While Robin's fever had seemed harmless, the boy was downright ill by early evening and Red's joking had turned to silent concern. By lunch time, Robin's temperature had risen to 102 degrees, and by dinner he was sweating clean through his clothes. He had also begun to develop quite a bad cough, his chest hollow sounding and congested with disgusting fluids. His energy had diminished so that he could barely even lift his head. Standing was now dangerous, since he couldn't even keep himself balanced. Worst of all was the fatigue, which made Robin emotional and weepy. The two criminals had never seen Robin so vulnerable.
Red naturally, had assigned himself to be Robin's caretaker, waiting on him hand and foot all hours of the day. He spoon fed him soup and massaged his muscles and made sure the entire place was silent while Robin napped throughout the afternoons. In the evenings he would carry Robin to the bathroom and give him hot baths, washing him thoroughly with a sponge to scrub away the sickness and sweat that dried on Robin's skin each day. And of course, he changed his diapers. Robin was now kept in night diapers after over-wetting a regular one had resulted in a stained couch cushion. Red checked him every hour on the hour and kept a basket of changing supplies by the couch for quick clean ups. Then Robin accidentally messed his diaper and positively bawled while Red went through more than ten wipes cleaning his backside. Even Slade, who hadn't bothered too much with the sick boy, found himself unable to focus on anything while Robin was such a mess.
In the end, some warm milk in a water bottle did the trick and Red cuddled him closely until the boy finally fell asleep again. Throughout the week, Red brought home movies to watch, soft fleece blankets, cool and comfortable pajamas and a few giant stuffed animals which Robin said he wouldn't use but ended up cuddling with anyway. By the finish of it all, Red considered himself a very accomplished nurse.
Now Red lied on the couch with Robin, who was stuck between wanting to stay awake and watch Up, and needing to shut his eyes and just sleep. The boy's arms were wound around his torso with his head resting against the man's chest. His bangs were a little sweaty, but Red didn't mind as he brought a hand up to stroke his hair. A rush of warmth spread over his leg where the crotch of Robin's diaper rested, but he didn't pay it any mind for now. The diaper was thick and could hold another wetting if it needed to. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin Robin's sleep.
He never did get around to changing his diaper. He woke up on the couch the next morning with a stiff back, Robin snuggled into his chest. He yawned and stretched his arms, feeling a few joints loosen with a satisfying pop. He looked down at Robin and smiled. If anybody knew how to look completely adorable while sleeping, it was Robin with his tousled hair and sweet little breaths. Red carefully reached forward and lifted up the blanket. Pulling up the hem of Robin's shirt, he stretched his arm down and rested a hand between the boy's little thighs. The crotch was bulging, a sign that he'd wet at least two or three times. No problem. Holding Robin to his chest, Red slowly turned, flipping them over so that Red now hovered above the couch. Then he slowly lowered Robin back down onto the cushions and stood up.
Robin shifted, his eyes fluttering open just enough for him to peer up at whatever disturbed his sleep. "What time'zit?" He murmured when he saw Red.
"It's morning, babe. It's okay, you just need a change. Go back to sleep." Red whispered.
Robin yawned and stretched a little, letting his legs fall open. Red retrieved the changing supplies and positioned himself at the end of the couch. While Robin watched through sleepy eyes, Red leaned over and ripped the tapes away from Robin's waist, pulling down the front to inspect the damage. Robin wasn't just wet, he was practically sopping. Red considered himself lucky that he hadn't been leaked on during the night. He removed the wet diaper and seized Robin's legs, pushing them back so that his knees almost touched his chest. Then he got to work wiping down the boy's pale bottom, which had pearls of moisture clinging to it from the overfilled diaper. There was still a small rash remaining, so once Robin's privates had been cleaned, he squeezed a dab of white butt paste onto his fingers and delicately coated the area. Finally he unfolded the fresh diaper and slid it under Robin's bottom. He pulled his legs down and fastened the tapes at his hips, nice and snug.
"There, I bet that feels better." Red whispered, rubbing the front of the diaper.
Robin hummed in response and turned back onto his stomach to resume his sleep while Red repositioned the blankets.
To everyone's relief, Robin's fever broke later that morning. By lunchtime he was sitting up and by dinner time, he was walking to the bathroom by himself with only a little bit of help on Red's half.
"It's fine, I can do it." Robin insisted, but Red stubbornly shook his head.
"The last thing we need is you to pass out and slam your head on the sink or something. Just let me help."
Robin sighed, knowing that he was wasting his breath as Red helped him the rest of the way down the hall and into the bathroom. Once positioned in front of the toilet, Red crouched down a little to lift up the boy's t-shirt and untape his diaper.
"There," He smiled, lowering him onto the toilet seat. "that wasn't so hard."
"Thanks." Robin mumbled, a shy blush rising on his cheeks. "Do you think I could have some privacy?"
"Sure, sure. I'll be waiting right outside." Red told him before stepping out of the bathroom so that Robin could do his business.
Once he heard the toilet flush, Red returned and helped tape the diaper back up. Then he simply gathered the hero up in his arms and carried him to the kitchen. "I made hamburgers. I bet you're really sick of soup by now, huh?"
That night, while Red tucked him into bed, Robin sat up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Surprised, Red paused in his actions and stared at him. Robin reddened. "Just…thanks for taking care of me." He mumbled.
Red grinned and tilted his chin up, placing a kiss on his lips. "No problem. You know I love you." Robin's face heated up exponentially and for a moment, Red was worried that his fever was returning but no, it was just adorable teenage bashfulness. He chuckled and petted his hair. "You're too cute for your own good, you know that?" He asked. After he finished tucking him in, Red turned out the lights and crawled into his own bed.
A few days later, Slade entered the bedroom bright and early with a brochure in his hand. Robin took one look at it and crumpled it up. "No fucking way."
"Yes way, and do you need a reminder of my policy concerning profanity?" Slade asked him.
"What's going on?" Red yawned, turning over in bed. He took one look at Robin's disgruntled face and sat up curiously. "What's wrong?"
"I'm being blackmailed by a pervert, that's what's wrong!" Robin snapped. "School uniforms and baby clothes and now this! You're sick!"
"If you'd let me speak, I'd be able to explain that you'll be with boys your own age this time. Dance isn't specifically a girl's vocation." Slade told him.
"Dance? What about it?" Red wondered.
"The owner of a regional dance academy is an old acquaintance of mind." Slade replied. "Recently he's stacked up quite a big debt to some local enterprise tycoons: powerful investors with access to secret, experimental technology and chemicals. He has also stacked up quite an impressive blackmail file on each of them and is preparing a negotiation attempt in two weeks' time."
"So he wants be to pose as a student again and steal some other stupid thing." Robin scowled.
"I pulled some strings and managed to enroll you without audition." Slade told him.
"So you bribed them." Robin confirmed.
"Precisely. You will be specializing in acrobatics and worry not, Robin. You will be permitted to wear boy's clothes, as you will be in an all-boy class."
"Ooh, a bunch of boys with bodies just like yours? That sounds like fun." Red grinned slyly. Robin threw a pillow at him.
"No, it sounds stupid. I'm not going."
Slade picked him up by the collar of his shirt, his single eye narrowing. "I think you've forgotten why you're here. It's either his blackmail, or yours. Take your pick."
Robin reddened with embarrassment and anger. Their glares met and the room became dangerously tense until Robin spat out "fine."
"Good. Get dressed and ready for a briefing." He dropped Robin on the bed and left.
An hour later, after Robin and Red had dressed and eaten, they sat on the couch and listened to Slade's lecture on their latest mission. The mercenary had pulled a map of the school onto the large screen and pointed to a square box at the far-east end of the academy. "This is his office. It's located at the end of the hall near the girl's theatre room. There is a wardrobe room separating the two with a ventilation system connecting the two. Should you be unable to pick the lock, you can always enter through there." Slade explained.
"Sounds easy enough." Red smiled, trying to make the boy feel better. It was little use, he still pouted, shooting daggers at Slade.
"Your class room will be in the southern wing." He continued, circling his finger around another square. "You will specialize in acrobatic dance." His finger dragged up to the northern wing. "This entire wing makes up the living areas. The right side is for boys, the left is for girls. Administration is at the southern part of the wing, including your target's private quarters. Should you not be able to find anything in his office, I would recommend investigating this area as well." He turned and pointed to Red. "You've been hired on as a maintenance worker in order to keep an eye on Robin."
"Oh, what, so I need a babysitter now?" Robin asked defensively.
"Apparently, yes." Slade replied. "He'll also be able to provide you with keys."
"Oh, yeah." Robin realized. He slumped in his chair.
"The necessities have already been packed. I expect both of you to be ready to leave at noon exactly."
The ride, needless to say, was very long. Red and Robin bickered nonstop about what radio station they were going to listen to and even after Slade declared that the radio was going off, their fighting persisted. Robin took a short nap and Slade was thankful for the silence that is until Robin woke up and found the front of his diaper covered in Sharpie drawings. This had turned into another long argument until Slade was forced to pull off the road, turn around, and threaten to torture both of them unless they stopped talking now. Needless to say, they shut up.
Slade dropped them off in the front of the school and the two boys gaped at its sheer size. The place was enormous. It was easy to see how the owner had fallen into debt so easily. Red ruffled his hair and waved goodbye before heading to the payroll office. Robin swallowed and made his own way to administrations.
After receiving a schedule and a map, Robin was left to his own devices. He located his room, dropping his suitcase on the empty bed and flipping the top. Robin found civvies, a few leotards, some gym shorts, dancing and ballet shoes, and finally, his changing supplies. He didn't bother to unpack it since he'd only be there for a few days and shoved the case under the bed. Linens were provided, so he quickly covered the bare mattress and selected a pillow. There: now he could start investigating.
Unsure if he was expected to attend class, Robin wandered around for a bit, finding himself inevitably in the east wing. The sound of a piano was muffled behind a closed door as he strolled past, but his gaze focused in on the last door at the very end of the hallway. He approached it and peered in from an angle, only to find that the office was occupied by a burly, bald man with a pug nose and a curled moustache. He looked like he was straight out of Moulin Rouge. Robin could understand why he owned a dance academy.
Suddenly the man rose from his chair and Robin ducked out of sight. Suddenly the door opened. Robin pressed himself flat against the wall as the door came within inches of his face. The man began to make his way down the hall without ever noticing Robin. The boy sighed in relief and deflated, catching the door before it locked shut and slipping inside.
The office was a mess. Stacks and stacks of documents covered his desk. Several late notices regarding bills had slipped off of the piles and fluttered to the floor. Slade wasn't kidding when he'd said the man was desperate. Robin looked around, checking desks drawers and file cabinets, but all he found were more bills and banking statements. Even the desk wasn't hollowed out. Robin went as far even to test the walls and the floors, but still nothing. He was rifling through the last drawer when he heard the door open.
"Hey!" The man yelled. "Who are you?"
Robin reacted immediately, yanking his hood over his head to hide his face and keeping his head down as he sprinted towards the door. He shoved past him and took off down the hall as the man yelled for help, his heart pounding. Now he'd done it.
His eyes flickered to the wardrobe room and hesitated until he saw another man coming at him from the opposite end of the hall. Knowing this was his only chance at escape, he scurried inside and collided with another person.
"Ow!" The girl exclaimed as she was knocked to the ground.
"I'm really sorry! I have to go!" Robin hissed urgently, trying to get past her, but suddenly there were five more girls surrounding him.
"Hey, you're a boy! You don't belong here!" Another girl stated, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"I know, I know! I'm being chased. Please just let me go." He pleaded, too desperate right now to care about lying to these random students.
Suddenly there was a harsh knock on the wardrobe door and the girls all jumped. "Can we come in, ladies?" A deep voice asked.
"Uh, one moment!" The second girl called. She ripped a dress off of the hanger and shoved it into his arms. "Put this on." She ordered, directing him to the changing rooms.
Too scared to care about being put in yet another situation that required crossdressing, Robin ran behind the curtain and stripped, putting on the dress in record time. The silky, smooth material was snug against his stomach and the tutu rubbed against his diaper, making a scratching sound but he didn't care, as long as he wasn't found out. There was a pair of ballet slippers on the hook beside him which he hastily slipped on before reappearing. The girl took his wrist and yanked him right into the center of the group, just as two men entered.
One Robin recognized as the owner with his bald head and big moustache. The second however, was a tall, slender, man who looked like a living skeleton. His face was pale and gray and his eyes were sunken in. His fingers were long and skeletal, adorned with gaudy rings.
"Afternoon, ladies. Would it be any inconvenience to you if we were to look around the wardrobe room?" The second man asked. Robin realized that his was the deep voice he had heard.
"Not at all." Answered the first girl; it was the one he'd knocked over.
"Excellent. Don't let us keep you from your practice."
Robin suddenly found himself being herded into a dance room and looked around, feeling lost. The girl tugged him over to the ballet bar and leaned in close. "Just do as I do."
So for the next ten minutes while the men wandered about searching for him, Robin bent and squatted and flourished his arms like the rest of the girls, his heart pounding each time the men got a little too close. His face reddened nervously and his eyes darted around suspiciously, trying to understand why these girls were helping him after he'd practically bowled one of them over.
When the men finally left with a quick thank you, Robin sighed and slipped to the floor with relief. He prepared to thank the girls and take his leave, but in seconds he was surrounded by thirteen stern-faced teenage girls.
"Who are you?" The girl who'd helped him demanded.
"My name's Robin." He admitted.
"Why were you being chased by Fuccelli and The Phantom?"
"Who?"
"You know, the two men that were looking for you."
"Oh." Now that Robin was temporarily safe, he didn't think it would hurt to lie. "I was skipping class." He said guiltily. He raised an eyebrow. "Why did you help me?"
"Because you seemed really scared." She shrugged. "I would be too if The Phantom was chasing me." Robin gave her a confused look. "The vice principal. We call him The Phantom because he's cold, dead, and unfeeling." She explained.
"And because he just appears out of nowhere." Another girl piped up.
"Okay, well thanks." Robin nodded. "I'll be going now."
"Oh no you don't." The girl smirked. "One of our dancers is sick today, which means we don't have an even group. We saved your ass, so you owe us."
"What? No I don't!" Robin protested.
"You do too! Either stay here and be our number fourteen or we'll tell on you." A skinny blonde girl replied.
Robin clenched his teeth and scowled. "You can't be serious."
"We are." The second girl replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "You did pretty well on the bar. Just dance with us for today and then you can go."
Robin considered his options. He could either spend the day dancing in a frilly pink tutu, or he could get caught by the owner, be forced to escape without the documents, and then most likely receive the beating of a lifetime from Slade who might even release his secret to the world. He sighed tiredly. "What do I have to do?"
And that's how Robin spent the day practicing the Nutcracker ballet with a bunch of sixteen year old girls. By the end of it, his toes felt utterly broken, but at least he hadn't been caught.
"Okay," the second girl, who had introduced herself as Brooke instructed, "just run forward and do a grand jete. Bethany will catch you and spin your around, got it?"
Robin sighed. "Then can we be done? I'm pretty sure my feet are bleeding."
"Yeah, yeah, don't be a baby." Brooke replied. "And…go!"
Robin did as he was told, jumping and spreading his legs in midair. He felt firm hands grasp his thighs and spin, but they fumbled and suddenly he felt them on the seat of his diaper. The girl squeaked and released him in surprise as he shoved her away, a dark blush rising on his cheeks.
The girl stared at him incredulously. "Was that what I think it was?"
Robin found himself unable to reply. He squeezed his thighs together, burning in humiliation as moisture welled between his legs.
"What's wrong, Beth?" Brooke asked. "It looked great from here."
Bethany raised a finger at Robin in disbelief. "He's wearing a diaper! Look for yourself if you don't believe me."
Robin decided that right now was the perfect time to leave, but as he tried to make his way to the wardrobe room, the girls blocked the doorway. Suddenly he felt a hand yank up the back of his tutu and he squeaked, whirling around yanking the skirt back down. "Stop!"
"You weren't kidding." Ericka gaped in disbelief.
Brooke raised her eyebrow and stepped forward. "Anna, Michelle, hold him still."
Two girls seized him by his arms and he looked up as Brooke approached with her hand outstretched towards his skirt. He began to kick and fight as the girls pulled him into a sitting position while Ericka and Bethany tugged up his skirt. Brooke crouched down in front of him and touched the front of it, yanking her hand away suddenly. "It's wet!" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Let go!" Robin ordered, humiliated tears welling up in his eyes. He hated girls. Absolutely hated them.
Surprised to see him cry, the girls obeyed and released their holds on him. Robin sprang to his feet and ran to the changing room.
A/N: Don't forget to check out my blog! haleyscircus . tumblr . com