A/N: I've posted this on AO3 months ago and well, since I put the preceding story of this one here first, I think it's only fair if I post also post this here.
This is for those who requested an alternate ending but guess what, I'm bad at those so I just decided to write a companion story? Wait, can you call it this? Oh bother, let's just call it a sequel then XD. I love you guys, I apologize if I haven't been updating on my other stories, because seriously, I am having a hard time at it. Do forgive me.
This was beta'd by fickleminder.
— Ren
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a beat up desktop and my random thoughts.
Jackson Overland-Frost was a lot of things. He was a great actor, a well enough babysitter, an athlete, a campus heartthrob, and a class clown. Wherever he went everybody knew him, everybody liked him. Kids loved him and girls went crazy for him. He was cocky, a bit of a goof, but he was nice and easy to get along with. But most of all, he was a master liar and a fucking idiot.
Jack buried his face in the steering wheel. How could he do this? How stupid could he get? Two whole years. He had waited that long before he finally got the courage to call Hiccup. He wanted to laugh because even up to now, the guy hadn't changed his number. It was just… so Hiccup. He smiled, remembering the time that the auburn had told him how long he had been using it when they exchanged numbers. He had rolled his eyes at him, the corner of his lips raising in a half-annoyed half-amused smile, but the memory was soon shattered when an image of Hiccup's crying face that he had just seen a few moments ago flashed in his mind.
He wanted to meet him to explain, to tell him why he had left him—the words leaving a poisonous taste in his mouth—back then and win him back. Standing in front of the familiar brown door (it didn't surprise him that the auburn didn't change addresses too), memories of the night when he had left him flooded into his mind. He was starting to regret his decision, questioning himself if he was really ready for this, but all his doubts flew away when the door opened to reveal Henry Haddock. Jack felt the wind get knocked out of him as his eyes took in the sight. His auburn hair had grown out and was decorated with two little braids behind his ear—the flecks of gold had somehow disappeared—and his emerald orbs bore into Jack's, captivating him in a spell like they always had. He had also grown taller, though he was still a few inches shy of Jack's height, and his once scrawny body had transformed into a slender frame. Jack tried so hard to keep himself from pulling him into a kiss at that moment. Hiccup was beautiful, no, even more beautiful now that he could see him up close.
Alright, he wasn't going to lie or deny it. Though Toothless and Hiro had warned him to stay away from Hiccup, Jack just couldn't. For the past two years, he had followed everything that was happening in the auburn's life. He watched him from afar, in the shadows, well-hidden and unnoticeable like a professional stalker (well, okay he was definitely a stalker. Handsome yes, but still creepy). He sent him gifts on his birthday and Christmas through Bunny, and left random things that would place a smile on the auburn whenever he saw him upset. He trusted Bunny wouldn't reveal that they were in fact from him and sure enough, the man kept his lips sealed about the matter.
Seeing Hiccup again fuelled his heart and his resolve of winning him back hardened. But he realized that the longer he stayed in the auburn's apartment, the more the tension grew around them, and he was losing his chance. The resolve and courage he had gathered for this day started to weaken until it finally crumbled at the sight of Hiccup's tears and quavering voice. He didn't know how much he had hurt him until that day when the younger had poured his heart out to him. All his anger, his frustration, his fears, his pain—Jack was like a sponge absorbing everything and every single word that left Hiccup's mouth was a stab to his heart. But there was nothing he could do. He deserved it for what he had done to Hiccup. He knew no explanation would justify what he did, not even the truth. The only words he could say were "I'm sorry" and he said them like his life depended on it.
Hugging the younger male in his arms felt like heaven and hell at the same time. Heaven because he had longed to hold him, to feel the auburn's frame pressed against his and the comforting warmth that radiated from him. And Hell because he knew that the longer he held him the more he was hurting Hiccup and as much as he wished it wasn't so, he knew this was going to be the last.
He tried to explain himself to Hiccup, who listened as tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. It was killing him to be this close and yet so far. He almost kissed him on the lips but quickly realized what he was doing and redirected it to the other's forehead. He told him what he truly felt, but never said that he still—even up till now—loved Hiccup dearly. That he was in fact the only one he had ever loved this strongly. His explanation was only half the truth and he even threw in a lie, just to push him away.
What was he doing? Why did he have to do this? Why was he lying? He knew with that lie he was hurting Hiccup even more. Even if he tried to hide that small fraction, Jack had seen a glimpse of it. But this was the final blow. Even after forgiving him for all the hurt he had caused, he had to do it—he had to shatter every hope of Hiccup and him being together—or else he would just continue to hurt him. And that was killing Jack even more.
The albino had left Hiccup's apartment without his heart. He had left it there where it always has been and always would be. There was no one else in the world that could make him fall in love as much as the auburn did. It was too late when Jack realized that Hiccup owned his heart, mind, body and soul even if the auburn was oblivious to it himself. He belonged to no one else except Hiccup. It was true when he said that he never deserved Hiccup. And he never will because he had caused him too much hurt.
How ironic, I'm saying I love him and yet I'm hurting him. Moon I'm so fucked up.
Jack hit his head on the wheel. It had all started with a single wrong move. He promised himself that he wouldn't let this relationship with Hiccup end up a mess, but it did. He thought he had graduated from it, but he was wrong. After all these years…I still make a mess out of everything. He wanted to turn back time and prevent himself from making that wrong move that night, but sadly there was no time machine. He couldn't make the clock reverse. It was done and could not be erased.
He looked up from where his head was slumped over and wiped the tears away from his eyes. He saw two familiar figures go up to the apartment building. Jack recognized the pair as Hiro and Toothless. Hiro was pulling this large white balloon man while Toothless was holding a bagful of food. He didn't have to guess what the two were doing there. After what Jack did, Hiccup would need his friends. With a final glance to Hiccup's window, Jack started his car and sped away.
… -:- … -:- … -:- …
Jack felt sunlight hit his eyes and he groaned. He slung his arm over his face, trying to block the light filtering into his room. He tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed as if the world wanted to make sure he didn't and the alarm on his bedside started to blare. He moaned irritably but he made no move to get up. Suddenly he felt the portion of the bed beside him shift and warm soft lips touched his cold chapped ones. He froze, surprised at the gesture but didn't take long before he smiled and kissed back. He felt hands gently lie atop his chest and he moved his hand to entwine them together. He felt the pair of lips kissing him smile. Jack knew who this was. How could he ever forget?
There was no one else who had these tender yet calloused hands. There was also no one else in the world who held his hands like this. Like puzzle pieces, they fit perfectly as though they were meant to hold each other. Even with eyes closed he knew they were peppered with freckles. He felt those skilled hands run through his white locks, giving them a soft tug before breaking away from the kiss. He slowly opened his eyes and looking back at him was the most beautiful shade of green he had ever seen. A soft smile spread across those lips he always loved to kiss and Jack smiled back. He let out a soft laugh as he saw his angel's auburn hair sticking out in odd angles. The green eyes rolled at him but a smile was still present in those lips. Jack grinned and pulled the auburn into a hug and he buried his face onto the soft locks.
"Come on snowflake, you have to get up." A muffled voice told him.
"I don't want to. I wanna stay with you like this." He replied. Forever.
"You do know you can't keep sleeping, right? You have to wake up," the auburn said, but Jack felt arms wrap around him. "You can't stay like this. You have to go back…"
Jack shut his eyes and clung to the auburn tighter. I don't want to wake up. I want to stay with you. I don't want to go back.
"Jack, I don't want to keep you away from her. You're getting married, remember?"
The albino felt tears stinging his eyes at his words. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied. I'm so sorry. H—"
"No need to worry about it anymore. It's okay. I forgive you, Jack." Jack felt the arms wrapped around him loosen their grip. He tried to hold on but even if he was able to grab them, they were slipping away from his hold.
No! Please! Hiccup! I― I still love you. I always have. Please, don't let go of me. But even as Jack called for the auburn, he was fading away. The last thing Jack saw was that soft smile before he was engulfed by darkness.
Jack woke sitting up and breathing heavily. He ran his hand through his hair and pulled at it. Tears have started to stream down his cheeks. He spotted the blue hoodie with frost patterns right next to him and his hands reached out to hold it. He clutched it close to his chest, taking in the scent of pine and autumn―Hiccup's scent. He hugged it and cried silently.
It had been a week since he had been to Hiccup's apartment and dreams of the auburn had plagued him ever since. Up till now he couldn't stop thinking of how stupid he was. How could he have said to Hiccup that he still loved him? That his feelings never changed? That unlike what the auburn thought he wasn't marrying anyone? It was clear from the start: he had never intended to have a lasting relationship with Elsa. Because there was really no Jack and Elsa.
But Jack shook his head. No. He knew he couldn't tell Hiccup. Not after lying and hurting him all over again. Moon knew how much he had hurt the auburn and he didn't want to do that anymore. He just wanted to stop being the reason why Hiccup was hurt. So the moment he walked out of the auburn's apartment he had promised himself, that no matter what, he would never tell Hiccup his true feelings—even if it meant loving him from afar and never being able to hold him again. He would live his life away from the person he loved, despite Hiccup being at arm's length, every second of it killing him. He had done this to himself. He deserved it.
… -:- … -:- … -:- …
It was a Friday afternoon when Jack found himself lining up to the counter of The Lucky Cat Café. It was a branch that had just opened up in downtown Berk. An old college friend of his, Hans Sutherland, had told him about the café and he had nothing but good words about it, so he decided to check it out. He had a whole month off from work since his performance on the last day in the production of Phantom of the Opera had been a great success. He played the role of Erik, the Opera Ghost himself. It was scary how he connected so well to the character, but he should have seen that coming. He and Erik had a lot of similarities. They found pleasure in playing tricks, they were filled with lies and both loved a person so deeply. They were also both monsters—Erik for his appearance and his crimes, and Jack for what he had done to his auburn angel. They both had also hurt the person they loved and gave up because they knew the person's happiness would not be found in their arms. It was definitely a role befitting of him.
The woman in the counter called for the next costumer and Jack stepped up. She greeted him with a warm smile. She had soft brown hair that was just a few inches above her shoulders, her grey eyes had a kind of sparkle to them and her face radiated such warmth and beauty that it was hard to tell her real age. But Jack had to guess she was older than him.
"Hi, welcome to the Lucky Cat Café. What will you be having today sweetie?" she asked him.
Jack returned the smile. "A friend of mine told me you serve the best hot chocolate drink here. I'll be having a Grande please."
She smiled wider at him. "Well, your friend was right about that. It's one of our best sellers. Will that be a take-out sweetie?" the woman asked, punching in his order.
"Yes, please."
"Would you like to have something to go with it?" she asked, gesturing to the trays of pastries on the display.
"Thanks but I'm good."
"Your name honey?"
"Jack."
"Okay Jack, it'll only take a minute." Quickly typing in his order on the register, the woman—her name was Cass, according to the name tag—worked on making his drink. Her hands moved expertly, every action calculated in perfect sync as she prepared the albino's order. It didn't even take a minute before she came back facing Jack, handing him a cup of steaming hot chocolate. "Thank you and I hope you enjoy!" Cass said to him. Jack gave her a polite nod in thanks.
As the snow-haired male made his way to the door, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the figure that had just walked into the café. He almost dropped his drink as he recognized the person. Emerald green eyes met Jack's cerulean ones, the auburn abruptly stopping in his steps. They stood there just staring at each other, not knowing what to do or say to the other.
Hiccup was dressed in a green flannel shirt with the two upper buttons unclasped revealing a simple grey shirt under it, denim jeans and sneakers. His clothes hugged his body, accenting his beautiful slender frame. Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his lips going dry. A black hoodie that had oval shaped ears—a design he recognized as a Nightfury's head which he had seen Hiccup draw multiple times—hid his messy auburn hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses rested on his nose. Jack had to stop himself from rushing to hug him and coo at how adorable he was. The auburn looked more like a teenager than the twenty-one year old male that he was. This was the first time they saw each other again after the last time he visited the auburn's apartment which had been months ago. There was tension in the air, the noise of the other people in the café enveloping them. Jack was about to break the awkward silence between him and Hiccup when the bell at the door rung, indicating someone had come in, and a voice calling for the auburn's attention cut through.
Jack watched as the newcomer slipped an arm around Hiccup's thin waist and planted a quick kiss on the auburn's cheek. "Sorry I was late Henry. Fred cornered me and the others about making a shrink ra—" the guy stopped what he was saying when he finally noticed Jack in front of them. The man let out a nervous laugh, the hand that had been on Hiccup's waist before was now massaging the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry, that was incredibly rude of me. Was I interrupting anything?" he asked worriedly.
Jack quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all," he answered with a smile. He wasn't an actor for nothing if he couldn't mask his real emotions in an instant and act according to the situation.
"Oh, thank goodness," the guy said, placing a hand on his chest letting out a sigh. "I thought I just stepped into an important conversation. I'm really sorry about that," he apologized, smiling sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it." The albino discreetly scanned the newcomer. He was about the same height as Jack or taller, and he was more lean-muscled than him. His raven hair was mostly hidden under a cap that had a logo which he recognized as Callaghan's Institute of Robotics—a top tier company known for its advances in technological science and large contributions to society, and he distinctly remembered there a was a program in their university sponsored by said company. The guy wore a light yellow cardigan that topped a white shirt which had a print of an equation Jack couldn't make sense of, brown pants that were folded up revealing his ankles and a pair of mint green trainers. He was good-looking and there was no denying it, but he couldn't shake off the feeling why he found the male familiar.
The male's hazel eyes scanned him also. His brows furrowed deeply in thought and then his eyes widened, lighting up as though he had made a discovery. A smile quickly spread on his lips. "You're Jackson right?" he asked.
"You know me?"
"You know him?"
He and Hiccup asked simultaneously. They glanced at each other and quickly looked away. The guy saw this and chuckled.
"I attended DreamWalt University. I was a Junior when you came in as a Freshman. We never officially met, but a friend of mine named Fred who was the school mascot mentioned you a few times. Besides, you were the first freshman to land a lead role in your department's annual production which most of the university looked forward to. Even us in the nerd lab," he explained, laughing a bit at his last statement. "Are you and Henry friends?" he added, pointing back and forth between Jack and Hiccup.
"Uhm—" Before Jack could finish his sentence, Hiccup, who had been standing quietly, cut him off.
"I met Hiro through him," Hiccup supplied, giving the raven a crooked shy smile.
"Oh," the guy nodded. "I guess I should be thanking you then. If it weren't for you, my little brother wouldn't have expanded his circle of friends." He smiled thoughtfully at the albino.
"Little brother?" Jack asked, his head cocked to the side in confusion.
"Right, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself," the raven said and extended his hand towards him with a smile, "I'm Tadashi Hamada, Hiro's big brother."
"Wait, Hamada? As in Hiro Hamada? That cocky pipsqueak of a genius? You're related to that Hamada?" Tadashi laughed at his words and nodded, not finding his words about his little brother offending. "So that's why you looked familiar," Jack mused and chuckled. He accepted the male's hand and shook it. "Jackson Overland-Frost, nice to meet you."
"Pleasure's all mine," Tadashi replied. He really did resemble Hiro, the only differences being that Tadashi was taller and acted more gentlemanly than his little brother. It was then that Jack remembered hearing about a certain half-Japanese half-Caucasian student named Tadashi Hamada from his other classmates during his university years. He was rumoured to be one of the most pined for males in the science department. Jack had never really bothered to know about the guy since he didn't care about such things, but now he understood where that ridiculous title had come from. And he understood why the female student body in their university would pine for said male. Tadashi exuded this aura of kindness and perfection, and it seemed as though his mere existence was too good to be true. He was the physical embodiment of any girl's dream.
"From your cap, I guess you were in Mr. Callaghan's Robotics program?" Jack inquired.
"Yeah, got a scholarship with it so I could ease up some load from our Aunt," he replied.
"That's pretty impressive." He's smart and a gentleman. The albino knew getting into the CIR program was a close to impossible feat. Even if you were one of the best minds, that didn't guarantee your acceptance and getting a recommendation letter was a killer. Mr. Callaghan was known to be strict and picky, and it was a miracle in itself if you got in.
"I guess I should let you guys catch up?" Tadashi asked Hiccup, who had remained quiet and stood still beside the raven for the past few minutes. Jack noticed the light blush on the auburn's freckled cheeks. Hiccup looked at Tadashi as if they were having a telepathic conversation. Their eyes exchanged words and every slight movement deciphered by the other. "I'll just take that as a 'yes'. I'll order the usual then." With that the raven dipped his head, planting a kiss on Hiccup's cheek for the second time before going to the counter with an enthusiastic "hey Aunt Cass!"
Jack had felt a twinge of pain at the sight but hid it well. He looked at Hiccup and smiled. "I guess that person finally came," he said, remembering his last words to the auburn. His own words that stabbed him right in the chest.
"I guess," Hiccup shrugged, finding the floor more interesting than Jack's face.
"I'm happy for you Hic." He really was, even if it hurt him. Jack could see that Tadashi was a nice guy and he would take care of Hiccup the way Jack wasn't able to. The raven would cherish his angel—that he was sure of. And it was enough for him.
Hiccup lifted his gaze to Jack and an embarrassed yet soft smile curved into his lips. One of the smiles that always made Jack fall harder in love with the shorter and never failed to brighten up his day. "Thanks," Hiccup said.
"I'll be heading out now. I don't want to intrude on your time together. See 'ya round Hic!" Jack didn't wait for Hiccup's reply before leaving the café with a small wave. When he was a few meters away, he looked back to see if Hiccup was looking at him too but he only saw Tadashi walking up to Hiccup with two steaming paper cups. He watched them as they left the café immediately, their hands entwined. Tadashi was talking animatedly while Hiccup listened in earnest interest, laughing and adding his own input.
Jack's heart ached. Two years ago, it was him in Tadashi's position—making Hiccup laugh, holding his hand, hugging and kissing him. Now, he was just a guy in the crowd silently watching, silently wishing that he was still the person beside Hiccup.
… -:- … -:- … -:- …
"Why am I such an asshole?" The young adult whined as he slumped on the bar's counter. The man sitting beside him rolled his jade eyes at the albino's words and took away the glass that he was clutching. He was tall with bluish grey hair tied up in a pony-tail. His tank-top revealed his muscular arms which were decorated with black tribal tattoos. He was handsome and girls melted at the sound of his Australian accent coating his words every time he spoke. This was Jack's best friend/sort-of big brother/bully E. Aster Bunnymund.
"I dunno mate. You've been an arse since the day I met'cha," Aster replied, his expression remaining neutral. Jack lifted his head from the counter top and shot his best friend a glare. The man cocked an unamused brow at him and the albino looked away, slumping back into his arms.
"Thanks, it makes me feel so much better," the younger grumbled. "Give me back my drink, you stupid kangaroo." Jack tried to grab the glass from Aster's grasp but the other just raised it out of his reach, making the albino huff in indignation.
"Drinking won't solve your problems ya bloke." The Aussie smacked him on the head. Jack let out a gasp of pain and stood up from leaning against the counter. He glared daggers at the other male as he rubbed the back of his head which was throbbing from his friend's assault. Aster was unfazed, already used to the threatening and irritated looks Jack often gave him.
"Dammit, that hurt. You didn't need to hit me that hard." He winced as he gently felt the spot. His friend just shrugged his shoulders.
"Thought it would wake ya up and stop ya from yammerin'." The grey haired male took a swig from Jack's drink, downing it to the last drop.
"Hey! I paid for that, go buy your own drink Bunny," the younger male protested to which the other retaliated with a flick on the albino's forehead. "Fuck. I thought you were a painter, how come your hands do so much damage?" Jack stated, rubbing his forehead which was probably red by now.
"Want me to show ya how much more damage they can cause mate?" The Aussie lifted a knuckle in front of the albino and Jack slapped it away. The shorter faced the bartender and ordered a drink and Aster shook his head in exasperation. "I told'ya, drinking won't solve your problems. If ya want to stop bein' an arsehole, then be honest with yourself." As soon as the bartender gave the glass to Jack, Aster swiped it away from his reach. "You're bein' pathetic, Jack. You love Hiccup, you want him. But you're a fuckin' coward. Ya told me that ya were goin' to make things right when ya went to him and then I suddenly hear from Toothless that ya told the lad ya were gettin' married."
"What's with that?!" Aster threw his hands up in the air in disbelief. When he turned his eyes back to the albino, Jack saw the seriousness in them. "You're makin' things worse for both of ya. Stop runnin' away," he told him, jabbing a finger on his chest for emphasis.
Jack looked away. Bunny made perfect sense. He was right about what he said about him being a coward and running away. But how could he not? He was afraid that he would hurt Hiccup again. If he did it once, he was sure he would do it again. The only solution he could think of was staying as far away from him as possible.
"He found somebody else," he argued. "He's better off with Tadashi than me. The guy can take care of him better than me." Aster scoffed and shook his head. Jack looked at him. "What?"
"You're bein' a drongo. Again." He pinched the bridge of his nose and added, "Would'ya just stop makin' excuses Jack? It's not about who can take care of Hiccup, the kid's not a dingo. I get it ya hurt him, but don't you think you're hurtin' him more with what you're doin'?"
"Of course I know that! But what if I hurt him again?" Jack clenched his fists, shaking with anger at himself. He closed his eyes and an image of Hiccup's pained expression flashed before him. He took a deep breath, trying to drown it out of his mind before whispering, "I don't ever want to see him like that because of me."
Another smack from the Aussie came to his head. Jack was seriously considering punching Bunny, but the look in his eyes told him that if he did he'll only get hurt more. "If you're that scared of hurtin' him, then man up and don't, ya bloke. What kind of demented reasonin' told'ya that doin' this would solve it?"
Chagrined, Jack averted his gaze again. "I always make a mess of everything," he said with a frown, his voice almost inaudible. He heard his best friend sigh heavily and felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, he met Aster's jade eyes. They looked at him in the way a brother would, trying to coax and comfort his little brother.
"Mate, a mess ain't gonna clean itself up. If the lad's really important to ya, if ya really value him like what ya say, then stop hidin'. Stop runnin' away. Things won't change if you're stuck moping around and acting like a martyr. If you want to stop bein' an arse, then make things right with Hiccup." Aster leaned back on his stool and watched Jack. With another huff, the Aussie got off his seat and pulled Jack from his. He pulled a few bills from his pocket and placed it on the counter. He didn't wait for the change and without looking back, the male started to drag his best friend out of the bar.
"Bunny, where the hell are you taking me?" Jack asked, allowing himself to be pulled out since he figured that fighting the taller male was useless.
"I'm takin' ya home. What ya need is not a drink, but a good night's sleep so ya can think of what ya ought to do to stop this ridiculously pitiful situation ya caused from blowin' things out of proportion while it's still salvageable." He stopped in front of Jack's silver Volvo and stretched his palm out for the albino to hand him the keys. Realising that Bunny was not taking "no" for an answer, Jack handed over his car keys.
"I expect a full report on this," he said as they slipped into the car. Jack gave him an incredulous look. "I mean it. If you're not going to do anythin' about it, I'll do it myself and I'm sure North'll be glad to lend a hand. Ya wouldn't want that now, aye?"
Jack let out a groan as he saw the smirk his friend was sporting. He was pretty sure Bunny was going to stay true to his word. And if North was going to help… moon forbid it, the guy's ideas were never within the normal scope of things. For all he knew, they might place Hiccup in a sack and bring the auburn to him all decked out in laces and ribbons. The prospect of seeing such a sight was tempting, but he knew Hiccup wouldn't be too thrilled since he'd be getting the short end of the stick.
He massaged his temple. Jack could feel the oncoming headache this was going to give him. There would be no more hiding, no more running. As much as he had told himself to give up, to stay away, he couldn't stop himself from wanting Hiccup. He wanted Hiccup more than anything he had ever wanted in his whole life. He also knew, though Aster never said it, that his friend just wanted him to find his peace. Jack was so sick of it himself. His being a coward, running away from his problems, and his fear of not being able to clean up the messes he made. He was sick of this about himself. He had to do this. This was his last chance to do the right thing. If Hiccup told him to go away and leave him alone, if he decided to hate him more than ever, then so be it. Jack expected no less. At least he wasn't going to hide behind lies anymore.
… -:- … -:- … -:- …
Jack was roused from his sleep by the incessant ringing of his doorbell. With a groan the young actor pushed himself off his bed and grabbed the nearest shirt his hand could find, pulling it over his head. He quickly made his way to his door, cursing and grumbling about why anyone would even bother him at this ungodly hour. He yanked the door open with an angry, "WHAT?"
The culprit stared at him with wide aquamarine eyes, surprised by his sudden outburst. Blinking and taking in his dishevelled state—his snow white locks sticking out at odd angles as if a storm had hit it and the deep bags under his usually captivating cerulean eyes which were now bloodshot—his visitor just shook her head at him. Jack felt his anger slowly melt away, recognizing the woman standing in front of him. He let out an exasperated sigh and scrubbed his palm over his face in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to shout," Jack apologized to the woman. He stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. The woman accepted his invitation and went inside. The albino excused himself to wash up and make some coffee for him and his guest.
He soon came back with two steaming hot mugs and sat himself in one of his couches. He looked at the woman over his mug of coffee. He didn't know how long it had been since he had last seen her. She was as beautiful as always. She still held herself in that childish demeanour which they both shared. Her copper hair was kept neatly in twin braids, the streak of platinum blonde clearly visible. She was wearing a cream coloured dress that was just an inch above her knees and a light green cardigan. This was Anna Arendelle, the little sister of his short-term girlfriend Elsa.
They stared at each other for a few moments until Anna decided to finally break the silence. "I should have called. It was rude of me to have come all of a sudden," she said, smiling sheepishly.
"Definitely should have," Jack replied with a smirk and shook his head. Now that he had some coffee, he was finally getting a hold of his mood. He always got sour when he was abruptly woken from his sleep, especially when he had no memory of setting the alarm. It was even worse when he had a hangover, which he was now feeling with his head dully throbbing. He took the bottle of aspirin from a drawer nearby and popped one into his mouth. "So what brings you here?"
"I don't think I need to elaborate, but you know that Elsa's wedding is in two weeks right?" Jack nodded in response. He and Elsa had remained friends after their brief "relationship" and they were both members of the same drama troupe. They were also the crowds' favourite pair so they had worked in several productions together through the years. And although Elsa was partly to blame for the taint and ruining of his and Hiccup's relationship, Jack couldn't bring himself to hate her because he was equally at fault himself.
Anna had noticed the frown on Jack's handsome face and she knew what was going on in the albino's mind. She reached for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. She gave him one of those soft and apologetic smiles. Her aquamarine eyes were bright with worry and Jack felt embarrassed for making her feel that way. Anna somehow blamed herself too for what had happened to Jack's relationship. Unfortunately, she was the one who had gotten Elsa drunk that night at the drama department's party which eventually led to the demise of his otherwise perfect long lasting relationship.
"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. Jack shook his head and told her, "It's alright."
"How can it be?" Anna questioned him. "You haven't been happy ever since. You may be a great actor, but I know a fake smile when I see one."
"It's my fault too you know. If I had just listened to Eugene and watched my liquor, it wouldn't have happened." Jack rubbed the back of his neck. Talking about it was never easy. Even if nothing happened between them, with Jack stopping before going any further as his mind slowly sobered up and realized what he was doing, it still spelled out the same words: He cheated on Hiccup.
He had made a promise to himself that if he ever did anything that would ruin their relationship, he would end it at once. That same night of the "incident" he went to Hiccup's apartment and broke it off with him. It was also the only time he cried so much after his sister's death. He loved Hiccup so much that it hurt to leave him, but he was too scared about hurting him again. The week that followed the break up was hell to Jack, but something took his mind off it even for just a little and that was the task of pretending to be Elsa's boyfriend.
It was really funny and weird. After that incident, the Arendelle sisters had sought him to apologize—Anna for getting her older sister drunk to loosen up, and Elsa for her lack of manners and losing rationality that almost caused them to do something they would both regret. Anna had also came up with the idea of Jack pretending to be Elsa's boyfriend to make a certain guy jealous and push him to confess. Elsa was initially horrified and scolded her sister but Jack was weak against pleading girls. The look Anna gave him broke his defensive walls and eventually got him to agree.
Jack hadn't realized how terrible that decision was until the day Timothy came up to him while he was playing his role with Elsa and punched him, telling him to "stay the fuck away from Hiccup or I'll beat the living shit out of you". Elsa was unaware of Jack's relationship status with Hiccup and felt responsible for making things worse. Anna felt even worse than her sister since it was her idea. But Jack told them it wasn't their fault since he agreed to help and he had ended it with Hiccup before Anna even proposed the plan. Elsa didn't want the act to continue but it wasn't necessary since the guy they were planning to make jealous came out of nowhere and punched Jack in the face. The next thing he knew, Elsa and Hans Sutherland had gone off to talk things through while Anna treated his face which was slowly developing a bruise. It didn't take long before Hans and Elsa came back and the guy apologized to him. The incident had led to him building a steady friendship with Hans and the Arendelle sisters.
"It's already in the past, we can't do anything about it," Jack said to Anna with a smile. "But, I can try to make things right in the present." Anna returned the smile. They were both thankful that the awkward air that had enveloped them was gone now. "So going back, what brings you here?"
Anna instantly sat up straight and placed down her mug back on the table. "Like I was saying, Elsa's getting married in two weeks and well, I know it's a late notice, but we want you to sing in her wedding."
Jack almost snorted coffee out of his nose after hearing the woman's words. "Y-You want me to sing? In her w-wedding?" he asked, making sure he had heard her right. Anna nodded excitedly and clasped her hands together, giving him her puppy-eye look. Jack cursed inwardly, he hated that she knew it would work on him. Through the years, Anna had become like a little sister to him. "Can't you ask someone else?"
"Please? Beside, Hans insisted too." She pleaded. "And I'm going to sing there with you since it's a duet! Kristoff could do it, but he thought you would be better suited for it and you know how he hates singing in front of crowds. So pretty please?"
Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Just give me the piece so I can practice it." Anna gave him a hug and thanked him profusely. When she drew back she wrinkled her nose at him.
"You seriously need to take a bath." Jack laughed and pinched her nose which made her whine and slap his hand away.
"It's your fault for hugging me all of a sudden." He followed Anna as she stood up from her seat and got something from her bag. It was icy blue in colour with a snow-flake serving as the seal. He admired the handiwork of the wedding invitation and hummed his approval at the design. They really pulled off that snow queen thing Elsa wanted.
"By the way, we'll send you the tux you're wearing by next week." Jack nodded in response and opened the door as he escorted her out of his apartment. With a kiss to the cheek and another comment about his state, Anna bid farewell to him with a last minute shout that she would update him about their rehearsals.
The cerulean eyed male returned inside and stomped towards his bedroom. He dropped onto his bed, the invitation still in his hands. He stared at it, remembering how Elsa and Hans relationship was like at first. To Jack, it felt like the two were taking it a little too fast. But he was happy for them. If he looked deeper inside him, he would see that he was just envious of the couple. The two's relationship didn't start out as bright as it was now, they had faced a lot of challenges along the way but they still came out strong and their love for each other had grown stronger than ever.
Jack let out a sigh. Maybe if he hadn't been such a coward, if he hadn't given up so easily on Hiccup, they would be like Hans and Elsa. Except he knew that Hiccup would have liked to take it slow and pursue their dreams first. That only when they were more established with themselves and finally ready to take it to that level, he would gladly accept Jack's proposal. But that was a pipe dream for him now. First he had to get him back, if that was even possible after what he did.
Hopefully, I won't mess it up the third time.
