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Oswald Cobblepot, like many others, had flaws. The biggest of them was probably the fact that he was a cold-blooded murderer and a notorious criminal. Ironically, that was the one that bothered him the least.
He was flawed before he had even known the meaning of that word. He was a child that wasn’t supposed to be born, some would say he was a mistake.
But it was a mistake created from love. His mother and Elijah, despite all the complications they faced, truly loved each other.
Oswald was born and grew up with noone else, but his mother. He never quite found the liking in company of other people, strangers.
Oswald’s main instinct was to trust nobody. Nobody, but his mother. People, to him, were too easy to buy and manipulate. They acted out of their feelings and emotions, and that was their biggest weakness.
He learned to keep everything to himself, quietly plotting plans inside his mind. He had noone to depend on, and that made him one of the most powerful men in Gotham. It also helped when he acquired the position of kingpin of the city’s underworld.
Everyone he knew later either betrayed or disappointed him. After his mother’s tragic death, he believed nobody, but himself.
Oswald’s mind, once his greatest strenght, became a weakness. He couldn’t look at anyone without noticing their flaws. He guessed one’s intentions, even before the person was aware of them. The slightest details never escaped his critical view, every small victory became ruined by overthinking what comes after.
That was until Ed Nygma entered his life.
Edward Nygma, first a forensic scientist at GCPD, who later transformed himself into the well-known culprit in green – the Riddler. He, just like a butterfly, changed from a mere catterpillar into something much more beautiful, yet deadly.
Oswald noticed Edward’s flaws, every time he looked at the man, he found something new. A little red flag in his brain, something that could lead to changing his perspective on Ed forever. He always brushed those thoughts away, hoping they wouldn’t come back. But they always did.
He glanced at the man above him, saw the spark in his eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder what Edward sees while looking at him. He asked himself whether he sees the Penguin, a criminal, or Oswald, a man with many insecurities, yet stronger than many around him. Or does he see a different side to him, one that Oswald himself isn’t aware of?
Edward, now seated on the bed, was wearing nothing but a pair of green underpants and a plain gray undershirt. He watched the expression on Oswald’s face change as the man in front of him completely zoned out into his thoughts.
“You’re doing it again,“ he noted. “Thinking too much.“
Oswald felt lips press against his own, felt a hand being placed on his cheek, slowly making its way into his hair. He felt Edward’s leg touching his damaged one. Ed’s touches were warm and soothing.
He gave in.
Both Edward and Oswald were flawed, but in that exact moment, none of that mattered.