Another chapter, as a little Christmas gift, kinda. I actually finished this on Christmas Day and realized that my family doesn't really know me at all- but of course I'm going to fake it and say, yes, I love the fact that you got me pajamas for the third year in the row. Again. Not to mention my family went to my grandmother on my dad's side for Christmas Eve, and there, I fell asleep right when I arrived and avoided talking to any of my aunts, uncles or cousins who do not even know my name. Sorry that I'm ranting to my awesome readers, who, by the way, deserved a Christmas chapter or something else than an update. But anyways, hope your holidays were full of peace and goodwill, and plenty of wonderful family time!
The Snuggly Duckling was a deceiving place. The outside was a small building, and a yellow duck was its main sign. Rapunzel was inwardly hyperventilating as Flynn parked the car. Flynn got out of the car, and opened Rapunzel's door for her.
Rapunzel smiled at him and followed him out. What should she do? Obviously, the place just screamed ruffian. Rapunzel gave herself a mental look-over. Light purple tank top, high-waisted flowery skirt, and white flats. Not something that indicated she could blend in. She looked too innocent next to Flynn's leather jacket and worn jeans.
Flynn opened the door to the pub, holding it open for Rapunzel like a true gentleman would. Rapunzel smiled. What had she done to deserve such a wonderful boyfriend?
Her smile faded, however, when she stepped inside the pub. Tables laden with guys, all of them scary and menacing. Flynn's warm hand on her shoulder was the only thing that gave her solace.
"Flynn Rider," a scary-looking guy said, approaching them. "What made you think you could shove your pretty face in here again?"
"You always were so fun, weren't you- what's your name again?" Flynn pondered it.
"I'll turn you into the cops," the guy growled, reaching for Flynn and shoving him away from Rapunzel harshly. "They might start putting a nice fine on your head-"
"Leave him alone!" the words sprouted from Rapunzel's mouth before she realized what she was saying. It had been pretty loud, too. Everyone in the surrounding tables turned to look.
"He's not doing anything to you!" Rapunzel said. "Why would you push him?" The scary guy let go of Flynn and moved towards Rapunzel with a scary face. Rapunzel backed up against another table, her fingers fumbling and clutching onto the tablecloth.
"You're far from your your princess tower, girl," the guy spat. Rapunzel flinched. "He's a criminal."
"He's not a criminal, he's my boyfriend!" Rapunzel yelled. The people listening in started laughing.
"Look, guys, we'll just leave if you're trying to start trouble," Flynn tried to look intimidating, but failed. Rapunzel bit her lip anxiously as he strutted up to the scary young man who had been bothering her. "Stay away from my girlfriend, pal."
Rapunzel smiled, slowly letting go of the table. He was so sweet sometimes- especially when he was defending her honor. He'd probably do the same if she had told him about the things Jack said... No. Wait. He didn't like Jack. He'd more likely threaten him.
"I don't care about your fucking girlfriend," the guy snarled. "I'm just interested in that reward on your head." Rapunzel inhaled sharply, reaching for Flynn's hand, but Flynn curled it into a fist before she could speak.
"Then I guess you're going home empty handed, huh?" he said. "That is, if you've got a home, trash."
"You're one to talk, Rider," the guy sneered uglily. "Does your little girlfriend know where you call home, either?"
"Shut up!" Flynn's fist made contact with the man's face. Rapunzel's hands flew to her mouth.
"Flynn!" she screamed. The bar turned into an uproar, and various men began punching, kicking, and hitting each other. Two brawling guys bumped into Rapunzel, causing her to fall backward and clutch onto the table for support.
By that time, Rapunzel was searching for Flynn. He had lost her when the fighting broke out.
"Flynn?" she called out, pushing her hair behind her ears anxiously. "Flynn!"
"Go on without me, blondie!" a faint yell came from the other side of the room. Flynn was being pummeled by two scary-looking men, each of them taking turns to beat his face.
"Flynn, I won't leave you!" Rapunzel attempted to get closer, but was shoved aside by yet another man. Crashing into a wall, she panted heavily and surveyed her options. How could she reach him? From outside, she could catch a few sirens. Her green eyes widened. The police! If her mother found out about this, she'd be dead.
"The cops are here!" a man yelled loudly. That was all it took for everyone to start rushing out of the place. Rapunzel was knocked aside yet again, this time by a crowd of people until there were only a few people left.
None of the people left were Flynn.
Hiccup felt so sore after Astrid had beat him again and again. And leaving a string of promises to work out and that he'd try harder next time to Gobber, he felt like all he wanted to do was fall into his bed and sleep.
Walking outside of the gym, Hiccup stopped short to find Merida still waiting.
"Hey," she said, straightening from where she had been leaning against a wall.
"Uh, hey," Hiccup said, confused.
"Though ah'd wait fer ye-" Merida said slowly. "Er, it looked rough there. Astrid's really tough."
"Nothing I can't handle," Hiccup said sarcastically, and flexed his nonexistent muscles. "I mean, have you seen these babies?"
Merida laughed, shaking her head so that her red curls cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall.
"Ah think a chicken wing's got more meat," she teased.
"Well," Hiccup feigned hurt. Merida grinned again, and started walking away. Once she'd traveled a few feet, she turned around and shot Hiccup an aren't-you-coming glance. Hiccup ran to catch up to her, and the two newfound friends made their way across the courtyard.
"Astrid's on the soccer team," Merida explained, "And she's one o' the best lasses there. If ye want tae beat 'er, it's gonna take a lot o' work."
"I can do it-" Hiccup said feebly. "I'm sure I can. I mean, if I work out and all that." Merida was silent as the two of them walked to the parking lot.
"Why don't ye come work out with me?" she asked. "Ah usually go after school on Mondays and Wednesdays, tae my house."
"I couldn't," Hiccup began, but Merida cut him off.
"Ye can make it then, right?" she said. "Please, Hiccup. Think of it as makin' up fer laughin' at ye the first time yeh told me about the tryout."
"Alright," Hiccup accepted reluctantly. "But- will your parents be all right with it?"
"Psh," Merida snorted like the idea was hilarious. "Mah dad's always travelin' and mum doesn't care as long as ye pass her inspection." Her eyes ran over Hiccup. "Ah think ye will."
"Well- thanks, Merida," Hiccup said, genuinely meaning it. "It beats having to ask my dad to use his workout area. Because most of his weights weigh more than I do." Merida smiled again, her lips quirking.
"Huh," she said thoughtfully. "Ah guess yer dad must be-"
"Buff, large, tall, everything I'm not?" Hiccup finished the sentence for her. "Yeah." Merida chuckled.
"We've got more in common than ah thought," she said. "Mum's so ladylike an' proper, and then there's me, who's a downright mess." The two friends laughed, comfortable with one another.
The two then seemed to finally realize that they were in the parking lot at the time.
"Oh- my dad was going to pick me up right now," Hiccup said. "I think. Or was I walking today?"
"Yer really weird, laddie," Merida laughed. A tacky blue car with red stripes cruised up into the parking lot.
"Your ride?" Hiccup resisted the urge to laugh.
"Ugh, his car is so stupid," Merida groaned, seeing the driver of the car. Macintosh leered out from an open window, rap music blaring loudly.
"Merida, babe," he said, letting his eyes linger on the wrong places yet again before turning to Hiccup. "You brought nerd boy along?" Merida was practically fuming at this time, and Hiccup just shrank back, unsure of what to do.
"In fact, we're givin' Hiccup a ride home," Merida said. Turning to Hiccup, she wordlessly asked for his permission with her eyes. He silently gave it to her with a shrug.
"Him?" Macintosh was obviously surprised.
"Yes, him," Merida snapped. Opening the backseat, she gestured for Hiccup to enter. He did so reluctantly, watching as Merida slid into the passenger seat.
"I don't know why you had to wait an extra hour after school, when your practice ended," Macintosh said as he merged into traffic. "I was waiting for, like, forever."
"Ye were not," Merida snapped, "Ah saw you drive off after yer classes ended."
"Merida, sweetheart, I just ended up needing to run an errand after school," Macintosh said, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.
"An errand with that skank cheerleader ah saw ye with?" Merida shot back.
"Hey, she was hitting on me but I told her how faithful I was to you," Macintosh turned to his girlfriend. "But she needed a ride, baby. How was I going to say no?"
"Eyes on the road, moron," Merida rolled her eyes. "The day yer faithful is the day ah wear heels."
"Ouch," Macintosh said gleefully. "You just love burning me."
"Shut up," Merida snapped venomously, and began flipping through the CD he had playing. Hiccup tried to look anywhere but at the driver, and instead stared at the car's interior. A fine leather, mostly clean except for a few fast food wrappers and papers. Kicking aside an empty soda can, Hiccup accidentally caught a glance at a carefully concealed magazine. One of those magazines made especially for men.
He decided then to just stare out the window and pray they wouldn't argue some more.
"Where's yer house, Hiccup?" Merida asked, ejecting Macintosh's CD and looking at it as if it offended her.
"Berk road," Hiccup said. "Third street there, on the left." Macintosh snorted and turned down the road.
"What?" Merida was riled again.
"I didn't say anything," Macintosh said innocently.
"Stupid prick," Merida hissed. "It's none of yer business where he lives!" Hiccup felt like he was caught in between something- and managed to realize that Merida had offered him a ride just to spite their driver.
"I didn't say anything, bitch!" Macintosh insisted.
"There's my house," Hiccup piped up, feeling very much like a little brother caught in the midst of a squabbling teenage couple. Macintosh parked haphazardly in the driveway, just as Stoick walked outside with a few trash bags. His dad gave the car a glance before looking very surprised that his son emerged from it.
"Thanks for the ride," Hiccup said slowly.
"Whatever, nerd," Macintosh looked ahead, not caring. Merida glared at her boyfriend hatefully before turning to Hiccup.
"See yeh on Wensday after school, alright?" she said. "And tomorrow, o' course."
"Bye, Merida," Hiccup made a point not to acknowledge Macintosh this time. Merida waved at him cheerfully before Macintosh tore out of the driveway in a frenzy, almost hitting Hiccup in the process.
"Macintosh!" an angry yell from inside the car drifted behind to Hiccup's ears before the car turned the corner.
"Those are your friends?" Stoick's mouth was set in a hard line.
"Uh- sorta. I guess?" Hiccup said.
"Tell the boy his car is gay," Stoick went inside. Hiccup sighed. Some things he could count on never changing.
Jack was half-walking, half-skating home. Sometimes he kicked the old board into his hands, and sometimes he skated on it. The walk to and from school was about thirty minutes, something he'd gotten used to over the years. This time, however, he was walking when he heard a quiet sobbing coming from a corner. Jack's first instinct was to walk past; his neighborhood was not exactly known to be the best in town. Just the other day he'd gotten jumped. But being the boy he was, Jack slowed down to peek into the clearing. A small park with a few swings, a messy sand area, and no one except for a girl huddled in the swing set met his eyes.
A girl- the golden hair that cascaded over her shoulders and went to her thighs hauntingly familiar. Jack's blue eyes widened, and he rushed towards the swing set, gathering his board in his hands in order to reach her.
Rapunzel looked up, rubbing her eyes and met Jack's concerned ones.
"Hi," she attempted a smile, but it faltered almost immediately. "What are you doing here?"
"I was walking home, and I heard you," Jack said. "Are you okay?" Rapunzel nodded, slowly letting go of her knees and crawling out.
"It's really stupid, actually," Rapunzel laughed/cried, her eyes watery. She told Jack about everything that had happened: the cheerleading practice, the Snuggly Duckling, and Flynn.
"He didn't even have the decency to wait up for you?" Jack growled.
"He was looking out for me," Rapunzel clarified. "He's wanted by the police- I had to. He could've gotten hurt."
"You could've gotten hurt," Jack said, his cold fingers reaching out and gently touching Rapunzel's cheek. "You're getting a bruise here." Something dawned on him. "He didn't hit you, did he?"
"No, he would never do that!" Rapunzel exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I just got mixed up with a few ruffians there in the pub." Jack arched his eyebrow.
"...Ruffians?' he questioned, a smile starting to form. Rapunzel couldn't help it, she burst into laughter.
"Okay, so maybe they call them something else these days," she said, rubbing her eyes again. "Umm-" Jack stood up and offered a hand to Rapunzel. She gratefully took it, standing up shakily.
"If he ever does something like that again, just tell me," Jack said, letting go of her hand.
"Jack-" Rapunzel hugged him. "Thank you." Jack hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. After their tight embrace ended, Rapunzel stepped back.
"I look like a mess," she said. "Mother will be worried sick. I really should go."
"I'll walk you home," Jack said.
"Jack, it's already getting dark, you'll be late.."
"Come on," Jack said, hopping off of the swing set with his board still in hand. "Your mother, remember?"
Rapunzel gave him a grateful smile and followed him back to the main sidewalk. The two of them walked down the sidewalk, and sure enough, it was starting to get dark. Jack swung his board over his shoulder, and Rapunzel daintily stepped over the sidewalk cracks. Jack gave her a curious look, and Rapunzel blushed.
"I feel like they're bad luck," she admitted. "You know that old saying, 'step on a crack, you'll break your mother's back'?" Jack chuckled.
"You really care about your mother if you never want to disappoint her," he noted. Rapunzel played with a strand of her hair and looked away.
"Yeah-" she said so softly Jack had to strain to hear. "I'd never, ever want to make her worry. She only wants the best for me."
"I guess all mothers do," Jack said slowly. "Hey- this your stop?" They had reached a street that Rapunzel peered down, mostly empty save for a few little girls picking up their tricycles and rushing inside.
"It is, actually," Rapunzel said. "Jack- thank you."
"We're friends," Jack said, pocketing the hand that wasn't holding his skateboard. "It's no big deal- I was walking this way anyway."
"It means a lot more that what you think," Rapunzel gave him another hug. Pulling away, she looked over her shoulder as the girls giggled faded, the tykes running down the sidewalk.
"Bye," Jack offered.
"Bye," Rapunzel smiled back, and the two friends parted ways.
Friends, Jack thought as he left Rapunzel's street behind and continued walking to his own home. He, Rapunzel, Hiccup and Merida were actually friends now. It was really, really weird to think about.