Warning: cursing, homophobic comments, mentions of self-harm.
Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Wait Two Hours to Jog After Eating
The sun was such a strange thing; a star, ninety-two million, nine-hundred-and-sixty-thousand miles away, that gave light and life to such a small and insignificant planet. It spreads its sunlight across the solar system, and manages to shoot a direct beam through Earth's atmosphere, clouds and air resistance, city smog, and skyscrapers and houses—just to beam down directly on to Hiccup's face.
Scumbag sun.
Hiccup groaned in irritation, attempting to block out the sun with his arm to no avail. In a last ditch effort, he rolled over in his and Jack's shared bed, intending to crash into his boyfriend's body and work into a spooning session. But when the other side of his face hit the bed, he found the space vacant and the sheets cold.
"Hnnrgh?" Hiccup blinked open his green eyes to see the edge of the bed without a pale, slim body next to him. He rose his head in confusion, glancing around the empty room. "Jack?"
"Wait a second!" Jack's voice called faintly from the kitchen. "Just wait a second..."
"Okay." Hiccup let his head fall back against the pillow. "Whatcha doin'?" he mumbled, folding his arms under his head.
"...something."
"Should I be worried?" he sighed.
"Depends on how much you trust me with cooking."
That made Hiccup raise his head again. He glanced suspiciously over his shoulder, and for the first time felt something tickle at his nose. He sniffed loudly, and could smell the warm, bread-like pancake scent, and lightly-sweet maple sausages.
Jack suddenly stuck his head through the doorway. His pale blue eyes flickered across the room like chips of ice. When they finally landed on Hiccup, his mouth split into a wide grin, displaying a mouth full of shiny white teeth. "Happy Valentine's Day, babe. You awake yet?"
"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too. And I am now," he said wryly, rolling on his back and letting the sheets fall off of his bare chest.
"Good, because I just finished making the damn best pancakes you will ever taste," Jack said proudly, grinning as he emerged from the hallway. Hiccup's eyes widened, locked on to the frilly red-and-pink apron that looped around his pale shoulders and skimmed the top part of his bare thighs, barely covering the goods and flashing a hint of white lingerie.
Hiccup's mouth immediately went dry, his mind filled with a pleasant buzz and the lower part of his body filling with something else. As he propped himself up on to his elbows he struggled to think past how ready he was to pick him up and slam him into the wall and—no, no, no, slow down there. What did Jack just say? Something about pancakes? Right, okay, start there. "Really? Been to IHOP's yet?" he managed.
"Pfft, IHOP got their recipe from me," Jack scoffed, and pointed the batter-splattered spatula at Hiccup, which actually if you tilted your head and squinted really hard it almost looked like-
"Watch, one day, they'll send me a compensation check and we'll be sipping margaritas on a beach in San Francisco," he swore.
"Yes, it'll be refreshing to be at a beach covered in fog, swimming on a day that's over fifty degrees at best," Hiccup deadpanned, rolling his eyes. He gestured to the skimpy outfit. "What's up with the—thingy?"
"Oh, you know, just thought I'd get dressed up for our special day," Jack shrugged, then grinned. "What? You like?" He struck a risque pose, leaning against the door frame with his head thrown back, staring at Hiccup through heavily-lidded eyes and parted lips.
"I think your pancakes are burning."
"I don't think so, the panties don't show that much," Jack said, peering over his shoulder.
"No, Jack, I seriously think the pancakes are burning." An acrid tang was beginning to fill the bedroom.
Jack frowned, then his eyes flew open, and suddenly he was flying down the hallway, howling, "Oh shit!" Hiccup chuckled to himself as he pushed himself fully upright. The sun was beginning to fill the bedroom with a warm, comforting glow, putting him in a better mood, almost enough for him to forgive the sun for its harsh awakening.
Almost.
Hiccup yawned widely, running a hand through his hair. He wondered if there was any merit to Astrid's teasing comments about his "over-sized hair". The long, auburn strands were beginning to get longer now, long enough for her and Jack twist into little braids in it for him to find later. Knotted like crazy, he thought to himself, fingers drifting mindlessly through the curls before brushing against a hard loop. Speaking of which...
"Ohhhhh, Hiccup!" Jack sang.
"Yessss?" Hiccup began to try and tug the two twisted strands free from each other.
"Okay, so they're only slightly burnt, but I swear you'll like them!" Jack promised as he strode back into the bedroom, carrying a tray covered with two cups of orange juice, a saucer of plump maple sausages and a stack of buttermilk that just absolutely wafted love and happiness. "If you just avoid the bottom three, I think you'll be able to—ahh!"
Hiccup looked up just in time to see Jack suddenly stumble, and the juice toppled over, spilling over the pancakes and sausages as Jack tumbled to the floor. "Jack?" He hurriedly crawled to the edge of the bed to see Jack sitting a mess of fallen pancakes and sausages. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"My...my...my pancakes! They're ruined!" he wailed, staring at the orange-juice-stained pancakes in dismay. "Man! And we were supposed to eat them together in bed, and watch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, cuddle, have sex—this is your fault!" He rounded on Toothless, who Hiccup hadn't noticed hiding in the corner, an unmistakable smirk on his feline face. Toothless only sniggered, flicking his tail teasingly at Jack before padding out of the bedroom.
"Stupid cat," Jack muttered, pushing the ruined food off of his lap. "Great...great, this is just great."
"Jack, it's okay, we can just-" Hiccup attempted to soothe his boyfriend, but Jack shook off his arm.
"No, no, it's okay, I made some extra an hour ago," Jack sighed, getting to his feet. "Let me get this cleaned up..." He scooped the mess on to the tray and slouched back into the kitchen, with definitely less enthusiasm and excitement than when he came in.
Hiccup felt a pang in his chest. It took a lot to upset Jack- Hiccup knew that. It was kind of sweet how much thought and love had put into the beginning of their day. Hiccup glared at Toothless. "Why are you so mean?" he demanded.
Toothless shrugged. "He called me stupid."
Luckily, Jack had concocted a whole other batch of pancakes and sausages that he was planning for extras("When did you have time to make thirty pancakes- no, why would you make thirty more pancakes for two people?!" "I thought you'd be hungry!" "When have I wanted fifteen freakin' pancakes in morning?!" "You're having a growth spurt!"), so they did manage to eat in bed while watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But Jack was still sticky from the orange-juice mishap, and sticky-sex was apparently too much of a reminder of the fiasco earlier, so they didn't quite work into the cuddling/sex part of the morning.
"It's okay, this outfit is enough for me," Hiccup assured him, despite the raging boner he was attempting to hide underneath the covers.
When the movie had ended and Jack had emerged from the shower in proper clothes, the sun had ceased of glow in their bedroom and had reached somewhere in the middle of the sky. Toothless was playing in the corner with a ball of yarn that Hiccup had offered in exchange for the cease of torture of Jack. Hiccup had decided to get dressed in a soft green plaid shirt with a brown vest on top and dark green slacks while Jack cleansed himself of the mess earlier. He was sprawled out on the newly-made bed flipping through channels when he suddenly felt a pair of cool hands close around his ankles. "Come on, let's go!"
Hiccup groaned, kicking Jack's cold hands off before rolling on to his back. "Go where?"
"We have a picnic!" Jack squealed, a grin spreading across his face as he held up the wick basket.
"A picnic?" Hiccup repeated, half-laughing as he sat up. "Jack, you are just full of surprises today, aren't you? Alright, count me in." He extended his hand, which Jack gladly took, and tugged him to his feet with a hearty tug. "So where're we headin'?" Hiccup inquired.
"I know a place," was all he said, grinning as they interlocked fingers. He began to pull him towards the door, making sure to glare at Toothless as they passed him. "Come on, we're losing daylight!
"Oh wait!" Hiccup caught on to the edge of the doorway and called, "Toothless, be good!"
Toothless lifted his head from the ball and meowed innocently, widening his huge green eyes. "Don't give me that face, I know what you've been doing at night," Hiccup warned, before Jack managed to tug him away from the door frame. "Actually, no, wait, Jack. He's coming with us. I don't trust him alone anymore." Jack groaned, leaning against the wall, but didn't protest. Hiccup grabbed the leash from the hook on the wall, and bent down to hook it on to his collar. Toothless meowed happily, jumping to his feet. "Come on, bud."
"What's he been doing?" Jack demanded as he pulled open the front door.
"Going into the refrigerator and eating the coconut oil and grapes."
"Meow," Toothless added,
"Oh, and your smoothies."
"What?! Argh- one of these days, I'm gonna give that cat back to the animal shelter," Jack muttered as they jogged down the front steps. "I told you we should have gotten a rabbit."
"Jack, I told you, I will not allow you to name a living creature Bunnymund. That's a cruel and unusual form of punishment."
"No it's not! It's a cute name for a cute animal," Jack huffed.
"Right. Like naming a cat Katy Purry or a dog Merle," Hiccup said wryly, and they chuckled together, immediately getting the reference. "Uh, Jack, where are we going?" he asked after a few minutes as they walked down the avenue.
Jack set the basket on his shoulder, and shrugged. "Ever heard of Sunol?" Hiccup shook his head. "Well, I was looking for a really good place to have a picnic near here, but they're all for either kids or dogs. And since we're neither-"
"I don't know, you kind of are," Hiccup interjected.
He ignored him. "-I decided to find one out of the area. One that's quiet, close-spaced, personal. And apparently there's a whole town that's only just thirty minutes away. It's basically just rolling hills, green grass, trees and rivers, population nine hundred and thirteen," he pronounced.
"Really? Explains why I've never heard about it," Hiccup remarked dryly.
"But you'll love it Hiccup," Jack promised. "I swear, it's one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see."
"You said that our trip to Anaheim," Hiccup reminded him.
"And wasn't I right?"
"You were right."
An hour later, Hiccup had to admit that Jack was right again. Sitting in a meadow with both California poppies and buttercups that sprung in between in the middle of a valley between two green rolling hills covered with curling oak trees that twisted to blue sky stretching above them, it was probably the most picturesque and scenic scene that he had ever been in. Toothless was bounding in between the goldfields that reached Hiccup's knees standing up, yowling joyfully as he disappeared then reappeared past the yellow blossoms.
They had found the perfect place along the slant of the hill, and flatted a small section with the classic red-and-white striped blanket. Small saucers were spread out along the blanket with either sandwiches, cheese, or full grapevines. Two empty wineglasses laid between Jack and Hiccup's bodies just before their legs became intertwined, though, from Jack's grin as he reached back into the picnic basket, Hiccup guessed they wouldn't remain empty for long.
"Oh my gods, is that what I think it is?" Hiccup gasped as Jack pulled out a familiar dark well-rounded glass bottle with the sleek neck and tiny golden top.
"An S. Martinelli & Company Sparkling Apple Cider? Why, yes, yes it is," Jack purred, brandishing the label. "Would you like some?"
"Would I!" Hiccup hastily sat up and handed him the wine bottle-opener.
"Hey, remember that time when you invited me over to your place for this first time," Jack began as he pulled off the gold strip, "after watching In the Heights live with Punzie and Merida?"
"Yeah, and you came to my house singing 'Champagne' with a bottle of sparkling apple cider," Hiccup chuckled.
"And you had no idea what it was and thought it was wine. And you acted drunk after just two glasses-"
"-and when my dad came home, he thought I was, too."
"Almost got killed thanks to your butt," Jack scoffed, nudging him playfully as he popped the bottle open.
"Aw come on, you love my butt," Hiccup laughed, laying his head against his boyfriend's shoulder. "What made you think about that?" he asked softly as he nudged his nose into his neck, the skin there cool and soothing. He couldn't help but press a series of quick little kisses along the jugular, anticipating the shiver that would run through his body.
"Nothing really, just thought, ya know, how far we've come from then. I was trying to get into your pants that night," Jack added, pouring a glass.
"Really, I couldn't tell from how you were practically grinding against my bump when you 'tripped' over the rug and fell on me and couldn't get up," Hiccup replied mockingly, then added sincerely as he took the glass, "Thank you."
"Told you I needed Life Alert," Jack joked as he poured himself a glass, then capped the bottle and set it down in the grass. "So..." he drawled, twirling the cup between his fingers before holding it out to Hiccup, "to us? For a making it to a Happy Valentine's Day?"
"You asked me out the day after Valentine's Day," Hiccup reminded him, rolling his eyes as he sat up straight, "but since I'm glad to see you in a happy mood even though this morning wasn't all that great, I will toast to us making it until Valentine's Day," he proclaimed, clinking glasses with a smile.
Jack beamed, and he reached up to peck him on the cheek. "Love you, babe."
Hiccup grinned even wider, and he caught Jack's face with his free hand and brought their lips together. The smaller boy visibly sagged against him, sighing in content, then whined when he pulled away. "Freakin' romantic. Happy Valentine's Day," Hiccup murmured against his lips, taking a sip of the sparkling apple cider, enjoying every single bit of the burning sensation slipping down his throat.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Jack breathed, his eyes wide enough for Hiccup to see them dilate.
This dork, Hiccup thought as he pulled him in for another kiss, grinning against his lips. Carefully, he set aside his cup in a grove in the grass, then slid his fingers between Jack's and deftly removed the cup from his hand. Another second and he was sure to have dropped the glass. After carefully putting it beside his own cup, he returned both hands to Jack's face and cupped his head gently in his hands. Jack pressed eagerly against him, his hands splayed against his chest.
"You think I'm such a romantic," Jack panted when they briefly separated for air, "but you're the one spitting out lovey-dovey lines like you've had them prepared all your life. It took me twelve hours to figure out what I was going to, two hours to figure out what I was gonna say-"
"Well, I know what you're gonna say now." Quickly, he rolled them over on the blanket, Jack squealing when he found himself underneath Hiccup, hands positioned on each side of his head. "You are going to shut up while I kiss you and shower you with all my heartfelt love."
Jack arched his back up to him, imagining the feeling of those large, rough, calloused hands running over his body. Oooh, yeah... "What are you waiting for?" he demanded, smirking up at him.
"Remember? You have to shut up," Hiccup chuckled as he brushed the white curls out of his face. "But since I'm feeling nice-"
Jack's breath quickened in anticipation as Hiccup lowered himself. A few more inches and then they'd be kissing and then they'd be in that blissful world where it was only him and Hiccup and everything was wonderful-
"FAGS!"
Both Hiccup and Jack jerked upright, looking around wildly. Even Toothless popped his head out of the flowers, mewing in confusion. A man in a blue and gray tracksuit leered at them as he jogged by.
"I beg your pardon?" Jack demanded, working himself from under Hiccup.
"Jack," Hiccup warned in a low voice, but the jogger was already slowing to a stop.
"You're freaking deviants," he sneered. "Immoral, disease-spreading little beasts."
Fury struck through Jack's chest. "Oh, you think so?" he challenged, standing up.
"Jack, don't," Hiccup whispered, grabbing his arm.
"No, no, I want to hear this," he insisted, shaking off his arm. "Come on, let's have it out. What makes you think that you can stroll up to two guys, who are clearly attempting to have a quiet picnic together, like most normal romantic couples, and just shout 'fags' at them?" he demanded, prodding him in the chest. He was a lot taller than him, and a lot bigger, but Jack was too angry care.
At first, the man seemed startled, but then quickly regained his composure. "You better back up, I might catch your AIDs. And you and your- little fuckbuddy shouldn't be rutting like animals out here in public, where children walk by, God help them."
"Yeah, God better help them not become so much of a homophobic asshole like you," Jack shot. "Also, tell, me, since you came out here jogging alone on Valentine's Day in the afternoon, I'll just assume that you had absolutely nothing to do because you're single and alone-"
"That's not-" the jogger began haughtily, but Jack continued on his fiery rampage.
"-and so you came here, trying to forget that you're alone, and saw two people, who were clearly enjoying a day meant for love, and you call them fags. Well guess what- it's the twenty-first century. It's not fags anymore, because fags are actually cigarettes or sticks. Do we look like sticks to you? No. We're gay. And guess what? We're gay and in love. We are in love, we live together, we are happy together. Which is more than I can say for you," Jack finished, throwing a contemptuous glare over his shoulder as he stalked back to Hiccup.
"What did your daddy do to you?"
The question made Jack stop in his tracks. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his hand along his forehead before twisting to face him. "That's seriously the best comeback you had?"
"Well, I'm just trying to figure out what happened to you to make you so tortured and become so feral," the jogger replied, assuming a cool, smooth tone. "I mean, that doesn't just happen, now does it? Now you tell me, did Daddy touch his little boy? Did he force you down, make you scream?"
"Real creative, seriously," he laughed mirthlessly, turning back to Hiccup. "Hey, Hic, someone's had too many Daddy fantasies," he added, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. Hiccup only bit his lip, not sure what to say.
"Did you like it when he pinned you down? Is it because you liked it when you're pinned underneath him? That's why you like having your ass rammed by someone bigger than you? You're dirty, you're disgusting. Sharing needles with strangers, passing around STDs, no better than dogs, fucking everything in sight." His eyes flickered over Hiccup. "And I can see why you're together. In love and happily together my ass. Or I should I say in your ass?"
Jack's eyes flashed, and he started towards him again.
"Jack," Hiccup called, standing up.
"Is that you why chose him? Because you know he knew he wouldn't get anything else?" the jogger jeered. "You're fucking pathetic."
"Shut up," Jack growled.
"O-ho! Seems like I finally hit a nerve for the shameless gay," the jogger announced.
"Jack don't, he's not worth it," Hiccup urged, grabbing his arm.
"Don't you see what he's done to you, boy? That he's corrupted you, damned you to eternity in hell?!" he shouted.
"Come on, Jack," he hissed, tugging slightly. He bared his teeth, but allowed Hiccup to pull him away.
"I see those scars on your arm, tell me, did you get those before after you got with Mr. Jack Frost? Because buggering him senseless apparently doesn't push away the shame," the jogger sneered.
Something inside Jack snapped. He ripped his arm from Hiccup and somehow found it connecting into the jaw of the offending man. "No, Jack!" Hiccup cried, but it was already too late. Jack screamed with rage as he threw himself at the jogger, knocking the two to the ground. He could hear Hiccup screaming for him to stop, but it muffled by the blood roaring his ears and the red that clouded his vision as he threw blow after blow against the writhing body beneath him. Suddenly, he felt the world shift under him, and he felt pain against his forearms and chest before he fell backwards. He kicked his legs wildly, and snarled in satisfaction when he heard a scream of pain. Long, spindly fingers wrapped themselves around his throat, and he couldn't breathe. Suddenly, he felt strong yet familiar arms wrap around his waist and practically lift him up as if he was as light as a feather.
"Jack, Jack, stop!" Hiccup's voice cried in his ear, then gasped in a much more surprised voice, "Toothless?!"
Jack shook his head violently, attempting to clear the red in his he saw almost made him wonder if he was still in the red: a black blur was running up and down and all around the jogger, who was screaming and writhing as he attempted to claw it off. Long cuts through his clothes and on his face appeared as he fought desperately to get it off.
"Toothless, Toothless, down!" Hiccup commanded, although he was half-laughing. The black cat snarled as he left a final score across the jogger's eye before leaping down to Hiccup's feet, hissing as he curled protectively around his legs.
The man struggled to his feet, his face already becoming swollen and purple around his eyes and mouth, angry red lines left by Toothless beginning to drip blood down his face. He staggered backwards, his eyes slightly unfocused as he held his jaw, then narrowed them at the couple."FUCKING FAGS!" he shouted, before turning around and practically sprinting in the opposite direction.
For a few minutes, it was just the sound of heavy breathing and the wind blowing through the leaves. Jack was the first to break the silence. "Toothless, I was wrong about you. You officially can have a spot on the bed twice a week, and whatever smoothie you like for breakfast," Jack breathed, grinning broadly.
"Asshole," Hiccup muttered, then glanced down at Jack, who was still breathing heavily in his arms. He carefully laid him back down on the blanket, the picnic now long forgotten. "Hey, you okay? Let me see your face. Did he hit you anywhere important?" he demanded, running his hands over his body, attempting to find a part that seemed too tender or sensitive.
"Please, the guy barely hit me," Jack scoffed, although he allowed Hiccup to continue his ministrations, relaxing under his familiar touch. "But you really did do good today, Toothless. Good boy." Toothless purred, rubbing himself along Jack's legs. Jack gently ran his fingers through his fur, sighing softly.
"Whoa. I never thought I'd see the day I see you together without claws being out," Hiccup joked, sitting beside Jack.
"Yeah, me neither," Jack agreed, leaning against him, then reached down and offered him a saucer. "Grapes?"
"Don't mind if I do." Hiccup took the plate and popped a juicy green grape into his mouth.
For a few minutes, they sat together like that, chewing on grapes while Toothless curled up in between them, his purr rumbling between. "I forgot about those," Jack said quietly, his voice so low that Hiccup almost missed it.
"Forgot what?" he asked without thinking, sticking two grapes into his mouth. Jack reached down and curled his fingers around Hiccup's left wrist, his soft blue eyes never leaving Hiccup's.
"Oh." Hiccup struggled to find words. They had never really talked about the scars; at least, not after they got together. Jack was one of the few people Hiccup had confided to about them, and he had been understanding and supportive. Over a year had gone by, though, and it had never come back up. "I forgot too," Hiccup admitted, playing with his fingers. "I forgot, for almost a year. Because I was with you."
Jack snorted, turning away. "Come on, Hic."
"I'm serious," he insisted, scooting towards him. "Jack, I've been with you for almost an entire year, and during all that time, I completely forgot about them. Because I was with you. You've always kept me happy and kept me grounded. Even when you eat all the Honey Bunches of Oats and put the box back in the cabinet, or skip out on classes at the uni, you do stupid little things like this morning or even this-" he gestured to the picnic setting around them "-and I don't even think about the times I've had before you because I'm just so happy that I want nothing more than to keep on being with you," he said seriously, wrapping his arms around his waist. Hiccup sighed as he buried his face into Jack's shoulder.
Jack was silent for a second. Then he said: "Do you really not care when I eat all of the Honey Bunches of Oats?"
"No. Do you think I'd get upset over something stupid like that?" Hiccup scoffed.
"Then you don't mind that the box that's in the cupboards is actually empty?"
"No, of course not- wait, you did what?!"