Author's note: I finally did it! The sequel is here and I hope it is as good as you hoped it would be. Read and review guys!
Robin tried to hide his sniffle as he took another sip of his coffee. He hadn't taken a good sip of it before his stomach recoiled at that idea. Dumping it in the sink, Robin decided that it might be best to skip breakfast this morning and walked out of the kitchen and down to the file room. He might be feeling like crap, but that didn't mean that he couldn't get some work done. It wasn't like he was dying; he had suffered through worse than a stuffy nose, sore throat, and queasy stomach. He could totally survive this.
He had woken up feeling like someone had stuffed barbed wire down his throat, and he could only breathe through one nostril, and his head was pounding. His stomach was rolling, but he didn't feel like he needed to puke, just that he wanted to crawl back into bed and stay there until he felt better. But that wouldn't be an option. He had reports to file, a team to lead. Though he knew they were perfectly capable of running without him for a day, Robin was in no rush to admit that he needed to take a break and heal.
Punching in the code for the file room, Robin walked in, flicking on the lights. When that made his head hurt more, he shut them off and settled on turning on the small desk lamp. He tried to make sense of the files in front of him, but he couldn't get past the first one before his head started to swim. His mouth watered, and Robin barely got to the trash can by his desk in time. Wiping his mouth with a Kleenex, and holding his head in his hands while he caught his breath, Robin finally accepted the inevitable.
He, the great boy wonder, was about to have his butt handed to him by a little flu bug.
The phone rang. Robin jumped and fumbled for a moment to answer it. His head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton.
"Hello?" Robin said, rubbing his forehead in attempt to lower the pressure building in his head.
"Hey, Robin. Just reminding you about the second meet-up today," Bumblebee said. Robin blinked sluggishly.
"Oh, right," Robin said lamely, "I know they're all set to go see you." Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire would be spending the remaining part of the week in Steel City, helping with the massive repairs to the Titans East tower. Robin had forgotten about that.
"Are you alright?" Bumblebee asked suddenly, "You sound like someone tried to drug you."
Robin held in a sneeze, even though it made his throat burst into flames, and tried to make his voice sound better.
"I'm good, just still half-asleep," Robin lied. Bumblebee laughed over the line.
"I feel you. I spent way to long in the training room," She said. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Robin. And I'll see the others later today."
Soon, the call was ended. Robin hung up the phone and sloughed in his chair, mind going blank. His body felt like it was on fire, while somehow being submerged in ice, and his head was still pounding. Gritting his teeth, he tied up his ruined trash bag, and made his slow way down to the garage where the trash was. Cyborg's car was gone, meaning he and the girls were already on the road, which was fine with him. It meant he only had one person in the tower he had to lie to, even if it would make him feel like crap. He took care of his trash and punched the elevator button, pressing the floor number of the common room. A look at his watch confirmed that it was just past seven, meaning that Beast Boy wouldn't be up for another hour or so. That was enough time to eat something small, take some mediation, and cover up the fact that he was sick and needed to be benched.
The kitchen was quiet, which was nice, and Robin figured that plain oatmeal would be his best option right now. A glass of water followed. He ate slowly, not wanting to upset his stomach again. He soon felt full, and was annoyed that he had only finished less than of the bowl. Getting a small container, he filled it, not wanting to waste it. Then he started to search the cabinets for any cold medication. He found a pack of Day-Quill in the back, hidden behind a box of hot chocolate. Refilling his glass, Robin punched out the two pills from their silver packaging, and downed them both. He slowly finished the glass, knowing he couldn't afford to get dehydrated, and decided that maybe he could kill some time watching TV.
The DVR was full of everything, and he settled on some old documentation of the French Revolution. He barely noticed that he was falling asleep. Soon he was curled up on the arm of the couch, with one of the blankets on the back of the couch laying on top of him, eyes determined to drift close. Robin pinched himself; he couldn't fall asleep here, he just needed to wait for the meds to kick in.
Halfway through the show, Robin was losing the battle to stay awake. He looked at the time on the bottom of the DVD player. It was just a few minutes until eight, and Beast Boy would be sleeping in today, since he had late night patrol the other night. That meant that Robin could take a small nap and be awake before anyone had to know. The medication probably would have kicked in at that point. Setting his alarm watch for an hour, Robin readjusted himself on the couch and closed his eyes. He had to breathe through his mouth, since his nose was still clogged, but he barely paid that attention.
Soon, he was fast sleep, completely oblivious to the sounds of the History Channel.
"-obin. Robin, come on, wake up."
Someone was shaking his shoulder and Robin weakly brushed off the hand. He pulled the blanket draping him closer, trying to fight off the chills that were suddenly racking his body. His head was pounding even worse than before and his mouth was horribly dry. Finally, he realized that the person wouldn't leave him alone to his misery without being acknowledged. Cracking his eyes open, Robin hissed when a flood of light hit them. He quickly shot them and rubbed his head on the cushion. Footsteps crossed the room and Robin heard the button beep of the automatic shades coming down.
Robin opened his eyes again. The room was darker now and his head stopped pounding as much. Beast Boy was standing up, looking at him with a worried expression, and all Robin could think of was how much taller his teammate was. Robin wearily sat up and dried to get enough spit to swallow to help the dryness in his throat. That when he noticed that Beast Boy had a bruise on his cheek and his clothing was dusty.
"What happened?" He croaked. Did he voice really sound that bad? Beast Boy walked to the kitchen and Robin heard the sound of the faucet running. Moments later, he was handing Robin a glass of water. The boy wonder slowly drank it, even though he wanted to chug it, to avoid throwing it up. Beast Boy sat down on the opposite couch.
"Low level robbery downtown. When the alarm went off you were dead to the world. The guy is already in custody and heading down the prison," Beast Boy said. Robin frowned.
"You should have woken me up," Robin scolded. "Something could have happened."
Beast Boy frowned. "Robin, I tried to wake you up. But the alarm was going, you weren't awake, and someone had to go."
Robin sank a bit lower. He hadn't even heard the alarm; what would have happened it something had happened to Beast Boy, or the tower was invaded? He would be a sitting duck.
"I'm sorry," Robin apologized. Beast Boy waved it away and took the empty glass back to the kitchen. He returned with a full one and handed it to Robin.
"So, wanna tell me why you look like complete crap?" Beast Boy asked. Robin frowned and took a sip.
"I'm fine," Robin said stubbornly. He wouldn't admit he was sick, since that would mean he needed to rest, and Robin couldn't rest. There was too much to get done. Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at him; it reminded him eerily of Raven.
"Robin, you know I can tell when you're lying," Beast Boy told him. Robin coughed into his hand.
"Fine, I'm feeling a little tired," Robin admitted. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was as close to an admission of sickness as Robin was going to give.
"Ok. Now keep going," Beast Boy pressed. Robin's mouth dropped open a bit. "Don't try to get out of this, Robin. I remember a certain someone pushing for answers when I was sick, so start talking."
Robin rubbed his temples. He remember how he felt when Beast Boy was sick. Completely useless, even if he was told otherwise, and full of worry that something could go wrong. But, he felt…better, almost, when he did something and his friend felt better. It wasn't a bad experience, but Robin wasn't comfortable with the roles switching. Especially since he was the team leader. He sat his half-finished glass on the coffee table. His head had resumed its throbbing.
"Look, I just drank too much coffee yesterday," Robin fibbed. The lie didn't even sound right in his mouth, and from the way Beast Boy was looking at him, it hadn't worked. The changeling pushed the glass of water towards him.
"You don't get like this when you drink too much coffee," He said nonchalantly, "You get twitchy and then you crash."
Robin frowned and tried to sit up some more. Maybe if he could move around enough he could convince Beast Boy that he wasn't sick. However, that plan failed when he tried to stand up and he pitched forward. He would have smacked his head on the coffee table, but a pair of arms caught him and steadied him back to the cushions. Robin put his head in his hands, trying to get the room to stop spinning. Beast Boy started to rub his back and he leaned in, the motion calming him down.
"Still sure that you're feeling ok?" Beast Boy asked when Robin raised his head. The boy wonder tried to open him mouth, but he found he didn't have the energy to deny it.
"I might not be at the best condition," Robin finally admitted.
Beast Boy picked up his glass and headed into the kitchen. Robin curled up on the couch and tried to ignore the rolling of his stomach. Beast Boy came back with an empty trash bin and placed it next to him, along with a fresh glass of water.
"How bad are you feeling?" Beast Boy asked as he perched himself on the other couch. Robin shrugged. He wasn't at the point where he would be totally useless, though the potential fainting episode could have been the sign that he wasn't as tough as he thought he was.
"Like crap," Robin said without enthusiasm. Beast Boy smiled weakly at him.
"Well, since you aren't going anywhere any time soon," Beast Boy replied, "you might as well get comfy." Robin shrugged.
"I don't want to throw up," Robin hissed. He tried to bury his face in the cushions.
"Ya, that part of it sucks, but it won't last forever," Beast Boy told him. The calmness in his friend's voice was surprising, and Robin lifted his head.
"I get really cranky when I'm sick," Robin admitted. "I won't be fun to be around."
"I think I can handle it," Beast Boy admitted back.
It took two more blankets, a glass of ginger ale, several peppermint candies (Bruce would give them to him when he wasn't feeling great, and they worked strangely enough), and a new documentary before Robin felt aware enough to judge the situation. He was sick, with the stupid flu, and Beast Boy seemed oddly ok with dealing with it. Robin shifted on the couch trying to ignore the aching feeling in his body. Speaking of aches…
"You didn't tell me if you got hurt," Robin said. Beast Boy looked over before Robin continued. "With the robbery, if you're injured."
Beast Boy sighed before shifting so he could face the boy wonder. Besides the bruise there wasn't any other sign of injury, but Robin didn't take any chances; they had all dealt with a concealed injury at some point and didn't wish to repeat it again.
"Besides the bruising, nothing got damaged," Beast Boy told him. He flexed both wrists and ankles. "See, nothing broken either."
Robin frowned. "You could have a busted rib."
Beast Boy shook his head. "Nope, had that before. If I did have one I wouldn't be breathing well. Same for my collar bone, mister smarty-pants."
Robin chuckled but regretted it once it set off a string of coughing. His throat was on fire and he drained his glass of water before the fit stopped. Beast Boy frowned as he flopped back down to the cushions.
"You should take something," Beast Boy said. "Even if it's just for the cough."
Robin shook his head. "I can handle it. Besides, you didn't take anything when you got sick."
Beast Boy picked up the glass from the coffee table and headed into the kitchen. Robin heard the faucet running and the sound of a cabinet door being shut. The urge to tell his teammate not to bother with getting him anything failed him. At this point lifting his head from the couch arm was too much to ask of him. He frowned when he thought of all the calls they might get; he couldn't possibly let Beast Boy handle all of them. It wouldn't be fair, or even safe. God forbid something horrible happen. Before his mind could think of anymore situations that could go wrong Beast Boy placed a fresh glass in front of him and a package of flu medicine.
"You need to take something, Rob." Beast Boy's voice left no room for argument, but Robin was still going to try.
He pointedly reached for the water and ignored the medication, and the package of crackers, on the table. He took a few sips before curling back under the blanket.
"I don't need to take anything," Robin repeated. He could tell that he did though; his body was racking with shivers, his stomach felt like it was on a rollercoaster, and his nose had stopped letting air through. But he could handle it. He'd had worse things to live through, how bad could the flu be?
"Alright," Beast Boy said as he opened the box himself. "You are going to take something. One, because I'm not going to sit here and listen to you moan about how much this sucks when you can take something to help. Two, when Starfire gets mad about you being injured or sick, she gets a lot scarier then you. I happen to like walking on two legs, so take the damn pills."
Robin's mouth hung open slightly, and got a weird flashback to all the times Beast Boy had briefly used a commanding voice. It was odd to switch roles. The urge to protest, again, came up, but Robin saw the look in his friend's eyes and knew that he wouldn't be getting out of this. By simply waiting, or by deception, Beast Boy would get his way. Robin had the choice of what that would be; having been on the deception end, he slowly sat up.
"Give me the pills," Robin said. Beast Boy gave him a smile, and waiting patiently as Robin chocked down the pills. The chalky taste in his mouth made him grimace, but at least he might be able to use his nose again with luck.
He opened his mouth then shifted his position on the couch. He pulled his blanket around his shoulders; if he was being honest he really wanted the fleece sweatpants in his room, but those were too far away.
"See, I took them. Happy now?" Robin stated. Beast Boy laughed and took the medication back to place it back in the kitchen.
"Very. Maybe your mood will improve too," Beast Boy teased. Robin smiled lightly. He didn't want to risk coughing and setting off another fit. His throat had finally stopped feeling like the Sahara Desert and he wasn't ruining that.
"So, now what?" Robin asked. He figured if he begged enough he could get his files, but he couldn't muster up the energy to even imagine looking at them. The other option was to flip through Netflix, but he would only fall asleep to whatever he put on.
"Well, for starters, you could get out of your uniform. All that spandex can't be good for you," Beast Boy said as he punched in something on his communicator. Robin tried to see what he was doing.
"It's not spandex, and who are you talking to?" Robin inquired. Beast Boy looked up.
"Raven. She wanted us to know that they got to Steel City," Beast Boy said. Robin rubbed his nose.
"How much could you be bribed to get my sweatpants from my room?" Robin asked. Beast Boy laughed.
"How does a shower and your sweatpants sound? The steam should help with your coughing," Beast Boy replied. Robin smiled. The idea of the warm water actually did sound good right now. It might get rid of the chill he couldn't seem to get rid of.
"Good," Robin said. He wrapped himself in the blanket and glared at Beast Boy when he laughed.
In the end, Robin had to let Beast Boy help him to the shower since he nearly fell over when he tried to make it himself. Beast Boy had gotten him his comfy sweats, and even found an old sweat shirt that he forgot he had. The warm water helped his body feel like it wasn't gonna freeze and break apart; he even got to use both of his nostrils! Beast Boy waited outside, not knocking, since he could hear if anything went wrong. When the water turned tepid Robin finally got out. He expected cold air, but was surprised when he walked by the sink and he could feel the heater working. He smiled as he began to dry his hair; for once he was glad that Beast Boy had the tendency to prefer the tower being scorching hot.
Robin went through the motions without thinking; he brushed his hair, but couldn't be bothered to deal with the gel. Besides, it wasn't like the others hadn't seen him with his hair being in a wild wreck. He powered through brushing his teeth, and he didn't make a contented hum like a cat when he put on his sweats.
When he finally left the bathroom, Beast Boy was sitting on the ground typing away. Robin poked the boy's knee with his foot.
"Is something going wrong in the world?" Robin asked as Beast Boy stood up.
"No, but Starfire says not to act too much like a jerk," Beast Boy said as he laughed. Robin smiled as they headed back to the common room. Robin curled up on his blankets and reached for the Netflix controller. He searched through until he found the movie he was looking for.
"You feel up to trying to eat?" Beast Boy asked suddenly. Robin peered up over the couch.
"I'm not gonna force you to make me chicken soup," Robin told him. Beast Boy walked over and leaned on the back of the couch.
"I can make it, Rob, I just don't eat it," Beast Boy said. Robin flopped back down.
"I'm not hungry," Robin mumbled. Beast Boy rolled his eyes and walked to the pantry. He came back with a packet of saltines.
"At least try to eat a few," Beast Boy offered. Robin grudgingly took the packet. Opening it and nibbling on one seemed to satisfy his younger teammate for the moment. He went back to the TV screen and pushed the play button.
"Never picked you for a Narnia type," Beast Boy commented. Robin shrugged.
"The plot is easy to follow," Robin said. Periodically, Beast Boy would look over and Robin would nibble on another cracker. At least he wasn't as demanding as Robin was when the changeling got sick. Halfway through the movie, Robin began to feel queasy. He was keenly aware of the trash bin next to him, but he didn't want to use it. He took a deep breath, hoping that the urge to upchuck would pass.
It didn't. He could sense his mouth watering, and Robin began inhaling through his nose, trying to focus on the screen. His ministrations didn't go unnoticed. Beast Boy may have looked like he didn't see what was going on, but the changeling could clearly hear his struggle. Finally, Robin couldn't hold it anymore. He lurched for the bin and gave up the idea that he would be shrugging this off anytime soon. When he was done, which felt like a lifetime later, a small thing of water was offered to him.
"Here, rinse and spit. I'll get you some mouthwash in a second," Beast Boy said. Robin took the water bottle and allowed a bit of water into his mouth. He rinsed out the taste from his mouth and took the mouthwash his friend offered him. The overwhelming taste of spearmint was a welcome relief form the acidic taste from the vomit. He always hated this part the worst of being sick. Beast Boy took the bin from him and Robin couldn't even muster up the words to say thank you. He looked over when Beast Boy came back with a clean bin. The changeling was looking at him in concern.
"Do you need anything else?" Beast Boy asked as he punched in a number to his communicator. Robin frowned and tried to get the device away from him. Beast Boy held it out of reach. "I know what you're doing, Robin. I'm calling Cyborg and you are going to sit there before you pass out."
Robin wilted back into the couch. He kept forgetting that Beast Boy did have some sense in how to issue a command. Beast Boy finished dialing and held him communicator while he waited for the call to go through. It wasn't a long wait.
"Hey, B." Great, he got Cyborg. "Oh, no. What did gel head do now?" Robin frown as Beast Boy flipped his communicator around so that Cyborg's face on the screen was facing him. The android rubbed his hand over his face.
"See, this is what happens when you don't get your flu shot, Rob," Cyborg said. Robin rolled his eyes. The motion probably wasn't effective with his red nose and everything, but it made him feel better.
"I didn't need it," Robin grumbled. Cyborg smirked.
"Says the guy currently getting his butt kicked by the flu," Cyborg pointed out. Robin stuck his tongue out and curled back under his sheet. He focused on the movie as Beast Boy moved back into the kitchen. From the sounds of it, Beast Boy and Cyborg had things handled. He couldn't remember the last time someone had fussed over him. Being leader of a team meant you put everyone else first.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed before a mug of chicken broth was put in front of him. Robin took it and eyed Beast Boy.
"I didn't poison it," Beast Boy said as he took one of pillows from the end of couch and put it behind his back. Robin clutched the mug closer.
"I know you wouldn't do that," Robin answered. "I just know you don't like the stuff." Beast Boy rolled his head over to look at him.
"I don't eat the stuff; doesn't mean I don't know how to make it," Beast Boy said. Robin took a small sip; the broth felt good on his throat and his stomach didn't protest it. To be safe, he didn't rush himself to finish it. If he could avoid another episode of throwing up, he would continue eating nice and slow.
He eventually finished the mug and set in down on the coffee table. Shifting so he was laying on his side, Robin curled up under his blanket and watched the movie on the television screen. He must have drifted off at some point; he became more alert when the theme music wasn't playing anymore. Beast Boy was standing up near the DVD player and placing the disc back into the DVD case.
"Getting sick is a stupid thing," Robin said. Beast Boy walked over and took his mug. The changeling was clearly holding back a smile.
"I don't think anyone likes being sick," Beast Boy replied. "You should try and get some sleep. It'll help."
Robin didn't bother trying to argue. Sleep seemed really nice now. His eyes felt heavy, and the couch was pretty comfy, and he was actually sort-of-kinda able to breathe through his nose. It wasn't long before he was drifting off.
Robin woke up with a weird taste in his mouth. His eyes felt crusty and it took a few tries to clear his vision. The common room was dark; the shades on the bay windows were pulled down. Beast Boy was on the other couch, flipping through a book, but he couldn't see the title. Robin pulled his arms out from the blanket and enjoyed a short stretch. He sat up and reached for his communicator that was on the coffee table. There were messages from Starfire mostly. She was asking how he was feeling and telling him not to overstress himself.
"Surprised the city isn't burning down?" Beast Boy asked. Robin smirked.
"Oh, yes. The great Robin falls ill and the whole city goes crazy," Robin chuckled. He imagined how the villains would take him trying to fight while being under the weather. Robin glanced warily up at the alarm bell on the ceiling. Hopefully, it would stay silent. He couldn't imagine sitting by himself and waiting for Beast Boy to come back if something were to happen.
"We should call in someone," Robin said after a bit. The nagging about the safety of his team and his city wasn't going away. Beast Boy didn't wait long to answer his plea.
"I already made some calls. Kid Flash is hanging around with Jinx in case anything comes up," Beast Boy reassured him. "They know we're lacking in numbers at the moment so they don't mind helping out."
Robin tried to relax a bit at that. It hadn't even been a full day yet and Robin didn't feel any better. Maybe it was time to give in; let himself be sick, and then come back to work on Monday. But that probably wouldn't happen; he didn't let anyone on his team come back on rotation until a full week had gone by. It was mostly a precaution, no one wanted a friend to relapse. Plus, Beast Boy didn't budge when it came to his friends. If Robin got to see the inside of the file room before Wednesday it would be a shock.
"You really should try to get some sleep," Beast Boy suggested. Robin rubbed his nose with his hand; it wasn't long before a tissue box was sliding onto the coffee table. Had he had the energy, he would have laughed.
"There might be a call," Robin grumbled. Beast Boy sat up and leveled a look at him.
"If there is a call, Kid Flash and Jinx are on standby. I won't be going alone, Rob. So, quit worrying for a bit and try to get better. Starfire is gonna be home soon." Robin pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and Beast Boy draped another over him. Buried in warmth, Robin shut his eyes. The sounds of Beast Boy settling in around him made him stand down from his watch, even though he had been told not to. It was hard to shut off that switch in his head. Robin shifted on the couch, finding a comfortable position with his legs pulled to his chest and one arm under his head. He fell asleep thinking of his girl and the rest of his ragtag team, all back home safe and sound.
The next time he woke up it was to the sound of something scratching. Robin's vision was hazy, and his nose was stuffed up again, but his stomach wasn't rolling so he considered that a win. Beast Boy had shifted onto the floor. He had one of his drawing pads in hand, he had them stashed all over the tower, and seemed to be relaxed. Not necessarily hovering, just being close enough in case something was wrong. Robin had a tendency to forget that Beast Boy was hardwired to protect those he considered family. Even if nothing was wrong.
He could recall on similar occasions that he did that for his friends. He would peek his head into rooms to make sure they were sleeping alright. If they were having a bad day, he would pick them up something to make them smile or leave a treat for them. Bruce never did that for him, but he didn't want to be a replica of his former mentor. He wanted to be someone his friends could count on to pick them up when something went wrong happened. Granted, being sick wasn't something anyone planned, but Robin wanted to be there.
For the past year he had been trying to get closer to his team. Oh course, Robin knew that he shared a strong bond with his friends, but there were walls still in place that he had put there a while ago. Maybe this was his chance to start removing them, even if it was one person at a time. Beast Boy seemed like a good option, but he knew that he was kidding himself if he thought it would be easy. Beast Boy had barriers, too; and unlike Robin's, the changeling kept his defenses hidden. Probably a form of self-preservation, one that Robin knew all too well.
But, there wasn't going to be a better time to start. He was sick, the others were gone, and nothing was stopping him from trying to improve his current situation. Robin sat up, draping the lightest blanket around his shoulders like his cape. He got up and shuffled over to where Beast Boy was sitting.
"Sure you wanna be up and moving?" Beast Boy asked. Robin got comfortable on the ground.
"I'm sure you'll prevent me from hitting any of the furniture if I go down," Robin remarked. Beast Boy laughed. Robin peered over at the paper. It was a skyline, but he couldn't tell if it was of Jump City or not.
"That's really good," Robin said. Beast Boy rummaged through a small bag on the other side of him for a different pencil.
"It's nothing special, just something to pass the time," Beast Boy brushed off. Robin was taken aback by the level of detail; the skyscrapers all had perfectly drawn windows, there were small trees with little leaves, even the distance canyon ridges were there.
"That's more than something to pass the time. How long did this take you?" Robin asked. He knew that Beast Boy could do quick doodles in a few minutes, but this couldn't have taken more than a few hours. Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Couple of hours," Beast Boy said. Robin bumped his shoulder.
"So it is something good," Robin teased. He got a smile for his efforts. He turned his head to cough. Beast Boy started to get up.
"I think we have some cough drops in the kitchen," Beast Boy said. Robin frowned and tried to stop him from leaving. But that movement caused his once peaceful stomach to turn. The acidic taste was back and Robin barely got to the bucket in time. He could feel Beast Boy rubbing his back as he heaved his guts back up. He dry heaved a few more times before he was done. Robin groaned as he was propped up against the couch. Beast Boy pressed a tissue into his hand and he wiped his mouth.
"I guess this part of the flu isn't done yet," Beast Boy commented. Robin pressed his face into the couch cushion. He hated this. He was the leader of the Titans, how had he ended up here, sitting on the floor, puking his guts out?
"I don't want to be sick anymore," Robin moaned. "Why do I have to be sick, this is so stupid." Beast Boy laughed somewhere next to him and he lifted his head. He took the bottle of water that was offered to him as Beast Boy disappeared with the bucket. He busied himself with taking a few sips and glaring angrily at the coffee table.
"Well, if you got your flu shot you could have dodged this bullet," Beast Boy said. Robin turned his glare to his unimpressed, smiling, healthy teammate.
"You never got yours," Robin grumbled as he wiped his nose. This whole situation seemed unfair; this wasn't how his week was supposed to go. The list of things he had to get done was coming back to mind, and the urge to sneak off and do work had him getting anxious. Robin didn't try to leave, however. Beast Boy would probably be able to catch him. That would probably make the others laugh; Robin getting captured by his youngest member. "Why didn't you get your shot?" Robin finally asked. Beast Boy came back and put the clean bucket down.
"Screwed up DNA," Beast Boy reminded him, "Cyborg didn't want to risk it." That made sense; if Cyborg didn't think it was a good idea, then Beast Boy usually went with it. Honestly, Robin was surprised that Beast Boy didn't get sicker than he was when the flu came around to him. Robin reached feebly for the remote on the coffee table; his pathetic attempts didn't get him anywhere. Beast Boy laughed at his actions and handed it to him.
"Don't laugh at my pain," Robin whined. Beast Boy fired right back.
"I wasn't laughing…yet," Beast Boy said to him. Robin tried his best attempt of puppy dog eyes; he didn't have a chance really. Starfire and Beast Boy had the best puppy dog eyes, and when they used them, no one could say no. It was such an unfair advantage that the other three only allowed them to use it one in a while. Beast Boy didn't even blink at his guilt tripping. "Keep trying, Rob, I'm sure you'll get it to work eventually." Robin huffed.
"Starfire would bend," Robin wasn't going to go down easy. Beast Boy toed off his boots and curled up on the other couch.
"Star isn't here at the moment," Beast Boy didn't seem bothered by his whining. "You should try to get some rest; the others are probably going to be calling later and will want to talk to you." Robin settled in to watch an old sitcom and felt himself falling asleep. It didn't bother him as much as he though. He was warm and comfortable on the couch, his stomach wasn't rebelling, and his could breathe through one nostril. His eyes slipped closed and slowly fell asleep. He felt another blanket being placed on him and he drifted off even deeper.
The rest of the day past by at a slow pace. Robin drifted between sleep and being lucid. Beast Boy kept a steady eye on him, making sure he was drinking enough and, when he felt like it, bringing him something light to eat. Robin had found his way to Myth busters, and it wasn't long before they had finished one season. A bet had come from it: whoever bet that the myth would work and was right would get a point. The one with the most points at the end of the season wouldn't have late night patrols.
"Do you think Cyborg would ever build a flame thrower?" Beast Boy was spread out on the couch and Robin was nursing a cup of soup. The boy wonder gave his friend a stern look.
"There better not be a flame thrower in this tower," Robin didn't even want to think of the damage or complaints that item would bring. They already had a long list of banned items in the tower, it didn't need to be longer. Beast Boy laughed.
"It wouldn't happen, Cyborg knows you control the check book with a mighty hand, and you wouldn't ever allow it," Beast Boy said. Robin laughed too when he realized how true that statement was.
"Do you think the others will be back soon?" Robin asked. One of the things they both could agree on was that the tower felt off when someone was missing. Beast Boy checked his communicator.
"They haven't said anything yet. Knowing them they're probably trying to get home as soon as they can," Beast Boy put his communicator on the floor and shifted on the couch. Robin unraveled himself from the nest of blankets and tried to tame his hair into a somewhat manageable mess.
"I feel gross," Robin complained. He felt sweaty, his hair was gross, and he was pretty sure he smelled. And his nose wasn't that great, so he couldn't imagine how bad he smelled to Beast Boy.
"Well, you've been sick, so that kinda comes with the package," Beast Boy didn't seem fazed by his comment. Robin groaned as he stood up. At least he wasn't dizzy anymore.
"I'm going to shower, maybe when I get back I'll be magically better," Robin cheered up a bit at the thought of warm water on his aching body. It was a nice image.
"Ok, just don't push it, alright?" Beast Boy said to him in concern. Robin gave him a smile and headed for the bathroom. He wasn't winded like before, and after getting some fresh clothes from his room, he jumped in the shower and began to make himself feel better. Like the last time he had showered, the room was nice and warm. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he couldn't help but laugh. Beast Boy was sitting on the opposite wall, typing something into his communicator. He glanced up at Robin and stood up.
"What're you doing?" Robin asked. Beast Boy started walking with him back to the living room.
"Making sure you don't pass out and crack your head open," Beast Boy wasn't keen on having Starfire come back to an injured boyfriend on top of being sick. Robin rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine," Robin was feeling a lot better; his body felt relaxed and his nose had cleared up some. They settled back into a comfortable silence as they walked back to the common room. Robin got seated on the couch as Beast Boy rummaged in the kitchen. He came back with drinks and Robin's medication.
"Look at you, being all mother hen like." Robin was pretty sure he was only laughing at that image because he knew that Beast Boy wouldn't do anything to him. At least, not until he was better. Beast Boy handed him the pills first and cracked open the new bottle of water. After he handed off the bottle he sat down next to Robin. The sunset from the window started to filter in; rays of light danced across the floor and Robin wished he was feeling up to walking to the roof. The view would be incredible from that spot.
"Don't push it. If I wasn't scared of Starfire, I'd leave you on your own." Robin laughed at the teasing tone. It was nice, just the two of them. Seeing how close Beast Boy was, Robin wondered if he could get away with his half-thought out plan. Inching along the couch, Robin positioned himself so that he was leaning against his friend, stuffy head resting on his shoulder. Beast Boy, without looking up from the message he was sending to Raven, fixed the blanket that was draping him so that it covered them both. Robin relaxed in his new arrangement.
"Starfire wouldn't hurt you." Robin pressed a few random buttons on the communicator keyboard to bug his friend. "What're you doing?" Robin snuggled in more; he bunched up some of the blanket and curled up with his head on Beast Boy's lap. A gloved head began to rub his forehead.
"Star was asking about you, just telling her you're still alive." Beast Boy put his communicator on the cushion and leaned back into the couch. Robin swiped at his nose and eyed the remote control on the coffee table. Robin looked up at Beast Boy.
"Wanna get that?" Robin pleaded. Beast Boy reached up and handed it to him. The pinging of a communicator flowed into the room and Beast Boy answered it quickly. The faces of their friends appeared on the screen and Robin laughed quietly as Starfire and Cyborg started to push each other for a better view. Raven kept out of the way until they were done. Robin pushed himself up so he was propped up against Beast Boy's side and he brushed a few strands of hair from his wild bedhead out of his face. He cleared his nose of mucus before speaking.
"Hey there guys…"