"Wow. You've gotten a lot better."
"Did that sound as condescending in your head?" Selina said, blocking his uppercut and jabbing at his side. "Because it came out really condescending." Somehow, they'd ended up sparring. As always Selina hadn't been able to stand still for long, not even with Wayne's arms wrapped around her, and she wasn't ready to go home just yet. Despite his assurances, Selina was still shaken. Every time she threw a punch she pictured Falcone. Or Gerard. Or the Penguin. Or any of the criminal powerhouses that owned the timeshare her soul had become and were out to get her.
"You know that's not what I meant," Wayne said, swinging at her head. Selina ducked and slipped into his guard, slamming her shoulder into his midsection. Wayne backpedaled, trying to regain his footing, and Selina hooked her foot around his. Already off-balance, Wayne toppled to the floor. "Ow."
"That was fun," Selina said, standing over him. She basked in the glow of knocking him on his ass for a moment before helping him to his feet.
"You okay? Your knuckles are bleeding." Wayne asked, turning her hands over to look at them. Selina whirled away from him just in time to keep her spring-loaded knives from slashing open his stomach.
"Jesus. How about some warning before you go grabbing people?"
"I wasn't grabbing people," he said, looking both concerned and bemused. "I was grabbing you."
"That's worse. People don't wear these," Selina said, pulling her sleeves down to reveal the knife sheaths. "I do."
"Wow," Wayne murmured, leaning forward to inspect the delicate metal and leather strapped to her forearms. "Did you make these?"
"Yeah," Selina said, fighting not to blush under the scrutiny. "They make me feel safe." She stepped away from him, twisting her wrists to make the knives spring into her waiting hands. "Told you I was always armed."
"They're amazing. You're amazing." This time Selina did blush, looking away so her hair fell to conceal the red in her cheeks. "Can I try?" Wayne asked. "Using a knife. I mean, you've pretty much mastered my wheelhouse. Might as well take a shot at yours." Selina flipped one of them between her fingers and handed it to him, handle first.
"Come at me." Selina said, shaking herself loose and eyeing him up and down.
"I don't want to hurt you," Wayne said, suddenly looking uncertain. Selina rolled her eyes.
"You're not going to come near me," she said with easy confidence she knew would piss him off. Holding the knife awkwardly and incorrectly in his right hand, Wayne swung into a fighting stance, thrusting the blade at her as if he was throwing a punch. Selina ducked out of the way, making her way inside his guard without a moment's resistance. With her free hand, she grabbed his wrist, twisting the knife out of his hand and bringing up her own, pressing the flat of the blade against his chin. "Wayne," she said, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Relax. You're not holding brass knuckles." She gave him back the knife and folded his fingers around the handle so that he was gripping it correctly. "When you're attacking someone with a weapon, it's not like hand-to-hand. People react differently to knives, and you have to anticipate that. Everything is more fluid. Try again." To his credit, Wayne adjusted to her direction without complaint, loosening his body and changing the footwork that she'd come to recognize as his fighting style. He came at her again, holding the blade the right way this time, but he was still stiff and uncomfortable, unused to attacking anyone with anything other than his fists. Selina let a few of his advances spark off of her knife before she took his from him again.
"How did you even learn all of this?" Wayne asked, circling around her, trying a third time. Selina smiled, twirling the blade around her fingers.
"What? How to use a knife? Or how to be good?"
"Did that sound as condescending in your head?" Wayne asked, grinning. Selina stuck her tongue out at him, "How to be good."
"Practice. I like knives because they're easy to use, but if you can to tricks – " Selina tossed her knife up and caught it by clapping her palms together, then spun the flat on the blade on one fingertip. "Then people will spend more time looking at what the knife is doing than what you're doing." Case and point, Selina had managed to sidle up to him and flicked him in the temple while he was too busy looking at the acrobatics. "See?"
"That wasn't nice." Wayne complained, rubbing the side of his head. "Can I try one of the sheaths?" Selina smiled at how excited he sounded before unstrapping the sheath from her left arm and helping him put it on.
"Okay, be careful. If you twist your wrists to the right, it'll put the knife in your hand. Don't tuck your fingers in to catch it or you will cut yourself and then I will laugh at you." Wayne made a face and Selina made one right back at him, enjoying how casual it all was. She didn't joke around with people, she didn't make faces, and she didn't do any of this weird, domestic stuff. Not with anyone but Ivy, at least. "Shit!" she swore, flattening herself onto her stomach when the knife launched at her. "God, Wayne, are you trying to take my head off?"
"I didn't – "
"You have to catch it, you asshole," Selina said, but she was laughing when she yanked the knife out of the wall it had embedded itself in. To be fair, it wasn't all his fault. She hadn't considered recalibrating the sheath for a forearm bigger than hers. She also hasn't considered that it would fly halfway across the room when he didn't grab it in time. "I'm taking that from you. No more toys for billionaires who don't know how to use them."
"I wouldn't call that a toy," Wayne started, unclasping the sheath from his arm. "And fine, that didn't work. Can you throw them? The knives, I mean." Selina raised an eyebrow.
"What do you think I am, some kind of circus act?"
"So you can't do it?"
"I can do it," Selina said testily. "And I resent the implication that I can't just because I don't want to show off like a trick pony."
"Oh, it's not what I said, it's how I said it." Wayne teased. "You're such a girlfriend, who would have guessed." He froze the moment the words left his lips, eyes darting to her like he was afraid she's strike him. Or worse, skewer him. A warm, fluttery feeling spilled into Selina's stomach and she tiptoed over to him.
"I'm your girlfriend. Idiot." She said, kissing the spot right under his jaw. Wayne made a small noise of surprise, whether from the kiss or from Selina calling herself his girlfriend, she didn't know. "Do me a favor. Stand here. Hold your knife up. Don't move." Selina backed three steps away and Wayne just started to protest when she threw the blade with all of her strength, knocking his out of his hand and sending both sailing into the opposite wall. Wayne flinched, ducking his head and swearing, and Selina burst into laughter. "Oh God, the look on your face," she said, nearly tipping backwards.
"You just threw a knife at me."
"You asked me to!" Selina said between peals of laughter. "Oh God, you should see your stupid face."
"My stupid…" Wayne said and then Selina screamed as he charged her, throwing her over his shoulder without hesitation. "Put me down!" Selina screeched.
"Say you're sorry."
"No," Selina said stubbornly.
"Say my face isn't stupid."
"Your face is the most stupid," Selina protested, grinning like a maniac. Wayne didn't put her down. In fact, he didn't stop running until both of them couldn't breathe for laughing. Selina was smacking him and Wayne was shouting something incoherent when the whole world went sideways. Selina braced herself, seeing the floor rush up to meet her, but the impact was softer than she expected. Somewhere between tripping and falling, Wayne managed to cage himself around her, absorbing the majority of the impact on his own. Selina only had a moment to process before his head hit the floor with a sickening crack, turning to her blood to ice.
"Wayne?" she said, untangling herself and kneeling beside him. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving, his limps splayed haphazardly where they'd fallen. "Oh my God, Wayne! Wake up," she ordered, shaking him. "God dammit billionaire, open your eyes!" He didn't move and Selina's heart rate accelerated, blood pounding in her ears. He wasn't allowed to be dead, he wasn't allowed. Selina slammed on her chest the way Alfred had to restart her breathing all those weeks ago. "Wayne, wake up. Jesus Christ. Bruce wake up!" Selina lifted her fist to hit him again when his eyes snapped open, pupils blown wide. It took him a moment but he finally was able to focus on her.
"Selina?" he said. "You said my name."
"Thank God," Selina breathed, laying her head on his chest. "Never do that to me again. Never again. Never again. Do you understand me?"
"Never again," Wayne slurred, smiling a little. "You said my name."
"And you have a concussion," Selina replied, feeling relief flood into her voice. "Come on, get up." Selina swung his arm around her shoulders and slowly got the two of them to their feet. "God you're heavy."
"You're just tiny," Wayne mumbled, his eyes drooping closed again.
"No no no no, do not fall asleep," Selina ordered. She needed help. She couldn't get him anywhere on her own, she was too small. But she really didn't want to ask… "Fuck me," Selina sighed, putting two fingers to her lips and whistling to keep him awake.
"You're loud and tiny," Wayne said helpfully.
"Shut up, you idiot," Selina said, not without affection. "Stay awake for me, okay?" Selina managed to unload him into a chair and found the intercom panel on the wall. "Jeeves, I broke your billionaire." It took no longer than four seconds for Alfred to blow through the door, somehow managing to look like he'd been shot out of a cannon and perfectly put together at the same time. How he did it, Selina had no idea.
"What the bloody hell…?" Alfred said, taking in the sight of his charge, half-slumped in the chair and very out of it.
"He fell and hit his head. I didn't do it." Not technically, anyway.
"Of course you didn't," Alfred said, waving her off. "Come now, help me get him up."
"Alfred?" Wayne murmured, putting on an over-exaggerated British accent. "Aaaaaaalfred!"
"Okay, you're concussed, not hammered." Selina said, helping Alfred walk Wayne out of the gym.
"Al, she called me Bruce. Not 'Wayne or 'billionaire.'" Wayne said proudly. "Bruce. That's my name."
"Yes, yes, your love knows no bounds. How very exciting for you both." Selina had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. His humor always took her by surprise. Alfred, with the practiced ease of someone who'd done it many times, confirmed that Wayne did indeed have a concussion, and they both helped to put him to bed. Selina had never been in his bedroom before. She'd only ever been in the guest room that had been hers during her brief stint as a prisoner here. Selina had thought that room was enormous, but the mansion's master bedroom was, quite frankly, obnoxiously huge. Who the hell needed this much space just to sleep at night? Not for the first time, Selina despaired at the decadence of Gotham's elite. It was a miracle that Wayne hadn't turned out like some of the snobbish assholes that flounced around the Hill like they were God's gift to the world.
"He'll be fine, we just need to wake him up every couple of hours," Alfred told her.
"Aw, no," Wayne complained, droopy-eyed and frowning. "Sleep is good."
"Idiot," Selina said fondly. Wayne fell asleep without another word, snoring softly into the pillow. Selina watched him for a moment before following Alfred out of the bedroom. He didn't bother trying to talk to her, obviously wary of having his head ripped off again. Selina bit her lip. "Sorry." She forced the word from her lips before the old butler had turned the corner. Alfred stopped but didn't turn around just yet. "I'm sorry."
"About what?" He was punishing her, Selina thought bitterly, and with good reason.
"You were just protecting him," she said, steadfastly refusing to look him in the eye. "I'm a criminal and you read up on my people and you were just trying to protect him. And I lost it. I was trying to protect myself. Sorry."
"Self preservation is nothing to apologize for," Alfred said blithely. "We all do things we regret when we're trying to save our own skin." His tone was one of personal experience.
"Oh?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I suggest a trade," Alfred said. "Stories for stories. It'll help pass the time, at least, until we have to wake up Master Wayne. I assume you'll be staying?" Selina nodded. There was no way she was running out on him, not tonight. Ivy would ask questions, but Selina could make something up later.
Alfred didn't waste any time, leading her to the kitchen and bustling around. Why his default setting seemed to be cooking was something Selina didn't understand, but very soon the kitchen started to smell amazing, so she didn't mind. Alfred told her that he'd fought in Vietnam, confirming her theory that he has military background, saying that he'd been an army doctor before joining his countrymen on the front lines. For her part, Selina supplied the story of how she'd gotten the name Alleycat. There was an old mangy tomcat who shared the bridge with the homeless, and while most tried to kick it out – or worse, eat it – Selina had left it anything she could spare and somehow it had begun following her around. She'd never named it, but Selina got used to the cat, and people started to associate the two of them with one another. One day it disappeared, and Selina spent weeks looking for it before she finally accepted that it had either run away or died. But though the cat had gone, the association and the damned nickname had stuck for years.
They traded stories back and forth for the whole two hours, before Wayne needed to be woken up again.
"I'll do it," Selina said softly, excusing herself. "Thanks for the stories, Alfred."
"Oh it seems we are being very liberal with names today. I was starting to like 'Jeeves.""
"Wow, you English dudes don't let anything go, do you?"
"Neither do you street rats. I figure that makes us equals." Equals, Selina thought. She could live with that.
"Wayne," she said, reaching over the covers to shake him.
"What happened to Bruce?" he mumbled.
"Wake up billionaire."
"My name is Bruce," he protested.
"Okay Bruce. I need you to sit up for me, okay?" Selina climbed into the bed and helped pull him into a sitting position. "Your bed is way too big," she complained. "I know your head hurts, but give me two minutes and then you can go back to sleep." He nodded, blinking blearily up at her. "What is my name?"
"Selina. Selina Kyle."
"Good. Who's tall, old, British and works for you?"
"Alfred," Wayne – Bruce – said, smiling. "Don't let him hear you say that, he might leave and then what would I do?"
"You'd have to fend for yourself, you poor thing."
"You're mean."
"Only to people I like." Selina asked him a few more questions and when she was satisfied that his brain hadn't turned to jelly, she started to crawl off of the bed.
"Stay," Bruce said, hooking his arm around her waist and drawing her close to him.
"Bruce," she said.
"Stay," he said, more insistently. "Please." Selina opened her mouth to refuse but closed it again, shrugging underneath the covers. Bruce settles with his arm around her, resting his head on her shoulder, and quickly falls back asleep. It takes Selina a little longer, but soon the rhythmic sounds of his breathing carried her off to sleep as well.
Selina woke to find herself curled into Bruce's side with him snoring softly in her ear. For a brief moment she panicked, before remembering what had happened the night before. The concussion. Falling asleep. Everything.
"Good morning Selina" he murmured. Selina shifted so that she was facing him. He looked different than usual, less put together. His dark hair was mussed and his eyes were still cloudy with sleep, though a small smile turned his lips up in the corners when he said her name. She liked that, the way her name made his mouth smile. Christ she was turning into a sap. "Mornings make you beautiful. Even more beautiful."
"Flattery," Selina said, kissing him lightly. "Will get you everywhere. You're not bad to look at either." His smile widening, Bruce rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "Remind me to get concussed more often if this is how I get to wake up the next morning."
"How about we make it a habit without the head injury?" Selina suggested. "I could get used to mornings like this."
"It beats the overpass."
"It beats the overpass," Selina agreed. Bruce pressed his lips against hers and Selina smiled against his mouth before he started trailing kisses along her jaw. Selina made a noise of contentment before it turned into a groan of complete and total irritation as her phone started ringing furiously in her pocket.
"Hello?" she answered, knowing who was calling before she said a word.
"Where the hell are you?" Ivy screeched. Selina winced, holding the phone away from her ear to keep her eardrum from exploding. Ivy's voice could shatter glass. "If you don't stop these bullshit disappearing acts I'm going to inject a tracker into your ass like one of those stupid dogs that rich people have. I'm not kidding. Where are you?"
"I'm crashing with a contact," Selina lied. "He's got an in with the GCPD and we were up all night."
"Ooh, I'm a contact," Bruce said, sounding unreasonably pleased about it. "You know that literally everything you say sounds like something out of a spy film." Selina pressed her hand over his mouth, biting her lip to keep from yelling when he licked her palm. Licked it, like he was eleven years old and they were on the playground. I'm going to kill you, she mouthed at him.
"A phone call, Sel," Ivy said, sounding like she was massaging her temples. "All I needed was a phone call. You're going to give me a hernia, I swear on my lipstick."
"I'll be home soon."
"You better be. Or I'm getting a needle and a tracer and I'm going to stick it somewhere you won't like."
"I love you too." Selina said, hanging up. "I have to go. Apparently Ivy is going to start tracking my movements because I am flaky and the worst." In Ivy's defense, there was a war brewing and there were lots and lots of people who wanted Selina dead.
"Ah the mysterious Ivy," Bruce said, smiling. "And I get to meet her when exactly?"
"She would eat you alive," Selina said. "Imagine me, only crazy – "
"That's not hard." Selina smacked him. "Ow, be nice to the concussion victim." Selina snorted. Victim her ass.
" – Only crazy, violent – "
"Again, not hard."
"Okay, shut up. Crazy, violent, and has an aptitude for making things that go boom. Speaking of." Selina threw off the covers and grabbed her bag from where she'd left it on the end table, fishing inside until she found the vial of Ivy's antiserum.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell is that? Please tell me you're not about to inject that into your body." Bruce said, sitting up and looking very concerned.
"V made it for me." Selina said, rolling her eyes. "It's not heroin."
"That's not one of those things that goes boom is it?"
"You're cute. It's an antidote, for all of my poison needs." Selina still didn't know what was in it, but she trusted Ivy not to kill her by accident. Wouldn't that be the plot twist of the year? All of the assholes out to get her and her best friend was the one to do her in. "Help me with his, will you?" Selina said, handing him one end of the tourniquet. Still processing, Bruce took it without question, wincing when Selina jammed the needle into her skin. "You know all those people out to get me?"
"I lose sleep over it, yes." Not last night he hadn't. It might have been the concussion, but Bruce slept like the dead.
"Yeah well, so does Ivy. She does what she can, and this is what she can do."
"Make potions and blow things up. Is your friend a wizard?"
"No, but she'd love that you think so."
"Do you have to go?" Bruce asked, stretching his long arms above his head before circling them around her shoulders. Selina leaned against him, kissing his chin.
"I do. If Ivy tracks me here we're both screwed. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I want more mornings like this." Bruce grinned and kissed her goodbye and for a single, blissful moment Selina was happy. But the moment she walked out of the trapdoor, reality settled back in. There was a war coming. Her best friend didn't know about her and Bruce, and there was a very good chance that Gerard or the Penguin would kill her to keep her from telling their traitorous secret. Sure, she was happy now.
But how long would it last?
I am sorry this isn't on time but I was on spring break and didn't have a ton of time to write this week, Still, lots of good stuff in this chapter! Hope you all liked it and remember that I love love love feedback!