“Well, well, it appears you’ve caught someone’s attention, Nygma.” Two-Face chuckled. You couldn’t help but stare and Edward soaked in it. Finally, the attention he desperately craved- that he deserved. Someone could see what everyone else couldn’t. How magnificent Edward was. Everyone else might as well have been blind for if they had less primitive brains- they’d know to worship the ground he walked on. After all, he was the smartest person in Gotham.
Edward was sitting back in his seat, almost lazily as he idly swirled his drink. His eyes locked on yours. Penguin scoffed. “I don’t pay ‘em to gawk. I pay 'em to entertain!” “Oh I think Ed is very entertained.” Harvey grinned. Penguin however, was furious and rose to a stand, ready to give you a wicked lecture but Edward held out his hand in a gesture to stop him. “No, no, Oswald. It is no trouble. In fact, I think that might be the smartest employee, you’ve ever had.” Oswald grumbled and you quickly looked away from Edward. You had witnessed how the Penguin didn’t look happy and that the Riddler of all people stopped him as Penguin glared daggers into you. You were pushing your luck.
A minute later there was a tap to your shoulder. At first you thought it’d be your boss, Oswald Cobblepot but the tap was much too soft. You turned and nearly forgot how to breathe. “Hi, my name is Edward Nygma.” The man in green smiled. “Hi…I thought you’d prefer to be called 'the Riddler’.” You replied almost breathlessly. “Only to those I don’t like.” He smirked. You blushed given the implication of giving his name so freely to you of all people. “I’m (Y/N).” You said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Edward replied with a twinkle in his eye. “I couldn’t help but notice your gaze.” “Right, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable I just…I couldn’t believe I was seeing you in person.” You admitted, slightly embarrassed. “I wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact, I rather enjoyed being acknowledged by such an attractive individual such as yourself.” You had wondered if Edward Nygma was ever shy, he seemed nerdy enough. So much you were certain that if someone like Catwoman flirted with him, he’d crumble with uncertainty all the while flustered. Yet that didn’t seem to be the case as he was so bold to let his attraction be known. “Oh, thank you so much.” You became shy. “That means a lot coming from someone so well known like you.” “Then you know that seeing I’m of such strong intellect that I speak fact. I don’t often give such flattering words to anyone but I think I could make an exception for you tonight.” Edward smirked at your blush. “No complaints here.” You said before covering your mouth. “Thank you for your time. I don’t intend to take you away from your friends and my boss.” Edward huffed out a laugh. “Friends…’associates’ is much more accurate. Although I do consider Oswald a friend. We have some history. It’d be foolish to call him anything else.” After some time of talking the Ridder asked you a rather direct question. “Have you had too much to drink?” He asked and you looked at him with confusion. “What?” The Riddler raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a convincing argument.” “No-I-I had a few but…I’m not drunk, I just- why do you ask?” The Riddler brushed off your shoulders. “Because I find it very difficult to believe you’d look at me the way you do if you weren’t.” His eyes met yours and he smiled slightly. “A shame, I will admit. Regardless, I’m flattered.” You couldn’t hide your surprise, he seemed almost disheartened by the thought of you changing your mind in the morning. “I’ll take what I can get of your time.” You cracked a smile and Edward smirked. “Then I will indulge you."
Edward lapped up the attention you gave him, he had no issue talking about himself whilst you had no issue listening to him. He was fascinating. Just as you thought he always would be. "I’d like to know about you.” He smiled slyly, leaning on his hand on top of the table at the booth. "Me? There’s nothing really to me.“ You admitted. "Nothing in comparison to you, Mr Nygma.” The Riddler chuckled. “I’ll be the judge of that. I want to know about the divine person before me who looks at me like I just saved the world.” You blushed. “Well…I moved here to get a new start. My parents didn’t approve of a lot of my choices so I couldn’t get away quicker. What used to be constant prying into my life became a phone call once a month…” You sent him a mischievous smirk. “…if I answer the phone that is.” The Riddler hummed, sipping on his drink. “The Penguin hired me and that’s really it. I’m too new to Gotham to have any cool stories. I told you I was boring.” You cracked a smile. “Other than that time I met the Riddler that is.” “I hear that is quite the honour around here.” Edward grinned. You nodded. “The highest honour. I think it might have made my life actually. I peaked that night. Never going to have a better experience.” Edward chuckled. “Well you might see him again if you played your cards right.” “Do you think I did?” You leaned on the table top, arms crossing. He raised the glass to his lips, pausing momentarily to smirk at you. “Maybe.” “What about you?” You asked. “You must meet some unforgettable people all the time.” “Very few actually, beyond the company I keep. The rest of Gotham are faceless nobodies. Although you might be the first to change that.” He said looking you over. You hummed. “Probably not, when you believe how boring I truly am.” “If you were, I wouldn’t be sitting here.” Edward countered. “I didn’t think you were the type to not complete a puzzle.” You retorted. “That’s because I don’t. However, only puzzles worth my time get all my attention and you, my dear, have my attention.” “Then I certainly hope I don’t disappoint you, Mr Nygma.” You said. “As do I, my dear.” He responded. “So is this your night off? It is Friday after all.” You asked. He pondered the question. “I suppose it could be considered as a social gathering. We did meet on business terms but if they’d started then I won’t be there to speak business.” He smiled. “I’ll be here with you.” You blushed. “Sorry, I feel like I’ve disrupted on many levels now.” Edward hummed. “You’re a lovely distraction though. I’d hardly call it a waste of time for me.” You smiled back at him. “As I said, I think you’ve made not just my night but my whole life just approaching me. Even if I get fired tomorrow…it’ll be worth it.” You giggled. “Fired? Absolutely not. I won’t have that. I’ve kept you in bounds of your job. Your job is to make sure customers are comfortable and entertained.” "You’re not just some guy though.“ You replied. "You’re the Riddler.” He let out a laugh of amusement. “Give me your phone.” He said. “It’s round back…” You rose to a stand. “…why do you want my phone?” He smirked. “You’ll just have to get it to find out, won’t you?” You smiled. “Be back in a sec then."
When you were gone that was when Two-Face shoved his way into the booth beside Edward. "You’ve been gone for a while. We did the meeting without you.” “You can fill me in later, Harvey.” Edward’s eyes remained upon the staff door, waiting for you to return. “It seems like you like this one.” Two-Face nudged him. “And?” Edward responded. “Excellent choice.” Two-Face said smugly. “I hope you don’t have ill intentions for that one, Edward.” Harvey cut in. Edward huffed. “Hardly. You don’t know anything of my intentions, Dent. Now go away before they come back and see you. You’ll scare them off.” Two-Face huffed out a laugh. “Too late, looks like I’m staying, Eddie. They’ve already seen me and they’re coming this way.” Edward followed Harvey’s gaze. He was right, you were coming back.
You held your phone out to him. “Here….hello, Mr Two-Face. Are you having a good night?” You asked as Edward plucked the phone from your grasp and leaned back, busying himself with it. “Yeah, doll-face. Thanks for taking Edward off our hands for the night. The night off from babysitting has been great.” He grinned. “Shut it.” Edward warned him but didn’t look up from your phone. “I’ve enjoyed every minute with him.” You blushed. “I bet you have.” Two-Face sounded smug again as Edward handed your phone back to you. “Right, that’s enough out of you.” The Riddler rose to a stand and nudged him. “Move along, I’m going to say my goodbyes and head home. Leave them be.” Edward was practically guiding Harvey away from you. Stopping to spin around the face you. “See you soon.” Edward smiled at you before continuing to push Harvey forward, his cane in the other hand. “Nygma, I swear if you don’t quit your shoving-” The rest of Two-Face’s threat was drowned out my the noise. Still, you couldn’t help but smile. You checked the time on your phone. You had another half an hour left of your shift. However you couldn’t help but wonder what he did to your phone.
It was only later when you checked it that you discovered what he had done. Your jaw hung open, gawking at the screen. There, in your contacts, was a new one. Enigma. You immediately figured he didn’t want to put his actual name but regardless. Edward Nygma, the Riddler, had put his number in your phone. You immediately went to text it, even if it was half four in the morning. You typed out your message before sending it. 'Thanks for the great night. You got me through my shift haha.’ To your surprise as you climbed in bed, your phone buzzed. You turned off the light before you looked to see a response from Enigma. 'The pleasure is all mine. I’d like another night, perhaps not when you’re working.’ You inhaled, feeling the blush in your cheeks. 'You can have all the nights you like.’ You replied. 'Then you’ll hear from me very soon, my dear. Goodnight.’
I don’t know what this is. I do, but I don’t. Context will be provided only upon request. I tried out starting from the middle of an idea rather than the beginning, and it’s been so long since I’ve written or even read my own work that I don’t know if this even sounds like my own work, and I know I’m gonna edit this to hell and back and drive myself insane, but. Hey. WORDS. I made words. That’s a start.
–
“You want me to fuck him up?”
She snapped her head back to him but only looked curious, tilting it to the side. “What, like, kill him?”
Victor shrugged. “Eventually.” He had been itching for a mark lately. Oswald was just as particular as Roman had been about the when and where of Victor selecting his own targets (and even more so the who) and didn’t provide nearly as many himself. “But I mean, y’know, scare him, mess him up. Hurt him.”
Masami’s head tilted further, birdlike. (Fucking songbird.) “You’d do that? If I asked?”
Victor shrugged again, a little glad she hadn’t said “For me?” “Sure.”
It was what he did. Well. Not what he did on his own but what he was willing to do when directed. And he was good at it, even enjoyed it. They deserved it, after all. Death was a gift he granted the suffering masses, but some people needed to endure a little more horror before receiving that reward: especially the ones that interfered with the people Victor was responsible for.
And now by word of Penguin himself, that category included the fucking birdie–though Victor could admit he’d made peace with the idea beforehand. His little stunt in the Lounge had been proof enough of that. (But it still would have been weird if she’d said “For me?”)
“It was a dick move,” he offered as explanation, interpreting her silence as a need for one. “He’s got it comin’.”
“Mm.” She kept staring at him with her head canted, blinking slowly, one corner of her mouth tugging into the faintest smile, still curious but now also… amused. Appraising. Victor very deliberately didn’t think about how familiar that look was or on exactly whose face he’d seen it before. “That’s… sweet.”
She tipped her neck back to a human angle and took another glance down the street before spinning right back on him, smile suddenly all canines and mischief. “Could I watch?”
