Author's Note: Once in a while I would come across a nice dark fic that makes me want to scream like Spongebob in Graveyard Shift, and I always think to myself 'damn, I wish I could write like that'. Angst or hurt/comfort? No problem. Fluff or humor? Not my strongest, but still decent (hopefully). Smut or crack? NOPE. But dark is something I really want to be able to do. In You I Live was probably my first attempt in the fandom, but I felt it was mediocre at best.
Here's take two. Please don't laugh at me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or How to Train Your Dragon.
Eternal
Jack sat on a branch in one of the tall trees surrounding his lake, watching the full moon in the cloudless night sky. His perch gave him a perfect overview of the frozen body of water, and he exhaled softly as he leaned back against the frost covered trunk.
"Hey Hiccup," he whispered to the stars, idly spinning the shepherd's crook in his pale hands. "How've you been?"
There was no answer, of course. Silence greeted him, just like it always had for the past two centuries.
"I miss you so much, you know. Do you remember when I first brought you here?" the winter spirit continued with a wistful look on his face. "You were the first person to ever see me, and I wanted to share this place with you. This was where I became Jack Frost, even though I didn't know why then. It took three days for Toothless to fly us all the way here, but it was worth it.
"We had some good times, didn't we? This lake was our special place. I taught you how to skate, you packed all kinds of food for us to share, and we even had our first kiss here. I remember you holding my hand when we were on the ice, and how you kept telling me not to let go. I miss catching you in my arms whenever you fell. We fitted so perfectly together."
He pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them with a sad sigh. "I regretted staying away for so long. I didn't realize how fast time could fly by when you're immortal. You were all grown up and busy with your duties as chief the last time I came back to Berk. We couldn't hang out so much anymore, but it's okay because I understood. And I also promised you that no matter what happened, I would always love you."
Blue eyes flickered towards the clear surface of the frozen lake as pale lips curled up into a light smile. "See? I keep our lake frozen, just for you. It's solid all the way through too, and it's funny to see people trying to figure out why it never melts, even in summer. You should hear the kind of stories and legends they come up with, but I'll tell you the real reason why the ice will never thaw: it's because it represents my love for you.
"If you were here, I know you'd be rolling your eyes at how cheesy that sounded," Jack laughed weakly.
His little Viking wasn't so little anymore. To him, it was as if Hiccup had transformed in a blink of an eye. Just how long had he been away? Months? Years?
"- and you should have seen them fighting for Ruffnut's attention! They practically -"
Stoick - that hulking giant of a man whom he thought invincible - was dead and Hiccup himself had nearly been killed five times over no thanks to those reckless air stunts of his and Drago's Bewilderbeast. How much longer did he have before his luck finally ran out for good?
"- pressed this spot behind Toothless's neck, and the fins on his back just -"
He never wanted to be alone again, but as much as he avoided thinking about it, he knew that Hiccup was steadily moving further and further away from his reach. The brunet would die either from old age or doing something incredibly stupid. What if he returned one day to discover that the only thing left of his beloved was a stone marker? What if Toothless couldn't catch his rider the next time he jumped off? What if Drago joined forces with the Outcasts and the Berserkers and declared war on the tiny island? What if -
"Jack, are you okay? You're kinda spacing out there," Hiccup asked worriedly, waving a hand in front of the winter spirit's face. "You've been staring at me for -"
The Viking stumbled backwards in surprise as Jack suddenly threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly around the waist and burying his face into the crook of his neck. He didn't hesitate to return the heartfelt gesture, but even though he knew his boyfriend would occasionally lapse into one of his melancholy moods, there was something off about his quiet behavior this time. Hiccup attributed it to the fact that they hadn't seen each other for almost three years, and it was his turn to duck his head to press a loving kiss to the other's hair, murmuring a tender "I missed you too" into the soft white locks.
Jack refused to let go for the longest time, and they stayed like that in the cove for the rest of the day.
"The dragons are all gone now. Toothless led them back into the sea. He really misses you too. I never told you this, but that overgrown lizard spent so long searching for you after... you know. You're all he had left, and it nearly killed him when you had to go. Remember how he wouldn't stop interrupting us during our last date? He kept chasing us all over the place, and I had to fly us to the other end of Berk just to get you alone."
Jack's breath suddenly hitched and he buried his face in his arms. "Oh god, I miss you so much!" he wailed, his shoulders shaking with each heartbreaking sob. "Please come back to me, Hic!"
The winter spirit sat there hugging himself, crying quietly, but his face remained dry as his tears quickly froze and rained to the ground in tiny ice crystals. Abruptly, the sad and longing look on his face twisted into a scowl.
"Manny!" Jack snarled at the full moon watching him in silence. "It wasn't Hiccup's time, but I let you take him anyway. I promised him forever, and I intend to keep that promise. I'll wait for however long it takes until you give him back!"
Angry eyes glared at the mysterious entity in the night sky before softening and returning to the frozen lake. "I still remember, Hiccup – the last thing you ever said to me was 'I love you'…" he whispered.
Hiccup's heavy panting came out in white puffs as he sprinted through the dense forests of Berk, trying to find somewhere to hide. He slowed to a stop when he reached a clearing and leaned against a tree to catch his breath, but something in his stomach churned in fear when he heard the faint sounds of Jack calling for him.
The winter spirit had been acting weirder and weirder lately. Ever since he came back to Berk, he hadn't let the brunet out of his sight. It wasn't like when they had first met, when he had been eager to spend time with the only person who could see and touch him. No, this was borderline possessive behavior, almost as if he was afraid Hiccup would disappear into thin air or something. When questioned about his paranoia, Jack would vehemently deny that something was wrong with him, saying he was only trying to make sure his beloved was safe.
A violent shiver running up his spine was the only warning Hiccup received before he was forcefully tackled to the ground.
"There you are!" Jack exclaimed happily, pinning the brunet's wrists at either side of his head. He laughed in delight and settled himself between Hiccup's legs. "Why did you keep running from me?"
"Jack, get off!" the Viking demanded as he struggled to no avail. Some part of him was indignant that Jack was still stronger than him after his late growth spurt, but then he began to realize that it wasn't just Jack's weight holding him down. There was an invisible force behind Jack's hands, something that pushed against him and refused to budge. The thought of the winter spirit using his powers to subdue him made him thrash even harder.
"Don't be afraid..." Cool lips tenderly brushed across heated cheeks to soothe the frightened expression quickly making its way across the freckled face beneath. "I'm only trying to protect you."
But Hiccup could sense no warmth in Jack's words. Although his tone was gentle and his actions affectionate, the wild crazed look in his once playful blue eyes said otherwise. The brunet took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. This was Jack he was talking about. His caring, fun-loving boyfriend. He wasn't like Dagur or Drago, and if Hiccup played his cards carefully, there was still a chance to snap him out of whatever had come over him.
"H-Heh, you caught me. I surrender," he chuckled nervously, valiantly forcing his trembling body to stop resisting. "Now let me go, okay?"
There was the sound of ice crackling as Jack leaned over him, his face just inches away from his own. Hiccup's remaining right foot suddenly felt cold, and panic swelled up anew within him when he cast his eyes downwards and saw that his legs had been frozen to the ground. All thoughts of reasoning with the other immediately fled his mind and he started to struggle again. "Jack! What are you -"
"Tell me you love me," the winter spirit commanded. His grip on the Viking's wrists tightened, causing the mortal to wince in pain.
"Jack please, you're hurting me -"
"Say it! Say you love me!"
"I love you!" Hiccup cried desperately, tears spilling over his cheeks as ice slowly crept up his hands, and it didn't take long before the brunet couldn't feel his limbs anymore. He choked out a terrified sob before attempting to call Toothless for help, but Jack kissed him roughly the moment he parted his lips, shoving his tongue down his throat and swallowing any noises that tried to escape.
The sound of tiny beating wings snapped Jack out of his thoughts, and he nearly fell backwards and out of the tree when Baby Tooth suddenly appeared in front of him, tugging urgently at the drawstrings of his hoodie.
"What is it?" he asked with furrowed brows, holding out a finger for her to rest on. His eyes widened at her frantic chirps and when he looked to the dark sky, he spotted the Northern Lights calling for the Guardians. Smirking, Jack made sure Baby Tooth was safely nestled in his hoodie before hopping to his feet. "Pitch just doesn't know when to give up, does he? What say we teach him another lesson about messing with kids' dreams?"
Casting one last fond look at his lake, he leaped into the air with an excited whoop and disappeared into the night.
The moment he was out of sight, two figures revealed themselves from the shadows of the tree line, staring solemnly in the direction where the winter spirit had flown off to. One of them was an old man with a white cloak over his shoulders, the other a dark-haired woman in a flowing green dress.
"Will your father be alright, child?" the elder asked, stroking his beard in concern.
"Daddy can take care of himself," Seraphina replied confidently. "He just needs to distract them for a while so that you can finish the job."
"Yes, this has gone on long enough."
Old Man Winter stepped forward and tapped the frozen lake with the tip of his icicle staff, sending tendrils of blue magic flowing into the ice. Slowly but surely, Jack's spell began to reverse as it started to melt, and it took less than a minute before the lake was full of water once again. Work done, he returned to Mother Nature's side and they waited.
A body eventually rose from the dark depths of its prison, clad in carefully preserved leather armor. It breached the surface and remained afloat, allowing moonlight to shine on a freckled face eternally frozen with green eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream.
Author's Note: For those who are confused, Jack essentially freezes Hiccup and traps him in his lake in the hopes that Manny will resurrect him and turn him into a spirit like he did to Jack.
Thanks for reading!