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

21. Priorities

Although his heart just about exploded when Hiccup said this, Viggo was able to keep his composure. Stepping away from the edge, he turned his back to Hiccup once again, "not awful."

"Even though she doesn't have a soul?" Hiccup pressed on.

Viggo frowned, looking over his shoulder, "she does."

"You mean, Nightshade?" Hiccup asked, moving to stand so that he could see Viggo's face. His own face was clouded with empathy that he couldn't hide. "That's not her--"

"Not Nightshade's," Viggo interrupted, meeting the younger man's eyes, "mine." He looked down at the stables. He could just barely make out the shapes of two woman and their dragons. "That is her plan that she spoke of; I'm going to give her half of my soul. She'll never need to feed off of anyone else again."

Hiccup's eyes widened. Viggo had said he'd been supplying Sessa, but to give her half of his entire soul was immense. He stared at the older man in wonder; how had someone so selfish, become so selfless as to give away part if his soul? "You'll be bound to her for life, if you do that," he told Viggo.

"We're both aware of the risks, dear Hiccup," Viggo responded with a crooked grin, "but she wants to be alive, and I want her to be happy."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows and smiled a bit, huffing, "wow." Upon recieving a curious look from Viggo, he explained, "I just never thought you, you, could fall in love with someone. You always seemed so, well, soulless."

"That is the irony, now, isn't it," Viggo chuckled lightly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hiccup felt a smile of his own cross his face. He eyed Viggo with a look of pleased surprise, "you really are different now."

Viggo squinted his eyes, "not by much, really." He went on to explain, "I've simply no reason to hate you and the dragon riders any longer. Especially now, with you taking me in, even if just for a short while." Giving Hiccup a sly grin, he went on, "with dragon hunting behind me, I've found different priorities in life."

• • •

The next morning, Heather left for Berserker Island; she had a lot to tell her brother. Sessa made her way to the clubhouse in the last minutes before the sun rose. There, she met with Viggo, who'd also been awake all night.

"There she is," he greeted with a warm smile, "you disappeared after your little talk with Heather." He then added a bit more quietly, "I was worried."

Sessa smiled. A full smile. One that was carefree and real. It made Viggo's heart soar. "I went for a fly with Nightshade," Sessa explained as she walked over to Viggo.

"You look like you're in a pleasant mood," Viggo observed with a raised eyebrow and an amused grin.

"I believe I am," Sessa responded, a yawn escaping her mouth at the end of her words, "and tired."

"I must say, I agree with you there," Viggo responded, "this new sleeping schedule had me awake all hours of the night."

Sessa didn't respond as she made her way over to the fireplace where both of their fur mats laid a few feet apart. She sat on her own, removing her boots. Viggo followed in suit, sitting on his own mat and getting ready to go to sleep. Since the clubhouse was the dragon riders' main meeting place, he'd made sure that he and Sessa kept their stuff hidden away in the shadows of the back wall near a corner.

"What did you talk to the dragon rider leader about?" Sessa asked as she fluffed up her pillow as best as she could.

Viggo's face dusted pink, but thankfully she wasn't looking. Still, he wasn't going to lie to her. His feelings were real, so why try to keep them from showing? "You, actually," he responded coolly.

Sessa met his eyes finally, her own wide in surprise. "Oh," she stated, unsure how to respond. Although she didn't know why, the idea of Viggo talking about her to Hiccup made her feel warm on the inside. But not as warm as when Viggo touched her skin. So she held a hand out to him. He gladly took hers into his, smiling with slightly lidded eyes; it was a look Sessa had never seen him give her before.

Turning her head curiously to the side, she tried to read his emotions. For some reason, that was easier than reading her own. She found herself looking into his dark eye for longer than intended. And she was even more surprised to find that embarrassment was rising to her cheeks. She took her hand back with haste and turned her face away, only looking back at him when a chuckle escaped his throat. "What is funny?"

Viggo shook his head. "You, with feelings." He shot her a charming grin and went on, "I never thought the day would come where you'd actually blush like that."