(HTTYD) To Protect Its Own

Hiccup's Gift

Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it. ^ above pic

Astrid POV

He's falling! What is the Thor his dragon doing? Then, I noticed he was smiling, stretching his arms out while falling. I watch in awe as his dragon (Toothless right?) fall next to him, facing each other. Still, they were getting closer to the sea, making me nervous, but at the last moment, Hiccup clicked himself back into the reigns, projecting inches above the surface. The dragon and his rider spiraled back to the sky, yelling in triumph. It was breath-taking.

"Amazing," Fishlegs said in awe. Subconsciously, I nodded in agreement. Hiccup looked so happy, so content in the sky, his hair brushing back from the wind. He was fine--without us and my heart panged in longing. 

Suddenly, a loud dragon roar was heard, vibrating all throughout the village and I covered my ears to muffle the noise. Hiccup and Toothless arched their heads to the source of the sound, first looking at each other before nodding. The pair sped up across the ocean leaving a cut in the water and zooming past us in a blink. The wind from the speed almost took my helmet from me, but I held on to my head fast. Thor, they were so fast! When Hiccup passed me, it was only for a second, but I saw determination set in his features. Something crazy was going to happen.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Hiccup pushed the Vikings off the Deadly Nadder, glaring heatedly at the village, who were just watching. His eyes met mine and at that moment, what he said to me popped in my mind. Dragons still have feelings.

He hunched down, cutting the ropes off the dragon, and the village gasped when the Nadder, as soon as it was free, pinned Hiccup to the wall. I winced when Hiccup screamed in pain but managed to stop anyone from intervening. I watch in awe as his eyes looked at the dragon in understanding and before I knew it, calmed the dragon down. Their heads were together, staring at each other in silence and Hiccup smiled. Good girl, I seem to have heard from Hiccup. It was amazing and Fishlegs, Snotlout, and twins agreed, gasping in awe.

The Vikings that were restraining the Nadder were also staring in awe and about to compliment Hiccup, but in a fit of anger, the boy pinned the Viking to the wall. Hiccup's green eyes flashed in anger and his lips pulled into a growl.

"WHERE IS IT?" Astonished, I can only stare when Hiccup punched him straight in the face and demanded the answer once again. What is he talking about it? It was obvious the Viking didn't know what he was talking about, but Hiccup was too angry to notice it.

Fortunately, Stoick and Gobber arrived, opening the gate and running to the scene. The gang and I followed after, watching the scene from the opened entrance.

Stoick pulled Hiccup from the Viking just in time before he can pull another punch. He demanded to know where the egg was, his face set in hard-boiled rage. The dragon had a baby? I glanced at the Nadder, asleep and resting. No wonder it was agitated.

"Umm. ." I turned to face that source of the sound, rolling my eyes when it was the twins. What did they do this time? I felt a shiver down my spine when Hiccup looked straight at the twins, eyes narrowing and expression in a frown.

"Where is the egg, Tuff, Ruff?" His voice was calm, but everyone knew that there was the devil underneath that facade. His fists were clenched and a vein popped on his forehead. I visibly gulped, scared for the twins.

The twin said nothing, causing Hiccup to lose his patience and hoisted them up in the air demanding an answer once again. Then, the dam broke, Tuffnut spilling everything from finding the egg to losing it.

Hiccup's eyes flashed again in anger yet again. "THERE WAS A BABY IN THAT EGG!" His outburst held anger to the extremes, but again, his tone revealed an even more tender feeling underneath. Care. He was scared for the baby. Hiccup may hate us, but he never stopped caring. I looked back at the mother, sleeping peacefully. Because it trusted Hiccup. We would've just thought that Nadder was being a beast like always. But Hiccup didn't. He saw a mother trying to find its child. How can we ever make Hiccup trust us when we are too stubborn to see more than the dragon?

Hiccup finally dropped them to ground, already running out of the ring. He stopped for a moment, though, turning back to us once again. His statement made my blood run cold as his threat was real and cold.

We just watched in silence when we saw Hiccup leave on Toothless. The boy was angry and I bet he will be even angrier when he comes back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone stared at the boy, playing with the baby Nadder and interacting the mother. His expression was tender and kind as he interacted with the mother and child. An expression I have never seen on Hiccup when he was still living in Berk back then. I guess all the childhood memories I had with Hiccup consists of him bullied or ridiculing, assigning him to a defeated expression or indifference. 

He cares about the dragons. I knew. Hell, everyone knew. Hiccup came back with the baby Nadder in his arms, looking curiously at its surroundings. When the baby saw the mother, it squawked in excitement and started to wiggle in impatience. When Hiccup let the baby dragon, it ran awkwardly to its mother, who met it half-way, embracing it with its head. Hiccup smiled, but I saw that he was roughened up, breathing in short breaths, and sweat on his forehead. He was still injured! He met my eyes for a second, his smile disappeared and a hardened expression in its place. I narrowed my eyes, telling him I knew he was hurting. He looked away, stubborn to admit it, which made my blood boil.

The dragon family went to him, the baby jumping in his arms. I saw the visible wince when Hiccup caught him, but he masked it quickly before playing with the baby. I guess he doesn't want them to worry, but I knew it hurt as he cautiously lowered himself to the ground. Toothless was behind them, laying down on the ground, its tail curled around Hiccup's legs. Hiccup let himself lean back on the Night Fury, not even sparing a glance at Stoick or any of us for that matter.

Finally, Stoick coughed to gain Hiccup's attention, in which Hiccup's eyes snapped at us. He said nothing for a while before standing up with the baby. His eyebrow rose up an inch, his expression humourous as well.

"What? Is there something on me?" His face was probing for an answer, his expression humorous as well as distrustful. No one said anything until Hiccup winced sharply when the baby Nadder started to move. He let the dragon go, the baby moving on to play with Toothless. Stoick glanced at Hiccup' ribs and pointed at his chest.

 "We need to see your injuries." Stoick gestured to Hiccup. Hiccup froze.

"NO! Let Gothi do it." He shouted in panic, shaking his head in stubbornness. Stubborn chief he was, Stoick didn't take any of that, though. 

"This isn't a request, son. Take off your suit." Hiccup still shook his head, irritation set in his features.

"And I said no, Cheif. I'm fine." He said in a tone, not intending to compromise. Stoick's eyes narrowed and he turned to Gobber.

"Gobber, take off the suit." Gobber nodded, heading toward Hiccup. Hiccup backed up, panic in his expression and he was about to run in the other direction, but Gobber had him by the hook.

"Wa- Gobber- Sto- Oh -cmon-!" Everyone gasped. Hiccup's top was off, his bare back and chest showing. His ribs' bandage was loose, revealing purple bruising. But that wasn't what shocked us. Hiccups' back was covered in faint scars, some resembling scratches, some resembling whips. The injuries seem to be caused by more humans than dragons. The many scars were covered by tattoos, small and big. On the center of his back, was a Night fury, its wings spread out and aligned on the black scales was an inscription.

"To protect my own is to protect the Night Fury that saved me."