Day 1: First Date
In the long amount of time that they knew each other, their first date stood out among the rest.
They had met in elementary school and stayed friends until middle school, when they realized they were both gay, and for each other too.
Yes, their first date had been in the awkward middle school stage, Jack having just gone into his 'rebel' phase and dyed his hair white, and Hiccup smiling with his braces in place.
Of course they had to live in a town where being gay was considered a sin, so they had to be discreet about it. They told their parents they were going to a friend's sleepover together, and planned to sleep the night at a secret place that Hiccup knew of.
Being in middle school, neither had a car to drive about. So they trekked three miles to the closest place of food, which was a Pizza Hut. They sat down and ordered a large cheese pizza with breadsticks and one of those desert things and said it was all to go. They sat quietly, making quite the sight.
Jack, along with his snow white hair styled with lots of hair gel to defy gravity, made an attempt to look cool and wore a worn black leather jacket he'd found at Goodwill, and too big black boots that he clomped about in, touched off with a lip ring he'd snuck out and gotten, and to compliment it all some eye-liner.
Hiccup wore a two-sizes-too-big hoodie, a dragon plastered on the front, baggy jeans and a pair of green Vans, adorning his face was thick square glasses and the mass amount of freckles he got from nowhere, a simple beanie covered his hair, and don't forget the the flash of metal you could spot every time he opened his mouth.
After twenty minutes they left with the yummy-smelling pizza and trekked back out, this time five miles to their next destination.
After a while of walking through trees, they made their way down a slope into a secret cove. Hiccup claimed he found it after one fight he had with his dad when in need for solitude. Here the trees cleared away and showed a beautiful view of the moon and the stars. A lake glistened before them, a few fish inside it darting about, unaware of the boys in the area.
Hiccup brings out a large quilt that he stored there earlier in the week and lays it out, and they set up their pizza picnic.
As they eat, they slowly kick off their shoes, their ridiculous jackets, leaving them in just shirts, jeans, and socks. They laughed and talked between bites of cheese, and everything seemed to be going fine.
Until one particular slice of pizza.
Hiccup had picked it up and expected to eat it like others, until some of the cheese managed to get tangled in his braces.
So for a solid ten minutes the two boys were wrestling melted dairy product out of the brunets dental equipment, it just seemed to stick to everything at that exact moment, and Hiccup had never been more embarrassed in his life.
After Jack had gotten well acquainted with Hiccups mouth in the way he hadn't thought it'd go, they sat in silence, allowing time for Hiccup to will away the flush of his cheeks. Soon they settled to laying back and staring up at the star strewn sky.
Hiccup took to pointing out various constellations, talking of Orion and his seven sisters, and the tale of Andromeda, and showed how to find the North Star using the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, and continued to talk about the Zodiac signs they sadly couldn't be seen that night.
Without realizing it, they had drawn closer to each other and now had arms connecting them, Hiccups head resting on Jack's chest.
"I never want this to end. I don't want to go back, and pretend we don't have this between us."
"Me too. . . "
Hiccup suddenly sat up, staring down at Jack with a determined look on his face.
"Promise me that one day, we won't have to worry about that. Promise to move away with me after high school, whether we go to college or start to live on our own. Promise it'll get better."
Jack sat up too, grabbing Hiccups hands and holding them in his own.
"I promise."
He held out his pinky finger, and though Hiccup felt it was kinda girly, he linked his own pinky finger with Jacks, squeezing tight.
With that they had their first kiss.
It was perfect, lips pressing smoothly together, eyes fluttering closed, and hearts racing. Then Jack's tongue pressed for more, and Hiccup let it in. Then Hiccup became light-headed at what all Jack was doing in his mouth, until they tried to pull away for breath.
They both yelped in pain, and were just barely able to glance down and see that Jack's lip ring had caught on Hiccup's braces.
For twenty minutes they struggled to detach themselves, resulting in lots of painful pulls, swears from Jack, and hiccups from Hiccup hyperventilating at the idea of them being stuck like that forever.
Eventually they freed themselves, and came to the decision that they wouldn't tongue until Hiccups braces came off.
That didn't stop them from cuddling next to each other and falling asleep in each other's arms.
Years later, living up to that pinky promise and living together in Chicago, they would both remember that first date and laugh at Hiccups misfortune with his braces.
They still agreed that it was the best date they'd ever had.
Day 2: Movie Swap
Berk during it's rare month of autumn was a sight to behold. The trees in the forest changed their healthy green leaves to bright shades of yellow orange and red, the grass started to wither away, and the winds passing by cooled the brief warm air that was summer. The sun started to set earlier, providing a charming view of the sunset with its light hitting the water just right.
Fitting that of all glorious views, it would be used as the backdrop for a funeral and a send-off.
The village slowly trickled to the shoreline, a morbid air taking claim and suffocating the usual beauty of the fall. Everybody bore a little something, a hand-woven blanket, a vase filled with grains, expensive furs bought from Trader Johan, a simple toy, a chain made of the few flowers that hadn't died yet, no matter how big or small it was, somebody brought an item.
Set up at the shore was one of their boats, the one sailed specifically by the Chief in fact, and everyone gathered about it. A plank for them to climb up into the boat was set against the side, and slowly people made their way up, taking a minute to lay their item and pay a last respect for the person of this funeral, and oddly their pet, before making their way back down to join others off to the side, awaiting the send-off.
Soon it drew down to only three that had yet to set foot on the boat.
A hobbling man climbed aboard, clunking sounds from his wooden leg shattering the silence like ice, carrying one of his prized hammers. He settled it down next to the corpse, taking a second to rub at an eye before saying,
"Th' forge will never be the same without ya, show the gods how well I trained ya."
He walked off, going to stand away from the crowd of villagers as the next person walked up the plank.
The girl settled her axe next to the hammer, staying silent and looking anywhere but at the harsh truth before her, mustering up her words,
"You promised nothing would go wrong. . . that you'd come back. . . " She sniffled and swiped a hand at a tear rolling down her cheek. "You better not do anything that crazy before I see you in Valhalla." She left quickly at that, swallowing down a sob as she went to go stand by her friends, the worst silence taking place as everybody watched the last person climb onto the ship.
The bulky man just stared at what lay before him for the longest time, flashing back to that image of seeing him drop to the flames, that beast helplessly flying after him, giving out a shuddering sigh as he placed the helmet in his hands on top of the corpses chest, taking even longer to come up with something to say.
". . . I'm sorry."
He left before he broke down again, standing next to his one friend as some of the men of the village finally took away the boarding plank. They each took a torch that had been lit, now that it was growing darker, and set fire to the boat, passing them off to others before pushing the ship into the sea.
The village watched as it drifted away, burning as one with the sunset.
What would make this all the more memorable was the fact that dragons stood alongside them, not fighting for food and attacking the village in a raid. It was thanks to the two friends on the vessel that they were like this.
They watched as what had brought this change left their world, to reach the gods living in Valhalla.
The scene began to fade away, the boy gasping as he pulled himself from the memory.
He heaved as he stared at where he had seen the burning ship, clutching the gold cylinder case in his left hand. Eventually eyes glanced down at it, taking a closer look at the face on it.
His own face, auburn haired with forest green eyes and an awkward smile, stared back. He swallowed as he processed what he had seen. The case slipped from his fingers, teeth clinking around inside as it hit the grassy ground. He ran a hand through his hair, hearing the slight crinkle of the dried leaves in it, not able to believe that he had just watched.
A cool presence stepped up next to him, and he looked up to piercing blue eyes, and he began to shake, not from the sudden cold, but from the shock of what he'd seen.
"I. . . I died."
A touch to his upper arm had him throwing his arms around the spirit, mind frazzled and only aware that he needed some kind of comfort, and the chill of his friend was what he needed most.
Jack Frost held the boy back, rubbing a hand in circles on the spirit of autumns back, staying silent as the vikings dragon Toothless approached, laying down and offering them a place to sit and rest, which the winter spirit moved them down to.
He stayed there for hours, helping Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third come to terms with his demise in the flames of the Red Death.
Day 3: Seasons
The humid air clung like a wet blanket, and Jack questioned why the hell he decided to make a stop in Tennessee of all places during the summer.
He groaned in discomfort and felt ready to strip of his sweatshirt, he had a tank top he'd lifted off a store on underneath, but he wondered how his partner would react, which reminded him why he was here in the first place.
Jack was the Guardian of Fun and the Spirit of Winter, and he just so happened to know Hiccup Hosten, Guardian of Change and the Spirit of Autumn. They worked side-by-side to get the chill to set into the earth, and make snow come down, and he just so happened to have a crush on the auburn-haired boy.
Hiccup became who he was by dying in a fire to save his village, his dragon friend Toothless following alongside him, which he had recently learned thanks to Jack going and finding his teeth canister at Tooth's palace. Since then Hiccup was being a lot more open, now that he knew his past, and had started to hang around with Jack more than before.
Of course Hiccup wasn't aware of the frost spirits feelings towards him, but he was planning on revealing them tonight.
Recently Hiccup had gotten his hands on some of Jamie's books, one in particular talked about bugs. He devoured it in half an hour, but stared for days at a certain page. When Jack inquired, the freckled boy stumbled and muttered that he'd never seen this type of bug before, and pointed out a firefly.
Jack knew that Tennessee recently was going through a time where fireflies that had burrowed down in the ground years ago were starting to pop up in the past three years, he took that as fate and planned this day out.
Hiccup stretched from where he sat next to Jack, watching the scenery grow dark as the sun began to set in a random field next to a neighborhood, scratching at his hair and leaves.
"So, when's the thing you brought me here to see going to happen?"
Jack looked around; frowning as there clearly weren't any of the bright bugs flying about yet,
"Just a little bit longer, I swear it should be coming soon."
He never heard the tiny gasp that came from the fall spirit, too busy squinting his eyes to see anything, before turning back around,
"Let's just wait five more-"
He stopped and blinked, watching along with Hiccup in awe as a blinking bug flew in front of him before gently flying off.
A few more blinks came from his peripheral vision and he looked just in time to see the lights blink one last time.
Slowly more blinking popped up around them, and Jack looked just in time to see the growing smile on Hiccups face. The thin boy jumped up and ran out into the field, slowly turning as he absorbed all the life around him. He would walk closer only for the bugs to fly off, but that didn't stop him for walking closer.
Jack grinned and walked after Hiccup, quietly laughing as Hiccup reached out to try and touch them, failing every time but kept strong.
Jack stopped and glanced around, easing his hands around a single firefly, and successfully catching it. He softly called out to Hiccup, gesturing with his clasped hands. The spirit stepped over, peering through Jack's fingers and gasping at the blinks inside.
"It's so beautiful. . . "
Jack smiled, happy to see the awe across Hiccup's face. He let the firefly go, both watching as it flew off, blinking all the while. Jack remembered sneaking into a museum up at the Windy City, the Field Museum if he remembered correctly, at the time a special exhibit had been up at the time, talking about different creatures on the planet that glowed. The first thing it had talked about was fireflies, and he tried to recall what he learned from there.
"The reason these guys blink is because they're trying to mate."
Hiccup faltered and stared at him, thankful for the night to disguise his light blush.
"What?"
"I learned about it, snuck into this museum, they flash their lights primarily to attract a mate, since they only have a short amount of time to live, and like there's a certain pattern for the different genders. There was more, but I don't remember them, but you like facts so I thought you'd like to hear it, right?"
He threw his usual smirk at Hiccup, letting out a laugh as Hiccup rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Well, yeah, I guess. I don't know why that book didn't say anything about it."
They stood in silence for a while, soaking in the beautiful sight of the field decorated with blinking fireflies. Hiccup let out a small giggle, making Jack blink and send a questioning glance at him.
"Oh gosh, I don't know why but I was thinking of what mating call you would have. It'd probably be like, throwing a snowball or something, it's stupid. I was only thinking about it because I was remembering how dragons-"
He was hit with a ball of snow, aimed at his shoulder. He hissed and rubbed at it, shooting a glare at the thrower.
"What was that for Jack?! It was really uncalled for-"
He blinked as he looked at Jack's smirk, looking back at where he was hit, before letting out a quiet 'oh' and awkwardly smiling.
They shared their first kiss under the light of fireflies, looking for their loved one.
Day 4: Jealousy
Jack would never admit to how jealous he could become.
Sure he was jealous of how other people seemed to be able to have time to come up with these amazing things, and the recognition they got, and just how perfect they turned out, but every time a little kid came toddling up and asked him a question pertaining to what he created made it worth everything he put into his work.
But the jealousy Jack got over certain people was ridiculous.
Jack was just a regular teen, he had a blog he maintained and documented the many cosplays he did, and lived with a mother and younger sister. He would always get jealous when his sister laughed at something somebody else did, and would always make sure to swoop her up and make her laugh harder than before. Not to mention how sometimes he would just pick her up and cuddle her, claiming his excuse was that she wouldn't be this small forever and he had to make it count, when really in the back of his mind he was sticking his tongue out at whoever had decided to talk with her.
It usually wasn't a big deal until now.
Jack was lucky to have a boyfriend, for the longest time it was strictly online when they met each other on different blogs. His name was Henry but preferred his internet nickname Hiccup, he was adorably awkward with thousands of freckles and was fascinated with Viking culture and dragons. They were lucky to live close enough to a certain convention where they could meet each other. The memory of their first contact would always make his heart pound fast and make him dizzy. This was the second time they were seeing each other face to face, at the same convention they had first met each other at.
They had collaborated and decided to do a Viking spirit cosplay, and Jack had the fun idea of modernizing them (He'll admit he did that so he wouldn't have to put so much work into it). Jack had worked months on his Jokul Frosti (or Jack Frost as he liked to joke about) outfit, he only had to grab a blue sweatshirt and some brown pants, but the staff had to be perfect, and he happily gloated about how amazing it looked once finished. Hiccup decided to go with Loki, but steered away from the Avenger's portrayal. He'd worked hours into the jacket he'd sown, putting on patches that referenced old Norse mythology, and prided himself in it. Add a crafted slingshot and a deviousness Jack never knew, it was a superb cosplay.
Their con experience had been just them walking about, happily taking pictures and such, until Jack got distracted with meeting somebody who followed his blog.
He finished talking to the chipper girl, who had gone on and on about how she shipped him and Hiccup together and gave him presents (one for him and the other for Hic), and turned about to see Hiccup talking with another guy.
He clenched his hands on the staff as he realized the other guy was flirting with his boyfriend.
Hiccup seemed oblivious to the advances, but the cosplay photographer seemed to think he was flirting back.
Now that was just really not going to work with Jack.
He didn't want to just march up and drag Hic away, he was never one to show his jealousy because he had more grace than that, so he racked his brain, trying to come up with a way to sweep his boyfriend away.
He blinked and looked at his staff, grin stretching across his face as he got an idea.
"-yeah, the fandom has been going nuts just waiting for next year. I really wonder what'll happen the moment a clip is released."
Hiccup laughed and idly played with his con badge, nodding in agreement.
"It'll be really funny to see, especially how they reacted to a picture alo-"
A hook around his waist pulled him away from the fellow fan he'd been talking with, giving out a squeak as he was pulled flush to a sweat-shirt with painted frost on it, blinking before he glanced up and smiled.
"Hi Jack, you need something?"
That crooked smile he'd fawned over in pictures before meeting him graced Jack's face, leaning close and kissing his nose.
"Just missed you."
Day 5: Dark!Hijack
Once upon a time there was a boy.
He was a boy filled with smiles and tricks, prancing about every day with the little children and shirking his chores, preferring to hang from a tree and make his little sister squeal and tell him to come down.
He was lanky with warm brown eyes, they sparkled with mischief as he told stories 'round the fire, never failing in making them laugh. This was his life for a very long time.
Then the adults became fed up with his lolly-gagging, his disinterest in settling down with a nice girl and having a child or two, and most of all the tricks.
They never knew of his secret, of his escapades in the night to a meet-up that would have their Pastor tossing holy water by the buckets at him, of the forbidden love he shared with someone the next settlement over.
Once upon a time there was a boy.
He was the smallest of the batch, knobby knees and shaky fingers, and some kids made fun of his smile and poked at his freckles. He'd rather go to his apprenticeship and work the whole day than spend a day following who was supposed to be friends with them.
It was no secret that he was the disappointment of the village, always being told to get back inside and stay out of the way, and it didn't help that his father was leader and practiced the same disdain as the others on his own son.
Everybody wondered if he'd ever change, from his mindset of trolls and dragons, beasts that clearly never existed, and would learn to keep quiet and pay attention during prayer instead of mumbling and scribbling at his notebook.
They never knew of the nights he slipped away, to someone who would treat him like a god, pressing kisses to every last blemish, massaging legs that barely held his own weight, and reminded him that he was good enough.
Once upon a time there were two boys that died.
A hunter was wandering about the forest between the two settlements, when he came across the most unholy sight to his eyes.
He screamed and made the two boys, sleeping peacefully on borrowed quilts and furs with the remains of a fire before them, jump awake and feel their hearts seize up as they realized everything was over.
He dragged each by the hair to their village, first going to the hiccups, and threw them to the ground proclaiming their sin. The trickster screamed out to his love, trying to escape and save the other from being harmed any further.
They gritted teeth against the whips, bit lips at the kicks, and shut out the harmful words. They only broke resolve when no one was near and let out a sob, but not for their pain, for worry of their love.
The two villages came together and decided to deal with this all at once.
June 25th, 1702 was the day Jackson Overland and Henry 'Hiccup' Haddock were hanged for the sin of lying with another man.
Once upon a time there was a shadow.
He had lived another life, one with a daughter that he loved dearly enough to sacrifice his own life for, and now found himself as the Nightmare King, bringing about the dark ages and haunting early settlements. Then the Guardians came, bringing wonder and hope and dreams, and he started to lose his power.
Then he heard whispers, rumors from a trader talking of the recent hangings up in Pennsylvania, of two boys that dared lie together and went against the Lords word. He made a travel northwards, bringing his shadows and listening close for any hints as to where the bodies were.
He pinpointed their location, arriving in time to see the two bodies swinging side-by-side, curling his nose at the horrid stench and twitching at the bugs that came to feast. A flick of his hand made a shadow sweep them away, and he looked at what remained of the two bodies, a cruel smile gracing his face as he knew just what to do.
The next day, both villages finally sent a man each to bury the bodies. The village would watch in shock as they both came back, screaming of witchcraft that stole away the boy's bodies.
Once upon there were two shadows.
One had deathly pale skin, and a tricky grin. He loved following travels, just so at night he could terrorize them with blows of the wind, werewolf howls, and tinkling laughter that they could never find the source of.
One had freckles that splattered everywhere, and a thin frown. He took to haunting villages, making sudden fires and almost kills that had neighbors pointing fingers at their friends, yelling BURN THE WITCH.
Nothing compared to the time they came across a poor little boy, looked down upon and blamed for everything, and for farfetched reasons was accused of witchcraft.
They went into a rage, destroying the village and all life in it, except for that boy. They made him forget the horrors he lived and placed him a mile outside a different village, far away from his old one.
They loved each other, they kissed and touched and loved one another by the light of the moon, and made sure to send whispers during many meetings in churches that God was wrong.
They never knew of the times their master would quietly approach, smiling at their havoc.
Eternity was by their side, and they were using every last bit.
The End
Day 6: Secret Admirer
Hiccup never thought he was anything special. He was easy to overlook in a crowd, completely and utterly average, the only time anybody would point him out is because of one of the art pieces he made that was displayed out in the hall by the art room. Even then it was pretty rare.
So he never expected to find what he did after he came back from the bathroom during History.
'Your freckles are pretty cute.'
The auburn haired boy blinked and stared at the sticky-note, then looked around him, trying to figure out who the hell had the time to comment on him like this. Nobody seemed to be looking at him for a reaction, so he was left wondering.
(So what if he kept the note? Having so many freckles made him self-conscious, but those five words made it better.)
It was a while before he got another note, in History again after he helped pass back some graded work.
'I like how you're left-handed.'
He couldn't help but try to stifle a giggle, it was nice but also probably the weirdest compliment he'd ever gotten (not that he go all that much) but he found himself tucking it away with the first, where he got into the habit of pulling the notes out and re-reading them, whether it was once or ten times, or when he was bored or in need of an up-lift, they never failed in making him smile.
And more only came after that.
'That smile is adorably goofy.'
'How does one learn to be as cute as you are?'
'God your eyes are beautiful.'
'You look so cute when you get all flustered.'
'The way you get excited about something and start talking endlessly about it is amazing.'
They were always found during his History class, and frankly he was starting to want to meet who thought these things about him. It came to his realization that maybe Jack, one of his best friends who happened to be in the class, he could know.
"Hey Jack, have you ever spotted anybody placing notes on my desk during History?"
The pale boy shrugged as they slung their backpacks onto their shoulders, walking along to their next class.
"No, haven't seen a thing."
The mystery only grew when the notes stopped being in History.
Now everyday he'd open his locker and find a card in an envelope inside, and written inside those were poems. Some were cheesy and made him laugh or so romantic they had him blushing like an idiot.
Roses are red
Like the color you turn
Violets are blue
Like you are cute
How cheesy can this be?
Anything, for you.
Astrid let out a snicker, passing the card back to Hiccup.
"So you have a secret admirer? And how long has this been going?"
Hiccup hid the card away, shrugging and propping his chin in his hands.
"Weeks now, and it started with like sticky notes they left on my desk whenever I had to get up in History. That's the only lead I have of who it could be."
Astrid thought for a second before it clicked in her mind, and she made sure to not let a smile give herself away.
"Well who knows, maybe they're planning to tell you soon?"
Which didn't happen. These actions went on for a month, turning into a rose sitting wherever he went to go sit in different classes, History, Art, Calculus, and it was finding one at lunch he came to the realization it was someone among his group of friends.
He was ready to start pointing fingers when he found a note in his locker, only saying,
'You'll know who I am soon, just wait until a special holiday.'
He had frowned in thought, trying to remember what upcoming holidays there were, and blushed as he realized Valentine's Day was two weeks away.
Though his secret admirer's identity itched at him, especially since he knew it was someone in his group of friends, he held off until that day were couples were being all lovey-dovey in the halls, giving each other balloons and stuffed animals, chocolates and flowers, and though it was ridiculous he felt his heart leap in excitement in realizing something like that would be happening to him.
It was during lunch the admirer made his move, in the form of a school fundraiser. For every holiday their school did treat gifts, somebody could pay a certain amount of money to send something to a friend (or in this case crush, boyfriend or girlfriend, etc. . . ) that consisted of something to do with the holiday. For Valentines it was a small bag of chocolates, a single flower, and a note for two dollars. He'd sent one to Astrid, they had made it a silly tradition to do this with each other, and he was waiting for the one that would come from her.
He had an epiphany when the thought crossed his mind that maybe it was Astrid! She had seemed dodgy in wanting to help him, but gosh he didn't see her that way, they were friends solely and he was happy to keep it that way, but now-
A student, dressed in a crude diaper over his pants wearing a pink sash and a halo and wings came by their table, calling out their names and dropping their gifts.
Ruffnut was treated to a gift from Fishlegs (that explained why the poor boy had been so jumpy earlier) that she responded to with a shrug and a thanks to the shivering boy, whom sighed in relief, Astrid got the one he sent her, Jack got one from his friend Anna, and he blanched as two gifts were tossed in front of him.
He sighed as he realized that maybe Astrid wasn't the admirer, and had it confirmed when the first one he grabbed was addressed from her, stating how glad she was they were friends, but felt his heart beat faster as he stared at the waiting gift.
The selection of flowers you could choose from varied between rose, carnation, or daisy, and if you wanted more than one you could add them for twenty cents apiece, and he felt his heart flutter at seeing one of each present. He picked up the card and fumbled in opening it, forcing himself to slowly read it.
Well you've waited long enough. Gotta say, it was really nice seeing you squirm and try to figure out who I was. I really hope you feel the same towards me, I've felt it ever since I first met you. I'm right here at the table, you just have to look.
He glanced up and looked about, seeing Ruffnut and Tuffnut were too busy inhaling the chocolate she'd received, Fishlegs was celebrating to himself about the success of his endeavor, until he ended up on Astrid, who smiled and nodded her head to his right. He turned, already knowing who it was, and couldn't help the grin he gave when he found Jack offering him a shy smile (Jack? Smiling shyly?).
"So?"
Hiccup let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"You idiot! I've. . . felt the same for just as long. . . "
That had been enough invitation for Jack to hop over and press a kiss to his cheek, pulling back with his smile gaining its usual cockiness. Hiccup frowned, making Jack frown in turn, before saying,
"You know you missed, right?"
Then promptly grabbed a fistful of the teen's hoodie and pulled him forward, full-on lip-locking.
Hiccup made a note to send out two gifts next year.
Day 7: General AU (Surfer AU from .com)
Hiccup loved the smell of the ocean, the salt, the sand, the fish, it was one he became addicted to, and refused to quit.
He'd been by the seaside for as long as he could remember, there were photos of him as a baby playing by the tide with his mom, and videos of his dad helping him balance on a board out in the calm waters. He was raised with the crashing waves and the endless summer, earning him a tan with lots of freckles over the expanse of his body, natural highlights that shone in his hair, and a passion to just get out there.
Hiccup had competed in surf competitions and won those ten times in a row, and was aiming for his eleventh win in the coming months. They were always something he prided himself on, since of most his other friends couldn't compare to the tricks he could do, the only one who was up to par was Astrid, and even then she still had a bit to go.
They always teased him for being a secret merman, because the moment he got out of the tide he was jumping back in minutes later, and he took it in stride. It was the one place where he felt he truly fit, the rush of wind and the spray of water always cleared his mind, it took him someplace else that nobody else could know.
The sea was his life, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Except his boyfriend was terrified of the thought of dipping a pinky finger in it.
Jack had moved to Florida when they were kids, and had a lack of knowledge of how to even boogey board, and they spent everyday teaching the brunet how to.
Until Jack got the bright idea that if he went out into giant waves with a flimsy board he'd learn how to be a pro.
He'd almost died that day, but was thankfully saved by the lifeguard on duty at the time. Ever since then he could only stand at the entrance to the beach and fight off the urge to turn tail and run, and that was only because he wanted to watch the auburn's competitions.
Eventually the stubbornness that he got from his father came through when the pale man began to refuse to touch sand.
He came up with a step-by-step plan for Jack to follow. First, actually step onto the beach. This took a solid two months to get Jack as far as five miles into the sand. The second step was getting him to stand at least where the water lapped at the land. Hiccup honestly hadn't gotten any further than that because of how long this process was taking.
At least Jack was making an effort by doing it and playing a surfing video game when he could.
Hiccup did look forward to the one day a week they declared as 'Therapy Day'. Every Friday morning they woke early and got ready fast to make the drive to the beach right as it opened, so there wouldn't be that many people. Jack would always hold his hand the whole time, the grip growing tighter the closer to water they got. He always made sure to ask Jack if he was fine, did they need to stop, do you feel you're going to panic? Jack would always shake his head, they had yet to reach a pushing point and Hiccup was grateful for that.
Once they got as far as they could for the day, they sat and watched the view for a while, and Jack would sit and watch as Hiccup went off into the waters to catch some early waves.
Hiccup dreamed of the day that Jack could finally go into the ocean and marvel the sights below, feel that rush of being hit by a wave, that day where they could stick their toes into the wet sand and comfortably make a sand castle and lose themselves in the moment.
Jack sat back in the sand, looking out across the water for that spot of red hair that would ease his worries. He always got worried every time Hiccup went out to water, what if he drowned? What if the waves sent him flying into sharp rocks? What if he was stung by a jellyfish and couldn't paddle back to shore? Every single worry popped into his head until he spotted the surfer at the top of a wave, giving a sigh of relief and feeling his shoulders un-tense.
It was always hypnotic, watching him glide his favorite black board across the waves and whipping it about, smiling as Hiccup pulled a front side air reverse and landed it, and even from here he could see that proud smile he got.
Hiccup continued to surf, eventually stopping until he was sitting out on his board, and Jack took a moment to look.
Hiccup's hair was pushed back from his forehead, wet and shaken out, the braid he made just behind his right ear somehow staying intact, a smile set on his face, glowing with his tan. Even through the surf shirt he wore Jack could see the outline of the abs the other had gotten from a life of surfing, his green swim trunks sticking to his thighs. The sun was hitting just right, giving a halo around his body, and when he glanced his way Jack was reminded of the image of gods. He smiled and raised his hand to wave to the other.
Just as Hiccup raised his hand to do the same, it and his other were suddenly struggling to keep himself on the board, panic setting into his eyes. Jack furrowed his brows in worry and stood up, just in time for Hiccup to disappear under the water.
Fear stuck him to the spot until he ran as far as the water hit mid-calves, screaming for somebody to get out there now and save him now.
Two other surfers that were out in the water made their way over to the board, helping a struggling Hiccup up onto his board and started to pull him to shore, and Jack only panicked more as he spotted the ones helping with blood on their hands. He stared in horror as the other was finally brought to shore, and could clearly see the missing half of Hiccup's left leg.
Soon they were in the hospital and Jack could only hope that Hiccup would be alright.
A shark had come up and bit Hiccup's left calf, and the doctors had to cut it off from right under his knee. He would need to go through physical therapy and be fitted for a prosthetic leg as soon as possible. It was advised that he not go surfing until he properly broke in his new leg.
Those months were the worst of Hiccup's life. It physically ached him to wake up every day and remind himself that there was no surfing. No boogey-boarding. Even no swimming until he adjusted to this new, horrible change to his life.
He would sit for hours on his bed, his favorite board held in his lap (it had suffered as he had, a large bite mark now sat at the lower left) as he watched the faint outlines of others having their time out on the waves.
The moment the doctors gave the okay he made Jack take him to the beach. There he and his friends struggled to help Hiccup relearn, how to balance with the difference, to stand up while gliding, to simply ride the waters.
It took weeks but Hiccup wasn't giving up.
The tricks were the breaking point. What used to come so naturally to him was now pin-wheeling arms and a fight that was lost to falling into the water, again and again until Hiccup let out a frustrated scream and his tenacity broke. For the rest of that day he sat by Jack, silent and staring down at his curse.
This led to now, Jack looking up and seeing Hiccup sitting outside the glass doors, his board by his side, staring out at the ocean. It had been a week since he gave up, and never had he seen his boyfriend so different. He didn't glow like he used to, he lost that shine in his eyes that was always present at the thought of the sea, and always seemed to be staring down at the contraption on his left.
This wasn't like him at all.
Maybe that's what drove him to grabbing the keys to their car, walking up to where Hiccup sat.
"Come on, let's head out to the sea."
Hiccup sighed and rubbed at where metal turned to skin, not looking up.
"Jack no. I said I'm done, now can you just leave me alone?"
"Sitting here and moping isn't going to change anything. Hic, you made more progress than anybody in relearning everything, so why are a couple tiny tricks throwing you off this much?"
Hiccup was quiet before he answered,
"It used to just. . . happen. It's like I didn't have to even think about it, and now I have to worry about keeping balance and how much force to use and what happens after step one, and now it's just not right."
There was silence, and it was then Jack felt some of that stubbornness that Hiccup had rubbed off on him. He reached down and hauled him up, ignoring the protests the disabled man was giving, not stopping the whole drive to the beach. They made it just before closing time, Jack turned to Hiccup whom had adopted a scowl onto his face.
"Jack I'm not ready for this, please can we just go home-"
"I'm not here to make you surf." He reached his pale hand out to clutch onto the freckled one, staring into deep emerald eyes. "I just want to make you remember."
With that he started to walk them out onto the beach. His hand still unconsciously tightened the farther in they went, but he was doing his best to push his fear down. He missed his surfer, and he was willing to do this.
Hiccups frown dropped as they got closer to the water, telling Jack he didn't have to do this, he could stop, don't you're not ready for this, and both were shocked the moment they reached where the water lapped at their toes.
They stared down at the sight and looked back up, and Jack's heart fluttered when Hiccup's smile, the one that'd disappeared, spread across his face.
"Jack, you're- you're in the water! You finally touched the water!"
He laughed and threw himself at the other, hugging him close.
From there they walked through along the shore, eventually getting into a splashing fight and somewhere along the way they got the idea to sit down and build a sandcastle, proclaiming it as Fort Berk that was impenetrable, until an unexpected large push of water washed it away, soaking the two in the process. They only started to laugh, leaning back and watching the sunset, and Hiccup breathed in that smell he loved.
Now he knew what Jack had mean before, I want you to remember.
Somehow he forgot why the ocean meant so much to him, and regretted that he had been too blind to see.
The next day he called Astrid and told her to meet up at the beach for practice, the competition was in a month.