So Many Striders - Now With Illustrations!

Five slices is three more than Hal was expecting to be able to convince Dirk to eat, so the fact that he ate all five with no prodding at all is indeed impressive. Hal would like to insist that Dirk eats one more before sleeping, because it really is important that he eats, but god he can't deny such a wobbly voice. "Yeah, you've earned it, get some rest now. Want me to stick around? I can head off to my room if you'd rather."

He takes the pizza plate from Dirk, setting it on the bedside table, then wraps his arms around Dirk to try to help him ease down horizontal on the bed.

 

That's unnecessary (it's really nice) and it just makes Dirk slump further onto Hal as they go down together. He mumbles "As you like," but shifts so that the line of his body is pressed against Hal, leeching his warmth. The temperature difference makes him shiver but it's such a relief to finally be allowed to sleep that he doesn't care. Brain damage is still making him miserable, surely it's the brain damage, so he sniffles once or twice before sighing and passing out completely.

 

Hal starts to tell Dirk that it's what he likes that's important, but before he even starts to get the words out, Dirk is asleep against him. Neither of them are going to sleep well with the light still on, so Hal waits until the count of 100 before shifting carefully out of the bed and turning it off. Out of the covers, he pulls off his sweater and places it at the foot of the bed, then crawls back in to spend the night with Dirk. Unfortunately, after a moment of lying awake, he discovers that while he may be worn out from the adrenaline rushes of the day he's not actually all that sleepy, and he rolls onto his side away from Dirk to pull out his phone. There is, after all, a certain catbird who needs to be updated on the day's events. He waits impatiently for pesterchum to log on, then shoots a message to Davepeta.

TT: Guess who has two flesh thumbs and almost died today.

 

It half wakes Dirk up when Hal leaves, and the light changing dramatically makes him shift toward where Hal used to be only to find him gone. He has just enough time to feel upset and uneasy before Hal lays down with him again and shuffles around. Dirk stays laying on his side, it's good to have the cut on his head facing up and not scraping against the pillow. By the time Hal rolls onto his side Dirk is basically asleep again, but still automatically drapes an arm around his waist and snuggles into his back. He's somehow shifted much lower than Hal, his forehead is pressed against the back of Hal's neck and the blankets nearly cover his head. He couldn't even see the light from Hal's phone if he were awake enough to process the injustice that someone gets internet when he's not allowed.

DP: B33 < that is so infurmative i f33l so infurmed

DP: B33 < and reassured

DP: B33 < >B<< look at my face

DP: B33 < this is my reassured face

DP: B33 < like a goddamn bodhisattva up in this bitch

DP: B33 < achieving enlightenment as we speak

DP: B33 < make your explanation snappy or im telling god not to let you into heaven

 

Hal is incredibly charmed by the arm around his waist and the snuggles into his back, even if it means he gets shiver-inducing puffs of warm air against his collar. He pulls the blankets halfway up his upper arm, stretches his legs out, and is interrupted in getting comfy by a burst of buzzing from his phone that sends him hurriedly turning it to silent, and then just as hurriedly struggling to muffle his laughter so as to not wake Dirk.

TT: First things first then, we're both alive, although Dirk got a concussion.

TT: We went up to the roof to exercise, as you do, and I may have almost run right off the edge while practising my flashstep landing. Dirk grabbed me and swung us around, we fell to the ground, and he hit his head somewhere in that process. It happened a bit too fast for me to give an exact timestamp, unfortunately.

TT: I've kept him warm and hydrated and awake, and we just ate dinner so I've let him get some rest.

TT: And as far as heaven is concerned, I've already sneaked in the back way.

 

DP: B33 < im the one whos meant to try an fly off a shit hal strider dont you steal my shtick

DP: B33 < dirk rescued you from death and cracked his head open in the process huh

DP: B33 < he would

DP: B33 < and i just BET you kept him warm after that

DP: B33 < >B33

DP: B33 < > B33

DP: B33 < >B33

DP: B33 < > B33

DP: B33 < whats this about sneaking into heaven tho

DP: B33 < you specifically said you were alive are you a ghost who is also a liar?

 

TT: To steal someone's shtick, I'm fairly certain it has to be deliberate, and I definitely had no intentions of trying to fly and don't plan on doing so again any time in the future. Also, if I was a ghost, I'd be stuck on earth not in heaven.

TT: Which is where I must be, because I'm currently warm, comfortable, and fed, wrapped in blankets and Dirk's arm as he cuddles up to my back.

TT: So, yes. Your eyebrows are quite correct to be raising and lowering repeatedly in that manner. B)

 

DP: B33 < are you kidding because i was kidding

DP: B33 < youre actually in bed with our brother dirk right now

DP: B33 < what kind of cuddles are we talking about here

 

TT: I'm not kidding.

TT: I'm actually in bed with Dirk right now, who is at most your half-brother and technically speaking not my brother at all.

TT: And you know how we agreed I'd keep you up to date on the romantic aspects of my life in exchange for you not setting me up with people?

TT: That sort of cuddles.

 

DP: B33 < i was not even aware that you had f33lings about him

DP: B33 < okay feline avoid the whole incest question

DP: B33 < its not like thats a huge issue for me

DP: B33 < being whatever kind of crazy awesome fucked up thing i am

DP: B33 < but its still something that the others are going to raise an eyebrow or two about

DP: B33 < haha fuck

DP: B33 < somewhere out there sollux just came in his pants and doesnt know why

DP: B33 < so are you two actually

DP: B33 < do i need to update the official grid

 

TT: I only recently worked it out myself. I would have told you before anything significant happened, but he caught me by surprise.

TT: As in, he kissed me, no declarations of love or anything.

TT: I'm holding off on that conversation until he's actually, you know, not concussed. So no official updates yet, just a bro letting his sib know what's up.

TT: In other words, more on this story as it develops.

 

DP: B33 < i believe we have already established that i am "at most" your "half-sibling"

DP: B33 < though if you wanna get technical you are also my dadcestor

DP: B33 < all these technicatities

DP: B33 < fur some reason i cannot picture dirk smooching anyone

DP: B33 < you said a head injury was involved?

DP: B33 < i have to admit there is a slight pawssibility that i am concerned about you

 

TT: Half-sibling, 2% childcestor, and full-fat friend. So many titles you have, damn.

TT: I think the kiss surprised him about as much as it surprised me, really. It was nice, though, as were the ones after it, so I'm hardly complaining.

TT: Why are you concerned about me? He's the one with the head injury. And I'm taking care of him, so there's no need for concern.

 

DP: B33 < im telling ARquius you called me fat

DP: B33 < butter yet

DP: B33 < im telling ARquius you made milk puns

DP: B33 < ill be candid then get ready this is some rare shit

DP: B33 < i dont know dirk as well as you do

DP: B33 < purrhaps that is why he sometimes makes me uneasy

DP: B33 < but i am mostly concerned for your f33lings

DP: B33 < if he is surpurrised that he kissed you doesnt it follow that he doesnt know how he f33ls?

 

TT: I'd prefur it if you took up any issues you have with my puns with me rather than pawing them off on ARquius, we only just resolved one cat-fight and I'd hate to start another so soon after.

TT: But enough of that yarn, candid it is.

TT: Dirk likes to pretend he doesn't have such mortal things as emotions that can possibly make him sad, or that he's above such things in some way. He's better at not doing that now than he was before the Game, but it still means he gets caught rather by surprise when a strong Emotion rears its head. [dick joke]

TT: Him not knowing how he feels is another reason why I'm putting off the conversation about what our future relationship will be, either sticking to friends or branching out from that. I want to give him a chance to get at least some idea of why he did it, how it makes him feel, etc, before pushing him to start talking about it out loud.

TT: Does that help your unease?

 

DP: B33 < that is all very considerate of dirks f33lings yes

DP: B33 < but what about you??

DP: B33 < that scoundrel has tasted your maidenly lips without so much as an "i like your face" it s33ms

DP: B33 < i will fite him for your honor s33 that i dont

DP: B33 < do you want this??? you s33m pretty happy so purresumably you do its just a surpurrise

DP: B33 < will you be okay if he kisses and runs?

 

TT: Well I mean it would be pretty narcissistic of him to say he likes my face, wouldn't it?

TT: But in seriousness, I and my maidenly lips were both very happy to be tasted by the scoundrel. No fighting is required.

TT: And it would be rather awkward for him if he kissed and ran, we live together.

 

DP: B33 < haha wow

DP: B33 < you do realize that avoiding talking by joking is a dave special right?

DP: B33 < a special that was developed pawcifically in order to avoid talking about an iteration of that guy youre trying to avoid talking about

DP: B33 < i KNOW it would be awkward if he did that while you lived together thats the thing im worried about B//

 

TT: Well, shit, I wasn't trying to make you get all worried. It's nice to know you care, though.

TT: And there I go doing it again. Okay, terrifyingly serious honesty, here we go.

TT: I'm a bit worried it'll turn out he wants it to just be a one time thing, yeah. But I think I really freaked him out with the whole nearly dying thing, so I have some hope it won't be?

TT: Not that I want a relationship based on terror that I was about to die, that's not what I meant.

TT: I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have some hopes that it'll be more than a kiss and run, but if it does turn out to just be that, it was really hot while it happened and I'll survive if that was it.

 

DP: B33 < h33 h33 gross dude

DP: B33 < thank you for being honest i appurreciate it

DP: B33 < at the very least dirk is very glad that you are alive and well if hes reacting to your near death with terror and face smooching relief

DP: B33 < that s33ms like a good sign

DP: B33 < even if hes not into you its purretty clear he cares about you

DP: B33 < anyway ive b33n kinna callous toward dirk here

DP: B33 < is he okay??? ive had my share of concussions whats he got going on?