A/N: A while back a lovely person ( @cutebutpsycho83 ) sent me the idea of creating a several part Captain Barnes story based on the idea that he was an undercover cop who hung out at a bar and his partner was a younger girl who worked at the bar. He finds himself drawn to her and ultimately hates himself for it. I’ve switched things up a little in terms of him not really being familiar with Gotham, and he’s been sent there to help bring down a gang. Instead of hanging out at the bar, he’s become the new bar manager (but not really, as it’s his cover.) So, I hope you all enjoy it! Captain Barnes really needs some more love in the reader fic community. PART ONE. PART TWO.
Nate couldn’t sleep. Not one little bit. And after tossing and turning on the same spot on his bed, he finally decided to get up and send a few text messages your way. He had to know that you were ok – he insisted on it.
More than anything he felt extreme guilt. If anything were to happen to you, it would be entirely his fault. He was the one who had been so adamant that the guys weren’t drinking at the bar, he had been the one to rile up the gang by visiting their hide out and he was the one who allowed you to walk out of the bar in the hands of some of the worst people Gotham had to offer. Sighing, he replayed that moment over and over in his head. That final look you gave him, a mixture of sheer terror and feigned reassurance. How could he just let you waltz out of there, and take the rap for his mistakes? It wasn’t right.
Along with the scene from the moment before you left, another scenario had crept in. The scenario in which you were found the next morning – dead. Wincing at the thought, he shook his head slightly and did his best to rid himself of those images. Seeing a dead person is hard enough, but seeing someone you care for dead is almost unbearable. Nate stopped himself. <i>He cared for you?</i> Most wouldn’t even think to question it, surely spending time with another person often grows a level of care for their wellbeing, but Nate knew he’d be kidding himself if he didn’t own up to these growing feelings, he was contending with, for you. Which, by the way, made the situation a whole lot worse.
Being as conflicted a man as he was, Nate hated himself for allowing such feelings to raise their heads. Yes, you were incredibly likeable, more so than most people he had come across, and in the looks department, you were definitely his type, but it was more than that. As much as men have a basic animal instinct when it comes to women, Nate’s feelings for you laid more with who you were than what you looked like. He sensed a lot of himself in you; that drive to do good, to make a change, the unrelenting need to take initiative and keep the peace – all exactly like him, but with a softer approach. It was hard to find people with such traits, especially considering the job he was in. You were ultimately a treat – perfect in every way but also forbidden. So, Nate couldn’t do it. Although you weren’t officially his partner, per se, you had taken that role in his life and the one thing he wouldn’t do was get involved with his partner – even if you were every little bit perfect for him. It was a tough decision, but one that had to be made – at least in his eyes.
Looking to his living room window, he noticed the sun start to come up and he breathed a sigh of relief. The sun brought and new day and new possibilities – but he only needed the one. The possibility that you had survived the night.
Dialling your number, he let it ring til it hit your voicemail, and then he hung up. ‘No answer’ was the loud reply. Drumming his fingers against the edge of the table, he chewed at the inside of his lip while looking between his phone and his car keys. For the past few hours he had been toying with the idea of just heading down to the pier and waiting until you surfaced, but he didn’t want to get caught and possibly put you in more danger, so he stayed put. But the new day had dawned, and he figured morning was a perfect time to visit the pier. And so, with haste, he grabbed the keys and left his apartment, heading straight for you and the Vicious Few.
Nate waited for a little over an hour before he saw you walking along the boardwalk, exiting the main entrance that lead to the Piers. He had practically been falling asleep until he saw you, and hopped out of his car, dashing over to you.
“Are you ok?” He asked, checking you over ash his hands flew to your upper arms, holding you in place as he examined you.
“I’m fine, Nate,” you yawned, throwing your coat on as you looked to him, noting the obvious worry on his face. “A little tired, but I’m good.”
“They…they didn’t hurt you?” He asked, placing his hand under your chin as he moved your head side to side, looking for any sort of wound. You chuckled and batted his hand away.
“I’m fine, honestly. They had me pour drinks all night, that was really it,” you said, stumbling slightly into his arms. “I’m a little bit drunk, if I’m honest.”
“What? They made you drink?” He asked, practically holding you up.
“Yup,” you replied, straightening up and wrapping your arms around his neck. “Can I hold onto you, I feel like I might fall over?”
“Sure,” he said, looking into your eyes as you smiled a wide and gawky smile. Nate chuckled slightly before he scooped you up into his arms and carried you back to the car, placing you in the front seat. “It was only alcohol, right? They didn’t force anything else on you?”
“Nope. Just a loooot of whiskey, and some tequila,” you said, strapping your seatbelt in and feeling a small moment of achievement.
“Ok, you’re coming back to mine until you sober up. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“I’ll be fine, there’s no need for that.”
Nate ignored you and drove to his house in silence as he attempted to push thoughts of guilt from his mind. How could he have just let you get into this state, and all to prevent anything from happening to him or the bar? He was more than annoyed, but eternally thankful that they hadn’t done worse.
After forcing you to eat a slice of toast and drink a glass of water, he tucked you into bed. You definitely weren’t going to work in this state, so he figured a good few hours to sleep it off might be good.
“Hey,” you called, grabbing his hand just as he was about to leave. “You’re really great, you know that?”
“(Y/N), you’re drunk,” he chuckled, wriggling free from your hand only to find the other arm captured by you.
“I know, but they say that true feelings often surface when someone is drunk, right?” You asked and he nodded, sitting at the edge of the bed, since you weren’t letting go. “You deserve more than to be working in a crummy town like this, with a hapless idiot like me.”
“You’re not-“
“Shh!” You interrupted, and he sighed, allowing you to continue. “I can see it, you know. How much you want to just shut those guys down, and save this town. And I like it. No one makes me feel as safe as you do, you know that? I’ve felt so vulnerable and alone for a long time, but with you I can relax. You’re special, Nathaniel Barnes.”
Watching as you closed your eyes, Nate stared at you for a moment, watching as a peace came over the room. Too many times he had heard the phrase ‘looking like an angel when they sleep’ but only know had he witnessed it for real. Those feelings he had been battling with all night began to resurface and he sighed, standing up to leave again, only to be called back by you.
“Would it be too much to ask you to hold me?” You asked, your back to him as he stood in the doorway. “No funny business or anything, it’s just been a long time since I’ve had someone cuddle me. You can say no, I’ll understand.”
“It’s not appropriate,” he said, running his hand up his face and pinching at his nose as every instinct and emotion within him told him to go to the bed.
“Ok, I understand,” you said, your voice groggy with exhaustion as you pulled the covers further up onto your shoulder. Nate stood staring at you for a moment, fighting those voices in his head and trying to reason with them at the same time. But the voices won.
Fully clothed, except for shoes, he laid down on the bed behind you –above the covers- and draped his arm over you, only to have you pull him closer slightly, cuddling into his arm. He chuckled slightly before he rested his head directly behind yours on the pillow, taking in your scent for a moment before he realised just how tired he was too – after all, he had been up all night too.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep with you in his arms, and for the first time in a long while, he felt truly at peace.
A/N: A while back a lovely person ( @cutebutpsycho83 ) sent me the idea of creating a several part Captain Barnes story based on the idea that he was an undercover cop who hung out at a bar and his partner was a younger girl who worked at the bar. He finds himself drawn to her and ultimately hates himself for it. I’ve switched things up a little in terms of him not really being familiar with Gotham, and he’s been sent there to help bring down a gang. Instead of hanging out at the bar, he’s become the new bar manager (but not really, as it’s his cover.) So, I hope you all enjoy it! Captain Barnes really needs some more love in the reader fic community.
Looking to his badge, Nathaniel sighed and tucked it neatly into his duffle, before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder. ‘Do this, and the Captain title is sure to be yours,’ he remembered his Captain’s voice ringing his in head as a reminder that this was a good thing – even if he hated the idea.
‘Gotham? Really?’ Nobody wanted to end up there, and anyone who did was either lying or carrying delusions of grandeur. Still, that’s where he was headed for a special undercover mission that would put him on the map, at least in his Captain’s eyes.
As he sat on the train, making his way to Gotham, Nate read over the case file for the 100th time (at least it seemed that amount to him) and laid it all out in his head. He would go in, undercover, at a famous criminal watering hole. The bar in question was a famous criminal go-to for all the Gotham leeches to drown their sorrows, but also plan their next heist. Nate would be the new bar manager and attempt to get into all the business of said criminals, while reporting back to his bosses. This was the big case he was looking to nail, and the gang he was looking to nail – The Vicious Few – were also frequenters of the bar, and heavily trusted the staff. If he was to work there, he’d have to get used to sucking up to criminals, while firmly keeping his nose in their business.
The real manager of the bar was in on it all. She agreed that things with the gang had come to a head, but the rest of the staff did not have a clue about the whole thing. It was both for Nate’s safety and the safety of the staff, after all it wasn’t common knowledge on who was actually loyal to the gang.
After arriving and getting acquainted with all of the staff- except one – he took in the surroundings before calling it a night and brushing up on his work and role he would play, while sitting up in bed. It wasn’t going to be the hardest job in the world, compared to his police work it was a breeze, but it was different, and that was why he wanted to be the best at it – to give a real illusion to those he was serving and working with.
The third day on the job was when he met you, and that was when things started to get really interesting for him.
“What are you doing?” You chimed, stopping him as he made his way across the bar with a tray of drinks in his hand.
“Delivering table 9’s drinks,” he replied, taking note of your name badge and realising that this was your first meeting. “I’m your new bo-“
“Yeah, I know who you are,” you interrupted, taking the tray of drinks from him. “But no one in this bar delivers drinks to that table unless you’re me, or Vince Lanza, himself.”
“Vince Lanza?” He asked, recognising the name from the case file.
“Yeah, good looking bad boy with the scar?” You replied, motioning to the table.
Nate looked over and half smiled – The Vicious Few were finally there and he could monitor them closely.
“So why you?” He asked, and you counted the drinks.
“I know them. They know me – they trust me,” you replied, before walking off and delivering the drinks.
Watching as you went, Nate admired how smoothly you dealt with the villains at the table but couldn’t help but question your affiliation with them. Surely you weren’t a part of their team? Probably not, but if they trusted you enough, then maybe just maybe, he would have to get to know you before he tried to even touch them.
“If you have to deal with them, just come find me,” you informed him before walking over to the bar to plop the tray back down.
“So why you?” Nate asked again, leaning on the bar next to you and trying his best to supress the cop in him that wanted to come out and have a full blown interrogation with you.
“Look, I’ve been here for a long time. It didn’t just happen overnight you know. There’s a lot of ground work you have to lay down with guys like them.”
Looking back at them, you watched as they chuckled and tossed beers back, probably celebrating another sickening victory. As much as you valued their custom – you hated their methods. Honestly, you disliked your job greatly and it was entirely to do with them. When you had heard about the new manager, you were more than pleased – something told you that he’d get rid of them. But when you saw just how clueless he was about the gang, you couldn’t help but feel completely disheartened. However, that would soon change.
After working at the bar, with Nate, for a couple weeks you couldn’t help but notice just how out of the loop he was when it came to the job at hand. He’d question you more on the Vicious gang rather than make sure that the mixers were stocked. Something didn’t add up in your head. And so, while watching him rifle through his bag, one night, you waited til he left the room and quickly moved in yanking the bag back onto the table and quickly sifting through his things. Your hand fell on what you thought was his wallet, but you pushed it to the side when you caught sight of the yellow pocket folder with ‘…POLICE DEPT’ printed across the front of it. Swallowing hard, you pulled it out and quickly skimmed over what was there, your heart racing in case Nate came in. The file held notes upon notes on the Vicious Few and a couple speculations about you.
“What are you doing?” Nate barked, causing you to jolt slightly, your heart now in your throat as you tried your best to play it cool.
“You really ought to lock up your things. Anyone could’ve found this,” you replied, holding his badge up. Nate stormed across the room and grabbed it from your hand before shoving it swiftly into his bag.
“I ought to fire your ass for this,” he warned and you sat at the edge of the desk.
“I can help, you know,” you offered, and he immediately began disagreeing. “I mean, a lot of hat you have on them is close to being right, but a lot of it is also way off. Like, uh, Vince and I were never a thing.”
“It was just a speculation,” he argued, raising an eyebrow to you.
“But the docks is right. They have a hideout there, but it’s not on Pier 9.”
“Then where is it?” He asked and you smiled.
“Let me help you out from now on and I’ll tell you.”
“Fine,” he surrendered and you offered a hand which he took firmly, and shook.
“Ok, so it’s totally Pier 9,” you admitted with a smile and he rolled his eyes. “And pier 10, 11, 12, 13…pretty much all of them. But Pier 6 is the one you want.”
“What’s on Pier 6?” He asked, attempting to hide the fact that he was in complete awe of you.
“Your promotion is on Pier 6,” you smiled and Nate stared at you for a moment, as if to will more information from you. “Everything that goes down, every heist of theirs begins at Pier 6.”
“Wait! Wait,” he contested, holding his hands up to you. While you were speaking, he had had time to think, or in Nates case, overthink. “How do I know you won’t just go running to them and tell them everything? I can’t do this (Y/N), it’s too risky for me and the whole case.”
“I work with the GCPD,” you finally admitted and Nate, once again, raised his eyebrow to you. “I’m an informant, ok? No one knows, except me and the Captain. It’s too dangerous otherwise.”
“Really?” He asked, looking you over before you smacked his arm, which made him jump slightly.
“Yes, really,” you argued, and he chuckled. “I may not look like the most law abiding citizen but I have to play the part.”
“No, no! You look great,” he announced, before silently chastising himself.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” you replied, winking and fully enjoying the new shade of pink his cheeks had taken. It was almost adorable.
Clearing his throat, he shook his head slightly and avoided your eyes. “I was going to go down to the pier tomorrow and scout out a few locations, but since you’ve basically told me where they hide out, I supposed it narrowed my search.” Nate looked to you in mild annoyance and you shrugged at him before thinking of something you would call ‘genius.’
“I’ve got it!” You began, clicking your fingers at him. “There’s no way you can go to the docks by yourself. If they see you skulking around, they’re gonna know something it up. So! How about I come with you? That way if they see you, I can say I’m showing you around town? I can be your little fake tour guide?”
Nate’s furrowed brow softened slightly when he realised that the idea actually wasn’t all that bad. He walked around the desk and put his bag in the sfae before returning to your side.
“Meet me here tomorrow at 11am sharp. If you’re late – I’m going alone.”
A/N: A while back a lovely person ( @cutebutpsycho83 ) sent me the idea of creating a several part Captain Barnes story based on the idea that he was an undercover cop who hung out at a bar and his partner was a younger girl who worked at the bar. He finds himself drawn to her and ultimately hates himself for it. I’ve switched things up a little in terms of him not really being familiar with Gotham, and he’s been sent there to help bring down a gang. Instead of hanging out at the bar, he’s become the new bar manager (but not really, as it’s his cover.) So, I hope you all enjoy it! Captain Barnes really needs some more love in the reader fic community. PART ONE. PART TWO. PART THREE.
Nate had lain in bed for the best part of an hour just looking at you, upon waking. It was already way past 7pm, and he knew that he should wake you already, but it was almost a sin to wake someone who looked so peaceful and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he figured he’d get up and shower, and if the noises of him doing so woke you up, then so be it – at least it wasn’t on purpose.
It didn’t take long for you to wake up. That empty feeling in the bed was ultimately what shook you from your sleep. Sure, you had felt it plenty of times given previous one night stands, but this was different. Those other guys, well, you wanted them to leave, but much to your surprise, when Nate’s absence woke you up, you felt sad. However, it quickly disappeared when the sound of the shower alerted you to the fact that he was still in the apartment.
Sitting upright, you checked to see if you were decent. And, again surprisingly, you were fully clothed, except for shoes and coat. Not that you had doubted his gentlemanliness for a second, no, but it was still a surprise. He was a man after all. With a smile, you swung your legs out of the bed and noticed a fresh glass of water and two paracetamol placed on the bedside table. The man was both a gentleman and a mind reader. You quickly grabbed them and tossed them back, sipping the ice cold water like it was your first taste.
“You’re up!” Nate observed in a cheery tone. Facing him, you half expected to see him in towel, but to your disappointment, he was fully dressed – albeit missing a shirt, and instead wearing just a plain white t-shirt.
“I am,” you croaked, before clearing your throat and taking a bigger drink of the water. “I can’t thank you enough for this morning.”
“You don’t need to thank me-“
“I do,” you replied, your voice finally much clearer now. “I was a drunken mess and you looked after me.”
“It was the least I could do,” he said, his voice soft with a hint of regret.
“I have something to give you in return, though,” you said, standing up and walking over to him. Nate looked a little surprised at first as you stopped in front of him and smiled. He swallowed hard, preparing himself for what you were about to do to him.
“You don’t have to do thi- Oh!” He said, interrupted by you reaching for your coat. You grabbed your phone from the pocket and took a moment, searching for something on it.
“Ok, listen to this,” you informed him, holding the phone speaker upto his ear, and stepping closer to him as you both listened in.
“9 sharp on Friday. We meet the Rats on east, head to the Collective and do what we were put on this fine earth to do, got it? I don’t want you idiots messing this up – Hey! Dollface, why don’t you come and sit here-“ You cut the recording off, before locking your phone and looking to Nate who looked both excited and confused.
“What’s the Collective? And the rats? Another gang?” He asked, his stern face back in play.
“Yeah, The Eastcoast Rats used to be a rival gang, but things got friendly between them, I guess. The Jewel Collective is a fancy jewellery store on the east side of town. My guess is that they are planning a big scale robbery,” you said, before placing your hands on his shoulders and shaking him gently with a smile. “This is it! This is your big promotion!”
“It is, huh?” He replied, looking a little glazed before he fully focused on you with a huge grin. “I can’t believe it!” He cried, grabbing you and spinning around with you in his arms, causing you to chuckle, before be placed you down and let out a sigh. “You’re amazing.”
“I-“ Interrupted by his lips, you hesitated for a moment before closing your eyes and allowing the kiss to take you. Pressing your lips against his, you dropped your phone and wrapped your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and pulling him closer. Your heart was pounding in your chest as Nate snaked his hands around your back, holding you against him. After a few fleeting seconds, he pulled back and sighed, pressing his forehead to yours.
“I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry,” he whispered, his eyes closed as you pulled back to look at him in disbelief. He opened his eyes and started apologising as you stepped away from him, irritated that he would say such a thing.
“Why?” You asked, folding your arms across your body.
“You’re…you’re my partner. I don’t, I can’t do this with a partner.”
“But I’m not, Nate,” you began, sighing. “Not even a little bit. You’re my boss, sure, but even then you’re not really that either.” Shaking your head, you picked up your phone and grabbed your coat from behind him.
“Please, (Y/N), I’m sorry,” he repeated, following you through his apartment as you found your shoes at the front door and began to put them on. “Look, I have these feelings that even I’m not sure of. They shouldn’t even exist because you’re, well you’re younger than me to start with and I’m just…I’m not someone who could be good for you. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
“Just stop, Nate.”
“I just don’t want to lose you,” he said, settling on that as you straightened up, pulling your coat on tighter. You looked at him for a moment, a million different responses in your head, but honestly every one of them held the possibility of completely losing him too.
“I’ll see you at work,” you said, settling for the safest response while you could get your head around what had just happened.
Leaving his apartment, you eyed your phone, a couple text messages from Jim Gordon flashing up but you ignored them and headed for home. You needed to be alone and in your own place, before facing Nate again.
A/N: I know this is short, but I liked the ending better that way. Captain Barnes needs you, and he hates to admit it.
Work, work, work, the only thing on his mind – the only thing his mind fixated on when you weren’t around to distract him. As career focused as he was, one thing Nate hated was the fact that he took his work home with him – or even out to the bar afterwards. To say that his day had been rough was an understatement, and even though he had promised himself that he’d stop calling you, he just couldn’t stop his fingers twitching towards his phone whenever things got a little rough.
Unlocking his phone, he looked at the screen – a little too bright for his over-worked eyes – and opened up a new message. Biting the sensitive skin on the inside of his lip, he tried his best to silence the voice in his head that was begging him not too. He hated himself for it, for relying on the arms of another to help him through. Sure, any man would relish the company of a beautiful woman but when you had uttered the word ‘needy’ in front of him the last time you were together, it had put him off, but it didn’t stop him needing you.
You at work?
The message sent with the jolliest little tone, conflicting with the disgust that Nate felt as he half slammed his phone face down onto the bar as he motioned to the bartender to bring another drink to him. When it arrived he took a swig of it and eyed his phone, pretending not to be disappointed at the not-so-instant reply. He took another sip of his drink, admiring the amber colour as he tried to distract himself, but the buzz from his phone had him swiping it up before the message alert had even finished ringing.
I am. Everything ok?
Disappointed didn’t cut it, but there was hope – he hadn’t expected you to leave the message open like that, to give him an opportunity to reply to you. But how? How could he reply without feeling needy? How could he say that he wanted every part of you to take his mind off of him? How could he say that he wanted the chance to caress every inch of your body and become enthralled in you to stop his mind from ticking over, and all without appearing too ‘needy?’ He couldn’t, and so, he threw caution to the wind.
Hellish day at work. I need you – tonight.
Placing the phone down again, he felt his heart pound against his chest as he did his best not to think about the rejection he was about to face. He knew you’d send him some response telling him that it would be irresponsible of you to leave work to come sleep with him just to help him unwind for the day. In his mind, images of your outraged expression sent his emotions into chaos as he now started to bitterly regret leaving himself open to such pain. At least now, he fully expected it – his mind had prepared him for the disappointment as he reached for the phone that was now buzzing on the bar. Letting out a breath that he had practically held in since he sent the message, he flipped the phone over and scanned the message quickly.
My place in 10 minutes.
For the first time in a long time, Nate left his glass half full at the bar as he grabbed his jacket and practically dashed out of the place, desperate just to lay eyes on you for even just seeing you soothed his mind. If you were in his sight, then things were about to start looking up.
