hnnnngh i love dagstrid so much thank you for this
a bit of backstory - this takes place in a modern au, and it can actually be taken as a...teaser? prequel? for a modern hiccstrid au i’ve been planning for a long time. so watch out for that (i plan to write it out before posting it, i’ve got about a chapter and a half written out already)
Astrid honestly just wanted to go home. It had been such a tiring, long day of work (she had a job as an event planner - she loved it, but it took out all of her energy) and her brother Arthur had needed the car today, so she was stuck waiting for a bus before she could get back home and see her daughter.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough Dagur of all people had to come strolling up to the same bus stop.
She looked straight ahead, purposely trying to ignore him. She just...didn’t have the energy to deal with Dagur the Deranged today.
“Bit of an overused nickname, isn’t it?” she snapped right away, wincing inwardly when he smirked. Why did she always have to take the bait so easily? Dagur just always knew the wrong buttons to push.
“Oh, would you prefer milady?”
Astrid shot him a murderous glare, clenching her fists when his smirk only increased. “Don’t you ever. Call me that.”
She turned back to look adamantly at the street sign in front of her, running a hand through her hair, which was falling out of its braid.
A quiet minute passed before she felt Dagur step right up behind her, leaning down.
“You intrigue me so much,” he murmured, his hot breath on her ear.
Astrid gasped, freezing up, but she told herself she wouldn’t take the bait, not this time, not ever again. He wouldn’t get a rise out of her, he wouldn’t.
“Oh really?” she said through gritted teeth. “What’s so intriguing?”
“Look at yourself from my point of view. My little sister’s best friend, my rival’s girlfriend -” Astrid kept herself from snorting, Hiccup and Dagur were never rivals, just people who naturally antagonize each other - “daughter of a rich businessman, golden girl of Hooligan High School. She’s the star of the school, and then she cheats on her boyfriend? He dumps her and leaves forever? Out of the blue?”
Astrid bit down on her tongue, hard. He didn’t know anything, she had to remind herself. He didn’t know, he wasn’t in the loop, he was just like the rest of the town and thought she was a cheater.
It didn’t matter. Except it kinda did. She didn’t know why, but Dagur the Deranged looking down on her made her more angry than if it was anyone else.
“It was the best decision for everyone for Hiccup to leave.” She put her hands in her pockets.
“And leave you to raise little Zayla all on your own?”
Finally, Astrid glared at him. He was raising a brow, as though daring her to contradict him.
All she said was, “Her name is Zephyr. You know that. Don’t mess around.”
Suddenly Dagur was right in front of her, his fingers tangling in her braid so she couldn’t step back, holding her head raised to look at him. With a dangerous grin, he whispered, “But messing around is what I do best.”
Astrid wanted to scream, wanted to kick him, wanted to sleep most of all but for the first time since Zephyr was born, she was feeling something. For the first time since Hiccup left was she feeling something...more.
And so she kissed him. Her teeth clashed with his lips roughly, but as sudden as it was, Dagur must have been expecting it, because he responded so quickly and so easily that he must have wanted it to go down exactly like this.
He was barely taller than her, but it felt like he towered over her as she cupped his cheeks, trying to keep herself standing. It didn’t feel like a romantic kiss in the slightest, but it made her feel, made her want, and that was more than she could say about anyone else in this gods-forsaken town.
He pulled back first, his eyes dark, and murmured, “I’ll drop you home. Come on.”
Astrid felt strangely cold as he walked to his car, not sure what to think of the fact that he wasn’t asking her to come to his apartment, or that he hadn’t asked if she even wanted a ride from him.
She was tired, and he seemed to understand that, so she followed him.
At the very least, they’d be able to get wasted together some time.