#listen. there are only 2 explanations for how she got his jacket overnight | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

azaleavi · 3 years

Text

Woman Like Me - Part 4

Summary: Bucky is a tease when it comes to y/n and she can barely hold back anymore

Warning(s): death, language

Word count: 2.1k

Author's note: I’ll be honest i’m not really happy with this one, but this is the best I can do right now.

Feedback is always appreciated and don't forget to reblog and like if you liked it and want to see more. Thank you!

Masterlist

Your mind was running a thousand miles per hour, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for John so he doesn't put you behind bars or worse, kills you... well tries to anyway. He pulled his arm from the shield that was still pinned to the table by the spear, his eyes not leaving you. You stared back, not willing to be the one who breaks eye contact, that would mean you are ashamed of what you are. The man stood up and marched towards you, only for Bucky to stand in his way. Sam walked up next to you as you held your hand out for the wakandan woman to take. She took it as she stood up, nodding her head. You guessed it meant she had no hard feelings.

"You care to explain the little stunt you just pulled?" John raised his voice. Bucky put his metal arm - that was back in it's place - on his arm in warning. It wasn't like you needed protection, but it was still nice for him to stand up for you.

"You want me to explain what you clearly saw? Did you hit your head or something?" you stepped closer to him. Bucky looked back at you, a warning clear in his eyes. You would be lying if that look didn't make your legs tremble in want, but now wasn't the time to think about that. Instead you shut your mouth. John shook Bucky's hand off of him and finally reached you, standing way too close for your liking.

"Do not get smart with me little girl, it can get you locked up somewhere cold forever." he hissed. You flexed your jaw, wanting to just punch him at least once.

"Oh yeah? Let's see how you do that with your head missing from your shoulder Cap" the mock clear in your voice at the last word.

"Okay let's calm down" Sam stepped between you with his hands up. Bucky put one arm around your waist and pulled you to himself so your back was flush against his chest. You straigthened your spine at the sudden contact. Sam and John arguing tuned out in the background. You could feel his breath next to your ear as he whispered to you in amusement.

"Aren't you a little feisty thing?" his arm thightened around you. Your breath hitched. Oh god. He was so enjoying this. You had half a mind to just turn around and press your lips to his, but the other people in the room probably wouldn't appreciate that so you just pushed yourself closer to him if that was even possible. In response he brushed his lips along your neck from your ear to where you neck met your shoulder. Okay that's it. You burst out from his arms, not being able to take his teasing. You whipped around to face him. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open like he didn't expect you to do that. He wanted to say something but the fire in your eyes was enough to shut him up. You stood in front of him, probably closer than you should have.

"If you're only going to tease me I suggest you stop" you hissed at him, tired of the game you two were playing. You have been constatly frustrated for the past 2 days because of him and you weren't sure how much longer you could take it. He needed to do something about this or stop entirely because the next time you will not let him play around. He nodded at your words with his eyes still wide so you turned back to the others. The women were looking in the bathroom, talking about how Zemo was gone. That slimy man must have slipped away when all of you were fighting. The women exited just as fast as they appeared, leaving you with the men.

"I can't believe he pulled an El Chapo" Sam walked over to the entrance to the bathroom, where the bath was moved out of the way, the lid of the drain removed.

"Well I do" Bucky walked up next to him, with you in tow.

"Don't think that this is over" John pointed at you as he and his partner walked ou the door.

"Oh I sure hope it isn't" you smiled at him. Sam put a hand on your shoulder in warning. You knew you shouldn't rile John up but then it shouldn't be this fun to do so. You looked back at Sam who was looking at you with a slight amusement in his eyes.

"Okay we need to go" Bucky grabbed his jacket and motioned for you to follow him.

---

"Okay hold on. Listen. Pack an overnight bag and take the boys." You didn't know who Sam was talking to but they seemed to be important to him and something was wrong. Maybe a wife and kids?

"What happened?" Bucky spoke before you could open your mouth to ask the same question.

"Karli called Sarah. She threatened my nephews" Sam pulled the phone away from his ears. So it's a sister not a wife.

"Okay." Sam put the phone back to his ear. "Go somewhere safe. Only pay with cash. Alright? Let me know when you get there." the woman said something on the other end. "I know. I love you. I'll never let anything happen to you ar the boys, you know that. Okay, bye." you wondered what it was like to have a family like that. Someone you are so close with, that you would do anything for them. The men stopped walking in front of you.

"Karli wants to meet. She left a contact number." just as the words left Sam's mouth he got a message. You looked at him, worried. "She said come alone" he looked at Bucky.

"I'm coming with you" the other said.

"And me too." you spoke for the first time since leaving the apartment. They looked at you and you knew what the answer was before either of them even opened their mouth.

"I can't let you come with us y/n. We don't know what will happen" Sam said with regret in his eyes.

"That's exactly why you need me. What if yomething goes wrong and you need help?" you tried to reason but they weren't having it.

"You need to sit this one out, okay? We said that I would be the one to decide whether you could come or not." Sam reminded you. You scoffed, stepping back.

'Fine, but don't come crying to me when you get your ass kicked by that girl" you turned and walked away. What am I supposed to do now? I can look around the city I guess.

You were walking along the sidewalk when you saw John running in the street. You decided to follow him because he seemed to be in a hurry and you wanted to know what was happening. You did say that they shouldn't come crying to you, but you still cared about Bucky and Sam and if John was going somewhere it was definitely related to them. You stayed hidden as he kicked in a door with Lemar on his side. They went up the stairs as you stayed hidden. Only when you heard John run up the stairs you moved after them. You were looking around quietly, trying to assess the situation when the glass roof shattered and Sam flew in. You stepped aside as he landed next to you.

"Hi" you smiled seetly at him, knowing you shouldn't be there. He only looked at you in disappointment and shook his head. Suddenly a man flew down the stairs with too much force for it to be normal. John appeared and the man tried to fight him with a metal pipe, but he easily bent it and kicked him down a few more steps. He was way too strong to be a normal human. You looked at Sam who seemed to be thinkng the same thing.

"What did you do?" he ask the new super-soldier, who's only asnwer was that they had Lemar as he quickly walked past you. Sam followed him and you were abou to do the same when you heard footsteps behind you. You turned around and it was a man wearing a mask. He stopped for a second and just stared at you with wide eyes. You looked back at him, weirded out by his staring. He shook himself out of and and started to throw punches at you. You easily blocked them and pinned him face first against the wall but he pushed backwards so you hit your back on one of the pillars. Your grip loosened because of it and he broke free. He tried to punch you in the face but you caught his hand and twisted it. His knees gave out because of the pain and it gave you the perfect opportunity to kick him in the stomach. He yelled out and you let go of him, thinking that he will stay down. You heard another set of footsteps and you turned around to see Bucky standing there, ready to fight. You back was to the masked man so you didn't see that he got back up, but Bucky did and you saw his eyes shift behind you. You realized what he was looking at when you felt movement and you turned around just in time to catch the man's hand again.

"I thought we agreed on you staying down" you joked and punched him hard enough that he was out cold before he even hit the ground. You turned back to Bucky who raised his eyebrows, impressed. You walked up to him and put your hand on his chest. "What was it that you called me? Feisty?" you tilted your head to the side and leaned closer to him so your breaths were mixing." I prefer the term strong. Thank you" you pulled away like nothing happened and walked towards where John and Sam disappeared to. The only thing indicating that Bucky had heard you was a quiet gasp that left his mouth. Two can play that game old man.

When you found the others they were in the middle of a fight with 4 masked people. You ran in to help and immediately the two women who were closer shifted their focus on you. You blocked one's punch to the stomach, but didn't count for the other who had a clear shot at your face. Fighting super-soldiers was not something you were used to, let alone two at the same time. The punch had you a little dizzy and you were thankful when Bucky appeared in your line of sight and knocked out one of them. He held you by your arm and stared into your eyes. You nodded at him in thanks. A knife flew past you that he caught in one hand. He pushed you aside and lunged at the man still holding another knife in his hand. Bucky easily threw him over his shoulder and flipped the knife in his hand then threw it at the grounf next to the man's head. Impressive. Sam kicked another masked person over the table while John was against two.

Two other people ran inside the room, one without a mask. The other you guessed was the infamous Karli, but you weren't sure as you couldn't see her face. She stopped as she caught you standing there and she ripped the mask off her face. She seemed to recognise you, but you didn't know how. Maybe she was in Madripoor at some point. The anger in her eyes was the only thing you saw before she lunged at you. Barely having time to register what she was doing you stumbled backwards, her fist missing your face by inches. Lemar appeared out of nowhere grabbing Karli by her torso and bringing her to the ground with him. She got up and punched him way too hard for a human to take. He flew backwards into a pillar, cracking it. Everything stilled. John broke free of the guy's grasp running to him and trying to wake him up. It was useless. He wasn't moving. He was dead. The masked people with Karli ran out of the room. You ran after them with Sam and Bucky, leaving John behind.

When you arrived at the square adn broke through the crowd of people, the scene you found yourself in was horrifying. John stood there with blood on his shiled, Captain America's shiled, while a man was dead on the ground in front of him. He put the shiled on his arm and looked around. Everything was so eerie about him that you said the first thing that came to your mind.

"Oh god"

Taglist: @geek-and-proud @ferxaniti @juliesland @byatomoe

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #tfatws #tfatws spoilers #the falcon and the winter soldier #sebastian stan #bucky #the falcon and the winter solider spoilers #marvel #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #tfatws fanfiction #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky imagine #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x female reader #sebastian stan x reader #bucky barnes imagine

138 notes · View notes

whitesparrows97 · 5 years

Text

A Thousand Springs – Part 2

Pairing: BTS x Reader/OT7 x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Violence, angst

Word Count: 3.4K

Previous / Next

(picture credit: photograph by Mok Jung Wook for TIME Magazine)

On the way home, you and Taehyung talked about God and the world. You found yourself leading the conversation and you were surprised at how comfortable you felt in his presence and shared so much about your life. During the whole time he listened eagerly and asked every now and then if he wanted to know something more about a specific topic. The ten minutes were much too short and you sighed as you stood in front of your apartment.

“Do you live on your own?” Taehyung asked as he looked up at the grey building and you shook your head.

“I live with my best friend. She was at the club with me today, I have to text her that I have already gone home. She is probably worried,” you replied and made a note in the back of your head so you wouldn’t forget.

It was quiet for a moment and you watched Taehyung looking at all that was around you. He looked at everything but you.

“It’s late and you must be tired after what happened with that guy,” the blond started while he was still staring at the floor. You took his defensive attitude as a sign that it was time to say goodbye.

As slowly as you could, you took his jacket off your shoulders and held it out to him, all so that you could spend a few more moments with him. He accepted it with a short “thank you” and kept it in his hand.

“Very well,” you said and let the sentence hang in the air. You were unsure where his sudden change of mood came from and feared you might have frightened him away with your monologue on the way home.

That would be it, he probably thought you were an egocentric, conceited girl who loved to talk about herself. But it wasn’t like that at all. Now you realized you hadn’t even asked about his life. However, he had seemed so interested in your story that there was a subliminal feeling in you that he didn’t want to tell much about himself.

“Thanks again, Taehyung. If there’s any way I can reciprocate…” You had never been in a situation where you found another person so interesting that you would have been interested in a date. That’s why it was all the more difficult for you to put even one clear sentence into words.

“It goes without saying, Y/N. You really don’t have to thank me for that,” he replied and finally looked at you again with that rectangular grin. Yet you noticed it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Whatever you say, Taehyung.” Slowly you got cold again, but you tried to hide it as well as you could. You wouldn’t like to go back to your apartment just now.

“Good night, Y/N,” Taehyung said goodbye and gave you another smile before turning around and quickly walking away. He didn’t even wait for an answer from you and the comforting feeling in your stomach had turned into something that felt like a heavy, big block of ice.

You stood there for a moment and looked after him. When he turned around a corner and disappeared from your field of vision, you finally had the feeling that you could free yourself from your stare. If only you’d been a little braver and asked him directly for his number. You would have had nothing to lose but a possible rejection. Even that wouldn’t have been tragic, because you most likely would never have seen him again, but at least you would have been certain.

While you were stomping up the stairs to the third floor, you imagined how the situation could have gone better. But any daydreams were in vain and you had to admit to yourself that you would, as thought before, most likely never see him again. Frustrated you threw your bag into the corner of your room and dropped yourself on your bed.

You didn’t realize how someone you had only recently met could have settled so deeply in your head. But as you slowly pulled yourself together to get ready for bed, you realized that he had not only settled in your head, but also in your heart.

You didn’t believe in love at first sight, not by a long shot. Glances were so meaningless because they were only focused on the appearance. But people were much more than just their shell that everyone saw. And wasn’t it much better to fall in love with someone because you knew all sides of them that were usually denied to most people? Your whole life so far you had thought so, but as you slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep, you realized that attitudes and opinions could change overnight.

You woke up from an unpleasant pressure on your neck and blinked in an attempt to see more in the dark. You quickly noticed the silhouette huddling above you and that the pressure on your neck came from two strong hands that strangled your air supply.

You panicked and tried to get out of the blanket, but you had wrapped yourself in it like a butterfly cocoon. At least you could still move your hands, which shot up and pulled on the other pair. But it did rather the opposite and the person squeezed even harder.

Your lungs were burning by now and hot tears were running down your face. In your ears you heard your own blood rushing and your vision was already fading. Quickly more and more black dots appeared at the edge of your view.

You could barely see the silhouette leaning down to you and whispering something in your ear. “I promised you I’d see you again, Y/N.”

Soaked in sweat, you woke up and struggled for air. Your hands slipped to your neck, where you could swear you could still feel the two strong hands. Your neck hurt and your eyes were sticky, so you had trouble seeing something in your usually so familiar room.

It was daytime, that was the first thing you realized. The morning sun shone through the blinds in your room and cast long shadows through the room. You still had problems with your orientation because you had the feeling that the room would spin. You hadn’t dreamed so intensely for a long time, but when you thought about last night, it didn’t really surprise you.

Your head had tried to process the events, you tried to talk to yourself as you slowly sat up in bed. Besides the sore throat, your entire chest area hurt as if you had run a marathon the evening before. That’s exactly why you drank alcohol so infrequently. It did something to your body, which may have created a relaxed and pleasant mood that same evening. But there were only a few mornings after that when you didn’t regret it right away.

At least you had thought last night to put a bottle of water by your bed, which you now drank with thirst. It hurt, but you immediately noticed an improvement and made your way to the bathroom. Maybe you could wash off last night’s leftovers with a nice warm shower.

As the hot water pelted down on you, your thoughts drifted back to Taehyung. You had hoped to dream about him, but unfortunately there seemed to be only room for one handsome, if scary, guy. Sighing, you turned off the water and with it your thoughts of the blond one.

When you looked in the mirror, your heart missed a beat.

Slowly your fingers glided over your jaw to your neck, where they stopped for a moment. Most of the skin beneath them was purple-blue, in the outer areas it tended to turn greenish. But the color didn’t really scare you. It was the fact that you could see every single fingerprint of a big hand more than clearly.

When your eyes met the eyes in the mirror, you felt like you were back in the bathroom at the club. What you saw in your own eyes went far beyond fear. You felt panic and incomprehension rising inside you. The whole thing had been just a dream, right? There could be no plausible explanation for how David got into your apartment. Maybe the dream had just been so realistic that you had strangled yourself in the dream.

This had to be it.

At least you kept telling yourself so you would not have a panic attack. The best you could do is talk to Alison about what happened. She had the talent to always keep a cool head and give the right advice. You’d let her sleep in and then talk to her in peace.

With this plan in mind, you made your way back to your room to put something comfortable on. You had absolutely no intention of taking one step outside of the apartment today. That’s why you chose plain black sweatpants and a hoodie, which fortunately concealed the worst of the strangulation marks. Freshly showered, with brushed teeth and comfortable clothes on you felt like a human being again and you almost forgot the marks on your neck. Almost.

If there hadn’t been the laughter of your best friend and roommate, who let you pause in your movement. Again you could hear her laughing and a little quieter you could make out a male laugh. It was nothing new that Alison was having male guests at night, but the second time this morning your blood was freezing in your veins.

You burst your door open and stormed into the hallway leading to the kitchen, hoping all the time that your suspicion would not be confirmed. But as soon as you opened the door and were completely out of breath in the door frame, your breath got stuck in your throat.

David, who had threatened you the night before and almost strangled you in the night, now stood by the stove with Alison and seemed to be cooking something. In one hand he held a spatula, the other hand had clasped your best friend’s hip tightly and pulled her close to him.

Both had turned their backs to you so that you could briefly collect yourself and your thoughts. You were directly aware of what he was trying to do. If he could use Alison as leverage against you…

“Oh, hey, Y/N! I’m sorry, did we wake you up?” the dark haired girl asked when she saw you, still standing in the doorway, breathing heavily.

David also turned around and Alison was lucky that her focus was on you and she missed the wicked grin David tossed at you.

“Um, no, I... I-” you started while your hands were clenched to fists in the pockets of your sweatpants to stop the tremor. “It’s all good. I was already awake,” you finally brought out and you were glad when David turned back to the food.

“I was worried about you. Did you get home safe last night?” Alison wanted to know as she approached you and carefully held you by your upper arms. “Usually you don’t leave without telling me first.”

You breathed in and out deeply once. “I know, I’m sorry, Ali. I didn’t feel so good yesterday, I probably just couldn’t stand the drink,” you lied and the feeling of guilt immediately rose up in you.

Alison, however, didn’t seem to notice your lie and smiled at you. “Well, that’s good, then. David’s making breakfast. Why don’t you join us for some? After that you will feel better,” she suggested and rejoined the tall dark-haired man. He used the spatula to lift something out of the pan that looked a lot like pancakes. Though you hadn’t eaten since yesterday noon, you didn’t feel like eating at all.

You had to get out of here, out of the apartment. Away from David.

Before you knew it and without a thought of consequences, you turned on your heel and left the kitchen as quickly as you could. While putting on shoes and grabbing your key and phone, you shouted over your shoulder to Alison that you needed some fresh air and would get something to eat on the way.

But even when the door behind you fell into the lock, the pressure on your chest did not release. Not even when you stormed down the stairs and tried to take several steps at once, almost falling down the entire staircase. And not even when you were out of breath in front of your favorite cafe, which was less than five minutes down the street.

You needed caffeine to finally get clarity into those foggy thoughts. Since you first saw David yesterday, it seemed as if a haze had covered your head. It stopped you from thinking concrete thoughts and you already felt a buzzing in your temples. Whether this came from stress or alcohol, however, you could not say.

“Y/N! The usual?” Sebastian greeted you, who stood behind the counter and reached for the cup without even waiting for your answer.

“Yes, but please double the caffeine,” you replied as you supported yourself with your elbows on the counter.

“Long night?” he asked directly while he was making your coffee.

You just laughed for a second. “You could say that.”

You took a quick look at the cafe and noticed that it was almost empty.

“Maybe it has something to do with two men standing across the street watching you?” Sebastian asked so nonchalantly that you could only stare at him for a moment in perplexity.

He put your finished drink in front of you on the counter and looked at you for a moment before he asked: “Would you like to use the back exit? I’ll tell them you’re in the bathroom, if they ask.”

You’ve never been so happy to meet Sebastian all these months ago as you are now. You even managed a sincere smile when you had to force your legs to go to that back exit.

You didn’t even turn around, but you didn’t have to. You had been naive and stupid to think David would act alone. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Whatever he wanted, he’d get it.

Just in time the suggestion of Sebastian came, because the very moment you arrived at the end of the hall and stood in front of said back door, you heard the little bell of the door announcing a new guest.

All you could hear were the muffled voices of the men as you were already out the door. Immediately the cool air hit you and a gust of wind blew your hair in your face and covered your field of vision for a moment.

A loud bang behind you made you flinch when the door fell loudly into the lock. That must have been the blast of wind, yet you took a quick look over your shoulder and looked straight into a man’s brown eyes.

A moment passed, in which you considered the possibility of how great your chances were if you started running right now.

A rustling of clothes made you turn your head back and immediately forget the thought of escape. The back exit led into a dead end, at one end of which there were large garbage containers and at the other end four men had spread out, blocking the way to the street. With the man behind you it was five, and provided that the two men who had just entered the cafe were among them, it was seven against one.

Realization hit you and you dropped your head. “What do you want from me?” you asked and you wondered if they had even heard you, so quiet was your voice.

For a long moment nobody said anything and you were about to repeat your question before one of the men answered. “You are in danger. We’re here to protect you.”

You glanced up and looked at the man who had just spoken. He had broad shoulders, black hair and full lips. His look was full of worry and you wished so much that you could believe him. But you wouldn’t be so naive again.

“You don’t have to make any false promises, I’ll come with you and give you whatever you want from me,” you said and you could clearly hear your despair in your voice. “But please, don’t hurt Alison. Why I’m so important or whatever you want, she has nothing to do with it. Let your friend know I’ll cooperate, as long as you promise me she won’t get hurt.”

You looked around and met confused faces. The man who had stood behind you a moment ago stepped forward and stood before you. You turned your eyes away, closed your eyes and hoped it would be over quickly.

Full of surprise, you flinched as a thumb gently stroked your cheek and turned your face gently towards him. When you opened your eyes, it struck you to talk, so close he was to you. A few strands of his grey hair fell in his face and you could see every single sprinkler of color in his eyes. You noticed that it had many golden nuances, which were accentuated even more by the dark brown. Just like David’s…

“We’re not here to hurt you. On the contrary, we want to protect you, Y/N,” he said and his voice sounded like velvet. Immediately a warm feeling rose up inside you.

“How… Why do you know my name?” you asked frowning and it was hard for you to concentrate on something because the gentle touch on your cheek almost drove you crazy.

“Because I told them,” suddenly a deep voice appeared and your head snapped to your right.

You saw the blond man directly, joining the others with a smaller, dark-haired man.

“Taehyung?” you asked in disbelief and stepped aside, towards him. “Wh-What are you doing here?”

“Listen, Y/N,” he ignored your question as he approached you with his arms outstretched. Shortly before you he stopped and laid his hands on your shoulders. As he let his thumbs circle slightly, your heart stopped for a moment and you had to pull yourself together to concentrate on his words.

“These are my friends, they’re like brothers to me. We’ll take you away from here and to a place where you’re safe,” he explained, but you just shook your head.

“I can’t do that, Taehyung. David kept his promise and almost strangled me that night. He was in our apartment this morning, and now he’s-“ The rest of the sentence got stuck in your throat when you thought about what you had done about ten minutes ago.

“Y/N? What’s the matter?” Taehyung asked anxiously and bent down closer to you to look you straight in the eye.

“I left Alison alone with him,” was the only thing you brought out. Before one of the men could answer, the silence was interrupted by your phone, which loudly signaled an incoming call. With trembling hands you fished it out of your pocket and breathed a sigh of relief as the display showed the name of your best friend.

“Alison, I’m so glad you're okay! Please, listen to me for a moment-“ But you didn’t get any further, because you were interrupted by a deep male voice at the other end of the phone.

“Y/N, how nice to hear your voice. You left so quickly this morning, I didn’t even get a chance to talk to you in private.”

“David,” was all you could bring out and you noticed how empty your voice sounded.

“Your little friend is all right, for now,” he said and his voice started to sound threatening. “You listen to me now,” he started and you held your breath. “I’m gonna give you exactly five minutes to show up at your apartment. If you can’t make it in that time, for whatever reason, I can’t promise you’ll see Alison again.” He gave a brief laugh. “At least not the way you used to know her.”

“David! What are you going to do? I’m on my way, but please,” you began, but then you heard that the line was already dead.

Written 2019-2021. Do not copy, translate or repost without permission.

Thanks for all the feedback, I really didn’t expect that. But I am very happy that you seem to like the story so far! :) I try to post the next few chapters as soon as possible because I already wrote them.

I have also created a masterlist to make it easier for you to find the chapters (even if it is still very empty). I hope you all have a great week!

#bts x reader #poly!bts x reader #bts x you #bts fanfic #bts imagine #bts smut #bts #athousandsprings

487 notes · View notes

idkxwriting · 6 years

Text

Another Love - Part 2

Author: idkhaylijah

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

Catch up on part one here.

It had been three weeks since Y/N had even spoken to the Mikaelsons. Rebekah had texted and promised to call and get together as soon as she got back from vacation with her boyfriend, Marcel. Other than that, it had been radio silence.

Y/N had missed her second family like crazy. She kept busy though, between finishing up her masters and her new job at the Lockwood firm. Her boss, Mr. Lockwood, had more than kept her occupied with his demanding and overbearing personality.

She was headed back from picking up Mr. Lockwood’s lunch (a task she was grossly overqualified for) when her bluetooth cut off her music, Mr. Lockwood’s angry voice coming through the speakers.

“Y/L/N, I asked for you to have my lunch on my desk by 1:15,” he barked.

Y/N bit the inside of her cheek, trying to remain calm. Two weeks of him shouting had her on edge. “I’m right down the road, Mr. Lockwood,” she sighed.

“Right down the road isn’t at my desk, is it? How can you possibly expect to handle a more prominent position at this company if you can’t even handle a simple internship?”

She felt her cheeks heat, and bit back the words she so desperately wanted to shout at him as her temper rose. “Mr. Lockwood, your concern isn’t -” she cut herself off as the car in front of her slammed it’s brakes, causing her to crash into it. “Shit!” She shouted as she smacked her head on the steering wheel, the food went flying, and her airbag popped. She could hear her boss screaming at her incompetency before the call disconnected.

She glanced around her car in shock. Her body was shaking, adrenaline rushing through her. She patted herself down, as if she were taking inventory, and let out a breath realizing she was mostly okay. She rubbed at her forehead, it would definitely leave a bruise, but she felt fine.

She struggled with the seatbelt a moment, her hands fumbling, when the driver in front of her got out, approaching her window quickly.

“Shit, are you okay?” He was handsome, his ocean eyes a stark contrast to his jet black hair. He wore a leather jacket, and had bad boy written all over him.

Y/N nodded, taking deep breaths to calm herself before speaking. “Yea, I’m fine, just stuck.”

“Let’s get you out of there,” he leaned his arm in through her open window, unlocking her door and yanking it open. When she turned to really look at him he quickly placed his hands along her face. “Alright, you’re bleeding,” he pointed out. “Don’t move.”

She suddenly felt the warm liquid rolling down her temple and brushed her hand along it, smearing the blood. When she looked down and saw how much was on her hand she winced, but upon inspecting it in the mirror she decided it was a superficial bleed, nothing to worry about.

The stranger she had hit was leaning into his car, retrieving his phone presumably to dial 911. She groaned at the thought of an ambulance showing up to cart her away. How embarrassing.

“Y/N!”

She threw her head back, slamming her eyes shut. “Oh my God,” she muttered upon recognizing Elijah’s voice. “Could this day possibly get any worse?”

Her phone beeped, a text from her boss letting her know she was fired. “Apparently.” She glanced at Elijah through her rear view mirror, rushing towards her, his face panicked.

Elijah was on his way back into Mystic Falls when he saw Y/N’s vehicle, one he’d recognize anywhere, pulled over to the side of the road - the front end smashed up. He quickly pulled off and placed his car in park, throwing his blinkers on and rushing towards her.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Elijah unbuckled her seatbelt, taking inventory of her, his eyes widening at the blood. He was in full crisis mode.

Y/N was mortified. “I’m fine!” She insisted. She slid out of the car, and he held onto her, steadying her. She looked back to see his Bentley, blinkers on. “Where on earth did you come from?”

Elijah pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, holding it up to her temple as he pushed her into a seated position so her feet dangled out the side of the car. He pulled out his cellphone and she grabbed his hand.

“Elijah, I’m fine, really. Besides, the guy I hit is already calling,” she nodded towards the handsome strangers direction, and Elijah glared. “Totally my fault,” she clarified. She held up her phone as an explanation. “I was in the middle of getting fired.” She groaned again at her predicament, holding her head in her hands.

Elijah sighed and knelt down so he was closer to her level. He pulled her hand away so he could get a closer look at the cut on her temple. She glanced up, her Y/E/C eyes meeting his dark gaze. She froze for a minute, not sure she had ever been this close to the older Mikaelson before. Her breath hitched and he cleared his throat.

“You hit your head pretty hard,” he said. “We should get you to the hospital.”

Y/N stood, pushing past Elijah. “I’m fine,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way towards the other driver.

The handsome stranger had just hung up the phone when she approached. “Hey, I’m really sorry,” he said. “I was trying to avoid a deer…”

Y/N waved her hand. “Totally my fault, I should have paid more attention.”

“Well ambulance is on it’s way.”

“Thank you.”

He smiled and she wasn’t sure if it was her injury that made her feel a little dizzy or the charm that came along with his handsome smile. “Damon,” he introduced himself. “Damon Salvatore.” He held his hand out.

She glanced at her own free hand, the other still occupied with holding Elijah’s handkerchief to the bleed. She held it up, and he frowned at the blood on her fingers. “Y/N Y/L/N,” she greeted. “I’d shake, but uhhh…”

He nodded. “Not a problem. Listen, I’d feel a lot better if you sat down for a minute.”

“I’m fine, really.”

Elijah’s voice suddenly interrupted, making her jump. “Sit,” he demanded. She turned and he ignored the attitude she gave him, insead taking her by the upper arm and guiding her along the stone wall next to the road, hopping her up to sit.

She glared at him defiantly. “You can’t just tell me what to do,” she snapped. She flinched and clutched her side as she turned her upper body, Elijah’s hands coming to rest on her rib cage gently.

He began lifting the bottom of her shirt to inspect where the pain was coming from and Y/N froze upon feeling his warm fingertips against her skin. His eyes met hers once again and she blushed.

She shoved her shirt back down, breaking their eye contact. “I’m fine, seriously, please stop.”

Elijah stood straight, turning to address Damon with a hard stare.

“Hey man,” Damon held his arms up defensively upon seeing Elijah’s angry glare. “I’m really sorry about your girlfriend. Ambulance is on the way, they’ll have her good as new in no time.”

“Girlfriend!? No, no, no...not his girlfriend,” Y/N blurted from behind Elijah’s shoulder.

The police showed up seconds later, taking statements and insurance information. An EMT looked Y/N over while the officer spoke to Damon. She watched as Elijah spoke to the second officer, businesslike as usual. He snuck a peek at her, and she wondered briefly if it had been concern on his face. The officer said something, and Elijah nodded, shaking his hand and thanking him before approaching Y/N once more.

The EMT turned to address him. “She’s just got a mild concussion and some bruising, she’ll be fine. Just keep an eye on her overnight, if her headache gets worse, call the doctor. Otherwise, just some ibuprofen, a bandaid, and a little bit of rest will have her good as new.”

“Thank you,” Elijah said. The EMT disappeared and Y/N hopped down. She began walking toward her car when Elijah caught up with her. “Where do you think you’re going?” He asked.

She scoffed at him. “Home, obviously...as soon as the cops are done with me.”

“They have everything they need, I took care of it.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. Did this man treat everything like a business deal? “Great, thanks.”

“They’ll tow your car to the shop, I’ll take you home,” he explained.

She studied him for a moment, and then turned back to her car which definitely wasn’t driveable. “Awesome,” she muttered before turning and heading towards the Bentley.

“Y/N!” Damon called, rushing over.

She stopped in her tracks until he caught up.

He grinned again slyly, and it was enough to make any girl weak in the knees, which meant he was trouble. “Listen, since the suit over here isn’t your boyfriend,” he gestured over his shoulder, “let me make it up to you.” He reached around to her back pocket, sending a thrill down her spine, and pulled out her phone while being careful not to touch her directly. He punched his number in, adding it to her contacts. “Call me, I’ll pick you up, when my car is fixed,” he teased, “and I’ll buy you a drink.”

She smiled at that and nodded. “Okay,” she said shyly. “Sounds good.”

When Damon turned to leave, Elijah stood directly in his path, staring him down. Damon shrugged, patting Elijah on the back. “Girls like that don’t wait around, buddy,” he said quietly so only Elijah could her. “You snooze, you lose.”

He brushed his shoulder past and Elijah threw his hand up, pushing lightly on his chest and stopping him in his tracks. “Girls like that don’t end up with guys like you,” he narrowed his eyes, “buddy.”

Elijah walked over, unlocking his car and holding the door open for Y/N. “What was that?” She asked curiously.

Like he often did, Elijah ignored her question, instead shutting her door and walking around to the drivers side.

He drove her to her apartment in silence, his eyes fixed on the road.

She leaned her head against the glass of his window, letting it cool her skin and closed her eyes. Now that the adrenaline had subsided she realized just how tired she was.

“You should call Kol,” Elijah finally spoke.

She sat up and readjusted herself in her seat. “No need…”

Elijah glanced over and saw her on her phone, assuming she was texting his brother now. “I have to admit, I was surprised to see your car like that…”

“Yeah, well, I was surprised too.”

“I was surprised to see you in Mystic Falls at all,” he clarified.

She drew her brows together. “I live here, Elijah.”

He sighed. “I simply meant I assumed you’d be in New Orleans, with Kol.”

She leaned back up against the window, watching the trees go by. “I don’t do everything with Kol, you know. I have a life of my own. My own apartment, my own job. Well...I did anyway. Guess I’ll have to look for another one of those. Have I ever told you Mr. Lockwood is a dick?” She vented, taking a deep breath after her rambling.

Elijah turned the corner of his lip up to an almost smile. “I can’t believe you went with Lockwood over Mikaelson, now that you bring it up.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yea right, me work for you?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

She chuckled then. “Elijah you can barely stand me most of the time. Besides, I don’t need people thinking I only got a job because of my connections. I need to earn it.”

“And running errands for Richard Lockwood is earning it? Y/N you’re far too over qualified to be getting that pompous madman his lunch.”

She laughed and Elijah smiled as he pulled into her driveway. He had always loved her laugh, though he’d never admit it.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said as she got out of the car and headed toward her door.

He shut off the car and hopped out, his larger strides catching up to her quickly. She turned with a perplexed look on her face. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Y/N, surely you didn’t think I was just going to drop you off.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you just did?”

He walked past her to her door and waited for her to unlock it. “You have a concussion. You can’t be alone for twenty-four hours.”

She stopped what she was doing, leaving her keys hanging in the doorknob, and stared at him with shock. “No, you’re not staying here.”

Elijah finished unlocking the door himself and stepped inside, taking in her home. He had been there once or twice before, but never for an extended period of time. “If you’d prefer the hospital, by all means,” he waved his hand to the doorway “after you.”

She sighed and dropped her purse on the the table, kicking off her shoes as she walked down her hall. She dropped onto her couch and turned on the tv. “Suit yourself,” she mumbled.

Elijah stood against the doorframe to her living room, watching her for a moment before moving into the room and leaning over, grabbing the remote from her lap. He shut the television off and tossed it across the couch.

“Hey!”

“You have a concussion. You need rest.”

“Netflix is rest,” she argued.

His stance let her know she wasn’t going to win. “You need to rest your brain, not just your body. Are you hungry?”

She wanted to say no, but her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She nodded as she yawned, curling up into the couch. He watched her as she drifted off to some much needed sleep. When she started to snore he smiled softly and pulled a blanket over her, brushing a strand of her Y/H/C hair off her face. He ran his thumb just under the cut on her temple and let out a breath he felt like he had been holding since first seeing Y/N.

Elijah had never felt panic grip his heart the way it had that afternoon upon seeing her car. Before he could examine what that might mean too closely, he pulled himself away from her and into the kitchen.

Y/N awoke a bit later to the smell of garlic wafting through her apartment and her empty stomach growling in her ears. She sat up slowly, stiff and disoriented, trying to remember the days events clearly when it all came back. Elijah had brought her home, though she couldn’t recall when she had fallen asleep.

She stood and wandered into the kitchen. Before her was Elijah, minus his usual jacket and tie. The sleeves of his blue button up shirt were rolled up neatly. He looked relaxed as he pulled a dish out of the oven - the source to the heavenly smell.

When he turned and caught her watching him he grinned shyly. “You’re awake, good. I made dinner.”

She sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island and Elijah dished out the food, placing a plate in front of her. “Chicken parm is my favorite,” she exclaimed.

He nodded knowingly before bringing his own plate over. “Dig in. How are you feeling?”

“Sore.” She took a bite of the meal and groaned. “Oh my god, amazing now,” she replied, her mouth full. She ate quickly, her stomach demanding more.

“Slow down,” he laughed. “It’s not going anywhere.”

Y/N swallowed and wiped her mouth with a napkin Elijah had set out earlier. “Sorry,” she spoke shyly. “The last time I had your chicken parmigiana was ages ago,” she explained.

Elijah nodded. “Before Niklaus left for New Orleans,” he reminded her.

They ate the rest of their meals in silence. Elijah attempted to bring up Kol once or twice, and she had been polite but changed the subject each time, effectively ending any conversation.

After dinner he insisted she lay down again. When she began to get antsy and bored because she couldn’t fall asleep, he walked over to her bookcase. He examined each book, and upon finding a worn copy of a book where the title had rubbed off the spine he pulled it out. It was red and the cover was stained, the pages dogeared.

He sat down in the recliner across from her and when she saw the book in her hand she reached across for it. He held it out of her grasp. “What book could possibly be so entertaining that you’ve completely worn your copy out?” He asked as he noted the unevenness of the pages as they separated from the spine.

“Harry Potter, obviously,” she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. “A children’s book?”

She stood and swiped it from him and held it to her chest. “Whoa there, buddy. It’s not just a children’s book. It’s a classic. I actually feel sad for you that you’ve never read it.”

Elijah licked his lips and held back a grin. He grabbed the edge of the book and pulled it from her grip. “Alright then, Harry Potter it is.”

“What are you doing?” She laughed.

He shrugged. “You can’t watch television, and reading will strain your eyes which I’ve read isn’t good for a concussion. You can, however, listen.”

She studied him for a moment before curling back up on the couch, pulling her blanket over her and resting her head on the arm. “I’m actually really jealous of you right now,” she smiled. “I’d love to be able to experience it for the first time again. Getting to know the characters, not knowing where the story will take you. It’s sort of like that rush of falling in love, you know?”

His warm gaze met hers and she held her breath. It was as if a storm had passed, leaving flecks of golden sunshine in his eyes and she wondered if she’d ever seen anything so beautiful. “Yes,” he whispered. “I believe I do.”

She broke eye contact, turning so she was laying on her back and staring at the ceiling.

A moment later he began to read, his voice lulling her into a deep sleep.

The next morning Y/N woke to see Elijah still passed out in the recliner. Her tattered copy of The Sorcerer’s Stone in his lap. She looked at him, so relaxed and peaceful. She stood and slid the book from his lap, placing it gently on her coffee table. Elijah hadn’t moved, and she brushed his sleep mangled hair from his forehead. When he stirred she yanked her hand away, clutching it to her chest. She froze in place, hoping he wouldn’t wake up and catch her in her moment of weakness.

Elijah breathed deep and opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep away. He stretched and looked at Y/N. “Hey,” he muttered tiredly. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she replied quickly, the heat rushing to her cheeks. She rushed to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door. She showered and dressed fairly quickly, calming her nerves. She had never in all her years of knowing the Mikaelson’s spent this much alone time with Elijah and it had her on edge.

When she came back out she smelled coffee and Elijah was in the process of making pancakes. He had straightened up his hair, but his shirt was untucked and slightly rumpled, the top buttons undone. Y/N let her eyes trail over him, enjoying a rare sighting of Elijah anything but polished.

She took a deep breath, resolving to not let her feelings make things weird. I can do this, she said to herself. She waved awkwardly when he lifted his head and saw her, which made him chuckle. She ignored it, and decided keeping busy was best, and helping with breakfast was the perfect busy activity. She walked past him and leaned into the fridge, grabbing orange juice and creamer. They worked in unison and when breakfast was ready Y/N set the table and Elijah poured the coffee.

“Thank you, by the way,” Y/N kept her eyes on her pancakes. “You didn’t have to stay last night. I owe you one.”

Elijah nodded. “I take it you’re feeling better today?”

“A little stiff,” she commented. “But other than that I feel fine.”

“Good,” he said taking a bite of his pancake. “Then starting tomorrow you can work for me at the firm.”

“What?”

He sipped his coffee. “You’re done with Lockwood, and you need a job. As it happens I need a new project manager.”

“I don’t have the experience to be a project manager,” she stumbled.

“Y/N you are smart, you’re a quick learner, you know the company, and I need someone I can trust. You’re perfect.” She opened her mouth to argue but Elijah continued. “Besides, I believe you ‘owe me one’ do you not?”

Y/N knew better than to fight him on this, and she did need a job. “Okay.”

He stood, clearing their plates. “Perfect. Take today and rest, I’ll call to check in after work. Otherwise, I expect you at 8am tomorrow.” He grabbed his jacket and hooked it over his arm, making his way to the front door, Y/N following behind him. “I hate to eat and run,” he teased, “but I do need to get to the office.”

She opened the door for him. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

He lingered for a moment. “What you said before, about me not being able to stand you...I’m sorry I ever gave you that impression. Truth be told, I quite enjoy your company,” he said before leaning in. He hugged her lightly, and after a moment she returned it, wrapping her arms around his neck. He stole this moment, placing his hand in her hair and breathing her in before letting go. He brushed his lips against her cheek softly, and she turned her face towards him. They both paused, realizing how close their faces were, the air around them ignited. His eyes flickered to her lips.

Y/N was sure her heart had stopped. When she saw his eyes darken she knew she wasn’t reading into things. Elijah wanted to kiss her. She waited for a moment, holding the breath in her lungs, but he held back.

He released his arms from around her, clearing his throat. “I should go,” his voice was strained. He turned without looking back, and got into his car.

Y/N felt like she had whiplash. She was convinced Elijah only ever thought of her as his little brother’s annoying friend, but she was so sure he had felt that, too.

Maybe it was just the moment they got lost in, but she was sure he had wanted her.

Alright, lovelies. My tag list is a mess because my phone mixed up my notes, and a lot of people from the last fic were messaging asking for tags. So right now (I think) everyone who has asked at any point for any story is on it lol sorry! If you’d like to be removed from my list, just message me and I’ll be sure not to bother you with future tags ;) Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

Taglist: @evyiione @bcfangirlthatswhy @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @katie1109 @rissyrapp20 @mar-trash-vel @mschellehitt @exquisitley-obsessed @xdontxcare @captiveword @darthdeziewok @wolf-lover-bookdragon @simonsaysyasss @luiza-4-ever @complicatedharry @teenwolfbitches2 @itsyaboi-uhhh-skinnypenis @fandomrulesall @redwhitenbucky @littlegirl-fox @sweet-things-4-life @sieg-phantomhive @fafulous @spookske1999 @stan-legends-stan-stray-kids @violetmoon74 @multifandomfannerd @butifulsoul125 @pietro-goes-nyoom @cougar007 @kerstin-p @i-love-superhero @ynm1505 @kdcollinsauthor *If you’re in bold it won’t let me tag you*

#elijah mikaelson #elijah mikaelson imagine #elijah mikaelson x reader #elijah mikaelson x you #Damon salvatore #Damon salvatore x reader #the originals fanfic #reader insert #tvd fanfiction #to fanfiction #kol mikaelson x reader

528 notes · View notes

lalunaunita · 5 years

Text

The Purrfect Crime: Chapter 2

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Music Fanmix by @pennywaltzy

Rating: Teen

Summary: Commissioner Gordon and Batman meet the owner of a missing cat and a security guard with important information.

The Purrfect Crime: Chapter 2

At 5:58 a.m. the next morning, Batman stood outside the grand auditorium that hosted the Southminster Cat Show, two cups of steaming coffee in hand. It felt a little odd to stand around holding coffee in broad daylight, but even in summer most of Gotham wasn’t awake and on the streets yet. Batman locked his jaw against a yawn. An unmarked sedan pulled up in front of the doors, its quiet engine purring for a moment before it shut off. Commissioner Gordon exited the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut, knuckling some sleep out of one eye as he did so.

“Morning, Batman,” he said, gratefully accepting the proffered cup of coffee.

He didn’t blink as he raised it to his lips and found it creamed and sugared exactly to his liking. Of course Batman knew how he took his coffee. Sometimes the Commissioner marveled at the world he lived in, but it was too early for such existential musing today.

“Good morning, Jim. I trust you slept well—and that Ruffy was around to keep you company?” Batman waited politely as an officer in uniform unlocked the exterior door and held it open for the pair of them.

“He sure was. No worries. Hey, Carl,” the Commissioner greeted the flat foot.

“Hey, Boss. Nothing unusual after they reported the missing cat last night. The place has been quiet. Well, except for her,” Carl said the last under his breath, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at a frumpy looking woman.

“Is that Mrs. Golightley?” the Commissioner asked.

Carl nodded, his lips pressed hard together.

“Say no more.” The Commissioner straightened his tie and re-tucked his shirt into his slacks. “Okay, let’s go.”

They approached the irate woman, who advanced menacingly as soon as she caught sight of the Commissioner. She wore a pink cashmere sweater over a pink, plaid pencil skirt cut below the knee. The color of the rich fabrics clashed with her expensive, red woolen jacket.

“Finally. Finally! I’ve been here since four in the morning!” she fumed, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Hello, Mrs. Golightley, I’m—”

“I know who you are, Commissioner. I see you in the papers often enough. What’s he doing here?” She turned her gimlet eye on Batman, a sneer curling her upper lip.

Unperturbed, Batman replied, “Police consultant. I’m here by request.”

“Ridiculous costume. You can’t expect anyone to take you seriously,” she shot back.

Batman swallowed a response Robin would have been proud of. He turned to inspect the premises, listening as the Commissioner began his interview. They stood in a generous foyer. Soft morning sun filtered through skylights overhead. Batman scrutinized them carefully, but they didn’t appear to have been tampered with.

With a thousand missing cats—and a single cat-themed thief in Gotham—Batman had a short list of suspects. But it wouldn’t do to draw a conclusion without evidence. Catwoman had more than one modus operandi for breaking and entering. He’d check the door locks next.

He followed Mrs. Golightley and the Commissioner as they made their way into the main auditorium. It was decorated in stately tones, the impression of class and poise unmistakable. Even the cat agility course projected an air of seriousness. A few owners were already running their felines over the course, or placing them onto inspection podiums to practice judging procedures. Most of the animals were far more demure than the cats Batman usually encountered. Not a single hiss or spit could be heard as the animals were carefully handled and moved around.

Mrs. Golightley strode through the center of the auditorium, her pace hurried as they neared a door in the back wall.

“This is where the cats stay overnight. We’re not allowed to take them home once they are registered in the competition,” she said, opening the door and ushering them through.

The back room adjacent to the auditorium was spacious enough for a hundred or more cats. Heavy metal shelves were affixed to three of the walls and crates of all sizes rested upon the shelving. Each owner brought their own crate for their cat, Batman realized. Most were large enough to fit two cats comfortably and were kept neat, toys, blankets, and food dishes arranged within. Mrs. Golightley, however, led them to the smallest crate in the entire room—barely big enough for a kitten to stretch out. Batman fingered a lock on one of the closed cages.

“Do the owners receive a key for their cat?” he asked Mrs. Golightley.

She nodded.

“I have a key to this crate and one of the judges is entrusted with the other. No one else should be able to let my kitten out. I think the judge is dirty. There’s no other explanation,” she said in a loud stage whisper.

“Now, now, let’s not go accusing without proof,” said the Commissioner, raising two hands in defense.

Batman knelt before the tiny crate and looked at the bottom of the lock. He grabbed a mini-LED flashlight from his belt and shone its intense beam over the keyhole. The other two watched with interest, Mrs. Golightley forgetting her ire for a moment.

“It’s been picked,” Batman announced, pointing at the keyhole. “See the scrapes against the keyhole opening? A normal key will certainly scratch, as the user misses and finds the fit, but a lockpick kit leaves finer, fresher grooves. Commissioner, I do believe this evidence points to the cat being stolen.”

“I knew it!” Mrs. Golightley roared. “Commissioner, I want my kitten back immediately! It’s a very rare breed, practically priceless! Its value will only increase when I win Grand Prize tomorrow. I want it back, and I want it in perfect condition.”

She poked her nose right into the Commissioner’s face and stabbed one long, bony finger at his tie. She was tall enough that the Commissioner was unable to loom over her, but he tried anyway.

“Mrs. Golightley, I have my best detectives on the case. You’ll hear from us the moment we have news of your kitten’s whereabouts,” he said, clipping the words off succinctly,

“I’d better. I’ll take this all the way to City Hall if I have to,” Mrs. Golightley seethed.

Batman melted into the shadows as the Commissioner opened his mouth to fire back. The two traded comments, unaware of his stealthy retreat. Batman ran his flashlight over the rest of the space as he walked the length of the shelves. He checked out every crevice and nook, seeking a way into the room. He’d noticed the single door into the room was in perfect working order, so the thief hadn’t entered that way - no evidence of lock picking. He wondered about that. If the thief had a perfectly good lockpicking kit, why not just use it to facilitate the whole crime?

A throat cleared quietly behind him. Batman paused in his ruminations and turned to find an elderly security guard eyeing him nervously.

“Yes?” Batman rumbled.

“Can I uh, can I talk to you?” the man asked.

He held his cap in both hands and twisted the brim. Batman watched him shuffle his feet and took in the sight of his bowed posture and rumpled uniform. Batman nodded, indicating a quiet corner of the room. The guard followed him.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Batman.

“I uh, I need to share some information. Off the record, if you know what I mean? The police already interviewed me,” the security guard stammered.

“Okay, Bill,” said Batman, reading the man’s name tag. “I take it you were on duty last night?”

“That’s right,” Bill confirmed. “And I didn’t see anything. I don’t know how that tiny cage was opened, unless someone got a copy of the key or something.”

“It was picked,” Batman supplied. “Were you in this room guarding the cats?”

Bill leaned close to whisper. “To be honest, I was asleep! Please don’t tell the cat show, I’ll be fired!”

He rubbed his neck in embarrassment, straightened out his cap, and settled it back on his head. His gray mustache twitched and he ran both hands over his five o’clock shadow.

“I really need this job. It’s hard to keep awake all night, though. I have to take my daughter to school in the mornings, and-”

“-and we’re going to keep this confidential, off the record,” Batman cut in.

Relief overtook the man’s features and he sagged against the wall. “Thank you, Batman. I want that sweet little kitten found, but I’m not willing to get fired for the harpie over there.”

“You say it’s a kitten? Can you give a description?” Batman asked.

“Sure can. I’ve made friends with a fair amount of these cats in the last week. I suppose they’re all valuable, but in my opinion that little kitty is worth more for her disposition. She’s got a tawny coat and big, sad green eyes. I imagine you’re not much of a cat person, but I am, and that little critter just wants a home where it is loved. I always take time to pet it every night. Since we’re off the record, I can be perfectly honest and say I’m truly glad the kitten is out of that crate. Have you heard the term failure to thrive?”

Batman nodded, not liking where the man’s information was going.

“I know it’s not usually used for a scenario like this, but Mrs. Golightley’s cat was looking thinner and less healthy to me. She’d stop in every six hours or so during the day—we keep a log, so I checked—but she would just run it through the course and drop in some food and water. Other than myself and the other guards, no one gave the kitten any love or attention. I’d personally use the term neglect, but I’m not saying anything illegal happened here. Except the theft, you understand?” His confidence back, Bill’s tone turned stern.

“I understand,” Batman replied, glancing over his shoulder to where the Commissioner and Mrs. Golightley were still arguing.

The rustle of a cleaning cart interrupted the pair as a woman from janitorial entered the room.

“Excuse me,” she said, touching the brim of her cap as she hefted a mop out of her mop bucket and started on the opposite end of the room.

A flash of metal between Bill’s feet caught Batman’s eye. He motioned for the security guard to step aside and knelt down.

“Now, this is interesting,” he said, holding up a small metal screw for Bill to see.

A moment of hunting with his flashlight revealed three more. Bill had been standing in front of the air return grate. A quick inspection revealed it was missing the four screws to secure it in place.

“Commissioner, I think we’ve found the method of entry,” Batman called.

The Commissioner and Mrs. Golightley crossed quickly, the woman slipping on wet tile as she passed. She clutched Commissioner Gordon’s arm to regain her balance.

“Put a sign up!” Mrs. Golightley snapped at the janitor.

The janitor tossed her long ponytail back and immediately complied, popping open a yellow, A-shaped CAUTION sign and standing it on the wet floor. She dipped her head even lower and went back to mopping.

“Commissioner Gordon, Bill and I discovered the screws to the air return were removed. I think our thief came in during the day, removed the screws, then used the ducts to enter and exit last night after the room was locked. Ah, Bill?”

Batman turned to the man, who was nearly quaking in his shoes.

“Bill, did you leave this room last night for any reason? Perhaps to use the facilities?”

Bill cleared his throat and straightened up. “Yes, that’s right Batman, I did. Only once, and I locked the door behind me.”

Batman gave a small smile and snapped his fingers. “That’s when the thief entered. Entrance and escape were already taken care of, so the thief only had to wait for the perfect moment to slip in and pick the lock!”

Bill nodded his head in quick motions of agreement, his hands clutched tightly together. Batman knew it was more likely the thief had waited to hear Bill’s snores before making his move, but it was all the same. Picking a tiny, uncomplicated lock like the ones on these crates would have taken no time at all.

Commissioner Gordon smiled. “I’ll radio forensics to come in at once. Maybe the thief was careless enough to leave a fingerprint behind. In the meantime, Mrs. Golightley, I suggest you go home and try to relax.”

Without warning, Commissioner Gordon went from tough and incisive to charming and concerned. The combination was too much for Mrs. Golightley, who softened a bit as he steered her toward the door.

“Well, alright, but you’re sure you’ve got all your men searching for my little Whiskersoft?” She peered at him over her shoulder, brows drawn together.

“Yes, Ma’am. All my men. On the case. For your cat.” The irony was lost on Mrs. Golightley.

She gave them one last look and clicked away in her black heels, heading for the front of the building. The tension in the room deflated. Bill looked back and forth between the Commissioner and Batman, suddenly aware he was no longer needed.

“Well, then, I’ll take myself off too, unless you have any more questions?” He took a half-step toward the door.

The Commissioner opened his mouth, but Batman shook his head.

“He’s fine, Jim. He already gave a statement.”

Commissioner Gordon nodded. A wet slap behind them reminded the men that the janitor was still completing her rounds in the room.

“Let’s go where we can talk privately, Batman,” suggested the Commissioner.

They went back into the auditorium, where they could speak under cover of the scattered conversations of various cat owners around the room.

“Mrs. Golightley doesn’t care one whit about that cat, so long as it brings her money or prestige,” the Commissioner stated in disgust.

“Bill would agree with you. He thought the animal was getting depressed from lack of attention,” Batman murmured, his voice pitched below the bustling sounds around them.

“The trainer at the circus talked about how expensive his animals are, too. I suppose it’s a concern when we’re dealing with theft, but these are living things.” Commissioner Gordon sighed and shook his head.

“Jim, what with the monetary value of these cats and the cat-burglar techniques used to procure them, I think we have to name Catwoman as the main suspect. She has the skills necessary to do both jobs. She’s also got a nose for valuables. Stealing living animals seems a bit afield of her usual prey...”

The Commissioner pursed his lips. “Diamonds and jewelry, you mean? Yes, it does. But we’ve seen Gotham’s criminals escalate and take new directions before. All right, I’ll put out an APB on her.”

The Commissioner unsnapped the radio on his belt, but Batman placed a hand on his arm.

“Before you do that, do you mind if I try talking to her? She’s a criminal, but she’s generally non-violent. She’s helped me in the past when there was no other option. And she genuinely likes cats. I want to hear what she has to say for herself.”

“I can give you twenty-four hours, Batman,” the Commissioner agreed. “After that, if there are no other suspects, we really must move. Unpleasant owners aside, I have a duty to the law here.”

Batman nodded. “Understood, Jim. Thanks for letting me tag along this morning.”

Batman crushed his empty coffee cup and tossed it into a trash can next to the front door. He stepped out, ignoring the gasps of pedestrians on the sidewalk. Once he was clear of the building, he fired his grappling hook high overhead and swung away without a backward glance.

#batman #Commissioner Gordon #llu writes #the purrfect crime #fanfiction #batman fanfiction

0 notes

lalunaunita · 5 years

Text

The Purrfect Crime: Chapter 2

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7