Back with an update. Just a little sick chapter.
Tim was scrunched up on his bed. The blanket took shape of Tim's upwards knees and draped down to Tim's hip. Tim had been awake fir a bit, but didn't have the energy to get up just yet. Bruce saw him after he came home, like he promised, and after a conversation about patrol, let Tim sleep on the fact that he didn't blame him and that they'd try again later. Tim could agree, but it didn't make it any less troubling. He still felt bad about his reaction, even if it was an understandable and realistic one. It just hurt Tim's pride knowing that there were still boundaries to his recovery.
The door cracked open, not even fazing Tim. From the weight of the footsteps, he could tell it was Bruce. Bruce didn't seem impressed by Tim's position. It looked woefully drab and kind of pathetic if he was honest.
Bruce walked over to the bed. Rather than stand there, he decided to join Tim on the bed. He sat again the bedframe, resting one hand behind his head and let the other rest beside him. Bruce looked at Tim earnestly. The teen's motionlessness was interesting, but not unheard of.
"So, are we just going to mope all day in bed?" Bruce asked. "Or are we going to be productive?"
Tim didn't answer. He shifted his head so that he was facing the window. Bruce shuffled in the bed slightly.
"I have to admit, your bed is pretty comfortable."
Tim still didn't respond. It was a little bothering, but Bruce had an inkling as to why he was.
"Are you still upset about last night?" Bruce inquired. "Because if you are, there's no reason for you to."
Tim leaned over, using Bruce as a cushion. That seemed to be his way of accepting Bruce's statement. Bruce's arm moved from behind his head and wrapped it around Tim, briefly nudging his shoulder.
"I don't feel good." Tim sighed.
Bruce's hand brushed against Tim's forehead. He was definitely warm, there was no denying that. However, Bruce had a feeling that it wasn't caused by something external. What he was more impressed with was the fact that Tim was admitting to not feeling well. He never did unless they interrogated him long enough or if he passed out because of it. Whichever came first.
"Must be from the stress." Bruce observed. "You haven't been out enough to catch anything, so it has to be the stress of going out and the recent excitement. You should rest."
Bruce moved off the bed and repositioned Tim. He made sure to lay Tim on his side and Tim got himself comfortable. Bruce draped the blanket over his shoulders and left the room. He came back with a damp towel and rested it on Tim's forehead.
"I'll check on you in a little bit, okay?" Bruce quietly stated.
Tim moaned. It was enough to get the point across and let Bruce knew he heard. Bruce slowly closed the door, allowing Tim to rest.
Tim was chained to a wall within a dungeon on fire. The flames weren't coming towards him, but he was panicked enough not to care. He tried to twist and turn his wrists out of the chains. It wasn't looking good, but that didn't stop Tim from trying.
He didn't know where he was. Not that he was keen on finding out. All Tim cared about was getting free.
A figure walked through the flames. An all too familiar one at that. Ra's al Ghul approached Tim, unfazed by the flames.
He said nothing as he approached Tim. A smug grin was maliciously sat on his face. Once Ra's got close to Tim, he grabbed Tim's face and forced him to look at him. Tim looked at him frightened, not wanting to think about what was going on.
"It'll be okay." Ra's tried to comfort. "I will always be here for you."
Tim bolted awake with a gasp, sitting up. As he scanned the room, he realized that he was in the manor and was still in bed. It was dark, leading Tim to realize that it was night. A shuffling sound startled him causing him to look on his bed.
He could barely see what was there. It looked like a dark lump. Tim gently ran a hand to the area in question to try and identify the source of the noise. He felt a body, which was startling, but as he inspected the features, he was able to calm down. It was Bruce. The size and hairline were a giveaway, once Tim deduced it.
Tim relaxed, lying back down and curled up. He didn't feel as warm as before, which must have meant that his fever was clearing up, but still felt groggy. He was also feeling the heat of embarrassed, especially since he wasn't expecting to have company. When Bruce could have possibly snuck in he had no idea. Which lead to the question to why Bruce was there. Did Bruce hear him have a nightmare and come to comfort him? Was Bruce so tired that he didn't realized that he was in Tim's room? Or, was Bruce worried about leaving him alone while he was sick and wanted to be there if Tim needed him?
Tim wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon, that much was certain, so he figured he might as well enjoy it. He subconsciously inched closer to Bruce. It wasn't as frightening now that he knew who it was. An arm subconsciously draped itself on him. It twitched as Bruce's breathing shifted.
"Nightmare?" Bruce yawned.
"Uh-huh." Tim sighed.
Bruce's arm forced Tim a little closer. Close enough for Tim to feel the warmth emanating off of Bruce. It helped Tim feel more comfortable and the proximity made him feel.
"It's okay."
Tim simply breathed deeply. He didn't have the energy to continue a conversation. Not that he had much else to talk about. Eyes drooped, too heavy to keep Tim up.
And yes more Batdad fluff. Because why not? I will be keeping this fic where its at as far as category and all that jazz.