Bus Trip
Once the teenager had calmed down enough, Otto was able to extract the information he needed. Norman, meanwhile, profusely apologised to the teen for his erratic behaviour, which kind of helped the teens nerves as they gave the information that Otto asked of them.
According to the teenager they were a few hours away from the city of New York, and that buses that come through the Dennys usually have a direct line straight to Queens. Though Norman didn’t quite like the idea of returning to New York, especially after everything that’s happened, Otto managed to reassure his doubts enough. To Otto, New York is the only home he’s ever known, and though Norman doesn’t want to go back, he feels the exact same way. Besides, the best place to start picking up the pieces of one’s life is usually to start where they broke off in the first place. At least in this case it seemed like a logical thing to do anyway.
While waiting for the next bus to come, Otto let Norman eat the rest of his food, which the man gladly accepted with open, and rather hungry, arms. Otto had never seen the man eat so fast, not even when they were younger, and he had less patience for the small things in life like enjoying a good meal.
Not many people know this, but Otto and Norman go way back, further than when Otto began his work with Oscorp. Norman and Otto first met in their freshman years of college, and, to put a long story short, they were mortal enemies before they found common ground with each other and a great friendship blossomed between the two men. Though not entirely perfect, as Norman tended to be one for the social light while Otto was more reserved and focused on his work, which gave way to more than a few occasions of mild arguments, they both agreed on the importance of technology and the next stage of evolution of mankind through this route of ingenuity and progression. It was even Norman that introduced Otto to Rosie, on one particular occasion he managed to drag him to one of the many parties he went to during his rambunctious years.
But that was then, when the world was their oyster, and the skies were their limits, now they were at rock bottom. No home, no money besides what they held in their pockets, and no idea of what exactly had just happened to them. But what they did have was each other, and that was a start.
“Do you think Oscorp is still around?” Norman asked, as the two of them waited, side by side, outside the Dennys at a bus sign.
“Well, if your son hasn’t run it into the ground yet I’d say so.” Otto said in a half joking manner, looking up to the sky, which was now a lavender hue with the rising of the sun.
“Oh my God, Harry.” Norman groaned, rubbing a hand across his face and through his hair. “I hope he’s doing alright. I didn’t even think about how he might react to this.” He fret, bringing his hand back down to his mouth and biting his knuckle gently.
“You’re his father, Norman, I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic to see you again.” Otto smiled, a small effort to assure his worried friend.
“I’m… not too sure about that…” He trailed off
“What do you mean?” Otto asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well…” Norman stared at the ground beneath him, shuffling his feet in the gravel and dirt. “How would you take it… if your father came back from the dead?”
Otto went silent for a moment. He considered his answer for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak. “Norman…” He began but was cut off as a bus pulled up beside them, opening its doors to them immediately as it stopped.
Norman sniffed and adjusted his posture, looking forward towards the bus. “Come on, New York is on the horizon now.” And without another word, Norman moved past Otto and onto the bus.
The driver almost stopped Norman from sitting down without paying when Otto came up to him, paying the fare they needed to get to New York, which also happened to basically be the last of all his and Norman’s money combined, which wasn’t even a lot to begin with in this situation. The driver nodded and gestured to him to sit down before they started moving.
Otto walked cautiously further into the bus, holding his actuators close to him, making them as small and low down as possible as he moved down the aisle of the small bus. There were maybe three other people on the bus, but all were either sleeping, or simply not phased by the two, as if a man in green armour and a man with four metallic tendrils dragging behind him weren’t the strangest things they’ve seen on the bus before. That, of course, didn’t stop Otto from wanting to sit down as soon as possible to avoid getting stared at for too long and possibly be recognized as two of the most notorious terrorizers in New York. Norman was already staring out the window when Otto sat next to him, not even bothering to look back to him as he sat down. As soon as Otto found his seat, and he awkwardly moved his actuator up over the seat so he had room to sit, the bus began to move again. The both of them sat in silence for the next twenty minutes, with Norman still looking out the window, as if he was purposefully ignoring the other. Otto noticed this as odd because, though with other people he might not be as quick to casual conversation, he always made an effort to chat with Otto whenever he got the chance to when he saw him when he worked at Oscorp. And after what they’ve both gone through these past days there was certainly a lot to talk about.
‘Maybe he’s processing it.’ Otto thought to himself as he awkwardly looked down to his lap, holding his hands together as he twiddled his thumbs together. The awkward silence fell strongly upon Otto, especially after the conversation they left on, so he filed through his mind on a million different conversation starters. He wanted to talk about that conversation first and foremost. Otto had a deep underlying feeling that it might’ve caused his friends sudden silence and worried his hesitation might’ve said something he didn’t mean to say. All the lines he could come up with felt cheesy or uninteresting and boring to him, which meant it would have been ten times worse for Norman to listen to, but eventually he made up his mind on what to say. As he opened his mouth to talk though, Norman finally broke the silence himself.
Norman’s voice came out slowly at first, and so soft it was barely above a whisper, as though he was hesitant to ask. “Do you think I’m a bad father, Otto?”
The question took Otto off guard for a moment and all he could think of to say next was. “Excuse me?”
Norman turned to Otto, staring him down with furrowed eyes. “Do you think I’m a bad father, Otto?” He repeated, this time with strength, like he had to force it out of himself the second time.
“What no- why would you even say such a thing?” He demanded, though it came out a lot rougher than he’d wanted it to come out.
“Oh, I don’t know, let me name a few things.” Norman snapped, his voice becoming louder as he continued. “I abandoned my son for my work, I pushed him away when he needed me most and I never told him how proud I was of him!” He stopped himself suddenly, just short of yelling at the other man. He took in a sharp breath and slowly let it out, his shoulders sagging as his gaze turned to his lap. “I… I let myself get killed by my own stupid creation, Otto.” He continued, slower and calmer than before. “I let my own greed be the judge of my actions. What kind of man does that?” He slowly clenched his hands into fists, as he struggled to say his final words. “What kind of a father puts his own son through that?”
“You weren’t yourself, Norman, the Goblin was plaguing your mind.” Otto paused for a moment, his eyes briefly darting back to his actuators. “Like my demons warped me into a monster.”
Norman turned to Otto, a look of anger in his eyes as he opened his mouth to say something in protest. He wanted to retaliate, tell him he’s wrong, tell him he’s not a monster like him, but one glance at the metallic limbs on the other's back made him close his mouth once again. Instead, he silently turned away from Otto and hung his head over his lap. “I suppose we’re both monsters of our own creation…”
A pang of hurt hit Otto’s chest at Norman’s words, but this was not the time for his own problems. His friend was hurting, and that’s what mattered right now to him. “Maybe…” He began. “But you don’t have to keep living in your past mistakes anymore.” He put a hand on Norman’s shoulder, getting enough of the others' attention for him to look at him once more. “You’ve been given a second chance, Norman. A second chance at life.” He lightly squeezed his shoulder, as he attempted a hopeful smile. “A second chance to be the father you weren’t before.”
A small genuine smile crossed over Norman’s face for a moment before it quickly disappeared again as he casted his gaze to Otto’s feet. “What if he never accepts me as a father again?”
“You’ll never know until you try.” Otto offered in response. “And when does the great doctor Norman Osborn never try?”
Norman let out a small weak chuckle before he sighed and looked at his old friend with a soft smile. “When did the apathetic man I knew in college turn into you eh?” He asked half-heartedly, as he looked Otto up and down in feigned disbelief.
Otto could feel a warmth of joy come from seeing Norman smile again. Even though it was just a small one, and sadness still resided deep within his old blue eyes, it meant the world to him to see him smile again. “When the ice in my heart melted.” Otto exaggerated, putting a hand over his heart daintily. He was never one for such overemphasis of his actions, but if it meant Norman was happier he would gladly make a fool of himself at this point.
Norman laughed heartily at his silliness, which made Otto smile. “Rosie really made that much of an impact on you?” Norman smirked, his old confidence peaking its way through again.
Otto’s smile faltered for a moment at the mention of Rosie, but it quickly returned before he continued. “Well her and you, if I’m honest.” He admitted, without much thought into his words.
“Me?” Norman gawked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. “Why me?” He asked bluntly.
Otto could feel his face heat up with embarrassment as he instantly regretted mentioning it. “Oh, well that uh… That is a story for another day.” He quickly said, hoping Norman would drop it without noticing the blush that formed across his cheeks.
Norman narrowed down on him before he hummed out a quick breath of defeat. “Alright keep your secrets.” He sighed, leaning on the other. Otto froze as the other’s head landed on his shoulder, a bright redness now very clearly in his cheeks. “Thank you.” Norman said, lightly pushing the side of his head into Otto’s shoulder.
“For what?” Otto asked hesitantly.
“For being you, Otto Octavius.”
Otto relaxed under Norman’s weight when he heard him say those words, taking in the pleasant warmth of the other man. He did not entirely understand what that meant, but hearing it come from Norman made his heart skip a beat.
The two sat in a pleasant silence for a few minutes. Norman lay comfortably upon Otto’s shoulder the whole time through their silence. Eventually, with the comfort of Otto’s shoulder, along with the gentle rumblings of the bus wheels on the country road, Norman drifted from the waking world into the world of blissful slumber. Otto realised the other was asleep when he looked down and noticed the deep calmness in his breathing. A gentle smile formed across his face as he looked at the sleeping man. This is the first time he had seen Norman sleep since they saw each other again, even in that distant universe, when they were helping those poor souls before Goblin took over, he never once saw him rest much less sleep, so he could not help but find joy in seeing Norman like this. After a few moments of watching over the sleeping man, an incredible instinct to kiss him on the forehead came to him suddenly, though another voice in him held him back from acting upon it. Instead, Otto repressed this compulsion by leaning his head back against the seat of the bus enjoying the comfort of Norman's rhythmic breathing lightly blowing down his arm. Soon enough Otto also found himself slipping from the land of consciousness and into the world of dreams. It was a good thing too, for this was going to be a long journey for him. For both of them in fact.
And they will need their strength for what is yet to come.