Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and Jackson Overland Frost met each on the third week of ninth grade. They both shared a class together, but never needed to speak to one another until they were paired to write a short story for their English class.

Jack was patient with Hiccup as the other boy seemed very shy and even stuttered when he first spoke. A week later, the stutter ended and was placed with small gaps between each sentence, even if Hiccup wasn't done speaking. When they finished their story and turned it in, Hiccup expected for them to never speak again less they were paired for another project.

That is, until Jack came up to him after that very same class and invited him over for a sleepover with his other friends. The fact that he had said "other friends" baffled the other boy, but none the less he accepted the offer.

When his father dropped him off, Hiccup politely greeted Jack's mother and father. He had met them before when he needed to work with Jack for the story earlier in the week, and he was also familiar with Jack's younger brother Jaime.

Jaime and Jack both looked startling similar. They had the same brown hair, the same observing eyes (though Jack's were blue while Jamie's were brown) and they both liked having fun.

Upon entering the living room, where Jack and his friends were waiting, he saw his host and four other girls. They were introduced as Merida, Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa.

"I's good ta 'ave another boy with'us " Merida had said, her accent clear in her speech. "Give's Jack a chance ta man up fer once."

Hiccup laughed. He didn't realize it then, but he more or less startled Jack. By that point, Hiccup's speech was so baffling at times to the point when he decided simply not to speak. But that laugh was the first time Jack had heard it, and sounded they way any fourteen year old should: young and happy.

Years passed, and during this time, Jack and Hiccup's friendship never wavered. They only sort of falling out they had was during their junior year when Hiccup had refused to speak to Jack for several weeks, almost half a month. When Hiccup turned up unexpected to his doorstep one night, offering an apology and explanation, Jack would only accept the former.

"You're my best friend, Hiccup," Jack had said. "I can tell there's something up with you, something troubling you so much that you're still against telling me... whatever it is you want to tell me. I don't care why. I just didn't want to lose my best friend."

That was first time Hiccup had cried in front of Jack.

It confused Hiccup a lot because they always confided each other with everything. When Elsa was graduating during their sophomore year, Jack admitted that he had feelings for her. By the time he started senior year, they were dating.

There was also the time Hiccup asked Jack for a favor in helping him cook his father's favorite meals made by his mother for their wedding anniversary; the only problem was, Valka had died from cancer when Hiccup was a baby.

The first person Jack told about his mom being pregnant, resulting with baby Sophie, was Hiccup. "Just don't tell the others yet, okay? My parents wanted to wait until this weekend for that big buffet all our families are going to."

This was the first time Jack refused to pry at Hiccup for any reason for an explanation. Hiccup felt terrible, lying to his best friend like this, but he heeded his request.

Jack opened the door to his friends house and stepped inside. "Hiccup, you here?" he called out, looking around. When the only answered he received was a bell jingling towards his direction, he shrugged and closed the door behind him. "Hey, Toothless," Jack said to the cat as it looked up at him.

He remembered the day Hiccup got the cat on his fifteenth birthday three years earlier. It was Jack's own present for him, and he even told Hiccup upfront that he was going to get him a feline. Hiccup, however, didn't believe him and was very surprised when he received a box with a living being inside. Since then, he'd taken great care of the cat.

"I don't suppose you know where Hiccup is?" Jack asked the cat as he took his phone out and sat on the couch. He opened the messaging app and typed in a question.

Dude where r u? I'm starving lets eat -J

As he exit the app and entered a second one to play a game, Toothless leaped onto the couch. Jack absentmindedly began rubbing its head as it yawned, showing off its single tooth. He got a reply almost ten seconds later.

Just got out of the shower, I'll be down in a minute. And also, please message with correct grammar, it's bad enough I already have one illiterate in my family. -H

Jack had more or less been dubbed as an honorary son by Stoick, Hiccup's father. Shortly after Sophie was born, Jack's dad died, leaving her mother having to work extra hard to support her three children. It was even more difficult since Sophie was only a toddler.

Stoick had offered her a hand, compensating the money he made, which was a lot as a business man, to help. Jack was the first friend Hiccup had made in a long time, Stoick privately told him, and he didn't want his son to be alone again.

Jack never said this to Hiccup, even though they literally told each other everything.

Please don't compare me to Snot. I have charisma -J

First off, his name is Scott, not Snot. -H

Says you. -J

Second, I know you make mistakes on purpose. Leave me alone for a bit, at least, I need to change. -H

Jack smiled to himself as he resumed his play through. "Mild OCD, my ass," he grinned. "More like mild OMG, right little fella? Up top!" He raises his hand slightly for Toothless's paw to meet.

Instead, the feline leaned forward and pressed his head the palm of Jack's pale skin. Then he meowed and moved to eat from his bowl in the kitchen.

"Oh, fine!" Jack called after him. "Be that way! See what happens when Christmas comes along!" At this, he frowned to himself. "And... I'm talking to a cat."

He returned to his phone to resume his game. Eventually, he checked the time to realize that almost twenty minutes hah passed. Furrowing his eyebrows, Jack opened his messages again and tapped a finger on the message bar.

Dude u oka? Your takin a while -J

After ten more minutes, no response.

Beginning to get concerned, Jack put his phone back in his pocket and made his way to the stairs.

"Hiccup, you okay? What's taking so long?" he called up.

No answer.

He quickly went up the rest of the stairs, looking at Hiccup's closed bedroom door. He opened it without knocking and saw his best friend with his back turned to him, shirtless.

Jack was about to call to him when he noticed something... off. Hiccup looked much skinnier than he did earlier that day. Granted, the both of them were pretty thin, but Hiccup's waist looked almost... dainty. There was almost no other way to describe it.

On the bed in front of Hiccup was a black muscle shirt. The shirt looked thick, and it even seemed to have a mesh around the chest area.

"Agh, damnit." Hiccup was looking at something in his hands. A moment later, he threw his phone on the blankets and picked the shirt up.

Then Jack's phone alerted him of a new message.

Hearing the notification ding, Hiccup turned around.

"Oh my, God," Jack said, his eyes widening. "Oh my, God, Hiccup, you–"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Hiccup shouted, raising his shirt to cover his chest.

"Y-you were taking a while a-and I thought–"

"Get out! Now!"

Not wasting another second, Jack slammed the door shut as he felt his face redden. He stood in the hallway, having slammed the door so hard that an Viking helmet ornament hanging from the wall shook and rattled.

Inside his room, Jack could hear Hiccup muttering to himself. "No no no... I-it wasn't supposed to happen like this... It wasn't..."

Jack stayed with his back to the door as silence fell. Then he heard it: sniffling.

Hiccup was crying.

Reaching into his pocket to take out his phone, he looked at the message Hiccup had sent him.

Hold your horses, Frosty. I'm looking for a new vest, you know I like wearing them. -H

A vest. That wasn't a shirt, it was a vest. One that looked like it would go down to Hiccup's midriff to give him the impression of a thicker body.

Jack had not only seen Hiccup's binder, but also his breasts. Breasts. As in, something a part of the female anatomy. Which meant...

Before he even realized what he was doing, he was knocking on the door. "Hiccup?"

The crying inside ceased with a sharp inhale.

"Hiccup, can I come in?" he asked. When he received no answer, he tested the waters by turning the doorknob and slowly opening the door. "I'm coming in, okay?" he announced once the crack was wide enough to carry his voice.

He stuck his head inside to see Hiccup burying his head in his pillow, still shirtless. The pillow was large enough to cover his chest.

They stayed like that, Hiccup sitting with Jack standing. He could hear the faint tells of Hiccup still sniveling, when as he shook.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack finally said.

Hiccup was still. He didn't even shake anymore. He stayed silent still, until he finally said, while muffled, "I didn't want you to think I was weird."

"Weird?" Jack repeated. "Dude, did you really not trust me with this? Were you scared that I'd think you were disgusting, or even that we'd stop being friends?"

Silence.

"...did you really think that?" Jack cautiously moved forward, taking a seat next to Hiccup on the bed. The taller boy tensed visibly, even leaning away slightly. "This doesn't change who you are, you know. I-I mean, I'm confused, yeah. I saw breasts that weren't my girlfriend's, for crying out loud!"

Hiccup let out a loud, muffled moan of disgust, something he always did whenever Jack would talk about his and Elsa's nightly "activities" or anything thereof.

Jack managed to smile a little. "But seriously, dude. You're still my best friend, I promise. If you want to be treated like a guy, fine. You're a guy with tiny tatas, though I blame that on the binder."

Hiccup let out another moan, this one more of annoyance as he fully leaned to his side away from Jack. This time, he took it as an achievement and let out a laugh. "How long?" he asked after a beat.

"Seven years," Hiccup said almost immediately after, not daring to hinder. He lifted his face enough to speak clearly, but his hair still blocked his eyes from Jack's gaze.

Jack nodded, unsure if Hiccup could see it. "I know Hiccup is just your nickname and all, but can I ask what your name was? If it was different I mean? Or... something? I dunno..." Jack felt the awkwardness return as the conversation went from comedic to real again.

"My name was Valka," Hiccup said. "I was named after my mom. She... she died and my dad had to raise me alone. And before we moved here, I decided I wanted to become someone new. Someone... different." He sat back up, his head lifted but the pillow still covering him.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"I was too much like my mom," Hiccup said. "I looked like her, I acted like her, I had her name. My dad tried to hide it, but I could tell he saw her in me. And it was killing me. He never admitted it, but... he blamed me for her death."

"What?!" Jack shouted. "But... wh-what? Why!" He was so baffled by this that he couldn't even form coherent sentences.

"My mom didn't die from cancer when I was a baby," Hiccup explained. "I was born early. Too early. My mom hadn't even begun her third trimester yet. The doctor was sure that I wasn't going to survive, but I did. My mom, though... didn't." He squeezed the pillow even more tightly. "Even though he knew it wasn't my fault, my dad still blamed me for Mom's death. I think he just felt... guilty? Maybe even sorry?" He shook his head. "I-I didn't feel comfortable as I was. As a girl. It felt... unfamiliar to me, even if I'd been one my whole life at that point. So... so I talked to my dad about this and that's when I started to dress like a boy. Act like one. I cut my hair, changed my clothes, changed my name. I got some medication to help increase my testosterone levels, and then... well, then we moved here. I started high school, and I met you."

Jack looked wide-eyes at Hiccup. "Whoa... Hiccup, I am so sorry. But you should've known me better than this. Yeah, I like to tease people, like poke fun at Merida's archery and Rapunzel's college boyfriend, even make fun of Hiro's height, but... I'd never make fun of you for this."

"I-I know!" Hiccup brought his hands to cover his face, sniffling as tears flowed down. "I-I was just so s-scared! Jack, I... I was so sick as a baby, I was scared I would die! I'm scared I will die! You've seen those people on the news, th-they kill other people just because their dif-ferent!"

Carefully, and somewhat wearily, Jack reached out and wrapped an arm around Hiccup. Then, without any warning, Hiccup leaned into Jack's touch and buried his face in his sweater, still holding the pillow to him. Jack let him, using his other arm to hold his friend close to him.

They stayed like this for who knew how long. Jack looked around as Hiccup suddenly stayed quiet, having fallen asleep. He must have been completely drained.

Hiccup's room carried nothing of the fact he used to be a little girl. No pictures, memorabilia, notes, not even a toy. Hiccup kept all the toys he had growing up, storing them to ultimately donate them all sometime when he was older, but they were all something you'd expect for a preteen boy. Cars, dragons, a toy machine gun, and anything in between.

There was no clock in the room, and Jack couldn't reach into his left pocket for his phone because that was where Hiccup was leaning from. At one point, Toothless wandered into the room and just lay down at the doorway, staring up at them.

Finally, Jack's muscles began to cramp. He shook Hiccup awake slightly and said, "Dude? Hiccup, we should go eat now. I'm starving."

Hiccup lifted his head, his eyes still closed and slightly dazed. He looked like he was still half asleep. "Mm... Jack..."

Then, before Jack could react, Hiccup suddenly lifted his head an planted a kiss on his lips. Jack was too stunned to move, his pale complexion darkening a little.

Hiccup seemed to realize what he had done as his eyes suddenly snapped open, backing up from him. "J-Jack?! You're still here?" Throwing the pillow to the ground, Hiccup grabbed the blanket off his bed and darted out of the room, almost kicking Toothless out of the way.

Jack, meanwhile, tried to process what had happened. Finding out his best friend was transgender was one thing; suddenly being kissed by him while said best friend was in a sleepy and dazed state was even more shocking. Jack spent a little bit in a petrified state before he noticed Hiccup was even gone.

"H-Hiccup? Hiccup! Hey, wait!" Getting up from the bed, be barely paused to grab a shirt off the floor before he ran past Toothless and down the stairs.

The front door was in sight at the bottom of the stairs, and it was also wide open. Without wasting another moment, Jack ran outside into the cool spring afternoon. He looked up and down the streets until he spotted a figure rather far running and covered in a garment.

I always forget how fast Hiccup is, he thought to himself.

Not too slow himself, Jack sprinted after him. Hiccup rounded the corner of the street and into a copse of trees before Jack realized he was heading for the nearby park just around the corner from it. He heard his footsteps pounding against the pavement of the pathway between the copse before it finally ended to grass.

The park was fairly large, large enough that the nearby elementary school held soccer games every now and then. Across from the field was a giant sand pit with slides and monkey bars, and further down from it, closest to Jack, was a picnic area with tables. Hiccup was sitting at one of these tables.

Jack slowly walked up to him so as not to startle him. He had been crying again. He bundled himself up in the blanket and was shivering, but obviously not from the cold. His skin looked bleached and drained of its color, his eyes and nose redder than before.

"Why did you follow me?" Hiccup said, his voice straining. He didn't lift his head, but as he looked down he could clearly see the feet of anyone nearing.

"No more secrets." Jack sat, pitying the younger boy when he flinched as he did so. "No more lying or avoiding truths. Why did you kiss me?"

Hiccup was silent for a long while. Jack didn't say anything for a few minutes until he repeated the question. "Why did you kiss me?"

"...I like you," Hiccup said, sniffling. "A lot. I have for a while, but I know you don't feel the same about me the way I feel about you." He released an arm from his blanket cocoon to wipe his noise. "You're with Elsa."

"But why did you kiss me?" Jack asked a third time.

"I... I have dreams sometimes," Hiccup relented. "...I thought you were one of them."

Jack scratched his nape with his hand. "Hiccup..."

"Yeah, I know!" Hiccup finally lifted his head, staring up at the sky. "You don't feel the same way! I get it!"

"Hiccup," Jack said again. He placed a hand on his are shoulder. "Hiccup, look at me." He didn't speak until he did so. "You're my best friend. Nothing is going to change that. It's true, I don't feel the same way you feel about me, but I'm sure you'll find someone who will. A guy or girl, doesn't matter who, but you'll find someone else who loves you for who you are. I care for you, but... just not like that."

Hiccup looked like he was going to throw up, but he only nodded before he smiled. "Why did you follow me?"

Jack only smiled and offered the shirt. "I'm going to give you something now, and I want you to treasure it for as long as you can because it's the only time I'll give it. Close your eyes."

Waiting until he did so, Jack let out a sigh before he leaned forward to kiss Hiccup. Shocked for a moment, Hiccup himself relax before he kissed back. It didn't go any further, just two sets of lips pressing against each other. When it ended after a few seconds, Hiccup sighed.

"Chinese?" he suggested, a grin on his face.

Jack waited in the restaurant for Elsa to show up. He called her the next morning and said that he had something to tell her face to face that couldn't be done over the phone. After school, he headed over to the retro diner where they had their first date. It wasn't until he arrived that the diner might not be a good place for this conversation, but it was too late to back out now.

"Hey, sweetie," Elsa said, startling him out of his thoughts.

Jack looked up and felt guilt wash over him, yet he was relieved to see that his feelings for his girlfriend had not dwindled. "Hey, Els."

The waiter came and took their drink orders before he left back to the kitchen.

"Are you okay? You sounded nervous over the phone." Elsa sat across from him, her platinum blonde hair in its trademark braid. She were a long skirt over tights, topped with a green cardigan. She was very beautiful.

"Something happened yesterday," he said, trying to ignore beating around the bush. "I was... at a friend's house when they told me a secret about themselves. I told them that I still cared for them despite their secret and they cried and felt relieved, but... but then they kissed me."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"I admit I kissed back, but that was only to make them feel better!" Jack said, seeing Elsa's flirty poise turn to stern and defensive. "Elsa, I promise it meant nothing and nothing more happened than that! I just wanted to be honest with you."

Elsa was shocked and she eventually calmed down. "Jack...

The waiter returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order.

"We need a minute," Elsa said without even looking at him. "Jack..."

"I swear it meant nothing," Jack repeated. "He was bawling, thinking I hated him or something and–"

"He?!" Elsa shouted, gaining the attention of almost all the customers around their area.

Noticing his slip up, Jack sighed. "Fine, I admit it was a guy. He told me he likes me even though he knew you and I were seeing each other."

"And you kissed him back?" Elsa looked betrayed.

"He was blubbering! I felt sorry for him! But I promise, it meant nothing!" Jack reached forward to take Elsa's hand, but she retracted them and hid them under the table. "Els..."

She was silent for a moment before speaking. "I appreciate you telling me the truth but... God, I don't know..." She raised her hands back up to her face to rub it with them. "Jack, I feel... I feel so used."

"What?" Jack was appalled. "Why? I never wanted to hurt you!"

"I-I know! I think I know, but..." She shook her head, grabbing her purse. "I need to get out of here." She stood from her seat, moving with brisk steps to the exit.

"Wait, Elsa! Elsa!" Jack followed after her, catching up with her just outside the building. "Elsa!"

"Not now, Jack, please!" Elsa shook her head as she walked towards her parked car. "Please, I just... I just need a break from this."

Jack frowned. "A break? What are you..." He came to the conclusion as she reached her car, but didn't go inside the driver's seat. "Oh my God. Are we breaking up?"

Elsa sighed, shaking her head. "I need some time to myself right now," she said. "My studies are becoming more difficult each day, and if I don't pass my final, I'll never be able to finish my degree." Finally, she stepped into the car, starting it up and lowering the window to speak one more time. "Goodbye, Jack."

She left him in the parking lot, an ache in his heart as he watched the girl he loved drive away.

"Looks like we're done here," Jack said to himself.

He walked home without going back inside the diner.

Hey. How'd the talk with Elsa go? -H

Not so good. We broke up :( -J

WHAT?! -H

Pick up the phone! Why aren't you picking up?! -H

Jack! Answer the damn phone! -H

Sorry, I don't really want to talk right now -J

Jack, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your relationship with Elsa. You must really hate me right now -H

Dude -J

I don't hate you -J

Why not?! I'm the reason you broke up with your girlfriend! Gods, she must hate me now too! -H

Relax, she doesn't know it was you. I meant to keep gender out of it, but it slipped out. She doesn't know it's you though -J

Wow, you must be really upset if you're not purposely misspelling words. -H

I'm sorry. -H

Don't be. We're still friends, okay? Deal? -J

Deal. And thanks. For you know, everything. Not a lot of people would support me like you did. -H

No problem. And I meant what I said last night. I'm sure you'll find someone who likes you too. -J

Hey, I was wondering, isn't there a surgery to help with your chest so you don't struggle with a binder? -J

Yeah, but it's really expensive. My dad says he can afford it, but I'm actually really scared. It's a long process, I heard. -H

I say you go for it. But that's just me. Talk to you later? -J

Okay. See ya. -H

MESSAGE RECEIVED

Dude, I had a question. -J

Hello? -J

JACK. ITS THREE IN THE MORNING WHATS WRONG WITH YOU -H

I just a serious question that I wanted to ask you. -J

Ugh. What? -H

Can you aim? -J

... -H

what -H

You know, when you use the restroom. Can you aim? -J

I'm not answering that. -H

Why not?! Merida hit me, Elsa looked at me with disgust, and Rapunzel and Anna are too pure for this world to have this conversation with -J

Can you aim? -J

Yeah, we're done here -H

EIGHT YEARS LATER

"So you guys know what you're having yet?" Anna asked, cradling her squirming infant in her arms.

Elsa shook her head. "No. The doctor showed us on the sonogram that the baby was healthy, but we decided to wait until the he or she was born to know its gender."

Astrid scoffed. "Yeah, because Jackson can handle gender."

Jack frowned at her direction, straightening in his lounge chair. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You kissed me twice when you found out I was trans, remember?" Hiccup recalled, pulling himself out of the pool.

"Technically, you kissed me the first time. The second time was because I pitied you." Jack looked at the remains scars on Hiccup's chest where the surgery had taken place years before. "And why did you even call us here?"

Over the years, many things had changed between the group of friends. After a long while, Jack and Elsa got back together and married, now waiting for their first child. Anna and Kristoff were already parents, and Rapunzel and Eugene were traveling the world. Merida had even gone back to Scotland to handle her parents' estate that had been handed down to her.

And after the reveal eight years earlier, Hiccup and Jack slowly began to drift apart. It wasn't until Hiccup came out to his college girlfriend, Astrid, did the two of them fully reconcile. And now, the Frosts and the Bjormans were called to the Haddock residence because of news.

The pool they had in their backyard was clear as the adults dried off in the sun.

"We actually have a surprise announcement for everyone," Hiccup said with a smile on his face, turning to his wife.

"I'm pregnant!" Astrid said suddenly, looking very excited and elated.

First there were exclamations, than when assured that Astrid was not messing around with them, congratulations were passed.

"We got a donor a few weeks back," Hiccup explained to Jack privately as the wives began to talk about the prospect of their children growing up healthy together. "I really didn't want to be the one to carry the baby, especially since..."

"Since you're sterile," Jack finished when his best friend didn't continue.

Hiccup nodded, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"I'm happy for you," Jack said, "and hey, who knows? Maybe our kids might end up together."

Hiccup snorted. "Yeah, maybe. Gods, I'm not sure if I can handle being a dad. I mean, Astrid and I talked about this for a long time and..."

"You're doing it again." Jack crossed his arms and stared down the taller man.

His hand to the nape of his neck, Hiccup paused. "Er... doing what?"

"Your tells are your neck scratches." Jack reached forward to take Hiccup's hand back down to his side. "Whenever you do that, you start to get panic attacks again. You're going to be a great dad, okay?"

Hiccup exhaled heavily through his nose. "And how do you know that?"

"Because I'm here for you. And so's Elsa, and Anna and Kristoff, and Hiro and Jaime and everyone else we know. Not to mention the mother of your child."

The two of them turned back to see Astrid carrying Anna's baby, cradling it softly between her arms.

"Just because you're different from everyone else doesn't mean you're not the same as everyone else," Jack continued. "That may not make sense, but it doesn't have to. Just... live your life."

Looking at his wife carrying the little one, Hiccup felt a warmth stir in his heart. He nodded to Jack and said, "Thank you, Jack. I needed to hear that." He bent down to pick up his towel and dry off his hair, walking away.

"And you never answered my question about how you aim!" Jack said rather loudly, earning a response by Hiccup throwing the wet towel at him and draping it over his face. Cringing in disgust at the wet thing, he shoved it off him and shrugged. "Looks like we're done here," he grinned to himself.

Author's Note.

Disclaimer: I'm sorry if I offended anyone and making you think I'm glorifying or romanticing trans life. I can promise that this was not my intention.

I admit I don't know much when it comes to the process for transgenders, only based on what little research I did for this story. My only wish was to raise awareness.

I actually jotted this idea down back when our "dear" President of the US took many trans rights away, like serving in the military or choosing the bathroom they deem appropriate for themselves. I hope this was enough for someone of my stature—a gay, depressed and anxious young adult male—to spread the word based on the current car crash that is the Trump Administration.

~CoronaCrown~