Chapter Text
It all happened in a flash. Hiccup dodged the arrows shot at him by Viggo’s men, like he’d done a million times before. And he was successful, like he always was. Or so he thought. The strange thing was, the pain didn’t hit Hiccup all at once. He hadn’t even noticed he was hit until he looked down to see a dragon root arrow stuck in his abdomen, a pool of dark crimson growing from it.
Eyes wide, his stomach tied itself in a knot. ‘I’ve been hit’ was the first phrase his mind conjured. The sight of the arrow left Hiccup in shock and disbelief. ‘This can’t be real’ he thought. It was a risk Hiccup took nearly daily, but for some reason Hiccup assumed immunity to mortal dangers. It was an irrational assumption, and Hiccup was quickly confronted with the naivety of his false expectation. All it took was getting an arrow pierced through his side.
But even as his wound started stitching stinging pain into his side, Hiccup decided to look past it. He could worry about his injury later. The dragon hunters had captured a Rumblehorn, and of course Hiccup wasn’t going to let them get away with it. Hiccup had conveniently run into this predicament the one time he was completely alone. He had come to the island by himself to study Rumblehorn behavior, but the only thing he’d discovered was dragon hunters. The dragon was imprisoned on Viggo’s ship, and Hiccup was doing everything they could to prevent that ship from leaving shore with the Rumblehorn.
“Toothless plasma blast!” Hiccup shouted, pointing to the lock on the cage.
Toothless shot a powerful bolt of purple fire at the lock, but to no avail. That’s the whole point of dragon-proof cages, but it was still worth a try.
It was getting harder to ignore the arrow wound. Second by second, the laceration pulsed waves of sickening pain that only got worse. Hiccup grunted, bringing shaking hands to his abdomen. Immediately, his hands were soaked with the warmth of his own blood. The sight made him nauseated, he took deep breaths to try calming himself.
Truthfully, he was freaking out inside. ‘What if I die? What’s gonna happen to Toothless? W-’
“Agh!” He exclaimed, hissing in reaction to the sharp pain that stabbed at his side. Toothless let out a worried coo.
“I’m f-fine bud,” Hiccup lied, followed by another grimace.
Viggo heard Hiccup’s cry, and looked to see the dragon rider clutching his side. Curiosity peaked, he kept his focus on him. Then Viggo saw it. The dark crimson staining Hiccup’s hands, the arrow protruding from where he held his wound. Something in the pit of his stomach just dropped. Viggo took note of his own reaction. Was it concern? Guilt? Fear? Or a combination of all three? He wasn’t sure, but he knew this didn’t feel right.
The sound of more arrows whipping through the air set Viggo off.
“Hold your fire!” Viggo nearly screamed, followed by shocked expressions from the other dragon hunters. Viggo quickly cleared his throat.
“Why waste arrows on a target that’s already been hit?” Viggo said, feigning composure and gesturing to Hiccup, who was hunched over in pain.
“Let’s land for a minute Toothless” Hiccup said. Toothless immediately flew down towards the island.
Viggo tracked the night fury’s movement, seeing where they landed. Without much thought, Viggo started to make his way off the ship.
“Where are you going?” one of the dragon hunters asked.
Viggo realized just how impulsive he was acting, but he didn’t care.
“Let’s just say I have some unfinished business to attend to” He said, trying to add a dark flare to his words.
Hiccup slowly climbed off of Toothless and stumbled the second his feet hit the ground. Toothless caught him with his head, letting Hiccup lean on him for support. All Hiccup wanted to do was lay down and sleep, but that’s what worried him. That’s what people felt like when they were about to die.
“Thanks bud” Hiccup said, followed by a small coughing fit that only aggravated his injury.
Hiccup took a few steps forward, but shortly after he crumpled to his knees, too weak to stay upright. Hunched over, he clutched his side, watching his blood stain the sand. The haunting sight of his own gore didn’t help how light-headed he already felt. But he had to keep moving, out here on the beach he was totally exposed. Toothless nudged Hiccup worriedly, licking his face and making concerned noises.
“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Hiccup reassured, pressing his forehead against Toothless.
Hiccup mustered up all the strength he had to stand up again. Toothless laid down so Hiccup could easily climb onto his back. Hiccup practically collapsed on top of Toothless.
“Let’s *cough* get behind that big rock” Hiccup said, patting Toothless on the head. Another coughing fit racking his frame.
Toothless walked slowly towards it, and Hiccup couldn’t help but let a tear stream down his face. ‘This is the end for me. I just know it. I can try to deny it, but the truth is: I’m out here alone, arrows are meant to kill their target, and there’s no way I’ll get medical attention in time. I am going to die. This is the last time I’ll see Toothless. I won’t even get to say goodbye to my friends.’ The darkening overcast sky had begun to rumble with soft thunder, symbolically adding to Hiccup's impending sense of doom.
Viggo walked along the beach, searching for Hiccup. He spotted the pool of crimson stained sand in front of him . A lump rose in his throat. ‘I did this’. Viggo tried in vain to rationalize his emotions. Hiccup was his worthy adversary. And now he was dying. In all honesty, Viggo had never considered a reality in which Hiccup had died by his hand. To Viggo, all people were expendable and replaceable; except for Hiccup. Viggo was shaken from his thoughts when he heard the familiar coo of Hiccup’s dragon, and quickly followed the sound.
Hiccup sat propped against the rock, with Toothless pacing worried circles around him.
“Toothless, come here bud” Hiccup strained, holding his hand out weakly.
Toothless approached Hiccup, curling up next to him and laying his head on his lap. His distressed whines made it hard for Hiccup to stop his flow of tears. He wanted to be strong for Toothless. But Toothless knew that Hiccup was on the brink of death.
“I love you Toothless,” Hiccup sniveled. Toothless hummed as if to say the same thing.
Hiccup looked down at Toothless, who’s striking green eyes stared back at him. Those ethereal eyes that pierced through his soul the first time he saw them. Those eyes that he’d never see again. His arrow wound was only a scratch compared to the pain of that knowledge.
He leaned his head against the rock, succumbing to the woozy feeling he’d been ignoring. A minute of heavy silence was disrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Hiccup snapped back to attention, heart thumping against his chest. Toothless let out a low growl. Anticipation rose with every step they heard. When the culprit finally showed his face, Hiccup’s heart nearly stopped. Viggo Grimborn.
Viggo stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Hiccup was deathly pale, his eyes alert but glazed over. Toothless bared his teeth, growling menacingly and raising a protective wing to cover Hiccup. Guilt overtook Viggo. The fear etched into Hiccup’s features said it all. He was a monster. He knew they were enemies, and he usually loved when his enemies feared him. But the sight made even Viggo want to cry.
“Vi-Viggo? Stay away..” Hiccup croaked weakly, barely an ounce of strength left in him.
“I’m not here to hurt you my dear boy” Viggo replied softly, trying to convey the sincerity of his words.
“Then why...why are you here?” Hiccup asked, trying to keep his heavy eyes open.
That was a good question. ‘What am I doing here? What did I expect to do? Fix his injury? Save his life? How could you be so foolish?’
“I’m not sure” Was all Viggo said. It was the truth. He didn’t know what he was doing. For once he didn’t have a plan.
If Hiccup wasn’t dying he’d have suspected Viggo was up to something. Maybe the spots in his vision were messing with his head, but Hiccup sensed that Viggo was being genuine. Viggo’s eyebrows were stitched together in concern. He was completely unarmed. Hiccup wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was too tired to care. He rested his head against the rock again, eyes slipping closed.
“Hiccup?” Viggo asked, inching closer, worried that he’d been too late. Toothless kept a wary eye on Viggo.
Hiccup coughed in response. Viggo let out a sigh of relief and knelt down beside him, unsure of what to do, what to say. When it came to evil banter, the words came to him easily. Viggo didn’t exactly excel at speaking from the heart.
“There’s nothing I could ever do to atone for my actions Hiccup,” Viggo started, deciding to throw caution to the wind. This may very well be the last chance he has to speak his mind.
“I never hoped to see you in this state dear Hiccup. In truth, I admire you. Ever since we started this game of Maces and Talons I’ve revered your brilliance. I…” Viggo trailed off.
It was hard to break through the formality he so often used. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell Hiccup just how much he meant to him. He’d just never realized how much until this moment. Viggo didn’t even know if Hiccup could hear a word he just said.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Viggo muttered, eyes beginning to sting. The gravity of the situation was beginning to hit him harder than he’d expected.
Hiccup couldn’t believe his ears. He knew Viggo was telling the truth, which is what shocked him the most. But he didn’t feel completely surprised. Hiccup sensed that Viggo had the potential to be good, if given the chance. And Viggo’s presence felt oddly comforting at the moment. His silky voice offering much needed consolation instead of his usual mind games. Hiccup’s eyes fluttered open to see Viggo next to him, looking distraught and absolutely heartbroken. His dark brown eyes glistened with tears he refused to let fall.
“I’m so sorry Hiccup,” Viggo said, voice breaking. “For everything”.
Hiccup never thought he’d witness Viggo actually apologizing for his actions. But there he sat, affliction written in his composure, admitting his guilt. Hiccup wasn’t sure if Viggo would change his behavior accordingly, but right now, that apology was all he needed. All he wanted. His heart filled with grief. The thought of never seeing Viggo again depressed him. ‘A day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t thought about him. He’s kept me guessing, forced me to use my brain; and I’m better because of it. Because of Viggo. I’ve learned so much from him. And all this time I thought I’d be happier without him. He’s made my life interesting, eventful, exciting, purposeful. Now I’ll never see him again.’
“I forgive you Viggo” Hiccup whispered, his lower lip beginning to quiver. “I-I don’t know what I’d do without you either”.
That felt good to admit. Hiccup had spent so long obsessing over Viggo. Up until this moment, he’d convinced himself it was only because they were enemies. But the consistency of their altercations left Hiccup feeling empty whenever Viggo didn’t show up. Hiccup expected to see Viggo around every corner. The sight of him became increasingly familiar. Every interaction left Hiccup intrigued, flustered, motivated, energized. It was a strange emotion nobody else could give him.
Numbness replaced the bitter pain in Hiccup’s side. Coldness slowly crept up Hiccup’s body, his physical form accepting his grim fate. Darkness surrounded the corners of his vision. Hiccup knew this was the end. Using the little energy he had, Hiccup rested a hand on Toothless’s head. Toothless cooed a somber melody, fear and sadness in his eyes.
“P-promise you’ll stay with me when I…” Hiccup refused to say ‘die’ out loud. As if admitting it would make death come faster.
Viggo’s lower lip trembled, a tear rolled down his face. He took Hiccup’s pale hand in his.
“I promise.” Viggo croaked, heart pounding at the thought of what was about to happen.
Viggo couldn’t accept it. No, he wouldn’t accept it. ‘There has to be another way, something I can do. I can’t let Hiccup die! It’s not too late, It can’t be too late.’ Viggo searched for hope in his sea of dismay. But the sight of Hiccup discouraged him. Hiccup’s ghostly complexion, his ice cold skin, the chances were slim.
Hiccup’s eyes rolled back, his lids slowly fluttering closed. His hand fell completely limp, Viggo still holding onto it. Hiccup had finally succumbed to unconsciousness. Viggo caught Hiccup’s lifeless form, cradling him in his arms. Viggo shook Hiccup, but to no avail. Hiccup simply laid unresponsive, much to Viggo’s horror. Emotion overtook Viggo, tears freely beginning to flow.
As if on cue, a clap of thunder sounded as rain began falling heavily. Viggo held Hiccup close, dread clouding his features. He couldn’t bear to see Hiccup so unanimated, so pale, so...dead.
“No no no no no Hiccup? Hiccup don’t do this...don’t go! What have I done? Oh gods...my dear Hiccup I’m so sorry…” Viggo rambled and sobbed, muttering ‘I’m so sorry’ over and over.
Hiccup coughed weakly, eyelids opening ever so slightly before closing once more. Viggo’s heart pounded in his chest. If Hiccup had any chance of survival, this was it. Viggo quickly turned to Toothless, who eyed him with a wary gaze. Viggo slowly raised a gentle hand up, offering amiability to the dragon.
“Please, there’s still time. I need your help. He needs your help.” Viggo said, looking down at Hiccup.
Toothless was distrustful of Viggo, but Hiccup was dying; and Toothless would do anything to save Hiccup. Hesitantly he brought his nose to Viggo’s hand.
Viggo flinched slightly at the touch, looking into Toothless’s eyes. He was quickly hit with a wave of emotion. This was a beautiful, intelligent, kind, magnificent creature before him. The guilt of what he’d done to these sentient beings cut deep into his soul. ‘What have I been doing? What have I done?’. Viggo finally understood what Hiccup had been fighting for.
Viggo gingerly lifted Hiccup up, carrying him bridal style. A soft groan escaped Hiccup’s lips, though he did not wake. Viggo knew it was probably a bad idea to move Hiccup this much; but when death is the only other option, expeditious decisions must be made. Viggo carefully mounted Toothless, feeling out of place on the saddle. He had absolutely no idea how to fly a dragon, nor did he know the proper tail movements. It might be a bumpy ride, but that was the least of his problems.
“Hold on just a bit longer my dear Hiccup. I will not give up on you” Viggo whispered, and they were off.