☂️

           — ♠️ || Jay smirked at the response, nudging Os gently. “Aw, c’mon…you know you missed me, Ozzie~” All jokes aside, though, Jay leaned a bit more heavily against Os with a sigh. “…things’r bad, Os. Didn’t mean t’be out of commission so long, to be gone. Got shot, several times, and stranded on Amusement Mile. Held the line, but…”

“…missed you. Still mad at me..?”

“Awfully presumptuous of you to put words in my mouth.” There’s no bite. No hackles raised or teeth bared as weight nudges and leans heavily against him. Seeing Jay again is a mixed bag that he doesn’t quite know how to handle.  

Still mad at me?

“Yes.” The answer is off his tongue before he can think to stop it--knowing full well just how bratty it may sound. If anyone in Gotham can hold a grudge, it is Oswald Cobblepot.  He doesn’t have it in him to sugarcoat it. Knows that it won’t provide either of them any benefit. 

Don't mind Jay, he's just gonna sidle up to the Birb and lean against his side, poking Os' cheek. "Pretty birb~" 💚

Attention drifted away from his paperwork at the digit poking against his cheek, blue eyes taking a moment to flicker to towards the other man at the flattery.  “You know, I’d ask how you got in here--but experience tells me I won’t like the answer.” 

No, of course Jim didn’t want someone else taking over what Oswald currently controlled. He dearly wished that every time he cleared out some of the chaos from Gotham, more didn’t ooze back in to fill the space, newer and more chaotic. 

At least he knew Oswald. There was history here, good and bad. Better the devil you knew, wasn’t that how the phrase went?

God, how he hated that smug smile. Jim’s expression didn’t change, and he continued to stare him down. “Six months.”

Five years narrowed down to six months? It was certainly a good thing Jim wasn’t a gambling man.  Six months was nothing. A sneeze worth of service; of which he had no doubt he could lessen with a few nicely placed strings. 

Unless Jim had been bluffing from the start. Perhaps he had; he had been getting more and more privvy to the showmanship of Gotham’s criminals. The careful shuffle of cards that came with these sorts of negotiations. 

akillerconundrum‌:

Judging by the way the troubled man was staring at his friend, the Riddler wasn’t fond of the situation in the least, bottled by the nervous, smirking nitwit clinging to his new Engineer Eyecandy like a life line. 

At Lucius’ question, he inhaled quickly through his teeth, smile twitching at the edges as he glanced between the two.  Had the three of them ever been in the same place at once? Why the market of all places? At least it was public- although he didn’t imagine that would stop anyone from making a scene if they so chose… But for Lucius’ sake-

Foxy’s foxy enough to know this won’t last. Sometimes I fly as fast as the speed of light. Sometime I crawl as slow as a snail. Unknown until I am measured but you will certainly miss me when I’m gone. What am I?

Everything was under control. This was fine. He was fine. Better every day. Ignore it. 

Lucius squared his shoulders as he faced Cobblepot fully. “Contrary to what you might assume about me, I didn’t force Edward’s hand in this choice. He made it himself. I can’t make this kind of choice for Ed, it wouldn’t be fair. To even try and coerce him with tricks and promises would be incredibly cruel, especially to someone, who at the very least … I call a friend.”

“And it isn’t how I’d want my friends to treat me. I’d want them to be honest, good decisions or bad that I was making.”

Letting out a breath, he nodded once, gaze turning to Ed. “I’m going to go fetch the last of the things on this list, and I’ll meet you up front when you’re done here.” With another quick nod to Oswald, he turned and moved away.

A muscle jumped in the bird’s jaw at Lucius’ words, tongue held to keep from making a rather smart comment on the danger of assumptions. There was a time and a place for everything after all. Ripping into Lucius in public--especially while his partner stood before them? Certainly not the time nor place. Especially if it meant risking Edward’s friendship.

Visible eye rolled to his companion once Lucius disappeared and a contemplative look settled on Oswald’s face. Quite the moral dilemma, wasn’t it? Dragging Edward back to the supposed dark side--or letting him fade into the domestic lifestyle.