"Wow, this place is huge!" Jack said, as soon as they arrived. The first time he and his friends talked about going to the fair, they saw in the website the place was big, but being there… the place was gigantic. They hadn't even entered yet, and already in front of the site were at least 100 people, most using costumes.
"Well, Jack, this is the biggest fair in the country" was Tooth's answer, smiling excited.
They've just arrived at the "Magic Fair of the Sorceress and Goblins", as said in the banner in the façade of the fair. If they called it just as entrance, they wouldn't be doing justice to the real size of the place. For Jack, a plane could easily pass through the entry, and the hall looked like a hangar, filled with dozens and dozens of tents.
He took a map from his pocket, which indicated the name and location of every single tent. "Let's come inside already, I can't wait to see what they're selling in these stands", he said, smiling.
"And the boys, aren't they coming?", Tooth asked, protecting her vision from the sun with the hands and looking around, as if they'd show up at any minute.
"They're late. Nick sent a message in the group, said Aster is late with his bunny costume. He, Pitch and Sanderson are at Aster, just waiting for him to finish getting ready.
"Just for a change, late as usual", Tooth answered, a reproving tone in her voice as she shacked her head, but not really seeming annoyed. "Well, good that you got ready at my place, otherwise I'd be alone in here now.
"And why did you think I wanted to get ready at your house? I wanted to arrive as early as possible" Jack answered, a marauder smile in his face.
Jack and Tooth were costumed in character for the event, both as their characters from the RPG party the six friends were playing. Jack was wearing a marine blue gown with white details, illustrations that reminded snowflakes, and light brown skinny pants. In his waist, over the gown, was a golden girdle, made of little metal arrows, with a wooden dagger attached to it. In his feet, blue suede shoes, and a brown cape around his shoulders. In his head, a silver diadem. In his face, pointy ears and a mischievous smile, like a kid ready to cause trouble.
Tooth was using a beautiful long dress, completely covered in colored sequin, turquoise espadrilles in her feet and a pair of transparent wings on her back. When she walked, her dress reflected part of the sun's light, and she caused the illusion of a moving rainbow. Everyone in their group spent weeks making their costumes, but no one was as dedicated as her. People around them were admiring the clothes, and just at the event's entrance two different girls had already asked to take photos with her. Jack couldn't help but marvel at his friend, she was stunning.
"In this case", Tooth answered him, a smile as big as Jack's, "Let's go!".
The fair was immense. Tooth and Jack walked through the most varied tents that could exist, most of them handmade products, selling from incenses and talismans to dragon shaped herbal soups. Walking inside, between hundreds of fantasy fans, the two of them stopped at a tent with bags and medieval accessories. Jack fell in love with a shoulder bag that, as the saleswoman said, "was excellent to save the essentials in a journey, made of the most legitimate dragon's hide!". He bought it, excited. The bag combined perfectly with his vestment, the same color as the cape.
After that, they stopped at a tent called Flying Little Donkey. The owner, Little Tony, The Angy, was selling beers and handmade liquors, "the most potent potions in all Alagaësia!". Jack and Tooth ordered two butterbeers and struck up a conversation with a group of people drinking together, quickly mingling. Before leaving, they had a liquor tasting, and Tooth bought a juniper liquor with nutmeg and star anise that smelled delicious.
"Can I have the honor of debuting your new bag and save the bottle into it, Jack?", she asked, the wrapped bottle in her hands.
"Sure, but I warn you already that, if you forget to take it later, it's mine", Jack replied with a falsely serious air on his face, and both laughed.
"What do you want to see now?"
Jack took the map out of his pocket and analyzed the names that interested him the most. "Look, there're some tents outside that we haven't seen yet, and they seem cool".
"You mean in the entrance? I didn't see any".
"No, there's a back exit that leads to an open patio. Here says they have a real forge there, I really want to see it".
"Let's go see it, then", Tooth said, excited.
Walking through some corridors, they reached the back of the building. An enormous pair of double doors opened to the outside area, where a sound of metal crashing metal came from. The friends looked at each other, animated about the sound, already imagining a tall and strong blacksmith with his hammer hitting an anvil.
Going out to the courtyard, there were some tents like the others, but a big wooden construction stood out between them, bigger than any other. It was on their left, half of it had a cover, and the other half exposed to the open sky. Hanging was a wooden sign with the name of the tent: Dragon Riders. It had three painted dragons, two of them large and broad, one metallic green and one mustard yellow, and a third, black and small. Even from a distance, they could see the red glow of the forge and smoke rising, despite the large crowd surrounding the place. They moved closer, squeezing through the people to get a good view of the work being done.
The blacksmiths in there didn't disappoint. Actually, they were just what everyone imagined a blacksmith to be. Two immense men were working with typical medieval European weapons, both very tall and large. While one of them inserted a sword in a scalding hot furnace, the other plunged an incandescent ax into a black liquid, causing a loud hiss to be emitted accompanied by smoke. They would easily pass for gods, like Mars or Vulcan.
Jack was in awe of their work. The man with the ax in hand was thick-skinned, rock solid, his posture stooped with work. He had a big blond mustache and wore a helmet with huge metal horns. Jack knew it was nothing but ornamental, of course, it wouldn't be practical in a real fight, but he still loved the Viking inspiration in it. The other had a huge braided red beard, straight posture and broad shoulders.
"Wow, these guys are awesome!", Jack said out loud, excited, overcoming the noise of an anvil.
"Yeah, and one of them is quite cute", Tooth amended, a suggestive tone in her voice.
Jack frowned and widened his eyes, turning to face her. Ferocious? Sure. Manly? Definitely. Muscled, berserkers, giants… Jack would've accepted any of these adjectives. But "cute"? He knew his friend's taste in men was questionable, but that had been worrisome.
"Which one is the "cute"? The one over there that's bigger than our car, or the one the size of a bear? I didn't know you were into a daddy… - Jack added in a mocking tone.
"Oh, Jack, not them!", she said with disapproval. "I'm talking about the boy working the anvil", she said, gesturing with her head.
Jack turned in the direction she was indicating, and then he saw it.
Sitting by the anvil was a boy apparently their age. Tousled brown hair, his gaze was focused on the emberlike sword in front of him. He hammered the sword over the anvil, shaping it, his face sweaty with heat and work. His white skin was spotted and tanned, perhaps from the furnace flames. By doing the repetitive movement, the muscles in his arms stood out.
Jack's jaw dropped. Man, he thought, what a hot guy. He was more than just cute. His face was smooth and his body thin, which contrasted with the heavy work, creating a duality between delicacy and rusticity. Watching him work was like watching a painting come to life. Jack had never seen anyone he found this attractive at first.
Jack's focus was on him alone. The work must have been very exhausting, but the young man continued as if it was something simple, eventually rising to reheat the blade or dip into the dark liquid. Jack could spend the entire day admiring him.
Tooth didn't need five seconds to feel the gay vibe her friends was emanating. Jack looked like he'd forgotten his mouth opened, staring at the boy.
"Admiring the landscape?", she said laughing, with malice in her voice.
Jack blinked twice, as if leaving a trance, and looked at her.
"Sorry", he said. Some seconds passed until he understood what his friend said, and his ears turned red like the forge's fire. Jack could feel his ears burning as she laughed at his face.
"Go talk to the boy", she suggested, encouraging him. She knew that, despite being a extroverted guy, he was quite shy when interested in someone. "Ask him if he needs help holding his sword", she added, winking.
Jack's cheeks flushed violently at the suggestive tone, and he turned his face away from her, determined to face another smith and ignore the handsome young man.
Tooth just laughed. After a few minutes, she commented that she was hungry, and suggested that they go to a tent that sold food. Jack nodded, with some disappointment that he hadn't been able to exchange a glance with the other young man, and off they went.
They wandered around the fair awhile longer, seeing new stalls, but Jack's mind constantly sailed back to the smithy. He really wanted to go there again to see that boy. Just thinking about him and imagining them talking, Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest.
"Jack, it's already 1 pm, the costume contest should already be starting", Tooth said, excited.
Every year, there was a contest of who had the best costume, original and cosplay. People took to the stage and the one who received the most applause was declared the winner, entitled to a laurel wreath and a title.
They proceeded to a big stage, a huge group of people already around it. The dais was wide and reasonably deep, almost the size of a theater stage. In the background was a pair of imposing black thrones, with two figures seated on them. Beside one of them, there was another person, standing. In front, a girl dressed as the White Witch.
"Hello, welcome everyone to the Magical Fair of the Witches and Goblins!", announced the White Witch with the microphone in one hand and the cold spire in the other.
People all applauded and cheered, excited. This was, for many, the best part of the fair.
"I'm delighted to be your host in the 23th edition of the event. Annually, we hold three contests: the Titulation of Knights and Amazons, followed by the Coronation of the Witch and the Goblin, and, in the end, the Best Cosplay."
"First, we'll have the Cavalry Parade, where you will choose the champion who will be declared amazon or knight. After that, there will be the Royalty Contest to choose the witch and the goblin who will sit on the royal throne. Remembering that there's not restrictions on the royalty's gender, a sorcerer or a gobliness can also compete. And last but not least, we will have the cosplay contest, which I won last year!"
Everyone applauded, some whistling with their fingers.
"Now, let's get to the rules! The choice of the champions is simple: I'll call call all those who want to dispute to the stage, and you must parade to the plebs – she said, pointing to the audience – and to Your Majesties – directing the spear towards the figures on the thrones. – In the end, the one who receives the greatest ovation will be declared a knight or an amazon!"
The audience clapped and screamed, raising their arms in the air. Tooth and Jack looked at each other excitedly. They couldn't wait to see the fantasies that would follow.
"A shame the others haven't arrived yet, they're going to miss the best part", Jack stated referring to their friends, trying to overcome the screams of the people.
Moving her arms, The White Witch asked the cheers to be lower so she could be heard.
"Now, I ask every one of you a round of applause to Your Highness from last year, You Majesty, The Wrong-headed Witch, and Your Majesty, Gobliness Leonora of the Fairies, and last year's amazon, the Gray Warrior!"
Everyone screamed and applauded. The two figures seated on the thrones rose and, hand in hand, walked to the front of the stage, guarded by the warrior. Jack had never seen costumes so beautifully crafted in his life. Those costumes were very well made. They wore prosthetics on their faces and makeup, all to characterize their characters. That would be a top-notch competition, no doubt.
After introducing themselves to the public, the three returned to the back of the stage, and the White Witch called the cavalry competitors to the stage. Several people went upstairs. Satyr's legs, bull's heads, draconians, tieflings and dwarves were among the competing races, all carrying spears, bows or even staffs. However, one caught attention as soon as she or he climbed. Someone in a full black armor, with a tail and a pair of dragon wings. This person was striking because you could hear the sound of the armor. It was metallic, metal against metal. That armor looked to be one hundred percent real.
Some of the other competitors couldn't hide their defeated faces, but most kept a confident expression on their faces. That someone would be tough competition, but he wouldn't be the only one.
The White Witch wrote down their names and, one by one, called them to parade on stage. One by one, they each walked to the center and performed maneuvers for the audience, some pretending to shoot their arrows, others pretending to shoot spells at unseen opponents. After a minute of acting, they each turned and walked to the queens, kneeling before returning to the corner of the stage.
In the fifth name, she announced: "Introducing yourself now, Henry Haddock Horrendous Third!"
While applauding with the crowd, Jack stifled a laugh. What a stupid name.
It was then that the black knight walked forward. His armor was dazzling, black and gleaming like obsidian. As he walked, it made a metallic sound, and from the seemingly limited movements he made, it was definitely real. It must have cost a fortune. He was probably a draconian, with a large scaly tail and a pair of leathery wings protruding from his armor, following his movements as if they were actually extensions of his body. When he reached the center of the stage, he unsheathed his sword and pressed a button in the scabbard.
Jack's jaw dropped open for the second time that day, along with half the people around him. As soon as he pressed that button, his sword went up in flames, fire running the length of the blade. The weapon looked like a living tongue of fire. People roared in ecstasy, and the knight demonstrated a series of blows, using his sword against invisible enemies. The blade felt alive in his hand, and his movements were quick and precise, faster than Jack had thought possible by the weight of armor. This person looked like a real warrior.
After a minute or two of showing off, he snuffed out his sword and went back to sheathing it. He bowed to the audience, receiving another round of applause, and turned to the queens at the back of the stage. The warrior standing beside them tried to sustain a neutral gaze but let out a contented expression, while the both queens looked very impressed.
As he approached, the black knight did his last trick. Kneeling, he spread his pair of leathery wings. With the sound of rapidly moving air, they opened. Two huge black dragon wings spread out to the public, hiding the queens from view in their formidable shadow.
The crowd went wild. Neither Tooth nor Jack had seen anything so incredible. He looked almost straight out of a book.
After his presentation, most of the other contestants looked haggard. His fantasies were still great, of course, but nothing compared to what "Henry," as he had introduced himself, had done. After further introductions and a quick assessment of the standing ovations, the White Witch declared victory.
"It is with immense pleasure that I proclaim the champion among this year's champions, Henry Haddock Horrendous Third!".
Everyone applauded and cheered. The three figures at the back of the stage approached to the center, as did the victor. The sorceress queen turned to her warrior, who offered her her own sword, then turned to Henry.
"Take off your helmet, young master, and kneel".
He did so, revealing his face for the first time. Black scales were painted on the sides of his face and neck, framing him. He wore green sclera lenses with a vertical pupil, giving him a wild look. The man looked like a wild dragon, and Jack felt a pang of excitement seeing him. All those movements with the sword and the face painted with the complete costume, it was all very attractive, it awakened something primal inside him.
"Jack", Tooth yelled, turning to him excitedly, "it's the boy from the blacksmiths' workshop!"
Once again, Jack's mouth dropped open, shocked. Maybe he should just leave it that way until the end of the event. It was true, it was the blacksmith boy. Jack had thought he was beautiful before, but now? His heart was pounding against his chest, almost escaping and hurting. He urgently needed to get to know this boy, before the adrenaline in his body killed him.
Henry knelt, and the sorceress queen spoke, loud and clear for all to hear, with the sword over his shoulder:
"Now, I entitle thee Sir Henry Haddock Horrendous Third, Knight of The Wicked and the Ugly, member of the Court of the Lost Souls of this Reign of Sorceresses and Goblins. Rise up, knight, that thy deeds may be of horrendous prodigies!"
As he rose, the White Witch placed a laurel wreath upon his head, and the warrior knelt in front of him, passing her charge on. It was said into the microphone that, in a year's time, he would be called up for the next event, when it would be his turn to pass the position on.
After that, the next presentations were made, with new victors, but Jack could no longer pay attention. All he saw was the knight at the back of the stage. At the end, all the chosen took solo and group photos, destined for the event's website, and left the stage.
"Come on, Jack", Tooth said excitedly. "I want to meet this Sir Henry"
Jack groaned, in a tone of insecurity. He could feel his ears hot and his cheeks on fire. He suddenly forgot where his voice was.
Tooth, rolling her eyes, gently took his forearm and pulled him to the stairs on the side of the stage, where the other boy was. There were several people around him, taking pictures and shaking his hand. They waited a few minutes for the group to dissolve, leaning against the wall to the side of the stage, and Tooth introduced herself.
"Hi, nice to meet you! Congratulations on your performance, you were amazing", she said, a bright, genuine smile on her face.
"Thanks", the boy replied smiling.
"Eh, uhm hum, congrats on the coronation, you're sick", Jack said, coughing a little to make his voice come back. Unfortunately, it sounded squeaky, and he felt his stomach curl. Bad first impression, he thought.
The other boy turned to him. His eyes roamed over Jack's face, taking in every detail, from the messy white hair to the pointed elven ears. He had a thing for costumes with pointy ears. Continuing to assess his face, he reached his eyes, a color he'd never seen. Blue as ice, but emanating a warmth that matched the smile.
What a beautiful guy, he thought.
"Th- thanks", he said, catching his breath. His breathing seemed to have stopped, but he didn't realize it until now. He held out his hand to Jack, and the two shook hands in a rather awkward motion, not looking away.
Tooth looked from one to the other, chuckling inwardly. Her work there was done. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to make room for them, seeing the notifications. Pretending to be distracted, she went to sit on the stage steps.
"Seriously, I've never seen a costume so cool", Jack said, scratching the back of his neck and looking away. Bringing up a subject seemed inexplicably difficult.
"Thank you, your complement means a lot to me, I spent months making this", the other replied, blushing.
Jack's eyes widened in surprise and he turned his gaze back to the outfit. Had he done it himself? It was an amazing work. Up close, the costume had even more detail. There were even scuff marks, with half-worn leather straps and new ones, but all the metal plates were gleaming. He had probably retouched the paintwork before the event.
"Wow, how fantastic, you are a very good blacksmith!" This guy is handsome AND talented, Jack thought. Gradually regaining his sense of humor, Jack bowed exaggeratedly, making a great swipe of his hand, and added, "Congratulations on the title, Lord Henry. I expect great deeds from you."
"Hahaha, thank you so much," the other chuckled, seeing Jack's smile. – but Henry sounds very serious, call me Hiccup. I know, it's a dumb nickname, but I got it when I was little and it kind of stuck. You can call me Henry too, if you rather.
"Okay then, Hiccup. Nice to meet you, I'm Jack", he replied. It was a cute nickname, it didn't seem to go with the sexy guy in front of him, but Jack preferred to call him that. It was easier to ignore how hot he was with a funny nickname.
Jack went back to look at the other's armor. It was really well made, each metal plate reflecting the light from the ceiling.
"If you want, you can touch it", Hiccup said, interrupting his thoughts. He must have been staring for the other to make the offer.
"Thanks," Jack said, swallowing hard. He reached out and ran a hand over the other's outstretched arm. The metal was cool to the touch, smooth. Jack ran his hand through it, feeling no imperfection. Hiccup had done an excellent job. "Wow, how hard it is".
Hiccup felt his cheeks heat up. That boy was beautiful, and his comment about his armor being hard as he rubbed it caused him a lower tingle. Thank to all the gods, his armor covered his crotch.
Jack regrated as soon as he opened his mouth, dying with embarrassment. It was obvious that that had sounded strange.
"I mean, the metal, how hard it is. Obviously, right, it's metal. All this clothing must be very heavy", he replied, red.
"It's a little, actually. What weight the most is the wings, I need to bend forward a little, otherwise I lose my balance."
"That time you opened them was, wow, awesome! How did you do all this?" Jack asked, his eyes shining like a child.
Hiccup smiled.
"You mean this?", hiccup said, and his wings opened. Up close, they were even bigger.
Jack was impressed, and ran his hands over one of them, feeling the texture. It might have been made of a material other than leather, but the texture was the same.
"Cool, right?", Hiccup said at his side.
Jack reached out to touch the wings. The two were very close, less than a meter apart. With Jack's back to the wall, Hiccup created a small private space just for the two of them as he spread his wings, protecting them from other people.
They stared at each other, not looking away. Hiccup had a wild, almost feline look, two vertical slits fixed on Jack. Jack felt like prey under his gaze, but he held on. Covered in the shadow of Hiccup's wings, he was protected, the two of them in an intimate space of their own. Summoning up his courage, Jack walked over, putting one hand on the other's thorax.
"You have beautiful green eyes, Hiccup", Jack whispered, a slight smile on his face.
"And you have beautiful blue eyes like the sky, my prince", Hiccup returned the compliment, his voice low and husky, putting an arm around Jack's back.
"How do you know my character is a prince?"
"Only a royal could be this beautiful," he said, a whisper in Jack's ear. Jack felt his legs melt at the praise. "Then, you're wearing a crown", he added, making the other chuckle slightly.
"Oh, this? It's a diadem".
"Looks beautiful on you". Rubbing his hand with a caress on the back of Jack, Hiccup asked, "Could I invite you to take a walk around the fair later?"
"I'd love to", Jack replied, smiling happy but in disbelief. He couldn't believe a cute guy like that had asked him out.
"Nice, I just need to stop by my tent first and get rid of this", he said, referring to the costume. "You have no idea how hot it is. Want to come along?"
"Sure, let's go. I'll just talk to my friend first."
Before Hiccup closed his wings again and released the other from his embrace, Jack craned his neck and pecked him on the cheek. Hiccup turned tomato red, and Jack decided that color was perfect for him. Wings folded, Jack turned away from Hiccup and turned to Tooth, who was staring at him with an almost dirty look.
"Look at this, I turn around for a minute and you're already mingling", she said in an amused tone. Jack didn't even try to hide the red in his face, she could read all his emotions.
"He called me to 'take a walk'. Will you be really upset if I go with him?"
"Of course not, enjoy it. The boys texted a few minutes ago saying they've arrived. I'll go up to the tavern tent meet them and we'll have some butterbeers, but you can accompany Sir Henry to the smithy."
"Actually, it's Hiccup".
"Awn, how cute, you already have pet names", she said, teasingly.
Jack felt his ears heating up.
"Sorry, I don't want to spoil the mood between you two", she said, in a soothing tone. "Go have fun. Take the opportunity and drink that bottle in your bag, I'll buy another one."
"Thanks!"
Jack and Tooth hugged each other, and each headed in a different direction.
Jack and Hiccup went to the forge, talking the whole way. They talked about their costumes. Hiccup told how hard it was to forge each of the metal pieces, while Jack talked about the campaign he was on as a half-elf prince. In the end, starting a conversation became easier.
Arriving at the forge, Hiccup went in and went to the back beside the blacksmith with the blond mustache, presumably to help remove his armor. He was there for about 15 minutes. When he came out, he was wearing only a plain green T-shirt and brown pants. The only pieces of his armor left were a chain mail over his shirt, the sword in the sheath, and the laurel wreath he had been given.
"I like the chain mail, looks good on you", Jack said, admiring him. In fact, he was beautiful with it, he looked like a knight.
"Thank you, my father who did. I use it to advertise the smithy."
"Damn, your father is an amazing craftsman, the hoops of chain are so small!", Jack said, admiring it closely. Curious, he also asked "Do you guys work on it as a hobby?"
"Oh, no, it's a fulltime job", hiccup replied while they walked without a specific direction. "We receive many orders from all over the country. You have no idea how many people want handcrafted weapons, armor or horseshoes. They are quite successful at fairs."
"I bet, you do excellent advertisement with your armor. You look beautiful in it", Jack said, gaining confidence.
Hiccup blushed, but responded accordingly. "Not as much as you with your elf ears".
It was Jack's turn to blush.
The two of them continued their friendly conversation, exchanging a few flirtations but genuinely wanting to know more about each other. In the end, they had several things in common. Both enjoyed roleplaying games, both enjoyed medieval fantasy books, and their favorite season was Winter. To Hiccup, the forge in his house felt like a heart during the cold of winter, a warm place in the middle of the ice. For Jack, Winter was perfect for making snowball fights. Priorities.
They sat on an unoccupied bench near the shade of a tree, just a few rays of sunlight streaming through its leaves. Jack grabbed his bag and pulled the liquor out of it.
"Do you drink?", he asked, offering the bottle.
"Yes."
Jack opened the bottle and took a big first swig. The drink had a tasty perfume, but the taste itself was very strong. He grimaced and offered it.
"Hope you don't mind that I put my mouth to the mouthpiece", Jack said, handing Hiccup the bottle.
Hiccup smiled and took a sip. A little trickled down to his chin, but he licked his lips and then wiped his chin with the back of his hand.
"You know, that counts as an indirect kiss", he said, faking a serious tone in his voice. "It's basically like I kissed you now."
"Oh, no!", said Jack, making a scene. "Our first kiss, spent like that, with a bottle. What a sacrilege! What will we say to our grandchildren, Hiccup?"
The other laughed aloud, a contagious laugh, the kind that makes others laugh together. Jack laughed with him, amused. He wanted to hear Hiccup laugh more often.
"Well, it's not because the first kiss was bad that the second has to be too." Hiccup's voice had an inviting tone, and Jack plastered a goofy grin on his face. Hiccup was in love with that smile, he never wanted to miss it.
"And what do you have in mind? Will it be that this time you drink straight from the bottle and I drink later?"
Hiccup laughed again, moving closer to him. The two kept their gazes connected, admiring each other. Jack nervously reached out his hand to the other, who took it and laced their fingers together. Moving closer, Hiccup came face to face with Jack, their noses almost touching, and gently placed a peck on his lips.
"You know", he whispered, his voice soft against Jack's mouth. "I had thought you were cute before, but up close you are even more beautiful."
Jack looped his arms around his neck, stroking the back of his neck with one hand.
"I say the same, Sir Henry"
They both smiled, and Jack kissed him again, this time opening his mouth and allowing the passage of his tongue. It was a calm kiss, discovering the other. Hiccup had soft lips, quite biteable in Jack's opinion, and an addictive taste. Hiccup loved how Jack was dominant in the kiss, he would kiss him all afternoon. It was a long, gentle kiss, Jack with one hand on the back of Hiccup, the other stroking their entwined fingers. A prince and his knight, kissing under the shade of a leafy tree on a sunny day. A passerby observing them would see a beautiful Renaissance painting come to life.
They broke apart, panting. Definitely the best first (or was it second?) kiss of their lives.
"You can always count on me, Your Highness," said Hiccup, stepping into the knight character. "I'll always be here for you."
"Thank you, Lord Henry, I feel safe in your presence", Jack said, his voice almost a purr.
"Don't worry, young elven prince, I'll be your sworn knight" and, craning his neck, he covered Jack's face with soft kisses.
Hiccup took another sip of the liquor, and carefully placed the bottle on the floor. Fumbling in one of his pants pockets, he pulled out a small, blue-paper package from it.
"II know we just met, I don't even have your number yet," Hiccup tried to sound casual, but stuttered on the first word. Jack thought that was very cute. "But I would like to give you this."
Jack's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"It's a present, open."
Jack took the parcel from the other's hands and opened it, being careful not to tear the paper. When he opened it, there was a snowflake.
"It's a pendant," Hiccup said. "Sometimes I get bored and I like carving in wood. Anyway, I made this snowflake and painted it white the other day, and then I saw your outfit with the snowflake designs, and I thought you might like it." He said it all in a second, very nervous. Scratching the back of his neck and looking away, his face red, he hoped he wasn't being too hasty in giving a present right away.
Jack forgot how to speak. That gift was beautiful, the other one had hit the nail on the head. He took it from the wrapping and fastened it around his neck. It fit his costume perfectly. Turning to Hiccup, he squeezed his hand, getting his attention. The other looked him in the eyes that watched him with dilated pupils.
"This is the most beautiful gift I've ever received", he said, and kissed Hiccup, passionately.
"I'm glad you liked it" Hiccup spoke between kisses. "So, is it okay if I get your number?"
"Hahaha, sure", Jack said, smiling. "But I warn you that I'll want another carved gift in the next date."
Hiccup chuckled, before answering, "Don't you worry, I have other things carved in my workshop. How about a staff with ice painted on it? I think it would suit your character."
Jack beamed, and so the two spent their entire afternoon.
In the end, Hiccup had to go back to the tent to clean up, and Jack went to meet his friends to head home. Not before exchanging a few goodbye kisses, of course. All the way back, Jack clutched the necklace to his chest. He couldn't wait to see Hiccup again.