Becky is a (ex_songstres339) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2014-03-17 21:11:00 |
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Entry tags: | scarecrow |
Who: Becky & Crane
What: Valentine's Day.
Where: Passages.
When: Backdated to Feb. 14th-ish.
Warnings/Rating: Fluff.
Maybe she was supposed to be less nervous this time around, since she’d already met Jonathan in person once before. But, nope, no matter how many times she tried to reason it out Becky was still nervous. Maybe it was because they were meeting on, oh, Valentine’s Day, the most romantic holiday ever, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that their relationship, or whatever it was, was ridiculously unconventional. They lived in different worlds, after all. Technically speaking he was a fictional character, and a villain to boot. But none of that mattered, really, because she knew he was as real as her and she stubbornly believed that Jonathan was a good person. Just because some comic book said he was something didn’t mean it was true; he’d said he wanted to be different. And maybe she was being foolish, but if that was true she didn’t see it.
So she went shopping with Lizzie, only saying that she needed an outfit ‘for a date’ without elaborating. It was nice to get out, to relax, and the hours before she was supposed to head to the hotel were full of nerves and anticipation and a giddiness that she hadn’t ever felt before. She showered, she did her hair, she experimented with makeup with varying degrees of success, and then with fifteen minutes to spare she was ready and, for the most part, pleased with what she was wearing.
She took a cab to the hotel, like she’d done countless times before, and it helped that she knew what she was doing. Instead of going to her door she went to the one she unlocked before, a tin of cookies in hand (she hadn’t known what, if anything, to get him, so baking cookies seemed a safe choice) as she sat down to wait.
When it came down to it, there was only one person that Jonathan really considered a friend, or at least a person he did not want to harm. Eddie wavered on the edge of that line, but ultimately, Crane was aware that Eddie would not protect him or defend him unless he deserved it. And wasn't being friends about being by one another's side through thick and thin? But Becky… Becky was another story entirely, and she was the only person he could say for certain that he did not want to get hurt. He could keep that side of himself buried away in her presence, letting him approach something close to normalcy for the scant hours they were able to spend one another in that convergence between their worlds.
It was nearly time when he finally crossed into the room where she waited for him, dressed as he normally was in a pair of caramel coloured slacks and a white button down. A little convincing had allowed them to let him wear his own clothes at the asylum, and he was more comfortable in them than the hospital-issued sweats and t-shirts that hung horribly on his skeletal figure. His hair was combed back nicely, and though Jonathan never put much thought into his appearance, he was, at least, passably put together.
The door closed behind him and he leaned against it for a moment, taking in the young woman who waited for him, and for a moment, he couldn't believe that this was happening. A chance meeting at a party to these (almost) regular meetings in the hotel. It was more than he likely deserved, but he wasn't going to question it and jeopardize it any more than it already was just by who he was. "Hi," he said by way of greeting, a hand lifted, awkwardness gripping him now in her presence. "It's good to see you again." And that part was horribly true; he liked her, more than was likely healthy for someone like him, particularly given their truly unique situation. They were from different worlds and could never truly have a functional relationship, but Jonathan was happy enough with what they were able to scrape together.
"Happy Valentine's Day." And then, before his nerves could get the best of him, he stepped forward and leaned down to kiss her cheek, lingering for only a heartbeat before he retreated to sit across from her, hands lacing together between bent knees.
She looked up as soon as the door opened, and despite her nerves she was genuinely pleased to see him. It was evident in her expression, in the way her gaze brightened, and while her smile was a little shy it certainly wasn’t forced. Jonathan had been nothing but good to her, nothing but sweet, and she couldn’t imagine him doing any of the things she’d read about. It was simply wrong, that was all. After a few seconds she stood, smoothing down her skirt idly, and it was probably a good thing that he spoke first; she was having a little trouble finding her words. “Hi,” she echoed, taking his lead. “It’s good to see you again too.” A repetition of his words, maybe, but the sentiment was true.
Before she could respond to his wishing her a happy Valentine’s, though, he’d stepped forward, and she was too surprised to do anything but stand there as he kissed her cheek. She felt the heat rise and she knew she was probably blushing, but it was a good thing, and her smile turned warmer as he sat down across from her. “Same to you,” she said, softly, before sitting back down. “I, um, I made cookies. Do you-- I mean, I hope you like them.” Stupid, everyone liked cookies, didn’t they? Or, at least, she hoped, and she held out the tupperware before she could say anything else dumb.
That darker side of him had been tempted, at one point, to use Becky to test some of the drugs that he was formulating in private in his door, but then there were moments like this which left him reeling and wondering how he could ever even think to do anything that would cause her harm. Becky was one of the few people in this world that didn't think the worst of him, and that was something Jonathan found incredibly precious, something he wanted to protect. So he took in the blush on her cheeks, the warmth in her smile as they settled down to sit across from one another.
He couldn't help the smile that warmed his own expression as she drew out the container of cookies. Reaching out, he took it from her and opened the lid just a bit, enough to get a glimpse of them, sugary sweetness wafting out in invitation. "It's been a long time since I've had anything homemade like this," he said as he sealed the container, laying it on the table nearby, fingers lingering on it for a moment. "Thank you." And then his brow furrowed slightly and he glanced down at his knees. "I apologise that I have nothing for you," because he hadn't thought she would bring anything. New Arkham wasn't exactly packed with gifts to give people for any occasion, and with the relationship he had with his person through the door, he hadn't even contemplated asking for her help. That left him empty handed and feeling more than a little foolish.
Jonathan glanced up towards her, contemplating his words further. "I'm sorry." Because what else was there to say?
Entirely oblivious to the fact that he might have, once or twice, considered using her as a test subject for his drugs, Becky beamed as he opened the container. “I figured homemade baked goods weren’t really something you got a lot of,” she admitted, “so I thought-- I mean, I hoped you’d like them.” She was expecting a thank you, he was (in her mind) too polite and too much of a gentleman for anything else, but his apology surprised her. She hadn’t expected anything, and the last thing she wanted was to make him feel guilty. His circumstances were less than ideal, she knew that, and she didn’t hold him against it in the slightest.
“Oh, no, you don’t have to apologize. I don’t mind,” she assured him. “Really. This, um, this is enough.”
Growing up, Jonathan had never really found himself with friends, let alone any sort of romantic relationship, so saying that he didn't quite know what to do when it came to Becky was putting it mildly. He was all awkward and stumbled steps, trying to be polite, at least, if everything else failed. She most likely deserved better than he could ever offer to her, but for whatever reason, she had decided that he was worth it, at least in whatever way the hotel allowed them to be together. "I'm sure I'll love them," he said after a moment, pulling up a smile to offer to her, and then he was scooting forward, reaching out to take one of her hands in his own, fingers giving hers a tight squeeze. "And I only apologise because I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be doing. This isn't a situation I find myself in often, you see."
He was so earnest and endearing that she couldn’t help but melt, a soft smile coming to her lips when he squeezed her fingers. “You don’t have to apologize for that,” she told him. “I’m not exactly an expert at this either.” Under normal circumstances Becky really had no idea what she was doing, much less when it involved an entire world between them and a hotel as the only connection. It was, admittedly, a relief that he was just as unsure; it made her a little less nervous. “I kind of like that we can figure it out together,” she admitted.
They were certainly a match made in… well, he wasn't entirely sure it was heaven or something else entirely, but in a world where most people mocked him for who he was and how he behaved, it was good to know that there were those who existed that could look beyond that to see him. "I like that as well," Jonathan admitted, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, his shoulders sinking down slightly with the release of tension. There was another squeeze of her fingers, and then he shifted the hold he had upon her hand, twining their fingers together this time as he looked down at their joined hands. Thumb ghosted over the ridge of her knuckles, and he was a quiet thing, just enjoying the moment.
After some time had passed, he looked up, catching her gaze. "May I kiss you?" Jonathan asked, quiet and unsure. It was a sudden desire, a want that he was unprepared for.
She brightened when he agreed with her sentiment, and it made her feel a little better that her relief was mirrored in his; the release of tension in his shoulders, the exhale of air. Despite knowing that he was smart, Jonathan never made her feel stupid or slow. He never seemed to mind their differences either. Maybe to the rest of the world the two of them wouldn’t have made sense, but she didn’t care. She liked him. She liked him a lot, in a way she’d never liked anyone before. Her gaze was drawn downward when he entwined their fingers, almost fascinated by the way his thumb brushed over her skin. She watched for a couple of seconds, biting down on her lip, before looking back up as their eyes locked.
Her smile started small and widened, a shy thing, and she nodded. She moved a little closer, her heartbeat speeding up in anticipation. “You may,” she told him, just as quiet.
Agreement was good. Agreement was something he wanted, and as she moved in closer, he couldn't help but smile. She was perfect for him, far enough away that she didn't see the bad that the others did… close enough that he could do this. And Jonathan leaned in towards her, fingers clutching hers tightly as their lips met again, his heart hammering a furious rhythm in his chest despite his efforts at being relaxed around her. He wasn't nearly as skilled as he was at the party they had first met at, but he certainly didn't lack for effort. Soft lips, warm against her own undemanding and simply offering the comfort of a kiss.
Becky didn’t see him as a villain, didn’t see him as a danger. She just saw Jonathan, a man, someone she really, really liked, despite the complications that existed between them. She brushed her thumb over his hand when his fingers tightened around hers, and his nervousness, that furious heartbeat, didn’t bother her in the slightest; she was nervous too. Nervous, but thrilled at the same time, and her eyes fluttered shut when his lips met hers. Oh, she remembered the party, even if it made her blush to think about it after all this time. He might not have been skilled but she wasn’t either, and she kissed him back with the same undemanding warmth, enjoying it for what it was.
Becky got to see a part of Jonathan that few ever saw. It was a little softer, a little more emotional than he ever showed in his day to day life, and showing that to her, letting her get a glimpse of that side of him, was terrifying and exhilarating in the same breath. The warmth of her lips, the brush of her thumb over his hand, and Jonathan let out a soft sigh against her lips as he broke the kiss, though he still remained close, nose touching hers, eyes opening slowly to look upon her. "You're beautiful," he whispered, and there was nothing but truth in his words, simple honesty of a man who felt something for the woman he was sharing this time with.
In that moment, it didn’t matter that they were from two different worlds. Becky forgot everything but the two of them, the kiss they shared, and she opened her eyes slowly once it ended. She liked that he didn’t pull away, and her gaze lifted to meet his with a soft smile. Her aunt had told her she was beautiful a couple times in the past, but that was different; it was familial obligation, nothing like this. Jonathan didn’t have to tell her anything. He didn’t have to be here. If he said he thought she was beautiful, then he must have really believed it, right? And that warmed her, as she brought one hand up to brush her fingers over his cheek. Eventually she’d have to go home, and he would have to go back to his Gotham, but for now, there was just this.