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!

20. Next Steps

Author's note:

Hi everyone, I'm finally back :) I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter, where Hiccup goes home with Jack for the Easter holidays and meets his family. Plenty of fluff. Plenty of sexual tension.

Also: I'm very sleep deprived right now, so even though I've done my best proof-reading, my mind might have missed something.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

There was nothing like flying that could make his heart soar with freedom.

The wind flapping the brown locks on his head in every direction. The breath-taking view of the earth below. The sudden jolts of thrill from loops and dives. The smell and feel of leather from the saddle and the steering rods. The warmth radiating from Toothless' black gleaming scales. The bonding between them. Seeing his best friend be overjoyed and in his element.

The skies were where he and Toothless belonged.

And in a way, the same could be said for Jack.

He trained his eyes on his boyfriend, who was flying next to him and Toothless on Blizzard, the broom he had made for him. The dark blue broom handle with the white snowflake and swirl pattern seemed to almost shimmer in the bright sunlight and Jack's cloak was rippling violently in the wind, the rich blackness of the fabric a deep contrast against the vibrant blue skies. White strands swayed across his pale forehead and his lips formed a smile of soft contentment that Hiccup truly enjoyed watching.

They had decided to fly over to Jack's house instead of taking the Hogwarts Express. That way Toothless could get to spread his wings and Jack could take Blizzard for a proper ride. He had only been able to fly it for extended periods of time on a few occasions and he was not satisfied with that. So Jack had taken Blizzard out, Hiccup had transfigured Toothless back into a dragon and put a Disillusionment charm on them, so no Muggles would spot them and then they had set out, following the Hogwarts Express from above.

The red train was visible in the distance, steam rising from the locomotive into the cloudless skies, tracks surrounded by endless lush, green hills. Once in a while, wailing whistles drifted from the train to his ears, softened by the distance.

He smiled to himself as Jack did a little spontaneous loop and grinned happily. Being in the air did not change Jack's playfulness in the slightest. He was a talented flyer, that was for sure. Hiccup would go as far as saying Jack was the best on a broomstick in all of Hogwarts. And it was obvious that he truly enjoyed it, making sudden changes in directions and speed, performing familiar tricks and experimenting with new ones. It reminded him of the way he and Toothless liked to fool around and test their limits in the air too.

They had just finished a little race, because Jack had insisted. He had tried to tell him that Blizzard might be very fast but no broomstick in the world could beat a Night Fury. Of course Jack didn't listen, so he had to brutally humiliate his boyfriend to knock the message into his head.

Now Jack had gone back to simply enjoying being in the air on his broom and Hiccup liked seeing him like this. They shared the freedom of the skies, the way their spirits felt lighter, the way concerns seemed to evaporate. He couldn't help thinking how wonderful it would be if Jack got a dragon some day and they could take long flights together with their reptilian friends.

He stroked the top of Toothless' black scaly head and the Night Fury chirped happily. It was clear to him that Toothless had missed flying across surroundings they had never explored before, even if it was mostly mountains and hills. It wouldn't be long before they reached the first town though.

Hiccup had to admit that he was a bit nervous about meeting Jack's family. From everything Jack had told him, they seemed to be the nicest people in existence but even so…he was uneasy about it. He had never done something like this before and he wasn't exactly the most normal boyfriend to bring home. That thought sparked a sudden concern and his stomach squirmed a little.

"Hey, Jack?" he called out.

Jack turned his head and smiled at him. He flew closer until he was so close he could reach out and touch Toothless if he wanted to.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Uhm…how much does your family know about me?"

"What do you mean?" Jack frowned.

"About the whole…chief thing…about the torture…about my leg. Those kinds of things." he explained. They hadn't discussed this before they took off and he needed to be prepared.

"Oh…well…they know about your leg. But not the other stuff. They do know you're a Viking though." Jack told him.

"Okay…" Hiccup trailed off and bit his lip in thought. It was probably for the best they didn't know the other stuff yet.

"Don't worry, Hic. I won't tell them the other things, at least not until you're ready. I know it's very private." Jack said with that familiar tone of reassurance that always seemed to make him relax and believe things would be okay.

"Thanks." he said as a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Of course." Jack returned the smile. "So…are you excited to meet the chaotic genius that is the Overland/North family?"

"Uh, I think so…" he said. "But I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm even a little nervous and it's my family." he chuckled. "But I know they'll love you, Hic. Just trust me on this. And they're the most understanding people in the world, so you have nothing to worry about."

Hiccup nodded. "At least you've already told me a lot about them, so it kind of feels like I know them a little bit already."

"Good." Jack grinned. "But maybe I should give you a few warnings before we actually get there." he told him, before doing a quick dip in altitude and bringing himself back up again.

"What do you mean?" he asked, suddenly feeling the nervousness slither inside him again.

"Well…North for example…he's the jolliest, least judgmental guy ever but he also has some boundary issues, because he's so happy and caring. He'll probably give you some tight hugs and very strong pats on the back…that kind of thing. He also really has issues controlling the volume of his voice when he's happy or amused, so he'll probably scare you to death a few times."

"That's reassuring." Hiccup said and grinned.

"I know right?" Jack smiled brightly. "Also…because he's so open-minded, he sometimes goes overboard and talks about stuff you really don't want to know. The too-much-information kind of stuff. Or he might ask you some embarrassing questions."

"Oh gods…" Hiccup said. He was already dreading the potential awkwardness overloads. He wasn't good at dealing with embarrassment like Jack was.

"Don't worry too much though. Anna is usually there to interfere." Jack smiled. "And I'll be there too!"

Hiccup nodded. "Any other warnings?"

"Yeah, Anna will definitely want to look at your teeth." Jack said, as if there was nothing strange about that behavior at all.

"Excuse me?" he asked, checking if he had heard that bit correctly.

"She's a dentist, remember? And she just…has this weird thing with teeth. She always has to take a look at new people's teeth." he shrugged before doing a little loop.

"Oh…well, thanks for the warning…what about Emma then?"

Jack hummed in thought. "The only warning I have about her is that she is way too perceptive for her own good."

"How so?"

"She's 11 but she seems to know everything that's going on with everyone." Jack explained. "It's like she has some kind of sixth sense."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Jack said and then chuckled. "It's bloody impossible to hide anything from her."

"That's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, I wish I had that ability. But apparently I was gifted with my irresistible looks and my magnificent intelligence instead."

"Sure you were, Snowflake." he chuckled.

In a flash, Jack flew closer and bumped into his shoulder before speeding up to get away from him, laughing that bubbly, childish laugh.

Hiccup grinned. "I think Jack needs to be taken down a peg. What do you say, bud?" he asked Toothless who instantly warbled in agreement.

"Okay. Let's go!" he said and they shot through the skies in pursuit of Jack.

The rest of the trip to Jack's house went by quickly. After catching up with Jack, they circled him, bumped into him, flew close enough so Hiccup could ruffle his hair and Toothless could slobber all over his shirt. Jack tried to escape them but failed and for the remainder of the trip, the three of them attempted to come up with new cool moves to do in the air, which lead to several hilarious results, such as Jack getting his cloak wrapped around his head and Hiccup's face colliding with a bird who let out a screech of terror.

When they landed in front of Jack's house, Hiccup took a few moments to take in the surroundings before he got off Toothless' back. The house was located at the end of a short, private road quite a distance away from the nearest neighbors. It was large, two stories and made of white wood with black windows and a black roof. The front garden was filled with flowerbeds sprouting colorful flowers, lush green bushes and a few tall oak trees with thick trunks that cast long shadows across the sun bathed grass. The front door of the house was bright red, a colorful splash among the black and white.

He jumped off Toothless and shared a smile with Jack. Then he pulled out his wand and transfigured Toothless into a cat, before he removed the Disillusionment charm from all of them.

When Jack opened the bright red door and stepped inside, he and Toothless quickly followed. The room they found themselves in was large with dark grey stone floors, white walls and a large, wooden staircase leading to the second floor. A dark coat rack stood by the door with several jackets and coats in different colors hanging from it. A row of shoes were neatly lined up beside it. Hiccup took his satchel off, putting it on the floor, while Jack slid off his backpack and did the same.

"We're here!" Jack yelled and only a few seconds later, Hiccup heard approaching footsteps.

A petite woman with a warm smile rounded a corner and came towards them with enthusiastic steps. He had heard many things about Anna but nothing could have truly prepared him for how colorful she was. Streaks of hair in all colors blended with short, brown strands in a pixie hair cut. She wore a long flowing skirt in nuances of blue and dark purple, a long sleeved blouse in yellows and greens and colorful feather earrings. Light pink eyeshadow rested on her eyelids. This woman was a human rainbow and he already liked her.

"Jack, sweetie!" she said before pulling Jack into a warm, motherly embrace. When they broke apart, she turned to him. "Hiccup!" she smiled. "Welcome! I've heard a lot about you…and your teeth!" she squealed the last part.

"My what?" he asked. Jack had warned him but he hadn't expected this level of excitement.

In one second, she was in front of him, putting her thumbs in the corners of his mouth. "Open up, let's see them." she said, those almost purple eyes glittering with joy.

He was too shocked to do anything, so he just stood there and let her look at his teeth. He could hear Jack chuckle from next to him. He was probably very entertained right now.

"Ooh, they look very good. You obviously take good care of them. And what an adorable tooth gap you have!" Anna said happily.

"Uh, thanks." he mumbled, unable to speak properly while she was examining him.

"Tooth! Fingers out of mouth." a deep voice with a Russian accent said from somewhere and Hiccup didn't have to look to know it was North. Who else could it be?

The fingers instantly left his mouth and Anna's eyes flickered to the ground in embarrassment before she smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Hiccup. I just care a lot about dental hygiene. And I've been really excited to meet you!"

"Yeah, Jack told me about the whole tooth thing." he said and returned the smile. "And it's fine. I've been excited to meet you too."

North stepped around Anna and Hiccup took a moment to process the huge man, as he approached Jack. He was just as big as his father, if not bigger. That was impressive in itself, but North's appearance was made even more remarkable by the large tattoos on his massive arms, his thick, bushy eyebrows and his long white beard.

"Jack! My boy!" North's loud voice boomed and he hoisted Jack off the floor and into a bear hug, huge arms wrapping around Jack's slender frame. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, North." Jack said breathlessly, his ribcage being squashed by the giant Russian, before he was released again.

North's blue eyes fixed on him like he was a cat that had suddenly discovered something interesting. "Hiccup!" he said happily and held out his arms. Hiccup wasn't sure what to do but it turned out he didn't even have to make a decision. He was pulled off the ground just like Jack had been and found himself in North's powerful arms.

He heard Jack and Anna laugh from next to them.

Well, this was a little awkward. He wasn't used to people touching him unless he knew them well. But he couldn't do anything but remain motionless, while strong arms were wrapped around him. North swung him from side to side a little in the crushing hug, before letting him down again.

"Welcome to our home! Finally we get to meet you!" North exclaimed and Hiccup couldn't hold back a toothy smile at the enthusiasm. Both North and Anna seemed so kind and inviting and it was comforting to already feel so welcome in his boyfriend's family.

"Thank you." he said.

Footsteps running down the nearby staircase reached Hiccup's ears and he looked towards the sound. Emma came rushing down towards them at full speed with a bright grin on her face.

"Jack!" she yelled and threw herself in Jack's arms.

"Hi Kiddo!" Jack said and put his arms around her. He stroked her dark hair with a gentle smile on his face.

Hiccup watched them and was amazed by how two siblings could look so different. If he hadn't already known they were related, he never would have guessed. Jack had light blue eyes, Emma had brown ones. Jack's skin was pale and without any noticeable marks, Emma was white but not pale and she had some birth marks under one of her eyes. Jack had spiky, snow white hair, Emma's hair was long, smooth and brown. Jack was slender, Emma had an average build. All in all, they were opposites but he found himself thinking that it suited them.

When Emma pulled away, her curious eyes quickly found him. "Hi Hiccup!" she said, lips parting into a welcoming smile that revealed big front teeth. "I'm Emma."

"Hi Emma." he said. "Jack's told me a lot about you. It's good to finally meet you."

"You too!" she said happily, before her eyes darted around the floor. Her gaze landed on the black cat behind him, as if she had been searching for him.

"Is that Toothless?" she asked, brown eyes sparkling with interest. "Jack said he would be a cat when you came here."

"Yeah, that's him." Hiccup said. "Come on bud, say hello."

The black cat left his comfortable sitting position and walked towards Emma with relaxed steps. Emma crouched down and held out a hand. They all watched as Toothless rubbed his head against Emma's palm and purred. She stroked his black, sleek body and scratched him a little under his chin. The feline licked her hand a few times with his raspy tongue and the big, black pupils in his green eyes revealed his joy.

Toothless was a fierce, dangerous dragon when he had to be. But inside he was a softie and he loved to get attention and make new friends. Hiccup knew that better than anyone.

He shared a smile with Jack and a pale hand reached out and entwined their fingers.

Emma scratched Toothless' furry chest and snapped her head up to look at them. "Can I see him as a dragon? What is it like to fly? How big is he? What's his favorite food? Which-"

"Em, Em! Slow down." Jack grinned and the rest of them chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"But it's a dragon!" Emma argued. Her eyes had gone round with excitement by now. "When am I EVER going to meet a dragon again?!"

"Good point." Jack agreed. "But Hiccup can't answer 10 questions at once, you know."

"Right." she said, as if that thought hadn't occurred to her before now. "Can I see him as a dragon?" she repeated her first question.

Hiccup glanced at North and Anna and hesitated. "Well…if it's okay with your parents, then sure."

"Of course it's okay!" Anna exclaimed and clapped her hands together. "We want to see him too."

"Yes!" North shouted and his joyful laughter echoed through the room. He threw his big arms to the sides to express his eagerness. That man really had a voice and a body language that commanded instant attention.

"Uh, okay. But we'll need to go somewhere there's a bit more space than here." he told them.

"Of course. And where are our manners? Come in, come in!" Anna said and motioned eagerly with her hands. "I'll just go get some drinks for us." she said and quickly disappeared into what Hiccup assumed was the kitchen.

Jack took his shoes off and placed them next to the row of other shoes by the door. Hiccup quickly did the same and revealed the bottom of his prosthetic. It was a good thing they already knew about it, so they wouldn't be shocked. That might have left him self-conscious.

Emma's eyes gleamed with interest again as she tilted her head and observed the artificial limb.

Hiccup decided to use it to get to know her better. "Do you want to see it properly, Emma?"

"Can I?" she asked, glancing between him and Jack.

"Of course." he said and rolled up the trouser leg, so the whole prosthetic became visible.

She covered the few feet between them and looked at it intently, as if it was some kind of riddle to solve. "It looks really complicated."

"It's not that complicated." he said and smiled at her. "But it does have a few different functions. Like this one." he explained and rotated the prosthetic so the part he used for walking retracted and the one he used for controlling Toothless' tail fin was lowered and took its place.

"Wauw." Emma said, her eyebrows lifting in surprise.

"SHOSTAKOVICH!" North's loud voice sliced through the air and Hiccup flinched. "THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!"

The huge Russian was in front of him in one second flat. Two massive hands shot out and grabbed the prosthetic and before Hiccup knew it, it was pulled off and he fell on his butt on the stone floor.

He was frozen for a few seconds, sitting there and trying to comprehend what the Hel had just happened. North was turning the prosthetic in his hands, watching it with wide blue eyes full of wonder.

Emma giggled and shook her head. Hiccup sent her a questioning look.

"He gets excited very easily." she explained with a bright smile. "And then he forgets all about how you're supposed to behave."

"I see." Hiccup said and an amused smile made its way onto his face. Once again, one of Jack's warnings had been true.

He looked up at his boyfriend who was laughing as he watched North examine the prosthetic.

"Uh, North?" Jack said, doing his best to suppress his laughter enough for him to speak. "Hiccup isn't attached to it anymore."

"What?" North's eyebrows knitted together before he glanced to the side and spotted him sitting on the floor. Understanding appeared on his face and blue eyes grew larger.

"Oopsie!" he said and reached out a hand to him.

Hiccup grabbed it and was pulled up easily, as if he was no heavier than a butterfly. He rested his weight on his good leg.

"Sorry, Hiccup." North told him and handed his prosthetic back. He took it, offered him a reassuring smile and was about to speak, when Anna's voice sounded behind them.

"Nick, what have you been doing? Have you seriously pulled off the poor boy's prosthetic?"

"It was accident." North shrugged with an apologetic smile.

Anna sighed as she stood by North's side before she smiled. "I apologize, Hiccup. Nick sometimes forgets there's a thing called 'boundaries'."

"I forget?" North asked, gesturing to himself. "You had fingers in boy's mouth!" he reminded her and Anna bit her lip in embarrassment.

"Yeah, you both made a great first impression." Jack chuckled and put an arm around him. "It's a good thing Hic isn't easy to scare away."

"Sorry Hiccup." Anna said with an insecure smile and North hummed in agreement.

He waved a hand dismissively. "That's okay. Really, it's no problem." he said and meant it. Yes, Jack's adoptive parents were quite unusual and had already left him shocked more than once, but he didn't mind. He liked unusual people as long as they were kind and Anna and North both seemed like the sort of people who possessed kindness in abundance.

Anna nodded as relief appeared in those almost purple eyes.

"I do not forget boundaries!" North huffed indignantly as if the mere thought offended him.

"Yeah, you do." Jack said and Emma nodded eagerly. "You totally do." she said.

"Pssh…Can't a man admire beautiful handiwork?" North said and motioned with a large hand towards his prosthetic. "You three have no wonder for things a man builds with own two hands!" he finished and pointed a finger accusingly at them.

Hiccup grinned at this entire absurd display, before he quickly put his prosthetic back on. This was not how he had expected things to go, but he already liked Jack's family a lot

"We admire beautiful hand built things too Nick, but we don't rip prosthetics off people." Anna teased him.

"Well, I don't put fingers in people's mouths." North retorted.

Anna coughed. "So…let's go into the living room and you can show us Toothless?" she said and he nodded in agreement.

The living room was large and rectangular but the first thing that caught Hiccup's attention was how high the ceiling was. There was at least 5 meters [16 feet] from floor to ceiling and he briefly wondered how big a Christmas tree could fit in here.

The walls were smooth and had a color that reminded him of golden sand. The back wall was covered with large windows, except the middle part that was built in rough, uneven stone and held a massive fireplace. Dark red arm chairs and couches filled with fluffy pillows in red and dark green hues were placed in front of it, as well as a square, dark coffee table. Along one of the longest walls, large wooden bookcases took up plenty of space and they seemed to not only be filled with books but also various toys, picture frames and a few vases and wooden figurines. By the wall across from it, a dark piano was placed next to a cupboard and by the other end, three soft looking dark green couches and a big table were positioned by a large flat screen TV.

The entire room seemed very cosy and Christmassy. The reds and greens, the comfortable looking furniture, the dark wood, the large stone fireplace. It all gave it a homey, warm atmosphere that he really liked.

"So Hiccup." Anna said, standing in the middle of the room where there was some space free of furniture. "Is this enough room for Toothless?"

"Oh yeah, this is fine." he said.

The five of them gathered into a circle and Toothless, knowing what was going to happen, sat down in the middle. Hiccup pulled out his wand from a pocket and glanced at Emma, who was watching him like a hawk, obviously not wanting to miss anything.

He pointed the wand at Toothless and spoke the necessary words. Slowly, the cat's body expanded, limbs grew longer, wings formed and fur receded. It only took a few moments for Toothless to be back in his Night Fury shape and Anna, North and Emma all gasped in wonder and observed him with bulbous, fascinated eyes.

"Hey bud. Looking good." Hiccup said and smiled.

Toothless warbled happily and gave him a big, toothless smile.

Emma giggled and reached out her hand towards Toothless, before retracting it again and looking at him, as if she was asking permission.

"It's okay." he told her.

She nodded and moved closer to Toothless, who was watching her with those big, friendly eyes that could melt almost anyone's heart. North and Anna approached him as well, their mouths hanging open a little from the amazement of being so close to a dragon.

Emma's hand carefully neared Toothless' snout. His best friend sniffed the hand briefly before giving it a little, gentle lick.

Hiccup sighed with affection. Toothless was telling Emma that he meant her no harm and that she shouldn't be afraid of him even though he was a large dragon. Moments like these were precious. Moments when he got to show other people just how special and amazing creatures dragons were.

Emma laughed and let her palm slide across the black snout and to the side of his head. She began to stroke him, smiling brightly, while North and Anna reached out their hands towards the Night Fury as well. Emma glanced back and forth from Toothless to him and Jack with pride in her eyes, as she continued to pet Toothless. He and Jack shared a soft look from the interactions between Jack's family and his best friend.

Toothless purred with satisfaction as three pairs of hands scratched and petted him on his head and his neck. Those large green eyes slowly closed and he wiggled his body a little when someone reached a particularly pleasant spot.

"You are just adorable, Toothless." Anna said as she scratched under the dragon's chin, receiving a cheerful chirp in reply.

"Look at scales. Pitch black and hard as rock!" North said as one of his big hands moved back and forth over Toothless' shoulder. "And those claws, sharp and deadly! And wings…big and strong!...You are magnificent creature, my friend." North told Toothless and the black dragon puffed out his chest and lifted his head a little, seeming very pleased with that comment.

They all chuckled at Toothless' response and Emma carefully placed her arms around the dragon's neck and gave him a gentle hug. Toothless sniffed her hair and softly nudged the side of his head against hers as a sign of friendship.

"He likes you guys." Hiccup told them, as Emma pulled away.

Emma's smile widened at that comment.

"We like you too, Toothless." Anna said and stroked the top of his head.

"Yes, we do!" North quickly agreed.

"That's pretty lucky since Hic and Toothless are inseparable." Jack told them.

Hiccup pursed his lips to avoid grinning. It was true. He and Toothless were together almost all the time. And that's how he preferred it.

"Wouldn't you be inseparable with your dragon if you had one?" Emma asked him.

"Hmm, probably." Jack agreed. "If he likes snowballs and fun times!"

"If he's your dragon, I'm sure he'd love that." Hiccup said before he turned serious. "Well…I should probably turn Toothless back. We can't really be too careful when we're in a Muggle town." he explained. Even though they were inside right now, someone could stop by or something unexpected could happen. Hiccup preferred to stay on top of any situation.

They all nodded in response. "Aww." Emma said, disappointed.

"You can see him as a dragon again some other time." he told her.

"Before you go back to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, sure." he agreed

"Can I…" she said hesitantly, shuffling her feet. "Can I try to fly on him?"

"Uh…" Hiccup said. He hadn't expected her to ask that. He glanced at North and Anna, who both watched him expectantly, as if they weren't worried at all that their daughter had just asked to fly on a dragon. "Well...if it's okay with North and Anna then I guess that would be okay. But I would be with you of course."

"We trust you, Hiccup." Anna said. "Just don't do anything wild."

"Of course not." Hiccup agreed. "We'll be careful and take all the necessary precautions."

North and Anna both nodded and smiled in acceptance.

"Yes!" Emma said and did a small jump. "I get to fly on a dragon!"

Jack chuckled. "Wow, that's pretty impressive, sis. You haven't even known Hic a day and you already convinced him to give you a ride on Toothless. Trust me, that's big."

"I'm just more charming than you are, I guess." Emma teased him.

"That's just not true, everyone knows that." Jack retorted. "I have more charm in my pinky than you have in your whole body."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh please." she said. "You couldn't even charm that old lady at the candy shop to give you an extra packet of fudge for free last year."

Hiccup chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "You tried to charm an old lady to get free candy?"

"Uh, yeah? It's free candy!" Jack said, as if it was obvious.

"The point is that I'm clearly more charming than you." Emma said triumphantly and put her hands on her hips.

"Pssh. In your dreams, Em. I hate to break it to you, but-"

"If you two could stop your little superiority contest, I think dinner is ready." Anna said with an amused smile, before she quickly disappeared into another room, presumably to check on the food.

"Emma, you and me set table, yes? My belly is rumbling!" North said to Emma who nodded in response. "You two turn dragon back to cat, eh?" North said to him and Jack with a smile.

"Sure." Jack agreed.

When Emma and North had vanished from the room, Jack took his hand and squeezed it.

"You're doing great, Hic." he said with a fond smile. "I hope it's not too overwhelming for you."

"Err…there were a few surprises." he chuckled. "But they all seem really great. I like them a lot."

"I'm glad to hear that." Jack told him before leaning in and pressing his lips on his cheek.

They smiled at each other for a few moments before Hiccup turned his attention to Toothless. With a wave of his wand and the necessary words, Toothless quickly shrank and turned back into a black feline.

When they were all seated around the dining room table, Hiccup realized how hungry he actually was. It had been a long trip from Hogwarts and now his stomach was complaining, rumbling in response to the delicious smell of food. He and Jack sat next to each other on the dark, wooden chairs with the soft green upholstery, while Toothless was occupied on the floor, having been given a bowl filled with salmon.

The dining room was oblong, the walls a calming dark green. On one side of the table there was a fireplace in dark wood and stone with family pictures resting on the mantelpiece and on the other side a wooden drawer with lit candles neatly placed on top. The table was long and made of dark wood with eight chairs around it and currently filled with mouth-watering food piled onto trays and plates: Roast chicken with crispy skin sprinkled with herbs, various kinds of steamed green vegetables, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, gravy and freshly baked bread.

"Well, dig in." Anna told them and motioned towards the food.

"It looks delicious." Hiccup said and received a bright smile in return. The others quickly agreed before they all began to pile food onto their plates.

"So, Hiccup…" Anna said, clapping her hands together once. "Jack has told us so much about you."

Hiccup glanced at Jack, who smiled at him before he took a drink from his glass.

"Hopefully not too many bad things." he joked and smiled as he took a piece of bread from a tray.

"Of course not." Anna waved a hand dismissively. "Only good things."

"Hiccup!" North suddenly exclaimed and Hiccup flinched from the sudden change in volume. "Why 'Hiccup'? That is strange name, eh?" he told him, the amusement clear in the way his lips twitched.

"Uh…" how should he respond to that?

"Nick, don't be rude." Anna chided but with a smile on her lips. "I apologize, Hiccup."

"It's fine." he said and meant it. He wasn't one to be easily insulted and even though he didn't know Jack's family very well yet, they all seemed like genuinely nice people.

"But seriously." North said, waving his fork around. "Why such name?"

"It's…a Viking thing." Hiccup told them, hoping he wouldn't have to actually tell them Hiccup was a name for the runts.

"Yes, you're a Viking." Anna said. "Jack has told us a lot about that too. It sounds very exciting."

"It can be." he said. "It's rarely boring, that's for sure."

"And you have DRAGONS!" Emma said, brown eyes brimming with excitement at the mere mention of the large scaly creatures.

"Yeah, we do." he smiled. "They're definitely a part of why it's rarely boring on Berk."

"How does it work exactly, Hiccup? Do the dragons live with you?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, they do. Toothless sleeps in my room actually. But some Vikings prefer to have a stable for their dragons."

"Yeah, I can imagine they must take up quite a bit of space in a room." Anna replied before stabbing a potato and bringing it into her mouth.

"Oh yes. Not to mention that they can easily knock stuff over with their tails or wings."

"Do they often set things on fire?" Emma asked.

"Yes." he chuckled. "That happens a lot. But it's mostly accidents and me and my friend Gobber have made some great fire extinguishing systems."

"Yes!" North said and slammed his hand down on the table. "Jack told us you like building stuff!" he said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I do." he nodded. "It's one of my favorite hobbies."

"What sort of things have you built?" North asked, resting his elbows on the table.

"Uh, a lot of different stuff actually…weapons, shields, armor, the broomstick for Jack, furniture, saddles, toys-"

"TOYS!?" North said and everyone at the table jumped in their chairs.

"Bloody hell, North, are you planning to give us all a heart attack?" Jack laughed and Anna shook her head, amused by her husband's excitement.

"I've made a few toys once in a while back home for the younger kids." Hiccup explained as he had gotten over the shock of North's outburst.

"What kind of toys? You tell me." North said and leaned forward a little with interest.

"Uhm, things like…wooden weapons, stuffed animals, board games, puzzles, small wooden animals..."

"Wonderful!" North said, as those two large hands gestured eagerly to express his happiness. "I have company that makes toys."

"Yeah, Jack's told me about that." Hiccup said with a smile. "It sounds great."

"It is." North agreed and then his eyes grew large and round. "You must see my workshop!" he said. "We go after dinner!"

"No, North." Jack said, suppressing some laughter. "No."

"Whaaat?" North asked innocently. "Hiccup wants to see my workshop!"

"Yeah, well…it has to be some other time, Nick." Anna said. "The rest of us want to spend some time with him too."

"So? It won't take long." North shrugged.

"Yeah, right." Emma said.

"We all know that's not true." Jack grinned.

"What? We could go quick." North insisted.

"No, you can't, dear." Anna shook her head. "You'll get too excited about your work and you'll end up keeping Hiccup there for hours."

"I would not." North denied but Hiccup had the distinct feeling that he knew this was true. "When have I have done such thing?"

"Uh, remember when Jamie asked if he could see the workshop and you promised it would be quick? He was there for three hours." Jack reminded him.

"So? He enjoyed himself."

"No, he didn't." Anna said, her smile growing.

"Of course he did! We were in workshop? Who could ever be bored in workshop?"

Jack bit his lip to avoid laughing. Hiccup couldn't help smiling at the interaction. Jack's family clearly enjoyed teasing each other, just like their friends did. North had a point though…who could be bored in a workshop?

"Hey, I agree." he said to back up his fellow inventor.

"Ha ha!" North exclaimed triumphantly and pointed a large hand in Hiccup's direction. "See?" he told the others. "Hiccup has wonder for making things!"

"Yeah, he does." Jack agreed. "But you still don't get to hog him all to yourself."

"I don't hog." North shook his head.

"Yeah, you do." Emma said, one side of her mouth lifting into a teasing smile.

"Weknow you, North." Jack said.

"Pssh." North said. "I don't hog." he repeated. "But this one-" he continued and pointed to Hiccup. "This right here is a keeper, Jack! He likes building stuff!"

"Yeah, I already know both of those things." Jack said before he took Hiccup's hand underneath the table and laced their fingers together. The warm, familiar feel of Jack's fingers entwined with his own made him feel calm and a soft happiness bubbled inside him from his boyfriend's words. Jack thought he was a keeper. He hadn't expected him not to, but even so it was touching to hear him say those words.

"So how did you guys become friends? Jack never told us that." Emma asked, cutting up some steamed green beans on her plate.

"Well…we'd shared a lot of classes over the years but we'd never actually spoken to each other much. Then one day in the beginning of the school year, Jack bumped into me at the library and we just… had our first real conversation and found out that we had some things in common and enjoyed talking to each other." he explained and ran his thumb over Jack's knuckles underneath the table.

"Yeah and then I started to sit next to Hic in classes and we started talking outside of classes too. I got to know a bit about him and I quickly decided that we should be friends, because that dork actually turned out to be pretty awesome." Jack said and glanced at him with amusement in those blue eyes.

"How long did you like each other…that way?" Emma asked, lips twitching in a way that indicated she knew this might be an embarrassing question but that she would only enjoy making them blush.

"About…two months, maybe two and a half months." Jack said.

"Really, that long?" she replied, lifting her eyebrows in surprise.

"Well yeah…" Jack said, seeming a bit hesitant to admit it.

"Man, you two were complete dimwits, weren't you?" Emma grinned and North and Anna chuckled.

"Heeeey." Jack protested. "It's not always that easy to know if someone feels the same way, you know."

"Yeah. I was so sure Jack didn't feel that way about me, so I didn't do anything about it." Hiccup said, even though he could feel warmth spread through his face from the new direction this dinner conversation had taken.

"Well, good thing Jack manned up!" North said. "I told him he just needed moment of courage. Then he could have boy."

"Boy?" he asked, frowning in confusion.

"That's pretty much how North has been referring to you." Jack said and Emma giggled.

"Yes, yes." North said. "Hiccup. I know his name is Hiccup. But I was still right."

"Yeah, you're a real fountain of wisdom." Jack teased.

"I could feel it…in my belly!" North said and grabbed his belly with his hands.

"Not the belly thing, Nick." Anna said, trying to appear stern but failing miserably as she couldn't hold back a bright smile.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning look at Jack.

"Don't ask." Jack told him, holding back his laughter. "He sees his belly as some kind of sentient being."

"It's never been wrong before!" North declared and they all shared a laugh at that comment.

The remainder of dinner was filled with questions and laughter, as he and Jack's family got to know each other better. He learned more about Anna's passion for her work as a dentist and that she did charity work as well, tending to the teeth of homeless people and others who couldn't otherwise afford it. He heard a lot more about North's company and his enthusiasm towards Christmas and pretty much anything else that kept the childish spirit inside people alive. He found out that Emma did very well in school and wanted to work with animals when she grew up. He also quickly realized that despite her more studious traits, she was a lot like Jack: playful, cheerful and slightly childish, caring and protective of others. She told him about some great pranks she had pulled, they had a conversation about bullies and how Emma did what she could to interfere whenever she saw someone who was being bothered and she and Jack took every opportunity they could to tease each other all throughout dinner.

In turn, Jack's family asked him all kinds of questions about Berk and Viking culture in general, about dragons and about the years he'd spent at Hogwarts. He told them the basics of how the archipelago was almost a time warp but with a few modern twists, how they managed to live in peace with the dragons, what it had been like to go to Hogwarts for the first time and how he got on at the magical school. At the end of dinner they had covered all sorts of topics and Hiccup already felt like he was a welcome addition to the family, which left him with a soft, warm relief.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

After dinner they all helped each other clean up and put the leftovers away, before he and Emma temporarily got occupied by a play fight. He ended up tickling her until she surrendered and he basked in his well-earned victory. After all…she had poked him hard in the side so he squeaked and he was not going to let that slide.

Now that he had gotten his revenge, he left the living room to find Hiccup. His boyfriend had disappeared at some point and now he had no idea where he was.

He found Anna in the large, white kitchen, emptying the dishwasher. The clean glasses clinked as she put them into the cupboards and the smell of dishwasher soap made Jack wrinkle his nose.

"Hey Anna, have you seen Hiccup?" he asked from the door.

She turned, a few wine glasses in hand. "Uh, no not since…" a pensive look settled on her face. "Not since Nick was in here getting a cookie. Hiccup was with him."

Jack's mind connected the puzzle pieces and he pursed his lips. "Ah…of course."

Anna nodded slowly. A little sigh slipped out from her painted lips before she smiled fondly. "Nick is hopeless."

"He totally is." Jack agreed.

"Well, tell them I'm making a cake in a minute. That might be able to get them away from there." she smiled knowingly.

He chuckled hefore he spun around and headed towards the place he was now absolutely certain to find his boyfriend.

The huge workshop was a separate building from the house, located in the back of their vast backyard. After a few minutes of walking across the lush grass, savoring the fresh evening air and the soothing sight of the full moon, Jack found himself by North's favorite place in the world. He noticed the door was open and he could vaguely hear North's and Hiccup's voices from somewhere inside the room. When he got to the doorway, he leaned against it and took in the sight before him with a little smile on his face.

He always liked being in North's workshop. It was a massive room with a high ceiling where round lamps in various sizes hung from, their glow bathing the workshop in a warm, cosy light. Large, wooden pillars supported the entire structure and were decorated with carvings of mythical beings like Santa and the Tooth Fairy. The hardwood floors were covered with large rugs in various red hues, there was a huge stone fireplace with roaring flames and along the walls, seemingly endless cupboards, bookcases and shelves were dedicated to various materials and tools, always neatly organized. In one corner, a few large machines were placed in a half circle, ready for whenever North needed them and all over the room, various toys hung from the ceiling or sat on shelves or tables.

"- how you made that?" he heard North say, as he squinted his eyes to take a better look at the sketchbook Hiccup was holding up for him to study.

They were standing by one of North's workstations, one of the most cluttered ones, filled with scattered sketches, pencils, tools and bits and pieces of unfinished toys. The workstations were always a mess, unlike the cupboards and bookcases, a result of North's enthusiastic bursts of creativity. However, no matter how disorganized they seemed to others, North could always find what he was looking for. Apparently, there was some kind of system to the madness.

Jack recognized the sketchbook in Hiccup's hand as the one where he had his designs for everything he had built or planned to build in the future. Toothless was sitting on top of the workstation and of course he had already spotted him. Those green eyes watched him for a moment before returning to Hiccup.

"Well, if you show me how you did that amazing paint job on your sleigh, I'll teach you." Hiccup said and motioned with his head towards the huge, wooden sleigh placed by one of the walls. It was North's pride and joy. He had designed and built it all by himself, it had many different functions, was stunning to look at and he used it every year for playing Santa at Christmas to please the kids in the neighborhood.

"You have deal!" North said and took Hiccup's free hand, shaking it vigorously. Hiccup seemed unprepared for the sheer force of the handshake and dropped his sketchbook.

"Everybody loves the sleigh." North said with a hint of smugness, while Hiccup picked up the book.

Jack shook his head and decided this was a good moment to interfere.

"I knew you two would be in here." he said and they both snapped their heads towards him.

"Uh-oh. Busted." North said with a guilty smile, as if he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"We're just having fun. This workshop is amazing!" Hiccup said, those green eyes filled with that familiar excitement he got when he was in dork-mode.

Bloody hell, he was too adorable. And Jack was not surprised by that reaction. North's workshop had so many different tools, machines and materials that it could satisfy even Hiccup's building needs.

His lips twitched as he held back a grin. "Yeah, that-" he said sarcastically and nodded towards the messy workstation. "Looksreally fun."

"You and Anna and Emma don't always want to build stuff. But Hiccup here!" North said joyfully and put a large arm around Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup likes building!"

"Hey, I tried to bust in here all the time when I was younger." he said and met Hiccup's eyes. His boyfriend lifted an eyebrow in amusement at his comment.

"Yeah, you did. But kids are not supposed to be in workshop alone." North told him and waggled a finger at him.

"I never made it past Phil anyway." he shrugged.

"Phil?" Hiccup asked.

"The security system." he explained and looked towards the door. On the stomach of a big plastic Yeti the size of North himself, was a display where you could control said security system.

"Uh…why is it shaped like some kind of big Yeti?" Hiccup asked, watching the brown and beige plastic creature in confusion.

A crooked smile curved one side of his mouth. "North has this weird theory that Santa would have Yetis as guards and toy makers."

"Doesn't he have elves for that?"

North scoffed. "Bah! Elves are hopeless at building toys! Even oversized rabbit would be better!"

Hiccup shot a questioning look at him, but he just shrugged as his smile spread into a grin. How could he even begin to explain all the amusing but strange theories North had about Christmas and Santa? No. It was probably better to avoid going there.

"Well, Anna said she'd bake a cake so…let's go back to the living room?" he suggested to them, hoping they could be lured away from the workshop with the promise of something sweet.

North perked up. "Cake!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "Come on Hiccup!" he said and dragged Hiccup along towards the door, his boyfriend stumbling and trying to keep up with North's ridiculously long strides.

Jack laughed before he followed them out the door. It seemed like Hiccup and North really got along well and he was beyond happy with that. It was still fun to watch North confuse or surprise Hiccup though.

The rest of the evening went by quickly. They all sat in the soft couches by the lit fireplace, eating the delicious cake Anna had baked and drinking steaming tea in large mugs. They talked and laughed for hours and Anna, North and Emma directed plenty more questions at Hiccup, never seeming to run out of things to ask. They covered all sorts of topics like Hiccup's favorite and least favorite classes at Hogwarts, the many different species of dragons, how Hiccup and Toothless met and much more. By the end of the evening, his family had gained even more insight into the person Jack loved so much and he was happy to see they all got along so effortlessly. He and Hiccup sat closely together on one of the couches, sometimes holding hands, other times leaning against each other. It was comfortable and they both seemed to have an agreement that they wouldn't do more, like kiss, in front of his family yet. Toothless was curled up in Hiccup's lap, his long black tail swishing casually from side to side while Hiccup stroked his back or scratched him behind the ears.

Luckily, Hiccup didn't seem bothered by all the questions, even though his family could be a bit over-enthusiastic at times. Not to mention that North didn't always know what was appropriate to ask someone you barely knew and what wasn't.

By the end of the evening, they all said good night to each other, before he guided Hiccup to his room, Toothless following them.

When he opened the door, he instantly savored the fresh air inside from the window having been open all day, just like he preferred. Anna really did know him too well. This was the first time he had been up here since the last time he was home and as always, it was bittersweet.

He missed his home whenever he was at Hogwarts but he missed Hogwarts whenever he was home. He supposed that was the price of having two homes.

He flicked one of the light switches and strings of white Christmas lights suspended above his bed with the dark blue bedspread lit up. He always liked to have them on when he went to sleep. They reminded him of stars in the night sky and they had a calming effect on him.

"Of course." Hiccup said fondly as he took in the lights.

"Hey, you know me." he replied.

"I sure do."

"So…welcome to my room, Hic." he said and held out his arms.

"I like it. It's very you." Hiccup said, as his eyes darted across the room, taking in the blue walls, the cluttered desk with his laptop and the shelves above with pictures of him and his family and friends, the bookcases brimming with old school books, novels and comic books, the dark blue couch and the square table in front of the TV.

"It should be. It's my room." he replied and shrugged.

Hiccup nudged his shoulder. "Idiot. You know what I meant."

"What?" he said innocently, pretending to not understand. "It's not my fault you clearly don't know how to express yourself."

"I know how to express myself."

"Pssh, obviously you don't because-" he said but was silenced by Hiccup's lips pressing against his. He forgot all about teasing him and closed his eyes, simply enjoying the intimate contact.

When their lips separated, they smiled at each other. The Christmas lights reflected in Hiccup's green eyes like dozens of small sparks. He was beautiful.

"So…time for bed?" he asked, eager to cuddle up with his boyfriend. It wasn't often they got to sleep in the same bed but now they could do that for a whole week and he was going to savor it.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed.

He quickly removed the bedspread from the double bed, revealing the blue bedlinen with snowflakes on it. He casually put the bedspread on the floor, not really the type to fold stuff up neatly.

"I am so not surprised." Hiccup grinned as he looked at the bedlinen.

"Oh please, don't even go there. If you had bedlinen back home it would be dragon bedlinen and you know it." he retorted and stuck his tongue out.

"Probably true." Hiccup shrugged.

"Probably? You're giving me 'probably'?"

"Okay, definitely true." Hiccup smiled.

"Better" he said, happy to have won that little argument.

He began to remove his trousers and Hiccup quickly did the same. They stripped down to their boxers before they crawled under the soft covers. It wasn't awkward to undress in front of each other anymore. They had done that several times by now when they'd spent the night together in the Room of Requirement and Jack enjoyed how natural it had become.

Their bodies barely hit the mattress before Hiccup's warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer to spoon. Hiccup's firm chest against his back, their long legs tangling, his boyfriends face resting on his neck, his warm breath caressing the skin. It made a soft calm emerge within him and he let out a sigh of complete contentment.

"I love you." he said. He took one of Hiccup's hands and squeezed it.

Soft lips planted a gentle kiss on his neck, making the hairs there stand up.

"I love you too."

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

The first few days at Jack's house had been fun and casual, without too much embarrassment. He had imagined that he would probably get awkward and do or say something stupid but it had been surprisingly easy to be around Jack's family. They were all laid back, kind and understanding and they enjoyed spending time together as a family. In the last couple of days they had all baked cookies together, cooked dinner together, played board games, had long talks by the fireplace about all kinds of things and gone on walks in the nearby forest and on the beach. Not to mention that he had also spent some time with them separately. He and North had snuck out into the workshop a few times to discuss projects and teach each other new skills, when the others didn't notice. He and Anna had had long discussions on Viking culture which she seemed very interested in and she especially had a lot of questions about how they took care of their teeth as well as the dragons' teeth. He and Jack had spent time with Emma together, showing her new kinds of magic she hadn't seen before, teasing her and playing different games. Every night before going to bed, he and Jack took Toothless out for a flight, making sure to Disillusion themselves so no Muggles would see them.

All in all, Hiccup had enjoyed himself a lot and he was relieved that everything was going so well. Jack meant the world to him and he was obviously very close with his family, so it would have been a big problem for their relationship if he didn't hit it off with his family. But it turned out all his worries were for nothing. The only thing that had temporarily dimmed his good mood was a letter from his dad. He had told him he was staying at Rapunzel's house, so she had sent the letter to him as soon as she had received it. It wasn't good news. No one had seen Ivar the Bonesmasher and his closest men in weeks and since they still didn't know if the other hostile tribes were even involved in the attempt on his life, they were at a stand still. Berk's allies would never agree to go to war before they had the necessary facts and even though Hiccup desperately wanted to avoid any conflict, it was also frustrating and worrying to simply wait as nothing happened.

He had tried to push it out of his mind by simply enjoying his time with Jack and his family. Today, he, Jack and Emma had played video games together. Something he was terrible at to begin with because he didn't exactly have much experience with it. But he quickly caught on and even won once or twice. Afterwards, they had helped North and Anna do some gardening in their large back yard while Emma played with Toothless, because their magic skills got the job done a lot quicker.

Now the sun was beginning its descent. As he and Jack were headed towards the living room, each with a chocolate bar in hand that they'd taken from the kitchen, orange and yellow hues streamed through the tall windows bathing the hallway in a spectrum of colors that reminded Hiccup of autumn foliage. He had always found sunsets soothing. The way the bright colors danced across the skies, coloring the clouds and enveloping the world in golden fire, only to submit to the darkness, giving way to the dark blue canvas of night dotted with shining stars.

He sighed in contentment and he could see Jack smiling at him out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, a blurry shape shot out from behind one of the open doors, ran past them and disappeared around the corner, bubbly laughter ringing through the room.

"Hey!" Jack yelled. "You little thief! You took my chocolate!"

Emma peered at them, most of her body concealed behind the corner. "Hah!" she exclaimed. "Too slow for a ninja!"

"Oh gods." Hiccup said and grinned. "She does the whole ninja thing too?"

"Pssh." Jack said. "She's no ninja. She just admires me so much that she desperately wants to be one." he told him, as they turned the corner and were standing in front of Emma. Jack narrowed his eyes at her and lowered his voice. "But there can be only one ninja in this house. Prepare to meet your doom."

Emma's eyes turned to slits. "You will never defeat me." she spoke calmly and pointed the toy sword in her hand in Jack's direction.

"We'll see about that." Jack replied and glanced around, presumably to find a weapon.

A whistle came from their right and they all snapped their heads towards the sound. An amused, fatherly smile stretched across North's lips before he threw a plastic sword to Jack, who caught it gracefully.

"Thanks North. I knew you had my back."

"Heeey!" Emma protested and glared accusingly at North.

"Emma, in proper ninja fight in this house, you fight with honor. Jack needs weapon. If you have sword and he doesn't, that is not honor." North explained like he was some kind of Russian ninja master generously sharing his wisdom. Hiccup could relate though. There wasn't much honor in defeating someone who was unarmed.

"Fine." Emma said, an almost invisible smile flickering across her lips.

"You will rue this day, sister." Jack spoke in a deep, threatening voice. "Long have you envied my commitment to the ninja way of life, my mastery of the sword-"

Hiccup snorted in amusement and Jack quickly scowled at him, before returning to his little speech.

"You've seen how people adore me. How everyone is fascinated with my good looks and my superior skills." Jack said and lifted his head a little, pretending to be proud. "And you have grown envious. You've been lurking in the shadows, waiting for your time to strike. To stab me in the back."

"No, brother." Emma said, her face stoic. This whole interaction reminded Hiccup of a movie, where two siblings fought for different causes due to a long history of conflict between them. "Long have you been poisoning everyone around you with your arrogance. You think yourself better than everyone else. You believe you are infallible."

"She has a point." Hiccup grinned.

"Shut up, Hic." Jack told him and nudged his shoulder.

"And now it is time to take you down." Emma said, wrinkling her nose pretending to be disgusted. "Your time as a ninja is over."

"I will die by the sword before I give up the ninja way of life!" Jack said dramatically and Hiccup chuckled.

"Then let it be so." Emma said calmly. She was only 11 but she had a real flair for dramatics and Hiccup suspected that she got it from Jack.

Jack surged forwards, holding out his toy sword and the two plastic weapons clashed against each other. Emma and Jack danced around each other, their swords colliding over and over, their faces scrunched in concentration. He and North chuckled once in a while, when one of them delivered a particularly clever taunt or did an amusing, yet effective move.

"You'll never best a ninja master, Kiddo!" Jack teased as he blocked a strike from Emma.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall!" Emma said before the two of them began to edge around the couch, thrusting their plastic swords forward to attempt to strike the other.

Hiccup felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced to see Anna smiling. "What are those two up to now?"

"They're ninjas." he explained with a bright smile.

"Ah yes. Of course. That happens on a regular basis in this house." she said and laughed that soft, bubbly laughter that Hiccup thought fitted her petite, colorful appearance.

"I bet it does." he chuckled, as the three of them continued to watch Jack and Emma fighting each other with their plastic weapons, making their way around different furniture in the living room, striking and blocking. It was clear that Jack was holding back, letting Emma get a chance to fight him.

Suddenly, Jack left his stomach exposed and Emma thrust her plastic sword into it with a fierce look on her face.

Jack clutched his stomach, dropping his sword. His blue eyes were round with mock horror. "No…" he whispered. "No…" he fell to his knees. "My own sister…has betrayed me. I'll come for you in the afterlife, Emma. This… isn't…over." he wheezed as he collapsed on to his side, eyes shut, pretending to be dead.

"And so it ends." Emma said solemnly, waiting a few seconds before her face split into a huge, beaming grin. "Yes!" she jumped. "I won!"

Hiccup thought about how great a brother Jack truly was. He was older, stronger and had better reflexes than Emma. He could easily have won right away, but he had held back and even though he loved winning games, he had let her beat him to make her happy. Hiccup found himself smiling softly at his boyfriend, as he continued to fake being dead. The way Jack was with Emma was truly endearing and heart warming to watch.

"Good job, Emma!" North praised her, before he lifted her on to his broad, strong shoulders.

"I can't believe we have such a skilled fighter in this house." Anna told her with a bright smile and squeezed her leg.

"Let's celebrate victory with cookies!" North declared.

"Yes, a ninja master deserves a reward!" Anna agreed.

"Yes!" Emma cheered from her place on North's shoulders, before the three of them disappeared into the kitchen.

Jack was still lying on the floor, completely still. Dedicated to his fake death. Hiccup approached him and then poked his side with a foot.

"Jack? Are you actually dead?" he asked, as a small smile appeared on his lips.

No answer. Jack didn't move.

"Huh." he said. "Well, you look pretty dead...I guess I'll have to find another boyfriend then. Too bad…I kind of liked you."

"Kind of!?" Jack protested, as he suddenly rolled onto his back and stared at him.

Hiccup shrugged, holding back a grin. "You're all right."

"All right?" Jack said indignantly, as he quickly got to his feet. "I'm way more than all right, Haddock."

Hiccup shrugged again. "I can live with you."

"Is that so?" Jack asked, tilting his head as he slowly stepped closer to him.

"Yup."

"You're sure it's nothing more than that?" Jack said, as their chests pressed together and their faces were only inches apart.

"Pretty sure, yeah." he said and pursed his lips so he wouldn't smile.

"So you don't really feel anything when I stand this close to you?" Jack said, his voice now a whisper. His soft, warm breaths touched Hiccup's mouth.

"Nope."

"And your heart doesn't beat faster, when I do this?" Jack asked before two palms rested on his lower back and pushed their bodies together, closing the tiny gap between them. Their lips met and one of Jack's hands found his neck, fingertips softly rubbing the skin and tugging at brown strands.

Jack kissed him tenderly, patiently pushing their lips together and pulling them apart so slowly that Hiccup's heart fluttered. It was so delicate yet so full of love and Hiccup found himself surprised by how much even such soft contact could affect him. Their lips were barely touching but it still left him breathless.

When Jack broke the kiss, they gazed into each others' eyes in silence.

One side of Jack's lips lifted into one of those teasing, smug smiles that Hiccup knew so well.

"I thought so." Jack said and put his hands on his hips.

Hiccup didn't even bother to come up with a clever retort. "Whatever."

"Ooh, has my amazing kissing shut down Mr. Sarcasm's ability to banter?" Jack grinned and Hiccup quickly pushed him, so he took a few steps back. That only made Jack's smile widen though and Hiccup couldn't help smiling back.

"Come on, let's go get some cookies too. Those three shouldn't get them all to themselves." Jack said and took his hand, leading him towards the kitchen.

"So, how are you going to maintain your superiority now that you let Emma kill you?" he asked.

"Pssh, no problem. I can always come back from the dead." Jack shrugged as if that possibility was obvious. "I've done that plenty of times already."

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

"And the Tooth Fairy takes off in a mind-blowing escape!" he yelled happily, running as fast as he could into the living room, holding the Tooth Fairy toy he gave Emma for Christmas in one hand.

"But Santa chases after her in his sleigh, eager to get his toys back!" Hiccup shouted and Emma laughed, as they continued chasing after him.

"But the Tooth Fairy is too sneaky for Santa, so she suddenly turns a corner-" he said and skidded around the couch to change direction. "- eager to get away with the stolen toys."

"Hey, that's not proper Tooth Fairy behavior!" Anna protested with a smile from her place on the couch.

"Get back here, Tooth Fairy!" Emma yelled from behind him.

"You'll never catch me alive, Santa!" he yelled dramatically and laughed, as he navigated between some chairs.

"Oh really!?" Hiccup shouted.

"Really!"

"We'll get you!" Emma insisted.

"Never!"

"Emma, reindeer split!" he heard Hiccup shout.

Reindeer split? What the…?

Before he knew it, Hiccup and Emma had split up, approaching him from two different directions.

He was surrounded. Santa and his sleigh with a few reindeer on one side and the rest of the reindeer on the other side.

"You're surrounded, Tooth Fairy! Give up the toys and no one gets hurt!" Emma narrowed her eyes at him and held up some of the plastic reindeer menacingly.

He let his eyes drift across the room trying to find an escape but couldn't see one.

"Damn." he said and handed the miniature bag of toys back to Emma.

"Team Santa wins!" Emma cheered and did a little jump. She and Hiccup high fived.

"Pssh. I'll find some other way to get those toys. You haven't seen the last of the Tooth Fairy."

"Again Jack, that is not proper Tooth Fairy behavior!" Anna grinned.

"The Tooth Fairy has been poisoned and turned dark, Anna. And she's angry with Santa."

"Ah, I see." Anna said and nodded, her lips twitching with amusement.

"Well, you lost, Snowflake." Hiccup told him with one of those rare self-satisfied smiles that he adored.

Well...Jack's pride was hurt now. He'd have to do something about that.

"So?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow in what he hoped was a superior way. "At least I get to do this!" he said and rushed forwards to shove Hiccup into the wall. Then he took off down the hallway, laughing loudly.

"I'll get you for this, Snowcone!" he heard Hiccup's voice yell as quick footsteps followed.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Jack yelled back, glancing over his shoulder to see Hiccup chasing him. He loved when they chased each other. The childish glee and excitement of being chased or chasing someone was something he enjoyed immensely.

He ran through dozens of large rooms, darting around furniture, and they even did a quick route through the garden, before Hiccup had caught up with him by the door to one of the bathrooms.

He was forced to back inside the room, as Hiccup approached, smiling darkly like a predator that had finally caught its prey.

"Finally, I got you." he said breathlessly.

"So…what are you going to do to me?" he said and it came out a lot more suggestive than he had intended.

They stood in front of each other, their chest heaving and their lips parted, quick hot breaths leaving their mouths. Their cheeks were blooming with pink from all the running and laughing, not to mention the sudden tension between them that had appeared with Jack's words.

They slowly moved closer to each other, so they were standing only inches apart. Jack's heartbeat was already galloping from their chase but now it was in full speed, throwing itself against his ribcage. A familiar fluttering emerged in his stomach.

"DINNER!" Anna's voice shouted from somewhere in the house.

Neither of them reacted. They stared into each other's eyes in a trance, and their warm breaths joined as they inhaled and exhaled the same air.

"We should get down there." Hiccup said quietly.

"Yeah, we should." he agreed.

Neither of them moved or broke eye contact.

He chewed on his bottom lip and Hiccup's green eyes fixed on his mouth. Jack sucked in a breath in anticipation.

Here they were in the bathroom of all places. Anna had just yelled at them that dinner was ready. And yet, all he could think about was how he wanted to snog Hiccup into the floor.

As if Hiccup had read his mind, he slammed their lips together and strong arms enveloped him. He let himself melt into his boyfriend's warm, eager kisses, savoring the way his stomach tickled and the hairs on his neck stood up.

They claimed each others' mouths over and over, the pace quickly growing frantic. Hiccup's hands slid down his back and rested on his ass, and he let his own hands snake underneath Hiccup's shirt and hungrily touch every part of his chest and stomach. He relished the warmth, the closeness, the smell of Hiccup and the world around them slowly faded.

Their wonderful bubble was burst when suddenly, the door was opened and someone shot through it.

"WHATAREYOUDOING?!" North yelled.

They both jumped and stepped away from each other as quickly as possible.

"Nothing!" Jack said. It was the first thing he could think of. But of course he knew North wouldn't believe that.

"Hah! Not true!" North laughed heartily, holding his belly. "I knew it! Snogging!"

Jack felt the blood stream to his cheeks and as he glanced at Hiccup, he saw his boyfriend hiding his face in his hands.

"Bloody hell, North, what are you doing? Why are you bursting in here like that?" he asked, now growing seriously embarrassed. He and Hiccup hadn't even kissed each other in front of his family yet and now his adoptive father had caught them making out.

"Me and Anna had little bet. About what was taking you so long." North shrugged.

"What?!" he said and it came out a lot more high-pitched than he had intended. "Why would you do that? What did you think we were doing?"

"Well…she said you probably hadn't heard her yell. I said snogging. I win!" North said happily and chuckled.

"Oh gods…" Hiccup mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"Don't worry, Hiccup!" North said and gave him a strong pat on the back that almost sent him a few steps forward. "Is nothing to be embarrassed about! Is natural!"

Hiccup sighed in response. His freckled cheeks were invaded with a pink tint and Jack was sure his cheeks looked the same right now. His face felt like it was on fire.

North shook his head, amusement shining in blue eyes. "You two…just get over it." he said and grinned. "So I caught you kissing. Big whoop. Now, come on…dinner is ready."

With those words, North left the bathroom and headed back towards the dining room, the sound of his heavy footsteps slowly fading.

"Well that was embarassing." Jack said and smiled apologetically. North was such a great adoptive father but he could really embarrass people sometimes because he never got embarrassed about anything himself. To him, it was just amusing to find his teenage son making out with his boyfriend in the bathroom.

"Err, yeah." Hiccup agreed. "But at least he's not one of those parents who would be angry."

"True." he said. "But we're probably going to hear about this for a while."

They stared into each others' eyes for a moment before both of them chuckled.

"Well...I guess we should just kiss each other in front of them now?" Hiccup said.

"Yeah, there isn't really much to hide anymore." he laughed and Hiccup's small smile spread into a grin.

"Come on. Let's get some food." he said and grabbed Hiccup's hand.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

He was relieved to find that dinner was not as awkward as he had imagined. When he and Jack had joined the others in the dining room, Jack's family had all smiled teasingly at them, causing him to blush furiously but after that, none of them had brought up the incident in the bathroom. Hiccup was grateful for that. He was sure he and Jack were going to hear about it again at some point but at least it had been temporarily set aside.

After dinner, Jack and Emma helped Anna clean up while North asked him to help get some firewood, as the flames in the fireplace were slowly dying out.

When they found themselves by the shed in the garden where heaps of firewood was neatly stacked, North turned to him and crossed his arms. His beard was pure white in the light of the moon and shadows seeped into every wrinkle and contour of his face, making him appear older and more serious than his personality suggested.

"So, Hiccup…" North began and Hiccup was beginning to realize that North had not only brought him out here to help get firewood but to talk to him about something. Nervousness emerged within him, wiggling unpleasantly in his gut.

"Yes?" he asked, looking up at the man who was just as large as his father. He was hoping this wasn't going to be some kind of interrogation about his relationship with Jack.

"Who are you, Hiccup? What is your center?" North asked him, moving a few steps closer.

"My center?" he asked, not knowing at all what North was talking about.

"You have Jack's love. That means you have something very special inside." North explained, rubbing his chin with his thumb and his index finger.

"If I do, I don't know what it is." he said and pulled on one of his braids.

"Hmm..." North hummed. His blue eyes squinted a little in thought and Hiccup didn't like the feeling of being analyzed like some bug under a microcope. How was he supposed to have answered that question?

"Well...what is yours?" he asked him to better understand what North was thinking.

North smiled at him. "When I look at the world, I see it through eyes full of wonder!" he exclaimed, gesturing wildly with those massive hands. "It is what I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the wonder in everything! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air." he said and looked at the moon. "This wonder is what I put into the world. That is my center. What is yours?"

"I don't know." Hiccup said, not sure why he felt uneasy in this moment. Perhaps it was because North was so sure of himself and his place in the world, while he himself was still uncertain of this. His gaze turned to the grass, blades darkened below the night sky, swaying softly in the mild Spring breeze.

"Hiccup." North said.

He raised his head to meet his eyes. North's expression had softened. It seemed almost fatherly. "There is no rush. You will find your center. Jack did."

"What's his center?"

"What do you think it is?"

He thought about it for a moment and it didn't take long for him to speak. "Fun."

That was what Jack brought into the world. Fun and all the laughter and happiness that came with it, brightening the lives of everyone around him, making the world better just by being in it.

"Exactly." North's eyes gleamed with joy and a smile flickered across Hiccup's lips.

He nodded mutely. Maybe he would find his so called 'center' too some day when he had come to understand himself and his place in the world better. Maybe.

"You make Jack happy." North told him. "I see it in his eyes."

"I really hope so." he said with a tiny smile.

"You do." North stated without any hint of doubt. "I'm sure you know Jack has...problems. With past."

"Yeah, I know..." he agreed, that familiar poke of sadness emerging from thinking about the things Jack had gone through as a child.

"But...I can tell he is happier now than he's been in long time." North said. "Is like..." he continued, gesturing with a hand as if physically searching for the words he needed. "...you help him...with his demons."

"He does the same for me." he said, echoing the words Jack had told him in the Room of Requirement when he was comforting him after his confrontation with Professor Cooke. If he truly calmed Jack's issues as much as Jack did his, if he was just as good at bringing him comfort, then he was grateful for that.

North nodded, the smile on his lips clearly stating his approval.

Weight pressed down on his shoulder, as one of North's large hands rested there. "You are good together." North said and squeezed his shoulder. "I feel it."

"In your belly?" Hiccup asked, raising his eyebrows in a question, a crooked smile on his lips.

"Yes!" North exclaimed happily, as the soft smile expanded into a bright grin. "Now...let's get firewood!"

"Yeah. Let's do that." he agreed before they started stacking pieces of wood into their arms, both eager to get back into the warm house and spend time with the others by the fireplace.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Soft strands brushed against his lips, as he planted a kiss in his boyfriend's hair. Hiccup's body comfortably leaned against his side, his cheek on his pale chest. His bed was warm and snug, his back resting against the comfortable mattress. Outside, the wind howled, a high-pitched wail that reminded him of a grieving ghost. They had closed the window, as the strong gusts of wind kept slamming it shut anyway. Jack kind of missed the fresh air but he was content simply lying here with Hiccup. After stripping down to their boxers, they had decided to talk for a while, since neither of them were particularly tired yet. They had talked about several things that had happened during the day and a bunch of random topics before Hiccup brought up something unexpected.

"He did what? He actually gave you the whole "what is your center?" talk?" he asked.

"Oh yes." Hiccup said, lifting his head to look at him.

"I can't believe he did that." he replied and chuckled a little. "He is unbelievable."

"Yeah, but in a good way."

"I'm really glad you think so, Hic."

"Of course I do. Your whole family is great." Hiccup told him.

Calloused fingertips began skating slowly back and forth across his stomach and Jack smiled down at his boyfriend.

"So what's your center then?" he asked. He clearly remembered the talk he had had with North all those years ago about his own 'center'. Apparently, North knew right away what it was but it took Jack years to realize it himself. Well, to be honest he wasn't sure if everyone did have a center but the thought was comforting.

"I don't know." Hiccup said, continuing to trace patterns on his stomach.

"Yeah, I didn't either."

"Yeah, North told me about your 'center'. Or...he asked me what I thought it was and I said fun."

"Clever guess."

"Not really, it was pretty obvious." Hiccup said and he could feel him smile against his chest. "You make everyone around you happy by bringing them fun."

"Thanks." he said, touched by those words, and kissed Hiccup's hair. He hoped it was true. That he did make the people he knew happy. He wasn't an ambitious person. He didn't have dreams of wealth or power or status. He just wanted to enjoy life and make everyone around him enjoy it too.

He reflected on that for a few moments before all the thoughts of fun and happiness made him briefly think of a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Hey Hic?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about when you conjure your Patronus?"

Hiccup was quiet and Jack briefly wondered if he was reluctant to share his thoughts on this particular matter. The silence stretched on between them. He could hear the shed in the garden creak, the wood complaining from the powerful wind.

Then Hiccup spoke. "Remember how I couldn't do it at first but then suddenly I got the hang of it?"

"Yeah?"

"Well…at first I thought about my first flight with Toothless. How exciting and amazing it was. Then I tried thinking about the time I woke up after fighting the Red Death and I discovered everything was okay. But...I realized those memories were more about exhilaration and relief than...deep, genuine happiness. And when I look back there's one memory that stands out above all others."

"What?" he asked, his curiosity having now risen to an almost unbearable level.

"When I first started to convince Toothless I wasn't a threat to him, you know, back in the cove when he couldn't fly...there were all these little steps we went through. I kicked away my knife, I gave him food and so on. But there's a difference between trust and not feeling threatened and I wasn't sure if he was ever going to trust me. I desperately wanted to form a bond with this huge, fire-breathing reptile that I had always been taught was a killing machine but had now put everything I thought I knew into question. I identified with him...he was much more than people's assumptions. What I think about when I conjure my Patronus...is the moment I reached out my hand and looked away, making myself completely vulnerable. He could have killed me any time he wanted to but instead...he softly pressed his snout into my palm. He let me touch him. He showed me trust, despite only having bad experiences with people. That's what I think about because that was the real beginning of our friendship." Hiccup explained and his voice was so soft and laced with love for his best friend that Jack couldn't help smiling.

"That sounds amazing." he said. "I wish I could have seen that."

Hiccup was silent for a little while, as Jack began to weave his fingers through his brown locks.

"You can." his boyfriend said.

"What?"

"If you want to see it...you can. When we get back to Hogwarts, I can show you through the Pensieve."

"Oh..." he said, not having thought about that possibility. "If you're sure then...yeah. I'd love to see it." he finished. After all...memories were something very personal and even though he would really enjoy seeing Hiccup and Toothless bond for the first time, he wanted Hiccup to be certain.

"I'm sure." Hiccup told him and lifted his head for a brief moment to kiss him on the chest.

There was a comfortable silence in the room for a few minutes, only the sound of the screeching wind outside keeping them company, before Hiccup spoke again.

"What do you think about when you conjure your Patronus?"

He sighed and moved his hand from Hiccup's hair down to his upper back, stroking it lazily. "My parents."

"Oh..." Hiccup said. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's all right." he reassured him. It was painful to relive this memory but it also brought him an intangible, soft joy to remember his parents. How wonderful they had been. How safe and loved he had felt around them. "It's just...we had been outside playing in the snow all day. When we came inside, we were all exhausted and cold, so we made hot chocolate and cuddled together on the couch, watching some Christmas movie that was on the telly. At some point, Emma fell asleep on me and when the movie was over, I was close to falling asleep too. Our parents carried us to our rooms and tucked us in and told us they loved us. A few days later, they died." he explained quietly. "It's a simple memory but...it's one of the happiest and yet saddest ones I have."

"Jack..." Hiccup said and lifted a hand to brush it against his cheek. His boyfriend pulled himself upwards and leaned in to softly make their lips meet.

Jack's eyes closed as he let Hiccup comfort him with those feathery, almost careful kisses. Hiccup grabbed him and rolled him onto his side, so they were facing each other. His boyfriend's green eyes glistened with conflicting emotions, saddened by his past but protective and determined to make him feel better. A conflict Jack himself knew very well.

A rough hand gently rubbed his arm and Hiccup slowly pushed their lips together again. Jack let his body soften, letting go of the tension from his emotional turmoil. Here in the darkness, Hiccup's affections dimmed the pain stinging in his heart.

Their lips grazed each other again and again as they showered each other with gentle, delicate kisses until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: TWO DAYS LATER

His eyelids slowly lifted, the world coming into focus. He blinked a few times, taking in the blue wall in front of him, as the haze of sleep began to float away. He remembered that he was at Jack's house and that this night had been terrible.

The soft mattress supported his tired body, the comfy surface making his muscles relax. He was lying on his side, legs outstretched and his head on one of his palms. He sighed and savored the warmth of the comforter on top of his skin, soothing his mind and making him wish that he could simply go back to sleep. But he didn't know what time it was and he knew Jack's family had a lot of activities planned for today, so he would have to somehow get out of bed no matter how much he wanted to stay here.

He looked down and spotted Toothless curled up in a ball next to the bed. He reached out and petted his best friend, who instantly woke up and began to purr in contentment.

"Hi bud." he smiled and received a happy meow and a gentle swat of a paw in reply.

He reluctantly rolled over, scrunching his face from the strain on his poor body. Jack was still asleep next to him, lying on his back, clutching the comforter to his chest like some kind of lifeline. He smiled softly, as he simply watched Jack sleep for a few moments. His lips were parted, deep, slumbering breaths pouring from them and his snow white locks were in disarray, a result of the quite frequent tossing and turning he did, even when he claimed to have slept comfortably. A faint touch of pink had snuck into his pale cheeks, most likely from the heat that had gathered from their bodies underneath the comforter and his thick, dark eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly.

He was captivating. And as the memories from last night began to flood his mind, he once again found himself so incredibly grateful that Jack was in his life. That he had his love.

It had been a rough night. Only about an hour after they went to bed, he began to get phantom pains, making it impossible to sleep. He had spent most of the night in agony, his missing limb taunting him with the twisted, stabbing pain that had become a regular occurrence in his life.

Jack had been amazing, as always. He had held him, talked to him and joked around to try to keep his mind occupied with something else. He had kissed his forehead and squeezed his hand, stroked his back and run his fingers through his hair. He had done everything he could to bring him some kind of comfort and distraction from the pain and the frustrations that came with it.

He reached out and brushed some white strands away from Jack's forehead. His boyfriend's forehead wrinkled a little in response. He wiggled closer to him and pressed his lips on his cheek.

Jack's eyes slowly opened and he shifted a little. He blinked before blue orbs focused and a small smile reached those pale lips. "Hey." he said. "Feeling better?"

"Still really tired. And my leg still hurts a little. But yeah…better." he returned the smile.

"Good."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked.

"Uhm…" Jack said as he found his alarm clock on the nightstand. "3 PM."

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "3 PM? But…we were supposed to do all kinds of things today weren't we?"

"Yeah, but around 10 AM when you were still sleeping, I found North and Anna and told them we needed to do that stuff another day because you need to rest."

He felt an immediate twinge of guilt and groaned. "So I pretty much messed up everyone's day."

"Don't be an idiot." Jack said and slapped him gently on top of the head. "It's not your fault you get phantom pains."

"No, but-"

"No 'buts'." Jack said and his voice had taken on that stern tone that he used so rarely. "You didn't mess anything up, Hic."

"So you don't think the others will be disappointed that we didn't get to do any of the stuff they had planned for today?" he asked, not sure if he truly wanted to know the answer. He would feel terrible if Emma or any of the others missed out on something because of him.

"No, of course not." Jack told him before his lips formed a warm smile. "Don't worry about it. They don't mind."

He sighed a little in relief. "Good. I'd hate to ruin anything."

"You won't." Jack said before his mouth opened wide in a huge yawn.

"Yeah, I'm still beat too." he said and smiled at his boyfriend.

"Come here." Jack said and gestured with his hands for him to come closer.

Hiccup shuffled towards him and turned to lie on his side. Jack pressed his chest against his back and put his arms around him.

He sighed happily as they cuddled together in the soft, warm bed. Jack placed a few kisses on his neck and he squeezed his hand and let his thumb brush over the knuckles. In this moment, he was so relaxed that his eyelids began to droop and his body sunk into the mattress.

Suddenly, Jack leaned in and whispered in his ear. Hiccup was not prepared for the words.

"Let's play a game."

Every large muscle in his body clenched as the tension spread through him. His heartbeat went from lazily thumping behind his ribcage to racing like a spooked horse. The swarm of terrible memories invading his mind made nausea rise within him, threatening to make its way all the way up to his throat. He saw fragments of blood, of wands, of narrowed eyes. He heard screams and splintering wood and flesh ripping open.

"Shit!" Jack said, panicked. His voice sounded far away, like he was in another room.

"I'm so sorry, Hic!" Jack said and hugged him closer. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." he chanted over and over with regret and horror.

Hiccup tried to calm himself. To will away the anxiety. But his heart kept racing, his muscles refused to relax and he felt like he might be sick from the memories.

"Hic?" Jack asked. "Hic? Please say something."

He tried to take some deep breaths but they only came out shattered. He felt a warm presence by his hand and he knew it was Toothless. His chest was beginning to hurt from the anxious, sharp breaths that didn't give him enough air.

"Hic...focus on something specific." Jack told him. "Focus on me and Toothless. Just listen to my voice and pet Toothless. Let everything else fade away."

He tried to do what Jack told him. He began to stroke Toothless absent-mindedly as memories continued to show him things he would rather forget. Jack started to tell him about all sorts of random things to distract him and he did his best to simply concentrate on the words and what they meant instead of the thoughts and panic swirling in his mind and body.

After a while, he could feel himself calm down slowly. His heart no longer seemed like it was about to rip through his ribcage and his muscles had begun to unclench. The soft feel of Toothless' fur against his fingers, his best friend nudging his cat head against his cheek in concern, Jack's deep and soothing voice, the warmth of his body against his, pale arms wrapped around him protectively. It all helped him push away the unpleasantness in his head.

"Better?" Jack asked, as he kissed his cheek softly.

"Yeah..." he said, the first words he had spoken since Jack had said that anxiety inducing sentence.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. That was so stupid." Jack told him and his voice was close to breaking.

"It's not your fault." he told him quietly.

"Of course it's my fault. I know you can't hear that phrase without thinking about...all of that." Jack said, the fragility of his voice giving way to strong self-loathing.

"You're only human, Jack." he said and squeezed his hand. "I don't blame you for slipping up and neither should you."

"I promise it won't happen again."

"Even if it will...that's okay." he told him and meant it. Yes, it was horrible to be reminded of what had happened that day and it was difficult to push away but he would never blame Jack for accidentally sending him into a small anxiety fit.

They took it slow for the rest of the day, making sure he got his rest. When he and Jack had joined the others after more cuddling to help him relax, Anna was preparing lunch. Just like Jack had told him, Emma, North and Anna were completely understanding of his phantom pains and assured him it was okay they didn't get to do anything special today. After lunch they occupied themselves with easy, calm activities like playing board games together, watching a movie and going for a short slow walk in the nearby forest, where Toothless got to chase birds and explore new surroundings.

Now, he was resting on a chair in the garden, a book in his hands. The delicate Spring breeze played with his hair and settled on his skin. The sun had begun its journey towards the horizon, golden clouds floating across skies illuminated with soft pinks, yellows and reds.

A pleasant peace had descended on the garden. The large trees, the lush bushes and the plentiful flowers appeared almost luminous in the golden light. Bumblebees lazily buzzed around the flowerbeds, small, plump fuzz balls with wings just going about their business of pollinating. On the grass next to his chair, Toothless rested in the sunlight, his black fur shining , eyes closed in relaxation.

As his eyes took in the words on the pages, he could hear Jack's, North's and Emma's voices from further down the garden. They were doing some kind of contest to see who was the most athletic one after some teasing being exchanged between Jack and Emma. So far, they had done long jumps, high jumps and raced from one end of the garden to the other. It had been very amusing to watch and as he lifted his eyes from the pages, he saw they were seemingly getting ready to compete in throwing a ball the longest.

He closed the book and rested his hands on top of it. He inhaled deeply, savoring the mild air, before he slowly exhaled.

North had picked up the red ball and made a big thing out of positioning his feet just right before throwing it, earning him some laughs from Jack and Emma. He hurled the ball forwards and it shot through the air at massive speed before landing all the way in the other end of the huge garden.

"Yes!" North happily threw his muscular arms in the air. "Beat that, little ones!" he teased Jack and Emma who both quickly agreed that they could easily do better than that. Hiccup seriously doubted that though. North was freakishly strong, so there was no way Jack or Emma could throw something with as much force as he could. It would be funny to watch them try though.

Jack retrieved the ball and jogged back to North and Emma. He gave it to Emma, whose eyebrows knitted together in concentration. She bit her lip and threw her arm back, holding the little red ball in her hand, before she threw it through the air. It landed on the soft grass further away than Hiccup had expected but not even close to what North had achieved.

Emma instantly frowned at her result and had to listen to some teasing from Jack and North, as she went to retrieve the ball.

When it was Jack's turn, Hiccup smiled as his boyfriend goofed around, doing all kinds of stupid, unnecessary preparations just to annoy North and Emma, who were both growing impatient.

"Come ooooon, Jack!" Emma prosted, when Jack inspected the red ball for the 10th time to make sure it was just right.

"Alright, alright." Jack agreed before he swung his arm back and propelled the ball through the air. They all watched it land on the ground, further than what Emma had managed but not as far as North had done.

"Yes!" Jack said and did a little jump. "I win!"

Hiccup couldn't help smiling. Jack's joy was always infectious.

"What?" North asked. "How you win?"

"I won the other two contests and I'm second in this one. Clearly, I'm the winner." Jack told him.

"Pssh." North said. "Who said we were done yet?"

"I did. And I won!" Jack grinned in that smug way of his.

"Hey, you don't decide when we're done." Emma said and put her hands on her hips.

"Of course I do. We've clearly established that I'm the better athlete, so I get to end the competition when I want to." Jack said and laughed happily.

"You so don't!" Emma protested.

"Yeah, I do."

"We don't agree." North said, pretending to be annoyed even though the amusement was evident in his voice.

"Well, what are you two going to do about it?" Jack said, as a devious smile spread across his lips. Hiccup knew that look. Jack was planning something.

Before Emma or North could answer, Jack pulled out some balls he had hidden in his pockets and bombarded them with them. Then he took off laughing, running through the garden.

Emma and North didn't take long to begin running after him and thus, Hiccup watched his boyfriend being chased by his little sister and his huge Russian adoptive father.

"Jack's something special." he suddenly heard Anna's soft voice say from behind. He turned on the chair and met her eyes. Her lips twitched in a smile.

"Yeah. He really is." he agreed, as he glanced at Jack, Emma and North running around, laughing and shouting taunts at each other.

"It's just…surprising he has such a dark past. He's always so...happy and full of fun." he told her, expressing something he had been thinking about so many times he had lost count.

"I know…it's one of the best things about him, wouldn't you say?" Anna said.

"Yeah..." he agreed, as he watched Jack speed around some flowerbeds.

"You know, Hiccup…" Anna said as she sat down in a chair next to his. "I'm really glad you and Jack have found each other."

"Thank you." he said and gave her a fond smile. "So am I."

"What you have is a rare thing..." she said. "I hope you'll both hold onto it."

"Me too." he said. "I'm certainly going to do everything I can."

"Are you planning to let Jack meet your dad?"

"Uhm, it's…kind of complicated."

"He doesn't know?" Anna asked, her almost purple eyes now shining with concern.

"No."

"Do you think he wouldn't accept it?"

"That's what I fear." he said, as his gaze followed Jack around the garden. His boyfriend was doing sharp changes in directions, jumping over small bushes, running around trees to escape Emma and North.

That familiar bittersweetness swirled inside him. He loved Jack so much and he would never let go of him. But until he came out to his dad and told him about their relationship, it would be hanging over their heads. And what would happen, once he did tell him about it? Maybe he would be an outcast, forced to leave his home and never speak to his father and several of the other Vikings in his life again. He would choose Jack over staying on Berk any time but the prospect of being shunned by the people he cared about was terrifying.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Anna's voice was gentle and soothing. "If you ever need a place to stay or anything else, you're always welcome here." she said and put a slender hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Anna. That…really means a lot to me." he said, swallowing to get rid of the sudden lump in his throat.

"No problem. You're a part of the family now and family takes care of each other." she smiled at him and it was so kind and caring that he almost had trouble looking at her.

"Thank you." he said once more, a tiny but grateful smile on his lips.

"Of course." she said and removed her hand from his shoulder. She let her gaze drift to her laughing family still speeding around the garden. "You know...Jack always manages to make me happy. Even if I've had a terrible day, I can come home and he'll cheer me up with his clever teasing or his goofing around."

"Yeah, he does that for me too." he said and filled his lungs with more fresh Spring air.

"And even after he went off to Hogwarts...whenever I write him and tell him about something that's bothering me, he'll write back and include some silly jokes or tell me about the pranks he's pulled or what other sort of mischief he's involved his friends in. It always puts a smile on my face." she told him.

Her eyes appeared almost pink in the colorful light of the sunset and the rainbow streaks in her short, brown hair were illuminated, standing out against the dark tresses even more than usual. The sun had dipped lower in the horizon, darkness bleeding into the colorful hues from above, signaling the approaching night. It's continuous distancing made the temperature drop slowly, the mildness of the breeze evaporating, giving way to the chilliness of evening.

He locked his gaze on Jack again. He ran swiftly across the grass, long limbs moving gracefully, navigating around any obstacles in his way. His snow white hair was almost golden, touched by the sunset. His pale skin was rich and creamy with shadows of trees playing across it. Laughter spilled from his lips, the joyfulness of it seeming to stem from a warm place in his heart reserved for the people closest to him.

"Yeah...he is special." he said and smiled.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

He padded down the hallway, enjoying the way the plush carpet tickled his bare feet. The fresh feeling dancing across his skin, purged of any dirt and sweat, the clean scent of soap enveloping him, the chill running along his scalp under damp, white locks. It all contributed to that lovely revitalization he experienced after taking a cool shower.

He briefly wondered if Hiccup was still reading comic books, as he made his way towards his room where his boyfriend had been occupying himself while he was showering. He wrapped his arms around himself, snuggling into his blue hoodie. It had just been washed today and the faint scent of the washing powder and the dry, crisp sensation of the freshly cleaned clothes increased his contentment.

As he passed North's office, he noticed the door was open. He glanced inside and saw his adoptive father sit by his large desk, sketching something. Probably a new design for a toy. North's forehead was full of wrinkles from concentration, his blue eyes were focused on his current task and his large hand gripped the pencil tightly, moving it quickly across the paper, as if it couldn't fully keep up with the thoughts swirling through his mind. Jack smiled a little to himself before he decided to move on.

He turned to walk away, but flinched suddenly by the sound of North's loud, deep voice.

"Jack! My boy!"

"Uh. Yeah?" he asked, looking inside the room once more. North had put the pencil down and was now watching him with one of those warm, fatherly smiles of his that always made Jack feel lucky to be adopted into this wonderful family.

"We need to have little father son discussion." North explained and gestured for him to come closer.

Uh-oh. This couldn't be good. Jack was sure of it. North and Anna were very tolerant, understanding parents. There weren't any strict rules in this household and they never became angry and scolded him or Emma. However, since he was a teenager (and a particularly mischievous example), it was unavoidable to have a serious conversation once in a while about how to behave.

"Uhm…okay?" he replied, looking into North's eyes in an attempt to decipher what this was about. He couldn't see anything but determination. Clearly, he was not getting out of this.

"Sit." North told him and motioned with a large hand towards one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Jack approached it hesitantly. This conversation could only go two ways: either he had done something that required a mildly serious conversation or this was somehow related to his relationship with Hiccup. Either way, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.

He slumped down on the soft, red armchair. North stroked his chin with a thumb, blue eyes squinting in thought, as if he was simultaneously thinking about how to start this 'discussion' and wondering how Jack would respond to it.

Jack fiddled with his hands, wringing them, scratching a palm, lacing and unlacing fingers. His cheeks heated a little from the intense gaze of his adoptive father, because this uncertainty was making him uneasy.

"So…" North began, entwining his fingers and resting them on his belly. "You and Hiccup…you seem very happy." he said, a content smile appearing on his lips, caught between his bushy moustache and the rest of his long, white beard.

He stopped fidgeting and returned the smile. So itwas about him and Hiccup. He should probably have expected that. After all, he'd never been in a relationship before and Anna and North always tried to give him the right amount of support, honestyand information to make good choices that would bring him happiness.

"We are." he replied and nodded as extra reassurance for North. He had no doubt that North and Anna really liked Hiccup, but they were his adoptive parents so it was their job to worry about him nonetheless.

"Good. That is good." North said, nodding to himself, seemingly satisfied by that answer. His gaze drifted towards the window and he stared into nothing for a few moments.

"So, uhm…North? What's this about?" he decided to ask, wanting to get it over with as fast as possible. He wasn't sure what it was North wanted to discuss about his relationship with Hiccup and he wanted his curiosity sated.

"Ah, yes." North said, shaking his head a few times, as he snapped back to reality. "There's something we need to talk about."

"Yes, I got that much." he smiled at him, lifting his eyebrows in amusement.

North chuckled, his deep voice humming in his throat. "Yes, I'm sure you did. Now…how…far are you and Hiccup in relationship?" he asked, those piercing eyes fixating intently on him.

"What?" Jack replied, eyes narrowing in confusion. How far? What did that even mean? Sometimes North's grasp of the English language could leave one a bit baffled.

North cleared his throat and shifted his position on the chair to sit more comfortably. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. Dark, bushy eyebrows lowered, creating one of his familiar looks of seriousness. "I mean…have you done the sex yet?"

Jack could sense the blood rush to his cheeks, as the unpleasant warmth spread through the skin and he instantly tore his eyes off North and stared at the desk.

Oh no. No no no. This was a sex talk.

Shit and fuck and bloody Boggarts on a broomstick! ABORT! ABORT!

"Uh…" was all that left his mouth, while his brain was frantically trying to process how to handle this situation. Was there any way he could get out of having this conversation?

Usually, he was never uncomfortable around his family whatsoever but this…this was horrible. He had never had a sex talk before and he certainly wasn't interested in getting one now.

"Come on, Jack. No need to get nervous. Is all natural." he heard North say reassuringly.

He peeked at North who was smiling a little and then shrugged in an obvious attempt to put him at ease. It didn't work though.

"Well, uhm…I…we…uh…we haven't…done that." he managed to say, as the heat in his cheeks grew. He was certain his pale skin must be embarrassingly pink by now.

"Good!" North exclaimed happily, two large hands clapping together once.

Jack jumped in his seat from the sudden noise. He should really be used to North doing that but he wasn't. The man was capable of the most unexpected changes in volume that could catch almost anyone off guard.

"Good?" he asked, confusion rising within him again. North and Anna weren't strict parents. They weren't parents who were desperate to keep their children naïve and inexperienced for as long as possible. He couldn't imagine that they would have anything against him having sex, as long as he was in a relationship with someone and he was ready, so he wouldn't regret it afterwards.

"Yes. Good!" North nodded enthusiastically. He began rummaging through one of the drawers in his desk. The sounds of ruffling papers and various small, unidentifiable items rolling around reached Jack's ears and he could do nothing but watch North in utter bafflement.

"Aha!" North exclaimed triumphantly, as he pulled out a white plastic bag from one of the drawers. It had some items in it but he couldn't tell what it was. Right now though, he was fearing the worst. His stomach was starting to squirm in nervousness as a sense of dread grew within him. He had the distinct feeling that he was going to be ready to die of embarrassment in a moment.

North leaned over the desk and planted the plastic bag in his lap, before he took his seat in the red chair behind the table again. Those blue eyes were focused on him, seemingly waiting for him to do something.

Jack took a slow breath and hesitantly opened the plastic bag. Horror went through him, as he realized what the items inside it were.

Condoms. Lube. Pamphlets about safe sex.

Crap.

He instantly closed the bag again. A nervous cough left his lips and he quickly put it down on the floor to distance himself from it. His entire face was burning and he looked at his hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

North's booming laughter echoed through the room.

Jack flinched from the sound and his eyes found North again. He was holding his large belly, as the laughter poured from his mouth. The corners of his eyes crinkled.

Jack could only stare, meeting North's eyes for the first time since that embarrassing plastic bag had been given to him. It wasn't unusual for him to be perplexed by North's reactions but right now it was a tad unsettling.

"Jack, Jack, Jack." North began and waved a hand dismissively. "No need for nervous. You take things too serious, eh?"

"Uh…" he forced out of his mouth, unsure of what to say besides that. He couldn't remember ever having been told he took something too seriously.

"Is nothing to be embarrassed about!" North insisted and threw his huge arms to the sides. "Is all part of life and you are almost grown man now…but you shouldnever be stupid about it. Anna and I want you to be safe."

"Yeah…" was all he could say. Of course they were concerned with his safety and he completely understood that but it didn't lessen the awkwardness of this conversation. This was going to be a moment that would probably haunt him forever.

"Jack." North said, his voice lowering to the tone he only used to say very serious things.

"Yeah?" he asked, hoping there wouldn't be more unpleasant surprises.

"Promise." North said, his eyes boring into him as if this was one of the most serious conversations they would ever have. "You promise you will be safe?"

"I promise." he agreed. He had intended to do things safely whenever he and Hiccup were ready but he understood North's need for reassurance.

"Good!" North yelled happily and gestured wildly with his hands. "That is all we want!"

Jack jerked a little in surprise. Bloody hell, that man should come with a 5 second warning before any changes in volume or body language occurred.

"So…" North said, calming down. He leaned back in his seat. "Do you have question?"

"Question?" he asked.

"About the sex." North said, putting his large, tattooed arms behind his head, leaning on them casually, as if this was just any random thing they were discussing.

Jack squirmed in his seat.

This wasn't over yet?

Permission to say shit? his mind asked him.

Permission granted.

Shit.

"Uh, no…I don't think I have any questions." he said, trying his best to seem confident, so North would believe him. He really didn't want this conversation to stretch on. He was 17, he knew the basics and whatever he didn't know, he could find out on the internet. There was no need for more awkward moments with North.

North narrowed his eyes and watched him intently to gage the sincerity of his words. He hummed in thought, a deep sound that matched his size.

"Are you sure?" North asked.

Yes. Hell yes.

"Yeah, I'm sure." he said and did his best to form a casual smile.

North nodded slowly. "If you are sure." he said. "Then I will not press matter."

Jack sighed in relief. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle.

"Okay." he nodded.

"But you should know, Jack…" North began. "Is nothing to get all-" he gestured up and down to him "- what is word…flustered for."

"Yeah well, it's not exactly on any teenager's wish list to have this kind of conversation with a parent." he said, an amused smile on his lips.

North laughed at that, the familiar jolly sound making Jack's smile widen.

"I know, I know." he said. "But is necessary. We worry."

"Yeah, I know. But I promise I'll be safe."

North nodded in approval, before he stroked his long beard with one hand.

"Will Hiccup be…first time?" he asked.

Jack was certain the blush had spread all the way to his ears now and he resisted the strong urge to bury his face in his hands. "Uhm…yeah."

"Anna and I assumed but…you never know with teenagers."

"Yeah, I guess so." Jack agreed with a small smile. "So…is that it?" he asked. "Can I go?"

North smiled. "Yes. You can go now."

He got to his feet and was at the door in a few seconds, eager to leave this conversation behind and try his best to forget the embarrassment.

North cleared his throat from behind him.

He turned and caught something that was suddenly thrown at him. It took him a few seconds to register that it was the plastic bag.

"You forgot this." North told him, his lips twitching with amusement.

"Yeah...thanks."

"And Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"If you have question some time, you can always come to me."

"Thanks North." he said. Even though there was no way in hell he was going to ask North anything even remotely related to sex, he was still grateful to know that he was there for him.

North lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "You're not going to do that, are you?"

"No, probably not." he said and shrugged.

North shook his head. "Teenagers…" he said and rolled his eyes, a barely contained smile on his lips. "When you get older, the sex will not be so embarrassing."

"Uh…I guess." he agreed.

"Everyone does it!" North said and waved a hand in the air. "You know, Anna and I are-"

"Yeah, nope!" he said and quickly spun around, escaping into the hallway. "No. No. Nah-uh."

He hurried towards his room before he would find out something that would traumatize him for life. He heard North chuckling deeply inside the office, as he briskly walked away.

In his room, he found Hiccup lying on his stomach on the bed reading comic books, just like when he had left to take a shower. His boyfriend lifted his head as he approached after shutting the door quietly.

"Hey. Nice shower?" Hiccup said and smiled at him.

"Yeah..." he said. It had been a nice shower. What had followed had not been nice.

Hiccup's eyes drifted towards the bag in his hand. "What's that?"

"Uh…North sort of gave me a…sex talk." he said and grimaced. He threw the bag on the bed. "Look for yourself."

Hiccup frowned in confusion but sat up and opened the bag. Green eyes widened and he instantly closed it again. Jack imagined that must be how he looked when he opened it himself.

"Oh gods…" Hiccup said, rubbing his forehead with a hand.

"Yeah." he agreed.

"Do they think we're…?" Hiccup asked, breaking eye contact to stare at the floor. Clearly, this was awkward for him.

Oh, who was he kidding? It was awkward for him as well.

"No. They just want us to be safe when the time comes." he explained, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal even though it was.

"I see." Hiccup said and met his eyes again. "Well…that's…pretty embarrassing."

"You have no idea." he chuckled. "I had to sit through a bloody sex talk with North!"

"By Thor, I'm glad my dad has never tried to talk to me about that sort of thing." Hiccup told him with a smile that seemed to be a mix of relief and amusement.

"Yeah, be grateful for that. I think it'll haunt me forever." he joked.

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine."

"Anyway..." he said, eager to leave the awkwardness of everything that had just happened behind. "What are you reading?" he asked and slumped down on the bed.

"Some of your graphic novels." Hiccup explained and grabbed a few of the scattered graphic novels lying on the bed to show them to him.

"You seem to like The Joker." he said, as he examined the ones Hiccup had chosen from his bookcase.

"Yeah, he's interesting. Unpredictable. And the artwork in most of these is stunning."

"I figured you might like that." he said before he had an idea.

He quickly left the bed and let his eyes scan the titles of the comic books in his bookcase until he found the one he was looking for.

"Try reading this." he said and threw a Thor comic book in Hiccup's lap.

Hiccup looked at the cover of the comic book and his face instantly contorted in a look of confusion and disgust.

Jack laughed. That was exactly what he had expected to happen.

"Thor?" Hiccup asked rhetorically, as he began to flip through the pages. "This does not have much to do with Thor."

"Oh, I know." Jack said. "I just wanted to see that look on your face." he explained as he sat down on the bed again.

Hiccup's features twisted into a disgusted look.

"That's the one." he said and chuckled before Hiccup hit him gently on the head.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The chill of the air in his room was refreshing, as he left the comfort and warmth of his bed and his boyfriend to go to the bathroom. The moonlight shone through the windows as he walked down the hallway as quietly as he could to not wake anyone up. As he passed Emma's room, he noticed the door was open. He peeked inside and found her bed empty.

That wasn't good. He knew where to find her though. He padded further down the hallway, the bare soles of his feet against the soft carpet. When he reached the room he was looking for, the door was open just like he expected.

Emma was sitting on a couch by the window of the guest room, gazing out into the night. The pale light of the moon bathed her in a white glow and she looked so fragile in this moment that Jack's protective instinct immediately surfaced.

"Why are you in here, Kiddo?" he asked from the door.

"I couldn't sleep." she said, not turning to face him. Maybe she had already known he was there.

"Ah." he said, as he quickly approached her and slumped down next to her on the couch. "Bad dreams?"

"No…I just couldn't sleep." she said quietly, watching the full moon. Just like him, Emma remembered the stories about the man in the moon their father had told them and in times of emotional turmoil, she also still turned to that glowing orb in the sky for comfort.

"Something you want to talk about?" he asked and rubbed her back a few times.

"Maybe…" she said and bit her lip. She tore her gaze off the moon to meet his eyes.

He hummed. "Well…I'm here."

She watched him in silence, a ghost of a smile appearing and disappearing in a second.

"Jack?" she asked and the hesitance was obvious in her insecure eyes.

"Yeah?"

"When you graduate…will you be moving away?"

"Away?"

"With Hiccup."

"Yeah…that's the plan." he said. He and Hiccup were planning to move in together and settle down somewhere in the archipelago after they had graduated. Whether it would be on Berk or on some other island depended on the reactions from the other Vikings once they found out about their relationship.

"Oh…" Emma said, disappointing marring her usually cheerful face. "So…I won't see you much?"

"What? No, of course you will." Jack quickly assured her. "I'm going to learn how to apparate! Then I can come see you guys whenever I want! And I can bring you back to the archipelago with me as much as I want too." he explained and gave her a bright smile.

Emma's face lit up at that. "Really?"

"Yeah!" he said and grinned at her sudden change of mood.

"Well, that's not so bad then." she smiled, seeming at ease with this new information. He felt a little guilty for making her sad and worried like that. He hadn't thought she might think he would move away and almost never see her.

"No, it isn't. We're actually going to see each other a lot more than we do now, because I'll be able to come home whenever I feel like it."

Emma nodded, before the smile slowly vanished from her lips.

"What's on your mind, Em?" he asked, eager to comfort her in any way he could.

"I wish I was magical." she sighed and tore her eyes off him to watch the moon again.

"You're incredible just the way you are." he said and meant it. "Don't wish you were different."

She bit her bottom lip. "It's just…I could come with you to Hogwarts if I had magic and…you can do all of these amazing things…and I can't. I'm just a Muggle."

Jack put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "You'll never be "just a Muggle". And you don't have to have magic to be special."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Think of all the great people there has been throughout history. Most of them didn't have magic. And think about all the wonderful people we know, who don't have magic either. Like North and Anna. Wouldn't you say they're still special?"

"Yes."

"And so are you." he said and planted soft kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks Jack." she said, those brown eyes brimming with gratefulness.

"Any time, Kiddo." he said and nudged her shoulder. "You're the best little sister anyone could ask for."

Emma smiled at him, before a small yawn escaped her lips.

"Maybe we should get you to bed." he said.

"Yeah." she agreed and they both left their comfortable seats on the couch.

They padded down the hallway to Emma's room, where the door was still open. She crawled into her bed and Jack pulled the covers over her body. He stroked her hair a few times and she watched him with a wrinkled forehead, her brown eyes turning serious.

"Something else on your mind?" he said and tucked a lock of hair behind one of her ears. He needed to know she was okay before he could go back to sleep.

"Is Hiccup okay?" she asked quietly, seeming almost regretful to ask.

"What do you mean?" he said, his soft smile disappearing.

"Something bad happened to him...right?" she said, her eyes softening with sympathy.

He bit his lip and observed her for a few moments in silence, wondering what she had noticed. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "I just...had a feeling."

He sighed. This was yet another situation where Emma had figured something out on her own. Whether she really did have a sixth sense or she was just incredibly good at reading other people, he didn't know.

"Don't worry too much about him, Em. He's strong. He'll pull through." he told her and put on a reassuring smile.

It was true. Hiccup might struggle with the psychological effects of the torture for the rest of his live but Jack was certain that things would slowly get better and better in time.

She nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing and disappearing on her lips.

"Sleep tight. I love you." he said and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Love you too." she said.

When he slumped into his own bed, he shuffled closer to Hiccup and carefully put his arms around him. He buried his face in his hair and inhaled deeply before he closed his eyes and began to slowly drift into the sleeping world.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

"Em, why are you walking like this? Are you drunk?" Jack said and grinned as he held his sister's arms and forced her to walk all wobbly.

"No!" she said and giggled.

"I don't believe you! Look! You can't even walk in a straight line!" he said and made her wobble even more.

"You're doing that!" she said, continuing her unsure movements across the living room.

"I'm not even touching you!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Em, drinking is not for kids! You're in so much trouble!" Jack said and Hiccup laughed at that. His boyfriend came up with the weirdest ways to tease his loved ones sometimes.

"I haven't done anything!" she said, stomping a foot into the floor and glared at Jack, her twitching lips revealing her amusement.

Jack's smile fell for a brief moment before he caught himself. Hiccup found himself worrying. What was that about? What had made Jack sad all of the sudden?

"You clearly have!" Jack said and put on a smile. He looked at him. "Hic, back me up on this."

"You're clearly drunk, Emma." he said, his face in serious folds.

"Am not!" she said and tried to squirm out of Jack's grasp but failed.

"The wise elders have spoken!" Jack declared and chuckled. Hiccup was relieved that his boyfriend had quickly regained his cheerfulness.

"You're lying!" Emma spat, though it was clearly in good fun.

Jack gasped. "Are you accusing us of lying? That means…that you're lying! And you know what the punishment for lying is!" he said and let go of her.

Emma's eyes went round and her mouth formed a bright grin. Clearly, she knew what was coming. She turned and bolted across the room. He and Jack quickly followed and easily caught up with her by the front door before she managed to escape out into the front yard.

Emma was backed into the wall next to the door and she looked around her to find a way out of this even though there wasn't any. She reached into her pocket and pulled a pink object out.

"Get back! I have a glitter gun and I'm not afraid to use it!" she said, as she pointed a plastic gun at him and Jack.

"Bloody hell." Jack said. "Hic, we seriously don't want to mess with that shit."

"What?" he asked, looking back and forth between Jack and Emma.

"Do you know what that thing is?"

"Uh…yeah. A glitter gun?" he said, not quite understanding why Jack was so wary of a toy.

"Yeah. Have you ever been fired at with one of those?"

"Can't say that I have." he admitted.

"Trust me…we don't want to get involved with that diabolical toy. It takes weeks to get all of that glitter off again, so unless you want to walk around looking like a homemade birthday card from a 5 year old, we should back away."

"Point taken." he said. That was a situation he definitely wanted to avoid.

They both started to slowly back away and that was how 11 year old Emma intimidated two 17 year old guys with magical abilities by simply pointing a glitter gun at them.

They had spent the whole evening together as a family. He and Jack were returning to Hogwarts tomorrow, so it was their last night at Jack's house and they were both intent on enjoying the company of his wonderful family as much as possible. After a delicious dinner and all the talking and laughing that came with it, North and Anna had shown him pictures of Jack and Emma as little kids. He had enjoyed seeing all of those cute pictures of Jack doing all kinds of stuff, like building abnormal snowmen with a large number of carrot noses and arms, having waterballoon fights with Emma in the garden, stealing cookies from the kitchen when he thought no one was watching, dressing up as a Yeti, a snowman, a polar bear and other winter-related costumes for Halloween and plenty of other situations that made Hiccup smile. They had spent all evening by the fireplace, seeing pictures from Jack's and Emma's younger years and listening to the anecdotes North and Anna provided with the pictures. Of course there were only pictures from after Jack and Emma were adopted but Hiccup didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing. He knew Jack and Emma had pictures of their parents and their time with them but he assumed it was very bittersweet for them to look at.

When midnight approached, North and Anna decided it was time for Emma and them to go to bed. He and Jack however, weren't tired yet and they both felt like getting some fresh air, so they had decided to take a walk in the chilly night.

They had strolled along the empty streets, passing rows and rows of large, double story houses bathed in pale light and shadows. Some still had the lights on inside, others were darkened. The leafy crowns of the trees neatly placed along the sidewalks were swaying gently, the wind playing a soft melody that calmed Hiccup's mind. Above them, the stars were concealed by endless dark clouds, stretching across the heavens like a thick fog. The moon was occasionally permitted a moment to shine before the wispy darkness enveloped it once more, dimming its glow.

They laughed and discussed all kinds of things like what their friends had written in their letters and how happy Emma had been to get a ride on Toothless, as they made their way down sidewalk after sidewalk, hands entwined. It had only been a quick, careful flight but it was enough to send Emma into a frenzy of joy and laughter and she talked about it almost non-stop for the following days.

He glanced at his best friend, who trotted next to them. Toothless seemed happy to be out in the world. He explored their surroundings, occasionally stopping to sniff some flowers or bushes, listen to the sounds around them or scratch his claws against something.

As a lull in the conversation appeared, Hiccup's mind returned to their earlier encounter with Emma, when he had wondered why Jack's smile suddenly fell. He briefly considered if he should ask or not but quickly decided to do it. Jack was his boyfriend and he would give him any emotional support he needed.

"Jack?" he asked.

"Yeah." he felt his boyfriend's eyes on his skin.

"What's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"The way your smile disappeared suddenly when you were playing around with Emma earlier…what's wrong?" he said, hoping Jack would tell him even if it was difficult.

Jack sighed. Hiccup squeezed his hand tighter.

"It's just…" Jack began, eyes downcast, as they turned a corner and strolled down a new sidewalk. Shadows stretched across his pale skin, making it impossible to read his expression. "Emma, she…she looks so much like our mum."

"Oh…" Hiccup said, understanding washing over him.

"And the older she gets the more she looks like her and she…she has all this mannerisms that our mum had too and sometimes…sometimes I just get this…stab of sadness all of the sudden because she reminds me of her…and then I hate myself for it, because it's not Emma's fault and I really shouldn't feel that way." Jack explained, his voice almost lowering to a whisper as if he was ashamed to even speak the words.

He stopped abruptly and pulled Jack towards him. He couldn't stand hearing the self-loathing in his voice. He had to make it better somehow.

He put his arms around Jack in a gentle embrace and stroked his back slowly with a flat palm to soothe him. Jack wrapped his arms around him in response.

"Don't hate yourself for that." he told him. "You're only human, Jack. You miss your mum and you remember a lot more of her than Emma does. No, it's not Emma's fault but it's not your fault either."

"I just feel like such a…horrible brother when it happens. Like I'm somehow blaming her." Jack whispered, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Hey, look at me." he said and carefully pushed Jack back just a little, enough for them to look into each other's eyes. His hands held on to each of Jack's shoulders. "You are not a bad brother. You are wonderful with Emma and don't ever tell yourself otherwise. She adores you and you're always there for her no matter what."

"I just...wish I didn't feel that way sometimes...that she didn't remind me of her." Jack told him quietly, his blue eyes brimming with an insecurity that made Hiccup's heart ache for him.

"I know." he said softly. "But it's understandable. Emma looks like her. She does some of the same things. Of course that would remind you of her. But that doesn't make you a bad brother. And being sad once in a while because of that doesn't make you a bad brother either."

"Thanks, Hic." Jack said, an almost invisible smile flickering across his lips.

"Any time." he said and returned the smile as he let his arms drop to his sides.

He laced their fingers together and they looked at each other in comfortable silence as the self-loathing seemed to leave Jack's eyes bit by bit.

As sudden as a lightning strike, the dark skies opened and ropes of water came pouring down on them. Endless droplets smashed into the ground surrounding them in a blanket of noise. Gusts of wind swept chilly beads straight into their faces.

"Whoa!" Jack said, his lips parting into a grin as he looked up into the sky, letting the rain trail down his face.

"Yeah! We better get back!" he said, raising his voice to be heard properly over the myriad of wet drops shooting out of the clouds.

"Good idea!" Jack agreed.

They turned on their heels and began running down the sidewalk. Toothless quickly followed, the feline moving swiftly beside him, paws striking onto the ground.

Their wet shoes slapped down on slick stone, as they ran in the direction of Jack's house. Their clothes were already soaked and sticking tightly to their skin, the fabric gaining weight from absorbing the chilly water from the cloudy heavens. Hiccup's skin was cold, enveloped by drenched clothing and raindrops colliding with his face, running down his nose and cheeks. His hair had turned into a mess of thin soaked strands, some clinging to his forehead, others lying flat against his scalp and neck.

"We're almost there!" he heard Jack yell next to him.

He squinted his eyes to look ahead but his vision was obscured by the endless raindrops traveling towards the ground, resembling long white lines in the light from the lamp posts. As they turned another corner, Toothless meowed grumpily from next to him, the black feline clearly not content with raindrops soaking his fur. Along the slick, dark streets, large puddles had formed, some spilling into the sides of the road, flowing down the asphalt at a fast pace.

When they reached the private road that lead to Jack's house, Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. He was shivering from the cold, his sticky clothes were confining and water was sloshing around inside his shoes as he ran. He couldn't wait to get inside the house. He liked rain but he didn't like running in it and especially not when he wasn't properly dressed for it.

They quickly made their way through the gate to the front yard and in seconds, they had reached the red front door. Jack stuck his hand into one of the pockets in his soggy hoodie and fished out his keys, before unlocking the door.

Hiccup closed the door behind them with a soft click, while Jack flicked one of the light switches and the room was dimly illuminated by a single lamp on the wall. Rainwater dripped from their clothes, leaving tiny puddles on the stone floor. His shirt and trousers were wet and wrinkled, gripping his skin and chilly trails traveled down his neck and the sides of his head from his drooping locks.

They both removed their wet shoes and placed them by the door to dry. A few seconds later, their socks were off too, completely drenched.

Toothless shook his body, drops of water expelling from his black fur. His best friend slowly walked in the direction of the kitchen, probably wanting some food.

Jack hummed in thought and looked around them, both of their pairs of socks balled up in one hand.

"What?"

"I'm just…trying to figure out how to get our clothes in the washing machine without leaving water and dirt all over the house." Jack grinned.

"Ah." he said and took a few seconds to think about that as well. The room with the washing machine was at the other end of the house, so getting there without leaving a wet, muddy trail would probably be impossible.

When he looked at his boyfriend again, Jack's piercing eyes were fixed on him. There was something hidden in the depths of that blue gaze that made excitement and nervousness spread inside him instantly. He swallowed thickly as Jack slowly came closer and closer until they were standing right in front of each other.

They kept staring into each other's eyes, as Jack reached out and his slender fingers zipped down his hoodie carefully. That simple act already had Hiccup breathing irregularly with anticipation of where this might lead.

Jack grabbed one of the sleeves and pulled the drenched hoodie off him, liberating him from the unpleasant stickiness that clung to his arms. The hoodie was thrown to the floor and long, pale fingers moved on to clutch the bottom of his soaked green T-shirt.

They watched each other, completely mesmerized, as Jack slowly tugged it upwards. Hiccup put his arms in the air and felt the dripping shirt slide across his skin, as it was pulled off him obscuring his vision for a brief moment. Goosebumps formed endless tiny hills across his arms and neck, as the moist skin came into contact with air. He shivered, a chill creeping up his spine.

Jack dropped the shirt on top of his hoodie on the stone floor, forming a little pile of soaked fabric. Blue eyes lingered on his naked chest and stomach, the skin moist from the rain. Hiccup's heartbeat sped up as the familiar, intangible tension seeped into the very air around them.

His eyes drifted towards Jack's torso, where his soaked grey T-shirt hugged his skin tightly as if it wanted to be absorbed by him. The thin wet fabric made him able to see every plane, every curve and dip of Jack's chest and stomach through it and the beginnings of a deep craving was awoken from somewhere within him. Like a low rumble rising from the depths of a cave. His fingertips suddenly itched with the need to touch flawless skin. His lips tickled from the wish to capture that familiar warm mouth.

He gripped Jack's hoodie and got it off him as quickly as he could, his eagerness making the act clumsier than it had to be. The wet fabric joined his own clothes on the floor. He hastily pulled off Jack's T-shirt, exposing that delicious paleness. He licked his lips as he let himself take in that perfect skin. The unmarred smoothness of Jack's body was a contradiction to him; the lack of markings left him looking almost innocent, while the sheer creaminess of his skin; the paleness that seemed to almost glow, the delectable softness, made him the most irresistible temptation Hiccup had ever experienced. The thoughts of what he would like to do made his trousers tighter, as the blood rushed to his lower body.

Jack's soft hand brushed up his arm and the touch sparked an excited tickling in his stomach. He tore his eyes off his boyfriend's enticing chest and met his stunning blue eyes. There was something clear but unspoken in them. Something Hiccup understood without the need for words. Something that left him nervous and eager at the same time. The tension between them seemed to crackle in the air like flames consuming dry wood.

Droplets trailed wet paths down Jack's face from drenched, white locks. Hiccup followed them with his eyes and watched them slowly travel down Jack's delicate collarbone and onto his chest, caressing the smooth skin with their chilly touches. His boyfriend's pale chest rose and fell quickly, evidence that his breathing and his heartbeat was just as hectic as his own. That they shared that urgent yet hesitant desire. The inexperience that made them both uncertain but also the lust and the need to express their love for each other. Something deep inside him was incredibly pleased with that realization.

Jack's touch on his arm tightened. A thumb glided back and forth over the damp skin, smothering raindrops that rested there. Jack's intense eyes fixed on his chest as one of his hands slowly moved from his arm to his torso, soft fingertips gently outlining bones, muscles and scars. Slender fingers ghosted across his skin, making the hairs on his arms stand up. Jack's touches were teasing but almost non-existent. Skin barely grazing skin. And yet Hiccup's cheeks were flushed with desire and his hard on was pressing against his soaked trousers.

He met Jack's eyes again. His lips parted and shattered breaths left his mouth, as one of Jack's fingers carefully skated down his sternum. Those fingers had a talent for making his mind shut down and his throat go dry.

Jack bit his bottom lip and a small but definitely devious smile flickered across his tantalizing lips. Something snapped inside Hiccup and the last remnants of his self-control vanished. He had to get his boyfriend closer. He needed it.

He pulled Jack to him forcefully and smashed their bodies together, feeling their hard ons pressing against each other. His mouth captured those pale lips and his eyelids slammed shut. They both panted against each other's mouths as they consumed each other with kisses that were heated and hard; hungry and desperate; as if they had been starving but were finally allowed to eat.

He forced Jack backwards a few steps and pushed him into a nearby wall. Their naked, damp chests pressed firmly together and Jack gasped in surprise but quickly recovered and dug his fingernails hard into his back. They greedily ravaged each other's mouths, teeth clacking and noses brushing from the sheer urgency of their desires. His hands slid from Jack's neck to his shoulders, reveling in the moist warmth of the skin, gripping onto lithe muscles.

The feel of Jack's fingers delving hard into his back only made him more eager. He parted his lips and their hot tongues met in open-mouthed passion and playfully circled around each other. His fingers found dripping white locks and carded through them in erratic movements, mirroring the impatient hunger tightening inside him.

He let himself fall under the spell of slick lips and tongues, ragged breaths and demanding fingertips. Jack rolled his hips and rubbed their groins together. Hiccup was unable to hold back the moan that passed his lips but it was eaten up by Jack's mouth in their frantic tongue kissing. Jack's fingers raked along his back and sides urgently. Soon, they were both moaning and groaning into each other's mouths, fondling every part of each other's naked backs and necks and arms they could reach.

That familiar thirst was deepening inside him by the second but he wasn't sure he could hold back this time unless they stopped soon.

He tore his lips off Jack's and their dilated pupils locked, their faces so close to each other that their broken breathing was the only sound reaching his ears. He felt light headed from the arousal and need that had settled inside him and begged for him to continue this.

Jack tightened the grip around his back. Those blue eyes suddenly gleamed with determination and something needy that did unfair things to the restlessness in his boxers.

"I don't want to stop." Jack whispered breathlessly.

The implications of those words and the desire lacing every syllable left heat pooling in Hiccup's lower body. He wanted this. He wanted it so much it was almost unbearable.

"Me neither." he said and swallowed.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a second longer before they clashed their lips together again. Arms snaked around each other's bodies, pulling them as close together as physically possible, as their feverish French kissing resumed. Jack lowered his hands, long fingers gliding down his side and around his waist before they landed on the buttons on his trousers.

Hiccup exhaled shakily into the wonderful heat of Jack's mouth, as his boyfriend quickly undid his drenched, clingy trousers and let them drop to his feet. He stepped out of them and kicked them away, not breaking their fierce, sweltering attacks on each other's lips. He wasn't going to be the only one with no trousers on though and that thought only deepened the barely contained excitement inside him.

He found the button and zipper on Jack's black trousers and fiddled with them a little, as they continued to melt into each other's arms and mouths. As Jack moaned into the kiss, the sound pleasantly tickling the inside of his mouth, the trousers dropped to the floor with the satisfying noise of wet fabric slapping down on stone.

They rubbed the bulges in their boxers together, their hard ons only separated by the thin fabric. Gasps escaped their mouths from the amazing, torturous sensation and they increased the pace, trying to keep up with the emotions and urges creating chaos inside them.

They kept up the frantic pace for a while and when they slowed down again, their foreheads rested against each other. Warm breaths mingled and they seemed to simultaneously decide that enough was enough.

They slipped out of each other's embrace, panting heavily, and for a moment they were simply taking in the other's heaving chest, wet lips and large dark pupils brimming with the intense combination of love, lust and nervous excitement.

Jack licked his lips and even that small, seemingly innocent action made Hiccup want him even more.

"My room?" he asked.

"Yeah." he agreed breathlessly and was grateful that Jack's room was far away from his family's.

~~~~ Jack & Hiccup ~~~~

The door shut behind them and they were alone in the darkness, only the pale light of the moon flooding through a half open window making them able to make out their surroundings. The chill of the Spring night left the air around them refreshing and cool, a sharp contrast to the restless heat growing between them.

It only took Jack a few seconds to get back to where they were. He wanted to feel that warm, wet mouth, let his hands explore that slender body, rake through that soft brown hair. He wanted everything. And the urgency was rising inside him to dangerous levels.

Hiccup hummed with pleasure as their mouths joined again. Calloused fingertips rubbed Jack's back and he grabbed Hiccup's ass, the firmness of it beneath his fingers only adding to the thrill of arousal inside him. He kneaded it hard and eagerly, matching the rhythm of their greedy kisses.

Soft, cool droplets slowly made their way down Jack's face and onto his mouth from his still wet, drooping locks. Hiccup consumed them, kissing them right off his lips, before he pulled away. Jack sighed in contentment as his boyfriend began to kiss every wet bead on his face, drinking the rainwater right off his skin with heated lips.

His eyes slowly fluttered open and Hiccup made his way lower, down to his throat and onto his collarbone, sucking up every little drop as he went along like it was a delicious nectar. Wonderful tremors ran through his bones from the soft, warm lips on his moist skin and it made his cock twitch more eagerly in his boxers, reminding him of his desperate craving for his boyfriend.

Every aroused sound Jack made, every jerk and shiver that shook his body was a boost to Hiccup's confidence. His inexperience mixed his desire with uneasiness about what to do, but the way he could make Jack react with his touches and kisses made him feel bolder.

Jack's desire was strengthening inside him as warm, wet lips moved down his pale chest. He could only watch with love and arousal as Hiccup drank the last raindrops from his skin and lifted his head, letting their eyes meet.

Raindrops smashed onto the roof and the wet earth outside and the white glow of the moonbeams stretching into his room reflected beautifully in Hiccup's green eyes.

His chest swelled in that familiar way when he experienced a sudden burst of love for his boyfriend. He smiled before he gently pulled Hiccup into his arms and placed soft kisses on his lips, a calm contrast to the franticness of before. He brushed fingers along that strong, defined jawline and the subtle stubble that rested there. It was one of the things he found so insanely attractive about his boyfriend and it reminded him of how Hiccup had grown from small and scrawny to tall, strong and masculine.

He pushed Hiccup carefully towards the bed, not tearing his lips off him. He wanted to feel their naked bodies against each other. He wanted to uncover every part of Hiccup. Every bone, every muscle, every mark.

When the back of Hiccup's legs hit the edge of the large bed, he shoved him backwards gently and they fell onto the mattress together, bouncing a little as they connected with the soft surface. He rested some of his weight on his elbows as their lips kept separating and meeting again, picking up the pace once more in endless wet, blazing kisses that turned his mind to slush.

His hands slithered down Hiccup's lithe chest and stomach, still damp from the rain, savoring the way every scar, every freckle, every hair brushed against his palms. Their groins pressed together and the feel of Hiccup hardened underneath him took away the last of his restraint.

His fingers quickly moved further down his boyfriend's stunning body with a destination in mind. Hiccup took one of his lips into his mouth and bit on it, making him shudder with delight.

When he reached the top of Hiccup's boxers, he hesitated for a moment. This was another step in their relationship. The buzz of desire and thrill inside him blended with the uncertainty that came from never having done this before.

He pushed the nervousness down and focused on how his and Hiccup's lips fused together perfectly in a hot mess of jagged breaths, soft skin and warm saliva. How Hiccup's rough hands caressed his back sending trembles through his skin. How the arousing sounds spilling from Hiccup's mouth made him want him so badly. All the ways in which Hiccup drove him crazy. He relaxed as he lost himself in the moment and one of his hands glided across that wonderful firm stomach and stroked those two long, familiar scars.

Hiccup's head was spinning from all the intense sensations that filled him up. Jack's hands resting on his hips, so very close to his hard on, their slick tongues twirling around each other making his nerve endings tingle, the weight of his boyfriend's body on top of him. He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the familiar scent of Jack; refreshing peppermint and warm skin.

He could feel Jack's fingers move lower and run along the elastic on his boxers. He stiffened for a second, before he forced himself to relax into their kisses again. He wanted them to do this. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about that. Still, a small amount of anxiousness swirled in his gut but he tried to drown it out with the sheer intoxication of finally being so close and intimate with his boyfriend.

When Jack broke their kiss, Hiccup slowly opened his eyes. His boyfriend looked down at him with a soft gleam in his eyes but he could see a sliver of nervousness that matched his own. Jack leaned down and planted a quick, tender kiss on his lips, before lifting his body off him, sitting on his knees between his legs. When pale hands gripped his boxers and started to pull them down, Hiccup held his breath for a moment. He watched Jack intently, as he freed him from the underwear, exposing the most private parts of him.

There was nothing left to hide. He swallowed and his shoulders tensed. Self-consciousness stung in his heart for a second.

Jack sat on his knees and let his gaze wander along his body. A small, loving smile slowly spread across those pale lips. Blue eyes shone with reverance.

Hiccup allowed himself to breathe again and his muscles unclenched. The nervousness inside him began to subside. Jack was looking at him as if he was the most incredible person he had ever known.

His boyfriend leaned down, placing his palms on the mattress on each side of Hiccup's head. "Perfect." Jack murmured before he brushed their lips against each other. Hiccup sighed happily into the kiss, touched and excited by the sincerity in Jack's voice.

When they gazed into each other's eyes again, a smile tugged at his lips.

Jack shook his head as a look of wonder stretched across his face. "God, you don't even know, do you?" he asked softly as he brushed a moist brown lock away from his forehead.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"What you do to me." Jack told him, the words breathless.

Hiccup sucked in a breath from the sheer emotion lacing the words. He instantly grabbed Jack's neck and slammed their mouths together, impatient to show him that he felt exactly the same way. Jack filled him with so many intense emotions that it was almost maddening.

He consumed his mouth with hard, urgent kisses and hot play of tongues, earning him several shudders and pleasurable sounds in response. When he slowed down the pace again, he reached out to grip the side of Jack's boxers. He began to tug them downwards. He needed to uncover more of his enticing boyfriend, needed them to take that next step together. Jack helped him with one hand and a breath later, the underwear had joined Hiccup's on the floor.

Hiccup guided him down on to the mattress, so they lay on their sides, facing each other. Jack felt a light blush creep into his cheeks as Hiccup's eyes roamed across his naked body and a calloused hand slowly stroked his side, forming goosebumps on his skin. His breaths were shallow by nervous excitement, as he waited to look into Hiccup's eyes after having shown him every part of himself.

Soft lips pressed against his. Gently. Lovingly. Green eyes focused on him and in the darkness, shadows played inside, intensifying the swirl of emotions in them. Jack filled his lungs with air and exhaled slowly. Their legs entwined, warm soft limbs wrapping around each other, and he liked the way their skin looked together. His, pale and almost snowy in the moonlight, Hiccup's, a little darker with scattered scars and sprinkles of freckles. It was a beautiful contrast.

One of his hands found Hiccup's hair and glided through it. He adored the way the soft, wet locks tickled his fingers. His gaze traveled up Hiccup's body once more and their eyes locked. A silent understanding appeared between them, as small, reassuring smiles graced their lips.

This was not merely stripping off clothes. It was removing any remnants of façades. Defenses. Covers. In this moment, they were Jack and Hiccup in all their raw, flawed truth. Nothing left to conceal from the other. Exposed and vulnerable, a sign of the deep trust that had grown stronger and stronger between them since the day they began to get to know each other.

Hiccup continued to let his hand slide across Jack's side softly, as they stared into each other's eyes. He had often had the thought that there was something unearthly about Jack. Here, in the dark of the night, pale light flowing through the window, that thought felt more right than ever. Jack's eyes seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, a white glow swirling in shades of clear blue and it reminded Hiccup that he had never seen eyes more intense and beautiful. Delicate, wet strands were swept across his forehead, drooping from the weight of rainwater but no less soft and inviting. His milky skin was the purest white, shadows and moonlight dancing across him, caressing high cheekbones, a slender nose, smooth lips, the contours of that wonderfully lithe yet athletic torso that beckoned Hiccup's fingertips to run along every inch of it.

"You're...gorgeous." he told him, unable to keep the words inside. He needed Jack to know how stunning he was. That in moments like this, he could knock the breath right out of him. That he was hopelessly in love with him.

Jack smiled at him and relief appeared in those blue eyes. He must have been a little nervous too. How could he not be? They were doing this for the first time.

He pressed his lips on Jack's and sighed with satisfaction. A soft warmth spread through his cheeks from the words he had just said but right now, blushing didn't matter. Jack was all that mattered.

Usually, he did everything he could to avoid vulnerability. It reminded him of his damaged ego. It fed the self-loathing inside him.

This was different.

And as white fingers kept running through his hair as if they could never get enough, he knew he was going to plunge right into it instead of putting up walls. He could see Jack's emotions written plainly on his face and he knew they were evident on his own features too. This was not an emotional gamble. They shared a deep love and trust that was unlike anything Hiccup had ever experienced with another human being before and the hungry lust that sprouted from that love was eating into both of them.

His mouth found Jack's neck, sucking at the unmarred skin. He heard his boyfriend make a noise in the back of his throat. It sounded eager and needy and he found he had an intense want to hear Jack make more of those sounds.

He nipped and kissed and sucked all along the side of Jack's neck, while one of his hands slid up and down those creamy, bare thighs. His own arousal only grew more impatient, as his hands moved dangerously close to Jack's groin while his mouth devoured that pale, soft neck to drive Jack further into the fire. The desperate mewls and groans that slipped from Jack's mouth were amazing and he could feel him quiver wonderfully beneath his fingertips.

Slender arms wrapped around him and gripped on to him tightly, as he gently bit into flawless skin, leaving pink marks on pale softness. Jack moaned into his shoulder, the warm breath settling on his skin, matching the heat in his veins.

He sucked in a breath in surprise, as a soft hand suddenly cupped his naked groin. His hands stopped moving and his lips froze in the middle of a kiss, as a jolt of excitement ran up his spine.

Pale fingers stroked and rubbed the most intimate part of him and he was about to say something but it melted into small, shattered moans. Jack sucked on his lower lip before kissing him deeply and he let him take charge because his brain was shutting down.

One of his hands found its way to Jack's back and burrowed into the skin, trying to convey the restless passion that ruined his ability to think any clear thoughts. Because Jack was touching his cock and it was fucking mind-blowing. He tore his lips off Jack's and rested his face on his neck, unleashing short, broken breaths into his boyfriend's paleness.

"Is this okay?" Jack whispered in his ear, his voice low and breathless.

Hiccup trembled and he wasn't sure if it was from the warm breath on his sensitive skin or the desire he could clearly hear in his boyfriend's tone.

"Y-yeah." he said and couldn't stop the groan that found its way through his lips. He resisted the strong urge to buck his hips towards Jack and push his cock further into his hand. Gods, this was beyond 'okay'. This was amazing. He desperately wanted more of this.

Jack carefully pushed him onto his back and Hiccup didn't protest. His boyfriend leaned against his side, their naked flesh connecting, and continued stroking him eagerly. The warm, intimate rubbing of skin made Hiccup fall further and further into a dizzying haze. He leaned his head back, his eyes shutting tightly, as he gripped onto the sheets.

Jack wasn't sure how long he could hold back. He was being driven mad by Hiccup's shudders, every arousing sound rising from his throat, how his eyelashes fluttered and his cheeks flushed. Hiccup grabbed onto his neck and forced their mouths together, working his tongue past his lips urgently, as if it was a matter of life and death. The pure thrill of touching his boyfriend there for the first time, feeling- and listening to how it turned him on was making the sizzling pit of lust brew between them and Jack's head was swimming.

He pushed Hiccup's head away and in a few, quick moves, he was on top of him, holding his weight up with his knees and palms. Their eyes met for a brief moment and the sight made him unable to take it anymore. Hiccup's lips were parted and gleaming with a thin sheen of saliva, his brown hair was a wonderful damp mess and his eyes were half-lidded and darkened with the need for more.

He was mouth-watering and Jack sure as hell wasn't going to deny him anything.

He rolled his hips and the bed springs squeaked in protest. They both gasped as their soft, naked groins rubbed against each other and the most delicious heat flowed through him, warming his very core with its animalistic urges.

"B-bloody hell." he breathed out shakily, the friction sending shots of electricity through his blood.

"Y-yeah." Hiccup agreed breathlessly. He couldn't form any other words. His mind was slowly burning up from the flames inside him that Jack fed with every touch.

Jack kept grinding their crotches together, leaning over him. Their faces were so close to each other that their warm, shattered breaths mingled in the air. Their eyes were fixed on each other, taking in the ways the other's face twisted with pleasure. Here, alone in the dark, naked and wanting, they could finally let go of the restraints and allow their appetite for each other to unfold.

Jack's hands brushed across Hiccup's torso, feeling that enticing slender body beneath his fingertips. Lithe muscles and scars. Hiccup's nails raked along his back, one moment scratching the skin and the next, burrowing into it, as if he was trying to ground himself from the overwhelming feelings inside him.

The rain thrummed on the roof, droplets splashing in a calming melody that was a stark contrast to the lusty breathless moans escaping from both their mouths. The air was warming around them, chasing away the chill of the night with the blazing friction between their naked bodies.

Every finger placed on warm, naked skin, every erratic breath, every meeting of wet lips, every passionate sound, every look of adoration spoke of just how much they needed and wanted each other.

Hiccup dug his nails into Jack's hips. He felt the bones moving beneath smooth, milky skin and he clutched them tight, pushing Jack back and forth, helping him grind their crotches together faster. His heart was bumping against his ribcage at a rapid pace and the way a myriad of pleasurable, tiny expressions were rippling across Jack's face was making the white-hot desire in his lower body burn hotter.

Jack was basking in the dizzying friction between them, losing himself in the heat and pleasure of their naked hard ons and the amazing whimpers and groans coming from his boyfriend.

When a long moan seeped from those amazing lips, he couldn't contain himself anymore. He needed more of that. He needed to make Hiccup come undone.

In a few movements, he was lying down next to Hiccup, leaning against his side. Green eyes watched him, a silent question shining in them. He gave him a small, reassuring smile and pressed their lips together. It was slow and loving, smacking sounds slipping from the deep yet tender kisses.

His palms dragged up and down Hiccup's stomach slowly, at times coming very close to his groin. Hiccup tried to bite back a moan but it escaped his lips and Jack's mouth eagerly swallowed it. He continued his teasing touches and savored the way his boyfriend's cock twitched with want every time his hand came near. The thought that Hiccup wanted him so badly made satisfaction hum in his blood, his own hard on getting more straining.

After a particularly delectable hiss of pleasure, he decided it was enough. He wanted more and he knew that Hiccup definitely wanted more as well.

His fingertips slowly slid up Hiccup's cock and his boyfriend gasped into their kiss. Jack gently pulled his lips away and looked at him. Green eyes gleamed with emotion and the soft light among the darkness brought out every little freckle dotting his cheeks. Jack experienced a familiar twinge of love in his chest. He was a fool for this guy and he wanted to make him feel good.

"Okay?" he asked, to be sure it was all right. Hiccup nodded and licked those soft lips that begged to be claimed by his mouth again.

He closed his hand around Hiccup's arousal and his curled grip slowly began moving up and down. Hiccup did a little jerk, exhaling sharply.

"Oh gods." his boyfriend whispered, as his green eyes closed and he threw his head back onto the mattress.

"Good?" he asked, even though Hiccup's reaction was clear. But an animalistic part deep inside him wanted to hear him say it.

"It's- " Hiccup said, before his words melted into a moan. "Amazing." he choked out. "Fuck..."

A self-satisfied smile made it across Jack's lips. Hearing and seeing how he was affecting Hiccup was making him grow more confident. He no longer felt uncertainty stinging inside him and he decided to experiment a little. He wanted to get to know his boyfriend's body. Discover what really got Hiccup going. What could make him lose all control. What would make him desperate for release.

He let his fingers softly caress the shaft, he twisted his wrist as he gripped it and moved up and down, he let a fingertip gently brush over the head. He tried various things and listened and watched Hiccup squirm and pant, chest rising and falling quickly, hands clenching and eyebrows knitting together. He quickly found out what made particularly loud, delectable noises slip from Hiccup's lips. What made him twitch with pleasure and grip the sheets extra tight.

He continued pleasuring his boyfriend, savoring all the sounds, the expressions, the movements coming from him. He could look at him and listen to him all day, enjoying how it made that hot, greedy tension build inside himself as well, his cock swelling from the thoughts of making Hiccup come.

Hiccup suddenly sat up, interrupting what he was doing to him and Jack couldn't help the confused frown that appeared on his face.

"I want us to do it together." he said and Jack understood what he meant. He needed a break, so they could please each other at the same time afterwards.

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. Hiccup returned it and scooted over to him. He pushed him down onto the mattress and settled between his legs. Jack's breathing sped up from the uncertain excitement. Hiccup lay down on his stomach and glanced at him. He quickly nodded to give his permission for him to do what he wanted.

Hiccup's tongue slowly dragged along the skin of his pale inner thighs, so very close to that place he so desperately wanted him to put his mouth. His cock throbbed with anticipation as Hiccup continued to tease him, licking and kissing his thighs, sometimes even nipping the sensitive skin. His fingernails delved into the mattress, as he sighed and hissed with wonderful, impatient delight. His eyes shut tight, his body only focusing on the amazing sensations inside him.

He ached for Hiccup to do more, to give him blinding pleasure until he writhed and screamed and couldn't remember his own name.

Suddenly, warm, soft lips pressed against the head of his cock and his body jerked. He grabbed the sheets in tight fists and couldn't stop the string of moans that left him, as Hiccup began to place hot, tender kisses and small licks up and down his shaft.

"Oh god." he whispered in between his broken breaths. "God, that feels so good...yes...yes". This was the most amazing feeling in the world.

Hiccup drove him to the brink of insanity with his mouth. He licked and nipped and sucked all along his cock from the base to the head, coaxing all kinds of sounds from him that he couldn't contain even if he tried. But he didn't care. All he cared about in this moment was that Hiccup didn't stop making him feel so unbelievably good.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile a little at the sounds Jack made. Every whimper, every groan and sigh confirmed that he was slowly making Jack lose his mind. It made a dark passion howl inside him. He wanted to hear Jack moan his name. To see him squirm with desire. To watch the expressions dancing across his face, as he came from the pleasure he brought him. He was completely enthralled by his boyfriend and the lust that bubbled deep within him.

Sparks of delight rippled through Jack, as his boyfriend continued the blissful trails of kisses and sucking on him. His fingers scrambled along Hiccup's shoulders, nails pressing down on firm skin and muscle.

His cock was wrapped in amazing, hot wetness, as Hiccup took the head in his mouth and let his tongue slowly twirl around it. Jack's eyes slammed shut and he rolled his hips before he could stop himself. The warm, wet mouth pressed on the tip of his hard cock from all sides and began to slowly move down, taking in more and more of him.

He gasped and gripped on to the sheets as hard as he could. He squirmed, unable to lie still and his breathing was ragged and loud against the quietness of the dark night.

Hiccup replied to his reactions by moving up and down painfully slowly.

He writhed against the warm bed as the blazing heat inside him bloomed to levels he had never experienced before. It was the most amazing sensation and he wanted it to fill him up until his brain was charred and smoking from the delicious thrill.

That inexperienced yet talented mouth sucked eagerly on his cock, slathering it with hot saliva and calloused hands rested on his hips, fingernails digging into his pale skin and bones.

His knees had begun to tremble and his mind was in pieces, ripped apart by the intoxicating pleasure and need for more that streamed through his veins, collecting in his lower body. His hand found Hiccup's head and he weaved his fingers impatiently through moist, brown tresses in quick, hard caresses, desperate to find some way to express his overwhelming bliss.

Salty skin mixed with saliva coated Hiccup's taste buds and lips. His jaw ached but he wasn't going to stop bringing Jack pleasure. It was addictive to feel him quiver and squirm under his fingertips, to hear him having trouble breathing and whimpering from the urgent need growing inside him.

"Hiccup. Oh god." Jack moaned and Hiccup's mind was getting dizzy because it just couldn't be possible to love and want someone this much. His name rolling off Jack's tongue in breathless desire threatened to make him snap and he desperately wanted to hear it again. He watched his boyfriend's eyelashes fluttering lightly and his mouth opening one moment, eyelids shutting tightly and his jaw clenching the next, savoring all the changes in Jack's captivating expressions.

Jack's hand suddenly grabbed his arm and squeezed. He stopped and lifted his head. Those stunning blue eyes were an arctic fire as Jack watched him like he had never wanted anything more in his life. The moonlight bathed his face in a soft glow and his wet hair was disheveled from the rain and Hiccup's greedy hands. His delicate, pale cheeks were heated with desire, a faint pink seeping into the skin.

Jack pushed him to the side carefully, so he sat up and Jack quickly scooted over to him. They sat in front of each other cross-legged, as Jack wrapped his pale arms around him and smashed their lips together. Their bare, wiry legs entwined, as hot mouths fused in desperate, sweltering attacks. Hiccup could feel Jack's deep craving for him in their burning kisses and he had the same intense yearning setting his mind and body ablaze. He scratched his nails down Jack's soft sides and Jack grabbed his hip tightly.

Another hand closed around his cock and he exhaled shakily into their steaming, wet kisses. Jack moved his hand while he tore those pale lips off his mouth and kissed a path down to his neck. He clutched Jack tighter, his fingers delving into the muscles on his back, as Jack sucked and bit the skin on his neck eagerly, like it was a delicious meal.

He dipped his head and rested his mouth on Jack's shoulder, breathing heavily from the way his boyfriend made that amazing yet unbearable, hot tightness inside him increase even more.

"Gods, I want you so much." he panted into Jack's skin and Jack hummed against his neck. His hand quickly found Jack's cock, closing around it. He knew he wouldn't last much longer and he needed Jack to reach that wonderful ecstacy with him.

A choked off gasp worked its way past Jack's lips, as they pleasured each other, quick sloppy movements that conveyed the frantic, impatient need inside them.

Jack couldn't think anything anymore. He dug his hand into Hiccup's thigh so hard he was certain it would leave bruises. His mind and body was consumed by the fire between them. Their warm, broken breaths. Their moans and grunts and whimpers. Their warm hands around each other's hard dicks, the friction bringing them both closer and closer to the edge.

Their bodies shone in the moonlight with a thin sheen of sweat as they fed on each other's desire. Gasps and moans, words of encouragement and euphoria spilled from their mouths. The air in the room had thickened with heat and a faint smell of sweat enveloped them, their bodies blazing, as if they were made of pure dragon flame.

Hiccup increased the pace, sliding his hand up and down Jack's dick faster, as he felt his body tremble against him.

"Yes...yes...that's it." Jack panted as he sped up too, the urgency rising in both of them.

Hiccup's brain short-circuited as the world disappeared around them and nothing existed but Jack. Wonderful, burning pressure built within him, promising him the ecstacy he so desperately craved. He wanted to reach out and grab it. To run straight into the blissful haze of release, where nothing mattered but sweet, overwhelming euphoria.

"Jack." he choked out and was overwhelmed by just how much he needed this. "Oh gods, yes..."

Any sense of time disappeared as they lost themselves in the blistering satisfaction they brought each other, their minds in a thick fog of feverish exhilaration. Their hands pleasuring each other, their whimpers and moans, their bodies shivering and tingling as every nerve inside them burned with sweet heat made any coherent thought impossible. All that mattered were each other and the lust that was quickly reaching its peak.

"Hiccup." Jack gasped for air. "I'm gonna- , I'm close to-"

"Me too." Hiccup said, panting into the skin on his neck.

They both came, one shortly after the other, in a blur of gasps and cries as they finally reached that intoxicating high together. The other's name rolled off their tongues and they gripped each other tightly as warm liquid splattered onto their stomachs, the ecstacy rippling through them, making them shudder and twitch with unrestrainable, blissful spasms.

They panted into each other's necks and continued their warm embrace as they slowly came down from this new dimension of pleasure and thrill they had discovered.

After a little while, their breathing calmed and their heartbeats slowed down once more. They slipped out of each other's arms and collapsed onto the soft bed, completely spent and over-sensitive from the high they had just experienced.

Their bodies were limp as if the bones inside them had melted from the pure pleasure of coming. Jack lazily wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed in contentment as his muscles had turned to goo, feeling more relaxed than ever before. He glanced at Hiccup who was lying on his back, cheeks flushed, hair in a sweaty mess, eyes glazed over with bliss and calm. He was the most beautiful sight Jack had ever seen.

He grabbed some tissues from his nightstand and inched closer to his boyfriend, his movements lazy and clumsy from his body's protests. They shared a brief, sloppy kiss before he cleaned them both up and rested his head on Hiccup's chest, his boyfriend's fingers getting tangled in his sweaty hair.

There were no words shared between them as they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, exhausted in the afterglow. They didn't need words. They had taken another step in their relationship and the bliss had been like nothing they had ever experienced before.

Author's note:

So...finally you guys got some actual action! I know many of you have been dying for some sexual stuff. I've never written any kind of smut before so I hope it didn't disappoint.

Now I'm going to turn off my computer and go to bed. It's 4.30 AM over here and I'm in desperate need of sleep...

Guest reviews:

Pooka-Spirit: Thank you Pooka! It makes me really happy to know that you're so addicted to my story :D

Fangirling guest: He he, I like the enthusiasm! :)

Guest: Thanks for the cookies! ;) You said you were excited for when they couldn't restrain themsleves anymore, so I hope this chapter brought you some happiness!