Hi! I'm back with ch. 26! I am so sorry for the long delay as well as the lack of length, excitement, or progress in this chapter -_-'' though it does have some nice fluff ^^; I had no time for writing during school and 4 research papers to write, so by the time break came I just wanted a break from writing in general. Also I've been having some major writer's block, the kind where I know what's supposed to happen but I just can't get it down, so I apologize again if the contents of this chapter isn't up to par with my other ones. I doubt I'll have time to get another chapter out before this break is over, so this will probably be the last one for a couple months. Enough of my rambling though, I own nothing but the plot and I really do hope you enjoy reading!
The two teens sat at the kitchen table, for the most part unscathed. Toothless dragged the cod to the front door and angrily began tearing into the peace offering. Two pairs of eyes watched the feline wearily.
"So, I guess that means we're not going anywhere for a while," the whitette deduced.
Hiccup shrugged, "N-not exactly. You're free to go whenever, but me? Yeah I'll be stuck until his mood wears off."
"I don't blame him, after what you did. It was extremely foolish to go after such a dangerous ghost by yourself, Hiccup. You're very lucky you and Rapunzel weren't seriously harmed," Mr. Frost frowned, floating beside his son.
"B-but everything turned out alright in the end! We're both still alive and Gothel crossed over," the brunette argued, earning a growl from Toothless and a quirked brow from Jack.
"Uh, hate to break it to you Hic, but Punzie's house is totally trashed. I mean, better the house than you two, but still. I'm not sure how, but that may have been prevented if you just went back and got your demonic cat. Why didn't you?" the elder frowned at his friend.
The freckled teen shifted uncomfortably in his seat, forest green eyes refusing to meet icy blue, "I-I, w-well, you see, th-the thing is, uh…"
"Hiccup," Mr. Frost spoke sternly, demanding an explanation.
One hand ran nervously through auburn hair, "I-it's just, I had this- this feeling that, er, that if I went b-back for Toothless, I-I w-wouldn't make it in t-time, that it-it w-would've been t-t-too late…B-by the time I got-t there, a–a lot of d-damage had al-already been d-done."
"Then you should have let me come," Jack paused, and then offered a small smile, "But, hey, what's done is done. Just remember you're not alone, kay Hic? Don't put yourself in more danger than you need to."
Something about the elder teen's comment struck a cord in the freckled teen, but for now he brushed it aside and nodded hurriedly, "Y-yeah. I'll, uh, I'll keep that in-in mind."
A grin stretched wide across the whitette's face, "Great, now tell me what the heck happened back there, cause I am dying to know."
"Yes, do tell," Mr. Frost agreed, settling on the cabinet.
"Oh, yeah, that p-probably warrants some sort of, um, explanation, yeah. So, I guess I'll start from the beginning? Uh, I biked over to Rapunzel's house, and, oh crap I forgot to grab my bike, I'll have to get that later…but anyway, I, uh, I got there and, did you see that boulder in the front yard? Yeah, that was in front of her door and despite all this, er, muscle I've got, I couldn't move it. So, I had to get in from the second floor, oh yeah, the, um, the back door was blocked too, so then I heard these voices and–" the brunette rambled, gesturing sporadically with his hands.
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a sec. You got in through the second floor? How'd you get up there?" Jack questioned with raised brows.
"Oh, I just climbed up a tree in the backyard and was lucky enough to find an unlocked window, kinda breaking and entering, but given the circumstances…" the younger teen shrugged.
Icy blue eyes appraised the other and a smile stretched across his face, "So you climbed a tree and broke in? Dude, that's pretty badass."
A light rose flushed the brunette's cheeks, "Heh, yeah what m-more would you expect from a-a Viking?"
"Yeah, I should've seen it coming. So what did the brave little Viking do next?" the whitette questioned with twinkling eyes, balancing on the back two legs of the chair.
"Oh, well, after I got in, I went downstairs and found Rapunzel along with a very cranky ghost. There may have been a, er, rather not-so-friendly greeting waiting for me, what with the floating silverware and all–I'm sure you saw it all over the ground when you got there–but Rapunzel made sure I stayed in one piece. Did you know she carries around a huge frying pan with her? Cause she does and wow can she use it. Like, seriously, if I wasn't so freaked out I would've been really impressed, I mean I am impressed, but, oh, oops babbling again. Er, anyway, I tried to explain what was going on, the whole 'guess what you're being haunted by a ghost' bit and she took it really well I think. I mean, she didn't think I was crazy, so that's a plus. But it took her a while to remember Gothel, because she hadn't seen her in over a decade. For some reason, Gothel thought Rapunzel had magical hair, you know, like in the fairy tale? And she thought if Rapunzel sang this weird song, she would come back to life. Well, when that didn't work, Gothel freaked out and shattered all the windows. She spent so much energy that she was weak, er, calm enough to approach. Eventually we got her to crossover. Then, uh, Rapunzel decided to cut her hair and that's when I, um, I may have jumped out the broken window and fallen on some glass – but no worries, I am a-ok and–" Hiccup rambled, only to be cut off once more.
"Wait, you fell on broken glass?" all four legs of the chair hit the floor as Jack jumped to his feet, "You need that clean ten minutes ago. Alright where do you keep the hydrogen peroxide?"
"Hey, I'm fine, it's just a little scratch, it doesn't need that much attention," the brunette held up his hands placating.
"Nuh uh, wounds from glass can easily get infected, now go get some peroxide, tweezers, cotton balls, and bandages," the whitette ordered, as he headed towards the kitchen sink.
"Really, Jack, it's fine," he tried, but a pale brow rose challengingly.
"Jack is correct, Hiccup. You really need to disinfect those wounds quickly," Mr. Frost cut in.
The freckled teen sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll be right back."
Hiccup grumbled as he left the room, heading for the bathroom. He could hear a deep chuckle emanate from the kitchen, and his annoyance was replaced by an exasperated fondness. The elder teen just wanted to help and if it made him feel better, Hiccup might as well oblige him. After rummaging through the medicine cabinet and grabbing the requested items, the brunette returned to the other room. Jack stood by the table, two cups and a washcloth at the ready.
The elder teen gestured towards the table, "Take a seat, my freckled friend, and let me take a look."
"What, so you're a doctor now? I'm not sure I trust your medical competency," the brunette scoffed, but complied, setting his supplies on the table next to the others.
Icy blue orbs narrowed with mirth, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up fishbone. Try living with a horde of accident-prone roughhousing-little-monsters. It's literally impossible not to pick up this stuff."
"Really now?" Hiccup grinned, watching those blue eyes roll.
"Really. Now stop talking and let me work," he demanded, kneeling in front of the seated youth, "Okay, now how did you land on the glass?"
The freckled teen thought for a moment, before holding out his left arm at an acute angle and motioning with his other hand, "On my left side like, uh, like this?"
"Okay, bend and straighten your leg, do you feel anything scratching you?" Jack asked, reaching up and grabbing the tweezers.
Hiccup tested it out a couple times before shaking his head, "Nope."
"Cool, those can stay on. Now you need to take off your shirt," the elder teen nodded to himself.
"What?! W-whyyy would I d-do that?" the freckled teen gasped, holding down the edge of his shirt as if afraid the elder teen would forcibly remove it.
"So I can check for any more impaled glass," the whitette huffed, hiding an amused smile.
The younger teen was flabbergasted, "Ah, how about no."
"How about yes? Come on, I need to make sure I clean all your cuts so you don't get an infection," at his friend's stubborn head shake, he turned to the door, "Hey, demon cat, gimme some back up, will you?"
Toothless merely growled, still upset with both teens.
Jack turned back to his patient, "Useless feline. Hey, is my dad here? Ask him."
"Jack's right," the man shrugged nonchalantly, but amusement glimmered in his eyes.
Hiccup turned back to the whitette, "Y-your dad s-s-said it, that it's, uh, i-it's c-completely un-unnecessary."
Icy blue orbs rolled, "Sure he did. Seriously, Hic, we need to check it out."
The brunette bit his lip and turned his gaze downwards. The young teen had a less than positive self-image. His prosthetic was only part of the reason Hiccup waited to change until the locker room was empty. He was too short and too scrawny, too thin and too weak. He was gangly and pasty and spotted and scarred. His clothed appearance was pathetic, but at least he could then pretend what lay beneath it was not more so. Forest green eyes hesitantly rose to meet icy blue. But this was Jack. Jack who accepted his awkward nature and unpleasant appearance. He could trust the elder teen not to ridicule–tease perhaps, but not ridicule–him for his unsightly form. Plus the possibility of further wounds, for there was a lot of broken glass, loomed over him as well. The brunette released a defeated sigh, gaze turned back to the floor, and tentatively removed his shirt.
"Alright, there we go," Jack cheered, grabbing the shirt and setting it beside him on the ground, "Now just try to hold still."
That was easier said than done as arctic fingers lightly grabbed his left arm to reposition it in the light.
Hiccup yelped at the touch, jumping slightly, "H-holy crap Jack! You're like ice!"
"Oh, come on, a little cold never hurt anybody," the whitette tried to defend himself, but failed to suppress his amused smirk.
"How about no. If-if I don't get a sh-sh-shirt, you, sir, don't get to f-freeze me as well," the freckled teen asserted, moving his arm out of the other's reach.
The elder teen groaned, "Fine, I guess we don't want the mighty Viking catching his death of cold from ol' Jack Frost."
With a teasing grin, the elder stood and headed for the kitchen sink. After running his hands under warm water for an almost uncomfortable amount of time, he dried them and returned to kneeling in front of his young friend.
"Happy now?" the whitette asked, poking the other teen's cheek.
A freckled hand smacked his away, "Yeah, could we, uh, could we just get this over with?"
"Sure. Now hold still, I'll let you know if I see any glass," Jack answered, grabbing the tweezers in one hand and the freckled arm in the other.
Slightly chilled fingers held his left arm out for inspection, icy blue eyes scanning the imperfect skin for injuries.
"So, what happened after you jumped out the broken window?" he questioned conversationally, or perhaps to distract the brunette from his necessary but discomforting scrutiny.
Forest green orbs flickered to the whitette before returning to the floor, "Oh, um, after that we went back inside and started cleaning up. Well, more like Rapunzel grabbed some brooms right before you and Flynn barged in, so we really didn't get anything done…"
"Gotcha, then Punzie tried to explain what happened. Not gonna lie, all I got out of that was something about flying knives, someone named Eugene, and kidnapping?" the elder teen inquired, glancing upwards briefly.
The brunette rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "Oh, yeah, um, about that. The flying knives were Gothel's doing. Uh, Eugene is Flynn? I think. Like a nickname, or maybe Flynn is the nickname, I, uh, I'm not really sure. The whole, er, kidnaping thing, is, um, well I'm not so sure it's my story to tell? I mean, I don't know if the, uh, the person to whom it pertains would want me, er, d-disclosing that information."
Jack held the tweezers to his chest in mock hurt, "Oh, I see how it is. I go through all this trouble and this is the thanks I get?"
However, the freckled teen seemed somewhat distressed, tugging his arm away from the other and hunching a bit, "Y-y-you d-don't have to. I-I can do it my-myself."
"Hey, I was just kidding," a kind and faintly apologetic smile lit the elder teen's face, "I understand not wanting to share certain things and I want to help. Besides, it's a lot easier for me to do it, rather than you trying to use a mirror or something."
The brunette shifted uneasily before offering his arm once more; he really didn't want to be a burden, but Jack did have a good point, "I-if you're sure…"
"Yeah, I'm almost done anyway…and…there, okay no glass in your arm," he paused, shifting closer to his friend, "Now let's check your torso. Did your back or chest hit the ground at all?"
Hiccup moved his arm out of the way, a blush deepening on his face as he was examined further, "No, uh, j-just my s-side."
Pale fingers traced down his side, stopping just below his ribcage, "Okay, hold still. This might sting a little."
The younger teen held his breath and turned away. Jack placed his left hand in a half moon around the injury, and then carefully removed the small piece of glass. He quickly deposited the piece in the trash, then grabbed the two cups, one filled with water and the other empty. While Hiccup barely flinched when the glass was removed, he jumped and yelped as cool water washed over the area. Jack only hushed him as he caught the water in the empty cup, then grabbed the soapy washcloth, and slathered it over his skin. He dribbled some peroxide onto a cotton ball, applied it over the cut, receiving a hiss from the younger teen, and then placed on a Band-Aid.
"See? Not so bad," Jack grinned, rinsing out the two cups and filling one back up with water.
The freckled teen shivered, "Yeah…is-is the peroxide really, uh, necessary?"
"Definitely," the whitette returned and adopted a teasing grin, "Aww, does Hiccy need me to kiss it better?"
If the brunette's cheeks were pink before, now they were surely crimson, "Wha-?! No! No no no, d-definitely not!"
"Why not?" the other snickered, getting back to work.
He easily slipped into deadpan once he was sure the whitette wasn't going to proceed with his offer, "Because that would be counterproductive, we're trying to disinfect my cuts, remember?"
"Oh, ouch, le sass has returned," Jack feigned hurt, before pausing again, "Oop, found another one, hold still…"
The elder teen repeated his earlier process twice more before he finished inspecting his friend. Hiccup sighed in relief and grabbed his shirt.
"Alright, now all we need to clean is that cut on your cheek and we'll be done," the whitette grinned, repeating the process a final time.
The brunette rubbed his bandaged cheek absentmindedly as his friend began to put away their supplies, "Uh, J-Jack? Thanks."
Jack perked up at the sound of his name, a wide grin stretching across his face, "No problemo Freckles, tis my pleasure to help out little damsels in need."
The younger teen huffed good-naturedly and sent the other a glare with no malice.
"But I do need to ask, did-did Dagur do all…that?" the whitette questioned, waving vaguely towards his friend's chest, though Hiccup immediately knew he was asking about all the little scars littering that area.
"Oh, no, that was, uh, well, that was mostly my fault," he chuckled nervously, "You see, I use to work at this forge back, um, back in Berk. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to myself…yeah that was often a recipe for disaster. Though Gobber, he was my, uh, my mentor, he tried to keep me out of trouble, but, as they say, it's, um, 'it's only fun if you get a scar out of it'."
Icy blue orbs eyed him incredulously, "Hold on just a second. First of all, speaking as a master of the art of fun, a scar is definitely not required. Cool? Maybe. Memorable? Definitely. But necessary? No way. Secondly, your dad just let you work in a n actual forge with molten metal?"
"'Let' is a little weak, um, required might be a better word choice. He kinda stuck me there, as weird as it might sound, to keep me out of trouble. I guess it sort of had the desired effects? At least, all my mistakes were centralized in one area…uh, on the bright side though, that's where I learned how to make Toothless's and my prosthetics," he smiled awkwardly and gestured to his left leg.
Jack shook his head with a small smile and ruffled his friend's hair, "For a little nerd, you are seriously hard core."
The brunette batted the hand away, "Uh, thanks?"
"Take the complement," the whitette grinned before glancing at the clock, "Yikes, I better get going soon. Are you gonna be alright on your own?"
"Of course, Gothel's gone. Plus, I've got Toothless with me. I'll be fine," he offered a small smile.
"Alright, so I'll meet you here tomorrow morning and then we'll walk over to Punzie's?" the elder teen questioned, glancing between his friend and the door.
The freckled teen nodded, "Yeah, that, uh, that sounds good. Just make sure you're hear early, Snowflake, or I'll have to leave without you."
"But what's the point of having a weekend if you don't sleep in?" the whitette whined, but at Hiccup's look soon conceded, "Fine, I'll be here bright and early. The things I do for you…"
As the elder teen headed for the door, carefully watching the aggressive feline, the brunette called out, "Thanks again Jack. I owe you, uh, another one."
Jack scoffed, "You don't owe me a thing, Hic, it's what friends are for. No go get some sleep before you pass out in your kitchen and I'll see you tomorrow."
With that the whitette quickly made his escape past the hissing Toothless. Hiccup glanced down, not realizing he had been swaying slightly with fatigue. It was a long day, filled with worry, stress, and plenty of adrenaline. He sighed and made towards the steps only to be halted by an irritated growl. Forest green orbs turned to meet acid green flickering between himself and the fridge. The brunette's stomach growled at the reminder.
"Okay, fine, I'll grab something to eat and then head to bed. Will that make you happy?" the freckled teen drawled, heading back into the kitchen.
The feline only huffed and went back to gnawing on his treat, tail flicking back and forth. It would be a while yet until Toothless forgave him. The cat refused to move until Hiccup went to his room for the night. The feline re-stationed himself inside the bedroom, prowling between the door and the window.
"Bud, I'm exhausted and you need some rest too. Come on, Toothless. I promise I won't try to escape in the middle of the night," the brunette beseeched his friend as he made a show of taking off his prosthetic and placing it as far as he could from the bed while still being able to reach it in the morning.
Toothless flicked his ears back and forth, then turned away from the freckled boy. The young teen sighed and wiggled under the covers, allowing his exhaustion to pull him into a much-needed slumber. What the boy didn't realize was that his feline friend wasn't worried about keeping him, Toothless was worried about keeping the persistent shadows out.
Thanks for reading! So, Jack knows whats what and next time Rapunzel will finally have a chance to get her questions answered. I really want to give a special thanks to everyone who reviewed-it's really helped motivate me to keep writing even through the writer's block =D Now to answer questions:
LittleWretchedJane - knowing Rapunzel, she'll probably clean her hair and donate it =) and i hope this chapter was fluffy enough. As far as the relationship front goes, I want to work out a few chapters more from Jack's point of view once I've finished wrapping up this arc with Rapunzel, so be on the lookout. And thank you again for all your help~
Dragonninja-fa - that's a cool idea, but, with what I have planned for this story, it really wouldn't work - but thanks =)
Kitsu Maxwell - thank you so much! I don't actually have a stutter, nor have I met anyone with one, so I was a little worried I might have offended someone by misrepresenting it, but your comment put my worries to rest =) Even though I have Jack joking about Hiccup being a damsel in distress, he isn't helpless. Yes, I love putting characters in high-risk, emotionally taxing, and difficult situations, but they don't wait around to or expect to be saved. When Hiccup was confronted with the Stabbington brothers he tried to escape and coordinated with the ghosts around him to try and get out of there. Yes, he needed Jack's and his father's help to make it out of there alive, but so would any other character in that situation, who lacked the physical capacity to fight off the attackers. I think that's why how I write Hiccup doesn't fall into what is traditionally thought of as overly effeminate. Sorry, that's probably too much information, but I'm just really passionate about these characters ^^''
faisyah865 - spoiler alert, it's up to opinion/interpretation, but I personally will go with Dagur
Thanks again for reading! Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions for more benign ghosts I would love to hear them!