Nygmobblepot Fluff

Hold Onto Me

*after 4x15*

"Ed, my God," Oswald starts, wiping a wet cloth against the taller man's face. "You're covered in blood. How is your- ? Damn it, stay still!"

They're in a room in Sofia's old place. It's amazing how fast Oswald took over Gotham's Falcone mansion, being that the woman who stayed here only got immobilized a few hours ago.
Word spreads fast in this city.

Ed shifts in the chair. "I'm fine, Oswald," he chuckles. Although he'd never say it, it feels so nice to be taken care of. For a split-second, he leans into the warmth of Oswald cleaning the blood off of his face. Before the action goes noticed, Ed darts back, cheekbones hot.

"You better be; I sacrificed my perfect revenge for your ass," Oswald mumbles.
Edward is taken aback by the other's choice of wording and slightly gapes. Sacrifice. Oswald avoids eye contact, instead applying pressure to the cloth moving across Ed's jawline.

"Why didn't you just give me up to Sofia?" Oswald asks, unknowingly escalating the conversation. "I would have killed her if she came after me, and at least you wouldn't have been tortured."

Ed sucks in a sharp breath as the moisture makes its way under his chin. "Zsasz and that other guy probably would've been the ones to get to you. The probability of you surviving that encounter was exceptionally low." He laughs lightly, as if to hide the feelings behind his actions.

"Ed..." Oswald whispers, setting the rag on a table next to them. He pulls up a chair next to him and looks at Edward, from his bloody collar all the way up to his chestnut eyes. "I appreciate you trying to keep me from harm, but I can handle myself. I purposely went through with your plan in order to get closer to her." Oswald bites his lip, guilt from snapping setting in.

"I was there when Freeze brought you in. Quite a sight. You actually went through with it, and I still somehow managed to ruin my own plan." Ed smiles and sighs, but there is a hidden emotional factor settling under his small grin. "I never thanked you for saving me. So... thank you, Oswald. I really mean that." His fingers twitch, not knowing what to do.

"I'll always be-" Oswald begins, cutting himself off to preserve his well-earned dignity. He takes a breath.

Don't say anything stupid or unnecessarily intimate, he silently scolds himself.

"I don't regret saving you, Ed. You're welcome."

Edward again gives a wry smile, but is confused at Oswald's lack of emotion in the statement. He couldn't possibly... dislike him in any way, right?
Truth be told, Ed is coming to his senses, and the realization that he may have feelings for Oswald is a recurring thought.

Tension is slowly building up between them.

The silence that hangs between them is usually a comfortable, mutual silence. This is different. Where do they stand? After all that has happened between them, it's hard to understand what exactly takes places in each other's minds. Ed's hands make their way up to his own tie as if to loosen or tighten it, but his fingertips simply linger in place awkwardly.

Oswald shifts his jaw, waiting for his friend (partner? Crush? Accomplice?) to say something. When no words are exchanged, Oswald sighs and stands up.

"Well, I'd say make yourself at home and find a new shirt, but I don't have anything here. I'll look through drawers for something for each of us until I can transfer my wardrobe here. My home isn't exactly the safest place to stay at the moment. I mean, not that there's any guaranteed safety here, but..." he drones on, and Ed starts tuning him out, staring at his details and taking them in without listening to Oswald's mumbles.