Alright, it was time. Time to face him. She'd run enough in her lifetime. Now, she was apparently a Guardian-someone who was supposed to fight for others and save the children of the world. She'd never be able to do that if she couldn't even confront her own boyfriend (and potentially her own heartbreak).
She stood up, holding a hand out to Bunny. She helped him up, and he tapped the floor twice. A hole opened up beneath them, and she followed him down. She left the roof behind her, not allowing herself to miss the solitude and comfort of wallowing in self-pity. If she looked back, she would convince herself to sit back down and wait another day to have this conversation. She'd see that spot, as lonely as she felt, and would go back and stare at the dark and unfamiliar sky. It was best she didn't look back. The past was the past, and Hiccup needed to move towards her future.
"Be brave, Sheila," Bunny tried to instill confidence in her as they popped up at the entrance of North's workshop. "It won't be as bad as you're thinking; I'm positive."
"Thanks, Bunny." She smiled up at him. "You're a good friend."
"And you're a good person," Bunny assured. "Jack has been waiting for you for almost three hundred years. You haven't seen the way he gets in the spring when you're not here. He's wrecked without you."
"Is it horrible of me if I feel happy hearing that?" Hiccup forced out a smile, entering North's workshop.
"Nope. Emotions are valid, no matter what they are. Just keep an open mind, Sheila. Maybe the little twerk will surprise you with something good."
Hiccup snorted. Maybe. He was thoughtful and kind, but he'd been so absent lately; what could he possibly surprise her with other than a breakup?
Jack told her he had a surprise for her. He'd meet her in the workshop, and then they could leave. A surprise would have been nice in Hiccup's first life, as she liked to call the first sixteen years of her life. Now, though, she felt as though she'd had enough surprises for a lifetime. She just wanted to live peacefully, where things happened how she knew they were supposed to. That would never happen, though, and she knew it. It was time for her to start accepting change, even if that meant Jack had to leave her.
"Hey, Hiccup!" Jack greeted nervously, pulling her into a hug. She closed her eyes and breathed him in. The cool scent of peppermint and pine tree invaded her senses, and it tingled her lungs and upper stomach with an icy blast of butterflies. At least this hadn't changed: her love for him. No matter what happened today, she would love him for eternity.
She pulled back, and Jack smiled down at her. "Are you ready?" His words came out breathlessly like his wind had pulled the words out of his mouth. He looked strange. He kept fiddling with his pockets and glancing back at Toothiana. His hair was unusually combed and tamed, and he was wearing...shoes. This was so weird. Why on earth was he trying to change himself now, when he was the one thing Hiccup could count on as constant in her life?
It didn't matter. He would explain himself, or she would make him. She couldn't allow herself to sit back and take the changes anymore-it was time to question them and become an active agent in her life again. Six weeks of grieving was enough. It was time to live.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I am."
"Toothless is already there," Jack spoke quickly, grabbing Hiccup's hand and moving towards an open window. "I've got everything ready there, so you don't have to worry about anything. Not that you were worried about anything in the first place. I just mean, you don't even have to worry about me forgetting something or anything like that." North patted Jack on the shoulder, and Toothiana giggled behind her hands, watching Hiccup in excited anticipation. Hiccup didn't pay them too much attention; she'd learned by now that they were weird, and she would have to live with it.
"I'm not worried," Hiccup squeezed his hand. That was a fat lie if she'd ever said one, but Jack believed her. His winds wrapped around her, the only winds which chilled her to the bone. She shivered and reveled in the feeling of feeling.
"Too cold?" Jack worried. "I can call on warmer winds. Give me a second; they'll be here in less than a second."
"No!" Hiccup pulled herself closer to him. "I like it. I've been missing this." They leisurely flew through the sky. The sea spray hit her face, reminding Hiccup of simpler times when she and her friends and cousins rode their dragons over the ocean and were one with the wind. "It's been so hard to feel anything lately," Hiccup admitted. "I've felt trapped in my body. It always disappears when you're around, though. It's like you're my personal guardian angel."
"Guardian angel, huh?" Jack chuckled tensely. "I hope so."
"What's wrong, Jack?" Hiccup asked, a poisonous feeling churning in her stomach. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but she didn't want to accept it. She'd act naive and put it off as long as possible. She didn't want to taint her last moments with him.
"Oh, nothing," he said quickly. "It's just. I-can we talk after I show you the surprise?"
"Sure." Hiccup said. She turned to study Jack's face. In the dark of the night, his pale complexion practically glowed. Brighter than the moon, brighter than one of Toothless's plasma blasts. He might not know it, but Jack was everything to her. No matter what happened tonight, she would never leave him. She would always be there for him and always go back to him, even if he pushed her aside.
Jack kept trying to make conversation on the familiar route to Berk, but he got too nervous each time and let the conversation drop. Eventually, Hiccup just let it go and watched the scenery, heart hammering in her chest. She wondered if Jack could feel her pulse; he was holding her, after all. Would he know what she was so nervous about?
"Here we are," Jack landed on the island, jumping in surprise as his shoes hit the ground. "What the-oh, right."
"Why are you wearing shoes?" Hiccup asked. "I didn't even know you owned shoes."
"I didn't," Jack quirked one side of his mouth up unhappily. "Tooth said I looked fancier this way."
"Is that also why you slicked your hair back?" Hiccup asked unhappily. She didn't wait for him to answer. She already knew he'd say yes. She reached up and ruffled his silky hair. Her fingers lingered, tangling in his locks, and she pulled him closer. Her mouth landed on his, and she kissed him desperately. After tonight, he could do whatever Toothiana wanted, and she wouldn't be able to say anything, but if tonight was her last night as Jack's girlfriend, she wouldn't let that happen.
"Take the shoes off," she gasped, pulling away from his mouth with a pop. She stayed close enough that she could feel his breath on her sensitive, tingling lips. "And you don't have to do that to your hair. You look uncomfortable. Don't change yourself for Tooth." She thought for a second, then tacked on a, "Please."
Jack smiled, pecking her lips again. "But I took so much time getting ready. Just for tonight?"
Hiccup stared at him. "Only if you really want to," she said reluctantly. She stepped back, and Jack took her hand, leading her through the island she had once known like the back of her hand. Like all things, though, the island had changed over time. Now Jack knew it better than she did.
"Do you really not like the way I look right now?" Jack asked her, silver-blue eyes bright with insecurity. Hiccup squeezed his hand.
"You always look great to me," she said honestly. "You're the most handsome man I've ever met. I just like you better when you look comfortable and more like yourself."
"That's good to know," Jack nodded. "I knew the shoes were stupid," he mumbled under his breath. Hiccup wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear that or not, but she ignored it in case Jack didn't want her to comment.
"So, what are we doing?" Hiccup asked. "What's the surprise?"
"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?" Jack grinned down at her, pulling her to move faster. "If you really want to know, you'll just have to wait."
Her worries still plagued Hiccup, but it was such a beautiful night, and Jack was looking at her with such adoration. She didn't want to ruin it by questioning him and telling him all her worries from the last six weeks. Tonight seemed to just be about the two of them. She could talk about her issues with the world any other day. First, she'd get through tonight.
"Do you remember this place?" Jack looked at her, lips pursed.
"Of course," Hiccup smiled. "This is where I first met you. I can't believe you remembered."
"I remember everything when it comes to you," Jack looked ahead, pink staining the side of his neck and his cheeks. "Come on. We're going to the cove next."
The walk was peaceful. It reminded Hiccup of her time with Jack in her first life and the week they'd spent here together when Hiccup had first been brought back. Jack was again too nervous to speak, but Hiccup didn't mind. She soaked in the moment and the fresh night air as she walked together with the love of her life.
Jack covered her eyes with his hands at the top of the cove and led her down to the bottom.
"So, surprise!" Jack revealed what he'd prepared. Small candles (fairy lights, she remembered them being called) were placed all over the cove, some floating on the pond and reflecting off the water. A table stood in the center of the cove, by the water. It was already set up with plates, utensils, and food. Toothless sat proudly next to the table, a professional bow around his neck.
"It's beautiful," Hiccup whispered, stepping forward. She paused, turning to Jack. "You did this all for me?"
"Toothless helped a little," Jack admitted. "Do you like it?"
"Of course!" Hiccup took Jack's hand and led him to the table. "No one's ever done something like this for me." She couldn't stop looking at everything set up around the cove. "How long did this take you?"
"Don't even ask," Jack grumbled. "I'll just say it was way longer than I initially thought."
Hiccup laughed, poking Jack in the cheek. She missed being able to joke around and hear his pouty voice. If she closed her eyes and pretended, it would almost be like she was back in her first life. She scratched Toothless's jaw, and he purred in happiness. Jack sent him some sort of signal, and Toothless happily bounded off. When they did things like that, it was impossible to forget that things had irreversibly changed, and it seemed like Jack didn't notice.
Bunny's words rang through her head again. Do you trust him?
Yes, more than anyone. If that was true, then she should have no reason not to talk to him. She owed it to him to tell him how she was feeling, and she owed it to herself not to bottle it up anymore. She let it out before she could talk herself out of it.
"You know, I've been really worried these last few weeks." She played with the food on her plate, trying to avoid looking at Jack. "You were so absent and always spending time with everyone but me...I got lonely. I thought-I thought you were going to leave me, and that this would be my last night as your girlfriend." She gathered her courage and looked up at Jack. He was staring at her, slack-jawed and still. "I was talking to Bunny earlier," she continued. "He kind of eased my worries, but I guess I just wanted to talk to you about it, too. I love you, Jack. More than that, I trust you. I want you to know everything about me. I want you to know when I'm scared, or when I'm sad, or lonely. It's really hard to do that when you're always leaving me alone, though." She reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "I love the surprise, believe me, I do, but please. Don't ignore me like that again. It really hurt. And I was getting...jealous."
"W-" Jack struggled to speak for a moment. "I didn't mean to make you feel alone," he finally sputtered out. "I guess I was just so busy getting the.. um, everything set up that I didn't have as much time to spend with you. Sorry, Hic. I didn't mean to."
Hiccup smiled, relieved that he hadn't taken it badly, or confirmed her worst fears. He was just planning the surprise. He wasn't planning to leave her for Toothiana. He just lost track of time and got busy.
"I'm so relieved," she breathed. "I thought you were going to leave me for Toothiana."
"Tooth?" Jack half jumped out of his seat, a disgusted look on his face. "She's practically my older sister, Hic-that would be so gross."
"Sorry," Hiccup apologized sheepishly. "You spent so much time with her, I got insecure."
"Listen, Hiccup, I'm never going to leave you. And especially not for Tooth," Jack shuddered, but then he seemed to remember something. "You...you thought this would be your last night as my girlfriend?"
"That was before I saw everything you set up!" Hiccup defended. Jack pursed his lips and gestured something at Toothless. Her dragon shot off like a light, and Jack started speaking.
"Actually, I kind of was hoping this would be your last night as my girlfriend," Jack looked at her, eyes filled with such love and such tender apprehension that there was no space of despair or unease in Hiccup's chest-only confusion.
"What-"
"Hiccup, please let me finish," Jack said seriously. "I've loved you for so long. I love how selfless and kind and forgiving you are. I love how hard-working and strong you force yourself to be. You can be stubborn and oblivious, and sometimes down-right stupid, but everything about you is lovable to me." Toothless ran up to Jack's side and dropped something in Jack's hand. "I've been busy the last couple of weeks working with North and Tooth to make this night perfect." Jack got up from his seat, knelt on the ground in front of her, and opened the box Toothless had given him. Inside was a sparkling white ring, delicately made dragon scales woven through the band and white diamonds embedded in it. It was beautiful. "I had North make the ring, and I needed Tooth to help me recapture some old memories," Jack said nervously, shifting his weight slightly. "Don't laugh."
Then he opened his mouth and started to sing.
"I'll swim and sail on savage sea
With ne'er a fear of drowning."
Hiccup gasped, her heart skipping a beat. The song Jack always tried to hum, but never remembered the words for. This is why he'd spent so much time with Toothiana? And now he was singing the Engagement Song to her. That could only mean one thing. Hiccup's heart beat faster in her chest, and Hiccup was almost afraid it would burst.
"And gladly ride the waves of life
If you would marry me."
Hiccup stood, pulling Jack up with her, and helped him sing the rest of the song. Neither of them danced. Hiccup didn't dance after she'd lost her leg, and Jack could barely remember the words, let alone the dance. She wouldn't ask him to do more than he'd already done. Suddenly, her nerves, all the effort he'd put into the night, why Toothless was in such a good mood around Jack-it all made sense.
Hiccup wasn't a good singer. She croaked through the lines, tears falling into her mouth halfway through. Jack stumbled along, clinging onto her knowledge of the song to help him pull his way to the end. If anyone on Berk had heard or seen it, they'd have laughed the entire night away. Her father would have refused the proposal on her behalf and would have made Jack try again. For a Viking, the proposal was horrendous. For Hiccup, it was perfect.
"If you would marry me."
"That's a yes, right?" Jack looked at her anxiously, the box with the ring still clutched tightly in his hands. "Please tell me that's a yes."
It would have been easy to say something sarcastic, or ask him why on earth he thought she'd say no. But this was not the time for that. After weeks of insecurity and loneliness, the promise of always having Jack by her side, of always being able to call him hers, filled Hiccup with such happiness she couldn't do much thinking. It was almost too much to ask her to nod and simply say:
"Yes!"
Back in the workshop, Toothiana screamed and tackled Hiccup as soon as she saw her and Jack's beaming faces.
"Let me see the ring!" She grabbed Hiccup's hand and squealed excitedly. "They couldn't let me see it, you know. They thought I'd tell you. Now I completely agree, I wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut about it! Oh, gosh, it's gorgeous. You're gorgeous! You guys are perfect together!"
Hiccup laughed as Toothiana pulled her and Jack into a group hug. North, not to be forgotten, scooped all four of them up in his arms and squeezed the life out of them. It felt nice and familiar, probably what her dad's reaction would have been if he was still alive. North set them down, and he and Toothiana excitedly started talking about wedding dates and venues. Jack stood by her side, casually draping his arm over Hiccup's waist.
From a little ways away, Bunny caught Hiccup's eye.
"I told you," he mouthed. She smiled and beckoned him over. He should be a part of his conversation. Hiccup had lost her family the day she died, but she'd gained a new one the day she was given a second chance at life. There was no way she would allow Bunny to keep that distance.
"Thank you." she said when he was close enough. Bunny smiled down at her.
"Any time, Sheila."
Jack squeezed her side to gain her attention and she looked up at him. He smiled down and pulled her in for a kiss.
Toothiana cooed and North took a picture. Those still confused Hiccup, but she liked that they could immortalize moments of time. This would definitely be one of the happiest days of her life.
"I love you," she whispered in Jack's ear.
"And I love you, too. Always."
She'd been so stupid before. How could she think that her loyal, protective, kind boyfriend-fiance-would have ever left her? She'd been totally wrong. He was never going to leave her.
lolololo all done and it only took like 6 years hahahaha
