"Woosh! Woosh!"
Zephyr almost jumped up, making cooing sounds as Hiccup moved the Night Fury plush in front of her eyes, manoeuvring it through the air while making the most ridiculous sounds he could think of. His daughter's blue eyes eagerly followed it, revealing her first tooth from behind a wide smile whenever he pulled off a trick. He'd give anything for that smile.
"Oh!" he exclaimed as he moved his hand into a more stuttering motion, making the plush struggle in the air. "I think he's going to crash!"
He moved the toy straight towards his daughter, who was sitting on the table, excitedly clapping her little hands together. "Can you catch it?"
Making a crashing sound, he softly pushed the plush dragon against Zephyr, who instantly wrapped her tiny arms around it in response. She hugged it as well as she could, looking at her dad with her big eyes, a proud smile on her face. He felt like his heart would melt right then and there.
"Good job, Zeffie!" he complimented her, moving in closer and ruffling her reddish brown hair. "Now can you tell me what that is?" The girl stayed silent. "A dragon. Dra-gon. Can you repeat that? Dra-gon."
"Hiccup," his wife laughed, putting her hands on his shoulders as he was still crouched down to Zephyr's height. "She's way too young to be saying words as complicated as that. She hasn't even really talked at all yet."
"Hey, I'm just teaching her the most important word in her dad's vocabulary," he smiled. "Can't start early enough with that."
"You're such a dork," Astrid giggled.
"And you married that dork," he pointed out.
"And there's not a single day I regret doing so," she whispered as she crouched down, pressing a kiss to his bearded cheek. "But you should really get going. The council can't start without you."
"Which means that, technically, I can't be late," he quipped as he took his daughter's balled fists in his, playing around with them.
He could almost hear Astrid roll her eyes as she took Zephyr from him, getting back up and lifting the girl up in her arms. Admitting that perhaps, his wife was right, he got up as well, smiling as Astrid and Zephyr's eyes followed him to the door.
"I will try not to make things drag out too long," he promised as he pressed a tender kiss to his beautiful wife's lips.
"We'll see about that," Astrid laughed. She knew how these kind of days could go. She turned to the girl in her arms. "Alright, Zephyr, time to say goodbye to daddy." She took one of Zephyr's little arms in her hand, waving her fingers in Hiccup's direction. "Bye, daddy!"
He waved back at her, a gentle smile on his face. "Daddy will be back home soon," he reassured the girl before he turned around, opening the door to their house.
"Dada."
He spun back around, his eyes as big as Astrid's as they both looked at their daughter, then at each other. "Did she just…?"
"I think she did," Astrid nodded, gaping at the girl in her arms. "Did you just say 'daddy'?"
"Dada," Zephyr responded, her voice still the most adorable sound Hiccup had ever heard.
He couldn't do anything but stare at the girl as Astrid bounced her up and down in her arms. "I already had my suspicions, but you're so going to be a daddy's girl, aren't you?" she teased. "Dad-dy."
"Da-da," their daughter slowly repeated.
He just stood there, gaping at the two most important women in his life until Astrid looked at him, a smile lingering on her face. "Hiccup? Are you still in there?"
"Uh-huh," he nodded, scratching his beard. "I think I have a very important report to make to the council. My daughter just said the single best word any Viking has ever spoken."
He embraced the two of them, pressing a kiss to his daughter's forehead, watching her blue eyes light up. "Daddy loves you so much." He turned to Astrid, pressing another peck to her lips. "And you too, of course."
"Dada."
It was the only word he needed.
A/N: I can also be found on Tumblr at aleteia-ff!