Biology

Chapter 9

Three days later, Saturday night, and he was actually going on a date.

Was he actually going on a date?

Oh shit, he was actually—

Jack shook his head swiftly and smacked the palms of his hands into his own cheeks a couple of times to jar himself back to reality. This wasn't a big deal, right? Not a big deal at all. Most people his age went on dates all the time. Then again, most people his age weren't him. This was his first date. This was his first time going out with someone like that.

This was kind of a big deal, wasn't it?

"Ahhh!"

His stomach was already twisted up in knots and he hadn't even left the house yet. It was pathetic. Particularly because he was going out with a person he had already kissed (a lot) and touched (a little) and generally sucked face with on a regular basis for over the last month. But this was different, right? This was more... official? Maybe? Was that the word he was looking for? As if they were a real couple or something.

Wait. Waitwaitwait.

Were they a couple?

Was Hiccup, like, his boyfriend? The infamous Hiccup Haddock? The most feared boy in their whole high school, possibly the entirety of Berk? The one guy who was probably the most complete opposite of him in the freaking world?

And oh, crap, what would North say if he found out about all that?

He was having trouble breathing.

Jack shook himself, yanking his mind out of the careening tailspin it had gone into and shoving it back on track. Taking a couple of deep breaths to force down the jittery feeling in his stomach, he paced from one side of his room to the other and back again, the creaking of the house's old floorboards under his feet muffled through the carpet.

The pacing stopped momentarily, just long enough for him to check his watch and smooth at his clothes nervously. He'd never been on a date before—not to mention he didn't even know where they were going yet—and had no idea what the etiquette was when it came to how to dress.

So in the end he'd just gone with what he knew: light beige khakis (a little too long in the leg, he had to roll them up at his ankles) and a white t-shirt with a knit sweater-vest and a tie to top it off. Also a few bracelets—one of the few things he and Hiccup seemed to agree on fashion-wise. Pretty much the same thing he wore to school on a regular basis—but at least, if nothing else, he would be comfortable in his clothes, even if the rest of the night ended up being awkward for one reason or another.

He was so busy picking at the edge of his vest that the sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs didn't even register at first. The second ring caught his attention, though, and he flailed slightly, fumbled to grab his phone and house keys and then scrambled down the stairs before his Dad could get to the door.

"Is that your friend, Jack?"

"Y-yeah, I got it, Dad! I'll be back later!"

And then, before North could even come out of the living room, Jack yanked the door open and squeaked outside, closing it behind himself again. Sighing in relief, he offered Hiccup a tentative smile—and the other boy surveyed him for a moment, eyes moving from Jack to the firmly shut front door and back again before flatly stating, "your Dad doesn't know you're gay, does he?"

"Uh..." Jack gave an awkward little laugh and a bit of a shrug, glancing to the side. "Not—not so much. Yet. I mean... I'll tell him... eventually. I just haven't... yet."

"Well then," Hiccup tilted his head a touch, reaching with one hand to grasp at Jack's wrist and then pushing the other boy back into the door. Jack's back connected with the wood with a soft, barely-audible thud. Hiccup leaned in to kiss him then, already smirking even when he hushed Jack's quiet protests. "Better be quiet, right?"