Jonathan was curled up in the corn maze, resting beneath the weather battered scarecrow, sitting in the lap of Scarecrow himself. He made a face as Scarecrow shifted, the man’s black leather pants making too much noise for his test and he pinched the thigh beneath his head, smirking as Scarecrow growled, long fingernails brushing through Jonathan’s hair, gently working at his scalp.
Scarecrow tilted his head back, lined eyes closing as he felt the sun on his face, drinking in the warmth for the first time in a long time. Neither of the pair had any idea why they were here, or how, but in that moment, they couldn’t care less. For once, they had nearly everything they desired...each other.
Blue eyes snapped open at the sound of movement in their maze, darting around like the bird he was supposed to cause fear in, searching for a threat while Jonathan rested.
--
"What the fuck?" Corn? A corn maze? Edward was NOT pleased. He squinted at the bright sun, lifting a hand to his forehead, fingers resting flat against his brows to shield his sensitive eyes from the harsh light.
How he had gotten there he wasn't sure. Only that it was not his preference of choice when it came to scenery. Especially on a day he decided to wear his nice pair of green alligator skin shoes.
Not to mention all of the sweat he would get all over his suit.
With a grumble Eddie lowered his hand from his face and began to trudge effortlessly through the winding corridors of the maze. He wasn't sure what lay ahead or even at the end, but he was positive he would find out in good time. If he made it.
--
Scarecrow shifted, leaning more over Jonathan, shielding the other man as his hand slid down to his thigh, pulling free one of the rusted sickles that had been hooked there, the blade resting protectively over his other. He had already failed Jonathan, he would not do it again.
He wished he could stand, take a better position, but he wouldn’t risk waking the doctor.
--
Eddie kept his arms at his sides, but did draw a weapon in case something did spring out at him. He had seen the movies and something usually did pop out at some point. He wasn't going to take the risk.
Slowly he made his way around the next turn, approaching what seemed to be perhaps the middle. A clearing of some sorts.
It was then Eddie stopped and beheld what lay before him, Jonathan and the Scarecrow. His eyes widened some and the gun in his hand shivered a bit but he held it anyway.
"I'm dreaming right?"
--
“I doubt it, we bleed, as do you,” Scarecrow hissed. He gently, oh so gently moved Jonathan from his lap before standing, long, skeletal fingers clenching around the sickle in his hand. “Why are you here, Little Riddle? This is our place.”
--
Eddie holstered his gun in efforts to not provoke the Scarecrow, or seem as if he wanted to harm Jonathan. Shaking his head the tall ginger shrugged, "No clue. Trust me, it's probably the last place I would rather be. This sun is terrible..."
Eddie took a step forward, approaching the pair slowly. His heart raced. He had missed the Doctor terribly.
--
Scarecrow growled low in his throat as Eddie approached, moving back so that he was straddling Jonathan, keeping his other under him...under his protection. “Not yours!”
--
Sadly Eddie stopped, and he sighed, shoulders slumping some as he beheld them both, "Please? I love him. I'm not going to hurt him. I want to protect him like you do. Keep him safe. I will admit that I'm not as good at it as you are but you know him better."
Eddie didn't plead. He didn't beg. But he would do anything for Jonathan.
--
“You always hurt him! Everyone hurts him!” Scarecrow sunk slowly to the ground, pulling Jonathan back into his lap, lovingly stroking the other man’s hair. “He hurts himself.” Scarecrow leaned down, pressing chapped, dry lips against Jonathan’s temple. “Have to always keep him safe…”
He started rocking slowly, cradling Jonathan in his arms.
--
"We can keep him safe together. You and I. You can sit there with me, to make sure nothing happens. I'm tired of working against each other when you and I both know we would function so much better as a pair. Just think of how unstoppable we could be if we took matters together. Considered all of the options. Kept Jonathan safe from all angles. You won't always be there for him, but when you can't be then I can."
Eddie took another slow step forward, but stopped so as not to seem threatening. He really did, earnestly want to work together.
--
Scarecrow hissed at Edward’s words, but made no other move, his entire focus on Jonathan, on keeping the doctor calm as Jonathan shifted in his sleep, their argument penetrating his sleep. “Hush little baby don’t say a word, momma’s going to buy you a mocking bird…” Scarecrow sung softly, still petting Jonathan’s brown hair.
Jonathan curled more into a ball, hugging Scarecrow’s thigh.
--
Eddie sighed, finally sinking to the leaf and corn strewn ground. His suit didn't matter, and his shoes were now the least of his concern. The man he loved lay only feet from him and it felt as though the gap were larger, more vast.
He scooted forward some, trying to bridge the space between the three of them. He couldn't help himself, as dangerous as he knew the Scarecrow could be. But Scarecrow had won already, what more was there to do with Edward? Especially when the mad genius was willing to be compliant? Play by the rules? Which was rare.
--
Scarecrow hissed at Edward, but did nothing more...that was until the pair could hear a feeble old woman’s voice calling Jonathan’s name. Both Jonathan and Scarecrow shot up at that, Jonathan with his eyes wide with fear, Scarecrow growling. “Take him and run,” Scarecrow ordered Edward, shoving Jonathan at him.
He holstered his sickle, spinning his scythe free just as a decrepit, eighty year old woman appeared, holding a suit. “Jonathan, there you are! You rotten, evil child!”
“RUN!” Scarecrow hissed, lashing out at the elderly woman.
“I killed you, you whore!” Jonathan screamed, panic’d.
--
Edward heard the voice and blinked, catching Jonathan in his long arms when the man was shoved at him. "Come on baby, I'll keep you safe," Eddie breathed. He held onto Jonathan and darted into the corn to escape the danger.
Eddie continued to move quickly, pulling the obviously frightened male with him, keeping a good hold on him.
He wouldn't let anything hurt Jonathan, not even himself. So if that woman got close Eddie would fill her with bullets before she could harm any part of the man he loved.
--
“Can’t be here...dead...buried her in her church…” Jonathan mumbled, his face pale, eyes darting around like a frightened colt. “Heart attack, watched her die...watched every second of her death…”
Behind them, Scarecrow screamed.
--
"Shhh. Baby it's going to be alright," Eddie breathed, still pulling Jonathan through the corn. At some point he had managed to unholster a gun and held it with the barrel to the sky, the butt nestled into his palm.
He wished he had his gold revolvers, but these would do.
His heart raced and his chest rose and fell with heavy breath from the fast movement. But they couldn't stop.
--
“Never alright so long as she’s alive,” Jonathan whispered...and ran smack into a pair of spindly bone legs. He sat on the ground, staring up at Scarebeast who huffed a cloud of fear toxin above their heads, before leaning down, plucking either man up by the back of their shirts.
“Grandma,” Scarebeast growled out, cradling Jonathan and Edward as he turned, stomping the maze as he walked.
From the new distance, one could see where they had been...and the black smear that was Scarecrow, crumpled on the ground.
--
Eddie flailed when the Scare beast picked him up but his fear subsided when he found himself cradled in its arms instead of being at its mercy. He re-holstered his weapon and looked back at the maze behind them.
He frowned and sighed, glad the Scarebeast had come to their rescue. Kind of.
"Remind me never to ask to meet your dead grandma, Kay babe?" Eddie said with a shake of his head.
--
Jonathan gave him a look at that, before curling against Scarebeast’s neck, all but clinging to the creature, taking comfort in the fact that Scarebeast could easily crush anything in it’s path.
Scarebeast paused, picking up the battered body of Scarecrow, flinging him over his shoulder to land next to Edward before continuing on. Scarecrow groaned, bleeding heavily from several parts of his body, whimpering softly.
--
Eddie shifted as Scarecrow landed next to him, and instantly he removed his jacket and pressed the fabric against some of the fallen figments wounds. The roles had been reversed before, Eddie had been the one lain out broken and bleeding before Scarecrow, and now Eddie was faced with this dilemma.
He couldn't just leave the Scarecrow laying there, bleeding to death. Well, he could, but he wouldn't.
--
Scarecrow’s eyes opened, looking lost, confused and child-like. “E-ddie?” he asked, wondering why the man was bothering to save him, especially after all he had done to him. “Hurts…” he groaned.
Jonathan was staring at them from the other should, pleased with Edward.
--
Eddie only continued to help Scarecrow, despite everything between them. Edward needed Scarecrow to survive because he was a part of Jonathan that would never go away. At least not any time soon, which meant learning to get along. And Edward would put any ill feelings aside for the man he loved, no matter what it took.
"Shhhh, I know it hurts. Eddie will fix you right up!" He tried to remain positive for the sake of the Scarecrow and he really did everything he could to help the other but without proper medical devices he was helpless to really patch Scarecrow up. No pun intended.
He pulled the Scarecrow very gently into his arms after doing what he could and he cradled the entity, trying his best to comfort him, slowly rocking them both back and forth in a soothing sway.
--
Scarecrow clung to Edward, crying softly...almost desperately. He shook, trying not to break compltely even though it would be so much easier than the pain.
The magic that held them in the maze started to shake and falter, falling apart around them. They were back in the city, in the bowels of Arkham. Scarebeast was gone, vanished back into Edward, but Scarecrow remained, a living, breathing...DYING creature in Edward's arms.