The Lost Boy IV - The Hidden World

07 - Night surprise

It was not difficult to follow them, but they were getting much away from the camp. They kept on tracking until they reached the beach of their isle within the island. They stopped just under a tree stump, spotting their dragons on the beach, near the water. Lumiverse was quietly laying on her side, watching as Toothless was bouncing all around her, circling her with a limitless joy he only had near the Night Lights.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile and stood again, dragging his husband with him, yet Joke stopped and put his free hand to his head, which seemed painful. The young chief instantly stopped and worried.

''Hey, you're okay, babe ? Is it because of the knock back then ?''

''No, don't worry, that's nothing. I just got up too quickly.''

Weirdly, Hiccup didn't buy it. He noticed that Joke seemed paler than usual, even ghastly, as if he was sick. The white-haired young man shook his head and smiled again when he looked downward, towards their dragons. They had spotted them, and Toothless rushed to them, bouncing in delight, circling them and licking their face. He accompanied them when they came down the sandy slope separating them from Lumiverse. Hiccup slipped two times and fell the third one, making Toothless laugh at him.

The black dragon then grabbed his peg leg in his mouth and dragged the viking in the sand, amusing Lumiverse and Joke. The Light Fury's gaze followed them and she cooed to her rider and friend, who walked to her and stroked her head. The fact that she let him touch her again warmed his heart up. It also meant that she had led her eggs, and he spotted them between her paws, where he crouched.

Hiccup got up and wiped the sand off his clothes, then could finally join his husband. Just like him, he crouched in front of Lumiverse, pressing against him until he could rest his head on top of his, both of them looking at the small shapes inbetween the protective paws of the white dragon.

''Looks like we're gonna have two more Night Lights.'' Joke smiled.

Hiccup smiled too but didn't replied. No need to. He put a hand on Joke's knee and remained against him, contemplating the eggs. They didn't look like the previous ones. Hiccup remembered the eggs of Duskstorm, Moonlight and Midnight as if he had seen them the day before. Two had been almost completely black with some white spots – more for Duskstorm than Midnight – and Moonshine's had been white with three tiny black spots on the top.

These two eggs were completely different, foresaying the dragons in it were not going to look like their siblings. The first one was black with two white stripes while the other was a light grey with random darker grey spots and stripes.

Joke put his hand over his husband's, still smiling. When he met his dragon's mauve eyes, she cooed to him, then gently nuzzled him in the belly, purring softly. She looked at him again before cuddling her new eggs lovingly. This was really touching for the two vikings, yet this peaceful picture got interrupted but Toothless' overwhelming joy. He ran just behind them and toppled them playfully, Hiccup got the reflex to catch Joke on him, laughing.

However, as he was expecting to hear the signature laugh of his husband, his ears were met by a faint grunt, and Lumiverse's worried look didn't escaped his attention. He sat up and looked at Joke, who was clasping a hand over his mouth, a grimace on the face. His skin seemed ghastly again, and the viking would have sworn his lover's body was warmer than usual.

''H-Hey ?'' He asked with a shaky voice. ''You sure you're okay ?''

Joke made a frantic sign to him with his free hand, he used him as support to get up and made a few steps away before dropping on his knees. Then viking and dragons heard him throw up. Hiccup worried anew and followed him. As he caught up and knelt beside him, Joke had finished and was breathing deeply, both hands on his forehead as if he was using his chilly fingers to soothe a fever.