Chapter Text
A gentle drizzle washed over the streets of Gotham, pattering against your umbrella as you made your way to Mooney’s Nightclub. The neon lights and beams from passing cars lit up the puddles that drowned the ground beneath your feet, the rumbling sound of traffic an odd comfort in the gloomy evening.
You’d begun working at the nightclub about a month ago and you were finding yourself gladder and gladder that you’d taken the leap and applied. Ms. Mooney was as intimidating as she was beautiful and your breath had caught in your throat when she smiled and told you the job was yours, her delicate fingers trailing the edge of a crystal glass filled with liquor worth more than a month's rent. You were paid well, and if you kept your nose clean you were safe enough waiting tables and tending the bar.
Plus, you got to sneak peeks at her umbrella boy.
He’d caught your eye immediately, this awkward little thing always dressed in a neat suit and with his hair so artfully styled into something painfully emo. He followed Ms. Mooney around like a sick puppy, big green eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and acrimony, though he always schooled his expression and demeanor into something so submissive that no one ever took notice. Under all the pretty clothing and sickly-sweet murmurs of “Yes Ms. Mooney, No Ms. Mooney.” was something twisted, you could see it every time the woman’s back was turned and he would scowl at the back of her head, something cruel bubbling just under the surface of his pretty pale skin.
It was intoxicating.
Keeping your eyes off him was a difficult task, you had to make an effort to keep your attention on the club’s patrons, keep yourself from putting your chin in your hands and watching him stroke Ms. Mooney’s ego all evening. He only had eyes for her and it made your stomach twist in jealousy, your mind conjuring a scenario where it was you that held that emerald gaze, you that he trailed after, seeking approval.
Before your thoughts could drift further, you were shaken from your reverie by the sudden arrival of the nightclub doors in your field of vision. Sighing, you entered the building, tucking your umbrella away in a stand and quickly changing out of your damp coat and into the neatly pressed uniform you’d been given when you started here. Tonight’s shift would be long, and you only hoped it would be quiet.
--
The hours passed slowly, the first half of your shift going as well as it could in a place like this - you tended the bar and waited on tables and took your break outside in the alley, huddled beneath the awning to avoid the rain. You thought about the umbrella boy - you should really learn his name - thought about how lovely he looked when he was on his knees rubbing Ms. Mooney’s feet, how pretty he’d be on his knees in front of you. You wondered if he even noticed you, or if he was so caught up in pleasing Ms. Mooney that he couldn’t see anything but her.
With a soft sigh, you stepped back inside.
The second half of your shift was not quite as simple.
A large man sauntered up the bar as you polished a handful of freshly washed glasses, an unreadable expression on his face. In keeping with your duties, you smiled and politely asked if you could get him anything. His face split into a grin as he answered.
“How ‘bout your number, babe?” He leaned forward, his breath stank of liquor as it blew over your face, and the hair on the back of your neck stood up.
“I’m sorry sir, but I have to refuse.” You replied, a polite smile still firmly glued to your lips. It was inappropriate to see your customers and you were sure you would be fired for it - besides, something about this guy made you feel uneasy.
“Come on.” His arm came up quickly, his hand circling your arm tightly and pulling you towards him, almost dragging you across the bar. “I’ll show ya a good time.”
You opened your mouth to refuse again but you were cut off by the imposing figure of Ms. Mooney’s right-hand man - Butch - settling in beside your would-be assailant. He smiled reassuringly at you as he spoke.
“Are we gonna have a problem?” He turned his gaze to the other man, his smile unchanging but somehow becoming colder.
“Mind your business.” Came the gruff reply, the grip on your arm tightening enough to be painful. At the sight of your face twisting in discomfort, Butch clapped a hand down onto the man’s shoulder and leaned in, murmuring something into his ear all while that same smile stayed on his lips.
Immediately, the man let go, scowling at the both of you as he grumbled and shuffled away from the bar. You rubbed your arm gently, sure that you’d have bruises tomorrow.
“All good?” Butch turned back to you, less smiles and more concern etched across his features now. You swallowed and nodded, slightly shaken but confident in the knowledge that Ms. Mooney does not accept such behaviour in her club. “Great.” Butch slapped the top of the bar and pushed away from it, weaving through tables in the direction the man had gone in.
For the rest of your shift, you kept your eyes out for him, spotting him lurking around now and then and catching him looking at you more than once. It was ironic, you thought, as you continued to sneak glances at that cute little umbrella boy.
Your shift ended with the closing of the club and as always, you stuck around for a little while after to help clean up. You didn’t mind the extra work and it always helped you wind down after a long night. Finishing up with wiping down the bar and making sure all the booze bottles were organized nice and neatly, you sighed softly and began to make your way to the staff room. The man from earlier was almost entirely gone from your mind but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little concerned about running into him outside of work.
Before you could open the door to the staff room, you heard your name called from behind you. You turned and were greeted by your boss, standing with her head held high and dressed in the most beautiful gown in a startling shade of crimson. The umbrella boy was behind her, obediently awaiting the chance to fulfill her wishes.
“Ms. Mooney?” You asked, head cocked and a pleasant smile on your face. You tried your best not to stare at the boy.
She smiled warmly and prowled closer to you, her hands held out so she could capture your face between them.
“My dear, you have been doing such a wonderful job. I’m proud of you.” She beamed, her eyes boring holes into you. “Keep this up and I might raise your pay.” She winked, pearly white teeth flashing as she spoke, her hands pulling away from your face gently.
You replied with a slightly breathless “Thank you, Ms. Mooney.” and ducked your head in a subconscious show of respect. Being in her presence was so intense - like being eye to eye with a predator.
“I hope all that nasty business earlier didn’t bother you, hm?” She asked pointedly, one delicately arched eyebrow raised. She didn’t wait for an answer. “Either way I’d hate to leave such a lovely employee in a potentially unsavoury situation - I’ll call a cab to take you home.”
You spluttered for a moment, but you knew better than to argue, opting instead to repeat yourself, another “Thank you.” leaving your lips as she gestured to one of her many men, who immediately pulled out a phone and began dialing.
“I’ll have it pick you up outside - Oswald, keep them dry, would you?” She placed her hand on the umbrella boy’s - Oswald’s - shoulder and nudged him towards you. His face twisted in a scowl for half a second before melting into complacency.
“Of course, Ms. Mooney.” He smiled at her as she turned gracefully on her heel and moved away into the back of the club.
Your breath caught in your throat as you smiled pleasantly at him, your stomach feeling fluttery from being so close to him suddenly. This was nothing if not an excellent opportunity to introduce yourself, and so you began.
“Nice to meet you, my name is-”
“I know what your name is.” Oswald snapped, interrupting you with enough quiet venom to almost take you aback. The fluttering in your stomach only increased at the knowledge of how much spite was wrapped up in this pretty package before you.
Rather than reply, you smiled and turned, finally entering the staff room and collecting your things. Oswald was gone when you came back and after a brief moment of disappointment, you found him waiting outside in the rain, umbrella open and held high.
Quickly you dashed from the door to beneath the umbrella, relishing the grumble from the boy beside you. He was shorter than you - of course, you’d already been able to tell as much but now that you were side by side it was so much clearer, you had a good few inches on him and this knowledge immediately rocketed your thoughts towards ways you could take advantage of that, how easy it would be for you to press yourself against him and-
You cut that thought off, refusing to daydream about him when he was standing right here, next to you. With a short intake of breath, you turned your head to look at him properly, the rain pattering against the umbrella almost soothing as you admired the gorgeous curve of his nose, the inky darkness of his hair, the pretty little downturn to those pouty lips.
He must have noticed your staring because he turned and met your eyes and you could have sworn your heart skipped a beat when his eyebrows furrowed and he seemed to pour every ounce of rage his delicate form contained into his gaze. Involuntarily you smiled, stomach flip-flopping at the way he looked from this angle, face tilted up to look at you.
“Well?” He sounded so impatient, it was adorable.
You debated on what to say to him briefly - you’d thought about the things you’d say so much but no amount of imagined conversations could prepare you for this. He was so much prettier up close, even in the low light from the nearby street lamps and neon signs, you could tell he had a smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose and his eyelashes were so long, dark and soft. God you wanted to touch him, wanted to run your fingers across his jawline and press kisses to his eyelids - pull him close against you and whisper sweet things into his ear.
“Sorry.” Is what you eventually settled on, your mind so full of the things you could say that you were having a hard time saying any of them. He whipped his head back around, every inch of him bristling like an angry cat and it only made your heart beat faster. What a strange little thing he was.
You were shaken from your thoughts by the arrival of a car, the driver of which rolled down his window and called your name. You took one last look at the bundle of malice beside you and stepped forward, extremely pleased to note that he moved the umbrella to keep you from being rained on. You opened the door and ducked into the car, opening your mouth to rattle off your address before being told the driver already knew, and he’d been paid well to get you home safe.
Pulling the door closed, you smiled and lifted your hand in a short wave towards Oswald as the car pulled away, your insides still feeling all stirred up and fuzzy from being so close to him. He outright refused to even look at you, his diminutive form quickly vanishing from sight as the cab turned a corner. You settled comfortably into the seat and sighed, arms wrapped around yourself in a makeshift hug.
You were in deep.