Conspiracies, conspiracies..
𝜗ৎ tags/tw: reader almost gets run over, conspiracy theories/journalism, old murder mystery, mentions of blood/death, not proofread
ও˖ ࣪⊹ pairing: vamp!bruce wayne x f!reader
𝜗ৎ a/n: I'M BAAAAAAAACK oh my god, it feels so good to be writing again I think I wrote 2k words in one sitting LOL, anyways!! uni went well too so i won't need to go back to any exams, which meansss I have the whoole summer looking up at me to write. hope you like this part just as much as the last one!! it's so fun to write stuff like this
─ ⊹ ‧₊˚ Au mlist
It had been a week since you were chased down at night by some creep, and also since you found out that apparently everyone got Bruce wiped from their mind. At first you wanted to talk to him about it, but what would you even say? ‘Oh, hahah! Remember the girl that works at the corner shop? Well, funny story, she doesn't remember ever seeing you!’. Obviously you wouldn't bring it up, he was already extremely reserved, you didn't need him to think you were gossiping with your neighbours about him.
There were a thousand theories running through your mind, but none made sense. Maybe you were hallucinating? Impossible, the receipt from the lamp you bought was signed by him and it was sitting on your kitchen counter. That alone meant he was real, but that wasn't the only proof. You took his coat outside and one of your neighbours complimented it, and that was also very real. You actually loved that coat, but you needed to go and return it to him.
It was as if you couldn't stop thinking about it. About him. He had a strange allure that made you… Sort of obsessed, and you couldn't understand it or explain it, but there was just something between the two of you that felt otherworldly and old. Sometimes it felt like he was haunting your mind.
Then suddenly, an idea popped into your head. You could search him up online! It was a wonder you hadn't thought of that earlier, considering you often searched up people and their lives.
The first thing you searched for was Bruce's job, unfortunately there didn't seem to be much information. There was a website for the shop, which made sense. It had a whole vintage theme and it included the listings for items on sale, a platform where you could try to negotiate the price of any old piece you wanted to sell, and then a small portion reserved for the shop’s history.
“Funded in 1910 by Sir Wayne, who decided he wanted to finally settle down after exploring the world, looking for loved pieces all over. Wayne’s Antiques has been a family owned business since it was funded! Come by and prepare to be amazed by our lovely, authentic, and well-preserved pieces. We're sure we'll have just the piece for your soul.”
Unfortunately, you didn't get much from that. You were shocked at how old the store was, and the description was a bit odd, but you figured that'd have something to do with the whole mystery and vibe of the place, it was probably framed in that way to give people the sense that the things they sold had their own soul because of how old everything was.
Upon further digging, you discovered an article dated back to 1886 about a Mr. Wayne who had sadly been widowed after his beloved wife appeared brutally murdered in the garden of their mansion. That case seemed to cause an uproar on society because they were a popular and overall liked couple, it was that town’s own murder mystery. You couldn’t read much about it because the article required library access, but from the small synopsis you had access to, it looked like the whole town believed there was a curse on the Wayne’s after what had happened, however you had no idea if this was actually related to Bruce or if they just shared last names, which was highly likely.
You also found an article from 1998 about a supposed investigation on Wayne's Antiques. By what you read, it looked like a journalist found the business weird, he couldn't believe such a private family could maintain their shop and overall life for so long, especially considering no one ever saw Mr. and Mrs. Wayne. But it seemed that eventually the reporter grew tired, stating “I must admit when I'm wrong. This is just a boring family business.”, what's weirder is how this reporter just… vanished not long after this whole situation.
Huh.
There were a few articles discussing his disappearance, and before you knew it, you went down a rabbit hole. Turns out that reporter had been one of the most influential in your city, he worked for The Daily Planet, until his articles slowly became more conspiratorial than anything else. He then moved to Gotham, where he wrote some pieces for the Gotham Gazette, before also being kicked out, which made him turn to the Globe, where he wrote about some conspiracies with Alexander Knox. The real problem started when he ventured too much in his theories about vampires, people started deeming him as unfit for his job as a journalist, that’s how he ended up returning to your town, where he focused his vampire research… On Wayne’s Antiques.
Now that was interesting. You tried to access the original article which he posted in a self-made journal, but it also required database access that you did not have at home. Supposedly, that article contained his theories before he eventually dropped the case, and now you really wanted to read it, because vampires? Seriously? He really was losing his mind if it got to that, but either way his disappearance still remained a mystery. Some sources claimed he had finally succumbed to madness, possibly dying in some woods while trying to find “proof”, others thought he probably felt the need to hide after facing so much public scrutiny, but there were some people that truly believed he’d been murdered. By whom? No one knew, but it was clear he had made a lot of enemies throughout his career, so that would be plausible. You decided you’d pay a visit to the library after dropping off Bruce’s coat in order to research more about the weird murder mystery, and about this whole vampire thing.
Either way, the more you dug into this, the more confusing it all got. Even before discovering how old the shop was, and all these weird investigations tied (or not) to his family, you had decided to avoid Bruce for some time, but you still couldn't ignore the fact that weird things kept happening to you. Wherever you went, it felt like there were eyes on you, it was an uncomfortable sensation that sent shivers down your spine.
Initially you had blamed that feeling on potentially being stalked by the creep that ran after you at the park. You wanted to believe he wouldn’t try anything again after seeing Bruce, but maybe he was still stalking you? The situation was scary, but without any concrete proof you couldn’t do much. If the police disregarded stalking cases with proof, they’d probably just laugh your concerns off.
Either way, you had to return Bruce’s coat, even if you wanted to avoid him for longer.
Walking inside Wayne’s Antiques, you were welcomed by the soothing smell of old books and reliques that you’d grown to love in the past weeks. However, Bruce was nowhere to be seen, which wouldn’t have surprised you, if there wasn’t a guy sitting on the reclining chair behind the counter, with his legs crossed and feet resting at the counter, while reading a book. This was the first time you’ve ever seen someone else running the store, probably the guy your neighbours know, he seemed to be younger than you and his name tag read ‘Jason’.
“Uhm… Excuse me?”
Jason lifted his eyes from the book to look at you, he squinted at the coat in your hands before returning to his book. “We don’t do returns.”
“Returns– No, that’s not what I’m here for. Is… Bruce not here today?” Would he know Bruce? He had to, if he didn’t know his boss you’d definitely believe you’d gone insane. That seemed to catch his attention. Jason took his feet off the counter and put his book down to really look at you.
“You know Bruce?”
“Huh… Yeah? This coat is his, he lent it to me the other day, and I didn’t have the chance to return it to him.”
Jason seemed to be processing the information you’d just told him. What a weird little guy.
“Bruce gave you his coat?” You nodded. “Willingly?”
“I’d like to believe he did? So… is he here or…? Are you going to take it and give it to him?”
“Bruce isn’t here, he left.” His tone was so conspiratorial that you immediately thought Bruce actually moved somewhere else and left Jason the store.
“Wait what? When did he leave?” Hearing the slight panic in your voice, Jason realised you were the lady Bruce had briefly told him about before leaving, but he couldn’t exactly tell you where he’d gone either. He clearly didn’t prepare enough for this.
“Erhmmm… He’s going to come back, don’t worry. Bruce just had to… Uhm… Prepare for an operation… Yes. Exactly.”
“Oh!” Suddenly you felt silly for immediately panicking so much. “I didn’t know he had to be operated on, is everything okay?”
“Yes! It’s uhm, hemorrhoids.” Jason internally slapped himself for saying that, because even if that were true, why would he ever share that with you considering you were both pretty much strangers? You stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Oh. I hope everything goes well, I’ve heard the recovery process can be quite hard.”
“His aren’t that… complicated. Don’t worry! He’ll likely come back in a week. Tough guy that one.” You nodded, honestly just eager to change the topic, because this whole interaction was getting more awkward by the second, and with the theorist in you being fed by the things you read, you just wanted to learn more and unveil this whole mystery.
“So are you part of the family? Bruce told me this is a family business.” This was the perfect time to put what the store’s website claims, and Bruce’s own words to the test.
“I suppose.” The look on your face made him cough. “Er… I mean, I am. Obviously. I am Bruce’s… cousin.”
You nodded slowly. Initially, you found Bruce to be peculiar, but now you think it might just be a family problem, maybe they were genuinely cursed in those old times.
“Well, I better get going, but tell Bruce I’m wishing him a speedy recovery and that I’m once again, thankful for his coat.”
Jason nodded, and you were eager to go to the library, but knowing Bruce was going to be gone for another week… You missed him, despite wanting to distance yourself at first. Even if the whole town forgot about him, it seemed you could not. Just the thought of him being away made you feel uneasy, and this was a new feeling. No man ever got such a reaction out of you in such little time. And now that you knew Jason was his cousin, not only did you prove he was real (well you’re going to confirm that by asking if anyone knows Jason, but for now you’ll assume they do), but they are probably close, considering they work together, so… It wouldn’t hurt to try and get a good word in.
“Actually, could you tell him I’ve missed him? I didn’t want to be annoying and call or anything, but… Yeah, I just– tell him…” You stopped yourself. Why were you feeling so bold? He was getting such a tough procedure and you wanted to make him think about you? “Actually nevermind.”
With that you left the store, feeling confused and really embarrassed. Firstly, what was his deal? Maybe Jason was just awkward or an introvert, but he was super stand-offish with you for no reason. Then, you totally made a fool of yourself by trying to flirt with Bruce via his cousin. It was a beautiful day outside, so you decided to take the longer route to the library in order to clear your head, but your mind was all foggy with the whole conversation with Jason. Bruce never even told you he had a cousin, you two weren’t that close and that spark you felt had just been a delusion in your head, which only helped your embarrassment grow. Still distracted, you went to cross the road when suddenly you heard someone catching up behind you. Turning around, you saw Jason, why did he follow you? You took a few steps in his direction, getting back onto the sidewalk.
“Hey– sorry, I found your headphones in one of the coat pockets.” He was about to hand you the headphones, when suddenly his eyes widened.
“Watch out!” Before you could react, Jason was pulling you towards him, and hauling you both into the wall. Just a second after, an all black SUV ran over the place you had been standing in. If it weren’t for Jason you’d be dead.
“What the fuck…” How didn’t you hear the car coming?
“Are you okay?” He helped you regain your footing. “I’m sorry if I hurt you when I pulled you close but I saw the car coming toward you in the reflection of that window.” Jason pointed to a window on the building behind you.
“Don’t worry about that, if it hadn’t been your force I wouldn’t even be able to feel anything anymore. Did you see the licenseplate?”
“There was none.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I think we should go to the police either way. Bruce told me you were chased after the other night.”
“Yes, I was. He… Told you about that?”
Jason gave you a small smile. “He did. You’re very important to him.”
His words caused a small smile to spread through your face. “He’s… The feeling’s mutual”
He gave you a small nod before clearing his throat. “C’mon, I’ll go with you to the police station and then I’ll walk you home.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary-”
“Please, I insist. It’s what Bruce would've done if he was here.”
“What about the shop?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it, I’ll just close earlier.” You walked with him to the store’s front door, where he flipped the sign to ‘CLOSED’, while locking the doors, he cleared his throat once more. “Oh, and uhm, I wanted to apologise if I came off as rude earlier. I’m not good at talking with people.”
Obviously. You waved your hand and laughed. “It’s okay, plus you just saved me from my impending doom so I think we’re even. I definitely hold the record in this town for ‘person who’s life has been saved by Waynes the most times’.”
“I guess you do. Let’s hope this was the last time.” You could tell his tone held nothing more than sincerity.
After spending hours at the police station to make your claim, you finally arrived home. Jason convinced you to report the guy chasing you too, but just as you’d predicted, after all the paperwork you had to fill out, they just told you they’d look into it but without faces, names, or license plates, there wasn’t much they could do. Suddenly a weight settled in your shoulders. The adrenaline from almost dying had lifted off and now… Now you were terrified, because if you didn’t hear the car that was speeding in your direction, what guarantee did you have about being safe? You suddenly had the urge to throw up, what were you going to do? It was like there were killer ghosts hunting you, maybe you were the cursed one.
Still, you attempted to sleep, the determination to not hide in fear kept you going, and you had a mystery to solve at the library anyways.
After a restless sleep, you got up to prepare for the day. Now you weren’t feeling as dedicated to your research as you had before, but there was not much else you had to hold onto. Without your closer neighbours and Bruce, you were completely alone. Your family lived hours away, and you didn’t want to alarm anyone, the best you could do was face the day with positivity. After getting ready you hastily made your way to the library, thankfully nothing happened on the way there.
You chose a computer that was nestled in a cozy spot with a ton of bookshelves all around, and then you got right to work. Firstly, you decided to look into the murder mystery. The full article explained in detail what had happened. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne were a beloved couple that lived in a mansion by the woods of the town, despite being rich, they regularly helped the poor and were considered to be very much in love. It was reported that they barely left each other's side, but on that day, Mr. Wayne had to visit town, and his wife insisted she’d stay home. Well, what he had to do wasn’t shared, but after an hour, when he was returning home his horse suddenly fell ill, and according to witnesses, Mr. Wayne started panicking because of the time his wife was spending alone. Everyone thought he was being weird, until they managed to get him home… Only to find his wife laying in a pool of her own blood in the backyard by her favourite flowers.
You had to make a pause after reading that. There was a picture in the article of the crime scene and you could see a corner of the blood, right next to… A bed of tulips. They were described to be your favourite colour, that information made your heart drop into your stomach. This was creepy. No pictures of the wife were allowed to be published by Mr. Wayne, but those who saw her described her as looking otherworldly, as if someone had sucked the life right out of her body. There were no signs of anyone breaking in the mansion, nor were there any indices of a suicide. No weapon was ever found, and no perpetrator was ever convicted.
The town made its own stories up, in order to try and give sense to what had happened. It is said that after his wife’s death, Mr. Wayne stopped leaving his house altogether, falling into a great depression. Then another 34 years go by without anyone even daring to step foot near the mansion, before suddenly, a man with a striking appearance to Mr. Wayne claims to be his son, who was hidden for all these years until his father finally passed away, allowing him to finally start his life outside the mansion’s walls. And that's how the ‘curse of the Wayne’s’ was born, people felt that his scary resemblance to his father, and his parent’s mysterious deaths, were definitely a curse.
This was a creepy story for sure. You didn’t know why but… There was a weird feeling in your gut. Bruce said he collected tulip lamps because they were his late wife's favourites. They're also your favourites, and in the same colour too… Just coincidences. This Wayne might not have anything to do with your Bruce.
Moving on to the article about the shop, supposedly the reporter's suspicions came from the story you had just read. That town was long gone now, but it wasn't far from here. After digging deeper he found out that the Wayne's that own the shop, and the ones in the murder mystery were in fact related. What he wanted to prove was that there was no Wayne family, per se, it was always the same man, a vampire, who must walk amongst the mortals in search of something he couldn't yet figure out, but he main theory was that he was looking for his-
“I was told I'd find you here.” You jumped in your chair and turned back, not being able to finish the sentence you were reading, just to find Bruce standing there with a small bag of pastries. “Something tells me you have not eaten lunch.” He said before offering you the bag. Was it lunch time already? The clock on the computer read 5 p.m. how did the time fly by so fast??
“Oh my god I didn't even realise so much time had gone by.”
“Then that must mean you are engaging in some insightful research.” He glanced at your screen and you hastily closed all the windows, there was no need for him to know you were prying around about his background.
Bruce arched his brow at your actions but didn't say anything. “Uh, yeah. It was definitely interesting, at least.” You turned off the computer and got up. “But actually, more importantly, what are you doing here? Your cousin told me you'd only be back in a week.”
“My… cousin?”
“Yes? Jason. He told me you guys are cousins.”
Bruce took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Ah, yes. How could I forget. Well it turns out the matters I had to attend too weren't as important as I initially had thought.”
“So, did the operation go well? He also told me you had to get your hemorrhoids removed.”
He looked flabbergasted. “My hem– he said that?”
“He did. I'm sorry, I know it's really private information but I was just really worried. Did everything go well?”
The tips of his ears got really pink. “Yes. You don't need to worry. Now,” He cleared his throat and took a step closer to you. “I believe someone has said they've missed me a lot?”
Now it was your time to blush, all your conspiracies about his family completely forgotten. “Oh, I– damn, Jason really can't keep anything to himself, huh?”
Bruce laughed and grabbed your bag as you were standing up so you wouldn't have to carry it yourself. “You did ask him to tell me.”
“Yes but then I said forget it.”
“Well, I think he was trying to play matchmaker.” Your head snapped away, trying to hide your blush.
“Maybe. You don’t seem the type of man to play into the matchmaking of your cousin, though.”
He opened the door for you, the sun was already and the street lamps would probably turn on any minute. “Really? I think you are misjudging me.”
“So if Jason told you some other client missed you, you’d also go after her?” You asked teasingly, but Bruce stopped and looked at you deeply.
“No. Just you. You will always be my exception.”
Your mouth fell open and your heart did a flip. That was… so intense, but before you could even react, he pointed to the bag of pastries.
“There is a beautiful place I’ve been meaning to show you not far from here. We could go there to eat, if you are not in a rush to go home, of course.”
“N-no I’m not. I’d love to– uhm, we can go.” Bruce laughed at your flustered state before offering you his arm, which you took happily but not after smacking him for laughing at you.
He really wasn’t lying when he said the place was beautiful. It was on a small hidden part of the local park, from here you could see Gotham in the distance, a small speck on the horizon, far from the quiet corners of your town. You two sat on the grass, below a willow tree, and started eating.
“Jason told me what happened yesterday.”
“Oh. I was hoping he wouldn’t.”
“Why?” Bruce turned so you could really look at him, and despite his normally composed exterior, you could see through the cracks, he was clearly worried. “The more I know, the more I can do to protect you.”
“That’s the thing, Bruce. You’re not a cop, you’re just a man, and there’s not much you can do. If I’m not safe from a speeding car, that I didn’t even hear, in broad daylight, I’m not safe anywhere. And the worst part– we have zero information on who’s coming after me, or if these are even coincidences. I just… Need to be careful, I guess.”
“But with me by your side you will be safer. You didn’t hear the car, but Jason saw it. Just… Just promise me that as long as I’m here you won’t wander off alone. Please.”
You looked at him. “Okay. I can promise that. But prepare to be bored of me.”
Bruce shook his head. “I don’t think that’s possible.” His voice dropped an octave and his gaze dropped to your lips. Your heart was beating crazily, and the two of you leaned in the slightest bit. However, just as the moment started, it was gone. He looked away like it pained him, and then got up.
“It’s getting late. I should get you home.”
Nodding, still shocked, you gathered your things and got up. “You’re right. Best if I avoid any moment where creeps can get me.”
He nodded once and then you made your way back to your apartment together. The almost kiss seemed to break some sort of spell, and you were brought once again to the research you had been making. Were you trusting this man too quickly, without knowing him properly? Questions of the sort haunted your mind until you arrived at your doorstep.
“Hey, Bruce?” You took a deep breath and looked at him, ready to ask him about the investigation, the missing reporter, and about the curse, but you couldn’t gather the courage.
After your prolonged silence he caressed your hand softly, catching your attention. “Yes?”
“Oh. Nothing. I just… I just,” You had to make up a lie quickly. “I was wondering if you wanted to come over tomorrow. To have lunch, considering we both need to work and all.”
Bruce noticed this wasn’t what you wanted to ask initially, but he once again didn’t question it.
“I would love to. Tomorrow we’re hosting a small event at the shop where people can take small items as lucky charms. It always brings lots of customers. I could come by for lunch and then we could both go back to the shop.”
“That sounds super cool! It’s a deal then, see you tomorrow Bruce.”
“See you tomorrow.” He smiled at you, and there was something in his tone that guaranteed there was more to Bruce Wayne than you could even imagine.
dividers by: @saradika
taglist: @delulupunk @i-am-minding-my-own @beans4days @planetevermore @teenagellamaangel @iluvpinkglitter @busyinthebatmobile @akanecoffee @popotheyoyo tysm for the support♡ (i added some people that commented on the first part, but if you don't wish to be tagged on future parts let me know!!)
