"Mental note: Get the mayor a new phone." He heard the phone fall to the ground. Twice, because it wasn't in one piece any more. "Stat." Well, this evening was certainly turning out to be very eventful. Edward shook his head and finally took a sip from his own glass, motioning to Oswald to get on with it. Before they were interrupted again.
"Nevermind." Oswald said dejectedly as he slumped in his seat and finished off his wine. "Fate does not want me to say what I want to say. Perhaps courage was a foolish idea." There was a sigh as he pour himself another glass, just to get him through this evening. Telling Edward he loved him was clearly not something the universe wanted. Perhaps they knew something he didn't. Like Edward would say no. Or he'd say yes and it just hated him that much. "Forget about it."
"...no, tell me." How dare he not tell him after all that preamble! Edward wasn't a naturally curious man. He was an unnaturally curious man and right now there was a secret he honed in on. "What is it you wanted to say?" How long did he have to wait for this? It wasn't even a riddle, it was just frustrating. "Tell me."
Oh yeah, how could he dangle something and take it away from Edward? Of course his curious nature would get the best of him. Now he had to find something else to say to him or he'd never let it go. "I was thinking today that I really love the way you make wine choices." There. That would have to do. His tone was deadpanned and clearly so done with as he drank more wine and debated how to try this again. Next time, no phones. Ever. He'd smash Ed's too if he had to.
That so wasn't it, even if Oswald's tone didn't make it obvious, he'd have known. His eyes narrowed and he looked at him in deep thought. An unsolvable riddle being presented to him in form of his only friend in the world.
What was he even saying no to? Fortunately the wine was starting to kick in and all the fucks he'd given a moment ago were just melting away. He finished off another glass and started to pour himself a third. God, he was going to be so hungover tomorrow. Then he could take all that pain and anger out on Jim freaking Gordon. "I don't know, Edward. From where I'm sitting, you do make amazing wine choices."
So now he was definitely lying to him. It had to be something emotional, because this made no sense to him whatsoever. Edward sipped his wine and looked at Oswald suspiciously, until he schooled his expression into a somewhat more pleasant mask. "So all you wanted to tell me today, the thing that was of so much importance that you wanted a special dinner, what you couldn't tell me without a long preamble, it's that I'm good at choosing wine?"
"Some things, my dear Ed, have to be said in a certain way, in a certain mood and this is not the mood I wanted for what I wished to say. There's a routine, a dance, to how you do these things and if I looked back and remember that I told you I loved you during the worst dinner ever I--" Wait. Did he just... oh no. Fuck. How? How did he just end up saying it like that. Oswald closed his eyes and winced as he felt himself slowly sink into a pit of despair. He was in love. Madly and deeply in love and that was how he told his true love? Accidentally mid rant. "I-- I, erm, I didn't mean to say it like that."
And like that, glass number three was slowly disappearing too.
Had he heard that right? Edward leaned forward, hands folding in front of him as he looked at Oswald like he was a complex riddle. "What do you mean?" He wasn't that dumb, but this was at least a way to buy time. He had never loved someone he hadn't creeped on for months, years, so this whole concept was a brand new revelation. He had never really creeped on Oswald, mostly because Oswald hadn't seemed to mind any attempts of getting close after the initial... "Huh."
"What do you think I mean?" Oswald sighed and gave Edward a look. Was he really asking? He was pretty tipsy now and the secret was blown so why even try to be subtle about this. "I love you, Ed. Not as a brother, not as a friend but as something more. Something special. Love is useless when one-sided and I just had to tell you. That's how this works. True love. You just say it and hope the person feels it. And if you don't, you don't and I can get over it, I can but my feelings that are. You're the one I love." And that was about it really. He could have done this better, grander, maybe with nicer words but what was even the point now?
"Ah." What did he even do with this? His mind didn't entirely seem to want to compute it. "Cool." Maybe he could pretend not to have heard him again? Probably not. So he just smiled vaguely and wished he had cue cards. He thought he was on top of things. Butch was gone, mayor business and crime was well organised and he was still legally sane, they pretty much ruled Gotham. Now there was a new variable and it was an unknown. It was his move but this wasn't chess, this was a game with rules that made little sense to him. "Shouldn't you know better, given my track record?"
"I suppose given my own track record, you're entirely my type." There was no denying it, the last time he felt like this over a man, he'd also wanted to kill him so if Edward decided one day to choke him to death, at least he was consistent. Jim had tried that himself more than once. It was strangely arousing actually... or maybe that was the wine talking. "Also you're 'track record' is one girl. One girl who made you who you are today, who was important to you but nevertheless, doesn't define you entirely. Nor how you could love or act in love. She isn't all you are." Hopefully. At least he hadn't rejected him, played the straight card or laughed. Though he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the 'cool'.
"That's awfully masochistic of you, my friend." He also didn't like to hear him talk about Miss Kringle. He didn't like anyone talking about her, especially not talking as if they understood. But he supposed if anyone had earned that right, it was Oswald. Edward wasn't under the delusion that Oswald knew him as well as he knew Oswald, but if anyone in the world came close, it had to be him. "My love was my weakness. Realising that was part of what defines me now."
"Love doesn't always have to be a weakness, Edward. Look at what it did for me. People loved me and they gave me this power, they made me their mayor. Love can sometimes be a weapon, a tool, it can help us grow and make us more secure." And as far as Oswald was concerned, it wasn't all bad. Through the love of his mother, he'd always had the drive to do better and to want more, through the love of the city, he had been motivated to try for the position of king once again and through Edward's love... well, anything was possible. That was how he saw it now. Though clearly, Edward did not. Friend? That was what he was going to stay, he was sure of it. At least he tried.
"I will always love you but you're under no pressure to love me that way. As friends, as allies, as whatever we are, just know that your faith in me and your support has made me stronger. And, dare I say, happier."
"Happier. Yes. Yippee." What was he going to do now? He hadn't prepared for this and it wasn't a situation where quick thinking seemed to work in his favour. There wasn't the time to analyse his own feelings either. Edward lifted his hand to right his glasses. He cleared his throat and then took his glasses off so he could clean them, not that they were smudged. This was going so well.
Well. This was awkward. And clearly going nowhere he wanted so it wad a good thing he was back to drinking because the way Edward looked right now and the way he was acting, it all painted a picture of a man who wanted out. Perhaps this had been a mistake. What if Edward left him? What would he do then? He needed him. He had helped him get all this way, he was the one who made all the right calls, he couldn't lose him. "I'm sorry, friend." There. Hopefully that put some platonics back into it. "I know you hate such sentiment. I shouldn't have said anything. We should just ... forget this." It hurt but it was easier to stamp it out now before he lost him forever.
"Friend." Edward repeated the word, polishing his glasses for a moment longer before putting them back on. He pushed his chair back and stood up, looking at Oswald for a few moments before he started to walk around the table toward him. He wasn't quite certain what he'd end up doing, but as part of him knew, being unpredictable had its own charm. He stopped by Oswald's chair, putting a hand on the back of it as he leaned down. "But what you were talking about, it's love."
Oswald swallowed hard as he watched Edward walk towards him and he knew enough about life not to expect too much from that. He knew from experience it was more likely to be hurt and loved, that the better option was usually the rarer option. He kept his guard up, ready for anything, knowing that no matter what Edward did to him next, he had people he could rely on, he had ways of getting revenge. He took a deep breath and nodded. "I was, yes. Love. As a strength, not as a weakness. Nothing we could do together could ever be weak, dear Ed. We're unstoppable. Together."
Edward wasn't sure, entirely, what it was he was about to do, which was exhilarating in its own way. He pulled Oswald's chair backwards and shook his head slowly. "You're not the best at it. Setting a scene."
It was worth pointing out. What would make for a better scene? Edward straightened up and then, after a moments thought, he gripped Oswald's arm to pull him up with him. He ended up holding his hand instead, looking around before sidestepping the chair and pulling, no, yanking Oswald with him. He started out walking backwards a few steps, critically checking the lighting, then he suddenly turned them around, so he could push Oswald back against the wall. He put a hand on his shoulder as he caught his eyes, the critical expression giving way to something softer. "The lover's privilege."
A line that likely meant little to Oswald, but no matter. Edward simply kissed him.
"I-I tried but everything kept going wrong and I..." He trailed off as he was pulled to his feet. It was hard to keep up the pace and stay upright at first, especially when his leg threatened to give out under the sudden pressure. Swooning onto his knees would have definitely done a lot for Edward's ego but little for his own pride. He clung onto Edward as he was lead around the room and usually he'd be protesting but he was so curious, so hopeful in this moment that it could be leading somewhere he wanted. He stumbled back into the wall and looked up as well, trying to see what Edward was looking for.
When he looked at down as Edward spoke the words, he barely had chance to comprehend them before he was kissing him. Oswald at least knew how to take his cue, he kissed back excitedly, fingers worming out and into Edward's suit jacket, gripping onto it so he couldn't get away easily.
As they broke apart, Oswald grinned. "Oh. Edward."
"You suck at riddles." It had to be said. Not that he could say anything right now without a bright smile. "As for your proposal, my dear friend. My lover. I am honoured." Which was still ambiguous enough for his tastes and also a short enough speech to allow him to just get back to kissing him again, his hand relaxing its grip on Oswald's shoulder. He didn't intend to hurt him, the man's masochism notwithstanding. At least not right this moment.
"I never really was one for riddles. I'm better at knock-knock jokes." Oswald laughed nervously and shrugged his shoulders ever so casually. Lover? As in his love? Oh. God. This was definitely going where he wanted and a part of him was still kind of sure this couldn't be happening. It was almost unreal. He got to be happy for a change? Since when? With a grin, he practically bounced. "I'm so glad! I was afraid for a second then that you might not be as impressed by my display of emotions as I hoped. I'd hate to lose someone like you, Edward. You really have changed my life."
"Yes, well, you started freaking me out when you carried on about wine choices for a solid minute." Which he personally considered understandable. Edward was very unsure where to take things from here, because he most definitely had not planned for this and now that he had taken the lead - so to say - Oswald was looking at him with such expectation and the last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint him. His only friend. His lover? He supposed so. Lover. Someone who loved. Someone who loved him.
"I wasn't sure what else to say. Though I stand by it, you do make excellent wine choices. Today's was as perfect as always." Though now he was regretting drinking so much because he was worried he'd say the wrong thing or making the wrong move. And that was a little unsettling, the fear of blowing this just as it started. "We don't have to do anything different, you know? Well, not overall. We will do some things different but I like what we have already. The way we work. We just fit! I think the rest is just a bonus." He liked what they had already but throw in some kissing, cuddling and dates and it was pretty much perfection.
"You're wrong. Given all this, it was most decidedly not the right wine choice." Damn that. A lot of pieces short of perfection, but nothing he couldn't work with. Because Oswald was right about something else. They did just fit. He leaned in to kiss him again, softer this time, slower. To give himself time to process it happening and to pay attention to whether any desire to hurt him was stirring inside him. Not more than usual so far. Good.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
That so wasn't it, even if Oswald's tone didn't make it obvious, he'd have known. His eyes narrowed and he looked at him in deep thought. An unsolvable riddle being presented to him in form of his only friend in the world.
"No."
no subject
What was he even saying no to? Fortunately the wine was starting to kick in and all the fucks he'd given a moment ago were just melting away. He finished off another glass and started to pour himself a third. God, he was going to be so hungover tomorrow. Then he could take all that pain and anger out on Jim freaking Gordon. "I don't know, Edward. From where I'm sitting, you do make amazing wine choices."
no subject
no subject
And like that, glass number three was slowly disappearing too.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
"I will always love you but you're under no pressure to love me that way. As friends, as allies, as whatever we are, just know that your faith in me and your support has made me stronger. And, dare I say, happier."
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
It was worth pointing out. What would make for a better scene? Edward straightened up and then, after a moments thought, he gripped Oswald's arm to pull him up with him. He ended up holding his hand instead, looking around before sidestepping the chair and pulling, no, yanking Oswald with him. He started out walking backwards a few steps, critically checking the lighting, then he suddenly turned them around, so he could push Oswald back against the wall. He put a hand on his shoulder as he caught his eyes, the critical expression giving way to something softer. "The lover's privilege."
A line that likely meant little to Oswald, but no matter. Edward simply kissed him.
no subject
When he looked at down as Edward spoke the words, he barely had chance to comprehend them before he was kissing him. Oswald at least knew how to take his cue, he kissed back excitedly, fingers worming out and into Edward's suit jacket, gripping onto it so he couldn't get away easily.
As they broke apart, Oswald grinned. "Oh. Edward."
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)