AN: Hallo everyone! I hope you like my first chapter of Apartment lives. My inspiration for this story is the American show F.R.I.E.N.D.S and The Big Four, f.r.i.e.n.d.s clips on youtube.
I will not try to be funny, because I'm going to fail at that horribly :( No, the humour will come naturally and it will be a nice story, full of friendship and cannon characteristics (no ooc's)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of How to train your Dragon, Brave, Tangled, Frozen or Rise of the Guardians

Ch. 1 Hiccup's fright after his flight

This story takes place in a fairy tale land. It is a time where magic is found in the hidden corners of the world. Not everyone is tied with it, but there are some who are. Some stories happened, others only partly happened and others still have to find their turn.
This is the world in which five friends live. They left their childhood and protective parents behind them and try to make a live for their own.

In the small town of Bariden, in the local bar, owned by a woman named Heather, Jack frost and his good friend Rapunzel enjoy a relaxed conversation after a busy day. Jack felt pretty tired after a whole week being around the other Guardians, but Rapunzel never seemed to have such problems. She was already telling him about her next job.
"For a restoration, I only have to repaint it. It is so cool, but also, a bit strange. I mean, that wall painting was put there as a memorial for me."

"Just try to ignore it. I don't have my own national day like North or the Easter Bunny do, so I don't know the feeling, but just forget that it is about you. Must be easy since you're just a baby in that painting and have golden hair, instead of brown." Jack suggested, seeing that his friend really had some problems with it after all.
"Although, I doubt North and Bunny ever tried that, seeing that they always argue about 'who got the most important holiday.'" He added with an annoyed face.

"Maybe, I'll try that. My mother actually suggested I repaint my hair in the painting of myself into my natural hair colour. I think she thinks it will help me get over my past, but I don't know if I want that." Rapunzel's expression changed as she spoke into a serious one and she played nervously with the folds of her dress while avoiding Jack's gaze. Jack, however kept his eyes upon his nervous friend. He knew it had been bothering her ever since she got that request and he wanted to be of help.

"What do you mean?" he asked her in a low voice. Isn't your past still bothering you?"

"Sometimes, I still want to think fondly of the good times of my childhood, but then the truth about the witch comes back to me and hurts me and ruins the memory. I want to see myself with my parents as a family, but I really miss my magic hair. Wouldn't it be great if my hair got its magic back?" She asked and watched her friend hopefully.

Jack couldn't help but grin, he knew Rapunzel was up to something and she always dragged him into her excitement whenever that happened. He felt it save to joke again and grinned cheekily
"Be a golden blonde again? Sure!"

Rapunzel allowed herself to loosen up and laugh. "Thanks Jack." Then, she took a deep breath and threw her long brown braid over her shoulder.
"Now on to you, How does it work for you again? Now that Spring time is coming you don't have much work, right?"

Jack sighed with annoyance. No, not anymore. North wants us to work together more. Bunny already argued with him about it and for once I agree with him, but North made up his mind. He has his mind set on entertaining the children in person and because none of them actually know how to play with kids they need me. As soon as I'm needed they send Baby Tooth to get me and in the mean time I have to earn my money, which is much easier, anyway." He turned to see Heather smiling at him and waved.
"It is more fun working for Heather anyway." He added.

"Come on, Jack, we all know you love spreading snow fun to kids all over the world." Rapunzel tried to cheer him up.

"Yes, I do, but I hate to ask them for any payment for that."

"I understand, now that you are no longer a spirit, you must eat, but you can always come to me and Eugene. I gladly be your cook and Hiccup can manage the rent alone anyway." Rapunzel said, trying to think of solutions.

"I can't lay around! I have to do something when I'm not spreading snow and ice."

"You don't have to, I'm just working for fun too, Eugene makes enough money, being a Royal Guard. No, you just need to make life fun- without snowing everybody in- (Jack grinned happily at that)
You need a hobby or two, like I do, I have a lot of hobbies and I'm never bored without my work!"

"Yes Punz, but you used to be trapped in a tower for eighteen years." Jack said, waving her logic away. "While we're on that topic, you do know you are allowed to venture further than this town and the town your parents live in, right?"

Rapunzel was put off her track by this and gave Jack a confused look. Her eyes moved from right to left as she processed the idea, but then she pulled herself together and put on a confident face.
"I know." She said.

Jack chuckled. "Just checking." He grinned and he relaxed on the couch he was sitting on with his hands behind his head. "as long as you keep yourself happy, Punz,"

"So where is Hiccup?" Rapunzel asked to start a new topic.

"I don't know, still busy maintaining his Dragon Islands, I guess."

At that moment, Eugene walked into the bar and immediately made for the sitting area where he greeted his girlfriend with a sweet kiss.
"Hey Eugene, have you seen Hiccup yet?" Rapunzel asked him as he squirmed himself next to her and let her sit in his lap.

"No, because I came straight from work to see my princess." He replied and gave Rapunzel another kiss.

"Aaawww!" Rapunzel giggled, but I don't mind you take a shower after chasing thieves."

Eugene just took a loud long sniff of his Royal guard uniform and shrugged as if he did got the issue.
"Hiccup will turn up eventually, Punz." He replied to her first question while he and Jack had a silent agreement about manly smells. "Why are you so anxious about him all of a sudden?" Jack wanted to know and Eugene too watched his girlfriend with interest.

"Well…" She began, but then the person in question entered the bar with a face that would even scare the thunder god Thor.

"Wohow, what happened to you?" Jack reacted as Rapunzel stood up in alarm. "Something tells me it has nothing to do with the dragons."

"Even though, you have been on fire." Eugene added, "Jack, help the man out, will ya?"

"No, no, don't use your frost, I'm fine." Hiccup said quckly and he sat himself down next to jack, but with raced hands to shield his burned cheek.

"Astrid?" Jack opted subtly.

"More or less," Hiccup answered grumpily and he ignored Rapunzel's gentle attempt to put an arm on his shoulder. Denied of her gesture of friendship, Rapunzel set off to the counter where Heather who knew both Hiccup and Astrid equally well, kept an worried eye on the young Viking.

Hiccups let out a deep sigh. "It's just so messed up now. Astrid always stood beside me so that made her part of an unspoken shared leadership, but now that we've broken up she still wants to be in charge and throws our missions into chaos. I tried to talk to her, but I only seem to make her mad and ended up being attacked by her, her dragon and her new flame."

"Oh that guy!" Jack exclaimed and he promptly sat up straight with a look of great importance. He hit his chest with his fist and saying: "Eret, son of Eret!"

"He started this whole mess and he seems to have 'conveniently' forgotten that I admitted him into the academy and gave him my dad's dragon!" Hiccup continued, completely ignoring Jack's impression.

"But what is it that is messed up, exactly? That Astrid left you suddenly, or that they undermine your authority?" Eugene asked, screwing up his face in concentration.

"It went too fast really." Hiccup allowed himself to relax and Rapunzel game back with a ale for Hiccup and sat herself down again to watch the effect of her gesture. Hiccup took up the mug, but left it at that.
"Astrid always has been headstrong and, but even when she was denying our relationship, our connection was, well, perfect. But in the end she decided Eret was more her type and now she is pushing me away so hard, that I don't have time to figure out my feelings about it all."

The next morning Hiccup decided he was done with the girls he found attractive. He must not have a good eye at all! Astrid once loved to roam the skies like he did, but when she got older she needed to make her name in the village and became rooted there. Since the Great Battle with Drago Bloodfist she found her likeness in the new recruit: Eret, son of Eret. Now they were together and Hiccup had left Berk to live in Bariden. Astrid had this image of herself being the queen of the dragons, because she won every Dragon Race and together with Eret she started to take over Hiccup's pride: the Dragon Training Academy.

Every morning Toothless flew with his new improved tail to Bariden on his own. The first time Hiccup made him that tail, he didn't want to fly without Hiccup at all, but now they didn't have a choice. Bariden was not used to dragon's, being in the west, beyond the border of the Arcepelico. Even apart from Berk, Hiccup was still in charge of Berk's defence force and the Dragon riders. It had not been easy to live so far away from Berk and Corona had not been his first choice. He didn't even know of the country before now, but Jack had been his reason. Living on an island that snowed nine months of the year and hailed the other three, it was expected that Jack and Hiccup would meet and they had. At that time, Jack had been a spirit, but at the beginning of this year, he suddenly came before Hiccup as a human of flesh and blood. Jack told him about his wish the Man in the Moon had granted and he was grateful to be seen by everyone at last. However, Jack was still Jack frost, the bringer of winter and as such, no human could be close to him without proper protection against his freezing cold.
Hiccup understood that this truth cut off Jack from having a normal live and so he agreed to be his roommate, so Jack could forget his isolation. Through Jack Hiccup came to know Rapunzel and Eugene and when he traced Heather down to be in Bariden as well, his decision was made. With his old friend Heather close, he didn't feel far away from all he knew, but far enough to figure out what he wanted in live. After the Great Battle with Drago Bloodfist, Hiccup had accepted his duty as Chieftain and he still did, he just was not ready yet.

"Good morning!" Hiccup greeted all the dragons when he entered the stallions under the arena and he started to feel much better by seeing them all. As usual he wanted to release them all into the arena as soon as possible, but before he did, he wanted to speak with Stormfly, Astrid's Deadly Nadder. He stopped in front of her cage and the green-blue bird-like dragon turned to glare at him.

"Hey Stormfly," Hiccup began in a soothing vice, " you still like me, don't you? You didn't mean to shot racer sharp spears directly to my face, did you? You just had a bad day." Hiccup cautiously reached out to pat her scaled snout, but had to withdraw his hand quickly when the dragon snapped at him angrily.

"Hey, take it easy!" Hiccup tried, but he really didn't get to say anymore to the matter, because Toothless, who was caged up next to Stormfly, threw an attack right at her vulnerable belly.

"Oh come on, Toothless! Bad dragon!" Hiccup called startled over Stormfly's screeches.

"What are you doing to my dragon?"

"Oh no." Hiccup growled when he heard the female voice that used to lift up his heart for years, but now let it sink.

"Please Astrid, I have everything under control. Toothless was way out of line." Hiccup said feverishly to the pretty blonde Viking in front of him and, to avoid her scorching gaze, looked to his friend for support, which he didn't get. Toothless didn't like to get the blame and was now waiting for an apology from both Hiccup and Stormfly.

"Oh please Hiccup, under control? Your dragon attacked my dragon!" Astrid was never fooled. She knocked Hiccup to the ground and released Stormfly. The Deadly Nadder was not injured enough to forget who to be furious at and raised her tail threateningly. Hiccup could just ball himself up to avoid the spears from the dragon's tail that caged him tightly by forming a small circle around him. Then both Astrid and Stormfly took off.

"Oh gods. " Hiccup muttered as he stood up carefully and released himself from his tiny prison and met his friend's judging gaze.

Astrid and Stormfly didn't show themselves anymore the rest of the day and Hiccup and Toothless tried hard to keep the peace. Dragons were very sensitive for tension and there was lots of it! Eret was not happy with the reason for Astrid's absents, which he had found out himself, and claimed that Hiccup had outgrown his usefulness as leader. Snotlout agreed viciously and set Hiccup's blackboard on fire with help from his dragon. Ruffnut and Tuffnut joined in and burned down everything else. Skullcrusher, Eret's dragon picked a fight with Meatlug and when a distraught Fishlegs failed to help her burst into tears, all had to be settled down by Hiccup's mother Valka and her Wilderbeast to get both dragons and Vikings under control.

"Why don't you go home, son. I'll will take care of it." She said and she gave a snickering Eret a death-glare, after which he turned green with fear. Afterwards Toothless, who was still rebellious, spit fire at his feet so that he fell on his face.

"Well, that was a good day wasn't it?" Hiccup remarked later to Toothless. The dragon growled and gave him a worried look.
"No, no I'm fine bud. What do you say? Some flying before dark?" Toothless roared in enthusiasm and scooped the one-legged Viking up to take off. Hiccup laid down in the saddle and tried to enjoy the flight. He loved the time he got to spend with his dragon and he hated the fact that he couldn't bring Toothless to live with him. He thought he could handle it with his work in the academy to go to every day, but now he began to see that he really needed to let go off his childhood.
"What if we just continued our search around the world for new dragons and forget everything?" Hiccup muttered, more to himself. It was wishful thinking really. he imagined Jack's face when he wold leave the apartment and he figured Rapunzel would just try to lock him up in her closet or threaten him with her frying pan to stay.

"Hi, Hic!" A cheerful voice called.

"Wa!"Hiccup, who had just been expecting a low growl from Toothless in reply, almost rolled off his dragon when he heard the sudden call next to him.
"Jack, will you never do that again?" he asked his best human friend when he shot up in alarm.

The Winter Guardian laughed, "I'm sorry, I wanted to cheer you up."

"And this was your best option? To sneak up on me and give me a fright for my life?"

"It was that or a silent snowball." Jack reasoned while he shrugged his guild off easily.

"Right, thanks." Hiccup threw back sarcastically.

"So, you are thinking of leaving?" Jack asked him as he soar through the sky next to the dragon.

"No, not really. It was just a thought." Hiccup muttered as he stared at the sky, "I mean, I could never leave the other dragons at the academy."

"Oh yeah, that's right. You like your work." Jack grinned.

"You do too, Jack. I know you love to be the Guardian of Fun, because you like kids. Plus everyone can see you now since the Man in the Moon granted your wish."

"Yeah, I like being the Guardian everyone can see, it just gets really old to work with the other Guardians."

"Ha, you should never have messed up Easter or bust in Santa Claus' workshop, my friend." Hiccup teased and caused Jack sulked the rest of the way.

Hiccup agreed he needed to fresh himself up before he could visit Rapunzel and Eugene, also he welcomed a moment alone with his thoughts.
After he had taken a quick shower and put on clean clothes, he stepped outside his apartment and noticed some movement on his right at the door next to him. He remembered their neighbour had moved out last week and this had to be the new tenant so he turned to his right to meet him or her. The first thing he noticed was a fierce mob of unruly red hair that hang down over the young woman's face and covered the upper half of her body. The second thing was, contradicting to the wild hair, a very elegant dress that was very well cut to the line of her body and as the girl was trying to slam the stuck door shut, the smooth material showed of her healthy round hips and a slim waist.

"Ahem, hi there," Hiccup said as he became suddenly very uncomfortable. He tried to find some sign of a face underneath the fierce hair to address and spotted a little nose.
The girl quitted her yanking on the door at the sound of Hiccup's voice and straightened herself up. As she did, her hair lifted up a few inches. When she turned fully to him, Hiccup got a funny turn in his gut when he saw that her had a quite delicate face that was almost fully round shaped with stunning blue eyes and freckles around her nose. She looked at him and her mouth formed a polite smile.

"Oh hello. Yu must be one of may new neighbours." She said to him spiritly. Hiccup didn't recognise her accent, but she had to come from a place further up sea than Berk.

"Oh yes, I'm Hiccup. Nice to meet you." Hiccup replied quickly.

"Hiccup? That's an unusual name." The girl said with an amused smile.."

Hiccup laughed awkwardly. "It's a custom where I come from, to give a child a horrible name to scare off gnomes and trolls." He explained truthfully.

"In that case, Hiccup isn't that bad. May name is Merida, nice tae meet yu, Hiccup."

Hiccup swallowed, he was intrigued by this girl and wanted to know about her. She seemed very nice and her eyes had a deep blue colour that was similar to Astrid's eyes. They had the same daring spark that he used to like.
'Oh no." Hiccup stopped himself there by turning to Rapunzel's door, across the hall. It was way too soon for this!

AN: I hope I didn't disappoint anyone :) Astrid will remain Hiccup's friend, because I like her too much to be a bad person. There will be some drama though. Also, Elsa will appear in chapter three and the focus will vary from person to person throughout the story.

PLEASE REVIEW! :D