This was inspired by a scene from How I Met Your Mother.
***
"Zephyr!" Astrid bellowed at her daughter. "What did I say about using the good knives?!"
***
"Not now, Zeph. I'm trying to get your brother to take a nap. Then we can play, okay." Astrid sighed.
***
"Hey, Honey." Astrid greeted her husband as he returned from a long day of chiefing to find dinner already on the table waiting for him. "How was work?"
"Same thing different day I suppose." Hiccup sighed. "How was your day?" He asked.
"It was... okay."
"Astrid..." Hiccup glared knowingly.
"I'm just starting to feel bad about leaving Zeph out so much but, Nuffink takes up all the attention these days and by the time I get him down for a nap, I'm too tired to spend any time with her."
"Then how about tomorrow. I take Nuffink to work with me and you can have the whole day to spend with Zephyr?" Hiccup suggested.
"Hiccup, your work is stressful enough."
"Not nearly as stressful as yours. Besides, it'll be nice to finally spend some quality father-son time together." He admitted.
"Thanks, Hiccup."
***
The next day as promised Hiccup got Nuffink ready for a full day of chiefing.
"Are you sure you've got everything?" Astrid teased as Hiccup scooped up his third bag.
"I'm not sure." He thought. "Do you think I should take more diapers?"
Astrid rolled her eyes and took the bags from his shoulders. She shuffled a few things around until everything he needed, fitted in one bag.
"There." She said.
"Thanks." He planted a gentle kiss on her cheek and then on his daughters. "You girls go and have fun."
***
Astrid and Zephyr spent the entire day in the forests of New Berk. Chasing butterflies. Climbing trees. Racing each other to the top of the hill and back down again. But alas the day had to come to an end and the Haddocks had a party to get to. Fishlegs and Ruffnut's engagement party to be exact.
They all took their time getting ready. Not that the party could really start without them anyway.
"So, how was your day?" Hiccup asked his daughter.
"Best day ever!" She cheered. "I wish you and Nuffink were there too."
"Well, how about this weekend we all go to the beach?" Hiccup suggested.
"Yay!" Zeph clapped.
***
They finally made their way to the great hall, and the party could finally begin. After Hiccup had finished his chief speech, he sauntered back towards his family and swiped his son from his mother's hands.
"Hiccup, he needs changing." She warned him.
"I know." He nodded. "But I promised you I would take care of him for the day. And the day isn't over yet. So, go and enjoy the party." Astrid smiled at him before heading off to congratulate the happy couple.
"Thanks, Astrid," Fishlegs said. "I hope we're as happy as you and Hiccup someday."
"Just wait a while before you even think about kids." She warned. "Trust me." She chuckled.
"Duly noted." He mentioned.
"Hey, has anyone seen Snotlout?" Ruffnut wondered. "He's been avoiding me all day." She scowled.
Astrid thought hard for a second before realizing where he might be.
She found him sat sulking on the stairs.
"Ruffnut was looking for you." She told him.
"So?"
"Just saying."
"Well, maybe she should tell me herself." He huffed, turning away from her. Astrid furrowed her brow for a moment.
"Snotlout, come with me." She ordered.
"What, why?" He growled. She rolled her eyes, pulling him up by the ear.
She snuck out of the hall and headed towards Snotlout's hut, dragging him behind her before climbing onto his roof.
"Okay, let's cut to the chase. We're both freezing." She shivered. "Just say it and we can go back inside."
"Say what?" He frowned.
"Say how much you hate that Ruffnut and Fishlegs are getting married!" She said.
"What? No. I... I'm happy for them." He fibbed. "I encouraged it."
"I know... Because you thought you were okay letting her go. But now that she's really gone, it hurts."
"I am happy for them." He sighed again.
"- Is all you'll let yourself say out loud, because if you said anything to the contrary, well, that would make you the most awful person on Berk." Astrid rambled. She paused for just a moment. "So, I'm gonna give you an out."
"And how are you gonna do that?" He wondered.
"By saying something that is even more awful." She thought.
"Like what?" He questioned actually slightly worried about Astrid's sudden change in expression. She paused a moment more, taking a deep breath, clearly fighting back tears. While Snotlout had seen her cry a few times since she got pregnant with Zephyr, it was still a rare sight.
"Sometimes..." Her tears started to fight their way through. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't a mom." She bit her lip to fight the urge to sob. It was no use. "Sometimes I wanna pack a bag and leave in the middle of the night and not come back." She sniffled, folding her arms across her knees, now tucked up to her chest, and hid her face in her arms. A silence fell over them for a moment or two.
"Ruffnut shouldn't be with Fishlegs, she should be with me." He blurted. Astrid raised her head, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, and looked out towards the great hall. "You serious?" He checked.
"I don't know." She sniffed. "I mean, I love being a mom, I- I love Zeph and Nuffink so much." She assured. "But- But do you remember when I wanted to be a warrior? Training was my whole life. And- and now it's been months since I've even picked up an axe. I spend all day taking care of the kids even at work and then I come home and it's more of the same. It's just-" She took a deep to calm herself. "It never lets up, it- It's just really, really hard, Snotlout."
"Have you talked to Hiccup about how you feel?" He wondered.
"Have you talked to Ruffnut about how you feel?" She retorted.
"Fair enough." He sighed. "I'll make you a deal. I'll talk to Ruffnut. If you promise to talk to Hiccup, deal?"
"Deal." She agreed hesitantly as they both stood up to climb down from the roof. "Oh and Snotlout..."
"Tell anyone you cried and you'll send me to Valhalla. Got it." He beat her to it. Being all too familiar with her warnings by now. She shot him a smile and rolled her eyes before climbing down from his hut and heading back to the party, to find Zephyr falling asleep in Hiccup's lap.
"Sweetie, have you been crying?" He worried as she scooped her daughter into her arms.
"Hiccup, there's something I need to talk to you about." She sighed.
"Okay, well let's get the kids to bed, and then we can talk, okay?" He suggested. Astrid just nodded.
***
