Chapter Text
I held myself in the darkened alley, arms wrapped tight around my body as I glanced from side to side. My mind felt scraped clean, empty except for the worry buzzing in the back of my skull. Not just because I had never been out this late before, or because the streets were unfamiliar. No. All I could think about was the betrayal, looping over and over while cars rushed past at the mouth of the alley, headlights streaking over wet pavement.
I clutched my heels in one hand, arguing silently with myself over whether I should just abandon them there. I bought them just for tonight. They were supposed to make me feel pretty. Special. Instead they were ruined, and they had started hurting my feet barely an hour after I’d been left on the side of the road. Now my phone was dead, I barely had any cash, and my eyes kept stinging with more tears no matter how often I wiped my cheeks clean.
Cold crept over my skin, sharp as needles. My first real date, and it had gone worse than anything I could have imagined.
He kept pushing. Touching. Trying to get me to go further than I ever said I was comfortable with. His grip turned bruising, and when I accidentally hit him in the face with my head, his nose started bleeding. It should have terrified me, but all I felt was relief as I shoved myself back against the door, trying to get as much distance as I could.
He started yelling. Calling me names. Ugly, ugly words that would have kept spilling out if I hadn’t taken the risk of opening the door while the car was still stopped at the red light. I ran. I didn’t think. I just bolted into the first hiding place I saw.
A darkened alley.
A short-lived victory, really. Now I had to somehow make my way home through Gotham’s less than friendly streets, jumping at every noise, every shadow, every passing car.
“Are you lost?”
I turned my head quickly, terrified of who I might see. My body flinched hard, like it was trying to escape before I could even think. But the person standing there wasn’t some stranger from the street.
It was a man in black and blue spandex, the familiar symbol of a blue bat stretching across his chest. A symbol I’d seen enough times to know it meant safety. He wasn’t Batman, not quite, but one of his partners. One of the ones people trusted. The rubber band inside my chest, pulled tight and close to snapping, loosened all at once.
He gave me a warm smile and stayed where he was, hands close to his sides like he didn’t want to scare me. Like maybe he had seen this before. His black hair was neatly styled, his mask fitting perfectly against his face, and the hero suit hugged him in ways I tried not to openly stare at. I dropped my gaze to the ground, too shaken to move my feet.
“No… my, my date…” I started, the memory scraping across my mind. “It didn’t go his way. Or mine.”
“That’s a shame,” he said gently. I almost nodded, but he was already studying me. Barefoot. Cold. Shaking.
“My ride is just around the block. Want a lift home?”
My tongue felt clumsy, but I nodded. “Please. If it’s not out of your way.”
He held out his arm, slow and polite. “It’s my job to look after citizens like you.”
I hesitated, then reached for him. His arm was warm and solid beneath the suit, muscles steady under my hand. For the first time all night, I felt like I could breathe. I inhaled and exhaled slowly, clinging to the thought that I might actually get home in one piece.
“I’m afraid your shoes might be done for,” he said softly.
I glanced at the broken straps and felt my chest sink. He was right. My gaze dropped to the pavement.
“I know…” My voice came out small. I had been so excited to wear them. And just like that, the night ruined them too.
“It was a long night,” I said, keeping it as short as possible. I doubted he wanted to hear even a fraction of it. He was already being kind by offering me a ride home when there were probably far more important things happening in Gotham tonight.
“Want to tell me about it?” he asked. His hands rested behind his back, and he tilted his head slightly so he could meet my eyes. His gaze was a deep blue, focused entirely on me. There was so much empathy in his expression that for a moment it felt like he saw straight through me, more than even my closest friends ever had.
“It’s not a very nice story. And I’m not a good storyteller.”
He chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, my lady. I’m a good listener.” He even traced a little cross over his chest. A smile tugged at my lips despite everything. “And I won’t interrupt,” he added playfully as he took a small step closer.
“It’s mostly just complaints,” I warned. When he didn’t stop me, the words kept spilling out. “I ruined my new heels.” I lifted them slightly. “I told my date how excited I was. How he was my first real date. At first he was nice. He promised it would be fun.” I grimaced. “And it was. Until it wasn’t. Then he became… more.”
I sighed and buried my face in my hands. “Men really do only want one thing.” My voice sounded hollow in my own ears. He had been so charming, so rehearsed, and I fell for it. I should have known better. Maybe this was just the punishment for being foolish.
Nightwing stayed quiet, letting me talk. Kind. Patient. I tried not to read into it.
“And now I’m walking through Gotham in the middle of the night, barefoot and freezing. My feet hate me. And I’m starting to think there isn’t a kind soul left in this city.” My voice dropped, shrinking to almost nothing.
The smile on Nightwing’s face tightened just a little. Forced. And I knew I probably should have stopped talking somewhere back at the part about my shoes.
“Not that it isn’t pleasant to meet you,” I added quickly, holding my hand up. But before I could say anything else, Nightwing had already lifted me off the ground. My feet weren’t even touching the pavement anymore.
“Forgive me for not noticing, princess.”
“No, really, I’m fine,” I insisted.
“Did this brute hurt you?”
“Just my feelings. Hardly worth a masked hero knocking on his door.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of wandering in through his window and making sure it never happens again.”
I didn’t know if it was the cold that made my stomach twist, or the sudden darkness in his voice. It lasted only a moment before he smiled again, warm and sweet, like a prince from a storybook. He carried me only a little further, toward a sleek black car marked with a blue bat symbol. Despite my protests, he opened the door easily with one hand.
He placed me gently into the passenger seat, and the blast of warm air hit me instantly. The cold drained from my body, tension fading until I slumped back into the seat with relief. Nightwing closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
“Better?”
“Sorry you had to listen to me rant,” I murmured.
He chuckled, reaching up to brush a hand along my cheek.
“A privilege. I have some water if you want.”
“Please,” I said, my throat practically begging. He grabbed a bottle from the back and passed it to me. He really was as kind as the rumors made him sound. And just as handsome.
“I’m Nightwing,” he said.
“Y/n.” I toyed with the hem of my skirt as he watched me, then finally turned forward to start the car.
“Dreadful way to start out in the dating scene.”
“I think I might retire for a bit,” I said, my voice trailing off without a hint of humor.
“You’re a pretty lady. He clearly wasted his chance not getting to know you. A princess like you should have higher standards.”
I felt my cheeks warm. “Um… yes,” I said softly. “I do.”
Nightwing reached out and gently patted my head.
“When someone compliments you, you say thank you. Right?” His tone was playful, but there was something firm beneath it.
It was a little odd, but maybe it was just his way of keeping my spirits up. I nodded.
“Thank you, Nightwing.”
“Good girl. Remember to always say thank you when people give you compliments.”
He flashed me a grin. “So which way?”
“Just at—”
He made an abrupt turn before I could finish, and I nearly fell into his lap. He pretended not to notice, but I scrambled upright again, steadying myself with a hand on his thigh. Firm. Strong. Just like the rest of him. My face burned. I let go immediately and turned toward the window.
“Aren’t you the cutest thing. I can’t say I blame a guy for trying, if you were looking at him anything like you’re looking at me,” Nightwing said as the car rolled to a stop.
We weren’t at my place. We weren’t even on the right street. He had parked in another deserted alley.
Heat rushed to my face and I turned away, pretending to study the brick walls and trash cans outside the window. Nightwing was supposed to be the kindest of the Bats. Safe. Trustworthy. But when he reached out and tilted my chin toward him, I couldn’t ignore the sudden hunger in his eyes.
“My home is that way,” I said quickly, pointing.
Nightwing took my hand instead. He lifted it slowly, brushing his lips across my fingertips like this was some kind of fairy-tale greeting.
“This isn’t… you shouldn’t be…” My voice trailed off.
He crept towards me, and I felt like this situation was familiar. But not in an unwelcoming way. Shouldn’t I have been more worried at the increasing ease with which he began to touch me. Or acting towards me.
I wasn’t home. But I was closer.
“Thank you for the ride,” I blurted out, trying to sound polite as I reached for the door handle. I slid halfway out of the seat, escaping his growing closeness.
Behind me, I heard him laugh. A low, sharp sound that didn’t belong to the hero I thought he was.
He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back inside. The tinted black car swallowed the sound of the city, sealing us in. We were in the middle of an abandoned alley, the kind of place where someone might hear a scream but pretend they hadn’t. He closed the door I had managed to open and pressed a button so it locked tight.
Shock froze my voice in my throat. My back was pressed against his chest, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it hurt. His hand slid slowly through my hair and my breath stuttered between one heartbeat and the next. I felt him lean in, far too close to my shoulder.
“H help…” The word barely existed. It slipped out anyway, trembling and thin.
He breathed in deeply, still toying absently with a strand of my hair.
“So docile,” he murmured. “I might not have to do much to train you.”
“Please…” I whispered, not even sure what I was begging for anymore. Please let me go. Please don’t hurt me. Please let this be a misunderstanding. I had too many prayers and no voice strong enough to hold them.
His gloved hand brushed my arm and goosebumps chased up my skin, fear curling through me until I shook. I tried to twist away, but he was far stronger than he looked. I could hardly breathe.
“ You’re so sweet when you beg. Go on, I’ll listen~”
His voice sounded playful, but it chilled straight through me. Weren’t heroes supposed to make villains feel small, not trap terrified girls in parked cars?
“I want to go home,” I whispered.
“And you will. Eventually. After a few rules.”
“Rules?” My throat felt dry. His mouth hovered too close to my shoulder.
“You don’t know it yet, but I’ve been keeping a very good eye on you. Do you remember me?”
“I never—”
“I didn’t think you would. It was without the mask. And I thought then that you were the most precious lady I had ever seen. So I promised myself I would take care of you.”
He smiled for a moment, then it vanished.
“Then you just had to agree to a date. But I’m so happy it went badly. No sense wasting your time on men like that when you already have a man like me.”
There was something wrong in the way he said it. Wrong in the way he clung to me. His words sounded less like affection and more like sickness.
“I don’t know you,” I breathed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll be very well acquainted soon enough.”
He rocked me gently in his arms, like this was something soft. Safe. Normal.
I sniffled, too overwhelmed to stop myself.
“So. Rules,” he said brightly, as if this were a pleasant conversation instead of a nightmare. He took both my hands and held them in front of me. “I’m going to let you go home after this, don’t worry. You just have to nod and agree.”
“Really?”
“Of course, princess~” He buried his face into my hair like it was the most natural thing in the world. “After our little chat, you can go.” He curled his pinky around mine, childish and sweet in a way that only made it feel more unsettling. I was sure he was doing it to make me lower my guard.
“…What rules, Nightwing?” I sniffled.
“See? Right there.” His voice softened. “Nightwing is so impersonal. I’d prefer you call me something else. Any ideas?”
“Mr. Nightwing?” I tried.
“Too impersonal.”
“Master?”
He laughed lightly. “I’m sure that will work in other situations, but not now.”
I tried to think, but my mind was shaking as badly as my hands. Why was he so happy to watch me struggle? Why did it matter so much that I pleased him? Why did it already feel dangerous not to?
“Think harder. From this point forward I’m going to be your everything. Your safe place, your shelter, your home.”
I found myself hiding my face against his chest. I just wanted to go home. My home. My own bed. My own walls.
“My Sir…” The word slipped out before I could stop it.
“Sir. That works wonderfully. I knew you would think of something.”
I could smell him. Sweat mixed with cologne and leather. It made it hard to breathe.
“I don’t…” I started, and he narrowed his eyes at me.
“Sir,” I corrected quickly.
“See, that was simple.” His voice turned almost affectionate. “Now, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but don’t bother going to the police. No one will believe you. And what would you even say?”
He started laughing, like the idea itself was a joke.
“Nightwing is stalking me,” he mocked in a high, trembling voice, then snorted. “That would be cute, but I’d rather not have to break you out of the looney bin.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. I flinched.
“The monsters there are much scarier than me.”
“I won’t tell,” I whispered.
“I know you won’t.” His smile tightened at the edges. “Now hand over your phone. I’m going to put my number in it. Make sure you answer.”
“It’s dead.”
“…You’re not lying to me, are you?”
He gave my hair a sharp tug. I hurried to pull my phone from my bag and hand it to him. His expression stayed perfectly blank as he tried to turn it on and failed.
He sighed. “Of course my sweet isn’t lying to me. She knows better.”
He took out a pen, and I flinched when he reached for my hand.
“Apologize.”
I hadn’t done anything wrong… but instead of risking making him angry, I whispered, “Sorry.”
“Good. I didn’t want to have to fix your attitude. Hand.”
I gave it to him. He wrote in clear, neat letters across my skin.
“This is my number. Now give me yours.”
I nodded stiffly and took the pen. He rolled up his sleeve and offered me his arm. The ink bled slightly into his skin as I wrote each number, one after another. When I finished, my hand was trembling again in my lap.
“Good girl,” he murmured, stroking my hair. “Now I’m going to let you go home.”
Hope flickered painfully in my chest.
“Don’t try anything silly. Understood? Because if you do, I’ll know. And you’ll make me very upset.”
I nodded, fear swimming in my eyes.
“You’re so beautiful…”
“Th… thank you,” I managed.
“That’s my girl. Now let’s continue our drive to your home.”
He started the engine again. The tires rolled over gravel, the hum of the car filling the silence while Nightwing held my hand and hummed softly to himself. My thoughts spun in circles.
Why. Why. Why.
When my building finally came into view, relief flooded me. I reached for the handle, eager to escape.
Nightwing caught my wrist and gently pulled me back.
A spark of excitement flickered in his eyes as he looked down at me.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Good girl. But how about a reward? I did drive you all the way here.”
“I don’t have any money…” I whispered.
Nightwing leaned into my space, far too close. He pressed a slow kiss to my cheek.
“See you soon, princess.”
His lips lingered near my ear, warm breath ghosting across my skin. I didn’t wait. I hurried out of the car, too afraid to run, too afraid to stop moving.
I didn’t slow down until I was inside my apartment. I locked the door, pressing my back against it, my hand over my mouth.
Unreal. A bad dream. This couldn’t possibly have happened.
I stumbled into bed, desperate to sleep it away. To wake up and find none of it real.
But when morning came, there they were.
A pair of familiar heels waiting on my balcony. Brand new. Perfect. As if they had never been ruined at all. A gift meant to greet me. And pull me deeper into the hell I had stumbled into.
++++++
XOXO
Call me
And a number scribbled down for good measure.
The moment I woke up and grabbed my fully charged phone, it was already too late. A flood of messages poured in one after another.
Morning princess
I would love to wake up beside you
Are you awake you better not be ignoring me
And those were only the first ones. Hearts. Kisses. Pet names. Each notification sent my heart spiking painfully fast. I pressed my pillow over my ears, but the sounds kept coming. Over and over.
If I didn’t answer, he would think I was ignoring him. And I knew now that he knew where I lived. The heels proved that much. I swallowed back panic and finally picked up my phone, ignoring the new messages popping up at the top of the screen. What was I supposed to say?
Im awake. Sorry for worrying you Nightwing
There was a pause. Then the typing dots appeared.
Morning princess, but you know better than to use that name. Do you want me to come over and punish you so early in the morning
My hands shook as I typed back.
Sorry sir
That better, came almost instantly. I could almost hear his voice beside my ear.
Tonight, let’s go for a ride. A date.
It wasn’t a question. There was no room for refusal. He knew I wasn’t busy. He knew everything.
I just stared at the screen, wanting to scream but unable to move. Who could I even tell? Who would believe me? That Nightwing, beloved hero of Gotham, was stalking some random civilian? Batman? How would I find him? What would I do, stand outside at night and yell into the sky? And even then, what if Nightwing heard me first?
I didn’t know how long I stayed there, staring at the blinding screen, my thoughts spinning.
Until—
*RING!!*
The phone began to ring with Nightwing’s name flashing across the screen. I jumped. It felt like the phone itself was screaming at me to answer. It stopped, silence pressing in for a second, before it started ringing again.
I snapped out of the shock and picked up, my voice shaking.
“Hel—”
“My sweet!” he cut in, voice bright and excited.
“Hi… hello, Sir.”
“You’re learning. Good girl. That’s why I left a gift on your balcony. Did you like it?”
The heels.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Good girls deserve treats. Bad girls…” He paused, letting the silence drag. “So. Tonight. What do you say to that date?”
“I don’t know, I just am—”
Busy? Working? Something? Anything? But nothing came out. My mind was blank.
The line went very quiet.
“Don’t lie to me, sweetheart.”
I swallowed.
“I’m picking you up tonight. So be ready by eight~” he sang, hanging up the phone and I was left to stare at it blankly.