Sunday
~Rapunzel~~~~
Rapunzel straps on her borrowed motorcycle helmet, undeniably excited about today. She hasn't ridden ATV's on actual trails since the first time she came with Merida to the lake. Now it's a whole year later, and Rapunzel's beside herself with anticipation. Hopping onto Merida's over-sized red four-wheeler, she waits for everyone else to finish getting ready. She looks around for her best friend, but can't seem to find her. Suddenly, someone blocks her view, and she's surprised to see Jack plop down right in front of her on the sleek black seat of the ATV. Confused, Rapunzel raises the visor on her helmet and asks, "Isn't this Merida's?"
Without turning around, Jack replies, "Yeah, but she has to stay back to help her mom and didn't want you to miss your ride."
She waits for him to explain why he, in particular, is driving her, and why he's suddenly acting so rigid around her, but he doesn't.
Mr. Dunbroch pulls up beside them on his dirt-bike, and yells over the noise, "Some parts of these trails are tricky, Jack, but just take your time, and you'll be fine." Merida's dad turns his attention to Rapunzel, "Like I said, most parts of these trails aren't really smooth, and this ATV doesn't have too many hand-holds after we boarded up the back," he said, patting the black ply-wood attached to the cage behind her, "so hold on to Jack if you need to."
She nods, speechless. Jack nods as well, but stiffly. He starts the motor and idles until both Hiccup and his dad have passed on their bikes before revving the engine and taking off down the driveway. Rapunzel holds onto the sides of the black board behind her as the riders fly over the road, dust forming long, thick clouds behind them. The trail has lots of sharp twists and turns, but Jack conquers them easily, never even slowing down.
The wind whips through Rapunzel's hair, tugging on the loose blonde strands underneath her helmet. The sides of Jack's cut-off T-shirt flap furiously in the breeze and whip against her bare legs. Trees blend together as they pass, the bushes just blurs of green. She tilts her head back to look at the sky, and the branches of the trees shatter the blue into individual shards of color like a stained-glass window.
Lost in thought, she doesn't see that the road ahead dives seemingly straight down. As the ATV tips over the lip of the hill, the steep descent catches her off guard, and the momentum throws her forward against Jack's back. She instinctively wraps her arms around his waist to keep from falling off. He stiffens at her touch, and Rapunzel shyly loosens her grip, but still keeps her arms around him. Her heart pounds violently in her chest when she feels his muscles tighten under her hands through the thin cotton of his shirt. Growing bolder, she leans her helmet against his back and relaxes. As she closes her eyes, the wind is the only reminder that she's still moving, and within moments she can sense the tilt of an incline as the ATV climbs higher and higher.
Soon, the riders are on flat ground again, and Rapunzel opens her eyes. They are resting on the top of a massive hill, the view of the endless forest below stealing her breath away. Jack pushes hard against the gas trigger, and the machine surges down the other side of the hill. Giggling in delight, Rapunzel holds her arms out wide, a feeling of weightlessness overcoming her. She squeezes her eyes shut once more, and a sensation of flight washes over her before the terrain levels out again. For a moment, she forgets the world around her and leans into the boy in front of her, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist and squeezing hard in sheer joy. He jumps at her hug, but doesn't protest as they follow the Dunbroch's trail.
Up here at the lake, Rapunzel loves how she can forget all about her life back home. There's no step-mother to boss her around and tell her who to be or how to act. For the first time in what seems like forever, she feels free. Utterly and completely free. She can be herself around the people she's begun to think of as her second family. They don't have any expectations of her and no mold of who she has to be. Here, she can do things she could never do at home - like fly. That's what she's come to call this: flying. Leaving her worries behind in a cloud of dust and soaring away from it all, never looking back.
It's not about where she came from or what she ran away from; it's about where she's headed, and right now she doesn't know where that is exactly, but that doesn't matter much to her anymore. A few days ago, she had so many regrets and lists of things that she wished she had done differently over the years. Now, however, she can't think of a single one. They're all lost in the dirt and dust they've kicked up and left behind.
Tuesday
~Rapunzel~~~~
The last of the stars are still lazily blinking when Rapunzel wakes up. The sun hasn't risen over the horizon yet, but, judging by the bright red sky, it's going to be a beautiful dawn. She has no idea why her body had woken up so early, but she knows that going back to sleep is pointless now that she's fully awake. Stretching, she climbs out of bed and checks to make sure that Merida is still asleep. Rapunzel tip-toes out of the room, soundlessly creeps across the cabin, and carefully unlocks the wooden outside door. She cracks it open, pushes through the screen door, and shimmies through the thin opening.
The beauty of the sky steals the breath right out of her lungs, and without meaning to, she let's go of the screen door. It slams against it's frame, the loud bang echoing off the surrounding trees and deserted cove. Frozen in place, Rapunzel readies herself for Mister or Missus Dunbroch to come out and yell at her , but no one stirs in the silent cabin.
When her bare feet touch the cool wood of the dock, goose-bumps prickle her skin, and she rubs her bare arms, wishing that she had brought a jacket down with her; even though it's July, the morning chill gives off the impression that it's still January. Walking out onto the pier, she feels like she is the only person in the world. There is not another human being in sight; just her and the open water witness one of the most beautiful sunrises she's ever seen.
The sky is streaked with a spectrum of pink and orange, with hints of midnight blue lingering at the edges of the arch of warm color. Rapunzel sits, leaning against the post at the end of the dock, soaking up the first sun rays of the day and fingering the slippery water beneath her. If she could choose to stay there forever, wrapped up in a golden-pink blanket of light, she would. She feels a sense of belonging and peace rise inside of her, and she closes her eyes against the blinding sun, wishing this moment would never end.
~Jack~~~~
Jack jolts awake when the slam of a door reaches his ears. Groggily, he reaches for his phone on the bedside table. The time is illuminated on the screen, and he moans when his brain processes the numbers. It's barely six o'clock in the morning, and he had only been asleep for a little over five hours. Fighting the urge to let sleep overcome him, he dizzily gets out of bed, grabs his favorite cobalt blue hoodie off the hook on the back of the door, and slips out to investigate the noise.
He sneaks down the hallway, peeking into the family room and kitchen without noticing a single thing out of place. Poking his head into the porch, he still can't find the source of the disturbance. He's about to give up in frustration when something catches his attention: the door leading outside isn't fully closed. Carefully, he opens it wider, noting that the screen door is unlocked as well, and slips outside.
Stepping out onto the wrap-around deck, Jack spots a figure down on the dock. He shades his eyes from the blinding sun reflecting off the water, but he can't quite tell who's below him. Curious, he sneaks down the stone staircase and crouches at the bottom to get a better look at the figure. Everything in his body seems to freeze all at once when he realizes that it's Rapunzel.
She's resting against a post on the pier, her eyes closed and unaware of his gaze. The bright new sun reflects off of her hair, making it glow like liquid gold, and he can't seem to take his eyes off of her. Knowing he would have to confront her sooner or later before she discovers that he's spying, Jack forces himself to look away. As he begins to take a step out onto the dock, Rapunzel's body shudders, and goosebumps cover her arms and legs. Remembering the sweatshirt in his hand, he silently moves to wrap it around her shoulders. Her eyes pop open the second he lets go of the jacket, and one of her hands flies towards his face while the other covers her mouth as she shrieks.
~Rapunzel~~~~
The back of her hand meets his cheek before she realizes who it is. Jack tries to bring his arm up to his face in defense, but it's too late. She can already see a red mark forming on his cheekbone as she stammers to apologize.
He just rubs his face where her hand had been, and cuts her off with a smirk and a wave of his hand. "I just thought you could use some protection out here since you were all alone . . . but now I see you can handle yourself pretty dang well," he explains, smiling at her, but hurriedly looks down at the wooden boards. "I heard you slam the door."
Jack picks up his blue sweatshirt from across the dock where she had flung it in the commotion and drapes it around her shoulders.
"I thought you could use this," he offers with a shrug.
He leans against the post across from her, and from this short distance Rapunzel notices how bright and unique Jack's brilliant blue eyes are; she loves the sparks of life in them when the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile.
"Thanks," she replies, "for the sweatshirt I mean. Look, I'm really sorry about the whole slapping thing. If I'd had known it was you, I really wouldn't have hit you. I swear I didn't mean to . . . but when my eyes are closed and something touches me, it's not really my fault what happens next."
"Oh I believe you," he teases, " it really was my fault. I should've known better than to sneak up on a professional ninja."
Rapunzel playfully karate-chops him in the arm. "You better believe it!"
They both crack up laughing, and their voices bounce of the trees around them, sounding as if they are joining in on the joke. She glances at Jack as he laughs, unable to help herself from staring at the small dimples above his smile, but she quickly looks away before he notices. As they sit there together, watching the sun rise over the horizon, Rapunzel pulls Jack's hoodie tighter around her and decides that even if she had the choice, she wouldn't trade this moment away for anything. She feels all her worries fade away like the last fragments of dark blue in the sky, and it's as if a weight is finally lifted off of her shoulders.
Rapunzel looks into Jack's eyes and realizes that when she's with him, she feels like she can be herself. She doesn't have to cower in fear like she does with her step-mother, or fake smiles like she does with strangers, or even hide her feelings deep down inside of her like she does with her other friends. He understands her, in an unspoken yet undeniable way, that makes her feel like nothing she has done or will do can ever faze him. There's an easiness about him that just makes her want to tell him things that she's only ever kept to herself. Then it dawns on her that she can tell him everything; there isn't anyone telling her to keep her past a secret, to hold back. She needs to get it off her chest anyway, so why not just let go?
Words come spilling out of her mouth before she can even register what's happening, and she can't seem to stop them, either. She tells him all about Gothel and the fighting; her dreams and what she wants out of life; how she wants to leave her hometown, and her past, behind. Most of the time, she doesn't even know what the heck she's saying, but Jack simply nods and lets her talk as much as she wants.
When she finally runs out of things to say, he moves to sit next to her, pulls her to him, and holds her tight. She doesn't even realize that she wants to cry until he allows her to, but once he opens that door, tears tickle her cheek as they streak down her face. He rubs her back when sobs shake her body, but he thankfully just lets her cry. When all of her tears are gone, she squeezes him to let him know that she's all right, and he takes her by the shoulders, holding her out at arm's length.
"Better now?"
Rapunzel nods sheepishly, rubbing her arms as she whispers, "I'm sorry about all of this . . ."
Jack tilts his head to the side a little, "Why?"
"I didn't mean to just spew out my life story like that; it just sort of happened, and I'm sorry if you honestly really didn't want to hear it."
He shrugs, and her heart sinks a little, but then he wraps her in another hug. "Don't worry, Punzie, I'm a good listener."
~Jack~~~~
Jack pries his eyes open, not sure when he had actually fallen asleep. As he stretches, stiff from sitting against the dock post, he shifts the girl on his lap, noticing that she, too, has drifted off. Careful not to wake her up, he reaches for his phone in his sweatshirt pocket that's wrapped around her shoulders. When the numbers glow on the screen, his heart races. They've stayed out there longer than he thought, and someone is bound to wake up soon and see them together like this if they didn't hurry.
He is about to shake Rapunzel awake, but then he sees her face. She looks so peaceful, her expression calm and her mouth pulled up in a sweet smile, that he can't bring himself to take that away from her. Jack slides an arm under her legs and carefully lifts her off the ground; she feels weightless as he carries her up the stone steps to the house. Tip-toeing across the padded floor, he shifts the girl in his arms in order to reach the doorknob. Tucking her back under the covers, he leaves her to dream in peace and soundlessly closes the door behind him.
~Rapunzel~~~
Muffled laughter floats in from the open door across the room, waking Rapunzel from one of her most beautiful dreams. As she fingers the soft blue fabric around her, realization washes over her like a wave: it wasn't a dream. She unwraps Jack's sweatshirt off her shoulders, suddenly aware of how exposed it had been. Scrambling to hide it under the covers, she frantically looks around the room. A sigh of relief escapes her lips when she sees that Merida's bed is empty across the way. Grateful that her secret is safe, she changes into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before heading out to the family room.
She is greeted by bubbling laughs when she steps out of the bedroom. Looking at the grinning faces surrounding the breakfast table, Rapunzel instantly feels self-conscious as they turn their attention to her. When Jack meets her gaze and smiles at her, however, reassurance resonates through her. She bids good morning to the lively bunch situated around the cozy table in front of her and moves to stand behind Merida. Mr. Dunbroch strikes up some small-talk with Rapunzel, and she tries her best to concentrate on the conversation, but she can feel somebody's eyes on her, their stare like hot needles pricking her cheeks. Her curiosity spikes when she throws a sideways glance in Jack's direction only to discover that he isn't even looking her way. The tingling sensation refuses to recede, and she slowly turns her head the other way to search out the source of the stare.
Her heart plummets to her stomach when she catches Hiccup's fixed gaze. A crimson blush colors his cheeks, and he quickly averts his eyes down to the table. Just as quickly, Rapunzel locks her gaze on Merida's mass of bright red curls in front of her, but she can still feel him secretly watching her. Swallowing hard, she retreats to the kitchen, fully aware of his light green eyes on her. Hiccup's stare made her uncomfortable to say the least.
Was there something on my face? No, she didn't think so; she had already checked in the bathroom mirror before walking out into the family room.
Was he just lost in thought and happened to be staring at her? It's possible, but it definitely seemed like it was pretty direct.
With her back turned, she hears the swish of a chair on carpet and realizes that someone is following her into the next room. Afraid to look behind her, Rapunzel keeps her eyes fixed on the kitchen cabinets. She reaches to open one for a bowl when a hand from behind covers hers. Jumping in surprise, she accidentally slams her hip into the counter and whips her head around. Relief washes over her when she looks up to see a pair of stunning cerulean - not green - eyes gazing down at her.
"I need to talk to you," Jack whispers, his face inches from hers. "Hic may or may not have a crush on you."
Rapunzel's heart sinks and her head starts spinning as she stammers, "W-what? A crush . . . on me?"
"Yeah, that's what I just said. Keep up with me, Blondie," he retorts.
She rolls her eyes and replies, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well, thank you very much for that delightful newsflash."
His mouth curls up into a smirk. "You're very welcome."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Hey, my mind's been a little preoccupied!" Jack shoots back defensively. He clears his throat and hurries to add, a hint of pink on his cheeks, "I mean, College football practice starts next month, and I have to make sure I'm amazing otherwise I won't be quarterback, though that probably won't be hard anyway."
Once again, she rolls her eyes at him. "Don't be such a Drama Queen. I'm surprised you can even fit a football helmet over that big head of yours."
"I didn't know until last night, okay?" He confesses, suddenly serious again as he shakes his head and pointedly avoids her gaze.
Dread fills the pit of her stomach when she realizes the awkward conversation with her best friend's brother that is inevitably coming. Because Merida has always been a sister-figure to her, Hiccup has just naturally feel into the roll of an older brother. Granted, a very irritating brother sometimes when he decides to openly ignore instructions among other things, but a brother nonetheless.
"Okay," she relents, "so what am I supposed to do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't like him that way! You're his best friend; can't you tell me how to break it to him?"
Jack takes a step back and throws his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm no love expert."
Annoyed, Rapunzel turns her back to him and drums the tips of her fingers on the counter-top in thought. An idea starts to tumble in her mind, and though it terrifies her, it also sends a shiver of excitement down her spine. Calming the butterflies in her stomach as best as she can, Rapunzel slowly spins to face him and whispers, "What if . . . what if I liked you, instead?"
"What?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
She clears her throat and speaks up with a little more confidence, "What if I pretend to like you? If I make it obvious, then he'll know I don't like him the same way I 'like' you. That way I won't have to directly reject him or anything because he won't know I found out about how he feels."
Jack stares at her for a few moments, and she can almost see the gears turning in his mind as he thinks things over. Finally, another smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. "That's quite a devious plan," he compliments.
"And?"
His blue eyes shine like ice laced with mischief as he asks, "So, this is all going to be pretend?"
Rapunzel swallows hard but tries not to let her confidence slip. "Unless, of course, you simply can't help but fall for me."
"Of course," he replies, mimicking her matter-of-fact tone, and reaches to tuck a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.
The gesture makes her cheeks feel like they're on fire, and she fights to keep her breathing normal. "Well," she starts, "I hope you enjoy the show." And with that, she breezes past him and out of the kitchen.
A/N - Hey guys! I really enjoyed writing this chapter because it shows a little bit of Jack's soft side. I know some of you aren't too happy about the whole Hiccup crushing on Punzie thing, but bear with me, okay? I promised this would be a Jackunzel fanfic, and that's what it is. I made sure to acknowledge the fact that Hic's like a brother to Rapunzel, thank you very much, and that's what he'll remain to be. On another note, I hope you guys can start to figure out how this is all going to go down, and if you have any predictions feel free to review and share them with me! Also, comments and suggestions are always welcome, so please please please review! Though I have to warn you, I am very set on some of the main elements in this plot, so be aware that if I don't directly use a suggestion it's because it's a part of my plot set-up and I don't really want to mess with parts of it. I hope you liked this chapter as much as I do, and if you are disappointed about the minimal fluff so far, please hang in there; there's lots of fluff coming soon!
~Jackunzelhayniac3~