"Shhh... This is nothing." There was a minor amount of redness left behind. There were plenty of times when Dick didn't use the proper spirit gum remover that he was supposed to when taking off the mask. One day, they would fashion them so they didn't need to stick the masks to their faces with glue. The technology would come. "I'm far more worried about you. This doesn't require stitches." He tried to make it light-hearted, stowing away his gear carefully in Tim's closet. It was nice that there was room for his things in there.
"Right." Dick agreed and kissed his cheek. They never hurt themselves. They could be bleeding through the stitches and bandages, and it still didn't count as hurt. It would take one of them dying or losing a limb for them to consider it an actual wound. Hard headed to the end of time, and afraid of nothing. Fear was the ultimate enemy; Dick had been trained. Seeing the stitches helped. It soothed Dick's worries. He noted that Tim did do a number on himself, but he'd taken good care of it in the same way that Dick would have.
Running his fingers along Tim's back, Dick tipped his head. "You need to get clean. You smell like the streets. We can put a small bit of water in the bath, and I can wash you off with that. That way, you won't get your wound wet, and you can have a small amount of warmth and me taking care of you. That is if you think you can get to the bath?" There was never any need to ask Dick for things that came so naturally to him. It was his pleasure to take care of Tim. He cared for him so deeply and would do it no matter what. This is what being a boyfriend is all about.
It sounded like heaven, getting to be spoiled enough to have Dick wash him down while still being smart about the stitches. He had to be extra careful about things with his spleen gone, but at least he was taking the time to do so. Being with Dick had made him a lot more likely to take care of himself, because he knew someone out there cared about him so much. Obviously he hadn't intended to get hurt, but it was unfortunately part of the job.
"Yeah." The younger man croaked, his cheeks a little red. "I can get into the tub if you don't mind helping me wash up." It hurt, mostly because Tim really preferred not to have to use narcotics if he could help it. They messed with his mind and his stomach, and while the pain relief was nice, he had also been through much worse than this and knew he could take it without drugging himself too much.
Tim led Dick over to the bathroom, turning the taps so the water could run until it was warm. In the meantime, he leaned against the sink counter and gazed up at him. "I appreciate you taking such good care of me." The younger of the two offered him a boyish, affectionate smile. He wanted Dick to know how much he valued what the two of them had together, how easy it felt just being with him.
Having been through enough wounds of his own, Dick knew how nice it was to have someone there to run a washcloth over his back to clean the grime of battle off of him. He didn't always get it. There were too many times he'd end up in the shower with a bottle of something and blood and water pouring over him until he felt clean enough to stitch himself up and crawl into bed so he could pass out.
No one quite compared to this, however. This felt different. He understood Tim's pain and knew exactly what it would be like. He got how Tim was trying to avoid painkillers. If he'd been at home, he'd have given the younger male two acetaminophen and two IB 800s. There are no weird side effects, and they pretty much get rid of as much pain as a low-dose narcotic would. He learned that trick once in the hospital. A lovely nurse had taken pity on him when he refused the opioids.
Running his fingers along Tim's spine, Dick kissed his lover's shoulder. This was a labor of love, he thought. It was a way he could put into action how he felt about the other that wasn't only about sex. "Hop on in. It looks like the water is just high enough. I'll get the gel from the shower, and we can scrub you down. Get all this grime off you."
Once Tim was in the bath, Dick knelt beside it. He'd be in the tub with him any other time, but this would be the one exception. Leaning in, Dick nuzzled a kiss or two against Tim's neck. "I'm happy to take care of you. I'm not only your boyfriend and dominant, but I care about you so much." Dick's heart thundered at a whole new level when he said the words. It was hard to explain exactly how quickly Tim had moved into his heart. Squeezing gel into a sponge, Dick began to work in circles at the cleaner parts of Tim's body, down to the more dirty ones, carefully avoiding anywhere they'd bandaged up.
"This isn't too bad; I think I like giving you sponge baths."
The water was warm and it felt good to have Dick's hands move along his body. Especially the kissing and nuzzling--it brought him a comfort he didn't get to indulge himself in very often. Tim let himself close his eyes and relax into it, more than happy to be pampered after a rough night. "I care about you a lot too." The younger of the two hummed in response, just because he felt like it was important that Dick know. Each time, it got easier to share his feelings with his boyfriend.
A contented little sigh left him as the grime was washed off of his skin. Dick was right, this was a lot better than going to bed filthy or risking an infection by showering too soon after stitching himself up. Besides, intimate time with his partner (whether it was sexual or not) was something he'd quickly grown to cherish above all else. It was almost silly, how hard he'd fallen for Dick the moment he'd found out his fantasies about them being together could become a reality.
"I appreciate you taking care of me." His eyelashes fluttered as he gazed up at him, looking much more vulnerable than he usually allowed himself to. "I'm really lucky that I have you."
All the words that Dick always had trouble saying, the ones he'd had to practice over time and learn to push through his lips with his family, came out quickly when he was with Tim. Dick wasn't sure if it was the time he'd given himself to be alone and learn about himself, the time he'd learned to change-- or if it was simply because it was Tim. Perhaps it was a cross between the two.
Hearing Tim say that he cared about Dick in the same way had the smile on his face widening. It glowed and sparkled in the bathroom's light, lighting up from within to represent the warmth that radiated with each contraction of his heart. This particular time spent together, with Dick on his knees, showing Tim precisely what he meant to him outside of sex, was the easiest way to speak the words he had to say.
More kisses rained down on Tim's shoulders and his arms across each and every bruise where they blossomed and grew as Dick continued to sponge his lover down. "It's my pleasure to take care of you and clean you like this. I only wish I could have done more, been out there with you to take some of the beating." Dick meant every word of that too. He knew it wasn't how their world worked, but they could work more often as a team.
"Maybe next time, we can get out there together and work more often back to back, splitting the wounds in half." He smiled softly. "There, I think you're about as clean as you're going to get. Do you want to relax some, or are you ready to crawl into bed with me?"
It was such a sweet offer, to take some of Tim's pain away. He knew that the older man would do whatever it took to keep him safe, including put himself in danger. The thing was, he didn't want Dick in any more danger than necessary, either. It would hurt him just as badly to see him hurt. Still, if he tried to argue that he was sure not to get very far. Dick had been protective before they got together, it had only doubled since.
Instead of worrying about all of that, he relaxed back and enjoyed the sensation of feeling fully clean again. It wasn't easy work, but Tim felt so much better without all of the city's grime coating his skin. "I think I'm ready to curl into bed with you." The younger of the two hummed, leaning up so he could press a sweet little kiss to Dick's lips as a thank you.
It took some help, but he was able to ease himself out of the tub and carefully dry off while leaving his stitches alone. Tim leaned on Dick while he stood, murmuring softly how much he appreciated the assistance he was given. Clothes seemed like more of a hassle than anything else, so he opted not to throw any on. Laziness tended to win out when he was exhausted and beat up.
"I'll get in bed and wait for you while you shower." The shorter vigilante pressed another kiss to Dick's soft lips, then padded over to his bed. Because he was a spoiled little thing, it was nice and big. Plenty of room for both of them. Though, knowing Tim, he would still attach to the older man like his life depended on it. Some people were surprised to find out he was such a cuddler, but he figured it was because of the neglect he went through as a child. He just wanted to feel safe and like someone was there with him.
Helping Tim out of the tub, Dick knew he had to wash off, but a more significant part of him wanted to follow the other directly under the covers. It hurt physically somehow to let go of him. The small kisses here and there helped ease the pain of letting his wounded partner go. He saw Tim getting under the bedsheets and made sure that he had all the pillows he needed to be extra comfortable. Kissing over shoulders, neck, and finally lips once more, Dick moved back to the bathroom to wash himself off.
He made sure that he stood in the bedroom before shedding his clothes. It was the least he could do for Tim-- fuck, he cared for him so much. He didn't know if Tim liked watching him undress as much as Dick liked watching Tim disrobe, but it was always such a pleasure to Dick that he wanted to offer the same, just in case. Stretching, Dick moved back into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
It was lonely in there by himself. It was strange how quickly he'd gotten used to showering with Tim. They'd been doing most things together when they shared space, which was a lot of the time lately. At least he got to use Tim's soap and shampoo. Dick smiled as he washed himself down and ended up smelling like the younger male. When he was finally clean, he dried off and padded back into the bedroom.
"It was very boring in there without you, and I didn't have anyone to wash my back." Dick made a fake sad face but then smiled right after. He knelt on the side of the bed. There was no reason for clothes if Tim wasn't wearing any. It would feel better when their bodies curled up close. Dick had never thought that they would sleep apart. It was always in his nature, instinct, whatever, to curl up close to the person he cared for in bed, especially Tim. He wanted to feel as much skin, to hold him as close as he could as they slept, keeping watch over his dreams as they wandered off to sleep.
Although, first, he had to kiss his forehead, nose, and lip while sliding his arms carefully around the other. "I think this is one of my favorite parts of the day, crawling in bed with you, being this close. "
no subject
"Right." Dick agreed and kissed his cheek. They never hurt themselves. They could be bleeding through the stitches and bandages, and it still didn't count as hurt. It would take one of them dying or losing a limb for them to consider it an actual wound. Hard headed to the end of time, and afraid of nothing. Fear was the ultimate enemy; Dick had been trained. Seeing the stitches helped. It soothed Dick's worries. He noted that Tim did do a number on himself, but he'd taken good care of it in the same way that Dick would have.
Running his fingers along Tim's back, Dick tipped his head. "You need to get clean. You smell like the streets. We can put a small bit of water in the bath, and I can wash you off with that. That way, you won't get your wound wet, and you can have a small amount of warmth and me taking care of you. That is if you think you can get to the bath?" There was never any need to ask Dick for things that came so naturally to him. It was his pleasure to take care of Tim. He cared for him so deeply and would do it no matter what. This is what being a boyfriend is all about.
no subject
"Yeah." The younger man croaked, his cheeks a little red. "I can get into the tub if you don't mind helping me wash up." It hurt, mostly because Tim really preferred not to have to use narcotics if he could help it. They messed with his mind and his stomach, and while the pain relief was nice, he had also been through much worse than this and knew he could take it without drugging himself too much.
Tim led Dick over to the bathroom, turning the taps so the water could run until it was warm. In the meantime, he leaned against the sink counter and gazed up at him. "I appreciate you taking such good care of me." The younger of the two offered him a boyish, affectionate smile. He wanted Dick to know how much he valued what the two of them had together, how easy it felt just being with him.
no subject
No one quite compared to this, however. This felt different. He understood Tim's pain and knew exactly what it would be like. He got how Tim was trying to avoid painkillers. If he'd been at home, he'd have given the younger male two acetaminophen and two IB 800s. There are no weird side effects, and they pretty much get rid of as much pain as a low-dose narcotic would. He learned that trick once in the hospital. A lovely nurse had taken pity on him when he refused the opioids.
Running his fingers along Tim's spine, Dick kissed his lover's shoulder. This was a labor of love, he thought. It was a way he could put into action how he felt about the other that wasn't only about sex. "Hop on in. It looks like the water is just high enough. I'll get the gel from the shower, and we can scrub you down. Get all this grime off you."
Once Tim was in the bath, Dick knelt beside it. He'd be in the tub with him any other time, but this would be the one exception. Leaning in, Dick nuzzled a kiss or two against Tim's neck. "I'm happy to take care of you. I'm not only your boyfriend and dominant, but I care about you so much." Dick's heart thundered at a whole new level when he said the words. It was hard to explain exactly how quickly Tim had moved into his heart. Squeezing gel into a sponge, Dick began to work in circles at the cleaner parts of Tim's body, down to the more dirty ones, carefully avoiding anywhere they'd bandaged up.
"This isn't too bad; I think I like giving you sponge baths."
no subject
A contented little sigh left him as the grime was washed off of his skin. Dick was right, this was a lot better than going to bed filthy or risking an infection by showering too soon after stitching himself up. Besides, intimate time with his partner (whether it was sexual or not) was something he'd quickly grown to cherish above all else. It was almost silly, how hard he'd fallen for Dick the moment he'd found out his fantasies about them being together could become a reality.
"I appreciate you taking care of me." His eyelashes fluttered as he gazed up at him, looking much more vulnerable than he usually allowed himself to. "I'm really lucky that I have you."
no subject
Hearing Tim say that he cared about Dick in the same way had the smile on his face widening. It glowed and sparkled in the bathroom's light, lighting up from within to represent the warmth that radiated with each contraction of his heart. This particular time spent together, with Dick on his knees, showing Tim precisely what he meant to him outside of sex, was the easiest way to speak the words he had to say.
More kisses rained down on Tim's shoulders and his arms across each and every bruise where they blossomed and grew as Dick continued to sponge his lover down. "It's my pleasure to take care of you and clean you like this. I only wish I could have done more, been out there with you to take some of the beating." Dick meant every word of that too. He knew it wasn't how their world worked, but they could work more often as a team.
"Maybe next time, we can get out there together and work more often back to back, splitting the wounds in half." He smiled softly. "There, I think you're about as clean as you're going to get. Do you want to relax some, or are you ready to crawl into bed with me?"
no subject
Instead of worrying about all of that, he relaxed back and enjoyed the sensation of feeling fully clean again. It wasn't easy work, but Tim felt so much better without all of the city's grime coating his skin. "I think I'm ready to curl into bed with you." The younger of the two hummed, leaning up so he could press a sweet little kiss to Dick's lips as a thank you.
It took some help, but he was able to ease himself out of the tub and carefully dry off while leaving his stitches alone. Tim leaned on Dick while he stood, murmuring softly how much he appreciated the assistance he was given. Clothes seemed like more of a hassle than anything else, so he opted not to throw any on. Laziness tended to win out when he was exhausted and beat up.
"I'll get in bed and wait for you while you shower." The shorter vigilante pressed another kiss to Dick's soft lips, then padded over to his bed. Because he was a spoiled little thing, it was nice and big. Plenty of room for both of them. Though, knowing Tim, he would still attach to the older man like his life depended on it. Some people were surprised to find out he was such a cuddler, but he figured it was because of the neglect he went through as a child. He just wanted to feel safe and like someone was there with him.
no subject
He made sure that he stood in the bedroom before shedding his clothes. It was the least he could do for Tim-- fuck, he cared for him so much. He didn't know if Tim liked watching him undress as much as Dick liked watching Tim disrobe, but it was always such a pleasure to Dick that he wanted to offer the same, just in case. Stretching, Dick moved back into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
It was lonely in there by himself. It was strange how quickly he'd gotten used to showering with Tim. They'd been doing most things together when they shared space, which was a lot of the time lately. At least he got to use Tim's soap and shampoo. Dick smiled as he washed himself down and ended up smelling like the younger male. When he was finally clean, he dried off and padded back into the bedroom.
"It was very boring in there without you, and I didn't have anyone to wash my back." Dick made a fake sad face but then smiled right after. He knelt on the side of the bed. There was no reason for clothes if Tim wasn't wearing any. It would feel better when their bodies curled up close. Dick had never thought that they would sleep apart. It was always in his nature, instinct, whatever, to curl up close to the person he cared for in bed, especially Tim. He wanted to feel as much skin, to hold him as close as he could as they slept, keeping watch over his dreams as they wandered off to sleep.
Although, first, he had to kiss his forehead, nose, and lip while sliding his arms carefully around the other. "I think this is one of my favorite parts of the day, crawling in bed with you, being this close. "