When Snow Meets Lightning (Httyd x Male!oc)

part 15

Astrid, meanwhile, was sprinting through the forest, branches whipping past her face. Suddenly, Toothless swooped down, grabbing her with his claws. "AH! Oh, Great Odin's ghost! Oh, this is it!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the trees. Toothless deposited her in a pine tree with a low grumble.

"Hiccup, get me down from here!" she yelled, clinging to the branches.

"You have to give me a chance to explain," Hiccup called back from below.

"I am not listening to ANYTHING you have to say!" Astrid shouted, trying to pull herself up.

"Then I won't speak. Just

let me show you. Please, Astrid," Hiccup pleaded, his big green eyes begging her. She hesitated but then nodded, reluctantly climbing onto Toothless' back.

"Now, get me down," she said, her voice still tense.

"Toothless, down. Gently. See? Nothing to be afraid of," Hiccup reassured her. However, as soon as Toothless took off, Astrid slid off his back, forced to cling tightly to Hiccup. The feel of her hands around him felt different from Ludic's strong, protective grip, making Hiccup feel oddly vulnerable at the new feeling.

"WHOA!! TOOTHLESS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! BAD DRAGON! He's not usually like this. Oh, no...Toothless, what are you doing?! We need her to like us. And now the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile," Hiccup muttered as the dragon started diving and spinning. Astrid's grip tightened around him, her fear palpable.

"Okay! I am sorry! I'm sorry! Just get me off of this thing!" Astrid pleaded. Toothless finally slowed down, gliding above the clouds. Astrid cautiously opened her eyes, taking in the breathtaking view.

"AM I INTERRUPTING SOMETHING?" A familiar voice called out. Astrid turned to see the most beautiful dragon she had ever seen, with Ludic on its back.

"No, but where have you been all day?" Hiccup asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"It's a surprise," Ludic said with a playful smile, making Hiccup scoff.

"Alright, I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's... amazing. He's amazing. So what now? Hiccup, your final exam is tomorrow. You know you're going to have to kill a... kill a dragon," Astrid said quietly, her voice tinged with concern. Hiccup glanced at Ludic, who was lying on Frostbite's back, aimlessly chatting with the pale blue dragon who cooed in response.

"Don't remind me," Hiccup sighed. Suddenly, Toothless veered sharply, causing Frostbite to follow suit. "Toothless, what's happening? Whoa, what is it?" Hiccup asked urgently as they found themselves amidst a flock of dragons carrying food towards an island.

"Get down!" Hiccup commanded. Astrid and Ludic crouched low on their dragons' backs.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked, her voice filled with unease.

"I don't know. Toothless, you've got to get us out of here, bud," Hiccup said, glancing at Ludic, who was trying to calm a panicked Frostbite. Toothless ignored their pleas, continuing to follow the other dragons.

"It looks like they're hauling in their kill," Ludic observed, his voice tense.

"Uh, what does that make us?" Astrid said nervously. They entered a massive nest within a volcano, swarms of dragons dropping their offerings into the lava below.

"What my dad wouldn't give to find this," Hiccup murmured, his voice laced with irony. "It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole."

"They're not eating any of it," Astrid noted as they landed on the side of the nest.

"Maybe they are storing it," Ludic suggested. They watched as a Gronckle delivered a tiny fish, only to be seized and devoured by a colossal dragon emerging from the lava pit. All the other dragons cowered in terror before the giant creature.

"What... is that?" Astrid whispered, her voice shaking. Ludic, terrified, gripped Frostbite's saddle tighter, which only stressed the dragon more.

"Alright, we gotta get out of here. Now!" Hiccup yelled. Frostbite and Toothless escaped the nest, the Red Death lunging at them but grabbing a Zippleback instead. The dragons flew off to a beach and landed, Ludic and Frostbite following shortly after.

As they landed on the beach at Berk, Ludic jumped off his dragon and collapsed onto the sand, too scared to move. "Holy shit," he muttered.

"No, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them. Let's find your Dad," Astrid said.

"No, no! Not yet. They'll... kill Toothless. Astrid, we have to think this through carefully," Hiccup said, his voice urgent.

"Hiccup, we just discovered the Dragons' Nest. The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret?! To protect your pet dragon?! Are you serious?!" Astrid's frustration and disbelief were clear. Ludic stood up, Frostbite growling at Astrid, making her take a step back. Ludic patted the dragon's head to calm him down, and Frostbite nuzzled into him.

"Yes," Hiccup said firmly.

"Okay. Then what do we do?" Astrid asked, her tone resigned.

"Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out," Hiccup promised.

"Okay," Astrid agreed, then punched him in the arm. "That's for kidnapping me," she said, then kissed him on the cheek. "That's for... everything else." She ran off, leaving Hiccup in a daze.

Ludic wolf-whistled, making Hiccup turn to him. "Oh, shut up," Hiccup muttered, feeling a pang of disappointment that it wasn't Ludic who kissed him.

WAIT, I LIKE LUDIC, Hiccup thought, his mind suddenly reeling with panic at the realization. He looked away from the tall, handsome Viking, the internal turmoil clear on his face. Ludic noticed the change and stepped closer. Without a second thought, Ludic grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and kissed his forehead gently. Hiccup froze, his heart racing.

"That's for being you," Ludic said softly before walking away, leaving Hiccup standing there, stunned and overwhelmed by the realization of his feelings.