He Is… Handsome
Hiccup was walking through the woods, her hands shoved deep into the furry pockets of her vest. She would have to keep her walk short. It was such a cold day, Jokul Frosti was probably going to be coming any day now, bringing his biting winds and mounds of snow with him. Hiccup had never really believed in Jokul Frosti, but he was a cute story her mother used to tell her when she was little, and she liked anything that reminded her of her mother.
As Hiccup looked down at the leaves, she couldn't help the smile on her face. The leaves on the uneven ground beneath her booted feet crunched, and Hiccup remembered when her mother used to take her into the forest during the autumn to make a big pile of leaves and just play in them for an entire afternoon.
Those had been the days— back when her mother had still been alive. She always made Hiccup feel wanted and loved. But now…
Hiccup mentally shook her head. She was not going to ruin the beautiful memories of autumn leaves her mother had given her by wallowing in self-pity about her life now. Hiccup turned around, expecting to see nothing but the browns, reds, and golds of an autumn forest, but froze when she was met also by the sight of a pale boy in a blue coat and black pants.
Hiccup was so shocked that she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth. Instead of facing her and talking to her, the boy immediately spun around, and for a split second, Hiccup's heart shattered. Was she so recognized as an unlucky failure that this boy that she didn't even know would run from her?
But then, he did something that surprised her. He tensed and held a wooden staff Hiccup hadn't noticed in front of him, as if expecting to see something threatening. What was he doing? Never mind that, who was he? Always one to work for answers to the questions she thought of, Hiccup called out shakily,
"W-who are you?"
If possibly, the boy tensed even more than he already was before slowly turning around. He looked cautious, but Hiccup couldn't understand why. His hand trembled as he pointed to himself, as if asking if Hiccup was talking to him.
"Y-you can see me?"
His expression brightened, and looked unbearably hopeful. His bright blue eyes sparkled, and his white hair shone in stark contrast to the warm tones of the forest around him. Hiccup noticed how the soft-looking locks were slightly ruffled, and found herself wanting to run her fingers through his hair to tame his hair. She was shocked at her thoughts, but not too much. The boy was handsome. His face was chiseled, and all of his features were well-defined. He was tall, but not gangly. He was toned, but not bulky like the Viking boys in Berk.
The boy in the woods certainly was handsome. Before Hiccup could lose herself by just staring at the exotic and highly appealing sight of the boy, her brain registered what he had just said. She furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side before asking,
"Of course I can see you! What are you doing here?" She had taken a beat too long to answer, but she hoped that he hadn't noticed.
"My name's Jack," the boy ignored her questions and just decided to introduce himself. Honestly, Hiccup couldn't find it in her to complain. His voice was as gorgeous as the rest of him. She would listen to anything he had to say. "Jack Frost!"
Jack Frost… Hiccup took a minute to think. Why did that sound so familiar? Jack Frost. Jack Frosti. But... there was no way. Hiccup took a second to take another look at the unusually pale boy. He was so white, his skin almost looked like... snow. Oh, no.
"Oh gods!" Hiccup cried out as she stumbled back a few steps. She just couldn't believe it! He shouldn't have been real! "You're Jokul Frosti!"
"What?" the boy asked, and Hiccup felt like hitting herself. The first person who wasn't mean to her after talking to her, and she was running away from him? Just because of his name and the way he looked? What if she had been wrong? Maybe he just had a name that sounded extremely close to Jokul Frosti. Maybe he was just cold and needed a bit of time by a fire. Hiccup fought down the embarrassed blush which threatened to make a very strong appearance on her face. "No, I just told you, my name's Jack."
Oh no. Now he probably wanted to know her name. And when he heard her name, it was a given that he would want nothing to do with her. She was just a— a hiccup. Still, she had to tell him. Slowly, she gathered her nerve and said cautiously,
"My name's Hiccup," She really hoped he wouldn't hurt her just for being who she was. She braced herself for his look of disgust, or a look of cruelty to cross his handsome face, but neither happened. He just looked excited. Hiccup blinked. She asked incredulously, "You still want to talk to me?"
For a second, the boy looked surprised, and then he had a look of pity. Hiccup felt herself start to sweat and her face burned. This boy in the woods— one she didn't even know— pitied her. She hated the feeling of knowing that she evoked such a feeling from the boy in front of her. But then, his expression changed into one Hiccup had never seen before. She wasn't sure what it was, and honestly, Hiccup wasn't trying too hard to figure it out. His handsome features had once again captured her attention, and Hiccup gladly let herself get distracted by them.
His skin was pale, but for some odd reason, Hiccup found that while the pallor may have looked sickly on other people, Jack somehow pulled it off. Almost as if he was meant to look that way. It made his shining ice blue eyes pop, and Hiccup came to the conclusion that she liked that he was nothing like every boy in the village, all of whom were unbearably mean to her. His neck was strong, but not thick or meaty, like Hiccup's cousin Snotlout, who most Viking girls in Berk found to be a prime specimen of male supremacy. His jaw was strong, and not hidden under layers of flesh like Hortenbelch's was. His nose was straight, and they drew Hiccup's eyes down to his lips. They weren't full, but they weren't thin, either, and Hiccup couldn't help but to wonder what it would be like to kiss them. Or just to be held by him. Jack was tall, but didn't make her feel weak and afraid, like practically everyone in her village. Even though Hiccup hadn't spoken to him for more than ten minutes, Jack made her feel safe and content, like she usually felt after Berk was covered with a silencing layer of snow.
"I don't want to just talk to you," Jack said, and Hiccup's heart skipped a beat at the words coming from such a handsome boy, with such a charming voice and easy smile. "I want to be your friend."
And that was how it all started.
"Jack's always been handsome," Hiccup said as she frowned at what was left of her left leg. "That was one of the first things I noticed about him. And he's still handsome. Actually, he's even better looking than I remember. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed. What if Jack's realized how out of my league he is? He's always been able to have anyone he wants. But before, I was the only one who gave him the time of day. Now he's a big-shot guardian of fun. More people— more girls are going to be paying attention to him. I'm worried that they're going to go after him just for his looks, and that he'll let them. He's so much more than just a pretty face, though. He is…"
So, that's the second chapter. Tell me what you think? Should I continue? I've planned the story to be about ten chapters, if I do end up going all the way. I have the chapters all planned out and everything, I just suck at counting (T . T) Anyway, please favorite, follow, and review, I'd love to hear any of the beautiful thoughts running through y'alls minds :)
