A/N

DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU'VE READ MY FIC 'OFF THE DEEP END' THIS TIES IN WITH THAT.

I REPEAT, THE CANON OF THIS FIC IS WEIRD DON'T READ IT UNLESS YOU'VE READ THE OTHER FIC OR YOU HAVE ZERO CARES, I CAN'T STOP YOU I'M NOT YOUR MUM BUT WHATEVER DON'T COMPLAIN IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND A FEW THINGS THEY MENTION.

I'd have written something else but this was the only idea I could get. 

If you still want to read this but haven't read 'Off The Deep End' then all you need to know is (EXTREME SPOILERS) Dick and Kaldur are in a relationship as of the end of the story, (SPOILERS) Dick discovered he was supposed to be a Talon and that his dad worked in the League of Assassins, (SPOILERS)thus had a bit of a crisis and became an assassin, (SPOILERS)discovering that his dad had a kid with Thalia Al Ghul. The events of season two include him having to be (SPOILERS)Kaldur's guard and when the Justice League inevitably wins(SPOILERS) Dick leaves the league of assassins and becomes Nightwing. there's more to it than that but whatever.

if you comment something about 'what the fuck are they talking about here?' I will very annoyed-ly point you towards this author's note, so don't be surprised if I get bitchy if you remind me of the fact that you don't read these.

anyway, continue if you wish.

What's a Whumpee Gotta Do To Get Some Sleep Around Here?

Exhaustion, narcolepsy, sleep deprivation

Dick didn't get sick very often. And when he said 'very often' he meant ever. He never got sick, his immune system was too good for that.

Or, rather, he never got sick, unless, something about his body fucked up and made him susceptible.

Dick got injured taking down a drug and human trafficking ring in Bludhaven. Several people were ill, especially the captives, and Dick's injuries left his immune system perfectly open for an attack. It did not help that he never slept, didn't eat properly, didn't stay hydrated and had no self-preservation skills, much to his partner's annoyance and constant worry.

But whatever, that was just enticement to not let said partner know.

However, Kaldur knew what Dick was like when he was on the top of his game. This was decidedly not it.

Dick was leaning over his computer, staring into the depths of space, trying to concentrate but having to re-read lines every two seconds. Kaldur leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen.

"what are you working on?"

"the McCarthy case," Dick said, sighing and leaning back in his chair.

"mmm," Kaldur hummed, reading a few lines of the report Dick was in the middle of writing, "you've repeated the same sentence three times."

Dick groaned, rubbing at his face, aches becoming more apparent, "bit out of it."

"you don't say," Kaldur said, smiling, "you're sick."

"I'm not," Dick said, looking at his screen once more, "I don't get sick."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow and put a hand to Dick's forehead, "fever says otherwise."

Dick batted his hand away, "stop mothering me, you're worse than Alex."

"your sister has well-founded worry for you," Kaldur said, "you have no survival instincts."

Dick rolled his eyes, "I'm fine, okay? Don't worry."

Kaldur leaned back and for a moment Dick thought he'd dropped it. he should have known Kaldur wouldn't let it go that easily.

Kaldur grabbed the back of the chair and pulled it from the desk, then spun it.

Dick tensed, the world was spinning in more than one way, his headache spiked and his stomach twisted.

Kaldur stopped the chair so it was facing him, looking on with an unimpressed look. Dick held his head, everything was spinning, he felt cold and all his muscles were aching.

"would you like to repeat your prior statement?"

"I'm just tired," Dick said, standing up. His vision swam and black dots took over his vision. He stumbled and Kaldur caught him.

"you're dead on your feet and you need to take some medicine," he said.

"no," Dick said, and Kaldur almost laughed at how whiny it sounded, "I just stood up too fast."

"uh huh," Kaldur hummed, "I'm carrying you to your room."

"Kaaaaaaaallll," Dick whined, "come on, I'm fine, the electrum can handle it."

"the electrum doesn't recognise illness, only injury," Kaldur said, dragging him down the hall to Dick's room, "you told me that, the most it'll handle is an infection."

Dick huffed, "okay, look, I'll have some medicine or whatever and take a rest from work, I don't need to sleep."

Kaldur laughed lightly and dropped Dick on his bed. Dick tried sitting up but a dizzy spell hit him.

"I'm confining you to this room till you're better," Kaldur said, hands on his hips, "if you actually look after yourself you'll be better by the end of the week."

Dick groaned, rolling to the edge of the bed. Kaldur grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed.

Dick did not want to go to sleep. He'd rather stab himself in the chest than go to sleep. It was nigh on impossible for him to have a peaceful night's rest.

"Kal, you're overreacting," Dick said.

Kaldur sighed, knowing exactly why Dick didn't want to go to sleep.

"I'll stay with you," he said, "just lie down, relax, I'll get you some water and medicine and a hot water bottle," he smiled.

Dick groaned and dropped his head onto his pillow, "okay."

Kaldur ran a hand through his hair-or lack there of- then left. Returning shortly after with a glass of water a couple tablets. He noticed Dick shiver and pulled the blankets up.

Eventually Kaldur slipped into the bed with him and Dick clung to his side. He was warm, which seemed the opposite of what one would expect from someone who lived in the ocean.

"I hate being sick," Dick grumbled, "it sucks."

Kaldur chuckled, "you used to be an assassin and you come undone with the flu."

"it's not the flu," Dick grumbled, "I dunno what it is but it's way worse."

"uh huh, sure," Kaldur snickered.

They both fell asleep, unaware that Dick wasn't the only one who'd wake up in a cold sweat.

Dick woke up with images of green and flashing goggles and owl's, heart rate skyrocketing and thrashing in the sheets to get away.

A warm hand rested on his chest, the fingers webbed, it was warm. Dick breathed, eyes wild as he took in his bedroom. Someone encircled their arms around him, holding him from behind.

Kaldur.

Dick sunk into the touch, head dropping back. he wasn't at the stage of crying, he hadn't been able to get a deep enough sleep to have a vivid nightmare. He'd managed to feel panicked and hear the echo of explosions and he'd immediately kicked himself out of his dreams.

"I'm here," Kaldur said, voice low, "you're safe."

"I know," Dick said, managing to somehow sink even lower into the embrace, "thank you."

He shivered slightly, his headache coming back with a passion. Kaldur noticed and pulled the blankets up again and brought Dick back down.

"take a breath," Kaldur said, "I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Dick shook his head and cozied up again. He spied a glance at the clock, it had only been about three hours, "I'm good," he fought off a yawn but it managed to break out.

They fell asleep again.

Dick woke up when the mattress shifted. He blinked, bleary eyed. The door to the ensuite opened and he spied Kaldur walking in.

Dick thought nothing of it. he shifted and got comfortable again.

He didn't fall asleep for a while, eventually glancing at the clock and realising Kaldur had been in the bathroom for five minutes. He frowned, got up and stumbled to the bathroom. The medicine had kicked in and his headache had lessened and his aches weren't as bad, but he still felt dizzy and tired. Nevertheless he opened the ensuite door.

"Kal? You good?"

Kaldur was sitting in the shower, his tattoos glowing softly as he manipulated the water to float around, also faintly glowing an electric blue.

Dick had almost forgotten that Kaldur could be just as good at hiding this stuff as he was.

He sat in front of Kaldur, the cramped space of the shower had them sitting knee-to-knee, legs crossed. Kaldur gave him a sad look.

"miss me already?" he asked.

Dick snorted, "course, you're my living heat source."

Kaldur looked at the floating magic again, staring at it wistfully. A piece of it drifted in the air and landed on Dick's nose, he laughed lightly, feeling the tingle of the magic on his skin.

"I still haven't taken you to Atlantis," Kaldur said.

"mmm," Dick hummed. If Atlantis was on Kaldur's mind enough to bring it up now then it must be the stem of tonight's turmoil, "you wanna talk about it?"

"I'm good," Kaldur said, mirroring Dick's exact tone from before, "you're getting your pyjamas wet."

"perks of having a magical water sorcerer as a boyfriend," Dick said, "you want a hug?"

Kaldur nodded, shifting so he was no longer sitting cross legged so Dick could shift forward and wrap his arms around him.

"you know, you're allowed to stop worrying about me and ask for help," Dick said.

Kaldur hummed, "I know."

They sat in silence for a while, the glowing magic slowly floating back to the tiles and becoming normal water, Kaldur's tattoos going dormant again.

"hey." Dick got Kaldur's attention once more.

"mm?"

"you don't have to prove anything to anyone," Dick said, and Kaldur lifted his head to look at him.

He was silent for a moment, "I know," Kaldur said, with the tone of voice Dick recognised from any time that he wasn't entirely focused on what he was saying.

Dick snuggled in closer, "Well, I'm here to remind you any time you forget."

Kaldur buried his head in the crook of Dick's neck, "thank you."

"any time," Dick mumbled, "you've done more for me."

"it's not a competition."

"says the one who's winning," Dick snorted.

Kaldur laughed quietly, Dick could feel his breath on his skin.

"eimai edo," Dick mumbled.

Kaldur managed to bury his head further.

"Se agapó."