Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jack had always been a curious angel. He was one of the youngest of the Heavenly Host, and he loved watching humans from above. Some days though, just watching wasn’t enough. On those days, he would sneak out of Heaven and fly down to Earth. He couldn’t be seen, which kind of sucked, but it was always fun to see them up close and personal! His favorites to observe were the kids. Maybe one day he’d end up a guardian angel to one of them!

One December day, while he was hanging out on a barren tree branch, he heard something landing on the branch above him. He spoke without looking, “Oh come on, Bunny, I’m not doing anything that’ll interfere with anyone!”

“Bunny? I don’t think that’s me.”

Jack looked up only to nearly fall off the branch as he scrambled to fly out of the way. On the other branch was clearly a demon, with leathery black wings and long black horns. The demon had on black jeans and a leather jacket over a red t-shirt. The most notable thing about the demon was that he had an odd prosthetic in place of a foot. Jack felt a little underdressed in his white robe. He hovered in the air with wide blue eyes. “What are you doing here?!”

But the demon didn’t attack. Rather, he held his hands up. “Whoa, sorry about that! Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just here to watch humanity do their thing. Kinda like what you’re doing.”

Jack narrowed his eyes, both suspicious and confused. “You’re…not here to attack anyone?”

The demon snorted a small cloud of smoke out of his nose. “You kidding me? That’s not my job. I’m in charge of administrative shit in Hell. The name’s Hiccup, by the way.” The brunette held out a clawed hand.

Jack hovered for a moment, but then he flew closer and shook Hiccup’s hand. “I’m Jack. I’m only two hundred and sixty years old, so I don’t know much about demons.” He gave Hiccup an awkward smile. “Sorry for assuming.”

Hiccup waved it off with a laugh, his tail flicking behind him. “It’s fine, I’m like a thousand years old or something like that. I lost count.” His eyes had the typical slit pupils of demons, but they were a bright green, which Jack found…surprisingly beautiful.

The angel flew back to the branch and landed next to Hiccup, looking back down at the children. “So…what are you doing up here?”

Hiccup shrugged. “Shirking my duties. Paperwork gets boring after a while. I like to watch people go about their daily lives. It’s…” He tilted his head to the side as he considered his words. “It’s like a play. Everyone is a main character, and everyone is a side character all at the same time. It’s kind of like entertainment.”

Jack frowned at that. “But those are people’s lives. They aren’t meant to be our entertainment. We’re meant to either reward or punish, depending on how they live their lives.”

Hiccup nodded in agreement. “True. But there has to be more to life than rewarding or punishing humans, right? Haven’t you ever…wanted to be one of them?”

That made Jack look up from the kids and back to the demon. Hiccup was giving him an intense stare that made his cheeks turn warm for some strange reason. “I…never thought of that before,” he admitted. “Why? Do you want to be human?”

Hiccup huffed a laugh. “Sometimes. More than anything else, I want my life to be simple. I don’t want to worry about the politics between Heaven and Hell. But that’s what I’m destined to do.”

“What do you mean?”

Before Hiccup could respond, he flinched as a dark red portal opened up in front of him. Jack’s eyes widened as another demon, this one a woman with long blonde hair in a braid and blue bat-like wings with matching horns and tail came out of the portal. She had a massive axe on her back, which had Jack shrinking back out of fear. Hiccup immediately put an arm in front of Jack, further surprising the angel. “Astrid,” the demon said with a nod.

Astrid just sighed and crossed her arms as she hovered in the air. “You’re lucky I found you before your dad did, Hic. He’s looking for you.”

“Oh, come on! I just wanted a break!”

“Sorry, but he wants to talk to you about some souls that may have been sent to the wrong ring.” Astrid, as the woman was named, looked over his arm and raised an eyebrow. “New friend?”

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her. “So what if he is?”

Astrid only frowned. “You know you shouldn’t be fraternizing with the angels unless it’s on official business.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But Jack’s not going to snitch on me! He’s an angel, he’s too good to do that, right?” he asked Jack with a small grin that showed off his fangs.

Jack blinked. “I only just met you, I don’t even know who you are!”

“Let’s keep it that way, okay?” Hiccup stepped off the branch and flew over to Astrid, turning back to face Jack. He gave him a bow. “It was nice meeting you. Maybe we’ll meet again.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Astrid just sighed in defeat. “Nice meeting you, Jack. Be careful, okay? Not all demons are as nice as Hiccup.”

Jack gave her a salute, grinning. “I’m just a guardian angel in training, I don’t think I’ll be noticed!”

Hiccup laughed. “Well, I’ll see you around!” He summoned a red portal and both he and Astrid flew through it.

With the demons gone, Jack let himself sit back down on the tree branch. His heart was pounding as he processed that he had not only interacted with two demons, but they hadn’t attacked him! They were…surprisingly okay? Maybe he should do some research on the politics between Heaven and Hell.

Back in Hell, Astrid smacked Hiccup’s shoulder. “Stupid! What do you think your dad would say if he found you hanging out with an angel?”

Hiccup rubbed his shoulder but gave Astrid a cheeky grin. “Lucky devil?” He flinched as he got a second smack for that. “Come on, he’s really pretty! And he didn’t freak out too badly when he saw me!”

“He’s a regular guardian angel, there’s no way he knows that he was talking to the Prince of Darkness himself!” Astrid sighed and shook her head. “What do you plan on even doing? Trying to find him again?”

“...Maybe?” Hiccup looked to the side as a large black dragon approached. “Toothless! Done patrolling for the day?” The dragon warbled a yes and gave him a nudge, which only made Hiccup laugh. “Okay, okay, let’s go get dinner. But I have to see Dad first.”

Astrid had her hands on her hips as she stared at Hiccup suspiciously. After a few moments, her shoulders sagged and she sighed. “Do what you want, Hiccup. Just…be careful, okay?”

Hiccup held his hand up. “On my honor as the Prince of Darkness, I’ll be careful.”

Somehow, Astrid didn’t seem reassured.

The next time Hiccup saw Jack was another wintery day, almost three months after the first encounter. It was just before Easter, and Jack was laughing at a group of children’s enthusiasm over a snowball fight. The angel was sitting on top of a fence, a shepherd’s crook in hand. Every now and then, Jack would throw a magical snowball into the fray, only inspiring more laughter and joy. Hiccup sauntered over to the fence and leaned against it. “Nice job,” he said with a smile. “One of them yours?”

“Yep,” Jack said with a wide smile. Instead of the pure white robe that all angels usually wore, Jack was wearing surprisingly casual clothes—brown pants and a blue hoodie. His wings and halo were still on full display though, and he was noticeably barefoot. He hopped down onto the ground and pointed with the crook to a boy with brown hair and a gap in his front teeth. “I may have accidentally guided Jamie into losing a tooth yesterday,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

That got Hiccup laughing. “I’m sure he was excited to get a visit from the Tooth Fairy!”

“Yeah, he was! But even after losing his tooth, he’s still full of energy.” Jack leaned against the fence and looked at Hiccup. “So, what brings you to Earth?”

Hiccup smiled. “Eh, just needed a break from the fire and brimstone. I’m sure you need a break from utopia now and then too.”

Jack stiffened slightly and looked at him with wide blue eyes that Hiccup could swear he could drown in. “How did you know?”

“No offense to Heaven, but it kind of sounds…boring?” Hiccup shrugged with an awkward smile. “Perfect life, nothing to worry about, how do you keep yourself occupied? Are there rules for what interests are allowed in Heaven? Do you even get to do anything or do you just kind of float around in bliss?”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Well, Heaven is more a utopia for humans, not angels. There’s things to keep the souls happy and occupied, like libraries, activities, things like that! Souls in Heaven are free to pursue whatever makes them happy—within reason, of course, no murder sprees allowed!” he added, snickering at that.

Hiccup grinned. “That’s good to know! Don’t need any serial killers on the loose up there.”

“Speaking of, what do you do with sinners?”

“Depends on how serious their sins are. Some are sent to Purgatory to atone, while others stay in Hell for eternal punishment. Purgatory is kind of like the middle ground where a lot of people end up—they weren’t bad, but they weren’t good either. They were average. So Purgatory is where souls can either go down or go up, depending on what they decide.”

“Ohhh, okay. So, is that for all souls, or…?”

“Only the Christian ones. There’s different afterlives for different souls.”

Jack’s eyebrows went up. “Really? I didn’t know that! That’s so cool!”

Hiccup grinned. “Oh yeah. There’s like…okay, imagine it as like a train station! Christians go on one train to go to their afterlife, Hindus go on another train to reincarnation, Wiccans go on a third train to go to the Summerlands, and so on and so forth.”

Jack put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. “What about atheists?”

“Atheists and agnostics usually end up working in Purgatory until they decide which afterlife they want to pursue,” Hiccup explained. “Souls can’t be destroyed, so they’re sort of cursed to exist until they decide what they want to do. Some decide to stay working in Purgatory or in other afterlives. Others decide to move on.”

Jack slowly nodded. “I see…so how did you get the name Hiccup?”

That sudden question had Hiccup laughing hard enough he ended up bending over with his hands on his knees. “Oh, I forgot how weird my name is!” Hiccup straightened up and wiped his eyes, laughing still. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, I just didn’t expect that! My parents gave me the name when I was a baby because I was small like a hiccup.”

“Oh! Okay. I don’t know who gave me my name. I think it was God, but Bunny never really told me.”

“You mentioned a Bunny the last time we met. Who’s that?”

“Oh, he’s my best friend!” Jack grinned. “His name is Aster, but he’s like a bunny with how quick he is. He’s a Virtue, and he kind of took me under his wing. No pun intended!” he added quickly.

Hiccup grinned but didn’t say anything. “Nice. Astrid’s kind of like one of Hell’s main enforcers. She makes sure that the other demons are doing their jobs.”

“Ohh, kind of like a general of an army?”

“Yeah, something like that!”

“She scares me.”

“She scares me too.”

The two laughed at their mutual fear of the blonde demon. As the laughter faded, Jack looked back to where Jamie and the other kids had started making snow people. “Jamie’s a real good kid. But he doesn’t have a dad anymore. His father requested that someone watch over him when he came up to Heaven. The higher-ups reviewed Jamie’s file, and decided that he needed someone to help guide him. Just took a while to figure out which guardian angel would be best for him.”

Hiccup smiled softly. “I can see how much you care already. You must really like kids.”

Jack just shrugged and kicked at the snow with a bare foot. “I never had a childhood. I just kind of…appeared one day. So I’m kinda living vicariously through them. Plus, they have so much potential! Who knows what amazing things they’ll do?”

Hiccup nodded. “That’s true. Kids have a lot of potential to become incredible people. But…you were never a baby angel?”

“Not really.” Jack looked at Hiccup with a grin. “But that’s okay. Do most demons have a baby phase?”

“Not exactly. Most demons are created fully formed too. I think I’m the only one who was born of two demons.”

“Really? Cool! I didn’t know demons could do that!”

Hiccup was suddenly uncertain of how much he should tell Jack. “Yeah, my parents are kind of a unique case. Technically, I kinda shouldn’t be alive?” He gave Jack a nervous smile.

Jack tilted his head to the side. “Really? How come?”

“Well…okay, promise me you won’t tell anyone? Not even a Seraphim?” Hiccup held a hand out with a clawed pinky out.

Almost instantly Jack hooked his pinky around Hiccup’s. “I promise. Your secret is safe with me.”

Hiccup bit his lip for a few moments. “I’m…the Prince of Darkness.”

He watched as the dots connected in Jack’s mind. When everything clicked, Jack’s eyes widened in shock. “Your dad…is Lucifer?”

Hiccup quickly shook his head. “No, that’s actually my uncle. My parents were actually originally angels, but when Lucifer was cast out, they followed him. Lucifer and Lilith can’t have children, exactly, but somehow my parents were able to have me.” He shrugged helplessly. “I’m kind of a miracle, as funny as that is.”

Jack made a few hand motions as he tried to piece together what he already knew with what Hiccup had just revealed to him. “So…when you said you wanted to know what it’s like to be human, you meant…not being a demon prince?”

Hiccup nodded, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah. It’s a heavy title, but it’s mostly administrative stuff. Kinda boring, actually.”

“Whoa…that’s…incredible!” Jack moved to stand in front of Hiccup, grinning widely. “So you’re actually one of the highest beings in Hell?”

Hiccup blinked in surprise. “Uh, yeah. Why?”

“That’s so cool! Here I am, a mere guardian angel, and you…you’re just hanging out with little old me.” Jack paused for a moment at that realization. “Why are you hanging out with me?”

Hiccup gave him an almost shy smile. “It’s kinda nice to hang out with someone who doesn’t know or care about my rank.”

Jack blinked twice. Then he laughed. “Yeah, that gets me in trouble a lot. I’m supposed to be all ‘yes your Grace’ and stuff, but I’m always being scolded for being disrespectful. I don’t mean to be, I just don’t get why they need to be so stuffy! They’re all hard work and deadlines, while I’m snowballs and fun times.”

That made Hiccup’s smile grow. “So, you still want to hang out with me?”

“You know it!” Jack held up a fist, and when he saw Hiccup stare at it in confusion, he laughed. “You’re supposed to bump it with your fist! Like so.” He took Hiccup’s hand, formed it into a fist, and then bumped it against his own.

“Man, you angels are so weird,” Hiccup teased.

The rest of the day was spent talking while watching over Jamie and the other kids. Jamie was an enthusiastic kid, but there was a shadow of grief in his eyes that both angel and demon could see. It became most obvious when it was bedtime. Jamie sat on his bed, staring out the window at the stars. Unbeknownst to him, Jack and Hiccup were sitting in the tree outside the window, watching.

“...Dad, I dunno if you can hear me, but…we miss you. Mom keeps saying that we’re going to be fine, but she cries every night. She thinks I don’t know it, but I’ve heard her,” Jamie said, holding his little stuffed bunny. “I know you’re not in pain anymore, it’s just…” He sniffled and rubbed his fist against his eye even as the tears began. “I miss you so much, Dad. Can you…can you give me a sign that you heard me?”

Hiccup looked at Jack, wondering how he’d handle the prayer. Jack just smiled and flew over to touch the window. At his touch, ice crept out from his finger, much to his surprise. “Oh!”

Jamie looked up in surprise at the sound of crackling ice. “Dad…?” He gasped as a little heart was etched in the ice. “Dad…” He smiled and wiped at his face. “You did hear me…”

Hiccup’s eyes were wide in surprise as Jack moved back to the tree branch. “I didn’t think guardian angels could do that.”

“We can’t,” Jack said, just as confused.

The angel and demon parted ways with promises to see each other again. Jack raced up to Heaven, his wings boosting his flight. He ignored the hello from Saint Peter as he flew through the pearly gates. His focus was on where the one Dominion who actually listened to him resided.

North, as the Dominion liked to be called, was only mildly surprised when Jack burst into his office. “Why, Jack, what brings you here?” he asked as he put his paperwork down.

Jack shut the office door behind him and looked around. “There isn’t anyone else around, right?”

North frowned as he recognized that Jack was worried about something. “No, it’s just us. What is it?”

“Virtues are the only ones who can control nature, right?”

“Yes…?”

Jack bit his lip and then touched a pen on North’s desk. It immediately iced over. “Yeah. I shouldn’t be able to do that.”

To his surprise, North didn’t seem surprised at that. If anything, he seemed rather uncomfortable. “Ah. Well…sometimes, some guardian angels develop powers that are similar to Virtues’ abilities. It allows them to better handle their jobs.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “How does that even work?”

“It is a reflection of your heart.”

“My heart isn’t cold!”

“No, no, I’m sorry, I worded that wrong,” North said quickly. “It…you should sit, Jack.”

Jack remained standing. “I think I’d rather keep my footing, thanks.”

North tapped his fingers on his desk. “...It is a reflection of your life before you became an angel.”

The floor seemed to drop from beneath Jack’s feet. “My…my life?”

North stroked his beard as he stood, trying to find the words. “Before you were an angel, you were a human. But when you died, you were offered the chance to become a guardian angel.”

Jack managed to collapse into a chair instead of hitting the floor. “I…I had a life? A home? A family?” After a moment he looked up at North in confusion. “But why don’t I remember them?”

“You asked Ana to repress them,” North said, naming a Power that had grown quite fond of Jack. “The trauma of your death and of leaving your family behind was too much for you to handle. So…she repressed them, and we gave you a new life as an angel.”

Jack was quiet for a while as he processed everything. Then he stood up. “I think I need to be alone.”

“Jack, I—”

“I’ll see you later, North.”

As Jack jumped out the open window and took off, North fell back into his own chair with a heavy sigh. Now what?

The next time Hiccup found Jack was surprisingly only a week after Easter. The angel was sitting on a picnic table in the local park, so lost in thought that Hiccup managed to sneak up on him. After a few moments of silence Hiccup leaned in close and said softly, “Hi.”

Jack shouted in alarm as he jumped. When he turned around and saw Hiccup he glared at the laughing demon. “Give me a break, Hiccup!” He spun back around with his arms crossed. “I’m not in the mood for any shenanigans.”

Hiccup stopped laughing and moved closer. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Just…mad at myself.” Jack’s eyes were focused on Jamie playing on the monkey bars in the park’s playground. “I…you know how I could make ice?”

“Yeah?”

“Well…turns out some angels gain powers based on how they died as a human.”

Hiccup grasped the situation quickly. “You were human?” Jack nodded. “And you didn’t know?”

“I…wanted the memories of my life and how I died repressed. Apparently depending on how souls die, they can have the trauma repressed until they’re ready to process it.”

“This was before therapy was a thing, wasn’t it?”

That made Jack bark a laugh. “How could you tell? So, now I’m trying to decide. Do I want to even know what happened to me? To my family? Or should I keep living in pseudo-bliss?”

Hiccup nodded as he moved to sit on the table next to Jack. “Well…you know the truth now. Can you live with yourself knowing that there was a whole other life you lived? Maybe you can find them now? A guy as good as you who got into Heaven must have been raised right by his parents. I bet they’re in Heaven too.”

Jack slowly nodded. “Yeah…that’s a really good point. But what if they were terrible people? What if they’re in Hell instead for hurting me or something?”

“Well, if they’re in Hell for hurting you, I’ll make sure they’re severely punished,” Hiccup said with a nudge to Jack’s side and a smile. “But I think they’re in Heaven. Call it intuition or something like that.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Hiccup.” After a moment, he leaned against Hiccup with a sigh. “You really think it’s a good idea?”

Hiccup was stiff with shock at first, but then he slowly relaxed and leaned back against Jack. “Well, I think it could be worse. You must have been a good person, to be an angel. So you must have done plenty of good when you were alive.”

After a moment, Jack took Hiccup’s hand and looked at him. “Be with me when it happens. I’ll get in touch with Ana, and she can come down here! She’s great with secrets, she can keep us knowing each other quiet too!”

Hiccup felt heat creeping up the back of his neck and along his ears. Jack’s hand was soothingly cool against the warmth of his skin. “Uh…” He cleared his throat, making himself focus again. “Are you sure?”

Jack nodded, smiling brightly. “Yeah! I dunno why, but I feel connected to you. Like I know you’re safe to be around.”

Yep, Hiccup could definitely feel heat creeping across his cheeks that didn’t have anything to do with his internal warmth. “Y-yeah…I know what you mean.” His heart skipped a beat as Jack’s smile widened. “Okay, I’ll be with you when you get your memories back. When should we do it?”

“I’ll figure that out. Um, how do I get in contact with you?”

“...Damn, how did we not figure that out?”

The two looked at each other and started laughing.

As it turned out, Hiccup had a friend in the Greek pantheon.

Jack gaped in shock as Hermes landed casually in front of them, the wings on his shoes fluttering. Hermes grinned and gave the angel a bow. “Charmed, delighted to meet you, dear Jack!”

“I…didn’t know the Greek gods were real!”

“Of course we are!” Hermes leaned over to whisper something to Hiccup, which made the demon go bright red and smack the god’s arm. Hermes just laughed and turned to Jack. “So, you two need a way to communicate, hm? I can help with that!”

Jack tilted his head. “How?”

Hermes reached into the bag hanging from his belt and pulled out two special cell phones. He handed one to Hiccup and one to Jack. “Now, these can be used to reach anyone in any realm, be they in Heaven or Hell or even on Mount Olympus! Hic, my man, what happened to your old one?”

Hiccup looked sheepish. “Toothless stepped on it.”

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. “Toothless?”

“My dragon.”

“Dragons are real?!”

Hermes laughed heartily. “Oh, my friend, you have quite a lot to learn about Hell! It may be a realm of destruction and punishment, but it does have its charms. Like Hiccup, he’s quite the charmer~”

“Hermes!” Hiccup hissed.

Jack blushed lightly but he grinned. “I guess he is pretty charming,” he said, which only fueled Hiccup’s blush.

Hiccup cleared his throat. “Anyway! So, new phones, and now we can communicate whenever we want!”

Jack held his phone up curiously. “Okay, so…how do I use it?”

Hermes went deadpan. “I’m going to be here for a while, aren’t I?”

Jack paced back and forth in front of Ana’s office, waiting for her to let him in. After five minutes of nervous pacing, which felt like eons to the angel, a musical voice bade him enter. He hurried inside and closed the door behind him. “Ana! Thank you so much for making time to see me.”

“Oh, anything for my favorite guardian angel~” Ana fluttered over and pecked his cheek. “Can I get you anything? Hot cocoa, perhaps?”

“Oh, no, I’m good! I just…” Jack took a deep breath. “I want my memories back. Is that something you can do?”

Ana’s face turned the color of coffee diluted with milk, but she didn’t seem all that surprised. “Jack…are you sure?”

He nodded. “But not here. On Earth. I, uh, made a friend down there. And I want him there with me.”

“Okay…we can do that,” she said slowly. “Who is this friend?”

Jack winced a bit. “His name is…Hiccup.”

Ana’s face paled even further. “How in the 7 circles of Heaven did you meet him?!”

He shook his head. “We just happened to run into each other, he’s really very nice, under the horns and claws. But anyway! He said he’d be there with me when I got them back. I know it’s unorthodox, but—”

“Unorthodox? Jack, we’re not supposed to fraternize with demons!” She bit her thumbnail nervously. “...Hiccup isn’t bad, but only the Seraphim and Cherubim are supposed to interact with Hell’s royalty. If word gets out that a guardian angel is interacting with Lucifer’s heir, you could be cast out!”

He furrowed his eyebrows, feeling confusion fester in his chest. “I don’t get it. What’s so bad about interacting with Hell’s royalty?”

“It’s complicated, but…sit, let me try to explain it.” Ana took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs and gestured for Jack to sit. He sat. “The thing is, people usually think that Heaven and Hell are at odds with each other. The truth is, we have a very tentative truce. They do their jobs, we do ours. But it’s more that…you’re a guardian angel. You’re not supposed to know about Hell’s royalty! You take care of your charges, and that’s all you have to worry about.”

“What, is it because I’m just a guardian angel? I’m not good enough to know about them?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“It’s dangerous, Jack! Knowing Hiccup could get you hurt! Not all demons are okay with him being the Prince of Darkness. He has enemies. And Hell doesn’t want any angels who can’t defend themselves to get caught in the crossfire.”

He crossed his arms petulantly. “I can take care of myself.”

She shook her head. “You don’t know the kinds of demons that are down there. And you’re only a guardian angel! You don’t have the power!”

“Oh?” Jack stood up sharply, ice suddenly cracking beneath his feet. “It turns out I have more power than you know.”

Ana stared at the ice spiraling out from beneath Jack with wide pink eyes. “You…you have ice powers? But—that should be impossible, unless…” She covered her mouth with a dainty hand. “We need to get you your memories back. Now.”

“Not without Hiccup,” he said defiantly.

She groaned. “Fine, okay, we’ll go meet with Hiccup. How can you get in touch with him?”

He pulled his new phone out of his pocket. “I also met Hermes.”

“Oh, Jack, you’re just getting yourself into more and more trouble,” she sighed. She stood up and fixed her dress. “Okay. Let’s go down to Earth, and we’ll meet with Hiccup.”

Hiccup was already at the park where he had first met Jack when the two angels flew down. Jack landed in front of the demon with a grin. “Hey, so, it turns out we’re not supposed to be talking.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Astrid lectured me again too. But I don’t care. I’m not going to just stop talking to you because someone thinks it’s inappropriate.”

“It’s not because of that, it’s because Jack could be hurt,” Ana said as she landed next to them. “Hi, I’m Ana. Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”

Hiccup grimaced. “Please just call me Hiccup. What’s this about Jack being hurt?”

Ana frowned and put her hands together. “It’s because you have potential enemies, Hiccup. What if one of them targets Jack? We’d have a full-out war between Heaven and Hell on our hands!”

Jack and Hiccup’s eyes both widened at that. “Come on, there’s no way that would happen,” Hiccup said nervously.

Ana stared at him firmly. “Can you guarantee that?”

Hiccup’s tail lashed behind him. “I’m not going to let anything happen to Jack. Not if I can help it.”

Ana stared at him for another few moments before sighing heavily. “Fine. I'll keep quiet for now, but if anything happens to Jack, it’s your head.” She looked at Jack and smiled gently. “Are you ready?”

Jack nodded. “Ready.”

Ana gestured for Jack to sit on the park bench they were near. As soon as Jack and Hiccup were both settled (and the two holding hands weren't missed by the Power), Ana put her fingertips to Jack’s temples. “It’s not going to hurt, but you may get overwhelmed. Once I start, I won’t be able to stop. Are you sure about this, Jack?”

Jack nodded, giving Hiccup’s hand a squeeze. Hiccup squeezed back.

What the angel didn’t expect was the rush of warmth that poured through him. His eyes widened as the memories started coming, slow at first, then like a stampede of horses. Visions of meals in a small cabin, of a man teaching him how to hunt, a woman tending to a wound on his knee, the same woman heavy with child, a little girl following him through the forest as they collected firewood, stories told around the fire, climbing trees, fishing, racing through the fields, helping find the neighbor’s lost sheep—

The day he died.

The shock of the memory struck him like a moose: unyielding and agonizing.

Jack clutched at his chest with his free hand as Ana pulled away, gasping for air.

Hiccup immediately glared at Ana with bared fangs. “What did you do to him?” He stopped at the squeeze to his hand, immediately turning back to Jack with worry. “Jack?

“I’m…I’m okay…” Jack’s eyes teared up. “Mary…my baby sister…I saved her.”

Ana gave him a sad smile. “The ultimate sacrifice.”

Jack gave Hiccup a shaky smile even as tears escaped down his cheeks. “It’s okay, Hic. I…I have to find her.”

Hiccup nodded. “Tell me how it goes. Okay?” Without thinking he hugged Jack, holding him tightly. He didn’t notice the worried expression on Ana’s face, and neither did Jack. “Just…please take care of yourself.”

Jack nodded as he hugged him back. When he pulled back, he wiped his face with a shaky laugh. “I am definitely going to need to see Raphael for some therapy. But first, I need to find Mary.”

As it turned out, finding Mary Overland in the records room was a little trickier than Jack had expected. It took him a little too long to realize that she had most likely married and changed her last name. “Okay…maybe if I go for Dad instead. Jeremiah Overland…” Jack stared at the never-ending rows of filing cabinets. “Why don’t we digitize this?” A tap on his shoulder got his attention, and he turned around only to yelp in surprise. “S-Sandy, sir!”

The plump Cherubim simply smiled warmly. What seems to be the trouble? he signed to Jack.

“Oh, um, I’m…looking for my family’s files. Trying to find where they ended up.”

Sandy didn’t seem perturbed by the news. Rather, he merely nodded in understanding and sent golden sand down the rows. So…how is Hiccup?

Jack stiffened in shock. “I-I don’t know a Hiccup.” Even to his ears he sounded weak.

Sandy merely gave him an indulgent smile. Sure, and I’m the Pied Piper, he teased. I have no trouble with you knowing the Prince. Just be careful that you don’t get involved with anything too dangerous, okay?

Jack nodded. “Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”

You can just call me Sandy. Ah, here are the files! Sandy plucked the folder out of the sand’s grasp and offered it to Jack.

The younger angel took it with a small smile. “Thank you.” Jack opened the file and his eyes scanned the page. Mary Overland had died at a very respectable seventy-two years old, having married a man named Henry Baum. She also had birthed four children—all of whom survived to adulthood! That was rare.

Sandy put a gentle hand on Jack’s arm, startling the angel out of his thoughts. You should go see her, the Cherubim signed with a warm smile.

Jack hesitated. “Do you…do you think she’ll want to see me?”

I’m sure. She’ll be relieved to know that you’re okay.

After a moment, Jack looked in the file again to find out where Mary had chosen her eternal residence to be. According to the file, she currently lived in the Ring of Patience. “Patience…heh. That suits her. She was always patient with me and my shenanigans.” Jack swallowed hard but handed the file back to Sandy. “Thank you, again, sir.”

Of course. Sandy hesitated, but then added, Follow your heart, Jack. Wherever it may lead you.

Jack wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but it was from one of the most well-known Cherubim, so it must have some importance. “I will. I better go find Mary now!”

As Jack flew out of the records library, Sandy allowed his golden sand to take the file away and place it back where it belonged. The portly angel looked out the window, where the half-moon dimly hung in the sky with the sun.

It took Jack some time, but he finally managed to find the Forest of Forbearance, where many colonial souls had chosen to remain rather than moving into the more urban areas of Heaven. He wandered down the pathways, following the map that he had prudently bartered for in exchange for a few preened feathers from his wings. As he walked, he found himself in a small village reminiscent of his home in terms of layout. It caused a pang in his chest at how familiar it seemed. One of the souls passing by caught his eye and he waved. “Oh, hello!” he called out, walking over to the man. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Mary Baum is, would you?”

“Oh, ja, just down that road and take the second turn, you can’t miss her house! Got a garden full of blossoming flowers, especially forget-me-nots!”

“Thanks!” Jack followed the man’s instructions, and sure enough he found himself in front of the only house with a garden that seemed to be exploding with flowers. The pale blue forget-me-nots had him smiling sadly. Mary’s favorite flower…

He walked up to the door and knocked. A short woman with brown hair pulled up into a bun opened it. Even though she was older, Jack recognized the turn of her nose, the slant of her cheekbones, her bright brown eyes. “Hello—” She stopped short and stared at Jack in confusion. “...Can I help you?” she asked after a moment.

He cleared his throat. “Um, hi. I’m looking for Mary?”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You…sound just like…” She put a hand over her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. “Is it you, Jack?”

Jack’s eyes began to water and he nodded. “Yeah. It’s me,” he said, voice cracking with emotion. He didn’t expect to be tackled in a tight hug by a crying Mary. All he could do was wrap his arms around her, hiding his face in her hair. “Mary…” he managed.

“Jack…!” Mary hid her face in his shoulder as she sobbed. “I thought you were in Hell! I looked for you all over Heaven! Where have you been?!”

Jack’s shoulders shook slightly the more he cried. “I’m sorry…I couldn’t, my death, I couldn’t handle the memories. I had them repressed, but I have them back now! I’m back, Mary! I’m here.”

“You jerk!” Mary pulled away and to Jack’s surprise punched his arm. It only hurt a little bit, but it did startle him. “You weren’t supposed to die for me!” Even more tears fell down Mary’s cheeks as she continued, “You were supposed to give me away after Dad died, you were supposed to teach me how to hunt, not…not sacrifice yourself for me! It’s my fault you died…it’s my fault…”

Jack immediately shook his head, gripping Mary’s shoulders gently. “I’d die a thousand times to keep you safe, schwester.” The German felt strangely alien and familiar at the same time, but with his memories back it felt good to speak it again.

“Bruder…” Mary hiccuped through the tears. “I shouldn’t have dragged you ice skating so close to springtime. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“Hey…” Even though Jack was crying at how much guilt Mary still carried, he still took the time to wipe her tears away with his thumbs. “It’s not your fault. I should have been more careful too. But your safety mattered more to me than my own. And you lived a long, happy life after!”

“You should have been there with me,” Mary muttered. She sniffled and wiped at her face. “Are you okay though?”

“Me? I’m actually a lot better now.” Jack smiled widely. “I have my sister back. That’s what matters most. And I became a guardian angel! I watch over a little boy named Jamie Bennett now. He’s a great kid.”

Mary couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Always taking care of others. Did you ever find someone to love in Heaven though?”

For some reason, the visage of Hiccup passed across Jack’s mind. Uncertain of what that meant, Jack shook his head. “Never really found anyone that I connected to like that.”

“That’s okay. Come on in! Henry is out bird-watching, but he’ll be back soon. I’d love for you to meet him.”

“Sure!”

When Henry came into the house, the man did not expect to see an angel speaking with his wife over cups of cocoa and laughing over something. He gently put his binoculars down on the side table in the entryway. “Mary?”

“Henry!” Mary turned toward Henry with a wide smile. “You’ll never guess who finally came to visit! This is Jack, my brother! Jack, this is my husband, Henry.”

Henry had a handlebar mustache and was a good head taller than Jack, but he had a broad smile and kind brown eyes. He moved to the table and shook hands with Jack. “Pleasure to finally meet the man behind the legend.”

“Legend?” Jack raised an eyebrow at Mary.

She only grinned at him. “You were heralded as a hero in Burgess. You kind of became the guardian spirit of the town.”

“Wait…Burgess? That’s where Jamie Bennett lives!” Jack exclaimed.

Henry put a hand to his chin. “Well, our daughter Julia married a Bennett, maybe he’s your great-great-hundred times great-nephew!” he suggested with a hearty laugh.

At that, Jack quickly pulled his phone out and opened the photo app. One of the photos he had saved was of Jamie next to a snow yeti he had built. When he looked more closely at Jamie’s face, he could see the same facial structure that his sister had. “I am so checking to see if we’re related now.” What he didn’t expect was a text from Hiccup to come through. “Oh!”

Mary leaned over the table to try and peek. “Who are you talking to? Another angel?”

“Not exactly…” Jack gave the two souls a sheepish smile. “I’ve kinda been talking with a demon.”

That put both Mary and Henry on edge. “Are you sure that’s safe?” Henry asked with narrowed eyes.

Jack quickly held his hands up. “Yeah, it’s safe! Heaven and Hell have a truce, actually! We do our jobs of guiding souls and rewarding them, and they do their jobs of punishing those who deserve it.”

“So it’s more like they’re the wardens of the prison?” Mary asked. He nodded. “That makes more sense than the fire and brimstone our preacher used to rant about.”

Henry snorted. “I’m pretty sure Preacher Jones was away with the fairies. But tell me, Jack, what’s this demon like?” His hackles had calmed, and he seemed more curious than wary.

Jack all but beamed. “His name is Hiccup. He’s actually a really nice guy, he didn’t try to attack me when we first met or anything like what I had expected! We’ve been talking more and more, he’s got a pet dragon named Toothless, he’s missing a leg—he hasn’t told me the story behind that yet, but maybe one day—and he’s in charge of a lot of boring administrative stuff so he likes to run away to Earth and people watch. He actually told me he wishes he was human sometimes so he didn’t have to worry about his duties!!”

Mary and Henry exchanged glances in that annoying married-for-too-long way that spoke volumes. “He seems like a good friend,” Mary said after a moment.

“He is.” Jack looked down at his half-empty mug with a warm smile. “He actually sat with me while I had my memories restored. It helped, I dunno why though.”

“Good friends are hard to find,” Henry said as he finally took a seat next to Mary. “But sometimes, we find that special someone who holds a part of yourself that you didn’t know was missing.” He took Mary’s hand and smiled at her. “I know I did.”

Mary blushed and giggled. “Oh, stop it.”

“How did you two meet?” Jack asked.

Henry grinned as Mary groaned. “We ran into each other at the market, literally. Apples flying everywhere, pretty sure my bread was trampled too. But when I saw Mary’s eyes, I knew, this was the woman I would marry.”

“I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Mary clarified. “So when I rounded the corner of a stall too fast, we collided. But instead of demanding I pay him back, he asked me out for dinner! Very unorthodox for that time, but he did ask Mom permission to court me since she was the head of household. Henry is quite the gentleman.”

Jack smiled wide. “I’m glad you two found each other. Um, speaking of Mom, where is she?”

“She should be back in a half hour from her card club,” Mary said. “Do you want to stay to see her and Dad?”

Jack swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Yeah…I do.”

“And then what happened?”

“Well, when Mom and Dad saw me, Dad dropped the fish he had brought home for dinner and Mom turned as white as my hair! I thought Mom was going to hit me at first for impersonating her son, she didn’t believe it was me at first. But then I told her a few stories only she and I knew—like the time I stole her apron and used it as a cloak to try and sneak a lamb into the house when I was 4—and then she started crying, I started crying, we were all crying and hugging. It was…it was a lot.”

“But a good thing?”

“Definitely a good thing.”

Hiccup grinned as he bumped shoulders with Jack. “Glad to hear it. How do you feel?”

Jack let his breath out in a soft whoosh. “A little overwhelmed, if I’m honest. But in a good way. Like a part of me that was missing is finally back.”

Hiccup nodded. “Wish I could have been there, but I’m not exactly allowed beyond Earth,” he said with a small laugh. “Too bad, your family sounds great.”

Jack was contemplative for a moment. “How come you can’t come to Heaven?”

In response, Hiccup tapped one of his horns. “We demons can only go to Heaven for strictly business purposes. Same thing with angels going to Hell. I think it’s because of our nature. We go against what the Realms were made for. I’m not meant to be rewarding people, you’re not meant to be punishing people.”

“Huh…that makes sense.” Jack tapped his finger on his chin, still thinking. Then he brightened. “Well, I have more good news! I found out that Jamie is my sister’s descendant! So he’s technically a great-nephew!”

“Hah, fitting to be watching over him then.” Hiccup was about to say something else, but he seemed to hesitate for a moment. “...Jack, I…okay, this is going to sound really weird, but I feel…closer to you than most demons I’ve known for a millennia. And we’ve hung out, what, four times?” He shook his head and looked away. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”

“No, none of that.” Jack scooted closer to Hiccup, putting a hand on the demon’s leather-clad shoulder. “I get it. Really. I feel like I can tell you anything, and you won’t laugh at me for being dumb or weird or anything like that.”

Hiccup turned to look at him in surprise. “Really?”

Jack nodded, smiling softly. “Yeah. Look, I know we’re not supposed to be fraternizing or anything like that, but…I care about you, Hic.”

“I care about you too, Jack. But…whatever this is, we have to be careful. What if someone catches wind of us?” Hiccup asked, worry in his eyes.

After a moment, Jack made a decision. “I don’t care.” With that, he grabbed the collar of Hiccup’s jacket and pulled him into a kiss.

Hiccup didn’t expect it, judging by the little noise he made. But it took the demon only a split second to return the kiss. It didn’t matter that they were sitting on a fence on Earth while kids played roller-skate hockey in the street. It didn’t matter that anyone could have flown in on them and seen what should be two enemies entwined in an embrace.

It felt right.

They broke apart with slight gasps for air. The two stared at each other in a little bit of shock. “...So I guess I like guys?” Jack said with a slight chuckle.

Of all responses, Hiccup didn’t expect that one. “I thought you were straight!”

“I thought I was straight!” Jack said. The two broke into a fit of laughter, holding onto each other to try and maintain balance. It didn’t work, and the two fell backwards off the fence with yelps of shock. Nothing was broken or bruised, but it only made them laugh even harder.

It took them some time to calm down, but eventually the laughter petered out. The demon and the angel laid on the grass, staring up at the sky as the sun sank lower towards the horizon. “...Do angels fall in love?” Hiccup asked.

Jack shrugged. “I dunno. But I’m not a normal angel, am I?” He grinned at the demon. “Most angels can’t summon ice and snow!”

That made Hiccup laugh a bit. “True.”

“Do demons fall in love?”

“Well, my parents Stoick and Valka are disgustingly in love, so yeah.”

“Huh. Neat!”

“So…what now?”

Jack sat up and ruffled his hair in thought. “I dunno. Technically, we shouldn’t be doing any of this…”

Hiccup sat up as well, propping an arm on a bent knee. “Yeah. I can’t exactly take you out on any dates in Hell, and you can’t take me out to any dates in Heaven…we’d both stick out like sore thumbs.”

Jack sighed. “Why can’t we both be human?”

After a moment, Hiccup’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute.” Out of the ether he summoned a thick book bound with leather. There was a symbol of a dragon on the cover. As he flicked through the pages, Jack watched him with curiosity. Soon enough the demon found what he was looking for. “Ah! I knew there was a spell for transformations!”

“There is?” Jack moved closer to look at the book. He didn’t understand the language it was written in, but the magic inherent in the pages was potent. “Are you sure this’ll work? I’m an angel, not a demon!”

“It’s a temporary transformation,” Hiccup said with a grin. “It’s one of those spells that work on either heavenly or hellish creatures. We can use it for dates on Earth!”

The thought of going on dates with Hiccup made Jack’s heart soar, but he was still uncertain. “Well…are you sure this won’t hurt either of us?”

Hiccup stood up and looked over the fence, seeing that the kids had all run home for dinnertime. “It doesn’t hurt! There’s no one around. I’ve done the transformation spell a few times now! We’ll be fine~” He cleared his throat and began chanting in a language that Jack recognized to be ancient, maybe even older than Latin. Gray smoke enveloped the demon, and when it dissipated a few moments later, Hiccup looked like any normal human. His eyes opened to reveal round pupils. “Oh, I forgot how weird it feels to not have fangs,” he said, running his tongue over his teeth. He looked over his shoulder and confirmed that no, he did not have a tail anymore.

Jack’s eyes were wide. “Whoa…that’s so cool! Hey, you even have all your freckles~” he teased, poking Hiccup’s cheek. He spread his arms out as he took a step back. “Okay, my turn!” He closed his eyes as the smoke enveloped him in turn. The tingly warmth was unexpected, but it was surprisingly pleasant. The weight of his wings seemed to disappear, and the warmth that usually emanated from his halo faded to a soft hum. As the smoke dissipated, Jack looked at Hiccup. “Well? Did it work?”

Hiccup nodded. “Yep! And now we can be seen by others, too. So we can go on dates without any worries!”

Before Jack could say anything, a crack startled them both. When the two turned toward the sound, they found Jamie standing partially behind a tree, having stepped on a fragile twig. The ten-year-old held his hands up in innocence. “Are you guys faeries?”

Jack and Hiccup both laughed after a moment of processing. “Um, not exactly,” Jack said with a warm smile. “Can you keep a secret?”

Jamie nodded. “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!”

“Oh, that’s pleasant,” Hiccup commented drily.

Jack shushed him before turning back to Jamie. “See, we’re not faeries. I’m an angel. A guardian angel, actually.”

Jamie’s eyes were wide in wonder. “I saw smoke, and in the smoke I saw the shadow of wings for both of you, but they were different kinds of wings! Yours looked like bird wings, but his wings looked like bat wings! Is he something else?”

Hiccup smirked a bit. “Smart kid. I’m a demon.”

Jamie looked between Jack and Hiccup. “If you’re an angel…and you’re a demon…” He clapped his hands to his face. “Whoa…you’re not supposed to be together! It’s like one of those stories Mom likes to read!”

Both Jack and Hiccup looked at each other with a bit of concern. “Have you actually read those books?” Hiccup asked nervously.

Jamie shook his head with a wrinkled nose. “They’re all romance stuff, but Mom talks with me about how it’s okay to love whoever you want, be they man, woman, neither, any of that stuff. So I guess the same goes to angels and demons!”

Jack was just relieved that he didn’t have to try explaining the birds and the bees to an impressionable kid. “Kind of, yeah.”

Jamie proceeded to zip his mouth shut. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret! I’m Jamie, by the way! Sorry for interrupting, I was hunting for Sasquatch!”

Hiccup chuckled while shaking Jamie’s hand. “I’m Hiccup. That’s Jack.”

“Nice to meet you guys! So what are you going to do now?”

Hiccup and Jack paused and looked at each other. “...We hadn’t gotten that far yet,” Jack said with a laugh.

Jamie put his hands on his hips, looking like a miniature version of his mother. “Well, that’s no good! Mom and Dad have a favorite restaurant. Well, had…” He seemed to deflate, but then he plastered a fake smile back on. “If you go downtown, there’s a little place called the Jealous Chicken, it sounds weird but the food is really good.”

Jack was an attentive guy, and he crouched down to be on Jamie’s level. “Are you okay?”

“...” Jamie lost his smile. “Dad died almost a year ago. I just…really miss him,” he admitted, looking down at his shoes.

Jack put a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I lost my dad when I was a kid too. He died when he went out on a fishing trip. But you know, your dad’s up in Heaven, watching over you.”

That got Jamie’s attention and he looked up at Jack. “Really?”

“Yep. He asked me to watch over you.”

“Really?! So that means you’re my guardian angel!”

Jack laughed and put a finger to his lips. “Yeah, but usually you’re not supposed to see me! But no matter what, someone will always be watching over you. Be it me, or your dad.” He didn’t expect Jamie to throw himself at him and hug him tightly, but he returned it. It was a peculiar sensation for him, feeling solid rather than the ethereal lightness of the spirit. But it made warmth blossom in his chest.

He let Jamie cry on his shoulder for as long as he needed. Hiccup was patient enough to wait, understanding the gravitas of the situation. Jamie eventually pulled away, rubbing at his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry. Tears aren’t a bad thing,” Jack said with a reassuring smile.

Hiccup nodded in agreement. “Even demons cry when they’re sad or happy. It just means you have a heart. That you’re alive.”

“Have you ever cried?” Jamie asked. Hiccup nodded, which surprised the boy. “Oh, wow…I thought demons were cold and didn’t have feelings.”

That made Hiccup grin. “Nah, we’re a lot like humans. We just feel things really strongly.”

“Cool!” Jamie seemed to be in brighter spirits as he wiped the last of the tears away. “I better get home, before Mom gets worried about where I am. Will I see you guys again?”

“I can’t guarantee it, but we can try to make that happen,” Jack said, ruffling Jamie’s hair and smiling warmly. “But even if you can’t see us, we’ll be here for you. Like how the moon is still there even if you can’t see it.”

Jamie giggled at that comparison. “Okay! Thanks, Jack. I’ll keep an eye out for you guys! Bye!”

Hiccup and Jack watched Jamie run toward his house before looking at each other. “There’s just one problem,” Hiccup said, grinning.

Jack tilted his head to the side. “What?”

“You’re going to need shoes before we’re allowed in any establishment.”

“Dang it!”

Six months passed, with Jack dividing his time between dates with Hiccup and watching over Jamie. He made sure to visit Heaven every so often to see Mary and his family as well, which was always a treat. The only people who knew that Jack was going on dates with the demon prince were Mary, Henry, Astrid, and Jamie.

While many dates took place in the city of Burgess (that way Jack was close to Jamie just in case), they also took the opportunity to travel the world. Because of their holy and unholy natures, they were also naturally gifted with universal tongues. That meant that no matter where they went, they could understand and speak the language in that region. It made exploring the world that much easier for the two.

The only thing that was bothering Jack was that neither of them could stay at each other’s house. Or, palace in Hiccup’s case. He wanted to be able to go to sleep in each other’s arms, wake up tangled up, and argue over who made the coffee and who started breakfast. He wanted to do more mundane dates than the grandiose adventures that he and Hiccup had been going on around the world.

He wanted a human life again.

But he knew that he couldn’t just go to the Seraphim and request another chance at life. That wasn’t how it worked. He had responsibilities, a job to do. Not to mention who knew what would happen if he got caught with Hiccup! There had already been a couple of close calls where Astrid had covered so that Hiccup could make it in time for a work meeting, or where Hiccup had disappeared just before Aster found them.

One cold day in Russia, with the angel and demon hanging out at the top of the St. Basil’s Cathedral, Jack cleared his throat. “Hey…Hiccup?”

“Yeah?” Hiccup looked at him with concern. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine! Just…” Jack ran a hand through his hair, chewing his bottom lip for a moment. “What are you looking for out of this?”

Hiccup was so surprised he started to slide down the tower’s roof. He scrambled back up with a faint blush making his freckles stand out even as Jack laughed. “I…hadn’t thought about that,” he admitted. “I’ve just been really enjoying this…whatever it is.”

“What, you ashamed to call me your boyfriend?” Jack teased.

Hiccup immediately shook his head. “No, no way! If I could I’d proclaim to all the realms that we’re together! But I think that would be a bad idea,” he added, looking up toward the star-studded sky. “I think God would smite me for corrupting one of his angels.”

Jack snorted a laugh. “If he hasn’t smited either of us for being together, then maybe it’s part of his ineffable plan.”

“Have you ever, like…met him?”

“Nope. Have you?”

“No, I always had meetings with the Seraphim.” Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and moved so that he could wrap an arm around Jack’s shoulders. “What are you looking for?”

Jack hummed as he wrapped his arm around Hiccup’s waist. “I don’t know. But whatever we are, I love it. Does it need a label?”

Hiccup chuckled low in his throat. “No, it doesn’t. And…” He swallowed heavily. “I love you.”

Jack’s eyes widened in shock and he turned to look at Hiccup. “What?” he asked, his breath catching in his throat.

Hiccup smiled nervously. “I love you.” He didn’t expect tears to start forming in Jack’s eyes and he scrambled to say something. “I’m sorry, was that—too much or should I have waited or—that was stupid of me, I’m sorry—”

“No, Hic, stop,” Jack said, putting his free hand on Hiccup’s cheek. He was smiling wide. “I love you too. I didn’t…that is…” He laughed slightly. “I didn’t think you felt the same.”

Hiccup pulled Jack into a tight hug, avoiding his halo and being mindful of his horns. “Of course I do! How could anyone not love you?” He pulled back just enough so that he could kiss him, warm and sweet. Jack immediately returned the kiss with equal fervor.

A sudden bright light caught them both off guard. They quickly broke apart and stared at the figure in front of them with wide eyes. Jack in particular was terrified. “Michael?” he said in a small voice.

The archangel and general of Heaven’s armies had his arms crossed. Behind him, Aster the Virtue floated, looking ashamed. “Jackson Overland,” Michael said softly. The words carried a heavy weight even though he didn’t shout. Jack flinched. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I…”

Hiccup shifted so that he was partially in front of Jack, giving Michael a thousand-watt glare. “Is there a problem, sir?” he asked coldly.

Michael’s gaze shifted to meet Hiccup’s. “You both know the rules,” he said gently. “This fraternization is not allowed.”

“Why does it matter? We’re not hurting anyone!”

“It matters because Heaven and Hell are never to mix together like this.”

Jack on the other hand was staring at Aster, who refused to meet his eyes. “You knew,” he said softly. “And you told someone? Without talking to me?”

“Jack, mate, you and I both know this would never work,” Aster said, finally looking up. The Virtue had pain written across his face. “A demon and an angel? What are the odds of that ever working out?”

“Pretty good for Aziraphale and Crowley,” Hiccup snapped.

Michael’s face hardened ever so slightly. “We don’t talk about those two. They are no longer affiliated with Heaven or Hell, so they are beyond our purview.” He held a hand out to Jack. “Come, Jackson. It’s time we head back to Heaven. You have duties to attend to.”

Jack looked back at Michael. After a moment, his expression changed from frightened to determined. “No.”

Michael was taken aback. “No?”

Jack took Hiccup’s hand and held it tightly as the two stood up on the cathedral roof. “I don’t care what you say, I love Hiccup. He’s a good guy!”

“He’s a demon!” Aster snapped. “How can you trust him of all people? He’s the Prince of Darkness!”

Hiccup glowered at him. “Just because I’m the Prince of Darkness doesn’t mean I don’t have a moral code. And I would never do anything to hurt Jack.”

Before anyone could say anything, a dark red portal opened in the sky. Out came Stoick, the ruler of the Pride Ring in Hell. The large demon gave the archangel a nod. “Michael.”

“Stoick,” Michael replied with a nod of his own. “I take it you’re here to wrangle your child?”

“Aye.” Stoick gave Hiccup a look of disapproval, but it was also mingled with sadness. “I’m sorry, lad, but…this can’t continue.”

“Says who?” Hiccup demanded. His grip on Jack’s hand tightened ever so slightly. “Just because we’re demon and angel doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be allowed together!”

Michael unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Hiccup. “Are you refusing to return Jack to us?”

Stoick in turn pulled his axe out and moved in front of the two. “Are you threatening my son?” he rumbled.

Before a fight could break out, there was the sound of something so pure, so sweet, that even afterwards Jack and Hiccup could never truly explain it. It was music, it was laughter, it was all things good mixed together. The group turned and found that sitting on another tower roof was a woman. She wore a simple gray dress, with long gray hair that shone in the starlight. As Her eyes met Jack’s, he could never afterward describe their color. “I think you’re all overreacting,” She said.

Michael and Stoick both immediately bowed to Her, sheathing their weapons. “Your Grace,” Stoick said softly.

“I didn’t think you’d trouble yourself with such a small matter,” Michael said, apologies laced in every word.

The woman tilted Her head to the side, smiling ever so sweetly. She stood up, and to Jack and Hiccup’s surprise walked on air towards them. “All are my children,” She said kindly, touching Jack’s cheek ever so gently.

Jack’s eyes widened. “You’re…” He couldn’t say it.

She nodded, her expression never faltering in its gentility. “Please, do not worry, my child. If I did not want this union, I would have never allowed it,” She said, turning from the two towards Michael and Stoick. The two cowered a little at Her even yet formidable stare. “And the same goes for Aziraphale and Crowley. Do not trouble yourself with such matters.”

Aster’s eyes were wide. “But…demons and angels…they go against each other, don’t they?” He quailed a little bit as She turned her stare onto him.

After a moment, She laughed, a bright sound. “Demons and angels are two sides of the same coin, to use a human phrase. One cannot exist without the other. Just as I planned, after all. And these two…” She turned back to Jack and Hiccup with a motherly smile. “They are part of my grand plan.”

Hiccup finally found his tongue again. “God?”

She nodded. “That is one name for me, my dear. I go by many names, but none know my true name, for hearing that would unfortunately destroy your delicate psyches.”

“You look…very different from what I expected,” Hiccup said sheepishly. Stoick gave him a Look, but said nothing.

If anything, She seemed even more amused by that. “I take whatever form I deem necessary,” She told him.

“I have so many questions,” Jack mumbled in awe. She merely laughed again.

Michael cleared his throat. “Your Holiness…what would you have us do, then? Aziraphale and Crowley are for all intents and purposes exiled from both Heaven and Hell, so they are no longer our concern. But what of these two? Hiccup is the Prince of Darkness, and Jack is a guardian angel. Surely there are issues with them being together!”

“Perhaps, instead of asking me, we should ask them,” She said. She clasped her hands together and stared at Jack and Hiccup with a gaze that pierced them to their core. “What is it that you wish for?”

Jack and Hiccup were both compelled by the gaze to speak their truths, even though they both stumbled on their tongues at first. “I want to stay with Hiccup,” Jack managed after a couple of stammers.

Hiccup cleared his throat. “And I want to stay with Jack.”

She tapped her finger on her cheek, still smiling. “That can be arranged…Hiccup, Prince of Darkness, and Jackson Overland.” The two straightened up. “From here on out, you are both to be my Ambassadors of the Afterlife. You are both free to go between Heaven and Hell, without any repercussions, and should any issues arise between Heaven and Hell, you are both to act as my stand-in.” Her smile widened at their expressions of shock. “This is something new that I am creating. That way, I no longer have to directly intervene with matters. You will have my full authority to act as you see fit.” She gestured toward them. On Hiccup’s jacket and Jack’s hoodie, a badge appeared, emblazoned with the All-Seeing Eye.

Michael stammered, “A-are you sure, Your Holiness?”

“Oh, yes. I will be selecting more of my children to become Ambassadors.” She sighed, and even though Her expression didn’t change, She suddenly seemed ancient. “The world I created has drastically changed since I last walked the Earth. There is much that I no longer understand. But perhaps the youths of Heaven and Hell, and of the other pantheons, will be better equipped to handle things.”

Jack tilted his head to the side. “The other pantheons? Like Greek and Hindu and stuff?”

“Of course.” She held out Her hands, and in them appeared a mirror ball. “I am infinite, just like this ball. No corners, but an edge that goes on and on. Every facet reflects Me, but in different ways to each person. To some, I am God. To others, I am Ishtar. To still others, I appear in different forms. Each god and goddess is a facet of myself, while still being themselves. Much like this sphere, I am whole and many.”

Hiccup’s eyes were wide as he processed this description. “That is…a really good way of putting it,” he said after a moment.

She smiled as the mirror ball dissipated into mist. “As my first Ambassadors, your job is thus: to travel the world and find more Ambassadors of the Afterlife. Some may still be alive, while others are also similar in nature to yourselves. I trust you to use your best judgment.” There was a motherly warmth in Her eyes as She gazed upon the two lovers. “Please, take care of yourselves. And remember…I am always with you.”

And then She was gone.

Heaven and Hell were in quite the uproar. A new program mandated by God Herself, designed to unite all the afterlives? It was unheard of! It was crazy! And yet, no one could bring themselves to truly go against God’s will.

And where were Hiccup and Jack as Heaven and Hell argued over the logistics of such an endeavor?

They were holed up in a little hotel in Burgess, curled up in each other’s arms. There was no rush. They could find the new Ambassadors another day.

They had all the time in the world.