Snow Day

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In response to requests for a winter fic:)

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"Bet you can't catch me, Dad!" eight-year-old Stoick shouted as he sprinted across the yard.

"Me, neither!" echoed seven-year-old Finn, following his brother.

Astrid smiled at the sight of her husband running around in the snow with their sons, little Ingrid somersaulting amongst them. She'd just taught her daughter how to tumble, and the nearly-five-year-old girl couldn't get enough of it.

"Mama, come play with us!" Finn insisted, rushing over to his mother and tugging on her hand.

"Maybe later. Go back to Daddy." Astrid nonchalantly took a step back and reached behind a nearby bush. As Finn hurried back to Hiccup, she grabbed a few snowballs and started tossing them at his back.

"Mama!" exclaimed Finn, wheeling around and quickly creating a snowball of his own to throw back.

Suddenly, Stoick appeared beside his brother. "Hey, I wanna play!" He rubbed his icy hands together. "Let's do me, you, and Ingrid against Mom and Dad."

"What do you think, Haddock?" Astrid called to Hiccup, who was playfully tossing his giggling daughter into a pile of snow.

"Think about what?" the Chief asked, scooping Ingrid into his arms and making his way over to Astrid.

"Snowball fight. Us against the kids."

"It's on," Hiccup said. Grabbing a fallen tree branch, he wandered to the middle of the yard and drew a line in the snow. "Alright, milady. Come over on this side of the line with me. Munchkins, stay over there."

"We're gonna kick your butts!" Stoick shouted as Astrid hurried to join her husband.

Before anyone knew it, snowballs were flying through the air. Two hit Hiccup in the face. Another hit Ingrid's knee. Yet another exploded on Astrid's shoulder. Stoick's hair was full of ice, and Finn soon found himself hit in the stomach.

"One more minute!" Hiccup eventually shouted. So far, the kids were winning. The Chief and General might have been experienced, but the children's small size gave them an advantage.

"Sixty! Fifty-nine! Fifty-eight!" Stoick called out as he quickly balled up more snow and threw it at Astrid.

Soon, the minute was up, and Hiccup and Astrid found themselves being knocked onto the ground by the overenthusiastic kids, who had won the snowball fight.

"We beat you!" Finn exclaimed, his blue eyes bright with excitement.

"Daddy, we beat you!" Ingrid said, tackling Hiccup.

"Alright, munchkins. I think it's about time for us to go inside and get warmed up." Hiccup stood up, taking his daughter into his arms as he did so.

"But Daddy, I'm not cold," the little girl insisted, despite her shivering. "I want to stay outside and go sledding on Toothless."

"Toothless is tired. You kids went dragon sledding too much earlier."

"Do me and Finn have to go inside, too?" Stoick asked.

Astrid nodded. "Yes, you do. We're all going in the house."

Despite the children's protests, Hiccup and Astrid managed to get their family indoors, where they were greeted by a sleepy a Night Fury.

"Mama, I wanna put on my pajamas," said Ingrid. "Can you help me?"

"Of course. Let's go to your room." Astrid took the child from Hiccup and carried her into her bedroom. The boys, who were old enough to change without help, went into theirs, and Hiccup to his. Once Ingrid was dry and dressed in her nightgown, leggings, and socks, Astrid went to her room and changed her own clothes. By the time she was finished, and had gathered a pile of furs, Hiccup and the kids were already making a pot of hot cocoa.

"Mama, we're gonna have hot cocoa!" Finn exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchen.

"So I see." Smiling, Astrid tossed the blankets on the wooden couch, then added another log to the fire before joining her family.

After the hot cocoa was made and enjoyed, the Haddocks all gathered on the couch and snuggled beneath the furs, Hiccup wrapping one arm around Astrid's waist and the other around Ingrid, who had crawled into his lap. Having missed her afternoon nap, she soon fell asleep on his chest. Finn settled onto Astrid's lap, and Stoick, after some protest about not having a lap to sit on, cuddled against his mother's side and stared out the window, watching as snow began to fall again.

Snow days were the Haddocks' favorite kind of days.