Chapter Text
Lainey inhaled deep, fists tightening and untightening. Everyone was dressed so much nicer than her, even those not entering the gala. But Lainey didn’t mind, she loved her clothes, unlike the tight, flashy clothes the social elite were wearing. Lainey wore a nice, comfortable dark brown with white stripes pantsuit. Beneath it tucked into the pants was a thicker, black sleeve shirt. Thrown in a nice set of flats, and Lainey was good to go. Dark hair tucked back into a braid upon her mother’s request.
Lainey smiled, trying to walk the carpet as fast as possible. Flashing her pass to the security, she was allowed inside the ballroom. A deep breath falling from her lips as she left the flashing lights and annoying questions. If she ever became a professional photographer, Lainey vowed to never be that rude. Some people were just too into their jobs, paparazzi being one of them. She smiled at the hosts, explaining to them why she was there, who she was. The Sunshine cafe wanted to participate in the charity event. Photos to be hung on their walls of those who donate. For every pastry bought, another will be given to someone on the streets. It was Lainey’s idea, a way to help and to promote sales.
When the rich and famous of Gotham started arriving, Lainey took a deep breath. Giving herself a pep talk, she glanced around the room. Eyes wandering to those already inside, waiting for the perfect moment to take a picture of the donations being made. Perhaps she should find a good place to see them. This will be easy, right?
Halfway through the night, Lainey was regretting her words. Easy? No, it's not easy. The opposite, multiplied by ten was more accurate. If another pompous ass flirted with her, Lainey made no promises about them leaving with their noses in tact. With a heavy sigh, she dodged Vicky Vale, not daring to cross paths with the woman. She was known for her shrewdness, for her attitude, and Lainey would rather listen to the girls at her school trash-talk then talk to Vicky Vale.
She needed a break, eyes traveling the area; Lainey found one. A large, red curtain pulled off to the side of the stage. Right next to a plant, perfect . With a glance around, Lainey moved. Skillfully dodging creeps, flirts, players, and reporters with the curtain in sight.
‘ I am a plant. I am a plant. I am plant. ’
Not often do reporters or paparazzi leave celebrities alone. Not often do the rich avoid the other guests to this degree. Watching the girl slip behind the curtain, Damian found himself curious.
Upon arriving, he noticed her. A slender woman, clad in plaid and denim, sticking out like a sore thumb in the gala. From his observations, it was clear she wasn’t comfortable here. With conclusive guesses, it was safe to say she didn’t belong here. Here with rich, pompous celebrities. Those with money to burn, donating change to make themselves feel better. Watching the camera being fiddled in her hands, Damian at first assumed she was a rookie photographer. After a couple of hours however, it was clear that wasn’t the case. She took pictures at random, oftentimes scrambling as if she suddenly remembered the camera. Definitely strange, definitely intriguing.
With that in mind, Damian had considered approaching her. After watching the way she glided through the crowd -skillfully avoiding servers, celebs, and Vicky Vale. His decision was made, walking across the gala with slightly narrowed eyes. Watching the curtain barely move as she stepped behind it.
Lainey sighed, hands almost running through her brown locks; freezing at the memory of her Mother doing her hair. Lainey rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her water bottle instead. Closing her eyes as she twisted the cap back on, Lainey breathed deep. Resisting the urge to mess her hair up, to return it to the same style she has everyday. Short, dark, waves curling at the bottom from where she had cut her hair earlier this month.
“You seem uncomfortable.”
The sudden voice caused Lainey to jump, brown eyes snapping up to meet the eyes of the intruder of her peace. Tall, dark hair, olive tan, emerald eyes. A nicely pressed black suit, a tie and handkerchief that matched his eyes, and dress shoes. Silently, Lainey prayed he wasn’t another rich, self-entitled, playboy. Biting the snarky retort, Lainey forced a smile.
“I don’t remember seeing you here before.” Green eyes exclaimed, his indifference would be believable if not for the curiosity buried in his low voice, his eyes burning with questions.
Lainey’s fake smile turned wry, her shoulders shrugging. “This is my first time here…” She trailed off, waiting for a name.
“Damian.” Green -Damian introduced, brows furrowed.
Probably wondering why she didn’t know his name, if she had to guess at his thoughts. Lainey didn’t question it, she never was one to watch TV or read magazines. If she wanted to know something, she could just ask a friend. It’d be that simple. Why lose valuable time focusing on a life that has nothing to do with her own?
“Damian.” Lainey smiled, holding a hand out. “A pleasure, I’m Elaine, most people call me Lainey.”
“You don’t care about who I am?” Damian blurted, cursing the arrogance in his tone. Looks like another dollar in the Rude Jar, and something owed to Timothy this time. Dammit.
She shrugged, “No offense, but why would I? You’re a person, I’m a person. Everyone is entitled to their privacy Damian.”
“Interesting.” Damian mused, blinking a couple times with surprise.
Before Lainey could say anything further, the curtain swayed. A head popping through with slicked back yellow-blonde hair, his chin was pointed. Eyes locking on Lainey immediately with a hopeful smile that Damian didn't trust. The only time someone wore a smile like that was when they had intentions, intentions that he often saw amongst the crowd of sharks that hung about every inch of these events. He frowned, fire burning through his vest and chest tightening as his stomach curled. He didn't like the way she was being eyed. Like she was just another object, an obstacle rather than a person. The man's name flashed to the forefront of his mind for but a second, remembering the man Tim had begroaned having to work with for this event.
Derek Sterling.
The personal assistant to Matilda Hawkins. Entitled, slimy, and always willing to take shortcuts, however, he was clean. No crime, no dirty records. How such a weasel of a man ended up working with one of the few good souls in all of Gotham, none in his family knew. Despite her belief in second chances, and in flirting with Alfred, his grandfather in all but blood, she was a good woman. Donated monthly, offered jobs and internships. Her current goal to make the Narrows a better place, the reason his entire family had gathered for the event tonight. Also clean, from all the background checks.
"Ah, Miss Wolf, I have found you." Derek Sterling said, the smooth tone more akin to mud than silk. "What did you say your scholarship was for again?"
She blanched, "Uh, music?"
"Perfect! We need music! Our band can't make it! Apparently because of an injury, or some other nonsense!"
“Wait-!”
Damian was reacting before he could even think about it, a low growl reverberating from his throat as he caught Sterling's wrist in a cast iron hold. A snarky comment forming on his tongue, but he hadn't the chance. A throat cleared, Lainey stepping from behind him to his side. For a moment, he could've sworn he saw an array of light dancing from beneath the sleeves of her shirt, but it was probably a bracelet that caught the light from the rest of the room when the curtain swayed. She gently tapped her fingers along Damian's knuckles, as if telling him to silently release the smarmy man. Damian's not sure what surprised him more, that she had the gall to actually tell him, Damian Thomas Wayne-Al Ghul what to do, or that he in fact listened.
"It's rude to demand things from someone you barely know, Mr. Sterling." She said firmly, not impolite but with enough sharpness in her tone to be taken as a warning. She wouldn't be polite again, she wouldn't stop him a second time. "It's especially unprofessional for you to declare information to a stranger I'm engaging with that I had not freely given."
"You'd think your Madam would've made sure her personal assistant knew better than to harass her guests." Damian snarked, arms crossing.
For the first time since his little head had poked through the curtains, Sterling took notice of Damian. The arrogance fled from his features as he paled, stuttering and stumbling an apology as his head immediately bowed. Lainey may not know who he is, what his family name meant. However, Sterling most certainly did. He had to, considering the Waynes and the Hawkins had worked together for this charity gala. Sterling especially had been working very closely with Tim Drake for the last several months. Hawkins International would throw the event, raise the money, champion the fundraiser. Wayne Enterprise would do the job, fix the buildings, build shelters, food pantries, everything that they could to make the Narrows a better place for the people of Gotham to live there.
"Mr. Sterling," Lainey said, just as sharp, just as crisp, clear and kind as before. "What exactly do you need from me, sir? I was in the midst of an engaging conversation whilst taking a temporary break from taking the pictures Madam Hawkins authorized."
"Well-well, Madam-Madam Hawkins had planned on entertainment to try and gather more donations for rebuilding the Narrows." Despite the overly sweetened tone, the professionalism Sterling was pushing for, Damian could still hear the disdain for the area itself. His scowl darkened. "Since you have an affinity for music, we were hoping you'd be willing to entertain instead."
"While that's very kind of you to consider myself for the position, as I said before I'm taking pictures for my part of the donations."
"Done."
“Excuse me?”
“Sing, perform. Whatever it is, and we will get you pictures. Of the donations being made themselves and the people handing them in, of the performances, whatever it takes.”
Lainey blinked, once, twice. Her knuckles turning white around the thick strap of the camera, her lips pursed. Damian watched for another minute, gauging the action a habit she is trying to resist. Mayhaps trying to break one? When another minute passed in silence, Damian rolled his shoulders back. Attention snapping to Sterling as he prepared to send the man packing, with wit and tack opposed to his fists. Despite really wanting to punch the man in the face. Only for Lainey to surprise him once again.
“You have to buy a pastry. From the Sunshine Cafe, you buy a pastry in the Belly of Sunshine deal, and I’ll do it; with the pictures owed.” He stuttered, swallowing as Lainey nodded. Eyes hard, unbending as she continued on undeterred. “If you lie to me, I will know. You will find I never forget something owed, Derek Sterling. Do we have a deal, or not?”
Sterling nodded, a grin overtaking his face as Lainey sighed. Her resolve shook as Sterling cleared away from the curtain. Off to tell Madam Hawkins no doubt. Damian eyed her, curious to see what would happen next. So far, she was far more unpredictable than expected. She was stubborn too, stubborn, unyielding, but willing to help even when not given the choice. Lainey is a force to be reckoned with, even if she’s biting off more than she can chew.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“If I didn’t, how could I say that I gave my all to this?” Lainey countered, “I volunteered this project, not to the… rich and famous, but I did. To feed those not so fortunate.”
Interesting. Again, she surprised him. He expected her to start grumbling about what just happened, to agree with him. To tell him off, even. But none of that happened. Her voice remained its normal volume, a calm, neutral tone. Yet, her eyes remained on the spot where Sterling was previously. Hands still repeating the motions of clenching and unclenching around the straps of the camera. Then, her eyes turned to him. Oh, there it is.
Swirling brown was gazing at him intensely, worry, fear, mixed with cool confidence, and strength. She was chewing her cheek, probably to prevent a freak out. But she breathed deep, hands rising to go through her hair. Stopping herself with a grimace, her hands went to her neck. Lainey was a nervous ball of steel and jelly, concern and calculation.
His heart ached for her, twisting in his chest almost painfully so. Damian wanted to ask if she was okay, he also wanted to remove her from this area all together. He did neither. Instead letting the silence reign between them, a snide comment forming on his lips when she stretched a hand out to him.
“Hey, Damian?”
“Yes?”
“If I faint up there, can you- can you keep the uh, creeps from ‘ helping me ’?”
Her eyes were earnest, clearing the thoughts of this being a joke away. Foolish, as if he (or his brothers and sisters), would let something happen without consent. She may only have been here once, but they know the disgusting perverts from the years before. If she would choke, Damian would help her.
“Why accept if you’re incompetent?” Damian scoffed, earning a snort as she rolled her eyes at him. He leaned down, voice low and quiet. “As if any of these creeps would get a chance to touch you.”
Lainey’s cheeks burned, her ears glowing in the dark as her breath hitched. Something about the way he said that… was strangely intimate. Turning her head, she noted the way inches separating them. Dark green eyes shimmering with flecks of gold and copper. Lainey swallowed, her eyes darting between his. Suddenly, her mind cooled. Confidence surging just from a statement, of course she was still worried out of her wits. But now, she felt she could do anything. She was invincible, she was dying.
“If you could help someone, wouldn’t you do it Damian? Whether competent or not?” Lainey asked, voice above a whisper.
Watching realization sink into his eyes as he stood to his full height. That was seriously unfair, he was definitely over six-foot, if Lainey had to guess, maybe six-two, six-three? Either way, compared to him, she looked like a dwarf, something she was not. Lainey was proud to admit she was around average height for a woman, thank you very much. Hearts pounding, but Lainey couldn’t tell if it was because of nerves or Damian. She didn’t want to think about it. Not now. She was mesmerized, unable to look away from his emerald eyes. She didn’t know if he was as entranced by her, as he was, but-
“Miss Wolf, are you coming?” The voice of Sterling broke whatever spell was holding them. “The guests are waiting.”
Lainey cleared her throat, eyes snapping forward as her cheeks burned again. She called out to Sterling, with a deep breath, and a grateful smile paired with a “Thanks.” Lainey was gone. Slipping from her curtain and being pulled into another direction.