Accidental Fiancé

12: Misunderstandings

Twelve: Misunderstandings

Hiccup lost himself in his work and time seemed to fly by until a buzz jerked him from his little world.

"Hello?"

An unfamiliar voice crackled through the intercom and he frowned and walked to the little unit that Astrid had explained to him the previous evening. Warily, he pressed the button.

"Um...hi. Who are you?"

"I'm Dagur. You must be Hiccup. Astrid said you'd be in. I'd use my key...but my arms are full. Can you let me in?"

"Okay," Hiccup said and unlocked the door. There was a pause as the man entered the building and then there was a knock on the door. Quietly, the auburn-haired man let him in.

The man who entered was holding a huge flatpack in his arms and he staggered before he rested it against the wall. Then he straightened up and smiled at Hiccup. He was a couple of inches shorter than Hiccup but very buff and powerful. His hair was cropped short and spiky on the top, a bright carrot red and his green eyes were sparkling. There was some heavy scarring on his right cheek and woad tattoos over his left eye. Hiccup noted he had a scruffy stubbly beard and he grinned almost manically as he offered a strong hand to the young man.

"Dagur DeRange," he introduced himself cheerfully. "I'm Astrid's security adviser." Hiccup took his hand and shook it as he frowned.

"You look familiar," he murmured as the buff man walked to the kitchen and found himself a bottle of water.

"I'm Heather's older stepbrother," he revealed. "You may have seen me hanging around when she was in Freshman year-before I joined the army." Interested despite himself, Hiccup walked over and poured himself another coffee.

"Really?" he asked. "That sounds very..."

"Boring," Dagur told him plainly and sighed. "Look-there was lots of marching and guard duty and sitting around...and then shorter periods of far too much happening." Hiccup frowned.

"I get it-you don't want to talk," Hiccup sighed as he turned back to the dining table and slumped in his seat. "I mean, I guess some of the exciting bits must have been quite traumatic?" Dagur cocked an eyebrow and nodded, walking confidently to sit by Hiccup-not too close but not opposite, encouraging conversation.

"Well, tours in Iraq and Afghanistan weren't much fun," he admitted. "I suspect my timing was spectacularly bad because it coincided with lots of insurgent activity and the worst of IS...so we lost a lot of good guys and saw some things no one should have to." He visibly shook himself. "But when I was...moved on, my sis found me this job so she could keep an eye on me." He chuckled.

"And why would you need keeping an eye on?" Hiccup asked suspiciously as the other man laughed.

"I'm supposed to be giving you some advice," Dagur pointed out by Hiccup sipped his coffee, still wary.

"I need to know if it is valid," he replied easily as he inspected the buff man. "I mean, you're not in the army now and your statement indicates you didn't leave voluntarily so I need to make sure I'm not being badly advised." Like I have been for years. Dagur stared at him for a long moment-and then burst out laughing.

"I'm going to like you!" he exclaimed. "I mean, my sis is pretty hard to impress and she thinks you're a smart guy...and Astrid is also my 'sister' and she's very fond of you...and as you're engaged, that makes you my...brother?"

"Oh Thor," Hiccup groaned as Dagur grinned.

"Brother...hmm, I like it!" he announced. Then he got up and dragged the huge flat package to the table. "By the way, sissy asked me to deliver this for you. Astrid got you this...I think it's for your work?" Eyes widening in shock, Hiccup realised the man had brought in a draughting table for him and he gaped as Dagur folded his arms and smiled at the other man's expression. "You're welcome," he said as Hiccup looked up.