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[vizcous]

Luck (Chapter 1: Lion’s Den)

[series summary]: 

Bruce Wayne has an image problem, to put it lightly. Reclusive, nearly mute, and awkward to the point of rudeness in an era where businessmen are celebrities, if he wants to maintain his success, he’s got to gain public approval. Or so Alfred says. Enter [Y/N], a 22-year-old with a communications degree. Alfred hires [Y/N] as Bruce’s social media manager, assistant, handler, and babysitter. Bruce and [Y/N] have quite the learning curve ahead of them. Factor in the fact that Bruce is a vampire, and [Y/N] has the sweetest smelling blood in Gotham, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

[prev. chapter} [ao3}

[chapter summary]: Y/N starts their new job, and bruce finds out about the new hire. things quickly fall apart.

[content]: anxiety, a gorgeous man named kevin, bloodlust.

[author’s note]: "early this week" my ass huh. well, it's early another week at least. hopefully, i'll get chapter two out quicker. please be gentle I finished this at 1:30 in the morning and I have to be up for work at 7 ;-; enjoy!

!! reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated !!

Present Day:     Crossing the threshold of Wayne Tower felt like entering the lion’s den. [Y/N] wiped their sweaty palms on their brand-new slacks. They’d chosen khaki to appear more inviting. They had researched color theory and proper office attire for hours to formulate an outfit that would make the best first impression. They’d fucked up their YouTube algorithm in the process, a hefty price to pay. At this moment, walking into the proud, looming skyscraper, the effort didn’t even feel worth it. They felt underdressed and foolish in the khaki slacks and blue button-up they’d bought at the mall last week. They felt their face heat up in embarrassment as they took in the doorman’s attire. It was just a plain black suit, but they could tell it was well made and probably designer down to the shoes. He paid them no mind upon their entrance, staring out the door at the busy street on the other side. They hesitated a moment before clearing their throat timidly.

    “Um, excuse me.” The doorman looked in their direction, staring expectantly at them.     “Hi, good morning. Today is my first day and my first time in the building. I was told I needed to retrieve an elevator key. Would you be able to help me with that?” They asked him, only sounding half as nervous as they felt.     “If you have your badge, you won’t need an elevator key. We don’t issue those to interns,” He responded, sounding bored, maybe sleepy.     “Oh, I’m not an intern. Mr. Pennyworth said that my badge would work for the office but that I would need a special elevator key to access the penthouse,” They attempted to give the man a reassuring grin, but their anxiety manifested into a shy, shaky smile.     “Mr. Pennyworth?” The man asked skeptically.     “Yes, sir. He told me that he would leave the key with the security director. Would you mind checking with the security director for me?”     The man rolled his eyes but nodded, walking away from his post and retreating down a hallway. [Y/N] took the opportunity to gawk at the features of the main lobby from the ceiling down. A large crystal chandelier positioned in the center of the ceiling bathed the whole room in a gentle yellow light reminiscent of natural sunlight. The front desk was directly under the chandelier, framed by two marble and onyx pillars. The desk itself was a cream color; some stone [Y/N] didn’t recognize from their Intro to Geology course their freshman year. The desk supported a sleek silver computer monitor manned by a young hijabi woman. She was a few years older than they were, probably late twenties. She met [Y/N’s] gaze as they were still trying to identify the stone of the desk, giving them a bright smile. They smiled and waved back shyly before the woman returned to work. Their eyes drifted to the floor; intricate, multicolored tiles were arranged into geometric patterns. They were trying to name all the different earth tones of tiles around their feet when they heard footsteps approaching. They looked up to see the doorman and a second man approaching them. The doorman had deflated a little since he’d left [Y/N] at the door; he’d hunched into himself like a child after a scolding.     “Y/N L/N?” The second man asked them, a kind smile on his face.     “That’s me.”     “Wonderful, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jeffery, the security director for Wayne Tower. Could I see your ID badge for a moment?”     “Uh, yeah, yeah, of course,” [Y/N] hurriedly unclipped their badge from their shirt and handed it to him. He scanned the barcode on their badge with his phone, nodding in agreement with whatever the phone displayed.     “Alright, Y/N L/N, you’re already registered. Here’s that elevator key.” He pulled a metal key from his pocket and handed it and their badge back to them.     “Thank you!”     “Let me show you to the elevator,” the doorman said quietly as he began walking towards the front desk. They nodded and followed quickly behind him.     “I didn’t catch your name,” [Y/N] said, trying to sound casual as they followed the doorman past the desk and toward the elevator bay.     “Ben,” he replied without looking back at them, pressing the “up” button when they reached the elevator. It was already on the ground floor and opened immediately.     “What floor?” Ben asked, still avoiding eye contact with them.     “Oh, um, seventy-six is where Mr. Wayne’s office is, right?”     “Yes,” he replied shortly, pressing the button.     They ascended the floors slowly in awkward silence. [Y/N] was too anxious to attempt small talk, and Ben seemed uninterested. With each floor they passed, the knot in their stomach tightened and tangled. They weren’t typically claustrophobic, but the spacious elevator grew to feel like a dumbwaiter more and more with each passing second. They were about to ask Ben if he was also feeling unbearably warm when the elevator dinged. The doors opened swiftly, but Ben exited before they were fully open. [Y/N] followed behind him, knees slightly weak as they walked.     This lobby was just as grand as the first and nearly identical. The only difference they could spot was that this receptionist was a handsome man, around the same age as the woman before. His skin was a deep brown, contrasting beautifully with his light blue shirt. His black hair was in short, mid-width locs, with silver hair charms scattered throughout. He looked up when they exited the elevator. He offered them a bright smile and [Y/N] spotted a small gap between his front teeth. Yeah, he was gorgeous.     “Good morning, Ben! Who’ve you got with you?”     “Hey, Kevin. This is [Y/N] [L/N]; sounds like they’re gonna be working with Mr. Pennyworth and Mr. Wayne.” Kevin quirked an eyebrow at that, seeming amused and the prospect of the person in front of him having anything to do with Bruce Wayne or his butler.     “Um, yeah, I’m going to be Mr. Wayne’s new assistant and social media manager,” [Y/N] explained, shyness peeking through in their tone.     “Social media manager, huh? Well, Mr. W certainly does need one; there’s no doubt about that. The man has eighteen million followers, and his only tweet is ‘Hello, I am Bruce Wayne.’” Kevin said, laughing at his horrible Bruce Wayne impression. Even Ben cracked a smile at it.     “Yeah, it seems that the internet isn’t really his forte,” [Y/N] chuckled.     “Can you take them from here, Kevin? I’ve gotta head back downstairs.”     “Yeah, of course. See ya later!” Ben walked back towards the elevator, not even sparing [Y/N] a glance or a goodbye. Huh, wonder what his problem is. They turned their attention to Kevin, anxiety creeping back in.     “Well, Y/N, Mr. Pennyworth did give me a heads up that we’d be getting a new staff member up here, and he left some instructions. Let’s show you around and get you settled into your office.”     “Oh, I um, I didn’t know I’d be getting an office,” [Y/N] said, surprise evident in their voice. Mr. Pennyworth had been very clear about the position’s duties, but he had not gone into detail about the office logistics. After their final interview, when they’d been offered the job, he’d issued them a laptop, a phone, and a tablet. Last week, they’d received their ID badge in the mail and some general information on the building.     “Yeah, you’re getting the second-best office in the place. You’re gonna be livin’ it up with Mr. W. Come on, let’s go check it out.”     Kevin put [Y/N] at ease. His friendly demeanor and ever-present smile made the vast, cold building feel a little warmer and smaller. Kevin stood up from the desk and came around to [Y/N’s] side. He began walking, gesturing for them to follow. Once they were in step with one another, he began to talk.     “So, it’s just Mr. Wayne and me up here. There are some conference rooms that we use maybe once a quarter, and then a few empty offices. Facilities and IT went ahead and got your office all set up last week, so you should be good to start working on things today if Mr. W needs you to. I usually get here at seven, and Mr. W comes in around nine or nine-thirty on the days he comes in. Y—”     “Sorry, question; Mr. Wayne doesn’t come in every day?”     “Uh, yeah…He really only comes in Mondays and Fridays. It’s just me up here the rest of the time. And now, well, you too.”     “What does he do the rest of the week?” [Y/N] ’s nerves returned tenfold at this news. Mr. Pennyworth had made it very clear that they were supposed to be Mr. Wayne’s shadow during the week, keeping him on task and posting updates on his social media. When [Y/N] agreed to that, they assumed they would be in the office most days. But, if they were meant to accompany him on golfing or boating trips, or whatever leisure activities a multi-billionaire was into, that was outside of their comfort zone. Their head began swimming with thoughts of what it would really mean to be Bruce Wayne’s assistant.     “Oh, he just works remotely from upstairs. He’s pretty anxious about the pandemic, so he tries to limit his contact with others as much as possible. He only started coming back in person a few months ago.” [Y/N] breathed a sigh of relief, the tension leaving their body. Working from home, they could deal with. When they thought about it, it made perfect sense for Mr. Wayne to work from home and limit his exposure, especially when he lived right above the office.     “That makes sense. Sorry for interrupting; you were saying?”     “Oh, yeah. Your ID badge should give you twenty-four-hour access to the building, so you’ll be able to come and go as you please.”     Kevin continued giving [Y/N] the run-down of the office, pointing out different rooms and sharing any information he thought they might find helpful. They listened intently to his every word, resisting the urge to take notes. After about 15 minutes, the tour was done, except for two rooms; [Y/N] ’s office and Mr. Wayne’s.     “So, here it is. I took a peek earlier, and I’ll admit, I’m a bit jealous [L/N], I really am,” Kevin said with a teasing smile. He opened the door, and it was all [Y/N] could do to keep their jaw from dropping.

          Bruce was anticipating Alfred’s knock on the door frame. He’d heard the older man making his way to the Bat Cave minutes before his arrival; he knew that the knocking was more out of habit than politeness at this point. Bruce looked up at him in acknowledgment, shifting his attention from the live stream of GPD’s security cameras. There was little activity on them this early in the morning, nothing that truly captured Bruce’s attention. Though it wasn’t like he could do anything about what he saw during the daytime. No, Bruce hadn’t been watching them as much as using them as white noise for his eyes while his mind replayed the events of the night before. Gordan had met him at the signal and relayed some intel about an ongoing serial arson case GFD had called him in for assistance. Firebombs had been thrown through six storefronts in four weeks, and no leads. Something about the situation had Bruce on edge. He’d spent all morning trying to find connections between the different establishments with no luck. But he pushed those thoughts to the backburner as he waited for Alfred to speak.           “Are you going to the office today?” Alfred asked, taking his glasses off and pulling out a microfiber rag.           “It’s Monday, isn’t it? I have no reason not to go,” Bruce replied, checking the time on the clock above the doorframe. 8:48 am. He supposed that that was a reasonable time for a regular person to get ready if they wanted to arrive by 9:30. But Bruce typically got ready at 9:05, arriving at the office at 9:08. Alfred must want something. Bruce turned to face the other man, but he didn’t speak immediately, intent on cleaning his glasses. After a moment and giving the lenses a thorough inspection, he put the glasses back on and looked at Bruce.           “The office is getting a new staff member this morning,” Alfred said, putting an unfamiliar weight on the statement. “Oh, I’ll make sure to sign the greeting card before I leave. Do you know their name?” Bruce knew that he had some of the blank cards in his home office in the penthouse. The greeting cards for new employees was something that his mother had started back when his father was at the head of the company. She had wanted new staff to feel like they were part of a family instead of a company. It was a thoughtful gesture, one that Bruce rejuvenated when he began to take the company seriously two years ago. He handwrote each card himself, though they all bore the same message. Bruce noticed that Alfred had not readily supplied the new person’s name. He looked at his butler quizzically, waiting for him to mention the name. Alfred took a deep breath before continuing. “Their name is [Y/N]. They will be working directly under you, sir,” Alfred said, meeting Bruce’s eyes. They were red, free from the irritating contacts he wore in public. Bruce furrowed a brow at the other man’s words, but he remained silent, knowing he would receive the full explanation momentarily.           “I took the liberty of hiring someone to…assist you in your public and professional endeavors. They started around forty-five minutes ago.” “I’ve been much more involved in the company in the past two years, Alfred. I thought that’s what you wanted?” Bruce asked, shifting back in his chair. Not for the first time, Bruce longed for the ability to read the minds of those around him. How convenient it’d be! At this point in his life, he’d likely wasted years contemplating or agonizing over others’ private thoughts, especially his butler’s. There were definitely times when he could predict Alfred’s next words or actions, but most of the time, he couldn’t read him at all. Today was one of those times. “You have, and I appreciate your dedication to your parents’ legacy. However, times have changed since your father was the head of the company, and even then, you are not your father. Don’t give me that look, Master Bruce, and don’t misinterpret my words. I simply mean you have not allowed the public to know you the way they knew your father. He understood how important public relations and community involvement are. Y—” “Ah, yes, Alfred, let me take a sunny stroll through the community garden; what a genius idea!” Bruce rolled his eyes at the thought, real venom seeping into his words. Perhaps he was being a tad childish and a bit bitter, but he found his frustration justified. Over the past two years, he’d put in the work to turn the company in the right direction, and they were just starting to reap the rewards. His board of directors was finally taking him seriously now, and he had a handful of philanthropic projects in the works. And now Alfred was telling him that wasn’t enough. Public relations and community involvement were never high priorities, and the “incident” had stripped away any chance of Bruce putting on the facade of being a regular Gotham socialite. Some things were just out of his reach now, and Alfred should understand that more than anyone. “Are you done, sir?” Alfred asked calmly. Bruce nodded with a deep frown etched into his face. “As I was saying, times have changed since your father was around. Public figures are more public than ever. Their movements are scrutinized by the world now, and your lack of movement has also been scrutinized. People know your life story, but not your life; that leads to speculation of your character, sir. You cannot be effective if people are questioning your motives.” “And [Y/N], how are they meant to help reduce ‘speculation’?” “Their job is to help develop a social media presence and cultivate a more intimate relationship with Gotham. They’re going to help you show the world who Bruce Wayne really is.” “The world doesn’t need to know me, Alfred. It’s better if they don’t—” “No, sir, you don’t want the world to know you; you’d prefer that they were in the dark. But you don’t make the rules. Society does. You’ve got to play ball, Master Wayne.”           Bruce pinched his bottom lip in thought. Objectively, he knew Alfred had a point. Social media wasn’t going to go away, and it made sense for Bruce to bite the bullet and engage in it. But Bruce had a point as well. Allowing the world a glimpse into his life would be opening Pandora’s box, and he wasn’t ready to release those evils upon the earth. It was better if he remained in the shadows and maintained his near radio silence; it was safer for him and for Gotham. Bruce believed in calculated risks; he didn’t do unknowables. And there was no way to predict what would happen.           “Alfred, I—”           “Give it a chance, sir. Meet with them, hear their ideas, and see what they have to offer. And besides, you can’t fire them; they were hired by the board of directors. Terminating them would require the board’s unanimous approval.” Bruce pursed his lips. Of course, he’s already thought of everything.

         [Y/N] thought they might faint. It was too much, too much to be real, too much to be theirs. They blinked harshly, trying to force the tears back. Their watery eyes took in the room before them. Three walls were a warm cream tone that fostered feelings of lightness and openness; the final wall opposite to the door was all windows. [Y/N] could see that they were at cloud level, allowing glimmers of sunlight to peek through before the typical morning downpour. There were several paintings spaced out thoughtfully across two of the walls, all bright colors and abstract shapes. The third wall, the one behind the desk, was entirely built-in bookshelves that matched the cream of the walls. Gold accents were scattered among the shelves, as were several succulents and picture frames. The lowest shelf stuck out farther than the rest, acting as a counter. A large vase of fresh flowers rested on the counter; blue hydrangeas, white roses, daisies, and lilies, with lavender scattered throughout.           The desk upheld the cream and gold theme with its white wood and gold legs. It had the same sleek computer monitors as the front desk but with a dual-screen setup. They were itching to test drive the new computer, their fingers twitching in anticipation.           “The flowers are from Mr. Pennyworth. He dropped them off earlier this morning. But yeah, this place is amazing, right?” Kevin said, the same smile from before spread across his face. It took [Y/N] a moment to regain their words.           “That’s kind of an understatement. This is otherworldly,” they whispered. They still hadn’t found their full voice yet.           “You gonna be okay if I leave you here?” Kevin asked, amused by their reaction.           “Yeah, I’ve just gotta pinch myself a few dozen times.”           “Alright. I’ll be at the front if you need anything. Mr. Wayne should be here soon.”           “Thank you, Kevin,” [Y/N] felt the urge to hug him, but they resisted. They didn’t want him to think they were weird this early on. He left the room, closing the door behind them. The moment the door closed, they sank to the floor; even the carpet was too luxurious. They pulled their knees up to their chest and wrapped their arms around them, taking a shuddering breath. They could feel the tears welling back up in their eyes, and they didn’t fight them this time. They sat there crying silently for several minutes, entirely overwhelmed.           After a few minutes, they finally stood, smoothing down their clothes with their hands. Once they were satisfied, they walked over to the desk to start up the computer. They felt the resolve to earn their place here, to prove to themselves and to everyone else that they were worthy. They sat at the desk chair, turning to face the counter while the computer started up. They looked at the flowers affectionately, noticing a white card among the flowers. They carefully pulled the card out of its holder to inspect it. They read the note, brow furrowing in confusion. Before they could ponder Mr. Pennyworth’s message too much, they heard a knock at the door.           “Uh, come in!” They called, setting the note down on the desk. The door slid open.           “Hi, Mr. Wayne is here now. He’d like to meet you,” Kevin announced from the doorway.           “Uh, yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll come out,” they said, standing quickly.           “Oh, your offices are adjoining; that door behind you connects to his office. Just give it a knock before you go in,” Kevin explained before closing the door again. [Y/N] swallowed hard, wiping their suddenly sweaty hands on the khakis again. They took a steadying breath before walking over to the door next to the bookshelf, knocking gently twice.           “Come in,” they heard a soft male voice call. They paused briefly, then opened the door and entered Mr. Wayne’s office. It was the opposite color palette of [Y/N] ’s office, all grays and blacks and silvers. There were floor-to-ceiling blackout curtains over the window wall; the room was lit by numerous lamps instead. Next to one of the floor lamps behind the desk was Bruce Wayne. [Y/N] couldn’t believe how tall he was, he’d always seemed shorter in photos, but he was at least six foot two. He was wearing a three-piece charcoal gray suit that highlighted how fair his skin was. He reminded [Y/N] of a Victorian portrait; beautiful and haunting. He looked up when they entered, offering them a small smile before his expression changed. His face shifted from peaceful and welcoming to pure rage and hatred. [Y/N] froze in fear when they noticed the shift.

          “Uh, come in!” Bruce heard a startled voice respond to the knock at the office next door.

          “Hi, Mr. Wayne is here now. He’d like to meet you.”           “Uh, yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll come out.” He heard Kevin explain that their offices were connected, and he heard the second heartbeat speed up. His new assistant was obviously anxious, and he felt a sting of pity for them. The first day at Wayne Enterprises was nerve-wracking for any new hire, and he could imagine it would be even more so for someone meant to work directly under Bruce Wayne himself. He would keep their introductions brief and allow them time to get settled in their new role.           He heard the soft knock on the door and responded for them to enter. They paused a beat before entering, and he once again attributed it to nerves. He didn’t like that his mere existence caused another person such anxiety, and he fought the urge to frown, knowing that it would make him seem even less inviting. He turned his head when they finally entered, fixing a slight smile upon his face. He opened his mouth to greet them when the scent hit him. It immediately set his throat ablaze, thirst burning through him like wildfire. His whole body tensed, shifting from man to predator. It was all he could do to lock up his body to prevent him from lunging at them, biting their throat, quenching the thirst, and putting the burning to rest. After half a second, he found his voice, but his words came out in a growl. “Get out! Now!” he roared. That was all they needed to turn and flee back to their own office, shoving the door shut behind them.

[vizcous]

this bitch coming out tonight or tomorrow :p

[vizcous]

hello ! my name is anthony (ant) or luke [he/it, 21] and welcome to the graveyard !

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