Let Me Care For You
Fandoms:Ā OK K.O! Lets Be Heroes
Word Count: 3,199
Rating: General Audiance
Relationship: Lord Boxman/Professor Venomous
Ao3: Here
Characters: Lord Boxman, Professor Venomous
Additional Tags: Sleepy cuddles, Couch cuddles, P.V over-works himself, Tricking you boyfriend into self-care.
Summary:
When some experiments go extremely wrong Professor Venomous hyper focuses on finishing his work and figuring out how to fix everything. However, sleep deprivation is making him not only more easily overwhelmed but also extremely combative about sleeping, why sleep now when he can just finish his project now. Luckily, Lord Boxman know his partner very well, well enough to con him into taking care of his basic needs.
āWhat do you want to watch before bed tonight?ā Boxman asked as he and Professor Venomous walked down the hall to their room, a relaxed smile on his face as he looked up at his partner. āFeel like Star Hike another chance?ā Venomous said with a smirk, already knowing the answer. Boxman chuckled, āItās still early so I may be able to stay awake this time.ā āNow thatās unfair,ā Venomous retorted, smirk slowly becoming a smile, āonly the original series was boring.ā āAnd every other movie.ā Venomous chuckled, āYou havenāt even seen the movies.ā āDonāt need to,ā He gestured his claw up by his shoulder with a relaxed wrist, āI already know.ā Venomous chuckled, āPoint taken.ā he enjoyed this ribbing between them. At times it could seem intense from an outside observer but it was always good fun, never harmful. And Venomous couldnāt really argue anyway, only every other movie was good and he had already forced Boxman to watch the best one. āHow about we finish Ursidae? The new season is coming out soon and I would like to be caught up.ā āYes!ā Boxman exclaimed, āThere are only three episodes left, we can watch all of them tonight!ā
As the two walked down the hall, Boxman rambling about the show and how accurate it is to the kitchen environment, they passed by the hall with Venomousās lab, he slowed to a stop, his eyes watching the closed door to his lab. Boxman took a few more steps forward before turning back to his partner. āP.V.? You ok?ā āYeah⦠I actually want to stop by my lab before we wind down if thatās ok.ā āAre you sure?ā Boxman asked, walking back over to Venomous placing his hand on Venomousās, āItās getting late and we may not be able to finish the episodes.ā āI have an experiment Iām working on.ā āYour plates of cell goo?ā āPetri dishes with brain organoids.ā Venomous corrected, āThey should have finished growing today and I was too busy to analyze them. It will be quick.ā āI just,ā Boxman squeezed Venomousās hand, āI donāt want you skipping sleep again.ā
Sometimes it was annoying having someone around who cared for him, watched out for him and his health. Anyone else would feel patronizing, but not Boxman. For one thing he knew that Boxman was correct, there were a number of times Venomous had skipped out on sleep in favor of his projects. He also knew that Boxman had a similar problem, but he was more likely to fall asleep at his workstation on a pile of metal than skip sleep. They worked together to try and maintain a good and comfortable sleep schedule, and for the most part it worked. Sure Boxman was more of an early riser and maybe it took longer for Venomous to fall asleep at night but at least they were consistent. Plus the extra sleep was doing wonders for Venomousās health, mental and physical.
Venomous sighed, squeezing Boxmanās hand back, āI wonāt. I promise Iāll be back to finish our show shortly.ā āYou⦠you promise?ā Boxman looks up at him with skepticism. āI promise.ā Venomous leaned down to kiss Boxmanās forehead. āHonestly, Iām just very excited to see how the organoids turned out.ā He explained lips still inches away from Boxmanās forehead. āI think even if I did lay down I would be too distracted by this to fall asleep.ā Boxman looked at him, still unsure. āI⦠can understand that.ā āI just want to see how they turned out. One hour tops,ā Venomous added, āand we can watch one episode instead of all three. You werenāt going to stay away for the full three episodes anyway.ā Boxman finally broke with a smile, āAlright, Iāll see you in bed.ā He said sternly and playfully. Boxman lifted his chin up and stood on his toes, Venomous instinctually leaned down to meet Boxman for a kiss. āHave fun with your plate brains.ā Boxman waved as he walked down the hall. "Brain organoids."
Venomous chuckled to himself as his partner disappeared down the hall, turning back to Venomous every few steps. āWhat a ridiculous man.ā Venomous chuckled to himself as he walked down the hall to his lab. Being alone in his lab meant he wasnāt self conscious of wearing the lovestruck smile as he pulled a random petri dish from the shelf of others and placed the dish under his microscope. Both gitty from the residual love from his partner and the promise of fully grown brain organoids, his first batch of them to be exact. His excitement and smile faded very quickly as he looked through the scope, focusing and unfocusing the image hoping for what he was seeing to be wrong. āWell thatās not expected.ā He leaned back and pulled the dish out to read the label.
Organoid 0028.
He discarded the petri dish on his desk and quickly got up from his chair, moving over to the shelf of growing organoids. If he was lucky then that one was a fluke and flukes were a part of science, thatās why he had gotten the material to make 1,000 petri dishes. He sighed and calmly grabbed another dish, 0001 this time, to analyze. The plan was always to look at more than one anyway so this was fine, Venomous wasnāt worried in the slightest.
Loud thuds filled the lab room as Professor Venomous slammed his forehead against the lab table once, twice, thrice and finally landed on the fourth and loudest thud. This wasnāt going to help his growing migraine in the slightest but at this point he wasnāt sure what else to do. Organoid 0537 had ALSO grown a pair of unanticipated and light responsive eyes. Meaning that, so far, 537 of 1,000 organoids were worthless. Over half. With these numbers he had already wasted so many resources and if it turns out he got a bad batch then every brain organoid was like this. All his planned experiments for these guys were unattainable, almost three months of prep time and waiting for neuron growth wasted.
He turned his head resting his temple on the hard resin surface, opening one eye to stare at the latest disappointment in a petri dish. All in all it was not looking good for this round of testing and he would have to wait another five months to get back to having the organoids. āCob dag it!ā Venomous practically hissed as he lifted his head off the table to rub at his face with both hands, nails digging into his hair.
This sucks This sucks This sucks This sucks This suc-
āUhh hey-ya babe.ā Venomous turned sharply to see Boxman, standing in the doorway of his lab, a gentle smile on his face, hands behind his back and fully dressed for the day, āHow are youā¦.feeling?ā
Oh Cob dag it.
If Boxman was here then he had definitely not gone to bed, āIām fine.ā Venomous responded dryly and Boxman seemed very unconvinced. After some silence, Boxman looking more nervous by the second, before he walked into the lab. His fingers laced together in front of his stomach as he glanced at the desk littered with discarded petri dishes with a small grimace. āDid youā¦.analyze all those last night?ā Venomous snapped, āI just need to finish this!ā Boxman jumped slightly at the tonal change but quickly relaxed again, āIf- If I can finish this, maybe one of them isā¦..workable. Can I do that? Just have one that isĀ frackinā workable!?ā He practically threw 0537 into the pile of others with a harsh hiss. It was made all the worse by the heat he could feel building in his face, nothing was going right and it was making him very frustrated. āP.V.,ā Boxman stepped closer so he was almost next to his partner, āmaybe you should try to sleep?ā āNo noĀ NO!ā Venomous slammed his fists on the table, āIām almost done and Iāll sleep when I find a stupid workable plate brain because there has to be AT LEAST ONE!ā Venomous stood up to grab another dish but was stopped as Boxman grabbed his hand pulling Venomous back to look at him, āOk ok no nap. Obviously you have a lot to do.ā Boxman chuckled then cleared his throat, āB-but, maybe this is a good time for aā¦. break.ā Boxman nervously smiled, āYou can eat and get right back to work.ā
Venomous looked back at Boxman, his partnerās eyes looking bigger than ever as he gave the suggestion. HeĀ hadĀ been working on this for a while and now that he thought about it he was feeling pretty hungry. Maybe it would be good to get out of his lab for a few minutes, āMmmmmmā¦.fine.ā he sighed, rolling his eyes at himself.
Boxman practically lit up as Venomous agreed to take a break. He helped Venomous out of his lab coat, citing that Venomous had been wearing it almost 24 hours and Boxman thought he should be comfortable for breakfast, and quickly led him out of the lab and to the dining table. To Venomous surprise there were already two plates of banana pancakes waiting for them, he glanced over at Boxman who blushed slightly. āI, uh, may have already planned for you to have breakfast no matter what.ā āWell you arenāt wrong,ā Venomous sighed, ābreakfast is a good idea Boxy.ā Venomous kissed the knuckles of his partnerās hand before finally letting go of his hand to walk over to his seat. After a few moments Boxman sat at his chair as they began to eat, adding their desired level of syrup. Venomous wasnāt normally a sweet breakfast kind of person but this wasnāt technically his breakfast and he was too drained to pay attention. Plus sugar usually helped his migraines and he could feel one building in his left temple. Better to just eat before it really caught up to him.
The two had finished their plates and Boxman had taken them to the sink in the kitchen. Just as Venomous was getting ready to head back to his lab, Boxman came back with a cup of tea for the both of them, and who was Professor Venomous to reject a cup of tea after a meal.
They sat a bit longer, sipping at their cups in comfortable silence until Boxman spoke up, āWhat was that Star Hike series you said I would like?ā āThe next installment.ā Venomous sipped from his cup, āItās got an android.ā āRightā¦I was thinking we could watch that.ā Boxman practically blurted out as he lifted the cup to his lips. Venomous looked up at Boxman with a raised eyebrow, āYou want to watch Star Hike?ā āWell..ā Boxman took a long sip of tea before answering, āI think itās time to try something different.ā āYou just slept on it and decided to watch some science fiction you donāt like in the morning?ā Venomous looked Boxman in the eyes. He was pretty good at this point of reading his partner so Venomous was looking for any sign of nervousness. He definitely spotted a few as Boxman worked extra hard to keep his face neutral. āBoxy.ā āUhh Fine.ā Boxman slumped in his chair, seemingly caving under Venomousās intense gaze, āIf you must know we missed our tv and cuddle before bed. You have a lot of work to do and I think if you will watch anything with me before getting back itās Star Hike.ā āBoxy I need to-ā āJust three episodes.ā Boxman jumped in, āLet your food digest a bit and relax before going back to your organoids.ā Venomous groaned, āOne episode.ā āThree.ā āTwo!ā āTwo and we cuddle cause you owe me.ā Venomous signed, āTwo episodes, we cuddleĀ butĀ we watch on the couch. I donāt want to get tired.ā āDEAL!ā Boxman jumped out of his seat, grabbing both their cups as he ushered them both into the living room.
Boxman got to the room first, setting the mugs down and scrambling to grab an arm rest spot. Venomous walked in just as Boxman had settled practically laying on his back against the arm rest with a large smile on his face. As Venomous walked over to the couch Boxman opened his arms and patted his chest with a smile. āWhat are you doing?ā Venomous asked flatly. āYou owe me remember.ā His smile didnāt fade as he patted his chest two more times for emphasis. Venomous couldnāt help but smile as he laid on the couch between Boxmanās legs, his head resting his head on Boxmanās chest. His partnerās arms wrapped around him in an instant, giving Venomous a firm squeeze and nuzzling his face into Venomousās hair. āItās going to be hard to drink my tea like this.ā Venomous remarked, reaching for the remote on the coffee table once Boxmanās hug loosened. āWe will figure it out if-Ā whenĀ you want more tea,ā Boxmanās paw soothed up and down his back, claws scratching gently at his back, āJust worry about putting on your show babe.ā
Venomous, having missed the word slip, hummed contently at the motion as he relaxed into Boxmanās hold. Eventually remembering to turn the tv on and navigate to NetFlex. āThe first episode is actually two episodes so even though itās shorter than two full episodes it still counts as two episodes.ā Venomous mentioned as he scrolled to the show's icon. āOh ho ho didnāt mention that part during our deal.ā Boxman sounded like he was wearing the biggest smirk ever as he kissed the top of Venomousās head. Venomous didnāt care to know, he was always smiling at the things he said so no reason to think on it nowĀ plus his brain was getting pretty foggy for being relaxed.
As the intro started Boxmanās paw moved up to Venomousās head, running his claws through Venomousās hair and gently scratching at his scalp. Whether it was the calming effect of the show, Boxman gently stroking his hand over Venomousās back and arm or how comfortable and secure he felt. By the time the intro ended and the show really began Venomous was already starting to slip out of consciousness. āBoxy.ā Venomous slurred, not moving his head from his partnerās comfortable chest, Boxman hummed in response, āDonāt- Donāt let me sleep.ā āOh I would never.ā Boxman scoffed, his paw now massaging the back of Venomousās neck and head, āYou have important brain organoids to be mad at.ā He kissed the top of Venomousās forehead and squeezed him gently again. Venomous wanted to protest but sleep was overtaking him fast, and as the main alien of the episode came onto the ship Venomous had fallen asleep.
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Venomous slowly blinked his eyes open, he felt pretty disoriented but so very comfortable where he was laying. If it wasnāt for his mouth being extremely dry he may have decided to close his eyes again. As he went to lift himself up he felt some mild resistance around his back and head, he snapped his head up to see Boxman looking down at him with a smile. āGood nap, love?ā āWha-ā āYouāve been asleep for at least five episodes.ā Boxman gestured to the tv, still playing the show they started. āYou watched it?ā Venomous asked groggily, sitting up on the couch with a yawn as Boxman let him go, and reached for his tea mug. Venomous blinked and rubbed at his eyes, slowly remembering everything that happened before he passed out. Boxman pulled himself up from laying on his back with a stretch. āWell I didnāt actually plan that far ahead.ā He said with a slight chuckle, āWhen you fell asleep you dropped the remote on the ground and I couldnāt reach it without waking you so I-ā āYou let me sleep?ā Venomous said sternly, still not aware enough to pull real intimidation into it. Taking a drink of the tea with a grimace as it was now very cold. āNo I did not ālet you sleepā,ā Boxman answered back with a smirk, clearly proud of himself, āI tricked you into taking care of yourself.ā āI- I agreed to the break.ā He argued, not having much else to say. āYou stayed up all night, then refused to take a nap.ā Boxman said with a cheerful voice, āI knew if you went into that lab last night you werenāt coming out, even if it was good news.ā Boxman reached out to smooth over Venomousās messy sleep hair, leaning into the hand as Venomous was still pretty groggy. āIām fine,ā he answered, āI donāt sleep for two days then I sleep great for 12 hours. It worked for me in the past.ā maybe it was because he had just woken up but Venomous seemed to be much more open and forthcoming than normal.
Boxman stared at him for a minute before finally responding, āVenomous you know thatās not good right.ā āPff please, Iāve had to practically drag you unconscious from your work bench plenty of times.ā Venomous retorted, āYou canāt really talk to me about healthy sleeping habits.ā Boxman sighed, looking at Venomous seriously, āIām not the best at a sleep schedule myself but it always seems to hit you hard and you donāt act like you.ā He cupped Venomousās cheek to guide Venomous to look at him, āYou keep me from falling asleep at my desk so, As long as Iām here I wonāt let you work yourself until you are so exhausted you drop.ā Boxman cleared his throat, āIf you want to go back to your lab thatās fine now. But please let me care for you.ā
Venomous thought about what he had said for a minute, but honestly he was still too groggy to absorb it properly. All he knew for sure was that whatever Boxman said made his heart beat faster and his chest feel lighter. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a lazy and sleepy kiss, Boxmanās hands settled on Venomousās hips as he was almost pushed back into the same laying position as before. As they parted Venomous laid his head back on Boxmanās chest and nuzzled into him, āI think I want to go back to sleep.ā āOh yeah! Do you want to go to bed or-ā āThey grew eyes.ā āI- What?ā āThe brains grew eyes.ā His voice was fading with every word as he slipped back into unconsciousness, āI gotta figure that out.ā āWait, what do you mean they grew eyes?ā Before Boxman could get an answer to this very disturbing and confusing information Venomous was asleep, once again drooling slightly against his shirt. Boxman sighed and smiled, holding Venomous close and relishing in Venomous being comfortable enough with him to behave like this. Even if sleep deprivation did play a significant role in it.
His smile only fading when he heard some familiar lines from the tv.Ā āThe Galaxy, the final frontier-āĀ It was at that moment Boxman realized he had forgotten to grab the tv remote off the ground. He groaned quietly as he restored himself to his fate, an all day Star Hike marathon, at least until his partner woke up again.


















