Work Text:
Bruce felt strangely overwhelmed since the past two weeks.
Something constricted his stomach and he felt like he carried a constant weight on his shoulders that had nothing to do with the tiredness inherited from his vigilantism duties.
He ate less, slept less and was plagued by this... weird warm feeling that invaded his organism whenever he stepped too close to Edward. Nothing to do with his previous pleasant, protective sensation when playing caring father with Stephanie and devoted acolyte with Eddie.
"I think I might be sick, Alfred," the Bat muttered one afternoon, looking up to his father figure who brought tea for him in the cave.
Edward was upstairs with their daughter, Bruce browsed through latest police reports from a missing person affair he considered taking, to help Gordon through that investigation too.
The butler frowned, he put down the tray on which he had placed a mug of blueberry-flavored tea and a small plate of pumpkin cookies, Ed's specialty.
"Sick? How so, what are your symptoms?"
He applied a gentle hand over the boy's forehead, pushing the rebellious strands of black hair out of the way.
"Your temperature doesn't seem abnormal. What makes you think you suffer from an illness, Master Bruce?"
"I... I have this... internal lead cloak that weakens me," he admitted, seriously listing in his head what kind of diseases could provoke his symptoms. "It turns my knees into cotton, my legs wobble and my head feels a little too... light, just like when I overworked and overtired myself during training sessions. I feel knots forming in my stomach and my mouth is suddenly too dry to... correctly voice out words."
"Interesting."
The sparkle that shone in the British man's gaze indicated he knows much more than he lets on.
"May I know when these symptoms manifest?"
The Knight's brows furrowed when he realized:
"When I am... around Edward, actually. If it's due to food poisoning, he may be contaminated as well."
"Oh, he is," Alfred announced in a calm tone, a hint mocking as it seemed. "He is sick since a long while. Worry not, Master Bruce. I guess you also feel your face and ears turn hot at the sight of him, and your hands twitch nervously?"
"... Yes."
This time Bruce sounded clueless as he inquired:
"Alfred... what is this sickness?"
"The oldest of all. The one that forged and destroyed empires across History. Master Bruce... you are in love with Edward Nashton."
Bruce's jaw dropped at the reveal. He would have protested, he wanted to remind Alfred that Ed and him's living arrangement includes nothing romantic but... he just found himself blushing harder.
"Oh. I'll... hu... see what I can do."
He fidgeted on his seat.
"... Thank you for the consultation, Alfred."
"You're welcome, Master Bruce."
"And... I count on you not to repeat to anyone your diagnosis on my state?"
"Naturally. I would not break the medical secrecy."
Bruce felt passably mortified when a satisfied Alfred headed back upstairs, a knowing smile printed on his lips.
Surely things will... move, again, in the Wayne household.