How's about a kiss?

chapter 13

Hiccup had spent the next week in a happy distracted daze. He'd told Jack he loved him, and he said it back. It felt so real, and so amazing to be loved back, and nothing could bring his mood down. He completed every one of his chores without complaint, he let others win the dragon races, he put in hard work at the armory with Gobber, everything was just going well for him(which hardly ever happened). Of course, he still missed Jack. That never went away- it was a constant ache of loss that he could swear he could feel in his heart with every beat. Jack had left a note on his window in frost stating when he'd be back, and Hiccup couldn't wait. He's even noted it down in his diary, along with a few hundred drawings of Jack, too. Just two more days and he'd be back, and his life would bet ultimately better again. Hiccup still had to see Astrid about the village, and although he was happy to see her the guilt crushed him inside. He knew that she still liked him, and he hated lying to her, but what could he do? If she ever found out the truth she'd be destroyed, and very, very angry. He wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance, so as much as it hurt inside, he plastered on a fake smile whenever she came near him.
On that particular day, Astrid had taken him by surprise. She opened the door to his small but sturdy house and was greeted with a huge hug from Stoick. He lifted her off her feet and crushed her to his chest, her face getting scratched by his beard. She made a noise of protest, but laughed anyway and hugged him back. Stoick liked her, and it filled her with pride knowing that she was with the Chief's son, and that the Chief liked her so much. She felt like a true, proper Viking. Stoick's loud voice filled up the small room instantly as he clapped her on the shoulder. "Astrid, my girl! Where have you been? I've not seen you in this house for, well, it must be at least a month! Have you finally grown sick of Hiccup?" His tone was joking, but his thick eyebrows pulled together in worry. Hiccup couldn't mess this up with Astrid, she would be the best wife in the village for him, and there wasn't many other girls suitable for the Chief's son. Astrid would be a good wife and a good warrior.
Astrid smiled and put a hand on her hip. She blew her blonde fringe back from her face. "No, I haven't. I'm actually here to see him if that's okay. He's been away so often the past few months." Her tone remained casual but she was overly-conscious of the fact that her hand was very lightly trembling. She couldn't tell Stoick about the black magic, he would kill Hiccup and she'd never see him again, and no matter how angry at him she was, that was something she'd never want.
"Hiccup! Get down here!" Stoick yelled, his voice booming. Hiccup stumbled down the stairs, managing to slip while he was at it and knock over two piles of books on a nearby shelf. He came to a stop at Stoick's feet, who looked at him in wonder. "You can't do anything without leaving some destruction behind you, can you?"
Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and laughed nervously, kicking the pile of books he'd knocked underneath a table. Out of sight out of mind right? "Aha, yeah...anyway, what's up?"
"Astrid's here to see you!" Stoick clapped him on the shoulder, except instead of standing still like Astrid, Hiccup was sent flying forward, right into the blonde girl. He fumbled and blushed, immediately trying to disentangle himself from her, but the longer he fumbled to more time it seemed to take. His cheeks burned a furious red, almost deep enough to hide his freckles. Astrid grabbed his hands and pushed him back, giving them both more balance. She laughed, and Hiccup rubbed his wrist. "Ah, thanks."
She nodded. "Yeah. So, do you want to do anything today?"
Hiccup could already feel the 'no' forming on his lips, but one look at Stoick's intimidating glare was enough to force a smile onto his face."Yes. Just let me get my vest." He was wearing just his green sweater, and although it was made small, it still hung off his skinny frame.
"I'll come with." When neither Stoick nor Hiccup protested, she pushed past him and walked to his room siting on his bed. Hiccup grabbed his vest from the floor and put it on. He cast a glance out the window and sighed- there was huge clouds in the sky, dark grey ones that held only promises of rain. "I'd better go put on my boots. I think they're downstairs, just wait here." He mumbled, dashing out the room.
Astrid lay down on his bed, and inhaled. It smelled like Hiccup, which she could only describe as the smell of sunshine, pine cones and just a hint of metal. But as she sniffed, she detected a new scent, too. This one smelled cold, almost like a breeze. It stung her nose. She wondered who it could belong to, but before her thoughts got very far she was distracted by a lump under the pillow. Moaning, she stuck a hand under the pillow. "What the..?" She pulled her hand out, and in it she held a leather-bound book with sticks of charcoal in it. She knew instantly it was wrong, that she shouldn't do it. This was Hiccup's privacy. But it was as if she couldn't stop herself, and quickly, while she could still hear Hiccup pottering about for his boots, she opened it. The first few pages were filled with what she expected- drawings of Toothless, and Hiccup. But as she flicked, the images started to change. There seemed to be a new figure, drawn again and again, taking up all the space on the pages. There was drawings of them on Toothless together, in the sky, profiles of his face. Astrid stared, it was as if she knew this face. It looked so oddly familiar, but who was it, and why was Hiccup drawing him? Why were they drawn like this? It was as if Hiccup had drawn them as...a couple? No, that couldn't be it, could it? Astrid read on, her head swimming. As she flicked another page, the stranger's name was written in every space. She traced it with her figure, staring, until suddenly it clicked. The figure in Hiccup's drawings was not a stranger, but, impossibly, it was Jack Frost. She had read of him many years ago, the tiniest section on him, because he could only be seen if you believed, legend said. Well boy did she believe now. It all made sense, the late nights, the disappearing act, the flying, the smell on his pillow- Astrid covered her nose as she gripped the book tightly, her fingers threatening to rip the page. Her pinkie smudged Jack's face a little, and she looked at it. She'd seen very vague drawings of him in the book of legends, obviously drawn by someone who saw him in fleeting. In those drawings, his eyes looked steely and cold, his jaw locked, staff wielded like a weapon. He looked dangerous. But in Hiccup's, he somehow appeared to seem soft, as if that lop sided grin was the only expression he had around Hiccup. He draw them underwater with strange beats which she could only assume were sirens. How could this thing put her Hiccup in such danger? How did it manage to trick him like this? She noticed how in almost every drawing their hands were touching, or their foreheads pressed together, or his hand outstretched to clasp what she could only presume would be Hiccup's hand. Astrid felt sick. She knew this couldn't be possible, Hiccup couldn't be with this creature, could he? It had to be some sort of trick, or magic. Her Hiccup was still in there, she knew it. Her trembling fingers flicked another page as her breaths came in short, rapid intakes. Her heart missed a beat. On the page, was a very simple drawing of Hiccup and Jack, staring into each others eyes, with a sentence above it: I love him. She read those words again and again, drinking them in until she felt as if they were written on her, his words seared onto her skin as if it was parchment and he was the author. Her breath got stuck in her throat, and her eyes threatened to water. She was so stupid, so so stupid. He had never said those words to her, and she had never felt their absence quite so profoundly as she did just then. Gripping the book to her chest, she let out a whine and shook her head. She would not believe this until she saw it. It couldn't be real, she was just being paranoid, overreacting. She had noted the date of their next encounter, which Hiccup had helpfully written in the top corner. Two days time. As she heard Hiccup's footsteps again, she shoved the book back under the pillow and crossed her hands over her stomach, moaning in pain. Hiccup opened the door and immediately his eyebrows raised in concern. "You okay, Astrid?"

She stood up and shook her head. "No, I have a stomach ache. I don't think I can hang out with you today, Hiccup."

Hiccup went and stood by her, pulling her arm around his neck to support her. He bumped her head lightly with his and smiled. "That's okay. Let's just get you home."

As she leaned into him, she could smell that distinct cool, cold scent again, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away before Hiccup realised, and steeled her gaze. She was Astrid, a great viking-she did not cry. This was all a misunderstanding, and she'd prove it when she went to follow Hiccup on this meeting. When he got her downstairs, Astrid leaned against the wall and smacked her head as if she'd forgotten something. "Oh! Hiccup, can you get my bag? I left it in your room I think."

"Sure." Hiccup removed himself ungracefully from Astrid and ran back upstairs.

Working quickly, Astrid ran to the back room where Stoick was sitting, admiring his weapons. She grabbed his shoulder and spun him round, her voice low and urgent. "Stoick, something is wrong with Hiccup. I found a book in his room, under his pillow, and it's filled with pictures of him and what seems to be Jack Frost. But these are drawings of them being together, Stoick, he's infatuated. He even wrote that he loves him! That's were he's been going all these nights, that's what's changed about him! He never makes time for me because he's with him."

Stoick stared at her, his mouth wide. He began to laugh, assuming it was a joke, or that Astrid was crazy. but something in her gaze stopped him. "Astrid... you're serious about this? The Jokul Frosti...Jack Frost. You're telling me Hiccup is in love with that monster?"

Astrid nodded quickly, her eyes pleading. "Stoick, for the love of the Gods, believe me. If you can believe in dragons, and sirens, and Valhalla and in all of our Gods, and you know these to be real, know that Jack Frost is real, too. You need to believe to see him, Stoick. That's why he's so dangerous. They meet in two days at the clearing in the woods. We'll follow them, and you'll have your proof. I know I sound crazy, but you need to believe me. You need to help me save Hiccup, please. Please."

A distant voice called down from the stairs. "Astrid? I can't find your bag."

"Oh! I already have it, sorry! Must've forgot!" She called up hastily. She whirled to face Stoick, her eyes pleading.

Stoick groaned and dragged a hand down his large ruddy face. He looked at her, her brows furrowed. "Okay, Astrid. i'll see this book for myself, and I'll come with you. But if I see nothing then I want this to be the last of this talk, and nobody in the village hears. It would be a disgrace on this family, do you understand?"

Astrid nodded quickly and ran back into the living room, greeted by Hiccup. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, her lips barely grazing his skin, and ran out the door, shutting it tight behind her. Hiccup stood shocked at how quickly she had come and left, and he blew out a relieved sigh then made his way back up to his room. Astrid sank down with her back against the outside of the door. Two days. Two days until she would find out. Two days until she saved Hiccup.