Hello sorry I've not updated for ages but I've been ill. I would just like to say I will try to update at least once a week and if I ever decide to discontinue the story I will let you know. This is another slow character building chapter, but as I keep saying it will get better (Or it dose in my head). If anyone has any pairings they would like to see included I'm happy to take requests no promises though, and obviously not Jack or Hiccup. I should probably mention I have quiet a cruel side and at least one character will die in everyone of my stories, so if you don't like character death you've been warned. As always please ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes. Thank you for my reviews keep posting them I love reading them.

Chapter 3; Snowflakes.

As Hiccup took the vacant seat beside the now fist pumping hockey player, uneasy still gnawed in the pit of Hiccup's stomach. After settling himself next to Jack the jock turned towards him.

"I'm Jackson Overland-Frost, but everyone calls me Jack." Jack said holding out his hand. Hiccup watched Jack's hand as if he expected to bite him at any moment. Jack noticed the smaller teen's hesitation. "I don't think we've ever met." He continued.

Never met. Did Jack not remember the first day? The day he'd screamed at him and pinned him. Hiccup wanted to say something but nothing came to mind. So he took Jack's still out stretched hand and gave it a weak shake. Jack leant his elbows against the desk his chin resting in his hands and studied Hiccup with his cobalt eyes.

"H-Hiccup." He stammered.

Jackson frowned. "What was that?"

"Hiccup, t-that's what everyone c-calls me."

"Who does?"

"Um...well e-everyone, b-but I think it was my d-dad that started it."

Jack's frown turned to a scowl. "Why would he call you Hiccup? isn't that kinda an insult?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Isn't Hiccup what people in some traditions call a mistake or a runt? Did your dad know that? Did you?"

Hiccup was surprised Jack knew about the tradition of his home village not many people his age did. Berk town was near the Canadian boarder and was proud of it's so called Viking heritage and up kept a lot of old traditions. Like naming the runt Hiccup, he knew if it hadn't been for his mother Hiccup would have been his birth name.

"I k-know what it means, b-but no o-one uses my real name." Hiccup mumbled lowering his head.

"What's your real name?"

Hiccup peeked up threw his auburn bangs. He was so used to being called Hiccup his real name felt foreign on his tongue. "Havyn."

The jock leaned back in his chair running a hand threw his ruffled white hair. After a moment he spoke again. "I like that. But I like to use nicknames. I don't like Hiccup because of it's hidden meaning so I'll christen you with a new one."

As Jack and Hiccup spoke in low tones Mrs Mode sorted the last few students into their pairs with the help of her coloured balls. Hiccup noticed Elsa was partnered with a girl with a mass of red hair and electric blue eyes. Neither girl looked pleased with the arrangement. The red heads lip was curled and Elsa was sat rigid in her seat and staring straight ahead.

"Freckles." Jack whisper-shouted suddenly.

Hiccup looked back to the boy who was grinning ear to ear. "Original." Hiccup replied sarcasm dripping from his words.

Jack just giggled back. He waved his hand at Hiccup. "Okay I'll give you that one. Your hairs kinda messy, Shaggy?"

"Does that make you Scooby?"

Another snigger from the jock. "Toothpick, Fishbone, Shorty?"

"Now your just hurting my feelings." Hiccup said as he put the back of his hand to his forehead.

Jack gave a loud bark before doubling over his desk laughing loud enough to grab the class's attention. Hiccup felt that familiar warmth heating his cheeks. It wasn't that funny. Mrs Mode cleared her throat loudly. Jack calmed down enough to look at their teacher.

"Something you'd like to share Mr Overland?" Mrs Mode asked with a raised brow.

Jack tried to stifle his laughing with out much success, so just shook his head at the art teacher. Hiccup started picking at a loose thread on one of his overly long sleeves. Jack took a few deep breaths but his smile never wavered.

"Hiccup's funny, that's all." He replied as calmly as he could.

Hiccup blushed harder. He had a strong suspicion that Jack could find pretty much anything funny. Mrs Mode took little more notice of the two boys as she wondered back to her platform. Once there she started outlining their new project. Hiccup being the A star student he was started taking down detailed notes as she spoke. Jack being the clown he was started firing bits of chewed up paper out the pen he'd dismantled. Though the uneasy feeling in Hiccup's stomach had subsided it was far from gone. He had thought working with Jack would be tense and difficult, but the jock was smiley and friendly. The source of his discomfort wasn't Jack as he'd first thought, it was Elsa. The platinum blonde princess and the red headed tomboy were still glaring daggers at each other. A dark aura surrounded both girls. It looked like a stand off between to feral ally cats, each waiting for the other to make a wrong move. The thought sent a chill of anticipation down Hiccup's spine. He knew he shouldn't be looking forward to seeing if the two girls would rip into each other but he couldn't help it. That dark part of his mind that had been growing steadily lately wanted to see blood. Just a little, a bloody nose or a split lip would do. Hiccup shook his head what was wrong with him? Now guilt settled over the freckled teen, how could he think something so wrong? Hiccup should know better the amount of times he'd walked or limped home with blood filling his mouth or dripping down his face. Rebuking himself one last time he returned his attention on the lesson. The project itself was fairly simple they had to collaborate a piece of art portraying life in the town of Burgess. Each of them was to find and use their strongest method or style.

"W-what's your strength." Hiccup asked Jackson who was sat backwards straddling his seat to get a better aim at a girl with choppy brown hair that fell just below her chin and big green eyes in the back row.

Jack looked at Hiccup his eyes completely lost. "Hmmm?" Was his response.

"Your strength, what are you good at?" Hiccup asked again.

Jack's eyes lit up. "Good at? I'm good at ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse; I rode a horse once I was pretty good at that. Xbox games mainly ones like..." Jack stopped abruptly when Hiccup held up a hand.

"No, no, I mean art wise. Are you good at realism, abstract, charcoal or maybe watercolours?"

Jack blinked a couple of times, and it didn't escape Hiccup how adorable that blank stare made him look. Jack snapped his fingers.

"I can draw snowflakes." He declared happily.

The smaller teen however was less then enthusiastic about the information. "S-snowflakes? Just snowflakes nothing else?"

Jack pouted. "There hard to draw. I'm not an artist. Well I mean I can make cool ice sculptures as well, but I don't think Mrs Mode would allow that."

Hiccup puffed his cheeks out in irritation.

"You know your kinda cute when you do that." Hiccup snapped his head up to meet Jack's gaze a blush flushing his cheeks.

Jack was watching him with a gentle smile head tilted slightly to the side. He reminded Hiccup of his dog toothless. When Hiccup would talk to the furry beast it would tip it's head side to side as if he were listening.

"I am not, nor have I ever been cute." Hiccup said in his most serious voice. An expression on his face to match though it was some what ruined by his fire hydrant red blush. "I am what is commonly referred to as ruggedly hansom."

Jackson threw his head back and hollered, at the auburn teen beside him. The whole class was once again looking at the two. Usually Hiccup would hide or fidget at the curious stares, but right now he was fixated on Jack's neck, on those tightly corded tendons and mussels so deliciously displayed before him. He had to tense his whole body to stop himself leaning forward. Mrs Mode called for the class to continue with their project out lines. Jack was still chuckling away thankfully oblivious to the inner battle Hiccup was having. Elsa however was a different story. As Hiccup desperately tried to focus on anything but Jack's throat, he caught her eye. Hiccup felt the cold seep into the room again, not as strong as before but it was there. There was a predatorily look in the cheer leaders eyes. She'd seen him, seen what he'd been thinking. How, he didn't know but her expression told him all he needed to know. She was still seeing something in his face. Or more specifically Hiccup's eyes. Hiccup ripped his eyes away from her knowing glacier ones. This was bad. Would she tell everyone what she saw? And what did she see? Did she see Hiccup gawking at her brothers throat like some pervert? Or did she see the secret need inside him? There were just to many questions rushing threw Hiccup's mind with no answers. Hiccup picked up his pen and tried to pick back up where he left off. It took a few more minutes for Jack to compose himself. His jaw starting to ache from all the laughing. He reached into his battered backpack on the floor beside him and pulled out an equally battered drawing pad. He pushed it under Hiccup's nose.

"These are my drawings take a look and see if you can find my strength." He smiled the mirth still evident in his slightly flushed face.

Hiccup took the book who was he to contradict the jock, if he wanted to show him something so personal. Because in Hiccup's opinion a sketch book was like a diary. When Hiccup drew he drew his emotions. That's why Astrid was the only person who had ever looked threw his personal sketch pad. Hiccup opened the first page. The pictures weren't anything special, a dog, a car, a tree. They all looked like they had been drawn by an eight year old. Hiccup had to admit there was a certain charm in the way they were drawn, all rough lines and slightly off angles. Hiccup found a small smile tug at his lips. He continued flipping slowly threw the book unaware of Jack watching every slight change in his expression. Jackson waited with baited breath as Hiccup turned the next page. He couldn't explain why, but the auburn haired teen's opinion mattered to the jock, a lot. Hiccup's breath caught in his throat as his eyes met the drawing on the fifth page of the sketch book. It was a snowflake but nothing like Hiccup had expected. It was drawn completely in pencil. So detailed it looked real. Spending a good few minutes just letting his eyes glide over the delicate drawing Hiccup turned to the next page. If the first snowflake was good it was nothing compared to this one. One large 3D sketch was drawn on the page. Hiccup reached forward and ran his fingers over the paper. He was half expecting to touch it. It was so realistic. Jack had some how managed to make it look like it was starting to melt onto the paper. As Hiccup became more and more engrossed in Jack's doodles, Jack continued to watch Hiccup. A small smile of relief now gracing his thin pink lips.

"Hiccup. Can I ask you something?" Jack moved closer keeping his voice low.

Hiccup made a noise without moving his attention from the book. Jack took it as an invitation to ask a question that had been nagging at him for a while.

"How old are you, you only look about fourteen?"

"No sixteen, why?" Hiccup replied only half listening.

Jack leaned back a little to look at the boy beside him. "If your only sixteen shouldn't you be in freshmen year?"

"I am in gym and history. Everything else they moved me up a year when I did my entrance exams."

Jack found himself smiling. "So your the brain, eh."

"Pinky suits you." Hiccup replied without missing a beat.

Jack giggled it had been a long time since he'd met someone who got his sense of humour straight off. Hiccup peeled his eyes away from the snowflake masterpieces he'd been admiring.

"Jack..." The shrill sound of the bell made both boys jump.

Their art double period had flown by. Hiccup smiled nervously before grabbing his stuff and piling it back in his satchel. Swinging the strap over his head Hiccup picked up Jack's pad and handed it back reluctantly.

"Those snowflakes are amazing, I-I mean I've never s-seen anyone draw them with such b-beauty. W-we should use them in our project somehow." Hiccup smiled up at Jack despite the blush he could feel on his cheeks again.

Jack couldn't help the way his chest swelled at the praise Hiccup gave him. "Sure, I mean if you really want to. I can't draw much else."

Hiccup glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "Shoot I need to meet Astrid if I'm late again she said she'd bury me under Toothless doghouse."

Jack smiled lifting a dark eyebrow. "She sounds charming."

Hiccup snorted. "I'm sorry I gotta go. Maybe I'll see you before next lesson, you know around school."

Jack chuckled at Hiccup's uncertainty. "Sure. What is it tomorrow Friday? we haven't got art again till Tuesday afternoon. So we should meet up and stuff."

Hiccup blushed again but nodded as he backed towards the door clutching his bag. "I'll see you around then."

And with that Hiccup spun on his heel and started his power walk to meet Astrid at the other side of the school. Hiccup weaved easily threw the crowd. A huge smile on his face. Hiccup could barely believe he'd been avoiding Jack for the best part of a year. And for what? He was nice, friendly and when the light caught his eyes just right...Hiccup's stride faltered for a second. Shaking his head Hiccup started on his way again. He was so not going to go all fan girl on Jack he was a nice person nothing more. Leaving one building and slipping down the side of another Astrid's gym building came in view. It was out the way of all the other classes but Astrid insisted the quiet surrounding the old building helped her concentrate. It freaked Hiccup out. In between the buildings it was shady and quiet. Their were no other students that used this building only Astrid's advanced gym class, most students didn't even know the building was still used. With one last calming breath Hiccup made his way to cross the old quad in front of the run down building. As Hiccup stepped forward something grabbed his wrist and spun him roughly to face them. With a strangled yell Hiccup lost his footing and landed on one knee in front of the ice queen herself. Hiccup stared up into Elsa's cold blue eyes as she smirked down at the smaller boy. Her grip on his wrist like a vice.

"I think we need a little chat don't you Hiccup?" She smiled and it was less then friendly.