It had been a rather pleasant day, all things considered, until Jack's shocked and horrified scream rang around the neighborhood.
Hiccup, who Jack was driving home after a lovely night spent watching a movie until the brown-haired boy distracted them both away from it with promises of sex about halfway through, immediately sprinted through the front door of the apartment building to find his white-haired beau kneeling on the ground beside his truck, staring at something on the undercarriage. Jack jumped to his feet when he saw Hiccup approaching and affixed him with a look of such righteous fury that the boy's eyes widened in shock even as he felt passion ignite in his chest.
And in his pants.
"Someone drilled into my fuel tank and stole my gas!" Jack exclaimed angrily, waving his arms in an affronted manner, and after a split-second to allow himself a slow, surprised blink, Hiccup gave his boyfriend a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, that's an easy fix," he told him, "Uncle Gobber is a metal-worker. He can patch it up easy."
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Hiccup dialed his father's number and waited as it rang. Jack pouted as he leaned against the hood of his vehicle, and Hiccup's soft smile slowly wilted as his gaze roved over his still-dejected boyfriend.
Hunched shoulders, when Hiccup was certain the 'easy fix' comment would relax him considerably.
Downcast eyes, clouded with emotion.
Quiet demeanor, when usually he'd be complaining loudly.
Foot slowly scuffing the pavement.
Stoick picked up the phone.
"Hi dad," Hiccup said automatically in response to his father's greeting, still watching Jack closely, "Listen, Jack was gonna drive me home this morning, but somebody drilled into his gas tank."
"What?!" Stoick exclaimed in shock, "Why would someone do tha'?!"
"It's how you steal gas, apparently," the boy answered, still distracted, "But anyway, Jack obviously can't drive me home anymore, so-"
Jack flinched.
Hiccup paused.
A moment passed
...
"So could you come drive us around on a couple errands?" Hiccup finally finished, and Jack looked up curiously, "I have an idea. Bring a jerry can."
"Hiccup," Jack said evenly as he watched the boy kneel on the floor of his apartment's communal garage, pulling a jerry can filled ¾ of the way full with gas towards him, "What are you doing?"
The shorter boy looked up to see both Jack and his father watching him with bemused expressions, and indeed, Jack was actually filming his seemingly-insane behaviour. Deciding to play it up for the camera, Hiccup let his eyes grow manic as a slow, predatory grin spread across his face as he picked up the bag of sugar he'd had his father buy.
He saw Jack shudder.
"Simple, really," he said conversationally as he opened the top of it and began pouring the white granules into the open mouth of the jerry can, "If someone was willing to drill into your gas tank, then they're probably willing to steal this out of the back of your truck."
Reaching to his side as the last of the sugar slithered in to mix with the gas, he picked up the pitcher of water he had filled in Jack's kitchenette and began pouring it into the can as well. "Sugar and water don't do well in a gas tank, however," he said with a slight conspiratorial titter, "So when they try to use it, you'll have revenge and know who stole it in the first place."
They were still staring at him, but now it was with awe, amusement, approval, and some slight fear.
"It's up to you if you want to press charges, of course," Hiccup told his boyfriend conversationally as he screwed the lid on the can and heaved it into his arms with some difficulty, shaking it around as he walked out the door with the other two trailing after him, "But this is my revenge on somebody who dares to hurt my boyfriend."
Lowering the back of Jack's truck with the fingers of one of his hands, he pushed the can onto the bed and pushed it closed again, heaving a sigh and turning to Jack with a serious look. "Now remember," he instructed carefully, "Do NOT use that gasoline after you get your truck fixed. It's mixed with sugar, water, and suffering."
Flashing a peace sign at the camera that was still recording, Hiccup turned and walked back into Jack's apartment with a peal of maniacal laughter that echoed through the trees and sent a chill down Jack's spine. Chuckling, Stoick clapped Jack on the back (which almost sent him tumbling to the ground) and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"If I know my son, then he's goin' tuh want tuh cheer you up after tha'," he informed the boy, and Jack turned to him in confusion.
"Cheer me up?" he asked, and Stoick gave him a flat look.
"Cheer yeh up," he repeated, making a lewd gesture with his fingers. Jack's eyes widened, his face flushed, and his ears felt hot.
"Oh," he said quietly, and then his pulse quickened as he caught on and said louder, "OOOOH!"
He barely remembered to say goodbye before he was racing back inside after his boyfriend. Stoick chuckled and left after texting his son that he'd be back the next day.
A week later, the person living in an apartment one floor up from Jack had to purchase a bike.
