Hiccup sighs and plops down on on the forest floor, leaning up against a tree.

He closes his eyes and tugs on his hair, groaning frustratedly.

Why, why, why? Why does he have to be such a hypocrite?

There he is, a supposedly great king, sitting high in his palace and preaching to his friends, his Misfits, have courage, to fight your fears. To spread your wings and face the world.

And yet, here he is now, a cowardly little nothing, just like he's always been. He feels twelve again, drowning in his own despair. Floundering in his own stupidity and trying to fix something he did on impulse, because no matter how hard he continues to shove away the Viking blood in his veins, no matter how different he is, he can not-think sometimes, too.

He thought by now he'd stop making mistakes, that by now he'd have it down.

But apparently, he thinks wryly to himself, blowing out his lips, even at almost thirty years old, I'm just as much of a screw-up as ever.

"You don't look too happy."

A tiny smile prods the corners of his lips. He knows that voice.

It's one of the only voices that ever comes from above him. That cheeky reprobate just could not deal with the fact that Hiccup was taller. And has been for some years now.

He opens his emeralds to Jack Frost's sapphires and does not reply.

He runs his twinkly greens over the slight age lines over Jack's handsome pale face, the laugh lines, marks of dimples. Little nicks of tiny scars, the lightest dusting of freckles.

He knows this face well, a face that had been with him for nearly sixteen years.

Of course, when he met Jack, the dude was immortal. He'd lived long before Hiccup was even a thought. Before Hiccup's namesake was even a thought.

Jack was to be forever seventeen. He also had ice powers, and could fly.

Hiccup watches as his friend hovers above him on thin air. Yeah, he retained those.

Not many outside the castle knew about that though, so, moving on...

Jack's agelessness had come to an end. Approximately, say... Sixteen years ago.

When Jack and Hiccup met, they'd become as close as two humans could be.

Jack watched the younger boy gain inches and made fun as his voice deepened, and the spirit's heart began to long for the same.

He couldn't bear to live an eternal life with that loss.

Luckily, they had a friend named Merida. And Merida knew a witch.

A couple of magic words, a sacrificed piece of ivory hair and Rapunzel's favorite ring (which she's still looking for), and BAM! You've got one mortal Jack Frost.

But that's beside the point.

The point is, as Hiccup looks up at this man, his best friend, he feels more cowardly.

This guy gave up eternal life to be here, beside him, this awkward mess of a boy turned man.

A boy turned man, who could very well be dying in a matter of days and was too chicken to say anything or even tell his kids.

"What's up?" Jack asks, floating down and landing far more gracefully than Hiccup had earlier.

"Well, you were until just a second ago," Hiccup jokes, leaning more heavily against the arbor. "How'd you find me?" He changes the subject so artfully, yep, that's him, Mister Smooth—

"I followed the trail of sighs." The blue-eyed man rebuts.

And his title of Mister Smooth has been stolen out from under him by the rather childish imp on his right.

"What's wrong?"

Hiccup sighs. Geez. Is he really sighing that much? "Nothin'."

"Lies!" Jack declares, poking the king in the side and ruffling his hair, "I demand truth! Such an untruth is repugnant!"

"Repugnant, huh, where'd you learn that?" Hiccup laughs half-heartedly. He knows Jack's games. He's joking now, but the auburnet can hear the pressing question again. What's wrong?

He sighs. Again. "Ugh. I told Sneeze and Cough."

"Did ya now?" A new voice says.

He knows that one too.

Merida emerges from the forest, green dress had served her well, and Hiccup doesn't question her being here. She's always here.

Wow, that sounded like she was some creeper. What he meant was that she was always there for him. Now that just sounds cheesy.

"It just so happens we 'eard."

She's not subtle, a trait he admires, and she plops down beside him with a thunk, because being eloquent and ladylike was a trait she lacked.

Not that any of them cared.

She's Merida, with her unruly bright red hair and her ivory skin dotted with freckles and her rough shoves and easily offset temper.

She's beautiful. She's tough, she's stubborn. She'd've made a good Viking.

Except for the fact she doesn't really like to conform.

In fact, Hiccup thinks that maybe if she had been a Viking, she'd've been the frilliest, girliest one alive just to spite them all.

What a world that would be.

"I reckon any 'un who isn't deaf 'eard, m'friend."

Hiccup winced, "Aw, geez."

Jack laughs and Hiccup takes the liberty to smack him in the chest. He laughs harder.

So here they are. About to dive into the subject of Hiccup's latest epic failure, when the fail-ee realizes, oh man, we're one short.

"It was pretty loud." Right on time, Rapunzel pokes her head around the tree, green eyes bright like spring, and skips over with a bounce not seen in most thirty-five year old women.

But the magic that resides within her seventy feet blonde hair probably gives her a little extra kick.

She settles on her stomach and rests her cheek in her hand, feet up and kicking back and forth behind her.

She's sweet, she's innocent, she's the kiss of morning dew on the luscious grass. The golden sun glinting off the still, clear water.

She's lovely.

All of them. All three of them are so lovely, he'll miss them. Gods, he'll miss them.

Stop. He can't think like that.

"Soo... You told them they couldn't go, huh?" The blonde asks sympathetically, snapping him back.

"Yep." Hiccup confirms, despair making yet another appearance. It's something akin to having your lungs tugged down into your belly.

They sit in silence for a minute, till Merida says with a raised eyebrow, "Y'know, I never really understood why yer nae lettin' 'em go."

Another sigh from the former Mister Smooth, the current epic fail-ee. "Because..."

"Because?" Punzie prompts eagerly.

He hasn't really told them yet either. How does one tell everyone they love and hold dear that well...

"I might die. W-we all could. I can't– I-I-I can't-"

He squeezes his eyes shut and caves in on himself, preparing for the blow.

They're gonna be mad. They're gonna tell him he's stupid, and of course he won't die, and Punzie will go off on a tangent, or Jack will laugh it off, or Merida will say something like, "If ya die, I'll kill ya."

And everything will be dismissed, and he'll never–

There's a cold hand on his shoulder, pulling him into a hug. A pair of strong, slim arms join, followed by soft, warm ones.

Then he's crying and he doesn't want to, but he's so overwhelmed and he loves them all so much and he can't let them get hurt.

Because it's not death he fears, it's all the people who could go with him.

"I don't want them to. I don't want any of us to-"

"Hush, lamb." Merida says softly, her voice firm and gentle.

"I can't let them-"

"It's okay." Rapunzel hums in her melodic voice.

"But I don't-"

"We know, Hic." Jack whispers, deep voice rich and warm like hot chocolate.

He breaths deep. He dissolves into the warmth of his best friends. They're so real, so steady, like a healthy heartbeat letting him know it's all okay.

That even if the unthinkable happens they'll always stick together, they'll always be alright.

He doesn't even need to wonder who will take care of his babies if he's gone. He hasn't had to in a long time.

Suddenly, Astrid's stormy eyes blaze in his mind, her smile lights his thoughts, her glare, her voice, the new braid she's wearing now.

He has to tell her his story. Before he takes this risk, this literally life or death risk. He has to tell her he loves her.

But...

He relaxes and Rapunzel tucks her head under his chin, her hair tickling his nose. Jack blows a raspberry on Hiccup's temple, and lays his white-haired head on the other male's shoulder. Merida pinches his arm in jest and rests her frizzy mop of a redhead on his chest.

He thinks he'll sit here, under the shade of this nice, big tree, in his friend's arms and smile and just revel in how much they mean to him.

He sighs in contentment.