There's Always More

by AlicevsWonderland

Hogwarts AU. When Hiccup's secret of being the first to train a dragon is revealed, he struggles to handle his new popularity among the other students. Jack decides not to bother him like many of the others, even though he is also curious about the whole story. Despite this, an unlikely friendship blooms between the two boys and eventually turns into something more. Rated M!

19. Letting Go & Holding Back

Author's note:

Hi guys :)

This chapter was a real bitch to write (I don't know why), but it's finally done! :) I hope you will like it.

I have to say a big thanks to everyone who leaves reviews. It makes me very happy and helps me stay motivated to work hard on this story :) You guys are awesome!

Also: there will be sneak peeks of future chapters once in a while on my Tumblr (link on profile), for those who are interested.

On with the story!

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~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

His shirt stuck to his sweaty back. Clammy palms held his friend in place, the warmth of Fishlegs' skin adding to the heat flowing through his body. The smell of sweat, blood and the padded rubbery floor permeated the air. The essence of their fighting sessions expressed through scent.

"Miskunn? [Mercy?]" he panted, pinning Fishlegs' body down on the floor.

"Já. [Yes]" the answer spilled from Fishlegs' lips.

He released the wet grip on his friend and removed the knee from between his shoulder blades. He barely registered the cheerful sounds from Jack and the others, who were watching them.

He lifted himself off Fishlegs. Sweaty, brown strands clung to his forehead. His shallow breathing didn't fill his lungs properly, short intakes of air making his chest heave. Adrenaline pumped through his system, flooding raw energy into every part of him.

He should be feeling the strain of fighting now. But he didn't. He was ready to go again right away, even though they had already fought for two rounds.

Fishlegs pulled himself up, panting and holding his sides. A trickle of blood slowly trailed down his face from a split eyebrow.

The rounds had been quite brutal ones. His rage increased his endurance and made him stronger than usual, but it also made him less analytical because his mind was distracted. That meant Fishlegs got punches and kicks in more often than usual, but it also meant that he was less affected by them and could keep going for longer periods of time.

He stretched his neck from side to side until he heard a satisfying cracking sound. Droplets of sweat formed a wet path along his hairline. His shirt seemed to stick to him more and more by the second, the unpleasant moistness making the fabric hug his skin tightly.

It felt good to let the rage out. It might look disturbing to other people but it was like some kind of therapy and Hiccup was certain it was a lot healthier for him to unleash it like this instead of just suppressing it, making it grow and fester.

As he watched Fishlegs wipe away the blood on his face with a towel, he clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to keep himself occupied until they could fight again. The adrenaline combined with the rage put him on edge. He had too much energy in his body, like a pressure was heating up the blood in his veins, threatening to make them burst wide open. But he had to be patient, because Fishlegs needed a break. He didn't have anger to keep him energized.

He glanced at Jack who was talking to the others, while waiting for him and Fishlegs to fight again. Toothless rested comfortably in Jack's lap, while his boyfriend showered the black cat with affection, scratching and petting him.

He cracked his fingers and inspected the damage on his hands. Scrapes and small smears of blood marred the skin, evidence of his fists colliding with Fishlegs' body.

He knew Fishlegs could take it and would tell him if something went too far. Otherwise, he would never have agreed to do this.

Drops of heated blood slowly trailed down from his nose. He wiped the skin and looked at the red liquid on his fingertips. He brushed it off in his green shirt.

There was something very primal about allowing your rage to flow to the surface by being locked in a fist fight with someone. In everyday life, most humans suppress their violent tendencies. Every person has had a moment where they wished they could punch someone. Or beat them to a pulp. Or simply shove them into a wall. But they don't. They push down the rage and carry on. They recognize that violence isn't a healthy or efficient way of dealing with their issues and modern society shapes the moral values of its inhabitants through laws, making certain that violence is imprinted in people's minds as a bad thing, only to be used in self-defense.

Despite Hiccup's own Viking background, where violence was more common than in British society, he had the same suppressing mechanisms. After all, Vikings were not savage brutes who beat each other up constantly. A tribe had to function to survive, which meant they had to live in peace and cooperate with each other. Conflicts were unavoidable in all societies but they were counter-productive, only increasing tension and decreasing resources, so in every kind of society it would be a priority to make its people less likely to fight each other.

In a situation like this though…he could temporarily banish those moral values and solely rely on his impulses. It was liberating, as if his mind and body were slowly being freed from a poison that had polluted his blood.

A cough escaped Fishlegs' mouth and snapped Hiccup out of his thoughts. He met his friend's eyes and Fishlegs smiled reassuringly at him, as if he was trying to say that it was okay he had all of this anger to let out.

A small smile lifted the corners of his own lips. Fishlegs was an amazing friend, as always. He never judged him and he never hesitated to help in any way he could. Sure, they often trained fighting together, but this was a different session than usual. This wasn't just practice. Fishlegs was pretty much volunteering himself as a punching bag, so Hiccup could work through his issues with someone who could handle it.

~~~~ Fishlegs ~~~~

The strain of fighting was getting to him now. His chest expanded and contracted swiftly with every shallow breath. Droplets rested on his warm forehead and neck, blonde hair sticking tightly to the skin. He was parched, his throat feeling dry and rough.

He glanced at their friends who were all engulfed in conversation, before he turned his attention to Hiccup.

Hiccup's arms rested by his sides but his fingers twitched with restlessness. His eyes had begun to dart across the surroundings, never keeping focused on one thing for very long. His shoulders were tense, muscles tightened by excess energy and emotional turmoil.

They were taking a short break, but even then, his friend couldn't keep still. The aggression, the untamed energy was making it hard for him to calm down and he could tell Hiccup was just waiting for them to go at each other again.

He picked up his water bottle from the floor and took a drink. Cool water sloshed down his throat, chilling the heated skin and sating his thirst. He emptied the bottle in large, greedy gulps and then put the empty bottle on the floor. Hiccup glanced at him, before wringing the bottom hem of his shirt between his hands.

He had begun to feel the tiredness creep into his body but Hiccup didn't seem affected at all except his heavy breathing and sweating. It was like the anger inside him fueled him to keep going, pushing beyond the restrictions his body usually put up.

It was a bit unnerving to see him like this. He had known Hiccup for so many years and he had never seen this side of him before. He had seen him angry, even furious a few rare times, but this was different.

He knew it was necessary though. Natural. Hiccup had been through something he couldn't even begin to imagine and understandably he had a lot of pent up frustrations. It was much better that he got it out like this instead of bottling it up inside, and Fishlegs would happily get his ass kicked in this session and several more to come if it helped Hiccup deal with his situation.

And he would get his ass kicked. Usually, he and Hiccup were pretty equal when it came to fighting but the way Hiccup was able to keep going right now, not feeling the fatigue or soreness at all, would definitely mean that he would win, like he had done in the two previous rounds.

He sighed to steady his breathing a little.

"Okay, Hiccup. I'm ready." he told his friend.

Hiccup nodded once with a small smile and began moving his feet, doing small jumps on the spot.

Fishlegs decided to take the initiative and moved closer to him, also doing small jumps back and forth and to the sides in quick, unpredictable movements.

He and Hiccup neared each other. Hiccup's forehead creased in concentration. They both clenched their fists. The anticipation was swirling within him, releasing adrenaline into his bloodstream.

He moved in and swung out a fist towards Hiccup.

Hiccup's arm came flying up and blocked it, skin and bones colliding with knuckles.

As he retracted his fist, his other hand tried to land a hit in Hiccup's exposed side. Hiccup lowered his arm to protect himself quicker than Fishlegs could reach him.

His fist connected with the arm again, pressing against the hard bone underneath Hiccup's skin.

Pain shooting through his bruised and bleeding knuckles. Drops of sweat trickling down the sides of his face. Erratic breaths trying to get enough oxygen into his lungs.

Hiccup dropped his arms and launched a swing at him, turning to the side a little from the force.

A blow landed on his cheek.

Vision blurring. Pain eating into the skin and flesh. Brain rattling from the sudden impact.

He instinctively held up his arms to shield his face. He was not able to attack as long as his vision was impaired.

Hiccup planted more hits on him, one quick strike after another crashing against his arms, sending ripples of pain through them. The fists were powerful, harder than what Hiccup was usually capable of.

He needed to get out of this defensive position.

When Hiccup's hands recoiled briefly to gain momentum for another punch, he threw his arms around his friend's neck. He used his weight advantage to force him to the ground.

Hiccup crashed down on the rubbery floor with a groan.

He quickly moved in now that Hiccup was in a weak spot. He kicked his side, while Hiccup curled up into the fetal position and air was forced out of his lungs, whenever his foot smashed into his flesh.

This was his opportunity to end the fight. He bent down to grab Hiccup. Hiccup kicked out his leg and hit him straight on the shin with his prosthetic.

He gasped and quickly recoiled to avoid more attacks. Sudden, sharp pain rushed to the damaged shin, where the metal had mercilessly hit it.

Hiccup rolled to his side and got up from the floor with clumsy movements. Fishlegs limped a few steps before he could shake off some of the pain. They were both affected by their injuries, but Hiccup still had that look in his eyes that told Fishlegs he could push it down.

Well…he was close to being completely spent, that was for sure. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

They looked at each other for a few moments, heavy breaths forcing their way out of their lungs, before they moved closer again.

They jumped around each other, moving their feet swiftly across the rubbery floor to be able to dodge a sudden attack or move in and take a swing.

Hiccup rushed towards him. A fist flew through the air, aiming for his nose.

He held up both his arms to block the assaults. Hiccup's hand hammered into them. The already damaged skin and flesh was sore from all the attacks they had already deflected. The pain was growing more intense, its unwelcome presence seeping into his bones.

When Hiccup retracted his arms to hit again, Fishlegs quickly shot out a fist and punched him on the side, while he kept the other arm raised to protect himself.

Hiccup winced and a pained moan left his mouth. But he didn't stop launching more attacks on him.

He lifted one leg and stomped down hard on Hiccup's still existing foot.

Hiccup groaned and was temporarily distracted. Angry fists froze and lowered slightly.

This was his chance to go from defense to offense. He hastily wrapped his arms around Hiccup's neck to throw him to the ground again.

He began to push him downwards, but Hiccup's leg flew up and kneed him in the gut, before he could topple him over.

Air was knocked right out of him. He gasped, clutching his fingers into Hiccup's neck, refusing to let go.

Hiccup squirmed, trying to worm his way out of the tight grip. Fishlegs held on, despite heaving for air now.

Hiccup put his hands on his chest in an attempt to shove him away, but he was too big and strong for his friend to remove by force alone. He kept their bodies as close together as he could, so Hiccup didn't have a chance to hit or kick in any way.

He could see Hiccup's eyes darting around, trying to find a solution. Fishlegs knew he had to act quickly, before his friend could figure something out.

No longer gasping, he tried to force Hiccup down again.

As he pulled Hiccup forwards to throw him to the floor, arms suddenly wrapped around his waist and he realized too late what was happening.

He wobbled, trying to resist Hiccup's weight pulling him down, but he lost his balance and fell backwards.

They both crashed to the floor, Fishlegs' back on Hiccup's chest. A pained sound escaped Hiccup, as he was squashed, before Fishlegs rolled off.

He moved to get up and gain the upper hand but Hiccup was quicker. He had only gotten to his knees, when the metal prosthetic pushed against his back and brought him to the floor again.

Hiccup settled on his back with a knee between his shoulder blades. That was usually his favorite way of ending a fight.

"Miskunn? [Mercy?]" Hiccup asked breathlessly.

"Ja. [Yes]" he agreed, his chest heaving. There was no way he had energy for more of this.

"Okay." Hiccup said in between gasping for air, removing the knee from his back. "I think that's enough for now."

Fishlegs sighed in relief and he rolled over to see his friend looking down at him. "I'm so glad you said that, because I don't think I could go another round even if I wanted to."

That was an understatement. Every muscle in his body was aching, his limbs were weak and exhausted and sweat was practically pouring down his skin in disgusting wet trails.

Hiccup chuckled breathlessly and a smile worked its way across Fishlegs' lips. His friend reached a hand down to him and he took it, letting Hiccup help him to his feet.

He looked at their friends, who were cheering for both of them with bright grins on their faces. Fishlegs had actually come to enjoy that they wanted to be a part of their training sessions. Not only was it great that they wanted to learn proper self-defense skills but it was also fun to hear them cheering and clapping, showing their enthusiasm.

He let his eyes examine the damage on Hiccup and himself. Bruised and bloody hands were a given after every session. So were the red scrapes and small cuts on their faces. They both had bloody noses as well and he had a split eyebrow, while Hiccup had a damaged lip that had left a dried trail of blood down to his chin.

Not to mention all the bruises that were going to appear soon.

Their friends' cheering died down and they began to talk and joke around, as they usually did while they waited for him and Hiccup to get ready to leave again.

Jack got to his feet and went to Hiccup, smiling at him. He brushed some wet locks away from Hiccup's forehead and whispered something to him. A small, tired smile emerged on Hiccup's lips and the tightness in his arms and shoulders seemed to fade away. Jack melted their lips together in a tender kiss and afterwards Hiccup pulled Jack into a hug, holding him tight while closing his eyes for a moment.

Fishlegs glanced to the side. While their other friends were busy bantering, Rapunzel was watching Jack and Hiccup as well, with Toothless by her side. She had that gentle look in her eyes that she always got, when she was touched by something.

Fishlegs couldn't say he didn't feel the same way. Every time he saw Jack and Hiccup be affectionate with each other, a soft warmth surfaced in his chest. He was grateful one of his best friends had found love. The fact that it was with another one of his friends just made it even better. He couldn't care less that they were two guys and that that wasn't approved of in Viking culture. Love was love in his opinion. But he was worried about what would happen when the other Vikings back home found out.

Their relationship was very new but it was clear that Jack was good for him. Even when they were just friends, Jack managed to get Hiccup to open up about stuff that not even he and Rapunzel could and he never hesitated in being there for Hiccup in any way he could. And now…even though Hiccup was in the middle of a healing process after being tortured and being betrayed by someone he trusted, he was happy whenever he was around Jack. That was all that mattered to Fishlegs.

When Jack and Hiccup slid out of each other's arms, Hiccup kissed Jack on the forehead. It was a simple act and yet it held so much meaning. All of their affections did. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that his two friends were hopelessly in love with each other and that their love went way beyond a simple teenage romance.

He grabbed two fresh towels from one of the cupboards with supplies and approached Hiccup and Jack. He threw the towel at his Viking friend and watched it land on his head.

Hiccup grabbed it and slid it off, grinning at him. "Thanks." he said.

"No problem." he replied. "Man…I need a shower now." he added and chuckled. His shirt had big, wet patches under his arms, on his back and on his belly, his hair was slick with sweat and his body felt like it was dangerously close to overheating.

"So does he." Jack chuckled and motioned to Hiccup with his head. "You're all sweaty." he added and wrinkled his nose, as he observed Hiccup wipe his face and hair with the white, fluffy towel.

"I thought you'd like that?" Hiccup teased him, grabbing his water bottle from the floor, pouring a little water on the towel before he scrubbed off the dried blood on his face. Fishlegs quickly followed his example. After all, it would be fairly suspicious to walk about the hallways with blood on your face.

"Oh, ha ha." Jack said sarcastically. "I'm not into smelly, sweat drenched guys, Hic."

Fishlegs smiled at them as he dropped the bloody towel to the floor. Their condescending banter was just proof of how much they really meant to each other, anyone who knew them was aware of that.

"Oh, really?" Hiccup said, eyebrows raised in amusement, throwing his towel to the side of the room.

"Yup." Jack replied. "Stinking Viking."

"You love it."

"I really don't."

"You so do. Just admit it."

Jack scoffed. "I don't like bad body odor, idiot."

"I'm not even at that stage yet, Jack and you know it. Sweat doesn't smell of anything in itself, it's only when it comes in contact with bacteria on the skin it starts to smell bad and that doesn't happen right away."

"Pssh, don't give me that science lecture, dragon boy. You're seriously in need of some soap and water."

"Well, I never denied that."

"It sure seemed like it. Apparently, you just like reeking, huh? What do you have against taking a shower?"

Hiccup leaned in and whispered something in Jack's ear that made his blue eyes widen for a second before a grin revealed those unbelievably white teeth.

Clearly, Hiccup was teasing him with some kind of flirty comment.

That was another thing that was still very new to Fishlegs: watching Hiccup flirt with someone. He had never seen him do that before and it was strange but not in a bad way. He and Hiccup were basically like brothers, and he usually became quite awkward when the topic fell on romance or sex, so for him to open up like that and flirt with someone would require him to be completely comfortable with that person and trust them. Jack made him forget his usual self-consciousness.

"Is that so?" Jack asked in reply to Hiccup's comment and lifted an eyebrow.

"Come here." Hiccup said and looped an arm around Jack's waist, pulling him closer. Hiccup pressed their lips together and they both closed their eyes in contentment.

"So…are you tired now, Hiccup?" he asked his friend, when Hiccup and Jack broke their kiss.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to feel it." Hiccup grinned, still having his arms wrapped around Jack.

Fishlegs nodded with a grin. "About time…I'm beat." he sighed.

Hiccup chuckled and let go of Jack. "Anger is an effective source of energy."

"Yeah, it must be. You looked like you could have kept going for hours."

"Well, it's wearing off now." Hiccup smiled. Then his eyes softened. "Thanks Fish…for helping me. This was good."

"No problem. Just let me know when we should do it again." he said, relieved that it had actually helped Hiccup. That made all the horrible heat and aches in his body worth it.

"I will." Hiccup agreed.

"Maybe we should get going, guys?" Flynn asked them from where the rest of their friends were still sitting, raising his voice so they could hear him properly.

"Just a minute!" Rapunzel said and hurried towards them. She took out her wand and quickly healed his split eyebrow and Hiccup's damaged lip.

"I'm not even going to bother changing before we go." he said to Hiccup and picked up his black cloak, putting it on and closing it, so it covered his sweat drenched clothing.

He couldn't wait to escape from those disgustingly wet clothes and get a nice, cooling shower, feeling that lovely, fresh sensation of being clean again.

"Yeah, me neither." Hiccup said, before he also put his cloak on.

They both grabbed their bags and headed towards the doors with their friends. Every step was a reminder of just how knackered and abused his body was. This had been a brutal session and he seriously craved rest now.

"I'm pretty sore right now." Mavis said and stretched out her arms.

"Me too. And all we did was those exercises. We didn't even get sweaty." Merida said, as they reached the mostly deserted passageways. Most of the other students were in their common rooms at this hour, socializing or getting some homework done before it was time for bed. The corridors were dim, only the light of the moon through the large windows and the lamps on the side of the walls brightening their surroundings.

"Unlike those two." Flynn teased and motioned to him and Hiccup, before contorting his face as if they smelled bad.

"Well, you'd be sweaty too if you'd fought like we just did." Hiccup told him.

"Guess again, Freckles. I've trained my body not to sweat. Don't want to mess up all of this." Flynn said and gestured to himself.

They all laughed at that and the sound reverberated against the stone walls.

"Riiight." Jack drawled.

Fishlegs had come to enjoy both Flynn's and Jack's mock superiority. That didn't mean he wouldn't shoot them down occasionally though.

"Actually, a person would die from overheating if they didn't sweat." he said, a small, teasing smile appearing on his lips.

"Not this person." Flynn said and pointed both his thumbs at himself.

"Yeah, you would." Hiccup deadpanned. "Anyone in this world would."

Flynn huffed in protest. "Well, I'm out of this world, you should know that by now."

"Oh, trust me, we know." Merida said. "A face that ugly has to be from some other dimension."

They all shared a laugh at that remark.

"Just keep those comments coming, Curly." Flynn told her with a wink. "We all know that the more you insult me, the more you want me."

Merida snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Of course." Jack said sarcastically and shook his head, before he put an arm around Hiccup, as had become their little ritual even before they were dating.

Walking along corridor after corridor, they continued to discuss Flynn's claims that he was able to avoid sweating. Jack, Merida and Mavis shot sarcastic and teasing remarks at him, while he and Hiccup poked holes in his arguments with facts about the human body. At one point, Flynn tried to get Rapunzel to back him up, but she only chuckled and told him that he was on his own with this one.

When it was time for him, Rapunzel and Hiccup to split up from their Gryffindor friends to head to Ravenclaw tower, they all said their goodbyes, including shooting some last teasing comments at each other. Jack and Hiccup glanced around them before wrapping their arms around each other and letting their lips meet in a soft goodbye kiss.

Rapunzel looked ready to melt into a pile of goo every time their two friends kissed and this was no exception. The "awww" that escaped her lips made Fishlegs smile. He was sure that Jack and Hiccup kissed each other senseless whenever they were alone but they didn't do that in front of him and the others, so it would probably take some time before their kissing became familiar to all of them.

When Jack squeezed Hiccup closer and buried his face in his shoulder, Fishlegs briefly thought about the training session they had just had.

Jack had been more focused than he had ever seen him before. He had smiled at Mavis' and Rapunzel's jokes and Flynn's and Merida's banter, but he hadn't initiated any teasing or goofing off. He kept himself focused on the training and worked hard to get the repetitive exercises just right, so his body would become familiar with the movements and come to know them by instinct. Learning to fight included a lot of repetition to develop proper muscle memory and that could be quite dull. But it was necessary and despite Jack's intolerance of boring things, he pushed through it and didn't break his concentration.

Fishlegs was fairly certain he knew what had brought about this change; before, Jack had been learning how to fight for his own sake. Because it was practical to know self-defense. Now, he was learning how to fight to help protect Hiccup. He was trying to prepare himself as much as possible, if war eventually became a reality in the archipelago.

Jack and Hiccup broke away from each other and while Jack and the other Gryffindors went on their way to their common room, he, Rapunzel and Hiccup headed towards Ravenclaw tower with Toothless trotting happily beside them.

Fishlegs had no doubt that Jack would want to follow Hiccup, if a battle occurred. In fact, all of their friends would most likely want to follow them to help out any way they could. And being prepared for that was an intelligent thing to do, but at the same time it painfully reminded him of the potential conflict that loomed over his home and all the Vikings and dragons he knew.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

A lone sunbeam made it through one of the sparse, dusty windows of the gloomy classroom. It bathed several of the large containers on the dark shelves in its brightness, the glass shining and reflecting the light. He squinted, as a bright ray entered his vision. He put the lid back on the glass container he was holding and placed it on the shelf. He had miscalculated how much cowbane he needed for his potion, so he had to put the leftover ingredient back.

When he was headed to his workstation, he passed by Hiccup and Fishlegs who were in the middle of brewing their own potions. Fishlegs was chopping up some starthistles while Hiccup was stirring his batch, vapor rising from the cauldron.

He stopped in his tracks, as he caught scent of his boyfriend's potion. His nose wrinkled. Something was very wrong. It was not supposed to smell that way.

He walked up behind Hiccup, peeked over his shoulder and put a hand on his back. Hiccup glanced at him, before returning his focus to the cauldron, stirring the liquid with a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, well clearly you fucked something up." Jack said, moving around him to come closer to study the fluid in the cauldron.

The potion in it was supposed to be a bright red with a thick consistency and a faint scent of flowers but Hiccup's batch had turned into a thin, green liquid with an awful smell. Something like a mix of burnt toast and mold.

"No kidding." Hiccup said and stopped stirring the potion. He eyed the cauldron skeptically, as if he was blaming it for whatever had gone wrong.

"Yeah, you need to make a new batch." he grinned.

"I know that, genius." Hiccup deadpanned.

"Hey, don't get snappy with me, Haddock." Jack said, his grin widening. "If you're nice to me, I'll let you bask in my glory and come witness the perfect batch I made." he said and nudged Hiccup's shoulder teasingly.

Hiccup rolled his eyes but the corners of his lips were twitching. "Humble as always, Snowcone."

"Hey, come on now." Jack said with a bright smile, poking Hiccup softly in the side. "I'm allowed to brag in the one subject where I'm clearly better than you."

"Fine." Hiccup sighed as he kept inspecting the failed potion in the cauldron with a wrinkle on his forehead.

"Awwwww." Jack cooed and tilted his head. "Are you pouting, big baby boo?" he said, parroting what Hiccup had said to him and Toothless so many times, just to rub this in even more.

"No."

"Yes, you are. Aww, poor little Viking. Do you need a hug?"

"No. Get away from me." Hiccup said and shoved him, struggling to keep a smile away from his lips now.

Jack took a few steps back uncertainly, before he laughed as he regained his balance.

"No, I don't think so, Hic." he said and crossed his arms defiantly. "I'll just stick around here and enjoy my superiority."

Hiccup turned his head and a mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes. A shadow of a smirk graced his lips.

Uh-oh. Jack knew that look. He was definitely not the only one in this relationship who could be devious.

"Is that so?" Hiccup said and glanced around them briefly. The other students in the room were busy brewing their own batches, the smell of the different, pungent ingredients and the sounds of bubbling potions and light chatter permeating the air. Jack wondered what his boyfriend had up his sleeve, since he was making sure that no one was watching them.

Hiccup moved to his side and suddenly Jack could feel a warm palm rub his lower back gently on top of his white shirt. It was a good thing they were standing with their front to everyone else and behind the workstation, so no one would notice. He smiled softly at Hiccup, who returned the gesture. They were standing shoulder to shoulder and the closeness made Jack wish he could just lean to the side and start kissing him.

Hiccup slowly moved his hand further down and Jack stiffened for a few seconds, because what the hell was he planning? He looked at Hiccup to raise a questioning eyebrow but his boyfriend was now pretending to observe his potion, a perfect picture of innocence.

Then Hiccup squeezed his ass hard with one hand.

Jack squeaked in surprise, a very unmanly sound, and Hiccup immediately let go and burst out laughing. He spun around and walked towards some of the shelves with ingredients, his laughter now diminishing to a chuckle. Jack met Fishlegs' eyes and his friend looked back and forth between him and Hiccup, apparently trying to figure out what was going on. Well, Jack was definitely not going to tell him.

When he had taken a few moments to get over the shock, he shook his head, as an amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He could not believe Hiccup had just done that in a room full of other students. He turned his head and observed his boyfriend gathering ingredients from different containers on the dusty shelves with an amused smile on his face. He seemed way too pleased with himself right now.

Well that was just…evil. And really bold, considering that someone could have spotted them and put two and two together. Who would have known Hiccup of all people would do something like that?

When Fishlegs focused his attention solely on him and raised his eyebrows in a silent question, Jack just shrugged with a small smile, before he headed towards his own workstation. His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of a plan for revenge. His pride was hurt now by that high pitched squeak he had let out. He would definitely have to get back at Hiccup for this.

Luckily, none of his Gryffindor friends had noticed what had just happened. Mavis and Flynn were still busy finishing their potions, a furrow of concentration on both of their foreheads, while Merida was drawing doodles on her parchment, having finished her potion at the same time he did, as usual. When he reached the workstation, he glanced at one of her little drawings, Flynn in a big ball gown, and snorted in amusement.

Merida lifted her head and looked at him with a grin on her face, before she continued with her doodles, filling the entire piece of parchment.

After a while of simply watching his friend draw more absurd drawings, like Mavis on the beach under the summer sun and him as a snow queen, while occasionally throwing in a humorous comment or glancing at Flynn and Mavis brewing their potions, he began to get bored.

He leaned against the wooden surface of the workstation and scanned the classroom, taking in all the other students. Some of them seemed distressed by the brewing process, sweating or flipping quickly through the textbook in panic or trying to get Professor Creek's attention. Others were finished with their batches and had begun to chitchat casually, while some, like Hiccup, had messed it up and were starting over.

Speaking of his boyfriend, he turned his attention to Hiccup and Fishlegs. The chubby Viking had finished his own potion and was helping Hiccup chop up the last ingredients needed for the new batch. It wouldn't take long for Hiccup to finish brewing the potion when he had someone to assist him.

When he glanced around the room once more, his eyes landed on Sam sitting on one of the stools by his table, resting his arms on the wooden surface. He shared a workstation with his two friends, Tiana and Kristoff, as well as a Ravenclaw girl that Jack couldn't remember the name of. His two friends seemed deep in conversation, while Sam was busy watching Hiccup finishing his potion. Tiana said something to him and awaited a response but apparently, Sam didn't even hear her. A few seconds later, he was smacked over the head by her and he pulled himself together and turned his attention to her.

Jack smiled a little. He didn't care about Sam anymore. He could look at Hiccup all he wanted, now that Jack knew he had nothing to worry about.

As his gaze wandered around the room again, he suddenly met the eyes of Mia, a Hufflepuff girl with rosy cheeks and a black ponytail. She smiled at him and batted her eyelashes, putting on a confident front before she bit her lip and revealed the shyness she was truly feeling.

The line between amusement and annoyance could be very blurry.

He used to find it quite entertaining when girls flirted with him but something had changed. He wouldn't exactly call it annoyance but there was something about it now that made an unwelcome feeling stir inside him.

He did his best to return the smile but it was a forced gesture and did not reach his eyes. She immediately looked away, ponytail swaying from the sudden movement. She was clearly trying to hide a blush.

The fake smile vanished from his lips. He observed Mia for a few moments, as she focused on stirring her potion, not looking in his direction at all.

What had changed? When had amusement been replaced by resistance?

It wasn't Mia. She seemed like a nice girl, even though he didn't know her well.

It wasn't that Hiccup might be hurt or jealous. He wasn't that kind of guy.

It wasn't that he felt he was doing something wrong.

A hand suddenly rested on his lower back, warmth pressing into his shirt and he didn't even have to look to know who it was. Apparently, Hiccup had finished making a new batch now.

A smile appeared on his lips. This time it was genuine.

"Too bad she doesn't know you're taken." Hiccup leaned in and whispered to him. The warm breath on the sensitive skin on his ear made shivers ripple through his body. He had the sudden urge to whirl around, pull Hiccup into his arms and kiss him senseless. To show him how much he meant to him, to show everyone how much he meant to him.

And there it was.

That was what that unwelcome feeling was.

When he couldn't even express his feelings in public for the guy he loved, it just seemed strange to let people flirt with him. To do and say things he only wanted Hiccup to do and say to him.

"Yeah." he agreed with a smile. It would be nice when they were ready for everyone to know, even if he was a bit nervous about it.

He turned around and Hiccup's arm dropped from his back. They looked into each other's eyes and he grabbed one of Hiccup's hands, lacing their warm fingers together. He glanced around them, but no one would be able to see what they were doing from this angle and behind the workstation. He squeezed his boyfriend's hand and Hiccup smiled fondly at him.

A familiar energy hung in the air between them. That incessant craving to have more, to be closer.

Jack had noticed that both of them were simply incapable of keeping their hands off each other. Even when they were in classes or in other situations where people were around, they used whatever chances they got to touch the other. Sometimes it was nothing more than a tap on the shoulder, a hand quickly brushing over an arm or an affectionate pat on the back. Other times they pushed their luck further and held hands, stroked the other's back or rubbed his thigh.

But that was what it was like to be in love and in a brand new relationship. You just wanted to be close to the other person all the time, touching them, kissing them, expressing your love for them. And sometimes it was so unbelievably difficult to hold back.

When Professor Creek began to make his rounds to give feedback on everyone's potions, Hiccup quickly retreated to his own workstation. Everyone in their little group had all brewed successful potions and received praise from the middle-aged professor with the friendly demeanor, much to their satisfaction.

When their professor dismissed the class, they all quickly packed up their stuff and went on their way to their next classes. Hiccup was going to the workshop, so he and Mavis could walk with him for a little while, since they were going to the Arithmancy classroom. Now that Professor Cooke was no longer at Hogwarts, the students in the Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects class were left to their own devices until a replacement could be found. That meant they didn't have to show up for any classes but could simply go to the workshop and work on their projects when it suited them.

After saying goodbye to the rest of their friends, the three of them made their way through the busy corridors. The loud noise of all the students seemed to press in on him from all sides, invasively chasing away the calm mood he had been in moments ago. Mavis told them about the latest letter Jonathan had sent her and how difficult it was to be in a long distance relationship, raising her voice to be heard above the myriad of sounds enveloping them.

Jack could imagine her pain. When he and Hiccup were apart during the Christmas holidays, he was dying to see him again and that was only two weeks.

Mavis began to explain how Jonathan was doing, as they waded through the swarm of people, grazing other students' sides and bags. Jack listened but turned his head to look at Hiccup, attention drawn to him by sudden, small movements. Hiccup's satchel hung from his shoulder and he was grapping the strap with one hand, digging his fingers hard into the leather before he snapped it against his shoulder like a rubber band repeatedly.

Jack frowned. It was a new habit of Hiccup's and he had noticed that he did it every time they were in a crowd now. It was clear to him that it was a method of coping with stress; trying to take focus away from the source of that stress and onto something else. It wasn't a coincidence that this new habit had appeared after Hiccup was tortured. He had become more sensitive, easier to stress out. Of course that wasn't a surprise. It would be borderline inhuman if he didn't have issues after everything that had happened. Jack just hoped it would all lessen in time. Seeing Hiccup's signs of distress only reminded him of those horrible things that had been done to him and every time he thought about that, it felt like someone had placed a heavy rock on his chest, weighing down on him, hindering his ability to breathe properly.

He put an arm around Hiccup's shoulder and pulled him closer. They briefly locked gazes and smiled at each other, before focusing on navigating around all the other students. His fingers dug into the fabric of Hiccup's black cloak and he rubbed his shoulder discreetly to give him some support, while still avoiding anyone noticing. Apparently, that managed to lessen Hiccup's discomfort since he stopped snapping the strap on his satchel.

"Mavis!" someone suddenly called out behind them, a shrill voice cutting through the noise of their surroundings. They all stopped in their tracks and turned towards the sound.

Megan, one of Astrid's friends were moving towards them, quickly stepping around any students in her way. Her long, blonde hair swayed with her movements and she carried a few textbooks in her arms.

"Hey." she said, when she was standing in front of them, a bright smile revealing slightly crooked teeth. "Can I talk to you for a minute about frog choir practice?"

"Yeah, sure." Mavis said with a smile and then turned to him and Hiccup. "Just go ahead guys. I'll meet you in class, Jack."

They both nodded before continuing their walk through the passageway. Jack quickly started a conversation between them about what Hiccup was planning to work on when he got to the workshop. Hiccup had even more unpleasant connections to the workshop now that Professor Cooke had been revealed as the one who betrayed him, but talking about the projects he was working on or wanted to work on in the future always cheered him up. Not to mention that he was adorable when he went into full on dork-mode and blabbed on about metal work or leather or wood carving or something similar. Seeing those green eyes light up made listening to so many details about building and mending stuff worth it.

When Hiccup was in the middle of explaining the designs for a new type of saddle he was thinking about making, Harry's familiar voice rang out behind them: "Jack, mate, your bag's open!"

Jack let go of Hiccup and spun around to see his blonde friend waving at him before disappearing in the crowd, probably on his way to class too. Jack slid off his backpack, as he and Hiccup started moving again.

Indeed, his backpack was open. He was about to zip it closed again, when something unfamiliar caught his eye. He stuck a hand into the backpack and found an unexpected item. He pulled the red object out and studied it in one hand. It was a small box of chocolates with a note attached to it that said "xoxo Mia".

"Yeah, you're definitely not eating that." Hiccup said and took the box out of his hands.

"Nope." he agreed, an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"It's probably filled with love potion or something similar." Hiccup said, turning the box in his hands, eying it skeptically.

"Yup." he agreed and swung his backpack over his shoulder again.

He was fairly certain Hiccup was right and he had absolutely no intention of falling under some girl's spell against his will. That thought was terrifying. The only person he was interested in was walking next to him and he would make sure it remained that way.

"I still have no idea why love potions are even taught at Hogwarts. That's not knowledge any teenager should have!" Hiccup said, shaking his head to underline the absurdity.

"Can't say I disagree with that, Hic."

In fact, it was horrifying to think that teenagers had that kind of knowledge. Almost no one could withstand a powerful love potion and if someone managed to get you to take it, suddenly you were at their mercy, completely obsessed with them. That was a disturbing thought indeed.

They passed a bin and Hiccup quickly discarded the red box. "No one is going to slip my boyfriend a love potion on my watch." he told him, lowering his voice so no one else would hear.

A smile curved Jack's lips. He loved hearing Hiccup refer to him as his boyfriend. Everything was still so new between them that he hadn't gotten used to that yet. He truly enjoyed the light, fluttering sensation that spread inside him from such simple things.

"My hero." he said sarcastically and held back a grin.

"Hey, I just destroyed that dangerous box of chocolates all by myself with no regards to my own safety to save you from falling under some girl's spell." Hiccup told him, gesturing wildly as if he was regaling him with a story of true danger and bravery.

"Yes, I couldn't possibly have done that by myself."

"I'm glad we agree." Hiccup said, as if he didn't understand Jack's point, even though he was bloody fluent in sarcasm. "It's a good thing you have me to protect you."

Jack pressed his lips together to avoid smiling.

"Riiight…" he drawled. "I'm so lost without you."

Hiccup shushed him and placed an arm around his shoulder protectively. "Calm down, Jack. You're safe now. I'm here to guard you against fangirls and devious chocolate boxes. Nothing is going to hurt you." Hiccup said, his voice calm and soothing.

Oh that son of a…

He chuckled on the inside, as he watched a door to one of the bathrooms come into view at the side of the corridor. An evil plan instantly formed in his mind.

When they passed the door, he grabbed Hiccup's arm and quickly dragged him into the room. He let his eyes dart over the green wooden stalls. They were all open, so no one was in here.

He hummed in thought and a devious smile appeared on his lips. He needed to get revenge on Hiccup for those comments and for grabbing his ass earlier, making him all flustered.

Hiccup eyed him warily, apparently fully aware that he was planning something. He was right to be suspicious. It was time for pay back.

Jack grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back against the wall, clashing their lips together. Hiccup gasped as his back connected with stone and his body stiffened in surprise, before he let himself relax against him. Their eyelids lowered and Hiccup sighed happily into their kiss.

He began to devour Hiccup's mouth in every way possible, swiping his tongue across his lips, clenching a bottom lip between his teeth, nipping at it, pushing their mouths together with hungry force. One of his hand snaked around Hiccup's waist and began to rub his lower back, enjoying the soft warmness of his boyfriend's skin while another hand kept its grip on Hiccup's shoulder in place, fingers delving into his shirt.

Jack's tongue worked its way between Hiccup's lips and ran along the inside of his mouth, letting it glide over smooth teeth, gums and tongue, losing himself in the wet warmth. Hiccup shuddered with delight and Jack chuckled into the open-mouthed kiss, unable to help himself. He was enjoying this. A lot. It was both fun and arousing to make Hiccup all hot and bothered like this, reducing the tough Viking to a needy, hungry mess.

He broke their kiss and dove straight into the skin on Hiccup's throat, sucking it, biting it softly, leaving red marks and eager kisses in a trail down to the collarbone. Hiccup leaned his head back, giving Jack better access to his skin, hot, broken breaths spilling from his lips. Jack licked his tongue along the collarbone in one languid stroke and Hiccup trembled under his fingertips. Heat bloomed even further inside him and his kisses on his boyfriend grew more intense.

His grip on Hiccup's shoulder loosened and his hand slid around him to join the other hand rubbing his back. He flattened his palms against the smooth, warm skin and then pushed Hiccup towards him. He seriously needed to get him even closer. Right now.

Their lower bodies were smashed together and gasps escaped their lips from the wonderful sensation. Jack ached to rub against him, like they did the other day in the abandoned Charms classroom but he knew that was a dangerous path to go down, because they wouldn't be able to stop.

His hands caressed their way up to Hiccup's hair and he gripped brown strands tight, as he crashed their mouths together again and again. The heat burned inside him in the most amazing ways, building and building with every touch he placed on Hiccup and every passionate sound and reaction coming from him. His fingers raked through Hiccup's hair, tugging at locks, nails delving into the skin underneath.

When he started sliding his hand slowly up Hiccup's thigh, his boyfriend shivered against him. Hiccup sucked in a breath, his lips unmoving against Jack's for a brief second, as his pale hand came dangerously close to Hiccup's hard on but neglected it, moving upwards to his chest instead. The tickling, bubbling excitement inside Jack from being so close to touching his boyfriend like that was risky.

Bloody hell…he needed to stop this and go through with his plan before he would be unable to resist wherever this was going.

He tore their lips apart in the blink of an eye, despite how unbelievably difficult it was, because he really wanted to keep going. But he needed his revenge and it wasn't like they could take things any further in the middle of a bathroom anyway.

Hiccup's eyelids slowly lifted, revealing forest green eyes hazy with desire. His freckled cheeks were flushed a beautiful pink, his throat was covered in little red marks from Jack's attacks on the skin and his brown locks were even messier than usual, sticking out everywhere from Jack raking his fingers through them.

He swallowed thickly, as he took in Hiccup's appearance.

Shit...he was so breathtaking right now that he itched to just shove him into the wall again and have more of him. This was seriously testing his resolve.

They both panted, staring into each other's eyes before Jack's lips parted into a teasing grin.

"Well, that's that, Hic. I don't want you to get too greedy." he said and pressed his lips together, choking back a laugh. "See you later!"

With that, he turned around and headed towards the door, laughing like an evil mastermind. Which he was, of course.

"I hate youuuu" Hiccup said and then chuckled from behind him.

"Hate you toooo." Jack replied in a sickly sweet voice, glancing over his shoulder as he kept walking. Then he laughed even harder, the sound reverberating through the room.

When he had left the bathroom and was on his way to his next class, he had taken off his black cloak, carrying it casually draped over his arms in front of him to hide his own boner. He chuckled as he thought about how it would probably take a few moments for Hiccup to 'calm down' enough to be able to leave that bathroom. It was a good thing Hiccup didn't have to be at the workshop at any specific time.

A grin spread his lips apart.

He also had a feeling Hiccup might be planning his own revenge now. And he was seriously looking forward to that.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: A FEW DAYS LATER

He used to like the Transfiguration classroom. The high ceiling, the narrow stone pillars all along the sides of the room, the many cages filled with happy animals you could observe, the comfortable dimness, only letting light in through the doors and a few windows in the back. He had always found this particular classroom calming.

Now though…

Now it reminded him of Professor Cooke. Of how he had sat in a chair in here with his hands bound, while he had revealed to him that everything they ever shared had been a lie. He had yelled and smashed a chair to get sufficient rage out of him, so he could avoid breaking the professor's face.

Just thinking about it now made the anger brew inside him, steaming like boiling water. He filled his lungs with air and slowly exhaled to calm his tense body. After a minute or two, his muscles relaxed once more and the fatigue overtook the anger, a pleasant numbness calming his senses.

He pulled the hood of his black cloak up, shielding him from the other people in the classroom. It was soothing. The black fabric obscured the light coming from the doors and windows at the back of the class. The pleasant dimness and the illusion of privacy comforted him. It was like his own little cave.

His thoughts drifted to the letter he had received from his dad this morning. He had told him about Professor Cooke and needless to say, his father was furious to learn that Ivar the Bonesmasher had a part to play in the attack on his son. Hiccup had pleaded with him not to do anything reckless, like gathering their allies for war. Luckily, his dad informed him that he was not about to jump straight into a war without having all the facts on the table. As Hiccup had argued in the letter he had sent to him, they still didn't know if all three of the hostile tribes were involved in all of this or if Ivar and his tribe were acting on their own. There was also the little fact that none of Berk's scouts or any of their allies had spotted Ivar for days now. He wasn't on his home island and no one knew his present location. That meant they still needed more information and Hiccup was grateful his dad shared that opinion, despite how angry he was with the people who had hurt his son.

A yawn passed his lips and he stretched out his arms in front of him before letting them rest on the table once more. The lack of sleep was really getting to him now. Every one of his limbs felt heavy. His eyelids drooped and he blinked rapidly to keep his eyes open. He tuned out the slight buzz of conversation floating through the air from the other students in the room, as he lazily flipped through a few pages in his textbook, trying to keep himself occupied and awake while he waited for Jack, Flynn and Rapunzel to arrive.

A swarm of high pitched giggles invaded his mind with their screeching, unwelcome presence. He scrunched his face from the sudden loud noise and an annoyed groan slipped from his mouth. He heard the sounds of chairs being pulled out from desks and bags being opened.

"Ugh, he's just too gorgeous. I'd do anything to touch that white hair." a girl's soft voice said.

"Yeah…and that pale skin and those blue eyes. And his laugh." another girl sighed. "He is dreamy."

Hiccup felt his lips form an amused smile. Apparently, they had no idea that he was here, listening to this conversation. Otherwise, they wouldn't talk that way about a person they knew he was close to, being too afraid that he would tell Jack.

Not that anyone could blame them for not noticing him. He wore his hood up and sat at the first row of tables with his back to everyone. There was no way they could tell it was him.

And annoying as these girls were with their gossiping and giggling, they did have a point. Jack was indeed very dreamy. Too bad for them that Jack was taken by him, he thought to himself, unable to stop a tad of smugness from rising inside him.

"Yeah." the first girl agreed. "But it seems like he's not really interested in dating."

"Yeah, I heard from Claire that he turns down every girl who asks him out."

"Huh." another girl said.

Hiccup didn't look at them but just listened to their light, feminine voices babbling on about his boyfriend. He was content in the safety of his hood. He recognized one or two of the voices but couldn't remember the girls' names.

"Maybe he just hasn't found the right girl yet." one of the girls said with an underlying hope in her voice.

Hiccup snorted in amusement but tried to keep it quiet so they wouldn't hear. Oh by Odin, they were so far off, he couldn't help smiling.

"Oh? And you're the right girl?" another one of them said, her tone revealing her skepticism.

Wow…hostility brewing between them. That didn't take much. Just be warned, girls: your crush is evil. He gets you turned on and then leaves you all needy and wanting more just for his own twisted amusement.

"I could be!" she said.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, his smile growing wider. He actually struggled now to keep from chuckling.

If only they knew…

"Good luck with that." she said. "I think you have as much chance of success as Marissa has with Hiccup."

He cringed at the mention of his name in this context.

Awkwardness was building up inside. Why did they have to mention him? Couldn't they just have kept talking about Jack who just found that stuff funny?

"Yeah, it's the same thing with Hiccup actually. He turns down everyone too. And those two are practically glued to each other's sides, so maybe they've gotten some weird idea into their heads about not dating for a while?"

Actually, we just chose to date each other instead of any of you. By Thor, it was so tempting to turn around and say that. Well…at least these girls weren't even close to figuring that out.

"They should really listen more to Flynn then. He's never been like that." one of them said.

Hiccup scoffed and then grinned. Thank the gods Flynn wasn't here to hear that or he and Jack would be reminded of it every single day from now on.

"Well, I'm going to ask Jack out anyway."

"Just don't get your hopes up. I don't think any of us has a chance."

She were right about that, he thought as another yawn escaped him.

The girls' conversation came to a sudden halt, the lack of the shrill voices and loud giggles suddenly enveloping him in a pleasant quietness. He didn't have to look to know what was happening.

A few seconds later, Jack sat down next to him, just as he had predicted. He turned his head and smiled fondly at his boyfriend, who gave him one of those bright grins that made his stomach do flips.

Jack's grin faded, as he looked him over, eyes squinted a little in suspicion. He observed him for a moment in silence. Hiccup was certain he noticed his puffy eyes and the dark circles under them.

Jack sighed. "You used the Pensieve again all night, didn't you?" he asked him.

"Yeah." Hiccup said and rubbed his eyes. They were getting irritated.

"Hic, seriously…you need to stop doing that." Jack told him, frowning in concern.

Hiccup sighed. "I know, I know."

"You're just driving yourself crazy."

"Yeah…" he agreed. "I just…I needed to find out if there was any sign I missed…if there was something, anything, in the way Professor Cooke acted that I could have seen."

"And?"

"There wasn't." he said. "If there was, I missed it…again."

"Don't beat yourself up over this." Jack said and patted him on the back a few times. "You know…I gave you that Pensieve, so you could rest your mind sometimes."

"Yeah, but it does help actually…I might be tired right now but I feel…less overwhelmed and less stressed out." he explained.

"Well, at least that's something." Jack smiled at him.

Hiccup nodded and gave Jack a small smile. He really did feel better whenever he had spent time viewing memories in the Pensieve, even when they were bittersweet memories or just plain horrible memories. Seeing all of those memories made it easier for him to process everything that had happened. It relieved him of some of the worry and speculation and it made his head feel lighter, like some of the confused, stressed and self-loathing thoughts had been sucked right out of him, at least for a while.

"So…where's Flynn and Rapunzel? You guys just had Care of Magical Creatures, right?" he asked, while Jack took out his textbook, quill and parchment from his backpack. It was very unusual for Jack to arrive to Transfiguration by himself, since he usually always shared a class with Flynn before that and today with Flynn and Rapunzel, who both also had Transfiguration now.

"Yeah, we did but…something weird is going on with those two." Jack said, as he put his supplies down on the wooden desk. He narrowed his eyes a little in thought.

"What do you mean?"

"Rapunzel said she had forgotten her textbook, so she went back to Ravenclaw tower to get it and…Flynn offered to go with her."

"Huh. That's strange…" he said as he thought about that information for a few moments. It was definitely a break in routine and that didn't happen without a reason.

"Yeah."

"Do you think…?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm actually starting to suspect it." Jack said. "I'm not really sure about Rapunzel, but I'm beginning to think Flynn might have a crush on her."

Hiccup hummed. "How so?"

"Well…he looks at her when he thinks he's being subtle, he's almost always frowning when guys talk to her, except you and me and Fishlegs of course…and he's pretty much stopped flirting with any girls at all lately." Jack explained.

"Yeah, I have noticed that actually…" he said. Flynn usually flirted with girls in one way or another several times a week but for a while now, he had refrained from doing that. It might not mean that he had feelings for Rapunzel, but it definitely had to mean something.

"Do you think Rapunzel might feel something too?" Jack asked, unable to conceal the hope shining in his eyes. He had no doubt that Jack would be over the moon if two of their friends got together.

"To be honest, I don't know. But if she does, it's only a matter of time before she tells me about it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Rapunzel is very open with me and Fishlegs about her feelings. There's no way she would have feelings for someone and not tell us about it." he said. He, Rapunzel and Fishlegs were like siblings and they had been best friends for years. The only one who had trouble sharing emotional issues once in a while was himself.

"Well…I guess we'll have to wait and see then." Jack told him, frowning at that idea. Waiting wasn't really one of Jack's strengths.

"Yeah…they would be pretty good together though." he said with a smile and meant it. Rapunzel and Flynn were quite different people but they were already good friends and clearly enjoyed being together. And differences weren't always bad. He and Jack were quite different people too but it worked for them.

"Definitely." Jack said before his lips parted into a grin. "Would you be okay with them being together, oh overprotective big brother?" he teased him.

"If Flynn knows how to stick to one girl, then…yeah." he said, as he lowered his hood, eyes squinting from the sudden light rudely invading his vision.

"If he fell in love with someone, he would definitely be able to do that."

"Then I'd be very happy about it."

"Yeah, me too." Jack said and bounced in his seat a little before he glanced to his side.

"Uh-oh, we better shut up now, because they're coming." he whispered with a childish glee that reminded Hiccup of a little kid who was struggling to keep a secret. He bit his lip to hold back a chuckle.

A few seconds later, Flynn took a seat next to Jack while Rapunzel placed herself next to Hiccup.

"Hey guys." Flynn said while Rapunzel smiled at both of them.

"So, Punzie, did you get your…book?" Jack said and pursed his lips to keep from grinning.

Hiccup shook his head. Jack was so bad at being discreet sometimes.

Rapunzel eyed him with suspicion. "Uhm…yeah? Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Jack said and shrugged with an innocence that did not match his mischievous personality.

"Okay…" Rapunzel replied skeptically and then turned her focus to Hiccup. "Are you okay? You look even more tired now than at breakfast."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep."

"Yeah, you mentioned that." Rapunzel said and placed a slender hand on his shoulder. "Let me know if there's anything you need." she added softly, before squeezing his shoulder.

"Thanks." he said and tucked a stray golden lock behind her ear to show his appreciation for her never ending support.

A sudden silence banished the buzzing of talking among the students in the room and their tall, slender Transfiguration teacher hurried to his desk, putting down his leather satchel on the table.

Professor Hyde was quick to put them to work at once. They were still on the subject of human transfiguration but so far only Hiccup and two other students had managed to do a full transformation from human to cat. Professor Hyde told them he was expecting more of them to succeed today, since they had been practicing for quite a few lessons now but not to get discouraged if they needed more time.

Their little group followed the usual patterns, when they began to practice. They laughed at each other's ridiculous results, they bantered and teased and they gave each other support when they almost had it. He had volunteered to be the test subject for his three friends until they managed a full transfiguration, since he had already been able to do it. The results ranged from furry ears, tail, arms and legs to cat nose and whiskers, fur all over his face and claws instead of nails. During the lesson, a few students were successful in doing full transfigurations and Professor Hyde praised them while assisting the students who seemed to have a lot of trouble with the difficult spell.

When it was Jack's turn again to attempt to turn him into a feline after Flynn had just failed hopelessly, Jack directed his pale wand at him and pressed his lips into a thin line in concentration.

Hiccup smiled at him and tilted his head curiously. Jack wasn't the most hard working student of all but he could be seriously focused and stubborn, when he really wanted to accomplish something.

Jack spoke the necessary words and a spark flew towards Hiccup.

He watched with wide eyes as the world began to grow larger all around him and he sunk towards the floor. Jack's face lit up in a beaming grin and he did a happy jump while yelling "yes!"

Hiccup looked down at his chest, only seeing brown fur and further down, fluffy cat paws. He scraped one paw against the floor and felt the cold stone against the warm skin pads.

"Wicked!" he heard Flynn's voice say while Rapunzel laughed happily.

He raised his little, furry head to look at his friends. By Thor, they were so huge right now, it was a very surreal experience. They all looked down on him with bright smiles on their faces.

Rapunzel put her hands over her heart. "Aww, you're such a sweet little cat, Hiccup! Look at your beautiful green eyes and your cute tail!"

Hiccup stared at her incredulously before he huffed. Jack and Flynn burst out laughing.

"Man, even as a cat, you have sass, Hic." Jack told him.

He meowed in reply. It was a strange experience to make such a noise but that was all he could do right now. He took a few steps back and forth, adjusting to the sensation of walking on four short legs. It only took him a few moments before the movements seemed natural already and he began to do other things, like jump forwards, crouch down and stretch out his little body.

Then Jack did exactly what he had done himself, when he had managed to turn Jack into a cat. He sat down and reached out a hand towards him as an invitation.

Well, Hiccup wasn't going to say no to that. He padded over to him, quickly getting used to using such a small frame for movement. The skin pads under his paws were pleasant for walking, providing support and protection against the hard surface, but at the same time allowing him to faintly detect the chill and the roughness of the stone beneath them.

He rubbed his head against Jack's warm palm and Jack petted his head a little before scratching him behind one ear. He closed his eyes in contentment, while his boyfriend continued to scratch before beginning to stroke his back slowly, long fingers gently raking through soft fur, tingling the skin beneath. He sighed happily. If it was physically possible, he could have melted into a puddle from those wonderful touches.

Suddenly the affectionate hands disappeared and he slowly opened his eyes to see Jack smiling warmly at him, still crouched down in front of him.

"Sorry Hic." he whispered. "Can't really continue doing this."

He frowned in response and Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I know, I know. But Flynn was right the last time…it would only make people suspicious. After all…you might be a cat, but everyone in here know it's you."

Well…he couldn't argue with that. He rubbed his furry cat body along Jack's knee once before he took a few steps back and sat down on the floor that suddenly didn't seem that hard since his fur provided some padding. He let his eyes drift over his friends, who were all watching him curiously, until his gaze landed on the door to the classroom.

He had an idea and smiled on the inside.

He approached Jack again who had gotten to his feet now. He meowed and scratched Jack's shin gently two times to signal that he wanted something.

Jack grinned and those blue eyes lit up with amusement as they looked down on him. "What is it, Hic?"

Hiccup immediately started to trot towards the door. He extended his claws and began to scratch at the wood, the pressure of the hard surface against his sharp claws foreign but not unpleasant.

"Oh, I get it." Jack chuckled, nodding in approval before he opened the door, revealing the corridor behind it.

Hiccup wasted no time in walking briskly out into the hallway turning his little head to the sides to find who he was looking for.

It wasn't difficult.

The black cat was taking a nap on a stone windowsill below one of the tall, arch windows. Sunlight streamed through colored, stained glass, illuminating the dark feline in a rainbow glow. Toothless was almost rolled into a ball, his fluffy tail curled around himself.

Hiccup walked towards his best friend slowly and carefully so he wouldn't startle him. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Jack, Rapunzel and Flynn.

When he was standing in front of the windowsill, looking up at the sleeping black cat, he meowed.

One of Toothless' eyes cracked open, taking in the cat on the floor. He immediately shut the eye again, when he had decided nothing dangerous was happening.

Hiccup chuckled on the inside. Toothless had no idea it was him.

He lifted his two front legs and placed them on the windowsill, leaning his weight against the stone. Toothless' green eyes slowly opened and he lifted his black head.

Hiccup pushed his face closer to Toothless, so they were only a few inches apart, their noses almost touching.

Toothless sniffed at him. His green eyes went comically round.

Hiccup knew his plan had worked. He might be a cat right now but Toothless would recognize his scent anywhere.

The black cat immediately left his comfortable rest and jumped off the low windowsill. Hiccup lowered himself again so they were standing in front of each other. Toothless' furry face had lit up with pure joy, his pupils large and full of curiosity. The feline meowed wildly before nudging his head against Hiccup's repeatedly.

Hiccup was amused and touched by his best friend's joy. He nudged him back with his head.

Then he lowered his body to the ground. Toothless observed him, tilting his head to the side. Hiccup set off from the floor and flew towards Toothless, tackling him. They rolled around on the floor for a few seconds, a mess of tangled, furry limbs, both trying to gain the upper paw.

Toothless jumped to his feet and Hiccup quickly did the same, moving back a little. They stared each other down for a few moments, green eyes boring into each other in a teasing challenge.

Then Toothless bolted towards him and Hiccup instantly took off, darting towards his friends. His sleek limbs carried his small body forwards at a fast pace, the muscles stretching and contracting in accordance with his quick but elegant movements. His paws slammed down on the floor, claws scraping along stone.

He ran through Jack's legs and around the back of his friends, Toothless right on his heel. He heard the laughter of his friends but he was too busy running away from Toothless to look at them.

The corridors appeared massive from the view of his little cat frame, giving him a lot of room to maneuver, as he continued to land on and push off the stone floors. He ran in zig zags and made sudden changes in direction to confuse his best friend and avoid getting captured. When he reached the end of the corridor, he quickly spun around, running in the other direction before Toothless could manage to get to him.

As he ran by Jack and the others again, he attempted to change direction once more but he lost his footing and skidded around on unsure paws.

Toothless didn't hesitate to strike and the next thing he knew, Hiccup was lying on his back on the hard floor, his best friend pinning him down and swatting at his face with soft, black paws, trying to start a play fight.

Well…Hiccup was not giving up yet. Toothless might still be larger than him even now, but at least the playing field was evened out a lot, now that they were both in cat form. He intended to take advantage of that and enjoy goofing around and wrestling each other, when he actually had a small chance of winning.

He began flailing his furry legs in the air, blocking Toothless' attacks. His friend meowed in discontent before changing his strategy, launching an assault of sharp claws on his belly instead of his face. Hiccup jerked and his front legs shot up and wrapped themselves around Toothless' neck, trying to pull him down to the floor with him. The black cat resisted and they tugged in opposite directions, before Toothless was able to slip out of his grip.

Hiccup instantly rolled over and got to his feet again, ready to pounce. He and Toothless looked into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what the other would do next.

Hiccup decided to make the first move and tried to whack the black cat with his paw. Toothless dodged it and shot out his own paw towards him. It landed on Hiccup's small chest and he instantly countered with a strike of his own, this time too quick for Toothless to avoid, as a paw was planted on his black cheek.

They tried to hit each other with their paws for several moments, before Toothless had had enough and pounced. They toppled over and wrestled on the floor, both trying to pin the other down. Unfortunately, Toothless was stronger than him, even in cat form, so after a while, Hiccup once again found himself on his back, the weight of the black cat's upper body keeping him down.

Toothless had a devilish look on his face and Hiccup feared the mischief that his best friend was obviously up to.

But before the black cat could do anything, a flash of white appeared and the weight left his chest, as Toothless was pushed off him.

He rolled over and jumped up. Toothless and a white cat was now rolling around on the stone floors, clearly play fighting. The white cat slithered out of Toothless' death grip and started to jump around and move from side to side in quick, erratic movements to avoid Toothless' paws.

Hiccup approached the two cats and when he saw the white cat's blue eyes, he knew it was Jack. He laughed on the inside and glanced at Rapunzel and Flynn who were still standing by the entrance to the classroom, watching them with amused grins.

Jack hissed in a playful threat and puffed out his chest. Toothless narrowed his eyes. The two of them observed each other, tails gliding slowly from side to side in anticipation. Jack glanced at him and something appeared in those blue eyes that Hiccup wasn't sure he liked.

If he had thought Jack was trying to defend him from mischief, he was dead wrong. The white cat rushed towards him, ignoring Toothless completely now, and shoved him over. Hiccup's furry body connected with the floor but he quickly managed to stand up in a few quick movements, before Jack was able to do more.

Toothless trotted towards them and sped up. He and Jack bolted, running away down the corridor as fast as they could. It quickly turned into a game of chase, where they took turns running away from each other up and down the passageways, cat limbs stretching and bending in fluid movements, playful meows and hisses echoing among the stone.

When Hiccup decided he had had enough of running, he pushed his paws off the floor and leapt through the air, before landing on Jack, making him fall over. Toothless caught up with them and joined their game, and suddenly Hiccup found himself in a cat wrestling match between the three of them, furry paws and faces, tickling whiskers and pointy claws everywhere.

It was so much fun that Hiccup wished he could laugh but he only managed some high pitched meows to express his amusement. Jack on the other hand, being the most playful person Hiccup had ever met, was purring throughout their play fighting, while Toothless was silent, only his large eyes brimming with joy revealing how much fun he was having.

When one of Jack's white paws flailed around and smacked him straight on the nose, he meowed loudly to protest and shoved his shoulder into Jack's side as revenge. Toothless' tail somehow got into his mouth, as the black cat attempted to pin Jack down and Hiccup spat it out, feeling hair stick to his raspy tongue.

He heard Flynn clear his throat. "Err, guys! Guys!"

Three cats froze in place, limbs tangled. Feline eyes focused on Flynn.

"You need to get back in there. I think Professor Hyde might be reaching his limit for how much goofing off he's willing to accept."

Hiccup pulled his paws off Jack and the white cat squirmed out from under Toothless. The three of them trotted towards Flynn and Rapunzel and sat down in front of them.

Their two friends pulled their wands out and spoke the incantation necessary for reversing the spell. Slowly, Hiccup began to grow as the world around him shrank accordingly. Fur and whiskers diminished until they completely disappeared, while sharp fangs and pointy claws turned into rounded teeth and nails.

He turned his head and grinned at Jack, who sat on the floor next to him. They got to their feet and Hiccup quickly bent down and petted Toothless on the head.

"It was nice to play with you, bud." he smiled happily at his best friend. Toothless purred in response and rubbed his head against his hand.

"Yeah, we need to do that again sometime!" Jack said with a bright grin.

"Definitely." Hiccup agreed.

"Well, come on you two. We have a class to finish. I don't think Professor Hyde is going to take much more of this." Rapunzel told them and motioned with her head to the classroom.

"Yeah, you're probably right. He's laid back but not that much." Jack said.

The rest of the class went by in the blink of an eye. Flynn was the only one of them who still needed to perform a full transfiguration, since Hiccup learned that Rapunzel was the one who had managed to turn Jack into a cat. They observed the hilarious results some of their classmates produced while Flynn practiced on Rapunzel, achieving partial transfigurations of different kinds. When there was about 10 minutes left of the class, he finally managed to cast a perfect transfiguration, turning Rapunzel into a cat with soft, golden fur and large green eyes.

They discussed Flynn's success with much enthusiasm, while they observed Rapunzel checking out the surroundings as a cat. Now they had all managed to do a full human transfiguration and Flynn was very pleased with that, since transfiguration was the class he struggled the most with.

When class ended, Rapunzel and Flynn left the classroom together, since they were heading towards different parts of the castle than him and Jack. Hiccup began to pack his stuff into his satchel, while Jack waited for him, having used his usual just-throw-everything-into-the-bag-at-once method, which was a lot more time efficient.

When Mia walked past them on her way out, she winked at Jack, who just smiled a little in response. Hiccup shook his head in amusement. He glanced at her retreating figure and when the door shut behind her, they were left alone in the classroom.

Hiccup quickly slid his textbook into the satchel and closed it. Then he grabbed Jack by the collar of his white shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. His eyes closed as their lips met and his hands slid upwards to hold on to each side of Jack's jaw, brushing his thumbs against the soft, pale skin. Despite how many times they had already kissed, it still made Hiccup's heart soar.

He pulled back, breaking the kiss, before their lips grazed each other again in a quick, tender end. Their eyes slowly opened and they grinned at each other like the completely love-struck idiots they were.

"Possessive, huh? Didn't know you were that kind of guy, Hic." Jack joked.

"I'm not possessive. I'm just appreciating what I have." he smiled fondly.

"Oh, so now you 'have' me?" Jack feigned offense.

"Just shut up." Hiccup grinned before he claimed Jack's lips once more.

Jack hummed in satisfaction, the pleasant vibrations creating a tingling sensation on Hiccup's lips. Their arms snaked around each other and pulled them together in a tight embrace, wanting the other as close as physically possible.

It started out slow with loving, patient kisses, that one moment had their mouths pressed softly against each other and the next tickling Hiccup's lips when they lazily separated for a fraction of a second before needing their lips joined again. They were simply enjoying being together, taking pleasure in each other's soft warmth, moistened lips and familiar scent. The relaxed tempo soothed Hiccup and fed the urgency inside him all at the same time. The way they took their time was innocent yet passionate. They tenderly consumed each other with deep but slow openmouthed kisses, as if they had all the time in the world to savor the love and sweet, sweltering desire between them.

When Jack put his hand on his neck and pushed their lips together roughly, Hiccup didn't hesitate in following his boyfriend's new pace. Those slow, gentle kisses instantly grew fiery, as hot mouths collided with eagerness. Jack's fingernails repeatedly bore into his neck before they caressed it, sliding through brown locks, brushing slender fingers against the warm skin, making goosebumps appear on his arms and neck.

The warmth and pressure of his desire collected in his lower body, threatening to make his mind snap and shove away any hesitations he might have about taking things further.

He knew that if he didn't stop himself, he couldn't be held responsible for his actions. As always, he was completely under Jack's spell. Jack was the only one who could turn the thoughts in his head to static and fill his body with urges that flourished inside him in ways he had never known before.

He reluctantly tore his lips off Jack's wonderful mouth. Jack looked at him through half lidded eyes with a small but utterly happy smile. Hiccup was certain the same happiness was evident on his own face.

They both knew they had to go now, unless they wanted to be late for class and get detention. There were no words spoken as Jack leaned in and softly placed one last kiss on his lips. They smiled at each other briefly, before heading into the corridors, going their separate ways.

As Hiccup moved through the now empty passageways, a goofy smile lingered on his lips. It was a good thing no one was around to see it.

Being in love was like a drug, like a natural high that made you believe everything would be all right as long as you had each other. It was a wonderful sensation that brightened the colors and the light all around you and filled you with raw, positive energy and hope.

Not to mention that primal urge to be as physically close to the other as possible.

Thinking about taking the next step with Jack was not only exciting as Hel but also a little frightening. Neither of them had done that before. It would be an entirely new experience for both of them. He wouldn't know what he was doing. He would have to act on instinct.

But he knew he wanted it. Every signal in his body was telling him that.

He wanted to uncover every inch of Jack and in return share every piece of himself. It was an overwhelming urge born from his fierce love and needy want at the same time. He wanted that next step not just because of the passion roaring inside him but also because he wanted him and Jack to connect on as many levels as possible. He craved to have more of him, both physically and emotionally. He wanted to express his love for him in the most intimate way.

He knew for certain that Jack felt the same way. It was evident in his hungry touches and greedy kisses, in the way his pupils dilated melting into the shades of blue, in the lovely moans and gasps that escaped him when they made out.

They both knew it was only a matter of time before they would be unable to restrain themselves any longer.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: TWO WEEKS LATER

"So…how did it go?" he asked, that slight nervousness churning in his stomach. He wasn't sure what to expect. He had never been to a Wizengamot trial or even to the Ministry of Magic in general.

The soft breeze ruffled Jack's snowy hair as his blue eyes met his green ones. Small, weak waves washed over the shore of the lake, creating faint squelching sounds that, combined with the whispering in the treetops, created a soothing atmosphere. A stark contrast to his inner turmoil.

"Well…" Jack began, fiddling with his Gryffindor tie before he managed to loosen it. "McGowan got 43 years in Azkaban, because he sold out Professor Cooke…and Levin got 30 years, because he cooperated and gave the authorities all the information he had. They wanted to give him longer, but they had to make his punishment shorter, because McGowan had to have the longest sentence since he used the Cruciatus curse."

"And Zamora?" he asked, stroking Toothless slowly. The black cat was resting on his side next to him.

"You were right." Flynn said. "They took your letter into account and he got 10 years…they said they couldn't give him a shorter sentence than that, because he had still stood by and let them torture you without doing anything."

Hiccup nodded. He was relieved to hear that. He had been worried that the Wizengamot might try to make an example out of Zamora, that they might believe he was just as guilty as McGowan and Levin.

Jack stared absentmindedly up into a tree, where a brown bird was singing. His lips were pressed together tightly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" he said.

Jack turned his head to look at him again. "It's just…you should have seen him, Hic. He was…he looked dead. He was skin and bones, completely pale, looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in weeks."

Flynn nodded solemnly.

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, it's probably not easy being him right now."

"No, it isn't." Jack agreed. "I just…I know he's a tosser and he deserves to spend some years in Azkaban, but I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him."

"I feel sorry for him too." Fishlegs said. "And I haven't even seen him."

Rapunzel nodded next to him with a small, sad smile.

"I guess it just bothers me that I pity him, because what I really want to do is hate his guts because of what he helped do to Hic." Jack told them and looked at him.

Hiccup reached out his hand and laced their fingers together. He held on to his boyfriend's hand tightly.

"I think we all feel that way." Rapunzel said softly. Words of agreement were quickly spoken from the rest of their friends. "But…when you figure out that someone was trapped in a situation they couldn't control…it's difficult not to empathize."

"Not just that…" Hiccup said, glancing from one friend to the next. "It's…the more you know about a person, the less you're able to see them as some kind of monster. If we didn't know that Zamora had no idea what the plan was, we wouldn't have a problem despising him. It would be easy just to hate his guts and call him a monster but…the fact is that there are no monsters. Just terrible human beings with their own selfish motivations." he said, trying to explain some of the thoughts that had been swirling in his head lately. On one hand, Zamora had avoided helping him while he was being tortured. He merely stood by and watched without doing anything. On the other hand, he had been afraid, feared for his own life. His self preservation had kicked in and even though Hiccup could never forgive him for what had happened, he also couldn't hate him.

"Yeah…" Mavis agreed. "I guess that's easy to forget sometimes…that even people who do unspeakable things are still people. They aren't some kind of separate race from the rest of us, even though they've pushed past moral boundaries that most of us haven't."

"Yeah." Jack agreed solemnly. "That becomes clearer than ever when you see someone on a witness stand, trying to explain why they did what they did while they're close to breaking down."

"Zamora?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yeah." Flynn said and sighed. "He was close to crying several times when he was on the stand."

"And Levin didn't look too good either, even if he didn't cry." Jack said.

"Was it very unpleasant for you guys to be on the stand?" Mavis asked them.

"No, not really." Flynn said and shrugged. "I mean…obviously, it wasn't great to relive everything that happened that day but it was necessary."

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "But it was kind of uncomfortable when it was over and we had to sit there and hear McGowan, Levin and Zamora explain their sides of it."

"What did they say?" Merida asked, eyebrows pressing down, forming small creases between them.

"Levin was pretty straight forward about it." Flynn explained. "From what Hiccup has told us and what we saw ourselves, he told the truth. But it was still uncomfortable to hear it. McGowan though…"

"He was a shit. As usual." Jack said, his shoulders tensing. "He tried to manipulate the Wizengamot and paint this picture of himself as an innocent victim that Professor Cooke deceived and used."

"Well, clearly they didn't buy that." Mavis said.

"No, they didn't." Jack said, his shoulders relaxing once more. "He tried but failed since the testimonies from me and Flynn and Hiccup all told the same story and since Professor Lunar testified that he had had anger issues and been violent with other students several times."

"It's too bad he doesn't get to spend the rest of his life in there." Merida said through gritted teeth.

"Well…" Hiccup said. "When he gets out, he'll be 60 years old with no education, no job experience, no friends, relatives or other connections." he shrugged. "It won't be much of a life anyway."

"I guess you're right…" Merida agreed and bit her lip in thought.

"What was the trial like?" Hiccup asked, not sure if he truly wanted to know the answer. On one hand, he wanted to avoid the topic because he despised the feeling of being a victim and of course the trial would have focused on just that. On the other hand, he did want to know the basics of what had happened.

Jack hummed in thought. "It was mostly just…hearing different testimonies. Besides me and Flynn, Liana Hayes and Madam Whitley were there too, explaining their sides of what happened. And there were also the officers who had taken your testimony and documented your injuries. And Headmaster Lunar, like I said before. The people on the Wizengamot asked all of us questions when something was unclear. Then they pretty much gave McGowan the third degree, calling him out on all his bullshit. And they read your letter and your testimony out loud. Zamora seemed beyond shocked. He just stared at me and Flynn for like 10 minutes. Then the Wizengamot deliberated while we were out of the room and when we got back in they told us the verdicts."

Hiccup nodded. That was pretty much what he had expected and he didn't need to know the details. He had talked about it with his friends several times and now it was time for him to distance himself from it to move on. There was only one more thing he wanted to know.

"What did…Madam Whitley say?" he asked and he knew he had been unable to hide his discomfort, since Jack squeezed his hand.

"She told them everything, Hic. Just like she was supposed to."

He pulled out a few blades of grass from the earth with his free hand. "Yeah, I know. It's just…"

"It's private, yeah." Jack agreed.

"Yeah. It's not very pleasant to think about how a room full of strangers now all know about it…even if it was necessary."

Jack nodded slowly in understanding. "It wasn't nice for me and Flynn to hear her explain all of your injuries either. You know…imagining the pain you went through." he explained, as misery melted into those blue eyes.

"I know." he said, as a sudden sadness stirred in him. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hic." Jack said. "It's not your fault."

"No." Flynn agreed. "It was never your fault."

"And now that part is over." Fishlegs said. "Now all that's left is Professor Cooke's trial and then you can start to try to put it behind you." he finished, as a glimmer of hope danced across his face.

"Yeah…" Hiccup said, frowning and looking at the grass. It was a long road ahead to put this behind him.

"Uhm, so…what was the ministry like?" Rapunzel asked.

It was clear to him that she was trying to turn the focus away from the trial, because she had noticed he was getting rather gloomy now.

"Kind of depressing actually." Flynn said with a disappointed shrug.

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Boring. Tons of people with dead eyes wearing similar suits or skirts and jackets. Most of them sort of reminded me of zombies…very dull zombies."

Hiccup's lips tightened as a tiny smile forced its way across them.

"Definitely." Flynn nodded. "There's no life or color, it's just…endless forgettable people in gloomy surroundings, trudging about to get to their dreary offices."

"Ugh, just hearing about it makes me bored." Merida said and faked a yawn.

"The only thing fun about it was the guest entrance, where you have to flush yourself through a toilet." Jack grinned.

"What?" Merida and Rapunzel asked in unison. Hiccup briefly considered the many unhygienic aspects of going through a toilet.

"Yup." Flynn said and scrunched his face in disgust. "Can't say I was too happy about that…I think my shoes still smell of poo."

They all shared a laugh and Jack and Flynn quickly became consumed in a discussion on how likely it actually was that some poo got on their shoes. According to Jack, it was not likely at all and he claimed Flynn was just exaggerating, while Flynn insisted on listing the many nasty bacteria they could have gotten on them from traveling through a toilet and joked that his health shouldn't be compromised simply because the ministry enjoys humiliating their guests. When Jack retorted that "Poo is power. I mean, think about it…how likely is someone to rebel against the ministry and really stick it to the man, when they've just been flushed through a toilet?", laughter echoed around them once more.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

A few hours later, the sun had begun to peak out from behind dusty, grey clouds, the weak rays bringing a mild warmth to his skin. The faint breeze played with their hair, making strands sway and float and for a few moments he was content just observing some of Merida's stray, curly tresses being lifted gently into the air.

The sound of his friends talking and laughing as well as Toothless purring in the grass as Hiccup stroked him brought that familiar sensation of a calm happiness inside him. He removed his shoes and sighed as he savored the cool chill of the March air between his toes. Then he leaned back and a few seconds later, he was lying down on the blanket with a content "ahhh".

"Lazy Snow Queen." he heard Merida say.

"Hey, I'm allowed to relax." he told her with a grin. "I've just spent a long day at the ministry and it's been a looong week in general, so now I'm going to enjoy my weekend, thank you very much."

"Yeah, well don't get too comfortable this weekend. We need to work on that Charms assignment." Mavis told him. "And I think I found some helpful books at the library."

Jack groaned. "Why is the wizarding community so hopelessly old fashioned?...I miss Google." he pouted.

His friends chuckled at that comment. He let one of his hands glide across the soft grass next to the blanket. It tickled his palm pleasantly.

"Of course you do. Gods forbid that you should actually do some hard work." Hiccup teased him.

Jack scoffed. "Says the person who has no idea how wonderful Google is." he replied and sat back up.

"I have used Google, Jack." Hiccup told him, his facial features not changing in the slightest, to underline the absurdity of Jack's statement.

"Oh really? What did you google then? Let me guess…dragons?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a given." Hiccup confirmed and scratched Toothless behind the ear. The black cat practically looked dead by now, merely lying completely motionless in the grass with its eyes closed. The only sign of life was the slight movement of the chest and the occasional purr.

A smile born from the familiarity between him and Hiccup appeared on his lips. He knew Hiccup had done that. It was probably the first thing he ever googled.

"Viking myths?"

"Of course."

"Hmm…weapons designs?"

"Yup."

"Porn?"

"Ye- what?! No!" Hiccup protested, his casual expression suddenly transforming into flustered disbelief.

Jack let a triumphant laugh past his lips. Every time he could beat Hiccup in their banter was worth celebrating. The rest of their friends quickly joined in, giggles and chuckles filling the air around them.

"Rawr, Hiccup. Didn't know you were into that." Flynn joked, lowering his voice to a seductive tone.

"Saucy." Merida said, lips gliding open to reveal a bright grin.

Hiccup slid his palms down his face. "The gods must hate me since they stuck me with you guys."

"You know you love us." Jack said, nudging his shoulder.

"I accept your existence." Hiccup deadpanned.

Jack shook his head and enjoyed the blush that had melted into Hiccup's cheeks, before he captured his boyfriend's lips in a brief kiss.

The conversation quickly moved on to discussing all the potential benefits of introducing Google to the wizarding community and before long, they were hypothetically adding social media as well. While they all thought there were certain drawbacks to social media, they also quickly came to an agreement that it would be amusing to watch their professors trying to use it. Flynn made them erupt with laughter when he began talking about how he would definitely add Professor Bunnymund as a friend to "watch ridiculously manly pictures of him doing macho stuff and read statuses like 'Just wrestled the Womping Willow with my bare hands. LOL.'" Flynn also took it upon himself to throw a pebble at Jack whenever he kissed or tried to kiss Hiccup, much to his amusement and annoyance.

When Jack made a particularly funny joke that had Hiccup on the verge of tears, his boyfriend leaned over after his fit of giggles to plant a kiss on him. Their lips joined and Jack blocked out the sounds of their friends continuing their conversations in the background, as Hiccup's hand rested on his neck and they kissed each other tenderly.

Then something small and hard hit him in the back of the head. A stinging sensation went through the skin.

He broke the kiss and snapped his head to the side. Flynn whistled innocently, looking anywhere but at him, while the others chuckled.

"Flynn, do you mind? I'm snogging over here." he said and motioned to Hiccup with his head.

"Sorry, Jackie, you two are so sickeningly sweet that someone has to interfere at least once in a while." Flynn replied.

"Come on, we're not that bad." he argued and it was true. He and Hiccup didn't kiss each other that much in front of their friends.

Merida snorted. "Yeah, you are."

"Shut up, I'm happy." Jack stuck his tongue out, before his gaze wandered back to Hiccup's eyes. They had a delicate glaze to them; a soft shimmer that blended into shades of green and spoke of the shared happiness between them.

That look knocked the breath right out of him and he just couldn't restrain himself as that familiar, strong twinge of adoration went through him. He leaned in and let their lips meet, reveling in the sweet warmth that caressed his mouth.

Then a small, solid object hit him on his neck and he didn't have to look to know what it was.

He groaned and tore his lips off Hiccup to scowl at Flynn. "Seriously, mate?"

"Yup." Flynn said, a smug smile spreading on his lips.

"Come on Flynn, just leave them alone for a minute." Rapunzel grinned. "They're finally together. Just like we all wanted."

"Yeah, but it's still fun to mess with them." Flynn said.

"You suck, Rider." Jack told him.

They stayed by the lake until the darkness began to bleed into the skies, deep shades of blue and orange signaling the sun's retreat. They packed their stuff and strolled towards the castle that appeared black in the distance against the colored heavens. The approaching night had brought a sharp edge to the breeze and Merida and Rapunzel both wrapped their cloaks tighter around themselves to avoid shivering. Jack however, merely found it refreshing.

Inside the castle, he and Hiccup split up from the rest of their group, as the two of them weren't going to their own common rooms. They had to endure some mandatory teasing and suggestive sounds before they were released from their friends and made their way towards their destination.

Stunned silence descended on both of them, when they found themselves in the Room of Requirement five minutes later. They were going to spend the night together, because frankly, being able to sleep in each other's arms was so wonderful that both of them craved it.

What neither of them had expected though…was a huge bed close to the fireplace.

It made sense. They needed a place to sleep, so obviously the room provided them with a bed. However, there was a whole other aspect to this. A bed wasn't just for sleeping and that was what had both of them fall into a surprised and slightly awkward silence.

Well…if there was one thing Jack was good at banishing, it was awkwardness.

"So…I'm pretty beat. What about you?" he asked Hiccup with a casual smile on his lips.

"Yeah." Hiccup said, his uncertainty evident by the way his eyes didn't linger on Jack but darted around the room. "It's been a long day."

"Let's get some sleep then, Hic." he replied, wanting to calm Hiccup and perhaps even himself as well. He wasn't sure if they were ready to take the next step yet despite how much they wanted each other, so it would be better for both of them if they could just remove that anxious tension.

Hiccup nodded in response, a small smile tugging at his lips.

They both headed towards the bed. Toothless flopped down on the floor next to it, rolling over to rest on his side.

Jack put his backpack down on the floor, before beginning to remove his trousers, socks and shoes. He kept his blue T-shirt and his boxers on, while Hiccup not only wore a T-shirt but had changed into a pair of sweatpants as well, while Jack hadn't been looking.

A few minutes later, Jack slumped onto the bed, sitting comfortably on the soft mattress. Hiccup quickly followed, sitting across from him, their knees almost touching.

"Shouldn't you take that off?" he said and looked at Hiccup's prosthesis. "You've told me before that it hurts when you've worn it all day."

"Jack, I…." Hiccup trailed off. His voice sounded uncertain.

Jack trained his eyes on his boyfriend. Hiccup was chewing on his bottom lip. One hand found a braid and pulled on it.

Jack's lips formed a fond smile. "Hic…it doesn't bother me that you're missing some of your leg." he told him, hoping that would ease his mind.

"I know, I know." Hiccup said, eyes drifting from Jack to his leg. "It's just…the people who's seen it can be counted on one hand."

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter what it looks like, okay? It could be all black and rotten with huge boils that oozed green puss. I'll still love you just the same." he explained and rubbed Hiccup's knee a few times.

A tiny smile appeared on Hiccup's lips. Those green eyes focused on him again and softened with affection and gratefulness.

Jack smiled. He knew Hiccup would let him see it now. He was well aware that Hiccup had a few issues regarding his missing limb, preferring to keep it concealed, so this was not an easy thing for him to do and Jack truly appreciated the trust he was showing him.

Hiccup slowly rolled up the trouser leg covering his prosthesis. He could see the Viking hesitate for a moment but then he quickly clicked off the artificial limb and put it down next to the bed. The stump was still concealed beneath the fabric. Jack took a second to admire just how much work Hiccup had to have put into designing his prosthetic, for him to be able to put it on and take it off that easily.

When green eyes observed him again, Jack smiled reassuringly at his boyfriend. Then his gaze drifted to where the stump was still hidden.

Jack decided it might be better for him to take the first step with this. To show Hiccup that his missing limb didn't bother him at all.

He slowly reached out a hand towards it, giving Hiccup time to stop him if he really wanted to. But Hiccup didn't move, he merely watched him.

Jack carefully rolled up the trouser leg even more, until the stump became visible. The skin was marred with jagged lines, where it had been sewn shut around the remains of Hiccup's leg. The many scars were faded by time, having taken on a paler hue that stood out against the rest of Hiccup's skin yet was still more subtle than the bright pinks and reds they must have been for a long time after it happened.

Jack moved his hand towards it. He wanted to show Hiccup that he shouldn't feel insecure about this, that he was still every bit as much in love with him as before.

His long fingers brushed across the stump gently, stroking it slowly a few times. The skin was uneven beneath his fingertips, the scars protruding. He flattened his hand and rubbed his palm carefully back and forth over the stump. He could sense Hiccup watching him and he could imagine that this was slightly tense for him, so he did his best to make him relax by continuing his movements, slowly and delicately. After a few minutes of merely caressing the damaged limb with his warm palm, he dipped his head and placed a soft kiss on it.

He lifted his head and finally looked at Hiccup again. The softness of Hiccup's smile and the appreciation and love making his eyes gleam spoke of how touched he was by Jack's actions.

"I love you." Hiccup breathed out as he quickly leaned over and slid their lips together. The overwhelming sincerity of the words sent Jack's heart fluttering, as his eyes closed and he enjoyed the tender kiss.

When they pulled apart, he crawled under the nice, thick covers and patted the other side of the bed. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

Hiccup scooted closer and then slid underneath the blanket, rolling over on his side. Warm arms wrapped around Jack and his back was pressed against Hiccup's chest, as his boyfriend pulled him into a lovely, spooning position. Hiccup nuzzled into his neck and hair, making a swarm of pleasant goosebumps emerge on his pale skin. It wasn't long before both of them fell into the peaceful land of slumber.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Thick moss underneath his paws. Soft. Delicate. Like walking on green cotton. His sharp claws scrape against the lush surface, flawing the undisturbed ground, leaving frayed patches of green in their wake.

An endless sight of tall majestic trees reaching for the skies, their crowns of soft leaves spreading out above his head like regal wings. Beams of bright light filtering through the green above him, long shadows dancing across the forest floor.

He spreads his wings out. They are big. Strong. Dark green like the moss under his paws. They never fail him.

He sets off from the soft ground underneath him and soars upwards, striving to leave the trees behind. He can go where they will never go. He is not bound by earth and roots. He is a creature of air, not meant to be grounded for long.

Leaves and small branches brushes against his scaly body, as he flies through the green crowns and into the light. His large eyes squint from the brightness, while his powerful wings take him higher into the shades of blue and white.

The sun caresses the sleek scales on his body with its warmth. They gleam in the light like emeralds. The wind greets him like a familiar friend as he flies where the air currents take him, not a care in the world as long as he can remain here in the skies.

His eyes scan the surroundings below. The massive forest stretches out underneath him, the green treetops resembling a plush, green carpet. Along the forest, the ocean crashes its waves against white shores.

Underneath him is food. Water. Rest. Occasional socializing. But it is not his home. His home is here. In the clouds, in the wind, in sunlight or rain or snow. Whatever the skies provided. Nothing and no one will be able to keep him on the ground. Anything that can't fly, he will leave behind.

He twirls and spins and does loops in the air, savoring the chilly wind against his scales and the immense feeling of freedom that fills his reptilian heart until there almost isn't enough room to contain it.

Screams.

Human screams.

His ears twitch from the loud sounds, his sensitive hearing bothered by the shrill noises.

He snaps his scaly head towards the sound. In the distance, an island comes into view. It is burning, tall, roaring flames consuming everything, wisps of smoke rising into the air, the dark grey clashing with vibrant blue.

He doesn't know why, but he feels compelled to go there. No, he needs to go there. He flaps his large, leathery wings faster, eager to get to the island and figure out what is happening. A sudden dread seeps into his blood.

"NO! DON'T!" someone screams.

He stops and turns his head to one side and then the other to locate the source of it, his strong wings keeping him floating in the air. It isn't coming from the island. It's coming from somewhere below him. There is something familiar about it. Like he should be able to recognize it. But he can't place it.

A human emerges from the forest, holding up a hand towards him, urging him to come down.

He can't do that. He needs to go to that island. And anything that can't fly, he leaves behind. It's better for the human anyway. He will be safe there on the ground, not anywhere close to that island. He won't be able to defend himself from whatever is out there.

He trains his attentive eyes on the flames and smoke in the distance again and he lets his wings carry him there as fast as possible. The smell of blood and burning flesh reaches his nostrils as the island grows larger and larger in his vision. He wrinkles his snout in disgust.

This is the smell of death.

Suddenly he is ripped from the sky, crashing towards the ground. Something is wrapped around him, binding him, forcing his wings to fold in. He is falling. Panicking. His heart hammers in his scaly chest.

A sharp jolt of pain goes through him, as his body collides with stone. Everything goes dark for a brief moment. When he opens his eyes, he is not by the forest or the island anymore. He is among stone walls and stone floors. They are encasing him like a cage, as he lies here, skin against the cold surface.

Cruel laughter reaches his ears. He lifts his head and sees three humans standing beside him, looking down at him with their narrowed eyes.

He tries to sit up but fails as pain courses through his limbs. His eyes widen as he takes in his arms and legs.

They are not scaly anymore. They are human flesh. All of him is human flesh.

Except his wings.

His wings are broken. Crushed. Twisted and mangled on his back. A sick display of unnatural angles beneath green, leathery hide. He will never fly again. A part of him has died.

Voices laced with disdain speak to him. He is held down against his will, burning human hands clamped around his wrists and ankles.

He is trapped. Caged.

A piece of wood carves into his flesh, ripping open his skin. A river of crimson warmth flows down his leg. Screams tear through the silence, echoing all around this large stone cage.

He will die here. Among stone and blood, he will die. Far away from the skies, he will die.

Blood smeared across his skin, blood pooling around him on the stone floors. His body shakes. He can't breathe properly.

A shout reverberates against the walls.

Then it feels like he is being burned alive and sliced all over his body. He screams and writhes and nothing is real but pain. Cutting, searing pain that makes him want to die. Pain that makes any thought impossible.

He is weakened. Life is leaving him, trickling out of him in the form of bright, red liquid.

It won't be long before he can soar through the skies of the afterlife.

Death is welcome.

He bolted upright, his chest heaving and his lungs hurting from panicky breaths. His hair stuck to his forehead and his shirt was bathed in sweat, clinging to him unpleasantly. Behind his ribcage, his heart pounded.

"Hic? What's wrong?" Jack said and sat up next to him, rubbing his eyes.

"I just…it's nothing." he said breathlessly, shaking his head. His eyes were trained on the wall ahead, but he wasn't truly seeing anything. The darkness of the room was only broken by the fireplace, where bright flames moved in erratic motions, casting light and shadows across every surface near them.

"Don't be stupid. You clearly had a nightmare." Jack told him. He could hear the worry in his usually cheerful voice.

"Yeah…I did." he confirmed, staring at the stone without blinking.

"Want to talk about it?" Jack said softly and rested a hand on his sweaty back.

The words calmed him a little. They grounded him. Confirmed for him that what just happened in his mind wasn't true, no matter how real it had felt.

Jack was such a supportive boyfriend and he was lucky beyond words to have him.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly for a few moments, trying to calm down his panicked heart and his uneven breathing.

"I'm not sure what there is to talk about. It was…strange." he tried to explain and swept a wet, brown lock away from his forehead.

"Was it about…that day?" Jack asked, saying the last two words carefully, as if he was afraid to upset him more.

"Yeah." he nodded.

"Hic, look at me."

He slowly and somewhat reluctantly turned his head and gazed into those loving, blue eyes that always seem to hold all the reassurance and affection he could ever need.

"Tell me about it." Jack said. "Trust me…it helps to talk about it."

"Yeah, I know." he said, even though he didn't really feel like talking about it.

"Come here." Jack said and held out his arms, a small smile gracing those pale lips.

Hiccup scooted over to him and Jack wrapped his arms around him, both of them sitting cross-legged in front of each other.

"You're sticky." Jack said and chuckled before his soft lips planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, I know." he replied and was unable to keep away a small smile. He put his arms around Jack's back and squeezed him once before letting go. Jack's arms dropped to his sides as well. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds in silence.

"Change your shirt." Jack said and motioned with his head towards his chest.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm not cuddling with you when you're completely drenched." Jack said, as a grin emerged on his face.

Hiccup pursed his lips to hold back a smile. He knew Jack was just kidding and trying to cheer him up. He had a point though. And it wasn't very pleasant to sleep in a wet shirt either.

"Well, good thing I have a spare one over there then." he said and glanced at the black satchel lying on the floor next to the bed.

"Yup." Jack said, making a popping noise on the 'p'. He was looking at him as if he was considering something.

"What?" he asked.

Jack shifted from his cross-legged position to kneeling in front of him. Those blue eyes watched him with hesitation.

Jack's pale hands grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and slowly pulled it upwards. Hiccup breathed in deep as moist fabric slid against his skin and he reached his arms up to let Jack take it off him, exposing his torso and the freckles and scars that were scattered across it. The air was pleasantly cool on his skin, instantly beginning the process of making the sweat evaporate.

Jack threw the wet shirt on the floor next to the bed. His blue eyes roamed over the exposed skin and Hiccup could feel his cheeks heat up and his stomach squirm a little, as that familiar jab of self-consciousness set in. He knew that he wasn't a bad looking person. He wasn't unaware of how people looked at him now, of how a lot of the girls in the castle were crushing on him, but he would probably never think of himself as a particularly attractive guy.

When Jack's eyes met his again, his self-consciousness disappeared like morning dew in the sunlight. Adoration combined with something darker shined in those clear, blue irises and in that moment, a truth appeared to Hiccup and his body relaxed.

He would never have to feel self-conscious with Jack. He would never have to listen to the demons that fed his insecurities. When he was with Jack, he could temporarily forget them. With Jack, he could rip them from his mind and body and throw them in the ocean, watching them slowly sink into the dark depths.

He already knew they had a special connection. That the bond he had with Jack was unique, something he had never experienced with another human being before. But moments like this confirmed it for him.

A small but fond smile made Jack's lips curve, as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Hiccup returned the smile, warmed by the affection clearly conveyed on his boyfriend's face.

He reached out and began to tug Jack's blue T-shirt up. His boyfriend quickly helped him and a second later, the piece of clothing was lying on the floor, having joined Hiccup's sweat drenched shirt.

His heartbeat sped up as he took a few moments to simply drink Jack in, the way he had done with him just a moment ago.

His milky skin seemed to almost glow in the dim light, stretched across a lithe stomach and a firm chest, shadows bringing out the contours of subtle muscles. Slender, yet a little athletic at the same time.

Hiccup marveled at the smoothness, the creamy softness of his boyfriend. There was nothing that disturbed the delicate paleness of Jack's body. No visible scars, no freckles, no birth marks, no noticeable hairs.

He was just as flawless as Hiccup had imagined. Beautiful. Irresistible.

Usually he prided himself of his self-control but Jack was the one person who could make it disappear almost instantly. Since the beginning, Jack had always been able to smash through the walls that kept others out and this was no exception. The warmth growing in the pit of his stomach and the sudden restless energy flowing through his blood made something abundantly clear: if Jack made a move, he would not be able to resist it. Hel, when had he ever been able to resist Jack's affection?

Perhaps Jack felt the same way and that was why neither of them moved. There they were sitting in front of each other on the soft mattress in only their boxers, letting their eyes drift over the other person's body, appreciating what they were seeing.

Without a word, Jack put his arms around him gently before pulling both of their bodies down on the bed again. They sunk comfortably into the mattress and Hiccup rested his head on Jack's bare chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling him inhale and exhale. Jack's skin was soft and warm against his cheek and Hiccup sighed in contentment because of how comfortable he was. Their legs entwined, long warm limbs resting in between each other.

Jack let a hand gently rake through his moist hair while the other played with his braids. Hiccup smiled a little. It was already becoming so familiar to him that Jack did that.

He began to trace little patterns on Jack's flat stomach, a rough fingertip skating over soft, pale skin and he pressed his chest more into Jack's side. This was a new level of intimacy for them. They had touched and made out but never actually felt their naked skin against each other this way.

It was amazing. A warm snug bubble for the two of them to explore this new feeling of bonding, to reach yet another new level of their relationship.

They were lying like that for a few moments, simply enjoying the sensation of bare skin, before Jack spoke again.

"So…ready to talk about it?" he asked, lowering his head to look at him with concerned eyes.

"Yeah…" Hiccup replied and sighed into milky skin.

"I know it's difficult, but it really does help."

Hiccup nodded against Jack's chest. He knew Jack was right, so he began to explain all the details he could remember from the dream. Some of it had already become hazy in his mind, while others things were sharp and clear. By the end of his explanation, Jack was biting his bottom lip in thought before he spoke.

"So you were a dragon, flying over a forest. Then you saw a burning island where people were screaming but when you tried to fly over there, someone screamed that you shouldn't go?" he asked, a wrinkle of concentration between his eyebrows.

"Yeah."

"And then you were pulled down on the ground and…everything with McGowan, Levin and Zamora happened."

"Yeah, that part is still perfectly clear in my head." he said. He could remember every single detail of that part of the dream, while other things, like the human that wanted him to land and stay away from the island, had turned fuzzy.

"Sorry…" Jack said sympathetically and planted a kiss in his hair.

Hiccup sighed. "Sometimes it just seems like it's always the things we want to forget the most that stays crystal clear even after years of trying to get them to fade."

"Yeah…but maybe that's the point…that it might only get better when we stop trying to force it away." Jack replied and went back to letting his fingers glide through Hiccup's hair, making those wonderful goosebumps appear on his skin.

"Maybe…" he said, taking a few moments to think about that.

Jack hummed in response. A pale hand left his hair and lowered to his back. Soft fingers brushed over bumpy skin, tracing marks left by different experiences.

"You like touching my scars."

It wasn't a question but a statement. It seemed that every time Jack touched his back, he mainly focused on the scars. Hiccup didn't mind it but it made him slightly curious.

Jack was quiet for a few moments, as he kept caressing different areas of damaged skin.

"I guess they just remind me of everything you've been through and I want you to be okay with them. They're all a part of you. You should be proud of them." Jack explained, fondness seeping into his voice.

"Proud?" he asked, frowning in confusion against Jack's chest.

"Yeah…I mean, a lot of them must be from battling the dragon queen, surviving the torture, encounters with wild dragons and hostile Vikings…they're proof of what you've fought your way through and survived."

"Some of them are because of clumsiness." he admitted but he was touched by Jack's words. Jack was not a shallow person, so he hadn't expected him to have any problems with his scars, but it was still a relief to hear that he actually found something positive in them. That it wasn't simply damaged skin but represented something that was worthy of pride.

"I don't doubt that for a second." Jack said and chuckled, his chest moving a little against Hiccup's cheek.

"Thanks." he said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Jack said, as if he hadn't understood his sarcasm. A long finger slid across his upper back and stopped by an elongated scar, brushing back and forth over it.

"Where's this one from?" Jack asked.

"Weapons training. Snotlout was distracted by Astrid and grazed me with his axe."

"Wow. You guys are not kidding around."

Hiccup hummed in agreement.

"So…Snotlout has the hots for Astrid, huh?" Jack said. Hiccup could sense the smile on his boyfriend's lips.

"Oh yeah. He's had that for years. But on the other hand…he seems to have the hots for every pretty girl that comes his way." he explained, one side of his lips curving upwards. People could say what they wanted about Snotlout but he was resilient. Despite how many times he got shot down, he just kept going. There was something both naïve, hopeless and commendable about that trait.

"Huh." Jack said and Hiccup could clearly hear his amusement. Jack's fingers continued to explore his scars, sliding from one to the next, asking how he got them. Hiccup explained the incidents that had led to the marks on his skin, sometimes making Jack chuckle, other times making him frown.

"This one?"

"I fell down the stairs when I was 7."

"Clumsy as always."

"You know it."

"This one?"

"An invention gone terribly wrong."

Jack laughed and it was a beautiful sound that always made Hiccup smile.

"These two?" a pale finger caressed two round, faded scars.

"Dragon fangs. A young Terrible Terror that hadn't learned how hard you should bite during play."

Jack chuckled. "I take it Toothless wasn't happy about that?"

"Hel no." Hiccup grinned. "Of course he'd never actually hurt a little dragon for doing something like that, but he made sure it knew that it shouldn't do that again." he explained.

"You know, it's pretty cool you have your very own guard dragon." Jack said and Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle a little.

A warm palm slid in between the very narrow gap between his abdomen and Jack's side and brushed over the two long scars on his stomach. "How did you get these?"

"Dragon claws." he answered. He clearly recalled that experience. It had been quite painful.

"Huh…what kind of dragon?"

"A wild Deadly Nadder. I was sketching her and her eggs and apparently she thought I was trying to take one, so she roared at me and grazed my stomach with her claws as a warning."

"Ouch. That must have hurt."

"It really did."

Jack grinned. "Once again, I'm imagining a quite angry Toothless."

"Oh yes. He snarled at her and prepared himself for a fight until I managed to calm him down and we both slowly retreated, so she could see we weren't a threat."

Jack hummed in thought. "Do you think I could get a dragon?" he said with that sudden childish excitement and hope in his voice that Hiccup knew so well.

He couldn't help the bright smile that spread across his lips. He would love it if Jack got a dragon. He briefly imagined Jack flying on a dragon, petting it, forming a close friendship with it.

Hel…just when he thought he couldn't be more amazing.

"I'm sure you could, Snowflake. If you're willing to put in a lot of time bonding with it and training it."

"Of course I'm willing to do that!"

"Then…I don't see why not. But you need to learn some stuff first." he said.

Training a dragon could quickly go wrong, so Jack needed to be prepared and know the basics before he attempted it.

"Sure. You can teach me, right?" Jack asked happily and Hiccup could feel his voice vibrating in his chest ever so slightly.

"Of course." he agreed.

Jack chuckled happily and Hiccup experienced that familiar way his heart seemed to drum irregularly in response.

Jack's long fingers slid around the long, thin scars on his lower back in favor of brushing over one on his hips. Hiccup had noticed that while Jack did touch his scars a lot, he had so far avoided the ones left by the torture.

"Jack?" he asked, a frown melting the smile from his lips.

"Yeah?"

"Is there a reason why you don't touch the scars from…that day?"

Silence emerged between them. Hiccup let Jack take his time to consider his answer, despite the sudden nervousness in his stomach.

"I guess, I just…wasn't sure if you would be okay with it." Jack said carefully. "I didn't know if you might find it uncomfortable or intrusive or something…I know you still need time to heal, you know, emotionally."

Hiccup relaxed, muscles unclenching. He lifted his head from Jack's chest and placed a kiss on the pale skin.

"You don't have to worry about that." he said, looking into Jack's eyes. "Yeah, I still need time to process all of it but…I don't mind."

Jack nodded with a small smile. He leaned down and let their lips meet in a delicate kiss that made Hiccup's toes curl in delight.

"Do you think you can sleep?" Jack asked him, when he pulled away.

"I don't know." he said.

"Well, give it a try. And if you can't, we'll just stay up and talk." Jack told him softly and rubbed one of his shoulders.

"Okay." he agreed and rested his cheek on Jack's chest once more. He let an arm lay across that white stomach and took comfort in the warmth and closeness between them. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body, focusing on the soothing sound of Jack's heartbeat and feeling the way his chest rose and fell in accordance with his breathing. Jack's fingers became intertwined with his hair, grazing over brown strands in languid strokes. It didn't take long for Hiccup to drift off to sleep again. The last thing he thought about before he fell into a deep slumber was how he wished he and Jack could fall asleep in each other's arms every day.

---

Author's note:

Yup, plenty of sexual tension in this one :) I know many of you want them to go all the way, but you know...they're inexperienced so it's not something they would jump straight into. Buuuut...as you can probably tell, it's getting harder and harder for them to hold back.

In the next chapter, Hiccup will go home with Jack for the Easter holidays and meet his family. There will be plenty of fluff and humor and the relationship between our two dorks develops.

Guest reviews:

Pooka-Spirit: I'm glad this is your favorite story, that makes me happy :) Thank you for the lovely compliments and once again: thanks for wonderful the fan-art you did, it's awesome!

Guest1: Thank you! :) I really like your enthusiasm about the story, it's great :D And I'm glad I could provide you with some long awaited HiJack action, he he.

Guest2: Thanks for reviewing :D Here is some more HiJack for you! :) Now...where are those imaginary cookies you promised me? :P