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serenefreakgeekao3 · 25 days

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Fear of Falling

CHAPTER THREE [Masterlist]

Pairing: Hiccup x ftm!reader

Summary: Hiccup recounts everything he's been thinking throughout his meeting with You, then is finally able to take you flying for the first (proper) time!

Tags: carpenter!reader, awkward!Hiccup, mutual pining, Hiccup's POV, first time flying, lunch date

Warnings: slightly obsessive behaviour(?), vague descriptions of dragons fighting

Author’s Note: Hey all! So sorry for my long break on writing this series, but I did recently complete one of the longest multi-chaptered fic I've ever written so I'm rather proud of myself. Anyway, here's the long-awaited Chapter Three! The beginning tends to rehash a little bit of what already happened, so I just hope everyone enjoys regardless!

Words: 5715

HICCUP’S POV

You were an enigma, that was for sure. A Viking with no feel for violence, with no dragon- even homeless until Hiccup finally met you. Really, wouldn't everyone take notice? Wouldn't everyone become borderline obsessed with you?

Hiccup thought he knew everyone his age in Berk. He thought they all flocked together naturally, that his choices of companionship were narrowed down to the few he grew up with. For some reason, the migrating Vikings taking refuge in Berk never seemed to spark the thought- maybe one of them would be his age. Whenever he thought of those incoming Vikings he pictured the big, the burly and old. He never pictured young, timid, and extremely fucking hot.

It was probably unfair of Hiccup to keep you hidden away. It was just that Hiccup needed to relax at some point, needed a place to get away so that everyone wouldn't find him, pester him and ask for more things that he couldn't quite deliver. Being Chief was a lot harder than his father made it out to be. Though, granted, his father had enough practice at it by the time Hiccup was born and was able to notice. He now just wished he'd spent more of his time and attention learning than admiring.

But that day- the first day he met you in that carpenter's shed- had been a complete accident. Hiccup couldn't help but take notice once his fear of Astrid discovering him slacking off died down. The way you held yourself, the mysterious aura surrounding you, the silence that portrayed real thought into the words you’d said; it all captured him. Enraptured him.

Suddenly Hiccup found himself a lot more willing to participate in the town’s rebuilding, if only he could have the chance to glance over and see you. He found himself almost unconsciously walking toward the shed constantly- sometimes entering to find it empty, other times turning himself around before he made it so he could just prove to himself that he had a modicum of self-control.

The day Astrid noticed you, Hiccup knew that his time was running short. He had wanted to keep things the way they were. A secret, someone to keep hidden away from the others so you wouldn’t realize just how awfully average Hiccup was compared to the rest of his friends. He didn't want to give up this newfound companionship, especially before it ever had a chance to grow into anything. So once Hiccup discovered your homelessness, suddenly he had a plan! If Hiccup helps you build a house, you'd have plenty of time together, and no one could argue that he was hiding away from his job!

The month it took to build your house was not only one of the most fun times he could remember for a long while, but it was also the longest stretch of time that he’d gone without riding Toothless. Hiccup could tell that Toothless was becoming antsy, and even Hiccup, himself, was itching for the freedom of flight. However, Hiccup didn’t want to lose any more time with you than he absolutely needed to, which was why he waited. Until he finally met your dragon- until he could oh-so-casually bring up flying and mention you both should ride together. Hiccup even had a few places he wanted to show off- beautiful locations that he thought you might admire.

Then, he proceeded to find out that you didn’t have a dragon, either! After this long living in Berk, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have their own companion like that? But you didn’t want to, had some sort of notion that the right dragon would just ‘find you’ somehow. Even Hiccup, himself, had to shoot Toothless out of the sky for them to meet and grow any closer! It baffled him, but Hiccup didn’t really find himself minding all that much. If you didn’t have a dragon and ever needed to go anywhere, then he would jump at the chance to help you.

He didn’t really question his infatuation with you, at first. Being borderline obsessed with you, wanting to be near you all of the time, of course it wasn’t romantic. He’d felt romantic feelings before- with Astrid, even though it didn’t work out between the two of them- and this felt nowhere near the same. It took a couple- okay, maybe a few- people suggesting he did feel that way for him to sit down and think on it. That… Maybe his relationship with Astrid didn’t work out because he hadn’t actually liked her romantically, he’d just been envious of her skills and admired her absolute strength and resolve. That maybe his feelings for you might actually be more than just…

That was always where his brain stalled, halting his train of thought. He couldn’t put his finger quite on how he felt. There was so much going on inside his head when he’d thought of you. Protection, though you didn’t need any. Wanting to provide for you, anything you’d want or need, though you were perfectly capable of getting anything for yourself. He wanted to make you laugh, hear your thoughts, learn more about you. He wanted to learn so much about you, his curiosity was endless. The more he learned, the more he still yearned to know.

He ended up getting so distracted, though, that he was no longer just ‘taking breaks’ from being Chief to hang out with you. He finally had to admit he was completely neglecting his duties. He still did a few things here and there every day, but it was nowhere near the amount he was supposed to be doing. Astrid had finally cornered him in his house before he could sneak out, locking the door by knocking over a bookshelf in front of it. It was a hard wake-up call, but one he sorely needed. Berk was still being hunted, after all.

He’d wanted to say bye to you, but he couldn’t think of a way to do it without sounding too attached. Of course, he’d see you again, the scouting shouldn’t take too long. Or so he had thought. Once he was out flying again, everything else seemed to fade away. He scoured the entire area nearby- until he’d found what he was looking for, unfortunately. A raiding party sailing a tad too close to New Berk, and he knew he needed to throw them off their track. It’d taken a week, but he managed to plant enough false evidence that they’d switched their track and began sailing toward a separate island, far off.

He watched for another two days just to make sure- which was when he’d run into the man running the entire business. Grimmel the Grisly, the man who was responsible for wiping out the entirety of the Night Furies (or so he’d heard, during his stealthy informational gathering missions). He was a smart man, immediately clinging to the fact that they’d been led astray. Hiccup had to get creative if he wanted to lead them further away anymore, and it took a lot longer than he’d hoped.

All the while, every night that he’d finally camped out, curled against Toothless, he’d thought of you. Wondered what you were doing, if you’d been working that day or if you took the breaks that Hiccup had been trying to force you to take regularly. He wondered if you’d kept up your whittling, if you had made anything else since he’d last seen you. Of course, he’d intersperse those thoughts with wonderings of his friends, or the village. But your face was always the last thing in his mind’s eye before he fell asleep.

By the time he felt comfortable enough to come back home, he realized he’d been gone for nearly a month’s time. That’s what he’d figured, anyway, when he added all the tick marks he’d made every time he camped. As New Berk began to come into view, Hiccup leaned to the side, pushing Toothless to fly closer to the forest instead of the ocean. He’d just wanted to see your house, reassure himself that it hadn’t burnt down, and taken you with it, while he was gone. Of course, it was still standing. Toothless cried out as he flew above the house, and Hiccup laughed out loud, shaking his head.

“Can’t hide anything from you, bud, can I?”

Touching down in the town close to sunset, he was immediately swarmed. They’d decided on a feast in the Great Hall to celebrate their Chief’s return, so he was ushered inside with the crowd. He kept glancing over toward the footpath he knew led to your cabin, but it was dark and soon he was surrounded by the warmth and light of the Great Hall. He was pushed further to the back as more and more people entered the building, making way for everyone to feast. Drinks began to pour as meat was thrown onto the fire, and suddenly everything else fell away as Hiccup was ensconced in his typical home life. With how much everyone was celebrating his return, he began to wonder if he’d worried them all.

Meeting eyes with you across the Great Hall had nearly stopped his heart in his chest. You were here! After all the times he had offered and begged for you to come down here and eat with him- and his friends, of course- for you to just turn him down? Now you were here! Did you know he had returned? Had word gotten back to you so quickly? He stumbled as he rushed to stand, to at least try to meet you halfway, but he knocked his tankard over and he heard Astrid gasp in shock. He turned, cursing under his breath as he tried his best to clean up his spill and apologize to his friend. He knew his friends could see his awkward stumbling and rambling, something he thought he had grown out of already. He felt embarrassed, but he’d feel any sort of way if it meant you were there with him.

Dinner was distracting, but the thought of you walking home alone was even more so. As he’d stared into that darkness, down the forest path that led to your home, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get any sort of rest without knowing you were home safe. He said as much, looking deep into your eyes. He really missed your eyes- in fact he hadn’t realized the colour was quite that shade, like his mind had slowly began to forget about it in the time he’d been away. He didn’t quite know how he felt about that… (Bad. He felt very bad about that.)

After walking you home and having an intense discussion, he hadn’t quite wanted to leave. However, you had agreed to go flying the next day, finally! He couldn’t wait for tomorrow, so he was eager to sleep and pass the time. He hadn’t even bothered to walk home, jumping on the back of Toothless as soon as your door had closed behind him. He didn’t know you were watching him fly off from your window, but just the same, you didn’t know he was holding that little figurine of his father in his hands during the flight. It was amazingly crafted, so detailed and correct in its design. He was enamoured.

Sleep took him rather quickly once he’d settled down, having had a long day. As he woke, bright and early in the morning, Astrid was already trying to knock his door down with her pounding. He rushed over and opened the door before she genuinely knocked the door in, and he saw Toothless peaking at him over her shoulder. She informed him, correctly so, that he needed to give an update to her and the other riders. He agreed, making his way down toward town. The meeting was held toward the centre of town, closer to the cliffs than the Great Hall, and in the presence of their tight-knit group of dragon riders, along with their dragons.

Just as the meeting was ending, and Hiccup was petting Toothless as congratulations for not getting into any trouble while they were busy, he heard your voice. He turned quickly at the sound of his name, smiling brightly. You were dressed differently than normal- tighter clothes, with long sleeves to cover your arms, your tight pants tucked into your boots. You had gotten dressed for the occasion, and Hiccup was not complaining.

“You ready then?” He asked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. The rest of the riders had been wandering away already, in groups or alone to their own destination, but Astrid stood nearby as she brushed Stormfly. He could tell she was eavesdropping, even if she did a good job of pretending she wasn’t. He could see the hesitancy in your eyes, dropping his hands from Toothless’ back and wandering closer to you.

“Uh,” You began, clearing your throat, “Yeah. Sure.”

“Hey,” Hiccup begins quietly, reaching forward to take your hand in his. “It’ll be okay, I promise. We’ll be there every step of the way.” You were staring deep into his eyes before suddenly bursting out laughing. Hiccup draws back slightly, confused.

“Yeah,” You raise a hand, wiping your face. “I sure hope you’ll both be there every step of the way. You’re sort of my ride.” Hiccup chuckles too, embarrassed, and pulls his hand away. Of course, he fails at comforting you, saying the wrong thing-

You reached quickly to take his hand once again, taking a small step forward into his personal space. He breathes in a quiet gasp at the proximity as you begin to whisper. “No, but, thank you Hiccup. Your confidence is reassuring.” As you step back bashfully, taking your hand back to rub the back of your head, Hiccup lets out his breath slowly. He can feel his cheeks are hot- was he really blushing?

“Y-Yeah,” Hiccup tries, stuttering slightly before clearing his throat. “Of course.” He turns to look around awkwardly, unsure what to do. Then he meets Toothless’ eyes, who bobs his head up and down in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, he finally turns back to you with a large smile, holding his hand out. “Ready?”

You eye his hand for a moment, and he wonders what you’re thinking. Then you reach out, grasping his hand firmly with a resolute nod. Hiccup swallows, feeling butterflies fill his stomach as he begins to gently pull you by the hand, leading you closer to Toothless. He brings you to the front, looking at his giant doe eyes and smiling at him. “Hey bud,” Hiccup starts, pulling you closer. “You know him already, don’t you?” He brings their joined hands closer, and you both watch as Toothless sniffs them, then lowers his head. “Okay, flat palm, like this,” Hiccup whispers, unfolding your hand before gently pulling you forward again, placing your palm on his snout.

Hiccup watched as your pinched, nervous face slowly eased up. You were relaxing, and soon enough he let go of you to let you handle it on your own. You began to slowly pet Toothless, and Hiccup could tell his dragon was enjoying the attention. Tiny purrs emanated from him, his tail wagging slowly and his spines shimmying on the top. You moved closer, pulling your other hand up to scratch at his chin how Hiccup usually does, and he couldn’t hold back his smile. Hiccup watched, entranced, as you took to Toothless quicker than he’d ever seen. Maybe Hiccup’s own personal connection to you helped- though, he did quite remember Toothless being not so fond of Astrid back then when Hiccup thought he liked her.

Once you chuckled and finally backed away, there was a light in your eyes that Hiccup couldn’t place, but adored. He hoped he could find you your own dragon soon if only to see this light in your eyes more often. Nodding, he takes your hand quickly, excitedly, and leads you around to the side. He lifts his prosthetic leg, hooking it into its holder before swinging himself easily up and over onto the saddle. He leans over completely, holding a hand out to help you up. You look hesitant once again but take his hand easily. You’re unsure of your footing at first, but you inevitably make your way up onto the saddle, sitting close behind Hiccup.

Toothless looks back, sharing a look with Hiccup, and he can’t help but huff out a whisper, “Okay, gentle now, bud.”

That must’ve been the first time that Toothless actually listened.

Toothless began a gentle jaunt off toward the edge of the cliff, widening his wingspan out and letting himself just jog right off the edge of the cliff. Hiccup heard your gasp, felt your arms tightening around his torso- felt his own cheeks heat up again- but you didn’t seem scared, or panicked. Your grip slowly loosened during the glide, and eventually, he heard a soft little, “Oh,” Emanate from you that tightened his chest. You were enjoying it! You were enjoying flying, just like he thought you would, and now he was finally able to share the thing he was most passionate about with you!

The wind blew through his hair, and the feeling of flying was incredible. He felt free, even while your arms were wrapped around him. Even more so, knowing it was you. It was as if he could feel his heart growing more and more. He couldn’t get enough of this, of you. The sun was still rising over the horizon once they flew far enough over the expanse of the ocean, and he could hear your quiet amazement at the sight. Hiccup let go of the saddle in front of him, spreading his arms out wide.

The flight lasted a long time, mostly silent with bits and pieces of conversation thrown in. Mostly things like, “You do this all the time?” Or “I never realized how freeing this would feel!” Hiccup wanted to throw his arms up and dance around in victory, but with sitting on Toothless- and still wanting to look cool in front of you- he managed to restrain himself. Just barely. However, it was getting close to noon when he decided they should land somewhere nearby for lunch. They’d definitely flown out farther than Hiccup had meant to, realizing this just as the Fogfall came into view.

“What’s that?” He heard your question and drew in a tense breath, leaning back into you to speak clearer.

“We’ve taken to calling it the Fogfall.” The view was immaculate, in all honesty. At the top, of it all is a tall island- similar to New Berk in a way- but halfway down the mountain was an abnormally large cave opening, spewing a thick, roiling fog that fell all the way down toward the ocean. A large portion of the water is obscured, with just the hints of a large craggy bottom on the outskirts of the fog. “We try to stay away from it. No one that’s gone inside has ever come out.”

“Oh,” You mumble, but looking back Hiccup could tell how entranced you were by the sight. Directing Toothless, who seemed wary of the place himself but acquiesced, the group of you began to make your way down to a small and short island off to the side of Fogfall. The island- if you could even call it that- was mainly just a rock formation jutting out of the ocean, but it had a nice plush spot of grass on top, large enough for your group to make themselves at home comfortably. And it gave a great view of Fogfall, one that you seemed to immediately be interested in after you were helped off of Toothless’ back.

Hiccup busied himself while your back was turned, reaching into the saddlebag on Toothless’ side, tossing him a fish that he catches mid-air before pulling out the rest. The lunch that he had prepared for them- he wasn’t much of a cook himself, but he had hoped that you’d be out long enough to have a picnic. It was one of the things he most looked forward to if he was honest. It almost felt like a date- but he knew it wasn’t! He totally knew it wasn’t a date, as much as he wanted it to be. But he could at least pretend, in his own head, for a little bit.

You turned around just as Hiccup laid the last of the food out on a blanket he had spread on the ground. He heard your surprised gasp, and he felt himself preen under your gaze. “I just thought you might be hungry, after flying for so long?” He smiled, plopping down unsteadily onto one side of the blanket. He reaches over, grabs a leg of meat and waves it toward you in a come hither motion. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“That looks delectable,” You whisper, and while the Fogfall was nearby it provided no noise so Hiccup was able to hear you easily. He could hear Toothless behind him, probably bending himself backwards trying to sniff at his saddlebag for more fish. Just as you made your way to sit down on the other side of the blanket, Toothless huffed and moved to plop down next to Hiccup. He laughed, pushing his dragon’s head playfully.

“Okay, you big brute. I might’ve brought a snack for you, but if you’re still hungry you can go hunt down below. There’s plenty of fish in the sea.” Toothless lifted a gaze and met his eyes, then ‘subtly’ flicked his gaze toward Y/N and back, as if asking Hiccup if he’ll be alright. Hiccup could feel his blush forming, hoping you hadn’t noticed the exchange. He just pushes against Toothless’ head again, awkwardly laughing. “Well, go on then, if you must.”

Toothless stood, giving himself a full body shake before taking a running leap off of the edge of the cliff. Hiccup grinned, looking over toward you from the corner of his eye. You were already digging in, pulling a bread roll apart to stuff with meat. He bit his lip, unsure of what to say or do. What do people usually do on dates? On non-dates, he reminded himself. Shaking his head, he sits up straighter and waves his drumstick about.

“Did I ever tell you the story of how Toothless and I met?”

Lunch has passed rather uneventfully, though absolutely pleasantly. Hiccup told stories of his past- of Old Berk, and his father, and how everyone always did the right thing in the end- and he had your rapt attention the entire time. You asked appropriate questions, in his opinion, and gasped at the right parts that made him feel like the best storyteller of all the Vikings. He felt like he could talk with you forever, but with your food as nothing but crumbs left between you, he didn’t know how else to prolong your time together. You didn’t exactly seem in any hurry to get going either, staring into Hiccup’s eyes with a look he couldn’t decipher, but wished he could.

You suddenly looked away, almost bashfully if he had to put an adjective to it, and Hiccup tilted his head in response. Your fingers began toying with your shirt, stretching and contracting in a way that Hiccup wondered if you were wishing for your whittling tools. He supposed you hadn’t expected to need them while out flying. You began to idly play with one of the straps along your legs, undoing the buckle and retightening it. The silence had been comfortable around the two of you for a few minutes, so the next words absolutely surprised Hiccup to no end.

“So what about you and Astrid?”

Hiccup had to blink a few times, letting that question sink in. You seemed to curl more and more into yourself the longer he was silent, so he jumped to answer without fully thinking it through. “What? What about me and Astrid? You mean why she’s my second in command?” Your shoulders slumped, and a pouting look crossed your face that absolutely didn’t send Hiccup’s heart fluttering in his chest (He’s decided to keep lying to himself about that).

“No,” You almost stuttered on the word, pulling the strap too tight before loosening it once again, buckling it and moving to the one on your other leg. No matter how far Hiccup ducked his head, he still couldn’t manage to meet your eyes. “Like,” You huffed, and Hiccup began to wonder if saying this was hard for you. He wondered why. “Everyone at the village, when I first arrived, was betting on when ‘Chief Hiccup’ would propose to Astrid. Then one day, it all suddenly stopped. It was jarring, honestly. It was all anyone ever talked about, then abruptly it was something everyone avoided.”

Hiccup blinked a few times. Then a few times more. His brain wasn’t processing what you were saying, what you were insinuating. Then, it hit him like a dragon to the face. He pulled in a deep breath, widening his eyes unconsciously. You thought he was still dating Astrid?

“No,” Hiccup practically shouted, then cleared his throat, and he could feel a massive blush lighting his face. Now he was glad you weren’t looking directly at him, it would only make his embarrassment worse. “No, we- uh,” He rubs the back of his head, furrowing his brows. “How do I say this…” You finished buckling the second strap, but your fingers idled on the leather without any real intention. You weren’t looking at him, but it was clear you were listening. “We were together, for a while. And, well, yeah- everyone kept trying to push us to get married quickly.

“I assume they wanted me to settle down, to stop flying out away from the town so much, and figured that’d do it? Or maybe they were just hoping for my happiness?” Hiccup huffs, shaking his head, “No, that’s not the point. We were together, and with everyone pushing and pushing for me to ask for her hand, even Astrid herself, it really got me thinking. I was complacent. I was with her because I had admired and envied her strength and resolve; she’s really a wonderful woman. But I didn’t-” He huffs, lowering his gaze to the grass, letting his fingers begin plucking them from the earth. “I don’t like her romantically. It took me a long time to realize that, as I hadn’t really felt romantic attraction before, at that point.”

You finally lifted your eyes, looking up at him through a hooded gaze. You bit your lip and Hiccup felt himself still entirely, tensing himself to be sure he didn’t jump forward to place those lips on his own. He really, definitely, never felt this way before. “At that point?” You repeated his last bit as a question, tilting your head to the side just slightly. Hiccup was breathless for a moment, unable to answer. Was this it? It certainly looked like this was it, that you might share what he was feeling. And why not ask? Why not just go ahead, go for it? Hiccup was nothing if not brave, he’s come to learn. Or, tries to be anyway.

He opens his mouth, unsure what was about to come out but ready for it anyway, when he’s suddenly tackled to the ground. A large dragon tongue licks up his body and he groans, pushing Toothless off of him. “Gah, bud! You know dragon spit doesn’t come out!” He sits up, moving to stand, and begins to flick his arms to the side to get rid of the globules. “And it smells like fish, really bud?” He huffs, shaking his head. He’d practically forgotten you were there until you sidled up right next to him, holding the picnic blanket the two of you had just been sitting on up toward him.

“May I?” Your voice is quiet, but it stilled Hiccup anyway. He nods, unsure what he’s agreeing to. You bring the blanket closer and press it against Hiccup’s chest and- oh, you were just offering to help clean his suit. His face heats, a blush deepening on his cheeks the more you rub that cloth against him, and eventually he places a hand on your own, stopping your movements. He watches your throat flex as you swallow hard from the contact.

“I think I can get the rest from here, thank you,” Hiccup whispers, his voice rough as he stares into your eyes. A brilliant shade of pink lights up your own cheeks, and Hiccup wishes he had his artbook with him so he could draw this moment. He wishes he could find the right leaves or rocks, anything to create the right pigment, the right shade of pink that would match. He takes his time cleaning himself up, then begins to finally make his way over to Toothless. The dragon was giving him a look that he hoped you wouldn’t be able to decipher. Toothless was finally realizing what he’d just interrupted and looked both bashful and gleeful at the opportunity to tease Hiccup about it later. “Not a word, bud,” Hiccup whispers as he passes, stuffing the blanket into Toothless’ soggy saddlebag.

As he spun around, ready to clap his hands, he stopped before making a noise. You had your back turned once more, staring up toward the Fogfall. Seeing the thick moisture gave Hiccup an uneasy feeling he couldn’t quite place, even through his knowledge of its danger. He approaches you slowly, placing a hand on your shoulder. You still jump, but relax once meeting his eyes, turning to look back at the view.

“I don’t know why,” You begin, biting your lip before continuing, “But I seem drawn to it. It’s beautiful.” Hiccup shifted uneasily on his feet, shooting it one last glance before turning to face you directly.

“We should get going. It’s a long way back.” You nodded slowly, then sighed and turned to face Hiccup with a sweet smile.

“I’m ready.”

It was much the same as before, with Hiccup hopping on first and hoisting you up behind him. He felt the pressure of you wrapping your arms around his chest and hoped you wouldn’t feel the fluttering of his heart underneath your hands. He commanded Toothless to take flight, who ran toward the edge and glided off gently, still keeping his flight speed lowered as an act of kindness for you. Toothless began a wide arc, flying higher into the air without jarring you, and Hiccup couldn’t help but look back down toward Fogfall one last time.

Looking at that powerful fog, Hiccup flashes back to being a kid, the first time that he’d really met Toothless. That first ride with Astrid, when Toothless was summoned back to the alpha’s cave, flying through that thick fog that he could only see the nearest dragons to him, rather than the entire horde that had surrounded him. It was terrifying, in all honesty, the idea that while inside a fog so thick, you wouldn’t be able to see anything coming. Toothless slowly flew overhead, everyone looking down to admire the beautiful but deadly view. That must’ve been why no one had noticed his approach.

It was happening before anyone knew it- a large dragon, bigger than Toothless and crimson red in colour- had flown strikingly fast down toward them from their blind spot. As Toothless and Hiccup tried to regain their balance, Hiccup realized something rather quickly- they were trying to knock Hiccup off of his back! He took a firmer hold, glaring up toward this hostile newcomer. He heard your terrifying yelp, reaching back to steady you before slinking low toward the saddle. Then, he saw who was riding the red dragon.

“Didn’t realize any Nightfuries survived!” The antagonistic man called down, standing on the large dragon with a cruel smile on his face, hanging at an angle with a staff in hand curved around his dragon’s horn. Grimmel the Grisly. “Time to fix that.”

The dragon, while large, was still quite nimble. Toothless was faster, but with the added weight of an additional body other than Hiccup, he couldn’t fight or dodge to his fullest potential. Your face was buried into Hiccup’s back, arms tight around Hiccup’s torso as Toothless dodged around, the gleaming claws of the red dragon aiming directly for Hiccup every time. Toothless’ screech fills the air as he readies a bolt toward them, but just as he manages to aim and release, the dragon flies downward, then back up toward them with added speed.

They manage to knock into Toothless, the claws reaching out and coming close to Hiccup but just missing. However, that’s when Hiccup feels something that stops his heart. He felt lighter, colder- your grip had disappeared. Hiccup looked frantically around, spotting you at last. You were falling. Falling. The thing he’d promised you wouldn’t do- the thing he said he’d absolutely always protect you from! Ignoring Grimmel, he immediately directed Toothless downward. Faster, and faster, but you were falling too quick and he wouldn’t make it- Toothless wasn’t quick enough! Your arms were outstretched toward Hiccup, and he wanted more than anything to grab them and hoist you back up but you were too far away.

“Y/N!” Hiccup screamed, just as you were swallowed by the whiteness of the fog. Toothless pulled up short, stopping just above the fog. “No! No, go get him!” Hiccup tries to urge Toothless forward, but the dragon refuses to obey, scanning the whiteness around them with searching eyes. Hiccup growls out, they’re wasting time! He unhooks his prosthetic from the stirrup, swinging over and making to jump off of his back. He didn’t expect Toothless to catch him immediately, yelping out in fear. “No! Let go!” Hiccup kicked his legs around, pounding at Toothless’ arms. “Let me go! Let me save him!”

You were swallowed by the fog, descending into the abyss that no one had ever escaped from. And Hiccup was powerless to save you…

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#how to train your dragon #masc!reader #ftm!reader #he/him pronouns #hiccup x reader #hiccup x m!reader #hiccup x masc!reader #Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #normal guy reader #carpenter reader #first time flying #lunch date #chapter three #introduction of villian!

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lexosaurus · 4 months

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Twelve Hours: Chapter 3

Part 3 of 5 of my fic for Ecto Implosion, the DP reverse mini-bang (artists go first, writers go second)

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Characters: Danny Fenton, Harriet Chin, GIW (mentioned a lot) Tags: Identity Reveal, Flashbacks, Runaway Danny Fenton, Angst WC: 4028 Summary: When the GIW revealed Danny to the world, the only thing he could do was run. Run and run and run until he escaped to Chicago, trying desperately to disappear. Too bad it didn’t work.

****

“I want to pivot now to the actual imprisonment, which you’ve been describing to the public as a captivity,” Harriet said.

Danny didn’t let his eyes flicker to the cameras. He knew that whatever he said next would have very few edits done to it in post-production. And he also heard the implied question, asking him to talk about it freely.

This was his one chance to, after all. Never before had he been given the space to just talk so publicly about what happened to him.

What they did.

“I do call it captivity. Imprisonment would imply that I did something bad. But I wasn’t arrested for anything that I did. I was only arrested for being who I am.”

“A halfa, or Phantom?” she pressed.

Danny shook his head. “It doesn’t really matter. It was illegal for me to be a halfa, but Phantom was the most commonly found ghost in Amity Park, and so I was their primary target. The more that I evaded the Ghost Investigation Ward and the police, the more of an enemy to the federal government I became.”

“And you don’t believe their targeting had anything to do with the destruction that ghosts often brought?”

Danny paused, taking a moment to remember that Harriet wasn’t against him. She was here to give him a chance.

“My intentions were always to protect my community. Not all ghosts are after destruction, and most come to Earth harmlessly. But when the loudest tried to act up, I was there to stop them. And I was a kid—I mean, I wasn’t perfect, but I tried anyway. I thought if I kept showing the world that I was good, they would stop targeting me. But the Anti-Ecto laws didn’t let that happen. In the end, I got tortured anyway.”

“Tortured,” Harriet said, a full sentence. “That’s a heavy accusation.”

Here it was again. Another chance.

“It’s the truth.” Danny didn’t stop his hand when it went to rub his sternum this time. “They beat me, used electricity, drugged me, and—” His voice failed, a sudden swell of emotions threatening to overtake him.

Harriet didn’t look away. “And what?”

“And…”

His chest burned, and when he looked up, he saw the fluorescent lights staring down at him. His head was mounted in place by some metal piece, but that was good because it meant he couldn’t see what had become of his arm beside him. Also shackled, the cold table doing little to stifle the burning, burning, burning—

He blinked, and he was back in the warm interview room with the old carpet and white chairs. His throat was pinned shut, but he forced his jaw open anyway and choked out, “They cut into me while I was awake.”

“In court, they described what they did as an autopsy, stating that under federal law, you were declared legally dead and therefore it couldn’t be torture.”

Danny remembered when the “physicians” in the “operating room” in the GIW facility declared him dead. After they’d forced him into his Phantom form to stop his heart and lungs, of course.

“That’s what the Ghost Investigation Ward’s lawyers argued,” Danny said. “But death has to be irreversible. When I transform into a human, I can reactivate my circulatory system, so their argument was thrown out.”

It had been one of the few parts of his lawsuit he’d won, but arguably, it was the only one that mattered. The right to be declared alive.

Because then, he could use that to argue that he didn’t fit the Anti-Ecto laws. He was alive, and therefore a citizen deserving of his constitutional rights.

Everything after that, they didn’t care about. No, not the destruction to his body, nor his mind. It wasn’t legally torture because he had been a ghost when the GIW toyed with him. It was for science, for defense. They hadn’t intended to harm him. No, they were just gathering research.

“Were you warned about what could happen in their facility before your arrest?” Harriet asked.

“Of course. They used to taunt me with it, back before they knew I was Phantom. They would show up after fights and try to kidnap me while telling me all about the painful experiments and methods of dismemberment they were going to put me through. That’s why the actual reveal was so terrifying. I knew, I knew what would happen if I was caught. And I knew there was a good chance that if I was captured, I would never see the sun again.”

“And yet, you stayed here on Earth instead of running to the Ghost Zone.”

Danny tapped his finger on his khakis. “Earth was all I ever knew.”

****

07:00:00

Danny stumbled into the subway. It was dim, even more so than he remembered from last summer with the clouds blocking the sunlight from the street. He also recalled the rank smell of piss trapped underground, but today it didn’t seem as bad. Likely the crisp November air helping out.

He would have to grow used to it, though. Just like he’d have to grow used to using his powers to feed himself, as he’d just practiced moments before.

The premade sandwich and plastic water bottle felt heavy in his hoodie pocket. But it was a weight he didn’t feel too remorseful over, either. It was necessary to keep him alive, and he was sure whichever chain grocery store he’d nicked it from would hardly miss one sandwich going missing.

With the cops seemingly somewhere else right now, someone had opened the emergency door beside the turnstiles to avoid paying the ticket fee. Although, he watched as another man planted his hands on either side of the turnstile and jumped over it. Danny would have to start doing that unless he wanted to risk suspicion with his intangibility powers.

But with the other door open and a few people slipping through it, Danny just joined that crowd, grabbing the door from the person before him, and letting it fall to the person behind him.

Yes, he was just like any other normal human homeless kid. Nothing else going on.

He wasn’t sure why his heart still skipped a beat, though. Maybe because he’d been raised by parents who would have admonished him if they ever found out he refused to pay his fare to ride the Chicago subway. They were always sticklers for the rules in that sort of sense.

But he would get used to it, he was sure. Maybe by the end of the month, he wouldn’t so much as bat an eye over jumping over the turnstile like that other man did.

He wasn’t sure where to go. He supposed he should just get on a train and go. Maybe he could explore the city a little. Find somewhere to sleep tonight.

The thought of tonight weighed heavily in his mind. There was absolutely no way he could get into a shelter with the news so polluted with his face like it was. Surely, anyone managing shelters would have already been alerted of his runaway status.

And thus, the only option was the great outdoors. Not that he’d ever slept outside in a city before.

He would just have to get used to this as well.

Next to him, a green sticker caught the corner of his eye, and his stomach sank as he turned to face the grisly green bald eagle logo with its wings stretched out behind it, appearing as if it were landing on the yellow United States of America text. Above the bird were the bold words reading GHOST INVESTIGATION WARD.

Even in the goddamn subway, he couldn’t escape them. He turned away, but that familiar depressive fog thickened. He tried to push beyond it. If he began to think, he might never stop, and that was perhaps more dangerous than anything else.

Someone shouldered past him, and Danny was once again reminded that he was standing in the middle of one of the major subway stations in Chicago with a choice to make. Where to go?

He thought about looking at a map, but what difference did that really make? What did it matter if he went north or south? Eventually, he was bound to see it all anyway. There was nothing else for him to do.

He heard the faint strumming of a guitar down one set of stairs. The tune sounded weirdly familiar, though he couldn’t place it. His head was too out of it for him to care.

No, no. It was fine. Don’t think.

As he descended the steps toward the music, he could make out a voice accompanying the guitar. Feminine, and smooth. He’d heard this voice before, he was sure of it, though it didn’t sound right. Was it too…delicate? Soft?

He got to the bottom of the stairs and turned around, walking down the platform and closer to the voice. As he wove around the pillars, he began to make out distinct words, and that’s when it all clicked for him.

But of course, he still couldn’t believe it until he turned around the final pillar to see Ember herself strumming on her guitar in the middle of the subway. Her bushy teal hair was tied into a ponytail behind her, but instead of resembling fire, it followed the laws of gravity like any other human ponytail would. Her aura was also noticeably suppressed, making her black shirt and leather pants look darker without the constant light surrounding them. She didn’t have a tip jar out, but Danny wasn’t surprised. A real ghost like her would have little need for human currency.

Instead, a small purple and blue sign with her social media handle written in the center stood before her.

They locked eyes, and she grinned at him, though she didn’t stop singing. It wasn’t one of her songs; it was a cover of a rock band they both listened to.

Danny had never heard her sing a cover song before, but it was…nice. Soothing. He could still hear the original song in his mind with its heavy drums and near-constant crash symbols. But in the subway with nothing but a clean guitar and some vocals, it sounded almost like a lullaby.

People rushed by in both directions, no doubt hurrying home to see their loved ones for dinner. Next to him, a mother and her son stopped, the young child staring up at Ember with sparkling eyes. He bounced up and down to her rhythm, and then he pivoted to face his mother, clasping her free hand.

She smiled and raised her arm so he could twirl under it properly like a ballroom dance. He squealed, hopped in excitement, and then did it again only slightly ahead of Ember’s beat.

As Danny watched them, Ember’s words about heartbreak and sadness seemed to melt away. Because here in the middle of a subway station was a child and his mother dancing and laughing as if they were the only two people in the universe.

Then, as quickly as Danny began to feel their joy, it evaporated from his skin. Because as the mother pressed her lips together to regard her child with eyes like the morning sun peaking over the hilltop, Danny realized he recognized that tenderness. And rather than the familiarity tapping his shoulder in polite introduction, it decided to stab his chest, exit his skin, and allow his blood to dispel from his body until the only thing left to feel was the gaping cavity where his heart should have been.

That look of care and love was the same look his mother used to give him as she smoothed his tangled hair against his head. It was the same look she gave when he first disassembled and reassembled his first gun, when he brought back his first A in school, when he and Jazz cooked dinner together for the first time.

It was a look he would never see again.

Whatever he was feeling, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he grabbed it by its spindly legs, shoved it back in its cage, and let the ice plug up the space where the hole in his chest was left to bleed.

He couldn’t afford to break down, to draw attention to himself. Not right now, not after he only just got here.

Ember finished the song and started another. And another. Other than her small grin and nod his way, she didn’t acknowledge Danny again. Not until the set was over anyway, by which point Danny had made himself comfortable on the ground next to her with his elbows resting on his raised knees, and his unwrapped sandwich mostly eaten in hand. The floor was dirty and this all probably made him look every bit the homeless kid that he was now, but for the first time all day, he didn’t care. He was here to listen to his friend and eat his lunch…dinner. Whatever thoughts the public had, they could keep to themselves.

“Thanks for listening, everybody! Be sure to check me out on social media! You can find me on everything under Ember McLain!”

He waited patiently, not saying a word as she put her guitar back in its bag and strapped it to her back. Her microphone, amp, and the purple and blue blanket she had been standing on seemingly vanished into thin air one by one.

Danny didn’t have powers like that, the power to summon and dispel objects at will. Though, Ember had told him that her powers only worked for music-related items. If she needed something for a performance, the objects would appear. The more energy she had, the larger the object could be. At her height, she could turn an empty field into a full show setup with a stage, seating, and all.

She’d once promised Danny that she would never try to hypnotize others with her music again. How it wasn’t true fame, true admiration. And while Danny wanted to believe her, ghosts were ageless, and memories only grew fickle with time.

When all her things were packed away and likely sent back to her lair, she rounded on him.

Danny bounced a leg as he felt the weight of her eyes surveying him. He knew how awful he must have looked, even with some food finally in him. It didn’t help that—and he was sure she must have noticed—he was sitting under another angry GIW sticker.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you outside of your haunt,” Ember said.

Danny winced, glancing around. Thankfully, no one seemed to be eavesdropping. Still, he hissed, “Not so loud.”

“Then get off the ground, dipstick.”

Fair enough.

“I had to,” he explained, pushing himself up. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but—”

“Oh, I’ve heard. Everyone’s heard, I’m pretty sure.” She glanced between him and the sticker behind him. “I never got why you cared so much if the other humans found out.”

Danny felt himself gawk. He couldn’t help it. He knew ghosts could be tunnel-visioned at best, but this level of ignorance nearly had him walking straight back up the stairs and exiting the subway altogether.

She crossed her arms, glaring. “No, come on. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“What the fuck else could that possibly mean?”

“I mean like I never got why it would matter to the humans if they found out you were Phantom. ‘Cause it was so obvious to us all on the other side. Human or ghost, you were still the same annoying brat with the same annoying personality. Not to mention, you look almost the same, minus the hair and aura.”

Danny snapped his jaw shut, and his eyebrows lowered back down. Ember was trying to make him feel better, he realized, in her own terribly worded way.

But it made sense. To the other ghosts, he was just a halfa. No matter which body he took, he still had both a heart and a core. So what did it matter to them what he looked like?

“It matters to the humans, though,” he finished.

“Well, duh. That’s kind of obvious now.” She adjusted the guitar strap on her shoulder. “Turns out, they hate ecto-anything so much that they’ll kill one of their own kind for it.”

“I’m not really one of them, though.” He refused to let his voice crack in front of her no matter how badly his throat threatened to betray him.

“Yeah, you’re not,” she agreed bluntly.

It stung.

“So why stay here with them?”

“Because…” he began, then drifted off. She had a point. When he ran, he could have snuck into his basement (provided his parents hadn’t set up the ghost shields first) and fled to the Ghost Zone. Sure, he would be homeless there too, but at least he wouldn’t be looking over his shoulder every other minute like he was now.

But he didn’t run to his house when he was outed. He ran the other way, away from Amity Park.

“My parents would have known I’d come home,” he said. And…it was true. At least, partially. “They would have been waiting for me. And I—I couldn’t…”

He couldn’t see them. Or, more like, he wouldn’t have been able to handle seeing them. Their pain, anger, despair. It would have been too much.

“Besides, the Guys in White were probably swarming my house. They would have caught me.”

“They’re still swarming your house, actually. It’s why I’m here.” Ember shrugged. “Figured I’d lie low out of Amity for a while. Chicago’s close enough to the barrier that there’s still a good amount of natural portals here too. Which, speaking of, you should hitch a ride with me back if you weren’t able to get there the first time.”

He averted his eyes from her pointed stare and raised brow. It would have been smart, wouldn’t it? To wait for a natural portal and then run into the Zone?

“I can’t,” he said. “I can’t just—just—”

“And why not?” Her smooth human hair finally simmered, and Danny saw the fire behind her eyes as she pushed him into the metaphorical corner further. “The fuck are you doing, babypop? Where are you going?”

“I don’t know, alright!” he snapped. Someone glanced over at him, and he tugged his hood further up his head and lowered his voice. “But I can’t just leave Earth for good!”

“Why not? What the hell will these humans even do for you if you stay? Get you locked up? Turn you into their newest specimen? Kill you?”

His hands felt jittery, and he balled them into fists, wrapping his sleeves between his fingers. “I’m not a ghost, Ember.”

“You’re sure as shit not human either!”

“But my whole life’s here. I can’t just leave. What if they try to use someone I care about to lure me out of hiding?”

“So you’d just fall for it? You’d fucking walk straight into some dumbass obvious trap to save one of your stupid friends? Are you serious, babypop?”

He would without hesitation, but he couldn’t admit that. Not that he needed to, really. It was obvious because of something that started with an ‘ob’ and ended with ‘session.’

Ember’s aura was beginning to peek through, and Danny took a step back in response. A clear sign of submission, one he normally would never give to another ghost. But he couldn’t afford a fight in the Chicago subway today.

And Ember seemed to understand. Her eyes widened for a brief moment before her aura was back under lock and key. “Sorry,” she said. “I just can’t believe you would stay here just in case they got one of the humans you’re so attached to.”

“It’s not just that! It’s…you know, like I said. My whole life is here, it’s on Earth. I can’t just abandon it because of the GIW.”

Danny followed Ember’s gaze back to the Ghost Investigation Ward sticker plastered on the dirty tile wall. The neon eagle seemed to glow brighter than before, accenting every feather against the dark background.

“Do you know what they do to ghosts in there?” she asked, her voice uncharacteristically somber.

“Yes.”

“I don’t think you get it.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “I’m the one they’re after, in case you haven’t noticed. They don’t go five minutes without bragging about all the things they want to do to me. I probably know better than anyone else what they’d do if they caught me.”

“Well, then you’re dumber than I thought,” Ember said. “They got one of Skulker’s suits, you know. Skulker ejected himself, but his powers let him access the suit remotely for a little bit, so he could still see what was happening. Especially with all the stuff he’s been installing around his suit for repairs.” She gave him an accusatory glance, and Danny supposed she was referring to all the times that Danny messed his suit up, but he didn’t react.

If Skulker didn’t want to have to do so many intricate wiring repairs, he shouldn’t have attacked Danny so much.

“Skulker saw the inside of their facility. Just for a little bit, till he got back to his lair and got a new suit. That’s when the connection dies for him—when he claims a new body. But for a few hours, he could see inside the facility. All the experiments. The machines.” Her eyes lowered to her combat boots, and she hugged her sides. “He talks about them sometimes. About…”

Danny understood instantly. “Who did he see?”

Ember’s lips trembled, and Danny thought she would freeze up, unable to appear weak in front of the enemy. But Danny wasn’t the enemy tonight. So she sighed, closed her eyes, and said, “Youngblood.”

Danny’s blood froze in his veins.

He waited for her to say she was joking. That she was just trying to scare him. But when the first tear fell from her eyes, Danny knew she wasn’t fooling around.

“I don’t know what happened to him. Skulker’s connection cut too soon. But…I don’t think he could have survived that. He never had the strongest core, you know.”

“How the fuck could they even see him?” Danny asked, fighting to keep his ice powers locked behind the thin wall of his skin. “No, wait. Of course, they were counting on Youngblood thinking they couldn’t see him. It’s their sunglasses, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fuck. I—fuck.” That was all Danny could say, after all. “I’m sorry, Ember.”

“I never liked that little twerp anyway,” Ember remarked, though Danny could tell she was just putting on a brave face. “It’s sick what they do in there. It’s not that they think we can’t feel things, it’s that they don’t care, babypop. Youngblood was yelling and crying—that’s what Skulker said—and they didn’t care. They probably got off on it, knowing those sick freaks.”

Danny knew at least one operative who definitely did. “I know.”

“You shouldn’t stay here,” she tried again. “I know you don’t have to listen to me, but you should. You’re an idiot as it is. Don’t be a bigger idiot by staying.”

And suddenly, he wanted to listen to her. He wanted to throw his life away and follow her through the next natural portal from Chicago into the Ghost Zone. Frostbite surely would love to have him stay on his island. And if Frostbite got tired of him, he could go to Dora’s castle, or hell, even force Clockwork to let him crash. The old man could probably endure the company for a little while.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave everyone, he couldn’t handle not knowing if his loved ones were safe or not, he just couldn’t.

“I’ll think about it,” he said instead.

Ember gave him a long, weary look that let him know she saw right through him.

“Think about it. Really think,” she said. “If you get caught, you’re finished. You get it?”

“I know. I just need time.”

She frowned and turned for the stairs. “You’re running out of that, babypop.”

****

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