Inside Your Eyes

The alarm buzzed in my ear. I grunted, annoyed at the small mechanism, and hit the snooze button, "Why?" I would mumble rolling over, "Bruce?" I shook him awake, "It's time for normal people to wake up." He growled at me and rolled over, "It's only for appearances. You can sleep in your office," he nodded slightly, "I'll be back in 10 minutes with coffee and ice water. If the eyes are open when I get back, you get the coffee." I have no idea how Alfred did this alone.

I made my way down the stairs to see Alfred already in the kitchen, "Oh Maya, would you like some coffee?"

"Please," I took a sip. How in the world he had memorized how I liked coffee and woken up before the crack of dawn was beyond me, "I'm glad I have you to fill in the blanks for me."

"How late did he get in last night?"

"Around 5:30 or 6:00," I sighed getting a tray, "If he works much later it'll end up being daylight before he comes home." I set the tray on the table and walked over to the sink, "Think ice water will help?" I grabbed a sterling silver pitcher.

"Are you going to pour that on him? If so, you are very brave."

"I've been punched in the jaw before."

"Just remember to dodge. I would rather the press not spread rumors of Master Wayne beating you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Since Bruce and I went public the tabloids were inspecting our lives with a fine toothed comb for any juicy secrets, "God help us if they ever see him sneaking into the mansion in the mornings. I have no idea if I should embrace or deny an accusation of Bruce cheating on me. I'd rather us not become like Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. That breakup happened however many years ago and the magazines are still buzzing about it." I looked down at my watch, "Guess I should go into battle now."

I took up the tray, "By the way Maya, Happy Birthday."

A deep sigh escaped my mouth, "Thank you Alfred. I had forgotten my own birthday," I laughed slightly, "I'm glad I've lived to see these days," I smiled and turned Oh Lisa...I miss you with all my heart.

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Bruce was still a lump in his bed when I made it to the room. "Get up!" I shouted.

He just groaned and waved his hand at me.

My eyes narrowed and I grabbed the pitcher full of ice water, "I said get up! The press will have a field day if you start showing up late to work!"

"Go away..." he mumbled.

He doesn't mean it. He's just tired. Though I could make sense of it in my mind, my arm had a mind of its own I swear. The pitcher flew through the air, water sparkling slightly as it fell out of the container. Within a second Bruce's head was soaked and the pitcher lay by his right shoulder.

He immediately sprang out of bed displaying what a colorful vocabulary he had acquired over the years. Amongst the profanities I managed to make sense of a few sentences, "Why did you do that!? You're going to pay!"

I couldn't control my giggling as I ran out the door, "I warned you!"

His arms wound around my waist nearly the same instant I finished the sentence, "I'll get you back. Thanks for waking me though."

"You're welcome. Now get dressed before we show up late to work again!"

"Not before this," he kissed me before handing me a box.

I looked at it and sighed, "You got me something?"

"Yes. I would think I'd be the person to give you something today. You're 23, it should be a day of joy."

I opened the box to find a locket. When I opened it, there was a clock on one half and an engraved message on the other, "Never let the past define your heart," I read aloud, "It's beautiful," a smile slid across my face, "It's the perfect message for the day."

"My goal was to make you smile at least once today. We'll visit Lisa today as well. I know that's what you would rather want than a party."

I leaned up and kissed him, "Thank you, now get dressed! Unless you want the tabloids to post pictures of you in boxers everywhere."