Henry stared at his hands which were clenched on top of his lap. He couldn't go on like this. He couldn't help feeling that this was wrong. That what he was doing was wrong. He didn't understand why it felt that way, but it just did. He was currently sitting inside a nice restaurant, waiting for his date to come back from the bathroom. It was their third that month. It had all started out as a charade when Tadashi had seen him frozen in his spot as he and Jack stared at each other. He had been surprised at first when the raven had slipped his hand around his waist and given him a kiss on the cheek. Like with Hiro and Toothless, Henry was able to hold seemingly telepathic conversations with Tadashi and he understood that the man was only trying to help him get through his unexpected encounter with Jack.

He had noticed something strange with how Jack acted. He had stolen glances at the albino and tried to read the expression in his eyes. He smiled and talked nicely with Tadashi, but somehow Henry had felt that Jack was hiding something behind his friendly interactions. He had dated Jack for two years; it would be strange if he didn't notice such things from the albino. And when Tadashi had whispered "He's still looking", Henry's suspicions only grew even more. They continued the act outside the café and it was only a few moments later when the raven had told him that Jack was no longer in sight did he let go of his hand.

And to Henry's surprise, a day later Tadashi had officially asked him out.

He had enjoyed their dates together. Tadashi was a gentleman the whole time, he never pushed when he had asked for something that made Henry uncomfortable, they never ran out of things to talk about, they had similar interests, and his company was very nice. But Henry didn't feel anything romantic towards Tadashi. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he was Hiro's older brother, though it also made it awkward on some levels. They had gotten to know each other personally but Henry didn't see Tadashi any more than a friend and a big brother figure. He was handsome, smart, caring, and had a great sense of humor. People would probably tell him: What more could you ask for? But he just didn't see him in that kind of way.

He felt guilty for going out on dates with him knowing that he couldn't give anything more than just friendship to the guy. It felt even worse when Tadashi had admitted that he had admired him the first time Hiro had introduced him but just never found the courage to confess, not to mention knowing that he was in a relationship with someone else prevented him from doing so. Sometimes, Henry wished that it was Tadashi he had dated instead of Jack, maybe if that had happened he probably wouldn't be this miserable. But who was he kidding? The feelings he still had for the stupid white-haired male was stronger than anything that he had ever had for anyone. And that was why he didn't want to continue this anymore. Tadashi was no Jack. He should tell the older Hamada straight out that he couldn't go out with him anymore, not in this kind of setting anyway.

He was snapped out of his musings when he heard Tadashi sit back down in front of him. The raven smiled at him and Henry returned it with his awkward one, feeling his cheeks heat up. Henry was about to say something when a waiter suddenly arrived to take their orders. The auburn mentally cursed the waiter's timing but felt embarrassed for acting so childishly. The waiter left soon after, leaving the two males by themselves.

"Do you like the place?" Tadashi asked him. Henry nodded in response.

"It's really nice. I've only heard about it from my co-worker, well more like my boss," he laughed awkwardly scratching his cheek. "I never thought it was this great."

Tadashi chuckled. "I'm glad you find it to your liking." The sincere smile the raven gave him made Henry feel bad. He couldn't bring himself to ruin the mood so he just kept quiet. Maybe he'd find a good timing later.

… -:- … -:- … -:- …

The date was already reaching its end and Henry still hadn't told Tadashi what he wanted to say. The auburn wanted to bang his head on the car's window but decided against it since it wasn't his but Tadashi's. The Asian was walking him towards his apartment door when he finally found the courage to face him and tell him. Henry stared at Tadashi and opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come out. Tadashi looked at him surprised, but soon his face softened and he seemed to understand what Henry was going to say.

"I guess this is our last date," Tadashi said. He didn't look hurt as he said it. In fact, it looked like he was expecting this kind of thing to happen. "You were being too nice not to turn me down."

Henry looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, it's just—"

"You still love him." Henry raised his head in surprise and Tadashi only smiled, but this time he could see the glint of pain in his hazel eyes.

"Was I that obvious?" was the only thing he could say that moment.

"I wouldn't say obvious, but I felt it. I mean, it's not easy to get over someone. And you've been with him for a long time. Plus, Hiro kind of gave me a heads up not to expect too much," Tadashi answered with a laugh.

"Sorry, I just thought going out with you might make me forget Jack… but in the end, it just made me remember him more." He knew it was harsh. Every time Tadashi held his hand, gave him a hug, kissed him on the cheek, or did those little things that would make someone's heart flutter, Henry couldn't stop comparing them to how he felt when it was Jack doing them instead. It was unfair and ridiculous since it wasn't doing anyone any good. It was only making him feel worse knowing that he would never feel it again because there was only one Jackson Overland-Frost in the world and Henry could not and would never have him.

"Hey it's okay, don't worry about it. But tell me… did you have fun spending time with me?"

Henry smiled earnestly and nodded. "I did. You were the first date I ever had after a year or so, and I really enjoyed it. You were fun to be with." Tadashi smiled happily.

"At least that's a great compensation," he laughed and Henry joined in. "Besides, it's not like I can't see you anymore. We're friends now, unlike before when I was just your best friend's big brother."

The auburn let out a short laugh. "Took us pretty long before we got to this point."

"Indeed."

"I'm really sorry though. You're a great guy and if I just hadn't fallen for that stupid winter spirit, this might not be how things end tonight." Tadashi reached out to ruffle his hair.

"We can't pick who we fall for," the raven said softly. "But we can choose who could hurt us." He pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on his forehead. Henry hugged him back, he would be lying if he said he didn't like Tadashi's hug. He was one of those people whose hugs would just melt you and cause your walls to crumble and start to make you cry.

"I really like you. I wish you were the one who I fell for." Henry felt Tadashi comb his fingers through his hair and made soothing sounds to calm him down. He had never cried like this in front of anyone, not even Toothless and Hiro. His two best friends would usually arrive or he would call them when he was done crying. He didn't want to let them see how vulnerable he was. He knew that they knew, but he didn't want them to see him like this. He didn't want them to see what Jack had done to him. Odin knows what those two would do to him. He didn't want them to go to jail and he didn't want them to hurt Jack. But when it came to Tadashi it felt alright. It felt okay to let everything out to the raven.

"I hate that I still love him after all this time. I tried to get over him, but I just can't. It hurts a lot more than before. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry I can't return your feelings. I feel so stupid. You're a great guy and I like you but I can't understand why I'm like this. I can't get him out of my head. Why am I so messed up? This whole situation with Jack is messed up. I want to get over him, to just forget but I— I just— I can't. Why can't I?"

Henry continued to sob in Tadashi's arms as the latter comforted and held him. It felt nice to have someone like this, but it made him feel ashamed because it seemed like he was only using the raven as his crying pillow. And he also felt like Jack for using Tadashi. Apologies didn't cut it. He was hurting him in the same way Jack had hurt him. Was Tadashi feeling how he felt when Jack had apologized for not being able to return his feelings despite liking him? He probably was. Maybe Tadashi knew how to handle it better than Henry. Or maybe it was just as Tadashi said, he was expecting something like this, so it didn't hurt that much. But it still didn't change the fact that he was also hurting him.

"Hey, I'm okay. I gladly accept the pain," Tadashi told him. Henry didn't realize that he was saying his thoughts out loud and that made him feel embarrassed. "You're not messed up Henry. It just means you're not ready to let go. It'll take time before you get over him, but at least you're trying to. I think the reason you can't is partly because you can't stop thinking about him. Just try to occupy yourself with something else, but it doesn't mean you have to find someone else to replace him with."

Henry nodded. "I know. It just makes it worse."

Tadashi drew back from him and cupped his face. He gave him an encouraging smile. "You've got your friends, you've got a job, your family is there. There are a lot of things in the world that you could go out and see and occupy yourself with. Think about yourself more and not just about the stupid guy who let go of such an amazing person like you."

The auburn laughed and wiped the tears away that were staining his cheeks. "Thanks, I feel better now." He smiled, like a real smile for the very first time in so long. He did feel lighter. Somehow the load that he was carrying inside of him had lessened. "I guess all I needed was a human crying pillow." He said jokingly, making the raven laugh. "Sorry about your shirt."

Tadashi looked down at his shirt that was wet with tears and probably snot too. Henry blushed in embarrassment and pulled on the little braid behind his right ear. "It's okay, I'm glad I could make you feel better."

"Thanks again. For the date and everything," Henry said waving his hand, gesturing vaguely.

"You're very welcome. I had fun. And if you need something or just someone to listen to your woes and whatnots, you can call me and I'll be there. So, see you around?"

"I had fun too. And thanks a lot, I'll be sure to do that if I can't handle it. See you around." The raven smiled and dipped his head to give one last kiss on Henry's cheek before retreating and waving his hand in good-bye. The auburn followed Tadashi with his emerald eyes until he was no longer in sight. Sighing, the auburn male went inside his apartment. He suddenly felt so tired and simply walked towards his bedroom, throwing himself onto the bed without changing. It didn't take long before sleep took him and he was dreaming about snow and a mischievous cerulean eyed spirit.

… -:- … -:- … -:- …

The sound of metal hitting metal, cement being mixed, walls being drilled and shouting men filled Henry Haddock's ears as he looked at the blueprints lying in front of him. He had been asked to oversee the construction of the new building belonging to Sutherland Corporation since the head of the project was currently checking on another project. Henry was new in the firm but because of his university record and recommendation (his familial connections somehow helped, which he didn't feel comfortable about), and with his performance in just a few months the heads were confident enough to trust him to assist in such a big project as this. The young auburn was busy giving instructions to some of the men when he felt an arm drape over his shoulder. The men Henry were talking to stiffened and gave polite greetings to the newcomer.

It was only Henry who didn't seem to be fazed by the presence of the new arrival, since he knew who it was.

"How's my favorite engineer doing?" the man asked, pinching his cheeks. Henry groaned in irritation and slipped away from the man's grasp, rubbing his pinched cheek.

He raised an unamused brow at the guy. The male smiled apologetically at him but his grey eyes sparkled with mirth. The guy's burgundy colored hair was combed well, without a single strand sticking out in an odd angle unlike the auburn's shaggy hair. He was wearing a light colored polo tee that brought out the color of his eyes and expensive looking pants and shoes. His attire was simple, but the way he carried himself spoke of confidence and high status. This was Hans Sutherland, one of the CEO's sons and also a member of the board of directors.

"What do you want Hans?" Henry simply asked.

"Aww, come on. Aren't we friends? Can't you give me a warmer greeting?" The redhead asked in mock hurt.

The auburn just rolled his eyes. It was true, and even if they had known each other for less than a month they had already become fast friends. It was probably because they both wanted to prove themselves to their parents and had been bestowed the title of useless and nuisance by the people around them at such a young age. Thankfully, the two of them had gotten over that phase of their lives and decided to focus on finding their own happiness and new dreams to fulfill. Unfortunately, it seemed that Hans was getting more out of that department than Henry.

"If you're going to invite me for another drink, I am telling you that you'll never get me to drink ever again. Odin knows I can't hold my liquor." Hans laughed at the comment and shook his head.

"No, not at all, I wouldn't want a repeat of that." Apparently the first time they had gone out drinking, Henry had ended up with a hiccupping fit after a few glasses, causing other people's attention to turn to him (although truth be told he had already caught their attention in ways he didn't like before the fit). Some of them had made mocking comments which annoyed him immensely, and a fight had broken out during which the auburn exhibited his mad Viking fighting skills that resulted in the men being sent straight to the hospital. To Hans' utter surprise, Henry passed out right after. And he only had three glasses that didn't even contain high alcohol content! Fortunately, Kristoff had been there to pacify the situation before it got even worse. They had called the first number that was in the auburn's contacts and Toothless had immediately arrived to pick Henry up. It had been one of the most terrifying nights in Hans' life and truthfully one of the ones he had truly enjoyed.

Henry, on the other hand, hadn't found it as thrilling as Hans. He had apologized to the guys he had beaten up, his face so red that it put his cousin Merida's hair to shame.

"So what brings you here?" The bell signaling the start of the lunch break had rung, and the auburn moved to roll up the blue prints, carefully putting them in their tubes. He tried to hide the blush on his cheeks. He really didn't want to revisit that memory.

"Well, you know I'm getting married right?" Henry nodded in reply and looked at Hans as he continued. "I wanted to invite you, I kind of forgot to bring the invitation though— but don't worry I got it covered!"

"I'll have to check my schedule and see if I can come. When is it anyway?"

Hans smiled sheepishly at him. "It's tomorrow."

Henry dropped what he was holding and stared at the redhead. "Tomorrow?" The guy nodded and smiled wider. "You do know tomorrow's my day off and I might already have something planned, right?"

"I've checked with the firm and your friends. You're free tomorrow. If you're worried about what to wear, I already have a suit to be delivered to you later."

"Your wife-to-be should be warned about how much of a schemer you are." Henry glared playfully at the man.

"Oh, she's more cunning than I am, I assure you. I should be the one who's careful, if you ask me." The auburn just shook his head at his friend. Hans had never introduced Henry to his girlfriend-turned-fiancée and he didn't want to pry (it was none of his business despite his curiosity), but she sounded like a great lady. The way the redhead talked about her showed how smitten he was too, and it was obvious that she could handle the man herself.

"I can't promise you that I'll come to the ceremony. Something might come up, you know."

"As long as you can finally meet her. Just don't be too late Henry." Hans gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving. "I'll send you the address of the venue. You better come okay?" he called to his friend.

"Yeah, whatever. You owe me!" Henry called back and the redhead gave him a thumb's up before giving him a two finger salute in farewell.

The auburn sighed. He just wished this wouldn't end up like the last time he had invited him out.

… -:- … -:- … -:- …

Henry stared at his reflection in the full-body mirror inside his room. He was wearing a black tuxedo and the button up shirt beneath it was a deep green color which brought out his eyes. It was surprising that Hans actually knew his size. The suit was a perfect fit and to his utter humiliation and discomfort, it brought out the curves that Hiro and Toothless had often teased him about. It didn't help that his legs, despite being well-muscled and hidden under his pants, still rivaled those of a lady. It was emasculating really, but he shouldn't blame it on his mother's genes that seemed to be the dominant one between his dad and hers. It explained his personality (especially the stubbornness and the rebellious streak) and his general appearance a lot. He did look very much like his mom if she had been male with a few dashes of his dad here and there.

By some miracle, Henry had also managed to tame his unruly mane of auburn hair. He had combed it back and put a few bobby pins to keep the locks out of his face. Though his bangs refused to do his bidding and hung loosely over his eyes, he still looked okay. His hair now resembled that of a man named Ai Mikaze who was a member of a pop boy band. Henry shook his head. Sometimes he wondered if it was really good to have learned how to style his hair from Honey. He'd just stay on the neutral side. Giving himself one last check in the mirror, the young adult grabbed his keys, wallet and phone and made his way towards the door.

He had turned the key and locked the door when his phone started to ring out of the blue. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Hiro who was calling. He swiped his thumb over the bar before he answered.

"Hey, make it quick I'm about to get in my car and drive." The auburn greeted as he got into the elevator and punched the button for the first floor.

"Wait, where the heck are you going? I thought we were going to watch a movie at Toothless' place?" Hiro asked in confusion. Henry heard his friend gasp and scold someone. He realized that it was their cat Mochi the ebony haired male had addressed when a loud hissing came next.

"Didn't we postpone that to tomorrow? Besides, I've already mailed you two that I can't hang out tonight." He answered, opening his black Chevvy and slipping inside.

"Shit, I haven't been checking my mail lately, my bad. Anyways, where the heck are you going? You never go out on Saturday unless it's dinner with your family or Toothless and I drag you out of your hole." Henry could imagine his friend cocking a suspicious brow at him. He rolled his eyes, which was pretty useless since Hiro couldn't see him.

"Can't a guy go out when he wants to?" The scoff he heard from Hiro made him groan. "I do have a social life, thank you very much."

"I'm pretty sure that's bordering on non-existent," Hiro stated simply, the teasing smile so obvious. "Just tell me where you're going dude."

Henry put on his Bluetooth earpiece and placed his phone on its stand by the dashboard. "I'm going to a friend's wedding. Last minute invitation," he told the ebony haired male and started the car.

"W-Wedding?! WHO'S WEDDING?" Hiro all but shouted into the phone, making the auburn wince at the sound.

"Jeez, Hiro do you plan on making me deaf?" He complained, digging a finger into his ear.

"Just answer the question! Who's wedding?"

"Hans. Hans Sutherland, the guy I met at work a month ago." He was confused why Hiro sounded panicky when he told him he was going to a wedding. Alright, so maybe it was the first wedding he was attending where he would be aware of what was happening around him. But it shouldn't be that much big of a deal right?

"Hiccup, you can't go there. Do not attend that. You will not and must never, by all means and rationality, attend that wedding!" Now that was even more confusing. Why was Hiro acting this way?

"Hiro, I'm already fifteen minutes away from the venue. In fact, I'm already late for the reception. And Hans even gave me a suit to wear. I can't just not go." Henry argued with a sigh.

"But you can't! I am telling you, you shouldn't attend that wedding!" He could imagine his friend flailing his hands to emphasize his sentence but Henry still didn't get it. Why shouldn't he attend?

"Give me one good reason why I can't and I'll consider not going," he proposed. He heard Hiro whimper on the other line. He was clearly frustrated at his idea.

"I can't Hiccup. But trust me. It's better for you not to attend it." His friend was pleading with him, but unless he explained and gave him a valid argument not to, Henry was not backing up.

"I don't know what's making you say that. But I'm really sorry. I gave my word to Hans that I would go. It would be rude especially since he even sent me a custom suit to wear. I'll call you later if something happens. Bye Hiro."

"Hiccup do—" But the auburn had already hung up. Hiro was acting very strange. But how could he understand why when his friend refused to say anything? He didn't sound too thrilled about telling him the reason why he shouldn't attend Hans' wedding, but Henry just shrugged it off. Maybe he was worried that Hans would accidentally get him drunk again. Yeah, that's probably it.

After arriving at the hotel Hans had mailed him about, it didn't take long before Henry found himself being escorted by one of the employees to the function hall where the wedding reception was being held. His name was checked off on the list of guests and as Henry passed through the doors, he couldn't help but be amazed by the place. The theme of the event was winter. Snowflakes and icicles hung in the ceiling, sparkling beautifully as they reflected the soft light. The motif was an icy blue and a snow white color. There were various decorations all depicting winter and it made Henry's heart ache because they reminded him of Jack. The albino's favorite season was winter and all of his favorite things always had to do something with winter. Henry tried to shake off the sudden pang of nostalgia and the growing twinge of pain in his heart. His attention was immediately taken away from thoughts of Jack when he spotted the large wedding cake which resembled a magnificent ice palace.

"Odin's beard…." He whispered in awe at the sight. It wasn't just a simple wedding cake. It was a work of art. He knew he was probably gaping at the sight but he couldn't help himself. It really was a sight to behold.

The young adult was snapped out of his stupor when he felt someone pat his shoulder. "I almost cried when I saw it, but even though I realized it wasn't made of ice, it's still awesome." Henry turned and saw that it was Kristoff. He was sniffing and dabbing at a non-existent tear on the corner of his eye.

Henry turned back to the wedding cake and let out a content sigh. "It sure is a masterpiece."

"I cannot believe that you two are admiring the cake more than the newlyweds," Hans' voice said out of nowhere, snapping Henry out of his admiration. He faced the redhead, who had now left his bachelor life for good, and smiled.

"Congratulations." he greeted him. "I gotta say that wedding cake sure is amazing."

"I know! It was crazy. I had to find a baker that would take on the challenge. Thankfully, someone referred me to a patisserie. And if you guys need someone that can make such an amazing cake like that, I'll gladly give you Peeta Mellark's number." Hans let out a sigh and admired the cake too.

"So where's the new Mrs. Sutherland you're always bragging about?" Henry raised a brow teasingly at Hans. The redhead laughed.

"She's taking a short bathroom break. When she comes back, there's a special number for the couple's first dance. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to her soon enough."

"Wow, I'm dying of curiosity here. You never shut up about her," the auburn shook his head with a light laugh. Hans gave him a playful punch, smiling with his cheeks tainted a faint red, embarrassed at his own behavior.

"I'm glad I don't look like a love sick puppy like you," Kristoff remarked chuckling. "I should go back to Anna too. Later you two!"

Hans and Henry gave him a wave as he went away. "I think I have to excuse myself too. Bathroom?"

"Oh, left hall, you'll see the sign." And Henry was on his way.

The auburn hummed, impressed by the bathroom's architecture. It was classy but simple in style. The lighting was soft and didn't hurt his eyes too. Henry went to the furthest urinal that kept him out of sight. His ears perked up when he started to hear a voice humming indistinct words, but it was pleasing to listen to. The voice was smooth and deep, and it sounded familiar too. His brows creased when he suddenly though of Jack again. But he shook his head. What would Jack be doing here anyway?

A click resounded in the otherwise empty bathroom and one of the cubicle doors opened. Henry didn't bother to look and simply focused on the task of emptying his bladder. The gushing of water was followed by whistling, and Henry found himself recognizing the tune. Suddenly a crisp "Shit" pierced the air and there was the sound of hurried footsteps before the stranger was out of the bathroom in seconds. Henry was stuck at his spot. He had recognized that voice. He knew that voice. But no, it shouldn't be possible. The auburn zipped up his pants and went to wash his hands. He tried to drown out the thoughts of the stranger and the sinking feeling in his stomach. Something caught his eye and he noticed that there was a wallet sitting atop one of the sinks. Drying his hands, the auburn went to pick it up.

It was obvious that someone had forgotten about it. He was no thief and if he wanted to find its owner, he should check if there was an identification card in it. With no second thoughts, Henry flipped the wallet open and found himself staring. It wasn't the huge amount of cash and credit cards that got him staring, but the picture of an auburn haired male. The person in the picture looked like he was in his late teens and he was holding a book that he was reading intently. The glasses he was wearing was positioned crookedly on his button nose. He was wearing a long sleeved green shirt with black stripes. His other hand was holding a steaming hot cup of what Henry knew was hot chocolate.

He remembered that day. It was just after his final exams and he had decided to relax in the campus café with a book. He had been in his senior year in this picture. He didn't want to assume who owned this wallet but when he took out one of the IDs, he could feel the sting in his eyes. The name Jackson Overland-Frost was clearly written on it and he found himself shaking his head.

This isn't real. I am just imagining this. I am hallucinating. I am very hungry and I am starting to see things. But the wallet he was holding wasn't disappearing in his hands. He was really holding Jack's wallet. Henry thumbed through the wallet and found other photos tucked inside it. The most recent was a photo of him laughing while he was inside a bookstore with his two best friends. It had been taken just a month or so ago, he knew because it was the day before he had met up with Jack again after their breakup.

Why does he have these? Henry didn't want to accept the answer. He wanted to stop hoping. But this was enough evidence and though he hated it, his heart was beating fast with excitement and anticipation.

But he's getting married! shouted the sensible part of his brain.

Then how come he has photos of you in his wallet that dated back from your college days? argued the other.

He must've forgotten to throw them away.

Uh-huh, right. But those were taken after he broke up with you.

Henry shook his head. No. He had to stop arguing with himself. Jack had said he couldn't return his feelings, he was getting married and he's happy now. He had decided to let him go, to get over him! His resolve must not falter at the sight of this. It wasn't enough to start making him hope. Right, we're over. There's no more chance for us. Henry put the photos back in the wallet and pocketed it. He should just leave it in the lost and found section, but first he had to go back to the function hall. The auburn checked his appearance in the mirror. He looked a little shaken and his eyes seemed glassy with unshed tears, otherwise he seemed fine. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open and made his way back to the party.

As he entered the hall, he was immediately greeted by the sight of a certain albino standing on the small stage together with a beautiful girl and the band. He was dressed similarly to Henry but instead of a deep green button down, his was a dark blue.

"I had a front row seat to watch how their relationship blossomed. I even got a bruise mind you, and it was thanks to Anna's elaborate plan of getting her sister and Hans together. They went through a lot and they overcame all of it with each other. I'm happy that you two, finally, are officially one. Congratulations! To the newlyweds and my dear friends Hans and Elsa, I hope you enjoy this song for your first dance as a couple."

After Jack's small speech, the lights dimmed and the band started to play the melody Henry had heard being hummed inside the bathroom earlier. The auburn saw Hans stand up from a table and offer his hand to a beautiful woman whom he recognized as none other than Elsa Arendelle. Confusion stirred inside Henry's mind. What is going on?

Jack had told him he was getting married to Elsa. But the scene playing out in front of his eyes said something else. The albino's speech had indicated otherwise too. He had referred to them as newlyweds and dear friends. There was only one thing Henry could think of that explained everything: Jack lied to me. Again.

The other male's wonderful voice could be heard from the speakers as he sang. The audience heads were swaying along with the melody and Henry could see the way Hans and Elsa were looking at each other. There were content smiles on the couple's lips. They looked so happy in each other's arms and it was obvious they were deeply in love. Henry expected some pain knowing that he couldn't have what they had, but he could only smile and feel glad for them.

Henry's gaze was suddenly drawn to the stage and his eyes met the singer's. Cerulean clashed with emerald and they just stared at each other, mesmerized. Jack almost missed his next line but caught himself at the last second when his duet partner nudged him. But unlike before, he never took his eyes off Henry. He knew he should look away and get out of there, but to his dismay he couldn't. He was once again paralyzed in his spot by those mesmerizing eyes and he was fine with staring at Jack. He didn't want to look away. He wanted to understand what was being conveyed by those cerulean eyes, and at the same time he wanted to believe what Jack's eyes were saying.

Suddenly I'm feeling brave

I don't know what's gotten into me

Why feel this way?

Can we dance real slow?

Can I hold you? Can I hold you close?

Jack sang the words with so much emotion and Henry understood that he was singing it for him. After a few more lines, the song ended and the spell that the auburn seemed to have been under vanished. He didn't realize how fast his heart was beating and when Jack got down from the stage and started to make his way towards him, Henry started to step backwards. Jack noticed this and began to move faster, but Henry had already turned and pushed the doors open, running out. He knew Jack was still following him but he didn't want to get caught. He wanted to know why Jack had lied to him but he was also scared that he might not hear what he wanted and wished to.

They were in an empty hallway with a view of the beautifully manicured garden on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling glass panels when Jack grabbed his arm and spun him around. Henry's eyes widened at the sight of the other man, slowly softening before he let the tears fall as the albino pulled him into a hug. There were only the sounds of his sobbing and Jack hushing him. The auburn reveled in the familiar comfort of Jack's arms and his fingers carding his locks.

Henry needed answers. Real answers. He wanted to know why Jack had done this—why he had hurt him so much and yet kept photos of him as though he still loved him.

"Why did you lie?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"I was scared." Sensing that he wasn't going to say anything, Jack continued. "I was scared that if I hurt you for the first time, I could hurt you again."

"You sure did," the auburn interjected bitterly.

"I know, I was stupid. I was being an ass. I was being immature." The older male admitted, tightening his hold on him as though Henry would slip away from his arms.

Henry closed his eyes and basked in the feeling. Please let this be real. But he still wanted answers from the albino. He willed himself to stay calm to keep his voice from breaking. "Why did you leave me? Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

Jack let out a sigh. Henry waited for his explanation and the albino told him what really happened. About getting drunk and almost sleeping with Elsa Arendelle, about how he had cheated on him and made a mistake. He told Henry about the promise he had made to himself, that if he ever did something that would hurt the brunet he would end things immediately so that he couldn't hurt him anymore, and that was why he had gone to Henry's apartment and broke things off with him. The time he had seen him with Elsa, he had just been following Anna's plan to help her out by pretending to be the blonde's boyfriend and making Hans jealous. It worked, but it had backfired on Jack since he had hurt Henry even more.

"Timothy and Hiro told me to stay away from you and I thought it was for the best too. I thought I was going to get over these feelings I had for you, and I tried to convince myself that you'd find someone better than me, but I never expected for my feelings to grow. I wanted you so badly, but I was too scared. I was just going to hurt you so I stayed away."

"Then why did you meet up with me after all this time? Why did you have to lie to me again?" Henry drew back to look at Jack's eyes.

The albino looked directly at him and answered, "I was going to tell you the truth, but when I… when you started to cry and when you told me how much I hurt you… I figured it was better if I was never a part of your life anymore. I was afraid of making another mistake and making a mess of things."

Jack ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier, and Henry saw the tears threatening to fall in his cerulean eyes. "I know you won't forgive me now. I don't deserve it. I believed that leaving you would prevent me from hurting you but I was so wrong. I didn't understand that I was hurting you even more. And it was all because of my selfishness and cowardice. I kept running away and hiding behind the lies. I knew that, but I was a fucking idiot for not acting on it earlier. And now it's too late, because I know I'll never get the chance again after blowing all of it. But Hic, I just want you to know that I never stopped loving you. That even if you hate me… I'll never stop loving you."

Jack dropped his head onto Henry's chest, clutching at him, and the auburn could feel the wetness on the albino's cheeks. "I will always love you. You already own me without even knowing. But I guess you don't want some creep to love you, huh? I never really deserved you."

Henry knew he should be mad after hearing the truth. He should scream, hit and leave Jack without a second glance, but he couldn't. It might have been because he had released all his hurt and anger towards Jack when they had met for the very first time again, and there was nothing left now except for the love and longing he had for the albino. All Henry could feel inside of him was happiness. He was happy that Jack had finally told him the truth. He was happy because by some miracle, Jack still loved him and had never stopped, just like him. Hearing Jack's true side of the story made more sense than what he had said before. Henry knew that Jack was stuck on the mindset of "making a mess of things" after the death of his little sister Emma. He had blamed himself for her passing and believed that he would only hurt people that he loved. Jack was afraid of making things right because he had always believed that he would only make them worse in the end. Henry was glad that Jack had gotten over that fear.

Henry smiled and wrapped his arms around the taller male. This time it was him who comforted Jack. He ran his fingers through his soft white tresses, smiling even more because he had missed doing this. Jack's hair still felt soft and cool to the touch. He could feel him stiffen at his sudden actions and drew back to stare at him. Jack eyes were wide in surprise and tears still fell from them. Henry smiled softly at him and wiped the tears away. It was funny how they had changed positions after a month or so.

"Hiccup…"

"It's more like you."

Jack blinked and Henry chuckled, making the other more confused. "The truth sounds more like you. It makes more sense than your stupid lies. How long did you think they would last?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, flushing red in embarrassment. "I don't know. I was sure Hiro or Toothless would've told you. But I guess not. They hate me, like a lot."

Henry flicked Jack's forehead with a frown. "That's your fault."

"I-I know. I deserved it." He replied, rubbing the redness from his forehead. Jack looked back to Henry. "Hic… can I try again?"

"Try what again?" Henry questioned, looking at the albino suspiciously.

"Courting you…?" Jack asked awkwardly. "You know, starting from scratch."

"You don't need to." The albino's face instantly dropped interpreting Henry's words as a downright rejection of his feelings. Seeing this, the auburn let out a sigh and added, "You don't need to start from scratch because you're still here." He patted his chest with a blush.

Jack blinked at him. "You mean…"

"Yes, you idiot." He told him, hitting the albino on the head. "I still love you. Like your feelings, mine haven't changed either. They just grew," he continued, gesturing vaguely and looking away to hide the dusty pink painting his cheeks.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jack gaping and his eyes sparkling with great joy. His famous smile soon overtook his lips and he grabbed Henry's arm, probably to pull him into a hug—or hopefully a kiss—but it didn't come as a hand shoved at Jack's face and another pulled Henry away.

"You fucking douchebag, didn't I tell you to stay away from Hiccup?!" Timothy's voice boomed as he readied himself to punch Jack, but he was stopped when Henry grabbed his arm.

"Toothless, stop!" Henry yelled.

The male faced the auburn and directed his attention to him. "Stop?! The asshole was harassing you! Sexually harassing you! How can I just stop?!" Toothless waved his hands about angrily, incredulous as to why his friend would suggest such a stupid notion.

"If you had interrupted less dramatically maybe you would've found out that he wasn't and that we're okay now!" The auburn shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Wait, you two are okay?" Hiro cut in, looking back and forth between Henry and Jack.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, we're okay. And you two have some explaining to do." He glared at his two best friends.

"Explaining? What explaining?" Henry could see that Toothless was just acting ignorant and that he knew exactly what he meant. He had seen how his friend's ears had momentarily twitched, a habit he had when he was trying to hide something.

"Oh don't play dumb with me Mister. When were the two of you planning to tell me everything? And I mean every single damn detail." The two dark haired males exchanged glances, but seeing that Henry had crossed his arms over his chest and was tapping his foot as he waited for their answer, they knew he was really mad. It wasn't every day that Henry Haddock III cussed.

Hiro clenched and unclenched his fists, patting his sides nervously. Finally, giving in to the stern look his friend was giving him, he sighed. "Dude, we were just worried okay?" he started running a hand through his seemingly untamable hair. "We didn't know the truth until senior year too. It was Bunny who told Toothless and he told me."

"We thought that if you knew, you'd be all over that jackass again." Toothless shot death glares at the albino who was standing quietly to the side, knowing that it wasn't his place to butt into the conversation.

"We figured that we should let Jack make things right himself. I mean, it's your problem and not ours. You guys had to fix it yourselves," the shorter raven explained.

"Unfortunately, Jackass was too scared to make a move. If he's too afraid to make things right and tell you the truth himself, we're not handing you back to him. He'll have to fight tooth and nail to win you back." Timothy let out a harsh sigh and scrubbed his palm over his face. "We just don't want to see you hurt, okay? If that fucking douche can't even gather the guts to stop himself from hurting you, why the hell should he have you? I'm not letting anyone who's not strong enough to protect and fight to keep you, be your fucking boyfriend—Thor that sounded way too cheesy for me."

The three laughed at the disgusted face Toothless made. It really didn't suit him to say those words. The auburn smiled, knowing that his friends really cared for him. He really couldn't blame them from being so overprotective of him. He had really worried them and felt guilty for that. He should apologize to them for that, but maybe another time. He was still supposedly mad at them at the moment. "Don't worry, Jack's grown up to do just that," Henry assured his friends. "Just know that if he does something stupid again, you can hang him." He looked at Jack, who visibly paled (and that was saying something considering he was already unusually pale for a person) as he saw Toothless' acid green eyes glint murderously and the manic grin on Hiro's face.

Jack tugged at his tie and gulped. "I'm pretty sure I value my life as much as I value Hiccup so I won't make any more moves to hurt him like that."

"Just make sure about that Frosty. Or you wouldn't like what'll happen to you," Hiro said smirking.

"Would you care for a demonstration?" Toothless inquired cracking his knuckles.

"No, I'm fully aware of what awaits me if I do anything stupid," the albino answered, smiling tensely.

"Okay, you guys. That's enough. Why don't you go back to wherever you were before and just let us get back to the reception party. I mean, I bet Hans will be looking for us." Henry pushed his two friends away before grabbing Jack's hand to pull him away from the pair's homicidal advances. He waved them farewell and slipped into a corner out of their sight.

"You have great friends. And they're right about me, you know. I really don't deserve you," Jack told him. Henry stopped dead in his tracks, making the albino almost collide against him.

The auburn faced the taller male and his forehead creased in annoyance. "You think I don't deserve you, but I'm telling you I don't care. You're the only guy I could ever ask for. You're amazing, you're talented, you're smart though a goof sometimes and you're brave. You're just too occupied with your fears to see it. You might hurt me again, but as long as you apologize and tell me why you did it, and as long as I know that you love me, I'm going to be okay. There are risks in relationships. Sometimes we'll hurt each other without even knowing, but we can get through it together. Isn't that what you said about Hans and Elsa? That they overcame everything because they had each other?"

Henry reached out to hold Jack's hands and gave them a squeeze. "Can't we do as they did? Stay together, be there for each other and love each other? Can't we just do that, Jack?"

Jack's lips slowly rose into smile. He entwined their fingers together, fitting them like two lost pieces of the same puzzle. Jack stared at their hands and looked back towards him. "Yeah, we can do that," he said, making Henry smile. The albino pulled him closer, pressing their bodies against each other and wrapping his arms around him in an embrace. They stared lovingly into each other's eyes, and Henry closed his eyes as Jack leaned closer, feeling cold lips press against his. The auburn hummed in content. It had been far too long since he had last kissed these lips. They both smiled as they tasted each other, the bitterness gone and only the sweetness of a new beginning remaining.

The lyrics are from the song All About Us by He is We