He Is… Sweet

"Oh my gods, have you seen Blacknose lately?"

Hiccup didn't really mean to, but she couldn't help overhearing Fishguts and Ruffnut's conversation. And she also couldn't help but roll her eyes as she unconsciously sought out the boy Fishguts and Ruffnut were talking about. Hiccup's sharp eyes found his hulking form almost immediately. He was helping Gobber carry some shipments of iron into the forge, since Hiccup couldn't. It was because Blacknose was so close that Fishguts and Ruffnut were outside of the smithy's order window.

"I know!" Ruffnut agreed, greedily eyeing the Viking boy up and down. "He's just so…strong!"

"I know!" Fishguts gushed. "And did you hear him arguing with his dad the other day?"

"He's so stubborn!" Ruffnut grinned.

Hiccup raised her eyebrows as she watched Blacknose clumsily set down the iron on the ground in front of the forge. Alright then. It was her turn to drag the material into the forge. Hiccup braced her muscles and started taking in the iron, one piece at a time.

"And did you see? He's not even helping Gobber with his loads!" Fishguts praised. Hiccup felt a little bitterness enter her chest. Yeah, Blacknose wasn't helping Gobber, but Gobber didn't need help. Who did need help? Hiccup. Who never got any help? Hiccup.

"He's just so Viking, you know?" Ruffnut sighed, leaning on Fishguts.

"Oh yeah," Hiccup mumbled to herself as Blacknose brought in another load of iron. "He's just so Viking!" Hiccup's back was beginning to ache, but she kept working, knowing what the consequences would be if Gobber came into the forge and saw the iron still on the floor. She would be put on cleaning duty. And Hiccup hated cleaning duty. It was boring and never ending and mindless. It made Hiccup want to scream and crawl in a barrel until she died.

Hiccup winced as a sharp pit of iron caught on her palm and left a long jagged streak of red. It dripped onto the iron. Hiccup's eyes widened. That wouldn't do. She wiped the metal on her shirt and then ripped a little bit off. She was about to wrap her hand with the strip of cloth when a strong cold wind invaded the forge, momentarily making the center fire flicker. Hiccup smiled.

"Jack!" She grinned up at the handsome teen. Lately, whenever Hiccup had seen Jack, she couldn't seem to stop smiling for at least an hour after he left. And her heart always beat harder and faster whenever she saw him. He made her happy.

"Hey there, Hic," Jack smiled before glancing down at what she was doing. His eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm." Hiccup grimaced. Jack's lips quirked up, but Hiccup wasn't even embarrassed by the face she was showing him. He made her feel comfortable in her skin. "We got a new shipment of iron. Gobber and Blacknose are bringing the iron up to the forge here, and I have to bring it in and organize it."

"Hiccup, you're going to get hurt," Jack said, almost like he didn't understand why she was doing this.

"If I don't and just leave the iron out here, I'm going to get stuck with cleaning duty," Hiccup frowned.

"Oh no!" Jack cried melodramatically. "Not cleaning duty!"

Hiccup laughed, and Jack grinned at her. Hiccup felt the iron leaning against her leg begin to slip and automatically reached down to keep it upright. That was definitely the wrong thing to do.

Her ripped flesh scraped along the rough iron again and Hiccup hissed in pain, pulling her hand back. There was more blood on the iron. Great. She reached to clean the iron again, but Jack's cold hand stopped her. It felt nice, his cool skin on her wound.

"Jack?" she questioned him. Jack's face was blank. For a second he looked like he was concentrating, then he pulled Hiccup further into the forge, keeping her back to the door. "Jack, the fire's on, you're going to overheat and melt, or something!" Hiccup worried.

"Hiccup." Jack sounded like he was explaining something to a four year old. Hiccup frowned before looking into Jack's icy eyes. His brows were furrowed and there were crinkles forming on his nose. Hiccup smiled slightly. He was just worried. "You're hurt."

"Oh, this? It's nothing."

Jack ignored her and turned her palm over. He traced the uncomfortably warm line of blood with his index finger, and Hiccup sighed at the cool relief his touch gave her.

"There. No more bleeding for you," Jack said, looking down at Hiccup's hand proudly. Confused, Hiccup looked down at her hand. Little particles of ice were working to patch together her wound. But it was so subtle that Hiccup could still the inside of her hand. It was fascinating. She tried to lean in to look closer, but then she heard the tell-tale uneven steps of Gobber's legs, and her eyes widened.

"The iron!" she ran to the front of the shop, but was surprised to see only the new load Gobber left by the front of the shop. "W-where did it… Jack, what did you do?"

"Well, I could practically hear you back dying, Hic," Jack smiled while running the backs of his knuckles along her spine. Hiccup shivered. "So I decided to give you a helping hand."

Hiccup furrowed her brows. Jack gave her a helping hand? But when? And how? He had been right there next to her the entire time. So it had to have been something he could have control of without directly interfering with….

"Your wind?"

"Yeah."

Hiccup turned back around to Jack and smiled up at him. Jack grinned mischievously back down at her. She loved that glimmer in his eyes. She quickly leaned up and pecked him on the lips.

"So, Hic," Jack smiled after she pulled away. "Since you're going to be free for the rest of the day, want to go out on a date later? I'll come by your house around mealtime and pick you up. Just don't eat anything, ok?"


Hiccup had known Jack for a little over a year, and he had seen her through her best and worst. So it was a little ridiculous how nervous she was right then of her appearance. Sure, it seemed to be a normal thing to be a little fidgety on your first or second date, but for all intents and purposes, this was Hiccup and Jack's three or four hundredth date.

They had spent every day Jack coud handle on the island of Berk together, and it showed in their strong relationship. And yet, Hiccup was still nervous about her clothes, and how Jack would see her. In all honesty, she knew as soon as she saw Jack's disarming smile that all her nerves would die down, like hot embers on a chilly nights. But until Jack showed her, Hiccup's nerves were as fiery and uncomfortable as the flames of a forge at midday.

"Hiccup!" Jack's voice called down from above the trees. Hiccup stepped out from the back of her house and looked up into the dark sky, instantly spotting Jack's tell-tale pale figure in all the dark colors of the night.

"Jack!"

True to her prediction, Hiccup's nerves died down the second she laid eyes on Jack. Her lovely Jack. The only person on the planet who always made her feel welcome and wanted. Of course, Toothless did that, too, but he was a dragon, and sometimes Hiccup just craved human companionship.

"Ready?" Jack smiled, breathless, holding his hand out to Hiccup. Hiccup's hands almost recoiled at his icy skin, but didn't because of the warmth in Jack's eyes.

"Depends on where we're going," Hiccup replied, even though she was already in Jack's arms.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Jack chided playfully. "A man's got to have some secrets, Hic,"

"Good thing I don't see any men around here?" Hiccup's response started strong but ended as a weak question.

"Ooh, you burn me," Jack smiled, unimpressed. "But, I do like this Sassy Hiccup you've been showing me recently. Normally I'm not a huge fan of hot, but this type is by far one of my favorite types."

"Jack!" Hiccup slapped his chest, not believing that he actually said that. Jack just laughed and flew the two of them up, away from the island.

Hiccup had gone and told Toothless earlier that she and Jack were going on a date, and though he didn't exactly like it, he didn't stop her.

"Look up, Hic," Jack whispered softly in Hiccup's ear. She did, and gasped. She wasn't exactly sure where they were anymore, somewhere over some ocean, but that didn't matter. There were no people around. No smoke, no nothing. And the sky was beautiful. The actual sky wasn't a black mass, but instead a mash of purples and greens and blues, and the stars varied so widely in sizes and colors that for an instant Hiccup didn't believe it was real. She thought Jack had brought her to a giant painting.

But the sea spray hit her in the face and she shivered slightly because of the cool night air and she knew it was real.

"You're always talking about seeing things in a new way," Jack mumbled, almost sounding embarrassed. "I found this spot a while ago and thought of you. Do you—"

"I love it!" Hiccup spun around eagerly in Jack's arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "For listening."


The next day, Hiccup walked around the village with a dreamy smile on her face and dark circles under her eyes. She and Jack had stayed up most of the past night, just talking and getting to know each other better. Hiccup hadn't gotten back home till early that morning. Toothless had not been amused. But Hiccup didn't care. Jack had listened to her!

She had opened the wall she had created to keep the hurt out, and let him in. Now he knew how lonely she had been, and he had done the same with her. Their voices had been soft, and the smallest breeze blew away their words, but Hiccup heard everything Jack said, and she knew that Jack heard everything that she had said. And even though he had always listened to her carefully, Hiccup couldn't help but to be surprised by it every time.

Hiccup barely suppressed a gasp as a cold hand came in contact with her own. Jack.

"Don't say anything," Jack said mildly. "You'll look a bit crazy talking to yourself in the middle of the village. But you looked a little lonely. I'll walk you to the forge and stuff. Blink three times if that sounds like a plan."

Hiccup blinked three times. She spent the walk to the forge listening to Jack humming a random tune he had heard in the cavern a few nights ago. She mentally laughed when he stumbled over parts of the tune most six year olds knew. It was cute. She had told him that was her favorite song. The Engagement Song.

It was odd, thinking of Jack in the same sentence as marriage, but Hiccup liked his voice. She kept concentrating on his deep tenor all the way to the forge.


"There were always Viking boys in our village. They were the epitome of what a Viking should have been: strong, stubborn, selfish. The girls all loved them. But hnestly, I love Jack's thoughtfulness. I always have. Before Jack, I was a last priority. And then he showed up in my life, and I was… he put me and my comfort before his own. Back then, the girls I was around didn't exactly like that quality.

"But from what I see now, girls really value that. And I'm… jealous. No, not exactly jealous. Just, kind of worried. What if one of them sees how sweet Jack is? What if they… what if Toothiana tries to take Jack away from me? He's known her longer than he's known me, and even now, he's spending a lot of time with her… But you know what? I don't think I'd be able to give up on him. He always seemed so perfect to me. Even when I was absolutely horrible to him. He is…"


So at this point I'm just writing the chapters. I'll fix them and put them in chronological order after I've finished all of them. Honestly, this is just a sequel to She Was Never Gone For Good, I'm not trying to hard on it. I'm not nearly as proud of this as I am SWNGFG, but I want to finish this before I move on to other stories which I'm (quite frankly) a bit more excited about. Not even sure if people are reading this story, but... eh? About ten chapters in the whole story, so we're halfway to the end, I think. Next up: He Is... Patient