Biology

Chapter 22

At five twenty-seven in the morning, Jack and Hiccup were still asleep, curled up together, facing each other with Jack pressed into the other teen's chest and his head tucked under Hiccup's chin. It was warm and comfortable for both of them. And that comfort was interrupted when North knocked on the door.

"Jack? Turn your lights off and go to sleep already."

The sound of his father's voice dragged Jack back to wakefulness slowly and a slight frown pulled at his lips. "Mmh..."

Another knock, though, and he half-jerked just as he had been drifting off again. Sleep-fogged and confused, Jack attempted to roll over to face the door—but was stopped by arms around him. His movements stuttered and he looked up at Hiccup almost blankly for a moment.

"Jack?" North's voice called from the hallway, and was followed by some muttering that Jack couldn't quite make out. His father was probably trying to decide if he should just come in and turn the light off himself or not.

The sound of North calling his name again made Jack snap back to wakefulness abruptly, though. His eyes widened hugely and he whipped his head around, looking back over his shoulder toward the door, then gripped his hands in the front of Hiccup's shirt and shook the other boy.

"Hiccup!" He hissed frantically, and then, when Hiccup just mumbled something incoherent in his sleep: "wake up!"

Hiccup's arms tightened around him slightly—but then he cracked his eyes open and peered down at his boyfriend in confusion. "Jack...? The fuck, man...?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by yet another knock on his door, louder this time, and North calling out his name once more. The foggy look in Hiccup's eyes cleared immediately and he jerked his gaze upward, over Jack's head toward the door.

"Oh, shit."

He let go of Jack like he was holding onto a piece of hot coal—and Jack didn't protest, instead just rolling over so fast he fell off the bed and landed on the floor with a dull thud. Wincing, he scrambled up to his feet as quickly as possible, and Hiccup was doing the same, clambering out of the bed to snatch his jacket from the ground.

"Jack, what was that sound? I'm coming in—"

"No, Dad, it's fine I just fell—"

Jack floundered for the window, yanking it open, and Hiccup hurried after him—and he was just swinging one leg over the sill to clamber out when the door swung open and North came into the room.

Oh God, not again.

North's eyes lit on Hiccup and his face contorted in anger. Before Hiccup could finish scrambling out the window, North was across the room and grabbing onto his arm, hauling him back in. Hiccup yelped and stumbled, but North was already dragging him across the room and out into the hallway with Jack scrambling after them.

With his hand still clamped on the punk's arm, North pulled him down the staircase to the entryway, but rather than just throwing him out of the house, he stopped there, his grip on Hiccup tightening sharply.

"I thought I made it clear that you are to stay away from my son."

"Dad!" Jack's voice was high and frantic.

This time, though, North turned a furious glare on him as well. "Jack, I am through with this! If you keep this up, so help me, I'll have to get you transferred back to your old school again!"

The white-haired boy shook his head, his heart leaping to his throat. "No—no, Dad, come on—"

But North's attention returned to Hiccup again, his eyes narrowing in anger. "Stay. Away. From. Jack."