Chapter Text
Just close your eyes
For the second day in a row Hiccup had beaten Jack after school was let out. The warm temperatures signaled that school would be ending soon and the fantastic two months of summer would begin. Hiccup wouldn't have to deal with Snotlout and the twins all summer, maybe he could probably try to hang out with Jack too. Then in the fall Snotlout would be gone, leaving elementary school and going across the street to the oh so large middle/ high school, but then so would Jack. Things would be alright wouldn't they? Jack would still walk home with him wouldn't he? Or would he get new and better friends and forget the small dorky kid he saved from being bullied?
Thoughts swirled through his head in an frenzied tornado that for a moment Hiccup didn't see Jack slowly walking over to him, head down and eyes hidden behind his white bangs. After a second Hiccup jumped a little, hiding his squeak of fright behind a chuckle. "Hey, what took you so long?" he asked curiously.
Jack just quietly stood in front of the boy, not moving, face still hidden. Something in Hiccups stomach fluttered with worry. "Jack? What's wrong? I was just ki-" "It's nothing, Hic." blinking, the auburn hair boy stood there a moment over the sudden new nickname. But that wasn't what had made the fluttering in his stomach grow, it was his voice. The usually happy and enthusiastic voice was gone, now more quite and sad. Hiccup truly began to worry about him, what was wrong?
"Jack, look at me. What's wrong?" Jack stood as still as a statue. The silence was practically unnerving for the poor boy. Hiccup grabbed Jack shoulders and made the boy look at him. "Jack! You-" his sentence caught in his throat as he saw a small bruise on his cheek. Almost immediately the fluttering of his stomach turned into a clenching in his chest. Was that why he was acting different.
Cerulean blue met forest green and Jack gently moved out of Hiccup's touch. "It's nothing, I got hurt today in gym", it was a lie and Hiccup knew it. "Come on, let's go." Jack dead panned as he began to walk away from the school. The younger boy quickly went into step beside his upset friend.
What could he do? He didn't like seeing Jack like this, not at all. They hardly spoke, Hiccup mainly asking questions, anything but the bruise, to try and get the other boy to talk. He tried joke, didn't even get a smirk, he tried telling funny stories, again the same result. What else could he try? By the time he thought this both boys were at Hiccups street.
"See you tomorrow Hi-" Jack began before a hand took firm hold of his wrist and practically dragged him down the street. "Wait, what are you doing? Hiccup let go!" Jack said and struggled in the boys grip, for someone so small he was actually kind of strong.
"You aren't leaving my side till you tell the truth and feel better." Hiccup said bluntly. He had tried Plan A and that didn't work, so time for Plan B.
The sun is going down
Hiccup had dragged Jack to his house, determined to try and help. Jack had protested over half of the way but after they passed the third house the brunette finally gave up. It seemed that there was no way out of it. Jack felt awkward, usually he was the one trying to make others feel better, no one had ever tried to do the same for him.
"Nana? I'm home! And we have company." The boy said as he took his shoes off, Jack reluctantly did the same and placed his beside Hiccups on the old towel. Hiccup led Jack into the kitchen where his grandmother was sitting at the table cutting something out of a newspaper. "Nana?"
The little woman turned and smiled. "How was your day?" She smiled at her grandson and that was when her eyes landed on the second boy. "And who might this be?"
Jacks cheeks burned lightly as he moved from behind Hiccup and stood beside him. "Jack, mam."
"Nana can he stay for a bit, please?" Hiccup begged. It was new, Hiccup never mentioned any of his friends, never went to their houses, or invited anyone over so when the little woman heard the sudden request she could not help the excitement that filled her voice.
"Well I don't see why not! On one condition though." Both boys looked at her as she grabbed the cordless house phone from the table and handed it to Jack. "Just call your parents and make sure they know where you are and that it is alright with them." The older boy took the phone and nodded his head before punching the memorized numbers of his mothers work.
After a few minutes of Jack and Nana talking to Jack's mother the boy let his first smile crack through. His mother had given him permission to stay and would be there at seven thirty to pick him up. Hiccup jumped around excitedly, the first friend ever to stay at his house he couldn't believe it.
"Now do you too want a snack before I start on supper?" Nana asked as she poured both something to drink.
"No thank you", came the answer simultaneously. The boys just grinned, Hiccups worry begging to die down as well as Jack was slowly starting to act like himself again. "Do you have your cards?" Hiccup asked curiously. Jack furiously nodded his head, mouth full of chocolate milk. "Bet I can beat you!"
The boys hopped out of their seats, grabbed their bags and ran to Hiccups room both saying how they are going to beat the other.
Five games later Hiccup was winning by one. Both boys glared at one another over their hand and smiled to themselves, thinking that they were going to best the other. "I'm gonna make my Ivysaur razor leaf your Squirtle and that is the end of him!" Jack said excitedly. He was so close to winning this game that he could smell it.
Hiccup put his Squirtle card into the the graveyard pile but the smile didn't disappear. "Then I choose Vulpix." The boy kept smiling and laid down the first card ever given to him by the brunette. Jack silently glared at the card because he had no other Pokemon in his hand and nothing to help him. He was most likely going to lose, again.
"Boys, dinner is ready." The little woman opened the door and the smell of chicken and herbs slithered into the room. Stomachs growled at the two put down their cards and ended in a truce and went together.
Chicken, rice, corn, and rolls a perfect dinner was sitting on the table along with full glasses of chocolate milk. The two excitedly hopped into the same chairs as they did earlier and began to dig in.
"So Jack, might I ask what happened to your cheek? That's quite a bruise." Nana asked part way through their dinner. The question immediately made Jack's mood chance, and Hiccup saw it.
"Um... a bully got me." He answered quietly. A bully? Hiccup thought, remembering earlier Jack had said that it was something in gym.
"Hiccup has had his fair share of bullies, but he has taken tai quan doe since preschool, haven't you?" Nana said idly before taking a bite of a roll. "I've alway told him that if a bully hits him then to take him out, but if he starts the fight."
"I can go to the garage, grab a shovel, and start digging my grave in the backyard." Hiccup finished and he knew she was telling the truth. Jack looked at Hiccup wide eyes. It was true that he had taken tai quan doe since then, going in with the adults with his father because he was afraid to be in a class with other kids. But Hiccup was terrified of using what he had learned outside of class. He couldn't do it, not to anyone, ever.
Hiccups cheeks burned with embarrassment as he ate his chicken. The subject then thankfully changed as the three slowly finished their dinner.