DIRK: [ARISE]

[evenindeath]

Of all the places to wake up, 'dumpster' had not actually been in Dirk's top thirty list. Of course, once he realized that's where he was he considered that had been an error in judgement on his part. It was where he belonged and thus should have been number one on his list.

"HAL?" he said, his voice a raw and rough croaking to his own ears, but his sunglasses skewed on his face showed nothing but the sky above, a bright night lit by a moon and too much light pollution from the city around him for any stars. He brought an aching arm up to right his sunglasses and give them a tap, the the bare bones of his Heads Up Display on them became visible, flickering in and out of focus. "HAL?" he asked again, but there was no answer. It said he was offline with no signal available.


The past - however long it was came back to him in flits and flashes, what lead them here. Him here, anyway. Finding our that what his friends went through was a beta run for the whole thing, that it had already failed once and they were an attempt to restart under more favorable circumstances. That their game was a null game too in different ways but unfortunately just enough overlap that the plan to make a working game between the two of them wasn't going to work. What was there left to try, a third attempt where they would likely once more end up with more problems and no solutions?

Dirk had been careful who he proposed the plan to and how he said it. Jake was the driven type, charismatic - it didn't matter he couldn't figure out how to pull it off himself, if he suggested it people would be more likely to listen, to try.

"Do you think there's a way to get out of the game entirely?" Dirk had asked Jake in what passed for late one night on a meteor where they'd taken refuge, time and day having no meaning.

The question had been posed seemingly carelessly, but it had stuck in Jake's mind like Dirk knew it would. Soon enough they were all working together on 'Jake's' new plan to try and find a universe beyond the games entirely.

There was no guarantee it would work. No guarantee they'd go to the same place, or even... anywhere.

But what other option did they have?


And now Dirk was here, in a dumpster.

It smelled terrible in a weirdly unfamiliar way to him. It was the kind of terrible that came from cramped living conditions of too many people in one place, and he had literally never experienced that before. When he managed to push himself up and crawl out of it (and get all the ... leavings... off of himself) just looking to the other end of the alleyway where cars went back and forth gave him pause as he thought that every single one of those had at least one person in it. Watching for just a couple minutes, more people walked by without a glance in his direction than he'd ever seen in one place in his whole life.

Wherever they'd landed, it wasn't his home. Not when he knew it.

Distracted by that utter culture shock, he managed to miss the sound of someone coming the other direction until they spoke.

"Hand over your money - anything you have on you," the gravely voice ordered, and Dirk turned slowly to see the barrel of a gun staring him down, and attached to it a man that could either be twice his age or a little younger with a hard life behind him. Dirk was guessing the second was more likely.

"Are you fucking deaf? Hand. Over. Your. Cash. Fucker!" the man repeated when Dirk just continued to stare at him.

Oh, this? He'd seen this in plenty of movies. He knew how to handle this.

"Yeah, no," Dirk said, with a careless flick of his wrist his clothing glitched and blurred into a different but similar set, his pointed sunglasses doing the same to be a fully face covering gas mask. The people who fought crime always wore masks in those stories, right? From the same place his new clothing came from he drew his katana.

He was used to enemies that put up a fight to someone on his level, and maybe would be over-estimating this guy's abilities.

Comments

[lazarusinred]

Jason's breathing was heavy when he was freed to catch it. As if he had been running at a full sprint. Fingers and eyes followed up Dirk's chest as he shrugged out of his own shirt. Some very distant and quiet part of his mind noted the matched scars. The rest of him was entranced by the... everything. The freckles seemed so whimsical next to the marks of past violence. He could see just the edge of the bruise on Dirk's shoulder.

A breathless sound hissed from between his teeth as Dirk dove back in. Wrapping an arm around the small of Dirk's back pulling him close. Skin to skin, more contact than he could easily remember with anyone and he still wanted to be closer still. With his other hand he did what he could to rake the blunt edges of his nails down Dirk's spine.

[evenindeath]

Dirk's body was all lean muscle that spoke of an equally focused life and maybe too little care given beyond requirements for survival. It felt like electricity down his spine where Jason touched and Dirk couldn't stop himself from squirming against him. He wanted to keep moving - wanted to keep getting closer to Jason. Needed both in a way that made him feel like he was going to crawl out of his own skin if he didn't get it.

Jake had some of the same hunger as him. Jake was raised away from most people, but he knew a world was out there, and had a person who loved and cared for him before they died. He didn't have the same need for it that bordered on starvation, though, and so Dirk had always thought 'It's just something wrong with me, then.'

He was 'too much' in so many other ways, it was easy enough to accept he was in this one too. Wanting more than Jake was willing to give. Jason didn't seem reluctant, though. Maybe he wasn't as starved for it as Dirk but it was so much closer, close enough that he didn't feel like a freak for it. He kept telling himself he'd stop the instant Jason gave any indication that was what he wanted, but he kept pulling Dirk into him. There was no part of his skin Dirk didn't want to touch, and he left two more bruises along Jason's neck before he returned to kissing his mouth, short nails raking down his chest.

[lazarusinred]

Jason could have gotten something like this before. It was not that he was holding on to romantic ideals, but more something between not wanting to let anyone get that close and not finding someone that he wanted to. Just the fact that he had brought Dirk to his apartment had been a door cracked open that was definitely now kicked down. And behind that door had been a flood of need. A need he could hold back if Dirk wanted to stop, but all Jason saw was a similar need reflected back.

He wanted to touch, to feel, to tangle himself with Dirk. It was like fire under his skin looking for some way out. He pulled away from kissing Dirk's mouth to immediately run his tongue along Dirk's neck. Which quickly became a skating of teeth before he returned the favor of a bruising kiss. Simultaneously he tugged at Dirk while pressing his hips up, the need for closeness and motion.

[evenindeath]

"Fuck," Dirk cursed, Jason's tongue hot against his neck, his pulse rapid enough to feel dangerous. "Jesus fucking Christ, fuck-"

Dirk continued to swear as Jason delivered a loving mark for his neck, his turn to slide a hand up to grip into Jason's hair and encourage him on. He pushes down just as Jason bucked up, swore again - used several compound words that did not seem like ones normal to any form of English in this century - and shifted himself over Jason until their legs were better slotted together so they could more easily grind their hips together for that wonderful spike of friction again.

[lazarusinred]

Hearing the string of expletives from Dirk pointed out to Jason just how little he had spoken. Words were something that he used for an advantage, it was second nature. This here with Dirk, he did not need anything other than Dirk himself.

Leaving Dirk's neck he explored Dirk's collarbones with his tongue, interspersed with bites and gusts of hot breath. Dirk's skin felt feverish under his lips.

Hips ground satisfyingly together causing arch back with a gasp. "Fucking hell," he cursed and the words held the undertone of a moan. He locked eyes with Drik, those brilliant orange eyes filled with want. Jason did not wear carefully crafted expressions. Instead he had enough anger to throw up as a shield. That was not here now. What he had was a raw and painful desire for not only what Drik was offering, but for Dirk himself. Without him this equation would not work. In return he would cut himself to the bone and offer himself into Dirk's hungry arms.

He focused on how Dirk moved and moved to meet him in harmony. Keeping that measure he dove back to give Dirk a matching mark on the other side of his neck.

[evenindeath]

There was so much raw honesty in Jason's expression it was like a sucker punch. Everything was so quickly spiraling out of control – if it had ever been in control – and for once Dirk didn't feel ready to panic for the loss of it. Not when he had other things to occupy him, like finding the perfect rhythm to rock against Jason, the spiking pleasure eroding away Dirk's normally solid reason.

"Fuck, yes- " he groaned, fingers tightening in Jason's hair, other hand gripping his shoulder to keep steady, short nails digging into skin to leave crescent indents on the skin there.

[lazarusinred]

Yes. God yes. He managed a half growl half groan - his mouth was too busy to form words. If Drik's neck and shoulders could be mapped out with his lips, tongue, and teeth, he was going to do it.

The waves of pleasure from every grinding press from Dirk felt like a tide coming in. One that he would not mind drowning in. Being held down, did limit what he could reach with his mouth, but his hands were free to claw down Dirk's back. Red, raised skin left in their wake. Until he reached Dirk's waistband and he slipped a finger past that boundary to the skin underneath. A question with no wrong answer, to go farther or enjoy where they were.

[evenindeath]

So much for just kissing, though he supposed neither of them limited it to just, thinking back on it. It was fitting that just as he was telling himself to not push further, it was Jason who slid a finger under the waistband of his pants, questioning. Fuck it, this was happening, and the only question was if another pair of Dirk's pants were going to need to be washed after or not.

It was a struggle to let go of Jason, to move back just enough that there was a little room between them when he wanted nothing more than to stay attached as fully as possible, addicted to the sensation of skin on skin. When he finally managed though he was sliding his hands between them to get both their pants open and out of the way enough as quickly as possible.

[lazarusinred]

The thing about a free fall is that it was going to continue to take you in one direction. You could mitigate it, slow down, or in the case of a metaphorical fall choose how far you fell. For Jason he realized he had decided to step out into open air the moment he had crawled into Dirk's lap with the intention to fall as far as they both were willing. Ever working in half measures was not something Jason had ever been accused of.

There was something intensely satisfying in the feel of skin on skin. There was not that much space, but with the two of them working to the same end it was a breathless heartbeat before he was squirming himself free enough of his remaining clothes while pushing Dirk's down and away.

"You can change your mind anytime," he reminded Dirk of his own words. It seemed an important threshold to say with all of him that he was making this choice and despite the state of things it could be stepped back from.

[evenindeath]

"-Same, fuck- same, just say-" Dirk insisted too, even if keeping a line of thought long enough to get his words working was proving more and more impossible by the moment. Especially when most of his focus was dedicated to getting his task done - getting both of their dicks free enough that he could take them into his hand together.

[lazarusinred]

Jason murmured something against Dirk's lips, what he was feeling was far to large and consuming to be caught into words. The feel of Dirk's fingers wrapping around his dick, pressing theirs together - accomplishing his task - took his breath away. Half gasping he kissed his mouth, tangling fingers in his hair, pressing together wherever did not need space. The world was gone and that was left was Dirk.

[evenindeath]

Dirk couldn't get enough of Jason, hungry for everything Jason was willing to give him. He kissed Jason again and again, panting for breath between each one, teeth grazing along his lips, his jaw, as Dirk kept up the steady pace with his hand that matched to the rocking of his hips. It wasn't a pace set for either of them to last, just to fill that frantic need that seemed to be alight in both of them.

"Jay-" it was a warning that Dirk wasn't far off.

[lazarusinred]

Frantic was the pace that Jason wanted, that he needed. The future could hold softer, longer rises to completion. Now he rose to meet Dirk, blissfully consumed.

He had been brought very close and his name on Dirk's lips pushed him over the edge. "Dirk-" hissed through his teeth as he came, sharp and hot. Tension climbed up his spine curving him into Dirk, thrusting, pressing, pushing all in one. Breaking open in some impossible way to describe.

[evenindeath]

Just like for Jason, hearing his own name from Jason's mouth pushed Dirk the rest of the way off the ledge he was already precariously on. He muffled his own cry against Jason's skin, another bite this one just under his jaw and impossible to hide the marks of.

[lazarusinred]

That mark felt like Dirk was laying a claim. Maybe Jason's reeling mind was reading too much into it, but always fiercely independent, fighting to keep every scrap of the world that what his and his alone, the idea of being claimed should have put him on the defensive. Instead he wanted to Dirk's, whatever shape that took.

He ran his fingers through the damp hair at the nape of Dirk's neck, panting to catch his breath. "Fuck- amazing- you are-" Said through panted breaths, which made stringing words together all the more difficult.

[evenindeath]

Dirk told himself it wasn't any kind of possessiveness - told himself, and told himself again and maybe eventually it would be believable if he kept it up.

People don't belong to you, he reminded himself. Trying to make that happen only makes them run away.

He was almost ready to apologize for pushing too far when Jason's gasped words caught his attention, fed something darker and hungrier still inside of him desperate for praise.

"Bit more than a kiss," Dirk admitted, nuzzling at Jason's neck.

[lazarusinred]

"Just a bit," Jason agreed with the ghost of a smile. The hairs on his neck stood up where Dirk nuzzled and he did not move to stop the attention. "I'm glad it was. I wanted- want you. I'm sorry if I pushed to far because of that."

Dirk had been enthusiastically with him at every turn, but minds could change.

[evenindeath]

'I want you', such a small thing but Dirk suddenly wondered if he'd ever heard it before. He was always the one wanting. Even though the whole prompting thing had been to not need to wash his pants, Dirk didn't think twice before wiping his hand off on the leg of his jeans so he could hold onto Jason with both hands.

"- almost said the same," he admitted. Truth for truth. "I wanted it, though. Still do. Want you."

[lazarusinred]

Jason had always been told that he did not know where the lines were, that he always pushed too hard, especially physically. Some reservation in him relaxed at hearing 'I want you' in return. Gentle touch turned into holding Dirk to him. He pressed a kiss to his pale hair and nuzzled his face into it. "I'm not in a rush, but eventually we are going to have to get cleaned up. Maybe breakfast," he murmured.

[evenindeath]

Dirk lets out a barking sort of laugh, the tension of the moment broken in a way that doesn't leave one or both of them bleeding in the wake of it. He leaned back a bit, moving so Jason could get up.

"Yeah, I got some clothes that need some washing too," he gestured to the mess he'd wiped off on his pants and gave a little shrug. There was also the stuff he was wearing when he fell into the dumpster. "... Want to show me how your shower works?"

[lazarusinred]

Before getting up Jason gave Dirk an unhurried look over, a smile settling on him as he did. He had never thought of being into freckles, but he was starting to feel that was becoming a thing. Or it was just Dirk and what made him.

"I do want to yes," he said getting up. Now no longer half pinned to the floor and frantic it was a whole lot easier to kick off his pants. A moment of consideration before he stripped the rest of the way - it was going to end up that way one way or another. Carefully he bundled up the clothes before carelessly tossing them next to the wall on the bedroom floor on the way to the bathroom.

"Washer and dryer are also here." The tub and shower combination was American standard with one tap, safety reasons apparently. The water was nearly immediately warm. "I made then put in an inline water heater when I moved in. No shortage of hot water that way." He was kind of blocking the way to the shower with where the toilet was, but Dirk could indicate he actually wanted privacy or not.

[evenindeath]

Since Jason had already thrown his own clothes into a pile, Dirk didn't think much of stripping down and adding his as well. He'd grab the sylladex card with the rest after a chance to wash up.

While his home back in Texas was four hundred years in the future, it was in the remnants of an apartment building that was built in the beginning of this century, so much of Jason's place wasn't unfamiliar in concept. On the other hand, he didn't have a water heater. What came out if the taps was what you got and you were happy it wasn't saltwater, and boiled it over direct heat if you needed it hot for something. So much as Dirk might say the word in his usual blandack of affect, he really did mean it when he replied, "Fancy."

And… sure Jason had just washed up, but he'd then had quite a good time getting sweaty with Dirk on the floor. So Dirk gently put his hands on Jason's chest to give him a gentle shove back towards the shower.

"You should show me how to use it. Just in case. Showers could have fundamentally changed in a few hundred years, I might not know how to work it."

They had not changed, he could figure it out, but that wasn't really the point.

[lazarusinred]

It wasn't the point and Jason had been hoping he had read the underlying message properly. He had experience reading carefully neutral faces, but it took time. Fluidly stepping over the edge of the tub he let himself be pushed back.

The warm water found all the spots that Dirk's teeth and nails had done more than leave impressions, sending a rill of pleasure down his spine. "If you want it hotter, all you have to do it turn it up," he said stepping back into the water more, making room - eyes not leaving Dirk's. He had also installed a nice shower head that was plenty tall enough for him and provided better coverage. Ever since he had experienced it, he was always sure to make his bathing conditions comfortable where he lived.

[evenindeath]

Dirk's hair had considerable volume to it, sticking up every which way like he was some kind of anime character made real given Jason knew from grasping at it that there wasn't any product in it to get that result. When wet it turned out to be almost to his shoulders when fully weighed down by the water, Dirk briefly needing a moment before continuing the flirting because the warm water on demand was a surprise, the jolt of it when it hit all of his own bruises and bite marks littered across his skin.

Okay, good to know. Back to important things.

"I could do with a little hotter," Dirk, eyebrow lifting, reaching out to tug at a strand of Jason's hair. "So how would I go about that...?"

[lazarusinred]

Dirk's hair, along with the rest of him, was absolutely fascinating. The shock of white was the most interesting thing going on with Jason's, in his own opinion.

There was a challenge to be found here, in finding the right flirtations without resorting to the obvious and crude euphemisms. "It is suggested to make small changes and let the new temperature sink in before proceeding further. A light touch, until you have it just right." Jason reached out to run a finger along the edge of one of Dirk's bruises, tilting his head as if in consideration - exposing the last bruise that Dirk had given him. "Would you like a practical demonstration?"