Starcrossed Steampunk Ch 13

CH 13: Introductions and Insults

After sleeping for another hour, a knock came at the door as someone called 'captain?' from the other side of the barrier. Hiccup groaned questioningly at the unwanted wake up call as Jack roused when he heard the title, the person beginning to hammer against the wood with their fist in annoyance. The blue-eyed man, fully awake now, though too comfy to warrant getting out of the bed, lazily informed his bed mate that his name was now 'Captain Jack Frost of the Lover's Reunion'. This caused green eyes to widen in shock at his lover's name, and embarrassment at the cheesiness of the ship's. Finally, whoever had been knocking apparently was through waiting for their captain to answer the door, and promptly kicked in said panel of wood, causing Jack to yell that it was unlocked the entire time. The newcomer, who Hiccup heard Jack call 'Stormfly', retorted that she didn't know if it was or not, and she didn't want to accidentally open the door to see 'Frost and Haddock fucking like bunnies', to which a strange accented man could be heard outside yelling 'oi, I resent that!'. Jack disproved the second claim with ease, stating that if they had been 'fucking like bunnies', she would have seen anyway by kicking the door in, and the boat-wide rule was that if you were having sex, you hung a sock on the door to warn other crew members. Stormfly replied that she had given them enough warning with her incessant knocking, and that she didn't know for sure if Jack knew the sock rule. The captain pointed out that it was he himself who came up with the rule, which a feather-haired woman poked her head around the side of the door frame to confirm what Jack had said before walking off, thus causing the white-haired man to end the argument by saying 'Jack 1, Storm 0', which earned a huff from the blond woman in defeat.

“What do you need anyway Storm?”

“We need to know where we're going next, you said we'd head to Muliga after we got Haddock off Zilothis,” The blond woman replied.

“That I did, and the plan hasn't changed, set a course for Muliga. I'm sure Aster will inform us of whatever business he has there if he wants us to know, and if he doesn't want us to know, that's his call,” Jack replied before standing and muttering about going to check if Fishlegs and Hookfang had the tools and supplies to re-attach his door...again. Stormfly shook her head and left the threshold before her captain made it to the now-doorless door frame. Hiccup stood and followed Jack on foot while said man floated along the ship toward to opening to the hull, a cool breeze holding him aloft. The captain descended the stairs into the galley, which was connected to the store room that held all the supplies, as well as Fishlegs' and Meatlug's chambers. Before Hiccup could follow his lover down the stairwell, someone grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him towards them and spinning the auburn-haired man to face whoever had interrupted his walk.

“This talking fishbone is Stoick the Vast's son?” A large, black-haired man asked as he let go of Hiccup, clearly being the one who snagged him from behind Jack.

“At least Jack has good taste,” Said a lanky blond male as he walked up behind the freckled man with a female who looked exactly like him.

“Yea, unlike a certain Viking we know, Stoutlout,” the woman added, putting emphasis on the abductor's name.

“I, personally, think Stout has wonderful taste,” another woman with dark copper hair said as she walked up behind Stoutlout and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Of course you would Hookfang, he's your boyfriend, so if he doesn't have good taste, that'd mean you weren't a good catch,” the male twin answered with a smirk.

“Which he doesn't, and your not,” the female twin added, high-fiving her brother and earning a glare from the couple in front of Hiccup.

“Ruffnut, Tuffnut, can it unless ya want ta be helpin' Meatlug with dishes tonight,” a gray-haired man with rabbit ears on either side of his head retorted as he emerged from a hole in the ship's deck that sealed up behind him. Thankfully for Hiccup, the bunny-eared man pointed to each twin as he said their names, thus making it easier for him to know which was which.

“Ah come on Aster, we're just picking on 'em, what harm is there in a little teasing,” Tuffnut replied.

“The fact that ya two are in no position ta be sayin' who's a good catch and who ain't,” Aster drawled in his thick accent, causing Hiccup to realize he was the one who said 'I resent that' behind Stormfly earlier, which made perfect since considering his ears and just-now noticed rabbit tail.

Aster's comment caused Stoutlout and Hookfang to grin smugly, and the twin's mouths to drop open.

“Alright Bunny, quit picking on the Nuts, you know what happened last time you teased Barf's girlfriend and Belch's boyfriend,” The feather-haired woman from before reprimanded as she flew up to the group, her wings buzzing quickly behind her.

“Yea, I think I can still smell the singed tail hair,” said one member of a second set of twins before draping his arm around Tuff's shoulders, his brother wrapping on arm around Ruff's waist. It was easy to tell which was which considering Barf held Ruffnut, and Belch did the same for Tuffnut.

“Tooth, did ya have ta make em remind me?”Aster groaned in exasperation as the group smirked around him.

“Sorry Honey Bunny,” Tooth replied before hugging her gray-haired lover's shoulders from behind as the two sets of twins stifled giggles with their hands at the nickname.

“S'alright Sweet Tooth,” Aster replied as he tilted his head back to kiss his feathered girlfriend.

“Well, looks like we're having a party up here, and to think I didn't make any cake,” a new brown-haired woman said as she emerged from the hull's entrance.

“Did someone say cake?” said a stout blond man as he followed the woman out of the galley with a small wooden crate in his hands.

“I did Fishlegs,” the woman in front of him replied as she rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Oh, darn. Well can you make one later Meatlug?” Fishlegs answered dejectedly with the first two words, though perking up with the rest if his response.

“I'll make two, one for everyone else, and one us,” Meatlug said fondly to the blond man as he walked up behind her.

“You're so good to me, I love you,” Fishlegs murmured as he hugged the brunet woman's waist from behind with one arm and pecked her cheek, the second hand currently holding the crate against his hip.

“Well, it looks like you've met everyone but Sandy and Baby Tooth,” Jack said as he emerged from the hull, handing Hookfang a screwdriver before walking up to Hiccup and hugging him.

“Speaking of Sandy, where is he?” Tooth asked as she twisted her head this way and that to look around while keeping her body in the same position behind Aster.

“He's in his office dozing, as usual sis,” a second hummingbird girl said as she flew down from the crow's nest.

“Would you mind getting him Baby Tooth?” her feathered sister asked.

“Sure,” Baby Tooth replied with a nod before flying toward and through a doorway next to the captain's cabin, only to emerge a few short moments later leading a floating man with golden-orange spiked hair toward the group by the hand. The golden-haired man pointed to Hiccup when he and Baby Tooth reached the circle of crew members, some sand pouring out of a bottle at his hip and forming a question mark above his head.

“Hic, this is Sandy, Sandy, Hiccup,” Jack answered, gesturing between the two as he said their names. Soon as he said 'Hiccup', a snowflake formed above Sandy's head in front of the question mark and a heart formed in between the other two symbols.

“Yep, this is him,” Frost smiled and nodded before tilting Hiccup's head towards his and kissing his lover. Hiccup blushed lightly and stiffened slightly as he was kissed in front of everyone, due to worrying what the crew members would think. His concern was rendered unfounded as the entire crew cheered, well, except Sandy who clapped vigorously. Jack was the only one to notice Hiccup pause, and after giving everyone directions, he scooped up his lover bridal-style and floated them up to the crow's nest.

“Hey, you ok?” Jack asked after he set Hiccup on his feet in the wooden lookout post, concern written all over his face.

“Y-yea, I was just a little worried about what your crew would think when you kissed me,” the auburn-haired man replied, looking down at his feet as he said that.

“Don't worry, everyone knew about us, in fact everyone was part of helping free you,” the blue-eyed male answered as he hugged his still-shorter lover and resting his chin in a nest of auburn hair. Hiccup huffed as he noticed the fact that Jack was at least nine inches taller than him.

“Your perfect just the way you are,” Jack murmured before kissing the very freckled forehead below his chin, earning a content and affection-laced sigh. Jack was about to kiss Hiccup on the lips before Baby Tooth flew up to inform them that Hookfang and Fishlegs finished repairing the door to Jack's quarters, as well as that dinner and the crew were ready and waiting. The couple thanked the younger Ferni before following her down through the air and into the galley to celebrate the newest crew member.