Under Pressure

Chapter Three: A Girl's First Love

It is said that a girl's first love is her father. One look at the Haddock family was irrefutable proof of that statement's truth. There was a sort of beauty in Hiccup and Adrianna's relationship that was easily visible to everyone on Berk. People would stumble across them lying in fields and pointing out shapes in the clouds. They would often watch the pair in the Great Hall, the tall and skinny man sitting across from a tiny wisp of a girl, listening to every word she said with rapt attention. Hiccup would often carry his daughter all over the village and, when they weren't socializing with anyone, it was like they were in their own invisible bubble. Villagers loved seeing Hiccup's face light up when his little girl giggled, loved watching him tap her nose with the tip of his finger or gently brush her long hair out of her face.

Hiccup had wanted a little girl from the first moment he had found out that he and Astrid were expecting a baby. His dreams of parenthood were always focused on his relationship with his daughter. He loved Finn every bit as much as Adrianna but he had felt the tiniest twinge of disappointment when he had thought that his son was the only baby they had. But then Adrianna came into the world, feet first, blue in the face, and undeniably female. The little girl he had dreamed of having was in his arms... and he wasn't going to let her slip away from him. Though he never said it outright, he considered the moment she had breathed for the first time to be one of the most precious moments of his life. As much as Finn was Astrid's, Adrianna was his. Even her name was his own creation, a combination of syllables that came to him the moment he was looking into her eyes.

Over the years, Adrianna seemed to have decided that he was hers as well. He was the first person who had made her laugh. She had taken her first steps directly into his arms. Most children initially run to their mothers when they get hurt or are frightened. Adrianna had always made a beeline to her daddy when she needed someone. He was her rock, her hero, and she was his baby girl.

The fourth Saturday of every month was always special. Even if Hiccup and Adrianna only spent it walking around the village or telling stories on the couch, they were always memorable. Hiccup had thought long and hard about what he and Adrianna could do that day. Astrid generally planned activities for her rambunctious son but Adrianna didn't need much planning. She loved the little moments with her parents.

On the fourth Saturday in April, Hiccup vaguely heard Finn bounding into his room and felt Astrid rise from bed a moment later. He tried to say something about staying in bed a bit longer but he didn't think his wife would understand a single word. A few minutes later, he felt his daughter crawl into the bed and snuggle into him. He placed an arm over her and the two of them were asleep in seconds.

The sun was over the trees and shining directly into the window when father and daughter were finally awake. Rather than bolt out of bed like Astrid and Finn, they remained in bed a few minutes longer. Adrianna took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, making a faint humming noise.

"What are you thinking about?" Hiccup asked her, smiling fondly as she rolled over so she could face him.

"What we're going to do today." Adrianna replied, stifling a yawn.

"What do you want to do, Addie?" Hiccup learned a long time ago that Adrianna would have no idea what she wanted to do until the moment he asked.

Adrianna put her chin in her hands and furrowed her eyebrows in deep thought. "Umm... cookies?"

"Cookies?" Hiccup chuckled. "What kind of cookies?"

"Mint chocolate!" Adrianna exclaimed, startling her daddy. "That's the best kind!"

Mint chocolate cookies were also the hardest to make but Hiccup and Adrianna loved making them. It was a lengthy process that allowed them to spend a lot of time together. They rolled out of bed and walked downstairs hand-in-hand, still in their pajamas. Unlike Astrid and Finn, they preferred to stay in their more comfortable clothes. Unless they needed to go to the village, they often stayed in their sleepwear all day.