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¨༺ Berk ༻¨

<<CH. 3 | CH. 4

➠ Pairing: Hiccup Haddock x Reader ➠ Genre/Trope: Soulmates ➠ Type: Series ➠ Word count: 3.1k ➠ Summary: You’re a dragon hunter, and he’s a dragon rider – two opposing sides of a battle started long before you were born. Why has fate put you together, then? (OR, alternatively, a Soulmate AU in which you receive the wounds your soulmate receives (and feel the pain they do)). ➠ Warnings/Tags: angst (?), trauma, emotional damage, depictions of violence, canon-typical violence ➠ Author Notes: Hello! Back from the dead. I will spare you the details and just say I had probably one of the roughest years of my life lol. Im so sorry for putting this on hold, but I’m back now, baby! This is a bit of a filler/a bit shorter of a chapter so I apologize. Next chapter will be out soon (I promise) so you wont need to wait long for what I have planned >:)

Please enjoy!

(P.s old laptop crapped out, and I cannot be assed to remake the PSD for the fic’s banner. Everyone pretend you don't see that big ass black line LOL<33)

+Ao3 Ver.

Flying has always been the one place where the noise in Hiccup's head settles into something more manageable. Up here, above the sea, there are no expectations waiting for him, no council meetings, no arguments, no impossible decisions. There is only the steady rhythm of Toothless' wings as they cut through the cool night air and the endless ocean rolling beneath them, its black surface catching ribbons of moonlight wherever the waves break.

The wind smells of salt and rain, cold enough to sting his cheeks, while scattered islands drift below like forgotten pieces of the world. Normally, when he has company during flights, he fills it with conversation. He points out distant sea stacks that resemble dragons, tells stories about whichever island they're passing, or laughs whenever Toothless decides to show off with an unnecessary dive.

Tonight, though, he can't find the words. Every thought that rises to the surface ends the same way—with you sitting silently behind him and the crushing certainty that none of this should have happened.

He doesn't have to look at you to know you're still tense. He can feel it in the way your hands rest against him, careful and restrained, no longer clinging to him out of fear but still unwilling to let go completely. You haven't spoken since leaving your village, and somehow your silence says more than anything else could.

Hiccup understands it far better than he'd like to admit. He's spent years swallowing thoughts that felt too complicated to explain, years convincing people he was fine because the alternative seemed impossible. He knows what grief sounds like when it has no words yet.

You left behind your home barely an hour ago. Not just a house, but your people–your family, the forests you grew up walking through, the cliffs you've probably watched every sunrise from since you were a child. Everything familiar had disappeared somewhere behind, swallowed by darkness and distance, and the only person beside you is the one responsible for tearing you away from it all.

The realization swirls in Hiccups chest. Since stumbling into your life, he seems incapable of doing anything except making it worse. He gets captured, nearly executed, exposes a soulmate bond neither of you asks for, and then stands in the middle of your burning village asking you to trust him enough to leave everything behind. It feels impossible when he lays it out like that.

If your positions were reversed, Hiccup isn't sure he would have climbed onto Toothless either. The fact that you did—that despite every reason not to, despite everything you've been taught about him, you chose to take his hand—only makes the guilt settle deeper beneath his ribs.

He lets the silence linger for a while before finally speaking, though the words sound clumsy even to his own ears.

"Are you okay?"

The question is ridiculous, and he knows it the moment the words leave his mouth because of course you're not okay.

For several long moments, the only answer is the whistle of wind rushing around. Toothless glides effortlessly through the night, banking around a bank of low clouds that drift across the sea, and Hiccup almost convinces himself you aren't going to answer at all.

Then, quietly, almost too quietly to hear, you say, "I'm fine."

It's such a transparent lie that it nearly hurts.

Not because he thinks you're trying to deceive him, but because he remembers saying those same words himself after his father died, after battles that left more scars than anyone noticed, after every conversation where admitting the truth felt too exhausting. I'm fine is easy. It asks nothing of anyone. It keeps people from asking questions you're not ready to answer.

Hiccup doesn't call you out on it.

Instead, he watches the horizon where the sea meets the sky, his fingers absently tracing one of the worn leather straps on Toothless' saddle.

"I'm sorry," he says after another stretch of silence, his voice almost disappearing beneath the wind. He doesn't bother explaining what he's apologizing for because there are too many things to count. He's sorry that your soulmate turned out to be someone your people despise. He's sorry your uncle had to watch you disappear into the night. He's sorry Toothless teared apart your town hall, even if he knows his dragon was only trying to save him.

Most of all, he's sorry that meeting him cost you the only home you've ever known.

He doesn't expect a response, and for a while there isn't one. Then, almost imperceptibly, he feels your grip tighten against his side for the briefest moment before relaxing again. It's such a small movement that anyone else would miss it entirely, but Hiccup notices. He doesn't know what it means. Maybe nothing. Maybe it's simply Toothless shifting beneath you. Even so, he finds himself holding onto that tiny gesture far longer than he probably should.

Time passes strangely in the sky. Minutes blur together until the shape of the archipelago begins to change, and familiar cliffs slowly emerge from the darkness ahead.

Berk.

Hiccup recognizes his home long before most people would. Even from miles away, the island has a silhouette all its own, rising sharply from the sea in layers of dark stone and dense pine forests that blanket the mountainsides. Lanterns glow warmly along the docks, scattered like fallen stars against the cliffs, and the Great Hall stands proudly above the rest of the village, its broad timber roof catching the pale light of the moon.

Your entire body goes rigid as the island grows larger, and he hears you draw in a slow, steady breath. When he glances over his shoulder, he immediately understands why. You aren't staring at the village.

You're staring at the dragons.

There are dozens of them visible even from this distance. A pair of Deadly Nadders weave effortlessly through the night sky above the cliffs while a Gronckle snores loudly atop the blacksmith's roof, smoke puffing lazily from its nostrils with every breath. Several Terrible Terrors dart between chimneys, stealing scraps from unattended baskets, and somewhere near the cove a Monstrous Nightmare lands beside a fishing boat as though it's the most ordinary thing in the world.

To Hiccup, it barely registers anymore.

To you...

It must feel like stepping into another universe.

He offers a small, sympathetic smile before turning his attention back to the approaching island.

"When we land, let me do the talking,” he starts, gently.

He feels your gaze settle on the back of his head.

"My people are..." He huffs a quiet laugh. "...curious."

And that’s putting it mildly.

"They worry," he continues. "Especially when I disappear without telling anyone where I'm going. So if they start asking a hundred questions the second we touch the ground—which they will—just let me handle it."

He doesn’t hear a response, isn’t expecting to, but he takes it as agreement and starts the descent to Berk.

Toothless lands neatly in the center of the square, folding his wings against his sides with a pleased rumble. The moment his talons touch the earth, heads begin turning in every direction. It takes only seconds before someone recognizes them, and then the entire square seems to come alive.

"Hiccup!"

"There he is!"

"About time!"

"Where've you been?"

He barely has time to slide from the saddle before the questions begin raining down on him from every angle. Familiar faces push through the growing crowd—fishermen just returning from the docks, blacksmith apprentices still streaked with soot, mothers carrying sleepy children on their hips. Their concern is genuine, if overwhelming, and Hiccup can already tell this is only the beginning. Berk has never been particularly good at minding its own business, especially when one of its own disappears without warning for several days.

Add in the fact that he’s the chief and, well…

He reaches up automatically, offering you his hand as you climb down after him. The moment your boots touch the packed earth, he notices the subtle shift in your posture. You don't cower, and you certainly don't make yourself small. If anything, you stand with the same quiet dignity you've carried since the moment he met you, shoulders squared and chin lifted despite the exhaustion weighing on every feature.

But your eyes never stop moving. They track every dragon that passes, every unfamiliar face lingering a second too long, every sudden burst of laughter from somewhere deeper in the village. You aren't afraid in the obvious sense. You're assessing and watching and waiting to learn whether this place is safe or whether the warmth surrounding you is only temporary.

Without realizing he's doing it, Hiccup shifts half a step sideways until he's standing just in front of you. It isn't dramatic enough for anyone else to notice, but it places him between you and the steadily growing crowd almost instinctively. He doesn't consciously decide to do it. His body simply moves before his mind catches up, creating a small barrier between you and the dozens of curious eyes now fixed in your direction.

A familiar weight bumps heavily against his shoulder.

Hiccup glances down to find Toothless staring at him with unmistakable amusement, his wide green eyes narrowing ever so slightly before the dragon lets out a smug little chirrup.

"Oh, don't," Hiccup mutters under his breath.

Toothless responds by nudging him even harder, nearly knocking him off balance entirely.

"I am not fussing."

The Night Fury blinks.

"I'm not."

Another chirp.

Hiccup sighs, giving in as he reaches up to scratch beneath Toothless' jaw where he knows the dragon likes it best. Toothless immediately melts into the touch with an exaggerated rumble that vibrates through his entire chest, his tail giving a satisfied flick behind him.

"Traitor," Hiccup mumbles.

Toothless only looks more pleased with himself.

"So..." one of the older fishermen says at last, nodding politely toward you. "Who's the lass?"

The square seems to grow noticeably quieter, and he doesn't have to look to know you've become painfully aware that every conversation has stopped in favor of waiting for his answer.

His mind works quickly.

"I found her a few islands east of here," he says, keeping his voice even. "Small settlement got hit by raiders a couple of days ago."

It's close enough to the truth to come naturally.

"Toothless and I happened across it while we were flying patrol." He pats the Night Fury's neck. "We managed to fight them off before things got any worse."

Toothless lifts his head proudly at the praise.

"Right, bud?"

The dragon lets out an enthusiastic trill, nodding once as though confirming every word of Hiccup's story before puffing his chest out with obvious satisfaction.

Several villagers murmur sympathetically.

"Raiders, huh?"

"Poor thing."

"Didn't know they'd gotten that close."

"Is everyone else alright?" someone asks.

Hiccup hesitates only briefly.

"As far as I know."

No one presses further, though he can practically see more questions forming behind their eyes. Before anyone has the chance to ask where you're from or how long you'll be staying, another voice cuts cleanly through the crowd.

"Hiccup Haddock!"

He knows that voice before he even sees her.

Astrid shoulders her way through the villagers with very little regard for whoever happens to be standing in her path. She looks equal parts relieved and irritated, her braid slightly windswept from what must have been a very hurried search through the village. The moment she reaches him, she plants both hands firmly against his chest and shoves him hard enough to make him stumble back a step.

"You complete idiot."

Despite everything that's happened, despite the exhaustion pressing down on him from every direction, Hiccup can't help the tired smile that pulls at the corner of his mouth. "I've missed you too."

"Oh, don't," Astrid shoots back immediately, though the edge in her voice is dulled by obvious relief. "You disappear for days without telling anyone where you're going. Do you know how worried everyone's been? Fishlegs was convinced you'd crashed somewhere. Snotlout wanted to organize a search party, which honestly would've made things worse, and I…" She exhales sharply, shaking her head. "I thought you'd flown into one of those storms north of Breakneck Point."

For just a moment, Hiccup's smile fades—she sounded so much like his father. The thought arrives so naturally that it catches him off guard, bringing with it that familiar ache that still surfaces when he least expects it. Astrid notices the shift in his expression almost immediately. She always does.

Whatever she had been about to say dies on her tongue, and she reaches up instead, catching hold of the front of his tunic before tugging him down just enough to close the distance between them. The kiss is brief, warm despite the evening chill, and so familiar that Hiccup responds without thinking. Years of shared victories, arguments, fears, and quiet moments have made gestures like this second nature between them. He melts into it instinctively, letting himself enjoy the simple relief of knowing she's here and safe, if only for a heartbeat.

Then the memory of who is standing only a few feet away crashes back into him.

The warmth drains from him quickly, and he breaks away a fraction too fast, his stomach dropping before he even turns around.

You're exactly where he left you. You haven't interrupted, haven't looked away, haven't even shifted your weight.

You simply stand there, looking between him and Astrid, expression slipping.

He’d paid attention to you during your ride to Berk, and he learned little things without meaning to. The way you hold yourself when you're uncomfortable, refusing to make yourself smaller even when every instinct tells you to disappear. The way your eyes move first, carefully taking in every person and every exit before the rest of your expression catches up. The way your face remains composed while your hands betray every emotion you're trying to hide.

Your gaze lingers on Astrid for only a moment before drifting back to him, and he watches something inside you carefully fold in on itself. It isn’t resentment he sees in your expression; it’s something smaller, quieter, sadder—it's the look of someone realizing a truth they'd desperately hoped wouldn't hurt as much as it does.

The sight makes something inside him sink, because he knows exactly what you're seeing.

Astrid is no longer an idea built from the stories he told you back in your village. She isn't simply the girl he'd admitted he loved despite everything the soulmate bond insists should be impossible. She's standing right here in front of you now, close enough to brush shoulders with him, looking at him with the effortless familiarity that only comes from years spent growing up together. Every movement between them is unconscious. The shove. The teasing. The kiss. None of it requires thought because it has become woven into the fabric of who they are.

Hiccup remembers the conversation you'd had only yesterday, when he'd stumbled awkwardly through explaining that the bond between souls hadn't changed his heart. At the time, you'd listened in silence, your face carefully unreadable, and he'd almost convinced himself that hearing it had somehow been easier than living it would be.

Gods. He hadn't even thought…

Astrid, meanwhile, follows his line of sight and finally notices you standing just behind him. Her expression changes immediately, any lingering irritation melting into the same easy warmth she offers almost everyone she meets.

"Oh."

She steps around him with a welcoming smile, extending a hand before Hiccup has a chance to say anything.

"So you're the poor soul who got stuck travelling with him."

Hiccup groans quietly. "Astrid..."

"What?" she asks, looking entirely unapologetic. "Someone should've warned her."

A few villagers nearby laugh.

Astrid ignores them as she keeps her attention on you. "I'm Astrid. Welcome to Berk." She gestures vaguely toward the crowd still pretending not to eavesdrop. "I promise we're friendlier than we look. Most of us, anyway."

"We're very friendly," someone protests from somewhere behind them.

Astrid raises an eyebrow without turning around.

"You interrogated her before she'd even climbed off the dragon."

"We were being welcoming!"

"You have a very strange definition of welcoming."

The square erupts into another round of laughter, and after only the slightest hesitation, you accept Astrid's hand and quietly tell her your name.

"It's nice to meet you," Astrid says, her smile never wavering. "Don't worry. You eventually get used to them asking questions about absolutely everything. Around here, privacy is considered suspicious behaviour."

Before you can give any sort of response, Gobber comes stomping through the dispersing crowd, his wooden leg thumping heavily against the ground.

"Alright, that's enough standing around," the older man announces, waving his hook dismissively at the lingering villagers. "Can't you lot see the lass is exhausted?"

He stops beside Hiccup, giving you a quick once-over before nodding to himself. "I'll get her settled somewhere warm."

Hiccup looks up. "You sure?"

Gobber snorts. "Lad, I managed to keep you alive for twenty years. I think I can handle finding someone a bed."

The older man jerks his head toward the village. "You've got half of Berk wanting explanations. Best stay here before they start making up their own."

Unfortunately...

He has a point.

But you don't move when Gobber starts walking.

Instead, you look at Hiccup. There's hesitation written plainly across your face now. Understandable hesitation. You've known him for barely two days, and now he's asking you to disappear into an unfamiliar village with an older man you've never met while he stays behind.

Hiccup meets your eyes and gives you a single, reassuring nod. It's nothing elaborate, just a quiet promise: Trust me.

You study him for another long moment before finally returning the smallest nod of your own.

Then, without a word, you turn and fall into step beside Gobber as he leads you deeper into the village, disappearing gradually into the warm glow of Berk's lantern-lit streets while Hiccup watches until you vanish from sight altogether.

The square gradually returns to life around him. Conversations pick back up, dragons weave between villagers' legs, someone nearby laughs at a joke he doesn't quite hear.

He barely notices any of it. His mind keeps replaying the look on your face.

"Hiccup?"

Astrid's voice pulls him back.

He blinks, realizing he's still staring down the street where you'd disappeared.

"Hey." She nudges his arm gently. "You alright?"

He tears his eyes away from the empty street, forcing himself to look at her instead.

"Yeah, I..."

The word catches unexpectedly. He doesn't know what to say to her, doesn't know how to even begin letting Astrid in on who you are to him, on what feelings you've unlocked inside him.

"...Yeah." He manages a small smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm good."

Astrid watches him for another moment, and Hiccup can see she's unconvinced, but doesn't press. Instead, she bumps his shoulder lightly. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up and fed."

Hiccup nods, glancing back at the path one more time, before following behind Astrid.

Tag list (pls let me know if you want to be untagged!): @imobsessedwitholiviarodrigo @eepyfaerie @krys0210 @lexeevee @redgie-69 @anixx1 @idk1027 @st4rlightisa @meikoo @hikkarins

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