It's a Graves thing (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} soundofwings) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} rooms,@ 2015-03-20 15:32:00 |
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Who: Muerte and Eddie
What: Walking, talking, smooching (Pt 1 of 3)
Where: Dirty Dancing door - Kellerman's Resort in upstate NY
When: After Eddie and Steph go for coffee and this discussion.
Warnings/Rating: Some angst tossed in, but mostly the walking, talking, and smooching.
After his conversation with Muerte, Eddie climbed up his stairs to go look in the mirror. He was getting old, he decided, rubbing his fingertips along the stubble on his cheek and chin. There was no doubt that men his age had such revelations daily and while some of them did nothing in response, others flailed against the approach of death violently. Eddie was no such man. He was wild in his 20’s, absolutely unhinged at times, and his early 30’s was a race towards a marriage and a wholesome version of himself that simply wasn’t going to last. So, now his mid-30’s was dedicated to slowing down time as much as he possibly could. He took longer to look at the few scars along his face and neck. He put his thumb to the bags under his eyes and stretched them as if he was curious to see how far they could go. He was getting old and he didn’t much mind. And, he knew how to make his age look good. Especially if he had someone to look good for.
A shower and a shave and he was dressed (casual as a rich man could be). Eddie went downstairs to get a sun hat decorated with flowers that he had picked out for Muerte days and days ago. He got a straw hat for himself, something Sinatray in style and then left for the hotel with his head in the clouds.
Muerte was always a bit of a mystery, he decided. He liked to think he knew her better than anyone else in Gotham and yet there was always a surprise or two hidden under that octopus black hair. The usual lyrical way that he spoke stopped and sputtered around her like an awkward jazz solo that would put off anyone else. Except, she’d smile, she’d even laugh sometimes and he could feel her unlocking parts of himself without her even trying. The Valentine’s Curse was over, so that fevered need to see her and to be with her had passed. In its place was a deep affection, a yearning for something lighthearted and real between them. He still wanted to see her almost all the time, but he was glad the teenager jitteriness of it was gone. And, no. Things weren’t easy, but she made him feel wanted. And, he couldn’t help thinking how he hadn’t felt wanted in such a long, long time.
Eddie stumbled over a bump in the hotel carpet and snapped out of his drifting thoughts. He looked around. Oh, yes. New door.
It occurred to him that he had no idea what door she was in or where to find it, so he meandered up and down the different hallways. He nodded politely at the few that passed him by and he wondered how often people really liked to door hop in this hotel. Selina had always told Eddie that he needed time away and each time he thought about that, his opinion changed. Sometimes he thought he didn’t need anything except Gotham. Othertimes? He wanted a break, a change of scenery, a chance to be any part of his personality that he wanted. In this case, he simply wanted to spend time with Muerte without fretting too much over the whole Endless thing. He wanted a shot of nostalgia from his glory days.
Eddie finally found a door that was cracked open a bit and carefully opened it enough to stick his head in. “Muerte?” He stepped forward, her hat in hand. “I really hope it’s still sunny out. Or this hat will be a complete waste.” Eddie said, voice all chipper green like fresh cut grass.
The door that she'd propped ajar for Eddie was relatively close to their own, and it opened as the screendoor to the front porch of the empty staff bungalow she'd claimed as her own. It was down at the end, one of the farthest from the main buildings and guests, but it suited her. Maybe eventually someone would notice that she wasn't actually working there, but until then it gave her someplace in the door to call her own. The inside wasn't furnished much past the single bed and some empty furniture, and she hadn't added any of her own touches, uncertain how much time she'd actually be spending there. She'd swept the porch, though, and had commandeered a blanket that she'd folded up as a cushion, set close to the building so that she could lean against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her.
It was obviously summer, and the heat of it seeped into the hotel hallway around the open door, beckoning with humidity and higher temperatures, but with the fresh and open green of someplace far from the city. It was late afternoon, and in the distance was the sound of lazy resort activities finishing up in the lull before dinner, the murmur of voices carrying on the heavy air. Here and there, people found trees to rest under, sometimes singly, sometimes paired, sometimes in larger groups. Even the staff had slowed their pace in the heat of the lengthening day, their rushing a little less frantic than it sometimes was. The most active things were the cicadas, their buzzing drone cutting through the slow stillness.
She'd found, in choosing what to wear, that the fashions of the day (even the casual fashion) suited her, once she tamed certain parts of her appearance. The tattoo had to go, unfortunately, and not having her necklace to compensate for the absence was a little strange. Not as much as it would have been were she not currently human, but it still felt like something was missing. She couldn't keep it in this door, though, especially not when her arms were bare to the shoulders. She'd chosen a pair of light blue pedal pushers and a buttoned, sleeveless top in a faded plaid that matched the bottoms, top two buttons undone in deference to the summer air. A pair of white sandals sat to the side, where she'd kicked them off her feet while she waited. And, though it wasn't quite as fashionable for the time period, she'd pulled her unruly hair back into a french braid, bangs made neat and even over her forehead. The braid itself hung to between her shoulders, a few of the stubborn sections around her face escaping and curling themselves into ringlets in the summer air.
Her journal sat to the side as she waited, page marked by her pen, but she'd abandoned it in favor of trying to stay calm by tipping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. Eyes that were hidden by a pair of sunglasses, and the entire effect made her look more like a door "local" than herself. Behind the glasses, her mind had yet to really slow down, constantly reminding her of things that could (would) go wrong. It was a constant drone in her mind, sometimes softer, sometimes overwhelming, but always there. It wasn't as bad in her own door, but slipping into something a little more human gave her more than just the physical changes. She gained her own, very human, quirks, problems she'd never thought she'd need to worry about. She knew what it was, could label it as anxiety, as moments of panic. But labeling it hadn't helped any.
Eddie had said that distractions would help, that she'd get used to being human eventually. And maybe he was right, but until that point, she had to muddle her way through. And she didn't have a lot of experience in that sort of muddling. Eddie did, though, and the thread of his voice through the door finally made her crack one eye open and turn her head toward it, a smile already sneaking toward her lips.
The city slicker squinted at the summer sun and fresh air. He took a cautious breath, like he didn’t know what to do without a lungfull of pollution and then slowly exhaled. It was nice. His shoulders relaxed and he looked down to smile at her. He walked over and handed her the hat he bought for her and then took another step out into the sun. Head tilted back he seemed to look right up at the damned thing, squinting like he could somehow withstand the eye damage. It only lasted a second and he closed his eyes, shook his head and smiled at the spots swimming around his vision.
He turned, blinked at her as the spots slowly vanished and a retro version of her took shape. Muerte said he was a chameleon, but she was, too. She wore those old fashioned clothes like they were natural on her and her black hair with pale skin made her uniquely beautiful. Eddie felt his chest tighten for a moment in unnecessary jealousy of whatever man around here looked her way. He knew he was being silly. “You’re so pretty.” The riddled man said with a smile. No carnie tricks, no wagging of his eyebrows. Simplicity meant the curtain was being pulled back for a moment.
Eddie ventured over to her, but didn’t sit down just yet. “Can I persuade you to go on a walk with me?” There wasn’t anything to explore except beautiful scenery, no surprises out there in the green grass and floating streams. But, Eddie didn’t get a chance to enjoy pleasant things like this very often. And, besides, it’d be even better doing it with her.
She was laughing by the time he turned toward her, shaking her head. "Don't look right at the sun. I know you come from a grimy city, but someone has to have told you that before." The smile had made its home on her face when the spots cleared from his eyes, obvious that it was true, even with the mask of the sunglasses. Reaching up to place the gifted hat on her head, she froze for a second at the compliment. The sincere, no frills compliment. Her paleness only made her blush all the more obvious, especially since she was already warm from the weather. "Thank you," she whispered, looking down as she settled the hat on her head. The movement of her hands and angle of her chin was all something a little bashful and a little awkward, and she shook her head as she laughed softly at herself. The return of the pre-teen silliness. "You look nice too. Even if you are going to burn in the sun." She said it as if she wasn't going to crisp up into something red once the rays hit her skin. The hat would help, but her arms and shoulders were still bare. Even the tops of her feet.
It didn't stop her from slipping her sandals back on and tucking her journal under the blanket. Hardly anyone came down the line of bungalows quite so far, and she really doubted anyone would steal the single blanket or the book beneath. That done, she levered herself up to her feet and smiled again. "I think I could be persuaded. ...even though we don't have a chaperone." The last was a tease, something closer to how she could act in their own door.
Eddie laughed as she protested his staring contest with the sun. “Muerte, I’m not completely sure I’ve even heard of this thing in the sky!” He said like the sun was some alien thing that Gothamites were simply never educated about. “If that’s the son, then who’s the father?” He asked all serious and terribly proud of his wordplay. When he turned to see her blushing at his compliment he grinned a little wider. Proud of himself and always happy to watch her try to will color away from her face.
He held his hand out for her to take if she wanted to. “I think we’re both plenty old enough to wander around without chaperones.” Eddie said with great dramatic pain like he was only years away from death before dropping the act and smiling again. He was just happy to see her and the fresh air really made those problems in Gotham start to fade. “There’s something I wanted to ask you. Should I call you Muerte any longer? That Zoe thing has got me thinking. If we are ever to introduce each other in one of these normal doors, I can’t call you what I usually do.”
The snort that escaped her was hardly delicate, and she rolled her eyes at the same time. "Really? Really, Eddie? I can't deal with how cheesy that just was." The smile was wide on her face, though, and there was hidden laughter behind her protesting words. "And I think I just hurt my eyes rolling them so hard." The pink was still on her cheeks, but she was distracted enough by him that she was able to ignore the added hint of warmth on her face.
She looked at his hand for a moment before reaching out, though. The past had seen them sit close to each other, embrace, and kiss, but she hesitated before taking his hand. The last time she had, she'd already been well into nervousness and doing her best to keep breathing. This, out in the sunlight, with other people passing by, seemed different than clinging to him as her head spun and filled with racing thoughts. And so it took a while, a long while, until she reached out and slipped her hand into his. The pressure of her grip was light at first, barely there at all.
"I don't even know how old I officially am when I'm like this." The smile still lingered at that thought. "Do all the eons count when I'm like this and can only remember a handful of things at a time?" She schooled her expression into faux-innocence, eyes as wide as any of the sheltered young girls at the resort. "Of course we need a chaperone! Or else you might try something." She held the expression for a few more seconds until the mischief crept back into her eyes and the innocence shifted into a smirk and then a smile. But then the smile moved along into something thoughtful.
"I don't know. About the name. I mean, you have a point. I can't go around in doors like this introducing myself as Death. Someone will lock me up and I won't be able to get back." It wasn't a thought that had crossed her mind before, but she added it to the list of things to worry about when she was human. It was a growing list. "Selina calls me Em." That earned a small laugh and a shake of her be-hatted head. "Actually, she calls me Em, like it's always in italics. But you could too, if other people ask. Or Zoe. That one was more of an inside joke with myself." She gave a shrug, and it made their hands swing just a bit. "I've been called so many things, it doesn't even matter to me that much anymore, what someone calls me. There've been some doozies. But I pretty much always know they're talking about me." And maybe that didn't quite answer his question, but she trailed off.
Eddie didn’t know what to do with that hesitant, light touch. It wasn’t Gotham, which was bold and hard and sure, and it made him feel as finicky as a cat. His fingers escaped hers before she could do anything about it, years of thievery and slight of hand finally paying off. He smiled at her maybe a little too brightly and put his hands in his pockets as if they’d never be seen again. And then he continued the conversation like nothing had happened before. A thief at his very best. “I know this might come as a surprise to you, but you don’t look like a spring chicken anymore.” One foot crossed over the other to get some distance from her so he could take a look. “I’d put you in your early 30’s? And, that’s being generous.” He teased and then shook his head. “Once you get past thirty, no one cares about your levels of debauchery.” Eddie kept the distance, a couple long inches away from her.
“Em is pretty. Zoe is too. Not as nice as Muerte, though.” He always liked how that sounded. He liked the rough roll of the letters in his throat. “Let’s see. Muerte. In some cultures it’s Saint Sebastiana, but that’s a bit of a mouthful.” He meandered down the path, smiling at a couple that walked past them. “Blanca? That might be too foreign for people around here.” Eddie turned his head to look at the trees, the expanse of green. A moment passed and then he snapped his fingers and pointed up in the air. “Oh! You’re associated with flowers. Roses specifically. Why not Rose? Is that too old fashioned?” A woeful shake of his head. “It’s a bit old fashioned.”
She blinked at the retreat of his fingers, the sudden reversal of the offer of them. The pull away spiked a low hurt behind her ribcage, but she did the best to keep the sign of it off of her face. She was still ill-practiced at her own physicality though, and instead of having his hand to hold to, she crossed her arms over her stomach. Her fingers curled around the outsides of her elbows, a few of them tapping absently against the soft hollow above the sharp jut of bone. And then, following the lead of a thief because her own lead was so far askew, she continued in the conversation too. Even when he stepped farther away and it made her that pain transform into a harshly syncopated beat of her heart. It caught her breath in her throat, and she held it for a moment before it settled enough for her to reply. "Rude." She glanced over and forced a twist of a smile at him. It was a tease, right? A tease because everything was fine, and she could laugh at a tease. Even if it did feel like a too-large, unswallowable hurt in her throat.
It was the distance that was the problem. Even as they continued to walk. If she'd wanted distance, she wouldn't have propped open that screen door. Better to think about names, than that. Better to smile and nod at that passing couple. Better to watch where she stepped, to avoid a rock in her sandal. His sudden snap into the quiet afternoon drew her attention back up, though. "I don't mind old-fashioned. You know that. ...Rose is good."
Eddie noticed the stance she took after he pulled away and that wasn’t what he expected. He thought she was holding his hand reluctantly and there was nothing worse than reluctant affection. He hadn’t seen the puzzle of it, the pieces of someone who didn’t know what to do with pure physical touch. After all, touching her was the easiest thing in the world when she was a god, so how could he really know that it’d be so strange when she wasn’t? He exhaled as the distance became a little more and that forced smile made him frown. “Muerte is still the best.” Eddie wanted to try to hold her hand again, but why keep forcing her to touch him?
He stopped in his tracks suddenly, like a car slammed on his brakes and he waited for her to look back at him. “Do you know where this goes?” He pointed to a much smaller trail, eclipsed by knee high grass and buzzing with life. “I bet you don’t. I bet you have no idea.” Eddie took a step back, grass brushing against his expensive slacks like it was trying to figure out what shade of green he was wearing. “I’m personally crossing my fingers for some running water. I want to see a salamander so badly, so very badly. I’ve never seen one in real life, only in books. They’re like if a frog and a lizard had a love child.”
She wanted it to be like it was when they were in their own door. She didn't want the uncertainty of being human and how to relearn how to interact with him. Her-as-human wasn't the her that he'd known up until this point. It was something else entirely, something - someone - with new difficulties based on new circumstances. Not only the humanity, but also the new paths they were attempting to explore (and not the ones at the resort). It left her questioning everything, unable to act the way she usually did. She tried, but the more she tried, the less natural it was, the more stilted and awkward everything became. "You like it best because it's what you've called me for the longest. You could start calling me Evelyn today instead of anything else, and in a while that would be the one you like best."
Gaze back on her own feet, it took her nearly half a dozen steps to realize that he'd stopped. When she finally did, she turned to look back over her shoulder, hat and sunglasses almost hiding her frown of confusion (but not quite completely). She looked over at the path he pointed down, barely a cut in the grass, and for some reason her first thought was 'ticks'. Shaking her head in confirmation, her words were quiet. "I don't." She looked back up the trail toward the bungalows, tried to create a map of them and the main guest buildings, but she was, in fact, off her mental map. She could so easily get lost.
Another worry for the list.
"There might be. Water. I don't know about salamanders." She wanted to laugh at the thought of a frog and a lizard having a love child, but the smile only barely grazed her lips.
The threat of ticks didn’t even cross the riddled man’s mind. Oh, put him in a tunnel deep underground crawling with threats and he could tell you all the different risks. But, a nice country club atmosphere with trees and grass and wildlife? He was hopeless. That was so very apparent. “No, I like Muerte because it means something. Santa Muerte has always meant a lot to people like me. It suits you.” Thieves, rogues, anyone outside of the law. Even if she wasn’t really the saint that watched over those unfortunate souls, she embodied a lot of who the saint was supposed to be.
He took a step off the path, back onto the main one and considered just leaving. Just going back to Gotham. He was feeling a bit flouncy without any easy affection from her. Usually it was something he could overcome, but he had a rough day. He had a hard time believing that anyone could stand his company for very long. “Nevermind then. No salamanders, no dice.” Eddie stepped back onto the main path completely and then caught up with her. After a moment he tilted his head to look at her. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve been in a bad place today. I’m not at my most charming or witty self.” And, he knew that most people expected him to be those things at all times.
She maybe found a truer smile at his talk of Santa Muerte. She'd always liked that - the feeling that she meant more to someone than just taking them from their life. It had somehow become even more important when the hotel had snatched her from her old existence to put her in this one. Left without siblings, and without the framework that she'd known for so long, that connection had been important. That there was someone that appreciated having her around, even if she didn't quite match up to their expectations all the time. "We can figure something out though. If we need to."
But then he was moving back onto the main path, abandoning the exploration. "There might be? Salamanders? New York has them back home." She was laying it out like a bargaining chip. Hoping that maybe small amphibians could keep him from leaving. Her arms wrapped tighter around her middle, hands moving from her elbows to her waist, practically hugging herself. "You don't have to be charming or witty." It came as a whisper, and she maybe should have said something about his day, why it was bad. But first he needed to stay.
Eddie took another step closer to her, taking off his hat to run his fingers through messy black hair. He watched her coil around herself, hands holding elbows like a statue and he instinctively reached to brush his fingers along her pale arm. A small, curious touch. His chin tilted up to look at her, face shielded by the hat and eyes masked by her sunglasses. Fingers reached up to carefully remove the glasses from her face, a delicate touch like a magician pulling flowers out of his sleeve. “I want to be for you.” Eddie said softly once the glasses were off and he palmed them so she couldn’t grab for them back without physically searching him for them.
His thumb brushed over her cheekbone and he took a moment to see what little of her eyes that the sun and brim of her hat allowed. “I tried to be kind today and I failed miserably.” Eddie said and there was a touch of humor in his voice. He was of course talking about his ill-fated conversation with his ex-wife that he turned sour. Eddie didn’t care for Stephanie’s company, he barely had anything nice to say about her these days, but he still wanted to be kind. She was trying so hard to repent and he couldn’t even give her that. “I keep trying to be someone for other people and it only works when I’m pretending to be a mobster. Deep down, the only thing I am is a crow.”
The soft brush of his fingers to her bare arm made her stop and watch, eyes fixed on the point where they touched. She wanted to press her arm into it, turn it into something more than just the brief, light contact, but (like before) his fingers didn't remain in just that one place. They moved away again, and her forehead cut with the wrinkle of a frown. There wasn't enough time for words even, before he was carefully removing her glasses. Even with the shade of her hat, the world sparked too bright, and she had to blink away the dazzle. Once she could focus, her sunglasses were nowhere to be seen, and she frowned again. But moreso at his words than her absent accessories.
"But you don't have to be for me. I don't expect you to be on all the time." Of course she didn't. That sounded exhausting. A hypothetical exhaustion that was forgotten at the touch to her cheek, accompanied by a soft, relieved exhale. Her eyes closed and refused to open again right away, but she could respond to his words even without being able to see him. "Maybe be you for you instead." And then, softer, like she wasn't sure that it was supposed to work this way: "Don't pretend as much?" And even softer - barely a whisper. "There's nothing wrong with birds that have black feathers."
Muerte’s soft exhale brought him easy relief like crushed mint in cool water. Eddie shouldn’t have been so afraid, he knew that. He knew she wanted his affection and it was just a matter of trying to sort out how to handle all of it. It was hard to keep reminding himself that some women didn’t push back hard to get what they wanted. Eddie silently decided that was what he desperately needed even if he was awkward and unused to it, after all he was about appreciating small things. Gentleness, slow and simple.
He stepped a little closer, his torso pressed against her clasped arms. When she closed her eyes like that, she looked like the saint statues he had seen in the rougher parts of town. Peaceful in layers of pain. His heart beat a little faster and he decided that it was nice to really look at how beautiful she was. He never allowed himself to before.
“I know. But, all of this is so much for you, isn’t? Wouldn’t be easier if I was your fearless lighthouse? A steady constant that was easy to understand?” Eddie was exhausted by himself, especially today. “What if you don’t like when I’m being me?” His voice wavered for only a second, proof that he wasn’t sure about who he really was. A second passed and then he tilted her chin up as he leaned in, his breath gentle on her lips. “A crow with messy black feathers, watching the wall until there’s nothing left of him. That’s when I feel like I’m actually doing something right.”
And, that? That was a secret. The way he whispered it so close to her was proof. Eddie knew he could do any number of things, he could be anyone. But, at the end of the day, he liked being one of the people watching the horizon for a bigger threat. He liked being a crow, fixing the Watchtower and making sure they were prepared. It was so simple, simpler than anything he ever tried, and that’s why it was a secret.
He hesitated for a moment and then kissed her gently. Eddie murmured a soft thank you against her lips for listening to him. For being here for him. There was warmth in his touch, in the way he kissed her. There was proof he wasn’t going anywhere.
The fabric pressure on the backs of her forearms surprised her, and her eyes came open again to see how close he'd stepped. The hat was a little awkward with how close they were standing, but she tipped her head back far enough to be able to see him past the brim. To see that he was just looking at her, a nearly unblinking study, and the whispered question came automatically: "What?"
All his questions came quickly, and they only earned a slow shake of her head. "It's a lot, yeah. But…" She unwrapped one arm from around herself and lifted it to tuck back a ringlet of hair that had escaped both braid and hat, tucking it behind her ear. When she was done, not knowing what else to do with her arms, and with Eddie so close, she tentatively (with a few stuttered false starts) rested her fingers just below his ribs. There wasn't much pressure from them, and she didn't move them once they touched. "I know what you can be like. I've… seen…" She winced a little, not wanting to bring up how far her awareness extended in the other door. "The different ways you can be. I… like the quiet parts too." Her wince moved into a frown, and she looked up at him again. "Why do you think I wouldn't like you being you?" It came out harder - still quiet, but insistent in her need to know. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't like you being you."
His touch to her chin tipped her face up, and he was close - so close. Close enough that with his lips nearly touching hers, it felt natural to move her hands back, rest them near his spine, and wrap her arms around him. "Then be a crow, Eddie. There's nothing wrong with that." The words came on a whisper of breath. And she said it like it was simple - like she'd once told Selina to be herself. It was a strange little blind spot for her, the feeling that everyone should be as true to themselves as possible.
Her eyes closed with the kiss, and her arms tightened enough to bring her flush up against him. It was a slow kiss, something warm instead of hot, and she liked the way he felt solid under her hands. Her palms pressed against the fabric of his shirt, and she absently catalogued the passing wonder of what his skin would feel like instead. It took her a moment to realize what she'd thought, and then she was blushing hotly, more than she had even in Las Vegas, and turning away just enough to break the kiss, awkwardness accompanying the color of her cheeks.
Eddie pressed close, a soft murmur from his throat when she kissed him back. The warmth spread from his stomach to his toes and fingertips. His mind went quiet, all those fears and worries faded to the back of his mind and he kissed her a little deeper before she turned away. He chuckled at the brightness of her cheeks, that bashful turn away. He might have brought up all the terrible things he did to her at his worst, all the mistakes he had made along the way, but what was the point of that now? What was the point of reminding her of who he could really be at his worst? When he was finally feeling close to her? And, besides, he had no intention to walk down those same bad paths ever again.
“Hey.” Eddie smirked and kissed the edge of her mouth before pulling back. “Should I warn you next time? Give you a 3, 2, 1 countdown?” He joked to try and make her smile and took a step back to give her some space. If she looked up, Muerte could see the difference in his expression. From tense and trying way too hard to relaxed with a hint of that natural charm that was a bit different from the carnie stuff he put on most people. The difference was like eating an apple versus apple candy. The apple tasted better even if the candy was much sweeter.
He didn't need to remind her of those things. She still remembered them, remembered… all of it. Those memories stayed sharp enough, even when she crossed into human doors. The things she'd done, the things they'd said to each other, the way his face twisted in horror when she'd crossed a line, the way it felt to have Pit running through her body. None of it was good, and some of it was what kept her from taking her own steps of reaching for him, of being the first to lean in. Neither one of them had always been good for the other, and it was only one of the things that made her nervous.
But then he distracted her, and she let a laugh escape her throat. "No, I don't need a countdown. I'll just laugh at you if you try that." And she did look up then, still flushed but with a soft smile. She looked for a long moment, the smile warming just a bit, and then she nodded. "See? That's better. Like this." One of her hands came up and around again, though her other still kept them held close, and she touched careful fingertips just below his eye before letting them drag down lightly over his cheek to his jaw. "Does it feel better to you?" Whispered, and actually curious.
Eddie’s brow slightly raised as reached to touch him. He was the one who made all the first moves, who brushed his fingertips against her skin to try and get a reaction. It wasn’t that he minded. In fact, he was aware that he had done plenty to push her away before, so the chemistry of it made sense. He was supposed to try and pull her back. He was the one who needed to ask, to be gentle. No, Eddie didn’t mind at all. The thing was? This riddled man wasn’t used to being touched by someone he really wanted. Back in his Gotham, it was always a girl who wanted his status or money that took advantage of his loneliness. Before that, it was a wife he tried in vain to rekindle what was burnt up. No, this was different. He wanted her, he had feelings for her. “Y-yes.” Eddie whispered back and leaned into her touch, eyes darting down to look at the inside of her wrist before gazing back up at her face.
Yes, this was better, even if he wasn’t completely sure what he was doing. With the neon question mark on his hat he could swagger his way through everything. That was how he won over the blonde bat and practically every other woman in his life. But, without it? With only his soft green and scars? He wasn’t sure if he could convince anyone to stay with him. To want more than a second of his company.
But, here was Muerte, proving him wrong. Eddie closed his eyes for a moment. Enjoying the warmth of her fingers mixing with the heat of the sun. His eyes opened halfway, a lazy sort of smirk forming on his face even if she was making his heart jump into his throat. “Kiss me?” A soft request that he hadn’t made before. A genuine one, not at all unlike when he reached out to hold her hand.
She smiled at his hesitant agreement, and she nodded. Yes, it was better. It was better to not always have to pretend and pull out different masks for different people - or even for different moments. If he was used to doing that all the time - a frown flickered its passing across her face before her expression went soft again. If that's what he'd been doing, then she believed that he maybe wanted a little quiet. He leaned into her touch, and her hand shifted, laying palm along his cheek and thumb pressing carefully just near the corner of his eye - barely a pressure at all.
When his eyes closed, she took that moment to study him even closer, to see the way the lines of his face relaxed a little more. And she liked it. She liked to see the moments where he didn't feel like he needed to play a role. It made her feel… good. Warm in a way that had nothing to do with the summer weather. Glad that he could have even a little of that around her. It gave her the confidence to meet his heavy-lidded smirk with a small smile of her own, one that almost twisted to the side with some of her usual humor. Even if the request derailed her for a second again. "Kiss you?" It was a genuine question, the soft surprise twisting through her words.
But the request made it easier. Made it so she didn't have to entertain that split second of worry that she'd be misstepping with her affection. Made it so that when she moved her hand from his cheek to rest on his collarbone, fingers curved over his shoulder for balance, up on her toes to lean in those few inches, the shyness was natural and not the acid worry it sometimes was. It still took an extra second, a moment for her eyes to shift down toward the curve of his smirk, before she could let them close and press her lips to his. It was awkward at first, too tense to be anything near good, but those seconds passed, and when he didn't wrench himself away, it gave her the push she needed to soften herself and relax into it. Heels back to the ground, she stole those few inches from herself so that he had to lean in to make up the space instead.
Eddie nodded, smirk smarmy and affectionate. He could see the confidence in her expression, the ease they used to have with each other in the Gotham door. The riddled man knew it was locked away somewhere, that they’d find a way to get back to it eventually even with all the humanizing effects of these worlds. He knew they’d be okay, even if he didn’t want to pretend that there was anything good for them in the future. It was a lot easier to simply enjoy the here and now. To ask for kisses and open doors and hand holding in between deep secrets and confessions. That was a good way of trying things out.
He waited to see if she’d take him up on the request, the dare and leaned closer when she wrapped her arm around him. His hands went for her waist, a soft touch rounding around her curves to tug her closer. Eddie chuckled as she looked at his lips like she was thinking of jumping off a cliff and then kissed her back when she finally made the leap. Of course it was awkward at first, he expected the whole kiss to feel like that and was pleasantly surprised as she started to loosen up. Eddie kissed her back encouragingly, so she knew he wasn’t playing any tricks with her. And, as her heels hit the ground he naturally leaned closer, wanting more even if he was being oh-so demanding lately.
The warm buzzing feeling under his skin was starting to burn pleasantly. He wanted to push her up against something, wanted to take that blouse off button by button. Eddie reminded himself that he needed to control himself a little better than an eager Gotham rogue, so he broke the kiss reluctantly. His hands roamed up her back and he pressed a few hot kisses to her jaw and neck. “Thank you.” He whispered, cheek to cheek.
Somehow, the weight of his hands at her waist made her feel smaller - not in the way that being human did, that scary vulnerability in the face of danger she wasn't used to. Not like that, but in the way that she was just the right size to lean into him and not stretch half-way across the universe at the same time. It was the realization that even though she was still getting used to being different - to being human - Eddie had a lifetime of keeping himself alive and (mostly) safe. And that he could probably be there to do the same for her. The realization came as they were still pressed together, as he kissed in return, as he leaned in even more. The combination drew a sound from her throat, a hum that she hadn't even intended.
Moving, shifting, with his hands on her back she brought her own arms up to loop over his shoulders, pulling herself as close as she could. She had no idea what Eddie's thoughts were when he pulled away enough to move those kisses down along her neck. They made her blink, made her breath catch, made her thoughts slow down for those brief moments. She turned her face toward him at that whisper, but only ended up burying her nose behind his ear as she whispered back. "Thank you for wh-"
Her question was cut off by someone not-so-far-away clearing their throat insistently, as if it wasn't the first time they'd done so. Flush back on her cheeks, she pulled back enough to look over, finding an older couple standing on the main path, the woman glaring daggers at them.
Eddie smiled, completely and utterly wrapped up in her affection. So much so that he didn’t even hear the a-HEM of the older woman behind them. It took Muerte’s question being cut off and her freezing up for him to glance over at the very unimpressed set of senior citizens. It took everything in the riddled man’s power not to roll his eyes at the geezers and tell them to take a hike. Instead his ears turned pink when he looked down at Muerte and he stepped back from the woman he was just all over, trying to carefully wipe the grin off his face. “Oh, helloooooo.” Eddie sounded like a toy winding up, like he was trying to tune a radio.
“We were- it’s so easy to get carried away with all this lovely weather!” He exclaimed and the charm was instant and his voice naturally turned into an old fashioned sort of accent. He couldn’t help that one bit. “Rose, darling. I think you had too much sun today. We should go find the clubhouse where your lady friends are and I’m off to play another round of golf with” He squinted to try and come up with a good name. “Ralph. Ah, Ralph. That old so-and-so.”
It was easy enough to see the way that Eddie's ears went pinker, and watching them darken made her smile a little more. She knew she should try to be serious, especially in the face of disapproving guests, especially in the 50s, in a place where morals were the most important thing. Or at least the appearance of them. But Eddie's awkward explanations only made her smile grow, at least until he turned the attention to her. Her eyes widened, like she hadn't expected to be drawn into his little 'play', and her cheeks stayed their own shade of pink, independent of the sun. She blinked a few times, trying to catch up, and then (with a smile) she turned to the still-disapproving elderly faces.
"You know, I think he's right. Edward, I think you're right." Her voice skipped light over his name, still trying not to laugh at the whole situation, especially when she glanced over at him. She linked her arm through his (mostly appropriate now) and shook her head at the other couple. "I've been out here since morning, and he only just brought my hat. I was…" Her eyes betrayed mischief even as she tried to keep a mostly straight face. "Thanking him. For it."
The woman's expression didn't shift at all, though her husband smiled and nodded at Eddie (he'd been thanked before, when he and his wife were younger) even as Rose continued to talk. "But I think finding some shade would be a very good thing. Perhaps I'll even lie down for a while. Just a bit. Or have a drink or two." Her attention landed more fully on the woman, and she shared a conspiratorial little smile (and if she maybe stole the twist of it from watching Selina, she wasn't going to admit to it). "You know how it can be here. I'm sure." Though her words were meant for the couple, she leaned against Eddie's side as she said it, other hand coming up to rest on his forearm as she continued to smile at the woman for one more moment before glancing back up at Eddie. "Shall we?"
Eddie’s shoulders went back, his whole body completely stiff with formality as he tried so hard not to laugh at her calling him Edward like that. The older gentleman’s glimmer in his eyes was actually sort of sweet and Eddie silently hoped that the older couple would go back to their place and smooch or hold hands. They had no idea how lucky they were to grow old together. No idea at all. He smiled at the old man, all confidence and upper class masculinity before glancing over to Muerte. She tilted her chin down and italicized her words like meow face of all people and he found that absolutely delightful.
He nodded at her suggestion to go and let her slip her hand through the triangled crook of his arm. “Good afternoon.” Eddie said, mannerisms polite and formal like he was trained by the queen herself before he turned on his heel and tugged Muerte away. Once they were just out of earshot he chuckled at her and gave a soft golf clap. “Oh, bravo. Was that a Selina impression I heard? It was simply marvelous.” He teased and then with a wave of his fingers, made her sunglasses appear out of thin air.
She nodded to the couple as Eddie tugged her away, lifting one hand in a little wave before turning to keep her steps in time with Eddie's. She waited until he chuckled, trusting his judgement of the distance, and then she let out the laugh she'd been holding in, leaning into him more as she laughed. "Oh shit, please never tell her I just did that. I didn't know what else to do!" Her eyes lingered on his smile even as she tried to push his polite golf clap away with a murmured stop that.
She was still grinning when her sunglasses reappeared, and she reached over to try to snag them from his fingers. "You know that they're going to be talking to their friends about this. We've now become Edward and Rose, the couple that inappropriately necks in the middle of the walking path." She didn't appear to be too concerned by it, though.
Eddie let her have the sunglasses and then made a cross with his fingertip over his heart. “I swear on my mom that I won’t say anything. Besides, it’s nice to see you with a little Gotham flair.” He dramatically rolled those last couple words like he was on the rogue stage in his green and question marks right then. Eddie had spent so much time with Selina, with each Selina he had ever known, that he knew the influence of her certain brand of kitty cat charm anywhere.
He lifted up Muerte’s hand that was in the crook of his arm to kiss her knuckles before placing it back where it was as an apology for the golf clap. A laugh at the rumors that were going to spread about them and he shook his head with a fake sigh. “What will I do? Oh, Muerte. They’ll never let me into the Gentlemen’s Club now.” He said with absolute woe even if his only experience with upper class hangouts of this time was when he robbed them all blind in some flash of eccentric show. “The people of this era are much better at hiding scandal than I am.”
She unfolded the sunglasses one-handed with a smile, the interaction with the elderly couple making something lighter in her for the moment, and she very carefully worked the glasses onto Eddie's face. At least as best as she could with just the one free hand, leaving them slightly skewed on his face. "Don't get too used to it. This was a special circumstance."
The kiss to her knuckles was watched carefully from under the brim her hat, eyes following the movement of her own hand, the press of his lips there. She extended one finger as held her hand to his mouth, just grazing his cheek before he moved it away again. Her expression was calm and a bit of open wonder until she joined him in the soft laugh. "Oh come on. They'll still accept you. I'm the one that would have problems." An eyebrow ticked up as her head tilted to the side for just a second. "Double standard and all."
With his hat somehow back on his head during their little talk with the elderly couple and the feminine glasses on his face, he cocked his head proudly into the air. Eyes cast down at her like he was so fashionable it made him superior to everyone. In truth, it made him look like a handsome Hunter S. Thompson navigating a drug fueled adventure in Las Vegas. “You’re Gotham in your own way.” Eddie declared. “The deep darkness, the sudden- you’re very sudden sometimes. Do you know what I mean? One day you’re going to give me a heart attack and feel very sorry about accidentally killing me.” He said it was humor, light and musing.
“I like it, though. I like surprises. And, you’re very mysterious to me. I was thinking that on the way here.” He glanced over to her and hoped he hadn’t offended her. Eddie had a way of complimenting traits people had that they didn’t like very much. He was naturally attracted to the oddities of humanity, the wonderous. Even if Muerte wasn’t exactly human. “I doubt you’re the fastest woman here. You’re dressed like a church mouse. They’ll think I seduced you to the dark side.”
She found herself continuing to smile at the combo of hat and glasses, and only half paid attention to what he was saying - that she was Gotham. She didn't think of herself that way. Though being sudden, yes, she supposed, and it made her laugh under her breath. "I told you, you just have to get used to it. You'll get there eventually." Her smile twisted back into the same sort of mischief it had held when talking to the old couple. "And like I'd let you die from something dumb like that."
Her smile faded again though into something serious, curious. Her next question was quiet again. "Am I really that mysterious?" She wasn't offended. Maybe a little surprised that he would still think so. "I didn't think I was that complicated." And that earned a little quirk of a shrug. And then an eyeroll, because she thought he was maybe being a little naive. "And that would be my fault, obviously. Once they remember that I wasn't wearing a ring." Her smile pressed into something wry. "It's like you haven't been paying attention. If we really lived in this door, you wouldn't be the one getting the short end of the stick here."
“I don’t think I want to get used to it.” He said with a dramatic roll of his hand in the air. “And, just so you know, I think I’d like to die in the silliest way possible. When I was younger I wanted to go out with a bang, all rogues do. Some fireworks, a marching band playing in the background, Batman swooping in. A few years ago I wanted to die peacefully in my sleep surrounded by loved ones. Now, I think I’d like to die for something silly. I don’t want to go heroically or tragically or lovingly. Silly seems the best way.” Eddie had no problem talking about death. He wasn’t fascinated by it, though considering who he was arm and arm with, he was obviously very comfortable with the notion of it. One day he would die and some other Edward would take his place. It was the law of the land.
His expression went soft at her curiosity and then he nodded. The flamboyant thing was dropped and he leaned a little closer to her. “You’re very complex. You always have been.” Said with sincerity and affection. He wanted to kiss her again, but they’d only get a-HEMED by yet another judgemental couple. Instead, Eddie took the glasses off his face and with a snap of his fingers they were gone. “Okay, you caught me. I honestly-” He gestured around the country club greenery. “Wouldn’t know the first thing about this sort of society. My 50’s were filled with tough women who knew how to shoot a machine gun, warehouses full of silly props, bank robberies, party crashing. I never knew a woman that hadn’t found a way to shake free of the binds this sort of place would put on her.”
Eddie paused, eyes up and forward as he found himself a little lost in thought. A moment passed and then he looked down at her. “If we really lived here, what sort of courting game would I have to play? So that you appeared to be an honest lady and I a perfect gentleman?” He was genuinely interested. The upper crust always bored him to tears, but he did like games.