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Dirk lay on the couch feeling more than a bit sorry for himself. His head pounded and his skin felt like it was on fire. Not his whole skin, of course; just the unfortunately exposed band along the back and sides of his neck, and the tops of his ears, and his nose, and the little v at the base of his neck that was exposed when he lost his tie and unbuttoned that top button.
“Here,” Todd sat at the end of the couch near Dirk’s feet, handing him a glass of cool water and some painkillers. “It should help the headache. I told you to drink more water.”
“Yes, I remember,” Dirk said sheepishly. He finally decided to take off the novelty character ears that were pinching his already sore head. He lay the headband reverentially on the coffee table before eating the little pills and drinking some water at last. Dirk unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and removed it entirely, leaving him in his singlet and long pants on the couch.
“I hope it was worth it.” Todd tried not to be too smug about the outcome of the day as he lifted Dirk’s feet onto his lap.
Dirk smiled hugely. He felt like his head might crack open. “Of course it was!” He nestled closer to Todd on the old couch, wrapping his lanky arms around Todd’s torso and tucking his slightly sunburned face into the perfect little spot between Todd’s shoulder and neck. “It was a magical, magical day.”
“Your nose is bright red.”
“Magical.” Dirk insisted with a happy sigh. “Did you see me on the rollercoaster?” He glanced up to grin. “Did you see me and Amanda on the tea cup ride?”
Todd laughed. “You nearly hurled.”
“Yes, well,” Dirk shrugged, “Amanda is quite energetic.”
“I blame the Rowdy Three.”
Dirk shuddered. “I’m glad they were banned from the fair.”
“It was bad enough when they came to pick her up.” Todd closed his eyes, remembering the sound of the van screeching to a halt in the car park and the way it frightened families and children. Amanda had climbed in, her arms full of food and toys, and hadn’t looked back. Martin, on the other hand, had absolutely leered out of the driver’s side window and flicked a cigarette butt at them.
“Todd?”
“Yes?”
“Why does my skin hurt so much?” Todd put his arm around Dirk’s shoulders, carefully avoiding the angry red burn across his neck. “You got sunburned. You’re too pale to be out in the sun all day without sunblock.”
“When will it stop?”
“The painkillers should help. Hold on, I’ll see if I’ve got anything in the bathroom.” Todd extracted himself from the spider-like hug and went searching through his bathroom cabinets, returning a moment later with a tube of sticky aloe gel. “Try this.” Todd sat back on the couch and Dirk immediately put his legs across Todd’s lap.
“But Todd,” Dirk protested, “if you put that stuff on me that means you won’t be able to kiss my neck.”
Todd raised his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t be able to anyway. Your skin is literally burned. Anything touching it is going to hurt.”
Dirk pouted and let Todd apply the gel to his tender flesh. He hissed a little at the contact. “Fine.”
With careful hands Todd applied the gel to Dirk’s nose, and ears, and the little notch of his collarbones. “That should help.”
“Thanks.” Dirk wasn’t particularly gracious. He snuggled in against Todd again. He sighed.
There was a pause before Todd spoke again. “When’s your birthday?”
Dirk froze. “What.”
“When’s your birthday? We went to the fair for Amanda’s birthday,” Todd reasoned, “so what should we do for yours? I’m guessing you’ll want something kind of extravagant so it might take me a while to plan. How much time do I have?”
Dirk abruptly got up from the couch and went into the bathroom. He closed the door and Todd heard the shower start.
With a frown, Todd went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly. “Dirk? Can I come in?”
There was no answer.
“Dirk? Please?”
The door clicked open. Todd went inside.
Steam filled the room already and Dirk was in the shower, obscured by the curtain. Todd knew he’d just be standing under the water, unseeing, unflinching, like a statue. Todd had lost count of how many times he’d found Dirk like that. Sometimes the Brit was bright red from the water being too hot for too long. Other times Dirk was cold and shaking. Most times Todd wasn’t allowed in until it was too late.
“I’m sorry.” Todd said quietly. He stayed by the door.
The water turned off. Todd grabbed a towel and started to pat Dirk dry, his movements slow and practiced.
“We don’t have to talk about it ever again.”
“I don’t remember.” Dirk said quietly. He looked down at his feet, pink from the hot water.
Todd wrapped the towel around Dirk’s narrow waist. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t remember when my birthday is.”
Of all the things Dirk had let Todd know or discover or guess about his time in Blackwing, for some reason this was the one that stung the most. Of all the things that could be done to a little boy in a lab and a cage somehow robbing him of a birthday was a special kind of vile. Todd was briefly filled with a burning rage before Dirk rested a hand on Todd’s shoulder.
“I didn’t think it bothered me until today.” Dirk continued. “Amanda had so much fun and we made the whole day about her in the best possible way. She was so happy.”
“We can pick a day to be your birthday.” Todd decided.
Dirk finally looked at him, returning to the moment. “What?”
“We can pick a day.” Todd smiled and put his hands on Dirk’s waist and up his naked back a little. “Any day you like, and it’ll be your birthday. It can be tomorrow if you want.”
“But it won’t be real.” Dirk’s voice was hollow.
“Yes it will.” Todd insisted. “It’ll be real to us, and to our friends. That’s what matters. So, pick a day.”
Dirk smiled, just a little. “I’ll think about it.” Slowly he pulled Todd in for a hug and the shorter man instinctively rested his head against the side of Dirk’s neck, his hair brushing against Dirk’s sunburn. Dirk hissed in pain.
“Sorry!” Todd moved away with an awkward smile. “You’ve just gone and washed off all the aloe gel. I’ll get you some more.”
“In a moment,” Dirk held Todd in place, but much more aware of the burnt skin on his neck this time. “Thank you.” He kissed Todd tenderly, his hands reaching up to rest on Todd’s chest.
Todd pulled back and tilted Dirk’s chin upwards to plant a soft kiss on the underneath of his jaw, one of the few unburned spots available on Dirk’s neck.
“I never did ask,” Dirk said suddenly, “do you like neck kisses?”
“I think just about everyone does,” Todd smiled.
Dirk put on his sheepish smile and slowly moved his mouth toward Todd’s neck to trace careful kisses from earlobe to shoulder. Todd closed his eyes happily and held Dirk to him as Dirk introduced a little nibbling to the kissing.
The ability that Dirk had to switch between such emotional opposites was at times a little unnerving. He’d explained to Todd that it was just how he coped; he held on to whatever flitted through his mind, good or bad, in an effort to follow the whims of the universe.
Right now the universe was telling Dirk to apply just a little pressure with his teeth along the muscle on the side of Todd’s neck. He did so and was rewarded with a happy little gasp.
Dirk pulled away thoughtfully. “I would like my birthday in the summertime I think.”
Todd took a moment to catch up, pulling his mind back from the warm and decidedly erotic direction it had been heading in. “Summer birthdays are great,” he agreed.
“Do you think we could go to California?” Dirk asked, idly stroking Todd’s chest as he mused.
“For your birthday?”
Dirk nodded.
“Sure, why not.”
At that, Dirk’s entire face lit up like sunshine. “Do you think we could go to Disneyland?”
Todd smiled in realisation. “We can absolutely go to Disneyland for your birthday.”
“I think I’d like my birthday to be the tenth of July and I’d like to go to Disneyland. Should we make some invitations?”
“Sure. We can get started tomorrow?” Todd suggested.
“Why not right now? I wouldn’t want people to accidentally make plans and miss my first official birthday.”
“Well,” Todd slowly pressed his body against Dirk’s, feeling the taller man’s growing desire through the towel, “I thought maybe you had something else in mind for right now?”
Dirk smiled playfully. He returned his mouth to Todd’s neck and was definitely glad he’d sorted out the neck-kissing situation, not to mention his first proper birthday.