This is a Sequel to Little Brothers, if you haven't read it, you probably want to read it first. Also, this is a story pre New 52, and Reboot.
Damian woke up to the sound of coughing. He was not happy to be awakened at this early hour he wondered vaguely who it was and then last night's events came flooding back. It was probably Tim without a spleen he got sick easily. Standing outside wet was enough to get him sick, he had never been responsible for him getting sick before.
Damian never gotten sick, Talia had made sure he had a rock solid immune system, it took quite a bit for him to get sick. He thought to how many times Tim had gotten sick just this year, it had to be almost six times that he knew of.
He promised he would make it up to him. Damian started to think about what one did for someone who was sick. He didn't know in the League he wasn't around sick people. Alfred would know he walked in the kitchen to find him making a pot of coffee.
"Pennyworth, Tim is sick." Damian stated.
"Oh, dear I was afraid of that." Alfred said, "I will bring a tray up to him."
Damian knew that Alfred was capable of taking care of him, but it didn't make him feel any less guilty. Of course it was still Tim's fault he knew what would happen. He just had to do that imbecilic act of protecting him. They didn't even like each other, and then last night he called him his 'little brother', it was confusing.
Damian followed Alfred to Tim's room. He opened the door to find Tim sitting at his desk, trying to work. Trying, because he had to take a break every few minutes to cough.
"Master Timothy, really. I have brought you a tray I want you to eat it and then go back to bed. No working or I shall sic Master Richard on you." Tim looked like he wanted to protest, but knew it was futile.
Tim ate the food on the tray and the medicine that Alfred had brought and under Alfred's careful eye climbed in the welcoming blankets in his unslept in bed.
Damian watched as Tim fell asleep in less than a minute. "It's my fault Alfred. They were going to put me in the water, but Drake baited them into taking him instead. I promised I would make it up."
Alfred didn't know what to think Damian and Tim never had gotten along, but it sounded like it might be changing. Dare, he think that his two grandsons get along?
"Master Damian, I believe that you'll find some way to make it up." Alfred replied.
Damian sighed, "Tt" he thought of things that might help. First off keep Grayson occupied, no one wanted to be cuddled when they felt sick, except for Grayson. Second, retrieve coffee for Drake before he experiences withdrawal symptoms. Third, he thought he would look into what reports or school work he had due. Easy, he thought to himself.
He sent Grayson on a trip to the grocery store to get popsicles, Jasmine tea, and Alka Seltzer. They had it all at the manor, but Grayson didn't need to know that. He was on a mission to get things that would make his baby brother feel better. Damian had mentioned that Tim had wanted those items, Grayson had grabbed the keys and sped out the door.
He got a cup of coffee and put it in a thermos; no point in it getting cold. He walked into Drake's room without knocking Drake, the fool was trying to work on WE business. Damian held back an eye roll.
"I brought you coffee, you may have it on the condition that you stop being sick." Damian stated matter of factly.
"I uh, being sick doesn't magically go away because I want it to. I will take the coffee." Tim reached for it, grabbed and chugged it. Damian was slightly appalled at how the teenager could drink the scolding hot liquid. Did he even taste it?
"Thanks, Damian."
"Pennyworth forced me." Damian lied. "He also said for you to go to sleep."
Tim gave him a look that said, "I don't believe you."
"Besides it's what… brothers do. I sent Grayson to the store so he won't smother you." Damian stated.
"I always thought you were a demon, you're an angel. Coffee and the cuddle monster is gone. If only you could write a paper on Faberge eggs." Tim said.
Damian hoped he didn't remember any of this. "I will write a research on lost art. Grandfather has the three unphotographed, lost Fabergé eggs. It will be simple."
He left when Tim fell asleep and found the assignment he wrote the paper. Lost art was an easy topic for Damian to write he had a fondness for art.
Damian knew it didn't make up for it, but it was a start. He sent the paper into the collage professor, signing his name as T.J.D.W. He was proud of the paper; it was in depth and written formally.
Dick got back from the store. "I'm going to check on Timmy. I'm sure a cuddle will make him feel better." Damian knew that "Operation Stop Grayson from Smothering Drake" would fail if he couldn't think of anything soon.
"Actually, he just went to sleep. When he wakes up I am sure you can hug him." Damian stalled.
"Too bad, Timmy needs more cuddles. We should have a movie night when he feels better." Dick said. "You need more cuddles." Damian had to remember he owed Drake, as Dick hugged entirely too long.
He wished Drake would get better. Grayson had no limit on cuddles and he didn't know how long he could restrain himself from hurting him. Hugs and cuddles made Damian want to puke.
The rest of the day Damian looked over WE files and filled out reports that were due. He knew that Tim did a lot of work at WE and was taking a few collage classes online, He just didn't realize how much Drake did and while all managing to patrol as Red Robin.
He wondered why Father didn't take over the company. Anyway, he took care of files and read and summarized reports so Drake could rest.
He took up the tray for Drake's supper so Alfred wouldn't have to. Dick asked him why, but Damian had given him a vague answer.
Damian gave him the tray, made sure he had taken all the medicine he was supposed to, forced an extra blanket on him, and gave a progress report.
Later, when it was safe he got out the only tablet Damian hadn't confiscated, Tim checked his email. His professor had emailed to say that his last paper was, "unusual, unparalleled and insightful."
That professor was impossible to please. He found the paper Damian turned in, it was a great paper nothing like he would write, he got to the part on the eggs that Damian described in detail all of them even the lost ones that Tim hoped the professor wouldn't think that, Bruce Wayne stole the lost eggs.
Tim recovered in due time. Tim told Damian many times that he had made it up. They still fought like cats and dogs, but they didn't do it to be mean anymore it was more of a sibling ritual. Damian limited Dick's cuddles with Tim when he was sick, when Tim recovered he made sure Damian didn't get cuddled as much.
Alfred was glad they didn't try to kill each other anymore… but if they put their heads together they could take over the world.
