Operation Phoenix

Chapter Sixteen

Hic's feet carried him across the grass and directly into the person before him. His arms held on tight, fearing that if he let go he'd never, ever see them again. Tears threatened to spill, but he held them back. He couldn't, he had to be strong.

"Damn," Eugene said, "miss me much?"

Hiccup pulled away roughly and punched him hard in the shoulder, almost angry at him. "We ALL missed you, you fuckhead!"

Eugene winced and held his arm, raising his free hand in defeat. "Alright, alright, jeez."

Hiccup just stared, disbelieving, because he hadn't seen the man since that day, before he'd been killed. He hadn't dreamt about him, or even heard his name in any of those deep sleeps that he'd had. He didn't think Rapunzel had seen him either, but he didn't exactly know.

Eugene tossed an apple between his hands and smiled at Hiccup, showing his teeth with a smirk. "So you and red, gettin married huh?"

Hiccup sighed and shrugged, "She probably won't say yes."

"Ah, I wouldn't be so sure," Eugene laughed and gripped the Apple in his fingers whilst he walked closer to the inventor and clasped Hic's shoulder with a smile. "She May be stubborn but she's not loveless."

"Wait does-does this mean they're alive?" Hiccup rushed in disbelief.

Eugene cocked an eyebrow. "You really think they could be killed that easy?"

Hiccup let out a breath of relief, running a hand through his hair with a grin. "Thank gods." He said.

"But Hic, I need a favor."

"Of course, a-anything."

Eugene suddenly looked serious, his eyebrows folding so that they darkened his eyes and shadowed his brow bone. His grip on Hiccup's shoulder tightened and he said, "Don't let blondie die. She's important for what's gonna come, Y'know."

Hiccup took a minute to process what he'd just told him, only becoming more confused the longer he thought about it. "I wouldn't ever, but W-what do you mean 'what's going to come'."

"Just some stuff, Y'know, the Districts—the tension, all that Jazz." Eugene said, wiggling his hands for effect. "But hey, we've all got our problems. Just," his voice became gentle and low, as if he was nursing something back to life, keeping it calm, healing it. "Just don't be a rock, okay?"

Hiccup felt something rattle his left shoulder, and he lurched awake, sweating a bit.

"Er yeh okae?" His fiancé asked from beside him. She looked ever so worried, her eyes wide and her gentle hands encasing him in her arms. "Yeh were shakin' in yer sleep, mutterin about missin' someone."

Hiccup, though still a little shook from his experience, leaned down and kissed her cheek. He was so, so glad he wasn't still in that room in New World, wondering if his fiancé and little sister were dead. Now he could hold his red headed wife-to-be and not think he was dreaming. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

Which was almost true now, he'd been having that dream constantly, since they'd gotten back from New World. It was beginning to haunt him, lingering like a ghost or a shadow. He was in constant battle over what it meant, but was always so busy he barely had time to think of it—not to mention, he didn't exactly want to think about it. The only good thing that came from that dream was Eugene. What his friend talked about was what scared him.

"Let's get ready, I think Zel es cooking fer tenight." Merida yawned, stretching a little.

"Yeah... lets get ready."