Sixth Year's Snow (Hijack/Frostcup)

Chapter Twenty

A/N: Surprise! Double update! Prepare for heartbreak :)

It had been three months since I had lost my leg, almost five since Jack and I had met. Me losing a leg had hit our relationship harder than either of us would have expected. We had grown apart, worried that one would get hurt and the other would hurt as well. Things were practically how they were when Jack and I had first met, though Jack wasn't as fun as he used to be. When we saw eachother he was silent, thoughtful. He had shut down. He would just stay off to the side and mull things over. I would ask him questions, but he would only answer with yes, no, or a simple grunt. Often I would get too agitated and just walk off, leaving him with whatever thoughts were so damn important to him. I spent more time at the armory, seeing that I didn't have much else to do. Gobber was happy that I got my work done, my father was happy that I was finally around to help out, and Astrid was happy that she could finally talk to me everyday. I, on the otherhand, was not so happy. I must have seemed to Astrid like how Jack seemed to me. While she would giggle and flirt I would daydream about Jack and what we could be. I just didn't understand why he was so distant.

"Hey Astrid," I interrupted her story, "have you ever second-guessed your love for someone? Like, you thought it could be perfect but... it wasn't."

She paused. I had caught her off guard. Her eyes searched around before she answered, "well you- erh... I mean... well, I guess everyone has felt that way before. Right?"

I hummed an approval. I just didn't understand how one mishap of mine could make such a huge canyon between us. When we first met he was so fun-loving and careless. I fell in love. Now, everything is strange. Something flicked a switch in his mind and he changed. Just like that he was different. She patted me on the back then continued with her story, though I payed no attention.

I saw him that night. We sat in silence, staring at the ice that covered the small pond. I couldn't take the sullenness anymore and spoke up.

"Jack?"

"Hm?" He answered.

"Why did you come to this pond in the first place? That night we met, you were here. Why?"

Jack was silent. He leaned back against a rock. He thought it over for a while before answering, "it reminds me of home."

I turned my head to look at his face. His beautiful white hair seemed to now have turned a dull grey. His eyes lacked their beautiful twinkle. I sighed, reaching out and taking his hand. "Where is your home?"

"I'm not sure..." he sighed, "somewhere over the oceans, throught the woods. A small lake; like this one. The only difference is the moon shines brighter there. It's bigger. It speaks louder." He paused to stare up into the sky for a long while. The stars shined dimly. "Remember that night?" He quietly spoke, "when you pointed out all those stars and pictures in the sky?"

I silently nodded.

"I wish we could be like that," he whispered, "I wish we could stay like that forever."

I snatched my hand away from his grasp, furious he would say such things. "Then why do you act like this?!" I shouted at him, "why do you act so distant?! Why do you seem to want to get away from me?"

"I shouldn't say..." he stared at his feet quietly.

"Oh! Please do Jack! Because I've wanted to know this whole time! I've wanted to know why the hell you became so different!" By this point I was on my feet, yelling over Jack.

"You wouldn't understand!"

I growled. So many fucking excuses! "At least I would understand more than I do now!"

"Do you really want to know?!" He steamed. He got to his feet and stared me down.

"YES!"

"Because mortals and immortals cannot be together, Hiccup! You got hurt, slipped into a coma, and that opened my eyes! You will die and I'll have to suffer! I lo-"

"So this is just all about you?!" I erupted, "Are your emotions the only ones that matter now?! God! I can't fucking believe you!"

"You never listen!"

"And you never care!"

His grip tightened on his staff, I could practically see steam coming out of his ears. "Fine then!" He took a deep breath, "I'll just leave then."

"Fine. I won't care this time. If you want to be alone then go ahead, fly off!"

He growled before storming off in the opposite direction. He lumbered away, without looking back or stopping or even pausing for a moment. I could feel the burning in the back of my eyes. No. I ran away from him. I wouldn't let myself cry. No. I ran through the trees, over the rocks. I beared it; white-knuckled it. I held it back and ran for as long as I could. Once I fell over a root, I fell apart. I broke down. I wailed and growled. I punched the tree next to me, over and over. My knuckles cracked and my skin broke. I howled as all my anger and upsets overflowed. All the madness that had bubbled up inside me, all those times he ignored me, all those times he ran away from me, all those times he didn't return the favor. I couldn't take it anymore. I prayed that he would appear behind me, take me in his arms and cradle me, card his fingers through my hair and hush me. But it was no use. No fucking use anymore.