Disclaimer: I do not own "How to Train Your Dragon."

Author's Note: Greetings, readers! This idea has been at the forefront of my mind for a long time now, so I finally decided to write it. If you all like it then I'll continue this, and I already have the second chapter written up, so let me know your thoughts on the first chapter here!

Cold—the only feeling that's left. That and loneliness.

Seven months have passed emptily, as if nothing had happened… except much did happen. He had left his home to attend a sort of school to enhance his chieftain abilities. He remembered stories his dad would tell him when he attended as a boy. Only for him, it had been pleasant. For Hiccup, it had been a nightmare.

He stood on the deck of the ship as his homeland approached. Since dragons were not permitted in the academy, he had no choice but to travel by boat. A long and boring experience, he noted mentally, but an experience nonetheless.

The academy had changed him over the past months, made him cold and indifferent. It stripped him of his compassion and rebuked him for ever having it. He recalled how the other chieftains disassociated themselves from him, seeing him as the "dragon lover," and never failed to torment him for his love of the winged creatures. He also noted how the elders, the teachers, should have put an end to it. But they didn't. If anything, they provoked it.

He let his hand fall over a thick scar on his right cheek. He winced at the memory of the whip that snapped it there, remember the beast that did it—Halvar: the head of the academy, and infamously among the students: The Lord of Agony. He was cruel to everyone there; including the elders. But he had particular rancor for him. He would ensure that he made no friends, by isolating him and persuading the opinions of others.

He stared stone-faced at the island, happiness and love a foreign entity to him, but that's what seven months of being forced not to feel, does to one. And they made sure he received that treatment fully. He recalled the lonely, sleepless nights of the end of the first month when he would silently cry for the company of Toothless. And now he felt no excitement to be reunited with the dragon.

He growled at the memory of Halvar and his final words to him: "What has been done here will remain a secret, else your life, and the lives of your people shall be destroyed." He clenched his fists in anger: You've hurt me beyond what a human can handle, and now you hurt me further by making me lie to the people I care about? He thought, knowing that there'd be questions about the fresh mark on his face. In his mind, he was playing through the most torturous scenarios for the evil old man, sickly enjoying it as he did so.

As he broke from his reverie, he saw that the docks of his home near and what appeared to be a crowd of people there, waiting. A silent dread filled him; he did not want a welcome home from anyone, especially from those he knew well. He was so used to his negligence they had so carefully and relentlessly instilled in him, that a welcome would only embarrass him. So he only hoped that they would let him pass and he could go to his house.

He glanced to the man sitting to his right—Sten. A good man, he thought. He was the captain of their ship and was the one who brought him to the academy. Hiccup liked him for one reason: he acknowledged his presence. Even though they exchanged few words throughout the voyage, he at least wasn't condescending toward him or his ways with dragons like every other person he had come in contact with over the past five months was.

At that moment, the boat came to a stop, once again breaking him from his thought. He held a stone-hard expression as he glanced at the villagers on the dock to his right. The first thing he saw was the familiar dragon, wagging his tail with a facial expression that shone months of bottled-up anticipation. The dragon waited at the closest position he could be; his excitement nearly causing him to fall off the side of the pier.

Hiccup felt uncomfortable as he saw the dragon dance in excitement, thought: How am I going to deal with this welcome? He then remembered his graduation from the academy; there were no congratulations, no smiles, nothing. Just silence as he walked out. If an achievement of that magnitude was not worth recognition, then a simple return home certainly wasn't. So why was it happening?

As the bridge was set for him to cross back onto the land, he hesitated, his face cemented in a frown as he looked at all the faces, smiling and waiting. Here goes nothing! He thought, then made his cross.

When he reached the wooden dock, he was nearly trampled by the ecstatic Night Fury. The dragon knocked him over and gave large loving licks all over his face.

Hiccup stiffened, the outward show of affection shocking him. It had been so long since he last received such love that he had no idea how to react to it.

After a moment, Toothless noticed his stiffness, ceased his licking; confusion replacing his joyful expression. Is he not excited to see me? Surely he did not forget who I am! As Hiccup got to his feet, the Night Fury stopped as he noticed the scar that descended from his right cheek bone. He came close, sniffing it. They hurt his face? How? I could've been there to protect him!

Out of instinct, he nodded to the Night Fury. It was the formal way of greeting he was taught at the academy. Then out of the blue, his mother caught him up in an embrace. Such forward affection! He thought.

As she drew away from the hug, she said, "Oh, Hiccup, I'm so glad you're—" She stopped short, noticing the large mark on his face, slowly running a hand down it. "What is this? What—how did you get this?" She questioned, anger rising.

Remember the agreement… "It's all right," he said, "it was a training accident."

She detected the bitter edge in his tone, noticed the lie, thought: What did they do to him? She drew back and offered a forced smile. "Well it's good to have you back, son."

"Yeah." He finished awkwardly, his mother trying to maintain her smile.

He then felt a fist hit his back, memories of times when he'd be walking to his room at night and would be attack by other trainees, flashed him. It would always start with a fist to the back, catching him off guard.

Swiftly he whipped around and eyed the assailant; the blonde haired Viking stood waiting. Brief confusion fazed him, before he remembered he wasn't at the academy.

Toothless noticed his hostility, cocked his head in concern. What did they do with my best friend?

Astrid, who was staring at him with a warm smile, nearly gasped as she became aware of the scar on his face. Her mouth hung open as tilted her head in observation. "H—how'd you—"

"Training accident," He said flatly.

She drew back, curiosity biting her. Hiccup fighting? She found the idea hard to believe, but didn't question it. She originally was going to joke and ask: Get any good scars? But found it inappropriate now. So she just offered as smile, "Well…glad you're back!"

He groaned mentally: I can tell they're lying. Don't know why they're pretending to be happy. If it's to protect my feelings it's unnecessary—they were taken when I entered the academy.

He was so preoccupied by his swarming thoughts that he hadn't noticed that the other villagers were congratulating him. He ignored them, focusing on himself—the only thing he knew how to do.

The crowd around him was now starting to make him nervous. He had to get away. He cleared his throat, "If you'll excuse me, I'll be going to my house." Pushing through the crowed he cursed himself mentally. This is exactly the thing he'd done at the academy when around other people—run away and hide. Only here there were people who wanted to see him. Curse you, Halvar! You've made it so I can't escape your agony!

The villagers found his behavior odd, but thought it only exhaustion from the journey. But both Valka and Astrid knew it was something more, and it made them uneasy. After a good night's rest, they were going to question him whether he wanted to or not.

Toothless followed the fast moving Hiccup, through the village, trying to keep pace. The dragon cooed worriedly at his friend's fleeing back.

Hiccup tensed at the noise, throwing open the front door of his home and scurrying in. He didn't bother shutting it, just walked quickly to his bed, sliding under the blankets in retreat.

Toothless shut the door, then came near the boy, eyeing the form, lying facing the wall under the blanket. He brought his large black head close to the form under the sheets, sniffed it, recognizing Hiccup's scent. What's he scared of? I'll scare it away!

Hiccup closed his eyes tightly, feeling the warm breath bleeding through the sheets, thought: Why can't you just leave me alone?!. To be honest he was afraid of the dragon's concern, recalling times at the academy when the other students would feign concern for him until he believed he had a friend he could trust, then they would crush him, each and every one. He couldn't help but see Toothless this way, terrified to have what's left of his heart, broken.

But the Night Fury was persistent; he kept cooing over him and prodding the mass under the thick blanket, loving concern painted in his light green eyes.

Hiccup wanted it to stop, but couldn't bring himself to say it. To his surprise he felt himself trembling. And the dragon's actions ceased. With a sorrowful moan, he heard a heavy plop on the floor. He had stopped trying for now, but Hiccup could still feel his gaze penetrating his back through the blanket.

Watching the darkness covering his face, he lay there, thoughts running through his mind: I thought it would be better here, but it's no different, I don't belong anymore, I've been ruined and I'm gonna have to live with it. He stared at the wall for, gods-know-how-long before he drifted into sleep, where his nightmares could at least offer some comfort.