The water was luckily cut by the extended wings of the roof, the liquid bullets avoiding the glass of the window and not at all bothering the peaceful slumber of the five year old cuddled in a ball in the too big bed. Stoick liked these moments, when he didn't have to worry about work and could just spend time with his son, even if the little one was deeply sleep, auburn hair still keeping the silkiness of childhood spilling everywhere over the pillow,the small boy curled on himself and not caring about the world at the moment.
A soft knock at the door made Stoick sigh and raise from the chair he was sitting in, patting the boy's head tenderly before leaving the room as silently as he could. It was bound to happen, really, not much free time when your a mob boss, not even at night and under the most ferocious storm most people have yet to see. The man who waited patiently outside the room waited for him to close the door before scratching his head with his only hand, the crude hand-made hook adjusted on the lump of his left arm hooking in his belt.
"We have a situation" The blonde man said, walking along Stoick down the hall. "Something made its way in and-"
"What do you mean someth-are we in danger of attack or something? I don't want to lose time I could be spending with my son over a false alarm" The burly redhead stopped mid-step, turning to face his right-hand man. "If it's less than that you should be able to take care of that, Gobber"
"I know! I know, but it's not an attack or anythin', really" Gobber assured him, raising both arms in a peace sign, which wasn't as effective when one of your hands was replaced by something sharp and rather deadly. "But something did made its way in and I just couldn't...you better see it yourself"
They had reached the end of the hallway, a closed door leading to the reception room in front of them. Gobber twisted the knob and opened the door for Stoick to walk through, the chief not giving five steps in before stopping dead in his tracks. There sitting awkwardly at the border of an armrest was a boy, no older than ten, unnatural white hair wet and semi-covering icy blue eyes that seemed to look cautiously around, like a fox trapped in a box trying to detect any predators in the darkness. He had a big towel around himself, the state of his hair and clothes revealing the boy was most likely walking under the rain, his white shirt was crumpled and covered in mud and his trousers were as dirty and thorn near the bottom of the legs. He was completely barefeet.
The man standing near the only other door in the room was given the signal and left the room, leaving the two men alone with the boy, his small figure somehow appearing taller when, instead of cowering down, he sat straighter, a tint of defiance in his stance.
Stoick walked over to him in a rather careful way, the same he would use to aproach his son when he woudln't let anyone close to him after throwing a fit. "Hey there, son, you don't have to worry" He assured the boy, watching how his brow furrowed slightly and his throat moved slightly from swallowing. "No one's gonna hurt you" He waited until the boy nodded slightly, a twinge of untrustiness still lingering on his face. "Now, would you mind if we ask you a few things?" He looked at the ground, his bare feet swinging for a while. Stoick kept silent while the kid sorted his thoughts, until he finally nodded, but it was obvious at this point he had no intention of opening his mouth. Fine by me, thought Stoick, I can deal with that later.
With help from Gobber, a warm hearth and a glass of warm milk, he managed to get some yes/no answers from the boy. He was eight years old, and apparently he'd run away from his adoptive home a few days ago, not happy being separated from his sister and living with abusive step-parents. He'd been okay for a while, spending the nights at the park and the days looking for food, but this night's storm had forced him to seek a better refuge, and he'd come upon this big house, thinking that maybe he could toe his way into the kitchen or hide in the cottage in the yard. He'd opted for the first option and climbed the wall, managing to get as far as the backyard when one of the tugs in guard found him and called Gobber to know how to deal with the little intruder.
If anyone wondered how someone could get all that from a kid just nodding or shaking his head, well, Stoick wasn't the boss for nothing.
It was really late by the time they finished, the boy fighting the way his head swayed and eyes tried to close, and Stoick told Gobber to take him to one of the spare rooms to spend the night. The blonde man smiled friendly at the kid and led him out, Stoick turning back as well to check on his son. He sighed when, upon opening the door, he saw the little boy sitting under the covers, rubbing his big green eyes and searching for the switch of the lamp on the bedside table.
"Daddy? What's wrong?" The brunet asked with his tiny, sleepy voice, eyes droopy but stubbornly open.
Stoick walked to sit next to the bed and ruffled his son's hair. "Nothing, Hiccup, just a little...visitor we're having over for a while"
Hiccup seemed to wake up at that. "A visitor?! Really? Can I see them?" He seemed so eager, his sheltered life not giving him the chance to meet other kids, even adults were interesting to him at this point.
"I don't know son, you should be sleeping right now, and he seemed pretty tired as well..." He trailed off when the child began pouting. Now that was really unfair, he was just five and already had every single person in the house wrapped around his little finger. Including Daddy Stoick. "...Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt"
The boy whooped and threw the covers away, jumping from the bed to the open door, stopping and jumping in his place, waiting for his father to take him to this 'visitor'. The room Gobber had taken the boy to was in the halway parallel to the one they were in, in the opposite side of Hiccup's room. The door was open, Gobber standing outside, leaning against the wall and picking his ear with his hook.
"Ah! Look who we have here!" He said, crouching to pat Hiccup's head softly, the boy giggling and shooing the hand away. "Shouldn't you be dreaming with yer darned dragons already, lad?"
The boy jumped in place, his green pajamas flopping around as he did. "I want to meet the visitor!" He glanced towards the door, turning to his father with a pleading look.
Gobber chuckled. "It's okay lad, the boy's just changed into some extra jammies we had stashed away, he should be still awake" He then looked meaningfully at Stoick. "He didn't have anything with him, I think we could trust him for now"
Stoick pondered for a second and finally nodded, knocking the door and waiting until the white haired kid wobbled towards it, opening half a centimeter to glance outside. The first thing he saw was a little ball of energy smiling up at him, his blue eyes widening a bit in surprise, hand opening the door a bit further.
"Hi! Who are you?" Hiccup asked cheerfully, moving a bit around to make the older boy out better half hidden behind the door. Upon not getting an answer he pouted and took a step forward. "Are you okay? Are you sick? I can't talk when I get sick, my throat gets all itchy and my nose all puffy and it hurts, does yours hurt too?"
The stranger kid looked at him for a moment before a small laugh came out of his mouth, a fond smile on his face as he opened the door completely, shaking his head in response to what the brunet had asked. The adults watching the exchange a bit baffled at how easily Hiccup had gotten the kid to open up to him and, deeming it safe enough, let them to their own for a while, Hiccup knew his way around the place well enough to get back to his room later.
The older boy moved aside, letting the redhead in and leaving the door half-open just in case any of the adults came back. He'd been about to go to bed, too tired to stand on his own a minute more, but the little kid wandering around the room was funny and he didn't feel as tired anymore.
"Oh, sorry! My name's Hiccup" He frowned when the white haired boy laughed again. "It's not funny, it's a viking name! Im a viking, you know?" He then walked back in front of the taller kid. "And what's your name?"
Blue eyes looked around, searching for something and finally settling on the simple desk on the other side of the room, walking over to it and snatching a post-it and a pen, writing down in big letters and giving the paper to the kid before thinking that maybe he couldn't read yet. He was surprised when the boy nodded and said his name out loud.
"Can we be friends then, Jack?" Jack smiled at the boy and nodded, offering him his hand to shook. What did this kid have that was so charming?
Hiccup spent the rest of the hour with him, going to his room briefly to fetch one of his ilustrated books about dragons, talking non-stop about how much he liked them and which were his favorites and how he'd like to have one but his daddy had said dragons were hard to take care of and one wouldn't fit into the house. Jack just listened and smiled, all tiredness poofing away at the sweet sound of the boy's voice. They had moved to sit on the bed, backs against the pillow and each of them holding a side of the book. Later that night, Stoick had come to check in Jack and found them soundly asleep side to side, book open on the floor and cuddled against each other. He decided not to bother them, making his way to his office to make some calls around.
"Come ooooon, why are you guys taking so long?"
"Calm down Hic, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon"
The brunet pouted, running his way back to grab Jack's hand and pull him along faster, Gobber walking lazily behind. Today was Hiccup's 13th birthday, and to celebrate his becoming a legal teenager Stoick had asked Gobber to take him and Jack to choose a pet for the boy.
The morning after Jack's first night at the Haddock manor Stoick had told Jack how he'd been asking around and had found a way to get him to stay with them, if he wanted of course. He was quite surprised when the boy spoke clearly and rather hopefully asked if he could seriously stay. He had arrived to the kitchen led by Hiccup pulling him by the hand for breakfast, the boys obviously sharing that attachement of kids who didn't have many friends and latched onto whoever would come around.
So Stoick had made the legal arrangements and managed to get hold of the boy from his adoptive parents rather easily. Jack had understood really quickly what was it that Stoick 'worked' in, and had understood as well he'd have to put his part in as well, and had been especially eager when Gobber told him that maybe one day he could take care of protecting Hiccup from danger.
"Well, here we are, go nuts, lad" Gobber opened the door to the pet shop, the bell chimming softly. The brunet rushed inside followed by Jack, going straight to a glass vivarium filled with peebles, rocks and sticks, a bunch of different snakes lazying around under the artificial light over the small habitat.
"Ooooh, look at them, they're so beautiful..." Since he couldn't have a real dragon, Hiccup had decided on the closest thing that he could manage, a snake calling more his attention than a lizard or other kind of reptiles in dislplay. "Wish I could take them all"
"Oh no, sir, just one would be more than enough" Jack chimed in, leaning next to him and watching the snakes as well, making sure none of them were poisonous over what he'd studied the night before. "Seriously Hic, trust a dork like you to want a snake"
Hiccup snorted and moved to round the cage, stopping at the other side and ducking out of view. Jack followed him and found him crouching in front of a smaller vivarium, hidden under the bigger one and only visible from this side due to the closed cabinet it was in. In it, a long, beautiful snake moved around, it's black scales shining under the light bulb and giving it a soft appearance. Jack frowned.
"Hiccup, you can't really be thinking in getting a-"
"Black mamba? Yes, I probably am" He hummed, tapping the glass softly to get the snake to turn its head towards him. It did, stilling in its place and looking back at Hiccup in what Jack could have sworn was curiosity. Hiccup tilted his head to the side, the snake imitating the movement and making the brunet chuckle. The reptile slithered carefully towards the glass panel, its habitat entirely closed off by a fenestrated lid on top, or else it would've probably peeped its head out as well. "It says its a male one, rescued from contraband and kept in here until it's safe to free him..." The small sticker in the corner of the vivarium had a bunch of information about the species as well, but he didn't bother reading it, instead raising and turning to walk over to the clerk reading the newspaper behind a desk.
Jack huffed and followed him, already feeling the apocalypse rounding the corner. It wasn't that Hiccup was a coddled kid, he had to work as hard as any in the environment he lived in, but when he did want something badly, people in a three block radium should cower under their beds. The clerk, a man of maybe thirty or more, heard the footsteps closing in and put the paper on the desk, standing up and smiling welcomingly at the brunet. "Good morning, son. May I help you?"
"Good morning. Yes, I'd like to ask about the snake in that vivarium" He pointed towards the hidden animal, his yellow eyes staring intently at them. The man's smile faltered a bit.
"Ah, well, that's a Black Mamba, one of the most poisonous snakes in the world and..." Hiccup rolled his hand, impatiently telling the man to get to the point. "...It's not on sale, actually, we were asked to keep it for a while until a good environment was found for him, apparently the way he was smugled in affected his fangs somehow and it could be dangerous to release him if he's not going to survive"
Hiccup smiled at him, filled with a kind of sweetness that made the man shiver for some reason. "I see, well, I really like snakes, you know, and honestly think I could get him a good home" He tapped his chin thougthfully, Jack taking a step forward just in case. "It would be such a pity to have such a beautiful animal caged for probably the rest of its life"
"Well, yes, I think, but I really don't think I could-" He stopped mid-sentence when the brunet pulled a credit card out of his pocket, handing it over to him again with that smile. Still reluctant to comply with the kid, he took the card anyway, just to see if he could get him to drop that saccharine expression that was really creeping him out. He froze, however, when he read the name engraved in the card in elegant golden letters, fear replacing whatever expression that was on his face and glancing at the brunet, then at the white haired teen next to him who seemed to be dressed oddly elegant for such a situation, and then at the burly blonde leaning against the wall near the entrance whom he hadn't noticed before.
He swallowed.
"A-ah, I see...Of-of course, I'll see to it immediately. P-please make yourself comfortable sir" He then went through the door behind the desk as fast as he could.
Jack sighed. "Seriously Hic, do you have to do this everytime?"
The brunet smirked at him, the sweet smile vanishing completely. "If it's necesary, yes. I'm allowed to have some fun once in a while, after all"
"There are many ways of having fun"
"Oh? Will you teach them to me, then?"
"Maybe, if you promise to be a good boy" Jack smirked when Hiccup huffed in response and pouted, Jack's idea of 'being a good boy' being something along the lines of doing as he was told.
Damn him for being so loyal to his father.
The clerk came back after a few minutes, a small folder on his hands. After making sure the boy understood all the dangers he was exposing himself to, he allowed him to sign the papers to adopt the exotic animal, giving him a plastic cage as well to carry the snake home. After the snake was moved surprisingly easily to the movile cage (he was quite the hell-raiser, according to the man) and the card passed through the machine next to the cashier, Hiccup was on his way home, happily exchanging glances with the black reptile, sitting in the back of the car Gobber was driving, Jack slouched next to him.
"He's so cuuuute" Hiccup sighed dreamily, wriggling his finger at the snake, watching it follow the movement playfully. "What do you say, bud, want to get some fresh air?"
"Wait, you can't be seriously thinking-" Jack didn't have time to finish when the brunet did indeed open the lid, putting his hand inside the cage next to the snake. The teen gasped and flung forward, just about to pull Hiccup's hand out of there when the snake docily coiled around the thin wrist, head twisting over the back of the freckled hand when Hiccup brought it out and near his face.
"Aww, you're such a good boy" He cooed at the animal, softly patting his head and letting him flickle his bifurcated tongue over his finger. "People don't know when to recognize something so wonderful when they see it" He then glanced at Jack and grinned. "Well, sometimes they do"
Jack couldn't help the small dust of pink crossing over his nose, giving up and letting the boy play with his damn deadly animal. He kept silent a part of the trip, just watching Hiccup let the snake get comfortable with him, before shifting a bit to face the brunet. "Hey Hic"
"Hmm?"
"Happy birthday"
Hiccup stopped scratching the snake's head and turned his head to him, eyes a bit wide and mouth just the smaller bit open, a flush spreading over his cheeks before a grin ate all his face. "Thank you"
"Man, it's like you're asking to get killed" Jack grinned, a metal pipe resting against his shoulder, blue tank top clinging to his sweaty chest and loose pants covered in dirt. The rather big gym-like area of the household being completely empty besides from him and the redhead panting on the other side of the room, one knee on the ground and clothes similar to the ones the albino was wearing.
"Shut up, asshole" Hiccup spat a bit of blood to the side, raising and nursing the tender area of his arm where the pipe had hit him, the place already getting a soft purplish tone.
Jack laughed and leaned forward, using the rather long pipe as a cane to support his weight. "I've known you for thirteen years and I still don't understand how you seem incapable of developing the tiniest imitation of buff" He advanced leisurely, dragging the impromptu weapon behind him. "If you ever get captured and taken to one of those cliches abandoned shacks next to a pier the most probable thing they'll use in case you escape is one of these babies" The pipe tapped the floor soundly, making the brunet flinch a bit. "It doesn't matter how fast you're at evading swords or disarming a gun, if you can't evade an attack like this your skull will get cracked within the first ten minutes"
The brunet raised to his feet, moving into an offensive position and lunging forward, Jack raising the pipe diagonally in front of his chest, waiting until he was close enough to use it as leverage to haul himself up and over the redhead, landing behind him in a silent fall. Hiccup turned in time to cross his arms and stop the hit aimed to his esternum, jumping backwards to avoid the kick thrown as alternative. Jack tried for a more agressive attack, directing the mettalic end towards the bony shoulder, managing to graze it when Hiccup dodged and rolled away, getting to his feet and backing into a corner.
"Nice try, maybe if the place were a bit darker you could hide there" Jack said, closing in and lodging the pipe firmly between the two walls forming the corner, trapping the brunet in the spot. "But this is not the case" He then raised two fingers and poised them together at Hiccup's forehead. "Bang"
Hiccup stared at him blankly before getting a hold of the bar with both hands and sliding himself down and between Jack's open legs, landing crouched behind him and knocking his legs with a sweep of his own, making the albino crumble to the floor with a gasp, pipe falling next to him.
Jack didn't have time to react when a light weight straddled his hips, keeping his legs together and holding the pipe against his neck, the cold metal rubbing uncomfortable against his adam's apple when he swallowed, the green eyes staring at him from above glinting fiercely, a big grin spreading across the freckled face of the little mob.
"Maybe next time, I have someone waiting for me at home, y'know" Hiccup whispered, leaning down over Jack's chest, still holding the bar firmly against his pale neck.
"Oh really? Someone special, maybe?" Jack taunted back, the metal digging a bit into his throat but not enough yet to cut his breath.
"Mhm, Toothless gets cranky if he doesn't get his dinner on time"
Jack grumbled, letting his head fall back against the wooden floor with a 'thud', moving his hands from lying flat against his sides to rest on the hips slightly digging into his stomach. "Of course, that useless reptile"
Hiccup chuckled and removed the pipe from the other's neck, throwing it away carelessly and resting his full weight on top of Jack, dropping his arms around the white halo of his hair. "And also this really annoying idiot that follows me around all day long, poor guy would be lost without me" He leaned forward and kissed the jaw line stretching in front of his face, following a line down his neck and over where the metal had pressed harder, trailing back up and hauling himself up a bit to reach Jack's mouth, kissing him lovingly before retreating and standing up, holding a hand for the older man to hoist himself up as well.
Jack sighed contently and accepted the help, not releasing the hand and dragging the brunet with him towards their room, next to the snake lazying about in the big bed, and into the bathroom. "All right sir, bath time, chop chop"
Hiccup stuck his tongue at him. "You gotta undress me then"
Jack complied, peeling the dirty clothes off the thin frame of the teen and dropping them into the basket next to the door, following suit and entering the already running and Hiccup-filled shower. He stood still for a minute before pulling the brunet flush against him. "I'm serious about this Hiccup" The redhead stared confusedly and slightly worried at him, and Jack petted his wet hair softly. "Try not to get yourself hurt, please"
Hiccup stilled and lowered his head, wrapping his already bruised and long ago scarred arms around Jack's torso. "I won't"
The man grunted and wiped the blood dribbling down his chin, staring defiantly back at the white haired man dusting imaginary dirt out of the knuckles that had just collided against his jaw.
It was well known around the city that if you needed something you could get help from the Haddock circle to accomplish it; lended money, a coverage, a place to escape for a month away from the world, even a new identity, everything was easy for them. The only thing they asked for was for you to do your part of the deal, whatever it was, honorable bussiness above all and all that. So, when you tried to be a smartass and make your way around Stoick The Vast, you had to be ready for a little visit in the near future.
The announcement always came in form of a card, two days of advantage for you to run and get your sorry ass safe, but it didn't really matter, the one signing as The White Fury always found his prey, and never missed. Of course, upon catching sight of the white head of hair walking straight towards your position, one supposed the Fury was here already, ready to strike and finish the deal the only proper way it was left; deal or die. Simple, clean and fast. Of course, the actual danger was not the hitman smashing your face against the floor.
The man who looked more like a teenager than his actual twenty-five years was silent, not a word coming from his mouth as he struck hit after hit after kick upon the poor bastard that decided he was smarter than the freaking Mafia for fucks sake when will they learn. The man now laying on his back on the floor waited for the albino to talk, to say something about paying his debt or be as kind as to run himself against the figurative knife.
"Well? Are you gonna stand there like a retard or do I actually get to see some blood running before this gets done?" The redhead snarled at him, holding his torso up with his arms and trying to forget the way his leg bent in a weird angle at the kick inflicted before his fall.
The white haired man stood quiet, his striking blue eyes freezing the tattooed bastard to the ground glancing to the side after a minute. Soft footsteps were making their way down the hall of the abandoned house the indebted man was hiding in, a small cabin in the middle of the forest he was sure would be impossible to find. Idiot.
"Never thought I'd actually see one of the cliche abandoned shacks in my life, damn Jack, you're good" A rather nasal but kind of soft voice waved into the dusty room, followed soon by the figure of a young man wearing a perfectly tailored snow white suit, his green eyes looking everywhere curiously, his small hands holding a probably decorative ebony cane, the polished wood the same black color as the snake laying harmlessly around his long neck. "No pier, though. You owe me a soda"
Jack laughed and stepped away, giving Hiccup full view of the man on the floor. "Sure, as long as you keep that thing away from my snacks" He nodded towards the snake, the animal doing the perfect impression of rolling his eyes.
Hiccup chuckled and stepped forward, cane tapping the ground with a sound that reverberated in the walls and the empty space. "Ah, what do we have here? It's been a long time, no Dagur?"
The mentioned smirked and sat himself a bit straighter, resting his back against the wall. "Well, hi there Hiccup, long time indeed" He stopped to rearrange his broken leg a bit better on the floor. "So the White fury has finally come for me, uh?"
The brunet huffed and looked over at Jack impatiently. "Seriously, why does everybody call us that? Is the suit, or your hair?"
"I think both" Jack shrugged, keeping his eyes on Dagur the whole time. Blinking was for the weak.
"Whatever, I'm not changing it" Hiccup said, patting the soft linen of fake fur of his collar were Toothless liked to rest on. "You dye your hair, then"
Jack seemed outraged, forgetting the man on the ground for a second. "What?! Fuck no, I've had it longer than your little 'oh look I'm dressed in white to look like an innocent lamb before skewering my enemies with a hot rod through the chest'"
Dagur seemed to notice the slip of the albino, quickly reaching for the holder hidden in his ankle and pulling out a gun which he promptly used to shoot at what was at closer range: Hiccup's left leg.
Everything stopped, Hiccup's voice, Jack's thoughts and Dagur's own heart after a second of the brunet not falling to the ground in pain as he hoped. Silently, Jack moved backwards, standing against a pilar and setting his eyes squarely on Dagur's face. He didn't understand why until a small voice spoke again.
"Please tell me you just didn't rip a hole through my suit" Hiccup's voice was soft, calm and utterly terrifying. Why wasn't he holding his leg in pain? Why wasn't he crying out for help? Why wasn't he even bleeding? "Because I fucking love this suit"
Dagur cowered against the wall, nowhere to hide but his own shadow. He watched in utter horror as the brunet calmly made his way towards him, stride perfect and elegant, not a single sway from the leg he had just shot a bullet through. Hiccup stopped two feet away from him, lifting his cane and separating the handle from the body to withdraw a sleek and sharp looking blade, not stoping to think twice before sinking the sword as far as it could go into the broken leg of the man, the tip scraping bone with a sickening sound that was drowned by the scream tearing its way out of the redhead's throat.
Hiccup didn't seem satisfied, twisting the handle and relishing in the sounds of sheer agony ripping the silent atmosphere apart. Who would've known, empty shacks had a good thing to them. When the man finally stopped screaming and pased out from the pain, Hiccup drew his sword back out and into the cane, blood pouring out of the vein he'd perfored on his way. It would work, but not as fast as he'd like.
"Hey bud, want to play with him a bit?" He spoke sweetly to the reptile on his neck, the snake flickering his tongue out and making his way down Hiccup's arm and the cane, sliding silently towards the fainted redhead. Hiccup turned around and walked away, Jack following suit, hands on his pocket and silent as a tomb.
They waited at the entrance until the sound of grass rustling preceded Toothless making his way back on top of his owner, earning a scratch in the back while Jack emptied gallon upon gallon of kerosene over the wooden walls and porche, waiting for Hiccup to walk away to safe enough a distance before litting a match and throwing it away as simply as turning the oven on, flames starting immediately and licking the old structure, consuming every bit of material they could find, including the by now useless slab of meat lying on the ground inside the cabin. After making sure the fire wouldn't spread away and burn down the forest, Jack made his way back towards the main road, ushering Hiccup along him to get into the car to get back home before the sun set.
"Aw, man, now I have to get this thing fixed" Hiccup sighed, rolling up his ripped pant leg and removing the prosthetic leg from the clasp, the bullet lodged firmly against the metal support of the calf. "Again"
Jack kept silent, eyes fixed on the road and not turning once to look at the brunet, not noticing the way those bright eyes looked worriedly at him before closing, Hiccup's head hanging limply against his own chest. The ride was long and silent, Jack getting out of the car and rounding the hood to open Hiccup's door, following the younger man inside and into their room.
Hiccup threw his shoes away and removed the damaged leg, letting Toothless slide back into his cage and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at Jack who was standing quietly in front of him. "Jack-"
"You promised" Jack interrupted, voice shaking slighty. "You promised not to get hurt"
Hiccup stood on his only foot and pulled Jack against him, hugging him tightly against his much smaller form. "I know, I know I did, but I didn't get hurt, he just-"
"He just what, missed?" The albino's voice was even more wavering than before, blue eyes glazing a little. "Hiccup, he had a fucking gun hidden, I took my eyes away for a second like a fucking idiot on his first day at this job and you almost got shot!" He sniffled , wrapping his arms around Hiccup's waist to hold him firmly. "It was my fault, I'm sorry"
Hiccup shooshed him softly, threading his fingers through snowy white hair reassuringly. "Hey, it's not your fault, you hear me? This kind of things are bound to the job, it's an occupational hazard" He chuckled a bit at the slip of using his father's own words, the sound somehow making Jack's body relax a bit against him.
Jack sighed and dropped his weight dead forward, dragging a yelping Hiccup with him onto the bed, shifting to get a firm hold of the brunet and clutch him tight to his chest. "I'd never liked that sentence, and you know it. Just so you know that the day you get away from me, I'll follow right behind" He cupped the freckled face, still as strangely enchanting as the first time he saw it so many years ago in that stormy night, and looked right into the depths of those forest green eyes. "I'm not losing you"
"You won't. I swear" The brunet whispered, getting a bit closer to peck him softly. "I love you"
A small smile managed to sprout from Jack's slightly teary face, tucking the auburn head of hair under his chin, nuzzling the soft locks and kissing them just as lovingly. "I love you too, you little trouble magnet"
A few feet away, the black reptile made his way into the warm sand of his acuarium, staring at the couple slowly drifting off to sleep, holding each other tightly, and wondered with his little snakey mind when would those fools just escape together to an uninhabitated island to live the rest of their lifes like the hopeless kids in love they were, hoping they wouldn't forget to bring a small deadly certain someone with them.