Chapter Text
Hiccup was in a desperate situation.
He was scrutinizing with determined attention the windows glittering with reflections of the lights that decorated the walls, looking for a miraculous solution, racking his brain to find some ideas. Beside him, her face muffled in a scarf and several shiny bags in her hand, Astrid did the same.
"I give up. This is the third time we've been around the mall, my leg hurts and I'm pretty sure that security guard in the corner is about to come here for a chat," Hiccup announced, stopping midway between a jewelry store and a shoe shop. Several people circled around him grumbling, annoyed at his sudden halt. Hiccup was too tired to care.
"I don't understand what's got into you. What happened to the Supreme Lord of Presents?" Astrid laughed as she shook her head, using the nickname invented by the Thorston twins.
Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek. "It's like a creative block. I don't know where to look anymore."
"Finding a gift for Jack shouldn't be that hard," Astrid said. "He's your boyfriend. You can just get him something useful, that's always appreciated."
Hiccup sighed mournfully. That was exactly his problem.
What could he get for a vampire?
It was the question he'd been agonizing over for days, the same one that had driven him to the extreme of asking Astrid to go with him to Port Angeles for a Christmas hunt.
The first time the problem occurred was exactly one year ago. Hiccup was starting to make some real progress with his new prosthetic, but it was still early to go on a plane, so his mother had come to Forks to celebrate together. Jack had come to visit to wish them merry Christmas and bring a large package for Hiccup, who had become suspicious as soon as he'd held the wrapped box in his hands. In fact, when he'd unwrapped the brand new videogame console, with its glossy surface, sleek shapes and an instruction booklet about the size of a bible, Hiccup's meager gift had suddenly seemed inadequate.
Instead, Jack had flashed one of his best squinty smiles and had never stopped wearing his new sports watch. It was a nice model, even though it had been bought with savings still suffering from the medical bills for Toothless, yet Hiccup had never forgotten the sense of guilt.
The second time had been in February, on his birthday. The smaller box had fooled no one: Hiccup had thanked Jack after rubbing his temples and forcing himself to shut up and smile so as not to ruin the party, while his friends were busy with giving surprised comments about the fancy laptop. When he'd tried to start a discussion about gifts with Jack, later, he had immediately closed the discussion by saying that he'd found it on sale.
It was a depressing thing to think about, and definitely unromantic, but the problem was purely economic. There was really no other way to say it, Jack had much more money than him and he didn't mind spending it on the people he loved.
It had been with great difficulty, therefore, that Hiccup had managed to make him promise not to exceed the three digits next Christmas, on a day when Jack had attempted with very little casualness to 'forget' a car magazine in his room. The mere assumption that Jack was seriously considering buying him a car had finally got him talking.
So now Hiccup only had to decide what he would get him. He wanted to pick something Jack would really appreciate, also because the Frosts didn't celebrate birthdays and Hiccup owed him an extra gift, but after the watch Hiccup's ideas were already gone. So much for the Supreme Lord of Presents.
Tuffnut and Ruffnut had nicknamed him so in honor of his alleged ability to choose gifts, since they had exchanged gifts the previous December 25th. With six of them (eight if Jack and Toothiana were counted), Astrid had suggested organizing a Secret Santa to avoid spending too much money on so many people, but Snotlout had insisted on getting something from each one of them.
Ability or not, Hiccup's dilemma persisted.
Jack didn't use perfume or jewellery, didn't have to shave, always wore the same three or four hoodies in rotation, disdained all types of footwear like a cat detests water, and didn't eat human food. Most importantly, he already owned any kind of technological item one could ever want.
A real nightmare.
The only human activity left was self-hygiene, but Hiccup would have rather lost his other leg than buying Jack a bath set like an unimaginative aunt.
He couldn't explain to Astrid why he couldn't just get something like that and get it over with, so he used the second but no less important motivation.
"I can't pick 'something useful' and go home, Astrid. Not after that damn laptop."
"I thought you were glad to replace that old junk of yours."
"You know what I mean!"
"By the way," Astrid said, pausing thoughtfully by the jewelry window, "do you know anything about Jack's present for you?"
Hiccup followed her gaze along the row of necklaces and earrings decorated with elegantly cut gems, their colors glittering under the spotlights. The comparison to Jack's diamond skin came naturally. Hiccup's wallet didn't agree with that thought.
Astrid's blue eyes were fixed on a velvet display containing several rows of rings.
"He wouldn't dare," Hiccup stated with an assurance that hid a slight panic. "He knows I'd always take it off when I have to work on something. And also I forbade him from spending too much. It wouldn't make sense to fall back on a less expensive ring than these, right?"
…Right?!
Astrid raised her hands. "Okay, maybe we're not looking in the right place."
"What do you suggest then?"
"How about… there?" she said pointing to the supermarket on the opposite side of the mall.
Hiccup followed her through the central hall, pushing his way through the small crowd gathered around the large red-and-gold decorated tree and set built for Santa. He saw a glimpse of the man of the hour sitting with a little girl in his arms, complete with pom-pom hat, glasses on nose, and obviously fake white beard. He reminded him of North, Jack's adoptive father.
Entering the supermarket bustling with people hunting for supplies for dinner, with Michael Bublé up to eleven on the radio, Hiccup and Astrid explored the looted aisles. He'd followed her more to be able to say that he'd tried everything, than out of real interest, not understanding what they could possibly find there, apart from off-brand eggnog and sad-looking turkeys. In the end they got to the checkouts, which were separated from the shelves by a display of discounted mixed products.
And there it was.
A food mixer box caught Hiccup's attention, and he got closer, dragging Astrid after him.
"Look, it's perfect!"
Of all the passions one could expect from Jack, cooking was the least he would think of.
He'd shown up unannounced at Hiccup's house one April afternoon with a suspicious-looking container wrapped in tinfoil and the most ill-concealed grin ever, and it had turned out that Jack's intention was to cook for Hiccup, because of his habit of taking advantage of frozen foods out of laziness. Hiccup was quite convinced that the sudden culinary twist was due to some talk on balanced nutrition overheard from Toothiana, and that Jack had begun to worry about his health.
It was sweet, even if this meant enduring hard days punctuated by very salty appetizers and not very tasty first courses; despite having learned the technicalities pretty soon, Jack lacked human tastes, and getting certain subtleties right had proved to be a big challenge.
However, he was visibly improving, and Hiccup, who had had to learn to fend for himself in the kitchen to avoid his mother's deadly efforts and his father's uninspired dishes, was happy to eat whatever Jack cooked for him. The vampire had just gone through a bread phase and was starting to delve into the world of baking.
"Check the price!" Astrid said.
It didn't take Hiccup long to locate the label with the number corrected in sharpie. It was more than he'd expected to pay, but with his gift rule he hadn't specified how much he could spend, had he? It would partially compensate for the console, the computer and the countless meals prepared by Jack. Oh, and the tuxedo from last year's prom. And the coat. And the Swiss Army knife.
Jesus.
"I'll go pay so we can get out of this place. If I have to hear All I want for Christmas is you again, I'm going to scream," Hiccup said as he lifted the heavy box.
Finally.
"So. How's work going?" Astrid asked as she drove them back to Forks.
Hiccup looked away from the rows of courtyards decorated with snowmen, red-nosed reindeers and huge candy canes, which followed one another outside the window of the SUV.
Calling it work was generous to say the least. To make some money, Hiccup had started babysitting a neighbor's children three nights a week. He wasn't the best with kids, but at least he'd be able to buy a used car in a few years. Or decades.
"Good. I do the eldest's math homework, and in return they tell their mother what a wonderful babysitter I am," he laughed.
Astrid rubbed her fingertips on the steering wheel without taking her eyes off the road. "Do you think you could keep doing it?"
Hiccup blinked. Was it his impression, or was she nervous? "Doing what?"
"Dealing with kids. Would you like to be a primary school teacher or something?"
"Oh, no thanks. They're great, don't get me wrong, but it's not for me," Hiccup replied. "Although I'd have a lot of experience thanks to Snotlout, I guess."
Astrid barely lifted the corner of her mouth at the joke. Usually a sarcastic comment about their friend made her laugh. Huh.
"Yeah," she said. And then didn't add a word for the rest of the trip.
After she parked in front of his house, Hiccup invited Astrid to come in to stay for dinner and say hi to his father, who had always liked her, but she refused.
"I need to talk to my parents, and dinner is one of the few times I can find both of them at home," Astrid said when they got to the doorway, and she shook her head making her blonde hair bounce. She'd started wearing it loose more often for a while now. Hiccup thought it made her look bigger than she was.
"Then see you at school in January."
"Yeah." Again, Astrid seemed to hesitate. "Any plans for Christmas?"
"Uh, on the eve I'm going with my father to the airport to pick up my mother. On the 25th we'll have lunch at home and then we'll go to the Frosts for the afternoon," Hiccup said carefully. He wanted to understand where Astrid was going with this, since she was stalling instead of saying something.
"Nice. See you, then." She turned to go back to the car.
"Yeah, bye."
Hiccup shrugged and was about to go inside, but Astrid swiftly turned around in the middle of the driveway.
“I got into Rosenberg,” she blurted out.
Hiccup raised his eyebrows, amazed and speechless. She had been repeating since at least June that next year she wanted to go to Kentucky law school, one of the best in the country. It was the one where her parents had met and, according to her, the volleyball team was very strong.
Hiccup recovered from his shock and ran to give Astrid a hug. She still smelled like chocolate from their stop at Starbucks. "What the—that's great! Did you get the acceptance letter?"
She smiled with faint enthusiasm. "I applied early. I didn't think I really had a chance to make it."
Hiccup groaned in disbelief, exhaling a breath that condensed in the air. "Are you kidding, with all the effort you put into getting your grades up? If anyone was going to get in, it was you. Wait, what's wrong?"
Astrid's eyelids fluttered. She looked down, clenching her fists. "...It's so far away. I never thought about it before."
"Hey, it's normal that everyone will go their way after this year, but that doesn't mean we won't be friends anymore," Hiccup reassured her, rubbing a hand on her shoulder. Now he understood what was worrying her, even if he didn't expect that kind of fear from her.
"It feels like such a short time since you've come back to Forks," Astrid said, her voice full of sadness. "Too short."
Hiccup hugged her again. Astrid's hands closed tightly around his jacket. The cold December evening air made them shiver.
"Thank you," she said as she let go. She resumed her usual determined frown and put her hands on her hips. "Make sure you're free for future video calls, you hear me? Many video calls."
"Yes ma'am. Let's enjoy the rest of the year first, though. You'll have to put up with us until at least June," Hiccup added.
He wasn't overjoyed for the probable prospect of not seeing his friends every day either, but getting lost in sorrow would only have made the last period together more bitter. The best thing to do was forget about it and live as if it was a school year like any other.
It was going to be an eventful six and a half months, no doubt.
*
Jack was in a desperate situation.
It wasn't enough that Aster had decided to add fifteen new hot beverages to the cafe's winter menu, all of which resulted in more customers spending more time choosing orders, more time for inventory, and generally speaking, more hassle.
It wasn't enough that Toothiana had had the ridiculous idea of having them all dressed in hideous sweaters, taking the most embarrassing family photo and using it for greeting cards to send to fellow covens.
No, that wasn't enough. North, who had come to realize that the decorations that had been haunting the house since December 1st weren't enough , had to add to it. Especially at the dawn of Christmas morning.
The sun had barely peeked out from behind the mountains, illuminating Jack's face while he was lying on the living room carpet, in full crisis.
Since his first year as a vampire, he'd learned of North's curious obsession with Christmas, which therefore must have dated back centuries. The gentle Russian giant's passion was immense and ticked all the stereotypical boxes: once Halloween was over, preparations began for the following month, which included enough lights for a small nation, various decorations without a main theme, playlists to blast throughout the house, movie marathons on tv, and so on. Once North decided to infect someone with Christmas spirit, it wasn't a good-humoured resolution, but a genuine threat.
Normally Jack appreciated that avalanche of enthusiasm that seemed to make everyone forget their problems for a bit, but this year was different. Hiccup and his parents would be visiting later, and Jack felt strangely compelled to make a good impression.
He was aware, deep down, that after saving Hiccup's life there was no way he could impress Stoick and Valka any more, yet there he was, hanging festoons on the walls at eight in the morning.
"Looks like the elf factory at the North Pole," came a gruff comment from behind him.
"Merry Christmas to you too," Jack chuckled. He tightened the last knot and jumped off the ladder.
Aster looked around, then focused on him. "Usually you ignore North's last minute preparations and sneak out, why are you still here?"
"I wanted to make him happy for once. Where has he gone anyway?" Jack asked, reaching into the pocket of his sweatshirt.
Aster pretended not to hear and sniffed the air. "Are those cookies I smell?"
"With cinnamon. Do you think it's possible to be allergic to cinnamon?"
Aster half-smiled and ruffled Jack's hair a little too hard. "Stop worrying and just act dumb as usual, you dill. They already like you."
"Was that a compliment I've just heard, Cottontail?" Jack teased as he took a step back. He had to admit that it had helped.
"You wish."
Toothiana came to interrupt them. She had put on her green sweater embroidered with rows of teeth (there was some vampire-dentistry inside joke between her and Aster behind it) and was in a great mood.
"Merry Christmas, gentlemen!"
Jack bowed. "You too, milady. How do you see my decorations?"
"Exaggerated and disorienting. North will be happy about it," she said cheerfully. "Oh, there he is."
North then came into the hall in all his festive presence. His eyes sparkled with delight. "Great job here, Jack!"
"Thanks."
Aster and Toothiana stiffened and exchanged a look that foreboded trouble. Jack became immediately suspicious; last time they'd kept anything from him, it had been that very personal thing about his human past.
Toothiana nudged North not too discreetly. "You should tell him."
Really?
"She's right, mate. This won't make for a nice surprise," Aster nodded.
"Are you guys going to keep pretending I can't hear you, or what?" Jack snorted as he tried not to get annoyed.
The three exchanged a knowing look, after which Toothiana took Aster by the arm and they went out, blabbering about the garden to shovel from snow, or something like that.
North stroked his mustache, as he always did when he was lost in thought. He walked over to the big brick fireplace, with their dumb picture in ugly sweaters above the shelf, and he leaned one arm against it.
"You know Sandy will be here in few hours."
"And…?"
"Eret will be with him too."
At first Jack said nothing. Actually, the revelation made him feel quite confused.
After fighting with him against Pitch Black, Eret had asked to join their coven, their family. Apparently Hiccup had convinced him that the Frosts would have welcomed him with open arms if he'd redeemed himself, and the poor guy had chosen to believe it. At the time he was still a newborn vampire, so they had decided that Sandy would take care of him, being the oldest and most patient. They had left for some tiny, snowy, remote Alaskan town and had begun Eret's intensive training to blend in with humans.
They hadn't seen them since, but Sandy sporadically updated them on their progress.
"Sandy says he is ready for close contact," North continued. "Small meeting with few people would be ideal test."
Jack pouted. He didn't like that they thought of the Haddocks as tests for the willpower of other bloodthirsty monsters. "That's fine by me, but it's Hiccup that worries me. I'm afraid seeing Eret again might… scare him."
It hadn't happened for a long time, but Jack could never forget those nights when he stayed at Hiccup's, when his leg hurt and he touched Jack's cheeks whispering the usual request, "Stay".
Hiccup had never said it, but he'd been shocked to see Pitch come this close to killing Jack, and in addition to having nightmares about the abandoned shelter at Goat Rocks, he'd admitted that he often dreamed about that moment.
Would it have upset him to find himself in front of a person who had played a key role in the story?
North patted Jack measuredly on the shoulder. "You underestimate your boyfriend. He will not be afraid of inexperienced vampire, and he has always liked Eret."
Jack rolled his eyes, slightly calmer. "Don't remind me."
"Did I ever tell you why I love Christmas, Jack?" North said all of a sudden.
"No. I always assumed it was a pathological condition, and that everyone is too nice to rebel."
"Ha! Funny, but no." North became more serious. "Do you remember when I told about my transformation? That day I left my makeshift shelter to look for pine to cut and use as Christmas tree, to feel closer to my people who I had left behind."
Jack perched on the arm of a couch and sat silently listening, waiting for the story to end.
"I was so convinced of my idea that I went out under blizzard! I lost my way, it was night, I was exhausted and sure to die, until Sandy found me. It was December 25th."
"Your new birthday," Jack said slowly. "And what would be the moral?"
North burst out laughing, holding his belly. "None, I just wanted to tell you story!"
Jack wasn't so sure, but he decided to let it go. North's words of wisdom were sometimes understood only after a few decades.
Alright, then, he would have smiled and pretended not to be terribly concerned, but if Hiccup had even hinted at a sign of discomfort, he would have rushed him off, for sure.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, the front door was opened to the first guests, and Sandy made his entrance into the main hall.
He was accompanied by Eret, but it took Jack a few seconds to recognize him because he'd cleaned himself up: his black hair was shiny and tied back, he wasn't wearing his old ragged clothes and for the first time he was wearing shoes.
However, the most noticeable improvement were his eyes, no longer red as embers, but the same golden color as vegetarians. He could very well pass for a decent person.
"Sandy," North greeted warmly as he went towards them, "how was journey?"
A breeze, he replied in sign language.
Eret stepped forward. "Thank you for accepting Sandy's idea," he said respectfully but also cordially to North. "Aster, Toothiana," he greeted before noticing Jack, who nodded to him.
He was going to put up with this for North, Jack thought, but if the old man hoped that he would run over to hug Eret and say "Merry Christmas, dearest!", well, he was so wrong.
Toothiana sensed the spark of tension and saved the situation. "Give me your coats and go in front of the fireplace, so you'll be warmed up a bit before the Haddocks are here."
The doorbell rang just then.
"Nevermind," Toothiana whispered as she went to hang up the jackets.
Jack, already posted at the entrance, didn't hesitate to open immediately to the latest arrivals. He ignored Aster muttering something about puppies waiting for their owners from work, and he flung the door open.
Hiccup still had his finger raised to ring the bell. He lowered it and broke into a big smile.
Jack returned the gesture and looked at him.
The padded jacket with faux-fur on the hood hid his skinny arms, but the jeans gave him away. The blush from the cold on his cheeks wasn't nearly enough to hide the sea of freckles. He smelled of new paper and gingerbread.
Jack realized that Hiccup's affectionate expression reflected his own. They were staring stupidly at each other, he thought amused.
"Merry Christmas," Jack said in a whisper.
Hiccup's face softened even more. "Merry Christmas."
Someone cleared their throat rather loudly and Hiccup hurried inside, almost tripping on the step. Collective chuckles followed.
Behind him, Stoick wiped the snow off his boots on the doormat before following his son, rubbing his cold hands together. The woman with him, Valka, did the same and said hi to everyone before staring up the high beamed ceiling.
"Your house is impressive, Mr Frost."
Stoick nodded in support. "Now this is a house, not like that minimalist garbage you see on tv."
Judging by how both Hiccup and Valka shook their heads in exasperation, Jack assumed Stoick's argument was a catchphrase of his.
He was about to reach over and whisper a joke in Hiccup's ear, but he saw him freeze in place. When Jack realized he was looking at Eret, he quickly said, "It's all right."
But Hiccup had already strode up to the now ex-newborn, who imperceptibly flinched back.
"Hi, Eret! How's it going?" Hiccup exclaimed, surprised but no less serene than before.
"Hi," he said before looking away, obviously uncomfortable.
Jack had an involuntary flashback to when Toothiana had joked about Eret's possible crush on Hiccup. He repressed the memory with a shudder and glared at Toothiana, who hid a smirk behind her hand.
Stoick and Valka watched the awkward exchange with curiosity, so North, like a good host, introduced Sandy and Eret as uncle and cousin respectively.
Hiccup raised his eyebrows at Jack, and he shrugged. The other humans in Forks had bought into the story that they were all related, why stop now?
They moved to the couches by the fire, where the ridiculously large size of their Christmas tree sparked a few amazed comments; its tip almost reached the ceiling, there were three different types of festoons and the decorations counted an infinite variety of styles. It was perhaps North's largest collection, along with his work tools.
Jack offered the cookies baked that morning, which to his relief received more than positive reviews. He mentally thanked the cooking videos he'd spent several nights studying.
Stoick chose that moment to hand Hiccup a large ribboned package that Jack hadn't yet noticed. Given the size of their respective father figures, the two of them had opted to sit on the carpet. Not to be closer or anything like that.
"What is it?" Jack asked in anticipation as the present landed on his lap. One might be ninety, but resisting a wrapped box was always impossible.
"Something useful, I hope," Hiccup said, leaning over to see his reaction. At the moment, the adults were caught up in a conversation about Stoick's job as Chief of Police and were listening to the weirdest accidents of his career, paying no attention to them.
After ripping off the wrapping, it didn't take Jack a second to recognize the kitchen machine printed on the package. "You bought me a food mixer! I thought we'd agreed not to spend too much."
Hiccup shrugged, pleased with the result. "I never said the rule applied to me."
"Mh, very clever," Jack commented, and craned his neck towards Hiccup's face.
He withdrew from his lips, his eyes darting to Stoick first, followed by the rest of their families. Jack knew he'd avoided him out of instinct by the way he pursed his lips and gave him a contrite look.
"I'm putting the box away," Jack said before giving him time to apologize, as he surely would have tried to do.
He knew that Hiccup, just like his father, still wasn't totally comfortable with public displays of affection between them. When they were alone he didn't hesitate to kiss Jack, but in front of other people it was a whole different story: the best they allowed themselves was to hold hands. Yeah, so scandalous.
Jack didn't complain and kept hoping that, sooner or later, Hiccup wouldn't be afraid anymore, even if he certainly didn't like being rejected by him like that.
He left Hiccup in the living room with the others and made his way to the kitchen, where he found Valka sitting on a stool at the counter all by herself. She looked lost in her thoughts and she jumped when she saw Jack.
"I was…"
"Taking a moment for yourself?"
Jack set the box on the counter. He'd liked Hiccup's mother from the moment he first met her in the hospital, perhaps because she had that air of intolerance for rules and conventions. Normality seemed to keep her chained. Jack felt the same way too often.
Valka smiled a little, accentuating her expression lines. "I'm not used to having company anymore. I thought I'd take a break."
"North is a lot to digest," Jack confirmed. "Not to mention Toothiana."
"They're wonderful," she said. "As well as your home." She pointed to a painting hanging by the window. "That's my favorite part so far, whose work is it?"
It was a dark-framed canvas of a rocky cliff overlooked by seagulls. Jack also liked it very much, even though he never complimented the author.
"It's my brother's."
When he wasn't busy with the cafe or tending the garden, Aster painted. His favorite subjects were natural landscapes, and Jack liked to see him at work. Sometimes he sat down nearby, and he would watch Aster for hours as he made imaginary or well-known, realistic or fantastic, well-kept or wild, barren or animal-filled places come to life on the canvas.
Aster always said that the decades of practicing artistic techniques could never obscure the infinite creative source originating from the human mind, and not intended as mortal beings, but as people . They were unnatural creatures, monsters to be particularly blunt, but people nonetheless.
It was the kind of argument that made Jack feel a little less repulsive.
“Your brother is very good,” Valka said kindly. She looked intently at Jack, so much that he got scared, for a moment, that she was about to express doubts about their relatedness, as her son had when he'd met them at the Nest.
"You have no idea how happy I am that Hiccup found you. I haven't seen him this happy since he was little."
…Before the divorce, Jack thought.
He sat down on the marble counter next to her. “Knowing that his parents are finally getting along helps, I guess,” he observed, trying not to sound rude. But it was still true.
Luckily Valka didn't mind. "Yes, it seems that Forks has brought us all together," she replied. "You know, I said earlier that I hid here to stay alone, but to be honest I was also… overwhelmed by this feeling of closeness."
Jack didn't know what to say. He'd never thought that Valka could be lonely.
"They seem to adore Hiccup," she added. "It's nice that they welcomed him so warmly even before you two will officially become a family."
It wasn't possible with his vampire ears, but Jack wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. "Officially?"
Valka tucked a strand of gray hair behind her ear. "When you decide to get married. If you want to, of course. And if you can handle Stoick's demands for grandchildren," she laughed. "I think he's begun to take an interest in adoption practices. I saw a brochure on his bedside table yesterday."
Jack was too stunned to join in her hilarity. He'd never thought about marriage, since he already considered Hiccup his partner for life, without feeling the need to sign a document to prove it.
He wasn't even sure if Hiccup himself wanted it. Was he the formal type, or did those things just not matter to him? Had he thought about it instead, unlike Jack, and had he already decided what he wanted?
And he, what did he want?
The cherry on top was her comment about kids. He wasn't sure if talking about it in the plural in the first place had been cute or weird.
"We're still young," he opted to say in the end, praying that Valka would approve of his reasonable point of view and change the subject.
"Of course, I was just saying."
Safe, at least for now. Thank goodness.
*
Hiccup succumbed to the need to get outside for some fresh air as soon as his father started telling stories about his childhood.
North had found somewhere a bottle of whiskey, and Stoick had tried in vain to refuse. The vampires had managed to dodge the offer by making the most disparate excuses: someone said they were teetotal, someone had already drunk before meeting and someone had to drive. Stoick had complained about how sorry he was that he was the only one drinking, but after one glass already, the guilt seemed to have been forgotten.
When he started with the anecdote about the time Hiccup cried in an elementary school play (never was tree more afflicted by Juliet's death), he decided it was the right time to slip away for a few minutes.
He managed to get up discreetly and went out onto the porch without anyone noticing him, or at least without anyone snitching. He'd remembered to take his jacket off the hanger, so he could reach into his pockets and pull the zip up to his chin, and he watched the snow-capped mountains as the sun began to set. The cold air stung his nose and the buzz of voices from inside sounded muffled.
"You're missing a very funny story."
Hiccup turned to watch Jack walk down the front step.
Finding him so close without warning left Hiccup dazed, staring at him as he had done when they had gotten there. Jack's flawless face wasn't flushed in the slightest from the cold, and his dark circles were less evident than usual, a sign of a recent meal leading up to their visit. His silver hair matched the landscape. He was predictably wearing a dark hoodie, but he'd managed to surprise him with Rudolph socks and slippers. Hiccup wondered if it was ironic, or he'd been forced.
"Is it the story about the time he threw me overboard to teach me how to swim and had to dive to save me, or when I got lost at Ikea when I was six?"
Jack moved next to him and reached into Hiccup's pocket to squeeze his hand between cold fingers. It wasn't a mean gesture, because Jack knew it didn't bother him.
"No, this was a new one. Did Snotlout really abandon you in his tree house with no means to get down?"
"He was a lovely little boy. I miss the days when he used to steal my lunch," Hiccup said wryly. Jack's casual gesture had reminded him of the almost-kiss from earlier, and he became serious again. "Sorry about before. I shouldn't have avoided you."
It had been stronger than him. He'd seen Jack come closer and look at his lips, and Hiccup's thoughts had immediately gone to his father, sitting a few feet away.
He hated himself for being a coward, but perhaps he hated even more being the cause of Jack's sorry and sympathetic expression, even if he didn't seem to mind his cowardice.
"It doesn't matter," Jack said. Judging from his tone, however, it was obvious that it did matter. A lot. "Actually, are you okay? I should have texted you to warn you that Eret would be here, but I didn't… have the courage to. Sorry."
"Were you afraid I'd ditch you?"
Jack scratched the back of his neck. "Well, yeah."
Actually, Hiccup thought Jack's fear was legitimate. Being totally unprepared and distracted by other people had prevented him from lingering in dangerous memories. Otherwise, if he'd had the time to process that he was about to meet a person he associated with a traumatic event, he could have been tempted to stay home.
Suddenly seeing Eret after months, however, had only given Hiccup the opportunity to notice how content he looked. And the new eye color suited him more.
All things considered, Hiccup was glad to know that Eret was doing great. He deserved it, since Black had taken everything from him.
"I'm fine," Hiccup said with sincerity. "How about you? Did you get lost in the kitchen?"
Jack rocked on his heels. "I ran into your mom and we chatted a bit."
"Oh, about what?"
"Marriage." Jack looked at him wide-eyed. "Apparently everyone assumes that our wedding is very close, can you believe it?"
Hiccup didn't expect it, especially coming from his mother, considering how her own marriage had ended. Sure, he would have liked to marry Jack someday, as long as his mother's talk hadn't scared him. Hiccup assumed she'd mentioned it because she was adamant about their relationship, but he still found it slightly premature.
"It's a bit early."
"That's what I told her too."
Hiccup shook his head. "What's with everyone today? They seem eager to think about the future and forget how good we are right now. What's the rush?"
He told Jack about Astrid's surprise announcement of her admission to college. "I think she wants to say it to everyone officially in January, after the holidays, so I didn't tell you anything."
"Did you feel guilty about not telling her about your plans for the future?" Jack murmured. From the way he frowned, Hiccup knew immediately what he meant.
At the spring dance in March he'd told Jack about his decision to be transformed into one of their kind after high school. At first, Hiccup had thoughtlessly dismissed the possibility when Jack had told him about that option in September, but then he had given it more thought and had chosen not to waste time. He'd already turned eighteen, while Jack was frozen in time at seventeen. The more years passed, the more it risked becoming a weird difference.
The fact remained that Jack wasn't keen on the idea, even if he hadn't explicitly opposed it.
"There's still time for that, let's not think about it," Hiccup reassured him. He ignored the feeling of uneasiness that ran up his spine like shivers whenever he thought about it. He didn't want to admit it even to himself, but he wasn't eager to be changed either. Not because the pain scared him, but because his life would have never been the same.
Jack clearly made an effort to be cheerful again. "Hey, I haven't given you your Christmas present yet!"
"Aw, wasn't the honor of granting me your company the greatest gift?" Hiccup teased.
"Ha ha. " Jack rummaged in his pockets and he handed him a small rectangular package, no bigger than the palm of a hand.
Hiccup wrestled with the tape holding together the red wrapping paper, opened the small box, and twirled a tiny wooden-handled screwdriver in his fingers.
He squinted with suspicion. "This—this isn't platinum, is it?"
By now he didn't know what to expect from him.
"Don't worry, I didn't spend a cent because it was North's," Jack said as he rolled his eyes. "Look at it closer."
Hiccup had to hold the screwdriver up to his eyes to read the fine engraving along the metal tip.
'You can use this', it said.
Hiccup laughed. "Did you feel the need to write me permission to use your gift? And how long did it take you to do the engraving?"
He had no doubt that it was him who had carved the message.
"It took me blood, sweat and tears!" Jack exclaimed, pretending to be offended. Coming from him it was twice as funny because they both knew it was impossible for him to generate any of those things. "I can't believe you don't recognize the words."
Did they have a relevant meaning? Hiccup tried to think what deep wisdom they could hold, but nothing came to mind.
"That's the first thing I said to you when we first met," Jack explained patiently to put an end to his useless racket.
Hiccup's eyes widened. Now he did remember. "When you lent me your umbrella?"
"Yep."
It was… a surprisingly sentimental present.
"I never took you for a romantic guy, are you sure you feel we—"
Something cold and wet smashed into his face with a damp but familiar sound. Hiccup quickly rubbed his face, shivering.
Jack had come down the porch, hunched over on the ground with his hands buried in the snow, and was preparing a second bullet.
"Betrayal! I'm giving you an extremely sincere and symbolic gift, and you're making fun of me?" he howled in an outraged tone, but the farce ended as soon as he burst out laughing.
Hiccup followed him into the garden and attempted to build himself some ammunition before Jack attacked again. Too late. He was already getting targeted mercilessly.
"Hey, it's not fair to use your superhuman speed to hit someone without a leg!" Hiccup protested.
Out of snowballs, Jack suddenly grabbed Hiccup, making him slip on the frozen gravel, but he at least had the tact to turn quickly so he was the one to fall on his back, taking Hiccup down with him.
The latter's laughter condensed in the air. Jack's was as impalpable as ever.
"Thank you. It's a really nice present," Hiccup said while laying pressed against Jack's chest. He had wrapped his arms around Hiccup's shoulders.
"I knew you'd like it."
Hiccup sighed contentedly. "This is what matters. This exact moment. You and I here, our families together, this afternoon. I don't want to think about anything else."
Then Jack reached out to kiss him. This time Hiccup didn't back away.