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“Nygma. Captain’s asking for you.”
Edward glanced up from his microscope to see an officer he’d never worked with directly standing in the doorway to his lab. He frowned at the man’s presumption to just open it before his mind caught up with his senses and realized he had knocked at least three times first. He must have been deeply engrossed in his work. Then again… toxins were fascinating.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
The man sighed, probably exasperated at having to repeat himself, “I said - “
“Oh, Captain Essen wants to see me?” he frowned, wondering if someone had complained about him again, “I’ll be right there.”
And somehow, despite saying almost nothing, he had irritated this man, too. He sighed. Someday he’d find somebody that got it . Someday.
He took the time to make sure all his equipment was turned off and anything dangerous was at least out of sight, if not locked up. Cops could be so simple, Edward had noticed. Detectives ought to be observant , but he found that if he left a chemical or blood sample or what have you where it was visible , some dummy would try and touch it, whereas if he put it behind a door, opening said door would never cross their minds. How they found anything at a crime scene was beyond him.
Once he was assured his lab was safe and secure, he headed to Captain Essen’s office, anxiety twisting his stomach as he ran through all the possible offenses he could have committed. Maybe it was good news - maybe there was a gruesome murder for him to solve?
No, he reminded himself, calling a gruesome murder good news is why people file complaints about him.
They’ve never felt that rushing thrill his reflection gushed, for once not tormenting him.
He ignored the illusion waxing poetic about the beauty of death and peered into the windows of the office, unsure if he should wait, knock, or let himself in.
Awk-ward other-him drew out the word mockingly.
“Nygma?” Essen opened the door, eyebrow raised, “Ed? Come in, please.”
Pretending like he hadn’t been frozen there in indecision, Edward nodded hastily and shuffled inside. He paused when his eyes fell on the other occupant of the room - a man he had never seen before.
“Ed, I would like you to meet Lucius Fox. Lucius, this is Ed Nygma, the driving force behind our forensics team,” Captain Essen introduced them.
“Nice to meet you, Ed,” Lucius greeted, holding out his hand. Edward looked at it for a moment, still processing the part where Essen had complimented him.
“Oh! Sorry, nice to meet you too, Mr. Fox,” he said a touch too quickly, grabbing the proffered hand and shaking it too long.
You’re hopeless .
He glanced at the faint image of himself in Essen’s window for a split second and when he looked back his heart missed a beat at the inquisitive look Mr. Fox was sending his way. There was no way he could have noticed, no way he knew…
“Lucius, please,” he said, breaking Edward’s train of thought.
Oh.
He was just confused as to why Edward had used his surname when he had used ‘Ed’. Of course.
“Lucius, right, sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Lucius smiled, and Edward felt himself relax instantly. How did one man have such a calming power?
His brain made fifty some leaps far too fast and before he knew what he was doing he’d opened his mouth and said, “I am another name for a pothole, but I am the largest of my kind alive. To Greeks, a water pig, a grass-eater in Brazil; in swamps with no fire I thrive. What am I?”
He winced as soon as the words escaped him, but it was too late. Whatever reason Captain Essen had introduced him to Lucius hardly mattered now, he’d already ruined his first impression. Given himself one more person to ridicule him. Opened himself up to mockery. Destroyed -
“Grass-eater in Brazil - an herbivore?” Lucius muttered, “Greek for water pig is hydrochoerus , which is the genus of the… capybara?”
Edward gaped. He literally gaped . That wasn’t even - that wasn’t - that was one of his hard ones. He realized his mouth was hanging open and he shut his jaw with a snap. He could almost feel his pupils turning into heart shapes - well, what the media referred to as heart shapes, actual hearts -
“Am I right?”
“Hm? Oh, yes! Did you know, capybaras are incredibly friendly and calm and can be found existing peacefully with almost any creature?”
“That’s interesting,” Lucius acknowledged before frowning, “But they live in many locations, not just swamps. And fire would be inhospitable for most creatures. I don’t get that line,”
“It - it’s a reference,” Edward blinked, “The fire swamp? Rodents Of Unusual Size?”
Lucius stared blankly at him.
“You’ve never seen The Princess Bride? ” he asked, a gasp building up inside, released the moment Lucius shook his head, eyebrows raised.
“Well, then,” Essen glanced between them, “It seems you two will get along well. Good. Ed, Lucius will be joining forensics. You know how pressed we are for people, and the few we do get tend not to stay long - disappearances, leaving for jobs where you aren’t as likely to disappear, et cetera.”
Edward nodded.
“You are both our most qualified and our longest employed CSI. I want you to help Lucius settle in and show him the ropes. Lord knows we could use another competent scientist on board.”
“Oh. Okay,” Edward had never trained anyone before, but the prospect sounded exciting.
“Right now, Ed,” Essen added, voice somewhere between gentle and impatient.
“Hm? Oh! Yes, of course, ma’am. Captain.”
Lucius was watching him carefully, and it was making him fidget, but he opened the door and held it for the other man, trying his best to make the good impression he somehow hadn’t lost yet.
Once they were back in the lab, a much more comfortable environment, at the very least, he asked, “So what is your experience with forensic work?”
“Forensic? None,” Lucius admitted.
Edward did a double-take, “None? But - why - ?”
“Don’t worry, I do have a strong background in a variety of sciences. I used to work at Wayne Enterprises, and I was involved in a number of top-secret experimental projects. I have some experience in both chemistry and biology, a bit more in physics and various forms of engineering. I just need to know how to apply what I know to solving crimes.”
“Hmm,” Edward bit his lip, considering, “I suppose I can work with that.”
~ ~ ~
Lucius was a fast learner, and Edward was ecstatic to finally have someone on his level in the precinct. He would catch himself explaining something simple, only to find Lucius already doing what needed to be done. Even better, Lucius listened to his riddles without complaint - except when there was a pressing matter at hand - and even solved most of them.
There was one downside. Edward was terrified of Lucius finding out about his reflection. The taunts and jeers of his other self were not lessened by his presence. At first he attempted to mock Lucius, trying to find reasons why Lucius liking him would be a bad thing. When Lucius persisted being one of the kindest and overall best people of Edward’s acquaintance, he switched tactics, picking apart Edward’s developing crush on the man. He still tried to catch Kristen’s attention, but he couldn’t help but be distracted by Lucius’ smile every time he made a breakthrough in a case.
In fact, it was partly because of Kristen that Edward’s fears were realized, in the end. Well, inadvertently - she hadn’t meant to cause him trouble, she probably didn’t even know she had. Nor was she present. It was probably unfair to bring her into it at all, Edward twisted his fingers together in guilt.
He had simply needed to get a file to double check an old criminal’s modus operandi against the evidence at a scene he’d worked that morning. He figured it would be a good opportunity to bring Kristen a few cookies from the batch he had baked the night before. Maybe she would think they were so good, she would decide she liked him?
It was hopeless.
He was hopeless.
Flass was there. The cretin.
They had laughed at him, even Miss Kringle. Flass had snatched the cookies before he could even offer them to Kristen. Edward had frozen we’d he’d called them ‘good’, unsure what to make of it, until the inevitable mockery followed.
“You must practice a lot, Nygma - hoping to be a housewife someday?” he’d paused so his buddies (and Miss Kringle) could laugh before continuing, “But seriously, that’s just sad. I mean, isn’t that just like giving up? You’ll never find a girl to cook for you, so you’ve gotta do it yourself? Sad.”
It had only gotten worse from there, and worst of all, he hadn’t even gotten the file he needed. He would have to go back.
But not right away. No, he needed to take a moment to himself, a moment to push the tears back down.
A moment to curl up and try to cover his eyes and ears against the image of himself repeating all the things they’d said to him, but with an even more personal twist. Nobody knows you better than yourself, after all…
Luckily, there was an old room full of ancient evidence that no one had used since it reached maximum capacity. It was his favorite place to hide.
But as he sat, back against a box that held the blood soaked gloves a killer who’d never been caught, arms wrapped tightly around his knees, face buried in his hands, something changed.
He didn’t notice.
You know, Flass isn’t the only man who has ever called you a housewife. Hard to believe you were even weaker back then…
“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up,” he murmured softly, wanting to drown the voice out but afraid to give away his position.
“Who are you talking to?”
If Edward could jump out of his skin, he would have. Against his will, his head snapped up to see Lucius crouched in front of him, eyes infuriatingly calm and gentle and nonjudgmental as he peered at him.
“Uh… I wasn’t?”
“Ed,” Lucius sighed, “Please don’t lie to me. You’re my friend. I care about you.”
“I - I - I’m not lying?” he tried, ignoring the way his heart skipped at hearing Lucius say he cared about him. Him. Ed.
“Ed, please. I’ve known there was something off since we met. I figured you were just anxious, or shy, or something. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?”
Edward stared at him, a deer caught in headlights.
“Do you…” Lucius took a deep breath, “Do you hear voices?”
Edward shook his head. Lucius raised an eyebrow, and Edward - despite what he was screaming at him - caved, “Not voices. Just one.”
He looked down at his hands when he saw the apprehension in Lucius’ eyes. He was shocked to feel fingers ever so lightly on his jaw.
“Look at me, Ed. Please?”
Edward slowly looked up, unsure of what he was waiting for, or what he was meant to say.
What he did say was, “Why do you keep saying please?”
Lucius paused before replying, “I don’t want you to feel obligated. I want to help you, not make you uncomfortable.”
“Oh.”
No one had ever wanted to help him before.
“What kind of voice do you hear?” he asked.
“It’s me. But not me, ” he stopped, waiting for Lucius to call him crazy and demand he tell Essen so she could lock him up.
“Explain,” Lucius said instead.
“Sometimes he’s my reflections, but he can appear without any mirrored surfaces around. He’s me… well, a better version of me.”
“The better version of you torments you? What makes him better?”
“He - he’s not a pushover. He doesn’t just let people walk all over him, like I do. He wants me to let him take over, let him show people I’m not just the freak in the labcoat who thinks dead bodies are cool. But - but I’m scared. About what he might do. He’s mean. ”
“That doesn’t sound like a better man to me,” Lucius spoke calmly, “That sounds like an angry, irrational man. A man who appears like nothing can touch him, but only because he is so isolated. The sort of a man idolized by men in pain. Are you hurting, Ed?”
“I - I - “
“I think you are,” Lucius said, “Am I right?”
Edward took a breath, but found he couldn’t get the words out. He nodded.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
He shook his head, flinching when he saw a flash of disappointment on Lucius’ face.
“I - not right now. Not yet,” he offered. Lucius gave him a small smile, “Thank you, Ed. But regardless, you need to tell someone.”
“Not Captain Essen, please,” he lunged forward, grabbing one of Lucius’ hands, a desperate edge in his voice, “I can’t lose my job. It’s all I have.”
“Shh, Ed,” Lucius pulled him into an awkward sort of hug where they sat on the floor, “Not Essen. A professional who can help you. You deserve better than a cruel voice in your head.”
Edward shook his head, “No I don’t.”
“No? You’re brilliant, funny, thoughtful… do you know how many people you’ve helped with your work here? Why don’t you deserve the same peace you’ve given them?”
Edward stared at him.
Lucius sighed, “Alright, Ed. New approach. What do you want?”
Edward frowned, “I - um… I want… respect. And friends.”
“Okay. Well, how’s this - if you promise to see a therapist about this - this other version of you - we can hang out the night after each appointment. That way, if anything is wrong, you can tell me, and you’ll have a reminder that you do have friends. At least one.”
It was an odd proposal. Edward couldn’t figure out what Lucius was gaining from the arrangement. But… it sounded so appealing.
“Okay.”
~ ~ ~
“Hello!” he exclaimed, sliding his door open, “I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place?”
“Not at all,” Lucius smiled easily, “Thank you for making the riddle simple - I wouldn’t have wanted to be late.”
“Of course,” Edward stepped aside, letting Lucius into his apartment.
“Whatever you’re making smells delightful,” Lucius complimented as he gave Edward his jacket and sat down, “So?”
“So?”
“How was the meeting?”
“Oh,” Edward bit his lip, eyes boring holes into his shoes, “It was good. It was… better than I was expecting.”
“That’s good,” Lucius nodded, “And has he said anything about it?”
Edward shook his head, “After he finished yelling at me for setting up the appointment, he disappeared. He’s only popped up once or twice since then.”
“I’m glad,” Lucius said, “Do you want to talk more about it or not?”
“Not right now,” Edward answered, eyes focused on the food on the stove, “Why don’t you set the movie up?”
“Movie?” Lucius questioned.
“It’s already by the television.”
There was a pause while Lucius looked around before he snorted, “You really took it personally, huh?”
“Well, no one should be deprived of The Princess Bride . It’s a classic .”
“Alright, alright.”
Edward turned off the stove, serving two plates of food and two beakers of mulled cider, to give the whole event a cozy feel. He took everything over to the couch, setting the food on the coffee table and sitting as close to Lucius as he could without - hopefully - giving himself away. Dinner and the fantasy romance film was risky enough as it was, but Edward so wanted it to be a date.
The night passed well, Lucius enjoying both the food and the film, based on what he told Edward, at least. As the credits rolled, ‘Storybook Love’ playing over the old tv’s speakers, Lucius stood up, taking the dishes before Edward could.
“I’m supposed to do the dishes,” he exclaimed, caught by surprise. Lucius gave him a light grin, “Alright, I’ll compromise and just take them to the sink. I can’t do nothing after all.”
“You didn’t,” Edward said, “You - you were here . For me .”
“That’s what friends are for.”
“Well, you’re my first. Friend. My first friend,” he corrected himself hastily, hoping Lucius - a skilled CSI by this point - wouldn’t pick up on his flushed cheeks and nervous swallow.
“It’s an honor,” Lucius told him, putting his jacket back on. When he reached the door, Edward rushed forward to open it, nearly bowling him over in the process. When his hand fell on the door handle, he hesitated.
“Might you - I mean, would you… would you… maybe… want to do this again? I mean, I’d really like to have you over again. You could even pick the movie. But… would you? Come over again?”
Edward was expected a refusal, at best a disinterested ‘yes’, so he was wholly unprepared to feel a hand cupping his cheek, drawing him down into the lightest of light kisses. He almost doubted it happened, lost in Lucius’ gorgeous eyes after the man pulled back. Doubted, that is, until Lucius spoke.
“As you wish,” he whispered with what could almost be a smirk, before gently moving Edward away from the door and opening it. When he was halfway down the hall, Edward still standing in exactly the same spot, he called back, “See you tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow?” Edward repeated, brain on autopilot as he scrambled to dissect what had just happened.
“For work,” Lucius reminded him.
“Oh. Right. Work.”