Book Two - Part One: Spectre

Chapter Ten

Bruce can hear Laurie giggling, and it's such a pure and childish sound that he can't help but smile himself. He doesn't get up yet, opting to listen a little longer, to take stock of everything. There's the smell of cookies and tinsel. And there is Christmas music playing quietly. Ricky barks from his bed, tail happily wagging against the wall. Christmas. This will be their first real Christmas. They had an hour one Christmas where she managed to sneak away from her husband, hardly worth it, but still a Christmas. This year is different. It's all his. He opens his eyes and then finds himself chuckling. Standing on the bedside table is an elf figure. He sits up looking for the culprit and finds Laurie sitting in front of a truly pathetic Christmas tree, decorating it with various things. He smiles crossing his legs under the blankets. Ricky jumps up onto the bed next to him and Bruce scratches at his head. Laurel glances to them and smiles.

"Get up, lazy" she teases him. Bruce nudges Ricky who jumps up, Bruce following him to his feet. Laurie stands and turns her music up now she knows he's awake, Bruce moves towards her, touching the small of her back and then taking her hand to dance with her, she laughs a little. "Oh baby, it's cold outside" she sings, he pulls her closer to him. "Merry Christmas" she whispers softly.

"Merry Christmas, Laurel" he kisses her, her arms around his neck, they sway a little listening to the music. "This is nice" he comments, she hums in agreement, he presses his forehead to hers.

"So do you want to know the plan?" she asks him, he pulls back and raises an eyebrow.

"There's a plan?" he asks, she nods and threads her fingers through the back of his hair.

"Of course" she answers smiling widely.

.............

Laurel's overly happy, Bruce can see that, her smile is just a tad too wide, her eyes too. Her voice is too chipper. Bruce frowns a little watching her pull more cookies out of the oven and set them on the top, this is her third batch, and there are only the two of them that will eat them and she's made way too many.

"Laurel?" he asks, she hums listening to him. "What's going on with you today?" he adds, she glances to him and then glances around at the cookies and the decorations before turning back to Bruce.

"It's Christmas" she answers, he raises an eyebrow at her, knows her too well, she sighs and looks down. "Okay, fine....I don't actually like December" she admits and offers a shrug.

"What?" he asks. "How can you not like a month?" she shrugs again and then looks away.

"My parent's deaths" she answers. "December 16th 1991"

"And that explains why you didn't want to leave the bed last week" he mumbles cupping her face and kisses her forehead and then her lips before pulling back "Don't force yourself to be happy today" Bruce tells her. "No more fake smiles" he asks of her, she nods and gives him a real small smile. "Don't feel like you ever hide how you feel from me" he pleads of her. "We're in this together now. You and me" he kisses her softly. "So how about we take those cookies; we eat them in bed and listen to some music?"

"But I have a whole plan" she reminds him, he grabs the plate of cooled cookies as well as her hand.

"If that's what you really want to do....we can do that" he brushes his thumb over the back of her hand. She shakes her head. "Alright then"

"I love you" she tells him warmly, he kisses the back of her hand pulling her towards their bed.

"And you know how much I love you" he points out softly. "How much I've always loved you" she takes a cookie and then drops onto the bed.

"You were always the soppy one" she teases, he chuckles setting the plate on the bedside table before joining her, taking the cookie from her and eating it himself.

.............

Bruce picks up another cookie and Laurel narrows her eyes slightly watching him, she leans up onto her elbow and takes the cookie from him, he frowns at her.

"Hey" he whines a little.

"We need to eat something that is not cookie" she complains pushing herself up, Bruce glances to her with a pout, he is more then happy to live off of cookies if it means they spend all day in bed.

"Cookies are fine for today" he argues reaching for her, she chuckles and leans down to kiss him quickly before pulling away.

"No" she counters. "At least let me make some sandwiches" she pushes herself up off of his chest and climbs over him to leave the bed. Bruce turns to watch her, she's changed since that morning, gone is the jeans and the Christmas t-shirt and in it's place are a pair of shorts and one of his shirts, he likes this look better on her. He stands moving to Laurie's phone playing music and picks it up. Bruce scrolls through her music list and opts for something a little less festive, he settles for some Etta James, rather surprised that Laurie has this in her collection. Setting it down again he moves back to the bed, sitting on it and waits for her to return.

..............

Laurel is peaceful when she sleeps, like all the weight from the world just disappears from her soul and her body. Her face relaxes, her body uncoils. Bruce loves to just take a moment to watch her like this, letting her peace fuel his own. His arm around her, fingers playing with strands of her hair, this is the most peaceful he ha ever felt, with her in his arms. He kisses her forehead and then takes the cookie plate from her setting it aside before standing and turning off the music. She shifts in their bed behind him and he returns to her before she wakes up, pulling the thin blanket around them both she snuggles into his side, his arm slipping back around her shoulders. He kisses her head and smiles.

"Merry Christmas, Laurel" he whispers softly before letting her snuggle deeper into him, getting comfy.