"You're messing with me," I said, coming to a halt.

Elsa turned around with a grin. She knew exactly what I meant. "Come on," was all she said and I let myself be dragged toward the guys.

She couldn't be serious. She did not do that. She hadn't seriously picked out a pirate costume for me just because Hiccup had one too. I couldn't believe it. It even kind of matched mine. His long coat was brown, the vest black, and underneath he wore a white shirt. He had black fabric pants and boots with a hat perched on his head.

Did he know? Had the three of them schemed behind my back? Judging by the look on his face when he finally saw me, probably not.

Elsa let go of me when Jack extended his arm to her and she leaned into him. "Surprise!"

I glared at her. "Was this your idea?"

She shook her head and patted Jack on the chest. "It was mine," he said proudly, grinning.

"I knew something was off when you voluntarily picked a costume for me," Hiccup said, laughing. He clearly didn't find it as embarrassing as I did.

"We wanted to go as matching pairs," Elsa explained. "You two as a pirate duo and us as the icy couple."

It was only then that I noticed Jack's blue suit looked frosted in some places. Small ice crystal patterns were sewn on as well.

"Did you come up with that because your last name is Frost?" I asked, realizing it.

He nodded. "Great idea, huh?" I just rolled my eyes, which made them both laugh.

"I want a drink," Elsa said, pulling her boyfriend toward the exit, leaving Hiccup and me alone. I turned to face him.

"Looks like we were both set up," I tried to ease the tension, which seemed to work because he laughed.

"Definitely." He gave me a once-over, then pulled his eyebrows together. "Are you wearing makeup or is the dim light playing tricks on me?"

I instantly felt my cheeks heat up. As if he'd notice something like that. "Uh, yeah, a little. Elsa talked me into it."

He gave me a sweet smile. "Looks good. Makes your eyes look brighter."

I smiled back and hoped he didn't see how red I was turning at the compliment. "Thanks."

"How did Elsa talk you into it?" he asked after taking a sip from his cup.

I made a dismissive gesture. "She's stubborn and wouldn't leave me alone. 'The colors go great with your outfit. Maybe some guys will even hit on you.'"

He laughed. "She really said that?"

"Yeah," I grumbled, which made him laugh again and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Do you want guys to hit on you?" he asked then.

If you are the guy.

"God, no," I said instead, and he grinned at me. "Brandon was enough."

His grin faltered a bit. "So, you never want to let anyone in again?" Was that just wishful thinking or did he sound a little sad?

"Not never," I said slowly. "It just has to feel right." Which it does with you, but not for you. To you, I'm just a friend you tutor.

I dared to look into his eyes. His were already on mine, and for a moment, we just stood there and stared at each other. I didn't know what else to say and he didn't seem to either. For a second, I thought he was leaning closer, but that was when Jack and Elsa returned and yanked us back into reality.

"You two," Elsa said to us, handing Jack her cup. "Stand next to each other, I want to take a picture. And then one of you needs to take one of us."

She pulled out her phone while I awkwardly positioned myself next to Hiccup, unsure how to stand without it feeling weird.

"Is it okay if I put my arm around you?" he whispered as Elsa positioned herself and fiddled with her phone.

"Uh, sure," I managed to say, and immediately felt the warmth of his arm. It wasn't tight, just a light pressure, but I was acutely aware of where it lay and could feel his hand at my waist. Carefully, I placed mine behind his back, so it wouldn't hang awkwardly between us. He didn't seem to mind, he even pulled me a little closer.

"Ready?" Elsa asked, grinning. That grin was suspicious, it hid some kind of scheme, like earlier in my bathroom. There was no way she could know, right?

"Wait," Hiccup said, taking his hat off and placing it on my head. "It looks better on you than on me."

Goddammit, Hiccup, you can't do this to me. My heart fluttered in my chest again and I had to fight the urge to melt into a puddle. I enjoyed being close to him the entire time.

"Alright, our turn now," Elsa said, handing me her phone. It turned into a full-on photo session. First, they stood arm in arm as well, then she kissed him on the cheek, then a proper kiss. I ended up taking about thirty pictures.

"They all look so cute," she gushed while she and Jack flipped through them together.

Meanwhile, I looked over to Hiccup, who was leaning on the fireplace mantel, grinning amusedly. His gaze found mine and I walked over. "Are they sorting through them now?"

He nodded. "Elsa has a bit of a thing about that." We watched them debate whether to keep a particular photo or not, when Hiccup spoke again. "Want something to drink?"

"Do they have water?"

He smiled. "Of course." He pushed off the wall and waited for me to join him, so we could head to the kitchen together. Jack and Elsa didn't even notice we'd left.

"I can't get over how big this house is," I said as we passed halfway down the long hallway toward the kitchen.

He chuckled. "That's what it's like when your parents are rich. Here." He handed me one of the red plastic cups, which I took gratefully. Then he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and poured some for me.

"I could've done that myself," I said with a grin as he screwed the cap back on.

"A simple thank you would do." He winked at me and my legs nearly gave out. To hide my embarrassment, I took a sip.

"Is there a dance floor?" I asked, leaning against the kitchen island.

"Yes, in the conservatory. You want to dance?"

"Hell no," I laughed, and he joined in. "It just feels like something's missing."

He leaned against one of the cupboards. "She always sets up the dance floor outside in case people spilled their drinks. It would be a disaster on the carpets."

"But they could still spill them in the house, every room is open down here."

He shrugged. "I didn't say it made sense." We laughed and I glanced into the hallway exactly when Stacy and her friends strolled past. Very slowly, to make sure Hiccup would notice. I rolled my eyes. She was wearing a green and white cheerleader uniform, her dark blonde hair tied in a ponytail.

"Did she even dress up?" slipped out before I could stop myself. When I looked at Hiccup, I knew he already knew who I meant.

He sighed. "That's Chrissy's uniform."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought she didn't watch that show."

"She doesn't. She's only wearing it because she knows I like the series. And because Chrissy and Eddie are still trending."

I let out a silent "Wow," and he nodded. "She's not giving up, huh?"

"Nope. She didn't even have to break up with me in the first place. I don't get it either." He seemed lost in thought again and I knew if he got like that, he'd do something dumb tonight. Kissing her, for example. He'd had at least one cup of alcohol, which didn't help. So I quickly changed the subject.

"Should we go watch the drunk people dance? Or just wander through the house? After all, we're a duo tonight."

That seemed to bring him back, because he looked into my eyes and smiled. "Sure, let's go watch our classmates get wasted."

So we made our way into the garden, which was as big as the house, if not bigger. Perfectly trimmed lawn, a huge built-in pool, tons of flowers, a greenhouse, and a large tiled patio. It was pure luxury.

In the conservatory, which was roughly the size of the entire ground floor of my house, there was a second sound system that seemed linked to the one inside because it played the same music. The tiled floor lit up in changing colors. This was more like a disco than a conservatory.

We spent some time there, watching the drunks stagger and girls trip in heels that were too high. I even bobbed my head to a few songs, but Hiccup never managed to get me on the dance floor. It was like with the princess dresses, no way. Eventually it got too stuffy, so we went outside into the cool October night. I followed him to the patio, which was miraculously empty, and sat down next to him on the couch. A second too late, I realized I had sat right next to him. Moving would be rude now, so my heart had to deal with it.

The light from inside let me see our breath. Was it really that cold? I didn't feel it, my body was still warm from the conservatory. Or from being so close to each other.

"Have you gone skating again since your dream?" he asked quietly, looking at me.

I shook my head. "I haven't had the strength to go back up there yet."

He nodded. "I get it. It's not easy seeing the belongings of people who passed away." He stared out into the garden, which was softly lit by some lanterns. He seemed lost again, in the past maybe. I realized he'd never talked about his family before, but I wouldn't push him. It's his business and if he wanted to share, he would.

"Why do you ask?" I tried to bring him back.

It took a few seconds before his eyes found mine again and he smiled. "I just wonder sometimes. The way you talked about it made it clear how much you enjoyed it. I thought, since you told me about it, maybe it inspired you to start again."

I let his words sink in. He wasn't wrong, since that day, I had looked at the attic door more often and thought about finding my skates. I wasn't sure what was holding me back.

"It did," I finally said. "I just haven't found the courage yet."

He studied me for a moment. "Will you show me? When you go again?"

My cheeks flushed. Did he really want to see me skate? Brandon had never asked that. Damn it, I really had to stop comparing the two.

So I nodded. "I will."

We talked for a while longer, until Jack and Elsa found us and dragged us back inside because a game of Truth or Dare was about to begin. Of course that game which was at every party, but I didn't play.

"Why not?" Hiccup asked and leaned against the couch, which was already full.

"No way I'm kissing someone or spilling my secrets to the idiots in our grade." That made him laugh and he announced he wasn't playing either. I didn't even let myself hope it was because of me since Stacy was also in the room, even if she was keeping her distance. He seemed focused on me, though, whispering snarky comments about the players the whole time. The way he leaned down to talk to me and his breath brushing my flushed cheeks made my whole body go haywire.

We stayed until after midnight, then I called my dad to pick me up. Elsa would go with Jack and Hiccup's dad would pick him up later. That didn't stop him from waiting outside with me until mine came after I had said goodbye to the others.

"Please tell me you brought a jacket," I said to Hiccup, who was standing only in his costume next to me. That couldn't be warm enough for this kind of cold.

He smiled at me in that specific way again. "Yes, it's on the stairs with the others."

Just then my dad's car turned the corner, and for a moment I wished he'd taken a little longer. "There he is." I turned to Hiccup and smiled. "See you Monday."

"See you Monday." His voice was so soft and warm, I loved it.

I got into the passengers seat and waved at Hiccup, who waved back. He stood there watching us until we turned the corner.

"Did you have that hat on the whole time?" my dad asked with a teasing grin.

Oh, crap. I took it off my head. I had completely forgotten about it. Quickly, I pulled out my phone and opened Hiccup's chat.

0:43am
I still have your hat!

0:43am
Totally forgot about it, sorry

He came online immediately and started writing.

0:44am
Keep it ;)

How did he manage to make my heart beat faster with such small things? I guess that happens to someone who was in love.

In love ...

Yes, damn it, I was hopelessly and clearly in love with Hiccup.

❁

On November 1st, I entered the ice rink for the first time in two years.