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Edward nurtures a rich history with pumpkins. Almost a... long-term love story.
First there's the obvious 'Pumpkin' nickname he more or less adopted because of his natural hair color. Not his fault if he was born with ginger strands whose purpose is apparently to replicate the pigmentation of a popular variety of squash. Besides, contrary to what he heard from fellow redheads full with issues regarding their appearance, he is proud to be a green-eyed ginger and considers he looks, to quote himself on a daily basis, 'ravishingly gorgeous'.
Second there's... his affinity with the vegetable itself.
They grew up together, pumpkins feature in his memories from an earlier era than riddles do.
°•🎃•°
Little Eddie Nashton was jubilant to enjoy his first proper Halloween celebration, when an old lady at the open-air market in his small town gave him a tiny pumpkin for free.
"This one is too small," the peasant had pushed the vegetable in his direction when seeing the child who gazed with wonder at the display of autumn squashs. "I won't sell it... but you can have it, if you want."
Eddie waited for a mocking or dismissive comment. It didn't come. Instead the old lady smiled in an encouraging manner until, hesitant and thinking all along it must be a trap, the seven years old took old of the pumpkin, much smaller than the others on the large table.
"Th-thank you..." He whispered, awkward, unused to be offered things.
"It's alright, kiddo. Just stay safe."
He returned her a timid smile.
"I'll try."
The woman probably discerned the black eye he failed to fully cover with makeup and the bruise on his left cheek. Maybe she even noted how he walked slowly not to hurt himself further due to fresh injuries on the thighs. She didn't add anything, simply followed his cute orange hair with her eyes until he was out of sight, a sad expression painted onto her wrinkled features.
Today is the 25 of October, not Halloween yet but Eddie feels propelled into a celebration mood!
He returned home, luckily his father passed out drunk in the soiled living-room, he didn't notice him rushing to his bedroom. Once inside, Eddie grabbed one of the carboard boxes placed next to the mattress on the floor where he sleeps. He extracted his favorite fragment of newspapers he collected about Batman, the newly-appeared mysterious vigilante of Gotham City.
Little Ed narrated Halloween-inspired tales to his hero and imaginary friend whom he bonded with for months, since the instant he heard about him on TV. His first pumpkin carving he performed the next day embodied his own experimental version of a bat-symbol, the one he doodles everywhere on his notebooks.
Pre-teen Edward loves Halloween, Christmas and every other holiday in the calendar for a simple reason: it is easier to eat during periods over which people drown into the warm feelings and pleasant ambiance of a celebration time.
Many open-air markets equals many occasions to steal food and / or be given a meal by merchants who behave kindly with street kids.
Eddie is twelve, he ran away from his father's over a year ago, left his small town to reach Gotham because this is where his hero lives.
Heroes, plural. By now Batman teams-up with Robin, who must be barely two or three years older than Ed, and Batgirl, a grown woman who proved to be a skilled vigilante both during fights and when solving cases. Another talented redhead.
Edward loves them. He wants to meet them, to... become one of them.
"Hey, Pumpkin! Look what I've gotten!"
Eddie smiled. His ally of the moment Jason Todd, a street rat like him but six years younger, arrived with a bag of cinnamon rolls stolen from the main Gothamite Halloween market. They found each other after Jay got a beating in an alley and Ed happened to stop in the same dead-end lane to spend the night, hidden behind trash cans not to be spotted by drunk folks who wander around at night.
Since then... they form a complicit duo, squat an hideout in an abandoned apartment and live a carpe diem routine.
At present Eddie stays in their foxhole because of a fever that forbade him from even moving over twenty-four hours. Due to their extremely reduced access to medication, if it wasn't for Jason who provided for them both, Ed doesn't know how he would have gotten food these past days.
Edward assured he's fine when Jay checked on him, then made way for his bro to sit on the old couch next to him. They have orange juice and Jaybird brought cinnamon rolls shaped like Halloween pumpkins... What's more to ask for? The two little menaces enjoyed a snack and, Edward feeling better, he promised Jason they'll go trick-or-treating together. From today the 26 to Halloween, he has time to recover.
One day... Who knows? If Batman got a Robin, maybe he could take a second one under his leather wing. Maybe Jay and him will taste a brighter future soon.
Teenager Edward Nygma bakes pumpkin cookies with Jervis Tetch aka the Mad Hatter, who has a weak spot for pastries. Since Eddie loves to cook, they decided to bake sweets for the incoming Halloween.
Who knew becoming a member of the Rogues Gallery meant being... surrounded?
He parted ways with Jason when his buddy disapproved of his 'employment' in Daniel Mockridge's business and the mess that ensued: it's to take a revenge on his boss that thirteen years old Ed crafted his first maze... and because Mockridge got accidentally injured during this plan over which Batman and Robin intervened, it sufficed for him to get a ticket to Arkham.
Eddie knows no one would have searched for him if he vanished after escaping the asylum with Scarecrow and Poison Ivy.
Except he didn't step back. The opposite: he went further down this path.
Now he is sixteen and he lives it up. Dancing with Batman, growing closer to fellow rogues who non-officially adopted him...
"Is it normal these cookies are the exact same shade as your hair?" Jonathan asked when Edward introduced the pastries freshly taken out of the oven.
Pamela arched a blood red eyebrow when he put the plate on the low table whilst Jervis gloated about their fruitful team-up.
"Are they shrimp-flavored?" The older redhead inquired mockingly.
Eddie stuck out his tongue at her. Instead of Pumpkin, Pam renamed him 'Shrimp' due to his physical attributes and his cute face that apparently remind her of a pink crustacean in place of an orange squash.
"It's pumpkin!" He objected, puffing his chest like a peacock strutting around. "It will become my trademark."
Young adult Riddler barely turned twenty when he crossed the line with Jonathan Crane.
No surprise, Scarecrow is a fan of the Halloween holidays.
Edward wanted to make their first Halloween as a couple something special. They were together since not long, but they've been friends for years and Ed is... more than ready to take their relationship to the next level.
What he didn't predict however, is that instead of their first night occurring for Halloween, they couldn't wait and... made out in the middle of a field of pumpkins on the 28 of October, in the countryside where they reside in an hideout at a fringe location from Gotham to prepare Scarecrow's biggest scheme of the year.
Poor pumpkins, they witnessed far more than they were supposed to that evening.
"Wanna carve them with me?"
Twenty-four years old Eddie smiled with fondness.
"I would love to."
Stephanie Brown and him spent a lovely afternoon drawing question marks, constellations and bats on pumpkins with their knives in prevision of the incoming holiday.
"Eddie?"
"Yes?"
"Why don't you tell him to stop?"
"It's... not that easy. It's complicated," he added after a hesitation.
He never lied to Steph, but he never fully described the truth in detail to her either. She figured out alone the bruises on his face and his 'down mood' are linked to his boyfriend.
Edward loves this girl, more than he ever grew attached to anyone. Ever since he walked into Arthur Brown's house to make the man understand he can't stand having a copycat, his life... changed. He bonded with his daughter, who turned into... the most important person in his life.
She was eight and him eighteen when they crossed paths; he became his parent, brother and best friend all at once. Among others, she followed his progresses in the business and the... unhealthy evolution of his relationship with Jonathan.
Stephie hugged him when they finished their squash carving.
"We could do it, Eddie," she whispered when she felt him trembling against her. "You'll see, I will become a member of the bats-and-birds clan and you could join him. You've always loved and believed in Batman, it'd be your shot to get on his side!"
"... I no longer believe in him, not since I became the Riddler," he corrected softly. "Now Stephanie, if I had to pick one thing. Just one. I believe in you."
They crafted an army of pumpkins this 29 of October, and switched their costumes as Spoiler and Riddler this Halloween.
Over the incoming new year, Edward reformed for her.
Adult, reformed Edward Nygma picks up the tiny pumpkin left on this crime scene the 30 of October. The detective agency he opened as soon as he was given the chance after exiting Arkham the legal, official way, works too well lately: he feels constantly overworked. Yet... it's a joyous feeling. He is happy. At peace, albeit he takes a treatment and suffers from nightmares plus breakdowns more often than he wished.
It's alright.
He is thirty and has no intention to go back to his previous way of life. He is supported. Cared for. Loved. Stephanie became his duo who works with him as Batgirl while doing an awesome job in the university curriculum paid with Ed's current job. She is also his roommate, they rent a flat together above the agency office, thanks to... Bruce Wayne, who gives them a hand to handle this new slice of their lives.
They bonded with Jason Todd as Red Hood, who considers joining the team permanently. They wanted to celebrate Halloween together, dressed up and carrying pumpkins.
For now, Eddie scanned his surroundings to gather evidences the GCPD might have missed. Jonathan tries something... different, this year.
His latest clue is none other than a pumpkin he filled with fear toxin, he used this makeshift smoke bomb in the museum and left the device behind.
Of course. His bitter ex-boyfriend makes him understand he'll have to run after him during the incoming holiday.
Batgirl put a hand on his shoulder whilst Eddie dug his gloves into a suspicious substance looking like a mixture of pumpkin flesh and ooze.
"Let's find Scarecrow and make him regret he disturbs our plans for Halloween," she asserted, always smiling.
They shared a complicit smirk Eddie translated by an accurate:
"Let me guess, we're playing it... bad cop worse cop?"
"Only if I get to be the worse cop."
"Atta girl."
°•🎃•°
Thinking about all that made thirty-three years old Edward smile.
He rocked tenderly the tiny package snuggled between his arms.
The baby addressed him a big toothless smile that immediately melted Eddie's heart.
"Ready for your first Halloween with us, Pumpkin?"
The three months old let out cheerful chirping noises at the affectionate nickname. She inherited of Edward's hair color, visible on the short fuzz covering her little head and of minuscule, nearly invisible freckles on her round cheeks.
Eddie's husband insisted to dress their daughter like a pumpkin for their first family Halloween celebration... what made Edward laugh, he instantly loved the idea.
For sure they'll take adorable, beautiful pictures this 31 of October.
And Ed can't help being proud he passes on this sweet, funny side of his legacy to his child.