Chapter 16
“Edward, I think it is finally time to tell y/n how I truly feel about her,” Oswald said as he paced from one side of his office to the other. “What do you think?”
The Edward in question simply looked up at Penguin from his spot on the floor before letting out a yawn, oblivious to the meaning of his owner’s words.
You’d raised an eyebrow when Oswald brought the bulldog home, especially since he had never struck you as being overly fond of animals. But you were excited about the addition to the household, even if his insistence on naming him Edward was difficult for you to deal with at first. Having the name of the man you had loved and lost uttered numerous times a day was, understandably, a hard thing to deal with. Then, one day, as you lingered outside of Oswald’s office and overheard how he rambled on at the canine, you were reminded of the fact that you were not the only person who had cared for Edward. Oswald had lost his best friend, and if this helped to fill the void, then you would find a way to accept it.
“Of course, I suppose she already knows, or at least suspects, my feelings for her. She isn’t blind or stupid, after all. But, I’ve never actually told her. I was always afraid that I would lose her if I did. Things are different now, though. She could have left at any time…gone back to her friends…but she hasn’t. She had no reason to stay other than simply wanting to. That’s why I’m sure that it is finally the proper time. I’ll prepare a lovely evening, and I’ll tell her…tonight.”
Before he could change his mind, he left his office to look for you. He found you outside on the patio enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Taking a deep breath, he summoned up all the courage that he possessed and approached you.
“Hey,” you said, lowering your phone to give him your full attention. “A slow day?”
“Something like that,” he replied distractedly. You had known him long enough to tell that he was nervous.
“Is something wrong?”
“No! No,” he said quickly. “I was just wondering…if you’d join me for dinner this evening?”
“We normally have dinner together,” you said in confusion.
“I know,” internally he cursed himself for handling this so awkwardly. “But, I meant a special dinner. We could dress for the occasion, and such.”
“Sure, Os, if you want to,” you said with a smile, although you still felt confused. Was it some sort of special occasion that you’d forgotten about?
“Good,” he replied with a large grin. “I’ll see you later.”
Halfway back to the house, he turned and added, “Don’t go into the dining room this afternoon, okay?”
“Um, okay.”
You thought about that encounter all afternoon and into the evening. Something was definitely going on. Oswald had never asked you to stay out of any part of his house before. All the time you had been living there, he had insisted that you act as if it were your own home. He had certainly piqued your interest, and it took all of your self-control to respect his wishes.
When dinner time finally arrived, you headed down the stairs as nonchalantly as you could manage. You’d really had no idea what to expect, but nothing you’d imagined had prepared you for what you found. The everyday dishes and silverware (which were already very nice) were gone, and in their place were the most exquisite replacements. There were lighted candles scattered throughout the dining room, music was playing softly, and red roses were awaiting you at your usual seat. The setting could only be described as romantic.
Glancing over at Oswald, you saw that he was even more dressed up than usual. You suddenly felt relieved that you hadn’t ignored his “dress for dinner” request.
“Y/n, you look lovely,” he said, walking over to you.
“You look very handsome yourself,” you said, messing with his tie playfully. You didn’t miss the blush that formed on his cheeks.
With a wave of his hand, he ushered you over to your seat and pulled out your chair for you.
“Thank you,” you said quietly, the weight of the situation finally hitting you as you stared at the roses in front of you.
Oswald was in love with you, and he had finally decided to confess it to you. Of course, you had already known for years. You had known ever since he tried to kill Clint. A man doesn’t do something like that out of jealousy over a friendship. But, he had never told you. At least, not in so many words. There had been moments…instances when his vulnerabilities slipped out of the cracks of the wall he’d tried so hard to build…moments that you had both ignored until now.
For some reason, ever since Edward died, you had known that this day would come. Staying with him for so long had ensured that it would. Yet, you could never bring yourself to leave.
You stayed quiet throughout most of the dinner, only making small talk about your recent updates from Natasha and asking Oswald about how business was going.
As you sipped your after-dessert wine, Oswald surprised you when he asked, “Would you like to dance?”
“What? Are you serious?” Noticing the hurt expression on his face at your words, you added, “I mean, it won’t hurt your leg?”
“I probably can’t manage much more than a slow swaying, but that works with this next song,” he said, limping over to you and offering you his hand.
You looked from his outstretched hand to his uneasy eyes before taking ahold of it and rising. Knowing his limited range of movement, you slipped your free arm around him and rested your chin on his shoulder, settling into a gentle rhythm.
“What do you think of the song?” He asked.
You listened as the lyrics began to fill the room.
My baby knows me
Better than I do
Funny how a woman has that over a man
I can do anything
With her here beside me
Leaning on her is where I make my stand
And where would we be
Without the love of a woman?
Standing behind her man even when he’s wrong
The true, pure, undying love of a woman
Makes a man a fool to think he can make it alone
“It’s nice,” you replied softly, closing your eyes.
“I picked it for a reason. It’s—it’s true. You’ve always stood by me, in spite of what I am and the terrible things I’ve done. I don’t know what I would do without you. What I’m trying to say is that I—well, I—I love you,” he finished shakily.
Pulling back, you gazed into his blue eyes. There was something there that you had never seen before: fear. He was afraid. Afraid of what you would say and do now. You’d spent the entire evening wondering how you would let him down easy when the time came.
But, now that it was here, you couldn’t find any reason to. What were you holding onto? The memory of a man who was never coming back?
You cared for Oswald. You always had. It was the reason you had to explain yourself to him when he’d thought you’d betrayed him. It was why you went back to help him even after he’d tried to kill your friend. Why you swore to never tell him the truth about Edward. Why you were still living with him…and why you were right here, right now.
Not yet ready to say those three words to another man, you simply leaned in and gave him a soft, lingering kiss.
Parting slightly, you whispered, “I need you, too, Oswald... more than you realize.”
“Really?” he replied quietly, his voice heavily laced with emotion.
“Yeah, really.”
He let out a soft, strangled laugh as relief washed over him.
“You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that.”
Tentatively, he leaned in to kiss you. It was tender, cautious, and uncertain, completely betraying his inexperience with the act. You couldn’t help but be reminded of the kiss you’d shared with Edward. Behind your closed eyelids, you felt your eyes start to sting from the tears his memory brought up. Though you tried your hardest, one still managed to slip down your cheek.
“What’s wrong?” Oswald asked after he’d pulled back, apparently noticing the wet trail left behind on your skin. The concerned expression on his face was touching. Most of Gotham wouldn’t believe Penguin was capable of such a feeling, yet there it was for you, and only you, to plainly see.
“I was just thinking...it was a hell of a road that led us to this moment, wasn’t it?” you answered with a small laugh of your own.
“Yes, I suppose it was. This is Gotham, after all. What else is there to say?”
Resting your head against his shoulder, you replied softly, “Nothing...nothing at all.”