burning_smile | (no subject)

Jake was pretty weird. And sometimes a lot to deal with. But right then he was happily reading an article for his archaeology class on his phone while Dirk dozed against his chest. He was warm and pleased, and a few people snickered or made comments walking by and he didn't even look up. He was taking care of the second most important person in the world to him, and people could say and think whatever they wanted.

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Jake let him sleep for something like forty minutes before he shifted a little, scritching at the base of his neck and quietly murmuring his name close to his ear.

"Dirk," he said quietly. "I have to go to class."

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Oh God this was too cute. Jake chuckled a little, nosing his way into Dirk's hairline and kissing his skin.

"Dirk, come on... I don't want to leave you here asleep."

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A bit more of a laugh, and Jake continued to trail kisses along Dirk's head.

"Diiiirk."

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Jake's face was all sorts of crinkled up in smiles. God, Dirk, you are so fucking cute he can't even. He kissed Dirk's eyebrow and lingered.

"Morning, sunshine. I need to get across campus to a class, and you should go home and get some rest. You just slept on me on the floor in the library for almost an hour."

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Jake stood with him and reached out to hold his shoulders to keep him steady.

"...Dirk," he offered a moment later, expression and tone both laced with concern. "You really aren't sleeping enough."

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Jake's eyebrows knit together slightly, and he smoothed a hand over Dirk's hairline idly.

"...if you're sure," he said. "Can I walk you to the computer lab?"

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Jake bit his tongue to keep from saying I think you do need it, but squeezed Dirk's hand all the same.

"Always," he offered instead, bumping their shoulders together.

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Jake also knew of his own mother hen complex, and he tried to tone it down because Dirk was a fiercely independent individual. But, for one there were developing feelings at work, and for two Dirk was just the sort of person Jake worried about. So leaving him in the computer lab while he went to class worried him, but he had to focus on his studies because he didn't want to smother Dirk, and he actually kind of wanted to graduate.

So when Dirk waved at him the following morning in their single shared class, he smiled and waved back, internalizing the grip of concern that held onto his insides at Dirk's worn appearance. He still wasn't sleeping. Probably hadn't much, if at all, since his nap in the library.

He spent most of their class lecture chewing on the end of his pen cap and not really paying attention, staring instead at the glass of the window pane on the open classroom door and the fact that he could see Dirk's reflection in it.

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Jake watched him put his head down and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Even if the Strider would be upset that he slept in class, Jake was just happy that for the remaining two hours of the class he'd get some kind of sleep in (long classes how do they work). He turned his attention away from the window's reflection and opted to take notes, so he could give them to Dirk when he inevitably fussed about sleeping through instruction.

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Jake put his things together and watched Dirk out of the corner of his eye as he did so, and the professor tsked at Dirk as he stayed motionless on his desk. He muttered something about lazy asses getting out of his classroom before his next lecture, and Jake stood up.

"I'll wake him," he said hastily, slinging his bag over his shoulder and scurrying over to Dirk's sleeping form. He crouched down next to him, reaching out to pull his laptop out from under him and close it.

"Dirk," he tried.

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Jake pursed his lips. He slid Dirk's laptop back into its bag and swung it over his shoulder with his own, scooting Dirk's chair back a little bit and shaking his shoulders gently.

"Dirk," he said again, a little louder. "Dirk, come on."

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He scooted closer, shifted to work his way under one of Dirk's arms.

"Dirk," he tried again still, but paused when he noticed how warm the Strider was. Good grief, that was abnormal. He shifted again and pushed at Dirk, hoping to slide him off the desk so he slumped over his shoulder. If the movement didn't wake him, he could just carry him.

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