Then he hears him talk and wow this guy is a dork lmao you guys take him seriously?

Cue Hiccup doing casual BAMF Hiccup Things™

Jack: oh

Jack: The dork is actually really cool

Hiccup, playing with Toothless afterwards getting all silly and affectionate:

YEARS later, Hiccup moves into this old outdated house because he stubbornly decided to leave home and pursue a biology master's degree. He's extremely broke surviving off student loans and grants despite being 25. He's overworked, underfed and terribly exhausted. Five days into his crappy living space, he bumps into a towering pile of boxes and is too exhausted to move away fast enough. Great, he thinks, of course I die like this.

But then the boxes are LEVITATING and a disembodied voice is CHIDING HIM. He gapes as an old vase falls out the top box, shatters, and billows of... Something? Kick up. Slowly the body of a boy too pale and DEFYING GRAVITY appears like smoke. Hiccup promptly faints.

Hiccup comes to, believing it all to be a wild dream until he turns over and comes face to face with said smokey boy looking way more tangible than before. Hiccup shrieks and throws his elbow out. There's some sort of cold feeling that douses his arm and the boy jumps back.

"Wow he's really freaked out-"

Hiccup scrambles up from the couch (when did he get there?) and holds the pillow he was using (when did that get there?) like a weapon of soft destruction. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?!"

The boy lifts one wild eyebrow and looks around the room.

"Oh no no no, you're not gonna act like I'm crazy. Speak fast or I'll-! I'll-! I'll make you sorry! Then call the cops!" Hiccup brandishes his pillow menacingly.

The boy frowns and turns in a circle. He mutters, "Who is he talking to?"

"Great Odin's beard I'm talking to YOU! Who else is in this room?!"

The boy whips his neck around so fast Hiccup chokes on a scream. He slowly points to himself, as if in disbelief.

"Gods, are you an idiot? YES! You know what? Forget it. GET OUT!"

"You... You can see me?"

"Are you the reason the neighbors told me to leave? Do the police do NOTHING around here?" Hiccup's voice cracks. His nerves are on fire. He's going to get murdered. Or worse, ROBBED.

"He can see me," the boy whispers. A grin slowly spreads across his face so dazzling and radiant, Hiccup falters.

The pillow is lowered a few inches. “Yes? Did you think you were invisible? Nevermind. You're not answering my question-“

"You can hear me?" The boy steps closer.

"Uh," Hiccup takes a step back. His head is spinning. He can’t follow this conversation. Maybe he's got a concussion.

The boy laughs softly. Then he's giggling and curling in on himself. Hiccup almost asks what's wrong when the boy leaps into the air. He stays up there, flipping and hooting, chanting joyfully, "HE SEES ME! MOON ABOVE, HE SEES ME!"

Hiccup's mouth drops open as he watches. The pillow falls to the ground and he follows, butt smacking into the floor.

The boy- entity?- flies up into Hiccup's face, eyes so blue, Hiccup wonders if he's ever actually seen blue before.

"My name is Jack!"

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Then there's Jack Frost. Smart and devious and the talk of the school for how he gets into mischief. He's somehow a troublemaker that everyone loves (minus authority figures. Even then, they have some fondness for him). It's infuriating. He messes up and everyone just laughs with him.

Hiccup messes up and he's reminded why he's named Hiccup in the first place.

Hiccup envies hates Jack.

One day he's had enough of Jack playing with paper planes and throwing things at his friends during their free period while Hiccup is trying to study for a college exam he doesn't even care about. A stray pencil falls onto his textbook. He chucks it at Jack and the boy gets that stupidly bright grin right before saying some teasing line. Hiccup can't even remember what it was.

He shoots back, "ha ha. You're so funny."

"At least I have a sense of humor," Jack hums.

"yes, that's why you're best friends with 10 year olds." Hiccup mutters, attempting to read the same line of text for the fourth time.

"Problem, Haddock?"

"No, no. I'm enjoying every second of being reminded why I'm studying in the first place. Can't really put paper planes on my resume. Don't think they'd take me seriously." It is said with more bite than Hiccup meant to. Sue him. He's exhausted.

Jack, apparently, is a lawyer. It quickly devolves into an argument and voices raise. They're given detention before Hiccup can care about the consequences.

Hours later, they sit in detention. Hiccup's head lays on the desk. His father is going to go on another long rant. He didn't even finish his notes.

From there begins the two month long feud between Hiccup and Jack. They trade snide remarks, sarcastic passes and several glares though that's mostly Hiccup. Jack smirks every time he gets a rise out of Hiccup. They're put into detention more times than Hiccup can count. His father is livid, but his disappointment isn't anything new.

"Why do you keep getting me in trouble? Do you hate me or something?" Hiccup asks after an insufferable hour of staring at the wall. Jack spent it making faces at him. No, Hiccup didn't laugh. He only chuckled twice.

Jack gives him a confused look. "Why would I hate you?"

Hiccup throws his hands up. "I don't know! You keep throwing things at me! You call me Hiccy and go out of your way to annoy me. You tell me what I'm supposed to think."

"Jeez. Loosen up, Hiccy."

Hiccup gives him a flat stare he hopes conveys his ire.

Jack snorts. "See what I mean? So serious all the time. You act like you hate fun. I take that personally."

Well that made no sense. This guy is nuts. Maybe he needs to stop interacting with Jack all together. Clearly, there's more than several screws loose. Hiccup turns to leave.

Jack falls into step with him. Like an idiot. "Are you going home now?"

"No, I'm planning on visiting Odin."

"Perfect. Then you have time to swing by the skate park tonight."

Hiccup stops in his tracks. His mouth hangs open half way between a sigh and asking 'what!?' Instead, a strangled noise comes out. His holds his hands out as if the answer will fall into them. Jack laughs.

"8pm. Off West Court and James street. Dress like you're going somewhere that isn't school." He waves back, still walking towards the exit.

Hiccup finally finds his voice and gives an eloquent, "huh?"

"If you're late, I'm not going to wait for you!"

"What? I'm not going. I didn't agree to this."

"Then stay home. Maybe you'll draw enough dragons that they'll bring you anyway!" Jack laughs and exits the building. He rounds the corner leaving Hiccup more confused and embarrassed than he's ever been in his life.

They eventually find out later Jack has a pulmonary embolism in his heart. Over a few months, they try pills but nothing works. Jack remains blue tipped, heaving for breath and weak. Finally, they decide surgery is the only option. And Hiccup has to do it.

During the time leading up to the decision of surgery, Hiccup falls for Jack. Jack who sneaks off to see the kids and act as a big brother to them, brightening their days in hospice. Hiccup learns Jack's sister was in the hospital for a long time. Jack became her donator. He gave her everything. Bone marrow, blood, organs, anything he could. She recovered and is doing fine. Jack can't bear to see children in the position she was in. Jack who makes the nurses laugh and helps tame disorderly patients.

Jack falls just as easily. For Hiccup, the only person in this damn building who doesn't treat him like glass. Who treats him like an equal and doesn't give him pity. Who just... Sees him. Not for anything else but for his company. Hiccup with a big heart to help others. Hiccup who is a nerd but willing to do what he can. Hiccup who has to do the surgery due to his job and a fearful Jack pleading him to.

Jack won't go through with surgery unless it's Hiccup. Hiccup staring down at the man he loves, chest open. Heart literally in his hands. The clot is too massive for a man this kind.

Hiccup fails.

Jack is ventilated, growing bluer by the days. Hiccup spends weeks begging someone with the right blood type and heart to... Pass? Willingly go under the knife for someone they don't know? He waits. And waits.

But they never do find a heart. Jack isn't as important as some of the other patients who have waited years for a new heart. His family can barely stand to go on like this. The doctors are not sure Jack will ever wake. Two years of suffering go by. They pull the plug on Jack's 25th birthday.

Hiccup leaves the medical field before graduation. He mourns the man he barely knew but learned to love. He floats from job to job. Hating himself all those years because he took a life before he could properly save one. He avoids hospitals as much as he can. He's broken.

Astrid is about to give birth three years later. She doesn't ask for Hiccup to be there but it would be shitty for the god father not to come. He tries to fight all the demons built up over his guilt and makes the terrifying walk to the pregnancy ward.

But to do that, he has to pass the same ward Jack stayed in. So he does the smart thing and goes the longest route possible. Some faces recognize him and quietly let him go down hallways he really shouldn't. They can see the sadness in his eyes. Remember him breaking down after fucking up Jack's surgery. He passes the places they would seek each other all those years ago: the Janitor's closet, the broken elevator, the dining hall, the children's ward.

This last one Hiccup lingers at the most. Jack loved it here. It was basically his home away from home. Hiccup passes by open doors and large rooms kids would sit in to talk or draw or play board games. He stops at one he doesn't recognize. The Winter Room, the plaque says. Funded by the Overland family. Rest in Peace-

Hiccup clamps a hand over his mouth. To hold back a scream or his turning stomach, he isn't sure.

He can't help himself. Love is a cruel poison and Hiccup could never really get over the bitterness of it dripping down his throat. He walks in. Snow is painted on the wall, a scenery Hiccup can't place until he remembers Jack telling him about his home. Ice skating with his sister. Snow days and snow fights. The ones he wanted to bring Hiccup to. Hiccup has no tears left to cry. He's cried for years, couldn't push a tear out if he tried. So he sinks into the feeling. He sinks into what is left of Jack.

Over in the corner, a child hooked up to a couple of IVs is drawing. Hiccup saw a parent and nurse speaking lowly outside the room. Ah. He must be in hospice or going soon. Hiccup knows those looks.

Then he notices the kid is mumbling to himself. Giggling. And looking up as if someone is next to him talking to him? Poor boy must be delusional. Well, Hiccup doesn't look much better standing here. Astrid is gonna kill him for being late. He turns to leave.

"Jack, I said snowman not snow dog!"

Hiccup freezes. It feels like the room drops 10 degrees. He swore he heard the boy say that name. He couldn't tune out that name if he wanted to. But surely, this coincidence is just so he buries deeper into his self loathing. He grits his teeth. Steals himself. He will not see him there. He watches him pass. There is no-

The boy giggles louder, "Jack!"

Hiccup is moving before he realizes it, spinning on his feet. Nearly falls over with the speed of it. Nearly faints at the sight.

A man is sitting in the chair next to the boy. His hair is white, clothes blue but covered in ice on the edges. He laughs and fuck Hiccup knows that laugh. He dreams of it. Hears it when the quiet is too much.

He watches the man draw with his finger on the table. Ice blooms where he makes contact with the table. Different animals form and fade. He turns and Hiccup sees that grin. That glorious fucking grin.

Hiccup shudders. "Jack?"

The man turns around quickly, eyes wide. He looks startled. Elated. Confused.

The kid's jaw dropped. He turns to look between the two and says, "I thought adults couldn't see you?"

"I did too," Jack mumbles because it's really him and Hiccup might tackle him.

"Where-how-" Hiccup stumbles closer.

Jack gets up slowly, a look of concern and unease on his face. Adoro of hope lingers in his words. "You can see me?"

"Jack- Gods- you're here?"

"Jamie... Go to your mom."

"Jack-" Jamie begins.

"Go. It's ok. I'm not sure what's up with him," Jack mutters lowly. "Might be like old man Jensen down the hall." He twirls his finger on the side of his head.

Hiccup can feel the pit that was slowly filling quickly becoming a chasm. He knows in his soul before any intellectual thought comes to him, any excuse.

Hiccup runs the back of his index finger along Jack's cheek bone. Jack's skin is cold despite the three furs Hiccup forced him under an hour ago. His breathing is steady, and Hiccup can only stare at parted lips, bewildered once more at the lack of misty proof his friend was breathing at all. Even when Hiccup's nose burns red from subzero, scathing winds, Jack's cheeks never colored. Instead, he complained of being too warm, shucking off coats and scarves. No doubt he'll be sprawled outside of his cocoon in the morning grumbling about Hiccup's "overbearing concern". For now though, Hiccup tucked the furs under Jack's chin. He could resume his fear of Jack contracting hypothermia in the morning.

It sounds like lightening crackling across the sky. It feels like it under Jack's skin. He can feel it webbing out along his nerves just as it blooms undertow. For one gruesome moment, Jack is only 17 years old. He saw his mother only an hour ago. There's soft leather bound shoes wrapped around his feet he watched her stitch together just the day before. His sister is with him. Their cheeks hurt with laughter. It's just before supper.

"Well... this isn't ideal," Hiccup chuckles nervously.

Jack feels vertigo. He's brought back from his memories to reality and panic rises in his chest.

Hiccup frowns down at his feet. Every now and then he'll shoot Jack a wobbly smile and mutter something as he looks around for a solution to his impending doom. His words are barely louder than a whisper. Pretending the quiet of their words will somehow lull the ice back into slumber. Stop it from cracking further. Jack knows better. He can see where Hiccup's makeshift ice skate is caught between the folds. Knows in his soul Hiccup will only anger it further if he turns just one degree too far.

Jack's fingers flex, reaching for the cold trapped beneath his skin. Begging beyond the moon, to any entity out there within range of his thoughts for a fraction of a blessing. A breath of his former self. An inkling of frozen mercy so he may walk over and calmy pull Hiccup from the lake. Apologize for not checking the ice before dragging a beginner out to the middle of nowhere. If he could just be who he's supposed to be-

Another heavy groan sounds around them.

Hiccup stills in his half crouch, hands extended down as if to remove his shoes. He seems to think better of it, slowly unfurling himself back into a standing position. "Ohhhh that's not good. Damn. I really like this coat."

Jack wishes he could laugh. Only a strangled hum passes through his lips. He's already halfway through taking his own skates off. Twinetender lays to his right and the scenery flickers between the modest frozen pond and the vast lake. Wide eyes tremble between green and brown. Jack can't grasp where his toes begin and his hand ends.

"Hiccup, don't move."

"Great idea. Why didn't I think of that."

Jack smiles for Hiccup's sake, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He's too focused on testing the ice around himself. He shifts left and right. The only thing that gurgles is the acid in his stomach. Gently, he toes his way to Twinetender, swiping it up with his barefoot with practiced grace. It lands in his hands smoothly, easing Jack's tension and solidifying his resolve. He's done this dance before. If memory serves right, he's quite good at it. Excluding the whole dying bit. Sure, he's mortal now, supposedly, but Manny can't exactly find another fun winter spirit on short notice. At least, Jack hopes he can't. If Manny liked him enough to raise his spirit, maybe he'll do it again. Jack already got the whole guardian thing down. It'd be a waste to start all over with someone new. He'll die again, which will suck, but maybe this will get him back to his former himself. Rebirth and all that good stuff. Yay.

"So... any ideas, Frost?" Hiccup calls. He hasn't moved a centimeter since nature's second warning. Any normal person would be shaking by now. Being a Viking that rides dragons really has its muscular perks. Jack wishes they'd brought Toothless with them for the hundredth time.

"Only one. But it worked last time."

Hiccup shoots him a look, expecting an explanation. Jack makes the slow arduous trek to Hiccup, stopping when he's no longer confident in the ice's density. He holds Twinetender with both hands, getting into a low, sturdy stance.

"You know hopscotch?"

Clearly, this is not the explanation Hiccup was looking for. "Is that... a drink?"

Jack huffs a laugh. A real, affectionate laugh. "Funny, Haddock. No. Just... When I say go, step forward with one foot and balance on it. Try to disperse your weight. Then do it again."

Hiccup considers this. Then, "I'm on blades."

"I know."

"I just learned how to slide on them."

"I know."

"You want me to now walk and balance on them?"

"Wow, Haddock, great deduction skills. Can we continue with saving your life now?"

"Saving my-" Hiccup shakes his head. "I'm not going to die, Jack."

"I know." Jack tightens his hold. "Now move. Please," he adds and for once drops all the joking facade. He stops being brave. Fighting him on this is only making the inevitable hurt more. Jack lets the emotion bleed into his words. Begs in one syllable because he can't explain what will happen. He can't bear to hear Hiccup say no.

It must work. Hiccup's face settles into stony determination. Jack admires him for it, doesn't have the time to appreciate how strong Hiccup is. He can only nod encouragingly. Hiccup heaves a deep sigh, mutters something else under his breath, then clenches his fist. He takes the first step forward.

The ice gives under his other foot instantly.

Hiccup gasps. He throws his arms back and out using whatever momentum he has left to swing himself forward one more step. It's barely enough for Jack to hook Twinetender around his waist, but it works. Jack bears down on the ice as much as he's able to and pulls. A rough cry tumbles from his lips. Weak arms tug with the strength of a desperate man. Hiccup yelps as he's flung forward, ducking down under Jack's arm to slam chest first into the ice. He slides a good distance, the cold biting through his cloak and burning his cheek.

Jack watches him careen away from danger. Feels the laws of physics at work as he's forced in the opposite direction. The lake groans loudly, thundering, giving way beneath Jack's now blue toes. It breaks, dropping Jack back into his sub-zero coffin. Limbs flail helplessly. The moon doesn't hang above him like a mythical eye. The sky is blue. Empty.

The cold hurts, he thinks as water fills his lungs.

Jack sits in a little alcove in North's workshop drawing random images in the frost on the window. He brings small animals to 'life' so they can prance around the room before fading into flurries. It's Summer in the northern hemisphere. He misses his believers, his friends. Misses their stories and making them laugh.

He gets progressively more bored in the isolation built over 300 years. The drawings get more elaborate and poorly done as his lack of art skills catches up with his imagination. Cold fingers slowly trace a wonky dragon like the ones Jamie doodled in his school notebook. It flies around the room, eventually settlinh at his feet. Jack smiles gently and begins to draw Jamie. It's not perfect, but the small boy jumps down and mounts the dragon to silently hoot in joy as they fly circles around Jack's head.

Its a nice sight, so he draws the others.

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Hiccup who's back aches up a storm after spending more and more time hunched over Toothless. Good posture isn't something taught on Berk. Only pansies care about elegance and properness. So he's stuck being the first one to learn about overtly tensing your back during flights and how much poor posture actually hurts your body.

He's laying in bed after a long day and by Thor's hammer he cannot sleep. No position rids him of the pain and Gothi is both too far and probably asleep by now. It's not urgent enough to wake her. Sharp pains jut out at random moments and his neck feels like there's a rod in it. It's his own personal hell.

He feels Jack before he sees him; the room drops several degrees and a gentle wind brushes along his forehead. Hiccup opens his eyes. Brilliant, icy blue stares back, upsidedown and twinkling with mischief just 15 centimeters above him.