Can't Sleep or Won't Sleep? (don't ask)

Rated: K

Jack huffed as he slumped into yet another uncomfortable position on the bed. Frustration pooled inside of him, ready to burst when he immediately felt the need to move again. There was nothing wrong with the bed though. No, this was a matter of pillows.

Human Pillows…

More specifically, boyfriends who should have come to bed already. Hiccup had a nasty habit of not sleeping when it was convenient to others. He would stay up for hours trying to finish one project or another and then crash into a pile of snoring, drooling humiliation, often while people were trying to speak to him.

Jack groaned, and sat up quickly, dislodging the blanket and pillows he had tucked around himself at a poor attempt for comfort. He would not let his boyfriend do this tonight! He would get Hiccup to come to bed, even if he had to knock him out to do it!

His resolve set, the white haired boy stomped rather dignified over to the window, where he proceeded to jump and fly to the smithy.

It was dark so it was easy for him to spot the light of the forge, still roaring with flame. The clogging smell of smoke hung around him as he landed lightly by the threshold which was wide open. The loud, familiar clank of a hammer against iron greeted his ears and, despite himself, Jack could hardly fight the smile that tugged at his lips.

Hiccup had tried and tried to teach Jack how to use the forge and they had spent many days destroying more than they managed to create before he finally gave up and told the snowy haired boy that he could just watch from now on. Jack had been very amused and still liked to scare Hiccup with questions like, "Can I help sharpen the swords?" or "Can we try to make that ax again? That was fun!"

In turn, Jack had attempted to get Hiccup (and by extension, the village) to have more fun. It appeared to him that Vikings were too uptight. Always busy and never amused. So he lobbed a snowball right into someone's face any chance he got. It was a bonus that he was usually right beside Hiccup when this happened.

"Jack?" Hiccup's voice reached his ears before Jack realized he had somehow reached the other boy's side. Jack's crystal blue eyes took in his boyfriend.

Hiccup was covered in soot and dirt. This was normal because working as a blacksmith didn't leave much room for cleanliness. Large bags circled his green eyes which were foggy with sleep deprivation and when he smiled, it didn't hold as much happiness as it usually did. Jack hated it when it got like this.

"Hiccup, you need to sleep!" Jack started. "Your projects will be here in the morning!"

Hiccup sighed and ran a callused hand through his tangled hair. "I thought you'd be asleep by now…"

Jack scoffed. "Well, I'd like to be but I can't sleep without you there."

"Really?" Hiccup turned surprised eyes up to look closer at Jack's face. He smirked. "I didn't realize you needed me so much."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I don't. You just make a good pillow."

"So that's the only reason you stay with me? To harbor me as your personal walking pillow?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Jack stated before tugging Hiccup up by the arm. The Viking was taller by a few inches, having shot up sense he was 14. He was still pretty small compared to the people he lived with but he wasn't scrawny like he used to be. Years of dragon riding (which built one up a lot more than people realized) and lifting heavy things in his apprenticeship had help him tone his body.

Jack was only a little peeved when Hiccup finally surpassed him in height the year before.

"Jack, I still have stuff I need to work on." Hiccup tried to gently free his arm with no success.

"Not tonight. All that stuff can wait!" Jack said with a tone of finality. "You need to sleep! And so do I!" This was a lie because Jack never really needed sleep due to his immortality. It was nice and allowed for better control of his power. Cuddling was just a bonus.

Hiccup smiled knowingly but tugged his arm free nonetheless. "At least let me put the fire out! Gobber would kill me if this place burned down."

"Yes!" Jack cried in triumph. "I'll go wait outside!"

Hiccup laughed as Jack happily went to go wait for him. Once the fire was out and all the tools in their rightful places, they walked back to the giant house on the hill.

Later, when Hiccup woke up, he found he couldn't move because Jack was wrapped tightly around his torso.