So... about Tam...
Once everything-and everyone-had calmed down, Cissie made her way back up to Tim’s old bedroom. Even though Alfred was letting her stay with him, she knocked before going in. She carried in a tray of tea and cookies that Alfred had given her, crossing to the bed. “Hey,” she said quietly, not wanting to wake him if he was sleeping.
He opened his eyes to look at her and smiled a little. “Hey. That looks like cookies.”
She smiled and sat on the bed next to him, holding out the tray so he could take one. “They are. Alfred cookies. And some tea.”
“Mm.” He took one of the cookies and broke a piece off so that he could chew it carefully. He reached toward her and took her hand. “I’m sorry I’ve been so crazy since I got back.”
She squeezed his hand and set the tray on the nightstand so she could give him her full attention. “I know.” She gave him a wry smile. “You’ve been busy.”
He gave a short laugh, and squeezed her hand, setting the remains of his cookie aside. “That’s… true. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. A lot.” She smiled and climbed the rest of the way onto the bed. She leaned over and kissed him carefully and settled in against his side, mindful of his injuries. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“Which part?” he asked, turning a little to put his arm around her. “A lot happened. I can hardly keep it straight in my own head.”
She hummed thoughtfully, snuggling against him. She put a hand on his chest, over the bandages. “Well. …Did you really get thrown out of a window?”
“…Yes,” he admitted. “Dick caught me before I hit the ground.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “Remind me to thank him.”
“I don’t think you’ll forget,” he said with a small smile. “But I’ll try to remind you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t last long. She traced her fingers over his chest lightly. “So… about Tam.”
“A friend,” he said firmly. “Lucius Fox’s daughter. I… honestly have no idea what she was thinking.”
“Hmm. Well.” She glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. “If you weren’t all beat up and injured and if I hadn’t been missing you so much, I’d make you grovel some more, you know.”
“Oh yeah?” He covered her hand with his. “Well. Lucky me, I guess.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t make you grovel when you’re better,” she warned him. “I think I’ll make you return all the phone calls on our answering machine.”
He winced. “Ouch. Dare I ask?”
“Well, let’s just say Mom and Roy aren’t your biggest fans at the moment.”
“…Should I be watching for arrows in the dark?”
She laughed and squeezed his hand. “No. I told them you were a little busy dealing with the ninja horde to explain yourself right then. They were gracious enough to decide to wait until you’re better to start defending my honor.”
“I appreciate that. I think it might be a little while before I’m up to fending off Roy.” He paused, then made a face. “And your mother. She’s more than a little terrifying.”
Cissie smiled up at him. “I’ll keep them both away until you can explain things to them, how’s that sound?”
“Mm.” He bent to kiss her. “My hero.”
She kissed him back happily, snuggling up against him. “So. Now that I’ve promised to defend you against the angry mob, why do you think Tam said that? You must have some guess.”
He tightened his arms around her as much as he could manage without hurting himself. “I have a guess,” he admitted. “Based on who reported the news of our ‘engagement.’ I think Ms. Vale backed her into a corner, and rather than telling my actual secrets to her, she came up with something to pacify her. I don’t really think she expected… the fallout.”
“Ahh.” Cissie relaxed, unaware that she’d still been tense. “In that case, I’m impressed that she came up with something good enough to distract her. …I mean, she could have just said she’s dating you, but keeping your secret might earn her some leeway with me.” She paused and smirked a little. “It is kind of nice to have a preview of how the media will treat news of your engagement, though. Even if it is a fake one.”
“We could elope.” He made a face, imagining the media reaction to that. “No. It would be worse if we did. Damn. We’re actually going to have to suffer through this. And I’m going to have to do it twice. Can you tell your mom and Roy not to maim me too much? I have a media feeding frenzy to deal with.”
She laughed, kissing his chest. “I’ll tell them. You earned yourself some points with that answer.”
“Oh yeah? The kind of points where they don’t kill me?”
“Mmhm. The kind of points where you make me happy.”
“Oh, good.” He smiled and kissed her hair. “I like making you happy.”
“You always make me happy,” she said quietly. “And I imagine I’ll get to see a lot more of you for a little while at least, which will make me very happy.”
He laughed a little. “I’m not planning any trips anytime soon.”
“I’m glad.” She paused and added quickly, “I’m not glad that you’re hurt, but glad that you’re going to be home for awhile. I’ve missed you.”
He rested his chin lightly against the top of her head. “I missed you too. All the time. I’m glad to be home.”
He opened his eyes to look at her and smiled a little. “Hey. That looks like cookies.”
She smiled and sat on the bed next to him, holding out the tray so he could take one. “They are. Alfred cookies. And some tea.”
“Mm.” He took one of the cookies and broke a piece off so that he could chew it carefully. He reached toward her and took her hand. “I’m sorry I’ve been so crazy since I got back.”
She squeezed his hand and set the tray on the nightstand so she could give him her full attention. “I know.” She gave him a wry smile. “You’ve been busy.”
He gave a short laugh, and squeezed her hand, setting the remains of his cookie aside. “That’s… true. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. A lot.” She smiled and climbed the rest of the way onto the bed. She leaned over and kissed him carefully and settled in against his side, mindful of his injuries. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“Which part?” he asked, turning a little to put his arm around her. “A lot happened. I can hardly keep it straight in my own head.”
She hummed thoughtfully, snuggling against him. She put a hand on his chest, over the bandages. “Well. …Did you really get thrown out of a window?”
“…Yes,” he admitted. “Dick caught me before I hit the ground.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “Remind me to thank him.”
“I don’t think you’ll forget,” he said with a small smile. “But I’ll try to remind you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t last long. She traced her fingers over his chest lightly. “So… about Tam.”
“A friend,” he said firmly. “Lucius Fox’s daughter. I… honestly have no idea what she was thinking.”
“Hmm. Well.” She glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. “If you weren’t all beat up and injured and if I hadn’t been missing you so much, I’d make you grovel some more, you know.”
“Oh yeah?” He covered her hand with his. “Well. Lucky me, I guess.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t make you grovel when you’re better,” she warned him. “I think I’ll make you return all the phone calls on our answering machine.”
He winced. “Ouch. Dare I ask?”
“Well, let’s just say Mom and Roy aren’t your biggest fans at the moment.”
“…Should I be watching for arrows in the dark?”
She laughed and squeezed his hand. “No. I told them you were a little busy dealing with the ninja horde to explain yourself right then. They were gracious enough to decide to wait until you’re better to start defending my honor.”
“I appreciate that. I think it might be a little while before I’m up to fending off Roy.” He paused, then made a face. “And your mother. She’s more than a little terrifying.”
Cissie smiled up at him. “I’ll keep them both away until you can explain things to them, how’s that sound?”
“Mm.” He bent to kiss her. “My hero.”
She kissed him back happily, snuggling up against him. “So. Now that I’ve promised to defend you against the angry mob, why do you think Tam said that? You must have some guess.”
He tightened his arms around her as much as he could manage without hurting himself. “I have a guess,” he admitted. “Based on who reported the news of our ‘engagement.’ I think Ms. Vale backed her into a corner, and rather than telling my actual secrets to her, she came up with something to pacify her. I don’t really think she expected… the fallout.”
“Ahh.” Cissie relaxed, unaware that she’d still been tense. “In that case, I’m impressed that she came up with something good enough to distract her. …I mean, she could have just said she’s dating you, but keeping your secret might earn her some leeway with me.” She paused and smirked a little. “It is kind of nice to have a preview of how the media will treat news of your engagement, though. Even if it is a fake one.”
“We could elope.” He made a face, imagining the media reaction to that. “No. It would be worse if we did. Damn. We’re actually going to have to suffer through this. And I’m going to have to do it twice. Can you tell your mom and Roy not to maim me too much? I have a media feeding frenzy to deal with.”
She laughed, kissing his chest. “I’ll tell them. You earned yourself some points with that answer.”
“Oh yeah? The kind of points where they don’t kill me?”
“Mmhm. The kind of points where you make me happy.”
“Oh, good.” He smiled and kissed her hair. “I like making you happy.”
“You always make me happy,” she said quietly. “And I imagine I’ll get to see a lot more of you for a little while at least, which will make me very happy.”
He laughed a little. “I’m not planning any trips anytime soon.”
“I’m glad.” She paused and added quickly, “I’m not glad that you’re hurt, but glad that you’re going to be home for awhile. I’ve missed you.”
He rested his chin lightly against the top of her head. “I missed you too. All the time. I’m glad to be home.”