The Gray Area (1/2) - A Viggo Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

17. Feelings

Viggo looked down at Sessa with concerned eyes and observed, "and considering the emotions you're showing right now, I'd say you're taking more than usual."

Sessa nodded slowly. She immediately began to close off her heart, letting the extra soul she'd been using flow back to her dragon. Her feelings weakened, and her eyes became neutral. But emotion returned when Viggo placed his hand over hers. She looked into his eyes with a curious gaze.

"What's wrong?" Viggo wondered.

Sessa shook her head and adverted her eyes. "When you do that..I feel," she spoke shyly.

A smile of amusement pulled at his lips, "is that such a bad thing?"

Sessa shook her head quickly, "no, it's good...it makes me wonder.." She sighed, still unable to look Viggo in the eyes. What she was about to suggest was enough to bring even Sessa to embarrassment. "..What if I could stop living off of Nightshade's soul? Her mother told me that a dragon soul cannot keep a human alive..but what of another human's soul?"

Viggo raised an eyebrow, "..I presume you're talking about mine?" When Sessa nodded, he smiled. He wasn't apposed to the idea, in fact, he liked it. It made his heart leapt to think that Sessa wanted to share his soul. There was only one problem, "and how do you propose we go about that?"

There was a moment of quiet, the only noise was of the fire crackling before them. "I've no idea," Sessa muttered her response. Another silence weighed down the air in the room. Sessa sat with her knees hugged to her chest, less than a foot away from Viggo. She could feel his body heat radiating against her side, and a longing entered her heart. So instead of ignoring it the way she usually would, Sessa scooted closer to him.

Surprise struck Viggo when he felt Sessa cuddle against his side. Looking down at her with shock, he asked in amusement, "are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Sessa looked into the fire and felt a small smile play on her lips. "It is when I'm away from you that I don't feel at all," she reminded him, "so yes, I'm feeling much more than 'alright.'"

Warmth envoloped Viggo's heart. He wrapped his arm around her back and held her close to him. But it was bittersweet. He loved this woman, but he knew that this moment was not about affection for her. It was survival. Sessa was temporararily latched to his soul, clinging to it for her own life.

If only he'd known how wrong he was.

Although she didn't know it yet, Sessa was falling as well. Being without feelings for so long made it hard to decipher just what certain emotions meant anymore. For now, all Sessa knew was that she was warm, safe, and calm being so close to Viggo. And she wanted that to last.

• • •

As the sun began to rise outside, Sessa found her vison clouding white. For just as any human was blinded by darkness, she was blinded by light. The only disadvantage to having night-eyes. When voices came within earshot, she felt Viggo stand. Sessa came to her feet as well, but didn't move. She tried desperately to see, but everything was white.

However, she was surprised when she noticed that something was visible. Her eyes landed on what looked to be a powder blue glow. It swirl gently, like food coloring in a glass of water, but stayed in one concentrated area. Sessa was even more surprised when she heard it speak, "Hiccup will be coming to check on us soon." It was Viggo. She could see his soul.

Her stomach twisted in discomfort. It felt wrong to be able to see something so intimate to a human. Yet she couldn't look away. It wasn't long before she noticed another soul enter the room. Judging from where it came from, Sessa assumed she knew where she was standing. Trying to act as nothing were wrong, she walked forward. But it was obvious by her delicate steps and widened eyes that she could not see properly.

"Can you..not see?" Hiccup's voice echoed.

Sessa hesitated, annoyed that her weakness was so easily noticed. "I'm not used to being in such bright areas," she told him reluctantly.

She then felt something touch her shoulder. The familiar warmth that filled her body suggested it was Viggo. "Come this way," he ordered softly before leading Sessa to the table. There, he had her sit in a chair, "better?"

Sessa didn't like having to be taken care of, but she dealt with it for the time being. "I'm glad you're doing better today," Hiccup said, but his voice was professional, "we'll have a few questions once Heather gets here."

"Heather?" Sessa repeated. She thought back to the young girl she knew so long ago. The only one who'd ever been her friend, until Viggo came along. The only one who'd put up with her oddities for years. Thinking back now, Sessa found guilt sprouting in her stomach; she'd left her. She left Heather without any warning, knowing she was her only friend. But back then, Sessa just didn't care.