Hiccstrid One Shots

The Dreaded Talk

    "Nuffink please put away the toys you're not playing with," Astrid said as she washed the dishes from lunch.  Usually she would be out in the village with Hiccup but when they found out she was pregnant again, they decided that it would be better for her to stay home with the kids for a little while.  Since both Zephyr and Nuffink were born early, they wanted to make sure she didn't go into labor even earlier.  And it wasn't an everyday thing, she would work for four days and stay home for three.
    "Why doesn't Zephyr have to clean?"  Nuffink asked with his arms crossed.
    "Because she already did.  Now get to work young man or your father will have a talk with you when he gets home."  That got him.  Nuffink quickly ran around picking up his toys.  "Much better," Astrid said approvingly.  After he finished, he sat beside Zephyr and watched her draw.
    "Who's that?" He asked and pointed to one of the people in her drawing.
    "That's mommy and our baby brother or sister in her stomach," Zephyr said proudly.  Nuffink looked between the picture and his mother curiously.
    "Mommy?"  He asked, a confused expression on his face.
    "What is it sweetie?"  Astrid asked, drying off her hands and turned toward them.
    "How did the baby get in your stomach?"  She froze and almost dropped the towel she was holding.
    "Yeah, how did it get there mommy?"  Zephyr asked.
    "Umm, well."  She was struggling with an explanation when Hiccup walked in.  "Oh my Thor I don't know if I've ever been so happy to see you."  He looked at her curiously while being met with hugs from Zephyr and Nuffink.
    "Why don't you two go play outside for a little while," Astrid said, trying to keep her voice calm.  They eagerly bolted outside and Astrid collapsed on the couch.
    "Okay, something's going on, care to explain?"  Hiccup asked and sat beside her.
    "Our children asked how their little brother or sister got in my stomach."  It was Hiccup's turn to be frozen in shock.
    "What did you tell them?"  He didn't know that he really wanted the answer though.
    "You walked in before I could, which means you have to help me come up with a good answer."  He sat back and tried to think of a good way to explain, to their very young children, how their little brother or sister got in their mom's stomach without actually explaining it.
    "Okay, during dinner we'll have a talk with them," Hiccup said and began to walk toward the stairs.
    "A talk?  Hiccup this is the talk!"  Astrid exclaimed, following him upstairs.  "And dinner is not the time to give that talk, they won't want to eat after hearing that!"
    "Astrid relax, I'm not going to actually explain anything to them," he said gently and grabbed her arms.  "Believe me, if we were really giving them that talk I would not be this calm."  She smiled a little, obviously relieved that she wasn't going to have to explain how her children came into to the world.
    "So what are we going to tell them?  I don't want them asking anyone else these questions so we have to give them some kind of answer."
    "And I think I know the perfect way to go about it," Hiccup said with confidence.
    That night while they were eating dinner, Zephyr showed Hiccup her drawing which of course brought back their earlier question.
    "How did the baby get in mommy's stomach, Daddy?"  Nuffink asked.  One thing they could say for sure about their son was that when he wanted to know something, he didn't let it go easily.
    "Well that's a big question," Hiccup said with a gentle smile.  He looked up at Astrid and she nodded.  "You know how much mommy and I love you two right?"  The two children nodded.  "Well that love for you started when you were still in mommy's stomach, just like your new brother or sister.  But before we could love you, we loved each other.  That special kind of love is what gave us Zephyr, Nuffink, and the new baby."
    "So the baby got in mommy's stomach because you love each other?"  Zephyr asked, trying to understand what her father was saying.
    "Essentially, yes," Astrid said and smiled at her daughter.  "Now this is a special secret only for the four of us okay?"
    "No, it's the five of us, Mommy," Nuffink said and pointed at her stomach.
    "Yes, the five of us," she agreed.