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“Okay, ya got everything? Sweats, shirt, sweatshirt, blankie?”
“Yes, Bro, I have everything. Including your old polo.”
“My ol’ polo?”
“You said to grab a blankie,” Dave raises his eyebrows over the top of his shades. Bro frowns at his joke but can’t quite ignore the warm feelings at the implications that he’s Dave’s comfort.
“As long as ya don’t drool or bleed on it, I guess that’s fine,” Bro grumps at him as they leave the apartment. It feels way too early to be conscious let alone driving his little brother to surgery, but that’s when the doc said that she’d be able to schedule the yanking out of Dave’s wisdom teeth. The place they are going to is a small clinic instead of the hospital which puts Bro at ease a bit. Not that he dislikes hospitals but no one exactly likes them either. They usually mean something bad is going down except if you are going in to meet a new sibling. Bro supposes that is alright. But otherwise hospitals usually aren’t great.
Because of the early time and no one being scheduled ahead of them, Bro and Dave are escorted in and directly sent back to where the good doctor is waiting. She smiles brightly and walks them through the process and answers any of their questions, telling Dave that no he can’t have a lollipop afterwards because the sharp sugar won’t be good for healing. Bro messes with his hair and promises as many lollipops as he can suck on once the stitches come out.
They get Dave settled into the chair and then kick Bro out of the room to go fret wait in the other room until they are ready to call him back in to collect his little brother. Bro pulls out his phone and plays each little game until he gets bored of it and until he cycles through all of them. He starts to pester D but isn’t surprised when he doesn’t get an answer at this o’dark early hour because his brother is even two more hours behind. But he has family that is an hour ahead doesn’t he.
TT: Hey li’l sis.
TG: sup broski
TT: How’s it hangin?
TG: my balls are loose wild and free
TT: Good to hear. Mama’s not keepin ya too busy?
TG: nah
TG: we stayed up to like 3 pwning noobs in lol
TG: it was epic
TT: Sounds like fun.
TT: She still asleep?
TG: yuppers
TG: im like the only morning person in this family
TG: kinda sucks but at teh same time i like the sounds of teh empty house in the morning
TG: quiet
TG: i feel like i could pop open my brain and let it air out in times like this
TG: clear out all the dead moths floppying around and replace all the fried ciruits
TG: wonder if the moths zap themselves on the wriing
TG: prolly
TG: speakin gof goddamn early in the morn
TG: why are you up
TT: Can’t a bro take in the dawn’s early light?
TG: usually your growling at twilights last gleaming instead
TT: Thing 1 is getting his wisdom teeth out.
TG: awwww poor dirky get him one of those krispe kreme milkshakes so he doesnt get any skinnyer while he doesnt have any teeth
TT: Interesting. Your Thing 1 is Dirk. I meant Dave.
TG: ooooooooooh
TG: in that case get him two milkshakes so he stops looking like d
TT: Will do, li’l one.
TG: youre worried
TG: whats to be worried about
TT: I don’t know.
TG: nothing
TG: nothing to be worried about
TG: tho
TG: you need to tape druggie dave cuz hes gon be hella cute
TT: I promise, li’l sis.
“Derrick?” Bro’s head snaps up at the nurse. “We’re done and he’s coming to.”
TT: Gotta go, chica.
TG: luv ya brodizzle
Bro slides the phone back into his pocket and follows the nurse back into the room where Dave is curled up around... holy shit he really did have one of Bro’s old polos. The nurse smiles at Bro’s soft expression.
“He’s good to go home. You already have the prescriptions at home, right?”
“Yup.” Bro kneels and tucks his arm under Dave’s legs and under his shoulders. Dave, even or maybe especially in his sleepy state, rolls into Bro’s chest making it easier for him to pick him up. Bro lurches to his feet and then stabilizes.
“You know we have wheelchairs, sir.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. We’re good.” The only bit of trouble he has is when he gets out to the car and he has to open the door while carrying Dave at the same time. Bro keeps one eye on him the entire drive home.
“Where are we? Why is it moving?”
“We’re in the car headin’ home, sweetheart.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll just watch the pretty colors fly by, float by, I’m floating, am I floating, Bro?”
“No ya ain’t. But I’ll be carryin’ ya soon.”
Then Bro does the same juggling to get Dave into the apartment. Then he carefully places Dave on the futon in the middle of the blanket nest he had ready. Bro goes and gets all the medicine and a couple drinks ready on the futon with a couple movies lined up in their entertainment system for when Dave needs it.
“Bo, Bo, Bro, can’t feel my lips. Did they fall off? Are they still there?” Bro smiles down at him and then he settles down next to Dave on the futon. “What if I can’t ever give you guys kisses again? Will you still love me if I don’t have lips, Bro?”
“Davey, you’re currently touchin’ them.” Bro tries to keep the snark out of his voice as he watches Dave pap at his face, his voice is warbly around the gauze.
“Promise me you won’t put me in a box on the street like Oliver...” Dave trails off, too focused on papping his still numb lips.
“And Company?” Bro suggests.
“I’m not cute enough. I don’t wanna be a homeless kitten. I can’t be a kitten without lips.”
Bro leans over and kisses him sweetly, feeling the swolleness at the contact.
“Aaaaah, I felt that... I think.”
“See ya have lips and they work just fine. On the other hand if your di-”
“Bro, no,” Dirk cuts in from down the hall.
“Spoilsport,” Bro calls back.
“No blow jobs, Bro. On either side. For like, a week at least.” Dirk comes shuffling into the main room, spiky hair falling every which way without gel. “You might cut your dick on the stitches in his gums.” Dirk reaches down and runs his hands through Dave’s hair, scritching his scalp with his fingernails. Dave hums and then his head lolls to the side, coming to a rest against Bro’s shoulder where he drools a little bit.
“Really, li’l bro?” Bro asks, not really indicating which brother he was talking to. “Fine. I can see why he can’t but why can’t I?”
“Just no.”
Dave’s hand is still at his lips, slowly massaging them. “They are... real... I think... Waaaaait. Are you guys talking about me? What did ja say? It’s not true. I swear it’s not true.”
“No, Dave, Bro is just being an asshole like usual. You have nothing to worry about.”
“If Dirk said I wanna be a pretty princess he’s lying.” Bro’s eyebrows rise up. “I already am the prettiest princess.” The other two Striders laugh at him as he mumbles a bit more.
“Pretty princess, huh?”
“Shhhhh, it’s lies.” The lisp makes it funnier than it should making Dave bounce off of Bro’s shoulder. “Dirk, tell Bo it’s all lies.”
Dirk wanders into the kitchen to find some caffeine waving Bro off and pleading the fifth.
“Bo, Bro, you’re big bad mama bear Bro.” Dave manages to snuggle himself under Bro’s arm. “Warm here. Snuggle me now.”
“Not sure if I could get any more snugglier, Davey.”
“Can I have some applesomething? Sauce or juice. Need apple spupl-suppli-supplemants. I’m running low. Getting dark. The light, dimming. Apples!” Dave wheezes playfully. “Neeeeeed apples!”
Bro carefully leans forward and snags the glass of apple juice off the table, and then carefully leans back, putting Dave back into his cuddle position.
“Juuuuiiiiiiiice please?” Dave begs and then purses his lips like he’s trying to draw the juice in through sheer will. Bro snorts and holds the glass close enough and gently tips it up. Dave sips at it but some it dribbles out because he can’t feel his lips. “Muuhhh.”
“You’re such a mess, baby bro.”
“C’mon gimme a break,” Dave whines. “I’m just too floating. Floaty. I’m... Bro? Am I touching the ground?”
“No, no ya ain’t. You’re a balloon, Davey.”
“Gasp!” Bro bites back a laugh as Dave literally says the word ‘gasp’. “Am I adopted? You never told me!”
“Nah, we’re all balloons. You are just the helium one.”
“It is ‘cause my butt is the best?”
“The most bubbley and balloony.”
“Does that mean I can have a cookie?”
“No cookie,” Dirk calls out from the kitchen. “Bro, don’t give him a cookie. He’ll chew on his lips.”
“I don’t have lips...” Dave mumbles to himself. “Broooooo. I’m hunger. My stomach goes rumbly. I want cookie. I’m going to starve!”
“No you aren’t.” Dirk appears over the back of the couch with a cup of applesauce. Bro knocks down Dave’s ‘gimme’ hands and takes the cup and spoon himself. Bro starts feeding him small spoonfuls of applesauce, scooping up what little falls out. When he is finally done with the cup, Bro sets it down on the coffee table and finds Dave staring at him intently.
“Can I help ya?
“Do the thing. With your face. The squishy lips face.”
Bro frowns for a moment in confusion and then pouts his lips together with apparently makes Dave beam with happiness for a moment before Dave is pulling him down for a kiss.
“Mwah!”
Bro is torn between wanting to make fun of him and wanting to cuddle the fuck out of the dork because he’s just so darn cute when he keeps looking up at him with such a dazed puffy face and goofy grin all sleep and soft.
“GAH! It’s like when ya was a cute li’l shit and just- c’mere ya dork.” He pulls Dave a bit more onto his lap, blanket cocoon and all. “Hal, will you do the thing for me. Actually both things. D needs somethin’ nice to wake up to.”
Seconds later the electronics boot up on the far wall and the widescreen blinks on to reveal two bright cheery young faces on the opposite end of a video camera that Bro is holding according the voice heard in the background narrator what the twin toddlers are doing on the playground.
I predicted that this would be appropriate for your current mood.
“It’s perfect, Hal, thanks.”
“Bro?” Dirk asks cautiously over his mug of coffee.
“Shush now. Cuddles only.”
Dirk raises his eyebrow but comes around the end of the futon to sit on Bro’s other side, leaning on him slightly. He watches the videos with a soft smile on his face. When he finishes his coffee, the three of them rearrange somewhat until Dirk’s hands find their way into Dave’s hair again and Bro has an arm around each of their waists.
“So is this one of those ‘if you ever bring this up again, I’ll beat your ass into next week and then fuck it into next month’ kind of situations?”
“Actually Dirk,” both Bro and Dirk startle a little as D’s voice comes through the speakers (apparently Hal had finished setting him up with the stream as well), “your appointment to get your wisdom teeth out is next week when Dave comes to visit me. So you just get to look forward to mama bear doing this all over again with you.”
“Great,” Dirk says dryly before sighing and just enjoying the softness of the blanket cocoon with his brothers.
The next week comes and the scheduled day starts just like it did with Dave.
“Okay, ya got everything? Sweats, shirt, sweatshirt, blankie?”
“Yes, Bro, I have everything.”
Bro glances over and catches sight of Li’l Cal with his arms slung over Dirk’s neck. “Just don’t drool or bleed on ‘im.”
“I won’t if they do their jobs right.”
“Right.”
Again it’s a quick drive over to the clinic. Dirk drags his feet a little more than Dave did but again they are immediately taken into the back. It’s nearly the same spiel, almost word for word, as the nurse explains the procedure.
“You’ll make sure that I definitely won’t wake up in the middle of it?”
“We will definitely make sure. Our anesthesiologist will be monitoring you the entire time. Nothing like that will happen.”
The news helps Dirk relax a little but Bro can still see the tension in the hand that is holding onto one of Cal’s legs.
After no more questions they get him arranged and kick Bro out again. Bro knows the drill and heads to the waiting room to play on his phone. He chats up his little sister again after getting personal high scores in all of the games. She promptly informs him that his scores are piddly compared to hers and sends him screenshots of the proof. He grumps at her and goes to rectify the situation but can only improve his scores by a little bit despite the number of repetitions. Roxy just sends her laughs via text which ignores.
But in his distraction he doesn’t pay attention to the time until his stomach growls from lack of food. When he checks the time he realizes that it’s been a much longer period than Dave’s turn took. Concerned he goes up to the nurse’s desk.
“Hey, somethin’ goin’ on with my li’l bro?”
“That would be Strider... Dirk, right?”
“Yeah. He’s been in there a while.”
“Let me go check.” Bro bites the inside of his cheek as she disappears down the hall. She returns moments later. “One of his wisdom teeth cracked while they were extracting it and so it’s taken a little while longer. They are putting in the last of the stitches now.”
“So it ain’t just my imagination. Will he be okay?”
“Oh yes, since they got everything out, everything will heal up nicely. He might just be a bit more disoriented upon waking up since we had to keep him under for longer.”
“Right,” Bro nods. He knows Dirk’s not going to like that. But at least it wasn’t something too terrible. He wanders back to his seat but doesn’t sit for long before the nurse is calling for him to come around to the back.
It’s a lot different when Bro comes into the room this time. His little brother has wrapped himself around Cal like Dave had been around Bro’s polo but instead of a serene sleepy look, Dirk is glaring out at the nurses with red puffy eyes as a tear slips down his cheek and onto Cal’s hat.
Bro’s down on his knees next to Dirk in a flash. “Hey, hey, you okay?”
The glare shifts to Bro’s face and relaxes a little bit but not as much as Bro likes.
“Are you hurt?”
Dirk nods a little but then shakes his head.
“Okay, so you’re sore but that’s not the issue. Dizzy?”
Again a tiny nod.
“You didn’t wake up in the middle, did you?”
A negative shake of his head. Bro lets out a soft sigh.
“Do you want to sit up?”
That’s when the glare comes back hard. But it’s not really directed at Bro. It seems to be directed internally. Then he twitches like he’s trying to move, trying to push himself up but can’t. He lets out a groan of frustration and another tear rolls down his cheek. Then everything clicks in Bro’s head.
“Oh, Dirk, shhh, it’s going to be alright. It’s just the meds wearing off. You’re okay. You’re alright. Just relax. I got you. I got you.” He gently strokes Dirk’s hair as Dirk whimpers lightly.
“Mister Strider?”
“D’ya hear that, Dirk? Them callin’ me mister like I’m an old guy,” Bro stage whispers to Dirk. “Yeah, he’s fine. He just doesn’t like the drugs. He’ll be right as rain soon.”
“Alright. Will you want the wheelchair this time?”
“What d’ya say, Dirk? Wheels or Bro arms? Nod if ya want to be the prince swept off his feet.”
Dirk nods.
“Are ya ready to go now?”
Dirk shakes his head.
“Hey nurse, mind if we take a few minutes?”
“Not at all. Please only go when you are ready.”
“Thanks.” Bro turns and settles his ass on the floor and stretches out his legs that were threatening to cramp up in his squatting position. He keeps one hand on Dirk, gently brushing through his hair. He listens as Dirk takes several deep breaths to calm himself, trying to relax as Bro suggested.
A couple of minutes later, Dirk shifts a little, testing his muscles and control.
“Hey, kid, you’re okay.”
“I know.”
“There are some words. Good. It’s always kinda odd when we find someway to shut up a Strider.”
“I’m okay.” His voice is rough and his mouth is full of gauze but he talks slow enough for Bro to parse out the words. “The last thing I remember before going under was them talking about an annoying song on the radio. Then I woke up with the song stuck in my head. My eyes weren’t seeing right either and I realized they were still closed.”
“Dontcha just hate bad songs.”
“So I think to myself, and I quote, ‘it’s okay, my corpus callosum is just having to catch up.’”
“Wow, you’re such a nerd. It’s adorable.”
Dirk shifts on the cot and Bro realizes he’s stretching his legs, feeling out his level of control.
“Are we getting the teeth back?”
“We didn’t get Dave’s. But then again, he was too loopy to ask for them. D’ya wants yours?”
“I kinda just want to see them. But you don’t have to.”
“Ya sure?”
“Yeah.” Then in an even softer voice that Bro isn’t sure he’s meant to hear, “Don’t go.”
“Whatever ya say, li’l bro. Ready to go yet?”
“Yeah. Take me home, Alfred.”
Bro rolls his eyes at the nickname but pushes up to his feet. He leans over and scoops Dirk up into his arms. Dirk reaches up and clings to Bro as tightly as he can, closing his eyes against the rocking steps.
The car ride home happens with little fanfare as Dirk just curls up his seat, flexing his fingers against Cal’s soft body. The blanket nest is waiting for him on the futon already and once Bro puts him down, he wraps himself up, batting away Bro’s hand when he tries to help. Bro brings over all of the medicine, drinks, and fresh gauze he can to the coffee table and makes sure that the remote control is close to Dirk’s hand. Then he hovers awkwardly to the side as Dirk is still glowering a bit at his mental state and physical limitations.
“Go work on your projects. I’m fine, Bro.”
“Ya sure?”
“Yes. I want you to work,” Dirk pointedly states, knowing that Bro will try to mother him if he doesn’t otherwise explicitly state. “I’ll let you know when I need something.”
Bro sighs and rolls his shoulders as he turns to his work desk. He does have some easy projects that won’t take much concentration to work on. Dirk picks up the remote control and flips through the channels until he finds a decent anime marathon playing.
Silence floats over the sounds of the anime until Dirk finally speaks up. Bro immediately turns his head in attention.
“I can feel the swelling and the semi-bruise on the left side of my face. Not fish.”
“What’s not a fish?”
“But I only feel my lower lip when fucking with my tongue.”
“Hey, no tongue fucking. That’s my thing.”
“I can only feel my chin when I touch it. Now I understand what Dave was talking about.”
“D’ya want some ice for your jaw?”
“Yes.”
Bro goes to the freezer and pulls out an ice pack built into a sling meant to hold it in place along one’s jaw around one’s head. They ended up picking it up after Dave’s initial snugglefest because the bags of ice were either getting too cold against Dave’s skin or falling off at the slightest movement. This invention solved both problems at the same time. Dirk holds it in place along his jaw as Bro velcros the ends together on the top of Dirk’s head, taking care not to catch any of his hair.
“Thanks, Bro. I’m haps. Hoppy. Happy,” Dirk tells him. “It hurts to smile but look, I figured out a way a lot time ago to make my dimples show without smiling so I can show you I’m happy without smiling.”
Sure enough when Bro looks over, Dirk’s dimples are showing on his cheeks while his lips are still mostly flat. “Oh my fuck, that’s cute.”
“Go back to work.”
“Yessir.”
There is another long bout of silence. Then,
“Ice pack. Soooo much better. Much love. Very happy. Such relief. I’m bad at this meme.”
“Dirk,” Bro looks over his shoulder. “Go to sleep.”
“Wait. Shit. Wait before I go. The numbing agent is going away. The skin touching air feels like a slow progression of nothingness to a sense of normalcy but skin touching skin or touching ice pack feel like there’s this scintillating sensation of sparks under the skin. Touching my lip is a cautious burn. Like something serpentine shaped is curled beneath my lip and when I press it, it moves around and exposes the warmth it left behi...”
Bro looks over again when Dirk trails off to silence and sees Dirk’s head tucked against a ball of blankets. He’s fast asleep.
“That was an impressive vocabulary for someone who is drugged.”
Very.
A couple hours later Bro nudges Dirk awake to give him the antibiotics. He gets a glare that would make a lesser man cringe and even then Bro is issuing small apologies as he holds out the appropriate pills and glass of water.
“I don’t want them.”
“Dirk, ya hafta take them or you’ll get sick.”
“They’re going to make me feel weird. I don’t want them.”
“No, they are going to make you feel better.”
“No.”
“Dirk.”
“No.”
“I’m not really asking you. I am telling you.”
“No. Bro. No” DIrk’s once again on the verge of tears.
Bro cups the side of Dirk’s face. “I know, kid, I know. But ya gotta. I promise it won’t make ya feel too bad. You can handle it. Ya ain’t doin’ nothin’ but sittin’ on your ass and havin’ every whim catered to. I swear these ain’t the really gnarly ones.”
Dirk pouts but Bro doesn’t sway. Eventually Dirk gives in and takes the pills from Bro’s hands. He swallows them down and returns to unhappily pouting at Bro.
“Yeah, yeah.” Bro leans in and kisses him on the forehead. “Want a milkshake?”
Dirk nods.
“Cool, then I’ll get you one after we replace your gauze.” He grabs the packet but Dirk snatches it out of his hand.
“No. I’ll do that.”
“Ya sure? Rollin’ gauze is hard.”
“You’ll make it too big.” He opens the package and starts rolling the white padding ‘properly’. “Too big and biting down is bad. Stretches the jaw and it hurts. Too small and it can go too far back and you know my gag reflex.”
“Ya sensitive babbu.”
“I’m glad I’m not loopy. Dave was a true mess.”
Bro wisely keeps his mouth shut as he goes to make the milkshake he promised.