A/N: Why did I write this? Oh yeah, BECAUSE YOU ALL NEED TO FEEL MY PAIN! Kidding, kidding, though seriously, kidneys hurt gahhhhhhh! Anyway, hope you like it! It's called "Snowstorm" because that's my ship name for Hiccup and Jack, it's cuter than "HiJack" in my mind.
Oh! Shout out to my friend, Hi! Hope you like it! You know who you are, I told you about the shout-out!
Disclaimer: HAHAHAHAHA- no.
REVIEW PLEASE!
~Usachan!
~Enjoy!
Hiccup was never meant to be a viking, everyone knew that, but his dad always pushed him to try and be one. He even went as far as to send Hiccup to the New World for most of his childhood to toughen him up and living with people trying to build a stable society would probably do that.
Hiccup was dropped off at the small village he was staying at with a few other families hoping to start over in the new land. Hiccup was just hoping that he wouldn't have to stay for more than two years. As an eight year old who was put on a boat by his father without a single word of goodbye, I'm sure that was a very high expectation.
As soon as Hiccup stepped off the boat however, things were not looking up for him. A small boy with a messy mop of brown hair that seemed to stick up in every way possible ran past him, knocking him backwards and onto his butt.
"Sorry!" The boy called over his shoulder, his laughter filling the air as he continued to run towards the village.
Hiccup rolled his eyes as he picking himself up off the melting snow, he would have to be more careful if he wanted to stay up on his feet around the colonists.
A few days later, Hiccup met the boy again.
Hiccup sat on a large fallen tree branch and stared off into the heart of the forest. Hiccup really didn't like the village, too many people running around, not noticing others unless they ran over you, and sometimes they didn't even notice you when they ran you over. So, as an eight year old boy the size of a five year old girl, Hiccup really didn't like the village. So, he spent as much time hiding in the forest as possible.
"You can't catch me!" A voice shouted, somewhere close to the village. Hiccup turned and saw the same boy that had knocked him over a few days prior. And the boy was coming closer to Hiccup very fast.
Hiccup fell to the side trying to avoid the boy running him over again as he lept over the fallen branch, skidding to a stop.
"Hey, kid! You might wanna get up, they're coming!" He laughed as he held out his hand to help Hiccup up.
"Who's coming?" Hiccup asked, taking the offered hand and getting off the slightly damp ground.
"Girls," The boy said simply, dragging Hiccup behind him as he darted through the forest, like a dancer dancing in the moonlight, fast and graceful.
"By the way, my name's Jack, Jack Overland!" The boy laughed, throwing a lopsided grin Hiccup's way. Hiccup felt himself smiling despite the fact of being dragged through the forest with a boy he didn't know.
"Jack, where are we going?" Hiccup asked, ducking under a bush Jack tried to jump.
"Here! This tree." Jack stopped, looking up at the lowest branch, just out of reach.
"Why?"
"Girls can't climb, because they wear dresses. They also never think to look up, so either way they can't find us. Coming?" Jack asked as he jumped and caught hold of the branch, pulling himself up onto the branch.
In the distance, Hiccup heard the giggling and shouting of the young girls who had been chasing Jack.
"Help me up!" Hiccup jumped, barely catching the branch as Jack grabbed his wrists, helping the smaller boy onto the branch.
"So, what's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Hiccup," Hiccup said, brushing his limp brown hair from his face.
"Really? What kind of name is that?" Jack laughed, not even bothering to keep quiet despite the young girls trying to find him and make him play house with them.
"Vikings believe a horrible name will keep trolls and other evil spirits away," Hiccup mumbled, turning beet red.
"You're a viking? Like a real actual one?" Jack's whole face lit up in wonder as he stared at Hiccup.
"Yeah, only not really. I'm the smallest, and not really good at being a viking either," Hiccup pointed out as he leaned against the inside of the tree.
Jack scooted closer and spoke in a low voice as if they were sharing secrets, "Well, I think you're a great viking, just because you came here without any of those losers."
"Then you don't know what a viking is," Hiccup sighed, shoving the boy away from him. Jack teetered as he tried to regain his balance with a laugh, "I like you, Hiccup! Let's be friends, okay?"
Hiccup stared at the other boy, someone wanted to be his friend? For real? Hiccup didn't know what to say, he's never had a friend his own age before, before it was just him and Gobber.
"Really? You want to be friends? With me?"
"Of course! Just shake my hand, it's getting tired!" Jack whined as he waved his hand in front of Hiccup's face. Hiccup smiled and shook Jack's hand, tying the two boys together in ways neither of them could've imagined.
"Jack! I've brought the book!" Hiccup called from outside the boy's wooden house. It's been three year since Hiccup had come to Burgess and so far he had gotten a note from Gobber asking if he was a man yet, but nothing from his father.
"Sweet! Let's show it to Rosie!" Jack threw the door open, his hair a giant brown mess and his eyes wide with excitement as always. Hiccup nodded and followed Jack to the back room where the toddler was laying under a heap of blankets and looking like someone was melting her insides with lava.
"Hey, Rosie, Hiccup brought over the dragon book, just like he said he would," Jack said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking the girl's hair, "isn't that exciting?"
"Hi, Rosie," Hiccup said quietly, taking a seat on the stool next to the bed. He opened the book and began to read. He told the two siblings the story of his people with the words on the page and the wonder in his voice. He read until Rosie fell asleep and Jack nudged him with his knees, murmuring his thanks as he continued to stroke the young girl's hair, "Thank you, Hiccup. She really likes to hear your stories, I can tell." Jack smiled as he stood and stretched, tugging Hiccup to his feet and dragging him to the door.
"Where are we going?"
"To the forest! I found a really cool place the other day while you were being boring and helping with... chores," Jack shuddered at the very mention of the boring task before continuing, "so I'm going to show you!"
Hiccup laughed as they raced through the forest, even though he was losing the race, it felt good to forget about his home town of Berk for a while and have fun with Jack.
"Jack! Are we there yet?" Hiccup called, slightly out of breath as he tried to catch up with the older boy.
"Yes! Hope you're hot, 'cause we're going swimming!" Jack cheered as he started rolling his pant legs up, then racing into the small pond.
"Jack, is it deep?" Hiccup called to the boy, not moving from his spot on the grass.
"Uh, if you go any deeper than this I'm gonna have to say yes!" Jack called from the water as he scooped up a handful and threw it over his head.
"I'm so not going in there!" Hiccup laughed as Jack glared at him from the water, shoulders sagging and his heart dropping as his best friend refused to join him in the cool water on the hot summer day.
"Hiccup, you are being a giant stick in the mud and I shall not stand for this!" Jack shouted, storming out of the water and over to the small viking.
"Jack, what are you doing, Jack?" Hiccup asked, giggling nervously as he stumbled away from the slightly taller boy.
"Oh nothing," Jack smiled mischievously, reaching for the boy and picking him up. "You're just gonna go for a swim."
"JACK NO! THESE ARE MY ONLY CLEAN CLOTHES FOR RIGHT NOW, JACK!" Hiccup screamed as Jack carried him bridal style to the water.
"You kicked your boots off, isn't that enough?" Jack asked, marching into the water until it was up to his waist.
"Okay, here's good."
"Good? God for what?" Hiccup asked, as soon as he did, he regretted it. Jack dropped him into ice cold water.
Hiccup trashed around for a moment before popping up out of the water, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"
"Are you having fun yet?" Jack laughed, smiling with his lopsided grin. Hiccup smiled alongside his friend, then leapt out of the water and successfully soaked the boy head-to-toe.
"Now I'm having fun," Hiccup grinned like a maniac.
"Well then, take that!" Jack shouted as he splashed Hiccup in the face, then ran out of reach from Hiccup.
"Jack get back here!" Hiccup shouted with glee as he chased the boy.
They spent the rest of the day shouting and chasing and throwing water at one another until Hiccup pointed out the setting sun.
"Common, race you back to town!" Jack called excitedly as he whooped and ran to the dry land, tugging on his boots. Hiccup followed Jack and pulled his boots on.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Hiccup laughed, racing after the boy.
The sinking summer sun made the forest brighter somehow, the green leaves warm and inviting. The bark on the trees seemed to call the boys to climb up and hide in between the leaves forever.
Back in the town however, people were waiting on the docks, trying to see who got mail and supplies from Europe.
"And that last thing I got is written in a different language!" The man called out, waving a small letter above his head, showing his audience the strange writing.
"Hey, that's for me!" Hiccup gasped, tugging on Jack's sleeve, "Jack, it's from Berk, it's for me!"
"Hang on, I'll go get it," Jack said, striding forward with complete confidence despite being soaking wet and snatched the letter from the English sailor, "that is for my viking friend, he's a bit shy."
The man stared at Jack, wide eyed and jaw dropped as Jack snatched the letter from his hands and bounced back to Hiccup.
"Uh, I could've done that,"
"No you couldn't've."
"What's it say? I can't read viking!" Jack pestered Hiccup as they sat near one of the fire pits in the town square, trying to dry off from their day at the pond.
"I- I'm going home." Hiccup was stunned by the letter he had just received from his father, instructing him to come home on the next boat out.
"What?!" Jack jumped backwards, hands in his hair, "you're leaving Burgess? When?" Jack started pacing back and forth in front of the fire, the light making strange shadows dance across his face. Hiccup saw the panic in the boy's expression and quickly hid the note in the damp pockets of his pants.
"Tomorrow, I leave with the ship." Hiccup sighed, placing his head on his knees and his hands above his head.
"Tomorrow? Then we've still got time. Don't move, be right back!" Jack bounced away to his house, leaving Hiccup with no choice but to stay put.
Jack returned with two bundles and threw one at Hiccup, "we're going camping."
"Uh, Jack, I don't really think tha-"
"It's totally necessary!" Jack practically growled at the boy. Hiccup put his hand up defensively and Jack laughed, "I'm just messing with you, though you are coming camping with me."
The boys camped by the pond, staring up at the stars, reaching to the heavens and trying to escape the earth for a moment.
"Hic, you awake?" Jack mumbled when the moon was high in the sky and the stars twinkled brightly.
"Barely," Hiccup mumbled sleepily as he twisted his head to look at Jack, "what is it?"
"I really love winter. Like, more than summer."
"What brought this though to you?"
"Well I'I've been thinking, if it was winter you wouldn't have to leave because of the ice. But, that's not the only reason I love winter, it's because everything is so peaceful and pretty. Like, I know there's beauty in summer and spring and fall, but winter is so quiet, it's breathtaking."
Hiccup rolled onto his stomach and looked at the sleepy-eyed boy, "Jack, sometimes it amazes me how serious you can get."
"I can get even more serious," Jack smiled with crooked lips and mischievous eyes, "wanna see?"
"Do tell," Hiccup giggled, flopping back onto his back and locked his hands behind his head.
"Hiccup, what would you do if I died before you?" Hiccup started to cough, never expecting such a morbid thought to escape the boy's lips.
"Like, would you still remember me even when I'm gone?" Jack sat up and tugged on Hiccup's hair, "well, what will you do?"
"Jack, why would you ask something like that?"
"Well, what if I die before you can come back. Rosie's sick and so is Amelia, so what if I get sick like them? What if I can't fight it and I die?"
"Jack, you're not gonna die until you're really old," Hiccup grabbed the boy's hand and held it tightly, "but, if such a thing would happen, I'd remember you. Promise me you'll do the same?"
"Of course, I'll never forget you, Hiccup."
Hiccup boarded the boat and looked over the side, he saw Jack waving and jumping, shouting "good byes" and Hiccup waved as the boat lurched forward, bringing back to Berk and away from Jack.
"Common, Toothless!" The eighteen year old cheered as his dragon flew high into the clouds, escaping the laws of gravity and carrying Hiccup to see the bright blue sky.
Hiccup was excited, he had left Astrid and Fishlegs in charge of the dragon training so he could visit Jack. It had been seven years since he had seen Jack, but he had never forgotten about the young brown haired ball of energy that was Hiccup's first friend.
"What is that?!" A shrill voice called as he landed on the docks. He hopped off of Toothless and held his hands in front of him, "Whoa! Whoa! It's just my pet, he's harmless, I promise."
"And who might you be?" The woman asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Hiccup, I was here for three years as a kid?" Hiccup asked more than stated, even though what he said was truth.
"Hiccup? Look how much you've grown! It's me, Amelia!" She squealed, wrapping Hiccup in a firm hug.
"Amelia? You've really changed," Hiccup said, patting her awkwardly on the head. When they were younger she was a full head taller than him, but now she barely reached the middle of his chest, and her long blonde hair was pulled back in a low braided ponytail instead of hanging all out.
"More like I haven't grown! What happened to your foot?!" She shrieked, pointing to the fake foot that Gobber had made him four years ago.
"Oh you know, war, dragon, fire, just normal viking stuff," Hiccup laughed uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hiccup, you shouldn't joke about that stuff." Amelia scolded, placing her hands back on her hips.
"Sorry, but it's true. Anyway, where's Jack?" Hiccup asked, following Amelia back to the town. Amelia stopped suddenly, making Hiccup run into her.
"Hiccup, you don't know, do you?" She asked, not looking at the boy.
"Amelia, what happened?"
"Jack drowned, he and Rose went ice skating when it started to get warm, because Rose has always been sick, but the ice cracked and he fell through." Amelia looked down at the dirt, her shoulders shaking, "Jack's dead."
Hiccup's whole world crashed in on him, his best friend, dead. No, that can't be right, Jack wouldn't be so careless as to fall through, Jack can swim can't he? Jack knew how to swim right?
Then it dawned on Hiccup that Jack probably didn't know how to swim, when they went swimming all those years ago, he said that going any further than his waist was too deep, but Hiccup had been able to go further, because he could swim.
Hiccup was on the ground, clutching his knees to his chest and forcing himself not to scream, Jack was dead and Hiccup hadn't known. Hiccup had told the boy he wasn't going to die until he was old, and now, that was never going to happen. All that energy, all that laughter, gone. His bright brown eyes would never see the wonder that was a dragon, he was never going to have a family and pass on his energy or brown eyes to anyone else. Jack was gone and Hiccup hadn't even given him a proper goodbye.
"When did it happen?" Hiccup asked quietly, choking back his tears.
"In spring. Right before the thaw." It was summer, almost fall. Jack had died almost half a year ago.
Hiccup stood, thanked Amelia for letting him know then he ran back to the docks, back to Toothless and back to his escape from the world.
The dragon sensed his emotions and took off as soon as he had gotten on securely, letting the boy escape from this painful reality.
As they flew, Hiccup felt a cold wind nip at his ears, which was strange because he and Toothless weren't nearing Berk yet. Hiccup looked up and thought he saw a young boy riding the wind, laughing as he flew over the water.
Hiccup blinked and the boy was gone, but his laughter remained and it sounded like, "Jack?"
Jack looked up from the ocean and saw a boy riding a dragon, like a real, actual dragon! How cool is that?
But, it wasn't the dragon that caused Jack to look up, it was the sound of his name, Jack's name.
The boy riding the dragon seemed to be looking right at him, but not seeing him. Jack waved, but didn't get an answer.
Jack felt a different kind of sadness, not the kind he usually felt when people didn't see him, but the same kind of sadness he felt when that Rose girl didn't see him, a burning pit in his stomach that said he should know this boy and that he was special.
"Oh well, see you later, kid." Jack mumbled and took off through the sky with a cheer.