"It felt like I had driven back in time. That lane was how I remembered it, when nothing else was." - Neil Gaiman
•••
Bird stirred from sleep just enough to turn over on her side and reach an arm out to Jim's side of the bed.
But all she felt under her touch was the cool surface of the sheet.
Waking up a little more, she raised her head and confirmed that his side of the bed was empty.
"Jim?"
Her voice was a little scratchy.
Being awake this early was entirely against her will.
It had been over a week since Bird returned home -and Jim hadn't been back to work since.
In that time, neither of them had left the house.
They'd shut their phones off and hadn't let the outside world interfere with repairing the cracks that had formed in their relationship.
Time had no meaning.
No need to get to bed by a specific time when the next day had no awaiting deadlines or responsibilities.
In truth, Bird had always preferred the night to day.
She'd always felt more at home when the city was lit with a moonlight glow.
Bird got out of bed with a yawn; her movements were sluggish as she crossed the room and disappeared into the walk-in closet to choose her clothes for the day.
Several minutes later, she was heading down the stairs in her townhouse, tying her hair up in a bun on the top of her head as she went.
Her gums still tingled from the mint in her toothpaste, and her face was freshly washed and moisturized.
She checked the main sitting room and the office downstairs for Jim, but when she didn't see him, she went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
But once she got there, she saw no need to.
Sitting on the counter was two coffee cups bearing the logo of the nearby cafe and a plain white paper bag - more than likely containing fresh croissants.
She walked over and started to unfold the top of the bag to check what was inside when a pair of arms slid around her from behind.
"Morning." She beamed a smile.
"Morning." Jim greeted back.
Bird's stomach jumped at the feeling of his breath brushing against her ear when he spoke.
He pressed a kiss to the side of her face; she chuckled.
She turned around to get a look at him and noticed he was clean-shaven -she always thought he looked good, but a part of her would miss the rough feeling of his stubble against her skin, against her face and neck, the reddened hue the contact left on her inner thighs.
Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
"You got up early today."
He nodded.
"I go back to work next week." Jim reminded her, "Have to get my sleep schedule straightened out."
"You know..." Bird breathed as she leaned in and rested her arms on his shoulders, "You don't have to go back to work. Neither of us does. I've got money. We could just go."
"Yeah?" Jim's hands found their place against the curve of her hips, "Go where?"
"Just throw a dart at a map." Bird smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her expression, "Literally anywhere."
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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...
