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"Ouch.", Oswald Cobblepot hissed passive aggressively, staring off into the distance, a scowl on his face.
The teen was sitting in his school's nurses office, right on that little bed in the corner, dried blood under his nose and scratches all over his arms. Anger bubbled deep inside of him, and if looks could kill anyone within 50 feet of him would have been obliterated. He had hardly felt the stinging of his smaller wounds when they were inflicted on him (Courtesy of being pushed into a particularly thorny bush). But now, as one of his classmates pulled and prodded at them with disinfectant wipes the ache made itself known again.
Oswald barely knew him, was vaguely aware of his occasional helping out at the nurses office. Couldn't even remember if they had ever been introduced (not that anyone usually introduced people to Oswald) or if he could've picked up the guy's name from somewhere else.
"These cuts seem okay for now. If they swell, the area turns red or the pain increases I'd suggest visiting a doctor.", the boy pushed his glasses up to his face again, threw away the dirty wipes moments later and shrugged, "Or don't, of course. It’s your wounds after all."
Barely registering the advice, Oswald straightened his back and stretched a little, "Alright, thanks. Can I go now?"
"Oh, no, no!", the taller laughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact while sorting something into a cabinet, "I haven't taken a look at your nose yet."
It took quite a bit of self control for Oswald not to groan. He wanted to go home , goddamnit, not spend his entire afternoon in this irritatingly brightly lit room with some smartass stranger. I mean, who willingly helps out at the nurses office!?
His thoughts were brought to a halt when the aforementioned smartass stranger turned around to him again, all neatly combed hair and nerdy glasses he was.
"Uhm-", something seemed to fight inside of the scrawny kid's brain, until he finally blurted out: "I'm white but I'm not a sheet of paper. I can be broken but I'm not a window. What am I?"
Oswald's eyes narrowed in confusion. Silence engulfed the two.
"What?", he spat out, almost sounding too harsh.
The nurse's helper didn't let that deter him.
"I'm white but I'm not a sheet of-"
"No, yeah, I got that.", Oswald scoffed, "I just-"
He cut himself off, thought about the whole situation for a moment. Would he gain anything by being a dick? Other than the much needed letting off steam, of course.
"....Maybe the kid could be useful.
Ugh.
Fuck it. He might as well entertain the other at this point.
"Bone.", he sighed after one more second of thinking, "You're a bone."
"Correct!", the nerdy stranger beamed.
It would have almost been endearing, if Oswald hadn't wanted to leave since arriving at school this morning. Which happened to be almost 9 hours ago.
"Look….", the shorter began, realising too late he still didn't know the others name.
"Edward.", Edward helpfully chimed in, "Or Ed. Whichever you prefer."
"Look, Ed..Edward-", Oswald started over, awkwardly butchering this easy name, "I like riddles just as much as the next guy, but can we please just move along? I'm sure we both still have places to be today."
"I don't.", Edward smiled, until noticing what was expected of him, "Oh, yeah. Sure. Alright. Sorry. I'll check out your nose, yes."
Oswald nodded somewhat happily. At least he had gotten the teen on the right track.
"Do you have difficulty breathing through your nose?", Edward asked now, tilting his head while examining the body part with inquisitive intent.
"Not really.", was the disinterested reply.
Faster than expected Ed moved closer, invaded much more personal space than Oswald would have tolerated in any other circumstance. It was solely for medical reasons, observation, of course, at this distance more details were visible after all. But the uneasy feeling in the black haired boy's stomach didn’t leave him just yet.
Edward requested he turn his head a little. If he had noticed the clumps of mascara on Oswalds eyelashes he didn't say anything about them. Oswald could only pray it would stay that way.
"There is a chance this is going to hurt, so if possible you should tell me before it gets overbearing."
That was Oswald's only warning before shaky fingers infringed upon the last bit of personal space he had left.
Careful but firm the fingertips pressed down on his nose, fumbling their way over the skin.
"Oh, good. It didn't crunch. That would have definitely meant something was broken.", Edward announced while Oswald disgustedly grimaced as best as he could with the other's hands in his face. The thought of a sound like that coming from his bones didn't sit right with him.
"If it's a nondisplaced nasal fracture you'll have to let it heal on its own…..", Edward paused to squeeze into a different area, "If it's a displaced one then there should be a surgery."
Oswald furrowed his eyebrows. "And what if it's not broken at all?"
Edward laughed his awkward little laugh, pushed his glasses up again. "Well, Oswald, then you were lucky and won't need any medical attention."
Oswald ignored the weird feeling Ed knowing his name evoked in him. Focused more on the good news. After all, it didn't feel like his nose was broken. Sure, there was a faint, dull pain on the upper part of it, but that was pretty much it. He almost wanted to flex with it, eventually, when he unavoidably got into trouble with the same bitchass again. The one who punched him straight in the face this time around.
He knew that that wasn't very smart, though, telling his enemies in what areas they needed to improve in. He liked his nose, he truly did, and didn't need it broken in the foreseeable future.
But really, when the time came Oswald would take his cane and beat the guy until blood sputtered out of his pathetic, ugly face. Oswald would chain him to the wall and break his nose, as revenge, and record the wailing and crying for mercy and use it as blackmail for years to come.
"Whatcha thinking about?", the ever-curious Edward enquired, voice way too kind for Oswald's fantasies.
"Nothing you need to know about.", he attempted to tone the bite in his voice down a notch, "Am just zoning out.”
“Oh, well, alright.”, Ed replied, then hesitated, ignoring the questioning quirk of Oswald’s eyebrow, “Why did this happen?”
He stared into the shorter’s eyes. When no answer came he commented: “Your nose probably isn’t broken. You should still cool it, though. When you get home. Just in case."
Oswald stared right back. “Alright. Good. Fine. Now if you’d make space so I can stand..?”
Edward looked irritated, hurt maybe, when he continuously didn’t receive an answer, but took a step back regardless. Oswald turned up his nose at the other. He didn’t care. He shouldn’t care for this stranger. He jumped off the bed, careful with his bad leg, and grabbed his cane and bag.
“Thank you for examining me, Edward.”, Oswald nodded toward him politely (a stark contrast to his rather disrespectful thoughts just now), “I’ll take my leave.”
He moved past the taller teen, abandoning him in the nurse’s office, feeling his stare burning in the back of his head.
Finally standing in the hallway Oswald checked the time.
...
..
.
Fuck.
He had missed his bus. Of course he had, on a day like today.
At this point a sigh was the only thing keeping him from screaming.
Deep breaths, he told himself before he continued his journey to the bus stop, only stopping once more to look at the dark clouds outside of the school's windows.
The air was cold as patches of grass moved in the strong breeze. Barely concealed by the sign indicating the semi-frequent bus line stood Oswald, school bag firmly planted next to his feet, hands holding onto his cane.
The later in the day, the more minutes between a bus’s arrival. It had taken too long already, to be stopped by that group of seniors, taken a hit to the face and being stuffed right into that mulberry bush. Then Jim Gordon had appeared out of thin air, that slimy bastard.
“Oswald, you should really go to the nurse’s office. Oswald, you need to stay out of trouble or this is gonna keep happening. Oswald this, Oswald that.”, Oswald mocked in his head, looking as pissed off as ever. He would’ve been home by now if he hadn’t taken that justice-freak’s advice.
As if to underline his terrible mood, thunder boomed in the distance.
Ah. Great. The teen’s lips formed a tight line. That would be fun.
A cold raindrop splashed onto his shoulder.
“C’mon now.. I thought I had a few more minutes before it’d start raining…”, Oswald murmured, shutting his eyes and sighing deeply. Another raindrop splattered on his nose.
“I’m invisible but I’m not a ghost-”
Oswald jumped, heartbeat rising up in the matter of split seconds, spinning around to stand face first with… Edward.
“Oh my god..”, he mumbled in shock.
Ed continued speaking, happy as ever: “I happen after a flash but I’m not a photo. What am I?”
“You-”, Oswald declared accusatorily, “How? What? Did you just sneak up on me?”
Raindrops fell almost rhythmically at this point, lighting flickering in the dark sky.
“Actually I was just gonna offer you my umbrella.”, Edward smiled nicely, and when he seemed to get an idea, he downright beamed, “If you can answer my riddle that is.”
Oswald could already feel the dampness in his clothes, hated that he desperately needed that stupid umbrella if he didn't wanna get scolded by his mother, “Can… Can you repeat it? The riddle?”
And Edward did. “I’m invisible but I’m not a ghost. I happen after a flash but I’m not a photo. What am I?” He looked almost pleased with himself, having someone humor him for once.
Thunder boomed, as if a hint sent by whatever Gods one believed in. Not that Oswald believed in any.
“Oh! Uhh”, he squinted his eyes, as if to remember the word he was searching for, “Thunder. It has to be.”
"Correct!!", Edward grinned, though his vision was obscured by the occasional raindrop which had landed on his glasses.
He opened the umbrella with a surprising speed and when it unfolded above them, Oswald felt a sliver of happiness bloom in his heart. They stepped closer to both fit under it.
With the splatter of rain and the thunder and the howling wind, the lack of conversation between the two boys was almost bearable now. Well, for Oswald that is. Ed had seemed A-okay with silence from the get go, even though he didn't stop talking when they were on the right topic.
With all this time to think, Oswald's mind wandered deep, exploring nooks and crannies in his brain he thought he had hidden quite well by this point.
Shit.
He liked Ed, didn't he? He, against all odds, had been charmed by Ed's bizarre way of communicating. Even if it was just a little bit, he despised it. He couldn't believe he was so lonely that Ed just doing his job at the nurse's office made him feel cared for.
Worst of all, he was genuinely considering helping him out, warning him.
Fucking hell. He was too soft.
"Stay away from Fish.", Oswald uttered now, hesitant but forceful, "from Victor and Butch, too. All of them."
Edwards' gaze held a hint of confusion. He seemed excited, though. Interested in whatever new information he could absorb.
Oswald continued speaking. "Anyone you see talking to them and look enthusiastic about it. By that extension, me, too. Next thing you'll know is owing one of them just the tiniest of favours and boom. You're in too deep."
The taller boy's eyes were round and wide open and in that moment Oswald knew he had said too much, had only made Ed more curious about what was going on.
"Oh dear.", was the (admittedly kind of cute) response, "Why?"
Oswald groaned. "Why? Why? Why?? Think about it for a second, genius. What did you ask me earlier?"
Ed looked down, searching for something in his brain for a few seconds.
"I asked why this happened.", he gestured in the general direction of Oswalds scratched up arms and not-broken-but-still-hurt nose.
"Yeah. You won't gain any friends by collecting drug money, even if it's for Fish. They respect her, sure, but if they catch you alone? You can only hope they'll make it quick.", Oswald frowned. He was talking too much and he was very aware of that.
"Oh dear", Ed repeated, "Thank you for the warning, I suppose."
Oswald stared at the wet asphalt in front of him.
Ed stared at his wrist watch. "Next bus comes in a minute."
The rain drummed on the umbrella.
He looked up again.
"You can always hide in the nurse's office if you want. At least when I'm there. I'll open it for you, promise."
A very loud, very pissed off part of Oswald's brain wanted to yell something along the lines of "I would never hide from them, that'd be cowardly!". A quieter, kinder part of Oswald's brain shot the other part straight in the face.
"Thanks, Edward. I appreciate it."
Ed beamed, and it was cute, goddamnit.
Oswald felt soggy, his bangs were probably still clinging to his face from before he was allowed under the umbrella. There still was some dried blood under his nose and he wouldn't be surprised if the area had turned a nice shade of blue by now. He had surely looked better before.
The bus could be heard in the distance.
"Hey, Ed.", he smiled for what felt like the first time today, "Wanna eat together at the cafeteria tomorrow?"
Ed's eyes widened.
"... I thought you just warned me about talking to anyone who associates with Fish?", he questioned, but Oswald swore there was the faintest of blushes on his face.
"Maybe we can make an exception?"
Oswald looked up into the sky, the dark clouds parting for the tiniest bit of sunlight to peek through.
Ed smiled stupidly, following his gaze.
"I- I think I would like that actually."