Nygmobblepot Fluff

Hold Onto Me

When did he start feeling this way around Oswald? The emotions almost bring a nostalgia forth, that of their time together in the Van Dahl mansion during Oswald's mayoral run. That era has dissolved entirely, but Ed can't help feeling a regretful nuisance eating away at his stomach. He could have changed their path. He could have prevented so much pain and unresolved issues and-

"Ed? Ed, hello?  You alright?"

Edward snaps back to reality and blinks away any tears that may have threatened to break his superior persona. "Yes," he replies promptly. He quickly stands up, straightens his bloody shirt and nods. "Yeah, I'm perfectly well."

Oswald tilts his head. He doesn't exactly know how to talk to Ed anymore. He'll never love him, Oswald has made peace with that fact, but does he even want to rebuild their friendship? Edward was always a stubborn person, has he really let everything go?

"Oh hell," Oswald says rapidly, "I didn't realize that- Do you even- ? You don't have to stay here tonight, you can go back to Lee-"

"No!" Ed intervenes. "I mean, I'm fine staying here. Er, for the night." There's that tension again. 

Oswald nods in a almost conflicted manner. Ed needs to solve whatever is going on between them- this is unbearable.

"Oswald," Ed carefully chokes out, "We should talk." The shorter man looks up and raises his eyebrows innocently. "You know, catch up."

"I was gonna get us some cl-"

"It can wait." Edward looks around for somewhere they can sit more comfortably. When his eyes finally meet a loveseat in the corner, Oswald interjects.

"You can just follow me up to the rooms to help me look, Ed."

Without hesitation, Oswald waddles out of the area in search for dry, clean clothes, with Ed trailing behind him.

----

"Finally. Here we go; take this T-shirt, Ed- here are a pair of sweatpants, unless you'd rather sleep in your underwear, you do-" Oswald once again cuts himself off and scoffs. The only reason he knows Ed usually sleeps without pants is because of the time they spent living together. That point in their lives has passed. Oswald recalls sleeping next to Ed in his apartment, sending a fuzzy feeling through him. He hastily brushes the thoughts away.

"I'll take the sweatpants," Ed laughs. For a moment, everything feels totally normal between them. They share a smile before Oswald starts digging for more clothes. "It's chilly tonight anyways. I'll just change in the bathroom."

"Okay," Os hums. He catches a glimpse of the lanky other before his figure disappears behind the bathroom door.

For Christ's sake, Oswald, pull yourself together, he internally exclaims. You're ruining this whole thing! You didn't save him for an awkward mumble here and there. Trust is established through conversations and actions, you can at least try to succeed in talking.

In the final drawer, Oswald eventually spots a blue sweater and a small pair of black joggers.
I hope to hell these didn't belong to a certain wretched Falcone....
Nah. Too plain, she'd never wear this.

He looks around to make sure Ed isn't in the room and swiftly shrugs off his clothes.

Edward silently strides into the room again, but only catches a limited view of Oswald's back.

The shorter of the two turns around and nearly passes out. "Oh my- Ed! Wh-"

"Don't worry, I just got here. Can we talk now?" he inquires, sitting upon the edge of the mattress in the room.