Monsters and Ladybugs

By Kitteh and Neofox

Rating R

Warnings Violence and intense smooching

Disclaimer Smeets will eat our souls if we dare claim Invader Zim. So yeah, Jhonen can keep his smeets of DOOM! We just want to borrow Dib and Dwicky for a fic, so calm yourselves.

Summary DADR. Three years later Dwicky comes back to fix what he messed up. But the little boy he left behind is no longer the same energetic soul from before and now may just be too broken to reach.
Beta moon-glaive

Chapter 21

The apartment door opened slower than usual, but Dib either didn't seem to notice or care since his steps were just as slow. His eyes were glued to the floor as he walked straight into the living room. One hand idly messed with Skeets as it held the plush in some strange form of comfort. He hadn't said a word the whole car ride, and just stared out of the passenger side window. It seemed as if at that moment he was still giving the same treatment.

The tissue Dib still held had become bloodied up and bordered on useless. He continued to hold it in place though, not really noticing how bad it had become. Too much was on his mind to really care. When he finally stopped in the middle of the living room, he kept half-lidded eyes on his feet. Even though his eyes were staring, his mind was somewhere else completely.

"Sit." Dwicky softly spoke for the first time since the car ride. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and gently pushed the boy down; the boy was so languid, it scared him. "I'll be right back." He smoothed Dib's hair back, wishing so badly that the boy would acknowledge him, but no noise or motion was given. It was just a short walk to the bathroom; nothing would happen in those few seconds. That didn't stop Dwicky's heart from hammering in his chest as he quickly grabbed the first aid supplies and hurried back. Of course, there was no change.

Dwicky knelt in front of Dib. With shaking hands he gently pulled Dib's hand from his face to remove the tissue. Carefully, he began to clean the wound with a damp cloth; bits of tissue stuck to the wound, but he tried his hardest to be gentle in the motions. At least one side wasn't as bad as the other. "I-..I messed up." he started, his voice so shaky, but he couldn't stand the silence between them. "I didn't know he'd be there. I should have gone with you.. It was too soon. Too soon since yesterday." He paused to look at Dib's face.

Even with how gentle Dwicky tried to be, each touch still caused Dib to tense up. The man's words seemed to go in one ear and out the other considering how long Dib kept his eyes down, never once speaking a word back. His hand tightened just a bit on Skeets though, and his other free hand laid down to rest on the couch. "You know it was him, right?" The words finally came out, but Dib still refused to lift his eyes, too afraid of the answer he would get. "You saw what I saw, right?" Once again that one eye haunted his vision, and he tried to shut his eyes tightly to it.

Dwicky dug his teeth into his bottom lip, pressing them together as he set the bloody cloth aside after drying the marks as best he could. "S-saw" he went to dabbing disinfectant on the scratches "-saw what, Dib?" He tore open some large bandages, the sound so loud and offending that Dwicky cringed. Quickly, he placed it on the worst side before opening another.

Dib's eyes opened up at Dwicky's words, and even though the wounds still stung, his attention was only on Dwicky. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments before he finally looked back down and tried his best to shake his head. "Nothing, never mind." He gripped Skeets tighter after the words left him.

Dwicky felt his heart in his throat again, still and aching. When the boy looked away again, it fell past his stomach. "I'll... I'll be right back again." He brushed a few strands of hair on Dib's forehead before he turned to grab the kit. He stood and returned it to the bathroom, tossing the wrappers in the garbage. With a grunt, he yanked off his shirt and tossed it too into the bin. Washing his hands in the sink, he rubbed his face with wet cold hands, raking them through his hair. He grimaced at his reflection, tired and guilty. Quickly, he left to return to Dib, not bothering to slip on a new shirt.

Dwicky didn't speak a word as he knelt in front of Dib. He was at such a loss; all he could do was lay his head on Dib's lap, the rest of him slumping over.

Dib didn't react at first to having the other body against him. His body continued to stay only slightly tense and unmoving. After a few moments, his hand finally lifted from the couch to lay on the back of Dwicky's head. His fingers just barely made any movement through the man's hair as his hand simply rested there. "He said things." The words were almost too quiet. "He said things just like he did in the dream, and I was so afraid."

Dwicky's arms raised to slip around Dib's small waist; he found himself clinging to the small body. "I'm sorry.. It was just a dream. I didn't know he'd be there. I came as fast as I could. I-I didn't know." his voice finally broke and he buried his face against Dib's leg; he knew it wasn't helping, but he just needed a little comfort for his own.

Dib finally started to move his hand as Dwicky clung to him. His hand ran up and down the man's head while his fingers continued to play with a few strands of hair. "I scratched him." They were just three simple words, but a small noise came from him before he went on. "I saw his eye. It wasn't normal at all. It was just like I remembered it." He leaned down so that he could rest a cheek on top of Dwicky's head. His hand moved down to rest on the man's back. "If I'm not supposed to believe, then what am I supposed to think about that?"

Dwicky moved his head so he could be heard. Hhis cheek nuzzled Dib's leg. "Anything, it could have been anything. A contact lens. Pink eye. A birth defect. Everything happened so quickly. You probably hurt his eye, that's probably it." He swallowed hard and it only had him gripping at the back of Dib's shirt tighter. "But, why," His voice lost all its strength and for a moment it cracked, "Why did you hurt yourself, Dib?" It was just like when he had left Dib alone in the cell, just a moment alone with his sleeves undone; they were the same kind of self-made scratches. It made such a heavy feeling settle inside Dwicky's chest.

"Pink eye." The same excuse from that day so long ago. It caused Dib to keep silent despite the question he was asked. He blinked his eyes a few times and let his fingers trace small patterns on Dwicky's back. "I didn't know if it was real. I didn't know if it was really happening. I was able to move, so I thought maybe if I could feel, everything would be okay." A small, choked sound came from his own body. "If I did it, he would go away. If it was a nightmare, everything would go back to normal."

Dwicky let out a ragged breath and he shook his head under Dib's. "Most people just pinch themselves. Lightly." It was a weak attempt at lightening the mood, but his chuckle sounded more sad than anything. "Dib," he started out carefully, taking a small, wet sniff, "Zim isn't an alien, but he's still real. He's a person, like me, like you. A messed up person, but he's going to be out there. And you may have dreamed about him, but you have to remember what is and isn't a dream when you see him. Avoid him if you have to, but don't hurt yourself.. not like that, not to help clear your mind." He scootched closer to Dib, curling closer to the boy on the couch.

Dib seemed to listen to the words since he gave only a slow nod. After a while though, his hand, which had been moving, finally stopped and kept still. "You..." He hesitated on the word and stopped right after it left his mouth. Once more, he stayed silent until he tried again. "You really thought that when you first saw him? The very first time you saw him?" Bit by bit his words became muffled against Dwicky's hair as his own questions made him nervous. "Or, was Zim in on it too?"

Dwicky sniffled and he paused a moment to rub his nose. "I- I dunno." It was hard to think clearly, to organize his thoughts. "I.. I thought he was. I.. I dunno. I don't remember. It was awhile back." He slipped his arm back around the boy.

Dib blinked his eyes and slowly lifted his head after a few moments to look down at Dwicky. A small hurt look came over his face, but he didn't speak up. Instead, he withdrew his hand so he could clutch at Skeets more tightly and buried his face into the plush. The whole situation was starting to finally get to him, and he could finally feel tears pricking at his eyes, but he didn't dare let them show.

Dwicky raised his head from Dib's lap, even though it felt far too heavy to keep up. He drew his hand back and rubbed the side of Dib's leg, wanting to comfort. He didn't stop Dib from crying, it wasn't good to keep any of this in; it would only tear into Dib more. Dwicky swallowed hard, wanting to say something, but nothing would come out. At least nothing Dib would need to hear; nothing that would make anything better, or change anything.

Dwicky leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Dib's clutching hand. "I just want to help you." he quietly spoke. That's all he ever wanted.

Those few words finally caused the tears to fall, as hard as Dib tried to stop them. Each bit of wetness that rolled down his cheeks soaked into Skeets, causing the red to become a darker shade. "I don't know what to think." His words were stuttered, but still coherent as he spoke. "It's not real, right? Then why do these things happen?" He shut his eyes tightly, trying to make the tears go away.

"Life is tough." was all that Dwicky could come up with, spoken so softly against Dib's hand. "I wish it wasn't, but it is. I'm trying to make it more bearable. I'm trying to make things better." He pressed his lips to Dib's knuckles, one after the other. He drew his lips down to the boy's ring finger and whispered there. ".. I love you."

The three small words had Dib opening his eyes back up to look at Dwicky, even though the tears blurred his vision. The hand that was held twitched weakly. Without realizing it, a quiet sound escaped him, and he didn't try to cover it up. "I love you too..." His eyes dropped down to look at both of their hands while he couldn't help but sniffle. "Part of me still wants to believe, ya know? After seeing so much, I can't help it."

"I know." Dwicky quietly answered, nodding slowly. "I know. It's understandable, but look what it's done, and where it's gotten you." He brushed away the warm tears from the boy's cheek. "You just have to remember why they aren't real. Keep reminding yourself that, like we talked about before on the couch, okay?" He drew away from Dib so he could rise and sit with him on the chair, properly wrapping his arms around the small figure. "Can you do that?"

As soon as Dwicky was next to him, Dib immediately curled up against the taller body. He only gave a tiny nod in response to Dwicky's question as he tried his best to bury himself against the man's chest. Once he was still, he finally spoke up. "I'll try. I hate feeling like this." His eyes closed halfway as he tried his best to relax. "I don't want to worry anymore."

Dwicky drew his legs up from the floor so he could curl around the small body, giving sanctuary and comfort, snug on the end of the couch. "I know. I know." he repeated himself quietly, resting his chin atop Dib's head. "You try, and keep on trying. No one can say you haven't. It's hard, but you're doing okay." He pressed his lips together, rubbing them in silent anxiety as he stared across the room at nothing. With a loud sigh he looked down at Dib, seeing the tightly curled fists with bloody nails. This had to stop, and there was a minute solution in an ocean of many.

Dwicky took one of Dib's hands, curling his own around it as he looked at the overgrown nails with flecks of skin and blood firmly embedded under them. He raised the boy's hand to kiss the back of fingers. Pressing his lips to Dib's head he murmured there "... Can you wait another quick second?"

Dib moved his fingers as they were kissed. Not once did he move his head to look up at Dwicky as the question was asked, afraid to break away from the small bit of comfort he had for the moment. "I guess so." He clutched Skeets against him, staying silent for a couple of seconds before he corrected himself. "I mean, yeah, I can." His body seemed to tense up a bit as the next question left his mouth. "Where are you going?"

Fingers ran through Dib's hair once before a quick kiss was made. "Just quickly grabbing something from the bathroom." Dwicky unraveled himself from Dib and stood. "Just a quick second. I promise." He begrudgingly took his hands back so he could head to the bathroom again. He dug through the drawers before he found what he wanted. He returned to sit beside Dib with a new, moist cloth and nail clippers in hand. "Here. Lean against me and give me one hand."

Dib shifted around a bit so he could settle himself against Dwicky better. He looked at what the other had before relaxing completely and holding out his free hand. "They're okay. They aren't that bad." He sounded unsure of his own words as he said them, and tried to bury his face against Skeets as he went on. "You don't have to."

Dwicky rested his head on top of Dib's and took the boy's hand, cleaning the mess of skin and blood underneath each fingernail first. "You have longer nails than most of the girls I've seen. Besides," He didn't mean to trail off so worriedly. ".. this'll help. In a small way." It would protect Dib from hurting himself most of all, but Dwicky didn't voice that aloud.

Dib couldn't help but keep his eyes on his hand as it was cleaned. Some of that blood wasn't his own. Just the thought caused his eyes to widen as he went back to what he had done to Zim. As bit by bit was wiped away, he tried to relax again and let go of the death grip he had on Skeets, even though his fingers still twitched. "I just got used to how they are. I rarely see them anyway."

"This won't hurt. It's.. just a precaution. You'll be fine." Dwicky set the cloth aside. Picking up the clippers, he took Dib's thumb and clipped the nail short, as short as he could without hurting the boy. It took all that Dwicky had to keep his hand from shaking while doing it. He had to force away the worry of what he was going to tell the hospital about the new scratches on Dib's face; exactly the same as the other ones. The doctors would question it, him and his reliability, his practice; Monday was going to be Hell: in every literary form of the word. But Dwicky tried to push it all away, and concentrated on being as gentle as he could. "See? It probably feels better too." Dwicky tried to preoccupy Dib with some optimism.

At first, Dib had flinched with the clip out of reflex. Dwicky's words slowly had him calming down and leaning a bit more against the man. He wiggled the couple of fingers that had just been clipped and gave a tiny smile. "It does feel a little better." He wiggled his fingers a bit more before he turned his eyes on the nails Dwicky still had to clip. "Dwicky, are you upset with me for what happened?" The words came a few seconds later. "At all?"

Dwicky couldn't keep the frown off his face; he couldn't lie. He clipped one finger in silence, as if it needed all of his attention, but finally he spoke up. "... I am." He paused in his clipping before he spoke again, continuing on with both. "... I'm disappointed." He added quietly "With myself as well. I expected too much too soon. But at the same time, I didn't expect history to repeat itself."

Dib's gaze dropped after Dwicky spoke, and he tried his best to bury his face into Skeets as much as he could. "Oh..." His eyes narrowed a bit as he went over the last few things Dwicky said. "Repeat itself?" Dib tried to shake his head, but he really didn't even have the energy to do that. "Nothing is repeating itself."

Dwicky didn't answer right away. "...In the hospital you scratched yourself in much the same way." he spoke very quietly; he was at fault, and he wasn't proud of it. "At least since then, there have been improvements, but.. this I didn't expect to happen again." He finally finished. He ran his own fingers over Dib's before setting the boy's hand down, as well as the clippers. He began to clean the fingernails on the other hand.

As soon as his hand was let go, he returned to clutching Skeets. That time in the asylum seemed like so long ago; he had almost forgotten it happened. It was so easy to forget considering so much had happened since then. "I didn't mean to." His voice had become shaky again, but he tried his best to calm it. "I didn't know what was real. It was so hard to tell. I just wanted him to go away." He closed his eyes hoping that would calm his nerves at least a bit. "I told you that."

"I know," Dwicky quietly answered. "...I believe you." He paused to press a lingering kiss to the top of the boy's head, sighing into the dark hair. "But please, please.. don't ever do this again, Dib." He shut his eyes for a long moment before picking up the nail clippers to resume trimming Dib's nails.

Dib slowly opened his eyes up after he heard the sound of the clippers. He couldn't help watching the process while trying to keep his mind off of things, at least for the time being. It wasn't working though. One thing was nagging at him, and he had to voice it out even if he didn't get any sort of answer. "He said he would hurt whoever he wanted." He tried to muffle his words against Skeets. "Whenever he wanted."

Dwicky continued to clip away, making sure they stayed on the washcloth. He swallowed hard, and he was sure his heart pounded harder, but at least Dib wouldn't see his hyper anxiety. "Empty threats. He's just some stupid boy who wants to rile you up. He knows what to say to push your buttons. Having been away so long, I'm sure everything must have seemed ten times worse than it really was." Dwicky felt ill hearing himself speak so perfectly normal, every last word.

Dib thought over those words, and in the end, gave a small nod. "I'm afraid to see him again. Whether it's nightmares or not, I'm just afraid." He shifted around a bit so he could lay against Dwicky better while the man kept hold of his hand. "What if I never get over that fear? I can't avoid him forever, right?" He let out a harsh sigh. "Though I wish I could."

"You could move." Dwicky found his quiet laughter too forced. "But, really, you can't run from your fear. Don't smash into it head first, just realize that it is there and that life has to go on whether you feel it or not. Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it's the ability to make decisions and follow through with them while feeling it." He gave a terribly weak smile. "I know.. easier said than done." He gave a heavy-hearted sigh, rustling Dib's hair as he moved his head to place a kiss on it. "...I'm sorry.."

Once again Dib tried to shake his head as best he could. "You shouldn't be saying sorry. You've been helping me, right? I'm the one that just can't seem to do any of this." The words that came from his own mouth caused his body to slump a bit more against Dwicky. "I guess in a way that means I should be saying sorry. I told you I would try, but I saw him once and I didn't really try at all." His voice grew quieter. "I'm sorry."

Dwicky finally finished with clipping Dib's pinky, making a pleased noise at his accomplishment. He reached over, putting everything on the table beside them for the moment. He wrapped his arms around the boy, finally having his hands free. "It's alright." He took each of Dib's hands in his own and rubbed the boy's fingers. "There? How's that feel? Better? Now scratching won't be such a problem." He hoped.

Dib gazed at his hands for a long time before a tiny smile tried to come over his face. "It does feel better. Thank you." Once of his hands turned over so he could link his fingers with Dwicky's own. For a few moments he stayed silent as he tried to get his thoughts in over. Finally, he brought their hands closer, along with Skeets, and spoke up once more. "What if I really do try to face my fear, but I just continue to become scared? Does that mean I really won't get out? I'll just have this, these small visits?"

"No. No, of course not. Some fears are best left alone. People who are afraid of heights shouldn't suddenly jump out of planes, and people with fears of hippopotami shouldn't suddenly stick their head in a hippo's mouth. The only thing that matters is that you don't let the fear stop you from your progress. That's all. That's it." Dwicky gave Dib a small squeeze. "That's all there is to it. The world spins around whether we're afraid or not. It helps to put things in perspective like that."

"I guess so." Dib kept his eyes down for a bit longer. He finally tried to turn his gaze as best he could towards Dwicky. At best, he was only able to see the other out the corner of his eyes. "Have you ever been really afraid of anything? Have you ever been just as afraid as I feel right now about anything at all?" He let his eyes fall back down. "Even if it's something really small?"

Dwicky nodded against Dib's head. "Of course. Everyone has.. one time or another." He rested his brow against the boy's head. "It happens."

Dib gave a small sound and slowly closed his eyes. "What was it that scared you? Was it something you were able to forget?" He squeezed Dwicky's hand after he asked the question. "Or are still scared of it sometimes?"

Dwicky smiled sadly against Dib's hair. "There are some things, yes. I'm still scared sometimes. That's natural. But, Dib, sometimes not talking about it, not thinking about it helps. I'm not saying suppress the fear, or memory.. just.. don't think about it. There are much more important things to be doing than worrying, or fearing when it's going to happen next." He sighed softly, knowing he didn't answer Dib's question. Talking about fear helped one get over fear better, and Dib was looking for an example to go by. Dwicky knew this, but he was dreading this topic entirely and just wanted it gone. "Heh. I've had a lot of fears. I was a rather...anxious child growing up. Though," he gave a slight chuckle, "I was more anxious once I was grown up. There was this one time though, I was about oh much, much younger than you. I was afraid of the boogieman. And I mean breaking out in a sweat, hiding under the covers, praying for morning kind of afraid. I'd sneak into my parents bed to sleep," Dwicky cleared his throat and shifted his gaze away, "much to their chagrin," he added quickly. "But I realized after a while that I had to get over this fear, or grow up being 'that poor, sad, freaky kid who always wants the light on'. So what I did was completely clean out my closet and under my bed. I found more freaky things in there than boogiemen, I can tell you. Two-year-old apple cores, a collection of chewed gum that had gone fuzzy, and smelly socks. Uck." Dwicky made a face. "Once all the junk had been hauled out, giving the boogieman no place to hide, I went to bed that night and realized that the junk in my closet was the thing that gave the illusion of scary shadows and shapes, and the laundry under my bed looked like lurky lumps underneath. Of course my parents weren't the happiest that all my stuff was suddenly stored in the garage, and that I would avoid going in there at all costs-- but my problem was solved! And really, it can be as simple as just shrugging off some old junk."

Dib seemed a little grossed out by a few things Dwicky said, but by the end, his worried expression came back. "I don't know. Getting rid of junk is easy, but trying to ignore someone seems different. Especially if you've fought with that person day in and day out for what now seems like such a stupid reason, I guess." He brought their hands away from his body and held them up in front of them. "I hate to think that maybe we'll fall back into that routine just because I was so used to it."

"That's why you go to a different skool when you start. If need be, maybe your family could move to another city.. or something. Avoid the problem altogether." Dwicky rested his head down on Dib's shoulder. "I'm sure your father will understand." He wouldn't. The professor wouldn't bat an eye to the problem, not without absolute results; maybe that would be enough. But with what Gaz and that Tak did, nothing felt solvable anymore. And despite having slept well, Dwicky still felt completely exhausted and drained.

Dib dropped their hands at those two suggestions and gave a small sound. "I couldn't." He shook his head a few times before actually going on. "If I did that, then I wouldn't be able to see you again. What if I moved somewhere far away from here?" He turned his head so he could stare at Dwicky with worried eyes. "I'd rather deal with Zim."

Dwicky looked sadly back at Dib. A weak smile soon spread to his face. He drew his fingers across Dib's forehead, brushing back the dark hair that fell there. This relationship couldn't be healthy either. "... Anything to help you get better, and get out." he answered quietly.

Dib's expression grew worse and he looked back down despite the other's hand near his face. He opened his mouth a bit, but just as quickly he closed it, staying silent. The tight hold he had on Dwicky's hand loosened and instead he gripped Skeets closer.

Dwicky's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "No, Dib, I didn't mean it like that." He brushed a thumb across Dib's cheek, minding the bandage near the sides of the boy's face. "I'd do anything to help you. There's little I wouldn't do.. I'm really trying." He sighed heavily, dusting his fingers across the boy's cheek. "I want to stay with you, all the time, but.. I can't always. There's going to be times, like today, that happen when I won't be there. I'm trying, but I'm only human.. You have to try too, Dib. I know you're strong, I know you're brave, and I know you're very scared right now, but you have to do what's right for you." He went on quietly, directly taking Dib's gaze with his own "You have to be willing to do whatever it takes." His hand twined with Dib's, gripping the other's tighter.

Dib tried to blink away the tears that were blurring his vision once again. His hand that clutched Skeets let go for a small second so he could wipe away the wetness that just wouldn't go away on it's own. "I'm sorry." The words came from him again as he dropped his hand back down. He looked away despite the fact that Dwicky held his head in place. "I'm probably being a really big problem right now." He gave a tiny smile, but it was forced, so it quickly fell away. "I'll try my best not to let what happened today happen again. I promise." He looked back at Dwicky. "I really will try."

Dwicky gave a small nod, accepting the apology and agreeing, "That's all I ask." He pressed a quick kiss to Dib's lips.

The one kiss caused Dib to relax. He tried his best to smile again, managing a small twitch of lips. After a few seconds, he moved forward to press his own small kiss against Dwicky's lips, pulling back so he could speak. "Thank you for helping me." He averted his eyes as he kept speaking. "For all of this and everything." He looked back at Dwicky's eyes while raising his hand to play with the man's hair. "Even if I mess up, you still know how to help me."

Dwicky finally smiled, feeling well enough to do so between the twinges of guilt that had sewed itself into the lining of his stomach. "Thank you." He bowed his head a little, eased by the fingers that fiddled with his hair. He finally rested his head on Dib's shoulder, although not without placing a kiss on the boy's cheek first. He nuzzled Dib's shoulder, even though the worry still weighed on his shoulders. The boy was finally looking more relaxed, and that's what really mattered.

Dib continued to move his fingers slowly through Dwicky's hair. After a few seconds, he laid his head on top of the other's and let his eyes slip halfway closed. His hand fell to the back of Dwicky's neck and his fingers curled there instead. "I'll be okay. You don't have to worry." His fingers moved up and down Dwicky's neck, and after a few seconds his eyes closed the rest of the way. He tried to relax completely against the other.

Dwicky softly ran his hand up and down the side of Dib's thigh in a comforting manner. "We'll do something really nice when you get out." he spoke softly against Dib's shoulder. "Have a big party or something to celebrate here.. You can invite some new friends from skool over. Something small, but still nice. Lots of cola, lots of junk food." He smiled a little against Dib's shoulder. "Rent a movie, maybe music, keep my hands off you." He chuckled quietly as he playfully bit Dib's shirt.

The last words caused a small smile to form on Dib's face. "I like when your hands are on me." He nuzzled his face against Dwicky's hair which caused his next words to be muffled. "Otherwise, I would like all of that. It really is something to look forward to. To think that one day I actually will get out, and that I will actually have friends makes me feel better." He unclasped their hands only to squeeze them together once again. "And that I'll be able to be around you more."

"Well then, during the party sometime we'll just have to sneak off to the bedroom." Dwicky moved his head just enough to press a playful kiss to the side of Dib's neck. "Where I can keep my hands on you." He pressed another kiss again. "At all times." He ran his hand again up Dib's thigh, slipping under the hoodie and along the boy's side, giving a small tickle with fingers. "Where ever you want."

Dib tensed up at the sensation and couldn't help the tiny laugh that came from him. One eye opened back up as he stared at Dwicky. Much of the worry was gone from his face for the moment, and he seemed at least a little playful. "Anywhere I want?" His smile grew just a bit. "Do you think we would ever make it back to the party?"

"Hmm. Well, I couldn't keep the star of the party for too long, could I." Dwicky chuckled. "Maybe a small kiss here or there. Completely innocent, of course." He nipped softly at Dib's neck, tugging the boy nearer with his one free hand. "Of course, one kiss turns to two kisses turns to a whole lot of kisses when it comes to you, I've learned." Dwicky mused.

Dib let out a small sound and cuddled closer to Dwicky with no protest at all. "It's because you can't resist me, that's all." His hand moved lower along Dwicky's back and suddenly he frowned when he found he couldn't scratch like he used to. "No fair, you took away my fun."

Dwicky tried not to laugh at poor Dib's woe. "Sorry." Instead he kissed the corner of the boy's lips with a slight grin. "Guess you'll have to be creative and find something new."

Despite the kiss, Dib still pouted. After a few moments, he slowly got over it as he brought his hand back up to Dwicky's ear to play with the man's piercing. "I could always bite you." He couldn't help the playful grin that came to his own lips. "Would you rather I do that?" His expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "I have to warn you though; most people aren't too fond of it."

Dwicky pursed his lips a moment. He recalled Dib mentioning a while back that he'd bitten the hospital's orderlies for not cutting his hair just right. "Well.. you did bite me in the kitchen a few days ago." He couldn't help the lazy smirk, warmly leaning against the boy as his earring was played with. "That wasn't so bad. Really, I'll take anything you give." His grin grew wider, and he pressed a playful kiss to Dib's ear.

Dib leaned into the small kiss and the smile returned to his face. "That was just a love bite." He turned his eyes back on Dwicky. His fingers ran up the rim of the man's ear lightly before tracing right back down to move in a circle around the stud. "I could give you plenty more if you really did want them." He moved just a bit so he could lean down and nip gently at Dwicky's neck for a quick second. "Like that." He did it once again, his teeth biting just a bit harder the next time before he pulled back again to look at the other. "Or that."

Dwicky softly groaned, his head tilting lower at every small thing. "Last time you attacked my neck, you gave me a hickey." He couldn't help but laugh. "Makes a very good impression with the doctors. Had to keep my collar up, remember? Mm. Soon, I'll get you pay back for all the scratching, biting and bruising. Soon, I'll have the liberty to do the same back." Both hands slipped under Dib's shirt to run up and down skin, softly drawing with his nails, although not enough to mar. "And it will be good." His head finally thudded lightly on Dib's, unable to keep up on its own.

Dib couldn't help but grin against Dwicky's skin. "I can't wait for that time, but for now, I get to continue doing whatever I like to you." After those words were said, he let his teeth drag along the other's throat softly before licking back down. He spoke once more, "I don't have to be careful because no one is checking over you." He made his way to Dwicky's shoulder, and didn't waste any time in biting down.

Dwicky muffled his loud, throaty noise against the fabric on Dib's shoulder, biting on the hood itself. He grasped his hands higher along Dib's bare back before dragging them down and wrapping his arms around to keep the boy close. "Mmf. Lucky me." he smirked weakly.

Dib kept his mouth exactly where it was, biting down just a bit harder after Dwicky spoke. Every few seconds his tongue darted out to lick at the skin where his teeth were not. Finally, he pulled away and licked at the abused skin. His tongue jabbed the sensitive place on purpose a few times before turning gentle once again.

Dwicky's groan turned into a whimper of disappointment low in his throat. "Damnit. It sucks not being able to bite back." One hand slid around to rub up and down Dib's chest slowly. "Or scratch. I can only lick you in appropriate places." He lifted his head to find Dib's mouth, giving the boy's lips a flick of tongue before kissing him. "Which really isn't fair, I think." He kissed the boy's cheek. "But patience. You'll be out soon." He kissed Dib's jaw. "And we won't have to worry as much." He kissed the side of Dib's neck, sliding his lips down to the front of the boy's throat where he lapped at the small Adam's apple there.

The small lick to his lips caused Dib to close his eyes for a quick second until he felt lips on his cheek. After that, he kept his eyes on Dwicky for a bit before he finally spoke up, a small grin on his lips. "It's not fair, you're right." He moved his hand so that he could trace the mark he had made on the man's shoulder, being as gentle as he could, all while letting out small moans at the sudden attention given to his neck and throat. "So, does that mean you want to lick me in inappropriate places?" His grin grew just a bit wider.

Dib could feel Dwicky's own grin against his neck. "I'd get in trouble if I answered that honestly." He moved to softly kiss the soft bit of skin below Dib's ear. "So I guess I'll be as good as I can.. for now." He very gently bit the rim of the boy's ear, sucking on it with a lick here or there.

Dib let out a small humming noise and allowed his eyes to slip close once again. He tried his best to dig into skin, forgetting to be gentle in that moment. "You can't get in trouble if we're the only ones around to hear what you say." He let out another small noise as his ear was sucked. He tried his best to curl closer to the taller body.

Dwicky let go of Dib's ear and ran his tongue along the rim a few times before he pursed his lips and softly blew cool air against the wet skin. He then pressed a grin against the boy's ear, slipping arms around to hug the other once more. "Don't tempt me. Once started.. I may never want to stop." He gave a dramatic sigh. "And unfortunately, that's a bad thing."

The small bit of air caused a shiver to run through Dib's body even as he was pulled closer. It took him a moment to actually recover and finally open his eyes back up. As soon as he did, he took no time in moving his tongue out to lick across Dwicky's chest in one, quick motion before speaking up in a small voice. "It's not a bad thing at all."

"Ughnn." Dwicky's eyes fluttered shut for a moment. "Keep doing that and it will be." He grinned lazily, resting his head atop Dib's.

That response caused the playful look to return to Dib's face. Despite the warning, he let his tongue move once more across Dwicky's chest, but not quite as quickly. The motion was much slower than before, and he let his tongue travel up until he was forced to stop. That only caused him to lick right back down. He just barely sucked at skin before he finally pulled away and raised his eyes a bit to glance up at the other. "Really?"

Dwicky sucked in a sharp breath and kept it in. He kept his eyes closed and his brows furrowed; it was easy to tell he was battling some internal conflict. He was losing badly. "Hmm..mm. Y-yea." He ran his fingers through Dib's hair, and buried them there in the dark mess. "You shouldn't do that." He smirked weakly.

Dib's grin became much too wicked. "But I like doing this." Just to prove his point, he let his tongue move back out. He ran a small wet trail up once more before moving it in small circles here and there. When he tired of that, he bit lightly at the wet trails, his teeth giving small nips all the way back down to where he started. "And you like when I do it." He had pulled back once again just to speak and turned his eyes back on Dwicky.

Dwicky didn't have a witty response for Dib, not when he was trying to keep his hands in chaste places on the boy. He let out a very audible, breathy sigh; his chest heaved quite noticeably. All he did was stare back at Dib with heavily-lidded eyes. "You.." he started out with a husky note to his voice, "are very, very, very wicked, my young friend. It's not nice to tease." He frowned with disappointment at being able to do nothing.

Dib shifted just a bit so he was face to face with Dwicky, the small grin never leaving his face. "It serves you right." He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against the other's lips, but didn't pull back until after he sucked on Dwicky's bottom lip for a few seconds. "All of the teasing you did to me. It's pay back." One hand moved up just a bit so a finger could run along the wet trails he had made on Dwicky's chest.

Dwicky full on pouted, darting his tongue out a moment to lick Dib's lips when the boy kissed him. "Horrible. I'm a horrible influence then." He raised a hand to brush fingers down the boy's jaw where he firmly took the boy's chin so he could give Dib a proper kiss of affection. When he pulled back he exhaled heavily, but still smiled weakly. "Just a little longer, okay?"

Dib opened his eyes after the kiss and kept his gaze on Dwicky after the man spoke. His fingers kept their place on the other's chest as he slowly nodded his head, but after a few seconds they fell away. He couldn't help still, leaning forward to lick once more at Dwicky's lips before he took another kiss despite how shaky the situation already was.

Dwicky made a soft noise, letting the kiss linger before pulling away. He softly stroked Dib's chin with his thumb and smiled weakly once again. "We're doing alright. We're okay, and it can only get better, right?" He smiled a little more. "We'll just have to work extra hard to make up for all the setbacks we've had." He brushed his thumb across so he could cup the side of the boy's face, minding the bandages. "Okay?"

Dib leaned his head into the touch. "Okay." The word came out quiet and almost too hard to hear. He kept his face nuzzled against Dwicky's palm for a few seconds until he finally lifted his head and opened his eyes back up. His gaze moved over Dwicky's face for a bit before his eyes narrowed. Both his arms circled around the man's neck as he moved completely forward to lay against the other. Skeets was uncomfortably wedged between them, but at the moment he didn't seem to care. "I love you."

Dwicky pressed a quick kiss to the top of Dib's head. "I love you too. A lot." He leaned back against the couch with Dib draped over his front. He let his eyes shut, lethargy taking over. "It'll get better.. We still have all of tomorrow to ourselves."

Dib only gave a small nod as he easily relaxed against Dwicky. His own mind was slowly shutting down from everything that had happened and he was giving in. He made a small noise and soon that was all that came from him even as he curled just a bit more against the other.

"And if tomorrow isn't our day.. then the next day.. or the day after that.. or the day after that.. or the next day.. or the next day.. or the next day.." Dwicky's voice drifted off and he just sat there, staring out the window with Dib sleep against him. He frowned, letting his own eyes fall half shut. It looked like it was going to rain tomorrow. "... and the day after that." he finished quietly.