"Then give me back the gun and the cash when you're settled. No debt." Edward tugged on his hair as he turned around, estimating how much time it would take them to get from here to a place the girls could get to them. He didn't want to miss the window for when they had to make a move. "You can call me Ed, you know? Ed, Eddie, Edward. Riddler. No need for the surname stuff, it's all very high school."
Besides, no one really did it. Even Batman usually just called him Eddie, which he was never quite sure how to feel about. "You've got plans? See, one step ahead of me there. All I want is to get to my place, have a bubble bath and catch up on some shows and movies."
"I got some gangsters to kill. Ed." There, see, he would call him Ed if he wanted to be called Ed, he didn't care, he just always called him Mr Nygma - it was just left over from their court days. "I didn't finish getting Maroni's men so I want to knock down as many as I can before I end up back here." Or maybe he would get more ambitious. He wanted to make this whole thing work so what did he need? Territory, weapons, money and lackeys. Couldn't be that hard.
"I'll get cash first though, seems like the place to start. Money then I offer the gangsters and pay out their low levels, see what I can do." Harvey rolled his neck and then looked at Edward, giving him a half smile. "But first-first - beer. Beer and probably sleep. Dunno where but I'll find somewhere."
Even if he had to sleep in the sewer again. Not like he could use a hotel with a face like that.
"If you want a safe house..." Edward trailed off, assuming that Harvey would catch his drift. He wasn't going to simply offer it if Harvey really didn't want to take the offer, he wasn't that desperate. For approval, for friendship, for whatever this was even supposed to be. He huffed, at himself more than anything, then put his hands into his pockets and headed down the hallway again, knowing that they ought to start making their way out. "You can probably take most of Maroni's assets easily. Doubt anyone else has managed to secure them yet. Well, the assassins, those will be with Zsasz."
That was probably a safe guess. "He's nice to work for, Zsasz, according to my girls. They freelance for him sometimes, when I'm busy."
"I don't know, he always gave me the creeps. I don't like him."
He put his hands in his pockets and followed after Edward, wondering why he offered so much. It was odd. Was he worth trusting? Was he nice or was it a long con? Did he trust him? Harvey pulled out his coin and flipped it. Silver side up. Trust. Place his faith in trust. "If you're offering me a safe house, I'll take it for now." He would pay Edward back and then they could call it even. No one would owe anyone. "What sort of stuff do you like, Ed? As payment. Cause I don't do favours but I can offer money, eventually. Or, you know, gifts."
Harvey looked him up and down before he smiled in a playful way, clearly teasing. "You want like a pearl necklace or tiara or something? Something real pretty, right? Bring out your eyes."
"Oh boy. I've always wanted a tiara." Was that a strange thing to admit to? Probably, but it wasn't as if he was going for the title of manly butch rogue here, he knew he'd be losing that one. Really ought to spend more time around Oswald again, maybe Jervis, because that might be better for that boost. However, they'd never offer him pretty things without a catch. "Gifts are a lot more thoughtful than cash, don't you think? Show you really care."
He smirked, ignoring a voice that sounded suspiciously like Crane's mocking him for getting attached quickly, for caring when no one cared about him. Screw that, if he got a tiara out of it that made it worth the hassle. "You get me a tiara and we'll be even. Real stones though. I ain't cheap."
"You know, Ed, you can't miss a Narrows boy. We all know each other, there's a vibe, you just know. And yet, I don't think for a second that you have ever been cheap in your life." Harvey thought that a guy like Edward, he was probably either always classy or yearning to be. He had big ideas, he wanted lots cash and luxury houses. It all made sense to him.
"I'll get you a tiara. Green stones, matches your outfit. Gotta keep with the whole aesthetic, right?"
Harvey was having fun, it was joking around with a friend and he missed that dose of normalcy. Usually he was just trying to stop rogues from picking fights. "Keep being sweet on me and maybe I'll get you something pretty to match it. A nice necklace or something. Then you'll be ready for the ball."
"Keep being sweet on me and I'll be trying to take you to that ball." This was dangerous for one simple reason, in Edward's mind, because Harvey was joking with him, was playing along, and he was doing it just because. Was being sweet. Very, very different from someone looking to get laid, that was a game he found a lot easier to play, easy to distance himself from. Here was hoping Harvey's straightness had some give, or this was going to get difficult for him very quickly. "You're right though, I never took to poverty the way I've taken to luxury. You should see my place one day. Hashtag aesthetic."
He smirked and opened up one last door for them, so they could make their way out into the open. A back exit, but that was just as well. A lot less likely to be watched, especially right now. "I got into computers, I was rich within months after finishing high school. A lot less tedious than college."
"I never understood computers. I can type okay but I like paper stuff, I always print everything." Harvey admitted with a shrug as he walked out of the door and stood outside, taking a deep breath. Oh yeah, there was that gross Gotham air. A little polluted, something a bit off that smelled of sewer and yet, kind of like wet moss too. He liked it. It smelled like home.
"I'm outside. Jesus. Fucking hell, Eddie, I didn't think I'd ever be outside again. You beautiful bastard."
Harvey laughed and then he wrapped an arm around Edward and half hugged him, grinning because he was free. He could do shit again, he could start actually making his tragedy into an asset. And Edward didn't have to break him out, he just did. He kissed the top of Edward's head, like he was some lucky trinket. "I don't do favours but I do fucking owe you one."
"...well, that clears that up." Did not. Not anything. Did he owe him a favour that he wasn't going to be doing? Did he want to make out at any point? Did he actually think he was beautiful and, if so, was it in a platonic way or was there any give? Edward looked at Harvey from the side, struck momentarily by that picture of masculine beauty. He could appreciate it more now, in the light of the dim Gotham sun, with the stark contrast his face was. Kind of breath-taking, really, made Ed wish he was more of an artist. Certainly inspired something in him. "If you want to do me a favour, get your face looked at. I can forward you to a good doctor. I'm never getting that tiara if you're just out there battling infections."
"Tell you what, you send me a doctor you trust and I'll go, get it looked at and get that tiara. And then we're even." He let go of Edward and then nodded in approval of him before he started to wander off ahead. "Trust me, Ed, I ain't gonna let this thing kill me. I'm gonna be fine."
He had luck on his side. He wasn't made to wallow in Arkham, he was going to rule the streets and show the Bat how Gotham's future truly looked.
"Oh, fuck me." Edward muttered the words to himself quietly, watching Harvey strut with all that swagger and confidence. There was a high school quarterback if ever he'd seen one. What was a boy to do? He sighed and pushed the hair back from his face, desperate to put some decent product into it. Then he sped up to catch up with Harvey, relieved when he saw a car come up to them. It'd be easier to focus around the girls. "Tone down those sexy vibes around them, they are a lot more aggressive than I am."
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icebergloungers2022-10-23 01:33 pm
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Besides, no one really did it. Even Batman usually just called him Eddie, which he was never quite sure how to feel about. "You've got plans? See, one step ahead of me there. All I want is to get to my place, have a bubble bath and catch up on some shows and movies."
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"I'll get cash first though, seems like the place to start. Money then I offer the gangsters and pay out their low levels, see what I can do." Harvey rolled his neck and then looked at Edward, giving him a half smile. "But first-first - beer. Beer and probably sleep. Dunno where but I'll find somewhere."
Even if he had to sleep in the sewer again. Not like he could use a hotel with a face like that.
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That was probably a safe guess. "He's nice to work for, Zsasz, according to my girls. They freelance for him sometimes, when I'm busy."
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He put his hands in his pockets and followed after Edward, wondering why he offered so much. It was odd. Was he worth trusting? Was he nice or was it a long con? Did he trust him? Harvey pulled out his coin and flipped it. Silver side up. Trust. Place his faith in trust. "If you're offering me a safe house, I'll take it for now." He would pay Edward back and then they could call it even. No one would owe anyone. "What sort of stuff do you like, Ed? As payment. Cause I don't do favours but I can offer money, eventually. Or, you know, gifts."
Harvey looked him up and down before he smiled in a playful way, clearly teasing. "You want like a pearl necklace or tiara or something? Something real pretty, right? Bring out your eyes."
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He smirked, ignoring a voice that sounded suspiciously like Crane's mocking him for getting attached quickly, for caring when no one cared about him. Screw that, if he got a tiara out of it that made it worth the hassle. "You get me a tiara and we'll be even. Real stones though. I ain't cheap."
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"I'll get you a tiara. Green stones, matches your outfit. Gotta keep with the whole aesthetic, right?"
Harvey was having fun, it was joking around with a friend and he missed that dose of normalcy. Usually he was just trying to stop rogues from picking fights. "Keep being sweet on me and maybe I'll get you something pretty to match it. A nice necklace or something. Then you'll be ready for the ball."
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He smirked and opened up one last door for them, so they could make their way out into the open. A back exit, but that was just as well. A lot less likely to be watched, especially right now. "I got into computers, I was rich within months after finishing high school. A lot less tedious than college."
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"I'm outside. Jesus. Fucking hell, Eddie, I didn't think I'd ever be outside again. You beautiful bastard."
Harvey laughed and then he wrapped an arm around Edward and half hugged him, grinning because he was free. He could do shit again, he could start actually making his tragedy into an asset. And Edward didn't have to break him out, he just did. He kissed the top of Edward's head, like he was some lucky trinket. "I don't do favours but I do fucking owe you one."
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He had luck on his side. He wasn't made to wallow in Arkham, he was going to rule the streets and show the Bat how Gotham's future truly looked.
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In their flirting and in general.