"Please let me take her out after breakfast!"
"What'd you mean after breakfast? You just ate!"
"I'm still hungry."
"You're always hungry lately; what's going on?" Hiccup gave an indifferent shrug.
"It's just my tapeworm Jim."
"Ew!" He pretended not to notice her disgruntled look and laughed.
"Kidding!"
"You had better be!" Astrid scolded, eyeing him warily. Ingrid tugged on her braid sharply. "What do you want, you little madam?"
"Fl'!" Ingrid insisted, waving her arms about. "Fl'!" Over the past two weeks, she had learnt an assortment of words, but she could only say about a third of them properly. Unfortunately, still no 'Mummy' or 'Daddy'- Astrid and Hiccup were competing endlessly for this achievement. "Fl' wi' 'gon!"
"Dragon." Hiccup corrected kindly.
"'Gon!"
"Dra."
"Drrrrr…"
"Gon."
"Drrrrrgon."
"Close enough." He clapped his hands once and held them out to his daughter. She squealed excitedly and leant forward suddenly, toppling from her mother's arms to her father's. "See." Hiccup stuck his tongue out at his wife. "Told you she loves me more."
"We've talked about this, Hiccup- you can't let your delusions run your head, it doesn't make for a good chief."
"I'll tell Jim and he'll eat you."
"Jim, your imaginary tapeworm friend?" Hiccup gave a single nod. "Whatever. Have her back before lunch, OK?"
"Victory!" He declared, punching the air with his free hand. Ingrid mimicked.
"Vic'ry!" She tried, giggling.
"You're going to be super clever, like your amazing daddy. Say 'Daddy'."
"No."
"Say 'Mummy'." Astrid attempted.
"No."
"Take her away, Hiccup, and don't bring her back until she says 'Mummy'."
"Or 'Daddy'."
"Fat chance." Astrid handed him the baby bag and waved him out the door. Toothless leapt down from the roof, chortling a hello. Hiccup petted him and wrapped Ingrid up in the sling. Toothless prowled about, snuffling Hiccup inquisitively and it took a few minutes to get him to sit still long enough to climb in the saddle. He tested the tail as Ingrid twisted about in the sling.
"Drrrrgon." Ingrid slurred. She peered curiously over the edge of the material and whooped in delight as Toothless took off. Hiccup smiled to himself, tucking another blanket about his daughter as the temperatures dropped. She curled up and stared up in amazement at the clouds and blue sky. "Eh?" She asked, pointing.
"Cloud." Hiccup told her.
"Clo'. Clo'!" She clapped excitedly. Toothless peered over his shoulder and took to diving and twirling and loop-the-looping. Hiccup kept a firm hold on his daughter, who was shrieking and laughing gleefully. "Clo', clo'!" She demanded, pointing up.
"Disappear, bud." Hiccup told his dragon, shifting the tail. Toothless batted his wings and clambered up. Ingrid was ecstatic.
Astrid watched from the ground, cursing her husband when the Night Fury started aerobatics. Thankfully, she saw no tiny falling shape and the dragon didn't dive down to collect anything. Then they disappeared into the clouds and she hoped Hiccup had the sense to keep Ingrid wrapped up warm.
Sighing, she returned inside. Jim the tapeworm. Sometimes, she wished Hiccup could work his way through a sensible conversation, but then she realised that she would miss out on a good giggle if he did. Jim the tapeworm, honestly.
"Stormfly, the fire!" The Nadder squawked irritably and shot flames at the hearth, curled up and went back to sleep. Astrid sidled over, spitting on her hand and massaging the dragon's scales. Stormfly huffed happily and nudged her rider affectionately, apologizing for being snappy. "Good girl."
Someone knocked on the door. "Everything alright, Mum?"
"I do hope so." Hildegard peered at Astrid curiously.
"What?"
"I keep track of things, Astrid, you know that."
"Yeah. And?" Hildegard gave her a pointed look. "No." Astrid shook her head. Hildegard nodded slowly, smiling knowingly. "Mum, no, I- I would know."
"Would you now?"
"Well, I'd have thought so."
"Never question your mother, Astrid. I do know what I'm on about." Astrid changed the subject by offering a beverage. Her mother wasn't swayed so easily, but she did except the warm yak's milk. "Look, it's a mother's intuition, we know these things."
"But I'm fine."
"Are you?"
"Well, I was sick yesterday, but Hiccup didn't feel that good either- dodgy lamb or something. I didn't cook it right." Hildegard hummed and sipped her drink. "Mum, don't- do not insinuate anything."
"I'm not insinuating. I know."
"Of course you do." Astrid muttered.
"Just you wait, you'll see."
Thank you to HttydFangirlxox for the flying idea! :D
Any guesses? :3
