Chapter Three:
Despite being pregnant, Bruce goes out on patrol anyways. When he woke up from his hour nap, he still couldn't think of a good excuse as to why he couldn't go out on patrol and if he's quite honest with himself, he didn't want to come up with one. Technically, if he hadn't come home early from the Justice League meeting, he wouldn't be going out on patrol anyways since he would still be up on the Watchtower taking care of a few things. But he did come home early and so now has no reason not to go out.
Bruce dodges a kick and punches at the guy he is fighting. Both Damian and Tim had decided to go with Dick because it's not often that they get to go on patrol together. Bruce is glad that Damian likes Dick and that Dick cares about Damian as well. It's Damian and Tim who he worries about. Right now, however, all he can do is hope Dick can keep the two from killing each other. With Damian and Tim not around, that leaves Bruce to fight by himself. Which should have concerned him due to his current condition and made him retreat back home but it didn't. Bruce feels like he needs to hit something and he's not about to deny himself channeling that anger into taking down criminals.
He is fighting the guy that he is currently in a skirmish with pretty well up until Bruce's head decides to make him dizzy. The roof top that he is currently on begins to spin and when he goes to attack the thug, he misses with the man dodging easily. "What's wrong Batman?" the thug taunts. "Not feeling too hot?" The thug laughs and punches Bruce in the face, causing Bruce to stumble back a few paces. With the impact of the man's fist, the world starts to spin even more and the dizziness is making his nausea come back. "You're not looking too good, Bat Creep."
A kick to the abdomen causes Bruce to stumble even further back and his mind has just enough time to think that it's okay, the kick wasn't that hard and the armor absorbed most of it, before he goes tumbling off the roof top. He doesn't have time or the ability to aim a grappling gun to catch himself and so he ends up hitting the rail of the fire escape before finally landing on the ground hard. The next thing he knows; he's opening his eyes to a gloved hand waving in front of his face and the distinct smell of another alpha.
Bruce tries to roll over from his side to his back but when he moves even the slightest bit, sharp, fiery pain shoots through his whole body. He groans and a hand is placed gently on his shoulder. "Hey, careful, you probably have a few cracked ribs."
He relaxes back on his side and swallows, tasting the blood. He's hurting all over and it hurts to breathe. "Baby."
"Baby?" The alpha sounds confused. "There's no baby around here, Old Man."
"No… B-Baby." Bruce slides his hand slowly down to his abdomen.
He's met with a brief silence as the alpha tries to comprehend what Bruce is getting at. Then he says, "Oh, shit." A hand grabs a hold of him under his arms and hauls him up. "Alright, let's go, Old Man."
"Where are you taking me Jason?"
"My hideout." Jason slings one of Bruce's arms over his shoulders. "You'll be safe there until you can get back to the Manor."
"No," Bruce tries to push away from Jason but the alpha holds onto him tightly, "call Alfred."
"Sorry, B, but I'm not exactly in contact with him."
"I thought you were."
"Sometimes. Not right now."
"Why?"
"Because I don't feel like it. Now be quiet."
Bruce just groans and allows himself to be dragged to Jason's hideout where Jason then deposits him on the couch. "Why are you helping me?"
Jason looks at him for a second before shrugging. "I saw you take that nasty fall. Took care of that guy for you too by the way. I didn't kill him though if you're worried about that." Jason is gathering materials to clean up Bruce's bruises. "He was only a beta. You're off your game."
"Got dizzy." Jason sits down next to him and Bruce takes his cowl off. He expects Jason to give Bruce the cleaning materials and bandages so Bruce can take care of his bruises himself, but is shocked when Jason reaches up and starts cleaning them for him. "Now who's the beta?"
"Ha, very funny," the alpha says. "This coming from the one who hates conforming to castes the most. You should be glad that I'm acting like a beta."
"That or you're acting like an alpha who is trying to protect the omega."
Jason doesn't say anything to this and that's all the proof Bruce needs to know he was correct. Jason clears his throat. "So, why'd you get dizzy?"
"Early symptom of pregnancy."
"So I did hear you right." Bruce nods once. "Is it okay?"
"I… I think so. The pain I'm feeling right now is from bone and muscle and isn't originating anywhere near my abdomen. I think the suit absorbed most of the impact and now where it is hurting is just radiating throughout my whole body. Even as we speak, however, the pain is starting to lessen."
"Good." Jason continues in treating his injuries, not even missing a beat. "Do I even want to know who the sire is?"
"Clark."
At this, Jason does miss a beat. He pulls back a little and looks Bruce in the eyes. "Mated, married Clark?" Bruce nods. "Fuck Bruce."
"It was a mistake."
"Right." Jason goes back to treating him. "Who else knows? About the baby I mean."
"Just you." One of Jason's eyebrows raises. "I'm sure Alfred will find out soon."
"You haven't told Clark?" The alpha puts the last touches on Bruce's injuries and starts to clean up.
Bruce shakes his head. "No. I… I don't even know if I'm going to keep it." Bruce slowly leans back on the couch and Jason leans against the counter. "If I don't then Clark never has to know about the baby and if I do… then he never has to know it's his."
The alpha in front of Bruce eyes him and sucks on his bottom lip. "How are you going to explain the whole half Kryptonian thing then if you keep this baby?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"You?" Jason huffs a laugh. "Okay, I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, Bruce, because to be quite honest, I don't care. But I think Clark deserves to know that your carrying his child… whether you get an abortion or not." With a sigh, the alpha pushes off the counter. "Look, I wasn't done out there for the night. I'm going to just assume you'll be gone by the time I get back but if you need to rest for a while, go right ahead." Jason is then gone, out the window and into the night.
Seeing as Bruce can't move without pain shooting through his whole body, he decides to take Jason up on his offer. Bruce pulls his cowl back on and then lies out on the couch carefully. He doesn't mean to fall asleep but the next time he opens his eyes, there's sunlight shinning in through the windows. Bruce can hear the sound of clattering dishes and when he looks, he sees Jason in the kitchen cooking and Roy sat at the island.
Bruce sits up, noticing how the pain in his body has lessened quite a bit, and then gets up off the couch, approaching the two alphas. Bruce isn't sure if his alpha scent mask has worn off yet and hopes it hasn't as he reaches the two. They must have sensed him coming because they both turn to look at him. "Good morning," Jason says, eyeing him up and down, probably assessing his movements for injuries.
"Morning," Bruce grumbles in return and sits down next to Roy.
Jason turns back to the stove and continues cooking whatever it is he is making. "When I said you could rest for a while; I didn't mean you could sleep the night. I said for you to be gone by the time I got back."
"If I remember it correctly, you assumed that I was going to be gone by the time you got back. I never confirmed it."
Jason huffs and turns around, placing a plate with a waffle down in front of Bruce. "Shut up and eat."
"I didn't even know you could cook." Bruce takes a fork and cuts a piece of the waffle off. He's starving which is a nice change from the constant nausea that he's been feeling.
Jason places some milk in front of him next. "Yeah, well there's a lot of things that you don't know about me anymore."
Bruce decides to ignore that jab and the sting that it causes in favor of contemplating the food in his mouth. It's good, better than what he expected but… "Do you have chocolate syrup?"
He watches as both Roy and Jason raise one eyebrow in question. "For your milk?" Roy asks, the first thing he's said since Bruce woke up.
"For the waffle."
There's confused silence for a second before Roy and Jason look at each other and then Jason shrugs. Despite Jason and Bruce having a difficult relationship right now, Bruce still knows that he can trust Jason to not tell Roy about the pregnancy. He's proud of that, that he can put that kind of trust in Jason even if they aren't on the best of terms right now. With Jason helping him, however, maybe that's on the mend.
"Yeah, sure," Roy says and gets up, walking to the refrigerator and taking out the syrup. He hands it to Bruce and Bruce takes it gratefully.
The two of them watch as Bruce squeezes out some onto the waffle, making brown lines all along the food. Then, just because he feels like it, Bruce squeezes some into his milk. Jason hands him a spoon to stir it with. Bruce eats another piece of the waffle and hums in satisfaction. Much better.
"Okay, this is getting way too weird for my taste. I'm out of here. See you later Jaybird." Roy then gets up and leaves.
Bruce watches him go curiously. "What was he doing here?"
"This is actually Roy's place." This time it's Bruce's turn to raise an eyebrow as Jason sits down next to him with his own waffle. "He lets me crash here. He's a good friend."
"Just a friend?"
Jason huffs again. "Just a friend, not that it's any of your business, Old Man. I'm not into other alphas."
"You know it would be fine if you were."
"I don't need you telling me that. Stay out of my business." Jason watches him eat. "So, I see you're having cravings." He motions to the chocolate milk and the chocolate syrup on the waffle. "Since when do you drink chocolate milk and have chocolate syrup on your waffles? Isn't having chocolate syrup on your food like that disgusting?" He chuckles briefly and Bruce doesn't bother answering him. "How far along are you?"
"Almost two months."
Jason whistles and then pauses. "Listen, I was thinking about it more and I don't think it's just Clark you need to tell. You should tell the others as well, Dick and Tim I mean, and especially that demon child of yours. This baby is his half sibling; he deserves to know that."
"How about this Jason. I stay out of your business if you stay out of mine."
Jason chuckles again. "We both know you won't do that so that deal is moot." Bruce grumbles in defeat and sniffs the air. "Don't worry. I reapplied an alpha scent on you when you were asleep. Roy couldn't smell you're an omega."
"Don't start acting like I'm some helpless omega just because I'm unmated and pregnant Jason."
"Tsk, only you would think me going out of my way to help conceal the fact that you're an omega is some alpha instinct that I'm acting on."
"Is it not?" Jason stays quiet, not looking at him. "That's what I thought."
"You think you know everything don't you?" There's anger in the alpha's voice but he makes no move to show dominance yet. He has in the past and Bruce has managed to shut him down each time but now Bruce wonders how much longer he'll be able to do so when he's pregnant. Jason changes his next statement to sound more playful. "I thought I was a beta now."
"And I thought I said you were acting like an alpha who is trying to protect the omega."
"Right." Jason finishes his waffle and gets up to put his plate in the sink. He then dishes out another waffle for Bruce. Bruce gladly takes it and puts chocolate syrup on this one as well. "Not having morning sickness?"
"Not right now. The last two days it's been almost non-stop nausea."
"Hmm." Jason takes a sip of his coffee. "You want me to go get some decaf coffee for you?"
"Jason… I'm serious about this alpha posturing."
"I'm not trying to, or… meaning to, I promise."
"I know."
Jason sighs and sits back down. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I really don't know yet, Jason." Jason frowns at him. "I just don't know."
...
Bruce leaves Jason after he finishes his third waffle. He's pleasantly full which he feels like hasn't happened ever since the morning sickness started but he still feels completely exhausted. Jason offered to help him get back to the Manor but Bruce refused. He has the Batmobile stashed away near the alley that he took his fall and Bruce feels like he has intruded in on Jason's life enough for one day. Plus, Jason offering him help is all based on alpha instincts and Bruce isn't quite comfortable with that.
He manages to get back to the alley that the Batmobile was left in fine on his own by sticking to the darkest shadows cast by buildings. As soon as he enters the alley, however, he notices that the car isn't there. Either Tim or Dick must have drove it back to the cave once they tracked it down, no doubt trying to find where Bruce is. Bruce sighs and wonders what to do from here. He'll obviously have to either call Alfred to send someone to come pick him up or he'll have to trek it on foot. He's not very keen on doing either.
He sighs again. "Well, are you going to ask me if I need a ride?"
Jason steps out from the corner of a building in full Red Hood gear. "Got your game back I see."
"It wasn't that hard to know you were following me when you're driving around with a noisy motorcycle."
Jason laughs. "True though I wasn't trying too hard to stay concealed. Come on. Save you the dignity of having to call Alfie and you look way too tired to make it home on foot."
Bruce takes a deep breath and then walks over to where Jason is, getting on his bike after the alpha gets on first. Once settled on the bike, Bruce then has the dilemma of where to put his hands. He knows the alpha in front of him doesn't like to be touched so hands on his shoulders is a no and even if it was an option, hands on the hips is too personal. Bruce decides to reach behind himself and grasp a hold of the seat instead.
Jason starts the motorcycle and then peels out of the alley and into traffic, weaving in and out and going through red lights. Bruce briefly wonders what a sight they must make, Red Hood driving a motorcycle with Batman on the back in daylight. People must think they are seeing things. The wind feels good on the only part of Bruce that is exposed and he wishes he could pull his cowl back and feel the wind through his hair.
Bruce allows himself to relax for the ride and it seems like they make it back to the cave in no time. When they pull into it, Bruce can already see Dick, Tim, Damian, and Alfred huddled around the computer. "Looks like the welcome wagon is here," Jason says quietly as he shuts the motorcycle off.
They both get off and Dick and Tim run up to the two while Damian and Alfred just walk. "Bruce! Where were you? We've been looking everywhere," Dick says, eyeing Jason.
"Hey, I would love to stay and listen to what you tell them, but I think I've done enough civil duties for one day." Jason gets back on the bike and salutes Bruce. "See you Old Man."
"Thank you Jason." Then Jason revs the bike and speeds off. Bruce watches him go before turning around to see four pairs of curious eyes. "I ended up getting injured and Jason helped me."
"Okay, and where were you this whole time?" Tim asks. Bruce doesn't answer and makes his way to the showers. He's still a bit sore from last night. "Bruce?"
He continues to ignore them, hearing Dick say, "Typical" under his breath. Bruce isn't really sure why he doesn't want them to know he was at Jason's this whole time but has a feeling it has a lot to do with the baby. The only reason why Jason even brought him back to his place is because Bruce was concerned about the baby and told Jason about it. Not to mention, Jason was only helping him because it's instinctual for both betas and alphas to help a pregnant omega and especially an unmated pregnant omega. Bruce doesn't want to have to explain all that because he doesn't want any of them to know in the first place. It's bad enough already that Jason does.
Bruce sighs and enters the shower, washing off the fake alpha scent and looking his body over. He's sporting some pretty bad black and blues from his fall and he has a slightly black and blue eye from where the guy hit him. Luckily it's not as bad as it would have been had he not had the cowl on. Bruce looks down at his stomach. It's too early for him to start showing so he still has some defining muscles on his stomach but he can now see them starting to soften. It must be his body getting ready to show. Either that or he's been feeling too sick lately to keep his exercise routine normal. He has a feeling it's the former, however.
Bruce places a hand on his stomach and swallows dryly. A spike of panic shoots through his chest and he retracts his hand as if it was stung. If he wasn't pregnant he would be starting his heat a week from now but since he is, that's not going to happen. Bruce is going to have to figure out how to hide the fact that he is missing heats until he figures out what to do. He wishes the solution was more simple than it is.
There's a knock on the door and Bruce ignores it. That is until the person calls out to him. "Master Bruce, I would like to speak to you if you don't mind."
With a sigh, Bruce shuts the water off and wraps a towel around his waist, stepping out of the shower. "Come in Alfred."
Alfred walks in with his hands behind his back. He closes the door behind him. "Sir, something has come to my attention."
Bruce turns around to dig out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the cabinet. "What is it Alfred?"
There's a noise from something plastic being set down on the counter with a little too much force. "Would you care to explain what in heaven's name you were doing out on patrol?"
Bruce grimaces, already knowing what this is about. He steels his face and turns around to see the trashcan on the counter. He doesn't have to look inside it to know that three positive pregnancy tests are in it. "How do you know those aren't Tim's?"
"Because for one, Sir, Tim is much more responsible than you to not get pregnant. Secondly," Alfred sounds like he is barely controlling his anger which Bruce hasn't seen since he was a little kid, "this trashcan is from your room."
Bruce wishes he had taken care of the trash from his room now. He forgot they were there and he forgot that Alfred would be taking it. "Alfred-"
"You said you were hurt Sir," Alfred interrupts. "How?"
"I… I fell off a roof."
Bruce can smell the anger coming off the beta and Bruce can't meet his eyes. "You risked your unborn child just to go out and fight crime and now you're telling me you actually fell off a roof?"
"The baby is fine, Alfred."
"So you think, Sir."
"No, I know so. I know the signs of a miscarriage. I studied up on them as soon as I found out about-" He looks to the floor. "As soon as I found out that I'm pregnant. I looked up all the symptoms at work, I read them a hundred times. I'm not showing any signs of losing the baby."
Alfred still has his eyes narrowed on Bruce and the stench of anger is still strong in the air. "Even so, Sir, you still endangered your child and that is unacceptable Master Bruce. That fall could have made you lose that baby. Any criminal lucky enough to hit you in the right place could have caused a miscarriage or you could have been drugged, like you frequently are, and that drug could have caused one. What were you thinking, Sir? Any number of things could have gone wrong and quite frankly you were lucky that fall didn't."
"I know Alfred."
"Then why Sir? Why did you-"
"Because I don't know if I'm going to keep it," he yells, frustrated. He really hopes the boys are back up in the Manor and can't hear him. "I might not keep it," he says more calmly.
Silence fills the room as Alfred processes. Finally, Alfred says, "That is no excuse Sir and if I am honest, I am very disappointed in you." The beta grabs a hold of the trashcan and leaves, leaving Bruce in the steamy bathroom with his own self-disparaging thoughts.
A/N: Thanks for reading! :)
