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Summary: Berk has some allies visit to renew a peace treaty. Stoick insists that Hiccup hide his dragon-ness, and it sparks a concern for his future as chief.

Rating: General audiences

Timeline: Race to the Edge

This was actually requested by quite a few people!

Viva la on with the story!

Hiccup always thought that he would give anything to be completely human again.

For the first year he could barely recognize himself in the mirror. There were times when he would wake up in the middle of the night for no particular reason and startle himself when he walked by a reflective surface.

The scales were foreign and the wings were intimidating, and it was strange to suddenly be stuck with them for the rest of his life, especially since this form was just as new to others.

People knew humans. People knew dragons. People didn't know both in the same body when he was transformed.

But as time progressed and hybrid forms became second nature to Berk, and Hiccup's wounds healed enough to leave scars that could go unnoticed on most days, he slowly came to realize that what Dagur had forced him through had turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.

If only his dad would realize the same thing.

"You're kidding, right?" Hiccup asked, an almost unreasonable amount of anger boiling in his gut as he clutched the material in his hands.

Stoick sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperation evident in his stance. "Trust me, Hiccup, I don't like this any more than you do, but you need to remember that Berk happens to be the only island in the archipelago that has made full peace with dragon's—including letting them live among us in human form."

The eighteen year old huffed angrily. "No, Dad, I get that, what I don't get is why you're making me wear…" he trailed off, before presenting the fur cloak to the chief as if it was the man's first time seeing it.

"...this."

"I mean, I find it quite fashionable, if I do say so myself." Toothless piped up from his chair. Stoick and Hiccup turned to him simultaneously.

"I don't need your sarcasm, Toothless." Father and son said at the exact same time. They only glanced at each other briefly as an acknowledgement to their jinx.

The night fury sniggered a bit. Hiccup turned back to Stoick as the man pressed on.

"You're wearing it because I've finally convinced a couple tribes to visit, and they're wanting to know why it's been a few years since they've last seen you."

Stoick had more or less made Hiccup stay home during diplomatic meetings for the past few years—not that the hybrid minded whatsoever, he disliked the events at best because he was always tossed around by the other heirs, but he was beginning to get frustrated with how his dad was handling the situation.

There were rumors, of course—that the dragon whisperer was part dragon himself, now. It had been floating around the archipelago for quite a few years, and had only gained ground now that the Berkian gang had settled on the Edge and have been traveling and engaging with more islands than usual.

Maybe it was because he was agitated that Stoick was suddenly throwing these meetings back into his life without warning, because Hiccup couldn't help but retort in frustration.

"Okay, but you do know that I'm gonna have these wings for the rest of my life, right? You can't exactly hide them forever."

"Hiccup, don't start now." Stoick warned, head turning slightly in agitation.

But the hybrid ignored him, setting down the cape and running his hands through his hair, tugging slightly at his ears.

"Seriously, you called me back from the Edge just for this? I understand hiding this from, you know, Viggo, because he's evil, but these are our allies, Dad. They're just going to get suspicious if you keep on attempting to hide this from them."

"I also don't want to lose allies because of this." Stoick stated, hands gesturing to Hiccup's wings, which were somewhat flared in his state of agitation.

The hybrid side-glanced his wings incredulously, before locking eyes with his Dad in a mixture of betrayed realization.

"Why? Because they'll be scared of me?" He all but hissed.

Stoick sighed in what was unwilling resignation. "Hiccup, you know what I mean."

Hiccup scoffed and rolled his eyes, and locked gazes with Toothless, who had shrunk down in his chair and looked very uncomfortable with the situation before him.

"I'm your dad first, Son. I will always be, but I also have a responsibility for your tribe. I need to make sure that their lifestyle is as safe as possible, even if that means keeping some information confidential from our allies."

Hiccup had crossed his arms over his chest, and his gaze rested on the ground at Stoick's left. A deep scowl was evident on his face, but at least it meant he was listening.

"Berk is very accepting of you, Son. Others may not be. I'm not going to risk your life or the lives of Berk because our allies are too intimidated."

The night fury hybrid didn't answer. Stoick continued with some information that he hoped would sway his son.

"I've already asked all of the dragons to remain in dragon form for this visit. They were all very agreeable to this plan."

Hiccup shot an almost-glare to Toothless at this, who's eyes went wide like a sheep in a dragon's sight.

"You agreed to this?" He asked.

"Yes? Any opportunity to not interact with strangers is a good one, Hiccup. Please don't bring me into this kerfuffle you two are having."

Toothless' indifference seemed to be the last straw for Hiccup. The hybrid only clenched his jaw, and straightened his back in a very dignifying way. He took a breath to regain his composure, tension leaving his body.

Hiccup made eye contact with his father, slit pupils giving away the anger broiling beneath.

"Fine." He said, perfectly calmly. "I'll wear the Thor-Forsaken cape."

And with that, he stalked past Stoick and up the stairs.

The chief shared a glance with Toothless, before he walked out the door.

When the day came, Hiccup woke up earlier than Toothless.

It was strange to the dragon, because he was normally the one to drag the Viking out of bed to go and stretch their wings, but when Toothless opened his eyes that morning, it was because Hiccup was shaking him.

"Toothless—Bud, wake up, I need your help."

The night fury grumbled, and his face scrunched up as he stretched.

Hiccup didn't wait to watch, and instead turned back to bustling around his room.

Toothless smacked his lips a few times and ran his hand through his hair before he cracked an eye open. He probably would have gone back to sleep if he didn't and he promised Stoick he would be on his best behavior today.

"What d'ya need help wi—what are you doing?"

Half-asleep acid eyes fell upon the Viking hybrid as he attempted to wrap a bandage around his torso, dressed in nothing but a pair of undershorts.

Hiccup simply shrugged. "Dad wants a normal, human heir, so he's gonna get one." He said in a too-nonchalant tone for the Night Fury's liking.

Toothless sat up warily, a small sense of anxiety building in his gut. "Oh?" He said before his brain processed the action. The word sounded concerned and apprehensive, and he expected Hiccup to immediately defend himself.

But the hybrid seemed oblivious to (or quite possibly expecting and already moved on from) the reaction, and instead turned to gaze at his side profile in the mirror.

"Yeah, I just need you to help me wrap up my wings." He said, wiggling what parts of the appendages he could move since a lot of them were already wrapped up. "I can't get into the right angle to wrap them well near the top."

Toothless stood up and walked over to his figurative brother, lips pressing together. "Are you—are you sure this is a good idea, Hiccup?" He asked, coming to a stop right behind the hybrid, "I mean, you could hurt yourself…"

The auburn-haired teen's ears dropped to his hairline, and half-lidded eyes sent a deadpan glare to his dragon through the mirror that indicated that he was not going to argue. "Just help me wrap these up."

Toothless hesitated, but he figured that he would lose an argument against the other hybrid, should he start one-especially since he woke up no less than three minutes ago.

Hiccup had spent years learning to love himself again—to be able to look in the mirror and not see an unnatural monster. Toothless had to agree that Stoick was being harsh, but he also understood where the chief was coming from.

He just hoped this wouldn't erase all of Hiccup's progress. It wasn't the first time he had questioned his future.

Toothless sighed, and his tail swished in apprehension. "Just promise me you won't push yourself too hard today if I do this, okay?"

Hiccup was stubborn and spiteful, and he would put his well-being in the background to prove someone wrong in a heartbeat. Toothless knew that.

A promise graced past a genuine grin as Hiccup agreed, but green eyes quickly darted away from the other pair.

Toothless clenched his jaw as he grabbed the bandages out of Hiccup's grasp, and tentatively circled the cloth around the auburn-haired teen.

He didn't know much about medical practices, but he was worried that blood circulation would be cut off. Hiccup kept asking him to wrap it tighter and tighter until eventually Toothless was positive that he couldn't even breathe.

But Hiccup showed no signs of discomfort once the bandage was set, and the viking took a big breath and rolled his shoulders to make sure it was secure.

He seemed to study himself in the mirror again, turning and watching himself intently, before nodding in approval.

"Cool, thanks, Bud."

The dragon in question didn't answer back, and instead watched as Hiccup grabbed the tunic he tended to use for fancier events and slipped it on.

"So what exactly is your plan?" Toothless blurted, catching Hiccup's attention.

The hybrid's ears perked, and he turned to look at the other boy. A silent indication to specify filled the air, and Toothless did just that.

"So you've wrapped your wings. What else are you planning on doing? And how exactly are you going to pull this off?" He couldn't help the slight agitation that seeped in the last few words.

Hiccup spun and grabbed another bandage before he began to speak, choosing to ignore it.

"Well," he began, "I figured I could use my helmet to hide my ears, that's probably the easiest part of this. As for the tail," The viking swished the appendage back and forth a few times in emphasis before he stretched out the bandage and bent backwards. "I figure I can bind most of it to my leg. My boot and the cape should hide anything too suspicious, and if anyone asks, I'll just say that my left leg had lasting effects from the Green Death and it makes my other leg look bigger by comparison."

The hybrid began wrapping his right leg up, leaving a small gap in the knee so that it could bend. Toothless could only watch in some weird mixture of impressed dread as he did so.

He had clearly planned this out, but at what cost?

By the time Hiccup had gotten completely dressed, Toothless had gone down and grabbed a bit of breakfast for the both of them.

He was dressed in a traditional semi-formal armoured style-what Toothless assumed was expected of viking royalty. The cape draped from his shoulders in substitute for the wings hidden beneath, and the night fury was subtly thankful for the space being used. He wasn't sure he could get used to Hiccup's back looking bare.

Hiccup's head tilted up as Toothless entered the room, and he smiled as he straightened his helmet.

"So, how do I look? Do I pass as a completely human person?"

The night fury let out an almost-snort through his nose, nodding enthusiastically. "Scarily so. I wouldn't even be able to tell you were part dragon."

That seemed to be what Hiccup wanted to hear, because his eyes lit up in a slightly spiteful manner that Toothless wouldn't have caught onto if he hadn't witnessed the argument from last night.

"Good, now all I need to do is play the part, which shouldn't be so hard."

As soon as he said that, Hiccup immediately lost his balance and almost face planted into the floorboards, now that his tail wasn't there to counteract it.

Toothless let out a nervous laugh. Hiccup sent him a good-natured glare. "I still got this."

"Yes, of course you do." the night fury replied sarcastically as the viking straightened himself out. A more serious tone slipped over him as he watched the other eighteen year old brush off his chest.

"Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"Please just-seriously, don't push yourself today."

A twinge of agitation spiked through the air, and then quickly dissipated.

"Toothless, seriously, I'm going to be fine. I promise if I start to feel any pain I'll take a break. You don't need to worry about me."

But the night fury still did.

He stayed silent for a moment, before letting out a huff in resignation.

"Okay. Let's go then."

Toothless didn't know if Stoick's reaction was one of anger or surprise.

Probably both, but the chief couldn't exactly voice his opinion out loud because he was accompanied by a few chiefs that Toothless vaguely recognized, but never really got to know for obvious reasons.

Hiccup hopped off his back—they had flown in to make up time since they were already a bit late, despite the ungodly hour—and Toothless could feel the defiant glare his rider sent his father.

The night fury stalked close to Hiccup, wrapping his body around him in a somewhat possessive manner, eyes studying the visitors in front of them with distrust.

Logically, he knew that these were allies. They considered themselves to be friends, good acquaintances at least, but the night fury couldn't help the protective surge that came over him at the sight.

Hiccup reached down and stroked his head, a silent indication that he was okay, and that Toothless didn't need to be so concerned.

It wasn't a request.

Toothless' nose scrunched up against his will and he took a step back, but he didn't back off.

The other heirs were staring at him with varying degrees of awe and fear, and he would be lying if it didn't make him feel good.

"Woah…" a muscled blonde whispered, accompanied by a boy with a similar build who was punching his arm excitedly.

"Dude, it's a Night Fury!"

"Yeah, muttonhead, I can see that."

Stoick chose to ignore the exchange. "Hiccup," he exclaimed, an undertone of exasperation seeping in, "glad you and Toothless could join us."

Toothless chose to ignore the hand that landed on Hiccup's back, lingering maybe just a bit too long as the man pushed his son forward to introduce him.

It was firm and searching, palm trying to find his son's wings beneath to assure himself that Hiccup wasn't hurting himself.

The hybrid quickly ducked out of his dad's reach, stumbling forward a bit too eagerly to shake the visitors' hands.

"Welcome back to Berk," he started, quickly making his way across the group, "Stoick and I are very pleased to see you here." He stared with the diplomatic posture Toothless had only seen him use with Mala very early on in their allyship.

"So the rumors are true then, Dragon Whisperer!" Said the blonde heir that Toothless was beginning to see was...excitable at the least.

Hiccup had a small rush of blood come to his face in embarrassment, but he quickly pushed it down. "Yeah, uh," he turned to indicate to Toothless, who puffed up slightly as his rider addressed him.

"This is Toothless, he—"

The blonde interrupted with an arm slung around Hiccup's shoulder, obviously deciding that the hybrid was his new best friend. "So what awesome stories do you have to tell us, Hiccup?"

Hiccup flinched under the contact for a split second, shoulders hunching, and he stuttered despite his obvious attempt to be as diplomatic as possible.

"I, uh, well—"

Stoick was not having it, and he nonchalantly walked up and pulled his son back towards him, out of the grasp of what's-his-face, who Toothless was starting to determine that he didn't exactly like.

A low, dragonic growl sounded in Hiccup's throat as a spike of annoyance ignited, before it was quickly sniffed out with a clamp of his jaw. He pushed away from Stoick in a not-so-smooth motion, obviously finding trouble compensating for his lack of a tail.

Toothless circled around him once as he straightened his helmet, pressing into his rider's side slightly to try and get him to calm down.

Hiccup's jaw was still clenched tightly, and he brought his hand up to his dragon's head again as he regained his composure. His eyes were flickering as he tried to control his anger, and Toothless quickly sat up to plant a dragon kiss to the side of his head. (It was more to block the visitors' views from Hiccup, but he wasn't going to admit that).

The hybrid looked at Toothless for a second, and the night fury spoke to him quietly, the growl was low and concerned and anxious. "Don't push yourself."

Hiccup did nothing but swallow, and squeezed his eyes shut for a couple seconds, before popping them back open to reveal his pupils had dilated to normal size. He nodded a thanks to his dragon, and resumed back into the conversation that Stoick had continued without him.

And so the long day started.

And it should have gone longer, except Hiccup was an idiot as always.

He'd promised. He'd promised Toothless he wouldn't push himself, and Toothless should have known better than to trust him but he wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because damn it, he didn't want to escalate the situation.

Toothless could admit that he was on edge; he was hyper fixated on everything that happened. The way the heirs tossed Hiccup around, even if it was in good nature for once. The questions asked that were maybe just a bit too prying. Hell, even an offhand glance that seemed just a bit too wrong was enough to make his scales crawl in protective anger.

He knew he was overreacting, but Stoick's actions—or rather, lack of action against his hostility—wasn't helping him come up with reasonable second thoughts. Toothless wasn't about to put Hiccup into more danger than he was already in if the group started suspecting something, and for the first time, he and Stoick seemed to work as seamlessly as he and Hiccup did.

But he had been so focused on their guests, that he didn't notice that Hiccup's poker face was too good to be true.

The meeting was coming to an end with a lunch break, which would be followed by some treaty signing to Toothless' knowledge. The night fury was begrudgingly eating nearby, an eye trained on the group as he ate.

He noticed Hiccup get up and excuse himself, before heading towards the Great Hall entrance. He was already up and heading after him before Stoick had even sent him a pointed look.

He couldn't help an excitable sort of trot the last few meters to the door, not wanting to lose his rider too far ahead of him, and a villager held the door open for him as he passed.

Toothless thanked them with a brief head nod - as subtle as he could to make it look natural in his Dragon form - before immediately searching for Hiccup.

It didn't take long. His rider was still in sight, leaning against one of the statues that decorated the entrance and obviously trying his hardest to look okay.

He was flushed, and he was obviously dizzy. Toothless was quick to rush over to him out of fear that he would fall.

Hiccup gasped slightly, voice strained as he brought his hands up to Toothless' head.

"You hurt yourself." The night fury said, disdain ringing.

Hiccup almost protested. He opened his mouth and anger flared in the air, but he couldn't get any words out and his hand flew to the topmost buckle on his chest.

His nose crinkled in anger and he blinked maybe a bit too hard, and he grabbed Toothless' neck as he settled himself down to the ground..

"Yeah. Yeah, I did." He eventually said, breath coming out in resignation.

"You idiot."

"I know."

Toothless swallowed, gut twisting because he wasn't used to Hiccup not arguing with him why wasn't he standing his ground?

The hybrid's eyes were staring at the ground, empty and emotionless. Toothless walked up and took the helmet off his rider's head as gracefully as he could without hands.

It fell to the ground, and Hiccup's ears bounced slightly as the pressure was released, but they were still pressed against his rider's head like they always did when he was upset.

Hiccup glanced at the helmet for a split second, but Toothless wasn't going to dwell on that.

"Take off your vest."

The smallest of huffs left the hybrid, and it was quickly followed by a pained grunt as he sat up, and began undoing the clasps.

His hands were shaky and his actions were sluggish, and Toothless genuinely wondered if he would need to transform to help him, but he also knew he needed to get Stoick. And he couldn't do that with human skin.

But luckily, Hiccup managed. Toothless knew he had been through much worse physically, but his rider had a knack for letting his hybrid-related injuries affect his mental state...

The wrap was easier to undo, thank the gods. The adhesive peeled off and it unraveled like it had been wanting to the entire time.

Toothless didn't want to dwell on the angry red indentions the material left in its wake, but he couldn't help himself.

Humans had the phrase 'licking the wound' for whatever reason, and he wanted nothing more than to do that right now.

He paced in front of Hiccup a couple times, sniffing around him like a worried mother, before grumbling and nudging a wing.

"You can feel that, right?"

Hiccup flinched when Toothless the appendage moved at the force, and the night fury felt a horrible sense of relief when that happened because at least he could feel it.

His rider swallowed and nodded even though he didn't have to, and Toothless pushed some air out of his nose.

That being said, he was still in pain.

"I'm gonna go get your dad…" he trailed off, half wondering how he was going to do that without letting the others know. The other half was still filled with a mixture of annoyance and worry at Hiccup and himself.

He should have been paying closer attention.

But he also...shouldn't have had to.

Toothless knew the blame wasn't just on one person, and he knew he shouldn't be as mad as he was, but he, well, was.

He was mad at Stoick for the secrecy. He was mad at Hiccup for his gods damned stubbornness, and he was mad at himself for - for what, exactly? Caring too much? Having emotions?

Being proud of what he was?

The night fury hadn't realized he had frozen. It was a subconscious action, and it had obviously caused Hiccup to grow concerned. The hybrid sat up and reached a hand out to rest on Toothless' side, pulling his attention over to him.

Hiccup's skin was gaining color again - the red marks were beginning to fade and even out the tone as the blood flow started back up, unrestricted.

His wings were shaking, but they looked...fuller? Toothless didn't quite know how to describe it, but they were definitely better than they were a few minutes ago.

It didn't look good; Toothless had to remind himself that Hiccup's tail was still bound to his leg. But at least it was better.

He found himself moving, and he didn't bother to answer Hiccup's questions as he stalked away and pushed open the door with his nose.

Stoick had obviously been burning holes into the wood with his gaze, because he met Toothless' gaze before he could even fully poke his head out from behind the door.

Toothless sent him a knowing and desperate look, and the chief's jaw clenched as a grave expression set onto his face. The man quickly excused himself from the table and was quick to make his way out of the Hall, wordlessly night fury over to where Hiccup was resting, tail now unbound.

Stoick didn't need to look too long. The marks were angry and red and, though they were better, they were painfully visible.

"Odin, Hiccup, I told you to cover up, I didn't tell you to break your skin!" The man reprimanded, stalking over and leaning down to his son. His hand reached out to brush against his forehead, giving away concern beneath the frustration.

Hiccup scowled, but didn't move away from the touch like he normally would have.

His fight was still gone.

"What are we even doing?" He asked, and it took Toothless by surprise because he had barely spoken the entire time.

Stoick's jaw was still clenched, and his hand moved away, somehow satisfied with whatever it found. "You know exactly what we're doing, Hiccup."

A rough breath left the hybrid, and his hands clenched against the ground, tearing at the grass. "I mean why are we doing this? What is the point?" He said, angry and remorseful and…

Quiet.

When Hiccup got upset, he got loud. He had to, as he didn't exactly match up to the body type of the rest of the Vikings surrounding him and he needed to compensate for power somehow.

This was...a different type of upset that Toothless hadn't seen in years.

He was defeated.

"Hiccup—"

"No, Dad, listen to me." The hybrid seethed, voice sharp, but never gaining volume. He pressed against the statue he was leaning on, and used it as a crutch to get to his feet. "I have been hiding for years. Years, Dad. Do you know what that does to a person?"

Stoick didn't answer, but Toothless knew it wasn't because he couldn't.

"I'm sick of it." Hiccup continued, voice cracking. He brought his hands up to his hair and tugged. "I hate it, and I used to hate myself for it. I've been invisible my whole life, and it was never because I wanted to be!"

He was growling, and the faintest of glows was beginning in the back of his throat, and he blinked angry tears away.

"I just—I don't understand how I'm going to be chief if…" his eyes glazed over and fell to the ground, suddenly distant.

"Berk can't have a half-dragon leader." He whispered, seemingly to himself. "No matter how much we accept dragons, others won't—we'd be accused of witchcraft and…"

Berk wouldn't be safe anymore.

Silence followed as Hiccup's words stopped, and Stoick waited until he was sure the hybrid was done before he spoke.

"You are my heir, Hiccup." He stated sternly, voice rigid. "You are my son."

Hiccup glanced up at Stoick briefly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You are going to be chief one day. A great one, at that. And part of being chief is making hard decisions."

Toothless sat down against his better judgement, teeth sheathing and unsheathing anxiously.

"I was being selfish, Son." Stoick continued, voice turning soft as he set a gentle hand on Hiccup's left shoulder. Hiccup still shook considerably under the weight, but that was expected. "Of course I've considered your future as chief—I just thought I would have come up with a solution sooner than this."

Hiccup's head shot up at that, obviously not expecting that answer.

"What do you mean?"

Stoick's body swayed as he shifted his weight in a slightly guilty manner.

"I've been buying myself time, Hiccup. Trying to strengthen our relationships with our allies as I try to figure out what to do with you." He admitted, "I just didn't consider how my actions were affecting you."

The man turned suddenly, as though the thought had just dawned on him as well. "You and the rest of the dragon population here." He added, sending a nod towards Toothless that was one of respect and apology.

Toothless' gaze hesitated, but he felt a rush of gratefulness fill him and he sent a quick nod back.

A quick pause followed as Hiccup turned his head slightly to the right, eyes suddenly finding the back of the statue vaguely interesting. His tail was shaking.

"I'm not ashamed of you, Hiccup. I never have been. I've been trying to ease our allies into this, but I'm coming to realize that...some of our strongest friends have come through you."

A deep breath followed, before Stoick nodded his head and gestures towards Hiccup. "All of you."

Hiccup's hands had found their way to his sides, rubbing the angry marks tentatively. He was still staring at the statue, but his eyebrows had become slightly less tethered together.

"Grab your tunic." Stoick said, nodding to the garment that was lying on the grass. Both Toothless and Hiccup's gazes darted towards it and then Stoick in surprise.

He had started moving, walking back to the door.

"Stay out here for as long as you need, but I want you there when we sign the treaties. Every part of you." He emphasized, eyes darting towards his son's wings as he said it.

Hiccup didn't answer, and the bobbing of his Adam's Apple suggested he was getting choked up.

He nodded vigorously when the message seemed to finally settle in, and Toothless felt a growing sense of happiness settle in his chest. He found himself moving over to Hiccup with a smile.

"It's time our allies know what they really have on their side." Stoick resolved, glancing between the two before closing the door behind him.

Hiccup's lip quivered as he broke into a smile, and his legs gave out from under him in a mixture of relief and fatigue.

Toothless was quick to rush to catch him, but stopped short when his rider turned to him with that same smile, any negative emotion in his posture overshadowed with relieved joy.

And it was the first time in a long time, Toothless realized, that Hiccup wasn't terrified about his future.

Thanks for reading, my lovelies!

A quick PSA: I've decided to close requests. I think I have everything I need in my notes to finish this story :)

That being said, it will not end ANY time soon, because that's just How I Am, but I have a foreseeable end to this.

Until next time, please review, favorite, like, bookmark, pirate Frozen II, whatever :)

~ Local Dragon Haunt