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

[evenindeath]

Dirk was floating in the aftermath of it, dimly aware of Jason, just enough to revel in every sense of him he had. The solidness of him, the heat of him, the way he looked when he came undone. Dirk wanted to devour him completely, to be devoured by him. This was going to be an obsession that would requite careful monitoring to make sure it didn't go sour. He could already tell.

The water that made its way between them was taking care of the slow work of washing the mess off even if they didn't actively take a hand in cleaning up. Right then Dirk was content to slide his arms around Jason's shoulders, to just hold him close and take in the sight and scent of him. The sound of his heavy breathing, so like Dirk's own.

"S'better than I imagined."

[lazarusinred]

Jason had always had a strong ability to read people and situations. It was after all what had brought him to becoming Robin. Since his death and return to life that ability had reached what might be considered preternatural. It could simply be a natural talent shaped by all the experiences of his life, or it could be like some of his other physical talents that had been pushed beyond human ability with his exposure to the Lazarus Pit.

What he saw in Dirk was a heart shaped as a blade. You could step carefully and not get cut by all the sharp edges, but then you would never understand it. You would never be able to stay close to it. Jason wanted to be cut to the bone by it. Laid bare and bloody by it, because then he could be understood in return. He never imagined he would ever find someone like this, in such a pretty package, who was also not on the wrong side of his wrath.

Dirk really did have a wonderful body. He turned his hand in the water to clean it a bit before sliding his arms around Dirk's waist. Holding him close while they both caught their breath and let the water do the rest of the work. "Much better," Jason agreed, and leaned forward to press their foreheads together.

[evenindeath]

Dirk let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when Jason slid his arms around him again, and it felt right in a way that was so unfamiliar to someone who had dealt with wrong his whole life.

"Wanna show me your bed after this?" Dirk asked, his forehead pressed against Jason's. Even feeling that was letting his mouth sign a check his body couldn't cash, it didn't come out as solicitous as he'd intended when he spoke the words. He hadn't slept for days, and all this shocking comfort had him feeling it creep up on him.

[lazarusinred]

Jason was not exactly sure when the last time he slept was. It wasn't yesterday, that was for sure. So the solicitous words with the lack of matching tone, matched how thoroughly his body was done with him.

"I very much do. For many reasons," Jason replied, his own tiredness creeping into his voice. He gave Dirk a bit of a squeeze. "I do need to message a few people to get things going for you meeting with the JLA. Wouldn't take longer than, say, getting a load of laundry going. Unless you want me to wait." Just collapsing into bed was a viable option.

[evenindeath]

"No, that'd be a big help. Thank you," Dirk said. He wasn't in the habit of thanking people often, if only in that he usually tricked people into doing what he wanted and what he thought was best for them. He leaned in and kissed Jason again, softly this time, like that first kiss when he was giving a chance for Jason to decide if he wanted more or if that was enough.

It was perfect for then, a little moment of gentleness was about all Dirk was capable of. Sooner or later someone cut themselves on him.

"Let me help you out a bit," he offered. Yes he was aware Jason had already done a shower without help before even with his injuries, but it gave Dirk an excuse to keep touching him and in truth he needed the help. His shoulder ached hard enough that moving it in certain directions was rather painful. He could push through it - there was little he couldn't - but it felt gloriously indulgent to have help.

Dirk had to wring his hair out a bit once they were out, the short clumps of it - thick as it was it could take forever to dry otherwise. The water had turned it a dark honey color and he felt more tired by the second.

"What's your stance on pajamas?" he figured he should ask before he decided what, if anything, to sleep in.

[lazarusinred]

It was true neither of them needed help, but it was gloriously indulgent to be helped. Jason took extra care with Dirk's shoulder, pressing on points around it that would help the muscles chill out. A skill he had never used on another person other than to harm.

There were plenty of towels for the both of them, pulled from the cabinet closest to the washer and dryer. When Jason was done vigorously drying his hair it was nearly dry. "Mm, nothing against pajamas, but I usually don't sleep wearing anything if I can help it," he replied.

It was rather convenient to be able to show Dirk the laundry situation. Slightly smaller front loading washer and dryer stacked on each other. If you were being pedantic about it, the dryer on top was on a shelf. They both made disgustingly cute chimes instead of grating beeps. Jason was still not sure which he preferred.

It was still dark outside. Jason had found Dirk in the younger hours of the night, but that night would soon be drawing to a close. So Jason flicked on the bedside light after retrieving his phone. After turning the sheets on the bed down, he sat cross-legged on it and looked at his phone. Twenty-one messages. Great.

Tim: No need to be rude.

Damian: I believe he has silenced his phone. I would have.

Dick: It's nice to see him opening up to someone.

Tim: I'll be surprised if this isn't some kind of plot.

Dick: Just because most of what Jason does has some kind of design to it doesn't mean this is too.

Tim: Jason doesn't just make friends.

Damien: Is this an interrogation technique I've been left out of?

Attached was a picture that showed a poor silhouette of the brief minute Jason and Dirk shared a chair. That was the price to pay for blinds that would let in daylight. Jason cringed and felt heat rise in his cheeks.

Dick: Jason's got this situation under control, Damian. Please just go back to what you're supposed to be doing.

Damian: Fine, but if I am ambushed by assassins it will be your fault for not letting me verify our security.

Tim: Yeah, why are you spying?

Damian: I am not spying. I saw a report that Red Hood was seen fighting with a person wielding a sword. Not a person in our records either.

Tim: I hate it when you make sense.

A short gap of time later.

Tim: So did you know?

Dick: That he was as obvious as you? No.

Tim: Rude. He's not that hard to read. How did we miss it?

Dick: Do you really think he feels nothing but anger all the time?

Tim: Answering that would be incriminating.

Tim: Wait, is this the group chat?

Dick: I thought this was a "power move" or something.

Tim: ahegrhrjabshuf

Jason: Wow. Still alive.

They could wait for more of an explanation. Really, Jason did not feel like navigating that conversation yet. He was tired, and there were more important messages to send.

He opened a chat with Bruce.

RH: Are you available? I need to ask you something.

B: Is this about the man in your apartment?

Jason softly cursed his brothers under his breath.

RH: It is. His name is Dirk Strider. He and some others escaped a doomed dimension. He wants to ask the League for help finding if any of the others made it here too.

B: The League will always help refugees. I will set up a meeting.

Jason did not push to find out what exactly that help would look like, knowing that he would get no further information. The time to meet at the batcave was set for the late morning. Plenty of time for him and Dirk to get some rest.

RH: Do you think Al will make lunch?

B: You can ask him when you see him.

Well he will ask thank you very much. Alfred was always happy to offer food to family, and especially guests.

[evenindeath]

While Jason took care of arrangements, Dirk grabbed the dirty clothes to throw into the washer as well as pull the to-wash pile from his sylladex. It still wasn't much, so it all fit into the smaller machine rather nicely while still looked to be a dryable amount in the same load.

The dryer was a bit of a novelty to him. He had a washer back in his high-rise, but with the bright sun most days he had never bothered to rig up a dryer when a line and clothespins did just fine.

Once that was going he used a moment to clean up the mess he'd left on the workbench - close down the sylladex projection, pack up most things to leave only the laptop out and closed and a couple parts resting on top. When he fetched his sunglasses, they had a little light on them that would indicate an incoming message but when he slid them on his face to look through the HUD there was nothing. Taking them off again, the light was now gone.

'I'm tired', he told himself, rubbing at his eyes and carrying the sunglasses with him rather than putting them back on as he went to the bedroom. He took a heartbeat of a moment to admire Jason sitting on the bed - Dirk hadn't bothered to get dressed in anything either since Jason was fine with that - before he set the sunglasses on the closest flat surface to it so he could climb into it next to him. It wasn't not out of a desire for affection that he instantly got up in Jason's personal space, but being able to take a glance at his phone too... well...

Old habits. Besides, it was hardly anything incriminating. Whatever could be considered 'incriminating' given a confession to murders had already freely occurred.

"I can be a kinda restless sleeper, so - no hard feelings if you need to kick me to the couch," Dirk warned amiably. Maybe it would be different with another person there. He had never really tried it. When him and Jake 'slept' together it was hardly proper sleep so much as exhausted leaning against one another, one catching some sleep while the other kept watch. Usually Dirk keeping watch, he had better stamina to stay awake than Jake did.

[lazarusinred]

Jason made no move to hide his phone screen from Dirk. There was nothing there that he would not have shared anyway. He wondered what he wouldn't as he set an alarm. He set the phone down on the side table and turned the light down to it's lowest setting. Now that his hands were free he slid his arms around Dirk.

"I can put up with a lot. No hard feeling if either of us ends up on the couch," Jason replied with equal amiability. "I need some amount of light to sleep. If this is too much the oven light and open door will be enough until sunrise."

[evenindeath]

Dirk let out a little huff of air that wasn't quite a sigh and wasn't quite a breathless laugh and was just quietly amazed at the easy companionship. He didn't want to hurt Jason. He wanted to keep this. He hoped the two wouldn't come into conflict.

"I can sleep through anything," Dirk replied, which wasn't quite true. It was more that he so rarely had time or opportunity that when he allowed it of himself his body was extremely practiced at dropping off the second it was given permission. It resulted in some strange dreams from that, going to REM before his body was technically prepared for it, but he found it efficient. Neither light nor sound made a difference to him that way. "Night terrors?" he asked, about the light, though he had to stifle a yawn at the end of the question.

[lazarusinred]

Given what little Jason had been able to gather from Dirk's life to this point, it was not a surprise that he could sleep through anything. Jason had never slept next to someone. The softly giddy feel of skin to skin was something he hoped he could keep, and would go a long way to making the possible difficulties acceptable.

"More like flashbacks. When I wake up and can't see where I am. That's probably a longer story than we-" he was interrupted with stifling a yawn of his own. "Later. Ask me again." Sleepily he tangled himself more with Dirk, as if afraid that Dirk would somehow slip away.

[evenindeath]

"Bedtime story for another time then," Dirk agreed with a yawn of his own. He wasn't sure initially about sleeping next to someone, but tangled up in Jason was ... nice. Comfortable in a way he hadn't expected. The solid bulk of him was the perfect firmness for a pillow. He wondered if he would even be able to really sleep in the unfamiliar place, but between one moment and the next he had dropped off entirely and his breathing had gone deep and even.

[lazarusinred]

It took Jason a bit longer to drop off to sleep. There was something fragile and wonderful about feeling Dirk fall into sleep pillowed on him, it was everything he had imagined could be true on their motorcycle ride together. It still felt slightly unreal that Dirk wanted him and continued to want to be near him. Wanted to fall asleep with Jason's arms around him.

Trusting that Dirk did know how solidly he slept, Jason ran his fingers through Dirk's damp hair. This was real. The warmth of him, his steady breathing, even the weight of him, ever so gently pulled Jason to sleep. Deep and even breaths joining those ghosting across his chest.