Biology

Chapter 23

North eventually left them alone, but had made it clear that the bedroom door was to remain wide open. Over the next hour or so, Hiccup eventually managed to get Jack to calm down, until they were both seated on the bed, Hiccup leaning against the headboard and Jack cuddled into his side with the blankets pulled up around them both.

At around seven o'clock, Jack fell asleep, still holding onto him tightly. Hiccup stayed where he was for as long as he could, not wanting to disturb him, not wanting to walk away and leave him—but eventually he had no choice.

When North's footsteps came up the stairs again and the man stopped in the doorway, Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment, then tilted his head to press a gentle kiss against Jack's hair and carefully slid out from the other boy's grasp. With North's eyes following his every movement, he settled Jack down against the mattress, then tugged the blankets around him again—and leaned over, fingers stroking through white hair, to kiss his cheek lightly.

"I've gotta go, Frosty." And then, softly, barely audible: "I'm sorry."

Jack made a quiet, negative noise in his sleep, brows furrowing for a moment, and Hiccup took a shaky breath, smoothing at his hair carefully once more before turning to leave.

North saw him all the way to the door and closed it firmly behind him.

When Jack woke up a few hours later and Hiccup was gone, he had to fight down immediate tears—and then again a short time after that when his father came into his room and told him how it was.

He was grounded again, of course, permitted to go to school and nowhere else. When he was at home he was to remain in his room with his window closed and his door open, except to come down for meals. He wasn't allowed to use the computer other than for homework—no Internet—and his video games and television were confiscated until further notice. His cell phone was also taken away this time.

But, more importantly, he was forbidden to see Hiccup: he wasn't even permitted to interact with the other boy in school, and North was determined to speak with Berk High's administration to make sure it stayed that way.

No amount of desperate arguing would change his mind about this, either. Jack tried—without success—for most of the afternoon, only to be told that if he refused to abide by the new rules then North would have no choice but to have him transferred back to his old school again.

And the idea of that—of going back to the hell he had lived through for three years, of leaving behind the friends he had finally made at Berk, of not even being able to physically see Hiccup anymore, even if he couldn't actually talk to him or interact with him—the very thought was intolerably painful.

In the end Jack had had no choice but to agree with his father's terms and begin his sentence that very minute.

Just two days later, Jack was back at school and never so glad to be there. Trying to pass the time over the weekend with literally nothing to do had been more than just hard. At least at school he had classes and friends to keep him busy—and he could see Hiccup.

But the other boy was acting strangely, even before the principal called them both into the office during second period to tell them that Jack's father had contacted her with concerns over his son's relationship with the school's local troublemaker. They were given a warning that they were to go their separate ways, not permitted to hang out together on school grounds anymore.

Jack hadn't thought North would actually go this far—and the shock forced tears to his eyes again, though he managed to swallow them down this time, forcing them away as the principal explained the situation.

It was only later, when they were leaving the office, and Hiccup refused to meet his eyes, just squeezed his hand gently and turned to head back to class, that he broke down and cried.

Lunch hour that day was hard. Hiccup didn't say a word to him, just ate his lunch in silence, and Jack did the same, picking at his food without much of an appetite. The others at their table took note, but didn't ask what was going on, which they were both privately thankful for.

It wasn't until classes were out for the day that Hiccup approached him at his locker and broke the silence between them.

"Jack?"

Surprised, Jack jumped a little and whirled to face the other teen, dropping his books in the process. He hurried to pick them up again, then shoved them into his locker quickly, even as Hiccup reached out to rest a hand against his arm lightly.

"Can we talk?"

"I—I don't know, I have to get home, my Dad—" But Hiccup's expression was serious, and Jack broke off, then swallowed and looked down, eyes moving to the floor. "Yeah. Okay."

There were another few moments when they didn't speak, then, as they made their way across the school to the library. They didn't hold hands, didn't look at one another, just walked quietly, Jack with his gaze on the floor and Hiccup looking lost in thought.

Once they reached their destination, Hiccup lead him to the isolated back corner—where they always went when they wanted to be alone.

And Jack knew something was seriously wrong a breath later, when the punk closed his eyes, then took a breath and lifted his head to look him at him, gaze firm but full of obvious internal pain.

"I'm... I'm breaking up with you."

Jack froze. "Wh... what?"

"Jack, look, it's..." Hiccup's lips compressed into a thin line and he forced himself to look away again. His voice came out rough when he spoke again. "It's not working out. Trying to deal with you and your Dad is just... it's not worth it. It's too much of a pain in the ass."

"Hiccup, you're—you're not serious—tell me you're kidding!"

The other boy still refused to look at him, but his jaw tightened and he blinked harshly a few times, then clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "I'm—I mean it, Jack. What's the point in dealing with all this shit if I'm not even getting anything out of it?"

A flinch, and Jack took a half-step back. "B-but you said..."

Hiccup made a tsking sound. "Come on, Jack, did you really think..." He trailed off a bit, then swallowed and continued, words forced, "I mean, Christ, I've put up with all your emotional bullshit, and everything with your Dad, and—and you don't even put out? It's pointless. I mean, come on."

One shaking hand lifted and reached toward Hiccup—but the brunet just stepped out of reach, shaking his head. Jack pulled his hand back against his own chest, gripping at his shirt. His head fell forward and his shoulders hunched. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, but found himself unable to keep the tears at bay this time.

He knew what Hiccup was doing, of course. There was little to no real conviction to his words, despite how he was trying to sound.

"H-Hiccup, you don't—please don't do this!"

"Look, Jack, like I said—"

"I know you don't mean it!"

"Jack." Hiccup made a soft frustrated noise, and turned back around—just in time for Jack to collide with him, arms coming up around him and holding onto him tightly. Bringing his own hands up, he tried to push Jack back, but the other boy refused to let go. Finally his voice softened and his fingers tightened at Jack's shoulders slightly. "Jack, please... don't make this harder than—than it has to be."

Jack just shook his head. "Don't do this!"

"I have to. Your Dad—"

"I don't care about him!" The white-haired boy all but sobbed, hands clutching hard at the back of Hiccup's shirt. He buried his face in the crook of the other teen's neck, tears falling freely now. "You promised we'd figure something out! Just—please!"

Whatever Hiccup might have said in reply died in his throat and he closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath, then gently pushed Jack away. This time the other boy moved back, hands sliding around until his fingers caught in the front of Hiccup's shirt instead.

"Jack, I'm sorry."

"Hiccup, don't—"

Hiccup just shook his head again, then leaned forward to press a gentle, regretful kiss against Jack's forehead. "I'm so sorry."

"Please—"

"But it's over."