Deck the halls

Chapter Three

Bruce didn't follow Selina as she limped angrily into the hall over to Alfred. They didn't talk as Selina grabbed a box of decoration and began sorting them, rather violently, into piles. The butler watched trying not to cringe as ornament after ornament was slammed down onto the wooden floor.

"Miss Kyle may I remind you that these baubles you are particularly violently sorting are of extreme delicacy" The girl stopped for only a second halting her movements the muscles in her arms flexing as she stopped the force the bauble was going at and set it down carefully bathing her fingertips in gold glitter. "The phrase if look could kill comes to mind" Selina laughed harshly and sat up brushing her hands on the black leather leaving waterfalls of gold running down each leg. The sparkles didn't match the sour taste in her mouth as she spoke.

"Am I that obvious?" the butler stayed quite his grey eyes scanning, watching carefully for any sign of flight. Selina went back to the bauble hair falling in front of her as she leaned forward swinging wildly as she attacked them with her long fingers. Soon enough the dark wooden floor was thing with glitter and so were Alfred and Selina. Vibrant green and red plants were neatly stacked and ready to be hung proudly off doors and banisters.  Selina watched Alfred's grey eyes as the stared patiently waiting for the explanation. She made him waiting longer a street rat trait that gave her the upper hand. She remained keeping eye contactas she couldn't help but see the way the gold reflecting in his iris turned his eyes molten almost magically so. "He just assumes he's right all the time. How can I make him see that he's being an ass? Because, clearly he doesn't think he's being one" The butler laughed and looked up at the girl.

"He is a teenage boy Miss Kyle you can't expect anything less" Selina got that, understood he was trying to find his place in the world when who he was expected to be couldn't be who he was to be and who he needed to be- was something else entirely, things could become a little bit blurry. "But that doesn't mean he gets away with it" Alfred spoke in a hush tone not once glancing up at the vivid emerald eyes. He busied his wrinkled hands with fairy lights and left Selina to feel on his words. 

Once the tree was up Selina somehow forgot that she was mad and by the time Bruce made his way out of the study she was too engrossed in what baubles went where to stop and chew his ear off. She didn't expect him to apologise, didn't think he would do it in front of Alfred either.

Strong arms draped in green wool wrapped around Selina's small waist and pulled her towards the body that owned them. A soft kiss on the cheek and some words whispered into the ear was all that took place yet the fluttering in Selina's chest wouldn't still until she got home. He was so close Selina could feel the vibrations in his chest as he spoke into her ear, his breath hot against her neck sent shivers down her spine.

"I'm an ass, I know it, I don't know how many times I can say sorry before it gets petty" She listened half distracted by his calloused finger tips tracing circles into her stomach- even though fabric separated the two the electricity that shot through her made her weak at the knees.

"Am I forgiven"  Selina wanted to say yes wanted to turn and whisper it into his ear make him feel as helpless as she did around him but for some reason she couldn't move.

"will you stay?" A sharp nod was the only answer she could muster, clearly it was all the way needed- the smile was evident in his voice as he spoke. "Great so Alfred what's the plan this year?" The Butlers wrinkles on his face deepened as he smile.

"The plan Mater Bruce is to do the tree. I'm guessing the study and the surrounding hall is to be done as well?" Bruce nodded and got to work silently Selina tried not to notice the Alfred grey gaze baring into her sole and Alfred tried not to notice the smile on Cats face as Bruce picked her up swiftly by the waist to reach high branches.

The atmosphere, thick with glitter, hung lazily around them only emphasising the sickeningly sweet smell of gingerbread and fresh pine that gently caressed their noses and Selina as Selina watched Wayne Manor come to life she was convinced she had seen neither male of the Wayne household smile so much. The air sang with joy, the last dregs of the sunlight making the baubles wink back at Selina. She had never felt so elated in her life, her head spun with colours and songs muddling together in a murky glob in her brain, fogged over by something else- not fog smoke. Thick black smoke stalking it's way from underneath the antique oak door the faint sound of crackling the prices clicking into place at the same time as the ominous click silenced the world for thirty seconds.