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"So, Jack Frost..." Hiccup took a deep breath, looking right at him. "Spirit of Winter. You were there since our first disastrous collision. You never doubted my ideas, nor did you leave me when I was nothing more than the village failure. You are my partner in adventure and battle, and I want to face whatever comes next by your side. Would you... marry me?"
Staring in shock at those green eyes and the beautiful silver ring detailed with blue snow, Jack stopped floating and landed softly on the grass. He let go of his staff, which hit the ground with a dull thud, and took in the sight of his future husband—because he was definitely going to say yes—who was kneeling and trembling with nerves. It was a bit ironic; despite having turned a Night Fury into his best friend, facing the Red Death, and defeating powerful enemies, Hiccup was desperately trying to keep his composure while proposing after five years of dating.
Hiccup shifted a bit in his spot to get comfortable, as using his prosthetic leg to kneel hadn't been a very good idea. His determined gaze faltered, for Jack hadn't said anything for a good while, and the nerves he uselessly tried to hide were bubbling to the surface. However, when the small snowflakes began to fall on his face and he saw the beautiful blush on Jack's cheeks—formed by that fern-shaped frost he loved so much—he had a pretty good idea of the answer.
Jack let out a soft laugh along with a few tears—which he didn't even realize had started falling—and finally broke the silence. "Took you long enough, Haddock," he replied with a small, genuine smile and a bright gleam in his eyes.
The Dragon Rider opened his mouth to reply, but was tackled to the ground by an overly excited Winter Spirit. Luckily, Hiccup had figured that an engagement necklace was a better option for someone as chaotic as his partner, and he gripped the cord tightly before the small ring could go flying. A loud, resounding "Yes!" burst from Jack between laughs, and finally, the Chief of Berk relaxed. He gently stroked those white locks and the little braids that drove him crazy. Both knelt on the grass, and Hiccup helped his fiancé put on the engagement necklace, before they kissed with longing and desperation, expressing everything that words couldn't.
In that moment, upon that small rocky formation where they had met so many years ago—because Jack and Hiccup definitely hadn't expected to crash face-first into each other while the brunet was doing the first test flights of Toothless's fin—the boys thanked destiny. Both had found someone in the other to trust and believe in for the first time in their lives. A friendship that quickly blossomed into infatuation, which then gave way to a relationship between the heir of Berk and the Spirit of Winter. Jack felt Hiccup rest his forehead against his own. He closed his eyes, simply enjoying the moment. "How long did you plan this?" he asked.
"Six months and a little more? If I didn't have so many responsibilities as Chief, it would have been a bit sooner," Hiccup replied.
"I should have suspected," Jack mused, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. Both had been far too busy since Hiccup took over the chiefdom almost a year ago. If it weren't for the help of Astrid and Eret, Berk would have caught fire during the first three months. "It seemed really strange to me that you asked me to bring you out here without Toothless, but I didn't question it; I was too busy thinking about how to help the village prepare for the devastating winter approaching, now that there's a much larger dragon population."
Hiccup let out a laugh. "I don't blame you, though you've always been clueless, Frost."
Jack placed a hand over his chest and let out a sound of utter offense. "Soon to be Frost Haddock, Chief."
Hiccup blushed profusely. "I told you not to call me that."
Jack smirked. "You didn't say that yesterday, when I clearly remember we were..."
Hiccup silenced him with a kiss. Jack kissed back instantly, feeling the brunet gently push him down onto the grass again. When Hiccup started kissing his neck with a rhythm somewhere between urgency and tenderness, tracing the path from his jawline down to his collarbone, Jack let out a trembling sigh and looked up at the sky, bathed in the colors of the sunset. They melted into the grass, letting the rest of the world and its overwhelming responsibilities fade away entirely, at least for a couple of hours.
They didn't need anything else.
—————
Happiness, for beings like them, was often fleeting.
Let's get one thing straight. Beings like Jack Frost, created by the Man in the Moon and gifted with immense power, had been given a way to channel that magic without destroying themselves in the process. In his case, he had his faithful staff: Twinetender.
What every magical being and spirit knew from the very first moment of their existence was that they must never use their powers without their conduit for prolonged periods or in excess. If they broke this rule, besides suffering unimaginable, agonizing pain, their soul would disintegrate until they ceased to exist; with luck, they'd leave a body behind, assuming it didn't vanish too. Jack had only experienced that once, and he never wanted to repeat it. When a magical being pushed the use of their powers to the absolute limit, the consequences were always unpredictable.
And of course, Pitch was a total lunatic, there was no doubt about that. Using himself as a source, sacrificing his corporeal form to create a creature made of shadows and nightmares? Naturally, Jack should have guessed that, after being defeated by him and the Riders years ago, the guy would use everything at his disposal to siphon the magic of spirits and dragons, regardless of his own life or anyone else's. Yes, this was definitely the last thing Jack needed while planning his own wedding.
Back then, he had nearly died at the hands of the Sorcerer of Nightmares. During that battle, Pitch managed to snap his staff in two. Without his conduit, Jack was forced to overuse his magic to face Pitch and his army of shadows, which slowly began to consume him. Weakened by the extreme use of his own power, Pitch took advantage of the spirit's vulnerability: using Jack's own ice mixed with black nightmare sand, he landed a direct blow to his chest. It didn't pierce him, but the impact left a dark crystallization that began spreading across his skin like poisonous roots, dimming his natural glow. The scream Hiccup let out upon seeing him collapse froze the blood of everyone present. By some miracle, and thanks to his boyfriend and Astrid managing to recover the pieces of Twinetender just in time, Jack was able to channel what little energy he had left into his staff, managing to repair it and stop the corruption before passing out. He woke up four months and two weeks later to a nineteen-year-old Hiccup on the verge of despair, absolutely refusing to leave his side, a then-Chief Stoick worried for his son’s partner, and an angry Gothi because they wouldn't let her properly treat her patient. Hiccup was always there, even when his recovery was faster than expected, given his staff was intact.
But the current situation was entirely different.
This creature, towering a few meters above the highest point of the Great Hall, had gone mad. It was a chaotic, viscous abomination of nightmares with human arms and empty white eyes, sliding across the water with supernatural speed. Shadows and nightmares endlessly poured from it, covering everything in its path and staining the sky with black halos. It fed on whatever was available: magic, fear, dragons, anything. The Riders had stayed in Berk to protect the people. Valka, along with Astrid and Eret, took to the skies, defending the dragons from the attacks of the frenzied nightmares seeking the magic radiating from every one of those beasts. Hiccup, Toothless, and he had gone together to intercept and stop the monster before it reached the island. They fought as they always had for years, supporting one another without leaving their own backs exposed; however, it seemed they had underestimated the power of whatever Pitch had become, because they had been fighting for hours and the creature showed no signs of stopping.
Just moments ago, a sharp blade forged of nightmares had appeared behind him, trying to impale his neck with brutal force. If Wind hadn't pushed him and Jack hadn't used his staff as a makeshift shield, he’d be a human skewer by now. But the impact was so forceful that the staff was knocked from his hands, landing on an ice platform he had generated out of pure reflex before the weapon could sink into the vast ocean.
Now, his breathing was erratic. The shadows kept multiplying to block his path. Jack dive-bombed, dodging strikes and casting magic directly from his hands and feet for quite a while now. He grunted, gritting his teeth in frustration and the pain caused by the overuse of his power. Moving swiftly and utterly sick of the situation, he blasted frost and ice at all the annoying shadows around him, obliterating them instantly. Finally, he reached where Twinetender lay and caught his breath.
It was then he saw that Hiccup and Toothless were in serious trouble; they lost altitude abruptly. Jack shot toward them at full speed. He saw them plummeting and formed two massive chunks of glacier and soft snow to cushion the fall. He succeeded, but the shadows took advantage of the fact that Rider and Dragon had been separated by the impact, attacking them individually. Exact replicas of a Deadly Nadder and a Monstrous Nightmare, created from nightmare sand, were hot on Hiccup's heels. He was using Inferno to drive them back and buy some time. Toothless was fighting his own battle against a copy of himself in the distance, unable to come to his rider's aid.
He flew toward Hiccup, freezing a barrage of Deadly Nadder spikes aimed at his back. They fought side by side as they had for years, dodging and dancing next to one another as they tried to find a way to reach Toothless, who had finally shaken off the nightmare but still couldn't fly back to them.
"Go get Toothless, Hiccup, NOW!" Jack yelled, using his magic to push back the nightmares, which let out annoyed snarls as they were repelled. He still felt a bit tired and dizzy, but it didn't matter. "I'll distract them, I'll be right behind you!"
The Viking was about to protest, but a piercing glare from Jack silenced him instantly. He nodded and sprinted toward his dragon, while Jack cleared the way from the sky, creating ice platforms for Hiccup and Toothless to advance across. A massive explosion shook the area, nearly knocking them over as Jack channeled his power against the two dragon imitations trailing closely behind them. What neither expected was for shadows to erupt from the base of the glacier, violently striking the Viking and launching him into the air just when he was a few meters away from Toothless. Jack, terrified and absolutely furious, unleashed his power to obliterate the beasts, which shrieked in pain as they were frozen and shattered by the ice.
"Hiccup!" he cried as he landed beside him, pulling him into his lap. Toothless also rushed over, nuzzling his rider, deeply worried about his condition. The Chief had scratches all over his face, and a thin trickle of blood ran down his forehead. Jack cradled him while using his magic to numb the pain of the wounds and help him relax. A few minutes later, Hiccup slowly opened his eyes and smiled as he looked up into Jack’s worried blue eyes, who offered a small smile in return. "By the Moon, don't ever scare me like that again."
"You know I've got a thick skull," he said with a raspy voice, sitting up on the ground with the help of his fiancé, who pulled him into a hug. It hurt, but Hiccup bit his tongue and returned the embrace. A few minutes passed before they heard Toothless growl and ready a plasma blast. They turned toward where the dragon was aiming, and as they stood up, they saw the massive shadow-and-nightmare monster directing a multi-pronged shadow attack straight at them.
Jack intercepted the strike mid-air, and light erupted from Twinetender, sending a blinding beam of ice crashing into the mass of darkness barreling toward them. Neither gave an inch; the shadows and the magic Jack summoned from the very depths of his soul clashed violently. He hissed, feeling the fear gaining ground, reaching him, creeping up his arms and his staff. Twinetender trembled in his hands from the contact, cracking little by little in the process.
Jack knew that if he didn't do something right now, he would be corrupted by the fear and Berk would be lost. So, with a battle cry, he channeled every ounce of his power and will into his staff. A massive explosion deafened the battlefield, kicking up a dense cloud of smoke and frost that swallowed everyone's vision.
The last thing Jack knew before losing consciousness was that he was wrapped in warm, comforting arms, and that all around him, scattered on the ash-stained snow, lay the shattered and scorched remains of his staff.
"Oh, I think that's really bad," he thought vaguely and dizzily. "I just... hope Hiccup and Toothless are okay."
He wished he had the strength to find out, but the darkness overtook him.
—————
He woke up slowly. His eyes focused on the wooden ceiling he had memorized over the last few years. When he tried to move his neck, a groan escaped his lips; his muscles were stiff and deeply aching. Jack sharpened his senses as he sat up slowly, listening to the sounds outside. The village was active, likely repairing damaged huts and tending to those wounded in battle. Through the window, he could see the massive black halos were still there. They weren't attacking, but they painted a clear, terrifying picture of what was coming.
The door to their shared room burst open. Hiccup stood in the doorway with a bowl in his hands, but when he saw his Jack was awake, the bowl dropped, and the Viking practically leapt to his side, checking him over with eyes full of sheer panic.
"Thank the gods. You woke up, snowflake," he said, relieved, stroking the spirit's hand, who intertwined his fingers with Hiccup's. Until that moment, he hadn't realized his hand was bandaged from the burns and scrapes caused by the explosion. His body ached, and his mind felt hazy. "I thought I was going to have to wait months again."
"Hiccup... what happened?" Jack asked, his voice weak. "The last thing I remember is the nightmares looming over us, and then..."
Hiccup sighed. "You blocked them, and the explosion knocked you out," the Viking explained, a shadow of exhaustion crossing his face as he bowed his head. "You used too much magic all at once and passed out before hitting the ground, but I managed to catch you in time. The blast wounded the creature; it forced it to retreat and bought us some time. Everyone was far too exhausted when I got back to Berk."
Jack listened in silence, noticing just how drained Hiccup looked. Both the Riders and the village had been fighting for almost an entire day without rest. However, what tightened Jack's chest the most were the dark circles under those green eyes he loved so much, and the broken look Hiccup was trying so hard to hide. His eyes snapped wide open as he remembered the final moments before losing consciousness.
"Twinetender..." he whispered.
"I... I tried to recover all the pieces," the Viking said, pointing to the desk. "I think I finally figured out a way to piece most of it back together these past three days. I’ve tried to repair it, but... I still haven't found a way to make it hold," he mentioned guiltily. "I'm looking for a replacement for the missing fragments, I swear I'm trying."
Jack stood up heavily with Hiccup's help. Then, he slowly approached the table and took in what used to be his staff, shattered into multiple pieces. He gently stroked the fragments that had not yet found their place in that massive puzzle Hiccup was trying to put together. A profound feeling of melancholy and defeat settled in his chest. The wood, though pieced together with such care and love, bore deep scorch marks and charred sections from the nightmares. Fragments were missing that were simply essential for stabilizing Twinetender. An inevitable realization hit him right then: he wouldn't be able to channel his magic anymore, no matter how hard he tried to fix his staff. So, there was only one option left.
"Hicc... I'll have to go face it myself," he spoke in a thread of a voice, not daring to look him in the eyes. "Without Twinetender."
He turned around, forcing a smile, and finally met his gaze.
And in that instant, seeing the pure resignation in Jack's blue eyes, Hiccup knew it would be the last time he would ever see him.
The Viking rushed to him and hugged him desperately, burying his face in the crook of his neck as tears began to spill uncontrollably. Jack wrapped his arms around him, closing his eyes and gently rubbing his back, trying to memorize the warmth of his body.
"Please, don't go," Hiccup begged, his voice breaking as he clung to his clothes. "Just... please, let's get out of here. I know I can find a place where that thing can't find us, to buy some time... I remember Dad used to tell me about the Hidden World, maybe we can go there." He pulled back just enough to search his fiancé's eyes and tightened his grip on the spirit's waist. Hiccup's desperate denial tried to mask itself behind a grimace of false hope, even as tears soaked his face. "I'll go get Toothless to guide the dragons and we can flee, I'll find a way to fix your staff, I..."
Jack slowly shook his head. He felt treacherous tears beginning to slide down his own cheeks, crystallizing instantly against his freezing skin. He maintained a calm, tender expression as he caressed the Viking's face. Gods, how he longed for Hiccup to remember him with a smile, not swallowed in this misery.
"Hiccup..."
"I'll tell Astrid to take over as Chief while we figure out how to fix it, I'll search the entire archipelago..."
"Hiccup, you know it doesn't work like that."
"I swear I'll fix everything, I just need time!" he screamed, desperate.
"Hiccup, listen to me," Jack interrupted, cupping the brunet's cheeks firmly. He wiped the moisture away with his thumbs, forcing him to halt his spiral of panic and look him straight in the eyes. "There is no more time."
And, deep down, Hiccup knew it was the truth. Judging by the number of black halos in Berk's sky and how the occasional nightmare was already slipping onto the island, the creature was probably only a few hours away.
"The only way to stop this is for me to go fight alone and end this problem once and for all. After all, it was my magic that drew Pitch to Berk in the first place," Jack said, his voice trembling. Hiccup made an agonizing grimace and tried to protest, but the white-haired boy wouldn't let him. "I'm doing this to save the archipelago, to save the dragons. Hiccup... I'm doing this to save you."
"I-I can't lose you again, Jack. Please, don't do this to me, I won't be able to survive it again..." the Chief of Berk whispered, breaking down completely. "I love you. I..."
Jack silenced him with a desperate, hungry, and deep kiss. Hiccup kissed back with the same intensity. The salty tears of both boys mingled, but the spirit didn't care; he just wanted to savor every last second of this contact.
"I love you too, Hiccup Haddock," he whispered as they pulled apart. He offered him an expression so warm it utterly shattered the Viking's heart. Jack traced his cheekbone one last time. Hiccup leaned into the touch, seeking comfort, but his expression morphed into absolute confusion when the white-haired boy stepped back slightly.
"Thank you for everything. And I'm sorry."
Before Hiccup could process his words, Jack used a small magic trick to put Hiccup to sleep. The Viking lost consciousness instantly, falling forward. Jack caught him by the waist. This was a spell he only used when the forest creatures got frightened by the freezing winds and refused to hibernate, helping them relax and feel comfortable during the icy season. He would likely wake up in a day or two, enough time.
He laid him down gently on the bed. He had never used his power against Hiccup, except to soothe the phantom pains that occasionally appeared and to ease the headaches that plagued him from the stress of leadership. If he didn't stop him now, his stubborn fiancé would follow him. Hiccup would throw himself into the middle of the battle, he wouldn't let Jack use his full power, and he would end up getting hurt. He let out a trembling sigh. He regretted that it had to end like this, but with his staff destroyed, his own life was the only acceptable price to pay.
He knelt in front of the bed and gently brushed the brown bangs away from Hiccup's forehead. He knew what his fate was and, to be honest, he was absolutely terrified. But if it meant Berk, the dragons, and his Viking would be safe... it was worth it.
He brought his hand to his chest and removed the necklace holding his engagement ring. He kissed it softly and slid it onto Hiccup's right hand, curling the Rider's fingers around the cold silver metal. He leaned in, pressing one last, tender kiss to his lips.
With a look of sheer determination, he stood up, walked down the stairs, and walked out the door of the hut without looking back. He broke into a sprint through the village, leaving the Vikings deeply confused as pure frost sprouted on the grass with every one of his unsteady steps. Perhaps Astrid screamed his name, perhaps Toothless let out a desperate roar in the distance, sensing his intentions, but Jack had already asked Wind to lift him into the air and guide him, heading toward where he felt the magic was simply wrong.
He didn't look back.
—————
Lightning illuminated the freezing, rainy sky. Jack’s blue cape whipped violently against the fierce storm he himself had summoned; the entire climate reacted to the unrestrained release of his full power.
Jack trembled uncontrollably as he tried to stay airborne, looking entirely disheveled. He was breathing desperately through his mouth to catch his breath and, with every exhale, small puffs of frost escaped his lips. His clothes were torn, stained in black and red from the clash. His hands, now entirely blue up to his forearms, channeled his magic in its purest state. He had bleeding wounds, but the worst was the one throbbing on his head; hot blood ran down his face, clashing with the frost on his eyelashes.
With a brutal scream, Jack unleashed absolutely all his power at the precise moment the monstrous creature left itself exposed. Gigantic blocks of ice, sharp as spears, erupted from the depths of the dark ocean and pierced the nightmare beast from side to side, immobilizing it entirely and freezing it from the inside out until it became a grotesque black crystal statue.
Feeling his own insides tearing and twisting apart from the magical overload was the worst sensation imaginable; a burning, white agony that left him completely blind for a few seconds.
Moments later, he finally lost the ability to fly. He plummeted from the sky where the storm still raged, watching as the creature finally disintegrated into fine ashes before him just before he hit the ground. His body slammed against a thick sheet of ice with a dull, brutal thud. An involuntary groan slipped from his lips when he tried to breathe. Without his rapid healing, he certainly had broken ribs and several fractured bones. Blood stained his clothes and cape, evidence of the beatings dealt by the nightmare. If he were honest, the physical pain was absolutely nothing compared to the impending void inside him; the numbing, unnatural cold invading his very existence warned him the end was near.
In what he assumed were his final moments, he only wished he could return to those carefree days, flying alongside the Riders through the beautiful skies of the archipelago, diving through the clouds and racing to see who was the fastest. He wanted to hear the kids teasing each other and laughing in amusement. To see Astrid flying beside Stormfly with joyous screams and the occasional barrel roll, while Ruffnut and Tuffnut fought over some stupidity while Barf and Belch snapped at each other. To see Snotlout begging Hookfang to just listen to him for once in his blessed life, and Fishlegs simply pampering Meatlug.
And Hiccup...
By Thor, he wanted to go back to his Hiccup. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to be wrapped in his warm arms as he stroked his brown hair and melted under his touch. He wanted to listen to him talk about his new inventions by the fireplace for hours, or complain about the village’s problems while Jack absentmindedly braided his hair.
Tears began to spill from his eyes as he remembered how, weeks prior, he had teased Hiccup upon seeing his brown hair getting too long, using the strands of his right fringe to weave a small Viking braid. He imagined what their wedding could have been like. Him and Hiccup, dressed for the occasion, holding hands in front of everyone. Hiccup would look wonderfully handsome in that heavy Chief's cape Gobber had shown him. He knew he himself would have to wear something similar and elegant at some point during the ceremony, but he didn't know the exact details since, according to Hiccup, it was a surprise.
He wanted to fly alongside him and Toothless, tearing through the clouds at high speeds while doing spins and flips. He would watch Hiccup test the latest version of his flight suit, and they would play in the air with Wind's help, catching him just before he crashed. Then they would laugh together, foreheads pressed against each other, and Hiccup would pepper his face with little kisses while thanking him for saving him once again.
He needed to get back to Hiccup.
He pulled strength from where he had none and began to drag himself across the ground using his left arm, as it seemed to be his only functional limb left. He let out pitiful moans from the extreme overexertion, leaving a crimson trail that contrasted violently against the pristine white ice. In his clumsiness, his arm slipped, causing his forehead to crash directly against the glacier. His head spun and his vision blurred for several minutes.
With one final, monumental effort, he rolled his body over and stared up at the beautiful, clear winter sky. Maybe, just maybe, he could envision those beautiful green eyes he loved so much up in the heavens.
"Wind... take care of him, okay? Please... stay by his side no matter what happens," he begged in a thread of a voice. He felt the light breeze ruffle his hair and Wind's soft caress on his face, as if comforting him. He took it as a yes. He smiled weakly. "Thank you..."
And, with a final exhale that produced no frost whatsoever, Jack Frost ceased to exist.
—————
About three days later, the young leader of the Hairy Hooligans woke up amidst the ruins of his hut. The bedroom, meant for two, was completely destroyed; furniture and the pieces of Twinetender lay scattered across the floor, victims of the rage he himself had unleashed hours prior.
Hiccup knelt in the center of the chaos, trembling uncontrollably from both the tears escaping him and the sheer panic. He held one hand up, gazing at the beautiful engagement ring with blue frost details he had slipped on just moments ago.
He stroked it gently. A twisted smile deformed his face. His appearance was the exact reflection of the room itself: completely disheveled, with his brown bangs covering his eyes and a half-undone braid falling over the right side of his face.
Without moving from his spot on the floor, he lifted his gaze toward the wooden frame of the open window, watching the snow fall.
"Jack is taking a long time coming back from bringing winter this time," he thought. "Maybe I should go with him next time."
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