He smiled as he opened the door ever so quietly and entered the house. Creeping in on light feet, he snuck into the spacious family room, which had a roaring fire at the end, and peeked around the corner. A smile lit his face as his emerald eyes landed on a beautiful creature that resided on a rocking near the fire.
His wife. Astrid Haddock.
They had been married almost four years now, and they long made up for his having to live without Toothless. They had made wonderful memories as a married couple, his favorite being the pregnancy and birth of their daughter.
A year passed after their wedding, before they finally conceived. Trouble had occurred, and they had, at first, thought Astrid could possibly be barren. But, a miracle had taken hold, and she finally became with child. Seven months in, Astrid went into early labor, and they welcomed their daughter.
Zephyr Vilhemina Haddock was what they had chosen to name her. Even though she was premature, she was already a happy, giggly bundle of joy. That didn't mean she wasn't fussy when she wasn't something; by hell she was. She had the lungs of a harpy, and often kept her parents up late with the tiny wails that came from her cradle. Her parents loved her though, and couldn't have been happier to finally have a baby, especially a baby girl.
She was three years old now, and their beautiful little girl. She had inherited her father's hair, and most of his feature, but her eyes clearly came from her mother. Hiccup couldn't have been happier about that; he loved how both of his beautiful girls shared the same eyes. They were his beauties. His whole world. A whole world that Astrid had given to him.
As he watched her, he noticed she had a book in her hands. He couldn't tell what it was, from the distance he was at, but he could see the look of contentment that rested on his wife's lovely face. Smiling wide, he came up beside her and looked over her shoulder to read some of the words in her book.
"Ah the great Adventures of Bjorn Vjalkson. Always a good read." He said suddenly.
She jumped in her seat and looked over at him before placing a hand over her heart. "Gods, you scared me, babe." She breathed out.
He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Sorry, love." He apologized.
She just waved him off, and then smiled. "What are you doing home so early?" She asked in a surprised voice. He was never home just before the last rays of gold disappeared over the oceanic horizon. At best, he was usually home by the time the moon was almost half way up into the sky. To have him home by sunset was a pleasant, but shocking surprise.
He shrugged. "Eh I may have pulled some strings, saying that my wife and daughter needed me around a little bit more. Speaking of, where is Zephyr?" He asked, looking around.
She chuckled and jerked her up toward the stairs. "Getting ready for bed. She'll be down in a few."
He smiled up the stairs and turned back to her. "C'mere." He said suddenly, holding his hand out for her. When she took it, curious smile on her face, he hauled her up gently and swung her quickly into his arms. Keeping one of her hands in his own, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and held her close to his chest as he swayed them slowly.
She was smiling brightly, but still surprised. "What's this?" She whispered.
He leaned close and kissed her lips lightly. "Am I not allowed to dance with my stunning wife? That sounds like an awfully cruel thing." He murmured, resting his forehead on hers as he closed his eyes and relaxed within their embrace.
She too closed her eyes and ran her one free hand over his shoulder and neck. "I love this, Hiccup. I really, really do. You just…surprised me." She explained.
He breathed a laugh and pressed his lips to her eyebrow. "Marriage isn't any good without surprises. It becomes a role-play, the same thing over, and over again. Get's boring." He mumbled against her skin. From there, he kept his eyes open, smile on his face, as he watched the pleasured look come upon her angelic face.
Their swaying was no more than a gentle breeze now, slow and hardly noticeable. Neither of them cared though. This embrace, this dance, was perfect. It felt as right as it did four years ago, on their wedding day. It felt magical, and breathtaking. A moment they wished would never end. Nothing could disturb them now. They were in their own little world.
"Mama, I can't find- Daddy!" A cheerful squeal came from the entrance of the room.
Hiccup's head snapped up at the sound of his young daughter's voice, and he beamed happily. Stepping out of Astrid's arms, he knelt on the floor with open arms. "Hi, princess." He said with a kiss to Zephyr's hair that was out of its usual braid.
"What are you doing home so early?" She asked in that straightforward manner, with her blue eyes sparkling brightly. Obviously, she welcomed his surprise as well.
He cupped her cheek and brushed a single finger through her auburn bangs. "I wanted to surprise you and mama. I take it you're happy, sweetheart?" He asked, knowing he was right on.
She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "Yes!" She laughed. "I missed you daddy!" She laughed.
He smiled a sad smile, up at Astrid, as he stroked his daughter's small back. It had been a painful three days since he'd properly seen his little girl. Chieftain duties had kept him miserably busy, and unable to visit with his family. He'd seen Astrid, as she often waited till he got home before going to bed; but he'd only seen Zephyr when he'd looked into her room as she slept.
It was for reasons such as that that made him loath the position of being chief. He rarely got to have some real family time with his girls; and he hardly saw Zephyr. She could go days without so much as catching a glimpse of him, and it made him feel terrible. It was only by Astrid's assurance that he wasn't convinced about being the worst father in the world.
But all of that was forgotten now, as he embraced his daughter close to his chest. With a sudden smile upon his face, he wrapped an arm under her and lifted her up as he stood. Settling her on his hip, he used his other arm to curl around Astrid's waist and pulled her close.
Looking at each of them, he took a moment to kiss both of their cheeks before resting his head between the both of theirs. "How about a family dance?" He suggested, though they were already all bundled together.
Astrid beamed wide and wrapped one arm around his neck, the other around Zephyr to keep her settled, and rested her head against his chest. "That sounds like the perfect way to spend our time." She whispered, breath hitting his neck.
Zephyr nestled her small body into the warmth of her parents' bodies. "This is nice."
They both each nodded against her head. Pulling away slightly, they kissed each other lovingly, and then leaned down to kiss both sides of Zephyr's forehead. Their foreheads all rested together, and the family felt more complete than they had in a long time.
"Does this mean I get to stay up late?" Zephyr asked suddenly.
Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other blankly for a moment before laughing softly. Hiccup kissed her head against with the same smile, and shook his head in humor. "I think we can make an exception this one time. but don't think you're always going to be getting out of your regular bedtime, little lady." He told her semi-seriously. In truth, he was slightly happy to break the rules, occasionally, for his daughter.
Astrid was biting her lip in that way that told Hiccup she had something really important, perhaps meaningful, to tell him. He noticed the look immediately and nudged her forehead with his nose. "What's up, milady?" He asked with a goofy smile.
She laughed and looked down briefly. It didn't last long though, and shook back up with a glowing face. "We're going to have another baby."
He looked like a plasma blast had hit him. Then he surged forward and kissed her passionately. "I love you. I love you so much. You hear that, Zephyr? You're going to be a big sister." He said cheerfully.
She gasped and clapped her hands. "Big sister?" She pointed to herself. Her parents nodded with bright smiled and she screamed. "Yay! Big sister!" She bounced eagerly in their arms, making them laugh.
He kissed both girls' heads and settled his eyes on Astrid. "You're amazing, milady. Y'know, it's hard, sometimes, being without Toothless. But with you, and Zephyr, and now another little one on the way, it isn't so hard. You gave all of it to me, Astrid. Nothing could be better. I love you, so much. I love you too, Zephyr."