Biology

Chapter 21

How you feeling?

My head is kind of killing me.

Of course it is.

I'm never drinking again.

Good plan. I don't wanna have to beat the crap out of people who hit on you at parties, anyway.

I told you we were just talking.

Bullshit. That guy was trying to get in your pants.

Oh, come on.

Least he has good taste.

What do you mean?

Knows a hot piece of ass when he sees it.

...I'm going back to bed, now.

Aw.

Goodnight, Hiccup.

Night, Frostbite.

Jack spent most of Sunday sleeping off the minor hangover that was left over from the drinks he had consumed the night before. It wasn't as bad as the rumours about hangovers would have had him believe, but his head still pounded and it was easier to just stay in bed and wait for the pain to recede.

By Monday morning he was feeling pretty much back to normal, so going to school wasn't an issue.

It turned out that most of the kids he'd been introduced to during the party went to a different school—but Violet attended Berk and was even in one of Jack's classes, though she was quiet and he had never noticed her before. They talked a little and he found that they had quite a bit in common—by the time school got out that day he had made another friend and the address book in his phone had grown by one more contact.

Lunch hour continued to be shared with the others he now sat with, with the exception of Thursday when Hiccup dragged him off to the library again for some alone-time instead. Things didn't get as heated as the previous time had been, but spending the hour together had been nice nonetheless.

Since he wasn't grounded anymore, Jack was able to start going to the rugby practices and games again. He still sat away from the rest of the onlookers, though, over by the fence as usual. Now he had to huddle in a jacket, since it was nearing the end of November and getting colder out—they would have snow any time—but the chill didn't keep him away. He had always kind of liked the cold anyway.

On Friday after his practice, Hiccup had, as usual, taken the time to spend a few minutes with Jack before they both had to head home for the weekend. After the crowd dispersed, they sat together on the bleachers and talked for a bit before saying their goodbyes.

"I hate weekends."

"I think you're the only person ever in the history of the fucking world to say that, Frostbite."

"Yeah, well," Jack shrugged. He had his arms crossed against the crisp temperature and was leaning forward a little. He looked up at Hiccup and pursed his lips, then muttered with some embarrassment, "I don't like not seeing you."

Hiccup's mouth tilted in a lopsided smirk. "Sorry, I didn't catch that? Say it a little louder?"

Flushing slightly, Jack looked away again. "Hmph."

A laugh and the brunet lifted one hand to ruffle his hair, then leaned to kiss against his jaw, just below his ear. "You know I hate this shit, too, Jack."

"I know..."

Jack sighed and leaned forward a touch more, rubbing at his arms absently. With how clear his father had made his stance on their relationship—which wasn't even supposed to exist—they couldn't do much about how things currently were.