A/N: This is my fifth chapter in two days. I seriously need to take a break...I just can't stop writing! Also, as a warning, this story will contain some pretty big time jumps. Not in this chapter...actually, I'm not sure exactly when I'll skip ahead, just know that it will happen.
Disclaimer: HTTYD, will you be mine? No? Oh...Okay...
VALKA'S POV
One important fact about Night Furies? They are clingy. Toothless spends almost every moment of the day with Hiccup. Meal time, bath time, play time, sleep time, you name it. I couldn't even complain, either, because Hiccup has never been happier. The only time he cried these days was when Toothless was out of his sight. I never expected to have to adopt a Night Fury into our little family, but that was clearly going to be the case here. I think Hiccup would self-combust if his dragon was taken away from him.
I no longer felt nervous about the possibility of Toothless attacking Hiccup. After the past couple weeks, I was almost sure he had a lesser chance of hurting Hiccup than I did. The little dragon was extremely self-aware and gentle. He hadn't accidentally scratched Hiccup, and he kept his teeth sheathed near him (his ability to retract and extend his teeth at will had been a pleasant surprise). So far, he respected my boundaries as well. Part of me thought he was just trying to get on my good side, but he seemed to understand that I was Hiccup's mother, and that I made the decisions.
Speaking of mothers, I saw Jade and her other hatchling less and less as the days went by, and I found it slightly concerning. If she left, would she take Toothless with her? I knew he was hers—Cloudjumper had confirmed it using my "blink twice" method. Toothless didn't seem to have any sort of bond with her, and in turn she didn't feed or protect him. It was sad to think about, but perhaps it was a common occurrence for Night Fury mothers to basically abandon one of the eggs so she could focus solely on the other. It sometimes happens with other animals. Luckily Toothless didn't even care. He much preferred Hiccup's company anyway.
Toothless' intelligence was off the charts, especially for just being a hatchling. Whatever I said, he understood, but he was also a huge help. It was like having a full time babysitter that worked for free. When Cloudjumper returned with food for Hiccup and animal furs for me, Toothless would smash up the fruit and feed it to Hiccup while I made clothes and other materials from the furs. When Hiccup was bored, they would play together, which mostly involved Toothless hopping around as Hiccup tried to crawl after him. If Hiccup wandered too far, Toothless would bring him back into my line of sight.
I'd made an extra bed for Hiccup next to mine, since Toothless had taken it upon himself to be a living crib. Every night my son slept in the warm embrace of his dragon. I never woke up in the middle of the night to take care of a crying child anymore. Toothless' presence had improved our lives, and I was utterly grateful for him.
Still, as I said before, there is the clinginess issue. Well, not so much an issue as a quirk.
"Toothless, you're just going to have to be patient," I huffed for the tenth time in the past five minutes. I was carrying Hiccup into the lake for his daily bath, and the Night Fury was greatly upset at having his cuddle buddy stolen away. I waded forward until I was waist deep in the water, lowering Hiccup slowly. Toothless whimpered from the shoreline, pacing back and forth in agitation. He wasn't a fan of water. Cloudjumper chuffed in draconic laughter at the little dragon's expense. Those two had a...complicated relationship. They were like brothers who preferred to tease each other and wrestle occasionally than show affection.
Toothless ignored him, poking a single paw into the water before quickly drawing it back tightly against his chest. I hid my smile, trying not to upset him, and started scrubbing carefully at Hiccup's skin. My baby slapped the water with his hands, distracting himself while I worked, completely unaware of his dragon's dilemma. A particularly loud whine from Toothless made me sigh, and I looked over my shoulder. "Either suck it up and jump in or go lay down by Cloudjumper!" I demanded. His ears drooped and he shuffled over to Cloud, dragging his paws the whole way. I couldn't blame him for being scared. Night Furies weren't exactly built for swimming. His large wings, while useful in flight, would probably just drag him down in the water.
I hummed lightly as I cleaned Hiccup, enjoying the peaceful ambiance of the lake. Most of the time the Alpha sat at the center, guarding the flock as he rested. Today, though, he was nowhere to be seen. One of these days I need to follow him to see where he goes. Everything he does has a purpose, so I doubt he's swimming around the ocean for fun.
My good mood wavered as I noticed a familiar dragon flying our direction. Jade eyed me critically as she passed overhead, her little hatchling following faithfully at her side. My jaw clenched, and I hugged Hiccup to my chest protectively. This is the closest she's gotten to me since the first time we met. She looked away with a shake of her head, then landed on the beach next to the dragons. I stayed where I was, hoping she was afraid of the lake as well.
Cloudjumper flared the top half of his wings, eyeing her suspiciously. Toothless remained in his pouting position, not even acknowledging the new arrivals. The other hatchling—which I'd recently decided to call Shadow—perked up upon seeing his brother, and rushed ahead of Jade to greet him. It was the first time I'd seen them all together, and it just looked...odd.
Toothless flinched in surprise when Shadow ran into his line of sight, jumping to his feet and taking a couple steps to the side. He didn't look happy to see them at all. Night Furies are very expressive, and his reaction was anything but heartfelt. His mother reached forward in an attempt to nuzzle him, but Toothless snapped at her nose, not accepting the show of affection. I'd seen plenty of relationships like this on Berk. Parents acting cold and distant for the majority of their child's early life just to try jumping into the picture when it suited them. Berkians weren't the best at showing emotions other than anger and hunger.
Jade huffed lightly in exasperation, flinging sand at him in a playful manner. He raised his wing to avoid getting any in his eyes, then dropped his wing with extra dramatic flair to glare at her. She ducked her ears, looking genuinely apologetic as she let out a soft croon. The change in her was palpable. She was definitely in a better mood than usual. I was almost tempted to leave the water, but I knew that would be a huge mistake. I was dying to know why she was suddenly making an appearance.
Shadow nipped at Toothless' ear, inviting him to play. Toothless seemed to consider it for a few seconds, then remembered he was angry and turned away. His brother looked helplessly back at Jade, hoping his mother could fix things. She licked the top of his head, then warbled quietly to Toothless. I don't speak dragon, but whatever she said caught Toothless' attention immediately. His head whipped around to stare at her with wide eyes, and I thought I saw a bit of fear there. I took a small step back towards the shore, my worry overwhelming my common sense. Hiccup's quiet gurgle broke me out of my trance, and I stilled once again.
After a lot of soft growls exchanged between them, Toothless finally stepped away from Jade, shaking his head with finality. His expression was determined. Having her answer, she leaned forward to touch noses with him. This time he did accept the loving gesture. Then, she turned and leapt into the air. Shadow flicked Toothless with his tail before following her. I understood then that they were leaving, and they weren't coming back. I watched as their forms grew smaller and smaller, and eventually disappeared into one of the tunnels that led outside. Toothless' wings fell limp against his sides as he stared after them.
I finally made my way out of the water, grabbing the cloth I'd set aside and wrapping it around Hiccup as I went. I sat next to Toothless, hesitantly reaching out to place my hand on his neck. "Are you okay, honey?" I murmured sincerely. His nose twitched, and he shifted so he could see my son. Hiccup babbled his usual baby nonsense, raising both his arms to pat Toothless' snout. The Night Fury purred, leaning into his touch like it was the cure to all his troubles.
"It'll be okay, Toothless," I said soothingly. "They may be gone, but you still have family here. And we aren't going anywhere," I promised. His ears raised and he blinked gratefully at me. Cloudjumper ambled over, not wanting to be left out. I giggled as he pushed his head against me. "How about we go for a flight?" I suggested. Toothless immediately stood up, his entire body wiggling in excitement. Works every time.
We stopped by the cavern so I could dress Hiccup and grab the sling I used to hold him during flights, and soon after we were up in the air. It was quite amusing to watch Toothless flap his wings rapidly to keep up while Cloudjumper glided with ease. It was good exercise for the little hatchling, that's for sure. Based on the way I'd seen his mother fly, he had a lot of muscle to grow into.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that one day he'd be a full grown Night Fury, even bigger in size than Jade. The thought was slightly terrifying. Toothless was a cute, little baby, barely capable of hurting a mouse right now. But he wouldn't stay this way forever. Actually, if Night Furies were anything like the other species of dragons, he would be a mature adult in less than ten years. He'd physically outgrow Hiccup in no time. There was really nothing I could do but trust that his heart would remain the same. His devotion to Hiccup was so strong right now. I couldn't imagine that ever changing.
Toothless gave a hard thrust of his wings, sending him shooting forward in a sudden burst of speed. His tongue was flapping out the side of his mouth, the adrenaline of the flight giving him renewed energy. Cloudjumper, not to be outdone by a hatchling, veered to the side, knocking Toothless off balance. The little dragon screeched indignantly, swooping below us to avoid further disruption. I laughed at their antics, glancing down at Hiccup. He was giving me a wide, gummy smile.
"Cloud, don't be mean!" I called out, hoping he could hear me over the wind. His head turned just enough so I could see him roll his eyes. The next instant, Toothless curved expertly through the air so he was flying right beside me. His gaze, of course, was trained on Hiccup, making sure the baby was having a good time. "He's fine, Toothless! Just relax and have fun!" I chided, waving him off. He was panting slightly, as the speed of our flight was finally starting to get to him.
Sensing the hatchling's struggle, Cloudjumper pulled up, slowing our pace as much as he dared. If he went too slow we'd fall out of the sky. Toothless took that opportunity to land on his back, between the shoulder blades. He collapsed in a tired heap, using his claws to cling to Cloudjumper's scales. The Stormcutter didn't seem to mind the extra load.
Once he'd caught his breath, Toothless stood up and crawled over to me, peeking at the bundle in my arms. Hiccup was sucking on his thumb absentmindedly, just enjoying the ride. I pulled down the blanket covering his face, allowing Toothless to smother him with affection.
It was a strange little family we had, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.