parodeity | WEEK ONE: WEDNESDAY, THE POOL

[ what the fuck does he do with these he has no sylladex - okay find he just hooks the over the collar of his shirt and...tries...to get dirk's stupid anime hair out of the way of his eyes, he guesses? apparently dave's hands are participating whether dirk likes it or not. ]

Dave—[COUGH]—your hands, dude—!

[Do not??? hurt them??? Dirk's still just letting the water run into his eyes oh god it is THE WORST but he thinks it's helping and after the recommended—he's not sure how long is recommended. ISN'T IT FIFTEEN SECONDS? He didn't have to cover this shit they did NOT have this in the ocean, but anyway he gives the water some time and then yanks back and squeezes his eyes shut as it runs from his face. Also: coughing. But he rubs at his eyes to help clear it up and at least when he finally blinks it away he seems to be doing better. Ridiculously red-eyed from all that dust, but much better.]

[ fuck you dave will do what he wants to his hands and he just kind of reaches up with his sleeve to like. dry off dirk's face as gently as he can kind of. great. ]

Okay, now drink some.

[ we are not leaving this stupid bathroom until dirk is coughing less or until dave can be convinced to leave this stupid bathroom, apparently ]

[There's a strangled noise that probably isn't the dust as he legit just shoves his mouth under the tap water to gulp down water.

Elegant!]

[ well that

works

dave supposes wtf ]

[the ocean boy belongs in the sea

After, like, thirty seconds of gulping water, Dirk pushes himself back up, gasping, and wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks... better than he did before? He's still coughing but it's a little less.]

Clinic now.

[It's with a hard gasp but again: it's an improvement. He wipes at his face again and then—]

Thanks.

[Because Dave looked after him. Because for sixteen years no one was there to wipe away at water on his face.]

Wait. [ dirk doesn't seem to care the way dave does but he unhooks the glasses from his collar - still careful of the left pointer finger and right pinky - and slides them onto dirk's face. ]

...For the record, normally I'd tell you I could handle my fingers myself, and I could do. I've set 'em before. [ but this isn't "normally", apparently, or at least he doesn't intend to not let dirk set the broken bones.

why he felt this needed to be said is up in the air. but he says it anyway, looking up the two inches dirk has on him to do so. ]

[Dirk doesn't fight the shades or Dave putting them there. He listens to what Dave says.]

I figured you could. Why isn't this normally?

[Coughing still, but more intermittently, he gestures for Dave go head off with him. It's time for the clinic.]

Because you keep indicatin' you want to.

[ that's...not really an answer, because normally that might also be the case, so its not the thing that changed. but he'll at least follow along again, frowning. at the very least he seems to have been jarred out of whatever the fuck mood he was in earlier, although it was mostly a Lack of allowing himself to have a strong mood. ]

I would normally want to.

[Pointing that out, because. Yeah.

At least they're pretty close to the clinic! It's just one building away before they can get in.]

[ ...

...

... ]

You're...goin' to help me lie about this. [ are in the process of it. so it's...thanks? maybe? and there is maybe something else, but he doesn't want to acknowledge that after earlier that night he might just want human contact. ]

You don't owe me anything for that, you know.

[It isn't a rebuke, but it's a reminder that Dirk doesn't need payment for this. INTO THE CLINIC THEY GO and Dirk to the familiar places for stuff to splint the injuries.]

Do you wanna patch me up or not.

[ because he will totally do it himself if dirk changed his mind, suddenly. ]

I am going to patch you up.

[Dave don't be a jerk!!]

Then why does it matter why I'm lettin' you as long as I am?

[ hey he's here? and he'll even sit down and look. tired. but whatever. ]

Are you gonna bring up the. Thing. With people casually tomorrow and stuff.

Because I'd kinda like to know how you think and why. Like, as part of the thing I mentioned about wanting to get to know you.

[Come on Dave! He takes Dave's hand and gets to work carefully fixing/wrapping up the fingers. He has never done it on someone else but he thinks he can apply the principle, and indeed it isn't too rough.]

If people ask why I'm coughin', I'll tell 'em as much as I would if our cover story were actually true. Jake too.

D'you think you'll be coughin' tomorrow still?

[ a frown. he genuinely is more familiar with like. the kinds of injuries you acquire when thrown around. or attacked with swords. or fireworks. or what have you. he does prove an okay patient, though? dave sits still and doesn't flinch or move his hands away, but lets dirk do exactly what he needs to. ]

I... have no idea. [Like he genuinely doesn't?] Anyway, it isn't my habit to bring up a story like that unless it somehow comes up, like if someone says they want to explore the Lodge further. Then I'd tell them that to be careful of the dust. I wouldn't mention your injury, since that is not a thing I'd do normally except maybe when talkin' to Jake. But it should corroborate anything someone asks you.

And if they ask you for corroboration you're not a terrible liar.

[ questioning. because he assumed straight up dirk wasn't but realizes he doesn't...know? he assumes not because he's good at lying and learned from...watching the best not give jack shit away, but.

he'll just kind of wait for dirk to finish his hands, ftr, and will let them drop to his lap whenever dirk does. ]

[He checks them over one last time before letting them go, but then he nods.] I'll be fine. It's close enough to the truth that lyin' won't really be an issue.

[ is dirk like standing in front of him or sitting down or what, out of pure curiosity that definitely has nothing to do with anything except yeah i need to know.

dave flexes his hands, checking the job over absently. ]

[He probably would've made Dave sit and then knelt or something in front of him to do it, but you know what, let it be your choice. I willingly throw myself to your merciless jaws.

Anyway Dirk watches him to make sure that the job is okay and that Dave'll be all right.]

[ okay i guess if dirk is kneeling dave will. kind of just slide off the edge of the bed or whatever he's on the clinic looked like it had like a dozen cots and kind of incredibly awkwardly cling to dirk for some reason, burying his face in dirk's shoulder and yeah his hands are probably shaking but do not acknowledge it.

he gives absolutely zero explanation for this and he's not even sure if it will help, but after [ redacted ] he was going to have some sort of meltdown quietly and he can't do it in his room when there are two other people there.

dave wants rose, but rose just isn't here. and even if she were, he wouldn't be able to have this particular sort of meltdown in her vicinity. ]

[Oh.

Okay then.

Dirk does not ask for any explanation at all. He just wraps his arms around Dave and holds him in this extremely awkward cling, making no comment, doing nothing but holding him tight and not letting go.]

[ cool just ignore the fourteen-year-old having a small mental break. the contact helps regardless of (because of?) the source and awkward cling or no it at least reassures dave that nothing can creep up behind him. it's solid contact and he doesn't have to look at anything if his face is hidden, and dave just breathes out, hard.

breathe. ]

You don't have to do that other favor for me anymore, you would've had to come with for it to matter.

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