I AM SO SORRY. SO. SO SORRY. HERE. HAVE SOME TIM AND SELINA BONDING. AND JAYTIM REFERENCES. HERE. I'M SORRY.
Selina stands before Tim, in the foyer of the manor, and looks at him. His posture screams grounded, a repetition of the text. His face indicates he hates it. His eyes say he hasn't been sleeping. And then her green eyes peek over his head to see Dick and Bruce. Damian's probably somewhere. And so is young, irritable Jason. But those two aren't here concern right at the moment.
But she's here for Tim.
She puts a hand on his shoulder and brings him in for a hug.
"Don't you worry, family. I'm just here for lessons and a sleepover." Dick is looking at her like she corrupts people. Selina flashes him her most perfect smile, because it's not like Bruce will kick her out for arriving uninvited.
Speaking of Batman, Bruce's tired eyes ask teenagers, how do I raise them. But Selina ignores the eye-asked question and tugs Tim toward the stairs, assuming that he'll lead to his room. Dick is trying to get his attention. Tim doesn't look behind him, just tugs on his ear (I can't hear you) and climbs the stairs, two at a time, texting while jumping.
Selina's phone vibrates in her pocket.
He has been here since Wednesday. Selina rolls her eyes because she remembers Wednesday. Remembers the confrontation. And she can imagine it hasn't been easy for him to be in a house where everyone just wants him to explain.
Why are you actually here? The next text inquires. He looks over at her as he opens the door to his bedroom.
"I already gave my reasons. You still have things to teach me and I wanted to stay over. I wanted to do eye makeup for you." She shakes her purse. "I brought glitter. It won't even make you look girly. Just. You know. Make your eyes pop."
Tim flushes and smiles and he's so cute. If she ever has a son, she'd want him to be like Tim.
"Okay," Tim flicks his wrist. She knows that sign by now, and he's not protesting about the sleepover, which is excellent. After all, it's not like she would have left anyhow.
She sees that his laptop is open on his bed, the browser opened to YouTube, a music video. She raises a brow. "You sing, kitten?"
Tim shrugs, plopping down on his perfectly made bed. (Come to think of it, his room is a little barren). "I-S-I-G-N-A-L-O-N-G."
"Oh, this I have to see. Show off, little one. Show me what you got." She grins because she knows the boy can dance. Tim rolls his eyes but types into the YouTube search bar, covering it so Selina can't see. And then he taps the space bar, pushing himself out of the chair and holding his hands up.
Selina grins. "Really."
Tim makes a face. But the song starts. "This is the song that reminds me of my trucker hat, that I used to wear not to block out the sun. With a John Deere logo and a stain on the back, from where you laid me out flat and I thought I was done," his hands move, quickly and beautifully.
But his legs get into it too.
"But all these things mean nothin' to me, when I'm with you I've got everything. I could want and I could need, even God he would agree, you and me were meant to be, it's easy to see." Tim's joints pops and lock, and he smiles. "I'll never go out of style on you, nothing really feels the way you do. Nothing in the world could ever make me look this good, when you fit me like you do," he flutters his hand at the end and twirls, moving into the next verse with his whole body.
It's. It's so cute.
Selina learns the chorus on the last go, but she can't quite make her whole body sing like Tim can. It's impressive. Even without a physical voice, his body sings. That makes her wonder how his family missed his clubbing, because she doesn't imagine that he could keep it a secret with an expressive body like that.
Selina laughs afterward. "I didn't know you could pop and lock, kitten!"
Tim smiles bashfully and begins typing out something on his phone before holding it out to her. It made signing more fun. I like it. She hands it back.
"You're good at it! Now, baby, teach me something." One day, she thinks she can make her movements sing without being sensual, give it a voice of its own that says Selina Kyle the way Tim's says Tim Wayne.
Tim and Selina work through ASL for three hours. There are knocks on the door often but Tim never signifies anyone to come in, so no one does. (Selina is really confused about how this family dynamic works, if it works at all.)
"I," Selina says, after working on verbs for the past forty-five minutes, "am going to go ask Alfred for some food. What are you in the mood for?"
Tim signs slowly. Practice for Selina, she guesses. "Grilled cheese sandwich. With bacon." Selina grins and nods (hadn't figured him for a bacon eater, actually) and opens the door to his bedroom, shutting it firmly behind her, catching another Bowling for Soup song coming from his laptop speakers.
"Well hello!" Selina greets Jason, hovering outside what she assumes is his bedroom. His eyes flick from Tim's door to the carpet before resting on Selina. "Getting some air from the hallway, or...?"
"No." Jason replies, in a gruff and rather angry fashion, if Selina were to lodge a complaint. "I was just standing. This is my house, okay."
Selina shrugs and watches Jason's eyes stick back to Tim's door. Oh. Oh. She knows that look. Jason had been attracted to Tim at the club. Oh yes. (And judging by the way Tim kept looking at the shadows under the door when people would knock. Oh. Oh my.)
"Well, enjoy your standing then," and she pointedly looks at Tim's door before making her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Alfred is nice to her (she really likes that he calls her Miss Kyle, it's very flattering).
"Tuna sandwich and a grilled cheese with bacon, ma'am," Alfred hands her a tray.
"Thank you much, Alfred." She smiles.
"Do tell Master Timothy that there will be cookies down here after eight should the two of you want to watch a movie or the television." Alfred pulls out baking supplies.
"Of course. Thank you Alfred."
"Any time, Miss Kyle." Selina takes the stairs, two at a time, putting the tray on Tim's bed after shutting the door behind her. (There had been no sign of Jason, but his boot prints were in the carpet in front of Tim's door. Oh they've both got it bad, don't they?)
Selina grabs her bag when Tim takes his sandwich.
"Okay," she announces and Tim looks up, quirking an eyebrow. "When we're done, I'm going to do your eye makeup."
Tim nods slowly.
"And you have to promise me that when I teach you to do it, you need to wear it out." Tim makes a face at this but nods after making a big deal out of it.
"Alright," Selina takes her own sandwich and lays the makeup on his nightstand. "You're going to be able to kill with your eyes when I'm done." Tim rolls his eyes (and they are pretty, she'll have to take pictures when she's done).
Then they eat in a comfortable silence. With one of Selina's arms draped over his shoulder.
And Tim leans into her.
(He really is the sweetest thing.)