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To Dirk’s immense annoyance it takes a while for their bright shiny new agency to get off the ground. Money is hard to come by and there’s been more than one notice from their landlord about rent being past due.
Still, Dirk knows it’ll work out, he’s got Farrah and Todd after all (and Mona, who he’s pretty sure is living in their walls but he can’t prove that yet). Farrah thinks they should switch to a system that’s not ‘vibes’ based (her words) but Dirk can’t picture any other way.
The universe provides and it does eventually pick up a little bit. Someway or other, word spreads of their ‘unusual’ agency and business starts kicking up a little more.
Which means new case day! Dirk loves new case day. When somebody in need of help stumbles into their humble agency and requires their services. This particular case involves a mysteriously shrinking town.
“Come on Todd, mystery’s not going to solve itself!”
Todd chuckles at him, at one point he would’ve been annoyed and tried anything to get out of solving a mystery but these days he actually enjoys it. He looks at Dirk now like he matters and he gives him this smile, it’s all soft around the edges.
It makes Dirk’s heart race and his face warm for some reason.
He should probably get that looked at.
But first, case!
“Do we even have a lead to start with?”
“That’s the neat part! We don’t!”
Todd mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like ‘figures’.
They’re currently staring at the shrunken town. It almost looks like a miniature village that you’d see on display, except for the fact that there's tiny people running around and screaming. No doubt panicking over their sudden state of shrunkenness. One of them runs up to Todd’s pant leg, begging him for help and Todd shakes him off gently.
“Yeah yeah, we’re working on it.”
Dirk crouches down to get a better look. “Don’t worry tiny person, we’ll fix it!”
The tiny man does not seem convinced.
“You can’t help them, it just has to run its course.” A small voice says and both Todd and Dirk turn towards it.
It’s a little girl, sitting on a swing. Around her, the rest of the playground has been shrunken but the swingset remains normal sized. Somehow, both Todd and Dirk didn’t notice her although that could be chalked up to the fact that they were very distracted by the numerous tiny people currently running around their legs.
“Hey, um, did you see what happened?” Todd asks, stepping a little closer to the girl. She looks no older than ten, her long blonde hair looks matted and dirty as well as her dress. There’s a scrape on one knee and a bruise on her eye.
It reminds Dirk of his own unhappy childhood and he feels that familiar pull. The one that says ‘this girl, this girl is important’.
The girl nods her head at Todd’s question and she looks straight at Dirk. Dirk smiles brightly at her and waves. “Hi I’m Dirk and this is Todd, we’re holistic detectives.”
The girl tilts her head. “Holistic…detectives…?”
Dirk puffs his chest out proudly. “That’s right! We’ve been hired to solve ‘the case of the shrunken townspeople’!”
“Is that the name we’re going with?” Todd asks him in amusement.
“I think it’s a good name. Straight and to the point.”
“Molly.” The girl pipes up suddenly and both Todd and Dirk turn towards her. She hunches in on herself slightly. “That’s my name, Molly.”
Todd smiles. “Nice to meet you Molly, do you know what happened?”
Molly nods her head but doesn’t offer any more information. Dirk is about to speak up when she continues. “I got mad. Bad things happen when I lose control. They’ll be normal sized eventually. I've just never…gotten this mad before.” She ends this cryptic sentence with a shrug.
Todd and him share a look. “Right. So. You did this then?” Dirk should’ve known. Those chosen by the universe always find each other after all.
Molly nods her head.
“Well that solves that case which is a little anticlimactic to be honest with you.” He pouts.
The girl's shoulders bunch up. “Sorry.” She says and Todd shoots him a look. It’s one of those looks that tells him he disappointed Todd which these days feels like the greatest sin.
“I meeeean we can still investigate!” He backpedals and Todd nods his head in approval. “Can you describe the events leading up to the great shrinkening?” He continues, ignoring Todd’s muttered ‘please never call it that’.
Molly scowls at the ground, scuffing her shoe against it. “Eric pushed me, he always pushes me. But this time he ruined my new dress. And - and he just -” She’s getting worked up again and Dirk knows something is about to happen, just like he knows that pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest word in the English language and Todd’s eyes are very pretty.
He pushes Todd out of the way before he can think about it. Todd goes with a startled yelp and suddenly Dirk’s body feels hot and tingly all over. He shuts his eyes tight and when he opens them he’s met with the sight of a stunned Todd. A stunned Todd who is noticeably bigger.
“Crap.”
—---------------------
They return to their agency, Molly in tow. They couldn’t just leave an unattended ten year old alone after all. Even if it is, according to Todd, ‘kidnapping’.
Molly assured them she would've been fine on her own and her mom was down there somewhere but Dirk didn't want to risk Blackwing coming for her. They've been remarkably efficient since Ken took over.
Since Molly outright refused to follow two men she just met for some reason they had no choice but to chase her mom down in all the chaos. They did find her, slightly frazzled and wearing a waitress uniform. Molly held her close while her mom soothed and assured her she wasn’t mad and the sight warmed Dirk’s heart.
It’s nice to know that somewhere out there, people like him can have nice families that care.
So, taking them both back to the agency for a bit until everything goes back to normal it is.
Speaking of normal.
Dirk is currently nestled inside Todd's shirt pocket and he can feel the warmth of him all around him. It's making him feel a certain way.
He's sure you shouldn't feel like this about your best friend. Although he's not even sure what he's feeling. He just knows it makes him want to do something crazy like curl up against him and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat.
He elects to ignore that in favor of observing and giving orders where needed. Farrah, after a lecture about kidnapping children and their mother (Dirk would like it to be known they came willingly mind you) is bad even if a shady government organization might be after them, takes Molly and her mother for a ‘play date’. While Todd takes a shrunken Dirk up to their shared apartment.
Their apartment lies above their agency. It's small, clearly only meant for one person plus the occasional Farrah but it functions. They have one singular bed that Dirk tries not to be weird about.
Tries.
Most days he’s successful.
Todd pulls him out once they’re in their room. He can feel the warmth of Todd’s palm underneath him. His clothes shrunk with him, thank god for that, but the effect is still dizzying.
“You know, you're kind of cute like this.” Todd teases and Dirk pouts while on the inside he's burning.
“I am not!”
Todd laughs. “Even your voice is somehow tinier.” At Dirk's glare he adds. “Relax, Molly said you should only be stuck like that for at most a day. You'll be fine.”
He looks around at their room, a frown on his face. “Maybe we should get you a doll bed or something though.”
“Don't you dare, Todd.”
“Dress you up in little outfits, have a tea party…the possibilities are endless.”
“Todd I swear to god.”
“Kidding! Kidding!” Todd says sheepishly and it's really a testament to Dirk’s endless patience that he can't stay mad at him. Not when he's looking at him with those eyes.
“We should probably get something to eat though. I’m starving.”
They settle on McDonalds, Todd cutting off a tiny portion of his burger for Dirk. After dinner they settle down to sleep.
“Maybe I should take the couch downstairs, in case I roll over and crush you.”
“Nonsense Todd, you don’t roll over that much.” It’s true, Dirk has more than once caught himself waking up in the middle of the night staring at Todd’s sleeping face and the little furrow between his brows wanting to soothe it with his fingers.
These strange wants and desires he gets around Todd are becoming a problem that he can’t possibly act on. He’s never had a best friend before, or any friends before, he doesn’t want to mess it up.
Todd places him on the blanket and lays down beside him. Dirk is so tiny that he fears getting lost in their comforter.
“I fear my new height comes with some unforeseen issues.”
“Like what?”
“Like I could get lost in the comforter and die of suffocation.”
Todd rolls his eyes. “You're not going to get lost in the comforter Dirk, how would that even happen?”
“It could happen! I could roll right under and you'd never find my body! Crushed! Like a spider! Or a particularly delicious can of soda!”
“Well then, I won't let you. How does that sound?” He ends this with the gentlest of pokes against Dirk's cheek. His finger is about the size of him but Dirk doesn't even flinch. He knows Todd would never hurt him.
Instead it leaves him feeling warm all over. He has the strangest urge to lean into Todd's warmth, maybe nuzzle against his finger like a cat.
Weird thoughts. Weird weird thoughts.
“Well, guess we should get some sleep. Goodnight Dirk.” He rolls over, back facing Dirk just stares. He tries to figure out his thoughts and feelings. He’s never been very good with that, always choosing to suppress or ignore. Denial has been a constant state of his being for so long he doesn’t really know how to just be.
Todd rolls over onto his back. He’s always been a light sleeper and sometimes the parabilitus will get him in sleep, phantom pains plaguing him even then. More than once Dirk has stayed up with him, rubbing soothing circles in his back. Comfort is not his strong suit but with Todd it feels natural.
Todd’s face in sleep is peaceful, beautiful. Sometimes he thinks maybe his feelings, whatever they are, are returned. A touch or a look here and there.
He wants to kiss him.
Wait.
Where did that thought come from?
But it is a thought that keeps playing on a loop in his head now that it’s there.
Would it be reciprocated? Or would he ruin everything?
He shuffles a little closer, the bed seems like an impossibly vast space to crawl across with his tiny body but he manages until he’s at Todd’s shoulder. He can feel the warmth just slightly and he climbs on top of him until he’s on his chest. It’ll be very embarrassing when Todd wakes up but he’s not thinking about that now, he just wants Todd’s warmth.
He lays down against his chest and falls asleep to the warmth and Todd’s steady heartbeat.
—-------------------
“...Dirk?”
He ignores the voice for nuzzling further into that pleasant warmth.
“Dirk, you’re kind of heavy.”
Heavy? That makes no sense. With his current size he shouldn’t be heavier than a feather. The statement causes him to wake up further, his mind is still in a pleasant half asleep daze but his awareness is coming back.
He’s laying on top of Todd. And he’s normal sized.
He’s suddenly very awake.
He springs up, his hands on either side of Todd’s face. Todd, who is looking at him with wide eyes and a blush on his face that he’s sure is mirrored on his own.
“Hi.” He says for some stupid reason.
“Is there a reason you’re laying on top of me or…?”
He doesn’t have a good answer other than ‘you’re warm and I really want to kiss you right now’.
“...Dirk?”
“You’re warm and I really want to kiss you right now.” He says out loud. Todd’s eyes widen.
Oh god. He said that out loud.
But it would be so easy to lean down and kiss him, wouldn’t it? His eyes flick down towards Todd’s lips and clearly Todd notices the motion as his face gets redder. There’s a tension between them that’s broken only by Todd surging up and kissing him. Their teeth clack together painfully and Dirk makes an embarrassing noise that's somewhere between a squeak and a gasp. It’s all together a bad first kiss but for Dirk who has never even had a first kiss it’s perfect.
“Let me try that again.” Todd murmurs against his lips before reaching a hand up to angle Dirk’s face. The second time goes much better than the first.
Dirk could get lost in this and he is before Todd pulls back.
“Wait, if you’re back to normal then the town…”
The realization sinks in for Dirk then. They forgot Molly, and her mom is definitely back to normal.
“Shit.”
(Farrah tied everything up nicely while they were otherwise…indisposed because of course she did. She only raises an eyebrow at their intertwined hands. Dirk has decided he’s going to be very clingy to Todd from now on that he’s allowed.)