(HTTYD) To Protect Its Own

Between Dragon and Viking

Hiccup POV

"Dad!" I froze. Why did I say that? I look at Stoick as well as the rest of the village staring at me like I have grown another head. Looking at the ax now on the ground, I sighed in relief. At least, nothing is swinging on Toothless.

"What did you just say?" Stoick looked at me with confusion and -hope? I said nothing. There is nothing for me to say.

"Gobber take the mask off." Now, I struggled. I shook my head heatedly, avoiding Gobber's hands from my face. I'm not ready to show my face! But, my struggles was useless as the mask tore away from my face, revealing my identity.

Again, the village was just staring at me. Oh Loki I have enough of this. Luckily, the restraints were released and I rubbed my wrists gratefully.

"Hiccup." I ignored him. Toothless crooned weakly against the weight of the Vikings. I passed dad and glared at the Vikings on top of Toothless. Reluctantly, they got off my friend. Toothless stretched out his muscles before turning to me again with a gummy smile.

"Hiccup." I ignored him again. I hunched down on my knees, petting Toothless's head and surveying his other injuries. A few cuts here, a few cuts there, and in need of a new prosthetic tail.  Toothless growled at my injuries, licking my cuts and curling his tail around me.  I laughed against his tongue. "I'm fine, bud."

"HICCUP!" Unconsciously, or maybe out of irritation, I looked up at dad. HIs eyes widened. Bad choice.

"You are Hiccup!" I rolled my eyes. I stood up, weakly. The loss of blood is really getting to me.

"Look, before you say anything. One- I'm not planning to stay here; I'll be gone before you know it,  Two- I'm not Hiccup. Well at least, not the one you know." I looked at him with indifferent eyes, before giving him a sad smile.

Stoick wasn't listening, though.  Actually, he kept coming closer, making me take steps backward.

"Look, I know I left you behind, dad. But I thought you didn't need me around." He was still walking toward me. I was walking backward again and being paranoid, I hit the wall. No escape route. Toothless growled, but I whistled to him that it was okay. He stopped and grumbled before laying down in rest. Ungrateful dragon. I can totally feel the love.

"The village wasn't going to listen to me! You weren't going to do anything, so I took matters into my own hands!" I was full-on shouting, his eyes scaring me. His hand rose and I closed my eyes, expecting a punch. I felt a hand on my cheek and opened my eyes. He was trailing his hands to my chin, then to my hair before slightly ruffling it.

"You look so much like your mother." My eyes were rimmed in tears. I choked a reply, before looking down to the ground. I didn't know what to say.

I heard Toothless growling. I turned around, seeing the Vikings sneakily surrounding my dragon. I rolled my eyes, feet walking toward my best friend.

"Gosh, leave Toothless alone!" My vision became hazy as I kept walking toward Toothless. Before I knew it, I couldn't contain myself standing and fell to the ground. I closed my eyes, bracing for the hard floor. Instead, I felt scales catching me and then surrounding me protectively. I forced myself to open my eyes, seeing Toothless eyeing me with worry and nudging me with his head. I shakily held my arm out, Toothless, meeting me half-way with his head. I smiled at the gesture and closed my eyes, drifting into a much-needed rest.

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Stoick POV

"I don't know what to do, Gobber." Gobber looked at me, nonplussed on what to say. I didn't blame him. I just found my boy. Alive and with a dragon. He has grown up so much without me.

"Well, it's not Hiccup if he's not doing something crazy." I rubbed my face tiredly. How did it come to this?

"This is more than crazy, Gobber! It's god-defying! A boy with a dragon!?" I stared at the closed room door, with Hiccup lying on a bed. "It's traitorous."

Gobber shrugged his shoulders and sat down next to me.

"Maybe. But as much as you don't want to admit, lad, the dragon loves the boy." As if rehearsed, we heard the sad cry of a dragon in the room. It was waiting for Hiccup to awake. We were all waiting. Oh God have mercy-how did it come to this?

Five hours ago

"Hiccup!" I ran to my unconscious son. The dragon caught him first, making me stop. He was cradling him with his wings, poking his head urgently at Hiccup. I can hear a whimper coming from the Night Fury. It was confused and scared. I just watched the scene before me, unsure of what to do.

Hiccup woke up, seeing his eyes half-lidded, hazy. His hands reached out for something, I didn't know what, but the Night Fury knew. Hiccup reached out for the dragon and the dragon, in turn, reached out to him. Hiccup's outstretched hand and the Dragon's head met and for only a mere moment, my son smiled. Then, Hiccup closed his eyes, his hand dropping to the ground. The Night Fury crooned, nudging the fallen hand with his nose, his eyes staring at the fainted boy.

Tentatively, I stepped to Hiccup, only for the Night Fury to hear it and growl at me. It laid Hiccup gently on the ground, crouching over him protectively. Gobber tried to steal him from behind but the dragon was quicker and snarled threateningly.

More of the villagers attempt to take Hiccup away from the dragon, but it was of no use. It just wrapped its body around Hiccup tighter, refusing to give him. It would snarl. It would growl. It would hiss. The dragon was protecting Hiccup through its own way. It didn't trust us.

But we need to know what's wrong with Hiccup. It could be fatal. I don't want to lose my son again! Again, I try to take my son from the dragon, but then I was stopped by Gothi. She soon began to hobble over to the dragon.

"Gothi, what are you doing!? That dragon will kill you!" One Viking said in fear. But Gothi wasn't listening. She just kept walking until she was close to the dragon. However, the dragon ceased hissing and just glared at Gothi. Gothi waved over him with her staff and gestured to the dragon. The Night Fury whined, but it opens its wings to let Gothi examine Hiccup.  What the hell is going on?!

Gothi trailed her fingers along Hiccup's face before opening his flight suit to take a look at his chest. I winced at the bruising from my fist and looked down, ashamed of my actions. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She nodded, gesturing for the Vikings to come closer. Again, The dragon growled at the close proximity, covering Hiccup yet again.  Gothi hit the top of the dragon's head neatly on the head, glaring at it before it opened its wings and setting Hiccup to the ground with a whine.

The Vikings took Hiccup, carrying it to my house and laying him in his old room. The Night Fury followed suit, never leaving Hiccup out of its sight. I opened the door to Hiccup's room, dusty over lack of cleaning and cobwebs building up at corners. I never opened Hiccup's door after his "death", scared of accepting the fact that he was gone. It was then I noticed there was nothing in his room. It was clean, no possessions, no clothes, no anything. He did leave. And I didn't notice.

The dragon walked inside the room, sniffing the new environment before walking toward to Hiccup. It hovered over Gothi, watching her tend to Hiccup's wounds. Its eyes tended carefully to  Gothi's movements before turning around and meeting my eyes.

It didn't move, just looking at me through hooded eyes. The dragon snorted before limping toward to Hiccup's closet. With its teeth, it took hold of the knob and slid it open. It poked its head inside the closet for a few moments and pulled out a blanket with its teeth. I raised an eyebrow as the dragon pulled the blanket to Hiccup's side and draping it over his body.

Gothi was done with Hiccup and looked at the night fury's injuries next. My eyebrows furrowed at how Gothi meticulously applied ointment to the dragon's cuts and bandaged its leg.

Frustrated and confused, I turned around, not wanting to see the exchange. Because I knew. If I saw anymore, I would have to admit that I was wrong. Dragons weren't dangerous, well at least this one isn't. Thus, I left the room, though not before seeing the Night Fury laying down in front of Hiccup's bed, his eyes never leaving Hiccup's face.