Don't Fear the Reaper

26) Bruce is Certified Baby Girl and You Can't Change My Mind

Bruce felt like shit. Everything hurt— every breath, every blink, every thought in his head— and yet he couldn't stop his mind from moving a mile a minute. After the first day, he had convinced most of the family that staying in his room at all hours was pointless, but that didn't stop Damian.

His son had insisted that he stayed there in case something happened, but after a very long discussion, Dick and Bruce had finally convinced Damian to go take a shower and a nap with the agreement that Nico stayed there to guard him. Nico of course didn't like that, so then Dick had to agree to stay with Damian the entire time and swear that he would radio everyone if anything happened.

As soon as Damian and Dick left his room, Bruce let out a breath of relief, finally allowing his pain to fully show on his face.

"Don't tell the others," Bruce muttered with a chuckle, noticing Nico eyeing him at the sudden shift in his facial expression. "I know that they know I'm in pain, but if they knew how bad it was, they would force medication on me and I don't want that."

Nico raised an eyebrow slightly as if to say 'how would I tell them' and Bruce couldn't help but laugh at that, instantly regretting it as a new wave of pain hit.

Bruce tried to say something, but a coughing fit hit him.

Nico moved to the side table and offered him the glass of water that sat there, Bruce taking it with a small thank you that was muffled between coughs. He downed most of it in one gulp, the relief instant as the coughing went away.

"While we have a moment without the others," Bruce said, setting the now empty glass down and returning to look at the kid. "Care to tell me who you are? They told me your first name, but also said not to call you by it, so I am thinking that there is more to the story than you just being a random 'do-gooder' who saved me and just so happened to have a supply of Lazarus Water."

Nico eyed him for a moment before releasing his hands from their position behind his back. "The Great One sent me to retrieve you," he signed. "I am here to guard your son until you have healed."

"And after?"

Nico's eyebrows furrowed slightly, one of the first actual expressions to sneak on to his perpetually neutral face since Bruce woke up.

"I will return to the Great One's side."

"Why?"

Nico froze at that for a moment before pointing to himself and then finger spelling, "R E A P E R "

Bruce tried his best to mask his surprised look, but he knew he failed when the guards in the kid's eyes went back up.

"How old are you?" Bruce asked.

"16, " Nico signed.

Bruce just eyed him for a long moment. "Do you swear you mean no ill will on my family?"

Nico tapped twice, something Bruce had come to learn meant yes.

Bruce hummed in acknowledgment before fully changing topics. "Why do you sign to me, yet you only tap answers to the others?"

Nico's eye twitched slightly. Bruce didn't know what that meant for the kid specifically, considering he had only known him for a few days, but he guessed it was similar to Tim. Nico was anxious.

"They are too attached," Nico signed, his movements stiffer then they were before. "I will not be here for long."

Bruce stared at the kid for a long moment and made an internal decision: yes, he would be here for long.