Chapter 7

We didn't stop even once on our trek further south, then west. Jack knew how to hide our tracks well and was used to the less-used roads and paths. I had never seen him more alive. It was like watching a moonflower bloom, and this was his moonlight. It scared me at first, the way Jack operated. We would be riding down the streets of a town quietly one moment, and the next we'd be racing through the streets with some stolen money, food, etc. that Jack had scooped up. By the lopsided smile on his face I could tell, he had missed his previous life. Quite honestly, it scared me to death every time he would do such a thing, but his bright grin afterwards would make it okay.

By the end of the day we were both saddle sore and ready for a good night's sleep. I asked Jack whether or not he thought the terrible trio would be able to find us there. He shook his head, confident. "No… at this point, they'll have given up on their search. They know I have you, and I think it was overly obvious by the way I let you take the horse that I'm not a thief but a rescue party… ha. That's a first. So they'll think we're heading back up towards the castle city… but they won't follow us- or the 'us' they think they're following, anyway- too far north. The guards are on high alert as it is, and if their employer finds out or we point the knights in the right direction… well that's just the end for them." He said. "So for us, that means…?" I asked, wanting to know our plan for getting back. "So that means," He said, "We get a day off."

Jack threw me another carefree grin, and I found myself loving that smile more and more each time he made it. The small fire Jack had made was already nothing but gently glowing embers. Jack was propped up against a tree, and feeling brave, I laid my head in his lap. "You know…You make a pretty nice pillow after being tied to a tree for a week." I told him. He rolled his eyes, "Glad to be of service, your highness." Gently he began petting my hair. I let my eyes close and really breathed for the first time in a week. "I missed you. Very much." I told him, blushing at the words that felt very unlike me to say. I could hear the smile in his voice when he replied. "That's a good thing. I missed you more." He said, and I shook my head against his leg. "Impossible." I told him. He laughed a little, mussing my hair. "Oh I definitely did." He said, "Especially this part." He said, and before I could ask which part he meant, his lips were on mine.

All too soon, they disappeared. "Go to sleep, princess. You've got a week's worth to catch up on." He whispered, leaning back on the tree again. I was too tired to argue with the princess comment. Closing my eyes, I gently breathed in Jack's scent and fell head first into what felt like the best night's sleep of my life…

The next morning we slept in. I imagine it was about ten-ish when I finally woke. The sunlight poured down through the leaves of the trees in a way different from those that surrounded the castle. It felt that way, at least. Birds were chirping and the sound of a brook floated up from behind us. The pine needles had made a nice cushion underneath me, and my cheek was still nicely propped up on Jack's… that was too hard to be a leg.

Blushing heavily, I sat up straight and cross-legged in a flash. Looking back down where my head had been just moments before, I was greeted with the sight of Jack's highly pitched tent. "Oh gods…" I mumbled, rubbing the bridge of my nose. I was just about to go stand up to find that brook when Jack made… a noise. Gasping, I suddenly forgot how to use my legs. How the hell did a sound like that come from Jack?! "Pfffft!" I could barely control the loud guffaws that pressed against my lips, fighting for escape. Jack's face looked like it was in pain but based off his "little companion" it must've been quite the opposite. Since he'd probably be waking up soon, and I knew my face would give me away, I tore myself from the ground to go and find the brook. As I paced quietly through the trees, I couldn't help the question that begged to be asked… Just who was he dreaming about? I found myself blushing as the first obvious answer came to mind, and tried to wave it away with my palm. "No… no. Absolutely not… that's…" but then it occurred to me that I'd rather he be dreaming about me like that than anyone else… Huh. Priorities. Brook… that's what I was doing.

Shaking my head, I followed the sound until the brush became dense around the water's path. Perching myself on a nice boulder at the edge of the small stream, I picked through the pebbles at my feet. I'd been waiting not ten minutes before there came a call back in the direction of where we had fallen asleep. "Hiccup! Where did you go?" Jack's voice travelled through the pines. "I'm over here!" I called back, skipping a rock over the edge of the water. I could hear Jack fumbling around in the brush behind me. "Marco!" He called. I laughed a little, noticing that the weeds behind me made for a pretty good cover. "Polo!" I returned, listening as he took a few more steps in my direction. "Marco!" He tried again, fumbling a little as he got closer. "Polo!" I called back once more. I listened again for the footsteps that were supposed to come… but they didn't. "Polo?" I asked… wondering if maybe there had been an echo or something. Once again, there was no reply. I stood up, revealing myself, yes, but wondering what had happened. "Marco!"

*SPLOOSH!*

Jack had jumped out of the weeds behind me, grabbed me around my shoulders, lost his footing, and took us both flying into the brook. "Hehe…" "Pfffft… hahaha!" Once it had registered to us what had happened we were a fit of chuckles as we slipped around, thoroughly drenched. "Gods, Jack! What were you thinking sneaking up like that?" I asked, sliding onto my rock again. "That the rocks would be less slippery." He returned, wringing out the bottom of his tunic. "Oh, and by the way, isn't Marco Polo supposed to be played with your eyes closed?" I asked, wittingly looking up at him. Jack rolled his eyes, "Oh details…" he said. I smirked, ignoring him, "In fact I'm fairly sure it's the whole point of the game…" I continued. Jack pursed his lips before the now-familiar twinkle of mischief glinted in his ice-blue eyes. "Oh, bother it!" He said, sloping downward before skimming his hand over the water and sending a tiny wave into my face.

"You did not just splash me!" I squealed, wiping the water from my eyes. I pitched my hand into the water below me, sending a return attack and before I knew it we were engaged in a small war. "Oh-ho, Hic! You really shouldn't have done that." Jack said, a teasing, playful smile on his lips. Despite myself, I couldn't help scurrying back a few steps, not going unnoticed by my companion. "Well I may not know Marco Polo, but I do know how to chase after a prince!" He said, before lunging forward and running across the moss-covered rocks below. Peals of laughter rang out from both of us each time he would almost catch me. "Oh sure you do! Mr. It-only-took-me-three-days!" I taunted, squirreling over some tall weeds on the bank and into the soft mud beside the stream. I tripped my way through the underbrush until my bare feet were met by pine needles soggy from the morning dew. I could hear Jack as he splashed out of the brook behind me. My heart beating out of my chest, I tried to tiptoe my way around the needles faster.

"You may be faster in the water, but on dry land, you're mine!" Jack said. Suddenly, my arm was swung to the side, forcing me to slip on the loose needles and land my back on a tree. "Ah! How do you move that fast?!" I asked him. Jack was propping me up against the tree, pinning me there with a slow grin. "You forget that I hate shoes. I'm used to rough ground" He said, leaning his forehead against mine while trying to catch his breath. "Really haha… Good morning." I said, pecking him lightly on the nose. "Good morniiiing." He sang, and just because I couldn't help myself, I asked, "So, have a nice dream?"

As expected, Jack's face grew the slightest shade of pink but the blush was still obviously there. "Ah… haa… um, yes." He said, looking away and breaking our contact. "W-what about you?" He asked, trying to turn the attention towards me. "Not bad. I don't really remember it." I said, trying to hide my smile. Jack turned and began walking back towards the camp. Feeling brave, I grabbed his hand, stopping him. "You're forgetting something, aren't you?" I asked. Jack turned around with his signature smirk, "Am I? Hmm… maybe you should remind me." He said. I threw him my own smirk, "Here, lean down and I'll tell you." I instructed, letting go of his hand to wrap my arm around his neck. In return, he wrapped his arms around my waist. He bent his head down slightly before pressing his lips to mine. Jack pulled me into a long kiss, making my head go fuzzy and my knees wobbly. When it was over, he snaked his hand around mine again and walked me back to where Toothless was still tied to a tree. We released him and mounted, Jack in front this time, which I didn't really mind since he would know the way better.

We later stopped at a town where Jack bought me some plain clothes at a small merchant's shop. The clothes consisted of a green summer tunic, brown pants, some boots, and a brown sash. Jack leaned down to whisper in my ear, "I like green on you." With a turn of my head, I blushed. That was one thing I hadn't missed whilst being kidnapped. "Thank'ee for yer business, sir." The man said happily, pawing the coin in his hand. "Yes… Tell me, why is there no one on the streets today? This town has always been bustling every time I've gone through it in the past." Jack asked, eyeing the streets warily. The merchant looked up at us through excited bushy eyebrows, "Oh! That'd be because of the fair today! You came at a lucky time too, there's supposed to be a tournament and some jesters and I've heard they've also a magician!" Said the old man. Jack's eyes widened, "It's been years since I last saw a good fair… What do you say, Hiccup? Shall we go?" He asked. I nodded my head, "I've never seen one. I'd want to see what it's like before I go back." I told him. Jack's eyes saddened for a moment, but brightened back up just as quickly. "Alright, then." He said, leading us back through some back alleys and onto a large road that cut through the center of town past a large field on the outskirts which held the marketplace. It was alive with activity and people buzzing about. The women wore their brightest colored gowns and frocks while the men guffawed drunkenly at jesters or athletic competitions.

I found myself feeling very out of place, but Jack looked like a small excited child the way he pulled me along by the elbow. "Oh! I wonder if they have a man on stilts! That was always my favorite performance when I was young. I actually tried it once… it didn't end well." He said, slowing down as we passed by a blacksmith's stall. "Oh!" I said, eyeing a nice crossbow that had been delicately carved on the sides, "That's a nice piece of work there. It's harder than it looks." I told him, gliding my fingers over its smooth finish. "Really? That's something I've never tried actually." He said, examining the wood. "I'll teach you." I told him, happy that I knew something he didn't. Jack smiled, "I'd like that." He said, leading me away from the stall down to a booth where the smell of food came wafting through the paths. "Why don't you wait down by those trees over there and I'll get us some food, hmm?" He asked, pointing to where some trees made for nice shade at the edge of a wood. I nodded, walking over and planting myself at the base of a tall pine.

Jack came back a while later with some meat, bread, and wine. I jumped up to take some of it out of his hands as he balanced the food precariously across his arms. Once we were settled, Jack dug in like he hadn't eaten in days. Truthfully, seven days was quite a small time to be able to find me. I wasn't really surprised to think that he might've had to skip meals. "So, how do you like it?" He asked, taking another large bite. "The food or the festivities?" I asked. Jack waved a chicken leg around, gesturing towards the scene around us, "All of it." He said. I took a look around, "It's… definitely different from what I'm used to. That's not a bad thing, however. I like it." I told him, giving a small smile. Jack nodded his head in approval, continuing to munch on whatever it was he was eating that I was too afraid to touch. The evening sunshine shined down in brilliant orange, pink, and gold stripes through the clouds. It felt good to just be able to sit and relax after all the days spent travelling (that one included). Having Jack as my companion only made it that much more enjoyable. "There's a whole lot more to the world outside the castle than just war and crime, you know." He said, looking out across at the festival, "I suppose we're just lucky that you'll be the person to protect all of the good one day." He told me, eyeing me from the side.

I had never thought of it that way. My father ruled as if the country was his property and he wanted to keep it free of pests. I'd always thought that as a king all I would be expected to do was go to war and make laws and be an overall kingly person. Jack had an entirely different view of it. A protector? That... didn't sound bad at all, especially when compared to a "conqueror". I found myself smiling at the thought. For the first time in my life, being a king didn't sound so bad. How had just a few simple words changed my entire view on life? Jack had made me question myself more than once over the time I had come to know him. "I… don't think I want to be like my father." I told him, taking in the sight of a juggler trying to woo a young girl. Jack's eyes widened into spheres, "You don't want to be king?!" He asked, shocked. I waved my hands back and forth as to dispel his thought. "No, no, no. I do, actually, now anyways… I just think my father is a bit possessive? Maybe that's not the right word… oh bother it. Just let it suffice to say I like your way of thinking as opposed to his." I told him, completely mucking up. Jack cocked his head to the side with a small smile, "You're such a strange one… but I like you." He said, sliding across the pine needles to sit beside me. "That's good." I said, elbowing him in the side.

We stayed at the fair for a while, glancing at the shops before Jack saw something that caught his eye. "Ah look!" He said, pointing over to the field where targets were being set up. "I've never tried an archery tournament before! I think I'll do that." He told me, a sparkle in his eye. "Do you always do that?" I asked him. "What?" He replied, pulling me towards the field. "You do this thing… it's like you're checking things off a list of what you want to do." I told him. Jack nodded a little, thinking about it. "I suppose I do. I mean, there's only so much time we're given, might as well try a little of everything." He said, letting go of my arm as he jogged to borrow a bow. He waltzed back over to me, whistling again. "Wish me luck, princess." He said with a wink, dodging my attempted smack to his upper arm. I turned and went to find a place to watch among the crowd. I landed between a huge man on my left and two teenaged girls on my right. They looked to be about thirteen and chatted excitedly about the men who would be entering the contest. Soon the tournament began.

"Oh! Mary look look look! That boy over there has white hair!" Said the brown-haired one. Mary replied, "I don't see him." The brunette sighed, rolling her eyes before pointing out Jack in the crowd. "Oh… wow…" Mary sighed, looking conspiratorially at the other girl. "Riiiiight?" miss brown-hair asked, blushing. Mary continued to stare in Jack's direction, "Jane… do you think… oh! Why don't we talk to him after the tournament?!" Mary suggested, biting her lip in excitement. Jane's eyes widened, her small mouth popping open in a small O. "Mary! When did you become such a scandal?!" She asked, laughing at her friend. After hearing this little conversation, I found myself growing… jealous. I didn't like the feeling. Their voices echoed nastily in the back of my head whenever I tried to push them out. What was I getting so worked up for? I wanted to tell them that Jack was mine.

Oh…

Jack was mine.

"Take aim!" A loud voice rang across the field. The archers raised their bows, all identical in a line. Jack's tall silhouette was perfectly balanced between his two feet, his shoulders and back straight, with a face decorated by a never-ending wink. His signature smirk laid lightly on his lips, my view interrupted by the bow string. It was very nice to look at. Shaking my head, I looked out to Jack's target instead. "Shoot!" The voice called out once more, and arrows came flying all at the same time, each speeding across the space towards the targets. Jack had made it. A large grin came over my face as the targets were moved back a few more paces. The first shot had taken out about one fourth of the competitors. There were still twelve people left on the field, and with an order from the announcer, they all raised their bows once more. "He made it through!" Mary squealed beside me. Jane nodded happily beside her. "What if he wins?" She asked, fiddling with her skirts. Mary pursed her lips, "That won't be any good… then we won't be the only girls with an eye out for him."

The archers let their next shot free, but I didn't even have to look up to know the result. "Again! Mary he made it again! Oh we must must must talk to him afterwards! I don't care what the other girls might do, we'll get to him first!" Jane said. My teeth ground into themselves. I'd like to see you try. I thought, instantly feeling bad about speaking -thinking- to the girls so harshly. That wasn't like me at all. Maybe if I moved… "Shoot!" The voice called again, pulling me out of my thoughts. The targets had moved quite a distance from where they had begun. I looked back at Jack's to find his arrow planted firmly near the right side. There were only four men left, and Jack was one of them. Another round, and Jack was still in. It was down to the last two, Jack against a man with a huge hat to his right… but that… huh?!

I stripped myself away from the crowd, Jack temporarily forgotten. I fell through the crowd, my view of the competition blocked by the people surrounding me. "Shoot!" rang out across the field, and cheers exploded from all around. I didn't know whether to cheer or pout, but just kept forcing my way through until I had broken out into view again. Jack stood solemnly, eyeing his target with an annoyed expression… his arrow nowhere to be found. On the other hand, his rival stood excitedly jumping on… his… heels with a huge smile on his face. That couldn't be- "Hiccup!" Jack called, eyeing me through the crowd and waving me over. I came to his side, all the while eyeing the big-hatted person.

Something was wrong with Hiccup. Oh gods… was he really that disappointed for me? His face looked more as if he were confused though, and he was looking away. Wait, was he disappointed in me? My face blanched. "H-Hic?" I asked, "You alright?" I tried, rubbing my hands anxiously as he continued to approach. "Fine…" He said, as if he wasn't quite focused on the here-and-now. "So I lost… haha…" I told him as he stopped in front of me. That seemed to knock him out of his reverie. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Jack. But at least you made second place!" He said cheerily, flashing me a quick smile before his eyes dashed to my right once more. "Um… Hiccup? Are you sure there isn't anything wrong? You seem distracted." I asked, my eyebrows knitting together. Hiccup sighed, "Jack I'm really proud of you and we'll celebrate in five minutes but we need to do something really quick." He said, looking up at me briefly and then continuing to stare at some point to our right. "Alright? Um, let's do that then." I said, relieved he wasn't mad at me but afraid that something really wasn't right.

Hiccup pulled me by the sleeve of my tunic towards the man who had won against me. When we had gotten close enough, we were enveloped in a swarm of praising girls and congratulatory back-slapping. My competitor began to move away from the crowd after a while, but Hiccup followed. I wondered what on Earth Hic could possibly need to do that involved that man. I had never been a sore loser, but after a while it was starting to rub me the wrong way. "Hiccup what exactly are we doing?" I asked him, slightly annoyed as he pulled me along. "Confirming something." He said. Well of all the stupid times to be bleak. What had gotten into him? Finally after being forced to witness all the praises and prizes thrown upon the man, we followed him to the tree line where he then leaned against the trunk of a tall pine. "Excuse me… sir. I couldn't help but to want to grant you your due congratulations on winning." Hiccup said. That was his prince-y voice. I grew suspicious, eyeing the stranger carefully now.

The large hat's brim tilted upward as the winner looked up from his apple. Bright green eyes looked up gently, suddenly widening. "Endy?!" He asked, his voice higher than I had expected. Hiccup relaxed the tension in his shoulders and burst out into a huge grin. "Rapunzel you tricky girl!" He cried, opening his arms wide and allowing the stranger to jump into them. What? "Ahahaha! I missed yoooou!" The man named Rapunzel squealed. That was a very un-manly squeal… not to mention an unmanly name… wait, had Hiccup called him a tricky girl? Before I'd had time to think it all the way through, Rapunzel had Hiccup by the sleeve, pulling him into the woods. With a wave of his hand, Hiccup signaled for me to follow. We walked a bit of distance before Rapunzel reached a satchel and parcel hidden in a hollow log. The trees blocked all view from the fair, and I wondered silently what could possibly need hiding that far out. In front of me, Hiccup and the man chatted eagerly as I tuned into their conversation. "…so Gobber ended up asking Aster for yet another 'small favor' and here I am! Oh, and speaking of, how is the old man?" Rapunzel asked. "Aster's fine, still grumpy as ever." Hiccup replied. They fell into an almost awkward silence before neither of them could hold back their laughter. "Gods I still can't believe it's you!" They said. At the exact same time.

"Pfffhahaha!" Their loud guffaws echoed through the forest while I just became more and more confused. "Hiccup? Please tell me what's going on. Who is he?" I asked, exasperated. Hiccup looked up like he'd forgotten I was even there, and his eyes immediately softened, still glistening. "Ah, sorry Jack. Love, this is Rapunzel. She's the daughter of one of the maids that used to look after me long ago. We were good friends but she and her mother disappeared when I was only five." My brain scatted in three directions all at once. One, Hiccup had just called me Love for the first time. Two: Daughter, She, and she again. Three, I lost to a girl. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jack Frost." I introduced myself, dipping my head. Rapunzel grinned widely before lifting the large hat off of her head. One huge braid came pouring forth after being freed from the confines of the cap. It landed gracefully around her ankles, still clad in men's shoes. "Likewise. Now you two turn your backs, I'll be done changing in a moment." She said, waving her finger in a small swirl. Hiccup and I did as she bid us. The sound of rustling fabric and ties being pulled tight filled the small glen. After a few minutes, she told us we were free to turn around.

Rapunzel had changed into a pink and purple dress… and no shoes. Either she was a kindred spirt, or she had just forgotten to pack them. She threw the satchel around her shoulder, gathering her disguise back in the cloth she had used to carry the dress. She plopped her hat down on Hiccup's head, covering his eyes. Hiccup pushed up the brim of the hat, rolling his eyes as we followed after her. Before long, we were back at the fair, roaming through the crowds until we had reached empty streets where we reclaimed Toothless and Rapunzel's own horse. "Oh! Do you two mind if I stop to buy something for a moment?" She asked, pointing at a small fruit stand. We shrugged our shoulders and climbed off of Toothless once more. The stand had apples. I decided I needed some of those. Despite how long I had been away from a life involving thievery, I still had a sort of need to have apples. We already had a small bag full but it couldn't hurt to get a few more. I reached out towards them to see how ripe they were.

"Don't. You. Dare."

Hiccup looked up at me warningly through impossibly long lashes. Alright. Maybe we had five small bags full. I dropped my hand to my side and tried not to look at the beckoning red fruit. Hiccup nodded his head approvingly before turning his attention back to Rapunzel, who was waiting for the man in front of us to finish paying. Was that just a popular haircut or… wait… The man turned around, purchases in hand.

Flynn Rider was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him. Even more surprising, the one he recognized first wasn't me or Hiccup, but Rapunzel.

"You!"

"Yoouuuu!"

"My satchel!"

You know, I could probably write some killer Drapple.

SO HAS ANYBODY ELSE SEEN THE TRAILER FOR 'BIG HERO 6'?! I am seriously jumping up and down in extreme excitement for this movie. I already ship Jack x Hiccup x Hiro and I can't wait to write some glorious fanfics for these three. (Hic and Jacky are still my babes though). Anywhoo... you need to go watch the trailer if you haven't already. Like now. And then come back and comment so we can fangirl together about how cute it is.

I'm really sorry about this update being late. My dog died and then I had to make an emergency visit up to my grandma's and you guys know I don't ever post on weekdays so... yeah. Bad author *slaps my wrist*

Now don't go crazy on me here, but I've been thinking about what sort of thing I should do next after this story is complete. (There's still tons left to be said in this one though so don't freak out. It's ok.) Anywhoo, if you want to, help me out by commenting the number of which idea you like best.

1. In which Jack is a dancer and Hiccup is an assistant director in a musical they work on together

2. 50's AU

3. Something where Hiccup is the autumn spirit and Jack is winter spirit (I'm pretty sure this has been done before though...)

4. Hijack A-Z oneshots

5. In which Baby Tooth drags Jack to a gay bar where Hiccup is a clumsy janitor.

6. ipod shuffle challenge oneshots

7. 30 day Hijack challenge oneshots

8. Jack x Hiccup x Jackson (human Jack) Three-way relationship drabbles

9. Jack x Hiccup x Toothless In which Toothless and Jack fight over Hiccup and end up sharing him.

10. Jack finds Hiccup's blog and funny things happen

11. Deertaur Hijack fluff

Whew... I think that's it. Talk to you lovelies next week.