Jack knew it was childish but he didn't want to leave the bed. It had been about two hours, judging from the clock that hung lopsided on the wall. It wasn't the only thing on the wall. Near each mattress was photographs, nudes from porn magazines, sticky notes, shopping lists... it just depended on the person.

He rolled onto his stomach, chin on his folded arms. He decided he was being childish, she made his way out to the main studio in just briefs.

Hiccup looked around at him, swallowing thickly. "Oh, are you feeling better?"

Jack just nodded, lying on the white faux leather lounge, legs dangling over the edge.

"If it weren't for those underwear he would be in perfect camouflage" Tuff noted.

Hiccup nodded. Jack was the definition of 'perfect', 'beautiful' and ethereal' in his opinion. He picked up his camera, swallowing his nerves, and looked at the ground. He couldn't being himself to look at Jack's gorgeous face while he asked. "Can I photograph you?"

"Yeah. Whatever you want" he replied, a small smile, although seemingly forced.

"I am sorry about earlier. I should have intervened."

"I don't care" he lied.

Hiccup bit his lip, adjusting the settings on his camera before taking the photo. He seemed happy with the result. "Camera" he said to Tuff, who passed him his film camera. He fiddled with the settings before taking a few photographs.

Jack looked up at him, lips open a little, almost as if to ask a question, but Hiccup took another photo.

"My Gods you know how to make a guy feel... aroused" he blushed, whispering the last word.

Jack actually smiled, a genuine smile.

"So beautiful" murmured Hiccup. He passed the camera to Tuff who offered the SLR back, but Hiccup shook his head. "Enough for now."

Jack looked at Hiccup and swallowed. "Want me to fix that?" he asked, looking to his crotch.

Hiccup blushed. "Uh... No... Its okay. Thanks though." he scurried awkwardly to the bathroom.

"He is such a weirdo. Still" Tuff chuckled, sitting at the end of the lounge. "What did you say to him?"

Just tilted his head back. "I just offered to go down on him" he shrugged.

"Fuck, he knocked you back?"

"Maybe I came on too strong. I just... thought... He might like it."

"Pretty sure you just gave him some sort of fuel for a breakdown" he teased.

Jack sat up. "I should learn to keep my mouth shut."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't want Hiccup to feel awkward just cause I can't stop thinking about him." He chuckled. "That is a bit much, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

He sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I just... don't want to be a dick and ruin our friendship... is it counted as friendship if you pose for photos every now and again?"

"Sure" Tuff shrugged.

"Or maybe a business partnership?" he added joking.

"Both" Tuff decided. "Don't ask too many more hard questions. Don't think I can handle it. So... you're from New York?"

"I am."

"Huh. I don't feel like I would have picked you as someone from New York."

He shrugged. "I don't want to feel like someone who is."

"You don't like it there?"

"My family is there."

"Sorry."

He leaned his forehead against his knees. "It sounds stupid, but... I am afraid of my family."

"That is why Astrid intimidates you? Y'know, some sort of power trip thing."

He shrugged.

"I won't pry. Just tell me to fuck off. It ain't none of my business anyway."

Jack chuckled, looking sideways at him. "No... I just find it hard to talk about them."

"Uh... so why did you do teaching?"

"I picked something that would spite my family. It worked. I chose teaching. I still went to university, but picked teaching because it wasn't something to do with law, business or finance."

"Your family are business owners?"

"You could say that. They are, well... like... my grandfather was an industrialist and his father was a businessman and my father is too. Fuck, I wouldn't even know what he does." He shook his head.

Hiccup walked back out, a post-orgasm glow about him. He sat down on the floor in front of them.

Tuff looked at Hiccup. "I have nothing to say to you."

Hiccup looked up at him, surprised. "Uh... may I ask why?"

"You said no to a BJ. The hell is wrong with you?"

His face turned bright red and he looked at Jack, who bit his lip, and then back at Tuff.

"Here I am wishing someone would blow me, but nope, here you are going 'round saying no."

"It isn't like that."

He looked at Tuffs incredulous glare.

"Uh, maybe it is."

"Jack was just telling me all about his life" he said. "Can you believe he is from New York?"

"I was there when he mentioned it before."

"Seriously, nothing like a New Yorker."

"Uh-"

"Anyway, I am heading out. You'll have to find someone else to hand you your camera" he joked.

Hiccup shook his head, smiling. "Saw your sister at the diner by the way."

"She went without me? Fuck" he shrugged anyway, and made his way out.

Jack frowned. "Sorry about that."

He sat on the lounge where Tuff had been. "Don't apologize. I just..." he sighed. "I don't know. I don't like being exposed. I don't know. I guess I just... don't feel attractive."

Jack gasped. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I know, that was for comedic affect. You are gorgeous" he said, almost breathlessly.

"You really think so?" he asked quietly.

"I do. I really like you" he said softly.

Hiccup smiled, inside he was a nervous wreck. Jack had just admitted to him, and he couldn't tell him how much he liked him back. He swallowed. "Yeah."

Jack bit his lip. "Sorry."

"No, I am... I'm a fucking wreck right now. I think you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my whole life. I just look at you and know I am not good enough for you."

"That is where you are wrong, Hiccup. I am not good enough for you. You have this... beautiful soul and a kind heart... I don't" he said, a little harshly. "My life... hasn't been great, but... you approaching me that day..." he chuckled. "I thought you were going to solicit me for sex" he admitted.

"Were you?"

"What?"

"A sex worker?"

"No. No I wasn't. But I had plenty of propositions. Turned every fuck down" he sighed. "Thank god."

Hiccup nodded.

He looked at him. "So..."

"Date me" Hiccup asked, looking at the floor, red faced.

"Of course. Like you needed to ask" Jack smiled, kissing Hiccup's cheek. "I don't want to hear you say that you aren't attractive. You have no idea what I want to do with you."

Hiccup smiled awkwardly, well, really, it was just his usual smile. Jack was in love with it, however, and kissed Hiccup, pushing the younger of the two down and continuing the kiss. He could feel Hiccup's hands all over his back, rubbing along bare skin.

"If you get me hard, you better get me off" Jack breathed.

"I will. Promise." In Hiccup's mind, Jack's body was godlike and needed worshiping. He would love to do everything to that body. He just needed more confidence.

Jack practically rutted against him, kisses were sloppy and messy, and his hand wandered over Hiccup's still clothed chest. He pulled the green turtleneck up, exposing his chest. He licked a line from Hiccup's bellybutton to his Adam's apple.

Hiccup moaned and bucked against Jack. "Fuck" he moaned.

"If you don't like anything, tell me and I will stop" Jack said.

Hiccup nodded. He couldn't imagine not liking anything Jack would do to him. And holy shit, the way Jack looked at him made him actually feel beautiful. He had never felt like that in his life.

Jack looked at him, panting. "Okay, I am so ready to-"

The door of the studio slammed shut.

Jack looked over at Astrid, who had just walked back in.

"We have a bedroom for a reason" she hissed, eyes burning through Jack. "Anyway, you could have had a buyer come in and see you" she added, looking straight at Hiccup who was suddenly ashamed that he had let such primal desire get in the way of his normal, boring life.

Jack pulled Hiccup's shirt back down and scurried off, embarrassed. The last person he would have wanted to been caught by was Astrid.

"You're right" he heard Hiccup say to Astrid. He stopped in his tracks and looked around.

Astrid raised a brow. "About the buyer thing?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let that get in the way."

"Damn straight." She walked towards the bedroom and glared at Jack as she opened the door to the bedroom.

Jack walked over to Hiccup. "Really?"

"She is right Jack."

"Shit. Your relationship with her is worse than I thought. Pass me your turtleneck."

Hiccup obliged, taking it off.

Jack took it and pulled it over his smaller frame. It went half way down his thighs, and that was all that mattered. He ran. He pushed the door open, ignoring whatever Hiccup was yelling out, and ran into the street.

A few people stared at him, but probably thought he was some strung out student/mentally unstable member of society.

He ran as far as he could, not even looking back. It wasn't until he bumped into someone he never expected to see that he stopped. "Ana?"

Toothiana, a family friend of his, looked at him. "Jack?! What are you doing here?" she asked, grinning.

"I live here."

"Oh my god! No fucking way! I moved here recently."

"No shit?"

"Your family don't stop talking about you. Why don't you go back?"

He looked at the ground. He had never been honest with her about what this family was like. He was scared of what she would think. Her family and his family had been friends for generations. "I just... don't have time."

"You look exhausted. And where are your pants you beautiful man" she chuckled.

"I had... I wanted... Long story short I wanted to go outside."

She nodded. "Fair enough. You wanna grab coffee with me?"

"Sure."

He walked with her to a cafe he frequented. "I like it here" he smiled.

"So its nice? I haven't had much time to get out. I have only been here... four days? When your unpacking the days all become one" she chuckled.

"I know that feeling."

"I heard you did teaching at university? What did your father say?"

Jack looked down. He didn't want to talk about his father. "Pretty sure he was pissed."

"Oh... why? Wasn't he proud of you?"

"He has a weird way of showing it."

She looked at him weirdly. "Jack, what is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Why do you sound so bitter? Didn't your father provide you tuition and pay for your board? Shouldn't you be grateful?"

He started trembling, his breathing getting heavy.

"Jack?!" she gasped.

He started sobbing. Ugly sobbing. Loud and blubbering. "I don't want to talk about my father!"

She suddenly felt like an awful person. She had no idea what was going on in his life. She hadn't seen him since he was seventeen or eighteen and that was a good eight years or so ago. She rubbed his back. "Jack... Jack bub, I am so sorry."

"Ana, you don't understand."

"No... I can't say I do."

"You don't know shit about my family."

"Jack?" she was worried now. Whatever she had done had set her friend off. "Bub, I'm listening, please talk to me."

"I can't talk about it" he hissed out. "I came here to get away from all that shit." He turned and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Toothiana speechless.

...

A/N: Wow, that escalated quickly. Anyway, possbile trigger warning for the next chapter, abuse.