Jack sat on top of a building, twirling his staff in front of himself and staring at the clear sky that was even darker than his own eyes. A light, summer breeze shifted his snow-white hair and he let out a sigh. He usually tried to avoid places in the middle of summer, even his own home, but for some reason he was drawn here. He had nothing better to do, so he simply stared off into space.
He couldn't help but think about his past, his memories. There was always one period in time that would come to his mind, just a few years after he became Jack Frost. He found this small island with dragons and Vikings…His Viking…
Jack glanced down at the street with a sigh, but something caught his eye and he sat upright quickly, not wanting to miss it. That little bob of brunette hair, the raggedness of the way it was cut…Jack looked a little closer, practically falling off the building as he leaned over the side of it. The boy was lanky and would have been easily lost in the crowd if Jack hadn't recognized those shining emeralds he had for eyes.
"Hiccup," Jack heard his voice crack and he quickly landed onto the ground, the hot cement doing nothing for him on his bare feet, but he couldn't have cared less. The crowd around him quickly passed him by, going right through him, but he ignored them all. He finally met the gaze of those emeralds and felt like the happiest person in the world.
"Hiccup!" Jack yelled out happily and moved to hug his long lost companion. But his heart stopped when Hiccup didn't even look back at him and walked right through him. Jack sucked in a deep breath as Hiccup passed through him. He swiftly turned around and stared at the teenager as he wormed his way through a crowd. All of the others walked through him, but Jack was nearly frozen in place by what just happened.
"Hiccup?" Jack quickly jumped up and flew back so that he was in front of the boy. Maybe it was just his mistake, maybe he just had to try again. But Hiccup still walked through him, continuing as if he didn't exist. "No," Jack shook his head and followed the used-to-be Viking. "No, no, no, no, no, no! Come on! You have to see me!" Jack tried to grab onto Hiccup's shoulders and shake him to get him to see him, but he simply tripped right through him. Jack clutched at his chest, where he could feel his heart splitting in two.
That was definitely Hiccup, no doubt about it. So why couldn't he see him? Even in old age, Hiccup had been able to see him, those bright emeralds trained on him until…until his last breath…
Maybe it was just someone that looked just like Hiccup. And walked just like him. Jack flew to quickly follow the boy, who was luckily heading home. He walked into his house in the suburbs and called out to his dad.
"Dad! I'm home!" He sounded just like Hiccup, too. Jack tried to bite back his tears as he followed the boy up the stairs and into his room. He knew this was creepy and he shouldn't do it…but there was a chance this boy could be Hiccup, and he wouldn't be passing up this chance.
Jack stopped when he entered the room. It was amazing, to say the least. There were posters strewn all over the walls, clearly hand-drawn in the way that only Hiccup could do. There was an island and a lake, but, most importantly, there were dragons. Anything from the Deadly Nadder to the Monstrous Nightmare and even the Night Fury. Jack couldn't help but laugh, admiring the drawings as Hiccup sat down heavily on the bed.
"You can see all this, but why can't you see me?" Jack asked the boy as he pulled out some kind of sketchbook. The sun was beginning to set outside the window and Jack thought of nothing he would rather do than be here with Hiccup, even if he couldn't see him. "Whatcha drawing?" Jack asked casually, moving his staff around playfully as he walked next to Hiccup and looked over his shoulder at what he was drawing.
From what he could tell so far, it was going to be a face. He was curious, so he decided to stick around. He figured it could probably be Astrid, since he was remembering things from Berk. He and Astrid did have a short thing, after all.
As Jack was stalling for time, he went downstairs to see what Hiccup's dad looked like and wasn't surprised when it was still the same, massive, burley man that he remembered from all those years ago. He was busy clunking around in the kitchen, trying to make some kind of stew. It looked like Hiccup's mother still wasn't around and that was a shame, he'd always wanted to try to see her. He showed up a while after she had died the first time, too.
"You done with that, yet?" Jack asked as he came back into Hiccup's room. He made his way to look at the picture again, but stopped in his tracks when he saw who the picture was of. There was no color and the face was half-done, but it was definitely him. The ragged, short hair and the mischievous look in his eyes. The beginnings of a grin. "You remember me?"
"Who are you?" Hiccup muttered to himself, staring at the picture intently. He was about to move to finish it but he was cut off by a yawn and quickly fell back onto his bed, going to sleep. Jack let out a groan and looked at the window. Sure enough, there was a string of golden sand snaking its way out of the room.
"Sandy, it's not even dark yet," Jack sighed as the window opened some more and Sandman made his way into the room, his head tilted curiously to the side. "Look, I know it's a little weird for me to be in here, but this is important." Sandman made a question mark above his head in confusion. "Don't ask, okay?" Sandman made a heart out of sand above his head this time and Jack reeled back, a strange heating feeling taking up his face. He hadn't felt this in years. "N-No! Of course not!"
Sandman laughed, holding onto his stomach.
"You can't tell the others, Sandy," Jack turned to begging. "There's no telling what they're gonna say."
Sandman just held a grin on his face and rubbed his hands together.
"Sandy," Jack growled, but Sandman was already out the window. "Sandy!" Jack yelled, flying to the window. He glanced back at Hiccup, who was peacefully (and cutely) asleep. Jack bit his lip. "I'll be back." He dove out the window, flying quickly after Sandman. At their speed, it wasn't long until they were in the North Pole and Jack got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
There was an open window, as always, for those that could fly to have easy access and they made their way in through that. Jack let out a groan when he saw that not only was North there, but so was Bunny, heating up his feet by the fire.
"Oh, great, for once we can get you here without forcing you to come," Bunny smirked at him and Jack simply rolled his eyes at him.
"I didn't know we were having another meeting," Jack stated, trying to casually lean against the wall, but keeping a cautious eye on Sandman to make sure he didn't try to "say" anything to the others.
"Hello, Jack!" North greeted happily while turning away from the Yetis. "Good to see you did not need help this time!"
"Yeah, I know, Bunny was just saying that," Jack sighed and he could see Sandman clear his throat and was about to go up to North. Jack glared at him, but was extremely thankful when Tooth flew in, several Baby Tooths hovering around her.
"Hi, everyone!" she chimed and looked surprised when she saw Jack. "Oh, hi Jack!"
"Hey," Jack gave her a small wave before he started pacing, tapping the ground on some occasions and turning it into ice.
"What's up with you, icicle head?" Bunny asked, hopping up in front of him.
"Nothing's wrong," Jack said and quickly turned around, where he was quickly confronted by North and Tooth. Sandman was happily standing beside them all.
"Come on, Jack, you can tell us anything," Tooth tried with a small smile.
"Look, nothing's wrong," Jack tried letting out a small laugh to try to prove his point. He tried to maneuver himself around the four, but that just wound up with him backed up to a fireplace, somewhere he really didn't like to be.
"You are acting different, Jack," North stated. "You seem sad."
"I'm not sad," Jack sighed and tried sitting on top of his staff to get away from the heat of the fireplace, but it didn't work out too well. "Will you guys just relax, already?"
This was the point where Sandman tried chiming in. He started making shapes above his head out of sand and Bunny was the first of them to notice. Jack flushed and quickly dropped onto the ground as the other two turned to him as well.
"You're in love with someone?" Bunny asked, slowly turned back to him.
"Uh…I…" Jack felt his face heat up once again as he tried to plan an escape.
"Oh, that's so great, Jack!" Tooth chimed, her wings fluttering even faster, if that was even possible. "What is she like?"
"They're not…" Jack muttered.
"Does she at least like Christmas?" North asked and Jack let out a groan. He forced his staff onto the ground, letting out a small wind that gave him room and he immediately dove for the window, flying out as quickly as he could.
Once he had made it far enough away and knew that they weren't following him, he slowed down. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to go back to Hiccup, but he knew he would have to avoid those four. There was no telling how they were going to really react once he told them about him. And they all assumed it was a girl… It was times like this when Jack missed being alone and forgotten, even by the other Guardians.
Jack eventually decided to slowly make his way back to where Hiccup was and was there by late morning. He landed in front of the house and stared at it in longing. There was nothing he wanted to do more than run right up to Hiccup and kiss him right where he stood, regardless of who was around. But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted it, Hiccup just couldn't see him.
Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground by something and looked down to see a midnight black dog staring happily right at him with the personality of a cat.
"Toothless, don't run away like that!" Hiccup gave an exasperated sigh and ran up to them.
"So, you're the new Toothless, huh?" Jack laughed, giving the dog a good pet. He wasn't as good as the original Toothless, but this was the best Hiccup could do without dragons around anymore.
"Toothless, what are you looking at?" Hiccup came up to the two and clipped a black leash onto the dog. One look at the two and Jack knew Toothless was the one in charge of this walk. Jack couldn't help but laugh when Hiccup almost came too close to falling on top of Jack when trying to wrestle his dog back.
"You're so close to seeing me," Jack muttered, looking up at him from the ground, crossing his legs over themselves and placing his staff over the top of them. "So why can't you?"
Jack would have been happy staring at his long-lost lover for an eternity, but someone roughly grabbed onto the hood of his jacket, lifting him off the ground.
"Hey!" he tried to struggle against the person holding him up, but he was pretty much useless without his staff…which was in the hands of Bunny.
"Wow, this things really fragile, how do you fight with this thing?" Bunny teased, bouncing the staff between his hands.
"What are you doing out here?" Jack snapped and looked behind himself to find a smiling North holding him up, Tooth happily behind him. "Kids could see you."
"But he can't," North happily gestured to Hiccup. "He is a teenager and can't see us anymore."
"Is that really the person you've fallen in love with?" Tooth asked curiously, hovering around anxiously.
"He's a little scrawny for my tastes, but whatever makes you happy, mate," Bunny shrugged.
"Will you put me down now?" Jack growled.
"Just be waiting one minute," North chimed happily and turned to face one of his portals. Jack rolled his eyes and prepared himself to be thrown in and he easily tumbled back into the North Pole, a couple elves trying to shove cookies in his face.
"Definitely not," Jack shoved them away with his foot and stood up as the others came in through the portal and it disappeared. "Give me my staff back," he held out his hand to Bunny, who simply tossed the staff more in his paws.
"Nah, mate, this is too great," Bunny laughed.
"Jack, if you're really in love, why are you so sad?" Tooth asked.
"It's a long story," Jack sighed and slumped onto a nearby table.
"We have plenty of time," North shrugged.
"Ugh, fine," Jack rubbed the back of his neck. At least they weren't reacting badly about him being in love. He figured they would, considering the fact that they would live forever, but humans lived such a short amount of time. "It was a couple years after I became Jack Frost. I got tired of being ignored where I lived and decided to go somewhere else in the world. I…I found this island called Berk, where there were actual dragons and Vikings. It was fun to stick around for a while, even though no one could see me.
"One day, I ran into Hiccup. And he could see me. Actually see me. And we became friends…and then I fell in love with him…But he grew older and I stayed the same. I watched him grow so old and weak with his best friend, who was a dragon, and all I could do was sit back and watch as the man I loved died.
"I thought I could get over him, and I almost did. But now he's back and you have no idea how happy that makes me…But he can't see me this time."
"Oh, Jack," Tooth had deflated part way through the story and was standing on the ground. "I'm so sorry."
"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Jack shrugged and hopped off the table. "He's alive now, so that's all that matters."
"I think you should go after him, mate," Bunny stated.
"I can't-"
"Man in Moon probably did this for you," North patted his shoulder roughly. "If he did, then it must be for some reason."
"And what happens when I go after him again?" Jack asked, glaring at the others around him. "I'll watch him die again as I continue to stay just like I am now."
"You don't think we haven't been through that?" Tooth gave him a soft smile.
"Wait, what?" Jack blinked.
"You don't think we haven't fallen in love, too?" North laughed.
"Yeah, you should've seen who this oaf fell for," Bunny nudged North in the side with a smirk on his face.
"You can't pretend you haven't fallen in love a few times," North laughed and Bunny glared at him.
"No, I haven't," Bunny huffed.
Tooth pulled out a necklace from seemingly nowhere, covered in teeth. "I got to keep a tooth from everyone I've fallen in love with. John was great at flossing and Jennifer always missed that one spot in the back of her mouth."
Sandman tried putting up a bunch of scattered symbols above his head to try to put across some kind of message of who he fell in love with.
"The point is," Tooth smiled. "We know what you're going through and we know it's worth going through the pain, because love is so much better."
"Just one problem, there," Jack sighed, looking at the ground. "He can't even see me."
"Then you make him believe in Jack Frost!" North said happily, holding onto Jack's shoulders and making him look up. "You make it snow in the middle of summer! Make it snow in his room! And show him what you've done together in the past! You cannot let this opportunity pass!"
"You really think-"
"Oh, just go, you dingo," Bunny sighed, tossing Jack his staff, which he easily caught. Jack couldn't help but smile widely and let out a childish laugh.
"Thanks," Jack smiled at his friends before starting for the window. "For everything, guys."
"Hurry! Before he dies again!" North shoed him and Jack gave him a salute before letting the wind carry him back to Hiccup. He came up with a plan on his way there and he knew he would have to wait for a time when he was alone.
Jack landed in the street of the town Hiccup lived in and found him at some park, hanging out with his friends that he had in his last life. Astrid was there, and Snotlout and all the others. Jack couldn't help but smile, watching the teenagers laugh and poke fun at each other. Hiccup looked like he was having so much fun and it was a relief to be able to see him run around without that metal foot. Jack had never forgotten what Hiccup looked like as a teenager. He couldn't say it was his favorite look Hiccup had; he loved all of them. But this one was special. This one was how they met. And in a blink of an eye, they would be at the look that they had said good-bye to.
Jack shook his head, trying not to think about that. He had to focus on now, that was what Man in Moon wanted him to do. That was why he brought Hiccup back for him.
Jack had to wait until the middle of the night, after Hiccup had fallen asleep, for him to work up the nerve to actually do what he had to do. Hiccup's room was beautiful, filled with memories he only dreamed about, and he was about to make it even better, if that was even possible.
"Ready, Hiccup?" Jack couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face and made his staff hover over the bed, slowly coating it in ice. Hiccup sat up straight, shivering.
"What the heck?" Hiccup muttered, rubbing at his arms in an attempt to keep warm.
Jack just smiled and turned his attention to the top of the room, where he made snow fall and quickly coat the ground in a thin layer. Hiccup stared at it in wonder as Jack made a dragon out of several snowflakes and had it begin to fly around the room. Hiccup's eyes widened in the cutest way possible and Jack laughed.
He made several more dragons that he remembered Hiccup had named himself and finally made a large Night Fury, more delicate than all the others. It flew right up to Hiccup, nudging him and making him laugh. It was a magical laugh and Jack had to stop what he was doing just to enjoy it.
Jack let out a laugh, but he couldn't stop the few tears that rolled down his cheeks. He turned towards the wall. All these memories…he'd escaped his actual responsibilities just to be with this kid and he had no doubt he would do it again. The pain would be worth the small life-time of happy memories he would get that he might even get to re-live again.
"W-who…" Hiccup muttered behind him and Jack turned to look back at him. Their eyes locked and he couldn't help but smile. "Jack?"
So, this isn't what I usually write, but my friend got me into this pairing and I came up with an idea right when I was about to fall asleep and I had to write it down. So I stayed up past midnight just for this and I think it turned out rather well. Anywho, hope you enjoyed!
Please review! I'd like to know how I did with these characters! I've never written them before!
I don't own How to Train Your Dragon or Rise of the Guardians, no matter how much I really, really, REALLY want to.
