Chapter Text
The sun, for once, graces you, filtering in from the window above. You snuggle closer to Bruce, wishing you could sleep for a little longer. His hand slips to your lower back, pushing you closer to him, a little sigh escaping his lips. You keep your eyes closed, chasing the last bits of sleep, but you can hear the footsteps outside the door. Sleep would have to come later. You wonder again how Bruce does it, as he doesn't move to alert you that he’s also awake, a slight snore coming from him instead.
Alfred knocks twice before entering. He doesn’t look at you two in the bed, only bringing in a tray of a tea kettle, a pitcher of water, and two cups. “Good morning. Happy Thanksgiving.” He says it just loud enough to make Bruce stir, his arm pulling you entirely into him now as he turns away from the voice. “Nothing happy about this holiday,” Bruce mumbles back, and you stifle a giggle.
“Of course, Master Wayne. You have one missed call from Lucius. He said it was important and to call as soon as you can.” Bruce stiffens, exhaling hard through his nostrils.
“I’ll call him,” Bruce replies, quickly kissing your forehead before letting you go. “He didn’t leave any details?” Bruce asks as he sits up, pushing his hair out of his face.
“No, he did not. It might be about tonight’s dinner.” Alfred says, facing the bed. “Ms. (L/N), you are free until about noon. The glam team will be here then.” It’s your turn to grumble, pulling the covers closer to you. “Do I need a whole glam team?” You ask, sleepiness making your words soft.
Bruce chuckles as he reaches for his phone. “Usually no, but think of it like you’re preparing for battle.”
“Like you do with Batman?” You retort, and he quickly pounces on you, his fingers finding your sides, tickling you. You yelp before giggles bubble out, your hands trying to find his hands to save yourself.
Alfred rolls his eyes, “Bruce, do not forget to contact Mr. Fox. Ah, breakfast will be donuts. Our kitchen is currently occupied.” With that, he takes his leave, shutting the door.
As soon as the door clicks, Bruce leans down, his mouth finding your neck, suckling love marks on your supple skin. You squirm as his tickling calms. His hands sneak up your shirt, palming your breasts, your nipples surprisingly sensitive, peaking and hardening with his touch. “Bruce...” You whisper, your legs wrapping around his waist.
“We have time...” He says against your skin. You grimace, feeling the familiar cramping in your abdomen. “I...”
He stops, his blue eyes blazing. “I want you,” He says softly, and you sit up, your hands cupping his face, stubble pricking your fingers.
“Not right now,” You whisper, pecking him gently.
He sighs, and you worry you’re disappointing him, but he pulls you into an embrace. “I want to stay for breakfast, but I’m worried about whatever Lucius has to say.” He admits that his chin rests on your shoulder. You play with the ends of his hair and shrug. “It could just be about tonight. You are going against the people who are screwing you over.” You twist a strand around your finger, listening to him breathe.
“What color did you decide on for the dress?” He asks. You open your eyes, unsure what he means. “I want to match.” He adds when you don’t say anything.
“Black,” You reply softly. He laughs, his hands sliding down to your hips. “I can match that easily. Did you choose that on purpose?” He asks, leaning back to take you in. You only smile back, shrugging slightly. “It was safe,” You say, dragging a finger down his chest. He wraps you in his embrace again, chuckling.
“When your glam team arrives, I will take my leave. I’ll be back before we have to go to dinner, though. Appearances and all...” He gets up, still holding you. You wrap your arms around his neck, another round of giggles starting. He carefully puts you down in front of the closet. You begin to regret not letting him fuck, his shirt lifting slightly, revealing his abdomen, but you stick to your guns. You make your way to the bathroom, your stomach knotting. The anxiety is starting to manifest in nausea. Your overreactive mind goes to what else it could be, but the worry of pregnancy dashes when you’re greeted by your period. You curse, rubbing your temple as you gather your thoughts. You’re half relieved and nervous. Of course, it would start during this high-stress moment. You can only hope that you can keep your emotions in check for those snobby, rude people who would question the legitimacy of your relationship and that your pain wouldn’t be too distracting. If it weren’t so dire, you’d skip this whole thing and stay home.
You hear the last bit of the conversation as Bruce talks to Lucius Fox. “I’m going to the dinner. They already know that. They’re using my cooks as if they own them.” He says, irritation in his voice. He’s quiet, picking at the plain bagel on his plate. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Don’t worry. (Y/N) will make sure of it.” You can hear a hearty laugh on the other side and feel his blue eyes on your back as you grab a donut. You don’t think the sugar will help, but between the tea and the painkiller you took before coming downstairs, you take your chances. You hope the sugar and caffeine will keep you alert, but plan to take a nap before dinner to be safe.
You don’t notice that you’ve zoned out until Bruce’s arms wrap you in a much-needed warm embrace. “Are you okay?” He whispers, his hands going to your lower stomach. You welcome the massage as he slowly moves his hand in a circular motion. “Mmm... Tired.” You say, stifling a yawn. He kisses your head before moving to stand beside you. “We can skip the dinner if you want.”
You turn to face him, raising your eyebrows. “We can’t do that.” You say, snapping out of your daze. He laughs softly, saying nothing as he returns to his bagel. “Lucius just called to warn me about some of the guests. They also tried to rescind our invitation.” Bruce states, rolling his eyes.
“Why would they do that?” You ask, sitting across from him.
“Because they don’t think I’ll show anyway. But I would like to see what they’ve used Enterprise funding on with my own eyes. If I could have a plus two, I would bring Lucius with me, but instead, we will have to wear our contacts.” You make a face, and he stands. “I do have to check with Gordon. If I’m to be keeping up appearances, Batman won’t be able to stake out the night.” He nods his head towards his office. “Do you want to come?”
You ponder for a moment before shaking your head. “I am still a little tired, so I’m going to nap before I have to get ready.” He gives a firm nod before leaving without a word.
You pick up your phone and start mindlessly scrolling while eating your donut. You haven’t had time to do this in such a while; it feels foreign, yet familiar. You’ve missed so much. Your comments are filled with the same questions about you and Bruce, now focusing on NDAs, since you haven’t posted since the engagement announcement. For a moment, you consider hiring someone to manage your social media, but then you laugh to yourself at the thought. You’re not that important. You wonder if Bruce already has someone to do it until it dawns on you. It’s Alfred, of course. The thought of Alfred with his glasses on the tip of his nose, typing out a professional message about the Wayne Foundations for Bruce’s Instagram, makes you smile to yourself as you move on to the news, the smile melting away.
The Thanksgiving Parade now overshadows the happy news about the Foundation’s charity event. You’re surprised they put it on, given that it usually gets hijacked. The news angle for the first source is how you and Bruce were notably missing from the parade, and you roll your eyes hard. Maybe if Richard were here, you would definitely go. However, the parade was always cold and long, and most of all, it was dangerous. There was a small disturbance of thugs trying to rob a float, but nothing the Gotham PD couldn’t handle. The rest of the news is about the pending lawsuit between Bruce and Wayne Enterprises, the weather, rising crime rates, and Batman. Nothing catches your eye, and you finish your breakfast before sneaking back into your room and letting your nap find you.
Alfred wakes you as soon as you start to sleep deeply. “I didn’t know you fell back asleep.” He frowns as you sit up groggily. Maybe a nap wasn’t the best idea, but you stretch and apologetically smile. “I’m trying to adjust to being nocturnal like Bruce.” You offer as a slight apology, but Alfred shakes his head, “You shouldn’t have to become like him, (Y/N).” You can feel the lecture coming, but he checks his watch. “Your glam team will be here any moment. Go get ready, okay?” He says before leaving you alone.
You’re half tempted to fall back asleep, but follow his orders, brushing your teeth and washing your face. As you walk down the stairs, you can hear the familiar voices. You’re surprised when you see Sabrina, expecting her to be with her family today, but she beams at you. “I thought you were off,” You say as she hugs you.
“Plans changed, and Mr. Wayne said I could come in.” You paste on a smile, but you know that’s not good. You hope everything is fine as you see Marcus preparing the curling irons and retrieving his styling gear, while his assistant sets up a ring light. “It’s just me today, babes,” Marcus says when he sees you.
“That’s okay.” You reply as you sit on the couch. Maybe you should have had something of substance; you tell yourself to ignore the impending doom if Bruce fails. You want to slip away to the hideout and check, tell yourself it’ll be okay. “Come over here,” Marcus says as he leads you to the bathroom. It’s not as big as the one upstairs, but it’s big enough for the two of you to use the sink to wash your hair.
“Man... If I had a house like this...” Marcus says as he massages your scalp. His assistant joins him, handing him products and towels. You try to keep yourself grounded, listening to what they say, but your mind wanders. You should have checked your phone before coming downstairs. You shouldn’t have taken a nap. You clench your jaw, trying to hide your stress tremors as you close your eyes. Marcus notices and frowns. “You okay, (Y/N)?”
His assistant tsks and pulls out their phone. “I knew those donuts were not a good choice. Do you want us to order you something?”
Marcus smiles widely at them as he massages your scalp, his fingers nimble and perfect as they knead your tension. “That’s a good idea. You know what I want.” He says, and you shiver.
“Yeah, maybe. That could work.” You keep your sentences short and clipped. Nervousness stiffens your tongue.
Marcus’s dark eyes watch you before guiding you back to rinse your hair. You need to calm down. If anything goes wrong, Bruce would be there to protect you, as himself or as Batman, and Sabrina too. You glance down the hall, though out of sight, you know she’s probably checking the perimeter and such.
As Marcus washes the shampoo out, he hums. “You know (Y/N), we sorta manifested this for you.” You smile, the tension in your cheeks starting to hurt. “I told her the first time we met that she was going to end up big with Mr. Wayne. And now look.” He nods to your hand, and you lift your left hand, revealing the ring.
His assistant lifts your hand to inspect, gasping in awe. “He knows how to choose a ring, huh? How many carats?” You shrug, knowing you’re supposed to know, but your mind is still in shambles. “I suppose it doesn’t matter because money doesn’t matter for a Wayne,” Marcus stresses Bruce’s last name, and you’re happy Bruce isn’t here to hear. You shrug as you sit up, a towel wrapping around your head as they start to give a quick pat down. “But we’ll make sure he gets his money’s worth with your look tonight. Which will be easy because look at the product,” Marcus continues, waving his hand at you, and his assistant nods in agreement.
With their compliments, you do feel a little at ease and calm down a bit while Marcus starts to condition your hair, and his assistant, who you learn is named Nima, paints your nails. They revert to local gossip, with Nima complaining about the dating scene, and start to mention drops, but stop, their eyes flicking to you and Marcus. You’re not a narc, but you won’t lie; you don’t like them since your encounter with the Penguin and the Scarecrow. Marcus changes the subject as he wraps your hair up and leads you to your room. “Now, Mr. Wayne said we’re not allowed in here, so I think the nice old lady, Lucy? I think that’s her name, will help you get dressed. Be careful about your hair and nails, and then we’ll continue when you come back down.” He says before going back down the stairs.
To your surprise, Dory is waiting for you. “Lucy went with Jacques and Dunham.” She explains. You simply nod, going to the bathroom to dress. Dory is still less personable than Lucy, but you don’t mind the silence.
You check your phone as you undress, seeing the texts from Bruce. “Sabrina will be there today. I might be late. I will be late. I will see you tonight.” You try not to panic as you step into the dress, suddenly wishing you didn’t have to go tonight. You return to the bedroom, trying to hide your panicked state as Dory steps forward.
“You do look very pretty. Master Wayne will be very pleased.” She says as she zips the back.
You exhale and turn to face her. “Did he find the locations?”
Dory shrugs, “He doesn’t tell me that information, Ms. (L/N). You also shouldn’t ask in front of guests.” You look around and see it’s just the two of you, but you know what she means, and you pick up your phone, frantically texting Bruce. “Is everything okay?”
Sabrina is at the foot of the stairs, her brown eyes rounding when she sees you. “You look so beautiful!” You smile warmly as you take her hand. “Thank you.” Her eyes well with tears as she leads you back to Marcus. “I know I shouldn’t be so emotional…” she mutters under her breath, but you don’t mind it, squeezing her hand before returning to the hot seat, ready to put on your armor.
Bruce arrives just as you’re finishing up. You hear a door slam, alerting you to his presence, but your nerves cause you to jolt. You play it off as a shiver, seeing the reaction of Marcus and Nima, who narrow their eyes. You don’t want them to get the wrong impression that you are afraid of him or that he hurts you. You flash a smile and sigh. “Must have done it too hard.”
They don’t believe you, and Marcus clears his throat. “Can we see the gardens before we go?” You understand what he’s asking and shoot a glance at Sabrina, who trails you as you go to the garden entrance.
Marcus ignores the shrubbery immediately standing close, and his face is somber. “Are you okay? Is he hurting you? Are you safe?”
You suddenly feel drained, and you can no longer maintain the polite smile. “I’m fine. We’re just really, really, really nervous about tonight.” You turn away and run your fingers over the dark green bush, the lights wrapped around it, pricking your fingers. “They don’t think we’re legitimate, and even worse, they’re trying to take Wayne Enterprise away from him. It’s really sick.” You say, shaking your head. “So our nerves are a bit high, but we’re fine. I’m fine. Bruce has never hurt me. Safety…” You laugh and shrug. “Is anyone really safe in Gotham? Are the Waynes ever safe?”
Marcus sucks his teeth and puts his hand on your shoulder, turning you to face him. You see Sabrina around the corner behind him, and you tuck your smile into a small grimace as Marcus’ brows furrow. “When I said you’d end up with him, I didn’t know it would be like this… If you need anything. You have my number. I have some CBD drops in case you need them.”
You shake your head. “I need a clear mind if I’m to face these goons,” You say, realizing in the moment, you sound more like Batman.
Marcus lets out a surprised laugh and turns to go in. “Alright, girl.” He doesn’t ask any more questions and lets you walk him and Nima to the door.
You could feel the energy radiating from Sabrina, knowing she wanted to know what was going on, her practically rushing over as soon as the door closes. “He was just nervous about our situation.” You say before she can list her questions.
“Nervous about the situation? Who else knows?!” Sabrina asks, her brows raising.
“He doesn’t know. He saw me jump when Bruce slammed the door and noticed that I was nervous. He wanted to make sure Bruce wasn’t hurting me.” Sabrina calms a bit, but the concern doesn’t fade completely. “His worry is not completely unfounded, you know (Y/N).”
You nod, going to the living room. “I am aware.” You reply, hearing how short your tone is, and you frown. “I’m sorry. My period started today.” An understanding grin paints on her face, and she looks behind you at Bruce.
He is wearing an all-black tuxedo, including his shirt. You don’t know if it’s your hormones or if it’s where you two left off earlier, but you feel a primal need for him. You go to him as if a magnet is pulling you to him, and refusing is futile. His hand goes around your waist, and he flashes a charming smile at Sabrina. “Thank you for coming here on short notice. I didn’t think I’d make it on time.” He pulls out his phone, and you sniff his cologne; the smell pangs between your thighs. You notice he has fresh bruises on his knuckles, and you hope no one else pays attention.
“It’s okay! My wife just texted me and said dinner is done, so I’ll be headed home now. Be safe, you two!” You watch as she leaves, a tightness in your chest easing. You turn to your beau, eyes shining, and you smile, suddenly nervous. He returns the smile, his hand going to the small of your back. You both take a deep breath in and out as if knowing this would be the calmest your night will be. Then Bruce picks you up and rushes you to the study. You expect him to ravish you on the desk, but instead, he leads you to the Batcave.
Time to learn.