People noticed Jack had taken a leave of absence from school—considering his popularity, it would be weirder if they didn't, and soon the rumors began to spread. Though the official notice specified family matters as the reason, there were those who refused to let go of the idea that Jack had been suspended for some prank-gone-wrong—or worse, expelled. His friends, however, knew that wasn't the case. All in all, they quickly connected that his "family matters" likely involved his sister. Jack would go through hell and high waters for her, and the notion that something bad had happened to her somehow made his attitude a lot more understandable. Not acceptable, but understandable.
"He didn't even say goodbye," Hiccup grumbled as the group sat crammed under one of the gazebos one afternoon. They had been pretending to do homework, keyword: pretending.
"He didn't drop out, Haddock," Hiro snarled, glowering at the other guy. "Snap out of it."
Violet's pen abruptly stopped, scratching against the paper, and she looked around, cautious. "... He's coming back, right?"
Andy let out a dry laugh. "He's too self-absorbed not to."
Elsa frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Jack thinks he's the glue that keeps us together. He wouldn't leave, not for good, at least."
Nobody said anything else for a while, so almost as if trying to convince himself more than the others, Andy added with conviction, "He's coming back, you guys."
Wilbur nodded, psyching himself up. "Yeah. Of course he is. And he's gonna be a total ass about it, all smug and 'I'm back, bitches' and all our worries will be for naught."
"Maybe we should do something for his big return home."
"You wanna throw a parade in his name?"
Hiccup shrugged, leaning back. "I was thinking something more laidback like snacks and video games at Hiro's clubroom, but the parade feels more like Jack's jam when I think about it."
Weirdly, Andy realized that even that kind of dumb stunt with 'TROUBLE' written all over it would mean things going back to normal, and the concept was not lost on the rest of the group. It filled him with a mixture of conflicting feelings, from despair to hope, and whatever else could exist in between.
"God," Astrid huffed, rolling her eyes. "Even when he's not here, he still manages to be an attention whore."
"I bet Linguini can score us some fireworks," Wilbur said, eyes far-off already putting the plan together in his head.
"We could gather everyone at the gates."
"And the band could play his favorite songs—"
"We are not throwing Jack a parade," Elsa stated, impassive glare in place.
"Not even a tiny one?" Hiccup tried, smirking. "Just picture it… The masses chanting his name…"
"Th crowds will part for his palanquin to pass…" Andy chimed in.
"He'll have a velvet cape and a crown like a royal douchebag," Violet added, helpful.
"We are not throwing him a parade."
"... So what about a rave?"
He's back
Violet's two-word text glared at her, and Elsa felt herself getting dizzy with the mere idea of running into him that soon.
"Elsa? You okay there?"
The blonde blinked disoriented. She looked up to find Rapunzel staring, concerned, at her.
"I…" Her throat was inexplicably too dry to speak.
"You look kinda pale," Tinkerbell commented.
"I'm okay." Her phone went back into her pocket. Elsa tried to smile to reassure them, but her ears were ringing, and her palms were sweating, and she knew she was anything but 'okay'. And it probably showed.
"Maybe you should wrap up for the day."
She straightened up, hands fumbling with the papers she was supposed to be filling out. "Don't be silly, I still have to—"
Tinkerbell reached over from across the table and stole the papers from her hands. "Elsa. We got this."
"Yeah, Anna will be back from her rounds soon and we'll have everything done in a flash!"
Sometimes, she regretted training such self-sufficient replacements…
"There's still time until dinner, so why don't you go for a walk outside? I hear the flowerbeds on the way to the pool are blooming."
"… I guess I'll do that, then," she mumbled, though she had no intention of checking the blooming flowers out.
The girls made sure to walk Elsa out, subtly yet efficiently taking away her option to stay. "See you tomorrow, Elsa!"
Elsa waved back, feeling weaker and weaker with every step. Kicked out of her safe hideout, she debated internally whether she should fake obliviousness or just rip off the metaphorical bandaid and get it all over with. But before she could pick one of the options herself, the universe chose for her. A very familiar someone leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets, eyes blankly staring at the floor, standing in her way.
She abruptly stopped, breath catching in her throat and heat rising up her neck, and watched as his gaze slowly reached her.
"Hey," he said, an awkward, uncertain smile not quite reaching his eyes on the lips. "I was looking for you."
She swallowed, feeling the forming lump in her throat. "... You found me."
"Walk with me?"
"Sure…"
Jack nodded, pushing himself off the wall and treading toward her. A thousand questions came to her mind, but she managed to voice none of them. She didn't breathe, numbly letting him take her hand and lead her down the stairs, out the doors, through the stone lanes until they reached an undisturbed patch of the garden where no one would bother them.
He let go of her hand and plopped down on the grass, motioning for her to do the same.
"I wasn't sure when you'd be back," Elsa said, sitting with her hands folded on her lap. From her viewpoint, she could only see his profile, though there was a smidge of safety in him not being able to see her whole face either.
"Neither was I."
She breathed in slowly. "Jack, we don't have to do this now."
He smiled another one of those dubious smiles. "I think this conversation is long past overdue."
She bit her lip and simply nodded, unsure how to respond. He leaned back, eyes narrowing at the clouds above, and Elsa stood there, waiting.
"Cassie is recovering well," he said after a while.
She exhaled, feeling a twinge in her heart. Saying that she'd been worried about the little girl since receiving that surprise letter would be an understatement. "I'm glad she's okay."
"Yeah. She loved your letter, by the way. Stayed on her nightstand the whole time I was there."
Elsa smiled. "I can keep writing her if she wants."
"I'll make sure to tell her that."
He reached for her hand, making a sense of panic rise within her, but she tried not to alarm him as he carefully traced her fingers one by one.
"I'm sorry." His eyes remained glued to her hand, studying the shape of her nails.
"For what?"
He laughed hoarsely. "Being a jerk. Worrying you. Making you cry. But basically for being a jerk."
Jack looked at her for the first time, and the raw vulnerability she found there was overwhelming. Feeling the tears pricking her eyes, Elsa moved forward, slowly. She placed her free hand on his cheek, and he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes with a sigh. Her forehead rested against his; thumb stoked his jaw gently. "Apology accepted."
Jack smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?" she repeated, a hint of amusement tinting the tone of her voice. Allowing herself to finally relax some, her eyes lazily slid closed.
"For not giving up on me."
"You're hard to get rid of."
His hands rested on her waist. "Can't live without me, can you?" he whispered, breath tickling her skin.
"I guess I can't."
When he wrapped his arms around her, pulling Elsa closer, her chest felt a ton lighter. "Please never stop being you."
"Not planning to," she mumbled back, hands meeting on the back of his head. But before she could get comfortable, he was clearing his throat and pulling back sheepishly.
"I should go," he said, taking her hands. "Lots of damage control to do."
"Right. Will I be seeing you at dinner?"
"If I don't get killed first."
A tad disappointed that their time together was interrupted, she let him help her up. With the air cleared between them, a single question remained in the back of her mind. Tugging on his arm, she called, "Jack? Can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, tilting his head. "Shoot."
"A while back, you lectured me about piling all my burdens until I couldn't take it anymore," she confided quietly, navigating turvy waters with careful movements. "Why did you think you were the exception to a concept you so blatantly pointed out yourself?"
Jack frowned. "That was different."
"I would like to see how."
"I… was slapped in the face by my own lack of power." He snorted, running a hand through his face, disgruntled. "You know me, Your Majesty. I'm the kind of person who gets things done through spontaneous decisions and spikes of chaotic energy. But… not being able to do anything, mulling over with no outlet to this… restlessness, it drove me crazy." His hand squeezed hers. "And I took it all on whoever was around to feel it. I'm sorry."
She smiled, wrapping her other arm around his. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder. "It's okay now."
"God if only everybody else was as understanding as you are."
"They will be," Elsa assured him genuinely. "As long as you promise not to go off on your own again. You had us all scared there, Frost."
Jack sighed, head resting atop hers. "I know."
"I'm glad you're back," she mumbled quietly.
"Me too…"
Things patched between them, Elsa had given him Violet's whereabouts before they departed, so it wouldn't be hard to find the other girl. The only catch was that he had no idea what would happen when he did. Because with Elsa, he had a sort of inking of how the situation would eventually be resolved. Elsa was the sort of person who empathized with others, and she knew a lot more about Jack's issues than the rest of his friends. She also happened to be too kind to hold a grudge, no matter how much he deserved her hatred for the jerk he had been all week. But when it came to everybody else, or more specifically, that one spitfire little pain in the ass he was supposed to be looking for, he didn't know what to expect. There was a high, very real chance of him not being forgiven, and it filled him with fright…
As he predicted, it didn't take long to find her at all.
"Violet!" he called as he rushed down the stairs to meet the girl in question.
Violet slowly turned on her heels, arms crossed over her chest, and steel cold gaze aimed at him. "So the prodigal son has returned."
"You could say that," he sheepishly said as he shortened the distance between them.
"Well, welcome back. So long." She waved, then quickly spun around to continue down her original path.
"Hold on, can I talk to you for a sec?" Frantic, Jack grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him again.
Through gritted teeth, she mumbled, "I'm busy."
He raised both hands trying to appease her. "It'll be quick, I promise."
Violet narrowed her eyes, seizing him up and down; whatever she saw not seeming to impress her in the least. She started tapping her finger on her arm. "You have sixty seconds, Frost."
Putting his game face on, he took a deep breath. "Look, I know you're pissed at me, and I don't blame you. I screwed up. I—I was in a dark place and I took it out on you, and at the time, I felt entitled to. But not anymore." His eyes softened. "Of course you're a part of the team. You'll always be a part of the team and there's nothing anyone—much less me—can do to revoke that. I'm sorry I made you feel like it wasn't the case."
Violet just stared at him, one eyebrow raised and finger still counting the passing seconds.
His hand ran through his head, making his hair a disheveled mess. "Fuck, Vi, You're one of my best friends and I am not letting our friendship end like that. Because you matter too much to me. And I am not gonna let you push me away—"
"Is that all you had to talk about?" she cut him off dryly.
Jack gulped. "... Pretty much."
She huffed, throwing her head back and glaring at the ceiling. "How can you make your stupid apology be all about yourself, asshole?"
He flinched. "Can I start over?"
"Like I wanna hear any more of that crap." She angrily gestured at him with her arm stretched out. "You're making my ears bleed."
"Uh, sorry?"
Violet stared at him as if he had transformed into a literal circus clown in front of her. And nobody liked circus clowns. Nobody.
"So…" He awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Where are we now?"
"You are royally humiliating yourself in public from where I'm standing."
"True, but not what I was talking about."
The girl snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder with contempt. "If you ever try to pull that lone wolf bullshit again, I will kick your ass."
He nodded. "Noted."
"I mean it, Frost." Her eyes narrowed. "I'll kick it so hard you won't be able to sit again."
"God, woman," Jack exhaled, a wave of relief raining down on him. He rubbed his hands all over his face. "You had me going there."
"Should make us even." Violet shrugged, a smirk not fully concealed under her disgruntled façade.
He opened his arms. "Nope. But this does."
"What are you—"
Before she could finish, he was tackling her, arms enveloping her in a tight bear hug.
"Ew, get off me!" Violet's voice was muffled by his jacket covering her face.
"GROUP HUG!"
And then, there was a mess of limbs and squished bodies tangled together in a poor excuse for a hug.
"What the—"
"I CAN'T BREATHE!"
"Welcome back, Frosty!"
Looking around as much as his constricted movements allowed, Jack glimpsed a familiar toothy grin, or recognized an unruly mane, and found more than one stupid friend with their arms thrown around him and Violet, and he let out an audible groan.
"Okay, which one of you idiots touched my butt?!"
Hiccup was overjoyed. His best friend was back! Everybody had made up! It was dinner time and there was steak on the menu! Could the day get any better?
"So how's Cassie doing?" he asked as he and Jack took their usual seats at dinner. Unfortunately, it was only the two of them that evening—Hiro and Wilbur had robots to build and Andy and the girls had been gone all day, probably busying themselves with student council work again.
"Great," Jack mumbled, shoving a forkful of potatoes into his mouth. "Been pestering me about when you guys are coming over again nonstop."
Hiccup smiled fondly. In some ways, he doted on the little girl like he was his own flesh and blood. "I think we can arrange that."
Jack clicked his tongue. "Right…"
"What's wrong?" Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed, PTSD-esque symptoms making his brain go into alert mode at his friend's mood change.
Jack hummed, stirring food on his plate absently. "My pesky little sister and my girlfriend are penpals now."
It took him a while to process the message, but when he did, Hiccup grinned. He hunched forward, interest piqued. "What's the story there?"
The silverhead groaned, leaning back on his chair, and started gesturing with his arms. "So my sister, who possesses an IQ a hundred times higher than mine predicted that I would be a wreck after finding out about her surgery. And she decided to write some very specific people—who I would rather not name to save me some dignity but suffice it to say included our very own Elsa Arendelle—vouching for all the goodness in my heart."
Hiccup chuckled. "Okay, despite your tone, that is the cutest thing I heard all day."
"It's infuriating, that's what it is. Now they're exchanging letters and neither wants to tell me what they write about!"
"I mean, shouldn't you be happy that they're getting along?"
"You don't understand, Third," Jack huffed. "It's killing me not knowing."
"You'll get used to it, buddy."
Jack groaned, stabbing a piece of meat and lacerating it with his teeth and Hiccup shook his head, chuckling at his friend's adorable reaction as the boys resumed eating.
Not long after, Violet was joining them, setting her tray down with a clunk. "Good evening, gentlemen."
"Hey, Vi," Hiccup greeted. "I thought you were with our former Student Council team."
Violet nodded as she sat down. "I was."
Jack and Hiccup glanced at each other, confused. The former cleared his throat. "So… where are they?"
Violet shrugged. "Out and about. I saw Andy on the food line just now. As for Astrid and Elsa, they're probably still in the hospital."
"... The hospital?"
"Yeah, those white buildings that smell like disinfectant with all the doctors and nurses bustling around like bees in a beehive."
"The question here, Violet," Jack started with false tranquility dripping from his voice, "is why they had the need to go to said white building with doctors and nurses."
Violet smirked, blinking innocently. "Oh, that? There was a little situation today that required some medical attention."
Hiccup grumbled, "Yes, I think we could figure that on our own, thank you—"
"Why are you being so roundabout, Parr?"
"Maybe I just like riling you up."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."
"Also your worried boyfriend faces are totally adorable."
"Get to the point, woman, or I'll show just how not adorable I can be."
"Relax, it wasn't as bad as you two are imagining." The girl laughed while chewing her food.
"Violet, did you get Elsa's text?" Andy appeared out of nowhere and took the seat beside Hiccup. He looked a little restlessly at the girl. "She asked you to bring their bags to your room."
"Already taken care of."
"Cool, thanks."
"So you know about this supposed trip to the hospital too, Davis?" Jack asked, gesturing at the other guy with his fork.
"Uh… Yeah?" Andy looked confused at the other guy's hostile demeanor. "I'm the one who called Tooth."
"What's Tooth got to do with anything?"
"She drove Astrid and Elsa there."
Hiccup sighed and tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Which brings us back to the main question: Why on earth did they need to go to the hospital in the first place?"
"... Astrid hurt her hand and Elsa went too for moral support."
Hiccup sat up, concern rising within. "Is she okay?"
"She's Hofferson, of course she's okay," Violet said, rolling her eyes.
"She broke some bones," Andy replied with a shrug. "She has a cast on, and from what Elsa's reported, she's not too happy about it already."
Violet smirked. "Ask how she broke her hand."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked.
"Just do it. Trust me."
"It is kind of amusing," Andy conceded with a chuckle.
"Fine, I'll bite." Hiccup took a deep breath in, then locked eyes with the brunette. "How did Astrid break her hand?"
A wicked grin spread across Violet's face as she leaned over to confide in a secretive manner, "So we were all minding our own business, taking some snacks to Anna and company, right? Then we turn on a corner and Snotlout and a bunch of the Hooligans are coming our way."
"And you know how the jocks are, loud and obnoxious and trying too hard to make up for one or two things with stupid bravado," Andy snorted with contempt.
"Bam! Snotikins bumps into Elsa."
Jack immediately shot up, narrowed eyes hunting the crowd for the school's football team captain and his posse. "He did what now?"
"Sit down, Romeo."
"And Astrid goes feral," Violet continued as Jack reluctantly resumed his seated position. "Snotlout says something about not being able to contain all his raw masculinity—ew, saying that out loud made me gag a little."
"Astrid demands that he apologizes."
"And he grabs Elsa by the waist all grubby and creepy and tells her that he can apologize in a very special way."
"I am gonna kill him. JORGENSON—" Jack motioned to stand up again, but Violet tugged him down with a glare.
"Will you calm your ass down and wait till I'm finished?" she hissed.
Huffing, the silverhead crossed his arms and glowered back at her. "Let me guess: Hofferson beat the crap outta Snotlout and fucked her hand in the process?"
Hiccup nodded. "Totally justifiable though."
"Yeah."
"Sadly, that's not what happened."
"Granted, she's about to do just that," Andy mused, "but then Elsa reminds her that if Astrid lays a hand on him, they're all getting in trouble. So she very commendably doesn't punch Snotlout."
"She hits the wall right next to his face instead."
Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed. He wondered for a moment if he'd heard Violet's words correctly. "... What did you say?"
Violet grinned. "Her fist went through the drywall."
"She broke her hand… punching a wall?"
"Yep."
"Snotlout immediately went white as a sheet," Andy continued.
"Yeah, pretty sure he pissed his pants."
"He and his friends went runt running to the hills, but we didn't really have time to stop them because Astrid was clutching her bloodied fist, cussing like a sailor and there was a goddamn hole on the wall."
"Andy went to find a teacher and came back with Tooth, who almost fainted when she the blood."
"Then she, Astrid, and Elsa went off to the hospital."
"And Andrew started faffing around to notify North and the Student Council about what had happened."
"Please tell me Snotlout got at least two months of detention for that mess."
Andy shook his head with a sigh. "Nah, thing is, it was sort of a 'he said she said' situation, and Astrid technically punched that wall of her own accord. There wasn't much that could be done, though North did say he was gonna assess the situation once everyone was present, so here's hoping."
Biting onto a big piece of steak, Jack grumbled with his mouth full, "I'm gonna kill Snotlout."
"Not if I kill him first," Hiccup retorted with a dry laugh.
Entertained by the tale of A Fabulous Day in Astrid Hofferson's Life as they were, the group hardly noticed the two blonde beauties that had approached the group, not until Astrid dropped her tray on the table, making some of the water on her glass spill over. "If anyone's killing that son of a bitch, it's gonna be me."
"No one is killing Snotlout," Elsa stated as she sat down next.
Hiccup couldn't help but stare at the cast around his girlfriend's right hand, and the intensity of his glare didn't go unnoticed by said girl.
"What?!" she snarled, glowering directly at him.
Hiccup recoiled, then worry won over fear and he asked, "Are you okay?"
Astrid stabbed the meat on her plate. "Peachy."
"The cast is supposed to stay on for four weeks, minimum," Elsa informed the rest of the group.
"Oof. That's rough," Violet mumbled, shaking her head in solidarity.
Unintentionally, they all stopped to watch Astrid struggling to cut her steak with only her non-dominant hand. The knife screeched against the plate, making her curse under her breath in disgruntlement.
"Need some help with that?" Andy asked, a hint of a smirk failing to conceal his amusement.
"I'm fine," the blonde grumbled just as her fork slipped through her casted fingers.
"Astrid?" Andy tried again, more gently.
The girl closed her eyes, exhaling audibly. "Can you cut this for me?"
"Of course." He cut a few pieces of meat and veggies, then silently returned the knife and fork to the girl. As she grudgingly munched on her dinner, Andy looked up and called, "Hiccup? Would you mind switching places with me?"
"Are you fucking kidding?"
"Sure, no problem." Hiccup shrugged before getting up and walking to the other side of the table. Sitting next to his girlfriend, he smiled sheepishly. "Can I cut the rest of it for you?"
Astrid threw her head back with a huff. "Do whatever you want, stupid."
"Aww, look at them being all domestic like a bickering old couple," Violet cooed as she and Jack huddled with their heads close, conspiring together like the terrific partners in crime that they were.
"Fuck off, Violet."
Hiccup, doing his best to ignore the muffled sniggering, kept his eyes on his girlfriend's plate, focused on the task at hand. "So…" he started, attempting to sound casual. "You broke your hand?"
"No, I just figured plaster would be the next big fashion trend," Astrid grumbled, waving her casted hand in front of him.
"You broke your fucking hand?" he asked again, feeling more exasperated.
"It was only two fingers. Get over it."
"I'm sorry, it's just hard to take in," Hiccup sneered. "You know, that you broke your hand punching a fucking wall!"
"What else was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, not punch a wall maybe?!"
"There was nothing else to punch."
Hiccup dropped the cutlery on the tray, arms swinging around as he grew more and more frustrated. He looked around, but everybody else seemed to have lost interest in the topic—was he the weird one there? "So we're just gonna accept that not punching anything wasn't an option, aren't we?"
"Basically, yeah."
"This is so messed up…" he grumbled, shaking his head.
Jack leaned back on his chair, hands folded behind his head and fork hanging between his lips. "Come on, buddy stop acting like you don't know what kind of person Hofferson is."
"The type who can kick your scrawny ass whenever she feels like it?" Astrid guessed.
Jack raised one eyebrow, tilting his head to the side, amused. "Haven't you done enough damage for one day?"
"Eh, it will be worth the effort."
"Jesus Christ, how can you be this intimidating with only one usable hand?" Jack cried, scowling.
"Like I need two hands to fight you."
"What, are you challenging me?"
"Please don't…" Elsa mumbled.
Andy cleared his throat, warily looking between the two. "Shouldn't you feel bad for picking a fight with a temporarily impaired girl?"
"Not when that girl is Astrid Fucking Hofferson!"