Winter
"Oh my god, would you just take your foot off the brake? You know I have just to let it glide, we're going downhill?"
"Merida we are in a death trap land rover on an icy hill, that brake is the only thing keeping us alive," Anna hissed at the redhead, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.
"I'd just like to point out that I was against this idea, before we die," Kristoff added from the back, and the two girls shushed him.
"Look, Anna, you can't brake on ice. Its just a thing. Just go down into first gear and be really, really gentle." Merida coaxed, trying to keep her voice even. Out of the four of them, it had only occurred to Kristoff that there would be frost on the roads in November, and Anna's latest driving lesson had become a bit more stressful than usual. Not that they weren't always stressful, obviously.
"Oh, no, you were meant to take a left there! Sorry," Hiccup called from behind his phone, and Merida threw her hands up in time with Anna's groan.
"Where the hell are we going Hiccup? Are you taking us to Shetland?" Anna shrieked, and the car skidded slightly, causing everyone to grab at a surface.
"Believe it or not, I'm not in Hobbycraft very often," the boy snapped back, and she rolled her eyes.
"Hey mister, tone it down. You're the one who keeps missing all the turnings," Merida huffed back at Hiccup, who rolled his eyes at her. She didn't miss the grin on his face though as he turned back to the map on his phone.
"Okay, next left then. Main road, should have more grit on it than this one."
"But how the hell am I meant to stop if Merida won't let me use the brakes!" Anna shrieked, and there was a cacophony of voices immediately as they tried to calm her down. Merida had been teaching Anna to drive her old land rover, as it had so many dents and scrapes anyway she wasn't too fussed about her bumping it. Which had happened more times than she could name. They went out most Saturdays, but this one had a purpose, because Anna was hosting a thanksgiving dinner.
"You know I don't think any of us know enough Americans to justify this trip, maybe we should turn around and go home," Kristoff offered, and Anna made an indignant noise and shook her head.
"Rude! Are me and Elsa not enough for you?"
"No!" he and Hiccup chorused, and then high fived.
"You're both only half American, you've literally never been, and Elsa was only there for five years of her life. When she was a tiny child." Kristoff pointed out.
"And also the whole thing is kind of derogatory to Native Americans, who's lives really did not improve after that first thanksgiving in the same way as the Pilgrim's." Hiccup offered. Merida groaned and shot them both exasperated looks. Anna huffed and scowled at the road in front of her, as though the ice would melt with her glare.
"There is no way we are having this conversation again." Merida groaned, and absent-mindedly pointed to a streetlamp up ahead. "We haven't had a big party in ages. And I've been running out of excuses to lure Rapunzel out of that damned store."
The brunette had been working hard, and just as shed promised had found a small store near the university to set up her shop. Everyone had been eager to help her set everything up, but all the heavy lifting and DIY projects had run out now, leaving her to work alone all hours on her laptop in the back of the still-empty shop.
"Classic Rapunzel hyper-focus, once again." Kristoff pointed out, and they hummed I n agreement. "Ooh, junction!"
Everyone braced again as Anna painfully slowed to a halt at the turning. Overall, she'd been doing quite well, but Merida didn't have the patience of a teacher, and they had spent many lessons screaming at each other over turning signals and traffic lights. The boys weren't much help either; the few times they'd tagged along it had made everything a thousand times worse.
"Indicators," Merida whispered, but neither of them were paying attention, too busy discussing something on the map. Anna made the turn, and Merida called back to them.
"Any more directions?" she asked.
"Uh, park?" Hiccup retorted with a laugh, and they turned to see that Hobbycraft was indeed right in front of them.
Anna managed to park without hitting any other vehicles, and they piled out into the slushy carpark, with remnants of the first snowfall still lingering by the kerbs, mostly melted into the grit. Merida was glad she'd worn sturdier shoes, and pitied whatever nice trainers Anna would inevitably be wearing. The all headed towards the store, with Anna up ahead reading from her list whilst Kristoff prodded and teased her. Hiccup took Merida's hand and knitted their fingers together, and pulled her close to him so he could kiss the top of her head.
She blushed brightly, and glanced around self-consciously, but nobody was looking at them. They'd been together for close to four months now, and Merida was still getting used to the idea of calling him her boyfriend, let alone public affection. It didn't mean that she wasn't happy to have him though, and even if she tried she couldn't think of a time that she'd been this happy.
"Did you hear back from him today?" Merida asked as they neared the shop doors, and Hiccup's stride faltered.
"No, not yet." He admitted, and Merida nodded, unsurprised. They'd all taken their turns to attempt to contact Jack over the last few months, most recently to invite him to thanksgiving dinner. "I really don't think it's be a great idea for him to come anyway though Mer. Its not going to do much good for anyone."
"He didn't say anything unforgivable Hiccup," she pointed out for what felt like the hundredth time. She hated to see Hiccup severed from his best friend, and though he didn't show it she knew it hurt him. "It would be pretty easy to forgive him."
"Lets just not worry about it right now." He said, looking around the massive craft store in front of them. "Why are we trying to find Thanksgiving decorations in a Scottish store? There's not going to be anything here."
Merida laughed at that, when Anna suddenly appeared from halfway down the store with a huge 3D cardboard turkey held triumphantly above her head.
"Bet you feel stupid now," Merida said with a grin, elbowing Hiccup gently and running down the aisle to admire the turkey with Anna. Kristoff emerged from behind her, laden down with her jacket and handbag, and sporting a wreath of orange leaves on his head. He smiled angelically, and Hiccup appeared from nowhere, swiping it from the taller boys head and darting away with a laugh. Anna's belongings were dropped on the floor as Kristoff gave chase, and Merida scooped them up with an eye roll.
"You're both children!" she called after them as they vanished behind a particularly large paint display. Anna tucked the turkey under one arm and went back to investigate the alarmingly large collection of cardboard animals behind her. Merida turned over a small horse in her hands thoughtfully, and Anna looked at her with a frown.
"He didn't reply to the invite?"
Merida shook her head, and Anna sighed and nodded.
"For the best, I suppose?" she offered, and the shorter redhead smiled ruefully.
"That's exactly what Hiccup said actually," she admitted, and Anna snorted.
"Of course it is! He says that very time Jack ignores a text." She shook her strawberry blonde plaits in disappointment. "I really did think he was better than this. Those two months seemed so good! He was so keen to spend all of his time with Rapunzel, and he was so attentive. I don't understand what happened."
"Part of me wants to believe that he was actually going to call the filming off," the shorter redhead admitted. "But Rapunzel was probably right. He left in such a hurry."
"At least she's doing well," Anna pointed out. "I think. Its really hard to tell."
Rapunzel had seemed to take the breakup remarkably well. There were a few wobbly moments in the first week or two, but she quickly replaced them with endless hard work to get her art store up and running.
"We should pop in on the way home," Merida suggested, and Anna nodded in agreement, then turned her attention back to the cardboard shapes.
"Ooh, how about a mini pumpkin?" She asked gleefully, holding up a blob the size of her hand.
"No way is that a pumpkin! Put it back, we can just get some real ones," Merida cried, and batted it out of her hand.
…
Rapunzel was sat on a wobbly stool at the back of the store in front of an easel with a huge shop sign balanced on it, with the words Sun Studio painted on to it.
"I'm really not so sure about the colours," she said with a frown, and tucked the paintbrush behind one ear. She'd gone with a warm yellow outlined in white against a pastel green background, but it felt flat and not at all how she pictured it.
"I think it looks fantastic," Flynn declared emerging from the tiny kitchenette behind the counter and handing her a cup of tea. "Maybe a black shadow would push it forward a bit?"
She tilted her head and nodded.
"You're right, thank you." She said decidedly, and rummaged in the battered cardboard at her feet for some darker paint. She produced one, and tilted her head back to receive a kiss from the dark haired boy.
Flynn was part of Rapunzel's plan that she'd never anticipated, but he was sweet and creative, and laid back in a way that she'd never been. He'd delivered the first few boxes of supplies to her store a few weeks ago, all sweeping dark hair and handsome eyes, and she'd blushed and giggled over crates of paints and canvases as they talked about absolutely nothing of significance. He was studying for his PhD in art history, and she'd never met someone cultured like he was. When he'd left, he'd scribbled his number on the last box, and she'd forced herself to wait a few days before calling him in an attempt to seem half as cool as he was.
The weeks they'd spent together since had been mainly spent in the shop, him studying on his computer whilst she worked, but he had a critics eye and she appreciated a professional opinion as she made all of the creative decisions vital to run the store. True, sometimes he could be a bit blunt, and even if she didn't ask his opinion he would give it, but the sex was great, and lord knows it had been a while since she'd had any of that,
Her face clouded at that thought, and she tried not to think about July again, instead focusing on mixing a dark charcoal colour for the sign. From what little she'd gathered in the few times she'd seen her friends since their visit to Merida's family home, Jack had not been in contact with any of them. She'd caught his eye in a few magazine covers in the newsagents down the road, pictured walking hurriedly across LA in dark clothing, with headlines such as
Hollywood's Favourite Heartthrob Walks the Streets Once Again?
Or
Back So Soon? Jack Overland Pictured Looking Forlorn Returning Home from Vacation in Scotland.
Rapunzel tried her best to ignore them, but one in particular had caught her eye, and she'd bought it before she'd had the chance to think about it. It was still sat, unread, on one of the piles of boxes. It sported a picture of Jack when he'd been in Edinburgh, head thrown back with laughter. It was one of the few pictures of him take by the press where he hadn't clearly been trying to hide. On his arm, half obscured by his body, Rapunzel had immediately recognised herself, her face just visible enough to be identifiable. She was smiling up at him like he'd set the stars in the sky.
The headline read: 'Who's is Overland's Mystery Scottish Beau?', but she hadn't even read that until she was standing at the counter with it between her and the cashier. He'd looked between the photo and the girl in front of his, frowning.
"This you?" he asked, gesturing to the glossy cover. Rapunzel had blushed. If she'd still had her dark hair it would have been undoubtable that it was her in the photo, but she'd let it grown a bit longer, and she'd had the remainder of the brown stripped out as her natural blonde grew back in, leaving her with mid length honey blonde hair that swung around her shoulder. She'd missed the warmth of it around her neck, and was glad of the change. It was because of this that she was confident that when she said no to the cashier, he wouldn't question it further, and she was right.
"Ah, my bad," he said with a shrug, and rang up her items without further question.
Flynn had been the same, he'd taken one look at the magazine, rolled his eyes, and gone on a rant about celebrity culture and invasion of privacy without even noticing that it was Rapunzel in the picture. She'd been relived, honestly. She liked that she had Flynn all to herself, and that he wasn't tangled in with the rest of her life. And also, she had a sneaking suspicion that her friends would absolutely hate him.
She turned to look back at him, frowning over a huge textbook titled 'Why Modern Art Sucks'. Okay, maybe he was a bit obnoxious. It's not like she was planning to marry him. But he was fun, and very hot, and had some hugely intelligent opinions.
"I'm going for a wazz," he declared, and shot her a wink. She smiled, strained, and turned back to her painting. No sooner had the bathroom door clicked shut than there was a loud knock on the glass of the front door. She hopped up, curious as to who on earth it could be. She'd had a few nosey old women in the past, asking what kind of garbage fashion outlet she would be opening, and how many youths would be milling about. She was expecting another one, and put on her sharp professional smile as she reached out to open the door. She could see a figure silhouetted against the thin blinds, illuminated by the dim evening light, and was already beginning her 'opening next weekend' speel when she threw open the door and was hit with a gust of freezing cold wind, carrying with it a flurry of snow. She blinked against the cold air and was greeted by a pair of mittens on her face, squishing her cheeks.
"Punzie it's snowing!" Anna shrieked, and tugged on her plaits, jumping and squeezing her face tighter, the cold seeping in through the scratchy wool. She let go and skipped inside without invitation, to reveal Kristoff, who gave her a quicjk hug before squeezing past her after his girlfriend. Behind him, Hiccup stood with a freezing Merida tucked under one arm, and Rapunzel's heart tugged at the sight of them looking so comfortable together. There was a time that such intimacy would have seemed so impossible for Merida, and Rapunzel was happy to take even a little bit of the credit for them ending up together. And yet, a small part of her was jealous, of the fact that they managed to form a relationship whilst hers crumbled. The redhead grinned sheepishly at her, a blush darkening her frostbitten cheeks, and the feeling faded almost immediately.
She led them into the shop and they muttered apologies as they followed her, bringing in clumps of snow from where it had already began settling on the city pavements. Rapunzel shoved the door shut again, nervously glancing towards the bathroom, and turned to look at her flatmate hopping from foot to foot and rubbing her gloved hands together as she looked around.
Merida removed herself from Hiccup and wrapped Rapunzel in a damp hug, and she returned it tightly, still glancing nervously at the door.
"It looks great in here already," she said, looking over Rapunzel's shoulder around the shop. "You've done so much since we were last here!"
"Thanks," the blonde said, detaching herself from the hug and shuffling over to the boxes of stock against the wall. The magazine on top loomed at her, and she bushed it off with her hand, and looked back up to see Hiccup eyeing the spot where it had been with a frown.
"What brings out into the middle of the city like this?" she asked, ignoring his questioning stare.
"We've come to formally invite you to a thanksgiving dinner!" Anna cried excitedly, clapping her hands and throwing them above her head triumphantly. "We've just been shopping for decorations. We're having it this coming Thursday at Hiccup's flat."
Rapunzel raised her eyebrows. She knew her friends had all been spending a lot of time together, but was surprised at Hiccup sacrificing his bachelor flat for one of Anna's wild parties. Okay, she said it was a dinner, but Anna loved to go overboard with planning, and she knew it would be a fancy affair.
She was about to mention this, when suddenly the toilet flushed behind then, and all eyes snapped to the door. Rapunzel flinched at the sound, bracing herself for what was about to happen.
"Is someone here?" Hiccup asked, stepping away from the boxes he'd been examining.
"I, uhhh," Rapunzel began, but there was no need for her to go on, because Fynn emerged then, all six foot two of him, and smiled at the group of people in the middle of the shop, covered in melting snow and looking confused.
"Oh, hi. Rapunzel, who are your friends?" he asked, sitting down at the kitchenette again instead of coming over to say hello. Rapunzel felt frozen to the spot, unsure where to look. Flynn looked amused, and took a long sip from his tea as his eyes danced with laughter. Anna was, for once in her life, stunned to silence, but it was Merida's glare burning a hole in the side of her head that was throwing her the most.
"Uh, Flynn, these are my friends. Ana, Merida, Hiccup and Kristoff." She gestured at them each in turn, and they each gave a wave except from Merida, who was still frowning at Rapunzel. "Guys, this is Flynn, my, um, well-"
"I deliver the art supplies," he said, and sipped from his tea again. She sighed with relief, but took it back immediately when he next spoke. "We're also sleeping together."
The silence that followed was deafening for the entire 5 seconds it lasted, and then the room erupted into chaos.
"What the fuck!" Merida barked, and Hiccup darted over and put a hand on herarm, trying to calm her down. Kristoff had moved over to Flynn and was shaking his hand, but Rapunzel couldn't hear what was being said over Anna shrieking at such a high pitched that any words she was saying were completely unintelligible.
"Merida, calm down," Hiccup was saying, but the redhead was throwing her hands in the air and her mouth was moving with what Rapunzel assumed were angry words. Anna's shrieking still continued, but Kristoff had her by the arm now, and was also trying to communicate with Rapunzel, who sunk her head into her hands. Just 5 minutes ago the room had been so peaceful. She'd been working quietly, no interruptions, everything was on schedule. And now, this. She peeked through her fingers at Flynn, who was now ignoring the ruckus and had gone back to his textbook, and a spike of anger flared up in her.
"Stop it, all of you!" she snapped, loud enough that the room immediately fell quiet. Flynn barely looked up. "Flynn has been a great help and I deserve someone who makes me happy! And I do not have to tell you absolutely everything that happens in my life, the second it happens! I'm an adult!"
Her friends stared at her in stunned silence, and she let out a huff of air.
"Sorry," Anna and Merida both muttered, and Anna bit her lip to fight down a smile.
"Are you bringing him to thanksgiving?" Anna asked, and Flynn's head popped up from his textbook again. Rapunzel opened her mouth to tell her friend that it wasn't that kind of relationship yet, but he cut her off.
"Ohh, I love turkey!" he said. "When is it?"
"Thursday, midday. Bring your own drink!" Anna called back, her smile escaping. "Rapunzel knows the address."
"Sweet," he said, and immediately went back to his work. There was an awkward silence, and Merida shot Hiccup a look, but he just shook his head.
"Okay, cool," Anna said finally, and her smile had dipped slightly. Rapunzel felt guilty, but caught herself quickly. What did she have to feel guilty about? She pulled the girl in for a hug.
"I'll try be home for tea tonight?" she asked, but Kristoff cut in.
"We're actually having dinner at my grandparents tonight, sorry," he said sheepishly, and Rapunzel nodded, dejected.
"Okay well, I'll see you on Thursday at least," she said, and Anna nodded, and stepped back towards the door. She got it know, why she felt awful. The shop really had been taking up so much of her time, that she'd barely seen her friends in the last month.
"Was nice to see you Rapunzel," Hiccup said, on behalf on Merida who was staring at the blonde like she didn't know who she was. "And nice to meet you too Flynn."
The dark haired man waved a hand without ever looking up, and Rapunzel cringed. This was really not how she'd seen her evening going, at all. She walked Hiccup and Merida to the door where Anna and Kristoff were waiting, and waved to them as they walked out into the snow, which was now coming down even heavier. She stayed there, watching them go, until they'd been swallowed by the thick white flakes.
"Man," Flynn said as she let the door fall shut. "They're a handful."
She groaned and moved back over to her easel, ignoring him.
…
Hiccup frowned over his book at Merida, who was pacing. It was a really good one, about engineering for architecture, and he was just starting to get into it when she'd come in, all guns blazing, mad about someone at work. He looked wistfully down at the next chapter – it was on seismic design, and looked absolutely fascinating – then back up at Merida. She'd not said anything intelligible yet, just muttering and gesturing. Finally she stopped at the foot of the couch.
"He's not even that good of a lawyer!" she yelled, throwing her hands up and collapsing face first into the cushions. Hiccup sighed, and closed his book, then put it to one slide and slid closer to her. "I'm still a bloody receptionist to them and fucking Hans gets all the bloody promotions even though she only started three weeks before me."
Her voice was muffled by the pillows but miraculously still loud enough for him to wince. Merida had been through it all week. On Monday, her car hadn't started, and as he'd received a call from her begging him to pick her up before he'd even had the chance to explain he was off work anyway and already on his way. On Tuesday, she'd picked up her car and taken it home, and Mavis had left all her laundry to dry in the living room, and he'd gotten a call from her at 2am where she'd screamed and yelled about how much she hated her flat and her flatmate – who Hiccup had met many times, and honestly thought seemed like a pretty nice girl – and wanted to move out.
On today's arse-kicking, Merida's arch-rival at work – a snuck up snobby bloke who had indeed started at the firm only a month before her – had been handed his third case, which Merida had been angling for as her first. It was definitely a bit of workplace sexism on show, and something she handled like a champ on a daily basis, but this was yet another kick from an already awful week. He reached out and rubbed her shoulder soothingly, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. He thought back to Saturday, when they'd got back from Rapunzel's, and how she'd sat silently in front of the TV for two hours, and made a connection in his head.
"Do you think," he said as calmly as possible. "That the reason you're so upset is more than just Hans?"
Merida sat up, her makeup slightly askew, and rubbed at her eyes. Her hair, previously wrestled into the neatest up-do she could manage, had spiralled out and was poling around her face.
"Hiccup, if you're about to suggest I'm having PMS I will kick you in the teeth." She said calmly, and he didn't doubt it for a second.
"No, of course not, I was referring more to you seeing Rapunzel at the weekend…" he began, but trailed off at the look in her eyes. He didn't say anything for a bit, uneasy in the silence that followed, and she calmly shrugged off her suit jacket and loosened her shirt a bit.
"I mean, I guess," she admitted eventually, focussing her attention of wriggling out of a pair of uncomfortable looking black leather shoes. "Her friend was kind of awful, wasn't he?"
Hiccup nodded, watching as she wriggled free, and stood up to untuck her shirt. She let out a deep breath and shook her body out.
"He was so rude, sitting back there with his big obnoxious textbook," she muttered, and began pacing again." He sat back, preparing for a show. "And his smug face when he realised we didn't know who he was. I just…"
Merida took a deep breath, and hiccup braced for her to start shouting, but to his surprise she sat back down, looking dejected.
"I can't believe she's with someone like that. Willingly, as well." She leant over and placed her head in his lap, and Hiccup reached down to stroke her wild hair as she continued. "We promised we'd tell each other everything. It like she knows how awful he is, and didn't tell us on purpose."
Hiccup looked down at her sadly. He wasn't used to this Merida, the one who was too upset to jump and yell. He tried to think of anything he could say that would possibly make her feel better, and predictably came up short.
"Well we only saw him briefly," he admitted. "He's coming to dinner tomorrow, that'll be a good chance to get to know him. Maybe he's a nice guy?"
He wasn't fooling himself, but Merida wiped away a silent tear he hadn't seen fall and nodded.
"Yeah, you might be right," she admitted, and sat up. "Tomorrow will be better."
He reached out and cupped her cheek, and not for the first time marvelled at the fact that he was able to do that now. She rested her head into his hand and shut her eyes peacefully, and he took a moment to admire her.
"It'll be okay," he murmured, and leant his forehead against hers. She smiled to herself. "You've still got me."
"Thank goodness," she murmured back, and closed the distance to kiss him softly. He let himself melt into the feeling of her lips on his, and wrapped his arms around her to tug her closer, until she landed on his lap. They kissed like that – her perched on top of him – until the light had dipped behind the buildings outside and shadows crept towards them across the floor. Merida rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh, and he held her close.
"You're my person," she whispered into his shirt, and he smiled down at her.
"And you're mine,"
She hummed and they stayed like that for a while longer. He basked in the peacefulness of it all, before Anna took over his flat tomorrow with all her decorations and elaborate dishes. As if she could read his thoughts, Merida stretched where she sat, and wriggled free from his grip.
"I promised the boss a cheesecake for tomorrow." She groaned, and Hiccup laughed. Merida wasn't much of a chef, but Anna's dedication to thanksgiving being a group affair meant that everyone was supposed to bring something. Hiccup was the only one who got out of it, because he was offering up his flat for a complete takeover.
(Anna and the turkey were arriving at 9am, a piece of information he'd 'accidentally' forgotten to pass on to Merida. She would have slaughtered poor Anna if she'd known beforehand, but he knew she was looking forward to thanksgiving just as much as Anna, and so figured it would count as damage control for what would probably be a stressful day anyway.)
He followed her to the kitchen as she produced a bag he hadn't noticed her bring in from behind the counter, bringing out an array of creams, chocolates, and frozen fruits. She frowned at then, and then immediately went to her phone for a recipe.
What ensured was the most hilarious, messy, stressful hour and a half of his life. He tried his best to stay sat down whilst Merida tried bashing the biscuits only for the bag to burst, showering him with crumbs, but didn't actively interfere until she tried to start up the blender with the lid off. The mixture ended up halfway up his cupboards, and Toothless got his fair share from the floor too, before Hiccup had a chance to drag him off. Despite the chaos, it was a relief to see Merida laughing, and the finished cheesecake looked fairly presentable as he slid it into the fridge. They ordered in a takeout, and ate it in companionable silence on the couch, with Toothless lying between them, his attention torn between the superhero film on the TV and the Chinese food being passed back and forth over his head.
Hiccup smiled as he watched Merida nestle further into the couch, his dog draped across her lap, and thought back on the first time she'd sat there, balanced on the edge like she was ready to run off. It was strange to think that there'd ever been a time that they'd felt uncomfortable around each other, and even though they'd agreed that they wouldn't rush their relationship, and had been taking thigs at a leisurely pace, he couldn't imagine the rest of his life without her in it.
He knew now, as he'd known for months – probably longer – that he loved her, but his promise not to rush into anything hung in the back of his head, stopping him from blurting him out. Hiccup knew her flight instincts still existed: sometimes, when he reached out to take her hand she would jump, or if he kissed her in public she would blush and look around in case people were looking at them funny. He didn't want to scare her off with anything so profound as admissions of love for a while yet.
And yet, it remained on the tip of his tongue.
Merida glanced up and gave him a funny look, and he blushed at being caught staring. She stuck her tongue out and he copied her, and they both laughed and turned back to the film. He picked up his phone and scrolled mindlessly down his twitter feed when suddenly an article jumped out at him. He sat bolt upright, gesturing to Merida, and she leant over and looked at his phone.
"Holy shit," she breathed.
Sources claim Jack Overland taken into custody for fight on set of cop drama.
Hiccup's mind raced, trying to make sense of what he was reading. There was no way this could be right. Jack was one of the most laid-back people he'd ever met, they'd known each other for years and he'd never seen the boy get violent. Hell, he hardly raised his voice. It was highly unbelievable that he would be starting fights, especially on set of a show he left a girl he was in love with to film.
He searched the Jack's name and thousands of tweets popped up, many from disbelieving fans, and several sources claimed variations of the same thing. A few press photos from the last few days showed him skulking around the city in dark clothes, his face hidden by a bandana and a hat pulled low on his head, but one in particular caught his eye. Jack was stepping out of a huge black car, hat and bandana gone, and even though his tan had returned he looks drawn and tired. His eyes were dark, and his cheekbones looked hollower than usual. Media reached over and plucked the phone from his hands.
"Look, there's nothing verified," she interrupted, pulling on his arm. Hiccup let her close the app on his phone, then reach out to take his face in her hands, but his eyes danced over hers; his brain whirring.
"We can't tell Rapunzel," he muttered, and Merida nodded, trying to pull him to her for a hug. Toothless slipped off of the couch, sensing the mood change, and she slid closer.
"It'll be fine. Give him a call, straighten this out," she said, and Hiccup looked down at his phone in her outstretched hand and shook his head.
"I can't," he said, and Merida frowned.
"Yes, you can, and you will. This is exactly the kind of stupid Jack nonsense that will ruin tomorrow's dinner even more," she snapped, and he looked at her in surprise. "Hiccup this boy has hung over you for months, you're miserable about it, now grow up and talk to him or I'll sleep at home tonight."
Hiccup's eyebrows shot up and he chuckled in disbelief.
"Right, okay, you're right. Give me that," He took the phone off of her, and before he could doubt himself, went into his contacts, found Jack's number, and dialled.
"It's ringing," he said to Merida, who was watching him intently. He sat listening to the beeping for a long time, and beside him she fidgeted a little.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"Still ringing." Hiccup replied.
"Hello, Jack's phone," a American female voice called down the line.
Hiccup was not expecting that. He put his hand over the microphone and turned to Merida, who looked intrigued.
"It's a girl," he hissed. Her eyes widened, and she shuffled closer so she could hear.
"Hello?" the voice repeated.
"Hi, sorry, I'm looking for Jack?"
"Oh sorry, he's, uh, busy right now," she said unconvincingly. Hiccup frowned.
"Who is this this?" he asked, suspicious now.
"This is his sister, who's asking?" the voice snapped, and Merida and Hiccup looked at each other in confusion.
"No, that can't be right, Jack doesn't have a sister." Hiccup said with a frown. The girl laughed, and it echoed tinnily through the speakers.
"Yes he does. I'm Mary. Who are you?"
"I'm Hiccup, his friend from Edinburgh." Hiccup says slowly, trying to process this new information. Merida placed a hand on his back, and it grounded him slightly as Mary continued speaking.
"Ah, that explains it then. He only went to Edinburgh as an act of rebellion against mum and dad. Refuses to tell us anything about it, which would explain why he didn't want to talk to you about us," she said, and Hiccup detected a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Lord knows he's always desperate to go back. What's so magic about it? Does he have a girlfriend or something?"
"Are you sure I can't talk to him?" Hiccup asked, purposefully ignoring her questions.
"Well no, mum is yelling at him right now," Mary admitted, and he listened as she moved around, her footsteps echoing through the phone "But he's okay, if that's what you wanted to know. I'll let him know you called."
"Hey, Mary, is that my phone?" Jacks voice called distantly, and the girl at the other end of the line giggled nervously.
"Bye Hiccup, nice to chat to you!" she said, purposefully loudly, and Jack's voice could be heard getting louder.
"Oh, come on, what the fu-" he began, but the call was cut off quickly. Hiccup lowered the phone to his lap and stared at it blankly.
"A sister," Merida murmured. "I wonder if Rapunzel knew."
"I doubt it," Hiccup admitted, and sighed.
When the actually thought about it, he realised that Mary was right. Jack never did really talk about his family much, and so Hiccup never really thought to mention them. He'd always just said he grew up in Wisconsin but had moved to LA with his agent when he was sixteen to pursue acting in a professional capacity. He'd always just assumed that they weren't a particularly close family. His phone buzzed in his hand, and he and Merida peered down at it.
"Sorry. Speak soon. From Jack." She read aloud. "Very informative."