Chapter Text
It wasn’t typically a team effort for a dragon to build a nest, especially when one considered how simple it was, but Bruce found himself pleasantly surprised by his children.
Jason stayed out extra-long to hunt for the family and hauled in several bounties. Dick patrolled the territory without having been asked to, and Cass took over whenever he needed a moment to rest. Tim tried to be helpful by digging up a nest in their burrow, a task that Bruce had been working on himself, but he was often nudged away in favor of small little details. Tim ended up guarding the burrow hole—an admirable thing—considering the fact that he had a difficult time standing still. Tim was eagerly anticipating their new arrival. Bruce couldn’t blame him for his impatience.
Bruce worked hard on his nest, finding that he, with some surprise, was impatient too, constantly fixing this, that, and anything that looked uneven. Bruce kept envisioning an egg in the nest. It wasn't easy to imagine.
This would be his first time hatching something.
Hard to believe I was once in an egg, Bruce thought, but the thought faded once Tim’s excited shriek turned his head.
Stephanie, who’d been crowded in the corner, moaned in discomfort, and then rolled over to turn her back towards the noisy teen. Bruce gave her back a friendly tap as he climbed out of the nest. Tim didn’t wait around for him and shot out the burrow hole like a hare. It was incredible how fast he could be when he was focused.
Bruce had more trouble climbing out the burrow then his smaller, thinner son, but he eventually pulled himself out after some effort. Bruce first noticed that Tim was raising his wings up in greeting, flapping them like an excited songbird, but he eventually settled them into a pinned position. Bruce saw past him once his wings settled down, and his ears perked straight when he saw their guest.
Dick slammed down onto the ground behind Talia. He flapped his wings a few times before pressing them against his sides. They were a deep of blue. A contrast to Tim and Jason’s red—though Tim’s scales were a lighter shade than his brother’s. Jason looked like he’d spawned from the belly of a volcano, molten like the rock that originated there, but Tim was bright like a tomato.
Talia’s emerald, green scales were the only color that looked like it fit in the surrounding area. She was a slender looking thing, not unlike her father. She had a longer neck than Ra’s though, and her face was thinner too. Her sharp gaze spoke of experiences that lasted lifetimes. She’d seen forests grow and die. She’d watched rivers dry up and plains flood over. She was the oldest of all of those in company.
She didn’t say anything as she examined him. They gazed upon each other until she raised her chin in authority. She would be making all the choices here. He was well aware of that.
No one said anything as she inspected the surrounding area. Tim’s excitement quickly faded. His ears fell flat against his skull. Dick shifted uneasily. Bruce didn't blame them for being uncomfortable. Talia could easily take flight and leave them without a moment's notice. That would be a sad turn of affairs.
Talia huffed and brushed past Tim. Dick followed far behind her, keeping a good distance between them, and Tim eventually joined even though he’d been cowed. Bruce followed closer to Talia as she sniffed the opening of their burrow. He wasn’t content to remain behind once she decided to slick her way through it. He was almost jealous at the ease she’d fitted through the hole. He would have made it bigger if he wasn’t worried about potential predators lurking about. A dragon wasn’t a creature to mess with, but some creatures were stupid by nature. They’d investigate any crevice they could for hunger’s sake.
Bruce managed to wedge himself back through the hall and saw Talia step over Stephanie. She saw the nest immediately. She was drawn to it like a magnet. Nothing could obstruct her from her course.
Dick popped in behind Bruce, bumping his head against his jaw in a soothing gesture, but Bruce wasn’t in his right mind to return it. His eyes flickered from Talia to the piles of food they’d stashed away in the corner. They were fresh for the day. He hoped they would please Talia.
Talia pawed around the nest with a lone claw, inspecting things that Bruce couldn’t fathom, and then she sniffed around for extra measure.
His heart was beating against his chest. He was anxious. Everything hinged on Talia’s judgement. Everything.
“Acceptable,” a smooth voice escaped her mouth.
She settled herself into the nest and brooded like a mother hen.
Bruce felt the tension melt from his body like a bath in the neighboring hot springs. Tim made a fuss outside because Dick was blocking the entrance, and Stepahanie was wide awake with attention as she studied Talia.
“Leave me for the night,” Talia commanded. “I don’t want anyone’s company.”
“What—?” Tim began to protest as he tried to squeeze his head through Dick’s legs.
Dick smacked him with his tail and Tim retreated back outside.
Stephanie grumbled as she pulled herself upward and dragged herself towards the exit. Dick left without saying a word, and Bruce watched Talia close her eyes in calm collection.
When he eventually joined his children, he heard Tim make his case.
“Why should we leave her in there? It’s our burrow. We worked hard to create it!”
“We’ll just have to sleep in the cave tonight,” Dick attempted to pacify. “Like old times. Nothing difficult.”
“But that still doesn’t explain—”
Bruce interrupted. “She needs time to lay her egg. Leave her be. We’ll give her the space she needs. If we introduce unwanted stress, she might not be capable of laying her egg at all.”
Tim looked like he wanted to protest but he couldn’t manage any proper words. He closed his mouth and sulked. Dick bumped into him and stretched out his wing as if to console him.
“The cave then?” Stephanie guessed. “We won’t be treetop camping?”
Bruce inwardly shuddered. He could barely fit on the treetops. Stephanie was probably the only one among them who could find a comfortable position, but that was because she had an easy time of slinking her body around the branches. Then again, Cass didn't seem to mind either.
“Don’t even joke about that,” Tim moped.
Stephanie gave him a glance that suggested she’d expected such a response. Perhaps that’s why she’d teased Tim in the first place.
Everyone idled for a little while longer until they decided to change locations. Stephanie was assigned to locate Jason and Dick left to find Cass. Tim accompanied Bruce back to their narrow cave. It was hard to fit in and it was cold. The burrow was preferable for multiple reasons.
“Just for one night,” Bruce mumbled as Tim curled up next to him.
“One night,” Tim agreed pitifully.