Biology

Chapter 11

It was so quiet he could hear Hiccup's heartbeat, feel it thudding in the chest under where his head was pressed, surprisingly calm considering how fast his own was racing. In the background the movie had ended, the DVD winding itself down and the television eventually returning to the blank ready-screen.

Hiccup still didn't say anything and the longer the silence stretched on the more Jack's frame began to tremble, shoulders shaking. Blue eyes were squeezed tightly closed and his hands were clenched hard in the front of the brunet's shirt. He had to swallow when his throat closed up, tears beginning to bite at the corners of his eyes.

Oh, God, I'm so stupid.

Then the hand that was resting against his head moved, stroking down to the back of his neck, and light fingers slid around to tuck under his chin and tug. Jack shook his head, refusing to look up at first. His hands tightened, pulling at the fabric of Hiccup's shirt. He made a quiet, whimpered negative noise in his throat.

"Jack, look at me."

"Mm-mm!"

But the other teen was persistent and eventually he managed to get Jack to lift his head an inch or two. It took more time to persuade him to actually look at him—and even longer before Jack was willing to hesitantly meet his eyes, gaze darting to his, then away and back once more time and time again.

Hiccup regarded him quietly, expression unreadable. The fingers under Jack's chin drifted a little and eventually moved up, touching lightly along his cheek to duck under the edge of the frame of his glasses. He let the rough pad of his thumb brush at the corner of one blue eye.

"No crying." He murmured softly.

Jack's brows drew together at that and he swallowed again when his eyes began to sting even more—and Hiccup shifted, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, then his cheek, the tip of his nose and his forehead. Jack's eyes closed again when Hiccup paused there, a soft exhale stirring his bangs.

Breath shuddering in his chest, Jack bit his lip when the tears he had been trying to hold back spilled over finally, trailing downward, silent and painful.

So, so stupid. How could I say that?

"Jack," Hiccup's lips moved against his forehead, his voice gentle but firm: "it's okay."

Jack dug his teeth into his lip even harder and didn't reply.

"I'm not upset, you don't have to—" Sighing with a touch of frustration, the brunet pressed another kiss over his bangs. "I just—shit—I'm not sure what to say, here—"

Don't say anything. Just don't.

"I don't want you to cry like this, Jack, please."

And I don't want to hear that you don't love me. I don't want to hear that that's not what you want from me.

Green eyes were focused on a spot of nothing in the middle of the room. "Please." And then he tried, softly but unable to come up with any actual humor for the words, "don't make me tickle you again, because I'll do it. Hell, you know I will."

Despite the flatness of the teasing, Jack couldn't help it when a half-choked laugh worked itself from his throat. "Yeah," He managed, voice weak and followed by a shaky breath. "I—I know."

Hiccup moved back then and licked his lips. He reached up to gently adjust Jack's glasses and then let his hand come to rest against the side of the other teen's neck, warm and comforting. Green eyes studied him. Jack looked away again, even as he was letting go of Hiccup's shirt and lifting one hand to scrub at his cheeks, leaving behind nothing but faint tracks where the tears had fallen.