Hiccup had never fit in. He was always the outcast of the school, standing at a scrawny 5'10 and weighing 127 lb he'd always been made fun of for his size. He'd rather study and draw then actually participate in he activities most growing boys his age wanted to be involved in. He liked just watching people, studying them from a far and learning about them rather then actually getting to know them. Hiccup could tell you the nervous tick that any of the students in his class had, but not their phone number. He was awkward and only had a few close friends. Astrid Hofferson, though a rather popular and attractive girl, with beautiful blonde cornsilk hair and baby blue eyes, who had a number of "popular" friends, had for some reason or another chosen to associate with the awkward adolescent, becoming one of his closest and most trusted friends. She would often defend him when bullies would taunt him, and despite her small frame, she was very strong and could easily defend herself and Hiccup.
"You're going to ruin your social status hanging out with a loser like me." Hiccup commented as they headed to their shared English class.
"Will you stop saying that!? I've told you like, a bazillion times, you're my bud, my amigo, my compadre, my friend! And I don't give a rats ass what anyone else thinks!" Astrid smiled at Hiccup. "Besides, we're 16, non of the stuff that happens now will even matter in 20 years."
"That is such a stupid assumption! What if you lost your virginity while you're 16, and the future love of your life won't marry you because you're not a virgin? Or-Or what if you make a video of yourself running naked through the street, and your future boss sees it, and doesn't hire you!? Or-"
"Okay, okay, I get it, but when you think about it, will all the little mistakes, those things don't really matter!
Hiccup smiled at the always optimistic girl. Hiccup himself had always tended to look on the darker side of life, deeming him a worry wart in the eye of his peers. But he had every right to worry didn't he? He'd been bullied since he was young, and as the young tormentors grew so did their vocabulary and vigor. He'd come home many nights with black eyes and bruised body parts. Once they'd even broken his nose, they being the gang of thugs that seemed to have nothing better to do then torment Hiccup. Their leader, Dagur, was a local high school dropout and thug. He'd had it out for Hiccup ever since Astrid had started sticking up for him. Just the other day he'd had a run in with Snotlout, Dagur's second in command. Snotlout had given him some bruised rips and a cut lip. Astrid was absolutely livid but Hiccup had managed to calm her down.
"Are you coming to the basketball game tonight?" Astrid inquired as they took their seats next to each other. Gregory "Fishlegs" Ingerman, the smartest kid in the school could be seen scribbling away in his notebook, no doubt writing out 300 words a minute. He would often sit with Hiccup and Astrid, typing away at a calculator and mumbling to himself equations. He looked up from his notebook and gave Hiccup a nod. Hiccup smiled back before turning his attention back to Astrid.
"I don't think so, I'm not a big sports fan..." Hiccup could remember quite a few beatings he'd received at sporting events, wether he was watching or playing. He'd tried to do sports, but he never been that type of guy, despite his height he was to weak and thin to play any real sports. "I'll probably stay home, help out mom."
"Awe come on Hiccup! It'll be awesome, we can sit together and talk trash about all the slutty cheerleaders." Astrid smirked.
"Weren't you a cheerleader once?" Hiccup quipped back, remembering how Astrid had been a cheerleader her freshman year of high school. She had carried the other girls who seemed more apt to flirting with the players. In the end she quit, blowing up at the coach and the while team, using her vast vocabulary of the lewd sort.
"That just means I have more to tell you about them, like the fact the Heather has slept with almost every guy on the team." Astrid whispered over to him. The teacher began to drone on about literature from the15th century, and the effects William Shakespeare had on the period. Hiccup fiddled with his pencil, occasionally writing down notes that were written saw on the board, but continued listening to Astrid. "Basically the only boys she hasn't slept with are the ebony and ivory brothers."
Hiccup felt a lump form in his throat at the mention of the notorious brothers. Knight Fury aka Toothless, and his younger brother, Jackson Overland Frost, were the most sought after boys in the entire school. They were adopted brothers, both with pale skin, but that was where the similarities ended. Toothless was tall, standing 6'2 and 174 lb, with jet black hair that was cut in choppy layers and piercing emerald eyes. His features where angular, with profound cheekbones, and a sharp chin. His nickname Toothless came from the fact that he almost never opened his mouth. He had an aloof and cold attitude towards everyone besides his adoptive brother. Jackson, better known as Jack, was tall like his brother, 6'1, 152 lb, with icy blue eyes, and pure white hair. Jack had softer features, a rounder nose and strong jaw. Jack was one of if not the most popular boys at Berk High, with his care free and jovial attitude and signature smirk. Hiccup had spent a long time observing the two star athletes. He was captivated by them, not only for their looks but for their strange behaviors. Jack would always wear the same blue hoodie to school everyday, and his skin was always cold to the touch. Whereas Toothless quietness gave him a mysterious allure, making Hiccup want to learn more about him.
Hiccup could remember just after he'd just started high school running into Jack and being knocked to the ground, his books and papers flying everywhere.
"Sorry about that." Jack said picking up three of Hiccup's books in one hand. "You okay?"
Hiccup was only 14, and a good few inches shorter then he was now, his hair longer and his frame frailer. He looked up at the sophomore and stuttered, "Y-Yeah, thank you!"
"That's good." Jack gave Hiccup a smile, and Hiccup found himself staring in awe at how handsome Jack was. Hiccup ever blushed, much to his embarrassment. The bell suddenly rang and Jack cursed. "I gotta go, be careful cutie!"
Hiccup could feel his whole face turning red as it dawned on this. Jack though he was a girl! Their first time meeting each other and Jack had mistaken him for a girl. It was humiliating!
"That's a surprise." Hiccup scoffed quietly, coming back to reality. "I hear he sleeps with anything that moves."
"Not true!" Astrid defended Jack from time to time, since she and the boy were friends. "He only sleeps with a few girls, he's just so good at it that it gets around!"
"Yeah, sure." Hiccup blushed. He'd never really liked to think about sex nor did he like talking about it.
"So will you come to the game with me or not?!" Astrid looked at him with puppy dog eyes and hiccup sighed, relenting to her begging.
"Fiiiine..." Hiccup huffed. Astrid beamed and he couldn't help but smile himself. Who knows, maybe he'd have fun.
"GO VIKINGS!" Astride screamed so loud Hiccup worried she'd cause him permanent hearing damage. He covered the ear facing her and listened to the announcer with the other. The crowd was cheering so loudly, screaming for the Vikings to win, to kill the Cougars, all the normal high school game cheers. Hiccup sighed, slumping forward slightly. He watched closely as Jack ran down the court, sneakers squeaking loudly, sweat dripping off him. Jack really was beautiful, his muscles contorting as he jumped high into the air passing the ball to Toothless. Toothless had his hair pulled back into a small, tight ponytail, and it occurred to Hiccup that if Toothless wasn't so large and intimidating the style would make him look very feminine. Hiccup blushed, without realizing until Astrid asked him, "Hey, you okay? You're looking a little hot under the collar."
Hiccup's eyes widened at the realized his cheeks had turned a bright red. Hiccup touched his cheeks and they were indeed warm despite the mild temperature in the auditorium.
"I'm fine," Hiccup said, moving to stand up. "Just need something to drink."
"Can't you wait? The games almost over, what if you miss it!?" Astrid scrunched her eyebrows together. As much as she liked the boy she'd never fully understood him.
"I'll only be a minute, no worries." Hiccup smiled.
Astrid relented, giving a shrug of defeat. "Fine, don't blame me if you miss the final shot."
Hiccup chuckled as he walked down the bleacher out to the snack stand. He quickly bought a bottle water and walked back to see jack mid jump, his arm reaching high into the air as he slammed the ball through the net, just as the buzzer went off. The team won by a landslide, and didn't even need the point, bit in that moment Hiccup feels something inside him flutter. The way Jack looked was breathtaking, elegant and masculine all at the same time. Jack hit the ground with a loud thud and pumped his fist in the air.
"Yeah! Take that ya pussies!" Jack yelled to the other team. Coach Bunny glared at him and Jack shrugged at him. "I meant like pussy cats!"
"Sure ya did." Coach Bunny rolled his eyes and scoffed. The tall Australian had blue grey hair pulled back in a long pony tail. He was young, only 23, covered in tattoos along his arms and back. "Hit the shower ya dumb arse."
Hiccup could see Jacks shoulders shaking as he chuckled. Hiccup could feel his heart hammering in his chest. What was happening to him? His face flushed and his chest tighten uncomfortably. Then an amazing thing happened. Jack turned, looked directly at Hiccup, smiled and called over to him. Hiccup couldn't hear him though, the beating of his heart to loudly hammering against his eardrums. Hiccup felt the sudden urge to flee as he was Jack running towards him. Hiccup turned on his heels, running out of the gymnasium into the school hallway. It occurred to him how strange it must have seemed to run away from someone like that, but despite this fact he continued running down the hall, afraid of being pursued by the star athlete. Hiccup turned a corner sharply, hearing load footsteps behind him and a panicking sensation clutching at his heart as he feared capture. However Hiccup hadn't been looking were he was going and tripped. He braced himself for some sort of impact but could feel arms wrap around him from behind and pull him back. Hiccup tensed in the embrace of the person behind him as they stood, Jack holding Hiccup from behind, Hiccup standing still in his arms, for a few long seconds.
"Why are you running from me?" Hiccup could feel Jacks breath against his ear as he whispered the question.
They were alone in the usually crowded hallway and Hiccup began to feel awkward and embarrassed. Why did he run away from Jack? It wasn't like he'd had any real reason to, it was just a sudden reaction.
"I-I don't know..." Hiccup stuttered out. He could feel the heat of Jacks body against his as he held him close, afraid the younger may try to run again.
"I'm going to let you go, promise you won't run away again?" Jack asked. Hiccup nodded and Jack released him. Hiccup took a few good steps away from him, turning to face the snowy haired boy. "You're Astrid's friend right? I've been wanting to talk to you for a while."
Hiccup swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. Jack had been wanting to talk to him? Why in the world would someone as popular as Jack talk to someone as lame as him. Hiccup looked into Jacks icy blue daze and asked, "What do you wanna talk about?"
Jack scratched the back of his head. "Well Astrid said you didn't have many friends, and even though I'm a year older then you I know we've got a few classes together, and lunch to right?"
Hiccup nodded. They had art, astronomy, biology, and home economics together as well as lunch. Hiccup had almost never talked to Jack in any of his classes, fearing that Jack would think he was strange.
"Well, I thought maybe, you know if you want to, we could hang out sometime? Astrid says you don't have that many friends, and I though maybe we could get to know each other and, like, become friends. Maybe be partners in a couple of classes... Maybe even hangout after school or something?"
Hiccup stared at Jack surprised and a little apprehensive. "Is this some sort of prank?"
"What?"
"Is this some sort of school joke? Like I come over to hang out and the basketball team is there waiting to beat me up, or some shit like that?" Hiccup furrowed his brow. He'd been the victim of such cruel jokes before. Thinking someone wanted to be his friend only to come to the crushing realization that they only wanted to use him to have their own version of sick fun.
Jack gave him a look of genuine hurt. "hiccup I know we don't talk a lot-"
"At all." Hiccup interjected.
"At all. But Astrid is my friend, and if she likes you, I'm sure I'd like you too." Jack held out his hand and Hiccup looked at it for a second weighing the risks that might come from shaking this boys hand. After a few seconds he tentatively shook it. Jacks hand felt strong and calloused against Hiccups own soft hand. "The names Jackson Overland Frost, but you can call me Jack."
"Hiccup." Hiccup said not wanting to say his full name.
"Awe come on man, give me the whole thing!" Jack smiled at him and Hiccup tried not to blush. It felt weird to be talking to someone like Jack, let alone Jack himself.
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the 3rd." Hiccup mumble.
Jack whistled. "That's quite a name."
"Thanks I guess." Hiccup shrugged, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets.
"So Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the 3rd-" Jack started but hiccup interrupted again.
"Just Hiccup's fine."
"So Hiccup, do you wanna go to this celebratory party at my house? Astrid will be there so you don't have to worry about me beating you up." Jack joked.
Hiccup smiled a little. This would be his first high school party and he was being invited by Jack, it felt unreal.
"Um, okay." Hiccup shrugged. "I'd love to go."
"Great, do you need a ride."
"I actually came here with Astrid but she probably already left. I was gonna take the bus home." Hiccup gave him a half smile.
"Well I'll give you a ride. I just gotta shower first and get my brother and then we'll be good."
Hiccup nodded. "Y-Yeah, sounds good."
Jack turned and started to walk back the way they'd came but stopped and looked back. "You coming?"
Hiccup looked at him in confusion before catching on. Jack wanted him to come and wait in the locker rooms for him! Hiccup blushed at the though of seeing Jack naked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm coming." He mumbled, following behind Jack.
Jack smiled nudged Hiccup with his elbow. "You look kinda cute when you blush, for a guy."
