"People were like Russian nesting dolls - versions stacked inside the latest edition. But they all still lived inside, unchanged, just out of sight." - Megan Miranda, All the Missing Girls
•••
Bird lingered in the doorway of the kitchen in Wayne Manor with the smile on her face growing with each passing second.
Bruce, unaware of his sister's eyes on him, was hurriedly buzzing around the kitchen. The island in the center of the room had several cutting boards laid out with assorted types of lettuce and other salad fixings in varying stages of perpetration.
The sink was piled up with countless bowls, measuring cups and utensils.
She could smell fresh baked bread in the air and the counter had several baking dishes laid out. Some looked ready to go into the oven and others were still empty.
Bruce was in the middle of slicing up a cucumber to add to serving bowl of ever-growing salad when he finally caught sight of Bird.
"Starling." He greeted, his eyes going a little wide as he wondered how long she'd been there.
"Hey, little brother." She returned the greeting.
He watched as the smile never left her lips and she kept looking at him with an expectant expression.
"You look very nice." He complimented.
"Thank you-"
"Shouldn't you be on your way to the Founder's Dinner?" He added.
Her eyes narrowed playfully at him, "Trying to get rid of me? Why? Afraid I'll embarrass you on your first real date with Selina?"
"No." He cleared his throat but broke eye contact and tried to focus back on slicing the cucumber up in thin, even slices.
Glancing around the room again, she tried to joke, "You sure this is enough food for one night?"
He stopped midway through another cut into the cucumber, "It's too much, isn't it?"
"No." She quickly tried to assure him.
"I just..." He breathed, dropping the knife on the wood cutting board, "I want everything to be perfect."
Bruce pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to calm the fluttering in his stomach. When he finally opened his eyes back up he saw Bird watching him, with her hands clasped over her mouth in an attempt to hide the smile on her lips.
"Please don't laugh at me." He pleaded.
"I'm not." She cleared her throat and looked around the room again, "Here, let me help you."
She started toward the sink to wash her hands but Bruce stopped her.
"No, what if you get something on your dress?"
Turning back around to face where he was standing she arched a brow, "I can cook, you know."
"I know." He agreed, "It's just... your sort of better at baking and I want everything to be perfect."
"Alright..." She breathed, holding her hands up in surrender, "I'll leave it to you then."
"Thank you."
Bird watched as he abandoned the salad ingredients and started to set the table.
"Um..." She started before stopping herself.
"What?" Bruce demanded to know looking up after he'd placed a folded cloth napkin in the center of a plate.
"It's just....you know... maybe you don't two forks." She tried to offer a helpful hint.
YOU ARE READING
Devil's Playground • Gotham Fanfiction •
Fanfiction"Sometimes you have to just sit back and watch people destroy themselves." Bird's own words after watching her biological mother die. Little did she know that apparently it was something she'd inherited. Maybe that's just part of the madness of life...
