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The Penguin and the Raven	By : AsylumWritings Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 500 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman/DC Comics, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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I need something darker than black
To rip through this hideous slack
Give me something darker than black
It’s yours, just take it back
Darker Than Black, Frayle
I gasped awake, the fear of a nightmare still hanging over me. My body was shaking, but I didn’t want to wake Oz, so I gently extricated myself from his arms and climbed out of the bed. I grabbed my underwear and his shirt, quietly pulling them on before heading out of the room. Walking onto the balcony, I leaned on the railing and watched the sun come up.
I hadn’t had that nightmare for months, and I should have guessed a change in my life like this would cause it to return. My mind was fuzzy, and it was getting harder to breathe. The anxiety was taking over, and I had to fight it back, or I was going to fall right into a panic attack. I tapped my fingers on the railing, trying to combat both the anxiety, and the cravings that always seemed to come with it.
Resting my head in my hands, I tried to ignore the rising dread in my gut as my knees threatened to give way. I took a deep breath, but nothing seemed to help. Then I felt Oz’s strong arms wrap around me, keeping me upright.
“I’ve got you.” He whispered.
Turning to him, I buried my face in his chest. He’d managed to catch me before I’d gone too far, but it was going to take a couple of minutes before I would be alright again.
He helped me back inside, and I sat on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest. He walked into the kitchen, and I heard the kettle flick on. After a few minutes, it boiled and he walked over with a coffee.
“Panic attack?” He asked, sitting down and handing me the mug.
I nodded, unable to look him in the eye. As he wrapped his arm around me, I rested my head on his shoulder and drank the coffee. The warm feeling helped ground me, and I was soon feeling a lot better. Placing the empty mug down on the table, I turned to face him.
“I’m sorry.” I spoke quietly, biting my lip.
“For what, love?”
“For being kinda pathetic.”
He shook his head. “You aren’t. You’ve clearly been through something that’s left scars. Being affected by that doesn’t mean you’re weak.”
I gave him a small smile, then leaned over to kiss him.
“Don’t you have that big line of people to see at the bar today?” I asked.
“They can wait a little longer.” He kissed me again, pulling me into his lap. “I’m not ready to let go of you.”
“Well…” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I could go home, get changed and meet you at the bar. As long as I wouldn’t be in the way.”
He tucked my hair behind my ears. “You could never be in the way. But now that I’ve seen you in my shirt, I need to know if you own a suit.”
“I do. Would you like me to wear it?”
He nodded, running his fingers along my arm.
“Then I guess we’d better get moving.” I got up, pulling off his shirt and replacing it with my dress.
He tapped on the table, waiting for Butch to bring the next person over. People kept telling him that he should do business in the office, but he really preferred to be out in the main bar area. He found that it made people less likely to make a scene, and more likely to agree to his terms.
Impatient, he wondered why it was taking her so long to get ready. He’d been waiting over an hour for her, and he thought maybe she wasn’t coming. Just as he was giving up hope, the door to the bar opened, and she walked in.
I looked at my outfit in the mirror, making sure there weren’t any wrinkles from being in storage. I hadn’t worn most of the outfit in a long while. The blouse I was wearing was cut so low, it looked I wasn’t wearing anything under my red suit jacket. The only thing stopping me from showing my entire cleavage off was a black tie.
I wasn’t going to avoid the thought, because I knew I looked damn good. Giving my makeup and hair once last check, I headed out the door and hailed a taxi. As much as I liked walking to the bar, it was cold, and I didn’t want to get water on my shoes.
A sudden wave of confidence washed over me as I walked inside. I saw Oz straight away, but he was talking to someone, so I sat down on one of the bar stools and ordered a drink. I looked over at him, blowing him a kiss when I caught his eye. He looked distracted for a moment, but then refocused on his conversation.
I finished my drink, pulling my sketchbook out of my bag. I hadn’t drawn for a long while, but I was in a good mood, even after my panic attack, and I wanted to get back into it. The bottles above the bar, with their different shapes and colours, were a perfect start.
I was only a few minutes in when I felt a hand on my lower back. Looking up, I found Oz leaning over me.
“Are you wearing anything under that jacket?” He whispered in my ear.
“Technically yes.” I replied. “Why, is it too distracting? I can always go back home and change.”
“Don’t you dare, love.” He slid onto the stool beside me.
“I guess I could go hide in your office…” I turned back to my sketchbook.
I could feel his smile, even though I wasn’t looking.
“You could come sit with me.” He softly touched my cheek, and I looked up in surprise.
“I can?”
“You wanted me to be more open about what I’m doing here. So come listen in.” He held out his hand to me. “You can bring your sketchbook.”
“As long as you don’t think I will distract the people you’re talking with.” I hugged my book to my chest.
“If you do, it will provide an opportunity to teach them about manners.”
I nodded, taking his hand and walking with him to the booth. As I drew, I listened to him work. It was impressive to hear the way he could command respect, just with words. These people listened to what he had to say, and I was curious to know how he knew what to do.
There were so many people coming and going, wanting to meet him, and I eventually tuned out, focusing on my drawing. Words filtered in here and there, something about guns, then something about a party, I wasn’t really sure.
Then I felt his hand on my thigh.
“How about it?” He asked, looking at me expectantly.
“Sorry, what? I was distracted.”
“I need to make an appearance at a party. Do you want to come?”
“I’d love to.” I smiled up at him.
He leaned over, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I saw Butch approaching, and gently pulled away.
“Slade Wilson is here to see you, Boss.” He said, and I felt my eyes go wide.
My heart was pounding and I was suddenly glad for makeup, because I was pretty sure I would have gone grey. I needed to get out and calm myself down.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” I said quietly, getting up and walking to the staff room.
Leaning on the bench, I pulled out my phone to call Molly. I didn’t know what to do, between the panic attack that morning and now the asshole suddenly reappearing in my life. It’s like the universe was trying to tell me something.
“Hey Bee, what’s up?”
“Slade is back.” I whispered. “He’s talking with Oz right now.”
“Oh. Okay, I’m gonna share a little bit of advice with you here, sweetie.” She began, her soft voice helping calm me. “That fucker did what he did because he knew how strong you are when you’re angry and what that would mean if you found out the truth. Get back out there and be that strong person.”
“I want to, but I’m freaking out right now.”
“Of course you are. But put that aside, take some deep breaths and calm down. And… if you decide to punch him in the face, and I think you should, do it twice. One for me.” She laughed. “And no smoking.”
“I will.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I think I’m going to have to start paying you for all of this advice you’re giving at the moment.”
“I won’t complain about extra money, if you’re feeling generous. Talk soon, okay?”
“Yeah.” I hung up, just as the door opened behind me.
Turning, I found Butch standing there.
“Boss asked me to come check on you. Are you alright?” He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I should have let you know he was coming when I heard. Sorry about that.”
I shook my head. “It’s alright, Butch. Having a heads up probably still wouldn’t have helped, but I’m okay now.”
He gave me a big hug, squeezing me gently.
“Is he still with Oz?”
He nodded.
“I’m going to need a really strong drink.” I gave him a smile, then headed back to the booth.
Slade was flipping through a manila folder, and didn’t look up as I sat down.
“Everything alright, love?” Oz asked, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
I nodded, opening my sketchbook to continue drawing. “Just needed some air. I’ll tell you later.”
He traced circles on my thigh with his fingers, waiting for Slade to finish. A moment later, Butch placed a glass of straight bourbon in front of me, giving me a knowing look.
Thank you. I mouthed to him, and he nodded, heading back over to the bar.
“Can you get it done?” Oz asked.
Slade looked up, his dark eyes locking on to mine for less than a second, then looking at Oz. “I can.”
“Good.”
They shook hands, then Slade walked away. I watched him leave, feeling sick as I drank my bourbon. I was having a really hard time, but I was trying to prove to myself that I was strong enough to deal with it.
“Bee…” Oz whispered in my ear, bringing me back to reality.
“Yes?” I turned to him.
“You and him?” He asked, curiously.
I sighed, accepting that we were apparently going to have the conversation now instead of later. “For five years. Started dating him a few months after Dad died, until nearly twelve months ago.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“Not physically.” I avoided his gaze, but he took hold of my chin, gently making me look at him.
“What did he do?”
“Killed my father and lied about it for the entire relationship.”
He was quiet, and I could see a storm brewing in his eyes. He was furious, not at me, but it didn’t change the fact that it was a little scary. I placed my hand on his chest, trying to calm him.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” His jaw was tense, but he placed his hand over mine.
“Because I know that he’s the best at what he does, which means he’s the one you need to hire.” I used my free hand to play with a stray piece of his hair. “I’m fine, I promise. I just wasn’t expecting to see him. That’s why I had to get out for a moment.”
I watched him as he calmed down, his eyes slowly returning to their usual light grey.
“I’m nearly finished here.” He began, pulling out his hotel keycard and handing it to me. “Meet me at my room? I want to see what you’re wearing under that jacket.”
I leaned over and kissed him, leaving with a sly smile.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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The Penguin and the Raven