Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“- and that’s when I realised that the finger couldn’t POSSIBLY belong to the victim, because he’d been allergic to pineapple and wouldn’t have been in the canning factory anyway!”

Amanda knows Dirk is totally serious, but she can’t help but break into a peal of giggles nonetheless. A credit to his good humour, Dirk grins widely, and nudges the teacup across the table to her.

“Peppermint. I find it’s a little more palatable than the stuff you call tea over here. Not to be rude, of course, but I’m from England and really, the stuff you call tea here just can’t compare.” Aside from that, Dirk is aware that the caffeine in black tea makes Amanda just a tad anxious and at risk of an attack, but if he can avoid drawing attention to that, he will.

She takes the cup and holds it close to her chest, mainly because the warmth is comforting. There’s silence while Dirk makes his own tea, but it’s not an uncomfortable one. “So how are you finding life on the go with the Rowdies? Getting tired of breaking things yet?” The detective asks, before taking a sip and making a face. Three more lumps of sugar are stirred into the cup.

“It’s so great, Dirk! Breaking shit is just like the therapy I never got – it would have saved so much money if I’d been given a baseball bat when the attacks first started,” she jokes – it’s easier to make light of the disorder now that her Rowdies stop bouts of psychosis the second they start up. “I’m literally having the best time of my life.”

“I take it a certain Martin has something to do with that?” Dirk winks conspiratorially, ignoring his companion’s affronted expression.

“How did you know?!”

“I had a hunch,” Dirk waves a hand dismissively, and leans forward slightly. “I want to know everything. Except the naughty bits. Just the… family-friendly parts.”

Amanda laughs and rolls her eyes. “There aren’t many of those, Dirk. And I wouldn’t tell you anyway, since I know it’s all going to go straight back to Todd when you get home. I think he’d rather not know about my very, very  active sex life.” She pauses. “Are you gonna eat the rest of that cheesecake?” Before Dirk can even shake his head, a significant amount of the dessert has made its way onto her fork.

“Well, ah-“ A flustered Dirk coughs. “Stay safe and, well… use protection.”

“Thanks, dad.” Amanda laughs, and the detective chuckles a little himself. “Not to intentionally jump from sex to my brother, but, um… how’s he doing?”

There’s a pregnant pause as Dirk considers how to respond. “I… am not sure. I do still find him rather difficult to read, you know, Amanda.”

“Yeah, if he was a book, he’d be written in Russian or something.”

The detective tilts his head. “No, no, that wouldn’t be a problem, I’m fluent in enough Slavic languages to figure that out. Now a book in Gallifreyan, for instance- that would be a challenge.” Amanda seems briefly confused by the reference, but lets it slide, signaling for Dirk to go on. “Much like your brother. I just- I know that he’s hurting. Not because I’m psychic or anything-”

“-Sure-“

“-But because he looks so sad when he thinks I’m not looking, and even though Farah is paying for the medication and even though he takes it properly, he still doesn’t sleep properly at night, and honestly, it’s more than a little concerning.” Dirk frowns slightly, picking at his sleeve. After so many years of being alone, he’s unused to worrying about somebody so intensely, and the feeling of helplessness that accompanies it makes him uncomfortable. “I just can’t see a way to fix it – I’ve tried getting more cats, and that doesn’t work, and I even took him to the fairground – you know the one that sometimes comes around, with the big wheel and the carousel – and I picked up at least five balloons and even that didn’t stop him having nightmares and I just don’t know what to do.”

Amanda takes a bite of her cheesecake and, as a testament to life with her Rowdy 3, she doesn’t wait to swallow it before starting up. “Okay first, cats aren’t the solution to everything. Where did you even get them? Actually-“ she holds up the hand with the fork in it, crumbs of cheesecake crust falling to the table, “-I don’t want to know. Second, how do you know about Todd having nightmares? Does he keep you up?”

“Well yes, but that’s unavoidable when we’re sharing the bed. I don’t mind so much since-“

“You’re sharing a bed??” Amanda’s eyebrows have shot up, and there’s a grin growing on her face that Dirk is not totally comforted by.

“Ah. That was… potentially the wrong thing to say. But yes. We may occasionally share… other things.”

“Nice!” Amanda cheers, getting a disapproving glance from an older couple two tables away. “That’s great, Dirk. You’ll be good for him,” she grins. “Also- The nightmares, well… I think that’s kinda something we’re all getting after everything, you know? Maybe talk to him about it.” She reaches to put a hand on top of the one Dirk is resting on the table top, earning a smile. “He’s changed, I guess. He’s more honest now. That doesn’t mean I’m not still mad with him, but you know.”

Dirk nods. “Yes. He is certainly more honest. And Amanda…”

“Mm?”

“He really is sorry, you know. I completely understand your anger, and it is really is justified. But Todd is sorry. And I think he’d like to make it up to you, at some point. When you’re ready.”

“Did he tell you to say that?” Amanda quirks an eyebrow, and tries to pretend like Dirk can’t see she’s already thawing where Todd is concerned.

Dirk smiles and shakes his head. “No. Though I know my grasp of social convention suggests otherwise.” They both laugh at that. “But I do mean it. Perhaps… next time we have a tea date, you could come to the flat? It would really make his day, you know. He misses you. And I know you miss him too.”

“Yeah? How’d you know that, psychic boy?” Amanda asks, knowing she’s been beaten.

Dirk can barely hide his delight at being right – though logically, he knows he should be used to it by now. “I had a hunch.”

Chapter Text

The day Amanda comes to visit – the day Todd tries to make amends – is the Wednesday after Dirk talks her into it. He has written out what he wants to say, and is learning it like he would a presentation. He puts on his best jumper – not that it will make a massive difference – and heads to the lounge, and is a little perturbed to find Dirk sitting in the center of the floor, surrounded by bubble-wrapped plates, mugs, and a venus flytrap.

Todd gives a resigned sigh. He knows he has to ask. “What are you doing?”

“Todd! You’re up!” Dirk beams. “I’m insuring. You’re aware that Amanda is bringing her… friends to the flat today?”

He quirks an eyebrow. “No. Which ones, the angry four?”

“Rowdy 3, Todd. And yes, those ones.” Dirk continues wrapping bubble-wrap around things he considers valuable – he’s briefly considered taping some to Todd, but thinks the smaller man won’t be best pleased if he tried. “Is that alright? I can call to ask her not to, but I don’t think she’ll come on her own…”

Said smaller man drops a kiss to the top of Dirk’s head – much easier to reach when the other man is on the floor, he’s found – and sits next to him with a heavy sigh. “No, it’s fine. I just can’t afford to buy new stuff again.”

“Well, that’s why I’ve got the bubble-wrap, silly,” Dirk grins. “And I’m sure they’ll be on their best-“

There is a howl from outside, and a smash as a brick finds its way through their window.

Dirk cuts himself off, and Todd groans. “You were saying?”

It’s quite a site to see the Rowdy 3 crammed into Todd’s tiny flat. Cross, Gripps, and Vogel have seated themselves on the couch – it’s a three-seater, technically, but they are not small men, and it is not a large suite. Martin takes the armchair across from them, and for a brief, horrific moment, Todd thinks Amanda is going to sit on his lap, but instead she flashes the boys a grin and heads to the kitchen with Dirk.

This leaves Todd alone with the men who destroyed his apartment in less than ten minutes, and he’s more than a little apprehensive.

“Uh. Hi,” he directs it to Martin, but nods to the others too. “Thanks for, uh, coming.”

“We ain’t here for you,” Martin grunts, and the younger one – Vogel – starts to laugh almost maniacally.

Todd startles at the laughter, but nods slowly. “I know. I- I’m glad you’re here at all. Otherwise, Amanda wouldn’t be.”

“Damn straight,” Gripps mutters darkly. Todd turns to look at him, and is surprised to see the neon pink polish coating the man’s nails. It suits him, in a strange sort of way. “You best not upset her no more. She’s our girl now.”

Again, Todd nods respectfully. “I know. I know I don’t deserve her, and I don’t deserve the chance to redeem myself but- I need her to know I’m sorry. Because I really am.”

“Not us you needta convince.” This is from Cross, who shrugs a shoulder and kicks out his legs to rest them on the broken coffee table. “She-“ he inclines his head towards the kitchen “-ain’t gonna forgive you easy.”

This causes Todd’s stomach to clench a little. He knows, deep down, that it’s going to take more than a cup of fancy tea and polite conversation with her destructive friends to win Amanda around, but he prefers not to face it. He wants to get back to being close as soon as he can.

It’s then that Amanda and Dirk re-enter the living room, and Dirk is talking at length about the nuances of caring for a kitten that’s actually a shark.

“The secret is to keep a lot of catnip around the place,” he beams proudly – Todd remembers when Dirk had come up with that one all on his own. “It keeps her calm so she doesn’t flip out.”

“Genius.” Amanda laughs, passing a delicate cup and saucer from the tray to Gripps, who gives a massive grin and sips it elegantly.

“Peppermint,” he nods approvingly, and sets the saucer down with great care. Vogel and Cross are apparently not tea fans, and have a beer each. Martin has nothing but a cigarette, which he smokes from the armchair, watching Todd the whole time.

Amanda pauses for a second, before dropping to sit cross-legged on the floor, back against Martin’s legs, where he rests a hand gently on her hair. Todd forces himself to look away, meeting Dirk’s eyes, who gives him an encouraging smile, and pats the dining chair next to him.

Todd makes his way to the seat, where Dirk slips an arm around his waist to rest just above his hip. He doesn’t miss the slight smile that crosses Amanda’s face as she notices.

The room is silent, and there is an undeniably tense atmosphere. Figuring it should be him to get the conversation flowing, Todd takes a breath. “So, um. I don’t think we’ve properly met. It would be nice to get to know the guys my sister loves so much.”

That wins him a few murmurs of approval. There’s a slight pause, before Vogel grins almost aggressively, and leans toward Todd.

“So where’s this badass shark-cat, then? I wanna take it with us.”

After introducing Vivienne to the group, the conversation seems to flow a little more smoothly. The kitten ends up curled in Cross’ lap, where Vogel keeps petting her gently and occasionally glancing wistfully in hope of a shark appearance.

When they get up to leave, Gripps, Cross, and Vogel head out to the van with one, loud crash. They holler and whoop as they go, and Todd winces at the smashing sounds from the hallway. Amanda and Martin, meanwhile, hang back. Martin leans against the doorway, twirling a cigarette in his fingers as he watches Amanda with the briefest of smiles.

“Look,” Amanda is talking directly to Todd for the first time in months. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I know and-“

“No, shut up.” Todd does so. “I’m still mad. But I’m willing to give you another chance, yeah? You’re my brother, and I love you. You’ve fucked up – like really fucked up – but I know you’re sorry. So we can take it from here. At my pace.”

The relief rushes through Todd at such force he almost cries. All he can do is offer a wobbly smile and a whispered “Thanks”.

“Don’t thank me,” Amanda shrugs. “Thank Martin. He says you’re one of the good ones.” The aforementioned Rowdy stops twirling his cigarette, and moves his gaze to the wall. “I’ll text you,” she says, with a brief hint of a grin. “See you, Dirk.”

Dirk smiles from the arm of the sofa, and waves with the hand not holding his tea. “Bye, Amanda. Goodbye, Martin.”

Martin grunts, but he half-smiles back. “See ya, Icarus. You too, Toad.”

“That’s not my-“ Amanda shoots him a warning glance. “Bye, Martin. Thanks.”

As the final Rowdies leave their apartment, Dirk places down his tea, and carefully slips his arms around Todd’s waist, chin resting on his shoulder. “That was… intense. But nice. I think.” He loosens his hold just slightly, hands resting atop Todd’s stomach lightly. “Are you alright?”

Todd half-shrugs, and turns in Dirk’s arms to press his face against his boyfriend’s neck. “Yeah, I’m good.” He presses a soft kiss to the skin there, and smiles at Dirk’s resulting shiver. “I feel like… like maybe I can fix this.”

Dirk pulls back a little to look the shorter man in the eye, that gentle smile unrelenting. “Of course you can, Todd. I’ve just got a good feeling about it.”

And for the first time in a long time, Todd thinks he might, too.