Under Pressure

Chapter Two: A Boy's First Love

It is often said that a boy's first love is his mother. If anyone on Berk had ever doubted this phrase, one look at the Haddock family would quell their doubts in an instant. There was something in the way Astrid and Finn interacted that resonated with people. It was something that made them smile when they saw the two together. Identical pairs of blue eyes staring at each other, the roughhousing and tumbling in the dirt, and the hugs and kisses... everything about Astrid and Finn exuded love in its most innocent and beautiful form.

This wasn't to say that Astrid didn't adore her daughter or that Finn didn't love his father. Of course they did. But every love is different. It is impossible to love two people the same way. And the love between mother and son went beyond anything Astrid had ever hoped it could be. From the very first moment Finn was in her arms, he was hers. He was the baby who had, in a single moment, changed everything. The baby who taught her how to love again. And now he was the boy who showed her that no matter how much he drove her insane with his mischief and occasional tantrums, she couldn't possibly forget, even for a second, how much she adored him.

Sometimes, when you have someone in your life that you care for very much, you need to set aside days to be with that one person. There were two monthly holidays in the Haddock household. The second Saturday of each month was the day Hiccup spent with Finn and Astrid spent with Adrianna. The fourth Saturday of each month was the day Astrid spent with Finn and Hiccup spent with Adrianna. It was tradition ever since the twins were a year old. And as much as the kids loved the second Saturday, both eagerly anticipated the fourth. Parents aren't supposed to play favorites, and truth be told, neither Hiccup nor Astrid favored one child over the other, but no one could deny that spark between mother and son or father and daughter. There was something intrinsically special about it.

It was the fourth Saturday in April. Hiccup planned to stay at home with Adrianna while Astrid had painstakingly made some special tools for her day with Finn. The boy's birthday was one day short of two months away. He was big for his age, about two inches taller than his sister and quite a bit wider. His tufts of red hair were thick and tended to stick up when it wasn't combed. His face was dusted with freckles. He had thick eyebrows like his father but his wide, blue eyes were definitely a product of Astrid's genetics. Looking at him, you might have thought he was a few months into his fifth year. His voice was low, not even close to changing yet still distinctly masculine. Astrid had been thinking very hard about when to begin teaching her son how to defend himself with the most basic weapons and she decided that, as long as a few safety precautions were set forth, that particular Saturday was the perfect day to begin his training.

Finn rose with the sun and shook his mother awake. Hiccup mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, probably a groggy protest as his warm wife arose from the bed. Astrid yawned and stretched but soon felt quite alert. She and her son liked to wake up early in the morning. Hiccup and Adrianna detested any time of day when the sun hadn't risen above the forest. Astrid made a quick detour into her daughter's room to shake her awake so she could spend the rest of the morning snuggling with her daddy. The small girl looked like she was sleepwalking as she made her way into the master bedroom.

Shaking their heads at the family members who preferred the night hours, Astrid and Finn tiptoed downstairs as quietly as they could. After a hurried breakfast (both were eager to begin their day, after all), they bounded outside, hand-in-hand. The early risers in the village smiled fondly at the pair. They always knew when it was the fourth Saturday of the month.

It took a few moments of walking alongside his mother when Finn suddenly noticed the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. He furrowed his brows, thinking very hard. He knew that bag. She always carried that bag when she needed... needed... oh yeah!