A long pause on Eddie’s part, and he finally said, “You better not tell me something ridiculous like you sprayed yourself on purpose in hopes that I bring you to my secret lair so you could cook dinner for me and hopefully have sex later.”
Jonathan, who had been taking a sip of his wine choked, almost spitting the red fluid in Edward’s lap. “W-who said anything about sex?” he asked, stuttering, eyes wide.
Again, Eddie rolled his eyes. Jonathan might’ve just realized a few hours ago that he had a “crush” on Eddie, but Eddie could read the clues for days. “You were macking on me back in your lab. And don’t try to deny.” Eddie pouted. “So what is your answer? I’m dying to know.”
“I was not ‘macking’, I was observing,” Jonathan said stiffly. Really, observing...and filing away the view for later enjoyment. “...there was a question?”
Sighing deeply and dramatically, Eddie spoke slowly, as if to a child, “You asked me if I really wanted to know your answer as to whether or not your spraying yourself with toxin was an accident.”
Jonathan glared at the tone before leaning back on his hands. “You know I didn’t, Edward.” he said, not even realizing he slipped in using the man’s name again. “I miscalculated something,”
Okay, so it WAS an accident, but still, he wasn't going to admit it.
Eddie could tell that Jonathan would never admit he was wrong out of principle, so he decided to drop the argument, but firmly stated, “Then there can’t be any miscalculations. The ventilation in this place sucks as it is. If one of your toxin canisters goes off here... doomed.”
“There won’t be any, relax,” Jonathan said, smiling at Edward, ignoring the acid stain remover he had created earlier. “What do you want for dinner tomorrow?” he asked, changing the subject away from insulting him again. Granted, they didn’t have much to cook so Edward could probably find some way to insult him about that...
Eddie set aside his plate and rested his hands upon his full tummy. In a life filled with fast and frozen foods, this meal had been a rare exception. Vegetables? Those were what you put on top of pizzas, right? His gaze was directed toward his precious computer monitors and he picked his teeth with his index finger, thoughtfully. “I’m not going out every day for supplies. I’ve got work to do.” Damn. A bit of cabbage was wedged between his teeth. “It doesn’t matter. I got some other stuff. I’m guessing you put it all away. I usually don’t eat regular meals, you know? I’m usually busy.” Restless eyes scanned the monitors, but his mind was becoming fixated on something different. “It could work, it could work,” he muttered. Then suddenly, he announced, “Furniture!” as he jumped out of his chair. “Let’s see what we have.”
Leaving the computer room, he rather expected Jonathan to follow without needing to ask, but paused at the door to look behind. “Are you coming or not?”
Jonathan blinked, before standing, following Edward. “You’re going to eat regularly while I’m here, Edward. It’s unhealthy for you to keep going as you do,” said the man whose ribs could be counted by sight alone. “So why are we getting furniture, I’m fine with the floor,” he muttered.
“You’re not my moth...” Eddie began to snap back, but cut himself off. He was going to say mother, but his mouth sealed shut in a scowl, fighting back images memories of his real mother. He froze, on the edge of what might’ve been another breakdown, but instead he turned rapidly around to quickly trod down the hall... the ‘forbidden’ hallway, which Jonathan was warned about. As long as he kept his mind and body busy with his current obsession, he was safe. “I told you, sitting on the floor makes you look like a dog. There’s a lot of stuff down there. You’ll find something you like.”