and wide green eyes greeting him.

“What…is that?” Snotlout said, narrowing his eyes, tilting it this way and that. Hiccup shook his head, eyes curious as he looked down at the piece of paper? In his hand.

“I…don’t know.” He leaned forwards, grabbing the small piece from the other rider, ignoring his cry in dismay as he turned, looking down at the…piece of parchment. It was heavier than it should be, something clearly tucked inside of it.

“This dumb thing had a compartment-thingy in the cover here.” Snotlout called behind him, holding up the book as he said it. Hiccup looked at him, noting the small hanging flap on the-he noticed slightly too thick to be normal-cover. Smart.

But why?

Hiccup looked down at the parchment, feeling something underneath the parchment roll slightly under his fingertips.

The item could be dangerous. Knowing Viggo, it could be something harmful to dragons, or people. Toothless let out a low rumble, eyes slightly narrowed as he watched him. Hiccup nodded at his caution, but-he was curious. He gave a wary glance at those in the room before making his choice.

He was careful with it, as careful as he could be with his shaking hands. He unfolded the paper slowly, uncovering an item, surrounded by drawings and writing on the parchment. It gleamed in the firelight, something dark shifting inside. Hiccup raised his eyebrow in confusion. Toothless let out a slow moan, looking at the item with him. A silver cylinder.

It took a moment to realize what it was as he picked it up, turning it delicately in the candlelight. He fiddled it around his fingertips, running his free-hand down the side. It was intricate, yet clearly not entirely decorative, a small release on the side clearly showing its purpose to be dispensed using another mechanism. He traced the edge, welded on one side, Deathsong amber on the other, cleanly sealing something in, something that curled in the clear chamber, a toxic green liquid churning menacingly on the clear material.

Snotlout peaked his head over his shoulder, head tilted in curiosity before chiming in.

“Woah…That looks like venom…or something.” He poked the cylinder-nearly knocking it out of Hiccup’s hands. Hiccup pushed his arm away, sending him a warning glare before answering, holding the cylinder close to his face.

“No, not any I've seen. Maybe-”

He stopped.

Wait.

His breath hitched.

He knew what this was. He knew exactly what this was. He touched the small metal trigger on the ring of Deathsong amber reverently, brow furrowed and his mind racing. He carefully held it, being sure to keep it secure in his hands. He knew how violently Zippleback gas could react.

Because that's what it had to be. It was the same size and shape as the one he saw Viggo insert into his sword that night.

This was one of the canisters of Zippleback gas that Viggo incorporated into his sword, the one that replicated his own. One he obsessed over on how it could work, now lay in his hand, small and harmless looking, but Hiccup was wary of how dangerous it could be. It was well made, polished and refined, professional with a hint of personalization in the way that all good blacksmiths could put in their work.

Snotlout's hand reached over, trying to snatch the container out of his hands. Hiccup quickly pulled away.

“Be careful! That's Zippleback gas!” He yelled. The other yelped, backing away quickly in alarm.

“It's what!?” He yelled, before shaking his head. “Great, we only found another way to die?!”

Hiccup shook his head, before looking back down. He let out a breath of air, looking at his other hand at the accompanying papers with an racing heart. They were…blueprints.

He traced the designs with his eyes, mind racing. It was on how it worked when incorporated into another device, the contraption that was lost in the base. What was surely the hilt of a sword. He could see clearly how it worked, now. And Viggo said he was smart. God’s, Hiccup knew Viggo was a genius, but this blew him away.

He wondered how Viggo could have figured out how to insulate the canister from heat, how the Deathsong amber didn't melt by the liquid nor the flames on the sword. He wondered how the release mechanism was discovered, how it leaked so cleanly out of it in a steady stream, like back when they were fighting. How he could ever convert it into a liquid, then instantly vaporize it whne in contact with the air. It was incredible. He would love to see him use it, discuss it—

His small smile he didn’t realize formed on his face froze.

And, just like that, with that exhilarating feeling fluttering in his chest, an ache filled him, a darkness that weighed him down entirely, leaving him heavy and drained.

The high of discovery came down swiftly, leaving him in the dark reality that he found himself in. His head felt a bit heavier as he looked down on those papers, then.

His heart ached, and his small smile fell into a deep frown.

Right. He was distracted from everything, all that has happened. How dire a situation they really were in, what their friends were in, and if Viggo even…

He felt sick as the pit in his stomach grew.

He turned, looking towards the book that sat in Snotlout's hands as he flipped through it, grabbing it from the other and flipping through it himself, a bit slower now, his heart aching at the sight of the-now familiar-neat and tidy runes.

Maybe. Just maybe. Viggo had something in here, some idea that could help them? It was worth a shot, at least.

“Wha-hey! What are you doing? And keep that away from me! No hurting the merchandise here!” Snotlout said, his nose scrunched up as he looked at the other. Hiccup ignored him, continuing to flip through the book, holding the cylinder carefully against the cover to focus on the journal.

He looked at Astrid’s notes he didn’t quite register before, annotations in Norse on the sides, clearly in her hand. He felt a well of frustration build once more at the sight of them, leaving a sour taste in his mouth at the blatant disrespect of the other, but clearly she didn’t find anything of use on the pages with designs on them, just warnings and confusion.

It made sense. She wasn’t the most tech-savvy person in the Archipelago. She didn’t understand his designs, nor his inventions, let alone someone elses, especially someone on Viggo's level. He figured she thought it might be a weapon to be used against them, reading her warnings and theories. Something to harm him, specifically, it seemed.

This one, however, was a design of a sword quite similar to his own. Something that couldn't harm him now, lost in the belly of an outpost as it was. A blade made not to harm him, but for him, if the notes meant anything.

He felt a small smile on his face. Idea stealer that Viggo was, this was far more impressive than his sword. He was…flattered, in a way.

God’s, his head hurt so much thinking about the man. He was scared at how quickly it took for him to latch onto the man, to not find him off-putting. He had so many flaws, but he couldn’t help but become…attached, even after everything he had done. He was scared as to how he felt wonder instead of fear looking at the man’s creation. He hated how he longed to be with him now. It terrified him to think he may never see him again.

He felt a cold nose touch his hand insistently, breaking him out of his thoughtful mindset, bringing him back to reality. He looked down, meeting the yellow eyes of Moondancer. She looked down at the book once more, sniffing at it, surely smelling her rider.

She let out a small hissing noise, before looking up at Hiccup once more, waiting, clearly, for what he would do.

His heart ached as she stared into her eyes. Right.

He…didn’t have time to think of this, though. Not now.

He put the cylinder back into the compartment, carefully, Before pausing. Where the compartment was, underneath, a small fold of leather appeared. the leather pulling back with some loose parchment hanging out, words written there in black, in that thin black charcoal that Viggo used, the same fine handwriting that Viggo possessed curling each letter. Against his better judgment, he worried the paper out from behind the other, seeing a note. It was not too long, nor rambling. It was clearly written in a practiced hand, lines fine and curling slightly at the edges, contrasting with Astrid's far more jagged and less-refined handwriting.

The runes in Astrid’s hand on this page only displayed frustration and confusion. It only took a moment to figure out why, he realized as he scanned the note, the same odd letters that covered some of the blueprints and thoughts in the book coating the page, not a bit of Norse in sight.

Last he remembered, she couldn’t speak Latin. Not like him. He was the only one who could in his group of riders… Or…Well, that isn’t true now, is it? Clearly Viggo could, and he must’ve known Hiccup could.

The letter was addressed to Hiccup, after all. And the second he started reading, he froze, his heart pounding desperately in his chest as he tried to digest exactly what was on there. What it meant.

And he felt tears build up in his eyes, his throat burning as he leaned back, looking down at the simple writing, the few sentences the other left him, and he felt his heart leap in his chest, his vision growing blurry.

That idiot.

“Hiccup?” Snotlout called. “You uh-what are we doing? We kind of have some… pressing matters? You done reading Viggo’s diary or whatever?” Hiccup shook his head, wiping his hand across his face before looking up.

“Nothing. Its just… If he isn’t dead I am going to kill him, that self-sacrificing idiot.” He mumbled, voice wet with emotion building up in him as he tried to digest the simple note, and what it meant. Snotlout let out a sound of disbelief, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation.

“What? God’s, did the twins slip you mushrooms again? You are psychotic! First you are drooling over the guy then you find a thing that’ll blow us all up if you breathe on it wrong and turn on him quicker than a-”

Hold up.

An idea flickered in Hiccup's head.

A terrible idea, but one that could work.

His eyes grew a bit wider as he looked over at Snotlout, movement slow and deliberate. 

“Wait.” Hiccup said. cutting off the others rant, his eyes wide and unfocused as the other paused.

“What?” Snotlout snarked clearly put off by being cut off once more. Hiccup didn't particuarly care at the moment, because they might just have found an answer.

“Say that again.” He said, a feeling of lightness filling his chest.

“That you are psychotic?” Snotlout said, crossing his arms once more, giving Hiccup a scrutinizing look, before his eyes became wide. Hiccup slowly looked up at him, determination dancing in his eyes like the fire that filled the cave. Snotlout took a step back.

“Hiccup. You have that look in your eyes again, like you are thinking of doing something dangerous and stupid. It better not have to do with that thing!” He said, pointing accusingly at Hiccup, who walked up to Toothless, rustling in his bag, much like Snotlout did earlier.

“Hang on." Hiccup said, ducking his head down more, trying to see the items in the dim light. Snotlout let out a whine. 

"Thor, we are all going to die." Hiccup shook his head, his mind racing. 

"Not yet. Not if this works. Now-its here I think-hah!” Hiccup said, pulling out the item in question in victory. Snotlout took another step back.

“I know I will regret asking this, but what did you find?” Snotlout's voice was shaky, and for good reason. This was either the worst idea he has ever come up with, or the best.

He grinned, holding the two items to his chest reverently, looking back at Snotlout. He was sure he looked deranged, his eyes watery and his face red, but he couldn't find himself to care at the moment, because a feeling filled him, one that he hasn't felt for months.

“Hope.”

Chapter Text

The air was charged, the fine pale shade of fading dawn shone harshly on the island, the jagged stone surrounding the base of operations shadowed in darkness from the suns obtrusive rays. Men shifted uneasily, others grinned in victory. The riders, Krogan’s men, laughed amongst themselves.

Krogan would surely reward them for their victory. They earned it. After all, it is not every day that one such as the Nattvokter fell. Not only that, but two of his allies and some of his precious pets were taken care of as well.

That is right. The Hiccup Haddock, heir of Berk, master of dragons, was dead. A tomb of stone and gravel ensured his demise, the rock crumbling from a massive blast, a rogue Singetail attack, those who saw it said. The cave was sealed, the riders and their dragons either crushed or with no way out, a feral Singetail inside with them. All knew that cave had no exit, and with only one ally on the outside, well…

Their victory was certain.

Krogan will be quite pleased indeed. Their plan’s to end the rider’s interference worked. They sent word to Krogan as soon as their victory was assured. They basked in their triumph. Their base was protected, riders were dead, and they acquired a new Deathsong even, which must have been lured here by the others song. It sat chained in another cavern; a good backup for when this one finally croaked, the men thought.

And they stood in formation, lax as it was in their arrogance. Some time had passed, dawn nearly shifting to morning, and with no counter-attack, they grew confident. They laughed over the wheezing of the Deathsong in its agony, and the cries of the Singetails in their amber traps. They laughed over death as the dragons around them suffered. As Hiccup suffered.

And that could not stand.

Despite the severity of the situation, Astrid couldn’t wipe the smirk off her face when they started choking on a thick noxious green smoke, courtesy of the twins.

“Hey, losers! Think you forgot someone!” The voice of Ruffnut Thorston cried over the terrain, her voice echoing loudly in the crater-like formation. Men yelled as they became disoriented, the dragon flyers taking to the sky to see the Zippleback.

“Or should I say, someone’s?” Tuffnut yelled alongside his sister. They raised up into the sky, farther from the gas, not igniting it but leaving it to settle on the rocky terrain. It coated everything in a thick billowy smoke, leaving the men unaware of their surroundings.

And she watched as Fishlegs flew to the amber encased Singetails on the edges, far from where any men could see him, heating their amber and breaking it apart. And within moments, the first of the Singetails took to the air, circling the area, kept away by the smokescreen.

The small form of Fishlegs soon turned towards her, and even with the distance between them, she saw him nod.

And that was her queue.

A roar sounded. Then another. Then another.

All different dragons. All different sounds. They echoed dangerously through the outpost, the design amplifying the chorus of yells and whimpers coming from inside the crater.

“Thor above.” One cried. Another yelled. All heads snapped to each noise, as if their senses were heightened. Screams turned to gasps as the men fell silent, straining their ears.

They tried desperately to hear the proximity of the dragons, pointing their weapons towards each noise.

For their ears were the only thing they could use. They could barely see. The gas assured that.

They looked up through the smoke, seeing countless dragons silhouettes, flying, circling menacingly above them, all indiscernible. Was a dragon army summoned? Were the god’s punishing them?

Their screeches echoed through their bones, and their bodies became more and more tense as they stood in place, whirling around. And they knew death was coming for them.

Meanwhile, something was stirring on the outskirts of the outpost.

The men on the edges watched the center from the outer rings, the lookouts and the catapult operators, eyes flicking up to the skies. They seemed tense as well, but not for the reasons of those who could not see. They heard the dragons, but there were none to be found. Only Singetails circling. and the far shapes of the flyers and Zippleback riders.

So where could it be coming from? Where were the dragons? The echo made it impossible to pinpoint, leaving them all tense. They looked around, wary of the noises, their heads whipping towards the closest roars, only to find nothing.

One man, a soldier who once worked for the Grimborns, slaving away on their vessels for years and jumped at the chance to escape from under their thumbs, pointed his crossbow to the sky, eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to his cover; a mountainous rock at his side.

He swore under his breath as another scream, a Whispering Death, was carried swiftly on the wind towards him. He tensed, adjusting his crossbow.

“Come into the light, you wyrms. You dragons ain’t so scary. I am not afraid of anything.” He grunted. He rolled his shoulders, his gruff voice echoing no hint of the fear he was really feeling. One of the first things he learned when he joined up. They were dragon hunters. They wouldn’t show fear in the face of a dragon. He refused to be afraid, prepared to strike down whatever ugly creature appeared before him.

But, perhaps. That wasn’t what he should’ve been paying attention to.

As he felt the chill of a blade enter his back in a swift and agonizing moment, he realized how wrong he was to be so focused on the skies.

He looked down, hands shaking as his crossbow fell to his side with a dull thunk, his hands unconsciously going towards the blade shaft sticking cleanly out of his torso, crimson blood slowly crawling from its sides and dripping from the end as time seemed to freeze.

He tensed further as a hand rested on his shoulder, between his pauldron and neck, warm and heavy.

Then, he felt a warm breath on his ear as whoever was behind him shifted closer, pushing into his body as the blade went in deeper, drawing a soft grunt from the hunter.

“Perhaps not, but you should be.” A very familiar voice whispered in his ear. The encompassing dread that accompanied the warmth filled him to the brim as his eyes grew wide.

No. Not him. It couldn’t be.

He tried to shift his head back, even with his vision growing slightly foggy at the sides. He started to form words, his body trembling with each painful and rapid breath.

“V-Vig-ack!” He started, but let out a garbled yell as a hand covered his mouth and the blade was twisted. The world was fading to black, even as he processed exactly who stabbed him, and what was happening.

The voice came closer to his ear once more.

“Traitor.” Viggo whispered.

And with that, the dead man walking-he was dead-tore his blade free, the soldier falling to the ground with a thud, the life stolen from his wide pale eyes.

Viggo flicked his blade, blood flicking off of it with a few slight patter’s onto the rock floor. He looked despondently at the man at his feet, one who worked underneath him for years, and glared.

It was quite nice to ensure the end of his ex-soldiers, Viggo thought. Death was a suitable punishment for betrayal and harming what was his, after all, despite Hiccup’s feelings on the matter of death.

As he reached down and grabbed the man’s crossbow, he wiped the blade on the man’s tunic, the beautiful shine of Gronkle-Iron greeting him as he did so. He looked at the blade for a moment, contemplating his dear Hiccup, and what fate befell him, before hardening himself.

Emotions such as this did not belong on a battlefield, after all. Clouds the mind and affects judgment. One could not be overtaken by them in such a time as this.

All he should focus on was the next target, who stood not far, on an outcropping, hunched over and vulnerable. He held the borrowed dagger at the ready.

All he should focus on was ensuring their victory, because thinking of other outcomes and what-ifs is not suitable to battle. He knew that very well.

Another annoyingly loud groan echoed in the chamber holding the two riders and the dragons hostage, a noise Hiccup was growing increasingly tired of as more time passed.

At the very least, it wasn’t as bad as when they were creating the tight holes in the walls, the carefully melted and chiseled holes in the wall weren’t a delight to make, especially with Snotlout being Snotlout. He helped, but barely. Even now, Hiccup was amazed to look up and see what they had accomplished, the multiple airtight holes decorating in and around the perimeter of the collapsed rocks.

Only a few more preparations, and they would be out of here, regardless of what could be waiting on the other side.

He felt the vial weigh on his mind heavily, even when it gleamed in front of him, the dark liquid nearly black in the decreasing light. He was nearly reluctant to use it, a piece of Viggo he didn’t want to waste but needed to survive.

Hiccup sighed, trying to force away the what-if’s that flooded his mind as he tied the remnants of his shirt into another knot, adding to the veritable rope that descended into a couple of spirals on the ground, all made of parts of clothing, rope, and whatever else they could find that was flammable.

He shivered slightly, only dressed in his leather armor and pauldrons, his pant’s ending at his calves from their sacrifice. It made him feel uncomfortable to be this exposed, as it did Snotlout, who continued to groan on the other side of the room, containers of Monstrous Nightmare gel sitting empty at his sides as he coated the rock’s by his side one-by-one with the sickeningly sweet smelling mucus.

“Would you stop that?” Hiccup grumbled, tying off another piece of torn shirt together, his hands sweaty and shaking. His voice was tight and irritated with a mix of tension and terror, though he hid is fear well, he thought. Not like his teammate, who seemed to think interjecting with a comment about their ‘imminent demise’ was necessary.

Snotlout groaned, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

“Not when you are planning on killing Hooky and I. Never should’ve left Berk. I had a fine gig as a weapons tester!” He threw his hands up in the air as he said so. Hookfang let out a small snort at the movement, rolling his eyes as he did so. Hiccup mirrored the action, not even bothering to look away from his task.

“We aren’t going to die! I’ve told you this a million times! With the air pocket and the gas, all of the energy will be directed outwards.” He gestured with his free hand as he stopped his knot for a moment, emphasizing his words. “Besides-we have dragons!” He said. His voice was tired, irritated.

For as much as Snotlout’s words felt sincere earlier, he couldn’t help but think he wanted to see them fail here, or rather, he had no trust in Hiccup’s abilities at all. Not that that would be a surprise.

Hiccup sighed, tugging the knot a bit harder than it needed to be.

“Dragons don’t save us from being crushed.” Snotlout’s voice echoed back. Hiccup groaned, slamming his hands down on his lap in frustration.

“Whining doesn’t help create explosives, either.” He snipped back. Snotlout groaned.

“God’s, you are so annoying.”

Hiccup scoffed. “Ok, Mr. yak calling the oxen cattle.”

A pause sounded for a moment, before Snotlout snorted.

“Har, har. You are so, so funny Hiccup.” Hiccup let his lips curl very slightly up as he answered.

“Well, I would say ill be here all night, but this begs to differ. This is it. We are getting out.” He said, voice slightly breathy. Whether it was fear or anticipation, he didn’t know. Even with…the scenario they found themselves in, he couldn’t help but react with a crooked grin, despite the sticky feeling on his face and the shakiness in his hands.

In all honesty, he was glad for Snotlout in that moment. It gave him something to focus on, something to redirect his fear and grief to, away from the situation at hand. It gave him something to think about other than who could’ve died in that rubble…

His eyes flicked to the wall, the same wall Moondancer stopped in front of and refused to look away from, her body stiff and waiting, eyes narrowed and glowing yellow.

“Hiccup…you aren’t doing things? I would like to, y’know, not be the only one working.” A far more quiet voice sounded, despite the words said. Hiccup looked away from the wall, meeting Snotlout’s blue eyes, which looked at him with, honestly what looked like concern. Hiccup shook his head, feeling that somewhat irritated thankfulness bubble up in his chest once more at the distraction.

“Right… Right. Let’s finish preparations. How much more do you have to go?”

Their numbers were thinned, their distractions working well to distract and confuse the enemy.

But-time was running thin. The smoke was dissipating, and Astrid had to make it in time.

God’s, she just hoped to Thor and Freya and all of those who watched over them that this wasn’t a mistake to follow Viggo’s plan.

Astrid creeped towards the startled hunter in front of her, body tense and axe at the ready as she made her way forwards, only a few soldiers left to take out before she reached her destination.

She didn’t want to follow him. Every fiber of her being screamed not to, in fact. If it were up to her, she would ensure he would never interfere with their lives again, especially after what he said-what he implied about them, about her.

Alas, here she was, creeping alongside the edge of the cloud of Zippleback gas, following his plan step by step. Why? Because Hiccup was in danger, and she didn’t see another way. Hiccup was the priority, not what was going on between her and Viggo, and Hiccup and Viggo.

It didn’t have to do with the way his voice cracked just the slightest bit as he spoke against them, the way his eyes flashed in righteous anger-a true, real, honest anger-as he confronted them about things he didn’t understand. It didn’t have to do with the way her heart hurt as she looked at the man, and saw that somewhere, maybe….just maybe….

He actually cared about Hiccup. Genuinely cared. Loved, even.

She shook her head, no. It didn’t matter. No, she needed to keep moving, not stay focused on things that didn’t matter at the moment. All that mattered was ending this battle and getting Hiccup out.

She brought the axe handle to the man’s head, knocking him out in a swift blow. She caught his body before it hit the floor, placing it gently and without noise, wary of those near her, still struggling in the cloud of dissipating Zippleback gas.

Too much time had passed. She would have to rush this part. She wouldn’t have time. She understood Viggo’s urgency, then. She looked forwards, locking her eyes with the darkness of a cavern, a crevice in the rocks foundation, one with guards out side of it.

Then, and only then, would she figure out just what to do about…everything.

Time passed, and the smoke dispersed. The twins could only distract for so long, but as with stealthier operations, it was slow and methodical. Every second counted, but they couldn’t be hasty.

Still, Astrid Hofferson should be here with their secondary distraction. She should be hidden in the clouds, drawing away the attention of the ground enemies and the flyers the twins hadn’t taken care of.

Viggo looked to the skies from the body at his feet, joining the others on a path to Valhalla, watching for the signal to start the next phase from the female rider.

A loud screech sounded from the cave in which they saw the young Deathsong be dragged and chained. Stormfly, who stood guard at the entrance, squawked in surprise as the dragon ran past her, her rider running after the dragon.

Garff, now free from his chains, quickly escaped, looking for the other of his own kind. He took to the skies, his colorful wings dazzling and eye-catching as he flew. As such, all eyes were drawn to the spectacle before them, including a few flyers.

Good for a distraction, yes, as was the plan. Astrid at its side as it made itself known, however, was not. She was meant to cover from the clouds. She must not have expected the quick response of the dragon. A fools mistake. A miscalculation.

Or she was being petulant on purpose.

He sighed. Fortunately, he was prepared for such scenario. Shame, though. If the girl weren’t so stubborn in her ways she would be a good ally.

Now, he would have to make his choices carefully.

It would only take one misstep to lose their advantage. Not that Viggo wasn’t prepared for that eventuality, of course. But it would be unfortunate to lose such a powerful advantage so early. The more time passed, however, the more this looked to be the case, as Astrid did not gain leverage in her battle.

Viggo grit his teeth as the flyers quickly responded to the new dragons in their territory, firing in quick succession towards the two dragons. He watched as Astrid quickly dodged, urging the dragon to fly away. It would not, of course. It would do its best to find a way to the other of its kind.

Garff, as it-he was called, dove quickly down the second he saw the other Deathsong, weaving and dodging the blasts that came from the dragon, the rider on the top of the elder Deathsong’s head controlling her movements.

He fired at the ground soldiers, trapping a few, dodging arrows and shots from its other. The dragon would not last long on its own. It needed a defender, one which seemed a bit caught up at the moment.

Astrid’s dragon was downed for the moment, but she adjusted with ease, spines flying around her as her dragon and herself dove into ground combat, dodging arrows and weaving around the shots from flyers. Astrid rose her axe, slashing at the men with all of her strength.

She was doing well, he noted, but too much attention was on her.

Phase two must start early, he supposed.

Viggo watched as a flyer rose a crossbow, clearly unnoticed by the girl. She would be shot if she didn’t move out of the way, but she was too preoccupied.

And yes, perhaps he could’ve thought of another way to save her, or let her handle it on her own, but instead, he acted.

He raised his crossbow, the one he took from a traitor, and lined up the sights with practiced ease. He took a breath, eye closed on one side, steadying himself.

He fired.

The dragon-root arrow soared cleanly through the sky, shearing, letting loose a small whizzing noise as it flew through the air, and after a moment, found its mark.

The flyer, within moments, had an arrow protruding out of his throat. He grabbed at it, garbled breaths coming from him, before he fell off his dragon, descending to the jagged rocks below. The Singetail cried as it shook of its reins, joining the others in circling the island, distracting the Deathsong in the center.

He watched as their attention was turned in his direction, the arrow giving away his location. Good. A distraction should give her enough space to continue with their plan, something he was quite shocked the girl was following in the first place.

He dropped the crossbow to his hip, looking up at Astrid as he berated himself for a moment at the calculated risk he took, giving up his tactile advantage and revealing himself. But-regardless, the girl couldn’t die.

He met her wide pale eyes for a moment, giving her a sharp nod before looking down at the men below, eyes locked on his position.

He was exposed.

An arrow quickly embedded itself into the rock besides his head, emphasizing the point. He moved behind a large stone pillar, blending naturally with the shadows as he tried to avoid the prying eyes of the ground soldiers, now exposed and free from the clutches of the gas. Eyes wary and flicking every which way.

In doing such, he missed the way Astrid’s eyes never left him before his dissapeared into the shadows.

More was to be done.

Hiccup quickly stuffed more of the wet solution of dirt and gravel into a hole, plugging it and the contents inside as quickly and efficiently as he could, careful not to let any gas leak out from around the large stone sealing it deep into the cavity.

Snotlout stood at his side, holding a bit of tied fabric as Hiccup stuffed gravel around it, and around the stone coated in Monsturous Nightmare gel it was attached to, deep inside the hole, just like many others they finished.

They were getting close, now. A few more, then he just had to pray to Thor that this didn’t go horribly wrong, and that nothing but rock and fresh air were exposed when they cleared the path.

Still, so much could go wrong. This was dangerous. This was bone-headed. But-they had to act fast.

Hiccup sent a worried look to the unconscious Singetail, before wiping his hands on his pant-legs, the wet solution sticking uncomfortably to them. Snotlout let out a hum as he followed Hiccup’s line of sight.

“It’s fine, Hic. We still have time. She is knocked out like a Viking on Snoggletog weekend.” Snotlout said at his side, smashing the gravel solution into the hole semi-successfully, the excess falling down the walls in a clumpy mess.

“Still-” Hiccup mumbled, biting his lip. If she woke now, they were all dead. Besides…

"Hiccup. There are far worse things to think about than a knocked out psycho Singetail." Snotlout let out a sigh, bringing Hiccup back to the task at hand. He sighed, grabbing more of the sand concoction.

“Right….Let’s just get this done.”

The field was in chaos. Every moment counted.

The twins picked off more of their assailants, weaving and diving in a dangerous dance, chaotic and unpredictable as they spun and weaved around the flyers that chased them.

After hearing Astrid yell, however, they ensured they turned around, heading back towards the battleground to help their teammate.

The air crackled with the sounds of battle, the yells of men and the snarls of dragons. The men on the ground were back in play, their ruse ending with the soft blow of the wind, the smoke disappointing entirely. Men cried as dragon fire scorched them, thick spines piercing through their bodies as Stormfly protected her rider, curling up around her best she could as she hissed and snarled, her crown of spines fully splayed out in warning as she thrashed her tail.

Astrid brought her axe back up, swinging it at the arm of a man who raised his blade against her with a shout. She grit her teeth as she pushed against the force, meeting the sickly blue eyes peering at her menacingly through the flyer’s mask.

Sparks flew between them, iron on iron as her blade screeched unpleasantly at the contact. She glared at the man, her force equaling his in strength as she held her own. The hunter chuckled.

“Ah, you just don’t know when to give up, do you? Even after losing your leader? Ah well. Krogan surely won’t mind if we kill another rider or two. Maybe even let us ‘ave some fun with you before we end you and all of your little friends. Skin yer’ dragons an’ put yer’ heads on a spike as a welcoming gift.” He licked his lips, looking down at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

“Try it. I dare you.” She snarled. She pushed back with a yell, knocking the man off balance and swinging wildly at his arm. Steel met flesh and bone, his sword arm falling to the ground in a heap. The disgusting man stumbled back, screeching in agony before Stormfly put an end to it with a sharp spine to the neck.

Astrid felt a pang of sadness at the death. Not much for killing the man, but rather because Hiccup hated when others died. But all she could do was move to the next target, her hands white-knuckled around her bloodied axe and her teeth bared into a snarl, lost in the heat of battle, the words flowing off of her as she went. Nothing she hasn’t heard before.

When she released Garff from his chains, she did not expect him to struggle so violently. That was why she was sent, after all, to calm him. She had the best connection with him. She was meant to lead him out of the cave and, preferably, away from the battle, though they knew that was unlikely.

They prepared for a scenario in which Garff saw the other Deathsong, but she was meant to fly into the clouds as soon as possible. She was then supposed to attack from the clouds, protecting Garff while still drawing attention to him, something she had no chance of doing as the dragon charged right into the fray, drawing all of the attention to her in an instant.

She certainly didn’t expect her dragon to get downed with a fireball the second a flyer locked onto her. Now here they were, sitting ducks.

She was sure Viggo wasn’t pleased, not that that bothered her much. She had a fail-safe, after all.

Good thing, is Viggo, as much as she hated to admit it, prepared for everything, every possibility. He was smart, she would give him that, though he told her the fail-safe was not to be used lightly.

She palmed the thin ceramic tube in her hands carefully, preparing for the moment when it could be used, if it so needed to be. She just had to hold out til the twins arrived, then assess the situation. Only as a last resort.

And try not to think of the soldiers now trying to find Viggo after he saved her life with one precise arrow.

“Girl, what is it?” Fishlegs said to his distressed dragon.

Fishlegs backed away from the wall of broken stone, his legs shaking slightly as he did so. Meatlug was several feet back, snarling at the stone and whining every once in a while, keeping her distance but remaining worried.

So, hopeful news, but still bad.

That meant they could be alive, but they are in danger.

“Right, danger. But what could it be? You only act like this if it is dangerous to you or me? So what is it?”

Hiccup set up the last fuse, tugging it lightly, testing the security of the rope to the wall.

He grinned as it firmly held. The moment of truth was here. He just hoped nothing went wrong.

The tied garments and rope were coated in Monstrous Nightmare gel, running in one line before breaking off into branches of cloth, thin and carefully knotted. Those branches of cloth reached up into the holes they carefully carved and melted out in the already apparent cracks.

They arched around the doorway of the cavern, especially around the edges. around 2 dozen of their carefully borne and filled holes full of explosive gas and flammable gel. When they set off the fuses, safely behind their fire-proof dragons…

Yeah, this would work.

“This won’t work.” Snotlout sighed. Still, as he said that, he ducked behind his dragon, mirroring Hiccup who was tucked behind Moondancer and Toothless, carefully poking his head out from behind Toothless’ wings.

And he tapped his dragon’s wing, giving him the signal.

And Toothless fired.

“Come on girl, there has to be a way in that’s safe.” Fishlegs cooed to his dragon, who sat, staring wide eyed at the rocks surface, letting out whines and gesturing to her rider with her head to get away, to flee.

Meatlug let out a crooning whine in response, grabbing his shirt and trying to tug her rider away. He pushed on her snout gently in response.

“I know girl, but we have to get them out. Who knows what could happen any second now? We have to hurry.” He urged his dragon. He understood her wariness, her fear as she looked at the cave, but he wouldn’t move.

It was dangerous, yes. But his friends were in there, alive, he was sure. If they were in danger by a future collapse or, Thor forbid, gas, like the stuff they found from combining and heating certain rocks, the kind that made you dizzy or unconscious, then they had to get them out, quick.

Let alone the fact that they could be seen at any moment. Fishlegs could tell from here the rest of the team were going into phase 2 of the plan, and he had to have the riders out by the end of that phase.

Sadly, the only thing he could see was a sealed entrance, and Meatlug refused to go near it. He sighed, frustration building up inside of him.

What could they do, then? If there was a gas, it could kill them. If there was a way out, they would’ve found it by now. There seemed to be no way to reach their friends. Besides, with the rogue Singetail inside, who knows what could be happening?

“Well. Look a’ what we got here. A little mouse lost his way.” A large burly hunter cooed at him, raising the hairs on his neck as he whipped his head around, meeting the eyes of the hunter. He wasn’t alone, either. Men broke off from behind the-what seemed like-commander, who held his mace lazily over his shoulder.

Fishlegs tensed, his dragon snarling by his side, lava dripping out of her mouth steadily in warning. He drew out his dagger, holding it up with shaky hands, backing towards the collapsed wall. The men only found it funny, it seemed, throwing their heads back in glee.

"“You lost? Only bones are to be found here. Or would you like to join your leader in the dirt?” The leader cackled, swinging his mace towards the collapsed wall. Fishlegs swallowed at the threat, holding the dagger closer to his chest.

“Uh, no thank you?” He said, his voice shaking. The men guffawed once more before walking towards him with smooth steady steps, like a wolf stalking their prey.

He prayed to the god’s under his breath for a way out of this without abandoning his friends. He prayed for something to happen.

And the god’s seemed to answer.

Without warning. The ground shook.

Meatlug roared, and within moments was dragging her rider away, her small wings working as fast as they could to flee. And soon, Fishlegs could see why.

First, it started out as a tiny rumble, then, within seconds, it grew into a horrid roar.

Men cried out as the noise tore through the air, deafening and horrid, like the roar of a Titan Class dragon. The men put their hands up to their ears, and some tried to run from the cave, not that they could.

Fire burst from the collapsed cave with an earth-shattering bang, fire and smoke blowing out of it, like a giant emerging from the depths of Hel. Debris an rocks fell from the sky as the mountain exploded outwards, showering all on the island with gravel and searing light.

Those who were unfortunate enough to be close flew backwards from the force, including Fishlegs. He spiraled out of control for a moment, ears ringing and eyes burning as he tried to comprehend just what happened.

Meatlug let out a whine, shaking her head as she flew higher up, assessing the damage of the blast.

Fishleg’s rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the bursts of black and white that coated his vision, shaking his head slightly, his head aching. The world spun for a moment as he tried to regain his bearings, but as he did, his eyes became wide.

The collapsed cave was destroyed, dust billowing from its entrance as it rose to the sky above. clearly, the blast took out several men.

Thor. That was were he just was. He could’ve died. Was that what Meatlug was warning about? Why-

Oh no. His friends. Hiccup and Snotlout. The dragons!

“Hiccup. Snotlout." He muttered. He urged Meatlug to fly closer, hoping to see his friends in the cloud of smoke. 

The entire battlefield was stunned.

The earth groaned, after shocks rumbling Midgard even as the smoke started to settle, the men gaining their footing once more. A few stumbled, grabbing their weapons, trying to fight against the ringing in their ears as all eyes were drawn to the gaping hole in the earth, obscured by a cloud of dense brown smoke.

All eyes watched, shocked, stunned, at what happened. What could have happened? A dragon? A giant? A creature sent from the depths, come to take their lives? What could have happened?

For they were sure the riders were dead, in that cave. And if they weren’t before, they must be now. No one could survive such a blast as that.

Two sets of eyes, specifically, could not break away from the hole, their eyes wide and devastated. For yes. No one. No one could survive that blast.

Not anyone human, anyways.

Astrid, using the distraction to her advantage, took the last few hunters out with a few swift strikes, nudging her dragon with her leg as she leapt onto her back, urging her to run closer to the blast, her heart thudding loud in her chest, wary of the man near the center.

Viggo, in turn, watched carefully, looking at the billowing smoke from the side of the Deathsong. He should continue on, taking advantage of the distraction to follow through on his plan. No mistakes, no distractions, he repeated to himself.

Still, his eyes were locked on that hole, that place his dear Hiccup was trapped. His dragon was trapped, and his heart burned with fear.

But what could have caused this? Viggo did not account for something such as this. He could not have assumed such a thing would occur. Did…did Hiccup still live? Did he do this?

What happened?

The world seemed to stand still, the edge of Midgard seeming to halt its never-ending spiral. All watched.

All waited for the fog to clear.

Then…then-

A shout-then a screech.

Lightning arced far and wide from the cavern, flying every which way, bouncing through the air, catching on the particles in the air as it lit up the arena in a purple hue.

And a war cry sounded out, voices of dragons and men sounding loudly over the battlefield. And through the smoke, a rod of fire glowed brightly, and they ran through the smoke, exposing themselves to the eyes of all that fell upon the wreckage, watching in fear and horror.

The ones who they thought were dead walked through an explosion, their silhouettes standing menacingly as they charged, as if the gods themselves blessed their charge, the glow of the dragon’s fire, the sword, the lightning, painted a fearsome sight.

But to Viggo, there was never such a beautiful sight as the one Hiccup made as he left the cave, body covered in dirt and soot, his hair mangled and burned, his clothing torn and scorched.

He didn’t think anything in Valhalla and beyond could quite compare to the scene before him, in seeing Hiccup alive.

He felt his hand go slack slightly around his sword as he met the riders beautiful green eyes as he charged, taking down the men that surrounded them, too shocked to fight back, his dragon loyally at one side, Moondancer, his dragon, on the other, locked onto him.

As Hiccup took him in, he stopped moving, staring wide eyed at Viggo, as Viggo did with Hiccup.

And he watched as Hiccup’s lips mouthed his name, and he felt a small genuine smile raise on his lips. His heart felt like it was full, and at that moment, he felt complete.

Hiccup didn’t think he could have thought of a more beautiful sight than the man before him, staring at him through a mask, cloak billowing in the wind and a dagger in his hand, afar off, next to the Deathsong.

The battlefield was sparse, covered in a thick hue of smoke and gas. Men stood, watching him with wide eyes as he and Snotlout burst through the cave, weapons raised high, dragons roaring in sync with their war cry.

Yet, Hiccup didn’t care much about that, when he realized that Viggo Grimborn was alive.

“Viggo.” He mumbled underneath his breath, his eyes locked onto the man before him with such intensity he was sure the world seemed to tunnel around the man. He felt noise dampen, the world become fuzzy, his attention on the one who he thought was dead.

He noted Moondancer leaving his side swiftly, flying best as she could towards her rider, wings flapping wildly as she did so. And he was quick to follow her example.

He broke out into a run towards him, his feet banging harshly on the terrain as he tried to make his way as fast as he could towards Viggo. Because he was alive.

He was alive.

Thank Thor, he was alive.

And Hiccup ran. He ran until the man stood before him, whole, gazing at him through the slits of his helmet, and Viggo's arms met his as he caught the Viking in his arms, holding him close to his chest. 

And Hiccup pressed his hand's against the others helmet, holding the sides of it and pressed his forehead against the others, his body nearly sagging with relief and exhaustion, because Viggo was there with him. 

"You are here." Viggo whispered, as if he didn't believe the words himself. He held him closer, his voice dark and breathy. Hiccup let out a small and weak chuckle. 

"I'm here."

And they might have been in the middle of a battlefield. They might have been bruised and burned, covered in blood and soot. But things-just for one moment, just like back in the arena-were perfect. 

Chapter Text

Hiccup breathed in heavily, taking in the scent of blood and metal that clung to the man in front of him, leaving him feeling lightheaded. The smell of death and smoke filled the air, war clinging on the battleground like a second skin.

Hiccup knew these smells well, the air of battle, one he grew up surrounded by. It was an unpleasant smell, one associated with many bad memories. But Hiccup couldn’t find it in himself to care, simply taking it in, focusing on the smell that seemed to always cling to the man before him. He focused on that smell, the scent of leather and oils and home encompassing him. His heart was beating out of his chest, his breathing heavy as he tired to take in every bit of the person standing in front of him, repeating a mantra in his head, that he was alive. He was alive.

And he just focused on the fact that he was alive, and that the world seemed to simultaneously shatter and heal in nearly one moment. He pressed himself into the others hold, even as his back ached and his fingers trembled as they tried to grip the helmet, shaking hands falling to the others shoulders as they lived in that moment, that single moment where the world fell away, Arvakr and Alsvidr halted their march across the great horizon. Skoll stopping his eternal pursuit for just that one moment, the very firmament shivering as Hiccup grabbed the fabric on the man, reveling at how warm he felt, how alive he felt.

“You never cease to amaze, my dear.” The gruff voice filled his ears, low and inviting as the man’s breath tickled his face. Hiccup sighed, a small pit of dread and relief filling him. “As relieved as I am to see you alive, I am quite curious as to how you survived. I am sure there is quite the story to tell.”

He couldn't help the small chuckle that passed through his lips at the odd feeling that filled him as he heard the other's voice. It was an oxymoron, a mixture of things that couldn't possibly make sense, but did.

And he recalled that puddle of blood on the ground, that feeling as though he could never go on, as if the gods themselves laughed at his torment and yearning. He remembered how sick he felt, thinking he pushed the man away forever, and thought of the relief he felt when and even as Viggo's hands moved slight circles into his sides, his skin heated and tingling with every small rub of the others body on his own, he knew the moment couldn’t last, and he pulled himself back, his body immediately aching to hold the man once more, even as he felt sick, looking at him.

“I thought you were dead. You were crushed.” He mumbled, his eyes flicking this way and that, taking in the man before him, who simply shook his head slightly, a small chuckle leaving him.

“Come now, you thought I would be taken out with a few falling rocks? It would take far more than that to kill me.” Viggo said, a small lilt in his voice, despite the situation. “However, I do believe that is something we must discuss another time., as much as I appreciate your…enthusiasm at my presence.” Viggo’s hand, that Hiccup was suddenly very aware of, traced a small line up his side, fingers gliding towards his back. Hiccup swallowed harshly before taking a step back, embarrassment and a mixture of frustration filling him.

“I-I-Shut up. I thought you died.” His voice came out a bit higher than it should’ve been, because god’s, what was he thinking? The situation dawned on him harshly as he took another step back, crossing his arms across his chest, his eyes flicking away from the slits in Viggo’s mask.

“It wouldn’t be the first time you tried to kill yourself, Viggo. You seem to find stepping on Hel’s toes a fun past time.” He said, voice lightly accusatory, even when he knew full well that this was his fault, trying to distract himself from the feelings in his chest. This was not the time and place, like Viggo said. Besides, they-this wasn’t right. They needed to talk about what…was going on between them. He had to stop acting irrationally like this. This is serious, and they had a war to win.

Viggo let out a small hum, tilting his head slightly to the side in contemplation. “Now, that seems quite hypocritical of you. Death seems to darken your shadow even in the calmest of times, dear. It seems you can’t help but jump into danger.” He said it in a similar tone, scolding and playful, and Hiccup couldn’t help but smile at the deep tone, an odd mixture of butterflies and defeat filling him.

He was gone for him, wasn’t he? Freya help him. He really was in love.

“Seems we have that in common, then.” He mumbled under his breath. It was true, after all.He shook his head, pulling back the rest of the way, the world slowly coming back into focus as his ears calmed their incessant whine-making the sounds of fighting and coughing more prevalent-the growls of dragons and the hissing of a Zippleback filling his ears, and his eyes slowly took in the landscape around them, though they stayed locked on the hidden face of Viggo Grimborn.

Then, he raised his voice. “You were right behind me Viggo. I know what I saw. How-how did you escape?”

Viggo paused for a moment, before Moondancer, patiently waiting at his side in a ready stance, attracted his attention with a small rumble. Viggo’s lips then curled into a thin and endearing smile, the same one that Hiccup caught on him so few times, when looking at his dragon before. One that never failed to make his cheeks flush lightly as his breathing quickened.

Viggo brought a hand up, running it on the dragon’s hide, very lightly, as if he were in awe. Then, he looked back at Hiccup, his lips turning into a slight frown.

“Something I can’t quite explain here, dear. However, you were correct. Dragon’s are miraculous creatures. Far more than I could ever imagine.” He sighed, his voice taking on an airy quality as he spoke. Hiccup nodded, a small smile on his lips. Toothless let out a proud huff at his side as Hiccup ran a hand on his snout. Viggo then turned fully towards him.

“As I said, much to discuss, but the battlefield seems to be one of the less favorable locations to do so, wouldn’t you agree? Though, I am quite impressed on how quick you changed your tune, running to me like that.” That same teasing note that never failed to make Hiccup flush entered his voice as it lowered, and this was no exception, though this time it filled him with dread and a sense of hollowness.

Because they couldn’t run from this. Not anymore. And after this, everything would change. And Hiccup was not ready for that, nor was he prepared to face his friends. He was sure they had questions after…that, too. He could feel eyes on him, even now.

“Yeah… Yeah, we have a lot to talk about.” Hiccup sighed. Viggo nodded, taking a step back and picking up the crossbow from the ground. Hiccup let out a shaky breath.

“Viggo…We…I…” He started, the words getting stuck in his throat, but Viggo gave him a look. Then, feet fell behind him, large and dangerous, the small click of talons on the rocks filling his ears, accompanied by smaller feet.

“Hey Vigcup! Less talking, more fighting! Hello!” A voice whisper-yelled behind him, one he could place immediately. Hiccup whipped his head back, meeting the eyes of Snotlout and Hookfang. He glared slightly, which Snotlout brushed off, sticking his tongue out at Hiccup before climbing onto Hookfang.

The twins, who hung off from afar, let out a yell in triumph, striking another dragon flyer from the sky, the man yelling as he plummeted to the ground. And Hiccup focused on the arena, noticing how there were no catapults. No, soldiers. In fact, it seemed they were all congregated around the Deathsong, which stood, head barely poking out from the gas and firing blindly into the air, the men around them gasping as the smoke filled their lungs.

Zippleback gas. It was not pleasant to breathe in, causing burning in the eyes and throat, blinding the enemy. Letting it hang in the air like that was smart, he thought, even as the gas burned his nose and throat, the longer exposure worsening the affects as time went on. Hiccup turned to Viggo as he grabbed his shield. And he decided, then. To do what he was fighting against before, and he trusted him, letting the other lead.

“Well? We started this. I say we end it.” Hiccup asked, voice steady despite the burning in his throat. Something between them settled with those few words, and Hiccup sent a small smile towards the ex-hunter.

“What is the plan?” Viggo smirked, even as he used a gloved hand to readjust his cowl, covering his mouth entirely with the black cloth.

“Get out of the center, away from the Deathsong. If your friends are capable of following instructions, they should be in position.” He said, his voice slightly muffled.

Hiccup was suprised at that. “You got them to listen? How did you manage that?” Hiccup said under his breath, before he looked back at the ex-hunter.

"Charisma goes a long way." Viggo hummed. Hiccup shook his head, an amused light in his eyes. It was an impressive feat, one he would be sure to question him about after all of this, but he was sure Viggo didn't just charm them. 

"Uh-huh. Threatening and bribing is not the same thing as sweet-talking, Viggo." He rolled his eyes, getting an idea of how it went down. Something else to add to the list of things that needed to be discussed. Viggo simply chuckled at his accusation, turning away from him. Hiccup sighed, then nodded, swinging onto Toothless’ back, more fluid than he thought he could manage with how shaky his legs felt.

Toothless let out a croon towards the Skrill at Viggo’s side, who let out a screech back, her injured tail curling around her rider. Hiccup looked down at the tail in worry, flicking back up to her rider.

“What are you going to do?” He said. Viggo answered silently, holding his hand to the air, his hand open. Above, he heard a screech, then another, as dragons drew near. Hiccup looked to the sky for a moment, catching the sight of dragons above them. Familiar ones.

“Stand clear, dear. And hold your breath.” Viggo said, his breath muffled. Toothless let out a screech, his wings opening wide and forcing Hiccup back, away from the center, where Viggo stayed. Then, looking up at Hiccup, he closed his fist.

And Hiccup held his breath, his dragon beating his wings away from the site, and he watched as the Skrill covered her rider, and the other riders, his friends, threw something into the sky, right above the thickest point of the gas.

And their dragons fired, releasing whatever lay inside of those bottles, raining a cloud of purple down onto their heads, heavy and putrid, mixing with the Zippleback gas, and hiding Viggo and the soldiers below in a toxic smoke.

No one could see. No one could breathe, Hiccup’s eyes burned and he squeezed his dragon’s sides, urging him to fly farther back.

Hacking and coughing filled the area, the cloud of poisonous smoke filling the lungs of the men in the center of the crater. Men soon started falling to the ground while clutching their throats. He heard a chaos in the cloud of smoke, of men gasping their last alongside their brothers in battle, weapons falling out of their hands with a dull clunk.

Hiccup watched in awe and horror as their skin blistered before his eyes, the gas burning them as they dropped like flies. He heard Snotlout gasp at his side. He watched as a few men ran blindly out of the smoke covering their mouths, and were quickly taken out by the dragons, or, he noted, by the other riders.

Viggo was in there. God’s. What was he thinking? What was this?!

Hiccup rubbed his eyes of the irritation, tears in the corners making his eyesight a bit blurred, but he wasn’t deterred, squeezing Toothless’ sides, urging him to fly forwards. To get a better look. Toothless didn’t listen, instead choosing to fly in place with a whine, his sharp eyes surveying the arena before them. Hiccup urged him on once more.

“Come on-” He started, before another voice cut him off.

“Wait! Hiccup wait! Stay back!” The voice rang behind him, then in front of him, as a Gronkle and her rider flew in front of him, blocking his path. Hiccup grit his teeth, his heart beating.

“What is happening?!” He yelled at his friend. Fishlegs let out a firm grunt, shaking his head and hands as he looked at Hiccup.

“This is part of his plan, Hiccup!” Hiccup slowed his struggling, a frown etching itself on his face. His plan? Did….did they actually work together, and agree on a plan? What happened while Snotlout and him were trapped?

“Fish? What is happening?!” Snotlout said at his side, Hookfang snarling at the gas as they backed away a bit, hovering above the chaos. It encompassed everything, leaving them to only guess what was happening on the inside, the screams and cries leaving much to the imagination.

“Fish, what do you mean, part of his plan?” He said, trying to turn his body. Fishlegs loosened his hold, letting Hiccup down gently.

“It-ah, Viggo meant to lure them all to the center so we could use this weird alchemy gas he made using Zippleback gas- to make them pass out or not be able to see, and run from the center, where we can get to them outside of the smoke. I-I didn’t know it did this-but-we agreed to it. He promised it would't hurt our dragons, so we went with it.” He gestured to the smoke. More men ran out of the putrid cloud, holding their eyes and throats, coughing and falling to the ground. His eyes widened.

The soldier was still on the Deathsong’s head, and he heard battle in that cloud. The sounds of panicking. The Deathsong shot another blast of amber, flying close to them. He watched as the man grabbed his throat, something potruding out of it, and fell, dissapearing into the smoke.

Then, the dragon roared, aiming it's attacks at the remaining foot soldiers. Hiccup's lips turned up at the sight. She was free, then. But why didn't she fly away?

Still, the smoke was quickly dissipating, the sounds of coughing coming to an end, and he was sure to try and help in any way he could, his outfit notwithstanding. Fishlegs gave him a concerned look as Hiccup urged Toothless on once more, trying to fly around the other rider, his eyes narrowing.

“Hiccup. We aren’t supposed to-” He was cut off as Hiccup let out a small snort, his dragon, slightly smoking and looking like he awfully needed a bath, much like his rider, mirrored the sound.

“Drive them to find safety around the dragon, take out the flyers and the catapults, then drive them away, using whatever concoction Viggo made that can incapacitate them or make them flee, so he could break the chains under the of the gas and take out the threat of the Deathsong. Divide and conquer, that is the plan, right?” Hiccup narrowed his eyes as he thought through what exactly happened, before Fishlegs continued his thought.

“And letting him break out the Deathsong and its captors, yeah. While we take out the extras.” So, he might still need help, and Hiccup was wasting time. He twirled his sword, running to the site, careful to not get near the violet fog.

“Why didn’t he set that off before?” Hiccup yelled, Fishlegs let out a small noise as he caught up to him, now on the back of Meatlug.

“Wouldn’t get the flyers, or the support on the outskirts. And he said it had preparation time before being exposed to the air. And he didn’t want to risk you if you were still ok.” Hiccup felt warmth enter his chest as he looked down, that same relieved feeling, like he could breathe again, the same thing he felt the moment he saw Viggo the first time, Alive, filled his body.

“He…he cares about you a lot, Hiccup.” Fishlegs, quiet and barely audible, said at his side, the flapping of his dragon nearly drowning out his voice. Still, Hiccup heard it, and his heart sank, just a bit.

“Yeah. I-I know.” He muttered, then urged his dragon forwards, pulling his shield off his back. Fishlegs let out a whimper, curling into himself. 

"Hiccup? We...we all need to talk. About-everything I need to talk to you." The dreaded words fell from another pair of lips as Hiccup nodded, dread at the upcoming conversations filling him.

"Yeah. We will Fish. We all need to clear this up, once and for all." He said, looking at the battle before them.

Hiccup felt his heart skip as they dove, landing in the field as the last bits of purple-blue hue started dissipating, the field eerily quiet. A set of thumps followed him as he slid off of Toothless’ back, patting his dragon’s head. 

They reached the outer ring of the smoke, watching for any movement in the fog. They watched as a dragon raised its head, The Deathsong crying out as it rose above the smoke, throwing another soldier to the side, near Hiccup.

“And why did he stay in there?” Hiccup said walking a few steps forwards to the man. He wriggled on the ground, his arms burned and his eyes watering. Even still, the man tried to get away, sliding on the floor pathetically. Hiccup made short work of taking the man out, angling his blade to shove the pommel into his head, knocking him out.

Fishlegs shook his head at his side, watching the smoke closely at his side. “He has a mask. A….and no one else would but the twins, and you know them.”

Hiccup felt his heart skip as they dove, landing in the field as the last bits of purple-blue hue started dissipating, the field eerily quiet. A set of thumps followed him as he slid off of Toothless’ back, patting his dragon’s head.

Hiccup let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Right.” He really shouldn’t have expected otherwise, knowing the dynamic of their team. It was a wonder Astrid even did-

Astrid. God’s Astrid. The guilt and fear that filled him at the mere thought nearly made him sick. Astrid.

“Astrid! Is she alright? Where is she? And Garff?” Hiccup yelled, turning to his friend. Snotlout let out a cry as an arrow flew by his face, and quickly, Hiccup whipped his shield forwards, and used the crossbow function, shooting in the direction of the arrow with as quick of movements as his aching body could afford.

The shooter gasped as his arm was punctured, forcing him to drop the crossbow, before an axe rammed into the man’s head from the sky, the handle knocking him out nearly instantly.

“Hiccup!” A voice cried. Then, another rider appeared in the direction the axe came from, her blue dragon glowing in the light as she looked at him, her eyes meeting Hiccup’s. Astrid.

God’s, the sheer amount of guilt that filled him seeing that mixture of relief and hurt made him jump back further, his heart weighing heavily in his chest as he finally-finally came to accept what this meant between them.

God’s. How could he do this to her?

Her eyes promised a talk, one he did not look forwards to, but one they needed to have. It was long overdue, at this point. He let out a shaky sigh.

When he got out of this, he owed her an apology.

“Hiccup!” Astrid yelled once more as she landed next to them, sliding off of her dragon with grace, pulling her axe from the ground, and walking up to Hiccup, a bit of hesitation in her step. Hiccup smiled at her though it was more of a grimace.

“Astrid. You are ok.” He said, taking a few shambling steps towards her. His body ached, the explosion ringing his body, even behind the protective shield of his dragon. luckily, with the explosion directed outwards, there was little harm caused to the inhabitants.

If the look in Astrid’s eyes were any indication, she didn’t see it the same way. She marched up the last few steps, punching him lightly on his arm with a small yet shaky smile on her face.

“Me? What about you? God’s Hiccup.” She said, her trembling voice betraying her fear. Still, he let himself be pulled into her arms, his heart thudding uncomfortably in his chest, even as he returned the embrace. It was nice to know that she cared, still, even after all of this. Still, he felt like he betrayed her, and every moment deepened that guilt in his chest. He grimaced, collapsing his shield and strapping it on his back.

“You were supposed to stay on the Edge.” Hiccup said, a bit of an edge in his voice. He was quite angry still, even if it was far more teasing than angry, relief softening his anger nearly entirely. And, besides, he should’ve known better than to think Astrid would stay behind.

“And you were supposed to stay safe, Hiccup. Seems you can’t make it one day without me.” Astrid said, throwing her axe and taking out another man, one who was slowly reaching for his crossbow. He yelled as the back of the axe slammed heavily into his arm, surely dislocating it.

“Sure. You do have a habit of getting me out of trouble, huh?” Hiccup said, a sharp pain in his chest as he said the words. He noted how Astrid flinched slightly at his words, her eyes falling to the ground, her arm slowly reaching up to grab her wrist.

“Yeah, not lately.” He looked at her, his eyes growing wide at her movements. Was…was she…ashamed? Astrid? Or was she mad? Either way, he watched as she flicked her blue eyes to the middle of the arena, then back to the ground.

Hiccup felt that same shame build inside of himself, threatening to boil over.

They stood for a moment-a few seconds stretching into an eternity, neither knowing just what to say, both itching to break the tension between them, before a voice joined their conversation, breaking them out of their standoff.

“Oh come on. Where is Snotlout’s hug? I deserve one after all of that! Come on!” Snotlout opened his arms, which only made Astrid roll her eyes.

“In your dreams.” She said, pushing Snotlout in his arm lightly. At the very least, she seemed a bit more cheerful, even in their situation.

“Astrid?” He mumbled. Astrid seemed to curl slightly into herself.

“Yeah…Hiccup…I…” She started, but before much could be said, the twins dove down, their dragon letting out a cry of victory.

“Hiccup, Snotlout! You live! That explosion was insane! Loki would be proud!” Ruffnut pumped her fist into the air as they descended, her brother mirroring her action. Tuffnut laughed along with his sibling, sliding off of his dragon as they made their way to the riders.

“Yeah, I wasn’t worried. You should trust me more. I was in charge of most of the plan, anyways.” Snotlout sneered, his arms crossing across his puffed chest. Tuffnut laughed, then pat Hiccup on the back with enough force to have him fall forwards a few steps. Hiccup yelped in surprise.

“We didn’t doubt you for a second, my man! Well, maybe Snotlout, but that’s normal.” Tuffnut yelled, jutting his thumb towards their friend. Snotlout guffawed at the insult, bringing a smile on Hiccup’s face. They all cheered as they rejoined their little group once more, all of them here and alive.

And yet, they were missing one, one who was in the center of the smoke, surrounded by bodies and the wings of his dragon, last he saw him. And he needed to know that the other succeeded. He needed to see him again, and complete their group. Hiccup saw his silhouette near the Deathsong, and started walking forwards, his heart pounding in his chest.

Viggo’s silhouette stood near a larger one, unmoving, barely visible in the bluish smoke, another smaller one at his side. Hiccup took a few steps closer, narrowing his eyes as he breathed shallowly, though, he saw no other movement. Only Viggo and the dragons.

That same thrilled feeling of butterflies filled him. God’s. Viggo was alive, and some how, some way. They won. But they had some things to take care of, now. He just had to trust Viggo knew what he was doing. And he did trust him. He looked back at his team, eyes narrowed and ready to lead. His team noticed his change in demeanor standing straighter, at attention.

“Ruff, Tuff, you check the skies and make sure everyone is out of incapacitated or fleeing. Fish, Snotlout, check on the hatchery and the Singetails. Get all of the amber off of them. Astrid-”

“Hiccup!” A voice yelled, cutting off his instructions and filling him with dread. It came from in front of him, through the fog. A flapping noise accompanied it, the air pushing away from the center. Viggo’s voice sounded concerned, higher than it should have been. Something was wrong, it had to be.

He snapped up his head, his walk quickly turning into a run towards the center of the still foggy arena, his stomach falling to his feet at the tone in his voice. He coughed lightly as the smoke touched his eyes and throat, burning but not unbearable.

“Clear the gas!” Hiccup yelled back, not listening to whether they even heard him or not. He handled it as he made it to the center, ignoring the voices of his friends.

“Viggo. Viggo!” He yelled. Waving the smoke best he could. Toothless flapped his wings, blowing it as much as he could out of the way for his brother to see the sight before him.

And his heart broke.

“Oh. Eir help us.” He heard behind him, the voice of Fishlegs cracking as they took in the scene, all of them as still as death, taking in the horrid sight.

The Deathsong was hanging his head heavily, head positioned in a way it hung mere inches away from Viggo’s face, who stood before the dragon, his hands loose at his side. Men scattered the floor around them, alive, barely, but burned and breathing shallowly, some covered in amber, as was Moondancer, who stood by her rider, breathing heavily, her nostrils flaring and her eyes thin slits. The dagger and crossbow Viggo had before were thrown on the ground, discarded. He looked into the face of the dragon, his body entirely still as the dragon lightly growled, his body heaving with each labored breath.

And Hiccup could see why.

The Deathsong was covered in blood, slash marks cutting deeply into his thin hide, purple blood dripping slowly down the bright yellow and orange scales. Its body shuddered with each breath, a rattling noise from deep inside its chest echoed quietly. His ribcage was clearly showing through his scales, severely malnourished and dehydrated. His wings were torn to shreds, his mouth foaming slightly with purple blood.

Garff was nearby, surrounded by other trapped Singetails, his body encased in amber, whining and thrashing wildly as he tried desperately to get to the dragon. The dragon, Hiccup thought, that looked after him, raised him, cared for him. It had to be the same dragon.

It was far worse than any of them could've imagined. Hiccup took a stumbling step towards the dragon.

“Thor, what did they do to him?” Snotlout’s voice said behind him, shaking and quiet. Hiccup took in a sharp breath, making it to the side of the dragon, by Viggo, who stood there, silent.

“Fishlegs. How bad is it?” He said, his voice echoing ominously through the area. Fishlegs, now by his side, let out a small sigh.

“Hiccup. He…He….” Fishleg’s voice cracked. He swallowed heavily, licking his dry lips before he continued. “At least 3 cracked ribs. Front leg broken. Severely dehydrated and malnourished. I-I don’t think they have fed him for days. Severe lacerations and blood loss. I-Hiccup, his wings are broken too-it, they made sure he couldn't fly.” His voice trembled and broke as he spoke, a mixture of quiet and hard as he tried to power through his description like a professional healer, but his trembling hands gave him away.

A downed dragon is a dead dragon. A mantra he has known for all of his life rung through his ears like the toll of a battle bell. And he curled his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white.

Hiccup felt the same anger he heard in the others voice bubble up in his veins, thick and burning as he narrowed his eyes, the pain and grief of ‘how could they’ swirled around his mind with a vengeance.

And they called dragons monsters.

They were…they were too late? Hiccup shook his head, hanging it down as he stepped closer to the dragon, looking into his thin pupils, which shook and contracted with pain. The Deathsong hissed slightly, before Hiccup put his hand up slowly, asking him to calm down silently, to stay still.

Thor…what could they do? None of them were…prepared for this.

A sharp exhale sounded out from behind him, bringing his attention to Astrid, who swung her axe at her side as she gestured to the dragon.

“Don’t you see, what you do? What you have done? What you led your people to do?” Astrid started, her voice raising with each syllable. Hiccup sucked in a sharp breath of air, looking back at Viggo, who stayed silent, face masked and unreadable, silent.

“Not just to him, but to all of the dragons.” She continued shrugging. “They don’t matter to you. Their suffering doesn’t matter. Just what they give you, right?” Hiccup snapped his head over to her, giving her a warning glare.

“Astrid.” He hissed. “Enough of this.” Astrid shook her head.

“This is what hunter’s do, Hiccup. This is what I have been warning you about. I am sure Viggo feels the same as the men that did this. Right?” She stalked forwards, the team parting and standing away from her as she did so. She stopped right behind the two, her hand gripping her axe tightly.

“So, what does this make you feel? Pride? Are you proud of what they've done? Proud of this-this-torture? You called for this. You participated in this.” She said, a small hint of laugher in her voice, though in her eyes there was no humor to be found. Hiccup just stared at her, eyes wide and hurt. For who, he didn’t know. He just felt… cold. Absent. Seeing a dragon hurt like this.

It changes something in you. It makes you bitter. Hiccup was the same, before. Before he would be agreeing with Astrid, and a part of him wanted to now, even as he stared at the silent hunter, wanting nothing more than for his body to move, to defend him, to do something.

Instead, he just watched. Astrid growled.

“And you were the worst of all of them. These were your men.” She gestured to the downed and dead bodies all around them. The team winced back slightly, taking a small step away from Viggo and Astrid, all but Hiccup.

“Stop. He is different now. You know that.” He said, putting a sense of urgency into his words. She scoffed, crossing her arms.

“No, she’s got a point.” Snotlout said. “I want to hear what he has got to say. Why should we trust that you actually regret all of this? How do we trust you?”

They sat silently for a moment, the question hanging in the air dauntingly, before Hiccup shook his head slightly, his hair hanging in his face as he looked at the man next to him, his heart heavy in his chest.

“This is not the time for this. God’s guys. We have been through so much today. We don’t need this now.” He said, running his aching hand against Viggo’s arm, which was surely forming bruises from the horrid events of the day. Funny, he probably looked the way he felt, now.

“And when is a good time?” Astrid said. “Hiccup, we have been putting this to the side for so long. We need to know how someone can go from this, to whag Viggo claims to be. We need to know right now how he really feels about dragons. This was his plan to use Deathsongs, right? I get it, he trained a Skrill, but he needs to tell us, now.” She snarled, holding her axe at the ready, though she was not about to toss it. Hiccup could see it in her posture.

Something clicked in his mind. She wasn’t looking to pick a fight. She wasn’t about to attack. This wasn’t to get a rise out of him. Something happened, before. She wanted to understand, he thought.

He looked at all of them, who looked at Viggo with a mixture of angry and confused faces. Hiccup slowly reached a hand over, brushing his hand on the others gloved one. Viggo did not react, only watching the dragon. Hiccup let out a shaky sigh, before turning to Fishlegs, who hovered at the dragon's side.

“Will…will he live?”

Fishlegs audibly swallowed. “Yeah, but Hiccup…. I-I don’t think he will fly again. His wings are in shreds. He won’t survive on his own. Not-not anymore.” Fishlegs said. Hiccup let out a shaky breath, tears slightly burning his vision as anger welled up inside of him. He glared down the dragon, his eyes focused in the off distance.

Damn Hunters. Damn them all to Helhiem. He thought, then looked over at Viggo. His heart thudding painfully in his chest.

It was quiet, all of the team processing the info, before Viggo spoke, voice low and quiet, nearly imperceptible to Hiccup’s ear. Hiccup strained to hear it.

“This is why you fought so hard against me. This is what you fought against.” Slowly, but surely, Viggo’s hand rose, slowly, carefully. The Deathsongs nostrils flared but he stayed still, eyes locked on the man before him. Then, Viggo slowly rested his hand on his nose.

The team watched, silently. Hiccup’s eyes were concerned, yet wide. It was an odd sight, just as the first time when he trained Moondancer, watching him lay a hand on a dragon’s snot. This time, however, he seemed hollow, shaken, as if something fell apart and he couldn’t pick up the pieces.

As if he were coming to a realization.

“Viggo?” Hiccup brushed his hand on Viggo’s once more, trying to bring his attention from the horrid sight before them, even when his eyes flickered to the scratches, the blood, the way one of the dragon’s eyes seemed off, the surface scratched and wobbly, catching the light erratically, the pupil clouded and dazed.

“This is wrong.”

Hiccup almost didn’t catch it, his head slowly looking up, looking at Viggo, who stared blankly at the dragon.

“What.” Astrid said behind them, her voice echoing over the labored breathing of the dragon. Viggo let out a breath.

“This…This is wrong.” Viggo’s voice cracked slightly, in a way Hiccup didn’t know it could. Viggo shook his head, tilting it to acknoledge the riders.

“My entire life, I was lead to believe this was right. Killing dragons, using them. But-this goes far beyond what cruelty my people commited, Hiccup. Our actions were wrong. Yes, but this… No creature should have to endure such pain.” And Viggo slowly brought his head to rest on the dragon’s own, the dragon letting out a small whimper as its eyes fell closed.

“I am sorry, dragon.” He said, his voice muffled, yet tearing through the clearing like a spear. “I was wrong.”

The camp stayed silent, watching as the infallible man crumbled before their very eyes, seeing what his own actions wrought. And they wondered what changed. And for a moment, they did not see a killer, a monster, a man who would destroy them, the man they couldn’t quite wrap their head around. The man who seemingly changed overnight, for the team.

Hiccup raised his hand, putting it on Viggo's back in a soothing gesture, his voice shaky as he spoke. "All of us were wrong, Viggo. All of us."

His team watched on. They never quite understood Hiccup when he defended him, when he made them ally themselves with the ex-hunter. But, for a moment-they saw what Hiccup saw in that base so long ago. And their minds-all of them, even the most stubborn, even just a little, changed. 

YALL WE GOT MORE FANART FOR THIS END SCENE. I AM SO BLOWN AWAYJG KRLEJGLKREJTLKHEJRGLJ. It is so so incredible. Thank you so much for-the-love-of-avo!!! Please go support them on tumblr!!  <3 

Chapter Text

The group was quiet. A somber, deafening silence hung heavy around them, suffocating them as the hours passed. It hurt to breathe, it felt as though, if one were to acknowledge it, that it would break some unspoken rule. Even the twins were quiet. Try as they might, the twins small quips did nothing to break the solemn atmosphere.

They worked together with simple commands and quiet acknowledgements, moving smoothly and in sync, attuned to each others movements. Hiccup kept his eyes lingering on Viggo, who volunteered to watch over the injured dragons. In fact, it seemed like he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the man, his anxiety over the days events taking the better of him. When he was giving out orders to the rest of the team, his eyes did not leave him, thoughts running through his head like Fireworm’s caught in a death spiral.

It was harrowing, almost. Seeing Viggo like this. It filled him with a mixture of dread and…regret. Oddly enough, even the victory of having Viggo see their side, really, truly see their side was muted at the sight of the other’s downtrodden form. If Hiccup didn't know Viggo better, one might say he was stoic, emotionless. Viggo’s face was blank, entirely, solemnly blank. But, Hiccup saw the fire in his eyes, the fury and sadness of a weary soldier, a man who was scorned.

Viggo didn't leave the dragons side in the hours of preparation to return home. Now, after the dragons have been treated and prepared for their departure, he stared into the dragon’s eyes, silently, analyzing.

It was ironic, that the dragon seemed to only prefer his presence. The Deathsong snapped at the other members of the group, only letting Fishlegs tend to him with a few threatening groans and hisses, his body trembling and twitching each time Fishlegs and Meatlug poured ocean water on its injuries, treating them best they could despite the lack of equipment.

To be honest, Hiccup berated himself the most for this tragic turn of events. If he didn’t delay the trip, if they heard of the outpost sooner, if he had the foresight and the strength to not single-handedly tear his team apart with his choices… well. He didn’t regret saving Viggo. He didn’t, but so many things could’ve been handled significantly better, and maybe, maybe this dragon could still fly. It was his fault. The fight, his conflict with Astrid, the Singetail, the sheer pain in Viggo’s eyes, His team, Viggo, nearly dying… it was all his fault.

Hiccup bit his lip, his eyes flickering down to the ground as he thought through the events of the day-Hel, the week. Of all that had happened since they started this cursed plan. So many wonderful and horrible things had occurred. So many what if’s, and why’s. So many regrets that he felt he might go crazy thinking of them all.

In the span of a week, he went from being so vehemently against the thought of falling in love, to realizing that the other loved him, not only loved him but—

Hiccup’s hand slid down to his belt, where a note was tucked inside, a note that made his heart ache and his hands shake, weighing heavily as though it were the size of a Sentinel and not smaller than his palm.

—Yeah. He loved him, nearly lost him, and Hiccup-Hiccup loved him back. Even the thought sent shudders down his spine. God’s, that was a revelation. And it scared him, terrified him. He didn’t even think it was possible, loving the other. It shouldn’t be. It couldn’t be. But he kissed him. Hiccup did. Hiccup had to accept he felt things for the other, for-a while now. It was complicated, and insane, and wrong, but it was real. The words he spat to Snotlout still rung as true as the moment he said them, and it felt as though a weight was lifted off his chest, as though something were unlocked in him.

But somehow, the dread was worse than before. Because now, they had to deal with it. They-no, he had to accept that this was not going away. This wasn’t something he could ignore. Not anymore. And now…

Hiccup glanced at Astrid, who was staring at Viggo, eyes icy and arms crossed firmly across her chest. After a moment, she looked his direction, sending a glare-no, not quite. A contemplative, judging stare, more like-his way, before walking out of sight, behind some boulders. He winced back, his eyes falling back to the floor, over an especially interesting pebble at his feet he would swear wasn’t there a moment ago. He kicked it lightly, watching as it rolled the slightest bit forwards.

Yeah. They had to have a talk. All of them did. Not just Astrid, or Snotlout, or Fish, the Twins, or even Viggo. They needed to have a plan. Because Hiccup knew, he knew what could come of this, what could happen. His concerns he voiced before were very, very real. And they all needed to know how to proceed, even if he would prefer they didn't know the…full extent of it. He needed his team back, and he needed to fix their alliance.

Not just what they agreed in to in his hut so long ago. They needed to know the risks, and they- Hiccup sighed, glancing back up at the ex-hunter-no, no. He was a rider, now. The rider that stood stoically next to the Deathsong, his hand on its horn and his mouth moving slightly, though no sound reached Hiccup. His dragon, Moondancer, mirroring her rider with her stoic stance, clearly in thought, sitting beside him-They needed to know what to do about him, how to proceed. Something Hiccup had no clear idea about.

There was also the matter of actually training his dragon, and fully integrating him into the group. Something which Hiccup has failed miserably at.

“Hiccup. Yoo-hoo. Up here.” A snap before his face made Hiccup recoil, the words barely registering as he blinked a few times, meeting the irritated face of Snotlout Jorgenson. Snotlout leaned back, placing his hands on his hips as he jutted his lower lip out in a petulant glare.

“Oh, so he finally decides to join the world of the living. Finally. Welcome back, fly boy.” Snotlout said, his voice saturated with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. The twins, standing not far from him, leaning on their dragon, let out simultaneous groans.

“Oh, way to ruin the fun, Snot.” Tuffnut groaned, looking up to the skies and shaking his head in disbelief. Ruffnut nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, party pooper. I almost got the high score!” Ruffnut whined. Snotlout snorted.

“On what? Neither of you even got close to Hiccup!” He gestured to the rocks in front of Hiccup, and around Hiccup, he realized. Wow, he really must've been out of it for a moment. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Why were you throwing rocks at me?” Hiccup mumbled, only to be completely ignored as Ruffnut whipped her head around, looking at Snotlout with disbelief written on her face.

“You bite your tongue! I nearly dominated my rival! If only my wind gauge wasn’t off-” Hiccup rolled his eyes, before meeting the clunky piece of metal strapped to her arm. That was where his wind gauge went?

Tuffnut gasped, punching his sister in the arm. “You stole my rock! That was the lucky one, and you ruined it!”

“Please, I got way closer than you ever did!”

“Maybe if you didn’t steal my rock.” Tuffnut crossed his arms, turning away from his sister. “Saboteur, my own sister. A cheater. For shame.”

“Ill for shame your head! You should just accept I am a better aim then you! I bet I would’ve hit him if Snotlout didn’t ruin it!”

Snotlout snorted. “You couldn't hit the broad-side of Meatlugs ass-” He was cut off by a war cry from the male sibling.

“You think you can take me?!” Tuffnut growled. Ruffnut tackled her brother, a small plume of dirt following their impact.

Barf and Belch looked at eachother with tired expressions, then slowly reached down, picking up their fighting riders by their collars, who simply swung about like upset kittens in their hold, trying to get to the other. Hiccup sighed, a bit relieved that they managed to break the heavy mood, if only a bit, but mostly just tired.

“Don’t you have, you know, dragon eggs to move? Like I told you to do?” He said, his voice stronger than it felt like he was capable of, frustration building in him. Honestly, the faster they got everything done the better. The group let out groans.

“If you weren’t occupied with the dirt on your fake foot, you would know that they are moved to that island you and Fish pointed out already, duh.” Snotlout cut in, rolling his eyes and leaning onto Hookfang. Hiccup gave him a bewildered stare.

“Wh-and no one told me?” Hiccup muttered. How-how out of it was he? He knew he was tired, and a lot was weighing on his mind, but he didn’t mean to space out like that. Snotlout let out a guffaw.

“What do you think we were doing? Not all of us were throwing rocks for sport.”

Ruffnut broke from her struggle for a moment to send Snotlout an incredulous glare. “Traitor! It was your idea!”

Snotlout guffawed. “I did no such thing! Besides, There would be no point. I would hit Hiccup in the face my first try! Competing against you would only result in total obliteration.” He nodded to himself.

As the twins and Snotlout continued their argument, Hiccup sighed. Fair point, he supposed. Well, not the ‘total obliteration’ part.

“How are the eggs?” Hiccup asked. Snotlout huffed, dropping a rock at his feet in favor of leaning on his dragon. Hiccup eyed it suspiciously.

“Fine. Honestly, its more the Singetails that were the problem. Garff has been a big help keeping them away from the eggs while we moved them, like you said. They kept trying to bring them back, stupid. Don’t they know we are trying to help?” His voice raised in frustration near the end, his hands gesturing his exasperation. A voice behind Hiccup answered before he could, making him jump.

“Snot, half of them were encased in amber or chained up. Of course they don’t know better.” A blonde warrior made her way next to them, her tone serious and low. Hiccup stared at her, a new buildup of frustration and grief building up in him at the mere sight of the shield-maiden. Astrid didn’t even look his direction.

Snotlout crossed his arms. “Shut up Astrid.” Astrid just sighed, shaking her head and turning her icy blue eyes to Hiccup. Hiccup looked up to her, meeting her expressionless glare.

“Astrid.” Hiccup said, his voice stiff and low, unsure exactly how to deal with the emotions running through him. Astrid nodded in acknowledgement.

“Hiccup.”

Hiccup sighed, looking past her slightly, avoiding the force of her glare. “I-” He cleared his throat. “Well-” She cut him off.

“The dragon’s are patched up, for the most part. I dismantled the rest of the equipment and tied up the survivors.” Hiccup winced at the reminder. She just sighed, noticing his discomfort, and continued. “All that is left of their base is some wood and scrap metal. The mission was a success, despite-some people.” She said, sending a glare to the side, where Viggo surely was. Hiccup grimaced.

“Yeah, but he got us out of there.” He took a moment to breathe, before sending her a contemplative, almost awed look. “You-you went with his plan.”

Astrid scoffed, crossing her arms as she looked to the side. “If I wanted you saved I had no choice.”

Hiccup let a shaky smile form on his face. “Yeah, try that on someone who is gullible enough to believe you.” She huffed, her broad shoulders dropping slightly as she sagged, her grimace turning into a frown. Hiccup narrowed his eyes, trying to read that expression, before she looked up to him, a harrowing sense of defeat in her eyes.

“Well, maybe…I decided that-” Astrid paused, before continuing. “You mattered more. Besides…it wasn't the…worst plan.” The words must have felt like fish-bones on her tongue, with the way her face scrunched up as she said them. Hiccup wondered if Ragnarok really was upon them. Her eyes darted back and forth as she avoided eye contact, her arm coming up to hold her elbow.

Hiccup’s eyes widened. She…she was starting to believe him? She complimented Viggo-or, as close as Astrid got so high praise. Viggo? Really? Hiccup let a loose smile form on his face as pride filled his chest, before it fell, taking in Astrid's expression.

“I could've lost you.” She muttered. Hiccup’s head hung a bit lower, before a small smile crossed his face.

“We are Vikings. Its an occupational hazard.” He quipped. A thin smile pulled at her face before she sighed, and turned on her heel, looking at the Deathsong and Viggo.

He sighed, reaching out for Astrid, hoping to grab her hand, explain…something. He didn't know what he was even trying to say, but he acted. “Astrid. I’m really, so-”

She smacked his hand away lightly, before turning back to him, a sad, sad smile on her lips. They looked to eachother for a moment, words unspoken dancing in the air like dragon fire between them, before she punched him in the pauldron, hard enough to push him back a few steps, but not hard enough to hurt, a glint of humor and sadness in her eyes.

“I’m still mad at you. You owe me. But-for now, lets just get out of here.” Asrid finished, turning away fully to get onto her dragon. Hiccup rubbed his arm, his eyes falling to the earth.

“Yeah-yup. I deserve that.” Hiccup muttered under his breath. And didn't he? Astrid deserved to be mad. She was in the right, he betrayed her. His feelings shifted, and he was the reason this all happened, not her. He knew that. He deserved more than a punch in the arm for what he had done to his other.

And now…he had no idea what their previously written-in-stone future held. Because of him. Where he goes, disaster follows. His dad was right about that, at least. God's, what was he going to do?

Then, a rock hit him in the arm, and he yelped.

“Bullseye!” Snotlout laughed, his boisterous voice filling the air. “Bet you couldn't do that! What was that, three hundred yaks away?” Hiccup groaned, glaring at the rider, who now flew above him, his dragon saddling up besides him, showing support, for once, at least.

“Ow-Thor, why?” He grabbed the side of his arm, less in pain and more shock. His traitorous dragon, who was currently lying next to him with fresh bandages on his side, let out a chortle. Hiccup sent a dirty look towards his dragon, who lay there with a gummy grin.

“Toothless.” Hiccup mumbled. The dragon snorted and chuckled once more. Hiccup shook his head playfully, patting his dragons head. Toothless pushed into his touch with more force than was probably safe in his injured state. Hiccup smiled, pushing Toothless’ head back slightly.

“Useless reptile.” He muttered, before looking back at the group, aiming his attention to Snotlout, who was tossing a rock, as if in contemplation. Of what, Hiccup had a pretty good idea, though the angry glare he gave him seemed to make the other pause for a moment.

“God’s, would you stop that?” He yelled. Snotlout put his hands up.

“They started it!”

Hiccup shook his head, then turned away, meeting the eyes of his dragon, who stared back at him, an equal look of frustration and a small bit of humor dancing in his vast green eyes. Hiccup rubbed one of his fins, the dragon letting out a small purr.

“What am I going to do with them bud? Fill their beds with rocks? I'm sure they would like that.” He said, much louder than needed. Toothless nodded, then chuckled with Hiccup. By the guffaws behind him, he succeeded in having them over hear his conversation.

“Hey!” Snotlout called after a moment. Hiccup looked back at him.

“Where is the psychotic Singe-ass anyway?” You know, that was a good point. Hiccup was about to open his mouth, to inform the other that Fishlegs was supposed to deal with it, before a new voice cut him off, nasally and very welcome to escape this conversation.

“I got her from the cave. She is alright, just unconscious. She’s-shaken up, I think.” Fishlegs said, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“What was wrong with her, anyways? She acted like she ate some of Ruff’s eel stew.” Snotlout called, yelling from the back of his dragon instead of landing with the rest of the group. Hiccup grumbled slightly under his breath. Even after their moment in the caves…well, some things don't change, do they?

“Well, Fishlegs said he figured it out, but never really elaborated. Something about instincts?” Hiccup said, crossing his arms and turning to his friend. Fishlegs nodded excitedly, nearly jumping up and down with pent up energy.

“Right! Well, it's super interesting! The Singetails themselves are a bit of an odd species of dragon, Hiccup. They have a pack mentality. And-remember Spitelout's island? How they burned it down? Yeah, and after looking through the dragon manual-" Fishlegs was cut off by a loud and obnoxious groan,

“Great. So the rabid Singetail really is trying to kill us?” Ruffnut said. Tuffnut chuckled. “That would be pretty cool. Me first!”

Snotlout made his displeasure quickly known. “It’s rabid?! It tried to bite me! Oh, Thor, this is worse then the signposts of Valhalla! It’s a curse! A fatal curse! First Hiccup blows us up, then this?!” His voice increased in strength and pitch as he panicked, so much so that it had the dragons and riders lean slightly away from the worried rider.

“No, She isn't rabid!” Fishlegs huffed. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

“It was fine. I told you we should’ve been safe, and we are! We didn’t die, what is the harm? Besides, this is kind of important.” Hiccup gestured inbetween Fishlegs and himself, emphasizing their conversation.

Snotlout groaned. “Hey, I know you are all big on the ‘break a leg’ thing, but some of us have sense!”

“I thought you came up with that plan?” Ruffnut said, crossing her arms over her chest, giving up her fight to flee the grip her dragon head had on her collar. Tuffnut nodded.

“Yeah! A big-big percent, but not the death parts! Besides, the whole thing will be covered in my book.” Snotlout pulled out a book, seemingly from thin air. Hiccup was hoping he forgot that thing in the cave. Great.

“Like how much percent?” Ruffnut asked.

“Like-twelve percent…?”

“Twelve?”

“More like half-or, whatever! And-that’s not the point! The dragon is the point! Hiccup is insane, and I am right.” Snotlout crossed his arms and pouted, pointing his charcoal stick he pulled from-somewhere-at the suspended team members. Hiccup shook his head fondly. It-It really was good to hear his friends banter again, especially after such a hard day. He was surprised at how much he really missed it.

“Fish? You were saying? Or can it wait?” Hiccup muttered to Fishlegs, who sighed, snapping his book shut and nodding.

“Uh, not really-I mean…for now, I guess we can? I have to tell you before she wakes up, or things will get-complicated. Unless Snotlout decides to interrupt me, again.” The name was louder than anything else in the sentence, causing the rider in question to snort, before pulling out that monocle out of some mysterious location. Hiccup sighed.

“You are the one who insisted on keeping the rabid Singetail in the first place! Why am I the only one who has to deal with everyone else’s problems?!” He coughed, before adjusting his monocle.

“It’s not rabies!” Fishlegs said, exasperated, only to be ignored once more as the rider cleared his throat.

“Chapter 16: Snotlout is the only one with any sense in the Riders, and they take him for granted.” Snotlout nodded to himself. Fishlegs groaned.

“Thor above, save me.” Fishlegs groaned. Hiccup nodded, a small chuckle leaving his throat.

“Only twelve percent of sense.” Tuffnut chuckled. Snotlout huffed, snapping the book shut. Behind them, someone cleared their throat.