A World Gives and Takes

by DOShae

Hiccup and Jack found a place of comfort in their lives. As such, they decided to journey into the wilds of Halla. However, their plans never quite turn out as expected. Their endurance, stamina, and wits get tested through increasingly dire circumstances. If they can remain united, however, they just might see themselves through it and come out with more than either could expect.

2. Chapter 2

A World Gives and Takes: Chapter 2

Vikings did not go on honeymoons in the sense Jack understood. Weeks before the wedding ceremony, he explained a few of the Earth customs to Hiccup and his very closest friends. More than a few aligned with Viking customs, but the notion of a honeymoon proved rather novel. The idea a newly married couple would sneak off for a week or two to be alone and enjoy one another sounded dubious to most. In then end, Hiccup and Jack decided to postpone an Earth-type honeymoon. Life simply carried on much as it did any other day. They worked in their shops, conducted their daily personal affairs, and wended through life with their wedding day a joyous memory, but not one that completely altered their lives.

Jack, however, could not leave the concept of a honeymoon alone. As he contemplated the exact meaning of such an activity, he began to see it more as a vacation tied intimately to the wedding. For over twelve years he lived and worked on Halla, but never once during that time did he or Hiccup, or anyone else he knew on Berk, take a specific period of time off from daily routines to rest and relax, except perhaps the odd day here or there. He excluded feasts and holidays since the entire island participated in those. The longer Jack thought of it, the more he wanted a honeymoon for himself and Hiccup. After three eight-days of cogitation, his playful mind took control and he began to plan. He did so quietly at first, but then his scheme started to involve others, and one person in particular.

"That's an interesting idea," Hiccup said a month after the wedding as the high summer day approached.

"Your Jack thought it up first and presented it me," Nilsborg said in his deep bass voice. "Personally, you'd be doing me more of a favor than the t'other way 'round, Hiccup. You guard my ship with them dragons of yours, and I'll ferry you wherever you want t'go on the way back from the Quezchtal trading island."

"But we're talking – what? – five or six eight-days away from Berk?" The lean Viking asked, and it conveyed more than one question.

"Six t'eight really."

"Hiccup is two months in thirty-three years really that much to ask?" Jack countered as he sipped some of the wine Nilsborg brought to the evening meal

Hiccup glanced between his husband and the trader. He could smell a plot from a league away, and Jack acted far to coy about the idea to disguise his genuine interest. Although many might complain about their absence, the notion of seeing parts of the world he only ever heard about intrigued him. Jack saw far more of Halla than Hiccup during his brief tenure as Isemaler, and Hiccup always envied his mate that fact.

"I suppose Mouldy and Farb can run the smithy during that time, and Fishlegs can make sure they don't screw anything up. You can reach some agreement with Snotlout about the workshop," Hiccup began his form of decision making aloud. "Astrid, Rancid, Gustav, and Mom can take care of the dragons and the riders. It's not like we'd be leaving the island in any desperate condition."

Jack saw a shadow pass across his mate's face, and memories of the civil war could be heard in his final statement. This time, however, Hiccup would not be leaving in anger or resentment, and they would return. The former chief of the clan sat in his work clothes, an empty plate before him with a cup half filled with sweet southern wine, and pursed his lips as he thought. The man hiding a Guardian deep within his flesh understood the look.

"When do you need an answer, Nils?" Hiccup asked.

Nilsborg, a man at or just over fifty years of age but with a body made strong by a life spent at sea, sat and cupped his chin in one hand. The Berkians saw the scars on his arms and hands since he only wore a summer leather jerkin over his broad chest. Some nicks and scars could be attributed to being a sailor as both younger men knew an old rope burn when they saw it, but many looked too clean and precise. Those marks spoke of sharp-edged objects. The life of an ocean-going trader, especially for one who traveled as broadly as Nilsborg, often proved treacherous from both pirates and storms. A ship traveling with two dragons would be less prone to ransacking.

"Let's see, if'n I head west and then north t'catch the north current and swing back this a-way, it'd put me out roundabout at least a month and a half," the trading captain mumbled and then sat more upright. "Means we'd take southern late summer current off the eastern tides and swing westward once past midworld. It'd put us in Quezchtal in a month."

"How long to get back?" Jack piped up and toyed with the fish bones on his plate.

"North current after midworld in middle fall runs strong as the waters cool and sink. No more than three weeks t'get back to Berk at the worst of it. Gives me a solid week of trading and loading up if'n you'd be willing t'lend a hand time to time. We'd be making water and food stops here and there, so you'd get t'see a fair bit of the hot islands on the top side of the world, too," the man explained.

As Jack listened, it became quite clear the Hallans knew their world to be round. Moreover, Nilsborg's detailed knowledge of currents and effects of seasonal changes proved a long history of maritime activity. Even without the aid of good longitude measuring, the Hallans managed to traverse vast oceanic distances on their planet. Nearly twelve years before when he used to sail through the skies, Jack recalled seeing lonely ships navigating through the empty stretches of water on the planet. Their courage in the face of the unknowns on the open seas never failed to impress.

"See, Hiccup? Two months at the most. Just think of everything you'd get to see and experience. Plus who knows what interesting odd and ends and bits we'd get to pick up here and there," Jack said, and lace his words with a tangible excitement.

"Oh, if'n you're wanting to make a nice bit of gold here and there, bring along some of the dragon iron you cook up. I knows you're a smith, Hiccup, so dragon iron knives, daggers, and swords would go down a treat in some of t'places we'd be stopping. If'n you can lay up enough pieces, I'd be willing to give you hold space for a small percentage of your take on the trade or sale," Nilsborg suggested, and the trader light gleamed in his eyes.

"That is something more to think about," Hiccup mumbled and glanced around with a far off expression. His mate could see the gears whirling faster in the russet-haired head. "And we've only been slow and steady at the smith."

"You could always teach me smithing like you've wanted to do for the last ten years, and I could lend a hand," Jack added.

"Not enough time to do more than show you how to properly sharpen a blade, but it'd be handy if you made some grip stocks for swords and daggers… even some special wood handles for knives."

"The more it catches the eye, the heavier the gold in the hand," the trader captain said through something close to a lascivious a smile.

It dawned on Jack that he accidentally made a true ally out of Nilsborg with the possibility of expanding his trade goods. Most everyone on Berk clamored for gronckle iron weapons. They proved lighter in weight, held a sharp edge for longer periods of time, resisted further corrosion once a good patina got established, and did not chip or shatter like steel – even the improved steel they began making for the Etuchaand battle – if the blades did not get completely frozen. Over time Fishlegs experimented with and improved the original recipe for gronckle iron and kept it secret. Berk often made and traded the specialized metal with other allied clans as a token of good will.

"I know Jack said this was supposed t'be special trip away for you, but this'd give you a real chance t'mingle with foreigners down there and get a good look-see for yourselves," the man piled on more bait.

"How long will it be before you reach Staltveldt?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, roundabouts two weeks depending on the winds," Nilsborg offered his estimation.

The Viking dragon rider nodded. The Berkian council, under the guidance of Fishlegs and Valka, worked for years at establishing better ties with the clans and islands within a dragon's flight distance. It already dampened lingering hostilities and prevented at least one war when access to fishing waters came under dispute. Instead of bloody melee, the Berkians and Staltveldtans worked out an amiable resolution. An incorrect interpretation of the treaty got spread about, and other clans believed the Berk dragon forces now protected Staltveldt. A further agreement with Staltveldt left the rumor intact, and it reduced tensions along the western end of the archipelago for a number of islands. Berk's ability to defeat the Knusehode, along with many other marauding bands, and keep the Manglers at bay got mentioned more often than not. A peace unlike anything the Viking clans ever experienced began to take root, and they all liked it.

"There'll be a terrible terror waiting for you at Staltveldt letting you know what we decided. You know Urthelred?" Hiccup explained and inquired. The man nodded so he continued. "The terror will be with him and his brood. They get on well with terrible terrors…"

"You mean his brood scares them," Nilsborg quipped through a grin and proved he did indeed know Urthelred and his clan.

"Not as bad as the Thorstons…"

Jack's bark of laughter interrupted Hiccup, but Hiccup grinned. Nilsborg did as well. Hiccup held out a hand. The captain took it.

"It's a tempting idea, all of it," Hiccup began, "but there're details I need to figure out here first. A week will give me enough time to find out what I need to know and another week to get a terror to Staltveldt."

"Fair enough, and fair of you t'spare me the time on the swing 'round if'n this can't be arranged. Can't see what'd get in the way of this ripe plum deal, but you know your people a fair sight better than me, Hiccup."

A mirthless, rueful smirk slipped across Hiccup's mouth. Jack understood the cause.

"Now that we've got this settled, I need you, Jack, t'tell me 'bout that steaming basket what you got there," Nilsborg said and pointed to the device Jack used to make the fish. "Never bit into a more tender fillet than this."

Thus the trio capped their evening repast with a spirited discussion on how to best prepare fish. Nilsborg got some excellent tips and departed with the reason he needed to make weigh with the morning tide. The man captained a fairly large trading ship that allowed him to sail on the wider oceans and seas. The small crew helped maintain the ship, and Hiccup and Jack suspected all of them made a very comfortable living if they could afford to sail the vessel to far flung places. When Nilsborg left, Hiccup returned to Jack casting a watchful eye on him.

"To answer your first question: yes, I want to do this," Hiccup said in a direct manner, "but I want to talk to the council, Mom, Fishlegs, and Mouldy first. I want everyone on Berk to know what we're planning long before it happens. It'll give them time to get used to the idea we'll be gone for two months… with a promise to come back… no matter how tempting those other islands might seem."

Jack smiled at the manner in which his mate piled one qualifier after another onto his tentative agreement to the honeymoon plan. Although they did not use the word honeymoon, Jack felt it came as close as they would get. He nodded his head.

"Smart thinking. Plus I need to talk to Snotlout to see if he feels confident enough to man the woodshop while I'm away," Jack added.

Hiccup walked over, leaned down, and kissed his husband for several long seconds. When he stood, Jack looked up at him with glowing cheeks. A soft expression covered the Viking's face.

"I know you get tired of hearing me say this, but what you've done for Snotlout these past couple of years…"

"Hiccup, I didn't do much. I maybe gave him the opportunity to prove to everyone he changed for the better and came to terms with the loss of Hookfang. Besides, he more than got even with me by inserting me into his family," Jack said through a smirk.

"Yeah, I'll say he did," Hiccup replied and laughed. "But… I thought about this for two years now, and I'm not sure anyone else could've done what you say you didn't do. And don't tell me you didn't look at his carvings in the same way you look at Nick's work."

Jack shrugged. Hiccup tapped him on the chest. Jack looked down.

"The Guardian buried in there looked after Snotlout's needs. Every time I see him walk into the workshop, I keep hearing Nick's speech about giving in my head. So, yeah, don't feed me any dung that you made the offer to him 'cause it made your life easier."

"Hiccup…"

The Viking cleared his throat while he stood upright, placed his fists on his hips, and said in a loud voice: "When we give, we give to ourselves, too. Giving is always a big knot of ribbons involving many people. A knot you cannot untangle."

"Someday he's going to be very happy to hear you listened to him, and that was a pretty good imitation of Nick," Jack stated. A lump of emotion formed in his chest.

"I know you miss them, Jack, and… I just hope the way this worked out is enough for you in exchange."

The man with Guardian hidden deep in his bones stood. He wrapped his arms around Hiccup's neck. Then he leaned forward and kissed the man in the same fashion he used to begin the current conversation. After a minute, Jack leaned back.

"When we give, when we truly give of ourselves without any expectation of getting anything back, then that is real giving and we get so much more in return," Jack said in a near perfect imitation of his Earth colleague and mentor.

"And you say I was good. It was like Nick said it himself," Hiccup whispered.

"Never, ever forget what I'm about to tell you," Jack said in a stern voice. "Every moment I've spent on Halla, every moment with you… even when it looked hopeless at times… it's worth what I gave up. It's worth more, Hiccup… worth so much more it doesn't feel like I sacrificed anything. Never forget this, Viking."

"I won't. I promise."

That night their house got filled with a heat no fire, no dragon, could generate.

Three days later a quarter of the Berk population met in the longhouse. Dragon riders and villagers with concerns tied to Hiccup and Jack showed to hear the intentions of the two. Hiccup and Jack explained their plans in every way they could conjure. The day before Jack warned Hiccup not to ask for permission from the clan, but rather to simply state what they would do. After a short debate of why Jack made the request, Hiccup agreed. Thus, in their discussion with family and friends, they made it clear they intended to take trip. Hence, people wanted to make contingent plans for their absence. Although the meeting got heated at times over small details in a purely Viking fashion, no one left the gathering feeling confused or threatened by their planned excursion.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Astrid said as the group of close friends sat around one of the large tables after the meeting dispersed. She slapped her husband on the arm.

Hundfus shrugged as others snickered.

"Sounds like a lovely idea," Groanhilde indirectly agreed. "You two might be starting a new tradition."

"You've pretty much re-wrote a lot of the rules 'round here anyway," Hundfus remarked in an offhanded manner.

Even his wife threw him an askance look.

"No, Hund is right," Snotlout said after wiping apple juice from his upper lip. "And it's a good thing to. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the last few years have been really good… after… all that."

Since they sat in mixed company where some did not know about the events surrounding Isemaler and the fight with the ancient evil being from Earth, they needed to be circumspect in how they spoke. Bristlechin, Hundfus, Sassa, and Smellied did not seem to pick up on the strange partial reference.

"We're more accepting of differences now," Fishlegs added.

"Then why don't we get invited to parties more often?" Tuffnut interjected and slapped a hand on the tabletop. "Wait a second. Why don't we have parties more often?"

"Because there's flipping barnyard living in the dining room," Bristlechin, his wife, said and cackled with amusement.

"They would make wonderful hosts," Tuffnut said with a touch of indignity. "And I don't think you should be calling our children animals."

"She's not wrong," his sister countered.

"We do got Isemalerdag," Smellied, Ruffnut's husband, opined and cast an odd look at his wife. "That's a party of sorts."

"And a good one," Jack stated. "But it's in winter."

"Right when we need a good party," Ruffnut grunted.

A murmur of agreement whipped around the table.

"You're forgetting about Midsommer, and that's coming up," Hiccup reminded them.

His eyes darted around the table. Most of the people sitting there he knew since infancy. Only Jack and Sassa arrived in his adult years. In each of the individuals gathered around him, he could see he entire life laid out from moment to moment. He started to smile.

"Oh, gods, he's going to try and burn down our house again," Ruffnut rumbled.

"Not quite," Hiccup said. "I just… well, except for Sassa and Jack, I remember what each of you looked like as children. The weird part is you don't look that much different."

"Maybe a little fuller in places here or there," Groanhilde commented and patted her stomach.

"That's 'cause only some of us physically had children," Astrid muttered and shot the men a fierce glance.

"Ruff tried to cut my legs off half way through her last pregnancy," Smellied whispered at the mention of childbirth.

"It was just a Loki dream. And I stopped way before I even got near you with an axe," his wife dismissed his complaint.

"Belch stopped you."

"Is anything normal at your house?" Sassa inquired as she sat next to Snotlout and held his hand.

"It's just run-of-the-mill," Tuffnut answered and waved away her concerns.

"You're heading down a long, strange road if you start asking those questions, Sassa," Astrid warned.

Snotlout nodded. His shoulder touched Sassa's. It appeared she leaned in toward him.

Jack looked over at his friend, and he saw the way Sassa looked at him. He smiled inwardly. She got involved in the wedding planning because she accompanied Jack to Berk the supposed first time he arrived at the island and supposedly formed a link to his past. Captain Gudmund and the Munin brought Jack to Berk after finding him sitting alone in front of a small fire on a deserted outcropping of rock in the sea. They landed only to find the civil war in full swing. Sassa helped with the injured and wounded because she received healer training at her native home. She stayed when the Munin set sail. Within a few years no one questioned her presence and most assumed her to be a Berk-born woman they could not quite place. She worked with Nichrank and Valka in tending to the injured, sick, or wounded of any species. Jack never did find out how she got drafted by the Jorgensons as they assisted in preparing for Hiccup and Jack's wedding. However, she took a liking to Snotlout, and Jack wholly approved.

"So, Snotlout, think you're up to running the woodshop while I'm gone?" Jack asked on the heels of his private thoughts and leaned over to the table to get a look at his friend.

"I guess," Snotlout replied with a shrug. "If I can't figure something out, it'll have to wait 'til you get back. Is that all right?"

"You won't hear me complain!"

Several people chuckled.

"And Mouldy and Farb are up to taking over the forge?" Fishlegs inquired of Hiccup.

"Believe it or not, they're actually good smiths. Farb just gets lazy, but Mouldy really knows his stuff. They'll do fine," he answered.

"Whoa!" Tuffnut blurted. "When did we turn into adults? I mean, listen to us! Snotlout is going to run a shop. Hiccup has apprentices. Most of us got children. I was not ready for this!"

"Do you think our parents felt like this? That it's happening all too fast and weren't ready?" Astrid queried the group.

"Not my father. He was splitting rocks with his head when he was a baby and always knew he'd be chieftain one day. I don't think he ever felt unprepared," Hiccup stated to those gathered around him and to the memory of his father.

"Stoick was a natural," Ruffnut quietly asserted.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Jack blurted. "I've seen each and every one of you do amazing things your parent's would never dream of doing. You folks, the ones gathered around this table right now, changed the future of Berk. I feel sorry for the ones who come after you when they try to live up to what you've already done and gods know what else you're going to do."

"Look who's talking?" Hiccup rumbled.

Those who knew the truth about his real past wore smug, knowing expressions. Jack felt his cheeks heat up a bit. Four of those at the table appeared a bit confused. He watched Hiccup's eyes flick to each one.

"Uh, aren't you the one who tamed Hiccup and got him to marry you?" Astrid, of all people, rhetorically asked.

"And what about all the ideas you've dreamed up over the years. Half the stuff on Berk has got some of your handiwork in it now," Fishlegs added and did a poor job of keeping his face from breaking into a grin.

"Funniest person I know," Groanhilde chimed in with her husband. Then she, too, struggled to keep a straight face as she said: "And you've got this way with children."

"Oh, yeah, Stone and Norna love you to death," Hundfus agreed. He jerked his thumb in the direction of Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "And I've seen you rolling down the hills with their lot more than few times."

"It's a totally different madness that gets going when you show up," Bristlechin said as she glanced around from her husband to brother-in-law to sister-in-law and finally to Jack.

"Okay, okay, enough," Jack grumbled and held up his hands. "I get the point. I'm a big kid, but… gods, who doesn't love a good mud pie contest on a rainy summer day?"

"Or a snowball fight?" Hiccup mentioned and his eyes gleamed.

From then on they began to recount various stories of the absurdities each one of them engaged in at various times. Ruffnut and Tuffnut, of course, lead the pack with the most stories told. Sassa laughed with glee as she listened while the group of friends talked deep into the evening of their past adventures. Jack felt them erase more of the ten years they spent estranged from one another. If he felt any sort of triumph regarding his actions on Halla, then helping reunite Hiccup with his friends stood near the top of the list. He bathed in the warmth of their friendship as he heard more than a few new tales. That he got included in their camaraderie only added further proof to what Nick said about giving.

The next day Hiccup saw to sending a terrible terror to Staltveldt with a message for Nilsborg. After the meeting with the villagers and the night spent chatting with his friends, not a single care or worry resided in his head about Berk fending for itself during their absence. A swell of pride grew in him that he, Fishlegs, his mother, and Gobber actually succeeded in getting the people of Berk to look after themselves and their future. The governing council hit rough patches from time to time, but the rules they put into place usually stopped them from overreacting to changing circumstances. Berk became a place where Hiccup wanted to live. Moreover, he learned to love is people in new and increasingly powerful ways. Thus, feeling confident he could leave for two months and return to a smoothly functioning island left him jubilant.

Jack shared in the sentiment, but for a few different reasons. He got his first real evidence that Hiccup no longer felt chained and trapped by Berk. In the preceding two years, the personality that attracted the Earthling to the Hallan resurfaced. Jack gloried and reveled in being able to fall in love with Hiccup anew. His initial misgivings about almost completely severing himself from Earth faded far, far into the background. True, he would always miss flying as the fabled Isemaler, the immortal Jack Frost, but life of Jack Fries recently wed to Hiccup Haddock and as the rider of IceSpike removed that sting. Jack loved his mortal life with great intensity. Hence, he felt certain the planned trip with Hiccup would become a shining jewel in his memories.

"They are not going to like cages," Hiccup said two weeks later when Jack showed him the drafts of a new plan.

"These are not cages, Hiccup," Jack replied and ran his hand through his hair in an agitated manner. "They need some place to sit on deck and be protected from the sun."

"And you got permission to do this from Nilsborg?"

"No, but I'll bet you a new set of gronckle iron planes against a new tool cabinet he'll ask how we plan to house on them on the ship. Do you really think there's enough room for two dragons in the hold?"

Hiccup eyed his mate. Once again Jack displayed his clever mind by thinking ahead first. As he glanced at the plans, they began to make a lot of sense. Furthermore, the Earthling presented a bet with such certainty Hiccup refrained from accepting it.

"Okay, Mister Smart Yak, what you are going to make 'em out of, huh? Sea water is hard on wood and you've got less than a month to squeeze building them into your schedule," Hiccup rejoined as he thought better of the wager.

"Oh, I'll have more than enough time to build one for IceSpike," Jack sweetly replied.

"And Toothless?"

"I did draw up the plans for you."

Hiccup blinked and stared at him while holding his plate.

"Hiccup?"

"I just thought…" he quietly said and tapered off.

"Hold on. You stand there and make fun of me for thinking this through and then you expect me to make yours?" Jack rejoined in a flat voice.

"You, um, are the, ah, woodworker, Jack."

"Sit down and eat your dinner before it gets too cold."

The Viking obeyed. He mentally noted Jack did not said he only teased. He spooned some of the thick soup into his mouth and kept an eye on his husband. Jack, for his part, did not completely decide if he would let Hiccup attempt to build the deck house for Toothless. In the back of his mind he already estimated how long it would take to fix any mistakes Hiccup made or just build a new one altogether.

"So I want to go out to the old skrill island and harvest some of the standing trees there. They've been so thoroughly blasted by the skrill I bet they're hard as stone. Any wood we get from them will last ten times longer than what we need," Jack mused out loud.

"Probably," Hiccup said in a small voice.

"I'm not going to build it for you," Jack replied to the tone.

"Jack, come on," the Viking heaved. "I'm working on all those daggers and knives to trade, and I've got to work off the barter with Fishlegs for the gronckle iron."

"Uh, I'm helping with the daggers and knives making and finishing all those hilts and handles, and I already paid off my trade with Fishlegs and Groanhilde. I fixed a quarter of the furniture in their house and re-cased two of their windows."

"I know, but you didn't have as many back orders…"

"Oh, don't say it or you really are building the dragon deck house on your own," Jack quickly interjected as he narrowed his eyes. "The work I do may not be as physically demanding as yours, but it is more mentally taxing… and you try stooping over inlay work for ten hours. I hate it when you compare your craft to mine."

"Sorry, sorry. You're right," Hiccup apologized. "But you do realize how easy you make it look?"

Jack started to open his mouth.

"That was a compliment by the way, and I meant it," the Viking quickly interjected. "You should hear Snotlout complain about trying to replicate the joinery you do. Plus he says you can find the smallest imperfection in piece he spent hours sanding. Jack, you create these… intricate pieces that are damn near impossible to break and it doesn't even look like you sweat."

"I wear that headband so sweat doesn't spoil a freshly sanded or finished piece of wood," Jack purposely responded to a one-off topic to goad his husband.

Hiccup feigned sneering at him, and then said: "When we get back, you need to take on some apprentices so these skills of yours don't get lost."

"I don't want apprentices. There's barely enough room in the workshop for both me and Snotlout."

"Then maybe it's time we built a separate shop for you. You spend half your time complaining about the forge soot and hot metal cinders. Remember when that chest you made for Applewart got those little pinhole burns in the finish? I thought you were going to pour water on the forge. It would've exploded."

"Yeah, I did get a little angry about that one," Jack mumbled, and then added: "But it took me four or five hours to fix it, so it's not like I didn't have cause."

"I agree, and that's why you should think about your own shop. It'll give Snotlout more room to work and you can take on two or three people to train. Some of the older teenagers who don't fly dragons and have older brothers and sisters need something to do. Try 'em out and find a couple with some talent who'd be willing to apprentice to you."

The passion with which Hiccup spoke pushed Jack down the path of accepting the idea. He wanted to think about it. Without a proper building of his own, it would be impossible, and the summer already got promised to other activities. They could spend the winter designing a new woodshop and gathering supplies for when the weather changed. In that moment, Jack realized he already bought into the plan. He slowly shook his head.

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Hiccup egged him on.

"Maybe… yeah," Jack grumbled and looked everywhere except across the table.

"Did you know that except for gronckle iron stuff, the pieces you and Snotlout work on all bring in the best trades. It's not just Nilsborg, either. Járnsaxa always leaves with a bunch of your pieces. She says she makes a fortune off those little tables and chests you knock together. Same with Lothgir. Didn't you ever notice your bench is always empty by the end of trading days?"

Jack, in truth, never noticed. He mainly wanted to clear out items that never made it to a complete trade on Berk. Moreover, most of what he traded with the sea captains he usually made in his off-time out of scraps of wood. He would hardly call them his best work. If Hiccup tried to win him over, then he began to succeed.

"Are you just trying to butter me up so I'll make your damn dragon house?" He spoke aloud his suspicions.

"Yea and no," Hiccup honestly replied. "Yes because anything you make will be ten times better than what I can put together. No because what I told you is the truth, and you know it. I don't know what you learned three hundred and thirty or forty years ago, but you learned it well."

Jack smirked at the well placed compliment. He saw the expression on Hiccup's face change. The mood at the table shifted a little as well.

"We're really going to do this, aren't we?" His mate asked and sounded a bit astounded by it. Then he crammed a spoonful of soup into his mouth,

"We sure are. Nobody's really complained about it. Snotlout will at least keep the shop from collecting dust. You and Fishlegs don't have any big projects going on, so… yeah, we're going."

Hiccup swallowed and said: "Mom, Astrid, Rancid, and Gustav just sort of shrugged and said they would handle the dragon patrols. Mouldy and Farb can take care of themselves and the forge. You know, it kind of scares me when things work out exactly like we planned."

Jack nodded as he chewed on a hunk of bread.

"It's not like we haven't been close to midworld."

"Clothe…" Jack tried to say and swallowed before continuing. "Close, but only in the northern parts. We're going to Quezchtal, Hiccup, and I only ever just flew over it. I never stopped. This is going to be amazing."

Hiccup began to grin like a fool as Jack's voice dropped down to a whisper.

"The city on the edge of the jungle. All those different people. Animals… animals that don't have any counterpart on earth. The food. The tastes and smells. I can't really imagine what it will be like," the Earthling spoke with awe dripping from his lips.

"This is all yours, Jack. You came up with the idea. You started haggling with Nilsborg… and you know he's going to ask you and me to fix a ton of things on his ship," Hiccup began with the same excitement, and then shifted to a different tone.

"Been thinking about that. We're already covering this trip by using the dragons as protection. He said he wants a percentage off anything we make in trading to cover the hold space, so I'm thinking we chisel away at that if he asks us to do any other work I didn't plan on doing in the first place. This is supposed to be a vacation," Jack replied as he tore small hunks of bread from his slice and dropped it into his soup.

"I was thinking the same thing, and I'm not afraid to tell him no if he asks about a repair that'll take days and days to complete. After everything you told me about honeymoons on Earth, I don't remember you saying people worked their way through it. You made it sound like it was all about sex."

"It sort of is. I guess the original intent was to give a new couple the chance to get pregnant right away, but it really took on different a different meaning over the last hundred and fifty years or so on Earth."

"Well, I highly doubt we're gonna get pregnant 'les there's something you've been hiding really, really, really well," Hiccup wryly intoned.

Jack began laughing and shook his head.

"So I guess it's just sex and relaxation for us."

"What if we don't have a private room? Think his crew is going to enjoy, ah… watching us?" Jack inquired.

Hiccup sat up as his face twisted into a somewhat disgusted expression. Although the Vikings took a fairly lax view on sex, they did tend to keep it private. Everyone understood the mechanics of what everyone else did, but they never spoke about it. The Thorstons, however, never feared asking for details or extremely intimate questions. The late Isemaler also did not respect personal boundaries. On more than one occasion Hiccup and Jack caught the elemental young man watching them as they physically enjoyed each other. Isemaler never passed judgment, but he did ask several times how they decided who did what to whom. It regularly made Hiccup furious. However, their private business performed in front of Nilsborg's crew seemed even more distasteful.

"That is never going to happen," Hiccup said in a flat, stern voice. "Besides, I pretty certain he understands exactly what we're about."

"Are you saying he's like us?"

"No. I don't think he is, but he's been trading with us for – what? – seven or eight years now. It's not like we keep anything secret."

Jack's head bobbed a little as he considered that aspect. Since the first day when Jack returned to Hiccup from the grip of The Breathless One, they never kept the nature of their relationship a secret from anyone. People saw them goof around in intimate ways with each other, hold hands, kiss, and act pretty much like every other couple on the island. Moreover, the general acceptance and excitement over their wedding when they announced their betrothal proved just much the people of Berk did not make an issue of their sexuality.

"Hiccup, what exactly do you think Hundfus meant when he said we're re-writing the rules?" Jack asked as he thought it.

Hiccup shrugged and replied: "I think maybe he meant people are letting go of old, stupid ideas and learning better ones. Look, our entire relationship with dragons changed everything on this island… not all of it good, but most of it for the better. After that, you and me aren't big news or shocking."

"Do you think that's why Astrid, Snotlout, and the twins were able to accept the truth about me, what I am, where I came from?"

"Oh, I think Etuchaand played a much bigger role in that," the Viking said in a thoughtful manner. "Besides, when you stopped going back to Earth and haven't been able to change ever since, it probably gave them a… certain… I guess a margin of comfort. Plus, they really like being in on such a big secret."

"Snotlout actually said that to me. He promised he'd never tell anyone, but he loves the fact he knows. Said it made him feel special," Jack rejoined.

"I'm sure it does. The twins think you're Loki, and Astrid just likes you."

"Loki? That's just stu… never mind," the Earthling said to himself as much as to his husband.

"You do realize that gives you an advantage over them. When was the last time either one of them called you Skinny?" Hiccup reminded him.

Jack simply raised his eyebrows and spooned more soup into his mouth. The hated nickname simply disappeared after the unveiling of the Isemaler statue. Besides bringing the Defenders of Berk together, the fight against the horrendous Earth entity resulted in so many profound and subtle changes Jack lost count. The terrible price they paid for the victory, the loss of the Grimtooth Isemaler, seemed to strip away the petty arguments and grievances. Both Hiccup and Jack would think back to those moments on The Finger of the Gods whenever they began to get angry over minor annoyances. They also learned the art of expressing themselves clearly to one another.

Jack sighed and smiled.

"What?" Hiccup prodded.

"Just looking forward to this trip," he answered. "And, yes, I'll make that damn dragon house for you. But you need to come up with some sort of clever gizmo they can use to open and close the door on it. Sort of like the dragon hatch in our roof."

"Thanks. I was kind of worried I might hurt Toothless with bad construction."

"You do know I'd never let him go into any substandard piece of work. I, ah, already sort of planned on fixing or rebuilding it after you got done," Jack confessed through a grin.

Hiccup swallowed and wiped his mouth before saying: "I think I knew you would in the back of my mind, but that doesn't meant I'd build a piece of garbage on purpose. I was also going to get Fishlegs to help me."

"You're already owe him one trade, and he'd probably go pretty steep for something like that."

"Not when it comes to dragon safety. It goes Groanhilde and Haloke, Meatlug, dragons, and then the rest of us in order of importance for him," he laid out a fairly logical argument. Then he looked up through his eyebrows. "Jack, do you think maybe the really young… like babies and toddlers can sense what you are deep down inside? Look at the way kids respond to you."

"I don't know. I've thought about that before. Maybe they can. Hard to say. Dragons don't react like they used to around me."

"Yeah, I forgot about that," Hiccup said and scratched the side of his face with his spoon.

"Putting that aside, when do you want to head out and get wood for this project?" Jack returned to the main topic.

"Better be in the next day or two 'cause something tells me you're gonna go through a whole bunch of saw blades."

With that they began to plan in earnest. They ate their meal and thrashed out a preliminary schedule of what they needed to accomplish in the next four eight-days. While a month could seem like a long time, neither fell into the trap of believing it. They both knew Nilsborg ship would be pulling up to the docks in what would seem like no time.