[ Silence on the other end. Just perhaps the sound of his quiet breathing - though at one point he might have started holding it. Oswald was going to answer the riddle. He'd get it correct because he usually has the answers. He knows them. He knows him. And he knows him back. Genessia allowed them to slip a step in that hadn't existed otherwise - a pre-established context. Every interaction back home is slightly askew yet given further clarity. New meaning. There's a deeper connection that can't be severed so easily. An extra rope latching them together while most had got cut at one point or another. And Ed knows. He has all the trust. He's the only one with it. Ed is also ahead. He has the elements of surprise now.
He knows Oswald is focusing deeply on the riddle itself - likely debating its context and any and all implications that follow it. So focused on it that he slipped right into the room and behind him, watching the very deliberation before he finally just says it. Inching up. Up. Closer. Closer. Kneeling just enough to be right next to his the ear that currently lacks a phone against it and- ]
[ Blowing it it first. ] That's right. [ Boo. ] Did you miss me?
[ The silence was so stifling and terrifying that Oswald had almost regretted his words the very millisecond after he had spoken them. The sudden sensation and sounds of someone so intimately close shook him from that thought quickly, however. He immediately yelped in surprise, unable to stop himself from jolting harshly enough that he nearly fell right out of his chair. His instinctive reaction was to grab his cane in defense, but when he finally turned and registered just who he was about to assault he froze on the spot. There was no way to describe the way he was staring other than stupidly.
After an awkward few moments it seemed like he wasn't going to speak at all, but in typical fashion he was quickly right back to yelling, his cane discarded with a thump on the floor as he stood. ] For the love of god, Ed! Is sneaking in here and giving me a heart attack your idea of payback?! Did you want me to bludgeon you to death?! [ He gestured at the cane dramatically. ] I swear, if you ever pull that kind of stunt again I'll -- I'll -- [ He groaned loudly and threw his hands up as if that was threat enough. Oswald leaned back in his chair once again, hands running down his face in attempt to calm his overactive emotions. ] Listen, Ed, I don't know what you're trying to prove but -- [ He paused again, full implications finally hitting him. His eyebrows were furrowed, apprehension written all over his face. After all that had happened, how could Ed...? ] ... I was right?
[ His hands had shot up, entire body leaning back. Looking at him with one eye pinched closed and a smile that went incredibly tight to brace for some sort of impact. He honestly thought Oswald might have fully grabbed and hit him with that cane before he realized Ed was the one invading his personal space. He knows he's a lot quicker than he looks. Luckily, he froze (HA HA.). ]
Oh dear. Not really, no. I'd prefer getting impaled by you. [ There's nervous laughter following that remark. He waits until the other is done dramatically yelling at him and falling flat on a threat before moving back towards him. Standing behind the chair and putting his hands on his shoulders, rubbing at them. An intimate gesture of calm down. ]
[ He pauses, sighs and leans forward more to put his chin on the top of his head. ]
The amount of surprise in your tone says wonders about your level of confidence in us.
[ Seeing Ed bracing himself for a hit certainly didn't make Oswald feel any better about himself. The whole point is that he was supposed to stop hurting him, not keep doing it. But as usual, his penchant to yell and throw tantrums had temporarily overwritten his softer emotions.
At the first sign of Ed's touch he felt himself flinch, but it only took seconds for his body to relax into it. That sensation had always been one of comfort, and despite everything Oswald imagined it always would be. He sighed quietly, silently soaking in their moment of intimacy. Eventually, though, they had to keep talking. There was more to say. He turned and gently took Ed's hands in his own, subconsciously circling his skin with soft strokes of his thumbs. ]
Ed, you don't know what it felt like for me to wake up here knowing that what became of us was something so painful. I didn't know if we could ever come back from it. I'll admit, I was afraid. I was terrified, actually. [ His voice wavered slightly. Even then, there was a bit of fear in him. ] But... while I don't know what you saw or lived, from now on I'm making a promise to trust that what you said is true. That we're alright. I can't keep making these mistakes with you, Ed. I love you far too much to squander the chance I have now. And... and if you feel the same right here and now, then there's nothing more I could ask for. Gotham be damned.
[ There's more to say. There always is. And Oswald sighed and took a moment to just let him get soothed anyway. It's fine. He's patient - used to be immensely so, at least. About everything. Oswald gets all his patience now. Everyone else is either unworthy of it or they snap their fingers at him, having none to return. ]
My, aren't we lucky I came back from it then? Had I come back earlier than my current point, you might have been screwed. [ Oswald's a fearful tone and Ed's just above a quiet whisper. Soft yet sarcastic. Ed had to be the one to fix their situation. Oswald didn't tell him and was fully aware Ed would go seek out the answers. Expected it. It was a gamble. He pulls his hands back from him, pulls away but only to circle around him again to lean on the desk next to the chair so he can look him in the eyes.
He narrows them for a moment as Oswald keeps talking, all thought and a reaction to just running his tongue along the inside of his mouth. That's still painful but it does enforce the words. Here. Before. Promise to trust. Gotham be damned. He misses them. He really misses them. It was so much easier. Neither part of his head disagrees that it was easier. That there isn't some sort of benefit to it. That he's better closer than apart.
Ed moves again and there's no precaution to it, no hesitation. It's almost too forceful puts his arms around Oswald and pulls him forward in his chair and against himself. ]
[ Oswald wondered just how many times he would lay out his vulnerabilities to Ed before it stopped putting a knot in his stomach to do so. More importantly, he wondered when he would stop having things to be guilty about. They had agreed that there would be no lies between them ages ago, but that hadn't stopped Oswald from attempting to dodge the truth on occasion. Of course, lying by omission is still lying. The consequences always catch up.
But this time they hadn't caught up in the way he'd thought they would. Oswald had so feared the only future they could share would be an unbearably painful one, but Ed had always been a better man than Oswald himself was. Not once had he failed to keep his word, nor did he cease in surprising him with graciousness that he was entirely undeserving of. It was so hard to comprehend that the reality he'd lived in Gotham was so different from the reality he was living in that moment, but maybe he didn't need to understand. Ed still wanted to be with him, and Oswald wanted to be with Ed in return. Maybe nothing else mattered.
The sudden embrace caused a quiet gasp to escape Oswald's lips. For a moment surprise overtook him, but instinct guided his own arms as they found their way around Ed's body. He held him both like it was the last time he ever would and the first time he ever had, every bit of love he had pouring out into one embrace. Tears began prickling at his eyes, his grip on the fabric against Ed's back tightening slightly. ]
You know, Ed... [ He spoke quietly, his voice vaguely muffled, his face buried in Ed's shoulder. ] I don't think it was luck. You still believe in fate, don't you?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action;
He knows Oswald is focusing deeply on the riddle itself - likely debating its context and any and all implications that follow it. So focused on it that he slipped right into the room and behind him, watching the very deliberation before he finally just says it. Inching up. Up. Closer. Closer. Kneeling just enough to be right next to his the ear that currently lacks a phone against it and- ]
[ Blowing it it first. ] That's right. [ Boo. ] Did you miss me?
action;
After an awkward few moments it seemed like he wasn't going to speak at all, but in typical fashion he was quickly right back to yelling, his cane discarded with a thump on the floor as he stood. ] For the love of god, Ed! Is sneaking in here and giving me a heart attack your idea of payback?! Did you want me to bludgeon you to death?! [ He gestured at the cane dramatically. ] I swear, if you ever pull that kind of stunt again I'll -- I'll -- [ He groaned loudly and threw his hands up as if that was threat enough. Oswald leaned back in his chair once again, hands running down his face in attempt to calm his overactive emotions. ] Listen, Ed, I don't know what you're trying to prove but -- [ He paused again, full implications finally hitting him. His eyebrows were furrowed, apprehension written all over his face. After all that had happened, how could Ed...? ] ... I was right?
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Oh dear. Not really, no. I'd prefer getting impaled by you. [ There's nervous laughter following that remark. He waits until the other is done dramatically yelling at him and falling flat on a threat before moving back towards him. Standing behind the chair and putting his hands on his shoulders, rubbing at them. An intimate gesture of calm down. ]
[ He pauses, sighs and leans forward more to put his chin on the top of his head. ]
The amount of surprise in your tone says wonders about your level of confidence in us.
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At the first sign of Ed's touch he felt himself flinch, but it only took seconds for his body to relax into it. That sensation had always been one of comfort, and despite everything Oswald imagined it always would be. He sighed quietly, silently soaking in their moment of intimacy. Eventually, though, they had to keep talking. There was more to say. He turned and gently took Ed's hands in his own, subconsciously circling his skin with soft strokes of his thumbs. ]
Ed, you don't know what it felt like for me to wake up here knowing that what became of us was something so painful. I didn't know if we could ever come back from it. I'll admit, I was afraid. I was terrified, actually. [ His voice wavered slightly. Even then, there was a bit of fear in him. ] But... while I don't know what you saw or lived, from now on I'm making a promise to trust that what you said is true. That we're alright. I can't keep making these mistakes with you, Ed. I love you far too much to squander the chance I have now. And... and if you feel the same right here and now, then there's nothing more I could ask for. Gotham be damned.
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My, aren't we lucky I came back from it then? Had I come back earlier than my current point, you might have been screwed. [ Oswald's a fearful tone and Ed's just above a quiet whisper. Soft yet sarcastic. Ed had to be the one to fix their situation. Oswald didn't tell him and was fully aware Ed would go seek out the answers. Expected it. It was a gamble. He pulls his hands back from him, pulls away but only to circle around him again to lean on the desk next to the chair so he can look him in the eyes.
He narrows them for a moment as Oswald keeps talking, all thought and a reaction to just running his tongue along the inside of his mouth. That's still painful but it does enforce the words. Here. Before. Promise to trust. Gotham be damned. He misses them. He really misses them. It was so much easier. Neither part of his head disagrees that it was easier. That there isn't some sort of benefit to it. That he's better closer than apart.
Ed moves again and there's no precaution to it, no hesitation. It's almost too forceful puts his arms around Oswald and pulls him forward in his chair and against himself. ]
action;
But this time they hadn't caught up in the way he'd thought they would. Oswald had so feared the only future they could share would be an unbearably painful one, but Ed had always been a better man than Oswald himself was. Not once had he failed to keep his word, nor did he cease in surprising him with graciousness that he was entirely undeserving of. It was so hard to comprehend that the reality he'd lived in Gotham was so different from the reality he was living in that moment, but maybe he didn't need to understand. Ed still wanted to be with him, and Oswald wanted to be with Ed in return. Maybe nothing else mattered.
The sudden embrace caused a quiet gasp to escape Oswald's lips. For a moment surprise overtook him, but instinct guided his own arms as they found their way around Ed's body. He held him both like it was the last time he ever would and the first time he ever had, every bit of love he had pouring out into one embrace. Tears began prickling at his eyes, his grip on the fabric against Ed's back tightening slightly. ]
You know, Ed... [ He spoke quietly, his voice vaguely muffled, his face buried in Ed's shoulder. ] I don't think it was luck. You still believe in fate, don't you?