Jonathan mouthed the words “home boys” while making a face, before being distracted by how big the lair actually was. “What exactly is this place, that it’s that big?” Jonathan asked, finishing off his dinner and setting the plate aside.
He wondered if Edward remembered saying he could move in, before dismissing it, having a feeling that all he gained in the panic attack had been wiped away, returning them to where they had been before it.
He missed the connection they had shared, in those few minutes before Edward went to bed, the closeness.
Eddie looked away, at first debating whether or not he should reveal his secrets. He ran his fingers through his hair and said, “What goes on when it goes off?”
“A light...no...alarm...no...” Jonathan frowned, turning the words over in his mind. “I have no idea...sex?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Eddie scoffed, then became thoughtful. “Alarm could work actually, but not the answer I’m looking for. Sorry. I can’t tell you.” He scooped up some cabbage and put it into his mouth. “I would never have thought cabbage tasted so good.” He chewed, swallowed and said, “This has been my lair since... since I became the Riddler. You’re the only person who has ever been here, and I’m still debating whether or not this was a good idea. I’m used to being alone. To having things done... my way. I will not have everything spoiled due to some accident that you make.”
“I’m thirty-three, my mind can be in the gutter if it wants,” Jonathan said, smiling at the compliment to his cooking. “And I don’t make accidents, Edwar...Nigma, besides, I’m not the one who invited me to move in,”
Okay, so Edward probably didn’t remember, but he was getting tired of being treated like he was some blabber-mouthed child. “Security system?” he tried, in answer of the riddle.
“Nope,” Eddie replied... Jonathan still hadn’t got the riddle right, or rather the answer he was looking for. “I’ll give you one more shot, and I’m being generous because this is probably the best meal I’ve had in years.” He looked over his shoulder at Jonathan and said, “Look at me. Are you looking at me? Watch as I roll my eyes in an exaggerated fashion.” He then rolled his eyes and made a sarcastic huff. “Why the hell are you here in the first place, if not an accident? Spraying toxin in your face. And I won’t allow random killing of people here, either! That’s not how I roll.” He pouted and scraped his plate to get the last remaining bit of sauce. “No bread? There should’ve been some bread.”
“It’s rising and I like killing people, Nigma, it’s sort of my MO here,” he pouted in thought, before giving up. “Stars, make-up, a bomb, Harley, Batman, cars,” Now he was just spouting whatever word came to mind in hopes for an correct guess. “And that wasn’t an accident,”
“You’re a lame ass,” Eddie laughed at the way he answered. “You still lose, even though you got the answer tucked in there. I don’t mind murder, obviously. But this is MY lair, and here we play by MY rules. You can kill whoever the hell you want on the outside, but I’m not cleaning up blood spills. And I find that you intentionally sprayed yourself with toxin very hard to swallow. Seriously, who do you take me for?”
“Do you get off insulting me? That is every other word that comes out of your mouth...and you’re a dick,” Jonathan said, though the fond tone he didn’t notice sort of negated the words. “I didn’t plan on killing people here, I don’t even know where here is,” he added, huffing.
He then smirked, tilting his head at Edward’s question. “Do you really want me to answer that?”