Okay here we go. Just over a month... I'm so sorry. Please don't throw things at me! I'm going back to college tomorrow so bring on the STRESS but I wanted to get this out before I go back otherwise it may as well be on a permanent hiatus. Okay, I decided to play a little with the POV's in this one but I hope you like. BTW if you think they're both totally OOC, they're kind of meant to be. We've got a bit of a Punk!Hiccup and Nerd! Jack thing going on here... idk let's just see where it goes from here. Enjoy x
...
Hiccup
"You working today?" Wasabi's voice drifted over the top of the pile of dirty laundry that was balancing precariously on the washing machine.
"No, Fred's Dad gave me and Tadashi the day off today. I think he assumed we would both still be hungover from yesterday." Hiccup half-yelled over the rumbling thumps of the machines.
To be honest, Hiccup was kind of happy about not having to work today. He simply couldn't get Jack out of his thoughts. Aster had taken him home and that had been it. No sign that he was okay. Sure, Hiccup had tried to find Jack on Facebook, but it seemed there were an unsurprising amount of people with the name Jack in the world, and without a surname to go on, finding him was pretty much hopeless. He'd even left his phone number with Jack in case he wanted to speak to him again. Now that he thought about it, maybe he should've left his number in Jack's phone when he'd had the chance.
What if he wasn't getting any better? How was Hiccup supposed to know if he'd even woken up yet? Jack could've gotten alcohol poison for all he knew...
"Lucky. I've got the late shift tonight. But I think Elinor's head chef this week so it won't be too bad. She's awesome." Wasabi brought Hiccup's mind back to the task at hand. The laundry.
"Yeah, she's nice. What time are you starting?" Hiccup climbed down from the step ladder he was standing on to reach the top washing machine. He got down backwards and managed to topple off and bump into Wasabi's shoulder as he did so. "Sorry."
"S'fine, yeah, I start at seven and finish at two…" He groaned, leaning back against the laundry basket and rubbing his forehead. "It's gonna be a long night." He paused, and then waggled an eyebrow at Hiccup, "You want me to bring you back some dumplings?"
"You know me too well." Hiccup laughed, "Yes please!"
"Okay, well, I should probably- oh jeez, I definitely need to go!" Wasabi jumped down from the counter after checking his watch for the time.
"Why? You just said you're not going til seven." Hiccup eyed his curiously as he began bundling up all his clean laundry into another basket.
"I," he announced, "have a date."
"Woah, what?" Hiccup immediately had to stop himself, for fear he was sounding rude. "I mean, with who?"
"Someone I met online."
Hiccup raised an eyebrow.
"We've skyped. She's a real person." Wasabi reassured him. "And we're going out for lunch. I was gonna take her to your place, but it's shut so I guess I'll have to improvise."
"What's her name?"
"Honey." Wasabi looked dreamily off over Hiccup's shoulder for a second. "She's so smart, and gorgeous, and she only live just around the corner. I'm meeting her at twelve, so I've gotta start getting ready." He started hurrying about, throwing random t-shirts onto the pile he was holding, before giving Hiccup a quick salute and rushing out the door.
Hiccup watched him for a minute as he crashed into walls, trying to balance his load as he climbed the stairs out of the shared launderette in the basement of the building.
After a while, Hiccup turned back to look down at the green shirt he was wearing, still with a dark stain of soy sauce down the collar.
"Wasabi's got a date…"
And he still didn't even know the surname of the guy he brought home last night.
He was really kinda hoping that Jack would want to talk to him again, hence the number he'd given him.
With a sigh, Hiccup started folding his shirts and trousers that had just come out of the tumble dryer, his mind wandering down a rabbit hole of worst case scenarios.
His musings were rather rudely interrupted by his ringtone.
Ring!
"Oh crap, where-?" Hiccup checked his pockets but couldn't find his phone in any of them.
Ring!
"Crap crap crap, where is it?!" He started throwing his folded laundry out of the basket desperately trying to find the source of the ringing.
Ring!
"Yes!" He finally found it at the bottom of the basket, he had no idea how it'd gotten lost down there.
He looked at the screen briefly and just realised it was coming from an unknown number before he answered it.
"Hello?"
The line stayed silent. Um…
"Hello?" Hiccup said again, moving closer to the stairs to try and improve the signal.
Eventually someone spoke. "H-hi, it's uh, it's me, J-"
"Jack?" Hiccup gasped, still a little breathless from the frantic rummaging for his phone. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd call. How're you holding up?"
The last time Hiccup had seen Jack, he could barely stand after all, so when Jack didn't reply straight away, he immediately started to worry.
"Uh…"
Hiccup didn't say anything as Jack also stayed quiet on the other end. He was most likely still a little out of it and struggling to form sentences successfully. "Yeah, I-I'm good now, I think."
Hiccup wasn't convinced in the slightest by Jack's shaky voice, but he tried to keep his own words light and cheerful. "That's great to hear. What are you doing right now?"
What was that, Hiccup?! He facepalmed himself at the stupid sudden question that had slipped out of his mouth.
There was a pause and then, "Calling you."
Hiccup tried not to laugh at Jack's adorably silly answer. "No, I mean, were you planning on going out at all today?"
Wow Hiccup, way to be subtle…
"Uh don't think so, no…"
"Okay, that's good. You still need to rest." Hiccup grinned at himself for the quick thinking. "I kinda feel responsible for what happened, and I don't want you to get sick or anything so I just wanted to check you're taking care of yourself and all that…"
"It wasn't your fault." The sudden interruption from Jack made Hiccup raise his eyebrows for a second.
"No I know, I just- y'know, as soon as you got in my car, you were my responsibility…"
"Thank you so much for all of that. Oh my god, I completely forgot to thank you or even say hello, or anything really… Sorry, thank you." Jack blurted out in a string of apologies.
Hiccup was more than taken aback at his words and was quick to reply with his reassurances, "You could barely keep your eyes open, let alone be able to say thanks. Don't worry about it." He thought back to that night, and at how dangerous the situation really had been, and felt almost angry at Jack for not being more worried about his own health. "Thanks so calling by the way, but oh man, please ignore the dumb message I left with it. I was feeling really wistful and hipster when I wrote it. Thought I could romanticise the moment y'know?" He immediately shut his eyes and cringed at what he'd said. "Uh god, that just sounds weird…"
Luckily, Jack didn't seem to be put off by his stupidity. "No no, I thought it was cool. Mysterious and all that…"
Hiccup's cheeks suddenly felt extremely hot.
"Knew it was you straight away though. You should've made it more like a riddle."
"Would you have been able to solve a riddle in your state?" Hiccup cocked an eyebrow, then realised Jack couldn't see it, and dropped it, shaking his head slightly.
"Yeah, good point." Jack laughed. Damn, he had a contagious laugh, but Hiccup somehow managed to stop himself from joining in. "So what do I need to do now, mister doctor man? I don't think I could go to sleep and 'rest' even if I wanted to."
Mister doctor man?
"Right, well from the sounds of it, you're quite a bit better, so…" Hiccup bit his lip, wondering if he was really gonna continue and say what he was thinking of saying. "So d'you maybe wanna come and meet me for brunch?"
Jack didn't reply and for a terrifying moment, Hiccup thought he might've hung up. But then he heard the faint shudder of a breath and knew he was there.
"I'm sorry, that was way too sudden. Maybe some other time-"
"No no no, yes!" Jack's panicky voice suddenly came back, mumbling and slurring his words together. "I would like that a lot."
Hiccup smiled. It was one of those weird smiles that somehow makes your whole face warm up and he held that position for a minute before he remembered Jack was waiting for a response.
"W-where were you thinking?" Jack beat him to it and Hiccup immediately began scouring his brain for ideas. In the end, he told Jack about Yoji and they arranged to meet at the front of the pier at twelve and then go there for something to eat. Hiccup wasn't sure, but if possible, Jack sounded almost just as eager to meet up as he did.
Hiccup checked the time and realised with a jolt that he had just under an hour to get ready. Hurriedly piling up his laundry for about the third time that morning, he ran up the stairs out of the basement and then up to his flat.
Once there, one look in the mirror, and the fact that he was still in his pyjama shirt and jeans, let him know he definitely had his work cut out for him…
…
Jack
Hopping from foot to foot was all Jack could seem to do with himself as he waited by the pier entrance. It was pretty crowded, it being a sunny day and the beach often getting lots of tourists in.
He'd turned up on time, right?
"Yes, it's almost twelve o'clock…"
He'd turned up at the right pier, right?
"Yes, Jack. There's only one pier on this beach…"
He'd come on the right day, right?
"Jack, now you're being ridiculous. You're early, it's fine."
After a few seconds, Jack realised with a start that he'd been stood there talking to himself. Trying to shrug it off, so as to not look like a psycho to the passers by, he caught his reflection in the window of a tacky gift shop across the lift and gave it a quick smile.
He'd decided to wear his plain white shirt, which, yes, clashed with his hair, but he was also wearing a light grey coloured jacket which balanced it out a bit. Then he wore the same pale chinos from the other night (after finding them washed and folded at the end of his bed (courtesy of Rapunzel, no doubt (she was definitely the mum of the group)) and making sure that they were clear of any odd stains or smells). Of course, he'd showered and kind of swept his hair over to the right, trying to keep it looking neat-ish but failing as he always did. But whatever, his unruly locks always looked better stuck up everywhere, like a blizzard had just hit him backwards.
Overall, Jack thought he looked pretty damn good.
But then again, what did Jack's still slightly intoxicated opinion count for in the grand scheme of things? He could've looked like he'd literally been hit backwards by a blizzard and be none the wiser…
"Stop stressing yourself out, Jack." He mumbled. "And for god's sake, stop talking to yourself!" He shook his head wildly, gaining a few odd stares from the people walking past.
Ignoring them, Jack reached into his brown leather messenger bag and pulled out his phone, but also dragging out and dropping to the floor, his keys and wallet. As he reached down to pick them up, he heard someone shouting his name.
His head perked up like a meerkat and his eyes quickly locked onto where the shouts were coming from. Driving slowly past on the seafront boulevard road stretch was a small yellow cube of a car, and in the passenger seat, Honey Lemon was leaning out and waving frantically at him.
"Jack! Hi!" She called. She disappeared for a second to speak to whoever was driving and then the car pulled up right next to the pavement where Jack stood. Honey reappeared and began firing questions at him. "What are you doing out here on your own? You should really be in bed, y'know. Where are you going? D'you want a lift?"
"Woah there. I'm good, Honey. Thanks." Jack held out his hands and stepped closer to the car. "I'm just uh- waiting for someone."
Honey turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Waiting for someone? Oh Jack, that's awesome! Have fun on your date!" She giggled.
"No no, it's not like that- He's just, uh-"
"Don't worry. I won't tell the others." She tapped her nose knowingly and laughed again.
"What are you doing anyway?" Jack asked. He didn't recognise the car, so she wasn't with any of the gang.
"I just so happen to be on a date myself." She announced proudly. "Jack, this is Wasabi. Wasabi, this is Jack."
A muscled guy with warm eyes and his dreads pulled back by a bandana leaned forward and smiled, giving Jack a thumbs up sign. "How's it goin'?"
Jack returned the thumbs up and Wasabi spoke again. "Do I know you from somewhere…?"
"Uh… Don't know."
"You look so familiar." Wasabi was squinting at him now.
Luckily Honey chose that moment to interrupt. "So who is this guy you're meeting then? Do I know him? Is he cute?"
Jack's face plummeted to scarlet in seconds. "Honey, I told you it's not like that. He's the guy that helped me at the club the other night. We're just going out for lunch."
"Oh Jack, that's so cute! It's like a fairytale, but y'know, with alcohol and all that jazz. You need to keep me updated via text throughout the whole day, okay? I wanna know about all the juicy details!"
"There aren't gonna be any juicy details…" Jack groaned, sharing an eye roll with Wasabi, who seemed to have gotten a good grasp on Honey's overexcited personality even though he'd only just met her. "But sure, I'll text you…"
"Great! Have fun and I'll see you later! Don't be late back. Anna's making baked alaska for dessert!" She cooed, and the car sped away, right back into the slow moving traffic of the boulevard.
Jack rolled his eyes again, and then jumped when his phone beeped. He glanced down. A text from Honey.
Oh god, this was going to be a nightmare…
Ignoring the texts, which were coming in every ten seconds, Jack focused on keeping an eye out for Hiccup. Right opposite the pier was a road crossing, and then the entryway to the busy high street. Jack assumed that if Hiccup was going to be walking from anywhere, it'd be from there, since he'd had to walk through from there to get to the pier.
Scanning the shoppers and tourists and locals and shop clerks, Jack suddenly realised something. He couldn't remember much of what Hiccup looked like. Beanie… But that really didn't help. What if he wasn't wearing it this time? Freckles… That wouldn't be visible until they were feet away from each other. Brown hair? Maybe… Or was it red? No, definitely brown.
So what did Jack have to go on at this point? He was looking for a brown haired guy about his age who may or may not be wearing a beanie and earphones…
Great.
A few more minutes of waiting… A few more doubts Jack started having about whether that phone conversation had been real… Hiccup had answered the phone, right? This wasn't all just some dumb incarnation of his lonely, confused mind, right?
Right?
"Jack!"
A shout, and Jack's eyes slid into focus to see a brown haired, freckled, beanie-wearing guy running across the road towards him.
"Jack, hi! Sorry I kept you waiting. I didn't really give myself enough time to get ready after all." He panted, yanking out his earbuds and grinning.
"You are real…" Jack breathed, so quietly he could barely hear himself.
"Uh yeah, I was real last time I checked…" Hiccup laughed. "You okay?"
"Y-yep, just still a little amazed you actually came, I guess."
"Why wouldn't I?" Hiccup raised his eyebrows. He started talking again then, but Jack must've zoned out as he looked at him. He had been right about the brown hair, and the red beanie was there… Turquoise earbuds hung out of his white shirt and he had a dark green hoodie wrapped around his waist. The freckles were in fact, real, too… Dotted about, not just on his nose, but all over his face, neck and arms, all of which were a tanned olive colour.
"How's that sound?"
"Hmm?" Jack came out of his daydream with a jump.
"Yoji, then the pier?" Hiccup tilted his head, apparently amused by Jack's dazedness.
"Mmm hmm, sounds like fun." Jack nodded vigorously.
"Okay then. Shall we?" Hiccup turned slightly, back towards the high street, and winked. Jack was surprised he didn't faint right there and then. But he managed to hold his composure and followed Hiccup as they made their way through the crowded shopping streets to the restaurant that Jack definitely hadn't first seen Hiccup by spying on him…
…
Once inside and seated in Yoji, Hiccup began chatting animatedly to a few of the waiters while Jack scanned the menu.
"What would you like to drink, Jack?" Hiccup asked after a while. Jack bit his lip. "The Ringosai is really good here." Hiccup suggested, "It's like a cider but ten times better."
"I think I'll just have water…" Jack replied quickly, shuddering slightly at the thought of having to consume any more alcohol, especially with Hiccup. He'd had to deal with enough drunk Jack to last him a lifetime.
"You sure? Okay." Hiccup turned to the large guy behind the bar and told him what they wanted. "Two waters please." The man grunted something in Japanese before grabbing two glasses and filling them from the tap.
"So, I suppose we should get the awkward smalltalk out of the way, eh?" Hiccup swivelled in his seat to face Jack and gave him a lopsided smile. "Name, age, favourite colour. Go."
Jack stared at him for a second before answering, cheeks reddening. "Jack Frost. I'm nineteen. My favourite colour is blue."
"Okay. I'm Hiccup Haddock. I'm twenty one. My favourite colour is green."
Jack's lips twitched into a smile. This guy was adorable…
"Here's another one." Hiccup rested his elbows on the table. "Favourite movie, favourite artist, favourite author."
"Hmm…" Jack had to think about that one. "Howl's Moving Castle."
Hiccup looked surprised, but nodded in agreement.
"Fall Out Boy or Panic, don't make me choose."
Another amused nod.
"And uh… Patrick Ness?"
"Okay… all good choices there. Here are mine. Kick Ass. Fall Out Boy. J.R.R Tolkien."
"Wow. Never took you for a nerd…" Jack smiled.
"Never took you for a Ghibli fan, but there it is. Okay, one more." Hiccup shifted again in his seat. "Job, hobby, relationship status. Go."
Jack paused, thrown by the last one, but began to answer regardless. "Student, but part time job in a cafe. Guitar, I guess? And um, single. Your turn."
"I work here. I draw." He paused long enough for Jack to become curious and make eye contact. "And I'm single."
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AWWWWWW I LOVED THIS CHAPTER!
Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, can Honey and Wasabi become a thing? Because I think it's adorable and I think I'm gonna make it a thing! Aww
Shoutouts
pikianoa: Pineashi fanart... oh god, don't imagine it! I don't think I could handle the level of cringe if I had to write Jack making too much of an ass of himself so I hope this is satisfying enough... They're both adorkable weirdos after all!
Snowflakesandangels: Poor Jack. He has got some stuff going on that he doesn't like sharing... I think that's what makes him so fun to write. Now he's got a Hiccup to worry about though... How's this gonna go down? I've had my fair share of fangirl moments this month too so don't worry about it! Hope you liked this chapter x
Two of the broken masks: I think next chapter, I'm gonna get the boys on the pier, which should be fun! Maybe even chance for a little drama there? Who knows? Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter x
A Frozen Shadow: Not so much in this one, but next chapter will definitely contain some fluff of some shape or form (cos they basically just turned their brunch into a date so...)
erohime928: Thanks so much for your review. I love reading long and well thought out ones like yours. Yeah, I agree with you. I'm writing Jack's friends to be kind of like the peer pressuring 'cool kid' group that Jack is always trying to be a part of but can't quite seem to connect with as a whole. Individually, I plan to explore each character for their strengths and flaws, but you're right. As a group, they can be pretty mean. It's deliberate, so don't worry. I love every one of the characters really! I promise! Hope you liked this chapter!
vampireharry the 2: Thanks xx hope you liked this chapter!
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Guys, I have another brainstorm to run by you. I've recently been watching a lot of those "24 hours in an abandoned shopping mall" and "A night in Ikea" videos because they're hilarious to me and I was thinking, who wants to see a fic where the gang have a go at this? Maybe we can get Jack, Hiccup, Rapunzel and Merida to try and urbanex an old mall, or deck it out for a night somewhere? idk it just sounds like it'd be a load of fun to write. Lemme know what you think in a review! x
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Alrighty then. I've just been struck by an awesome idea for next chapter so better buckle yourselves in for it! Though I can't make any promises as to when it'll be coming to you as I suck at schedules (but you already knew that hahahaha)
Please fave, follow and review if you liked xx